RP: YSS Mikomi Mission 3: Part 3- Back on Planet!

Daduar stared at Kestral for a few moments and then lowered took his finger off of the trigger of the SIAR. He then snapped to action and started bellowing out orders. "Santo Hei Roken, you're with me! Sergeant Ghi partner with Chusa Bowman along with Soldier Saiga and find Sergeant Freeman. Santoi Hei Roken and I will start prepping an lz for the Mikomi so we can transport Freeman safely back on board. It is your job to bring him back safely and then drop him near the Mikomi so we can get him onboard.â€

Kestral looked at Dudaur, he was glad someone was reacting to his orders and appreciated Daduar taking the heat of his crews eyes instead of him. He stood up slowly and kept an eye on his surroundings. "Ghi, can you get your scanners ready and try and pick up anything around us. Tom is around here I know it. He has to be. I want to get back to the ship as soon as possible." Kestral was ready. He was going to get Tom, get back to the ship, get back to Yamatai, promote his crew and then let them have a break. Well that's all if we get back alive. Dam it, don't think like that Kestral. Sorry.

"Yes sir," Roken understood, there was a soldier out there who needed help and that was the main objective.â€

Ghi nodded, "Yes sir." So now things were returning to some semblance of sanity, although she would have to keep her eyes on the Captain. He still didn't seem stable, even if he was seeing clearly now. She floated a little higher in to the air, high enough to give her a view of the surroundings, but hopefully not high enough to attract attention. Then she switched her visual sensors to see in to the infrared spectrum, taking advantage of the fact that the average humans body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius was significantly higher than the background temperature of the landscape. As such simply looking around she should be able to sense Tom, without resorting to other sensors she was both less familiar with and which might have some chance of getting them detected. She looked around slowly for Tom's warmth to give him away.

"Oh yes, that's a brilliant idea. Float above so you can get seen and so they can hunt you. You're nothing but prey." The voice said.

Tom's heat register could be detected resting amidst some rocks in the distance. He wasn't too far from their location: the injured Geshrin couldn't have made much progress in his state.

Not that any of that mattered to Tom right now, as he was on his knees staring at a patch of dirt and mumbling incoherently.

Ghi detected the distinctive warmth, "If you have no objections sir, I'll go an retrieve Freeman." She said, primarily to Kestral, but making sure that Daduar could hear. It was getting hard to work out where the power truely lay.

"A brilliant idea. Go by yourself, away from the group to get killed." The voice hissed.

Ignoring the voice Ghi kept low to the ground, and flew to where her sensors said that Tom was. She only hoped that that warmth hadn't been from his corpse.

Tom was kneeling in the same spot the reading had indicated. He didn't seem to move at all, but his head shifted slightly as he heard the rumbling of a powerarmor. Disoriented, his hand that gripped his pistol raised to aim at the oncoming target. Not that his pistol could do any considerable damage to the armor...

And, well, the words that came out of his mouth didn't make much sense either.

"Yougslefervertingmufff!"

Daduar managed to snag a bit of what Ghi said, but he was still mainly concentrating on securing the landing area to process over it. The situation was calm once more, but as Daduar saw one of the solitary drones, but Daduar pressed himself up onto one of the boulders and motioned for Roken to do so as well.

A few breathe stealing moments passed by until the drone did continue on the predetermined route, not taking notice to the pair of soldiers. Daduar sighed heavily and then sent a quick message to it â€

"Very well Daduar, I shall make my way to were you are immediately on you call. Out." Suzi was still piloting the ship around the area were the drones were heavily populated. The ship was taking damage, but minimal amounts, as she was keeping as far away as possible in the situation.

Kestral watch Ghi go and shouted after her, when he thought about it, it was in actual fact a half whisper, with a louder tone to it. he didn't want to attract attention. "Ghi, get back her. I gave you a direct order to stay in pairs, back at ship we will have a word." The words weren't really meant, he just needed to say something, disobeying orders was definitely not the norm.

Kestral darted out from behind one of the boulders and moved to the next, keeping this pattern for a while until he came across them a bolder in front. He was just about to move when he saw a black figure moving behind the bolder. He stopped and nearly fell to the floor with his forward momentum. Sitting rigged against the bolder he waited, and then turned to look around. The drone had moved on, but it seemed they were getting closer and closer to being spotted. As he came next to the two of them he knelt by Tom. Tom, I'm so sorry. That is all he could think.

"Tom, you might want to point the pistol somewhere else. It's me." It was only after saying that that Ghi considered that perhaps being in a large suit of power armour, and what with him being apparently in some for of shock or concussion that wouldn't help much, "Uhm ... Ghi?"

"Oh wonderful. Even your own team mates want to kill you." The voice hissed.

Ignoring the voice as usual, Ghi reported back to Kestral and Daduar, "Sirs, I have found Tom Freeman. He is in a serious bad way, and there's only so much I can do without the ship." She tried to do her best though, removing the pistol from Tom's hand, and handing him the Water Pouch from the Field Surgery Kit, "You must drink."

From then she began to apply Burn Cream to his wounds along with some of the invaluable Nekovalkyrja NH-29 Blood and Anesthetic solution. She made the best of it she could, and if they didn't get out of here relatively soon she would work on something a little more long term.

"hey daduar think there might be others wandering around here?" roken asked following daduar to the next boulder rokens cybernetic eyes were keeping track of the suroundings but so far its been quiet roken rubed them again seeing how it didnt make any difference since there not real,
I got to focus someones life is on line i dont want to screw this up for the team.

"I really wish i had brought a bigger weapon", roken whisper to himself he looked down at his pistol with a hint of disapointment, no telling what we might end up running into if things go wrong roken thougth as he peeked his head over the boulder.

The burning sensation of the cream on his wounds made the Geshrin yelp and flinch.

"AGHHH! OW!"

He feebly pounded his hand on the power armor in a moment of irrational anger, then scrambled away from Ghi on all fours. But the pain helped remove some of the fog from Tom's mind. His eyes widened for a moment and then he turned around slowly, staring at the two in disbelief.

Then he noticed the pouch of water in his hand and started chugging it at such a rapid pace that it caused him to slightly choke and let out a vicious cough.

"GACKGACK"

The water had an immediate effect on the Geshrin. His expression softened. He forced himself to his knees, wobbling back and forth from the effort.

Tom's bloodshot eyes glistened as he raised a trembling hand to salute the two...

When Daudar had taken charge of the situation minutes before, and Kestral had listened to reason, Nick's confidence in both of his commanders had been redoubled. The young Geshrin had kept up with Kestral, darting from one sandy, jagged outcropping of earth to the next, snapping his aim towards any sign of the black, metallic enemy that stalked them.

After Ghi had ascended over the dry, barren landscape, reporting back what seemed like hours later that she had found Tom, Nick let out a sigh of relief. It would be good to get back aboard the Mikomi and off this desolate world. Kestral's sudden stop as they approached the downed sergeant and Ghi startled the young communications technician, but soon they were moving again, and arrived at their destination.

Breathing heavily, Nick continued to scan the rocky perimeter, his pistol at the ready, as the others tended to Tom. Beads of sweat rolled down his brow cutting a line through the bits of fine yellow dust that adhered to his skin. By now his usually pristine uniform was scuffed and dirty, his jacket hanging open under the scorching sun. He'd only glimpsed Tom Freeman's condition, but from what he saw, it wasn't good.

Now, as he crouched there, covering his comrades, all that Santô Hei Nicholas Saiga could hope for now was that the Mikomi would be able to extract the team quickly. Yet, even more he hoped that and that the ship's presence wouldn't bring down hell upon him and his fellow Star Army soldiers once again.

"Ghi you have to call in the Mikomi." Turning to Tom, he lowered himself to his knees and looked at the young Geshrin. Finally we have found you. He attempted a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He was to tired, and to many things had taken place for him to be happy. So instead all he managed was a thumbs up to Tom, he wasn't sure if he would be able to make it out, however it had been one of he favourite signs on the ship. This did make him smile, Tom was a real character.

He stood up again, and looked at what was around him. Pulling his rifle into his shoulder he kept an eye on the surrounding. These drones could be anywhere.

Suzi was slowly moving the ship closer to were here crew were, she had not received the call so did not want to alert there position to the drones. However as soon as the call came in they could be of planet in minutes. Unknown to the crew on land however a force of around fifty drones was moving towards their position, they were coming back from having parts re-fitted and to neither sides knowledge they were within metres of each other.

"Well that's weird," Ghi thought, "why can't the Captain call the Mikomi?" It hardly mattered though, so Ghi opened her most secure communication possible with the ship, "Megami-sama, please land. We have found Tom Freeman and wish to leave the planet."
"It's alright Tom, we'll be back soon." She tried to tell Tom soothingly.
"I doubt it." The voice said.

Tom's composure was returning rapidly. It was so nice to have people near him again. But he felt a little bit of shame and self-loathing, remembering what he had thought earlier. He quickly swept these feelings under the rug. "H-ey, Ghi... did I HACKHACK ever say you looked HURK sexy in a powerarmor? hahaACKEGHH, I guess 'power' turns me on!"
He tried to laugh but coughed again, leaning against her. He forced a smile, though.

Ghi allowed herself a small smile, not that Tom could see it through her power armour, but that somehow made it easier. He was looking a little better, and that made Ghi feel a little more useful.
"Oh please, anyone with the kit could have done the same." The voice hissed.
Shaking that off Ghi responded to Tom "No, you never did. Thanks though. I wish I could repay the compliment."

"It's unfortunate that you're not into S&M, cause I'm sure I look like a posterchild for the culture... oh HACKHACK well." He moaned in pain. "Try as I may, this still fucking sucks."

"I'm sorry, I don't think I could ever deal with being tied up, I like my freedom too much." Ghi tried to make light of his comment, while her concern for his well being showed itself in the tone of her voice.
"Clever little girl." The voice said approvingly, "Although you are incased in metal."
"I know it hurts, but we'll be out of here soon enough and then we can get you properly fixed up. You just need to hang on a little longer. Try thinking happy thoughts, like what you're going to do once you're better. That's meant to help." Ghi continued.

"Pssssh! Happy thoughts, you say?" Tom looked up at the armor and winked. "You still owe me a Paso Doble, remember?"

"I was thinking more of a relaxing bath or a comfortable bed, perhaps even a social event, but whatever rocks your boat." Ghi muttered, before continuing just a little louder, "Yes, and I promise to do that with you as soon as your fully recovered. If you want that to be your happy thought go ahead."
"An obligation. You are bound you foolish girl." The voice howled in her ear.

"Well then, we can't die now! HRUCKACKAGH. I don't mean to sound lame or anything, but owdammit, I'm sure you and I would make some pretty beautiful dance moves together. And I have NO problem with a bath either..." Tom was talking too much and was starting to get a little woozy. "Although... woah... wouldn't I get fur all over my body?" He grinned stupidly at the sexual innuendo.

"I doubt it. I'm not moulting, and my fur doesn't come out that easily." Ghi responded, deliberately ignoring the sexual content of his statement, "Certainly not in dancing, where I will of course be clothed. As for your bath, I dare say you need one."
"He wishes to be your mate perhaps." The voiced purred.

Daduar stared to his partner and spoke out "Yes, Roken there is a good chance of more of them being out there. For now, we are to just lay low and secure the landing area.â€

Ghi sprang into action upon hearing her orders from Daduar, yelling through her loudspeakers, "Get inside the ship. Especially those without armour, you don't stand a chance out here. Hurry!"

She turned down the volume a little to say, "Sorry about this Tom." before picking him up, slinging him over her shoulder and using the PHALANX's systems to create and assisted run, half running half flight, and travelling towards the nearby Mikomi, ducking and weaving, zig-zagging constantly in order to make her a somewhat harder target to hit. Miraculously perhaps she managed to got to the safety of the Mikomi, running in through the Shuttlebay, and put Tom down, "I'm sorry Tom, but you're not in a life threatening condition right now, and the others need my help."

Ghi readied the Carbine on her armour, and communicated with the ship, "If you can, MEGAMI-sama, please protect me with your shields while I fire." Standing on the ramp to the Shuttle-bay Ghi began to aim and fire her carbine at the drones in her field of vision, and indeed it did seem that although she was protected by the shields, it offered no protection to the drones on the outside.

"Daduar! You can still fire from inside the shields!" She communicated to her commanding officer, trying not to shout despite her natural inclination to do so in this situation. After this communication she used the plasma projector on her left hand to fire plasma bolts in order to provide more covering fire for the others making their way to the vessel.

(OOC: I checked the shield thing with Wes.)

Terrified by the thought of the drones, Tom was paralyzed. He said nothing as he was carried away, shivering in Ghi's arms. When Ghi returned him to the Mikomi's bay, waves of relief washed through the Geshrin.

"D-don't worry about it, Ghi. Just take care of the others..."

Tom's reply was probably drowned out by the yelling. He didn't want to get in the way, so he made his own battle a much simpler one: getting to the medical bay as soon as possible.

"And don't get killed!"

He started crawling to his destination.

Kestral took one look at a drone he had just downed with his rifle and ran. As Ghi said, this is no place for people without armour. I'm so stupid. So he followed behind her, going quite a bit slower, but he was still behind her. As he came in front of the ship he turned round to look for any remaining men and saw Daduar. "Daduar, leave it, get on to the ship. NOW!" The noise around him was loud, and explosions were taking place everywhere. He took down two more drones, and then ran onto the ship. "OK Suzi, as soon as the last person is on ship, you get ofo this fucking planet."

"By all means Sir." Was Suzi's simple reply.

The drones num er was being minimized by the crew's fire. However as the Mikomi had moved, the drones had followed it to their position. They had about a minute before the full force of the drone army could be seen.

When the order came to fall back, Daduar took it almost instantly. Finely honed reflexes kicked in as he grabbed Roken with his free arm and began strafing back to the Mikomi. A few more drones managed to get a hit or two in against his PHALANX, but it was nothing worse than he had received from the previous excursion.

A few seconds later, Daduar was within the protective grasp of the shields on the Mikomi. He lightly set down his cybernetically enhanced parcel before returning fire back on the drones. "Once Nicholas gets here we can get the hell out of here!â€