Difference between revisions of "Shortsighted"

Latest revision as of 18:28, 19 May 2011

Six Nall move into the Forgotten Quarter from the vicinity of the shady hideouts, each armed with a plasma pistol and clad in lacquered black armor. They appear to be walking toward the junk maze.

Rachael is near the junk maze, crouching between structures of old junk currently, trying to keep an eye on the main arteries of the quarter as she can.

Ricky is also hiding out in the maze, watching the guards head in his direction. He frowns just a bit, and starts to sneak backwards just a little. He works on sneaking along as best he can, trying to stay out of sight.

The Nall stop near the junk maze, not noticing Ricky or Rachael at the moment. They stop because their leader gets a call on the commlink. A male voice, not Nall-like at all but soothing and velvety, says, "Confirm the status of the Coreseeker missile." The Nall squad leader grunts a reply, and then they move on, stepping into the junk maze.

And Rachael remains in her hiding spot, trying to keep an eye on the Nall patrol, but not doing anything to sacrifice her spot for now.

Ricky overhears the words of the Nall commander and frowns just a little bit. The voice is not what he was expecting apparently. The information he picks up keeps him from retreating further into the maze for the time being.

Moments later, an Aukami emerges from the incinerator area with a much shorter Lotorian walking along beside him. The Lotorian's gold teeth glint in the glow of the lights bobbing in the air of the chamber. "So, when they come, what do I get?" Lord Akazar inquires. The Aukami gives a tight smile as he leads the way toward the shady hideouts, then says, "The gratitude of the Zarist Supremacy won't suffice, I suspect." And then they are gone through the archway.

And more hiding on Rachael's part. The small woman remains still yet.

The new voices that come from a completely different direction gets Ricky to move again. He starts to slide along out of the line of sight of the Aukami and Akazar. As the pair have their conversation, he sinks a little lower to somehow catch more of what they are saying, but their passage through the arch cuts off whatever else he might hear.

And, for now, it seems quiet in the Forgotten Quarter.

And with the silence in the Forgotten Quarter, Rachael emerges from her spot, at least a little, heading closer towards the junk maze and trying to keep her low profile.

Ricky just waits where he is for a moment, and then digs out from his coat a small bar of chocolate. He takes a pensive bite, chews, and keeps an eye out for any further movement. When none is forthcoming, he stands up slowly and starts to walk amongst the crates a little more openly. He's at least standing up.

Dayton arrives from Junk Maze - Comorro Station.
Dayton slowly wakes from beneath a large pile of refuse, a soft groan escaping his lips before being stifled in his throat. He silently tenses each limb in turn, looking slowly about and yawning a silent yawn.

Four Nall can be heard walking toward the cavern from the junk maze, their clawed feet scritching on the organic material of the floor.

Rachael goes and slips behind a pile of junk again, doing her best to remain hidden again.

Ricky grimaces and then ducks down as he hears the familiar scritching sound of the Nall passing nearby. He works on moving into a position where he can watch the lizard creatures on their patrol.

Dayton slowly picks the noisier trash off of himself, and crouches behind a rusted-out hoverbike, compulsively drawing his plasma pistol and wiping at it with his shirt.

The Nall stop about six feet from the position where Dayton is concealed. The squad leader raises a clawed hand, huffing nostrils as he samples the air with a forked tongue. He tilts his snout, tail lashing back and forth. He growls at his companions: "Confirm the perimeter isss sssecure." The Nall split up, approaching the piles of garbage and stacked crates in search of hidden troublemakers.

[Skill System] Rachael tests her Perception + Sight at a modifier of 0. The result is 7.

As the four split up and one approaches her area, Rachael repositions herself behind a wall, trying to keep track of him, perhaps preparing an impromptu ambush position.

Ricky is unaware of the identity of these particular Nall, but, he knows they're moving in his general direction. The man considers for a few moments, and looks down at the sidearm he's carrying. The man slinks a little deeper in the maze, perhaps testing to find out how far the Nall are patrolling. Dayton veeeery slooowly draws the pulse pistol from his other holster, his entire body tensing like a cornered badger. His eyes narrow and jaw muscles flex, waiting for a Nall to come to the dead hoverbike.

Another Nall steps out from the junk maze just as one of the Nall is about to reach Rachael's position. "Zur'kithar," the newly arrived reptiloid calls. "The Outverssserssss are coming. We sssshould prepare for their arrival." The Nall known as Zur'kithar swings his snout from staring at Rachael's wall to regard the superior who shouted to him. "Yessss, Sssoth." He barks a command to the other three. They start back toward the junk maze.

As the Nall turn to head back towards the junk maze, Rachael moves about, tracking the one near her as he has some junk to navigate yet, at this point trying to draw her blades and attack before this Nall notices her.

[Skill System] Rachael tests her Melee + Edged at a modifier of +2. The result is 9.

[Skill System] Rachael tests her Melee + Edged at a modifier of +2. The result is 15.

Ricky blinks a little bit at the Nall as they start to move away again. He slinks along in their wake, apparently happy to bide his time for the moment.

Zur'kithar, the squad commander, maybe he was planning to retire soon. Maybe he wanted to settle down, raise a bunch of little hatchlings under an alien star in Hiverspace. Well, that's not going to happen. Rachael's blades make quick work of the Nall, slashing his throat before he can shout a warning. Granted, his *absence* is likely to cause a bit of panic soon enough. For now, though, the scaly body falls to the floor, twitching as blood spurts from the wound and splatters nearby junk and the floor.

Dayton looks quickly to the suddenly spurting Nall, mouthing a silent obscenity. He glances briefly at the ceiling, mumbling something indecipherable as he wraps the plasma pistol in what looks to be a half-rotted pair of boxers. He then slides as far down as he can, pokes the pistol's business end under the handlebars, steadies, and shoots.

[Skill System] Dayton tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of +2. The result is 12.

The Nall with his back to Dayton takes a blast in the back of the head, and then the lifeless body tumbles forward into a pile of debris. The noise gets the attention of the two remaining Nall, who belay their plans to join comrades in the junk maze so that they can deal with this intruder.

Rachael goes back to her previous spot after the commander has fallen, taking note of the two remaining Nall, trying to sneak through the junk for a similar opening on one of the remaining Nall.

"Fuuuuu...." begins a raspy whisper from the hoverbike's direction. The Lunite scrambles to his knees, caring more about cover than noise at this point. He lowers the recharging plasma pistol to his side in lieu of the smaller pulse pistol in his furry left hand, shaking his head as he lines up the shot towards one of the oncoming Nall. "I fucking wrapped Eleanor in shit-stained boxers for you, jackass. And for what? Fucking NOTHING!" And off goes the pistol.

[Skill System] Dayton tests his Ranged + Energy Weapons at a modifier of 0. The result is 7.

[Skill System] Rachael tests her Melee + Edged at a modifier of +2. The result is 17.

Dayton's shot gives the Nall an unwanted nose job before he topples over dead. Rachael carves up the fourth Nall before it even has a chance to register the threat to its life. Just like that, the four patrolling Nall are dead. And, just like that, more Nall are approaching from the junk maze. "Zur'kithar!" the Soth shouts. "What issss the delay?" An Aukami steps out from the shady hideout area, peering across the cavern at the Soth, asking, "Problem?" The Soth grunts, but says nothing for now. The Aukami says, "Lord Akazar reports that the Outversers have docked. They will be entering the missile chamber soon. We want *her* alive. The rest are expendable." With that, he disappears into the hideouts again. The Soth apparently must deal with the delinquent warriors later. He vanishes into the junk maze.

Rachael looks over at Dayton, puts her swords away for now and makes an arm motion suggesting he move over towards her while takes her sword to remove the Nall's tail tip, kneeling down to pick it up while doing a quick scan for small arms or electronics.

Ricky seems a bit surprised by the shooting going on a few yards distant, across a wall of trash. He pokes around, trying to discover a way across, and eventually finds a shortcut that brings him out behind Rachael and Dayton. He stows his weapon in a pocket of his coat and comes out hands up, "Outversers?" he asks in a low voice.

Dayton huffs, looking Rachael up from toe to crown and back again. "Figures," he grunts sourly, walking towards the woman and going back to compulsively polishing the gold-and-ruby naked lady silhouette on the side of his plasma pistol. He whirls at the sound of Ricky, leveling the pistol at the man's neck. "Speak," he growls.

Rachael finishes looting. Notably she mutes the comms for now. "Main force." she then points towards the junk maze, her voice a whisper. "Flank them now while you can. Will follow soon." and with that she moves out of the main cavern and back into the junk, trying to move towards where she left the commander's body.

Ricky keeps his hands up, "Richard Welch, once upon a time a member of the Fleet." He says to Dayton, before he closes a little more. As Rachael sweeps off towards the junk maze, he asks, "Think we ought to follow or is she going to go this alone?"

Dayton points a stubby finger to the lifeless lizards a few feet off, and raises his eyebrows as he lowers the plasma pistol. "Fuck if I control you, Dick. Name's Nicodemus motherfucking Dayton, and I'm gonna go make me a leather...fuck. A leather house? Something big." They can't all be winners. He begins to trudge off towards the Junk Maze as well, moving in an attempt to take the other flank of the retreating Nall and Aukami.

"Err..yes." He's come a long way from the Academy, our Ricky. He draws out a pistol and then trudges along in the wake of Dayton, occasionally looking over his shoulder to ensure they're not walking straight into an ambush.

Rachael returns to the body of the Nall commander, sneaking along as she does. Barring any immediate danger once she arrives, she goes to check the body for arms, electronics, and the tail tip again.

Dayton slowly continues into the Junk Maze, giving the South a wide berth as he creeps along.

Rachael finds a plasma pistol, a ceremonial knife, and a commlink. She and the others may also notice more Nall spilling down the duct from the upper section of the Yaralu into the lake of muck. It's quite possible the main force is elsewhere aboard Comorro, with a cluster of them down here.

Ricky just follows along. He's quiet for the time being. The sight of more Nall catches his eye, but, he can't really do much about them now without being slaughtered.

Rachael takes the small equipment, muting the commlink again. She goes back into hiding to try and set them all to the same, but empty frequency. Then she turns their volumes up. Then, she leaves one of the commlinks behind. After that, she screams, "Flank them! Keep going! I got this!" Then she moves from her current position, quickly, trying to keep hidden and find small cubbyholes to store commlinks in.

Dayton freezes at the sound of the scream, melting into the framework of the maze and looking about nervously, both pistols drawn and ready.

The Nall entering the Forgotten Quarter hear the screams. All twenty of them come scurrying through the muck and up onto the platform of scattered junk, drawn toward the source of the noise.

Ricky covers his ears at the screaming and then scuttles along in the wake of Dayton. "What the fuck is she thinking?" he calls towards the man as the scaly invaders start clambering after the noise.

The small woman tries to keep moving and hidden as best she can as the Nall come after her, continuing to place commlinks. Once she gets to another quality looking spot, though, she speaks through the comms, trying to use the multiple commlink locations to her advantage. "We surround you. Your tail tips our ours." the woman's voice says, obviously taunting the Nall.

"If she thinks she's some kind of fucking princess, she's got another..." Dayton trails off, stopping at the garbled mutter of turned-up comms from far off. He glowers, tracking slowly back towards the woman. "Something's going on," he growls.

The Nall run through the piles of garbage, firing off shots from their plasma pistols a little too randomly for good discipline. And now there's the Soth, coming back through the junk maze to investigate the commotion.

As the yelling into the comms continues, Ricky just stops behind a group of crates. He seems to be setting up his own little bit of cover and concealment, waiting for the fight itself to start.

For now, Rachael's priority is on hiding, her initial work done. The small woman looks around, trying to find single Nall that present an easy target to her, especially in their state of poor discipline, but for now hiding is far more important.

The plasma fire stops Dayton's quick advance, and he crouches in place, listening as best he can to whatever comes next.

One of the Nall stops not far from Rachael upon finding the body of a fallen warrior, throat cut. He transmits into his commlink: "Nall dead in Forgotten Quarter. At leasssst one. We have intruderssss claiming to ssssurround ussss. Requessst assssissstance." His back is currently to Rachael, but upon hearing his report, other Nall close on his location. One of them is carrying a scorched and melted commlink, saying, "Thissss isss how they ssssurround ussss."

Ricky peeks up over the corner of the crate he's ducked down behind. The man keeps an eye out, but does not raise a weapon over the lip just yet. He seems of a mind to keep from attracting attention until it is clear thet he's not acting alone.

While Rachael has the golden opportunity of a Nall's back, the number seem to dissuade her from the effort. Instead, she looks at a nearby stack, seeing a stack supported largely by brittle metal, instead taking a slash at that to try and make the stack fall onto the group of Nall.

The junk pile topples over, trapping two and leaving three blocked on the other side. They're all hissing angrily and shouting to their fifteen comrades to come help.

At the sound of the crash, Dayton looks up again, and starts shuffling towards the commotion, weapons pointed ahead. He scratches at the furry arm nervously with the butt of his plasma pistol, grumbling obscenities as he moves.

Ricky flinches a little as the pile of trash comes down a dozen yards distant. He hops up from where he's been set up, and moves forward during the commotion. Then he figures out the rest of the Nall contingent will be doing the same, and dives behind some nearby cover to provide him with a little protection for when the whole gang arrives.

And once again it's time for Rachael to be on the move, trying to be out of the immediate area before the comrades arrive, and trying to find a new place to hole up in for a few moments.

Dayton quickly sees the source of the commotion, and his curses become more colorful. He flattens himself to the ground, and tries to wriggle under what appears to be the corpse of some large, furry pet.

From somewhere in the junk maze comes a shout: "That one! We want *her*! Matchessss picture! Try to take her alive."

Rachael keeps going through the maze, now trying to circle back around to Dayton and Ricky, or at least get them in her visual range. A dead furry thing wiggles about a few dozen feet ahead of Rachael, with a pair of black leather boots poking out from under it.

The Nall are working to get their comrades free. The Soth hears a commotion coming from the missile cavern in the junk maze. Shots fired. People yelling. NOT a good day. He stalks back inside the shadows.

Ricky slips out from his cover, and then starts to move closer to the commotion. The shooting from the missile cavern seems to have given him a bit of an idea. He continues to slink along, closing, but staying in the shadows.

With the Nall currently occupied, Rachael looks at Ricky and Dayton for a moment. The new plan is to sneak past them, quietly get their attention via a quick tap of the foot, and try and take advantage of the potential lead she's created in getting to the area with the missile. The dead furry thing goes still as Dayton gets into position under it, hiding.

Jasra arrives from Waste Management - Comorro Station.
Maybe it's heard, and maybe not, the sound of a body dropping out of the rickety duct. The 'body' rises, quietly brushes dust off it's black trenchcoat and jeans with black gloved hands, "Damn last step." is muttered softly, as gloved fingers comb back the mass of wayward strands of auburn curls, revealing a smudge face of a human female. She glances around and hunkers down into as small a target as she can be behind some junk at hearing the shooting in the next room.

The twenty Nall wrangling their way out of the trash pile dumped by Rachael are now, inevitably, regrouping and making their way toward the junk maze to help deal with whatever that racket is.

With the Nall following a close path to Rachael's for the immediate moment, she decides that stealth isn't her best bet anymore, instead breaking into a run for now, trying to get towards where the shooting is going on. Once again, she shouts, "Nall reinforcements. Two dozen!" quickly as she does so.

Finally, Rachael's close encounters with the Nall forces has come down to an outright sprint towards the missile. She's chased by Nall and their plasma blasts, sure, but she manages to move herself about just right to avoid them.

"Crap." the black clad human mumbles, "Friggin' smelly Nall." and hunkers down smaller, gloved right hand reaches for something at her thigh that's not there. She glances around for other options.

The Nall are oblivious to Ricky, Dayton, or Jasra. Instead, they pursue Rachael toward the missile chamber.

Once the Nall scuttle past, Dayton emerges, covered in rotting gore, and begins to trek afterwards at a safe distance.