Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 9, 2016 8:17:59 GMT -6
James had ample time to read over the portion of Seabach's note that pertained to his next target. The handwriting was certainly fancy, but it left much to be desired when it came to legibility. James didn't notice it at first, but scratches on the paper made it seem that the Black Talon leader had actually wrote this with those claws he wore. That man was something else, alright. Most gangs from Terminus tended to be a little eccentric, but he seemed to be a little higher on the charts than the others. Maybe that's why he was doing so well? It made him a very unique leader, someone men could easily hold in regard and rally behind. As for why James had so much time to be reading over the same boring stuff, it was because the trip between Terminus and New Prospect was not at all fast. It'd take somewhere in the neighborhood of two months, give or take. Luckily they had made enough coin on the asteroid to resupply and then some for reasons just like this, it also gave them time to mend their wounds, train up, and make sure everything was in full working order. It still got a little boring. The smarter guys bought books before they left, and those of his crew with the foresight traded them between each other for trinkets like smokes, and gambled them in place of money. The call of 'land ho!' was well received by the time it finally went up, with the Diamond II coming into the same star system as New Prospect; from there blazing off towards its gravity well. A great ball of blue and white, the planet looked almost the same up close as it did from hundreds of miles away. Thick clouds drifted across its surface in big, fluffy clumps, dumping snow and ice on the heads of the poor blighters on the ground. The cumulus got so thick in the winter months that communication with the surface could wind up entirely cut off from space, and even landing safely was extremely difficult. Many mountain peaks tore up from the snow plains like broken bones, jutting up at obtuse angles from otherwise perfectly flat terrain. Hardy trees grow at the feet of these mountains and in valleys shielded from the worst of the weather, while other smaller plants exist elsewhere. What animals exist on the planet are very well adapted and extremely fierce. Most are omnivores or carnivores, and have no compunctions about attacking humans or their beasts of burden. Ancient codices and datalogs say New Prospect was once one of the jewels of the Kalron Sector. No longer. Now it is a frozen wasteland only braved by those who either have no choice, no other options, or a foolhardy hope of striking it big. The eponymous 'new prospects'. Few did, but those few inspires great stories...which tend to lead many men and women to death or ruin on its barren tundras. New Prospect has 5 cities, technically 6, but no one likes to speak of Dep-Duar. The 5 cities are located at the two polar regions. While colder overall, they receive very little precipitation, meaning they're spared having to dig themselves out of the yards of snow that can fall overnight closer to the planet's center. It also means that they can keep functional spaceports up and running by taking advantage the flat hard-packed snow that extends for miles around them. The fact that these same wide open fields provide ample security and early warning against attackers is another powerful perk to their choice of habitation. A critical one too, as the nomads occasionally raid those in the cities for loot. The cities themselves are housed deep below ground in subterranean vaults, bunkers, redoubts, or mines. They claim to be original survivors from the ancient colony, who locked themselves away from some calamity centuries ago. The truth of that can't be verified, but they were here when explorers from Araelia first rediscovered the planet. Nebelung, Eisen, and Feorr exist at the south pole. Faesten and Nordenberg exist at the north. The city dwellers refer to themselves as 'urbanites', and each of their cities is lead by a Lord Protector. Their society is much more centralized than the feudalisms of most other worlds. And then there's Dep-Duar, located in a mountain range along the planet's equatorial band. Dep-Duuar is the newest city on the planet, and it is not very well regarded. It's seen as a cursed and blighted place, and not necessarily for bad reason. Its origin story goes like this: A very large expedition, which merchant house, noble family, or guild launched it is never the same in any two tellings, supposedly came to New Prospect in hopes of making a new discovery that could turn around the failing fortunes of the expedition's backer. Well they got lost, and a heavy snowstorm forced them into the mountains to hunt for a refuge from the harsh conditions. They found it in the form of a shelter, sealed from the outside. Despite unease at this fact, they had no choice but to break in and weather the storm there. Storms on this planet can last for months at a time, and when their supplies began to dwindle they moved further into the base in a hunt for anything usable. As it would turn out several of the lower chambers in the facility housed either dangerous mutagenic chemicals or radioactive waste, again the story isn't clear here, but whatever their bumbling unleashed, they were stuck down there with it. By the time the storms finally ended they weren't human anymore. No longer able to fit into the societies they had came from, they remained where they were and forged their own. Shikoto had probably never seen mutants before on the moons of Araelia, but James very likely would have at one point or another in his freebooting career. There were even some on Terminus, such as the vampiric Siphoners who supposedly grew out of humans stuck in forgotten tunnels and passages in the asteroid. They were living atavisms, having degenerated, but done so in a way to adapt them to their environment. Red Rock was another planet with many mutants, human and animal, and both are extremely dangerous. The ones from Dep-Duar however, did not have that efficiency of form. They were awful, wretched people with withered limbs, malformed bodies, or other deformities. The chef once mentioned that their "DNA looked like barbed wire" in reference to their weird physiques. But they're cunning and desperate, not a group to be underestimated. Unlike the other cities they actively war with the nomads in an offensive fashion, because they constantly need new breeding stock and supplies. Indeed, they also engage openly in the slave trade, some unscrupulous elements come here to sell captives where they will likely never be found again. One of the crew had let it slip to the slaves that they were coming to New Prospect sometime during the trip, and the indentured servants had been on their absolute best behavior for the last several weeks because of it. Even the new ones taken from Terminus's Fire Angel gang. The stories of that place were not very pleasant at all. If Shikoto hadn't heard any of them before, he'd also be getting an earful from both his fellow slaves and the members of the crew he worked with in engineering. Getting drug off here was the kind of thing mothers told their kids to frighten them into behaving, and now here he was seeing it for himself, while on the ship of a captain who, from his perspective, wasn't very fond of him. That could be bad... On the other hand, this planet housed no shortage of old-era technology under its frozen surface. For someone of his talents and interests, it would probably end up to be extremely fascinating. It was also possible he could find what he needed to recharge that battery here, possibly even at the city of mutants itself. There'd also be ample buyers if he wanted to go that route. Of the nomads themselves, they are composed of many tribes that wander the snow flats along with their herds of cold-resistant animals. They typically do not use vehicles because they'll quickly break down under the many stresses of the planet's harsh conditions without constant maintenance. Indeed, even using firearms on the surface is a risky prospect at best, delicate moving parts brought to a low temperature, and then exposed to sudden heat and pressure, tend to break or explosively backfire very often. Ones that weren't specially made to handle the conditions down there, at any rate. Some clans are entirely nomadic, while others only partially so; using yurts and only moving them when the worst storms of the seasons enticed them to do so. Typically, the further from the poles you go, the more mobile people have to be to survive. The nomads are a strong and proud folk, though rather technologically backwards compared to the people in the cities. The planet has one moon that is lifeless and barren akin to Earth's Luna. It has one city named Heahus, completely enclosed and ran in a similar manner to those on the ice world itself. Several other planets exist in the solar system, but none are of interest to colonizing powers as of yet. - The question now was how to find someone in this place. Thinking back, the captain would remember that the bounty wasn't actually placed by any of the Lord Protectors. New Prospect was another common hideout for outlaws, they typically didn't care what someone did as long as they didn't stir up trouble in their neck of the woods. As far as they were concerned, anyone coming this way to do business they weren't in much position to turn away unless they did something to actively detriment the communities and wear out their welcome. Since the icy rock rarely exported anything in bulk, or imported for that matter, most brigands didn't bother to waste time trying. In other words; McCoy was probably hiding out here rather than raiding, so baiting him out was likely not the best tactic. And if he was hiding out, it probably meant that he was on the surface and not in space to boot. The man formerly known as Tiny could be used here to gather intelligence in the cities, and is willing to do so. Other options also probably exist. In either case they'll surely need to go down to the surface to buy new supplies before leaving, regardless of their course of action. Where would they begin?
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 12, 2016 20:02:00 GMT -6
James sure needed that extra time to read the note, since it felt like he's reading some foreign language to make sense of the Seabach's 'artistic' writing. But hey it's style, better than some random scribbles he see sometimes from a few of the crew. But finally they have arrived, hearing the call from his crew, James goes over to the windows and takes a look at the planet as they descend, watching the snow that covers much of his sight.
"Observers, keep a close watch. I don't want us crashing into the mountains or something. Driver, maintain height until we decide on where to go."
To do that, he had his new operative come see him. Once arrived, James hands him the note that Seabach gave him, and a copy of the bounty information of "Blackjack" McCoy.
"McKie, we're looking for that pirate on the bounty list, you got any idea where his hideout might be? Which city on the planet would we have the highest chance of finding him?"
He also heard that someone down at the hangers wanted to see him, a slave, so he had them wait until James is done talking to McKie. In this ship, even a slave have the rights to talk and make request to their boss, the only difference is that they have no choices when given orders. A regular crew member could refuse orders and leave as long as there is a valid reason, but that doesn't work for a slave. Where would you leave to? You got no belongings, and you got no method of survival, not to mention that as a worthless tool you'll likely be killed by the boss. However if you prove your worth, you would be able to cast off the position of a slave and become a regular crew, not just with money but only when the boss sees you as someone that can stand side by side with one of the crews.
After hearing some suggestions, he had the ship head towards the city of Faesten, towards the North Pole of the planet. There the ship would be able to purchase supplies, and he might be able to get those new equipment that he was look forward to. After he's done telling McKie to work on sniffing for the trails of the pirate, he allowed the slave to enter.
"It's you. Hm, what do you want to see me for?"
Sitting back on his seat, he looks at the man that he just punched in the face several days ago. However James did not pay any more attention to the past mistake of the slave, what happened has happened, no need to dwell on it forever, now he just wants to see what the young man had in mind.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 13, 2016 2:38:09 GMT -6
The Trip towards New Prospect was uneventful in terms of actual happening to Shikoto. Well not exactly he did one thing and that was learn and helping the maintaining the ship fully which actually helped in his case. With him bad waters with the boss, Shikoto worked hard just to get him off his ass and as well had a good laugh here and there during their travels which got some people annoyed. Well for others who had a sense of humor some extra points for him. When they were traveling he began to hear all sort of stories of the place they were going both good and bad. From the stories of a Hellhole to intrigue. The slip up what happens to slaves at the spot got many slaves working even extra harder. He even noticed the newer ones the girls were more quiet then usual, which he gotten used to their presence on the ship. Well regardless of the danger, what he did hear that got him more excited then scared was the technology on the planet. The more he heard it the more he was convinced he could recharge this battery and put an idea into action which could begin helping his first step out of slavery. Converting it into a weapon is a potential, fixing it fully is another which would increase both its and his own value. He did felt guilt lying to the engineer about the battery, but right now he had to try to get himself out of slavery and more important off this ship.
When they arrived finally he was both excited but also felt a bit tense as he was about to talk to the Captain specifically. He had it all planned out in his head the day before and soon walked up to the boss.
"Oh you know the usual, how you doing? My my its quite chilly today, etc. Actually I am not here for that for once. Here take a look at this.", Shikoto soon stated to James as he handed over the Nuclear Battery to him.
He waited for a response then would reply, "It is quite a treasure the last idiotic boss hoarded. Its a genuine, depleted Nuclear Battery for a Power Armor. Why I know this well lets say my memory from my childhood is quite good. Before you go I will smash your head in for not telling me this or any assortment of violence. I can fix it... sort of."
Of course if James could read between the lines it meant only one thing, New Prospect below had a lot of technology down there. They could actually do two birds with one stone one could say, go down to find a way to recharge when in fact their down there to find their bounty.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 13, 2016 3:50:06 GMT -6
The spaceport of Faesten was a huge flat of solid ice at the foot of the mountains, at the west side of the north pole's range. The ice was so heavily frozen than even the landing thrusters of their ship didn't melt it to an appreciable degree. An impressive curtain wall spanned the foot of the mountain just at the end of the landing port, flanking it on 3 sides with the range itself providing the fourth. A number of small, squat buildings huddle behind the edifice like scared villagers, hiding behind the ramparts to keep the cold winds at bay. Out here is typically where most sailors and merchants stay. Inns, shops, and taverns were just a couple of the service industries one could find here. They operate off the patronage of nomads as well on occasion, in times of peace. The streets between the structures were paved and surprisingly unslick to walk on.
Sometime after landing McKie disappeared into the throngs to go scout, while anyone allowed to do so would immediately hit the aforementioned services to try and restore some of the much needed morale burnt on a long journey.
Men in thick fur coats patrolled the streets and watched the walls, they seemed to favor odd looking crossbows with the cable and arms running vertical rather than horizontal. They appeared to be fully metal in body and, as a result, could probably launch bolts with impressive tensile force. Some sported the classic two handed type, while others had smaller 'pistol' types that they used with a shield. While not endemic to New Prospect, the smaller model were usually only the tools of assassins on other worlds and not military personnel.
The exterior parts of the city, while still in the same military organization as those working inside the vault-city itself, had their own commander to facilitate for better reactions to threats in a moment's notice. Asking around would reveal the commander down here to be a one Thomas Thorvald, who had an HQ in a bunker carved into the living stone of the cliff face. That seemed to be the trend here; all the important things were hugging the stone, and as you radiated out you got into more private property not under the control of the Lord Protector or any sort of authority/privileged persons. Not far from the HQ was the a tram that would take you up the mountain and into the vault itself, and if you looked hard you could just see a rocky shelf way up that the cable car must stop at. These people spared nothing when it came to defense, or perhaps it'd be better to say their ancestors didn't.
If James or Shikoto chooses to kick around the city as well they'd find that the people were terse, but not disagreeable. Most of the ones out here looked like very hard people, but not like the ones on Terminus. They were sculpted by battling a harsh environment that they had probably never dealt with before. Shikoto would have a slight edge here, his homeworld had winters of a sort; nothing of this caliber, but it was better than going in completely green from having lived on a temperature controlled colony. Most of the locals looked beyond their years as the lashing cold winds bit at their skin for decades on end, at least the ones who went outside frequently. They must be cut from a tough cloth, here. Even the children had to blanket themselves in heavy clothing just to make walking down the road bearable, saying nothing to carting goods on top of it all. The selections of consumables were lacking, however. The only beers they had were fermented from either trees or mushrooms, and they all tasted extremely earthy and somewhat bitter. The food was bland to the extent the captain would wonder if even the chef could make it taste good. What meat they served was extremely good paradoxically, if you didn't mind the gamey taste. Animals that would call the reindeer and moose their ancestors were the primary herd animals kept around here, semi-domesticated.
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It'd take McKie several days to get back to James, but by the time he did he'd have compiled some useful information. James almost didn't recognize him at first, emulating the look of the locals almost to a T. It helped that their heavy boots added a good few inches of height to anyone. The info broke down like this:
McCoy was trying to talk the local archaeologist's guild into backing an expedition of his to, supposed, huge dig site he found near the center of the planet. McCoy had been the focus of several, usually faulty, digs over the last few years (just under 2, coincidentally) that stretched his credibility in area thin. Not just in this town either. Amongst that he had managed to anger the Lord Protectors of both Dep-Duar and Eisen. The former by seizing some artifacts from a convoy of theirs, and the latter by then selling said artifacts to another city - it having been Eisen who put McCoy up to the raid in the first place as part of a contract. So it seems he has a reputation for duplicity. Somehow he always manages to avoid getting caught and worm his way into another court. On the plus side, those two might be willing to make James a better offer than the bounty board if they take him in alive. In fact, McKie is certain the mutants would do so, if he's alright with dealing with them.
The spy also informs Gransela that the last time he was kicking around, several weeks back, his men were toting heavy armor and weaponry for the adventure of theirs; which Blackjack resolved to launch on his own since Nordenberg also told him to get lost before coming back. Local merchants report him marching out of there with locally produced crossbows, plenty of bolts, expensive insulated armors, and civilian-grade explosives. By rights it seems they were expecting a hell of a fight. The operative had to grease a lot of palms but he managed to get a location from a guilder who happened to overhear the proposal.
It's to take place at the Caldwull Peaks, which is a small cluster of highlands roughly analogues to the Ozarks of Old Earth. A tiny little group of squat volcanic mountains at the center of otherwise flat terrain in the planet's stormy region. It's about 60 miles west of Dep-Duar, which would probably thrill them immensely to hear they have their 'old friend' so close by. It was also good fortune because it meant that, if so inclined, he could drop the slave off there to hunt for goods on his own.
What exactly the outlaw was after still wasn't clear, he was very tight lipped. Extremely much so, to the point of paranoia even. Whether that's a good sign or not is up to debate.
As for how to get there: They could land the main ship at Dep-Duar and walk, or perhaps try to hitch or hire a ride. Take a drop ship, or land their main ship. There's enough flatland for it, but leaving anything in the storm zone is a questionable idea in the best of times. At best they come back and have to dig 6 feet of snow off of it, at worst their fuel lines will freeze and O2 scrubbers will shatter. Briggs would read off a laundry list of potential issues if given the chance to do so. But those are just the orthodox options, there might be other approaches. If nothing else they could scan that spot from space and then figure out what to do if he's for sure still in the area.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 13, 2016 22:45:21 GMT -6
James took the battery and listened to what Shikoto had to say, while giving an inspection on the item himself. Calculating the worth of the battery, and looking over the benefits of putting the efforts to get this thing fixed. To recharge it they would have to send someone out along with this guy in order to dig up the right parts, assuming they got lucky and managed to find it in a short time, it would still divert some of the manpower towards that task. He looks back at Shikoto, who seems fairly confident that he'll be able to fix it, and decides that it's worth a shot.
"Very well, I'll take you along if we're heading towards those areas, if not then I'll have a squad go with you. See what you can find and pick up something else while you're there."
A aquad, so five people is already a pretty decent number considering they only have roughly forty on board, so he don't want to send out anymore of them without weakening the defense of the ship or the assault team he'll lead into battle. But it was worth a shot, so he decides to accept Shikoto's request and give him a handful of help. Handing the battery back to the slave, he waves at him and dismisses him.
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It took a few days before McCoy returned with the much needed information, but James did not waste that time just by waiting, instead he went to improve his equipment. Purchasing an actual body armor, a robe, and a part of spiked gauntlets. He also reforged his sword and coating it with a metal similar to chrome, in order to repair the damages the sword has received from the past few battles, and to increase the surface hardness of the blade. Some shock absorber type of mechanics are also added into the handle to help in the grip of the weapon and to reduce the forces returned to the user.
The other stuffs are also quite handy, with the body armor providing better protection to his upper body, and the gauntlets doing it for his hands. The gauntlets have spikes on them to allow powerful and damaging punches, and the hidden dart launchers in the wrist parts would help with surprise attacks. Lastly the robe have metal plates between the clothes, providing a suitable amount of protection to its user. Thin metal blades are sewed into the edges of the robe, allowing the user to use it as a weapon when swung in a certain way. The knife he had received fighting 'tiny' are also stored in the sleeves of the robe, allowing him to simply grab it during emergency for melee combat or throwing it as a projectile weapon.
After gathering all the necessary information, he noticed that there's not much he could do for planning, the area is too open. The snow might cover their movements a bit, but if they travel in large groups the snow would definitely not be enough. He could call for an orbit drop, but that might be risky not being familiar about the area, so he decided to choose the safe way, walk. Lucky for Shikoto the pirates seems to be in the same area as the location that might possibly have useful parts, so he gets to come along to do his stuffs. All of the crews coming for this trip are covered with plenty of protections to keep warm from the harsh weather, fatigue builds up quickly from walking in the deep snow, but eventually they got closer to the area and took shelter within the ruins. After getting enough rest, James had some of the men with better sight have a look of the area, trying to seek out any moving groups of people that could possibly be their target.
Shikoto also gets the permission to dig for stuffs he might need, assuming he doesn't alert any enemies, as James didn't plan to help them if they screwed up and got discovered. Instead he'll likely use them as a distraction and have a better go at the enemies, as such besides the scouting members, most of the assault team tires to remain hidden.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 14, 2016 0:41:51 GMT -6
"Alright then this is in the bag.", Shikoto replied when James gave his permission.
Now he simply had to find the right parts or a way to fix the battery, with him dismissed Shikoto began to go prepare to get ready for the journey below. When the time came he would arrive at the meeting spot James ordered all to go to, which Shikoto was dressed in simple clothing. No Body Armor due he is a slave, but did have a coat and right clothing to not freeze to death. Off to his side he had his revolver in its holster well his knife in the other. On his wrist his shield was on it which itself looked even more modified then last time, Shikoto began to tinker with it further to work better for the cold harsh environment. Better it modified and working then frozen, well not working. Though it did have disadvantage of using more energy to keep working in the cold thus shorter time to use then under normal circumstances. With him ready he joined with the group heading down below, with a bit of excitement to anyone's annoyance.
When arriving in the planet the first impression Shikoto had? Snow, a ton of it almost pure white could be seen and how cold it was.
"Damn... its like they dropped a freezer here. How the hell did this world end up like this?", Shikoto soon stated the moment he got on the ground.
He would follow them towards whatever place they had to go well until the time he got permission to go was given.
"Alright, I am off boss.", Shikoto soon stated as he was finally off to find information the other men who were with him were not the best men James could give. Which itself was fine, in fact Shikoto prefer them well he planned to go off on his information dig. He knew his mission was more then just find a way to recharge the battery but also find information of their target.
With them now ready to go off to find information Shikoto soon put on his bandana to cover his face and a Ushanka to keep warm. Now here was the question where to begin looking?
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 14, 2016 1:51:46 GMT -6
It was cold at the north pole, but further south? It was even worse. The temperature was higher on its own, but the winds easily dropped 15 or more degrees off of that figure, and they cut to the bone even with thick clothing on. What's worse is that snow and ice pummeled the crew the entire time, and the aforementioned gusts threw ice crystals fast enough to cut your skin. For that reason, anyone smart had brought masks and goggles, as well as to defeat sun glare. Fortunately it was around dusk by the time they arrived, so the light wasn't as bad. That said the snow meant that even seeing at night wasn't impossible, the moon and star light reflected to make a sort of omnipresent, silvery glow that pervaded everything. It'd be breathtaking if you were looking at the scene through the window of a warm cabin.
It was hell to actually be out in it.
The walking was also difficult and miserable, the fresh snow crunched and gave out under their feet regularly. The sailors had to stay close to catch one another or pull them out of sinkholes that formed below their boots. The weather wasn't whiteout level for the moment, so their vision and movement wasn't terribly impaired, but that could change. Luckily they didn't have to go terribly far since they had landed at Dep-Duar. Despite the grim reputation the people there let them land without much fuss. It also had an exterior section, but it looked a lot shabbier. The curtain walls were made of ice and frozen earth primarily, with stone and metals being used more for actual housing. Thankfully they didn't have to see very much of the locals, either. Although there were plenty of them, the harsh weather necessitated winter garb for them as well. They definitely saw a few strange sights on the way out though, including one man with hour-glass eyes like a goat's. Very odd people.
Scanners these days weren't very precise anymore, but with what information they could gather McCoy's ship was down there, parked on a wide plateau in the center of the Caldwulls. Prime Loca, there wasn't enough space for another ship to land there with it. Numerous mountain paths formed a rough latticework between the more sharply capped peaks, and they could barely see the dig site at one end of the range. It had a loose stockade built around it and the partially dug-up remains of a city that seems to have been entombed under the ice. They seem to have been uncovered only to make way to access some kind of facility built into the rock wall itself, similar to were the modern cities were hidden. These facts were probably the only reason that they could see the site at all, the man-made architecture broke up the endless tracks of grey and white. It looked like it'd be a couple of hours march from where McCoy was parked, much longer from the very bottom. On the plus side, James was able to pick out a few routes up to the ship that'd bypass the dig site. So if anyone was there, he'd be able to wheel around them and catch the ship by surprise.
But it turned out to be James and his men who got a surprise.
They saw the smoke before they saw the ship, and when they crested the plateau they found the vessel landed the way they had thought - but their sensors didn't show the finer details. Such as the engine that was blown off, the huge fissures in the starboard side, the fact it was lying on its port side, and other such damage. A keen eye would reveal that most of this damage seemed to have come from inside.
It was a small little ship, the same class as James's but of a different model. Sleek and narrow, it looked like a blockade runner more than a dedicated warship. But it could probably give someone a bloody nose if pursued, these types tended to have nasty sucker punch potential.
Around several of the larger holes men could be seen bolting or welding on new plating, and makeshift barriers were constructed around several gashes along the raised port side to act as guard posts. Though from their positioning and with the weather, they couldn't see if anyone was manning them or not right now. But it was clear they were expecting trouble. It was also clear they expected it for good reason, someone had did a good number to these guys. That was interesting because no other ships or vehicles were sighted anywhere nearby...
But that didn't preclude foot-based attackers, who could hide in this snow very easily.
Speaking of notability, the ship was about 50 yards from the lip of that plateau. Right now they had cover, but if they went over the top, only the snow would protect them. And it likely wouldn't completely hide their advance, meaning they'd be in open fire.
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Shikoto's team meanwhile would be free to go where they want, the Captain was nice enough to allow that. They had several options on where to look. For now he had some freedom on how to do it, he should make use of the opportunity while it lasted.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 14, 2016 2:48:49 GMT -6
James began to wonder if coming to this place was such a good idea, it might be a decent place to watch photos and videos of, but certain not the kind of place that you want to be in personally. Climbing a mountain in this weather, while fully equipped with weapons and armor did not help their situations at all. The snow was heavy enough to walk through, slush and cold mud keeps on getting into their clothes or boots, sapping their body heat without mercy. The ground was slippery, very slippery, it's like trying to walk in baby oil. Step by step James manage to get himself up the mountain, and help some of his crew up after he's good.
"That was unexpected... damaged, looks like the cause was from within the ship. Five, six... almost missed those two, eight men working on it on the outside. Did they keep more inside the ship for other repairs? Or did they stepped out for some reason?"
He kept himself near the ground, trying to keep himself as hidden as possible as he watch the targeted ship. Looks like the engines are damaged, and the ship won't be escaping anytime soon. The cannons don't look too damaged, and if they are functional then it would be really dangerous to fight it at long range... they need to get close. However without any cover, if they get spotted trying to sneak down it would be a slaughter, they need something to distract the enemies or force them to keep their heads down.
"....Attack or cover, one or the other. Both would use up too many hands..."
He looks around the surroundings, trying to find something that might be helpful for their assault, but found nothing but white snow that still reflects plenty of light at night. There's nothing else, that means the snow is the only resource they could manage. After running a simulation in his mind, he decides to put his newly formed plan into action. First he directs several of his crew to head over to the suitable point and plant explosives, and explain to his crew about his plan. It's not a safe plan that's for sure, but it's a decent bet, so they got ready after the explosives were set.
And it happened, a large explosion created by much of the explosives they had brought along, normally used for knocking down heavy barricades now it is used to rock the mountains. The sound was enough to send much of the snow on top of nearby mountains down, and pouring down towards their target. Seeing the first stage of the plan has succeeded, they then proceed to move on to the second part of the plan.
Placing their shields on the ground(James will be using one of the shield of the crews that are staying behind), all of them besides the five that stays behind for support, slides down the mountain while using the shields like sleds. It's a very dangerous operation, one that takes guts to even suggest it, but James is crazy enough to actually pull it into action. None of them fire towards the enemies, they don't have the hands to do that. Most of them are just hanging on for their lives and trying to not get sweep away by the snow, while the more skilled ones are able to control their movements in a way so the snow would provide them with decent cover.
Maybe they were lucky or something, but by the time the wave of frost finishes landing, it created a ramp good enough for them to ramp themselves up onto the hull of the ship. Just what he needed, James had in mind when he saw it, and swings himself right up onto the ship. Ready for battle, he pulls his sidearm out and begin shooting at the enemies, not risking the chance of hitting an ally with his sword. Any successful crew members that managed to do the same as James would begin doing the same, hopefully to deal with the few crews on top, while others would try to recover and bring themselves to cover before regrouping.
"We survived fighting the nature, so we can survive fighting these fools too, FIRE!!"
As they shoot, James was also careful of any new reinforcements and operating weapons, in which he would hopefully be able to jump off the ship and grab a few allies out of danger. The guys that stayed at the top of mountain as supporters would also begin shooting at the enemies, hopefully to add more to the total damage, and distract the enemies from returning fire towards their allies.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 14, 2016 3:38:05 GMT -6
With left on their own devices Shikoto had many options to go find a way to fix this nuclear battery. With not much to go on the best option would be of course ask around. With that in mind Shikoto soon nodded to himself and with the other guards soon says, "Alright, since we need a way to start off lets go ask around."
With that suggestion the other guards shrugged or even looked at him on a good idea. Never the less Shikoto and the group went into town which they arrived looking around.
"Well we are here... uh.. they all look so serious.", Shikoto soon commented as he looked around.
He looked to see if anyone even looked friendly or even willing to talk so Shikoto went up to the nearest person soon asks, "Umm excuse me, but do you know where is the best place to find power armor components?"
Of course this could backfire that they are not even nice. Or even force him to search further into this town or even force him to earn his information.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 14, 2016 4:06:52 GMT -6
It's nasty work climbing up the mountains to set those charges, but it has to be done. Luckily James is the kind of leader who isn't afraid to take risks himself, otherwise the men might think he's risking their lives too cheaply. But since he's willing to carry out these kinds of obtuse jobs himself, they were actually themselves insane enough to think that it has some kind of merit to it.
It helped that there was no one with a better idea. Charging across open land was in Warfare 101 under "Tactics Not to Do". So off the avalanche group went while the rest waited by the boss for his even more insane plan of sledding down onto an enemy warship.
The deafening roar of the charges going off in sequence is a bird's cry compared to the earth shaking growl of the hundreds of tons of snow that were knocked loose in the process. All heads on the ship turned at once to see what the ruckus was, and there was no shortage of horrified screaming in reaction to the wave bearing down on them. What hatches could be battened, were, but there wasn't a lot they could do about the huge scars marring the hull. The entire aft end up the ship ends up to be buried, and fact, the frigate's bulk is pushed a short distance by the unstoppable force of the landslide. One could only imagine the men inside being thrown around like pennies inside of a tin can. Similarly, most of the guys on top not in a guard post went flying off. Even some of those in fixed positions got toppled.
The mad ski-dash down the slopes and right onto the outer hull coincided with more crew from within pouring on top to see what the hell had just happened. They promptly get shot and fall to the snowy ground below, wounded or dead, staining the pale flakes red. Cries of alarm go out everywhere. More shots rain from above as the sapping team drop plunging fire down onto the guard posts in an attempt to suppress them, with unclear results from their current positioning. Too hard to tell. The posts were basically shaped like a pentagon cut in half, a forward facing point that a man could perch at with sloping walls to either side for defense. James would wager about 2 men could fit in each, and there were 3 across the ship's upturned starboard side.
The enemy crew rallied admirably. The ones in the posts do so by taking cover behind their embankments and firing bolts down onto the pirates, the steeled heads making quite a racket as they hit the hull...or a man's armor, which they'd stand a fair chance of piercing on a hit. A handful more poked out of hatches or scars in the armor plating to take pot shots, but not nearly as many as Gransela would expect. Quite a few of them must be deeper in and moving their way now. How long it'd take was hard to say with the jarring the ship took, and the face several compartments probably got flooded by snow in the avalanche.
So far no sign of McCoy.
---
Shikoto drew some stares as both he and his escort moved through the city's streets. Merchants attempted to peddle wares as they went by, but most of the other foot traffic ignored them in favor of going about their own business. Almost everyone here had something wrong with them. Jackets bulged in strange places, men with misshapen limbs walked crookedly with the aid of canes, and somewhere along the way a woman with eyes that blinked horizontally and not vertically wished him a good evening as the mechanic passed.
Very odd people.
Having no idea where to start he picked someone to ask at random. He turned a corner and found a pair of mutants and decided they'd be his targets for the moment. They looked like guards. In addition to their furred coats and woolen caps, they sported armored vests underneath with an odd insignia emblazoned on the breastbone. It took the form of a yellowed eye with a slitted black pupil in the palm of a hand bearing a thumb on both sides. The crest of the local Lord Protector, perhaps? The first one had jagged teeth like a predator's, all triangular incisors. What drew the eyes more was the fact he sported four arms, each pair held a carbine whose strap carrying strap was slung over the respective upper shoulder, with the lower hands on their stocks to hold them at ease. Somehow he managed to have a parka knitted that fit him despite this oddity. His tongue extended down to his chin and it was currently wrapped around a beige looking candy treat shot through the middle with a piece of black wood. The second looked normal except for the fact his left arm split about halfway down the forearm and ended it two long tendrils that were covered in either some kind of bone or or chitin. He carried a chunky pistol with four barrels in the crook of his non-deformed arm.
Comparatively, the guns looked a lot more primitive to what Shikoto had seen at home. Likely it was to survive the cold, fewer moving parts were a benefit here. At any rate they noticed him before he talked. They were having a conversation amongst themselves when he approached, but they cut it short to face and address him.
"Power armor components?" Four arms said, and the two looked between each other. He took the sucker out of his mouth when speaking, but it went right back in the moment he was done. "Depends. What 'components' you lookin' for, normie? We talking servos, armor plates, coolant valves..."
"Lot of stuff can break, many possibilities." The other added, finishing for his friend. The pair didn't give the same intense stares the civilians had, they were probably more used to seeing 'normies' than the general populace.
Either way he'd have to be more specific. It was very unlikely he'd find any All-in-One stores here.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 14, 2016 13:23:32 GMT -6
Several of the crew were hit and either injured or killed by the guards, but thankfully there weren't too many enemies in the guard posts, so they could continue their assault. On top of the ship, James and a few of his team were in a fairly decent location where they won't be hit or spotted by the posts as easily. Slowly sneaking over while hugging the hull, they pull out a few frag grenades, 'cook' it for a second or two before throwing it inside the ship. Their attacks were followed by a wave of snow being brushed into the holes in order to try and prevent the defenders from defending themselves from the grenades, to some what block up the holes, and to pretty much just annoy the defenders.
As they do that, the other crews managed to get close and behind cover. They begin applying first aid to the wounded, knocking out the enemies that got knocked off the ship, and proceed to put slave collars around them. Anyone that tries to pull out a weapon to defend themselves would be shot and equipment on them would be taken in case there's anything useful for the battle.
Now the method to get in would be tricky, good thing the ship was already damaged before and have only received emergency repairs, so there should be a few weak spot to get into... like the bridge which could possibly closer to the ground. James has half of his men continue the assault, leaving one of his trusted soldier behind as the sub-commander, and leading another team towards the location of the bridges. Now the glasses won't be that easy to break into with their handguns or even his sword, but they do have something handy from before. They keep their position on top of the bridges rather than in front of it to try and avoid any unnecessary combat, and begin cutting the edges of the windows using the saw blades they got from the Fire Angels. The glasses themselves would be tough, but that might be different for the connection parts that were not designed to protect against an infantry assault. The noise will of course attract attention, but they don't have much of the saw anyways, so many of the team could stay on guard and ready to deal with any enemies that comes out of the ship to attack them.
If they can take the bridge, they may as well declare themselves victors. But even if they could not take the location in a quick go, it would still relieve some pressure off the second team, allowing a better chance of victory on that side. As his men get the job done at a safe angle, James pokes his head over in a way that he could quickly pull himself back to safety, and waves his sword threateningly to the bridge members if any are still inside.
"We got you surrounded, surrender with your hands up and I promise to let you guys keep your lives. Anymore resistance and I'll have you all buried to your chest, naked, in this beautiful mountain, alive."
Just like the Cosmic Terror have no idea of the enemy's exact numbers, neither do they. A team that could pull off something like the avalanche would certainly have a decent number, right? Or so James wanted them to think.
The second team would try to reduce the numbers of enemies that could engage in combat against them by stacking snow on possible exit points, the weight of the snow should help in blocking off the passages, and to limit the location that enemies could appear from. With the avalanche tactic, it shouldn't feel too strange that snow have blocked off the exits, but it's likely that some of them would have figured out it was the attack's doing. The few unblocked parts are guarded by a few men, ready to attack anyone that opens and exit from the passages.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 14, 2016 22:54:36 GMT -6
When arriving into the town first thing to Shikoto was the oddities he saw of people. Deformed and other things, it actually made him feel sort of lucky he was born normally. Regardless he had to find information and most ignored him. He tried not to stare of the various people hoping all went well. When he asked the question the first thing he noticed the extra arms one of them had. Then their armor and weapon told him much, not to mention the symbol he guessed had to be the local lord protector meant these two were guards. So less likely they would lie and try to steal from him, making a little less on edge, only a little. When hearing of speaking of exactly what components he required that meant there would be not exactly a single spot to shop.
So the only way to figure it out more Shikoto soon replies, "Uhh Nuclear Batteries for Power armors. To be more precise a way to recharge existing batteries and repair of them."
That of course was what he required, though the two still unsettled him inside. Not every day you see four arms, not every day you see deformities so wide spread. It did make Shikoto wonder though, this planet has supposedly a treasure trove of lost technology but what the hell occurred here began to really be in Shikoto's mind. It both horrified but also fascinated him on this world of ice, with its own history which held so many secrets.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Jan 15, 2016 0:08:21 GMT -6
The hull had plenty of places for cover as the pirates advanced, though none of it was very tall or particularly comfortable to hide behind. Fins for stabilization and radiating heat, lopsided armor plates, communications equipment, etc. But it worked well enough to cut down fire as they advanced to throw grenades. Explosions and fire poured out of the makeshift entryways that weren't getting snowed in as the men's explosives went off. What was more unfortunate was that the enemies inside had the same idea, chucking their own explosives back out. They weren't exactly military grade, mining charges formed into blocky shapes with scrap metal and nails pressed into the plastique. It would still kill or wound someone though. As the guard towers fell the men inside ceased to try and fight on the surface and instead pulled back inside to force the enemy to follow them into corridors where it'd be easier to defend themselves.
Along the way the crew on medical duty would notice that the men they had shot off the sides seemed to have been slaves of the enemy's own keeping, if the collars are any indication, while they're down there rounding up more captives.
The inside of the bridge wasn't empty by the time James had began to hack his way into it, but it also didn't host their leader at the moment. It looked like another bomb had went off in there and for that reason the people inside were mostly more slaves to do repairs, and soldiers to make sure they stayed on task. The latter snap a few shots at him during the sawing, and the bullets bounce off the glass without even fracturing it. Strong stuff. Notably, they stop when he shouts his demand. The assorted men in the bridge look between one another and then bolt for the nearest door, which is sealed behind them.
Outgoing fire dies down over the next few minutes, and a particularly daring man sticks his arm out of what looks to be the ship's actual door so that he can wave an inside out parka. Probably the most white thing they had.
"Oi! We wish to parlay, then! My boys and I wants to get outta this as much as you do. First of oll, who the bloody hell are you wot's wrecking up my ship for?" Someone calls out from the same hatchway the 'flag' was being waved from. Its scratchy and crackling with static, probably coming from a radio or intercom held by the man in the door. The one speaking was likely the enemy captain. His accent implied he wasn't actually from Terminus despite working there.
"Secondly, pal, I'll worn you now Oi'm sitting in the magazine roight now with every shell in here ready to blow and take the lot of all you sods wit me! So how's about we both cut the threats and talk this out like honest blokes, eh?" That would certainly explain why the cannons hadn't been firing, the ammo was being held back for another purpose. Or it could be a huge bluff. Either way he had the enemy standing down for now as was hoped.
Where would he take it from there?
"Name's Captain McCoy, almost forgot. Not very propa of me."
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Even though he was trying hard to not offend, the soldiers had clearly caught his displeasure at their twisted forms. The smirked and looked between each other, and the one with extra limbs elbowed his fellow guardsmen to nudge him into action.
"I'm Radcliff, he's Alfrick." Four arms said, introducing himself first and then the other.
Alfrick, the mutant with the weird left arm, extended the mutilated limb towards Shikoto with the obvious intent of shaking his hand. The creature gave him the most smug looking grin possible. Could the foreigner really afford to offend not just the natives, but also the military, by refusing? AND also possibly risk not receiving any help on top of that.
Supposing Shikoto actually went through with it, both of the ropey digits would wrap around his hand three times and squeeze hard. But not hard enough to cause any damage.
Either way the two would burst into laughter, which would culminate with Radcliff clapping the slave on the shoulder and telling him that, "We're just messing with you normie, your kind all react like that. Never gets old."
"Nope." Alfrick agreed.
"Lemme think...atomic batteries...well if all you need is to recharge it, I'd find Kaelyn. Guilder. Sells that kind of stuff. If you want I can loan you my knife, because she's going to charge you so much you might as well just cut your arm off and try to sell it. Ha!" Once again the two cackled. It seems that one thing was pretty static across all species.
It was that guilders had an edge and they knew how to exploit it. They went on to say that they ran a warehouse out of a big building hugging the foot of the mountain Dep-Duar was built into. The place worked as both a storehouse and a shopfront, if he chose to go there. Even if they didn't have the goods, or he couldn't afford it, they might be able to make a deal.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Jan 15, 2016 0:52:34 GMT -6
The counterattack took out a few of the attackers, but it looks like that was the end of the battle. When the enemy commander asks for a ceasefire, James raised his hand to have his men temporary stop the attack. Slowly he walks over towards the door with two of his men following him, standing beside the door he yells back in order to talk to the captain of this ship.
"I'm James Gransela, and in the same business as you, just with a bit more good repetition than you. Your ship's close to scrap anyways, it won't matter if me and my men knock a few more holes into it. Unless you think a few piece of scrap's going to get the engines back up, I certainly don't. McCoy, I'll be honest with you, I'm here for your head. You're marked for 100 clusters, dead or alive. And I'm sure the natives here would want a piece of you too, so there's plenty of cash waiting for me back in town if I end you here, but..."
He decides there's other opportunities here, there might be valuable goods inside the ship that they could get. He also want to know a bit more about the damage they suffered, and any extra knowledge that McCoy might have, why else would he come here in the middle of no where.
"Tell you what, I'll give you a chance, so say you had no other choice. I'll let you choose, say five men, and we won't shoot any of you... IF, you are able to give me something valuable enough to trade for it. Give me some important information, more on whatever attacked your ship, the reason why you came. Oh and I'm sure you won't want to bring valuable goods from the ship, not like you're going to be able to survive out here in this weather and terrain with them anyways."
There is of course, the choice of refusing and just blowing up the ship, but James don't think the guy will do it. Even if the captain is willing to, there's no reason his men would agree to follow. Even with his own leadership ability he would maybe able to get one or two members to die with him, certain not the entire crew.
"Of course you could always be a hero and blow up the ship, but I'll have to ask your boys if they want to go down with you. I have openings in my gang right now, and I'll be happy to take in new members... anyone with a decent deed would get extra treatment too. So it's your call McCoy, I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to get back on your feet if you can get out of here alive. You're a smart one, don't make me believe otherwise."
McCoy is a slippery one, not someone that would go head on against his opponent, a man like that could easily find the opportunity to strike again in the future. But with a price on his head, it won't be easy keeping his life, but at least James' offer sounds decent. If he dies then he won't be able to keep anything, and the only thing he'll have to pay is with words. Even if he refuses to say anything, James would be able to get something by talking to any surviving crew or slaves anyways, maybe as well trade it for his own life.
"Of course if you got nothing, then looks like your journey's going to end here. If you accept, come out with your hands up, all of you. I swear upon my name that we won't shoot you unless you fire first, don't give me the reason to do so, drop your weapons."
While James and McCoy negotiates, the slaves that worked under McCoy are being checked on. Their collars gets disabled before putting on a new one, ensuring that they won't be able to do anything even if they get back up.
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Post by Pitman on Jan 15, 2016 2:03:29 GMT -6
It was true Shikoto was trying very hard not to offend the natives, after he is just a visitor and make it worse a slave. So unable to refuse Shikoto looked at their mutanted hand and shook it, then getting goosebumps when the next that happened which almost made him jump. Though would soon calm down noticing that his hand was not getting crushed which then shook it firmly.
"Ahh... hahaha..", Shikoto soon laughs nervously as they also laughed at what happened which made him unsure.
These people, their crazy and scary!, Shikoto soon mentally thought as he was trying to keep his cool in this entire situation. With Radcliff and Alick having their fun Shikoto soon let out a bit of heavy breath if he was just being played on.
"I see, just a native joke, I guess it makes sense.", Shikoto manage to reply as the tension was now fully gone.
Shikoto was still wondering though, with this planet the way it was he wonder if there was any information of a bounty, but if what he heard was correct they wouldn't even say so.
"Ah so a guilder on this world huh.", Shikoto soon managed to say as he heard about where you can recharge your battery.
Though hearing their offer of cutting their hand and how they tend to run things. It made Shikoto soon think that was always the case with any guilder in any world. After all the secrets of maintain and making technology work. Well it was a treasure that could make one's living or even safety.
With this new information in hand now Shikoto soon says, "Kaelyn? So a guilder also on this planet as well. Well that makes total sense, especially with their services are always required. That or She is just chilling out here."
When hearing the next about how expensive things were Shikoto soon understood such services would be expensive, he didn't even have money in his name. Never the less it was good information to have for the future regardless.
"A Knife? No I don't need one I got one myself.", Shikoto soon replies when he pointed it out which was sheathed on himself.
With the information about where ti go next Shikoto soon says to the men,"By the way how are things in this world? I been wondering myself as my first time here. Though I heard stories and first time meeting your uh... delightful presence. I been meaning and wanting to ask, Why is the world like this, like this?"
Trying not to offend them at all just curiosity that was all, though one does say curiosity does kill the cat.
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