Strangers in a Strange Land

Daraken · Aug 3, 2014

Flynn Walker
OOC: Should I assume that Complex Action: Information Gathering is done?

Complex Action (Continued): Information Gathering
With a smile, Flynn nods and bids the quarian a farewell, a sense of contentment following him as he continues his wandering of the Wards. He had forgotten, caught up in this bizarre nonsense of waking up in a new world, just how good it felt to help people. Even if they were 'aliens' rather than humans, the gratitude they displayed was no less real.

The young Samurai suspected he would not be returning home anytime soon, but until then... Well, it couldn't hurt to help the people of the Citadel as he had the denizens of Tokyo, could it?

Flynn -> [Protective] (1) -- (1) [Gratitude] <- Kei'Rala

Complex Action (Continued): Job Hunting

Behind the relatively safe cover of old junk and empty containers, Flynn nodded approvingly to himself. It was mildly disappointing that he and Galellix had failed to destroy any of the small flying machines, but they had accomplished their main goal in distracting them. Falis' use of biotics had been mighty impressive and more importantly very effective in suppressing the smaller of their mechanical foes, though apparently exhausting given her struggle to catch her breath at the moment.

An attention drawing cough from Jaellix bought an abrupt end to Flynn's ruminations. Right, orders. With a point and a wave of his hand, the Samurai wordlessly directed his team towards the flying irritants darting about the battlefield. It'd be a race against time, targeting them with their combined attacks, all the while the giant golems attempted to suppress them and pick away at their cover, supported by those annoying quick fliers.

Simple enough.

Flynn, Turian Engineer, Turian Soldier, Asari Mercenary
Plan: Hold position, with the team combining fire to take down each drone before it can withdraw. If cover is destroyed by the heavy mechs, withdraw deeper into labyrinth.

Asset
Flynn - Infantry Combat: Professional
Flynn - Tactics: Professional
Flynn - SMT Magic: Expert
Flynn - DEMONICA
Flynn - Gauntlet COMP
Engineer - Infantry Combat: Professional, Combat Engineer
Engineer - Tactics: Trained
Engineer - M-8 Avenger (+1)
Engineer - Military Omni-Tool (+2)
Engineer - Light Armour (+1)
Engineer - Overload, Combat Drone
Soldier - Infantry Combat: Professional
Soldier - Tactics: Trained
Soldier - M-27 Scimitar (+2)
Soldier - Military Omni-Tool (+2)
Soldier - Medium Armour (+2)
Asari - Infantry Combat: Trained
Asari - M-9 Tempest (+2)
Asari - Medium Armour (+2)

Method of Invocation
The Engineer's Combat Drone will maintain overwatch, keeping an eye out on attempts of flanking by the enemy. The rest of the team will focus fire on the Flying Drones, supported by Flynn's electrical spells and the Engineer's Overload. The goal is to eliminate the Flying Drones as a threat, though if the Heavy Mechs manage to erode the team's cover, they are to pull back rather attempt to hold their position.

GretelOstrich · Aug 10, 2014

@Usandru

March 21st, 2180
Your work crew has been assigned to evening shifts, removing hull plates around the cruiser's lower portside hull for the last few days - a far easier (and safer) job than work deeper inside the derelict. Work has been progressing as fast as usual and you have built up quite a lot of respect among your flunkies.

It's near the end of the shift when trouble starts. It's already gotten dark, forcing you to set up floodlights, when one of your team, a human called Andrei comes running in. He's been injured a week ago and had to be put in the site 'hospital', so he immediately causes quite a stir, running in with his hand still in a cast.

"Chief!" he yells, running up to your suit "We got trouble! Blue Suns on the site, said they were looking for you! They're heading this way!"

ZiPeppe · Aug 10, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
@ZiPeppe
MISSION: Killing Vorcha raiders. The Fight.

ASSETS INVOKED:
+0 Lightsaber
+0 Fully sealed Beskar armor
+0 Mandalorian ripper
+0 Kinetic Barrier Harness
+0 Medi-Gel
+4 Force: TK Expert
+2 Force: Enhancement Professional
+0 Force: Lightsaber Combat Professional
+0 Weapon Handling: Pistol Trained
+1 Force: Esoteric - Precognition Trained
+0 Force: Esoteric - Lightning Trained
+2 Force: Mind Professional

(8 + 12 -> 20)

Stage One is a success. You waste no time from the moment the sentries report int and move as quickly as you can without being detected. You rush the first sentry, lunging out of the darkness and killing him before he can so much as scream. Then, you circle around the camp, and quickly eliminate the second one.

That done, you still have twenty more minutes. You climb the gorge's walls and emerge at the top. The three remaining sentries fall quickly and quietly, leaving you with ten minutes to spare.

Wasting no time, you set the looted guns into position. They're unlikely to be precise enough to be of much use, aside from causing panic, but that should be enough.

The guns in place, you prepare to move…

+2 Lightsaber
+2 Fully sealed Beskar armor
+1 Mandalorian ripper
+1 Kinetic Barrier Harness
+1 Medi-Gel
+4 Force: TK Expert
+2 Force: Enhancement Professional
+2 Force: Lightsaber Combat Professional
+1 Weapon Handling: Pistol Trained
+1 Force: Esoteric - Precognition Trained
+1 Force: Esoteric - Lightning Trained
+2 Force: Mind Professional
+3 Surprise

(23 + 12 -> 38)

Vorcha (Squad)
-3 Panic and Confusion
+6 Superior Numbers
+1 Guns
+2 Rockets
+2 Pre-prepared Position
+1 Basic Competence

(18 - 3 + 12 -> 30)

You open fire. The telekinetically controlled rifles bark, raining down inaccurate, but massed fire on the camp. Vorcha scatter in panic, making for their weapons, stumbling over equipment and each other. One goes down to a lucky hit, but it's pretty obvious the guns will be ineffectual at actually killing them, and so, you fire your Ripper as you move into saber range. Two more go down and you're in the fray, cutting them down.

Four more go down, accounting for over half their number before they manage to pull themselves together. They retreat to the edge of the camp, and lay down suppressive fire, forcing you to back away, momentarily.

Their respite doesn't last long, as you turn your force powers on them, hitting them with a burst of lightning, supported by a few mind tricks. This, finally, breaks their resolve and they scatter and flee. The battle ends, right there, as you pick them off, one by one, with precise shots from the Ripper.

New Assets:
11x M-8 Avenger
5x M-100 Rocket Launcher
16x Vorcha Corpse
Radios
Civilian Omni-Tool
Crates and Boxes
Small Tents
Camo Netting
Sandbags
Looted Items
Various Minor Items
Disgusting Food Rations

The first inkling the Vor'cha had he was in trouble came in the form of a sudden impact on his lower legs, the force sweeping him off his feet and landing painfully on his back. The last was a boot coming down on his face.

'One down, four to go.'

The harness on the sentinel torso moved as it suddenly had it's own life, slamming the owner against a rocky wall and then trying to drag him inside the rock itself. With his breath knocked out by the forceful impact, and the compression applied to his chest by the harness, the guard found himself desperately - and fruitlessly - trying to draw breath.

'Two down, three to go.'

Reaching out through the Force she took hold of the sentinel neck bones and crushed them. The alien immediately started to fall, only to to be gently laid down on the ground by Selath.

'Three down, two more to go,' she thought.

A strong blow to the neck with her armored fingers, made sure no alarm would be raised. A kick enhanced by her telekinesis and Force augmentation shattered the knee, making it bend the wrong way. In pain the Vor'cha instinctively leaned forward, making it easy for Selath to grab his head and twist it all the way around.

'Four down, one to go.'

The last one was stationary and with his back towards a large rock formation. He never noticed what looked like a sword hilt floating down from above and then turning on, burning away a good chunk of his internal organs.

'All down. Time for the main event.'

-*-

The floating guns idea was not a good idea in theory as they were in practice but it mattered not. They did a good enough job, and now all vor'cha were dead. Now time to load up the truck with the loot and ...

There was no truck.

Selath froze for a moment and then started cursing at herself. An oversight of this magnitude would have meant her literal head back in the war, either courtesy of the mandalorian or of Revan. And she would have deserve such punishment for something this monumentally st ...

'Focus,' thought Selath. 'No time for recrimination, work to solve the problem,'

Calling on the Force again she moved, extending all her senses to find the truck or it's traces. 'Another attack? They hid it somewhere else? Trap?'

OBJECTIVE: Find the damn truck!

PLAN: A simple grid search using the map to make it; using the Force to help herself cover more ground and looking through the files on the omnitool for clues. Places where it could have been hidden should take priority, areas already covered so far are of course excluded (use the map for it. Omnitool too if there is any useful info in it). Of course keeping an eye out for an ambush is a must. The fight was not exactly silent.

PLAN B: If nothing is found, call in the militia. Might lose some profit but carrying everything is not exactly an option.

ASSETS:
Local Maps
Civilian Omnitool (loot)
Force: Enhancement (Professional)
Force Capable. (the using all her senses part)
Force: Esoteric - Precognition (Trained) (keeping an eye out for ambushes)

GretelOstrich · Aug 12, 2014

@KnightDisciple

I ponder my options for a few moments before tagging my interest in one of the more laid-back looking security jobs.

I still lack one of these omnitools, though. That needs to be fixed, pronto.

You get the job fairly quickly, after a short evaluation. The contract doesn't have any fine print on it and looks fair. Monthly pay is 2,000c which, while less than amazing, should be enough for an apartment, food and an omni-tool. You also receive an advance payment of 500c.

Your basic, cheapest-but-newish-and-reliable omni-tool costs a mere 20c. They go up to 200c, depending on what video games you want it to run. Specialist models, used by engineers, scientists or soldiers go for 500c at minimum, as they always come with built-in nano-fabricators, advanced software, and a basic sensor package.

I smile at Arina.

"I think it would be enjoyable working with you, yes. Tell you what. This arrangement sounds pretty laid-back, sort of a case-by-case basis, yeah? Could I maybe do some delivery work on the side while holding down something else? Security work might be boring but it seems like it would pay my bills pretty well. Unless your friends could set me up with both security work and deliveries on the side? Obviously I'd want to read all contracts and boring stuff before hand just to be sure. You know how that stuff is."

Disarming smile.

"So I suppose I am interested, yes. When should we have a meeting with the managers?"

She smiles, broadly. "Anytime you like! ...but, uh, not today. It's getting a bit late and they're kinda irritable, as I said. Don't like evening visits. ...and I think the ''offices'' are closed by now, anyway."

***

After you choose a date, Arina arranges a meeting and leads you to the office, which appears to be in the lower levels of the arcology. A less pretty neighbourhood than the one you visited, near the ground level. Less sunlight, less clean, though still impeccably maintained. The ground levels are obviously where the lower strata of society live.

The meeting locations is a warehouse section, packed to the brim with storage crates. An armoured guard leads the two of you past workers and machinery to the manager's office - a clean and rather drab room on the warehouse's upper level, inhabited by a single salarian.

"Ah, Arina. Happy to see you" he greets. You can't be sure of it, seeing as he's an alien, but he doesn't seem all that happy to see her. "Found a new courier? Good. Please, sit."

Both of you do so. The salarian glances at Arina. Annoyance, maybe?

"Arina, you… no matter." he pushes a datapad and a pen towards you "We will be hiring you for a single delivery order. If you perform well, we will continue to hire you. If you continue to perform well, you will be, if you wish so, granted increased responsibility, followed by increased reward. Please read the contract terms before you agree."

"Come on, sign it, it's just the usual legal speak."

You read through the contract. Just as with the security job, it looks legit. You have a reasonable amount of time to deliver the package across the city, contract terms look reasonable, no fine print… but the package is not insured. You'll have to cover the costs if you lose it - 3,500c, no less. Pay is 500c per delivery, however, and a note in the contract mentions that you may make from five to ten deliveries per month.

KnightDisciple · Aug 21, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
@KnightDisciple

You get the job fairly quickly, after a short evaluation. The contract doesn't have any fine print on it and looks fair. Monthly pay is 2,000c which, while less than amazing, should be enough for an apartment, food and an omni-tool. You also receive an advance payment of 500c.

Your basic, cheapest-but-newish-and-reliable omni-tool costs a mere 20c. They go up to 200c, depending on what video games you want it to run. Specialist models, used by engineers, scientists or soldiers go for 500c at minimum, as they always come with built-in nano-fabricators, advanced software, and a basic sensor package.

I ponder my options a bit before ultimately going for one of the mid-range models, with an eye toward utility more than entertainment (so tool usability, 'net access, communication, things like that). 200c is the max I allow myself for the tool.

MightyDwarf said:
She smiles, broadly. "Anytime you like! ...but, uh, not today. It's getting a bit late and they're kinda irritable, as I said. Don't like evening visits. ...and I think the ''offices'' are closed by now, anyway."
***
After you choose a date, Arina arranges a meeting and leads you to the office, which appears to be in the lower levels of the arcology. A less pretty neighbourhood than the one you visited, near the ground level. Less sunlight, less clean, though still impeccably maintained. The ground levels are obviously where the lower strata of society live.

The meeting locations is a warehouse section, packed to the brim with storage crates. An armoured guard leads the two of you past workers and machinery to the manager's office - a clean and rather drab room on the warehouse's upper level, inhabited by a single salarian.

"Ah, Arina. Happy to see you" he greets. You can't be sure of it, seeing as he's an alien, but he doesn't seem all that happy to see her. "Found a new courier? Good. Please, sit."

Both of you do so. The salarian glances at Arina. Annoyance, maybe?

"Arina, you… no matter." he pushes a datapad and a pen towards you "We will be hiring you for a single delivery order. If you perform well, we will continue to hire you. If you continue to perform well, you will be, if you wish so, granted increased responsibility, followed by increased reward. Please read the contract terms before you agree."

"Come on, sign it, it's just the usual legal speak."

You read through the contract. Just as with the security job, it looks legit. You have a reasonable amount of time to deliver the package across the city, contract terms look reasonable, no fine print… but the package is not insured. You'll have to cover the costs if you lose it - 3,500c, no less. Pay is 500c per delivery, however, and a note in the contract mentions that you may make from five to ten deliveries per month.

I remain polite but professional as the...salarian...in front of me goes over the terms. I nod when he hands me the datapad and pen.

"Thank you, sir. Yes, just a moment."

I smile at Arina, but I make sure to read the full measure of the contract before signing it. I notice the bit about insurance, or lack thereof. I look up at the gentlebeing in front of me, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I notice there's not an insurance clause. Is it permissible to investigate some sort of independent insurance plan on my own, or would that not be feasible? I am not trying to be defeatist, mind, but simply prudent."

My attitude says that I believe I won't ever need the insurance, but you never know.

Usandru · Aug 25, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
Complex Action: Operation: Mean and Green
PLAN:
Codenames:
Blue Eyes(Monika Łubińska)
Mirage Flame (Aneta Koszyńska)
Razor Thunder (Mirosława Raczak)
Shining Beacon (Unknown City)
Shadow Cloak (Thermoptic Camouflage)
Avenging Titan (Cossack Landmate)

The objective of Operation: Mean and Green is to acquire intelligence on this new location and learn the purpose of Team Polandball's Stardust Crusader's presence in this location. To this purpose, Agent Blue Eyes will proceed to reconnoitre Shining Beacon, disguised as a civilian. Agent Mirage Flame will follow, equipped with Shadow Cloak and a Seburo C-30 Assault Rifle to provide overwatch and immediate assistance.

Agent Razor Thunder will remain outside the city limits with Avenging Titan, preferably hidden, to provide assistance if a retreat under fire is necessary.

ASSETS INVOKED:
~~Monika~~Blue Eyes
->Charm: Professional +3
->Bluff: Professional, Improv +4
->Pillar: I make this look good (2) +2
9 + 19 = 28

~~Aneta~~Mirage Flame
->Stealth: Trained +2
->Infantry Combat: Trainee +0
->Tactics: Trained +1
->Thermoptic Cloak +4
->Pillar: Just As Planned (1) +1
->Seburo C-30 (equipped, unused) +0
8 + 3 = 11

~~Mirosława~~Razor Thunder
->Pillar: I can change this world (Broken) +1
->Mech Piloting: Trained +1
2 + 5 = 7

METHOD OF INVOCATION:
~~Monika~~ Blue Eyes will go on ahead, into the city and attempt to gather information - access the internet or equivalent, converse with local civilians and such. Use Charm to make a good first impression and Bluff to convince them she's just a tourist (Improv, as she'll be acting with little planning and mostly making things up as she goes along).

~~Aneta~~ Mirage Flame will follow behind, under the thermoptic cloak. Both should avoid dense crowds.

~~Mirosława~~ Razor Thunder will stay behind and find a secluded spot to place the ~~Landmate~~ Avenging Titan in, using her experience as a Landmate pilot and the motivation of the burning wound in her soul, made by the destruction of her hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow.

~~Team Polandball~~ Stardust Crusaders set out to accomplish their newly determined goals. Initially, this mostly involves walking.

The environment is eerily pristine. You're clearly not in a heavily urban environment, the plaza being apparently part of an extensive garden or nature reserve, and you note that between you and the city is rolling hills and plant growth. Even in the darkness, it is downright picturesque, lit faintly as it is by starlight and the shine from the city.

It is as though every tuft of grass, every plant, every curve of the hill has been carefully sculpted.

It takes you around two hours of walking to reach the outskirts of the city. You've found a small secluded grove to conceal 'Razor Thunder' with the 'Avenging Titan' in. She goes on standby while the other two move into the city proper.

It is reasonably quiet, as cities go. Orderly, neat, again very pristine. It feels clean. Maybe it is just the light playing tricks, but surfaces that you would think smudged or scratched - touched by the weather and by life - they lack that slightly roughened quality.

A little while long and you see the first... alien.

It is so terribly human-looking that for a while you actually think it that. Only as you get closer do you notice the blue skin and the lack of hair and ears, replaced instead by what seems vaguely tentacular.

The resemblance to a human woman is beyond eerie though. Maybe it is just a very exotic type of cyborg, you think.

However as you continue into the city and the encounters increase, you are forced to make a rather disconcerting admission.

You are in a city of blue alien space women.

***

It is fortunate in the extreme that Monika is a master of not showing how she feels. It is even more fortunate that the first alien you work up the nerve to approach has an automatic realtime spoken machine translation system that kicks in immediately as she begins to speak.

It is less fortunate that it is not set up per default to translate back, apparently assuming that you have a similar system of your very own, and it takes a few moments before your new friend manages to switch on the non-standard setting.

Her name is Neiyra. She's apparently on vacation, and is suitably sympathetic to Monika's made-up story of being a tourist who lost all her things, and really needs to get to some kind of free access terminal.

Neiyra notes that unless one has citizen's ID though, the libraries and other public facilities don't offer such outside of daytime. It won't be a problem though, because she's perfectly willing to let you come back to her place and borrow her terminal! It's just a little nip with the public transit system and then you can get to it.

Of course this is when it starts raining and Aneta starts panicking as the cloak starts going on the fritz.

***

Mira is sitting in the landmate being bored. Her job, if possible, seems to be even more boring than a stakeout. She's not even looking for something, she's just being ready for an emergency.

She's also being rather worried, because the signal quality between her and Aneta and Monika is degrading significantly. The lack of ubiquitous wireless connections is truly hammering in on her, and the implications are chilling.

Thus, of course, this is when she notices a couple of blue-skinned women wandering into the grove while giggling loudly and pawing at each other in a state of partial undress, who are now staring at her.

It is at this time it occurs to her that a grove like the one she decided to use is the kind of place that makes for an excellent makeout spot.

She also realizes that she is probably in a rather lot of trouble.

(wat do?)

Usandru · Aug 25, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
@Usandru

March 21st, 2180
Your work crew has been assigned to evening shifts, removing hull plates around the cruiser's lower portside hull for the last few days - a far easier (and safer) job than work deeper inside the derelict. Work has been progressing as fast as usual and you have built up quite a lot of respect among your flunkies.

It's near the end of the shift when trouble starts. It's already gotten dark, forcing you to set up floodlights, when one of your team, a human called Andrei comes running in. He's been injured a week ago and had to be put in the site 'hospital', so he immediately causes quite a stir, running in with his hand still in a cast.

"Chief!" he yells, running up to your suit "We got trouble! Blue Suns on the site, said they were looking for you! They're heading this way!"

"Fuck." Asuka hisses inside her workhorse exoskeleton.

Her new friends have exceedingly bad timing. Rei is supposed to pick her up today. Just one day later, and she wouldn't give a shit. But nooo. They just had to show up early. Bastards.

"Get the others, Andrei, make sure they're all either armed and armoured or getting the hell out of the way." She snaps, while she begins navigating through software menus. She just needs to find that one--- ah, there it is. She inputs a whispered ten word password, and a 'booting' menu plays out on an auxiliary screen in the suit. Her personal one is getting ready.

She chains commands for the VI, gauging the terrain as she determines waypoints for it to follow. It's not too bad at it, but it lacks her intuition, and experience. It should arrive soon. It's a fast machine.

Soon might not be enough, though. Fiddling a little with her suit audio receivers, she can hear noise from not all that far away. She's not going to escape a confrontation unless she decides to hide it out.

No fucking way in hell she is doing that though.

Instead, she glances across the work area. The heavy tools they use with the exoskeletons are placed a few metres away, and some of them are quite nasty. Like that oversized plasmacutter rated for starship hulls. Short range though.

Asuka picks it up and clangs it over her shoulder. Then she surveys her position again. Close by the wreck. The broken terrain will probably be to her advantage, worst case. Yeah, no good reason to go meet them.

Instead, she takes a deep breath and tries to settle down. The assholes coming up to hassle her... she's better than them.

After all, they aren't Asuka Goddamn Langley Sohryu, are they?

She smiles.

It has teeth.

Jemnite · Sep 15, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
@Jemnite

ACTION: Gain some bearings

ASSETS INVOKED
+1 Interrogation (Trained)
+1 Disguise (Trained)
+3 Force: Stealth (Professional)
+3 Force: Mind (Professional)
+2 Lightsaber
Traveling Gear
+1 Force: Enhancement
+1 Force: Lightsaber Combat
+1 Pillar: "I can change the world with this blade." (Broken)

(11+13 -> 24)

This world is called Khar'shan. Populated by some ten billion people, almost all of them batarians, the four-eyed humanoids. While divided into competing nation-states, it's also the capital of a major power, the Batarian Hegemony. It doesn't sound like a particularly nice state - isolationist, totalitarian, militaristic. Slavery is apparently legal, though regulated. The people you talked to didn't paint a pretty picture. Doesn't seem like there's any major conflicts going on, at least.

You also get your hands on a map of the galaxy, along with some encyclopaedic information on other first and second rate powers. It's pretty clear this is not your home galaxy.

Food, water and shelter aren't as easy. For shelter, there are a few abandoned houses, here and there. Almost certainly in a state of severe disrepair, so you'd have to restore it, otherwise it might just collapse on top of you. The apartment buildings are an alternative, and might even have running water, but they'll cost you money. For water, there's a lot of rain collectors - you might set one up, if you find a house. Alternatively, you can buy it, or find an apartment which has running water. Food is aplenty, with a lot of stands in the streets, but again, money. Alternatively, you could hunt something down - those pyjak things don't look too disgusting…

Getting off-planet may be difficult. The Hegemony is isolationist and on unfriendly terms with half the galaxy - Council Space, to be specific. The safe, economically well-off half. There's no ships going there. However, there are quite a few making passenger and cargo runs between Batarian Space and the Terminus Systems, which are a mixed bag of conflict zones and safe regions and anything in between. Unfortunately, tickets are costly, 1,000 Hegemony Credits at a minimum, from what you hear. If you're lucky and willing to help out on the ship.

Finally, there's work. For bladework, the local street gangs and the mob are always looking for enforcers. And so are the local factories looking for security. Ranged weapons are strictly regulate, both by the Hegemony and the local administration and the consequence are bad enough for both the criminals and security to hide their stashes. As such, people proficient in melee combat are sought after. Physical labour is the main source of employment in the slum - the nearby factories pay enough to cover food and water, if barely. There's some construction work going on, both by companies and local communities, though it doesn't pay well, either.

Kenshin took a deep breath. The force truly worked in mysterious ways. He sat down on a nearby street curb, then jumped quickly out of his seat as a truck came whizzing down, honking loudly at him. He didn't think he liked the big city. It was far too brutish, too busy, and loud. No one ever stopped to appreciate the sun rising through the moisture filled clouds, or the rain dripping through corroded metal sheaves. Life was hectic in such a way that it was frittered away.

Still, force would provide.

There was surely someone willing to offer room and board for work no matter where they were. Bladework.... not something Kenshin would have liked. He had sworn never to soak his blade in blood for another cause again (revolutions are called such because they revolve, like wheels they just come around again), and acting as muscled thugs would be too much like the enforcer he used to be. No, honest work was better. Something to do with his hands.

And nature would always provide, too. Rain, filtered, food, hunted. Anything could be palatable if you were hungry.

Maybe, he could find a way to do good again. His slate was drowning in blood, but even little bit wiped away counted. He would never make amends in his lifetime, but at least he could try.

MAJOR ACTION: Survive
Plan:
1. Find honest work
2. Secure an abandoned building that's in relatively good condition
3. Hunt
4. Live

ASSETS INVOKED:
Gathered information
Force: Mind (Professional)
Lighsaber
Traveling Gear
Force: Enhancement
Force: Lightsaber Combat
Force: Telekinesis
Force: Esoteric - Precognition
Force: Esoteric - Stealth
Unarmed Combat

Method of Invocation: Enhance the body. Work unflaggingly, untiringly, with the force giving strength. Telekinesis when no one notices, to do more than one has hands for. Then, hunt. With lightsaber, and mind, stretch out senses for simple minds, and then leap, and kill. Thank the animal as it returns to the force, for its body will sustain life a bit longer.

And then rinse and repeal.

MINOR ACTION: Repent
Plan: Always, somewhere, someone will need help. Even if it's just a being needing a set of hands to haul water, even if it's just someone who needs protection, offer aid to any possible.

ASSETS:
Pillar: "I will atone for the blood on my hands." (4)
Force: Mind (Professional)
Lighsaber
Force: Enhancement
Force: Lightsaber Combat
Force: Telekinesis
Force: Esoteric - Precognition
Force: Esoteric - Stealth
Unarmed Combat

Method of invocation: Help. If someone needs a shoulder to cry on, calm their mind and listen. If someone needs a blade of protection, stop but do not harm. If someone needs food, offer what little at hand.

Everyone could use a helping hand.

GretelOstrich · Sep 16, 2014

@Daraken

Complex Action (Continued): Job Hunting
Flynn, Turian Engineer, Turian Soldier, Asari Mercenary
Plan: Hold position, with the team combining fire to take down each drone before it can withdraw. If cover is destroyed by the heavy mechs, withdraw deeper into labyrinth.

Asset
+2 Flynn - Infantry Combat: Professional
+2 Flynn - Tactics: Professional
+4 Flynn - SMT Magic: Expert
+1 Flynn - DEMONICA
+1 Flynn - Gauntlet COMP
+3 Engineer - Infantry Combat: Professional, Combat Engineer
+1 Engineer - Tactics: Trained
Engineer - M-8 Avenger (+1)
Engineer - Military Omni-Tool (+2)
Engineer - Light Armour (+1)
+2 Engineer - Overload, Combat Drone
+2 Soldier - Infantry Combat: Professional
+1 Soldier - Tactics: Trained
Soldier - M-27 Scimitar (+2)
Soldier - Military Omni-Tool (+2)
Soldier - Medium Armour (+2)
+1 Asari - Infantry Combat: Trained
Asari - M-9 Tempest (+2)
Asari - Medium Armour (+2)
+4 Heavy Cover

Opposition
+2 Tactics: Professional

3 Training Mechs
Effect: Biotic Stasis
-Cannot take action for this and the following turn
-Enemy attacks take a -3 Penalty

2 Heavy Mechs (+++)
+1 Combat Algorithms
+3 Heavy Rifles
+3 Heavy Armour

4 Flying Drones (+)
+1 Combat Algorithms
+1 Assault Rifle
+1 Light Armour
+2 Mobility

[10 + 38 -> 48] vs [20 + 36 -> 56]

The last exchange seemingly a success, the situation looks hopeful. You're outnumbered, but behind cover, and facing dumb mechs, even if they're guided by a sapient.

You're all professionals. You can do this. You will do this.

The attack doesn't come immediately. The drones wait for the mechs to move into firing position, before surging forward and peppering your position with automatic weapons fire… and run headlong into your fire. They immediately evade and lose altitude to take advantage of cover, while the heavy mechs lay down a heavy barrage. The soldier is caught outside of cover and loses his shields near instantly. Projectiles strike his arm and he falls.

"Arm lost, shoulder disintegrated. You're out, sorry." the test observer declares

He punches a nearby crate in frustration.

The fight continues and you start to give ground, as the mechs advance. Counterattacks are met with a swift, overwhelming barrage, focusing fire on the heavy mechs prompts the drones to hit your flank. The only option you have left is trading space for time. The asari looks like she can safely use stasis, again, at least.

The battle isn't over, yet, but you certainly lost this skirmish. The overwatch drone spots the stasis effect wear off and the three light mechs start moving. It takes a direct hit, soon after, and is destroyed.

Status Update
Turian Soldier has been Incapacitated
Combat Drone destroyed, unavailable for next turn
2 Heavy Mechs remain functional
3 Training Mechs are now no longer under Stasis
4 Flying Drones remain functional

GretelOstrich · Sep 17, 2014

@ZiPeppe
OBJECTIVE: Find the damn truck!

It actually doesn't take long to find the truck - the vorcha hid it in a small cave, close enough to the camp to leave unguarded. They've been stripping it for parts, by the looks of it.

(i.e.: The GM forgot about the damn truck.)

Mission is accomplished. You can now report in to the militia, pick up your reward and move on. You could also try grabbing some of the vorcha's weapons or the stolen items - the militia will likely want to confiscate the former and return the latter to their owners, but you could easily keep a gun or two and a few items for yourself.

New Assets
Reputation: Mercenary (Shorekeep Militia)
+6,000c

KnightDisciple said:
I ponder my options a bit before ultimately going for one of the mid-range models, with an eye toward utility more than entertainment (so tool usability, 'net access, communication, things like that). 200c is the max I allow myself for the tool.

You acquire an omni-tool for 200c. Good base system specs, a bunch of little, useful tools, a lot of cool utility apps and decent modularity - you're not going to turn it into a specialist device, but it can be upgraded with a nano-fabricator.

I remain polite but professional as the...salarian...in front of me goes over the terms. I nod when he hands me the datapad and pen.

"Thank you, sir. Yes, just a moment."

I smile at Arina, but I make sure to read the full measure of the contract before signing it. I notice the bit about insurance, or lack thereof. I look up at the gentlebeing in front of me, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I notice there's not an insurance clause. Is it permissible to investigate some sort of independent insurance plan on my own, or would that not be feasible? I am not trying to be defeatist, mind, but simply prudent."

My attitude says that I believe I won't ever need the insurance, but you never know.

"Hm, yes, certainly" he says "Unfortunately, most insurance companies require details of the items to be insured, which are considered confidential, in the case of your packages. However, if you can find a company which will provide insurance without such information, feel free to pursue their plan. I would also appreciate the contact data of such a company."

This sounds like a rather long-winded way of saying "Yeah, sure, good luck with that" to you.

ZiPeppe · Sep 22, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
OBJECTIVE: Find the damn truck!

It actually doesn't take long to find the truck - the vorcha hid it in a small cave, close enough to the camp to leave unguarded. They've been stripping it for parts, by the looks of it.

(i.e.: The GM forgot about the damn truck.)

Mission is accomplished. You can now report in to the militia, pick up your reward and move on. You could also try grabbing some of the vorcha's weapons or the stolen items - the militia will likely want to confiscate the former and return the latter to their owners, but you could easily keep a gun or two and a few items for yourself.

New Assets
Reputation: Mercenary (Shorekeep Militia)
+6,000c

Thankfully her worries had been for nothing: the truck was hidden in a nearby cave and was partially dismantled. there was no danger of a group of Vorcha suddenly appearing right behind her. With that taken care of, Selath went back to the vorcha camp and started scavenging a few things from the dead pests. Not long after one of their rifles, a rocket launcher and the omnitool became part of her growing inventory; and not willing to provoke the militia just yet, she placed a call using the frequency given to her.

"This is a channel reserved for the militia use only, identify yourself immediately," a brusque voice answered.

"This is Selath, the merc going after the Vorcha bandits," she responded. "The job is done, if you trace the communication you'll find me at their base."

"...This better not be a joke or a trap. I'm sending a squad your way."

'You little pretentious backwater pile of bantha refuse...' "Be advised, there is a good deal of cargo and weapons, better bring something able to carry a lot of stuff," she instead responded.

"Acknowledged."

Some time later Selath heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and a minute later saw three transports stopping right at the entrance of the camp. Two squads of militiamen climbed down and started swarming the place, running around making sure there were no surpirses. 'Paranoid bastards,' Selath uncharitably thought. It did not take long before someone whom looked in command approached her.

"You are the merc right?" he pointlessly asked. "Did you kill them all by yourself?"

He could not see it through the helmet she was wearing, but the glare she sent his way was a good attempt at pulverizing someone with just a look. "Yes, I did kill them all by myself. I am rather good at what I do after all."

The militiaman looked suitably impressed and offered her a ride back to the town; a ride she readily accepted as she had no intention of going back there on foot if she could avoid it.

Once there she started once again looking around for a shuttle passage, but no longer all the way to Elysium. Perhaps breaking down the voyage into several smaller trips will keep the price down.

Complex Action: Plan the voyage to Elysium
PLAN: Use the extranet to see if there are colonies or outposts closer to Shorekeep and use those to break the voyage down to a series of smaller trips. Of course check if there is anyone willing to give a ride in these places before jumping on the shuttle.

ASSETS:
Diplomacy: Trainee(2 points)
Civilian Omni-Tool (to navigate the extranet obviously)

General Action: See if there is anyone willing to ferry you to the first stop of the journey.
PLAN: Use what we know of diplomacy, our previous experience dealing with the pilots, our mind powers and our deed of slaying the bandits to find a willing pilot at a good price.

ASSETS:
Force: Mind
Professional(8 Points) -> The mind trick is faster and not as obvious (less handwaving and robot like repeats of the order).
Diplomacy:
Trainee(2 points)
The dead Vorcha bandits.

Complex Action: Depending on how long everything will take, it always a good idea to train when there is a moment of peace.
PLAN: Use the outdoors of this colony to train the physical abilities, and our aim with our ranged weapons. Warn the militia beforehand when using the weapons. (Le Parkour, shooting, shooting on the move)

ASSETS:
Force: Enhancement
Professional(8 Points) -> Jedi Master level.
Weapon Handling: Pistol
Trained(4 Points) - > Competent in it's use like any other soldier.
Weapon Handling: Rifle
????

GretelOstrich · Sep 25, 2014

@Usandru

At the mention of Blue Suns, it looks as if most of your team will just stay out of it and run; some actually do, but most of them stay, sixteen people in total. You don't have much in the way of weapons, but there's a few heavy pistols, shotguns and sub-machine guns around, mostly in case of varren. Enough to equip one squad, the others hastily pick up whatever tool that can be quickly adapted for combat - plasma and laser cutters, arc welders, all very short range or outright melee weapons - and somewhat cumbersome, to boot - but they're better than nothing. Most should ignore barriers. The defence front looks better, as the kinetic barriers and suits everyone has can protect not only against falling chunks of metal, but also against bullets.

The Blue Suns stride into your work area, with no particular concern or hurry, as if they owned the place. There's nine of them, a full squad in light combat gear - light armour, the faint shimmer of weak kinetic barriers, a mix of assault rifles and submachine guns. No heavy weapons, thankfully.

At the head of the group is a human, wearing no helmet. He appears to be in his early forties, looking more like a (bored) teacher, than a mercenary.

He looks over the gathered group, then, not seeing anyone matching your description, at your exoskeleton.

"So, you're the Eclipse girl we've been hearing about?"

The Blue Suns are slowly moving around, edging towards cover.

Assets

Squad 1 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Short Range]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Squad 2 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Melee; Ignores Barriers]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +2 [Short Range; Ignores Barriers]
Defence +2 (Armour)
Mobility: +2

Opponent

Squad 1 (+++)
Morale: 0
Attack: +1 (Medium Range)
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Daraken · Sep 27, 2014

Complex Action (Continued): Job Hunting

The results were disappointing to say the least. The loss of the elder of the Turian brothers had turned the odds even more against them, much to Flynn's annoyance. If he was still in Tokyo, he could have simply summoned another demon in replacement, but alas. And the young Samurai was most definitely not going to reveal one of his trump cards simply to win a mere test.

Falling back seemed to only option left, though Flynn paused as he suddenly recalled the words of one of his old mentors. True, if this was a real battle, withdrawing would be the smart choice. But to be honest, Flynn was feeling increasingly frustrated and that combined with an desire to crush at least some of the enemy, well...

It was like the old master said, Fortune favors the bold after all.

Flynn
Plan: Be the bait.

Asset
Flynn - Infantry Combat: Professional
Flynn - Tactics: Professional
Flynn - SMT Magic: Expert
Flynn - DEMONICA
Flynn - Gauntlet COMP

Method of Invocation
Flynn will try to draw the Heavy Mechs attention, trying to cause as much damage while distracting them from the rest of the team. Moving in close should help negate some of their firepower advantage, as long as Flynn can keep dodging at least.

===

Turian Engineer
Plan: Overwatch duty against Flying Drones.

Asset
Engineer - Infantry Combat: Professional, Combat Engineer
Engineer - Tactics: Trained
Engineer - M-8 Avenger (+1)
Engineer - Military Omni-Tool (+2)
Engineer - Light Armour (+1)
Engineer - Overload

Method of Invocation
With Flynn acting as bait, the Flying Drones will either continue to attack the rest of the group, or try to take down Flynn. Either way, the Engineer can provide firing cover and Overloads to keep them distracted at a minimum.

===

Asari Mercenary
Plan: Tie down the Training Mechs.

Asset
Asari - Infantry Combat: Trained
Asari - Biotic: Professional, Adept
Asari - M-9 Tempest (+2)
Asari - Medium Armour (+2)
Asari - Stasis

Method of Invocation
Repeating the team's earlier successful tactic, the Asari Mercenary will attempt to lockdown the enemy Training Mechs with Stasis before trying to take any that any that aren't caught. If she's lucky enough, she can then turn her support to help the rest of the team.

KnightDisciple · Sep 27, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
You acquire an omni-tool for 200c. Good base system specs, a bunch of little, useful tools, a lot of cool utility apps and decent modularity - you're not going to turn it into a specialist device, but it can be upgraded with a nano-fabricator.

Upgrades will wait for now. I work to familiarize myself with the device's as-is specifications.

MightyDwarf said:
"Hm, yes, certainly" he says "Unfortunately, most insurance companies require details of the items to be insured, which are considered confidential, in the case of your packages. However, if you can find a company which will provide insurance without such information, feel free to pursue their plan. I would also appreciate the contact data of such a company."

This sounds like a rather long-winded way of saying "Yeah, sure, good luck with that" to you.

I just smile and nod.

"That's fair enough. I simply felt compelled to ask. If I happen to encounter an insurance company like that I will pass you their information.

With that being addressed, I feel comfortable saying I am willing to enter into an employment contract with you and your company."

I go through any necessary signing procedures and the like.

"I can provide you with my hours occupied by my regular employment, so that there is no mutual frustration due to schedule conflicts."

Usandru · Oct 13, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
@Usandru

At the mention of Blue Suns, it looks as if most of your team will just stay out of it and run; some actually do, but most of them stay, sixteen people in total. You don't have much in the way of weapons, but there's a few heavy pistols, shotguns and sub-machine guns around, mostly in case of varren. Enough to equip one squad, the others hastily pick up whatever tool that can be quickly adapted for combat - plasma and laser cutters, arc welders, all very short range or outright melee weapons - and somewhat cumbersome, to boot - but they're better than nothing. Most should ignore barriers. The defence front looks better, as the kinetic barriers and suits everyone has can protect not only against falling chunks of metal, but also against bullets.

The Blue Suns stride into your work area, with no particular concern or hurry, as if they owned the place. There's nine of them, a full squad in light combat gear - light armour, the faint shimmer of weak kinetic barriers, a mix of assault rifles and submachine guns. No heavy weapons, thankfully.

At the head of the group is a human, wearing no helmet. He appears to be in his early forties, looking more like a (bored) teacher, than a mercenary.

He looks over the gathered group, then, not seeing anyone matching your description, at your exoskeleton.

"So, you're the Eclipse girl we've been hearing about?"

The Blue Suns are slowly moving around, edging towards cover.

"I think I'd be more inclined to answer questions if your boys weren't creeping into combat positions, but for the record, I've got no affiliation with Eclipse. I mean, does it look like I'm doing merc work here?" Asuka replies, tone casually arrogant, while she gestures at the wreck.

With her other hand she's flicking together a rough plan of attack. Range is in the favour of the Blue Suns, but her boys have numbers, and she has the enemy attention. She just needs enough time to get it all lined up.

"But hey, I'm not an unfriendly girl, y'know? Maybe we can help each other out, whaddaya say? We're all here on shit hill together, right?" She continues, slouching in the exoskeleton and dropping the nose of the hull cutter into the dirty in a non-threatening manner. Not that it makes any practical difference to how fast she can bring it to bear.

She's got her supervisor software running, her people divided up into squads - all standard functionality - and she's almost got her "work notice" prepared to dispatch on the press of a button. It's a hackjob, but faster than talking if it goes south.

Saying "attack, attack, attack!" isn't exactly complex stuff either.

In the corner of her screen, the VI of her personal suit is giving estimates of arrival. The clock is ticking.

And Rei is coming.

Plan - Stall
Keep the mercs talking and not shooting.

Assets
I am an Eva Pilot (Broken)
Bluff - Trainee
Charisma - Trainee
~~Delicious IC justifications~~ Contextual Modifiers

Method
Be pleasant enough to talk to - nobody really wants to shoot other people, unless they're like, psychos or something - and keep seeming like a slightly vapid, easily manipulated hotshot.

Plan B - Murderkill
Attack the mercs if they decide they're 'ard 'nuff and have more brawn than brains. Force a close quarters engagement, and use the exoskeleton to grab attention and soak fire.

Assets
Tactics - Trained

Squad 1 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Short Range]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Squad 2 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Melee; Ignores Barriers]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +2 [Short Range; Ignores Barriers]
Defence +2 (Armour)
Mobility: +2

Method
Lead with the Exoskeleton, aiming more at disrupting the enemy and inhibiting their response. Have Squad 1 rush forward and fire with their short range weapons, and then break off to let Squad 2 engage without risking friendly fire. Accept that complex commands at this point are doomed, and just mob the mercs and beat them with powertools until dead.

GretelOstrich · Oct 19, 2014

@Jemnite

MAJOR ACTION: Survive

ASSETS INVOKED:
+1 Gathered information
+1 Force: Mind (Professional)
+1 Lighsaber
+1 Traveling Gear
+2 Force: Enhancement
+1 Force: Lightsaber Combat
+1 Force: Telekinesis
+1 Force: Esoteric - Precognition
+1 Force: Esoteric - Stealth
+1 Unarmed Combat

(16 + 11 -> 27)

Survival proves to be easy. There's always some work in the slums, and you quickly find employment, repairing one of the large apartment buildings. It doesn't pay too well (+1,500c/month), but you're not going to get anything better that doesn't involve hurting people, in some form.

Finding a building that won't topple on top of you and isn't inhabited takes a few days, but you ultimately happen upon one - the previous inhabitants disappeared just a few weeks ago, and no-one knows why. Rumour has it they saved up enough money to buy passage with some smugglers, out of Hegemony space. The house is in disrepair and the roof is leaking, but it looks like it'll hold together. It even has a water collector.

Hunting proves to be a good source of food. There are animals lurking all over the slum, and while they've become adept at evading humans, using the Force enables you to hunt them with only moderate difficulty.

New Assets
Employment: Construction Work (+1,500c/month)
Small House

MINOR ACTION: Repent

ASSETS:
Pillar: "I will atone for the blood on my hands." (4)
Force: Mind (Professional)
Lighsaber
Force: Enhancement
Force: Lightsaber Combat
Force: Telekinesis
Force: Esoteric - Precognition
Force: Esoteric - Stealth
Unarmed Combat

(No modifiers from Assets, quite yet.)

The sun is starting to set. You've returned from work just an hour ago and have some time to rest before you'll have to go on a hunt, when you hear someone knock at the door. Opening it, you face a human woman in her early forties. You haven't seen many humans here, so far.

She looks surprised and… slightly worried? "Uh, good evening." she pauses, looking for words "Ah, sorry, I don't think we've met? Is Enral here? I'm a friend of his."

GretelOstrich · Oct 28, 2014

@ZiPeppe

Complex Action: Plan the voyage to Elysium
PLAN: Use the extranet to see if there are colonies or outposts closer to Shorekeep and use those to break the voyage down to a series of smaller trips. Of course check if there is anyone willing to give a ride in these places before jumping on the shuttle.

ASSETS:
+1 Diplomacy: Trainee(2 points)
+1 Civilian Omni-Tool (to navigate the extranet obviously)

(12 + 2 -> 14)

There are eight inhabited worlds between Shorekeep and Elysium that have shuttles you could hire. They're fairly close together, separated by two Relay hops, at most. After spending a whole day on research on various sites and forums, you determine the whole trip should cost 3,500c. Still more expensive than the freighter, but you'll be there far sooner, at least.

General Action: See if there is anyone willing to ferry you to the first stop of the journey.
PLAN: Use what we know of diplomacy, our previous experience dealing with the pilots, our mind powers and our deed of slaying the bandits to find a willing pilot at a good price.

ASSETS:
+3 Force: Mind
Professional(8 Points) -> The mind trick is faster and not as obvious (less handwaving and robot like repeats of the order).
+1 Diplomacy:
Trainee(2 points)
+1 The dead Vorcha bandits.

(14 + 5 -> 19)

You find a pilot willing to ferry you to the first stop, and with some liberal application of mind tricks, you get her to lower the price, a bit.

(Lower total cost of voyage by 400c)

The voyage to Elysium is two weeks long, boring and tiresome, but the final shuttle makes touch down on a small landing pad, near the edge of the space port. After so much time confined in these tiny, dinky little shuttles with annoying pilots, Elysium feels like paradise.

It's an impressive colony, and a stark contrast from the tiny mining towns you visited - a true city of tall, shining arcology towers rising into the sky, surrounded by commercial and industrial districts. The streets are crowded, aircars buzz through the air and freighters descend and ascend to and from the space port.

But there's an aura of fear to the whole city. You spot a pair of small military ships, not much larger that Corellian corvettes, hovering above the edges of the city, on patrol. Soldiers in light gear seem to be as common in the space port as regular security personnel. They're trying to stick to the sidelines, but they're there. As if they're expecting an attack to come at any moment.

Despite this, no one hassles you as you leave the space port and you're free to explore Elysium.

(You've expended four of your action)

Complex Action: Depending on how long everything will take, it always a good idea to train when there is a moment of peace.
PLAN: Use the outdoors of this colony to train the physical abilities, and our aim with our ranged weapons. Warn the militia beforehand when using the weapons. (Le Parkour, shooting, shooting on the move)

ASSETS:
Force: Enhancement
Professional(8 Points) -> Jedi Master level.
Weapon Handling: Pistol
Trained(4 Points) - > Competent in it's use like any other soldier.
Weapon Handling: Rifle
????

1 Point towards Force: Enhancement, Weapon Handling or some other physical skill. Enhancement costs 8 Points for Mastery, while Weapon Handling costs 4 Points for Professional. Trainee level costs 1 Point.

(Skill progression will generally cost 1 -> 2 -> 4 -> 8. At least for now. I am currently not rolling for this.)

GretelOstrich · Nov 2, 2014

@Daraken

Complex Action (Continued): Job Hunting

Flynn
Plan: Be the bait.

Asset
+2 Flynn - Infantry Combat: Professional
+2 Flynn - Tactics: Professional
+4 Flynn - SMT Magic: Expert
+1 Flynn - DEMONICA
+1 Flynn - Gauntlet COMP
+1 Heavy Cover

Method of Invocation
Flynn will try to draw the Heavy Mechs attention, trying to cause as much damage while distracting them from the rest of the team. Moving in close should help negate some of their firepower advantage, as long as Flynn can keep dodging at least.

Opposition
2 Heavy Mechs (+++)
+1 Combat Algorithms
+3 Heavy Rifles
+3 Heavy Armour
-2 Close Range

[11 + 20 -> 31] vs [12 + 14 -> 26]

===

Turian Engineer
Plan: Overwatch duty against Flying Drones.

Asset
+3 Engineer - Infantry Combat: Professional, Combat Engineer
+1 Engineer - Tactics: Trained
Engineer - M-8 Avenger (+1)
Engineer - Military Omni-Tool (+2)
Engineer - Light Armour (+1)
+1 Engineer - Overload
+4 Heavy Cover

Method of Invocation
With Flynn acting as bait, the Flying Drones will either continue to attack the rest of the group, or try to take down Flynn. Either way, the Engineer can provide firing cover and Overloads to keep them distracted at a minimum.

Opposition
+2 Tactics: Professional

4 Flying Drones (+)
+1 Combat Algorithms
+1 Assault Rifle
+1 Light Armour
+2 Mobility

[23 + 18 -> 41] vs [22 + 16 -> 38]

===

Asari Mercenary
Plan: Tie down the Training Mechs.

Asset
+1 Asari - Infantry Combat: Trained
+3 Asari - Biotic: Professional, Adept
Asari - M-9 Tempest (+2)
Asari - Medium Armour (+2)
Asari - Stasis
+4 Heavy Cover

Method of Invocation
Repeating the team's earlier successful tactic, the Asari Mercenary will attempt to lockdown the enemy Training Mechs with Stasis before trying to take any that any that aren't caught. If she's lucky enough, she can then turn her support to help the rest of the team.

Opposition
3 Training Mechs (+)
+1 Combat Algorithms
+1 Assault Rifle
+1 Light Armour

[Stasis - d4 -> 4]

(All Training Mechs under Stasis effect. Asari Mercenary will support attack on Drones)

You quickly hash out the plan. The other two are not exactly happy about your part in it, but this is just a simulation. No consequence for dying.

The turian's omni-tool whirs as it fabricates tech-mines. Reality warps around the asari. You leap out of cover and run, taking an evasive route through the junk, bullets whizzing past you as the mechs and drones focus fire on you.

Not for long, however, as the asari unleashes a Stasis effect on the mechs, exposed by their attempts to hit you. First, a second, and then, in a herculean effort, a third Stasis effect envelops the training mechs, locking them down. Immediately, she shifts her attention to the drones, just as the engineer launches an Overload mine and starts firing his shotgun. Suddenly, the drones aren't paying attention to you, and the only thing you have to worry about are the heavies.

You charge in, moving from cover to cover, trusting in your armour to deflect glancing hits, and snapping off electrical spells at anything that looks vulnerable - joints, sensors, radiators. They attempt to engage, but they're too slow, too cumbersome and just not intelligent enough to catch you at close range. You start taking them apart, and soon enough, one stops and falls over, non-functional, while the other starts backpedaling, trying to open the range.

Your squadmates aren't doing badly for themselves, as one drone is stunned by an overload, and downed by a burst of SMG fire. The battle unexpectedly tipping back into their favour, they press on, keeping up the pressure while the light mechs are still locked down. Another drone goes down.

The battle drags on for several more minutes. The training mechs are released from Stasis, but only to be obliterated by shotgun and SMG fire. The heavy mech almost succeeds in scoring a killing shot on you, but you manage to disable its main sensor cluster and bring it down.

The drones are the last to fall, the operator deciding to have them run rather than fight, seemingly to annoy you. But by then, the result is inevitable.

"Damn, that was a good show." he comments "Anyway, fun's over, the boss wants to talk to you."

Following the simulation, you're led to a small office. Spartan, with few decorations, a cheap-looking desk and chairs the only objects within. Waiting for you is an asari dressed in what looks like a bussiness suit. You'd say in her mid-thirties if she were human, but she's probably a few centuries old.

"I'm Neala Trebis, owner of Orvide Security" she introduces herself "Please, sit. Apologies if the seats aren't too comfortable, I don't use this office often" a moment's pause, as she gathers her thoughts "I have to say, I'm rather impressed by your performance - only a small portion of our security personnel actually pass that final simulation. Admittedly, most of them aren't former turian military, professional mercenaries, or, uh..."

She frowns, glancing briefly at you.

"...highly talented? Obviously, you have the job. We generally organize our security personnel into four-individual teams, and if you think you'll work well together, I can put you all on the same team. What do you say?"

The others seem to be partial to the idea. You certainly worked well, together.

Regardless of your choice, you are now employed by Orvide Security. Your current assignments are fairly routine and safe, pay decently well and come with a decent health care package.

New Assets
Employment: Orvide Security (+4,000c/month)

Daraken · Nov 7, 2014

Flynn Walker
Complex Action (Continued): Job Hunting

The self-satisfied smirk on Flynn's face disappears by the time he and the rest of his team are escorted to speak with the owner of Orvide Security. Though it may have been merely a training exercise with no real possibility of death, there was simply nothing like a fight against all odds and emerging victorious in the end to get one's blood pumping. It was hardly becoming though, to show up in a meeting with his potential employer with what could be construed as a gloating attitude.

Flynn does manage to hide his amusement as Trebis clearly doesn't know what to make of Flynn when contrasted with his teammates. Huh, giving that some thought, it might actually be a problem. She clearly had knowledge of the other's background- the young Samurai's lack of one might be an issue. Something to ask Burroughs about when this was over at least. At Trebis' offer, Flynn pauses to consider the matter. With the three, there was not quite the camaraderie he shared with Isabella or one of his other fellow prentices. But...there was the potential.

"It would be my pleasure to work with the others in the same team, ma'am."

***

General Action: Basic Essentials
Plan
With employment and a source of income secured, its time to get whatever will be needed for Flynn to survive in this new world. Namely, finding somewhere to live and purchasing combat gear and miscellaneous supplies that may prove useful. (Full list posted in OOC)
Assets
Persuasion: Professional
Charisma: Professional
AI Burroughs/Gauntlet COMP
Method
Talking to his new friends would be best of course. Flynn's new teammates are sure to have some suggestions with regards to gear, while Kei'Rala's previous offer to help still stands.

***

General Action: Self Education
Plan
Raised as a peasant in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, Flynn knows that he is ignorant of much of the world, his eyes opened by his experiences in Tokyo. The unceasing fights and adventures of the previous year left no time to study, but perhaps in this new land he will finally have the opportunity. It's time to start walking on his own, instead of relying on Burroughs for everything.
Assets
AI Burroughs/Gauntlet COMP
Method
Good old fashioned reading and studying, with Burroughs helping run any teaching programs Flynn can get his hands on.

***

Project: Tech Powers
Plan
This is truly a strange new world. Records are not kept on paper, but "electronically" as Burroughs says. And while Flynn has started learning to adjust to a new paradigm, it won't be enough. Thankfully, he still has Burroughs. While her experience with other electronics and technology may be limited, as an artificial intelligence her ability to learn and adapt are unmatched. Most importantly, replicating those fascinating tech powers like hacking and manipulating electronics are just the thing her Master needs help with.
Assets
AI Burroughs/Gauntlet COMP
Method
Allow Burroughs full rein in Flynn's free time (and when he's sleeping), and possibly seek the aid of Kei'Rala when it comes to learning more about hacking and other related subjects.

ZiPeppe · Nov 14, 2014

MightyDwarf said:
@ZiPeppe

Complex Action: Plan the voyage to Elysium
PLAN: Use the extranet to see if there are colonies or outposts closer to Shorekeep and use those to break the voyage down to a series of smaller trips. Of course check if there is anyone willing to give a ride in these places before jumping on the shuttle.

ASSETS:
+1 Diplomacy: Trainee(2 points)
+1 Civilian Omni-Tool (to navigate the extranet obviously)

(12 + 2 -> 14)

There are eight inhabited worlds between Shorekeep and Elysium that have shuttles you could hire. They're fairly close together, separated by two Relay hops, at most. After spending a whole day on research on various sites and forums, you determine the whole trip should cost 3,500c. Still more expensive than the freighter, but you'll be there far sooner, at least.

General Action: See if there is anyone willing to ferry you to the first stop of the journey.
PLAN: Use what we know of diplomacy, our previous experience dealing with the pilots, our mind powers and our deed of slaying the bandits to find a willing pilot at a good price.

ASSETS:
+3 Force: Mind
Professional(8 Points) -> The mind trick is faster and not as obvious (less handwaving and robot like repeats of the order).
+1 Diplomacy:
Trainee(2 points)
+1 The dead Vorcha bandits.

(14 + 5 -> 19)

You find a pilot willing to ferry you to the first stop, and with some liberal application of mind tricks, you get her to lower the price, a bit.

(Lower total cost of voyage by 400c)

The voyage to Elysium is two weeks long, boring and tiresome, but the final shuttle makes touch down on a small landing pad, near the edge of the space port. After so much time confined in these tiny, dinky little shuttles with annoying pilots, Elysium feels like paradise.

It's an impressive colony, and a stark contrast from the tiny mining towns you visited - a true city of tall, shining arcology towers rising into the sky, surrounded by commercial and industrial districts. The streets are crowded, aircars buzz through the air and freighters descend and ascend to and from the space port.

But there's an aura of fear to the whole city. You spot a pair of small military ships, not much larger that Corellian corvettes, hovering above the edges of the city, on patrol. Soldiers in light gear seem to be as common in the space port as regular security personnel. They're trying to stick to the sidelines, but they're there. As if they're expecting an attack to come at any moment.

Despite this, no one hassles you as you leave the space port and you're free to explore Elysium.

(You've expended four of your action)

Complex Action: Depending on how long everything will take, it always a good idea to train when there is a moment of peace.
PLAN: Use the outdoors of this colony to train the physical abilities, and our aim with our ranged weapons. Warn the militia beforehand when using the weapons. (Le Parkour, shooting, shooting on the move)

ASSETS:
Force: Enhancement
Professional(8 Points) -> Jedi Master level.
Weapon Handling: Pistol
Trained(4 Points) - > Competent in it's use like any other soldier.
Weapon Handling: Rifle
????

1 Point towards Force: Enhancement, Weapon Handling or some other physical skill. Enhancement costs 8 Points for Mastery, while Weapon Handling costs 4 Points for Professional. Trainee level costs 1 Point.

(Skill progression will generally cost 1 -> 2 -> 4 -> 8. At least for now. I am currently not rolling for this.)

Miracles of miracles, Kiros somehow managed to lower the price for the first passage on Shorekeep. 'I swear,' she thought as she handed over the money to the far more amicable pilot of the last part of the trip to Elysium. 'Those guys must have found a way to turn greed into a superpower; for the sake of the galaxy, they must never be allowed meet the Hutts,' she briefly imagined the scenario and mentally shuddered. 'Nope. Not going there.'

Unpleasant possibilities of superpowered Hutts suppressed and mundane task done, Kiros took her first good look at the colony using bother her normal and more esoteric senses as she wandered around like a tourist. Her eyes saw the heavy military presence, the Force whispered to her the fear and wary anticipation everyone in the city was feeling. It was a familiar taste to her; she felt it many times as she fought for the Republic right before a battle against the blasted mandos, and more recently under Revan.

'Speaking of Revan the threat they are preparing against might be one of our fleets,' she thought, 'I don't remember a "System Alliance" being among the targets, but then again large military operations were not within my purview,' she stopped doing her tourist impression and started walking with a goal in mind. 'In any case I will need a place to stay and more information. Time to hunt for a place to stay and job.'

General Action: A place to stay.

Plan: A city this big it will surely have something with at least some basic accommodations, like a room with a bed and a kitchen, for a reasonable price. Walk around the town and look on the local extranet for a place to stay, even ask around at some of the local cantinas if they know someone. Also obtaining a map should help with that.

Assets:
-Diplomacy:
Trainee(2 points)
-Force: Mind
Professional(8 Points)
-Omni-Tool (Civilian, Standard)
-Local Map (if obtained)

General Action: Go Fish

Plan: Try to find out what has everyone so spooked. Talking with the people (or eavesdrop if they clam up), reading a journal and looking on the extranet should yield enough information for that, given the amount of mobilization seen and the general tension in the air.

Assets:
-Diplomacy:
Trainee(2 points)
-Force: Mind
Professional(8 Points)
-Omni-Tool (Civilian, Standard)

General Action: MOAR Fish.

Plan: This may be a remote part of the galaxy, knowing more about this System Alliance and any other polity surrounding it is just common sense. At the same time however it is not something she should do by talking to people, as questions about her heritage will inevitably crop up. Nosing around the extranet and a library is there was one were the safest bets.

Assets:
-Omni-Tool (Civilian, Standard)
-Local Map (if obtained) (for the library)

Complex Action: Fear and war = work opportunities

Plan: High security might mean more scrutiny, but it also means a lot of overworked police force that might want to hire some helpers and/or rich private citizens looking to hire some extra muscle to defend themselves. Look for possible jobs and putting out feelers while exploring the city for a place to stay and on the extranet too.

Assets:
-Diplomacy:
Trainee(2 points)
-Force: Mind
Professional(8 Points)
-Omni-Tool (Civilian, Standard)
-Reputation: Mercenary (Shorekeep Militia) (as references if I feel it will help).

GretelOstrich · Nov 28, 2014

@Usandru
Plan - Stall
Keep the mercs talking and not shooting.

Assets
+1 I am an Eva Pilot (Broken)
+1 Bluff - Trainee
+1 Charisma - Trainee
+3 ~~Delicious IC justifications~~ Contextual Modifiers

Method
Be pleasant enough to talk to - nobody really wants to shoot other people, unless they're like, psychos or something - and keep seeming like a slightly vapid, easily manipulated hotshot.

[6 + 19 -> 25] VS [0 + 2 -> 2]
[6 + 18 -> 24] VS [0 + 12 -> 12]
[6 + 19 -> 25] VS [0 + 10 -> 10]
[6 + 7 -> 13] VS [0 + 11 -> 11]
[6 + 14 -> 20] VS [0 + 11 -> 11]

Holy shit is this guy bad at this.

You start talking and stalling for time, and he falls for it, getting dragged into a prolonged argument. You maintain initiative, not letting him get too many words in and keeping him off balance and confused with some transparent lies and bad acting - you aren't good at this, but he's apparently even worse.

All, the while, your other exoskeleton is coming closer and closer, with each passing second. Half-way there...

He finally gets a few words in, suggesting (politely) that you come with them and meet their commander, sort everything out . Judging by how the mercs seemed amused by this, it doesn't sound like a good idea.

So you do the rhetorical equivalent of pointing and shouting "Look, a unicorn!" and he falls for it. The conversation gets rather heated from that point on, the leader getting angrier and angrier, before he finally snaps.

"Okay, enough of that! Get out of that damn suit or we'll drag you out!"

Too late. Your suit is in position.

Combat Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +6 [Kinetic]
Defence +2/+5 (Armour, Kinetic Barriers)
Mobility: +5
Assets:
Combat VI
Improved Computer

@Daraken
General Action: Basic Essentials
Plan
With employment and a source of income secured, its time to get whatever will be needed for Flynn to survive in this new world. Namely, finding somewhere to live and purchasing combat gear and miscellaneous supplies that may prove useful. (Full list posted in OOC)
Assets
+3 Persuasion: Professional
+2 Charisma: Professional
+2 AI Burroughs/Gauntlet COMP

(I am assuming, based on the Method, that you want to invoke the Connection with Kei'Rala and your team, which will count as a +1, each?)

[8 + 13 -> 21]
Burroughs digs up information on modern equipment and some catalogues on the extranet. It takes some time to figure it all out and collate a basic wishlist, before you ask your teammates for their opinion. They seem to think it's fine, though a bit basic, and suggest getting some mods, later on. Maybe drones. They also point you to a few good equipment dealers.

Kei'Rala, on his end, gets you the omni-tool at a discount and points you to a few places where you can get software and tech mine blueprints for a bit cheaper.

With their help, and some bargaining, you managed to save a few credits.

10% discount to purchased equipment
New Assets:
Contacts: Military Equipment, Combat Software

On the housing front, the cheapest apartment you can find is 750c a month. It's small, but it's actually fairly nice and has an extranet terminal. Living costs are 750c a month, as well.

***

General Action: Self Education
Plan
Raised as a peasant in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, Flynn knows that he is ignorant of much of the world, his eyes opened by his experiences in Tokyo. The unceasing fights and adventures of the previous year left no time to study, but perhaps in this new land he will finally have the opportunity. It's time to start walking on his own, instead of relying on Burroughs for everything.
Assets
+4 AI Burroughs/Gauntlet COMP

[4 + 16 -> 20]

The extranet is a treasure trove of information. Practically any non-classified data (and even those, sometimes!) can be found, there. This, unfortunately, causes quite a significant information overload. Luckily, you have Burroughs to help you find the relevant data - educational material; textbooks, lectures, learning software, terabytes of it. You clearly have a lot to study up on to be able to function in this society, in the long term.

Over almost three months of intense study, you gain a broad (if not in-depth) understanding of the world - politics, culture, law, technology, etc. Enough to not stand out, too much. Over the course of your studies, you found one subject in particular to be interesting, and gained a more in-depth understanding of it, though far from expertise or even any real competence.

(You gain one skill of your choice, at Trainee level)

***

Project: Tech Powers
Plan
This is truly a strange new world. Records are not kept on paper, but "electronically" as Burroughs says. And while Flynn has started learning to adjust to a new paradigm, it won't be enough. Thankfully, he still has Burroughs. While her experience with other electronics and technology may be limited, as an artificial intelligence her ability to learn and adapt are unmatched. Most importantly, replicating those fascinating tech powers like hacking and manipulating electronics are just the thing her Master needs help with.
Assets
+4 AI Burroughs/Gauntlet COMP

(Again, I assume you're invoking the connection with Kei'Rala, which counts for +2)

[6 + 9 -> 15]

You manage to find time between your job and education to research the topic of electronics, even recruiting Kei'Rala to help you along. Between him and Burroughs, you go from knowing absolutely nothing to… well, the essentials. Not much, certainly not enough to hack anything on your own, but enough to operate automated software, like the ones you purchased.

New Skill:
-Information Technology: Trainee

@ZiPeppe
General Action: A place to stay.

Plan: A city this big it will surely have something with at least some basic accommodations, like a room with a bed and a kitchen, for a reasonable price. Walk around the town and look on the local extranet for a place to stay, even ask around at some of the local cantinas if they know someone. Also obtaining a map should help with that.

Assets:
-Diplomacy:
+1 Trainee(2 points)
-Force: Mind
+3 Professional(8 Points)
+1-Omni-Tool (Civilian, Standard)
+1-Local Map (if obtained)

[6 + 6 -> 12]

You download a map of the planet to your omni-tool, shortly after leaving the ship. With that in hand, some extranet searches and simply asking the locals, you find a few possible apartments. The standard monthly rent is 560c, here, it would appear, and the owners weren't willing to budge. However, since it's less than a week until March is over, one of them offered not to charge you for those last few days.

Living costs are 550c per month, based on some extranet research.

General Action: Go Fish

Plan: Try to find out what has everyone so spooked. Talking with the people (or eavesdrop if they clam up), reading a journal and looking on the extranet should yield enough information for that, given the amount of mobilization seen and the general tension in the air.

Assets:
-Diplomacy:
+1 Trainee(2 points)
-Force: Mind
+3 Professional(8 Points)
+1 -Omni-Tool (Civilian, Standard)
[5 + 8 -> 13]

You watch the local news and ask around, and quickly discover that it isn't Revan these people are worried about - it's about an another power, the Batarian Hegemony. The colony was raided by them (or rather, by pirates funded by them), just four years ago and came within inches of being wiped out. However, apparently a single Alliance soldier (Shephard? Shepperd?) single-handedly stopped them when they breached the defences, somehow. It sounds rather exaggerated.

A few days ago, the batarians started another round of customary, annual sabre-rattling. Normally, this wouldn't scare the people here this much, but they've gotten more bold than ever, this year. The frequency of pirate raids has tripled and batarian frigates have been spotted in nearby systems. The Alliance has reinforced the local fleet presence, and the local ground forces are on high alert, but everyone is scared of "a second Blitz".

General Action: MOAR Fish.

Plan: This may be a remote part of the galaxy, knowing more about this System Alliance and any other polity surrounding it is just common sense. At the same time however it is not something she should do by talking to people, as questions about her heritage will inevitably crop up. Nosing around the extranet and a library is there was one were the safest bets.

Assets:
+1 -Omni-Tool (Civilian, Standard)
+1 -Local Map (if obtained) (for the library)

[2 + 8 -> 10]

You get a map of the galaxy. It doesn't match any map you've ever seen. The general shape is the same, but quite literally everything else is wrong - the number of arms, the diameter, and dozens of other facts. A political map shows that the local polities are spread across the whole galaxy, in small clusters connected by 'Mass Relays', admittedly, but there's still no way anyone could possibly miss them. The only reasonable conclusion is that you aren't in the same galaxy, anymore.

Usandru · Mar 20, 2015

MightyDwarf said:
@Usandru
Plan - Stall
Keep the mercs talking and not shooting.

Assets
+1 I am an Eva Pilot (Broken)
+1 Bluff - Trainee
+1 Charisma - Trainee
+3 ~~Delicious IC justifications~~ Contextual Modifiers

Method
Be pleasant enough to talk to - nobody really wants to shoot other people, unless they're like, psychos or something - and keep seeming like a slightly vapid, easily manipulated hotshot.

[6 + 19 -> 25] VS [0 + 2 -> 2]
[6 + 18 -> 24] VS [0 + 12 -> 12]
[6 + 19 -> 25] VS [0 + 10 -> 10]
[6 + 7 -> 13] VS [0 + 11 -> 11]
[6 + 14 -> 20] VS [0 + 11 -> 11]

Holy shit is this guy bad at this.

You start talking and stalling for time, and he falls for it, getting dragged into a prolonged argument. You maintain initiative, not letting him get too many words in and keeping him off balance and confused with some transparent lies and bad acting - you aren't good at this, but he's apparently even worse.

All, the while, your other exoskeleton is coming closer and closer, with each passing second. Half-way there...

He finally gets a few words in, suggesting (politely) that you come with them and meet their commander, sort everything out . Judging by how the mercs seemed amused by this, it doesn't sound like a good idea.

So you do the rhetorical equivalent of pointing and shouting "Look, a unicorn!" and he falls for it. The conversation gets rather heated from that point on, the leader getting angrier and angrier, before he finally snaps.

"Okay, enough of that! Get out of that damn suit or we'll drag you out!"

Too late. Your suit is in position.

Combat Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +6 [Kinetic]
Defence +2/+5 (Armour, Kinetic Barriers)
Mobility: +5
Assets:
Combat VI
Improved Computer

Asuka grins maliciously, queuing up a quick sweep with her personal Exosuit's main gun, and lightly presses the button to distribute her 'work notice'.

Barely a second afterwards, she surges forwards, hauling the giant hullcutter forwards like it's a blunt instrument. Her finger taps the activation, and plasma blooms from the nozzle, superheating everything around it.

They're expecting her. Guns twitching upwards to shoot, to retaliate, to bring her down. Curses and cussing abounds but it's not enough. Not even close to enough. She stood against those white devil birds until her battery ran out. These wretches can do nothing to her.

Besides, now is when her personal exosuit explodes out from cover, sweeping heavy mass accelerator fire into their unprepared backs.

Her subordinates might not even get the chance...

PLAN:
Fuck shit up.

Assets:
Squad 1, Squad 2 and the work exoskeleton (see: post #40)

Combat Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +6 [Kinetic]
Defence +2/+5 (Armour, Kinetic Barriers)
Mobility: +5
Assets:
Combat VI
Improved Computer

I am an Eva Pilot (Broken)
Mecha Piloting - Professional
Tactics - Trained

GretelOstrich · Mar 20, 2015

@Usandru

PLAN:
Fuck shit up.

Assets:

Squad 1 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Short Range]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Squad 2 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Melee; Ignores Barriers]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +2 [Short Range; Ignores Barriers]
Defence +2 (Armour)
Mobility: +2

Combat Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +6 [Kinetic]
Defence +2/+5 (Armour, Kinetic Barriers)
Mobility: +5
Assets:
+2 Combat VI
+1 Improved Computer

+1 I am an Eva Pilot (Broken)
+2 Mecha Piloting - Professional
+1 Tactics - Trained

Opposition:

Squad 1
Morale: 0
Attack: +1 (Medium Range)
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

[31 + 15 -> 46] vs [4 + 11 -> 15]

You wade through their barrage and into combat range, your flunkies not having the time to react, and instantly incinerating one of the mechs with a plasma cutter. They scatter, preparing to outflank you…

...only for your combat exoskeleton to burst onto the scene. It acquires a target and fires instantly, a 20mm round ignoring barriers and armour and pulverizing a merc. The combat VI gives them no time to react and regroup, and just fires the cannons at full auto. With no ECM in the area to speak off, its aim is unerring and scythes the mercs down with a long, sustained burst of hypervelocity metal. Scattered return fire causes its barriers to briefly flash, almost mocking the mercs.

In moments, nine shredded bodies lie on the ground. Your work crew hadn't even had the time to respond.

"All hostile contacts terminated. No damage sustained. Friendly casualties - none." the Combat VI says in a rather chipper tone "Awaiting further orders."

The Blue Suns' armour is beyond repair, but their weapons look mostly unharmed, if covered in quite a lot of blood - you could salvage them and equip Squad 2. The work crew looks rather shaken, however...

Usandru · Mar 20, 2015

MightyDwarf said:
@Usandru

PLAN:
Fuck shit up.

Assets:

Squad 1 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Short Range]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Squad 2 (+++)
Morale: +1
Attack: +1 [Melee; Ignores Barriers]
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +2 [Short Range; Ignores Barriers]
Defence +2 (Armour)
Mobility: +2

Combat Exoskeleton (+++)
Attack: +6 [Kinetic]
Defence +2/+5 (Armour, Kinetic Barriers)
Mobility: +5
Assets:
+2 Combat VI
+1 Improved Computer

+1 I am an Eva Pilot (Broken)
+2 Mecha Piloting - Professional
+1 Tactics - Trained

Opposition:

Squad 1
Morale: 0
Attack: +1 (Medium Range)
Defence: +1/+1 (Armour/Barriers)
Mobility: +1

[31 + 15 -> 46] vs [4 + 11 -> 15]

You wade through their barrage and into combat range, your flunkies not having the time to react, and instantly incinerating one of the mechs with a plasma cutter. They scatter, preparing to outflank you…

...only for your combat exoskeleton to burst onto the scene. It acquires a target and fires instantly, a 20mm round ignoring barriers and armour and pulverizing a merc. The combat VI gives them no time to react and regroup, and just fires the cannons at full auto. With no ECM in the area to speak off, its aim is unerring and scythes the mercs down with a long, sustained burst of hypervelocity metal. Scattered return fire causes its barriers to briefly flash, almost mocking the mercs.

In moments, nine shredded bodies lie on the ground. Your work crew hadn't even had the time to respond.

"All hostile contacts terminated. No damage sustained. Friendly casualties - none." the Combat VI says in a rather chipper tone "Awaiting further orders."

The Blue Suns' armour is beyond repair, but their weapons look mostly unharmed, if covered in quite a lot of blood - you could salvage them and equip Squad 2. The work crew looks rather shaken, however...

Asuka brings her exoskeleton to a halt position, exhales, and turns off the hullcutter.

Her personal exoskeleton is moving down towards her. Rei is coming. One way or another she's quitting her job today.

With a grunt, she pops the exoskeleton and crawls out onto the soil of Korlus. Her own exoskeleton responds immediately, opening up and offering her entry. In less than a minute, she's sitting there, wiping away sweat and getting a quick drink of water before sealing up the pilot shell again.

She looks over at her subordinates, and feels a pang of- of what? She grimaces at the unknown, at the unrecognized emotion.

She presses the button to broadcast, gaining their attention. And suddenly finds herself tongue-tied. What does she even want to say...?

"Um. Thanks for sticking around guys." She finally states awkwardly, turning red out of embarrassment and twisting in her seat.

"I, uh, I'm gonna quit the job today - was gonna do that anyway, really - so, um, don't worry about me, yeah? I've got this. I've got this. You go take care of yourselves, right?"

She grins under the suit, forgetting they can't even see it. It feels weird on her face. Like it's not the expression she actually wants to make, just the one she can. The one she knows.

Throwing them a salute, she starts plotting her course. She needs to stick close enough that she can stay jacked into the orbital services. She needs to know when Rei's ship arrives. She needs to be able to receive messages from her.

She just needs to keep her head down out by the outskirts of the main network tower for some hours. How hard can that be?

Plan:
Head out to camp in the exoskeleton close enough to a wireless access point she can keep track of arriving ships in orbit.

GretelOstrich · Mar 20, 2015

@Usandru
Operation: Mean and Green
Status: Green

TehReiClone: What's with that name, anyway?
TehReiClone: 'Mean and Green'?
KomandorSharpe: It's a reference to an old game.
TehReiClone: Oh
TehReiClone: It's kinda dumb, TBH
KomandorSharpe: …no one asked you.

Monika giggled, and simply kept walking, presuming Aneta would follow shrouded by the thermoptic cloak, staying a few steps behind, and hopefully being careful not to bump into anyone. The street wasn't heavily crowded, probably not too strange given the time of the day. It shouldn't be that hard to not run into anyone.

They were in a city.

It was a bright city. Filled with light and colour, sleek towers climbing into the sky. It wasn't a city like Warsaw, Gdańsk or Paris, which grew over centuries of somewhat haphazard development into their modern forms. It was more like a city-scale work of art.

It was a city of blue alien space women.

They didn't look very alien. In fact, she and Aneta mistook them for humans, at first, and then for weird cyborgs, until they noticed the blue skin and the tentacle hair and that everyone was like that and not actually a cyborg. "City of blue alien space women" was the most logical answer, which said everything, really.

They weren't even that alien, Monika thought. If they weren't blue and had regular hair, she could forget they weren't on Earth.

TehReiClone: So, still discounting simulation?
KomandorSharpe: No, but I'm considering dropping atheism
TehReiClone:

Strangely, no-one was paying too much attention to them. You'd think that a pair of obvious aliens would attract attention, but nope, not one look, except for that one middle-aged looking lady, but she was clearly ogling her. Creepers were creepers, no matter the planet.

KomandorSharpe: Uh, you realize we won't achieve much if we just walk?
TehReiClone: Well, what am I supposed to do, boss?
KomandorSharpe: Talk to someone!
TehReiClone: lol
TehReiClone: Right
TehReiClone: And hope they have a magical universal translator?
TehReiClone: You know this isn't Star Trek, right?

<"Monika."> Aneta said, switching to cyber comm <"Just do it.">

<"...fine.">

Talk to someone! As if just talking to a random person on the street was easy! Talking was a craft, some could take it to an art form, and she didn't mean creepy pick-up artists. You didn't just-

<"Monika!">

<"Give me a moment!"> she whined <"This isn't actually that easy.">

Aneta should really get out more, Monika decided.

First stage was cover story. She was a tourist. A space tourist, as a matter of fact, who had lost all her things, which was a perfectly believable story! Second stage was target selection, which sounded creepy as all hell, but was actually perfectly innocuous. She walked, glancing at the blue alien space women passing by. First looked too rich, second, third and fourth way too loud and drunk, fifth looked angry…

Twelfth looked good.

"Um, excuse me!" she called out to the woman, putting on her best 'helpless and lost' look "Could you spare a moment?"

She was probably looking really silly, talking in a language the woman didn't even understand.

To her surprise, the woman smiled and answered immediately, saying… something. The language was completely unknown to Monika, but the other woman clearly understood her. She opened her mouth, working her jaw and trying to figure out what to say…

"Ah, sorry, I can't understand a word you're saying!" she said, rubbing the back of her neck and laughing stupidly.

The woman frowned, raised her hand and some kind of a hologram appeared around it, which looked like an interface of some sort. She fiddled around with it for a moment, muttering in the incomprehensible language, until…

"...there! That should do it." she said "You don't have an omni-tool?"

"...nnnooo. I kinda lost it. Along with most of my other stuff. I kinda need help, actually!"

Aneta stood a few paces back, positioned to avoid anyone bumping into her - she knew a thing or two about stealth - and listened in on Monika's conversation with the woman. This was insane. Blue space women. A real time translation system. What next? Faster than light travel?

Monika was doing alright, at least, completely in her element - the woman looked like she bought the cover story. All was proceeding according to the scenario.

"I guess I can help you. Libraries and basically anywhere else with extranet access are going to be closed by now, unless you have an ID, but I can let you borrow the terminal at my place. It's just a short nip on the public transit, from here. What do you say?"

Extranet. Internet equivalent? They had to grab some data about this city. Or planet. Tourist guides. Maps. Anything to help them get around, but which wouldn't be suspicious.

"Sure." Monika said, then smiled sheepishly "Ah, haven't even even introduced myself! I'm Monika."

"Neiyra. Nice to meet you."

Something landed on Aneta's head. Just a gentle tap, but it was enough to make her look up and…

...see another droplet of water splash on the thin thermoptic fabric hiding her, right in front of her face.

Rain?

Rain.

Rain!

<"MONIKA! Code Red! Camouflage system about to be compromised!">

Operation: Mean and Green
Status: CODE RED CODE RED CODE RED

Plan
~~Aneta~~Mirage Flame:
Panic
Nononodon'tfreakout
Hide from rain! There has to be something or whatever!

Invocations
(Negative) Just As Planned (1)
Stealth: Trained
Infantry Combat: Trainee

Method
Don't panic! All that experience in VR shooters non-professional military training has to be good for something! Stay frosty and get under some cover to avoid camouflage being further compromised, or failing that, stay in the shadows and don't move.

Most of all, avoid the blue woman making a connection with Monika! You're an independent and completely non-related crazy person under a camo cloak.

~~Monika~~Blue Eyes:
Go with the unknown alien lady to her house! Aneta can handle herself.

Invocations
Charm: Professional
Bluff: Professional, Improv
Pillar: I make this look good (2)

Method
Keep up the charade of being just a tourist who lost her stuff and go with Neyria to her home. Once there, get tourist brochures, city maps, addresses for police stations, public libraries or any other extranet access points.

~~Mirosława~~Razor Thunder
Avoid trouble.

Invocations
"I can change this world." (Broken)
Mech Piloting: Trained

Method
Lie to the aliens who probably can't even understand you! Say that this is kind of a LARP thing and all those guns are totally fake and ask if they couldn't perhaps, maybe go make-out somewhere else? If they leave, leave soon after and find a better hiding spot.

If they don't, leave quickly before the police arrives.

Strangers in a Strange Land

Daraken

Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens

GretelOstrich

ZiPeppe

Puzzled Cat

GretelOstrich

KnightDisciple

Brotherhood. Unity. Peace.

Usandru

Usandru

Jemnite

CVN-69 Fella

GretelOstrich

GretelOstrich

ZiPeppe

Puzzled Cat

GretelOstrich

Daraken

Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens

KnightDisciple

Brotherhood. Unity. Peace.

Usandru

GretelOstrich

GretelOstrich

GretelOstrich

Daraken

Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens

ZiPeppe

Puzzled Cat

GretelOstrich

Usandru

GretelOstrich

Usandru

GretelOstrich