RPG: FTL

[Constructelf]

IC Vincent

"Oh come on! I'm working here!" Vincent was currently buried in a sink making some adjustments. A sense of urgency started creeping on him; it was an order from command, after all, so he began to work faster, only to hit his head on one of the faucet pipies. "Ow!" After this, he still needed to make his routine adjustments on the thermostats, stop by the engine room for a check, fix some air conditioning (again)... By the time his to-do list was over, the buffet would also be.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"You look very nice." William commented to Estelle as they departed the shuttle, still acting unconcerned, perhaps even cheerful. He kept an eye on his surroundings, particularly noting the mob outside; to say that they were outnumbered would be a massive understatement. The command staff, and their security escort, was a very competent group, but as of the moment, they were almost entirely toothless. Not a good combination. He caught a glimpse of Ojeda's hands moving out of the corner of his eye, and knew that something else was afoot as well.

 

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

 

"Not that you don't usually."

[Eevee]

IC

 

"Thank you." Estelle replied as she smiled at Will, her eyes catching the movement of the Colonel's hands as well. Looks like this will be a fun night.

 

"You look quite nice yourself." She said as she looked over him for a moment. "Very... Dashing."

[Alex Humva]

IC [Colonel Ojeda]

 

The party made their way into the embassy's main chambers, eventually finding themselves in a well-stocked dining room; glass chandeliers hung on the ceiling, the walls covered in rich wood and paint. The long table was well stocked with food, the remaining Engi waiters just putting the last of the meals on the table. Taking her seat, Ojeda made a mental note of their location in the building; living much of your life on a ship gave you the uncanny ability to count your steps and determine your position in enclosed structures, and this told her that the dining room was a scarce five meters from the exterior of the building.

 

"[A toast, to our distinguished company.]" As the governor raised his glass, Ojeda noted other Engi at the table; no doubt the upper crust of the colony. The Engi never made any claims of enlightenment, and their bureaucracies certainly reflected it. Elites that profited off the labor of workers, just as it had always been on Earth. The Engi seemed happy enough with it, though. "[These individuals here are war heroes, and we are honored to have them visit.]"

 

Ojeda took a sip of the drink out of respect, tasting the liquid. Wine of some sort, and the lack of a metallic taste in her mouth told her the nanites didn't think it was toxic. She made a sign, informing the rest of the staff that it wouldn't kill them.

 

"The honor is ours, governor." Ojeda pondered briefly the rapid chain of events that brought her here. In any other situation she'd think it a trap, but she also knew the ways of these Engi governors; a bureaucrat out on a frontier world, managing an irrelevant colony far from the Collective Consciousness' eye. Any sort of visit from Confederate war heroes would give him political points at his next proper dinner, maybe even get him assigned to an inner colony. It was about status advancement, little more.

[Snelly]

IC: Ashley
 
"Hehe!" Ashley purred happily as they hugged.
 

"Attention crew," came over the intercomms. "The Engi dropships have arrived to deliver you to the governor's buffet. Please assemble outside of the hanger bay doors and enter the dropships. The following personnel will be staying behind: Chief Saladd, Spaceman Taylor, Spaceman Blotts, Consultant Zoss, and Captain Devas. Remaining crew will be attending the buffet; please stay in communication with the ship, in the case of an immediate recall."

 

"Well...we better get going." Ashley said as she reluctantly broke her hug with Rehn. "I wonder if they'll have fish..." 

Edited July 5, 2014 by Princess Anna of Arendelle

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

"I'm sure they'll have fish Ashley. That's a staple at buffets, right?" She asked, reaching up to gently scratch her ears as they began to walk.

[Snelly]

IC: Ashley

 

Ashley's leaned her head into Rehn's shoulder as her ears were scratched. "Mmmmmmm yeah that's true...."

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

Rehn giggled, before kissing Ashley's cheek, "hehe, I'll scratch you some more before bed, deal?"

[Snelly]

IC: Ashley

 

"Deal!" Ashley chirped happily, walking just a little faster toward the hangar. 

[Necro]

IC: Ovechkin's tablet sat on the floor of the crew quarters, howling guitars and blaring drums emanating from its speakers. The Rockman was lying on his bunk, head bobbing to the rhythm as it played. As the last few notes of the song ceased, the computer's message came over the main speaker. With a groan, Ovechkin clambered to his feet, picking up the tablet and heading to the hangar.

[Silvan Haven]

Kenshin Harken

 

IC: "Too long to do so in a fire fight." Harken replied to Skinter. "Anywhere from five to ten minutes depending on how smooth it goes and if I have help."

 

As they made their way through the building he set the HUD on the inside of his sunglasses to start creating a map of the building from what its built in cameras. His head slowly swept back and forth in a motion used by security the galaxy over. It hardly looked like he was tagging just about every object that could be used as a weapon or estimating the best escape routes if they needed to leave in a hurry. Nonetheless, information was flowing to him and commands were being issued at an astounding rate.

 

When they reached the dinning hall he sat down to the right of Ojeda, shifting so that his saber could be easily drawn before picking up the fork beside the plate and taking a small bite of one of the dishes.

 

It was unlikely that they faced any danger from the governor. The rebels posed a higher threat at this point.

[AuRon the champion]

Ic:

 

Rehn quickly picked up her pace as well, keeping up with her partner.

 

She also tried to pretend that she didn't enjoy watching Ashley's tail sway as she walked.

[Alex Humva]

IC [Colonel Ojeda]

 

The dinner proceedings continued on, small talk being made and the Colonel keeping aware of her surroundings. Scope flashes indicated there was already someone here. The mob outside wasn't coordinated, it couldn't be, but any spec ops agent knew that chaos was best for distraction. The Kestrel had only jumped in two hours ago, none of this could be about her crew. It was the ambassador, and galactic chance had put her people in the middle of this diplomatic dispute.

 

She glanced over the ambassador's guard. Two privates, two corporals. Greens, fresh out of bootcamp, though to be assigned to ambassador duty, they must have been top of their units. Still, they lacked the experience needed. Judging by the garrison she saw outside, though, there must have been higher ranking individuals then them. Maybe this was just their rotation. Meanwhile, the Master Sargent was here, lording over some backwater embassy garrison... maybe he made enemies back home.

 

A waiter refilled her glass, and she took a moment to look the Engi over. Engi were hard to read, their true faces obscured behind a visor. Though, as Ojeda considered it, their proper faces weren't much easier to read, distorted from the centuries of never using them. They were prone to very human like behavior, though... and this Engi's fingers were twitching, barely held under control as it walked away.

 

She tapped the table, Harken picking up the code. Bad feeling. Have the ship run sensors.

 

IC [Kestrel Crew]

 

The dropships had flown the assorted crew a short distance, to another high platform. Directing them into the room underneath the platform, the crew was greeted by a wide open conference hall, with all sorts of foods and delicacies littering the tables that themselves littered the hall. It really was a spectacular feast, and a monument to Engi efficiency that they had prepared it on such sort notice.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Though the dinner had been going on for a few minutes, William had drained only half of his initial glass, give or take an eighth of its volume. He drank whenever it was necessitated by custom, and he intermittently took a sip, but overall, he did not consume much. What he did consume was no doubt counterbalanced by his steady intake of food. Every time there was a sip, it was accompanied by a small quantity of food. Normally he'd have been a bit more liberal in his consumption, but right now, he needed his wits about him. 

 

"So, Governor." He began amiably, a broad grin splitting his face. He looked, as he always did when he broached the subject, like a kid on Christmas morning, ogling all the new toys. "I was just telling Estelle on our way here that I'm not very familiar with Engi weaponry. I'm the ship's Weapons Officer, and such devices, ship or handheld, fascinate me. What's the standard for your guards here? I don't think I've seen it before."

[Eevee]

IC

 

When Will spoke her name, Estelle smiled uneasily in a fashion oddly similar to a Barbie posing as a neurosurgeon.... That is not understanding a thing.

 

She probably looked very non-threatening, except for the saber, and prefered to keep it that way. If anything would occur, she'd probably be the least watched. It could give her a few extra shots before they'd catch on.

 

That was, however, only if something happened.

[Xomeron]

IC:

 

Can ate sparingly, just enough to keep up appearances, and didn't drink anything but water; the first was to give him time to react without some sort of crustacean in his mouth. The second was because he had learned long ago not to mix alcohol and space, even on formal occasions.

 

He picked up on the colonel's tapping halfway through, and put things together enough to realize she meant for Harken to hear it.

 

Meanwhile, at the buffet, Zhanar had already found a higher-up engi and was talking business, at present discussing the price of scrap supermetal and whether it would be going up in the foreseeable future.

[Alex Humva]

IC [Engi governor]

 

"[stun rifles, standard across Engi space. I'm surprised you haven't seen it before.]" The governor raised a mechanical eyebrow. "[Perhaps their designs mislead you, weapons for guarding magistrates are produced by a subcollective than standard weapons.]" The governor also raised an eyebrow at Walker's expression. "[is your flight commander drifting off, Colonel?]"

 

"Hmm?" Ojeda glanced over, then returned to her food. "Have to forgive her governor, I don't think she handles her drink very well."

 

And then she noticed it from the corner of her eye; the waiter tapping something out on his wrist. Maybe he was ordering a new set of drinks; but usually, you didn't nervously flinch when getting refreshments.

 

Trouble.

 

It was barely after she had tapped it out that a great thunder came through the room, the sounds of explosions, followed promptly by the sound of a mob charging in. Human screams could be heard, the sound of gunfire as the external defenses were quickly overrun.

 

The governor started to sputter something out, but he was already left behind, trained military minds far ahead of him. The Master Sargent had a rifle out, yelling orders in a language Ojeda didn't recognize as his men grouped around the ambassador. They'd need to evac, and the Kestrel teleporter couldn't get all of them out fast enough. And the roof... was covered by snipers.

 

"Skinter!" Ojeda pulled a pistol from her side, locking a round in. "Get a teleport vector to pull the staff and ambassador out. Harken, we're going be surrounded, did you pack any smoke grenades?"

 

IC [The Crew]

 

At the buffet, things continued to go well, though the keen-eyed observer would notice some odd Engi activity. Odd shuffling about, low Engi whispers, though they were aliens, who knew what it meant.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Engineer Alexandra Humva

[Eevee]

IC

 

Within a second, the dumb expression was gone and the laser pistol was out. She grabbed Will by the arm and pulled him over to the Colonel, placing herself infront of both of them. "Is there anything I can do, Colonel?"

[Alex Humva]

IC [Colonel Ojeda]

 

"Attempt not to get shot." The Colonel took stock of the exits, noting the Master Sargent heading for the stairs with the ambassador. "We may need to make our escape via the tunnels. Roof's a deadzone. Feel like sneaking around in some ventilation shafts?"

[Eevee]

IC

 

"If that's what we need me to do, ma'am." Estelle replied sternly, gun at the ready.

[Xomeron]

IC:

 

Can pulled his pistol from his holster and his submachinegun from his back. "Halik!" He yelled over the din, tossing the submachinegun to the Vendarian ambassador; he'd noticed that she hadn't even brought a sword, so she was the least armed; better yet, he knew she had shock trooper training; giving her the gun made her significantly more deadly without putting anyone else's sword out of the equation. That out of the question, Can flipped the table and ducked behind it while barking orders to the computer. "Computer, teleport those guns I ordered to my location displaced one meter north. Then put all available power into a high-speed recharge and get ready to beam aboard the Ambassador, the majors, and Chastain."

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

William followed Estelle without the slightest bit of argument, saber in hand, and had been from the moment that chaos erupted. While there was no argument, there was a blue streak a mile wide flying furiously from his mouth, with every expletive imaginable, and quite a few that he may have made up. Rather ironically, the Weapons Officer was decidedly lacking in any ranged weapons, something he was very, very irritated about.

 

"I've grown to hate leaving the ship. Can we fit through the vents? More importantly, wouldn't that be expected?"

[Alex Humva]

IC [Colonel Ojeda]

 

"Right." Gunshots had the ambassador fleeing back into the dining room quickly enough, one of the corporals coming back with a shot to the leg. "Walker, with me, we're going get out of here the old fashioned way. Skinter, get everyone beamed out of here."

 

"Colonel Ojeda," the computer's voice came in over her ear. "The sensor array is picking up multiple ships converging on the crew buffet. They are not following standard Engi traffic procedures."

 

"Hostile?"

 

"They do appear to have weapons charging, Colonel."

 

"Can't even get a break in allied space." The Colonel gritted her teeth. "Zokander there?"

 

"No Colonel."

 

"Command officer override, Colonel Palmira Ojeda. Voice verification. Disengage AI sapience safeties one through three. Get the thrusters running and fly to the location, inform crew to prepare for an emergency evac."

 

Daniels voice piped up, the Colonel looking at him. "You? No, you're not going fit, probably not. Me and Walker? We're a bit more lithe. Engi won't expect that, so long as they don't have life sensors active. Of course..." Ojeda grimaced. "There's a greater intelligence at work here. An attack on a Confederate embassy... I want to know who's behind it. I want to know-"

 

The wall burst open, the explosion sending everyone flying back. Grappling hooks were quickly attached, and Engi began pulling themselves into the room, armed with little more than their fists and various bits of rubble. Ojeda, slumped against a wall, was just about ready to meet her maker at that point, but the Engi didn't seem to bother with her or the crew... they were going after the magistrates. A mob beating ensured, but even as Skinter's weapons order teleported in, Ojeda wasn't exactly sure /where/ to shoot without the governor or magistrates getting in the way. The Engi guards were all gone, and the ambassador's guards were just as confused, not sure where to start shooting now.

[Xomeron]

IC:

 

Can kicked the bag full of submachineguns and handguns towards Estelle and Daniels, then, seeing the brawl which had just started, gave up on trying to shoot them. Rather than try to get involved, Can rushed to the wall's new window and quickly slashed through all but one of the cables, figuring that cable might be a good escape route.

 

"Computer, this is Skinter. Start all automated prep sequences on Walker's fighter. Get the teleporter recharged now, dump as much power as the coils can handle." He glanced at Estelle. "Once you're on the ship, we'll need you in the air." Can said, as he took a precisely timed shot at the head of an engi at the edge of the melee. "We're going to have to retrieve the crew, and odds are ten to one we'll need air support to do it."

Edited July 6, 2014 by Xomeron

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Daniels reflexively stopped the bag sliding with his foot, grabbing a submachine gun and a pistol, as well as a spare magazine for both. The mags were tucked into pockets hurriedly and the pistol into his uniform, taking multiple steps back to try and put a little space between himself and the oncoming horde. His side was turned to the mob to present a smaller target, gun raised to take down any advancing enemy.

 

"Skinter, how long til that teleporter can run again?"

[Silvan Haven]

Kenshin Harken

 

IC:Harken was halfway through sending the sensor request to the ship before the initial mob attack on the embassy and Can flipping the table. He swiftly finished sending and took a glance at the feed the ship was now sending him. What he saw caused him to jump over the newly flipped table and shout.

 

"Take cover!"

 

Hardly a second after the blast and before the smoke had even cleared completely Harken was looking back over the top of the table, the HUD picking out the figures of the attacking mob. Pulling out his SMG he opened fire, targeting the closer ones first in an attempt to give them even a few seconds more.

[Xomeron]

IC:

 

"Thirteen seconds." Can said, taking another shot. "Colonel's going up, so is the Ambassador, Chastain, and Walker." Can said, taking another shot at a straggler on the edge of the melee. "You, me, Halik, and Harken will follow next, sir."

Edited July 6, 2014 by Xomeron

[Alex Humva]

IC [Assembled buffet goers]

 

The buffet was going well, conversations carrying on and food being eaten. Then, a low humming noise could be heard, the walls vibrating until finally, explosions racked the room, sending people and tables flying as laser blasts burst in. There was the general screaming, as what appeared to be Engi fightercraft hovered outside, firing in on the gatherings. It lasted a few seconds... until an even larger noise could be heard.

 

With a great wind and the roar of atmospheric thrusters, the Kestrel hovered over the building, its kinetic weapons opening fire on the fighters and forcing them off the building, while the ship maneuvered itself to the side of the building, finding a gap amongst the platforms large enough for it to fit. Airlock opening and bridge extending, the computer's voice came over the crew comms. "Attention crew, emergency procedures have been activated. Please board the Kestrel immediately and go to battle stations."

[Eevee]

IC

 

Estelle clicked her comm, frowning a bit. "Landes, Deuce. Get to the hanger and get ready to go."

Edited July 6, 2014 by Queen Elsa of Arendelle

[Havelock Vetinari]

OOC: Picked a bad time for family move night, evidently.

 

Amistad, in case you were curious.

 

IC (Ameli)

 

Ameli had, the moment the attack came, upended a nearby piece of furniture and hunkered down behind it. Someone had been kind enough to leave a pistol laying about on the floor, she rather thought it went well with her dagger. At the moment, however, whilst still a safe distance away from the mindless violence that came with aliens embracing their true natures, she was not certain, who, exactly, she should be shooting. She care little for the Engi government on a personal level, but an incident of any sort would have...ah, consequences.

[Constructelf]

IC Geburah

The ambassador, who had been sitting off to the side of the buffet (as physical consumption of food just wasn't a thing for him), immediately reacted when the alert came on. Dashing for the bridge, he dove into the comm seat and began analyzing oncoming communications. [What is going on?] Finding the comm channel to the Colonel and the Engi Governor, he spoke twice, once in English, and the second time in what he assumed to be the Trojan Engi dialect as best as he could pronounce it. [should we prepare for a breach?] He looked out at the humongous mob that had gathered. [should I address them?]

 

IC Vincent

Vincent was still under the sink (his hit on the head had caused a leak) when the announcement was made. "What now?!" he yelled, as he gathered his tools and ran for the armory.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Last Son Amakusa

[Necro]

OOC: Picked a bad time for family move night, evidently.

 

Amistad, in case you were curious.

 

OOC: I see you and I had the same idea. My mom got to pick the movie this time, so we watched Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

 

IC: "Now we get ready for a fight." Ovechkin bellowed. He climbed out from behind an overturned table, picking it up and carrying it onboard the ship. "Mess hall could use a table this size."

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

IC: "You heard the ship, get aboard!" Zokander yelled, dropping the delicious shrimp canape he'd been snacking on. He didn't bother going for his weapon, if there were any hostiles in the room it was unlikely he could take them out with his pistol. 

Nor did he wait to make sure everyone else got on the ship before making his own way over the ramp and towards the bridge. It would have been a noble act to be sure, but there was a time for nobility and a time for practicality. The summons from the Kestrel had been from the voice of that AI construct they'd created, not from the Colonel, Chastain or Daniels. Which meant the top brass were still at their fancy shindig. And it seemed a sensible conclusion that if you were going to go after the crew at the buffet you'd hit the officers at the dinner too, meaning Ojeda and her lot were likely also under fire, leaving them out of the picture. That left Zokander as one of the highest ranking senior officers present, and certainly the most senior in terms of age and experience. It wouldn't do any good if he got killed by hostiles waiting to check everyone at the buffet was safe.

 

When he reached the bridge he briefly considered taking the captain's chair, but eventually settled on his own navigator's position. Why? Well, the ship hadn't come for them on its own, someone had to have given it instructions even if it were only 'Go now'. That someone may have also left standing orders that he would defer to if indeed they existed. 

 

"Mister...er, Ship," Zokander asked out loud, "Status report. Any instructions or messages? And what kind of hostile are we up against here."

[Alex Humva]

IC [Computer]

 

"The command staff are under attack but steadily teleporting back. Assume the piloting chair and head towards the waypoint." The computer ran a check to make sure everyone was in, the airlock bridge retracting and the ship beginning to thrust away as the Engi fighters scattered. More concerning to the ship, though, was the impending arrival of what appeared to be a dozen Engi police craft, each maybe half its size.

 

IC [Colonel Ojeda]

 

"Hold on the daring escape through the ventilation shafts plan for the moment," the Colonel was trying to pick out her comm chatter. "Geburah, these are Engi insurgents, I think your silver tongue will be better served explaining to the authorities what just happened. Computer, ETA?" Walker's form dematerialized next to Ojeda, the teleporter bringing her back to the ship. Be a brief cooldown and then Ojeda would be hauling back as well. Despite some preconceived notions Skinter might have had, the computer had heard her right when she ordered all the command staff but herself beamed in the first go.

 

The immediate concern, now, became the fact that the Engi mob had quite effectively beaten to a pulp the various officials and elite, and now the couple dozen or so of the mob turned to the humans, visors blinking as they wondered what exactly to do. Eventually one decided they'd come all this way, might as well clean house, and soon the entire mob was upon them. Swords clashed on Engi metal and rifles went off, a chaotic scene as the mob tried their best to beat the humans into the ground.

[avmatoran]

IC:
Gaven readied his crystal rifle, taking up a guard position outside the bridge. "Computer," he called. "What's the situation?"

[Necro]

IC: "Smart money says we're in for a fight." Ovechkin answered. The botanist was already dressed in combat armor and firearms, having gone straight to the armory after the ship's personnel check. "Use stun weaponry, even if they're impeding us, these Engi will be police officers, and the resulting fallout of killing law enforcement likely does not need explanation."

[Eevee]

IC

 

Once teleported onto the ship, Estelle quickly ran toward the hanger. She clicked her comm, connecting her with her fighters. "You guys better be there."

[Alex Humva]

IC [The Computer]

 

"Mr. Ovechkin, such violent methods will not be necessary; I doubt the local law enforcement will board a military craft." The ship continued onward, orbital thrusters warming as it began to ascend. "The situation is dire, Mr. Gaven, but we seem to be handling ourselves. The remaining crew will be teleporting aboard soon enough, at which point we will enter orbit."

 

IC [Colonel Ojeda]

 

Having dismembered and/or gutted seven Engi, Ojeda looked over the now empty room. Mobs were powerful because of their sheer numbers, but the Confederacy was familiar with mob tactics; it was what the Mantis used. With no organization, it had been a simple matter of shooting and slashing, though she was fairly sure the cuts she'd taken were going get infected. Pulling the nearby Master Sargent up, she looked out the gaping hole, seeing a rather sizable mob still outside.

 

"We're going have to explain this, aren't we?" The teleporter came on, Ojeda and her security detail beaming up. Once she re-materialized, she wasted no time heading to the bridge. "Computer, get the authorities on the comms, send them what we know of the situation. You, Gaven, keep looking sharp, and might want to grab onto something, gravity plates can be finicky when accelerating to orbital speeds." 

[avmatoran]

IC:
"Yes ma'am," Gaven saluted as he went just inside the bridge's door and grabbed onto the safety rail around the room.

[Shadowhawk]

IC: [ Wulf Kharon ] - UFS Kestrel / Deck 2 / bridge

The Kestrel's resident privateer, by now fully armed, armored, and ready for action, stood by for just that. Action. Which somehow, he moodily reflected, always seemed to come at just the wrong moments.

What a great pity he hadn't been able to grab another cherry tart on the way out of the buffet room.