RP: YSS Aeon [MIssion 7.3] Ground Site

"Now that's interesting" Maki commented as she focused her MINDY's sensors on the creatures. She had never seen anything like these before. "Looks like some kind of new life form" she reported to the others. "I am recording sensor and visual information on them.

Saki sat beside Maki and watched the creatures emerge. This was way above her paygrade. She frowned and re-opened comm lines with Aeon. "Aeon, this is Arai-hei, we have encountered a craft and intelligent lifeform. Two members of unknown species just emerged from the machine. They were probably huntint the large creatures."

Yoshiro was back at base camp watching for any unknown contacts. He pinged his radar once in awhile to make sure that nothing but the bugs were there. "Saki, do you need any support at your location?" He sent on a secure channel.

There was no reply at the moment from the Aeon.

Meanwhile a hatch on the back compartment of the alien craft began to open. A platform was slowly lowering, on it was another alien, and some sort of machine.

The first two aliens moved toward the first 'kill' and began slicing off parts of the creature. One of them then stuck something into one that looked like a pipe or such, one in a flame appeared at the end of the tube that shot out at least a foot or more. The flame disapated after a minute or so and the alien removed the tube and headed over to the other creature.

Maki watched all this. she ad her MINDY recording everything. Intensive sensor scan, visual data from her cameras, the works. "Aeon, I am transmitting visual data to you now" she said and sent the video feed to her mother ship. "Shall we attempt first contact?" she asked both the Aeon and Saki beside her

The shuttle CIES replied to Saki and Maki, "Atmospheric interference is preventing transmission to satellite. Messages queued, when link with satellite restored, they will be broadcasted."

Meanwhile the aliens had brought the device which appeared to be a floating platform, around to the first creature. The aliens nimbly picked up the carcass using their middle legs and put it on the platform. They moved to repeat the process with the second carcass.

"Negative Yoshiro, stay put. If they are hostile you will board the shuttle and return to Aeon." Saki commed back to Yoshiro and watched the aliens perform bizarre thing to the creature they shot down. It was as if they would be sucking fire out of the monsters.

"First contact?" Saki replied and looked at Maki. "I am not exactly good at that. I shoot things. If you are up for it though be my guest. You spooks should know how to talk people I guess. I have no trouble going down with you for moral and fire support. Whichever would be necessary."

Maki frowned at the response from the shuttle's computer. "Looks like we are on our own for a bit" she commented. Perfect, radio cuts out right when it is needed most, she mused.

"First contact" she agreed with Saki. "If you will cover my back, I will go and see if the natives want to say hello" she concurred with her fellows plan. "Though, usually my kind of first contact isn't this kind" she grinned. Usually she conducted first contact by assassination. "Well, guess there is no time like now" she grinned.

Maki shouldered her rifle, leaving her hands open and made some adjustments to her MINDY's systems, she pulled her armor's defense fields to full power, stepped into the open and slowly let her active camouflage drop, revealing her blue power armor to the world. "Greetings!" she called out on her armor's external speakers. She slowly walked towards them, arms out, hands open palm up to to show she had no weapons in hand. "I am Joto Hei Nagato Maki of the Yamataian ship Aeon" she identified herself. "We come in the spirit of peaceful exploration"

The aliens froze when Maki announced her presence. They slowly turned to see what had emerged. One of the creatures lifted the forward segments of its body up so that it could get a better look. It made a series of clicks and whistles and the other two moved slowly back about three body lengths. It reached behind with its left limb and brought a cylindrical object from its back. It held the object out at arms length but so that it was not pointing towards Maki.

"We are Thaurgonssss. What are you?" the creature said with a bit of a lisp

That was a relief, Maki thought to herself. They had some sort of universal translator, they could communicate. "I am a Nekovalkyrja. I come from the planet Yamatai" she said in reply. She stopped walking forward, staying some twenty feet away from the closest of them.

"Here, I am going to take my helmet off so you can see" she slowly raised her hands, keeping them open, palms out until they reached her head. She disengaged the Locke's and pulled off the armored helmet, revealing her deep blue hair, fair skin and yellow eyes.

"Hello" she said and smiled pleasantly at the aliens.

Saki meanwhile remained hidden, her cloaking turned on. Sure it mean no shield, but that was fine. She had to cover Maki after all. It was unlikely she would be getting shot at. Saki sent out one set of nodal bits though to spread around her and cover her back. She believed their signature was way too small to be noticed. Her rifle was trained at the alien wich was a bit further from Maki. Saki has her safety still on, but she was ready to disengage it and start firing if necessary.

"Roger that." Yoshiro said to Saki and then turned his attention to protecting the camp. If things got hot he would get on the shuttle and return to the Aeon. He hoped that things would turn out peaceful but was ready for when things turned sour.

The alien made some more noises to its companions. One of them picked up a small device and held it near its head. Presumably some sort of communicator. It said something back to the lead one in their click whistle language. It looked back at Maki.

"Where isss your sssshipss? You have make camp nearby. Not good ssspace.. Loturr come hunt at sssetting of sssun. Hunt you perhaps. You commander?"

Maki could already feel the alien atmosphere effecting her eyes, burning a little. "I have to put my helmet back on now" she commented.

She had not breathed in yet and slipped her helmet back on, locking it in place. The system quickly vented the alien air, then pumped in fresh air from the MINDY's life support system. "Our ship is landed some kilometers away" she answered. We have several landing parties exploring the planet" she went on. "What are these... Loturr? A local predator, I assume?" she asked. "No, I am not the commanding officer of the ship, but I am able to speak for them" she said.

"Loturr large predator, hunt the Wizcatta." it said pointing to the creature they hunted. "Also hunt anything else big enough to be worth it. Fasst, sskin tough, natural armor, hard to penetrate unlesss one knowss where. Large Loturr can damage vehiclesss.

I am Gidlozee, Hunter Scout for the Garrison." the alien responded.

Meanwhile the following message was received by Saki

Maki was recording all of this and sending it to the shuttle, which, now that communications were restored, was relaying it to the Aeon. Along with the relay of information the SAINT operative sent a request for orders of how they should respond to the warning of the threat posed by the predatory Lotorr creature.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gidlozee" she took care to pronounce the alien's name properly. "Thank you for the warning about the Loturr" Maki replied. "We will take precautions to avoid them. Can you give me more detailed information on them, so we know what to expect?" she asked. "Also, id I may ask, is this your native world that we are visiting?"

Gidlozee pondered Maki's question. Then it started making a loud wheezing sound. It said something to its companions and they started making the same sound. This persisted for a minute or two.

"This world is not our native world. We do not like it here. But we hold this world for the Thaurgon Federation. Who would want such a world." he turned to one of his companions and spoke in their click whistle language.

"Vixel will show you data on Loturr. Be still and learn."

The smaller one moved forward and pulled out a large egg shaped object. It manipulated it with two of its limbs on its left side. Maki would see that as it adjusted it, it would lower it towards its midsection where another eye was present. Once satisfied it activated the device. An image appeared between the SAOY soldiers and the Thaurgons. "This is a Loturr." The creature appeared to be 6 meters long, four meters tall, and three meters wide. The body was covered in large plates which must serve as armor. Even the head with this triangle configuration was shielded by these plates. The mouth on the creature was a meter wide, and was filled with multiple rows of serrated teeth.

"Loturr attacks anything it sees as prey. Anything smaller than it that moves it will attack." Gidlozee said.

Saki was glad that her armour made her listen to the conversation easily. Good old Mindy and its basic sensory devices. Still the information about the creatures did not make her happy one bit. She looked up at the sun to see how much time they had before darkness.

"Yoshiro," Saki radioed to the soldier guarding the camp. "Pack up the camp. We have been informed about dangerous animal coming during nightcycle. Staying outside during nights is no longer viable."

The data available estimates that there are 9 hours left until night fall.

"These Loturr sound unpleasant." Maki replied. "Thank you for the warning, we will take appropriate precautions." she said. All the while she fed the information shown to her to both her team and the Aeon. She had no intention of anyone getting caught flat-footed by one of these monsters.

Maki smiled then, "I think we should continue getting acquainted, but somewheres safe from these Loturr" she said. "Where would you like to continue?" She asked