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RP: ISC Phoenix [Mission 9] Enzo's Lady of the Night

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Naoko settled back in the seat, glancing sidelong to Smith. To her great pleasure, it appeared as if he were about to have some sort of heart attack. Well, good, she thought - let the ignorant man suffer. It didn't matter that he was probably never going to get over his irrational hatred of Nekovalkyrja this way, but he deserved this sort of treatment, after the way he had treated her in the briefing. Naoko did not like being ignored.

"Wesley?" Naoko interjected suddenly, following the brief lull in conversation created by Robert's rather open-ended 'hmm'. For what seemed like the first time, the NH's attention was drawn to the helmet in Zeta's lap. Her ears unflattened, and then perked.
 
Zeta raised her head to Naoko. "Oh," she started and looked at helmet again. Raising it and pointing its face towards Naoko. "Naoko meet Wesley, he is AI in me armour. Wesley meet Naoko." She said and smiled. It was fun being childish from time to time.
 
For a few moments, the NH viewed the helmet with something akin to skepticism. On the one hand, treating an AI like a person struck Naoko as a little peculiar and childish. On the other hand...

Naoko waved and beamed convincingly.

"Ohayo, Wesley."
 
"With any luck, Robert, we'll be fighting something that has two arms, two legs, a head and a gun," He then watched Naoko's entrance, "By the way, you look positively dashing tonight, Ms. Aihara."

He sat back and nodded along with the conversation that Robert and Naoko were having, but he noticed that Mr. Smith was still unsettled by this. He hadn't forgotten that he walked out on her pretty rudely, so something was clearly setting him on edge about her.

Luca decided to edge along next to Smith and whispered in his ear, "Smith, you seem agitated. Is this going to be a problem later down the track?" Luca was frowning under his helmet, and it was visible through the transparent durandium visor, "I need to know what's eating you - for your sake and everyone else's."

Then, he was given a message from John, "Alright Luca, you're up. Get flying the shuttle. It shouldn't be too difficult. The Crimson Kestrel is circling around the other way."
Luca nodded as he touched his earpiece, "Right, got it. Be leaving soon," He then addressed the away team, "Alright guys, we're getting ready to go. Enzo, a quick question, are there any ways into the ship other than the front door, like an emergency hatch or something?"

Luca got up and walked over to the Shuttle's console and controls and sat down, flicking the switches and making the checks, just like John did, mimicking what he did right down to the slouch.
The shuttle then got moving, out into open space and towards the Mule, "I figure we can get Enzo in safely if we find another way in and open the front door quickly. We might even catch them by surprise if they're waiting there."

When Luca looked to either side of his vision, he saw the Crimson Kestrel further behind Enzo's Mule, and the Big Bird was behind them. All was going according to plan so far, but for how long?
 
Matthew tried to ignore it. The presence that was beside him. An unbearable pressure that pushed his innards away from the source. A warmth that wafted off it's body, mimicking that given off by real a woman. Fake. Artificial. Synthetic. Hemosynthetic. Smith wanted to jump out of his seat and - no. Simply no. He couldn't let on just how strongly he felt about these things to the others. They just wouldn't understand. How could they? All of them were practically buddy-buddy. Smith knew the most he could do was keep it in check enough that it only looked like a discomfort, a distrust. 'Or have I already slipped? Messed up?' he wondered.

Luca Pavone confirmed his fear. Yes. Yes he did. But how badly? Damage control.

"I'm fine Mr. Pavone, just pre-mission jitters. I admit, this is my first boarding action, and I have been out of action for a while. However, I am still capable of carrying out your orders." he spoke to the man. Smith wanted badly to discreetly message him, at least tell him he as uneasy around it. But no, it was good enough to crack the messages if it wanted. He couldn't risk it.

Matthew had to settle for sitting stiffly next to Naoko while pretending to be slightly curious as to the conversations the NH was having. He hated it.
 
Enzo cleared his throat inside his mask as he keyed the mic on the built-in radio. He had payed attention to everything thus far in silence, mentally preparing himself for the action he was about to get into. Now he was being asked questions. Questions about being sneaky and doing something other than kicking the door down and blowing the brains out.

He answered slowly, "I thinks... That 'scape pod left a little hole behinds it when it shot out, see? I can probably rigs the hatch to opens up ifs I can gets to it. 'Manual override', I likes to call it."

"But I ain't goin' outs into space in no suits if'n I ain't gotta." He continued, miming the effects of explosive de-pressurization as he spoke. "This mask, it's a justin-case kindsa thing, yeah? I knows all my security codes, and if they resets the bastards, I gots the manufacturer's codes memorized too... For maintenance purposes, of course."
 
Naoko shifted her focus from the helmet named 'Wesley' to the jittery, hopefully very paranoid male named 'Matthew'. With a familiarity that could only be described as natural, and perhaps if one were to stretch it, even a little empathetic, Naoko put her hand on Smith's arm, turned to him slightly, and began speaking to him in the same tone as Luca had.

"It's a little like ground fighting yo," Naoko stated, "But instead of storming through a building, you have to maintain a 'ring'. That is, someone always has to be watching, every direction, even back, because people are usually all over a ship, not just in certain areas, and can pop out anywhere, with anything."

Naoko patted him. Like a sergeant patting a private, coaxing them gently out the bay doors, into the firestorm and long long drop that would probably be their death. It was that sort of voice, too.

"Daijobu-yo. I'll watch your back if you watch mine, and we'll be fine, ne?"

She sat back, but maintained her general proximity to Smith. Although Naoko affected a casual appearance, it was rather closer than before.
 
Zeta smirked and looked at Smith. "Don't worry Shmithy," she said. "I know you probably have no military trainint. But you can shoot gun and have good hearing. Just listen to captain ane everything will be okay. "Me and Rob will go firsht and shtuh og any heavy fire with our armours. Yoy don't need to be afraid, any cover will be appriecieated though." She said will confident voice.

Zeta had no idea what kind of battle experience he had. She just wanted him to not be afraid. "Just cover my back Smithy and I will cover you front. It is easy as that," she said and smiled at him warmly.
 
Smith's arm briefly tensed as the hand patted listened very carefully to what Naoko had to say; even if he hated the thing's guts, it knew how to kill, and kill efficiently. They always did. But...was it talking down on him? Like he was a kid? Indigent anger swelled in his chest, but he kept his face neutral through the ordeal. No need to be openly hostile after all.

"At least give her a chance."

His siblings' words echoed in his mind. That threw a wrench into Matthew's inner workings. Doubt. It was infectious, like a disease, and it spread through the man like the plague. What if they were right? What if it really was trying to help him? But what if it just wanted someone to put up a better fight so it wouldn't have to? And what if it was talking down on him? He hated this gray.

"Deal." he said to Naoko. He then nodded to Zeta, who added more encouragement to the mix. "No worries, I'm right behind you."

'Hopefully literal, but with a bit more distance.'
 
Luca smiled at Smith. His strong reaction reaction towards Naoko, as if he really did mean that he was starting to overcome something that was coming between him and her. He just didn't know what, and maybe he didn't need to know all the details.

Either way, the shuttle stopped just a few metres short next to Enzo's Mule, "Enzo, I want you to get into the cabin, since we'll be de pressurising where you're sitting right now. You'll remain safe until we can get the front door open for you. Plus," A hint of a smile could be heard in his voice, "The weapons controls are nearby."

After Enzo had gotten himself inside the safety of the cabin, Luca had a few more parting words, "Oh, and you can radio us too. Could you press the button that says 'De Pressurise Passenger Area'? Thanks."

He then blinked and looked over to Smith, having noticed something that was escaping him earlier, "Smith, where is your armour?" He tilted his head at the Origin Representative, "Listen, stay with Enzo, fly the shuttle if you need to. Once we get the ships linked, everything should be peachy for you two."
 
Robert grinned as he put his helmet on. "Let's rock, Boss." he said through the helmet's speakers. He jumped up and down a few times and settled into a comfortable knife fighter's stance. Inside the suit, Robert was grinning like a little kid.
 
Zeta put her helmet on and pressurized the suit. "Give me systems check Wesley," Zeta said to the armours AI. She then put her speakers on. "What about Naoko boss? I don't think her armour can be pressurized." SHe said to Luca. "Or can it?" she added and look in the direction of short Neko.
 
"Not the entire suit, no," the NH stated, "I can survive without oxygen for a couple of minutes and the pressure change won't bother me."

So saying, Naoko grabbed an 'oh shit' handhold and hung the SMaR from its shoulder-strap, one hand lazily on the grip. For someone about to go into a zero-pressure atmosphere without a helmet or a mask, then engage in what may probably be a brutal and terminally violent boarding action, she looked remarkably composed.

"Just get the hatch open quickly, yo."
 
The mixed feelings of anger and doubt quickly vanished as the Origin Representative realized he was once again reminded that he was the only one without armor. Instead, embarrassment welled in it's place as a new realization pushed into his mind; he didn't remember hearing Luca mention any vacuum exposure. 'I must have missed this part of the briefing while away in the lobby.' Smith mused, quickly moving to the cockpit in an attempt to hide the faint pink on his cheeks. This was absolutely embarrassing! If he hadn't set aside so little money to prepare himself, he would have gotten something at least!

As he settled into the shuttle's cockpit by Enzo, he asked Luca, "Mr. Pavone, are there any spare suits laying about since some of your crew had upgraded to other things?"
 
Zeta shaked her head. "Oh no you don't," seh repled to Naoko. "We can do this without you going outside. Couple of minutes is not enough. You probably forgot about radiation. Space is kinda full of it you know, so get back into the cockpit. Sorry to ruin you fun, but we don't to risk like that." She said. Her voice was serious and caring. She didn't stood in fron of neko in intimidating way, she just stood there.
 
"Radiation?" the small NH blurted, her expression incredulous, as if she were just finding out that someone still believed in Yoshino Inori, the famous wig-stealing imp demon who crawls under shower stall doors to stare lecherously at young women.

Seriously, who believes that?

"Are you being serious, or is this a joke?"
 
Panther came out of the shadows as he pondered about himself not having anything to safely travel in an area nonexistent of breathable space. He looked at what seemed like a locker and decided to investigate, which revealed a cabinet of hanging suits for emergency use. He grabbed the one that seemed like it was for the pilot, an Aerospace Flight Suit, "How do I get this open?" he asked as he wondered if there was a safe place to change in the shuttle.
 
Zeta was preparing to answer Nao, when suddenyl Panther. "How the bloody hell did you get here un-noticed?" she asked. She will have to be careful about this guy, maybe get some points about stealth from him. He could have just kill Luca should he want. Wasn't this guy some kind of assassin at first? Zeta just shaked her head and pointed where do you open the suit. "Here you open it up here, crawil inside. I will close it for you. I bet you know where the helmet comes. Check HUD if it still has enough air and if it's integrity is okay." she said and walked back to Naoko.

"Sorry," she said first. "Well girl I got that you want to go outside with us, but it is un-needed and reckless to risk like that. Me and Robert are in Impulse armors, I greatly disbelief that enemy - if there is any - will have many anti-armour guns. Plus with most of our systems down, they won't even see us coming. So you go to Enzo into the cockpit, someone need to take sure he won'T rush headlessely into ship, once we connect." She said to the small.
 
From the cabin of the shuttle, Enzo could hear everyone speaking about him and his supposed headless desire to jump headlessly into danerous situations. They obviously didn't know about his propensity to lunge headlong into running away from dangerous situations, no matter who was to suffer from it. He even contemplated how he'd manage to take the ship away from them without the rest of the crew knowing it, should a fleet of other ships appear from thin air for no reason other than to serve as a tool to piss Enzo off.

He kept his comments to himself for the moment, instead focusing on the task at hand. His ship was right in front of him, and he'd been waiting so long to get it back. He could practically smell his stash of Happy Dust and Combat Candy underneath the mattress. He could almost feel the cold metal of the airbike he'd stolen from Rosh so many years ago. His closet full of expensive, also stolen, clothes waited for him. He adjusted the tie on the suit he'd chosen just for this endeavor as his mouth began to water at the thought of getting back in his own bed, his own shower, his own cigarette-smoke filled cockpit, and flying into a cloud and viewing the women tanning on top of high rises below through his ship's targeting computer.

The greasy vagabond's mouth drew a crooked smirk as his mind turned to the finer things, and what would eventually become his once again. He thumbed the intercom and spoke to everyone in the compartment behind him, "You schmucks better not break anything in there, baddies or nots. That's my house, we're talking abouts, see?"
 
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