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The Dividing Line - Station


Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Vlado shook his head at the eagerness of Krell and the others. With quick, practiced motions he plopped down his suitcase and opened it. Inside were surprisingly little medical apparatuses. Instead, most of the space was used up by a large, rifle-like weapon. As Vlado took it out and flipped a switch, two arms unfolded, connected by a thick steel wire. The combat medic took out several bolts and attached them to notches on the crossbow. "This promises to be a busy day," he idly commented as he closed the suitcase back up, sheathing the readied crossbow on his back. With silent steps, the combat medic followed Krell's group into the corridors of the station. "I suggest we head for the damaged sections."
---
"Alright then. Fletch, I need you at the generator core. When I give you the signal, turn it on. Make sure it's not rigged to explode or something, the bugs are assholes like that." "Sure thing. Happy, Sneezy, with me." The large man and his large suit made his way over to a large bulkhead. Unlike most other doors on the station, the accesses to the maintenance areas were purely mechanical so they could be openend even if power was cut. Turning the large wheel with ease, Fletch revealed a narrow tunnel behind it. Cables and pipes were packed tightly along its surfaces, and an even narrower walkway was the only way to move about. Fletch furrowed his brow and put a foot forward. After bouncing on it a few times, he seemed confident the walkway would be able to handle his suit. "Alright, how do we want to do this? One of you takes point, the other is rear guard?"
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Nadia nodded into the group, the black visor doing an excellent job of hiding her face. "Let's go then. Draven, take point. Talen, I want you in my back. Keep your motion sensors ready at all times. If the bugs sneak up on us, I'll fire you faster than they can kill us. Forester, stick close to me. If we get to a closed door, I'll need you to open it. Weld it, force it, whatever, just open it. All clear?" After awaiting their answer, Nadia pointed them up a flight of stairs. "Elevator's out, ladies. We're walking."
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Krell laughs as he ambles along down the corridor, dropping to a light jog to compensate for his longer strides. "Problem with that plan, buddy. Whole damn stations damaged!" he says jokingly into his comm, his spirits rather high at the prospect of more fighting. "I say we shoot something that looks important to the bugs and wait for them to come to us. Preferably one of them." he says as he slows in order to turn and begin striding down another hallway. "Or we could just start blowing things up. That ALWAYS gets their attention." he says, continuing his waddling stride down the hallway. In truth, he had absolutely no clue which way he was going, but that didn't really matter to a Pan Kor mid-stride.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

A panicked comm came through Fletch's speaker. "They're coming back to life! The bugs are coming back to life!" Maria sounded as if she were going to start crying. Her normally calm voice warbled and cracked

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Both of the Klarr laughed at Krell. "I like the sound of that."

"You would."

"C'mon my large friend," Deelin pounded along after the Pan Kor, "Let's find something that looks expensive and break it!"
 
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Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Draven nodded, the big rifle swinging to the front as he moved up, the only thing on his mind now their mission. He didn't bother asking what setting to use, he bloody well intended to shoot to kill anything that was an enemy. If that posed a problem ... well, Nadia could always tell him to change to a lower setting. Mind made up, the others not far behind, the Ingrali set off up the stairs, weapon at the ready.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Talen and Reno waited for the rest of their team to move before falling in behind them. "Reno, get in front of me. I want you on full-alert. Shoot first, don't ask questions."

Reno nodded her assent as she started moving, weapon at the ready. "Got it." There was a small, almost inaudible whirring noise as her eyes switched modes.

Talen turned around and walked right behind Reno so they were back-to-back. It would have looked comical if the situation were different.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

'Make sure it's not rigged to explode...'

Once again, a backwards feeling change of pace. But at least Kars knew his stuff when it came to sabotaging generators. Should be good and capable of spotting any tampering the bugs may have done to it. He couldn't help but ponder the humans walkway testing actions, watching somewhat quizzically as he silently floats through the "air" to come to a stop against the cable covered wall alongside Fletch. "Well, my vote goes to putting Sneezy and that three headed gun in front."

Tapping his forearm HUD controls a bit, Kars seems busy with something for just a second. Although inaudible to his two current companions, he gives a bit of quickly spoken advice to his partner in crime still out in space.

Having not heard anything from Nadia or the others yet, he then makes sure that their lead was aware of the situation, speaking to the group in general now. "Hey Commander. You getting this? The Mantis we killed outside aren't staying dead. Unidentified "yellow thing" is messing with them. My fighter is engaging."
 
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Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Deelin and Taavan would hear their coms buzz with life but not from the person they expected. They would hear the frantic and terrified voice of Meera, seeking some words from her kinsman. "D...Deelin? Taavan? Someone please pick up! Those....things we killed outside are...coming back to live! Its...its like something I've never seen...and...and...I'm scared! P...please pick up! I need help! I wasn't trained for any of this!"
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

"Krell!" Taavan commed ahead, "Slow down, we just got a transmission from Meera, something is happening outside!" The bugs are coming back to life, looks like we're going to have some trouble."

Deelin commed her back, "It's alright, calm down. You've got standard tech on your ship, right? I know you haven't been trained, but take the weapons helm and start freezing them. Its okay if you miss, you can't really do any damage. Listen to me though, you have to stay calm."

The pair slowed to a fast walk if Krell did, and if not they kept up with him, no longer excited about the mission. Taavan sent the message on to Nadia, "The bugs are coming back to life, ma'am. Permission to send someone back out to take them on?"
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Krell slows down, eventually bringing himself to a stop, growling as he listens to the comm from behind him. "Now this sounds like fun. Coming back to life, eh?" he chuckles after this, his left hand clenching into a fist. "Way I see it, we have two options. We head back and try to help out, or we do what we came here to do, and power this floating scrapheap back up, and blast the bastards with the station weapons. That means we still have to create a diversion." Krell says, turning to face the two behind him.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Taavan turned to look at him and let loose a curse that would have turned Meera's ears red, if she'd heard him. "You're a pain in the ass but you're right. Lets keep going. The quicker we do this the quicker we can get back out there and help."

Deelin's visor cleared and he gave Taavan his best impression of a Thundercloud. "I think you forget your place."

"No, we are not doing this now, Captain. We have a mission. We need to complete that mission. Meera can handle herself. There are two, three ships out there with firepower and the fourth doesn't need guns because its got the best shield this side of the galaxy. Come. On."

They glowered at each other for a moment before Deelin's visor clouded again and he ground out one word, "Fine" and was off like a bullet, running again.

"Cancel that request, Commander. We're staying on our mission." Taavan took off after his mate, with a creeping feeling he was going to be sleeping alone tonight. "Come on, Krell. We have some noise to make."
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

"Zombies or no, all of you stay on track." Nadia paused and shook her head. "Walking dead, fucking ridiculous. I wonder... Eh. Let the scientists figure that out - INCOMING!" And indeed, everybody's sensors went ping, several signatures closing in on their position. Nadia hissed and raised her shotgun, the tracker in one hand. "Where are they, I can't see 'em! WHERE ARE THE BUGS?!"
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Fletch froze in his tracks. "The... they're doing what? That can't..." His voice trailed off as the confirmation came in via Kars. No no, that's bullshit. That's fucking bullshit! The dead stay dead! Except in your head, asshat. With a roar, Fletch turned and rammed his steel fist into the wall. "SHUT UP! Okay, Maria. Listen to me. You've got good ships around you. Trust them. And if you CAN'T, then punch it. Punch it back towards the Brilliance. When they go down, you RUN, you got me? You fucking RUN. No bullshit, no heroics. You. RUN." He took the finger off his comm and turned to see Hiram staring at him. "The fuck are YOU looking at? You heard Kars. Take point, I'll guide you." The Xyr snorted under his helmet and turned towards the front. "Whatever you say, Sir Looney, Sir. Down the rabbit hole we go." "Wrong fairy tale, idiot." "I don't give a damn," Hiram bleated and started moving into the dusky tunnel.
---
Vlado remained largely indifferent about the Klaar's bickering, but a keen eye would have noticed his hand creeping towards the sleeve of his coat when one suggested leaving. When they agreed to keep going, it quickly withdrew. No pity for deserters.

Like with the group heading towards the command center, the entire team suddenly got pings on their motion trackers, but the signals were off. Some kind of low-level jammer threw off the precise positioning. How else could it be explained that they seemed to run right past Krell's bulky form? A visual cloak would disable the scanners. Where WERE they?
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Fletch could hear Maria taking a few deep gulping breaths before she replied, "Yeah. I read you. If they're overwhelmed, back to the Brilliance, and I'll bring help back. Its not stupid heroics, but I'm not leaving you behind. Any of you," she added as an afterthought.

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As their sensors pinged the mated Klarr pulled their guns from their hips and crouched into position, back to back. They'd had plenty off time to go through these kind of exercises stuck on that planet and they peered up and down the corridor, trying to figure out where the hostiles were. Klarr do not normally sweat, but both men could feel perspiration running down their backs from thee tense anticipation of the impending attack.

Deelin muttered loud angry curses, trying to pinpoint the location of the incoming hostiles, "Come on," he muttered, "Come out where I can see you. I only want to blast your face off."

Taavan was sending some fervent prayers to all the deities who may or may not exist at the moment and sent a private comm to his mate, "If we don't make it out of here..."

"Shut up. We'll make it. You'll make it."

"You know I love you."

"Yeah. Love you too. Now keep your eyes on the target and we'll all make it safe out of this, yeah?"

"You bet." But still, he worried. "Vlado," he broadcast, "Can you see them? What about you, Krell?"
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Talen shouted at his partner. "RENO! Can you disable their jammer from here?" The way he said it, it was more of a command than a question.

"Already on it, captain! All goes well, we should be able to pinpoint them soon!" Reno slung her weapon over her shoulder and got to work trying to counter the jamming on their sensors.

"Hurry up with it!" Talen was getting antsy. He preferred to get the drop on his opponents, not the other way around.

""Almost... ... Done! As she spoke, a quick burst of energy shot out from her core. At the same time, everyone would find their sensors working properly again, though their numbers were still hard to determine. "Yes! Take that!" Reno pumped her fist in the air.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Krell immediately raises his grenade launcher and clicks off the safety when the biological sensor begins to beep, his own way of tracking lifeforms. "Dammit. My targeting scanner can't find 'em. It's like they're invisible or something." he says, looking down at the readout and growling as he hits the side of the computer with his left hand, then switches it to standard detonation "Well, no fancy show tricks from me unless they show themselves." he says, rather calmly, which was rare from a Pan Kor, as he slowly panned his aim about, taking careful steps down the corridor as he swept the area. What he broadcast next was on an open frequency, one which the bugs might be able to tune in to were they inclined. "Alright you bastards. Enough hide and seek. I'm not afraid to start flinging Magnesium around. Show yourselves and you'll get a nice clean death." he says, forgetting that almost none of his munitions even worked in a vacuum.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Kars narrows one eye as he watches and listens to the armoured mechanics response to the situation. Granted, Kars had never seen anything quite like the zombie situation going on outside either, but he had never been the type to get worked up or emotional about his work. Right now the two primary concerns on his mind was the risk of bumping into an live and intact Mantis down in these tight passageways, and the danger that Ko might fuck something up and damage his ship. Or worse.

So far, she was doing very well. But slipping up is easy, and optimism, a tactical liability. As much as the situation outside concerned him though, he couldn't afford to get too distracted by it.

"Mhmm. Come on. We got a job to do." He says simply, falling in behind Fletch as the others advance. The cover provided by the heavy suit was a welcome thing in these narrow spaces. He takes frequent moments to lean and peer round however, cycling his sensor and vision modes frequently to give the best chance of spotting anything that might lurk along their path. He also uses his thermal and electro-sensory modes to make a quick check and mental note on which cables and pipes, if any, contained any trace electrical current or hot substances.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

As soon as Krell had stopped talking, the floor underneath him suddenly gave away as a circle of red light blasted out around his feet from below. With an enormous crash he fell into some kind of crawlspace, by far not tall enough for him to stand up straight in. Before him stood a Bug, a Nnyarthall in its dark green, organic looking armor, wielding something that looked just as organic, vaguely in the shape of a rifle with a cone-like extension at the front. It hissed at the Pan Kor from underneath its helmet - a stylized piece with mandibles and faceted eyes - and levelled the weapon at him.

Vlado cursed and unsheathed the crossbow. Before he could take a step towards the hole that the Pan Kor disappeared into, though, two more blasts created smoldering holes in the ceiling and caused two more bugs to drop down, one right in front of him, the other just behind the two Klaar - a slender, organic weapon in each hand, pointing it right at either of them.
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Ren's victory was short-lived. The hand in the air was the last to disappear into the hole suddenly created by a blast of red light that cut clear through the floor material and dropped the android down a level. She was not as lucky as simply falling into a crawlspace, however - she got dropped an entire floor. As she looked up, she found herself staring at a Mantis. With a growl, the massive green organic suit raised its arms - and parts of the material covering its foreams snapped up and forward, turning into its signature jagged blades.

"Oh FUCK! They're below us - AND ABOVE US, LOOK OUT!"" Nadia smacked her hand against her collarbone - and suddenly was gone, her optical cloak kicking in a moment before several more bugs dropped down from their hiding places on the tunnel's ceiling.
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Fletch, Kars and Hiram had an almost unnervingly undisturbed journey so far. If Fletch and his suit barely fit into the tunnel, it was unlikely a Mantis had made its way in there. However, that didn't mean that other Nnyarthall couldn't be hiding around the maintenance area.
They soon arrived at a crossing, and Fletch raised his arm to signal a stop. He brought up his hand and pressed a button on his gauntlet to bring up a small hologram of the station's tunnel network. Studying it intently and murmuring under his breath, he nodded and pointed to the left.

An almost skittering sound came from somewhere behind them.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Taavan grinned, "Looks like fried bug for dinner tonight!" he cried.

"I dunno, I'd rather have it baked," Deelin responded with a laugh.

The two Klarr took a deep breath, simultaneously and fired their guns at the threats. Deelin at the one menacing Vlado, and Taavan at the one who'd dropped in behind them. Their back to back tactics had gotten them out of tougher situations on that stupid fringe planet and they trusted it to pull them through this time.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Following the others round the corner Kars keeps up with the others. He had been following along in a curious fashion, floating low and barely tip toeing the metal walk way with his mag boots, only when needed to adjust his drift or speed. Being sure to give the large suit enough room to avoid being smacked to the wall if there had been any reason to turn round quickly. Which, there may just be...

Twisting nimbly in the air using the weight of his railgun as a counter balance, he turns to face the rear for a while. Flicking through the routine set of vision modes he scans the dark passage. Thermal, electro, light amp. Watching for any sign of motion with his mind primed on the holster of his pistol.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Krell slams onto the floor of the crawlspace, his grenade launcher dropping from his hands as he finally came to a stop, cursing his grav boots as he looked at the bug in front of him. Acting on reflex, his right hand shoots down and draws his revolver, aiming at the Nnyarthal's head and roaring as he pulled the trigger, hoping the bastard didn't have any shields.
 
Re: The Dividing Line - Station

Annika had kept her silence during the ongoing events, knowing that a witty comment or a snappy comeback might not be the best thing to deliver in the middle of a battle. Besides, she was more of an engineer then a straight up fighter. She could fight and shoot pretty damn well, but she was by no means an expert. She knew enough not to get herself killed. As Nadia grew frantic at the wild pinging of the sensors, the aged engineer remained calm and kept her rifle up and at the ready. When Nadia cloaked herself, all she could do was roll her eyes and make only a small comment. "Hide when we need you the most. Good commander." Her comment was cut short however as the enemy appeared, prompting her to fire shots at the enemy, knowing someone had to do something.
 
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