RP: NSS Sledge Mama [NSS Sledge Mama] Ep. 2 - Forged

Richard was starting to get rather bored himself, in fact he was almost nodding off to sleep when they were going through the whole procedure of stacking up at that last door. Hearing Ylfa's idea he let out an audible chuckle as he pictured them running up to houses in power armor and ringing the door bell then running away like children as angry old men Mishhu yell and shake their tentacles at them. "I'm good with that. Besides if there is something waiting to attack isn't this actually safer?"

"No shit, Sherlock."

Ylfa's reply was outright blunt and crass - it became more and more obvious that while out in the field, she wasn't the same person they had met before coming to Sledge Mama. "If you were a flying space squid, and you knew marines were coming in, what would be the bet way to get in close?" the Sarge asked them rhetorically. The answer was obvious. "Just wait on the other side of the door, maybe even above it, and then grab and stab as they came in. So, I'm going to do the obvious thing to do too." Opening the doorway, the Hostile threw in one of her drones - white hot beams of energy immediately lanced out and burned into the wall opposite of the passage, but Ylfa was already stepping in. "Come on in, it's almost safe."

They could all hear a steady 'whap, whap' as something was struck, over and over again while a lone Impaler apparently tried to fire on them. Following her lead, the squad would see a single straight corridor lined with prison cells, all of them empty. At the back however, was a security station with a single Neko, desperately trying to fire on the squad with her rifle, only to have Ylfa's drone buzzing around smack her and toss the shot off. "Hey! Get me out of here!" another young woman desperately called, her voice shouting from one of the cells in the back of the brig. The enemy Neko turned and spat at her,

"Shut up!"

Moving in a blur she finally stood out of cover and swung her rifle like a baseball bat, smashing the drone aside before snapping the barrel of her weapon to bear on the squad.

"Remember, let's get her alive and without a scratch if we can boys and girls!" Ylfa goaded them on.

Delmar followed after his new sergeant ready to end this day.

CadetNewb said:

"Remember, let's get her alive and without a scratch if we can boys and girls!" Ylfa goaded them on.

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As the Neko raised her barrel Delmar fired a spray next to the assailant for intimidation and aimed back at her, aiming the pattern low to only get her legs as he shouted, "drop it!" over the speakers.

Mark aimed his rifle to the left of the Neko. "Listen, if you just put the gun down we won't hurt you. Slowly set the gun down and slide it over here carefully." He did his best to speak in a gentle and firm voice over the speakers as he slowly took a step forward making sure not to get in Delmar's way in case the crazy bitch tried something stupid.

Richard stepped in with everyone and watched the situation that felt like it was out of a movie or something, this single Neko was still threatening them as if she had a chance against so many armors. But now they were cornering her which was when people started to do stupid things, at least according to the TV. The notion that the woman might try something funny scratched at the back of his head long enough for him to decide to act. He turned the levels of his Push Pull Plating down, noting that the armor didn't seem too thick once everything was set he stepped out in front of everyone and activated the plating to try to send the Neko back into the wall, hopefully hard enough to give people time to disarm her, not not make her splat.

Lisa kept back a bit. There might have been more to deal with, then just a lone neko. Everyone gave their attention to the heroic cat-woman and no one checked the surroundings. Lisa's HPAR travel around the room, looking for danger. She checked the ceiling too. After all, one must have always kept in mind that nekoes can fly. Although, there is no reason why prison should be guarded by more then just one neko, though on the other hand a prison guard would not need a bloody Impaler. The Impaler was dangerous gun, it could given time pierce through power armour. Lisa heard of neko platoons killing careless marines, who even wore Aggressors. Just cause it was a hand rifle, did not mean it was not dangerous gun.

For Emi, things had been going horribly, and had gotten worse.

Cowering from behind her security station in the brig, she watched as the door opened, spewing forth several massive, hulking forms. Desperately taking aim, she fired, even knowing it was completely useless. Only for something to smack into her and throw the shot off. The prisoner shouted, and she shouted back for her to shut up! Fear coursed through her like a blinding snowstorm, sending chills through every single move she made. She felt so utterly impotent. Helpless. Shaking, her footing unsteady, Emi lashed out with her rifle and smacked the drone aside; taking aim again from behind cover, the Neko watched as the titanic forms kept rushing at her. Heat bled through her thin armor as enemy rounds flew by, barely missing. Their shouts hammered her ears like they were beating on a drum, everything they said becoming incomprehensible as they kept coming like an unstoppable wave, poised to crush her into oblivion.

Emi quickly double tapped Delmar in the head with a pair of shots, his own rounds going wide before an invisible hammer sent her crashing into the chair behind her, toppling the Neko over. Scrambling to her feet and discarding her rifle, she dove to the side and into the prison cell on her right. Hiding behind the prisoner her masters had caught, she pulled the pin on a grenade and held it close. "Stay back! I'm warning you!"

The squad had rushed past cell after cell to close the distance as she fired on them. But it was Delmar that had to clear the spots from his eyes by blinking. When he could see again, like someone who stepped out under a bright sun suddenly, he noticed his shields had dropped...by 6 percent. The rifle, which could pierce clean through even the biggest, baddest of ID-SOL and even a Mishhuvurthyar, was an angry flashlight against their power armor. A bee versus a bear. And she had no others with her, save for this prisoner she hid behind. "H-hey! Stop her! She's got a grenade you morons! She's gonna kill me!" the captive yelled at them. Closing in, they could all see that the prisoner very clearly. She had long, black hair that was once very sleek and well kept, now matted by ungodly goop that had dried, and the clothing covering her hid very womanly curves, but was just as messy. But, even ignoring the uniform she wore, the feline ears she had told them everything. She was Star Army. And looking back to it? A Taii. A Captain.

Though, being stuck on a Direct Nutrient Supplier, they could also tell she wasn't happy in the slightest, or have much of that commanding air left.

A hearty, long laugh raked through the air as Ylfa strode forward. "Well, here's a lesson to you boys and girls! They're tenacious, but alone, they can't hurt you unless they really go out of their way. Like, maybe by doing something along the lines of sticking a knife in your neck seam or putting a grenade at a joint." Bending at the waist in her armor she looked down at the cowering NMX Neko, still hiding behind her prisoner with the grenade in hand. "Well? What do you think we should do guys?"

Richard licked his tongue a bit at seeing the NMX neko recover so quickly, he had set his Push Pull Plating too low, forgetting that this was a neko and not your standard soldier. Now the NMX was holding the prisoner hostage, and it was cause he was too soft. However Ylfa's question surprised him, he was expecting some yelling and reprimanding, not gauging them for an answer to the situation. However even if he thought it odd, he still had work to do, so he did a quick scan to identify all the weapons on the NMX. "She has that grenade, and a 10mm handgun. Normally we could pull the hostage with the plating, but since they're in the prison even with the door open that's a delicate move...."

"Well we have to do something and like the other marine pointed out just pulling the prisoner might cause some problems. I'm going to give reasoning one last shot though while smarter men than I figure this out. " He turned his head and looked at the neko and spoke as gently as possible over the speakers. "I don't want to hurt you and neither do the others but you have to do something for me first. Put the pin back in that grenade of yours and carefully set it on the floor and slide it and the pistol and over here. After you do that, let go of the prisoner and slowly walk over here. We will restrain you but all we want is to ask you a couple of questions. We'll give you food, water, and a nice shower when you come with us." He rubbed his helmet with his hand wishing he could take it off and show he was friendly but there was no way he was taking the chance of dying if things went south.

Lisa looked as one of the marines tried to go the nice way about this and talk the neko from doing something stupid. Lisa personally watned to go about it a different way, but she did not want to step on the mans toeas. Still the hand grenade was not much of a danger to the marines, but it had good chance of killing the yammie. Still the Yammie was a neko, so she had a chance of surviving.

"Hey Sarge," Lisa opened a quiet line with Ylfa, so both yammie and NMX neko could not hear. "If the nice words won't work, let me have a go at good old bluff and intimidation."

Max watched as the squad filed into the prison and engaged the enemy Neko. The whole "Take her alive" thing was rather annoying but orders were orders. Orders that got insanely more complicated when the hostage situation erupted. "Fucking great, now we've got a hostage to deal with." Max cursed himself for not thinking to move in a protect the prisoner but now this is where they were. Max decided to let the other marines attempt to handle the situation. Worse case the hostage might get blown to bits, hopefully she wouldn't have any actual pressing information, but he could be wrong.

With a sore neck and wounded ego, Delmar was thoroughly pissed. The hostage was the only thing keeping her alive at this point and he wanted her to know it. When the police were questioning him after his arrest he noticed how the one cop was a real nice guy and the other was a total dick. Mark was trying to be the good guy. Being no fan of heroes Delmar couldn't help but fill the role of the bad guy, the evil villain he'd been made to be so many times before may as well be true. He took his place by the right of Mark.

With just a small portion of his rage seeping into his words, he picked up where Mark left off with a tone of voice that portrayed him as what he really was, a man on the edge of control.
"Take his offer. If that Yammie dies there is nothing keeping you safe," He racked the shotgun and held it off the hip letting the targeting computer keep it trained on her, "if you even start the fuse on that grenade I'll just save you the trouble."

From the back of his mind was a little voice urging Delmar to just shoot. He'd be lying to say that it wouldn't make him feel better.

"Aw, c'mon. It's not flat out ruled out," Ylfa replied over the comms. Though both Richard and Mark thought just pulling the hostage to safety was not an option, the Sarge obviously thought it wasn't so cut and dry. "It's not a yes, but it's not a no either - there's still a trick or two you can do with that. You just need to use the PPG right," she sternly pointed out to them. Despite the situation at hand, her eyes kept flicking back down the hallway though. She knew that the ship wasn't fully secured yet, and that this was likely just one out of many things to handle in this wet, bloody ship. Right now though, both the NMX and the SAoY Neko were on edge, with one feeling cornered and surrounded by enemies, while the other had a hand grenade pressed against her back, the pin missing and the spool prone to fly off at any moment.

Despite being in two tons worth of armor, the look the Star Army Neko gave them cut right though it - her eyes said that she was on the verge of tears from fear, and was desperately pleading with them to save her, even though she just called them morons moments ago. Of course, how any of them took it was up to the person.

Meanwhile, the faceless Neko didn't reply to Mark's offer, or at least not right away. She hid behind her hostage with her expression guarded by her helmet, a moment passing by after he spoke. Her cold words weren't the most encouraging. "No. You just want to take turns with me, so get-get out of my brig," she briefly stammered, the icy reply slightly cracked by her fumbled wording. The words were as firm as she could manage it, but the fear showed through. But more importantly, her shoulders slumped, the faint movement barely visible with the hostage and device between them all. Hearing Lisa speak over the comms, suggesting another way to go at it, Ylfa just shrugged, the gesture catching the NMX Neko's attention, eying the seemingly wordless marine.

"Sure. Do what you think will work, so long as we get both of them alive, and will stay alive," the blond replied, turning her attention to Max. "Look at it this way Marine," she began, "It's more experience under your belt. Better you figure some of this smooth talking out now while the hostage taker is only a little dangerous, and when it's not our asses on the line." That was as much as Ylfa got to say as Delmar spoke up next, racking a massive shell into his weapon and beating Lisa to the punch. The enemy Neko hid nearly every inch of herself behind her prisoner and her obscene bonds as everyone fell silent, waiting for what would happen next.

"W-what? She's, she's got a grenade on me, not a gun!" The Star Army Neko shouted at them, horrified and confused. Looking at them all, taking in the scene of hulking forms and glowing red monoeyes in front of her, something clicked together. And snapped. Her lips cracked into a smile, their edges twitching with disbelief. "Y-you're all not really trying to save me... are you? This is a joke - I'm not even going to get a coffin!" The Taii started to believe. "You're all just fucking around, while your officer just stands back there, shrugging. Isn't that him? The one in the back now, right?" she asked, looking at Ylfa in her Hostile. The new sound was slow at first, but picked up, faster and faster, "Ha. Haha. Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"" She laughed, bursting into tears. The Neko was soon sobbing, her vision blurry with despair as she struggled to sniff back the mess her nose was making. " I-I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!" her muffled cries barely comprehensible as she gurgled.

Peeking out from behind the hostage, half of the other Neko's helmet became visible. "The pin's on the floor a few feet in front of me," she pointed out, the grenade becoming visible as she held it out expectantly, waiting for someone to slip the piece back in with her.

Since the situation seemed to resolve itself, Lisa moved forward she put her rifle back on her back-slot to not threaten the nekoes anymore. She raised both hand to let the nmx neko see they were completely empty. "Don't worry," Lisa spoke out of her helmet. Letting the voice modulator of her helmet actually be heard as her own voice and not electronic one. She wanted the neko to know that it was woman going there. "I am going to put the pin back into the grenade now. Then we will take you in and I will make sure you are not hurt at all. No one is going to have their way with you. Just calm down and don't threaten anyone."

"I can't take all this drama Sarge; I'll be watching the door if you need me." Mark backed away slowly keeping his eyes on the neko. When he made it halfway up the hallway he promptly turned and crouched, rifle at the ready, watching the door ready to fill anything and everything that came through the door that didn't identify itself as friendly.

Richard watched closely as the events unfolded, it was not as if he had no ideas, but he was afraid to try them the hostage and now even the captor were getting to him. He tried his hardest to keep his marine like stature though, the last thing he wanted was for the team to find out he's emotional.

CadetNewb said:

Peeking out from behind the hostage, half of the other Neko's helmet became visible. "The pin's on the floor a few feet in front of me," she pointed out, the grenade becoming visible as she held it out expectantly, waiting for someone to slip the piece back in with her.

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While Delmar didn't feel great about causing the SAoY Neko to have an emotional breakdown but her comfort had never been his main focus. She'd just be another member of the crowd of people who hate him but she lived to do so and that was good enough for his orders.

He relaxed a bit and let his gun lower but kept the PPG at full power in case something went wrong.

Sawyer shrugged at the interplay and turned to watch the door that they'd come in through. The fragmentation grenade the NMX Neko had was insignificant compared to the danger a handful of others could pose if they threw a handful of plasma grenades in through the door way while the rest of the squad had their backs turned and were focusing on the hostage. Tunnel vision was always a bad thing with the FNGs in most squads.

For one tense moment, the Neko held still while Lisa put it in.

And then, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the grenade had its pin again. The Star Army Neko was still sniffling, but her despaired wailing had already stopped. The enemy Neko herself though, stepped out into clear view with her hands up. It was only now that the got a better view of her in her uniform. Against their seven and a half foot tall power armors, she was only an inch or two over five feet. Roughly two heads and a little more shorter than them all, she seemed so dainty and frail. Her words weren't though."Hmph. I'll be the one seeing if the boys do that to me or not. Not you," she replied to Lisa. Before anything else could be done though, a snap could be heard as the metal spool flew through the air - the pin, not meant to be reused, broke. Moving fast, the Marine made to throw the grenade, but it exploded mid-air, showering them all in its explosion!

They were all seeing pink as someone started to cough.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you all!" the Star Army Neko yelled at them in between coughs. Everyone was wearing some sort of enclosed environment system or a filter system, save for her. As the bright gas dissipated, they could all see the toll it took on her. Still sitting on the wretched device, the raven haired Neko looked fine at first glance. But male gaze would quickly see what happened; her hips were wider, her waist was curvier, and most of all, her bust was larger, straining against the zipper and clasps of her uniform. This was why, when her top popped, Delmar caught one of the metal clasps in his hand as another bounced off of Richard's armor. The enemy Neko had been bluffing the entire time. She didn't have a frag grenade on her - just a Pink Kaserine one. "You all just eat shit and die!" she screamed, bouncing slightly.

"Sorry. She's just buttmad," the NMX Neko replied, her voice flat and deadpan serious.

"Haha! I like them!" Ylfa laughed. An icy edge suddenly cut into her voice. "That's why we need to keep them alive. We got hostiles breaking through the sweep's lines, and they're making a beeline right here!" Ordering them, she went on, "Take cover in the jail cells - the power's out so don't worry about them reactivating on you!" Here in the brig, they could hear the distant whine of energy weapons and explosions through the doors, coming closer and closer. Between them and the doors, there was nothing in the way save for the empty cells, nine to each side!

The fleshy sphincter of a door trembled as something slammed into it, again and again. They didn't have much time!

Richard was feeling a little better about the situation until he heard the pin break, the last thing he wanted to hear in a situation like this. He couldn't move to the front and cover the neko in time, too many people in the way so he just hoped that one of them could handle that. On reflex he covered his face face from the explosion but it ended up being unnecessary as the grenade exploded in a burst of pink smoke. His suit was an enclosed system designed for space, smoke was no threat to him. However he wasn't sure about the prisoner and quickly turned his attention to her after the smoke cleared "Is everyone okay?!" because he was looking for any signs of harm, he did not notice the the changes to the Taii's appearance, at least not until he heard a ding as something bounced off his helmet.

He looked around after the metal object bounced off his armor trying to figure out where it came from, and soon noticing the rather drastic change in the Neko's clothes. However, unfamiliar with the grenade and it's features he could only think one thing. "I knew Yamatai liked their clothing tight...but isn't that pushing it just a little?"

However soon Ylfa informed them of the coming assault. He thought about hiding in the same cell as the Taii, but that would just mean if a fight broke out, they'd be shooting that way, and she had no armor or shields, so he hid in a cell adjacent to it and readied his weapons.