reGENesis - Sci-Fi Space Odyssey -Open / Not Accepting-

[KiIIerWarrior]

Group 1
The APC carrying Smitt, Max, and L'Tisha made it's way through the crowd of frightened people and outside the ship. The area between them and the approaching carriers was ablaze here and there with a number of corpses littering the ground. Some of the plasma fire had landed short and left smoking craters in the ground. Smitt more than likely didn't care for sightseeing and started making his way to the tall trees just south of them. They made it a good distance and were almost to the tree-line when Jake spoke up,

"Movement," he pointed past Smitt's head to shadowy figures and glowing eyes in the brush.

Kirklan was about to go off telling Jake there's no time to worry about critters if it weren't for a few of them stepping out into the headlights. A small group of large, upright, wolf-beasts greeted the APC by making hand movements to continue by them into the brush. They wore metal armor and held what were probably guns. It was uncertain whether they were friend or foe but it appeared like they wanted to help. One of them had approached the APC and called out in a rough voice,

"Kur-ashk al ra velosh Star Kin. Dusters, Kishak," he stated the last words pointing in the direction of the large ships.

Another, much larger, group dashed out from behind the brush and started sprinting towards the eight enemy cruisers. Many of them riding the backs of strange reptilian-bird creatures comparable to the prehistoric Archaeopteryx.

Group 2
Meanwhile Daemon and Sam managed to get air-born and made their way to the coast. Gillian wasn't used to being in small air-crafts and was getting a little jittery. There had been small heat signatures popping up in the grass between there and the ship but nothing had really caught any attention till they got close to the stone pillars. A large, perfect, square of heat shown on-screen and it appeared to be coming from below-ground.

"I don't suppose that's normal." Gillian called up to Daemon, pointing out the screen.  

[L`Tisha]

APC heading south

Lia finished tending Max's wounds, moving to anyone else in reach in need of attention. She didn't look outside until Jake's curt warning. She paused just long enough to hope the wolfish folk were indeed friendly, then returned to what she could do - tend wounds. Dusters, Kishak. She wondered about the terms, not having much linguistic training with which to build any kind of understanding, but the words seemed to carry some kind of identification of their attackers, which seemed might be relevant. Later.  

[Ivaylo_Sai]

APC entering Treeline

The state of the field outside the ship was not a shock to Smitt but it did make for panicky civilians (any that saw it) and quite the obstacle course to maneuver around as he drove the APC toward cover. At least all the weaving made them a harder target to hit. The wreckage though did not bode well for others surviving. Maybe it was a good thing they had stayed in the ship as long as they did and not rushed out to be slaughtered in the first wave.

Jake's warning of movement got a cringe from Smitt and he knew better than to question the sniper about it. Jake wouldn't speak up unless it was important and the. . . creatures that stepped out of the jungle certainly did seem to be a rather monumental discovery. They were also lucky that Smitt was already slowing down for the trees or he might have run a few of them over by accident. And that would probably not have gone over well for diplomatic relations.

Kirklan, though, didn't give a ******** about diplomacy. He'd swung the cannon toward the first beast and kept a finger on the trigger as more came out, finally leveling it on the one that talked. He kept the weapon on the speaker even when others came dashing out on their over-sized chickens, figuring the speaker was probably some sort of leader so blowing him up first would have a powerful effect.

"Jake," Smitt called lowly as he brought the APC to a more manageable speed before they hit the trees, looking for a clear way through them. "Give the civies some defense training," Smitt finished his thought, keeping a wary eye on the natives.

The 'civies' reacted in varying degrees of offense and confusion as they looked to the quiet soldier who did not seem pleased with the order but wasn't one to question such a thing. Ignoring the questions that started to form in the civies' mouths, Jake hefted up one of the bags he'd pulled out of the armory and opened it to the crowd, handing out whatever gun he happened to pick up first for each of them. He did at least take size into consideration so the little doctor fretting over scrapes and bruises got a handgun while the stocky business man next to her got a machine gun.

"Safety," Jake pointed out the switch to each of them as he held out their weapons. "Trigger," he pointed that out as well. "Clip," he showed them to open and reload. "Point that way," he directed the muzzle toward the APC's back door. Then he handed the gun over along with a few extra clips of ammo and moved on to the next one.

L`Tisha

 

[L`Tisha]

APC entering Treeline

Ivaylo_Sai

"Safety," Jake pointed out the switch to each of them as he held out their weapons. "Trigger," he pointed that out as well. "Clip," he showed them to open and reload. "Point that way," he directed the muzzle toward the APC's back door. Then he handed the gun over along with a few extra clips of ammo and moved on to the next one.

Lia nodded understanding and refrained from explaining she had no training at all with such a weapon and was unlikely to hit anything helpful. She guessed that all the soldiers had already guessed as much about her and her fellow "civies" and had decided to take a chance none of them would hit a friendly person by accident. She looked at the businessman beside her, who gave her a lopsided grin. She smiled back slightly, trying very hard not to look nervous. Let's at least stay out of harms way if possible, she thought.

She looked down at the handgun in her hand, reviewed the three new terms she now had physical contact with. Of course she'd seen guns on entertainment videos, but she'd never touched a real one before. She removed the clip, flicked the safety off and on again quickly, carefully avoiding the trigger, and replaced the clip. Then she stashed the gun and ammo in pockets of her dress and went back to looking around. That man over there would need attention as soon as they landed, and the little girl was finally calming down so she was probably unhurt but it would be smart to check just to be sure...  

[Shade264]

Daemon looks back at the ship with a worried expression. "Only one APC left the ship, what's taking the others so long?" After a moment he sighs in relief as a few more APCs roll out, followed by a few of the Dragonfly cargo ships. "Don't suppose that's normal." Gillian speaks up indicating something on the camera screen."

He takes a moment to glance at the screen, then looks again. "Definitely not. Hold on a second." He takes a moment to fiddle with the Jets comm system, synchronizing it with the APC. "Greetings, fellow travelers, this is pilot Straus calling. To anyone in command down there, I'm patching in a video feed I want you to look over. I believe we may have uncovered something important."

While he waits for a reply he directs his attention back to flying the Jet and trying to calm down his jittery passenger. "Good eyes Gillian we almost missed it." He turns to Sam. "Pursuit seems focused on the others what do you think, should we have a closer look?"  

[umbraja]

With all the rushing around after having nearly gotten blown to bits, Max was taking the opportunity to catch a little rest in the back of the APC while she could. Of course that might turn out to be a lot less time than she'd been hoping for. She tilted her head slightly when Jake mentioned movement but didn't bother looking herself, just sat up and pulled her own gun from its place on her hip, getting ready for a fight. She couldn't help a slight grin as Jake gave the civies a crash course in how to shoot a gun. Then she arched a brow when the little doctor lady just stashed hers away.

"Can't shoot with it in yer pocket," Max gave the little doctor a nudge and held up her own gun slightly as if it wasn't obvious what she was talking about.

L`Tisha

 

[L`Tisha]

APC entering Treeline

umbraja

"Can't shoot with it in yer pocket," Max gave the little doctor a nudge and held up her own gun slightly as if it wasn't obvious what she was talking about.

Lia looked from her pocket holding the gun up into Max's intense gaze. "I can't shoot anything from in here," she pointed out, "And I don't see anything to shoot at now, since those wolf-y creatures seem friendly. Seems to me we need all the friends we can get just now." Then she nodded thoughtfully and added, "But I'm grateful for the gun all the same, as whatever attacked us may well follow and need to be shot." She shuddered slightly at the thought. Harming things was really not in her nature and however much something might need to be harmed in order to protect herself and the others, she wasn't entirely sure she could actually bring herself to shoot a living creature.

She looked back out the window facing front, the only one she could see out at all, and eyed the trees warily. She trusted the pilot to land them as safely as possible when the time was best to do so, but it looked to her as if they were moving awfully fast. Her hand slipped into her pocket, thinking Max might indeed have a point, that a time for shooting may come much sooner than she had anticipated.  

[Mugentsuki]

Shade264

"Pursuit seems focused on the others what do you think, should we have a closer look?"

'A closer look' could get them killed, but at the same time, what they find could be helpful. "It can't hurt to just take a look, but I'd rather have better armed, better trained assault squad for investigation. So I'd say take us low, but don't land." In truth, simply taking a look COULD hurt, if it were one of the hostiles lying in ambush, but that seemed unlikely as the attack did not seem like anything strategic, but just an attack. This realization stunned Sam a little, it meant that they, humanity, weren't perceived as beings worthy of thought, "It doesn't matter what we are, they just want us dead," he mumbled to himself under his breath, "dammit!" He turned his attention back to the radio, "This is 2nd lieutenant ((kind of a low rank)) Redford, I am aboard the bird and have given authorization to investigate, are there any further orders from any command personnel?" The question was to serve a dual purpose, as it not only would show who was still alive, but it would also re-establish the chain of command.  

[KiIIerWarrior]

Group 1

The diplomat was taken back slightly as the turret was swiveling around before finally locking onto him. He knew how frightened the inhabitants must be so he took a kneel and raised his arms as the APC drove by into the thick brush of the forest.

The vehicle progressed inward and at a light angle. There was a few of the wolves here and there with dimly illuminated staves urging the carriers in specific directions. The blue light gave an almost mystical aura to the wielders as the reflections cascaded from their armor. The sounds of the forest came ever-more alive the further in they went. Strange calls from various birds, rodents, insects, and perhaps some predators trying to lure in some prey. Some of the wolves had taken notice of something further ahead. The shrubs and grass were moving like a writhing stream coming straight for the APC.

"Somethin's comin' our way folks, hold on tight," Kirklan called back just before a pack of Felidae snarled and pounced out toward the armor. They were sickly thin and obviously starving for some meat. One of the nearby wolves lowered their staff and a stream of lightning arced down to the ground. It stunned one of the creatures and scared away the others.

"Allu'e yidlii jurr" The wolf called out pointing to a large cave.

"If that mutt thinks we're going into a cave he's got another thing comin'. You ain't thinkin' about goin' in there are ye Smitty?"

The cave was plenty wide with only a faint blue glow. More than likely the hiding place of these natives.

Group 2

"Copy you Redford, this is Second Lieutenant Sampson. What's your heading, you with the grou-wait, what the hell are-" A pack of wolves had started firing from a distance at the cruisers to redirect attention. Thin lines of energy pulsed toward the enemy. As if in response small red projectiles lit up the side of the nearest cruiser and cast a flurry toward the approaching wolves. "Well I'll be, looks like we got some backup. They've got some sort of rail cannon they're firing at the enemy cruisers."


"It's times like this I wish I had a movie camera. Also times where I wished Hollywood was still a thing. This would have totally made bank." Sampson said to himself before starting up his Hover Bike and taking off from his position. "I'm just north of the vessel," he called into the radio, "I'll be circling around back and down the western sea-bank. You hear back from anyone else yet Red? This damn thing's pretty short-length seeing as how I think I broke something dodging a plasma blast." He was previously underneath the cockpit of the ship but things had grown a little to hot for his tastes.  

[Ivaylo_Sai]

The close but open space of the jungle made Smitt nervous. Too many chances for things to jump out of the trees, exactly as the did. The snarling gaunt creatures caused Smitt to swerve slightly and bite a curse as he tried to dodge them and the trees. Kirkland and the wolffish native's conflicting directions were not appreciated and he did not enjoy being the one that had to make the choice. The cave would provide better cover from whatever heavy fire their attackers might yet throw at them but it would also box them in and was an unknown. But everything was an unknown here, even these wolves that seemed to be trying to help. As Kirkland exemplified, most soldiers would not choose to trust them but Smitt was smart enough to realize that now was not the time to be burning bridges.

"Guns up folks," Smitt called into the back. "Don't know what we're gonna find in there."  

[L`Tisha]

APC in jungle

"Somethin's comin' our way folks, hold on tight," Kirklan called back.

Lia used her free hand to grip her seat as the pilot swerved. She focused on not showing how beyond nervous she was. Soon clear heads would be needed, and everyone would need to stay calm in the face of unnerving sights. The hand in her dress pocket tightened on the gun. She shook her head slightly at the thought that soon she might need to actually use it.

Ivaylo_Sai

"Guns up folks," Smitt called into the back. "Don't know what we're gonna find in there."

Lia reluctantly drew the gun from her pocket. Oh heavens, what now? She looked around the cabin at her fellow passengers, drawing some small comfort from the big soldier next to her. Max seemed so confident despite the injuries Lia knew she'd suffered. So far, Max had been right about everything from getting aboard to getting the gun out. It seemed only natural to Lia to follow her lead now.  

[umbraja]

“What did I just say?” Kirklan bellowed at Smitt when he turned the APC toward the cave but Jake gave him an elbow in the ribs to shut him up and put his attention back on their surroundings. Kirklan swung the cannon with a grumble and kept a watch on the front as Jake put his rifle on their rear, sticking the muzzle out one of the narrow view ports.

Max watched with a tightening expression. Her head was pounding and the little injures were starting to ache but this was getting to be an increasingly serious situation. The civies were displaying varied stages of panic or shock. They were going into unknown territory with just 3 and a half soldiers, cutting themselves off from the rest of whoever had escaped the ship. But it wasn't Max's place to question those things. She didn't even think of them. She trusted that Smitt was smart enough to know what he was doing so she just had to make sure nothing came in the back.

So far so good but that didn't mean it would stay that way. JT could only take out so many with his rifle. If they got swarmed and the hatch popped, they'd need more guns than just the soldiers had. Good thing the civies were armed. Max didn't stop to consider how many of them were more likely to shoot her than hit anything coming in the hatch but then she didn't think like that. She just gave the little doctor next to her a reassuring smile and nod then gently corrected her grip on her gun, showing Lia how to better hold it as they waited for things to go bad.  

[Shade264]

Flying in low, Daemon circles the pillars keeping the camera trained on the heat signature. "Hopefully the camera will give us a better image of whatever it is that's generating that heat. As for me, I can't see anything out of the ordinary other than maybe these pillars.

After circling once more, he redirects the craft back onto its original course. "That's about all we can get without landing, and to be honest I don't like that idea any more than you do. Besides, I don't want to lose sight of the others while were still under fire."  

[Mugentsuki]

As Daemon began to change the course direction, Samuel stopped him, "Hold on, I don't like it much but I think we need a closer look. Get low enough for me to get out, but don't land." He then turned to Gillian, "keep that gun ready to fire anything hostile that may approach me, and check your fire, I don't want to survive a hostile attack just to get shot in the back by accident."

Once the craft was low enough, Samuel jumped down, carbine at the ready. He flipped off the safety and raised the weapon taking the entire area in. He was uncertain what to expect or even what he was looking for, but he felt it would be some sort of door, hatch, or control panel. He figured that the first thing to check was the pillars, so he approached the nearest one to begin an inspection.