Nerrone's Rangers IC

"Hey Bianca you see this?!"

Chalen urged Bianca to look out at a nearby window (as Chalen had to fly up to it as he can't reach it). A column of yellow flame, a singular ray like lightning braided into twine, descended from the sky. The Sword of Damocles, its black gun batteries glinting in the sun, bathed in the fury of the weapon its masters had sought to control. Bianca stared in awe. It had been a long time since she saw something beautiful yet deadly in a long time.

"Huh. I wonder who caused this light show to happen?"

"That would be me." Flank beamed, strutting into the ship. He felt ridiculously good, having finally shut down the orbital weapon, because it meant that, for starters, his room mate would be safe, and, secondly, everybody else on the city would be safe.

He half danced over to the engineering room, where 'Cuna had left her needle and thread, and sat down to redo the bottom three stitches of his wing. He then looked around himself at the engineering room. It was full of tools, ranging from tiny cutters to tiny welders, drills of various size, and many different electrical components that he felt he could use in the project he had been planning ever since he was shot in the chest by the turret in the foyer of Sapphire Point. He figured that he might as well get started, while the ship was stationary.

He went to his room and retrieved the turret firing module, as well as his notebook and pencil. Returning to the engineering room, he turned on the lights and set his things down on a bench. He sat down — which was comfortable, since the chair had a hole in the back through which he could stick his tail — and began sketching the module in his notebook.

The module was two feet long and was made of five cylindrical triers stacked on one another. From the bottom to the top, there was a wide one, then one that was thinner, another as wide as the first, and the last two were thinner than that before them. At the end was the large, yellow diode that fired plasma. On the side of the second and third tier were two plugs that he hadn't noticed before.

He planned to turn it into a large plasma rifle, held like other rifles, but as time went on, he figured it would do better as a weapon that was held by the top, like a chaingun. The large power cord he would have to attach to some kind of battery, possibly even his own, and the program cords he would have to attach to the trigger, if and when he got one. He would need schematics of the turret, preferably ones with specific information about the electronics of the module, to know what the plugs were. He kept drawing designs for the weapon.

After a while, he stopped, figuring that if was going to turn it into a weapon he'd need some sort of gun frame. Something large, with a trigger, handles, and a power source. He sat back, thinking of where he could procure one, and looked around at the various tools in the room. A large drill held his attention.

Bingo.

Chalen sighed. Of course it had to be none other then Flank. He single handley took on an impossible task and has triumphed. As the Ravis half danced (really?) over to the engineering room, Chalen landed back on the ground (to his feet) and crossed his arms.

"Why does he have to show off? I would have done same thing."

Bianca laughed half heartdly and gave a light slap to her knee.

"Ah come on Chalen. Why do you have to be so hard on him? I bet he felt a bit scared as he was saving all of us."

The Space Sprite un-crossed his arms and shrugged. True, the little guy had given Flank a hard time and never forgave him of harvesting from the insectiods lifeless bodies (and Beasty sadly was one of the victims to be harvested). Bianca met his eyes and smiled.

"Well I don't about you but I'm quite hungry after that mission. I wonder have they got anything fruit, meat or any other edible food?"

Chalen's stomach gave a bad rumble. It has been a while since he last ate. Having a victory meal would not be a bad idea.

"Let's go to kitchen!"

The pair made their way to the kitchen area.

In the skies above Santa Frerraro, the Sword was blown aside by the power of the beam cannon. It bobbed and tilted dangerously in the air as the column of lightning dissipated, leaving tremendous wounds in the cruiser's hull. Without even a parting shot, the vessel turned tail and made its escape as swiftly as its damaged systems would allow it. The Sword of Damocles disappeared into the sky, leaving Ariid behind and making the jump to warp speed a moment later.


Presently, having spent several minutes outside, Kwa returned to the Lacuna.

"Grey," she called, entering the living area, "Do you have enough juice left in that suit to repair this?" She indicated her shoulder.

"Broken shoulder? Should be fairly easy. Just know I'll need to jam a large needle into your shoulder. The only problem is that it apparently it hurts, a lot." Grey called back, he felt like being a little bit smart, but he knew not to go too far with Kwa. She could probably cut him in half on a whim.

"Also, I'm going to need you to come over here, I have a hard time moving when my leg is snapped in two and my suit is physically restraining me." He lifted his wrist and switched on an external scanning module and had it Scan Kwa's upper body, getting a map of her cardiovascular system, looking for any veins or arteries that would lead into her shoulder, sadly, he found none. Meaning he would have to inject the stem cell mixture directly into her bone, which would no doubt cause a large amount of otherwise unnecessary pain. He would also need a blood sample to minimize the risk of her system rejecting the foreign stem cells.

"Alright, I really hope you like needles, because I'm going to need a blood sample, and I'm also going to need to stick a gigantic needle into your shoulder causing massive amounts of pain, but aside from that, I should have no problem fixing that up."

"Well that sounds just wonderful," Kwa deadpanned, carefully unwrapping the sling on her arm and offering Grey her bare shoulder, "Have you ever been complemented on your bedisde manner, herr doktor?"

She clenched her teeth and quietly braced herself, choosing to focus her attention on Grey rather than his daunting medical apparatus.

"Not a luxury you can afford when you're sewing people back together in a combat zone, sweetheart. Now hold still, this will only take a minute, and I'll be sure to give you some painkillers, but you'll still feel this for say, five or ten seconds." Grey replied, he plunged a thin needle into one of Kwa's veins, and took some blood. His suit began automatically analyzing her genetic and cellular structure, and made adjustments to the robotic stem cells to trick her body into thinking it wasn't a string of foreign nanobots that needed to be attacked by her immune system. Grey's suit then began mixing the newly adapted stem cells with a potent painkiller, when they were both evenly mixed together, a long, thick needle popped out of his wrist and began filling with the new mixture. He knew people became squirmy when faced with giant needles, so he quickly grabbed her shoulder and slid the needle through her skin and into her shoulder, and quickly began pumping the stem cell mix into her shoulder. He then slid the needle out and bandaged the entry wound his needle left. He waited about ten seconds before he spoke again.

"You should be feeling a slight warmth in your shoulder, but aside from that, how are you feeling?"

Somewhat relieved to see the Sword of Damocles gone, Bor left the bridge and said to the others, "We should start repairs. We don't want to stay on Ariid any longer than necessary."

Flank heaved the massive drill onto the workbench. It was almost the size of a chaingun, albeit a small one, but it was large enough to warrant handles on the top rather than on the back and side.

Picking a screwdriver from the array that were scattered about the workbench, he started to undo the screws that kept the metal casing attached to the drill. He needed a better look at what was on the inside. The top half came off, followed shortly by the bottom half, and Flank made sure to keep the screws all together, in a drawer. The frame was fairly simple; a large motor attached to the power cord and trigger, along with braces to keep it in place. However, it was welded in place. It wouldn't come out. He stopped to think, and in the silence he could hear Grey talking.

"... also going to need to stick a gigantic needle into your shoulder causing massive amounts of pain, but aside from that, I should have no problem fixing that up."

Flank scoffed. Good luck, Kwa, he mused. He felt the area where he was shot in the stomach. It had healed up nicely, but the pain of the needle was close to unbearable. Not to mention, he had to hold still while Grey injected him with whatever it was he brewed in that suit.

He started rooting through all of the drawers, looking for a small cutter he could use to detach the drill motor from the rest of the tool. At last he found one in the size he was hoping for; it was roughly the same size and shape of a pastry cutter, only it was motorised and the blade was sharper. He turned it on and started removing the motor from the braces, flinching as a hot spark occasionally jumped out at him.

Finally, the motor came loose, and Flank slowly pulled it out of the drill frame, disconnecting the power cord and the program wires that were still attached to it. He set it aside, and moved the turret firing module into its place. That was as much as he could do, without a portable power source and knowledge of how the module even worked. He took out his notebook and started listing the materials he needed: turret schematics, 2x strange plug (necessary?), 5x long-life batteries, transformers, insulated wire, adaptors, metal casing, scrap metal, electrical tape, gaffer tape.

He would figure out the specifics when and if he got the schematics. He stood up and left the engineering room, just in time to hear Bor suggest repairs.

"You wouldn't happen to need a giant drill for that, would you?"

Kwa let out one long, continuous hiss through her teeth as the pain from the second needle hit her left shoulder, fingernails digging deep into her palm as she clenched her right hand into a fist. It was a struggle to channel the tension away from her damaged arm. The alternative, however, was additional suffering. Her tail curled like a coiled spring behind her as the seconds dragged out, but she otherwise remained still.

Presently, the sensation ebbed and she relaxed once more. Tentatively, Kwa tested her left arm; first the fingers, then the joints including, finally, the shoulder itself. All seemed to be well.

"...I could be significantly worse," she replied, "Good work."

Rhak had finally gotten up and now walked to see Kwa. The lack of balance was disturbing and Rhak had to lean on the walls to get around.
"At least you have your arms left." He said and continued humorly. "Now I'm an one armed bandit."

Kwa turned to Rhak and tilted her head quizzically.

"You seem rather chipper for someone who recently amputated one of their own limbs."

"Could have been worse. Like getting debris stuck in my head."
Rhak noticed Daggon for the first time. "Is he going to be alright?"

Kwa frowned.

"...I'm not certain. He isn't going to bleed out, that's for sure. It may, however, be a while until he regains consciousness."

She turned away from where Dagon lay, and changed the subject: "I received a transmission from our benefactor, Governor Dier. It appears, now that the crisis has been resolved, that he wishes to speak with us at a police bureau in the Hub district."

"It will be risky, but I need to talk to an old acquaintance as well."
Rhak said, while looking at Dagon. He then procceded to go out.
Once he was out he leaned his head through the door way.
"I won't be bringing any arms with me."

Not if he continues his attempts at humour, he won't. Kwa thought.

Chalen and Bianca made their way towards the kitchen. It was still in the same state as before inculding the oven that Dagon almost broke while attempting to un-freeze the pizza. As the pair confronted the fridge, Chalen proceeded to opening the door. For a second Bianca got a bit jumpy as she saw the glorius food.

"Oh great! They've got just about everything!"

Bianca wanted to take something out first. She carefully looked for anything that'll fill her stomach with full energy.

"Think I'll get the green grapes and..those leftover sauages. I'm sure no one will mind."

Bianca took out her choice and stepped aside as Chalen went next. He immideatly saw what he wanted and took them out thus shutting the fridge door. Bianca gave him a quizzcal look at what she saw in his hands. Fetta Cheese and a medium plump shrimp is what he chosed.

"Hey I like this stuff! No need to give me look!"
They didn't say much after that. Both of them had the right idea by tapping their comlinks letting every NR know that they were more or less having a bit of a lunch break. Chalen hopes to get in contact with Cogs about his dented armor as soon as possible.

In response to Flank, Bor shrugged. "Maybe. Why do you ask?"

Just then, Chalen and Bianca sent a message through the comm saying they were having lunch. Bor rolled his eyes. He wasn't really sure what to make of the two - at a glance they seemed too timid to be mercenaries, yet they'd both proven themselves over the course of the two Ariid missions. Only time would tell whether the Rangers' kind of lifestyle would work for them.

Kwa made her way to the front of the ship and went to find Xol.

"How's everything holding up?" she asked the Selthem, "Do you think we can make another run back to Frerraro without the ship falling to pieces?"

"I'm... using it. Working on a project, and I need the big drill. Sorry."

He stepped out of the engineering room, closing the door behind him. He saw Kwa disappear into the cockpit, and he heard her talk of returning to the city. It reminded Flank that they were still supposed to get paid for the sabotage mission on Las Thaddas, along with the extra-credit mission in Sapphire Point. It also made sense that they go back to the city to make repairs.

He saw Bor roll his eyes. He wasn't familiar with the gesture, but he grasped the idea and nodded.

Upon entering the ship, Xol had gotten right back into business and had piloted the ship to where it currently was. Kwa approached him and asked about the ship's condition, to his response,

"We should be fine. She's not happy, but she'll manage at least until we can get some minor repairs done."


Grecsh was in the bathroom, spreading burn cream from their medical kit on his arms and legs. He had gotten hit pretty bad from the explosion during the fight with the Mallium, but the burn cream was doing wonders. He glanced to the side at the stiletto blade that he had dug out of his shoulder, remembering how close of a call it was.

Having completed covering his affected areas with the cream, he wrapped himself up in gauze and headed to his apartment, where he promptly fell asleep.

After Bianca and Chalen finished their meal, they exited from the kitchen back to the hallway. Bianca needed to go to the medi bay room to see if she could find anything useful that'll help her bad shoulder. Now Chalen should've done the same thing but he needed to make a call first though he couldn't tell Bianca that.

"You go ahead. I catch up later."

Not even replying back or an okay, Bianca walked towards the Medi Bay room as Chalen went to his private room. His room is in a complete mess thanks to the shaking due to the beam of light. Chalen will sort that out later. He got on his computer and tried to find the correct software that will allow Chalen to talk to his cousin Cogs.

"Lemmie see...aha!"

Chalen found the software he needed...Skype.

The Rangers took a few minutes more to tend their wounds and recover some of the stamina they had lost in the last 24 hours, before lifting off once again and returning to Santa Frerraro.

The sun was now high in the sky, and through the portholes and cockpit glass of the Lacuna the Rangers could survey the state of the city below. It seemed the bombings had been frequent, but unfocused: the Market district's houses and stores bore as many holes and scorch-marks as the factories and high-class districts in other quarters. It was almost impossible to see the cavity left in the Engineering District by the orbital beam weapon: a pillar of black smoke spewed incessantly from it, visible even at great distance, and the airspace all around was saturated with recovery vessels deployed to fight the secondary fires that had started, and assist survivors.

Frerraro would live to fight another day.


Presently, they found themselves touching down on a landing pad in the relative opulence of the Hub district — a place reminiscent of Sapphire Point's picturesque approach, though it was impossible to escape the sound of sirens and the faint smell of smoke on the air.

They had set down mere meters from the Police Bureau, and as the landing ramp lowered and the Rangers prepared to disembark, a man stepped out to meet them: He was dressed in finely cut robes bearing the city's heraldry, an orange fleur-de-lis enclosed by a diamond, but his posture betrayed tiredness.

It had been quite the morning for Governor Dier.

"You made it; wonderful!" He called as the Lacuna's engines powered down such that he could make himself heard over their din.

"What?! How did you managed to dent the awesome Shellbian armor into..well whatever it looks like now!"

It took Chalen a lot of explanation about how it happend and Cogs is still not impressed.

"Gah..mechs. Wicked but annoying dudes of machinery."

"Had no choice but we were in a messy situation at time."

Cogs sighed.

"Tell you what. If you could send the Shellbian armor to a post office along with the fee of 90 credits, I'll fix it up and send it back to you as soon as possible."

"I'll try see if I find one."
They finished their Skype conversation and took off the armor.

So not protected for now he thought.
As he proceeded to head out of the room, he was completley caught off guard when he saw Bianca. He had no idea how long she was standing there but he didn't want to say.
"You said you would catch up and I waited as best as I can but 25 minutes? Even my shoulder was well fixed during those minutes!"
She flexed them to prove her point with no signs of wincing.
"Anyway I got you this."
Bianca handed Chalen a small vial that contained a milky white substance.
"That'll definalty heal up minior injuries that you may have."
Following Bianca's instructions, he carefully applied the stuff onto his body.

"Governor Dier," Kwa said, stepping down onto the landing pad followed by the bulk of the Rangers, "I was not expecting you to meet us in person."

"...Yes, well, this is all sort of ad hoc, isn't it?" The Governor replied, "I thought it might be prudent to keep as few people involved as possible — if you don't mind overly, we're planning to, well, downplay your involvement in the events of the last few hours. Not to say you won't be rewarded, oh heavens no! The funds have already been transferred to the account specified for your work on Las Thaddas, and your payment for Sapphire Point shall be forthcoming shortly."

"First, however, I have been asked to introduce you to someone."

Kwa's eyes narrowed, and a note of suspicion entered her voice: "Who?"


"That would be me."

Another figure stepped out of the Police Bureau to join them on the landing pad: a female mallium, skin a deep ultramarine hue, dressed sharply in the uniform of a high-ranking Coalition officer. A silver brooch in the shape of the organisation's emblem, an upwards-pointing sword enclosed in a circle, glinted on her lapel.

"I am Commander Ahk," She announced levelly to the group gathered at the foot of the Lacuna, "As you may be aware, my unit has been taking a keen interest in your activities of late."

Kwa was frozen, eyes locked on the new arrival, saying nothing.