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RP: YSS Aeon [Mission 7.2] High Altitude Games

As the creatures got larger in the dim light it was possible to see that there were three not two. The first two thundered past the Away team. Crushing vegetation and anything else unfortunate enough to be in their path. Their backs were 3 meters high. The third one instead of following stopped and started sniffing at the ground and the air. It looked to the left and to the right. It had picked up a scent, but what exactly was it smelling.
 
Kata'nova didn't like the size of these things, much bigger than she wanted.. then again.. they didn't hold a candle to some of her home planets animals; some of which could - if given the chance - shallow up a fighter. She slowly crouched down and found a place to hide behind some bushes, although her knife was still out and the pistol given to her was ready to fire in case the creature came close enough to attack her.
 
when the Beast stopped and started sniffing at what she could only guess where their scents, Freyja charged her Black NSP up to it's fullest charge. If the Beast started tracking them she was afraid what it would do to them if caught. "Ma'am... What do you want done here... I'm still willing to try to lead it off. Though I fear it might be a bit little a bit late."

Slowly every so slowly and with control of every muscle, Freyja slid between where the Beast stood sniffing and Kata'nova. She was told to protect her, If that meant fighting a monster many times her size so be it. She followed orders that was what she was taught more then anything. Though protecting who she thought of as a friend seemed to be a larger driving motive then anything else. 'Wish I would have brought something bigger... Maybe I can get one of those Infantry types to 'teach' me how to use a shot gun and have one kept in the shuttle.'
 
"Do not give it something to track visually." The XO ordered, looking for a weaker spot in the creature's body as she aimed. She sent her targeting data to the other two soldiers, but added, "Hold." To keep them from lighting it up. Having the other two turn around to investigate fire wasn't going to make the situation better. She picked up a rock, and threw it towards the other creatures that had passed, in an effort to snap the concentration of the beast that direction.

"No, Oinari." She hesitated to move much other than creating a distraction away from the rest of her team by flicking a rock, unwilling to take the bet that the life form couldn't actually see a reflection just as well as it probably could detect movement. She did however, aim where it seemed to be sniffing from. A powerful nose, she thought, might be just the sensitive spot to hit if nothing else presented itself. "Patience." There was as good a chance to her that it was smelling something else in the area, something it would naturally prey upon.
 
The Loturr put its head down to the ground and snuffled. It then let out with a high decibel roar. About 3 meters to the right of the team, a creature squealed and took off. The Loturr charged after it close enough that the dirt and plant debris it kicked up flew at the Away team. About 15 seconds later there was a much more shrill squeal that was cut off. The Loturr could be seen chewing its prey.

The other two Loturr stopped their progress towards the transmitter. They charged off at a tangent and similar squeals ending in bone crushing bites was heard from the distance.
 
Freezing in place, Freyja watched the data roll across her faceplate. She was quite a bit scared, but they were passing so she started feeling a bit better.
 
Josea let out a breath that he had not realized he had been holding. This was a closer encounter with a hostile life form than he had expected on this mission. From what he had seen of the data sent by the other team, this planet had some very aggressive predatory life forms. He sincerely hoped that the Loturr were the apex predator because he did not want to see what could kill one of them.

After a few minutes of eating the closest Loturr started moving away. The other two soon joined it and the three large predators walked off in search or only they knew what.
 
Hearing the noises and the sequels did cause Kata'nova and duck down a bit more, but as she watched the creature move away and after something else, she let out a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. Her helmet scrolled cross with information about the creature and where it had gone, but the creatures actual details were incomplete - naturally because her suits memory cores lacked any kind of a catalogue of the creature.

Although she did make sure that this encounter was recorded, so that she could review the footage later and make a determination on what to call it... this was, after all, a special privilege for her people - whoever encountered a new animal during their travels had first dibs on naming it.
 
"They are gone. They detected some prey." Misaki signaled the others to rise after she stood herself for a few moments, in case something was still lingering that wanted her. "How close are we to the transmissions?" The XO asked Josea, while turning to give Oinari something of a curious glance before she nodded towards the rest, "We are going to complete our mission and return to the shuttle. How much more do you need, visual confirmation of the source of the transmission?" She queried the SSS specialist.
 
Josea turned towards Misaki. "We're still about 200 meters from the site. As for how close I need to be to get the information. That really depends on how much detail you want. I can't provide information on the device itself, what it is made from, its power source etc. Unless I get a lot closer. It that is satisfactory to you, we can turn around now. From what I can surmise right now. Its a beacon, probably a distress beacon. The power level they are broadcasting at would seem to mean that they do not have a subspace communicator and are attempting to send a signal via radio. The energy level is needed to make sure the signal is intelligible when it reaches their destination." He replied.
 
Standing there quietly she studied the two, one science officer and the other the XO. Seems the XO was pushing to leave before the job was complete. Though Freyja couldn't fault her too much for it. That this was after all suppose to be an aerial survey. But wasn't the XO's job to push on and see the job through. after a moment more thinking she shrugged and decided that she would file her report to the CO and let her decide what to think of it.
 
Kata'nova's upper eye-brows twitched as she listened in on the translation. With a sigh she stowed her knife and moved over to where Freyja was and stayed put for the time being, to see whether they would be leaving or not, although she had no plans to leave right now - the night time was to her liking and the planet was rip for exploration... the type of thing she loved doing.
 
"Negative. We'll move forward. As I said, we complete our mission first." Misaki nodded once towards Josea anyway, "Understood. We'll keep it quiet, there is no sense in inviting our friends back to mistake us for natural prey." She brought her overlay up and plotted a path through the area which would bring them she hoped to the source of the transmission without running into the larger predators, or getting between them and their smaller prey. The officer had also considered that the predators would come across the people in distress.

"Single file. I will be on point, Josea behind me, cover right, our guest scout left, and then Oinari rear and left." Another weapons check was made out of habit before she moved onto the overlaid path and started to move, keeping her NSP ready as they moved the distance towards the beacon. The sooner they located it, the sooner they could render aid.
 
Josea listened to the instructions, they made sense to him. Complete the mission, get out with minimum risk. He kept his Science scanner active having isolated the large creatures, which he presumed were the Loturr that the aliens warned of. "So far the predators seem to be moving off slowly, I'm not picking up any more within scanner range. " he said softly.
 
Falling in to her position, Freyja shivered. She didn't want to be tail end Charlie. This was the second most dangerous position. Only second to the point. She crept silently keeping her helmet scanning for any more hostiles. Josea's comment that he wasn't seeing anything was making her feel a bit better as the tracked on towards the beacon.
 
Kata'nova nodded at the translation and began to creep forward of the group, she didn't like being 'on the ground' though, it made her feel exposed and unable to tell if danger was approaching. Because of this, she took to the trees and balanced herself on a branch that overlooked a good area exposed from this height; this made her feel much better. She crouched down and looked out for another branch and leapt toward it, landing gracefully on it and then moving to the next branch over, being as quiet as possible so as not to startle any animals that might be beneath or around her but also ensuring that she was still within sight range of the rest of the group.
 
Josea monitored their progress, and when the last of the large predators was out of range notified his crew mates. He switched to emission scanning and was puzzled by what he saw. He re-ran the scan. He also made a point of keeping a visual on their alien friend. Given her inability to float, taking to the branches was the logical way for her to move easier. From the grace with which she did it, it was apparent this was common for her.

"Chusa, I am picking up something strange ahead. There is an energy field that emminates out at a range of 10 meters from the transmission point. It is highly charged. Perhaps some sort of defensive barrier to keep the lifeforms from interfering." he said in a normal tone.
 
"We will stop clear of the field. Be ready in case they don't realize we're here to help right away. Hold here just beyond the break, then move forward if they don't open fire on me." Misaki instructed the team before pressing onward. Giving the site a cursory scan before approaching the perimeter, she stopped, and raised the hand not holding her NSP to try and signal what she assumed were the life forms responsible for the transmission. "We mean no harm, and have detected a transmission source from this area...distress?"

What she was really hoping is that they wouldn't open fire first, and ask questions later, but she was betting that imperial engineering was up to the task of beating someone like that to the first strike.
 
The area was very still. Misaki could see the transmission array pointing upwards. There was a something that was most likely a generator based on the number of cables that ran from it to other items. She could also see the emitters for the electric barricade. A structure a short distance from the generator was the furthest from the transmission array. It looked to be some sort of tent like structure similar to a Type 30 Portable Shelter.

After Misaki called out, two things happened. First a set of outward facing lamps came on shattering the darkness and illuminating everything within 30 meters. The second was movement from the tent. A pair of Thaurgons emerged and looked around. One had a device as seen in the video from the other teams. The other one was holding some sort of weapon.

"We are Thaurgons, state your business." came out of the translation device.
 
Balancing herself on the tree branch, Kata'nova watched the strange looking creatures with curious eyes while she focused on one of the aliens weapons. She tapped the side of her helmet, the HUD chimmed as the words 'active recording' flashed on the upper left corner, she would record this for later viewing. What are these things, she asked herself as the translation software attempted to translate the Thaurgons actual language and not the translated... translated... language.
 
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