RP Sood Zadra

[Primitive Polygon]

Landing Pad

Kotema helped Zeck onto the Sobek, as suspicious as they were about the relatively new and gleaming ship. They'd been put in charge of security, and that meant keeping the red girl alive. Never mind that crashing the ship was kind of slightly their fault. And the fact they had no idea where the medical bay was, or even how to read the maps.

Soon enough, the problem solved itself, in the form of a red winged medic suddenly clambering onboard. The big lizard, barely able to turn around in the small corridor, basically picked their delirious mechanic up by the shoulders and physically handed them to the birb.

"You smell like kill-germs?" The grey skinned dragon huffed, hopefully. "You know about colour red? Can you put the red back in this one!?"

///

Out on the landing deck, Soronza gritted their teeth and considered their options. They just had their home destroyed. And getting hit on the head with a toolbox really hurt. They had plenty of reasons to hate aliens after a decade of fighting them, but how often did one get to choose their own master, in this world? The cold was already biting at their lean, angular form, and the markings on their skin pretty obviously singled them out as a fugitive and a criminal to the eyes of other Silanbar...

Was it even possible to get back to their home planet? In some far off other star sector, the last they heard? Was there anything even left to go back to?

It wasn't an easy choice. But being free to freeze to death wasn't really worth it.

Kotema was Silanbar too. Maybe that was good enough.

Opening up their cyber-enhanced maw, they sprayed a long arc of acid which melted into the cargo bay door, turning the hull plating into the texture of soft cheese.

And so, in the end, it was them who delivered the cargo trucks with the scrap turrets to the Sobek.

Had no idea what this beige black-haired female thing was saying. Had no concept of them being the actual captain.

Just drove the trucks right into the main cargo bay, then lingered in the warmth, wondering about the potential course their future was now set to follow...

How were they going to avoid starving, if they weren't allowed to eat the crew?

 

[Yuuki]

Upper Atmosphere

The escort gunship that was trying to flee but was instead downed by the Nepleslians veered off course, impaled by boarding torpedoes like arrows in fleeing quarry about to drop. it dipped back down into the atmosphere momentarily, endangering its orbital stability and dragging it into an ellipse that would leave it crashing into the planet in a few orbits unless some measure is taken. The gunship itself was minimally crewed and the defenders were vastly outnumbered by the marines. The Admiral was not aboard, and must have been patched into the communications remotely. The few surviving fighters tried to disengage and enter FTL, but even fewer succeeded once their backs were to the system defenses.

Streets of Sood Zadra

Covering fire from the sole surviving transport's still functional weapons allowed the invaders to establish a standoff distance against the local security forces. A battle for control of the nearest air defense emplacement was underway, with the invaders trying to seize a means to keep the defenders' air support suppressed. Though it was slow going, the invaders were making progress with that, having cut them off from local reinforcements. Even at less than one fifth of their initial strength, the invasion force still had enough that they were not overwhelmed by the defense. A ramp lowered from the transport, and a fast, armored ground transport began to roll down, firing at anything that moved as it descended.

Spaceport

Watching in frustration and disbelief as the Sleipnir took off while unmanned, the Kuvexian air traffic controller just took of their headset and slammed it to the table. "I don't know why I even bother showing up for work anymore."

Down in the Nonapus

The Baroness watched with interest as the pair performed their theatrics, giving occasional glances at Captain Jack. Once Remy was down in the tub of ice and her body went under, Soon's expression shifted smoothly from interest to concern. "Does she... does she do that often?" The question seemed posed to Morgan and Phoenix. She wasn't completely aware of the relationship among the three, but ever since the incident with Alastair she'd found it safer to just assume any given individual knew Remy personally. "Where is that medic? The one with the wings? What? She left??"

 

[BloodyScarlet]

Taharial was a little stunned as she looked at the creature with another person in their arms, it took them a moment to realise what was being asked "ah yea, do I really still smell of that stuff, maybe the wing dye, but anyway, yes I can help them, but I will need your help to carry them to the medical facility on this ship." She thought for a moment and breathed out not sure if this would be offensive or help them but it was worth a try. "Need to take them to kill-germ room, I don't think I could carry them that easier than little old me." She nodded to them as she started to find where they were headed, shouldn't be that hard.

As she walked she thought it was best to check back into the Nonapus to let them know she had made it to the port and was currently treating people, that would probably soften the blow of her sneaking away without actual permission to leave and get here. She tried contacting them as she moved down halls, not really paying attention behind her. She paused and realised so turned and breathed out "Sorry, I am.. no need to burden you, are you hurt at all.." She wasn't sure what to call the dragon like thing as she fluttered her wings, the dress she wore wasn't the best for this, as it caught around her legs a lot, maybe her medical uniform would of been better, but that was still Yamataian. She sighed as she looked at her communicating device as it couldn't connect and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She soon found the Medical Facility "Taharial Chasan, Here to help." She found some labcoats and smirked a little, perfect she thought as she unzipped the black dress and let it fall as she got the labcoat on and made sure it wouldn't restrict her movement "Dragon, put them down and I will start giving them red again." She looked around as she put gloves on and smirked a little "the doctor is in, for everyone that needs it." She looked at the medical staff there "get me what I ask for when I ask for it and if you are wondering if I am qualified for this, I am part of the Star Army Medical Personnel, she be quiet and do what I say and we may save everyone." She put her communicator on the side, no distractions allowed "now let's get started."

 

[Damaske]

Cargo bay

Lenna sighs some and then says " hell with it we take 'em back later. " Holding up the compad "Sobek any response from the tower or the military ground forces?" The compad responds back " no ma'am not a word." Lenna sighs some and then says " Fire up the Military radio equipment make sure it's working and then scan and see if you can find the channel with the main force on. Make ready for lift-off. " Looking at those around her and then to the other Silanbar, missing Kotema carry Zeck inside as she was offloading the turrets. Seeing that the other Silanbar still lingering in the cargo bay she sighs some and then will make a note to let Kotema know that her pet was in the cargo bay. "Sobek lock down the two vehicles in the cargo bay and did the medic get here?" " Will do, and yes she is in the medical bay with two others a Nikicon." the ship AI responds

A few moments later as Lenna was heading to the medical bay, two arms drop down and grab the vehicles and pull them up into a storage area in the upper area of the cargo bay.

Medical bay
Nikicon was sitting on a medical bed when the trio come in making her jump some, but this time she did not reach for a weapon just groined lightly and smiled some " Hey um Kotema, hey Zeck..... er um" tilts her head some as the winged one announces herself and then giggles weakly " Hi doc " groans some " ow" When Taharial moves over to look at the snowshoe hare, she'll find that most of her exposed fur was burned off or singed likely her skin was not touched. she also showed signs of having her breath sucked from her lungs.

After a little while, Lenna would walk in and spot the group in there and then say "Hello there, um Kotema the other Silanbar is standing in the cargo bay, I do not think he understands me. Also, I've stored the junkyard trucks for the time being as I'm about to take off and go help with that last transport that managed to land. Seeing that Zeck also got hurt she frowns some and then asks " Kotema can you go and talk with the other Silanbar, I'll help out here as best I can. " Lenna pulls off her overshirt, leaving her upper torso in just a sports bar as she moves over to wash up her hands and arms up to her elbows and then reaches in and grabs a scrub top putting it on. Then awaiitng what Taharial asks as she'll be able to get it fast as it is her medical bay. But then again she'll take notice that it was set up according to most medical facilities.

 

[Miko]

Low Orbit

As the ship reached into low orbit Alastair slowly stopped giggling like a school kid. It had been some time since the last time he had gotten into a ship fight so was going to enjoy every minute of it. The thrill of asserting dominance was a high he never got over.

The weapon banks one by one stopped firing as the enemies managed to escape. Granted this was by design as someone needed to live in order to go back to speak of the horrors. Alastair ordered the crew to hold position for the time being. Just in case someone got the bright idea of trying for a round two. He pulled up comms and sent a message to Soon letting her know his ship would hold in orbit unless told other wise. He closed the channel and was curious what she might think now that his crew helped saved the day.

 

[Cowboy]

Upper Atmosphere, aboard Kuvexian Escort.

The Surprises loved a cutting out operation. They were masters of it in fact. They boarded the escort in textbook fashion. The few defenders were overwhelmed and those that survived the initial onslaught quickly surrendered. Lt McCain moved on to the bridge with a hand picked group of Marines and Sailors. The Bridge fell quickly and the Sailors began to familiarize themselves with the controls. The Kuvexian crew were only too eager to help once McCain dropped a few hints that things would go much better for them if they did so, and how awful their lives could be if they didn't. Soon the Escort was secured and in a stable orbit. McCain contacted the Surprise and reported that the ship was theirs, much to the cheering of the Surprises.

Down in the Nonapus

Jack smiled as Commander Calamy relayed the news that the escort was now their prize. "Excellent work Tom. I wish you joy of your prize. Extend my compliments to Mr. McCain and the other Surprises. Secure the ship and stand by."

Jack turned his attention to the Baroness. She really was quite lovely, in a sort of alien sort of way. "Well Baroness. The Surprise has taken a prize of that Escort ship. Once the ground fighting is concluded, we'll have to find a place to set her down." Jack had his hand on the hilt of his sword and was idly tapping it against his leg. "As we seem to have a moment, I'd like to continue our discussion. I don't see any reason why most of our requests wouldn't be granted, provided Nepleslia got something equally good in return." Jack continued to tap the back of his leg with his sword, as if he was trying to push himself to continue. "In return for your demands, Nepleslia would like any and all intel you have on any and all Nepleslian POWs. Since the end of the war the Kuvexian empire has all but dissolved so there has been no central government for us to try and recover our own. Likewise, we have no one to turn your POWs to. Second," Jack took a deep breath here. This was a big ask. "We would like access to any and all star charts you have. Nepleslia intends to expand outside the Kyro sector and your star charts would help us immensely. Naturally we're not interested in the Kuvexain home space for expansion. As I understand it, the core is already quite crowded. But you have explored quite a bit of space between there and here and perhaps in other places as well."

 

[Primitive Polygon]

Hotel Nonapus

Morgan stopped their rhythmic strumming of the ukulele, though still swaying their hips whilst listening to this Nepleslian captain talk.

They were trying to negotiate with their former enemies, rather than the dozens of minor races that hated the kuvies in their home turf?...

Opened their mouth... Then closed it, simply flashing a smile with those demure missmatched eyes.

No way was the bunny in a bunny suit going to stick their foot in that particular bear trap...

<"Hey Broccoli Baba, you're flyin' that thing so we can make a quick getaway, are ya?"> They thumbed into their communicator, sending messages directly to Remy's electronically modified eyes. <"This could get real hairy, nya~...">

Hugged Phoenix and kept her arms around his waist. No reason.

Medical bay

"...Soronza is he?..." Kotema looked down on Lenna incredulously. They were also confused why people were taking their clothes off. "Fine fine Kyaptun, Kotema will is talks to thems."

Lowering their head under the doorway and squeezing back into the guts of the ship, the big lizard took a few minutes to find the cargo back. Not like it was huge and took up half the ship, or anything.

For all intents and purposes, the conversation they had just sounded like irate screeching and overdramatic limb movements to the rest of the crew. Soronza agreed to stay, but didn't want an 'alien' as captain. They didn't even like the Kuvexians. Kotema defended the honour of the Kuvexians and Lady Soon to the hilt, telling him how their race would still be living in a mud puddle without them.

It got heated to the point they were both butting heads, growling at each other. Soronza went for a neck-bite first- but had their head counter-punched against the wall so hard it rang the ship like a bell.

Kotema stood on the base of his tail so they couldn't get back up again, and then just kind of loomed over them, deciding what to do. Remembering they still had the 'security use' shock collars from the junk yard, ended up slapping one of those around his neck, and then giving him a hand to his feet again.

"...Soon is good for Kotems. Soon is good for Silanbar. We is listen to Ladies Soon." They glared, with an agitated whine. "You mades choice already. Now helps me unload these space guns..."

 

[Damaske]

ooc: placeholder for Medbay medical joint post

 

[Yuuki]

Streets of Sood Zadra

The colony militia and Quallox Vaibal security had the bulk of the sole-surviving transport's complement pinned down. However, the enemy forces leaked small teams from the flanks, and the defenders were a bit too slow to encircle them to prevent them from escaping into other parts of the city. Unprepared for an all-out attack by another Kuvexian faction, the defending fighters weren't numerous enough to divert enough of their number to pursuit. New explosions from the snowbanks outside the city bore tidings of the survivors of the closest-crashed transport were converging on the city as well, and were in a pitched battle with the sparsely-spread forces not committed to the main defense. It seemed that soon it might still be the defenders who were themselves encircled, despite the best efforts of the air defenses to cull the invaders' numbers.

Bottom of the Nonapus

When the Baroness Bardoon got notice of the happenings above, she swore another obscene oath in Kuvexian and pinched the bridge of her nose. Almost nonchalantly, she acquiesced to the Nepleslian demands with a dismissive wave and a casual, "Oh? Yeah. Sure, that's great." She glanced up to make, and hold, eye contact with Captain Jack, smirking a bit with a hand playfully on one cocked-out hip. "Charts aren't going to be part of the down payment, though, Lovely. That's more of a Cash on Delivery situation." Almost immediately, Soon turned back towards the trio, and clapped her hands loudly. "Remy, Darling. They aren't going to get down here alive, but that doesn't mean they won't wreck the upper levels trying. And they won't come here if they know I'm gone. Is that ship not here yet?" And then, back to the Nepleslian captain, "You probably should rally your guards, Captain. You'll be covering us, hm? Part of your end of the deal, right?"

Soon clapped her hands again, and announced loudly to everyone still down here. "Everyone! We need to be ready to leave five minutes ago! Understood?" She then sent another communication, this time to the Yamataian Plumeria in low orbit. "Taxi is almost here, Captain. Be a dear and help the Nepleslians keep us covered?"

Sood Zadra Spaceport

The ship on the pad beside the Sobek explodes violently, scarring the Sobek's outside with scratches and gouges of shrapnel. It looks like one of the crashed transports had a heavy mortar that survived....

 

[Miko]

Alastair sent a message back to Sood that he would provide cover fire. The Koun made quick work of the ships in low orbit as it moved into high orbit. They would give over watch while everyone gathered to evac the world.

 

[Damaske]

Primary Medical bay

Lenna sighs finishing up helping the doctor as the nearby ship exploded as pieces bounced off it. "What the heck was that??" The ship Ai says from a nearby console incoming mortar from one of the crashed ships. Lenna growls as she moves to wash off her arms and hands once more grabbing her top as she changes once more tossing the scrub into the waste bin. " they are going to pay for that!" Lenna growls then says " Sobek take off, you have the path that round took to come in did you not?" The Ai comes back saying that it has the general direction but it will take a few more shots before it can pinpoint it. " fine, fine get us in the air, and shields up!"

Spaceport

The Sobek's jet engines that were on standby power started to whine and power up, lifting the craft skyward fire belches from them once they get 20 meters above the ground lifting the craft skyward faster. The Gatling turrets scan the sky some, Then suddenly stop as the Sobek detects an incoming shell, and then burrrrrrt burrrrrt BOOM! the mortar was shot from the sky. Sobek changes direction a little more as it starts to fly off and away. In the meantime, Lenna and Nikicon a little slower than Lenna make their way to the Battle bridge in the center of the craft.

Battle bridge Sobek
Lenna moves to take up the weapons station as she looks at the data from the fight ongoing in the settlement and then at the data of the incoming mortars. "Sobek patch me into the ground forces coms. "This is for the Defenders of the settlement, We will attempt to use kinetic rounds to disarm the ship that crashed in the settlement, and then head out to finish off the ones that crashed outside. Taking out as many enemy ground forces as we can on the way."


Over the settlement heading out.

Lenna scans the crashed ship in the town targeting any weapons that were being used or could be used to help the invaders and using the ventral turrets fires a discarding sabot solid round at each of the attacker weapons, and ramps that are used to offload troops and vehicles. Another incoming mortar was detected and destroyed, but one is missed and slammed into some part of the settlement. "Damn it I wish the smaller turrets were working!!!"

Near the edge of the settlement

Seeing the troops as they are making the way into the settlement and engaging the other defenders Lenna changes the turrets to use Beehive ammo and slows her ship a little to give time to line up a broadside and then have the turrets cycle the shells out and in. Once they are loaded Lenna takes aim at the incoming invaders and uses the AI to spread the full effect of the submissions out to take as many invaders out yet not hit any possible spot a defender was in. Double-checks the kill zones and then commands the main cannons to fire. Each turret swings to there position as the Sobek scoots along the starboard side facing the invaders and fires all 9 of the turrets that were able to be fired sending 18 submission shells toward the invaders only to burst roughly 100 meters away and dispense anti-armor rounds in a cone hopefully blasting the invaders space high.

After two volleys, Lenna changes the main cannons over to AP, AP, HE, for the cannons in preparation for shelling the crashed ships. And the Sobek heads away using the Gatling turrets to hit the troops when not shooting at a mortar.

 

[Yuuki]

Down, But Going Up.

With a flourishing gesture and a wicked grin flashing, the Baroness Bardoon kicked a cleverly hidden lever under her desk-table, opening a cleverly hidden trapdoor in the wall of her office-booth. She withdrew the shimmering golden pulse rifle, checked the chamber and loaded it, then slung it on her back. It wasn't only Morgan and her protege Phoenix who were putting on a magic show, it seemed. Soon emerged from her booth, readied the weapon and pointed dramatically towards the submerged Remy.

"You! Rabbits! Is your Miss Belmont still alive? We're going up to meet that shuttle so carry her or whatever you have to do. Just make sure she doesn't die, I just paid her an advance for a contract!" Turning then to make eye contact with Captain Canterbury she added, "It's about time to rally your people, Captain. We need to be up there waiting when the ship gets here."

Out in the Streets

The situation above has shifted to a more fluid small-group on small-group engagement environment after the invaders split up and made their way through gaps in the defenders lines. The Sood Zadra security militia responded in kind to pursue, though many were still held down in fighting the distraction that seemed to be the main force. Fortunately, the citizenry of Sood Zadra were made of tough stuff: spacers, pirates, mercenaries, smugglers, the private guards of the local gentry, and other rough customers who weren't inclined to take being invaded lying down, and had the means to make it known. This slowed them enough that they hadn't managed to make it close to the Laughing Nonapus's neighborhood.

 

[Cowboy]

Down in the Nonapus

Jack nodded and turned to his cousin, Caffran. "Caff, lets get regroup topside. I looks like there is a fight coming to us. A great opportunity for us to demonstrate why the Nepleslian Marines are the best there are." Caffran returned Jack's smile and saluted before pulling out his comms.

Moments later, Jack and his honor guard were topside again in the cold air. The sounds of fighting could be heard echoing off the buildings and large plums of smoke highlighted where the attack must be coming from. Caffran had the honor guard spread out and in good cover with the two PAs in the middle where they could react to wherever necessary. He himself had moved forward to scout ahead and get a visual on the attacking force.

Jack waited calmly at the top of the stairs and checked his HHG. Loaded and ready to go. He hoped the enemy put up a good fight. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to join the ship boarding but this should make up for it.

 

[Primitive Polygon]

Sobek -> Air Above The City

Kotema grunted and whined, agitated by being jostled around the cargo hold with little to actively do in this situation. They had been ordered to protect this captain, but if Soon herself fell to these invaders, then the dragon really did have no reason to be here... She suspected the reason why the outsiders were having trouble was simply the same reason that Soronza ended up in tow- This whole planet was just angry, downtrodden stragglers, and they'd fight to defend themselves- But they were likely fighting their way out, not sticking around to defend the precious lady.

How long was that resistance going to last?

That was always the problem with that money-stuff. The value was relative to the situation.

<Come on, bone-white. Let's take a look at that shuttle.> She used Silanbar-sign to talk to the other dragon, feying a bit of innocence whilst a fresh idea formed in their head... Those turrets they salvaged were a perfect size for the upper docking ring on that big rectangular yammie shuttle... And the captain hadn't informed the crew why there were two big lizards in the cargo hold yet, so they wouldn't question why the creatures suddenly started being industrious, right?

Grabbing a nano-welder and going to town, the two large creatures made short work of placing the squat multi-gun object on top, and then fixing the adhoc turret ring in place. The internal connections broke every code to humankind, but yeah, these were not humans.

Four-person cockpit. Good. They both fit inside.

Quite intentionally not saying anything and letting the confusion set in whilst they fired up the engines, the shuttle left the bay to a cacophony of panicked yelling and the occasional thrown object.

Out in the open air, Soronza fired the defence gun and caught an enemy fighter totally by surprise. They didn't even have to hit, the sheer rate of fire just shocked the pilot so bad he flew right into a highrise shanty building. As for the silver streak liberated from the Sobek, it had some kind of crazy powerful CFS system that protected it from the debris.

The destination was the Laughing Nonapus. Kotema could cut right through the flak and carnage, and get right to her lady's side...

All they had to do was keep their cool, and not crash this hyper-advanced, slipstream bird. Didn't matter if it was bodged. A yammie shuttle was a yammie shuttle. And probably the single most high tech Silanbar asset on the planet right now.

 

[Damaske]

Sobek main battle station bridge

As the shuttle flew from the Sobek The AI warned the bridge crew " Shuttle leaving the cargo opening, I believe the two lizards hijacked a turret and one of the salvaged shuttles that were onboard.

Lenna blinks " wait!, those were not operational just yet what the hell is Kotema doing???" Track them and send a warning that the shuttle might crash on them. If they ruin my reward there will be hell to pay!" Lenna grumbles and sighs some as they near the first crashed ship as she looks at the damage to the ship, and starts to target visible weapons that did not get destroyed in the firefight or crash. Targeting them with the main cannons and open fire as the missile launchers target the ship's power supplies and engineering sections with anti-ship torpedos to blow up the ship and reduce it to a smoking crater.

Nikicon is still in slight pain but the medication starting to help sits down at the engineering station and starts to monitor the power and drive systems since Lenna was at the weapons station and targeting the Sobek's main cannons and whimpers slightly as the main cannon's fire shake the ship around them.


Outside the Sobek

The Sobek moves into position to unload on the crashed dropship main cannons belch fire as massive metal and explosive rounds are fired at the crashed ship. Any incoming missile or projectile fire was targeted by the Gatling turrets to blow up so the Sobek would not take damage. Lenna moves to enhance the starboard shield section by taking 50% of the portside shield power and shifting it starboard. The Sobek is going all out on the crashed ship as the sensors scan around for the second crashed ship as with anything that attempts to flank and attack from a different side as with bombard any troops that are around the crashed ship.

 

[SirSkully]

Laughing Nonapus
Remy had remained borderline catatonic in her tub, very little proving the woman was still alive beyond the occasional twitch and the way her presence managed to hog the majority of the bar's bandwidth. It wasn't just a simple command she'd sent out, there was a digital copy of Remy sitting in that shuttle's cockpit right now, and the rapidly melting ice was telling of the toll it was taking on her meatsuit.

After evading fire and circling a few times the Sleipnir finally flared its nose upright and slammed into the floor a little harder than intended, hyudraulic landing gear creaking and groaning as the side door hissed open.

With a gasp and a splutter Remy's consciousness returned to her mortal form, tipping her head over the side of the tub to empty the contents of her stomach onto the expensive flooring, mostly alcohol from Soon's bar.

Incredibly fatigued-looking eyes looked up at Morgan as Remy fumbled to retract the data-line back into her wrist, barely able to muster the strength to keep herself upright in the tub of room-temperature water.

"Morgs... hon... I think you need to carry me back~ helm is... helm is yours~" she struggled out, the current mess a far cry from the peppy and sharp-witted Belmont the rabbit-person was used to.

 

[Primitive Polygon]

Above the Nonapus

Even if the dropships themselves were destroyed, Kuvexian power armour was no joke. Very much on par with Yamatai technology, Kotema knew these remnants could cut a bloody swathe through anything these backwater aliens could throw at them. There was a reason that the lizards accepted being taken under the wing of this money-loving race, and it wasn't the flashy golden armour.

Well, most lizards accepted it. Soronza was enjoying using the silver shuttle's adhoc quad turret to slather the streets below them in plasma fire, hooting and sneering with vengeful reptilian glee. Not always effective, but the golden slavers still dived into cover or fled, believing it to be a real catgirl shuttle rocketing over their heads.

"Stop shoot! Stop shoot! It is become too hot!" Kotema protested, meaty grey paw grabbing his ivory tail. The shuttle was not designed to work with a weapon like that. It was a sauna inside it already, and getting worse with every cascade of fire. "You make all of them follow us!"

Soronza didn't care. They had dreamed of the day of getting their own back, once and for all.

<Bluefin! Skullards! Make! Them! Non! Alive!> His feet-talons did the hand-words, so he could keep operating the gun with his mouth and one good hand. <Nobody! Miss! Them! Soronza! Delete!>

"Don't call thems bluefin, that's our boss!" The portly grey she-dragon protested, growing more and more irritated. And sweaty.

They didn't end up landing at the Nonapus. They were attracting too much enemy fire to slow down.

At least they were providing... Covering fire? Of sorts?

Inside the Nonapus

Morgan leapt up onto the bathtub when Miss Bardoon had drawn their gun. One foot on each rim, hands on both pistol grips.

A goblinoid, irate sneer, wild eyes going a bit scary looking, butt audibly clenching the red vinyl corset. Apparently there was their loyalty to the job, and then there was Morgan's intense, crackhead overprotectiveness of Remy themselves.

Booming in the distance, dust falling, and their ukulele awkwardly clattering off into a corner as it finished it's airborne trajectory.

... Then it became obvious that Soon didn't actually make that gesture as any kind of threat.

"Tired darlin?~ Peeps is supposed to take a bath to chill out, ya know!~ :y" Their nasally voice peaked with discordian affection, mood utterly flipping on the spot, as they looked backwards and downwards through their own spread legs. "No matter, let's be getting you back home and cosy where you belong!~"

Pirouetting off of the porcelain, the rabbit grasped the broccoli hacker boss lady in both hands, suddenly showing a disproportionate amount of strength by laying the muscular dame across their back just a bit too easily. In high heels.

And then, away!- The rabbit barely waited for Soon Bardoon, as they charged ahead towards the landing platform.

They knew this tune just a bit too well. The mob boss with too many enemies, hiring gunmen ten minutes before their empire fell apart...

 

[miss_story]

The Icy Nonapus
Phoenix spun his modded ultitool in his hand, nervous energy leaving the waifish technician unable to keep still. "With Pleasure!" He cast his arms to his side, trying not to wobble in his heels. He wiggles the fingers of his free hand. He took this moment of theatrics to collect a baseline temperature for Remy's head, body, and the ice bath. "The electro spirits are appeased and are prepared for a fabulous confabulation" His eye whirred connecting to the readout from the ultitool. The old thing complained because it too was old and doing things it had not been designed for.

It sounded like this was something Remy was prepared for, but despite how much Nepleslia embraced cybernetics and transhumanist designs they still had an organic brain, an organic brain that could be cooked if you push your electronic components further than they were meant to go. It was like overclocking a processor without the proper coolant, with far more intense consequences.

He drew in a slow breath, something that was difficult in his current tightly laced outfit. , His skilled fingers continuing the repetitive spinning motion as he drew closer to the makeshift ice bath. He was dead silent, unable to tear his gaze away from Remy as her consciousness slipped away. He blinked in surprise, pulled from his worried stare when a pair of warm arms coiled around his waist. He clenched his fist stopping his fidgeting and rested his hands absently on Morgan's. "She's going to be okay right?" He spoke in a hush. tinged with building concern.

The tiny technician gave a little jump at Soon's clap, He had been so focused on Remy's still form that the sudden concussive sound caught him off guard. This graceful stranger had an intimidating air about here but it didn't seem to phase Morgan who was quick to jump to protect Remy. He had to admire the bunny's loyalty and balance on the precarious wet porcelain. "Um! um Susan?!" He hurred on his tip toes to catch up with them. "Are you sure you don't need any help." He gave another check on Remy with the infrared sensor on his utitool. "Oh god she's toasty He looked around the room as they hurried toward their escape wishing he had a shirt or something to scoop ice into.

" Just a moment !" A red-haired woman wearing a uniform of the Nepleslian military had dropped to one knee and was unsnapping a medical case. she extracted a small pouch and cracked it over her knee like a glow stick. and tossed it to him Phoenix barely caught it as he spun around. It was shockingly cold and growing colder, the gel inside subtly shifting in colour. She snapped her case shut again, curls bouncing from her swift movement. "Apply that to her forehead I'll be here to assist once we've settled in the ship." Her voice was low but reassuring, Phoenix sprinted to close the gap between himself and his partner in crime sticking close but unable to feasibly affix this ice pack to the hacker's face. His bag was still back in the room where he had changed, no temporary glue, no tape. What if Remy dropped it? She looked a little delirious. He opted to keep the temperature gauge in one hand ice pack in the other and hurridly mash it against her face when things looked like they were getting dire. All of this... in heels and altogether foreign clothing.

"Miss, Ah... are you able to hold this?" He asked worriedly in the gap of time after they had reached the top floor and before they made their final last dash into danger. knowing that now that she was no longer... away she was likely not generating more heat but he wanted to keep his gun in hand to provide cover if things got dicey.

 

[Damaske]

UX-3
Somewhere nearby Sood Zadra

Hovering in the air is a large craft smoke drifting away from its 9 main cannon turrets, tracers flash from smaller turrets along the side of the craft. Below in the snow and ice lies a golden craft well more like a wreak, fire and smoke drift from it as the craft above hammers into it. Missiles arc from two launchers from the front of the craft above only to smash into the rear of the downed craft before a large explosion rips through the rear of the ship. A few more rounds impact the craft from the main cannons and rip more chunks out of the golden craft fire consuming more and more of the craft. A lone craft zooms away from the destroyed craft looping around and fires missiles at the attacking craft moments before the tracer fire flies around it before it is blown up and soon afterward the missiles are downed from the same tracers that took out the lone craft.

Around the now broken, burning hulk of a once proud Kuvexian troopship lay hundreds of golden bodies, a few ground craft burning, and broken. Tracks lead off toward the Settlement, a path of golden bodies and more broken and burning craft. The craft above hovers moving around like an angel of death spitting fire and tracers into the snow and ice mostlying hitting a few moving golden bodies, or the main cannons hitting a craft that was not burning or broken enough. Then that hovering craft starts to follow that path of destruction back toward the settlement.


Within ISS Sobek

Lenna looks over the fire control screen looking over the ammo stores as she sighs deeply this attack has used over 80% of the ammo that the Sobek carries in total and used almost 90% of what the ship was carrying before they joined the fight. With a sigh, she looks over toward an anthro and then says "Niki we are going to need full ammo reload we used a lot of the ammo for the turrets. " Moving back over to the captain's chair as she says softly. " And we are going to need more crew we can not keep running the Sobek under minimal crew like we have been. There have been a few times the automation systems you had put in failed briefly. " Rubbing at the bridge of her nose as she moved to sit down on the captain's chair and punched on the coms as she says " This is the ISS Sobek to Sood Zadra defense force, Both downed invading ships are now burning broken hulls, as with there crews, infantry as what few craft they had. The ship locations have been marked in our logs. We are returning to provide aid within the city." Killing the coms she looks to Nikicon and says " Take the helm and take us to the Laughing Nonapus, we might need to defend the bar or help Baroness with evacuation for the moment till things settle down.

Nikicon felt much better now as she nods and then says " will make the notes into the logs for that as I will remember it. " she nods some and then seeing Lenna move back to her seat she moves over to take a look over the weapons systems and then moves over to the helm "Sobek I have the helm, release control please." The AI says over a speaker on the console, "Controls released Nikicon you have the helm." Nikicon smiles and then says "Thank you Sobek." then starts to plot a path over the settlement to be near the Laughing Nonapus. Flicking on the coms once more to the spaceport frequency "Sood Zadra spaceport this is the ISS Sobek moving over the settlement to help defend The Baroness." Then attempts to contact the aid of Soon to see if they need to come as close to the building to allow them to try and get into the Sobek, or take a shuttle into the cargo bay to carry Soon and her escorts to safety.


Over Sood Zadra near the Laughing Nonapus

The large frigate hovers nearby the Laughing Nonapus, there were not many troops that made it far enough to make the frigate fire on them. However, some confused citizens fired on the large craft with small arms fire that didn't really affect it as they flew overhead. There was a few small craft that have been blown up from weapons fire of the Sobek as they attempted to fire on it. Despite this, the Sobek only fired if it was fired on as it stood its ground nearby the bar. Awaiting contact from Soon or seeing her leaving on another craft. A few aircraft from the invaders tried to zoom past to hit the bar but were all blown up before they even got close, whether by cannon fire, gattling, or a missile barrage.

 

[Yuuki]

Somewhere Above the Smoke, Just Before the End

The hearteningly timely arrival of multiple, friendly ships, and the adamantine dome of inescapably lethal cover they cast over the ground below was enough to ensure the relative safety of and uneventfulness around the parties sallying forth from the Laughing Nonapus. Quite relative, of course, as it was an active battlefield.

Below the Smoke, Outside the Laughing Nonapus, a Bit Closer to the End

Shouldering her pulse rifle, Soon and her sharp eye and steady hand finished off one of the uneventful that had popped around a corner ahead of them—the reflexes and precision might stretch the credibility of her claim her time in the Kuvexian military was both decades ago and as a public relations officer. One quick slap to the back of her closest security’s helmet for his lapse in vigilance, and Soon stepped forth with authority, purpose, and her weapon up. “Come on. Let’s get to these shuttles. I have a call to make.”

It was hardly a building-to-building slog, or a desperate charge across the no man’s land between trenches to Remy's shuttle, but skirmishes of shots fired across a distance at broken, disorganized invaders who’d made it through the sieve of defenders, and shots taken from them firing across the same. Uneventful, relatively, as an active firefight could be.

Soon cackled and pointed as a bolt from the heavens, rounds from one of the defending ships that had taken control of the skies, obliterated a substantial, regrouped force right as it moved to attack them, even when others in the party may have flinched at the proximity of the hailstorm of plasma and kinetic rounds streaking from above, and the ensuing explosion thereafter. “That’s right! This is my city!”

Her city, while somewhat the worse for wear, was still hers, as they ascended above the chaos and destruction to get out an emergency call to Quallox Vaibal’s sector headquarters. There would be little for the cavalry to mop up, but there was never only one dagger at the throat of someone like Soon Bardoon.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ つづく ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦​