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Post by Calefrun on Jul 31, 2016 16:01:03 GMT -5
"So...Mariko was it? So this uh...awkward silence has been going on for........what seems like months now. Maybe we should just...talk?"
Mariko scowled. The man was exaggerating, of course. At most, they had been travelling for a few hours now. Plus, she had been enjoying the quiet. She was still somewhat shaken from the whole escape debacle, and had been thinking things over while keeping a close eye on her new travelling companion. She still didn't see him as much of a threat, but she knew better than to let her guard down.
She opened her mouth to respond, which is about when all the sirens started going off. It's always something, isn't it?
"Oooooooooooook. So good news, I found the problem. Bad news...guess we are just gonna crash. Guess the cargo bay hadn't closed all the way before we made the jump."
She put a hand to one of her temples and shook her head. "Guess we should have paid a little more attention to that 'Door is ajar' alert when we were leaving Earth, yeah?"
The ship crashed, the pair stumbled out, and they were immediately greeted with gunfire.
Mariko laughed dryly. When exactly did I get it in my head that getting away from Earth would mean getting away from everyone who wants to shoot at me? she thought, what a fucking joke.
She drew the pistol she had stolen back in the prison, and the familiar display appeared in her field of view, complete with targeting reticle and and a meter showing her current vital status.
"Can you fight?" she called out to Tio. "If not, toss me your gun and I'll try to clear us a path."
After checking out the bunks, commons room, and a few other locations within the ship, the twins had made their way to the bridge, and were examining the main console from over Krupinski's shoulder.
Kayla whistled. "Pretty impressive stuff. Compared to this, the control system of the last ship we were on might as well have been composed entirely of an old wheel from a wooden pirate ship."
"Actually, I think it was!" Cale added cheerfully.
The captain opened the ship's hatch, and Myrddin walked down with Sona following shortly behind. And then the bridge was filled with the sound of gunfire.
With a sigh, Kayla turned to her brother. "Guess we should go help ou- where did you go?"
Stepping onto the planet's surface, Cale reached out with his right hand, and a large broadsword appeared in his grip. He placed a hand on Myrddin's shoulder. "Alright guys, let's do this shit."
He hefted his weapon over his shoulder, then took off running towards the source of the gunfire. "LEEEEEEEROOOOOOOOOOY"
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Post by Damien on Jul 31, 2016 17:23:39 GMT -5
Miguel stood in front of Sona, sword and shield at the ready. He knew that she could probably protect herself, but he and Myrddin had been hired essentially to do most of the fighting and heavy lifting, so he might as well act as a magical meat shield for his "boss". Honestly, he didn't know what to expect when they took this job, but he couldn't say he was surprised that they'd be met with a battlefield, gunshots being heard all around.
'Jason' came just behind them carrying an old Martian rifle, and the accent that made him feel unsure that 'Jason' and 'Rhea' were who they said they were made more sense. He'd have to discuss this little revelation with Myrddin and Sona...when they weren't in imminent danger of being shot...
"Alright, Myrddin," Miguel said, "what do..." At that moment, he was cut off by the sound of 'LEEEEEEEROOOOOOOOOOY!!!' Apparently Cale had decided to just run off and do his own thing while Kayla hung back with the rest of the group.
Miguel couldn't help but finish what Cale started, yelling "JEEEEEEEEEENKIIIIIIIIINS!!!" just after Cale finished.
"Anyway," he started again, "what do we want? Invisibility? Portals? Illusory cover? We've got Sona and Jason, and I'm assuming on that one, that can't Blink like us, so they'll need something to compensate."
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Post by Myrdraxxis on Aug 6, 2016 19:07:31 GMT -5
Myrddin opened his mouth to respond, and then abruptly closed it again. He stared after Cale as the man charged towards the sound of gunfire with a fucking sword. Then again... Sona had drawn her pair of slim blades and Miguel had produced a sword of his own. Was Myrddin the only person around here with any goddamn sense? And would it kill Miguel to act prfessional for once? "Well?" He asked Sona, deciding to set it aside for now. If they were going to be in a firefight (and the nearby sounds indicated 'yes'), then he and Jason would just have to be the ones to cover them. "Sounds like the fighting is coming for near the dig site. Right where we need to go." Sona observed. Myrddin sighed. Of course it was. "We'll hoof it for now, Miguel." He told his partner. "We don't want to go Jumping into a firefight until we know what we're dealing with." "Agreed." Sona nodded. She glanced around at their team. "Let's go." THey took off after Cale. ][ Prathus roared in defiance as one of the crazed humans threw itself over their hasty barricade, frothing and screaming as the emaciated man swung some sort of bladed tool. There was a sickening crunch as the human's face met his armored fist and Prathus followed it up with a shot from his pistol. THey had fallen back to the dig site, but if anything that had stirred up the humans even more.Dozens of them poured out of the scientific team's elevator down into the mesa's depths and Prathus had feared that their fight was at an end: sandwiched between two forces of crazed humans. And then a ship had crashed out of the sky. It nearly killed them in its impact, but more importantly it landed directly on the advancing humans chasing them from the colony. Prathus had seen two shapes emerge from the crash, but had been too occupied to make anything of it. "We can press forward to the dig site now!" He roared, urging his team forward. "We'll punch a hole in their line and-" He stopped, because he heard a sound. No, a voice, echoing across the plains and steadily growing louder. "-eeeerooOOOOY!" And then a crazed human with a sword charged into the fight.
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Post by Mizagium on Sept 11, 2016 0:34:42 GMT -5
Xeres ground his teeth as Myrddin and the others chased after Cale. “Dig site,” he muttered. “What have we stumbled into?” At that moment, Xeres was struck by two opposing sentiments that paralyzed him in indecision. First, the team had left the ship unguarded with two unknowns; he and Rhea could subdue the odd Oriental-looking people and that cyborg and take the ship. It would mean stranding Myrddin and company on Xanadu to whatever fate awaited them at the dig site, but what the hell did he care? He was a loyal Martian Knight and protecting Princess Rhea was his only responsibility. On the other hand, Xanadu was…curious. He’d heard it whispered about in Olympia, but his duties with the princess had kept him away from politics. That he was here, and there was some sort of conflict – well, he perhaps owed it to the Dominion to investigate and report.
Duty to the princess nearly won out, but reason convinced him she would be safe for the moment. If things turned sour, he would be able to step back and take the other path. Rhea would be able to use her abilities to get to safety. Jaw set, Xeres scanned the horizon, toward where Myrddin was heading…
…And stepped through the darkness. It was only for an instant, but the roiling, intangible world of shadows enclosed him and gently pulled him along. The shadows had always felt like home for Xeres; he’d been hiding in them since before he knew exactly what he was doing. It seemed to him that he thought of the shadows more fondly than he did his parents, whom he hadn’t thought of in years. Sadly the embrace ended, and he emerged in the shadow of a rocky outcropping, not too far from the others.
From this vantage, he could only make out the vague shapes of combat, but no details, not enough to draw any preliminary conclusions. Cursing, he identified a ledge, shaded by a tree, just on the edge of reasonable ‘stepping distance. In the next moment of darkness, he recalled stories of the Dominion’s attempts to create a spaceship engine that ran on shadow magic, rather than the more utilitarian spatial magic. The program had been a tremendous disaster and quickly abandoned, but Xere often wondered what it would be like to shadowstep across planets, to travel instantly, safely nestled in the comforting womb of shadows.
This time he emerged higher up than he though, but closer to the battle. He dropped to his belly and peered over the edge. From this distance, two sides distinguished themselves. One side was a human faction of some sort – it hardly mattered because the other, was distinctly non-human. Although he still couldn’t see details, he didn’t matter. There was only one non-human race this side of the Veil. Xeres sighted with his rifle, but he really didn’t need the confirmation.
The humans were fighting with Ahv.
What the hell was in that dig site?
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Post by Myrdraxxis on Sept 23, 2016 22:24:48 GMT -5
At its best New Seoul was a glittering gem of innovation and ingenuity. A testament to the perseverance of the OCU in the wake of the wars that had gripped Earth for so long. Even the other super nations’ greatest cities were hard-pressed to compete with New Seoul’s image. Tokyo may have been far larger, and Honk Kong the official capital of the OCU, but New Seoul was the heart of the OCU.
From his office, Neal Armitage could see the city of lights spread out before him, lit up in the night, a vast beacon in the dark. Vast skyscrapers stretched heavenward, marvels of architecture in their individual designs.
Armitage lowered his gaze. It was a lie, of course. Like most of the great cities of Earth, New Seoul’s image was a carefully crafted mask to hide the disgusting underbelly that broiled just beneath the veneer of success. For every pharmaceutical company there was a drug ring. For every new innovation into the liberty of mages, there was a clone trafficking network. The Weekend War had officially put a stop to the use of human clones as slave labor. Of course, if you walked down any of the right streets in the OCU you could find a brothel or an augment clinic that featured clones in its assets. Even small mage communities used clones to test spells or enchantments on the cheap. And clone labor was only one problem that plagued the OCU. Hell, even the rest of the world.
Corruption ate at this city.
Neal hated this place.
It was why he elected to keep his work here until such time as he could relocate to Destati for good. A reminder of the arrogance of humanity that so desperately needed to be reined in.
“Are we on schedule?”
The voice that spoke came from a holographic array on Neal’s desk. He turned to face it. There were a dozen holographic “faces” looking back at him. It was impossible to tell the identities of those behind them. Secrecy was paramount after all, even here.
“The last of our data transfer will begin tonight. Barring complications, I’m confident that we can proceed well within the timeframe.” Neal replied, turning his gaze back to his window.
“We have poured considerable resources into your project, Armitage.” Another voice, one with a distinctly Coalition accent said. “The money trail is becoming more noticeable.”
“When our holdings on Destati are finalized then we won’t need to worry about that.” Armitage assured.
“The Council is convening in two days to finalize their vote.” A third voice spoke. “I have guaranteed that Omnilife Corporation will gain a seat.” Neall nodded. With a seat on the Corporate Council, he could move the project along much more easily. Owning a Corporate Council arcology was only the first step.
“What of the girl?” He asked after a moment.
“Being taken care of.”
“Assets within Agricor are already mobilizing to handle the situation.” Someone said. It was hard to keep track without any faces to put to the voices, but Neal was used to it by now. Five years as part of this organization had left him more used to anonymity than normal social interaction.
“Sources put her on a path towards Xanadu. NAF forces are already en route to secure the colony. A squad of Blacklight troopers can get in and sanitize the situation on the confusion.” Another said. Neal had never cared for the Blacklight initiative personally, but having NAF Intelligence in their pocket was worth the distaste.
‘See it done.”
“Then we shall reconvene when the time is right, gentlemen.” Neal said. “I eagerly await our next success.”
The holographic monitor switched off, leaving Neal in the half-shadows of his office, the orange glow no longer keeping the darkness at bay. He faced the vista of New Seoul again.
The world was such a small place when you had your thumb on its pulse. It was much easier to guide people than most believed. A well timed shot here to spread fear, an altruistic act there to inspire. Words, wars, money, poverty. All to shape humanity even as it desperately tried to escape its stagnation, into the stars.
Well, his dream would see humanity reach new heights, if only it could be made to see.
Neal began to hum, a tune flitting across his mind, as the last light faded from the sky and left him in darkness.
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Post by Damien on Dec 21, 2016 2:00:31 GMT -5
Miguel caught the look that Myrddin was giving him. It was his "goddammit be professional" look. Miguel chuckled and shrugged, then threw his sword and shield into the air, dispelling the magic that had created them. He drew his pistol in his main hand and created a shield of sorts made from arcane energy that he "held" with his off hand. He then joined the charge, quickly trying to think of any other spells that could be useful to the group.
-----
All around, he could hear nothing but the gunfire of his comrades and the cries of the humans as they came wave after wave, now coming from both sides of the platform. Vyndaen could only launch motes of holy flame at the crazed scientists, the golden accents of his robes shimmering.
He continued his barrage, watching helplessly as two knights fell from wounds beyond his ability to heal. The crashing of a ship nearly knocked him over, but he managed to keep his feet.
"We can press forward to the dig site now!" he heard Prathis roar over the din. "We'll punch a hole in their line and-" He stopped and turned. Vyndaen heard it, too: a voice yelling some kind of battle cry.
"-eeeerooOOOOY!" Another human, this one carrying a sword, charged in their direction. Without hesitation, Vyndaen conjured up a veritable storm of holy fire and launched it at the newcomer, hopefully deterring him from his course rather than eliminating him since he didn't seem to be like the humans they'd been combating for what seemed like an eternity.
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Post by Mizagium on Dec 31, 2016 16:54:00 GMT -5
Xeres frowned down at the interspecies battle, frowned deeper at Cale's Leroy Jenkins charge, and stepped back into shadow, materializing near enough to Myddrin that he didn't have to jog much to match pace. He hadn't really wanted to report to the man, being an NAF mage, but military instincts kicked in hard and Myddrin had the air of a commander about him.
"Hostiles ahead," he advised quickly. "Ahv fighting with some...looks like NAF soliders. Neither group looks particularly friendly. I recommend a bit more caution that this."
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Post by Calefrun on Jan 4, 2017 18:48:49 GMT -5
As he ran, Cale conjured several illusive clones of himself in an attempt to draw away any further attacks. Rather than changing his course, he continued running directly towards the Ahv soldiers and could feel the growing heat of the approaching firestorm. Just before he was close enough to get burned, he blinked past the spell, appearing right beside Vyndaen and delivering a swift kick to the healer's chest.
He took a defensive stance with his blade, looking at the Knights completely straight-faced, as though he actually expected to be able to use the outdated weapon to block any bullets fired in his direction. "I appreciate the warm welcome," he yelled over the sounds of the battle around them, "but where I come from, we usually don't welcome tourists by throwing fire at them! Except on Tuesdays!"
Kayla, who by this point had figured out where her brother had disappeared to, dashed out of the ship and started chasing after Myrddin and Sona. Along the way, she spotted Miguel creating his magic shield. "Ah," she commented to nobody in particular, "so the magic in this realm can be used for that too, huh? Alright, I can work with that."
She conjured a shield of her own on as she ran, one which she tried to make as close in appearance to Miguel's as she could. She also drew the pistol she kept holstered under her vest. Like her twin, she preferred bladed weapons, but she wasn't about to go running into a firefight with nothing but a sword.
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Post by Sariel of Tevet on Jan 4, 2017 22:34:55 GMT -5
Tio tossed his gun to Mariko.
"May as well keep it in case your other one runs out of ammo. I'll put up a shield and see if I can't get us to the back of the building. We can find a way in there and see what the hell is going on when there aren't bullets flying around all over the place."
He stood up and slammed his staff into the ground and conjured a shield wide enough to protect the both of him. When he stood up he managed to get a better look at what was really going on. And was a bit shocked to find some guy charging head long into a gun fight with a sword and screaming.
"You know, let's just avoid that guy. I'm pretty sure no one is going to notice us escaping with whatever the hell that is going on. "
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Post by Calefrun on Jan 5, 2017 0:57:51 GMT -5
Mariko nodded, and the pair started moving towards one of the dig site buildings. They kept their distance from the spot where the Ahv Knights where holed up, but an occasional stray bullet still glanced off of Tio's barrier.
Almost immediately after they reached their destination, two of the crazed researchers came around the side of the building and started running straight towards them. Mariko gunned them both down before they even got close to the shield.
She squinted, and her vision zoomed in on the downed assailants. "Ugh," she groaned, "NAF. Err... no offense. We should find another ship. I don't know what's going on here, but I don't think I want to stick around to find out."
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Post by Myrdraxxis on Jan 7, 2017 19:20:36 GMT -5
When Myrddin was close enough to the fight, he actually had to pause to try and make sense of what was going on. Men in NAF uniforms and colony clothing were throwing themselves into the fight with little reason or caution, even as they were mowed down by returning fire. Were those people attacking them Ahv? Did Cale just kick one in the chest?
"Who exactly are we fighting here?" he muttered. Sona appeared beside him, taking in the sight of the chaos in a stride.
"Don't think that the Ahv are the reason that the colony went dark but.." she frowned. "Didn't know they were here." And boy, she didn't sound pleased about that. Not that Myrddin blamed her. An information broker's bread and butter was information after all. Having missed some was a rather glaring professional mistake.
"So how you wanna handle this?" Myrddin asked her. Cale and the others had already engaged the enemy-for lack of definition on who that was.
Myrddin's question was answered a moment later, when one of the NAF attackers spotted them. THe man let out an unnatural sounding yell and charged at Myrddin, a busted up shovel in one hand as his only weapon. Myrddin didn't let the man get close. Two rounds into the man's chest dropped the crazed NAF worker. Myrddin swore.
"Alright, guess that settles that."
"Team, target the NAF colonists. Preliminary scans show heightened levels of aggression and lowered levels of cognition." Mikki chimed in over the team-wide comm frequency. "Whatever's going on, thse guys are not friendly."
"Let's get down there." Sona didn't wait for Myrddin to reply and charged into the fray. Myrddin shrugged and Jumped into the middle of the fight, slamming the butt of his rifle into the skull of a colonist he had teleported behind. He turned and shot another one that was charging.
"Miguel! Give us some cover here!" he called.
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Post by Damien on Jan 18, 2017 22:17:33 GMT -5
"Incoming!" Miguel yelled over the din. With a wave of his hand, he summoned several phantasms, armed with various weapons, which engaged with many of the crazed scientists. Their weapons cut into the scientists, but the scientists were unable to respond in kind. Their weapons and attacks passed through the phantasms, causing no damage at all. He then ran after Cale, who was in the midst of the Ahv with no back up.
He had almost made it when he saw a scientist approaching in his peripheral vision. He turned mid-run and sang a shrill note, creating a sonic blast that sent the scientist flying.
As he approached, he stowed his gun and extended his shield into a dome surrounding them and the Ahv there with them. "You good over here?" he asked Cale as he finally made it to the man's side.
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Post by Mizagium on Feb 4, 2017 14:55:21 GMT -5
Xeres joined Myrddin’s squad in the charge, taking a perverse kind of pleasure in getting the chance to gun down American Feds, soldiers or not. He used shadow magic to his advantage, ducking in and out, peppering the colonists with blaster bolts whenever he reemerged. It wasn’t strictly necessary: the colonists weren’t exactly easy to fool, but still.
He raised his eyebrow when Miguel proved to be a sonic mage, but was honestly more distracted by Sona and the twins charging in with melee weapons. Who the hell fought like that anymore? He swore, outside the Dominion was nothing but barbarism. King Decoris should never have allowed Princess Rhea to venture out.
Speaking of…one colonist seemed to escape the fray and was lumbering back towards their own landing site. Snarling, Xeres fell into darkness, and emerged out of the crazed colonist’s own shadow. He tackled the monster from behind and unloaded into his head, spraying blood and bits of singed flesh all over the ground.
“What the hell is going on?” he called to no one inparticular.
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Post by Calefrun on May 7, 2017 14:25:18 GMT -5
"You good over here?"
Cale laughed. "I'm good everywhere, my man! That said, this jerkwad-" he pointed at the downed Ahv with his sword, "-just tried to singe the whiskers off my chin."
Kayla formed up with the rest of the squad, keeping her shield raised and putting holes into any and all of the crazed colonists that gave her a clear shot. "Seems like there's quite a few of these guys," she observed. "We might need to come up with something besides just trying to gun down as many as we can. Maybe those guys my brother attacked could tell us something?"
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Post by Damien on May 11, 2017 20:35:35 GMT -5
"It was only a warning volley, human," Vyndaen said to the sword-wielding man. "Had I wanted to actually cause you harm, I could have." He pushed the sword away from his face, knicking his palm in the process. He whispered a couple of words, and the wound closed, seemingly of its own volition. "Now, I assume these other humans are not your comrades?" he asked Miguel, speaking of course of the crazed scientists.
"Not one-hundred percent sure on that at this point," he replied. "We came here to investigate the colony's communications black-out, to see if they had been attacked or anything like that. You all wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?" he asked, directing his question at the other Ahv who seemed to be the leader of the group.
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Post by Myrdraxxis on May 13, 2017 23:29:18 GMT -5
"Now is not the time for this." Prathus declared, an arc of brilliant white leaping from his lightcaster and striking a howling colonist that was in the process of hurling himself at the line of warriors. "We are punching a hole through their numbers towards the digsite." He pointed to the small metallic portal built into the cliff-face, some distance away. A short jog at most, save for the dozens of crazed humans guarding it. Those that were either still intelligent enough or instinctive enough to use firearms were keeping Prathus' warriors on their toes, even as their melee oriented comrades threw themselves into the fray with abandon. The Ahv couldn't hold here much longer, and needed to make their own exit.
"Sounds like a plan to me!"
Prathus jumped slightly at the sudden, cheerful voice that intoned from right behind him. He whriled around to find a small human woman. How in the Void had she managed to sneak up on them?
"Considerable number of heat signatures closing in on this position." A synthesized voice spoke up from the human woman's helmet. "Reinforcements most likely. Get us into that site and I can lock the doors behind us."
At that moment Myrddin Jumped beside Sona. Prathus was beginning to tire of these humans appearing out of thin air. By the looks of these newcomers they were either soldiers or mercenaries. And from the way This newest person turned and immediately put a bullet into the crazed humans' line of fire they clearly weren't allies of these colonists.
"We will converse when there is time, humans." He addressed his warriors. "Brothers! We push forward! Kalim, Eres, with me!" He yelled over the din of battle. Both warriors joined him and set their own lightcasters at the enemy. Together all three Ahv pooled their magic into the weapons, brilliant light teeming from the barrels of each as the energy gathered...and then all three Ahv fired as one, and the canyon lit up.
As the smoke cleared, it was clear to see the path of destruction that the weapons had caused. Those that had stood in its path were simply either atomized or left burnt husks. Even the seemingly mindless colonists hesitated int he wake of the attack. It was the chance they needed.
"Now! Go!" Prathus roared. The Ahv moved as one, charging for the digsite entrance.
Myrddin didn't hesitate, following after them. "We're moving people, double time!" He ordered the rest of their group. Sona dashed alongside him, easily catching up to the NAF soldier.
"Cutting into the security system now." Miki chimed in. Myrddin swore as he sidestepped a wild swing from one of the human colonists. He batted the man in the skull with the butt of his rifle and kept running. They were close to the site now, the circular hatch leading into the cliff-face still sealed shut as they approached.
"Miki." Myrddin said urgently, turning to see that the colonists had recovered from the sudden assault and were charging after the group, howling in absolute fury.
"Almost..." Miki reported, the urgency in the AI's tone mirroring Myrddin's.
"Any day now, human!" Prathus shouted.
"We're in!" Miki cheered and the doors opened. The Ahv went in first, followed by Sona. Myrddin waited for the others to enter the digsite, electing to go last as he fired at the oncoming charge. When everyone was through he ducked inside and the hatch slammed shut with a definitive hiss.
The in the dark tunnel of the digsite, Myrddin finally stopped, panting lightly as he took in the sight of the assembled group. The Ahv were a surprise, albeit a better one than having an entire colony's worth of people trying to murder you for no reason. Still, the clearly armed foreign military presence put him instantly on edge. It was a sentiment apparently shared by the aliens as the tension in the air quickly grew thick. Prathus stepped forward, eyeing the assembled humans.
"Your intervention gave us the chance we needed to break through, humans. For that you have our thanks. However, I would very much like to know what you are doing here."
Myrddin frowned, and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Sona. "Isn't that something we should be asking you? Last I heard Xanadu was a human colony. What reason with the Empire have to send armed forces to a foreign nation?"
Prathus' expression was hidden behind his helmet, but even so Myrddin could feel the glare behind it. "Classified by the highest level of our Cadre, human."
"Oooh, mysterious."
"Sona." Myrddin cut in. The woman glanced at him and shrugged. "We're here to investigate the sudden blackout on this world. No communications have been heard from Xanadu in weeks."
"Your government sent you here?" Prathus asked. Myrddin hesitated, sharing a glance with Sona. It was a look that the Ahv caught. "I thought not. You are mercenaries, or treasure hunters. Here for whatever it is that lies within this excavation. The same reason we are here."
The tense atmosphere increased tenfold. Myrddin was mentally swearing in every language he knew, eyes snapping to each Ahv warrior as they formed up behind their captain. There wasn't much room to maneuver in this hallway. It would be a bloodbath of a firefight broke out.
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Post by Damien on May 18, 2017 15:40:10 GMT -5
"Okay, you caught us," said Miguel, slowly raising his hands to show he was no threat. "We may or may not be here in a treasure-hunter capacity, but we did decide on this place at least in part because of the communication blackout. Call us mercenaries or treasure hunters if you want, but believe me when I say that retrieving whatever is in this colony and returning it to the proper authorities of our government has always been at the top of our priority list. Any 'treasure' is just icing on the cake."
Vyn, while listening to the human, could feel something poking at his mind. An illusionist, hmm? he thought. I should have known. There's always at least one... "That's all 'fine and dandy', as you humans put it," he said aloud, "but your illusions and mind magic will not work on me. However, in spite of that, I believe you."
"You do?" Miguel asked, somewhat confused.
"I do. I believe that you believe that retrieving the work of this colony and returning it to your government are of top priority. However, I cannot say the same for your comrades. Regardless, I believe we should work together to get through this colony to what's being held here. Who knows what else we may find in terms of opposition? Not to mention that our combined number and skills will see us through this place much more quickly and easily." The last bit of his 'speech' was more directed at his own comrades, hoping to avoid any bloodshed...at least for the moment...
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Post by Sariel of Tevet on Jul 28, 2017 18:33:59 GMT -5
Tio stood back as he watched the hail of magic decimate, well, whatever those things were that had been attacking all of the groups here.
"Guess the way is clear now or something."
Without looking back, he waved his hand forward, gesturing for Mariko to follow. Tentatively, he made his way across the battlefield and was accosted by the occasional flashback to zombie movies and books that had been part of his childhood. Without breaking stride, Tio would casually conjure a flame to set some of the more visible husks on fire in the hopes that they smoldered to ash and wouldn't come back to be a thorn in their sides.
They reached the dig site, at last, and managed find a group of individuals, from what seems to be different factions, arguing about motives in the entryway.
"Well uh, as long as we are being honest here," he directed his speech towards Vyn, "we sort of just fell out of the sky so..."
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Post by Mizagium on Jul 30, 2017 22:50:03 GMT -5
Everything was all going to Hell.
Xeres kept pace with Myrddin's party, but only just. He disliked NAF as any true Son of Mars, but he disliked the Ahv even more. That was the thing, NAF were at least human - foolish and adversarial though they were, you could generally count on human motivations when dealing with them.
Ahv were something else - literally. Mars had only indirect dealings with the Ahv; the Throne had wisely decided to avoid all contact with the aliens so far. No one seemed to know what to make of them. They didn't know enough, not by half. An increasingly vocal minority in the populace and Court called for Xenocide, a complete eradication of the Ahv to protect human interests. But that was even more foolishness. The Ahv weren't just a rival faction.
The Ahv were another species, truly alien, with their own factions. The...Empire, if Xeres remembered correctly, was very large. No, Mars didn't know enough about them. What kept him from turning away, from going back to Princess Rigel and stealing the ship and getting away from this insanity, was now the prospect of learning more about the Ahv. Myrddin's squad was a decent cover for now, but his full attention was on Prathus. He barely registered Tio's arrival.
Patience, he reminded himself. Watch and learn.
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Post by Calefrun on Jul 30, 2017 22:52:13 GMT -5
Mariko buried her face in her palm after seeing Tio carelessly approach the group of strangers. She followed, but was careful to stay out of sight. After having just barely escaped the NAF, she wasn't about to let herself be captured by a bunch of mercenaries or whoever else.
Kayla considered saying something, but was having a hard time keeping up with everything that was happening, what with the crazy colonists, treasure hunters, and people suddenly appearing and joining the conversation. She looked to Cale, who appeared to be deeply focused on the events unfolding before them.
Unfortunately, she knew him better than that, and made the correct assumption that he was simply staring in a random direction while contemplating what his next meal would be.
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