driftfleet | in the shadow of the skyline

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in the shadow of the skyline

[ The Drift Fleet and the Interceptors are an overwhelming force when combined - they may look like a ragtag bunch of ships, but they sure do pack a punch, and the Vieziri are feeling it... Especially the flagship.

It explodes gloriously, nothing but scraps and shambles and metallic debris left in the wake of so much combined fire and heavy artillery. From there, it isn't long until the Vieziri retreat - unorganized. Panicked. Easy to pick off, should anyone choose to not let them get away. Those on the surface find out very quickly what's happened to their warlord, and they flee as well, deep into the jungles and far out of sight. With no leader, they have no plans, and they stand no chance. They won't be a threat anytime soon - or really, for a long while, if ever again.

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The Interceptors land on Lato'li, just outside the largest city their scanners can find, and they set themselves up for a short stay. They can help here, and so they will. They also know that those in the Fleet still have so many questions... and after all they've been through, well, maybe they can figure out how to answer some of them - if they even have the answers at all. No reason not to try, right?

And Zhade? Alive, against all odds - and grateful. To all of you. Stop by and see them before they find their way off this rock. Hell, maybe you can help them convince a certain fleet of crazy ships with crazy guns and crazy people to take on another passenger...~ ]

(( ooc: The battle is over, and the plot has come to an end. ♥ There are some more details for the aftermath at the bottom of the previous info post - if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask us!

You may use this post as an aftermath mingle! All ships are back in orbit (unless you really want to still be stuck and require a tractor-beam tow) and the Vieziri have been driven off! They are still out there in the jungles, lurking, but they will be leaving the Fleet alone. It is safe to visit the planet freely.

There will be top-level comments for The Interceptors - Namely, Angel and Monarch - as well as Zhade, if anyone wishes to speak with any of them in a non-rushed setting, face-to-face. Now is your chance to ask questions, get answers, swap information, anything at all! Dig, dig, dig! There is no time limit - we will continue the threads as necessary. ))

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[ She'll be mostly helping with organizing the chaos around here - but she's also very interested in talking with the Fleet about many, many things: Singing planets, what everyone knows about Atroma, any theories - working or otherwise... It's time to collaborate.

She still has her secrets she's obligated to keep, but she's going to be a lot more open now than she ever has been before.

Or, you know, ask her about her shiny, shiny guns. And other awesome weapons. She's so very happy about her creations~ ]

[It's been a while since the crazy pilot known as 'Angel' appeared before the Fleet, but she's as perky as always. White warpaint is smeared across her cheeks and arms. There are daggers and laser pistols strapped to her thighs. She's also covered in mud, but that's no surprise; she's been fighting on the ground, too.

She can be found assisting villagers, collecting weapons, and filching stuff that looks useful. And she might talk to you, too, if you look interesting-- or chat her up first.]

[Zhade has traded in their mask for a black hood with holes cut out for pointy ears-- certainly more inconspicuous after the other people with masks were pushed into retreating. It's almost easy to miss them because of all the black. Zhade's shoulder and arm is in a sling, but that doesn't stop the conversation-- in fact, Zhade is quite happy to talk to whoever walks by, inquiring about the ship, the weather, or expressing jubilation at finally being free of the Vieziri.]

Hey there! [Vash has a big cheery smile on his face as he waves and tosses a small half a loaf of bread towards Kid.] Not exactly the best breakfast, I know, but it was the best I could do on short notice. [He keeps the other half for himself.]

[Hey there, M'am! Sokka is here, as promised. His arm is still bandaged up and tied in a sling but he's otherwise in good spirits. None of their own died this time, at least. ]

Hey. Thanks again for the assist. I don't think we would have got through that without you guys.

[It's done a lot to ease Sokka's general mistrust towards the Interceptors. Which is why he's here to talk at all. ]

[Angel isn't the only one looking not so clean. Shiro's paladin armor is covered in mud, oil, leaves, and what probably is cannibal blood. But they won, and that's the only thing that matters. He's on his way to the Blameless, provisions under his arm, when he notices the Interceptors, and he just has to say something.]

Hey - Angel, right? Thanks for answering so quickly, and for coming to help. We wouldn't have won without you, guys.

No problem. Glad we could make it in time at all.

[ she nods at that sling. ]

Is that the worst of it? Need any more medical supplies?

Good to see you got your freedom. [Shiro approaches Zhade slowly, and keeps a bit of distance, not sure how they'll react. He did show wariness the first time they talked after all, who knows if that will be held over him.] May I ask you a question?

[He waves her concern off with his free hand.]

Nah, it'll be fine. We're pretty good for supplies. I was hoping I could ask you some Atroma-based questions, if that's okay? I mean...I get you got to keep some secrets but it'd be better than working with nothing.

Sure, while we've got the time for it. I'll answer what I can.

[ She's glad he understands that she can't reveal absolutely everything - especially out in the open, where Atroma surely knows they're all here - but she's determined to do what she can for now. ]

Great, thanks.

I guess my first question is, how did you get free of Atroma in the first place? I mean...my first guess would be something to do with the augments? Reverse engineering them maybe?

[ Man, he had to start there... She winces a little, knowing he's not going to like what she has to say, and sighs. ]

Okay, so that's one of the things I can't afford to get incredibly specific about. I'm sorry. Just... It took a lot of time, and a lot of planning. And you're right, we definitely... messed with the augments. Not exactly reverse engineering, but close enough. And it was not easy, and it did not go smoothly at all. We ran into so many problems - and we... definitely paid a huge price for it.

[ She looks more and more tense as she speaks, and then... sad. She sighs again, shakes her head in an attempt to not get so melancholy while they're trying to have a productive conversation. ]

So - long story short, we messed with the augments, waited for cover and interference from a massive nebula, found a way to cut communications, Marsiva safety protocols, and control, and got the hell out of there as fast as we could with everything and everyone we had left.

[That's...considerably worrying. ]

I guess messing with things attached to people's heads that we already know does some bad stuff when you so much as touch them was always going to go badly. I figured there'd be..casualties.

[He feels for her, he does. He offers an encouraging smile/ ]

Well, that explains why you guys shoved us in that Nebula once. Cuts us off completely from them, huh? That's...handy to know. Thanks.

I... I don't suppose you know what happens to the people who vanish? The popular theory is they go back home, but the vibe I'm getting from Atroma is that it's...not that.

Yeah, some from that, some during the actual escape. Our fleet used to be much larger than it is now.

[ She remembers every single person lost, and she's going to make Atroma pay for each and every one of them. At Sokka's smile, she brings her tone back to something more even, at least - especially at the memory of when they knocked them into said nebulas that one time~ ]

No problem. Nebulas are annoying as hell to fly through, but they've got their advantages, that's for sure.

As for people who vanish... We don't have any definitive evidence that they go back home, and I don't think it'd be possible to get any. But from what we've seen, that's gotta be what's happening. They're not just keeping them on the flagship, that would use resources they don't want to waste. And anyway, sending 'em back home means they can just grab 'em later, if they feel like it. That happened to some people in our fleet a few times.

And anyway, Atroma's the only way to get back home. They're the only ones with that power and technology, and they can use it very freely.

[He files that away for the future. Nebulas ARE a pain in the ass, but if it means they absolutely get under Atroma's radar, well...that's useful. Never know when they might need THAT trick. ]

Oh. So...you guys have never found another way to get out of here? I mean, I've been collecting star charts, hoping that maybe someone will recognise something at some point. But I'm guessing it takes much greater tech than the Fleet has access to, to actually travel to people's home galaxies?

[At least he can be glad that it seems they really ARE going home. That's...something. ]

Believe me, if we found another way back home, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now. [ No offense, man, 100% nothing personal, just true facts. ] Whatever fancy-pants trans-dimensional tech Atroma's got, that's everyone's ticket back home, end of story.

[Kid catches it easily; she has pretty damn good reflexes! Then she sees who threw it and her face lights up.]

Thanks, mate! I'll take anything so long's it's not squeezed out a tube.

[She shoves a bit of bread in her mouth and sighs. That's good. Good stuff. Bread is kind of a pain in the ass to make, and it spoils quickly, so it's always a nice treat.]

Any masked blokes give you trouble on yer way here?

[She gives Shiro a big grin and rests her hands on her hips, a smallish box tucked beneath her elbow.]

You can thank the Missus for that-- she's a great captain. The flyin' was all me, though. [She holds up a finger.] An' you can call me by my real name, if ya want; s' just on the network that we're all shady like, just in case.

My name's Kid.

[She certainly doesn't look any older than eighteen, all things considered.]

I think you would've done fine, eventually. But considerin' how they were pickin' you off, we figured you didn't have that luxury.

[Zhade recognizes Shiro, at least. There's a slight change in their manner, nothing negative but like when one approaches a strange animal: a shift in posture, straighter, more attentive. Zhade's ears twitch beneath the hood.]

Ah, yes, of course.

[Zhade wants so very badly to trust people, but Zhade also knows the burden of having this face, this history, this origin. People like Zhade will not be welcome here no matter how useful they are.]

[It was the only thanks he'd take for his work on the ground for these people. Fresh food and bread was one of his favorites.]

Me? No way! Any trouble was what I caused for them. [Any injury he might have received conveniently hidden under his red duster.]

What about you? Did your fleet have any trouble in the sky? I could see some of the 'fireworks' down here, but kinda hard to tell what was what sometimes.

Hah! As I expected.

[She accepts him at face value for this, at least. Kid has her fair share of scrapes and injuries but without a medic or any healing ability, there's no use poking at someone who isn't bleeding out.]

We did all right. There was some return fire, but the heat got taken off us once the warlord went down. Missus has a lot of fancy toys, too, so that helped.

Oh, and thanks for the help wi' the shields-- we couldn't have done that ourselves.

[Vash shrugs lazily as if it really wasn't a big deal.] You know, I think that was one of the first time I've ever cause property damage and got thanked for it. Usually I just get screamed at. [He tries to sound annoyed at the suggestion of being yelled at, but truth was he missed it. It had been so long since he heard Meryl's voice now.]

And what about before? [Not that Vash wanted to get into unpleasant conversations, but who knew when they'd get another chance?] That was a pretty big blast the Marsiva some time ago.

[ Hermione recognises the woman who had been on the other end of the line and she stops in her path to put her things down, stepping around the people milling here and there to go up and greet her. It seems only polite, given how kind and helpful she had been. ]

Excuse me? I just wanted to thank you, for the supplies. They were incredibly helpful.

...Ugh, I was worried you'd say that. So, the question is now, how do we get it from them?

[Because as fun as this flying around space thing is, he has no intention of doing it forever. ]

Edited 2017-11-21 01:25 (UTC)

[ S a m e, pal. Hard same. ]

Well, I'm in favor of storming into whatever place they're keeping it and forcing our way through. But realistically, we should probably have some sort of plan for that. [ Beat. ] And we should figure out exactly where - and what - it is. Kind of important.

[ Details...... ]

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in the shadow of the skyline

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch

Kid

Zhade

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