|
Rillitan is stood with a couple of Olympus flunkies outside a small shuttle designed to cart tourists and the like between port and the gypsy ship itself. He's muttering about something, par for the course, and one of his subordinates hands him a PDA.
Another shuttle from the Olympus nestles itself in the Hub and people disembark. One such person is Raisa who stretches lazily and bounces down the ramp. She looks around and then wanders a little ways off, watching people.
"There they are." Rillitan grunts, "That effin' bat best have a reason for comin' in so late, Bob an' Sara, get the crew an' wash the shuttles down at t' facilities. Double check t' exhaust on shuttle one, too, 'cause I don't want t' lose anymore crew for a month or so. Looks bad."
Her wandering takes her in the direction of a certain Timonae and Raisa dips her head slightly in greeting. "Rillitan," she notes lazily. "What's dragged you off of the Olympus so late at night?"
Virvril has arrived.
"Buying some spare parts," Rillitan says, giving Raisa a nod, "After that effin' attack we've been guttin' engineering an' puttin' in a system with a different build. Got to come here to talk t' some Hekayti 'bout gettin' some custom gear modelled." He spins the PDA around so the display aims at the woman and the engineering schematics hover in the air, details listing to one side.
Varal has arrived.
Raisa squints at the PDA and then snorts. "Yeah, like that means anything to me," she says blandly. "I'm hit things for a living and if I'm real lucky, shoot them. Engineering is waaay over my head." She shrugs. "Need a hand with anything though? I'm sure the sooner you get back to the Olympus, the happier Tia would be." The pair stand near a grouping of shuttles from the Olympus.
Virvril meanwhile steps out of the tradeport hatchway, scaly hands tucked in his pockets as he makes his way towards the main parking area.
"Same t' me, sweet, I just wave these things at people 'till they get done." Rillitan frowns, giving the side of his jaw a scratch as he considers her offer, "Well, ground team've got t' shuttles in order. Hopefully that scab wi' wings won't run off in search for sugar like 'e so often tries to do. We can chill, how are you with people?"
Varal pokes his head out of one of the shuttles, looking a little bleary eyed. "How much longer we staying here?" he asks.
"Uh... I guess it depends on what exactly you needed me to do with these people," Raisa says cautiously. "Usually I'm pretty good with them. Did some work in public relations some years back. And it mostly went positively..." She smirks. "Whatcha need done?" Gaze flickers up to Varal and she holds back a snort. Barely.
Virvril continues his meandering through the bay, but in the process he begins to draw closer to the Olympus shuttles. The gathered group near them attracts his attention as he does.
"Jus' talk t' the crew, see if they want anything, market ain't but a walk away we could pick somethin' fresh up." Rillitan shrugs, "I don't force a pretence o' bein' anyones friend, makes bein' a boss a bit more up front." He glances back to Varal, "A while, 'course you're workin' so hard the time'll fly by."
Varal grunts, and more of his body begins to protrude from the shuttle. "I kind of hate this place. Damn unnatural," he states before fully exiting the craft. "I guess I could get a drink, if you can call it that, at the Last Order."
Raisa taps a finger against her chin and laughs. "I'll see what they say," she promises. "I was expecting you to throw me out to advertise the Olympus or something to the people on Comorro. Paint a wonderful new image of it." She stops short and eyes Varal. "You live on a giant ship that also has some form of intelligence," she notes. "And you think /Comorro/ is unnatural?"
Newt arrives from Tradeport - Comorro Station.
Akamatsu arrives from Tradeport - Comorro Station.
There's a shudder as something slams into the hull of Comorro Station. The Yaralu rolls starboard, and for a moment, artificial gravity breaks down. Starships rise in their berths, banging against their cradles. Crates float. People drift above the floor. But then the gravity generators kick back into play. The shifted crates topple, some of them falling onto nearby workers. Those people who were floating are dropped back to the floor.
Everto has arrived.
[Skill System] Everto tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 10.
[Skill System] Varal tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 13.
[Skill System] Raisa tests her Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 6.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 10.
[Skill System] Virvril tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 1.
[Skill System] Akamatsu tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 6.
Varal points to the 'ceiling' and twirls the finger around. "Unnatural. Man-made I can deal with." But don't tell him Hekayti aren't men. "But a giant space-fish? Weird and discomforting -" Whatever else he was going to say is interrupted as the gravity goes haywaire, sending the Mikin scrambling to grab at the shuttle in a wholly undignified manner to stabilize, though when the gravity returns he manages to land with cat-like grace.
There's a bit of a roar as Everto, with the other Olympians, is taken off guard by the gravity situation. "Oh for fuck's-" and then it kicks back on, "-SAKE!" He drops like a stone, and lands on a hapless random person. "Sorry," he grumbles as he rises, "Um... stay down?"
"Most days I would, but no, oh don't pay a mind to his wei-nuh?" Rillitan blurts before a shuddering sends him sideways into one of the transport shuttles he was stood next to. "Grraah!" he manages, feet flapping against the hull as all bearings are lost. "Of all the stupid f-." A family friendly wash of gravity pulls that sentence back down to the floor with a thump.
Volidana arrives from Tradeport - Comorro Station.
"You medieval people are so weird," Raisa muses, tossing back some of her hair. All hell breaks loose and it doesn't blend well with the Lunite. "Son of a /bitch/," she snarls as she's tossed off balance, floating in nothingness for a moment and then flopping rather ungracefully on the ground. "I should have stayed on the Olympus," she mutters as she starts to pick herself up.
Akamatsu is enjoying a usual wander through the docking hub when a thrust of the ship sends him flying backwards elbowing two men from his security detail in the face and then begins floating. While floating he is too startled to say much before falling back to the ground and landing in a kneeling position shaking his head to get his bearings back.
Newt's making his way out of the trading port when Comorro gets hit. He stumbles a couple of time, manages to stop before the grav field fails causing the ball of icecream on the cone he's holding to keep moving from the momentum of the stumble. He somehow stays attached to the floor as everything else, including his icecream begins to move off. Slightly paniced he goes after it, only to miss catching it at the last moment as it goes splat on the floor. Aw.
Virvril lets out a sharp hiss of surprise as Comorro is suddenly knocked off kilter, and then suddenly finds himself lifting off the floor. "What madnessss issss tihsssss?" he rasps, before gravity re-asserts itself and he is slammed to the floor, knocking the wind out of him momentarily.
Volidana is recovering from being jostled by the impact just as she reaches the Docking Hub entrance. She hasn't quite regained her footing when grav fails and there's no footing to speak of "vol's dark don't tell me its contagious she says as she thumps uncermoniously back to the floor.
"War fleet," Comorro announces, rolling to port and firing directional thrusters repeatedly to create a serpentine course. Through the docking bay entrance, one might note several sleek, massive starships in pursuit. Anyone familiar with vessels of the Clawed Fist Fleet will recognize the silhouettes. They may also notice small jagged-topped pods - boarding craft - zooming toward the Yaralu like torpedoes. "Drives damaged. Will take time and focus to repair before jumping. You must defend yourselves for now." Through the hull, most should be able to hear the thump-thump-thump as the boarding pods start landing and clamping into place.
Varal grunts, taking the moment he has to double check the magazines in his pistols and finding some cover near the shuttles. "Did I say I kind of hate this place? I really hate this place. Olympus security, keep the shuttles safe. Fall back is the tradeport," he says, looking to Rillitan for confirmation. "Let the crew in the station know to lay low, unless they're armed." He looks up. "Hopefully this damn space-cow can use it's sticky crap to help us."
"Is it wrong of me to be excited that we're being boarded?" Everto asks with a strangely bright grin. He sets about trying to haul any tumbled crates he thinks he can lift, to make for better cover for himself and the other Olympians.
[Skill System] Everto tests his Strength + Lifting at a modifier of 0. The result is 5.
"Think you'd be used to this kind of crap." Rillitan grunts, pulling himself onto his feet and staring out through the atmospheric shields as Comorro manoeuvres. His eyes narrow, "That ain't..." he looks across to his security chief with a flat expression, "You heard the man," he calls into his commlink, "Everyone non-combat in the shuttles, lock them from the inside." he calls out across the landing bay at a group of travellers caught away from their ship, "Get over here, get in our safety zone!" He moves to help Everto pull in cover.
"Nope, never a quiet day for Raisa," the Lunite growls to herself as she pushes herself completely to her feet and sprints to help push the non-fighting Olympians into the shuttles. "Move it," she says sternly. "Hey, uh, Varal, maybe now's a good time to let me have a weapon?" she calls sweetly. "I don't think I want to let anything get close enough to me that I have to punch it."
Akamatsu gets behind some cover as quickly as possible and draws his blades. He appears to be psyching himself up begining to get a wild-eyed look that nobody in this universe has ever seen on his face. He then sees Newt who isn't too far away and runs over to get him. Once there he says "Come on sir at the very least get to cover I'll help the others fight whoever these guys are off." He then rushes back to his cover kneeling just enough to be able to see over it
Newt looks up from the icecream as Comorro speaks, then outside. "Hooping hoop." He stares at it for a wee while until Aka comes and distracts him. "Yeah..." and he follows him back to his hidey hole, "Crap, those are Nall." Catching sight of the approaching boarding vessels, Virvril lets out a long sharp hiss as he climbs up a stack of cargo crates that are now mostly a jumble, finding a perch that gives him some height above the floor. There, he crouches, and waits. His eyes narrowed to mere slits, his claws ready, every muscle tensed as he awaits his prey...
Volidana watches as Aka gets newt to safety. If there are any more crates to be moved, she attempts to move a few telekinetically before finding cover herself "Master Mikin" she hollers to Varal "Master Mikin ever dealt with Nall before?"
[Skill System] Volidana tests her Psionics + Telekinetics at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
K-CHAK! K-CHUK! K-CHAK! Chunky bits of organic shrapnel rain from the cavernous ceiling as the intruders burrow ten shafts through the hull. Three Nall warriors in polished black armor drop from each shaft, creating a lethal semicircle around the docking hub, facing the stars and blocking escape to the tradeport. The thirty Nall are each armed with plasma pistols, as well as those familiar fangs and claws. The first thing they do is blast the recessed tangler cannon creches. The second: One of the Nall produces a welding torch and starts the process of fusing the hatch to the tradeport shut.
Varal grunts irritably at Raisa. "There should be a couple of pistols, maybe a shotgun if you're lucky, in the shuttle." He motions with his head. "Tiana loves those shotguns, for some reason." His eyes flick towards Volidana. "No," he responds, "I have not. Get your head down." As the Nall fall from the ceiling, he adds a rather emphatic, "Now!" Seeing his fall back being cut off, he reacts quickly. Slug pistol in either hand, he lays down a hail of semi-automatic fire at the welding torch wielding Nall warrior.
[Skill System] Varal tests his Ranged + Projectile Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 5.
[Skill System] Varal tests his Ranged + Projectile Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 2.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 9.
One of the Nall protecting the welder just casually steps into the path of the bullets fired by the Outverser. The bullets strike that Nall above the left eye, taking the scaly top of his head off. The armored body goes down, twitching. The third fires a plasma bolt back in Varal's direction.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
[Skill System] Varal tests his Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
"Oh, these guys are smart," Everto muses with a grin as he watches the Nall set to work. He whips out his own pistol and joins in on shooting at the welder Nall. "So since you guys know what the hell these guys are, anyone care to fill me in? Tactics, weak points...?"
[Skill System] Everto tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 5.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
Another Nall steps in front of the welder, who is now about a third of the way finished with his work on the hatch. The one that just shot Varal swivels to open fire on Everto.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 12.
[Skill System] Everto tests his Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 7.
[Skill System] Everto tests his Endurance + Ignore Pain at a modifier of 0. The result is 7.
"They're fast an' vicious!" Rillitan says between those who are gathered behind the cover they've drawn, keeping his head down and pulling back the safety bar on his rifle. It gives a hum which rises with a primed tone, as Varal starts to fire a clip at the group he has to shout over the shots, "Keep fire on 'em, if they get in close try to take out their tails - freaks 'em out. Bob, get those guns out here!" He leans out from the side of the cover to keep his profile low and separate from the other shooters so he can get a moment to read the scene before he fires a burst at the Nall firing their way.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 10.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 3.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 12.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 7.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 9.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 4.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 10.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 9.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 10.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 9.
The Nall is pretty wiry and fast, dropping and rolling to avoid most of the shots fired by Rillitan. He leaps to his feet at the end of the roll, flares his nostrils and hisses triumphantly at the Outverser...right before the final blast hammers into his chest and sends him sprawling backward on the ground in a steaming heap of melted metal and charred scaly flesh. However, this also has the effect of angering other nearby Nall and brings their attention to Rillitan. Three guns swivel toward him, firing.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 12.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 7.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 15.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
[Skill System] Rillitan tests his Endurance + Ignore Pain at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
Raisa happens to be one of the ones who has a weapon thrown in her direction. She ducks down behind the crates for a second to do a once over - loaded, safety off, in good working order. All check. Her head pops up and she fires in the direction of the Nall still welding away at the hatch.
[Skill System] Raisa tests her Ranged + Projectile Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 5.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Agility + Reaction at a modifier of 0. The result is 6.
The Nall working on the hatch shrugs off Raisa's shot as it plings off his armor while he reaches the halfway point in sealing the tradeport hatch. Three more Nall open fire on Raisa's position.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 10.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 6.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 6.
[Skill System] Raisa tests her Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
[Skill System] Raisa tests her Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 6.
[Skill System] Raisa tests her Agility + Dodging at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
Akamatsu quickly loads his hand cannon and hands it to Newt saying "Here if one gets too close and for some reason I can't help you shoot him." He then keeps behind his cover holding his sword in a manner in which he can see the reflection of the room and surveys the area waiting for one of the Nall to get close without realizing he is there. Or even realizing he is there he doesn't care which.
For the moment, it appears the Nall are uninterested in tightening their perimeter. Instead, their focus seems to be on protecting the welder while he works.
Newt keeps himself next to Aka, muttering under his breath. Once the gun is offered he stares at it briefly and takes it, "O-ok. They're nasty you know. Really really quick too."
Visible only to Newt, a blunt-faced Ungstiri with stubbly cheeks and crew-cut black hair kneels beside the boy and peers around the crates at the Nall. "Yeah, son, nasty as ever." Owein Panderyn places a hand on Newt's shoulder. "You lay low. Don't make the same mistakes I made. Some stands just ain't worth making."
Virvril meanwhile has been watching the Nalls, and sets his sights on the one closest to his perch. Tensing, he springs from the crate, claws bared, ready to slash the neck of his target with one quick swipe, and with luck, get hold of his weapon as well.
The trio of Nall closest to Virvril see the bizarre sight of - seemingly - one of their own leaping at them. Apparently, this won't do. They raise the barrels of their plasma pistols in unison, squeezing off shots at Virvril as he arcs through the air.
Virvril's attempt to get the upper hand backfires on him, and the three plasma bolts slam into him, charring his chest, abdomen, and right arm. The impact of the bolts cancels out his momentum from the leap and he drops to the floor in a smoking heap.
Volidana pokes her head out of her hiding place to regard the welding nall with a stern look. apparently she thinks a staring contest is in order
[Skill System] Volidana tests her Psionics + Telepathics at a modifier of 0. The result is 11.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Resolve + Resist Telepathy at a modifier of 0. The result is -2.
Varal takes a plasma shot to the arm, knocking him to the ground and filling the air with the smell of charred flesh. He slowly rises with a grimace, lowering but not holstering his pistols. "Not our fight if we can leave. We should take advantage," he says to Rillitan.
Rillitan scores a hit and immediately shuffles back behind cover, shots ringing past his head as he triumphantly goes slightly too far in the other direction. He's caught in the back of his right leg (the fleshy one) and he grunts angrily, "DAMN TINY CRATES." He pulls his leg in to get a look at it, drawing in breath as he glances at the plasma burn. "Lookin' always makes it worse, why do y' always look." He pulls a fist and calls into his commlink again, "Fauze, Bob? Burn the engines and vent some of the coolant. Give us a smoke screen, we're getting out of here - but not on /their terms/."
Everto roars as his hip is charred by plasma as well, dropping behind a crate to have a look. "Fuuuck," he grunts, "Bitches are going to PAY FOR MY FUCKING PANTS!" He heaves a few enraged breaths, having dropped from thrilled to pissed in an instant. He looks between Varal and Rillitan, and then over his cover at the Nall as his ponderings of doing stupid things becomes visible in his expression. "We running or gunning?"
Luck is with Raisa tonight and she manages to duck down before joining everyone else in the being shot party. As Comorro speaks and the Nall seem to agree to the terms, the gun in her hand lowers, but finger remains resting against the trigger, just in case. Her eyes flicker to Everto for a second, then down to Rillitan. "Don't even think about doing something stupid, Rill," she growls out. "We are getting the hell out of here." As if to prove her point, the Lunite reaches over to punch the Timonae in an attempt to knock him out and thus shut him up.
Akamatsu looks to Newt before standing up to face the foes. He keeps his swords firmly in hand but keeps the reasonably low. He adds "You guys are lucky you didn't pass the crate before she said something." He indicates the crate he and Newt were behind and adds "I'd decided to aim the sword for the knees and stab the knife in the groin." He grins an evil grin. [Skill System] Brody tests his Resolve skill at a modifier of 0. The result is 4.
Two of the Nall decide that they don't care for the cut of Akamatsu's jib, and open fire on him once he's in the clear and holding those weapons.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
[Skill System] Brody tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 9.
Akamatsu is caught off-guard by the sudden blasts and takes two shots one to the arm the other to the chest. Thankfully his armor is just enough to keep him living but in a world of hurt. He is on the ground and mutters to himself "That's what I get for lowering my blades." before he begins loosing consciousness.
Newt looks up, eyes wide, "Dad?" The he grins, "Dad!" and moves to give his dad a hug, ignoring all else.
Owein Panderyn isn't there. Instead, Newt finds himself hugging a very cantankerous-looking reptiloid with a plasma pistol. The Nall huffs, tail lashing back and forth, and then hisses at Newt: "Evacuate." Fangs clack together. "Or die with otherssss."
Volidana decides no one needs to ask her twice "can Daniel and I take advantage of Olympus' hospitality" she asks raisa "I'll talk to Tia first opportunity to make it more official."
Rillitan counters Raisa with a technique known by few; my face to your fist. He drops back to the floor with a thud, knocked back briefly. Of course, unlike the movies, he sputters to life a second or so later. "Oh MAZA WOMAN!" he groans, "You din't have t' throw an effin' punch!" he rolls onto his side, again speaking into his commlink, "Belay that order, we /are/ going on their terms. Wash crew, get out here an' help us get t' wounded in t' shuttle." He picks himself up, aiming a hand over to Virvril and his new floor-buddy Akamatsu, "Check f'r life, bring t' living. You too, mutineer." He speaks to punchy-mc-punch.
[Skill System] Everto tests his Resolve skill at a modifier of 0. The result is 4.
"... Well that was a bit unnecessary," Everto grumbles at Raisa as she socks his boss in the face, "So that's it then, we're just running like cowards?" He huffs, gritting his teath, "I once died taking 40 people with me, this is /nothing/!" He closes his eyes and clenches his fists, before taking a deeper, calmer breath and shaking his head. "No rush," he murmurs to no one in particular, before he holsters his pistol and helps haul the wounded.
"Dana, get your ass on one of our shuttles," Raisa replies, turning to look at the Vollistan. "Quickly." The Lunite does a quick survey of the Hub, gaze skipping over the rather large number of Nall and those down. "I'll help get people on the shuttles. Someone please pick up Rillitan and make sure he's on board." And she jogs off in the direction of Akamatsu.
Akamatsu manages to stay conscious a little longer to manage to yell something to Newt " Hey....Newt...Do me a favor...tell Garviel...that they snuck up on me would ya?" He smiles and coughs once or twice before finally slipping unconscious.
When reality hits it hits like a meteorite hit prehistoric Earth. Newt instantly springs back away from the Nall, glaring at him in horror, something akin to "Aargh!" being the only thing to come out from between his lips now. He doesn't quite notice Aka at this point, only when he trips over his near-corpse does it occur to him that there was someone else nearby. He falls, begins to get up, clues in somehow and tries to drag him away, failing almost completely. "C'mon, stupid."
Everto keeps helping move wounded and follows along. He has nothing better to do
Rillitan pulls himself to his feet, groaning as he puts pressure on his leg and moving out to help move the wounded himself. He grabs a body, strangely smaller than the others and still all wriggly. "C'mon, kid." he grunts, glancing at Akamatsu as Raisa helps Bob get him onto the ship, "I hope he wasn't a friend of yours." The Timonae picks Newt up, should there be any struggle, and takes his back to one of the transports.
Raisa grunts under Akamatsu's weight but with the assistance of Bob, the two manage to drag him off toward the shuttles. "Could the man weigh anymore?" she growls to her companion.
"I dunno, he could be wearing /samurai armor/." Bob moans, raising to Raisa's level of contempt.
Aka slowly and slightly budges as Newt drags at him. With his concentration being slowly on getting them out of here he yelps out as Rill grabs him and winds up letting go and falling back into him. As Rill picks him up he begins to shout oiut, "Wai-" but stops as Raisa and Bob begin to pick Aka up and instead lets Rill carry him with him, face smeared with tears.
With everyone on board, the twin shuttles that service the Olympus rise and depart from the docking bay.