"I... I think that her p-programmers just made her like that! Sometimes, they just get, y'know, bored of programming crummy automatons? But y-yeah, um, I'll do what I can to help. It's n-not like I have anywhere else to go..." She quickly hurried after Circe, her eyes scanning the area curiously as she went.
Noticing that Hali seemed to be tiring, Ashley paused in front of the convenience store that they'd visited earlier. "Do you think we can make it back to Firelight? Or are we going to have to stop and rest for a while? If we have to stop, we might as well stop here." She asked everyone, including Kiera.
Annerose gave another small shrug as she stays about two feet behind the group, looking around idly with her pistol, well, now pistols, "What ARE we looking for anyway?"
One Mile Southwest of Firelight: Juniper's Apartment Complexes; Circe, Anne, Laina, Jennifer
"...I'm confused, Mechanic Laina. I have no mouth, so... how can it be smart?" Kiera asked uncertainly as the group began to move on. When she didn't receive an answer, the VI tried to get in touch one last time before they were out of her radio range.
"Wait, I'd like some kind of an answer ple-"
Two Miles Southwest of Firelight: Alliance Assembly Point, Sensor Node; Circe, Anne, Laina and Jennifer.
The group traveled in tight formation with Circe in the lead, as she had the most military training out of the four. Most of the houses and buildings along this street had been destroyed also, leaving little cover for the team. However, as they moved down the street, their radios were patched into an emergency channel.
"Again, this is Commander Winters of Firelight Base. I'm currently - Ah!" There was an explosion in the background, ".. Currently at the Alliance Assembly Point Tango. I have civilians in the bunker, and am trying to hold off an attack from the enemies. One of our drones has just been destroyed. If anyone is out there, please, come back."
The Commander went to radio silence, hopefully allowing for someone to answer her call. Laina had already begun to track the signal's source on her omnitool's virtual display.
"It's not very far away," She announced to everyone, looking up at the group, "We're basically half way between the Sensor node and the Commander's position."
Being so close to either objective, it would be accomplish either - but it probably wouldn't be a good idea to split up...
"The sensor node is i-important, but it can wait. It s-sounds like the c-commander needs our help more u-urgently than the node. I s-say we head to her n-now."
"Agreed. The main reason for reactivating the sensor nodes was to find the commander." Circe explained, already changing direction to head towards where Laina said the signal was coming from. "Once we've met up with her she can decide if we can make for the sensor node or just return to base."
Circe began to speak into the radio. "Commander Winters, this is Viola Theta 36. I have three other millitary personel with me and we are inbound to your location from the north west."
((If the direction is wrong, that can be edited.))
With absolutely no sign of tiring, Cassidy hops from road to sidewalk with a gentle pirouette, as if intending to continue on in the same haphazard style. She skids to a halt, though, in front of the convenience store, concern creeping across her features.
"She's tiring..? But we're so close to home! The nice lady in my ear says so. How about we just push back, and carry her the last step of the way if needs be? I volunteer, by the way.."
That wasn't quite a licentious grin, cloaked as it is in happy innocence, but suspicious minds could -easily- make something of it.
(I actually believe we have enough EP to make it back... All of us. Looks like 1 EP for one mile, and Hali has 1 EP, and has the current lowest EP among us.. Silth just warned us if we stopped to scavenge, she wouldn't then have enough to make it back. Since we didn't stop, she should therefore have enough.
Anne shrugs as she twirls one of the guns, "Guess I'm going with majority, I mean... it's not like i want to go for the sensor module by myself... I guess my walker can wait..."
((I'll repost what Kiera was saying to you then, Dreana.))
Firelight: Barracks (Sub-floor 1); Kalica
Kalica walked down the long entry corridor, getting into the service elevator at the end of the hallway. It took her down to the First Sub-Floor, Kiera's virtual representation waiting out in the hallway.
"Hello again, Kalica," She said with a smile, "Do you need me to show you to your room once more?"
Two Miles Southwest of Firelight: Alliance Assembly Point, Sensor Node; Circe, Anne, Laina and Jennifer.
"What?!" Came a quick reply from the commander, "No, no, I don't want a gynoid helping-
"Argh... Shit, I'll take whatever help I can get, even if it is from a god doppleganger. Just get over here, double time, before I lose another drone!
At the urge of their Commander, the team picked up their pace, jogging towards the Assembly Point.
As the team ran towards the assembly point, Circe was quick to point them out towards a ruined building for cover. There were five 'Orcs' in total, with one wearing heavier armor than any others they had seen before - he was furthest away from them, and seemed to be commanding the rest. The other orcs all seemed pretty small - even the two female creatures, furthest to the North. The big one was the only one wearing true armor, whereas the others were just wearing simple clothes: black, tattered two-pieces for the women, and black shorts for the males. That odd, red metal that Circe's new rifle was made of happened to be providing cover for the Orcs, making it all but possible to hit them without their heads poking out of their cover.
Commander Winters wasn't anywhere to be seen, but the group could see her two drones, and a marine woman, all of them behind the concrete cover, the pentagon-shaped assembly point behind them. It seemed like both groups were in a stale mate, and the team could easily break that stalemate in favor of either side.
((I'll be rolling for the drones, the marine, and Cassie, as well as the Orcs. There is no difference between the female Grunts and the male Grunts, just felt like changing it up a bit. Commander Winter's team will attack whenever it isn't the Orc's turn. And yes, the game is open enough where, if you decide to, you can somehow broker a way to attack the humans and help the orcs.))
((EDIT: Executive decision. I NPC'd Hali til she resurfaces on the internets somewhere.))
1 Mile Northwest of Firelight: Carmina Delage's house, Convenience Store; Ashley, Hali and Cassidy
"I can make it back to the base," The red head said, rather fiercely as she half-glared at the grinning Asari.
With a shrug that is perhaps best surmised as "Oh-well-I-tried-there's-no-helping-some-people", the tattoed Asari turns promptly on the spot.. and skips off in the opposite direction. For, two or three steps, at least.
That far in, she remembers to consult the VI interface for directions, redirects herself, and continues skipping - this time, in the -actual- direction of Firelight. She's even daring to -hum-.
(Move towards Firelight, being a brat! Mad scientists are so fun..)
"Okay. Lets get going then;" Is all Ashley says, before she too starts heading directly toward Firelight. As she walks, she tries to keep watch in all directions, but only really manages to get herself slightly dizzy, and stumble over a few pieces of rubble she didn't notice in her path.
Circe survayed the battlefield before ducking back behind cover and looking at the other three women. "The armored one will be the most likly to give us trouble. We'll take out the unarmored ones first and then focus our fire on the leader. I'll take out the enemy nearest us. Once that's done, Laina and Jennifer, you two take his position and use the cover to fire on the two females to the north." She explained, turning from the mechanic and medic to the pilot. "You and I are going to move around and flank the leader." Circe motioned over to the west.
"Any questions?" When Circe was finished with delivering her strategy, she looked at the other girls, waiting for their input before moving.
((Assuming there's no objections to the plan, Circe will use Careful aim on the nearest orc and fire (2 EP). If he dies, move back behind cover (1 EP; total 3 EP), otherwise reload and fire again, then take cover (3 EP; total of 5 EP).))
"Okay, we'll take out those two females and then move to the assembly point. Jenn can make sure that they're all okay once we meet up with them there, then we can have everybody at the assembly point shift to keep the leader pinned down behind that bit of cover if he's not dead yet." Laina says calmly as she waits for Circe to take out the first orc.
"...I don't think the commander likes you very much, Circe"
(Run behind the portable cover and take cover if that close orc is dead by my turn, otherwise just wait where I am)
