Sneaking into Aedolis [Black hawk / cmnderShep]

[Anonymous]

Sneaking inside Haviah wasn't such a big problem. The bounty hunters-dash-part-time smugglers, despite the general decrepit state of their ship, were good at what they were paid for, and this time, they were paid to get inside the pit of decadence that was Havia and deliver some supplies. Probably some material that was going to get them in trouble, because if it was legal, their employer wouldn't have sent smugglers to do the job.

The Alizee entered Earth's polluted atmosphere at a safe distance and dropped as much altitude as possible without landing. The maneuver wasn't just risky, it was downright suicidal, if the pilot hadn't been Meketh. Crazy girl sometimes went for a little spin through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, just for fun. If squeezing through giant space rocks that could smash you to bits with a single wrong turn was her idea of a good time, then slaloming between the mostly bare earth scenery to evade detection was a breeze. Of course, the Alizee had light-bending cover technology as well, but there was no use in taking chances, was there? If you could just make yourself invisible and fly into Haviah, Aedolis would've lost the war a long time ago.

There was a point even Meketh didn't dare cross, though, and that was when Benny and Tish's job began. They still had the little techie's support for a while, and then all communication would be cut. The smugglers were dropped right next to the lower levels, and carefully made their way in. It helped that Benny looked like the kind of guy you don't mess with. People asked less questions. The crates of material were quickly hidden in case the law tried to get involved, although curiously they had received reports that the pilots were very busy about something else lately. Oh well... made things easier for them, huh?

As Tish paid the owner of the warehouse they were leaving the stuff at, "so's he just write down old furniture in his books", Benny took a short nervous glance around. He was unhappy about leaving his body armor back home, but let's just point out that a large man dressed in EDANITH ARMY BODY ARMOR was the exact opposite of stealth if you were trying to sneak inside Aedolis. The man still had a weapon, and a good one at that. Monocarbon-edged blades were rare and valuable, and you could cut through concrete with them. The real advantage, however, was that they were (mostly) legal, and since the thing was huge, it discouraged people from getting too close. Tish had passed on the big swords, though, and picked a pair of small stun-guns instead, weapons that were easy to hide under your clothes, didn't make too much noise and didn't deliver anything lethal. Nothing like a dead body to bring unwanted attention.

The two of them then headed for a bar, where they were supposed to meet with their contact. It was only once that'd be over with that the real problems would begin... after all, while sneaking inside Haviah was easy, it was pretty damn hard to sneak back out again.

[Anonymous]

After all this time crawling around the lowest parts of the lower city, and after so many less than legal ventures, one would think that you'd become immune to nerves. Whether it was luck, skill, or the genuine apathy by the 'authorities,' Dermut had never once been caught. A track record like that would be the justification for cockiness, for the kind of confidence that led to slip ups. You'd expect that, but for Dermut it wasn't so at all. Even now, as he sat in the bar waiting for the smugglers to show up, he felt his nerves on edge.

Experience did give him one good thing though; a controlled exterior. No matter how nervous and paranoid he felt, outwardly he looked just like a lonely bloke guzzling away his troubles with all the booze he could afford. Although he didn't have to try too hard, he chose to wear his clothes and hair in a way to emphasise his 'don't fuck with me' factor. Dermut was already a big and fairly intimidating guy, but the accessories and posture helped.

What they also helped was setting him just enough apart from his normal, every day appearance and gave an appropriate persona for whomever he was going to be dealing with. The leather jacket he wore was tighter than he would have liked- it restricted some movement he was used to having. Dermut didn't expect to actually get in a fight, but you never knew. His hair, which was normally spiked up, had been combed back more than normal, turning it into something more of a short mane. Even though it was evening, a pair of sunglasses rested on top of his head. It completed the image, though he thought about ditching them when the smugglers arrived.

Thankfully he didn't look ridiculously out of place. The pub he'd chosen was one of the more eccentric. It may not have been the most low profile spot, but there had to be a balance. Even the seemingly safest places could be the first spot to look. Unfortunately, he certainly felt ridiculous, but fuck it. Better to feel stupid than risk strangers actually knowing him.

Dermut checked the time before finishing off his beer. If they were punctual, they would show up in precisely one minute and seven seconds.

[Anonymous]

Tish didn't like being late. It's just not professionnal, y'know. Usually, he'd nip on ahead and get there at least half an our early, but negociations with the inbred moron who owned the warehouse had taken much longer than he expected. Cursing (and, well, wheezing) softly under his breath, he ran most of the way, Benny right behind him, and entered the bar exactly one second early, still panting heavily. For God's sake, he was in his thirties and he was starting to feel old already!

Ben paused next to him, concern in his big honest face. "You all right?" He asked, only to get elbowed away. Tish shot him an annoyed glare and walked in, confidence apparently restored. "'m fine. Get us some seats and alcohol."

"I don't think you should be drinking in your state." Ah, dear old Benny and his misplaced good will. If it was just that, the big guy would be tolerable, but he also kept trying to hide Tish's stash of cigarettes, which were an expensive vice for people who lived in space.

Rolling his eyes, the shorter man pulled himself a seat and climbed on (Dammit, why did they have to make bar stools so high these days? It's not like every bar patron would be towering mountains of muscle like Benny, normal people needed a drink too sometimes). "What are you, my mother?" He turned to the automated bartender and punched his order in. "And you'll be having a tall glass of milk, then, mister-mommy?" He sneered, glancing back at his tall companion. Benny sighed softly. "You don't have to be like that."

[Anonymous]

Ah, the open air. Currently, Jorn was on duty, flying through the air on Mun. This was the best part of the job, he thought, and he loved it. He wasn't really paying attention to anything, just letting Mun fly, when a Mun's voice entered his head. Hey, something tripped the sensor's heading to the lower levels in grid A of our sector, and coming back up. They want us to go check it out. Jorn sat up, alert. Alright, let's do this. They headed to Grid a, which was an entrance to the lower levels. Only those with authorization would not be picked up by the sensors. But whatever maneuvered down there, couldn't fit, and came back up.

What do you think it is? Jorn asked Mun. Don't know, let's find out. When they got to grid A, Jorn didn't see a thing. Keep flying and stay alert. Jorn told Mun. He logged into the network and sent a preliminary report, that said there seemed to be nothing there, but he would keep investigating. Then Mun got his attention.

I hear a mind. There something alive there. Jorn looked and still didn't see anything. It has to be invisible. Act normal, let's surprise it. Jorn than told Mun to fly up into the clouds, as to disappear from view. When up there, Jorn reached his hand up and gathered flame into his hand. With his power he could make a fireball and hurl it at any target. And he created a fireball, and ordered Mun to dive and rocket out of the clouds, straight at the target. Once he got close enough he let the fireball fly at it.

[Anonymous]

Meketh didn't trust the ship's sensors. They were old and some of them tended to fire up randomly. Besides, she didn't need them to be able to fly the Alizee. People who knew the girl soon came to know that she was nearly impossible to surprise, and the sudden fireball was no exception. So much for a flawless in-and-out, I suppose. Despite this, Meketh was smiling. Staying outside while her boys were on a mission was boring her to death! If being chased around by a dragon was going to complicate things, at least she'd be having fun. Also, she had always wanted to test her abilities against one of these. Reading about what they could do was fine, but there's nothing like real life experience.

She tilted the ship at the last moment, glad that at least the thermic shields that kept it safe from blowing up when entering the atmosphere were very new and in great shape. She had made sure of this herself. The fireball grazed the belly of the Alizee, leaving barely enough damage to register on the plating sensors. Fireballs against an atmosphere-ready ship? Meketh pouted. My very first run against a dragon and it had to be piloted by a rookie...

Rookie or not, they had been able to find her when she was invisible. Could they have smelled the ship, or... Psychics, of course. Well, two can play at this game. She grabbed the controls and jerked off-course suddenly, looped up through the clouds, and flew upside-down right above the creature and its pilot, then stopped everything. She stayed motionless, hovering upside-down half a hundred miles over solid ground. But she didn't stop at this.

Slowing down her breathing and heartbeats, Meketh closed her eyes and emptied her mind. I am the wind. I am the emptiness of space. I am the void. Shutting down her senses. Forgetting about the low hum of the engines, the "clinks" of cooling metal, I am nothing, came from nothing. The only sound that mattered was the wind blowing around the ship. Meketh focussed on that wind, breathing along with it.

[Anonymous]

If the pub had been quieter, Dermut may have heard their noisy entrance. Instead, he only caught a pair enter a second before the scheduled time. Through the reflection in his empty beer glass as he ordered a refill, he watched them approach the bar and take a seat. A bear of a man- roughly his height but packed with more muscle- and a thin short bloke. If that wasn't enough to identify them as the smugglers, certainly the short one's hair was. Dermut though it needlessly extravagant. He could spot it a mile away- and if he could, so could anyone else, including the people you didn't want spotting it.

With his glass refilled, he casually made his way to the pair in a rather meandering, indirect way. Dermut walked over to the other side of Tish and leaned in slightly. Somehow, the smooth professionalism evaporated when he caught sight of the big bear of a man on the other side of the short smuggler. It was taken over by something just begging to be smacked in the face for being an asshole. Dermut faced another direction to appear as if he wasn't addressing the pair.

“Ladies,” he cooed. “You ready to go dancing tonight?”

[Anonymous]

Tish suddenly found himself surrounded by huge men, a situation he preferred to avoid, even if one of them was Benny (and thus relatively harmless to him). He took a quick glance at the newcommer, trying to evaluate his strenght (Big, but nothing they couldn't handle if the guy was looking for a fight. The leather jacket and sunglasses were a bit out of place). He leaned back, squaring his shoulders and bringing his hands close to the two stun guns hidden in his loose shirt... only to have his image ruined when Ben gently pushed him aside, for God's sake, to protect him from harm. Like he was a little kid. He'd have to have a word with him later. Tish was supposed to be doing the talking while Benny did the "standing around looking threatening"!

"We're waiting for someone." Benny smiled, although his grey eyes were cold as ice. Tish jabbed him with his elbow once again (which shouldn't be taken lightly, as Tish's elbows were sharp and bony and really HURT). Now the big boy was going to ruin the entire mission, that was the code phrase, not some weird random come-on!

While Ben rubbed his side, staring at Tish like a hurt puppy (a grown man should never attempt that kind of face, SERIOUSLY). The shortest member of the duo pointed at his companion with his thumb, rolling his eyes. Hired muscle, eh? "I'm game. Excuse him, he's stupid. Let's... hmm... Let's burn that dance floor. I dunno why, I thought you'd be a chick. Oh well..."

[Anonymous]

Dermut couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when the two of them. It was like he stepped into a some kind of virtual sitcom. Not that he was underestimating the guy bigger than him, but there differences were comedic and so was their reaction. Hell, even their interactions with each other made him doubt whether he had woken up this morning. Was this them trying to deal with too much tension or were they always this peculiar? Well, it's not like he could say anything in that regard.

He considered the two of them a second before replying, “Excellent. Take the lead, I'm not a good dancer anyway.” With a smirk, he took a sip from his glass and took a seat next to them. Electronic tracking might have been possible, especially since this wasn't terribly high profile. A tracker and a small HUD on the sunglasses he wore, something like a discreet compass or map. Unfortunately, Dermut wasn't a gambler. It may be just as risky to follow on foot, but walking around would cause less suspicion and cause for alarm than a small constant electronic signal beeping constantly.

“Three minutes,” Dermut added with his gaze set back to somewhere in front of him. That should give him enough distance without too large a gap to follow them. It would have been handier to know which warehouse they were using in the first place, but this was hardly a scenario that you could expect easy service in.

[Anonymous]

"Right." Tish shrugged lightly. "Big boy'll show you the way, I'm a little, ah, short to be your partner." This way, if their contact tried to double-cross them, Benny would be able to take care of them... and he could finish his drink in peace.

Benjamin stood up, a little annoyed at Tish's behavior (there was nothing unusual in this. Being annoyed at, worried about or exasperated by Tish was practically his default state). Yes, the man was more experienced at... different criminal activities, but sometimes, it was like he wanted people to dislike him.

He lumbered through the bar, noting with a certain satisfaction that the other patrons were carefully avoiding his gaze and minding their own buisness.

The warehouse they had picked was a little bit far from the rendez-vous point, on purpose. This way, it'd be easier to notice if they were being followed. Fortunately, it seemed Benny was pretty safe this time. He waited for their contact, not actually at the warehouse's door, which would be suspicious, but in front of a hoverbus stop just down the street from the place. Tish's instructions again. Benny sometimes wondered how you could live like this, being suspicious of others all the time. Not that he was always confident, but danger wasn't lurking behind every corner!

Actually, he had expected the biggest city of Aedolis to be worse than this. Back home, they were told about the corruption spread on Earth, and although he had seen just what it had done to the rest of the planet, well, Haviah just seemed so... clean.

Benny looked up when he heard someone approaching. His three minutes were up already? Instinctively, he kept his hand close to the huge blade hanging to his side. Someone had tried to double-cross them on a previous mission, and he wasn't eager to repeat the experience.

[Anonymous]

Jorn watched the Fireball fly in the air towards the invisible target. Realization dawned in his mind when he saw the fireball spread out and get abosrbed. He was dealing wiht a ship. Mun seemed to realize it too. They headed towards it, and Jorn tried to gather more fire to attack again. Watch out, it's coming Mun said too late. He got buffeted by a huge wind, as the ship flew oveer him.

Shit, the thoughts are fading. Jorn said. Whoever was piloting the ship was good, they were hiding thier thoughts and truly becoming invisible. But ships gave of heat and created noise, whether they were invisible or not. Jorn quieted down and listened. He heard the sounds of enginges nearby, infact right above him. Jorn flew straight up and over the ship, and jumped from his dragon to the ship. He did not know the ship was upside down. It was unsettling, standing in mid-air, with no visible support.

Jorn crawled aorund looking for some sort of hatch he could get in. He found a covering, and pried it up with a little difficulty. GO, hide. Jorn said before dropping in. He dropped through the hatch and fell, finding himslef on the celing, he fell preety hard, and when he got up, his legs were hurting a bit. Why am I on the ceiling? Jorn thought, and walked forward, trying to find his way to the cockpit.

[Anonymous]

Meketh quickly hit the emergency depressurization switch, but the intruder had already made his way inside. Oh well... it had been worth a try. Switching on the comms, she leaned back in her seat, still securely strapped in. "Why, hello there, little kitten. How... bold of you to drop in for a visit. I must admit, I was getting a little... bored."

Her cameras were showing the young man, disoriented and, thanks to the emergency mechanism on the pressurized hatch, very much locked in. "So you've caught me, kitten. Or should I say... I've caught you?"

Chuckling softly under her breath, she suddenly flipped the ship back right-side up. "Shall we play a little game, kitten? It's called hide-and-seek. If you can get to me before I get bored of you, I might let you live."