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Author Topic: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue  (Read 4970 times)

Dwarmin

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2013, 07:29:48 am »

Cipher 19 gave an impatient flip of the hand.

"Words like Luck and Fate are for people with no control over their lives-if the alliance had been better prepared, we wouldn't been analyzing a field of wreckage and corpses. This was phenomenal waste of manpower and resources. They should have been ready, for an attack from within or without.

See, if this is the best we can do-what we're 'fated' to suffer-the war is already over, we've already lost. We might as well offer ourselves to the Voidhound* right now and save them the trouble of slaughtering us.
 
Thus, I choose to believe otherwise. Nothing is decided until it happens. No fate, but what we make."
She finished, breathing slignhtly harder.

In truth, the thought of her everything-birth, life, becoming a cipher, meeting Desmond, then to death-being written down somewhere and decided was about the only thing that scared Lara. No one knew...except for the one person she had shared her mind with.

Spoiler: *Voidhound (click to show/hide)

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Shootandrun

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #16 on: March 23, 2013, 02:10:49 pm »

Magnus looked at the feed with curiosity, mostly ignoring the others. He considered participating in the little joke of one of his new partners, but one of the stranger ones - the sword guy - ruined it before he had a chance. Mildly amused by the other's social ineptness, and mildly annoyed at the death of what could have been a good joke, he returned his attention towards the feed. He examined the station carefully, but did not find what he was looking for. Still, the Autarchy was bound to have the capacity to hide some of their assets. He decided to stop wasting time and to ask.

"Is that station armed with anything? I don't know how the Autarchy equips theirs, but any station made in Kalmari yards has the firepower to knock a anything but a full armada out of space. If Kronos Station has even a fourth of that, we could send people aboard to activate their weaponry and use it to checkmate that cruiser."

The Kalmar Imperium was a notoriously militaristic state - and their battle stations were the pride of their universe. Dude to extreme population density, its officials were generally unwilling to allow the fight to be brought to inhabited planet, which was why ground-to-space defenses were very rare, focusing instead on interception software to prevent bombardment. To defend against enemy fleets, they built stations in orbit. As a rule of thumb, the only limitation to their weaponry was that it should not be able to bypass the planet's own interception capacities - that way, if a station was ever captured, it could not be used to glass the planet it was supposed to protect.

This had once been a secret of the Kalmari military, but the stations had seen extensive use during the unification of the Imperium's universe, and most universes now knew the full extent of their military capacities. In fact, nearly half of Magnus's missions had involved fighting on one.

Ask about Kronos Station's weaponry.

((Yay! Exposition!))
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Dwarmin

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #17 on: March 23, 2013, 03:01:39 pm »

Lara indicated to the sleek armored fellow.

"The question is, if it had weapons, why didn't the station fire on any attackers? Did they take the station so fast there was no time? Or was it already in their hands? This seems a terribly one sided battle for a battle station and an entire fleet...then again, I wouldn't be surprised if once the firing started, everyone decided now was the time to settle old grudges, not caring who started it. I think they killed each other, maybe..." She asked flippantly-so far, Lara had not been impressed with the alliance at all...

After checking the info again, she looked back to him.

"Also, forgive me for prying Agent...Magnus, but your armor looks sort of familiar. I know from your dossier your people are the 'Kal-mar', and I do remember...encountering one of yours, before. I think she was trying to take biological samples, blood and marrow...from children. For whatever reason. We all have our missions, I guess.

We couldn't actually get through her armor with our weapons, so we just tied her to a 276wt engine block and dropped her in the ocean and let her sink-hope she didn't have an atmosphere sealed suit, whats down there ones better off drowning. I hope she wasn't a friend of yours, anyway. Don't know why it comes to mind now..."
She said, sounding pleased with herself.
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Shootandrun

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #18 on: March 23, 2013, 03:18:07 pm »

Magnus shrugged when Lara intervened.

"They have transport ships. If they really did turn on the station, they could simply have landed aboard, infiltrated the crew as legitimate alliance members, and neutralized the entire thing within ten minutes. It could probably be done in half that if they had security clearance."

When she went on to speak about somebody else she had met, he lifted an eyebrow for a few seconds, and then shrugged again.

"Probably a scientist. There are variants of this armor available on the civilian market - unarmed, unshielded, and without stealth capacities, I believe - which are very popular amongst scientists visiting hostile environments of sorts. I suppose it had blue light and a green marking behind the head? If so, yes, it was indeed sealed."
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Dwarmin

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #19 on: March 23, 2013, 04:29:45 pm »

"No, it was pitch black, likes yours-with three orange triangles shaped into a pyramid symbol on either side. Maybe a corporate entity? We get lots of them, not even from any ruling body. Just doing it for the money, they say...

All in all, I prefer to kill patriots to mercenaries. Much easier on the conscience."
Lara continued conversationally, smiling slightly-knowing any information she got would be misleading in either direction, and expected no less-but it was amusing to chat with a fellow professional all the same while they were temporarily working on the same side.
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Shootandrun

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #20 on: March 24, 2013, 12:06:54 pm »

Magnus frowned and shook his head, thoughtful.

"That's an old, old model. Saw an use during the first war on Earth, and then got replaced by better stuff during the seventy years. I think my great-grandfather fought with one, back then. Probably a mercenary who got it from some abandoned military station. That one would not have been water proof - hell, I don't think any model from back then could be even used in space."

He smiled in a somewhat regretful fashion.

"Shame you couldn't open it. I hear they sell for a small fortune to collectors."
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Digital Hellhound

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #21 on: March 27, 2013, 11:17:44 am »

Frigate Cargo Hold

The Aro, Za-Shaddalac leaves the command deck after the General finishes. The hallways outside are plain and utilitarian, bearing marks of haphazard removal work. Bits of ornaments lay scattered on the floor here and there, bronze and unidentifiable synth-materials. A half-torn shroud depicting a towering nomad warrior hangs from the wall above the floor elevator. Za-Shaddalac is aware the Ariq used to belong to the Pankhaganate, the 'Eternal Mongol Empire' and one of the Big Five.

The cargo hold is three floors down - the frigate is fairly small, as these things go. Even so, the skeleton crew manning it is barely adequate. Most of the available Project crew were with the ship on Kronos - it remains to be seen if they have survived. Za-Shaddalac sees practically no-one on her way down.

The Aro enters the hold with a quickened step, sensing her trusty mount waiting. Other than Mir-Farilil it contains a pair of small shuttles and an Elysian vehicle - the Myrmidon - that looks more like a tank than the APC it claims to be. From what she's gathered, it's to be transported to their ship.

A hesitant crewman steps forward to greet her. 'Err... the General told us to space you... when ready. Just get in the big airlock over there and say the word.'

Frigate Command Bridge

The General grunts at Lara's defeatism. 'Keep that sort of talk to yourself, Cipher. The Alliance does not have the resources to send battlefleets to protect every remote and very much secret research facility. This place was never intended for battle.'

He turns to Magnus. 'I suppose that answers your question, too. Whatever weapons this facility might have, they're not even going to make a dent in that thing's hull. And look at these ship types! Old transports, freighters - some stealth craft and courier ships, though that did them little good. These were not warships. Bringing in an actual fleet would have only made the station a target. The fact that the ziyaki brought in a cruiser... well, they could have sent it to investigate afterwards, but I very much doubt it.'

Cipher 19: [2] - Together with Desmond, Cipher 19 gets to work on the empty terminal. Despite Lara's knowledge of three-dimensional combat, actually making sense of the readings and unfiltered data is much more difficult. The projections are obviously meant for the operators and give her little insight. She's not sure if she could tell the difference between these wrecks and an asteroid field.

'Well, I guess we're waiting and seeing what our silvery friend finds out there. Doesn't seem to be much movement out there. From what I can tell, the beacons are coming in from... a safe room here... and somewhere near the shipyard. Might be our people out there.'
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Dwarmin

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2013, 12:28:15 pm »

Lara had nodded to the general. "Then you should have kept it a better secret, hmm...

Anyway, if me and my partner are possibly going into direct combat soon there's little need for our subtler skills-can we get some light armor brought up from the ship stocks?"


Afterwards, she turned to her scans. Always a backdoor...

Something was nagging the back of her senses, so she turned to her partner.

"...Cipher 20, you've been pretty quiet since we arrived. Something on your mind?" She asked with a slight, sad smile.

Action: Try to secure some light armor from the ship stocks for me and my partner

Otherwise, continuing scanning-try to locate an easily accessible entry point using whatever method we will be using to board, if possible in a way that will be difficult for a potential foe to detect our team doing so.
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Harry Baldman

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #23 on: March 27, 2013, 12:33:29 pm »

The Aro, Za-Shaddalac takes her place on the Arnam, Mir-Farilil, holding a brief mental conversation with him.

~We are to perform reconnaissance on the nearby ships, to take in the destruction and perform deductions about whatever has happened.~

~Wonderful! It has been dreadfully boring in here, overseer. I dare say I welcome both the danger and the possible excitement.~

~As is expected. Carry on, servant.~

After moving on to the airlock and preparing a psychic barrier, she takes a moment to notify the captain of her readiness to move out.

~Temporary Overseer, this is the Aro, Za-Shaddalac. I have taken my position and am ready to leave.~

Mount the Arnam, Mir-Farilil, move to airlock, activate Focused Aegis. Give the signal for spacing.
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Xantalos

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #24 on: March 27, 2013, 12:43:03 pm »

Valoth cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself. "General. Before we go into fight, I think I need weapon. Vraen - he pats his sword - is good, but the ... the ... the ... seemoolation show me that sword is not everything. What you call your weapons? Gun? Yes. I would also like gun, if you have some."

Valoth requests a look at the guns onboard so he can choose one.
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Digital Hellhound

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #25 on: March 30, 2013, 06:43:06 am »

Frigate Command Bridge

The General considers the requests, bringing up a batch of files on his screen. 'Light armor, eh? I'll see what I can do, but no guarantees - this is the Pankhaganate, after all. Guns we should have.'

He studies the files. [5] 'We do have two sets of scout armor that should fit you like a glove. Head down to the armoury if you want to take a look,' he says. 'As for you, Valoth... I was getting worried you'd never ask.'

The General brings up a shimmering projection of a stocky, heavy-looking rifle with a small gesture. 'The Temujin Heavy Rifle. Standard-issue Pankhaganate frontline weapon - it packs one hell of a punch. A bullet from this thing is going to continue in a perfectly straight line until it hits something, so you don't have to worry about accuracy. The downside is a terrible rate of fire, but I imagine you can fall back on your sword if needed.'

Another image replaces the first, a long scoped rifle adorned with flowery decorative engravings. 'This is a Keshigi Marksman's Rifle, and certainly not standard-issue. These weapons are given to the elite bodyguards of the Khagan - we have no idea how it ended up on this frigate. Regardless, it's yours if you want it. Extremely accurate, excellent stopping power. The accelerator mechanisms in the barrel allow shots to actually increase in speed at longer ranges. It does suffer from slow rate of fire and small clip size, so make your shots count.'

The third projection is of a black-painted, compact shotgun. 'The Mauler. These things have been smuggled to practically every Alliance dimension by now. Alright close quarters weapon, but as always, a slow rate of fire and small clip - Pankhaganate ground forces use lots of supply drones to keep them stocked up, but I've always thought these things were just poor design. Very popular so ammo is usually to be found, though.'

Cipher 19: [2] - While the General showcases the available guns, Lara keeps trying to make sense of the readings. She doesn't really have much experience with space stations and this level of technology, but everything has a weak spot if you look hard enough. The team would most likely use a shuttle to board, so she focuses on places where one could feasibly land without attracting attention.

The search proves fruitless quickly, however. Lara's not sure she even recognizes the main entrances - trying to find a maintenance entrance or auxiliary airlock - or anything they could use - is beyond her. Eventually, she gives up, frustrated. She doesn't have much better luck with Desmond, who smiles back but seems to be caught up in his own thoughts.

'I was hoping things would go smoothly for once. At least there seem to be some survivors on the station,' he says after a moment.


Frigate Cargo Hold

Back in the hold, the Aro and her trusty steed prepare to be spaced. Mir-Farilil needs no preparations, but Za-Shaddalac spends a moment crafting a bubble of psychic energy to protect her from the void alongside her normal Aegis. They move to the airlock and Za-Shaddalac reports her readiness. There's a rumble as the vast doors behind her slide closed and she's left in the low, soundless space of the airlock.

A few moments pass before she becomes aware of an insistent psychic buzz trying to penetrate her shields. After deducing it as harmless, Za-Shaddalac lets it through.

PsiOps Specialist Calleen, messenger-listener. General speak-through. Za-Shaddalac, please void-prepare.

The 'voice' is struggling, as if coming through a long distance. It appears the ship does have atleast one psychic onboard, though obviously not a very powerful one. It seems the General wants to keep communication psychic, presumably to avoid detection by ziyaki scans.

A moment later, the doors of the airlock open, the remaining air gushing out. Mir-Farilil follows and the pair fall outside the safety of a starship. Behind them, they can see the battered hull, still carrying old ornaments and Pankhaganate art unlike the inside. Passing through its outer shields feels nothing more than a shiver. All around them, the stars spread in the lonely void and barely visible in the distance, they can see Kronos Station, surrounded by tiny shapes - one of which could be the ziyaki cruiser.

The frigate continues slowly towards the Station, but Mir-Farilil will be within the wreckage surrounding the station in moments. When closer, searching the area with her mental powers could lead her to the ziyaki and any possible survivors onboard or in the wreckage. If the people inside died recently, the area might still be coated in psychic residue, allowing some glimpse into their memories.
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Harry Baldman

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #26 on: March 30, 2013, 07:51:04 am »

As Za-Shaddalac approaches the wreckage, she appreciates the familiar information absorbed. Wreckage is a very familiar thing to the Aro, as is death. Sorting through the memories of the vanquished has always been a very intriguing activity for both her and Mir-Farilil, who always requests for the memories to be resent to him. There was a certain finality to the tapestry of the mind that you do not usually attain from looking into the mind of a living being.

But there is work to do now. Curiosity must always be tempered by extreme caution. Research is and always has been the secondary objective.

Carefully approach the wreckage, looking out for any psychic emanations from the area - anything that may indicate nearby life. In addition, if psychic residue is located, carefully study its nature and extract any useful contents, such as an approximation of the last day of its originator's life and cause of death.
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Xantalos

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #27 on: March 30, 2013, 01:05:18 pm »

Valoth grinned. Now this was his thing. "I take the Temujin. Sounds good."
To the armory (or wherever I can get that gun)!
« Last Edit: March 31, 2013, 01:59:55 am by Xantalos »
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Dwarmin

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #28 on: March 30, 2013, 11:26:38 pm »

Giving up completely on the data analysis, Cipher 20 takes her partners arm gently.

Quote
'I was hoping things would go smoothly for once. At least there seem to be some survivors on the station,' he says after a moment.

"And when have they ever gone smoothly?" She commented, smiling slightly and shrugging. "Lets go down and get suited up together, this data is giving us a headache..." She suggested, putting just enough of a lilt in her voice to suggest she would enjoy even a momentary time apart from the others with him.

Action: Head down to the armory, get suited with my partner.
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Xantalos

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Re: Heroes of Mankind - Play Thread: Prologue
« Reply #29 on: March 31, 2013, 04:15:01 am »

Before going, Valoth pauses and turns back to the General.

"Before go, wanted ask you question. I always hear about Big 5. What are Big 5? Weapons? Nations? It ... would ... be good to know."
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