Skyrise

[Nato G]

GM IC: Taurek - Tesara. 

 

Ignoring the prisoner's sardonic remarks, the guards escorted Taurek to a holding cell in the inner city. Only a few short minutes after he was locked inside, a Glatorian in grey-blue armour arrived, standing before the bars with a tired expression on her face.

 

"I'm told you have information pertinent to an ongoing investigation," Captain Jira said tiredly, "So, let's hear it." 

______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

GM IC: Ennanas - New Atero. 

 

As the mighty hunter flew past her quarry, it's true nature would become clear. The beast was not one creature, but many. Dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of four-legged spidery things, fused and melted together into one monstrous amalgamation. 

 

It's hide was a mismatched patchwork of misshapen carapaces, eyes unseeing, mandibles twitching. Elongated legs and distended pincers protruded haphazardly from the monster's multi-hued hide, dragging it across the ground with reflexive, twitching movements. And then it's head came fully into view... a head that was not one head, but several, loosely connected to form a wide, unclosing maw, rimmed by dozens of hinges mouthparts. Here, the creature's eyes glowed with life, peering out in every direction. 

 

Several of those eyes fixed themselves on Ennanas... and there was recognition in their gaze. 

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - Holding cell

 

I walked up to the bars, crossing my arms.

 

I considered keeping the information to myself but I wanted out of here as soon as possible.

 

"I was involved in both of a standoff and dogfight between both the Vortixx you were looking for and another unknown Skakdi. He was thin, and looked to be a Ta-Skakdi. I saw that Vortixx take off originally in a slim Jetrax, with modified stealth engines. I'd seen that mod on both spies and mercenaries before, so I was suspicious. So, I followed her, and that Ta-Skakdi popped up as well. At one point, we all landed and got into a standoff, which was broken by a Zesk swarm, which we retreated from. The last I saw of the Vortixx was her being chased by that Ta-Skakdi."

 

My arms gripped the bars.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Jira - Tesara.

 

"How do you know this Vortixx was the one we're looking for?" Jira stifled a yawn, then folded her arms, "When did this take place, where were they going? We need details, not vague statements." 

[Ehksidian]

IC: Ennanas - Analyzing her quarry

 

The beast was bizarre - a strange amalgam of hundreds of spiderlike beings. She could hardly tell which eyes were the real eyes, and which ones were simply useless...that is, until the monster looked at her. She suppressed a shudder. Hunters were not intimidated by their prey. They were superior to it.

 

But this thing was still unnerving.

 

Ennanas tried to think of a plan. Clearly, her harpoon wouldn't work on this beast since it wasn't a singular entity. She would spear one, maybe two of the smaller things that made it up and little else. The only logical thing to do would be to hit it with the force blasters, until it shattered. And the most logical place to aim was the head. The spider creatures that made up the body seemed dead, almost, which made Ennanas think that there was some unifying thing in the head. The spiders in the body weren't capable of independent movement...hopefully.

 

Her ship turned, and she aimed her ship downwards at the monster. Her force blasters fire out one - two - three shots each as she swooped downwards, each shot aimed at the monstrous creature's head. Ennanas pulled her ship upwards, avoiding the creature by a significant margin...that is, if it didn't try and lean upwards to attack her.

 

It was going to be a long hunt.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - In holding cell

 

"This took place earlier today, as for where they were going, I dunno. We were pretty far into the desert, but if I were to say any place....Cliffside. And, to be completely honest to you, Captain, I don't know 100% if she is the one you're looking for, but I'm a bounty hunter. Finding criminals is kind of my job."

 

I stepped away from the bars from a second, stretching.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Something Nasty - New Atero. 

 

A screech of pain and rage tore itself free of the creature's multi-mouth, as the barrage of projectiles from Ennanas, the guards, and even a few wild shots from some of the neighbouring watchtowers, battered its patchwork carapace. It surged forwards, flinging itself bodily against the city wall. 

 

It was well known that much of New Atero's walls were made up of segments of plating salvaged from the GSR, before it had vanished into The Chasm. In other words, it was impervious to practically all conventional weaponry. Unfortunately for the guards upon that section of the wall, however, the creature didn't need to damage the metal itself. The weight of its body, and the strength behind the blow, buckled the struts and bracing that held the section upright, bending the wall backwards on a sharp angle. 

 

Cries began to fill the night as dozens of dislodged guards plummeted to their deaths on the hard ground below. 

 

But the creature wasn't yet done. It heaved more of its body up onto the wall, the weight threatening to send an entire half-kio-long portion of the wall crashing down onto the rooftops of the city below...

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

GM IC: Jira - Tesara. 

 

"And you waited all this time to inform us?" The Glatorian glowered at her captive, "Giving the beings you just described a whole days' head start, if not more? Not only that, but my guards inform me that you tried to extort a preemptive reward out of them." 

Edited March 5, 2017 by Nato The Traveler

[Timageness]

IC: Saffina - The Wastes (The Crimson Takea)

 

"Either that, or this particular group somehow managed to get their hands on some pretty advanced weaponry, or possibly even a few vehicles of their own," she stated. "As powerful as those native Thornax fruits can be, hitting an airship in mid-flight with one would be quite the feat, especially if you factor in that the attack likely originated from down in the valley. Understandably so, I'm a bit skeptical that the entire lot of them were able to pull off such a shot with enough repetition to bring down something of that size."

Ever so slightly tearing open the pouch containing her main course, she activated one of her miniaturised Heatstone bags before gently popping it inside and waiting for the meal to cook itself.

"Aside from them, however, we should also keep an eye out for other incoming vessels. Tesara probably won't start looking for the crew or cargo anytime soon, considering they might not even expect them to return yet, nor should they have received word about the crash, as I have it on good authority that there were only two survivors, both of whom were still in Cliffside when we departed. That being said, I've been doing things like this for quite a while now, and there have been more than a few occasions where a shifty contact has decided to re-sell their information to other prospective buyers after coin has already exchanged hands, so I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up running into some... competition at one point or another, either."

[Ehksidian]

IC: Ennanas - Under Pressure

 

The creature wailed in agony as shots pepepred its ghastly form. Ennanas grinned happily as she turned round, ready to fire off another round of shots...only to see the beast pressing itself upon New Atero's wall. She cursed silently to herself. It was playing dirty. She flew towards the beast, her engines humming, ready to kick into overdrive at any moment. With a yell, she fired off her ship's harpoon, aiming it directly in the middle of the creature's amalgamated head. The carapaces were fused enough that, potentially, she could pull the creature away...or, at least, rip off a portion of its head if the harpoon embedded itself.

 

She desperately hoped it would embed itself. A firm, boosted tug to the left or right could help pull it off the wall, and keep it from falling. She was a hunter, and hunting beasts for New Atero was her job.

[Coconut Fella]

IC: Threiaa - The Moa

"What the karz was that?" Threiaa said as Ailun darted out of the cargo hold.

She followed after him, taking a moment to secure the Riveter at her waist.

 

IC: Tveke - Alleys ---> Marketplace, Tesara

I was in just as much of a rush to get back to the marketplace as I was to leave it. I skidded to halt in the square, greeted with deserted ruin.

"Hoo boy. No wonder my mind slipped," I said.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Coconut Fanatic

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus - fine dining/whining

 

"We have two armed combat vehicles and a transport vessel." Dessimus monotoned. "That isn't going to be much of a problem unless someone has a fleet."

 

"No, what I want to know is does something powerful enough to knock that airship out of the sky with one hit still sit down there?" He leaned forwards earnestly, ignoring the meal pack temporarily. "We're marching into there without a clue in the world what's waiting inside. And you say the only problem we have are ships and Vorox?"

 

He leaned back, snatching his meal pack and looking it over. "These are the wastes, mind you. The habitat is not known for its friendliness."

[Nato G]

GM IC: ??? - The Wastes.

 

While the crew of the Crimson Takea debated their next move, an ever-growing crowd of eyes gathered in the darkness, their owners engaging in a very similar discussion, in a very different language... 

[permanentlyExtinct]

IC: Ektana - playing with the food

 

She fiddled with her meal pack and stared at the bloody dots on the map.

"He's quite right, y'know." Ektana said, pointing to the 'Velmes' guy. "We can find absolutely anything out there. I'm honestly starting to doubt that it was Vorox shooting down that airship."

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Armani - The Wastes Near New Atero

 

She grinned over her shoulder, and noted that the being appeared to be fully mechanical, as far as she could see. Certainly, their injuries to their legs had no flesh components to them. She tactfully moved her hand from the first aid kit to her toolbox.

 

"I'll certainly give you a ride back, fellow Guardsman! I was simply out here for fresh air after a shift. Before we leave, I can perform some patch repairs if necessary-" Her attention was drawn by the flare, burning in the sky like a star. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and then she said to her companion, "Will you be able to last the ride back? There's an emergency situation. I can tie you to the side of the ship, but time is of the essence."

 

She reached into her ship for a rope. "If you cannot wait, I can assist you with patch repairs for the ride home. But if you can, I will just drop you off inside the city."

 

~

 

IC: Rorohiko - Time Out Table, Capstone

 

He ceased his comforting pats of solidarity, too. "Thank goodness. My arm was getting tired. I guess we should head over to the markets, then? I don't think they'll be closed. To be fair, I'm not sure when they do close, but... yeah."

 

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of aforementioned markets.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - In holding cell

 

"Yeah well, my ship got up in that dogfight with the Skakdi and the Vortixx. I wasn't prepared to give that info out for free, repairs cost quite a bit, you know?" I said, sitting back in my chair in the cell.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Jira - Tesara.

 

"I'm sure my guards explained to you that that's not how rewards work." 

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - In Holding Cell

 

"Well if they didn't, I wouldn't be here, would I?" I said.

 

"There anything else you want or are you gonna let me out?" 

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus - Brains, Anyone?

 

Well, that was the first useful thing the Skakdi had said this entire time. He nodded his appreciation; he wasn't afraid to show it when he had it to show.

 

"I'm not saying I want to bomb out. But maybe it would have a bit wiser to inform us we were walking into a potential den of something horrible and monstrous before we got on board, so at the very least we could prepare for that sort of thing." He picked idly at his block of unidentifiable 'food' called nutritious servings. At least he was getting a square meal.

 

"What kind of cargo are we expecting to find down there? loose materials, intact containers? And... Did this thing have a black box, at the least?"

[Timageness]

IC: Saffina - The Wastes (The Crimson Takea)

 

Turning towards Ektana, the Vortixx surprisingly agreed.

"Not of the Bara Magnan variety, no; from my experience, they're more prone to start burrowing back into the ground with their tails tucked between their legs upon having a couple of flares shot at them. Word is, however, that their Bota Magnan cousins never suffered from such regression, thus leaving both their intelligence and mental faculties relatively intact. Given the current situation, I'd say that it's much more likely that we're dealing with the latter, though expecting some of the former to be amongst them might be for the best as well."

Returning her focus to "Velmes," she took a moment to compose herself once again before attempting to address his concerns.

"The primary goal of this operation is to secure the cargo from the wreckage, not to go blindly gallivanting off towards their main camp, where they'll clearly have the advantage in terrain and numbers. We're here to get what we came for, deal with anything that gets in our way, and then get out. Anything else beyond that is outside of our mission parameters. And considering that such a weapon already is in the possession of said Vorox, chances are that they would try to use it on us if given the chance, yes. As for whether or not it's still somewhere down in the valley, the odds of that still being the case are quite high, provided, of course, that it isn't mobile. Fortunately, the route we're taking right now won't be bringing us anywhere near there, so unless it can somehow magically shoot through cliffs, we should be safely out of its range."

"Assuming that these two locations sat along the ship's original course, it's intended destination was probably Cliffside. Since it departed from Tesara, some of its contents are most definitely going to be a various assortment of rations, though the possibility of it containing vehicle components and or weaponry shouldn't be entirely discounted yet, either. We won't know exactly what it was carrying onboard until the actual manifest has been located, but I highly doubt the crew would've even attempted such a journey without at least a few different forms of protection."

Continuing to make similar preparations for the rest of her pouches, Saffina eventually ended up picking up her spoon before beginning to twirl it around with her fingers.

"The notice I put up in Capstone should've been enough to give you both an idea as to what exactly you were getting yourselves into, while simultaneously lessening the likelihood of hiring the occasional Karz-Head who only pretends to join up, soley in the hopes of bailing at the last possible second and making off with the loot themselves. Vagueness, subtlety, and deception ensure that you survive in this business, and I personally plan on living for a long, long time."

Edited March 5, 2017 by Timageness

[permanentlyExtinct]

IC: Ektana - Not fully convinced

 

She frowned at Saffina, not quite satisfied with the anwser. 

[Click]

IC: Mirror - Tesara Streets

 

Mirror watched the remains of the market grimly. Stalls were overturned and broken, and he couldn't help but feel they wouldn't be if he was there. It was foolish, but the guilt still weighed him down. "Come on," he sighed. "I think your cart was over here..."

 

 

IC: Ailun - The Moa (Outside New Atero)

 

For a moment, Ailun was frozen in horror as he watched the monstrosity assail the walls despite the peppering of shots from all around. Then he was running to the hangar door switch to get it closed. "We gotta move."

 

 

IC: Fifteen - Capstone

 

"Yeah, let's get out of here..." She jumped up and got ready to go when, with a start, she turned behind them, but the Onu-Matoran was nowhere to be seen.

[Ghidora131]

~snip~

IC Dessimus - not the food that's too salty

 

He glanced at Ektana. The disappointment in the response was evident upon her features, and Dessimus' were not much farther off.

 

"That is by no means satisfactory, Saffina. Firstly, Vorox are always Vorox, and they would much rather fight over a weapon capable of a hit like that rather than all agree to use it on an airship, and also know how to aim it properly. Secondly..."

 

He paused to take a small bite of the meal pack. "Secondly, if the Vorox were that capable of using a weapon like that, they would also have smuggled away anything they could get their hands on that looked potentially useful or valuable, making our entire mission pointless. But you must have thought of that in your incredible planning, so you must have known that at least some of the cargo would still be here... I assume."

 

"And finally, you really haven't provided a reason for there not being something much more powerful than the Vorox around." He almost groaned as he said that. "I'm not asking for a death charge into the main camp of the botabarawhatchacalla Vorox, I'm not looking for a plan of attack."

 

"Do you have a plan of retreat?"

Edited March 5, 2017 by Ghidora131

[Coconut Fella]

IC: Threiaa - The Moa

The tower's collapse rumbled over the sand. Threiaa's eyes were wide beneath her goggles, dumbstruck by the monstrosity now assaulting the walls of New Atero. Ailun's voice refocused her, and she ran to take his place at the switch.

"Get to the bridge and drive this thing, then!" Her voice rose, joining the cacophony of screams rolling in from the city, "I'll batton down the hatches,"

 

IC: Tveke - Central Marketplace, Tesara

Sweepin the square with my sight, I followed after the guard.

"What's your name again, bud?"

I turned over a large tarp, and scowled at the obvious lack of "cart".

"Don't remember if I've asked before,"

 

IC: 042 - The Wastes, Outside New Atero

"I will survive, the damage is not critical to my continued existence."

The guard hopped closer to the vessel.

"However, I am a member of the guard too. I insist upon preventing a calamitous end to my city."

Standing still with it's back to the ship, the robot dropped like a plank onto the ship's side.

"Now tie me to your vessel. Please."

 

IC: Bai Bai - Babylon

The weird thing about owning an airship is that, without even having to move it anywhere, you automatically become a captain. Kind of an interesting fun fact, really. I've thought about it a lot, sitting in my "captain's chair" on the bridge, or in my "captain's quarters", lying on the "captain's bed" that I've formed an inverted shape of myself into. I really didn't think of these things as "the captain's", they were just mine. My chair, my bed, and so on and so on.

Right at this moment, my robes and headgear lay haphazardly on the chair at my desk, while I lay in the scoop of my bed that hugged my short form. I'd already finished the papers I had on Great Being hygienics, so I was settled in for some pleasure reading to keep me occupied until fatigue took over and sent me sleeping. I'd felt better than I had all day.

Until something shook the glasses from off my face.

I didn't move, I just sat there, bewildered. What on bara magna was that?? Then another quake, followed by a blood-curdling shriek that echoed through the air.

I was sprinting for the bridge in a triple heart-beat.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Coconut Fanatic

[silo]

IC: Kathok - Above the Wastes

 

Kathok can't help himself: "Why did you attack me?!" he roars back. Any fool could see he's still furious, but at least he's not attacking, at least not yet.

[Onaku]

IC: Drukann - Above Wastes

"I could ask you the same thing on Silvana's account. I'll tell you though, I thought I recognized the ship you were attacking, and felt you were a bit overzealous in your hounding of her. As a result, I decided to intervene... although it may have been a bit brash of a decision." Drukann lifted up his bottle and took a look at it. It was half empty. "Sorry about your ship, by the way. I can give you a lift to a settlement if you promise to cease hostilities."

[Click]

IC: Mirror - Tesara Streets

 

"M-Mirror," he muttered, wincing at the memories behind it. Things were different now. He had found his place here.

 

 

IC: Ailun - The Moa (Outside New Atero)

 

Ailun nodded and bolted deeper into the ship, weaving under pipes, crawling through corridors, and flinging himself up ladders to get to the bridge as fast as possible. As he came skidding into it, he quickly got to work warming up the engines.

[permanentlyExtinct]

IC: Ektana - The Wastes (The Crimson Takea)

 

It was now Ektana who nodded to 'Velmes'. He voiced all the concerns in her head that she couldn't fully put in words, and she was rather thankful to him for this.

"And even if they do have that weapon or whatever, isn't that a little weird? We're talking sand people who possibly somehow own a big gun outta nowhere in the middle of the desert. It must be one karz of a canon to shoot down an airship, too." Ektana pointed, although her tone was a bit more respectful compared to her "companion". Saffina was the host afterall, she does deserve some credit for not throwing them off the ship the moment they started talking.

 

___________________________

 

IC: Parii - I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me

 

Parii glanced from behind the table he'd been hiding and found the troublesome group slowly getting up from their table.

 

"I guess we should head over to the markets, then?" Said the Onu-Matoran.

 

So they are going to the markets...

Parii stood up and went towards the markets himself. There was no point in making the group uncomfortable, he'll just follow them more once they get there. I have nothing to lose, do I?

[Nato G]

IC: Taurek - In Holding Cell

 

"Well if they didn't, I wouldn't be here, would I?" I said.

 

"There anything else you want or are you gonna let me out?"

 

GM IC: Jira - Tesara.

 

"Let him out," Jira gestured for one of the guards to open the door. Once the cell was open, she pointed at the building's exit, "Now get out of here, bruiser. Don't try to extort my guards in future, or you'll find yourself back in here." 

Edited March 6, 2017 by Nato The Traveler

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - Exiting guard building

 

The cell door opened and I exited just as quickly, taking my sword back from one of the guards at the exit.

 

I stepped out into the night, and mentally checked to see if I could remember where a mechanic's place was.

 

Deciding I couldn't I set out to find one, walking through the considerably less busy streets.

 

OOC: Taurek searching for a mechanic

[Click]

IC: Garuda - Tesara Streets

 

A low hum echoed through the narrow alleys of Tesara. Many had already come to know that sound and instinctively ducked their heads even before the streak of lime and silver raced by a mere fraction of a bio above them. Sparks flew as the manic driver took a sharp turn, skidding against the opposite wall before recovering her balance.

 

When it came to the mail, no one delivered quite like Garuda.

 

Her sharp eyes picked out the address she had been handed ahead, and she pulled up on the throttle, bringing The Sand Bat to a screeching halt over the head of a rough-looking grey bruiser before dropping down just behind him. Garuda didn't seem to notice as she flipped out of the cockpit before her craft touched down and gave a sharp rap on the door. She rocked impatiently on her heels while she waited for it to open...

 

 

OOC: Lucky Taurek.

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Armani - Making New Additions To Her Vehicle

 

"Your dedication is admirable, citizen," she said, beginning the task of tying her companion to the side of the ship. "And I certainly understand your feelings. But there would be no honour lost in an injured guard staying out of a fight, and I cannot promise that I will be able to protect you- though I will try, of course. You are injured, and you will be vulnerable. I not anyone else will think less of you for finding help for yourself instead, or assisting with tending to the wounded, if it is needed. Besides, as you may have noticed, my ship is designed for ramming opponents. You would likely not fare well between THESE Guns and an adversary, and so I will not be able to perform this manoeuvre if necessary."

 

She paused in her knot-tying to place a hand on the being's shoulder. "Everyone wishes to be a hero, fellow Guard. We all want to fight for our home. But there are people who will need your help on the ground, people who are hurt or need help getting to safety. Even simply being able to calm the citizens and assure them the situation is under control will help. Think deeply about what is wise for your wellbeing- from what I could see, you cannot walk at speed, but if you must, you can help with the wounded or with calming the citizens. Are you sure you want to stay tied to the ship?"

 

~

 

IC: Rorohiko - NERD CREW On The Move

 

"Ah, shoot," said Rorohiko, missing Fifteen's jolt as he rustled in his bag. "Sorry, I completely forgot. It's not fair for you guys to have to help me for free. Usually guards are hired for this, but I dunno if anyone's paying you and I'd hate to make you follow me around without being paid."

[Onaku]

IC: Eiyu - New Atero

Having only recently returned from patrol and laid down on her bed, Eiyu was quickly shaken awake by the noises coming from the outskirts of the city. She rushed out, quickly taking to the air and flying to the outskirts, where a horrifying visage met her eye. A monstrosity, composed of uncountable mangled spider corpses, was assaulting the city.

 

 

IC: Porangi - Aqua Magna

Porangi hoped he'd reach the bottom soon. This descent was starting to get a bit boring.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Something Nasty - New Atero. 

 

An renewed, ear-splitting screech ripped through the night, as Ennanas' harpoon punched into the monstrous amalgamation's carapace-encased multi-skull with a sound like splintering wood.

 

Sickly green ichor spurted freely from the wound, and the monster thrashed in pain, sliding partially back onto the ground as its many deformed limbs writhed wildly. 

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - Streets of Tesara

 

A skyfighter barreled through the street, barely missing the top of my head and stopping right behind me.

 

Angrily I span round, and ran towards the little zesk kid inside the ship.

 

"HEY! WHAT THE KARZ WAS THAT?!" I yelled, furiously.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Aussie Bane

[Click]

IC: Garuda - Tesara Streets

 

"Whoa!" Within a flash, Garuda had scampered up to a second-floor windowsill, and stared down at the bruiser with wide, frightened eyes while she chittered nervously. "Uh... Tesara Delivery Service?"

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - Tesara Streets

"YOU NEARLY TOOK MY HEAD OFF!" I yelled at the creature.

 

For some reason I had not noticed the creature was a zesk yet.

[Click]

IC: Garuda - Tesara Streets

 

"Hehe..." she chuckled awkwardly, rubbing her claws together.

 

The recipient of her letter chose this moment to open the door before promptly slamming it shut again upon seeing the angry bruiser.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - Tesara Streets

 

I suddenly noticed how small the creature was. It was at least 2 times smaller than myself, and it looked like a child zesk.

 

I felt a tinge of guilt for yelling at them.

 

"Sorry. Just be more careful next time."

[Click]

IC: Garuda - Tesara Streets

 

Garuda's head ticked to the side, and she slowly climbed down above the door to look at Taurek closer. "You're big," she observed.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - Tesara Streets

 

Well, she was certainly observant. I certainly was bigger than most people, bar maybe the stuck up Elites back on Stelt.

 

"And you're small." I responded simply. Her voice seemed to indicate youth, as I suspected.

[Click]

IC: Garuda - Tesara Streets

 

Garuda nodded sagely, then seemed to lose interest entirely as she swung back to the door, dangling upside-down by her tail. Another quick knock, and then she slipped the letter inside as the owner peeked out.

 

Still hanging from the doorframe, she spun back to Taurek with arms crossed. "Bigger than most of the biomechs I've seen, at least."