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RP: Kennewes Offensive NSS Banning

The captain sighed as well. He hated when these sort of things happened. He finally growled, "Well, first off, I agree that we should make haste to the Alliance. We are already way off schedule. Second, the Banning needs to be searched deck-by-deck in case the saboteur is also a stow-away. After that, all passengers should stay in their cabins until we arrive at our destination. Last, but most importantly, we should notify the higher ups of our situation.

"I will recommend that all passengers," he paused before continuing, "and crew should be checked and questioned. We will get to the bottom of this eventually." David hoped that his decision had been the correct one. He's suffered through hijacks, sabotages, pirate attacks, and much more in his lengthy career in the military freight business. However, sabotages are probably the worst because the subtleness makes you suspect anyone and everyone. You never really know who the enemy is until it is too late.
 
"The personnel investigation will be done at the NSS Alliance under Military Police supervision. Sir. I'm afraid we have neither the manpower nor skill to do something like that at the moment." Fian said, taking into account proper procedures and resources. "But the rest will be done. I'll begin the search after all the passengers are safely in their rooms." The Sub-Lieutenant put his heels together and snapped a salute before leaving the room for the cargo area. When he was out in the coridoors, he sent a message through Elsae's wireless to Valen.

Turn on the lights in the cargo bay, I need to bring out some gear.
Click to expand...

As he walked, Fian thought of the possible suspects. It's most likely the Reds, since this is a ship bound for the front... But what about the Freespacers? I know they arent Nepleslian, but thats almost all I know about them, other than that they are quite unbridled... Could it be that the Reds have managed to get some on their side somehow? The Vel Steyr shook his head. I'm just going to contain the situation.
 
Valen received the message while he was studying the virus within the quarantine. He took a moment to hit a few keys to turn on the cargo bay lights before returning to his work.

-----

Down in the cargo bay, a shadowy figure was surprised by the lights turning on suddenly. Unsure if someone was about to enter the cargo bay, the shadow quickly ducked behind a few containers.
 
Pavel's hand jerked slightly towards his pocket. He'd thought the bolt was good luck before, simply because it was a bolt, and attractively carved. But knowing that it had been part of something that held a ship together through a disaster- that was such good luck it practically elevated the bolt to the status of a holy relic. He didn't want to accept a gift of this magnitude, because then he'd be forever indebted to the flighty Freespacer. But he didn't want Dream to start crying again either.

“I do not know what to say. I will. . . look after this for a while. Keep it safe for you. How does that sound? Perhaps I can return it to you when you leave. Just do not start crying again. It is not right when you are not happy.”
 
There were no more tears on Dream's face now, thanks to Pavel's words: only her usual smile. "Yes!" she said. "We have a proverb from where I come... 'Laugh, and the Maker laughs with you. Cry, and the Maker laughs harder.' It's useless and stupid to waste time crying: Life is too short for that."

She looked around. "Wonder how long we'll have to stay here?" She asked, starting to look slightly bored.
 
Pavel guffawed at Dream's proverb. “I think I like this Maker of yours. Maybe your religion is not so bad after all.”

“As to how long we must stay down here, who knows. Perhaps an hour, perhaps a day. But I almost forgot. We still have cards! We do not have enough players, but if you like to count cards, I have thought of a game that people get less serious about. It is called 'Hearts,' and you can be good at it without anyone shooting you at all. I think it is just your speed.”
 
Tweak squirmed in the hammock, still sleeping but not entirely comfortable. She mumbled something and curled up, laying on her left side with her back to main engineering. The action pulled the bandanna off of her head and her right ear flicked around trying to get the kinks out from being folded back for so long.
 
"By the way" Dream noted, "remind me to show you some of our games when we'll have time and the possibility, in exchange. We'll need a computer with a neural interface or a virtual reality system or something like that, however. There are none of those "card games", but some look like them a lot. There are a lot of strategy games. Well, I'm pretty bad at 'em. When I have some spare time and I have nothing to do, I usually go solar sailing."


[[OOC: Isn't Hearts for 4 players?]]
 
Fian walked into the cargo bay with his ESG out. With so much crates lying all over the place, he figured a rapid fire weapon would be more appropriate. After spying the armored container he was after in one side of the bay, he cautiously made his way there while keeping an eye out for suspicious movement.

The shadow waited in silence as the intruder entered the cargo bay. Noticing the rapid-firing ESG instantly, he carefully pulled out a long, thin knife. Making sure he stayed within the shadows, the tall, thin Nepleslian waited for the right time to strike.

Reaching the NAM stamped crate, Fian scanned the area around it just to be sure, he kept his back to the box to avoid being attacked from behind. Silly boy, you should have brought a few other guys with you if only you knew how big this place is. Feeling a keypad brush his hair, he keyed in the necessary codes without turning back.

The crate's panels fell apart to reveal an AIR2 with white bands. It was the Power Armor the Vel Steyr used during his time in Officer School. The sight of the war machine made Fian feel a little better. He felt the bulge in his pullover pocket and whispered. "Elsae, you have records of the ship's roster. Sub-scan all lifeforms onboard the NSS Banning and highlight any discrepancies."

"Yes." Elsae responded. Nodding in response, Fian took one wary look at his surroundings before climbing the AIR2 to key in the codes that would open the pilot's cavity.

Seeing a possible way to escape, one hand reached for the fusion cutter that had been used to cut the Banning’s powerline. The saboteur threw the object across the room with one swift movement. It made a rather loud clattering noise as it landed on the other side of the room.

NOT GOOD! Fian immediately thought after hearing the noise. There could be more than one of them! Why didn't I think of that! Starting to panic, he quickly keyed in the codes. Just as soon as the cavity opened a small crack, he reached in to place Elsae into the slot to save time getting in later. They could be nearby, quickly now!

The assailant thought that he had frightened his opponent into a blind panic. The time was now. Knife in hand, the enemy rushed out from the shadows. Unfortunately, his boot accidentally kicked a nearby container. A dull thud sound echoed through the cargo bay, but was soon drowned out by the boot steps of the running saboteur. If he could only get into the PA, he’d be able to escape with little harm to himself! This guy is expendable, he thought to himself as he prepared to kill the Vel Steyr.

Fian didn't need to hear the container being kicked over the hissing of the hydraulics to hear the saboteur coming. His footsteps could be easily heard thanks to the Vel Steyr's cybernetic ears. Seeing that the cavity isn’t completely open yet, he quickly turned his torso to fire a few shots, hoping that he is not too late.

Too late. The Nepleslian was already there. Taking several shots in his left arm and shoulder, he returned the favor by stabbing at Fian’s right arm near the elbow. His left hand then tried to grab for the ESG.

The knife cut a nice line across Fian's lower right forearm and through a few fingers. A sense of Deja Vu was overridden by a lot of screaming. Stunned from the pain, the Vel Steyr could not resist having his weapon wrenched away and in addition lost his footing and fell to the floor.

The enemy then turned Fian’s own weapon against him. The ESG randomly spewed several rounds at Fian to harm him even more. After that, the Red affiliate climbed into the AIR2 to try to take control of it to finish the nosy Sub-Lieutenant off and then escape from this crappy freighter.

Fian felt a number of bullets hit him, but could not tell where exactly because his body was hurting all over, perhaps he was being hit all over? However the Vel Steyr was in no condition to ponder the question. He curled into a bloodied ball before passing out in a subconscious act of self preservation.

“Ha!” the Red said to himself as he climbed into the PA’s cavity, “This was easier then I thought!” He closed the cavity and tried to get the controls to work so he could get out of this damned place.

The AIR2 became responsive as its generator powered up to supply vital energy to its systems, however it only managed to move a few feet before the controls became stiff, as though the Red was stepping on a brake somewhere. Soon after the PA came to a complete stop, the Monoeyes made a flash of light before the screen displayed a variety of warning messages, the most obvious of them was this:
WARNING: CRITICAL DAMAGE DETECTED, INITIATING MEC IN 4... 3... 2...
Click to expand...

“What the fu-?” was all he could muster as he heard a hissing sound. That was the last sound he would ever hear as his head was cut off and jettisoned with the PA’s head unit. The head unit struck the ceiling of the cargo bay which deflected it to make it land somewhere nearby the now headless PA.

The AIR2 then sent a burst signal of the situation to the bridge and then began to scan the lifeforms onboard the Banning. Detecting no more unauthorized passengers, it powered down kneeling in front of the Vel Steyr, its bulky hands unable to do anything to assist its master.

-----

The signal reached the bridge in record time. Valen reviewed the situation and quickly took out his communicator to send a message to Dream:

 
Dream put down her cards. "Oh. A message." She said idly, glancing at the screen on the wall. "I'll pick up, gimme a moment."

She stood up from the chair and walked to the console and...

And she blanched. Or something like that: her complexion, from her usual green tint, shifted to a bitter yellow.

"...by the Ten Gods." She murmured to herself, reading and rereading the message. She turned around to Pave, furiously: "WE HAVE A WOUNDED!" She simply shouted before running away with amazing speed, out of the room, towards the cargo bay.

She busted in there a few seconds later. There was a decapitated power armor and lots of blood and a man on the ground, and that last detail was all she needed to know.

He was a tall, fit young fellow with black hair and blood all over him. Fortunately, it didn't seem like it was all his.

Dream's cybernetic eye quickly scanned his vital functions as her hands deftly pulled out a rather large, wicked-looking black knife, or perhaps an oversized scalpel with a serrated back edge, from one of her numerous belt pouches, and unceremoniously ripped open Fian's uniform, exposing his torso. Meanwhile, her eye was pouring screens over screens of medical information into her field of view.

Scanning... Error 25: Unknown Biology.

Searching in database for corresponding biology... Found: Nepleslian, Male

Scanning...
Click to expand...

He had lost consciousness from the shock of the assault, but he would probably come back to his senses very soon. And that would be a problem for her, especially if he started moving and trashing around.

"Ok. First thing, Greenwall lymph." She said to herself, putting the knife-scalpel aside and pulling something else out of the belt: a large syringe, an actual plastic-and-steel-needle syringe like back in the middle ages, and filled it with a few drops of a green, transparent liquid from a very small vial, perhaps only a milliliter or two.

Kneeling by his side, he injected the liquid at the base of his neck, very near to his spinal cord.

"Good, this should stop pain and anesthetize everything but the head." She said to herself, throwing away the syringe behind her back. Now she could wake him up: he would only be able to talk and look around while still keeping him paralyzed from the head down.
However, she didn't have the time to do that now: better to just wait for him to come back to his senses on his own, and concentrate on the wounds.

Scan complete.

Wound #1: Cause: kinetic energy missile weapon. Location: right shoulder. Damage: Incomplete fracture of the Clavicle. Bullet still lodged...
Click to expand...

"Damn it." He had five bullets in him: right shoulder, right lung, one lodged in the ribcage, one which stopped a few centimeters shy of the heart and one that had split in two the inferior vena cava. Plus, he had a sixth wound: a bullet that, by some strange twist of fate, had passed him from side to side without damaging anything important.
Overall, he didn't look good. At all. "Terra, guide my hands..." She murmured, reaching in his apparently endless belt pockets and pulling out of one of them a glass jar full of some kind of greenish-violet goo in which a number of small, slimy, leech-like creatures drifted slowly. She set it aside, however, for the moment, wielding instead what looked like a long pair of black metal forceps. The forceps had some kind of circuitry and a small computer monitor on the end of a flexible metallic support, with half a dozen of assorted buttons, levers and knobs, and overall an oddly hi-tech albeit retrò look.

"Damnit, it's lead, I can't pull it out with a magnetic lock... I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way." Dream plunged firmly the forceps into the bullet hole just below the heart. She reached, grabbed and yanked, all in the space of less than five seconds, and was greeted by a splash of dark, venous blood, like a spectacular geyser, from Fian's body.
She quickly reached for the jar, opening it in a single deft motion, picking a slug from the goo and slapping it on the hole in Fian's chest.
The tiny, slimy creature adhered to the wound, stopping the blood loss, and slowly crawled down, burrowing into the Nepleslian's body.

"Now, if only I had blood to give him, to keep his body from going into shock..." She wondered. "Oh?" He was slowly opening his eyes. "You awake now?" She asked in a polite, cordial tone, completely alien to the situation.
Well, she was completely covered in blood. She had a black forceps that looked like some kind of torture tool in hand, and around her were scattered a scalpel so large it was almost indistinguishable from a bayonet, a large used syringe and a jar full of goo and tiny flesh-burrowing chibi cthulhoid monstrosities. And she was smiling.

For the second time, she plunged her forceps into Fian, pulled out a bullet, threw it away, and slapped a slug on the wound. Her movements were self-assured, almost casual, like she'd been doing this since the day she was born.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Probably." And she smiled again.
 
Fian did not immediately respond after opening his eyes, it was only a moment later the eyeballs slowly swirveled to points of interest in his field of vision, the white light, the kneeling Power Armor, and then to the face of the blue haired Druidress. His face tensed as he tried to get up, only to realize that he is paralized from neck down. Feeling and increasing sense of fatigue and security he only managed to get as far as to curve one corner of his lip before drifting back into sleep.
 
Back in engineering, Pavel slumped back into his chair as the energetic druid swept from the room in a blur of color. This really was much more excitement than he was used to. Sure, nearly getting fried alive by exploding plasma conduits was a bit stressful, but it was all in a day's work. Traitors and crying were not in the job description.

Pavel had dealt himself another hand of solitaire and had flipped over the first three cards before he realized he was exhausted. Despite what he'd said earlier to Tweak about never getting tired, he'd been up as long as she had, and had been working almost the entire time. He shuffled over to the coffee machine to get another cup. There was less than a full cupful left, and with all the power fluctuations the coffee managed to be both burnt and cold. He thought about checking in on Tweak, but decided against it. Looking at someone quietly sleeping when one is completely exhausted was uselessly tormenting oneself Pavel reasoned, and he was not big on unnecessary pain.

The engineer and his coffee returned to the card game. “Valen is hurt, eh?” Pavel muttered to himself. “I suppose it is too much to ask that he got that damn saboteur too?”

“Information on the location and condition of crew members is restricted, as is all tactical information at this time,” Banning calmly reminded him.

“Well to hell with you as well then, you horrible hunk of scrap!” said Pavel, but not without affection. “And congratulations on not being dead. I suppose you are not completely useless after all.”
 
"Hey! Don't sleep! You must stay conscious to- Oh, he fainted again. Damnit." Went Dream.

She had removed all five bullets and treated with slugs every bullet hole, but still, there was a lot to fix. The slugs kept the blood vessels closed and stopped the external hemorrhaging, but there still was a punctured lung and the danger of Fian drowning in his own blood. Plus, a main vein was broken, and the slug wasn't nearly enough to keep it closed forever, or even for more than another couple minutes.

She couldn't fix that without better tools and advanced surgical equipment, which she didn't have. And she was alone.
She had to improvise.

Dream checked the bullet wound that had damaged the lung. The clotting agent seeping from the tiny creature's skin had stopped most of the external bleeding, and the slug itself was more or less sealing the hole, keeping the air inside the lungs from seeping out.

His heartbeat and breathing rate were weak and irregular, and there was still the problem with his lungs slowly filling with blood, but "At least the lung won't collapse, for now" she said to herself, bending over Fian and slapping him solidly in the face once, then twice. "Wake up! I need you conscious!" She shouted.
 
"Ugh." One of Fian's eyes creaked open above his reddened cheeks, then followed by the other one. After a look of suprise, his face returned to a tensed condition with his mouth slightly open to reveal the tips of his teeth. There wasn't anything running through his mind, he was still stunned from the saboteur's vicious attack.

The nearby AIR2's Monoeyes flashed briefly at the Freespacer, Elsae had been observing Dream's actions on passive mode. "I can assist you if you need him moved somewhere." She offered, with a tone of concern in her voice.
 
Dream wondered briefly where the voice was coming from, but then she decided that there was something far more urgent.

"Well, there's no sickbay on board, so here or somewhere else makes no difference. Better leave him here for now." She said, looking down on Fian with her usual kind, warm smile. "I've stopped the hemorrhaging, for now. That was a close call... you've been really lucky."
She pulled out of her sleeve a small roll of some kind of white duct tape, and used it to bandage the cut along his arm.

Then, she stood up slowly, stretching her arms and legs. "Don't stop being lucky, anyway. You're not out of danger yet." She said, walking to the wall-mounted console.


She sent the message, and turned to Fian. "So your name is Fian Vel Steyr, eh? What it is that you do on the ship, anyway?" She asked out of curiosity.
 
Valen received the message while still on the bridge and asked the captain, "What are your orders?" The captain thought for a moment before deciding. "We will arrive at the NSS Alliance in 5 hours. Let's just take him there. We don't have time for any more delays..." he stated a bit coldly. The comm spec nodded and responded to Dream.

 
Dream sighed.

To: P2C Valen Sasorix, Bridge
From: [No Rank Available] Druidess Dream Zero Zero 00-0018-2475, Cargo Bay
Priority: Medium
I don't know if I can keep him alive for five hours, but I'll try.
Click to expand...

"Banny, do you hear me?" She asked then, calling the ship's AI out loud. "Can you please ask for a volunteer blood donor? Anyone who has a blood type compatible will do. I can't give him mine, it'd kill him."

Then, she returned to Fian's side, kneeling beside him. "Hang in there. Your captain said that we'll arrive in five hours or so." She said, picking up from the ground one of the bullets, a bit deformed from the impact, still covered in blood. She tried to clean it a bit, pulled a length of string out of a pocked, and made a small pendant out of it, putting it around Fian's neck. "Until then, Terra and Terminus will watch over you."
 
Valen grimaced as he read Dream's last message. He then messaged Pavel in Engineering.

 
The incapacitated Vel Steyr furrowed his brow. 5 Hours...? Not... Good.... Anxious, he looked around his field of vision for anything that could help, he always had a knack for finding a solution for everything but this situation was so helpless, he felt like screaming.

Opening his mouth, he only went as far as "Aa..." to realize that he could still form audible words. Pausing a moment, he tried to take his mind off his mortality by responding to his rescuer's previous question. Fian didn't feel like expending precious energy to try to glorify his current profession so he summarised it in three words.

"I... Kill people."

Fian didnt want to have one of his mistakes hung around his neck, but did not object as he could feel the Freespacer's good intentions. He cheered up when Dream said a prayer.

"I could use that... Heh."
 
There was a sharp squeak as Tweak tried rolling over one time too many and the hammock unceremoniously dumped her onto the deck, her kerchief falling next to her. Her back to the main engineering (and Pavel), Tweak rubbed her banged ribs, then touched her head. After making sure nothing was permanently damaged, the neko sat up on the floor and looked around.

Where was she?
 
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