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RP: LSDF Val'ta [Expedition 1] - One from Another

Luca

Luca

The Ultimate Badass
🎖️ Game Master
I can't tell one from another
I find you, or you find me?
There was a time before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I'll be, where I'll be
Talking Heads - Naive Melody (This must be the place)

LSDF Val'ta, Deck Two, Bridge, On Approach to Tange System in ten minutes
All was well on the Bridge. They passed through two nebulae between Kotoku and their destination. The view in particular was quite pleasing, with Porrim taking photographs from the Observation Bar when she was taking a break.

"We're not far from Tange, now, Captain," Jil'ha helpfully pointed out as she drummed her fingers on the desk. "Got a team assembled for the expedition?"

The Captain was sitting in her chair in the centre of the room, legs crossed as she was already dressed to explore, donning heavy looking winter fatigues. "I want to know what our landing options are, first," Porrim said, inspecting some crampons, "its the middle of winter on Tange, and local infrastructure's fried last time I checked, I doubt there's a safe landing place, especially if there's Mishhuvurthyar-" the word never quite got off the Lorath tongue correctly "-remnants."

She found the crampons to her liking. Another member of the bridge crew, a New Tur'listan man with a short mowhawk cut and spectacles. "We'll have to do a pass for distress beacons, focussing on Misato City near the equator," he said, spitting a duq seed out of his mouth and into a tray, "pretty sure we'll find something."

Also to note was that Porrim was free of chemicals at the moment, having purged them earlier to clear her head for the task before the first expeditionary team she'd be leading. "What's our vehicle pool?" Porrim asked.

"We've got eight Whirlwinds on hand, ma'am." The New Tur'listan replied, sipping at some coffee. "I believe we have a professional pilot on hand who'd be a perfect fit for leading the Frame team."

Porrim found her crampons satisfactory, and clicked her tongue, smiling at the news. Good that we have some people with a sterling record. She contemplated before making further inquiry, "and for our troops?"

"We have six Wayfarers. They're armed, and they can hold four, maybe five people each, six if you feel mean." The New Tur'listan turned around. They had an elaborate tattoo on their throat and a dismissive, perhaps apathetic sneer. Then again, with how jubilant the Captain was, even people merely not engaged looked deathly bored compared to her. "If we weren't expecting resistance, we'd be using Journeys. We have four of them, not armed."

"Excellent." Porrim clapped her hands. She then summoned a personnel screen and started looking at potential applicants for the mission. "I'll start putting a team together and inform the crew..." Her initial selections and designations included:
She thought her initial selection covered all the bases, but if anyone else expressed a serious want to come along, they could provided they had the skills and equipment. "Attention Personnel. We are on approach to Tange. I repeat, we're on approach to Tange." Porrim announced over the intercom.

"I have sent a message to those I have selected to come with me on the expedition. Please prepare yourselves for cold weather - its the middle of winter planetside." "The Armoury will provide you with weapons and equipment necessary." She was now truly satisfied with her crampons. "Meet me on the Launch Deck in forty minutes for a full briefing. The Val'ta will have to do a pass of Tange and launch a probe at the planet we're exploring too, to find points of interest, and distress beacons."


Tange System, Tange IV, Misato City
The winter mornings were cold around here, especially without people to populate the streets, and utilities to keep them clean. Throughout the courses of summers and winters, the pavement had steadily cracked apart and from it, hardy greenery had crept throughout the metropolis, layered in powdery white and glimmering ice.

Stores and malls once full of bright and happy people, only host to swathes of snow which had blown in, wooden floors rotten, stone stained, every light snuffed out and the walls painted with creeping vines that'd escaped the cold and draped themselves on the ceiling, trailing down.

All the animals, small rather than great, were huddled away into hibernation, stowing themselves away from the cold. Some of them used to be pets, others had moved in when the humans moved out a few years ago in a very large and confusing incident.

Some larger animals, cervine in look were roaming through main street. They didn't know that things like a better life in the Outer Colony, the latest Kawaii, and Aoi Tanaka's brand new YE34 album with remixes by String Smasher were being advertised to them from behind a crust of grime. They were snouting through the snow at the grass, chewing on it.

Ever present though was the threat of what had been left behind. There was still a possibility that in some dark corner where the light didn't see, the ones responsible for tearing this planet's happy people apart were lurking, waiting for the next people to show up. Or could they have been stranded here themselves, with nowhere else to go now that the war was well and truly over, and their resources were expended?

If they were and they had a working music player, they could enjoy some good music - all those vintage CDs just sitting out there in the open in one of the malls down the street and past the collapsed bridge, facing north. A collector's paradise amongst the swirling chill! Though there were very few people amongst this place, it was still very alive, and the items within quite valuable to those who saw it, with the spectre of danger ever present.
 
LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck, roughly 40 minutes later

Menelik Berhane, Private, Nepleslian Space Marine Corps, was only a bit disappointed as he entered the ship's launch deck clad in the dull grey power armor he was assigned to. On one hand he had really wanted more training before his first away mission so that he wouldn't be the weakest link on the team; his relative inexperienced compared to just about everyone else was a glaring fact that he couldn't really ignore. Despite that he was excited and more ready for this mission than he'd ever been for anything in his life for a variety of reasons: First was that he was going in as infantry and he knew how to do that, especially when in a Hostile; Secondly was that if things did go south and combat happened, Menelik could be sure that he had people who knew better than he did in a fight who's leads he could follow.

Finally the dreadlocked Nepleslian was just happy because the Val'ta had been a good ship to him so far: in between My'ean's training, which was already paying off, and his... friendship with Bright, he was actually finding his place on the ship. Not to mention his interactions with his other friends on the ship. Maybe a cynic would find it weird that Mene was getting on so good with all of these aliens and lunatics, but to him a person was a person, right?

Standing off to the side until he saw someone else part of the Away Team, Menelik waited patiently with his Hostile's helmet off and held underneath one arm. His dreadlocks were tied back neatly behind his head to stay out of the way, and the young man had a happy smile on his face as he whistled a tune to himself.
 
LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck
When Akemi looked through the armoury he just didn't see much he'd care for. There was no way he was wearing that standard issue battledress. He bet that soldiers had a standard issue with wearing something so goofy. For some reason he just couldn't picture himself in a Hunter either. Instead he decided to simply wear a black stone skin poncho and balaclava. When it came to what he'd arm himself with he had a giggle upon asking the ship's AI about the My'hyz and reading its manual's warning against the misuse of maintenance pico-jelly. That alone made it seem like it was potentially the ideal weapon of choice. To start he would certainly bring his black NSP and its triple power magazines. He figured he'd bring along an Ek'yra too given its greater firepower compared to the other Lorath rifle.

At the launch deck Akemi immediately started looking around for Aran'ya and My'ean so he could engage in some more silly banter. He hoped his minimalist choice of gear would provoke some comments or looks. He imagined he'd be the coolest looking of the bunch and could serve as the charming face of the lot in case there were any people in need of rescue or potential hostiles that could be won over.
 
LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck

A large mechanized maiden stepped onto the launch deck, a whirlwind class frame. It kept a decent distance so that it did not step on anyone and then knelt down, the cockpit opening up. Inside was Ny'za, she was wearing a grey WIND suit, but without armor and with the stone cloth poncho covering the form fitting suit. She had her Stalwart Enforcer and Searing blade at her hips. Her Deshe'vo plasma rifle, with under-slung grenade launcher and a Dennis android were stored in a storage compartment just in case they were needed.

Ny'za was more confident than she usually would be at the start of an assignment, or rather she was distracted from her confidence issues by the prospect of what she could do. She would bring along a few cages mounted to the Whirlwind and some smaller ones in the hip compartments. Of course she was going to restrain herself and not pick up every animal she saw, and the mission came first as well. But the idea that it was possible to bring some animals back was just too good to pass up, even on an already colonized planet there could still be unknown species or mutations.
 
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LSDF Val'ta, Hallways, somewhere around five minutes before the meeting at the launch deck

J'ann spent the better part of thirty minutes trying to figure out what to say when he wasn't included on the away team. He understood why he wasn't included, and preferred not to be, but it seemed like a waste of his talent and time not to be out in the field for numerous reasons, as he was attempting to explain to Porrim at that very moment.

"-help me get to know the people I will undoubtedly have to comfort in the future by seeing how they act in the field, instead of only seeing them after the fact and be an outsider into their viewpoint, wouldn't you agree?" he explained while in a brisk pace to keep up with Porrim's much larger gait.
 
LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck

Akemi didn't have to look far to notice to notice the medic Aran'ya walking onto the launch deck proper, clad in a stonethread-mesh plated WIND that hugged her body like a second skin. The L'manel was taking it slow, double checking the status of the bacterial power cells loaded into the thigh plates of the suit when his gaze caught her. It was around that point that her keen vision helped 'Widow' realize her indomitable beau was already down in the bay oogling her way, and with a little "hmph" in his direction she closed up the WIND's thigh membrane panel quickly after she applied some spare nutrient packs from her kit to the cells within, ending what was a pleasant, if fleeting view of the pale white skin underneath the exterior.

Then it was onto adjusting the straps of her various equipment to make sure it all played nicely together: Stalwart Enforcer pistol in it's holster, and a slightly sickle-shaped Searing Blade in its scabbard. These two reliable close-range weapons and her natural defenses would be all she really needed with frame pilots like Ny'za on duty. Lastly was her bread and butter Emergency Responder First Aid Kit in its stonethread satchel slung across her back, ready to be whipped around into action; this was also augmented by a second medical kit she was experimenting with, delivered in the load of salvage that she had acquired through Akemi's antics for a promotional event. At least he was good for something, that cat...
 
LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck

It was interesting to say the least getting a message from the Captain about their first expedition, especially seeing the infantry grouping. The cat was coming along to play. Despite all his attempts, he couldn't keep himself from rolling his eyes. The idea dismissed as he strode into the Launch Deck clad in a black Wind Armor with Red accents befitting a Fyunnen, further outfitted with a Gust Modular Kit, carrying his helmet in left hand. Slung across his back was his sword, Resolute, a weapon he was rarely seen without. Also on his person was his standard issue Hand Cannon with a few extra magazines, as was his long sword style Searing Blade. In his right hand he carried with him a Deshe'vo Plasma Rifle, equipped with a triple capacity drum magazine, clearly modified to be used by a marksman. A few extra magazines for the rifle were also tucked away as well.

It seemed a good few of the Away Team were ready to go which brought a bit of a smile to his face, though seeing Akemi was already up to no good, Ix'ion sighed lightly and started double checking his gear. The presence of a Hostile drew his attention, wondering how the Marine would fair being part of a unit that didn't operating like the NSMC did - and without the resources other PAs like his own provided. "Fresh out of boot camp, I remember when I was like that. Not too long ago either. Hopefully, he will hold his own..." Ix'ion thought to himself.
 
Er'red walked with a purpose into the landing bay, tight Wind suit sticking to his body uncomfortably as he tried not to blush. It had an emergency response dufflebag slung on his back, using the handles over his shoulders as he carried the crews immunization boosters in with him.

As he walked towards those already gathered he held up a standard service unit filled with nanomachine vials. It itched at the primordial part of the brain that made kids fear needles as he held it up, his cool grey eyes under his sideswept fringe surveying them all.

"Alrigth, immunization boosters. Who wants to take their shot first?" He asked loudly.
 
LSDF Val’ta, Launch deck

Jixa “Bright” Seurik Lmanel was never late, except for today. For whatever reason she stumbled out onto the launch deck a little later than most everyone else. She was wearing a M37/38 EBU with her weaponry located upon the suit. She quickly looked over the manifest to find out where she was to be stationed. She noticed she was away from Ny’za, again, but didn’t complain… She wasn’t a fighter, and Ny’za was an armored pilot. She sighed lightly before stepping back and moving to the Wayfarer Shuttle I group.

She was happy that she was in Aran’ya’s group though, at least she was with someone she recognized. She moved over, and gave a nod to Aran’ya, holding her helmet under her arm. “I wonder why I’m getting sent down… I know I’m a combat engineer but I doubt there’s going to be much I can do other than shoot things, which I’m not very good at to begin with.” She sighed a bit before rubbing her head for a moment. “Oh well, I’m glad that we’re in a group together, Aran’ya.”
 
LSDF Val’ta, Launch deck

Not being on good terms with anyone besides Aran'ya and their captain Akemi hustled over to the former's side and leaned towards her a bit. "So, what are you hoping to find on Tange? If we run into any Mishhu remnants I hope they're at least the attractive kind. I've still got taming a Nightmare on my bucket list."
 
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LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck

With the declaration that she had been chosen for the planet-side sortie on Tange, Mirage had found herself compelled to get to know the engineering and flight deck crew that she would be relying upon for the preparation and care of her assigned unit. It was due to this imposed intimacy and insistence to properly prepare that Mirage was one of the slower members of the ground team to prepare for the mission. Clad in a Wind, Mirage tucked her helmet, Gust kit, Searing Blade and Deshe'vo into the storage compartment before settling herself into the cockpit.

A moment was taken to affix the Whirlwind's inbuilt waste management system as the cockpit sealed itself, the startup initiated and the Non-SI ARIA already beginning the operational checks starting with itself before moving on to the power systems, motive components, and finally weapons and countermeasures. As the cockpit began to flood with the standard solution, Mirage experienced a brief moment of disorientation as the Neural Interface System connected with her cybernetic systems, the diagnostics superimposing over her vision as her lungs filled with the first breath of fluid.

With the first motions she accepted the prepared weapon into the Whirlwind's hand, a Combined Particle Sub-Machine Gun fitting easily into its right hand as the installed Plasma Projector System on the left arm reported the results of its diagnostics check. A brief query confirmed that the mini-missiles had been configured as requested a utility group having been loaded featuring a mix of Radio Transmitter Markers, Long Duration Signal and Illumination flares, Restraining Gel warheads in a ratio of 2:1:2 among the fifty.

A momentary confusion was experienced, as she noted that the hip compartments were empty, upon further consideration Mirage supposed that it wasn't as if they were running an assault mission, as such the limited complement of AMX-102 units was probably still in storage. Refocusing on the task at hand Mirage finished the necessary communication with the Val'ta's control and coordination crew by confirming success of the startup sequence and the necessary protocol to be released form the Val'ta's hangar.

Careful steps brought her out onto the Launch deck where Mirage settled near the gathering away team. A feminine colossus among her fragile charges... Strangely it didn't feel very different than normal.
 
LSDF Val’ta, Launch deck

Aran'ya was still holding her own helmet in her arm as she adjusted her stonethread hood and gave Jiji an unusually welcoming smile when she came over next to the Wayfarer shuttle intended for the specialist team. "Yeah... it's nice to be on a mission together again, Jiji," began the L'manel to her old comrade. "The Captain always needs someone with your smarts around. Why, you've got whole Jiyuuian cities laying empty down there for years... who knows what abandoned tech you might find that you could play with for some new useful creations?"

The Medic then gave a more serious look to the child-like engineer. "Don't stress over it too much, little bit. This... isn't like last time." This part was delivered with a knowing glance between the two Troopers. They both knew well what happened on their previous posting together on the Akahar, and the great toll it took on Bright.

The darker moment passed quickly though, as a certain Nekovalkyrja made his presence felt. Aran'ya rolled her eyes a little bit when he showed up, and switched her gears back to that sarcastically joking tone. "Hey, how about your first invention is something that makes this cat disappear?" The L'manel then slapped a hand onto Akemi"s shoulder as he joked about Nightmares, the WIND suit she wore making it a bit more forceful than he might have expected. "The only bucket will be the one full of Tange snow I dump on you before that Mishhuvurthyar vixen eats you for breakfast." Delivered in her usual way, there was some legitimate worry that came through.

Widow jostled a small pack that she had set aside to reveal it to him, full of empty sample bags and vials. " That being said, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some samples of the tentacle poisons those squids used for my research..."
 
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LSDF Val’ta, Launch deck

Menelik had, against his better judgement and what was surly procedure, followed Akemi over as the cat fully intended on bothering the girls. He hadn't really worried about him bothering Ji'xa, but his upbringing still made him very much not a fan of the way Akemi acted around Aran'ya; his upbringing and the fact that he expected some kind of professionalism from him for once. But before the marine even said anything or acted, he turned his head and gave his erstwhile superior, Ix'ion, a shrug as if to say 'It can't be helped.'

The large armor clad Nepleslian turned back to facing the two Lorath women and the unprofessional and disrespectful Neko, snapping a crisp salute with his right hand. He was fully aware of just how imposing he could look with his size and bulk bboosted by the armorsuit, and he was only subtly hedging on that.

"Trooper Lycosa, Trooper Seurik, I look forward to working with you two on this mission. I won't be directly working with you two on science issues but I also hope nothing goes wrong enough to make this a show for us on the second shuttle." Menelik dropped the salute, the armored hand falling to grab a handful of Akemi's poncho.

"Soldier Koga, sir," Menelik's voice took on an unfamiliar but very clear 'I am Tired of your shit already' tone, "I believe that we should let the science team get prepared for the mission? You can try to molest or sexually harass these two ladies AFTER the mission, provided we actually do our job down there if its needed." With his tone and the sudden serious look on his face, Menelik's mood and disposition towards the Neko was kinda obvious. It was also kinda obvious that the man was deliberately avoiding eye contact with Ji`xa.
 
LSDF Val’ta, Launch deck

"Aaah!" Akemi halfheartedly exclaimed in mock surprise as he shot out of his poncho to recoil in a talented display of terror. He quickly hid behind Aran'ya and hooked his arms around her waist yanking her close as if reflexively clutching his protector in primordial fear. "First he menaces me in the bar and now he's trying to menace me in his armor," the Neko said, both agasp and aghast as he buried his face into the small of the slender L'manel's back and peeked out slightly from behind her sturdy, shapely form. "Don't let him get me. I think he might be gay or something!" Naturally Akemi began to squirm and pretend to shiver to annoy both Aran'ya and the Nepleslian. "There's no way it would fit," he whispered with a terrible quavering and shuddering of his knees.
 
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LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck

More antics, more things to distract from preparing for the expedition, this seemed like it would be a reoccurring thing as long as Akemi wasn't reeled in. "Any time but now, not before we set out, enough is enough." Akemi playing the victim this time while Menelik attempted to corral the excitable Neko drew a serious look from Ix'ion. "Koga, Berhane. Enough!" Ix'ion barked at the two lower ranked infantrymen assigned with him. "Make sure you have everything you need and stand at the ready for the arrival of the Captain. Have I made myself clear?" His voice held a sharp edge, eyes equally sharp and focus moving between them both. "Do as you will on your own time, not on mine, and definitely not on the Captain's." Sometimes is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission, he thought to himself. If anyone had a problem with him speaking up, he'd hear it later.
 
LSDF Val’ta, Launch deck

"Y-Yes," Akemi stammered, still clinging tightly to his svelte savior. "I sure hope he's compensating with that sword," he said in a hushed voice. "They'd break me in half."
 
Er'red's cold stare watched disapprovingly as the scene unfolded. Finally he walked over and with a quick jab, slapped the Service Unit against the exposed skin of Akemi's neck. The nanomachines delivered wouldn't really do anything to a neko, but such forceful delivering was doubtless to cause some discomfort.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were some kind of lost child about to go on a mission for adults." Er'red said coldly, pale blue eyes probably dropping the temperature a few degrees.

He then turned towards Ix'ion and held up the Service Unit again. "Corporal. One for you?"
 
LSDF Val’ta, Launch deck

"Ow!" Akemi winced and quickly scratched his neck for a moment before fastening his arm around Aran'ya again. "If it isn't one guy trying to penetrate me it's another."
 
LSDF Val'ta, Launch Deck

The frigid nature of Er'red's voice was noted, but the offhanded comment drew a raised eyebrow in amusement from the Corporal. "It would seem like a waste for you to have gone through so much trouble to help get us prepared for me to turn down your goodwill, would it not?" Ix'ion nodded to Er'red. "If it is not too much trouble, by all means yes." Overhearing Akemi's comment about being penetrated drew a bit of a snicker from the young Fyunnen. Menelik might have been interested, to which Ix'ion knew he couldn't say, but there was not an ounce of interest in Akemi that came from the Fyunnen in the slightest.
 
Er'red nodded and took Ix'ions hand, carefully but firmly injecting the nanomachines into the young fyunnen warrior with a sharp hiss. He barely even felt it. Turns out the nurse could actually make it easier on those who didn't make it difficult.

"If you don't have your shots, it's a suppository after the mission." Er'red replied to no one in particular with a perfectly straight face.

Er'red didn't laugh about it because he was the one who seemed saddled with doing it if he failed to find all the crew behind on their immunization boosters.

"Oh, you there. Nepleslian. I have yours here..." He said, pulling out a thin, foot long silver tube with a rounded point.
 
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