Rei_Man

Argh! Thanks for signing up DragonBlood. Hopefully we might get others, but if not this RP might not get started. All we'd need would be maybe five including myself in total, but at this rate we might not even get that. Anyway, here's my character; Name: Lunae Nu'khai Age: 20 Gender: Female Nationality: Rairos Appearance: Lunae is an attractive young woman, of about 5'8'' in height. Her skin is lightly tanned and fair. Her eyes are a solid grey, and her light brown hair falls to just below her shoulder. She wears a top of a faded light brown colour, which has a textured vertical line pattern, horizontal on the arms. The sleeves are cut off at the elbow, and on both arms the elbow is covered by a small added sleeve of pale orange/yellow fabric. She also wears a long black skirt, that carries a series of 3 rune inscriptions on its front, from the knee down. This is the only part of the lower skirt that can be seen, as she wears a pale orange/yellow skirt over the top, with part of the front cut away. She also wears a black 'cloak' that hangs from the waist down to below the knee, over the side and back of the legs, and is held together by a buckle at the front. Around her shoulders are wrapped two long pieces of fabric (like a scarf, but... not), each going over the shoulder and around the opposite arm. The top 'scarf' is a simple light grey and hangs loosely at Lunaes back, while the lower one is black, with runic inscriptions in red, and wraps fully around the left arm. Lunae wears her Amulet in the centre of her chest, where the two 'scarves' cross. Personality: On the whole, Lunae is relatively easy-going, and there has not been much in her life that would have been able to remove this. Unfortunately, she does have the tendency to be rather clumsy and uncoordinated, which is something that Seil had often tried to correct. As it stands, the death of her mentor is the only thing that has had a lasting negative effect on Lunae. She feels slightly responsible for Seil's death, in the sense that she did not interfere when she could have done. The fact that Seil would have wanted her to remain hidden does not seem to have sunk in completely, and she is determined to claim vengeance in the near future. Biography: Lunae spent the early years of her life living as an orphan. Both of her parents died when their village was attacked in the latter stages of the Bi'Kjra Rebellion, at which time Lunae was only two years of age. She had been safely hidden along with the other children in the village during the attack, and was later taken to an orphanage in the capital Nel'rair until the rebellion subsided. At the age of 13 years, Lunae first met Seil Nemra, who at the time was a 16-year old assistant at the Great Temple. Even at that young age, Seil possessed much of the compassion that she would become renowned for in her later life, and took Lunae home to live with her. Seil treated Lunae as her little sister, helping to provide her with part of the family she had never had, while also training her in the teachings of the temple. Once Seil became the temple Priestess at the unusually young age of 18, she had Lunae brought on as the new assistant. When Lunae reached 18, Seil gave Lunae one of the Sacred Amulets, explaining that it would be an everlasting symbol of their bond. It is possible, though doubtful, that Seil may have already understood her fate at that time. Lunae continued training under Seil's guidance for a further two years, while Seil mentioned little or nothing to her about the Amulet. After Seil's death at the hands of Counsellor Pirya three months ago, Lunae ran from the ruined temple, and found sanctuary in the home of Hiuma Vu'oso, one of Seil's most trusted friends. Hiumi had been the only other person that knew of the Amulets' secrets, besides Seil and Pirya. She also possessed a list of the Amulet bearers, the only other copy having been burnt along with Seil, and so sent out a message to all those on the list, requesting that they come to Nel'rair as soon as possible. Notable skills: Basic medicinal skills that she learnt from Seil. Having trained in the temple, she also has a reasonable knowledge of theology and philosophy. (Apologies for the length of the 'Appearance'. I'll switch it for an attachment once I get the picture scanned.) ------------------------- Okay, so PLEASE can we get some more people!

"So..... everyone's going all out......" Qestrii ripped the cockpit free of a raptor mech, hurling the wreck into one of the piles of machinery, both of Human and Cylargrian origin, that were scattered across the battlefield. "....But I....." Explosions flashed in and out of existence everywhere. In the sky, on the ground; everywhere. Rockets and missiles roared overhead, bullets and laser shots drew lines in the air - and whenever even one of these caught it's mark, one more person would fall. "....I still don't get it....." One more [I]human[/I] would fall. There was no fair side to this battle - either way it would cost the lives of thousands, even millions. And either way it would be the human race that would pay the price. Whether they were being brainwashed, or whether they were fighting of their own free will, so many were going to die. Before, Dale had been fighting for his friends, to save them. Everything they'd done before had been in defence of lives; fighting on the offensive side placed a much greater weight on his conscience. In the long run it would serve as the best defence, that much he could understand, but still....... [I]....why do we go on fighting?[/I] Dale kept his head bowed, his hair waving from side to side as Qestrii continued her attack on auto-pilot. [I]Was that not the end to your question?[/I] Dale raised his head slightly, placing his palm over the auto-pilot on/off button. "No, that's right but....... I thought I understood." He shook his head slowly. "I guess I'm not there yet...." He pressed down on the button, expecting the controls to come alive. Nothing happened. "Is something wrong? Qes?" [I]Nothing is wrong Dale. You need time to think, to understand.[/I] "I can think as I go along. Come on, give me control." [I]So you still wish to fight? In spite of your previous question?[/I] Dale leaned forward, placing his head in his hands. "....Yes...." [I]Then perhaps you understand this war more.....[/I] Qestrii fell silent as the control panels came back to life. Dale started to take control of the weapons systems, firing bursts of energy at a rank of raptors up ahead, but he still focused his attention on Qestrii. Something in that last sentence hadn't seemed quite right. There had been something behind those last two words that he had never heard there before. "Qestrii? More than what?" A light on the control panel indicated that she'd heard him, but she refused to respond. "Qestrii?" Still no response. An incoming swarm of missiles brought Dale's attention back to the battle. Activating a defence procedure that Dale had programmed into the weapons interface, Qestrii caught a nearby T-Rex in her grasp and pulled it into the path of the missiles. Dale shook violently as the force of the impact forced both mechs back, though the dino-mech came off much worse. Qestrii tossed the Rex aside heavily, its armour full of holes. There was no change in the silence. No strength or confidence flowed through into Dale's mind as he made the decision to link with Qestrii. The only thing that passed from the MechAnima's mind to his was a feeling of total confusion and a feeling of numbness that began to grow in the back of his mind, pushing its way forward. Dale slammed his hand against the control panel, breaking the link. Everything in the cockpit went dark for an instant, then flashed back to life a few seconds later. Everything seemed normal, apart from a line of text that flashed repeatedly across the screen. [I] - AS A TOOL OF WAR, WHAT PURPOSE WOULD I HOLD IN PEACE? - - Error: Answer not found. Please restate inquiry. -[/I] "Qestrii, what the hell's going on?" Dale glanced down at the control panel. This time, however, there was no confirmation that Qestrii had heard his question. OOC: I imagine that will be my last post then, if Heero's about to end the RP. It'll hopefully allow me to go deeper into Qestrii's 'coming to terms with existence' aspect if you start the next one. So yeah, I'm game for a sequel.

[quote name='Drizzt Do'urden'] I'd like to see A giant Rabid moose come onto the set of all daytime talk shows and eat the hosts and the ridiculous people that go on their to reveal their problems to the world[/quote] Wow. I [I]really[/I] like the sound of that. Of course, I'd also like to kick them one...two.....er....fifty times first. Just to tenderise them, you understand. For the sake of poor Mr. Moosey. :shifty: I imagine to strap George Bush, naked, to the front of a tank would also be a suitable way to spend such money. Just to be a good citizen of Great Britain, I think I'd probably have our stupid prime minister, Tony Blair, strapped to the turret. Then it'd drive through the desert. For four days. And then, just to top it off, the tank would 'accidentally' drive into a river. A deep river. :flush:

[B]OOC: OK, checked the Underground thread. I agree with the rules all the way, things can get a bit confusing sometimes. [/B] :whoops: Carl slouched quietly in his seat as the others talked around him, lashing together a makeshift belt that would help carry the weight of his sword. He made one last check to make sure that the sword would actually fit in it, then placed both sword and belt in a magnetic holding bracket overhead. ***OVER LONDON. BE AT THE READY. WILL LAND IN FIVE MINUTES. "It's about time..." He muttered to himself. Carl checked over the buckles on his body-armor, then strapped himself in as the others did. The plane rocked suddenly to the left, and the PA came alive again. ***THE VAMPIRES ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE. THEY ARE RAMMING INTO THE ENGINES. THEY REALLY WANT TO KILL US! The plane shuddered again as another vampire's blood sprayed against the nearest window. The plane started to plummet to the ground, and all that Lee could manage was to slow it down. Carl loaded a clip of the silver bullets into both weapons, then prepared himself for the emptiness that would probably come when they hit the ground. ------------------------------------ "......arl.......Carl........Hey, wake up!" Carl opened his eyes and blinked violently. The others seemed to have passed out as well, and from the looks of it M and Lee going around waking them. "We... made it?" M nodded. "Yes. But we're not clear yet." He briefly turned his head, drawing Carl's attention to the werewolves outside, who seemed to be struggling to break through an invisible barrier. "I see your point. Time to tool up?" "Right." M smiled, replacing any fear in Carl's mind with a soothing warmth, then moved on to help the others. Carl slipped the Desert Eagle into the holster on his belt, tied the makeshift sword belt over the other, then took his assault rifle in hand, activating the Magnetic Acceleration system. He walked over to where the others, including the ten back-up soldiers, stood waiting for Lee to bring down the protection field. "One..." Carl brought the rifle up, making sure that the clip hadn't jammed or detached in the crash. "Two..." He braced the butt of the rifle against his right shoulder, bringing on of the werewolves into his sights...... "Three!" ......and everyone opened fire. The wolf in his sights lunged forward, catching Carl's first shot directly in the eye. It twitched violently as the sparks from the accelerated bullet danced through it's brain, then changed to ash, scattering in the wind. Carl lowered on one knee, firing a strafing burst into an oncoming group. Three fell to his attack, while a blast from M's shotgun killed two more, but they still kept coming. One of them lunged directly at Carl, striking him in the chest and forcing him to the ground. He tried to hold it off with a few quick strikes with the butt of the rifle, but the wolf quickly knocked it out of his hands. Carl dragged the heavy sword out from under him, and swung at the wolf with all the force he could manage, striking the creature in the head with the flat side of the blade. He knocked the wolf down with a second strike, then pinned the creature's bloody head to the floor. His rifle out of reach, he pulled out the desert eagle and fired a single round into its skull. Rolling away from the rising ash, he grabbed his rifle and emptied the rest of the clip into the mass of werewolves. He caught a good number of them in the legs with the low burst, and one of them fell directly infront of him and tried to crawl towards him. Carl stepped back out of range of the creature's claws, reloaded the rifle, and fired five bullets into its back and neck stopping it mid-swipe. Sliding the sword back into the belt and taking the desert eagle in his left hand, he walked forward and dealt with the others that had fallen.

Dale and Qestrii were struggling to wrestle one of the T-Rex mechs to the ground, when Commander De'Larne's message came over the communications channel. [I]"Everyone! Everyone!...the Cylargrian are doing something to our pilots. The mechs. back here are flipping out....they look like they're torturing them or-"[/I] The enemy mech suddenly arched its head back, letting off an energy blast that lost the message to static. Dale retaliated by tightening Qestrii's grasp on the machine, causing the T-Rex's body to twist at an unnatural angle. The dino-mech still struggled to break free, but Dale felt sure that it would help him to keep the advantage. Qestrii swung the free part of her tail at an incoming group of the smaller Raptors, scattering pieces of metal and machinery into the air. A red beam of energy soared through the air, striking the base's defense shield head on. Looking up into the sky above, Dale could tell that Ajack was preparing to fire again. He was still under fire from the base, so to keep firing, from the same position, was practically suicide. Dale closed his eyes - for once he felt that he understood, completely, what they needed to do. This was no longer about their own survival, their own well-being. This was about friendship and - in Ajack's case - love. This was about saving the lives of those they cared about. For those [I]he[/I] cared about. Dale's eyes shot open as the Rex lunged forward, threatening to break free of Qestrii's grip; and as Ajack's second attack roared overhead, filling the cockpit with a crimson light. Almost on cue with the brilliant flash of light, something seemed to fit in to place in the back of Dale's mind, filling him with a strength and confidence that seemed so new to him. As if by instinct alone, he flicked the switch that formed Qestrii's energy blades, and shifted his palm on the movement pad. Qestrii's blades sliced deep into the Rex's neck, slicing the head clean off, and with a second shift of Dale's palm, flung the disabled mech into a line of Raptors, crushing them in an instant. Dale lowered his head, breathing heavily, his long hair draped over his eyes. "What..... What was that?.... Qestrii, did we just-?" [I]Yes, Dale. That is correct.[/I] He glanced up as Ajack's final blast struck enemy defense shield, forcing it to collapse. "But... how? How could we connect? You don't have telepathic abilities...." [I]No, I do not. However, the connection between MechAnima and pilot relies on much more than the link between minds. Emotion, and understanding...... both are equally important in maintaining this connection. When you came to terms with the purpose of this battle, when you truthfully faced your feelings, you allowed the connection to be formed.[/I] "Still.... I don't understand..... how could I have formed the connection?" [I]That is a question you will have to answer for yourself, Dale.[/I] Dale shook his head slowly, then lifted his gaze to meet the enemy fleet. "I guess, but.....whatever. We've still got a lot of work to do here." He allowed himself a small smile. "C'mon Qes. Let's kick some ass."

Carl yawned and stretched, knocking his report - which must have fallen onto his face when he drifted off - onto the floor next to his bed. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, muttering and groaning, then got up for a quick shower. Once he was dried off, he changed into a new set of clothes and opened his door. He looked down, and saw that a soldier had left a brand new body-armor vest in front of his room, along with a plain wooden box. He frowned at the armor, being quite attached to his own..... well-used.... vest, and tossed it into the nearest waste chute. Taking the lid off the box, he found his Desert Eagle, along with a note confirming that it had been registered. Carl yawned and smiled, then returned the pistol to the holster at his side. He then stepped out into the corridor, and walked down to the weapons hold. Though in the past he would've stuck to his pistol and nothing else, his last engagement with those 'things' had helped him to realise that he was going to need something extra. He glanced through the impressive collection of pistols, rifles, shotguns - and pretty much any other firearm you could think of - and after ten minutes, finally found something that looked up to the job. It looked like any other bullpup assault rifle, except for the two chambers that extended out near the back, to each side of the weapon. He flicked a switch just above the trigger, and the two chambers came alive with a dazzling blue light, sparks hopping across their surface. He decided to fire off one round into the wall, which flashed towards it at high and embedded itself into the metal, leaving a series of minor sparks in its wake. Carl quickly switched off the weapon, snatched up a few ammo clips, and hurried across to the hold's other wall, where he'd have to pick out his backup weapon. He looked along the racks of swords and the like, most of which didn't catch his attention, then came across something a little different. He took the sword from its rack, expecting to be able to hold it in one hand, than clumsily dropped it to the floor. He rubbed the top of his arm slowly. "Damn. That thing's heavier than it looks..." He lifted the blade with both hands, but still had difficulty swinging it effectively. He shifted his left hand to the end of the unusually long handle and tried again, allowed him to put a lot more strength, speed and accuracy into his swings. He smiled lightly, and walked away with the rifle in his left hand and the sword in his right, the heavy blade leaving a deep scratch in the floor. Walking into his room, he tossed the rifle and clips onto his bed, and lay the sword down next to the door. The moment he stepped into the kitchen Ivy greeted him with a smile, which confused him slightly considering that they seemed to have gotten off to a bad start the day before. "Good morning Carl. Breakfast?" Carl walked over to the fridge, taking a small bottle of pineapple juice from the compartment on the inside of the door. He shut the door, then turned around and shook his head. "No thanks Ivy. Never really been much of a breakfast person myself." He sat down heavily and then took a deep drink from the bottle. He lifted the bottle in a mock salute. "This'll do just fine."

Well, I have a limited experience in this,, but I think I'll join in anyway. Most of the time, when I realize I'm dreaming, I end up waking up suddenly. One example of this was when I pulled a locket out of my pocket. I suddenly became conscious of the fact that I was dreaming, and this light started shining out of the locket. I woke up, opened my eyes, and saw the sun right where the locket had been in my dream. Freaky.... Then there was this one time when I managed to stay in the dream. I was walking around this semi-futuristic city with this big hill in the centre, and as I was walking up it I realised that it was a dream. I had to try really hard to avoid waking up, and it was as if everything seemed even more real than before. I could feel the wind, the ground under my feet, and so on. I decided to test the whole 'lucid dream' thing and stopped at the top of the hill. Of course, the prospect of invincibility was [I]very[/I] tempting, and - just like that - a group of thugs appeared at the bottom of the hill. When they approached me, they tried to start a fight, and so I beat them into unconsciousness with a conveniently placed metal pole. I'd say that pretty much proved the invincibility theory. :haha:

[CENTER][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=4][B]War and Loyalty (M-VL)[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER] [B][I]Nel'rair, Capital of the Rairos Kingdom[/I][/B] [I]The Great Temple of the Gods[/I] The cold midnight breeze blew through the open window, scattering documents and scriptures all across the floor. Lunae Nu'khai, the Priestess Seil's trusted aide, rushed to gather up all the scraps of paper, when all of a sudden a loud crashing sound came from the Temple's main hall. Lunae took a cautious step towards the doorway, and peered through into the hall, finding it difficult to see anything through the thick cloud of dust that now filled the room. When the dust settled, beyond the rubble that was once the building's main support pillar, she could just about make out two figures standing face to face at the altar. The first she recognised as Seil, her Elder. The second, who seemed to be pointing some sort of strange machine at Seil's chest, she did not so easily recognise. Lunae was about to run forward to help her master when a sidewards glance from Seil gave her the impression that she should stay in the shadows. She slipped out of sight just in time to avoid the gaze of the intruder, who promptly returned her attention to the Priestess. "Well, Seil? What do you say?" "I do not know what it is you hope to achieve here, Counsellor, but I doubt it is for the benefit of His Majesty." The intruder smiled sadistically. "I work for the good of this nation, Seil. Unfortunately, both you and he are to blind to realise this." Seil maintained her calm, level voice. "One can only be blind to things that are visible Pirya. If this is truly for the good of the nation, why do you work in the shadows?" The intruder lowered her head and laughed deeply. "Your Gods work in the shadows, do they not? How is it that they are worshipped for such things, whereas I am condemned?" Seil's calm composure finally broke, and her rage at the intruder's comment became plainly obvious. "Do not compare yourself to the Gods, Pirya. They possess more power than you could [I]ever[/I] hope to wield." "Perhaps, but that matters not." The intruder raised her head, still smiling, and tightened her grip on the strange machine. "Your decision, Priestess?" For a moment, Lunae could see the immense fear running through Seil's eyes. Seil quickly shut her eyes, and for a few seconds, everything fell into silence. Lunae could only just hear her response from where she stood. "I will [I]not[/I] help you, Pirya." The intruder's smile grew even more, and she took the machine in both hands. "So be it. I sincerely hope that your followers are more open to persuasion." She closed her eyes, and a faint light started to shine around her body. Bolts of lightning and fire started to weave down her arm, drawn into the machine. The intruder opened her glowing eyes, and all of a sudden a blast of rolling flames shot forth from the machine, engulfing Seil and the altar. The flames vanished as quickly as they had been summoned, and all that had stood in their path lay in ruin. The intruder stepped forward, and rummaged through the ashes, pulling out an amulet that Seil had carried with her at all times. Lunae briefly glanced down at a similiar amulet that hung around her neck. The intruder hurried to the temple entrance, where she was met by one of her companions. She quickly slipped the amulet into her robe, and handed the machine over to the other. "Come, Gelia, we must find the other amulets quickly. The King must [I]not[/I] know of this." The intruder hurried out of the temple, leaving her companion inside with the machine. The younger woman, presumably her subordinate, raised the machine, aiming it at the secondary support pillar, and Lunae knew that she had to escape immediately. Running back into the document chamber, she slipped out through the window, just as the roaring sound echoed through the hall. She knelt on the cold ground outside, watching as the temple walls crumpled under the building's weight, and the entire structure collapsed in on itself. The intruder and her companion mounted a pair of horses, and rode off into the darkness of the night. ------------------------------------ [B]The Basics[/B] Okay, that's the introduction sorted. Now, down to business. This RP will take place in the world of L'Vumer. This world consists of two main continents, with three powerful kingdoms and several other, less formidable, nations. The three dominant kingdoms are Rairos, Dhan're and Gyre, which all exist on the same continent, and are currently at peace. However, among the people of these nations, there are those who do not support this peace, those who are determined to lead their nation to a position of total domination. And then there are those who are determined to stop them. ------------------------------------- [B]NPC Profiles:[/B] [I]Priestess Seil Nemra - 23 years old (Deceased)[/I] Seil lived as one of the main supporters of the Anti-War policy that the King of Rairos was preparing to issue. A firm pacifist, she held the opinion that any conflict would cost the nation of Rairos dearly. She held one of the Sacred Amulets, while the others were given to her most trusted associates. A political enemy of Counsellor Pirya, she became a close friend of the King himself, who regularly visited Seil's temple. Records state that she died as a result of a structural failure in the temple, and only a few know the true circumstances of her death. [I]Counsellor Pirya Si'leva - 32 years old[/I] A native of the Gyre Kingdom, Pirya entered into service of the Rairos kingdom 13 years ago. Since the beginning of her career, she has risen from the lowest of positions to become one of the Kings five appointed advisors - though this is in name only. Of late, the King has been seeking more the wisdom of the temple priestess Seil Nemra. Since their introduction the King has begun promoting a more peaceful stance - one that Pirya refused to support. Over the past few months, Pirya has been plotting to draw Rairos into a war, while at the same time researching the effects of magic. This research brought about the secret invention of the [I]Mage Gun[/I], a new weapon that amplifies spiritual energies - considerably increasing their destructive force. It was one such [I]Mage Gun[/I] that brought about the death of Seil Nemra. She later used the essence of Seil's Sacred Amulet to significantly increase the yield of the weapon, and now seeks the others amulets to further enhance its power. [I]Gelia Relai - 21 years old[/I] Pirya Si'leva's personal aide, Gelia Relai, like her mother before her, also acts as a liason between the King and the Rairos military. It was this connection that allowed Pirya to draw several high-ranking officers into her conspiracy, as well as allowing Pirya's research to remain hidden. Though her involvement in the death of Priestess Seil weighs heavily on her soul, she continues to serve Pirya faithfully. [I]His Majesty, Denel Raire VII - 54 years old[/I] Until recently, with his introduction the Seil Nemra, the King had always kept his military well organised and supplied. Though he did not intend to engage in war with with the Kingdoms of Dhan're and Gyre, he wanted to make the impression that his forces could, and would, retaliate against any force that dared to attack Rairos. However, after he began taking advice from Seil, he began to disarm his military forces, and prepared to sign a permanent peace treaty with the other Kingdoms. Unfortunately, this move caused great animosity to spread through the Rairos military, giving Pirya the chance she needed to gain allies within its ranks. King Raire is currently entering the final stages of the negotiation process - but whether he will suceed before Pirya can interfere is uncertain. [I]General N'ayko Deile - 47 years old[/I] One of Pirya Si'leva's strongest supporters in the Rairos military, he commands a legion of soldiers in a small town near the border between Rairos and Dhan're. This places him in the ideal location for launching on assault on the neighboring Kingdom, which would, as Pirya planned, most likely lead to a full-scale war - a war in which Rairos would emerge victorious. General N'ayko cares as little for the people of the town as he does for his soldiers, and so gladly offered his troops to Pirya's cause - on the condition that he be able to return to Nel'rair on the eve of battle. --------------------------------- [B]Sign-Up[/B] For this RPG, I need people to sign up as the other bearers of Sacred Amulets, one of which - Lunae Nu'khai - will be played by me. For a change, I have actually taken the time to work out a fairly detailed plot for this RPG - actually a variation on an idea I had a while back - so I'm really hoping that I get a reasonable amount of people signing up. I haven't specified how many Amulets there are, just to avoid setting restrictions on how many people can sign-up. I'll hopefully start up an Underground thread soon, where I'll post profiles for NPC's that appear later on, along with information on events, history, etc. I'm just working on the final details of my character - Lunae - and should have her sign-up posted soon. There will be a chance to develop magic, and choose weapons, a little while into the RPG, but for the meantime this is what I'll need from you; Name: Age: Gender: Nationality: Appearance: Personality: Biography: (V. Important that you mention Seil Nemra, as the Amulets were only given to close friends of hers.) Notable skills: (Basic things, like cooking, swordsmanship, etc.)

"Wethryn?" Carl turned towards the voice, unable to see the man's face in the dim light of the alleyway. Personally, he thought setting up a rendevous in a dark alleyway was a bit stupid, but he could understand why. Standing in full view of the public, body armor and all, would probably attract a little too much attention, especially for a classified operation. He spoke slowly, with his right hand resting on the gun at his side. "That's right. You the guy I'm supposed to meet?" "Yes sir. I'm to escort you to the Project Heaven complex immediately." Carl smiled. He hadn't been called 'sir' for seven years, and even then it had only been for a short time. He let his hand slip away from the gun, and loosely folded his arms. "Very well. Lead the way." He followed the younger soldier out into the street, and into a black car that was waiting for them. ---------------------------------- As the car came to a halt in front of the city's main power plant, and stepped out into the open. However, once his escort led him through the door, the amount of firepower aimed at him made it plainly obvious that it was much more than an average powerplant. The escort waved off the guards, and took him over to a security gate at the far end of the room. One of the guards moved to block the entrance. "Identification please." Carl handed the guard his ID card. "Happy?" "One more thing, Mr. Wethryn. For security purposes, you will be required to leave your firearm with us." Carl frowned, making sure that an element of dissapointment and irritation sounded through in his voice. "Oh, come on. My contact assured me that I'd been cleared of all charges." "I apologise, but no unauthorised weapons are permitted within the complex. It will need to remain here until it is registered." He sighed, removed the clip from the pistol, and handed it over to the security guard. "I'm warning you, if [I]anything[/I] happens to this-" "We will take good care of it, Mr. Wethryn. You may proceed." Carl stepped through the gate, and was taken to an elevator at the end of the corridor. This took him to the third floor, where he was escorted down a series of corridors, until he reached the board room. His escort opened the door, and waved him to his seat. Three others were already inside. Once the soldier left the room, one of the three - the only other male in the room - stood and extended his hand. "The name's Lee Sheridan. I guess we'll be working together." Carl examined his new associate, and reluctantly shook his hand. "Carl Wethryn. Sorry, but I work alone." Lee stepped back in surprise, obviously having expected a more positive response, but quickly recovered. "Nonetheless, it's a pleasure to meet you." Lee gestured towards the two others behind him, as Carl lowered himself into his seat. "This is Ivy, and the other is Andy." The two women nodded in unison, then quickly returned to reading the books that they each held. Lee sat down, than glanced back towards Carl. "So Carl, how about you? What's your power?" Carl looked back at him, a look of confusion on his face. "Power?" "Yeah. You know, power. I'm a telekinetic, Andy's a pyrokinetic, and Ivy's a ... er .... I don't know what you call it, but she's got it. How about you?" Carl leaned back in his seat, and laughed lightly. "Nothing like that. Sorry." "Oh, come on. You gotta have something. Why else would you be here?" He stretched his arms behind his head, and laughed again. "I'm good with guns, but it's not exactly a power. Sorry to disappoint you." Lee closed his eyes for a second, apparently trying to figure it all out, but quickly shrugged it off and smiled. "Well, either way, it's good to have you on the team." Carl frowned slightly. "Whatever. I already told you, I work [I]alone[/I]."

Name: Carl Wethryn Age: 27 Gender: Male Home Planet: Earth Appearance: Approx 5'9", medium-length brown hair, green eyes. Average build. Usually found with a good amount of stubble on his chin. Generally wears a dark grey tank-top, with matching boots and trousers. Often also has a worn-out body-armor vest, and a belt with a holster. Personality: The classic 'loner' type, he is of the opinion that his business is his own, and that no one should have the right to interfere with it. He'll do what it takes to get the job done, but dislikes having to work within a team. As for as he is concerned, his best and only friend is his gun. He also has a thing for antique military goods. Bio: Carl was always fascinated about war and the military, and even from an early age he'd hoped to become a hero in his own right. When he turned 19 years of age, he was finally enlisted in the armed forces. However, with the beginning of the long peace less than a year later, he was soon relieved from service and returned to his civilian status. Soon afterwards he joined a security firm, offering guards for small and large corporations alike. Unfortunately, as crime rates fell steadily, the demand for - and action seen by - security guards started to dwindle. Eventually, they were nothing more than unnecessary symbols of power and authority, and Carl resigned. His last resort was to join an underground militia, who refused to accept the government's call for peace. He remained in this group, striking out against government buildings and officials, up until two months ago - when one of his colleagues turned him in to the authorities. Carl was originally given a ten-year prison sentence for his actions against the state, but one month ago his sentence was recalled. Due to his past service in the military and the experience it offered in the situation, he was assigned to a small rag-tag group issued with the protection of a government facility. The facility was attacked in the middle of the night, and Carl was one of only four soldiers who were skilled, or lucky, enough to make it to the escape point alive. After being reviewed several times over, it was decided that, in this case at least, his experience outweighed his crimes, and he was enlisted on the Heaven Project force. Weaponry: Ranged; 1. Magnetic Acceleration Rifle - A basic bullpup format assault rifle (where the clip is behind the handle) with enhanced bullet speed. 2. Desert Eagle - An antique by most standards, but practically unstoppable at point-blank range. One of Carl's most treasured possesions. [INDENT]Melee; A heavy sword with an unusually long handle. [/INDENT] Gift: None. Your Greatest Fear: Getting caught in a fight without ammo.

"Dress room, dress room.........." Dale muttered as he leant over the information console, searching for directions. "Where's the dress room?!" It seemed to be taking forever to find his way through all the menus, submenus and so on, and the last thing he wanted right now was to be left with his own thoughts. He sighed, and gave the console maintenance panel a heavy kick. The impact was a bit louder than he'd intended, and left an ugly dent where he'd struck it. "Oops.... Ah, there we go!" A small map appeared on the screen, indicating his current position and the location of the Dress Room. Ironically, it was just around the corner. Dale smiled ever so slighty - he'd found it increasingly difficult to do so since the battle - and walked away from the console, quickly checking that nobody else had seen him kick it. Once he was confident no-one had seen him, he walked aroound the corner, and into the dress room. In the end, despite some of the flashy suits they had on offer, he decided to go for something simple. He didn't want something that would make him stand out too much - he would have preffered not be there at all, but hey.. - so he went for a simple black suit, white shirt, and black shoes. The only 'different' thing he did was to get rid of the bowtie and wear his pendant on the outside for a change. He tied his hair back loosely, so that it would look 'presentable' and nothing more. And with that final touch, he was as ready as he could hope to be.

As Dale ran into the hangar, he was glad to see that Qestrii's self repair system had kicked in, and that she was almost back to her original state. He just hoped that [I]almost[/I] would be good enough. The platform dropped smoothly and he rose into the cockpit chamber. The seat also seemed to have been repaired, the only difference being that the arm restraints had been removed. Just as he'd asked. He sat down and buckled himself in, bringing Qestrii's basic combat systems online. "System status?" [I]All systems are within operational limits.[/I] Dale doubted whether 'operational limits' would be good enough. Especially if things went as they did last time. "Do we stand a chance?" [I]Under similiar circumstances and the same strategy, probability of survival is low.[/I] "And if we use a different strategy?" There was an unsettling silence as Qestrii ran through several calculations. [I]That would depend entirely on the strategy itself, however most possibilities would increase the survival rate significantly.[/I] "Significantly? How much is that?" There was another short silence, but this time there were no figures running across the screen. [I]At best, it will give us a probability of 50%, no greater.[/I] Dale thought back to his father in the cargo bay. He refused to admit that he cared for Dale anymore, but...... he knew there was still something deep down. Something that would not be able to stand losing him. If he died in this battle, he would end up causing even more pain for his father. But at the same time he couldn't just stay behind. The others would need all the support they could get in holding the city. With those unidentified carriers around, noone could know what the Cylargnes had waiting for them. The problem was that this didn't help him with his choice; he could go, and risk the chance that he'd die, or he could stay, and risk losing his friends. [I]Dale?[/I] He swallowed hard, and made his decision. "Let's go, Qes. We might not be at our best, but let's do all that we can."

Dale's father continued to glare down at him. "You never even knew your mother. You can't know what she would have wanted." "You always used to talk about her. I felt like I knew her after all that." "Well, obviously you didn't." Dale caught an odd look in his father's eyes for a moment, but it quickly faded. "She would have wanted us to move on, to be happy. But you could never accept that, could you?" "I was afraid you would forget. It was stupid." "Damn right it was stupid. You drove Susan away, after..." Dale could feel a tear start to roll down his cheek. He'd heard this too many times before. "Don't...." But his voice was to weak for his father, or anyone else, to here him. ".....after you killed your mo-" Dale slammed his fist into the metal floor. "Don't say that!" He lifted his head to meet his father's gaze again, tears now streaming down his cheeks. "There was nothing anyone could have done, and you know that." "You could have died in her place." "How can you........" He tried his best to stay calm, to keep his voice as strong as he could. "I......I was worried sick out there. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I seriously thought that...." "You'd gotten rid of me too? Please....." "Stop it! Can't you understand-" "I understand you perfectly." Dale opened his mouth to reply, but he just didn't have the willpower to keep going. He glanced one last time at his father's expression, hoping that he could break through for an instant, but there was still no change. He sighed, turned around, and started to make his way back to the entrance. He desperately clung on to the hope that his father would call out to him before he left, but by the time he had reached the door, it was obvious that it wasn't going to happen. He looked back, but couldn't see anything through the thick crowd. Lowering his head, he walked back towards the hangar.

Despite the overcrowded nature of the cargo bays, where the civilians recovered from Sandon were staying until they could be relocated, it was definitely a welcome break from the lifeless corridors of the rest of the base. After the attack and subsequent retreat from the city, many of these people had been left with almost nothing; yet someone the majority of them were keeping high spirits, adjusting to their surroundings as if the entire incident had been just a dream. Dale just couldn't quite understand it. From the looks of things, the whole 'section' system hadn't remained all that stable for long. Even the soldiers standing guard couldn't give Dale much of an idea of where Section I was. Luckily, when he asked them directly, several of them had heard the name before and were able to give him directions, or the name of a person who might have them. In the end, after feeling like he'd covered every inch of the cargo bay three times over, a civilian, his neighbour before the attack, was able to give him the exact location. Making his way to the centre of the cargo bay, as the woman had suggested, he could just about make out a familiar face. He rushed forward in excitement, suddenly caught his foot on someone's bag, and fell flat on his face. He lifted himself onto his knees, quickly wiped away the blood dripping from his nose. When Dale looked up he wasn't met with the expression he'd been hoping for. Obviously, his father didn't share Dale's feelings on being re-united, on finding eachother alive after the incident in Sandon. He just glanced down at the pendant hanging around Dale's neck, then met his gaze with a look of total disgust. The same look he'd shown him for the last four years. "I told you not to wear that anymore, [I]son[/I]." Without looking away, Dale lifted the pendant and released it, letting it fall hidden beneath his shirt. He tried to keep his tone even as he spoke. "Mom left it to me so that I'd wear it, dad." There was little change in his father's expression; if anything he looked even more disgusted. Dale couldn't stand it anymore, and looked away to the right. "Nice to see you too," he muttered. --------------------------- OOC: Sorry, got to leave it there for now.

OK, I really am getting fed up with the animated set, both because of how long I've stuck with them, and the fact that they don't go particularly well together anyway. So today I finally got around to designing another one, or rather two variations of the set. The only difference between the two sets is the colour scheme, and a diffrent position of the letters on the two avatars. Personally, I have to say that I prefer the second set. I guess I just wanted something a little less image dominated, really. Well?

Dale leaned impatiently against the control room's rear wall, trying to make out the lines of information running along the computer screen. The officer in charge of assigning civilians to their areas had been checking through the database for .... a while. Dale was beginning to lose hope in him finding anything at all. He was just getting ready to head back to the hangar when the officer found a positive match on the system. The system cross-checked the record, then displayed the contained information on the screen. The man called Dale over, and pointed at the text on the screen. "Is this what you were looking for?" Dale quickly checked through it, looking for the right name........ He found it near the bottom of the list. According to the records, the transport had safely arrived, and the civilians had been unloaded. "Thank god..." Dale whispered to himself. He had been beginning to doubt whether he'd made it to the base safely, that he might have been in one of those enemy vehicles. For once in his life, he was happy to be wrong. "Where are they now?" The officer ran the assigned location code through the computer, waiting for a response. "Cargo bay 6, Section I" Dale was just about to head for the cargo bays when another soldier appeared in the doorway. He was carrying a message, 'I have a message for all the mech pilots. Commander De Larne needs to see all of you right now. Its of great importance that you all come,' This wasn't what Dale needed right now. He was in the middle of something important. He couldn't get dragged away now. "Can't it wait, I've got some urgent business to take care of." The soldier handed over the piece of paper. "The message says right now." No apology, no look of regret. Nothing. Just that same emotionless expression that he would always see in Sayne. Dale frowned , "Thanks, asshole." Still no change. Dale gave up, and just decided to walk away. While the soldier was still within earshot, Dale yelled back, "Yeesh! Brain dead soldiers. Hate them all!" When Dale reached the Commander's office, he just took his seat and shook off any attempt by the others to greet him. He'd sit through the meeting, and then he'd leave, simple as that.

After Liz dropped Qestrii off in the hangar, the mech insisted that he visit the infirmary, just to make sure he was still okay for the next battle. After a short check-up, and an unexpected visit from Liz, everything turned out alright. Thanks to Qestrii he'd managed to just avoid dislocating his arm, and the medical staff assured him that his dizziness was only temporary. It was good to here that he'd made it through unharmed, but Qestrii - she was another matter entirely. He picked up a tool kit on the way to the hangar, but as he stepped through the open door, the small box seemed incredibly insignificant. It was definitely an interesting sight. Before departure every inch of her body had gleamed in the light, highlighting every intricate detail in her armour. Qestrii had looked absolutely perfect. Now she was.... well.... not. Most of the armour had been blasted right through, exposing just a few to many internal components. And then, of course, the missiles had blasted through them too. Any parts of the armour that hadn't been destroyed outright had been scorched pretty much beyond recognition. The most obvious problem with repairs was that Dale was by no means a talented mechanic. Dale stared up at Qestrii's eyes, one of which was flickering randomly. "You sure you can't do this by yourself?" [I]I could do so in time, but it would leave me out of operation for several days.[/I] By which time she would probably be needed in another battle. These damn aliens weren't doing him any favours. "Fine," Dale moaned, "I'll give it a shot. Where should I start?" [I]The generator would be the best option. Once it is operational, I will be able to begin the self repair process.[/I] "Then can you do it by yourself?" [I]No Dale, I will still require your assistance.[/I] "Damn..." It didn't take Dale long to find the generator maintenance hatch, but he still had no idea what he was supposed to do when he opened it. He reached out to open it, but pulled back his hand from the heat. Tearing off a piece of his shirt sleeve, and wrapping it around his hand, he tried again. Qestrii guided him through the process step by step; recalibrating the generator turbine, replacing the coolant cylinders, and so on. Not to forget the occasional kicking fits, which Qestrii severely protested against. After about half an hour of work, the generator was up and running again. Dale then had to set about helping repair Qestrii's other systems. He was hard at work with the energy cannons when Qestrii stopped giving him instructions. He thought nothing of it at first, then looked up in confusion. "Qes? Is that it?" [I]Elizabeth rescued the both of us. Why do you not appear grateful?[/I] He clambered down from the side of the MechAnima's head, and sighed. "Of course I'm grateful Qes. To both her and Keiji." [I]Yes, and yet you have approached both cases in the same way....[/I] "Leave it. I'm not going to talk about it, so just give up already." Qestrii had been bothering him throughout the journey back to the base. She may not have the telepathic abilities of the other MechAnima, but she was certainly very perceptive. [I]Dale, I only want to help.[/I] He spun around, glaring directly at her. "Then leave it. Just shut up." Dale dropped the tool box heavily onto the floor, and, having removed the piece of his sleeve from around his hand, he strode off towards the door, hands tucked firmly into his pockets. [I]Dale?[/I] Dale stopped, and wheeled around again, his expression much calmer this time. He smiled slightly, raising his ruined sleeve in the air. "First, I'm going to change this shirt. Then," He tried his best to keep up the relaxed appearance, but his smile inevitably wasted away. "Then I'm going to check up on this transport of yours." [I]And the repairs?[/I] "Don't worry, I'll come back as soon as I'm done. I promise." He turned again, and headed through the door, in the general direction of the control room. Hopefully they would be able to comfirm Qestrii's search results. If not....... he didn't really want to think about it.

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=3][I]The year is 2034. The human race, the self proclaimed dominant species of earth, has surpassed anything their ancient ancestors could have imagined. As their confidence in their mechanical creations grew, so did their fear of the world fade. Mankind has taken a foolish step into the world of darkness, with the intention of taming it for their own needs. A mistake that will haunt them for generations to come??[/I][/SIZE][/COLOR] -------------------------------------------- The experiment was progressing just as Dr. Burkes had hoped. The subject had reacted positively to the preliminary treatments, and the primary phase was well under way. Things were going just as planned, with no errors or complications whatsoever. Burkes couldn?t help but feel proud of his achievements. The perfect experiment. Even those who do not agree with my methods will surely commend its success. The subject was clearly visible through the bullet-proof observation screen. Burkes personally believed that such precautions were completely unnecessary, but several of his piers did not show the same level of confidence in his work. He saw their reluctance as simple cowardice; proof that even the most logical of minds will sometimes fear those things that they cannot comprehend. Though many of them would deny it outright, it was plainly obvious that they were too stuck in the old ways to realise the benefits that this experiment, if successful, would provide for the human race. And successful it would be. Dr. Burkes was willing to stake his life on it. A monotonous computerised voice came over the loudspeaker, [COLOR=SeaGreen]?Implant insertion complete. Beginning upload of behaviour restriction codes. Primary phase at 90% completion.?[/COLOR] In just a few moments, the experiment would be a success, and all those who had dared to mock his theories would have no choice but to give in; they would have no choice but to admit that he had succeeded where they had failed. Burkes was proud of every phase of his experiment, as far back as the subject acquisition phase a full year ago. It may have been one of the most controversial elements of the experiment, but by no other means would he have been able to acquire such a perfect specimen. He was relatively young, no older than eighteen, and although he did not have much in the way of upper body strength, early tests had shown him to have the greatest potential of all the possible subjects. As the tests had indicated, the demon blood merged with his own seamlessly, producing the perfect human-demon hybrid. From then on, it was just a matter of installing the rune bindings, implants that would serve the dual purpose of enhancing his demon abilities while giving the AI interface full control of these abilities. Though these made use of the hocus pocus of primitive civilisation, it would not have been made possible without modern man?s technological understanding. In the end, the human body was merely the link that brought the two necessary elements together. This new creation would surpass even the strongest of the legendary demons, yet once the experiment concluded, it would be completely loyal to the human populous. When his colleagues finally acknowledged his achievements, the subject could be cloned ? opening up a new generation of technological advancement. The doctor smiled to himself. I?ll be a national hero in months! [COLOR=SeaGreen]?Upload of behaviour restriction codes complete. Primary phase at 100% completion.?[/COLOR] Burkes could barely hold in his excitement. In the passage of a single second, he had managed to achieve his long-held goal. Scientists would look upon his creation with awe and wonder. The public would praise him for the burden that had been removed from their shoulders. In many ways, in the blink of an eye he had become ??.. a god. His daydreaming was suddenly disrupted by the piercing screech of the alarm that his co-workers had installed in the lab as a precaution. For a moment he thought that they were playing some kind of absurd joke on him, that they were trying to ridicule him in the face of success? Until the alarm was accompanied by a voice; the computerised voice was replaced by that of a young woman, one that he recognised as a research assistant monitoring the experiment. ?Behaviour restriction codes have been rejected! Doctor Burkes, get out of there now!? It was too late. Burkes could only look on in horror as his perfect creation tore free of its restraints. He could not help but become ensnared in it?s soulless gaze, as he could feel something stirring deep down in the back of his mind, forcing itself forward, into his consciousness, searching for answers yet at the same time filling him with an uncontrollable fear of what would soon await him. Every second he was being drawn deeper into those eyes, deeper into the haunting purple aura that lay beyond, into the one place that no man should ever enter. And as the demon broke eye contact, Burkes? essence seemed to remain in that place for an eternity, breaking his will to live, forcing him to suffer for his idiocy. Drained of all vitality, he collapsed on the cold metal floor; even as the demon smashed through the bullet-proof screen, he could not see it; even as it tore the water pipe from the crumbling wall, he could not hear it. Even as the demon plunged the pipe deep into his flesh, he could not feel it. The only sensation that ran clear was the sense of dread and guilt that came from the last sound he would ever hear; the dying screams of the young research assistant; the dying screams of his only daughter?? --------------------------------------------------- Now, as you can imagine this isn?t going to be a particularly? nice RPG. I tried to make it clear in the introduction, and here, just to ensure that no-one signs up without understanding that this has the potential to become quite graphic in parts. I?m sure that most people would not generally do this anyway, but just wanted to make sure anyway. The role of you guys in this will mostly be as soldiers. Obviously, as this is a demon which ?would surpass even the strongest of the legendary demons?, it isn?t going to be something that simple soldiers alone can kill. As I?m still working on the plot, it will take a little time to sort it out, but it should be ready by the time we get enough signups. Character sign-up Name: Modern Age: Anything sensible will do just fine. Gender: Nationality: Unit: Make up a name for your active unit, for reference in the first scene only. Several people can choose the same unit, but all characters will be placed into a single unit later on. Rank: As long as you don?t go to high, it isn?t too important. Role: Frontlines, covering fire, sniper, etc. Again, this is more for the first scene than anything else. Weapon: All will have an assault rifle, combat knife, and grenades. Choose one more. Description: The usual, pictures or descriptions, either way is fine. Personality: Shouldn?t cause to many problems. Biography: Just be careful not to mention about the demon too early on, as this is a very recent event. ------------------------------------------------ Well, a big thanks in advance to any who sign up for this. I?ll have my character sign-up posted as soon as (hopefully) we get a few people signing up. Don?t be shy now? Alex

Continuing his charge through the enemy lines, Dale could see the effects of the energy loss wearing away on Qestrii's combat systems. Aswell as the considerable decrease in speed, the visual screens would randomly flicker on and off, and sensor range was gradually decreasing. In a sense, it was probably quite fortunate that his weapons had been damaged, or he would have had yet another system draining away what was left of the Mech's power. Damage sensors were probably the only thing working as normal. The EMP seemed to be the only external component operational, but with it's protective plates worn through that could change any moment. Even Qestrii's voice seemed to be weakening. [I]Incoming transmission from Keiji.[/I] [I]"Dale, you need to use your EMP Cannon. There's no way we can hold them. Ajack's injured, Sora's fighting alone, Sayne is in a complete fit of rage. He's endangering the mission. The base is now being fired upon... it's a sitting duck. Tell everyone to clear out of your blast radius. It's the only way."[/I] "I'm already-" The comm system went silent. Keiji must have cut the link on his end. "Qes, how long until we lose power to the EMP?" [I]Approximately one minute, twenty seconds.[/I] Qestrii was suddenly rocked by a violent collision from directly above. The left arm of the pilots seat broke away from the chair itself, with Dale's arm still connected to it. There was a sudden surge of pain as it threatened to pull free of his shoulder, but Qestrii manage to release the straps in time to avoid it. The arm, control panel and all, fell to the cockpit floor with a heavy clunk. [I]Correction, thirty seconds remaining.[/I] Looking back, Dale could just about make out the remains of a Celargnes fighter. They were using brainwashed humans as kamikaze pilots now?! But surely they couldn't be that desperate. Unless..... "Damnit!" Dale looked down at the disconnected control panel. Right in the middle of the panel, he spotted the EMP activation button. "Qes, can the EMP be fired by voice command?" [I]Yes Dale. Awaiting command input.[/I] The Mech crashed it's way through another line of tanks. This was as close to the centre as they would probably get. Dale couldn't see any of the others around him, at least not within EMP range, but without full sensor range, he couldn't tell for sure. He had no choice. For the second time today, Qestrii's word was the only thing he had to go by, however uncertain it may be. He trusted her. A red dot appeared closeby on the radar, indicating another incoming missile. It was a case of do or die. "FIRE!!" And that was it. Seconds later, everything went silent, everything dark. Dale was left with nothing other than the sound of his panicked breath. All combat systems had been completely drained of power. [I]EMP activation successful.[/I] The missile connected harmlessly with Qestrii's hull, its disabled warhead incapable of registering the impact. If he had left it any longer, the impact would have drained enough energy to take the EMP out of action. With external sensors down, Dale had no way of checking how effective the blast had been, but the fact that both he and Qestrii were still 'alive' was reassuring enough. Dale let out a sigh of relief. "Do we still have comms?" [I]Barely, yes.[/I] "Try and establish a link with someone. I don't care who." The short burst of static, which Dale usually found annoying, was a welcome release from the silence. Qestrii couldn't confirm who had recieved the link, only that it was with another MechAnima. It was awkward but it would have to do. "Hey, can someone give me and Qestrii a ride home? We're kind of dead in the water here." He was sure he could hear some sort of reply, but there was to much static on his end to make out what was being said. As long as the pilot had recieved his message, he didn't really care who it was. In any case, he was definitely [I]not[/I] looking forward to repairs.

The tanks just wouldn't give up. Wave after wave they'd attempt to launch a full-on attack. Wave after wave they'd be destroyed by the Mechs. This just wasn't making sense. Maybe they had expected that the fighters would be able to deal with mechs while the tanks went for the base? Dale couldn't tell. Whatever the plan, the assault force definitely seemed to be wearing down. And the fighters were still doing all that they could to make sure it survived. From above, another missile found it's mark, striking Qestrii head on. It was agony for both of them. Though their connection did not involve telepathy, the constant barrage of missiles shook Dale violently with every hit. He doubted if he could stay conscious for much longer. [I]Dale, I recommend that we retreat. There is little more we can do here.[/I] He barely even had the strength to speak. "No... we can't let them through Qes. We can't. You heard Keiji. If we can't hold out anylonger we'll use the EMP." [I]If this continues, we will have no EMP to use. We should at least retreat until you can recover.[/I] Dale scowled. He wasn't going to give up, not with the lives of everyone in the base hanging in the balance. Even at this range, a good number of missiles were getting through to the base. If he drew back, that would be one less obstacle in their way. His energy cannons had been disabled, so his only hope of attacking was by charging directly into their lines. The tanks were to small, to fast, and to many for Qestrii to coil around them. He braced himself as Qestrii smashed through another line of tanks. Though she managed to absorb most of the force from the impact, the screech of metal against metal was unbearable. Another tank managed to let off a missile, just before the force of ram tore it to pieces. The screen flickered for a second. Maybe Dale was imaging things, but he could swear they'd slowed down. "Qestrii.." He paused to recover from the last strike. "..what's going on?" [I]The generator has been damaged Dale. We are losing power.[/I] "How long until we lose EMP capability?" [I]At this rate of energy loss, less than two minutes. If we take any more hits, maybe less than that.[/I] He had no choice. If the EMP deactivated, he'd have no chance of surviving. He didn't have enough energy to get back to the base, at least to get back alive. "Qes, keep charging them for as long as we can, then use the EMP. It'll use up all that's left of our power, so get as far into their lines as possible. Open a channel, all pilots." [I]Done.[/I] It was followed by the usual burst of static. He put all the strength that he had could manage into his voice. "Guys, time to get out of the way."

I haven't really had that many nicknames in my time, but here's what I've got; [B]Bungle[/B] - Arghh! This one stuck me for five years, despite my wishes. You see, in high school my brother was given this nickname because, apparently, he looked like a bear from a UK kid's show (A big bear named bungle). When I moved into high school, exactly when my brother left, it got passed on to me. I hated it at first, but I kind of got used to it. Now that I've moved up to college, no one uses this one anymore. [B]Turnip[/B] - This one was very short term, only lasting a couple of weeks. I was only called it by one person on MSN Messenger, but it was there. It kind of rooted from my strange email address, which involves the word turnip. For a while she'd just say "heya turnip" whenever I started a conversation. It was only a short, isolated nickname, but I have to say I liked that one. And then there's most other people, who just call me Alex. Hurrah! (I'm sure there [I]must[/I] have been others, but for this is all that I can remember.)

[I][B]Before the meeting[/B][/I] Dale yawned, and glanced at his watch. 4:30 AM. The meeting would be starting soon. Dale looked back up at the screen, where several lines of text were highlighted. He'd asked Qestrii to wake him everytime she found something in the database, so he'd ended up getti gonly around three hours of sleep. He wouldn't have minded it as much if at least one of the entries had been useful. Looked like this would be the last one before he had to leave. He leaned forward, trying to make out the small words on the screen. He quickly gave up. "What've you found this time? Please tell me ...." Dale yawned again. ".... that it's useful." [I]It seems to be what you are looking for yes.[/I] "Well?" [I]He is registered on one of the transport vehicles, just after the time of the accident. Reports indicate that it arrived safely.[/I] "Indicate? Can't you give me better than that?" [I]No Dale. There was no time to apply serial codes to the transport vehicles. I am sorry, but there is no other way to be certain.[/I] Dale lowered his head. He'd been hoping for something more substantial than that, but it would have to do. "Don't worry about it. I'll check around later on, but I'd better get to that meeting." Dale walked over to the exit platform, but decided not to shut down. If his hunch was right, he'd need the interface up and running when he got back. --------------------------------------- [I][B]Later on[/B][/I] After the meeting, Dale headed to the hangar along with all the others. Clambering aboard, he ran straight to the pilot's seat and buckled himself in. He began checking other Qestrii's systems, just incase. Everything seemed to be working alright. "Bring the weapons online, we're heading out." The weapons section of the left console lit up, and the targetting crosshair appeared in the crntre of the front screen. "Good. Can you set up a comm channel with Lyu?" A short burst of static signalled the activation of the communications system.[I] Comm channel established[/I] "Lyu, are you ready to move out?" [I]"All systems are ready"[/I] "Then let's kick some alien ass!" Dale deactivated the comm system, and gave Qestrii's systems one final check. Repairs on the armor were complete, and everything was running smoothly. To the side, he could see Lyu's fox mech charging forward. "OK Qes, full throttle. Let's go!" The mech immediately rushed forward, it's body hovering just inches above the hangar floor. As Qestrii emerged outside, Dale could already see several of the other mechs engaging the enemy in the air and on the ground. Ajack and Lyu were warding off the enemy's rear assault, but from the looks of things Sora had already taken some damage. "This can't be good..." [I]Dale. Incoming missiles.[/I] He caught sight of the missiles, and the hovercraft that had launched them, less than 20 metres away from him, coming in fast. Firing a barrage of shots from the enrgy cannons, Dale managed to hit the first missile head on, detonating in mid air. He wasn't as lucky with the other two, and both flew overhead, striking the retreating base. "Asshole! Qestrii, give me full power on the cannons!" Dale targetted the hovercraft as it launched a second set of missiles at the base. At full power, the enemy craft disintergrated in seconds. If these were only light energy cannons, Dale wondered what heavy ones could do. "Damn, I can't believe we're killing our own people!" He sighed, he didn't want to consider the possibility that he might end up fighting - killing - his own .... No, he wouldn't let it get to him. "I hope you're right about that transport, Qes." Suddenly, another burst of static came over the comm system. It was Ajack. [I]"Dale, get over here! We can't do this by ourselves!"[/I] "On my way Ajack." The signal cut out as a laser shot past Ajack, just missing his mech. Both in the air and on the ground, he could see another wave of enemies approaching. As Qestrii charged forward, firing, Dale hoped that things were going better for the frontal force. No doubt the Cylargres would try anything to stop the base in it's tracks.

As Dale walked into the dark chamber, he didn't have to see the glowing eyes of the MechAnima to know that they were looking at him. It was just one of those things that.... you could just tell that they were there. In any other situation, probably even earlier that day, he would have found it, well, creepy. Fortunately, it didn't take too long to get used to it. Of course, he wasn't quite so used to it that he could tell Qestrii's eyes apart from the others. "Qes?" [I]Yes Dale.[/I] "Lights?" [I]Just to your right.[/I] "OK. Thanks." Dale hit the switch, and light flooded the room. He could see her now, coiled up at the opposite end of the room. "Oh come on, can you stay closer to the door next time?" [I]You said later. I didn't expect that you'd be back until morning.[/I] Dale sighed. "Fine, I'll walk." As he moved closer to the MechAnima, Dale could see the dents and scorch marks in Qestrii's armor that had been of the tangle with the mothership. It didn't look quite as bad as he'd remembered, but they would definitely need to be sorted out before the next battle. "Need a hand there?" [I]Minor repairs on the hull are almost complete. I am fine by myself for now.[/I] Even as she spoke, one of the damaged scales shifted out of place. It dropped to the floor, and a new plate appeared to take it's place. "Nice trick." [I]It is sufficient.[/I] Dale continue to gaze down at the discarded plate. "Sufficient? You know, if I could do that -" [I]Humans have the capability to repair damaged tissues, do they not?[/I] "But you're a ...." Dale knew that argument wouldn't really work here. These weren't just machines....... "...forget it. Open up." [I]Dale, you should get some sleep. You have a meeting at -[/I] He slammed his palm against the new armor plate. "I don't care. Let me in." [I]But Dale-[/I] "NO! Let me in!" With a second hit on the plate Qestrii agreed to lower the platform, however reluctantly, and it descended from her body. She didn't bother lighting it this time. As soon as he was inside, Dale hopped of the platform and ran over to the pilot's seat, falling into it with all of his weight behind him. He pressed the button on the right arm, activating Qestrii's visual displays and control panels. [I]Dale, you do not have authorisation to leave the base at this hour.[/I] "I know that." [I]Then what are you do-[/I] Dale raised his head, glancing at the visual display before returning his attention to the control panel. "Qes, do you have access to the base's computer mainframe?" [I]Of course I do, but I do not see-[/I] "I don't CARE! Can you do me a favour or not?" There was a long pause. [I]Of course Dale. If you think it is necessary.[/I] His eyes were still fixed on the control panel. "It is. I'm entering a name, address, that sort of thing. Look for any recent entries in the database. For today only."

"Urghh....... Too ... much ....." Dale groaned as he sat with his head on the table. And it was no exaggeration either - he'd stuffed himself with food until he couldn't eat another bite. Sora was a better cook than Dale had expected. As Dale tried his best to keep it all down, which was much more difficult while sitting upright, Sayne walked over with a message for all of the pilots, 'There's a meeting in the morning at 0500 hours on the upper deck in Commander De'larnes office.' Dale sat around for another half an hour, after giving up on sitting upright, responding to the occasional comment or question wth a wave of his hand. Once he was sure that his food wasn't coming back up, he stood up, slowly, and got ready to leave. He nodded his approval to Sora as he walked past her table, and was just about to head out the door when he caught sight of Keiji. He'd almost forgotten to thank him for his help earlier. "Keiji?" "Hmm..? Oh, Dale. What's up?" Now this was the part that Dale would usually avoid. He never did apologies, but since he'd got this far.... he decided he should at least try. "I ..er, just wanted to thank you for ... er, to say... umm. You.. did good out there. Thanks, I guess." "No problem. Any one of us would have done the same thing." Keiji said between mouthfuls of spaghetti. "Just be more careful with the EMP next time, OK." "Gotcha. See you at the meeting." Keiji looked a little confused, and glanced at the clock. "You going to bed already?" "Nah, just checking on Qestrii." "Oh OK. See you then."

Most of the MechAnimas had entered the hangar, Qestrii being no exception. Though Dale could see the other pilots exiting their Mechs on the orbital display system (Qestrii insisted on referring to it in full) Dale still had a small dispute to settle with her. "Damnit Qestrii! There must be something else we could've done out there!!" [I]Dale calm down. You destroyed their mothership, surely that is -[/I] "No! It's not enough! Admit it, we were useless." When it came to the mothership, Dale had to admit it had left quite an impressive wreckage. The only problem was that the mothership was the only kill he and Qestrii had made throughout the entire battle. With the remains of countless fighters scattered across the battlefield, it meant nothing to him. He wouldn't have even managed that one kill without the help of the others. [I]Dale, even MechAnima have limitations, as do humans. I was not designed with aerial combat in mind.[/I] ..... she had a point ...... [I]And besides, it is your first battle. Even without my help, I would not have expected you to learn this quickly. It is a complex system, and I would have preferred some time to - [/I] " - teach me the basics. I know. Sorry Qestrii." [I]There is no need to apologize, Dale. Shall I shut down weapon systems?[/I] "Err .... no, I'll do it." Dale ran his fingers over the two control panels on the arms of the pilot seat, checking the options that appeared on the display section in front of him. The controls weren't like anything he'd expected. No control stick, levers, switches, or anything like that. Just lots of buttons, which controlled the weapons systems, sensors and so on, and a palm pad which controlled movement. Throttle and weapons yield were controlled by voice command, and systems shutdown ........ he had no idea. "Hey Qes, which one is it again?" [I]The blue button, top left, left control. It should be lit up.[/I] "Ah, got it." The control panels retracted back into the arms of the seat, and the orbital display system faded as the display panels rotated into the walls. Dale released the seat restraints, and headed towards the exit platform, which Qestrii had conveniently lit up for him. As soon as both feet were on the platform it began to descend. [I]Dale.[/I] "Hmm?" [I]My name is Qestrii. Why did you call me Qes?[/I] Dale used his best imitation of Qestrii's voice. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it." [I]Dale, please explain.[/I] Dale hit the button that made the platform rise up again, and started to walk away. "O-o-o..... no. Later Qes." [I]Dale![/I] "LATER!" Dale stayed in the hangar only long enough to get his living quarters pass, then decided he might aswell leave. He didn't see any point in standing around the MechAnimas any longer, especially as some of the pilots were starting to head off to the living quarters.