RP: Neshaten Division 5, Case 03.5: Interlude

[SirSkully]

RP Date

EE005v / YE 43

RP Location

???????

The darkness felt like it stretched on forever, occasionally the vague sensation that they were being handled or moved slipped through that chemically-induced slumber but it was hard for any thoughts to form beyond each operator's most base instincts. No fear, no worry. Just the sound of blood pumping through their veins and air cycling through their lungs, this dreamless sleep and the way it sapped away any higher functions could almost be considered blissful~

It couldn't last forever, there was far too much to do for the operators to know this peace any longer.

Each member slowly returned to the pain of consciousness, it was a groggy, dull pain that clung to them like the tough spider-spun silks used in the Helio'namashe their uniforms were woven with. But their senses did slowly return, the first sensation of something external was the cool air brushing the fine hairs on each operator's skin, and the dim teal lights that illuminated the sterile space they found themselves in. Blue-sheeted beds lined the walls of an otherwise very white and grey room, light-but-warm sheets and blankets feeling like lead weights against their fatigued bodies. The end of each bed furnished by a tough-looking footlocker with unknown contents.

Kyet was one of the first to sit further upright in her bed, moving to rub at her eyes when her arm was suddenly stopped by something. Not handcuffs as she expected, but an intravenous line leading up to a bag of saline, it was then that Operative DePolanskaya looked under her sheets and confirmed a suspicion.

Her clothes were nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by a one-size-fits-all hospital gown in a very medical shade of light blue, fastened at the back by a lattice of string. Kyet pulled her blanket higher and looked around, there was nobody in the room but the stirring survivors of that terrible incident. And at the end of the room was Leo, still as a body on a morgue's slab, a breathing tube leading out of the snowy man's mouth.

Anyone who'd suffered more grevious wounds such as Hana would find a pink bag of blood hooked up alongside their intravenous line, wounds had been cleaned and bandaged but curiously enough not stitched, and enough time had passed for sturdy scabs to form. Yinri's mechanical arm and the harness it came with was nowhere to be seen, though what was left of her shoulder had been carefully cleaned and had a faint odour of citrus about it. Come to think of it, everyone's hair felt like soft as though it'd recently been washed, clean and fluffy though knotted in some cases, as though it hadn't been brushed.

Kyet ripped the intravenous line out of her arm and slowly stood on wobbly legs, blanket wrapped around herself for some added modesty, her tail's dense fluff flared out as she cautiously stepped into the center of what she perceived as a medical facility of some kind.

"Is... is everyone okay?" the busty fox asked her teammates, looking at the room's sturdy door before her gaze fell to foot locker and medical readout at the end of her bed, it read the same as everyone else's, they had their IV bags changed about ten minutes ago...

 

[Chaos Havik]

The last thing Kil'nda could remember was that he was about to ask.. well what the hell just happened.? They had been apparently transported, or teleported into the belly of some large complex, perhaps even a ship, and then they were all gassed and knocked out.

Now he was waking up as well and indeed was noticing several things mentioned above. He simply had some bandages form bruising it was unlikely an IV would have been needed for the minor damage he took at the start of the mission. "Well, we are still alive it seems. Don't have cuffs on, and were not opened up and dissected by the Aliens either so there is that." He comments as he looks about. "More upset they took my rifle and gear than anything. Alright then, going to go with a perhaps not popular opinion, but I think we should try the door or let them know we're up."

Still Kil'nda was taking the time to look over the machinery that was here in the room, if there was anything he could make use of himself or if needed brake apart and make something out of. He was somewhat excited to examine Alien Tech, that doesn't come around every day. He also was looking for surveillance incase they were currently being watched.

 

[Arbitrated]

A hospital?

Arynn Sher'meso's oversized ears twitched erratically in her sleep, the smallest operator in the room feeling rather chilly as her mind rose from the deep suppression. Her eyes opened and then immediately squinted sharply, being taken aback by the lights dazzling her vision. She trembled and weakly rose to a sitting position, taking a look around. IV bags, half the squad was out, but seemed to be alive...

She cleared her throat. "Who brought us back? Did those... Agents... Drop us off?" Though the furniture here was unsettlingly large to most of the Division 5 operators, Arynn was used to things being big. So far, nothing here seemed particularly off to the fennec lady and her secret companion.

"Headache... Ow. Feels weird in here..." It seems that she'd not become properly mentally cohesive yet.

 

[Aria]

Somewhere?

A gentle breeze floated past Cirillo as he stood on a sunny hill colored bright green with wild grass. He tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, gazing up at the puffy clouds in the sky that idly drifted by. Time seemed to stand still in that blissful moment.

"Cirillo!" he heard in the distance. He could make out a young boy up ahead, waving his arms frantically as his blond tail swayed back and forth.

"Coming!" he yelled, vaguely hearing the shouts of his parents behind him telling them to be careful. The hills by their house had small creeks and rocks cutting through the land, so a young Cirillo bounded over one of the creeks, carefully avoiding the wet stones as he cleared the water and caught up to his brother Elio.

"You're late!" Elio said with an exaggerated pout. "You said you'd take me to that cave you found today!"

"I had to get the snacks ready for us! I needed to sneak them out, otherwise Mom would throw a fit again. Let's go!"

The two young foxes dashed through the grass towards the tree line of the nearby forest. They happily jogged without a care over a worn-down dirt trail, their jog slowly turning into a run, then a sprint in a contest of brotherly competition.

"Looks like I win again," Cirillo boasted with a smile as they reached the turn-off for the cave.

"No fair, you're bigger than me! Give me a head start next time, okay?" Cirillo rustled the hair on Elio's head until his frown disappeared.

"Alright, alright, next time you can have a handicap."

Cirillo led Elio into the forest, which became more dense by the second. The trees began to block out more and more light, causing Elio to walk slower and slower. Cirillo reached for his hand and reassured him. Elio was silent as he frantically looked all around in a panic. Cirillo wanted to laugh, but kept it inside. Ten minutes or so later, they could see a rock formation appear through the trees.

"Elio we're--" Cirillo started before realizing his hand was empty. He desperately looked around, but the woods only returned their peaceful silence. He looked back at his hand, however, and nearly jumped when an adult's hand entered his vision. He pulled it back, only to bump against a gun strapped to his waist.

"You look sad, Cirillo," he heard behind him. He quickly spun around to see Elio, just as young as before, but now noticeably shorter to him. Cirillo wanted to approach him, but it felt like a thick wall separated them. "Is being an adult hard?"

"N-no, it's..." Cirillo began, but tears choked his voice at the sight of his long-lost brother.

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Elio began instead. "That day during the house fire, you jumped out of the window and shouted at me to do the same. But, I froze up. I couldn't do it. You'd be happy right now if I jumped that day, right? It's all my fault."

"No! I shouldn't have jumped out first! I thought I could show you it was safe, but I should have gotten you to safety first. Even if I had to throw you out of the burning house, you'd at least be--" He couldn't bear the weight of finishing that sentence.

"It's not your fault, Cirillo," Elio said, slowly walking forward and piercing the heavy air between them. "It was an accident. I don't blame you for it. You've suffered more than enough to make up for several sins over."

Cirillo fell onto his knees, dead leaves crunching beneath him. The small Elio hugged the wounded operative and rubbed his hair with one hand.

"Watching you all these years has brought me more pain than anything I've felt in my short life. It's time that you take care of yourself. It's time that you forgive yourself."

Hospital

He wasn't sure when, but the warm embrace of his brother turned itself into a soft blanket and a warm light. Tears flowed down his face as he tried to make heads or tails of their situation. But the vivid image of seeing his brother again was too much as he couldn't stop his tears. Cirillo laid back down on his side and curled into a tight, sobbing ball, his tail curling between his legs and his ears drooping.

 

[SirSkully]

???
"I agree with Arynn," Kyet admitted with a murmur, frowing at the drowsy fennec before turning back to the team's sharp-shooter. "Everything feels far too terrestrial, but somewhat... uncanny? The beds are a bit big even for me."

It wouldn't've taken much effort for Kil'nda to separate sections of the stand that'd been feeding intravenous fluids into his unconscious body, the generic looking bit of hardware's surface was cold to the touch and felt sturdy, likely made from some chromoly, aluminum and/or durandium composite. It wouldn't do much against armour, and the tube would likely buckle under any real sideways force, but the slightly tapered end seemed capable of dealing some serious damage through even a sturdy jacket. The guard rails tucked away on each bed looked like it was more likely made from stainless steel, but the combination of rivets and cold-weld lines made it pretty clear they wouldn't be budging beyond designed adjustments without some kind of cutting tool.

The tallish Daur saw Cirillo stir and roll over, his soft sobs echoed around the small space, prompting her to approach the man. Kyet went to reach a hand out for his shoulder but paused, knowing she was far from the most personable member of the squad, Leo would have known what to do~

Though he was currently out of commission at the other end of the room, stirring a little but otherwise dead to the world, with all sorts of bandages and tubes making him look like some kind of science experiment~

She took a deep breath and let that blanket fall from her own figure, instead wrapping it around the sobbing operator's shoulders and helping him sit more upright in one smooth motion, a surprising bit of strength coming from that comely physique barely hidden by a hospital gown. As lacking as her morale-boosting skills were Kyet was ready to give it her best shot~

With a barely audible hiss the room's single door slid open, revealing a black-clad, grey-furred laibe with a surgical mask obscuring their lower face. Though darker than usual their uniform was borderline identical to what the Kingdom's navy used, and the man wearing it looked just as surprised to see the operatives as they were to see him. The man's nitrile glove snapped against his fuzzy wrist and he took a quick step back before much could be done, the door shutting once more.

A few moments passed, maybe a minute, and the door hissed open once more. That Laibe was now flanked by what could easily be discerned as two Daur in black security uniforms, distinctly shukaren-looking shotguns pointed forwards though held in a low-ready position, still a threat but not a direct one.

"...okay so this is sub-optimal, you lot are supposed to still be out cold for a few more hours at least," the grey laibe mused more to himself than the operators, stepping forwards to pluck the medical chart off Arynn's bed and examine it. The faces of the two Daur with shotguns were obscured by helmets and goggles, though each operator could feel eyes burning holes through them, watching for any hints of a threat.

Now that they had a second to get a good look at those uniforms it became apparent that they were as sterilized as the medical room, there was no name, rank or any other patches that might reveal the slightest modicum of an indicator as to who sat beneath the dark layers.

After a few more moments of seemingly pretending the Division 5 Operators weren't there, the laibe put the medical chart down and dragged his tired-looking, green eyes between them.

"Well... since you're up, any medical complaints?" the Laibe asked, tone somewhere between annoyance and boredom.

 

[Aria]

???

Cirillo was rather taken aback by the warm blanket falling over him and the sudden verticality. He was quickly made aware all eyes were upon him as he scanned the room. Not wanting to cause a scene, he quickly wiped his eyes and looked away.

"T-thank you," he stumbled with a sniffle to clear his nose. "I just saw someone in a dream who I let-- who died in an accident when I was young." That was the first time Cirillo was able to call it an accident from the bottom of his heart. It didn't matter to him if that was really Elio he talked to or a dream, but he finally realized blaming himself forever isn't what he would have wanted.

Just then, the unexpecting doctor entered, then vanished just as quickly. Cirillo had a moment to see Leo covered in tubes and monitors before a security detail escorted the doctor back in. He saw his comrades preparing makeshift weapons, but he felt oddly calm, especially since everyone was being treated carefully.

"That was probably the best sleep I had in years," Cirillo started in response to the Laibe doctor in an attempt to calm the room with a non-joke.

 

[Chaos Havik]

Kil'nda sighed as they were not really in any position to do anything, and seeing that it was their own people, at least he hoped so, he let out a relaxed breath. "Sorry if you felt threatened seeing us up like this. We thought you were more of.. well whatever it was that we encountered that took us to their ship or something." He will says hoping to at least diffuse some of the tension. "Could you maybe tell us where we are now? I don't recognize any place like this, and you don't seem to have marking for what branch of the military you are from either."

 

[Arbitrated]

Dollhouse hospital but we're the dolls

The emerald-eyed techie debated internally with her hidden brother for several seconds, the two of them considering the merits of attempting to poke any of the glowing bed panels and, maybe, see if it would let her figure something out. Unfortunately this conversation was cut short due to the arrival of... The doctor, probably.

Ears twitching infrequently, the redhead made a tiny chuckle at Cirillo's non-joke before she put in her own inquiry, "There's a deep humming sound I can hear, what is it?"

The sound itself, so faint only ones blessed (or perhaps cursed) with oversized ears could pick it up, was far too fine to be a back-up generator, and besides this place didn't look like a field hospital. It wasn't until Kil'nda spoke up that Arynn remembered, kind of, the series of events.

"Actually, how did you acquire us from the other operatives? An arrangement, perhaps?"

 

[Primitive Polygon]

Yinri rose with a deep haggardness, an aura of lethargy so complete that it was hard to detect they'd moved at all. Waking up somewhere strange and unexpected was never easy, but the rotund fox had previous experience with it. So they just patiently checked over themselves, and let the answers take their own time.

In her state... Well, it wasn't like picking up a gun and breaking out was really an option.

Face half obscured in gloom and unruly orange fringe, they gazed at Cirillo and Leo's condition first, and then at Kil'nda- Internally hoping they weren't about to collectively start a fight they couldn't win.

Fortunately, the answers dutifully did come walking though the door, and it wasn't bearing undue force.

"...Some rude hospityal'tee yhou gote in these parts... I am assumin' yhou puttin' us in here because we saw somethin' we shouldn'ta, huh?" Their gruff, befangled bluster was in contrast with their physical weakness. Sitting up on the edge of the bed showed some confidence, though even that secretly took quite a bit of willpower, restraining their ears and tail from movements that would signal fear. "...Did ya haf ta take mah leg brace though, yah conniving sods?..."

Her remaining arm was just way too weak, the foam replacement sling rather pathetic... So... she was going to have to start biting people at this rate, probably?...

 

[SirSkully]

???
"Those things? No, we certainly are not the same as those abominations, though they are a necessity that we thankfully keep a tight grip on the necks of~" the grey Laibe spoke with a strong hint of distain dripping from their words, making no attempt to hide their disgust before the healer's orange eyes looked back up at the patients, the tired orbs briefly growing wider as the man realized he'd forgotten exactly who he was talking to.

With a cough to clear his throat and a tap of the communicator on his wrist the Laibe took a few steps towards the remaining operatives, giving each one a cursory once-over before continuing.

"It's not my place to reveal specifics to you, and of course I expect you all to doubt my words due to the bizarre circumstances that lead you to my ward... presently you're in safe hands in a blacksite that only a handful of individuals beyond these walls knows about, all that humming is likely just the site's ventillation loop and whatever other systems are currently firing off inside its hull," the man continued, the grey laibe's limpng gait had become apparent to some of the operatives now that they didn't feel quite so threatened, the footfalls from that offending limb sounding a little heavier than it's healthier sibling.

The healer was about to continue when Kyeterinyah cut him off, one hand giving Cirillo's blanket-clad shoulder a little squeeze as she spoke up.

"And Leo, our commander, why is he hooked up to all those machines when the rest of us aren't?"

The healer let out an annoyed sigh and shook his head, the door silently sliding open as more black-clad security personnel moved in, the two Daurs carrying a reinforced plastic case into the middle of the room, setting it down and making their leave without so much as a glance towards the operatives.

"I was just getting to that, your commander suffered some damage shortly after you lot landed, he'd lost a lot of blood and we barely managed to pull him through, needed to remove a section of the bastard's large intestine," the healer explained in a rather cold and clinical manner, manicured claws scratching at the edge of his proud, angular jaw as he gestured to the unconscious man.

"It was close but he'll pull through and we'll wake him in a few hours.... get dressed, the schedule's been expedited we have much to discuss, everything should fit well enough. We even serviced that arm while you were all out," the healer informed them all with a rather half-hearted flick of their wrist as one of the two guards escorted him out of the room, the other one moving to crack the container open before standing between the operatives and the door.

Laid out in a neat row were a series of vaccum-sealed bags with security strips across their openings, promising the contents inside hadn't been tampered with on their way here. Each bag contained a white t-shirt, grey sweatpants, slip-on canvas shoes and appropriate underwear. Sports bras where needed.

At the bottom of it all was Yinri's arm, still bearing all its nicks and dings but other than that it was spotless, her keen eyes maybe even spotting some evidence it'd been given a quick ionization bath to remove any sediment from even the deepest crevasses of the metal limb. Much like everything else, the container and its contents had been scrubbed of any and all evidence of their origins, the clothes were generic enough but the crate looked much like the ones used by the Navy. Just without all the wear and tear usually associated with the well-used containers.

Kyet brought her mouth close to Cirillo's ear and offered the long-haired man some quick, whispered words before fixing her posture and moving over to the offered crate. As much as she didn't want to get changed in front of the others this was hardly the most pressing issue, and so Kyet wasted little time ditching her gown to replace it with soft, cotton clothes, a healthy blush present on the curvy fox's pale face.

Her words resonated through Cirillo's mind as the man found himself maybe pulling that blanket a little tighter.

"I read about Elio, you did everything you could, that's all he could have asked of you."

 

[Arbitrated]

Why is it so spooky here

So they're either.... Lying, or there's even more going on than what any of us should know. Which means what, play it cool or get killed, probably.

Arynn seemed to have other plans, however. "Hull? This doesn't feel like a boat. Is this a star vessel?" She inquired after a quick clearing of the throat. The large-eared techie had started to shiver slightly after exposing herself to the cooler air, her scrubs barely providing any actual insulation. Given the doctor... Person... Didn't seem keen on answering anything, though, Arynn decided to listen to her companion and stop pressing the inquiries.

So the next thing to mind was getting properly dressed. As she busted the seal on the smallest set of clothing in the crate, the fenc commented on its quality. "So this is what the guys get when they're not on borderline surplus. It's so sterile, don't you agree? Feels almost too clean." Not unlike Kyet, Arynn had turned towards a wall to make her private body parts less visible and quickly slipped on the shirt, underwear, and sweatpants.

It wasn't a surprise that the shirt was still oversized. A couple swift tucks and rolls let Arynn not walk around the room without looking like a teenager fresh out of puberty, though - no unnecessary cleavage, unlike Kyet's current predicament with her tighter clothes.

 

[Aria]

???

Cirillo's heart sank a bit as they described Leo's injury, but let out a sigh of relief that he'd be woken up before too long. Hopefully he'll eventually be back to his old self, he thought before an interruption of warm air brushed his ear. He jumped a little, then sat in a bit of a dazed silence after hearing those comforting words about Elio. After a bit of a long pause, he looked up.

"Thank--" he started, before seeing her gown hit the floor. He spun around in the bed fast enough to give his neck whiplash and coughed awkwardly. "L-let me know when you're done, then I'll change myself..."

 

[Chaos Havik]

Kiln'da's ears twitches a bit as he though things though. "Well we're not dead, so I'm guessing your not going to want to silence us, at least in the permanent way. Alright then, so.. What are we allowed to know about what happened then? Those people we ran into, were they Aliens or something? And is there anything you can tell us about where we are, how we got here, or do we need to get ready to wear bags over our heads till dropped off at our homes?" They were all special forces afterall, the gag and bag method of moving somewhere they are not supposed to know about isn't exactly unknown to them.

 

[SirSkully]

The one remaining guard did their best impression of a statue as the stood between the operators and the room's exit, or at the very least they tried, the way the black-clad Daur shifted their weight between their legs was minimal but still noticeable to the keen senses of the operators. The immediate questions, as suggested, went unanswered for now - the guard remaining silent as everyone got dressed.

Kyet pulled her shirt down in one smooth motion, the grey cotton hugging her distinct silhouette as she offered Cirillo a side-long glance.
"I... appreciate it but modesty is the least of our concerns right now, I just want to find out what's going on and go home... with Leo out of the picture a little longer I say we play it safe and try~" the shapely woman began speaking, making her own thoughts known to the others before those near-silent doors swished once more, this time remaining open. In came another Daur clad in black, this one a little taller and with a more broad build, the only difference in uniform being an orange beret in place of the black ballistic helmets. The figure who'd been standing guard adjusted their posture and stepped aside, the man with the orange beret's presence clearly demanding a lot of respect even among the ranks of whoever these shadowy freaks were.

"She's a ship, aye," came a tough, gravelly voice that'd grown hoarse from a lifetime of barking orders, that regional accent not so dissimilar from Yinri's - there was even a hint of grey plasteen between the man's sleeve and glove where one would expect either skin or the smooth surface of an undersuit, yet another similarity.

"Easier t' keep hidden if she's moving, no lingering signatures, only really exists in t' wee margins of error in the navy's logistics reports. Dinnae let that fool you though, she's a cruel bitch, as yee'l learn soon enough," the man explained, there were clear limits to what he was allowed to tell the bruised and battered survivors, but the orange beret let him stretch those limits a little further. Maybe not the captain, but an officer of some kind? As much as it was covered up hierarchal tells were beginning to show themselves, whether that was intentional or not was yet to be seen~

The man turned on his heel and began walking away, the door remaining open behind him, and after a few steps the guard gestured for them to follow.

"So y' keep askin' 'bout our hunting foite do you? fair enough, you'll have to sign a pile of NDAs but know that they are your own countrymen regardless of if ye agree with t' ethical and moral implications of what we did to make them into six foot eight, two hundred and eighty pound warmachines," mr orange beret continued as he lead the team down a large hallway, red lights in the walls and ceiling offering just enough light for their photosensitive eyes to function at peak efficiency. They passed countless doors no doubt leading to other rooms and hallways, marked not with tinacen, but a pattern of as-of-yet unreadable squares.

The tall daur turned back and looked specifically at Kiln'da, as much as the mask hid his features the shit-eating grin was hard to miss.

"Nae, not aliens sonny, at one point they were closer to our ancestors than any of us would ever be~"

 

[Aria]

Big Fox Medbay

Cirillo was about to respond to Kyet when the latest authority figure entered the room. The man's camouflaged details of the ship simply floated into his ears and filed themselves in with the rest of the day's puzzle pieces waiting to be put together. He quietly hopped off the bed and swiftly changed into the provided simple clothing. The plain t-shirt and sweats felt like he was back at his apartment after a long day of work. He briefly wondered if they had a game console here, but he brushed that thought aside. He did, however, feel like something was missing without a combat knife on his thigh, but he couldn't imagine being given a weapon at this time.

As they began to walk down the hallway, he could feel the cold metal floor through the canvas shoes more than boots would allow. The sense of vulnerability was off-putting to say the least. The talk of bioengineered soldiers didn't help, though hearing they were originally their own people added a bit of an uneasy feeling to everything. For now, Cirillo followed in silence and listened as they walked down the hallway dimly bathed in red.

 

[Chaos Havik]

Soon the group was walking with one of the officers, somewhatever rank it was the man held. The implications that some genetic testing had resulted in the people they had met did not escape him though. He "Yeah they had us sign a ton of those after every Mission on the Gam'trosha, nothing new to me. " he would say. Part of him still wished he was out there in space exploring Space owned by the Kingdom and strange locations owned by noone.

"So then, this is what's remaining of our squad, anyone else make it out alive, or just us?" He asks

(Forgive any errors in grammar or spelling have only a phone till weeks end

 

[Primitive Polygon]

Yinri took a moment to do anything about the crate of new clothing, feeling uneasy about how they were being spoon fed information. She was struggling to think of how and when exactly Leo got wounded. It was just a little too convenient that their commanding officer was the specific person still out of action... Floofing their tail, fingers and ears stood up on end, alert to any new sudden developments.

Clutching their repaired robotic arm and glancing at Kyet, it added insult to injury that the more attractive fox undressed first. The odd prismatic shine to her repaired limb, the fact that it normally would have been replaced wholesale, and that uncomfortable unnatural-ness that it gave the rotund foxgirl in common with these outsiders- It put a pit in their stomach that they were trying really hard not to show.

Undressing themselves was a slow process, but the baggy sports clothes went onto their stocky form easy enough. No bra, couldn't reach around behind themselves. Only afterwards, they leant up against a wall to make their new metal shoulder joint snap into place, restoring the gruff orange thing to something resembling a complete Nesh soldier.

"...Wonder how Ka'teneh'ae is this time-a year, bet it's snowin'." A hobbling gait, she followed the taller man briskly, hunting for answers now. Didn't really expect him to acknowledge the similarity in accent, but fishing for small slip-ups could certainly be worth it. "Does it snow out 'ere in the black? Iy've nevar byen... Someatoes planets are tha icey wans, nay?"

Just a small twitch of the ears to Kiln'da and Cirillo. Yinri was physically a liability, but she could be distracting, and she hoped the others would be mindful of using that to their advantage.

 

[SirSkully]

"Just yae lot I'm sorry tae say, nothing went according ta thae algorithm... just know that every one of your fallen comrades will be made heroes posthumously, and their families will be well looked after~" the ginger-furred stranger explained, broad shoulders drooping beneath the weight of that grave knowledge, whether or not guilt contributed to that burden was yet to be seen.

There were a few paces where all that could be heard were the quiet footfalls of this beret-wearing Daur and his security detail, the group continuing deeper into this ship, the nondescript hallways seeming like they stretched on forever as they passed countless doors with their accompanying and undecipherable panels. The head of this pack turned back to face the operators once more, making an attempt to right his posture somewhat, and even with that mask covering his face they could feel the crow's feet around his eyes tighten.

"Lass, I've seen thing's ya winnae imagine, lightning dancing 'cross seas of mercury, starry skies miles beneath a planet's mantle~ ya dinnae need a stranger to tell yae it's likely pishin a doon back in Kester's north. But 'f course, there are many places joos as cold if not colder," the man offered up with a low chuckle, ginger hair and heavy regional accents weren't exactly uncommon but it was something they had gleaned from him, and something Kyet committed to her memory with a little furrow of her brow. With how everything had been it was hard to tell if this really was just a slight slip of the tongue or a carefully crafted red herring, that was something they'd all need to ruminate on.

All their pacing and marching brought the group to a bulkhead that stood out among countless other reinforced passages, framed by steel slabs with thumb-sized bolts cold-welded to its surface, cradling a titanium-alloy door that split down the middle to allow passage into whatever lay beyond. Sensors and cameras populated nearby walls, making no effort to hide how they judged and observed the team, slowly clicking and rotating in their housings.

"Beyond lays t' ship's nerve center, we've cordoned it off a wee bit to accommodate ye." the ginger Daur explained as his security detail took up positions on either side of the door, angled so as to not risk hitting each-other in the crossfire should they need to start firing on the operators, though the 'officer's' warm demeanour helped to offset some of the dark thoughts that arose.

"I jus' ask ye keep an open mind, fought hard to get them to let ye wake up here, don' make me regret it~" the 'officer' finished, passing his gaze between the assembled survivors before offering them a curt little nod, passing his steenplast-plated arm over one of the door's security sensors. A series of bassy rumbles and metallic clicks could be heard as a series of locks disengaged, ending with a low whine before the heavy doors quietly hissed open and the 'officer' stood aside, rolling on perfectly polished ball-bearings.

If there were any doubt that the team was on a ship then the sight before them would crush those doubts. A few figures in darker variants of Shukaren Navy uniforms stood around a high-end volumetric projection table, faces all covered except for the one in an admiral's uniform, a rather andrognous looking Daur with ash-brown fur and a rather minimalist shoulder cape. The dark hues complimented the 'admiral's' mocha-coloured skin as they simply stood there, offering a perfectly blank expression.

Rows of workstations and banks of machinery populated what little space was open to the team, whatever lay beyond was obscured by an array of dividers and curtains hanging from the ceiling, something that wouldn't look too out of place in a high-end office complex. The screens were all displaying generic lockscreens, keeping any sensitive information usually coursing through their systems hidden for now, the keyboards and button panels blinking with the occasion bit of red.

"Ladies and gentlemen, while you're within these walls you no-longer exist," the ash-brown Daur in an admiral's uniform spoke, their voice was very no-nonsense and had husky undertones that matched their unreadable expression. The bridge-bunnies flanking them were rather non-descript in appearance besides their dark uniforms, faces you'd pass every day in the Kingdom and not give a single thought, they began handing out datapads with information-dense contracts loaded up on their screens to each of the operatives.

"You're about to sign some paperwork that says you won't share anything you see, hear or even fucking smell here today. We know where you live and we have the power to put you in a very deep hole for a very long time should you break this agreement, with that in mind, welcome to the Null-Fleet."

 

[Arbitrated]

Null-Fleet
Is it a whole fleet or a ship? Guess we'll find out eventually.

If Arynn's radar-dish ears could move any faster, she'd start flying through the ship instead of walking like a normal person, the myriad of sounds from the humming, churning and working equipment each demanding the Fenc's attention. She even heard the clatter of cookware from somewhere in the depths, likely the next meal being prepared or the previous meal's remains being cleansed. She'd known that spaceships existed, of course - but being on one was a vastly different story, especially in this... Unusual context. She did have a question, though, and asked it as she began to peruse the documentation.

"This is only in regards to the organization itself, right? I've preferences to not be erased, I'm sure you have heard this before - and even know why in my own personal context." But, it's better to get a chance of at least leaving this vessel of steel at all over whatever would happen if she refused the offer. As she signed it, Arynn thought about her modeling career. Certainly she'd have been known about by at least some people here, even if only in passing.

 

[Aria]

Null-Fleet

The you no longer exist and other threatening words bothered Cirillo a bit as well, though the "while you're in these walls" part gave him at least some assurance that they might not be trapped here forever. He idly tapped the pen against the side of the data pad as his eyes glossed over all the legal threats he could possibly think of, and even some rather creative ones.

"Before I sign," Cirillo started, raising only his eyes off the pad. "I'd like to verify; will we get to see our families again?" To Cirillo, this only really meant his mother. He couldn't bear the thought of making her lose a 3rd close family member without any word or warning. Though only now did he begin to think of what he'd put her through, going through dangerous mission after mission with nothing but the occasional phone call to confirm he was still breathing. He'd like to spend more time with her, but maybe his thoughts were too little too late.

There was also that new arcade game coming out soon he wanted to play with Vezio. Something about giant crystal space spiders that turn people into zombies.