RP: 21st Fighter Sq [Mission 3.0] - Out of the Mist

As the two men ran through the forest back the way they came Silic began tiring quickly as Ira caught up he wheezed between breaths “No more – half baked – hostage – rescues.” he gulped down more air “Ever.”

As they came to the river Silic slowed even further and swore. Apprehension obvious on his face.

Atsui and the rescued hostages continued their trek to the rendezvous point. She had resorted to carrying one of the women on her back when she could not keep up. She looked ahead and was glad to see the stream and the remnants of the ambush they had taken care of earlier.

As they approached the stream, "Okay, the LUT goes first. Then the rest of us on foot will after." She spotted the others of her group, she yelled, "One of you toss a rope across the stream so we can secure it here. So the people we rescued can get across safely."

The driver of the LUT drove the vehicle cautiously into the stream and moved as carefully as possible until it reached the far side.

Yaeko took the remnants of the rope that she had and tied it to the back of the LUT. She then grabbed the other end and used anti-gravity to get over the stream. "It's amazing how much easier this gets after you do it a couple times." She was almost to the other end of the stream when she ran out of rope, about 6 or 7 feet from the opposite side. "This is as far as I can reach with this rope Chui! They might have to get this far on their own!"

Atsui suppressed the urge to let a stream of vindictive words loose. "Okay people, form a safety line, everyone take hold of the person in front of you and behind you. Once you get to the rope you let go of the person in front and grab the rope. Move out."

She watched as the tired SSS personnel proceeded to wade into the stream. She had a few minutes of concern when a few of them stumbled, but working together they none of them fell or were swept away.

After the last of them was across she made her way into the stream. She grabbed the rope Yaeko was holding and made her way to the safety of the shore. She approached the second LUT and looked around for Rabbit team. She spotted them approaching.

Yaeko helped the people as they crossed, as well as the Chui, and held the rope firmly once they were all moving. "I'll wait here with the rope for the others Chui. I haven't been hit so if worst comes to worst I should be the last one." She peered down the road to see if she could see the other two. When she did she gave them a wave, just to let them know that it was them. "Come on Tin Man! Hurry your butt up!" She purposely sent this to Silic telepathically 'cus she knew how much he hated it.

Lynn held the rope with an iron grip, but made sure to keep an eye on Yaeko. She didn't say much -- because what was there to say? She was obeying Atsui, and the booming headache she had after the fall told her that talking wouldn't be a good idea anyway.

Yaeko could see one of the running figures shake a fist, and a faint, echoey cuss word could be heard.

Ira continued his run and immediately stopped when Silic fell down. With his good arm he tapped his communicator. "Atsui, me and Vas-Hei are in dire need of medical attention."

"To be honest I can't run any more, because I am going to pass out from blood loss."

With that Ira promptly toppled over, right next to Silic.

Atsui watched as the two Nepleslians toppled pushed beyond what their bodies could handle. She took up a position on the shoreline with her rifle ready.

"Munkata, Eika, Rabbit team are down. Literally collapsed on the other side. I will provide cover if necessary. I want you to to fly over using your anti-grav, grab one of them between the two you and bring them here to the LUT, then repeat. We aren't leaving anyone behind. I'm going to take Akira and double back to ensure that no one is coming on our six." She yelled to the two soldiers.

She walked forward to the Akira and disconnected the tow cable. Atsui lifted and headed back across the stream.

Konpeki walked over to Yaeko, "Let's go get your XO first, then we can get Tin Man." she said as she lifted off the ground.

"Works for me!" Yaeko followed Konpeki over to the pair on the floor and shook her head a little. "Tsk, tsk. Nepleslians..." She grabbed Ira's feet and waited for Konpeki to grab the shoulders before she lifted off with anti-grav and quickly made her way towards the LUTs, trying to make sure that Konpeki was keeping up.

Silic suddenly found himself on the ground with a faceful of mud, Ramierez laying next to him. He wondered how he got here for a second then his head quietly plopped back down.Then he saw Ramierez being carted off by Yaeko and the SAINT operative, his good hand clenched in the mud and and dragged himself forward.

Slowly he pushed himself back up right, mud caking the front of his uniform as well is its new collection of spikes and shrapnel sticking out. “I won't be saved, by the likes of a black-panel.” he muttered between deep breaths and gritted teeth.

It was all he could do to drag his shotgun against the ground as he trudged after the others, helmet still flopping around by its strap. "That coffee better be bloody good." he wheezed, refering back to that lady he'd brought to medical.

Konepki kept up with Yaeko easily, anti-grav training something she did for relaxation and working on her concentration. She looked back, "Vas-Hei... that man does not know when to stay put..." she said with a bit of venom. When they got to the other side of the shore, "Put him down here on the shore, I'm going to get Silic before he staggers into the stream and drowns. Get one of the other folks here to assist with getting him into the LUT."

Ira had barely touched the ground when Konpeki released him and took off back to Silic at top speed as he was nearing the stream edge. "Time to do it down and dirty," she said to herself. She launched her body at Silic in a tackle, though instead of bearing him down to the ground she wrapped her arms around his abdomen and lifted skyward. The two of them went through some small branches, before she leveled out and headed back to the LUT.

From behind her in the distance she could hear the distinctive sound of the Akira's lasers firing in succession. As she approached the other side of the stream she activated the shielding on her SOFS and rotated so that she would hit the ground first. The shield and the armor of the SOFS protecting her from serious injury she skidded to a stop by DIRTEH.

Silic made a surprised sound as Konpeki tackled him, by the time they landed he was feeling pretty boneless over her shoulder. “I-I could have walked it anyway.” he wheezed “Easy.”

Konpeki laughed beneath him, "Then I guess that means you can get off of me without assistance Tin Man. Besides you seem to have become a bit more prickly the usual."

Lynn made it back to land safely. Somehow the water had gotten into her hair giving her a mop-like look, with her nekovalkyrja ears sticking out almost cheerfully.

When she looked over at Silic being tackled, however, her ears flattened in an obviously upset manner.

Silic grunted and managed to lift himself up enough to roll of off the SAINT agent, on to the ground. He hauled himself to sit upright, taking deep breaths, he took a grip on the Dirteh and used it to help push himself up and then for support. “How's the boss?” he asked no one in particular.

Atsui made one last pass over the smugglers who had chosen to try and pursue the squadron. Once she saw they were running back from whence they came, she banked and returned to the others. She landed the Akira without incident.

"Okay, let's get back to the camp, "Eika-Heisho, get ready to tow the damaged LUT. Everyone else into one of the vehicles." Atsui said to the survivors and members of her squadron

Silic watched Atsui land the bike, hunched by the car. He shrugged weakly and spoke “Shotgun.”, claiming into the front passenger seat. He leaned out to scoop up his shotgun from the ground and cradled it against his shoulder for support, his damaged arm still tied to his neck.

Lynn silently got into the LUT, seating herself behind Silic. She looked up at the sky, wondering when they were going to return to the Heitan. Lynn knew several of the Nekovalkyrja technicians aboard the Carrier, and had enjoyed working alongside them to fix up the Kawarimes.

Those thoughts quickly dissipated the cloud of unidentified emotion that had seen her upset only a moment before: her ears pricked up again, she smiled a little, and began thinking about piano pieces.

"Hunter, Hoshi start first aid on Tin Man and Ramirez-Shoi. No one bleeds to death on the way back to the camp." Atsui called out as she started the first LUT. "Let's get the hell out of these woods before the smugglers decide to try again."