A Fast Exit — Legacy Forums — Strolen's Citadel

Re: A Fast Exit

#321

Autumn growled at the impact, the sudden chirping alarm in the suit adding to the stress of the situation as she quickly slapped an emergency patch over the suit rupture while leaning back behind cover, the sight of Quan doubled over giving her pause as she flung the captains now empty service pistol in the direction of an attacker, hoping the speeding projectile would prove more of a distraction than causing any actual damage.

Quickly drawing her hand cannon she triggered a single shot at the farthest of the two foes, her free hand grasping the hilt of one of her combat blades and she drew and flung the weapon, remembering in the vacuum and zero G of space to hurl the knife as a straight throw, the traditional spin an unnecessary addition to the attack.

Death in battle, far better an end than waiting for old age and the march of time to rob one of their usefulness, if indeed this fight is to be my last, let me greet the White Hound with a snarl of fury and the honor of dying for those I call pack mate!

To patch the suit: Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 63.
To throw the empty pistol: Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 72.
For the revolver shot: Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 52.
To Throw the knife throw Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d100 and gets 3.

Re: A Fast Exit

#322

After dropping the 2 Fed's, Irina charged toward the position of the crew, she had seen a smattering of red mist escape the canine mechanics suit. That's nasty, get it patched soon girl! Nasty, but survivable.

Crouching behind cover and taking aim steadily whilst their backs were turned, Irina loosed her 4 remaining shots, 2 into the one that had downed Quan, and another 2 at those attacking the mechanic. That'll give her some time and they'll need to decide where to shoot.

Click! Cheap tech! That Armory needs upgrading. Down again! Tac-Reload! Get a move on!

For the 4 shots in order of description: (14:29:21) Minion: Kassy rolls 4d100 and gets 20,36,90,53.
Not sure if I can or if necessary but just in case you need one (for the fast reload):(14:31:10) Minion: Kassy rolls 1d100 and gets 75. (Guess I botched that one..

Re: A Fast Exit

#323

Having run out of targets, Irina vaulted over the fortifications, her balance unfazed by the weightlessness. The soldier beating down Quan raised his head in surprise, catching her predatory gaze, flinching. Prey. She grinned, and her shot burrowed deep. The man coughed up blood into his helmet, red mist concealing his face, then convulsed one last time. There will be enough time to feast later.

The other man's armor held off the glancing hit - and then another from Autumn. Irina's gun clicked empty, as did Autumn's cannon.
The dog-morph's suit leaked air as she attempted to scamper off, to affix the patch, the soldier, sensing wounded prey, in swift pursuit, a wicked monowire blade drawn.

Nonchalantly, Sunny tripped him in his lunge with a sweep of her legs, the slender limbs at a far lesser disadvantage against the bulky man under weightless conditions.

Nonplussed, he fell upon Autumn, attempting an apologetic grin, when the hound stabbed his belly with a snarl. His youthful face filled with shock, eyes wide, as he fumbled to escape, unsuccessfully.

"May I *now* patch my suit? Thanks." Autumn growled, but save for that, the corridor was still. Death's dominion was again near unchallenged in Desdemona's innards, save the haggard band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuDipDU0jCQ

"Come on, Quan needs an infirmary, and you're next" Sunny turned to them. "And find Jerome - I fear for him, very much so. But I would know of his fate, and avenge his death."

Re: A Fast Exit

#324

Autumn gave Sunny a nod giving Quan a quick appraisal, "Do a 1/2 second face plate lift, the quick exposure to vacuum will purge the vomit from the helmet and let him breath without being long enough to cause any noticeable harm." She suggested, quickly reloading her hand cannon and sheathing her blades, pausing long enough to retrieve a nearby floating rifle and ensuring it was fully loaded.

"I'm going after Jerome, I'll meet you in the med bay once I've located him and seen to his rescue or recovery." She gave Irina a nod, gesturing to the near by floating weaponry. "Gear up and come with, if Jerome went to meet the White Hound ahead of us we owe him a packs vengeance."

With a kick of her legs she pushed herself towards his last reported location, ignoring the pain of her own injuries for now, the concern for her comrade in arms greater than any personal needs.

Re: A Fast Exit

#325

Jerome was shaking as he entered the hanger bay once more. His service had involved mostly directing carnage from afar, and usually against enemy robots. Not usually against flesh and blood.

As the airlock repressurized, Jerome got on the intercom.

"Jerome Reporting, Bomb and external boarding party neutralized. Where do you need me? Over."

Re: A Fast Exit

#326

"It's him!" Sunny cheered into the comm. "Jerome, you wouldn't believe how we had missed you. It's rather nice that you didn't die on us yet. Very considerate."
"Roll out the red carpet, we're coming on board."

Re: A Fast Exit

#327

"I'll meet you in med bay Sunny, and glad to hear you're still this side of the great expanse Jerome!" Autumn barked into the com, quickly diverting her route back to the Liracor where she expected to meet Sunny in Medbay for some much needed medical attention. "Once everyone's back in actionable status we can work on organizing a salvage detail for the Fed com ships, the Prize and whatever else we find of worth the Dessy won;t mind us loading onto the Liracor."

Re: A Fast Exit

#328

Pausing only to grab another floating rifle. Any upgrade being better than none, though the six-shooter from the deceased crewmember of her Lilacor had served well enough thus far.

"That's my Lila out there mechanic! Not Lira", she grinned behind her visor, hoping the canine appreciated her sense of humor.

"Let's get everyone back to her and checked over, salvage anything of use that you carry comfortably on the way out." I'll need to check on the status of that incoming ship also, best get that done, pronto.

They had survived. A little battered, but in good enough condition to stay in the fight. You are never, ever, out of the fight! The distant words of her Arkonese father echoing in the depth of her mind.

Re: A Fast Exit

#329

The Lila welcomed them, her insides much more familiar and less ominous than the first time they had visited her. Even the Kotiri were in plain sight; the many-headed lizard welcomed Irina with tempestous affection, much akin to a canine who had come to believe that his master would never come back, only to find him standing at the door.
The Captain welcomed them as well, nodding to Irina: "The captain is on board."

Quan, still deep in traumatized slumber, was laid down in the infirmary, the oxygen mask covering his pale face; with a stern gaze, Helia made Autumn strip and lay down on the table.
"I will not have any more of this talk about 'sewing your own wounds'. You have been shot, clawed, burned, and took an explosion at... face value. So be a good girl, dog, or both, and sit still for a minute."
"Bite me."
"I would advise against that - my fangs have a toxic, not anaesthetic, payload."
They laughed, before Autumn winced as Helia started dressing her wounds. Apologetically, she pricked Autumn's behind with a needle, and the hound awoke as she finished, discarding the bloody gloves into the trash chute.

Amongst indignant protests, Sunny dragged off Jerome to have his health checked as well - but his difficulties were of mostly mecanical nature. Smiling as the painkillers made rounds in his system and the out-of-sync lung finally adjusted to its living counterpart, he finally brought the legs to obey him again.

Irina held the bridge, her eyes fixed upon the approaching swarm of signals. The Lila forwarded her the visuals - a swarm of sleek combat drones and light robotic attack craft surrounded the Swanmay, her long neck extending forward from her unfurled metal wings, though she appeared more predatory than a hapless swan, especially with the two particle projector cannons running down her entire length.

The drones swarmed inside the Desdemona, and Irina saw energy discharges flare up on the sensors.

The frigate separated from the flock and came to rest next to the docked Lilarcor.
Unlike the freighter, the vessel was optimized for combat, and Irina's sensor readings picked up not only the prow particle batteries, but active lasers along the ship's sides, and armed torpedo tubes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q7khidSleo
Wait. Why was the ship *broadcasting* the information that four tubes contained conventional scatter laser warheads, and two were nuclear?
But - its gravitic sheath was disengaged, much unlike a ship readying itself for combat.

Re: A Fast Exit

#330

Autumn looked over at Sunny and gave her a thumbs up, eyeing the faint surgical marks with approval. "Good as new, what about Quan and Jerome?" She looked over at Quan's unconscious form with concern looking over at Jerome with a second nod. "If your chrome needs any work, let me know I'll take a look at it as soon as we're in hyperspace."

With a soft growl she donned her clothing and re-affixed her weapon belt and tools, thoughts turning to more immediate concerns.

"Dessy, sit rep!" She barked into her com, tightening her gloves fastens and adjusting the seals around her claw tips. "Unless anyone disagrees I suggest we make salvaign the Prize our top priority, I;m not the only one with personal effects over there, and the rations and spare parts will come in handy on our new ship."

Re: A Fast Exit

#331

Wiping the Kotiri greeting from her shoulders, Irina acknowledged him back with an affectionate grin. Indeed. The Captain is on board.

That's quite a procession headed our way. Marveling at the sight of the approaching Morskoi fleet, stunned at their size and dangerous beauty as the frigate parked alongside. Although the Swanmay was heavily armed, her lowered shielding reassured Irina, the array of weaponry more a deterrent that a threat at this present time. She's running hot tubes... How large an opposing force did they expect to encounter, that they had readied their nuclear torpedoes?

"Autumn! What's the Desdemona saying? I've got flares of energy coming from the drones. Did we miss anyone?" Cloaking?

Re: A Fast Exit

#332

"We should also check out the second frigate that docked with Dessy. We shoved a shuttle up it's ass, but it may still be alive or there might be survivors to deal with."

Re: A Fast Exit

#333

A desperate S.O.S. and late surrender echoed on all frequences.
"This is the TFS Murdoch! Pirate vessel, we surrender, I repeat, we surrender! Recall the drones!"

Irina looked at the comm. Now they were surrendering.

"Surrender not accepted" came a curt reply from the Swanmay, a measured, masculine voice. Energy spiked in the torn bowels of the Desdemona; the distress call went abruptly silent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu6mhPGhEmY

Do androids dream of electric sheep? Can circuits compute affection?
The Desdemona seemed capable of hope as she noted, with a girlish cheer in her synthetic voice: "Life aboard the Swanmay confirmed, paladin. Quaestor Corian is still captain. And the blood, frozen in my halls, the heritage of my people carries, shielded by my body from the merciless shine of space."

The channel from the Swanmay opened, the golden flaming hammer emblazoned on scarlet background claiming the comm screen.
Artemisia purred: "Murr. Shall I put them through?"

Re: A Fast Exit

#334

Autumn gave the crew a concerned look shaking her head, "This is where the ruse may fall apart, with luck the Dessy A.I and Swanmay crew will understand the reasoning behind my deception. I was going to try and convince them Rhombus had departed to the Dessy somewhere, but I realized the A.I would show them voice print and a picture of me should they inquire about the paladins status so that's a doomed idea."

"Put them through Artesmia." She adjusted her uniform slightly and pulled herself to her full height. "Here's hoping they have no clue what Paladin Rhombus used to look like any more than the Dessy A.I did." She told the crew giving the vid screen her best professional expression.

Re: A Fast Exit

#335

The screen flared, revealing the confined bridge of a military vessel, the seats for the officers spread out akin to the wings of the eagle adorning the door, to the captain's sides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwP6JwgCnok
The central seat was occupied, by a light power suit of red and gold. The aquiline helmet was polished to a blazing silver, the sidearms - a plasma rifle and an autocannon - were strapped into the seat next to it.

"Rhombus. I had always believed you were a son-of-a-beech, but you didn't have to seek out surgery to conform to my unvoiced belief" the melodic basso voice greeted them mockingly.
"Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!" he inquired, and gathered as much as he needed to know from their confused faces.

"As long as any ship, any man flies the banner of Morskoi, the legacy lives on. And I have seen that the hostilities between us and the Federation of Sol have not ceased, despite the time ... my crew has spent in stasis. You are not Federate, nor their lapdogs - if you were, you would be squealing about your 'rights' by now, claiming Sol's vengeance for any bruise upon your hides. So, speak what you are, and be swift. The Fatherland needs my time more than you."

Re: A Fast Exit

#336

Autumn closed her eyes for a second, gathering her thoughts and deciding a edited version of the truth in this case would likely serve better than more attempts at deception.

"I am first officer Autumn Shadow of the free trade ship Lilacor, our purpose here was the rescue of a comrade in distress, hostile forces necessitated the improvisation of solutions to ensure the survival of ourselves, and the Desdemona A.I." She paused and gestured to her fellow crew mates on the bridge. "We seek no conflict with you or the Morskoi, and desire only to depart this region in peace after finishing our salvage of the decommissioned free trade ship Hollens Prize from near by wreckage."

Re: A Fast Exit

#337

A brief flash of indignation washed across Irina's face as Autumn answered the incoming transmission from the Swanmay, before being replaced by her usual impassive mask. She shows initiative, and is clearly handling the situation well. For now, and unless asked for or the situation necessitated it, Irina would hold back.

Again, she marveled at the strong, powerful beauty of the Morskoi's ships.

Re: A Fast Exit

#338

First contact was not a group effort, thought Jerome, and should have been the captain's call, but he said nothing.

All hinged on the goodwill of this artifact of an ancient war. Wistfully Jerome thought of the nuke he had kicked into space, but doubted playing with that would have ended well.

"Dessy's video footage of our engaging these mall-cops might tilt things in our favour.." Jerome said quietly.

Re: A Fast Exit

#339

"A free trader?" the man laughed, the massive emblazoned chest plate heaving. "From the Desdemona's records, the ship you're on is a salvager - or looter, likely smuggler, and possibly a pirate."
He reached for his helmet, and with a hissing sound it came off, revealing an angular, chiseled face with a high broad brow, strong jaw, and closely cropped red hair and beard. Distinctive slitted pupils observed them from eyes of glacial blue; the "Third Eye" - a subcutaneous nerve cluster on his forehead - was his most salient feature.

The Quaestor's features were ageless - he might have been twenty-five, or sixty; a smirk played across his lips.
"Were you to attempt looting or piracy in Morskoi space, I would have tied you from the ship's engines prior to take-off. But, I do have a soft spot for a scoundrel who's willing to stand up to the Feds. And, I am impressed - between you and the Desdemona, you turned over sixty of them into stardust."
Acceptance and proud sadness dashed across his features, a leviathan gliding below the surface of the calm sea.
"I have checked - the Gestalt is silent, and the capitol a crater. Thus, I do have the full authority to let you go. You have my pardon, and my best wishes, wherever your path takes you."

The Desdemona entered their conversation cheerfully: "All of the Federate intruders are eliminated, and no hyperspace transmission took place. Their masters do not know what came to pass."

The Quaestor sighed: "You know that the most pragmatic way would be to shoot all of you out of space."
But then, he added: "My people have always prided themselves on their moral high ground, and I will not relinquish it, nor tarnish their legacy. Instead, I do have a counter-proposal. In addition to the mercy that you already felt, you do have much to gain from us. Please keep silent about our survival, collect the decommissioned ship you spoke of, and we will use you as the discreet independent merchants you merrily claim to be, from time to time - in places where a Morskoi would draw unwanted attention. We are not ungrateful."

Re: A Fast Exit

#340

Autumn nodded at the mans generous offer, knowing full well it was as much a subtle warning that to speak of the Morsoki to others would invite their vengeance. "No one would believe crazy spacer tales the Morsoki's continued existence even were even possible were any to attempt to speak of it." She paused and gave him a toothy grin, "On my honor, I will not tell of your survival to any, nor record it within my logs." She turned and looked at her fellow crewmates with a nod, giving them time to respond to the Morsoki's commanders offer.

Re: A Fast Exit

#341

Moving into view, Irina adressed the Morskoi Commander, "My name is Captain Ivanovova, I'm appreciative of the trust you're willing to place in us. Of course, none will hear of Morskoi's continued endurance. My lips, and those of my crew are sealed and will remain so. We would of course be glad to render any assistance to the Morskoi where it is desired."

Irina made a mental note to speak with the engineer once this was over.

Re: A Fast Exit

#342

Jerome kept his consul. The Federation he once served seemed as dead out here as the Morskoi. Without an imminent threat, Jerome felt a little out of sorts.

The dead. There would be a lot of grisly work bringing both ships back into order. He could only imagine the scene in the Prize's bridge.

Re: A Fast Exit

#343

"Well then - fly along, peaceful merchant fleet" Quaestor Corian smiled dryly. "Forward me the coordinates of a quaint quiet station where you may be found, and a reliable contact person, so that we may make use of your shipping services."
"Swanmay out" he ended the call.

"Handsome fellow, despite his age" Sunny noted. "Command us, captain - I wouldn't mind leaving this place soon. To shake off any Federates that might come, and to clear out before a less lenient Morskoi fellow comes around."

Re: A Fast Exit

#344

Autumn nodded and looked over at Irina as the screen darkened. "As per our prior accord, we are with you until the Koritri are safely returned to their home; afterwhich my crew and I can discuss future employment under your command on board the Lilacor."

She lowered her head slightly in apology. "I can sense your displeasure at my taking lead in dealing with the Morskoi, however given I was the one who impersonated their dead comrade, and commanded their A.I, I felt it necessary to bear the burden of any retribution as well and hopefully spare others whatever fate they may have chosen to deliver unto me." She paused for breath before continuing. "There's also the manner of our rescue of yourself and your ship, giving us a better grasp of the overall strategic scenario compared to your limited situational awareness given your own recent personal difficulties."

She looked over at Sunny and nodded, realizing in light of Yulo's death she was the Prize's acting captain until they could sort out a new command structure. "Prepare to salvage the Prize, we need to see if it's still space worthy and hyper jump capable, if it is we can salvage it at our leisure somewhere more secluded once the Kotiri have been dropped off. If it's a lost cause we can load what we can on board the Lila and sort out the details later."

She turned back to Irina and gave her a crisp salute. "As one acting captain to another, let us see our current endeavor completed, and then we can all discuss our invidivual plans for the future."

Re: A Fast Exit

#345

"I'm going to take a detailed look at our situation aboard this ship. Check for anything loose that shouldn't be. Then we can venture out to the 'Prize."

Re: A Fast Exit

#346

"There is no need to apologize, what you are saying is correct and you were the one best outfitted to deal with the situation. It can be a little hard, conceding authority to crew," she paused, pride pushed back and humbled, "a force of habit."

Irina smartly returned the salute with her own Arkonese flourish.

Nodding in agreement with Jerome before he departed to inspect the Lilacor, she continued, "Our priority, once you've taken what is yours and completed whatever salvage you can from your ship, is to leave this system. Even though the Fed's didn't get off a signal, I'd still don't want to hang around in case someone comes poking around. Can you give me an estimate of how long you need?"

Re: A Fast Exit

#347

Autumn nodded, "I will be able to give you an estimate as soon as we are on board the Prize and can ascertain what is left of her bridge," She replied thoughtfully. "Assuming the ship isn't a total loss I can rig up secondary controls from engineering, although with our pilot out of commission it's hyper flight status is some what suspect." She admitted, looking over at Sunny. "How is Quan faring? Any chance of him returning to active duty soon?"

Re: A Fast Exit

#348

"Understood. You'll do what you can. If there's anything you need or that I can help with, my channel's open." Irina smiled birefly before lowering her gaze and turning toward the command console.

Here's to hoping for the best outcome.

Re: A Fast Exit

#349

Finally surrounded by air again, Sunny removed her helmet and unfurled her head tendrils again, drawing her Soul from dormancy, the thin sensory threads fanning from the groove on the tendrils' lower side akin to colourful coral. She could feel the others' relief, the sprouting camaraderie, and the vibrant aura of life that followed a near-death experience.

The medic smiled and nodded to Autumn: "Of course, dear."
Then, she left the brass to discuss their plans, while she descended to the med bay, curiously followed by a Kotiri on occasion. Quan had not been gnawed upon, luckily. The pilot's vitals were stable.
She seemed a strange doctor, for in addition to the necessary technology, she smelled the patient and ran over him with her sensory appendages, to feel the pain, perceive the damaged tissue in wounds.
"Excuse me, but what the hell are you doing?" the V'rak asked, awakening from his slumber to find her tendrils on his temples.
"Implanting my eggs, what else?" she teased, and drew up a syringe. "Painkiller? You might use some. The others are worried sick - it will serve them well to see you walk, without hissing in pain due to your beaten ribs. Impressive bone density, by the way."

***

"Quan will recover without sequelae" she let the crew know. "Pay him a visit soon - the sooner he is mobilized, the quicker we fly."

Patient saved, the medic in her went to sleep and the scientist awoke. The Veradani strolled through the ship, on search of its reptilian stowaways. Her Soul reached out and told her of their resting places; she followed.
Jerome, Irina and Autumn wandered the ship, cataloging damage and wear. The interior bore marks of fighting, sabotage and of the Kotiri's passing, yet the ship was sound, if vandalized.
They came upon a curious sight, the medic resting in one of the reptile's coils, her copper mane a stark contrast to the jungle-hued scale. She twitched in dreams of rainforest and predation, of evolutionary visions and stuggle to survive, to flourish.
Faint echoes of these dreams filled the air around her with fragmented ephemera, pushing into the soldier's and hound's consciousness.

Upon their approach, she woke though, smiled, stood up, and petted the beast. "Charming. Intriguing. Who knew?"
The doctor straightened her hair nonchalantly, and wandered off towards the medbay again.

***

The silent corridors of the Lilarcor bore testimony to the crew that once walked them, mementos cast in the setting dust - a book in the corner, a piece of clothing scattered about, some bunks untouched as if their occupant had just left.
The store rooms held agricultural machines for some frontier colony - Irina would know. Prefabricated housing in another. Perfect excuses for traveling the fringe unmolested. The Spice hidden in compartments was likely a product of the frontier worlds, heading towards the core. As were the aliens.
One store room held empty stasis cells for the Kotiri cargo. All were open, save one. The foggy frosted glass held the outline of another shape.
"Looks like one is out cold, still."

The last one was empty, but a force-field generator inside hinted at te fact that it was supposed to hold something potentially dangerous - whatever it might have been.
"Cherenkov never thought to tell us about what we were supposed to take from the Daedalus, though" Irina shrugged. "Every pirate is d**ned suspicious - or dead."

***

The bridge of the Hollen's Prize was in ruins - the fat smuggler must have held quite a charge in his lardy bowels. Nothing remained of him nor poor Jarvis; the computers were glassed, the massive pane of the bridge's visor broken and scattered across the ruined docking bay.

Re: A Fast Exit

#350

"You know" Sunny approached Irina, sitting down on the stairs near the captain's chair. The doctor looked up, weary but with an inner flame of undimmed passion. "I know of another world the Kotiri might like."
Irina raised one eyebrow, Sunny raised both.
"Veradani - yes, that's my world."

Few members of the galactic society, even out here in the Fringe, were oblivious to what had transpired on the independent planet on the borders of the Federation of Sol.
Veradani, a name mostly associated with the pharmaceutical business - longevity treatments, bio-modifications, parahumans, cosmetics and perfumes - became a spectre of bio-terrorism overnight. Godless, supremacist deviant mutants intent on wiping out humanity to fuel their mad dreams of evolution, the Veradani had apparently been poisoning the unsuspecting citizens of the Federation for decades.
The coverage by the media was excessive, depicting the valiant struggle of Terran marines in the steaming jungles, gaining inch after inch of ground against the witches of the forest, fighting beasts, disease and the inhuman inhabitants.
The conflict had even sparked three feature-length films by Mikhail Zaliv, telling the story of Max Power, deployed to Veradani to spread justice and peace, by fire and the sword if need be. Spoilers: by the end, his flawless morals and unrelenting dedication to humanity sway even the jaded heart of the leader of the rebels, the wildest she-devil unhanged; the movie ends with her baking apple pie before a Martian sunset.

Whatever had come to pass, about a hundred million of Veradani had fled throughout the galaxy, and the planet was annexed. Sunny was no rare sight, all things considered.
"Just consider - my people live in close symbiosis with many species, the weather is flawless, the nature pristine, and there are countless Terrans to eat."
"Perhaps now, perhaps soon, your people might want to spread, Ambassador."

She gave Irina a peck on the cheek, then went off to cook. Presumably apple pie. Or babies.

Re: A Fast Exit

#351

Autumn surveyed the wreckage of the Prize's bridge with a grim look. "This is a total loss," She informed her fellow shipmates after a moments contemplation. "The best we could hope for is to slave the Prize to the Lila's auto nav and hope it follows us into hyperspace without coming apart in a stream of debris." She let out a resigned sigh, wrinkling her nose at the stench of death.

"Even then prepping the Prize will take hours, and I'd rather not be here when whoever holds the leash to the previous wave of hostiles notices none of them are checking in with status updates, let's salvage what we can and wave our tails at this system; sooner the better."

For her part she quickly gathered her personal belongings and gave the captains quarters a close inspection, hoping to find his stash of valuables, weapons, and any relevant star charts pointing out shadow ports and other places of illicit business he had visited over the years.

"I'm searching the captains quarters, anything I find we can go over and fairly divvy up once the system is at our backs." She told her crewmates over the com, "If someone wants to give Jarvis's quarters a once over feel free, the weasel probably has a few valuables we can all put to better use."

A short while later she keyed her com link again, this time bringing up a more important concern to the crew. "Given Yulo's less than pristine reputation, it may be wise for us to set the self destruct onboard before departing, it may be better if the Prize becomes listed among the sea of missing ships rather than be located in the future by someone who may well wish to track down Yulo's former crewmates and seek vengeance for his passing?"

Re: A Fast Exit

#352

"I agree," said Jerome. "Grab the provisions, medical supplies and equipment, and of course any arms. And then get the hell away from this cemetery."

Re: A Fast Exit

#353

Irina gave Sunny an uncertain glance, the sudden offer as unsuspected as it was unsettling.

Terrans to eat? Does she mean people?

A part of her found the idea intriguing, a realization that gave her an involuntary shudder.

"I-I will think about it," She told her after a moments hesitation, "But for now I think it would be best if we return to our,- there, homeworld as previously agreed upon."

She stood up quickly, suddenly wishing very much to be among the company of more people, and quiet the alien thoughts the churned deeper within her conscious mind.

"We should give a hand with the salvage so we can get out of here as soon as possible, I think our med bay would benefit from your former ships supply of medicine?" She suggested it casually, eyeing one of the Kotiri in thought.

Would expanding off your homeworld be a good choice? or are you better off there, secluded from most threats?

The above post was made by Silveressa, posting from Kassy's account during her absence with her permission.

Re: A Fast Exit

#354

"Certainly, Irina - my friendship is not dependent on whether you agree with me. This merry band is certain to keep me as busy as any Terran invasion, that I do not doubt. And you are quite interesting yourself!"
The doctor smiled, waving away the gloomy thoughts.
"Let's pick my medical supplies and belongings - your med-techs haven't kept her supplied well."

And so they did, gathering what they could from the Prize, and setting her self-destruct to trigger at their command.
As they overlooked the things worth taking, Sunny had to laugh - the shuttle wasn't even cramped with the four of them inside.
They had taken foods and weapons, medical gear and clothes, tools and Yulo's private logs. Between the five of them, they'd break them sooner or later. With a smirk, Jerome loaded up also the former captain's stash of alcohol, and pried open his safe. Currency of a dozen systems - smallish amounts, but useful no less - greeted them. An access card to an apartment on Skyline. A laser pistol. For a long career of larceny, Yulo had certainly little to show.

Jerome handed Autumn the remote. "The honor is yours - whenever you feel like it."

In the distance, the Swanmay was lifting a container out of the Desdemona - their salvage likewise diminutive in comparison to the artifact of war.

They had cut the broken docking gear tying them to the cruiser's cold husk. All hands were accounted on board. They were ready.

Re: A Fast Exit

#355

Autumn nodded, waiting for them to be well outside of any projected blast radius, and for Irina to give the Swanmay forewarning of the vessels impending destruction, thumbing the detonation switch with a grim nod. "From stardust we came, to stardust we return." She felt a small pang of loss at the destruction of the ship, for the short time it had been home it had served them well.

"Whenever you're ready captain." Sher told irina with a nod, adjusting her harness and bracing herself for the G's of acceleration.

Re: A Fast Exit

#356

Irina quickly beamed the contact information of a small space port on the fringe called Black Water Station,she recalled her former crewmates having frequented with her in the past, along with a warning about the localized detonation of the Prize, giving Autumn a thumbs up as she finished.

She closed her eyes in thought as the detonation code was triggered, recalling the loss of her former crew mates, and allure of the unknown future that lay ahead of them.

"Stand by for acceleration," She said over the intercom, adjusting the controls with an uncanny sense of familiarity. "Next stop the Kotiri homeworld." She told the crew with a smaile, a part of her oddly eager to revisit the planet as well.

Re: A Fast Exit

#357

The Swanmay confirmed receipt, and, her cargo loaded, the drones flocked into her bays as the gates closed. The Morskoi ship briefly fired all of its maneuver drives in salute, wreathing itself in a halo of fire, before engaging the gravitic sheath, and turning into a shining speck as eight hundred gravities of thrust heaped up miles upon miles between them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnNhOwKi-8

The dreadnought's hulk flared with crimson blossoms as the Prize's escaping fire strove towards space, akin to a soul leaving a dead body. Then, the debris field was silent as it always had been.

"Your next ship can be the Hollen's Prize - or Autumn's Prize, if you wish" Sunny attempted to retain her cheerful disposition.

Irina added: "Why, don't you like the Lila?" and engaged the ship's sheath, finally charged.
"Jumping in four hours, kids. Make yourselves comfortable, and prepare for eighteen light years of leave."
Smoothly, the Lilarcor glided towards the stars, the sun fading, withdrawing towards obscurity amongst the starry vastness.

"Leave the jump to me and Artemisia - and bring me a soda, please. If you should grow bored, which I hope you will, feel free to take care of Quan, and to feed the Kotiri, fix whatever they or the Viking broke. The Lila needs a cleaning, too."
She reclined in her chair, and ran system checks, eyes half closed. There had been death and danger, and changes - but she was alive, perhaps more alive than ever, and they were flying. It may not be much, but it was enough for her.

Re: A Fast Exit

#358

Autumn nodded at Irina's casual commentary, her thoughts running more towards other ways of relaxing from the stress of recent events as she padded down to the med bay, her thoughts drifting between the desire to wash the stench of cat from her fur, and more primal urges, the sway of Sunny's tail still foremost in her mind.

The sick bay - despite Quan having been dismissed as "healthy and stop simulating" - was busy. Whistling, the doctor was stashing away the tools of the trade, and looking at what she could appropriate from the meager stock of the Lila. Finally free of the space suit, she was free to don her bioplastic jumpsuit, its green so reminiscent of her home. Absentmindedly, she held a first aid kit wrapped in her tail; her head deep in the medicines cabinet, muttering: "Expired, expired, antediluvian, expired."

"Hey doc, need a hand with anything?" Autumn asked softly, leaning against the door frame, her tail flicking side to side under her thigh length maroon kilt as she gently ran her fingers across the polished surface of the hatchway.

A soft whistle welcomed her - Vivaldi's "Spring". Helia stopped, turned, her eyes first quizzical, then filled with a glimmer of mischief. A smile played across her lips. She seemed always in motion, as if she ... flowed ... through space - the dance of her sensory tendrils, the slow sway of her tail, the flow of thought reflected on the youthful face. "I ... might," she finally replied, coming closer, eyeing Autumn enigmatically. "Or do I help you first?" The doctor examined Autumn with her thorough gaze. "You did take quite the beating - and not once complained."

Autumn gave her a slit eyed grin, her tongue gently hanging over the tip of her teeth in as she panted gently. "I knew you'd be there to patch me up afterward, good as new." She growled softly, taking a half step towards her. "Perhaps we can both help each other?"

"I think that's expected of crew mates, no?" she winked, and returned to her work, her tail nonchalantly and possibly unintentionally coiling around Autumn's leg as she turned her back to study a manual.

Autumn reached out to gently place a paw on Sunny's shoulder, softly rubbing small circles with her thumb. "Perhaps, but the thought of placing myself in your hands again in the future, I find a bit more distracting than most would." She breathed softly, leaning in to slowly nuzzle the side of Sunny's neck with the thin whiskers adorning the side of her muzzle.

The sapphire suit outlined Sunny's fertile hips, muscled legs and firm shoulders, and felt as glossy as Autumn imagined the doctor's polished skin must feel. "How did you know I am stiff right there?" Helia sighed. "Could you please ..." "Ooh!" she exclaimed as the whiskers brushed the exposed part of her neck. Slowly, Helia turned, rubbing her neck's tender skin against Autumn's muzzle. "Tell me how distracting, I would love to hear it from you" she whispered, her fingers slowly sliding into the hound's mane, running across the skin beneath, and pulling Autumn's head closer.

Autumn panted seductively, looking into Sunny's eyes with desire, letting the medic pull her closer, slipping her paws around behind for better support, slowly caressing the base of Sunny's tail.

"You have scant little time to tell me before..." her head darted out, her lips seizing Autumn's outstretched tongue, sucking it in, massaging it with her lips and tongue, her mischievous eyes incessantly locked with Autumn's. She released it then, exhaling: "... before this happens again."

Autumn paused in momentary shock, her grip on Sunny's back side tightening briefly in response. "Well then I'll have to let my actions speak for me." She growled eagerly, leaning forward to kiss Sunny a second time, her left paw gently searching for the zipper to the doctors jump suit as she lifted one of her hind paws to stroke the side of Sunny's leg as she did so, flexing her toes to trace the gentle curvature of her calf muscles.

Autumn caressed Helia while her other hand searched fruitlessly. "I think I will have to help you here" Sunny teased, and as if on its own volition, the suit began to open under Autumn's touch where it had been seamless before. Underneath, Sunny was glossy and as if freshly polished. She licked inside Autumn's ear, nibbled across the lobe while her tail coiled around Autumn's leg in a serpentine fashion, the tip teasing her thighs while the hound was undoing her suit. Helia's searing breath noticeably hastened inside Autumn's ear, interrupted by bites and licks. Her hands slid underneath the kilt from behind, and squeezed Autumn's cheeks firmly, possessively.

Autumn panted quicker, the anticipation growing within her as she felt parts of her fur growing damp with desire, her paws slowly stripping Sunny's suit as she flicked out her tongue to softly tease her behind the neck, and across the thigh as she peel back the shiny garment. The living cloth fell off Sunny; she wore nothing underneath, appearing as a butterfly freshly emerged from the chrysalis. She was entirely smooth, in stark contrast to the hound; only the fractal swirls of pigment underneath her skin adorned her nude frame.

Autumn arched into Sunny's hands, lifting her tail for easier access as she gently ran her paws over Helia's smooth skin, enjoying the silken smoothness, taking time to gently trace the patterns with the tips of her claws as she leaned forward to inhale Sunny's scent, enjoying the uniqueness of the med techs arousal, her quick shallow breaths a warm dace of kisses across Sunny's body.

Confidently, Sunny unclasped the kilt, and then sighed and moaned and shuddered against Autumn as the hound's claws traced across the sensitive skin; her hands clenched upon the muscular behind firmly, then resumed the sensual massage - and was swept against the bed by the onslaught of kisses. "Oh! This is what I imagined you would do when I felt you devouring me with your eyes..." She sank down, pulling Autumn with her, pressing her hungry lips against her bared chest.

Autumn growled with passion, pressing herself eagerly against Sunny, gently guiding Helia's lips to her nipples, her own furred paws sliding lower to Sunny's silken nether regions, her passion and desire overcoming her restraint, panting in eagerness, giving into what her instincts begged for, and her body demanded, trusting Sunny's skill would more than meet her expectations. The Veradani brought Autumn to fall between her legs, trapping the panting tongue with a different set of velvety lips again, and again, releasing it with agonizing slowness.

Autumn was a ferocious lover, well versed in the ways of passion; Sunny had known only women, and her society open about what it took to please one. Helia was almost swept aside by the onslaught, her quaking form trapped beneath the amorous beast. Climax by climax, Helia's deft touches drained the fury, the pent up lust, and left Autumn sighing and moaning in bliss after howling in ecstasy, giving all Sunny could handle, pleasantly surprised to find her eagerness and skill matched her own.

A few hours later Sunny dozed lightly in Autumns arms, her fur making for a soft, yet warm pillow to law upon, the hounds claws gently tracing small circles on her back as her tail dazedly coiled around her hind paws, With a growl of contentment Autumn allowed herself to drift into a relaxed slumber, Sunny's head tails softly enfolding her muzzle as the Verandi followed her into a peaceful repose.

The previous scene was written by both myself and Echo in chat, and then edited for clarity before posting here. 8)

Re: A Fast Exit

#359

A content yet melancholic air surrounded Helia as she laid upon her breathing pillow. Off into the distance she gazed. Slowly, she shifted, to bring her chest in line with Autumn's face. "Come, drink... my milk hasn't stopped ... yet."

***

The gravity sheath unfolded into sails, the alpha coils humming with space-bending energy.
"Taking her up to alpha" Irina let them know, caught a wave, and they sailed, carried by the waves of space, gravity that ripples hence and forth through an universe in motion.
Were an observer present, he would see the Lila distort and bend as the light reflected off her was scattered by the ripples in space, and then vanish.

The two-headed Kotiri laid its massive jaws into Irina's lap, and observed her operate the computers, analyse the bends of space ahead, slightly adjust the course. She could feel it had subtly changed somehow. "Words" it said. "Words good."

Re: A Fast Exit

#360

Jerome had found a room to call his own, after removing the sad signs of its former owner.

He had seen more action in the last twenty-four hours that he had in all his service, including that last patrol that ended his career. He could not take a singe breath without being reminded of that blast. The weeks of treatment, the fittings and tuning of his new 'parts'.

His fellow soldiers could not comprehend Jerome's faith, how it was okay for his damaged parts to be replaced by machines, but not with engineered tissues drawn from his own DNA.

It was not faith, it was a lesson. Mistakes had costs, and one should remember the costs. To simply wave away those hard lessons, to 'reboot' oneself, seemed to Jerome cheating.

And now it seemed he had time to breath, to unwind.

He reached into a pouch and pulled out a flask he had liberated from a cabin, a nice old Scotch. He liked scotch.

Speaking of cheating, thought Jerome, he pushed up his O2 levels to slightly above normal. Good to do this while he was still sober enough to do so.

"Jamison, Morris, and Minerva. Poor idiot Yulo, Crazy Fuck Jarvis, and all you stupid Fed assholes. This is for you." Jerome toasted the air, looking out into the stars.

He didn't chug, nor pull. The Scotch was better than that, and so was Jerome. He took his time.