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RP: Cirrus Station [Episode 10] Cumulocirrus

Cassefin noticed the others beginning to stir around beneath her, shivering and teeth chattering as she peered over the edge of the ledge. Her arms wrapped around her chest for extra warmth, the Head Administrator was quite ready to be rescued and was not privy to their current plans. Looking over, the ledge she was on was roughly 16 feet above the floor... not terrible to fall, but not exactly a comfortable landing either. The snow covering the ground in great piles gave Cassefin a little more assurance, allowing her to momentarily steel herself, drawing in a deep breath before carefully squatting down near the edge, double-checking the ground below them.

"Hey! HEY! I want OFF this thing!" Cassefin yelled in aggravation, beginning to make the motions to slowly climb down from the ledge, gingerly putting one leg down off the ledge to test the air. There was a fairly large snow bank piling up beneath her; Cassefin was hoping to perhaps cushion her fall with that. It sounded much more appealing than the cold tiled floor.
 
Kokuten said:
"Tweak! Give him a jab of this!" Kokuten swung his Hypolathe in Tweak's direction, a strong through he knew the Freespacer-Neko hybrid would find hard to miss. "The painkillers will ease him while we wait for support."
Click to expand...
"Got it." came the mentally-radioed response as Tweak tucked the warheads wherever she could and snatched the hypolathe out of the air on her way between the crates and George. In a single motion, she brought it down and...stared at it. How was this thing used? It took a couple seconds, but she decided that Kokuten had pre-set it to do what it needed to, and gave George "a jab of this", whatever "this" was. Then she carefully tucked the hypolathe near the warheads and picked George up, easily taking him over to Kokuten at the doorway. Setting the man down and offering the squad captain his hypolathe back, Tweak then turned her attention to Cassefin.

Re-emerging from the doorway, Tweak found the Head Administrator apparently weighing the risks versus rewards of jumping.

"Hey! I'm here!" called up the Freespacer neko. She checked the walls for handholds, shrugged, and decided she would have to take a direct approach. Double-checking her calculations, Tweak looked back at Cassefin. Unless the Head Admin could jump. Would that work better? "Would you rather jump and someone catch you, or for me to come up to get you?"
 
The Captain caught his medical injector out of the air with the one arm he had, albeit with a bit of shambling. He put his hypolathe away, sheathing the device in its hap-hazardly made holster. With that, he traveled over with Tweak, beckoning Richard to follow closely behind. The Freespacer-Neko still had yet to relay what exactly her plan entailed, which made the man nervous. People usually withheld ideas either for the purpose of surprise, which was childish in this situation, or because they no one would accept that idea beforehand.

He chose not to think about it. He had that much trust, at least.

"Blake, get over here with Serra. Tell Lenny he's got to guard the civilians." said Kokuten before pointing the edge of his rifle at Richard, "You, get ready to help Cassefin down if she needs assistance. Tweak, keep those munitions and weaponry ready should the Quahhg surface again."
 
Richard nodded, holstered his rifle, sheathed his visor and moved to place himself directly under Cassefin. "I'll catch you if you'd like ma'am. I'm a relatively big guy. With my long arms I'll be sure to catch you and you'll have plenty to break your fall on. By the way, I quite enjoy the foods and drinks you designed, particularly Proto-Jerky and Citrusensation," he said with a friendly smile while he held his arms out wide. The young man did his best to sound warm and encouraging to coax her down. Further attempting to put her at ease, he pulled a legume bar out of a pouch on his suit's storage belt and momentarily struck the pose the head administrator was pictured in on her foodstuff vending machines, complete with an enticing wink and a canary eating grin. After doing so, he quickly resumed holding his arms out.
 
Tweak had given up on plans, going with "make it up as you go along" instead, which so far was working out better than her plans. Whether that should worry or or not was something she decided to worry about later. If it wasn't broken, don't fix it...augment it, add to it, but don't fix it.

Kokuten said:
Tweak, keep those munitions and weaponry ready should the Quahhg surface again."
Click to expand...
She glanced at the squad captain. All Tweak had were the warheads, her rifle had been left behind with George's. As a bonus, her original ideas for deployment of munitions was no longer needed as she had a couple more flashbangs and wasn't reliant on the high explosives.

Richard's attempts to 'lure' Cassefin down made Tweak snort with barely-contained amusement. The Admin already wanted down. That wasn't the problem. Tweak looked back up at Cassefin, trying to ignore the other man's efforts to suck-up to their boss as she waited for Cassefin to pick one of the options presented: Jump and be caught by Tweak, jump and be caught by Richard, or have Tweak come up and get her.
 
Within a few minutes, Blake emerged from the tunnel sans helmet, with somewhat of a contented look on his face. It didn't take him long to get back to the group and observe what was going on with Cassefin.

"Uh, Captain..." Blake said, "Can't I just climb up there and grab her? I mean, she's probably not really that heavy with all that health-food she eats."
 
Serra walked up after Blake.

"I would be a more logical choice." She said matter-of-factly. "I have wings, you do not, Blake." She said, pointing out the fact she has a built in parachute, while everyone else didn't.

"Not to sound superior or anything."
 
George winced as Tweak applied the painkillers, still partially conscious but at the moment unresponsive, perhaps even lethargic from the pain. His arm was a mess, evident from the red liquid oozing from the numerous punctures in the armor plates along the length of his arm. He groaned as he was moved, ending up propped against the wall near the only exit of the area. George had gained some of his sense back, tossing short glances at the others, but remained largely still as he breathed heavily through the chilly air.

---

"Uh... roger sir," Lenny was able to reply. Seeing as most of the other team was already gone, one could only hope that the large, slightly off-kilter ID-SOL would do what he was asked.

---

As they small group gathering on the ground below her went about discussing the many ways of rescuing her, Cassefin quickly came a decision. Or, rather, he left foot came to a decision for her; with the other leg dangling down cautiously, her left leg supported much of her weight as she delicately stretched her leg down. The edge of the small platform was, not surprisingly, moist with snow, the heat from her body softening the powdery white enough to alleviate much of the natural friction her shoe would have with the platform. Science, as it were, was a cruel mistress; Cassefin's foot slipped out from beneath her, causing her to gasp with sudden surprise as she sank below the ridge of the platform up to her shoulders. She was successful in catching her upper body with her elbows and forearms, but this only lasted for but a few precious seconds before she was sent plummeting, emitting a quick scream as she felt the ground approaching beneath her.
 
Already largely in position, Richard adjusted to catch the scientist and caught her in his arms, cradling her. "What a dream come true, having such an absolutely lovely lady fall into my arms!" he exclaimed blissfully as he looked down at her face with a smile. A moment later he gently set her down on her feet. "We really need to get you something to wear. I'd offer you my suit, but it'd be pretty big on you. Then again, I bet you'd look even more adorable in it."
 
Tweak twitched as Cassefin tumbled, but realized that Richard was going to take care of the 'rescue'...and he did. And then...he hit on the boss.

Mentally facepalming, Tweak returned her attention to the snow behind the growing group of security personnel. Without speaking aloud, she sent another radio message intended for Kokuten over the squad channel.

"Sir, the creature is still in the bay, hiding under the snow. Before you arrived, it was chasing me until I used one of these..." She pulled out one of the flashbang warheads and offered it to Kokuten to inspect or take without looking at him, keeping her eyes on the snow. "...to startle it into hiding. It seems to be able to evade thermal detection somehow."
 
Kokuten's rifle gently hovered over the snow in a wide arc with his strong arm holding it as if it were a pistol. He was watching steadily, his infrared, white-hot optics staring out into the snow. Several things wracked over his mind as he watched, waiting for Cassefin to drop down into the arms of one of her awaiting staff. The pain was only getting worse, the blood under his skin grafts was coagulating, but still dribbling down his side. His ankle, as pained as it was, was having a lot trouble supporting his weight, and judging by the pain up his leg, the baby Quahhg had pulled several of his muscles. If only the guys could see him now.

Though there was still the case of George, he had taken the brunt of a full-size Quahhg. He was going to need triage soon enough to help with the bleeding. Even with one arm, Kokuten could manage to stabilize and work on him, but only after securing everyone. It was too dangerous to do relax while the large one was still out there, and with Cassefin still exposed.


Kokuten shook his head. Though, to what in Blake's sentence he was shaking his head to was hard to tell. The Captain simply jutted his rifle toward the snowy field, gesturing out to the expanse he was guarding over.

"Keep watch, and if you can, get George over to the other hostages. You're quick with civilians and wounded personnel." said Kokuten, his voice slightly harried. Still, it was uplifting to see Blake hadn't suffered much harm.


"These Quahhgs are proving easy to startle, but it won't leave us alone now. We've intruded into its nest and killed at least three of its young. That's why we need to evacuate the civilians as soon as possible." Kokuten side-stepped a bit, getting a little closer to look at the flash-bang he had caught sight of earlier. Their visors would save them from the stunning effects of a flashbang.

He hadn't gotten close enough to where his limp, mangled arm brushed against hers. His other arm still scanning the rifle over the floor covered in a snowy blanket.

"How are you doing?" he asked, sparing a moment to look at her, a white glow permeating behind the visor.
 
Tweak looked focused, relatively calm with an edge to it that was odd to see in a Freespacer. She looked over at Kokuten. In her eyes, his face was an odd mixture of visible-spectrum light reflections and the thermal-detection overlay she was using to watch the room despite the quahhg's proven ability to negate that mode's usefulness.

"I...I would feel better if everyone was moved away from here," she said quietly, forgoing the radio since he was in audible distance. "These missile warheads have a few types. That one is a flashbang-type, but I think it is intended for use against power armor; massive kick to it. This one..." she lifted another from where she had stashed them. "...is a high-explosive variant. Kess told me when I found them in that crate over there." She gestured toward the open crate that was near the middle of the room among other crates. "My original plan is still valid; I could bomb it. Get one down its gullet or something after forcing it out of the snow..." Her look turned concerned and she trailed off when she noticed the state of the sleeve that Kokuten's damaged arm was in.

"Are...are you alright, sir?" She blinked. "Wait, there are more of those things?"
 
"We ran into a few. Three smaller ones. Probably its young. Serra killed one, Blake killed one, and I..." sighed Kokuten, looking down at himself.

"I survived one. They've apparently got a nasty tongue, nearly dislocated my leg, and almost broke a rib." Kokuten padded his elbow against himself with a little strain. He felt a little better talking about the pain, it made it hurt less. "If that wasn't enough, he was going to try and rip my arm off." The Captain shifted the shoulder of his dead arm, which swayed limply. "Jostled my cybernetic hardpoint and nearly pulled it off my body... Killed my arm in the process." He grunted a little bit, "I've lost a little... some... I'm not sure how much blood. Enough to feel it. It's stopped now, I can sort of feel a cold, blood-jelly seal where my grafts split."

He shook his rifle, which was held in his good hand.

"I've still got one good arm, two good legs, and two good eyes. I should be fine as long as I'm not dead."
 
Tweak gave Kokuten a measured look, then turned her eyes back to the bay. "I have the firepower, I can secure this bay on my own," she said quietly. "You know I can. You need medical attention and so does George; the longer you are in that condition, the lower your chances of surviving the next fight become. And I don't think Cassefin needs to stay here any longer than she already has." Tucking the flashbang warhead with the others, she tapped Kokuten's useless arm and let it swing. "I won't take it on if you don't want me to. I'll just watch the area, track it if it comes up for air. You can get fixed up, gather reinforcements, then come back better-prepared and we can put this thing to sleep. No since running more risks than you have to, right? Not like it's got anywhere else to run."
 
"Support is already on its way." said Kokuten firmly in the wake of Tweak's rational explanation. He continued to survey any disturbance in the snow, anything he may not have been looking at a few minutes ago. There was a bit of difficulty in trying to maintain such a vigil. "Besides, Intel is zero on this situation. You're risking being over-run or cornered by these things, and despite how good you may be that's not a risk I'll allow you to take."

He wobbled a bit to swing his dead arm at her gently, patting at her side.

"Or were you lying to me, when you told me you didn't like this sort of thing?"
 
Cassefin grunted heftily as she was caught, still a bit shaken from her sudden tumble. She was glad to be off of that platform, but still quite wary of her situation, shooting a glance around to spot if their pest problem was still in the area. A fruitless endeavor; if the quahhg was even still there, it was well hidden.
"What? Ah... eh heh, heh?" Cassefin turned her head back with a peculiar look about her face as she was set down, letting out a slightly nervous laugh, unsure of what to make of the statements. Of course, compliments of any kind were appreciated, but right now they seemed strangely inappropriate. It was a nice gesture though. At least it didn't make her angry. "Thanks? I guess...?"

She caught sight of the rest of the group as she made careful steps through the snow towards her rescuers. Kokuten's condition was of particular interest of Cassefin, her face wincing as she perceived his condition. "Wow. You look terrible Chiaki," the Head Administrator noted, doing her best to sound confidant despite his worrisome state.

While the group was reorganizing and before Cassefin could continue, they would catch movement in the snow far on the opposite side of the room. With a sudden shake of snow, a familiar form rose up. The quahhg was covered in a heavy layer of caked snow, having rose straight up from the frosty coverage and was facing in the direction of the team. It was a fair distance away, however, and wasn't close enough at that moment to be of any threat. It stood there for a few seconds, facing them silently as he slowly strafed to the side with careful steps, appearing to ready itself to pounce as though it were currently undetected beneath its plume of white powder.

Cassefin visibly tensed when she caught sight of the quahhg across the room. She clutched her arms tighter against the cold, turning her body completely towards the beast as she took a step back further into the group. She was unsure of what to say or do, shooting quick glances at the others to see what their plans of action were.
 
Tweak turned to Kokuten. "I'm more worried about crossfire, sir. These warheads are meant for use against vehicles, and while I can keep myself out of range of the explosions, my chances to use them will become drastically reduced if I have to worry about the squad and the Head Administrator as well." She bowed her head briefly before looking over at the quahhg. "Those explosives will take care of the beast, but they can't be put to full use with everyone here. Just give me a gun and--" A thought hit her and the Freespacer neko frowned.

"Wait. Nest. How deep is this snow?" How could something that size move around undetected in the bay by submerging itself? And why, why, WHY didn't she realize that sooner?!
 
Richard followed behind Cassefin while looking about to ensure that they were safe. Then he quickly began getting out of his suit, starting by removing the chest plate and unzipping it. Though the quahhg had returned, it was a good distance away from them and wasn't immediately attacking. They also had the protection of the others. Considering these things and the fact that the administrator hadn't rejected the idea of wearing his suit and that she must be awful cold, he figured getting out of it and giving it to her was worth doing despite leaving him vulnerable for a moment.
 
Blake was in the process of getting George safely into his arms when the Quaahg rose from its hiding spot beneath the snow. Slowly, he shifter George back to the ground and lifted his rifle to meet the lumbering beast.

He peered at the beast as it moved through his sights and tensed his finger over the trigger.

"Captain." His voice was soft, and calm, "It looks like it doesn't know we've seen it. Should we attack?"
 
Cassefin got no response from her supposed worried quip. Kokuten kept his attention on the sudden appearance of the mother Quahhg. His body tensed visibly at the sight of the true beast, especially with the events of fighting its children fresh in his mind. The fear crept up his spine like a wandering spider. The chills he felt, at the very least, made the room feel a little warmer.

"Tighten up. We only need to get the Head Administrator back to the other civilians. From there, we hold out at the pipes, and wait for support." Kokuten turned back to Blake, pointing a finger at him, with his rifle hanging off his grip, "Morris, when we get close enough to the opening to the other room, I want you to run her to the civilians; Hunker down while we try to secure George. Tweak..."

Kokuten turned to order the Freespacer, but caught Richard pulling his armor off. Was he trying to give it to Cassefin?

"Put your god damn armor back on!" roared Kokuten, jabbing Richard in the chest with his gun, "We don't have time for this and... Argh!"

The Captain turned his gun back on the Quahhg.

"Tweak, ready those munitions. We need to keep that thing at bay, and occupy it for as long as it takes to get George and Cassefin to our defensive position." He looked back at his stripping soldier, "Celeste, you're following Blake, help him move out our two priorities."
 
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