The Galactic War: Rogue Element ~The Beginning

[Chad32]

Claxter entered the ship after his Prince, standing in the back. There wasn't much room for three people, but he tried not to think of the closed in space. He kept his eyes forward, looking outside and keeping his thoughts on the task at hand. He never considered himself more claustrophobic than the typical Andalite, though being in a bug with two people, and without his tail made him slightly uncomfortable.

[Terenia]

Keslin follows the two morphed Andalites onto the Bug Fighter, managing a small, wry grin at Ossanlin's reaction to the cold chair. "Yes, well, there are more reasons than one," he says lightly, going over to the primary navigational controls and running his fingers over the console. He sighs a little, the familiarity utterly relieving after so long on an Andalite ship.

"She's beautiful," he concludes, the grin still in place, but softening a little. <<By the Kandrona, I miss the pirate days,>> he whispers to Chris, taking his seat.

<<You and me both, man,>> Chris responds, perking up a bit at the impending mission. The flush that had alighted his cheeks is fading fast, now that Ossanlin is at least partially covered and no longer standing.

"I'm ready when the two of you are," Keslin reports, entering in the manual command that allows living metal restraints to slither over his chest and midsection, securing him to the chair.

[Chad32]

Claxter managed to find a somewhat comfortable seated position behind the chairs. "Let us procccceed." Claxter said, enjoying the S sound a bit.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin keys up the weapons systems and checks their status, noting the flashing red Yeerkish text.  He can decipher most of it, but the flashing red is really all he needs to see.  "While the weapons appear to be functional at a casual glance, they most-certainly are not."  He pauses at Keslin's mention of "beauty."  While fully functional, the Bug was old...at least two model-types older than the current versions.  It had battle scarring and wear damage...but to each his own.

"I think it wise for you to pilot the ship.  The hangar's selective force-field is open for passage."  Ossanlin nods to Keslin.

<<Keep down, Command Warrior, but also stay alert.  Myitt trusts Keslin, which points in his favor, but we need to be ready for any situation.>>  He attempts to move a stalk-eye to look at Claxter, but then remembers with dismay that his field of vision is sorely-limited.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Eleric activates the full-body stabilizing field in his Tail-Fighter before lifting off and exiting the hangar.  <Lightning-Strike, wing formation.  We are to supply Prince Ossanlin with an escort out to standard patrol radius, where we will commence a linear quadrant patrol along the standard radius.  Let's keep things tight.>

Eleric does his best to suppress the euphoric combination of excitement and joy that he feels at actually flying his Tail-Fighter again.  Not that the sensation is unpleasant in any way...but reveling in it was a good way to get oneself Draconed.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Varekil wakes in his quarters to an urgent communication on his transponder.  <Yaolin.  I'm on my way.>  He darts out of his quarters and up to the bridge where he's treated to a disturbing sight...Prince Commander Enorryma herself laid out on the deck, seizing.

He points to two of the bridge officers.  <You, both of you.  I need help getting her to the medbay.>  He activates the emergency point-field and uses it to lift Enorryma's twitching form off of the deck.  <You, restrain her tail, you, push her to the medbay.>  The two Andalites do as instructed, and Varekil starts interfacing his medical ARC with Enorryma's form, running along beside her.  <Yaolin...severe stim withdrawal.  Hyper-severe...>  He uses his compact multi-med injector to administer a mild sedative, calming Enorryma's seizures, but that's about all he can do.

He barely notices the human they run by through the dome on the way to the med-bay, as he administers a weak steroid to keep Enorryma's hearts beating.  <Hold on, Prince Commander.>  <<I didn't sign up to be a lead medical officer.>>  The last comment directed only to himself.

[Chad32]

<<I remain alert, my Prince, and my shredder is ready. On stun, of course. I hope that they are there, and safe.>> Claxter said quietly.

[Aluminator (Kit)]

<Yes, Command Warrior,> Aetheas says to Claxter, and turns to walk back towards the med bay, keeping a stalk eye turned back towards the ships as they load up and prepare for liftoff. He does a good job, he thinks, of suppressing his own envy. Once again, he's being excluded from something he'd be more than capable of doing based only on the fact that he can't morph.

Once he reaches the top of the ramp, he breaks into a trot, running through a thousand things in his head to keep that resentment from welling within him again. He's so distracted, he nearly plows into Varekil.

<TO Enorryma!?> he gasps when he sees the unconscious Andalite.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Varekil glances at Aetheas. <Yes, aristh.  If you have any medical training, follow me.>  He doesn't look back at Aetheas as they continue jogging for the medbay.  <<Her biochemistry is breaking down...how can I...I can't...stasis.>>  He grimaces to himself.  <<It'll have to be stasis.>>

[Terenia]

Keslin nods, pulling up the navigational holoscreen and initiating manual controls. No use in using autopilot until he is familiar with the particular workings of this ship. It has seen better days, certainly, and that means that there will likely be a few oddities to how it runs. The thought sends a small thrill of satisfaction through Keslin, as he thinks back to his own beat-up Bug Fighter, even older than the one they are situated in now.

"Make sure you're secure," he says offhandedly, a last-second thought. It is second nature for him to strap in, as long as he has been in a human host. He hopes the acceleration will not knock the morphed Andalites off balance too badly.

With practiced ease, Keslin primes the engines, letting the ship hover off the floor of the docking bay. He guides it out, into open space, getting acquainted with controls he has not used in some time. It is only once the fighter is well clear of the Andalite Dome Ship that he punches the acceleration, a small grin alighting his features as he watches the navigational display.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Unfortunately the inertial dampers in the bug are only partially functional, and Ossanlin is pressed into his seat as the bug lifts off and accelerates forward.  He grabs for his console, but too late as a sharp turn throws him sideways into Keslin's seat, head landing face-down, squarely in Chris's lap.  He grunts and quickly works to right himself, putting himself back into his own seat, using the console commands to engage the seat restraints.  He tries to keep his face impassive, but his human hip and shoulder throb with forming bruises.  The Yeerk had likely done that intentionally...the last thing he wants to do is give Keslin a "rise."  He hisses slightly as the cold metal restraints wrap around his legs, and then brings up the navigational display on his own console, noting the approaching blips.

"So, Keslin...how will your people respond to seeing a human they do not know?"  Ossanlin keeps his eyes forward, watching as the six streamlined silver tail-fighters surround the bug and follow its vector.  In order to keep himself busy, he commands his ARC to begin playing back the report on any aberrations or communications made in or from Keshin's quarters.  He didn't think anything would come of it, but if anyone deserved such surveillance, it was Keshin.

<<...She's out, way out.  We saw the meds takin' her.>>

'Euro-whatsherface?'  Ossanlin furrows his eyebrows and tries to open a communications line with Enorryma's ARC.  When she doesn't answer, Ossanlin quickly suppresses his anxiety.  Could Keshin and Joanne have meant Enorryma herself?  He opens communications with Esarvit next.

<<Sir...I'm...I'm in command and I'm tracking your progress.>>

Ossanlin's hearts drop, his blood running cold.  Something was wrong.  <<Prince Lieutenant, where is Prince Commander Enorryma?>>

<<She...she collapsed on the bridge, my Prince.  Varekil is taking her to the medbay.  I've not heard back from him yet.>>

<<Very well...keep me apprised of the situation, and keep the Tyrennian under control until my return.>>  His tone of thought does nothing to betray the feelings of anxiety that push through his mind.  Hopefully Varekil could fix her up.  Whatever the case, he has to keep his mind focused on the present.  His eyes widen a bit as he realizes after the fact, that Keshin and Joanne had actually tried to warn him.  Esarvit should've contacted him immediately, but he hadn't.  Keshin and Joanne were the only reason he'd heard at all.  Maybe they actually were trying to give up their old ways, though that seemed a far cry.  He'd have to speak with them after he sorted things out.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Eleric watches as the Bug Fighter containing Prince Ossanlin and Command Warrior Claxter exits the irregular hangar.

<Lightning-strike, form up around our Prince.  Let the Yeerk know what's waiting if anything "goes wrong.">  He flies up to the point of the formation and glides in slightly above and forward of the Bug Fighter, the rest of the fighters tighten up in a cuboidal formation, with one above, one below, one to either side, and one behind.  Should one draw lines between the fighters, the resulting shape would be a cube with one corner pointed forward and the bug in the middle.

[Chad32]

Claxter slid from one side of the ship to the other, and bumped against the wall. The dampeners must not be working at their best. Apparently Keslin was reveling a bit at being in a bug again. Still, he found his hand instinctively resting on his shredder.

<What is Eleric doing now?> He asked as he saw the fighters form up around the bug. Did they not like that little maneuver either?

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin turns his head to look at Claxter.  <They are escorting us to standard patrol perimeter.  It's standard operating procedure in this situation, Command Warrior.>  Ossanlin smiles a bit.  That wasn't technically a lie.  Any ship bearing a Captain could be given an escort of fighters, especially in a dangerous situation, but it wasn't exactly required.  Ossanlin's certain that Keslin sees the action for what it is...a casual display of fighter superiority, but since he doesn't completely trust Keslin, the escort should serve as a friendly reminder that 'funny-business' would not be in the best interests of either himself or his people.  The move could be considered an honor, so there's no implied insult to Keslin's trustworthiness, yet it serves the same purpose.

[Chad32]

<Ah, right. I thought they were reacting to Keslin's eagerness in beginning the mission.> He actually didn't have all maneuvers memorized like he probably should have. There were a lot of details that went with working on a Dome ship. He wondered if he'd eventually know every in and out of it.