RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 21.1] Return to Ether - Planetside Thread

Takeyu moved slowly over the snowy terrain, following closely behind Misato with his sensors adjusted to account for the various disturbances that were common in a cold environment. Two drones popped out of their hangers, turned toward him, and seemingly 'nodded' their little metallic bodies toward him before zipping off into the sky. He stopped briefly to take a look around, then continued his trek forward, he was very quiet, not making a sound.

"What an exciting place this is," Chieko smirked, "I could see a ski resort really taking off here. And look! All those mountains with fresh powder. Where's a board when you need one?"

The Minkan finally pulled out her science scanner and began working on taking some more detailed readings of the nearby area. She was looking for lifeforms with one hand, while she held her LAZR up in a slightly more relaxed carry in the other. The young academic didn't expect much though; she would be happy with cryophylic bacteria, really.

"yeah... minus the rippers...." Misato replied to Chieko as she launched her own drones to start marking out the life fire zones.

"Team Alpha line up and prepare for life fire practice."

"Team Beta keep up the patrols, then we will switch out and get you guys up to the line."

Misato kept an eye on the sensors of her drones and the feeds form the other crew members. She was a bit concerned about rippers still being around.

Shuttle Bay

Mitsuko straightened up in her chair as Hanako's voice broke the quiet of the otherwise empty cockpit. Everyone had landed without incident, and even the tank was settled. "Y-yes ma'am, everything seems clear. Launching now." The shuttle was free from the Eucharis just a few moments later, following the crew members to the surface. Mitsuko took it nice and slow, information fed to her through the SPINE interface as she meticulously checked everything the senors could give her. She was doing everything she could to avoid any of the pitfalls they'd stumbled into on their last visit.

The Neko circled above the others in the shuttle as she slowly descended, letting the armored troops scan and secure the area. Once they'd guaranteed her a safe spot to land - and spread out enough to leave her sufficient room - Mitsuko delicately dropped the craft onto a clear patch of snow. For now she remained inside while the others established their little campsite. She was keeping an eye on things with the shuttle's superior sensors, ready to lift off or support the others if necessary. Once everything was good and safe, she'd be ready to power down the shuttle and begin unloading the supplies they'd need to set up a temporary shelter for the night.

Ground

Takeyu eased into position as he monitored the communications with the squad, everything was being recorded for his own report later. Good to be worried, but don't let me run ya... he thought with a smile and rested his rifle on his arm and began to slow his breathing a bit so he could get some good shoots in one Misato gave the order.

Asami began to re-calibrate her rifle and check her targeting settings on her power armor. She noticed that even with a ship landing not too far off as well as several power armored troops in the area everything seemed really quiet. A soft wind blew across the tundra, kicking little flurries of powder into the air but other than that everything seemed still. In the distance see could see a few black rocks jutting out of the surface. The small flurries dancing in-front of them made them appear like dark castles or towers. It took her a moment to place the feeling that Ether was giving her, it was something she felt before. Then it hit her, Ether felt like a graveyard or a tomb. This seemed like a place were the dead came, not the living. It was a place were primordial fears and superstitions could run rampant. A place were logic began to lose its hold and one starts to rely on their feelings instead. It also felt very lonely. As Asami thought back to the battle that was waged here and the troops that gave their lives during it, it become hard not to feel sadness. What a foreboding and lonely place to die, this landscape and this sky being the last things you see.

Finishing her calibrations she noticed that Misato also seemed a little preoccupied. Trying to lighten the mood she called out to her in melodic voice.

"Misato-Heisho something on your mind or are you thinking up proper consequences for those of us who fail our qualifications?"

Chieko froze for a sec at the mention of "Rippers" as her mind went back to the discussion she and Misato had when she first arrived on the Eucharis.

"Yes, the Rippers can stay the hell away," she replied before looking at the firing lines that the Heisho was setting up.

The academic then nodded at the order to line up, taking up what position she could before checking her LASR to make sure everything was good still. She then looked to the training NCO and waited for the next set of instructions.

"I'll try, do the same for my Tank then will ya?" Bors said with a chuckle as he keyed up his coms in his helmet.

"Ok Bravo team, you heard the Heisho" He said to his team, "Lets get moving, we'll set up a perimeter 700m out, radio in if you see anything out of the ordinary or trying to kill us. I'll be cruising around to your respective positions checking in on ya."
Satisfied with his command, Bors tapped Akane on the shoulder so she would get the Troll moving around the perimeter in a patrolling fashion.

Misato started programing her drones to project NMX targets out at the far end of the marked range area. "Hell Ninja girl I'm a bit worried about the Rippers that hunt around here." Misato grinned a bit meanly behind her helmet's faceplate.

"You see this is where I first ran into one. Left a huge gouge wound on my chest from it's Aether blade. Been hunting me since, it finally killed my first body a month ago or so... Ask Chieko about them..." Misato knew the channel was open to all of alpha squad.

"Ok those who are on the line pick a target and engage." She said keeping on task before she continued. "They get a scent for you... It drives them nuts, and like us they are reborn after each kill, with a insane need to hunt down their killer. Hell I must have at least three or four out hunting for me by now." She Watched each of the squad as they got ready and fired. Looking for proper safety and targeting skills. She would worry about the hits later.

There went Misato about those damn Rippers again. Chieko kept her finger away from the trigger and the muzzle pointed down and down range as much as she could while she felt herself shake more and more. Each new thing she heard from the Heisho about the enemy only made her worry more.

The young Minkan bit down on her lip, then covered off before a target, again, muzzle pointed down range. She worked on her breathing as the taste of hemosynth made a touch on her tongue and a little dripped down her chin. Once she felt calm enough, the academic brought her LASR up, aimed at the target's mouth, then pulled off the safety as her finger slid closer to the trigger.

She knew what she was doing, she had been trained in basic, the whole process over and over. The young woman had even gotten pretty good; but on manual, the reticule continued to move around more than she wanted it too. The more it moved, the more frustrated Chieko got; the more frustrated she got, the more it moved.

Soon the tip of the barrel began moving and the woman, in the peak of her frustration, re-safetied the thing and brought it from firing position. The scientist took a few breaths to calm herself down, then tried it all again. This time it seemed to work a little better; she took a few shots, but they ended up hitting well outside where she was aiming.

Three or four? Pocket change compared the number most likely hunting me or the other vets on the ship, grinned Takeyu as he slowed his breathing down a bit more, allowing the reticle on his hud to ease down slowly on one of the fake NMX targets in the distance. He was about to fire when he noticed the bio-reading from Chieko, his experience told that she appeared nervous; maybe scared? "Settle yourself Chieko," said Takeyu, opening up a private comm. with the Minkan. "Clear your mind of worries, and ease your breathing."

Asami was a little perplexed as Misato talked about some sort of creature evidently called a Ripper. She looked down range and picked several targets. Her samurai training kicked in as her body automatically pulled up the rifle, steadied and then fired several shots. To her the training was rather monotonous and didn't require much of her attention. As her body kept steady as if on autopilot she continued her conversation with Misato. She found a few details in the little story worth questioning and her curiosity slightly peeked.

"Rippers you say? Hmm I never heard of those. Tell me, what do they look like?"

"Like this" Misato said casually as she programed on of the drones to zip up close the the firing line and project a ripper. She was nervous seeing it herself, but she knew it was just a projection.

"This is the apex of the NMX ground combat forces. Didn't they teach you about them in Ninja boot camp?"

"Sorry, Taii," she sent back while both trying to do as he recommended and remember her training. Chieko took a deep breath and focused on how the death of her target would make her immensely happy. The academic took aim again, firing a few shots straight into its center of mass.

It wasn't long before the flash of joy was put out by the projection coming into existence. Her trained reactions soon took over as she recognized the shape from one of her classes. The scientist quickly moved her aim from the targets to the projection.

"Everyone, look out!" she called out on the team frequency as she began to fire.

Misato fell silent and watched how Chieko handled the ripper appearing right before her. The firing was all down range, which was a blessing, and why Misato kept the drone projection in the fire zone. Though she was watching carefully to where and how the scientist shot the Ripper.

The key she remembered was to over whelm the target and keep moving. She wanted to speak up but she waited to see if either Chieko or Asami took a moment to look up the facts or ask.

"They are the front line shock troops. The brute squad. Heavy armor, even heavier weapons. Though they have a weakness. Come now... What is it?" Misato's voice remained neutral, almost like the indoctrination video's that came with training. She hoped she wasn't sounding like she was pick on either of the two.

"Sir. I could a bit of advice here. Do I walked them through holding their hands, or try to give them the same in their face I got when I first ran into these guys?" She sent to to Takeyu's private channel hoping it wasn't crossing the line of her running this show herself. though she knew if it was he would just tell so and leave her to her own private lesson of how to be a Heisho

Ether's Surface - Shuttle

Mitsuko seemed satisfied in their safety, at least for now. The shuttle's sensors told her Bors was on patrol in his tank, and the others were either fanning out or beginning target practice. She powered down the transport, disconnecting from SPINE to stand up and move around. She began to unsecure the supplies, moving them closer to the main exit ramp. The Neko wanted to have everything ready to offload before opening the Raccoon's door and letting in the frigid, snowy atmosphere of Ether.

Asami let a small smile cross her face from the comment as she repeated it in her head.

Ninja boot camp...

The information on the enemy came to her quickly as brought it up from her mind. She did in fact remember being told about them, it was the name that threw her off. Her power armor began to respond to the information she was bringing up, creating multiple target reticles on the projection. With its most vulnerable systems highlighted she was preparing to respond to Misato when Chieko seemed to suddenly go nuts and started firing at the image. She believed that Misato had brought the projection up the firing range merely to show Asami what one looked like, not as target practice.

Asami watched Chieko's attack for a few moments, her shots hitting the fake Ripper like a frenzy, before finally stepping in. Letting her target reticles re-highlight the target's critical areas she pulled up her rifle and fired. A quick succession of shots that would have looked like a burst yet followed a pattern for targetting these core areas. First knocking out the suit's balancers, then targeting systems, then pilot support, then finally the pilot. When the last shot was fired she lowered her rifle and re-engaged its safety.

She turned to Chieko and put her hand lightly on the shoulder of her PA. In a soothing voice she called out.

"Hey it's okay now. Allow yourself to be calm and breath."

It took a moment for Chieko to realize that the Ripper was not real, lowering the muzzel as Asami fired. Slowly the young Minkan worked to get her panic under control again as she took a scan of where the projection was coming from, then whose drone it was making it. She grumbled a few words about the Heisho with her coms off just in time for her suit's kinetic sensors to register the hand on her shoulder.

The scientist tensed some until she checked her HUD again to be sure what, or in this case whom, was there.

"I thought it was the real thing for a moment there, Juni," she replied to the samurai while getting her breath under control, "She just had to do that unannounced didn't she..."

Asami chuckled lightly as she took her hand away. She glanced at the projection another time before diverting her attention to Chieko.

"I'm afraid I am to blame for this unfortunately. I was unfamiliar with these 'Rippers' and had become curious after hearing the both of you talk about them. So I had asked Misato-Heisho what they looked like. She merely had one of her drones project image for me in order to give me a visual. I didn't however take into consideration your feelings with this request, that was a mistake."

Asami bowed deeply, her voice laced with an apologetic tone.

"Gomen'nasai Koizumi Chieko-Hei."

Chieko, now a lot calmer, shook her head at Asami and bowed deeper.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Juni," came her reply, "The more we all know about the enemy the better."

The scientist then looked at the projection again and studied it. From what Misato had told her months ago, this would likely be her first and last good look at a Ripper.