Author Topic: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]  (Read 4196 times)

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Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« on: August 27, 2017, 06:15:02 PM »
Someone once said that knowledge is power. Maybe so... but one thing Marvin Du'Rouge knew with certainly was that incomplete knowledge was more like a hit of caffeine: a brief rush of alertness and adrenaline followed by a long, slow descent into lingering headaches. He vigorously massaged the sides of his head, willing this particular headache to fade away, but no relief was coming. With a resigned, weary sigh he closed the glowing holo-screen in front of him, stood from his desk, and decided to take a long walk.

As Chairman of the Atlas Minister of Defense's Advisory Board, Du'Rouge was both blessed and cursed. He was blessed in the sense that he had a plush government-issued paycheck, secretaries and soldiers at his beck and call, an impressive sounding title and certain perks of the job, such as access to the spacious six floor luxury diplomatic airship whose sterling, carpeted halls he now meandered down directionlessly. By contrast, the curse of his job was that in actual reality he was barely regarded higher than a minor beaurocrat in the grand scheme of things, had a comparatively small staff overall (last quarter his superiors had even stripped away half his already meager security detail and replaced them with robots, and older models at that!), and was functionally little more than the person to whom the Minister of Defense delegated whichever administrative or record-keeping problems were the messiest and most uncomfortable. True, Du'Rouge could normally delegate to the other board members, and they to their underlings -- shit flows downhill, as the old wisdom goes -- but sometimes... sometimes...

Du'Rouge gazed idly out one of the starboard windows, seeing the coastline of Anima begin to creep closer and wondering why he'd ever thought this was a good idea. It had all begun with some reporting discrepancies: unaccounted for funds here, irreconcilable resource distribution there, the kind of thing that should have been settled within a few months. Instead, the more his people looked the more they dug up. None of it made any sense, really -- he'd gone over the reports himself and was still scratching his head. Assets weren't just being wasted or misplaced... somehow they were disappearing, and that was the kind of thing that normally cost people their jobs. One does not steal from the Atlas Military and get away scott free, or at least such was his determination. Slush funds and pork barrel projects he could cope with, as political and military matters were almost impossible to keep separate, but somehow this seemed a different beast. It didn't help that his best clerk, whom Du'Rouge had vetted personally, had abruptly been brought up on investment fraud and perjury charges and forced to resign... or when, a week later, his second-best clerk had to take leave due to a death in the family and then simply never came back to work. All progress in the investigation had come to a standstill, and the chairman wasn't sure he fully trusted his newly appointed replacements, no matter how temporary they were. The whole affair had the unpleasant whiff of cover up to it -- what specifically, he honestly hadn't a clue, but it was clear enough that someone with connections was skimming, then concealing their tracks. His advice to the minister wouldn't mean a damn if he couldn't keep accounts in order, and he wouldn't keep his job very much longer if he didn't start turning up results.

And so... Mistral. It was a long shot, but if you wanted to learn something that you weren't meant to know there was no better source that the city's seedy underbelly. It was, of course, distasteful to turn to information brokers and illegitimate avenues of inquiry, but of official channels were going to get results they would have by now. Thus, after starting for several long minutes at the approaching coastline, Du'Rouge shook his head and continued walking...

... completely unaware of what was going on beneath his feet.






S C E N E ~ M U S I C
Pirate Crew
by Ross Bugden


It was not the first time Cordell had boarded a fancy-pants airship with illegal intent... it was, however, the first time she'd boarded one as cargo. The supply crate she'd stuffed herself into when the chairman's ship had stopped to refuel on the eastern coast of Sanus wasn't luxury seating by any stretch of the imagination. Given it had been carrying spare robot parts before she'd emptied it out, the smell of machine oil was completely understandable, familiar even -- it was how damnably itchy the packing materials were that drove her nuts! To sit idle, scrunched up in a tight knot of limbs and frustration, waiting for just the right moment was very nearly intolerable. Only one thought kept her going: this was her chance, maybe her only chance, to pin an Atlas military official to the wall and get some thrice-damned answers about 'Project Thunderbolt'. If luck was on her side... if the stars aligned... maybe... just maybe...

She closed her eyes -- needless as that was in this cramped, pitch-dark space -- and flexed the muscles of both her hand and her mind together, pulsing her Semblance invisibly outward for what had to be the fiftieth time since getting into this damned box. No, there was still someone in the cargo hold, even after all this time! She scowled in agitation. Same spot, same exact spot, for how long now??! It was a person, she was sure of it, but they were almost unmoving like an android. Not dead -- you don't detect Aura from corpses, after all. Her mind raced, debating between risking capture and staying a single second longer in the intolerable scruff of the box.

"... Aw, keelhaul it!" She muttered to herself, reaching for the crowbar she'd smuggled in. With a little effort the lid popped loose, and as fresh air flooded into the coffin-like box, she heard it. Snoring. Loud snoring. Her left eye twitched at the realization that the person she'd presumed to be standing sentry over the cargo bay was actually asleep at their post, and possibly had been for hours now. All that wasted time...

Deep breath. It was okay... it was fine. She wasn't mad at herself. She had a mission, and right now that took priority over self-recriminations. Silently easing out of the wooden box -- and being sharply reminded of how much she hated this sneaking about business -- Cordell quietly looked around until she found another similar box, this one containing a Zephyr Cutlass and three of her most trustworthy Gears. The little robots chittered happily as she released them, immediately doing it at lower volumes when she hushed them and pointed to a narrow maintenance shaft on the opposite side of the cargo bay. They had their mission: install a sneaky trojan into the airship's computers for later eavesdropping, disable all internal alarms and comm equipment, then seal the emergency bulkheads for most of the ship as soon as she got her hands on Du'Rouge. That middle-management bastard was going to sing like an opera star if Cordell had her way, and she wasn't about to let anyone interrupt their little chat.

Mentally pulling up her dad's best guess as to the ship's layout, Cordell tip toed past the sleeping guard and out into the ship proper. Her Semblance would keep her two steps ahead of detection until she found the blasted bureaucrat... if luck held, it would be smooth sailing from here.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2017, 05:31:02 PM by Riven »
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STUDENTS

Beacon Student: Rory Vogel, "The Scarlet Shield" ~ 1st Year, Team VCVS

Shade Student: Sean Acacia, "Grenadier" ~ 1st Year



OTHERS

Beacon Teacher / Experimental Botanist: Dr. Budonoki Sophos, Medical & Wilderness Specialist

Baker / Retired Huntsman: Alec Chadwick, owner of 'Fabled Goods' bakery

Pirate / Freelancer: Captain Cordell of the Red Corsair ~ Available For Hire!

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Micah Sere AKA "Prowler" ~ Danger, Avoid If Possible

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Maria Sanguine AKA "Bloody Mary" ~ Underworld operative, "The Lady of a Thousand Faces"

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2017, 07:40:45 PM »
Marcus Du'Rouge wasn't a name Nebu knew before two days ago, a sentiment that was shared with his importance. After all, he was nothing more than an adviser. An idea man, a suggestion giver. The Minister of Defense didn't have to listen to him when it came down to making decisions. His role could be completely bypassed in the grand scheme of things. And yet... Yet he was now the most important person in Nebu's life. Not for his job, not for his potential for bribery or blackmail, but for what he knew. Special Enhancement Technologies lived in the cracks of information oft overlooked by the bureaucracy managing Atlas' extensive armed forces. Atlas knew that they were making grand strides in the fields of variable weaponry, robotics, armor, and, most notably, artificial intelligence. And that is all they needed to know. The loss of Phi and the original ANUBIS was a setback, yes, but ANUBIS II was already in the works by the time the original was stolen. Hardlight generators were functional, several AI had been deemed operational, and the big wigs were happy with what they saw. So SET's funding continued, resources were allocated, and further construction of suits and creation of AI remained to be a thing.

Nebu didn't know how the AI were made, and didn't pretend to know. What she did know is that Anki didn't want anyone outside of their circle to find out how her tech was made, and demanded that official records be kept as vague as possible. So long as Atlas had its suits, they seemed to overlook any discrepancies in reporting and bookkeeping. Du'Rouge was the first person to question their funding and resource allocation. Anki brushed him off numerous times, claiming that SET's practices and use of resources was not his concern, and should not be made his concern. At least up until he asked why the ANUBIS prototype cost twice as much to make than initially expected.

It was at this point Nebu knew his name, and now she found herself miles above his ship, sitting in the bay of a dropship as its rear door slowly opened. She knew that this man asked too many questions, ones that could not be answered without risking further development within SET. And she knew that Anki needed him dead.

A light sigh escaped from her lips as the visor and oxygen mask slid over her face, her hand clasped around the ceiling grip as she looked over the lip of the bay door, staring down her prey. The ship was large, intricate, and not important enough to require an escort, all of which are factors that made boarding it much easier than it could have been. What she did know was that security cameras would likely be posted in key locations, and the ship would definitely have some degree of armed guard. That would make things a bit... less easy. Nevertheless, Nebu continued to stare down at the ship, pausing a bit before releasing the handhold and walking off of the edge of the dropship.

"Rho, calculate optimal approach speed and boarding trajectory for a Diplomat class lightly armed cruiser."

"Optimal approach speed: 70 miles per hour. Located numerous potential entry points at the bridge, bow, and port and starboard windows."


Nebu grinned as Rho pointed out a gap in the ship's defensive capabilities, granting her a path straight to the large glass window of the ship's bridge, the wind rippling through her hair and clothes as she adjusted her path. Once her path was corrected, the jumpjets at her hips, legs, and forearms flared to life, rocketing her toward the bridge. Flight was an experience Nebu never ceased to enjoy, dashing through the air at speeds unattainable without assistance, a wide, unseen grin at her lips as she coasted through the sky, punching holes in clouds as she chased down the airship. It wouldn't take much to overtake the vessel without getting shot at, but that wasn't where her concerns lay. No, it was getting to the chairman and getting out of the ship that would be the most difficult parts of her assignment.
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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2017, 05:36:52 PM »
Normally, one thinks of security cameras as a tool for finding people who aren't supposed to be somewhere, and with good reason. However, that's only if the people using them are the intended users.

Finding the ship's security hub wasn't hard -- once she found the first camera she just used the insights granted by her Semblance to track the data line as it wove its path through the ship. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting chairman Atlas had opted for old fashioned person-watching-wall-of-screens security processing instead of newer, pricier digital alternatives, due in no small part to the fact that the Diplomat class tended to be refurbished Gladiator cruisers more often than not. All the hardware was already in place, and tearing it out would've been cost-prohibitive, so the old systems stayed. Fortunately, that also meant the system had certain... vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities that a cunning engineer with a small electromagnet could exploit. One pried open wall panel and some malicious tinkering later and the entire camera system was feeding nothing but static back to the monitors. With a ten minute battery on the magnet, Cordell had plenty of time to make it to the camera room and take control.

The face on the security officer as she stepped into the small, dark room was priceless -- surprise, confusion, and alarm, with electrified shock added into the mix as Cordell discharged an L-19 into his chest. Seizing the opening, the pirate was quick to put her opponent into a sleeper hold while muffling his voice. The man slumped to the ground after a few seconds of struggle, leaving Cordell with full access to the entire security system.

"Okay... where are ye, Du'Rouge?" She muttered, eyes scanning screen after screen. It took a few minutes -- why did this thing need so many cameras, exactly?? -- but finally she spotted him: starboard hallway, two floors up, section G19 . . . which was practically halfway across the airship. With at least a dozen security androids patrolling between here and there. She cursed under her breath. This whole business might end up being louder than she'd anticipated.

"Del, d'ya read me?"

A moment of static crackled over the tiny transmitter embedded in Cordell's collar before a slightly synthetic sounding voice emerged. "I read you captain. Your signal is weak at this distance; I am attempting to compensate."

"Good. Look, th' mission might turn out t' be a smash'n grab after all. Ended up losin' more time than anticipated, an' security's uncomfortably tight. I'mma have th' Gears disable th' ship's weapons an' point defense so as you can get in close. Be ready t' pick me up an' --"

"Priority alert: I've detected activity in the skies above your position." The computerized assistant chimed in suddenly. Cordell's eyes went wide as she added "Sensors indicate a high altitude craft has launched a projectile, which is vectoring towards the ship's bridge. Impact is imminent."

"What th' sodding -- ?!"
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STUDENTS

Beacon Student: Rory Vogel, "The Scarlet Shield" ~ 1st Year, Team VCVS

Shade Student: Sean Acacia, "Grenadier" ~ 1st Year



OTHERS

Beacon Teacher / Experimental Botanist: Dr. Budonoki Sophos, Medical & Wilderness Specialist

Baker / Retired Huntsman: Alec Chadwick, owner of 'Fabled Goods' bakery

Pirate / Freelancer: Captain Cordell of the Red Corsair ~ Available For Hire!

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Micah Sere AKA "Prowler" ~ Danger, Avoid If Possible

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Maria Sanguine AKA "Bloody Mary" ~ Underworld operative, "The Lady of a Thousand Faces"

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2017, 10:15:45 PM »
It didn't take long for RA's future operator to close the gap between the carrier and the ship, and soon enough she found herself coasting just above the vessel, matching its speed with ease. Rho needed the time to double check the structure and personnel on board, as, even though the majority of Du'Rouge's security detail had been 'updated' to robotics, he was permitted to keep some human guards and staff. And so Nebu waited, floating just above the roof of the ship's bridge, resisting the urge to reach down and touch it, up until the moment she heard Rho pipe up in her ear. "Nebu, I think we may have encountered a problem."

"That being?"
The pilot asked, eyes flicking toward the AI's avatar on the corner of her HUD, a slight twinge of annoyance present in her voice as she was ripped from her train of thought.

Rho seemed to pick up on the shift in tone and paused, taking a moment to consider her phrasing before speaking up. "The windshield protecting the bridge on all sides is resistant to kinetic rounds, and is seven inches thick. You will require a substantially faster approach, and even then, there is a risk of bodily harm upon impact."

"A little pain never stopped me before. Anything else?"

"... Very well. The Captain just left, likely to go to the bathroom. All present on the bridge are automated. You have a maximum of five minutes to board, dispatch the automatons, and leave."

"I'll do it in three. Mark my targets."
Nebu replied as she dashed forward, past the lip of the ship's roof, and roughly a quarter mile further before matching the craft's speed again. Reaching to her hips for her pistols, Nebu took a deep breath, mentally reassuring herself before turning around and rocketing toward the bridge, cutting the jets before impact.

Nebu grit her teeth through the pain as she smashed through the windscreen feet first, sliding across the floor on her back and twisting to her feet as she came to a stop, sending sparks, glass, papers, and anything lacking sufficient mass flying around the bridge. When the dust settled, the young woman stood up, eyes flicking over her automated companions as they scanned the room. It took but a moment for Nebu to start opening fire, tearing through the security and pilot assist drones with ease, with energy bolts bathing the room in a gold light as they ripped through metal and circuitry. Robots meant cameras. Cameras meant evidence. She couldn't allow either, but her entrance was likely to garner some degree of attention. An unintended side effect of her penchant for flair... She was going to catch some flak for that.

A light sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head and turned for the door, briskly striding through before it closed behind her, her eyes flicking to a stopwatch in the other corner of her HUD. Three minutes and thirteen seconds. Not fast enough. At the very least, she was fast enough to avoid encountering the pilot. She didn't want to have to deal with any people other than her mark.
Juno Varia: The Street Punk

Juno Vert: 1st year student of Beacon, Armored leader of Team VCVS

Phi: #007ba7

Nebu Nekhbet: DUAT unit 01: Desegnation RA

Nebu/Rho: #FFD700

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2017, 04:37:53 PM »
Cordell's eyes stayed glued to one of three video feeds streaming in directly from the bridge -- part of her wanted to run, to just simply blitz through anything in her path, snatch up the beaurocrat, and get the seven hells off this crate as fast as she could, but nonetheless she remained transfixed. For the first second or two it was just assessment, trying to see the moment of impact and maybe get a sense of just how badly the ship was going to be hit... but then the impact delayed. She'd expected two or three seconds at most, but ten, then twenty, then more ticked away. Confusion set in. Delahaye had said there was a projectile. Why hadn't it hit? The bridge seemed calm, and she hadn't felt the shift in course that indicated evasive action. So what had --

And then it happened, so fast she might've missed it had she blinked. Something smashed straight through the forward viewscreen -- a heavily reinforced glass with high-tensile polymer layers, if she had to guess -- and skidded across the floor in a shower of sparks and momentum. That same something then sprung up and gunned down every automaton on the bridge as violent decompression and wind sheer tore at anything that wasn't bolted down. Golden bolts cut through anything that resembled a threat. And then, like it was nothing, the something -- which looked an awful lot like someone -- simply strode out through the nearest door.

Cordell's jaw dropped. A string of very colorful expletives rolled out of it as soon as she found her voice again.

"--shitshitshitshitshitshitshitonastackaflapjacks...SHIT!" Hands fumbling and mind racing, Cordell popped out the internal magazines of Time and Tide and swapped them for ammo grades that she normally reserved for emergencies or select tactical applications. All hope of having time to sort things out had just gone up in smoke, along with her clever infiltrate-corner-interrogate game plan. Whoever that was -- and she was going with who, not what, given she doubted Atlas had produced androids with that kind of finesse just yet -- they weren't pussy-footing around. With the robotic bridge crew down for the count it would either be manual control or autopilot bringing the ship in for a landing, and right about now that was a best case scenario. Had there been people in shooting range at that moment, would this high-tech destroyer have shot them full of golden death too?? Something told Cordell the answer was yes.

"Captain, your vitals show extreme stress. I detect only minimal damage to the cruiser. Are you ok?"

"Yes, no, and hells no!" Cordell slammed shut the covers on her weapons, stowed one pistol, then readied her cutlass. "Del, we've been boarded -- no bloody idea who. High tech. Flying. Fast. Quick shooter. Redirect th' Gears for me; priority is t' shut down th' cruisers guns so as you can get in close. Screw subtlety -- this just became a fight t' survive an' I ain't sure I'll get t' th' chairman before shit goes completely sideways."

"Understood. Setting intercept course at best possible speed."

One last glance at the camera confirmed that Du'Rouge was still obliviously taking his stroll. Why hadn't the internal pressure alarms gone off yet?? Cordell suspected she wouldn't like the answer even if she knew it. Instead she reached for a half-finished soda can on the console desk and poured the contents out all over the unconscious guard's face -- when that failed to jolt him awake Cordell gave him a sharp kick in the side that swiftly brought him to.

"Oi, dumbass! Ye wanna live? Run fer yer godsdammed life -- yer ship's been boarded!" She shouted at the top of her lungs as she deftly sliced his holstered pistol off of his belt, then stabbed it through with her cutlass. Sure, the guy wouldn't know what she meant; if anything, he'd probably think she was the boarder, and he wouldn't be wrong really. But if the usual alarms weren't doing what they were supposed to the best way to keep these people alive was a human alarm. She pointed impatiently at the door with her blade. "Go on, git! I ain't got all day!"

The man scrambled to his feet and ran, panicked, from the security booth. Cordell left after he did, though going the opposite way. She could guess enough about the ship's layout to know where the routes up and down were now, and she was going to go with the nearest one, get to the right floor, and hope that whoever that was in the fancy gear wasn't going to cross her path.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2017, 05:39:15 PM by Riven »
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STUDENTS

Beacon Student: Rory Vogel, "The Scarlet Shield" ~ 1st Year, Team VCVS

Shade Student: Sean Acacia, "Grenadier" ~ 1st Year



OTHERS

Beacon Teacher / Experimental Botanist: Dr. Budonoki Sophos, Medical & Wilderness Specialist

Baker / Retired Huntsman: Alec Chadwick, owner of 'Fabled Goods' bakery

Pirate / Freelancer: Captain Cordell of the Red Corsair ~ Available For Hire!

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Micah Sere AKA "Prowler" ~ Danger, Avoid If Possible

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Maria Sanguine AKA "Bloody Mary" ~ Underworld operative, "The Lady of a Thousand Faces"

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2017, 07:31:47 PM »
Nebu had expected her entrance to have garnered some degree more attention, especially given the ship's monitoring and security systems. In her experience, the "man in the room" setup for security wasn't the most efficient, but atlas guards were generally attentive enough to be alerted by someone crashing through the bridge. At the very least, it meant bringing down the hub would be far easier than initially anticipated. Either the guard was incompetent or had somehow been incapacitated, the latter of which was unlikely given a notable lack of people to incapacitate such a guard. At the very least, she could breathe easy. Whatever Anki's associate had done to disable the pressure alarms had certainly kept up until now, and allowed Nebu's entrance to go by without alerting the entirety of the ship.

Theatrics aside, however, the ship's lack of a security presence nagged at her. Yes, Du'Rouge wasn't on the highest rung on the proverbial ladder, but he was still a political figure. One would think that *someone* would have been alerted, no matter how incompetent the guard in the hub was. She'd have to check the hub herself anyway. Disable cameras, erase footage, cover her tracks... She was honestly beginning to regret her entrance.

Nebu was far from familiar with the Diplomat class, and as a result, had to rely heavily on Rho to find a path to the hub. Wary of footfalls and shadows, Nebu snuck her way through the halls, slowly making her way to the hub with little issue, save for a seemingly panicked guard charging from the direction of the elevators, his hurry leading him past her hiding space within one of the ship's custodial supply closets. She needed to get past the row of elevators and access the stairs, which could definitely become an issue if someone happened to get off while she was still in sight. A light sigh escaped her lips as she attempted to time the elevators, listening for people and robots alike. After noticing a lull in the noise, Nebu gunned for it, rushing past the elevators in a full sprint... only to hear the telltale ding of one such elevator's arrival, followed by the sounds of its doors opening. Hands floating slowly to her guns, Nebu looked over her shoulder, ready to turn and train her guns on whoever the elevator's occupant was.
Juno Varia: The Street Punk

Juno Vert: 1st year student of Beacon, Armored leader of Team VCVS

Phi: #007ba7

Nebu Nekhbet: DUAT unit 01: Desegnation RA

Nebu/Rho: #FFD700

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2017, 07:25:33 PM »
She'd tried the maintenance ladder first, as the idea of being confined inside a metal box didn't seem especially wise right now, but quickly discovered that it wasn't where she'd expected it to be. With no time to search around she'd begrudgingly mashed the elevator button until the doors opened, then mashed buttons further until they closed again and the lift began to ascend. She was remarkably lucky not to have run across any security patrols just yet... which made her nervous. That luck couldn't hold out forever.

It never did, in Cordell's experience.

While she painstakingly waited for the elevator to reach the right floor she went through a quick prep routine -- check and double-check ammo, visual inspection of her cutlass, the whole nine yards. All the while the too-pleasant drone of elevator music filled her ears; it was all she could do not to shout her anxiety and frustration out at the top of her lungs. Focus... she had to focus now. With one hand pressed against the wall of the elevator she closed her eyes and willed a flicker of energy to flow outwards from her deep reserves, along the length of her arm, and coalesce into the flat of her palm before rippling outwards, an invisible echo of her soul pinging the world around her. Conduits and power lines glowed before her mind's eye like millions of hammer-flattened lightning bolts frozen in space, twinkling and shimmering along their lengths as though made of stars or diamonds. She pressed further outwards, feeling her surroundings and visualizing -- the radiance of capacitors, the warm glow of heat sinks, the dull haze of redundant system lines, the marionette strings within patrolling automatons, the misty, ghost-like forms of the few crew members and Du'Rouge out on his stroll . . . and . . .

Something else. Close. A person, running. But... the Aura was off, somehow. Cordell tried to focus her perceptions but couldn't make it out clearly. It was almost like it was two people imperfectly overlapping each other, or one person with two Auras. But that was impossible, wasn't it?

Ding. The elevator stopped, snapping Cordell from her sensory drift. She blinked twice as the realization came -- whatever she'd just sensed was right outside, just down the hallway. She has bare seconds until those doors slid open, and that was not much time to come up with a plan. Run? Yeah, no -- chances were she'd get gunned down. Stand and fight? Not a strong choice, what with the lack of cover in an open hallway. She reached for her cutlass, then hesitated for just a second in choosing which pistol to draw. The doors were opening. Deep breath.

Run and fight. Yeah... no other way.

The seconds ticked by, tense and unmoving. Cordell's heart thundered in her ears. She pulsed her Semblance one more time and, sure enough, the strange presence was standing still just down the hall. She had to get this just right if it was going to work. Then the elevator doors began to slide closed...




D R O P . T H E . B E A T D O W N

Game Changer
by Mykola Odnorog



Before they'd closed halfway, Cordell vaulted from the elevator in a full-tilt leap, hit the floorboards in a roll, and transferred as much angular momentum as she could to spring-boarding off the window-wall and into a dash down the corridor, towards Nebu. She fired as she leapt from point to point, refusing to move in a straight line even as she advanced, doing her utmost to make her movements difficult to predict. Three double-shots from Tide flew down the hallway, the twin-fired C-04's making for quite the splash of ice anywhere they struck -- the first volley was headed Nebu's way, with the second and third targeting the surrounding floor. A direct hit wasn't necessary... she just needed to set the stage. With any luck the unexpected assault would leave an opening for Cordell to slip past and dash ahead; though she didn't like turning her back on this super-soldier looking S.O.B. a prolonged stationary duke-out was asking for trouble.

If she could just get a bit further down the corridor... make it to a wall console and hit the emergency alert...
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STUDENTS

Beacon Student: Rory Vogel, "The Scarlet Shield" ~ 1st Year, Team VCVS

Shade Student: Sean Acacia, "Grenadier" ~ 1st Year



OTHERS

Beacon Teacher / Experimental Botanist: Dr. Budonoki Sophos, Medical & Wilderness Specialist

Baker / Retired Huntsman: Alec Chadwick, owner of 'Fabled Goods' bakery

Pirate / Freelancer: Captain Cordell of the Red Corsair ~ Available For Hire!

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Micah Sere AKA "Prowler" ~ Danger, Avoid If Possible

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Maria Sanguine AKA "Bloody Mary" ~ Underworld operative, "The Lady of a Thousand Faces"

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2017, 04:16:58 PM »
A pirate.

A dated pirate.

Nebu could only tilt her head in confusion as her opponent burst from the elevator, doing her best to register who the intruder was, only to realize that the pirate's serpentine movements were bringing her toward the Atlesian.

The sting of a pair of ice rounds impacting her leg drew her back into reality, freezing over her knee and forcing her to watch as the floor and walls were coated in ice, and giving her no opportunity to snag the pirate as she dashed past her. Eyes narrowing behind the visor, Nebu triggered the jump jets in her armor, tearing off in pursuit of the intruder and melting the ice on her leg. As her target dashed through the halls, Nebu caught up, cutting her jets and dropping into a sliding kick in an attempt to trip up her opponent, ready to spring back to her feet and hold the woman at gunpoint.
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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2017, 05:07:58 PM »
Everything was going well, right up until the mingled sound of ice shattering and micro-thrusters split the air behind her... and not half so far behind her as Cordell would've liked, either. Even with adrenaline pumping hard and heartbeat thundering in her chest there was simply no way someone without a speed Semblance was going to outpace the kind of jump-tech that could get the assailant onboard an airship mid-flight (and crash through a heavily reinforced window, no less). The armored intruder had the advantage of durability and firepower -- with the roar of booster jets confirming Cordell's worst fears, it became obvious she was disadvantaged in the category of speed as well. She had to come up with a strategy. She had to--

And then the ground slipped out from underneath her as a metal boot connected with the back of her heel. The world spun -- or, rather, the pirate did -- for a breathless moment before thinly-carpeted-over deck plating rushed up to greet her. She skidded for a second or two, face down and a mess of limbs before coming to a stop with a groan.

Not good. VERY not good.

She glanced up, finding her armored opponent. At this distance she could make out parts of a face behind the visor; more than that, however, Cordell could plainly see the distinct curves and lines of a woman where high-tech metal didn't cover them. "Hello t' you too." There was a mingle of both fear and disdain in her voice as she spoke. This wasn't supposed to have happened... why had this even happened?? "Dun' suppose yer just here fer th' cargo, ay? Fellow plunderer?" Trying not to be obvious about it, she flicked a switch on the side of her cutlass. "C'mon, mate -- let's not do this. Plenty'a goods in th' hold fer us both..." She had zero idea of this bluff was going to work, but she had to start with something.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2017, 03:58:20 PM by Riven »
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STUDENTS

Beacon Student: Rory Vogel, "The Scarlet Shield" ~ 1st Year, Team VCVS

Shade Student: Sean Acacia, "Grenadier" ~ 1st Year



OTHERS

Beacon Teacher / Experimental Botanist: Dr. Budonoki Sophos, Medical & Wilderness Specialist

Baker / Retired Huntsman: Alec Chadwick, owner of 'Fabled Goods' bakery

Pirate / Freelancer: Captain Cordell of the Red Corsair ~ Available For Hire!

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Micah Sere AKA "Prowler" ~ Danger, Avoid If Possible

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Maria Sanguine AKA "Bloody Mary" ~ Underworld operative, "The Lady of a Thousand Faces"

Zwei Not

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2017, 01:21:42 PM »
The downed pirate's comments were seemingly ignored as Nebu stared the woman down from behind her visor. Her focus more on the threat's movements rather than her words, Nebu was quick to notice the hand at her cutlass, and quickly re-positioned herself, stomping on the woman's upper arm and pinning it to the ground. Tilting her head back to the pirate's Nebu finally spoke. "This is a government issued ship, and you are clearly not part of the crew. Who are you, and what exactly are you doing here?" She asked calmly, glancing to either side to confirm that the two were currently alone in the hallway.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2017, 01:11:25 PM by Rush »
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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2017, 04:54:50 PM »
Cordell grimaced as the foot came down on her hand, intercepting what was perhaps too obvious of a gamble. Even as she winced, though, she kept eye contact -- or at least, where she roughly guessed the other woman's eyes were behind that visor -- and issued a dry, mirthless chuckle before responding. "I could ask th' same o' you, couldn't I? Ye don't belong here anymore'n I do, but we both got business we're here t' take care'a, don't we? Why don't we share, aye? Maybe I was a bit hasty, an this don't have t' go th' wrong--"

From just down the hall came the tell-tale mechanical clatter of military androids, likely patrol units drawn to the sounds of the brief scuffle. With a pulse of her Semblance Cordell could confirm that there were two headed this way... and just at the edge of her perceptions, a person -- chances were good it was Du'Rouge. Those bots weren't likely to be much of a distraction, but maybe just enough...

"Say, ye ever been t' Narheld Rift?"
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STUDENTS

Beacon Student: Rory Vogel, "The Scarlet Shield" ~ 1st Year, Team VCVS

Shade Student: Sean Acacia, "Grenadier" ~ 1st Year



OTHERS

Beacon Teacher / Experimental Botanist: Dr. Budonoki Sophos, Medical & Wilderness Specialist

Baker / Retired Huntsman: Alec Chadwick, owner of 'Fabled Goods' bakery

Pirate / Freelancer: Captain Cordell of the Red Corsair ~ Available For Hire!

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Micah Sere AKA "Prowler" ~ Danger, Avoid If Possible

Mercenary / Infiltrator: Maria Sanguine AKA "Bloody Mary" ~ Underworld operative, "The Lady of a Thousand Faces"

Zwei Not

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Re: Loose Lips Sink Ships [CLOSED]
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2018, 04:19:53 PM »
"I wouldn't expect so many assumptions in your line of work, pirate." the woman replied coldly as she drew one of her pistols and leveled it to her downed opponent's throat. "Answer the question. I don't like being made to..." She trailed off, the telltale sound of a- no, several metallic footfalls drawing her attention. While she was in uniform, she hadn't been assigned to the ship. It was likely she would be seen as hostile by these drones, a risk she could not warrant.

However, just as she started to relinquish her hold on Cordell's arm, the woman spoke up, drawing Nebu's attention, and the gun, back to her. "Narheld... What? Explain yourself. Quickly." She ordered, eyes shifting between Cordell and the hallway before them.
Juno Varia: The Street Punk

Juno Vert: 1st year student of Beacon, Armored leader of Team VCVS

Phi: #007ba7

Nebu Nekhbet: DUAT unit 01: Desegnation RA

Nebu/Rho: #FFD700

Austin Vartra: TBA