Strendents Chapter 3: Negav

(( Gonna start to introduce the Strendants. INFO. I want to primarilly show their story through RP rather than a typical written work. This is the first scouting party from the Star Skimmer. They know nothing of Felarya's predators, which spells their demise. They will be conveniently distracted by the city of Negav, oblivious to what's behind them. Have fun voracious beasties. My only request is that any post is at least one paragraph in length. No crossovers please.))

//Start <The Scouting Party>

"Status?" Ilim's voice sounded over the communicator. Sitting in his captain's chair in the bridge of the Star Skimmer, he was looking out the forward view port to the strange land that stretched out below. Thrown into a portal by an enemy trap, the crew of the Star Skimmer had no idea as to where they ended up. Perhaps the oddest thing they noticed was that they could not reach orbit. It seemed as though this planet's atmosphere stretched on endlessly. Ilim however, was quick to formulate a plan. If the enemy knew how to send them here, chances were that the insurgents had a base of operations here as well. However, there were no familiar signals at all. In an effort to understand further where exactly it was where they were, the captain sent a scouting party down to this immense forest they were positioned over. The point of interest was what appeared to be a settlement located within a bend of a river. Ilim sent the scouting party out after he ordered the Star Skimmer out of the city's line of sight.

It did not take long before the scouting party replied to their captain. "We have touched down. Beginning recon." The scouting party consisted of four individuals. Three men and one woman. They were clothed in forest camo and sported matching camo mesh for hiding in plain sight. Strapped on their backs were standard issue pulse laser assault rifles. They didn't need to be reloaded, and the three shot burst could make short work of structural foundations to boot. Silently, the Personal transport they had descended on took to the skies, pilot waving down as the anti-grav engines hummed on.

Swiftly the group made their way to the river's edge and began to survey the settlement. "Archaic." The word was spoken by the group leader as he looked at the guarded gates. "If these were members of the insurgency, they wouldn't use such antiques." The rest of the scouting party agreed, but their mission was clear. They had to remain and observe until any doubt about their allegiance was resolved. The female was next to speak. "Also, I don't think anything could have missed us entering the airspace here. If they were with our enemy, they could have attacked by now." Another member of the group pointed back towards the forest. "You would think, but these trees are huge and we removed their line of sight to the Skimmer." The group leader held up his hand in a familiar signal for silence. "Whether or not they are with the insurgency, they have enough arms on that wall to do who knows what. We wait and watch."

Mordall was running as hard as he could, trying to get away from the very well-known Crisis. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!" He screamed, almost out of breath. Mordal finaly reached a group of three men, and one woman. "YOU GOTTA HELP ME!" He yelled. "SHE'S COMING!!"

Looking at his instruments, one of the scouting party spoke. "Got something coming in fast. Person by the looks of it." Indeed he was right. Only a moment later someone came into view, making a mad dash and screaming about being chased. "What's he runnin' from?" One of the group asked. The leader took his assault rifle in hand and took off the safety, to be safe. "Sounds to me like he's having some lady troubles." There were snickers from everyone in the group except the man with the sensor. "Or it could be this sir." Looking over his comrade's shoulder, the group leader only mumbled, "The hell?" Looking back towards the running man, nothing else was coming from the deeper woods yet, but for whatever it was to be picked up at that distance...

"Ready your weapons. Form up. We're moving out." Overhearing the conversation on the coms, Ilim needed to know what was happening. "Why are you retreating soldier? How large a threat are we--" He was cut off by the scout team's leader. "Too big sir. A civilian is leading it right to us." Ilim's next words were rushed, but he needed to make sure. "So there are people. Are they Insurgents?" The group leaders voice was riddled with uncertainty. "We can not confirm. We're going to see if we can avoid this thing." Ilim however wanted the team out of there. Something just didn't feel right. "Get back to the extraction point. That is your new priority." The response was not what Ilim had expected at all. "Sir; it's coming FROM the extraction point." The Captain tried to think of something quickly that could help the recon team. "Get to the north east. There is a mountain range there and that path will take you the farthest away from that city. Set up a beacon when you arrive." "Yes sir." was the response. Ilim slumped down into his seat. It didn't feel like an insurgent move. Then again, nothing did since the debris field.

"Think it's an insurgent weapon sir?" There was no answer from within the group as the yelling man drew closer. "What's the ETA on the unknown?" The leaders voice was now calm as he fell into a routine operation. "Fifteen seconds, plus or minus two." He was somewhat irritated though. They saw that range from the sky. It must have been two or three days march off, but right now their options were limited. But other than irritation, something else was gnawing at the leader. Why would something that large be chasing after one person? It must be a trap. "FREEZE!" Raising his gun towards the running man, the group leader motioned for his team to start moving towards their objective.

((misconception can be fun.))

Mordal stopped immediately once the weapon pointed at him. "Are you crazy? We need to get OUT of here! NOW!" He looked behind his shoulder once he heard Crisis's voice. "Come out, come out wherever you are! I promise I won't eat you!" She called out in a sing song voice. Mordal broke into a run once more. "Get the fuck outta my way!"

The voice was not what the scouting party would consider expected. This man was now obviously not an enemy. Only those wishing their own death or desperately trying to be anywhere else would run at someone pointing a gun at their face. "Target is entering visual range sir." The leader raised his gaze to the forest where the man emerged from, only to see a head emerge from a height much further up than the man in his entirety ran from. The head alone was larger than any of them. Cold sweat ran down his face as he tried to comprehend just what it was he was looking at. The leader didn't keep looking that way for long. His training, what he thought to be even true of anything was shaken now. "GOOO!!"

With that the group turned and fled. The well exercised soldiers caught up quickly with the panicked man and were in the process of passing him as the party leader matched pace with the man. "What is that?" He was yelling now, unsure of much anything. Pointing back wildly.

Ilim was starting to panic now. The voices over the comm channel were telling him that all was not well. "What was the object? What's going on!?" Turning quickly in his chair, Ilim shouted to an officer on the bridge, "Get a dropship down there now. I don't care if we are seen." Without losing any speed, the captain turned in his chair again, attempting to talk to the scout team. "Status report, NOW!"

Mordal explained. "That's Crisis! AND SHE WANTS TO EAT PEOPLE!!!"

That news was almost as unexpected as the giant creature that was no doubt behind them. "Eats?" One of the others in the group wasted no time on their next action. "Flashbang!" Pulling a pin from a cylindrical object, the scout threw it behind them. The resulting flash could be seen from their peripheral vision. "Nice. Now let just get out of the open." As the group made a bee-line for the tree cover, their leader motioned for the other man to follow. Protecting civilians was their job anyhow.

As Ilim's voice came over the comm network, the scouting party's leader answered. "We have a bogey here. Giant. It's a f****** giant! Evac would be a help!" With that he pushed a button on the side of his belt. The small tracking device would let those aboard teh Star Skimmer know where they were even in the dense foliage.

"Ilim sir, Scouting Team A has activated the beacon." The captain honestly didn't know what to do. For a moment his mind was drawing a blank. Giants? Such things did not exist other than in stories. He did however, know where his duty lay. "Send in a dropship. I want those soldier out of there. Again he began to speak to his troops. "Are your weapons not effective?"

It was A leader's turn to be caught off guard once again. "In all honesty sir, we never tried shooting. You don't see something like that every damned day."

((I can't give these guys names, but I shall refer to them as Recon Team A from here on out.))

"Don't waste your bullets! They'll just bounce right off!" Mordal yelled to the goup as they were about to shoot Crisis. "Her scales are too damned hard!" Once Moral and the group found a cave, they ran inside. As they ran inside, Mordal got to the ack of the cave and collapsed, trying to catch his breath. "That thing out therte was a Naga: A half wman, half snake. She, like other giantesses of different variations, are voracious."

"Half woman... half snake... that tall... eats people?" A-leader was not sure what to make of that at all. "And how common are these things?" Another member of the group was turning his assault rifle over in his hands. "Bullets? You talking about projectiles? We don't use those in personal firearms. Ancient technology." The soldier unattached his weapon's battery pack and refitted it. "Lasers are the only way to go. No amount of armor can stop em. Energy shielding is one thing, but if you're not relying on kinetic energy, then the only thing standing between you and a dead enemy is the THICKNESS of their armor."

The rest of the group agreed with that statement, convinced the only reason they moved back and called for evac was their initial shock. There was nothing like this in their galaxy. It was just too odd. Pointing his weapon at the mouth of the cave, the soldier asked a question of his own. "Thank that flash bang worked?" The squad member with the motion tracker looked at it again. "It's still coming. Maybe it can smell us." Those words did help to put their minds at ease at all.

The group leader turned to the man and regained himself. "We're going to have to move again, aren't we?" He would hate to admit it, but this strange individual knows what is happening.

((by the way, my character Mordal used to be a Spartan Warrior. He's 6' 5" tall, and twenty years old. He has dirty blonde hair, and he's wearing a large back pack.))

Mordal finally regained himself. "Yes, we're going to have to run." He stood up, and puuled out a small dark blue sphere with a blue dot on it. "Stand back." He walked to the mouth of the cave, and saw Crisis looking around for the group. "Hey, Crisis! Over here!" Crisis looked over to him hapily, and slithered over to him. Mordal waited for her to get close enough, pressed the blue button on the dark blue sphere, and it seemed to be surrounded by a small blue fire. "Eat THIS!" Mordal threw the sphere at Crisis, and it landed on her shoulder. Instantly, a high pitched whine was heard, and then it exploded within two seconds. Crisis yelped. "RUN!" Mordal yelled as he motioned the group to make a run for it as he began to run for the tree line.

((Beginning of the end for Scouting Party A. But by no means the beginning of the end for the RP.))

Things here just got weirder and weirder. following the man out of the cave, they began to break into a run again. The soldier with teh motion detector swallowed hard. "What is it A-4?" A-Leaders question caused the soldier to look at him while running. "It's not slowing down sir. And its gaining." A sound of sliding on dirt caused A-squad to turn. The soldier who earlier was checking his weapon was now facing the opposite direction, weapon raised. "A-2, what are you doing?" The soldier held his ground as the naga drew closer. "It has a head, I suggest we shoot it sir." There was no time for this foolishness. "We were ordered to evac now move!" "Only because we panicked!" "We are leaving and that's---" A-leader never got to finish speaking before A-2 shoved him back. Out of the side of his vision, the leader saw what appeared to be a serpent tail strike out with great speed, wrap around his soldier, and pull him back. Shots from A-2's pulse rifle filled the air then suddenly stopped.

For only a brief moment, the group was dumbstruck, but then their adrenaline really kicked in. "Run! Run!" Their boots hit the ground at once, pushing up dust and leaves in a frantic effort to reach their extraction point. "Go go go!" A-Leader began to blind fire behind him, hoping that it would buy them even a few moments respite. Although he knew what this would most likely come down to. Tearing the transmitter form his belt, he shouted to their new ally. "Civilian! That's being tracked. Evac is going to arrive wherever that is. That thing would be on them before they even reached the dropship. Time had to be bought and fast. "Captain, when the hell is the ETA?!"

Ilim did not know what he was seeing. A-2's vitals were still there, but his blood oxygen was dropping to quickly. He was suffocating. He didn't even hear the question over the comm link until it was repeated. "One minute A-Leader, just keep moving." This time, the entire A-group stopped and took up their arms at a signal from their leader. Taking a three point formation, they made sure their back were protected. A-3 on the left, A-4 right, and A-Leader center. Again A-leader spoke to the other man. "That... naga... will be on top of us in a matter of seconds. Keep running with that tracker and get yourself picked up. We'll try to hold it off from here." Before he could get a response, A-leader asked a question. "This place; this world; what is it called?"

Mordal held on to the tracker. "Welcome to Felarya. A living hell. And I'm not leaving you guys. It's time I stood and fought." In twelve seconds, Mordal took EQD Spartan Armor out of his large back pack, and put the armor on. It was dark blue in color. He then took out a Spartan Laser. Kneeling down, he waited for Crisis to come. "Move. Now!" He threw the tracker at the group leader. Crisis's head came into view. The Spartan Laser emitted a high pitched clicking as a red beam flickered from its barrel, and then fired a red energy cannon.

I dont quite understand, are we supposed to somehow make our characters tie into this or something?Please explain.

A-Leader was now losing his cool. Whoever this person was, he was prepared for a fight, but this was not the time and his weapons were outdated by comparison. "You looking to get us all killed?" He was screaming now as he fired his weapon with one hand, holding the chip as close to the man's face as he could with the other. "The dropship's coming down wherever THIS is. If we have a monster in top of us already, they'll be knocked from the sky and we'll all die!" Shoving the tracker further towards the Spartan, A-leader screamed what he hoped would be the last he needed to. "Now take it and FU***** GO!!! We'll follow!" The commander had little intention of dying here, but unless something kept that at bay until the dropship had visual, they were dead no matter how they played it. At least this way they had a chance.

"Your evac will arrive in thirty seconds A-leader." There was so little time left. If that man knew what was best, he'd make a mad dash as far as he can.

Mordal clipped the Spartan Laser to his back, and nodded. He took the tracker, and made a run for it, grabbing his back pack along the way. Mordal was trained to run fast, but he had not run as fast as this in a long time. He ran through the brush, and finally ran in to a clearing. He tripped over a medium sized rock, and fell to the ground. His helmet fell of, landing a few feet away from him. Quickly, Mordal struggled to get up, walked over to his helmet, and then put it on. He looked back to where he came fromm, waiting for the group to show up. He then remembered something. This was the spot where his Pelican was hidden long ago.

((Yes. This is going to become depressing.))

"Where'd it go A-4?" The soldier was looking over his instruments carefully. "Can't tell sir." A-leader grimmaced. "It's trying to sneak up on us then? Protect each others backs. Spread out." Each member of the scouting party took a few steps away from one another to prevent them all from perishing in a single attack. It was silent in the forest then. It was almost as if the beast had vanished. "Sir! It's right--" In a flash, a pair of hand rushed down from the leaves and snatched up both A-3 and A-4 from behind A-leader. Eyes wide in terror, A-leader spun and raised his weapon. Such a target was too large to miss now. Aiming from the hip, A-leader shot the first hand that was going up. There was a slight yelp and the hand's grip on A-3 was released as the giant limb retreated into the foliage. A-3 was falling now. A-leader ran to her as he tried to shoot teh second hand, but it was no longer there. "Damn it all!" A-leader kept running for his last remaining companion as she hit the ground. Her Personal Buffer Field should have reduced the damage, but he feared the worst.

Forsaking all safety, he ran to retrieve her. She was still alive, but unconscious. "A-leader! We're touching down!" Wiping his hands clean of sweat, A-leader bent down and lifted his companion in his arms. Turning, he did the only thing he could, run. "It didn't make sense. That was no normal predator of any sort. It had the intelligence of at least an average human. And their weapons... All the most advanced personal laser rifles could accomplish was activating the the heat recoil that most beings possessed. It was obviously watching them now. Why didn't it attack? Then he could hear it. The familiar sound of anti-gravity engines. They were touching down ahead and they did nothing to gain time. There was only one option left, but first he had to get A-3 and their only ally out. Felarya huh? Always thoguht I'd die back home.

Mordal looked around, waiting foor his Evac. He heard engines in the distance. "Thank God."

((For if the end of one can save the lives of a few, then the end value of that life is a hero.))

As the dropship came overhead, it lowered itself to the ground without any wind at ground level, almost as if there was nothing really there. As the back opened, it revealed two armed soldiers in full combat gear. Their faces hidden behind helmets, one would not be able to determine their confusion at seeing someone who was not with the scouting party standing in front of them. A-leader's voice came over the network then. "Prepare to go. I'm almost there! Prepare a Ravager!" For a moment, the two armored soldiers did not move, then one ran to the back of the dropship, returning with an object. It was primarilly cylindrical, with what seemed to be a large box affixed to the back. On the top of the cylinder was a sight, a trigger on the underside, behind a sizable shield for the user's hand. Rounded padding denoted where it would fix over the shoulder. All in all it had the appearance of an old rocket launcher. The only noticeable differences were an antenna protruding from the large box on the back and on the side of the same box, a radioactive warning decal.

In the space of five seconds, A-leader emerged from the trees and ran over to the dropship, breathing heavily. Handing the injured A-3 to the other soldier, he took the Ravager from the prior. Without even an explanation, he moved to the side of the dropship, turned, and fired behind them. The missile that emerged flew straight in a line to the trees, hitting the closest one. There was a bright flash and a searing wind. An orb of fire vaporised a great portion of the giant tree. He fired a second missile, but this time it began to circle the small clearing. "Remote control missile. It has a small nuclear payload. Fifteen meter radius. The first shot was to make that thing know we are not to be messed with. This one should keep it back. I trust it's not stupid enough to try. Now go." He was talking to the spartan more than anyone at this point. "And before you try anything else, you have 2 seconds to get on." Indeed it was the truth, as the dropship was already preparing to lift up. "Be seeing you."

Mordal nodded. He immediately jumped into the drop ship. He turned to the group, and gave them a solute.

As the dropship lifted off, the door closed, A-leader standing on the ground, looking into it even as the inside of the ship cut off all the light from outside with a mechanical thunk. Immediately the inside of the dropship turned into a scene of action, even though they were rising quickly and were safe from the threat below. "Heavy bruising, she is suffering severe internal bleeding. Difficulty breathing, possibly a ruptured lung." The situation only seemed to worsen as they went on. "She's in shock! Don't quit on us. We're almost back!"

A-leader now stood alone in the clearing. It was unfortunate he had to see the missile to control it. There was just one thing left that would complete their mission. Over the inter com, he contacted the dropship. The missiles fuel source was winding down and he needed to know.

Inside the dropship, one of the armored soldiers held a hand to his ear then turned to the Spartan. "That city our scouting party was watching. Do they follow anyone by the name of Admiral Gerarch?" Admiral Gerarch, the name of the insurrection leader. All the while, the other soldier was working on A-3's condition.

Mordal shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not even FROM Felarya. I used to work with the United Nations Space Corps, or the UNSC. I came to Felarya five years ago when I was twenty-years-old. My name is Mordal. Spartan 791. I only know how to work with weapons, and how to survive this damned place.

((And thus the curtain falls on act 1. Thread is now open only through application.))

The armored soldier repeated the spartan's words, obviously into a microphone.

Then they never found out. That thing botched their mission and killed two of his men. Another may die and he was the only one left with no way out. Taking a deep breath, his mood radically changed. "Come on out you monster!" The fuel on the missile was almost out. It wouldn't stay in the air for long. He had let them down. Let them die. And for nothing. All they learned was the name of this place. And then the missile failed. In an instant, it fell from the sky and impacted with the ground, detonating. A-leader tried to load a third missile, but he was not fast enough. The naga took full advantage of the opening, snatching him up in one go. Face to face with his adversary, A-leader was admittedly scared. Arms pinned to his side, all he could do was grab a grenade. "Go on! Try me you bitch!"

And she did. Pulling the pin on his way into the beast's mouth, A-leader could only think of his fallen comrades. "I'm not leaving you behind." Again he yelled as his own demise was no only a matter of time. "DIE!" Of course, he had no way of knowing the resilience of a naga's stomach.

In the Star Skimmer, Ilim was dumbstruck once A-leader's life signs blinked off. He couldn't believe this. He never even knew what happened. "Captain, we have A-3. Her condition is critical. We also have one more. Says his name is Mordal. With something called the UNSC." Ilim had never heard of such a group and doubted he was with the insurgency. "Bring him and the data Scouting Team A has gathered. I need to review it." It wasn't long before Ilim received yet another call. "Sir, A-3 has died. Severe internal bleeding coupled with shock and a ruptured lung sir." Slamming his fists on his console, Eric swore up and down. The entire scouting party was gone. He felt as though he could only blame himself. Standing now, Ilim turned to leave the room. "I'm going to meet the dropship. I want the crew informed that their presence at the funeral tomorrow is mandatory." Ilim knew everyone would show up regardless. They were all like a large family and even a single death was hard. Now they had to deal with four.

On the drop ship, the soldier attending to A-3 shook his head and could only stare at his feet. Theor faces were hidden, but the air was thick with depression. "The captain will want to see you. I hope you can share whatever knowledge of this place you have." The pilot spoke from the cockpit shortyly after. "Arriving in two."

Mordal took his helmet off. He stared at the gold visor. "It's my fault...I shouldn't have run into the group. They're all dead because of me."

It was silent from then until the dropship reached the Star Skimmer. Maneuvering into the hangar, the doors opened to a well lighted, large room. The walls and floor were clean and shimmered in the additional, natural light flooding in from behind them. A pair of what appeared to be medics rushed to the Dropship and loaded the body of A-3 onto a stretcher before removing her from the hangar. Passing them was a distraught captain Ilim Illidar. He stopped briefly and gazed upon his fallen comrade as she was taken out. Again he began to walk towards the dropship, personnel standing at attention and saluting as he approached. "At ease." He said as he began to eye the Spartan up and down. He tried to keep a commanding air about him, but with the current events, its was most difficult. "I reviewed the data that was sent to me from A-3's recordings. You helped my soldier's against something that they could not hope to defeat." He only paused for a moment before continuing. "And I know how you ran into each other. It was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. " The captain extended his hand in greeting before continuing. "Captain Ilim Illidar of the Strendent Armada. This vessel is the Star Skimmer. Welcome aboard."

Mordal shook the Captain's had firmly. "Spartan 791 of the United Nations Space Corps. I am also known as Master Commander, or Mordal." He soluted the Captain, and then placed his helmet back on. "I'll try to tell you every thing I can."