sunflower

IC: The subtle, eerie blue glow of hyperspace emanated from the freighter's viewports. Just as it had for the past few hours as the Badger made the journey through the liquid landscape of the alternate dimension. Mesmerizing, sure, but equally as unsettling. A small ping from the YT-2400's control console indicated that the route was complete, the sound preceding the amorphous shapes of hyperspace resolving themselves to pinpricks of light. Suspended among them the pale green marble of Dantooine, slowly increasing in size in the viewport as the Badger accelerated towards it. Something wasn't quite right about the planet, at first it was nothing more than a strange sense of unease that permeated the recycled air of the freighter, but the source of it became more and more apparent as they got closer. Sharp, dagger-like shapes cut through the green backdrop of the planet itself, the largest of which unmistakable from the sheer scale alone. The Imperial fleet above their destination was a rather large wrinkle in their plan. Kaal took a deep breath. She could curse her thrice ####ed Chiss brainstem and its hunches, but that wouldn't exactly be useful at the current moment--nor would it be conducive to this minor problem not becoming a Major One. One blue finger reached out and tapped the intraship communicator. That same intuition told her the passengers were going to want to land regardless of the Imperials, that they had some purpose here beyond running. The Chiss method of navigation through space was much like navigation through time. Even if you forgot how to sky-walk, you still kept your sense for when your actions were being guided by something else. "Captain Kaal speaking. We've arrived in the Dantooine system, but we have some... imperial entanglements to avoid. If you wanted to lie low here, I'm afraid we just stepped in a pretty big mess. Taking us in for a landing." She tapped over to the communication channel, opening it to the ringing frequency. "Captain Kaal of the Mossy Badger speaking. Go ahead, I'm listening." The response that came over the comm was clipped and cool, bearing the unmistakable core-world accent that permeated the ranks of the Imperial forces. "Mossy Badger this is Behemoth, this space is under Imperial control, submit your manifest and flight plan immediately. Failure to comply will result in immediate use of force." Kaal pinched the bridge of her nose, looking at the stars through the front viewport of the Badger. Even as long as it had been, she could tell the Imperials were mostly trying to intimidate smaller craft while their eyes were firmly on the New Republic Fleet parked right in front of them. She could probably have submitted a flight plan scrawled on a blaster receipt with a manifest that listed the Death Star plans and they wouldn't have read it. Still, when on Coruscant... "Sending the manifest and plan now, Behemoth," Kaal responded, nodding to E3 to send it over. The flight plan listed the capital city of Tanniko as the destination, which was the truth. It gave passenger transport as the purpose, which was also the truth. It also listed two passengers, Erzibek Dann and Calliope Yohanna, two humans. That was a lie. A Wookie and Twi'lek together wasn't the most common traveling party, probably best if she didn't tell the Imperials. Besides, wasn't like the people in question would get irritated she was stealing their identities. Or, well, feel many emotions at all at this point. “Acknowledged Badger. If you deviate from your designated flight path you will be apprehended.” The last half gave the air of a threat more than a warning, but their path seemed clear even as Kaal maneuvered her ship around the Imperial battlefleet, the multi-kilometer warships filling the majority of the viewport as they approached. A tension hung among the flotilla, an ordered rigidity to their formation that spoke to a readiness. The reason for which became clear as the small freighter cleared the massive bulk of the dagger-shaped Super Star Destroyer that hung as the fleet’s centerpiece. Across the empty void that separated them from the planet itself sat another massive collection of ships, far more eclectic in design and makeup than the Imperial fleet, but just as imposing. While too far away to make out details given their low orbits, the red livery and opposition to the Imperial fleet narrowed down the possibilities to very few other powers in the sector. It was becoming more clear that the Imperials had much bigger problems to worry about than a single small freighter. It only took a few minutes to cross the intervening space between the two fleets, a no-man’s land marked with nothing but emptiness. This time a communication came through unprompted, a short message that confirmed transponder identification, and giving clearance for a flight path along with a rather solemn “safe flying” attached to the end of the message. Making good on her connections, it seems. There wasn’t time to relax though, as the red glow of atmospheric entry lit up the particle shields, slowly dissipating to the green masses of Dantooine proper...

oh boy Top Side Front Angled Bottom what could this possibly be

fresh mint

stay tuned folks, there's more worldbuilding coming in the near future. can't stop won't stop.

nooooooooo don't spoil the surprisearino brooo

Near death experiences are Kane Ra dung. u didn't think i'd let you just post this thing we've been working on for months without announcing it to the rest of the world now did you @Krayzikk

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [OF92/EVA, Combat Space] Vali tracked the increasingly large IFF designators that made up the augmented view provided by her HUD with the M41 as the two of them rocketed forward to engage directly with the corvettes' escort. Despite herself she flinched ever so slightly as Markov flipped the booster frame around to hug the surface of their assigned target's hull. There was something uniquely exhilarating, and terrifying, about the completely open seating arrangements on the frame. She felt a pang deep in her chest as they swung around the back end of the corvette, the booster frame's shields flaring ever so slightly from the backwash from the ship's gigantic engine array, though it was difficult to say whether it was from her hearts momentarily disagreeing with the human dampener fields, or as a result of her own anticipation. She paid it little mind, Markov's maneuver put them in perfect position to attack. Vali felt the rhythmic thunk thunk thunk as the explosive warheads on the side of their frame deployed, her link to the craft relaying their targeting information before her eyes. This was it. She squeezed the weapon's trigger, and it responded in kind as the barrels spun up and unloaded into the formation of banshees ahead. She could hear it fire through her grip on the controls, a sharp report of explosives combined with the cacophony of moving parts signature to the human's primitive projectile weaponry. Though it was far cry from the hum of plasma rounds she was used to, she couldn't argue with the hardened slugs' effectiveness on the lightly shielded banshees before them. Then they were moving again, with another gut-wrenching maneuver that brought them one again close to the corvette's hull to avoid getting outmaneuvered by their more numerous foe. And presenting her a nearly unobstructed field of fire for the escort ships that survived their initial attack. Clever, Spartan. Taking the human's classification of the vehicle as ammunition to heart, Vali opted to open up with the chaingun once again, forgoing conservation of ammo for a wall of uranium rounds that lanced out into the blackness of space and towards the banshees as she walked the tracers closer on target.

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [OF92/EVA, Combat Space] From her position at the back of the booster frame Vali watched as the Madrigal's hangar gave way to bleak dark nothingness. Sound dropped away, and she felt the clunk of mechanisms through her boots as the piece of ammunition was deployed out onto the retaining arms. For a moment she saw nothing but blackness, the light from the destroyer's hangar drowning out the pinpricks of light that normally accompanied it. And then the clamps released, and the two of them were bound just by a skeletal frame of weapons and engines. A hum she felt all the way up into her jaw accompanied the activation of said engines, as well as the slightly nauseous sensation of the vehicle's buffer field keeping her in place as they accelerated away from the Madrigal. Stars resolved themselves in her HUD's augmented view as the light faded away, and the small element in the top right turned from yellow to blue as the frame's weapon safeties were disabled. Experimentally she gave the controls a cursory feel, and the turret rotated in kind to face forward. <<Gauss charging.>> Came the human voice over her helmet's comm following a light tone. Vali glanced down at the Spartan who currently held both his and her own life at his fingertips, the thought not the most reassuring given the circumstances, before directing her attention to their foes ahead. A section of her HUD gave a magnified view at her command, and she could clearly make out the shapes of both corvettes and their escorts. <<Extending pods, Nova Two-One weapons hot in three.>> Another reverberation she felt more than heard as the weapon pods on either side of the frame extended. And then Markov fired off the magnetic cannon, and at once the subtle buildup of anticipation disappeared into the sharpened focus of combat. In the distance she could see the impact of the round. <<Recharging, Sakuai, hang tight and watch our six. Nova Two victors our priority is the hangar bay but let's make it easier for Olympian on approach.>> <<Copy that.>> Came her reply over single-beam, the human's military parlance still colored with her accent over comms. <<Tracking nearest escort group.>> While consciously she knew it wouldn't do much, Vali still braced herself as she swung the M41 around to align it with the Banshees ahead. With any luck, her ancestors weren't still displeased with her.

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] Vali watched with satisfaction as her armor's systems paired themselves mostly flawlessly with the mounted gun's targeting uplink. She had to hand it to herself there, it wasn't often that completely alien systems were bridged seamlessly together like that. There were still some kinks to work out, namely all of the targeting information was still almost humorously literally translated from the human's language to Sangheili, but it was definitely workable. <<M41 ELAAGat operational.>> Vali added as Nikolai went down his pre-flight checklist to her. While her tone remained the same, there was a noticeable shift in her demeanor as she enunciated the decidedly human name for the weapon. Now was the time for battle, and it was difficult to ignore the sense of prepared eagerness that had crept into her voice. <<Difficult to say.>> She replied back on single-beam in response to the Spartan's question, the anticipation in her voice now fully brought to bear. <<Traditional tactics would dictate Banshee groups be flying interference for the larger ships, though I do not believe these pirates will be adhering to any sort of doctrine of warfare. Even so, Banshees are quick but very vulnerable, and Kig-yar are nearly as bloodthirsty as I am.>> There was a slight pause, just enough to register the last part was a joke. Probably. <<I would watch for pack tactics, they will try to hunt us; surround us and cut us off from the main group. Many will attempt to score the final blow, which could work in our favor as they lose coordination.>>

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] Vali watched as the other two Spartans began to make their way to their respective booster frames. Though her mastery of their language was far from perfect, tone was easy enough for her to pick up on. Though she had only been aboard for a short while, during that time she had more about human military culture than she could ever have from reports and stories. Some of it had been surprising, some of it had been surprisingly familiar, some of it was plain unexpected. Not the least of which had been these Spartans. For individuals who her people had called demons for the majority of the war, she was struck by just how... normal the lot of them were. For all the twisted science the humans had used to cheat nature and bring those of their own kind up to the level of her own species she had expected them to be more... alien. Instead they had wants, needs, flaws just like any other sentient being she had encountered. Some seemed not much older than children, like the pair of Headhunters that she was teamed up with; others, like Spartan Markov, seemed to be mo- Vali's musings were interrupted as she glanced over to the mentioned Spartan who had turned towards her. The expression on his face wasn't one she could decipher so quickly, and before she could inquire as to what his problem was he had already begun speaking. Cannon? Magnetic? What was talking abou- The comprehension dawned on her in sections as he slid his strangely skull-like dark helmet into place. Was that really how these Spartans planned on launching from this vessel? No that couldn't be right... There wasn't any way. Wait. Was he teasing her? The realization hit her a moment too late, after how much she had been convinced that Markov had wanted to run her through with his blade only moments earlier the last thing she expected was for him to start joking with her. She felt somewhat embarrassed to have fallen for the now very obvious ruse. Becoming more confused by these Spartans by the minute, Vali made to follow Nik as he started off towards one of the frames. There wasn't much to them, though she could clearly see where her position on it was supposed to be; the rotary gun turret not unlike one of those on the human's ground vehicles. "It is indeed," Vali replied to his inquiry about her armor's hardiness. She tapped the blue visor on the helmet under her arm, which was almost human-like in its shape, albeit with a distinctly Sangheili flare. Given the nature of the mission, she had foregone the more traditional battle helm of her armor to the far less ornate and more utilitarian vacuum-rated one. In a single smooth motion she donned the helmet, her features disappearing behind the blue nanolaminate face plate, self-sealing to her suit with a reassuring hiss of life support systems coming online. Her next words came through his helmet itself, as a click indicated her connection to the TEAMCOM network. "Though I would not like to test its durability against plasma munitions, if it's all the same to you Spartan Markov." With that, Vali pulled herself up onto the frame of the vessel with an ease that only a lifetime of being a martial warrior could give, nearly clearing the distance in a single bound. She felt her boots secure to its metal frame, before turning to give a nod to the man who would be the pilot of their craft.

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] Vali nodded in assent as Nikolai spoke, glad that for the time being he appeared to have dealt with whatever had been perturbing him about her presence earlier. "The, how do you call them... DAV corvettes are a very old design, their systems aren't very difficult to access. It should be relatively simple for us to recover logs from the main bridge computer," she added, before continuing, "Do take care with your flying however, their plasma cannons are just as deadly now as they were fifty years ago." The last part may have been directed at her recently assigned pilot slightly more than the other two Spartans in their squad.

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] Oh. Oh no. Oh no. She was going on that thing. With him?? Vali decided after this was all over she was going to have to try very hard to figure out which ancestor she had upset enough to have saddled her with this... game of theirs. Then again, she had been the one to ask for this. Personally. As an experience. It appeared she was going to get exactly as much of an experience as she had asked for. Naturally, she had familiarized herself on the Madrigal's compliment of vehicles when she had first received word of her new assignment aboard the human vessel. Though she had nearly missed these craft, if they could even be call that, seeing as the manifest listed them as ammunition rather than actual vehicles. This fact was not exactly reassuring in the slightest. Even so, while it would be first, she wouldn't exactly be in the dark on their operation. One of the benefits of the human's rather crude and simplistic weaponry, it made their operation rather easy to sus out. Unfortunately, that was only half of the situation here. The other half was regarding her with one of his startlingly colorful round eyes. Vali couldn't help but wonder if the same thoughts as her own were racing behind it. "Indeed, Spartan Markov," The fact that he opted to use the name of her keep was not lost on her. She decided to pick her next words carefully. "I... look forward to it." If nothing else, it would be a learning experience. Which is what she wanted, yes?

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] The Spartans and one of the... Ohdeesstees she had heard them be called, the soldiers who were not Spartans, were busy discussion some matters of technicality that weren't entirely clear to her. Something of adults being trained for... combat? Nevermind, humans were strange. She wasn't particularly interested in such human discussions regardless, not when something far more interesting had, apparently, finally made his appearance. Another Spartan, of course, humans seemed to enjoy sending their most proficient soldiers on the most dangerous missions, they were almost like her own people in that regard. Though this one was noticeably taller than the rest, enough so that his green mammalian eyes were level with her own, the contrast only growing with the totally black armor he wore, far cry from the various shades the other Spartans were clad in. Though that didn't so much draw her attention, and neither did the fact that his helmet was uncharacteristically human skull-like, didn't the humans shy away from ornate armor? No, the look that he watched her with did. The other humans had regarded her with a range of countenances, some with fear, some with disgust, some pretended not to see her at all. This one looked at her like a target. She felt her back tense. This one might've been an ally, but it was clear he was not a friend. "And yours, Spartan Markov," Vali replied in greeting, doing her best to recreate the name which Myra had spoken moments before. He had smiled, and though it was a facial expression of theirs that she recognized easily, there was no soul behind it. Even so, she was not here to provoke a fight. "I am called Vali 'Sakuai, though you may use Vali if you wish."

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] "Yes of course Spartan, our men generally don't bring us to battle, for fear we are too bloodthirsty for them to handle."

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] Vali looked over to the craft which Myra had indicated, thought that was a generous term for the vehicle. Little more than a flying gun with engines strapped to the frame, there wasn't much in the way of auxilary systems. "I have been briefed," Vali replied, turning back to Myra, "They seem to be... your equivalent of a Banshee." With that, two more of the Madrigal's Spartan company arrived. One male, one female, that much she could surmise. Clad in nearly identical armor, one of them expressed his apologies on being late. The both matched the descriptions of the... Headhunters she believed they were refered to as. Her jaw drew back slightly at the Spartan's remark, an equivalent of a grin that was no less disconcertingly predatory given the teeth which it exposed. "That much I understand, Spartan. These are strange times indeed."

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] At that the Sangheili shook her head, her posture making the motion look more like she was swinging her head from side to side than the decidedly human gesture. "As a matter of technicality, I suppose, your UNSC has assisted our Swords in battle before. Though I have not, as you humans say, been boots on the ground with your soldiers before," Vali began, before adding, "But no, this is my first assignment aboard one of your vessels. I am more of a warrior than a liaison these days, but the Swords believed this show of good faith was worth my consideration, so I obliged." "It is strange, I will admit, though I suppose this isn't exactly an ordinary human ship either." OOC: @Vezok's Friend

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] "Vali is acceptable, Spartan Myra," said Saignheili replied, before her gaze lifted to glance over the Spartan's armored shoulder. Ostensibly, there would be more making their way into the hangar soon.

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] Out of the periphery of her vision Vali noticed a larger armored shape step into the hangar proper, the disruptive gray and maroon standing out against the muted tones that otherwise filled the human's ship. Well that, and by nature of actually standing out. Vali glanced up from inspecting her weapon, placing the repeater back onto the crate, and was somewhat surprised to find the human looking at her in turn. Ah, right, one of the humans' Spartan soldiers, with the height and the armor they could be nothing else. For a split second Vali thought the human appeared uncomfortable, until they spoke and broke the silence. “Hello there.” "Spartan," Vali greeted in turn, dipping her head ever slightly as she had seen humans do in welcome before. Her voice, almost lilting in its cadence, was far cry from the harsh yells from the more brutish members of her species. The Sangheili rose from her makeshift seat, helmet tucked beneath her arm in near mirror fashion to Myra's own. Vali paused for a moment, searching for the name that went with the Spartan. She had, of course, been introduced to the Madrigal's complement of Spartans, though humans tended to look similar. "Vasquez," She finished, rolling over the unfamiliar syllables. "The time for battle draws near, yes? I hope your Shipmaster has a clever plan, Kig-Yar are devious things." OOC: @Vezok's Friend

IC: Vali 'Sakuai [Madrigal Hangar] Off to the side inside the stocked hangar bay of the Madrigal an anachronism readied her gear. Tucked away within the service alcove, an oddity for sure, she was her own little island in the bustling sea of activity that filled the rest of the hangar. Even so, it wasn't difficult to pick Vali out from the rest of the ship's crew, the white armor plates that she methodically secured to her suit contrasting sharply against the dull green of the UNSC equipment around. To say that she was the odd one out would be an understatement, though it wasn't a fact that she paid any mind. Another nanolaminate plate hissed into place, the form-fitting seal molding itself to the underlying layers reassuringly. The remainder of the armor, everything save her helmet and bracers currently secured, occupied the other half of the supply crate which she was currently seated on. Vali took a moment from her work to observe the ebb and flow of the activity before her. Despite the disparate equipment and foreign surroundings, the atmosphere was almost familiar. Well, as familiar as it could be, what with the sharp cacophony of the human's language in place of Sangheili and the smell of oil and metal rather than the light tinge of ionized plasma in the air. Still, regardless of the species it seemed that the buzz of anticipation before a battle was a universal constant. Even from her still somewhat limited repertoire of English she could hear jokes and blessings being exchanged between comrades from under the louder shouts of workers preparing equipment and machinery, not unlike her own people before a battle. Even those which she could not find words for she could recognize the tone behind. It was not the first time she had gone into battle alongside the humans, she had seen their ships in combat side by side with the Sword's own vessels, though it would certainly be a first for deploying from a human vessel and fighting side by side with their warriors. Of course, she had been briefed prior to this assignment on the human's combat doctrine as well as their almost religious adherence to rigid structure and hierarchy within their military. And she was going into battle with them, unwilling to pass up an opportunity such as this she had petitioned the Shipmaster of the Madrigal to allow her to accompany the strike team. Her knowledge of the enemy frigate's design going far to convince the human to allow her to do so. That, and it happened to be a stipulation of the position which the humans had agreed to give her on the ship that she was a combat asset as much as any other soldier onboard. The last of her armor snapped into place, though her helmet still sat empty on the crate, and her attention shifted over to inspecting her weapons as as gloved hand unhinged the cooling mechanism on her rifle. Despite the activity none of the humans really saw fit to approach her, not that she particularly blamed them, though she would occasionally catch a glance or a look that quickly turned away when she met it. Humans were odd.

Name Vali 'Sakuai Species Sangheili Gender Female Age 18 Sanghelios years Appearance As with the majority of her species Vali is powerfully built, possessing the lithe physicality common to Sangheili warriors. Her slightly shorter stature, standing at about 2.2 meters and 180 kg out of armor, is the only differentiating characteristic, and is otherwise indistinguishable from her brethren when fully equipped. Out of her armor and combat suit she is more recognizably female, with sleek features, smooth scales, and a light, pale blue complexion. Her eyes are a bright grey. Phenotypically resembles Alytcos Sangheili. No stranger to combat, a thin scar traces its way down her left arm, mirrored on the right by a series of similar marks. Even so, her general posture is fairly relaxed from what can be interpreted from Sangheili body language. Rank Evocatus, though currently acts as a military liaison and technology consultant for crew of the Madrigal, on loan from the Swords of Sanghelios. Personality A driven individual with an innate curiosity and fascination with the galaxy at large. Traditional ideals of honor and personal excellence were instilled in her at a young age, none of which have particularly dulled in the years since. Even so, first impressions tend to give a casual demeanor not entirely fitting with the image of her species most humans hold. Though it may just be the fact that she isn't issuing challenges for personal combat or spouting off about honor every five minutes. Background Vali 'Sakuai, or rather 'Sakua as it was back then, was born on the backwater world of Karava during the last decades of the Human-Covenant war. The cultural mix of various Covenant client species and humans gave her a unique upbringing within an otherwise xenophobic empire. The nature of the colony world precluded the traditional practice of communal upbringing among her own people, though the varied community at large served a similar purpose. The experience, while cut short as she was sent to Sanghelios in her mid teens, greatly shaped her outlook on the war itself. On her native planet she went through the standard education focused on combat first and foremost, an aptitude for swordsmanship propelling her far within the field, even if her real interest was in the artisan weaponsmiths of her world. By the time of the end of the war and the collapse of the Covenant Vali, now 'Sakuai proper, was working for Lodam Armory. In the ensuing chaos of the civil war that followed Vali aligned herself with the Arbiter's new fledgling government of the Swords of Sanghelios. As with many of the younger generation of Sangheili she had grown disillusioned with the Covenant and their now dead prophets, and wished to return her native home back to the power of her own people. The shift saw her take more direct, frontline action against various factions and Covenant remnants, the lack of manpower a driving force as much as her own sense of duty. Eschewing a more direct command role for a focus primarily on combat led her into the ranks of the Sword's Ultras over the years since her first induction into the military. In 2558 her experience in both combat and with technology made her a prime candidate as a military liaison to the UNSC on board the experimental Halberd-class destroyer Madrigal, a partially joint venture which combined elements of human and Sangheili technology in some of its systems. Equipment Warrior-Pattern Combat Harness: A series of advanced pearlescent white, the color befitting its enhanced capabilities as well as her proper rank, nanolaminate armor plates. As with other harnesses of its type it features bolstered energy shielding and active camouflage systems. The armor is mounted to a full body, vacuum hardened nanolaminate techsuit that provides enhanced physical abilities and protection against weapon fire. Energy daggers are mounted the armored gauntlets in lieu of a more conventional tactical knife. Modifications to the harness' software package allow it to interlink with UNSC weapon systems for targeting and information readout in the HUD, projected by blue tactical lenses. She keeps an alternate fully-enclosed Ranger helmet for use in EVA conditions. Red markings decorate the plates, while the shield emitters glow a bright blue. Ikam-Pattern Impact Projector: Prototype squad support weapon built on weaponized repulsor drive technology. Induces localized torsional forces at precise points on targets, capable of cracking armor and shredding organics upon repeated hits. Energy shields mitigate some of these effects, though the kinetic forces may still knock around unsuspecting enemies. Nakata'vho-Pattern Plasma Repeater: Reliable and battle-tested plasma carbine for general use. As with the majority of her equipment, it has been modified to accept UNSC links for recharging and diagnostics. Domotos-Pattern Energy Sword: Iconic energy blade appropriate for her given name. Honor wins out over practicality in this case, and the weapon is instead recharged by a direct connection to her harness' underlying techsuit. Skills Intelligent, adaptable, and inventive. A collection of traits which have served to make her both a highly competent engineer and warfighter. Like the majority of her species she is physically gifted as a result of her high-gravity homeworld, outpacing all but the most physically enhanced humans even out of her capability-enhancing battle harness. This combined with her skill with her species' traditional bladed and energy weaponry makes her a formidable combatant, keeping pace with the SPARTANs of the Madrigal. Speaks Sangheili and mostly fluent English, as well able to understand if not entirely speak Kig-Yar. Flaws While they are allies, her general distrust towards the UNSC, if not particularly humanity as a whole, has been an obstacle for complete cooperation between her and the command structure of the Madrigal. As with many of her species she views respect as something earned, which not many humans have managed to do as of yet.

absolutely digging the setup and backdrop. im game. all the essentials are there as far as i can tell.

i promise not to kill oreo or anyone else i am not crossing my fingers behind my back

there should be a bluff that has to be scaled, the tank did indeed jump down from it granted it's also a fairly large area so the exact difference in elevation between two points might be different

IC: Iona [Beach Assault] Somewhere off to her right the beach exploded, and then Iona turned to watch, wide eyed, as an array of mines went off beneath the feet of the strike team. The sound repeated again, and she saw Oreius, thankfully, manage to blast himself to safety. The League was more than ready for them, they were prepared. This ordeal was getting worse all the time, they had to make some headway up the beach. And fast. Ahead, the Vahki under her command continued to pace forward, their movements oddly predatory for something that lacked flesh and blood. Unwilling to be the next unfortunate caught in one of the mines, Iona ducked to the side behind the mechanical enforcers for cover. Just in time to see vines begin to sprout from the ground at her feet. They looked out of place among the sand and the cacophony of battle, a bit of nature that attempted to reclaim the area from those that were tearing it apart. Until the vines reached for the squad of Vahki as they crested the first hill. A tendril wrapped itself around the leg of one of the robots, only to be sliced clean through by the weaponry of another. Unrelenting, undeterred, they continued to advance forward. Those at the front of the pack firing round after round of energy from their weapons into the wall of plant material that blocked their progress, the organic matter blasted apart and charred by the volley, while those at the rear continued to lay down covering fire at anything that wasn't identifiably friendly. The Bo-Toa, to his credit, continued to conjure more defenses, even as the Vahki advanced. A zamor caught one of the enforcers on the shoulder, grey armor dissolving under the steaming green liquid that was left behind. The limb went dead, though the Vahki paid it no mind, and simply turned to fire its one working weapon at the source of the attack. Another staggered back as a blast of fire struck it dead center in the chest, before collapsing in a mechanical heap. Iona saw her opportunity, as a break in the Vahki's lines opened a path forward to the top of the bluff. Cursing to herself, she took it. "On me!" She commanded as the Toa of Gravity sprinted past her contingent of vahki, breaking over the rise and into view of the first lines of the League's defenses. The Bo-Toa, still working his elemental power against the vahki, gave a shout of surprise and fumbled for some sort of launcher as he caught sight of Iona, only to find his chest armor caved in and his body thrown back by a blast of elemental energy from her fist. More elemental energy gathering in her palms, Iona turned to face the rest of the League's soldiers positioned on the hill. Far too her right, at another section of the battle, an ominous thud reverberated through the sand. Shortly followed by another. Foliage just past the treeline shuttered. Another thud. And another. Suddenly, a gigantic mechanical shape crashed through the treeline and onto the beach. It stood just shy of the treetops themselves, with a roughly hemispherical body carried on six vaguely insectile mechanical legs. A huge plasma cannon sprouted from its back, while yellow armor covered its form. The weapon, which had been previously firing on the Metru Nui ariships above, was now trained on the currently airborn Toa of Fire. If the hum, able to heard over the din of battle, was any indication, the weapon was being prepared to fire. Though that wasn't the only danger presented by the walking tank, as two smaller limbs tracked targets below with a pair of zamor launchers, positioned like the mandibles of a huge spider.