[System]
Appearance: A tall, tanned, lankier individual, Harold is quite imposing. He has a constant frown on his face, and has a few scars from his time in a street-gang. Even when happy, he simply can't smile.

Age: 16

Personality: He's a quiet young man, and in combat simply desires an enjoyable fight, and then go to home. His nerve damage scares him, he feels like one of his few ways to communicate 'properly' is simply gone. He thinks he's just a little bit less human. The nerve damage also makes him punch-drunk, in public he doesn't seem to care. He used to idolize his older sister before she died, but with her gone he sub-consciously seeks a substitute. On a mission, he's a great example of a berserking beast: very adept at dodging shots with his Framewerk and hitting the enemy somewhere important very, very hard. Yet, when he's 'on-base', he turns into a lazy, antisocial, nervous ass. He's easily bored by small talk and by other human beings.

But for all of his problems, he does care. He doesn't want anyone else to die and to feel the pain he did, he simply wants to remove the Cruxi, and hopefully usher a new age of peace. Getting recognition and fame for that would be good too, though!

However, this all began to suddenly change. For reasons he can't describe, he's become more comfortable with the people around him. Indeed, perhaps he honestly sees them as a new family after the effective shattering of his old one.

After "The Incident", he has reverted more into his original personality. Now, he trusts no one. Of course, he still does have a soft spot for certain people.

Primary Motives: Revenge for his sisters' death, and to enjoy himself a little on the field of battle.

Background: Somewhat mysterious, but he's definitely from a more urbanized planet/area, and he's the son of a fairly rich couple. It's known he was in some sort of street gang, and has acquired very good melee skills. His sister, who he idolized, died when she was sent off to war to fight the first 'wave' of Cruxi. He wishes to avenge her. His time in a street-gang, and being hit in the face constantly, has damaged his nerves somewhat. Meaning he's a bit punch-drunk and may be severely confused when something highly unexpected occurs.

Notable Deaths: During the war, his older sister died in military service.

Other Things: He appears to have taken a sort of vow of silence. He only allows himself a very small amount of words, and only speaks relatively freely when his superiors would require it.

Code-Name: 'Roxy Kai'

Primary Weapon: The Stake-Driver of Roxy has been modified into a sword-like weapon, which is further augmented by the stake-drivers' hydraulic systems, effectively giving it thrice the kinetic energy it would have if Roxy Kai just swung it regularly. This gives it excessive cutting power, and with its' lightweight yet quite sturdy construction, the Roxy Kai can chop up any target in seconds, as long as it gets close enough. It's now christened the 'Hydraulic Shortsword'. The Hydraulic Shortsword is mounted on the right arm, with the most important systems internal.

Secondary Weapons/Equipment: Roxy Kai's thrusters have been further enhanced, giving it extreme supermaneuverability alongside massive acceleration and fuel efficiency. Estimated, in an earth-like atmosphere, it can go around mach 3.2~ (1090 meters per second), but it has a 'combat cap' of around mach 2, or 700 meters per second. Its' primary ranged weapon is a modified shotgun, now able to be used as an autocannon in an alternate mode with alternate ammunition, firing man-sized slugs at a decent rate of 1200 rounds per minute. In shotgun mode, it has a ROF of 240 RPM, and its' shells hold 20 pellets with decent accuracy. The shotgun is hidden in the left arm, able to reveal itself and begin firing in an instant.

Armor-Type: Ultralight. Replacing the fairly standard armor of the previous model, the Roxy Kai's advanced composites are technically much stronger pound for pound. However, it has much less thickness to improve mobility. This makes it overall worse, but it's still quite durable against G-forces, which allows it to move faster still. However, when not using its' extremely quick thrusters in 'High speed cruise mode', it isn't much faster then the original Roxy.

Special ability: -Classified-

Synch rate: 76%

[User]
THe Archer purred at a 75% Synchro rate as Krista launched. After a moment that felt like all of her muscles flexing, she was in control of the Archer's limbs as it rolls out of the hangar. She was predictably one of the last out of the gate with such a lumbering mech. As she neared the starting area a she spotted Stukov's Framewerk glowing and crackling as it sped off into the distance. Krista steels herself, watching this new development carefully. It took a moment to realize that Stukov was in distress. Krista barely had time to curse before the Daemon exploded, rocking the Archer. What happened? Were they under attack?

Lt. Ritsu's voice chimed in "Attention Cadets, the operation has been canc-" A smack could be heard on the command channel

"-The operation continues on, despite Cadet Stukov's accident. Let it be a warning to anyone who tries to surpass their Framewerk's limits. Carry on with the battle."

Krista sat there for a moment, stunned into silence for a moment. However several impacts on her left side knocked her back into reality. She glanced over towards the source of the attack. The Black Komodo was rapidly approaching, firing several rapid shots at her. Behind that she could see the Rose trying to keep pace. Krista fired once at the Komodo to try to throw it off before backing up to try to keep it away. She knew she needed to keep as much distance between herself and the Komodo, as it had a much better close range fighter than her. Hopefully she could keep the Komodo off her until the Rose caught it, but at this point she knew she was effectively being herded towards the Lake in the north east.

[Assistant]
Much like the other frameworks, the Setsuka took off and promptly landed in Zone A along with the others.

Mai just stood calm and quiet at all times...taking stock at the activity...there...

She saw the framework called Daemon do something she thought she'd never see again...not since her "other" division days...

Knowing full well what was about to happen, she decided to simply put distance from it immedately and "thrusted" towards Zone B. Behind her, she litterally felt the shockwave of the explosion as it rocked Setsuka but managed to keep control.

While on the run she spotted the framework Caliburn also doing the same but stopped amonst the pillars somewhere in the zone. Still, Mai didn't want to risk a confrontation just yet. After all, everyone was basically an enemy.

"Attention Cadets, the operation has been canc-"

"-The operation continues on, despite Cadet Stukov's accident. Let it be a warning to anyone who tries to surpass their Framewerk's limits. Carry on with the battle."

"...roger that...continuing mission...", Mai droned on the open line.

Not bothering to attack the Caliburn in Zone B, Mai weaved inbetween the pillars, Mai managed to reach Zone C. It was time to use anything to her advantage. Even the terrain if at all possible. Her initial plan was to get to Zone D. She knew the areas fairly well since she had studied before hand...but it was all the tunnels that she wasn't aware of...plus...she knew one of the other frameworks was a "recon" specialist type so she needed to get out of sight of it's air drones. If her luck held, she then TRY use the tunnels to her advantage if at all possible. Perhaps even find tunnels that could help her appear in other zones if she got especially lucky. But there was a risk involved.

Zone C was a total mystery to everyone...but now as Mai came upon it...she saw...

[User]
Ryan uses the Daemon's explosion as a distraction and activates his thrusters, quickly catching up with the Caliburn. For a moment, he thinks about the guy who was likely going to be a leader of the team. Ryan is then reminded of how much Stukov reminded him of his older brother.

Several bitter tears escapes their cruel prison, staining his face with a silent agony. Goodwell hears his father's voice, the exact same one he heard when his brother died, say, "Stop being a pussy! It's war! Wars have casualties!" Ryan feels a rage build up inside him, and finally lets it out.

"FUCK YOU!"

Arriving at where he saw Caliburn run to, in one movement, Macabre unsheathes and slashes with Visceral, slicing the pillar, and hopefully Caliburn, in half.

[Assistant]
Ritsu dusted herself off as she stood up. She didn't mind the fact that Lorenzo wanted to continue the exercise, but the fact he elbowed her off the microphone was not polite. Then again, Lorenzo never was a gentleman, she thought. She continued watching the fight through the visual feeds of the Framewerks and cameras that flew above the arena while Lorenzo was completely immersed in the action on-screen. It was impossible to gauge what the man may have been thinking.

---

When Setsuka first arrived in the Mystery Zone, it was an empty area only consisting of dirt and rocks. However, when the Framewerk took steps closer to the center of the area, Mai heard a click below one of Setsuka's feet, followed by an explosion. It turned out zone C was a mine field, and the mines turned out to be immobilization mines: explosives filled with a substance similar to rubber cement, but which had incredibly high durability for such a flexible material. Setsuka's feet were now bound to the ground by the viscous glue, unable to move for an entire turn.

---

As Elora had her moment of grieving, the battle started around her, Framewerk going against Framewerk in a mindless show of violence. At first she didn't feel like fighting for such a pointless cause, not when there were already casualties. It seemed like she wasn't the only one either; Ryan took a while before he started attacking Caliburn in the Forest of Pillars, and Roxy was kneeling next to Diver. She wiped her tears off her cheeks, and took another look at the map she made. She thought about assisting Macabre in zone B, but was still hesitating on what to do. She saw how several Framewerks were moving to other zones, like Yeshua to the lake, and Mai to zone C. Whether they were setting up for ambushes or simply running away from the heat of the conflict she didn't know. But then she saw the Black Komodo attack Archer. She knew that without assistance Krista would fall to Miles, and she hated the thought of the bully attacking her and taking advantage of her helplessness. She decided to help her right then and there by showing the arrogant boy she was not as harmless as he may think, and launched off with Diver.

Diver was faster than the Komodo, and soon caught up to the charging Framewerk. "Initiate Framewerk scan of enemy unit," Elora then ordered once she was in range, and her Data Drones buzzed around the Komodo while scanning the unit's structure and systems. Just as she planned, she got the entire data of the unit in a fraction of the time thanks to her earlier configurations of the Combat Analyzer. The data included the weapon systems of the Komodo, the structure of the Framewerk's armor and any weak points it had, Elora counting four or five. If it was a more armored Framewerk, like a Heavy-class, it would have probably only had one or two. Elora also had the data on the Framewerk's movement patterns, and the Combat Analyzer created predicted movement trajectories of the Komodo for up to five seconds in the future, allowing her and anyone who received the data to predict the Komodo's actions before they happened. She transmitted this data to Ryan, Koehler, Krista and Ramirez, whom she saw pursuing Miles while piloting Rose. Elora then started contacting pilots through the voice channel. First she contacted her teammates: "Ryan, Koehler, I'm going to help Krista take down Miles." Then she contacted two other pilots: "Krista, Ramirez, I transmitted data of the Black Komodo to you. You should now see the Frame's weapon data, weak points and predicted movement trajectories on your visual feed. Teach him not to bully others."

[User]
Koehler screamed his mighty battle cry, "HUAAA!", after coming to his senses. He jumps over Elora, then activates his thrusters to max, fairly quickly coming over Krista, and landing near (say, a few dozen meters) the front of the Black Komodo. "Leave him to me! This is a manly man's fight! Forget what I said, I accept your challenge, Miles!". He points to The Black Komodo's cockpit, and brandishes his weapons, a shotgun and his trusty piledriver. "No matter what happens, neither of us can stay too buttmad at the other for long. Deal?"

He thinks over what he should do. "Okay... if I go in at him, I can parry whatever he wants to do before he does it with the shotgun, probably... Then I can just punch him repeatedly. That could knock him out in his cockpit if he isn't wearing seatbelts. If he isn't wearing his pilot suit either, that'd help with my plan... but what after that? Where should I hit him with my pile driver...?"

"...Wait. He's been ass-angry... and I think he suffers from 'bees-in-ass' syndrome... I should try to give him a prostate exam! That's GENIUS! It's hilarious, and something we can laugh about a few years down the line. Fuck it, I'll try it!". He finishes his train of thought and tells his current teammates what he's thinking, "Elora! Krista! Try and do something else, I'm gonna check his asshole to see what crawled up their and died! HHHHUA!"

He boosts again to reach melee range, and allows some time for him to attack first. If so, he'll try to use his shotgun to 'cancel' the blow, if he does anything else, he'll try to begin his punch plan: stun his shit then power up the Piledriver for a prostate exam.

Of course, the shotgun is mainly meant to just be a distraction, so it likely wouldn't have enough 'impact' to stop the momentum of a 'true' punch. It was better then nothing, though. He could try to cross-counter with the Piledriver, but that would be dangerous for him; what if it gets redirected?

Frokane


[System]
Age: 40

Gender: Female

Appearance Without Armor (If they do not wear any):

Appearance With Armor: None

Homeworld: New Alexandria, Reach, Epsilon Eridani System

Race: Human

Rank: Captain

Position: UNSC Navy Captain of the UNSC Trinity
Primary Weapon: M90A CAWS Shotgun

Secondary Weapon: M6H Magnum Handgun

Personality: Whenever Regina is usually on duty she tends to have a rather stern attitude and an air of authority over the people she works with, she is very smart and one of the best tacticians the UNSC has. Whenever Regina is off duty she is very laxed and will even socialize with the men and women she works with, she is actually very loving and caring towards the people she considers her friends and family but she will not show it on duty.

Bio: Regina Rios was born on September 29th, 2515 in the city of New Alexandria her father was a UNSC marine while her mother was a nurse working in the hospital in New Alexandria. Growing up Regina lived a normal life having friends she would always listen to her fathers stories whenever he was home on leave. Having an interest in joining the UNSC when she turned eighteen Regina joined with the UNSC Navy, training for a few years and graduated becoming a lieutenant and assigned to the UNSC Harrisburg for a number of years eventually becoming the first officer aboard it.

As the Human-Covenant War started Regina fought in many battles and being assigned to various other UNSC vessels up until the Battle of Reach, still the same rank she was assigned to the UNSC Superior a Marathon Class. During The Battle of Reach the UNSC Superior suffered major damage the captain died due to injuries suffered, Regina now in command managed to destroy two Covenant Cruisers before being ordered to fall back to Earth, much to her discontent seeing her homeworld being glassed before her and her parents Regina fell back with the remaining UNSC vessels that were ordered to made a blind jump, eventually making it back to Earth a few weeks later.

Regina read all of the reports and received word that her father died during the Fall of Reach though her mother survived. She was eventually given the rank of Captain of UNSC Superior, then the First Battle of Earth started when the Prophet of Regret invaded the Sol System joining the rest of the Home Fleet managed to take down a few Covenant ships before Regrets Carrier broke through the lines and started the attack on New Mombasa.

The coming weeks eventually The Prophet of Truth came and continued the battle until the finishing days of the war Regina was finally able to get some time off. Spending time with her mother on Earth spending her time away from the battle several years pass and she was given the control over the second Infinity Class the UNSC Trinity.

Name: Sharia
Age: 5
Gender: Female
Appearance Without Armor:
Appearance With Armor: None
Homeworld: UNSC Trinity
Race: Smart AI (Appearance Human hologram is a light purple)
Rank: None
Position: UNSC Trinity's Ship AI.
Primary Weapon: None
Secondary Weapon: None
Personality: Very smart, can be very cocky and tends to act higher then anyone else though she does care for her human care takers. She tends to also flirt with girls a lot of the time just to joke around, she works well with Captain Rios.
Bio: Originally made from a human donor like most 4th Generation Smart AIs, Sharia was made towards the end of Trinity's construction. She was made to watch over and protect the crew of the Trinity, Sharia helps keep the ship running properly. Sharia is usually seen on the bridge of the Trinity and talking with Captain Regina Rios, and always calls her by her first name.
Misc Info:

Name: Sophia Harris
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Appearance Without Armor:
Appearance With Armor:
Homeworld: Earth
Race: Human
Rank: Spartan
Position: Spartan Commander
Primary Weapon: MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System
Secondary Weapon: M7/Caseless Submachine Gun
Personality: When not on duty Sophia tends to be very friendly and outgoing with those she knows very well, but when she is on duty she will be very strict with those who work under her she is very smart, she tends to be very calm when in the middle of a fire zone. She can be your friend but if you betray her in someway you will be treated poorly.
Bio: Originally born on Earth and raised in Chicago on Earth Sophia lived with her parents growing up Sophia was very popular in her school, both of her parents were teachers. As Sophia got older she would look up news on the war when she turned eighteen Sophia enlisted with the UNSC Marine Corps, when she completed basic training Sophia was just a private back then. After a few engagements with the Covenant Sophia was asked to join the ODSTs which she accepted, when the Covenant attacked Earth Sophia was now a leader of her own squad.

She was assigned to the UNSC Superior working along with Captain Rios, Sophia participated in the ground assaults when Truth came to Earth a few days later after Regret left. She participated in the Battle of Voi when the portal was activated Sophia and her squad watched as Truth fled to the Ark. A few minutes after that the Flood came her and her squad were ordered to retreat. Fighting off the last of the Covenant on Earth then the war was over. About a year after the war Sophia was recruited into the Spartan IV Program, where she was trained at Anvil Station and participated in the War Games. Due to her leadership Sophia was given the assignment to UNSC Trinity as the Spartan Commander aboard it.

Misc Info:

[User]
-Rose, UNSC Trinity

Rose begins to reload, seeing that the elite was threatening to kill his prisoner. "Rose, I'm detecting signs of a significant data cache of forerunner intel as well as a forerunner weapon." Rose nods, but then bangs her fist against the wall as a , then ducks back around the corner to hide from the fire of the two jackals. "Bridge, this is Rose. An elite has made off with a significant Forerunner data cache, a Forerunner weapon and a scientist. I'm going to take a prisoner." She says through her COM, before darting out. In a split second, she decided to take the Jackal with the shield. The shield would be good for research on shield technology, and she figured it would be easier to take a Jackal nor injured rather than a Jackal with several bullets wounds. Rose fired a few more rounds into the already-injured Jackal, and then slammed into the shielded Jackal, pinning it to the ground and ripping the pistol out of it's hand, breaking a few fingers of the alien. She lifts the jackal like a child and pin's it's gun to her armour, carrying the creature under her arm away to a containment cell.

-Verdin, Unfathomable Truth

"Major, I'm redirecting you. You shall move to regroup with special operations officer 'Tevum. He is conducting a very important mission. Chocon out." Just as Verdin snapped off the COM, a new window opened up with a flash, displaying a face of a Human. This is very unusual. Who are these different races. He listened to the person who started to talk to him, and then formulated a plan. It may be dishonoring, allying with Humans, however if this Sith Empire did not know about the Covenant, he could use this as a tactical advantage. "Sith Empire, I am Fleetmaster Verdin Chocon of the Covenant. The forces that we are attacking have stolen technology, technology that has been set by the gods for us to discover." He clicked his mandibles.

[Assistant]
Reza stopped moving as he spoke again into his comm, this time to Khazo, "Officer 'Tevum, this is Major 'Mosam. We have been informed that you require assistance. Where are we needed and how can we be of use?" According to the mission data the Unfathomable had sent him, Khazo's last location was possibly a few hallways away as well as a floor below. Curse these humans and their confusing, maze-like ships.

---

Technology from gods? Carl thought to himself. Though he doubted said tech was in fact by divine beings; having those that used the tech being called gods by a faction with space-faring ships meant it was probably very powerful technology. With that in mind, the General wondered if the Republic knew about this UNSC faction and the artifacts that the Covenant had in their disposal. It was somewhat odd of the Republic to be here and suddenly allying itself with this UNSC faction. He hoped the Sith Empire could gain from the retrieval of this tech, and maybe he'd rise higher as well. Carl doubted a lasting alliance could be made with a religious group like this, especially if the Sith got a hold of this technology themselves but it would be necessary to team up in order to halt the escape of this UNSC faction.

His thoughts were but a brief few seconds when he spoke back to Fleetmaster Verdin, "Well it seems our enemy, the Republic, has allied itself with your thieves. We will offer what help we can with our fighter and bomber squadrons as our fleet tackles the Republic fleet. We will also send some of our boarding craft to help apprend your thieves. Send us priority targets so we can send a squad of bombers to disable them." Carl knew he was overstepping his authority, as he had no command over the vessels of the fleet but he figured that, if everything goes well, the Sith Lord won't get too upset. Besides, a temporary truce would increase their chances of success against the Republic and their friends, instead of it being a three-way battle in the Republic scum's favour.

[User]
Felicia & Watters arrived at Khazo and his hostage's location from different directions within seconds of each other. "Watters don't fire on the person in the weird armor, he or she is from one of the ships that is helping shoot Covenant boarding craft."

Felicia examined the situation, she didn't recognize the alien species before her. She extended the lightsaber in her left hand. Leaving her left one free to be used as a blaster. "You want to release the hostage and return everything you took."

Watters watched in fascination of Felicia. "I think that is some form of mind control being employed." Taber thought aloud. Watters took aim with her assault rifle to kill the elite as soon as opening presented itself.

[Assistant]
"Listening in on the Covenant's transmission to the other fleet." Sharia said looking over at the captain for a moment, as she continued to focus on controlling the ship as well and giving the bridge crew targets to fire on. "We also have one of our new allies on board helping with Watters with getting the hostage out of there grasp as well as the Forerunner tech we uncovered. And Fire Team Dauntless, as well as 228 and Commander Harris are making their way to the engine room, I've locked down the stragglers in the engine room." Sharia said, the captain looked at the AI and smiled at her. "Thank you, send orders to the other ships to focus on their fire on the Covenant still."

----------------

Once Dauntless had caught up with 228 and herself Sophia quickly called for the tram, which quickly came by and then got inside of the tram which would quickly move down the length of the ship, and eventually came to the engine room. Sophia was the first one out, and looked to the team of ODSTs and at 228. "Focus your fire on the Covies, but leave the sangheili team leader alive he might have useful information and could use him for a prisoner exchange." Sophia said, and made it to the blast doors to the engine room, seeing the giant reactor at the center of the room. And the team of Covenant on the other end of the room and quickly made her way to cover and started to fire on the weaker targets first, taking out a Kig-Yar sniper.

------------------

Nara followed Carl over to the communications console just in time to see Verdin appear, crossing her arms over her chest listening to what the alien had to say never having met this alien species before she was interested and wondered if they would be of any use to her. She looked towards the commander as he gave the order to send boarding crafts over to the Trinity which was a good idea. The Sith Lord gave Carl a pat on the shoulder and then turned to Verdin. "Like my commander has said we will help you retrieve what they have stolen from you, I will come over to your ship soon. We will also send you coordinates for a safe location for you. " Nara said turning to Carl. "You have command I will visit this Fleetmaster myself." Nara then started to leave the bridge and made her way to the hangar where her personal craft was, and quickly flew it out of the hangar to the Unfathomable.


[System]
Age: Turned in the year 1700 at the age of 24

Specific Skill: Does having quick-thinking and a sharp mind count?

Personality: Stoic and indifferent to most people, prefers to keep to himself. Can get outgoing and rowdy around people he trusts and in the heat of battle. Respects honor and loyalty above all else. Considered a strategist and skillful tactician due to his honed intelligence and logical thinking. Retains the British accent from his human heritage.

Background/History: As a human, Casius was a pirate sailing the turquoise Caribbean Sea in the late 1600's. Serving as Quarter Master aboard the reputed Screaming Siren, he was in charge of keeping order among the crew. Casius's older brother Cyrus having been elected as Captain for his ruthless prowess in battle and Casius himself elected to serve under him as Quarter Master for his logical efficiency and uncommon intelligence during that era, together the duo led an unstoppable force.

One stormy night, as they were on their way to the port of Nassau to splurge their most recent plunder on drinks and wenches, Casius was thrown from the ship into the turbulent waters below. Fighting as hard as he could against the thrashing current, Casius soon found himself losing consciousness. On the brink of taking his last breath, he thought he heard singing. A soft lilting song that held an air of sorrow to it. Thinking it was his dying mind playing tricks on him, Casius closed his eyes against the darkness but not before catching a shimmery silhouette of a tailed maiden making her way through the waters towards him.

Upon waking, Casius held no memories of who he was, not even his own name. The only thing he did remember was the ethereal beauty of that maiden in the night. Out of instinct, he immediately began to panic as he noticed the dark waters around him but soon realized he was able to breathe. Almost a second later he also noticed the tail where his legs used to be.

Wandering alone in the deep where even the sun couldn't reach, Casius was found by a band of mermen scouts somewhere off the coast of the Greek Isles. They gave him the name Altum after the Latin word for deep sea and took him in as a brother. He now spends his days training and fighting alongside his new family, secretly hoping to someday catch a glimpse of the mysterious sea maiden that saved his life.

[User]
Arys turned her head sharply. Her heart pulled at her. One of her sisters...? With one kick of her tail she speed off faster than a marlin. It wasn't long before she saw wreckage from a ship. And the barracuda swimming around searching for scraps told her there had been feasting.
Something terrible had happened here.

There were no humans left. Not even tattered clothing. Only sharks could have done so thorough a job of disposing of the floundering humans. There were never that many sharks this close to the islands. They preferred farther out to sea.

"Beware the shark, for it is the familiar of a far more dangerous enemy..." her Shellan's words echoed in her mind. A faint dolphin whistle had her on alert again.
"Follow the call of the dolphin, for they can be trusted..."
Only one of her pod was highly intuned with dolphins. "Aquawlad," she murmured before darting off once again, fear churning inside her heart. If one of her sisters was hurt she'd would need to heal her quickly before whatever sharks sensed it. Or the beasts with the sharks.
Her Shellan had told Arys of the savage beasts the night she had made her gravest mistake.
They bear the fin like us, but do not be fooled. They are savage, bloodthirsty, brutal beasts. Death and destruction is all they know, all they desire. Their strong arms will tear you to pieces as their sharp teeth rip your flesh and break your bones into splinters. They are to be feared and avoided at all costs. Promise me, my moon child, that you shall never again-"

Arys pushed the memories from her mind. She never wanted to be reminded of her horrid mistake. The one that had caused the pod to have to flee their previous home.
The shapes of other dolphins appeared, swimming fast. Arys could sense their unease, and their fear added to her own. A loud panicked squeal reached her and she saw one of the dolphins was struggling to keep up with the others. He was injured, a deep gash along his side. The gash was too clean to have been made by either teeth or claw. It was made by a weapon.
The young female dolphin was bleeding too much. Soon she would die. And her blood would call the sharks, and the beasts with them.

Approaching the suffering dolphin, Arys placed her hand on the gash only for the animal to squeal in pain and move away. Arys didn't chase her. Instead she held out her arms, as if offering an embrace. She began to sing, a gentle soothing melody. Calming, the dolphin approached her again and brushed against her like a child seeking comfort. Arys placed her hands upon the gash again and while the animal flinched she did not move away. Continuing the melody, her hands and eyes glowed with an ethereal blue light. The gash slowly closed and sealed, not even a scar was left behind.

[Assistant]
Aquarius
Shellborn Kingdom - Guard Post - Jail
@Classpet

---

SGT Flotsam and his men returned to the Shellborn Kingdom with the captured mermaid. She was placed within a metal grate cell and she would find no one else, but the guard sharks that patrolled the corridor. They were trained to attack any criminal who dare escape, but she had been the only one in the dungeon it seemed. The guard post was but a jail where individuals serving temporary sentences went.

[User]
Cecily

Cecily swam with all of her strength, occasionally finding her head underwater before resurfacing to continue her trek. However, the cold temperatures and her muscles crying out in protest made it progressively harder for her to continue. At the rate she was going, she realized that she wasn't going to make it, and that she was going to drown. She almost gave in to the darkness, but she tried to stay awake as she felt a pair of arms grab her and keep her afloat above the surface. She wanted to turn and see who was holding her, and she wanted to speak, but Cecily never felt so weak in her entire life.

She kept fading in and out between consciousness and unconsciousness during her savior's swim. She couldn't tell where they were going, and how long the both of them were in the water. She started coming to dizzy and disoriented consciousness after she felt sand underneath her, and she could hear a woman's voice speak, reverberating and echoing

"Stay here. Stay hidden,"

Cecily managed to shakily rise up slightly on her arms and in an attempt to face her savior, she called with a quiet and hoarse voice, "Wait...!" However, her quiet words weren't heard, and after a splash, the person was gone. She groaned as she tried to sit up and look around. Where was she...? Why did she need to hide...?

Well, either way, it wasn't a good idea to stay where the waves were crashing onto her. She fought against her weariness as she stood up and stumbled away from the beach and took cover among the nearby trees, but staying close to the beach. The storm was still upon her, pounding against the island and water mercilessly. She huddled against the tree, which did well to protect her from the rain, and hugged her knees, trying to keep herself from shivering. The waves were in clear view, and she wanted to keep them in view, just in case that mysterious savior of hers appeared again.

She never realized that during her stumble towards the tree, her silver tear drop shaped necklace had fallen off and landed on the sand, eventually being washed away from the shore and into deeper waters.

[Assistant]
'Ariyah wake up. Wake up, Ariyah!'

Although she had not dreamt anything in her unconscious state, the young mermaid managed to snap herself out of it by havin her subconscious tell her so. She was used to having to wake herself up from the frequent nightmares that she had.

When Ariyah finally did wake up, she took her time to adjust to her surroundings. It took a few blinks to get her eyes adjusted to the lighting of the room she was in, and another few blinks to take in the details of the room. "This isn't a room.. It's a jail cell." Ariyah's eyes widened as she put two and two together, her arms quickly pushing her off of where she lay so that she could swim to the entrance of her cell. She clung on to the bars and shook them, beginning to feel frantic as she started to realize how dire the situation was.

"Let me out!! Please, let me out! I've done nothing wrong!"

In fact, she hadn't don't anything wrong. At least not to the Mermen. She was well within the set boundaries that the Mermaids had, and whatever business she had to deal with, it had nothing to do with the Mermen. If anything, they were the ones out of bounds.

Her pleased had to cease immediately though, as a shark suddenly swam to the cell and threatened to bite off the fingers that stuck out of the cell bars. Ariyah swam back in fear until she was touching the cell wall with her nearly bare back. That's when she noticed a stinging pain that shot up to her head. The blow that she was given by the soldiers might have been worse than she expected.

With tears forming in her eyes, Ariyah let herself down once more onto the floor and wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn't because she felt cold, or because she was lonely, but because she knew she'd have to heal herself and self healing was always a by more painful than getting the actual wound itself. Still, Ariyah hummed quietly as she healed, her eyes giving off a minimal glow as it began to work.

[User]
@Guardian Angel Haruki@wolverbells

Aquawlad went as far as she could, following high above the mermen patrol. When the merman finally settled on a location and left the mermaid trapped Aquawlad made her move. The bottle-nose dolphin clicked at her, back up was coming, she needed only to wait. But the call to the Jail was strong. It was deserted but for the sharks, and though they were not the most sensible creatures the would still often listen to her.

She gave the dolphin a gentle pat and sent it towards the pod, to lead them back to where the captured mermaid was. It would be just her for a short time, and the open water was no place to hide with the obvious silhouette she held. The dolphin darted off and so did she, propelling herself deeper and deeper until at last she was at the jail. She settled just above the entrance peering in.

Dual sharks made rounds up and down the hall, keeping in motion to keep alive. Sharks themselves can never stop or they will suffocate. Water must constantly pass over their gills and provide them with the oxygen they need. "oh you poor darlings," she whispered as she flipped forward and swam to the other side of the entrance. The sharks stared dangers, but were undoubtedly curious. They were trained to attack escaped prisoners, but the mermaid had come on her own accord. Aquawlad radiated confidence, she was supposed to be here and for now that would be enough for the sharks.

"Airyah, it's me Aquawlad, Are you alright? How do you open the cell?"

[Assistant]
Altum patrolled the dark depths alone, having wandered off again from his band of Merbrothers. He had been doing that a lot lately it seemed but frankly he couldn't really bring himself to care. Over the years he had spent with his new family, in this new life, Altum learned the rules and laws that all mermen were expected to abide by. Everything forbidden and taboo to their culture, the highlight of which being the mermaids. Hauntingly deceptive witches that masqueraded as one of their own but in truth were anything but. In the beginning Altum took everything they said to heart, having no reason to believe otherwise.

But as time went on and Altum began familiarizing himself with his new lifestyle, now comfortable with the dark waters that surrounded him, he took more and more time to himself. Finding his mind wandering and losing himself in his thoughts, he began to wonder if these supposed "sea witches" were really what the men said they were. Altum didn't have any memories of his previous life but the one thing that he held onto like a lifeline was the vivid memory he had of that night. The beginning of life anew for him. The maiden that saved his life had to have been a mermaid. He realized that now. But what he saw that night didn't fit anywhere near the description what he had been provided of the vile beasts. Unnatural beauty, voice rising and falling in the most enchanting song he had ever heard, hair and eyes that glowed with the haunting light of the moon itself.

Never speaking a whisper of this, Altum held the memory dear to his heart, secretly aspiring to someday meet his beautiful savior, even if it meant being bewitched like the mermen claimed. It would be worth it. Compared to most of the mermen in his tribe, Altum was still young, having been "reborn" only a couple hundred years ago. However, he was already finding himself tiring of the endless fighting. There seemed to be nothing else filling his time these days. There was something exhaustingly familiar about the battles, the rallies, the scouting parties, something that tugged at the back of his mind that may hint at his life above. Altum wanted something more to life than pointless violence. He had yet to even catch a glimpse of the elusive mermaids and would honestly believe them a myth if not for his dying dream.

The scent of fresh blood roused Altum from his reverie. Suddenly alert, he hesitated for a brief moment before speeding off through the water towards the smell. He would definitely receive a harsh scolding for not sending a message back to the tribe and wandering on his own again. Altum didn't care anymore. He didn't really find himself fitting in with the others and their ideals anyway. Getting closer, he slowed his pace, cautiously creeping upon a wreckage but he didn't sense anyone nearby. Observing the bodies that still floated in the water, Altum judged by their wounds that this was the work of sharks. But sharks wouldn't do this without reason, would they? Could it have been another tribe of mermen? He had heard rumors of ruthless mermen that slaughtered without due cause. Going against his better judgement, Altum decided to follow the faint blood trail that led away from the wreckage, if only to give himself something different with which to fill his time.


[System]
Abstract: The quiet, roof-hopping delivery girl.

Detail:
Meryn is a twig of a girl. Short, thin, and physically unimpressive in almost every way, people can often mistake her for a young boy, rather than a full-grown woman. She has sandy brown skin, long, straight black hair that she often keeps in a braid, and pale green eyes. Meryn also wears a small wooden pin with her name engraved on it, stuck to her jacket.

She was born without the ability to speak, but she rarely has any trouble getting her point across. Though she carries herself with a subtle confidence, she's acutely aware of what she is and isn't capable of, and is constantly trying to push that boundary. Independent, fearless, and just a little bit spiteful, telling her she can't or shouldn't do something is usually the quickest way to get her to do it. Although she seems aloof and closed off, Meryn is more soft-hearted than she first appears. If someone comes to her asking for help, she can't help but comply – even if she does roll her eyes and drag her feet along the way. It's easy for her heart to override her head, and her naivety can sometimes get her into trouble.

Though she grew up as a street urchin, and was generally looked down on by the majority of society in the first few years of her life, it wasn't long until she discovered a hidden talent: if she wanted to get somewhere, there was very little that could stand in her way. She could scale walls, leap from rooftop to rooftop, slip between bars. Soon enough, the entire town became one big playground to her. Eventually, the townspeople recognized her skill at getting from one point to another quicker than anyone should rightly be able to, and she began delivering notes and parcels for change. Today, Meryn is the most trusted delivery system in town for all sorts of letters and goods (that aren't too big for her to carry). When she's not swinging around the town like a monkey, she enjoys all sorts of music, and has recently started picking up different instruments from her customers and experimenting, with varying degrees of success.

[User]
Meryn flinched back when the man slapped her hand away, and just for a moment she was a child on the streets of Enn again, cowering away from another beating.

But then her eyes narrowed and she was just pissed instead. She'd been trying to help and this guy was shouting at her? Her frustration built when he demanded she speak and she reared her arm back to just chuck the damned rag at him, let him clean himself up.

But then a bolt shot through the air, embedding itself in the roof next to Meryn's hand. She jumped away from it, stunned. She looked up to see the man in an equal state of shock and –

The fairy was an unmoving thing on his leg. It'd been shot.

Meryn hadn't even fully registered what was happening when the man surged forward, grabbing her and using his weight to press her into the roof. Apparently this was an attempt to… protect her? By laying flat out in the open??? Meryn struggled under him, trying to free herself. She finally managed to slip a hand loose and used it to wrench herself out from under him. Scrambling to grab Spook's mask she snatched it (and, as an afterthought, the crumpled up letter) up and dashed behind a chimney, still spouting black clouds of smoke. She grabbed the man's wrist as she passed him, trying to pull him with her and hoping he still had the fairy, until they were both out of sight, and hopefully out of range of the archer.

Frantic confusion wrapped around her as she tried to figure out who was shooting at them and why but the adrenalin pumping through her made it impossible to concentrate. In a flash of inspiration, Meryn dropped the letter in her bag and jammed the mask on her face. She was careful to stay below the wall as she looked in the general direction the bolt had come from, trying to find their assailant.

There. Through the wall she saw a far-away twist and turn of dreams, dark and dangerous. A tremor of fear reverberated through her body. Then there was a glowing warmth against her chest.

North, came a whisper like a breeze through her mind. There was urgency to it, a pressure that demanded attention. North. She didn't understand how or why, but she knew she needed to follow the instruction.

Meryn looked up, searching for the sun. It'd already begun to dip below the horizon, painting the sky a fiery crimson to her left, and stains of deep blue to her right. North was directly in front of her, then. But… she'd have to get out of the city first. Would they have to go all the way back towards the gate, where the mob had been? Her eyes found the man, her unlikely companion through all of this. Would he know any other exits? Would he be sober enough to remember them?

She looked back towards the chimney, seeing the attacker's dreams through it again. They had to go, to keep moving behind cover before they got skewered. The buildings of Cogswall, though rusted and grimy, were at least packed closely together with flat roofs. Hopefully the man would be able to jump over them, even with his shredded ankle.

On the next roof over, in the direction of the clocktower, there was another structure to hide behind, some sort of bizarre… sculpture? Meryn had no idea. But it was tall, wide, and solid looking, meaning it was useful even if it was ugly. Meryn tugged on the man's wrist to get his attention and pointed to it. She glanced through the chimney again and back at Ronken. Not letting go, she got ready to make a dash for the next roof.

[Assistant]
The city was silent -- save for the distant roar of a crowd declaring revolution upon the burning palaces. Smoke trickled along the streets, mixing with blood and demon-ash.

On the tower, another bolt was notched.

With Ronken ready and in-tow, Meryn dashed for the statue, across a narrow gap between buildings that would have been easy for anyone with two working legs and half a wit to cross -- but unfortunately, at the moment Ronken had neither.

He tripped on the roof's edge, cracked his head on the opposite wall, and tumbled and wrenched out of Meryn's grip; he dropped like a stone three stories, and landed with a sickening crack that echoed up the alley.

A bolt whizzed past Meryn's ear, cutting her hair and drawing blood. Another, a split second later, would embed itself into the roof where she had been standing. The statue -- a stylized gargoyle in the shape of a horned cat with a disturbingly human face -- offered her momentary shelter, but the archer was not the type to give up.

Above her were the open arches of a bell tower, and inside the great dark bells hung still and cold. Something small glittered among them, and came to rest on the ledge of one of the arches: a golden mechanical bird.

The tower had a view of the city: the fires that dotted the streets, the greater inferno that had once been the government office, and the explosion-pocked wasteland that extended beyond the walls. The demons were all gone, soaked up by the now-vanished portal-in-the-sky -- there was no sign of Spook, either.

Night was falling; stars glinted behind a cool violet sky to show the way -- between Meryn and the north wall was a labyrinth of unwieldy structures, whirring turbines, rattling boilers and plumes of smoke. Within the bell tower, a spiraling staircase led down into the rooms below.

A bolt whizzed by her, from the opposite direction; there were two marksmen now, both aimed for her head.

---

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

The same hooded woman who had given Ronken the sealed letter knelt in front of his still-alive form with a small smile; with a pastel pencil in her gloved hand, she drew a bright rune on his forehead. She pulled a necklace out of the collar of her cloak, and she touched the small silvery pendant against the newly drawn rune.

A surge of energy coursed through Ronken's veins and repaired his bones and his injuries; in a moment, the effects of his fall were completely gone, his ankle was completely healed, and even the lingering effects of his earlier drug habit had left him.

The woman dropped the silver bell back down her collar, and she smiled at him with humor. She had dark hair, her skin was the color of acorns, her eyes almost glowed a bright green, and she was covered in dark patches of crystalline stone. "Good morning, Sunshine. I owe you a payment. You can call me Switch. You're welcome."

A shimmer of light glowed just inside her cloak; the fairy was recovering, curled in a pocket.

A flicker of a shadow passed overhead; more people were jumping the rooftops in pursuit of Meryn. The woman glanced upward, but was confident they would not be seen.

[User]
Meryn watched with horrified eyes as the man she'd towed tumbled down until – a sickening crack and a muffled thump echoed in her ears as she looked down at his ragged form. Her lips parted and all she could do was stare. She – she'd just watched someone die. Something queazy and terrified rose up in her throat.

No no no he was still alive. Meryn could still see his sluggish, dull dreams seeping out from his body like leaking blood. She could –

A crossbow bolt slashed through the air, cutting a crimson line on Meryn's cheek. She stumbled back from the building's ledge with a jolt, scurrying backwards to hide behind the gargoyle as another bolt embedded itself in the roof, right where she'd been standing. Right. Assassin. Another bolt came flying at her – from the opposite direction. Meryn barely ducked to the side in time to see a bolt lodge itself in the gargoyle's grotesque face. There was a second shooter. She scrambled around the side, trying to find an angle that neither archer could hit. Meryn squeezed her eyes shut as she pressed her back against the statue.

North. She needed to go north. Meryn didn't know how she knew it, but she knew whatever else happened, that was the priority.

Also avoiding the people trying to kill her. And helping the guy she'd maybe inadvertently lead to death. And finding her friends. And warning Enn about the Crystalline. And holy shit, Meryn was not prepared for this.

Meryn's hand curled into a fist and slammed against the gargoyle in frustration. Then she opened her eyes again, her breath coming in quick, hurried puffs. She looked over her shoulder at the archer's sharp dreams through the gargoyle. Then to the north. She could do this. The city was full of odd structures and buildings to climb. She could outmaneuver the archers. Ditch them, circle back for the man, get out of Cogswall, go north. She had a plan. She could do this.

Meryn looked back the way she'd come and her eyes widened behind her mask.

Her plan did not take account for the three nimble figures dancing over rooftops as easily as she did, coming straight at her. Their dreams were as sharp and focused as the archers'.

Her heart slammed in her chest as she turned and shot out from behind the gargoyle, making a break for the north end of the tower she was on. But the archers had been ready. Before she'd taken more than two steps, a crossbow bolt cut through the air, barely grazing Spook's mask. It bounced off of the brass with a metallic clang as Meryn jolted backwards, trying to control her momentum. She took a step backwards and a bit to the side – right into empty air.

Her body lurched back as her eyes widened at the familiar sensation of falling. There was a hole at the top of the bell tower that opened up to a spiraling staircase that lead down the length of the tower. Time seemed to slow as she fell, weightless. Another arrow went whizzing above her. The great brass bells glinted in the evening sun, along with… the bird?

She only had half a moment to stare at it, stunned and confused. Then Meryn went tumbling down the bell tower's stairs.


[System]
Vera is significantly taller than a majority of girls her age, standing at around 5'9 (176 cm). Her eyes are steel blue in colour and quite large (though they do begin to narrow down if you've done something piss her off), and she's a little pale faced. She loves her dresses and skirts, though most of them reach to the middle of her calves. Her long wavy hair is one of her more notable features, however she has continuously debated whether or not she should cut it to a shorter length.
"Even the most beautiful of roses can have the sharpest of thorns."
Nicknames/Titles: V (by close friends and relatives), Lady Vera

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Race: Hooman

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Magic: Bratus: Blumengarten

Simply put, Bratus: Blumengarten allows Vera to create and manipulate roses at will. This magic can be used in long range combat, although it can be used in close range attacks to some extent. The thorns and stems of her rose can also be used to form defensive barriers and shields to protect the user from harm. The more mana used the thicker and larger the thorns and stems become. Vera is also capable of creating and manipulating rose petals to use as a screen or distraction.

Strengths: The greatest strength of this magic is its multiple uses and ranges. For a long range attack, Vera can simply wave a hand and large rose stems can sprout out of the ground towards the enemy. This is also the case for closer range attacks, however it is possible for Vera to create shields made of tightly packed, prickly stems. As said before, the more mana that is supplied with each attack, the larger, stronger an thicker the thorns become.

Weaknesses: As this is a magic used by long distance fighters, fighting at a closer range can be a struggle, despite the possibilities of countering against it. Also, the less mana used, the less powerful each attack becomes. Only those with large mana pools can manage to fight with this type of magic for long periods of time. This magic is definitely not for the brash and reckless; it takes strategy, skill and preservation to wield.

Catalyst: A thick, decorated silver ring silver ring with a large red gem in the middle.

Other Skills:

Vera possesses stellar acting skills, and is very convincing actor at that. She's also quite good at tending and looking after flowers (it's actually a well enjoyed hobby of hers too).

Inventory: ---

Familiar: ---

Personality:

Vera is an unusual one; the graceful yet mysterious air she gives off is almost haunting. Her pale skin and rather tall height seem to compliment this, but it isn't like a majority of people are terrified of her. It's more like… getting to know her fully takes a bit of time. Other than that, Vera is a seemingly pleasant young woman. Full of faint smiles and grace, this girl doesn't seem like a fighter at all. Quite the opposite, actually. However, she won't let anything provoke her in any way, as her relaxed nature prevents many from doing so. She uses her wit to put people back in their place, and is often seen teasing her enemies in a purposely provocative and playful tone.

No matter how many smiles or thank you's she gives, almost everyone she comes across will usually note her as 'mysterious' in their books. Sure, she smiles and puts on a pretty face all the time, but the mask she wears almost 24/7 is what hides her true thoughts. No matter how hard you stare, you'll never be able to see what this girl is thinking. Did Vera ever think good of that drawing you showed her last week? Did Vera ever think of dumping her insides into a toilet after you made some food for her? Did Vera think badly of you after you told her something nasty and regrettable?

You may never know.

However, there is a certain darker layer to Vera that will sometimes spring up during tense situations, however. All of her kindness is just an act, really. At heart, Vera is cruel, manipulative and ambitious, and will get what she wants, when she wants. She strives to become the strongest and won't even bat an eyelash at those supposedly weaker than her. She'll toy with those who are gullible enough and take advantage of those exceedingly kind to her. Her callous and sadistic behaviour is best left hidden under her cheerful mask; you really wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Vera Rosenberg.

Backstory:

Vera was born into a once wealthy and powerful household in England, which ran its own company and was mainly known for their strong magic prowess. During her early years as a child, Vera was very selfish and mean, treating her servants with disrespect and wanting everything given to her at her command. She did however care for her parents a lot, even if she would ask for the impossible from them. Vera always tried to impress them, no matter how great the feat was.

Then, things began to crumble. Vera was only around seven when the family's business was being outshone by others. This sudden crisis led to the downfall of pretty much everything, from family bonds to the mansion itself. It wouldn't take long for Vera to realise that her income of oversized stuffed toys were starting to decrease, and so she asked her parents why things were so… well, different now.

Eventually, she got her answer. Struggling business. Loss of money. All that sad stuff. Vera was absolutely devastated.

Everything got so bad that they decided to move Vera to a distant relative's place somewhere in Scotland, where she spent the rest of her childhood. Of course, nothing was the same, and it would take time getting used to. If she wanted something big, she was going to have to work for it. That's what someone had said to her, anyway.

The girl took it the wrong way, though.

Vera had big aspirations and extreme ambitions for the future. She wanted to become a rich, powerful woman herself, so much so that she would dominate over everyone else in her wake. Of course, Vera was still young, so she would take things slowly. Learning to manipulate others was a definite must for her, so she did it. Anything that would bring her further to becoming a stronger mage and representing the Rosenberg family name in its well deserved glory. Now sixteen years of age, Vera continues with her studies, currently studying at Montagne Academy.

Timezone: GMT +00:00

Theme Songs:

Blumenkranz
"Descend into despair."

Blumengarten
"Oh, the game has only just begun."

Streublumen
"Beg for mercy all you want; it means nothing to me."

[User] "Nice of you to join us, Ayame." Alicia smiled as the fox girl sat down next to Yume. She checked over her dorm assignment one last time. Four names, four girls. Yep, everybody was here. This meant it was time for everyone to start getting to know everyone else, and Alicia figured a classroom-style icebreaker was the perfect place to start. "So, I personally think that we need a little introductory session to start getting acquainted with each other. Everyone says their name, where they're from, what kind of magic they do, and something that might be interesting about them. I'll start." Alicia cleared her throat, then said, "Hi, I'm Alicia. I'm from Pennsylvania, my magic enables me to control plants, and I like to draw in my spare time." When she finished, she looked around, wondering if anyone would be willing to continue.

[Assistant]
Melody

The Anubis Anthro female grinnes when the cat girl reacted to her touch, then mused as she started purring and as the cat girl started rubbing towars her she was love struck. When she heard the soft whine it almost broke hear heart but still managed to fill her belly with butterflies. "Naaawww... Im sowwy~ I promise to ask for your permission next time~..." she said and decided to gently brush her own soft furred head beneath Shino's chin as she cuddled into her.

"My name is Melody~... And you can pat me right back as much as you like~" she cooed as she gently started stroking Shinos back again. She supported Shino's weight and didn't mind holding her close at all, after all the cat girl proved to be so cute, adorable and warm at the same time.

Its been a while since she felt this happy, even if she felt glad to play a slight prank on her room mates, Shinio was just like an affectionate presence she had been missing for so long. Her own ears tilting slightly as she mused to it all.

[User] Cupido makes it to his room with a cup of tea in his hand. As he gets there two versions of himself form. One demonic with jet black horns and deep almost black bat like wings the other version the Angel. With white swan like wings and white hair. He strides to his desk as the two versions start moving about the room doing various things to set up the room. He wanted to present the illusion that the students coming in would have an easy regular class. Course considering his classes...it should cause some pause. He even has syllabus. In it is the suggested list of supplies he would slightly go over. He placed an apple on his desk then leans against his desk, the two versions of himself staying where they are now, like two oddly realistic statues.

[Assistant]
The Rose warriorress simply smiled at the two newcomers. She didn't want to make… well, too much of an unnecessary fuss after all. Vera hadn't come across a woman with a spider's lower half before. As for the fox girl? She seemed nice enough. Both of the supposed yokai were actually pretty tolerable, thankfully.

"Indeed. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you, Yume, Ayame."

"So, I personally think that we need a little introductory session to start getting acquainted with each other. Everyone says their name, where they're from, what kind of magic they do, and something that might be interesting about them. I'll start."

That wasn't a bad idea at all. At least this way Vera could get some sort of insight on her new roommates. She would need it.

"What a wonderful idea!" Vera said, clasping her hands together with a smile. "I would be lovely to get to know the rest of you."

"Hi, I'm Alicia. I'm from Pennsylvania, my magic enables me to control plants, and I like to draw in my spare time."

Another sweet smile overshadowed Vera's true, bitter demeanour.

"Well, it's nice to see that we have another Bratus mage among us. As you may or might not know from the dorm arrangements, my name is Vera Rosenberg, and my original home was in a countryside in England. As for my magic, I have the ability to create and manipulate roses, big or small. I don't think there is anything too notable about me, but I do enjoy gardening and tending to flowers. It really is hobby that sets your emotions at peace, and certainly love it for that."

Putting her fingertips to her mouth, Vera's voice drifted off. She chuckled, taking a more sheepish appearance.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to drag on for so long… Oh my goodness, that introduction made me sound so conceited, didn't it…"

Things were going well, for now.


[System]
Age: 44

Class: Naval Senior Armsman

Equipment:
Light Carapace Armor - Stukov cannot afford to be weighed down in the tight, fast moving brawl of a boarding action, repelling or engaging in, so the only real piece of armor the Senior Armsman wears is a reinforced Carapace chestplate, which also includes his backpack of ammo and oxygen for his rebreathing kit, a model capable of sealing against loss of oxygen, although true void exposure won't make him last long, due to the sheer cold of the Void.

Lucius pattern Mk 22c Shotgun - The shotgun of choice for Stukov, this eight round revolving magazine lets him slam through shells at a frightening rate, with a heavy cartridge that shreds through most enemies not wearing heavy, quality Carapace. And this assumes hits on any given armor's strong points. Like many shotguns, plenty of various ammo types exist for his shotgun, and while Stukov carries plenty of slug and buckshot, he carries a handful of Hellfire and blessed buckshot for handling Daemons in specific. Stukov has no problem using whatever ammo he can get his hands on, or issued for a given mission.

Foehammer - Known by its more humble name the Shotgun Pistol, Stukov uses this as a backup when his larger, bulkier shotgun isn't an option. Unlike his Mk 22c, it is a single shot per load weapon that he usually loads with oversized slug. This is for the reason that if he needs to hit something a distance off, he doesn't need to waste time changing loads in his main gun, or his side arm. And if they are heavily armored, slug has a better chance to punch through than buckshot or most conventional ammo loads.

Combat Knife - Not much to be said for Stukov's knife, it is a fairly standard issue, single edge blade with a point for stabbing as well as slashing. Pretty much a last resort when both his sidearm and main shotgun are of no use to him in a situation.

Flash Grenades x2, Concussion Grenades x2 - Flash Grenades, true to their name, emit a blinding flash of light that blinds both organic and mechanical means of sight for a period of time, making them easy targets so long as they were not protected from the effects. Concussion grenades utilize a shockwave that, while it does little real damage to ship structure or hull, the sheer pressure of the shockwave and the din of noise ensures that, even if the pressure didn't kill a foe, they won't be hearing anytime soon.

Against All Odds: When he was a rookie Armsman aboard his first Imperial Navy vessel, during a transit in the warp the Gellar fields failed and hordes of daemons poured into various breaches in the hull across the Cruiser. Whether it was divine intervention from the God Emperor himself, or sheer stubborn determination from the surviving crew, the Cruiser was able to emergency shift back into real space and drive the remaining daemons and their slaves out the airlocks and back into oblivion where they belonged. The Cruiser suffered over 75% causalities, and could barely limp to the nearest Imperial holding.

Boots on the Ground: Rather than being left to sit around and wait for a new crew to be brought in, the Armsman Stukov was now reassigned to an Apocalypse Class Battleship, since she had recently seen vicious combat and had lost a fair number armsman, amongst other crew. One of his first assignments as part of the new crew was a shore party that was deployed to secure sensitive fleet records lost in a planet wide raid by Dark Eldar. Once again, most of his comrades were wiped out but he survived and personally hauled the reclaimed records back into orbit before the Orbital Bombardment vaporized all Dark Eldar that could be found.

Close Quarters Chaos: Earning his rate as a Senior Armsman, and the right and occurrence of leading junior Armsman into battle gains those that would stand against the Imperial Navy and her vessels. So his first tasking was as part of a wave of Assault craft, specifically the Shark Assault Boat. Under heavy interceptor and bomber escorts most of the first wave of Assault Boats reached their targets, a miracle in and of itself. Heavy casualities were sustained as Stukov rallied any and all Imperials he could find and stormed the bridge of the craft. When challenged to a duel for control over the vessel, he shot the enemy captain cleanly, taking his head off as a fine mist. The following chaos as Stukov led his men back to the boats, leaving the enemy ship in chaos as it fought itself for control as several friendly Imperial vessels bombarded the craft into oblivion the moment its shields failed.

Not one Step Further: The Battleship he was assigned to came under heavy fire and was badly damaged, suffering a force re-entry into the nearby plant and crashing down behind a long forgotten temple to the Emperor. After the survivors took refuge there, they had to hold out until either the Battleship's surviving engines could be overloaded, finishing the beast off beyond any salvage hope, or help arrived. With nowhere to run or hide, Stukov rallied the remaining combat capable men and women, armed them, and held out as long as possible, far longer than anyone short of even an Astartes could consider thanks to tactics and a desperation coupled with nothing to lose. The survivors were saved by passing Inquisitorial vessels, introducing Stukov to work with the Inquisition and, eventually, Inquisitor Caphus himself.

Time with Inquisitor: Nearly ten years aboard his vessels, only recently tasked formally to his retinue.

Appearance:

40K Knowledge Question: Erebus of the Word Bearers Legion

[User]
Stukov was ready to draw if the fat noble acted to be any sort of real danger to the Inquisitor and his well being, beyond just a fool of an insulting waste of the flesh. As one could reasonably expect, however, there was no such threat to be seen as the fat man did, at most, spit on the Inquisitor's boot and return to what he was doing. Guess it seemed not everyone knew who the man was. Good, that made things easier to a degree. But how did that one woman know he was an inquisitor when the fat man clearly didn't? There was something amiss in that disjunction of information how a mere serving woman would know something a connected noble would not. And such men would have probably done well not to incur the wrath of an Inquisitor, if what he has seen of Imperial solutions to problems. But that was neither here nor there now that the Inquisitor began speaking on the plan.

The plan was to scope out an art gallery, which was odd but he didn't question the how or why it was raising eyebrows. That kind of thinking was well above his paygrade, but statues are not something he found comforting. Smart person could probably hide with something like that, maybe why the concerns were being raised, some dark background or something no one was telling them. Either way, they were walking right into this place, with no idea of how it was laid out, security, or any such potential problems. That also did not sit well with Stukov, he was a man who preferred to have a plan at all times, and back ups to those when things went south in a hurry. But he really didn't have a say in the matter, and with the Inquisitor running off, he didn't even get to suggest sending help with him in case things were indeed bad, evil, and all that jazz. But the psyker made a suggestion to head out, and he resisted nodding from his table, instead standing and speaking over the comm system.

"I have this gut feeling I'll regret agreeing to this, but I'm with you Smiles, if no one else is over eager to tag along."

[Assistant]
"I have this gut feeling I'll regret agreeing to this, but I'm with you Smiles, if no one else is over eager to tag along."

Adrianne was quick to eye Stukov across the cafe as the man was the first to speak through the comm and present himself as a willing candidate to escort her. She had expected a lot more hesitation from the rest of the group, and Stukov's bravery in volunteering to accompany the only psyker was a welcoming change.

"That's wonderful." Adrianne would reply over the comm, before she picked up her helmet as she stood up from the table. Putting her skeletal helmet back onto her head with a click and pressurizing it, she would turn her attention over to a small screen attached to her wrist-mounted computer on her left armored glove. Pressing a single button, one of the small lights would flash yellow and emit a tiny 'beep'.

Holding out her arm, her staff; which had been resting by the coffee table; would suddenly become animated and fly right into her hand as if pulled by invisible threads.

"I will be waiting for you by the glass wall." She instructed Stukov through her comm, as the psyker ventured through the cafe to walk up to the wall of large glass panels separating the cafe room from the massive lobby hall.

Walking over to one of the glass doors that was closed shut, with a clear "Not in use." sign attached to the handle, she'd sweep the open palm of her glove across the keyhole and the door would suddenly click and swing open. On the other side of the glass door was... literally nothing, except a multi-storied clear drop down onto the main floor of the spaceport lobby at least fifty feet below.

"Quick question: Do you prefer the immaterium or the physical world, armsman?" Adrianne would suddenly ask over the comm to Stukov as she stood in the doorway, gazing back into the cafe at Stukov as she waited for him.

[User]
After listening to the Inquisitor issue his orders, Ben would pay for his drinks, and stand up. Putting his hands in his pockets, he made his way out the door, and started the walk to the gallery. He looked around, reminded in some ways of his home, but otherwise, didn't really ruminate on many things. He scanned around for possible threats, and stopped to buy a pack of lhosticks.

Errand completed, he started walking again, and removed one stick from the carton, and put it in his mouth. Ben pulled a lighter from his pocket, and lit it, drawing in the smoke, and exhaling it through his nostrils.

When he arrived at the gallery, he took what was left of the thing from his mouth with his left hand and rolled it between his metal fingers until the fire was out, and then flicked the remnants onto the ground.

Ben looked at the Inquisitor. He knew that man was older than him by a few years, but he didn't look it. "You know, it all burns." Ben said, idly. He gestured around him and everything. "Hive cities. The people who live here think they're a fortress. Untouchable, and some sort of redoubt against anything. But they're just big slaughterhouses."

Ben put his hands in his pockets, and hunched a little as if he was cold. He sniffled before continuing. "You ever lead one of the big wars?" he asked. "I'm guessing no. bit young for it, bit nice." Ben said, not really waiting for a reply. "I know, kindness isn't weakness and all that. I met one who wasn't kind. He was like some animal who had been kicked and was looking for someone to bite."

Ben kept going, on some sort of tangent now. "Back on Armageddon, my platoon leader, some young Lieutenant got himself killed, and I was the highest rank NCO. So they promoted me for a bit and made me lead. And my unit was fighting in a hive city. Don't even remember which one anymore. And it was this fuckin' meatgrinder. They just told us everyday to keep moving forward, and I know what they say about orks. They're stupid, but they're cunning. Traps everywhere, ambushes, enfilade fire. We'd have to dismount for engineers to clear rubble and then they'd shoot us to bits." Ben swallowed loudly like he was having trouble with the story.

"And one day, they pull my unit from the front. And here I am, dirty, I haven't shaved. Haven't slept more than an hour a day if that, no ammo, hungry. And this private comes up to me and tells me an Inquisitor wants to see me. So I go, right, not like I can say no. And he's thinkin' big war stuff, and asking me these questions that made me want to kill him. How many bodies did I lose, what did I learn, can I learn more with more bodies, how long until we take this street or that block. And all I can think about is how they aren't bodies, or fuckin' meat in a goddamn slaughterhouse. That they're Jan whose intestines I held as she died, or Ken who got cut in half in an ambush."

At this point, Ben pulled out another lho-stick, and lit it on fire. "I dunno what the point is. I dunno. I guess thanks for not being that kind of Inquisitor. At least to our faces." Ben said, looking up at Zhevon. Ben sighed loudly and spit. "Think we're going to see anything down here?" Ben asked.

[Assistant]
Stukov nodded as he made sure he had all his belongings, drink was paid for, and with everything taken care of he made his way towards the psyker where she had indicated. He had to wonder what the woman had in mind for a shortcut to get them where they were going, the main floor in specific, but he had already given his word that he would be accompanying Smiles along the way to the gallery. She was armed up, and helmeted again, which would make facial reading difficult to say the least, but he glanced over the edge of the way she opened, noting the rather sheer drop rather calmly.

Heights did not over bother Stukov much, or he hadn't assumed so. Seeing the world and being threatened with being hauled out into the void of space, versus plummeting under the unrelenting force of planetary gravity, seemed to be two different things entirely. Unnerving to think of how one might plummet such a way, but not in any paralyzing manner. But certainly unnerving. Probably some form of warp trickery was planned to guide them down to the main level. But she seemed to offer some choice in the matter, whether it was warp space or real space.

"Both have their problems, Smiles, personal preference remains in the physical world. But whatever gets us down there, as best as you see fit, I'll manage. Won't be my first time coming face to face with warp space..." Referencing his first ship's Gellar fields failing and letting the Warp into the ship itself. Not a pleasant thought to cross his mind as he stood by the psyker and considered how she would go about this shortcut of hers. She had recalled that staff of hers via telekinesis, or whatever it was called, so perhaps a grander form of that trickery? He didn't know and kept his peace, waiting for the orders from Smiles on how to go about this little trick of hers. Should be a show for the other arrivals of the group, regardless.


[System]
Here is my contribution. I hope it is up to fox.
Title: "The Grey Area"
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Appearance: A fairly tall man (when he's actually bothered to stand up straight) with amber eyes, a weathered face, and dark hair with traces of graying. His sullen eyes and thinly-shaved grizzle upon his jawline give the visage of a tired, barely retained individual. Grey is just fit enough to get by in the crew, while still having the worn, calloused look to his skin that proves he's done his part. His left hand is rendered paralyzed, however, so he uses a powered glove to restore movement to it.

Armor: Not much to speak of. His black vest doubles as a light bulletproof armor for his torso, as does his powered glove for his left hand. He has greaves fitted on his legs under his trousers, and his boots are reinforced with mild steel plating. Like a sensible man, he also bothers to wear a cup.

Clothing: Greyson is rarely ever seen without his trusty longcoat, serving as a fashion choice and a spacious utility jacket for storing tools and weapons. His typical gear consists of the longcoat, his black protective vest, his plain dark-brown trousers, and his pain of reinforced work boots. Grey's more casual wear is a white button shirt with khaki trousers and loafers. On particularly lazy days, he may go without a shirt entirely.

Weapons: Grey's primary weapons are a pair of handguns and a mag-loaded bolter rifle. All of these guns are designs for sharpshooting, but still prove just as effective at most any range. He carries extra mags inside his longcoat, and may even stash two extra pistols in there if he feels like a situation may call for it; some people may think him as a gun nut, but he just likes to be more than prepared (his way of saying he's a bit paranoid).

Miscellaneous Items: Various repair and navigation tools, spare mags, a trusty flask, a few extra sets of foam earplugs...

Biography:
Greyson was a simple kid, having a basic education and a standard family. Like many kids, Greyson held his ambitions to soar the skies like so many did in this day and age. Of course, with these ideals came the warnings and dangers of sky pirates and the like, whom threatened to take away your life, or worse. Yet still, like many kids, Greyson held his ground, and was determined to make his mark on the frontier of sprawling clouds.

Of course, as time passed and boys matured, Greyson obtained a better understand of what he wanted. It wasn't so much to fly around as it was the passion to explore: to seek out new spaces and see the creation of new worlds. For this, the adolescent was very thoroughly mocked and berated for his choices, give how whoever tried to venture too far out rarely ever returned. And yet, that was half the challenge of being an explorer - of course, maybe Greyson did get into the habit of thinking to arm himself well enough whenever he was to go far out.

Let it be known that few sensible men wanted any part in Greyson's ideas. Which, of course, left him with the insane ones...

As a young adult, Greyson was kidnapped after sharing what happened to be perhaps too elaborate of a plan to enter the lost "Lower World". The vagabond in question was a very off-rocker man in charge of several looneys and a stolen, several-times-rebuilt airship. They hoped, by forcing this navigator to take them along the proposed route, they would be first to discover and conquer a new world all for themselves. Needless to say, Greyson was not at all wanting or willing to go along with this. Desperately, but carefully, he tried to lead the crazed pirates astray in hopes a military vessel could capture them and free Greyson.

The band of insane outlaws was blessed with no such luck, as the captain (who caught on to Greyson's deception) steered the ship right into a cloudstorm. The kidnapped navigator found himself only a scant more lucky, able to wrestle control back to the ship and veer out of the storm. Barely able to cruise back to land, the outlaw ship was not welcomed warmly, and Greyson found himself lumped in with the unseemly crew who kidnapped him in the first place.

Several years have passed since then. Greyson has barely any honor or respect left to his name, much less money or an honest career. Despite his hatred of outlaws, the washed-up adventurer has been forced to become one if he wants to keep any claim on his life. His dream has twisted into a different ideal; to escape the mad world he has been dragged into, and find a new life to begin. Until then, if it is even a possibility, he has to work with the sky pirates he so very much spites. Like it or not, he is a member of the Crimson Dusicyon - free in his title, but not at heart.

Extra:
* Serves primarily as a navigator, but may also serve as a capable gunner or passable helmsman. He tends to keep himself working somehow, otherwise he droops into a lazy slump.
* Lacks a proper sleep schedule of his own - left to his own devices, Grey will wake and sleep whenever he feels like it. Also part of the reason he keeps himself busy.
* Likes to chew on ginger candies to take his mind off things. This is a trend established from his childhood, and proves to be a generally more favorable substitute for his alcoholism.
* Grey's experiences have led him to be a very scornful man in general - having to be a sky pirate doesn't help, no matter how honest the crew among him may seem. He's just sour and broken, with a life so far shallow and unfulfilled.
* Has a minor talent with birds and falconry.

[User]
This mornings actions had all but taken their toll on Nathan, seeing him briskly pick up the part to his dismantled comrade and rush off to the nearest work bench. He seemed to not recognize anything else around him, only grabbing what tools he needed before working in dead silence. If he had been beaten by the captain, he would've preferred it- having spent years being beaten an broken by his former captors, but being without Faris: his one true friend through out those dark days? That was more than he could bear. This work would continue for continue for awhile, seeming to take great care in the reconstruction.

 "Damnit, Faris. I told you," Nathan whispered under his breath, fitting the mother board in place on it's on both the top and bottom side of the board before them in place, "That was too close... Remind me to start revamping your AI." Then it was back to the silence, his creation slowly taking on the look of it's former form. In about two hours time, the reconstructed Faris sat before him- though still idle upon the counter as his mechanical limbs lay sprawled out from his central body. Yet, as he let out a sigh of relief, one could tell Nathan was almost hesitant to reactivate his companion. 'The board and memory hit the ground pretty hard... What if he damaged a circuit or capacitor? Granted I could find another one later, but I'd have to completely rewrite his programming. It wouldn't be the same Faris," These thoughts would echo inside the mechanics mind as he continued to look down.

 "Well... Here goes nothing," Reaching over, he fastened the last bit of cabling to the motherboard and sealed up the body with one final screw. Pausing for a moment, his hand would raise to the communicator beside his head, pressing along the side as the device lit up with a bright blue light, "Faris, wake up." He spoke aloud into the come just shy of the corner of his mouth. No response.

 "Faris. Wake up." Still nothing

 In a small fit of rage, he'd slam his fist upon the bench on either side of the creation, now yelling into the mic, "Faris! GET UP!" As if provoked by his anger, the little automaton lept to it's feet, and began skittering around as if looking for something. As it's optical sensor slowly rounded towards the form of it's master; the little machine would move it's self to Nathan's hand, and begin climbing up to his shoulder. For the first time since he had began working, it seemed that Nathan was completely at ease now, "I shold've left you disassembled. Giving me a heart-attack like that."

[Assistant]
the previous night

Niesha smiled at the story and commented that Dorkface then was a fine name for the ferret, before excusing herself, deciding that that was enough socialization today, and that she might risk insulting Nikola if she continued any further. She retreated to her bed, and gathered her bow and arrows.

She rigged up a target, not wanting to damage the ship with any arrow, she wasn't particularly worried about strays. It had been a long time since she had missed her target.

She shot arrows for a few hours, before retreating to bed. There were times when Niesha felt extremely Lonely, and now was one of those times. She sighed to herself, wondering if she should hunt someone up, or if she should have asked Nikola if ferrets were a high maintenance pet. She cleaned herself up, before falling asleep.

the morning-present time

Niesha woke early, as was her habit. She rarely slept long in any case. It was, she suspected, due to the years she had been imprisoned, and on the street. So it was that she was awake when the announcement to go to the cafeteria was made. She trudged there, and claimed a seat, looking up at the announcement:

She went pale when her name was called for the ground team. She told herself it meant that her skills were recognized, but Niesha was terrified. She stared at her hands for a moment, before swallowing, and rising. She trudged to the armory, she stopped to get her bow and quiver. She closed her eyes, taking three deep breaths before continuing on.

She noticed Nikola hurrying off somewhere, Dorkface on his shoulder looking frightened and put out, clearly wondering what Nikola was doing why he was off in such a hurry. It made Niesha feel better and she smiled, continuing on her way. It didn't take her long to find the Armor that she wanted; going for light rather then heavy, she also chose gloves that would protect her hands, but allow her free movement. Her modified hand might be stronger then her non modified hand, but that didn't mean it still couldn't be damaged.

Besides, wearing one glove was just foolish.

She took another deep breath, and moved out the armory. She had many doubts about herself. Like would she be able to kill someone? She didn't know. But she knew she couldn't allow herself to let the captain, and the crew down. It just wasn't possible. She slung her bow over one shoulder when it was strung up, and the quiver over the other, after testing the feel of the gloves and that it wouldn't hinder her ability to shoot.

She headed to meet up, ready for the drop.

[User]
"Thank you General," she nodded.

Carson took the stand before the crew. She was already in her armor with her dreads pulled back into a neat tail. Expectant and sleepless eyes turned toward her as she hooked her hands behind her back, cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Blackbeard's forces are weakened and fractured, not defeated. Never underestimate the enemy especially when he is corned. Every single one of you will be on high alert through the entirety of the mission. Anyone found not at their post, woolgathering or otherwise slacking about will answer to me. Gunners, we will be providing cover and distraction for the ground team while they work to take the initial pressure off of us. We are not expecting ships, but there will be soldiers, ground units, barracks, walls and other obstacles along side the anti-air. Johannes, Grissom, keep our canons' line of sight open, but do not sacrifice our speed. We are more than likely to take a knock or two, let us just make it a challenge for them, shall we?'
'On that note; Gruffman, Quirke, Krusek. I need a preliminary inspection on our artillery, defenses and major systems. Keep maintenance on their toes and make sure you have everything you could possibly need to keep us in the air before we go in. You will keep us updated on the Dusicyon's status at all times and notify navigation and myself of any issues large or small. You are our last line of defense.'
'And Dr. Bishop, though we hope for the best, we cannot rule out the possibility of casualties when engaged in combat of any sort. I expect you at your post as well.'
'Should each one of us bring our full ferocity vigilance to this fight, we will succeed, we will be sitting on assets beyond imagination and we will show every person on this god-forsaken planet who really owns the skies."

With a slight bow and a glance toward the captain she stepped back. As the crowd dispersed and began to ready themselves she reported to the gun batteries to begin her own preparations.

[Assistant]
Greyson gave a steep yawn as he managed to pull himself out of bed early that morning. The room didn't seem much larger than a cell, but the bunk was only uncomfortable at worst - it would still take some getting used to, all in all. He went though his mourning routine as quickly as he could afford, which now had to include him taking along his rifle and spare ammo for that. While he didn't shave too thoroughly anyway, Grey skipped out on that completely today, resulting in him seeming a bit more grizzly.

In the brief interval of time Greyson waited in the cafeteria, he ruminated over the plans laid down last night. Ultimately, even with the airship, some of the odds still seemed to be stacked against Renault. Blackbeard and his mates had a fairly large city to prance about in, and knowledge of all the places to look didn't always work so well in a practice like this. There was especially the idea that Renault would split away to deal with Blackbeard personally, essentially putting himself at great risk for a captain-to-captain struggle. Grey could only expect that something was going to come up, some fact or thing they couldn't anticipate that could turn the whole thing upside down.

Why the hell are you even complaining? You're not even being dropped into the fray, you just get to sit in the ship while the gunner mow down the opposition. God knows you've wanted some medium of actual control for years now.

Grey shook his head to clear his thoughts as the captain made his announcements. He had to get through this day first before he could start moaning about it. This was a ship of dirty pirates, but as long as he was aboard, Grey had to fight for it. Surely, after this first mission, things would start looking up with the Crimson Dusicyon having a dedicated base.

As the briefing ended, the assembly dispersed, with crew either moving to man the ship's battle stations or to join the drop team. Grey followed the streaming trails of people out of the cafeteria, soon making his own way towards the bridge. Though something of an able sharpshooter, Greyson was primarily being trusted with navigation alongside Grissom. If anything happened to the Dusicyson, he was going to take the brunt of the blame, so it was important he tossed aside all bias for the next few hours.

The mechanical glove moved his hand into a fist, tightening with a leathery crinkle. This wouldn't be the first time a ship was placed into his trust, but this would the time that truly mattered.