Congratulations!
I should get a post up this week.
Search Posts
Kate frowns. "True, that is odd. Then again, I've been doing this for 3 or 4 years now, if I had a buck for everytime there's been an odd coincidence, I'd be able to buy this plane out of pocket change." She shrugs. "If you try to think about it too paranoid, you go a bit crazy." She speaks with such authority, that it seems to imply that she's tried it, and speaks from personal experience. "Did you know that paranoia is contagious? A little is healthy, too much is a disease. Hard to treat too." Again she seems to speak with a bit too much authority. "The locals will take care of the refugees. We've got microwaves and frozen Trader Joe's microwave dinners." She points forward in the plane, where a small kitchenette can just be seen. The back of the plane begins to close up. "Sit first, once we're in the air, you can eat. There's even a small shower if you want one. We've agreed to move our plane out of the local's airspace ASAP, they're a bit paranoid, and we all know how that goes." She turns to Blaze. "Absolutely, if you want to help out. We have a cyber security working group, if you want to join in on it. I'll have 1337 contact you and get you enrolled in it."
The lizardfolk rubs the side of it's jaw. "No, I did not give you my name, did I? What a ssstrange oversssight. I'm sssure it will be adressssed at sssome point in the future." The lizardfolk leads the group out through the back of the inn, and into alley ways that are always dark, given the location of the city. After winding through the back alleys for a good 10 minutes, and after the group is thoroughly lost, the lizardfolk turns and reaches into the bag it has hanging from it's shoulder. It takes small caps out, four of them. "Put on head, sssay 'Lissshhnar Assshanti Malthossss'." It holds the caps out to the party.
(Sorry everyone, daylight is coming, possibly next week)
No, although wife had surgery 3 weeks ago (outpatient, no danger). But I am still working 10 and 12 hour days, 5 to 7 days a week. :( I put in a 12 hour day today.
No, just more responsibility and longer hours.
Apologies everyone. I need to bring you up to date. So, as you all know, new job. Project is in a very bad spot since mid June. My project lead quit a few weeks ago, and I got to take over. The new guy, is now the project lead. (I'm the only non-contractor on the project, so I'm the lead). I'm working 50-60 hour weeks, and get pulled into 30 minute meetings that take 3-6 hours. Basically, I'm so overloaded that I can't think straight, and trying to post is almost impossible. Even for playing, much less as the GM. I am sorry to do this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to shut my games down for now. The only question I have is, do you want me to pull the plug or just wait and see if things clear up in a month or two?
Apologies everyone. I need to bring you up to date. So, as you all know, new job. Project is in a very bad spot since mid June. My project lead quit a few weeks ago, and I got to take over. The new guy, is now the project lead. (I'm the only non-contractor on the project, so I'm the lead). I'm working 50-60 hour weeks, and get pulled into 30 minute meetings that take 3-6 hours. Basically, I'm so overloaded that I can't think straight, and trying to post is almost impossible. Even for playing, much less as the GM. I am sorry to do this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to shut my games down for now. The only question I have is, do you want me to pull the plug or just wait and see if things clear up in a month or two?
Apologies everyone. I need to bring you up to date. So, as you all know, new job. Project is in a very bad spot since mid June. My project lead quit a few weeks ago, and I got to take over. The new guy, is now the project lead. (I'm the only non-contractor on the project, so I'm the lead). I'm working 50-60 hour weeks, and get pulled into 30 minute meetings that take 3-6 hours. Basically, I'm so overloaded that I can't think straight, and trying to post is almost impossible. Even for playing, much less as the GM. I am sorry to do this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to shut my games down for now. The only question I have is, do you want me to pull the plug or just wait and see if things clear up in a month or two?
Apologies everyone. I need to bring you up to date. So, as you all know, new job. Project is in a very bad spot since mid June. My project lead quit a few weeks ago, and I got to take over. The new guy, is now the project lead. (I'm the only non-contractor on the project, so I'm the lead). I'm working 50-60 hour weeks, and get pulled into 30 minute meetings that take 3-6 hours. Basically, I'm so overloaded that I can't think straight, and trying to post is almost impossible. Even for playing, much less as the GM. I am sorry to do this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to shut my games down for now. The only question I have is, do you want me to pull the plug or just wait and see if things clear up in a month or two?
GM has been putting in 70+ hours for the last 8 weeks (40+ at work, 25-30 per week doing home renovation). Last week I finally collapsed. Hopefully will be up again by the end of the week.
GM has been putting in 70+ hours for the last 8 weeks (40+ at work, 25-30 per week doing home renovation). Last week I finally collapsed. Hopefully will be up again by the end of the week.
GM has been putting in 70+ hours for the last 8 weeks (40+ at work, 25-30 per week doing home renovation). Last week I finally collapsed. Hopefully will be up again by the end of the week.
The lizardfolk looks at the 5 in the room, and huffs. "I can ssssee five, unlessss not all are going. Missss sssmall onesss before, hidingsss behind big onessss. The priccce isss two thoussssand gold for five. The priccce isss to get you there, not there and back. Charge for back isss sssame pricccee." The lizardfolk replies, then tilts it's head. "Maybe dwarvessssesss open borderssss by then, maybe you sssave money on return tripssss. Or maybe thingssss be worsssse, and pricccesses go up. Too much in turmoil now, sssoo pricccesses are high and ssserviccccesss are more... immediate in delivery." The lizardfolk's entire demeanor has changed.
How it works, per my understanding : You have 50 V 50W, and take 100 Subdual (NonLethal) damage. You are at 0V and 50W. You take 100 more subdual, you are at 0V and 49W.
You are at 50V and 50W, and take 100 Lethal. You are at 0V and 0W. You die. Basically, the unearthed arcana version says you can't subdue anyone ever, because everything is 'lethal' since it always takes off wound points. The pathfinder version says you can subdue people, but if you're not careful, you can still kill them. The example of this would be the classic sleeper hold on a guard. Under Unearthed Arcana rules, you can't do this, you just kill them. Under PF rules, you can choke them unconscious, but if you hold on too long, or if they're already wounded from an earlier fight, you can accidentally kill them. I find the PF rules much more realistic, in that they allow you to knock people out without killing them, but if you're too energetic in that, they can die.
The lizard eyes Flann, but finally rumbly speaks. "Many ssspeccciess do. Dragonsss, Ssserpeantfolk, and thosssse with their blood in their veinsss, asss the mossst common." The lizardfolk coughs. "The prissse doublesss for thossse who poke about in othersss headsss." It eyes Connor, the apparent leader of the group. "We have ssecretsss we mussst guard, for other clientsss."
As Flann reaches out with his mind to scan the Lizardfolk, it's entire demeanor changes. Rather than looking slightly confused, it stands up straighter, even seems to gain bulk and muscle as it's posture changes. The creature's yellow eyes focus on Flann. "Keep itsss thoughtss to itsself it will, or losssse it'ssss head it will." Flann: The lizard is telepathic, and felt Flann's psionic attempts, and is probably hearing the group speak telepathically.
Sorry to hear that. I always feel like that's my fault for not getting you into it. My low posting rate probably hasn't helped. Thanks for playing, and sorry it wasn't more enjoyable. :(
Jaye nods. "Safer that way, this thing can really jump around if it hits a wind sheer or an air pocket." The plane taxis out and takes off, and shortly after it does, both bots are glad they're in their four wheeled/legged form, as the plane does drop 50 feet when it hits an air pocket, only the straps holding both down keep them from flying around the interior of the giant plane. Other than that though, the flight is relatively quiet for the next 7 hours. Quiet other than Roadblock's radio which plays one earth tune after another in a truly frenetic pace, interspersed with his views on the proper way to cook jambalaya, crawfish pie, and filet gumbo. Apparently the most advanced dishes that humans eat. Jaye has on a pair of earphones the whole trip, as she does paperwork on her tablet. Her toes seem to twitch in rythems that don't match the music from Roadblock's radio, perhaps indicating she has alternate music selections on her tablet to listen to. The plane arrives in San Francisco, and parks in another monster plane hanger. Redshift's new look is parked in the corner, for him to scan. All three humans, along with 2 or 3 others who appear to also be Joe's look on in interest as the group deplanes. "Is this something you need privacy for? Or can we watch?" Jaye asks, nodding toward the pricey looking new car. "And you aren't going to damage it are you? It's a rental."
Kate looks pensive. "Not exactly, but we're no longer completely internalized, like we were before. Nowdays, we have to keep the government at least nominally involved. Your group, on paper, would not fool anyone who'd fought you before. That is, anyone you encountered before would look at our paperwork on your team and probably peg who you are, despite the costume changes. The fact Blaze can do other elements is a bonus, it helps us hide him better. We'll want to run some tests on both Blaze and Pulse though. Nobody has had any reactions from the warp tunnel before." She waves at one of the kids. "Get us airborne, ok? Rescue can heal in flight. I want to get Trinary involved in this, she's our expert in metapowers. Pulse, as much as I hate to ask it, can you deal with out healing for a day? I'd like Trinary to examine you while you're still showing the effects of whatever happened?"
Connor:
The lizard stares woodenly at Connor for a moment, as if it did not quite understand him, and then blinks slowly. "Isss that no?" It asks, it's voice dead even. Sense Motive, DC 20: It's hard to read the lizard, but you're beginning to think it's not that bright, perhaps only a messenger/cut-out?
Kate raises an eyebrow. "What did Pulse do? But swallowing you and taking off sounds suspiciously like 'capture and retrieve'. As to knowing where you were, they didn't, they sort of set a trap yes? That means if it was set up for you, Top Hat has a line into our network... somehow. After all, we'd just activated your team when this mission came up, so it was pretty natural we'd put you on it, since you were the only team free at the moment."
Flann is unable to sense anything from the lizardfolk.
"Kill the pirates, don't get shot, don't blow yourself up, and we have fine doctors for anything in between."
"I ssseee. Well, there isss the issssue of payment for ssssuch a tour." The lizard makes an obvious show of counting the people in the room. "For three of you.. the charge will be... sssix hundred gold."
Connor: Sanita responds and is mildly annoyed at the delay, but then adds 30 or 40 things you'll need to investigate with the dwarfs once you can actually speak with them. Braden responds that the crew is restless, but enjoying semi-permanent shore leave. He's slowly winnowing through the gold reserves giving them their half pay. Your factors report that the foundation is underway, but they'll need more money to continue the project in the near future, and inquire as to when you'll be returning or arranging a funds transfer.
Poole takes out a cigar after popping his pill, eschewing the offer of water to wash it down. "You ever see what happens when you slip methotalmathorazine and benzocalifansitate into someone's food?" He asks, lighting his cigar with a big fat grin. Taking a puff, he blows the smoke into Warren's face. "I have..." Skip makes a whining sound. "I've seen it, and smelled it.. multiple times..." Medical, DC 6: That particular combination would result in projectile vomiting and projectile rectal discharge, off and on, for a period of time depending on the amount of the two drugs, the food they were in, and the ratio of the two.
I am going to be at a con until Monday and will likely be unable to post. Please bot me as necessary or, if you are in my game, be patient and I will pick up on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Hopefully you can post yourself before you go. :) SOrry for the delay.
Jenni follows Poole and Bloodtalon's engineers down to the engine room, and Poole begins configuring the hyperdrive capacitors and coils. What he does violates every single safety reg that Jenni has ever learned about her engines, but once he's done, it begins to make sense to her. Basically he's setting up multiple failure overloads that make a lot of noise and release a LOT of energy, but that basically cancel each other out. It's obviously going to be hard on the components, especially for a civilian ship like this one. But it would be safer on a military rated engine system, which is usually hardened. However, it should be safe enough if you understand Poole correctly. That is, assuming he's balanced the competing overloads correctly so they cancel each other out and flush the excess energy out through the dampening coils. The maneuver will likely take a decade of use off the coils, and almost as much off the hyperdrive and capacitors, but the ship should be able to jump to hyperdrive after a few hours of maintenance after the fireworks show. Meanwhile, the marines that Bloodtalon brought along, along with Skip (and any crew rated for demolitions who wants to go along) rig explosives on the hull of the ship, near the venting coils. This will weld the airlock doors so that the ship can't be boarded in space without some hefty yard work, ensuring that the pirates don't try to board the ship before they get it to their base. The marines not working on the demo charges ready their boarding armor and weapons in the hold. Bloodtalon informs the ship's crew that they can wait on the ship during the boarding action at the pirate base, or they can form a raiding party, as they prefer. If they choose to assist in helping raid the base, things might go faster/safer, but they also could get injured. There is a bounty if they help out, and a larger one if they find the Prince first. Poole & Skip take the Knight up on her offer, and outfit themselves with some old but very lethal looking boarding armor and some newer and much more deadly looking weapons. They decline to work with anyone else, claiming that they work much much better as a team of two, as they're linked at the hind brain. While first thinking this is a joke, they find out that the two are literally linked at the hind brain, with cybernetics that allow them to communicate over anything under a light second with each other via a quantum entanglement comm rig. Bloodtalon is quick to glare at them, and inform the crew that the device does not exist, and if it does exist, it's an official State Secret, and talking about it would ensure Bad Things happened to someone. By the time all the prep is done, there's only a few days wait in hyperspace. At the appointed time, the ship exits hyperspace, in a very non-optimal location for the system it's jumping into, and at a very non-standard trajectory. Just before exit, the sensors are turned off by actually having an engineer disengage the main leads, to ensure they aren't damaged. The explosion and light show are spectacular to say the least, for a minute, the Red Dawn becomes a supernova within the star system. Rad counters on the ship jump up sharply and then die down again, as everyone on the ship gains a dozen rads from the backblow from the explosion. Nothing immediately dangerous, but enough to be advised to take some anti-rad pills within the next week or two. Bloodtalon is sitting in the captain's chair, with her hair died a different color, her eyes altered by nannites, and her facial features also altered. Makeup and fake 'wounds' are scattered around on her face and scalp, and her clothes have strategic tears and blood stains on them. She keeps an eye on the clock on the wall, and 8 minutes and 47 seconds after emergence, she nods. "Cut the lights, engage emergency lighting." The ship's lights go down, and lurid yellow emergency lighting comes on, making her face look more haggard. "Cue the corpses..." Two of her people who are made up with horrible burn wounds drape themselves over consoles in the background which have had paint put on them to make it look like they shorted out, along with some panels and controls taken out and replaced with burned out and shattered replicas. "Cue smoke..." Several boxes on the floor begin to churn out acrid smoke, making everyone's eyes water, and their faces scrunch up. "Cue the communications override software." Software added to the comm system comes on line to randomly add glitches to the transmission.
"Mayday, mayday! SOS! This is Acting Captain Jenni Everson of the independent freighter Red Dawn! I repeat, mayday! We've had a total failure in the hyperdrive!" She looks terrified, and coughs, with flecks of blood spray from her mouth. "Our bridge crew, including Captain Vorn are dead! We need assistance! Can anyone hear us? Computer, put this on loop and keep playing." She orders, and the ship's computer slurs an acknowledgement. As soon as it does, the Knight sits up straight, and nods. "Cut the smoke, corpses get back to work, Demo, blow the charges on the airlocks, I don't want them offering to come on board to help with the medical situations. Passive sensors only until my order. Lights off, emergency only until I give the order. Thank you everyone, Doctor, if you'd pass out some anti-rads please? I think Mr. Poole may have surpassed himself with that particular nova blast."
Roadblock nods. "That would be great, anything to put those Cobras in their place." Jaye nods. "Help would be appreciated, I'll see if we can free up a new-built plane to bring up here, so Skitter can take it apart and see what he can improve on. Just remember, you two are still highly classified, so we can't have you wandering around the plant. But having you two in the parking lot in case things go sideways would be appreciated." Once the elevator reaches the hanger, Jaye waves the two autobots onto a massive C-5 Galaxy. Wild Bill bangs the side of the plane as they walk up the ramp. "Glad neither of you boys are big enough to turn into Bode here. We'd have a right heck of a mess on our hands." Once everyone is aboard the plane, Wild Bill climbs up a ladder on the forward cargo wall to reach the cockpit, while Roadblock and Jaye strap themselves into seats along the side of the cargo area. There are several vehicles, including a large black cargo van. "You two should probably travel in vehicle or animal mode, less chance you'll lose your balance and punch a hole in the side of the plane." Jaye suggests.
The trade area is a ghost town, with nothing but boarded up windows on formerly open shops. Only the two inns and the tram station are open. For the next few days, the group hangs out at the two inns, waiting to see if anything changes. Nothing does. Finally, on the fifth day, about midnight, there's a knock on the suite door that the group got at the Spider's Nest. When the door is opened, the group finds a black skinned lizardfolk with a colorful green fringe standing there, wearing a loincloth and a bastard sword on it's back. It has several scars on it's muzzle. Two unblinking eyes stare at whoever opens the door, and a tongue flicks out and tastes the air. "I hear yousss wantsss to ssseee the depthhhsss?"
Once the group is through the portal, and back in the capital, on the Military base, Kate pulls Pulse, Aegis, Violet, Blaze , Mud off to the side, and into a large Antonov An-124 Ruslan aircraft. The interior of which is full of electronics, along with a half-dozen mid to late teens with headsets on. "Sorry Aegis, I didn't want to answer your questions about the other Metas until I was sure I could secure the area. And I wasn't sure that area was secure. This is mobile HQ 4, Anton. That's Sliver, Rescue, Flicker, Synch, and Toby." The last kid, the one with bright red hair, grins. "No meta genes here, just plain old human, so no need for a fancy name." He says, his voice pitched loudly, probably due to the earphones he's wearing. Kate turns back. "We're still wanting to find the Metas, but I don't think they're here anymore, or if they are, they aren't alive. The local government is loading up a full assault flight, choppers and bombers, they're going to use HARMS to take the snakes out, anti-radar missiles. So no need for you guys to be in HARMS way." Several of the kids groan at the pun. "We're guessing it's Tophat, with the snakes. Nobody else we've come across can alter humans into metas or alter other metas and normal animals into metas. Until we have proof otherwise, the assumption is he's doing more experiments." She looks pensive. "What also makes me nervous is he was pretty silent for the last 5 years, but now as soon as you lot show back up, he goes very active with snakes that look all but designed to take you out specifically..." Rescue, a girl in her mid teens, wearing a red outfit with a white cross on it, holds her hands out on either side of Violet's body, and the hands begin to glow a bloody red color. Violet's skin begins to crawl as it begins to slowly heal over at an accelerated rate. "Sorry about the whole 'buried in centipedes' feel, side affect of stimulating the nerves." She says, looking sheepish.
Long hours this week, I'll post something tomorrow or Saturday, sorry (started at 5AM and ended about 20 minutes ago at 9:30).
Once the villagers are calmed down, they begin to line up again, looking apprehensive, but calmer. The former drug mules look a bit reluctant to go through the portal, but finally agree to drop their guns and step through after thinking about it for 10 minutes. Eventually the entire village is evacuated, after nearly three hours. When the last of them, the soldiers, go through, Kate wipes her forehead, and then closes the helmet back up. "Oh, thank god, cooling systems are the bomb. Ok, so, you lot ready to go through too?"
Skipander nods. "Exactly. Sublight engines are working, we just start screaming about how we've had a hyperdrive failure, and how we need assistance. Most pirates love having a fat juicy prey come to them and offer all sorts of assistance. Can't do it too often, plays hell with the hyperdrive, but it's very effective. Given this ship has a 5 sector drive, the results should be... spectacular."
"Doesn't use radio waves sweetie. Unless your snakes can hear muon particles decaying, we should be ok. It's basically an Einstein-Rosenberg bridge with a temporal limiter on it, so we don't accidentally send everyone into 2055 or something. One way trip those, so yeah, we try to avoid them." As the first wounded person is helped up onto the platform, they and the two people carrying the boy with the bad acid burns seem to stretch like taffee and then vanish down the tube. The locals cry out, and the boy's mother begins to yell. "Uh, Violet, can you calm them down? This is normal... and they just arrived safely, the boy's getting medical attention now. They're in the capital city, on the military base. Really good doctors... Damnit, I knew 37 should have come, I can't keep all the skills in my head to keep this thing working AND speak Spanish!"
Bloodtalon grins, and shows off some very white teeth in a predatory smile that would do a shark some good. "Well, Mr. Moyas, that's actually not a bad plan. Except I have no intention of paying the pirates anything. I fully plan on them being dead when we leave. If I offer to buy the ship, they'll still be suspicious. I want them overconfident and lazy when we hit them. So, instead, we are going to do something highly illegal, and extremely dangerous, to your hyperdrive coils and drive capacitors, which will be extremely effective in assuring our piratical prey that we are as meek as kittens and defenseless as baby chicks." Skipander suddenly starts huffing in amusement. "She's going to do a Nova Burst." Poole nods. "That might work." He eyes Jenni. "You're an engineer, c'mon girl, I'll show you how to do something to your hyper drive that is absolutely guaranteed to break the warranty. But it can be very effective in certain situations." Bloodtalon raises a hand. "I have engineers Poole." Poole nods. "And how many of them have actually done this? With a real ship, and not in a simulation?" He looks at Bloodtalon's engineers, who all obviously from their faces haven't. "That's what I thought, I've done it 7 times. Hell, I'm the one who came up with it. C'mon boys and girls, and let Uncle Poole teach you how to do things to your hyperdrive your chief engineers will kill you for if you actually do them."
Poole snorts. "Sure, and how do we do that, Moynehan? His cover identity doesn't have the resources to track him down out here. And they didn't contact anyone for a ransom now did they? So we pop out of hyper space and say we're here to pay his ransom? You think they won't figure out right fast that they got someone hotter than they want? What would your reaction be if you had some nobody you captured, and some really expensive brand new ship popped out of hyperspace at your doorstep and offered to ransom him back? Be a might suspicious wouldn't you?"
Bloodtalon raises an eyebrow. "As I said, I've since gotten information that he was captured by pirates." As if that made all the sense in the world. Poole nods, apparently understanding the logic. "Yeah, the boy's dead for sure if we don't get him back right fast. He's travelling on an alias, so they won't know he's Royal, and if they think he's not worth ransoming, they'll space him. If they find out he's a royal, they'll space into a sun and break up and high tail it in 20 different directions. No pirate group in their right mind wants to try to ransom a member of the Royal family, it's guaranteed they'll have a price on their head for the rest of their lives. Their only chance is to kill him, erase all traces they ever had him, and light out for the far end of Vargr space." The old Vargr nods. "Not that it will help them, the Royal family has very good relations with bounty hunters throughout space, and anyone they want especially dead will be. But a next to zero chance is better than a zero chance. This ship is heavily armed and armored, it should be able to take on several pirates without being destroyed." He nods at the Knight. "I assume you have information on their base?" She nods. "Reliable information too, this contact has never given me wrong information. Sometimes untimely, but never wrong."
"If we do, we will execute them immediately." Bloodtalon responds to Elrick's comment. Warren: The Alkinor was a massive Imperial Monitor, built in the early 800's during the third Solimani war. It was supposed to be an automated warship, the first of it's kind, with a dedicated AI and AI controlled robot repair crew. Before it could perform it's final shakedown cruise, it went rogue, blasted it's way out of dock, and vanished into the darkness of space. There have been 'sightings' of it for the last 300 years, but no confirmations of it. At the time it was state of the art, today it would be a very dangerous, but ultimately obsolete, ship of the wall. Many people pursuing it have vanished, adding to the mystery. The most notable being the current Emperor's brother, about 10 years ago.
When nobody leaves, she nods. "Very well. The following information is an official State Secret. Anyone repeating it at any point will find out where all the unnofficial and illegal prisons are, and what the sewer under them smells like." She glares at everyone. "Prince Alsatius Marivold Kolvalus Alkhalikoi, heir apparent to the Throne of the Empire, has managed to get lost somewhere in this sector of space. Worse, he appears to have gotten captured by pirates while lost. Fortunately, the pirates do not seem to know whom they have captured, as he was travelling under a pseudonym, per standard protocols. Unfortunately, all my Naval ships were pulled off to go search for him when I got the word about where he was, leaving me no choice but to commandeer this ship." She gives everyone in the room an equal glare. "Needless to say, we are going out to get him back. A source that I trust ensures me he's currently safe, an being held by a Vargr raiding clan. Unfortunately, they are not likely to keep him safe if they figure out who he is, as they'll likely kill him and then scatter to avoid Emperial wrath. Therefore, time is of utmost importance. Due to the severity of the event, I backstopped some experimental missiles that were on their way to a research station, and then had the launchers mounted instead." She turns her steely gaze on the Dawn's owners and crew. "Needless to say, if any of you did somehow manage to figure out where the research station is, I would need to have you mind wiped to ensure you never revealed it. I strongly suggest you don't try to recalculate our navigation parameters." Skip gives a long low whine. "That's a serious fubar, how'd the royal brat get lost?" Poole comes back in, carrying a pack, and wearing one as well, along with some armor that looks old but serviceable. "Little idiot was chasing the Alkinor again no doubt." When the Knight glares at him, the old man shrugs. "What? It's no secret the boy idolized his uncle, and his uncle vanished chasing that damn space myth. Only stands to reason the idiot would go and do the same thing."
During your lost time. Part of why Warren remembered it was the reminder of how war with the Zoldane keeps happening. Nothing changes.
Warren: Commodore Skipander Vace was an Imperial Commodore in the Intelligence branch of the Imperial Scout Service. During the last war with the Zoldane (a little over 40 years ago), he was known for performing a dozen different behind the lines missions, assassinations, sabotage, destruction of enemy supply lines, stirring up rebellions on planets, the exact list of what he did was not exactly published by the Empire. He had a companion, a human enlisted officer, who was his primary asset on missions. Full details are classified, but enough details slipped out after the war to cause a series of holodramas about 25 years ago based loosely on the exploits of the two. In the holodramas, the partner was a busty female human.
"Ok, so let's head to the C160 then. I'll arrange one of these Rimac C-2's to be loaned out and we'll stop in LA long enough for you to scan it, then we can get dropped off." The bots and humans walk out to a cargo elevator, and begin to ride up to the base proper. "So, we've had some odd activity in Nevada, near our assembly plant where we get our XP-21F's built by Lockhead. Unlike the main US forces, we don't build to committee, so our planes get locked in ahead of time, and don't change until the next gen. Means we can get ours from drawing board to airframe much faster. We've also begun using lasers we've back-built based on what we've learned from cybertronian bodies we've found. Unfortunately, we've had leaks, and Cobra's gotten some of our tech as well. We're concerned that Cobra may be either getting ready to steal or sabotage our factory." Wild Bill nods. "Hope you boys like the desert. Lots of dust and scrub brush." He laughs. "Be the first time actual aliens are near Edwards. The alien loonies would go nuts." Roadblock laughs. "Yeah, everyone knows we keep the aliens up here in the Alleution Islands."
Moyas is unable to specifically identify where the ship is. He can narrow it down, but no more than he could have by the knowledge that it was within 5 jumps of where he started. There's a LOT of empty space for a brown dwarf to exist in. The gun emplacements are oversized missile launchers. Each is half again as big as a normal missile launcher, and thus takes up two 'slots' in the triple turrets. Exactly 21 hours and 12 minutes after docking, the ship releases from docking clamps, and begins vectoring into space again. Upon entering hyper, Bloodtalon calls everyone to a meeting in the commons area, leaving only the pilot on duty on the bridge, with an open comm. "For those of you who own or are part of this ship's normal crew, I will remind you that violation of your NDA is an automatic 20 years. On top of that, this is everyone's last chance to go sit in a cabin for the remainder of this operation. From this point forward, revealing anything that happens between now and when we return to port will be considered treason, and you will be executed for doing so. If you do not think you can keep your mouth shut, I urge you to go to the main suite, and stay there for the next few weeks." As the two elderly men start to stand up, Bloodtalon waves her hand. "You two I want where I can keep an eye on you the whole time. So you two do not get a choice. I'm reactivating your commissions. Sit down, Commodore Skipander Vace. You too, Master Chief Petty Office Shandererion Napoole." There's a bit of wide eyes amongst the Marines as the two ranks and names are revealed. Skip and Poole wince at their ranks and full names being used, and sit back down. "I'm too old for this scrap." Poole says, giving Skip a glare. "You promised I was out." The elderly Varger shrugs. "Must be important if the girl is activating us." The Varger then grins showing off shiny white teeth. "Maybe we'll get to stir up some trouble?" Poole grimaces, and then grins. "Guess I better break the luggage open..." He gets up and heads over to the secure lock chamber, does something to the control panel, and bypasses the security and vanishes in. "I'm Listening girl, go ahead..." He calls back from within the weapons locker, noises accompanying him opening things.
Just over 24 hours later, Vi's link to Kate wakes up. Incoming, Purple Eyes." A few seconds later, there's the sound of a high pitched whine, and then a red, white and blue high tech suit comes buzzing in from above, landing hard just outside the wire mesh around the village, leaving a deep 'WHUMP' resounding in the air. On the left breast, the letters K.A.T.E are emblazoned. The suit is almost 7 feet tall, and moves with alacrity and fast movements that are oddly jerky and yet also oddly fluid at the same time. Kate's voice comes from the speaker in the front. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to fly this thing without radar or radio engaged?" She moves the mesh aside to step inside. On her back is a massive cargo pod, about the size of a coffin. "105 on site, preparing to deploy the RTD." Stomping to the center of the village, she turns around, and the metal pod on her back detaches, and begins to unfold, forming a round platform about 4 feet in diameter, and then forming a ring structure that's an oval about 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide, in the center. It looks similar to the teleport tube in the basement of the St. Louis base. "Ok, get the wounded up here, wounded priority, then children, then adults. It takes 10 minutes to charge this thing each time it's used, so prioritize those who need the most medical attention." The device begins to humm and buzz as it powers up. "ETD, 1 minute, 12 seconds."
The dwarf unlimbers her weapon. "What part of Git did you not understand, feather brain?" She growls, and her partner also begins to unlimber his weapon. ---------- After spending a day watching, Vim is unable to find any dwarves coming or going, other than the guards. And they only enter when the new guards come on duty. They don't even seem to take meal or bathroom breaks, perhaps wearing rings of sustenance to avoid such matters.
"Ooo, it's a pun off..." "...better Kate than never!" "...Kate minds think alike!" "I love that one!" "Me too!" "Me Three!" "Me 103!" "She shouldn't have started a pun contest, now she's behind the Kate ball..." "What do you call a Limey Kate? Kate Britain!" "Not so loud you guys, you're distracting me while I drive over the Golden Kate Bridge." "Hey, I'm diving off the Kate Barrier Reef!" "I'm water sking in the Kate Lakes!" "I'm sure she has Kate Expectations for our skill at sending rescue..." "Yep, we'll ensure she has the Kate Escape!" "We'll ensure she doesn't see Heaven's Kate!" "Why are Kate's like a computer? Because we have Field-Programmable Kate Arrays!" "I dunno, that requires too much computer engineering knowledge 72." "Yeah, she'd have to understand XOR Kates and NOR Kates OR Kates and AND Kates to get that one 72." "53, you're not helping." "We should be a production studio and call it Lions Kate Entertainment!" "They could produce a movie called 'Kate is Enough'!" "We could get Jester to do the special effects, she's always up for a good pun off." "You forgot about NAND Kates 53!" "And there goes 72 again..." "Ooh! And XNOR Kates?" "NeKated AND Kate!" "What do you call the entrance to Hades?" "The Kate to Hell?" "The best RPG game ever? On a computer?" "Baldurs Kate!" "Are you beginning to Kate this yet, Violet?" "Ok everyone, that's enough." A stronger voice echoes through the cacophony. There's a round of 'awws' and 'boos' but the network goes quieter. "OK, Kate Prime here. Should be less than a few hours to rescue."
|