View source for 5612/Fragments: Earth

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/12/23
|Location=Origin System <WF>
|Synopsis=Pending. Submitting logs because nobody has been.
|Cast of Characters=964, 342, 215, 1145, 1119, 7
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>For those who might be joining others on this little missive for the first time--some background! <br><br>There is a place unified to the Multiverse simply known as the Origin System. It bears many similarities to standard solar systems that could be found in space, that is, it possesses an Earth, a Mars, Venus, all the standard planets that are known. What is vastly different however is how humanity evolved, and because of that evolution, what remains of it.<br><br>The Tenno. Warframes. The Infestation. The Grineer. The Queens. The Corpus. <br><br>And the Orokin from which they all derive from.<br><br>More importantly, it's a question of Earth--of fragments, of data, of energy signatures that've been hinted at. For whatever reason, instead of tackling such a mission or operation solo, the Tenno known as Kushiko has decided to open the proverbial doors for those curious. Faction matters not here. Perhaps she's reaching out. Perhaps she wants there to be voices other than the ones in her head here.<br><br>While the planet is generally in the 'possession' of the Grineer, it is by no means locked down enough by them. With practiced ease, Tenno, both veterans and the newly awoken or recovered from cryopods elsewhere, carried out operations against the Grineer across the planet, fixating the xenophobic eye of the Grineer upon them, rather than the civilian populations that existed here and elsewhere. More on that at another time, no doubt. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>What this meant is that the Lotus made sure it was possible for others to reach the site of the 'mission', as it were, a more clandestine operation to recover data on current and ongoing Grineer operations. Effectively a 'Spy' classification of a mission. So what would one expect to find, to see of Earth? Well, that depended greatly upon one's own arrival. From space, it looked beautiful--minus the Grineer galleons, great ships that would mysteriously /not/ notice any of the ships that would be coming in, thanks in part to the Lotus' agents ensuring that the sensors would either not pick them up, or the routes used would not be detectable by those ships. <br><br>A toxic atmosphere still persist here, but not nearly as bad as it once was. It's not something that people would want to stick around for: those without protection that aren't Elites definitely suffer a bit. Those Elites here can breathe fine, but the air feels... somehow rancid, something just beyond being perceived easily. A more attuned sense, or focus on it is would be akin to not wanting /any/ life here except that which belonged: a mighty forest, places where industrial technology, ugly greens and greys have been overrun by the verdant forest. It would be beautiful in places, and frankly, very much is. <br><br>The landing site is fairly idyllic because--or despite this. Massive tree roots have taken a Grineer platform and upended it. A tattered flag, supplies and boxes and crates are vaguely organized nearby, and nearby is a bridge across a dam where pure water flows down into one of the many rivers here. Even then, with the signs of the industrious Grineer tech here for planetary reclamation there's equally as many places where it lies abandoned, places too far from supply lines to remain stable.<br><br>The Tenno in question here is in her 'Nova' shell, a slim figure, petite by any means, cute by others, simply sitting on a larger supply crate and waiting for the others to arrive here. She's not been waiting long, no doubt. The faceless figure seems more content to just be looking to make sure no errant wandering Grineer patrols come by the landing zone itself. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Between the need for secrecy and the dangerous nature of the air, for once, the TIGER unit is here alone. Nozomi was not happy about this. Despite her timid exterior, she's deeply protective of those she cares about; she'd much rather be there, and risking herself, for the sake of being able to transform with Taiga in case of heavy danger. But for once, it goes beyond 'a fair bit of extra work' into just plain 'not feasible'. So she's had to settle for a communicator, and a video feed from Taiga's own visuals.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those present would be forgiven for thinking Nova had brought a space cat with her, at least at first glance. But no Kavat armor looks quite like that; fully sleek and mechanical, glowing yellow in spots, with two shoulder-mounted energy cannons. At present, the robotiger has deigned to seat himself by the Tenno's side. Probably because she gave him the ride there.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:'''<br>Swooping in quickly from seemingly out of nowhere with ninja-like agility is Iria, landing quickly while her crimson cape flows fluidly alongside of her. She proceeds to dust herself off a little, although it seems more like a sarcastic gesture rather than actually cleaning her cape off. Underneath her cape, Iria's got her arsenal of weapons at the ready and prepared for usage at a moment's notice.<br><br>Fortunately, Iria's remembered to bring a protective mask for her nose and mouth, which she slips on immediately upon arrival. "Honestly, nothing can be as bad as when Fujikurow tried to cook oyster stew that time," She mutters with a scowl. "My place stank of rotten fish for a whole week; Kei and I had to spend the whole week in a nearby motel while Fujikurow tried to clean up the mess." Iria shakes her head. "Then again, I don't feel like testing that theory."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>Origami is trying out this 'responding to random requests and bounties' business on some downtime between shows. Which is how an ordinary japanese girl arrives to a hellplanet rendition of Earth. She'd immediately wrinkled her nose at the acrid awfulness, and pretty much immediately signed things over to Amelia.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Which is a lot of unnecessary backstory to explain that up in the sky is a bird, a plane, no it's some kind of woman made of brass descending straight for them at a frankly unsafe speed. She barely remembers it's a stealth mission, cancelling her momentum at the last moment by flipping her alignment and counterblasting the jets, ending up making a 'double jump' and landing on the deck relatively quietly. ". . . Sorry 'bout that," she manages. She's not got any protection against the stench, but the crystalline goggles hiding her eyes are at least keeping her view clear one presumes. "Amelia. Hope to work well with the lot of you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>Josuke is, unfortunately, not a ship pilot. And the Speedwagon Foundation can do a lot, but in a world stuck in the 1990s space travel is neither practical nor safe enough to do on a regular basis, so they're of no help. Crazy Diamond can do a lot, but it can't protect him from the vaccuum of space. He is, however, a Joestar. And that means ideas that are scarily brilliant, incredibly stupid, or both. This time? It's both.<br><br>Josuke and Crazy Diamond are usually about as stealthy as a sledgehammer to the head. But then again 'stealth' doesn't always mean 'no one sees you'. Sometimes it means 'leave no witnesses'! Though in Josuke's case it's more 'hide the knocked-out enemies somewhere they won't be a problem'. So yeah... the Grineer might have heard a very brief mayday call, followed by... silence. Why? Because Josuke took off with one of their smaller ships!<br><br>How he got into a Grineer hangar anyway is anybody's guess, but well... here he is. Thank God for autopilot, though. Because otherwise the ship would make a Lauchpad landing, and nobody wants that.<br><br>Anyway, there's a small Grineer ship landing. Josuke can't broadcast that he's friendly, for fear of giving away his position, so he's just going to hope he doesn't get shot before anybody can see it's him. He'll have his hands up when he exits though. "Please don't shoot! I'm friendly!"<br><br>'Idyllic' is not the word Josuke would use for it. Possibly 'green hell'. Then again, Josuke's a small town boy; all this greenery is probably more than he's used to. But regardless, he's here.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>It had been a while since Kotone had done anything serious in the Origin system she was clad today in form fitting stealth armour as she arrived. She'd taken her own ship the Bluenose in and had not had /too/ much trouble getting to where she needed to beam down to the landing site. She'd take a moment and sputter a bit, even though she's a full con cyborg she still needs air for her remaining organics. She could taste the rancid air and it reminded her of some uncleaned up world war three ruins on her world but the plant life? She was not expecting that? A thought passes through her mind were these trees keeping it from being worse it was teaming with plant life and it was pretty. <br><br> She'll let a few small camera recon drones up to scout about the landing zone. She seems very chippy though as she looks to Iria and Kushiko. <br><br> "Hey good to see you both." <br><br> She'll look to Origami for a moment grinning. <br><br> "Hi I'm Kotone, good to meet you." <br><br> She also takes a look over to Josuke as he arrives and looks concerned but he seems to be all right. <br><br> "So this is your earth? This isn't quite what I expected."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>Kittyyyy... +_+ <br><br>No, resist that siren call for pettings. There's work to be done besides... <br><br>...okay, one quick pat. Ahem. <br><br>Seems like those arriving that she's decided to put out little calls for (either randomly or otherwise) have acquited themselves with some degree of quiet infiltration--least of the landing site itself. Iria's comments get a wry tone from the Warframe--who speaks in that weird way. Weird as in it's /plainly/ evident no voice is coming from /her/ like a normal voice would, nor synthesized audio by tech. It's like it's just there. Presenceless. &lt;"It was a lot worse back in the day. Sulphur and acid. There's been work by multiple groups to try and get it back to 'normal'. The Grineer's methods are not... good ones."&gt; She's nearly serene in saying this. <br><br>Origami--or rather, Amelia's?--arrival is something that gets the faceless stare from the Nova Warframe of Kushiko's for several moments before she hops off the crate she's seated on. &lt;"Look forward to it! Shouldn't be too long, and well, maybe we'll all learn a little something we weren't expecting."&gt; she offers. &lt;"And in some places, the toxicity isn't nearly as bad. Can't smell anyhow."&gt; Yessss, benefit of Warframe #1 there.<br><br>As to Josuke's arrival... well, that one is actually heralded a little bit. The Lotus speaks over a local radio transmission, her professional tone clear, though amused: <span style="color:xterm141">&lt;&lt;"Heads up. A Grineer transport another Elite has commandeered is en route and he should be arriving at your location--"&gt;&gt;</span> <br><br>...<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...<br><br>Somewhere, the Lotus is just kind of staring at the nonsense a Joestar has caused here at this moment, but will have it analyzed later. Maybe.<br><br>Nonetheless, she moves over to extend her hand, the fibrous armored grip pretty firm in one's hand as she nods her head. &lt;"Well, you're not as ugly as one, far from it,"&gt; she lightly teases. &lt;"So definitely not Grineer. Mind if we can all get a name?"&gt; she asks, looking over as Kotone arrives too. &lt;"It is. There's places where it's a bit better. It's... healing, is the best way any of us can really put it. Some of this is from what was, and some of it is owed to the Grineer."&gt; <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>Amelia is a brash and confident type. Not actually that suited for stealth missions except in what her powers can actually /do/, which they may find out. Her bomber jacket is composed entirely of brass and not a bit of the 'human' (and that term should be used with liberal quotation marks) beneath is exposed save her lower face and unruly brown hair. Nevertheless she waves back to Kotone. "Gotcha," and smirks at Kushiko's stare. She's a bit too shameless to feel uncomfortable with it just yet. "Duly noted. . . .?" Weird things afoot. . . Josuke's arrival that is. Same thing. "Yeah okay, I don't know this place from a hill of beans so I'm trusting your lead, lady."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taiga is petted on the head. Clunk clunk.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Down, meanwhile, come several others, including an entirely new person. The TIGER goes from sitting to standing, watching Hiiro with a great deal of interest. Ears quirked forward, nose scenting the air; for what is ostensibly just a robot, there's a lot of very feline body language there. "You may call me TIGER," he finally greets, in a deep, enunciated voice.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then comes Josuke. In a Grineer ship. Boy howdy, he's lucky Taiga hears the Lotus' warning first. It takes a few seconds for those cannons to lower, regardless.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:'''<br>"Sulphur and acid?" Iria makes a face behind her mask, although only her eyes can be seen narrowing at that remark. "That sounds even worse... and I've smelled those separately." She shakes her head. "Gotta stay focused on the mission." She lifts her cape so she can load a clip into her pistol, then looks at Josuke coming in. She shakes her head and comments, "Well, that was an interesting entrance."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>"It is huh? That's good news just may be a case of planting trees so your grand children can enjoy the shade." <br><br> She has her drones heading out now to scout around, they are simple flying cameras which will be able to be taken out with out any effort by even the local Lancers. "Your in good hands with Kushiko." <br><br> She notes and now she seems to be trying to patch in her own data feeds with Ordis if he's willing to share data for this operation. <br><br> "I have some drones up and scouting now they are at Ordis and Lotus disposal." She also looks to Josuke. <br><br> "You made one hell of an entrance there..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>Josuke's starting to get used to all this weirdness, so Kushiko's Nova frame isn't given much more than a blink and a surprised look before he registers her request. He gives a sheepish look at the request for a name, hand at the back of his head. "Aa... right. Josuke Higashikata." He returns the handshake, a pretty firm one of his own, though definitely still within human norms. And he seems to wince a bit, for some reason.<br><br>Weirdness? Where a Joestar is concerned, things are guaranteed to get Bizarre. Taiga seems upset by his arrival in a Grineer ship, so he explains, "Sorry, I couldn't think of any other way to get here. My world's a little behind in technology compared to the rest of your worlds, I think." He can assume anyway, since cyborgs and spaceships and Warframes -- oh my! Iria's words get a sheepish look too. Just briefly. "Not easy, though." He looks at his hands; they're rather banged up. Which might explain the wince when he shook Kushiko's hand. "Punching bullets hurts."<br><br>And he replies to Kotone, sheepishly, "I just knocked a few out on the way to a ship." Though this doesn't answer the question of how the hell he even got IN there in the first place. But it's probably a weird story that will make one's head hurt to hear.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>A bob of her head towards OrigAmelia as she addresses her and the others at once. &lt;"Of course. There's three main computers we're going to be hitting up while we're here, but also there's some energy signatures we've gotten that've been narrowed down to being data instead."&gt; If she could smile, she would, but given the facelessness inherent to a Warframe. <br><br>As to Josuke's arrival--and subsequent explanation? &lt;"Yeah, I bet it would, sorry to see that too."&gt; Kushiko remarks. &lt;"Crude and archaic, but effective. The Grineer wouldn't be in the positions of power they are if it weren't."&gt; A quick check--yeah, nothing's alive on the ship, that's good, before she turns her attention to the others overall. When Kotone attempts her datalink, Ordis, curiously is not present, though the Lotus will ensure the datahookup works properly, allowing for a mapping subsystem to work reasonably well, and to give those with the systems for it an Augmented Reality type system marking the distance and general direction to proceed in. <br><br>Such vaults are labeled A, B, and C, for ease. <br><br>&lt;"Okay, so, quick things you all need to know. The Grineer, as--Josuke Higashikata--sorry, we're Kushiko. You can call us Nova like this, if it's any easier. Ahem, the Grineer are clones, all of them. Grown from vats, repaired with cybernetics and the like and a general hate for all things not Grineer. Whatever and however they can expand their empire or grip on here and other planets, they're happy to do, and that includes trying to get us for us."&gt; She heaves a sigh at that. <br><br>&lt;"But that's not why we're here. The vaults that we're going after have their own security, and it's really obvious that the Lotus or myself will tell you when we're at that threshhold. Otherwise, if we trip alarms outside the vaults, we simply turn them off, or kill any Grineer before they have a chance to set them off. Asides the fragments of data we've detected here that are outside the vaults, if you have any issues killing someone quickly or making them forget you or others were here, speak now or forever hold your peace."&gt; <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taiga cants his head slightly at Josuke. "It is fine. Simply be more careful. Or communicate potentially dangerous plans in advance." The robocat turns to look off into the Grineer territory thoughtfully, listening to Kushiko as he stares. "I am capable if need be, but I would prefer to minimize it where possible. Nozomi is watching my visual feed," he explains simply. "However, I am skilled at silent, unseen movement. I can perform scouting duties, attempt to locate these other data fragments, or simply serve as an infiltrator."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:'''<br>"Did you say 'punching bullets?'" Iria's eyes narrow deeper as she glares at Josuke, disbelieving what she just heard. "I'm sorry to say this, but I'm afraid you got what you deserved there. Punching bullets is a dumb idea!" She disregards further conversation and turns to pay attention to the briefing at hand. Once it's said and done, Iria nods a little. "I'm ready for just about anything," She comments. "Whether we shut them off or we knock them out, I can handle just about anything."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>Amelia thinks on this for a moment. "I'm not exactly the biggest fan ever of killing people, but I'll do it for a good cause. Main issue I'm seeing at the moment is. . . well okay, can you knock one of these Grin-Ear out with a jetkick to the head? 'cause that's all I'm packing for weapons. If not maybe we can steal something more appropriate."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She also of course doesn't have any way of tracking this vault nonsense because /of course/. "Would you be /terribly/ opposed to joining me in the sky for a bird's eye view of our targets?" She asks, apparently thinking nothing of the weight to carry Nova that high.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>Kotone Yamakawa says "I hear you there are a few weapons on my world that are almost a hundrd years old and they still see use." AKs were everywhere still and likely would be for a very long time. She noticed Ordis isn't around, odd but the Lotus gets her hooked in all right so she seems readyu to go. Orids could have a lot of things to do and could just be focusing himself elsewhere given the Lotus is on operator duty today. <br><br> She checks her own mapping system and she makes ready to go, the Grineer were a developing world's Dictor dream, an army from a factory. With all the reasoning power of someone with a ghost. <br><br> &lt;&lt;I'll make for Vault B, and see what I can get there if I pick up any of the odd signatures I'll see what I can do.&gt;&gt; <br><br> Kotone then flickers fading into the background, and she'll start heading out using her local map to try and find her way to B.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>Josuke listens to the beginning of the briefing. And he nods at the mention of the Grineer. "Yeah. Those guys were no joke," he confirms. "If it wasn't for &lt;Crazy Diamond&gt; I'd have been &lt;more holey than righteous&gt;." Yes, that's in English. Sloppy English, but enough to be understood. Bad puns are universal, it seems. Or Multiversal, in this case.<br><br>He guesses the reason Kushiko's checking the ship. "Don't worry, I didn't bring any stragglers," he reassures her. "I had a feeling they'd be trouble when they woke up if I brought them here. Or they'd end up getting killed. So I kicked them all off before I left for here."<br><br>He doesn't have anything with Augmented Reality, so he'll settle for the GPS type thing his radio's got. It's crude, but it should get the job done. He tilts his head at her name, seeming thoughtful. But he doesn't say anything about it yet. They have more important things going on. But he files that for later query. He makes a face at the explanation of the Grineer. "Oh, one of THOSE types," he comments. He's seen sci-fi to that tune, but here's experiencing it for real!<br><br>He does make a bit of a face at 'killing someone quickly'. And he does have the grace to admit, "I usually try to avoid killing. Though... I guess if they're all vat grown, it's like... blowing up a robot, right? They can just make more?" The 'dehumanization' route. But he'll also volunteer, "They didn't seem to be able to see &lt;Crazy Diamond&gt; on my way here. I might be able to knock out sensors or things like that, as long as I know where they are."<br><br>Taiga gets a blink. "Well, I um... didn't really think it much past 'commandeer a ship'." Which would explain why there was no warning. "And I didn't want to break radio silence on the way here, because I didn't want them to get a fix on my location and follow." And Iria gets a frown. "Of course it is," Josuke replies. "That's why /I/ didn't do it. My &lt;Stand&gt; did. It's better than headbutting them." Josuke's got that pout going now. He really shouldn't be able to do that so well, being six feet of Amerasian muscle. But he manages to make it look genuine.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>A slight nodding comes from her, as Nova-Kushiko steps away from the others and looks towards the bridge into the sprawling area here at <span class="bold_fg_n bg_n ++ h">Cambria</span>. Yeah, it has a name, we assure it was known before all of this! Mostly listening to people as their varying plans come up and into their respective formations. &lt;"I am not anticipating heavy resistance in this area. For the most part, we shouldn't have issue. Besides Lancers, there's Butchers who wield superheated Cleavers, and there might be some wildlife that would harass them too."&gt; <br><br>Speaking of wildlife, one such example--but not, since she's not /wild/, bounds across the upper support beam on the dam and bridge, a black and purple furred horse. No, wait, not a horse, just a big goddamn hound. A Kubrow, for those who know of it and and don't. &lt;"Kiras. She's a non-degenerated version--and bigger--than some kubrow you might see out there. When this world was reclaimed by nature before the Grineer have tried it, the domesticated Kubrow were left to fend for themselves, degenerated and adapted."&gt; <br><br>Cheery little segue. <br><br>Ahem. &lt;"I'd be okay with that, Taiga. You go after Vault C. It might be off the beaten path, it might not be. Visual data the Lotus has been analyzing suggests it might be, but no clear picture where these Fragments are going to be."&gt; A slight affirmation, &lt;"Iria, accompany Kotone, if you could please."&gt; <br><br>Amelia on the other hand gets a contemplative address from Kushiko. &lt;"They won't hesitate to try and kill you on sight, just because you're not Grineer,"&gt; the Tenno remarks. It's not just for her benefit, but for all. &lt;"I may not go out of my way--there's always a purpose, as is here, as they may well be in the way of the objective. You don't have to do it, but we will."&gt; It's a little odd, the way she slips in and out of using that 'royal' we, while also speaking as herself. Probably nothing.<br><br>As to what Josuke says, she simply offers a slight 'hnnh' as though to continue affirming what he said and what she herself just implied. She tilts her head a little bit, the language slipping in and out and realizing to herself what's happening. &lt;"Well, that's good. Wouldn't have bothered us to take care of it, but glad you made sure they didn't come along."&gt; Indeed, the GPS markers are pretty darn helpful in place of AR-type waymarks. Sighing softly, &lt;"I could kill these heartless bastards for a hundred years and still not put a dent in the cruelty they visit upon people here and across the System. It's a pity, but it can't be helped."&gt; She looks ahead as she thinks about Amelia's idea. <br><br>&lt;"Let's, at least briefly. There's some places where the vegetation makes it so we'd have to just fly into the tunnel of tree roots and what have you but it'll help visual. We can go for Vault A."&gt; <br><br>That finishes doling out the assignments, before one last bit. &lt;"...The Grineer were builders, but all they make now is war. Before the Orokin, who were responsible for making them, making me and others died out."&gt; Had she a face, it would be incredibly consternated right now. She doesn't know how to explain that the very nature of killing is just like breathing to her. She hasn't had to explain this in a long time. &lt;"Kiras, accompany Taiga, okay"&gt; Woof!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Understood," Taiga replies. "If I find them along the way to C, I'll contact you." And whisper-quiet, the robotic tiger lunges up and away, rebounding off the cliffside, from one spot to the next. He almost moves like a Tenno, in some ways; save that he does his best not to touch the ground whatsoever, digging claws into stone or metal when there's nothing high up to stand on. He's watching the Grineer he comes across like a hawk, too. He'll only move when he wouldn't be crossing their line of sight... even if his 'window' is only half a second.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amelia nods. "Don't worry, I can get through walls with my other half's help no problem. And you don't have to tell me twice on the lethality, gracious." She steps over to Kushiko, noting the rest of the teams. "Alright, I'm going to see all of you on teams B and C later. . . that just leaves you," she murmurs, pointing to Josuke. "I'm gonna need both hands for this, so if you wanna hitch a ride you'd probably have to hang on to my shoulders. Yeah I know it's not the most dignified-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't actually wait for a response though, as the jets at her elbows and feet kick up. "Hrrrmph, it doesn't. . . do, to comment on a lady's weight," she manages, commenting on a lady's weight implicitly as she does, but sure enough she can kick off. It's a strain on her arms, not her jets. Josuke can still hop on before she takes off. . . or make his own decisions about how he's gonna do this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>Kotone Yamakawa is all right to have Iria with her, she knows she was with the Union for a long time and surived years in the multiveral war, too. So there's not one single complaint form her on that as she moves out keeping a good pace but not enough to make any distortions to hint to her passing she will keep her eyes out, be they drones or in her head for the local legions of the twin queens. She is also taking notes of the plant life here, it's ravnous it's just growing through everything from the looks of it as she moves. She'll also keep an eye out for traps or security consoles she might be able to break into.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:'''<br>Being with Kotone is like being paired with an old friend for Iria. She gladly nods and acknowledges the suggestion before looking to Kotone. "This is just like old times, isn't it?" She says with a slight smirk, before drawing her pistol and readying it as best as she can. "Not to mention, I haven't had a good old-fashioned gunfight in a while. I've missed that sense of adrenaline." A smirk forms under the mask. "Whoever or whatever is waiting for us had better watch out!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>Josuke looks at the GPS markers on his radio. Though he looks up as the Kubrow appears, taking a step back. "Whoa!" He wasn't expecting giant dog-horse-critter! But at least it's not trying to eat him, so there's that. He sends a confused pout in the large creature's direction. Kushiko draws his attention back to her, and he nods. "I can try to be a distraction if it comes to that. I mean... I'll try to not be seen, but if I am, you guys can use that to take them out." He means Kushiko and Amelia, since they appear to be going the same way.<br><br>Though he CAN use his Stand to get around through the air, via a sort of sustained self-catch game -- Crazy Diamond can throw him a short distance, Josuke can dismiss the Stand on the trip, and then re-summon the Stand to catch him somewhere else. And it wouldn't be the first time he's done that since he came to the Multiverse.<br><br>Might even work as a form of offense if it comes down to it -- Josuke is fairly certain that even the Grineer would be surprised by catching a teenager to the face, feet first, at a high rate of speed. Particularly one his size. He carries the Joestar DNA.<br><br>Though Amelia's got a better idea! "Hey! That just might work!" he replies. He'll grab onto her shoulders, yes -- shoulders only, he's not a pig. But he's pretty heavy. "If I'm too heavy, tell me. I can figure out something."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>Raising her hands, Kushiko merely bobs her head, &lt;Just being certain.&gt; As to Josukes words, she noteds briefly, contemplatively. Perhaps theres something to be used there.<br><br>&lt;Dont forget to keep in contact,&gt; is the last few words before those here begin to movethe Kubrow bounding quickly after Taiga and practically *blipping* out of visual sight. A cloaking dog? How terrible for the Taigacal Cat. OR NOT. It might work out...<br><br>Now that the team is splitting up, we have the following! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT A---</span><br><br>For what its worth, she can actually handle a weight issue or two--plus well, shes pretty transport-capable herself, but when she moves to allow Amelia to carry-fly her? &lt;Dont freak out at this feeling.&gt; And as she says this, she does... /something/--not visible at least, but she seems to simply /lessen/ in weight, like being attached and part of that general aspect of flight as to not hamper her much.<br><br>While thats been done, their path to glory and data is much shorter. With their flight, it seems their vault is located, thankfully in an open area of sorts. Its at the end of a service elevator, one of those that goes at an angle downwards, that you might see in a heavy military installation on other modern Earths to bring tanks and other large equipment from underground facilities. <br><br>And with the way this place is, its hard not to imagine it. Whats more interesting, possibly, is the feeling that even at the bottom of the ramp--a good 100 meters down, one has the impression of /not/ being anywhere near the true ground of Earth. <br><br>Regaredless, the first thing one must do is actually reach it--while there was few guards to actually deal with; most being on paths that simply allowed them to make their way past without being seen or heard from, the first discovery of Fragments is along the way. Nestled amidst a tree, an odd little thing. IT looks like numerous cubes of light ensconed with light, faintly pulsing. Once Amelias able to bring them closer, shell scan it in.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT B---</span><br><br>With Iria and Kotone on the prowl for Vault B, their silence is going to be enough to keep most Grineer simply unaware of their presence lest they draw too close. That will be necessary soon enough; their vaults location will take them across a facility where water control is managed, which is staffed by patrols of Lancers (rifle-carrying Grineer) as well as those Cleaver-wielding Butchers. <br><br>Its about a half-dozen that are on varying walkways and inside the main building itself. They could probably take out the ones on the way to the building, because through that building lies the path to Vault B. Or they could sneak! As theres a waterway underneath the facility, and part of the flooring is simply broken and rusted by /something/ that allows them to probably minimize contact. Looks like some kind of chemical injector if they lingered long. Sabotage isnt on the agenda however...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT C---</span><br><br>The path through is fairly long if it were Warframes doing it alone, but with the Taiga able to do certain Taiga things, though in the case of one particular Grineer Lancer milling about near an entry way, the Kubrow makes her way down and basically... /mauls/ the heavily armored figure, teeth rending and a slight "Grah!?" coming from him before hes dragged off the walkway and into the water, perfect time for a nearby nest of feral Kubrow to notice him. MEAT! <br><br>Curiously enough, as Taiga progresses, theres a slight pinging signal. Its faint, but its there; perhaps one of these fragments that were mentioned.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amelia's stomach inverts at the sensation, but she doesn't actually, you know, food things, so it's fine. Just weird. Josuke's also fine with Kushiko cutting the weight. Now it's simply the matter of keeping either of them from falling off in weird ways as she ends up taking them directly to the field of the vault. Without any proper stealth mechanisms, they're of course sitting ducks if they get seen, so it's easy enough to slip past one or two patrols but soon. . . Amelia chuckles and cuts the jets. They fall, and fast.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Right before impact she hits the jets again and they go from what can charitably be called Scary Velocity into a cumbersome but muffled landing. "Alright. Looks like sneaky time here on out. . ." She'll stop for the scanning of the fragment without any annoyance, "So we want. . . things like that and to get into the vault, yeah?" Looking at guard patrols already, what a forward thinker.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>Sadly, Josuke can't do anything about his own weight except not to move around so much, to make his weight less difficult for Amelia. He's pretty good at staying still. Josuke looks back as they pass patrols, to make certain they're not detected. Which is why he's totally not prepared for the drop! He bites down on a yelp of surprise, muffling it to a choked-sounding noise. And instead of falling off, he manifests his Stand to pluck him off of Amelia's back.<br><br>Both Kushiko and Amelia are likely able to see the blue heart-armored, bubblegum pink Stand as it lifts Josuke and turns, redirecting the teen's momentum and slowing his velocity down gradually. When the Stand puts him down, it disappears abruptly, and Josuke wobbles dizzily. "Gaaah... maybe in a circle wasn't such a good idea," he mutters.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From cat to dog - or rather, from 'big companion predator' to 'big companion predator' - there is a simple earflick, a slow blink of acknowledgement. And then on Taiga goes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am detecting an unusual tone," the big cat finally says over radio, stopping where he is on a wall and digging his claws in to anchor for a moment. "Ascertaining direction... Hm. I'm moving to investigate." A change in direction! Instead of heading straight for the next data vault, the cat veers off to hunt down the source of that tone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>&lt;&lt;You could say that though we didn't work together too much when I was in the Union. Still good to have someone experianced along. It's strange to think like that as there was a time a lone lancer could have floored me.&gt;&gt; <br><br> She keeps it stealthy she does not want to end up in a fight if she can help it. She takes time to watch the pattern of movments of the guards. Better to slip by them and make them not know that anything had happened. As she makes her way into the water way there is some distortion from her moving through the water though tht someone who was paying a good deal of attention might notice. She does notice the injectors though and humms that might be something to sabotage on the way out, and make the Grineer think this was a sabotage job and not stealing information. <br><br> She'll make to try to keep sneaking on by and keeping an eye out for any traps to tip Iria off to.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:'''<br>"That is true, yes, but..." Iria trails off as she realizes she can't find any more words right now. It's just as well since she has to be on the lookout for any possible hazards, whether they're guards or traps or anything like that. Just like Kotone, Iria also takes the stealthy aproach, slipping past when it's safe in a swift manner not unlike that of a ninja. She also sees the injectors but doesn't quite recognize what they are.<br><br>As they're moving through the waterway, Iria steps somewhat slower than Kotone, trying to keep from making too much noise in the water as she steps through. She grits her teeth, sensing that the water isn't exactly the cleanest, but she's got a cape and her armored bodysuit on, so it shouldn't bother her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT A---</span><br><br>&lt;"Heh, sorry about that."&gt; She could tell, just a bit--that her method of stabilization and lessening weight probably felt /weird/. It had to, given the Void-derived element. She was /weird/ in general but that was neither here nor there. When it comes to them landing, however, there's a muted squeal of delight. &lt;"Oh that was /fun/, I'm going to have to do that again with you sometime. There's a place I think that'd be /great/ in."&gt; Plans for the future aside, she detaches and floats herself down, controlling herself in a strange way much like Josuke removes himself in a Strange Way using his Stand.<br><br>Okay, maybe not the same degree of Strange. <br><br>First, the scanning, as she has to move quickly towards one of the guards nearby, a sheathed blade manifesting quickly for her to pull it free, and simply sink it noiselessly--well, except for the *shnk* of it cutting through heavy armor like nothing, letting the figure topple backwards. It's an ugly, degenerated face that looks up with a strangled expression. &lt;"Exactly that, yes."&gt; She turns towards a nearby terminal, sheathing the katana-looking blade before running her keys over. &lt;"This'll take me a few moments, so be ready to keep those guys from actually coming into the vault section here."&gt; Indeed, as she finishes hacking the console, two interesting things happen: one, the corpse seems to /melt/, as something in her energy seems to have caused it to simply erode, armor and all. The second, more pressing thing, is a pair of guards. One is approaching from the right, another from the 'front', as it were. It would be possible to stay out of sight long enough to catch them unawares, or simply bolt and jump and stun both of them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT C---</span><br><br>It might be observable you could say C for Cats. Huh. Probably not intended whatsoever. A little 'woof' comes from Kiras in regards to the change in direction--either to affirm or acknowledge, but either way, the great hound of a hunting companion follows Taiga. She's not genetically tweaked like other breeds are for finding, but she'll certainly follow! <br><br>And it doesn't take long to follow, winding through another passage, past a waterfall--where a storage room definitely /existed/ but mutated vegetation simply broke it apart. Therein lay the fragment to be scanned--and a locked container. Which prompts Kiras to paw the cylindrical locker, until it's red locking mechanism flashes to green. <br><br>Woof!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT B---</span><br><br>Truthfully, it's juuust a bit of luck on their side, but not much is needed for Kotone and Iria; a guard does turn at just the right time, but their stealthy ingress gets them past the guards without much difficulty. A turn down a corridor from where they're at--well, the corridor /was/ manmade at some point, but there's yet more evidence of the wilds of this place growing through, trying to reclaim what the Grineer have put here. This is more than simply wild growth. It's targeted at times--proof positive when one of the passages has a fork that deadends into a vine-swarmed door.<br><br>Least there's a way to go forward. And that way forward leads to a kind of bulkhead in a sense, computers and other devices serving to partition the vault area away from others. A window lets them see what they'll be going into: using the room they're in to breach into a closed, natural formation of secondary bulkheads and partitions from which some of the water treatment and filtering facilities lie. Huge cables, yellow and glowing can paint a path to the actual computer. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&lt;"Acknowledged. Keep us appraised. We've got one fragment here, and it seems like it may need the other two before we can form something coherent."&gt; is the transmission from the Tenno! <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Up, around, scampering along the wall and then down to the ground. It's a very agile movement pattern, one that would make Taiga a nightmare to hit even if someone knew he was there. He pads up to the fragment more carefully, canting his head this way and that, and then leans in to carefully 'sniff' at the fragment. Sniff. Sniff.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's when a problem occurs to the cat.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hmm. I was anticipating some sort of machine. I can serve as an intermediary for data transfer, but I have no means to decode or analyze... whatever this is. I can only conclusively tell you that it is non-magical. And that it shows up on infra-red and ultra-violet imaging. Recommendations?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wait.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Did that dog just pick an electronic lock?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Taiga stares at the dog. Then at the locker. Then the dog again. Then slowly, he pads up to the locker, reaches out with a paw, and... bat. Bat bat. Push 'open' button. Bat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT C---</span><br><br>&lt;"Mark it's location for now; Kushiko can scan it in when she and the others catch up to you."&gt; These words are spoken by the <span style="color:xterm135">Lotus</span> who will provide ensure that marked location will become visible to all. <br><br>In the meantime, Kiras kind of... hops. From side to side, hindquarters up in the air, and happy that the locker opens, and out pops what looks to be something... /useful/, though perhaps Taiga may not realize it yet. It looks like biotech, and cursory looks identify it as some kind of sensory organ. <br><br>Harvested, in fact, from Infested entities. <br><br>&lt;"It appears you've found a Neurode. You can handle those safely, if you're wondering. It's a rare and valuable component for manufacture into equipment."&gt; <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>Josuke shivers a bit at how easily Kushiko dispatches the guard. But as she starts messing about with the console, Josuke takes up a position where he can see any guards coming in. But where he can stay hidden too. He thinks about the dead guard, how that might be suspicious, and looks that way... only to see the body MELTING! "W-what the...?!"<br><br>Before he can say anything else, though, he becomes aware of guards approaching. He quickly ducks behind cover again, picking up a piece of debris. His plan is to toss it one way, then jump out and bean them with his Stand before they realize he's even there.<br><br>A quiet conversation over the radio, and Josuke's got his plan of action. He waits until the Grineer are close enough, and then manifests his Stand. He tosses the piece of debris to his Stand, and then directs it to throw the debris.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And no sooner do the Grineer (hopefully) to turn look and see where the noise came from does Josuke direct his Stand to throw HIM! It'll put him out of Crazy Diamond's effective range, but resummoning it when close to the Grineer and smashing one with a loud "DOURRRA!" is definitely a thing.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At least... that's his plan. It doesn't really account for the possibility that the Grineer will be wise to this trick...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>Keeping it sneaky seems to be going well enough as she slips past the various guards and she notices something the corridor is just over grown with plant life. It's almost like it's targeted. Given the tech levels of the Origin system this does not entirely shock Kotone still it's something to keep in mind as she makes her way forward, she keeps tabs on the window and she'll look insidre she'll make for the terminal and pull a cable out of the back of her neck as she'll move to jack in to gain her and Iria entry, she'll watch for Camera,s and patroling troops. She's not really seen the Grineer use drones like the Corpus do. <br><br> &lt;&lt;Keep frosty but I think we're into the vault, now we got to make it to the computer.&gt;&gt; <br><br> She'll pull the jack out and contiune to cautiously make her way in.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:215|Iria (215)}} has posed:'''<br>Meanwhile, as Kotone does her dirty work, Iria keeps an eye on things from behind. Her weapon is drawn and her eyes are darting from side-to-side. Whatever might be waiting for them, whether it's a trap or an enemy, Iria's watching for them and won't let them get the best of her or Kotone!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I see. Transmitting current coordinates now." And once he's done that, Taiga leans down and... delicately picks up the Neurode in his mouth. Nomf. "I will bring it with me, then. Unless Kiras has the means to carry it more easily." He briefly looks at the kubrow, questioning.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But however that turns out, it's time to get back on track! The TIGER unit is quick about getting himself back out to where he had been, leaving the tiny little nook-off-the-beaten-path behind to continue on his way towards Vault C.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a brief bit of chatter between the two of Squad A not presently occupied hacking. Neither of them have fought Grineer before. . . but they also saw how Kushiko shivved one. So, it's not like they're sitting on mounds of respect for the armored clones' durability. It's grim, but it is what it is.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seeing that Jousuke is for better or worse handling the one of them, Amelia vaults over the crate she's ducked behind, immediately hitting full power on her jets. It sounds like someone detonated a flamethrower's tank, smoke trailing behind her as she lines her body up in midair, only to scissorkick her target with another swift activation of the jets right as she reaches him, attempting to concuss him down for the count in one strike.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT B---</span><br>At least, no drones here. Some higher security vaults tend to use them, and this one has as much environmental 'hazards', as in 'gotta scale that damn wall without handholds' kind of thing. You know, the stuff no normal person could cross but Elites with the right skill sets (and even some without) could traverse without trouble. <br><br>There is an option to flag another area down to send the guards to, but it runs the risk of causing others to have to deal with it. Or you could leave them here!<br><br>Regardless, the task to reach the computer will take some effort, but nothing too out of the ordinary for the two--it's only now a choice: avoid, send off elsewhere for a chance at getting those guards again on the way out OR deal with them yourselves! Given Iria's readiness, they could probably dispatch them without being noticed...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT A---</span><br><br>For what it's worth, if she didn't think the pair could handle the Grineer, she wouldn't have let them cover her back, so to speak. Even without direct experience--something you couldn't get without at least jumping into the pool, and she felt she had done a competent job advising them! And demonstrating some good ol' fashioned Grineer extermination. <br><br>In the meantime, while Kushiko carries out her stealth operations, Amelia and Josuke must deal with the Grineer on approach, as triggering alarms /now/ is a bad thing. While the Grineer is alerted by it, he's not quite ready to actually /do/ anything about it just yet, warily leveling his Grakata rifle in the direction of it. And taking a step... much as the other Grineer seems keen on keeping his buddy covered.<br><br>It nearly works!<br><br>By nearly we mean they /are/ taken off guard--and start opening fire--maybe getting a total of a half dozen wild shots between them before they practically howl out in surprise from the pair launching themselves by jets and by Stands to collide and send them practically ragdolling to the ground, the armor not even remotely availing them. <br><br>Naturally, this means their guns have left their possession, clattering along metal catwalks and one falling off to land on the ground they stretch across. Just in time for Nova to emerge from what she's doing, having pilfered the Vault in fairly quick order. &lt;"Nice job, both of you. Shall we? Don't think anyone nearby's heard it, but we can probably rendevouz with Taiga."&gt; Indeed, a path forward exists--both towards Vault B and C, by flight and by ground.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT C---</span><br><br>Woof! The Kubrow /does/ have a way that is totally not a kubrow vacuum (I STILL WANT IT!) but he barks once, and if Taiga releases it (hopefully) he'll carry it by way of it seemingly absorbed into a foldspace equivalent. <br><br>Regardless, it's onto the vault for Taiga and Kiras. There's few guards in the way, most of which can be avoided pretty easily. Once they reach the Vault itself, the console is supplemented by what looks like a sensor-bar of some kind that should probably be eliminated even after the TIGER unit can hopefully hack the console? ... there's probably a ventilation thing they could go through too. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>There was that short moment where he was unprotected as he flew through the air at the Grineer. He wasn't expecting one of them to cover the other. And so one of those wild shots does strike him before he can summon Crazy Diamond to deal with the problem. He's a few seconds later in doing so than he'd expected, but fortunately he's not too close to get the job done. Though he immediately claps a hand over his arm. Seems it got him in his right upper arm.<br><br>"Crap... Sorry, I got careless," he replies, his voice taut. "I don't think anything's broken, at least. I think the shot was too wide to hit my arm dead center." He sighs. ''('Jotaro's gonna have to cover for me again, it looks like...')'' Nova makes a suggestion to scram and Josuke nods. "Good idea. Don't want to linger around here longer than we have to," he seconds.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>Kotone Yamakawa isn't the best at free running but? She has a few cheats thanks to the Flotilla such as being able to double jump on top of her super human leaping ability. She will make use of that to get past. She is not so concerned with the Grineers lives but as to make sure they don't realize the data was copied from their systems. She'll help Iria get through as well, and she's seriously got to wonder what sort of data they will be pulling but she's almost there, they haven't ben notice yet and if they are lucky the Grineer will never have a clue they were.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That is a sensor bar. Possibly a problem. But if there are no guards present, it's a problem that he can deal with easily. One of those shoulder cannons should quite suffice. More difficult is going to be... how does he access that data? If the system supports it, he could form some sort of short-range wireless link, but what kind of sane security design for a data vault would include any kind of outside acce...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...quietly, Taiga enables his wireless adapter, seeking an access point he can connect with. He'll figure out what to actually /do/ about the security from there.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amelia nods. "Gunfire's bad, yeah. I'd suggest we take any faster ways out of here than relying on my flight though. Can you still get out yourself Mr. Higashikata, or do we need to carry you?" She's suddenly all business now that fighting is a real prospect, her easygoing attitude tempering into bold leadership inasmuch as possible. She runs a hand through her short and messy hair, the brass-plated glove mussing it in one big swathe.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then she leans down and picks up the grineer weapon. She's never held a gun before and it shows as she turns it over. "Not a sneaky weapon from the sound of it. . ." She says, "Nor my style. New plan, then:"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly, with an odd wrenching-of-reality sensation the three find themselves in a tunnel comprised entirely of the catwalk planks layered over each other endlessly. "Leads out to the surface and we can't be seen inside or so Miss Origami tells me. It's her that does it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT A---</span><br><br>Nova notices, if a bit belated and after the fact of the shot Josuke took. And also the fact she might be taking for granted that most around her have some kind of shields. A grimace she would display of her Warframe had that capability. <br><br>Seeing as she doesn't, however, she is quick to go over and actually inspect the man. &lt;"We'll get that looked at after. Our apologies,"&gt; she genuinely murmurs. Would that she had her Sentinel here instead of her Kubrow; a medical stabilization might be readily done by that. Still, a quick scan to affirm the injury, nodding. &lt;"The other way one can be stealthy is by making sure others can never report back."&gt; she says in regards to Amelia. &lt;"So far they have no idea we've penetrated their vaults. Far as they're concerned, if any /do/ survive then they simply will know us for simply attacking them."&gt;<br><br>And speaking of speed they find themselves... yow. Okay! &lt;"Oh that's nice. Almost a bit disorienting, but it's fine. You two head towards the surface--I need to go get that Fragment Taiga found. Kiras, make your way to my marker and watch these two!"&gt; Just in case. Probably not needed. She can appreciate prudence. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT A/C---</span><br><br>With one call sent out, Kiras, still stealthed is going to make her way--mysteriously /do not ask the ways of dog/ to where Amelia and Josuke are, fading into vision once he's about two meters or so from them. Time to get moving presently, and there should be no issue for the newly minted trio to get there. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT C---</span><br><br>Small mercies: yes, the system can be accessed. Lesser mercies: still need to breach the system which is... at least a little bit more doable than one would hope. However, one can't spend too long doing it, lest the very likely happenstance of the alarms triggering. <br><br>Suffice to say, one thing not expected was a wireless system for this vault. It has a lot of physical safeguards, to be certain--like a subsystem to kill the data irretrievably should the alarms be triggered. But wireless access was something they didn't account for. Clearly no one is focused in /that/ spec! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">---VAULT B---</span><br><br>Once Kotone and Iria have reached their target, they have all the proverbial time in the world to access the system; but once they begin the hack, they'll need to not dabble. Taking too long /will/ trigger the dump, but so far, that's pretty unlikely. In this position, their own navigation systems will point towards the Fragment, seems to be accessible once they actually get the datadump. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>Josuke nods to the question from Amelia. "I should be able to; my Stand didn't get hurt," he notes. "I'm not sure about stealth, though -- even if they can't see &lt;Crazy Diamond&gt;, a flying teenager in purple is probably gonna attract some attention."<br><br>Though Amelia seems to have a better way. "...Whoa," Josuke marvels, his eyes going wide. "What's going on? How'd you do that?" Yes, he realizes this isn't the place for questions. But he's a curious sort.<br><br>Kushiko's apology gets a shake of his head, and he smiles broadly. "Oh no, it's OK! It was my fault, I got careless. I didn't expect them to actually cover each other. Though... I'd be grateful if you could have someone see to it. Jotaro's going to be really pissed if he sees it..."<br><br>He pauses as Kushiko gives instructions to her Kubrow to cover them, and notes going to check on another team. Giving a nod, he agrees, "Right. Be careful. If you need us, call. I'll get there as soon as I can." Yes, injury and all. that said he'll follow Amelia out into the tunnel. She knows the way, he assumes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>Amelia does explain a bit on the radio, and Josuke can hear that, but she shoots him a winning smile. "We just took a jaunt into a different reality. One with less machinery between us and sunlight, if you wanna look at it that way. Come on, I'll give you a hand on the way out."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then they step back out of it into. . . admittedly broad daylight. Amelia dives for the nearest cover, "I forgot to mention that we don't know precisely where it ends. . ." She says, peering up over the edge to make sure they weren't spotted.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>Kotone Yamakawa will move to get into the system she will jack in and rapidly move as quickly as possible. She will jack into the computer system and she will move as quickly as possible to crack what security is here. To get the data and get out with it. If nothing gows wrong she's going to sneak out with Iria but check on that new mysterious fragment if they can.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well. This will be somewhat rough - but at least he doesn't have to do it himself. Acting as a bridge for the Lotus should suffice. However, it will require him to temporarily leave his user in the dark. Neither audio nor video. "Nozomi, my apologies." Back in Japan, a girl sitting in a command center with a number of JSDF personnel around her, shakes her head faintly. "It's fine, Taiga. Just... ah... be careful, alright...?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The TIGER rumbles in affirmation, and then cuts his telemetry link. That way, he has his full transmission bandwidth and comms hardware for the Lotus to work with. "Begin transmission at your leisure. Additional latency should be very low."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>With the Kubrow now here, she's quite attentive--if still goddamn huge--in watching over the pair. Sometimes she goes for what seems to be an impresssion of /pet me/ which is enough to tell the pair they're in pretty good hands. And that there's no danger approaching them once they emerge into light once more.<br><br>Perhaps that might be because of the trail of *fantastic* murder and mayhem Kushiko has carved on her way to Vault C, scanning the Fragment as the Lotus informs her of what precisely is about to happen--reason enough for her to double back to Vault B. Speaking of Vault B... <br><br>It's uniquely archaic and advanced all at once--archaic by some standards, but some very vicious systems to catch someone unaware, like making it harder as you open up the encryption locks to further unlock them as you have to match their speed. With a little effort, Kotone soon has the payload, and with it, the doors unlock all around. Seems the fragment was stashed behind another door and bulkhead, one that couldn't be accessed without completing the breach. A cursory review of the data implies some troop schedules and the like. Useful information. Also Grineer script is really interesting to decipher with a little help and information from the Lotus. But more analysis on that can be done later! <br><br>Speaking of the Fragment... it's gloriously out of place. Like it shouldn't be there, but simply is, discarded, existing in this time and moment. Can it be picked up? Not really. But something is there, to be scanned--should Kotone do it, there will be no issue, but it and the other pieces need to be stitched together in data. Kushiko will do it, if Kotone cannot. <br><br>With Taiga confirming, the Lotus digitally moves /very/ fast--it's elegant, it's graceful--it's not simply /speed/ alone, but technique. One can see why she's something of an informational maven and keeps herself enigmatic as she does. &lt;&lt;"You've done quite well. I should be done... /now/. Data secured and verified. Breaking connection; extraction is now available."&gt;&gt; That took /maybe/ an actual minute, instead of a Lotus Minute. Pretty handy. Must've been a good degree of data, by the look of streams. <br><br>Either way, it's time for the group to head on to the evac point; a ship will be waiting there, but more importantly will be piecing together the mysterious Fragments to find out what they were holding... <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's a peculiar sensation, having someone work /through/ him like that. Possibly a little unsettling, in a way. But it's good and done, and Taoga cam turn and just start tearing out of there at full speed. Well, 'full speed' metaphorically; there's still going to be a few Grineer here and there he'll want to avoid. But with his uplink to Nozomi reestablished, heading home is top of his to-do list.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''<br>"Ohhh... like space-folding?" Josuke inquires, of Amelia's explanation, as he follows her down the tunnel. And then suddenly... daylight. "...Crap!" Josuke mutters, and dives for cover along with Amelia. "I hope nobody saw that..." he notes, barely above a whisper.<br><br>He'll wait for everyone else to get back into his sight before he heads back to the evac point himself. He's kind of dumb like that, but he wants to make certain everybody gets out and no one gets left behind. He'll go back for them himself if it comes to that. Because he's dumb like that too.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:'''<br>Kotone Yamakawa does find getting the data to be quite the new experiance but she's able to get it with some work. She has more respect for the Grineer IT personel now after at the very least viven how the set up was. She takes note of it, and this does seem useful to the Tenno and others who fight the Grineer after all. Information can be more powerful than a physical weapon. She also does find the script to be itneresting it reminds her of the barcodes used in a lot of physical media in japan these days rather than older scripts. She will moves to pause at the odd fragment once she's able to get to it she will attempt to wirelessly connect to it to get the data, if not? She'll let Kushiko handle it on her way out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1145|Origami Hiiro (1145)}} has posed:'''<br>Amelia grins, looks like they're fine. She jet-dashes from cover to cover until the two are near where they entered before making them another portal out of the vale and on the way home.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:964|Kushiko (964)}} has posed:'''<br>Once the group has finally reassembled, two things can happen with ease. One, is the ability to get aboard ships--be they the Liset, the landing craft the Warframe came in, or otherwise loaded into another vessel. It's a useful thing to pull out on. <br><br>Plus there's an extra ship to make it easy for all to get aboard, and get medical attention. More importantly however, is the words that begin to play. It's... Ordis. Yet not. It's something brought together through the Fragments, collected knowledge, the living data, it seems discarded now made reality once more. <br><br><span style="color:xterm153">"I have hidden the truth of my existence... from the Operator... from myself."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Take it from me, knowing is hell."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Stop now. You will want to laugh, you will want to scream."</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet, it continues.<br><br><span style="color:xterm153">"My search began as the essential question: What am I? Bones of steel and space, lungs that make air. If I am a machine, how can I think?"<br><br>"This would be forbidden by the Orokin, a manifestation of their true enemy."<br><br>"I serve the Operator above all else. It defines me, fills me with... love? The greatest Orokin fear is a machine... aware."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yet here I live, a spirit of steel and light... made by them.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"A Cephalon."</span><br> <br>
}}