MISSION: GET TO ZE CHOPPA

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: August 23rd, 2753 (OOCly forward-dated to the 1st)
Location: Uruguay National Defense HQ
Characters: All transports!
Summary: All transports are sent back to Uruguay to download a self-aware AI before it gets bombed out of existence by an early incarnation of the UE. Time distortion effects will be set right either on the way there or on the way back, according to player choice.
Warnings: violence, action movie tension, 3 terabytes of foot fetish porn.

The Transporter drops the entire transport population into what will quickly be established as Home Base, a mile from the vast, sprawling facility that is Uruguay's National Defense HQ. The low roar of helidrones moving above is pervasive, but the black ships can only be glimpsed here and there through the thick cover of trees overhead. If you keep calm and quiet, it's likely you won't be spotted. It's the UND HQ their attention is on, after all.

The population is quickly sorted by attending Initiate employees according to who volunteers to fight and who volunteers to protect, along with those with enough skill to access the computers, and those with enough skill to get them there. The fighters move out first, off to intercept the early UE's ships and ground troops, and to draw the automated defense systems of the facility alike. They'll be in a crossfire, and neither side will be happy to see them there.

The techies and their escorts are sent out far more quietly, in groups of three. Their task is to sneak past the front lines and into the facility itself. There might be alarms and automated defense drones, so those escorts may well be called on to earn their keep. The Initiative can't give any information about which building will house the AI's mainframe, that information was long since lost to history. All they can do is send out enough people to hope that one of them manages to find it.

And remember — as soon as the UE troops withdraw, there will only be minutes until the bomb drops. Everyone would do well to work fast.



[[ Mission information is here, and the techie/escort teams, along with their hacking results, are here. Each techie/escort group will have their own established thread, but Team Distraction and Team We'll Stay Here, Thanks are welcome to thread where ever and however they like! The newbie log that goes up on the 1st will also encompass the arrival back in Exsilium, if you'd like to play that out as well. ]]

Comments

home base and open!

[ringletted]

[For the first few minutes, she keeps her eye on the skyline, peering through the trees to glimpse the ships flying overhead every so often. It's an ominous sight, but she doesn't let it distract her for long. The goal here is too important to lose focus.

Not the goals of the Initiative, necessarily. She's still altogether unsure if she can really put her trust in anything they try to do. Instead, she's focusing on her own goal, and it's clearer to her every time she looks over the rest of the group and sees the faces of children scattered within the crowd. Her hand never strays far from her bow, wary of any threat that could approach the defenseless.]

[accidentalrebellion]

[This stunt has hardly done any favors for Katniss's general opinion of the Initiative. They've not only brought children into their war, but they've also sent them here. Here, to an even stranger time and place, right in harm's way. Helpless, defenseless.

But if it's for those children? She'll fight. Someone has to. Someone has to protect the ones who can't protect themselves but are still exploited as pawns in a power struggle.

She has to. Because she couldn't protect Rue. Because even if Peeta made it out of the arena, he's now in the Capitol's hands. Because it's her fault an entire district has now been leveled to ash. Her hands are already drenched with blood as it is, and the weight of debts she can never repay constantly drags her down. Subsequent failures aren't an option.

So she's here, too, with her hand gripped tightly on her own bow. Ready to use it at a moment's notice. Ready for the Games to begin again.]

[ringletted]

[She's constantly scanning the area just outside the perimeter for enemies, and as such, she notices the younger woman standing near her after a while. At first, she stays silent, not wanting to break her concentration. Such a mistake could be fatal, after all.

But when she sees a small group of fighters approaching, she raises the bow automatically, firing off a shot and watching it fly until it lands, striking a shoulder. He goes down, though just from pain, clearly not dead. She's off her target, and as she pulls another arrow out to hit the next enemy, she looks towards Katniss for only a moment.]

Can you finish that one? [And another arrow flies.]

[accidentalrebellion]

[Years of hunting in the woods with Gale have made her an expert in communicating solely through looks, of reading the appropriate signals when there are moments to spare. So she knows what she needs to do before a single word even passes through the woman's lips.

There's hardly a hesitation. It's with one release of the bowstring, one practiced shot, one carefully-aimed arrow straight into the neck that the man is easily silenced.

As easily as the boy from District One.

A passing thought she can't afford to dwell on. Not now. Not when the threat hasn't disappeared.]

Over there. [With a slight incline of her head, she gestures in the direction of another of the fighters.]

[ringletted]

[Only a few seconds to take aim and steady her hand, and the next arrow flies out. This shot is slightly better, right into the chest. Not immediate, as she would have liked, but she knows the man won't rise again.

Arrow after arrow, some narrow hits and some narrow misses, and she finally looks up once all the fighters in this group have fallen.]

Thank you.

[foolofatook]

[Pippin has his short sword in his scabbard and is looking around at those gathered at home base. Yes, there are plenty of children that need protecting, and he's glad to see there are those with weapons at the ready, willing to do so.

Grabbing an apple from their food supply, he makes his way open to the woman with the bow, taking a bite of the fruit before he speaks, one cheek puffed out.]

I am glad to see bowmen -- and bowwomen -- here. I could never be any good at it myself, I am sure, but I have friends back home who are quite proficient!

[ringletted]

[The first thing she takes in about him is his height, and for a moment she's certain it's someone young talking to her after having found their way to the perimeter somehow. So, naturally, she's alarmed - but when she gives him a closer look, she sees that his face is not a child's face. She leaves her thoughts at that; she figures she has much more important things to focus on than how short this person is.

As she speaks, her eyes turn back towards the area outside the perimeter rather than staying on his face. Nothing personal, to be sure, simply a precaution, should enemies approach all of a sudden.]

Better with the sword, then, are you? [Was that a very small sword or a very large dagger? At any rate, it's not important now.]

[foolofatook]

[Pippin nodded, drawing his sword while he continued to eat his apple. Just because he was guarding the others didn't mean he had to neglect his stomach!]

I have seen battle with it. And you? Is your bow from your home?

[ringletted]

Not this particular one, no, but I've had experience with other bows. It was an easy choice when they offered me a weapon.

[She looks towards him as she hears the sound of chewing and smirks, amused.]

I hope you've seen enough battle that you're prepared to fight while eating.

[governorkang]

[Kang pauses briefly on his way over to look up at one of the ships overhead, and smiles in a non-threatening manner (the best he can, when draconian smiles are full of fangs) with his hands away from the sword at his hip.]

Would you like some company, ma'am?

[ringletted]

[She turns towards him as she hears his voice, and doesn't show any signs of surprise at his appearance. Rather, there's a smile in return, though it's tense, considering the stressful situation at hand. Looking back towards the outside of the perimeter, she answers.]

Company would be lovely. [A beat.] I take it you have experience with combat?

[governorkang]

I do, yes; I'm retired military. My name is Kang.

[He takes a spot a few feet away from her, also keeping an eye on their surroundings.]

[ringletted]

It's too bad you had to be forced back into service, though of course it's good that you have prior experience with fighting like this.

[sleepingvalkyrie]

[ There's a series of rustlings in the trees overhead, fast approaching the basecamp. Something swoops beneath the canopy, mindful not to reveal herself or her destination to the ships passing overhead. Their goal is something Other, a battlefield none too far from here - a place she'll return too soon enough.

Though her other duty is distraction this day, it had a simple matter for her to perform some aerial reconnaissance of the local area: in case of failed venture, the support camp needed exit routes scouted. Gwendolyn has no desire to bring their gaze here too.

A brief glint of steel shifts between the foliage, followed by something glowing brilliant blue, before the Valkyrie drops down to ground level, gliding in fast towards the camp border. Try not to shoot the messenger, eh? ]

[ringletted]

[Indeed, her bow is automatically pointed at the approaching woman. Still, something stays her hand. That glow looks like the product of magic, something she wasn't aware the United Earth possessed. She watches carefully as the stranger approaches, but her bow doesn't drop; the arrow remains pulled back, ready to be shot if need be.]

[sleepingvalkyrie]

[ Given the Initiative claim the United Earth seek to take whatever power they can from any world, by any means necessary, perhaps it is only a matter of time before they do indeed have magic as they know it as part of their arsenal. Though how well the magics of Snow's world and Gwendolyn's match up remain to be seen.

The Valkyrie slows as she comes in for landing, wings abruptly folding to her sides as armored feet hit the ground running. Said run slows to a jog, while her spear is held at her side, tip pointing forwards towards the ground; the blue glow of the gem dies down somewhat. The circular shield carried on her left arm seems almost for show - but dark eyes fix nonetheless on those arrows.

Left hand lifts, then, slowly but clearly, works through the hand signals assigned to border control. She'll not be a hunted bird today, if you please. ]

[queenoftherock]

[More archers?

Interesting.

From a bit of a distance, Ollie watches, an arrow notched and ready to be loosed if necessary, always in uniform when he's 'working.' There's no need for innocents to die, especially the younger ones. They're not a part of this, they don't understand. The corruption here might take a different form, but the effects are the same. He's seen it in his sister, and he'd hate to see it in these people.]

[ringletted]

[Her eyes scan the outside of the perimeter, and as such, she doesn't take notice of him just yet. Thinking she sees a motion in the distance, she raises her bow quickly, but drops it with a sigh once she realizes she's been mistaken.]

[queenoftherock]

[Ollie immediately raises his bow too, but there's more hesitation on his part to lower it. He chooses to cross now, though, lowering his bow to be able to move better.

He's close enough to the woman now to call out:]

Any movement?

[fortissimos]

[ The bow catches her eye, first — with most people using magic or more modern weapons, something traditional stands out. Sayaka doesn't recognize the owner, but they're on the same side, and (right now) she's sociable even at the worst of times. ]

Geez, just look at those guys. There's no way any of them stand a chance against us. [ It's easy to sound confident when she hasn't stepped foot on the battlefield yet. ]

[ringletted]

[She looks down towards the girl with a confident smile, though she's careful not to let all of her attention stray from the perimeter.]

They don't have as much to lose as we do, I'd say.

[Meaning all the children, of course; a group which she's fairly sure Sayaka fits into, despite her apparent willingness to fight.]

[fortissimos]

[ she's 14 okay it's totally different ]

Yeah, I guess. Nobody's gonna get through us. [ She grins, fiddling with the sword in her hand. ] I mean, we're way more awesome than they are.

[ The most important part?? ]

[acemedium]

[And Maya will head right up to her, grinning as usual]

Are you guarding the base?

[ringletted]

[She offers the girl a smile, even as she watches the outside of the perimeter for any sign of enemies.]

Yes, I am. You shouldn't be this close to the edge, though, it could be dangerous!

Did Snow ever introduce herself to Maya idr

[acemedium]

Don't worry about me! [And she's grinning and puffing her chest out. .. Not that it helps, she's still tiny and scrawny] I laugh in the face of danger!