A Fast Exit — Legacy Forums — Strolen's Citadel

Re: A Fast Exit

#401

The Lilarcor shuddered and shook as her neglected impulse drives fought with the thick atmosphere, trailing a rainbow of fiery hues. Clouds fled and bent and boiled and steamed as the freighter pierced their cover.
"This is what I live for!" Quan hollered from the bridge, the turbulent ride dithering his outline and distorting his voice.

Below them, vibrant blues and greens expanded across the field of vision; leathery wings carried scared fauna from the thick growth and massive hymenoptera buzzed in the moist air. The Lilarcor neared a stretch of sparsely overgrown coastline, and set down tangentially to the ground, plowing the planet's untouched surface with the force of man-made metal. Unceremoniously, it tore through growth and a pack of unfortunate critters, the heat of her engines setting the ground alight.

"Irina, get the Kotiri to build me a landing strip before our next visit, will you?"
Sunny unbuckled herself then, pecking Quan's cheek for the ... non-lethal landing. Still waiting to get her space legs, she was overjoyed at the feeling of genuine gravity, and pranced around with her cat.

The captain's attention was not focused on the pilot's jests, though. She eyed the bay doors intensely, nostrils wide. Her charges understood that this would be their way out, and mirrored her intensity with the full force of their feral minds. The Lilarcor ceased her heaving. Autumn and Jerome eyed the security cameras for any sign of the passengers wishing to stay.
Instead, Simargyll, the two-headed one, pushed the bay door release, apparently very content with himself as the massive metal responded.

Irina leaped atop the former captain, her long legs holding her firmly on its carapace. She turned to the camera as the pack around her stormed out with barely contained joy. "Crew, you have 72 hours of vacation, then we're heading into space again. The biosphere may be dangerous, so suit up, and go armed. The standard 20 amino-acids are out there, so if you cook it, feel free to eat it. I have some self-finding to do; if anything happens, I'm on my comm."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94gxd30xgVA

Re: A Fast Exit

#402

Autumn breathed a sigh of relief as the departure went without incident, deeply grateful to have the Kotiri off her ship, even if they had stopped trying to kill them a good while ago. She paused in thought at the captains offer, a part of her intrigued by the idea of hunting on the alien planet, a more cautious part of her recalling the ferocity of the Kotiri in space and having little wish to run into them in their native environment.

With a light growl at the memories she thumbed the intercom switch to the bridge, as she raised the cargo ramp remotely, "Ship secure, ending lock down, all personnel report to the mess hall." She quickly headed for the cafeteria, fasten the strap on her handguns holster and letting herself relax for the first time since they began the turbulent descent.

Re: A Fast Exit

#403

Sunny strolled into the mess hall, checking their meager food stores. "Do you think there's edible fruit close by? Perhaps a little basil, or mint?" Then, she resigned herself to drinking a fruit juice from concentrate (fruit, no special kind of fruit, just something made up to be kinda fruity).

Quan swung in from the hatch in the roof, Artemisia linked to his wrist computer and watching over the bridge. And that was it, the four of them.

Re: A Fast Exit

#404

Jerome did not welcome the stronger gravity. He had been in space too long, accustomed to the lower levels used aboard ship - not so low as to cause bone loss. He'd have to run his lungs a little stronger, something that he had to do a lot lately. Maybe he should get some grown - he thought about that from time to time. But that would be cheating.

Would make pulse grenades a little safer through.

He had a conventional rifle he grabbed from the armory. His rockets, aside from being limited in number, would not leave much of small prey behind. They were also loud as hell in an atmosphere.

"Anyone for hunting?"

Re: A Fast Exit

#405

"I'm not a very capable hunter myself, but..."
It was obvious that Sunny still was rather new to the concept of men and how to talk to them.
"... I would consider it very manly of you, and rather impressive, if you managed to haul in a kill or two. Otherwise, we're on protein goo and pasta until the next harbor. Spaceport."
"I am also reasonably fit, and not entirely incompetent outdoors, if you would prefer me to tag along in a subordinate role."

Quan smirked. "I'm entirely cool with not going outside. Too feral, too few bars, and the good doctor will not allow us to go suitless anyway."
"Hyper-evolved flesh-eating bacteria, I guess?"
Sunny nodded: "Those are likely. Parasites, predators, a variety of arthropods and fungi as well."
"See? It's better inside."

Re: A Fast Exit

#406

Autumn nodded at the suggest of a hunt, pausing as she recalled the overwhelming presence of cat smell in her refurbished space suit weighing it against the promise of fresh meats. "We'll need to sterilize anything we bring on board if the environment is hostile enough to require suits, but I'm up for hunt as well, it'll be nice to have some fresh meat for a chance." She nodded and rose to have hind paws, "We should stick together, this place is quite hostile and the scent of a kill will draw other predators, that way one of us can dress the kill while the other keeps an eye out."

Without further delay she headed to her quarters and suited up, borrowing a high powered rifle from the armory to compliment her usual load out before meeting the rest of the hunting party at the airlock and head out to restock their food supplies.

Re: A Fast Exit

#407

"Come on sunny, we were dancing with nukes and battleships just a short bit back. And yes, we should stick together. Don't want any hunting accidents..."

Re: A Fast Exit

#408

"But nukes are sterile" Sunny laughed.
"Regardless, have it your way, we all will need a thorough checkup after being on a pirate- and alien-infested ship regardless. Feel free to go suitless - or naked!"
Jerome raised one eyebrow. He could imagine Sunny running naked through woods. He'd bet she frolics, too.

They wandered into the woods, wary and cautious. The moist air was heavy with the smells of life - the growth and decay, sweet smell of fruit, the tang of blood and drama, the musk of sex.
The temperate rain forest extended into a convoluted canopy fifty feet above, except where fires or the fall of giants had carved swatches into its cover. There, fruit and flowers studded branches protruding into the light, bending them with their weight. Vibrant greens, purples and glossy black filled their vision, all glistening with moisture.

Small creatures fled or hid, rustling in the thick debris on the forest floor or melding with the plants, while massive herbivores grazed in the clearings. Reminiscent of plated lizards of Earth's prehistoric era, they gnawed on shrubbery confident in the protection bestowed by their interlocking plates. A vulgarly red flower resembling an open wound ensnared a careless lizard with tendrils of slime, and proceeded to probe its depths for whatever prize lay within. Membranous creatures floated hence and forth with undulating movements. Pulsing hives hung from branches, heavy with the bounty brought inside by their denizens, tiny jellyfish carried by sacs of gas.

Re: A Fast Exit

#409

(Note: The following took place in chat between Echo and myself earlier today and posted here after some slight editing.)

Earlier on board the Liracor...

Sunny greeted Autumn with a note of concern as she entered the med bay for her pre-hunt vaccinations, "The Kotiri are off the ship, and Quan actually appears to be a competent pilot. But *you* still seem bothered. Unless it is your basal state - which I don't think to be true. Entirely, that is."

Autumn shook her head, bearing her arm for the injection, "It's just, the way you spoke earlier, you seemed to consider planetary genocide a viable solution to a possible problem, it gave me cause for concern. Normally I would assume someone that made such a comment was jesting, but in your case, I was less than certain."

Usually, you try to solve problems, don't you?" Sunny smiled. "Why is my case so specific?" She then laughed. "Ah, the propaganda reaches far. Is this it?" She did not seem angry, just amused, with a deeper layer of a complex emotion Autumn could yet not judge. "Regardless, a genocide is a lot of effort, and implies you are targeting a specific genus of creature, based on whatever your agenda is."

Autumn paused at Sunny's question, a bit puzzled at her mention of propaganda. "Solving problems is in my nature, it's what makes me such a skilled mechanic, in your case I have.." She struggled to convey the feelings she had recently felt blossom for Sunny, "Grown fond of your companionship, more than as simply a friend."

The doctor sat on the infirmary's examination table, hands in her lap. "I do make rather decent company in better times, I've been told." "It is fairly obvious that you're stalking around prey that you would yet not jump - forgive the metaphor."

"It wasn't so much genocide, as the talk of casually unleashing a bio-plague on a planet or system struck me as.. One might say less than honorable." She admitted takling a half step closer.

"Is it honor that drives you? I never asked, never searched." Sunny inquired with a flick of her head tails.

Autumn nodded after a moments introspection. "Yes actually, but more a personal honor that a sense of honor to a cause or species."

"It's not a concept my culture uses overly much. Ethics, a sense of duty to a galaxy filled with life but also barbarism, a generosity of the better-off, those come to my mind easier." Sunny interjected with a slight smile.

"My loyalty is to any I would call mate and fore most, those I consider part of my pack secondly, and those I enter into contract with a third, it has served me well so far." Autumn replied, her own code of conduct one she had long since decided upon, but rarely voiced for others.

"But then, we did slay about fifty homo sapiens without pause. Did they need slaying?" Sunny asked her, gesturing in a random direction of space, the metaphorpical equivalent of the starship graveyard.

"It was us or them so yes, we had no other course available, nor would I have taken one had it been there honestly." She gave a toothy, slightly predatory grin.

Sunny leaned forward to run a finger across Autumn's chiseled abdominal muscles. "I don't doubt this."

"I have no hesitation about fighting any who seek conflict with me or mine." She pawed at a loose thread on her kilt before continuing, "But to unleash a bio weapon on a planet would kill those who sought no conflict with me, it feels.. cowardly but also excessive, bring death those who do not seek mine in return." Autumn felt herself relaxing under the woman's touch, despite the difficult topic.

"I don't wish to go into abstract justifications and play on words. I was a healer, a mother and sire, perhaps not with a formal oath, but with the sense of duty that comes with any of those callings. Death sucks, there's so much more beauty to what life can bring." She told autumn, a slight note of sadness entering her voice.

Autumn nodded in complete agreement, pausing as Sunny dragged the hound close, looking for something in her eyes. Autumn stared back without hesitation, gently running her duranium claws along Sunny's back.

Whatever she hoped to find, she did, as Sunny continued. "I cared far more, not too long ago. Honestly, I would not think much of setting a plague free now, for all it matters. Tell me my nihilism is unfounded, pointless, that some means to ends should be unexplored by the good guys."

Autumn gave her a slow firm squeeze, letting her emotions show in both actions as well as words, "If we cross those lines we cease to become the good guys, and the only difference between us and our foes is would be our ship designation, and a diminishing sense of self worth."

"I'm way over that line then, girl. Want to high-five with a war criminal?" She gave a brief grin at the joke, "Sometimes, there is no high ground, especially when you're a mother. There is no right or wrong, only us versus them. If I had a gun, I'd have killed them with it, a knife or a spoon or a freaking rock. All I had was a lab."

Autumn shook her head, "We have all done things we're not proud of, it's moving past those actions and not letting them define us that separates us from those we bare fangs and blade against."

"My kill count is somewhere around one and a half billion. Beat that," Sunny challenged her, "Not entirely intentionally, but still. I feel way less sorry than I probably should. I sometimes laugh because they died because they were stupid."

"When defending ones pack there are few lines I would not cross either, if it was my pack or a entire plants population I would choose my packs, simply because my pack would trust in me to put them above all else and to betray them is something I could never bring myself to do. You did what was necessary to protect the lives of those you loved, even if the results exceeded your intentions."

"So. Then the question is, would you think me more honorable if I had taken a knife and shanked every single last motherfucker on that planet personally, dragged them to from a throne-mountain of bone, and roared my triumph to the skies in triumph?" Regardless, it did not *work* because the Feds did not stop killing my people just because I killed a bunch of theirs."

"The specific actions are not what make you honorable, it's the motivation behind those actions that count, you acted to save your pack, in that there is honor, you used the weapons and tools available to do so, in your position I would have done no different."

Sunny looked at Autumn pointedly for a moment before continuing, "Because as you said, to the island that is the *I*, the closest, loved shores matter. I'd love to have the moral high ground once more, the idealism, the pervading humanism. All I have now is a few gadgets, this suit, my snarky comments - and you. And really, funnily enough, that's enough."

"It's not enough to simply survive, I did that on Black Water station when I was a pup, but now, after seeing the wonders of the universe, I've come to understand one needs to live their life in a manner worthy of self respect, and hopefully leave the universe, or at the very least the piece of it they call home, a little brighter place than it was when they entered it." Finding others to share that journey is the key that makes the challenges and difficulties during the rest worth while."

"Fair enough, I can live with that. Not entirely on the level of a Hippocratic oath, but it's a solid start." She gave Autumn a long kiss. "Improving the universe one saliva exchange at a time."

Autumn returnsed the kiss eagerly, letting some of her primal desire and the swell of bestial passion take hold, but only for a moment.

"One last thing," Sunny continued, "If the crew ever considers selling me to the Feds, the 100 K credits on my head may look nice until you consider that they basically value one of their dead guys at 0.0067 cents a pop. What sort of deal is that?"

Autumn growled, suddenly tense, "If the crew ever attempts to sell one of our own, the one proposing such a action with any degree of sincerity will find themselves greeting the pale hound before their next breath!" She snarled slightly at the imaginary threat, a hand dropping reflexively to her hand cannon. "No one I serve with will place profit above pack, ever!"

Sunny gave her an apologetic smile, "Sorry for spoiling the mood."

Autumn lowered her ears and gave Sunny an cringed slightly, "It's okay, I get over protective of those I call pack, even more so when it concerns those I wish to call life mate." She lowered her head and looked to the side in embarrassment, realizing she had spoken far more than intended in her moment of emotional excess.

Sunny started cheekily at first, "I passionately, perversely enjoy when you let your feral side surface. These moments make me wish you could somehow knock me up..." she reached out to grab the hound by her behind... then, Autumn's confession came, wiping the grin off Sunny's face. "Autumn, don't be... I... flattered, oh... there's a hunt on."

Autumn paused for a half a second, mentally debating how to properly respond to prevent an pervasive awkwardness from tainting their hunt with Jerome. "Yes, and after we're done hunting on the planet, there'll be a second hunt in my quarters, with a very enticing quarry." She leaned in and gave a playful lick to the side of Sunny's face, spinning about and slapping the medics leg with her tail, following it up with a mischievous grin over her shoulder and hurrying to the airlock, content to forget her unintentional confession moments ago, and instead focus on the enjoyment of Sunny's continued companionship until a later time; when a better opportunity presented itself...

Re: A Fast Exit

#410

The better part of the day had gone by hunting; the beasts of the thick woods not used to the concept of death riding a sliver of lead, but Jerome and the band still found challenges: a predator resembling a smilodon in denture and temper would not cease its appetite for the band's calories after less than ten bullets, a vicious ooze creature seemed to mind the bullets even less, and halted its fluent advance only after Sunny's needler spread its central nerve cluster across the general vicinity.

The freezers aboard the Lilarcor filled neatly with meat, and the second day was likely to haul in even more.

Standing atop a felled fat omnivore, skinning knife ready and the ladies on the look-out for anything lured in by the kill, Jerome heard his communicator beep.
Irina.
He picked up, routing it to the speaker.
As if she was speaking to a petulant child, Irina explained: "Yes, my ship can take you to the stars, to other worlds."
The camera was not showing the captain's face, instead displaying the planet's grass and a part of her thumb.
"Not that you would know what to do there, simple as you are you'd be just prey."
A guttural growl increased in intensity, shaking the communicator with its basso overtones, the warning clear.
"The rest of my pack will come soon."
"They are dead by now." a deep, irritated growling voice commented.
"Then I'll take yours!"
"I rule!", the voice roared, followed by Irina's gasp, and the sounds of struggle.

The comm laid on the ground, showing but the peaceful sky. The fight faded in the distance.

Re: A Fast Exit

#411

Autumn looked up in alarm, hoping Jerome had a prescience of mind to record conversations by default. "By the sounds of it our good captain is vying for control of a second pack of Kotiri to replace her current one, which makes me worry about her current mental state, and if she's still our captain." She shook her head and growled in displeasure.

"Jerome can you track the location of her communicator? We should scout out where she is and figure out what;s going on with her, if she's more Kotiri than human it may be prudent to take the Lilacor and leave system before she boards it with a contingent of them and heads out to conquer near by star systems, if she;s still human then we'll need to rescue her, somehow, unless someone else has a better idea."

She paused and stared back towards the direction of the ship, briefly wondering if they could make it back before the Kotiri or if they would need to retake the Lilacor a second time. "Regardless let's hurry back to the ship, we can work out details on the way, how many of those gun and bomb drones do you have left Jerome? Sunny, any chance of making some kind of fast acting nerve toxin that would incapacitate the Captain and Kotiri without killing the captain before you could administer an antidote?" Assuming no one objected, she immediately set a quick pace towards their ship with her friends, keeping a wary eye out for any Kotiri scouts that may be keeping tabs on them.

Re: A Fast Exit

#412

As they walked, Jerome opened his pda, looking for a status report of the systems. He had to know what they were walking into...

Re: A Fast Exit

#413

Dead by now..

"They've sent someone out after us, keep on your toes Autumn..."

Can I reach the Liacor? Can I tap into its sensors?

Re: A Fast Exit

#414

Jerome frantically pawed at his PDA, Quan coming through clear and jolly: "My man, you look terrible - sweaty, bloody and dirty. Enjoying the planet so far?"
"Quan, shut up and rout me to the sensors, now!"
"Yes, my master" the pilot started the data feed, slurping on a straw in a can. It was clear where the soda stash had gone.
On the scanner, a blip could be seen - man-sized creature, or larger, nearing the Lila.

Sunny meanwhile lectured the hound: "I don't think you exaclty know how science works. I studied the Kotiri samples a little, but a research effort into such a complex species would take a team and years. Your best bet is to get them to eat cyanide - they're after all an oxygen-breathing 20 amino acid species, with stomach acid; there's a good chance they'll drop after that. Pretty irreversible, though."
"If you need, I could brew up something to knock out or dear captain specifically - she's human enough for that, especially the brain - or I could bet that the Kotiri are similar enough to us, and brew up a paralyzing gas that will work on us, and might or might not work on them."

When she paused, they realized - the forest was quiet, save for the thrashing sound of a massive creature breaking through the undergrowth a few hundred meters behind them at a running pace, growling, huffing, making sounds that were hungry and wet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vU7XqToZso

Re: A Fast Exit

#415

"Quan, could you please revoke command authority from Irina and put Autumn as acting captain. Also, full alert and send a combat drone to my location. Quickly."

Jerome was unslinging his rocket rifle. The conventional slugthrower he was hunting with would not do for this job.

"Spread out, lets not give it too easy a target."

Once it is close enough, firing a burst at thigh/knee level unless its smaller than a rhino, in which case center mass. I'll trust you to make the rolls :P

Re: A Fast Exit

#416

"Will do" Quan chirped. "But I hope we'll keep Irina anyway - my charms seem wasted on the dog and the doc."
Sunny interjected: "I thought Irina knew her way around the Lila, and with the computers."
"So?" Jerome replied absentmindedly, bracing the rocket rifle and aligning the sights.
"Artemisia, captain Irina quits, Autumn is the new captain as of ... now" Quan slammed enter.
"I cannot do that, Quan" the cat replied, and a *fritz* could be heard, followed by the dull *thud* of a falling body.
Sunny raised a finger: "That's why."

The thundering beast could be heard approaching behind one of the forest's titans, slamming against it with all its bulk, winged creatures of all sorts bursting forth from its canopy.
"What is it doing?" Autumn asked, puzzled, claws half-drawn.
Rolled a 4 for the stealth of the remaining Kotiri, and a solid 100 for your spot check. Sorry. Surprise round!
"Distracting us" Sunny screamed as the predators descended upon them in a flurry of claws and teeth.
Jerome was grateful again for his heavy suit as the sickle-like claws of his adversary drew sparks from the metal.
Autumn was less fortunate, as a six-limbed creature dropped from the canopy, sinking its razor fangs into her shoulder.
Only Sunny escaped underfoot of the brute intent on knocking her to dreamland, and scampered up a tree to relative safety.

Re: A Fast Exit

#417

With a snarl of fury Autumn plunged her dagger into the creatures throat, her other paw letting go of the hunting rifle, its bulk making it unwieldy in close quarters, instead drawing her hand cannon for a point blank shot to either the Kotiri on top of her, or the one attacking Sunny if her melee attack had slain the monstrosity, confident Jerome had more than enough chrome to handle his aggressor without the added risk of her shots potentially hitting him.

For the dagger strike: (06:01:17) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 8.
For the hand cannon blast: (06:04:39) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 63.

Re: A Fast Exit

#418

Reacting as quickly as his training allowed, he lashed out one of his blades - the term had two means and he meant to exercise both - both to injure and to put enough distance for him to fire on his attacker...

Again, trusting to your rolls. Kick attack with prosthetic limb.

Re: A Fast Exit

#419

Autumn found herself rolling in the undergrowth, struggling to land a decisive blow. The creature atop her understood the gleaming knife well enough as its blade slid down its scales, and pinned down the hound, its fingers akin to a vice, as it sank its fangs into her shoulder. Autumn expected searing pain, yet the wound felt dull - akin to her senses. She began to feel strangely warm, and not only from the brawl.
Two health levels of damage, Autumn. The critter is unhurt. Blame my dice.

Jerome would not let some half-brained alien spoil his hunt, and whipped the many-eyed face with the butt of his rifle so hard that all of the eyes squinted; he then proceeded to kick the softest-looking spot on the beast, sent it sprawling, and pumped the lithe body full of slugs, grinning. Meat could not stand up to metal.
That's when the neglected Kotiri brute got hold of the gloating trooper, finding him easier prey than the elusive doctor. The massive hands grabbed him in a strangle-hold, the soldier's armor and bones beginning to creak.
Critical hit, 2 heath levels of damage.

Where the hell was Sunny?

Instead of the doctor, the plated monstrosity stepped out from behind its tree, an unholy mixture between lizard and beetle, its sleek head withdrawn between the shoulder plates at first, then eagerly stretching out on a long slimy neck, clacking its jaws that revealed an array of appendages within its maw whose purpose was best left to imagination.

Re: A Fast Exit

#420

Autumn Snarled in anger, pressing her hand cannon against the beast body and yanking the trigger repeatedly until the hammer fell on empty chambers.

(I'll trust your rolls as well it seems to be having good luck for Jerome. 8) )

Re: A Fast Exit

#421

Even if he couldn't get the long arm's barrel pointed at the beast, he just needed to get it close.

Each rocket that emerged from the tube had a powerful backblast, the reason it could only be safely used by armored soldiers. Jerome took advantage of this now, hoping to at least force the thin to let go.

Attempting to use the rocket blasts to blind it, if I can't target it directly...

Re: A Fast Exit

#422

Autumn was struggling to reach her gun, trapped in an unpleasantly intimate embrace with the creature atop her. The beast's musk seeped into her nostrils very much like its slime and saliva seeped into her skin, its arms constricting, denying her every move. The warmth spread from the wound and her vision began to swim as the toxins took their course. She fired one shot into the air, then another, not managing to align the barrel with the adversary wrapped around her, then, with seemingly irresistible force, a clawed hand pushed her arm down, pointing the barrel away.
(22:40:19) Minion: EchoMirage rolls 1d100 and gets 1. Kotiri rolls a critical success to oppose Autumn's attempt. Autumn takes three heath levels of damage (only good thing is that these will wear off, if she lives).
As the poison dragged her closer to sleep, so did the creature drag her deeper into the woods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plxn9oRNmlQ#t=122

Jerome struggled as the massive beast approached, the smaller brute holding him fast. I had a few tavern brawls that went like this. Not losing his cool, he fired a rocket into the woods, the hot gases sending the beast reeling, then another into the apish reptile. The rocket went in. It splattered in a burst of gore and smoke, boiled guts hanging from branches. Almost instantly, insects descended upon the unexpected meal. "Go hug your mom in hell." No concept of personal space, these things.
Just as he turned around, the large monstrosity charged, its head hidden between its powerful shoulders, the neck withdrawn, its arms grasping from above as monstrous cranes, from below as hands of the damned.
Nonchalantly, the soldier stepped aside. He had seen tanks that were more nimble.

Sunny was still nowhere. Was she taken already? Did she run, abandoning them?

Re: A Fast Exit

#423

With a final push of inner strength she lunged forward and sun her fangs into the beast neck, trusting her duranium teeth and augmented muscles would allow her to pierce the scaly hide and get to the vulnerable arteries beneath.

We should have air-locked the lot of them during our orbital reentry, would of saved so much pain and.. death.

Re: A Fast Exit

#424

A regular clusterfuck, thought Jerome as he brought his rifle to bear on the big on. Semi-auto. Make each shot count. Base of the spine should do, even something as big as that.

The rockets had another problem in an atmosphere - they were dreadfully loud. Good thing he had the helmet on.

Foosh - Bam!

Re: A Fast Exit

#425

There is something satisfying in a rocket hitting home, especially such an armored beast. The pressure wave distorts its shape in the most interesting ways, and one can observe the physics in motion - plates bend slightly, but the joints, the points of least resistance, that's where the body gives and the evaporated insides escape. The creature's clacking head landed in the bushes way beyond, propelled by the force of the blast.

"This the best your evolution can offer?" he jested, only to hear a quip from above: "They will evolve to deal better with firearms soon, I believe. Especially if more civilized folk come around. Also, little help here?"
Sunny was hanging head down, one foot tangled in a vine of some sorts, suspended between two trees, giving an apologetic shrug.

Autumn and her adversary rolled downhill, her head a blur, the vision a blur, just the instinct to kill still awake. Luckily, her imagination was too drugged to provide her with all the possibilities of why they might want her alive. She clawed at it, pawed, tore into the flesh, until it was uncertain who hunted whom. Blood flowed from both freely, until they couldn't tell which was whose, claws and teeth blurred, tore through the undergrowth, two beasts temporarily set their thoughts aside.
Autumn was uncertain whether she had won; she didn't know what there was to win. Or where there was. Or who she was.

All went dark, save the thought of a glimmering figure, gracious, slender, a dancing fey that dragged the hound back into consciousness. Sunny. She was out there in the woods, likely lost, possibly hurt.
Autumn dragged herself back into consciousness, to see the beast dragging her form towards a canyon. She made it bleed - and she could make it bleed again.

Re: A Fast Exit

#426

"How the fu.." Jerome trailed off, wondering how to get him down that didn't involve either of them breaking their necks. Where was Autumn? It was suddenly too quiet.

How big are the trees ?

Re: A Fast Exit

#427

Autumn raised her head slowly, the wash of pain informing he she wasn't dead yet, no doubt a slight disappointment to the pale hound, a disappointment she hoped to alleviate by sending it a fresh Kotiri. Slowly she reached down and grasped the butt of her hand cannon, grateful her combat reflexes had holstered it earlier before she tore into the creature with claw and fang, taking care to ease it from its housing quietly, the creatures bulk coiled int he corner where it seemed to be preparing a nest of some kind.

She pulled back her teeth in a bloody snarl, thumbing back the hammer and flicking the round designator to the 12 gauge flechette cartridge, the green laser sight winking to life on the things neck as it paused, turning to look at the sound of of feral fury as Autumns growl rose in intensity. She gave the monstrosity a wink as she pulled the trigger, the booming snap of the round tripping her cybernetic sound cut off as the steel darts all but vaporized the creatures neck, flaying the scales from its skull and transforming the eye sockets into a slurry of gushing blood and brain matter.

"Evolve to over come that you yellow scaled shit pail." She spat at the creature, taking a moment to reload her cannon before walking over and using her dagger to remove the front fangs and claws of the creature, a few trophies of the near death battle couldn't hurt. As she worked she keyed her suit radio, surprised to find it still functioned. "This is Autumn, anyone still alive? Sound off! Over."

Re: A Fast Exit

#428

Jerome was happy to hear her voice. He had forgotten such devices existed apparently.

"Jerome reporting. Still breathing, and our good doctor is alive, though arborized. Ewok style trap got her."

Re: A Fast Exit

#429

Autumn nodded, before realizing the motion was wasted over the radio, the pain of her own injuries intensifying now the adrenaline charge of combat was ebbing. "Glad to hear you're both still alive, also what's an Ewok?" She pocketed the teeth and fangs, taking quick stock of her surroundings and attempting to calculate the path back to her friends before deicing to simply follow the tail of Kotiri and Hyena blood to their location.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, tell the doc to get the med bay prepped I'm going to certainly need it. Again."

Re: A Fast Exit

#430

"Fictional creature with hunter-gatherer tech level.. I'll probably need a hand getting her down the slow way."

Re: A Fast Exit

#431

Autumn took a breath before replying, "Roger that, my claws should allow me to climb and my injuries should allow it before I find myself incapacitated." She pulled a stim patch from her emergency medical kit and applied it to the inside of her thigh where the fur was thinnest, the rush of endorphin's and painkillers mixing with the combat drugs to give her a temporary surge of energy.

"Just watch my back while I climb up and retrieve her, I won't be able to fight while getting her down."

Re: A Fast Exit

#432

"This is no trap, merely a naturally occurring convoluted *oof* tangle of foliage *ungh* which, coupled with a bout of clumsiness on my part, led to my... *snicker* involvement. I am ever so sorry for the inconvenience, Jerome."

Over Jerome's voice from the comm, sounds of battle emanated from the gorge, deep roars, clattering of rocks, hisses.
Gunfire, each shot paced, followed by ever angrier bellows. A stony spire protruding from the gorge shook, then toppled after another impact.
A brisk breeze carried the stench of blood over to Autumn, firing her body up as much as the applied stimulants.
Autumn recovers two health levels from the stimulants counteracting the sleeping toxin. I'll prompt her to recover at further points in time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvIUyWt7KEk

Re: A Fast Exit

#433

Autumn paused as the scent of fresh blood reached her nostrils, quietly diverting her course to get a closer look, taking the time to unsling the high powered hunting rifle from her back and grasp it steadily, trusting the scope would give her a clearer image of any distant carnage as she crept towards the gorges lip, peering cautiously over the side and keeping an eye on the tree tops and other points of likely ambush

Stealth to sneak up to the gorge edge without being spotted (20:38:39) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 19.

Perception to spot the fight and any ambushes (20:39:24) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 4.

Re: A Fast Exit

#434

The canyon was beautiful in a fashion - layers upon layers of sediment unveiled by a river's force, untouched fossils protruding from the stone in abundance. It was warm even on this temperate day, the stone absorbing the sun's rays eagerly.
Its beauty was marred by a multitude of corpses, strewn around as carelessly scattered toys, the air heavy with buzzing and the stench of death. Any ecosystem capable of doing so will evolve an exceedingly annoying fly-equivalent it seemed.

Captain Cherenkov lied there, his massive body torn open by brutish force, the light in all of his extinguished, even the human ones. At least he was at rest. Most of those present, Autumn could not identify. Only there, Simargyll laid, still alive, barely so.
"Hail, Hound" one head said.
"Irina alive" the other added.
The gunshots from deeper within the gorge alluded to this - unless the Kotiri had meanwhile learned to use guns.

Re: A Fast Exit

#435

Autumn gave it a regretful nod, fearing it was well beyond any aid her limited medical expertise could provide, with a saddened look she drew her hand cannon and pointed the barrel at the creatures head, speaking softly, "I can make your journey to greet the pale hound much less painful if you prefer." She waited a moment for its response the indication it wished to leave coming through in a raspy voice.

With a nod she knelt down and quickly assessed the creatures wounds, applying a tranq patch and applying a spray on adhesive to the worst of the injures, a quick nano suture injection helping to alleviate any internal bleeding it may be suffering. "Great thing about modern med kits, they let you keep fighting in the field, still no substitute for a real doc but your Kotori physiology should allow you to recover in time." She told the creature giving it a reassuring pat on it's uninjured flank and quickly hurrying towards the sound of the gunfire, keeping alert for another ambush and filling Jerome and Sunny in on the situation over her comlink.

Re: A Fast Exit

#436

All hell was breaking loose and he was babysitting a doctor pretending to be a Christmas ornament.

He brought up his commlink.

"Hello Lila. Sorry about the miss-communication previous. Human error. In any case, if you want to help your captain, direct your sensors to this location " , sending his best guess based on the sounds, "and do something to help her."

Jerome pulled out his utility knife and held it in his off hand. Then
"Brace yourself Sunny", said Jerome, and fired a single rocket into the base of one of the far tree holding up Sunny.

Intent is to bring one of the two down, so Sunny swings low enough Jerome can catch her and cut her free. No more waitin' around...

Re: A Fast Exit

#437

"I have your position now, treacherous dog!" Artemisia enthusiastically replied. Oh well, at least she was headed their way, from the sound of engines that could be heard in the distance. Jerome briefly wondered where Irina learned to hijack security software and override safety switches - only to realize they did pick her up on a smuggler vessel.

Simargyll gave Autumn a grateful lick or three, but then turned his head towards the gorge again, rapt for any sounds that would tell him how his leader was faring.

Re: A Fast Exit

#438

"Treacherous dog?" Autumn asked over the comlink, one ear bending in confusion, "Is Artesmisia on our side, or trying to kill us?" She asked her companions, moving at in a four legged run towards the most recent sounds of gun fire, keeping her senses alert for any further ambushes, her concern their only ride off the rock had gone homicidal a very unsettling thought.

Re: A Fast Exit

#439

"Um, it seemed a good idea at the time. Hopefully Irina can sort things out..." said Jerome as he again tried to chop a tree down with a rocket...

Re: A Fast Exit

#440

The tree fell, releasing Sunny on a swinging wine. Whenever there was an overgrown forest, someone was *bound to swing on a wine*. Law of the jungle, and all that.
Though it was a temperate rain forest more than a jungle. Jerome was pretty sure the AI had meant him with its exclamation. It seemed to be a day of missed metaphors. 'At least not one of missed doctors' Jerome thought as Sunny landed in his arms, giving a decidedly girlish giggle. With the longevity treatments Veradani was famed for, she might have been anywhere between thirty and sixty, though.

"Let's move" Jerome added, "Autumn is way ahead."
There would be enough time to wonder about age when they knew they'd live to be a little older.

Autumn stumbled into the gorge, and felt adrenaline and the stimulants push her poisoned body forward. 'It takes more to keep *this* &^%$@ down' she growled and picked up pace.

She recognized one or two Kotiri corpses from those she rescued, but most were missing - had they fled? Were they hiding? Or were they watching who would emerge as victor?

Unerringly, Autumn ran towards the roars and gunfire. She turned a corner, to be faced with a scaled biped of feminine proportions firing a decidedly Terran weapon at a beast of fable and legend - next to fifty feet long, its features decidedly carnivorous, its head draconic, its skin covered with layers of plates, it charged forward at its adversary, bleeding from a multitude of gunshot wounds, yet not terribly inconvenienced.
"It's about time you showed up" the figure laughed as the gun in her hand clicked empty. "Some guys don't understand when a no really means no."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah7sWtnOJvQ

"Who'd your daddy?"
The beast charged.