RP [Operation La Prossima]Mission 1: Ipnotizzatore della Discarica

[Rizzo]

RP Date

YE 46.2

RP Location

Yicuqibu I

The crew of the YSS Shoebox prepared for departure, its ailerons and thrust vectoring nozzles twisting as the flight crew completed pre-flight checks. The Taka-class shuttle, sleek and compact, hummed with anticipation on the tarmac of the Black Sands Testing Range as the Anti-Gravity System took effect, lifting the shuttle off it's landing gear which promptly retracted into the hull. The control tower's voice crackled over the comms. "YSS Shoebox, you are clear for takeoff from runway 3-2."

"Roger that, control," replied Barone, his voice steady, "YSS Shoebox, initiating takeoff." With a gentle push of the throttle turbo plasma drives roared to life propelling the shuttle down the runway and into a gentle climb, the ground beneath them falling away as they rose into the sky.

"YSS Shoebox, this is Black Sands Control. Maintain heading 0-9-0 and climb to 5,000 feet and hold until signaled," came the voice of the air traffic controller again. "Black Sands Control, YSS Shoebox copies. Maintaining heading 0-9-0 and climbing to 5,000 feet," responded Barone, his hands deftly guiding the controls as the shuttle ascended into the clear blue sky.
As they climbed higher, the sprawling landscape of the Black Sands Testing Range unfurled beneath them, a patchwork of desert and mountains stretching into the distance. The sun beat down relentlessly, casting a harsh light over the rugged terrain below. Despite it's appearance the ride within the shuttle was fairly quiet, the overhaul had truely made the ship feel brand new.

"YSS Shoebox, this is Black Sands Control. You are cleared to proceed on course to orbit, sending flight path now. Contact Sector Control on frequency 2-1-5 for further instructions. Safe travels, Shoebox." A holographic display appeared in the viewscreen of 'rings' to fly through, their path guiding the ship to orbit. Flipping a switch labeled 'AUTO' Barone gave control to the navigation computer and leaved back in his seat. As they ascended through the atmosphere the blue sky gradually turned to black as they left Yamatai Prime behind, their destination Yicuqibu I. "YSS Shoebox to Sector Control, We're headed to Yicuqibu I. Requesting flight plan out of the Hill Sphere, copy?"

"Sector Control to Shoebox, we've been expecting you. Updating your route now. Have fun at the garbage pit," came their response. In all ways it had been easier than his accelerated training program had made it out to be.

As Barone played the part of pilot flying, Thorn had taken pilot monitoring duty, working the instruments and double checking the engine feeds. Sure, she didn't need to with the work that had been done, but it was better safe than sorry. As they broke atmosphere, she started on the navigation display, plotting the autopilot's waypoints and jump sequences. She had always loved the little shudder through the hull as turbo plasma drives switched from airbreathing to space flight mode. "Sector Control, YSS Shoebox, FTL plotted and auto engage set for edge of the hill sphere. Beacon's live and we are accelerating to cruise. Orbit is broken and we're out of your hair. Please advise vector traffic and entry point, and we'll see you when we get back."

As the system traffic along their vector popped up on their nav, she nodded and plotted the course, double checking for intersects as she sent it off for system control's approval. She had so rarely communicated with system control for her entries and exits, and this was a breath of fresh air and ease for her. As was the four derelict satellites that broke orbit as though caught in traffic's shields, gently cloaking and maneuvering to join up with the Shoebox and sneak off to the stars. "Too easy, right, Barone?"

"YSS Shoebox, Sector Control, we see those four Eye IIIs. Your formation looks good, and your vector's good. Safe travels. Sector Control out, channel open."

"Sure was, but we called ahead too," he answered, "might be harder at Yicuqibu I, we wanted our visit to be unexpected. Planning to go in plain clothes to scout the situation first."

"So... You want me on pilot flying for our entry? If I can sneak into Yamatai, a dump planet's gonna be cake." Barone considered it for a few seconds, as if deep in thought before answering. "Sure. We'll go over our entry plan in a few moments during the briefing. We can release the full mission briefing now that we're underway," standing up and stretching he continued, "'ight, let's get the briefing. We'll be there in about an hour and a half."

The cockpit door slid open as Barone passed through as he entered the common area, the three small couches spread out where they fit. "Taskforce, let's meet. It's time you all got the full briefing," he called, telepathically interfacing with the cargo bay hardlight projector. The projector arrays sparkled momentarily causing a solid hologram to appear, images of faces, charts, and destination planet to appear, "we'll brief, eat lunch, then land all in the next hour."

 

[HarperMadi]

"Let's get briefing," Thorn agreed, getting up from her seat and directing the Eyes to accelerate ahead and scout the system for them and get set up before she made her way to the common area.

Her face paled, her breath catching in her throat as a subtle whine became audible from deep within Thorn's chest, the turbine assisting her breathing spooling up with the sudden surge of adrenaline at the sight of the world they were visiting. She stopped cold in the doorway, focusing on her breathing."I didn't know the name of that world. I didn't know... Sorry."

Slipping into a calm and professional facade, Thorn sat down, despite the glances at the hologram and the visible illness across her features. Frankly, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

And for her, that's exactly what that hologram was. Or, more accurately, where. The first time she had heard the whine of her chest was there, the surgeon who had torn her tiny body open and destroyed her thyroid to install it had, at the time, been there. She hadn't been back since earning her freedom ten years ago. Never knowing the name of that wretched hive where that had happened had never haunted her. Now, though, history coiled around her throat and choked her, its icy venom coursing through her veins. Terror, pure, unfiltered and sickeningly sweet.

She hoped, for the life that she held dear now, that Sarah's trophies were accurate and that her previous owners were dead. The raven haired beauty with icy eyes had claimed to hunt them all, and claimed trophies. But she never knew their names, or whether that butcher had been one of them. And now she sat staring at the little brown orb that represented so much for her, and the fear and pain seemed to consume that brazen confidence.

 

[Gles]

Silas was already in the common area after he'd changed into his military regulation uniform. He was on his hands and knees, scrubbing at minute stains that had caught his attention with a small toothbrush and the drive of a man possessed. Once the call for a briefing came in, the Abwehran picked up the tiny cup full of soapy water and deposited it on a nearby table, the toothbrush dunked inside. Later, he thought, settling down onto a couch with his hands folded over his lap. The dark shades he'd worn back at Black Sands still adorned his face, masking and protecting Silas's eyes from the ship's harsh lighting -- by his species' standards.

He acknowledged Barone and Thorn with a slight nod, though his gaze lingered slightly longer on Thorn. "I'll conduct my own examination of the ship once we've finished," Silas had little doubt it was up to code, but believing and knowing were two very different things, and he always preferred the certainty of the latter.

 

[Sunny D]

Katerina was likewise in the common area amidst a pit of medical supplies pulled from a Type 45 medical kit. The 45 had absolutely everything you could possibly want in a kit, though with some alterations in bandage quantity. She didn't like the "Smart" Tourniquet, thinking it over complicated when a Velcro strap with a twist stick was more than sufficient. She also didn't like the bags the came in, finding it too hard to find anything in them with their many straps and poor zip placement and so had ordered her own. Unlike her colorful duffel, this one was a clean coyote brown with a large zipped panel that formed the front of the bag and could quickly be unzipped for easy access to its entire contents. Shelves of bandages and gauze, along with colour coded compartments for Burns, Abrasions and Venom. The abrasions kit had a colorful packet of dinosaur bandages and Katerina had thought, with some amusement about using one to patch up Thorne.

With the call for a briefing she took the reflective blanket she had in her pocket from earlier and covered the mess of packaging and supplies she'd made so it was out of sight just before the pair walked in. She then slithered towards the table, once again forgoing a chair to sit upon her coiled tail.

 

[Deleted member 6144]

Dokusei had been on her way to assist Katerina when she heard the call for the briefing, so she continued her course towards the common area. Once she had arrived she looked over the crew that had already arrived and took a seat next to the other medic. "If you would still like some help with the medical supplies after this I would be happy to assist." she said in a quiet pleasant tone to Katerina. After she had adjusted in her seat a bit , her eyes flicked up to Barrone ready to receive the full briefing. Given time constraints as given sat at one hour it sounded like whatever the brief entailed would be pleasantly short. Those generally were the better ones, short, sweet and to the point. However, the downfall there is given her field of work those types of briefings were hard to come by. "This should be interesting," the innocent scientist thought to herself.

 

[Miko]

Mikodimus was just chilling in the Shoebox. Which since he would be wearing black, expected this to be a fun good time. He had taken out a data pad and started to take notes. Mainly what dishes he'd be making for the next few days for the crew. "Anyone have a request? I was thinking some fried chicken, corn bread and green beans. Something simple yet yummy." He then took out his knife and gave it a look over. "Hope we can try some fun foods while on this trip." He said as he placed down the data pad.

 

[Rizzo]

Noting Thorn's discomfort, Initzio chose not to address the issue immediately. Barone stood beside the holographic display to begin the briefing, the projection overlaying cropped images of a tall man in an elaborate 3-piece suit walking with what appeared to be a large gold-trimmed staff topped with a massive glowing pink gemstone. The adornment of gold jewelry and accessories clashed harshly with the planet they were heading to.

"Our mission involves investigating this fine gentleman who claims to possess psionic abilities, specifically that he can control control minds local law enforcement can confirm he is using this reputation to extort the the civilian populace but can't get close to him. It's like he can just vanish without a trace. This person is of interest due to the potential threat they may pose to the security of the Neko Operating System, particularly if this is related to Fragmentation in any way," he paused, letting the crew absorb the gravity of the situation before continuing, "naturally there's the possibility this guy is full of shit but he's still committing extortion, so our primary objective is to gather information and assess the credibility of the more serious claims. We need to determine the extent of this individual's abilities and any potential risks they may pose. Once we get a handle on what this guy is really capable of we'll make our play."

Barone gestured to another holographic image, this one a scan of a police report that was particularly scant of details. "Gratixxa is a lead that's been ignored but I wanna hear him out.. or her, this police report doesn't even specify species or address. Something about an encrypted radio signal. Apparently they live 'by storage facility three oh nine and ask for Gratixxa'.. Yicubique's finest, I guess, lazy cops."

"Discretion is paramount here. We don't want to tip this guy off or he may go to ground, so be cautious and use your training to gather information without alerting the target or drawing unnecessary attention. A full Mindy deployment is out of the question for now, we're gonna start this operation in plain clothes and with civilian alias. Fortunately it's legal to open carry on this planet due to hostile wildlife but just make sure it fits your alias. The salvagers who venture into the scrap yards often carry a shotgun in case they encounter a pack of the local coyotes they call 'Junk Dogs' but folks in the city seem to prefer pistols, if they even carry at all. Seems the junk dogs prefer to live away from the little city they got but the smaller settlements are fifty fifty."

With the briefing delivered he concluded he coolly stepped past the projector, "any questions?"

 

[HarperMadi]

"I'll take a battle buddy and go check out that Gratixxa lead," Thorn's voice trembled slightly, betraying the unease bubbling beneath her composed exterior. Memories she had long buried surged to the forefront of her mind, threatening to engulf her in a suffocating wave of fear and discomfort. "By the time we get there I should have intel on what the system traffic looks like and we can look like a dopey tramp freighter."

As she spoke, Thorn couldn't shake the visceral sense of dread that gripped her. The holographic display before her seemed to mock her with its depiction of the very planet that had been the site of her darkest memories. "I'm also considering staying with the Shoebox. It's been a long time since I've been to this hellworld, and I don't know if it's gotten better or worse."

Her voice trailed off as she struggled to maintain her composure. The thought of returning to a place that held such painful memories filled her with a profound sense of dread. "Do not go anywhere on your own, keep a hand on your knife, and don't do anything you don't have to. I don't care how seasoned you are. I happened here. Let's get in and out and get the Hell back to Black Sands. Fuck this planet."

With a heavy sigh, Thorn rose from her seat, her movements stiff with tension. She felt the urge to retreat, to find solace in the familiar embrace of the ship's mechanical corridors. "Barone, I need a moment," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll rejoin you on the bridge when I'm able."

Without waiting for a response, Thorn turned and made her way to the nearest maintenance corridor, seeking refuge from the overwhelming flood of emotions that threatened to consume her. As she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling that returning to Yicuqibu I would unearth memories she had long tried to bury, forcing her to confront the demons of her past once more.

 

[Rizzo]

“See you later,” he answered carelessly as he picked moved on with an appearance of being oblivious, “briefing over! In summary, I want this guy alive or his brain salvageable. Not concerned who gets him or how, I just wanna pick his brain, figuratively or literally. You guys make a plan to blend into the crowd. We’ll be landing at a little starport near the town this bad boy is most likely to hit next. The fabricator can make practically anything including clothing for disguises and the lockers have all the latest SAINT gadgets we might need… Miko, lunch is lunch. Do the thing. I gotta change.”
With that he retreated and into the cockpit leaving the crew to their devices.

 

[Rizzo]

One hour later.
Landing on Yiqubiqu 1
0600 Local Time

From the cockpit viewscreen the dustball called Yiqubiqu 1 was exactly what you'd expect. The atmosphere was filthy, clouded, and choked with debris and detritus as the tramp freighter Shoebox rattled towards it. Thorn gripped the controls tightly, her knuckles turning white as she navigated through the thick layer of pollution that veiled the planet below. The viewscreen was filled with a chaotic mess of swirling clouds and floating wreckage, obscuring any clear view of the surface.
Despite the hazardous conditions, Thorn remained focused, relying on the data fed to her by the four stealth satellites that seamlessly blended into the cluttered orbit. Their transmissions provided crucial information, allowing her to plot a course through the dense atmosphere while avoiding detection.

As the Shoebox descended further into the murky depths of Yicuqibu I's atmosphere, the rattling of the ship intensified, accompanied by the occasional jolt as debris collided with the hull. Thorn's hands moved with practiced precision, adjusting the thrusters and maneuvering the ship with expert skill. Through the haze, the outline of the planet's surface began to emerge, a sprawling expanse of desolation and decay stretching out before them. Buildings lay in ruins, half-buried beneath mounds of debris, while the flickering lights of makeshift settlements glimmered faintly in the distance.

Thorn's heart pounded in her chest as she guided the Shoebox closer to the surface, her senses on high alert for any signs of danger. The atmosphere was tense, every member of the crew holding their breath as they braced for whatever awaited them planetside. Finally, with a final burst of thrusters, the Shoebox broke through the thick layer of pollution and descended into the open air below. The clouds parted, revealing the bleak landscape of Yicuqibu I in all its grim glory as her hands guided it towards their target and casually keyed the intercom.

"Just so yonder folks know, this town doesn't even have a secure spaceport, so I'm setting us down in the shadow of a few of these old wrecks." She offered a smile to Barone as she began the maneuver. "Honestly probably won't be long till the Senti start dredging this place like a pack of locusts."

"Senti.. yes, they do like their salvage.. old parts reassembled onto something new can work just fine," Barone droned absentmindedly, yet with a somber tone as he slid a bright red flowered vacation shirt over his form fitting black tee. His gaze hung steady as a thousand yard stare as he looped a heavy leather belt around rugged khakis. His movements nearly robotic as he slid a black NSP into it's concealed appendix holster.

"You good, sir? What's the call?" She maintained her grip on the controls, giving a subtle wave of them to play the part of an inexperienced or drunken pilot. "You've got that look." Barone roused from his state. "Of course I'm all right, never better," he retorted, "how about you? You seem to hate this place in particular. What should I know?"

"I've been here at least once. Was sold here, once. Most of the cybernetics in my body are from here. I... I was twelve." She gave a little shrug as she broke eye contact. "You gotta stop lying to me. You're scared as I am, aren't you? If this guy has the power he claims..."

Barone shook his head. "Not scared of him.. classified information is a pain to share so I'll just tell you about how I like my eggs- poached. But the savages that run the local eateries here can't cook an egg right," with the stage set he took a seat in the copilots seat beside her, "I fear that when I order my eggs poached I'll be stuck with them scrambled. But hey, that's the risk we take fighting psionic freaks."

"To be fair, I like my eggs sunny side up, sir." Thorn gave a harsh chuckle and a small smile as she deflected. She knew enough to read his implication, and to respond with one of her own. "With beans and toast. Bit of bacon on the side. Gotten plenty of scrambles with that order, myself. But not all egg laying species make eggs that do that well. Duskerian pack roach eggs are best hard boiled, deviled with mustard and salt. Big enough to be eaten with a fork and knife. Lorath sweetwasp eggs should be served like caviar, pickled in seawater and honey. Couple other critters lay eggs and are good eating, properly prepared. But I assume you were talking about chicken eggs, right? Don't get that often."

Barone locked his eyes on hers as he tried to figure out whether she had assumed he'd been talking about literal eggs for a few uncomfortable moments before chuckling as he shook his head. Patting her shoulder as he stood up he began walking to the door. "Time to see what this sorry town is going through. Gotta meet Gratixxa, we'll do that first."

"If you're not worried about the chef who fucked my order, I'm willing. I got your back either way." Thorn set the ship down nice and gentle, a flare of thrusters making it look sloppier than it was. "Am I playing the part of your daughter?"

"Hell no," he replied casually as he clipped a leather drop holster to his left leg and donned a wide brimmed hat. Spinning a classic HHG from his trigger finger into the holster he continued, "if you're still looking for the fellows who did you didn't you might just ditch the alias all together. No one would bat an eye if some slavers got caught up in our mission. Just another victim of circumstance."

"Yeah, we do look too different. But I'm not looking for anyone, here. Just the mission. All of it happened nearly twenty years ago. Pretty sure none of them are left. I'll go put my face on." Thorn stood from the pilot's chair and started moving towards the medical bay for makeup and clothes. "And hey. If you need any help with your scrambled eggs, I got you, sir. I don't know what you're going through, but I'll be there with a knife or a blanket. Your call."

Barone paused at the doorway, nodding wordlessly before passing through the living area to the cargo bay. "Ready up, team," he ordered, "time for a fishing trip." The hardlight projectors sparkled to life as the cargo bay ramp began to lower. In a moment the occupied PA racks, weapon lockers, and assorted military equipment was camouflaged into mere boxes of produce, rations, and water. As the ramp settled to the sand the view of junk and scrap metal was obstructed by a mottled gang of locals. A bearded man with a white mohawk taking the lead of their group stepped forward.

Despite the ragged condition of their clothing the four men were imposing with their gruff demeanors and GP-1 assault rifles. Barone stepped down the ramp without the slightest break in his stride. "If your asking about my ship's extended warranty, it's actually still covered by the dealer. Crazy right?" he preempted the man who cocked his brow in disbelief. The big man cradled the GP-1 in his arms and replied, "this ain't the local starport, so I reckon yer' not legal here. Why are you landed on our home?"

Barone asked in response, "my bad, we didn't know it was owned land. I'm sure we can work something out. How does three grand sound? In paper Bells, no digital footprint." The gang laughed, their leader replying "between the junk dogs and that damned hypnotist yer' money isn't gonna do you any help here, pretty boy. We'll just be taking yer' ship, but the nearest town is four hours walk in that direction. Grab at least a liter of water per person and you'll make it."

"How about we offer six liters of water per man and a hot meal for each of you," Thorn offered, casually lighting a cigarette from her pack as she walked towards the gangers. "And I brought smokes. All we ask is that our ship is in the same number of pieces when we get back, and that we get directions to... Aah, what was that person we were supposed to talk to? Point is, that hypnotist is actually why we're here. For once, we're here to help. So how about we call this a simple misunderstanding and talk like people."

She lifted her hand, showing the pack of cigarettes. "Want one? We have a Hell of a chef with us."

The gruff man looked to his group and then back to the cigarettes. "You lot are actually looking for that Viktor Brant? Nobody know where that guy is. He just shows up and disappears," he stated taking a cig, misunderstanding who she was referring to and he assumed the notorious criminal on the locals minds.

"Why we landed here. At the space port, he'd know we're coming. He's a problem. You need a solution. So hi," Thorn answered, working with the assumption.

"Hi indeed," he replied, lighting the good Nepleslian cigarette with a pocket blowtorch, "I'll work with you then, that guy is the reason we're out here. He's not alone, works with a bunch of tough guys. You can tell who they are by the masks they wear, they're holographic and project his face over theirs so when they take your stuff it's all Viktor you see." Taking a few drags he continued, "here's the deal I'll make, and know that I've got a lot of people living in the hulls out here, we need a water condenser, the kind with a purifier. Brandt has control of most of the water farmers around here. In exchange, nobody will touch yer' ship and my boys will help out if you need a hand. Every one of us has beef with the hypnotist. Stole everything. How's that?"

"Assuming my colleague has better people for chasing down his info, I can build your purifier in a few hours, assuming you have an air conditioner and some scrap metal. Hell, I can even get a few of these old ship reactors working. If he doesn't, well, I'm sure we can wait the few hours for us to build something cool for you folks. I'm Thorn. Thorn Ironhart. You'll have access to our water supply till we have your condensers up and running." She offered her small hand for the man to shake as she took a deep puff on her cigarette. Her Geist had already connected to the datapad in her wrist, directing her sattelites to begin probing scans of the settlement, finding the reactors she could get running.

"The name's Griff," he replied, "we don't have much more to offer and you'll be helping out a lot of people. We'll give you a ride into town since you're helping out."

Barone smiled, "excellent, with that settled..."
He turned to the crew of the Shoebox, his demeanor returning to that of a soldier, though with the low intensity he was known for, "Thorn, Belmont, Valla. Help this settlement. Thorn, I want this place to have utilities when I get back. Miko, see how their food situation is, it sounds like we have a refugee situation, handle it. Katerina, address any medical concerns here and see if you can't get any leads from the locals. Also our target is dangerous so see if you can't make sure the place is defended while your at it. If word spreads that they have resources we can expect someone to be interested."

Pointing to the other two he continued, "Volker and Kaori. you're with me. We need to find a way to flush this guy out. Silas, if an opportunity presents, try to go undercover with this faceless gang. If you gotta go solo and disappear on me I trust you'll have it handled. Kaori, I'll need you there to determine how this guy is doing what he does. You may need some science gear so.. ya' know. Do science stuff. Let's get this thing going, team."

 

[Sunny D]

“On it.” Katerina said via coms from her position up on the hold.

There was a click as her Taiho Mass Driver was put on safe. She’d posted up at the side of the ramp, ready to pop out and cover the diplomatic team should overtures not be accepted. With a sigh her mind turned to logistics. Transport was easy, a few bags could be attached to her long tail letting her carry quite a substantial amount of gear, but what that gear should be took a little more thought.

She had only a vague idea of what she was walking in to. A community like this could range everything, from just scrapes and bruises to basically being a Mass Casualty event. The more complicated gadgets, like the defibrillator and pace maker in her core kit she only took a spare. She prioritised bandages, antibiotics, disinfectant and pain killers, but also made a point to throw in a few more dinosaur bandaids. Gloves she had plenty of, but clicked her bifurcated tongue when she realised she hadn’t packed more disposable medical gowns. Her Type 34 SAINT suit was resistant enough to fluids, it would do. The suit had its holoprojectos active, appearing to be a hiking fleece on top and her natural red scales over her tail.

The Serpa grabbed her equipment and threw them all into a pair of large laundry bags which she then placed on her tail. She then strapped it down using some ratchet ties which had been relieved from their duty of holding down a number of cargo containers in the hold. She emerged down the Shoebox’s ramp after a moment, her normal combat load out over her torso in addition to the pair of laundry bags strapped to her tail.

“Griff right?” She asked as she approached the gruff man, offering her hand. “I’m Kat, ship’s medic. You guys have a medical center or will I be going door to door?” Her hand disappeared into the 'meatclaw' that was Griff's huge hand. He shrugged a bit, unsure of how to answer her, possibly more interested in the snake-like presentation of a doctor. "No hospitals, clinics, or anything like that here I'm afraid. We live in that there hull," he pointed to a domed shape protruding from the sand an SAoY lifer would quickly identify as a Odori-class medium freighter, "we have a little over a hundred people so I'll call them to the common area when we head inside."

Katerina nodded in agreement. A visible, centralized location meant she could triage and treat in a relatively controlled environment. She’d worked in worse environments before with tetanus, typhus, and artillery fire landing all around; she’d manage. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll need a space to set up—somewhere clean and with good light, if possible,” she said, her voice carrying a professional edge as she slithered towards the hulk. “If you can get a couple of volunteers to assist setting up separate zones for waiting, triage, treatment, and recovery. Anyone that’s interested in learning some basic first aid is also welcome, just not so many that I get crowded. And I’ll need a liaison your people will listen too who can keep order.”

"Well that'd be me," he answered, gesturing his companions towards the hull they called 'home', "we'll head over now. And Pretty-boy, when you see that rat-bastard let him know I send my regards." Heading towards the domed hull the view of people in ragged desert clothing came into view as they came outside to greet the people of still unknown origin.

Though no emergencies were yet to be seen it was obvious that the overall health of the people here was less than optimal, complicated by the presence of multiple foriegn species. Beyond the immediate observation was a common presence of cuts, contusions, and dirty appearance of those gathered, though the majority had yet to be seen.

"Since we got you here I'd specifically ask you to check on a few of ours that are laid up right now," Griff requested, "got three with some pretty nasty bite marks from the local wildlife and they tend to get infected this far from the local clinics. Also have two pregnancies, the one girl was found deep in the scrap yard and is very malnourished. They're both on double rations but I'm worried it's not quite enough. Oh yeah, and one of our guys went blind after making a bad batch of moonshine. He's human so there might not be much you can do for him but he'd sure appreciate some help. I'll have them report to our first aid room as soon as they can."

Katerina listened intently, mentally cataloging the ailments Griff listed as they walked. Her mind was already racing through potential treatments she could employ."Depends on how long ago he consumed the moonshine and went blind. If its still in his system we can can give him some ethanol to prevent further uptake until his body can naturally get rid of it, or we can use B-1 vitamins to neutralise it." Katerina said to herself, then shook her head. "No, don't have any vitamin packs." She then looked back at Griff and sighed "Its reversible if he can ever get to a decently equipped clinic. For the mean time just get him about a quarter bottle of alcohol, good stuff, though you can bring some of that bad batch and I'll use it as a surface disinfectant. I'll have a quick look at those with bite marks, and if there is no bad bleeding I'll treat the pregnancies first."

 

[Rizzo]

Outside YSS Shoebox
One of Griff's men waved the trio towards a beat up amalgamation of parts that seemed to form a sort of compact rover. The worn suspension groaned as they boarded the tetnis inducing husk of what may have been several nice vehicles at on time. The electric motor made a harsh grinding sound as it slowly began to move, picking up speed as it went. Eventually the grinding became a screeching whine as the rover had gathered enough speed to justify why the owner had built it. Barone's team was off now, leaving other three of Valla's team to win 'hearts and minds'.

Miko stood at the ramp of the Shoebox. Turning to walk back inside the ship Miko grumbled, "you got potential, Miko. You passed the 'flinch test', Miko. Hey Miko, make lunch. Hey Miko, stay here and cook for the crowd. Good thing I like cooking!" His pdemeanor relaxed as he got to the kitchen and began sorting through pans. "Something simple and enough for a crowd..."
He rifled through the long-term storage until he'd found a large bag of rice. With a grin he set it aside with bags of frozen peas, carrots, eggs and a variety of spices. Little flames ringed their way aroung the elements as the range elements sparked to life. "Simple, fast, and abundant..."

 

[HarperMadi]

"Aah, quit yer' bitchin', Miko, I'll do dishes." Thorn rolled her eyes awith a laugh as she followed Kat and Griff to the great husk of a ship. Fortunately, it seemed that that was one of the vessels her scans had revealed a potentially operational reactor. Almost as soon as they entered the great hull is the moment she seemed to fade into the access tunnels and causeways, heading for Engineering with the soft pitter patter of feet.

Arriving at the reactor, she started going through it, bringing diagnostic displays online, using her Geist to pull data and send it up to her sattelites for analysis. For this was the first step, bring power online. Then she could direct what isn't used by the people living here to generating clean water. This would not take her long, as the elder machinery groaned to life at her touch. Her direction brought colonists to her side to learn and assist, fetch parts, and repair the breached core that condemned this mighty vessel. And then, with a spark of power from the aging batteries fed on solar panels, the lights inside flickered, the rift opened, and power, pure and clean, began to flow like the water these people so desperately needed.

"Alright, boys, I need five to run through the power systems of this old husk and make sure we aren't leaking aether anywhere. Let me know the instant you find something that looks sketchy." She started handing out outdated communicators, a push of her Geist connecting them to a sattelite network to offer communication. "Side orange button is to page me, I will hear you. Press the blue button for open chat. The rest, let's start building the power connector to get this hulk to power another. The derelict Ginga about a hundred meters away looks like it still has its matter assembler, but they likely ripped out the processor and hard drives. We can use the hardware to pull dihydrogen monoxide from the atmosphere. We just need a few parts, which I'll go back to the Shoebox and order from our replicators. I'd like to get water going by dark. The water must flow, control the water control the world, yes? You, there! Make sure the reactor doesn't spool up till we give you the signal, then when and only when we give you the signal, you can flip the lever!"

 

[Sosina]

Gratixxa was having a hell of a day, in a good way, she managed to avoid several packs of Junk Dogs while out on her usually scavving run, and had managed to get a good amount of scrap for her personal projects. But the main reason for the scavving run was a shakdown on her Isolation suit.

She had been going around testing systems, maiking sure everything worked on it, and so far everything was working perfectly, "okay scanner.. tools.. grav.. mag clamps.. All working fine.. glad I upgraded this thing. This is going to make things a lot easier on me." She recorded herself in her new comm unit best to keep a journal of her work after all.

And so with that she started to head back.. or rather out.. of the hulk she was currently in, she had gone rather deep but it was one she had been wanting to go inside of and look for parts for a while, she just lacked a lot of the tools she now had access to. Making the trip have serveral uses was quite effecient and it meant she got a lot of good things to work on back at her little hide away.

Stepping out of what was once a storage room she headed up the hall using the mag clamps to help her climb the steeply inclined hallway, she could have cut her way out through the bulkheads but that would take far longer then then just going around back the way she came anyway and she had mapped her way in so she wouldn't be getting lost any time soon on the way out.

As she slowly made her way out she had to wonder if she should pack up her hide away, what with the disturbance in the area it was dangerous to stay where she was. Sure she could avoid the situation better then most thanks to a windfall, but moving would increase her odds of staying safe and out of harms way.

As she reached decck fifteen she nodded to herself "yeah... better to pack up and get a move on... especially since that report was made... they asked where I lived and I just gave a general area... but still that could lead to me with a good search... best to pack up and move and check back there now and again rather then continue living in that place...".

With that decided she headed to the hole in the side of the old wreck that she had cut to get in and stepped out ontto the massive junk heap that was even with the hole, and she started to long trek back to her hide away.

She had a long way to walk through the junked landscape of the planet. The scrap field was dangerous as it was, but the good news was that it also meant very few people would go out there for any real reason other to scavenge, so Gratixxa found it rather empty most of the time. Well, empty seeming as there were people there but they were all more focused on looking into the scrap and hulls around them than they were looking for people to jump since it was eaiser and safer to just grab things from the scrap without making enemies of people that did the same.

A rusty old electric rover composed of kitbashed car parts arrived as Gratixxa was returning. Three dangerous looking people exited the ride, including one in a red shirt that screamed 'tourist' on blast.

Gratixxa Looked to the three people that showed up, it was clear one didn't belong on planet... which begged the question. Why where they here? Criminal? Certaintly not for the wonderful sights and sounds of the planet, maybe a junk dealer looking for free stock? Possible.. Would explain the one person with them that likely lived on planet, maybe hired guide? Lots of people would do that for the money or a chance off planet if possible. Though it was also likely they were going to lead them into a mugging.

Ether way the third person also wasn't someone that belonged there, but they seemed to make it look like it, though they failed at it over all. Their gear looked too neat, Regardless it wasn't something she was about to go prodding around about. She still needed to pack up her hide out after all.

With that thought on her mind Gratixxa headed out of sight and took the long way around to get to the entrance to her hideaway. As she got to the hidden gap in some junk she slipped inside and walked up to the rigged door, which was a set of airlock doors which she had used to lock down her hideaway, she unlocked the doors and got through making sure to lock it behind her. she then started to pack her things up, thankful she had a portable self-made grav sled she could use to move her things faster to get the hell out as fast as possible.

As she did her work she kept her comms listening to traffic glad she had installed the isolator so she couldn't be tracked down, granted it wasn't the best thing but any cursory investigation would fail to locate her and that's all she needed for now till she could make something a bit stronger.

The appearance of a space-suit-esq clad salvager stuck out, and Silas was one for details. Tapping Initzio's arm he nodded to the turned back of Gratixxa and Initzio nodded. Unsure of who it was, they followed until the person entered a kind of makeshift storage unit. With the door wide open he approached.

"Hey, I'm looking for someone named Gratixxa," Barone hollered, "they said to 'ask for Gratixxa' when we got here. All I'm working with. You know who that is?"

Gratixxa was already pushing the Grav sled with her stuff packed up when she heard the voice call out, and she looked over her shoulder, keeping herself between her and her things as she eyed the spook up. Though after looking she realized it was the new face from before. But then how did they know?..

Then she remembered the report she made, explains why they were looking for her here but then that would mean they were with the police? But they didn't look it. Bounty hunters maybe? But then why look into it she wasn't even asked much questions when she made her report. Private investigation firm? It was hard to say over all.

"Who wants to know? Maybe I know them. Maybe I don't. What's the info worth to you?" she called back keeping herself between her stuff and them just incase.

"The name's Barone, and I'm willing to pay for good information," he answered casually, "looks like life is pretty hard here. I'm hoping this Gratixxa can help me make things a little better for everyone. Something about a radio, if that rings a bell?"

Looking the man over they nodded a moment "Doesn't answer my question.. What's the info worth to you? Yeah paying good is a given, but you got a number to that comment? You're not going to get very far here beating around the bush like that. You offering something you say what it is so people know your not trying to cheat them, everything out in the open"

She looked the group over "So Say what your offering, and I can say if I have anything for you, simple as that. As for life being hard here, that all depends on what your willing to put up with. Some thrive here. Others? Not so much"

Barone nodded, "good point, but I can only say so much. Tell me where Gratixxa is and I'll give you a premium SAoY Portable Repair Kit- a civvie variant, mind you. It'll make fixing up salvage that much easier and fast. How about it?"

She looked over her shoulder at her things for a moment before looking back to the man "That's a low price around here. You can find a lot of spare parts in the junk fields, if you have something broken, components aren't that scarce, just have to put some work into looking for them or trading for them. Most people that can do that kind of salvage work already have the skills needed to repair the stuff without a kit like that. Maybe try that as payment for someone that doesn't work the scrap fields might have more luck.. what else you got to pay?"

It was true spares and components were, while not easy to come by, were able to be had. The repair kit would be great for a local that wasn't a junk diver, she knew anyone that did the trade was well versed in getting spares and fixing up broken parts, a kit like that wasn't worth much to them.

An exasperated sigh escaped Initzio's lips as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I don't have time for negotioations. Let's just assume I'll pay you. Cash to tech, we got it all. I even have a damn data broker on retainer. We're also going to assume I'm not asking anymore. It's a lawful order. Tell me where my lead is, please," he articulated, a certain pointedness to his request.

"Well changed your tactic right away.. Could have just said a number then you know... But if you want to expidite this fine with me. The repair kit, a months worth of stable Rations sealed of course, and thirty thousand credits should about cover it.. That will cover telling you about them, showing you the way to them, and helping you avoid the more dangerous places on the way there.. I think that sounds fair, don't you think?"

Well who was Gratixxa to look a gift sucker in the mouth? Better to get all she could out of this if they were gonna be looking for her anyway "And I can Guarentee I can get them to talk to you too, they don't just trust anyone with meeting them..." she added

His face fell flat. Reaching into his pocket he produced a wad of cash bellflower notes, unfolding a thin stack. "Two thousand when I meet Gratixxa, three months MREs and the kit delivered here in two days. Final offer."

Gratixxa looked at the money a moment then looked to the man once again "That's a lot of if's and but's that might not pan out... fifteen thousand, two month rations, and the kit upfront, five thousand, two more month of rations and a second kit when you meet Gratixxa... this will cover if you reneg on me when you meet them... Your offer leaves to much up in the air" she said to him.

She had a good position on the man and she knew it, and she was going to hold it for all it was worth.

Barone drew his NSP and set it to it's scalar stun setting. "I'm about to start tazing your stuff."

Gratixxa looked at the man. Then her stuff behind her then back to the man before she started to laugh... and laugh ... and laugh. "O...Oh no... m.. My junk... My... my irriplaceable junk......my junk... I have to fix... please.... don't damage it..." she had to grab the side of the cart to stay standing as she continued to actually laugh.

After a few moments she managed to collect herself and looked back at the man "ohh,... that's a weird hostage... soo you know what.. for that laugh..I'll lower the cost to twenty thousand upfront, and only one month of rations and the repair kit... upfront.. Then after meeting them you give me the second kit and another month of rations with another five thosand deal?" she said looking to the man, and still chortling a bit.

Barone's cheeks reddened a bit, a sort of embarrased frustration resembling defeat sweeping his face. "Alright, let me see what I can do," he relented returning his NSP and slipping out his communicator, psionically texting his colleague, 'scan for radio signals in the area and clone them to a file. Then send the file to my communicator.'

Dokusei looked down at her communicator, raising one brow when she saw who it was from. "What in the he..." she thought as she looked over his request. With a bit of curiousity the evil little scientist stopped what she was doing to run the scans as requested. After the scans were completed she cloned them to a file and sent them to Barone's communnicator as directed. "Wonder what he's up to." she thought with a slight shrug before going back to her work.

As Barone's communicator beeped he scanned over the frequencies and began switching through them silently, his psionics ensuring the digital connection to his mind was heard only by himself until he heard the garbled frequency of a heavily encrypted channel. "Bingo, good news.. for me anyway," he said coyly, taking the folded police report from his back pocket, "this must be yours, Gratixxa..." He unfolded and handed the police report to her, his tone softening, "I'd like to start over on a better foot here. Your information was valuable for reasons you know. How'd you get this guy's frequency."

Waiting for the man to finish she checked her things to make sure they were secure. The guy didn't seem the overly dangerous type but she wouldn't put it past him to try something. And then she heard her name and she turned around and looked at the man as he held her report out to her and she looked to the paper then to the man.

"Greedy enough for the info that your willing to cheat on negotiations? You would make a Good Graxlat" she said honestly she took the report "Well since I have shown you to Gratixxa safely, as well as got you to her, I expect you you make good on your side of the bargin.. or are we going to start dealing for the info instead now?" she asked looking up to the man.

"But if you want to talk this business better to talk somewhere safer first... follow" she said simply as she waved them to follow as she started to guide them, she had another hideout already picked out for use and she was on her way to that one, so she might as well talk business somewhere safe or as safe as she could anyway, she smirked to herself though "by the way... that's one Negotiation I beat you in..." she said to the man.
Barone rolled his eyes following Gratixxa, "I can agree on that. We wanna keep you safe through this."

Gratixxa lead the group through piles of scrap, mountains of refuse, and weaving through hallowed hulls of ships. It was taking time to get to the new hideout. Soon coming into sight was a large pile of scrap, a veritible mountain of mess, and as they got closer it was starting to look more and more like there was no way in.

Soon However Gratixxa lead them around the side of the mountain, and to a panel that hung at an angle. Turning up the grave sled output she moved up the side "this way" she said as she climbed the side to a hallow.

If they followed they would see an entrance that was clearly the airlock to a ship, fully intact even with some modifications which included a security keypad. And so Gratixxa walked over to it and used the keypad, blocking their sight as she entered the code and she went inside "get in... " she said as she waved them all in.

Once they were all inside the airlock she closed the door there was just enough room for the group and the airlock actually cycled, cleaning the air and the people inside the airlock. before a light blinked on green to let them know it was done and the interior door unlocked. "come on... this is my place.." she said as she guided them in.

The place was decorated with different important scrap fixed up and made to look presentable, the place even had a working air scrubber making the air cleaner then outside, even a water purifier in the place "place is isolated... as much as possible from outside.. I prefer to keep things clean.." she said to them as she gestured to some rather well refurbished chairs "take a seat..."

Hanging. Pride of place over the main sitting area however was a large Name plate that read "UX-3 III Recycling Center 'Resuscitate'" with a chair under it where Gratixxa took her seat still not taking off the isolation suit for the moment "So.. how much you paying for the information?" she started.

Barone paused at the sight of the nameplate of the site that had highjacked the YSS Eucharis. The man paused uncomfortably long in front of the sign before seeming to flinch and taking the offered seat. "The SAoY has issued a warrant for the radio that is apparently on your person. By law you have to surrender it," he opened, then held up his hand in turn, "however, the agency I'm with values both it's anonimity AND the information you have to offer. I have authorization for no greater than ten thousand bells to negotiate with. Obviously, you like negotiation but in this case there is a degree of bureaucracy in the way so we'll just start at the max. Cash, supplies, tech, or a mix of those. Pick your poison."

She nodded slowly to what she was being told "I see... Well I can't just go handing the comm over, I have fully integrated it into my isolation suit.. and I am not about to remove it, however if your as limited as you say on the negotiation side of things then that's all there is to it.. very well then" she leans forward thinking for a moment.

"very well I will pick a mix of the two.. I will take nine thousand five hundred Bells, a month of rations sealed of course, and the repair kit. And I will share the information. As you also value my silence, I can give that for a simple five hundred bells, and an additional month of rations also sealed, nothing already opened. And you have my silence and the information I have," she finished "a good deal wouldn't you say?"

"Not even close," he responded, "to start I need that radio in my hand for this deal to be official. I have a warrant and can take it for free." His posture straightened, the easy-going veneer gone, replaced with a fatherly tone, "I've been beyond reasonable. You will either be handsomely rewarded or left empty-handed. THAT is a good deal.. Your information is secondary, ma'am. If that radio is truely welded to your suit I can understand the problem completely. BUT, I need a solution to this problem or that suit is coming with me. Please, take the reward and help us free this planet of the Hypnotist."

"Ah, pulling legal on me, now? Greedy one.. but that's another loss on your part.. not a negotiator are you?" She chuckled in her suit "The issue though is the Comm unit is internally installed in my isolation suit... and there is a reason I am wearing an Isolation suit, you're not getting the comm without me with it, cause I am not taking off the suit and exposing everyone around to things they would rather not be exposed to. So while I understand you have work to do, please realize there is a reason I am in this suit to begin with."

She looked to the man, "As for getting rid of this guy... that would make everyone's life easier... and you will likely need a guide here, won't you? Information to find the guy is great... but having someone that knows how to get around would be even better... especially if they have been here a while... I am sure that alone would be worth something. Clearly silence and secrecy is something you want to keep, so I can offer that but compensation, FAIR compensation is needed for that..."

With that she pointed at the man "and going with you would be rather dangerous, that much is clear especially if you're going to deal with the problem, I value my safety enough to put a price on it... you have my price, that should show my willingness to work with you all by the fact I even offer a price for putting myself in danger."

"So we got a deal then? I think what I am asking for isn't too much, you are getting a great deal out of all this after all, a guide, the comm, additional knowledge about the planet that I doubt you have. and if it sweetens the deal... access to my hiding places to use to hold down in while you do your work... good deal right?" she ended.

Barone leaned back in his chair, thinking about the current situation. What he'd thought was an environment suit turning out to be an isolation suit threw him for a curve. His thoughts drifted to the reasons she would need such containment. With so many alien species and potential biological hazards it could be anything, and so he returned to the conversation at hand.

"This compromise works for us but I worry for your safety. Brant is a dangerous criminal," after a moment longer he relented, "you got a deal. Ten thousand cash up front and I need you to sync my communicator to your radio so we can decrypt that channel. The repair kit is on our ship, I'll have someone drop that off as soon as he can, and we have a shipment of rations on the way. Once Brant is in custody we'll be moving the shipment planetside and deliver it. It'll be done before we roll out... About your safety, that deserves hazard pay. We'll leave you with an additional month's water supply and a filter for the risk you're taking, plus medical expenses paid if you're injured. Medical services are right behind us too."

Setting his communicator on the table he opened it's holographic display to show a menu prompting the connection of a guest user to Barones command network. Despite the SAoY imagery there was no additional branding to reveal an official department or corp. Only the Hinomaru seal seen on ships of the fleet.

Gratixxa smiled inside her suit, she only thought to get her initial request but getting the additional. That was quite the bonus and so she nodded "Understood and Accepted. Your concern is noted but I have been living here for a while, but I will not turn down the compensation." She leaned forward and entered in the Comm details into the device, "I expect the money while your processing. As for anything else I will get things ready to go depending on how soon you get it done... but there is a few things I will need regardless"

With that she stood up and headed to a arms locker, clearly salvaged from a ship and refurbished, and she opened it and started checking components on her suit and seemingly changing out powercells "If you need anything I may have a reasonable mock up of it, though I assume you have much better equipment then I can provide, though I assume it would all stand out like a sore thumb especially if you're all army," she added looking over to the group.

She would see a dense stack of bellflower notes hit the table as the communicator made the connection, chirping as it finished. Barone's eyes closed as he listened in to the channel, the communicator sending the transmission directly into his digital mind. "Curious," he commented, "they are quite organized. These guys are using Star Army radio protocols and callsigns, but they're sloppy. They keep mentioning Zerza.. they must be referring to that little spaceport. They're not far from Dustown which is only a few dozen klicks. I think it's a good time for a stake-out."

 

[Sunny D]

Odori Settlement

It wouldn't be longe before the injured were gathering. Special effort had been given to ensure the pregnant women were brought to the ad hoc first aid station ahead of the others, who were relatively unbothered by the choice. The community had a good nature as they'd been newcomers to living in the junk fields. Valla would get to hear all about it from the first patient, a tall NH-33 who wouldn't shut up for more than a minute about how the Hypnotist's goons had run them out of town. Of course the brave former Rikugun would have fought them off had she not been so worried about the safety of her child, a point she made very often. It was at least clear the Neko was in fantastic health.

On the second bed lay a quiet human woman with an obvious issue of malnourishment.

Katerina pulled out the biomonitor and a silver Mylar blanket from her aid kit before she she approached the second bed, her eyes scanning the form of the quiet woman lying before her. The woman was shivering and had a pallor to her skin, as Kat slithered closer, she could seek some of the patient’s features were sunken. Even if they hadn’t told her the woman was malnourished, it wasn’t unusual for those at the end of a strained logistics line to enter that state, and Katerina had been at the bad end of a few.

“There you go.” The Serpara said with a warm intonation as she placed the silver blanket over the woman. “My name is Katerina, and I’ll be doing what I can to make sure you and bubby are nice and healthy, okay?” She smiled before she waved a hand over her left wrist, summoning a holographic interface from her KE-G7-1B bracelet. The interface quickly morphed into a triage form “Can we start with your name?”

The woman's eyes met hers, flickering with a mix of fear and resignation, before she whispered, "Emma."

"Just Emma?" Katerina pressed lightly. "Emma, I need to know your full name for my records. It's important for your treatment."

The Serpara let her question hang in the air for a moment while Emma shifted uncomfortably. The patient was also not completely lucid, malnourishment had the effect of clouding the mind making it difficult to focus.

Katerina tried again and reached out, offering a hand in comfort. "You're not alone here, Emma. Whatever you're running from, we can handle it together. But I need to know who I'm fighting for."

Emma looked at her a moment before pulling her hand away. Katerina sighed. “Okay, I’ll start my examination. We can come back to it later.”

She pulled out the biomon and began using it to diagnose the patient. She placed the sensors on the arm, neck, and base of her scalp, as well as a small amount of blood in a tiny disposable syringe which she then fed to the device. She announced each sensor and its function to Emma before applying it, only getting an exhausted breath from her. The woman’s heartbeat was erratic, and her temperature was low, though the main thing Kat was interested in was the blood sample. She was anaemic, extremely so, to the point that she and the baby she carried were in mortal danger.

“Okay, Emma, you’re anaemic. That means there isn’t enough iron in your blood to sustain you and bubby.” Katerina said, placing a hand on Emma’s head. “To fix that you’re going to need a blood transfusion. Fortunately, I have a few bags of Hemosynth, but I will need to place a needle in your arm.” She finished with a smile.

There was only a weak nod from Emma and Katerina set about getting to work. She found a nice juicy vein on Emma’s arm and cleaned it with isopropyl, then in a quick practiced motion jabbed a cannular into Emma’s arm, followed quickly by the tube from the red Hemosynth bag. Meanwhile the holographic form on her wrist was automatically updating.

"Brandt," the weak woman answered at long last before drifting back into her dazed state.

Katerina was quick to note the surname down on the holographic form, then continued her treatment. Brandt was a fairly common surname, but it was something definately worth following up on. There wasn't that much to do at that stage aside from find somewhere elevated to leave the blood bag until it drained. After not finding much she tapped it to the wall with some medical adhesive. The Serpara then slithered on over to the next patient, and began working her way through the bite victims while keeping Emma's biomon reading in the corner of her eye.

Those were, for the most part, fairly straight forward. A simple matter of cleaning the wounds, bandaging them to prevent more debris from getting in, and a blood test to check for any infection. Some required sutures in addtion, others required antibiotics. All of them were more talkative than Emma.

"So what's the deal with this Hypnotist?" Katerina asked one of them mid suture, seeing an opportunity to get the information Barone had requested. "That pregnant Neko that came through couldn't stop talking about him. Anything we need to worry about while we're here?"

"Viktor, what a joke. That guy was a salvager. He'd go deep into the junk fields and come back empty-handed most days but would rant about how he'd found the jackpot," The wiry tan-skinned man griped, "then one day he comes back white as a ghost babbling like a crazy person! He disappears and shows back up two months later and straight up hypnotizes a new trader that had landed just the day before! I mean, the new guy getting screwed over is one thing but he made that guy sign over the title to his ship for a single bell! Then his little group of thugs forced us to hand over our belongings and he dragged that trader away with him. I've never seen it happen to a guy like that. Some radiation must've cooked his brain or something."

Katerina listened intently, her hands steady as she sutured the wound, filing away the information for the team. The tale sounded like something straight out of a VR novel. Still, nothing concrete from the patient’s story. The trader could have been strong armed, just like it sounded the community was. Still, the guy didn’t sound particularly charismatic and had yet amassed a following, which spoke some validity of the intel suggesting Viktor was psychic.

“Seems like someone we should avoid. Anywhere in particular we should steer clear of?” Katerina said as she tied off the suture.

He thought about the question for a moment, "well, I don't really know anymore. He mentioned being married once but I never met her. Hell, he could'a been lying for all I know but he lived in Dustown for a while."

Katerina nodded. "We'll keep that in mind I'm sure." It wasn't long after that she'd completed wrapping the wound in a bandage before handing him a few spare from her kit. "Try and keep it clean, I'll give you a few spares so you can replace it. You should dispose of them after you're done, but I know supplies are tight over here. Just make sure you clean it before reuse." The Serpara said with a smile before slithering away.

She then found a quiet corner and spoke into her comlink in a very low voice. "Barone, this is Valla. I have some intel when you have a minute."

Barone's response was terse, as if he'd been in a frustrating negotiation, "Yeah, go ahead."

"Our man used to be a salvager out here, looking for his big score. Personable if niave from the sounds of things. One day he vanishes for 2 months, then reappears and is somehow able to get a trader to part with his ship for "one bell", and then shortly after has a small milita at his beck and call and is shaking down the locals. Then there is another thing. One of the pregnant women that presented was an Emma Brandt." Katerina looked over to her patient, now with a half empty blood bag attached to her arm. "Rumor has it Viktor used to be married. She's on the mend but not in a condition fit to give a statement."

"Curious," he replied, drawing out the word as he processed the coincidence, "keep me apprised and treat her right. I'm getting the impression there's something that pushed a scavenger to be a thug. See if you can't get her in a condition to figure this out. I doubt a guy digging through the garbage is capable of organizing crime."

"I'll do what I can, boss." Katerina replied, nodding affirmatively even though Barone wouldn't see it. "Last thing, he used to live in a community called Dustown before this. Aside from that, the locals haven't observed any consistency in his movements."

 

[Rizzo]

Odori Settlement

Arriving at the reactor, she started going through it, bringing diagnostic displays online, using her Geist to pull data and send it up to her sattelites for analysis. For this was the first step, bring power online. Then she could direct what isn't used by the people living here to generating clean water. This would not take her long, as the elder machinery groaned to life at her touch. Her direction brought colonists to her side to learn and assist, fetch parts, and repair the breached core that condemned this mighty vessel. And then, with a spark of power from the aging batteries fed on solar panels, the lights inside flickered, the rift opened, and power, pure and clean, began to flow like the water these people so desperately needed.

The lights inside of the Odori flickered to life and the stiff air inside began to circulate as the climate control systems hummed to life. Some scattered applause popped in and out amongst the settlers who were still busy with their own tasks. A few moments later a harsh grinding sound came from the prow of the ship as the nose turret outside began to run it's startup calibration, protruding through the sand as it's barrel raised and lowered again into the hole it came from. Still attempting and failing the automated rotation test until intervention from a bridge crew the turret would grind and strain to complete it's calibration on repeat filling the hull with the loud grinding noise.

From a distance the dust clouds from a trio of GP-ORVs could be clearly seen approaching the settlement, a pair of Griff's men came running back inside calling for their leader. They seemed alarmed as they found him outside the first-aid area, "boss, we got three trucks heading this way. They look like the ones The Hypnotist's thugs were using!" Griff growled a grumbled sigh, "Sure is a busy day... git' my power armor ready and call everyone inside." Griff pushed through the curtain into Katerina's view. "I reckon yer' from the government," he started, "we got some uninvited guests heading our way. Any chance your crew has some better weapons on hand?"


YSS Shoebox
One of Griff's men approached the ramp of the shuttle and called in to Miko who by now had nearly every flat surface covered with stacks of covered plates. "Sir, Griff want's everyone inside," he shouted, "we might have trouble!"


Outside Gratixxa's Hovel
With Gratixxa following the three agents of Yamatai embarked onto the rover once more, its suspension groaning worse than before with the addition of an extra passanger. "I know it wasn't on the docket but we need to get to Zerza," Barone stated to the driver, then asked, "do you mind adding an extra stop." The driver grinned, "Griff told me you might ask. I'll bring you where you need to go but we're too heavy. We'll need a push to get going... what?" Barone shook his head grinning, "I'm sending you a new truck after we finish here."

 

[Sunny D]

Odori Settlement

"I reckon yer' from the government," he started, "we got some uninvited guests heading our way. Any chance your crew has some better weapons on hand?"

Katerina lowered her hand from her ear piece, though kept her com link open as she turned to face Griff "I only know what medical supplies we have along with my own kit. But there is a good chance one of the crew has something. I'll ask." She then turned away again. "You get that boss? Sounds like hostile light vehicles. They're asking if we've got any thing that hits harder."

Katerina then slithered over to her kit and pulled her Taiho SMD from its canvas carry case and tossed her bag over her back. "Unless they're walking around in power armor, your weapons will at least give them something to think about." Now fully dressed she looked back at Griff "Get anyone with a gun to find some cover and elevation on their approach. Tell them to hold fire until someone else shoots."

The Serpara slapped a magazine in her weapon and powered it on, making it come to life with a soft hum.

 

[Sosina]

Looking over the machine that they were riding Gratixxa got on and felt the suspension give in a bit and she shook her head "Whoever built this didn't know what they were doing completely... but taking that into account it's very well made... give me a moment.." she hopped back off the rover and took the wand like attachment to her Graviton generator off her back "hold on to the vehicle please.." she said before activating the device and using it to lift up the rover, she then got under it and tools deployed from compartments on her suits wrists and she started working "Suspension is actually okay... just set incorrectly... surprising.. but a new truck would do a world of good..." she called back before she finished her work and let he vehicle down gently and hopped back in, this time the suspension didn't groan, but it was still clearly engaged, extra weight was extra weight after all.

"I suggest the vehicle you give them has extra parts and a couple of tool kits with it... to make sure it keeps running, spare parts for old stuff are abundant here but when it comes to new stuff, it can be pretty finnicky about old parts being used... so ether make the new truck an older more robust model, or send spare parts... the tools would still be needed regardless though just to make sure they have everything they need... the less improvised the tools the better the upkeep... though whoever made this seems quite capable.." she finished before securing herself in with her mag grips as an extra safety precaution.

 

[Miko]

Mikodimus was taking a sip of his dish when all hell started to break lose. Figures the bad guys would show up now during meal time. Miko let out a small sigh As he enjoyed the flavors in his mouth. Almost perfect and this distraction was going to cause this to over cook. Someone outside was about to have a bad day as one does not disturb Miko during meal time and lives.

Miko cast off his outfit, the apron onto the chair next to him. His position put him right near the armor bay, a fact that would not be good for his foes. He made his way into the bay, like a snake slipping through the undergrowth. The black armor came to life, blue hue filling the dim lit room. The armor head snapped left, then right, doing a neck cracking motion. Things were about to get real.

Miko felt luck to have his standard load out be prepared for his armor. From within the armor, Miko was grinning ear to ear as the Sylph wing pack kicked into high gear. The stealth Mindy was one moment in the armor bay and next on the wall. Miko aimed towards the enemy who were heading towards the base.

 

[Rizzo]

Odori Settlement
The local defenders took defensive positions around the opening of the makeshift walls to their settlement and two men climbed atop the walls taking prone positions with their rifles. One of the marksmen shouted fidgeted with his scope as he gained a clearer view of the approaching vehicles. "It's them! The same guys that hit our town! Less than a klick away," the man shouted to the other militamen, "three drivers, two passengers, and three PA guys on mounted guns!" Griff strode boldly into the opening of the cargo crate walls clad entirely in light power armor that would be best described as rusty and hacked together beyond recognition of what the suit had started life as. A large bore gun occupying the entirety of the suit's right arm raised skyward as Griff's voice squawked from a dilapidated vocalizer, "this is it, men! These people are counting on us. Like we practiced, let them through and ambush. Hit 'em hard!" The men cheered a halfhearted shout but the fear was palpable as they lay in wait. As if to make the tension peak cracks of gunfire rang out as the pair of marksmen began taking potshots at the approaching trucks.

Odori Bridge
Finger typed furiously across the flikering display of the gunnery control terminal as Thorn attempted to gain access to the old, and what should have been unsecure firewall. It had not been going well.
"Oh c'mon! I know it's running old software but this is rediculous," Thorn grumbled over the clanking of the cannon straining its ball joint against the sand and failing, the screen before her showing the same 'access denied' message for the umpteenth time. She crossed her arms in frustration, time was certainly of the essence if her plan was going to actually help anyone. Her brow furrowed in thought as she worked out an alternative solution to get that deck gun working then perked as the idea came to her. Grabbing her tool kit she dove under the gunnery console into an open crawlspace, her small body making for a comfortable fit in the confined service tunnel as she disappeared into the dark space.

"Go to Yiqubi, they said, it'll be a simple mission they said... That's two I owe that spook fuck!". Lighting a cigarette, Thorn found herself in the manual controls and unspooling a wire and a small transponder. She plugged this into the gun controls and felt a twitch of data as her mind bridged the gap between its attempts to connect to a main computer. Then to her Geist, where the signal was bounced up to the only Eye class that had coverage of the situation. "I am your computer, now, bitch! Okay, cancel self calibration..."
The gun stopped moving, loading and unloading circuits to test functions. "Okay, one shot..."

Seer's eyes became hers as she zeroed in on the approaching band of raiders, attempting to pick out someone important in the group, gentle pushes of known data to align the decrepit weapon with her one shot to make it count. The first two vehicles were the biggest threat, and she could see the marksmen and the friendly ambush forming. She could underpower the gun to avoid irradiating friendlies, but if she waited too long, she would miss her shot.
So she took the shot she could, aiming for the second vehicle to split up the convoy and separate targets. Except that the shit went wide, not by more than half a degree, but enough to splash the vehicle she had been aiming for, and vaporize the last truck. The old circuits died with that shot, sparking and falling limp in her hands as she made a call to Barone. "Hey, chucklenuts, how far out are you? I got eyes on six bad guys, one in power armor, two passengers with machine guns, two drivers with unknown. Vics are loaded with mounted anti materiel weapons, splashed one, and I have no main gun."

Zerza Spaceport
6 minutes prior
The small spaceport consisted of a central busy street with vendors under tarpaulin canopies hawking their wares to far too many people for the rover to proceed down the path, small shack-like buildings occasionally interupting the lines of vendors. Further down the path lay crossroads to dozens of simple concrete landing pads, with a variety of ships landed. It was brimming with activity for such a small starport as larger vehicles with trailers laden with crates of many carieties of mechanical compnents and supplies were ferried to and from the landing pads with smaller carts dispensing the needed items in and out of the busling market street. "See my freinds? I told you we were almost there," the driver announced as his noisy rover came to a stop on squealing brakes. Even with the jalopy's noisy arrival none but the closest people were even remotely fazed. The driver continued as the agents disembarked the , "I will leave you for now, I need to go refill my radiator and see about a dog. I will return in a couple hours and wait for you." The rover squealed again as it began rolling away from the team.

Barone took in the sight then looked to Gratixxa, asking, "is there is a place people often gather here? Some kind of forum where they make announcements?"
Getting out of the vehicle Gratixxa looked to the group as they got ready to go, though she took a moment to look around to see who was around while also taking a moment to go through her comm unit sweeping the channels for anything important, making sure to reset it on the one that the gang this group was after.
Looking over to Barone she nodded, "There is a place like that. Center of the spaceport, by the main water condenser, can't really miss it.. it's cobbled together with old crates and the thing is packed with radiators and compressors.. Follow," she confirmed as she started to walk, leading them there through the crowd.
"Guy that runs it is a piece of work. Charges by the liter for water, but everyone uses it as a gathering place since it's quite a bit cooler than the surrounding port area. Access to drinks and you can get quite a bit of news since people go there for the water since other than that place the other closer ones are under gang controls. The one with the guy has some security, or what passes for it, so no one has tried to force him off since despite his prices it's still the cheapest place to get water around here, unless your able to build your own water condenser, of course".

She finished as she continued to lead them along the crowded walkways, "now don't go thinking you can save the place by trying to give people their own sources of water, you will just make them targets.. especially if they can't defend that new tech. The last group of people that tried that thought they did a good thing when they left... then the brutality began as gangs started going after people to get the condensers, compressors, and purifiers. They either took them for themselves or they destroyed the ones they couldn't take to keep their power base..".

She informed the group as she gestured to their location as it came into view, "and that's the place. Just don't make too much of a spectacle of yourselves, okay?"
Barone grinned and nodded. Turning to Silas he whispered the order, "Blend in, infiltrate their ranks, and figure out who the cause of this really is. Capture the psychic if you can. If you can't.. bring me their head." "Pardon me," Silas said quietly as he gently pushed past Barone, already blended into the populace as if he hadn't even heard his heisho. But, he knew the master assassin was on the case. He was a true professional.

Receiving a call from Thorn he listened in psionically, "heh, chucklenuts." His response came back telepathically, 'Hell of a nice shot! Do what you can to help the others. Valla and Belmont will handle the others. We're at Zerza spaceport with intel that Brant might be attacking soon. We'll keep you informed. Please get my sword from my armor rack and leave it outside the shuttle. Thank you.'
"Who are you callin' Chucklenuts, ya' damned tourist!" an outraged bearded man screamed in his face, pushing Barone aside as he passed, "I'm the guy delivering booze to this desolate rock! Don't you call me 'chucklnuts', boy!"
He shook his head and focused on Thorn's reply.
'Oh, yeah, not a problem except I'm in a wiring crawlspace with six bad guys up my ass! I better be getting hazard pay! Oh you find me a boyfriend! Brant's boys ain't pretty enough for me.'

Barone rolled his eyes at her reply and carried on with his mission, but suddenly heard the bearded man scream out. He swiveled around to see an imposing man who needed no introduction holding the rude booze dealer by his throat, "is that so?" the man's smooth voice coo'd out from beneath his gaudy wide-brimmed hat, "perhaps you'd be willing to deliver it to me and my men instead then, willingly as I have no pilot at the moment."

'Sword, NOW!' he sent to Thorn.