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

Tange IV, Misato City, Er'red's Group

Menelik contemplated the size of the plants, and how they blocked his group's path. Well, most of the group: it was a trivial matter for him to fly over or around them but doing so would take him out of position. But the rest of the group, with the exception of Ash and Mirage, couldn't exactly do that.

"Basic fireteam structure works for me, but I wish we had four infantry instead of just three of us." Menelik said, voice coming in clear as crystal over the squad's comms. He continued sizing up the plants, wondeing just what Er'red would do. If it was up to him, he'd just go around or over 'em: no point in wasting time trying to cut it down, and burning was out of the question. And when it came down to it, time wasn't really that much of a factor. He pulled up the map in his suit's HUD and studied it.

"Hey, Cadet, Corporal. I think that if we can head northwest through or over this building we can follow this road west to the car park."

Near the Shack

As Akemi carefully checked around the shack for the dangers she could finally see the building properly. It was not too far away from the crashed ship, but the land was straightened out and whatever scrap there would be after the crash was gone. It was clear where some of it went as the cottage roof was mainly created from thing sheets of metal. The walls were made from bricks, probably homemade ones. Behind the cottage was a small smithy. A makeshift anvil made from an engine block and an oven to make ceramics.

Around the shack few animals dwindled about. A medium-sized wooly dog sat a bit away, turning its head away and watching the group as it approached the farm. It was clear that the dog was more of a companion rather than a guard.

As Akemi knocked on the door there was no reaction at first. Not until she could hear a somewhat electronic voice that somewhat sound like a nepleslian historical actor Jawn Dwayne..

"Just a second," Akemi could hear and then steps closed to the door. With a creak the wooden doors opened and the neko could see a figure. The robot wore a checkered shirt, vest and cowboy hat. He had a leather boots. On his belt was bowie knife and at his side a low-hanged holstered revolver.

The robot tipped his hat to Akemi. "Howdy stranger."

Tange IV, Misato City, Er'red's Group, Overwatch

While the ground team was dealing with the hindrance of one of the larger overgrown plants between them and the objective Mirage found that her own discovery warranted some attention. Opening a com channel to Cadet Nny'ust she relayed the most important bit of information first, "Cadet, a Nekovalkyrja has been spotted. Present count is one however more may be inhabiting the shelters built on the car park. Due to a lack of uniform I can't confirm their affiliation." Lapsing into silence Mirage briefly wondered if it would be safest to simply level the car park. After all Nekovalkyrja had their reputation for a reason... Her thoughts shifted to Ashlinn in their group and decided that it would be best not to take any actions that would be regretted later. For the sake of relations is seemed some risk would have to be taken. Of course what to do about the information was the Cadet's call as the leader of their group.

Turning her attention to Private Berhane's observation, Mirage used her vantage to compare the possible routes. This time reporting to the entire squad instead of the Cadet solely, Mirage offered an alternative, "If you take the road to your south you can wrap around the building and return to the route as there are no obstructions in that direction. The route to the north is visibly hedged in along the road as it curves leading back to the LZ. I'm unable to determine if there are gaps on ground level but from the sky south appears to be faster." Once again falling into silence with her com channels open Mirage kept a watchful eye on their objective wondering if she'd be dealing with a strike force of Neko boiling out of the shacks or if they'd be refugees eager to know that they'd be getting support soon.

Also Near the Shack

Akemi briefly looked the being over to ascertain where it might emit terrible red laser beams. "Howdy other stranger, my name 's Akemi. I'm here with a multi-faction exploratory group led by the Lorath that is looking to help people and scout out this planet for settlement. You're not an evil Mishhu programmed robot, are you?"

Porrim’s Unit

”So, it's Ghost now, eh?" Aran'ya questioned of her new moniker in passing, before commenting sagely, "Better a silent specter than a soul-less number."

Click to expand...

Ghost actually smiled a little bit at that. Yes, she remembered Aran’ya as well.

“Elm ‘Ghost’ Petra,” she stated, “Um, nice to re-meet you. I wasn’t… myself on the Akahar.”

An understatement, considering that Ghost wasn’t herself, even now. Easier to keep silent than to pretend to explain any of her reasoning, though. She found her eyes drifting up to the tops of the buildings, and focused her Peeper eyeglass by closing her other eye and squinting that one. It compensated, and zoomed. She focused on the windows – scanning them for threats. Then she focused farther, longer - down the streets, her vision panning and zooming, and panning and zooming, as she took in every little detail and every little thing, her metal surveying stave assisting her in traversing the snow-covered ground.

It felt correct, somehow, and Ghost settled into what, for her, was an easy trot behind the longer-legged Lorath, giving two, sometimes three steps to their every single step, made somewhat more of an exercise by the snow.

“Miss Porrim,” she stated. “Should I follow the cat, or scout around?”

Tange IV, Misato City, Porrim's Group, Near Shack

As excited as she was at the sight of seeing animals in the distance, the mission was more important and the large frame would likely scare them off anyway. Just as she was about to report however about the shack, Akemi had already made a move towards it. She wasn’t sure about Akemi being the first contact, but it wasn’t her job to stop him, and it was a UOC planet at one point so maybe it wouldn’t go too problematic.

She kept her frame erect and close enough to be spotted and strike an imposing figure as she activated her sensor suite to give a powerful scan to the area she was looking for any threats man made or natural that could make the situation more complicated. She also checked for life sight, having seen that the one to answer the door was a robot.

“Captain, I have a scan sweeping the area for us, I’ll have results for your shortly.”

Er'red's covered head turned to Menelik with an invisible expression and then looked South as Mirage made her report. Putting a finger to his ear for effect, he radioed his overwatch pilot first, Mirage.

"Good job, Soldier. Remember that there were lots of ex-neko civilians here before the war, also. Keep your distance for now, fire only in self-defense until we've had a chance to make contact. They might not be able to identify who we are, either."

The finger left his covered ear and he turned back to Menelik, and by extension the rest of the team in front of him.

"Good thinking, Private. But overwatch says there's an easier path south. No telling what sort of shape these buildings might be in after so long and so much damage. March on!"

Also Near the Shack

The robot put his thumbs behind his belt and looked at Akemi. His multiple eyes where whirring as they focused. Althought the robot was quite short, it was still a bit taller than Akemi so it could look down on the nekoman.

"Do I look like a filthy squid to ya stranger?" The robot said and then stepped aside from the doorway pointing inside with its thumb. "Ya can check yaself greenhorn. See what I think of them bugs."

Inside was a single room. There was a large makeshift oven, on which a kettle was puffing. In the center was a table with four chairs, all seemed hand-made from local trees. There was no bad, but it had a wardrobe. On the walls was a large mantle with a head of a misshu Crab as a prize. On top of the wardrope were several NMX neko helmets.

Tange IV, Misato City, Er'red's Group

Ashlinn's eye's trailed up the plant and either by accident or purpose she could easily be heard, "That'll give some future worker job security." Then she'd fall silent as she listened in on the report and suggested route, that made her glance to her left with a faint grimace that was thankfully concealed by her Daisy's helmet yet again. Her body language was easily readable though as the big fifty on her shoulder extended and the missile launcher opposite it popped open and rounds cycled, "That's a lot of open windows." That spot just between her shoulder blades itched at the thought of the many ways this could go ploin shaped. The order to move out made her shift her posture, as she began scanning upwards and setting a wrap around view along the top of her helmets visor, "At the risk of sounding...ah.. Dumb, and no offence to anyone else, but why hasn't there been a recovery effort sent here?...or was there and I'm just not that far along in my wider grasp of history?"

Tange IV, Misato City, Porrim's Group, Near Shack

Akemi rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. "Well I imagine you don't need robo tentacles to be one of theirs." He then studied the place before speaking into his suit. "I've got a robot here that claims he totally isn't an evil Mishhu droid even though that's exactly what one would do. Plus he's got their equipment on prominent display. Oh sure it's on his mantle like they could be hunting trophies but we all know robots have no use for trophies. For all we know he could be venerating his deceased organic masters. Also, he may have three friends somewhere given that there are four chairs here and only one of him."

J'ann spent most of his time trailing behind the party, stumbling behind every little bit of overgrowth there was to be found. It was nothing short of a miracle that he never actually fell (or just an exceptional center of gravity), but he finally caught up to the party red in the face.

J'ann absolutely despised having to travel with that neko, but thankfully the cat decided to go it alone hundred yards or so up ahead. Up until the call came, he was hoping that Akemi had been assaulted by a monster and hadn't called out but that sadly wasn't the case.

"A robot? Like a service drone or a combat android?" he responded, squinting his eyes down the path at the farm.

"Ya are a bit impolite tenderfoot aren't ya?" The robot said and it his eyes whirred again as it looked back at J'ann. The antennae-like ears that were sticking through his hat as it looked straight at the lorath man. Then he moved his head back to Akemi.

"I'll have you known I was built and programmed in a g'old Nepleslia. It is thanks to certain circumstances I ended up on this planet full of yokels. Though truth be said, you might call me yokel as well by now." The robot explained.

"My name is C410-13 Knight, Knight would suffice. I know plenty well you fleshbags have problem with numbers longer than three digits. Not to mention if one would put letters in it." Then it laughed at its own simple joke. It was a strange sound coming out of the reproductor where a human would have mouth.

Before he could say anymore, the kettle on the stove started whistling as the water boiled. The robot quickly moved to it and took it off. He then produced a ceramic teapot.

"I only have black tea if that is okay with ya. Figured you would come when I saw yar little drone fly by." He said as he moved the teapot to the table and started setting cups around. "I know this place ain't no saloon, but it is all I got. I bet you would like to know things and I would be damned, if I could not at least serva cuppa tea to guests."

Tange IV, Misato City, Porrim's Group, Shacking Up

"Anything 's fine with me. Feel free to start saying whatever you want and I'll send it to my team and our captain." At that moment the Neko transmitted what he had just been told and opened a channel for the android. "How hard was it to kill this thing?" he asked, pointing a thumb at the mounted head of the crab type Mishhu.

Er'red's Super Awesome Positivity Group

"Our nations weren't always friends, and this used to be closely watched real estate immediately after the second Mishu war. So no, nothing after the immediate evacuation during the attack." Er'red replied to Ashlinn, leaving it up to her to do her own homework.

"If the building has a tree growing through it, I'd rather not risk getting trapped under the entire thing. Besides, if anyone is watching they've probably realized that we have a giant flying metal knight as air support."

Tange IV, Misato City, Knight's really pleasant rural cottage

"The crab?" Knight said and looked back at the head mounted on the wall. "They are meant to be fought in Power Armour. On foot they can be dangerous. I ain't human though, so they are killable. Just have to know where to hit it and it's a goner. Ya can call ar team then. Tea is ready."

"I am curious now though. What is a nekovalkyrja doing here?" Knights asked and sat on one of the chairs when tea was prepared. "Did you get here by mistake like me?"

Tange IV, Misato City, Knight's really pleasant rural cottage

"I'm here because I decided to join the Lorath for fun and the ship I'm on is going to explore a bunch of places. The others should be here any second." Akemi continued to stand in case this robot was secretly evil. "Hey Porrim, don't you want to talk to this guy yourself?" he asked, speaking into his suit. Eternally thoughtful, the Neko shared his vision with the rest of his group so they could see the interior of the house and its owner. To think the Lorath could survive being such inferior creatures that they needed helmets to share sight and thoughts. At least they had cute little wings. They'd make a good domestic companion race like the Helashio. Naturally he mostly thought this in jest though he sure wouldn't mind a pet Fyunnen like My'ean or a certain spider aspected L'manel.

Tange IV, Misato City, Near Shack

Aran'ya gave a nod, with a bit of an edgy smile to the Helashio before she got moving again. "You weren't the only one. But we did our penance there. Time to look forward and not backwards, eh?"

With that she advanced forwards with Porrim through the spaces between buildings, looking at the vines and snow covering graffiti walls with messages of a lost colonial life. Images soon started flooding her WIND's HUD from Akemi's visual stream, though, and she quickened her pace to reach the crash site that had turned a section of the park into something more resembling a rural farmstead under the robot's care. Just what did the cat drag in?, she thought to herself.

Dr. Kalopsia watched as Porrim flat out ignored her. No answer. No nothing. She ignored her gut urge to pull on the taller L'manel's sleeve, staring at her hand and wondering where that desire had found itself with a quiet scoff of inner disappointment. There was anger in her bones and it warmed her as she kept pace.

Then she spoke quietly into the back of her wrist.

"Anything interesting, My'?"

"...Not really."

"Thoughts, at least?"

"To be honest, my main concern is going to be collateral, given there's squatters. One of the teams saw something they either identified or misidentified as nekovalkyjra but there was no clear visual or confirmation."

"And your criticisms?"

"If something does happen, my gut tells me that we should be communicating more, between the different groups. There's a new crew so the mission's soup."

"Soup?"

"Cold. Chunky. Raw. Unenthusiastic. What Nepleslians call Gazpacho: Refreshing after a hot mission but a bad place to start making friends. This is the kind of climate liars do well in because you don't see the real flavor of people" My'ean said, emphasizing herself.

"W-Well.. Porrim's giving me the cold shoulder."

"She's ignoring you? Frustrating, isn't it?"

"Unbelievably. What else do you make of this?"

Click.

Aiesu got no reply from My'ean who presumably had better things to do.

She eyed her communicator with a grumble, then Porrim - wondering what she'd done to upset the captain. There was still someone left who could entertain her though.

"Akemi, this is Dr. Kalopsia. Report status. What are you wearing?"

Er'red's Super Awesome Positivity Group

They could be leftover NMX, or stranded civilians. But they probably didn't have anything that could seriously damage his armor, which meant it was the safety of the rest of the group that was important. And at the end of the day, Er'red was in command of them. And south he went. Menelik didn't take it slow this time, though, using his armor's propulsion to make bounding hops forward to stay ahead of the rest of the team, using the apex of his jumps to get above the roofs of the nearest buildings and lock his Monoeye on the car park: with luck if they had anything military grade there his sensors would pick'em up and let him give some kind of warning.

As probably suicidal and counterproductive as it would be, Menelik, in the back of his head, hoped for some kind of enemy action. Maybe it was something within him that made him want to see the fighting; maybe the interactions with the damn neko had given him some anger to work off. Perhaps it was his marine training, where Drill Sergeants had turned him into a murderer, that made him want to put it to use.

Tange IV, Misato City, Knight's really pleasant rural cottage

"A smile of satisfaction as I imagine My'ean in a collar on a leash. Aran'ya too. Hopefully a cute Lorath shortly after this mission is over," Akemi answered telepathically, glad that his kind of suit allowed everyone to share in the communication method all Neko were born with. "Was that a trick question or something? I'm in a WIND armor. I mean I figured you saw me earlier. Sorry that wasn't very witty." It sure was fun to think at people faster than you could comfortably speak. "Are you bored already?"