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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
3,801 posts
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last online Sept 16, 2018 19:37:00 GMT -5
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Apr 11, 2010 18:40:47 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Apr 11, 2010 18:40:47 GMT -5
Pan couldn't help but smile as Sean was admonished by his girlfriend. What she apparently didn't realize was that this was an everyday thing with Sean; he never let an opportunity to chide Pan go by and she was well used to it. Still, it was could to have someone on her side for once. Someone who at least seemed to understand what it was like. Since she had been found drifting through space on that fateful day, she had been forced to put up with such antics as this. Only...they weren't antics. At least with Sean she knew it was in good spirits and obviously just some joke to him. Better a joke than a hunt. She shivered at the memories before Familiar.
All the same, this chiss seemed to have common sense--not to mention that she seemed more than capable of defending herself and her bumbling idiot of an entourage. Then there was Sender and Ayer, together they possessed enough logic for an army of Seans--all powers forbid that ever happens. Perhaps it would be enough to keep them out of trouble in those caves.
Yeah right. She was definitely going with them, prevent them blowing up AS MUCH as they would alone, and she'd like to see them try to stop-
She gave a hiss, more out of disgust than surprise or anger, when Ayer was tackled to the ground by the offending flappy thing. Mynocks. She hated them almost as much as the Familiars did. They got into EVERYTHING: ventilation shafts, circuitry tubes, she even caught one dismantling one of the SRECs. Generally you want an emergency escape pod to be in optimal condition at all times.She had spent 4 weeks and 150,000 credits "mynock-proofing" the caverns after that incident but obviously there was just NO GETTING RID OF THEM.
She would not deny the immense satisfaction she got from watching Rahja rend its head, though the mynock still fluttered feebly on the floor without it. Disgustingly hardy beasts. Not to mention another irritating tendency of them: there was never only one. Several more shapes at the cave roof caught her eye, no doubt attracted by Ayer's wanton discharges. She scowled at them and began tapping one claw against the featureless, copper wristband on her left arm. She muttered while she did this. "Teach zos vittle bastards..."
Sean rubbed his shoulder from where Rah clubbed him. Okay so maybe he deserved that, but it WAS funny. As much as he loved and cared for his feathered friends, one thing he could always hold against the otherwise psychologically superior entity was its semi-rational fear of the little energy suckers. It would take hours for one fot hose to drain him significantly enough to be a danger.
He walked up to his quivering Familiar tapped him on the head lightly. There was only one, you know, and you should know better than to try to electrocute it. You may as well have been hand feeding the thing.
Ayer glared at his partner and staggered up to his full height (about 2 ft), his systems still shaky from the energy spike. A few sparks still arced between frilled feathers, the dank air shimmering around them. You are correct, I apologize for my misplaced actions and agree with your assessment completely. Now proceeding with targeting priority realignment. Realignment complete, more susceptible target acquired.
Sean stared at him and blinked. Wha-?
KRAZAAK!
Ayer carefully retracted his feathers and gave a short laugh of satisfaction towards Sean's stylish new hairdo. Just then his audio logs during his panic, which his processors had been reviewing as standard, hit him. He turned suddenly to Rahja and hopped up. He immediately began scanning her arm, sure enough there was a nasty burn there. He hung his head and began to apologize when she began to heal it. Sean, too, stopped trying to get his hair to lay flat to watch yet another thing that separated the two of them; her Force abilities.
A whir of machinery, several bright flashes accompanied by the all-to-familiar sound of ion fire, smoldering mynocks began to fall around the room. Pan cackled as the perimeter cannon slid back up into the gallery ceiling. However, this ended quickly when her eyes were drawn to the silvery display as well. She stood tense and calculating, the scientist in her subconsciously analyzing every aspect of the phenomena.
Sean remained quiet (for once) until she was finished. Another feeling had risen in him, what was it? Admiration? Jealousy? Such an ability was certainly invaluable for someone in her field. Then again....she looked so tired. Did it take that much out you to do something like that. He would never understand Jedi; good, bad, or otherwise.
Of course, he didn't understand Rahja anyways, so what difference did it really make? Oh, she was saying something now, time to bring things back into the present world of exist.
I sincerely doubt I'm going to lose him, besides, a little friendly peril is builds character. Fosters camaraderie.
You're an ass.
Try using the feathers next time, bird brain.
Shall I demonstrate now you insufferable sack of sarlaac bile?
The two stared each other down for a few more seconds in silence--each one with a completely serious and straight face. Finally Sean put his head in his hand and laughed silently. He back up at the bird, That might have been your best insult yet.
Now it was Ayer's turn to break the facade. His avian smile opened his beak slightly. I'd been saving that one.
Sean reached down and his Familiar hopped onto his outstretched hand and shuffled up to his shoulder being careful to rest his talons on the leather strap of the pack. Hey, you gone extinct over there, doc?
Pan blinked and broke her gaze from where Rahja's wound was only moments ago. "Hm? Oh, hyes- I mean no. I'm hokay." She refocused her stare at a small stalagmite to her side as her small, clawed hands wrung together. "Um...zis mynock eenfestation hos gone fahr enough! I vill see to zer extermeenation if eet takes a century! I haff...preparations to make, hyo two just try to stay out off trouble." She uneasily turned and stalked out of the caverns. At the door she turned to regard Sean with a wicked grin. "Und if zer is von scratch on it, I vill feast gleefully on hyor ontrails."
The door slammed shut as she rushed down the hall muttering to herself, taking notes on the clipboard that seemed to materialize in her hands.They would be alright? That wasn't the least of her concern. Security, the facility, the security of the facility, that's what mattered to her. Oh, and her latest epiphany. This would be very interesting...if it worked. Biolectronics were unstable enough even without the Force interfering. The presence of that factor opened up more scenarios than she cared to think about. She knew that from experience.
Sean and Ayer looked at the door a for another few seconds. The man and bird sighed in unison and he turned back to Rahja. That woman worries me in more ways than one. She has a somewhat checkered history with the organization.
No kidding. I often wonder just how trustworthy she is. Perhaps the Wizard should have done with her what he did with the others involved in-
Sean held up a hand to cut off Ayer. You know why just as well as I do, and I trust any decision that man makes. Pan is a genius on a scale that makes the KDY chief of innovations look like a child playing with building blocks, I will not deny that, she's just a little less....stable than most. However! Sean jumped down a rocky ledge and trotted a little distance into the dimly lit cave. The bright side is that she is no longer breathing down our necks! Come on Rah, we still have a distance to go on foot before we get to go an even greater distance really really fast. If anything gets in our way, we shoot it! He grinned and twirled the handblaster he kept in his belt before reholstering it.
Ayer shook his head and chuckled. It was certainly a straightforward plan, but as long as it ended with a safe return and more dead mynocks, it was a good plan in his book. Our lives are just one adventure leading straight into the next, aren't they.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Apr 13, 2010 3:59:57 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Apr 13, 2010 3:59:57 GMT -5
“It would take hours for one of those to drain him significantly enough to be a danger.”
That isn’t the point, Sean…they’re…creepy and…dangerous and…they CLING…they cling with…big…suckery…mouth-things!
Rah couldn’t help but look over at her familiar, who had perched himself on Pan’s shoulder, with a look of mild disbelief mixed with amusement.
They cling…with big suckery mouth-things?
…Sender…your logic is undeniable. And here I thought you were more articulate than myself.
The little droid hunkered down and gave an affronted little sound before sticking his beak in the air slightly and flicking his wings and tail at her.
“Realignment complete, more susceptible target acquired.”
Rah looked back from her familiar to Sean and Ayer with an expression nearly as confused as the one Sean had just donned. The crackle of electricity didn’t so much as phase the woman as she had started undoing her wrist bracer and rolling up her sleeve to have better access to the burn across her deep blue arm. Sender had hopped from Pan’s shoulder and back onto the leather of Rahja’s light armor just as Ayer had hopped up onto a rock and scanned her arm. Before his brother could say anything, however, Rah had already closed her eyes and begun healing herself. Even the ion fire and falling mynocks didn’t shake the woman from her task…though the tense silence of the others lapped against her mind and senses like the loudest of explosions.
Strange how silence could be louder than most of the loudest sounds that could be created.
Rah leaned against the near-by door frame separating the cave from the PFHQ in a would-be casual manner as she rolled her sleeve back down, the new skin over the burn a lighter grey-blue than the rest, and still tender. Lacing the bracer back up again around her forearm, she felt Sender hunker down on her should and scoot closer to her ear. With a sigh she raised one eyebrow at him.
Are you alright? If you’re too dra-
I'm fine, Sender…I’ve dealt with worse before and you know it.
Yes, but I was just stating that…
Drop it, Sender…for once I’d like to not worry about anything…that includes an overly concerned bird.
The hushed conversation ended just as Sean replied to her previous comment about the mynocks. The short…and very odd…conversation (if it could be called that) between man and droid had her raising that other dark brow and wondering just what the hell was going on. The stare-down that followed was familiar, however…she and Sender found each other in a similar position more often than not, but having them end up laughing over it was just perplexing to her. These two certainly were a pair.
“Hey, you gone extinct over there, doc?”
Rah sighed again and pushed herself away from the doorframe where she’d been leaning. She didn’t need to see the scientist to tell she was, at least, uncomfortable now that she had seen the chiss’ use of the force. Wasn’t it wonderful to be trapped between worlds? Unable to fully conform to one or the other? But then…that was the story of her life, right? That was part of what made her such a good Hound…she had no ties, could fit in as a “regular” (translate as: non-force sensitive) person, but had “an ace up the sleeve” as the General put it. As Pan swept from the caverns and out the door, Rah shifted uneasily, not bothering to look back at the…female…as she left.
I should have left it alone until she was gone…
Rah?
I shouldn’t have let her see me heal myself…I should have left it.
Don’t be so melodramatic…you needed to heal yourself, so you did.
Sender, you don’t understa--
Red eyes blinked over at Sean and Ayer as they turned back to her. Sean’s next statement didn’t ease her fears any, and Sender shifted about on her shoulder a tad before going still once more. Those crimson orbs shuttered themselves as Rah closed her eyes and bit back yet another sigh. Wonderful…she’d either just made an unstable reptilian very uncomfortable or given it some new, harebrained, idea that most likely involved the force. What she wouldn’t have given to be able to talk to one of the masters from the temple right about now. Opening her eyes again, she pulled her glasses off of her head and put the darkly tinted things over her eyes. The nearly luminous red of her eyes vanished and her world lit up in a brilliant conglomeration of greens and blacks. Watching Sean’s form vanish over a ledge and appear several moments later down below, she followed after him silently.
Her jump was ended with a crouch, Sender swooping down behind her and settling on her shoulder again as she pushed herself up with a soft groan. That landing hadn’t felt good on her muscles, and lifting herself up again had only felt worse. Shrugging the pain and weakness aside, she followed along after him at her own, slower, pace. A hand fingered one arm of those ‘sunglasses’ before reaching across to tap the dark grey and black chassis of her familiar.
Sender…link in, bird, I want to keep an eye on you down here…and Sean, you’ll be the only one shooting anything. If anything decides to get close enough to be within stabbing range, THEN I’ll deal with it.
Right, of course…there, that should about do it, Rah. You have the feed?
Mhm.
Her neutral reply was expected, but unwelcome by the droid. For once he wished she’d had a sarcastic remark in return for him. Those talons gripped into her shoulder tightly, but the stubborn woman seemed to refuse to admit to anything. With a huff, Sender decided now was as good a time as any to get a rise out of the chiss…it would be for her own good, after all.
Sean, I feel the need to ask…how far is it that we’re going? You see, what my stubborn chiss compatriot, here, has refused to point out to you...or perhaps even acknowledge herself…is that after that bit of healing she’s feeling rather drained and may move slower than normal.
A low growl could be heard then, echoing darkly (if quietly) through the caves...the source?
Rahja.
With a swift movement, the little familiar was sent flying off her shoulder, wings snapping out and repulsors flaring as he righted himself and hovered there for a moment before settling back on the shoulder of his partner as she stalked past Sean.
I suggest you mind your vocabulator, bird, or you’ll end up with it missing…
It wasn't an idle threat. Rah hated having her weaknesses pointed out. She was supposed to be the one with no weakness...the mysterious, dark, cold, entity that never gave in and never gave up...never stopped. Her call sign hadn't been given to her for no reason...she was the Reaver...the Reaper of the old pre-hyperpace tales...the death that came swiftly, suddenly, without remorse, and couldn't be stopped or held back. Death, like danger, never stopped and didn't have a weakness. Weaknesses could be exploited.
Yes, Sean and Ayer were friends, but they could also be used against her if put into a position to be such. Now they would know a weakness of hers...they would know that healing took energy and strength and speed from her. They would know, and so others could know...and that was dangerous. Not only dangerous to her, but dangerous to them should any of her enemies (old or new) learn of their knowledge.
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
3,801 posts
6 likes
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last online Sept 16, 2018 19:37:00 GMT -5
Master
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Apr 18, 2010 23:52:15 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Apr 18, 2010 23:52:15 GMT -5
The foe of friends awaits around; the mystery of every bend. The endless dark, the sourceless sound; and nowhere shines the soughten end. Down treacherous ledge and forgotten steel; they did go forth to see. Two reavers of life, their partners in strife keeping watch to not be a meal.
Their objectives set, their weapons drawn; they marched through this gallery. And through it all they had just gone; adventure still to be. And all along the watchers gazed; with caring eyes unseen. A subtle guide, at every cry; to keep all well hopes raised.
The ragtag group continued on, at a somewhat somber pace, towards the undefined destination. Well...except Sean who was continuing along jovially and energetically as possible. Ayer was an exception as well as he wasn't continuing at all--not under his own power at least. The bird's head peeked out of his partner's pack for another quick second to survey the cave roof for another horrific ambush of the vampire bats of the robot world. It wasn't that he doubted the blaster skills of Mu'haro or Kell with her knives, he was just doubtful of their ability to use them quickly enough. Of course, "quickly" in a droid's sense is somewhat skewed (ie. 0.00148 ms).
The rhyme scheme was a little awkward, but otherwise it's not half bad for an early attempt. Keep at it. Sean clambered over another rock and looked back to Rahja. She was making less time than she should have been. Had that healing taken that much out of her? Then again, why wouldn't it? From what he knew of the Force and the gaps filled in with some logic it really made quite a bit of sense: she had basically accelerated the body's natural healing process. It wasn't some magical miracle cure, it was simply a fast forward button and all that came as a cost--all the energy that would have been required to heal that damage over the month or so it would have naturally. There was no doubt it was exhausting and Sean felt another stab of concern.
Why was it that every time he had a "good idea" it always ended badly for all attending parties, except him? Sure he had been shattered when he lost Ayer, but what had he actually been through? A little service duty and a lot of downtime permeating with the good news from Familiar about his friend's recovery. Meanwhile, his friend had been sapped, beaten, dragged to foreign planets, threatened constantly, and permeated with being shot. Maybe they should go back...
Sean laughed aloud. If he suggested they go back now due to Rahja's "weakness", she would demonstrate just how misdirected his mindset was and his permeation wouldn't likely be too far from his Familiar's. The ominous growl (Ayer ducked his head in alarm before he realized what was making) practically affirmed this scenario. He responded to Sender's inquiry, making sure to address the droid instead of her.
We're not far now, just around that bend and through another blast door. She'll be alright, you underestimate her. "Slower than normal" is still faster than I could manage if I were running in a marathon with corellian sand panthers. He gave her a wink and a smile and hopped down from his rock to Rahja. Walking around her critically, he gave an exaggerated assessment of her health. No blood, no newly-external organs, no skin discoloration. Hmm....it vill haff to be AMPUTATED!
He put his arm on her shoulder, his joke aside and done. He could see the concern she held that wasn't in regards to a small burn. Pan had acted strangely after witnesses her healing display. Sean knew why.
Rahja did not.
It was a long story.
_______________________________________________________________________
They're in shaft 9 now. He's definitely taking them to the SRECs.
Yes, Phae, we addressed this earlier. Are you still concerned?
I have the right to be after last time, but no, my concern lies elsewhere. Ah, you are referring to the good doctor.
Her actions after witnessing agent Kell's capabilities are what concern, among a few other details that happen to coincide with our toothed miracle scientist. All of her files are-
Classified. Yes. There is more than suspicion that surrounds her. Come, it's time you know something; a small secret of this organization. One I'm not proud of.
________________________________________________________________________
Pan closed the lab door behind her and hit every light in her personal laboratory. The door clicked shut and the whirr of 6 independent locking and security systems echoed through the sterile room. Sterile, yes, organized, no: everywhere papers were stacked, odd equipment leaned haphazardly against walls and such. This was her workplace. This was her home. The closest thing she had to one at least.
It was 22 years ago, a halo of fire heralded the arrival of her escape pod. The craft was damaged, but the booster engines had still fired in the nick of time and now the craft sat upon a large scorch mark in a newly-made clearing in the forests of Kuat. For nearly an hour, nothing happened. Eventually, however, a pneumatic hiss sounded as the hatch slid open. A reptilian figure, eyes wide with fear and standing just over 2 feet tall, peeked out of pod and regarded the surrounding forest edge with panicked suspicion.
What had happened? Where was her uncle? She couldn't remember much of anything; there had been something important she had been taken along to do. None of it had made any sense to her young mind but she was excited to finally go with the grown-ups, even if she didn't fully understand where. Now she certainly didn't know where she was. A figure took form out of the darkness, she shrunk back into the pod and shivered.
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[color=limegreen She has an instrumenting but unstable history with PF, ever since her mysterious arrival.[/color] He offered his hand to help her over another formation knowing she wasn't likely to accept it. Never hurts to make a gentlemanly gesture. Not that it really mattered, he could see the lights in the distance that glinted off the rusted steel blast doors ahead. They were nearly there.[/color]
None of us know what she really is, her species isn't listed in the galactic databank. What we do know is her incredible inherent knack for biotechnology. Tell me Rahja, have you ever heard of Project Seer?
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When I found her, she couldn't have been more than 3 years of age. She had cowered away from me until I could convince her that I meant her no harm and would take her somewhere safe. Somewhere brand new that was designed to keep the very galaxy itself from knowing of its existence. For you see, this was hardly a year after I had built this very facility, parts of it weren't even complete yet...
Like me?
Like you.
How did you tell her all this if you couldn't speak her language?
My time with the Morequai had only recently been terminated. I was still somewhat unused to a life of subtly. I was less reserved with my "talents".
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Her first few years at the facility were filled with learning. After all, she had just found herself dumped out of world she remembered little about, into one she knew nothing about in an environment filled with intellectuals who knew everything about it. She had focused on basic first, finding it ingenious that this pan-galactic civilization had developed such a universal language. Once she had learned that, she could learn anything from anyone.
Pan set her clip board upon one of the few clear surfaces of her lab tables and began to gather some stray documents, reviewing them swiftly before placing them in their origin piles. Once slipped out of a folder and she caught it deftly. She froze as she eyed over it. It was one of her early concepts on a device that had changed her studies forever.
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The Philosopher's Vector...
Sean nodded in confirmation. Unlike anything anyone in the facility had seen or heard of before. It's capabilities unlocked a whole other dimension of mechanical engineering, it was simply an incredible achievement by her.
And a horrific one. We all know what happened to the Familiar "gifted" with it.
________________________________________________________________
Entenchment?
Yes, that's what she called it.
Nothing is coming up in the database....what is it?
The Wizard sighed and removed his spectacles, placing them on his desk. He turned in his chair to regard his Familiar with a level gaze. From what I could gather, it's a form of technology that uses life energy for power, draining it from a victim until he or she entropied and perished.
That's...terrible! It breaks almost all legal and moral codes in the galaxy.
Recall that wherever she is from, it isn't anywhere in our known galaxy. It could be viewed as perfectly acceptable means of acquiring energy on her planet.
Wait...was this what powered the...
______________________________________________________________________
Pan tossed away the paper in disgust. It had been a shoddy failure of a project and she did not care to think back upon it. Oh yeah, and it had also killed one of her children and almost gotten her fired. Can't forget that. She should have known better tinkering with such a force as entenchment. It was one of her few memories of her old life; that morbid technology that powered their way of like. Perhaps if she hadn't left her world, it wouldn't bother her--it would be the norm, after all--but now she saw it for the true malignancy it was.
No, that failure was behind her now. Now she would create flawless coagulation of all she had learned. Now she would create a work of beauty! There would be no blood, but there would be life. She cackled quietly to herself and snapped a specially fitted pair of goggles on.
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So what it pretty much comes down to is that we have no idea what she could be concocting right now with whatever she just learned from you. No pressure or anything. He grinned and approached the blast door they had finally made it to.
This is no laughing matter, Sean, what she did to 01 with that contraption....I would rather not have a repeat of.
She's changed since then, Ayer. Project Seer was the product of brash, scientific recklessness. Like the computer geek equivalence of an arm-wrestling tournament. While we can never expect the result of this to be subtle, I have my hopes that it will work out alright. Now open this door.
_____________________________________________________________________
But all teams on Seer had their employment terminated. All but the project lead at least...
You know as well as me we couldn't just put her out in the galaxy. She has no family, no home, not even another known species.
I hope you know what you're doing.
The old man smiled. Don't I always?
Nuke a planet, betray a powerful group of warlords, steal their money/nukes, flee to the 3rd most heavily populated planet in the Core Worlds, construct a giant secret underground lair there, hire a team of ostracized scientific nutcases, hire an alien velociraptor, build a seagull out of aforementioned nuke, build 9 more, forgive the use of entenchment on one of said seagulls, and, most recently, sit by and watch as one of the few NON-scientific nutcases and a cold-blooded killer blast out of your facility in a planetary escape pod. I just can't wait to see what exciting installment of your life will come next. _____________________________________________________________________________
Ayer took one last furtive glance around the cave and leaped out of the pack. He half-flew the 4 feet to the door and began entering the access code into another small, featureless plate of metal.
"Familiar Security Code Clearance: Red - Accepted. Disengaging magnetic seal - S-R-E-C Bay - Beta."
The bird rushed back and ducked into the back. Sean just rolled his eyes and stepped through the doors as soon as they had opened enough to fit through. The cave they were now in was significantly smaller. Lengthwise that is. The dim glow of the wall lights died away in the eternal blackness where the ceiling should have been. In the center of the room, a circular platform was set into the stone floor with thick pillars of durasteel. Upon this platform sat a rickety contraption somewhat like an archaic flak array but built for a Coruscani ogre; the "barrel" of the thing being nearly 3 meters in diameter.
Sean grabbed the edge of the platform and clambered up onto it. He brushed the dust off of a control bank next to the barrel and began queuing it up. Come on out and help me with this, Ayer. This gallery is sealed; no mynocks can get in.
Yeah, that you know of. Ayer grumbled but climbed out regardless. He hovered over to another array and began punching methodically flipping switches. The entire contraption shuddered and started to rotate slowly. The barrel made small adjustments as it positioned itself straight up the inverted bottomless shaft. A female voice, similar to the ones used in the lab but slightly tinnier, echoed through the cave.
"Primary power restored. Subterranean Rapid Escape Craft operational. Preparing primary firing procedure."
Sean tapped a few more keys and hit a large, shiny red button. Nothing exploded. Why, did you think something would you sadistic, fire-obsessed, psychopath? A metal panel at the base of the barrel slid open. He gave a dramatically flourished bow, directing one hand towards the new opening. Your royal carriage has arrived, madame. After you.
Ayer dropped down onto Sean's shoulder and matched his parter's bow, lowering his head and holding one wing towards the entrance and the other bent around over his back. We wouldn't want to be late for the pah-ty.
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
Master
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Apr 20, 2010 21:26:59 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Apr 20, 2010 21:26:59 GMT -5
Behind those darkly tinted glasses red eyes blinked in mild confusion at the poem before she finally remembered and chuckled softly. Ah yes…the conversation about song lyrics, poetry, and flowery writing that she’d had with Ayer. It had happened some time ago and so she’d nearly forgotten about her suggestion of him trying his hand…erm…processors?...at the stuff. Sean had laughed it off at the time (he tended to do that a lot), but her counter argument of “why not?” (to put it simply) had shut him up for the most part…and obviously given Ayer the wherewithal to try it for himself. She had to agree, it was pretty awkward, but poetry wasn’t a perfect science.
She’d followed along at her own pace, winding her way around obstacles instead of over them, took her time going over ones she couldn’t circumvent, and generally took it easy. She wasn’t exactly in a hurry right now anyway…for once. Certainly her familiar had annoyed her, but she was far too pleased with the fact that she was able to have a night where she only had to be on the move because she wanted to be. Sean had turned to look at her and she paused for a moment, folding her arms and looking up at him, silently thankful for the pause…even if it did mean he were replying to her annoying metal companion. Even behind those glasses, the surprised look at his words was only barely hidden. Black, elegant, eyebrows had risen dramatically, her jaw slackening slightly without allowing her mouth to open, her eyes widening behind the glasses that hid them.
No, I don’t believe I do…and you may or may not be correct about ‘slower than normal’ but it’s still my duty to see that she doesn’t press herself more than she needs to. She’d got a new operative to train up and her pushing herself just won’t do.
Oh be quiet…you’re not my parent, my master, or my superior Sender.
Had that been a back handed compliment? Had that actually been a regular compliment before that? Her surprise was swiftly hidden away once more as he smiled and winked at her before hopping down off his rock and circling her. Muscles tensed below cloth, armor, and skin…her head turning to watch him until he passed behind her when her senses zeroed in on him, and then her head turned back to the other side to watch him reappear there.
“No blood, no newly-external organs, no skin discoloration. Hmm…it vill haff to be AMPUTATED!”
On eyebrow raised again, a subtle smirk forming on her face even as Sender seemed to be scanning her himself, partially falling into the joke’s trap until that very last part. He huffed slightly before chuckling and shaking his head.
Fine…fine…you two have your fun. If she keels over from stress it won’t be my fault.
Rah snickered quietly at that and brushed Sean’s arm off of her shoulder good naturedly, if not a bit teasingly. It belied the true concern that had settled over her as far as Pan’s reactions were concerned. The force wasn’t something to be trifled with and the chiss woman had been greatly disturbed by the feelings she’d caught from the reptilian before and just after she’d disappeared. Sean must have caught her concern, however as he started to explain. They’d only gone a short distance and he’d stopped atop another large rock formation, turning and holding his hand out to her. Taking his hand she used him to help pull herself up with a soft groan and heavy sigh as her muscles protested against the action. Much as she hated to admit it to herself, she was rather thankful for the offered help, even going so far as to give him a muttered “thanks” in return. His question earned him a shake of her head, though she didn’t like the sound of it.
No…but I don’t like the connotation of it. From the name I can only guess it has something to do with the force…I’ve never heard of any ‘seers’ that were not connected to it…and if she has a knack for biotechnology…
She sighed heavily, following him down the opposite side of the formation carefully, her cloak swaying around behind her slightly though it was still partially held in place by her pack, rifle, and Sender.
I don’t know much about it, but yes…that is, more or less, what it was meant for. 01 was meant to have been the first droid able to connect with the force, to hear it and feel it.
“The Philosopher’s Vector…”
“Unlike anything anyone in the facility had seen of heard of before. Its capabilities unlocked a whole other dimension of mechanical engineering, it was simply and incredible achievement by her.”
“And a horrific one. We all know what happened to the Familiar ‘gifted’ with it.”
Rah blinked slightly and paused.
I’ve not told Rahja anything of this before, Ayer…He…he went insane, Rah.
“So what it pretty much comes down to is that we have no idea what she could be concocting right now with whatever she just learned from you. No pressure or anything.”
“This is no laughing matter, Sean, what she did to 01 with that contraption....I would rather not have a repeat of.”
“She's changed since then, Ayer. Project Seer was the product of brash, scientific recklessness. Like the computer geek equivalence of an arm-wrestling tournament. While we can never expect the result of this to be subtle, I have my hopes that it will work out alright. Now open this door.”
Rahja suddenly felt very ill.
It wasn’t the strain on her body from healing…that was slowly passing. It wasn’t even the thought of what had happened to the Familiar who’d been endowed with the Philosopher’s Vector…not entirely. It was, instead, the thought that whatever the scientist might be concocting now might be WORSE…and it would be because of her. A monster born from a devil…how suiting that would be. Horrific, but suiting. She doubted Pan had changed over much…if anything the saurian woman would likely be more anxious to prove herself after the last failure, and that kind of obsession was dangerous…especially when dealing with the force. Her attention was brought back to the present when the door slowly shifted open. Perching the glasses back upon the top of her head, those red eyes were forced to readjust to the light coming from the room.
Stepping into the room, she eyed the two quizzically as they went about their business. Why did she get a bad feeling about this?
“Primary power restored. Subterranean Rapid Escape Craft operational. Preparing primary firing procedure.”
…oh…well…that would be why.
As Sean pressed the final button and a metal panel slid away to reveal the inside of the escape craft. For as many rules as Rahja had bent, or outright broken, she wasn’t sure this was the best idea. Sender immediately piped up.
An escape craft? Sean…THIS was your brilliant idea? I hate to keep being a nag, but are you certain the Wizard will allow this? I'm not anxious to find out what the repercussions of this might be, and as I'm certain you two know already, it’s my job to keep Miss Kel here OUT of trouble…not get her INTO it…
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
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May 3, 2010 0:21:20 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on May 3, 2010 0:21:20 GMT -5
Sean regarded Sender with an expression of mock hurt. But it works so well... He chuckled and turned to flick several knobs and levers on the inside rim of the hatch. It had been a rather brilliant idea the first time, he thought. It was by no means the safest alternative to rapid transit, but it was by far the most thrilling. Wasn't that why they were sneaking around the facility? Cause they were bored out of their coagulated gruel of minds? That's right.
The array gave a confirming beep, Ayer nodded to him. The course was set, the engines were primed, the only thing left to do was to strap in and press the button. Sean clambered into the hatch's entrance, peeking out, once inside, to address Rahja. I am not about to endorse the safety of this craft, but let me tell you now that it is the only way we're going to be able to have the time for any significant amount of enjoyment tonight. Unmonitored, of course.
Translation Protocol: It's damn bloody fast.
Thank you. He ducked back in to clear the path for his entourage and climbed a small, wall-embedded ladder to a rickety, steel chair at the top/front of the pod. This will get us to our desired location before Sender can finish explaining how stupid this plan is! It took a little edging and a slight balancing act to get into the vertically positioned seat, but he managed at last to settle in and pull the frayed safety harness across his shoulders. Impressive, ain't it?
Ayer, who had hopped off of Sean's shoulder, hovered carefully to perch on a guard rail running along the inner wall of the SREC. Though he had been initially opposed to this plan, and for good reasons, a process had begun to run through his circuits causing him to reevaluate and reconsider. It would be nice to do something that wasn't a trial or request to end more lives. His entire existence seemed to be broken into two states of being: 1. Being in battle. 2. Waiting for the next one in some form of purgatory or another. It would be an interesting learning experience to accompany a normal night out.
Besides, he had never been out on the town without having to worry about getting shot by something.
You need not concern yourself with any trouble we may get into. Look up there. Ayer motioned with one wing to a shadowed alcove sitting just over the tunnel they had entered through. Sitting atop the thin edge, a the dim red glow of a security camera light illuminated one of the many eyes of Familiar, as well as the ion turret next to it. Both watched the group with cold, emotionless presence. If the Wizard wished to stop us, he would have by now. Keep in mind that the very purpose he created us to attain is our own antonymous development and the development of those blessed with our company. This could very well be just the learning experience we need to further "evolve".
He gave the pair a moment to absorb this before cracking his beak in a smile and chirping out once more. Translation Protocol: Shotgun! The avian form darted back up to settle next to his partner. Speaking of learning experiences, any chance you learned how to actually fly this thing since last time?
Of course I did.
Oh yeah? When?
Sean bent down to switch on a few more toggles. A holoscreen flashed across the featureless panel of steel where a canopy would normally be, fuel levels, trajectory calculations, global position, and more danced in a diagnostic ballet. The whine of powered-on machinery emanated from somewhere behind them. Last time.
Ayer looked around the cramped cabin finally finding an axillary cargo strap by which to at least attempt to secure himself with. Wonderful.
All aboard who's comin' aboard!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
They call me a monster, for making a monster, but what is a monster anyway? Someone frightening the mobs, someone playing a god, or is it someone too scared to understand, and so they stand in my way?
"Analog Theoretical Simulation: Synthesized. Running Success Analysis..."
A complex diagram flickered to life on the laboratory wall. Comprehending saurian eyes studied it carefully. There were still some flaws, issues with the data source trans-location, but on the whole she felt she had it right this time
Hard work and science, is what I have to give, and all I'm asking in return, is that your live...
"Analysis Complete."
A long list of numbers scrolled down, each with a corresponding category with names ranging from "Sub-cognitive Conditioning Sequences" to "Serial Empathic Evaluation Receptor."
"Project #41970 Communal Success Rate: 99.9913%
This time there would be no mistake.
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May 10, 2010 15:31:20 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on May 10, 2010 15:31:20 GMT -5
“But it works so well…”
Oh how Sender was wishing he had the ability to show facial expressions such as his companion could. If he could have, he’d have no doubt been showing the unsympathetic and mildly irritated emotions he was feeling toward that mock hurt expression Sean flashed him before giving an even more irritated glare at the comment. This was a bad idea…a very bad idea. Luckily for Sean, however, the AER series was incapable of such emotional expressions and so Sender simply grumbled to himself as he followed Rah inside and eyed the suspect surroundings. “Oh wonderful,” he thought, “just like pre-hyperspace rockets….this is brilliant, Sean.”
“Translation Protocol: It’s damn bloody fast.”
Even better…
Letting out a sigh of defeat, Sender nudged Rah with one wing a few times.
I would suggest the seat to the left…it’s harness is far less frayed than the others…and I think I’d like in that pack of yours right now, thank you.
The raven haired beauty simply smirked and made her way over to the seat 04 had suggested. She gave the harness a good sharp tug before deeming it worthy and pulling off her pack and rifle. Settling herself into the seat she finally replied to Sender.
Well…this is a first. Typically you protest being put in the pack, Sender…
This is a special circumstance…don’t get used to it.
A little chuckle managed to escape Rah at his ruffled sounding reply as she held open the pack for him to climb into from her shoulder. Stepping sideways along her arm in an almost parrot-like manner, Sender settled himself into it so that his head was poking out just enough to see what was going on around him. As she tied the pack again, red eyes flickered up to Sean and she snickered, shaking her head a bit.
"This will get us to our desired location before Sender can finish explaining how stupid this plan is!"
”VERY stupid!” Explanation complete…and he may be watching, Ayer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be trouble later. If this is a learning experience I think I may want to skip this particular class…
Impressive? Well, I’ve seen better…antique might be a better word for it…and Sender, the General’s getting to you head. Sometimes you just have to say “damn common sense” and have a thrill or two.
Haven’t we had enough ‘thrills’ in the past two months yet, Rah?
Not the right kind.
Of course not…
The roar of engines behind her had the woman wincing slightly at first before she got used to the sound. A slight forward motion, followed by a subtle (but far longer) backward motion and then the little pod was catapulted forward along the tube, pressing her back into her seat with the inertia and compressing her organs and ribs almost uncomfortably. Within moments the darkness of the tube was replaced by the near darkness of the world outside, the sky of Kuat barely catching her eyes from around either side of Sean’s seat and the shape of Ayer, the stars pricking the sky as the sun’s light was nearly faded into nothing. The orbiting ring of the KDY glittered brightly along the viewport for a moment before vanishing and showing the lights of what seemed to be a city growing rapidly closer.
The sound of minor thrusters shifting on and off to keep their course straight barely reached her ears past the thoughts of “maybe Sender was right this time around,” “holy shivite,” and the thrill of adrenaline through her veins. Again she cursed her incomplete training…this time wishing she had the very handy ability to use protective skills. No doubt this was going to be a rough landing. For a moment she thought she heard Sean call out a warning of impact, then the red warning light flickered on and blinked twice, indicating the very same thing. Muscling though the dwindling pressure enough to get a deep breath, she let it out and forced her body to relax as much as possible, her wrists wrapping in the straps of her rifle and pack to keep them from flying forward or around too much once they hit. One hand found the barrel of her weapon, further steadying it and the other hand caught the top of her pack only moments before the impact.
Since she’d forced herself to become semi-relaxed, she managed to keep herself from too much initial damage, the jarring impact absorbed by muscles that only worked hard enough to keep her relatively in place rather than tensing so much she caused herself to be absolutely rigid and feel the impact that much more. The small craft skittered to a jerky stop, leaving Rah with a nice, sore, bump on the head from her rifle and another from her head hitting the back of the seat. Red eyes blinked through the darkness, glowing eerily as she peered about cautiously and probed outward through the force before moving or speaking.
Everyone alive in here, still? Any damage sustained?
She questioned, working swiftly to get herself free of the harness. The dim red glow of the single small warning light and the flickering glow of the controls had her mind operating swiftly as she fell back into a more operation oriented thought process. Sender poked his head up from beneath the flap of her pack, the two points of red that formed his optic sensors glowing just as eerily as her own as he worked to untie the top of the pack and hop out to help shed more light on the situation.
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
3,801 posts
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last online Sept 16, 2018 19:37:00 GMT -5
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May 30, 2010 15:41:37 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on May 30, 2010 15:41:37 GMT -5
"Haven’t we had enough ‘thrills’ in the past two months yet, Rah?"
"Not the right kind."
For all that Sean could sympathize with that statement (having felt the same way far too often while doing things like shooting at wall-smashing Dark Jedi, or clambering across cliff faces on a toxic planet to help eliminate numbers at a 80:1 ratio, or juggling electrobinoculars, a multi-tool, a micro-scanner, and 3 live grenades all while desperately keeping a mission-vital "portable" comm array from rolling off aforementioned cliff with a frayed rifle strap) there was yet another who perhaps had an even greater grasp upon it. Ironically, the bird had never really put much anterior processing into this notion and, as such, didn't know it himself.
Thus as Ayer tightened the cargo strap, his slight irritation at the situation and dread of what was to follow simply washed away to be replaced with excitement. It was then he realized that what lay ahead was the "right kind of thrill." This was going to be the first time he had ever exited a high speed vehicle without trying to help destroy something. Who knows? Maybe he could even help create something new...
Fasten your seat belts. Sean punched the throttle.
Many a time have I fly, with nye a thought or quiver , into arms of open sky, never did I shiver.
Yet with a whim I now do soar, as steel screams and engines roar. And with it comes a sense of thrill, not gotten from the window sill.
Through stone and fire, never tire so much, so little, still serves to ire.
Sean took a moment to exhale once the craft leveled out...well...after the craft stopped a vertical blast-off to oblivion, at least. He reached out to toggle a switch. The viewscreen projected before them flickered out leaving a bare metallic surface in its place. Another switch: a groan of mechanics as the blast shield rolled back providing a natural view of the evening sky. His breath slowed almost to a normal pace, it was a beautiful sight up here; far from the light pollution of any major cities, only the glittering ring of the KDY shimmered over them like a great halo. This wouldn't last long-- the speed at which the SREC carried them, took them further and further from the secluded sanctuary of PF's grounds. However, at this altitude, the fact they were moving at several thousand kilometers an hour became moot. The sky, the ground, and the stars above remained stoic; entities as old as time who payed their fleeting existence no mind.
He glanced over to make sure no one had been left behind straight through the rear panel. Everyone seemed to be accounted for--Ayer was mumbling something to himself--with no evident casualties. Good. Now he could concentrate on the hard part.
"Landing."
Hang on tight! We're goin' in!
It went more or less decently: First the little warning light and klaxon came on, the latter quickly disabled for the sake of occupant sanity. Yes, I KNOW we're landing, this thing is intended to land, isn't it? I don't need it being treated like I just hit the self-destruct button! ...I didn't, did I? Sean dismissed the thought and returned his attention to the next tasks. Landing skids - deployed. Landing lights - illuminated. Radar cloak so we don't get mistaken for a ballistic missile and shot down - operational. Now for a niiice smooooth-
Ouch!
Sean's hand started to move to where whatever had hit his wherever, but he forced himself to return its grip to the control stick keeping them from making too whindy of a trench. When finally the screaming metal death trap lurched to a smoldering stop, he just sat there for a moment staring ahead, not trusting the world to have stopped. At last he managed to wrench his hands from controls, which shuddered feebly in the dwindling power supply, flexing his fingers as he realized how stiff he had been during the landing. He knew you were supposed to relax in such an incident but that's just so gorram counter-intuitive! One thing was certain, he was gonna be sore tomorrow.
All the more reason to make this a night to remember... Sean muttered to himself, eying Rahja and beginning to undo his own harness. Right as rain, Rah. Ayer?
The bird appeared on the back of one of the seats, readjusting a feather jarred out of calibration by the impact. You have a hard head, Mu'haro.
I know. I test it regularly. Sean brought a fist down on another control panel, snuffing out the alarm light and heralding a hiss of air as the exterior door slid open. The cool night air wafted gently in raising goose-flesh across his arm. All the same, it felt nice in comparison to the stale, recirculated air of the facility and the cramped pod he now clambered out of. Ayer completed a quick systems diagnostic and followed suit, albeit it more gracefully.
Alright, where to?
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Jun 1, 2010 14:46:15 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jun 1, 2010 14:46:15 GMT -5
“You have a hard head, Mu’haro.” “I know. I test it regularly.”
Rah managed a chuckle and flopped back into her seat upon hearing the others as the warning light was turned off. For everything she’d been through in her life, she still hated ships and still hated crashing. Taking a moment to regain her composure and steady her nerves, she closed her eyes and took in a breath of the air that wafted in from outside. Hearing the sound of Sean’s boots on the ramp, she opened her eyes once more and stood up, feeling far less shaky now, and hoisted her pack and rifle over her shoulder again as Sender hopped out and back onto her shoulder. Stepping out beside Sean, she glanced around at the open field and the city in the distance. Giving a subtle shrug to his question, she flowed past him and into the shin high grasses.
Now THIS…this was a place she liked.
Lots of life…lots of green…plenty of things to sense in the force, but with a certain relaxed feeling. Smiling quietly to herself, she looked almost peaceful for once, those sharp features softening as she closed her eyes and just allowed the force around them to speak to her. After only a moment, that relaxed look returned to something more…consistent…with how she appeared on a daily basis. Those red eyes opened and she looked over at him.
Well, unless I'm mistaken, that’s Kuat City over there…plenty of things to do in a place like that, or we could just stay here. I'm open to either idea…only difference is, we can get something decent to eat in the city. Not sure if you’ve heard of it, but there’s a place called the Nebula Orchid there. Nice diner, though it tends to be a bit busy because of its popularity.
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
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last online Sept 16, 2018 19:37:00 GMT -5
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Jun 4, 2010 0:24:18 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Jun 4, 2010 0:24:18 GMT -5
Sean scanned his surroundings analytically, Ayer perching backwards on his shoulder to the same behind him. Some grass. Some trees. Some more...green...stuff. It was a stark contrast to the bleached hallways of the Familiar Facility. It was kinda pleasant, he supposed.
But Force knows what could be in that grass.
Sean's mind lapsed momentarily back to his first few months in basic. The "newbies" weren't man enough to wear pants. They wore scout shorts. He remembered what his legs had looked like after laying in some strange alien grass for nearly 3 days. 89 hour days. He looked down. Wonderful. He was in relaxation gear. Scout shorts.
All clear.
Lucky bird. Being all made of metal and whatnot. Practically an animate bug zapper. Hmm... Sean toyed with the idea for a moment. Nah, it would never work. Right, enough whining. What kind of military man complains about a little grass? Besides, on the other side rested sweet civilization. Lots of it.
Kuat City. You will never find a more glorious jive of fun and prosperity. He turned his head to smile warmly at Rahja. And fine dining. Nebula Orchid, you say? According to my job description, I'm not much of a fan of crowds, but I think I've had enough seclusion to last me 10 lifetimes.
Ayer finished cross-referencing with the databanks and spoke from Sean's shoulder. I read through a few reviews by some of the galaxy's most renowned critics. They say that the service is nearly as excellent as the food. Old world waiters and exotic dishes from all around the galaxy.
That sounds excellent! Let's go there.
Ayer gave a simulated exasperated sigh.
What?
Do you honestly think we can afford such a meal?
It may have just been the moonlight, but Sean's face seemed to have paled slightly. Ayer continued. It also says here that a table is nearly impossible to get on site. A reservation is needed.
Hey Rahja, do we have a reservation?
Sean.
He huffed, but the smile never left. He dismissed Ayer with a wave of his hand. It's worth a try all the same. Come! The city awaits! He swung his pack over his shoulder and set off into the wild tangles of grass. The shining nimbus of the city skyline loomed before them.
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Jun 5, 2010 19:35:18 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jun 5, 2010 19:35:18 GMT -5
Turning, the woman and her familiar watched their companions with something akin to mild amusement. As the banter progressed, Rahja caught the minor paling of his face…those red eyes were more light sensitive than his, and the moonlight was certainly not the cause of the minor bleaching of his skin. A slow smile formed on her face, sharpening those already sculpted and lightly angular features further in her amusement. He needn’t have worried about the price. Considering her time as a mercenary, and now her time with the military…well, she had a nice little stock pile of credits to her name. She rarely had the time or desire to spend much and so the pay checks tended to pile up faster than they were used. Her tastes were simple after all (most of the time anyway)…it came from so many years with the Jedi and the Medicorps. After all, the Jedi had rules about personal belongings, and the Medicorps did as well…only slightly less strict.
Don’t worry about the price. My idea, my treat.
Sender gave a little chuckle to her words and shook his head, flicking his tail slightly and gently gripping Rah’s shoulder with his talons. Ignoring the subtle ribbing of her partner, Rah simply continued on.
As for a reservation or getting a table on site…That smile drew up into an impish grin. If we stop by my hotel room to drop off my gear, I can almost assure you that we will get a table.
Following Sean, she nodded to his comment and hitched her pack up along her shoulder a bit more. As they walked, one hand idly brushed along the tops of the taller grasses every once in a while, each touch sending prickles of information and sensation through her hand and the force. Even with the distance between their landing sight and the city, the two made surprisingly good time. Every once in a while Rah would have Sender go on ahead and she would vanish into the tall grasses to come up behind Sean and surprise him. It didn’t happen often, only two or three times, but it was fun anyway. She couldn’t do it too many times, after all, or he’d begin to expect it…as it was, by the third time he’d gotten wise enough to be cautious when she vanished. Once they reached the city proper, Rah paused and looked at Sean.
So…do we go straight there, or do we go to my room and drop some of this gear off before heading out for some proper fun?
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
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Jun 25, 2010 23:25:19 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Jun 25, 2010 23:25:19 GMT -5
I'm only saying that with the wind sheer factors and gravitational resistance, such a manuever that you're suggesting would be quite impossible.
Sean trudged through another thick patch of grass only to snag his boot and stumble again. A blade of grass sliced across his forearm leaving a steadily growing welt. More blades sent wonderous sensations of burning and itchiness to him through the force...of them touching him. Ugh. And I'm only saying that you're full of absolute rubbish. He spoke angrily and staccato as he tripped. I know what I saw and that's what it was!
Ayer jumped from patch to patch after his partner, each hop scattering the tall grass in the warm blasts of the repuslors. I quite assure you that it is not I who is "full of rubbish." As we speak, I am running a recording of just the event you speak of in the upper quadrant of my display.
Are you now?
The Familiar hunkered down before launching himself up to balance nimbly upon the tip of Sean's rifle. His servos whined as his reticulated legs struggled to maintain a center of gravity-- a tricky feat with Sean's bumbling. Affirmitive. Tyrr Oranos did make a remarkable save for a member of his species, I'll admit, but I hardly calculate him to have "flown right across the court."
Sean paused to look over and up at his Familiar with an irritated look before hunching his rifle more securely onto his shoulder. Ayer's wings danced and his repuslors flashed bringing him to the ground significantly more gracefully than had been Sean's intention. It sure seemed like it on the 130" holoscreen in the officer's mess. You just have no sense of imagination.
Yes. It comes with the job description. Just now figured that out did you? He spoke sourly with the most sarcastic expression a mechanical seagull can manage (it's real intimidatin'), then continued his repulsor-fueled leap frog.
Also, no one says "Af-firm-i-tive" in casual conversation. Stop that. You're going to scare someone with all that command bant-MOONS OF YAVIN! Sean recoiled and subsequently snagged his foot in the grass again when Rahja popped up suddenly out of the grass. Again. Damn you to oblivion, Rah, stop doing that! I'm too young to have a heart attack!
And thus the party of misfits and mechs continued in this fashion. Rahja moving silently through the grass awaiting the next opportunity to prey upon the fool bumbling along behind her, sometimes arguing with his Familiar about Brockian Ultra Cricket, sometimes trying-and-failing to get revenge on the blue demoness. A fair distance later, he had learned to associate Sender's departure and later Rahja's vanishing act with an increase of wit, once even managing to keep a completely straight face when she tried to startle him. And Ayer did not warn him, really. Not once. Yep.
It was difficult to define what constituted their arrival to the city. Major urban areas such as Kuat rarely have a little line painted around them with a sign that says "Kuat City border. Population: eighty bajillion and ninety-two" so they pretty much had to wing it. Sean personally based his decision on when one could look in every direction and see a StarCredits. Bloody things were taking over the galaxy with their "iced lattes." Then Rahja said one of the few things in the last half hour that wasn't ooga booga booga. Sean looked her over and wasn't sure how to answer. Ayer looked Sean over and answered for him.
Getting a room ought to be our top priority. We can't very well walk into such a high-class locale with a modified CR-X9 hunting rifle over one's shoulder. Not to mention the certain air of... He regarded Sean's grass-stained khaki slacks and reddened skin, pieces of foliage still clinging in places. Cleanliness.
You know, I really hate it when he's right and a bantha's arse.
I do my best. It may also be for the better if we stay behind. It's not exactly commonplace to bring ones' droids into a fine dining establishment, certainly not ones of our...uniqueness.
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Jun 26, 2010 3:54:54 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jun 26, 2010 3:54:54 GMT -5
(( Dress Ref. Img Link)) Sender didn’t need to do much to ‘disappear’ actually. Considering he was already a dark charcoal gray and black coloring, about all he needed to do was hunker down in the grass or soar up above them high enough that they couldn’t hear him. Quiet as he was, those repulsors still made noise. Either way both he and Rahja found it amusing to watch Sean’s reactions to her sudden appearances from the grass. Once they’d reached the city proper, and Ayer had said his piece, she nodded slightly. ”If you boys want to get your own room, feel free, but as I said, I already have one. You’re welcome to use it for the time being, however. As for you two coming with us or not…I suppose that’s up to you, really.””Yes, I typically accompany Rahja everywhere, but in these cases I would simply wait outside. It’s quite entertaining to people watch, I’ve discovered…””Oh is THAT what I caught you doing!””I…you did no such thing, thank you very much Miss Kel. I’ll have you know I was going over schematics.””Mhmm, of course you were Sender,” she replied with a knowing little smirk as she hailed an air taxi and got in, giving the driver the destination as she waited for Sean and Ayer to get in also. It was a little tight, but over-all the ride was comfortable enough, and it didn’t take long to get to the hotel near the space port she would be leaving from the next day. It wasn’t the classiest place ever, but it was nice enough…well kept, decently furnished (if a little spartan), nice staff…over-all it wasn’t bad. Leading the two up to her room, she opened the door for them and turned on the lights with a wave of her hand and a bit of the force as she set her pack down on one of the chairs in the room. Sender settled in on the bed as he watched Rahja rummage about in her second pack (which they’d brought over earlier), and start rummaging about in it. With a soft ‘ah-hah,’ she pulled out several folded layers of cloth. A short “be right back,” Rah vanished into the refresher to change. The thing about her job…you needed to be prepared for just about any setting. This was why it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise to see the azure woman reappear in a dark blue dress of thin and floating materials accentuated by silver. The clean and flowing lines as it fell to just above her knees in the front and mid-calf in the back. As she adjusted the lace behind her neck holding the top up, she looked over at Sean and gave him an impish smile before putting the clothes she’d just been wearing (now neatly folded) beside her pack. Reaching into her pack again, she pulled out the set of heeled shoes that went with it and strapped them on. Standing once more, she turned about for him to see the full effect. ”There…see? I believe this might just get us a table, with a bit of luck. What do you think?”
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
3,801 posts
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Jul 1, 2010 12:43:47 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Jul 1, 2010 12:43:47 GMT -5
The Familiar Enterprises Avian Electronic Reconaissance series model number zero three is equipped with a lingual database comprised of over 350,000,000 known languages and dialects.
Republic Special Forces marksman, Sean Arlaud Mu'haro, knows four.
However, despite the latter's obvious shortcomings, one of those four languages he could speak fluently completely eluded Ayer's every attempt to comprehend. Basic he understood and used fluently, Bad Basic Sean slowly managed to teach him, Arklivanian was also integrated into his programming, but Airtaxi he would never understand.
Sean held the door for Rahja when they arrived at the hotel, then leaned in to "speak" with the cabby. What followed was a series of obscenities in at least 16 different languages terminating in laughter, a friendly handshake, and the 15% "gratuity charge" lifted from the bill. He tossed the driver a credit chip and joined Rahja, Sender, and Ayer in front of the hotel.
That was...enlightening.
Whatever had passed between the two men still lingered on Sean's face in the form of one of his silly grins. You don't know everything yet, captain feathers.
Far from it...
The room was far from dingy, rather pleasant, in fact, for its simplicity. In other words, it beat the heck out of the one-piece cubicle of a quest quarters he had at PFHQ. He never understood why he couldn't have one of the staff rooms; they were really quite nice--holoscreens, full bath, even their own kitchen--and there was no way they were all taken. The facility is huge! Rahja's night abode fell somewhere in between. Not too classy, but not lacking either.
Nice place. I'll have to book it next time I'm in town. You know, when I'm not working for one of two secret agencies trying to save universe.
Ayer hovered in to perch on his shoulder. His wings remained outwards, correcting his balance with minor pulses. How melodramatic. He continued on to come to a complete landing (making sure to keep all seat backs and tray tables in the upright and locked position) at the foot of a bed.
Sean finished surveying the room and turned back to his Chiss accompaniment. He has a point. Maybe just a galaxy or two. Ayer shook his head, eliciting a short chuckle from his partner.
Both sniper and piper did their best to remain politely detached from anything- er... specific while Rahja gathered her evening garments and headed into the refresher. Sean sat down next to Ayer and almost considered taking a peek into her bag. A warning look from Ayer and an old memory of his old man quickly changed his mentality on the subject. "The only thing you can trust about a women is that you will require imediate medical help if she catches you snooping around or touching her stuff. You may as well prod a peko-peko albatross with the butt of your rifle if you're feeling that suicidal." He had done it, too. Sean remembered doubling over in laughter as his father was "mauled" by the massive virtual creature, the words YOU ARE DEAD flashing across his scoreboard.
His musings were utterly shattered when Rahja came back.
Sean stared in wide-eyed silence as she proceeded to strap on the heeled shoes. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep his mouth from dropping to the floor. He needed to keep his composure, not gape like an addled bantha.
You're drooling. Ayer said none too quietly.
Dammit.
He closed his mouth and ran his tongue over his dried lips. On the inside, of course. No giving Rahja the right wrong impressions. Or would it be the wrong right impressions? I- You- ...Wow. You look amazing, Rah. The contrast the fabric made with her azure skin would be stunning no matter who or what you were. To Sean, it was as if a fallen angel had been sucked right back up to the stars followed by a crimson firework show over an aurora of-alright, time to back down on the mental imagery. You still have one major embarassment to bash through.
Sean stood up from the bed and laughed nervously. My turn. He scooped up his pack, sans rifle, and went into the refresher himself.
He stepped out wearing a slightly less grass-stained pair of khaki pants, a ratty white shirt with a few less holes in it than the black one, his brown cargo vest, and the same muddy pair of boots. And a bowtie he found in the lobby. He turned about for her to see the full "effect." I was goin' for the whole...city slicker gentlepunk look. Didn't have another pair od shoes, though, and the socks still have a record to beat.
Foul.
I know you are, but what am I? Ha! I made a funny! Anyways, if all goes according to plan, the maitre' di will be too transfixed by your beauty to run from me in horror. We'll have a table in no time! I do love these idiot proof plans.
No such thing as an idiot proof plan, idiots are too ingenius. Exhibit A. Ayer gestured with one wing to his partner who simply nodded in agreement.
Speaking of the platinum parrots, I guess you two just do what you think is best, as Rahja suggested. We probably won't require your services too much onc-hey wait! He crouched down to Ayer. You think one of you may-
Tried already. They take their reservation the old fashioned way--by book. Can't hack a book, Sean.
Ah well. He hopped back up and held the door to the room open. We make do with what we got and at least one has got quite a bit. Onwards!
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Jul 2, 2010 16:27:53 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jul 2, 2010 16:27:53 GMT -5
”What two secret organizations, Sean? Unless you’re counting Familiar twice now you’re only working for one. Hate to break this to you, but Special Ops doesn’t count as a ‘secret organization’…since everyone knows it exists…” Sender gazed at the man, head tilted slightly to the side. If Sean was part of some OTHER secret organization, Sender had yet to hear anything of it, and that was saying something, considering his and Rah’s clearance codes. Rah had simply chuckled and gone about her business, leaving the boys to ‘fight nice’ as she called it.
When she’d reappeared, feeling a bit more self-conscious than she allowed to show (she didn’t even fully understand WHY she was feeling that way, it was illogical, honestly), his reaction was worth it all. The purely dumbfounded expression on his face was priceless. “You’re drooling,” Ayer piped up, making Sean wake up from his apparent stupor. This only had Rah chuckling, smiling over at him as she’d turned about for him to view in full. His stammered appreciation of her appearance had a light tint of lavender creeping across the tops of her cheeks. Unfortunately, Sean’s nervous laugh had her chuckling again, as she stowed away her gear and went about hiding her ‘usuals’ along her person and in the small purse she had brought as well. By ‘usuals’ that meant: ID (military and civilian), her earpiece and throat mic (the mic obviously went into her purse, though the ear piece was hidden discreetly by her hair…not that it was horribly obvious anyway), those HUD glasses (which also went into her purse), along with several small throwing blades strapped around her thigh and easily hidden by the material of the dress. Her data chip of sensitive information was given to Sender to stow in his chassis, and with that she was ready.
When Sean re-emerged, Rahja was settled on a corner of the bed, speaking quietly to Sender. ‘Oh dear…’ were her first thoughts as he turned about for her to see. It wasn’t easy for her to keep from snickering, only a slight smirk showing in her expression. Well, the bowtie would certainly have to go…and the vest too. Humming slightly at his appearance and his words, she gazed at him with a critical eye. Why men never seemed to pack at least one set of dress clothes she would never understand. It happened nearly every time. Hell…some of them didn’t even OWN dress clothes. At least the military had dress uniforms. Standing, she walked over and took the bowtie off of him with a chuckle and a shake of her head. ”Take what you need out of the vest, it’s staying here too, Sean,” she stated, combing her fingers through his hair a bit and pulling out what few bits of flora still attempted to cling to him.
Once she was satisfied with the improved appearance, she smiled. "Much better without the bowtie. Brownie points for the attempt, however," she said kindly and stepped out of the room. "Out of curiosity, though, why don't you have your dress uniform or a set of dress clothes?" She wasn't meaning to put him on the spot, her tone said as much since it held nothing but simple curiosity, but she had been taking a poll of reasons once she had noticed that particular trend in men's packing choices.
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
3,801 posts
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last online Sept 16, 2018 19:37:00 GMT -5
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Jul 8, 2010 18:36:33 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Jul 8, 2010 18:36:33 GMT -5
Didn't I tell you? Sean spoke with a feigned innocence barely keeping smile repressed. I'm the newest member of the Decency Squad. Sworn to protect the galaxy from the forces of evil and vegan activists. I... He paused as if for dramatic effect while he thought up a name. ...am the mighty Blockhead!
Ayer supressed a light chuckle, rewriting the audio protocol into a drawn-out sigh. Go change, blockhead. He waited until Sean had closed the door before turning and addressing Sender. As per your initial assumption, he is indeed reffering to the Republic Special Operations. None of us have had the heart to tell him many are aware of its existance-
My existance! Aware of myexistance! Sean's voice was muffled, but he made up for that by half shouting. Not until it's too late, that is! They spot me, and BLAMO! There was a moment of silence then a barely audible mumble. ...except when that wall blew up...and the Jed- Dark Jedi...deflected it...shouldn't be possible...infrared...composite beam...
He emerged feeling a little less than half as subconcious as Rahja, but she filled in the gap with careful scrutinization. Not that much was really needed. He feigned disappointment as he shrugged off the vest and cried out when she removed his bowtie. My secret identity!
You fiend. Ayer monotoned as he leaned over the side of the bed to see what could be done with some of the larger tears in Sean's apparel. A quick sort through his storage compartment produced a tiny spool of microfilament wire. Threading it into a conviently battered feather (he was told it got caught in the fabrication line pistons during his reconstruction--guess they don't have a whole bin of the things to pull replacements from), he patched together the rips with greater speed and precision than most sewing machines. Guest relations database suggests that there may be travel-sized a stain remover in the refresher cabinet. I'll go get it.
Sean watched Ayer dart into the refresher and Rahja gather he "cosmetics"--whatever that means anyways. One thing to be said about the Chiss, she was never caught unprepared. He would be willing to bet there was not a soul in the galaxy that could apprehend her short of an orbital strike. Where do you keep the howitzer?-oh, nevermind, I missed that canister pocket on the back of your purse. His tone was sarcastic, yes, but not unfriendly.
He began to gather his own necessities; a single vibroknife in his sock, the detachable commlink in his helmet, and his anti-pickpocket wallet. He considered one of his last two Wildfires for a moment before deciding there wasn't an inconspicuous/safe enough place to keep it. He shrugged at Rahja's question. He could tell there was no offense intended by it, she was simply inquiring into one of the great mysteries of life. Dead weight, mostly--scratch that--forgetfulness, mostly, but between crawling through brush and rehydrating meals in one temporary home or another, the only formal events are in the pickle suit at mandatory ceremonies. He tossed his 'other usuals' haphazardly into his pack and laid his vest over it. Besides, I don't need much that the alluminum anhinga can't supply. The Force knows he's more competent than I'll ever be.
A clatter followed by a dull thud sounded from the refresher. Sean rolled his eyes. One moment. Stepping into the refresher, Ayer sat on the floor regarding him with a somber, ashamed expression. Sean crossed his arms.
The shower curtain fell on me. I thought-
Sean yanked a thumb at his shoulder. Ayer got the hint and jumped up. Sorry.
Soldier and seagull stepped out and went immediately to the front foor. Can we go now? Sean said irritably in high-pitched voice.
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Jul 8, 2010 19:56:11 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jul 8, 2010 19:56:11 GMT -5
((rofl: “He would be willing to bet there was not a soul in the galaxy that could apprehend her short of an orbital strike.” ….about that… )) It was entertaining (to say the least) trying to get Sean fixed up just a bit more. His protests about the bowtie had her chuckling and grinning, shaking her head slightly at the comment. Ah what an amusing man he was. Sean Mu’haro had always been able to make her smirk, chuckle, or smile despite herself. It was just a gift he had, she supposed, and while it was odd…it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. In fact, it was very welcome, strange as that may sound when attached to the typically stoic chiss. ”Pha…you’ll be fine for tonight ‘Clark,” she retorted, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze as Ayer patched up the larger tears in his clothing. Not long after, the little droid zipped off into the refresher…apparently for some stain remover. Oh how she doubted that. Shaking her head again, she’d turned to gather up her things, Sean watching in what seemed to be either mild amusement, or vague interest. “Where do you keep the howitzer? –oh, nevermind, I missed that canister pocket on the back of your purse.” Laughing a bit, she turned to face him, a sly smile spread across her face, to which Sender could only lift a wing and hide his head behind, shaking it slightly. ”Nope…that doesn’t go in the purse. I keep the heavy artillery tucked away in a more personal place,” she replied, adjusting the top of her dress nonchalantly. The answer to her own question about men’s lack of wardrobe choices had her nodding. ”Yes, that seems to be the consensus…forgetfulness, I mean, followed closely by ‘lack of usefulness’…which I also believe you just covered.” She paused a moment at the door, hearing the clatter-clang and thud from the refresher. Blinking in surprise, she nodded to Sean and looked over at Sender, who simply shrugged his wings upward slightly. After all, how was he supposed to know what Ayer was doing in there? Well…sure he had that short range X-ray, but…was there really a need? As Sean and Ayer re-emerged, Sean looking rather irritable now, Rah laughed quietly a little and ducked her head, almost appearing bashful with the motion. Looking back up at man and machine once more, she opened the door. ”Of course. Sender…you two can fly there on your own.” Sender’s reply was little more than a ‘right-o’ as she shooed him out into the hall, waiting for the others to pass by her so she could shut and lock the door once more. Falling in beside Sean, it didn’t take long for the little group to exit the building once more, Sender almost instantly shooting off into the sky and teasingly shouting for Ayer to ‘just try and keep up’…which, obviously, he would. It wasn’t as if one was faster than the other. Rolling her eyes at her familiar, Rah sighed and turned to Sean with an amused little smirk. ”So what did happen in there? I get the feeling the tin canary wasn’t simply looking for a stain remover…”
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
3,801 posts
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last online Sept 16, 2018 19:37:00 GMT -5
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Jul 17, 2010 15:13:39 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Jul 17, 2010 15:13:39 GMT -5
Waving the caravan out the door on towards the lobby, he waited until he was sure things were on the move before answering Rahja's inquiry. It wasn't so much of an act of impatience or spite as it was to give his body time to purge the last bit of gas from his lungs. Don't give Ayer any more helium grenades. He's a bit...edgy for such frivolous munitions.
Ayer appeared almost immediately at his side. Frivolous he says! Sorry lumps of flesh like him don't appreciate the true horror of the mynock.
Sean gave Rahja an exhasperated look before shaking his head wearily. You're right. Just like carnivorous behemoths like grauls and greater krayt dragons pose little threat to you metalheads.
The bird twirled around his head to see if he could pull any more reason out of Sean's other ear. I still don't see why you shouldn't let me carry helium grenades. You let me carry a Wildfire.
Which isn't a frivolous munition.
But-....I see your logic.
"Just try to keep up!"
Saved by the Sender. Ayer took the chiding call as a strategic oppurtunity to avoid admitting Sean was right in a debate of logic. I mean that was his half of the dynamic duo for Phae's sake. With a casually dropped 'one moment', he was off at max repulsor speed after his younger brother.
Spyglass systems: Online Acquiring target...
Alert: Sensor interference detected Analyzing...
Error: Unable to analyze target
That would be the squirt's infamous sensor cloak. It amused Ayer on several occasions that the two close brothers had such complimentary capabilities. This wasn't a first though, and he knew some old tricks.
Primary system energy guarders: Deactivated Shunting repulsor power...
Ayer would slowly start to lag behind his brother with the energy being diverted elsewhere from his repulsor engines. He was losing the race. For now.
Spyglass systems at 115% Target acquired Analyzing...
Target: Familiar AER-04 "Sender" Airspeed: 249 Bearing: 41 NNE 210 Energy levels: 78,000
Gotcha... The infrared guide beam cropped up on the system priority command executions--the very same used to guide the similar beam mounted on his partner's rifle sights. How very ironic, inappropriate, and oddly amusing process. Another time, perhaps.
Optical analysis: Complete Crosslinking Spyglass observational data...
Optical phenomena logged. Deactivating Spyglass...
While it is true that there are insignificant differences in the separate AER model's average velocity (particularly in the nearly identical 03 and 04 units), that didn't mean some of them hadn't learned to cheat with time, necessity, and experience.
Shunting power to repulsors...
Repulsor systems at 125%
Archaic pilots used to refer to a particularly helpful tactic called flying-by-instruments. This was to say that in low-visibility environments, they would have to rely on the careful analysis of the dash instruments to inform them of their relative position to their surroundings.
Now droids were practically limited to 'flying-by-instruments' as even their sense of sight was a synthesization using light receptive sensors: photoreceptors. What Ayer had done now was switch to a far more reliable, thanks to his little brother's cloaking device, 'fly-by-sight' mode. This allowed any unused energy normally required to run the powerful Spyglass targeting system to be used to boost repulsor energy.
And therefore speed.
Sean, on the other hand, simply cocked one eyebrow and watched Ayer zip off bemusedly. He was completely oblivious to the complex technical applications his Familiar was running through, but that didn't really matter cause he didn't care anyway. All he cared about was the fact he was stepping out of a decent hotel into the crisp, night air, alongside a woman who was stunning to him even without the fancy clothing. After all, what is a garb? It's what was underneath that mattered.
Concealed throwing knives are sexy.
He took in a deep breath through his nose and slipped one arm gently around Rahja's shoulder, bringing her close in next to him. You know, Rah, I could get used to this. Might take a bit a' time, maybe some therapy--gonna be tough getting used to things constantly not exploding--but this... He exhaled with a calm smile on the tail end. This is really somethin'.
His moment of bliss was interrupted by a growl that came from neither Rahja nor any other beastie. Right! So where's this diner?
Oh well. At least the helium seemed to have wore off.
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Jul 22, 2010 3:37:17 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Jul 22, 2010 3:37:17 GMT -5
Warning: Systems lock on eminent.
Activating Runner’s Respite systems ----Systems signature scrambled ----Enemy targeting system detected: PF03SPYGLASS -------Counter Measures Active: Scrambling enemy sensors -------Enemy sensors jammed
”Nice try brother, but not this time.” Sender thought with some amusement as Ayer’s Spyglass system attempted to analyze him and gain a good lock. Why in all the worlds Ayer wanted to analyze his systems was a bafflement to Sender, but if his older brother wanted to know something, Sender was (of course) going to do his best to deny him that information…at least, in play he would. It was an ongoing game, of course…Ayer would attempt to analyze him, Sender would block him, Ayer would attempt to analyze him again, sometimes Sender would block him fast enough, other times he’d be a tad too slow and Ayer would get what he wanted, Sender would have to pull a proverbial rabbit out of the hat and find some way to baffle or out maneuver Ayer, and then their play would have to end because of some circumstance or another. No doubt Ayer was pulling something together to try and outwit his Respite system even as he thought about it.
…and sure enough, there it was…
But…why was he lagging so far behind?
”Ayer, what have you cooked up -this- time?”
Warning: Systems lock on eminent.
Activating Runner’s Respite systems ----Systems signature scrambled ----Enemy targeting system detected: PF03SPYGLASS -------Counter Measures Active: Scrambling enemy sensors
ALERT: Target acquired Systems scanned Systems identified
”No way…”
It was one of his worst nightmares come to life.
In his surprise, those repulsors flickered, faltered, and cut off as he attempted to comprehend what had just happened. That was about the time that his alerts went off again, snapping him back to reality.
ALERT: --Altitude decreasing --Chassis stress level increasing --Speed increasing --Maximum velocity approaching
WARNING: --Primary repulsors non-responsive
Attempting to slow descent with backup thrusters
A moment of “holy hells” flashed through Sender’s processors as he watched the ground approaching a bit too fast for comfort…not even caring that Ayer had passed him moments before he started his impromptu (and unwelcome) kamikaze dive. His back up thrusters, mainly used to hover for short periods of time or make small directional adjustments, flickered to life with little effect as he attempted to gain control of his free-fall.
Rerouting all power from non-essential systems to primary repulsors
Repulsor systems online
Activating repulsors
Systems responding
ALERT: --Gaining altitude --Speed stable --Chassis stress level: 87.50301% -----Reaching red zone
Horror mixed with relief flooded through the little AER as his repulsor systems (thankfully) came back online with the new burst of power, allowing him to avoid the lines of speeder traffic and hard permacrete he’d been headed for, after all, his chassis stress level would be a lot worse if he hit either of them. Leveling out at last, he swiveled his head around to gaze down and behind him.
”Note to self…NEVER do that again!”
While the new relief of not becoming scrap was enormous, his processors were still stewing over just what it was that Ayer had done to get around his Respite systems…after all, if Sender could do it, something worse might be able to. And that was another thing…why in all the blast furnaces in the galaxy had his repulsors gone out like that? ”I should really get that checked,” he muttered to himself as he decided his best bet right now was to fly safe and play tag later…where it was softer…and he was less likely to become metallic road-kill.
Rahja had barely noticed the fact that Sean was talking in just a bit higher pitch as she exited the room, the argument, however, gave her a good idea about just what had happened in the bathroom…or…at least why Sean seemed disinclined to speak at first. Sighing, she decided to just stay out of the argument. They’d work it out on their own, after all, and it wasn’t her place to butt in here. Yet.
That was about the time Sender zipped past them and the two familiars swiftly became dwindling specks against the night sky. A light chuckle and something sounding very much like “kids” could be heard from her as the two watched their little friends zoom off into the wild blue yonder, Sean quirking an eyebrow at them before taking a deep breath before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close beside him. A gentle smile formed on her features, softening them considerably as she looked over to him as he spoke, and wrapping her own arm about his waist.
“You know, Rah, I could get used to this. Might take a bit a’ time, maybe some therapy -- gonna be tough getting used to things constantly not exploding – but this…This is really somthin.”
She had to agree…this was ‘really somethin’. Red eyes closed for a moment as she took in the night with her other senses. Though, of course, the first thing she noticed was the growling of Sean’s stomach. That earned a snicker, smirk and one eye opening with the raise of an eyebrow to look over at him. “Right! So where’s this diner?”
”It’s in the entertainment district a few blocks from here…we could walk, or we could hitch a ride, up to you.”
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A®heim
One does not just make a dreadnought.
3,801 posts
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last online Sept 16, 2018 19:37:00 GMT -5
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Aug 22, 2010 0:50:50 GMT -5
Post by A®heim on Aug 22, 2010 0:50:50 GMT -5
The problem with Ayer's latest tactic was that, while Sender was optically targeted, the realignment of the Spyglass system left him blind to other important tactical information. Thus, when his brother began to plummet from the sky, Ayer simply thought it an unorthodox means of escape. It certainly held its own as one; in pursuit, it took nearly an entire second for him to realize that Sender's speed was far beyond the limiters allowances and that the ever-so-cautious number 4 would never disable them for such a petty game of tag.
Sender! Ayer called out even as he had already rolled into a dive and retracted his wings. He didn't know what he was doing, or what he was going to do--his brother was in peril and he was going to get him out. Somehow.
Just as he was going through a few hasty and fallible options, he shot past his brother suddenly, apparently having rectified whatever technical difficulties he was experiencing. Well that was a relief.
Wait. No it wasn't.
ALERT:[/u] --Altitude decreasing --Chassis stress level increasing --Speed increasing --Maximum velocity approaching
Standby for buffer calculations...[/color]
Now he had done it; he had acted without thinking and was about to reap the consequences. It only took 0.047071 milliseconds for the needed calculations, but hurtling towards the duracrete at speeds the owners manual warns you against while every one of your system alarms is hammering in your head has a way of dragging out the eyeblinks.
Calculations complete Preparing to divert all axillary power to repulsor systems
A small window appeared in the corner of his vision, tiny numbers counting down the distance to oblivion with mind-numbing veracity. He silently prayed to whatever deity may give a conductor for artificial life.
And there was the ground.
Power diverting Repulsor systems 210% Full thrust downangle 01910
About 10 feet from the ground, his repulsors flared--a brilliant blue that splashed around his wings in his decent--creating a sudden cushion of air between him and the surface. It was this pressure that saved him, causing him to careen along just over the street. He was alive! He made it! Thank the-
ALERT: Acquisition - travel/1720/54/b/14 Collision Imminent
A landspeeder. Right there. Right now.
Emergency altitude decre-
______________________________
Sean saw that Rahja had noticed his body's cry for nourishment--not that this was particularly difficult, it sounding like his intestines were stampeding--and adjusted his collar. That little smile/brow thing that Rahja does....he wasn't sure if it was cute, suggestive, or simply unnerving. Whatever it was, it always made him sweat. He hoped he didn't smell to bad... If it's just a few blocks, I can hoof. Unless...you wanted a ride, though I must have left my limo in my other boots.
As if on cue, the stretch speeder pulled to a stop in front of the hotel. Sean regarded it suspiciously for a moment, then looked around the immediate viscinity for a well-dressed couple, then returned to regarding suspiciously. He looked to Rahja with a 'know anything about this' expression.
"Well? Are you going to get in or just stand there gaping like a pair of mountain worrts?" Said the speeder.
This was about the time Ayer finished skidding to a stop in front of them--as if everything wasn't screwy enough. Ayer picked himself up unsteadily, spread his wings, and craned his neck to do a full look-over of his chassis. Several long gashes ran laterally along his back from where he had slid across the pavement to avoid being roadkill Oh dear, oh dear...brand new coat of paint too... Despite his somewhat battered condition--some of his sub-processors still reeling and his HUD flickering ominously--he managed to orient himself enough to send his brother an quick message. You alright there, Sender?[/i]
Then collapsed against Sean's boot.
"03 is that you? Wonderful. Would you mind asking if your partner and his fiance would hurry things up a bit? I have a lot of work to do that isn't being a taxi driver."
Sean reached down and took Ayer up in his arms. There was indeed a bit of damage, but it seemed fairly superficial. He would be fine, if not a little dazed. Poor bird, always the one to be getting in trouble, aren't you? Anyway, this...car seems to know you so I can only assume this is some elaborate scheme by the president of the galaxy to capture us and disect our brains! The last word he drew out, accompanied by a slow, wide-eyed turn to look down at Rahja.
Sounds like fun. What are we waiting for?
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Sept 1, 2010 4:48:50 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Sept 1, 2010 4:48:50 GMT -5
Watching him readjust his collar, the blue hued woman opened her other eye and one corner of her mouth pulled up further, gracing him with a quirky half-smile. That uncomfortable and nervous shifting about that Sean tended to do around her…she wasn’t sure if she should find it amusing, adorable, or simply feel bad for him. Well, for now she settled for a combination of the three…poor man looked like he was sweating, and while she wasn’t quite sure what she did this time to make him do so, she decided that maybe she should try to go easier on him.
…If that was possible…
Chuckling at his reply, she shrugged and had been about to reply when a stretch speeder rounded the corner and pulled to a stop directly in front of them. She and Sean managed to give each other the exact same look at the exact same time before she laughed (yes, Rahja Kel actually laughed) and made to reply again, only to find herself cut off by the speeder speaking. Blinking in mild amazement, the typically unflappable chiss looked dumbstruck for a moment before laughing again. That’s right, two laughs in the span of a few moments, try not to die of shock, Sean.
”Well if that doesn’t take all…You know, I had something witty to say before but…I mean, I knew the force worked in mysterious ways, but this is pushing the limits of what even I can believe,” she admitted with a shake of her head. looking back at the car before looking back to him once more. ”So Sean, you were saying about Limos and your other boots?”
It should be mentioned, at this point, that Rah found herself startled once again as the scraping sound of metal on pavement, followed by a white and gray bouncing blur, caught her attention. This was soon recognized as Ayer, once it came tumbling to a stop. Red eyes widened slightly as she swiftly knelt down to look the little droid over as he picked himself up and looked himself over, mumbling about his paint.
”Ayer, are you alright? What happened to you?” she asked, voice full of concern. Of course, with the concern for him came concern for her own AER, and she subconsciously touched the silver and blue pendant around her neck, which held the small tracking device that Sender used to keep tabs on her in dangerous or potentially confusing situations. Looking over at the talking car, she blinked at just what it had said, standing and smoothing out her dress once more. A bit of purple tinted her cheeks as she tucked some hair behind her ear and watched Sean scoop up Ayer. His joke, and that zombie-like turn to look at her was met with another, slightly deeper, blush of purple, a mild chuckle, and a clearing of her throat as she flowed toward the waiting speeder. Pausing as she opened the door, she quietly informed it that she was not Sean’s fiancé, and slid inside.
Only moments after, Sender descended on the group having gotten the, rather scrambled, message from Ayer and only barely having seen him plummet past him. ”Ayer! Phae’s feathers and rusted rivets! Am I alright? Am -I- alright?! Are you alright?!?! What in the name of Pan’s little remaining sanity were you thinking? As if one of us nearly splattering wasn’t bad enough….I nearly had another systems failure when I realize what was happening!” He had followed them into the speeder, landing carefully on the seat beside Rah and flicking his wings in his agitation. Only a moment later, he realized just what they were in and looked around, glancing over his shoulder to the AI terminal at the front where the driver would typically be and tilting his head slightly. ”Oh…a PF speeder? How did this come about? And which one of you is the gracious driver tonight?” he questioned, now that he was relatively assured that Ayer wasn’t a burning or flattened pile of scrap metal.
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