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+--- Thread: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern (/showthread.php?tid=164462)
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Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Backo - 09-13-2018
![[Image: GYhyVfK.png]](https://i.imgur.com/GYhyVfK.png)
Eliza Valdez sat in the fluorescent lit cargo hold of the Golden Chrysanthemum freight vessel Komorebi. The ship was a somewhat aged 'Dromedary' Border Worlds Freighter that had seen it's fair share of damage caused by radiation, asteroids and Naval patrols alike. A vessel so ordinary and in place at this setting that the only thing that was off was Eliza herself in it's hold and the tied up Kusarian girl sitting opposite of her with tape on her mouth and frightened eyes that were locked on the Maltese girl. Valdez had no plans to hurt her, but she couldn't afford the risk of letting the young Chrysanthemum interfere in the big plan that was in play. Everything up to this point had been calculated with surgical precision - the target, the stolen supply vessel that was expected to deliver them to it's location and of course the infiltration to secure said target for the Maltese Legion.
By now the auburn haired girl had learned the hard way that things rarely go completely according to plan but it was too late to give up. This mission looked impossible on paper and in reality the odds felt even worse. But fate loved only those who were willing to gamble everything. Eliza's fingers were beating onto her XV-15C's barrel nervously in a semi-rhythmic fashion. The jet black rifle had been equipped with a sturdy red dot sight, a flash hider and a compact flashlight near the end of it's barrel. A compact and deadly weapon in the hands of a skilled marksman and Valdez hoped her training with it was enough to qualify her as one. If this operation ended up a success the Legion would have something on their hands that people could only dream about. The Maltese's azure eyes locked back with the Kusarian's. Eliza wasn't quite sure which one of them two was looking more distressed at that very moment. She wanted to comfort the frightened girl that looked younger than her by at least a couple of years. After all it was Eliza that was heading for the belly of the beast, not the Chrysanthemum. A voice over Eliza's earpiece broke the thickening silence. It was her lifeline for this operation and the current pilot of the stolen freighter.
Eliza hated being called by rank. The statute such a rank brought her reminded her of a certain blonde that had put her own ambitions for power above any and all morals and ideals. Such lust for power had brought the Legion's downfall once and the auburn haired girl did not want to see it happen again. In her own mind she had not earned the right to be treated with such high regard, not at least until this job was over smoothly and successfully. Once the TACCOM went silent she could already hear her own heart beat all the way up in her eardrums. Keeping a cool head was a must and she had already blew that part. Perhaps it wasn't too late to turn back now? Part of her wanted to give up, a considerable one at that. Though the planning and the risk they already took could not let her go home empty handed.
Her hand let off the earpiece as she finished her sentence and stood up. Judging by the Kusarian's extra frightened face, the ex-captain of the Komorebi understood very well what Valdez was talking over the comm. Eliza casually slid the sling-held rifle around her waist before dusting off her behind from whatever dirt the improvised seat she had was covered in. This all felt like a surreal Tal Ravis inspired adventure. For a moment the Maltese even considered pinching herself to check if it was all real but shrug it off. She had to look serious enough for the tied up Kusarian to follow her orders. Eliza grabbed the spooked pilot by the arm and pulled up in a motion to signal her to get up. There wasn't much time to be wasted. The Chrysanthemum cautiously complied and the two made their way towards the cockpit. Valdez's free arm rested on the XV-15, it was just the two of them in the hallway leading to the cockpit. She had to be ready in case the other girl tried anything. The final metal door cracked open and revealed the sight of the pilot seats. A sigh of relaxation, the Maltese needed the Kusarian alive and well anyways. Eliza shoved the captive onto the co-pilot seat and put her now free hand on the girl's shoulder, holding her firmly.
By now the auburn haired girl had learned the hard way that things rarely go completely according to plan but it was too late to give up. This mission looked impossible on paper and in reality the odds felt even worse. But fate loved only those who were willing to gamble everything. Eliza's fingers were beating onto her XV-15C's barrel nervously in a semi-rhythmic fashion. The jet black rifle had been equipped with a sturdy red dot sight, a flash hider and a compact flashlight near the end of it's barrel. A compact and deadly weapon in the hands of a skilled marksman and Valdez hoped her training with it was enough to qualify her as one. If this operation ended up a success the Legion would have something on their hands that people could only dream about. The Maltese's azure eyes locked back with the Kusarian's. Eliza wasn't quite sure which one of them two was looking more distressed at that very moment. She wanted to comfort the frightened girl that looked younger than her by at least a couple of years. After all it was Eliza that was heading for the belly of the beast, not the Chrysanthemum. A voice over Eliza's earpiece broke the thickening silence. It was her lifeline for this operation and the current pilot of the stolen freighter.
"We are approaching the nav-map location marked on the computer. You better get ready, 'Coronel'."
Eliza hated being called by rank. The statute such a rank brought her reminded her of a certain blonde that had put her own ambitions for power above any and all morals and ideals. Such lust for power had brought the Legion's downfall once and the auburn haired girl did not want to see it happen again. In her own mind she had not earned the right to be treated with such high regard, not at least until this job was over smoothly and successfully. Once the TACCOM went silent she could already hear her own heart beat all the way up in her eardrums. Keeping a cool head was a must and she had already blew that part. Perhaps it wasn't too late to turn back now? Part of her wanted to give up, a considerable one at that. Though the planning and the risk they already took could not let her go home empty handed.
"On it. Proceed according to plan. I'll bring the girl to you in a moment."
Her hand let off the earpiece as she finished her sentence and stood up. Judging by the Kusarian's extra frightened face, the ex-captain of the Komorebi understood very well what Valdez was talking over the comm. Eliza casually slid the sling-held rifle around her waist before dusting off her behind from whatever dirt the improvised seat she had was covered in. This all felt like a surreal Tal Ravis inspired adventure. For a moment the Maltese even considered pinching herself to check if it was all real but shrug it off. She had to look serious enough for the tied up Kusarian to follow her orders. Eliza grabbed the spooked pilot by the arm and pulled up in a motion to signal her to get up. There wasn't much time to be wasted. The Chrysanthemum cautiously complied and the two made their way towards the cockpit. Valdez's free arm rested on the XV-15, it was just the two of them in the hallway leading to the cockpit. She had to be ready in case the other girl tried anything. The final metal door cracked open and revealed the sight of the pilot seats. A sigh of relaxation, the Maltese needed the Kusarian alive and well anyways. Eliza shoved the captive onto the co-pilot seat and put her now free hand on the girl's shoulder, holding her firmly.
"If you do as we say I guarantee you that you will have the highest chance of all three of us to get out of this alive. Do you understand?"
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Nick Stenn - 09-15-2018
Komorebi, Border Worlds Freighter, Cockpit
The cold steel of a identical XV-15 glints in the light of the cockpit. The occupant of the pilots seat is entirely focused on the dash in front of him, his hands flying across the controls. A quick sideways glance is all he affords the two women entering the room. "All systems nominal. We're in place to begin our approach. You convinced the girl that its in her best interests to cooperate yet?" His voice was neutral, his face obscured by the mask he wore on missions like this.
![[Image: zaUCrEP.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/zaUCrEP.jpg)
Turning his gaze towards the Kusarian, he speaks again. "I sure as hell hope you've decided that you'd like to survive this. I haven't spaced anyone in a few days, and my hands are starting to itch." He turns back to the console, carefully directing the freighter through the nebula and asteroids within. Almost as an after thought he continued. "Of course, so long as you comply, you get to keep breathing."
An imposing figure even sitting down, the pilot was certainly capable of carrying out his threat, and silence settles into the cockpit for a few moments. "Target in sight. We'll begin our approach in two minutes. Get to position Valdez." The pilot draws a pistol from the holster on his hip, pointing it at the Kusarian next to him. "Remember. Natural and cool. Like if you were completely safe, except for the fact you just narrowly escaped a Naval Forces patrol and think that they're still following you."
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Backo - 09-16-2018
"This will sting a bit."
Eliza warned before sharply pulling off the tape from the captive's mouth. The Maltese already had some limited experience with women tied up and gagged against their will thanks to a certain blonde that pissed her off some months back. The fact that no other than Nick Stenn was here only added to the feeling of eerie deja vu. The Kusarian girl's scream right after the tape was ripped off her lips snapped Valdez out of that eerie feeling. This wasn't Loyola and this wasn't Glen' either. With no time to waste the ginger protagonist stormed out of the cockpit cabin, leaving the Kusarian in the capable pistol-pointing hands of her comrade. With the cockpit hatch closing behind her, she was but a few corridors away from the cargo hold.
![[Image: irvUbGJ.png]](https://i.imgur.com/irvUbGJ.png)
Inside the freight room were multiple dark cargo containers stacked neatly together. The Komorebi was on a trade run to bring food liberated from the Kyushu system by the Chrysanthemums to the Blood Dragons in Chugoku. What Eliza knew of it's mission before they hijacked it along with it's pilot was that a warship will be expecting the freighter upon the given coordinates to unload the cargo. A simple supply run that did not need any escorts or anyone raising suspicion. Such a small vessel could easily be boarded and inspected by the hangar crew to ensure everything is in order. That was what Eliza was hoping for at least. The blue eyed Maltese climbed up on top of one of the containers and crouched down before the lock of the topmost in it's sack. The container had the number zero-four written on it and underneath was Kusarian text that Eliza could not understand.
Her fingers reached for the side pocket and from inside they produced a lightweight but sturdy PDA. With a click of a button it's screen lit up with a menu listing numerous containers and their lock status. After a couple of clicks on the device the container in front of the girl hissed as it's lock released and the container door opened up spilling some of it's contents. Kyushu rice was not exactly what Eliza liked to lay in but the plan required it. Carefully she slipped herself inside the container, wriggling left and right to adjust in the pile of rice that soon surrounded her. A click away on the PDA and the container would lock back in place with the Maltese infiltrator inside it. Eliza activated her earpiece to signal Stenn that she was ready.
"I'm in container oh-four, on top of the cargo stack. If they ask what's inside please convince them it's rice without having to open it, I don't want to end up on their menu once they find out there's someone trying to board them. I'll close the hatch once we're in the clear for landing. Hopefully the air should last me enough until they unload me to some dark and quiet storage room."
Speaking the plan out loud didn't bring much confidence to Eliza. In fact it quite did the opposite. A single doubt in the hangar crew could jeopardize this whole endeavor and cost both their lives. The prize, she had to think of the prize if all went smoothly. Having second thoughts right now would be bad for the execution of this elaborate heist. Calm and cold, just like Nick was to be on the job. It sounded easier to her than it actually was. Her heart was pumping even faster than before. This was it - the point of no return.
"Nick, in case things go south, I want you to know that I... that I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Nick Stenn - 09-18-2018
Komorebi, Border Worlds Freighter, Cockpit
"Perfect. Keep that level of fear when you talk on the communications line they open. Just remember that if you say anything to betray us... well. Lets say that its a lot easier to fly a freighter without a prisoner to look after. So long as you cooperate, you get to live, and I'll even pay you for your troubles." His words cut the girl out of her scream. A grin underneath the mask. He watched Valdez shimmy into the crate of rice from the shipboard cameras, before using his Vergil connection to delete all footage of the flight up until the point. "Would you look at that, seems the ships blackbox recordings were damaged by a stray shot from the Naval Forces. Good thing it was nothing interesting at least."
His attention back on the console in front of him, he ignored the quietly whimpering girl as he watched for the exact moment they would break out from the nebulas cover. Timing was crucial, and if they weren't broadcasting emergency signs from the moment that the target could detect them, they would blow the operation before it even began. 500 units left. "3...2...1... Now."
![[Image: UlL3voi.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/UlL3voi.jpg)
His hands fly across the console, assisted by his direct neural connection to the ship, as he begins to vent stored heat simultaneously opening multiple emergency communications channels on multiple bands. The mics still deactivated, he whispers a warning at the girl. "Follow my lead." The status light of the mics flick on and Stenn begins to speak in a harried voice. "This is the freight vessel Komorebi. We are in need of urgent assistance. Multiple systems failures and an atmosphere breach. Please if you can hear us, we urgently need assistance." The barrel of the pistol snaps the girl out of her daze as Stenn uses it to wave towards the mic.
She leans foward and takes an unsteady gasp, watching the pistol intently.
"Kore wa Komorebi no junryon taiidesu. Watashitachi wa kinkyū ni shien o hitsuyō to shite imasu. Shisutemu wa hijō ni jūyōdeari, watashitachi no sentai wa kaigun kara dageki o ukete imasu." The line cuts out suddenly into static as Stenn kills the mic.
"Perfect. Now to see if they take the bait." Jun-li doesn't see the tranquilizer shot before it punctures her skin, consciousness sliding away from her.
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Backo - 09-22-2018
While there was still nothing on the Komorebi's scanners, the warship that was awaiting had already picked the distress call and established the freighter's approach vector. Soon enough it's hoarse-voiced radio operator transmitted a low-range frequency response in return to the freighter's desperate pleads for help.
"Acknowledged, this is Blood Dragons Shogunate battleship Takayama, you are to proceed to the coordinates you will receive. Once in 2 klicks from the coordinates you are to switch to impulse and await further orders. Refusal to comply would have your ship disintegrated. This would be your final warning."
Soon after the message, the freight vessel's navigation console received coordinates to the updated RV point. The play that Stenn and Jun-li put up had worked - they were allowed to proceed towards the Blood Dragon warship Takayama. Though this did not mean the would be "saviors" of the Komorebi would not be cautious about their distressed visitors in any way. With container Zero-Four's hatch closed in position, Eliza had nothing left but to clutch to her XV-15C rifle and wait. Everything from now on relied on Nick Stenn's skillful execution of this premeditated ruse.
As instructed the Chrysanthemum supply freighter approached the newly given location. There was still no visual or scanner glimpse of their rescuers. The only giveaway as the Komorebi broke the 5 klick mark from the RV was the NAV-MAP system's warning of a gravitational anomaly in the middle of the cold, dead space. The Takayama was retrofitted with cloaking technology, something a vessel of it's age could never have had originally. Once the Dragons were certain that the freight vessel was not being followed by Kusari Naval Forces it's cloaking device turned off. With a shimmering effect much like a mirage, Takayama's hull became visible to the naked eye and ship systems alike. The same hoarse voice from before played on the Komorebi's comms.
![[Image: 8exikNW.png]](https://i.imgur.com/8exikNW.png)
With the new orders given, the Takayama's reinforced outer hangar doors opened, depressurizing the airlock chamber and awaiting the Komorebi's approach. They were in, but this was only the easy part of this mission. What awaited them was a crew of over 400 loyal crewmen who were ready to defend the vessel with their own lives.
"Acknowledged, this is Blood Dragons Shogunate battleship Takayama, you are to proceed to the coordinates you will receive. Once in 2 klicks from the coordinates you are to switch to impulse and await further orders. Refusal to comply would have your ship disintegrated. This would be your final warning."
Soon after the message, the freight vessel's navigation console received coordinates to the updated RV point. The play that Stenn and Jun-li put up had worked - they were allowed to proceed towards the Blood Dragon warship Takayama. Though this did not mean the would be "saviors" of the Komorebi would not be cautious about their distressed visitors in any way. With container Zero-Four's hatch closed in position, Eliza had nothing left but to clutch to her XV-15C rifle and wait. Everything from now on relied on Nick Stenn's skillful execution of this premeditated ruse.
As instructed the Chrysanthemum supply freighter approached the newly given location. There was still no visual or scanner glimpse of their rescuers. The only giveaway as the Komorebi broke the 5 klick mark from the RV was the NAV-MAP system's warning of a gravitational anomaly in the middle of the cold, dead space. The Takayama was retrofitted with cloaking technology, something a vessel of it's age could never have had originally. Once the Dragons were certain that the freight vessel was not being followed by Kusari Naval Forces it's cloaking device turned off. With a shimmering effect much like a mirage, Takayama's hull became visible to the naked eye and ship systems alike. The same hoarse voice from before played on the Komorebi's comms.
"You are to dock on hangar B. Once landed turn off your ship's systems and await the hangar security to inspect your ship and cargo."
With the new orders given, the Takayama's reinforced outer hangar doors opened, depressurizing the airlock chamber and awaiting the Komorebi's approach. They were in, but this was only the easy part of this mission. What awaited them was a crew of over 400 loyal crewmen who were ready to defend the vessel with their own lives.
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Nick Stenn - 09-26-2018
Komorebi, Border Worlds Freighter, Cargo bay
Stenn landed the freighter, not bothering to move the unconscious Kusarian, and heads to the cargo bay, which doubles as an access point to the freighter. Drumming his fingers on the top of the crate containing Eliza, he idly swipes through a cargo manifest on a datapad, checking what all the freighter was carrying. This was the riskiest part of the operation in his mind, but also the most boring. Regardless of what happens now, they were inside the target. Really it was a choice between stealth or full frontal assault now. Either suited him.
As the doors hiss, revealing that the inspection team has arrived, he takes a deep breath. "You guys showed up right on time to save us. Another few moments and that patrol would have found us again." He says frantically to the marines boarding the shuttle. The looks of confusion on their faces prompts him to continue.
"The captain passed out from the stress, I'm her hired bodyguard and co-pilot for this run. Quickly, help me offload the goods. Three crates of Rice, two crates of Sake, five crates of Black Market Light Arms, and one crate of high explosive ordinance." Stenn quickly taps the crates as he speaks, indicating which is which, before grabbing the handles of 0-4. Lifting it with ease, he begins to walk it into the hanger bay, pushing past the stunned marines.
They were struggling to keep up with the sudden changes, and Stenn was moving too quickly to allow them to catch up. "Well don't just stand there! Grab some crates, take the weapons to the Armoury!" He barks at them, placing 0-4 among some other cargo containers in the hanger and returning to the freighter to grab another. The sudden commands spur the boarders into action, and Stenn feels a hand on his shoulder as one of the less confused stops him.
"Slow down mercenary. You need to explain this whole situation to us. We were not expecting the Komorebi for another few days at the earliest. Also, wheres the real cargo. The information of the patrol paths?" Stenn tensed. "You really think the captain was going to trust me with that sensitive of an item? When she wakes, you can ask her for it yourself. As it stands, she's passed out in her seat in the cockpit. I'll go get her for you."
Watching over the marines shoulder, Stenn hides a smile as he sees the crate mark 0-4 loaded onto a trolley and carted towards the interior of the ship. "But until then, why not allow me to sponsor you a few drinks, as thanks for saving us? This ship has a mess hall right?"
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Backo - 10-13-2018
Being thrown around in a crate full of rice proved to be as much fun as being podded from a disintegrating fighter. Though the rough handling of the cargo crate was also Eliza's only cue that she was still not discovered. The girl could sense that she was being moved somewhere, but could not tell neither speed nor direction. As before - her only option was to lie in wait. And waiting only made her more nervous. The Maltese needed something to distract her. Eliza exhaled deeply, one, then inhaled back, two, counting her breath was a way to keep her mind occupied on some task.
A sudden feeling of being light as a feather like almost being in a free fall engulfed her. This could mean one of two things, she was either being jettisoned out of the warship or inside some sort of an elevator. The breaks that soon hit and slowed her descent to a stop in a less than comfortable manner at least took away the fear of the former. Seventy-eight, her counting continued as soon as the cargo trolley continued it's voyage.
Eventually the sense of any motion ceased. Was she finally offloaded in some storage room? The auburn haired girl had no way to know. It was best to wait some more. At this point in time waiting was the thing she had predominantly done on this mission. Her grip on the rifle she was hugging tightened in anticipation. Time was too precious to waste even if the Kusarians had not suspected anything as of yet. Eliza pulled her PDA and in less than a few moments the locks disengaged. Anxiously she shifted around inside all the rice. With a now better position to peek, the infiltrator cautiously opened the crate enough to give a glimpse of her surroundings.
The room was quiet minus the occasional creaks coming from the reinforced hull of the ship in a rather off-putting manner. Dim lights touched the surfaces of the many other containers, all in various sizes and colors, that were neatly stacked inside the big storage hall that Eliza was in. Eliza opened the crate's lid fully and hastily made her way out from all the rice. Now out of the tight-packed container, the chilling air hit her senses. Not a particularly welcoming environment, the Maltese wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Valdez flicked her rifle's flashlight on and slowly made a full rotation on her feet, carefully scanning the interior with her azure eyes and a rifle barrel pointed forward and illuminating the otherwise dim walls and containers. There was indeed no one in there but her. A sigh of relief, she was alone in what looked or rather felt like a freezer room. This seemed like a good time to sync with the rest of the duo.
As little information on the comm as possible until she heard Nick's cold voice. If his ruse had failed there was no way to be sure they weren't listening to the frequency. With that out of the way her next task was to find her exact location on the ship. She pulled the trusty PDA again. A few clicks on it and the device produced a number showing the rough distance from the Komorebi. The trip inside the cargo crate had taken her a few hundred meters away from the hangar. Though without any schematics of the ship she had no way to tell in which direction. The elevator ride meant she was in one of the lower levels. That was about as much as she could deduce from the given situation. The girl slipped the electronic assistant back in the pocket it belonged to. Finding the door she came through was her next objective.
A sudden feeling of being light as a feather like almost being in a free fall engulfed her. This could mean one of two things, she was either being jettisoned out of the warship or inside some sort of an elevator. The breaks that soon hit and slowed her descent to a stop in a less than comfortable manner at least took away the fear of the former. Seventy-eight, her counting continued as soon as the cargo trolley continued it's voyage.
Eventually the sense of any motion ceased. Was she finally offloaded in some storage room? The auburn haired girl had no way to know. It was best to wait some more. At this point in time waiting was the thing she had predominantly done on this mission. Her grip on the rifle she was hugging tightened in anticipation. Time was too precious to waste even if the Kusarians had not suspected anything as of yet. Eliza pulled her PDA and in less than a few moments the locks disengaged. Anxiously she shifted around inside all the rice. With a now better position to peek, the infiltrator cautiously opened the crate enough to give a glimpse of her surroundings.
The room was quiet minus the occasional creaks coming from the reinforced hull of the ship in a rather off-putting manner. Dim lights touched the surfaces of the many other containers, all in various sizes and colors, that were neatly stacked inside the big storage hall that Eliza was in. Eliza opened the crate's lid fully and hastily made her way out from all the rice. Now out of the tight-packed container, the chilling air hit her senses. Not a particularly welcoming environment, the Maltese wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Valdez flicked her rifle's flashlight on and slowly made a full rotation on her feet, carefully scanning the interior with her azure eyes and a rifle barrel pointed forward and illuminating the otherwise dim walls and containers. There was indeed no one in there but her. A sigh of relief, she was alone in what looked or rather felt like a freezer room. This seemed like a good time to sync with the rest of the duo.
"Nick, what's your status? Over."
As little information on the comm as possible until she heard Nick's cold voice. If his ruse had failed there was no way to be sure they weren't listening to the frequency. With that out of the way her next task was to find her exact location on the ship. She pulled the trusty PDA again. A few clicks on it and the device produced a number showing the rough distance from the Komorebi. The trip inside the cargo crate had taken her a few hundred meters away from the hangar. Though without any schematics of the ship she had no way to tell in which direction. The elevator ride meant she was in one of the lower levels. That was about as much as she could deduce from the given situation. The girl slipped the electronic assistant back in the pocket it belonged to. Finding the door she came through was her next objective.
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Backo - 11-16-2018
The door proved easy enough to find. The rifle flashlight illuminated the hulking metallic door's edges until the control panel was found on it's right side. Conveniently enough it consisted of a simple red button that looked like it had seen it's fair share of use, then again everything on this ship so far looked like it had seen it's fair share of use. With the door and it's controls figured out, the Maltese finally made her way out of the storage room. The warmer air that greeted her skin from the other side of the door was a welcoming change to being stuck in that freezer.
The big reinforced door closed behind Eliza. Her options now were taking either side of the corridor she found herself in. Ambient sounds of metal creaking and the vibrations of machinery passing through the walls was the only thing she could sense. Left or right, it was all a gamble, either way could lead anywhere and as such going left seemed as good choice as any. The lack of response from Nick concerned her, this mission seemed close to impossible with both of them working together, but now it was very likely she had to do things on her own. Doubt was a bad thing to experience at a time and place like this and Eliza tried to shake those thoughts away as she pressed onward through the long, straight corridor.
The hushed sound of footsteps other than her own snapped Eliza's advance into a halt. The footsteps sounded like a single person and were coming from her right. With every next step the sound grew louder. Whoever was coming her way was bound to run into her soon. Eliza's eyes and gun barrel instinctively locked at the corner ahead of her and she pressed herself against the wall for cover.
The Maltese barked as soon as a figure appeared in her sights from around the corner. The Kusarian's startled reaction gave Valdez the needed key moments to judge him up. He did not have any armor nor did his uniform look inspiring in any way. One thing gave away his occupation of a maintenance technician - the toolbox he was holding in his right hand. Realizing his situation, the Kusarian technician's free hand jerked towards his hip but before it could reach it's destination he was met with a short burst from the Ageira's proud invention of death and destruction. The bullets ripped through his chest with ease and the shriek of gunfire echoed through the hallway. The man fell down on the ground like a rag doll, his eyes stared emptily ahead.
What Eliza saw from above her XV-15C's sights and rifle barrel was a now dead man. There was no blaster conveniently waiting on his left hip, whatever he had tried to reach for would probably have never saved him anyways. The death of a defenseless man could lay on her conscience later. Now she had to get out of here. There was no point trying to hide the body, if anyone was nearby they would have heard the gunfire. What Eliza needed though before clearing out of here was his access card and she needed it fast. One by one she checked his jumpsuit's pockets, her ears listening for any new footsteps. It was not in the side pockets of his trousers, it wasn't in his chest pocket either. He had no bags or satchels on his belt, the access card had to be somewhere convenient enough for him to pull out when he needed to open a door or gain access to an elevator. But where? It clicked to her, the back pocket. Turning his lifeless cadaver over proved more difficult than she thought it would be. At least now those dead eyes no longer stared into her soul. It paid off, her slim fingers pulled out a small key card with a number on it and some markings Eliza could not figure out. This must have been it. There weren't any other pockets to check anyways. If this didn't work it was time to improvise again.
The big reinforced door closed behind Eliza. Her options now were taking either side of the corridor she found herself in. Ambient sounds of metal creaking and the vibrations of machinery passing through the walls was the only thing she could sense. Left or right, it was all a gamble, either way could lead anywhere and as such going left seemed as good choice as any. The lack of response from Nick concerned her, this mission seemed close to impossible with both of them working together, but now it was very likely she had to do things on her own. Doubt was a bad thing to experience at a time and place like this and Eliza tried to shake those thoughts away as she pressed onward through the long, straight corridor.
The hushed sound of footsteps other than her own snapped Eliza's advance into a halt. The footsteps sounded like a single person and were coming from her right. With every next step the sound grew louder. Whoever was coming her way was bound to run into her soon. Eliza's eyes and gun barrel instinctively locked at the corner ahead of her and she pressed herself against the wall for cover.
"Don't move or I'll shoot!"
The Maltese barked as soon as a figure appeared in her sights from around the corner. The Kusarian's startled reaction gave Valdez the needed key moments to judge him up. He did not have any armor nor did his uniform look inspiring in any way. One thing gave away his occupation of a maintenance technician - the toolbox he was holding in his right hand. Realizing his situation, the Kusarian technician's free hand jerked towards his hip but before it could reach it's destination he was met with a short burst from the Ageira's proud invention of death and destruction. The bullets ripped through his chest with ease and the shriek of gunfire echoed through the hallway. The man fell down on the ground like a rag doll, his eyes stared emptily ahead.
What Eliza saw from above her XV-15C's sights and rifle barrel was a now dead man. There was no blaster conveniently waiting on his left hip, whatever he had tried to reach for would probably have never saved him anyways. The death of a defenseless man could lay on her conscience later. Now she had to get out of here. There was no point trying to hide the body, if anyone was nearby they would have heard the gunfire. What Eliza needed though before clearing out of here was his access card and she needed it fast. One by one she checked his jumpsuit's pockets, her ears listening for any new footsteps. It was not in the side pockets of his trousers, it wasn't in his chest pocket either. He had no bags or satchels on his belt, the access card had to be somewhere convenient enough for him to pull out when he needed to open a door or gain access to an elevator. But where? It clicked to her, the back pocket. Turning his lifeless cadaver over proved more difficult than she thought it would be. At least now those dead eyes no longer stared into her soul. It paid off, her slim fingers pulled out a small key card with a number on it and some markings Eliza could not figure out. This must have been it. There weren't any other pockets to check anyways. If this didn't work it was time to improvise again.
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Backo - 03-01-2019
Turning the corner from which the technician approached, left her staring at another long straight corridor with somewhat dim lights illuminating it's metallic walls and floor. With her infiltration likely to be soon compromised by whoever ends up stumbling upon the unlucky victim that was now laying behind her on the crossroad between the two walkways she was left with no choice, but to make her way out of here as fast as possible. The metal creaks and sound of machinery running were again the only companion to her rhythmic footsteps. The corridor could not be endless and sooner or later she was bound to change direction. Until then though pushing forward was as good direction as any.
Every now and then she passed a door to one of her sides. Most were closed shut and bore no markings of leading to anywhere significant and those left open often revealed dead end storage rooms. The Blood Dragon battleship was one of the smaller ships of it's type, but having to traverse it's insides in a race against the clock proved that it was still formidable enough. With her breathing already showing signs of fatigue, Eliza paused to pull out her PDA yet again to measure her new distance from the Komorebi freighter. The number on the display was now considerably lower, but finding her ship was not the goal to begin with. She needed a map or some marking to indicate the direction to the main deck and the command room, but so far the only markings on the corridor were those of rust and neglect. Perhaps she was on one of the lower decks, but there was no way to be certain.
Her concern got the better of her as she attempted to establish contact yet again, but just like the last time the response was silence. If only she had a tracker for Stenn's location on her PDA as well. Perhaps a good pointer for her next reckless attempt to hijack a warship of such size, assuming she got out of this one alive to begin with. But for now she needed a plan that covered more than walking down the empty corridors of the lower decks. The hatch door next to her looked like a good opportunity to change the direction. Eliza pulled out the security card that she had taken previously and ran it across the scanning interface. Access was granted and the hatch door opened with a slight hiss as the cold air from the other side flooded the hallway from the darkness ahead. The XV-15C's flashlight illuminated the unknown, revealing it to be a claustrophobic maintenance shaft that extended perpendicularly to the hallway and heading both upwards and downwards. At least now she knew she wasn't on the last deck, still upwards looked like a more optimistic direction to take.
Slinging the rifle on her back, the girl made her way into the shaft head first and cautiously transferred her weight onto the utilitarian ladder inside. Her first few steps upwards were just as cautious, she wanted to make sure the ladder would not give away from her weight as it didn't look in much better condition than the rest of the rusted up corridors she had been in. Step by step, she moved upwards into the new unknown. The only illumination she could rely on was coming from the rifle flashlight on her back and the confined space of the shaft did not allow for much illumination beyond a few meters above. Ten steps, twenty, thirty, how far up did this ladder go? It had to end somewhere as there were no exit hatches along the way. How would she open one from the inside was also a good question that Eliza wished she had asked herself earlier.
Every now and then she passed a door to one of her sides. Most were closed shut and bore no markings of leading to anywhere significant and those left open often revealed dead end storage rooms. The Blood Dragon battleship was one of the smaller ships of it's type, but having to traverse it's insides in a race against the clock proved that it was still formidable enough. With her breathing already showing signs of fatigue, Eliza paused to pull out her PDA yet again to measure her new distance from the Komorebi freighter. The number on the display was now considerably lower, but finding her ship was not the goal to begin with. She needed a map or some marking to indicate the direction to the main deck and the command room, but so far the only markings on the corridor were those of rust and neglect. Perhaps she was on one of the lower decks, but there was no way to be certain.
"Nick? Can you hear me?"
Her concern got the better of her as she attempted to establish contact yet again, but just like the last time the response was silence. If only she had a tracker for Stenn's location on her PDA as well. Perhaps a good pointer for her next reckless attempt to hijack a warship of such size, assuming she got out of this one alive to begin with. But for now she needed a plan that covered more than walking down the empty corridors of the lower decks. The hatch door next to her looked like a good opportunity to change the direction. Eliza pulled out the security card that she had taken previously and ran it across the scanning interface. Access was granted and the hatch door opened with a slight hiss as the cold air from the other side flooded the hallway from the darkness ahead. The XV-15C's flashlight illuminated the unknown, revealing it to be a claustrophobic maintenance shaft that extended perpendicularly to the hallway and heading both upwards and downwards. At least now she knew she wasn't on the last deck, still upwards looked like a more optimistic direction to take.
Slinging the rifle on her back, the girl made her way into the shaft head first and cautiously transferred her weight onto the utilitarian ladder inside. Her first few steps upwards were just as cautious, she wanted to make sure the ladder would not give away from her weight as it didn't look in much better condition than the rest of the rusted up corridors she had been in. Step by step, she moved upwards into the new unknown. The only illumination she could rely on was coming from the rifle flashlight on her back and the confined space of the shaft did not allow for much illumination beyond a few meters above. Ten steps, twenty, thirty, how far up did this ladder go? It had to end somewhere as there were no exit hatches along the way. How would she open one from the inside was also a good question that Eliza wished she had asked herself earlier.
RE: Operation: Sleeping Wyvern - Backo - 03-26-2019
Instead of an exit hatch, Eliza was met with the ceiling of this maintenance tunnel. But right before said ending the shaft sharply became horizontal, shifting away from her behind. Taking the new direction took certain amount of dexterity, especially with the rifle on her back, forcing Valdez to shift into a crawl. The change of direction was reassuring, but she still did not know where and how will she exit this cramped compartment. But there was no point for technicians to build a tunnel with just one entrance that would lead nowhere. As strange as Kusarians were, they weren't doing pointless things when it came to engineering, perhaps minus those wings on the fighters, but those most likely were for aesthetic purposes.
This train of thought soon proved correct as she realized that her way further was at last blocked by a new hatch. Now what was left was to figure out how to open it. Contrary to the secured and elegant execution of a security card scanner that her entry point to this cramped tunnel was operated in, this new obstacle offered no such elaborate technology. Instead there were two leavers on each horizontal side of the hatch. Pulling them downwards moved the biting teeth of the mechanism upwards, releasing the lock and letting the spring mechanism push the hatch outwards and open. Simple but in a way just as elegant.
Eliza did not hesitate much before jumping out of the shaft. As dangerous as the outside might have been, at least it offered her more space to defend herself. Valdez quickly shifted the rifle back into her hands and began illuminating the new room to discover any hint about her whereabouts. The air was filled with dust that circulated through the cold room. There were various pipes coming out of the walls and into various machinery that looked old, worn out and in desperate need for a cleanup. Wherever she was, wasn't important enough to warrant anyone spending enough time to keep in better condition.
As she made her way around the room, a machine with an interface and a dust covered monochrome display caught her attention. The girl casually ran her hand across it, wiping off the powder of neglect to hopefully see what it said. There were Kusarian symbols that she did not understand and numbers, numbers she had no context for. But what did those numbers mean? She had no way to know. Then her biological computer called brain lit up with an idea. Eliza hastily pulled out her PDA, turned on the camera and pointed it towards the screen. She was living in the 9th century of Sirius and software that translated foreign languages in real time on your personal devices was not something that the space traversing human race had troubles with. Though the premium ad-free version did cost an yearly subscription of 9,99 credits. A worthwhile investment for not being shown the latest BigMAX advertisement featuring inappropriate cues about one's sexual endurance.
The machinery in front of her turned out to be part of the ship's air filtration system. The quantity of CO2 was acceptable, there weren't any harmful gasses and the pressure in the pipes did not exceed the limit. Knowing what she was staring at certainly removed a lot of the mysticism of the situation. The only mystery left was how to get out of this air systems maintenance room. Figuring out how to get out of a room had turned into a running theme by now. Theoretically looked at if she kept stumbling into new and unknown rooms she was bound to reach the correct point of interest eventually. But eventually did not sound all too reassuring to her at this point.
This train of thought soon proved correct as she realized that her way further was at last blocked by a new hatch. Now what was left was to figure out how to open it. Contrary to the secured and elegant execution of a security card scanner that her entry point to this cramped tunnel was operated in, this new obstacle offered no such elaborate technology. Instead there were two leavers on each horizontal side of the hatch. Pulling them downwards moved the biting teeth of the mechanism upwards, releasing the lock and letting the spring mechanism push the hatch outwards and open. Simple but in a way just as elegant.
Eliza did not hesitate much before jumping out of the shaft. As dangerous as the outside might have been, at least it offered her more space to defend herself. Valdez quickly shifted the rifle back into her hands and began illuminating the new room to discover any hint about her whereabouts. The air was filled with dust that circulated through the cold room. There were various pipes coming out of the walls and into various machinery that looked old, worn out and in desperate need for a cleanup. Wherever she was, wasn't important enough to warrant anyone spending enough time to keep in better condition.
As she made her way around the room, a machine with an interface and a dust covered monochrome display caught her attention. The girl casually ran her hand across it, wiping off the powder of neglect to hopefully see what it said. There were Kusarian symbols that she did not understand and numbers, numbers she had no context for. But what did those numbers mean? She had no way to know. Then her biological computer called brain lit up with an idea. Eliza hastily pulled out her PDA, turned on the camera and pointed it towards the screen. She was living in the 9th century of Sirius and software that translated foreign languages in real time on your personal devices was not something that the space traversing human race had troubles with. Though the premium ad-free version did cost an yearly subscription of 9,99 credits. A worthwhile investment for not being shown the latest BigMAX advertisement featuring inappropriate cues about one's sexual endurance.
The machinery in front of her turned out to be part of the ship's air filtration system. The quantity of CO2 was acceptable, there weren't any harmful gasses and the pressure in the pipes did not exceed the limit. Knowing what she was staring at certainly removed a lot of the mysticism of the situation. The only mystery left was how to get out of this air systems maintenance room. Figuring out how to get out of a room had turned into a running theme by now. Theoretically looked at if she kept stumbling into new and unknown rooms she was bound to reach the correct point of interest eventually. But eventually did not sound all too reassuring to her at this point.