The Cantolia incident: (ACT 1 - The Enemy Of My Enemy)

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

Wen'Li gave a small smile at the clumsy bow, clearly done to ease her. Zara bless small mercies. If he was planning to take her head for a prize, there are less awkward ways to do it. She returned his bow with a curtsey. Alien or no, he deserved respect for at least trying.

"Master Val, I am pleased to meet you. I am Sister Mei, also of the Na'Daaash Dominion. I am simply taking my duties out of charter and I thought there is no better need of my skills than whatever this may be." She replied smoothly. Dissembly with alien species was key for her job. They needed to know the human who was healing them wasn't unsure or unconfident.

"I am glad someone has goals beyond mere money ," she avoided looking at Hec, "I should like to hear more of your generous act of helping the innocent some time in the future. It is uncommon to hear of such generosity among us Na'Daaashians." Her voice was smooth, but she hoped her points would be taken by Hec.

"Please don't mind Master Apollo his remarks. He was polite at first and simply became overwhelmed by the situation, I can assure you that I have dealt with many fragile people in my time and they grow stronger over time. There may yet be a time when it is his gun by your shoulder when all else is dark, and you're glad for it." She curtsied again. Well, I'm not lying. And we can't be having a divide in the group immediately along the human and the alien.

"I see you are also blessed of great foresight. Being able to see that NEA and Na'Daaash, alien or human... or demon", she tried disarming humour, "can get along without bloodshed is paramount, lest we disturb and awaken Chaos. I hope your feet remain fast... What is that old Terran joke? I hope, as your healer, I do not see you over often." With that flat joke, she had officially run out of things to say to it.

The Read had now announced that the group should "be friend", and Wen'Li gave an encouraging nod. A simple thought from a simple mind, but not a wrong one. Some of these aliens seemed to understand peace, and there are worst fates in the void.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

"Smell of monkey, but no monkey. Did you eat it? Or not bring? Not here?"

Taak swiftly checked the time before opening his pack. "Actually, I did not eat Siibii, as tasty of a morsel as he may be. And he is present, though he has been sleeping. In hibernation. Seems it's about the proper time for him to wake up."

Taak reached into his pack and withdrew a sealed vacuum bag with a syringe protruding from it. Within the bag was a seemingly lifeless creature. It was small and resembled a cross between a frog and a monkey. The Niilan pulled a tab on the corner of the bag and separated the plastic. The creature, now exposed to the elements, remained still. Then it stirred. There was a bubbly gasp for air as the small monkey yawned. It stretched and blinked its eyes, looking around to take in its surroundings.

"Good morning, Siibii, so glad you could join us," Taak said sincerely, storing the hibernation back into his pack removing a sealed container of berries. Upon seeing his meal, Siibii made grabbing motions and practically danced around the bag. "Come now, Siibii, show some manners." The monkey then sat down on the table with his legs crossed and waited patiently. Without delay, Taak opened the pouch of berries then deposited it into Siibii's lap, and the monkey began feasting ravenously.

 

[Demonjazz]

When Wen'Li comforted Apollo, he immediately sank into his chair and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thanks be to The Chief! For a moment there, I thought that I was seriously going insane!" Apollo let out a bit of a nervous laugh at that remark. He brought out his compad, and started messing around with it out of nervous habit. He eventually started up a game of Doom. "I've never seen... Anything that large, and buglike before... Bugs creep me out... I once went to this planet full of giant beetles..." Apollo stared blankly into the distance for a second before shaking his head and saying "Let's just say it wasn't very pretty."
Apollo could be heard saying prayers under his breath while playing Doom. The most common was "Hail to the chief. Full of Glory. Blessed art thou among marines, and blessed is the fruit of thy gun, BFG. Holy Doomguy. Defeater of hell. Kill all of the demons. Now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

 

[Random Fella]

"Well politics isn't my forte but it is hard to escape the malcontent between our faction and the NEA. I can only assume that such an eclectic band has been put to gather to somehow promote peace and good will between our peoples, after all, if we succeed in this endeavor it would be because of cooperation and trust. It would send an example to the politicians back home that perhaps war is not the only recourse to our problems"

He was right, why else would there be such a commune of different alliances on this ship, he was smarter than Hecasi first imagined. Then again, to survive and prosper in his field, one would probably need to be quite the quick thinker.

"I am glad someone has goals beyond mere money, I should like to hear more of your generous act of helping the innocent some time in the future. It is uncommon to hear of such generosity among us Na'Daaashians."

Hecasi couldn't help but pick up a hint of blame from Wen'Li, he thought of bringing up her free-runner status, but avoided conversation about her background altogether.

"Indeed" He commented.
"I came along since I heard the Dominion Navy needed me, and at the time I was bored out of my mind in the city. It'll be interesting to see if we can achieve some sort of progress toward calming tensions." Hecasi said in an upbeat tone.
"You two seem comfortable around various species, let's just hope for all of our sakes that the rest of them can be too..." Hec glanced to the heavy clad Apollo, he understood his discomfort, however, someone in fear can be more dangerous than that they are afraid of.

"My profession is kind of like yours Val" Hec smiled.
"We just track and hunt different things." He laughed.
"Hopefully in time you'll indulge me in some stories of your escapades, I'm sure you have a lot of good ones."

 

[Redryhno]

Van nodded along to the conversations being had with his face-shell, having no real reaction to the doctor knowing of their anatomy, plenty had to know of their anatomy already, two centuries had to give some knowledge beyond the pillaging of the Kirickqk's natural armor.

And then the thing he was used to happened. He was honestly surprised it had taken this long, though it had almost started when he walked off the shuttle. Readying himself in case the gibbering man-thing leaped for him. Thankfully he was quietened and calmed soon after his outburst and the Kirickqk visibly relaxed, though how it was discernible from his normal stance was something he couldn't explain to the ones that didn't know.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

[HEADING=3]O400hrs, aboard the Adalon[/HEADING]
[hr]

"Attention all hands" came a booming voice from a guard outside conference room A. The doors opened to reveal a small procession of people, some of whom wore elegant clothing bearing the various faction and guild emblems of the Dominion, Free-Runners and the NEA. Behind them walked in a handful of members dressed in Colonial Navy uniforms, one of them stood out in the garbs of the Admiral. The last three to enter the room were Marcus in his plain clothes gear, Adam and Felina who were noticeably underdressed with their slightly worn and stained attire.

"Please be seated" Drasco began when he got to the podium at the end of the room. "I thank you all for responding to our message and taking the risk in coming here, given the current climate" he gestured to the small gathering of people by his side. "Some of my colleges here represent your native factions and have been sent by your government and organisations to work out the details of a plan that I am about to propose to you. We truly believe that a cooperative venture such as this can succeed...with a right bit of training and guidance. So, we ask that you set aside any rivalries you may have had in the past and work together for a greater future, because...and I don't think I am overstating the gravity of the situation here...you all represent our final hope in not only solving the greatest mystery to befall Ceres but in ensuring we are not plunged into war"

Drasco turned to the hologram projector next to him and inserted a datastick into the device. Instantly, a 3D model of the Cantolia appeared. "This is the Cantolia. Its mission, if you were not aware, was to chart the Graveyard nebula. A vast region of turbulent space, located two light years from the furthest Outer Rim planet of the Dominion, that still remains a mystery to us. There are a lot of magnetic storms and radiation spike within its clouds and our imaging telescopes have revealed very little other than the presence of cosmic rays. Therefore, we formed an allied council with the help of the Dominion to fund, build and equip a heavily modified scientific exploration ship in the hopes of studying and mapping this region and perhaps making a few scientific and mineral discoveries along the way"

"Everything was going smoothly until three weeks ago when the crew failed to make a regular situation report to their respective handlers. We have not heard from the ship since and the initial joint search and rescue missions that made it to the edge of the Graveyard nebula could not pick up the Cantolia's transponder frequency or respond to radio hails. Unfortunately, the radiation and storms prevented those ships from entering the space to do a more thorough search. Shortly after the speculations of sabotage and betrayal started flying around..the alliance didn't last much longer after that"

"We are not ones to give up though" Drasco continued "Members from all factions have gotten together despite the adversity of their local government and organisations and we are committed to bringing our lost souls home. Best case scenario, if the ship was compromised then the crew might had time to get to the emergency pods and may have landed on a nearby hospitable planet. Worst case - they have all perished." he paused at the bluntness of his own tone "If this is the case, we need to know how and why and where possible retrieve the bodies home for the families and to be given a proper burial"

"We have gathered you here today to mark the first steps in our endeavor. We want a new multi-faction team to retrace the Cantolia's steps and find her. Bring her people home." Drasco gestured towards Adam and Felina "We have also found you a ship. These are the senior officers of the Resolute, the ship that as we speak is undergoing the modifications for the trip to the graveyard nebula. The captain and executive officer have agreed to lend us their expertise and ship for you to use. They will be, in the absence of your faction representatives, your superior officers onboard..assuming...you make it onboard" Drasco now gestured towards Marcus

[hr]

"Ladies and Gentlemen" the intelligence officer began "We cannot simply entrust such a valuable mission to amateurs, not when the failure of another alliance backed ship and crew will likely result in open conflict. This mission HAS to succeed and to ensure this we need to test how you work as a team - a tough ask, since most of you are meeting for the first time. The success of any mission is based around planning and good team-work. I won't lie to you, other members who came before you have failed...and some...paid the ultimate sacrifice in doing so. We do not expect you all to exceed in combat, no, we know there are those less skilled in combat among you who posses other more skilled traits. You need to think of the team you are working with and utilizing them to achieve the best outcome, make sacrifices for the betterment of the mission and team. Teamwork" Marcus emphasized again "Will bring you victory"

"To test you we have a mission of sorts, to see how you all function as a cohesive unit. There exists a common problem for the allied council as of late - both Dominion and NEA trade in the Acrohan sector has been plagued by pirates. Our intel has isolated their base of operations stemming from the planet Sjito." Marcus turned the groups attention to the hologram projector that was now showing an Earth-like planet with large oceans and green landmass mottled with brown and grey patchwork representing sprawling cities and towns. "While in NEA space, Sjito's location next to Dominion borders mean that its a trade hub for both our factions and also a ripe target area for pirating" he continued. "We believe that the recent attacks on NEA and Dominion trade freighters are been instigated by a pirate faction calling themselves the 'Black Guards'. They have however, as of late, become more brazen in their attacks - having hijacked transport ships and ransoming people off back to the government. Their latest attack on the Swordfish saw them taking off with three hostages. Two CEOs of prominent energy companies and one mayor elect. A ransom price has not yet been sent" Marcus pointed at the projector again. It showed an aerial view of a small compound in the middle of a heavy jungle area. The compound housed one three story main stone building in the middle which was surrounded by half-a-dozen stone, metal and canvass structures. Surrounding these structures was a rectangular metal wall that appeared to be at least 12-feet high with guard towers placed strategically along the perimitter. Gates were located on the northern, southern and eastern walls with roads leading from the gates and disappearing under the tree canopy.

"We believe the hostages are being held here" Marcus resumed pointing to the main building. "What we don't know is the size and disposition of enemy forces in the area or how one would gain access inside, to rescue said hostages. This is where you lot come in - this is your test" he paused to look at the faces before him "Rescue the hostages and you will prove capable to us and the council that you are indeed the correct men and women for the Cantolia job. Make no mistake though despite this being a test, the threat is real. It is not a simulation. We believe the pirates to be armed and well organised. You will need to display cunning, clear tactical thought and teamwork to execute this mission and bring the hostages home. This is not an NEA mission this is a mission by the Allied Council so do not fool yourselves into thinking you are merely doing an errand for us."

Marcus paused to look at his watch "We have code-named this trial mission 'Operation Winsdor'. Those still willing to participate should meet back here for the tactical debrief at 1030hrs. That is all for now. It is a lot of information to process and we understand if you need some time to think things through. We have lodgings on board for those wanting to grab a quick shut-eye as its quite early in the morning. Your quarters are upstairs on deck 04-C, the doors will be marked with your names. If you continue to stay with us, please grab one of these security passes on your way out" he held up a badge in his hand "It will allow you to walk through the corridors unhindered. Please note though the Bridge, Weapon rooms and Engine room remain strictly off-limits for the safety of everyone on board. The Resolute is also off-limits while it is undergoing retrofitting. We ask for your cooperation and stay out of these restricted decks and any other sensitive decks aboard this warship or hinder its crew in any capacity. Thank you" he paused "Breakfast is served in the cafeteria on this deck. You won't miss it, its a pretty large area. I am sure our chefs can rustle up a meal to accommodate your diverse tastes" he added with a wry smile.

 

[Nick Bounty]

"My profession is kind of like yours Val. We just track and hunt different things. Hopefully in time you'll indulge me in some stories of your escapades, I'm sure you have a lot of good ones."

Roubel smiled and nodded. He had always felt more comfortable being in isolated company but this was a refreshing change of pace. Hecasi seemed quite a genuinely interesting character "I would love to as long as I hear some of the famed Sentinel exploits in turn" he replied

"I am glad someone has goals beyond mere money, I should like to hear more of your generous act of helping the innocent some time in the future. It is uncommon to hear of such generosity among us Na'Daaashians."

Roubel was slightly taken aback by the comment. In truth his primary motivation for travelling halfway across the solar system was for the generous reward offered - life as a beast hunter meant that an income was anything but guaranteed and an opportunity such as this would definitely make life easier. He wouldn't have to haggle with ungrateful settlers anymore having risked his life and limb to deal with a monster epidemic. Sill he felt that Sister Mei meant no offence by the remark, she seemed slightly nervous perhaps attributed to the atmosphere and aliens around her but otherwise seemed amicable.

"It would be my pleasure" Roubel said politely. "I am however no humanitarian and not everyone I have helped are completely devoid of guilt but I do feel like, on occasions, I have made the world a slightly better place "

"Please don't mind Master Apollo his remarks. He was polite at first and simply became overwhelmed by the situation, I can assure you that I have dealt with many fragile people in my time and they grow stronger over time. There may yet be a time when it is his gun by your shoulder when all else is dark, and you're glad for it."

"Wise words" Roubel mused "This crowd will take getting used to, it is not very often that I work alongside other people let alone such a...diverse...group, and I look forward to working alongside Master Apollo. He does cut an impressive sight in that armor doesn't he"

"...I hope your feet remain fast... What is that old Terran joke? I hope, as your healer, I do not see you over often."

Val smiled regardless of the abrupt joke. Sister Mei clearly was projecting some disarming energy through the group, whether it was nervous energy or seasoned medical expertise he could not say. Eitherway he was glad of her presence, for good or for bad the team will need someone like Mei nearby to keep the peace, body and possibly sanity in tact. He was about to respond to the joke when the doors to the conference room opened and a small procession walked in.

[hr]

After hearing the debrief Roubel was left scratching his head. "Hostage rescue? I have no experience with that he thought to himself "killing may be involved though, I do have experience in that. Humans bleed the same as monsters" He waited for the right moment before turning to Hecasi and Mei again "Well..." he began "looks like we have our work cut out for us. Assuming of course you both are still on board with the mission"

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Aboard the CMS Adalon, Conference Room A
Local Time: 0400 Hours

Mar didn't pay too much attention to the others as they spoke amongst themselves. Right at that moment, she wasn't interested in squabbling or gossip, mainly since she didn't know if they were going to be the crew of the ship she may, or may not be piloting. Once she knew, she would be more than happy to get to know them, fire the excrement as it were.

It was when a booming voice made an announcement just outside the conference room that she sat up a little straighter, placing all four hands on the table with her eyes darting towards the door. Representatives of each of the three main Factions strode in, alongside some Naval officers and lastly a trio of more sedately dressed humans. Once everyone was inside, one of the humans spoke, a male.

"Please be seated. I thank you all for responding to our message and taking the risk in coming here, given the current climate."

He went on to explain just what the transmission calling for volunteers was about: An expedition to find a lost exploration ship, meant to chart some of the last uncharted space just beyond the outermost Rim World of the Dominion, The Cantolia. It had disappeared without a trace, or any word of distress. The last report had apparently been perfectly normal. And she, along with the other candidates in the room, were meant to pilot a new ship, already being outfitted for the journey, to find out what had happened.

The whole thing made her feel on-edge, but she nodded when he finished and motioned for another man to begin speaking.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we cannot simply entrust such a valuable mission to amateurs, not when the failure of another alliance backed ship and crew will likely result in open conflict."

As the officer continued, it was clear that there were more strings attached to this job than she had thought. For a trial-run, they were apparently supposed to rescue a pair of high-profile CEO's and a mayor from space pirates. It all sounded like cow-excrement, but the idea of flying through uncharted space, in an unfamiliar ship lingered at the back of her mind. It wasn't like she didn't have a weapon of her own. As a pilot, she needed one, just in case she ran into space pirates of her own. But she wasn't a soldier or a marine: She was a ship jockey.

Still, she thought, you never got the prize if you didn't go ahead and gun the engines when it counted. And the idea of a new ship, uncharted space to fly in and a very hefty paycheck was one hell of a prize.

"I'm in, especially if you throw in a nice steak from the kitchens." Mar said with a smirk.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

At the end of the debriefing, Wen'Li held up a small hand. "Master Marcus, I require medical reports on all three hostages, as well as any medical reports on the hostage takers. "

After the debriefing, Wen'Li turned to Master Val, Master Apollo and Hec with a smile.

"Well..." he began "looks like we have our work cut out for us. Assuming of course you both are still on board with the mission"

"Of course. We dealt with hostage situations all the time. There are three ways to deal with this. The first one is we talk them down. The second one is we gas them unconcious and arrest them. The third one is you clear them out." Wen'Li scratched her chin.

"I wonder. Perhaps we could simply negotiate their release? Simply ask what their demands are? Risky, to be sure, but greatly reduces the chances of any death." She held out her first hand, and then held out the second. "We could infiltrate the area, lace the food, water and air with a sedative and wait until they literally fall asleep, but I'd need to know what species they are so I don't poison anyone or simply leave them unaffected."

Her last guess was a shrug. "Or you lot pick up guns and I follow closely behind and hope the hostages are not fatally wounded before I can get to them."

"I imagine Master Val could, I don't know, 'hack' their security cameras and we could get a better look, or design some kind of infra-red sensor that'll read the location, or something, to get the warriors a better clue of what's inside. Or maybe Mar could quickly drop off or pick up a small group to jump in, get the hostages, and then get out?"

She gave a glib smile. "I'm no military leader. We need to pick someone with proven experience that everyone can follow. Perhaps a vote? Sister Adhira'al, Master Val, or Hec?"

 

[Demonjazz]

Apollo seemed to be looking forward to a bit of action on the battlefield. A small smile slowly spread across his face before immediately turning into a frown when he heard it was a hostage situation. He wasn't fond of hostages. Complicated everything. It was so much easier when the Innocent weren't involved. It also might of had something to do with the fact that he was remarkably unstealthy which most rescue missions required. Apollo felt that he should probably sit this one out for now.
After the briefing, Apollo stood up and took off his helmet which let out the familiar depressurizing sound, and lazily chucked towards his seat. "Yeah, Whatever. Call me if you need anything shot. You'll know where to find me." He said while making his way towards the eating hall.

 

[Random Fella]

The officials dressed in their usual get ups entered the room.
What was the point in them even being there, they didn't say a thing, just sat their as figureheads, Hec mainly didn't understand the being of a free-runner official, he assumed them all to be out for themselves and doubted it's presence would mean anything to them.

Of course the real people calling the shots were some intel guys from the NEA, unsurprising that they would come to such a conclusion, but it certainly wasn't a bad one, and the other two factions must have had some input into it.

They rattled on about some sort of rescue mission, Hec felt slightly offended that he would be required to test his skill, but assumed it had more to do with teamwork than individual strengths, after all, it is a factor that can make or break a group, and the one he was most worried about.

"Typical" He mumbled under his breath.

"looks like we have our work cut out for us. Assuming of course you both are still on board with the mission"

"Mhmm" Hec hummed positively with a nod of the head, as if it were no big deal. If anything helped to enthuse others, it was the confidence of those that are going to be watching your back.

Wen'Li then began to talk of some of the options, mostly some hippy noise about making sure not to harm the pilots, Hec found that ideals of mercy are what get you killed on the field.

"Talking down or reasoning with pirates will only bring us to their attention, and attempting a non-lethal form of sedative on such a potential diverse group could result in a harsh backlash."

"However, if we can get some schematics of the building, we can position various members to strike certain key locations, I do like your idea of gassing them out however. But we'd need to know the hostage locations before-hand."

"Yeah, Whatever. Call me if you need anything shot. You'll know where to find me."
The clad marine brought up a good point, not all of them here were trained to handle a stealth situation.

"And if something does go wrong, we should position the big guns somewhere that they can come in for support on call."

"I can tap into their communications, and perhaps these mechanics know how pirate tech works, but we'd idealistically need good resources and rest before we can conjure a proper plan."

 

[Nick Bounty]

"I imagine Master Val could, I don't know, 'hack' their security cameras and we could get a better look, or design some kind of infra-red sensor that'll read the location, or something, to get the warriors a better clue of what's inside.

"I am afraid that hacking electronics is a skill far beyond me. That said, we do not know the full debrief of this, 'Operation Winsdor'. I presume we will have more info at the next debrief, maybe then we can formulate a plan of attack."

"Yeah, Whatever. Call me if you need anything shot. You'll know where to find me."

Roubel looked up to see Apollo walking out of the room. "The man has a point. Fortunately I spy some people who may be more suited for infiltration than others. Perhaps as this agent Marcus says, we can come to some sort of plan to have the infiltrators go in first and the heavy hitters provide support. Mei too brings up a valid point, if we can compromise their ventilation system for example we may be able to choke them out" Val shrugged. "This is not my area either but it can't hurt to brainstorm"

"I can tap into their communications, and perhaps these mechanics know how pirate tech works, but we'd idealistically need good resources and rest before we can conjure a proper plan."

"Agreed. I don't know about you but I could use some rest. I'm heading upstairs for a nap, I guess I'll see you both back here at 1030hrs" Roubel noded goodbyes to both Mei and Hec before heading to the exit. He remembered to grab the security pass on the way out before attempting to find the stairs leading to the top deck.

"What a day! he mused "I probably should meet the rest of the crew at the next debrief. Looks like we will be working closer than I expected"

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

"Yeah, Whatever. Call me if you need anything shot. You'll know where to find me."
Apollo walked off. Hardly embracing the spirit of co-operation .

"And if something does go wrong, we should position the big guns somewhere that they can come in for support on call."

"I can tap into their communications, and perhaps these mechanics know how pirate tech works, but we'd idealistically need good resources and rest before we can conjure a proper plan." Hec stated.

She shrugged. Hard to disagree with that. She was no soldier, she just watched them do what needed to be done a lot .

She sighed, and looked to what the others thought. They still needed a leader for this mission. A chain of command kept things flowing smoothly, especially with strangers unused to teamwork. Chaos takes lives.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

= MAR =​

Location: Aboard the CMS Adalon, Conference Room A
Local Time: ~0415 Hours

It didn't take long for one of the others to start coming up with a plan. What Mar didn't expect, was for it to come from the human woman who she assumed was some kind of doctor, given the first thing she asked for being medical reports. When she turned to three of the other humans in the room, the Shree rolled her eyes a little.

"We dealt with hostage situations all the time. There are three ways to deal with this. The first one is we talk them down. The second one is we gas them unconcious and arrest them. The third one is you clear them out."

Out of the three options that she suggested, clearing them out appealed the most to Mar. While she was lucky enough to have never dealt with space pirates on her own, the idea of sparing them didn't sit right with her. After all, they were the kind of people who preyed on anyone they could get on their own out in space, and as a pilot, she naturally felt that the galaxy would be a better place if they were just wiped out. When the doctor continued, Mar couldn't help but shake her head a little.

"I wonder. Perhaps we could simply negotiate their release? Simply ask what their demands are? Risky, to be sure, but greatly reduces the chances of any death. We could infiltrate the area, lace the food, water and air with a sedative and wait until they literally fall asleep, but I'd need to know what species they are so I don't poison anyone or simply leave them unaffected."

"No, negotiating would set a bad precedent. If you give into the demands of one group of pirates, others might get the idea to do the same thing. After all, it worked for the others, right? Besides, who's to say they won't keep changing the deal and demanding more before they actually release the hostages? No," she repeated "Personally, I think it's better to take them out. Make the sector a safer place."

When one of the other humans agreed that negotiating wouldn't be the best idea, but was open to the idea of gassing the pirates out, Mar shrugged. When all was said and done, she just flew ships, she didn't coordinate rescue operations. It was the mention of her flying a small group in to get the hostages then get out, she perked up immediately.

"Now that plan I can get behind. The only problem is what ship I'm going to use to fly in there. I have a shuttle, and it's fast as a rat out of purgatory, but it only has seating for four, including myself, and that's without cargo. With a proper dropship though, I can fly us in, and if it has guns I can keep the pirates outside busy while whoever runs in grabs the hostages. Then, I pick everyone up and insect out." she said with a smile.

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

"Personally, I think it's better to take them out. Make the sector a safer place." said the Shree.
Seems bloodshed is the way to do it. Might as well focus on keeping the butcher's bill low.

"Now that plan I can get behind. The only problem is what ship I'm going to use to fly in there. I have a shuttle, and it's fast as a rat out of purgatory, but it only has seating for four, including myself, and that's without cargo. With a proper dropship though, I can fly us in, and if it has guns I can keep the pirates outside busy while whoever runs in grabs the hostages. Then, I pick everyone up and insect out."

Wen'Li gave a tight nod. It seemed this may have to be the best option. But it had some issues.

"We won't know where the hostages are. We still still a layout of the area. And we need a drop ship. But it seems the most... efficient method." She shrugged. "I'm out of ideas. I'll leave this to experienced hands. I hope I can get those medical records."

She turned to leave, and then turned back. "Oh, I need everyone to report to me for a medical check. I don't want to be learning your various heights, weights, blood density, chitin thickness and so on while I am also pulling out bullets. I'll be in the medical hall if there is nothing else needed of me?" She cocked an eyebrow.

 

[DarkRawen]

"Actually, I did not eat Siibii, as tasty of a morsel as he may be. And he is present, though he has been sleeping. In hibernation. Seems it's about the proper time for him to wake up."

As Taak opened the vacuum bag, Raed could smell more of the monkey, and listened as Taak woke it up and fed it. Raed knew that the little creature was afraid of it, small creatures tended to fear carnivores. So did people, though, if they got close to Raed when it was angry, they gasped or shook, wanting to get away. Raed didn't like being scared either, so it tried not to scare others. Sometimes it couldn't help it, though, they thought the Aaken's jaws were too big, or that its claws were frightening.

Sometimes I attack too.

If Raed was told to attack, it would. Not babies, though. Babies were harmless, and better kept alive. If nothing else, they would grow up to become more than a mouthful.

"Good morning, Siibii, so glad you could join us. Come now, Siibii, show some manners."

"Morning," Raed agreed. "You have food?" It turned its large face towards Taak. "Raed is hungry too." It knew that Taak probably didn't have the kind of food that Raed ate, but could at least try, right? Before Taak had any chance to give Raed food, more people arrived.

They smell important.

They smelled of duty and discipline, and the way they walked and spoke made them sound like they were in charge. Sitting down on the ground, Raed awaited its instructions.

Apparently they had to rescue hostages, and that confused Raed a little. Did that mean they had to sneak inside? Or not so sneaky? Could they talk to the pirates?

Perhaps not. Perhaps I'll get to eat them.

A lot confused him, as a matter of fact, they always briefed everyone with details in vision, and without the "seeing" device that it used in the field, Raed only got the spoken details. Then it was the fact that even then it didn't make much sense. Raed did as it was told, but it wasn't part of the tactics. And time had little meaning to it either, so telling it to meet up at a certain hour made it... a little difficult.

Regardless, instead of making it into an issue, Raed simply listened to the others. Or, tried to, they were all talking about things that had nothing to do with the Aaken. Finally, it gave up, and got over to where the important man had been standing when holding the passes, getting one of them. It was wondering if going to the cafeteria at this hour would net it some food. Perhaps if it made sure to make itself look extra hungry.

"Oh, I need everyone to report to me for a medical check. I don't want to be learning your various heights, weights, blood density, chitin thickness and so on while I am also pulling out bullets. I'll be in the medical hall if there is nothing else needed of me?"

Raed let a slight whimper escape at that. "Don't want medical check," it said, but it knew that it would have to go through it. Still, the doctors always thought it couldn't hear them, and spoke over it, as if it was just some thing. And it was a little scary when it had to go into the machine that made everything feel warm and odd, the x-ray machine.

"Will do, but now food," Raed then continued, and headed for the cafeteria, following its nose.

 

[Random Fella]

'I'd better get some food before the Aaken eats it all.' Hec thought to himself, grabbing his card on the way out.

His selection was more based on the energy he needed, and to prevent any congestion later on, the Sentinel's had quite the nutritional knowledge of common foods.

After a proper serving, he retreated to his room, his name on it, surrounded by other rooms heralding the other's names.

He took time to rest and reflect on the current situation, holding his copper amulet and staring at it in deep thought.
His attention was cut off, only by an incoming transmission.

'Strange...' He thought to himself as it ended, perhaps he had more to think about than originally anticipated.

 

[Terratina.]

Adhira'al took in the briefing quietly, committing the important facts to memory. It was only natural for a test to be placed on such a ragtag gathering of people. The lengths some would go to getting a job done... Nevertheless, Zaraqusa welcomed all.

The others leaping far too hastily into planning, would be plently of time to do so later, with all of the information on the table. What they had just been given was the bare minimum. The Templar's attention was instead on a message that came through. Something of little importance but something to keep an eye on. Besides, the Akrav was here to lead the NEA and Dominion brutes into seeing the glorious balance Zaraqusa gave to the universe and to insist in the search mission as well, regardless of what a mess it might turn into, even if it turned into a chain of tests. Such was life. Never the easy without the hard, the hostage mission being but a typical scenerio for a Templar to find themselves assigned to sort out. Though the ragtag group had insisted on carving a bloody path through to the hostages, Adhira'al was sure a better, less barbaric way, would present itself once more information was available.

Speaking of...

"Oh, I need everyone to report to me for a medical check. I don't want to be learning your various heights, weights, blood density, chitin thickness and so on while I am also pulling out bullets. I'll be in the medical hall if there is nothing else needed of me?"

"I will do so momentarily." Adhira'al replied, grabbed a pass and followed Wen'Li to the medical hall.

 

[Redryhno]

Van continued to nod along with his face-shell as the NEA officer spoke. He had no interest in fighting, it was not why he had been hired, and it was certainly not his intention to engage in direct combat. His housing buzzed from within his shell and so he took the time to examine the message within.

Blinking along slightly to the contents, he promptly returned to the conversation being had.

"Oh, I need everyone to report to me for a medical check. I don't want to be learning your various heights, weights, blood density, chitin thickness and so on while I am also pulling out bullets. I'll be in the medical hall if there is nothing else needed of me?"

"You'll have no need of me, your knowledge of the Kirickqk body should be sufficient."

Retrieving his trolley from outside the meeting room, he pulled it along with him to the aforementioned cafeteria. These aliens had no more business messing with he or his people's bodies. He was not a warrior, and he trusted in his kind's armor to protect him from much of what was to come. Ship weapons would probably easily rip through his body, but if that was happening, the least of his problems would be projectile injuries.

Upon reaching it, he was given a container with some sort of solid matter in it for his destabilization and subsequent consumption. Which he did, after pulling the straw out of his travel case and placing it in the container and slurping up the contents.

"Such simple things these straws you humanoids call them," the drone translated to no one in particular,"But so wonderful and versatile in their usage."

 

[L. Declis]

+++Wen'Li+++

As Wen'Li walked out, she picked up a key card from the tray and kept walking. Let the others deal with matters of blood and war, I know my place. I am suprised how bloodthirsty such a group are. I should speak to Sister Adhira'al on these matters, she would understand.

Unaware of the following Sister Adhira'al, she hurried to the medical bay. After years of working in dark churches and back-water ships, an NEA sponsored medical bay was something she was damn near excited to see.

There it was. By the eye of most medics, it was probably a little bit small and a little bit run down. Through the eyes of someone who had spent their life on a planet of nuclear winter, it was a glorious gleaming silver, with seven beds lined with cotton and linen neatly tucked on one wall, the metal grating polished to a shean, multiple sets of clean medical tools arranged in cupboards, closets and in drawers (painted a medical white). There was a small office for her to relax in and keep records, in which she found several keys.

I wonder where the orderlies are? Or do I have to ask for one or two of them? I'll ask tomorrow She spotted a side door leading to a surgical suite, and sighed in pleasure. This was a place she could work Zaraqusan magic.

Her message chip beeped, and she pulled out the message. Typical, she thought, All promises and no return address. How could she reply? It's not a conversation, it's lazy seduction . A noise in the main medical hall surprised her. Sister Adhira'al had arrived. She closed the message and slipped the chip into her belt to deal with later, and she opened the doors, the message already forgotten.

I wonder how many will come? I hope not to have to nag, this is an official mission, not a play group .
In this place, regardless of the rest of the ship, she was in charge. She knew not war, but she knew healing.

She had also forgotten to eat in her excitement.