RP: YSS Aeon [Mission 4.0] - A Quest into the Dark

The Ripper opened up on Saki with all of its functioning weaponry. Her shielding flared under the barrage, stopped the worst of the assault, but some of the destructive energies pierced and her HUD reflected the damage. The impact of the attack knocked her off course and she rebounded off one of the support columns.

Yoshirio's attacks struck the unshielded Ripper and eventually pierced the interior. The Ripper spasmed several times and fell to the ground smoking.

Yoshiro saw that the Ripper was down so he went to check on Saki after her rough landing. He made sure that the Ripper was dead by shooting a burst of fire into the head of the Ripper and then boosted over to where Saki was. "Arai-hei, speak to me! Are you all right? Do you need medical attention?" He asked as he shifted his attention to a break in the wall. He hadn't noticed this when he was fighting the Ripper so he trained his gauss rifle on the break in the wall. As he watched the crack he sent a text message to Tsubei.

To Tsubei-Heisho said:

Tanaka-Hei reporting. We have a man seriously wounded here and wil attempt to move upon confirming enemies in the area are down. We might have parasites trying to break in but I am not sure just yet. I will report back again as soon as I am able.

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"Come on Arai-hei. I'll buy you dinner if you wake up!" Yoshiro said with concern in his voice. He took out his type 31 medkit and started working on the Juni, since he wasn't sure that Saki had responded. After a few moments spent using the items to try and stabilize the Juni, Yoshiro then again turned to Saki and tried waking her up again by gently shaking her.

"What's going on out there?" Takamori asked over the radio. He turned to Zeta, looking for an explanation from the telepathic Neko.

"Zeta, what's going on? Are the NMX overwhelming them outside? Are they about to breach the room?"

"Taka-bou, a little busy with pest control," he heard Makoto reply.

Saki tried to brace for impact as she rocketed into one suport columns. She grunted as her breath was pushed out of her lungs. She was lying on the ground and hed problems breathing, her head was spinning. She tried to focus on her head up display to see how bad it was. It could actually be worse, she got hit bad, but she still had suit integrity and parasites could not get to her yet. Though HUD showed few weakspots them might try breaching.

She slowly rised on her knees realized that she was called upon. She was too stunned to notice before. With air finally back in her lung she responded to panicking Yoshiro. "Owie." She just said to lighten up the situation a little. "I am okay Yoshiro, only a little battered." She said not noticing that she called him by his first name.

Saki rose to her legs and started checking her perimeter. She lost her rifle after she was hit so she armed herself with her flamer for now. She looked around for any other enemies. RIpper, zombies, swarm of parasites to toast. She was also looking for her rifle.

Makato's blasts sliced nicely into the Ripper, ensuring that it would not be doing anything ever again. At the moment all was quiet in the concourses. The only sounds were the snap and crackle of the multiple small fires from all the weapon exchanges.

Customs Office

The NMX outside of this building are dead. There are others on their way... a pair of rippers moving from the other side of the base. But they are being hindered, someone or something has activated the emergency blast shutters in all of the concourses, so they are having to cut their way through.

"There is a group of NMX Neko moving through the lower levels they are ordered to come here. They are wearing Daisies.... no wait.. something has gotten their attention. Do you have more of your soldiers in the lower areas?" Zeta replied.

Takamori thought for a minute and then shook his head. "We should be the only ones here. Makoto's arrival was unexpected. UOC survivors, maybe?" he replied.

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"One Ripper down. All clear for the moment," Makoto said, spreading out his NSDs to make sure the NMX armors were indeed dead.

The downed officer was being seen to by another infantryman so Makoto considered it best to report to the next ranking officer. His HUD identified her as Nito Heisho Tsubei Kyoka. "Tsubei-heisho, Honda-hei reporting for duty," he bowed slightly to her.

"Honda-Hei. . . er. . . keep lookout. I'm going to find the status of the others," Kyoka ordered, uneasiness setting in. If Arkase stayed down for the count, then she'd be the ground commander for the time being. And that was a big responsibility - perhaps too big, she noted. But the Neko shook these feelings off, addressing the others over the comms as such:

Tsubei-Heisho said:

All units, report in and tally current losses. Tanaka-Hei, give me the current status of the Juni as best you can, as well as the combat situation.

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"Hey, someone want to tell me what's going on?" Takamori repeated his question. Quickly a reply came back from Makoto, "All clear, Saito. You can stand down."

Takamori thanked his friend and switched to a private channel between him and Kyoka. "Tsubei-heisho, my resident telepathic neko says the NMX are encountering resistance in other parts of the station. Do we have any other forces deployed here or could it be UOC survivors?"

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Makoto nodded to Kyoka and walked away from the group. He spread his NSDs further apart to see if any other NMX were coming. Keeping lookout, he thought, wonderful. No thanks or welcome, just a 'Go away and keep lookout' So this was what it was like to feel expendable.

To Tsubei-Heisho said:

The juni is hit pretty bad. His chest armor looks like it has been chewed up and the juni looks the same. If we don't get him out of here he may need his ST backup. We need the APC for medevac or at least to keep him safe until we evac.

As for combat the Ripper that me and Arai-Hei have engaged is out of combat and dead. No other hostiles are present at this time in the inner concourse. Will send out NSDs to make sure. Tanaka-hei out.

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He sent the message and sent his NSDs out to scan for enemies and allies that might need dealing with.

He used the NSDs to scan the inner concourse to make sure that no enemies might have gotten through to ambush and destroy them. I am going to have to talk to someone and get an honest assessment of my skills in battle. He said to himself as he scanned the area for hostiles using his NSDs and scanners to make sure.

Saki was not feeling very well but her physique let her cope with any problems. She already felt better now. "RIpper down, my armour is slightly dented but shield are already recharging. I am ready for combat ma'am." Saki reported to Kyoka checking the perimeter. "Yoshiro, we should regroup with others. You cover I will move juni." She said when Yosh was done with first aid.

"Folks, just want to let you know I'm picking up a number of objects on radar. They are out of weapon range, but I estimate they will be in about 10-15 minutes. The tactical has identified them as four NMX Light Tanks. We need to start figuring out what we're going to do, and fast." Shina sent over the comm.

Since no one else reacted Saki piced up the line. "Four tanks? Any chance you can take them down? How about any cover from Aeon?" She asked but while she was waiting for response she already had other idea. "There should be vehicle bay nearby. I bet we could open it for you from inside and you could hide the APC inside. How about that Nito Heisho?" Saki said, not specifying if she was asking Shino or Kyoka. She mean while strapped her once again founr beam saber ridle to her waist and picked up Juni's injured body gently. She was walking back to Kyoka, making sure Yoshiro was near her, providing cover.

Yoshiro followed quietly and kept scanning the room, covering Saki as the headed to Tsubei-Hei. He was listening to the comms and forming a plan when Saki came up with one of her own. He was wondering why this planet was so important to them but he pushed those thoughts aside. "Arai-Hei you all right carrying the Juni? If you get tired let me take him." Yoshiro said not knowing how long it would take them to get back to the others.

Takamori leaned against the door. "I'm still inhere and I've still got a bunch of prisoners and civilians. The sooner we have a decision, the more time we have to work. Just saying since it doesn't seem like I'm going anywhere soon."

With that, he unlocked the console, powered down the forcefield and opened the cell containing the civilians and handed them his first aid kit. "Use that," he told them.

"Zeta, how are you and your sisters doing?"

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Makoto paced silently back and forth. He could definitely intercept them right now. He could definitely lead them away by presenting himself as a target...

Saito was stuck inside a room with the civilians and prisoners. His dynamic personality would have been much better out here than in there. The two troopers fussing over the Juni seemed entirely oblivious to the more immediate danger. One person could carry the Juni, why did that man have to insist on molly-coddling the Neko? And the two ranking officers didn't seem to really have any handle on command.

Logically, as the black sheep that no one wanted to care about, Makoto was the most expendable. So why not? Better to beg forgiveness than regret inaction.

He collected his drones and took flight. "Saito, move those civilians to the APC. It's clear and its useless leaving them there. Tanaka-hei, join me out here. We need to intercept and divert those tanks, buy the others more time. Our priority is the safe evacuation of civilians, not our survival."

Makoto heard his friend's acknowledgment. "Damn you, Makoto! You better not die!"

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Takamori unlocked the door to the Customs Office and looked out. Other than lots of corpses, it seemed clear. He sent the NSDs out to check that all the corpses were indeed corpses. With orders to shoot every single immobile body or armor. Takamori shut the door while the NSDs went about their business.

Saki looked at Yoshiro. He should be covering her, not being gentleman. "Thank you I am fine," she answered him. They were moving back to Kyoka's position. As they got there she gave a nod to new soldier they got as reinforcements.

She listened to what he said and looked at him in disbelief. She carefuly lied Juni on the ground. "Are you crazy?" She asked this Makoto guy. "Those tanks will kill both you and Yoshiro. We need to work together, get that APC inside. There are also more NMX in the station. There is only five of us and wounded soldier and you want to split up? That'S crazy." She said to him.

Kim listened to the away team, and since it appeared that Arkase was either dead or incapacitated she decided to take action.

"Belay those orders Away Team. I am going to engage the tanks, I'll buy you what time I can. I recommend you take those civilians down to the bays. They appear intact, you might be able to find a shuttle or other craft to blast off this rock."

Saki gasped hearing the neko inside the APC. "With all your respect Heisho, that is crap. You would just die needlessly. Let us open vehicle bay for you and close it behind. If the NMX tanks won't pass by you will have defensive position and our fire support. Are Beam rifles can damage thsoe tanks too. I know you are superior officer, but throwing your life away won't help anyone. I also bet Ise-Taisa would be mad at you." Saki commed to the Heisho. AS she was doing she scanned for the quickes way to nearby vehicle bay they saw from outseide earlier.

"Arai-Hei, what are you going on about. The only thing the Taisa may be upset with me is I'm going to sacrifice the Yusou. I'm going to fire off several smoke charges and then run the Yusou slaved to my Mindy. I do not plan on dying today. I died on the last away team, its annoying as all hell.

Now get those people moving," Kim replied.

Yoshiro had been pretty quiet, as he was listening to his scanners and orders from Kim-Heisho. "Let's go guys. No need to die here when we can get the people out of here and complete our mission." He said and continued to cover the two from whatever enemies might appear. "We need to get the Juni out of here and the civvies as well. That is our priority now."

Makoto halted in mid flight. Orders that made sense.

He changed direction, speeding towards the Customs Office. "Saito, get the civilians out. We're going to the shuttle bay. I'll take point."

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In the Customs Office, Takamori acknowledged the Heisho's orders. He lowered the force fields and unlocked the cells. "Prisoners out first, then the civilians," Takamori said, keeping an eye on what the NSDs were seeing.

He saw Makoto's Mindy go by, heading towards a staircase.

Takamori herded the prisoners and civilians into the hall, looking for the others.

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Makoto had downloaded the station's schematics and studied them during the shuttle ride. The shuttle bays were downwards and it was safer to use stairs in the event that the NMX shut down power.