driftfleet | Once More, with Feeling...

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Once More, with Feeling...

[It comes at some point in the mid-afternoon, not that space is anything but timeless. The Fleet holds its collective breath as a lone figure works tireless at the controls, surrounded by as much machinery as could be feasibly cobbled together in the span of a few short weeks… But Zhade is here and working hard, and at last he finds an opening.

Communicators and consoles light up everywhere, broadcasting his voice and half-shrouded face in a broad echo. There's nothing to lose, and no reason to hide themselves any longer.]

This is Zhade! Prepare yourselves-- the shields are about to come down! You'll need to hit it with everything you have. Spells, cannons, everything, all of it. Don't you dare hold back, not after the heroics you've shown us time and time again!

[He wipes some sweat from his scarred brow and hits a button, broadcasting instead an image of the Marsiva. The space around it crackles and sparks visibly, lightning rippling over the barrier in a honeycomb fashion. This is the same view as from any of the Fleet's windows. The audio picks up the sound of things sparking and crackling around Zhade, but this doesn't slow him at all.

Instead, he roars a simple command:]

FIRE—!

[The shields are down, and all is laid bare.

What happens next is up to the combined strength of the Fleet, whether they are firing upon the ship to maintain a distraction or boarding the ship themselves.]

[ooc: Please see the latest drift post for information on toplevels, threading, etc. and what to expect.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Leading this particular infiltration team is Kid, designation "Angel". Her Australian accent is a bit out of place much like the rest of her attire, but she's loaded with plenty of weapons, including some new plasma daggers that appear to have been modified by someone with engineering expertise. Before setting out, she gives everyone a speech.]

Oi! I'm Kid, but you can call me Angel if yer nasty. Our intel says we might run into those Hosts or whatever down this entrance, not the ones I knew in my time, but dunno if they're the fightin' kind.

Whatever happens, I'm with you. [She grins broadly, blue eyes sparkling. She draws a hand over her cheeks, echoing the white war paint.] You best be ready! Once we go in, there's no turnin' back. From what we see, what we do...

Let's end this. Not just for us, but for everyone we know. Everyone we knew... and loved. Our worlds and all the other ones that haven't been born yet.

For the future!

[And from there, it's business.

Kid pauses the group so they don't run headlong into every robot they come across. She is a professional thief after all, something that she's proud to declare. After the group takes out a few headless robots and makes them… limbless, too, they stumble upon a sealed room that takes some stubbornness to open. There are no markings on this door, but there are black cords extending from the floor and the walls, and there only seem to be more when the entrance is slammed open.

The infamous Hosts, Carmen and Chase are here in what appears to be the room usually 'shown' during their broadcasts. From the waist down, they're nothing but more black cords plugged into the very heart of the ship. Strangely, though, neither of them are conscious. They're chained and held in the thrall of some kind of spinning blade, yet it was paused or knocked offline when the firing began.

Kid visibly hesitates. Mercy was never her strong suit, but she isn't about to make this decision for anybody.

Free them or forsake them, the choice is yours.]

Part 1

[Vash looks thrilled to see Kid. Smiling brightly during her speech. True - this was a dire situation and seriousness is important, but he is still happy to see her.] What do you mean if you're nasty? You don't really think I'm nasty, do you? [He winks because he doesn't seem to mind being called nasty at all.]

Part 2

[The robots don't phase Vash at all. With his large gun, more than enough ammo to keep it filled, and the fact that they're fighting robots means his no-kill vow doesn't slow him down. He's brutal and wastes no time taking out any robots that are left to him. He's happy to let Kid and anyone with a bit more stealth to go first. After all guns are a bit loud.

It's when they get into the sealed room that Vash's extreme pacifism will become and issue. He looks horrified by what he sees.] We have to get them down! [Vash moves straight towards their hosts with the intent of getting them down. Will you stop or help him?]

[So, hey... remember those regains they got on the last planet? Minako was in full-on Sailor Venus mode thanks to getting her transformation wand back.

But that also meant she was there as Vash charged in with the intent to free their hosts. Minako looked at those wires and got a baaaaad feeling.]

Wait!

[She reached out to stop him before he could get too far away from her.]

What if disconnecting those wires means we kill them?

[Vash stops when Minako reaches out to him.] Well, if not the wires we at least have to get them away from those blades. What if the power suddenly comes back on? I get the feeling those blades were spinning before we came in.

[Minako nodded.]

Yeah. Okay. That sounds like a good plan.

[She looked around.]

If we can get them out of the chains, then we can try moving them. We just need to be careful.

Very careful those blades could start up any moment. [Vash frowns.] So we need to keep our distance while we get them down. Unless there is someway we can take those blade offline permanently.

Yeah... agreed.

[She looked around, trying to see if she could spot something, anything, that could tell her how to disconnect the blades and make it safer.]

Are you good at engineering? [Because she wasn't.] Or do we want to just try to free them first as quickly as possible?

I'm good at breaking things. [Yes even now he will make jokes.] If you're any good at engineering then I say go for it. [He at the chains holding the hosts in place and takes aim.] I'm going to try to see if I can break their chains. [Shooting at chains breaks them at home, but will it work in space?]

Are you sure that'll work?

[Minako looked doubtful.]

Also... not great at engineering here. That was always my friend's thing. But I can catch them if you get the chains broken!

Nope, but I'm usually pretty good at breaking things. [He intends that to be a joke as he waits for Minako to get into position.] Be careful. If they wake up they might try to attack you.

[Minako nodded.]

Mm.

I will be.

[She wasn't too worried about it, but that didn't mean she shouldn't still be careful. Robots were strong, after all.

She moved into position next to Carmen. That was when she noticed Loki.]

[She catches his eyes and beams right back. She's always happy to see him, though being busy with the Interceptors' own mission has made frequent contact... difficult. But they've fought together. A comrade is a comrade, and there's no one to be thicker than thieves than, of course, a former thief.]

Whinge away, we all know you don't mind gettin' dirty where it counts.

[She winks right back.]

S'good to see ya, Vash. We'll make it outta this, just you wait.

Oh I know there's no doubt about that. [Just in case that wasn't clear.] But maybe I don't want to make it out so I can stay with my guardian angel! [Said in a jovial tone that isn't suppose to be taken too seriously.]

[She grins fangishly and rests her hands on her hips.]

As temptin' as that is, I got a home to go to, too. Someone I need to look out for and watch over...

An' besides, isn't there someone you'd like to stay with more? [She leans in, her smile a bit teasing.] Hmmmmm?

[Vash's whole face and ears suddenly go brightly red.] Wha--!? You've heard about that!? I mean, I'm not mad! You're right. I do have someone I wish I could stay with. [Someone he will have to say goodbye to soon and it's killing him deep down inside.] I'm just surprised you know that we're together.

[ there they were. nothing more than a machine. how oddly pitiful. if only loki cared about pity.

forget about freeing them or forsaking them. loki wants them gutted. knives out, he approaches them coolly. ]

[Having been working with Vash on freeing the hosts, Minako was a bit surprised to see Loki approaching looking ready to kill.]

Why are you doing that?

[ loki gives her a flat look. ]

I should think it obvious. I'm here to rid myself of a stain.

But it's not their fault we're stuck here. It's like they're just being controlled.

I heard what happened to Diamond and Beau. I can't imagine that it was because they were part of our captivity.

I think you've mistaken me for someone who cares.

Care or not you have no right to end their lives. [Vash chimes in. Making sure to keep himself between Loki and the hosts. If Minako allows it in front of her as well.] Please, don't do this. Back down. Please.

[ coldly. ]

I have a right to ensure my safety. Or do you only protect slavers now?

I protect anyone who needs me to protect them. Who know? [He nods his head towards their hosts.] Perhaps they are like us. Forced here from their homes only instead of being allowed to live on the ships they're forced to be connected to these machines and forced to act as host.

Prove it and I'll spare them.

I have no interest in your childish logic otherwise.

What if they can help us get home? We won't know unless we ask them.

Infiltration: Your Gracious Hosts?!

SCREW TIME LINES THIS IS ENDGAME aka Vash the Stampede | OTA

Part 2

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