RP XSDF Roleplay Thread: Vanguard of Forseti

DarkGemini24601

Well-Known Member
Current Einherjar Status
Diagnosis Date: April 22nd

[Square Brackets] are for clarification of previous text.
{These Brackets} are for defining items of interest.

Research =

Weapons R&D, April 20th -> Compact Coolant Systems Completed. Plasma Ravagers [MEC Weapon] available for manufacture and MEC Troopers now have access to an item called a "Plas-Helium Capacitor".
{Plas-Helium Capacitor - Contains supercooled Liquid Helium that allows for MEC weapons to use the Suppression ability.}

Armor R&D, April 20th -> Personal Shields Level 1 Completed. P1 attachments for armor are now available for manufacture. [They do not require an item slot]

Equipment R&D, April 19th -> Damage Reduction Techniques Completed. Impact Vests and Breaching Nozzles now available for manufacture.
{Impact Vest - Special armor plating that reduces any damage from direct hits to the torso by 1/4, and by 1/2 if the wearer is within 2 meters of the enemy.}
{Breaching Nozzle - Bypasses 1 'tier' of armor resistance normally, 2 'tiers' of armor resistance if within 5 meters of a target.}

Psionic Labs, April 15th -> Advanced Psionic Armor Completed. Vortex Armor now available for production.
{Vortex Armor - Heavy armor that increases the will and psionic prowess of the user. +3 CON, +3 WIL}

Gene Labs, April 15th -> SMART Capabilities Completed. Unlocked the Smart Respiration, Smart Lungs, and Toxin Bulwark genetic modifications.
{BRAIN STEM: Smart Respiration – In the event that breathable air is not available, the brain stem passively shuts off breathing and assists the body in conserving oxygen.}
{LUNGS: Smart Lungs - The lungs can collate foreign chemicals easier and eject dense gasses, toxins, and carcinogens in moderate amounts.}
{LIVER: Toxin Bulwark - Enhances the liver’s detoxification capabilities, not only protecting against artificial poisons but also preventing atmospheric poisoning from gases that would kill a normal person.}

Gene Labs, April 22nd -> Skeletal Endurance. Unlocked Sturdy Bone Structure and Flexible Bone Structure.
{Sturdy Bone Structure – Hardened bones are harder to break, drawing from a mixture of alien skeletal structures such as the Balmadaar and improving upon them. +2 STR}
{Flexible Bone Structure – Flexible bones offer a wider range of mobility, drawing form a mixture of alien skeletal structures such as the Replitans and improving upon them. +2 DEX}

The Foundry, April 14th -> Tactical Rigging Completed. [Extra misc/handheld slot for all regular soldiers. Extra inventory slot for MEC Trooper Armors]

The Foundry, April 21st ->Helmet Improvements [Nanoweave padding within all helmets increases likelihood of surviving headshots, and additional systems improve vision in low light, fog, and other weather conditions]

Cybernetics Lab, April 16th -> Cranial Upgrades Completed. Unlocked Occular Receptor and Spatial Enhancer cybernetic enhancements.
{Occular Receptor - Allows for the attachment of two extra visual receptors without putting stress on the brain.}
Spatial Enhancer – Expands spatial reasoning, making maneuvers in 3D feel more natural. A must-have for anyone involved in space combat. +1 PER}

Robotics Lab, April 16th -> SA-34 Fenrir prototype approved, model available for manufacture.

{SA-34 Fenrir - A quadrupial unmanned combat drone with extendable claws for climbing and combat. It has a manipulator claw on its back usable for a chainsaw that can be switched out with a long-range weapon to compliment the model’s springloaded high-frequency knives}

Production =

Main Engineering by April 22nd -> The following weapons, armors, and equipment items were produced:

Weapons:
  • Plasma Pistol: 8
  • Plasma Mauler: 4
  • H.S.P.C.: 3 [Plasma Truncated Shotgun]
  • Plasma Stormgun: 4
  • Plasma Carbine: 4
  • Plasma Rifle: 8
  • Plasma Heavy Rifle: 8
  • Reflex Cannon: 3
  • Reflex Rifle: 5
  • Plasma Sniper Rifle: 2
  • Plasma Novagun: 3
  • Plasma Dragon: 2
  • Superheavy Plasma: 2
  • Plasma Ravager: 1
  • Blaster Launcher: 2
Armor:
  • Titan Armor: 2
  • Seraph Armor: 2
  • Archangel Armor: 3
  • Shadow Armor: 1
  • Nova Armor: 1
  • Vortex Armor: 1
  • MEC-4, MEC-5, and MEC-7 Armors
  • Personal Shield Generators: 8
Equipment:
  • Alloy Sharpener: 4
  • Pulse Optics: 4
  • Plasma Stellerator: 6
  • Breaching Nozzle: 6
  • Impact Vest: 2
Misc:

-Production of Gauss and Pulse Weaponry for Forseti Security is in progress.
-Production of Banshee Armor, Corsair Armor, Aegis Armor, and Cleric Armor for Forseti Security is in progress.

Construction

Spacecraft:
  • Seraph: 4
Robotic Units:
  • Alloy SHIV: 1
  • MESHA: 1
  • SA-34 Fenrir: 3
  • C-mu: 4
Structures:
  • Hangar G: Complete
  • Hangar H: In-Progress
  • Hangar I: In-Progress
  • Hangar J: Planned
  • Interior Shipyard: Planned
Shipping:
  1. 3 Alloy SHIVs, 3 Hover SHIVs, 6 Seekers, 4 Cyberdiscs: Has Arrived!
  2. Electric Ray Squadron One: Arrival in One Week
  3. Electric Ray Squadron Two: Arrival in Three Weeks
  4. 8 Shifters to complete Spook Squadron: Arrival in Three Weeks
  5. Balmadaar Reinforcements: Arrival in Five Weeks
  6. Seraph Squadron Two: Arrival in Six Weeks
  7. Firestorm Squadron One: Arrival in Eight Weeks
Misc:

-Conversion of 4 SHIVs to 2 Alloy SHIVs and 2 Hover SHIVs complete.
-Specs sent to local factories for production of SHIVs to supplement Forseti Security personnel.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
MarineAvenger & ZombieSplitter53
Sibling Relationship Advice: Part One


Earth (Sol 3)
Tipperary, Tipperary County, Ireland
Home of John & Morrigan O'Brien


Morrigan glanced at the clock on the wall, and rubbed her neck nervously. "Dear... you know I love you, and I love talking to you. But are you sure you won't get in trouble for staying on the line this long?"

Brigid waved her hand her hand dismissively, and motioned back to someone Morrigan couldn't see on the monitor. "Bribed the communications guy?"

Morrigan raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

Brigid shrugged. "Gave him a vintage MP3 player from way back when that I got from a poker game the other night, and promised to help his buddy in engineering with time I got off for giving my training head a bottle of three hundred year old wine that I one in an arm wrestling contest on the planet surface."

Her mother blinked several times. "You did all that just to make sure you have time to talk to your brother."

Brigid nodded. "I'm not missing him again. Besides, the second thing is for a future favor."

"What do you need that for?" Morrigan asked.

Her daughter rolled her eyes. "Come on, mom. You don't always get a favor when you need it. Sometimes, it's best to secure a favor in case you'll need it in the future."

Morrigan laughed loudly, nodding in understanding. "You sure learned a lot about bartering in your travels." The sound of the door opening made her turn around. "That's probably him now. Hold on." She walked out of the room, heading for the living room. "Galen? That you?"

The teen had a rather worn out look to him, dropping his messenger bag from school next to the couch. "Yeah, it's me." He called back, taking his hat off and rubbing his face.

"Are you alright?" Morrigan asked. "School go okay today?"

"It... it was exhausting." Morrigan noticed one of Galen's eyes was covered with his hair. "The... the school didn't call you... right?"

"No, I... I was actually talking with you..." Morrigan walked over to her son. "Are you... what happened? Why would they call me?"

"It's not important. If they haven't already then it doesn't matter." He quickly walked past his mother, going towards his room. Just then, the phone rang.
"Galen, please!" Morrigan reached down and grabbed the phone. "O'Brien residence. Morrigan speaking."

"Yes, Mrs. O'Brien, this is the principal of Galen's school, do you have a moment?" An elderly woman's voice said on the other end of the line.

"Um... y-yeah. What's going on?" Morrigan sat on the couch. "Something happen with my son?"

"Yes, you see Mrs. O'Brien, your son was involved in a fight with three other boys, all underclassmen during the last period of the school day. All three boys claim Galen instigated them and when they refused to buy into his taunting, he attacked them. Luckily, none of the parents will be pressing charges but as you know, we take that sort of behavior very serious at this school. Galen is to be suspended for two weeks and upon returning he will have after school detention for a week." The principal explained calmly. "Effective immediately."

"Well, I... there has to be a mistake," Morrigan insisted. "Why would he... pick a fight with three other boys?" She snared. "Did it never occur to you that they attacked him, and they're just sticking together!?"

"Yes ma'am, it did, but the boys were harmed a lot worse than Galen, suggesting that they must have been caught off guard, not to mention there was a witness saying Galen threw the first punch." The principal's tone sounded like she was expecting this.

Morrigan sighed. "I... okay, Can... can I please just... talk to him first? I doubt anyone actually listened to his perspective."

"Sorry ma'am. This is the school's decision, not yours." And with that, the principal hung up the phone.

"Shite." Morrigan had to resist the urge to slam the phone down, having broken four phones in five years that way. "Galen!" she rushed to Galen's room, slowing down as she approached the door to listen to what he was talking about.

"Why are you hiding your eyes?" Brigid asked on the computer screen. "Talk to me, Galen."

From Morrigan's perspective, Galen brought something away from his lips and slipped it in his vest. "I said it is nothing, Brigid. It's just been a long day and I look like a mess."

"Well, I didn't get to talk to you the last time I called, and with this war, I... I miss you." Brigid gave him a sad look. "Please... talk to me. If you don't want to talk to me about school, talk to me about your girlfriend."

"Who cares about her anymore?" He asked, clearly upset.

"Galen, talk to me, please." Brigid seemed to move a little closer to the screen. "I've missed out on so much with you. I want to be there for you like you were there with me with Cayden. What's going on?"

"Me and Alicia are done." Galen said to his sister, lowering his head and crossing his arms.

"Is that what the fight at school was about?" Morrigan stepped into the room. "Is this about that little tramp?"

Brigid looked past Galen, than back at him. "What fight? What is going on?"

"So they did call." Galen half whispered. "It was nothing, Mom."

"The hell it was nothing!" Morrigan walked up to Galen, spinning his chair so he was facing her. "A one on three fight. That you supposedly instigated! I want details. Details I should have gotten the moment you walked in that door!"

When Morrigan spun his chair, his hair was swept to the side, showing his black left eye. "Would you not overreact for once?"

Morrigan glared at the bruising as if she was staring at the boy who hit him. She stepped back, and held up a finger. "I'll be right... back..."

As she rushed out of the room, Brigid moved to try and see what her mother saw. "What is it? Mom's not going to get a gun, is she?"

"I have no idea..." Galen turned around, showing his face to Brigid.

"Oh, Galen..." She shook her head. "Please... what happened?"

Galen sighed. "I got into a fight, I won, and I got in trouble for it, now can we please talk about something else?"

"Not until you tell me what the fight was about." Morrigan walked back in, spun Galen back around, and held a frozen steak wrapped in a paper towel against the swelling. "And how that little slut was involved." She took a deep breath and looked into her son's eyes. "I... I won't overreact. I just want to know."

The teen let out a sigh, talking loud enough so Brigid would hear. "Well... I was going to my last class of the day, which is just my free period so I was going to try and pick up lunch. These three guys approached me laughing, and they started to talk to me. At first it was normal, but then one of them asked if they could all borrow Alicia for the weekend. I got mad, and when I asked what the hell they were talking about they..."

Galen looked to the side and growled. "They told me a story. Apparently that 'ex' she had, hadn't just been some guy she had a fling with, but he slept with her before, and not just once. apparently she slept with all of his friends, sometimes multiple at a time. I was furious so I kicked the crap out of them." He looked away from his mother. "Apparently she was watching and reported me for starting the fight."

"That little bitch!" Morrigan clenched her fists. "I going to..."

"Ma!" Brigid snapped. "You promised you wouldn't..."

"I know, I know!" The fiery redhead handed Galen the steak and took several steps back, pacing as she tried to regain her composure.

"Galen," Brigid said softly. "Are you... absolutely sure it was Alicia that reported the fight? Are you sure she was there?"

"She texted me herself." Galen said. "That was the last thing we talked about." He ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe she lied to me like that... how could she be so..." He shook his head.

"What if she didn't?" Brigid asked.

Morrigan turned back and laughed. "What are you talking about? The hussy breaks his heart.."

"Mom, please!" Brigid shifted in her seat. "Galen, listen. Hear me out. What was the big thing you were worried about when we last spoke? Her not being faithful, right? Her going back to that other guy, right?"

"Yeah, of course I remember... and it turns out she was in a way." He mumbled.

"Yeah, how about that?" Brigid leaned close to the computer. "You're worried she'll cheat on you. Then you just so happened to run into three guys who tell you she's sleeping around. Including with the guy you were worried about. Then someone tells on you, and Alicia just... confesses to ratting you out. That all seems... convenient, doesn't it?"

"Who cares how convenient it is? The point is-" There was loud knocking from downstairs, someone at the front door.

"I'll get it. Just... keep talking." Morrigan quickly stepped out, mumbling angrily to herself as she made her way to the front of the house and opened the door.

Alicia was standing there, wearing a black dress that had tied shoulder straps and a slightly poofed out skirt. "Is Galen here Mrs. O'Brien?"
 

MarineAvenger

Operator 21O
Staff member
MarineAvenger & ZombieSplitter53
Sibling Relationship Advice: Part Two


Morrigan's face twisted in anger, and she folded her arms. "You have... a lot of guts showing your face around here." She leaned in close. "Ever see a sixty-three years old pure blooded Irish mama bear go on a rampage over her hurt cub?"

Alicia folded her own arms, leaning forward. "That is sort of rude, Mrs. O'Brien." The French girl said to the woman's face. "Galen wouldn't listen to me, but I was hoping you would." She spoke sternly, unphased by the Irish mother.

A grin threatened to cross her lips, and Morrigan seemed to have to physically fight it. "Oh, aye? Is that a fact? Because if ye think I'd just lend an ear to the loose little wagon that hurt my son, yer fecking gobshite. Gimme one good reason why I shouldn't send ye packing back to yer little pack of horny teenagers, my brave little girl?"

"Loose... Wagon... What in the hell are you talking about woman?" Alicia asked, a slight tint to her cheeks. "Where is this all coming from?"

"Ye bloody li'l tart! Téigh trasna ort féin." Morrigan looked ready to pop. "Why don't ye..."

Would you not overreact for once?

That all seems... convenient, doesn't it?

Morrigan stared at Alica for a few moments longer, then looked back toward where Galen's bedroom was. "Tá tú glan as do mheabhair, Morrigan..." She shook her head. "Come in. Talk to me. Tell me what is going on from your side."

Alicia followed Morrigan, keeping her arms over herself as a cold feeling washed over her. "What do you want to know?" She asked with a bit of anger.

Morrigan motioned for Alicia to sit next to her on the couch. "What do you... Galen was suspended for fighting three boys that accused you of being a little striapach... of sleeping with your old ex, and them, and you ex and them together! He said you sent him a text saying you were the one who ratted him out to the principle. Do you not know anything about this? Or are ye just playin' the eejit?"

Alicia's face grew bright red. "M-Mrs... O'Brien..." She put her hands between her legs and looked away. "You... I'm... I'm a virgin..." She admitted, very embarrassed.

"What? You..." Morrigan scowled, and reached over, grasping Alicia's chin and turning her head so she looked into her eyes. "Tell me the truth. I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me what those boys said was all a lie."

"I-I'm telling the truth!" She shot back, pushing away Morrigan's hand. "What, does your son need to stick me himself before you believe me?"
Morrigan suddenly reached out, wrapping her arms around Alicia and hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry, my dear! I shouldn't have been so quick to assume... just, when I saw Galen's black eye, I..." She let Alicia go, but placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Can you possibly forgive a mother who was a little too protective?"

"Well... He isn't entirely wrong... I did report him... But not for the reason you think!" She persisted.

Morrigan smiled, and moved a loose strand of hair out of Alicia's eyes. "Why don't you tell him why. I'm here, and my daughter is on the computer. We'll make him listen to you."

"The boys he fought were friends of mine, or at least I thought they were until someone pointed out what they said to instigate Galen. But all I saw was him attack them and I went to go get help, not report him. When I told them, the principal sort of twisted around my words. When I learned how much trouble he was in, I texted him telling him it was me. I tried to call him but it went straight to voicemail, so I raced over here."

"Come on." Morrigan grabbed Alicia's hand and pulled her to her feet, than towards Galen's room. "This nagging guilt ain't going away until I help you settle this?"

"Any other girl and you might have really hurt them badly. I almost considered turning around and leaving." The pink haired girl informed the mother.

"And you would have never been allowed back, regardless of the circumstances." Morrigan grinned back at her. "You really impressed me, the way you stood up for yourself. All the more reason to fix this mess."

"I wouldn't care if you didn't want me back, I would have caught up with that thick headed boy eventually, and once I got him, I wouldn't let him get away again." As they neared the room, the French girl sighed, "I should curse you up and down for making such a heartcatcher."

"Heh. Yeah. You should see how the boys line up for my Brigid? You got an older brother I can hook her up with?" Morrigan's tone made it hard to tell if she was kidding or not.

"Single child unfortunately for you..." Alicia said, opening the door and being met with something unexpected.

"That is Cayden Walker?" Galen said to his screen, seeming a bit excited.

Morrigan gave a perplexed look, scratching her head. "Um... hey, Mr. Walker. How are... you?"

Cayden's eyes widened a bit, and he glanced at Brigid with almost a bit of fear. "Do we have to do this now? I do quite enjoy life after all..." He told Brigid, the fact he was going to have to admit to her mother they were dating scaring him.

"Oh, come on, Cayden. With how many light years away we are? You'll have at least a few days to hide." She looked to her mother's side. "Oh... Alicia... h-hi."

"Hello again, Brigid. Sorry to do this but it appears you... Three have stuff to talk about while I have something to talk about with Galen." Grabbing him by the collar, Alicia began dragging the teen away.

"Alicia! Wait, no! Damn iiiiit!" He yelled as the door shut.

Cayden cleared his throat after a minute and took a deep breath. "You... Are probably wondering why I am here... With your daughter..."

"Aye." Morrigan folded her arms. "I always appreciate a call from a friend, but... why with my Brigid?"

Brigid leaned close to Cayden. "She's a bit on edge right now, but this could be good. Better then her shooting up from...

"I can hear you, you know," Morrigan muttered.

"Well, no reason to beat around the bush." Cayden took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. "I am dating your daughter." He told the Irish woman simply.

Brigid calmly placed her face in her palms. "A little... subtly might have... been in order..."

Morrigan stared at the screen for several tense moments. She took a deep breath, and flatly said, "No. You're not." She sat back in the chair and smiled. "So what did you talk with Galen about while I was away?"

Cayden's eye twitched. That was a rather fast transition. "Nothing really. I had just shown up by the time you came back." The man said between slightly clenched teeth. "And I'm sorry, but I wasn't aware I was asking permission."

"You didn't? How presumptuous. Not unexpected from a Walker."

"Ma, please... don't." Brigid vigorously rubbed her temples.

Morrigan leaned forward. "You know I absolutely love your father, right Cayden?"

"Oh yeah, I've heard the stories of how you 'loved him'." Cayden said, trying not to look annoyed or nervous.

Morrigan tapped her fingers against the desk. "I actually do. Not... in the way your mother does, but he is a dear friend to me." Her smile dropped. "But he was trouble. For himself, and those that cared about him. And if you are anything like your father, I don't want my daughter dating a reckless loose cannon who'll either get himself killed and leave her alone to grieve... or take her down with him."

"I hate to break it to you Mrs. O'Brien, but the reason your daughter loves me is because I am so much like my father." Cayden leaned forward himself. "But allow me to make something clear. I am not my old man. I promised Brigid that I would always stand by her side and be there when she needed me. Whether or not you seem to approve of the match or not is your own problem, but I love Brigid, and she loves me. Even if you track us down and tried to take us apart you know I would do everything to take you down." Cayden smirked. "After all... Walkers can be about as hard headed as any O'Brien, as I am sure you are fully aware."

Morrigan slowly tapped her fingers again, over and over again. "I see. Tell me Cayden... do Walkers have a great degree of loyalty to their family? A... great degree of loyalty to their parents? I mean... suppose your father forbade you from dating her."

"Screw him then." Cayden said bluntly. "I would still stay with Brigid. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't give them that benefit of the doubt though."

"Hmm... then that is somewhere we're close. But not quite the same." Morrigan turned her head to her daughter, who had been unusually quiet the whole time. "Brigid, dear..."

"Please, ma, don't..."

"...you know I only have your best interests in mind..."

"I'm in my thirties, you can't..."

"...which is why I forbid you to date this man. No arguing. No fuss. No Cayden Walker."

Cayden sat back, his face a little stunned. "I'm sorry Morrigan, but it appears we are at an impasse." He looked to his side. "Would you marry me, Brigid? That way your mother could forbid you all she wants, but she wouldn't be able to split us." He said to the woman next to him, his tone both genuine and almost a threat to the mother on the other end of the line.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
MarineAvenger & ZombieSplitter53
Sibling Relationship Advice: Part Three


Brigid's eyes widened. She looked away, her cheeks flushing. "Cayden, I... it's too fast, I..."

Morrigan chuckled. "Somehow I doubt you'd be able to..." She stopped, and closed her eyes in thought. "You... are you serious? You would go that far to defy me, just to stay with my Brigid?"


"Of course I would. Your daughter is the love of my life. I wouldn't trade any other woman for her." He reached down below the camera and he took Brigid's hand. "I made a promise to her after all."

Morrigan leaned even closer, her nose practically touching the computer. "You tapping that?"

"Mother!" Brigid's face turned so red she looked like she was on fire. "Are you out of your mind!?"

Morrigan shrugged. "If I'm going to allow this, don't you think I deserve to know?"

"Of course I don't!" her daughter shouted.

"We have." Cayden stated, putting a hand on Brigid's shoulder. "But if you intend to imply that is why I love her, you are dead wrong."

Morrigan finally sat back, waving her hand dismissively. "Nah. Just making sure my daughter's boyfriend can satisfy her."

"Ma, please, I..." Brigid looked up. "Wait... so... so you..."

"Of course you can date him." Morrigan grinned widely. "I think the boy has proven his worth." She pointed her finger at Cayden. "You do right by her. And be careful. She can be a handful."

"Trust me, my Dad taught me all about how to deal with O'Briens." His hand went from on her shoulder to him putting his arm around Brigid. "I got training to do, so I will see you later."

Morrigan laughed. "Alright. You win. Have some fun. Life's too short to second guess yourself."

Cayden nodded. "Talk to you later Morrigan." The soldier kissed Brigid on the cheek and got up, striding out of comms.

"I, uh... got work to do." Brigid giggled lightly. "Make sure Galen is a alright, okay?"

Morrigan nodded. "Make sure you call back in a week or so." The communication ending, Morrigan took several apprehensive breaths and stepped out of the room in search of her son.

When Morrigan walked back into the living room, she would walk in with Galen's back to the door, still in the chair while Alicia was apparently bent down in front of him. He let out a loud groan.

"W-w-what the he'll is going on in here!" Morrigan rushed forward, fists clenched.

Alicia peaked around the side of the chair. "Your son is being a whiner and is giving me trouble healing his eye." She said, reaching up again and putting her hand over Galen's eye, her hand glowing green.

Morrigan slowed her stride, though her eyes darted up and down Galen to make everything was 'in order'. "So... you two okay now? You explain everything."

"Everything is explained, but I'm still not sure this is the right thing..." Galen explained.

"Stop being such a mule, Galen!" Alicia said, crossing her arms.

"Well it seems things have been a lot more stressful in my life since you came around." Galen yelled back.

"Well excuse me Mr. Oversensitive!"

"So what, Galen?" Morrigan stepped behind Alicia, placing her hands on her shoulders. "You want to leave this girl for some boring, run of the mill tart? And leave her to deal with that boy and his friends who set up this elaborate scheme? Or are you going to continue to show them what you showed them today when you kicked their asses? That no one messes with an O'Brien, and no one crosses the ones they care about."

"Weren't you the one cursing her out before?" Galen asked with a raised eyebrow.

Morrigan scratched her chin nervously. "Um... yeah, but... now I see... I was wrong. Ahem... an O'Brien is humble enough to admit when she was wrong! And... admit when she might have overreacted... a tiny... bit..."

"A little bit?" Alicia asked questioningly.

"Okay, a lot a bit." Morrigan leaned down next to her ear. "Don't give up. We can take him." She stepped away and motioned her arm towards Alicia. "She's strong, independent, and smart. She stood up to me, and that's more than I can say for most, and she's proven her faithfulness. Now kiss her!"

"W-What? Mom, I'm not kissing her!" Galen protested.

Morrigan placed her hands on her hips. "Now, this girl has put up with a lot of crap, and the least she deserves is a little sign of you affection. Besides, if I recall, you got into a fight and you're suspended from school. So, ask her if she would like a kiss, or you're grounded for the next month!"

Galen shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "Alicia... Would you like a kiss?"

Alicia nodded her head, grabbing her boyfriend and shoving her lips against his, turning her head as she pushed her tongue past his lips.

After a long while, Alicia pushed Galen away, wiping her mouth. "And let that be a reminder why you shouldn't leave me."

Galen was perplexed for a while. "What was that?"

"There are perks to having a French girlfriend my boy." Alicia said with a wink of her eye.

Morrigan rubbed the back of her neck. "Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to suggest, Morrigan." She shrugged, and walked off to the kitchen, calling back, "Play nice, you two. But... not to nice."

"We will!" Alicia called out, turning back to Galen. "Not like you would make a move anyways." She teased.

Galen's cheeks flushed. "Y-You don't know that..."

Alicia smiled coyly, sitting on Galen's lap and snuggling her head on his shoulder. "Oh, does that mean you do think of me in that way?"

"Of... Of course not!" The Irish teen protested.

"Ah... Too bad. And here I was almost ready to sleep with you."

"W-What? When was that ever on the table!?" Galen exclaimed.

"Eh... That is for me to know, and you never to find out." Alicia got close to Galen's face. "Can't spill all of my secrets... Or all of what I can do." Her hand flashed green for a second.

Galen chuckled nervously. I have no idea what to think of this girl…

One week later...

Galen's computer beeped loudly, the XSDF symbol flashing on screen to indicate an incoming call. He looked up from the art magazine he was reading and smiled, setting it to the side and going over to his computer, pressing the answer button. "Hey sis. You are actually on time." He joked.

Brigid folded her arms. "I'll have you know I was early last time." She gave him a nervous smile. "How are things?"

"Thing at home are fine, when Dad learned I was suspended, instead of getting mad he gave me a pat on the back, and I haven't really been in trouble. Mom is Mom but I got friends who bring my work so... not really bored." He said to his sister, beating around the real meaning of her question.

"Is that so?" Brigid folded her arms. "You really know how to tease a girl, don't you?"

Galen looked away, mumbling something under his breath. "Look, I'll tell you, just don't say anything to Mom, alright? She isn't home so I guess I can tell you."

"Oh?" Brigid leaned in close. "Is it something juicy? Give me all the details."

"I-I am not doing that!" Galen rubbed his head and took out his electronic cigarette. "Me and Alicia... may or may not... have... well... really 'advanced' in our relationship." He said cryptically.

Brigid raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how did you do..." Brigid's eyes slowly widened. "N... no. Really?"

"Y-Y-Yes?" He said nervously.

Brigid gave a disgusted look. "Ew! I didn't want to hear that about my brother!" She suddenly grinned. "So... how was it?"

"I thought you didn't want to hear." Galen said, crossing his arms.

"Argh!" Brigid scratched her head vigorously. "Curiosity conflicting with not want to hear dirty things from family." Her smile faded a bit. "You two were careful, right?"

"Well..." Galen scratched his head just as furiously.

Brigid jumped to her feet, Galen hearing the sound of her chat clattering to the ground. "Galen! Don't kid around with me on this..."

"I'm not kidding! It was an in the moment thing!" Galen explained quickly. "There wasn't really any planning!" He let out a quick breath. "Just calm down... she had her... time a couple of days ago. Everything's fine."

Brigid reached back and grabbed her chair again. "Alright. Good. But you know... if you do that again..."

"We already agreed to be more careful... what, not ready to be an aunt yet?"

"No, you're not ready to be a father." Brigid scrunched her nose. "So... tell me about it. The... the details leading up, not the... dirty parts."
 

MarineAvenger

Operator 21O
Staff member
MarineAvenger & ZombieSplitter53
Sibling Relationship Advice: Part Four


"Sure you pervert, stop daydreaming." Galen shook his head. "Well... it was the weekend, and she wanted to spend some time together. Me and her went out to the diner and had some lunch together. After that, we just sort of walked around, went to pick up art supplies, walked around town, stuff like that. They were actually having an old time drive in, but since we didn't have enough money we were sneaking around in the woods. Afterwards... we were walking by the creek and it just sort of... happened."

"Really? Like... outside?" Brigid laughed. "I wish my first time was that romantic/kinky."

"Dare I even ask?" How is doing it outside in anyway kinky? The teen thought to himself. "Didn't roleplay about your teacher did you?"

"Not the first time?" Brigid cleared her throat, that last bit slipping out. "My first was with this guy I didn't really like. But every time I tried to break it off with him, he just got... so pathetic..." She huffed. "Finally, I decided to see if a little... spice would make things better. It didn't."

"Geez. You have a lot of partners, or is Cayden the first guy to touch you in ten years?" Galen asked, leaning forward with his chin in his hand.

Brigid considered whether she should talk about it, deciding it might help Galen to share her experience. "I've had... a few. It isn't everyday that I find someone who is actually attracted to me." She raised her finger. "But I didn't sleep with every guy I went out with. I was very frugal about that. Sex tends to bring a degree of complication to a relationship, and I never did it with anyone I didn't think I could be serious with."

"Uh-huh... that why you were thirty and single going into the XSDF then?" Galen asked semi-seriously.

Brigid narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Better to be single and thirty than thirty and stuck with someone you're miserable with. And it paid off for me, I'll have you know." She poured a bit. "Don't make fun of me..."

"I'm glad your happy..." Galen glanced around and leaned in whispering, "So I heard Mom gossiping to Dad... is it true he proposed to you already?"

Brigid's eyes widened, her face turning pale. "N-no! I... he was just... trying to convince ma..." She nervously rubbed her hands. "I mean... I love him, and maybe... someday, but not... I mean, if he really asked me, I might... but I'm... not sure... u-um..."

"Are you ever honest with yourself?" Galen asked. "You goggled all over this guy and say you have had feelings for him for years now, so I wouldn't be so indecisive." A smiled betrayed Galen and he scratched his head. "Pot calling the kettle black, huh?"

"You got that right," Brigid agreed with a huff. Wanting to change the subject a bit, she asked, "So, um... about those other boys... and her ex... what have they been up to?"

"Apparently the message I left them was abundantly clear. No one messes with Galen O'Brien." He looked down at his hand with a smile. "Apparently there is a way for me to earn that scholarship." He told his sister in a low tone. "There was supposed to be a big art venue in Paris but apparently something bad went down with the venue there and they are moving the event to Dublin. It will be a worldwide gallery, so if my work isn't perfect, I may be a wee screwed."

"Well than, I guess that just means mean you'll have to make it perfect, huh?" His sister grinned widely. "You have everything going for you now. Ma and dad supporting you, a pretty girl in your corner, those jerk offs out of your way, and big sis cheering you one from across the stars."

"No doubt... but I sort of have a problem... I want to do something big and never before seen but I don't want to overbear myself... do you know anything that fits that? Any help you could provide would be much needed." He pleaded, flashing his sister big, puppy dog eyes.

Brigid closed her eyes, and tapped her lips in thought. After a minute, she said, "Well... I have one idea. You've never seen my Reflection, have you?"

"Are you are sure you are entirely comfortable with me drawing you in a mirror... I mean I could, but we are brother and sister you know." Galen said, leaning back a little as if put off guard by Brigid.

"Mirror." Brigid chuckled. "No, not that kind of... let me show you."

Brigid stood up, and stepped back from the monitor. She closed her eyes, and formed a dark violet aura around herself. The aura collected on her shoulder, and formed into a dark crow with blood red eyes.

"Whoa... since when are you able to do that?" He asked, both amazed and a bit scared.

"For several years now, but it's only because of a combination of Atka Wiewiora's training and some psionic therapy that I've been able to control it." Brigid smiled cautiously. "Want to see it at full power. It could give you the inspiration you need."

"Sure... Just as long as you don't kill yourself doing it..." Galen warned with a nervous laugh.

Brigid nodded, and popped one of her blue pills in her mouth. Concentrating, she slowly sent energy to the crow. As it jumped off her shoulders, the wings expanded, and it rapidly transformed into its full form. The Morrigan folded her arms as she stared intently at Galen. "Well?" Brigid smiled, and wiped some sweat from her brow. "What do you think? She's... um..." She glanced at the reflection at her side, blushing a bit. "I, uh... guess I never realized how scantily clad she is..."

Galen shook his head, going over and screen-capping the current video feed. "She's fine... All I really need is the form of her body and the face, but really I have a lot of freedom." The teen snuck another puff of his e-cig. "Yeah... Yeah, I think she will be perfect." He affirmed with a confident smile. "I can do a huge midnight forest scene... Maybe give her another crow or two... And who really cares about how scanty she is... Some beautiful art is nude after all." He shot a look at his sister. "School... Not my own research."

"Oh, sure." Brigid chuckled, recalling the Reflection before the attendant noticed and reported her. "Just make sure, if you do one of those pieces, you do her justice." She sat back down, wiping her brow.

"Come on, could you imagine the backlash from Mom? It is why I haven't told her I've slept with Alicia yet." He said, leaning back.

"And make sure you don't." Brigid laughed as she took her seat. "Seriously, make sure you take your sweet time with that news. Let her eventually assume it. Otherwise, her head will pop off."
 

MarineAvenger

Operator 21O
Staff member
"Yeah... I guess the same goes with my smoking and drinking." The teen noted.

Brigid frowned. "You need to cut that out, you know that, right? Does Alicia know about that?"

"Yes, she does, kind of hard for her not to. What can I say, smokes keep my nerves calm and I'm Irish... I'm ninety percent scotch anyways. I never keep more than my flask, and I have limited myself to the electronic for now." Galen explained, taking a puff and blowing out his nose,

"Yeah, but they're bad for you, you know. I know I shouldn't talk, but..." Brigid's eyes suddenly widened, looking past her brother.

"...what?" He asked, slowly turning around.

Morrigan stood behind him, arms folded and foot tapping, a neutral look on her face. "Something... you wanna tell me, son?"

"Uh... Nope. How... Long have you been standing there?"

Morrigan sighed. "I walked up about when your sister showed off her little... trick. Ye... sure there isn't anything you wanna share?" Her eyes moved towards the small cylinder between his fingers.

Galen quickly hid the object under his leg. "At least she didn't hear about Alicia..." He sighed, "Nothing that requires your attention, I promise..."

"Um, Galen?" Brigid whispered. "You did say..."

"'It is why I haven't told her I've slept with Alicia yet'," Morrigan finished, her unusually good hearing striking again. "I'm assuming you two didn't 'sleep' back to back."

Galen let out a nervous laugh, rubbing his hands together. "You really have... A wild imagination, Ma..."

Morrigan slowly approached him, and placed her hands on his shoulders, in comfortably close to his neck. "Now... ye wouldn't lie to your mother would ya? Especially when she heard certain things, and is bein' reasonably calm."

"Look, it isn't that bad!" Galen protested, looking around. "The e-cig is safe, you have let me drink before and Alicia... Well that stuff is private..."

"I'm not happy about that cigarette, but I'm not going to go nuts, and the drink I can look past, but Alicia... that is not okay." Morrigan stepped back, looking away. "What if you... what if she..."

"Everything will be fine, ma... We weren't exactly careful but everything worked out. Besides... We are both over the age of consent, do we didn't do anything illegal. She loves me, probably a lot more than I realize, and I love her too. You can't worry too much."

"Weren't exactly..." Morrigan scratched her head vigorously. She turned back, looking like she was about ready to explode, when she suddenly look deflated. "Galen... I... I'll make... a deal with you..."

"I feel I don't have much choice here so... Go ahead." He stated, Galen expecting a lot worse so far.

"I never got a deal," Brigid mumbled.

"I wasn't in my sixties when I went through this with you. And look how you reacted." Morrigan crouched down so she was looking Galen in the eyes. "I love you Galen. And I'm... so proud of you. I feel like I couldn't be more proud of you, and yet you impress me more and more each day. You're such a better kid than I was. You know I only want the best for you, right?"

"O-Of course... I always knew you loved me." Galen told his mother.

Morrigan nodded. "I... I know you're grown up now. But I don't like cigarettes, even those electronic ones. And... and maybe, if I drank a little less when I was younger... I might have been a better mother. I'll have to talk with your father, but if you promise to try and quit smoking, limit your drinking, and swear you'll be safe with Alicia... well, we'll leave it at that. I promise."

"I can cut down on the drinking but at least let me keep my electric cigarette. I promise to get non-menthol filters, but I need something. Me and Alicia already promised we would be more safe," Galen said, wringing his hands nervously.

Morrigan sighed, and ruffled her son's hair. "Fine. That'll work for now. But you need to convince your father as well."

"I'll try..." Galen finally realized he had been leaving Brigid to just sit there in silence and he turned around quickly. "Oh, before you go sis, Alicia wanted me to give this to you." Galen typed in a number address into the chat for the soldier. "Alicia wanted me to give you her number, you know in case you two ever wanted to talk alone."

"Wow, really?" Brigid smiled. "Thanks. I'll definitely give her a call some time. We can talk about you!"

"Oh Lord..." Galen said as he rolled his eyes. "Goodbye, Brigid!" And with that, he ended the call.

Morrigan laughed. With a grin, she asked, "So... how was it?"

"Ma!" Galen exclaimed. "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

"Nah. I just miss getting to embarrass your sister." She laughed heartily as she walked out of the room.

Galen grumbled under his breath and got up, grabbing his sketch pad, bringing up the screenshot and slowly getting to work.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
Frostlich1228 & ZombieSplitter53
Therapy for a Machine: Part One

In Orbit Around Forseti (April 20th, 2044)
The Einherjar (1345 Hours)
Nick's Workspace


Alice slowly, carefully, and meticulously sliced into the muscle's in the back of Hestia's head. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Hestia said nervously, twiddling her thumbs as her older self performed android brain surgery.

Making her why to Hestia's skull, Alice grabbed a few tools to remove some of the plating. Sitting by the door, Dinah's ears perked up. Someone is coming, and they are looking for you, Mistress Alice. I do not believe they are hostile.

A familiar voice called from the hall after knocking on the door, "Alice? Are you in there?"

"Cammy?" Alice waved Dinah to move away. "Come on in. I'm just working on a little something right now."

Camellia stepped into the room, looking at the little girl a little strangely before asking, "I-I heard around that something happened to you, are you alright?"

"Um... yes and no. Things are sorted now, but... well, I guess you could say we're still picking up the pieces." Alice looked up from her work, smiling gently. "Um... sorry. Camellia, this is Hesita. You could... say she's taken my younger body for herself."

Hestia raised her hand, twiddling her fingers. "H-Hello, Ms. Camellia. I... I think you're pretty."

Winter smiled brightly, "Aww... She's such a sweetie!" She crouched down to Hestia's level before saying, "My mom is a close friend of Alice here, they have quite the history together... It's nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet..." Hestia's face twitched. "...meet you, Camellia."

"Sorry about that, Hessy." Alice slipped on a pair of magnifying glasses that stretched out several inches. "Man, that EMP did a lot more damage then I thought it would have."

Hestia frowned. "A bad man through an electric bomb at me," she explained. "It hurt. A lot."

"What... Who!? Why!?" She looked up quickly, asking.

Alice pulled out a few fried chips, placing them to the side. "Um... these Yakuza guys out to get me." Alice gave her a sad look. "A few years ago, I pissed off the man who is now the head of the Yakuza. And because of my mistakes, I brought all this trouble to the XSDF, to Hestia, and to Nick. If... if it wasn't for Nick, I'd probably be on my way to being sold... assuming Akira didn't cut me up instead."

Camellia shuttered at her words, "I... I wouldn't have stopped until we found you... My family... Wouldn't have stopped..."

"I know you would have, Winter." Alice rubbed her eyes. "I know you and everyone else always have my back. Even if I don't always show it." She looked up. "I'm sorry, Cammy. I... I should have come to you, and Brigid, and everyone else."

"It okay... But there's something I don't understand...The people I talked to seemed surprised you were an Android, like it was news to them, even though they said they've been working here for months, isn't that strange?" Winter replied.

"No, Cammy. It isn't that strange when you consider I didn't tell anyone." Alice carefully picked up a new chip and gave Camellia a frank look. "You know I love you, right? It's your big heart. How much you care about everyone. But you must realize that androids don't exactly have the most rights around here. Over twenty-five years... I can't even count the number of times I've learned that the hard way..."

"You didn't tell anyone? I guess I understand why... If people are trying to swipe you up for your tech..." Winter swallowed, "I know androids aren't the most accepted, but you helped save the world, you think more people would remember that, even if they left you out of that cheesy movie... They should be treating you like a hero, just like Mom, or Morrigan, Elene, or Sunny, you did just as much as them after all, you risked your life..."

"Yeah... maybe." Alice carefully started inserting the new chips. "But do you treat the dropship, or the... SHIVs, or any of the other machines like heroes. Let's face it. In their eyes, I was just another gun."

"I'm sorry Alice... But remember, all of us still think you're a real person." Winter tried to comfort her, but a question arose in her mind, "You said you brought this trouble to Nick? Is he okay?"

"No..." The blond android started patching her sister up. "He's in the infirmary. Got kicked around a lot. Took a EMP grenade that fried his implants. Shot our attacker. And a hell of a lot of emotional trauma over..." She hesitated, unable to finish.

"Oh... I've met him, he's a nice kid, He came to me after one of his friends died back home, I assume he told you?" Camellia explained.

Alice looked like she had just been shot."Y-yeah... he told me." She finished her work just in time to cover her eyes. She turned away, sobbing softly.

"Alice..." Winter said slowly, wrapping her arms around her mechanical friend, "It's okay..."

"It's... not..." Alice only sobbed louder.

Hestia slowly stood up, and tugged at Camellia's sleeve. "Ms. Cammy?"

Camellia looked down at the girl, "Yes, sweetie?"

Hestia walked to the side of the room, where a computer was busy analyzing something. Several wire extended from it, leading to something under a tarp. Hestia lifted the tarp, revealing the broken shell of Nick's assistant. "Glitch died..."

Camellia tried to think back, recalling him from the hospital visit, then frowning, "That... Drone of his? They seemed really close, I remember noting to myself how protective Glitch was of him, sort of like an older brother..."

Winter let out a long sigh, "He's gone through so much loss at such a young age, he's going to need the people that love him more than ever right now, but in time, this will heal, and he'll be able to fondly remember the good times he had with Glitch, instead of focusing on the fact that he's not here anymore... All of you will, It'll be like Glitch never left... This pain, right now it seems like you won't get through it, and it will always be there, but it is a natural part of grieving, and it will get better, I promise..."

"I know. It's just... hard." Alice wiped her eyes, and let out a grim laugh. "You know... I could just... turn off my emotions right now if I wanted to. But I can't. It would be unfair to Nick."

"It's tough to imagine the pain he must be in... And I could... Offer a more... Immediate solution, but I don't think it will be healthy for him in the long run..." Cammy suggested, unsure if she wanted to use her powers on him a second time.

Alice shook her head. "No. I know you mean well, but what he needs now are his friends." She smiled at Camellia. "Of course, he could use the help of a good therapist."

"I'll be there." Winter returned the smile.
 

Frostlich1228

Well-Known Member
Therapy for a Machine: Part Two

Alice wiped her eyes again, and took in a deep breath. "There is... something I would actually like to ask you while I have you here."

"What is it? I'll help however I can." The Cross offered, standing up.

Alice's eyes darted towards Hestia, who was working on the computer. In a low voice, she asked, "what do you do when... you have feelings for someone... who already has someone else?"

She giggled a little, "You know, my mom had a similar problem... Well... Does that person know you have feelings for them?"

The blond android slowly nodded. "He does... and I'm afraid he has the same feelings for me."

"But he chose the other girl?" Cammy nodded, "If the other girl likes your friend back, then you should respect his decision and let them be happy, because if you love someone, you want them to be as happy as possible, and if your friend feels as happy as possible with this other girl instead of you, then that's his choice, and you should move on... Alternatively, you can wait to see if it doesn't work out with the other girl, if they end up parting ways and your friend still has the same feelings for you, then you can try again, and see if he still wants to be together..."

Alice nodded. "I thought that was the case... but..." She stood up and stepped away. "But I feel so guilty. It isn't right for me to take some of his affection from the other woman."

"If he really loves you I just don't think that is something either of you can control, love doesn't work like that, you can't switch it off, you can't just stop loving someone unless they do something horrible to you. It's your friend who has the hardest choice here, because no matter who he picks, he'll have to leave a person he truly loves alone... For you, you're just waiting for his choice, if he picks the other girl, then you have to understand that he believes being with that person will make him happier, and you have to accept that maybe it wasn't meant to be between you two." Winter held her chin for a second, then continued.

"Yeah..." Alice turned back. "Do you think... I should help his choice. Tell him we weren't meant to be, and he shouldn't worry about me?"

"Now, I don't think he would see you like that, I think this has to be his choice to make, if you try to influence him like that it wouldn't be for the best, and don't forget, your happiness matters too, give yourself a chance."

"Yeah... you're right." Alice sat back down, smiling at her friend. "And things worked out for Ammy, right? And it isn't like I'm not patient."

"Even if you can't be with N- You're friend." Winter quickly stopped herself, "You'll find someone else, I know it, because you're one of the most wonderful people I know..."

Camellia felt a tugging at her sleeve. "Ms. Winter lady? I have an idea!"

"What is it Hestia?"

"Alice should just forget all the other guys and ask Nick to be her boyfriend!" the pink haired android exclaimed with a smile. "That would be perfect!"

"Well, Nick's not sure who he wants to be with right now, we have to let him decide what makes him happy." She explained to Hestia as simply as she could.

"But... but Alice can..."

Alice placed a hand Hestia's shoulder. "Will you go take Dinah to get some food?"

"Um... okay." Hestia picked up the Incubator in question and walked out.

Alice smiled nervously at Camellia. "You know, I... I wasn't talking about Nick, right?"

"Really? Oh I'm sorry, I just sort of figured. Usually in times of tragedy like this, people re-evaluate their friendships, and sometimes, they can become something more. I shouldn't have just assumed." Cammy bowed her head slightly.

"No, no, I..." Alice but her lip. "Okay, I lied. It was Nick. Just... don't tell him about our talk please. Don't want to... complicate things more than they are now..."

Winter gave a zipped lip gesture, then nodded.

Alice reached over, wrapping her arms around Camellia. "You're a good friend. And a joy to talk to."

"You too... Uh... can I ask your opinion about something? Or maybe I just want to... Get it off my chest..." Winter asked with a little hesitation.

Alice sat back, and nodded. "Of course. Please, you can tell me anything."

"When I first met Nick, he ran into me in the hall, literally." she chuckled lightly, then quickly returned to her serious expression, "He was a mess, he was freaking out and I wanted to know what was wrong, but he wouldn't listen to me... I thought it was something serious, and, it was... So in order to get him to calm down, I... Used my psionics... Then I took him back to my office and talked with him about it... I think I helped him, but I feel wrong about doing it, in hindsight, it may have been better to let him work it out himself, or with you... But I rushed it..."

Alice nodded in understanding. "I can understand how you'd be tempted to use your abilities to help people. And the fact that you want to be cautious about it shows responsibility. But... but did you use your powers to make him talk to you, or did you only use it to calm him down?"

"Only to calm him down, he told me what happened by himself..." Winter replied, "I was just frustrated, you know, it was obviously important, but he wasn't speaking... What if he had accidentally killed someone? Or someone was hurt and he didn't know what to do?"

"Cammy, please." Alice reached over and grasped her friend's hand. "Like you said. You only used it to calm him down. I wouldn't make a habit of it without getting permission, but in the end, it was still his decision to speak with you. You really shouldn't doubt yourself like this."

"Maybe you're right... Thanks Alice, even people in my line of work doubt ourselves every so often." Camellia smiled.

"It's no trouble, Camellia." Alice sighed. "I almost wish you could do that to me. Sometimes... being an android kinda sucks."

"What android? All I see is one of the most human people I've ever known, who's kind, compassionate, and loving towards everyone she meets. And even if she was an android, I don't think it'd matter much at all, she'd still be the same amazing person she is and nothing would change." Cammy winked, smirking slightly.

Alice nodded, giving her a grateful smile. "Thank you. With people like you spreading the word, maybe I'll be able to convince everyone else here that I'm no different than when they thought I was human."

"I guess I should be going, thanks Alice..." She responded, "And remember, if you ever need to talk, I'll in my office, it's been a quiet few weeks."

"With the war picking up, I doubt it'll be that way for long." Alice smiled sadly. "Good luck with Nick."

"And good luck with your cute little girl." She said, heading out.
 

DarkGemini24601

Well-Known Member
BMPixy and DarkGemini24601: “Put Your Back Into It!” (Part 1)

High Orbit over Forseti (April 23rd, 2044)
The Einherjar (1336 Hours, A.S.T.)
Floor 7: Psionic Laboratories


Vindicta fastened a pair of jet-black armored gauntlets onto her hands, completing a suit of the same color, its dark sheen only partially broken by glowing violet pathways and ‘psionic exhaust ports’ at points along the nervous system, particularly the spine. She was within the testing room, and gave a nod. “Begin recording. Vortex Armor Prototype Number Three, test 4. Subject: teleimagery.” The Exalt’s irises took on a golden corona, and she outstretched an armored palm, a wispy collection of sparks forming, before expanding into images. A grassy green mirage spread over the ground, and around her illusionary trees and bushes started to come into focus.

The head of the psionic division seemed satisfied with the progression of her latest acquisition to her list of powers, but did her best to expand the overall visual deception slowly, not wanting to tax herself too greatly. Despite her attempts at control, however, everything became too detailed too fast, and with a headache starting to form and sweat beading on her brow, Vindicta was forced to stop her test. “Pause recording.” She glanced over at her assistant again. “Looks like we still need to fine-tune the power taps. The suit’s trying to do too much at once.” Sighing, she stepped out of the testing chambers, and began peeling off the armor, which was more solid than the disassemblable power armors that made up the bulk of XSDF equipment due to its complex circuitry.

With a gentle hiss the door slid open, the person responsible quickly reconsidering her decision to not knock. “Oh shit, I’m sorry!” Elicia exclaimed, quickly averting her eyes. “I didn’t know you were in the middle of something. Should I come back later?”

Vindicta raised an eyebrow, walking over to the counter and grabbing her light blue collared shirt that matched her eyes. The scientist pulled it over the head. “On the contrary, I can leave this to my associate. Damn Vortex Armor has been driving me crazy when I’ve actually had a chance to work on it… which isn’t much, considering that Dr. Tanaka has been relying on me to handle some of the other division’s affairs.” Despite being busy, she was rather proud of that fact. “What can I help you with, Ms. Ensslin?” she finished as she put on her labcoat.

“Right, yeah, that thing I came here for,” Elicia said, rubbing the back of her neck as she stepped further into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. Taking a quick breath, the medic explained, “Basically, in short, I need a bit of help. Been focusing really hard on my biokinetics as of late, though I’ve kinda hit a brick wall in my training. Figured I’d come here, ask for your help in learning some new power, and then come back to biokinetic training with a fresh new perspective. After all, can’t spend all day beating your head against a wall, right?” Elicia chuckled lightly, still a little bit off-put by her poor timing on arrival.

The incredulous look didn’t exactly fade from Vindicta’s face, but she nodded nevertheless. “That seems logical. Your decision, I mean. Not your sentence structure.” The woman leaned against the wall, thinking to herself. “I’m glad you are going to branch out more as I had suggested, though I do have someone for you to go to afterwards.” She pushed herself off the wall. “I’m sure you’ve been training your biokinesis in the medical ward. Well, there happens to be a skilled biokinetic doctor there that probably knows her art even better than I understand it. Ask for a ‘Volupta’sumana’. She’ll be able to assist you in perfecting your target ability. As for the rest, well…”

Vindicta consulted a mental list, knowing the different abilities of the psionic spectrum by heart. “What would you like to learn? Green is a bit of an oddball color in that there are only four known abilities… though I have my suspicion a fifth lies in there somewhere… but regardless, in addition to Biokinesis, there is Psi Inspiration, Imbuing, and Override. Which of those would suit you the best, do you think?”

Elicia scratch her chin, briefly pondering the question. “Well, it’d pro’lly be best to have something I can use in the field a bit more often than biokinesis, might help with increasing my pool, so I’ll have to say imbuing will be my choice. Plus who knows, might be able to use that as a base to branch out to physical enhancement or something like that.”

“Mmm.” Vindicta gave a quiet ‘harumph’. “Don’t be fooled by the similarities between the two, while you might learn something about bodily enhancement from imbuing, the latter cannot be applied safely to the human body like the former. SGT Steele nonwithstanding, as what she does isn’t just imbuing.” The scientist crossed her arms. “Imbuing is the enhancement of nonliving objects, such as weapon cores, bullets, and blades. It does come at the cost of weakening the material of the weaponry, but usually that’s something that can be corrected by the engineering team after a combat mission. This stands in contrast to the effect when used on the human body: flesh isn’t as sturdy as metal. A normal human can’t handle the strain, and thus it deals damage at the tissue level, sometimes even the cellular level.”

“Ooh, yikes,” Elicia said, sucking on her teeth slightly as her mind filled in the blanks on that kind of damage. “And here I thought it was just as simple as pumping psionic energy into something to attain the acquired effect. But hey, that’s why you’re the one in the lab coat, not me.”

“Believe me, part of that knowledge comes from study. Particularly on the incident of former Commander Brea being mind-controlled by one of the Reflections of Phobos.” Vindicta shook her head. “Regardless, that is my cautionary tale. There are ways to mitigate or prevent that damage, but for now you should treat it as a potentially deadly last result, if even that. Follow me.” Vindicta turned and walked into the testing room again, but not before grabbing an alloy knife out of one of the drawers.

“As always, the key to unlocking an ability comes from a mixture of willpower and intent. For imbuing, the intent is to reinforce something, so focusing thoughts of protection or of surpassing a previous condition for the sake of victory will suffice.” Vindicta held up the alloy knife, and a yellow-green glow flowed from her fingertips to the blade. “Don’t be fooled by that basis in how you apply it, however. Force the energy too strongly and you risk damaging the object you’re trying to enhance, or at the very least not achieving a successful imbuing charge.”

“Y’know, I have to wonder why all of my psi training with you involves knives,” Elicia deadpanned, nodding in understanding at Vindicta’s words. “So, essentially I have to focus on protecting the object, without being overprotective of it. I would say that seems simple enough, but that’d be an outright lie.”

“It isn’t.” Vindicta nodded. “But we are working with powers that work beyond the laws of physics and deal in manipulation of matter or even reality.” She sighed. “I still find it unbelievable that Wiewiora can potentially do what she mentioned she could before she departed… that power doesn’t fit into my current diagrams at all.”

“Wait, what kind of power?” Elicia asked, curiosity evident in her tone. “Is it some kind of fancy mind-trick that cracks open wills like a walnut under a shipping crate?”

“Not exactly.” Vindicta smirked. “Would you believe me if I said the vaunted war hero can stop time for a second or two?”

“Bullshit,” Elicia retorted. “This isn’t some hackneyed, melodramatic shonen anime, those kinds of powers don’t exist. C’mon, what is it really?”

“My first instinct was to say blink, but there are two issues with that theory.” Vindicta held up one finger. “First of all, the test I proposed involved her using this ability under a camera and my own observation. The camera and my own visual perception picked up not a single anomaly. One second she was in front of me, the next she was behind. Second of all,” the researcher held up a second finger, “I use blink myself. I have a feel for the distortion when someone shifts position in space. What she used wasn’t that at all. There was the briefest of psionic discharges - a powerful one - but not one that was familiar. And Wiewiora is a blue psion at any rate. She has never shown the ability to use orange powers, and certainly not to the level of power I picked up.”

“Are… are you actually suggesting…” Elicia held up her hands in front of her, trying to come to grips with the evidence. “No. I refuse to believe it. That’s just bullshit! You… you can’t just straight up stop time! I mean, I’m no physicist, but what happens to work when the time over which the energy is applied is zero? What happens to causality? I would say it isn’t fair, but then again I was spitballing ideas to bring back the dead, but this is on a whole different level! It’s bullshit, that’s what it is!”
 

BMPixy

Well-Known Member
BMPixy and DarkGemini24601: “Put Your Back Into It!” (Part 2)

“I’m of the mind she is creating a separate temporal plane around herself and adjusting her sync with the normal flow of time accordingly,” Vindicta offered. “The implications of which are still unknown, but it allows her to move by surrounding herself with her Reflection.” The Exalt clasped her hands together. “But think about it. The spectrum of blue is the spectrum of control. My theory is that what Atka has discovered is the cumulation of her color, the ultimate form of control. I only know of one other example, and that is what Aergian - or Acedia if you prefer to call her that - managed to pull off with assistance to send a message back in time. It wasn’t the machinery that was the source of that instance of time travel… it was psionics. It would appear psychic powers have even further applications than even the Humiliata dared to dream.”

“So, what you’re telling me is that, not only can people potentially screw around with time, but you’re saying there’s more crazy, reality-warping powers that people can unlock?” Elicia asked. “I mean, I realize this is coming from a person with her own crazy mind powers, but… I’unno, that just seems a bit farfetched.”

“It depends… it requires further research that may be a long ways off with more direct solutions to the current conflict in our priorities. Like particle weaponry.” Vindicta shook her head. “Regardless, that is neither here nor there… though after we finish training I’m curious as to what the hell you mean by psi resurrection.” Vindicta offered her alloy blade to Elicia. “You try.”

“Right, incentive for me to get this on the first go, then,” Elicia said, taking the knife and getting a feel for the blade - steeling herself for the steeling of the weapon. Right-o, protect, but don’t overprotect, she thought, closing her eyes and letting out a long and steady sigh as she channeled forth her powers. The knife is greater than it was, yadda yadda yadda, be strong. Slowly a green glow flowered from Elicia’s hand, creeping up the knife and enveloping it. However, just as Elicia opened her eyes to examine her handiwork, a long, hairline fracture shot from the base to the point of the blade and began to spiderweb. Seeing this, the Anglo-German quickly killed the energy to the power, chuckling nervously as she examined the damage.

Vindicta sighed, shaking her head, and opened a hand to take the damaged weapon. “Bring me another,” she called out to her aide. To Elicia, she reminded the medic, “Be patient. As I warned, doing too much too fast will only result in that sort of outcome. It’s the same reason we’re having problems with the Vortex Armor. The suit would like to accelerate the process of an ability, but that only puts unnecessary stress on the wearer.”

“Right, right, of course,” Elicia affirmed, rolling her shoulder slightly. “Tortoise and hare, all that jazz. Just gotta hold that impatient nature back.” As the aide returned with a new knife, Elicia took it, and once more began to draw forth her psionic energies, the green glow returning and spreading at an agonizingly slow pace - the strain of limiting the speed evident by how hard Elicia furrowed her brow.

Vindicta let her concentrate while a steel plate was brought out in front of them. “Now, see if you can drive it through. It’d be somewhat difficult for a normal knife, but if you did it correctly it should puncture this.”

“Well, here goes everything,” Elicia muttered as she finished imbuing the blade, taking a step towards the steel plate. With a brief ‘ata!’ the medic lunged forward, driving the knife into - and through - the steel plate, over-penetrating by a few centimeters. “Holy hell, it actually worked,” Elicia said incredulously, carefully examining the plate to ensure that her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Slowly she drew the knife out, whereupon it was revealed that the weapon hadn’t come through unscathed, the tip being visibly chipped and cracked. “Well, mostly.”

“Well, it’s a start. You achieved the effect, and have the aggressive part down. We just need to work on sustainability, something that will likely come with practice,” Vindicta decided. “I suggest we do some practice with less… valuable weapons for awhile, and then I’d like to perhaps converse with you on my break over less tutor-student related matters.”

“Fine with me, just as long as these don’t come out of my pay-cheque,” Elicia answered, holding up the damaged alloy knife. “I’m not sure how much these cost, and I have no intention of finding out.”

“Trust me, you’re better off not knowing.” Vindicta handed her a blade made of regular metal. “Again.”

***
Vindicta straightened her coat as she walked with Elicia, heading towards the Central Elevators. The latter was to some degree tired, while the former was breathing evenly despite some psionic use. “So, I have learned something recently,” Vindicta spoke, breaking the silence that threatened to settle in. “Apparently you’ve been spending time with my cousin… I was unaware that he was capable of making lasting friends. Though I suppose the adjective there has yet to be proven.”

“Well, uh,” Elicia awkwardly glanced away, scratching her neck as she figured out how to word what she was about to say. “Lasting friendship isn’t exactly how I’d describe it...”

“I hardly doubt you could just call him an acquaintance, unless…” Vindicta trailed off, staring at Elicia. “No… don’t tell me…”

“Alright then, I won’t,” the soldier replied, coughing anxiously.

Vindicta rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you can recognize a rhetorical when you hear one.” She chuckled. “I’m happy for him, in any case. I am aware he’s had trouble maintaining romances in the past due to what he is… but you would have known that going in.”

“Yeah, but y’know it’s 2044, shit like that doesn’t matter in this day and age - or at least it’s supposed to,” Elicia replied. “I mean, I heard people talking shit about one of the engineers just because she was android. Gave ‘em a good tongue lashing for that.”

Vindicta nodded. “I would chalk it up to simple ignorance, in any case. Android are rare and not well understood by the public, and I believe a few too many take the Terminator movies seriously. Even an intermediate A.I. like Legion isn’t a threat because he has several failsafes built in to recognize errant behavior and wipe it out, or if it comes to it, terminate the system. And for humanoid androids, well… they have senses of morality akin to humans.”

“Yeah, sometimes more considering the kinds of people they have to deal with,” Elicia said. Shaking her head, she added, “But anyways, that’s beside the point. Honestly was expecting more of a reaction than ‘I’m happy for him’ when you learned that I’m boning your cou- I am going to shut up right now.”

Vindicta laughed again. “The affairs of my cousin are his own. If he was porking a Balmadaar I’d have cause to raise an eyebrow, but even then it wouldn’t really be much of mine concern.” The white-haired woman frowned. “Even if my brother seems to think I’m overly concerned with his affairs. It was an awkward conversation convincing his girlfriend I wasn’t trying to manipulate them for some nefarious purpose… and they didn’t even have the excuse of saying I was an Exalt in that situation all involved persons considered.”

“Well, at least one side of the family is all fine and dandy then,” Elicia said. “Anyways, forgive me if I’m intruding on confidentiality, but what caused that whole thing with your brother and his girlfriend?”

“I wanted to get a DNA sample of a Tamearin for study… which isn’t easy, considering their squeamishness around anything related to genetics… and study an example of their psionics.” Vindicta rolled her eyes. “I figured asking someone that I’d have a reasonable cause to talk to would be the most appropriate, and I jokingly threatened to blackmail Mark into it. For some reason he took that seriously, and sent Tabitha to me while filling her head with gloom and doom related to the whole affair.”

“Ah, good ol’ Poe’s Law,” Elicia chuckled. “Never underestimate people’s ability to completely misinterpret the situation, especially when it comes to tying your shoe in front of your significant other. Well, least it all ended well, right?”

“With his girlfriend, yes… I’m still working on a way to approach him about the issue. I fear it has deeper reaching implications about our relationship that I was aware.” Vindicta stepped into the elevator, marking it to head down to Floor 14.

The medic shrugged as she leaned against the handrail in the elevator. “Sounds like you just need to find some time where you’re both open and just have a good ol’ feels jam about the whole thing. You can’t really prepare for those kinds of things - you just gotta go in, start talking, and hope things come out good, y’know?”

Vindicta shrugged. “I suppose that’s the best course.” She smiled slightly. “Maybe I could use Emily to a tactical advantage…”
 

DarkGemini24601

Well-Known Member
BMPixy and DarkGemini24601: “Put Your Back Into It!” (Part 3)

“Another family member?” Elicia asked, arching an eyebrow.

The scientist rolled her shoulders. “You could say that. I could introduce you to her if you’d like.”

“Eh, sure, I’ve already thrown my lot in with the Exalts, what’s one more?” the soldier joked, though there was a slight dour undertone in her voice.

The elevator opened, and Vindicta led Elicia to her room. “This is one Exalt you shouldn’t find objectionable unless you’re one of those people.” She knocked to confirm that Mark was still at work, the only response to her test being a quiet howl. Smiling, Vindicta opened the door, and stepped in, moving to the side to reveal a wolflike dog with brown-orange fur on its back and a more tan-yellow underbelly: her dingo, Emily.

“Oh, wow,” Elicia said, caught off-guard by the revelation - having expected an actual person. “Cute little bloke, ain’t she?” she asked, gently stepping forward to offer the back of her hand for the dingo to sniff.

The animal approached, doing just that while wagging her tail idly, seeming pleased as Vindicta petted her. “It was a bit of trouble getting her onboard, but they weren’t about to risk losing my participation in the project over it. So here she is, much to my pleasure and Mark’s… I’m not sure how he feels about her being here, actually.”

“Well, I can imagine that he’s pro’lly glad he doesn’t have to walk her,” Elicia replied, gently rubbing the dingo’s head after she finished sniffing the medic. “Can’t imagine how hard it’d be to find a fire hydrant up here.”

“Well, that’s what some of the ejection hatches are for. I wonder if anyone’s ever been hit by floating urine icebergs…” Vindicta wondered to herself.

“I thought liquid in vacuums boiled, due to low pressure?” Elicia asked, slightly confused. “I mean, I’m just falling back on high school physics lessons, you’re the one with degree and cushy job, so what do I know?”

“Ah… right.” Vindicta shook her head. “Slip of the tongue… er, mind. I just find the image amusing.”

“And this is the person responsible for all scientific progress on our ship,” Elicia snarked in a good-naturedly manner. “What else do you have locked up there, ‘sides urine trouble and a mad desire to mess with reality-warping powers?”

“Several other fields of scientific expertise, though I’ve always been more interested in breaking physics than adhering to them,” Vindicta returned with her own measure of sarcasm.

“Then remind me to keep you away from Riri; he’s studying quantum engineering. Physics are already tenuous down there, he’d probably strangle somebody if they went whole hog on it,” Elicia said, chuckling slightly at the mental image.

“Ri... ri? I hesitate to ask on the basis that the question’s probably been posed before, but… who? Why? How?”

“Full name Frederick Ricardo Foulke,” Elicia explained. “Bit of a mouthful, so I just grabbed two syllables that were repeated, slapped ‘em together - bam, nickname that he absolutely hates now that we’re both adults. Besides, Fred’s too boring of name to go around calling someone you grew up with.”

“Freddy would be comedic enough for me… though perhaps that’s just because of the restaurant chain that I would always get something from on Saturdays growing up,” Vindicta admitted.

“Eh, sue me, too late to change it now,” Elicia said with a dismissive shrug. “Once you give someone a nickname, only the most strenuous of circumstances can change it.”

“It wouldn’t be too late if you had chronokinesis and could move backwards in time,” Vindicta deadpanned.

“Yeah, but then you might end up fucking with causality even harder and cause an, I’unno, naked singularity or whatever is the doomsday buzzword in science these days,” Elicia replied, equally as serious.

“Well, a version of myself helped pull it off in an alternate future… past for us… so I’m not entirely worried,” Vindicta replied.

“Y’know, when did our lives become this mess of reality-breaking bullshit and space opera antics and we just accept it as normal? I mean, you tell this kinda thing to me back before the invasion, I’d look at you in utter confusion because I was only three, but if I could reply intelligently I’d laugh at the absurdity of all this.” The Anglo-German shrugged, and continued, “But now it’s just sorta our everyday lives. Weird, huh?”

“Such is the future and fate of advancement. Those who try to predict the course twenty-five years down the line tend to fail,” Vindicta analyzed. “There are exceptions of course, but the future gets more and more unpredictable as time goes on.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Elicia replied, tucking back a loose strand of hair. “I mean, who knows what fancy pseudo-magical tech we’ll get outta this war?”

“I’m still trying to figure out what happened on the most recent mission.” Vindicta sat down on a bed, Emily hopping up beside her. “Ardenians have weak psi potential, as do Cartus… and I don’t think it was the Ardenian that reflected Devolina’s electrokinesis in the first place. However… there’s not a good reason to assume that was neural feedback at play… especially since yellow and violet are opposites. It’s almost never used to reflect electric abilities, and certaining not from a Cartus. So this… “Silencer” must have some sort of ability, psionic or otherwise, that can reflect attacks in a manner we’re yet unaware of. That could prove a problem for any of our soldiers that use abilities he can block. I assume… I hope, really… that he’s part of Trismegistus’s royal guard, and there aren’t more like him, if the scope of his abilities prove wide.”

“Eh, just don’t make any decision that rely on that assumption,” Elicia said, leaning against the side of the bed. “I mean, we’re pretty much learning something new about our enemies every time we run into ‘em, so for all we know they still have a hundred fancy techs to screw us over in ways we aren’t advanced enough to even understand the math behind it.”

“One would hope that we quickly comprehend, if we are going to win,” Vindicta contested. “Though for you, your job is to simply fight them. Ours is to figure out how to better your techniques.”

“Yeah, I remember basic,” Elicia replied. Putting on a mock drill instructor voice, she projected, “‘Your job is to paste whatever we tell you, but ensure that you leave enough of a smear for the eggheads to determine what exactly it was whose world you rocked! Got it, pendejos?’”

“I need to brush up on my references, don’t I…?” Vindicta merely responded.

“No, that’s actually something she said,” Elicia said. “She acted like she walked straight out of Full Metal Jacket - the Serbian remake, that is. Brutal, that one was.” The medic shivered at the memory. Glancing at her watch, Elicia grimaced. “Ah, damn, gotta bail. Need to get to my normal training. Suppose I’ll see ya later then?” she asked, pushing herself away from the bed and towards the door.

“Indeed.” Vindicta nodded. “Though I do expect you to train more, with me and on your own. And do speak to that psionic doctor. She can help you practice healing biokinesis, as well as that deprogramming you covet.”
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
Light & Darkness: Part One

In Orbit around Forseti (April 22nd, 2044)
The Einherjar (1200 Hours)
Holo-room 3


Korra sat with a miserable look, glancing at her friends around her. All wore a ridiculously frilly dress, ones she was told were from someplace called Victorian England. It wouldn't be so bad if not for the dress she had to wear with them, what anyone else would have called a beautiful red piece with white trim that complimented her hair, but Korra only thought it was too girly, was too tight against her chest, and made her butt look way, way too big.

"Why are we doing this again?" she whined to the short blond next to her.

Brigid smiled, the Irishwoman in a yellow dress and quite enjoying herself as she sipped some tea. "We're celebrating with Hestia, silly?"

Korra gave her a blank look. "Yeah... I got that. What I'm still unsure of is what exactly we're celebrating."

In a bright pink dress, Hestia threw her hands up in glee. "It's my unbirthday! Happy unbirthday to me!"

Alice, in a fancy blue dress, chuckled and explained, "This was one of Sunny's favorite simulation, and since she had 364 unbirthdays every year, we could have this tea party all the time. And now it's Hestia's favorite simulation."

"Uh... huh..." Korra glanced to her side, the holograms of a man with a grandiose hat and an anthropomorphic rabbit staring at her with big smiles. "And what the hell do you want?"

"We were just hoping to take a gander to your bust, my good lady," the Hatter commented, his smile widening.

Korra leaned towards them a bit, flatly stating, "If it wouldn't be a waste of time on holograms, I'd break both of your faces. It is very important that you understand this."

The hare pouted. "Oh, you're no fun." He reached under the Hatter's hat, pulling out a large goose and a bust of Korra's head, tossing both away.

Korra quickly leaned back towards Brigid. "This simulation is utter nonsense. What... is... the point."

"The nonsense is the point," Brigid answered. "I'm sure Alice can lone you the book some time. In the meantime, try to enjoy yourself. You're way too uptight for a tea party." She looked down the long table and held up her glass. "This tea is wonderful, by the way. What is it."

"It is called bono tea." Bɒkɒ, wearing a dapper Baʒir-sized dress suit and tie, complete with a small top hat, walked down the table, refilling everyone's cups. "It comes straight from Énto. Tea is one of the biggest exports from my planet. It was actually the Humiliata, in their attempts to assist all the races that they had harmed, who helped us discover their were over a dozen different Camellia Sinensis plants that could be sold on our planet. I have a number of cousins that make quite the living on the tea trade."

"Well, I have sampled literally every kind of tea on Earth, and this is one of the best cups of tea I've every had." Alice gratefully allowed her cup to be refilled. Noting the still miserable looking Korra, she attempted to get her mind off of things. "So... you used your powers in front of Kallpa, huh?"

Korra sighed, and slowly nodded. "We were tired, several of us injured, down two droids... that wolf thing of yours was awesome, by the way... and running out of time. I want to keep it a secret, but I wanted everyone to make it out alive more."

"Maybe I should try changing my hair color!" Hestia's hair shifted to the same red as Korra's, and she examined herself in the reflection on a spoon.

Alice leaned close. "Um, dear? You already did that for Nick, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" Hestia's hair turned pink again, and she giggled. "I forgot."

Brigid popped a small cookie in her mouth and asked, "How did he take it?"

Korra shrugged. "He didn't like me keeping a secret from him, but he was understanding when I explained it too him. He is a very kind, patient man. Really, the best boyfriend you can find."

Brigid chuckled. "I'm sure Cayden could give him a run for his money."

Korra casually lifted her cup. "Brigid, Brigid. It is not a competition over who has the better man." She raised the cup to her lips, adding, "Because I've already won."

Brigid scoffed. "I'll have you know that Cayden stood up to my mother when she flat out refused to acknowledge our relationship. From what you've told me, that's like standing up to you're own grandmother."

Korra smiled. "If that's true, it is impressive. But you should have seen Kallpa in that fight." She jumped to her feet and started waving her arms about. "Blasting down foes! Watching my back! Kicking major ass! Then that Balmadaar pulls out those grenades! He's ready to blow us all to bits, and our sniper has already missed a shot! Then..."

From out of a sugar pot, a very sleepy, very hungover looking dormouse stood up and raised her hand. In a tipsy voice, she shouted, " And so, I sprang into action! The enemy was fierce, but I was (hick) ready. I drew my sword (hick) and mounted my dragon-aardvark, Gerard. Together with (yawn) with Gerard the dragaardvark, we changed our foe, the framptious govantople, and with... (hick)... with one... mighty blow... we..." The mouse fell back, fast asleep before she hit the sugar.

Everyone laughed, save for the serious faced Korra. Brigid nudged her shoulder. "Come on, lighten up. It's funny."

Korra slowly shook her head. "It's not that. Just... what would drive that Balmadaar to do that?" She placed her chin in her palm. "And that one Tamearin in lockup? She was so insistent on dying, she tried to get me and Kallpa to kill her instead of just... giving up."

Brigid shrugged. "Some people are so insistent on fighting to the bitter end."

"No... it wasn't that." Alice gave Korra an understanding look. "If my Tamearin is correct... and I know it is... she was scared to die... but even more scared of what the TFD would do to the Outcasts of Tamear if they didn't give their everything. It shows two things; the loyalty the Outcasts have for each other... and the fear the TFD commands."

"They are scary." Hestia sat up a bit, wanting to be included in the conversation. "Like the robot horse man! Or the talking bug guy! I didn't even know they could talk!"

Brigid shook her head. "They can't. I have a friend in the labs. They told me the autopsy showed deliberate modifications to allow it to speak. Not to mention whatever that Cartus pulled out of its head."

"That Cartus..." Korra scratched her cheek. "I think they called him Silencer. And I think he was the reason my electrokinesis didn't work. Along with that clown guy from before..."

"A fearsome set of foes indeed." Baka sat on the table close to the others. "Commanding such fear, showing such power, and having such technological access."

Alice stood up. "Well, we'll take them all. I have no doubt." She raised her glass. "A toast. To a successful mission, the rescue of so many hostages, and the power plant, and to the fall of the TFD!" Everyone let out a cheer, raising their glasses and drinking.
 

ZombieSplitter53

Game Master
Staff member
Light & Darkness: Part Two

A familiar malicious grin spread across Manipulators face as he watched his experiment underway on the other side of the glass. Hitting the comm switch, he unnecessarily yelled, "Be sure to gather the specimens unharmed! Every wound inflicted upon a prospective body will be paid ten fold back to all of you!"

His grin turned to a scowl as something large, round, and soft pressed against his back, arms with orange fur around the wrists moving over his shoulders and down his chest. "And what are we working on today, dear Rentan?"

"I have told you many times. Never... call me that," Manipulator grumbled. "Just as I have told you many times already to keep that grotesque hybrid body away from me."

Berserker's smile remained, but her eyes darkened, her right eye twitching. "And I... have told you many... many times... that if you ever... refer to the beauty that is my body like that again..."

Her arms slowly retracted, bringing her hands towards his neck. His eyes darted back and forth nervously, and he quickly tried to change the subject. "I-I am... doing an experiment to see how age effects the breeding of Chryssalids. The Tamearin subjects are all of similar degrees of health and creed, but of various ages, two for each group. Hopefully, a replacement for my previous Chryssalid..."

"If you ever called my ugly, or hideous, or disgusting, or anything of the sort again," Berserker continued as if the man before her hadn't spoke. "Then, Keborrea... I would make sure it was the last thing you ever said..."

Her claws pressed against his neck. Silencer rushed behind his mistress, firmly grasping her breasts and pulling her back. When she turned her head, he practically shoved his tongue into her mouth. The soft moans she let out as Silencer massaged her chest told Manipulator he was safe for now, though he knew it was less for his sake and mainly so Berserker wouldn't get in trouble for killing him.

A shrill scream came from in front of Manipulator, and the glass was splattered with blood, obscuring his view. Manipulator let out an angry growl as her slammed the comm button, nearly breaking it with his cybernetic hand. "I need a replacement handler in cell three! And harvest that incompetent ignoramus' Chyssalid! And least he can be good for something."

The pair behind him finished their brief but passionate make out session, leaving a trail of saliva as they pulled apart. Berserker readjusted her top and ask, "What news do you bring from Master Trismegistus, love?"

Manipulator flinched at the name, and Silencer caught it, a small smile crossing his face. "She was disappointed with the Outcasts, but the failure on the Tamearin's part isn't unexpected from a race that largely relies on psionics and shuns bodily improvement." His eyes darted to Manipulator. "Be glad that you were able to modify that body of yours, friend."

Manipulator slowly turned. "What else... did she have to say?"

Silencer shrugged, giving him a bored glance. "She is not one so fool hardy to dismiss the Outcasts for the failing of but one group, most of whom are dead now. However, she seems to feel the Balmadaar are looking like they could use more genetic enhancements, while the Tamearins need to step it up to improve their image in her eyes. If they do not, they can expect to be relegated to a minor role... or become 'Sigils'."

With a soft swallow, Manipulator said, "I am more interested in her opinion of her own people."

Silencer yawned. Berserker sat down, and he curled into her lap, wrapping his arms around her shoulders like a child. "She said I handled the situation well. She seemed pleased with me."

When Silencer did not continue, Manipulator balled his metal hands into fists. "And what of me, you petulant moron!? What did she have to say about me!?"

Silencer couldn't help but crack another small smile. "Do not fear, my friend. I believe she was too mockingly amused by your plight to be angry with you."

Berserker clapped her hands together. "Congratulations! Your idiotic failings were overlooked because of your ability to make our master laugh!"

Manipulator looked like he was about to pop from anger. "Curses," he quietly muttered. "All who have made a mockery of me shall suffer."

"Would that include our Master Trismegistus?" Berserker asked coyly.

Manipulator calmed down a bit, and he turned away. "Of course not, though your continued attempts to trick me into saying some... disparaging remarks is noted." The 'Tamearin' shook his head. "Besides, I have other targets for my wrath." He typed on his computer, bringing up a visual from the off-ship recording at the power plant. He zoomed in on the image of two XSDF soldiers. "These two humiliated me... and destroyed the Chryssalid body I had personally bred and nurtured to be perfect. I shall make them suffer. I will find out all I can about them..."

Berserker scoffed. "And how will you do that? Do you think the Master will allow you to use the TFD's time and resources to find out the information you need for your... personal vendetta?"

Manipulator did not turn around, not wanting to show his hateful glare. "I shall find out what I need on my own, than. I have my sources, as do you, I am sure." He looked back, surprising the other two with his usual sinister grin. "On an unrelated note, I am sorry for the death of one of your men. But he seemed to be spying on me. And we all know what is to be done with spies."

Without changing her expression, Berserker nodded. "Of course." She stood up, and grabbed Silencer's belt. "Come, love. I need to take these clothes off, and I do not feel like doing it myself."

The two exited, and Manipulator turned back to the computer screen, letting the image of the two soldiers burn into his memory.
 

Frostlich1228

Well-Known Member
Frostlich1228 and DarkGemini24601: “Finding Your Voice”

High Orbit over Forseti (April 24th, 2044)
The Einherjar (3:37 PM, A.S.T.)
Floor 9: Medical Offices

Irina sat down in her chair, awaiting one of the few civilians on board she had scheduled an appointment with. Although she didn’t have access to all the files on the woman in question - particularly the information surrounding her currently-sealed powers - the doctor hoped to assist with what she did know about. Skin burned to a vicious degree, alloy plating taking its place, and damaged vocal cords along with makeshift eyes. The latter two damages she knew she could replace if the patient gave consent, but the former two issues would require some work to safely correct. But it’s possible. All I need is some time between taking care of other patients.

Lanore stood outside of the metal door, still unsure about talking to this woman. The trip up here was awful, so many sideways stares in her direction, but she knew how she looked, and honestly couldn’t blame them for having that reaction. If she really can fix me…

Her thought was cut off by a slight tugging on her hand, 19 looked down to see Arachne by her side, who had offered to join her in the walk up. “What’re you waiting for? You’ll be fine dolly, just go in!”

How do I know that? Lanore psionically asked, but 24 simply added.

“Well, all the people that have met you so far have been really nice, even though it was only two people, that’s still one hundred percent!”

Lanore couldn’t help but sigh a little, but nodded, signalling 24 to hop up and open the door to the room. 19 slowly stepped inside, her normal, twitchy walk, probably not helping her first impression on the doctor.

Irina didn’t seem unnerved; if she was, she didn’t show it. “Lanore? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Irina Beaumont,” she said simply, gently, having a sturdy chair for her guest to sit down in across from her.

19 took the seat, but even it creaked a little under the weight of her alloy skin. It’s… nice to meet you…

“I’d… like to help you, if you’re willing to accept my help,” Irina offered cautiously. “I’m aware that you’ve suffered severe burns. While I’ll need time to look into how we could safely restore your skin… returning your voice and normal vision to you wouldn’t be a difficult affair, I hope. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to run a brief scan to determine the extent of the damage and see what I can do to rectify it.”

This scan… will it… hurt? 19 asked cautiously.

Irina shook her head. “Not at all. Very little technology of that type is invasive in that way.”

Good… I just wanted to be sure… Even though I honestly can’t be… Lanore psied, looking both ways, If we do this… I want… my friend outside to watch me. Is that acceptable?

Irina nodded. “That’s fine. Whatever makes you more comfortable.” She stepped over to a console, motioning for Lanore to stand in a booth where she could be monitored. Once the other Frenchwoman was in, Irina began her observation procedures, small modules mapping out the tissue directly beneath the alloy plating, and then the internal tissue underneath that. They revealed to Irina that Lanore’s old skin was practically gone, and her muscles and lungs had suffered damage as well. The scanners also did an evaluation of the woman’s eyes, finding them to be comparible to T1 human variants, and confirmed that Lanore’s throat wasn’t irreparably damage, and anything that was gone could be replaced.

“You may step out now,” Irina prompted, and continued, “and it seems like your current eyes are of acceptable quality. If you want to replace them with more natural-looking prosthetics, I can arrange that. As for your voice… it can be restored with careful medical treatment.”

A glint of hope filled her, before being dimmed as a thought occurred to her. Then… what can’t you fix?

“At the moment, I’m going to need to figure out a way to harmlessly separate the alloy around your body from the rest,” Irina explained. “However, I can fix the damage to your lungs, and very likely restore your muscles if I can remove the alloy ‘skin’.”

You have the means to do all that… now? I can’t believe it… twenty years and we’ve advanced that far? Lanore said, seeming quite agasp.

Irina smiled softly. “We do. In that respect, it was luck you slept until now, when we can help you. So how about it? Are you willing to allow me to do what I can to restore your normal range of movement and speech?”

I… don’t know… I’m not… exactly eager to… go under the knife again… Lanore replied, visibly nervous.

“We’re not going to hurt you, and no surgery for the first stage is required,” Irina reassured her. “All we’d need to do is inject specially-programmed Tz6 into your system… that is, nanites that would travel to the damaged parts of your body and reconstruct them from within. We’d need to keep you under observation, but at the most we’d only need to apply local anesthetic to your neck so you don’t feel any discomfort from the process. Even without it numbing the area it wouldn’t be painful, though. Just unpleasant, hence the anesthesia.”

How… do I know I can trust you? 19 asked, taking a single step forward.

“I haven’t lied about anything I’ve done so far,” Irina replied calmly. “The XSDF has no intention of bringing harm upon you or any of your companions. You are citizens of Earth, and our duty is to protect you, the same as we are doing for those down on Forseti.”

As she tried to think of something else to say, he felt small hands push her a little from behind. 19 turned around to see Arachne, who had made it into the room, smiling at her. “What are you waiting for…? Just… Just do it!”

She swallowed hard, then stepped up. I’ll… I’ll trust you… just… Can you put me under when you do? I don’t like needles... among… other things...

“If you’d prefer that, I can make it happen,” Irina agreed. “We could take care of it now, if you are worried about losing your nerve.”

I… I um… I-I… She stammered, as 24 spoke up.

“She’ll do it now, I believe in her!”

19 followed her words by simply nodding, just wanting to get it over with before she could change her mind.

Irina quickly bobbed her head in return, and contacted a few other doctors to get a room ready. She then lead Lanore to the room, and put her under before the doctors began their work. The Tz6 was applied to the neck and chest, where it began to work on repairs on the old burns that had taken away Lanore’s voice, and the smoke damage within her lungs.


***


High Orbit over Forseti (April 25th, 2044)
The Einherjar (9:01 A.M., A.S.T.)
Floor 9: Medical Ward

As Lanore regained consciousness her mechanical eyes swept around the room, picking out Irina as the only other doctor still around. Looking down at herself while she laid on a table like this brought back bad memories, making her instinctively want to leap out of the bed, though she tried to hold it in as best she could. Her eyes swung back towards Irina as she asked, Is…. Is it done?

Irina nodded slightly. “The damage to your lungs is gone, and your throat has been mostly repaired. The Tz6 there is still active, but you won’t feel it from this point on. You… should be able to talk, but I suggest not raising your voice or talking for too long for the next five days. You still need time to fully heal.”

“A-Auh-ah-a…” Lanore tried to sputter something out, but almost forgot how to, not to mention her throat still felt pretty sore. I think… I’d prefer talking like this… For a while longer…
 

DarkGemini24601

Well-Known Member
XSDF Planetside Mission
VIP Protection
Operation Hidden Stranger

System: Dapsilis
Planet: Forseti
Location: New Sanxin
Date: April 25th
Time: 1930 Hours, Local

Mission Briefing:

The reports we received about pirate activity in the very cities of Forseti itself turned out to be accurate. Through some method yet undiscerned, a group of criminals from the pirate organization known as the Packmasters seem to have infiltrated the area surrounding one of the two cities on the continent of Serais. As if the unsavory Sectoids and humans with their illegally-acquired Incubators weren’t enough, it appears Triads have already made their way into the city itself. These two are here for a deadly combination, one we are only aware of now thanks to assistance from the XSDF’s outsourced information broker: to kill an official in the area.

His name is Peng Guowel. Male, 37, an influential Chinese civil and construction engineering mogul. He’s responsible for a great deal of the planning that gave a structure to the large towns of the area, not to mention coming up with the layout of New Sanxin. Right down to the efficient infrastructure of the city, the man’s a genius in his field, and his company and its wealth reflect that. It’s also worthy to note that he’s recently turned to the XSDF to aid us in reinforcing the defenses of our defensive outposts on Forseti’s surface. This, along with the fact that he vehemently denounces the Chinese crime syndicate that fled to the stars after being largely driven off of Earth, explains why he was targeted.

We’ve attempted to contact Mr. Guowel, but he either isn’t taking calls at the moment or has already fallen under attack. From what the bridge crew has been able to piece together from contacting his secretaries, Peng left his office in the city’s version of Times Square about thirty minutes ago to go eat dinner. He didn’t say where he was going, but it seems one of his frequent haunts is a diner called “Yín Lútáng, or the “The Silver Hearth”, so that’s where the team will be heading. As we can’t risk a state of panic or wanton property damage by just landing a Peddler dropship in the middle of the street, the squad will be deployed from a helipad about 400 meters from the diner. Make haste.

We cannot allow any harm to come to Mr. Guowel. Find him, defend him, and bring him to the Einherjar for protection until further notice.

Number of Soldiers for this Mission:

Soldier’s Names:

**{United States, F} CPL Steele, Samantha [Heavy] (Overdrive)
*{Italy, M} LCPL Restauro, Nick [Assault] (T1 Prosthetic Legs)
{Greece, M} SPC Spiros, Spyridon [Scout] (Aerokinesis)
{Kellata} SPC Shefrina, Tornada [Sniper] (Nat. Muscle Fiber Density)
{Mexico, M} SPC Ortiz, Jesús [Medic] (Adaptive Bone Marrow T)
{Spain, F} SPC Flores, Dolores [Shadow Operative] (Depth Perception, Bioelectric Skin, Aerobic Respiration Boost, Adrenal Neurosympathy, Dexterous Muscle Fibers, Adaptive Bone Marrow T)
Seeker One
Seeker Two


**Squad Leader
*Second in Command
Italics are player characters.

Gear: (link)

Terrain:

The drop site is a helipad on the roof of a triangular prism-shaped, two-story building that sits at a ‘Y’ street intersection. Peddler One will be able to squeeze in next to a set of two helicoptors. The second floor of the building has research labs, and the first floor has offices – it is a biology firm that studies the desert wildlife. The staff there will be bewildered, but will allow you through once they realize who you are.

Exiting through the front door, the squad should cross to the right side of the street, as the road on that side heads out of town and thus there will be no cars in the way. The sidewalk along the “bottom” road leading further into the city is made of concrete tiles that rarely show cracks or flaws. Street lamps – with carefully-planned gaps in-between - hang over the pavement, casting limited but brilliant yellow light onto the darkening streets that are otherwise only illuminated by the setting orange sun and the faint moon on the horizon. Cover comes in the form of the occasional bench, tall concrete embankments, or railing (as the walkway is double-tiered).

The second tier of the walkway is similar to the first, the street lamps being placed in-between the two rungs alongside a mixture of dirt and sand that houses transplanted desert plants that appear much like terrestrial cacti and bushes. However, while the first level stretches about five meters in width and ends inward at the road, the second level is about seven meters wide and ends outward with numerous buildings. They are predominantly one or two story, and appear to be various shops, restaurants, and so on. Quite a few are closed, but if necessary the squad may need to go inside to use them as cover. (To assist with this all six have been given access codes for the electronic locks on the doors that will shut off the alarms, a gift from the local police department.)

After a stretch of about 200 meters east, the squad will come to an area where the roads seem to branch out in a grid-like fashion, sets of fourth buildings backed up against each other making up small, compact blocks. This is a residential district, characterized by orange-brick houses that often have local desert flora on the windowsills or in small garden beds at the base of their steps. Most of the people here will be sleeping, and thus hopefully will remain out of the conflict, but we can’t be certain of that. The only advantage of this more heavily crowded area is that there are fewer people on the streets, and a lower number of passing cars. Buildings provide high cover and benches/trash cans low cover.

50 meters east later and the team will arrive at a cluster of restaurants around a circular intersection. The Silver Hearth is across to the left. There is a central island with more frequent cover from trees and statues than the gaps between buildings and the interiors of the diners themselves, but with cars parked on the peripherals of the intersection and moving vehicles going through the middle, the squad will likely have to go around the side rather than through the mess. This will not prove true if the traffic stops, should fighting break out.

The restaurant in question has two stories. The interior of the first floor is divided into four rooms. The front area is a wide reception hall that ends 2-3 meters shy of the outer walls of the mostly-square building, and has couches and tables with guests waiting to be seated in the busy diner proper. There are two sets of finely crafted doors that lead into dining rooms: one serves Japanese food, and the other Chinese dishes. The fourth room is the kitchen itself. The stairs to the second floor, a wide, open parlor that serves a buffet combining different Eastern Asian delicacies, are in front of the building but blocked by feeble gates defended by an employee each.

The second floor is two-runged, having a main level with numerous circular tables (contrasting with the square ones of the first floor) where guests are eating. There is a raised, square executive platform with semi-transparent curtains shielding it from some of the bright lights of the city in the center; this is likely where the VIP can be found.

Enemies:

Main Street
-One Group of Four with 1 Triad Scout, 1 Triad Medic, 1 Triad Engineer, and 1 Triad Shadow Operative (Mindfray, ESP)
-One Group of Four with 1 Triad Sniper, 1 Triad Shadow Operative, and 2 Triad Scouts
-One Group of Four with 1 Triad Medic (Biokinesis), 1 Triad Engineer (Telekinesis), and Two Triad Snipers

Residential Area

-One Group of Five with 1 Triad Scout, 1 Triad Sniper, 1 Triad Engineer, 1 Triad Medic, and 1 Triad Support (Teleimagery, Blackout, Psi Inspiration, Imbuing)
-One Group of Six with Four (4) Packmaster Sectoids and Two (2) Incubators

Restaurant Circle

-One Group of Five with One (1) Sectoid Shadow Operative [Plasma Truncated Shotgun, Shadow Armor], One (1) Sectoid Commander Support (Typical Sectoid Abilities + Mind Control), Two (2) Packmaster Human Troopers [Plasma Rifle, Aegis Armor], and One (1) Incubator [Titan-Armor Equivalent]
-One Group of Three with Two (2) Triad Shadow Operatives [Reflex Rifle, Shadow Armor] and One (1) Triad Elite [???]

Conditions for Completing the Mission:

(1) Rescue of Mr. Peng Guowel
(2) Protection of as many civilians as possible (try not to get them involved if at all doable)
(3) Elimination or Capture of all enemy forces.

Civilians:

1. The initial building will have numerous scientists and staff.
2. The main street will have a moderate amount of passerbys and people in shops, as well as a moderate amount of cars.
3. The residential area will have plenty of people in buildings, but only an occasional passerby on the ground or in a car.
4. There will be heavy traffic in the restaurant circle, and while the streets will be clear for the most part the eateries will be crowded.
5. Peng Guowel will be in the executive platform, dining with a Japanese woman about his age. He is wearing a business suit and nothing more, but has a laser pistol tucked away on his person, and his four bodyguards are wearing alloy plating underneath suits, as well as carrying concealed heavy laser pistols (Peng is a yellow psion capable of teleimagery).The five will be able to defend themselves to some extent, but should be kept out of the fray as much as possible.
 

Taxor_the_First

Well-Known Member
Operation Hidden Stranger, Prologue
Peddler One, midair above New Sanxin
April 25th, 7:23 PM



“Peng Guowel,” Isaac said, his voice crackling over the speakers of the Peddler. “Male, thirty-seven years of age, Chinese engineer. You want a list of his accomplishments, take a look at New Sanxin as you walk through. He designed the damn city. Thanks to a friend of mine, we’ve become aware that Mr. Gouwel is under threat – several Packmaster and Triad groups have infiltrated the city and are likely as we speak searching for him. Suffice to say the Commander isn’t keen on allowing that to happen, given the amount of support this man has rallied for us in the past.”

He paused briefly, likely for effect. “Unfortunately, what my friend couldn’t find out was where Gouwel is now. Hopefully the enemy has the same issue, but I wouldn’t count on it. For now, all we have to go on is the word of his secretaries, who said he often goes to the ‘Silver Hearth’ restaurant for dinner. I don’t care if he’s on a date there or what, find him, secure him, and if the Triad or Packmasters try to stop you, stop them first. Naturally, since you’ll be fighting in residential areas, we’d prefer property damage to remain… minimal. Which means no rockets, though hopefully you were all told that before you went to the armory. I would also request that you keep explosive grenade usage to a minimum. We’re trying to avoid a panic here, not cause one. Now…” The cripple clapped his hands together, signifying the end of his spiel. “Any questions?”

“Just one,” Dolores said. “Where are we setting down?”


*


“I can’t believe we’re half a goddamn kilometre away,” Samantha fumed as the dropship touched down and the door fell open.

“Well, it’s like the man said. It’s either this or parachutes,” Spyridon responded. “If this engineer is so good, why the hell didn’t he design wider streets?”

“Maybe he didn’t want an invasion force having easy landing zones,” Jesús offered.

Their boots clamped onto the ground, with a few of the soldiers being forced to adjust their centre of gravity to accommodate the plasma weaponry. The two Seeker units floated out behind them, and set to weaving slowly through the air above their heads. Samantha took the lead as her position detailed, and glanced around their landing zone, a commercial airport typically used for business purposes.

A thought darted across her mind, causing her to frown. “Did we tell these people we were coming?” she asked the squad.

Almost on cue, the sliding doors that served as the entrance to the pyramidal structure opened, and a number of security guards filed out, accompanied by a woman wearing a lab coat. When they saw the XSDF logos emblazoned in almost every spare surface of the intruder’s gear, the guards relaxed slightly, though the presumed scientist still appeared rather irked. Either she hadn’t noticed the symbols, or she didn’t care.

“Exactly what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at Samantha. “You don’t have clearance to land here!”

The squad leader arched an eyebrow, though behind her tinted visor the expression remained unseen. “XSDF,” she said simply. “As pretentious as this probably sounds, we’re on an important mission and, as your army, have permission to land anywhere we can.”

“You can’t just set a ship down here without first booking a time,” the woman said, shaking her head and crossing her arms. “What if we needed the space for an emergency landing?”

“This is an emergency landing,” Tornada hissed under her breath, her grip not leaving her Plasma sniper rifle.

Samantha merely rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time for this.” She opened communications with the Peddler’s pilot. “Take off. If her issue really is just that we’re taking up space, then we’ll give it back. We’ll call you when we need you.”

The pilot sighed, powering up the dropship once again. “Roger that. I’ll try to get actual clearance before you get back. Have a safe one.” With that, the craft took off, rising once again and moving up into the skyline.

The Huntress turned her gaze back to the woman. “Better?”

The woman remained unmoving. “You’re still trespassing on Sanxin Biolabs property.”

“Then we’ll vacate the premises immediately,” Samantha said, turning around. “Ah,” she said, as if the ide had just occurred to her. “But our ship just left. Looks like we’ll have to go through the front door.”

The scientist scowled, the successful ploy only having irritated her more. “Fine,” she growled at last, turning and almost marching back inside. The guards sheepishly followed suit, although one of them remained to see the squad inside.

“Keep those Seekers on a tight leash,” he said quietly as Samantha passed him. “Giant floating squid might set a few of the domesticated animals off, you know?”

“Animals?” she asked, as she entered the automatic stairwell and began descending. “Whose roof did we just land on?”

“Sanxin Biolabs,” another guard said. “We – and by ‘we’ I mean the eggheads – research the local desert wildlife here. They’ve got a few in captivity, holding cells that replicate their normal environments to the best of our ability.”

Sure enough, on the second floor the squad was forced to weave in and out of a few research labs in order to continue their journey downward. The Seekers were made to keep their distances from the habitation cells, but that didn’t stop one particularly vicious-looking reptile hissing behind the glass at the Replitan sniper, a sentiment she nearly returned.

“Never had you pegged as the ‘one with their natural side’ kind of person,” Nick joked.

Tornada glared at him. “Just because I share similar physical traits with some of your more primitive animals does not mean I myself am primitive. Think of this like seeing a monkey give you… what do you call it, ‘the finger’?”

The guards saw them out through the offices on the first floor and reception, though the main doors had to be unlocked and opened manually as business hours had long since passed.

The guard unlocking the door indicated the glowing green weapons the squad was holding. “You guys look pretty geared,” he said passively. “Expecting that much trouble?”

Samantha shrugged. “Wouldn’t surprise me.”

The guard nodded, and opened the door, stepping aside to let them through. “Good luck then,” he said as they passed.

Standing now outside the triangular glass prism, the soldiers found themselves looking up the main street, which could be best described as an artificial valley. The bottom took the form of a road an associated sidewalk, and up the walls a further sidewalk existed, on the edges of which a number of shops and cafés sat. Eerily, all of them were shut, save for a few of the cafes that were finishing up business for the day. A few people dotted these cafes, some refusing to go home just yet despite the evening hour.

Samantha bit her lip worriedly. That street looked like the perfect place for an ambush. She turned to her team. “Think our friends might have noticed a Peddler dropping in?”

“Probably,” Dolores said, a distinct lack of concern present in her voice.

“I don’t like the idea of being in that bottom area,” Nick suggested. “If they did see us coming, the best positions will be on the second tier. If we’re in the middle, we’ll be fish in a barrel.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Samantha affirmed. “We’ll take the high road. Split up so we’ve got more coverage, half to each side. Oritz, Tornada, you’re with me. Restauro, Flores, Spiros, you take the other side. Bring a Seeker with you. If the enemy shows up, go for picks unless I specify otherwise. We clear?”

The squad answered in the affirmative, and spread out as per their instructions. Following their programming, the floating squid bots hung back slightly, attempting to remain out of sight behind the soldiers as they advanced. Though the urge to keep to cover was tempting, the amount of onlookers made something about the tactic seem ridiculous, and so the squad continued walking as if they were out for a stroll with their pet Seekers. A cat sitting next to one of the tables watched them pass, mewing softly. Surely, in an area where civilians were plentiful, and cars passed frequently, they would not be attacked?
 
Last edited:

Taxor_the_First

Well-Known Member
Operation Hidden Stranger, Part 1


Murphy’s Law made itself known as one civilian, previously reading a newspaper, rose and took aim at Spyridon’s back, the scout oblivious to his would-be assassin. Tornada, who had been admiring the regular, neat look of the street, spotted the foe before he could do much damage, and quickly raised her sniper rifle, hissing a warning before taking the shot. The ‘civilian’ revealed themselves to be a scout, however, as he reflexively dodged the shot. But the jig was already up – the half of the squad he’d been about to backstab all whirled around at once, all ready to gun their aggressor down. Unable to dodge several streams of plasma at once, he fell, as three other Triad operatives kicked over the tables they’d been sitting at to create cover from the fire. Their former servers, the people working in the café, shrieked and ran for cover, deciding it best to survive rather than attempt attacking such well-armed individuals.

The other half of the squad swivelled to face the Triad themselves, Samantha not waiting to give orders and instead firing away. Without a proper stand upon which to place her Plasma Novagun, her shots were inaccurate, and most merely impacted the walls of the café the Triad were using as cover. The two Seeker units went into cloak mode, dispersing into the air and searching for lone targets. Tornada hissed as she went into cover, double checking through her scope to be certain she was correct.

“Steele! One of them disappeared!”

“Wha-?” Before she could question the Replitan, a Pulse beam, arcing from another still-open café directly into Samantha’s helmet. To the Triad sniper’s great horror, however, she turned her head, the shot barely appearing to singe the metal. “Thank God for those personal shields,” she muttered darkly, switching targets from the hiding enemies on the other side to the revealed enemies on this one. Her entourage did the same, a reaction shot from Tornada barely missing the enemy sniper’s head. The Huntress opened communications to the other team as she ran into some semblance of cover, the indent between the walls of a shut shop. “One of your friends is a shadow operative,” she barked, taking a few potshots to suppress while Oritz got to work on the passcode panel. “Take him out goddamn quick, cloaking pricks can be very dangerous if you don’t.”

“Roger that,” Nick replied, crouching behind an overturned table. “Seekers’ll point him out if he decloaks near us. Besides, we got one of our own,” he said with a smile as Dolores cloaked herself, and began moving towards her targets, HSPB in hand. The Triad stood no chance – one had been about to throw a grenade, but had just pulled the pin when plasma was spat into his face. Dolores, noting the live grenade, dove for cover before it exploded, heavily damaging the remaining Triad’s armor, a few pieces of shrapnel digging into the flesh beneath. With a smirk, Spyridon finished him off, a single burst being enough to down them for good.

“Be careful, that cloaker’s still skulking around somewhere,” Restauro cautioned.

“Not near me,” Dolores said, crouching back behind their table. “I didn’t feel any prickling of the skin.”

“Then he’s probably buggered off to us,” Samantha cut in, as the three finally made their way inside the shop. “Keep listening to your skin in case he comes back, Flores.”

Tornada, unwilling to spend her time hiding, poked her rifle out the side and examined the remaining group. “A group of four,” she muttered. “From their loadouts, I’d say two snipers, two scouts. No, wait –“ She remained silent for a moment. “Scratch that. One of the snipers just cloaked. We’ve got another shadow operative.”

“You’d think the universe would avoid sending the same shit at me twice,” Samantha growled. “Get back from there. Nothing worse than a sniper you can’t see.” The Replitan obliged, retreating back behind the wall.

“Plan?” Oritz asked, checking his Stormgun.

Samantha nodded. “Not much of one, but it’s all we’ve really got without poking our heads out. Flores, don’t take this the wrong way, but I need you to go over there and try find that sniping shadow operative.”

The response was immediate. “Are you crazy?” Dolores demanded. “You want me to go over there and basically tap him on the shoulder while three of his buddies watch the whole thing?”

“Pretty much.”

A muffled curse, then a defeated “Yes ma’am,” as she cloaked herself, and Flores began shuffling forward towards a bridge crossing the gap between the sides.

Before she got close, however, a high-pitched chirping began emitting from the speakers within Samantha’s helmet and a generic alert symbol appeared on her HUD, indicating a spot directly outside the shop. One of the Seekers must have spotted a light distortion or something, she thought grimly. Without stopping to question her decision, she sprayed the spot, plasma impacting the once-immaculate concrete pavements. A cry of pain rewarded her instinct, the enemy shadow operative being forced to decloak and attempt to flee with plasma dripping from his leg. He did not succeed, Samantha’s fire now having a visible target. She allowed the Novagun to spin down when she was done, and begun the lengthy reloading process, for now assured in the knowledge there would be no attacks for the moment.

“Shefrina,” she said almost absently, “You ready to poke out and snipe that guy when Flores finds him?”

The sniper nodded, holding position near the wall. She eyed the dead Triad somewhat nervously, but didn’t comment, instead refocusing on keeping her muscles ready to peek out when the time came. As she did this, Samantha set about describing the rest of her plan.

“Once Flores finds this guy, we all need to be ready to suppress or kill the others, otherwise her ass is going to be wide open for them,” she said. “Seeker One, can I get enemy positions marked please?” The still-cloaked machine obeyed, several red dots appearing on her HUD to denote the enemy positions. The corner of her mouth curved upwards at the sight. “The remaining three are still together. Restaurant, you think you can lob a nade in between them?”

“Restauro,” the assault corrected. “And not that far I can’t. Maybe if I had telekinesis I could copy that engineer…”

“Maybe you don’t need that,” Spyridon said slowly. “I’ve got aerokinesis. I can make the wind blow favourably for you. Might give you that extra bit of range.”

Nick considered. “That… might actually work,” he conceded. “That the plan?”

“It is now,” Samantha said. “When Dolores finds their sneaky bastard, you throw that nade. Tornada, peek them while they’re disoriented and pick them off. Dolores can finish any others off. Got it?” A collective affirmative from her squad. “Very well. Flores, on your go.”

The signal took a few more moments, as Dolores zig-zagged her way across the sidewalks to cover the area, ensuring the enemy shadow operative did not escape. Eventually, when passing another open café (now devoid of staff), she felt a familiar tingle. HSPB at the ready, she followed her senses and aimed where she thought her foe would be. She breathed in. And fired.

The Triad howled in pain as the plasma started burning its way through his chest, his aim on the shop that Samantha’s group had been hiding in now gone. At once, Tornada peeked out and locked onto the enemy sniper, her natural reflexes giving her the confidence to step into the open and take the shot. She needn’t have worried – the sniper was far too busy shifting their aim to the sudden flank to worry about her. As a bolt of plasma launched out of her rifle, a solitary grenade was flung over the friendly tables, a sudden gust of wind boosting it further than it should have gone, directly at the feet of the enemy tables. The sniper’s head snapped backwards, and moments later the ground nearby exploded, sending the two scouts onto their faces.

Dolores wasted no time. She discarded the truncated shotgun for now, unholstering her plasma rifle and executing the two in one smooth movement. She remained frozen briefly, paralyzed by adrenaline, before she exhaled and allowed herself to relax.
 
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Taxor_the_First

Well-Known Member
Operation Hidden Stranger, Part 2


Samantha smiled, stepping outside again. “Nice work people,” she said. “Solid teamwork.” She was distracted, however, by that same high-pitched buzzing in her ear. This time, the Seekers pointed out the lower area – indeed, now that she looked, she could see a small group of Triad operatives still seated there, looking very miffed at the idea of being caught between two groups of enemies. In retribution, their engineer tossed a grenade up towards Dolores, boosting it with a hit of telekinesis. The grenade rolled to her feet before exploding, sending the shadow operative flying.

“You asshole! That’s our trick!” Nick cried, sprinting forward to get into a better position.

Tornada darted out of sight of the lower floor, hugging the shopfronts to get to the floored Flores. The woman groaned when the alien approached, her shielding having tanked the majority of the blast. “Never insulting the science department again,” she mumbled, grasping her stomach.

“Get down,” Shefrina hissed. “Let Jesus heal you. We’ll take care of this.”

“Are you trying to convert me on my deathbed?”

Ortiz rolled his eyes as he approached, medikit already in hand. “Just because I’m your savior doesn’t give you permission to make shitty jokes,” he stated, examining the affected area.

Samantha, though relieved to see the shadow operative was alright, still resented the worry she’d just been put through. “Seekers, get into position,” she instructed. “Everyone else, focus fire on those snipers first.” Following her instructions, Spyridon managed to score a lucky shot, striking one sniper in the head and sending them to an early grave. The remaining Triad, realising they were now gravely outnumbered, seemed to begin considering retreat.

For the engineer at least, that was not an option. He began firing back aggressively, forcing Spyridon and Nick to crouch behind the concrete railings. Samantha, seeing an opportunity, rained plasma like bright green holy fire, the bolts impacting multiple spots around her foe before finally striking him in the abdomen. A green glow surrounded the injury, before it resolved itself, and he stood again, good as new. “What?!” the Huntress cried, ducking back behind cover before a responding burst of Gauss fire sprayed past. “How the hell?”

“They must have a green psion,” Nick yelled. “Medic would be my guess. Makes the most sense.”

Samantha growled. “Seeker One, restrain the enemy medic. Seeker Two, the engineer. Nick, Spyro, we’ll take the sniper. On my signal.”

She gave it, and both the Triad medic and engineer felt slick metal tendrils slip in behind their shoulders. The reaction of both was too little, too late – the Seekers had them in their grasp, and were not about to release their prizes anytime soon. The sniper, distracted by the sight, was easy pickings for the team above. With him gone, the guns were now pointed at the two survivors. “Surrender,” Samantha yelled down to them. “Or don’t. Your pick.”

A burst of panicked chatter later, and the medic had dropped his weapon, signifying surrender. The engineer did the same, though after a moment’s hesitation.

The Huntress smiled, though they likely couldn’t see that behind her visor. “Wise move,” she said, as the Seekers proceeded to put pressure on their necks. With bloodflow to the brain cut off, the two men collapsed, and the Seekers set about properly restraining them with the pairs of disposable handcuffs tossed to them by Oritz.

Samantha eyed Flores as she stood shakily. “You alright?” she asked gently.

The shadow operative waved a dismissive hand. “Fine,” she answered. “Just a bit shaken is all. Those personal shields…”

“Probably saved your life,” Jesus said. “You were practically sitting on that grenade.”

“Can we not talk about how I almost just died?” Dolores asked. “We should get going, anyway.”

Samantha nodded. “Of course. We should head down the street a bit. We’ll cut into the residential district for a block or two, and through there into the local restaurant circle. If we’re lucky, we should find Mr. Gouwel there.” She cast her eyes down the remainder of the street, now devoid of any life. “Hope someone called the cops,” she muttered before resuming the march forward, eyes scanning every possible hiding place for hostile life.

Some time later the squad reached the residential district, relatively empty at this time of night. Everyone was either out to dinner or inside the compact orange brick houses that dominated the area. A single man sat on the porch of one such house, smoking a cigarette. A car passed the end of the road, heading further into the massive grid of roads.

“Think we’ve got anyone hiding here?” Nick asked, keeping his eyes peeled for suspicious movement. He nearly tripped over a cat running from one side of the street to the other, causing it to hiss at him before moving on. “Who the hell keeps a fluffy animal in a desert town?” he asked no one in particular. “No wonder it’s pissed off, there’d be sand all in it’s hair.”

The distraction was enough, it seemed. A beam arced out from behind one of the houses, striking Tornada in the chest. Her shield shattered, warranting a follow-up shot, but, now aware of her enemy, she was simply too quick, dancing behind cover alongside the rest of the squad. “Well, that answers your first question,” she said darkly. A quick head count caused her to straighten in alarm. “Where’s Dolores?”

Samantha poked her Novagun around the corner, conducting a quick suppression. “Where do you think?” she yelled over the sound of rapid-fire plasma. She was mildly successful – the amount of incoming fire decreased by a surprising amount. In a seemingly suicidal move, one of the aggressors bolted from their cover towards a bench midway through the street. Plasma pelted at him the whole way, but, his ability to avoid fire denoting him as a scout, he made it with not even so much as a scratch.

But Dolores had been waiting for him. Using her cloak as soon as conflict had erupted, she’d waited near the middle of the street for an opportunity to present itself. And so it had. She decloaked next to the scout, and with a deadly smile on her face, pushed her HSPB forward and shot. The plasma was thrown straight through the scout, however, passing through as if she’d just shot a ghost. “What?!”

“Teleimagery!” Samantha snapped. “Tornada, cover!” The Replitan responded, poking her rifle out of cover to watch for the inevitable enemy attempting to take care of the now-exposed shadow operative. Sure enough, the enemy sniper rounded the corner, already aiming. He didn’t get the chance to fire – Tornada put an end to him before then, allowing Dolores ample time to get behind the bench she now found herself trapped at.

“What do I do now?” Dolores demanded, not bothering to raise her head about the bench. “My chameleon suit might save me from one guy, it’s not going to save me from several!”

“Hold tight,” Samantha instructed, her mind racing through several possibilities. “According to the Seekers, there’s four guys. They can incapacitate two of them, we need to kill the other two. I’d say their scout was the guy with teleimagery, so we’ll have the Seekers avoid him. Can’t have them going for the grapple then hugging empty air…”

“Hey,” Nick said, piping up. “You think wind velocity might affect the way plasma goes through the air?”

Samantha glared at him. “No,” she said.

“Oh.” He shrugged. “And here was me thinking we’d be able to re-enact Wanted.”

The squad leader rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the other end of the street. “Maybe we could do another wind-boosted grenade. If Dolores throws her flashbang, we could save the rest of her cloak for a bit, and give ourselves time to move up.”

“Sounds like a decent plan,” Dolores affirmed, bringing her flashbang out. “Ready when you are, Spyridon.”

The scout began discharging psionic energy, and the air behind them began blowing through the street. As soon as she felt the breeze, Dolores threw the grenade, with the extra momentum behind it pushing it forward, past the corner of the street. The Triad operatives didn’t look away fast enough – the flashbang flashed and banged, blinding and deafening them briefly. The XSDF squad wasted no time, using the distraction to dash up the street and accost their foes, though with her heavy gear Samantha was unable to make it close enough.

The first Seeker began strangling the enemy engineer, his shotgun clattering to the ground as he attempted to dislodge the machine. The second made for the support, only to grasp empty air as its tentacles went straight through. The grinning support decloaked a moment later, having now revealed himself as the real teleimagery user, and fired a burst of Gauss rounds into the Seeker, damaging it and forcing it to recloak and retreat or risk nonfunctionality.
 

Taxor_the_First

Well-Known Member
Operation Hidden Stranger, Part 3


The victory was, however, short-lived. As they turned their attention to the remaining Seeker, now proceeding to strangle the air out of its prey, the soldiers arrived, splitting their attention across the now flanked Triad operatives. The remaining three were dispatched quickly, unable to cope with the sudden onslaught.

Though mildly disappointed to see the enemy already taken care of when she caught up, Samantha reasoned it was probably better than not. “Well done guys,” she said. “We’ll reload, and move on.”

Halfway through that instruction, a voice echoed in their heads. No, it said simply. You will not be leaving here.

“The hell?” Spyridon said, searching for the source of the voice. His eyes settled on a pair of cats sitting in the middle of the street ahead of them, tails swishing back and forth expectantly. “Wait. Weren’t the Packmasters supposed to be here?”

The group slowly turned to face the innocuous-looking animals, which did not seem concerned by the extra attention. The one on the right tilted its head. We’ve been following you for some time now. Watching you. How you react in given situations. What your tactics are like.

The other bared its teeth. Suffice to say that we are…

The two beasts began twisting, their shapes changing from ‘innocent house pet’ to ‘roided-up predator’ in the space of a few seconds. When the transformation was complete, the two Incubators stared their targets down. NOT IMPRESSED! they said simultaneously, loping towards the soldiers.

Samantha took a step back. “Fall back a bit,” she commanded, “Put some rounds into them as we go. Delay their approach as long as possible-“ She was interrupted by a chorus of pulse beams screaming past her ears, narrowly missing the squad and causing the Incubators to weave around them. The Sectoids that had fired the beams chattered amongst themselves, berating each other for missing shots on targets that hadn’t actually been moving. The Incubators ignored the bickering of their masters as they approached, slowly and deliberately now that the humans (and Replitan) knew they were pincered.

Oritz cast a worried eye in his leader’s direction. “Steele?”

“Shut up,” Samantha snapped, eyes darting across the street. They could move left or right, further into the residential grid, but that wouldn’t solve any problems – their foes would still give chase, and with two Incubators to deal with it simply was not possible to outrun them. Holding in the middle of a crossroads was unacceptable since one way or the other they would be flanked. They’d have to push one side. They’d have more luck if they pushed the path of least resistance.

With a yell, she turned her back on the Incubators and began sprinting forward, her charge enough of an instruction to her squad. They began to move back down the street, attacking the entrenched Sectoid quartet. Naturally cowardly creatures, three were forced back into cover, while the fourth demonstrated the folly of bravery by staying out too long and being shot by Tornada for his trouble. With Nick’s ability to run far in a short space of time, the other three soon found their cover irrelevant. He blasted one after sprinting past the doorway they’d been hiding in, and the two Seekers, decloaking for the occasion, immediately grappled onto the other two and finished them with point-blank pistol shots, not wanting to waste time with two far more dangerous enemies still on the prowl.

Entrusting the assault and Seekers to take care of the behind, Samantha and the rest of the squad turned back, only to see the giant cats were almost upon them. Drawing the truncated shotgun she’d swapped out for her rocket launcher, the Huntress fired at the one leaping for her, only for it to twist away with perfect timing and land behind her, ready to slash at her back. Firing at it again only caused it to dodge again, although the extra fire from Oritz caused it to back off a little.

Quickly reloading the shotgun, Samantha considered what she knew about the creatures. They were intelligent when paired with their Sectoid handlers, blindly angry when not. Arrogant, with the ability to predict the very near future with almost perfect accuracy. The recommendation to soldiers fighting Incubators had been thus – stop planning, or plan far in advance. Prevent it from using precognition, and its arrogance and natural brutish stupidity will become devastating weaknesses.

The one closest to her roared, and charged her again, claws ready to disembowel. Oritz now dealing with his own Incubator, he could not assist. Again, the dance began – a jump, a shot, a twist midair to land perfectly ready to get her in the back. We need to be unpredictable, Samantha thought. They can read our minds, sense our movements. To catch them off-guard, we need to catch ourselves off-guard. So she did something unexpected. She did the expected.

Swivelling around with shotgun ready, she fired once, the beast expecting her to dodge away or even towards it. Not expecting the predictable attack, it failed to jump away in time, and the plasma splattered all over its torso. It howled in anger, displeased that such a tactic had actually worked. In such and injured state, however, it could not move away fast enough, and Samantha was able to draw her Novagun once again and end the Incubator’s life.

With it now eight against one, the remaining Incubator suddenly became a lot more cautious, not wanting to fall for the same trick as its partner. The six soldiers and two robots closed in, one occasionally taking a single shot to keep the creature suppressed. As they got closer, however, it lashed out. It knew what was coming, for such a grouping could only mean one thing when applied to a creature like it.

“Now,” Samantha commanded, and the soldiers all opened fire at once. Faced with an almost literal wall of plasma, the Incubator found itself unable to dodge everything, and a few shots clipped its limbs. Sluggish now, and attempting to read the minds of too many people, the creature could not adequately predict where death would come from, and thus failed to dodge Tornada’s finishing shot.

“I’ve never fought an Incubator before,” Nick said, wiping his brow. “But now I see why everyone hates them so much.”

Samantha nodded. “They’re a stressful enemy,” she said, before turning back to her squad. “Injuries?”

“Nothing too bad,” Oritz said. “One of the Sectoids popped Nick’s shields-“

“And probably his ego,” Dolores interjected.

“-and I’ve got a few cuts from a lucky swipe, but aside from that we’re good.”

“Good,” the Huntress said simply, gazing down the street. “This Gouwel guy better be worth the trouble,” she muttered.
 

Taxor_the_First

Well-Known Member
Operation Hidden Stranger, Part 4


A few streets away, the mood was jovial. Nobody could hear the sound of faraway gunshots over the music and chatter, and as such were enjoying their meals. On the executive platform, Peng Gouwel laughed at a joke his dinner partner had made, deliberately ignoring the three men standing protectively around him, with a fourth hiding somewhere amongst the crowd.

The Japanese woman he was eating with smiled at him. “I’m glad you brought me here,” she said. “I was not aware a restaurant serving both Japanese and Chinese dishes even existed, let alone that there was one here.”

Peng smiled winningly, consuming another piece of sushi. “Normally a restaurant like this wouldn’t fit specifications. Most places that claim to serve ‘traditional Chinese food’ – or Japanese, for that matter – do not, instead choosing to serve a few poorly made pretenders. Here, the cuisine is a little more authentic.” He gestured at the podium they were located on. “And thanks to my job, I get a few VIP benefits,” he added with a wink.

His dinner partner’s response was cut off by a commotion over on the stairway. Two humans and two Sectoids pushed past the guard, the backmost Sectoid pausing only to shoot the bouncer with a plasma truncated shotgun. The dinner chatter ceased immediately, the customers seeing the murder and beginning to panic.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” one of the humans said loudly. “I’d ask for your attention, but I already seem to have it. We are tonight’s entertainment. These-“ He indicated the quartet’s glowing green weapons. “- are our instruments. They will play you all quite the song, I can assure you.”

“We are searching for one man,” the other human said, clearly irritated by his partner’s beating around the bush. “Peng Gouwel, we know you’re here. Give yourself up and we won’t have to bring out Fluffles.” His eyes settled on the podium. “Go check that,” he instructed the Sectoids. They obeyed, scuttling forward and drawing the curtains back. They were disappointed to see an empty table, curiously still holding several unfinished dishes.

The first human sighed. “A pity. I was hoping this would be relatively clean. Fluffles!” A stomping emanated from below, and a hulking Incubator strode up the steps, a specially fitted suit of Titan armor covering its form. It examined the terrified diners, sniffing occasionally to pick up a scent. “I shouldn’t really have to say this,” the human said with a grin. “But I would not advise making any sudden movements, or attempting to call law enforcement. We have multiple ways of ‘entertaining’ you if you do.”

The Incubator froze for a moment, picking up a rather unusual scent. The Sectoid Commander, the one it was linked to, looked over at it curiously. “Something wrong?” the second human asked, eyes darting across the diners.

There is an unfamiliar scent,
the Sectoid conveyed. Possibly wafting in from outside.

The human frowned and turned around. Almost immediately he recoiled, falling back out of sight of the large outdoor area. “Shit, shit!” he hissed. “XSDF’s here.”

“What?” The first human gazed over the railing, seeing that indeed the heavily-armed soldiers had arrived, and were striding towards the restaurant entrance. Even more worryingly, an individual in a business was fleeing the restaurant and running towards them, as if his life was in danger.

“Motherfucker,” the first human said. “Well, at least we found him.” He pointed at the Incubator. “Fluffles, stay here. Keep our guests company until the boss arrives.”

The Sectoid Commander hesitated. What about me? it asked, concern present in it’s eyes.

The second human made a noise. “Stick with your pet,” he said, a note of contempt in his tone. With that, the two humans and other Sectoid vaulted over the side, landing back outside the restaurant entrance.

The three Packmasters took shots at the fleeing man, but were surprised when the plasma and pulse simply travelled straight through him. ‘Peng’ fizzled away into nothingness immediately afterwards, revealing himself as a mere illusion. “Clearly our VIP is more creative than we thought,” the first human said, a wry smile touching the edges of his mouth. “Come on, we’ve still got to find-“ Plasma thudded into the brickwork next to him, cutting his sentence short.

Those soldiers aren’t illusions! the normal Sectoid cried mentally. They’re real!

Samantha lowered her Novagun, though kept it spinning. “Never felt more real in my life,” she said. The soldiers behind her hefted their weapons menacingly as the Seeker pair floated passively above them, inbuilt pistols primed and ready.

“I see we aren’t the only ones with pets,” one of the human Packmasters said. “I’ll give you a choice, here. You can let us take mister Gouwel, or you can insist on taking him yourself and get yourselves killed trying to take him from us.”

“Killed by who, you?” Samantha laughed, though there was no humour in it. “We’ve got the advantage of gear and numbers. What makes you think you’d win any fight against us?”

“Even ignoring us,” the man said. “Our superior will be here soon. They won’t exactly be pleased if you’re laying claim to Gouwel.”

“Your superior can go fuck themselves,” the Huntress said coldly. “I’ve had a really shitty night, thanks to you assholes. I’m not about to let you make it worse for me.”

“Then I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you,” the human said with a grin. “We’re going back upstairs to look for Gouwel. He’s proven to be surprisingly elusive. If you follow us… well, I won’t be able to guarantee your safety.” He turned and walked back up the exterior steps, without checking to see his comrades were following. “It’s your choice,” he yelled back, raising his hand in a wave as they disappeared above.

“This has to be a trap,” Nick said. “You see the attitude on that guy? They’re hiding some trump card or other.”

“What’s the alternative?” Samantha asked. “Let them take Gouwel? No. We go in.”

Dolores nodded, adjusting her grip. “We’re with you.”

The Huntress nodded, checking her Novagun for ammo. Enough. “Then let’s go. I’m not waiting around out here for them to get Peng before us.”

The group stormed up the steps, determined now. Above, they found the enemy ready for them, having taken cover from the staircase as the only upper entrypoint. That was not by far the most prominent feature, however. The large Incubator fitted with armor took that title.

“Shit,” Samantha said, turning around. “Off, off, off, off!” Half of the squad bolted back down the steps, while the other half simply jumped off the sides. Their foes, now convinced that they were going to keep pushing until they got somewhere, decided to take the initiative and ran forward to take shots from above. Out of sight, the normal Sectoid cloaked itself and began scuttling around, searching for a lone target to assassinate. The other Sectoid commanded its pet forward while it remained there, and the Incubator snarled, saliva dripping from its mouth. It charged forward, jumping off the building and landing with powerful legs.

“Is that one wearing armor?!” Nick asked, the group still falling back.

“We’ll deal with it when it gets a little closer,” Samantha instructed, releasing a volley of plasma in the beast’s direction. It dodged easily, its precognition easily predicting the attack. The humans fired their own plasma rain, the combined effort of two rifles dispensing enough of the burning green substance to cause them all concern. After a short sprint, however, they made it to the central island, all other civilians having left long before. “We need those assholes with the rifles gone for starters.”

On her word the two Seekers decloaked, going to wrap their limbs around the pair. Without forewarning, they were powerless against a surprise attack like that and were caught. Instead of constricting their opponents, however, the Seekers merely held them in place, allowing Tornada to pick the talkative one off, silencing him for good. Before she could execute the other, however, their allied Sectoid decloaked and shot the Seeker still holding prey, forcing it to dislodge itself. When cloaking failed due to damage, it instead attempted to flee, barely dodging the retributory fire. The other Seeker, having damage of its own, also retreated, though it’s cloak still functioned.

“Well, I got one,” Tornada said, moving back behind cover.
 
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