Alert! Alert!

[thespaceopera]

[bright and early one Sunday morning, proximity alarms begin to blare. could it be another set of disorienting malfunctions?

no... this one is for real. the Drift Fleet is under attack!

any ship with a scanning array will pick up a small swarm of ships--roughly the same caliber as the ships in your fleet--swooping in fast from distant space. any pilot, engineer, or communications officer who remembers those strange blips in the radar over the last several months can confirm that this is that very same group that's been following them. this time, they're not leaving room for negotiations, and they will not respond to any hailing or threats. they are on a mission.

within minutes, weapons are live, and the fleet is fired upon. suddenly, the casual drifting of the fleet turns into something much more real, and much more dangerous.

do you follow your augment's call and run to your station? do you flee your responsibilities? do you wish you could help and can't? are the captains leading or floundering, and are their crews even listening?

for a few terrifying moments, the fleet will be hammered, and Atroma is silent. you are all on your own, dear passengers. your little ships are not prepared for this, you have not been trained--and your enemies have no such trouble. a few ships are even shot down, forced to make crash-landings on nearby stations.

things look grim as the terribly-outmatched little fleet fights to defend itself... until the attacking fleet suddenly turns and bolts back into the darkness without warning.

maybe the attack was a warning. maybe they were just testing you. maybe something frightened them off.

whatever the reason, you are all left beaten and confused, without explanation at all.]


ooc post → here
this is a little event to kick off April! and it is essentially a glorified themed mingle, so there is no rush to reply to this immediately. the outcomes of the ships have been predetermined, based on the augments of the crews. all of that information and more (including info for people on hiatus and who wish to opt-out) can be found on the ooc post as well.

flourish or buckle under the pressure, help or hinder, and most importantly-- have fun!

Comments

[arcanepower]

[Belthazar is exactly where Hiro thought he might be. There's a nasty gash on his temple where he hit something hard, and his eyes are a bit unfocused as a result. There's... a bit of blood.

He recognizes Hiro, distantly, and reaches out for him without really thinking about it.]

Hiro? Are you okay?

[everydayhero]

Belthazar!

[oh, this is bad. he takes the hand that reaches out to him and tucks himself under the console with him, just enough to get a better look at that gash.]

Oh, no... We have to get you to Tadashi.

[arcanepower]

[Belth loses his fingers in Hiro's sleeve again. Turns out this is just how he shows affection, or something.]

I'm... I'm okay.

[No he's not. He's not very good at lying. He's freaked out and he hit his head.]

I have bandages somewhere. We need to get off the ship, don't we?

[everydayhero]

You're not okay. We can't leave yet. It's not over. I have to get you to Tadashi, now. Come on.

[he's going to gently... try to get him out from under the console now]

[arcanepower]

[It doesn't take much to get him to come out, fortunately.]

I told you, I'm...

[He's so tired all of a sudden. Why can't the lights stop doing the thing? It's making his head feel worse. Something tickles his cheek and he pauses to touch it, then blinks as his fingers come back covered with blood.]

Oh.

[everydayhero]

[ohhhh god don't faint because you're bleeding or something.]

Watch me, Belthazar. Come on, let's get to the medbay so Tadashi can take a look at it.

[oh god please be okay.]

If you feel like you're gonna faint, tell me. I need you to stay awake, I think you have a concussion.

[gonna guide him as gently as possible to the hall.]

[arcanepower]

It's just a little blood. I'm not about to faint like some noblewoman.

[He huffs, but he lets Hiro take him and guide him. His steps are on the slow side because he is definitely suffering a concussion and he feels stupid about it.]

You think I have a concussion? I am sure I have a concussion. [He stumbles and mumbles something in Thalassian that has the fervency of a swear word.]

[everydayhero]

Then quit sassing me and stay awake.

[hiro is leading, but not yanking. their ship is hit again--he has to brace himself against the wall and try his best to hold belth in place at the same time.]

Why are they even attacking us?!

[arcanepower]

[Belth lets out an alarmed squeak as the ship rocks once more. Very mature. You want proof he's Hiro's age, there it is. He clings to Hiro for a moment after, eyes wide, his breath fast and his head pounding.]

I-I don't want to die! [he stutters, trying to follow Hiro still. God, walking is hard.]

[everydayhero]

We're not gonna die! I hit the distress beacon, someone in better shape than us will help.

[probably definitely tim]

The First Breath shouldn't be too far off to help.

[arcanepower]

Okay... okay. I believe you-- mostly.

[He's so freaked out he's doing more of a panicked shuffle now.]

Those cowards! If they fought us face to face, I'd turn them inside out!

[everydayhero]

Y'know, as sure as I am that you could literally do that, there are a lot of them, and you said you have limited magic. So, let's focus on you not passing out.

[look the medbay it's right there!!]

[arcanepower]

[Belth angles himself toward the nearest bed. He knows not to push himself more than necessary.]

Yes, yes, I know, but I am still angry.

[He drags his hand through his hair.]

I must look a fright. I don't remember when I hit my head...

[everydayhero]

You definitely look like a mess.

[gonna help him sit down on this cot here and i guess i will just uh. get you cleaned up until tadashi gets here.]

[arcanepower]

[He squeezes his eyes shut and wrinkles his nose when Hiro starts scrubbing at his face. It hurts, but...]

... Um...

[He tries to set the thoughts in order in his head. It's harder than it sounds.]

... Thank you. For finding me.

[everydayhero]

[he's trying to be really gentle, but some of this blood is caked on.]

You're not hard to. But I won't tell anyone else about your hiding place, okay?

[arcanepower]

[It stings!! But he is a brave boy.]

I don't care about that. [He puffs his cheeks.] I feel stupid. I should be able to take care of myself. I've done it up until now... but I can barely see straight.

I'm probably four times your age and here I am getting washed up like a child.

[everydayhero]

Have you ever been forced into outer space without any support before?

[arcanepower]

[He opens his mouth to answer, closes it, tries again.]

Uh... no.

[everydayhero]

Then give yourself a break. If I got shoved into your world instead of one I've been dreaming about living in since I was 4, I would be tripping up all over the place.

[arcanepower]

... You wanted to live in space?

[everydayhero]

Getting to go to space is pretty much a huge deal where I come from. And if you're into science-fiction, it's way more of one. Robotics is what I'm passionate about. Working on a space ship kind of takes the horrifying edge off of being kidnapped.

[arcanepower]

[He squints.] I don't get it. What's so good about space?

[everydayhero]

I don't know what you're missing. We're traveling through space--an endless expanse with billions of galaxies, each with millions of star systems, and each of those could have a ton of planets with tons of moons! Your world is just one planet in one star system. We're exploring the universe!

[arcanepower]

Some of my people went to another planet. They betrayed the rest of us and left us to die.

[... Well then.]

The only thing I'm looking forward to is more magic.