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Aberrant: StarGate Atlantis - S1:E2: Iratus


Dawn OOC

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Team assignments had taken place not long after Sheppard had been attacked by the Iratus bug. However, unlike Sheppard’s team, these teams were assembled by Weir with input from Maj. Sheppard himself. That led to the interesting rumors that Weir had allowed Sheppard to hand-pick his team, which was whispered to be just another sign of her favoritism. However, it remained mere whispers for now.

The team assignments were posted about three days after the social. There were three teams in addition to Sheppard’s. The first team was composed of Search and Rescue and was a mix of military and scientists lead by Sgt. Stackhouse. The second was a pure military force composed of mostly Marines lead by Lt. Miller. The final team was another Exploration Team, led by Capt. Bates.

It was Bates’ team that drew the most interest. It was composed of a mix of scientist, but some of the choices were interesting to say the least. Dr. Kondo was the medical officer selected, while Sgt. Moreau was part of the military team. Dylan Harvey was also on the team, though it was becoming known that he was not just a geek. The same with Lt. McGillicuddy; while she was JAG, she was also military.

But it wasn’t just the members of his team summoned to the Briefing Room; their resident ‘Crazy Lantan’ was also called, which was probably for the best considering her attachment to Yseult. That was being noted by the gossips in the city. The girl seemed to have formed an attachment to the surly beauty.

When the group gathered in the Briefing Room, Bates was waiting, looking like he swallowed an entire lemon. He glanced around the room, his hard glare settling on Inoae for a fraction longer than the others. “Welcome to the team,” he said gruffly. “I’m looking forward to working with you.” The words were stiff and incredibly rote.

Clearing his throat, he immediately got to business. “We’ve already been given an assignment,” he said, sounding more comfortable talking about this. “We’re to go to the planet where Sheppard was attacked by the bug and safely recover one. They – this being the eg- eh, scientists, say they’d prefer a living one or… ‘mostly intact corpse’.

“Because of the attack they posed on Sheppard, we’ll be issued some neck guards,” Bates continued, looking more at ease as they entered ground he was comfortable with. “Mind you, these haven’t been field tested; that’s the lot of us poor guinea pigs.” He grinned, clearly trying to make a joke of it. When the laughter he’d been expecting didn’t materialize, he cleared his throat again and moved on. “Though the main Wraith ship has left, there might also be a small team of Wraith remaining. Sheppard’s team encountered a handful of them before he was attacked by the bug.” He scowled at Inoae. “Which means that we have to keep an eye on our guide as well as for the Wraith.” As Dylan opened his mouth to ask the obvious, he added, “Weir is insisting on it. She thinks that the Sgt. Moreau has her in hand. So you’re in charge of her, Sergeant, outside of your role in capturing the insect.” Yseult sighed and the look on her face said, What else is new?

“Here’s what we know. About five klicks from the gate there’s a crater where the ship used to be,” Bates said, turning and pointing to the projection behind him. Using a laser pointer, he indicated the gate and the crater. “Maj. Sheppard was attacked in this area.” The red dot danced around a copse of trees. “We’ll begin our search there. It’s only about two klicks from the gate – good stretch of the legs. Once there, we’ll look for the webs that Maj. Sheppard walked into. When we find those, I want Kondo and McGillicuddy to hang back and babysit Inoae while Moreau, Harvey and I locate one of the creatures and secure it. If we have trouble, Kondo, you know what to do to get it off. McGillicuddy, no matter what happens to us, keep an eye out for those Wraith – and on Inoae.”

Bates turned and straightened, his dark, flinty eyes settling on Goro. “I know that most of you have military training, and that you don’t, Doctor,” he said bluntly. “I’m not really used to dealing with civilians on my team, and I’m sure you don’t like submitting to a military command. But I’m going to ask that you trust us. The military has reasons for what it does, and those reasons have been developed by experiences in the field. If you listen to us, and work with us, we’ll get you through any tight spots we might run into. We’ll be there to watch you and help you, Doctor.”

He looked around. “Questions at this time? Now’s the time – I don’t want to have to play Twenty Questions in the field.”

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Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC
When the group gathered in the Briefing Room, Bates was waiting, looking like he swallowed an entire lemon. He glanced around the room, his hard glare settling on Inoae for a fraction longer than the others. “Welcome to the team,” he said gruffly. “I’m looking forward to working with you.” The words were stiff and incredibly rote.
Tara caught Goro's eye, raising an eyebrow and making a sarcastic grimace. His own lack of excitement at their choice of leader was equally plain.

Quote:
“When we find those, I want Kondo and McGillicuddy to hang back and babysit Inoae while Moreau, Harvey and I locate one of the creatures and secure it. If we have trouble, Kondo, you know what to do to get it off. McGillicuddy, no matter what happens to us, keep an eye out for those Wraith – and on Inoae.”
LCDR McGillicuddy nods, then makes a point of checking her sidearm. "Sure. But I heard that firearms weren't terribly effective against the Wraith?"
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Goro gave Tara a bored look, it was quick and only she was able to catch it. For the doctor it wasn't a matter of disliking being led by a military man, all the SG teams were led by the military with civilian attachments as needed, but instead it was Bates, the man just didn't come across well. Goro got along well with most people, really the only times he didn't were when he or the other person had a real reason to dislike the other, but Bates just grated on him, on everybody it seemed.

Goro contemplated making a joke of his apparent ineptitude with weapons, but decided that it wasn't worth the risk of Bates thinking he really couldn't even manage a basic firearm. Instead Goro ejected the clip from his Colt model 1911 pattern sidearm and checked the magazine before jamming it back into the pistol. He didn't slide the rail and advance the first round into the chamber because there was no need and he had no intention of carrying a live weapon around until he needed to. He dropped the pistol back into the holster on his leg and nodded to Bates, "I'll be fine, and please either call me Goro or Dr. Kondo."

Tara asked about the effectiveness of their weapons against the wraith and Goro spoke up before Bates could answer, "Aim for the head if you can. Destroy the brain and they go down just like us. Barring that, massive trauma will bring them down, keep shooting until they hit the ground," he paused for effect, "and then shoot them in the head if you can."

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"Kon-" He paused, looking uncomfortable. "Dr. Kondo is right. While we don't know if a head shot can kill them, our scientists are reasonably sure that's where their brain is, and if we destroy enough of their nervous system, we'll at least stop them from shooting at us. Dr. Beckett would need to study a Wraith to be able to say that a head shot would do it for sure, but we're ninety percent sure that's correct.

"In addition, Moreau and I will be carrying heavier armament,” Bates continued. “If we do run into the Wraith, the rest of you will move to cover behind and to the side of us and let us take the lead. Take shots if you can, but if you can't without hitting a teammate, it's better not to shot.

"This is next bit is very important. If I order some or all of you to fall back, head for the shuttle as quickly and as safely as you can. Don’t argue; don’t play hero. If we have to fall back, Moreau, you’ll be bringing up the tail and make sure no one is left behind, and I’ll be covering our escape.” His expression said that he didn’t consider it necessary to say this, but he was trying to remember that he had civilians on his team.

“Again, follow my orders and we’ll make it through this. If I’m incapacitated or killed, Moreau is in command.” He glanced at Tara. “I know you technically outrank her, but she’s got more combat expertise, no offense meant, Commander." He gave her a stiff smile, attempting to placate any hurt feeligs. "Any more questions?”

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Originally Posted By: Dawn, OOC
“Again, follow my orders and we’ll make it through this. If I’m incapacitated or killed, Moreau is in command.” He glanced at Tara. “I know you technically outrank her, but she’s got more combat expertise, no offense meant, Lieutenant." He gave her a stiff smile, attempting to placate any hurt feeligs. "Any more questions?”
Tara gave a chilly, if sincere, smile back. "No offense taken, Captain. As JAG, I'm used to being outside the normal chain of command, and I would defer to Sergeant Moreau's experience anyway." Looking at their experimental protection, she picks one of them up and tries it on.

Turning, Tara studied Inoae for a moment. Other than passing her at the party after they arrived, she hadn't seen the Atlantean girl. "How well do you understand English?" she asked. "Do you understand that you might have to stay with me, while Sergeant Moreau takes care of other mission objectives?" She looks at Yse when she asks the next question. "Do you know how to use a weapon?"
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"She's not to be issued a weapon," Bates said. His voice was hot and hard, and everyone could see that the Lantan was a touchy subject for him. "And before anyone goes whining to Weir about it, I've already discussed this with her."

The rumors about a heated "conversation" between Weir, Sheppard and Bates suddenly made a lot more sense.

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The Lantean woman frowned at Tara and said quietly, "I go with Keeper. Where Keeper tell me go."

She looked to Yse and glanced apprehensively at Bates as he made his pronouncement about her not being allowed a weapon. That at least was something normal for her. "Keeper give me to other?"

She'd gone pale again, an impressive feat for the naturally pale-skinned girl, and her hands were nervously wound together, but she waited for her Keeper to tell her what was to be. She didn't know where Mik Gili Kudi ranked in the hive, but Cap Tan Bates was the queen's commander and even the Keeper had to bow to the will of the queen. So she tried to keep her fear under control; her eyes were wide but her breathing was only a little shallow and fast.
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Yseult listened to the mission details with a dispassionate attentiveness as she methodically assembled her Barrett XM500, then checked the rest of her gear. Bates got a flat stare when he mentioned field testing the neck-guards, which Yseult shared with the protective device before trying it on. It was stiff, restricted the range of motion of her head somewhat, and would presumably be irritatingly hot in humid weather. She didn't expect to be wearing it long, she'd take her chances getting bitten by the oversized mosquito.

This wasn't the team she would have assembled for this mission, but hid her scowl behind a cool expression and cold eyes. She was a professional, and had worked with many people she didn't like - which included most of her officers - but still, it almost felt like Weir had a vendetta against her. Captain Asshole, Fucking Harvey, a damned lawyer, however much she hid behind her Lieutenant Commander bars, and Inoae. She wouldn't deny the advantage of someone native to the area, but... it was Inoae.

Okay, it was pretty cool how she figured out how to link those series of rooms to my quarters, gives is a very open feel. But merde! We're gonna have to set up a sign, a sock on the door or something, so she doesn't walk in while I'm... occupied. The things I endure so I can explore another galaxy.

She didn't mind Kondo so much. He was a squint, but a doctor might be useful, and a squint should see the effort required to satisfy their curiosity. Besides, he handled his side-arm competently enough. For a civilian.

Her brows lowered when she heard Bates' vehemence against arming Inoae, icy blue eyes glittering, but she didn't say anything. Inoae was completely inept with weapons, true, but if things got hairy, Yseult was resolved to give her something, if even only a knife, to defend herself. Almost everyone deserved to go down fighting rather than being slaughtered out of hand.

Then Inoae started talking and Yseult's jaw tightened as she felt the beginnings of a headache forming between her eyes. Just hearing the word, 'Keeper' was starting to feel like a file being run against her teeth. Yseult closed her eyes for a moment, then let out a long sigh. Better that than a scream.

"Stop calling me that, call me Yseult or Moreau or.. or anything, but 'Keeper'," Yseult said, sounding more exasperated than firm in the face of Inoae's obvious apprehension. "And you don't belong to anyone, no one can give you away, Inoae."

The slight blonde shrunk under the mild reprimand, forcing Yseult to stifle another sigh. After a brief hesitation, Yseult placed a hand on her shoulder which she hoped Inoae would take as comforting and faced her directly. She seemed to respond strongly to touch. She held another breath, then tried to keep her voice mellow. "You will stay close to me, yes? But when I am going forward to do something dangereux, you will stay behind with McGillicuddy and listen to what she says, to keep you safe, okay?"

After waiting for Inoae's reply, Yseult straightened, tightened a strap, then looked at Bates. "So, how exactly are the squints expecting us to recover one of these bugs alive or 'mostly intact'? Don't think tranqs, if we have them, are gonna work and zip-ties will be useless. They want us to stuff one into a sack?"

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"No, we don't get a sack," Bates said, forgetting his animosity enough to smirk at Yseult with understanding. He seemed to recall that he didn't like her a moment later and the expression disappeared. "We get something a little better. This." Reaching under the table, he put one of the two Wraith stunner the expidition possessed on the wooden surface. "That's our primary way to acquire it."

He bent down and put a metal box on the table. "This was described to me as a 'reinforced cat carrier'. The eg- engineers assure me it will hold the bug." It was similar to a cat-carrier but with a heavier frame and mesh-covered holes instead of open ones. The door had heavy hinges and a solid latch. "Harvey, you're in charge of keeping track of this and being familiar enough with it to secure it as needed."

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Tara takes in Bates' hostility, Yseult's annoyance with Inoae, and the language the girl uses. Oh, joy. I am really glad I decided to become a lawyer instead of a psychologist. She leans over to examine the carrier, then leans back again. "Do we have any knowledge of how a weapon like a Taser will affect the bugs, or the Wraith? I mean, if we want the specimen intact, I'd rather not shoot at it with my sidearm."

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Yseult picked up the Wraith stunner, re-familiarizing herself with its weight and fucked-up stockless design. Many of soldiers had tried a few rounds with the thing - not a one of them liked it. Without the recoil, the tactile sensation, it didn't feel like a real weapon, and that wasn't even taking its balance issues into account.

At Tara's comment, she gave her a smirk, then snorted. "If this alien taser doesn't work, the squints who stayed behind will have to accept one bug, slightly perforated."

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She flinched at the reprimand but nodded meekly, internally berating herself for not knowing that her Keeper wished to be addressed a different way. "Yseult. Morearu."

She pieced together the next words, but they made no sense so she set them aside for later. After all, they all belonged to the queen. She ducked her head in understanding as she was given her instructions and then reached out to touch the table near where Yseult was inspecting the stunner. "Weapon stun animals. Stun...angry animal, animal hunted? Angry animal that attack Mayjer Shepard. Angry animal dangerous, sometimes save Wraith, sometimes kill. Stunner stun angry animal."
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"Well, since we know how to get them off ..." Goro began but didn't finish the thought, the icy glare he got from Bates was more than enough. "OK, then ..." Goro studied the Atlantean girl, the Ancient he reminded himself, and wondered how old she'd been when she was taken and how much abuse she'd suffered to have broken her so completely. Psychology wasn't a strong point of his, not the clinical kind at any rate, and this girl clearly needed more than just a friend to talk to, if indeed she could even grasp the idea of friendship at this point.

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"Doctor, I don't want that to be a necessity," Bates said squarely. "Let's avoid anyone getting attacked by these things."

At Tara's question, he answered, "08:00 tomorrow. Take tonight to pack and prepare yourself. Eat well; get a good night's sleep. Try not to dwell on the mission. Be at the gate at 07:45. Any more questions?"

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Dylan had sat and watched everyone else. In truth he was here after about a half hour argument of his own with Elizabeth. He had been brought along to aid in the effort of converting ancient technology to a standard they could reproduce. Now he was being sent on away missions. He wasn't really annoyed with the decision, he was kinda excited about the opportunity. Instead he was just afraid taking time away from his main project might just be delaying any results. She had assured him that his hand picked team of specialist could handle the times he was off world. When Bates handed him the storage container he examined it for a moment before giving a nod to Bates that he understood.

When Bates called for anymore questions Dylan finally spoke up.

"In case their are wraith in the area has there been any new ideas on how to deal with their "shadows". If we make contact do we wait for confirmation to fire?"

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Yseult gave Inoae an understanding nod when she babbled about the Wraith weapon, her icy eyes widening in surprise. Inoae's crazy must be contagious, because Yseult pretty much understood what the blonde was saying. Merde, this isn't good. Next, I'll be squirming, looking around for someone to follow.

She had been about to tell Kondo where he could stick the damned bug, if he was so keen on the idea on setting one of them out as bait, but Bates saved her the effort. She settled for a glare of her own, then began repacking her gear, preparing for tomorrow morning, her movements sure and quick with years of experience.

Her eyes stayed on her gear while Harvey asked his question, though she was curious to hear what Bates was going to say. Regardless of his orders, if she thought she was being attacked, she was going to shoot and deal with the consequences later. She just had to keep her eyes open and ears keen, watching for any inconsistencies from the Wraith's shadows.

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Bates paused and everyone saw the effort it took for him to unclench and say the next words. "I don't want you guys to get killed waiting for me to confirm something. Try to wait until you see something - a body form, a head, something - before you fire. Don't waste ammo and give away our position on movement that may be these 'shadows' or something else entirely." He swallowed as if choking and said tersely, "I'll leave it up to your discretions, in the field." He looked a little little as he said, "If there are no more questions, we're finished. Be at the gate at 07:45. Dismissed."

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Goro all but waddled into the Gate-room. Festooned as he was the doctor, normally a bastion of respectability and dignity, looked like he was going to be unable to stand again should he fall. The pack on his back was full of the usual trauma and first aid kit items with an additional bulky shape of a portable defibrillator unit. The flack vest's pockets likewise bulged with all manner of ... stuff. Goro had his sidearm on and his left hand was carrying his doctor's bag. The man could have outfitted a small clinic as packed as he was. On top of his head was a standard infantry helmet, though a white circle with a red cross distinguished it from the norm. He checked his watch, no small feat given his burdens, and found he was still a full minute early. Bates simply nodded to the doctor and went back to waiting.

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Tara leaves the meeting, walking down the several flights of stairs to her Legal offices. Inside, she pauses and looks at Petty Officer Graite. "Master Sergeant on patrol?"

"Yes ma'am, he left just after you did. So far, in the hour you've been gone, we've had McKay visit twice." She winced in sympathy.

"What'd he want? I mean, I thought his only family was his sister?" She stopped to look at the thin stack of paperwork on the desk.

"He wanted to change his obituary. After he asked me if ellipses were pretentious, he added seven of them."

"Is it still four pages long?"

"No ma'am, he added two more pages." They both shared an annoyed look. "Otherwise, nothing's happened. The computers are set up, the printer and scanner are online, and Grant and I have started unpacking and sorting the records.

"Good. So, tomorrow at 0745, I'll be in the gateroom for an off-room mission. I expect I'll be gone for at least several hours, perhaps the whole day. Simons will be in charge." She flipped through the paperwork, then set them down. "Ugh. If McKay comes back, tell him to wait. I'll see if I can get him to bugger off."

Graite smiled, closing the folder with the seventh change of the scientist's obit. "Roger that, ma'am."

The next morning, Tara reports to the gateroom at promptly 0745. Her pack is minimally loaded down, and her sidearm is in a ready holster. She smiles over at the doctor. "Did you leave the kitchen sink at home, or is that somewhere near the bottom?" she teases gently.

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Her gear repacked, Yseult gave Bates a tight nod and a brief flash of gritted teeth, then turned and strode back to her quarters to dropped off her gear. After moment and a sigh, hearing the pattering footsteps behind her, she shortened her stride, letting Inoae catch up. It was better than seeing the kicked-dog look on her face.

Back at her quarters, Yseult set down her gear with surprising care, then looked down at Inoae, considering her. She had been even shorter than Inoae when she had been competing professionally in gymnastics, if never so slight. She frowned slightly, there was still a mild bruise where Bates had grabbed her on her arm at Social Function. Maybe it was time she learned a bit of self-defense. If nothing else, it might help her gain a little confidence and assertiveness.

"Okay, Inoae, I'm gonna go for a work out at the gym," Yseult said, picking up her gym bag and moving towards the bathroom. "Why don't you join me, maybe I can show you a few moves. It probably won't help with Wraith, but it might with any bullying Bates."

Before Inoae could answer, Yseult entered the bathroom, and quickly changed into her work-out clothes, adding weighted bands to her wrists and ankles. She returned to the main room and arched a brow at Inoae, who hadn't moved a foot since. Inoae looked up at her keep - at Yseult, licking her lips twice before answering.

"I... am not to being... This... Yes, I will like to be trying."

Yseult barely stifled a growl and nodded sharply at the door. Inoae's hesitant answer was hardly encouraging and her whole posture was even less so, but she'd take what she could. "Let's go then."

A short Porter jaunt later and the two mismatched women entered the room in the East Pylon that had been designated as a gym area. For a wonder, it was empty. Probably a blessing, this is bound to be ugly.

Yseult took off her shoes and indicated that Inoae should the same, then led her onto the padded mats laid out on the ground. Direct strikes would be useless for the slight girl and pressure points would take more training, but some simple joint-locks and throws would suit her. Yseult guided her through the movements, helped by Inoae slender weight - she was light enough that she could move her through the motion of a throw in slow motion without hurting her.

It didn't help. Inoae had all the spine of a Raggedy-Anne Doll, and using the kiddy gloves just felt wrong. She knew the girl wasn't stupid - royally fucked up in the head with everything tinted by her abuse by the Wraith, but not stupid. But this relentless passivity was infuriating. She'd try to slap some sense into the girl, but doubted Inoae would do anything but accept it meekly.

"Fine! This isn't working." Yseult's voice shook with the effort of not yelling at the girl. "Enough, do whatever you want, Inoae, just be back at the GateRoom in the morning, by 7:45. I'm gonna finish my workout then take a shower."

Turning Inoae out, Yseult proceeded to her usually workout regimen. Cardio, weight training - though what they had was meager indeed - and katas, with some time on the punching bag. Soon, Inoae's presence was forgotten in the pleasant burn of exerting muscles. When her workout was done, she looked up - Inoae was gone.

She shrugged and went back to her - their - quarters and took a long shower. One of the Lanteans greatest achievements - endless hot water. She stepped out of the shower, wiping herself dry with a towel, planning on some one-on-self action before bed. Men were great before a long posting, during and after social functions, and plenty of other times. But she didn't need one just before a field mission. Too much potential for distraction - a cuddler, being unsatisfied... No better to handle it herself.

She pulled the towel from her head and tossed it aside, to see Ford standing by her bed, his shirt off and looking at her. All of her. Her hands tightened at her sides and she forced a small grin on her face, though she was afraid she might crack a tooth, her jaw was so tight.

"Hey, Ford! Thanks for the offer, but I have it handled to tonight." Full of blatantly false joviality, she jerked a thumb over a broad shoulder, Ford's eyes widening at the muscles rippling beneath her smooth flesh. "Leave. Now."

"I, uh, Yse, Inoae was saying..." Ford stammered, uncertainly kneading his shirt in his hands and shuffling towards the door.

"Inoae was mistaken. You got a free peek, Ford, leave with that."

"Uh, yeah, okay. Later, Yseult." Ford yanked his shirt on and fled as fast as the tightness in his pants would let him.

"His is not being the male you are wanting? I have failed you!" Inoae almost cried, shaken. This Keeper was hard to anticipate, but she would learn. "I will be finding you another - the one from the-"

"No! No, you don't have to do that, Inoae, seriously." There was far too much desperation in her voice for Yseult's liking, especially for a situation that would have her roaring in laughter if it had happened to anyone else.

"But..." Inoae frowned, looking down at her feet, trying to figure out what the Kee- Yseult did want. An idea occurred to her and she looked up, her expression neutral, but determined. "Are you wanting me, then?" A hand went to the zipper of jumpsuit.

"What?! No, I-" Putain! Non! Well, maybe... No! Yseult quickly picked up her towel and wrapped over her chest, walked up to Inoae and stopped her from lowering the zipper any further. "Inoae, listen to me. No one is having the right to demand such... service from you. From anyone. No. One. Ever."

Yseult felt another burst of rage rising for the Wraith and despite herself, a bout of sympathetic pity for this girl, who was who knew how many years old. Inoae seemed to have accepted being a victim, but she was still alive. Yseult doubted she could have lived such a life.

She gave a tired, suddenly exhausted sigh, pointing Inoae in the direction of her attached room and giving her a gentle push to get her started. "Just go to bed, Inoae. We will be talking of this another time."

Alone at last, Yseult flopped into her bed. With Inoae having managed to completely and inadvertently kill the mood, Yseult tried to simply go to sleep.

Five minutes later, Yseult smiled in the dark. The mood was back.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Yseult and Inoae enter the GateRoom together, Inoae in her customary position in the larger woman's shadow, despite Yseult's efforts. She gave Bates a crisp salute and a brisk, "Sir, Sgt. Moreeu, reporting for duty." Her professionalism was only marred by having to shake her head at Inoae when she tried to copy her.

She gave the other members of the team a cool nod, not in the least mocking the Doctor, over-burdened in gear. He might slow them down, and look a damned fool to boot, but only until one of them needed something he was packing. She had learned that lesson before. Mocking could commence once they got back.

The other members of the team could see that there was something between Inoae and Yseult, more than just the blond waif's attachment the powerfully built woman. Whatever that something was, was proving impossible to identify, and seemed to affect the soldier more than the Wraith victim.

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Originally Posted By: BlueNinja
The next morning, Tara smiles over at the doctor. "Did you leave the kitchen sink at home, or is that somewhere near the bottom?" she teases gently.

"This is all the standard issue stuff... isn't it?" Goro looked odd being so uncertain. He managed to set down his bag, barely, and began to check everything again. He looked up as he did, "I've never been off-world before. I mean, I've never been on a mission before. I mean ... I expected to be staying behind in medical while other people went out and did action movie stuff." With a sigh he stopped and looked at Bates and then back to Tara, "I've no idea what I'm doing here," he confessed.
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Moving over to his side, Tara takes a few of the items from Goro, transferring them to her own pack. "I can't say I do either." She shrugs quietly, and glances over at the stern-faced French sergeant. "But Yseult seems satisfied with everything you packed. I'm sorry, I couldn't help smiling at the sight of you with this pack, it looks almost larger than you are!" With one hand, she tests the new weight of her own pack, and nods.

Swinging it back onto her own shoulders, she hefts Goro's to help him get it strapped back on, then looks at Captain Bates. "I believe Doctor Kondo and I are ready, Captain. As soon as Dylan arrives," she pauses, looking towards the doorway, expecting the younger man to arrive at the mere mention of his name, before looking back at their party leader, "we can get this bug hunt started." She turns to stare at the stargate, tightening the waist belt on her pack. "Maybe we'll get lucky and be back in time for lunch," she mutters under her breath.

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"You don- ... It's OK I can ha- ... Thank you." Goro protested but Tara was adamant about taking some of the load of his equipment so he eventually acquiesced. "I'm sure that this is probably more than I'll need, but, well, without knowing I can't really guess." He shrugged into his pack again, now more comfortable for the reduced weight, and nodded to Bates who still looked at best sour, at worst angry, it was hard to tell since he seemed to only have one and a half expressions.

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Click to reveal..
Inoae shrunk back from Yseult's mild reproof. Upon spotting Tara and Goro, she touched Yse's arm lightly to get her attention and motioned to the other two, "I help?"

Whether she meant taking some of Yseult's pack like Tara was for Goro or taking some of Goro's pack was unclear, but it did highlight the rather large disparity between the Lantean, who so far seemed to be brining her jumpsuit and little else along, and the others that were laden down the standard and not-so-standard mission gear and packs. After her Ke- after Yseult's rejection of her and injunction against serving anyone, she was at a loss as to what she was supposed to do for her- for Yseult and her males. This hive was confusing and so busy all the time. She frowned, bit her lip nervously, and waited to see if Yseult would make any use of her now.
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Dylan entered the gate room on time being followed by two members of his team. The two were talking very quickly and usually at the same time while Dylan read the report in his hands.

"Guys, I get it, this is exciting. We have figured out that with little effort we can replicate the ZPM and have the worlds greatest battery. Now how do we power it?" The two scientist fell silent and looked thoughtful at that question. "I never expected figuring out how it worked would be difficult. It is a power storage unit that just regulates power on a higher level than anything we have. Our goal is to use this module to figure out how it is created and get it fully charged. Now I have to go catch a very ugly bug. Go back and tell the team great job, but the finish line isn't quite in sight yet."

He handed off the reports and stepped up to Bates. "Reporting for bug hunt, Sir." Dylan's tone carried the classic marks of a soldier reporting in, which was probably the only thing that kept his statement from sounding like a joke. He had a pack on his back and a P90 strapped to his chest, and in one hand he kept the carrier held tightly.

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Bates looked over them all and nodded. "Let's go," he said and lead them toward a puddlejumper. Lt. Miller was waiting for them; he nodded and murmured a greeting as they boarded. Once everyone was settled, he eased the ship out onto the iris in the floor. They drifted down into the Gate Room, where Grobin had already summoned the wormhole.

Weir was out of her office, watching them disembark. She gave them a smile and said over the comm, "Travel safe."

"Yes, ma'am," Bates replied, and everyone had to wonder if he was seriously taking that as an order. Miller maneuvered the ship around and eased it through the wormhole. The trip took only a few seconds; then they were in space over a greenish, greasy-looking planet. “Take her down, Lieutenant,” Bates ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Miller replied, his tone as professional as it could be. A second later, his ship angled down and began its descent into the atmosphere. The passengers noticed no difference in the force of acceleration or turns, which was a bit disorienting in itself. The ship leveled off and cruised over the trees before it settled into a clearing.

Bates was the first off, sweeping the area before waving them out. After a moment of orientation using the GPS device in his hand, he said, “I’m the point, Moreau is the tail. Everyone don’t bunch up or walk in a straight line. Moreau, watch for Wraith. The rest of you, eyes peeled for those webs.” Once everyone looked more or less ready, Bates had them move out.

Click to reveal..
Everyone give me two Perception + Awareness.
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Inoae padded along her usual few steps behind Ysuelt, keeping an eye out as the queen's commander had told them to do.
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"You'll help us best by keeping an eye for the Wraith, Inoae," Yseult assured the blond girl, "Or anything that could indicate the Wraith, okay?" Privately, Yseult swore to see the quartermaster - there was no reason why Inoae couldn't carry a few extra supplies, survival gear, rations, maybe more ammunition, just in case.

Yseult gave Bates a nod and curt, 'Sir!', waiting a bit to give the others a chance before following in her position as rearguard. She kept her pace smooth and steady, finally having to tell Inoae firmly to stay at least several steps ahead of her and to the side. She did give the slight girl-woman a grudging smile as she saw Inoae keeping a wary lookout, never focusing on any one area too long.

Yseult kept her P90 up, panning in short arcs as she divided her view into distinct sections, three ahead, three to the rear, and wither flank, with distant and near ranges. Her XM500 Barret Anti-Material Rifle was just a quick draw away, she wanted it handy for any Wraith that decided to pay them a visit.

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Tara moves out behind Bates, keeping her eyes on the left of the party as she walks, two steps to his left and a few more behind him. Her weapons isn't out - no sense getting a hand cramp - but her right hand is resting on the pistol's grip. Though she is technically keeping an eye out for hostiles, mostly her eyes keep darting out to the scenery, marking the few differences that she can point at to say, "Yes, this is an alien world, I didn't end up back in Canada somewhere." And the bugs, of course, she's definitely looking for these Iratus bugs.

Click to reveal..
4d10 -> 9, 3, 5, 5 -> 1 success

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2580280/

4d10 -> 4, 5, 1, 9 -> 1 success

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2580282/

Wraith? Where? *double-taps Bates from behind* Whoops! whistle

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Goro moved out. It was more of a trundle really. Even with Tara carrying some of his gear Goro was simply not used to walking around with so much stuff. The weight of it all was one thing but the simple bulk of it was something else entirely. The flak vest, the backpack, the harness, the various bags, all served to limit mobility. Goro felt like the proverbial camel within minutes, just waiting for the next straw. Still despite that all he kept his wits about him, his eyes open, his ears tuned to the sounds not of his comrades. That much at least was easy, the OR was a busy place and there was plenty of machinery and secondary conversation to tune out. At that Goro was old hat.

Click to reveal.. (Perception 4 + Awareness 3)

7d10.hits(7)=3, 7d10.hits(7)=2

4 sux on each once 10s are accounted for.

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Dylan switched his P90 to single shot before getting it ready, one handed there would be little point in trying any kind of automatic fire. He kept to the right of the group but would often move in to almost right behind anyone else if it meant avoiding going between two trees that no one else had passed through. He almost seemed more concerned about the bugs than if the wraith showed up. In truth, having already experienced what their weapons did, he wasn't all that concerned. He was use to the training of going in to a battle zone where a stray shot just killed you. Here it seemed as long as his friends could stay conscious he would survive also and that gave him confidence. His friends could do little to help if one of those things attached to him. More than once he glanced back at Yseult. He truly had the intent of just ignoring her presence on Atlantis but that seemed incredibly difficult if they were going to be on the same team. The truth was she was a utter bitch to him and pretty much anyone who didn't out rank her. Still, Dylan knew there was more. Right now though the goal was to finish the mission as soon as possible and get back to the city so he could continue his research.

Click to reveal..
2 Per+Awa 5 dice each

(00:39:24) ChatBot: (Dylan) rolls 5d10 and gets 9,1,5,9,9. - 3 sux

(00:39:30) ChatBot: (Dylan) rolls 5d10 and gets 8,7,10,10,4. - 6 sux

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Were they not looking for life-sucking bugs - both the bipedial and the hexapedial - it would have been a nice planet to take a stroll on. With the threat of bugs, it wasn't that enjoyable. The gray haze that seemed to just hang in the air didn't help perception or moods as they walked along. This place was also wild - the ground had clearly never been tended and was full of tangling roots and hidden holes. It wasn't a pleasant hike.

Yseult was the one watching for Wraith, but she was the first to spot the black dot that appeared to be hanging in midair about seventy yards from them. "Captain, there," she said, pointing.

Bates turned and saw what she was pointing at. "Good eye, Sargeant," he said. "Alright, lets's see what we have." He carefully led them across to the web hanging between two trees. "What an ugly son of a bitch," Bates muttered, staring at it with narrowed eyes. "Harvey, think you'd be able to just snap it into the container?"

Dylan said, "Maybe, sir."

"Anyone have suggestions?" Bates asked.

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Tara stares fixedly at the bug for several moments, then glances around. "If there's a good branch around, conifer preferably, we could cut off one with a good spread. Trap the bug between the branches and the box, use the branch to shove it in the container." Staring at the bug again, she rolls one shoulder nervously with fingertips caressing the grip of her pistol. "I think I could swat it with a branch if Dylan can hold the box in front of it. That way, yourself and the Sergeant have weapons free to watch our backs."

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After spotting the big fucking bug, Yseult kept her eyes on the surroundings, watching their back-trail and staying alert for any of the wraith. Hearing McGillicuddy's plan, Yseult snorted, not taking her eyes off the forest. "Needlessly complicated and risks two people instead of one. Why don't I just shoot the fucker with the Wraith Stunner, then throw it in the box?"

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"No, no suggestions," Goro's eyes were moving around the area, still alert. The bug was well a ways away but the doctor seemed nervous nonetheless. "Wait, maybe some bait? I know its probably cruel but maybe if we could get a small animal ...?"

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"If it doesn't work, we'll deal with it," Bates said smoothly. "If it doesn't work, the thing will either attack us or run. If it attacks us, we'll kill it. If it runs, we'll find out where. That's information for the eg- scientists if nothing else.

"We'll start with Moreau's plan," Bates continued. "Moreau, you'll head up and stun it. I'll flank you on the right; Harvey on the left. Doctor, you should have the defib out, just in case. Commander, you're on Ancient and Wraith look out.

"Questions?"

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Yseult gave Tara a sharp look, then nodded at Bates. "Aye, Captain. No questions." Yseult glanced at Inoae then nodded towards Tara. "Stay close to her until we've secured the target."

Not waiting for the slight girl's response, Yseult let the P90 hang by its strap, then pulled the Wraith Stunner off her back and tried to get a steady grip on the oddly designed weapon. Motherfucking alien shits! When we get back, I'm going to get the quartermaster to rig up a proper stock for this putain de merde!

The strong woman glided forward, her feet brushing aside the long turf rather than coming down on it, keeping her steps silent. Looking from the corner of her eyes, Yseult made sure her flankers were in position, then lined up the sharp point of the Wraith Stunner with the bulbous thorax of the ugly-ass bug. Steady as a rock, she held her breath as she aimed for a three count, then fired with a soft exhalation.

Click to reveal.. (Bug Hunt)

Aiming (Speed 3, DV -1): +1 die/tick, up to +3 dice on the following attack (Hero, p.190)

Taking her shot: Attack (Speed ?, DV -1)

Dex + Marksmanship + Weapon + Aim = 9d10

Bug Shot: 9d10.hits(7)= 3 Successes - Unknown DV of the Bug and Unknown Damage of the Weapon

DV 4

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