driftfleet | it's gonna rain - and it never ends

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it's gonna rain - and it never ends

[ 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...~ ♪ ))

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[Mm, she's listening, but she doesn't really have much to say to where they go, as long as it's relatively safe. Or as safe as they can get, at least. Though there is a thought that's in the back of her head, and it was one that made her think she'd be relatively okay. That's why she was doing the whole nonstop singing thing after all, and after all this time, she's still been relatively okay.]

Our way of fightin' might be one of the things we need, though. Nothin' happened to me out here, and I've been singin' the whole time. I dunno if I was just lucky, though, or if it... well, when the bandits happened, I kinda pacified them. Not a lot, 'cause our powers weren't all that strong then, but it worked. I wonder if that's workin' here, though. The way it should be.

[She's right about higher ground, and about it being difficult to protect two people at once, though judging by the way she just threw herself out of that shuttle Cloud's inclined to believe they can take care of themselves just fine. Or at least Kaname can

Still, even if he's sturdy enough to survive confrontation and is confident in his ability to keep them safe, he can die of thirst as easily as either of them. He really doesn't want to risk getting lost. Circling the valley is a good compromise.] Dunno what your singing does, but I agree with following the edge of the valley. Either way, the less time we spend out here, the better.

[Looking down at Freesia, she nods.] It's an idea, but not one I want to figure out here. Keep it in mind, though.

[Kaname gently tosses the stick to the side and begins to brush the traces of her map from the dirt with her foot. Once that's cleared, she takes the larger bag of supplies and holds out the smaller one to her friend. Cloud should be freer to move just in case.]

Agreed. Are you all right with watching our back? I can monitor the front for signs of the Vieziri.

I can keep track of things, too! [Look, she's flicking her own technails on, though the screen doesn't show anything of importance for the time being.]

If we're all agreed, let's get going. I dunno if stayin' in one place is gonna help us.

Don't gotta tell me twice. [He won't argue either of them taking the supplies, a hand already on the hilt of his sword as they start the trek. He wants to be ready. Some of the shit the townsfolk were saying about these people...it's horrific, honestly.

...okay but those whatever things they're using to project those screens are awesome. Cloud keeps sneaking glances, intrigued, but ultimately decides to save the questions for when they're definitely safe.]

How far are we from the crash site? If you had to guess.

[She doesn't look back to answer, keeping her eyes peeled on the forest around them.]

I didn't get a long look, but a rough estimate might be four miles in a straight shot, not taking into account terrain. Once we hit the edge of the valley, we should be able to get a better idea of the distance.

[After another moment, she lets the screen vanish and her hand drop.] We're clear for now.

Freyja, there's a water bottle in that pack. Go ahead and use it. [Continuing to walk, she opens her bag and takes out another.] Here, Cloud.

[And she holds it out for him.] Thanks for coming after Freyja. We both appreciate it.

[You don't gotta tell her twice, she's already gulping down some of the water. And it actually does feel nice on her throat, after all of that singing. And I mean, she was thirsty. She doesn't hesitate to follow after Kaname, too, eager to get a move on.]

I do appreciate it. A lot. Thank you.

[He'll take that water gratefully, and down like a third of it after realizing he hasn't had anything to drink since before the ship crashed.]

Jeez...enough. Nami asked me to go look for you. [After he volunteered to.] Let's just get back to the others in one piece, alright?

You still didn't have to, but all right. [Does it sound like she's amused? Because she totally is. What a dork.] If either of you need something to eat, let me know. I've got some food here as well.

[And with that, she falls silent, bringing out the screen once more to keep track of any potential Vieziri threats.

So, a peaceful walk to the edge of the valley?]

[Freyja's stomach probably answers the question on whether she's hungry or not, but she's not going to say anything this time because they need to get moving. She has her own screen up, too, with no sign of any threat just yet.

But a peaceful walk tot he valley sure is a go, even if the cracking of a branch has Freyja's head darting to look in the direction it came from, or the sound of a nearby animal makes her head dart in the other direction. Now that she's not singing, she can't help but really notice how wrong it feels, though.]

... Does anyone else feel like there's somethin' off?

Yup. [It's that pre-hair-raising feeling, and it's what's kept Cloud's hand on the hilt of his sword over his shoulder even as he sips his water. He can't see or hear anything, but the light's all fucked up and it's a damn jungle, so that doesn't necessarily mean a thing.] Think we're being stalked.

If they're here, somehow it's just outside the range of our scanners.

[Kaname keeps her voice low and eyes peeled.] Don't slow down or speed up, keep moving like we've been. I think we're close to the edge of the valley. Once we're there, we can reassess our plans if we need to.

[Cloud might notice how readily she lays out plans, like it's second nature to her. There's also room for him to add in ideas if he has any. She's not about to shoot anything down when it might help.

With her free hand, she reaches back to squeeze Freyja's.] Just like Voldor, okay? Quiet and efficient. We've got this.

[She squeezes Kaname's hand back, but she keeps moving. Just like Voldor, that's doable. Kaname's so sure that everything will be okay, so how can Freyja argue? And anyway, she's Walkure's leader. She puts on her confident face, because everything will totally be okay. She's sure of it.]

Mmhm! There's no way that we don't have this.

They could have something that screws with your sensors, too. [But yeah, fighting in an open area is preferable to all these trees around. He can't swing properly with all the trunks in the way, even if he could cut through them.] That thing about your singing while you fight- what's it do?

I doubt that. There were accurate readings when I was coming down.

[Of course she needs to be sure-- Acting otherwise wouldn't help anything at all. Sparing a glance back, Kaname looks from Cloud to Freyja.]

Back home it prevents people from falling under the control of the Var, pacify those afflicted, and it can boost the fighting potential of the pilots we work with. Unless Freyja's referring to something that happened here before?

It was somethin' from before. At home, we help everyone with the Var, but singing still has power. I sorta... surprised them? They stopped attackin' for a bit, so other people could get the upper hand. I kinda wonder if that'd happen here, too, if we had to. It's somethin' to think about, at least.

[She kinda wishes she could offer a more concrete answer, but it is what it is right now, unfortunately.]

[Concrete would've been nice, but they're approaching the valley and a branch behind them snaps with a sound like a gunshot. He reaches back to pull Freyja in front of him, push her toward Kaname and away from the sound of a swift approach through the jungle.] Run, let's go! Get into the clearing!

[At the sudden noise, Kaname turns to get a reading before grabbing Freyja and hightailing it towards the open ground.]

There's four that I got signals from, and they're spreading out in an arc behind us! [Stealthy and unnoticed are left behind. She reaches back to grab Freyja's hand and haul them both forward in the dark. Dodging trees and branches makes it just that much harder to gain speed and distance, so Kaname yells back to her friend.]

Freyja, light!

[Well, okay. She doesn't need anymore urging than that, the rune on her head standing up and shining with a bright pink light (that seems to sparkle, too) so that they can see where they're going even as she runs.

The noises of their pursuers are coming more rapidly now, though. Any notion of stealth has been abandoned now that they're so close to the trio, and the cracking and snapping are more apparent than they've ever been.]

How much further!?

[Cloud turns long enough to heft his sword back over his shoulder and swing, sending a crescent of force back behind them toward one of the sources of sound; there's a brief squawk of pain as the other three pursuers burst from the undergrowth, two heading for Cloud and one leaping past him for Kaname and Freyja.]

[In a last minute bid for open space, Kaname shoves Freyja forward, and they emerge at the edge of the valley by a large slope leading downwards. She hears the noise of one being hit followed by the emergence of the rest as she drops her supply bag at her feet and unholsters the gun at her hip. Good call, Nami.

Aiming at the one following her, she shoots twice, barely missing the first time and the second hitting it squarely in the shoulder. It's knocked back with a shriek, no longer barreling towards the pair, but not completely incapacitated either. Kaname clenches her jaw, and aims again, too focused on this one to notice the previously injured fourth emerging from the trees to charge towards Freyja.]

[And barrel towards her it does, and while she does try to dive out of the way, she doesn't quite succeed. The Vieziri lands on her, knocking them both to the ground with a loud thud and an even louder yelp. The last time this situation had happened was her audition, and that wasn't even real. But this one was. Normally they're in something that's trying to kill her, and not... this. And she doesn't have a proper way to defend herself, she was never really one for weapons even with some training!

So she stares up at the Vieziri that's on top of her, who's preparing to kill her while it has her in this position. The alien even goes to slice at her with its machete.

And that's when Freyja does the only thing she knows how to do. She sings, of course. Her runes shining brighter than it ever has before, too.]

We've only got one shot at love, so let's have fun inside you, let's share a selfish kiss!

[At the very least, well, the Vieziri on top of her pauses the descent of the machete.]

[That's enough.

These assholes are fast, but not much in way of durability. Cloud manages to bodycheck one of them into the trunk of a tree, where it slides down lifelessly as he turns and catches the other in a messy slice across its torso that drops it to the ground, dying or dead.

Freyja starts singing and he turns, sees the alien atop her and just slings his sword over like a boomerang; it catches the Vieziri in the side and it topples off of her with a shriek, babbling something poorly-translated about prey animals as Cloud chases it down, yanks his sword out and just cuts the asshole's head off.]

Shit. You good?

[She hears the yelp and her eyes widen, causing her to fire three shots into the one across from her. Once it's absolutely down for good, Kaname turns around to see Cloud finish off the one threatening Freyja. She grabs the supply bag and hurries over, offering a hand to help the girl up.]

Thank you. [Cloud receives a tired looking smile of relief.] Hey, are you okay? Sorry, it ju--

[Actually, maybe they're not good just yet. The noises bring a few more to check what's going on! This time, two more from the forest and two from the valley. Kaname whirls around to look, tugging her friend closer to her.]

It stopped when you sang, right...? [Meaning they might as well try it here! Or something similar. So she picks up the song herself.]

When the lightning scorches the heavens, my passion flares up, and I am reminded that heart and body are one. It's a listlessness I can't describe.

[Freyja takes the offered hand, pulling herself up—but not dropping her guard, she knows before they even appear that there are more coming, especially wiht her rune already being as bright as it is.

And again, the Vieziri seem to stop, almost as if they're entranced by Kaname's song. Freyja picks up the song quickly.]

We met, we looked for each other, in the darkness of space bloomed our shining flower of fire! Shoot through my heart with the light of the stars! Bang, bang, bang!

[Seriously, though. It's certainly having an effect on the Vieziri, they seem to be struggling to approach them in any kind of dangerous manner because of how deeply entranced they seem to be.]

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