"I'm not Viola." Circe said again, though she still didn't give her code name or designation. She nodded when Tereani mentioned the specialized tattoos, having expected that, but the symbol she had thought of was still in her mind, distracting her a little when the orc touched her, causing the bioid to flinch back slightly. "And I never thought I'd be wearing alien designs on my skin, but life throws many unexpected things our ways."
Circe had little opportunity to avoid having the orc's chest pushed into her face. At first she tried to recoil from the sudden action, but soon found her mind clouded. When her head finally cleared, Circe shook it to clear the last cobwebs from it. 'Pheromones... that has to be it. That's not good.' She thought, casting a sideways glance at Tereani leading her by the chain. It was demeaning to be sure, but Circe suffered it, understanding the orc's logic for doing so, if not wholy happy with it.
Circe placed a hand on her hip as Tereani explained about changing the AI's definitions. "I imagine it would be simpler to just remove them, essentially giving the AI no power." She didn't like the idea that the orcs could reprogram her AI to make her unable to raise a hand against them.
Still trying to shuffle her jumpsuit back into something resembling decency, Marie is slow to react to the wolves. Pincered... great. Noticing Laina pulling some sort of gear out and moving to block the southern hallway with it, she turns to the north. "Sounds like a plan," she growls, letting off a round from her pistol at the Dire Wolf.
"Ugh.. hello, Kiera. Don't get too excited - I intend to find new clothes as soon as possible. If you're going to take any vidsnaps for A.I private time, do so now..!"
An irritated handwave back to Emily and Skora.
"Yep, these are our new allies, going by the old creed that my enemy's enemy must be my friend.."
Something muttered after that which sounded suspiciously like "or, another enemy."
"Nevermind my questions, though, you two... I'll let the Commander have the honours of debriefing you first. Step smartly, if you please.."
With that, she's off again, ignoring both Kiera and her new allies as she storms toward the base main complex, and the elevator to the Command Center. Not, apparently, a happy Asari.
Surprised by the sudden assault of questions, Emily is caught off guard and unable to form a reply. Suddenly the women turn a corner and find themselves at the entrance to the base. After watching a woman appear out of nowhere... apparently an AI hologram, Emily is completely unsurprised by the quick abandonment by Doc Blue.
Emily had heard of artificial people before, but she had never had a chance to get up close to one before, especially with the Orcs. She was mostly kept in the beds and courtyards.
"Uhhh.... helllo.... Kiera? Ummm, I'm Emily! I don't suppose you have a bath and some clothes and some way to remove *this*?" she asks, gesturing at her collar.
Jethro smacks the right side of his head twice, his left eye looking up "Hey, you been dunking into my memories again, Archibald?" he says in a slightly angry voice as he follows Cassie "Sorry. My memory's not been the same since my last injury. I'm as little a human being as possible now. That was also when.......Yeah, I remember now.....Private Quick." he begins to quiet his aloud thinking as he walks into the command room, taking his pistol and sliding the action back, checking to make sure it works properly, then holstering it and accepting the rifle from Cassie, checking it as well.
Though, when Kiera appears, he casts about and raises his left fist, his normal reaction to being surprised, though he quickly stands down, propping his rifle on his shoulder, the butt in the palm of his hand. "Thanks for letting me out, Cassie. Just so long as Kiera keeps her fingers out of my head, and out of Archibald's code, I think I'll get along just fine." he says, rubbing the bald left side of his head that still had skin. "So. Where do I start?"
Rather than respond with the anger their little half-orc was expecting, or attempting to assert her authority, Cassidy... laughs. For one breath, then two, paroxysms of amusement drowning out any attempt at words. It's not happy laughter, though, not a sound that expressed the simple joy of being alive, but entirely more cynical. Even bitter.
"Oh, you're too funny, green. Without going into detail, I know a little about sexual servitude. I'm Asari, after all. As for your people? If they're still around, they've pissed off like the rest of the 'civilised' races. Including, by the way, my people. "
A pause as, without an obvious way round, the scientist is forced to clamber over a still-smouldering wreck of what once might have been an aerial vehicle of some sort, and as she pauses to let her erstwhile companions do the same, she continues..
"Sorry. Still stings that they abandoned me. Not to mention dumped me in handcuffs and packed me into a pod for the humans to collect without so much as a pity fuck. Tell me more about this Horde. Numbers? Approximate racial gen... no, you won't know that. What about sexual compatibility? Obviously, they can impregnate -me- and mine... what about humans? Elves? Do you know how many chromoso... ugh, no, you won't know that either. What about disease? They ever get sick? STDs? What's their tech level in terms of medicine..?"
Question after question, fired off in rapid succession as the Asari goes into proper scientist mode, proving her credentials in traditional fashion. It's only after the fourth or fifth question that she takes a breath, and turns her gaze on the women behind her in expectant fashion.
"..Well? Don't just stare at me like that. I know my armour's shredded, you're welcome to examine it up close later."
((Yes, I know. She's a crazy bitch. What can I say?))
"Call me green, and I'll call you blue. Call me Skora and I'll call you Doc," the half-elf replied, not understanding or really caring enough to figure out what the Asari meant with her cryptic allusions to sexual servitude. Yes, perhaps the woman had been in sexual servitude, and certainly she had just been violated by one of the horde soldiers not long ago, but Skora was only two hours into the first steps of freedom of her life and already some strange new alien was giving her orders, grilling her with questions, telling her she didn't give a damn about her or her people, laughing and insisting that her people's homeworld was long gone, and in the same breath offering trite and patronizing insights into her own views of the universe. One half of Skora wanted to strike the blue doctor a good one across the jaw - and the orcish half wanted to run her over with a truck.
But before the Sylvari's emotions could boil over, she was saved by their arrival at the native base, Firelight, where a hologram identified as Kiera, a commander, greeted them and also let slip the doctor's first name, Cassidy. Skora looked to Emily to see how the slave was coping with the marching pace, and would help her along if she was lagging behind.
Somewhere East of Firelight Base: Carmine Forest (Unknown Sector), Orc Encampment; Circe
"Don' you whur-hee, likkle Sai-burg. Ih'l fix dja upe." The purple orc said, pulling one of the compartments out of the wall - the red metal shiffting into a chair. When the purple orc went off to grab some more equipment, Tereani set Circe down the chair, locking her collar in place.
"She's learning English," Tereani muttered, "Horribly. One of her slaves is trying to teach her."
The purple Orcess made her way back, setting a small black band about Circe's forehead, singing a tune underneath her breath in the orc language. A small keypad popped up near Circe's head as she began to type in a code, Tereani explaining as they went.
"The band around your head is... well, an artifact, really. It's going to interface with that AI inside your head, and allow us to reprogram it," The orc hadn't tried toreach over and pat Circe on the head or stroke her in any appropriate way - but instead, kep her hand on the Bioid's shoulder in an almost supportive, caring way. The metallic chair humed for a second, before a large, circular 'halo' appeared above Circe's head. The device, made out of the same red metal, slowly began to rotate, a bright light forming on the inside of the halo.
"Nhow likkle sai-burg, don' git to whu-heed aboat lus-sun yer mam'rhees fer a sec-kund er two," The purple orcess tried to reassure (?) Circe, the Halo slowly starting to descend down towards her head...
Firelight Base: Courtyard; Cassidy, Emily, Skora
Kiera's turned her head to Cassidy as she stormed into the main compound, calling after the Asari, "If it helps, the Commander apparently has your size saved on her omnitool still!"
She turned her attention back to the two women.
"Follow her, please," The virtual representation said, waiting for the two to move before walking behind them. She paid close attention to Emily - since she was the only one that seemed to be talking to her, "Well... I don't know if you'll have time for a bath, dear. And as for your collar...
"...That's odd. There doesn't seem to be a seam to it. How did they put it on you?"
"Don't make me scramble your brain," Kiera said, her Virtual Representation actually recoiling as Jethro raised his fist. Cassie frowned.
"Calm down," She said, "Archibald will stay away from Kiera, and Kiera will stay away from Archibald. You'll be starting when the last person who saw Circe- Ah, here she is," The Commander just barely finished her sentence when the elevator doors opened, revealing three very nude women, and each with different skin tones: Blue, green and pale white. Commander Winters left Jethro staring at the women as they walked towards the center of the Command Floor.
Opening up the same compartment where she pulled the rifle and pistol for Jethro, the Commander pulled out a simple jumpsuit for Cassidy, throwing the grey military fatigues to the Asari.
"It's your size. Sorry, no Asari Micro-filaments here."
((Cassidy has gained a jumpsuit with a durability of 5. Skora and Emily will receive the same, don't worry!))
Firelight Base: Sub-Floor 12; Marie, Laina, Ashley and Kalica
Combat Rolls:
Laina: Throws a tech mine down the hallway; uses 4 MP and 1 EP.
Ashley: Fires three times at the dire wolf and reloads; uses 4 EP.
Attack 1: 4 + 3 = 7 vs. 10 (Natural 10!) + 8 + 2 = 20; Miss.
Attack 2: 5 + 3 = 8 vs. 5 + 2 = 7; Damage: 1.
Attack 3: 7 + 3 = 10 vs. 1 (Critical Fail) = 2; Damage: 2 (2x Crit Multiplier)
Kalica: Fires three times at the dire wolf then reloads; uses 4 EP.
Attack 1 (1): 2 + 4 = 6 vs. 5 + 2 = 7; Miss.
Attack 1 (2): 2 + 4 = 6 vs. 9 + 2 = 11; Miss.
Attack 1 (3): 1 (Critical Fail) = 4 vs. 10 (Natural 10!) + 8 + 2 = 20; Miss.
Attack 2 (1): 5 + 4 = 9 vs. 2 + 2 = 4; Damage: 1.
Attack 2 (2): 1 (Critical Fail) = 4 vs. 8 + 2 = 10; Miss.
Attack 2 (3): 3 + 4 = 7 vs. 1 (Critical Fail) = 2; Damage: 2 (Critical Multiplier)
Attack 3 (1): 2 + 4 = 6 vs. 8 + 2 = 10; miss.
Attack 3 (2): 1 (critical fail) = 4 vs. 9 + 2 = 11; Miss.
Attack 3 (3): 1 (critical fail) = 4 vs. 6 + 2 = 8; Miss.
Marie: Fires once at the Dire Wolf; uses 1 EP.
Attack 1: 9 + 5 = 14 vs. 4 + 2 = 6; Damage: 1.
Wolves:
Dire Wolf: Moves forward and uses slam on Ashley; uses 2 EP and 5 MP.
Slam: 1 (Critical Fail) = 2 vs. 8 + 4 = 12; Damage: 4.
Wolf 1: Moves towards Laina, but is interrupted by her tech mine.
Damage: 6; Wolf 1 dies. 1 EXP given to all characters.
Wolf 2: Moves towards Kalica and uses disarm; uses 3 EP and 2 MP.
Grapple: 7 + 1 = 8 vs. 2 + 2 = 4; Miss.
The women all quickly shift, forming a rough diamond shape as three aim at the large dire wolf, Laina throwing her tech mine along the southern hallway. Kalica and Ashley both fire at the same time, the automatic weapon kicking so hard in the Runner's hand that she could barely keep it aimed on the Dire Wolf; Ashley didn't have too much luck either, only two rounds from her pea shooter striking the giant wolf. Marie was more calculating, trying to precisely aim at the wolf's eye... only for her round to fly off to the side, striking the creature's shoulder. With a snarl, the creature bound forward, lowering it's wounded shoulder and launching itself through the air, striking the closest woman: Ashley.
The wolf's attack was brutal, catching Ashley off guard, his strong haunches easily bowling her head-over-heels, coming to a dazed stop on her plump ass, her world still spinning. Kalica swore, trying to reload quickly, only for a wolf to run up behind her; her honed reflexes allowed her to nimbly dodge out of the way before it's jaws snapped down on her wrist.
((Laina will be using her three EP to attack the Dire Wolf.))
Jethro nodded as Cassie ordered Kiera to stay out of his head. However when the three nude ladies entered the command center his left eye shuts completely, as he stands at attention, as if expecting an inspection. His right eye remained shining and unmoving. "Ma'am. Please inform me when the ladies are decent so I can actually open my eyes." he states in a firm tone.
With all the shyness expected of an Asari with her... track record, Cassidy doesn't even blink, stalking into the command center with little more than scraps of jumpsuit across her groin, and breasts bared to the world. White-spattered breasts, one might add - if folks were looking closely.
"Not a word, Commander. I'll shower when we have our bioid back. Is this lump of bronze the best thing you could find us for backup..?"
Sarcastic even when changing, stepping neatly into the jumpsuit and almost tearing the garment in her haste to cover herself, only just remembering to switch her pistol holster from the ruined Asari gear now serving as panties, to the jumpsuit's thigh.
"Oh, and meet Green, better known as Emily, and Kitten, better known as Skora. No, wait. The other way round. Skora, Green, Kitten, Emily. Ladies, meet Commander Winters, the last, best hope of every free man, woman, and Asari on this station. Oh, and you can open your eyes, tin man."
Of course, she was the only one dressed, but his reaction was sure to be amusing.
Jethro opened his left eye, then immediately slammed it shut upon seeing the other two women still naked "Not funny ma'am. And this isn't just some piece of tin, ma'am, it's one of the finest pieces of mechanical engineering." he states, his body still at firm attention, as one of the LED lights on his skull turns red and his right eye starts to make clicking noises as he groans and raises his left hand to smack his left temple once, then returns to attention as the clicking noises stop and the LED light turns back to blue. "Gunnery Sergeant Sands, at your service, ma'am. Though most just call me Gunny." he states, his left eye still held shut.
(Shite on a biscuit. There's another one at the end of the hall?)
Ashley was too busy fumbling her next clip into her tiny gun, the two shots she'd hit the creature with having not even phased it. She didn't look back up at the beast until it was flying at her, at which point she only had time to let out a scream of surprise, which was quickly turned into a squeak as the wolfs shoulder slammed into her, knocking the wind right out of her. The civilian fell on the floor, landing roughly on her ass. For the next few seconds, all Ashley could do was gasp for breath, and try to see through the stars clouding her vision.
(Edit: Okay, not another one at the end of the hall. That's a good thing.)
Circe wasn't exactly put at ease by the orc's manner of speech, but she had little choice in the matter. Taking the seat on her own, she glanced with some suspicion at Tereani as the orc locked her in, but stayed quiet, instead settling into the chair. As the purple orc returned and Tereani explained, Circe nodded, but it still didn't answer her question.
With a glance up at the spinning circle, Circe sighed and closed her eyes. She couldn't change her mind now, so the only thing to do was sit and wait for it to be done. The planner she was, she still had one plan if they did make her their slave, so she still felt some level of control.
Somewhere East of Firelight Base: Carmine Forest (Unknown Sector), Orc Encampment; Circe, Lullana
The Halo began to slip down around Circe's head, Tereani pulling her hand away as she did. As soon as the light touched Circe's head, the world become dark to the bioid.
She didn't quite know when she came to, but the halo was just finishing at her feet, her clothing gone, and odd designs already etched onto her skin. Tereani and the orcess were speaking in thier native tongue, it sounded, when the green orc realized that Circe had awoken.
"Ah... there you are," She said with a smile, moving back over to the chair. The halo attached itself to the metal chair and melded back in as soon as it cleared Circe's feet, Tereani taking the bioid's collar off completely. Another orc women, again with green skin and skimpy clothing, was standing near the purple orcess, looking over Tereani and Circe.
"Ah, yes... Viola, this is going to be your partner for a while. Meet Grunt Lullana," She said, "...And yes, Lullana... After your recent episode with that human slave, I will consider Circe a higher rank than you."
((Two things: Maiko wants Circe's tattoos to look like
You must be registered to see the links
much better than what I had picked out.
Second:Welcome X-Man who'll be playing Lullana, another Orc Grunt.))
Following along in the Asari's wake, Emily mutters, "Great. Just great. Even the orcs let me wash off every once in a while."
Responding to Kiera, "I don't remember how the collar got on. It just did. And it has been here ever since."
Walking into the command center was a set of amazing sights. Emily had never been around so much technology before. The funny looking machine man-- the fluffy bunny-- all were beyond her normal experience. As she hears the Doc refuse a shower, she thought, "Did Doc Blue get hit by the pink stuff? She doesn't even want to wash off the orc spunk."
After the comment about decency, she replied hotly, "Hey! Between the gloves and this bandoleer, I am wearing far more than I normally do! Although I will take handouts if you have something a little less revealing..."
"I see Doc Ma'Blue is practicing to be a comedienne. Just call me Emily."
Watching the interplay between the man/machine, the bunny, and Doc Blue, Emily wasn't so sure if this was the last bastion of humanity holding onto the spark of civilization. It was beginning to look a lot like a Charlie Foxtrot.
"You can call me Skora. Commander Winters. Sands."
Skora looked around.
"If you don't have any extra suits of clothes here, then I'd suggest pointing Emily and I in the direction of some. We're wasting valuable time with all this posturing and modesty."
Cassie smiled, keeping her hands behind her back; Emily hadn't offered her hand, and with Skora? Cassie didn't even know how to properly greet herself to either an Orc or an Elf.
"Don't worry. We'll have some extra clothes here for you soon. Kiera, would you mind-
"I scanned their bodies as they walked into the base; their uniforms are already made and in the transfer area," She said, flipping over one of the virtual cards, winning another hand against Annerose. Cassie went back to the small door, opening it up and taking out two more jumpsuits, handing one to both Emily and Skora, taking the time to look over the green-skinned woman.
"...I hate to say this, but would you both mind using the weapons that you've brought with you? For me to produce two pistols right now will deplete us of resources.
"Also, you're still colored green," She said, biting her lip a little, "And until I'm fully convinced of your alliance - the both of you..." The Commander trailed off, hoping they'd understand.
Skora chuckled. "Fair enough. I've yet to determine if you pink humans are any better than the horde, but the only thing I know is that by joining you, I'll get to kill more orcs. The blue one can confirm one of my kills already."
Skora took the grey jumpsuit that was given to her. She didn't have any gore or cum on her that hadn't been washed off well before she made her bid for freedom, so she simply put her jumpsuit on, removing the previous trappings of her orcish existence and discarding them unceremoniously on the floor. She displayed her body proudly, used to many eyes gazing at it, then she zipped herself up in the new armor and felt the suit out, appreciating its measurements fitting to the contours of her body.
"And if your situation is as dire as the Asari made it out to be, then you don't have much in the way of choice. Send a trusted spotter to watch me in action if you want to affirm my loyalty, but if you want to make the right decision at the beginning, you'll trust in what intel I can give you. I know the locations of several landing sites that if you hit them hard enough in quick succession could put the horde on the back foot in this area, enough for you to make arrangements for an evacuation plan. I can't tell you the exact size of the horde, but I do know that it's too much for you to hold off from here. Whatever token resistance you were planning to mount here, it had better include getting the heck off this rock."
*With as fast a reload as she could get she knew she didnt have much time to react with the dire beast so close and so with the fresh clip she turned aiming the barrel for the beast firing off one quick burst of bullets at the dire wolf pointblank*
