RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 10.1] Finding Freedom

[Aendri]

Kumiko made her way over, following Konoka, making sure to grab another pair of the modules before she got there. She tapped Konoka on the shoulder, and passed off the Sky-eye module. "If you'll install that, I'll get this one installed and calibrated. Just plug and play, nothing complicated." That said, Kumiko set about getting the Whisper module connected and calibrated. She paused, looking up. "Takeyu-san, you remember that you have to calibrate the Whisper module, right?"

 

[Wes]

"You have ten seconds before we overshoot the drop zone. I have already slowed down as much as I can without looking suspicious," Hanako growled over the intercom. "Get going!"

Below the Eucharis lay a slowly-moving mass of jungle on one side and a dark, foamy ocean on the other. A strip of white sand lay between. Ahead of them lay the swamp and the rocky clearing with craters and the remains of an Type 30 STV...

 

[DocTomoe]

Looking at the others working with the drones, Helen decided that she had to do something to ensure the mission even got started. "Get moving, we don't have time to doddle about with drones. Fold the wings, pack the modules with you, and we will launch them from the ground. We're leaving." She spoke simply as she downloaded data from the ship's MEGAMI regarding the devices she was unfamiliar with. Within that moment she knew all that she had to know as she stepped to the cargo bay ramp control and opened the rear of the hold.

"If anyone coming along can't fly, pick a partner that can, and hold on tight. Now get out of this ship, or I'll throw you out, ready or not." Helen stated firmly as she stood at the edge of the ramp, ready to sprint out on her own if she had to. They have five seconds before I'm tossing them... She thought firmly as she was prepared to grab them and throw them out.

 

[Kyle]

Vehicle Bay?

"Thanks Miyazawa-hei, but I think we will be fine," he said before blinking.

Takeyu grumbled and looked up. "Looks like we'll have to continue this on the ground, I got this module calibrated but everything we'll need to do groundside," he said and attached the module to the drone before folding it back up and putting his survival kit on. Then he clutched the drone with one hand.

He walked over to the edge of the ramp and looked out, before taking in a deep breath. "Cya down below," he said before jumping out.

 

[Wes]

As the cargo bay door-ramp opened, moonlight spilled into the pitch-black cargo bay, silhouetting the shape of the STV on it, secured by chains and chocks.


OOC: Players that exit the ship should switch to posting in the 10.2 thread.

 

[DocTomoe]

There was one thing that Helen admittedly lacked sometimes, patience for her subordinates. This distinctive flaw was enhanced by the dire nature of the situation at hand, in which they were about to fail a mission because of sluggish reaction times. Helen at that point broke away from her spot by the loading ramp, and with the speed and strength of neko generations past, she grasped the remaining landing party volunteers, ready or not, by their arms and promptly threw them out of the cargo bay ramp. They were all Yamataians, they could handle a little free-fall. After throwing her comrades out of the ship, she grasped their respective survival kits and followed along, hitting the ramp closure button on her way out.

 

[Wes]

Already several kilometers away, the YSS Eucharis, still in her NMX Scout disguise, slowed to a steady near the river delta, looking through the dark water to disturbed patch of mud where the remains of the YSS Freedom lay.

Bridge

As Eucharis carried out a high resolution scan, a volumetric diagram appeared in front of Hanako as layer by layer the crash site was analyzed and charted, showing pits and pieces of shrapnel and armor panels. The main piece of wreckage was primarily composed of the ship’s aft section running from about the main zero-gravity passageway to the tail of the ship. The dorsal surfaces were almost entirely destroyed, with the armory as a blown-out shell and the power armor bay in ruins. The detailed scan charted over 40 impact sites for enemy weapons, putting thin red lines on the diagram that showed the penetration. The only surviving portions of the ship were the flooded cargo bay and the medical center, which had been somewhat protected by the armory and its deep location. A few skeletons were visible in the scan.

“We need some way of signaling the survivors that their ride home has arrived,” Hanako thought aloud.

On a screen nearby, a new bulletin popped up, announcing that the Star Army Fourth Fleet's Taisho had been captured.

 

[Toshiro]

Engineering

Yaichiro had finally confirmed the repair of the Cargo Bay's hull and the securing of the Battle Pod which caused the destruction. He'd had to micromanage the drone remotely to ensure it was too damaged to pose a threat, but it was secure. He systematically did the same to the pods in the Wardroom and the Bridge Access Passageway after having them removed. The Mobile Spanner Drone that had finished in the Cargo Bay then carefully entered a Maintenance Conduit and went to the pylon to repair its hull.

Yaichiro noticed the news about Shimizu-Taisho, and almost shuddered. For a time he'd personally guarded her ST data for Katsuko, and if he remembered right, she had children now...the fact that there were no plans for a rescue mission was something he found saddening to say the least.

Suppressing that thought, Yaichiro sent a message to the Bridge.

Taisa, this is Yaichiro, requesting permission to use some of the beyond repair cargo in the Cargo Bay and the enemy Battle Pod hulks as raw materials for the Fabrication Area, as well as reporting on repairs. The CFS conduits we have had the Fabrication Area synthesizing will be done by the time the pylon's hull is patched, but I haven't had the materials to replace the Antimatter Containment Capsule we lost in the starboard railgun. Also, the hull in the Power Armor Bay and Cargo Bay has been patched, and the other three breaches each have a Mobile Spanner Drone working on them.

 

[Nashoba]

Bridge

Sune had listened in to the discussion in the cargo bay. Monitoring the ships sensors he noted a series of objects descending behind the ship. After seeing nothing else come out of the ship, he figured the team was out, he sent the necessary commands down to close the bay door.

"Rescue team has left the ship Taisa." That is one way to get the team out. he thought. He noticed the incoming news announcement, but only gave it a moments attention.

"So we need to device a method to notify possible survivors, who might be prisoners that a rescue is underway without revealing ourselves to the enemy. What about using the Graviton Beam Projector to move some of the wreckage to convey a message?" Sune offered trying to find a way to signal without revealing their identity.

 

[Wes]

Bridge

"What about sound?" Hanako proposed to Sune. "It would not not set off any sensors and if we played it from a source away from the ship, anyone that came to the source would not be drawn to us. We could build a drum of some sort or take the speakers from the recreation room or the Karaoke machine I just bought and hook them to a vehicle."

Hanako sent a message back to Yaichiro. "That sounds good. When will the ship ready to land in the water? I do not want to have to fight those winds when the storm comes."

 

[Nashoba]

Bridge

Sune considered Hanako's suggestion. "Sound could work, and it would have the effect of being non-electromagnetic. The chances of the NMX intercepting it would require that they be within listening range, and able to recognize it. If we had a Kigen Ongaku that would be even better given its unique properties. But we do not have one..."

His fingers flew across his console as he worked out the decibel level and tonal qualities that would work best. "My calculations show that the recreation room speakers, and the Anaba will be insufficient for the desired effect. We will need some additional audio amplification, and a subwoofer. Otherwise the sound will note reach optimum effect. The STV would make a good platform for the equipment as well as providing protection for the operator. But that leaves the matter of what to play, something recognizable..."

 

[Wes]

"I have some video of the Ketsurui Samurai taiko drummers stored in my head," Hanako offered.

She called down to engineering.

 

[Toshiro]

Engineering

Yaichiro was typing a response and hit send just as Hanako called...

"Well, the bulk of the damage seems to have been in the cargo bay and power armor bay. With a drone in each spot, I figure it'll be about twenty minutes before we can risk a water landing. The most heavily damaged and difficult to repair hull elements are on the pylon, though if I had permission, that could be sped up be sending another drone outside on the hull to aid repairs from the outside.

I worry that will make our disguise easier to see through if the drone is detected though."

When the phone rang, he picked up promptly.

"This is Engineering, I'm receiving."

 

[Nashoba]

Bridge

Sune searched for the appropriate schematics for the amplifier and sub-woofer. Once he found them he transferred them to the fabrication bay where they could be assembled under the guidance of an Engineer.

"Taisa, I have downloaded the data necessary for fabricating the additional components to the Fabrication Bay." He said looking over his shoulder at Hanako.

On the mission ops display a data signal came in he looked at it. "I have a confirmation that one of the drones is online as well ma'am."

 

[Wes]

Bridge

"Yaichiro, I want you to fit a music player and large speakers to the STV. We will deploy it to the surface to send a message any survivors in the area. Sune should be sending you data for the project. We need you to work as fast as you can."

 

[Toshiro]

Engineering

Yaichiro nodded, responding into the phone. "Understood, Taisa. I'll need someone down here in Engineering to watch the place if possible. The combat status demands it be manned, especially with prisoners aboard, but I'll manage either way. I'm on my way to the Cargo Bay to grab what I can. If I find no such devices swiftly, I'll use the scrap to make some in the Fabrication Area."

 

[Wes]

"Nika will watch engineering," Hanako said.

Nika nodded and went down to engineering via the maintenance tunnels, arriving shortly.

 

[Toshiro]

"Acknowledging her arrival, Taisa. I've taken the liberty of transferring the call to my communicator via MEGAMI so I can hurry and get started, though either of us can redirect it back to Engineering at the press of a button by using the pound key if you wish to speak to Nika-Hei at any time."

As soon as Nika-Hei arrived, he rushed toward the Cargo Bay, scooping up materials and items which looked like they had the necessary components to aid in construction. Luckily, the items weren't exotic, and between the burnt data pads (quickly cooled by the rush of air into the cockpit) and other elements, he was able to gather up an array of junk and head to the Fabrication Area.

"These are simple elements, Taisa, and it shouldn't take too long to replicate them. When you want them hooked up, Taisa, do you want the speakers to have maximum coverage all around the vehicle, or are you looking for a single direction with a lot of power?"

 

[Wes]

"A very wide cone would be ideal," Hanako said. It didn't make any sense to waste energy on serenading the ocean. "Hanako out," she added, hanging up. She wished the engineer would show more initiative.

"Sune, we just got a text message. Someone from the Freedom is out there!"

The computer also added a second text message; this one was an unencrypted bulletin from the NMX to its troops:

NMX WX HX-13 CMD
11/12 YE 32

WARNING BULLETIN

NMX WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING FOR THE MILUA RIVER DELTA AREA. THE STORM IS CURRENTLY ON COURSE FOR A DIRECT HIT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 KM FROM THE CENTER AND CYCLONIC WINDS 30 KM. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE OVER 100 KM/HR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. COASTAL SEA LEVEL ARE EXPECTED TO RISE 2 TO 3 METERS ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS AND WE MAY SEE AS MUCH AS 35 CM OF RAINFALL...POTENTIALLY CAUSING SEVERE FLASH FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES. TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO POSSIBLE. UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED, ALL NON-ESSENTIAL NMX PERSONNEL IN THE AFFECTED AREA ARE DIRECTED TO TAKE SHELTER IN MOUNTAIN BUNKERS AT THE ONSET OF THE STORM.

 

[Nashoba]

Bridge

"So we have at least one survivor, but no safe way to contact them. We try broadcasting a reply and we could compromise our disguise....." he replied to Hanako then looked at the weather message.

"I do not suppose that weather report is for some other area." he said, "Its going to get rough for our team on the surface. Should I relay the information to the team via one of the drones? I wonder if we could locate those NMX bunkers. Good make for a good parting gift on our way out."