RP: YSS Celia Mission 3D(1): Honor among Thieves

[Yangfan]

By the time the tech sentries have steadied themselves, the Lamias have already secured the only conscious pirate in the room: One of the Lamias had the poor guy in a strangle hold, with one of her hands over his mouth, while the other two pointed their rifles at him. His pistol lied uselessly on the ground, having been knocked out of his hand during the first half-second of the encounter.

Sixthree beamed as the first Lamia wrestled the pirate to the ground. “You ladies work fast.”

 

[rathmere]

Avaldamon too was surprised at how fast the little nekos worked.

During the sudden scramble, He barely had time to notice and activate the outside door telecomm unit before he was shoved into the room and up against the wall. Voices from the other side of the door soon floated into the room.

Avaldamon waited tensely for Sixthree's reaction. Please don't be angry, please don't be angry, please don't be angry... he kept repeating in his head. He had acted on a foolish whim and hopefully it wouldn't give away their position.

(OOC: if the doors don't have these let me know and I'll edit)

 

[Rabbit Eclair]

Orie was dragged along for the ride. Once inside the room, she settled into a ready crouch, pointing her SMG at the door just in case the new arrivals decided to open it--it wasn't much, but she felt obligated to do something. As little as she liked fighting, the Lamias couldn't do all of the work. While she was at it, she glanced around the room for any entrances to ventilation ducts or maintenance tunnels. They weren't going to be able to sever the communications if they were trapped in here, after all. Besides, it would be a good way to get around the ship without being noticed, if they existed.

 

[Yangfan]

Sixthree was visibly startled when the intercom began carrying over voices from the hallway. He reached to shut it off, but hesitated at the last moment. Instead, he raised a finger to his face, gesturing for silence.

The pirate struggled to raise the alarm as one of the Lamias held him to the floor. A few faint squeals could be heard as the Lamia clamped her hand over his mouth.

The other two Lamias raised their rifle to fire at him, but one hesitated while the other pulled out a silencer, which she frantically began screwing onto the muzzle of her rifle.

As the voices of his comrades continued to speak outside, the pirate struggled more and more. One of his elbows struck the Lamia on the helmet, giving out a faint “clank” sound. The Lamia audibly hissed, and gave his neck a quick twist. Everyone in the room could hear a faint, sickening “crunch”.

Sixthree waited until he heard the sound of footsteps walking away. After waiting for a few more seconds, he reached out to the intercom and pushed the button to turn it off. The intercom turned off, but not before giving out a brief burst of static, which surely would have been heard outside, had anyone been still out in the corridor.

Sixthree gave a sigh of relief. He then turned to the tech sentries. “All right. Which one of you FUCKING MORONS turned on the comm system!? You could've gotten the Taisho killed!”

“He's dead sir,” reported the first Lamia as she stood up, pointing at the dead pirate on the ground. “Sorry. He was making too much noise.”

The dead pirate looked to be security personnel, judging from his pistol holster and the dagger strapped to his leg. Besides him lied the other pirate who was knocked out when the Lamias first entered the ship.

Liam squatted down near the two pirates. “Damn. I was hoping to get someone I could interrogate for security codes. That would make our jobs a lot easier. How's that one on the bed doing?”

“He's unconscious, sir,” reported another Lamia as she finished screwing on her silencer. “Looks like they had him on heavy sedatives. His arms, neck, and face are pretty badly burned.”

“Probably one of the ship operators,” mused Liam, his hand laid on his helmet in contemplation. “His control panel could've blew up when the Arashis opened up on them... Now what do we do?”

As Orie looked around the room, she did find what looked to be the entrance to a service tunnel, or a ventilation shaft. It would be impossible to fit in the tunnel while she was wearing her Mindy armor. However, she could probably crawl through the tunnel with room to spare if she was only wearing her bodysuit.

 

[Imp Syndrome]

Joey rushed into the room with the rest of the crew, and in his panic, he foolishly ignored the man's dropped pistol. He cursed inwardly for his stupidity before rushing into the med bay, Avaldamon behind him. He flinched when the door didn't immediately close, and he turned around to see Avaldamon doing something with a small terminal just outside the door. He backed up just enough to give his crewmate enough room to get through the door, then closed it behind him.

"(What did you do,)" Joey mouthed to him desperately, but before he could get a response, he heard voices from outside the med bay, playing through a small speaker near the door. He immediately understood what Avaldamon had done; he had turned on the communication link to try and get some info from whoever was passing by.

There were several tense seconds of muffled silence as the Lamias restrained the captive guard, eventually having to kill him by snapping his neck. Once the people outside were gone, Tangozulu turned off the audio link and turned his obvious fury onto them, demanding to know who had nearly killed them all. Joey flinched; he knew that Avaldamon was going to get it big time if he was singled out.

Once the deadly silence had ended, he began looking around for something they could use. After a moment, he thought of something, and he addressed the Lamias standing over the dead pirate's body.

"Say, does that poor soul have anything useful on him? It'd be nice if he had a datapad with the ship's layout on it, as unlikely as it might be."

((EDIT: Again, I apologize for the lapse in posting. I'll try to be more active here from now on.))

 

[rathmere]

"It was me sir." Avaldamon stepped out so no one else would get in trouble. "I tried to set it to one way sir." He felt that feeling in the pit of your gut when you know you did something really wrong without thinking.

He waited for Sixthree to tell him off more, but knew the worst would be when they got back to the ship. Everything had moved too fast for him. He had to work on his thinking under pressure when he had some free time, that is, if he wasn't stripped of rank and sent home.

 

[Yangfan]

Sixthree took a step toward Avaldamon, but was restrained by Liam, who placed a hand on his shoulder. “Give him a break, Ittô Heisho,” said Liam. “It's his first day on the job.”

“... All right,” replied Sixthree. “But this incident is going on my report.”

The first Lamia was looking over the dead pirate's body. “I think he was only carrying a pistol and a dagger. Sorry,” she said to Joey.

The second Lamia had finished screwing on her silencer, and took up position close to the door, next to Orie.

The third Lamia was looking around at the various instruments and equipment strewn around the medical bay. “Hey, look what I found!” she suddenly exclaimed. “What are these doing here?” she asked, holding out two round objects that appeared to be grenades.

“Give it here,” ordered Sixthree. “These are sleeper grenades,” he reported after examining them. “They release a sleeping gas that's very effective against Nepleslians. They're mainly used by the Nepleslian police force. I don't know how they got here, but I have some ideas.”

“Why would pirates have them?” asked Liam.

“Probably to control drunk or rowdy crewmen,” answered Sixthree. “Instead of risking someone getting hurt, put them out and have them sleep it off. They could be useful to us as well.”

One of the Lamias helpfully handed Sixthree a pillowcase. Sixthree stared at the pillowcase in confusion for a moment, before gently placing the grenades inside the pillowcase. He held up the pillowcase like a bag.

 

[Imp Syndrome]

Joey shrugged, saying, "It's no big deal. It would've been nice, though...Anyway, we should take the dagger with us, at least. Who knows, it might be of some use."

((Short post is short.))

 

[Rabbit Eclair]

"S-sir!" Orie's voice was hesitant and more than a little nervous--she didn't like addressing commanding officers unless spoken to, and making suggestions to them came even less naturally to her. "It looks like there are some sort of access tunnel going through here... or maybe a circulation system? It might be less guarded than the hallways. I think I could fit through it if I took off the armor... or one of the Lamias. Um. Maybe we could use that to scout around? If it is a circulation shaft, we might be able to use it to fill a few rooms with the sleeping gas..." She trailed off, looking thoughtfully at the shaft through her helmet and mentally preparing herself to be berated. Sixthree's outburst at Avaldamon's slip-up didn't leave her hopeful.

 

[Yangfan]

Sixthree nodded at Joey. “Take whatever equipment you need. Just make sure you can carry it all.”

He then walked up to the access tunnel, and tentatively tugged at the grilled hatch covering it. Judging by how easily the cover came off, it was most likely an access tunnel, used for maintenance and repair of the ship. Sixthree peered inside the tunnel.

“What you're proposing sounds pretty dangerous, soldier,” commented Liam. “You would be crawling around without your protective armor. You sure you're up to it?”

 

[Imp Syndrome]

Joey watched as the Lamia searching the pirate's body took the dead man's knife, and he caught it by the hand grip as the Lamia tossed it to him. He held it in a monkey grip, making sure not to swing it around wildly, as he listened to Orie's proposition about using the access tunnel. To him, it seemed like a fine tactical move; dropping sleeping grenades onto their enemies from the tunnels to knock them out. Still, Joey knew that there were many dangers associated with it, especially if she was noticed; she wouldn't have much room with which to escape if she was discovered.

"Orie, I don't know if we should take that kind of risk...What if the enemy sees you before the grenade goes off?"

 

[Rabbit Eclair]

Orie looked blankly at the tunnel for a moment. She wasn't sure at all if she were up to it... but on the other hand, it would keep the rest of the squad out of immediate danger, and if she somehow incapacitated the entire ship, she could be a hero. The young neko nodded hesitantly. "If I get in trouble, I can use telepathy to call for help. But, um, it's up to you, Tangozulu-heisho. If you don't think it will work..." She shifted uncomfortably under all of this sudden talk of failure. "It was just an idea."

 

[Yangfan]

Aurore stared at the data pad that Hyde handed him. “I must say, Captain Hyde, that the medical items that you're demanding...”

“Requesting, Taisho, as a part of our bargaining agreement,” corrected Hyde.

“Yes... requesting... Anyway, these items are quite... exotic.”

“It is for a good cause, Branard-Taisho, I assure you,” Hyde smiled graciously.

“Right... Are you developing a new drug for the streets of Nepleslia? Or do you plan to somehow turn these chemical compounds into a biological weapon?”

“I realize the mere suggestion of it is absurd, Taisho,” replied Hyde, “but it's for a research project.”

“Hahahahaha!” Aurore laughed, startling quite a few of the pirates in the bridge. “You're quite funny, Captain Hyde,” she finally said, wiping away a tear.

“It is no joke, Taisho,” answered Hyde, his face serious. “Lives are at stake.”

Sixthree gave Orie an approving nod. “First things first, soldier... Lu-Taii, can you disable the ship's communication system from here?”

Liam turned to look at the computer terminal in the room. “Yeah. I should be able to take it down from here... with Celia's help of course.” He sat down in front of the terminal and began typing. “The comm system going down will most likely alert those in engineering, though. I suggest neutralizing that section next.”

Sixthree looked down for a moment to examine the sensor maps, almost as if he was in introspection. “Okay! Two of the Lamias will stay here, to protect Lu-Taii and to guard the prisoners. Aoki-Hei here will take these sleeper grenades and travel to the engineering bay via the maintenance tunnels, where she will use one of the grenades on those inside at my signal, and use more grenades if necessary,” he ordered, handing Orie the pillowcase full of grenades. “The rest of you will follow me. We will take the lift system to the deck below us, where we will strike the engineering bay the moment Lu-Taii disables the comm system! Let's move out!!”

 

[Imp Syndrome]

Joey was skeptical about leaving the Taii with only two guards; his element of their mission seemed too important to leave only two Lamias with him, regardless of their skill. Still, he didn't think it was his place to raise questions about it; orders were orders, and he planned to follow his.

"Yes sir," he replied strongly, and he prepared to start moving as soon as the hatch in front of him opened.

 

[Rabbit Eclair]

Orie started taking off her armor, suddenly very glad that she'd chosen to wear the bodysuit. Basically. Wait, no... maybe being naked would give me an edge. It's not like they're going to expect to find naked people in their ventilation system. Maybe they'd get all confused and I could attack them while they were trying to figure out why I was naked.

She continued stripping as she pondered the advantages of clothes vs. no clothes. Fortunately for everybody involved, she decided to settle for staying clothed on the grounds that if she was naked, she wouldn't be able to show off the resulting painting of her triumphantly grenade-bombing pirates to as many people. As she set the last piece of her Mindy on the ground, she bowed lightly to the Lamias. "Please watch this well while I am gone!" Then, slinging the pillowcase of grenades over her shoulder, she took up position next to the tunnel entrance, working up her courage.

 

[Yangfan]

As stealthily as he could, Sixthree led Joey, Avaldamon, and the Lamia down the hall, into the lift system, down one level, and out onto the lower deck of the pirate ship, on the starboard side. Surprisingly, the corridors were deserted, and they did not encounter another guard.

They soon came upon a fork in the corridors. According to the map their AIES provided them, a left turn here would lead them across the spine of the ship, to the port side, while going straight ahead would lead them to one of the entrances of the engineering bay.

“According to my map, we can access another entrance to engineering from the other side of the ship,” observed Sixthree. “Two of us should head left here and pop up at the other entrance to engineering. That should give us better fire coverage. I should go. Do I have a volunteer to go with me?”

After she had gathered up her courage, Orie noticed that the entrance to the maintenance tunnel was too high for her to reach, now that she was out of her armor. She could reach it if she pushed one of the nearby tables up against the wall, however.

“Need a hand up?” offered one of the Lamias helpfully.

“Before I begin my story,” said Hyde, “I must ask you a question, Branard-Taisho. Are you aware of the location of my port of call?”

“Why would I be aware of that?” asked Aurore with a bored expression on her face.

“Come, Taisho,” answered Hyde with a smile, “the SAY is feared and hated for its intelligence gathering capabilities.”

“Perhaps, but why wouldn't I wipe your port off the map the moment I become aware of it?”

“I can think of several reasons... We are a nuisance to nearby systems such as Nassau, true, but that only makes it more likely that they will seek the Empire's protection. We are also at least a minor deterrence against Mishhu scout vessels. In the mean time, we have been avoiding ships that fly the Yamataian flag, so that we don't give you a reason to go after us.”

“Until now,” said Aurore, folding her arms. “The Graceful Jaunt is a registered Yamataian merchant ship.”

“Yes, Branard Taisho. That is also one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you. If you know where my home is, I'd like to convince you to not blow it up.”

“Start talking then,” said Aurore. She also sent a telepathic message to Itkatsu: ~Stay alert. I'm trying to stall for time, but the situation could change quickly.~

Zug stood nearby, at attention, trying his best to look menacing.

 

[Yangfan]

“I will go with you, sir,” answered the Lamia.

Sixthree nodded. “You two,” he pointed at Joey and Avaldamon, “move up to the entrance of the engineering bay and wait there. We'll wait for Aoki-Hei to throw the sleeper grenades. Once the sleeping gas take effect, we're gonna open up on them.”

He then turned left and moved down the corridor, with the Lamia behind him.

“It all began about six days ago in port,” recalled Hyde as he folded his hands in front of him. “After one of our vessels raided a Nepleslian merchanter, her crew returned to port sick, with a disease with which our medics were not familiar. Terrible boils were on their backs, and they soon began behaving like animals. Worse yet, we soon discovered that the disease was contagious.”

“Contagious?” asked Aurore, tensing up visibly.

“Don't worry, Branard Taisho,” reassured Hyde, “we took drastic quarantine measures immediately afterwards. No one on board this ship is infected. My medics made sure of that.”

“You'll excuse me if I doubt the competency of your pirate doctors,” Aurore sneered.

“Fair enough, Taisho, but even if some of us are infected and contagious, I'm sure your superior Yamataian immune system can handle it.”

“Err, what about me?” asked Zug with a worried frown.

“... To be honest, I'm not sure how the disease would interact with Troll physiology,” remarked Hyde.

“Don't worry, Zug,” answered Aurore. “All away team members will get medical exams after the mission.” She glared at Hyde. “I should make it standard procedure after visits to pirate ships.”

 

[Rabbit Eclair]

"I've got this. Thanks, though!" Orie activated her inertial manipulation and smoothly hovered up to the tunnel mouth, sliding in as quietly as she could and setting off, crawling fairly slowly to avoid making a ruckus.

 

[Itkatsu Kiyoko]

Kiyoko watched over the exchange between leaders from her position at the Taisho’s side, her attention split between Hyde’s words and movements and those of the rest of the pirate crew present. From the clues the pirate captain dropped it sounded like he – not surprisingly, considering his profession – called Halna home; Kiyoko duly made note of this for inclusion in her report later. In response to Branard’s telepathic message the first officer replied with a short ”Acknowledged;” she had prioritised her targets soon after she had entered the room and stood ready to take them down the moment it should become necessary.

To be on the safe side – like the Taisho, Kiyoko was not one to easily trust the words of a pirate – she had her Mindy do a more detailed examination of the air to look for any traces that might resemble such a virus.

 

[Imp Syndrome]

"Yessir," Joey said quietly, and he moved into the hallway as silently as he could. Once he was sure that there wasn't anyone in the vicinity who would notice him, he quickly and quietly approached the hatch leading into the engineering bay, standing to the side of the doorway and arming his weapon, preparing to open up on anyone inside as soon as he received the signal. As he waited for Avaldamon to join him, he double-checked that his weapon was set to the 'stun' level, as the group had discussing previously; if the pirates were setting the hostages up to look like their own, he didn't want to inadvertantly kill any of them.