Red Sands (Closed, IC)

[bowiespoon]

On 4/2/2017 at 0:32 AM, EscortAlpha said:

 

Edited June 18, 2017 by bowiespoon

[EscortAlpha]

9 minutes ago, bowiespoon said:

"Well, it certainly isn't a Hierarchy fortress." Sarah said in a flat tone. Abigail gave a small laugh. The town was full of nomads and drifters, all seeking a quick fortune. Only a few buildings stood out from the rest of the hovels and lean-too's. A couple pubs, a gunsmith, a... well, whatever passed for a hospital out here.

Sarah and Abigail walked past the medical building, watching as a one-armed man ran out of it, putting as much distance between him and it as possible.

"Well, I'm not going to lie Abby, I'm disappointed. We'll hang around here for a while, see if we can gather any useful leads, then head off. I'm not expecting anything, but I do like to be thorough."

Abigail shrugged, "I'll follow your lead."

The two continued to walk through the town.

..............................

The frost was about to move in to attack, but the sound of blades unsheathing behind him made him pause. He turned around, tossing his own falx from hand to hand.

An excalibur and a vauban stood before him, both wielding nikanas. They began to slowly advance towards him until he spoke.

"So," He laughed, "You're the Hierarchy pups I've been hearing so much about. You've gotten the foundation quite worked up, you know. Personally, I'm not that impressed."

He finally caught the falx with his right hand, and spread his arms wide.

"But let's give you a chance, huh? Entertain me!"

Svytoj continued on his path to Deadwood. He was still trying to get his surveillance equipment back online, but wasn't having any success. He tried piecing together a signature of whatever caused the interference from the last few seconds of the data stream.
He could see the town of Deadwood by now. He gunned the engines as he barrelled towards the main street.
He looked over his PDA again, hoping that the compiled data would lead him to the epicenter of whatever had killed his equipment.
(will get back to the fomorian once Daak replies.)

[Daakjenaar]

1 hour ago, EscortAlpha said:

The man followed the Helios a few steps before concluding it wasn't worth his time.
Then he notice the flicker of the shade's ((ghost?)) cloak.
He to a knee in front of the sentinel, his face plate mere inches from the shades 'face'.
"...And what should I do with you?" the man asked, his fingers looming over the triggers of his sarpa.
____________________________________________________

(Sorry, I was tired. I got it's name confused)

The Shade moved back slowly, not making any sudden movements or decloaking. Meanwhile, Tycho was preparing a DethCube, a Wyrm, and a Taxon just in the situation got any worse.

[EscortAlpha]

3 minutes ago, Daakjenaar said:

(Sorry, I was tired. I got it's name confused)

The Shade moved back slowly, not making any sudden movements or decloaking. Meanwhile, Tycho was preparing a DethCube, a Wyrm, and a Taxon just in the situation got any worse.

( no problem. )

"WELL?" the man said as he started harshly tapping on the shade. "What. Are we. gonna. do. WITH YOU?" he said, punctuating each word with a tap on the shade's 'head'.
"Ah, F#ck it, you ain't worth the ammo." He said as he pushed the shade spinning away from him.
he holstered one of his Sarpa, moving further into the ship.
"COME ON OUT, TINMAN! YOU CAN'T HIDE: YOU'VE GOT YOUR BLOOD ALL OVER THIS SHIP!" The man yelled, sending gravelly echos bounding through the halls.

[Daakjenaar]

6 minutes ago, EscortAlpha said:

( no problem. )

"WELL?" the man said as he started harshly tapping on the shade. "What. Are we. gonna. do. WITH YOU?" he said, punctuating each word with a tap on the shade's 'head'.
"Ah, F#ck it, you ain't worth the ammo." He said as he pushed the shade spinning away from him.
he holstered one of his Sarpa, moving further into the ship.
"COME ON OUT, TINMAN! YOU CAN'T HIDE: YOU'VE GOT YOUR BLOOD ALL OVER THIS SHIP!" The man yelled, sending gravelly echos bounding through the halls.

There was no response from the Shade, and it kept moving backwards slowly. The ship was almost completely silent.

[EscortAlpha]

3 minutes ago, Daakjenaar said:

There was no response from the Shade, and it kept moving backwards slowly. The ship was almost completely silent.

The man looked obviously irritated. He unslung his Boar and pushed deeper into the ship.
"YOU ONLY MAKING THIS HARDER ON YOURSELF, TINMAN!  GET OUT HERE SO I CAN FINISH WHAT THOSE DAMN OROKIN FAILED TO START!"
He swept each room he came across for signs of his target.

[Daakjenaar]

1 minute ago, EscortAlpha said:

The man looked obviously irritated. He unslung his Boar and pushed deeper into the ship.
"YOU ONLY MAKING THIS HARDER ON YOURSELF, TINMAN!  GET OUT HERE SO I CAN FINISH WHAT THOSE DAMN OROKIN FAILED TO START!"
He swept each room he came across for signs of his target.

There was a shimmer visible for a split second to his left, similar to that of a Loki's cloaking. There was no more movement, or noise coming from any direction.

[EscortAlpha]

Just now, Daakjenaar said:

There was a shimmer visible for a split second to his left, similar to that of a Loki's cloaking. There was no more movement, or noise coming from any direction.

The man whipped around to look at where the shimmer was, now obviously confused.
"Aye! You'd better show yourself before you end up on my sh!t list with that walking icebox!" The man said as he aimed at where he saw the shimmer.
Loki, Ash, Ivara. Possible decoys, maybe a high-wire, watch for shurikin, And where the F#CK is that Frost?

[Daakjenaar]

3 minutes ago, EscortAlpha said:

The man whipped around to look at where the shimmer was, now obviously confused.
"Aye! You'd better show yourself before you end up on my sh!t list with that walking icebox!" The man said as he aimed at where he saw the shimmer.
Loki, Ash, Ivara. Possible decoys, maybe a high-wire, watch for shurikin, And where the F#CK is that Frost?

"If you're talking about who I think you are, I have no reason to kill you."

Not yet, at least.

"If you're looking for him, he isn't here. I nearly got him earlier." Suddenly, a Loki decloaked in front of the intruder.

 

[EscortAlpha]

1 minute ago, Daakjenaar said:

"If you're talking about who I think you are, I have no reason to kill you."

Not yet, at least.

"If you're looking for him, he isn't here. I nearly got him earlier." Suddenly, a Loki decloaked in front of the intruder.

The man lowered his weapon, slightly cocking his head.
"Nearly got him, eh?" the man questioned. "What he do to you?"

[Daakjenaar]

3 minutes ago, EscortAlpha said:

The man lowered his weapon, slightly cocking his head.
"Nearly got him, eh?" the man questioned. "What he do to you?"

"Attacked me with what I assume is his blood. I nearly bleeded out towards the end of the fight." Said the Loki.

[EscortAlpha]

13 minutes ago, Daakjenaar said:

"Attacked me with what I assume is his blood. I nearly bleeded out towards the end of the fight." Said the Loki.

"_{Clever bastard...}" The man muttered. "Any idea where the Frost went to?"

[Daakjenaar]

14 minutes ago, EscortAlpha said:

"_{Clever bastard...}" The man muttered. "Any idea where the Frost went to?"

"There's a town nearby. Maybe you should check there."Said the Loki before disappearing.

[EscortAlpha]

1 minute ago, Daakjenaar said:

"There's a town nearby. Maybe you should check there."Said the Loki before disappearing.

"Thanks for the tip." The man said as he made his way towards the exit. as he went, he tossed a few bits of platinum a the shade.

2 hours ago, bowiespoon said:

Arraz watched to fomorian from a mile away, hidden behind a large boulder. His mechanical eyes switched over to thermal, and he watched the figure move through the derelict ship.

"Man, this ship is really popular today. Wonder what all the fuss is about?"

He sat down in a comfortable position, and waited for the events to unfold.

The mans cloak fluttered wildly in the martian wind as he made the call for his ship.
After several minutes, the patchwork ship that brought the man to the fomorian flew over head, it's jet wash swept over Arraz as it make its approach to the downed ship..

The man could be seen preparing to board his ship when something made him pause, as if he was listening to something.
He grabbed a pair of binoculars from a compartment on his ship, and began scanning the horizon near where Arraz was hiding.

[EscortAlpha]

2 hours ago, bowiespoon said:

 

"So," He laughed, "You're the Hierarchy pups I've been hearing so much about. You've gotten the foundation quite worked up, you know. Personally, I'm not that impressed."

He finally caught the falx with his right hand, and spread his arms wide.

"But let's give you a chance, huh? Entertain me!"

2 hours ago, EscortAlpha said:

He could see the town of Deadwood by now. He gunned the engines as he barrelled towards the main street.
He looked over his PDA again, hoping that the compiled data would lead him to the epicenter of whatever had killed his equipment.
 

Svytoj quickly disengaged from his archwing and fell to the ground, rolling into a sprint as he continued to search for what cased the disruption.
What he found instead was three void signatures, one belonging to the frost that had gutted Mia and Aria. He made his way to a nearby roof top to get a better vantage point, laying prone on the roof to help minimize his silhouette.
He took out a synth-scanner as he zoomed in on the three combatants below.

Edited April 2, 2017 by EscortAlpha

[bowiespoon]

7 hours ago, EscortAlpha said:

"Thanks for the tip." The man said as he made his way towards the exit. as he went, he tossed a few bits of platinum a the shade.

The mans cloak fluttered wildly in the martian wind as he made the call for his ship.
After several minutes, the patchwork ship that brought the man to the fomorian flew over head, it's jet wash swept over Arraz as it make its approach to the downed ship..

The man could be seen preparing to board his ship when something made him pause, as if he was listening to something.
He grabbed a pair of binoculars from a compartment on his ship, and began scanning the horizon near where Arraz was hiding.

Arraz gave the man a cheerful wave before turning his attention back to the fomorian.

[bowiespoon]

8 hours ago, EscortAlpha said:

Svytoj quickly disengaged from his archwing and fell to the ground, rolling into a sprint as he continued to search for what cased the disruption.
What he found instead was three void signatures, one belonging to the frost that had gutted Mia and Aria. He made his way to a nearby roof top to get a better vantage point, laying prone on the roof to help minimize his silhouette.
He took out a synth-scanner as he zoomed in on the three combatants below.

The frost was engaging two other tenno - an excalibur and a vauban. Engaging, however, was being very generous. Destroying might be a more apt term. He was in the middle of stabbing his fingers into the excalibur's head. Tugging each hand in opposite directions, he cracked the tenno's head open, down the middle. The vauban threw a vortex, but the frost was on top of him in an instant. His falx rose and fell several times, and when he finally stood up, the vauban's chest cavity was gone.

he cracked his neck and wiped some of the blood off of his sword, turning his attention to the town.

"Disappointing." he muttered

As Svytoj neared Deadwood, all radio channels went silent.

Edited April 2, 2017 by bowiespoon

[Daakjenaar]

A Scimitar with a light grey and blue color scheme landed just north of Deadwood. A Limbo (I'll post screenshots in the OOC soon.) with a color scheme similar to the Scimitar, wearing a Salix Syandana and a Magrite helmet. He carried two Magnus pistols (Because the Limbo Noble stance looks awesome with dual weapons), two Kronen, and a Sybaris. As he walked through Deadwood, he didn't speak to anyone, or unsheath his weapons.

He looked at the buildings as he walked by them, clearly looking for one in particular.

Please tell me they have at least one bar here... He thought to himself.

[EscortAlpha]

3 hours ago, bowiespoon said:

Arraz gave the man a cheerful wave before turning his attention back to the fomorian.

No weapon. Not a sniper. Isn't concerned with my presence. Either too stupid to know better, or too powerful to care...
The man was still staring at Arraz through his binoculars. He then grabbed onto the side of his ship, banged on the hull, and pointed at where Arraz was standing. the ship immediately headed towards Arraz with the man in tow.
This is a bad idea, but I can't let  an unknown variable lie.
__________________________________________________

3 hours ago, bowiespoon said:

The frost was engaging two other tenno - an excalibur and a vauban. Engaging, however, was being very generous. Destroying might be a more apt term. He was in the middle of stabbing his fingers into the excalibur's head. Tugging each hand in opposite directions, he cracked the tenno's head open, down the middle. The vauban threw a vortex, but the frost was on top of him in an instant. His falx rose and fell several times, and when he finally stood up, the vauban's chest cavity was gone.

he cracked his neck and wiped some of the blood off of his sword, turning his attention to the town.

"Disappointing." he muttered

As Svytoj neared Deadwood, all radio channels went silent.

Svytoj watched the other Frost as he moved further into the town ((I assume)). He moved from his roof-top position and dashed towards the bodies, working to keep clear of the other Frosts path.
Once he made it to the bodies he took samples of their tissue and blood to analysis: DNA, Void Signatures, even blood chemical compositions to be safe.
As he waited for the results, he kept his head on a swivel for the other frost.

[bowiespoon]

1 hour ago, EscortAlpha said:

No weapon. Not a sniper. Isn't concerned with my presence. Either too stupid to know better, or too powerful to care...
The man was still staring at Arraz through his binoculars. He then grabbed onto the side of his ship, banged on the hull, and pointed at where Arraz was standing. the ship immediately headed towards Arraz with the man in tow.
This is a bad idea, but I can't let  an unknown variable lie.
__________________________________________________

Svytoj watched the other Frost as he moved further into the town ((I assume)). He moved from his roof-top position and dashed towards the bodies, working to keep clear of the other Frosts path.
Once he made it to the bodies he took samples of their tissue and blood to analysis: DNA, Void Signatures, even blood chemical compositions to be safe.
As he waited for the results, he kept his head on a swivel for the other frost.

Arraz looked up at the incoming ship, pulling out a lanka from his bundle of sniper rifles. He kept the weapon lowered, so as not to show any unnecessary signs of aggression.

.........................

The void signatures and DNA of the two bodies matched no existing tenno, and the frost's void signature was recognized, but all information had been removed. Comparing it to Orokin logs would reveal all information to be classified.

The frost decloaked behind him, tapping him lightly with its falx. Just like that, Svytoj's energy was drained and his HUD was scrambled.

"Normally I'd love to stay and fight, but I've already wasted enough time with these two. So how about a trade? You hang back this round, and I'll give you some intel on the powers that be?"

[souldrive11]

15 hours ago, souldrive11 said:

"*sigh*, they so rarely give thanks for when someone saves their lives. Oh well, it's what I do..." Florence quietly thinks to herself as she walks back into her office, carrying the -blood stained bed mattress with her for sterlization.

The half dozen people who thanked her when they left the clinic this morning after the shrapnel mine debacle are the exceptions to the norm, but that's the burden she chooses to bare.

As Florence walks in her own arm throbs as a result of her linking with the patient. What the man doesn't realize is that he's not the only one who was in pain during the operation. Every incision, stitch, suction, and pumping fed back to her during the link. The same went for the the entirety of the two dozen people who crowed her clinic last night. Any sane person would have long since gone insane. Maybe she already has and is dealing with it in her strange, broken way. Still, this is the life she chooses to live, and she never once regrets it.

After a very short and hectic ride dodging spires, falling loose rocks, and sliding down near vertical drops, the trio finally makes it to the bottom of the cliff. There were times where Jane really thought she was going to become paste on the rock face, but right now she's glad she's alive.

"I *gasp* we can't we made it out of that! Do you always *gasp* leap before you look?!" Jane asks between deep breaths, still visibly shaken.

"Nah, sometimes I leap before I smell~" Aria jokes, as she leaps off the hovercycle, the engine whining after the harsh workout.

Mia gets up and out of the trailer before walking over to Jane and gives her an empathetic look and a clasp on the shoulder alongside a comforting smile. Jane can only guess that this isn't the first time Aria pulls off stunts like this, and Mia gets dragged along every time. 

"In any case, we made it just in time to avoid the sandblasting~" Aria cheerfully remarks, as she casually point upwards. Up at the top of the cliff, the sandstorm has arrived in full force, blocking out the sunlight and howling with the a deafening fury.

"I guess *gasp* that's one bullet *gasp* dodged." Jane shakily replies, flipping her backpack over and pulling out an electric lantern before turning it on. "What are we doing down here though, anyway?"

"What indeed~" Aria says mischievously, as she walks up to the the closest spot of canyon by the trio. "What could possibly be down here that we could use to ride back up~?" Aria continues, making the motions to lean one handed on the cliff, when suddenly her hand and the rest of her go right through. A hologram?! What's that doing down here, Jane wonders. Giving Jane a firm clasp, Mia lets go of her shoulder and walks calmly through the hard light. Hanging her lantern on the front of her hovercycle, Jane quickly tows it after the duo. What she found takes her breath away.

Two landing crafts and orbiters lie in the dark cavern, their hulls reflecting back the little light Jane's lantern gives off like beasts from the deep. Sparks fly off the back like fireflies as the rear thrusters continue their repair works.

"Wow..." Jane gasps under her breath; her only experiences with such high tech equipment were in textbooks and holo manuals. "Are these yours? How did you manage to get your hands on these?!"

"We got them at at a junkyard, it was two for the price of one~ Grahraha~!" Aria teases with a laugh. At this point though, Jane has no idea what's real and what's a tall tale; this whole experience is already into the realm of surrealism for her.

"C'mon, lets head in, this ol' horseshoe crab won't bite~" Aria yells, breaking Jane's line of thought as the ebony wrangler runs up and into the Scimitar's opening hanger doors. Concernedly, Jane looks at Mia for help. Mia gives her a nod, before she heads off into the Liset. Steeling herself, Jane drags the hovercycle with her and runs after Aria.

Inisde the small hanger, crates of all shapes and sizes littered the space, and up above Jane swears she can make out what appears to be another craft hanging off the ceiling. With Aria jumping around the obstacles in the dark with surprising grace, Jane quickly shuts off her hovercycle and attempts to keep up after her; running after her aunt through the rear hanger doors, around the corner and into the elevator on the right.

"Yo Sol, can we get some power in here~? We've got guests~!" Aria shouts into the seemingly empty craft when suddenly a voice crackles to life on the speakers.

"Welcome back Operator, I'm glad to see you have returned in one piece once again. Who is that with you?" The voice asks as the elevator lights power on.

"This little calamity to be is Jane, my niece~!" Jane replies, pride clearly dripping in her voice. "Treat her well, or I'll roast you over an open fire~"

"Duly noted Operator. welcome aboard, Jane." Sol answers with a level headed voice, as the elevator doors close and the box quickly rises up to the main floor. Jane can only nod as she struggles to take in everything that was going on. Was that an honest to goodness Cephalon? Just how much money and resources do Aria and Mia have?!!! And what's this about an Operator?

The elevator doors open and the rest of the floor's lights power on, revealing a passage to the left and right. Like a little child, Aria takes Jane's hand and drags her along to the left, past several stations and up a ramp to what appears to be the cockpit. The blast shielded screens flick on to life, revealing the interior of the cave they were just in. (I'm definitely leaning towards the thinking that they're like the *windows* we see ME)

"How's the repair work~?" Aria asks, as Jane walks up around the cramped area, drinking everything in.

"Self repairs are at 98%: we are fully flight capable and the remainder can be finished mid flight."

"Awseome~! How's it on your end, love~?"

{...same. we're good to go...} Mia taps on the mic.

"Fantastic~! Lets head back to your place while the going's good~ Any more surprises today and I'm afraid your brain might explode~" Aria teases Jane, who can barely keep her googly eyes from popping out. She nods absentmindedly as she pokes what appears to be a giant axe propped against a corner.

The ramp closes and the engines thrums to life, as the hologram cliff walls disappear, revealing the outside canyon once again. Both crafts tremble slightly as they begin the descent up the canyon and into the sandstorm above.

"Shields good~?" "Affirmative, barriers are holding steady in these conditions, though I hope we don't have to stay out here long. Sand takes forever to get out of my systems."

"That's what I said~" Aria muses the two crafts slowly turn direction in sync. "Alright then, set sail for Deadwood~!" she shouts, tipping her cowboy hat over her eyes and point to the great brown yonder.

The two crafts' thrusters flare at full power and take off through the blinding natural disaster, the travelling speed magnitudes greater than anything Jane's hovercycle could do without a complete overhaul. At their current speed, they would be back at Deadwood within the minute.

[souldrive11]

9 minutes ago, bowiespoon said:

Arraz looked up at the incoming ship, pulling out a lanka from his bundle of sniper rifles. He kept the weapon lowered, so as not to show any unnecessary signs of aggression.

.........................

The void signatures and DNA of the two bodies matched no existing tenno, and the frost's void signature was recognized, but all information had been removed. Comparing it to Orokin logs would reveal all information to be classified.

The frost decloaked behind him, tapping him lightly with its falx. Just like that, Svytoj's energy was drained and his HUD was scrambled.

"Normally I'd love to stay and fight, but I've already wasted enough time with these two. So how about a trade? You hang back this round, and I'll give you some intel on the powers that be?"

4 hours ago, Daakjenaar said:

A Scimitar with a light grey and blue color scheme landed just north of Deadwood. A Limbo (I'll post screenshots in the OOC soon.) with a color scheme similar to the Scimitar, wearing a Salix Syandana and a Magrite helmet. He carried two Magnus pistols (Because the Limbo Noble stance looks awesome with dual weapons), two Kronen, and a Sybaris. As he walked through Deadwood, he didn't speak to anyone, or unsheath his weapons.

He looked at the buildings as he walked by them, clearly looking for one in particular.

Please tell me they have at least one bar here... He thought to himself.

The streets of Deadwood are deserted, save for the aftermath of the brutal skirmish between the Frost and two unfortunate Excalibur and Vauban. The majority of the inhabitants are still out salvaging at the shipwrecks or hiding out from the planetary sandstorm on it's way to the settlement. Currently the falx wielding Frost seems to be conversing with another of it's kind, though it is currently being affected by a highly visual magnetic effect. Off in a corner, the smell of cardamon and cinnamon drifts from one of the stores built into the canyon wall.

(I assume that your new guy/gal/cat's not looking for just any random dive?)

(also, you too now, daak? It's like deadwood's Party central! What next, Inquisitors and/or Grineer blackwatch paradropping in from the sky?! x.x)

[Daakjenaar]

2 minutes ago, souldrive11 said:

The streets of Deadwood are deserted, save for the aftermath of the brutal skirmish between the Frost and two unfortunate Excalibur and Vauban. The majority of the inhabitants are still out salvaging at the shipwrecks or hiding out from the planetary sandstorm on it's way to the settlement. Currently the falx wielding Frost seems to be conversing with another of it's kind, though it is currently being affected by a highly visual magnetic effect. Off in a corner, the smell of cardamon and cinnamon drifts from one of the stores built into the canyon wall.

(I assume that your new guy/gal/cat's not looking for just any random dive?)

(also, you too now, daak? It's like deadwood's Party central! What next, Inquisitors and/or Grineer blackwatch paradropping in from the sky?! x.x)

(The Formorian gets boring sometimes.)

The Limbo kept wandering through the streets of Deadwood, hoping to find somewhere mildly interesting, preferably a bar of some kind. He wasn't looking for any bar in particular.

(Has anyone tried using Limbo to reenact The Matrix yet? No? Just me?)

[EscortAlpha]

36 minutes ago, bowiespoon said:

Arraz looked up at the incoming ship, pulling out a lanka from his bundle of sniper rifles. He kept the weapon lowered, so as not to show any unnecessary signs of aggression.

.........................

The void signatures and DNA of the two bodies matched no existing tenno, and the frost's void signature was recognized, but all information had been removed. Comparing it to Orokin logs would reveal all information to be classified.

The frost decloaked behind him, tapping him lightly with its falx. Just like that, Svytoj's energy was drained and his HUD was scrambled.

"Normally I'd love to stay and fight, but I've already wasted enough time with these two. So how about a trade? You hang back this round, and I'll give you some intel on the powers that be?"

you were carrying a sniper-rifle. guess we'll see how this pans out...
The man jumped from his ship as it came to a halt next to Arraz, moving cautiously, purposefully, towards him.
"Just out for the Martian air, buddy?"
________________________

Svytoj got up from his kneeling position and looked at the other Frost, still clutching the chemical analyzer as it continued to scan the two dead Tenno's blood for anomalies, the display clearly visible to the other Frost.
He had watched the frost walk away, he'd stayed clear of his path. How was he here now? And Why did his scanner key in on him when he wasn't looking for him? Who had tapped into his systems?
He wasn't going to agree to anything until the chemical tests on the blood was complete.
It wasn't the energy draining, it wasn't the damaged shield, it wasn't the scrambled HUD: Something else was off about the the situation.

"The magnetized blade, using your globe to throw enemies: all techniques I've used in the past. You've definitely got your hand on the pulse of this situation. But why use my techniques ?" Svtyoj said, keeping his attention split between the Frost and his chem-scan.

Edited April 2, 2017 by EscortAlpha

[bowiespoon]

1 hour ago, souldrive11 said:

After a very short and hectic ride dodging spires, falling loose rocks, and sliding down near vertical drops, the trio finally makes it to the bottom of the cliff. There were times where Jane really thought she was going to become paste on the rock face, but right now she's glad she's alive.

"I *gasp* we can't we made it out of that! Do you always *gasp* leap before you look?!" Jane asks between deep breaths, still visibly shaken.

"Nah, sometimes I leap before I smell~" Aria jokes, as she leaps off the hovercycle, the engine whining after the harsh workout.

Mia gets up and out of the trailer before walking over to Jane and gives her an empathetic look and a clasp on the shoulder alongside a comforting smile. Jane can only guess that this isn't the first time Aria pulls off stunts like this, and Mia gets dragged along every time. 

"In any case, we made it just in time to avoid the sandblasting~" Aria cheerfully remarks, as she casually point upwards. Up at the top of the cliff, the sandstorm has arrived in full force, blocking out the sunlight and howling with the a deafening fury.

"I guess *gasp* that's one bullet *gasp* dodged." Jane shakily replies, flipping her backpack over and pulling out an electric lantern before turning it on. "What are we doing down here though, anyway?"

"What indeed~" Aria says mischievously, as she walks up to the the closest spot of canyon by the trio. "What could possibly be down here that we could use to ride back up~?" Aria continues, making the motions to lean one handed on the cliff, when suddenly her hand and the rest of her go right through. A hologram?! What's that doing down here, Jane wonders. Giving Jane a firm clasp, Mia lets go of her shoulder and walks calmly through the hard light. Hanging her lantern on the front of her hovercycle, Jane quickly tows it after the duo. What she found takes her breath away.

Two landing crafts and orbiters lie in the dark cavern, their hulls reflecting back the little light Jane's lantern gives off like beasts from the deep. Sparks fly off the back like fireflies as the rear thrusters continue their repair works.

"Wow..." Jane gasps under her breath; her only experiences with such high tech equipment were in textbooks and holo manuals. "Are these yours? How did you manage to get your hands on these?!"

"We got them at at a junkyard, it was two for the price of one~ Grahraha~!" Aria teases with a laugh. At this point though, Jane has no idea what's real and what's a tall tale; this whole experience is already into the realm of surrealism for her.

"C'mon, lets head in, this ol' horseshoe crab won't bite~" Aria yells, breaking Jane's line of thought as the ebony wrangler runs up and into the Scimitar's opening hanger doors. Concernedly, Jane looks at Mia for help. Mia gives her a nod, before she heads off into the Liset. Steeling herself, Jane drags the hovercycle with her and runs after Aria.

Inisde the small hanger, crates of all shapes and sizes littered the space, and up above Jane swears she can make out what appears to be another craft hanging off the ceiling. With Aria jumping around the obstacles in the dark with surprising grace, Jane quickly shuts off her hovercycle and attempts to keep up after her; running after her aunt through the rear hanger doors, around the corner and into the elevator on the right.

"Yo Sol, can we get some power in here~? We've got guests~!" Aria shouts into the seemingly empty craft when suddenly a voice crackles to life on the speakers.

"Welcome back Operator, I'm glad to see you have returned in one piece once again. Who is that with you?" The voice asks as the elevator lights power on.

"This little calamity to be is Jane, my niece~!" Jane replies, pride clearly dripping in her voice. "Treat her well, or I'll roast you over an open fire~"

"Duly noted Operator. welcome aboard, Jane." Sol answers with a level headed voice, as the elevator doors close and the box quickly rises up to the main floor. Jane can only nod as she struggles to take in everything that was going on. Was that an honest to goodness Cephalon? Just how much money and resources do Aria and Mia have?!!! And what's this about an Operator?

The elevator doors open and the rest of the floor's lights power on, revealing a passage to the left and right. Like a little child, Aria takes Jane's hand and drags her along to the left, past several stations and up a ramp to what appears to be the cockpit. The blast shielded screens flick on to life, revealing the interior of the cave they were just in. (I'm definitely leaning towards the thinking that they're like the *windows* we see ME)

"How's the repair work~?" Aria asks, as Jane walks up around the cramped area, drinking everything in.

"Self repairs are at 98%: we are fully flight capable and the remainder can be finished mid flight."

"Awseome~! How's it on your end, love~?"

{...same. we're good to go...} Mia taps on the mic.

"Fantastic~! Lets head back to your place while the going's good~ Any more surprises today and I'm afraid your brain might explode~" Aria teases Jane, who can barely keep her googly eyes from popping out. She nods absentmindedly as she pokes what appears to be a giant axe propped against a corner.

The ramp closes and the engines thrums to life, as the hologram cliff walls disappear, revealing the outside canyon once again. Both crafts tremble slightly as they begin the descent up the canyon and into the sandstorm above.

"Shields good~?" "Affirmative, barriers are holding steady in these conditions, though I hope we don't have to stay out here long. Sand takes forever to get out of my systems."

"That's what I said~" Aria muses the two crafts slowly turn direction in sync. "Alright then, set sail for Deadwood~!" she shouts, tipping her cowboy hat over her eyes and point to the great brown yonder.

The two crafts' thrusters flare at full power and take off through the blinding natural disaster, the travelling speed magnitudes greater than anything Jane's hovercycle could do without a complete overhaul. At their current speed, they would be back at Deadwood within the minute.

 Sarah and Abigail continued their stroll through the town, stepping over a drunk grineer lying on the side of the road with an empty bottle. He kept muttering something incomprehensible to himself, didn't look up as they past him.

"So, Abby." Sarah said, "Something just occurred to me, and honestly I can't believe I didn't realize this earlier."

"The warframes are making people nervous?" Abigail guessed

"Exactly." Sarah replied with a sigh, covering her face in one hand. "Let's go leave them back at the ship and see if the locals don't open up a little more."

The duo circled back the way they came, and several minutes later they walked into town (without their frames) from a different angle, so as not to attract suspicion. Last thing they needed was someone putting two and two together.

Edited April 2, 2017 by bowiespoon