it's gonna rain - and it never ends

[thespaceopera]

[ It's midday, or close enough to it that the sun is blazing red hot above the planet. Everything seems ordinary - for disturbing, red-tinted values of ordinary, anyway. But the normalcy doesn't last for long.

Without warning, an explosive sound shocks through the jungle. It doesn't come from any one central point, but rather several points, scattered throughout, strategically placed to the advantage of someone. And from those massive shocks rises a wave of missiles - large, fast, and apparently, freely flying. They're guided, and they've locked onto their target: any foreign ship that is currently within Lato'li's atmosphere.

There's no way to mistake it. They're headed right for the Fleet.

The first wave feels a bit sporadic - timings might be off, but the missiles are still deadly, and if they hit, they hit hard. Shields might withstand this wave, but ships without shields will take direct hits. The ability to stay airborn is very, very quickly lost.

The second wave is much more precise, expertly timed and executed by whomever is firing from below. Even smaller shuttles get caught in the crosshairs, and those ships that lasted through the first volley will take a few more shots. If shields saved you before, they will fail here, giving out under the strain.

And the third wave comes, a little bit longer after, to finish the job. There are more of them, and they are far more advanced - they make the previous two volleys look like warning shots. This time, it's all missiles launched, all targets acquired.

Seven Fleet ships - and many, many shuttles - fall out of the sky, headed straight for the surface at alarming speed. Only four ships manage to escape the assault and exit the planet's atmosphere, retreating to orbit as fast as possible. Those lucky enough to have been in orbit can only watch as all of this happens.

But the missiles aren't the only thing up their sleeve. Just when the dust settles, while the network is surely lighting up with activity, attempts to contact one another and check on the status of fellow ships and crew, A loud, quick, terrible screeching noise shocks the network. It drowns out all communications on any connected devices - ship or personal. Ships in orbit will see all on-board systems flicker, then fizzle out, all non-emergency systems have gone completely down.

And with that.. there's silence. Perhaps too much silence. No matter what you do, no matter which buttons you press, which channels you try, there is no connection. Those who have dropped to the surface are entirely radio silent, and those in orbit have been reduced to the barest of abilities and life-support, with the bare minimum of contact.

So... What can you do now? ]


(( ooc: Feel free to use this post as a mingle for all your crashy or missile-dodgy needs!

• The following ships have been shot down: Bishop, Bloodsport, Blue Fish, Goldstone, Heron, Tourist, Twin Roses.
• The following ships are now in orbit: Blameless, Caprine, First Breath, Huntress, Iskaulit, Red Fish, Starstruck, Vanquish, Wonderduck

Good luck, Dear Fleet...~ ♪ ))

Comments

[fantachetic]

[ Nothing to see here, just some bumps and bruises that will smart in the morning. ]

Of course, Inquisitor. Are you quite all right?

[samahl]

I'm going to end up with some interesting bruises, but that's not too unusual for me.

[Time for a subject change before they fuss needlessly over each other now.] How is the communicator coming along? Do we have any idea why it's not working?

[fantachetic]

I'm afraid it's not. There was an awful screeching noise and then everything went dead. Nothing I've tried has worked thus far.

[ Cyril, he's going to fuss anyway. ]

[samahl]

Is there a way for them to stop the signal? [He asks it with a lot of uncertainty. He has no idea how that works.]

[fantachetic]

The Atroma? I'd imagine so- especially if what I've heard is true and they can control us, as well.

[ Which...doesn't really sit well with him. ]

[samahl]

[Cyril looks unsettled by that idea, because he very deeply is and it's intense enough that he can't hide it from his face. He reaches up and touches where the augment is before forcing his arm down.

They really can't focus on that now, though, not when who knew what was out there. He shoves all of that aside for now, swallows the fear,
and focuses on the tasks they can do now.]

If we can't get it working, we may have to figure out how long we'll be down here without it.

[fantachetic]

If it won't work, that may not be the least of our concerns. I can't say what happened with the other ships and if we were the only ones stuck. This ship, at the very least, is a capable one.

[samahl]

I would think so, considering how capable it's crew is.

We should start planning to withstand an attack. I doubt shooting us down was the end goal of those behind the volley.

[fantachetic]

Scouting the area might be a good idea, as well. Just as soon as everyone is determined to be in one piece.

[ Too bad Harding isn't here to do what she's best at, right? ]

With the ship down like this, it is vulnerable to quite a lot.

[samahl]

A couple of us could go out. I wouldn't be opposed to it, considering I've no talent to help with fixing the ship.

[fantachetic]

A hurdle in which we are both having difficulty navigating. The Captain should have a better understanding of everyone's strengths if we are to become divided.

[samahl]

So we try our best to get this working, and let the Captain make the important choices. A role I do not envy.

[fantachetic]

I'm certain you've earned the right to let someone else take the reigns on this.

[samahl]

The right, perhaps. But I've been terrible at being retired.

[fantachetic]

I suppose I could see that. Such is the life of the Inquisitor, hmm?

[samahl]

Perhaps I just like to meddle?

[fantachetic]

That, I can also believe. Perhaps it's an Inquisitoral thing or a Lavellan thing. Either way, you're all terribly meddlesome.

[ He says with literally no bite, because he loves it. ]

[samahl]

At least we're all pretty while we do it. [He's assuming, because elfs are cute.]

[fantachetic]

I can't argue with that.

[samahl]

It's important that you have pleasing people to look at. I'd hate to strain your eyes.

[fantachetic]

[ He smirks. ] You make my life sound so difficult.

[samahl]

Well, to be fair, your life is on Thedas and anyone who says they have an easy life there is either lying or a sheltered, fat noble.

[fantachetic]

[ That playful smirk comes back. ] Even they think their lives are of the troubled sort. A certain Inquisitor sees to that much.

[samahl]

[He laughs very softly at that.] More than one, it would seem. I'd imagine Leilani doesn't let them bully her either.

[fantachetic]

Certainly not. You're both rather strong-willed.