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

[Evana]

"I know about orders and missions Richon, I do." She slowly advanced down the hallway, keeping her gun where the sentry in the hall could see it, not wanting to make any sudden moves. "And often times, missions fail. Since there's obviously no reasoning with you, so you leave me no choice but to accept the terms that you and your men are ready, and able to die for your mission."

The sentry tried to look away, he truly did. The longer he gazed at her the more and more her beauty captivated him. They way she moved, her hips swayed just so. The curves of her body were like a silent seduction. When his eyes finally past her shimmering, glossed lips and her eyes stared back, he was smitten.

Confused briefly, Evana noticed his stare and continued looking into his eyes, wondering what was this guys sudden glitch. She moved her head, and he followed suit. She nodded and he followed suit. Instinctively she knew it had to do with eye contact, but aside from that she had no idea how she’d put this man in a state of ‘drool on my self’ bliss.

She very casually strode over, as half the platoon behind her ogled her leather clad posterior, and as she approached the lone sentry –who was supposed to warn Richon if she got to close- gently slipped the weapon out of his hand. He had a well enough grip, but as she tugged he gently released it into her custody. He was a younger and kind or cute honestly. The sort of guy she would have liked to meet under different circumstances, but the die was cast and Fate had set the pieces on the board differently.

She slid her side arm into its holster on her thigh and with a lightning quick motion gripped the soldiers arm and twisted his wrist. The result left him in a ‘chicken wing’ with Evana behind him, gripping his wrist –painfully-, his own side arm pointing at his head, and absolutely no idea how he ended up that way.

“I know your day just took a serious one-eighty into a shit pile, handsome,” Even her intimidating voice was sexy, her hostage noted… and that accent, it almost made him sigh with desire. “I do so apologize, but your friend Richon’s been trying to snipe me off the diplomacy fence firing bollocks for ammunition, and I’ve about had enough. So, let’s go meet the man, shall we?”

It was a shitty plan, but she had plenty of back up. If she could just get a clear shot at the serpent’s head, the rest of this body would fall apart… hopefully. She stepped into view of the area where everyone had dug in. Leaving herself plenty of room to leap to the side if need be and still be in cover. “So, which one of you stubborn bastards is Richon?”

She scanned the area as fast as her training permitted, trying to zero in on the leader and take the shot while the company backed her up.

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Hearing that Bates and Shane were in position - through the comm and with her ears - Yseult shifted to the edge of the hallway as Evana started towards the sentry. Peeking low around the corner, her brows crinkled in puzzlement.

The sentry was simply staring at Evana, not even tensing up in concern. Yseult even felt her laser-like focus waver as her eyes drifted towards Evana's leather-clad ass before she could force her attention back on the sentry and the sounds of the rest of the Genii.

Almost nonchalantly, Evana twisted the boy around, holding the wide barrel of his gun against the side of his head. The movement was quick and smooth and in the instant the rest of the Genii were registering it, Yseult glided up behind Evana, inhumanly swift and silent.

With her heels on, Evana and Yseult were much of a height, though with Yseult's muscular bulk, it appeared that the seductive captain had gained an extra-thick outline and an extra arm holding a stubby automatic weapon, as the Sergeant used the same cover the Captain was using. Looking over the shoulder opposite the one the sentry was held to, Yseult surveyed the scene with a single quick glance of a cold blue eye.

Subconsciously, she calculated distances and trajectories, considered permutations and outcomes from thousands of moves, figuring out how to free the hostages and take down the hostiles, accounting for her three armed allies.

If the Genii had been able to pull the eyes of the statuesque Captain, they'd have noticed the tight, cool grin on Yseult's lips, conveying entirely too much confidence in the apparent odds.

[Curtis Shane]

So... this was it. Richon was too stupid to back down, and as long as he held firm, his soldiers would too. And even if he was taken out, the opening of fire would ensure bloody bloody death. Unless the situation was so dramatically tipped in the Stargate force's favor that even Richon would have to give in - and Curtis wouldn't be able to shoot him, even with all the attention on Evana unless the bastard spoke again...

And then he kicked himself for not seeing the idea before. Curtis focused his analysis of the lighting above, sensing the flows of electrical current - and searching for the 'chokepoint' where he might be able to black out the area in one go. An exhalation, adjustment...

The shot pierced the air, jolting the Genii out of their hypnotic focus on Evana, but before they could react and return fire, the area became lights out in less than an instant. Sergeant Shane's voice suddenly was heard, speaking with restrained condescension.

"Can you 'complete your mission' in the dark? We can neutralize you all just fine, good luck trying to not shoot your own feet. Just drop your weapons."

[Dawn OOC]

Deep in the heart of the tower, there was no natural light, and even if they had been at an exterior window, the sky was black with storms. Worse, a roar of voices immediately arose as everyone not privy to Shane’s plan reacted to the dark. People shouted, guns fired, and Curtis’s plan pretty much went to shit as there were now over a dozen people all trying to talk.

Cursing, Bates fumbled out his low light goggles. In seconds, he could see again, and he knew that his team could, too. The main worry was Evana; she’d been out in the open and now people were randomly firing. She might be hurt, and with the Genii making so much noise, the radios were nigh useless.

Curtis cursed—silently—as he focused on the voices. He cycled through each voice, picking them and comparing them to the one he’d already heard. Without putting on his low light glasses, he stepped out and took the shot. “Commander, we’re surrounded by the Atlantis inva—” Shane fired the moment he was of the man’s voice and his location. It was before he really registered what Rickon was saying.

Curtis had gotten his man but the lights were still out.

---

The game of Minesweeper was interrupted as a message flashed across Inoae’s screen in Lantan.

WARNING. SYSTEM ERROR. INDICATE DESIRED SYSTEM ACTION.

[Evana]

The first bullet smacked her hostage in the chest, sending arterial spray in a fine red mist. The second enteres his temple and sent a splatter across her face, leaving bits of brain matter in her hair. His legs, chest, abdomen all were breeched by stray gun fire.

"Bloody tosser!" Evana cursed Curtis as the body fell to the floor and she ran for cover in the darkness as best she could. This was not her first rodeo, however and she'd learned to count her steps a long time ago. Long strides lessened the count and she dealt with a few minor environmental obstacles but within a few steps she was on the ground and sliding behind... well, something. If Evana had time, she would have realized that she should be dead. It wasn't luck that the bullets didn't hit her, she was in the Eye of the Storm and by all accounts the munitions should have easily breeched her target and tore into her as well. No bullet could harm her while she remained uninvolved in a gunfight she didn't start (Curtis started it!) but the secret of how she survived would remain just that, even to herself.

"Well this is quite a pisser we have now. Diplomacy is over, it's time to kick these pikers out of the house, party's over." She seethed into her mic while sliding her NV goggles on. With a hum they switched on and she was on the move. Her handgun fired twice and two men fell behind their cover with new air conditioning for their foreheads. "Moreau get your ass in gear! Shane, provide suppressive fire for the hostages! No one gets close, do you hear me?! I'm on my way to release the-"

She went silent with a grunt mingled with a surprisingly feminine squeal. Even under the veil of darkness Curtis saw the stray bullet pierce her hip and send a spray as she tumbled to the floor. She slammed to the floor hard her head cracking on the solid surface and anyone who saw it knew a concussion was inevitable. With her uninjured side she pushed herself along the floor while her hand gripped the smooth surface with nothing to grab to speed her movement into cover. Another Genii found a bullet to the face as he approached to finish the job, but she didn't slow down. Evana was in pain, and the moment she involved herself in the conflict her mystical protection ceased its vigilance.

"I'm hit." She managed through the pain. "Sergeant Moreau, get to those hostages..." Her world seemed to blur as the concussion made thinking difficult. She fired off one shot, then two, then three... all of them missed the Genii who sought cover near her and her muzzle flash had given her position away.

With a grin, he took aim.

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

The lights went out. Yseult had learned she could see in the dark, as long as she had the slightest light source, but this was utter blackness. They hadn't seen the hostages yet, so plans had to revised. Shane, the stupid fucker... It less than an instant.

"Engaging," Yseult growled tersely into her mic, then the broad-shouldered woman was rolling around Evana and gliding forward practically before the first bullets hit Evana's human shield.

She couldn't see, but she had marked the location of each Genii she had seen, and their harsh gasps, panicked shouting, and sweat stink pin-pointed them now. Letting her P-90 hang from its strap, she flowed among Genii like a piece of the night, the muzzle flashes of the wildly firing guns painting the scene with a stroboscopic effect.

A foot crushed a kneecap in the dark, one hand striping the Genii of his weapon with inhuman strength, the other coming across and shattering his jaw. Yseult moved with impossible swiftness and grace, acutely aware of all those around her. Another Genii was thrown with bone-shattering force into the wall, no gunfire giving away Yseult's position.

She was disarming a Genii by way of broken arms when Evana was back, taking down a pair on the other side of the hall with two shots. Yseult took the opportunity to slip on her own night-vision goggles - she could hear and smell everyone, but couldn't identify any friendlies beyond the one she can down with. The darkness brightening into shades of greens and greys, Yseult scanned the Genii holdout looking for the hostages, staying on the move as she used short bursts from her P-90 to incapacitate the hostiles.

"I'm hit." Evana managed through the pain. "Sergeant Moreau, get to those hostages..."

"Working on it!" Yseult snarled, grunting when something smacked into her upper arm with all the power of a kevlar resisted bullet. A quick glance over her shoulder followed by a quick twist and Yseult squeezed off two bursts, one taking down the soldier who had luckily hit her, the other peppering bloody craters in the face of the grinning man standing over Evana. He wasn't grinning anymore.

She watched them just long enough to see them go down, then continued her bloody swath through the Genii holdout. When she saw Bates and Shane approaching from the far side, her cold eyes panned around the holdout again, then she snarled once more.

"Merde de putain de connard motherfuckers!" she cursed. "Our friendlies aren't bloody here!"

Power-Up

Spending 1 Legend, activating Untouchable Opponent (Scion: Hero, p.128)

Legend: -1 | Willpower: -0 | Health: -0

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

The game of Minesweeper was interrupted as a message flashed across Inoae’s screen in Lantan.

WARNING. SYSTEM ERROR. INDICATE DESIRED SYSTEM ACTION.

She frowned at the message, worried that she had not repaired the item as she had been directed to. She closed the war game and opened up the system analysis program to trace the error. Her frown deepened further, her pretty brow furrowing, as she was lead from the programs of the laptop and into a larger system that the laptop had connected itself to. It wasn't like the laptop - at least not much like it. The laptop was more similar now than when she had begun repairs on it, but the larger system was far more complex and not organized in the same simple manner of the laptop.

She used the key-symbol interface and searched for a primer program like she had found on the laptop - a 'help' file - but the larger system did not have one. Instead, the larger system flashed up greater detail of the error: "RELAYS OPEN; EXTERNAL DAMAGE LIKELY. INDICATE DESIRED SYSTEM ACTION." An outline of the Altantis Expidition hiveship was inscribed above the words, with flashing points of light.

She blinked, a semblance of clarity settling over her thoughts, and used the "mouse" to choose Lantean symbols from the alphabet provided on the screen: "Close relays; do not damage exterior."

"ACCEPTED."

She'd almost started to relax when another message flashed across the screen. "ELECTRICAL PATH ALTERATION INCOMPLETE; EXCESSIVE ENERGY ROUTING INTO SUPERSTRUCTURE. MAY CAUSE DAMAGE. STATE REQUESTED SYSTEM ACTION."

She bit her lip and responded, "Use a different path."

"SYSTEM REQUIRES EXTERNAL REPATHING."

She frowned again and scrunched her nose, the popped up from underneath the table, laptop in her arms. She placed the laptop on the table and looked around. Doctor Peter Kavanagh was the nearest male to her; she stepped around to the front of him and asked, "Who is responsible for the relays and electrical repathing in the hive? This one is told that the hive needs repathing to close the relays and prevent damage to the exterior of the hive, but the incomplete changes have been made to the pathing. They must be returned or the alterations completed, or the hive will be in danger."

The male stared at her blankly and then snapped, "Go babble elsewhere."

Inoae withered under the annoyed tone, cringing back from Kavanagh and fell silent for a moment. The male was higher ranked than her - but everyone was higher ranked than her. But when the hive was in danger, it was everyone's duty to protect the hive. She frowned and fidgeted, watching the screen, then shook her head. "I am not 'babbling'," she insisted quietly. "The hive is in danger. The relays must be closed, but they cannot be closed until the pathing alteration is finished or another electrical route is established. If the relays are closed now, the superstructure will suffer damage. If the relays remain open, the superstructure will suffer damage. The repathing must be done."

Her voice had grown firmer and she explained the situation for a second time, something that was not needed in a true hive and would resulted in the punishment of the one so stupid to need to be told twice. She winced at the insulting thought towards someone higher ranked than her, but the hive was more important. "If you do not know the how to doing of this, then one who does must be found."

"Go. Away." Kavanagh scowled at her. "I don't have time for games."

A woman on the other side of him moved over to see Inoae's screen. "Wow... that's... beyond me. McKay needs to see this, and he's... well, we don't know where he is."

"McKay? This the one I must find?" She adressed the woman, Doctor Tricia Linden with much more deference than the ignorant and dangerous male who would not take his duty to his hive seriously. She turned back to the computer, quickly typing in "Locate McKay."

"DESIGNATION MCKAY UNKNOWN."

A thought floated to her, like a whisper from another mind, and she tried another tactic. "Locate medical profile McKay. Locate person McKay in hive."

"DESIGNATION MCKAY UNKNOWN."

She frowned again, her thoughts beginning to swirl in panic as she failed to secure the hive by locating the necessary male for this task. She tried again: "Locate person able to finish electrical path alteration."

"SYSTEM CANNOT FIND DESIGNATE ENGINEER. EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS ALLOW TEMPORARY DESIGNATION. CAN YOU READ DIAGRAMS AND REPATH THE SYSTEM?"

"Show diagrams," she clicked in, her hands beginning to shake as more responsibility was asked of her. She could not refuse, but she was simply her Yseult Moreau's!

The computer flashed up images of wiring, complex and intricate, but years of working with Darkness allowed her to detangle the image, filling in the gaps for her knowledge from....before. Her mind blanked for a moment at the errant thought, but the screeen swam back into place after only a few seconds. "I understand the diagrams. What must be done for repathing?" she typed in.

The diagrams changed, showing her in steps what needed to be done. It wasn't simple, but she knew what to do. Then another window opened; it showed her how to get where she needed to physically be, out on the outer edges of Atlantis. Out in the storm. She swallowed, feeling fear and adrenaline flash through her. She looked back up at Kavanagh, a momentary hopeful look that was immediately crushed by a roll of his eyes and moving to the other side of the room. She picked up Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane's pack from under the table secured the laptop inside of it, having memorized the map after a moment of study, then slung the pack across her back and headed for the doors.

Linden had a scowl to match Kavanagh's usual sunny disposition and stalked after him, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her. "Look, whatever she was looking at, it had diagrams of Atlantis on it. She was asking for help," she hissed, keeping her voice low so it would carry around the room. :"She might be spaced out most of the time, but she's still an Ancient. We have no idea what she's capable of, even in her current state."

Kavanagh put his hands on Tricia's shoulders and gave her a patented patronizing look. "If you want to go play babysitter or mommy to the stray, that's your deal. I've got better things to do than-"

Tricia brushed his hands off and crossed her arms, debating putting one more nail in Kavanagh's coffin by filing a sexual harrasment report, and snapped back, "Like what?" She blinked at the look on his face and glanced behind herself. "Hey, where'd she go?"

"Probably...uh, just back under...the table...." He trailed off as a quick check revealed on a Sgt. Moreau's kit under the table. The two scientists quickly scanned through the room, then stuck their heads out into the Gate Room, where the guards were still patrolling and definitely not arguing with a blond, unhinged Lantean.

Tricia glanced up at Kavanagh. "So, when Weir asks about this - it's totally your fault."

[Dawn OOC]

Bates moved in, taking careful aim and using controlled bursts to take out the Genii. He heard Yseult’s remark and cursed soundly, even as he shot another invader. That’s when he realized that the normal fog of war wasn’t quite as bad as it normally was. He could think. That’s really weird, he mused as he calmly picked off another target and swiveled to find another. I’m so fucking going to die from this Ancient crap. If McKay dies and gets me killed, I’m eating his soul.

“Leave one alive!” he shouted to his team. “Preferably one that knows something!”

Already his mind was trying to figure out what had happened. Where were the hostages? With the rest of the invading forces? The thought made him cringe because rescue seemed even more unlikely now.

---

The route wasn’t direct, but it would get her there. Inoae didn’t deviate from the course; the person on the computer must have had a reason for this way. She took one of the teleporters out to the edge of the city, growing more and more nervous about her covert mission. She didn’t like to do things without her Yseult Moreau’s express consent. And Lt. Bates had told her to play the Minesweeper!

But this was more important. The Hive was in danger. If none of the other members of the Hive understood that, then she would save it anyway.

The door before her was an outer door, and she prepared for the fury of the storm before opening. Inoae had never seen anything like this before and she had no way to truly be ready for this tempest. The rain slammed into her like hundreds of tiny fists; the wind shoved her back into the door jamb cruelly. Still, she persevered and walked out into the storm. It wasn’t far; only to the end of a platform. Inoae put her head down and pushed her way out to where she needed to be.

The panel was open, and she could see that someone had started to rewire it. But they hadn’t finished. That was her job now.

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

"Me, I will try," Yseult grunted with feigned reluctantly, lips spreading in a vicious smirk. Despite her violent exertions, her voice and breathing was cool and steady. "It will not be easy." She raised her voice slightly to address the Genii, her tone mocking. "Drop your weapons, bastards! it it will go easier for you, no?" The powerful woman chuckled ominously. "But me, I am preferring you do not."

Yseult let her P-90 hang from its strap as she engaged the Genii solely in hand-to-hand, giving her a slightly better chance of incapacitating rather than killing them. She was aware what her fists had done to the Genii in the Gate Room and knew some of them down here had fared no better, but it would still be a better chance than gunfire.

The muscular woman moved among the Genii with liquid grace and smooth power, striking with open-handed blows. It felt alien restraining herself so much in a real combat situation, but if anything, she was still striking harder than she used to before whatever the fuck had happened to her, to them. It felt like she was fighting with students, or children. Particularly weak and uncoordinated ones.

Unlike Bates and Evana, Yseult wasn't worried by what had happened to them. Indeed, she reveled in it. Even if McKay or Beckett could figure out a way to 'cure' them, Yseult wasn't sure she'd take, regardless of the side-effects.

Between Moreau spiraling around the injured Evana and Bates and Shane coming from the opposite end, the Genii were dropping fast; each one incapacitated made it easier to down the next, with fewer wild shots flying around and fewer resisting.

Yseult felt like she was high, exhilarated with her speed and strength, her senses picking up the panicked thumps of heart beats and the acrid scent of fear-swear, the keen rapidity of her thoughts making the Genii seem like they were moving in slow-motion and couldn't help laugh under her breath.

[Dawn OOC]

The combat ended suddenly with two thuds as Moreau and Bates simultaneously struck a Genii. It was the same Genii, and the man didn’t survive Bates’s rifle butt and Moreau’s open palm strike. The soldier collapsed bleeding from most of the holes in his face. Bates looked at Moreau then remarked, “I hope he wasn’t the last living one.”

“I think I spared one over there, sir.” The incredibly tough Yseult pointed across the room to a smaller slumped form. “That woman.”

Bates gave her a look that Yseult couldn’t interpret before he stomped over and checked her pulse. “Yeah. She’s alive.” He jerked his head at Shane. “Private, secure her.”

Next he focused on Evana, moving over and kneeling next to her. He drew out and snapped on a flashlight so he could take a clear look at the wound. “You need to duck better,” he remarked casually, but his expression was terse as he studied the wound. He wished they had one of the squints with him; he was only so-so when it came to first aid. Still, he started to pull out the gear to dress the wound.

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Returning Bates' unqualified look with an unrepentant smirk to hide her concern over her unintentional lethality, Yseult switched on her own flashlight and set it near Bates, adding its light to his. She took off her night-goggles - the two flashlights providing more then enough light for her enhanced eyes - and brushed a few strands of loose hair behind her ear.

With Bates tending to Evana and Shane securing the battered Genii, Yseult turned her attention to the rest of Genii. She gathered up the bodies, stripping them of weapons and searching for anymore survivors and giving them to Shane to look after, then lined them up next to each other along one wall to keep them out of the way and for easy removal later on.

Finished hauling hundred-to-two-hundred pound bodies as if they were pillows, Yseult tapped her earpiece, radioing the Gate-Room. "Hostiles downed, but no sign of our men," the tense sergeant informed them with professional terseness. "Captain Evana has been shot, but Captain Bates is looking to her and it doesn't seem life-threatening. I think. Is anyone up there seeing any other concentration of life signs?"

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis reproved himself viciously over that mistake. Seriously, not telling anyone, the concept? What idiot was he? It was thus with a surfeit of, excessive-even seeming care for the tightness of the prisoners' bonds that their weapons were complete unloaded and disabled that he worked - trying to shore up his confidence over this mess.

"Their commander is somewhere on Atlantis... based on the radio communications, they were trying to reach him or her."

[Moira Fitzgerald]

Back in the Gate Room, over the last several minutes...

"Dr. Fitzgerald?"

Moira glanced up from monitoring the life signals of the combat team and the invading Genii. There stood Tricia and Kavanagh, the former looking concerned and the latter looking irritated.

"Dr. Linden.. Dr. Kavanagh?"

"Your pet alien skipped out."

"Kavanagh!"

"Pardon me?"

"She heard me. The crazy Ancient skipped out, we couldn't find her anywhere in the gate room."

Moira drew in a deep breath, and pinched the bridge of her nose briefly between her thumb and forefinger. For the normally dispassionate doctor, it was an obvious indicator of an unusually high amount of stress. After a moment, she took a deep breath, and turned back to the computer, ignoring Kavanagh and Tricia entirely. It took her only a few more moments to locate what had to be Inoae on the life sign readings, but after watching the Lantean's movements on the screen, her brow furrowed in concern.

"What is she - it's like she's walking through the walls or something."

Rolling for computer:

Jasmyne *rolls* 8d10: 6+4+4+8+8+2+8+9: 49 = 4 suxx

[Jasmyne] 11:49 pm: Witness?

[Carver] 11:49 pm: You're fine.

Moira stared at the screen for a few moments, fingers poised motionless on the keyboard. Then she began tapping again, fingers moving swiftly and efficiently as she worked to access the city's database. She began pulling up maps, overlaying them with the regular map of the city that she had been viewing before.

"That looks like some sort of power grid.. communications, maybe? Wait - there. This looks right. This looks like some kind of maintenance map or something. Inoae, what are you doing?" Finally, her attention turned back to the other two scientists.

"Kavanagh, Linden? Did she SAY anything to either of you, or did you two manage to pay just enough attention to notice she was missing, and not enough to actually be useful?"

"Pete, she was talking to you!"

"Like I listen to that psycho alien babbling she usually spews. Some nonsense about electric pathing or the hive, I think. She was messing around with Shane's laptop. What the hell makes you think she's my responsibility? I don't give a damn what she does!"

Moira's glare deepened before turning back to the computer, her voice dripping icicles as she spoke.

"Nothing. Heaven forbid a scientist, one of a select few chosen to be part of a historically groundbreaking expedition to the uncharted frontier of another galaxy, actually express any interest in what's going on DURING that expedition. Now, if you have nothing else useful to add, kindly piss off, Kavanagh."

If she's on someone's laptop talking to the city, maybe there's some way I can... no, let me try.. yes, that should do it.

INOAE, THIS IS DR. FITZGERALD. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

"Hostiles downed, but no sign of our men," the tense sergeant informed them with professional terseness. "Captain Evana has been shot, but Captain Bates is looking to her and it doesn't seem life-threatening. I think. Is anyone up there seeing anymore concentration of life signs?"

"I'm not sure, let me check.. we might have another problem, though. Inoae snuck off and is working her way through the maintenance hallways for some reason. I'm trying to communicate with her now."

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane's laptop could not withstand the water, a design flaw Inoae found mystifying but did not question; so she linked the GPI to the laptop as the Atlantean device was waterproof despite the minor damage it had sustained during the earlier attack that she still had not had the chance to fix. The schematics for the repathing flickered onto the screen and brightened in the gloom of the storm. She had only finished the first of seventy-six repair steps when Dr. Fitzgerald's message scrolled along the screen and obscured the instructions for the second step.

I AM TEMPORARY DESIGNATED ENGINEER. I MUST FINISH ELECTRICAL REPATHING TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO HIVE.

Her explanation sent, she removed the text message and returned to the repathing. The storm continued roil around her, plastering her hair to her head and soaking her clothes completely through already. Lightening flashed over the ocean, startling her for a moment and then sending her back to her task with nervous urgency.

Repair Roll

Malachite *rolls* 6d10: 7+9+5+4+9+8: 42

4 rolled successes and 4 auto-successes

8 suxx total

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis pursed his lips as he heard Dr. Fitzgerald's message. "She has my laptop, no doubt." Strangely, he did not seem angry or anything, just matter-of-faction theorizing. "Somehow I get the feeling she hasn't left without a good reason. What's her explanation, Doctor?"

[Moira Fitzgerald]

"We're all doomed."

"Be quiet, Kavanagh. If it weren't for the 'crazy alien' we wouldn't even know about a problem with the hive. City. Whatever."

Her fingers moved over the keys rapidly, typing even as she replied to both Kavanagh and Curtis.

DO YOU NEED OR WANT ASSISTANCE?

"Shane, she says she is 'temporary designated engineer'. She is finishing electrical repathing to prevent damage to the hive. I asked her if she needs or wants help, and am waiting for a response."

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Inoae read the words as they scrolled across the screen, but she couldn't reply immediately - if she let go of the tools she was holding, she would have to repeat fourteen steps. The rain made it difficult enough and the trembling from the fear that she would be responsible for damage or even the destruction of the hive certainly wasn't helping.

Once she reached a point where it was safe to put down the tools, she typed back, CAN YOU LOCATE PROPER ENGINEER? THE HIVE IS IN DANGER AND I AM ONLY TEMPORARY DESIGNATED ENGINEER BECAUSE THE PROPER ENGINEER COULD NOT BE LOCATED.

Her message sent, she set back to the repathing. Even in Dr. Fitzgerald could find the proper male for the job, or even female (such an odd hive!), the hive was still in danger right now.

Mechanics

Adding another roll in, just for comparison and speed:

Malachite *rolls* 6d10: 2+10+3+9+10+2: 36

5 suxx + 4 auto-suxx = 9 suxx

.

[Curtis Shane]

Electrical repathing or damage to the hive? Curtis immediately began pulling out of his memory information about the city and trying to recall exactly what it was Inoae meant. And then Dr. Fitzgerald provided a very sarcastic update.

"Inoae's response is, that 'the hive is in danger.' I don't suppose you qualify as a 'proper engineer', do you?"

Curtis rolled his eyes at her, despite the fact that she could not see it, and added, "Indeed. Did you know it's my Un-Birthday too? Do you have any idea precisely, where she is?"

The question of whether or not the systems might recognize him as the proper one was in question... but if he could mentally interface, the way with the radio... hmm.

OOC

Int+Craft (Electronics)+Arete 1

Trying to figure out what the issue in question is...

Jeremy *rolls* 11d10: 3+9+7+7+8+1+9+10+8+3+1: 66

8 rolled sux + 4 epic auto sux = 12 sux

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Yseult grunted through a frown, easily hearing both sides of the conversation through Shane's com-unit. Naturally, even though it looked like they were turning into goddamned super-soldiers, everything was going FUBAR. Shepard, Weir, and McKay were still MIA, Evana was currently down, and now Inoae went bloody AWOL.

"Câlice de sacrament!" Yseult growled tersely, stalking over from the dead Genii she had sorted, with that eerie grace and swiftness she now possessed. "This is all we are needing. The Lantean retard, I am thinking she is crazy smart, but also crazy, no?"

Yseult wasn't intentionally insulting, just blunt, and mostly tactless, but she had been observing Inoae for some time now and behind the social fucktardation, there was a squinty brain. And after whatever-the-fuck had happened to them... "So, either she is fixing the problem. Or going to blow up the city."

She mentioned it with a shrug, just stating a fact, not betraying resignation or fatalism. Yseult glanced over at Bates, who after patching Evana up as best he could, boosted her over a shoulder in an easy fireman's carry. "Problem we are having now is, a) she apparently wants or needs help, and that means Shane or that fuckface McKay, and she is alone and there are still some Genii assholes out there with our men, including that fuckface McKay."

Yseult patched into the com channel as she turned her cold blue eyes down on their captive. "Fitzgerald, where is Inoae right now?" she asked/demanded, turning her predatory gaze back on Bates for a mement, muttering, "I've chased Inoae through this damned city before when she was using the teleporters and we couldn't." The veritable juggernaut stretched, flaring her powerful shoulders and making every muscle stand taut, smirking. "And it'll be easier now."

Then her eyes went back to the Genii captive, her smirk turning ominous. Yseult reached down and grabbed the slight, short woman around the throat and hauled her up so they were standing eye-to-eye with terrifying ease. To the Genii, the amazonian woman's fingers felt like flesh-sheathed steel cables wrapping around her neck. To the others, the difference between Yseult's and the Genii sizes made it seem like a tiger holding a mouse between its teeth.

"As for you, little girl, you better be having something good to be telling us...." Yseult trailing off with a long line of fallen Genii behind her was a very succinct point.

[Dawn OOC]

“You killed my father.” The girl stared at Moreau with a sullen grimace that twisted her pretty face into something less pretty. “You and your people.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Bates’s words burst out of his mouth with all the anger and frustration of this whole damned night. He crouched in front of the girl, catching her chin in his big hand. No one missed the sudden shift of her body as she fought the urge to recoil in fear. “I’ll make this easy—”

“Torture? I won’t break.” The girl stared at him haughtily.

Bates snorted, blowing her hair out of her face. “That takes time and effort. I’d rather you just tell me where to find your leader.”

Her glare remained defiant. “I won’t betray him!”

“I’m not asking you to betray him. I’m sure he wants to see us, too.” Bates smirked. “Since that’s what he wants, just make it happen.”

“Your friends are dead.” She swallowed but spoke steadily. “He would have killed them first thing.”

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Being a temporary designated engineer was easier than Inoae had feared, much to her relief. The schematics were easy to follow and, for the most part, the physical parts actually matched up with them. She closed up the panel she had been working on, finished with the first of however many of these repathings she would need to do. As an afterthought, she sent a map to Dr. Fitzgerald of the next place she was headed to, about a third of the way around the city from where she was according to the instructions she was being given. She packed everything back into Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane's bag and started towards the nearest 'porter to take her to the next place to repath.

Getting out of the rain was an immediate relief, though she was soon shivering in her drenched clothes and cool, controlled environment inside Atlantis. Still, the hive was in danger, the proper engineer was missing, and Inoae was actually being helpful instead of simply stupid and in the way. She was careful not to be pleased that the proper engineer was missing and only pleased that she could be of help to her new hive. She'd been useful, very rarely, with Darkness or Whisper, but never like this.

She basked in the feeling, but as always, only very carefully.

[Dawn OOC]

Clearly, the girl hadn’t been expecting that from Bates. Her hazel eyes darted from Bates to the others, studying their faces. “Why?” She looked worried now. “Why do you want to be taken to him?”

“We want our friends. We’re going to go and get them.” Bates sounded utterly confident. “We can do it quick or do it slow. Slow just means I’m going to be less forgiving to your friends when we arrive.”

The girl was clearly torn. She would have preferred to be the captor, not the captive. Finally, she said, “Find your own way—I won’t help you.”

Bates snorted again and released her chin, standing up. “Moreau, tie her up. Secure her here. Break her leg, if that’s what it takes.” He turned to Evana. “Can you move? I’m going to want to go once she’s secured.”

---

Inoae found the ‘porter and headed for the next point of repathing. The computer was still giving her orders, and she hurried through the empty corridors. Her feet slapped against the floor as she moved unheeding of the noise she was making. Normally, she’d be silent, but the hive was more important.

The computer led her back to the outside, and Inoae paused, dreading entering the storm. The message from Dr. Fitzgerald was welcome. INOAE, I’M GOING TO SEND CURTIS SHANE TO YOU. IS HE AN APPROPRIATE HELPER?

Inoae blinked. Uneasily, she typed the query into the computer, asking if Curtis Shane was the proper engineer. The computer’s reply was immediate: OARE CEAL COULD NOT BE LOCATED. DO YOU WISH TO DESIGNATE USER CURTIS SHANE AS A TEMPORARY ENGINEER?

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Two emotions roiled within her: elation that a proper member of the hive was now available to handle the repathing and a jolt of something she didn't understand. It was proper that Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane be temporary engineer and finish the repathing, but some part of her was upset. It was madness and she shoved the strange feeling away as sharply as she could.

She typed a one word reply, YES, and then sunk down onto her legs, the computer carefully balance on her lap, and waited for Staff Sergeant Curtis Shane to come and be temporary engineer instead of her. She hoped he would give her permission to return to her Yseult Moreau if she was not to be repathing anymore instead of returning to the wargame Minesweeper. It was very simple and she had already grasped the placing algorithms that the computer used for the mines, but she had not been given permission to upgrade the wargame to something more challenging.

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis shook his head at the Genii girl's intransigence. The Genii had blamed the Atlantis Expedition for whatever had happened in the joint attack on the Wraith, and now had chosen to launch an attack on Atlantis... regrettably, they seemed to be somehow trying to assert the moral high ground here.

Right now, though, he had something different to do... keep Atlantis maintained and protected from... some ominous imminent danger predicted by Inoae. Intellectually, not much better. But beneath that crazy Lantean exterior was definite potential...

Blessedly, Dr. Fitzgerald called in again. "Ok, Shane. Inoae said yes, and you're the designated engineer now. Here's her location now..." After she gave him the update in full, Bates turned and nodded to Shane. "All right, meet up with her then, Staff Sergeant."

Curtis gave him a quick salute and then, making sure his P90 was at the ready, headed out to track down Inoae. Thankfully, he found the Lantean waiting tensely when he showed up.

"Inoae! What's the situation?"

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Moreau gave Bates a sharp nod and brusquely gathered up the slight Genii woman once more, giving a stern glare not to start anything. "Aye, Captain."

Thanks to fucked up Atlantean architecture, it was easy enough to find a post going from floor to ceiling with no discernible purpose. Keeping the girl away from her fallen brethen, Moreau patted her down again, roughly, then secured her to the post with zip-strips pulled tight around her wrists and ankles.

"You, you are better to be waiting here when we are coming back for you," Yseult growled. When the Genii just pouted sullen at her feet, Yseult tilted her head up with a hard finger under her chin, her voice firm. "Remember, ma pétite, you are attacking us first, trying to steal Atlantis. You gambled. You lost."

While Yseult didn't feel bad about killing the Genii - they had attacked first and deserved what they got - she did regret that she had killed so many. She had intended to incapacitate them, rather than eliminate them, but she was still adjusting her new capabilities.

Speaking of which, the increased acuity of her nose was giving her practically an entirely knew sense to experience the world. She could readily identify each member of her team and each individual Genii, as well as the difference between Atlantis Expedition personnel and Genii soldiers - some of which were already starting to stink with death and loosed bowels.

Yseult began circling the room with a predatory smoothness, nostrils flaring as tried to pick up the trail of Genii that were not accounted for among the dead bodies. Dear fucking God, no one better be making a bitch joke...

[Evana]

A female officer with medical training had already helped Evana to where the rest of the squad was speaking with the Genii. Behind some storage crates Evana stripped out of her leather jacket with only a slight wince from the bullet lodged in her side. The officer flushed, slightly envious but now fully aware of every reason why Captain Evana was so desired by the male (and a few female) personnel. If perfection was at all attainable in the physical form, it seemed Evana had managed it. Where Sgt. Moreau's frame favored function, Evana's favored form. Both women were nearly identical in their regiment giving them defined abs, toned muscles and curves to die for.

The officer also learned that Evana, despite the rumors, did indeed wear support under her jackets. "You are to tell not a single soul." She mused with a slight smirk. "You'll ruin the illusion for all those poor jarheads out there. Now, how bad is it?"

Chuckling silently, the officer went about her task. "I can remove the bullet but..." The long pause grasped Evana's attention swiftly as the medical officer continued to gently poke and prod around the wound while shining her light about the point of entry. "Well, not to panic you, Captain, but you should be dying. The bullet pieced your stomach, but the wound shows no sign of infection. How do you feel?"

"I've a bullet in my side, sweetie," Evana winced as the officer disinfected the wound and prepared to remove the bullet, she squeezed her jacket tight in her hands as she inserted the forceps and did her best to make this field surgery as painless as possible. "I won't say 'peachy', but I've been shot before, and this does feel different."

"Well, we'd need to get you back to a lab, but all the bleeding has stopped. The inital impact bled, but no organs appear to be seriously ruptured. Blood infection from you stomach's enzymes could have killed you in fifteen minutes. I think it's a good thing you have those ancient genes in you Captain. Not sure if you're religious, but someone's looking out for ya this day."

Surprisingly, once the bullet was removed the injury didn't hurt as bad. She'd lost some mobility on her left side and sudden movements would cause her wince but she'd be functional for the remainder of the mission. She and the officer rounded the corner and joined the main group just in time to reply to Bates, as she zipped up her bloodstained jacket. She saw Moreau secure the prisoner and felt a bit thankful that she didn't break her leg.

"I'm moving, aren't I?" She said flatly to Bates. It was obvious she was irritated with him about something which would not have been the first time, nor the last time, he knew. Gods if he had a dollar for every time she and him butted heads... he'd be broke, because this was Atlantis and the dollar didn't mean shit here. "And I'm fine, thanks for asking."

She walked up to him and leaned into him, speaking softly into his ear. This was Captain to Captain business, not meant for the rest of the squad. "We are still U.S. Military and there certain conventions under which we abide. We do not break the legs of our unarmed captives, Captain. I'll assume that was the adrenaline talking." Sometimes he hated how much he liked her being that close to him...

I've set Evana at two boxes of damage, which will heal in two days. Compared to mortal healing times, she's already regenerated the worst of it in just a few minutes. She's at a -1 die penalty at the moment.

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Inoae held up the laptop for him to take; Curtis could easily tell that something had been done to his Baby - it was pretty much entirely interfaced with the Atlantis Database, from what he could tell, for one. The display was covered in engineering and electrical schematics detailing how to repath the entire city into a sort of lightening rod, allowing the strikes from the superstorm to dissipate safely through the city instead of frying chunks of it off into the ocean. It was complicated, delicate work and the crazy Lantean had been apparently making her way around the city to finish it. Wonderful. Hopefully she hadn't screwed anything up.

Blank blue eyes blinked up at him as she continued to hold the laptop out. "You are temporary designate engineer now. You must finish repathing to secure the hive," she said with an eerily calm finality. "This one finished up to action 94." The screen flicked over to a list display at her words; the list delineated out each step of the repathing. There were a lot of steps.

Inoae waited patiently, knowing that the male would most likely simply ignore her now that she was no longer needed, but she didn't dare leave or even move until he let her or a female appeared and gave them both orders.

Repathing

So sayeth the Carver, "The next set of steps for the repathing requires two people."

[Curtis Shane]

Being simultaneously flabbergasted by the fact that Inoae had been modifying his Baby (without permission), and the fact that he was barely catching up on all she had accomplished in this hectic situation, delayed Curtis' response for a few moments as he peered at the laptop screen.

Well, truth be told, crazy Lantean or not... highly impressive. And he understood the issue she'd been bleating about now, quite well after a few moments. But if she'd screwed up any of the most minute aspects of the repathing, the consequences to Atlantis could be devastating.

At this point though, Curtis had not yet invented time travel (so he could go back and do it himself), and was in no position to second-guess her work feasibly. And, serendipitously for Inoae, this next stage of repathing would require handling a 'branch' in the power network simultaneously, and precisely. More than he could handle by himself.

Curtis took the laptop and then sat down, the P90 left to one side. "I'm going to need your assistance, Inoae." He told her, suppressing the frustration that he couldn't do it all himself. "At least for this next sequence."

OOC

Intelligence + Craft (Electronics) + Arete

Jeremy *rolls* 11d10e7: 8,10,4,8,10,6,8,10,6,6,1.

4 auto epic successes plus 9 successes rolled = 13 total.

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Inoae jumped up immediately at Curtis' orders, playing the part of lab assistant almost creepily well. She followed his directions perfectly, lowering her head against the lashing rain as they stepped out onto the platform to perform delicate engineering surgery on the most advanced city in the known universe.

Repathing Roll

Malachite *rolls* 6d10: 4+9+10+5+1+9: 38

4 successes rolled plust 4 auto successes

8 successes total

[Dawn OOC]

Bates smiled, and in his amped state, it was slightly more appreciative than he meant it to be. That more than anything he might have said let Evana know that her superior officer was out of sorts. “I meant to say it, Captain. I just wasn’t going to follow through on it. Moreau, from what I’ve heard, definitely knows how to tie a woman up.”

Evana felt her eyebrow rise, wondering once again about some rumors she’d heard about the buff Frenchwoman. It was possible that the rumors were false and people only said such things because Moreau was a strong woman. It was possible that she liked a little Christian Gray in her bedroom. Or perhaps a lot of Christian Gray…

Bates turned away from the group and focused on the radio. “Fitzgerald, do you have any grouping of life forms?”

After a moment, she said, “I’m still showing it where you are.”

Bates nodded. “What’s below us?”

Moira was silent before telling him, “Which floor? There’s a couple of hundred stories below you. There are only a half-dozen rooms large enough to hold a force of any size.”

“Fuck.” The single word was said with feeling. “All right, folks, we have a lot of floors to check. Fitzgerald, if you can pinpoint their location, you’ll be a hero. Everyone else, with me. Curtis, how’s it going?”

The squint’s irritation was clear. “We’re still in-route.”

Bates scowled. “Keep me informed of your progress.” The group’s distractions were done, and together they headed for the stairs.

Feel free to sweep a room and do soldiery stuff; my next update should get to the fun stuff.

---

Curtis and Inoae hurried to the next site, heads down against the wind and rain lashing them. They found the station that needed to be “repathed” and pulled open the cover; then Curtis used the computer to find the second bank of wires. He quickly explained what Inoae needed to do and when, then went back to this console.

“Alright, I need to do my steps.” Curtis finished his steps, then said, “You, go!” Inoae did her, then Curtis his, and all was going well. Curtis wasn’t relieved though; the simultaneous steps had to be done perfectly. If they failed, they might fry the wires and have no time to get replacements.

Finally, they were to the fateful moment. “Inoae… start on three. One, two… three!” Together they worked rapidly to complete the repathing. Curtis was focused on his task, but found that he had enough brainpower to think about other things. He wondered how McKay could have possibly handled this. Though McKay was probably doing his own thing, Curtis realized. Atlantis was giving them better directions than McKay could have dreamed up.

At last they were both done and Curtis checked the computer. The final steps he could do alone, which was good. Crazy Inoae was crazy.

A warning beeped at him. Curtis hadn’t seen this program before and his eyebrows twitched upward in surprise. Atlantis had downloaded something onto his laptop. It was a warning program, telling him that a deadly storm surge was approaching. He estimated the time that the next step would take and realized that he didn’t have enough time. He was going to need the crazy again.

[Curtis Shane]

Well, this wasn't pleasant. At least if Inoae's current eerie but effective assisting attitude held, they could make this work before the surge. Speaking of which, he gestured for Inoae to follow him. "Come. We got one last part to complete." Over the radio, he alerted Bates.

,,

"Captain, Inoae and I are getting to the last sequence... this is going to be a tight one though - Atlantis is alerting me that we have a nasty and lethal storm surge heading our way. If we don't pull it off... well, you can imagine the consequences." Curtis said sarcastically. "Have towels ready if and when we get back."

[Evana]

"Conner, Parker, Mathis." Evana gave the soldiers nothing more than a point in succession and they stood at attention (the soldiery way). "Your with me. Bates, we'll maintain radio silence for the sake of hacked transmission unless we find anything, keep us apprised. I'm going to take them and continue a sweep the adjoining rooms." Bates nodded and started wrangling together a small group to do the same in the opposite side of the section.

,,

"You be careful, Blue." Bates said to her, still as serious as a heart attack but showing for just a moment that he still liked the girl, despite their differences. "Eyes open, and if they come down on you, hit em' hard and hit em' fast and don't worry, we'll be on our way. Ain't that right, soldiers?"

,,

"Hooah!" Came the synchronized acknowledgement of over dozen soldiers.

,,

"They shot me, I'm wall past hard n' fast at this point, luv." She smirked, on the inside she was tickled that all these soldiers were willing to take a bullet for her, making a mental note thank Sgt. Moreau for her bravery in the firefight and coming to her aid. It was rare to see someone stick their neck out like that. "The next time one of those bastards points a gun at me, what I do to that son of a bitch will be long and slow. I'm past diplomacy."

,,

"Staff Sergeant Shane," This was not the tone Curtis wanted to hear in his earpiece, Captain Evana on a warpath. "I need every floor plan relevant to this situation downloaded to Corporal Conner's T.I.S. (Tactical Information Suite, a small portable laptop like device that can display terrain, floor plans and plan routes. Like an indoor GPS. Usually mounted on the forearm) immediately, and by immediately I mean three minutes ago. Move your ass Shane, welcome to how a real military branch does it's job; on the go and several things at once."

,,

"Hooah..." Sgt. Moreau said under breath, following suit wit how the American military displayed a mass understanding amongst it's soldiers, not wanting to instigate, but agreeing in full with Evana's appraisal of Curtis being from the Air Force.

,,

She looked at the other officers and ordered them with a hand gesture to form up. With a sweep of her foot she scooped a Genii equivalent of a shotgun up into her hands as her P-90 was slung over her shoulder. Her custom pistols still rested in their plastic holsters on her thighs. "Let's go. Standard procedure, no one fires unless I say. Bates, give us twenty and meet back here."

,,

She strolled out like a woman on a crusade, her earpiece was muted as she and her men walked out and only the three with her heard her parting words. "Lord, whatever it is Shane is up to, let his ass be crazy enough to pull it off..."

,,

For those playing the home game and not familiar with military jargon, the expression "HOOAH" actually comes from the abbreviation H.U.A. (hooah), which means Heard, Understood, and Acknowledged. It basically is a soldiers way of responding to everything in the affirmative. In never means 'no', simply because a soldier doesn't say 'no' when a superior has issued an order or has been explaining something and is looking acknowledgement (you better have been paying attention).

[Curtis Shane]

On the other end Curtis rolled his eyes, as he and the Lantean reached their final point - the place of truth. It would take too much time to explain the manifold reasons why he couldn't, and there was a simpler thing to say over the radio. "Doctor Fitzgerald, you heard the Captain, and you have the plans. Send them down to Corporal Conner, stat."

,,

OOC

Epic Intelligence 3 + Intelligence + Craft (Electronics) + Arete
Jeremy *rolls* 11d10e7: 2,7,10,4,1,4,10,7,3,1,7.

Successes = 7 rolled + 4 auto = 11 total

[Moira Fitzgerald]

"Already on it, Shane. Captain Evana, Conner should be receiving those plans...."

,,

Actually, Moira was already on Bates' request, doing her best to pinpoint the location of the large group of life forms they were searching for. But it only took a brief moment to forward the plans to Conner, and glance at Inoae and Shane's progress briefly before focusing again on finding the Genii.

Rolling again for computer usage:

,,

[Jasmyne] 1:22 am: Abyss, you actually around?

Jasmyne *rolls* 8d10: 8+7+10+3+9+4+8+1: 50

6 suxx + 2 auto-suxx = 8 suxx

"...now."

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Blue-haired bitch is more than just a pretty face, Yseult mused wryly about Captain Evana. Odd for an officer, but she had balls, so there was a better chance she wouldn't do something stupid and get the lot of them killed. Hell, she'd been shot and was still on her feet. Most men were bigger pussies.Too bad I hadn't known her in my gymnastic camp days...

,,

"Moreau, Walker, with me. Moreau, take point," Bates commanded in his resonant growl, giving Evana a nod. "See you in twenty."

,,

Yseult glided forward on point, P-90 held steady at her shoulder, her combat boots whispering over the composite flooring. Her senses were tuned to everything around her. And while all the stimuli she perceived didn't overwhelm her - whatever had been done to her also adapted her to her enhanced senses - she still hadn't learned to interpret all of it, especially the smells and sounds.

,,

The heightened olfactory sense was almost like a new sense altogether. She could recognize the smell of Genii now, but there were far more all over Atlantis, and in many cases, she could only identify them once she saw the thing in question. As for sounds, she was still learning to judge distance and how sound reflected off rigid surfaces. Not anything people didn't do before, but with her new keenness, the range and acuity was greatly enhanced. The dim light due to the city being on emergency power didn't impede her sight, however.

,,

Twenty minutes later, they met with with Team Evana, their circuit of the floor done.

,,

"All clear. Only ninety-nine floors to go," Yseult muttered in exaggeration - if not as big a one as she'd prefer, not that she was tired or anything. She still felt as well rested as she ever had in her life. As she and Mathis took the lead down the stairs to search the next floor, Yseult felt like she had done this before. Which she had, to a degree, when she and Ford had been sent down to retrieve their unexpected guest, Dr. Olivia Jennings-Izumi.

[Dawn OOC]

Moira smiled with triumph when she finally managed to coax one of the sensors into giving her a floor. “Captain, fifty-third floor. That’s where the Genii are.” She relaxed a little, smiling as she felt as though she were contributing, and with the rest of the civilians in the Gate Room, she eagerly listened into the fighting below.

---

“Yes!” Bates’s smile turned eager and predatory as he caught Moira’s message. “Everyone, regroup by the teleporter on this level.” It took only moments for the soldiers to gather themselves, looking hungry to start. “Fifty-three. Evana, Moreau, Nishima and I are the first though the teleporters.” Bates didn’t want to crowd the machines; he didn’t really trust them and didn’t want them to get clogged as they tried to go through the doorway. He quickly assigned the remaining groups and gave them their orders if he was not alive when they got through.

Then he led the three soldiers into the teleporter. He and Hishima would be the envy of most men, getting sealing into a cabinet with the stunning Evana and Moreau. That was the furthest thing from Bates’s mind as he checked his P-90 one more time while Evana keyed in the floor they needed. When the doors opened, they were right on top of the remaining Genii. The three had a moment to see the area: the twelve or so Genii clustered in a loose horseshoe, the man in the center of the group, the one who was in charge, without question. Behind him, Weir and McKay were sitting on the floor, bound. Weir’s face was white and her eyes too large; McKay looked like he was about to pass out.

But McKay was alive! Hope surged through Bates; the man would keep them from dying horrible, twisted Ancient-monsters. Bates immediately lowered his gun. He might hit the hostages. Drawing his knife, he advanced.

Ayato, you come in here.

I’m not going to handle the fight mechanics. Yes, I suck, I know. We’ve been on this episode too long, and it needs to get done, and combat will add several more weeks, minimum. I’ll let you roll dice and look hot later, promise. I’d like you guys to whoop ass, remembering that these are the best of the best, the hardcore Genii soldiers. These are the guys who would have whooped your ass as a group before you were enhanced. Now, four on thirteen is an epic fight.

---

The rain and wind tore into them with an increased vigor as the two ‘designated engineers’ stumbled out into the exterior of the city. Here, they had a front row seat to the fury of the storm. Even Curtis paused and allowed himself seconds to stare at the black hell surging toward them. You will never see anything like this on Earth. When he’d signed up for his, he’d know intellectually that he’d see the good and the bad, the awesome and the terrible. But here was the terrible, in front of him. It was incredible. After a few seconds, he shook off the awe and turned to his task.

Inoae stopped for a moment too, but her jaded mind had seen so much worse. Also, the hive needed saving, and she had to save it. So she gave the storm only a cursory glance before turning her attention to the repathing.

Inoae's Intelligence + Engineering - Malachite *rolls* 6d10: 5+8+8+1+1+3 = 6 sux total

[Curtis Shane]

It was frightening work. Painstaking complex rewiring and programming the city to reroute, while the ranging wind and booming thunder deafened their ears. Every step taken was on increasingly slick and damp footing, and the wind also felt seemingly intent on forcing them down or pitching them about. Nevertheless, each in their own way, Stargate Project soldier and Lantean of the hive, knew the consequences of failure and their intentions to succeed empowered their balance and impassive work.

,,

Finally, it looked like they had finished, Curtis completing the issuance of commands via his laptop to Atlantis. The repathing was finished, he was relieved to observe - and his glasses needed a cleaning when all this was other... what was that beeping? A glance down to the Warning Icon from the storm-tracking program, then back to the surge beginning to rush in...

,,

"Damn, the moment of truth has come, Inoae." Curtis scooped up his laptop, P90 and other gear in haste before it caught them, all exposed out the outer edge of the floating city. "Inside, now!"

[Evana]

"Lucky bastard." Evana murmured under her breath softly, never thinking she'd be pleased to see McKay alive. He was silent, so it was a start. It pissed her off to no end that the Genii were a culture technologically trapped in the 1940's, yet they consistently seemed to be an insurmountable pain in her leather clad ass... and their uniforms were so god damned tacky. She digged the leather dusters though, despite being a tad on the Nazi-ish side.

,,

She tapped Moreau and gestured her to follow Bates, Hishima was with her. She unsheathed her knife and signaled for Hishima to follow her, keeping low and out of sight. Once the battle started the safety of the hostages was up in the air, so they'd have to move swiftly and without hesitation. They'd need prisoners, but not a dozen of them. Evana was beyond diplomacy at this point and all she wanted was McKay, Weir and some answers. She approached a sentry and the moment he saw her he was startled and raised his weapon.

,,

"One of your mates dropped that, look familiar?" She tossed him the Genii shot gun and he reflexively tried to catch it, lowering his defenses in the process. Her knife moved past his throat and opened him up like his flesh were paper. "Welcome to Atlantis, enjoy the buffet." He gurgled and hit his knees but she didn't even break stride. He heels echoed loudly on the floor now as she moved with purpose towards the center of the 'encampment', strangely confident in abilities. The head honcho moved back towards the hostages and she let her knife fly towards him. He twisted his body and lurched back, avoiding the blade but the soldier behind him was not so lucky. It plunged deep in his chest and he finger squeezed off a few rounds before he fell back.

,,

"Crazy bitch!" He C.O. screamed at her as he staggered back and away towards the hostages. The malice in Evana's eyes was swiftly putting the fear of God in him. "What are you waiting for... shoot her!"

,,

"Bitch!? Oh, no you didn't..." And they bought it... Evana was the perfect distraction and the moment they trained their weapons on her, no one was looking at the hostages, except the man she was going to beat within an inch of his life. "Moreau, Bates... now would be a good time."

,,

Her hands moved towards her twin pistols on her thighs and the world seemed to slow, her reflexes were enhanced to the point where her mind processed everything the very moment it seemed to happen, and right now a lot was happening...

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

At another time, Yseult might have lost a step, marveling at the way Evana drew all the attention of the Genii, despite all of them coming out of the same transporter cubicle. Yseult knew she was an attractive - if unconventional looking - woman, but Captain Evana topped her in spades. Whatever had amped up her physical attributes had done a number on Evana too. though Yseult couldn't actually pinpoint what had changed about her appearance. It hit one like a Mack truck.

,,

Yseult noticed this with one part of her awareness, another part noting the steamrolled expressions on the Genii's faces, as she and Bates flanked them to the right. With Evana's distraction and the smoothness of their movements, they were practically unseen despite being out in the open. As the Genii were finally getting their bearings and beginning to react to Evana's intrusion, Moreau and Bates struck with aggressive prejudice, the right hand side of the Genii horseshoe collapsing under the assault.

,,

"Moreau, Bates... now would be a good time."

,,

Moreau flowed ahead and through the horseshoe of Genii, a hand flicking out, stiff fingers crumpling a Genii throat like tissue-paper. She had broken both her knives previously, due to adjusting to her enhanced strength, but her hands were every bit as deadly. She kept the broken Genii between her and the right end of the horseshoe of Genii as she heard Bates behind her breaking several ribs of his mark with one blow.

,,

She had been none too impressed with the Genii upstairs, but Moreau had to give these ones some credit as elites. Even as their brethren were dropping to a trio of seemingly superhuman soldiers - four down already - the rest were using that opportunity - small as it was - to put up some sort of defense.

,,

Before Moreau could break through to Weir and McKay, she had to grab the Genii she had downed and haul him up as a shield from the others. The body jerked and jumped at the impact from the slugs. Holding it up with one hand, she sprayed coverfire over its shoulder as she slide towards the center to interpose herself and her improvised shield and the Genii.

,,

Moreau grunted as she felt an impact to her shoulder, like being hit by a professional fastball, but nothing seemed broken. Bates growled as he threw his opponent across the room, taking down two Genii on the far side of the horseshoe to give her and Evana some breathing room and followed Yseult to guard her and the hostages backs.

,,

"Weir, McKay, down!" Moreau commanded as she launched her human shield with a flick of her wrist, scattering the tail end of the horseshoe, then spun and ducked. A jerk of her free hand snapped Weir's and McKay's bonds as if they were thread. "If you get the chance, make a break for it!"

,,

As she finished her spin a high caliber round punched into her thigh. She could feel and smell the blood flowing, but the pain was far less than she was expecting and she ignored it as she started firing, targeting knees and elbows of the Genii who were just getting up from being bowled over by their dead team-mates.

,,

Yseult was aware of everyone on the room, their position and movements. With slight, swift, and impossibly precise movements, she kept the Genii from getting a bead on her, while doing what she could the lead shots away from Bates at her back and Evana and Hishima ahead of her. Her icy blue eyes and cold grin were unnerving.

[Richard Reynes]

Ayato moved in total silence, not barking orders, or responding, simply a blur of motion as he weaved through enemy fire, seemingly without effort. A pistol in one hand, and in the other the long special forces issue k-bar knife, he seemed more an executioner than the others, slitting throats and placing his shots with a perfect accuracy. The confusion sown by the others attacks suited him well, his opponents, were elite, battle hardened even, but this sort of combat against foes like his comrades seemed to be something they weren't totally prepared for. He advanced moving in to kill the last of their opponents with his knife, knowing he had only a single round left in the clip.

,,

He couldn't help but notice the enhancements he and Moreau and Evana had developed, but shut it aside for now, Now there were foes to be slain, and allies to be defended. He darted in on the last of the Genii standing, knocking the weapon up just before it fired right above his head, imbedding his knife to the hilt beneath the rib cage, piercing the alien's heart, before shucking it from his blade, lifeless onto the floor. He flicked the blade and
wiped the excess blood on the alien's garment, looking around at th eothers before he finally spoke. "Clear."

,,

The Former JSDF member was still scanning for movement, just in case, despite the pronouncement.