Jump to content

Aberrant: StarGate Atlantis - S1: E4: The Storm/The Eye


Dawn OOC

Recommended Posts

Inoae finished dressing, leaving the tattered remnants of her first outfit with the remains of the tent. She looked up when her Yseult Moreau asked her question, then peered first at Bates then Bannon, assessing them. "No."

There was a long moment, long enough that Yseult was surprised when Inoae actually spoke again. "I healed," she glanced up quickly, then back down deferentially. She was blinking quickly and her heart was fluttering; her voice was pitched just loud enough to be heard by her Yseult Moreau and only those immediately around them. "As if I had been given the Gift. The....enemy, the one I killed," another lightening quick glance upwards and back down, and Yseult realized that Inoae was trying to see if she'd angered the quick-tempered soldier, "he bruised and broke my arms several times with his power. He pushed his power on my chest, too. I do not know if he broke any bones, but my chest was hurting and I could feel pain internally." She touched over her breastbone to show where. "But I am fine now."

She either hadn't heard Evana's scathing remarks, or more likely simply hadn't registered them since they had come after a direct question from her Yseult Moreau.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 200
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Qu'est qui passe? The Bitch and the Bastard, they are fuck-buddies scratching each others backs, now? the surly sergeant thought, irritated, yet the snap of command in the captain's tone had Yseult on her feet before she could consider it, and for a large woman, she moved fast. Her cold blue eyes narrowed, but she suppressed the annoyance at the order when she felt so God damned powerful and invincible. Though she had an attitude problem, Yseult was a good soldier and was still on duty - the Captain deserved at least a modicum of respect.

An inch or two taller, with tits nearly as large - if not so attractively displayed - Yseult had a much heavier, stronger build, yet Evana clearly had the more dominant presence, blatant sex appeal or no. Yseult tried to not let it daunt her, nor think about pulling her into the tent and eating her out.

"Me, am I seeing if the 'tite blond," Yseult jerked her chin at Inoae, "can crush a chest by accident by a stray thought or shatter a bones with a hand without thinking. As for our boys..." Her dark brows lowered, jaw tight with affront, "If you are thinking me, I would abandon my comrades in the field, you are being very mistaken."

Yseult pointed three times around the camp, though only in one direction was there something that might have been a person seen through the trees. "I am aware of where all our people are being - I can smell them and hear them, even those Bates is sending to scout our perimeter. Further, I am being out there to track down the one I am throwing away."

Her lips curled in a small smirk, and while she sounded a bit boastful, it also sounded like the complete truth, one she was surprised, and pleased, with. "Am I knowing what these alien assholes are smelling like, and besides these, I am smelling none within several hundred yards - I think, this is being new to me - nor am I hearing anything more large than a marmot moving around in that range." Yseult glanced around the camp, eyes picking up the tiniest details of anything she could see. "From the camp, I am being able to keep a watch on the greatest part of our perimeter without neglecting any part of it.

What more are you wanting me to do? I can try to track these fuckers to where they are coming from, I suppose, if you wish. I am thinking they are not knowing what I can, and some others are being capable of, but we are not knowing how many there are being or all they can be doing either. Orders, Captain?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Sergeant, I'm very happy we all have new toys to play with," She didn't seem pleased since she was just as mind boggled over all this new power crap as anyone else, but she didn't seem like she was intentionally being bitchy either, just stressed over the abundant B.S. that seemed to be taking place. "But I don't give a shit what you can see, or smell. I don't care how firm your tits are or whether or not you can bounce a bullet off your ass. If at any point you think your new abilities means you can stand here and just play watchtower you're gravely mistaken because all that spells in my book is "being useless". If there's none around, then you don't need to be standing here, you need to be over there with the wounded field dressing injuries, helping the medics get the supplies they need and putting your pretty new toys away for now until our people are taken care of."

She crossed her arms, hoisting up cleavage unintentionally, and leaned on one leg. "Once we get our wounded tended to then we can muster some sort of counter operation and you can stick your nose into any alien ass you like, have at it, hon. But for now, get out there and help get our people patched up. And leave In-the-way here," Evana liked the alien girl, she really did, but ninety percent of the time she was just in the bloody way. The Sergeant did catch how Evana deliberately butchered her name. "You work better and faster when her nose isn't in your ass."

"Your one of the best we have, I need you to show them boys how's it's done sweetie, okay?" With a slap on Yseult's shoulder she sent the Sergeant on her way. When Inoae went to follow her Evana stopped her. "Not you dear. I need you to go over thee and sit until the Sergeant comes back for you. She has work to do and you can't be bothering her. Now go on..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inoae glanced at Yseult for permission, only to be caught by the arm by Bates as he appeared by her side suddenly. “You were given an order,” he growled as he steered her over to the tree and pushed her down. “You stay there. None of this warrior-Queen bullshit. Your ass stays there.” He paused long enough to be sure she was listening before stalking off to deal with another issue.

The work got done fairly quickly, between Bates and Evana spreading their unique kinds of terror. Evana did it with a smile that left no doubt that she was faster, smarter and hotter than you (even if that wasn’t technically true). Bates simply loomed, appearing with a startling suddenness to growl an order or reprimand before wandering off to the next person.

Treatment of the injured was easy, between Bannon’s terrifying biochemical knowledge and the actual doctor they’d brought with them. The small Asian woman was so frightened of Bannon that he was annoyed by her, but she still managed to do her job, even as she cast fear-filled looks at the man aiding her.

The tents were a lost cause. Even Curtis, one of the smartest people there, couldn’t see a way to fix them without several hours and a lot of supplies they didn’t have. He was the one who suggested tying a line to the central poles and layering branches against the line. It created a crude tent that would get them through the night.

After the camp was more or less in order, with the wounded resting, fallen comrades respectfully wrapped and the bodies of the enemy left for the animals outside of camp, Bates called them together. “We’re going back to Atlantis,” he said bluntly, glancing around the area. “Something has happened to us, and we need to figure out what.”

“What about the storm?” someone asked.

Bates frowned. “I think we’ll be more help if the storm is still going on. This place isn’t safe and I’d rather not stay here, either. We don’t have other locations scouted, so I want to head back to Atlantis. I am also open to other ideas, though I'll be making the decision. Thoughts?”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inoae had sat perfectly still while the camp was recovered and the new shelter built, keeping out of the way as she'd been ordered. Once the Captain Bates had assembled the ruling hive members that Expedition Leader Dr. Wier had assigned him, she moved as silently as possible to sidle behind her Yseult Moreau; she was glad Captain Bates was moving them back to the hiveship. It was far more secure, obviously, than this world with food of unusual capabilities. Perhaps they would sterilize this world after regrouping at the hiveship? That would be the most expedient action to keep the hive safe in the future.

She peered around at the others, noting who had obviously changed and keeping an eye on everyone else to catch any indication if there were others with less obvious changes; her Yseult Moreau might want to know at some point. When the Captain asked for thoughts, Inoae had a momentary confusion: did he simply want to know what everyone was thinking?

She glanced furtively around, then ventured a timid, "What if the hiveship has been destroyed by the storm?" Was that not why they had been sent away?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I agree on Atlantis." She said sternly with a slight quiver in her accent that told everyone she was a tad bit on edge. While normally rather calm and collected, this night really seemed to be getting to her in the worst way. "This night, so far, is seriously fucked up and whatever those alien bastards did to us, I want it out." It was common knowledge that Evana's strangely hued hair and eyes were the result of her coming in contact some alien artifact. If one were to rub away all the black marker marks in the report, they would know the experience was not a pleasant one for her. The nightmares, the visions, hallucinations for days of places and beings her mind was ready to accept the existence of haunted her for weeks.

She was fidgety, nervous, and borderline unfit for duty at the moment. Sure she'd been putting up a good front for the others, but once she was among senior staff her acting rested a little. "we're safer there than we are here, our supplies are almost destroyed, or equipment is shot, this whole thing blew up in our face. At least on Atlantis we have defenses."

Anyone with some degree of skill in empathy or psychology may notice Evana's erratic behavior. This whole thing has her so spooked, she's borderline unfit for duty, she's just a good actress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curtis observed the gleam of sweat and the vibrating quivers given off by the normally threatening Captain Evana. It wasn't he reflected, a place he wanted be in, and himself nearly avoided during the combat originally. But a correction or two had to be in order, he felt, finding it impressive that the numbers and manifests of everyone and everything still present were so easily logged and updated in his head.

"Technically, our material resources except from the tents are largely intact," he clarified, adjusting his glasses, and finding himself taking them off, they seemed more like an affectation now than of any practical boon. "And if the abilities developed remain in place as I have observed of them, supporting ourselves for the rest of the originally planned duration is trivial. Security however, is a different point, admittedly."

He looked at Inoae and shook his head lightly at the question. "I think Atlantis will survive. If nothing else, Doctor McKay's ego will give it some shelter. And if they are having trouble- all the more reason for us to return. If Atlantis did go down, we're fucked no matter what we decide."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As Evana spoke, Moira fixed a steady gaze on the shaken soldier, and it gradually flickered over every member of the small group as Shane gave his analysis of the situation. She then focused her attention on Bates, though she spared a brief moment - as it had become her habit - to correct something in Inoae's speech. This was something she had done several times in her sessions with the girl, and when interacting with her in other situations as well. Though at first Inoae had feared the other woman angry, she had never shown any sign of irritation at Inoae's ignorance in the ways of her new hive, merely a desire for Inoae to properly understand the corrections.

"Atlantis is a city, not a ship, Inoae. But she has a point, Sergeant. I would agree that getting out of here would be in our best interest, however, I would prefer not to step through the gate blindly. Can we send some sort of probe through to scout ahead and gauge the condition back on Atlantis before making the jump? Or perhaps a volunteer to do the same, if we lack the technology capable of it? Better to risk one than forty-four, I would think."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"We are having our GDOs and our IDCs, to see if there is being anyone to receive us, or capable of receiving us," Yseult informed Moira around her cigarette, the last of the pack she had with her. "Failing that, it is being simple of enough to throw a walkie through to find out we can get a stable enough connection and see if there we can send someone through without risking them being splattered against the shield. If so-"

"I wish to volunteer," Inoae said, her eyes surprisingly intense despite her timid posture. "I am the most expendable, therefor it is only logical I should be the one to take the risk."

Yseult glanced over a broad shoulder at her charge, raising a puzzled brow. Since when can you talk? So well, I mean... "There is being more than just expendable, when you are the first one and the only one in a possible danger zone," Yseult said in mild rebuke, but her blue eyes were re-evaluating the slight blonde. You've changed too, ma petite, but in what way? Yseult turned back to the captains, one side of her lips quirked up in a faint smirk. "I'll volunteer for it, if that is what is being decided."

The brawny sergeant rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck as she scanned her surroundings with eagle-like vision, hyperkeen ears and nose letting perceive even further when her vision was blocked by foliage. "Me, I am thinking going back to Atlantis now, it is being too soon. These alien-fuckers, we are aware of them now - we will not be surprised again. But heading back, we may lead them to Atlantis. Further, we are not even knowing if they are being from this planet. I am thinking, most should stay holed up here - or maybe in the next valley - and a small team, they are seeing if they can track where they are coming from. Just recon for now, not to engage." Her smirked widened just a trifle. "I can track them, if they are not flying here."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bates stared at Moira. He’d had no idea she was such a cold bitch. The idea was perfectly reasonable if one didn’t account for the issue of the loss of life. “No one’s going through as a sacrificial lamb.” Bates was annoyed by the entire line of reasoning. “We’ll figure something out if we can’t get through.” He often wondered what made people act like damned fools, eager to throw their lives away on a whim.

He paused at Yseult’s reasoning but found himself shaking his head. “I don’t want to engage any more of them while we have the civvies around. Seems like a good way to get them killed. Most of the people here aren’t… enhanced or whatever we are.” What Bates didn’t want to say was that every time people started to get major upgrades along the lines of Ancient powers, they started to die. As far as he was concerned, he and everyone else who had new powers were now on a timeline to a very unpleasant demise. But if no one else had thought of that, he wasn’t going to say anything about it.

“We’re heading for the gate. Pack it up, get them going. And leave the damaged tents. If Weir really wants those back we’ll come back for them. Evana, light a fire under their asses.” That should lighten the load and get people’s asses in gear. Bates wanted to be out of here yesterday.

However, he did stop Yseult. “Sergeant. Have Inoae pack the gear for you and Curtis. Go make sure that more of those things aren’t lurking out in the night.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yseult simply shrugged at Bates declining her suggestion. Herding civies was hardly thrilling - and usually aggravating - and less so at the moment, but she could understand not wanting to leave them waiting and partially undefended, in case any more of the aliens found them while she and others were hunting them.

She was still high on the feeling of heightened strength and vitality coursing through her. The Atlantis Expedition was her first experience with the StarGate Program. She had read many mission reports, but there were simply too many for her to have reviewed them all, so she had missed many of drawbacks surrounding those gaining Ancient-like powers. All she knew was that she fucking loved it so far.

"Aye, Captain," Yseult said with a nod, clipping a few more things to her web-vest and slinging the case for her broken down Barret over her shoulders then glanced down at Inoae, jerking a thumb towards Curtis Shane. "You heard the man, Inoae. Finish packing up - for Shane too - and ditch anything that is obviously broken beyond repair. Less weight will have everyone moving faster."

The Amazonian sergeant stalked over towards Curtis, who was already standing up, having easily heard Bates' order despite the distance. "Let's go, Shane, see if they are anymore of these fuckers waiting for use out there." I almost hope there are. "Double-time."

Heading out of the clearing, it was soon obvious that Yseult's double-time wasn't the same thing as Curtis' double-time. He was military too, healthy and in good shape, but compared to the impossibly athletic woman, he was a couch potato. She flowed through the brush and pathless terrain effortlessly, easily covering twice as much ground as he, ranging more to the sides instead of ahead of him, so they could support each other in case of hostiles, and Curtis had the distinct impression she was holding back. She moved with the predatory power of a tiger and the swift grace of a gazelle.

It was quickly evident both of them had vastly improved senses, testing out how far they could update each other on what they could see in low voices - turned out to be a surprising distance. For Yseult, it wasn't just her visual acuity that had improved either, letting her see as well, if not better, than a high-powered scope. Despite dawn still being a ways away, star and moonlight was enough to let her pale blue eyes penetrate the gloom as easily as if it was high noon beneath the canopy of the trees.

She could feel and hear her heartbeat, still as steady and unelevated as if she was no more than walking. The P-90 in her hands felt like a child's toy. It was a compact weapon, only six-and-a-half pounds loaded, but holding that weight up for a length of time still took effort. Except it wasn't for her, it felt like she was holding no more than a feather, and even her arms felt to light that they might have floated away if they weren't attached to her at the shoulder. And the solid construction of P-90 felt almost... fragile, like she could rip in half with her bare hands. She resisted the urge to try.

As the trees began thinning on the lower parts of the hill, Yseult slowed her pace to something closer to Curtis', in case of any observers and tapped her earpiece to radio Bates. "Hostiles' trail is clear up to the treeline, Captain."

"So, Shane, you are being able to do anything else?" she asked, not stopping her scanning for anymore of the aliens. It wasn't just curiosity - she wanted to know what else to expect if they did get into a fight. Yseult certainly didn't intend to run. "Beyond the sharper perceptions, I am meaning."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curtis wasn't quite falling behind just because Moreau was much faster than him, though it was certainly true of the leggy muscular woman. He was distracted partially. Not by her, but there were sensations, sights and sounds cropping more and more into his perception that were simply unplaceable- not matching up with the environment or anything in his experience. If it weren't for the fact that everything he perceived automatically had the equivalent of a normal person's full, unwavering attention, he'd be a sitting duck.

And then- with brilliant clarity, he realized each one new phenomenon and acknowledged it for what it was. The 'field' that engulfed them all was the magnetic field of the planet itself. Each beam down from the heavens was the UV light also projected by the stars. And more, all naturally part of his mindset now.

It seemed exhilarating, except for the other aspect of things. Curtis had been tapped by the SG Project before being sent to Atlantis, and so he- with his pounding enhanced brain too- had once the euphoria had weakened- remembered immediately that cases of Ancient power-gains had not turned out well.

Not well at all. But at least he acknowledged that this seemed a different case than any other. Perhaps things would turn out better. And given the human predliction for ignoring unpleasantries- the focus turned back to the work at hand completely. His shoulder rested against wood as Curtis scanned his section of the perimeter and answered Yseult.

"The perceptions are significant. Much more acute and vivid, apparently sensory disambiguation is extremely high- I could hear a hundred seperate conversations just as clearly as one. Have you seen the beautiful contrails of UV from the stars? And I think I have a great deal more mental 'brainpower.' More updates as events warrant."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inoae jumped up at her Yseult Moreau's orders, moving quickly over to where each of the hive member's belongings had been moved when the new lean-to tenting was put together. She found the piles that were assigned to her Yseult Moreau and the male Sergeant Curtis Shane; she quickly sifted through the simple items: clothing, food, and camping gear, most of which were perfectly intact. She carefully packed those items into their respective packs and then looked over the handful of remaining items: two gun-care kits, one general electronics repair kit, one general purpose interface from Altantis, and Sergeant Curtis Shane's personal computer.

The kits she went through meticulously, checking each piece for damage or imperfection and then packing them back in their cases with delicate care. The GPI was given a quick look and a moment of confused blinks before she started up the diagnostic program and gave a more focused check on the exterior for any damage. There was not, and so it was set aside to finish checking itself for internal damage. She picked up Sergeant Curtis Shane's laptop computer next and was still for over twenty seconds, just holding the closed device. When she moved, it was with a strange precision. Not familiarity, but an eerie understanding of the workings of the piece of hybrid Earth, Goa'uld, and Lantean technology. She booted the machine up, ignoring the prompt to swipe Sergeant Curtis Shane's fingertip over the biometric scanner, and entered the password and answer to the personal security question that followed. She navigated through the graphic interface, instructing the machine to perform it's most thorough self-diagnostic while she performed the same careful inspection of the outside of the machine.

The GPI had finished its diagnostic by then and informed her that it would require minor maintenance, but she did not have the tool necessary. If the hive was still intact when they moved, it would be able to direct her to a place to acquire the correct tool. It was salvageable, so Inoae placed it into Sergeant Curtis Shane's pack with one of the gun kits while she waited for the diagnostic to finish. It was still running after a full minute, so she finished packing her Yseult Moreau's pack with the gun kit, arranging the items to distribute the weight to cause the least amount of strain and discomfort when her Yseult Moreau would wear it. She would do the same with Sergeant Shane Curtis' pack once she determined if his laptop computer was salvageable or should be broken down for base materials. At one minute and thirty seconds the diagnostic was still running.

Inoae pulled the computer on to her lap and began running through the operations it could preform, working backward from the order of the diagnostic in order to finish the process in a timely manner.

Making nice with electronics....
First roll is for the GPI, second is Curtis' laptop.

[Asarasa] 5:40 pm: Just take auto-sux

Malachite *rolls* 6d10: 5+6+4+9+4+2: 30

[Malachite] 5:41 pm: Ack, wait....I need look something up.

[Malachite] 5:41 pm: Do people remember Carver's rules on using Ancient tech?

[Asarasa] 5:42 pm: Um, not entirely.

[Malachite] 5:43 pm: Oaky, then I'll just use that roll.

Malachite *rolls* 6d10: 9+3+7+7+5+2: 33

[Malachite] 5:43 pm: someone witness, please?

[Asarasa] 5:44 pm: witness

So, 1 success rolled + 4 auto-successes from E-Int 3 is 5 successes on the GPI (plus or minus any modifiers for Ancient tech/ATA Genome).

3 successes rolled + 4 auto-successes from E-Int 3 is 7 successes (plus or minus any modifiers for the hybrid tech/ATA Genome).

....I'm gonna assume that she doesn't blow up Curtis' computer. :D

Also, she has spent 1 Legend activating Literati on Curtis' laptop. She's using Instant Translation and (to an extent) Concept to Execution if she needs to do any repair work on the laptop, since she has the tools.

Legend 9/10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bates hurried around camp, making sure that everyone was ready to go. When he found Inoae actually dickin’ around on a computer, he reached down and snapped the lid shut. “Play Minesweeper later.” Inoae hesitated, her eyes going from Bates to the computer. Normally, Bates would have given her the time to decide to do as ordered but today was a Very Bad Day. He crouched and grabbed her by her hair, hissing into her ear. “I don’t give orders twice. Do as you’re told.”

With a shove, he rose and stalked away from her. Bates recognized that he was on the edge, that his temper was starting to overcome him. He was relieved when Yseult called him. “We’re just about done here. Turn back and double ahead to scout out our path.” He caught Evana’s eye and she gave him a thumb’s up to show that things were on track. Good. Let’s get the fuck out of here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The diagnostic had still not finished and Captain Bates' actions may well have damaged the device, leaving Inoae in a quiet state of panic. Her Ysuelt Moreau had made it clear to leave behind anything that could not be salvaged from her and Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane's belonging, but she couldn't determine if the device should be kept or not. She also did not know if other devices in the hive contained the wargame Minesweeper, so if Staff Sergeant Curtis Shanes laptop computer was left here she could not follow Captain Bates' orders to practice with the game later.

A solution presented itself with clarity, quickly followed by trepidation, but it was the only option she saw that would allow her to follow all the orders she had been given. She quickly packed away the electronic tools into Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane's pack, then found her own pack, reorganized the supplies there until Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane's laptop computer could be slid inside and the pack closed again. Now neither her Yseult Moreau nor the Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane would be carrying any items that might be unsalvageable; she would carry the device until the diagnostic was finished and she had practiced the wargame with it as ordered. Perhaps Captain Bates had decided to train her for war after her attack on an enemy of the hive? This hive was odd in that it trained females to fight. Perhaps it also trained....she was not food anymore, but she was not a female of the hive either. She was simply her Yseult Moreau's. So, perhaps they would train that which was owned by Yseult Moreau to fight for the hive?

Satisfied with her decisions, if still continuously confused by her hive, she shouldered her pack and then picked up the other two, tottering over to where everyone was gathering so she would be in easy view when her Yseult Moreua and the Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane returned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I see," Yseult said, giving Shane a nod as he described his... enhancements, while keeping her awareness attuned to their surroundings. The squint in military clothing had become more squinty, with night-vision goggles built into his eyes. She could see in the dark too, it seemed, but it didn't look the same as when she wore UV-enhancing goggles herself. "That is being fair enough. Me, I am being faster, stronger, hardier than anything human, I am thinking."

When Bates radioed back, Yseult stretched, acutely aware of the powerful feeling of her muscles coiling beneath her flesh - it had the satisfying feel of maxing out on the bench-press but she had the distinct impression she could do it every time now, instead of for a single rep - then flicked the earpiece. "Aye, Captain. Returning now."

Yseult jerked her head back the way they came, her dark pony-tail flipping over her shoulder, then began jogging back to camp. She was sure Shane had heard everything, especially at this short distance. As Shane fell in behind, Yseult once more increased her pace, then again, to a sprint that could challenge a galloping race-horse. Yet despite her speed, her steps were steady and sure over the wild ground, and it took hardly more effort than a jog, one she could maintain all day.

Her sense of smell had drastically increased, the problem was she didn't have a reference for everything she could smell now. So as they made their way back to camp, she wondered to the sides, tracking down the sources of the olfactory cues she was aware of now, various flora and fauna, sources of decay, water, even minerals.

Yseult and Curtis reached the camp at the same time, though despite covering at least three times as much ground, Yseult was breathing easier than Curtis was. Seeing Inoae standing at the forefront, with her pack on her back, and hers and Shane's at her feet. Yseult smirked faintly in wry amusement. The slight blonde looked kind of adorable, fair hair falling in a wild halo around her head, almost like a girl following her older siblings and parents on a camping trip.

"Good job, Inoae," she said shortly, striding up to her charge, and slinging her pack over her shoulders, then arching a brow in surprise. Even though its weight was practically negligible to her, she could still tell it was every bit as well balanced as if she had packed it. She gave Inoae a sharp nod, then repeated with added emphasis, "Good job. Stay with the group. I am scouting our path back to the StarGate."

Acquainting a scent to each individual, it was easy to determine which path they had taken to get here, even without taking a look at the visual evidence of the passage. Yseult gave the captains a nod and a lazily short salute in passing before looking back at Curtis. "I've got advanced point. Shane, get your pack and back me up at a fifty yards."

With that, Yseult headed back into woods, along the rough path they had taken, back towards the city, the StarGate, and Atlantis, gun up and ever alert. With keen eyes, she picked out the easiest path she could for the civilians, marking it clearly on trees and the ground, even clearing the occasional rock/boulder or deadfall from the path.

To be fair, it wasn't only for their benefit. She was also trying to determine just how strong she was. She still wasn't completely sure, beyond very fucking strong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"What's bugging you, Eve?" Bates said suddenly, creeping up on the Ice Queen while she was herding a group of squints into something that resembled a line. "You've been edgy all night."

She spun about, the beauty in her expression was hidden in her stern gaze and pursed lips. "What's bugging me?" She asked, a tone of sarcasm in her voice. She'd been listening in on the radio and the more the solders gossiped amongst themselves the more irritated she became. "Take a look around, this is bugging me. They're parading around like kids at Christmas." Bates held in a smirk when she crossed her eyes and adapted her voice into something the resembled 'inbred redneck jargon'. "Huh huh, look at me, I can see really good and no one can sneak up on us. I'm watching fleas fuck on the log over there. Hehehe, me too Jethro, although my brainpower is greater, more updates as events warrant, may be after NASCAR..." Bucking her teeth as she spoke didn't help the onlookers from not collapsing into all out laughter.

She leaned in and pulled Bates away from the crowd. "This situation is fundamentally fucked," he honestly welcomed her melodic British accent instead of her 'southern' one. "And we're traipsing around like it's 'cool'. It's not cool." She pointed at Inoae, who was being as dutiful as one could expect. "Thirty minutes ago that girl was borderline retarded and spoke in the third person, now she's running computer diagnostics and making use of proper participles. Am I the only one who notices? Or the only one who cares?"

"Eva, relax. I know it's a touchy subject for you, and we're going to figure out what's going on, just try and be here for these people in the mean time." He noticed how she was edgy and constantly looking around at everything but him. "Hey, eyes on me soldier." He cocked his head to get her attention and she curled her lip into something that looked like a forced smile before making eye contact with him. "Be here for these people, okay?"

She sighed, trying to relax. Evana was the sort of woman who wore her emotions on her sleeve, and her speaking her mind wasn't the best thing for a leader in her position to be doing at a time like this. He nodded, conceding to his logic. "Okay, yeah."

"S'my girl." He patted her on the shoulder and walked back to handle his business.

The woman's hair shimmered in the moonlight, it's bluish-white hue gleaming like gossamer. The ancients had already had their fun with her once, and it had left it's scars. The thought of having to go through all that again frightened her to her core. She didn't notice the way her nails were remaining perfectly manicured despite how much she'd been gnawing on her thumb nail tonight nor did she notice how she'd nearly crushed her canteen from nervously squeezing on it all night. She knew the others were 'affected' and she hoped it hadn't gotten to her as well, she didn't feel fundamentally different at all but little did the Ice Queen was soon in for a surprise...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curtis didn't respond, since his attention was focused on one thing. The electron pattern that was his laptop was wrong - it was new to him- but he could hear a like- like... Fucking godamnit!!!!!!

Inoae found Sergeant Curtis Shane advancing on her with a coldly angry but controlled expression. "How did the laptop get damaged, Inoae?" She did not flinch or fear, she had been followed the orders of her Yseult Moreau and Cap Tan Bates- both of whom outranked Shane, and told him: "I was running a diagnostic while packing, and Cap Tan Bates shut the lid forcibly- I have been ordered to practice the wargame Minesweeper later."

Curtis was about to angrily question, how the fucking hell she managed to have his username and password to access the laptop in the first place, but the reference to Bates gave him a better focus for his geek rage. He ignored the fact that Inoae had his laptop in her pack in all the anger, getting on his own, and then advancing up to an unaware Bates.

Bates found himself 'urking' and being pulled down from his halted forward momentum, in surprise. Shane's venomous face glared into his. "That laptop is valuable." And his baby, as many had dared to mock. Though given the exquisite mix of Atlantean, Goa'uld and Terran technologies- any damage would be difficult to fix at the least. "You'd better hope I can repair the damage. OR ELSE."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bates was pleased to have dealt with Eva, to have gotten her to relax and focus a bit. That’s what a commander did for his people; provided them the security to do their jobs. He’d done so for Eva and he felt better than he had since the aliens had—

Then Shane yanked him down and growled at him, and Bates saw red. It was only his professional demeanor that stopped him from putting his fist through Shane’s face. That and the memory of damage he’d already done to one of the aliens. Still, he couldn’t contain his full reaction.

Curtis found himself hoisted by his uniform as Bates’s face went red. It was impossible not to notice that Bates seemed to have no trouble lifting him. “Or. Else. What?! Sergeant.” Bates didn’t normally manhandle his men, even those giving him lip, but this was an unusually day. Unusual because they weren’t normally this terrible. But he’d been augmented by Ancient technology and he had no idea how long they had to correct it. He wasn’t allowing himself to think that they might not be able to do anything about it, because there had to be something in Atlantis to help them. He wasn’t going to die from a terrible mutation.

“Take your time. I’m sure it will come to you.” Curtis was staring at him belligerently.

Fingers tightening around Curtis’s jacket was the only sign that the sergeant was in danger. “I’m sure a suitable punishment for insubordination can be found. In fact, I don’t need time to come up with that.” He snarled, “Because last time I checked the regs, you didn’t get level a threat at anyone, much less a superior officer. If your fucking machine is broken, I will do what I can to get it replaced. But I suggest you remember that this has been a shitty day, and I’m not really in the mood to deal with insubordination for any reason.”

Curtis was set back on his feet none-too-gently. “So get your ass back to Atlantis, and we’ll deal with your computer when we aren’t in mortal danger. Now move!”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moira approached the two men quickly, as some of the other civvies dropped nervously away from the situation. She stepped up to the side of them, in a position to step between them if necessary - she could see that Curtis's temper was still in high gear, and that Bates' response had done little to diffuse the other man's anger.

"Curtis, I'm going to encourage you to consider biting your tongue. I understand your concerns about your device, but I would like to point out to you both that tempers are running a bit erratic around here at the moment. That may have something to do with the attack, or it may have something to do with these abilities people seem to be manifesting - I don't know for sure. But I believe it to be an appropriate observation that several of you are acting outside your normal scope of emotional response, ignoring training that you've endured that conditioned you to handle situations more appropriately, despite this kind of stress. I am reminded of Tok'ra's experiment on SG1 with the armbands, and the effects it had on their physiology. Please try to calm down."

Rolling for Hornet's Next:

Jasmyne *rolls* 8d10: 6+6+10+4+4+3+7+9: 49

[Kamiko] 2:59 am: witnessed

3 suxx + 2 M-Int Auto-Suxx = 5 Suxx

Dawn, can you PM me the best way to diffuse the situation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reluctantly, Curtis let it go. He could file a complaint later. Bates glared at him and ordered, “Get out there with Moreau.”

The group slowly got moving, shuffling along through the dark rather than the more-orderly march Bates had wanted. He stifled the urge to start cursing at people to get them moving, but these were civilians and didn’t respond like soldiers. Instead he ranged up and down the line, getting people to move faster.

When they got back to the bazaar, they found it still going. The lights and bustle hadn’t diminished, and there was a brief wait for the StarGate. When it was their turn, Bates touched the DHD, prepared to dial home – only to have all the symbols for Atlantis flash all at once. The StarGate came to life, the warp field forming rapidly. Bates paused, his hand still on the device. Somehow, he knew that the forcefield was down. “Moreau. Shane. Tanner. You’re all first.”

“The shield-”

“It’s down.” Bates hated the thought that he might be Ascending and therefore dying, but he’d damn well use it until he was cured. “I’m going to stay and make sure it stays down; I’m the last through. Get through and secure the Gateroom and Control Room. Make sure that things are safe before we bring the civvies over.” There shouldn’t be any trouble, but the first thing that working for SGC was that shouldn’t didn’t mean wouldn’t.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yseult smirked, listening to Curtis' tirade at Bates, slightly disappointed the Captain didn't dress him down harder. It has been almost funny Inoae's calm explanation set him off. Fuckin' squints. Squints are squints, in uniform and out.

When Bates said the Shield was down, Yseult glided immediately through the rippling curtain of white-blue light. She thought it odd he didn't send his IDC or getting a response from Control, but the certainty in his voice was enough for her. Besides, if he was wrong, she'd hardly have time to regret it.

Merde! Surprise flickered around the periphery of her thoughts at the sight of the two figures standing guard in the Gate Room, dressed in olive uniforms with rust-red trim, but she was already moving before they even began to react. Time seemed to slow as her thoughts accelerated with the advent of danger.

The amazonian woman flowed towards the closest target with frightening speed, instinctively calculating angles of attack and potential cover, aware of the exact location of the second figure on the upper level and her teammates coming through the StarGate behind her. The Genii moved with languid slowness, seeming to struggle against invisible jello as he tried to bring up his firearm.

Too late. She let her P-90 hang from its strap as she reached out and effortlessly stripped his firearm from his hand, steel crumpling under her grip as she twisted, the elbow of her other arm coming up and connecting with the side of his head. Too solidly. She snarled silently, feeling his head collapse under the force of her blow with a wet smack, warm blood spraying across her cheek. Unexpected. Even with her increased strength, she had been expecting only knocking him unconscious.

Concern for the changes that were happening to her floated around her thoughts, but she pushed them deep and out of the way as immaterial for the moment, other than for what those changes allowed her to do. She would worry about it later, after Atlantis and the expedition was secure.

She readjusted instantly, continuing her spin, grabbing the corpse and keeping it in front of her as she purposefully threw K-Bar she had surreptitiously drawn wide of the second soldier, standing at the railing of the second level. She wanted to take at one of them alive, which gave the second Genii enough time to get off a burst of gunfire, destroying her chance of taking them both down silently.

But only the one, the Genii stopping as he choked in horror watching his bullets slam into the near headless corpse of his fellow guard. The brief moment of hesitation was all the time Yseult needed. She let the corpse drop as she leaped across the Gate Room floor, grabbing the second floor railing and rolling over the top. She planted an open hand against the Genii's chest and conscious of her first blow, pushed. He slammed against the far wall with a heavy thud, eyes fluttering for a moment before he slumped down against the wall, unconscious.

"Shane, Tanner, watch the lower entrances," Yseult hissed in sharp whisper as she stalked up towards the entrance to the Gate Room on the second level, P-90 once more in hand, "I got the top." She tapped her earpiece, voice low and hard as she radioed the rest of the time on the other side of the Star Gate. "Bates, we have two Genii over here. Downed. Gate Room is cleared, but I can't guaranteed secured yet. If there's more of them, they are knowing there is being visitors."

She tuned her hearing, trying to detect the sounds of any more hostiles. The hum of power coursing through Atlantis was more pervasive to her senses; the could hear the roll of thunder and crack of lightning of the storm still washing over the city, hard rain slamming against the walls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe Dr. Fitzgerald was right. However, within moments of entering Atlantis again- well, it was no longer time to think about such things. Curtis kept his P90 at the ready, and moved down the left lower entrance. Doing this alone- would normally be almost a phobic thought. But he kept moving ahead. Midway down, he encountered no Genii, but a clear collection of armaments. Judging by a rough scan of the numbers...

Curtis did his own radioing in too. "Bates, Moreau, Tanner. No Genii here, but they left a weapons stash here. Snap estimate, 20 guns, large force, I suspect."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“Well, shit.” Bates didn’t broadcast that back to the waiting soldiers, but those planet-side could hear it. His mind raced over what to do; they couldn’t stand here forever with the gate open, and he wasn’t willing to leave the civvies unprotected. On the other hand, there was no way he was sitting on his ass when Atlantis was being overrun by Genii. “Roger that, sending people through now.” He turned to the waiting scientists. “Here’s the deal. The Gate Room is clear. Form two lines. When you get through the gate, the right side is going to go as far to the right as you can, and the left column will go as far to the left as they can.”

“Wait,” Cavanaugh yelped, “we’re going to where Genii are?!”

“Moreau cleared the Gate Room. You’ll be fine.” Bates wasn’t in the mood to deal with pissy civilians, so when the physicist opened his mouth again, Bates added, “Or you can stay here until we give the all-clear. Your choice. Those of you going… GO!” The first of the civilians jumped and hustled through the wormhole, far more willing to brave the Genii with their troops rather than face the bazaar alone.

“Moreau, Shane, you have civvies coming through. Keep them ordered.” Bates kept his hand on the DHD, glad for the abilities to do what he was doing, even as he knew it was a death sentence for him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moira stepped out of the lines next to Bates, watching as the rest of the civilians began to hurry through the gate.

"Captain, I know Lieutenant-Colonel Sheppard and his team have been the ones dealing primarily with the Genii. I've read the case reports, and if you'd like information regarding their social--"

"Only if it's useful, Fitzgerald."

"Of course, Captain. It might be quicker if Moreau and Shane were briefed concurrently?"

He pulled the radio off of his uniform with his free hand, passing it over to her impatiently. She adjusted her grip on it, and then held it up, addressing Yseult and Curtis, though her attention was focused on Bates.

Rolling for Genii info, Int + Science: Anthro:

Jasmyne] 12:54 pm: Rolling for Moira, SGA:

Jasmyne *rolls* 10d10: 3+4+10+9+5+3+8+6+10+3: 61

[Jasmyne] 12:56 pm: Re-roll 10's in Scion?

[Carver-working] 12:57 pm: They count for 2 sux.

6 Suxx + 2 M-Int Auto-Suxx = 8 total Suxx

"Yseult, Curtis, this is Dr. Fitzgerald. Some things you should know. The Genii are a militaristic society, and thus far have proven themselves unwilling to bargaining. I suggest no one attempt to do so unless you've somehow gained the upper hand against them. You may also have to deal with kamikaze or suicide-type soldiers, so be prepared. They're trained soldiers, and very loyal, so they won't rattle easily. I suggest not underestimating them. Got all that?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Merde! Copy that," Yseult growled into her comm-unit. She had nothing but contempt for poor soldiers, so begrudgingly admired the Genii for the trained and loyal soldiers they were. But while there were times when losing a life was worth saving many more, throwing lives away as the most expedient course of action was just wasteful and smacked of fanaticism. She hated fanatics and had had her fill of them in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and this would make their engagement protocols a hell of a lot simpler. "Got it - shoot to kill until they capitulate or none of the fuckers are left breathing."

Atlantis was down to minimal power, the emergency lighting dappling the station with gloom that her eyes penetrated easily. As the civvies began filing through the Gate and surprisingly sticking to the sides of the Gate Room as ordered, Yseult switched her radio to a different frequency, her voice dropping to a bare whisper, just in case. "Shepard, Weir, come it." A pause, then she sighed in reluctance. "McKay?"

Static was her only answer, which didn't mean anything, or rather, could mean anything. She switched back to the previous frequency. "No response from Shepard or Weir, Captain. Potential hostage scenario."

Shane had the west entrance covered, one column of civvies pressed against the wall behind him, but the other column on the opposite side was exposed to fire coming down that hallway. Looking around, Yseult's eyes fell on the turning doors of the conference room. That would be a secure area for the civvies to hole up while they dealt with the Genii.

Yseult leaned over, plucking up the unconscious Genii soldier as easily as a ragdoll, then skimmed from the Control room, across the balcony and pressed up against the wall next to the Conference Room, giving her K-BAR a frown in passing - the blade had snapped after her thrown, digging a deep gouge in the whatever-kind-of-steel wall Atlantis was made of. Letting her P-90 hang from its strap, Yseult waved a hand in front of the door sensor.

There was sluggish blip-blip, then a hiss and a hum, then the wall panels separating the Conference Room from the rest of the Gate Room began to twist open... and stopping half way. Yseult snorted in irritation. Good enough if none of the civvies are being to fat. Keeping an eye on the hallway leading from the balcony, she gestured at the squints pressed up against the East wall. "You, up the stairs and into the Conference Room," she hissed emphatically. "Now."

A long moment, and Yseult didn't hear anyone moving. She glared savagely over a broad shoulder and pointed sharply at the Conference Room. "Get in the fucking Conference Room - only one way in and has bullet-proof walls. More secure than standing around in the Gate Room with little cover, eh? Move!"

That got them moving. As the civvies slipped into the Conference Room, some grunting as they squeezed through the narrow openings, Yseult stripped the Genii soldier of weapons and his radio, securing his hands behind his back with his belt. With the first group of civvies huddling in the Conference room, she burly and surly soldier nodded down at the rest lined up behind Shane and waved. "Now you guys, in groups of three." They would be crossing two entrances to the Gate Room and she didn't want them all strung out just in case. "Now... go, first three - don't stare at the dead body."

Holding the Genii radio in her free hand, her P-90 once more leveled down the hallway with uncanny steadiness, she strained to hear the approach of anymore Genii over the sound of the super-storm crashing over the city. As the last of the civvies slipped into the Conference Room, Yseult growl over a shoulder. "I need a volunteer to go check the Control and see what's going on with the City and the Storm. And someone better volunteer, otherwise someone is getting volun-told."

"Can't Curtis do it? He has the know-how."

"Curtis has a gun and knows how to use it."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Stargate had yet to drop, and as Yseult ushered civvies into the Conference room, she saw Fitzgerald step through and knew that she was probably the last of them, since the red-haired doctor of something-or-another must have been with Bates, speaking through his radio.

"I need a volunteer to go check the Control and see what's going on with the City and the Storm. And someone better volunteer, otherwise someone is getting volun-told."

"Can't Curtis do it? He has the know-how."

"Curtis has a gun and knows how to use it."

"I've got it Sergeant, you've already got them in a protected area, let's keep it that way."

For all that her suggestion to Bates had sounded cold, in Moira's mind this was just practicality. Risking one life was less potentially detrimental than risking several, and that was the exact situation here, even if it was her life this time. She was the last one out here, and it was better than trying to shuffle people out of the conference room in order to make room for the appropriate personnel to make their way through, and risk exposing them to fire if the Genii appeared in the control room in the same time. And shuffle they would've had to, because the Conference Room was packed like sardines with the twenty-or-so civilians trying to fit into the same room as the large conference table and multiple chairs, as well as random A/V equipment. Admittedly, this was still kind of cold.. but at least she didn't exclude herself from it.

So without complaint, Moira hurried into the Control Room, and quickly powered the monitors up from power-saving status. She slid into the chair, fingers moving smoothly and efficiently over the alien keyboards and touch screens, appearing unruffled by the tension of the situation or the alien text scrawling across the monitors.

Jasmyne] 12:09 am: Rolling for Moira, Int + Computers + Fundamental (Scire Rating: 2)

Jasmyne *rolls* 8d10: 9+4+6+8+2+7+5+1: 42

[Kamiko] 12:09 am: Witnessed

Checking city power levels, shield status, planet conditions, and life-sign sensors:

3 suxx + 2 auto-suxx/M-Int = 5 suxx

For the purpose of this post, I assumed the electronics (or at least some of them) are in Ancient, but.. Moira speaks Ancient. So.. no problem there, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bates caught Inoae by the shoulder before the Lantean could sidle through the gate after Moreau. "Stay here. You'll go through with the civilians. And stay with them until I tell you otherwise." He squeezed her shoulder as he ground out the annoyingly specific instructions for the blond headcase; she felt the bones grind together and several small snaps, but only nodded her understanding.

By the time she came through the gate, her shoulder was only aching and the bruises underneath her jumper were already coming out; as she settled herself underneath the table of the conference room, even the bruises had faded. She pulled out Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane's laptop in her makeshift cave, then rifled through the near-by packs of the other hive members until she found another field repair kit, and set about to see if the laptop could be repaired and made appropriately functional for the hive.

Once she felt that she had followed all but one of the commands she'd been given for the day so far, she opened up the wargame Minesweeper and began playing; the sounds of victory and the occasional video game comic explosion eventually drifted up from under the table, not that it was heard much past those immediately around her in the rustle and whispers of the nervous scientists.

Mechanics
Using Fundamental, Intuitive Adaptation and (flavor-wise) Concept to Execution to repair the laptop and make it 'acceptable' for hive use.

[Malachite] 2:28 pm: Repairing Curtis' Baby:

Malachite *rolls* 12d10: 9+1+1+10+4+6+7+10+5+10+1+2: 66

[Malachite] 2:28 pm: Witness?

[Jeremy] 2:28 pm: witness

[jameson] 2:29 pm: witless!

8 successes rolled + 4 from Epic Int 3 = 12 successes to repair the damage to the computer and do such upgrades as she can with a field repair kit.

[Malachite] 2:35 pm: Making Curtis' Baby 'acceptable':

Malachite *rolls* 12d10: 10+3+10+8+10+6+2+3+8+7+5+8: 80

[Malachite] 2:35 pm: witness?

[Nyrath] 2:35 pm: I have no real idea as to why I used that greeting.

[Joani] 2:36 pm: hola

[Carver] 2:36 pm: Don't witness nothing, boss, you live longer.

[jameson] 2:36 pm: whitless!

[Malachite] 2:36 pm: close enough!

11 successes rolled + 4 from Epic Int 3 = 15 successes to upgrade the software/programming of the computer.

7/10 Legend

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moira was always a little taken aback by the Lanten interface. It was not exactly Windows friendly, and it was far too easy to get used to the interface that McKay had developed. Whenever she worked with it directly, she always thought that she should just learn to work with it directly, only to realistically understand that it would take too long to get attuned to the interface. Perhaps it would make more sense if she dealt with them all the time like McKay did.

So it was more than two minutes before she announced, “I see twenty-two life forms in the city. Most are not far from here, several stories down the tower.”

Bates waited until everyone was through; releasing the DHD, he waited a second to be sure it was going to hold without him touching it. Then he ducked through, thinking, At least if someone activates the field, I’ll never know it.

When he stepped into the Gate Room, his exhale was a carefully hidden sigh of relief. “What do we have?” he asked as he bounced up the stairs.

“Twenty-two, about fifty stories down,” Moira told him.

Bates nodded. “Good job.” The words were delivered quickly but sincerely; Bates might be an asshole, but he was aware when people did something worth mentioning. “All right, we need to do what we can to help the others. Tanner, you and the three guys behind you are going to hold the Command and Gate Rooms. Get the civilians to help; arm them with tasers or Wraith guns if you can. Fitzgerald, stay where you are and guide us down there. Everyone else, you’re with me. We’re going to clean out the Genii.”

As the soldiers grouped up around Bates, the captain said, “Moreau, Shane and I are up front. Everyone else, get to cover and we'll draw their attention.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Captain," Evana spoke up respectfully with the equal measure of authority those around her would expect to hear. "The Genii are trapped. They're only option is to either dig in where they are or return back this way and use the gate to escape. We need to lead them back this way before they descend too far into the city." She tapped Moira on the shoulder, gently. "Do me one sweetie. See if you can lock down any and all corridors and block them from progressing, or at that very least, slow them down. Keep them together as best you can, lead them back to where we'll be waiting if possible. If there's to be a conflict I don't want it up here, there's too many civilians and delicate equipment. God knows I don't want Curtis's panties back in a knot because some Genii scratched his pocket protector."

Her purple leather creaked when she bent over near Moira to investigate the monitor herself. "There," she pointed to a spot on the floor the Genii were spotted on. "That will make a nice choke point, two teams could split up and flank them, if everything is locked down we might be able to trap them and find out exactly why they're here."

"Might?" Bates chimed, speaking to her from over her head set. "That's not much of a plan, Eva."

"Oh, c'mon sugar, when was the last time anything went right?" Her glossed lips wore the teasing grin proudly. "The way I see it, this has about as much chance of working as any one of Shepard's half-cocked ideas."

"Point taken." Bates now shared her grin, having been on location for several of the legendary 'Shepard's Plans' before.

"Keep safe, hon." Evana said to Moira as she exited the room to meet up with Bates and the others. "Not to be preachy, but people over playthings. If we have the option to save a life or laptop, give them the laptop." With a wink and a smile she was gone through the threshold of the door way, her heels clacking on the stairs and finally on the finely polished floor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moira nodded briefly, muttering quietly as she her grabbed one of the headsets lying nearby and slipped it on over her ear so that she could maintain radio communication with Bates and the others. Then she turned her attention back to the computers in front of her and got to work locking down the corridor Evana had indicated.

"Working on that right now, Sergeant."

[Jasmyne] 12:26 am: Rolling for Moira's computer craftiness:

[Revenant] 12:26 am: Oh... I wonder if Jaunt'll ge tone of those really neat interviews...

Jasmyne *rolls* 8d10: 6+8+5+10+10+10+7+2: 58

[Jasmyne] 12:27 am: ...damn. Witnessed?

[Revenant] 12:27 am: I saw NOTHING! It was a sham! Don't trust the dice!

[Jasmyne] 12:28 am: Ten's count as two successes in Scion, right?

[Revenant] 12:28 am: Carver! Two of those dice fell off the monitor and were in the carpet! She shoulda re-rolled and didn't!

[envoy] 12:28 am: whew. nice.

[Revenant] 12:28 am: Yes, 10s count as two.

[envoy] 12:29 am: 7+ is the goal?

[Revenant] 12:30 am: Honestly, I forget. Either 7+ or 8+...

[Jasmyne] 12:30 am: He's right... *rerolls the two the landed on the carpet.. the 6 and the 2.

[Jasmyne] 12:30 am: *

8 suxx + 2 auto-suxx (E-Int) = 10 suxx

Moira made that corridor her bitch, damnit!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curtis suppressed a snort at Evana's gibe, because in truth, it was mainly just the laptop that got him in such a snit. That was a very valuable piece of work and labor and time put in. But he supposed the limited plan she'd put out sounded good enough. "Teams then, sir?" he asked of Bates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They hadn't made it very far when Moira's voice chimed in over the headsets, far sooner than anyone expected.

"Sergeant, I've got full access to the tower. Take a left at the next corner there's a transporter, I can get you there quicker."

"This it, Fitzgerald?"

"Yes sir. I have the Genii locked down at the suggested choke point. There's the transporter on your right, just ahead. Looks like you're all in?"

"Yeah, punch it."

"Alright, here you go..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was the habitual flash of white light and a thrum, then the door to the teleporter hissed open. Yseult nodded at Evana then spun a pair of fingers indicating they would come at the choke point from behind, a glance down with a wry smirk questioning Evana if she could be quiet despite the heels. She pointed at Bates and Shane then waved her fingers ahead and to the right, telling them to come at the choke point from the flank.

Cunts and cocks, she thought snidely, though that hadn't been her reason for why she had split up the teams that way. This way, there was a Captain in each team, in case of unforeseen circumstances, and each one had what she considered one of the better, physically enhanced soldiers. Shane was really a squint, though one that could handle a gun at least, while Evana was... Evana.

Yseult flowed out of the teleporter room, combat boots not even making a whisper on the composite floor despite her swift pace and muscular bulk. A moment later, Yseult was pressed up against the hallway wall next to the back entry to the choke point. Evana had kept up easily enough, heels surprisingly silent to any ears but hers. Evana's scent was mildly distracting too - she smelled just like she looked.

Yseult closed her eyes, breathing deeply, scent and sound painting a mental map of where people stood inside the closed off section. Heartbeats and the soft sound of breathing, shifting feet and hands checking gear, there was a scent that differed from the majority of the people, but she couldn't identify individuals yet, without first seeing them to link specific scents. Weir, Sheppard, or McKay could be in there. She risked a quick peek, the movement more smooth than fast, less likely to draw attention, a fraction of a second enough to let her case the choke point, then nodded at Evana, giving her the chance to talk these fuckers out of here.

The tall, muscular woman stood rock still, yet still seemed to quiver with tension from restraining herself. She wanted to rush in and start cracking heads. Fuck letting them go, that was giving them another chance to fuck with them later. Twenty-plus of them and she felt like she could take them all down. By herself. Without even breaking a sweat. Which was completely stupid - just because she felt invincible didn't mean she was, and less so her team. Mouth tight and eyes bright, Yseult held herself back, waiting with ill patience for the word from one of the captains to take them down...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When Sgt. Moreau gave Evana the 'all clear' nod she took a deep breath. She wasn't keen on Sgt Super-Senseless sniffing out the Genii, especially when in this case 'all clear' actually meant 'looks clear' and 'looks clear' usually meant a carnivorous monster was going swoop down and carry her off to be eaten while Sgt. Moreau would simply shrug nonchalantly. Lost in a moment of terrible thought the Sergeant lowered her gaze to her Captain and like all who did was momentarily lost in her eyes. "Is everything okay?" The Sergeant asked in a veryhushed whisper.

Taken a bit off guard Evana snapped from her reverie and looked up the Sergeant, letting a smile grace her glossed lips. "Yeah," She paused and nodded, being nowhere near as silent as Sgt Moreau; what would be the point, she was about to announce their presence with an introduction to negotiations 101. "Just reminded myself of a movie I've been itching to see." She gave the Sergeant a firm pat on the chest with the back of her hand as she took a deep breath and prepared for a very tense situation. "When this is done, bring the snuggies, I'll make the popcorn." She stepped past Sgt Moreau, steeling herself, and walked into the belly of the beast...

Switching roles with Moreau, she now leaned against the corner of the intersection. "I'll make this short and sweet," she shouted down the corridor. "I'm Captain Evana of the SGC and you are currently trespassing. We don't wish violence on anyone, but will defend our home and our people, I'm sure you can respect that." It sickened her sometimes how savage it was out here, away from Earth. "Identify yourselves and tell me why you're here and I'm sure that all parties can come to some arrangement."

She was being honest, for the most part. If the Genii behaved themselves and left peacefully, she'd to it they were unharmed but if they hurt a single person under her command, she'd execute the whole lot of the bastards and never bat an eyelash. It was the nature of the beast. There was no going home, no turning back. Out here it was kill or be killed and the Genii were such single minded zealots that she knew she'd not lose any sleep if they all ended up stains on the hallway. "Now, why don't we start talking about how all of us are going to get through this, with no one getting hurt. Currently you're trapped and the only way out is through me and my men-" The Sergeant thumped her in the side with her elbow, scowling. She looked back at Yseult and offered her an apologetic shrug. "What? I'm generalizing. You're such a baby sometimes, you know that?" The camaraderie made for a calming distraction.

"So," She continued. "Let's start with your commanding officer introducing himself."

Evana's intent is to get their attention and begin the ball rolling on Negotiations. Frankly, she doesn't care why they're here at the moment, she just wants the situation diffused the Genii disarmed, and everyone not waiting to kill everyone else. She could have used 'Charmer' but I'm saving that for when they are a bit further into the scene and they see each other for the first time. With her powers running on reflex and off the self-preservation portion of her instincts I think it's safe to say it'll be something used more on accident than will.

Charisma + Presence = 7+1+4+9+3+2+4+2: 3 successes (2 + 1 Epic Charisma)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bates gave Moreau a wry “are you calling the shots now” look but didn’t make a stink as he turned and ghosted down the hallway with Curtis behind him. He moved with stealth and grace for such a big man – which is when he realized he was being way too quiet. Bates paused, fighting alarm for a second. They better not have killed McKay. He held in a hysterical giggle. I can’t believe I thought that and meant it. His world had become so strange in the last day, even counting living on Atlantis.

When he heard Evana speaking, he gave a crooked grin. Good. Distract them while I crawl up their asses. Bates continued his stealthy hunt.


Evana waited patiently for a moment; just as she was getting ready to speak up again, a young man shouted back, “We want Atlantis. If you’ll leave, we’ll allow you to go in peace.”

“Sweetie, I just said this was our home. We’re not leaving. You are.” She couldn’t help the word ‘sweetie’; he sounded barely old enough to shave, the poor idiot. And here he was, thinking that he could take them on. “Are you the one in command?”

“N-n-no.” There was a furious round of whispering while Moreau and Evana traded looks that asked, These guys are supposed to be highly trained?

“I’m Richon.” The new voice speaking was much more confident than the previous; older and far more mature. “I’m the senior officer here. We’re here for the station. You cannot hog all these weapons and technology for yourself.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The stunning Evana's light teasing in the face of the Genii trying to capture Atlantis did a surprising amount to ease the large woman's quivering tension. The seeming anxiety and confusion among the Genii helped too, making them appear to be less of a threat.

Yseult relaxed into a poised patience, like a coiled spring ready for release. Though her clothing felt tight, if not quite binding, and the incredible strength and vigor was still roiling inside her, she didn't have the imminent need to release it by confronting the Genii at the moment.

She snorted, hearing Richon's comment while listening for any hint to act in Evana's tone, the movement of the Genii, or from Bates, presumably moving into position on the far side of sealed off intersection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“I’m Richon.” The new voice speaking was much more confident than the previous; older and far more mature. “I’m the senior officer here. We’re here for the station. You cannot hog all these weapons and technology for yourself.”

"Oh, sweetie, you can't be serious..." Evana shook her head while her eyebrows raised like the tsunami of headache pain was washing over her. Hog all to our selves... oh, for Christ's sake... "Alright, I'm coming out there... at which point you have two options, shoot me and then watch as all of you quickly join me, or we have a nice chat."

Against Sgt. Moreau's 'that's a bad idea' glare, Evana slowly walked out into view of the Genii. She remained in the intersection, and positioned herself to where, if needed, the teams could swarm in past her. She was ballsy, not stupid. She stood, stunning as ever, with her purple leather ensemble that all in Atlantis had grown accustomed to. The Genii... well, not so much. More than a couple of Richon's men stood slack jawed, if only for a second, at the way her pants hugged her hips just right or how her jacket was zipped just high enough to make a man beg for just a little more of a show (or wonder if she had anything on under it...)

"Richon," She began, flirtatiously leaning all her weight onto on leg, tapping her customized M1911 on her thigh like a mother about to begin a scolding. "I appreciate your bravado, I do. It's very sexy in it's own way, but you're letting your pride cloud your better judgment. Think about it honey, you and your men are bottle necked in a kill zone and I'm over here with three times the soldiers you have. You and your men are not getting out of this, I'm sorry Richon"

"And just how do you think we got here, hmm?" Richon asked her with that swagger that exposed just about every card he had up his sleeve. "We have your people, Captain 'Evana' of the SGC. You will not interfere with us, in fact you will learn to cooperate or your allies with become corpses, are we clear with each other?"

"No," She said flatly, the kindness in her tone fading away. This was the part of the job she hated, and she knew she was about to get some awfully nasty looks. Bottom line was simple though, the safety of Atlantis took precedence of it's staff. She could not negotiate Atlantis with terrorists, and that's all these Genii were. "You have my people, fine. They let you in, fine. But now you have two choices, harm them and leave here as corpses thrown out to whatever lives in that water around us, or though the Gate, unarmed and unharmed. You do not want to risk us as your enemy Richon, but all I see is a bully, a terrorist, a thief, and a man who is about to get all his men killed."

Everyone around her tensed up, waiting for her to give the command they didn't want to hear; the command that could their own people their lives, but they knew Evana wouldn't budge. She sold her soul to the corp and everything it stood for the day she erased her life and allowed them to giver a new one. "Richon, I want this to peacefully for both parties, I do. But you're not going to get anything out of us with hostages, banditry and barbarism. That just makes me want to leave a bullet in your dome and call it a night... and trust me, I'm not having a good night. So... do want to settle this like civilized people, or would you like to keep tossing about threats, demands, and posturing?"

Charmer is trying to do it's job, but Evana isn't trying to really charm these guys. She's using logic and honesty which, in it's own right can help sway their minds (according to the text in the book). How much of this help or hurt the situation is entirely up to you, but she's not going to negotiate for the lives of the hostages, that's against protocol. Shepard will prolly have her ass for it later, but that makes for good RP.

:)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curtis followed Bates as quietly as he could, which meant zip in comparison to the physically-enhanced other man. But he could hear the whole conversation in deep detail, and his gut squirmed painfully. Protocol was protocol (and the Genii certainly did qualify as terrorists) - but this was on the knife's edge of a lot of killing, including people he worked with.

By now he'd pulled through enough firefights, and he knew if it came, he would fire. But this situation was wrenching him where it utterly hurt - worst come to worst, then the price he didn't want to think about.

With what he could manage in the hope Evana could restore some element of peace here, he focused his mind, trying to pick out the sounds of as many Genii as he could... any radio communications active and the subtleties in Richon's voice: did he have anything up his sleeve?

OOC
Just to be clear, Parallel Attention is active, and Broad-Spectrum Reception automatically is on. If there are any clear radio wave communications perceivable, Curtis will listen in on them.

Awareness Roll

Jeremy *rolls* 7d10: 4+5+9+2+7+8+8: 43

[sandman XI] 1:34 pm: so uh, no taboo here?

[Jeremy] 1:34 pm: witness?

Epic Per Auto Sux 4 + 4 Roll Sux = 8 sux

Empathy Roll

Jeremy *rolls* 6d10: 10+7+6+8+6+8: 45

[Jeremy] 1:40 pm: wow

[Jordan] 1:40 pm: Constitution Roll

Epic Wits Auto Sux 2 + 5 Roll Sux = 7 sux

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“The only way we ‘settle’ this is by your surrender.” Richon’s voice was firm and unyielding. Evana noted that he hadn’t presented himself as a target – but Bates had to be getting close to the other side. Unaware of the danger, Richon continued. “I have my orders, and we have our mission.”

“Your mission’s gone pear-shaped.” Evana’s voice was getting annoyed at the sheer stupidity of this man. “What about the rest of you? Going to let Richon make all the decisions and get you killed?” There was a hesitation, then a sound that might have been someone moving, followed by a noise that was definitely someone getting body-checked. Evana smirked at the noise.

Shane could hear the Genii talking on the radio; someone in the group was reporting to their leader. And he could tell the Richon was not going to back down.

Bates chose that moment to come up behind the men. Unlike Evana, he had direct line of sight on them and he immediately took the half-step back into cover. “Evana,” he muttered into his mic alerting Yseult as well, “if you wanna do something fancy, Shane and I are ready to back your play.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...