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

Pathstone - During / After

[radiantwingedone]

{ During – Pathstone }
[ The shaking was a bad sign. Sure, this place was nowhere near like what he had managed to explore of that whole mess in space last time, but no. Shaking is bad. It upsets his footing enough that when he finally makes it into the bridge, to that seat he'd poked once or twice to realize that yes, this was more or less his, he was floating rather than deal with nearly falling over. ]

Not even one day. [ His voice isn't particularly loud at the moment, just more of an angry snarl. Okay, his brain tells him he knows how to make this work, time to make sure he actually does.

It's only after he realizes that he only has control of the offense that he speaks up again. ]

I cannot shoot what I cannot see. Is there any way to get a better idea of what is going on out there? Or, perhaps, turn? [ This time he's a bit loud. It's mostly frustration, because when Duke usually is in a fight, he does so by avoiding as much as he can… and he can't do that right here. ]

{ After - Pathstone}

[ Okay that was a thing. Good to know he can work this stuff- He leans back in that seat for a moment, then gets up. ]

If anyone needs healing, I can help with that. [ But until then, he's going to pace the ship to get rid of any lingering adrenaline. And maybe sort of see what's broken. Not that... he knows about space ships but. "broken stuff here" is totally help, right? ]

During

[onlyanapple]

[Crowley is not enjoying this, not at all. The Fleet has been great so far, he's lounged about, he's done nothing. But now Tek is gone and he's in charge and NO ONE SHOULD PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF ANYTHING IMPORTANT. So, understandably, he's panicking. ]

SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT.

[He waves vaguely at the radar.]

THEY'RE COMING FROM EVERY-FUCKING-WHERE!!

[radiantwingedone]

Thank you. That is very helpful.

[ It's not helpful at all.

Silence from Duke for a bit because he isn't comfortable talking and shooting at the moment. ]

If you could tell me if any try flanking - approaching from behind, that would be even more helpful.

[ He's doing his best to get everything ahead, because, well, that's what he can see. ]

[onlyanapple]

Fuuuuck.

[Okay, okay he knows how to use this bullshit, he does. It's in his head. He's just not...practised with it. ]

There's one on the left?

[radiantwingedone]

[ And he checks. Oh look, something lighting up red. ]

So there is. Thank you. [ A complete lack of sarcasm this time. ]

Next you see one trying to pull something like that, let me know.

[onlyanapple]

Yeah, I'll try to remember that. [He sounds kinda bitter, he hates everything. ]

[radiantwingedone]

It's something to focus on.

[ Better to focus on that, than the fact they can't move out of the way?

At least Duke is already used to long range things, even before the augment. ]

let me know if him remembering isn't ok

[onlyanapple]

I guess.

[There's a long pause, here, as he eyes Duke carefully. ]

I remember you.

Totally okay!

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke's focusing on the screen. ]

I can't say I remember seeing you.

[ He's being an ass. He remembers the voice, vaguely... But he's fairly sure he was blind at the times they may or may not have been in the same room. ]

[onlyanapple]

[Crowley arches a brow, then lets out a chuckle. ]

Ba-dum-tsh.

[radiantwingedone]

[ Okay, he can pretend to be funny, but... it takes him a little awkwardly long to understand what 'ba-dum-tsh' meant. But, well, he's facing away so the confused staring at the screen.. probably isn't noticed.

But hey! There's no more panicked swearing going on. That's good, right. ]

... Ah, that was for the sight commentary.

[ .. Yeah he's the guy who doesn't get social things right off the bat. ]

[onlyanapple]

There you go, I knew you'd get there in the end.

[radiantwingedone]

The gaps have started to fill in.

[ ... Although he doesn't understand the drum-sound having to do with attempts at being funny so there's some of the old awkward still. It's just related, somehow. ]

Unrelated, but anyone else near?

[ Fighting was common enough on his world that he is now totally comfortable with talking and blowing things up. ]

After

[killedwithlove]

[Cole was of exceptionally little help during the attack, preferring to hide under a bed and cling to the frame to stop himself being thrown about.

After, finally comes out, flinching back from anything sparking and moving through the ship from shadow to shadow, flickering into dark smoke and back again.]

[radiantwingedone]

... And a sparking.. something... near ...wherever this is.

[ Wait, he thought he saw movement. Duke stops. ]

There are places in better repair than this, if you'd rather be there.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole steps out of the shadows, still wearing his clothes from home.]

I don't like the sparks. They sting.

[radiantwingedone]

They do. I can shield you, on the way to somewhere with, at the very least, far less sparks.

[ He can also make any lingering sting go down, but one question at a time. ]

[killedwithlove]

It's not a bad hurt. Just little bites over my skin, like too much mana in the air...

Thank you.

[radiantwingedone]

Like too much... Ah.

[ Duke did form a habit of using his mana to map things, and.. it's never caused any reaction so far. So he pulls it back in, and peers at the young man. ]

You're sensitive to magic, then? [ Duke will at least physically shield him for now. If magic isn't good around him, then.. a coat will probably have to do. ]

[killedwithlove]

Sort of. No? Yes. Not like a mage.

When Dorian charges the air with mana, sometimes it stings a little. Little zaps. This is like that.

[He reaches towards a spark and jumps when it leaps to him.] Like spark spells.

[radiantwingedone]

I will try to remember not to cast around you, whether it is a.. spark spell or not.

[ ... But please stop collecting spark burns. ]

[killedwithlove]

Spell casting doesn't upset me, or hurt me. I work with mages a lot.

I'm a spirit, so I spend a lot of time with magic.

[radiantwingedone]

[ ... And he had understood he was confusing. Too much mana is like little bites, but it was apparently.. like someone specifics lightning spells. ]

... It stings when someone casts lightning magic, and you get caught with it. [ Did he get it right this time? Also wow, what kind of mage doesn't have friend or foe tags?

He blinks once at spirit. ]

... You're not a spirit of an element, though?

[killedwithlove]

Yes. But also, sometimes, when mages are fighting, the air overcharges with mana and it prickles.

[Cole's spent a lot of time in the middle of mage fights.]

No. I'm not an elemental, I'm a spirit. Of Compassion. Or I was. I'm more than that now.

[radiantwingedone]

Ah. [ So don't carge the air around him that much would work as well.

He blinks a little blankly. ]

Of... compassion. [ And more. ]

You are a different sort of spirit than those at home. [ Which is fascinating, but before he gets distracted by that- ]

Shall we move to somewhere less hazardous?