Even though Aya despised it, she brushed off Lee's insistence on using the -chan honorific as just another one of the general's childish quirks. She also brushed aside Lee's implications that Aya and DragonierMan had done any 'kooky stuff' together. Giving no indication one way or another. As for Yasu, she seemed to be in higher spirits, as the mission was a success. Though Yasu did frown at Lee's implications.
Meanwhile, as Aya was talking with the generals, Suzume turned toward the crowd and blew a kiss. "Hey boys~" she flirted. "Good to see that you are all in good spirits. Don't crowd too close now, you got to give us fair ladies some breathing room." Suzume then put up both hands and made two 'V's with her fingers, for Victory. "After we finish up here I'll be glad to party with you all in celebration of our victory,~" she promised the surrounding troops. Especially after Drago arrived and caused the crowd to boo. She entered the tent last as she tried to placate the soldiers with renewed promises of hanging out with them after.
They all sat down to drink sake as Yasu began to debrief them. Drago and Aya took passing sips as they conversed, acting very reserved, and occasionally glancing in the direction of the outside as if they needed to keep themselves sharp in case of a sudden attack. Suzume on the other hand, was getting the party started early by drowning herself in every cup like a parched desert. She might not give Sake a run for her money, but it seemed like Suzume was programmed to be able to hold her liqueur. She even attempted to hug or lean on Sake from time to time.
Drago's ears perked up as Yasu complimented his choice of style and fashion. It was strange for Yasu to give him compliments so openly. He, however, didn't really use his given Neo-Shogunate title all that often ("The Ardent, Dauntless Knight, Vigilant Partisan DragonierMan.EXE"), and didn't really want to inflict that on Sparks. So he remained silent on that regard. However, he did remark on the rewards as he gratefully accepted them. "I got more because of seniority," he boasted. "Besides, it was your hard work on this mission that got us these rewards. I only assisted you. Plus, you already got a big reward: membership in the Shogunate! Even I started at the bottom of the rewards pool when I first joined," he stated. "Woo! Shogunate!" Suzume added as she spilled some sake on herself, and probably on Sake as well.
So... then came Lee's announcement of yet another 'sexy prize'. Yasu didn't look or sound happy as Lee went into more detail about it. Which then followed as Sparks stumbled over to Drago and wrapped his arm around Drago's shoulder to brace himself. Drago reached up and attempted to steady Sparks so he wouldn't fall, gripping him by his yukata. Sparks leaned in and breathed in Drago's ear that he liked ladies in rope bondage. Drago grinned at the thoughts that, that placed in his head. He furrowed his brow and looked around for a moment in thought. An idea hit him as he glanced toward the crowd outside the tent. He looked at Sparks then and gave a smirk and a wink, then he turned to Lee. While looking straight at General Lee with a toothy grin, as if he was a cat that caught a canary, he spoke. "Aya, get out some rope. The good general has just volunteered to be a morale booster to the men outside."
Aya placed her saucer down and summoned one of her burlap sacks, pulling out a length of rope. Suzume snickered and laughed uncontrollably. "Ha! Ha! No way!"
"Now General," Drago said, continuing on his power trip. He was going to catch hell from Yasu for this. "If you would be so kind as to redress in your sexy bikini from earlier, I think the troops would love to see it. Aya, bind her up, Kinbaku style," he ordered the more sober twin, who stood up and began to move towards Lee. "Don't worry," he tried to reassure Lee, and the rest of the assembled NS members, "I won't let them touch you. You are just going to give them a show." If Lee didn't resist, Aya would start tying her up after Lee put back on her sexy bikini.
Public Neo-Shogun Camp.
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Suzume had managed to get a big, loud applause from the crowd before heading into the tent, though that just made them more dejected when the curtains closed. They went quiet after that, although it was hard to imagine that they'd gone back to work and much easier to imagine that they were all crowded at the edges of the tent now, listening in.
"Lee tells me you drove a cart off the side of a dam, Sparks. As it so happens, shortly after I met DragonierMan here, he nearly got himself killed taking on ten armed ROT enforcers. Recklessness runs in your gender," Yasu sighed, sounding only slightly less harsh than she had in DragonierMan's past. "Please keep such nonsensical behavior to a minimum in the future. I don't know if I can handle two DragonierMen in the Neo-Shogun Empire... As for your title and uniform, I will confer with Lee and prepare them shortly. It shouldn't be difficult to make something suitable; please look forward to it." Yasu was drinking too, but she seemed to hold it well; there was little deviation from her demeanor, even as she matched pace with the others.
Lee chuckled, then smiled toward Sparks knowingly. "It's pretty tough, trying to be as strong as that guy. But a samurai never gives up! Death before dishonor!" she proclaimed, though it was probably for the best that she had misinterpreted the meaning of that as saying that the samurai never allows himself to be dejected, rather than that the samurai would kill himself before he'd allow himself to be shamed. "Yasu's starting new training regimens for us generals, too. We're gonna get way stronger! You'll be surprised, I bet."
Sake prepared another round for everyone while DragonierMan and Sparks whispered privately like co-conspirators. She and Suzume were getting a lot of skinship on, despite the fact that neither of them were actually as tipsy as their antics let on. Yasu's glare remained on the two men as they spoke; she wasn't able to hear all of it, but she knew it must be related to the one remaining piece of business. Lee, remarkably calm given the impending storm of the two guys cashing in their blank checks, leaned over closer to listen to DragonierMan speak. "Rope? Morale booster? What's that all about?" she asked, not even connecting that it had something to do with the sexy prize she'd promised. "Jump rope?" she asked, crossing her eyes slightly as she thought hard. "I'm jumping rope in a bikini? What's Kinabaku, is that like the fancy style where you twirl it on either side? I dunno how to do that!"
Grimacing, Yasu pressed one hand to the ground and the other onto Lee's shoulder. "It's bondage. They're going to tie you up," she explained.
"Whaaaa? That's weird, but uh, whatever floats your boats!" Lee laughed, standing up inside the tent. Fire whipped about her briefly and then dissipated, turning her ordinarily showy armor into the much showier bikini they'd become briefly familiar with. "Ha ha! I don't think they'd touch anyway! I'm still a general, remember! Everybody knows what it means to touch me when I don't wanna be touched. I'd give 'em a little 'Hya!' or a 'Hoo wa!'" she exclaimed, pantomiming some rapid spear thrusts. There was another rustling around the tent, like figures were in retreat from around its curtain. "Okay, so how do we do it? Just, uh, remember not to move my bikini too much. I'm naked under here! It'd be super embarrassing if it falls off or something..." she laughed, although she was becoming a little red at the thought. Apparently public bondage in a string bikini was find, but nudity was crossing the line.
Still, Aya would find that the general would not resist, but it was up to her how and where she wanted to tie. She'd probably want to throw open the curtain when she was ready, or move Lee herself, as presumably, the general would have a hard time moving herself out when the job was done. Sake continued pouring drinks with a smile that hid how thankful she was that her participation in this had fallen to the wayside. Yasu glared hard at DragonierMan and Sparks... but mostly DragonierMan. "This is what you're into?" she asked, lowering her eyebrows. It looked like there was something else she wanted to say, but she hesitated. "... Don't expect this kind of reward from every mission, Sparks," she grumbled, taking another big swig of sake.
If Aya was into the sort of thing too, tying up Lee would be pretty fun; it was a first time for the girl, so she had lots of comments to make, at least until a rope went into her mouth. She continued making excited, muffled voices as various ropes went on, binding her legs, her arms, around the chest to accent the swells of her breasts above her slender belly, and finally, a little 'peep' as a knot worked itself around her groin to connect up with the others. When Aya was finished and had either opened the curtain or otherwise led or carried Lee outside, she'd find a thick wall of soldiers all gathered around, eagerly anticipating whatever was coming out. She'd also find that Kama was still towering over everything, staring over the horizon and looking a little bored. It was impossible for her to hear the proceedings, after all, and there seemed to be some kind of unspoken agreement that the soldiers weren't supposed to bother her any further than ogling her. She did, however, look down and raise her eyebrows when Lee came out. "Wow... the rumors about you guys aren't too far off," she remarked quietly (as quiet as a giant could be anyway), her red face blushing pink.
The crowd's response was slightly slow on the uptake, as though they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Some of them were chanting for Lee, who was already their favorite general. Others were trying to come up with more creative chants or cheers to celebrate what they perceived as the discovery of her passion for rope-play. Others were chanting for Aya, deciding that she must be a practiced submission master to execute such an intricate pattern. This played well with their perception that she was pretty harsh to begin with; it sounded like she was getting some new fans. Others cheered for DragonierMan, seeming to understand that this would only be happening if one of the mission-takers had requested it. One lone voice was chanting for Yasu, perhaps intending to encourage her, thinking that she'd come out of the tent in ropes next. It was chaos in general, but morale did seem greatly improved. Hearing everyone else celebrating, even Lee appeared to be smiling, as much as she could with a rope in her mouth anyway.
"... I guess all's well that ends well!" Sake chuckled inside the tent, filling back up the cups again. Yasu's expression as she watched was strangely unreadable; it was either a dead-eyed stare or a contemplative one, hard to tell. Regardless, it wasn't as harsh as they might have imagined. Perhaps she was pleased that the soldiers were in good spirits.
"Lee tells me you drove a cart off the side of a dam, Sparks. As it so happens, shortly after I met DragonierMan here, he nearly got himself killed taking on ten armed ROT enforcers. Recklessness runs in your gender," Yasu sighed, sounding only slightly less harsh than she had in DragonierMan's past. "Please keep such nonsensical behavior to a minimum in the future. I don't know if I can handle two DragonierMen in the Neo-Shogun Empire... As for your title and uniform, I will confer with Lee and prepare them shortly. It shouldn't be difficult to make something suitable; please look forward to it." Yasu was drinking too, but she seemed to hold it well; there was little deviation from her demeanor, even as she matched pace with the others.
Lee chuckled, then smiled toward Sparks knowingly. "It's pretty tough, trying to be as strong as that guy. But a samurai never gives up! Death before dishonor!" she proclaimed, though it was probably for the best that she had misinterpreted the meaning of that as saying that the samurai never allows himself to be dejected, rather than that the samurai would kill himself before he'd allow himself to be shamed. "Yasu's starting new training regimens for us generals, too. We're gonna get way stronger! You'll be surprised, I bet."
Sake prepared another round for everyone while DragonierMan and Sparks whispered privately like co-conspirators. She and Suzume were getting a lot of skinship on, despite the fact that neither of them were actually as tipsy as their antics let on. Yasu's glare remained on the two men as they spoke; she wasn't able to hear all of it, but she knew it must be related to the one remaining piece of business. Lee, remarkably calm given the impending storm of the two guys cashing in their blank checks, leaned over closer to listen to DragonierMan speak. "Rope? Morale booster? What's that all about?" she asked, not even connecting that it had something to do with the sexy prize she'd promised. "Jump rope?" she asked, crossing her eyes slightly as she thought hard. "I'm jumping rope in a bikini? What's Kinabaku, is that like the fancy style where you twirl it on either side? I dunno how to do that!"
Grimacing, Yasu pressed one hand to the ground and the other onto Lee's shoulder. "It's bondage. They're going to tie you up," she explained.
"Whaaaa? That's weird, but uh, whatever floats your boats!" Lee laughed, standing up inside the tent. Fire whipped about her briefly and then dissipated, turning her ordinarily showy armor into the much showier bikini they'd become briefly familiar with. "Ha ha! I don't think they'd touch anyway! I'm still a general, remember! Everybody knows what it means to touch me when I don't wanna be touched. I'd give 'em a little 'Hya!' or a 'Hoo wa!'" she exclaimed, pantomiming some rapid spear thrusts. There was another rustling around the tent, like figures were in retreat from around its curtain. "Okay, so how do we do it? Just, uh, remember not to move my bikini too much. I'm naked under here! It'd be super embarrassing if it falls off or something..." she laughed, although she was becoming a little red at the thought. Apparently public bondage in a string bikini was find, but nudity was crossing the line.
Still, Aya would find that the general would not resist, but it was up to her how and where she wanted to tie. She'd probably want to throw open the curtain when she was ready, or move Lee herself, as presumably, the general would have a hard time moving herself out when the job was done. Sake continued pouring drinks with a smile that hid how thankful she was that her participation in this had fallen to the wayside. Yasu glared hard at DragonierMan and Sparks... but mostly DragonierMan. "This is what you're into?" she asked, lowering her eyebrows. It looked like there was something else she wanted to say, but she hesitated. "... Don't expect this kind of reward from every mission, Sparks," she grumbled, taking another big swig of sake.
If Aya was into the sort of thing too, tying up Lee would be pretty fun; it was a first time for the girl, so she had lots of comments to make, at least until a rope went into her mouth. She continued making excited, muffled voices as various ropes went on, binding her legs, her arms, around the chest to accent the swells of her breasts above her slender belly, and finally, a little 'peep' as a knot worked itself around her groin to connect up with the others. When Aya was finished and had either opened the curtain or otherwise led or carried Lee outside, she'd find a thick wall of soldiers all gathered around, eagerly anticipating whatever was coming out. She'd also find that Kama was still towering over everything, staring over the horizon and looking a little bored. It was impossible for her to hear the proceedings, after all, and there seemed to be some kind of unspoken agreement that the soldiers weren't supposed to bother her any further than ogling her. She did, however, look down and raise her eyebrows when Lee came out. "Wow... the rumors about you guys aren't too far off," she remarked quietly (as quiet as a giant could be anyway), her red face blushing pink.
The crowd's response was slightly slow on the uptake, as though they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Some of them were chanting for Lee, who was already their favorite general. Others were trying to come up with more creative chants or cheers to celebrate what they perceived as the discovery of her passion for rope-play. Others were chanting for Aya, deciding that she must be a practiced submission master to execute such an intricate pattern. This played well with their perception that she was pretty harsh to begin with; it sounded like she was getting some new fans. Others cheered for DragonierMan, seeming to understand that this would only be happening if one of the mission-takers had requested it. One lone voice was chanting for Yasu, perhaps intending to encourage her, thinking that she'd come out of the tent in ropes next. It was chaos in general, but morale did seem greatly improved. Hearing everyone else celebrating, even Lee appeared to be smiling, as much as she could with a rope in her mouth anyway.
"... I guess all's well that ends well!" Sake chuckled inside the tent, filling back up the cups again. Yasu's expression as she watched was strangely unreadable; it was either a dead-eyed stare or a contemplative one, hard to tell. Regardless, it wasn't as harsh as they might have imagined. Perhaps she was pleased that the soldiers were in good spirits.
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"Ahhh, but driving the cart off of the dam was quite fun, Isn't that right?" Sparks eyes traveled from each of his mission team members one at a time. "Maybe next time, you can be apart of the fun General." Further replying to Yasu's statements, Sparks continued, "I am definitely looking forward to both of those things, and it is a true honor to serve the Shogunate." The samurai gave another bow, the finishing up another serving of sake.
After drunkenly spouting out what was probably one of his deepest kept secrets, to his buddy DragoneirMan... things turned out quite interesting it seemed. Drago took charge of the situation, not hesitating to speak Sparks fantasy into existence. As requested, Lee changed back into the skimpy bikini from earlier, to immediately grasp the men's interest. Followed by Aya dryly going through the motions of tying up the general, Sparks couldn't help but find himself becoming more and more aroused as the rope made its way around Lee's body. The rope sank tightly into her skin. Lee seemed to not mind the predicament she found herself in, and gave no complaints. As he watched, he found himself licking his lips slowly multiple times to stop the slight salivation of lust that grabbed at him. Once the rope made its way between her teeth, and any speaking she tried to do became muffled caused Sparks to really become entranced, so much in a trance that he wouldn't even hear Yasu's remark about not expecting similar rewards all the time.
Finally snapping back to a drunken yet conscious state, Sparks spoke to Drago again. "Thank you my brother, what an excellent way to start my NS membership!" Once again wrapping his arm around the knight's shoulders to hold himself steady. "I can't wait to see what our future adventures bring us." He held his dish up once again, wanting another refill on liquid courage.
After drunkenly spouting out what was probably one of his deepest kept secrets, to his buddy DragoneirMan... things turned out quite interesting it seemed. Drago took charge of the situation, not hesitating to speak Sparks fantasy into existence. As requested, Lee changed back into the skimpy bikini from earlier, to immediately grasp the men's interest. Followed by Aya dryly going through the motions of tying up the general, Sparks couldn't help but find himself becoming more and more aroused as the rope made its way around Lee's body. The rope sank tightly into her skin. Lee seemed to not mind the predicament she found herself in, and gave no complaints. As he watched, he found himself licking his lips slowly multiple times to stop the slight salivation of lust that grabbed at him. Once the rope made its way between her teeth, and any speaking she tried to do became muffled caused Sparks to really become entranced, so much in a trance that he wouldn't even hear Yasu's remark about not expecting similar rewards all the time.
Finally snapping back to a drunken yet conscious state, Sparks spoke to Drago again. "Thank you my brother, what an excellent way to start my NS membership!" Once again wrapping his arm around the knight's shoulders to hold himself steady. "I can't wait to see what our future adventures bring us." He held his dish up once again, wanting another refill on liquid courage.
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Aya finished tying up Lee in silence, with only the occasional grunt of effort as she pulled certain parts of the rope tight against Lee. Suzume watched in awed silence as her twin tied up the general. When Aya was done, Suzume leapt to her feet, swayed, fell down, jumped up again, and moved to help Aya pull/lift/drag Lee out of the tent. They propped Lee up in front of the soldiery, letting them get a good long look. "*Hick*What do you *hick* think boys?" Suzume's asked in her drunken and slurred voice. "*Hick*Take a good *Hick* look. *Hick* But don't touch. *Hick*" she continued.
As the hooping and hollering from the soldiery continued, DragonierMan shrugged at Yasu. "Myself? Not really. I prefer it when they aren't tied up. But..." he said as he steadied Sparks. "Looks like our new comrade here is enjoying himself." He then looked at Yasu square in the eye. "Why? Doing anything for you? Maybe you could show General Lee how it is done," he suggested, especially after a lone voice cried out to cheer on Yasu. "Sounds like at least one person thinks you can."
He got up, moving Sparks over to Sake and sitting him down next to her, and then exited the tent. He raised his hands up to take in the accolades before addressing the crowd. "My fellow soldiers of the Shogunate. General Lee has rewarded all of us with her sexiness, don't you agree? I now also request of the great General Yasu, a real beauty in her own right, to come forth and also show her own support for you fine people!" He turned towards the tent. "General Yasu, if you would please show off your well sculpted self. I would think that the troops would also appreciate seeing a model of beauty and poise."
As the hooping and hollering from the soldiery continued, DragonierMan shrugged at Yasu. "Myself? Not really. I prefer it when they aren't tied up. But..." he said as he steadied Sparks. "Looks like our new comrade here is enjoying himself." He then looked at Yasu square in the eye. "Why? Doing anything for you? Maybe you could show General Lee how it is done," he suggested, especially after a lone voice cried out to cheer on Yasu. "Sounds like at least one person thinks you can."
He got up, moving Sparks over to Sake and sitting him down next to her, and then exited the tent. He raised his hands up to take in the accolades before addressing the crowd. "My fellow soldiers of the Shogunate. General Lee has rewarded all of us with her sexiness, don't you agree? I now also request of the great General Yasu, a real beauty in her own right, to come forth and also show her own support for you fine people!" He turned towards the tent. "General Yasu, if you would please show off your well sculpted self. I would think that the troops would also appreciate seeing a model of beauty and poise."
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:Hmph... It's all well and good to have fun on General Lee's missions, but know that I am not nearly so lenient on the foolish shenanigans that those of your gender tend to get up to," Yasu griped, sounding like she was not thrilled by the prospect. Lee looked over her shoulders to Spark, her eyes smiling and her face blushing a bit as she saw his reaction. Noticing, Yasu snarled disapprovingly. "No drooling over your superiors... What kind of a cartoon character male drools over a woman in bondage?" she murmured, resting her cheek on her fist with a grumpy frown. She snapped her fingers a few times, realizing that he wasn't even hearing her, as his attention was narrowly focused elsewhere.
"You gotta hiccup in moderation- hic! Hiccup too much and it loses its charm," Sake warned Suzume, leaning out from behind one of the tent flaps. "Hic!" That criticism aside, everyone seemed to be 'in the mood' so to speak.
Yasu seemed to be listening to DragonierMan somewhat closely, even before he got around to mentioning her. As soon as he did, her eye shot back away from him. "I-Idiot... I don't know anything about this sort of thing," she protested, closing her eyes and lowering her head. Only once he walked back out did she raise her hand to watch him again. The crowd cheered, showing a newfound support of DragonierMan, who had shown he was capable of spreading around the unique luck that only he seemed to enjoy sometimes. Yasu, however, looked alarmed at his suggestion and stood back up. "You fool! It is not befitting-!" she began, seeming enraged, before noting that the entire crowd had started booing her. She grit her teeth for a moment, then crossed her arms and regarded him severely. "If you must do a mission to earn Lee's spectacle, then you'll have to earn mine as well. Prove yourself again, and maybe, I'll grant you your request," she finished, raising her chin proudly. The crowd was still mostly booing, but one person was cheering loudly, at least. It was probably easy to guess who it was.
"Mrffrmffrmff!" Lee joked, but there was no telling what she was saying. It was apparent she'd rolled her eyes at the first general though. Yasu slapped the back of her head, causing her to fall forward and over. "Oomf!"
Sake laughed, then waved over to Aya. "That's probably enough for our accommodating general, don't you think?" she suggested, presumably referring to the bondage. At the same time, she was still filling the cups.
"... What is going on down there?" Kama asked again, her eyebrows low and her eyes narrow.
"Please be patient! We're about through here," Yasu sighed, waving her arms to indicate the crowd needed to disperse.
"You gotta hiccup in moderation- hic! Hiccup too much and it loses its charm," Sake warned Suzume, leaning out from behind one of the tent flaps. "Hic!" That criticism aside, everyone seemed to be 'in the mood' so to speak.
Yasu seemed to be listening to DragonierMan somewhat closely, even before he got around to mentioning her. As soon as he did, her eye shot back away from him. "I-Idiot... I don't know anything about this sort of thing," she protested, closing her eyes and lowering her head. Only once he walked back out did she raise her hand to watch him again. The crowd cheered, showing a newfound support of DragonierMan, who had shown he was capable of spreading around the unique luck that only he seemed to enjoy sometimes. Yasu, however, looked alarmed at his suggestion and stood back up. "You fool! It is not befitting-!" she began, seeming enraged, before noting that the entire crowd had started booing her. She grit her teeth for a moment, then crossed her arms and regarded him severely. "If you must do a mission to earn Lee's spectacle, then you'll have to earn mine as well. Prove yourself again, and maybe, I'll grant you your request," she finished, raising her chin proudly. The crowd was still mostly booing, but one person was cheering loudly, at least. It was probably easy to guess who it was.
"Mrffrmffrmff!" Lee joked, but there was no telling what she was saying. It was apparent she'd rolled her eyes at the first general though. Yasu slapped the back of her head, causing her to fall forward and over. "Oomf!"
Sake laughed, then waved over to Aya. "That's probably enough for our accommodating general, don't you think?" she suggested, presumably referring to the bondage. At the same time, she was still filling the cups.
"... What is going on down there?" Kama asked again, her eyebrows low and her eyes narrow.
"Please be patient! We're about through here," Yasu sighed, waving her arms to indicate the crowd needed to disperse.
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DragonierMan turned to Yasu, "I'll hold you to that!" he shouted over the booing. He gave a motion with his hand and Aya brandished a shining knife, slicing through the bondage ropes in a quick flourish. As the pieces of knotted rope dropped to the ground, they dissipated into the ether like deleted viruses. Lee was unharmed by the quick knife-work, not getting a single scratch on her. "You were saying?" she asked Lee as the rope gagging her disappeared.
"Ok boys, looks like this party is winding down. I know, I know, bummer right? Well it's time for us to start Round 2 of the party!" she said as she moved into the crowd with a swaying, drunken walk. "Where do you guys go when you are just hanging out after shifts anyways?" she asked them as she led/followed the crowd to the next event, leaving the rest of the NS generals/subordinates in/outside the tent. "I'll go with her and keep us out of trouble," Aya said before rushing off to join her sister in a night of frivolity.
Drago turned back to the group and headed back into the tent. He went over to Sparks and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to head out now to spend this hard-won reward. You enjoy the party. And when you are back in the field, give me a ring. I feel like I need to go hunting for some hapless viruses. We should continue our conversation on the field of battle while we are surrounded by a mountain of corpses." With that said, he took one more swig of sake and strode out into the camp to prepare for another busting run.
"Ok boys, looks like this party is winding down. I know, I know, bummer right? Well it's time for us to start Round 2 of the party!" she said as she moved into the crowd with a swaying, drunken walk. "Where do you guys go when you are just hanging out after shifts anyways?" she asked them as she led/followed the crowd to the next event, leaving the rest of the NS generals/subordinates in/outside the tent. "I'll go with her and keep us out of trouble," Aya said before rushing off to join her sister in a night of frivolity.
Drago turned back to the group and headed back into the tent. He went over to Sparks and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to head out now to spend this hard-won reward. You enjoy the party. And when you are back in the field, give me a ring. I feel like I need to go hunting for some hapless viruses. We should continue our conversation on the field of battle while we are surrounded by a mountain of corpses." With that said, he took one more swig of sake and strode out into the camp to prepare for another busting run.
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Drago freed the general from her bondage, right as Sparks walked up to stand beside him. "You were on the beautiful side already, but the ropes added a certain appeal that I couldn't take my eye off." He spoke aloud, maybe it was the words of a drunken samurai, or they were sincere compliments, it was hard to tell at the moment. "Hope it wasn't unpleasant for you Lee."
Sparks gave Yasu a piercing look over as he imagined what she'd be like in her on rope bound predicament, but quickly shook it off as Drago was ready to move on to another satisfying activity. With a fantastica poetically worded offer, Drago requested Sparks join him for a little post mission virus busting. "That sounds like a fantastic plan!" The samurai was still loud as the influence of alcohol hindered his volume control. Not ignorant to the fact that the sake had taken a drunken effect on him, he continued, "I will go walk this intoxication off, while you are taking care of your shopping. We will link up later..."
DragoneirMan strolled out the camp, while Sparks finished any business he had, before heading out to take care of something before his inevitable team up with The knight, in the very near future.
Sparks gave Yasu a piercing look over as he imagined what she'd be like in her on rope bound predicament, but quickly shook it off as Drago was ready to move on to another satisfying activity. With a fantastica poetically worded offer, Drago requested Sparks join him for a little post mission virus busting. "That sounds like a fantastic plan!" The samurai was still loud as the influence of alcohol hindered his volume control. Not ignorant to the fact that the sake had taken a drunken effect on him, he continued, "I will go walk this intoxication off, while you are taking care of your shopping. We will link up later..."
DragoneirMan strolled out the camp, while Sparks finished any business he had, before heading out to take care of something before his inevitable team up with The knight, in the very near future.
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((Sparks gets:
27 DragonierMan FXP
21 Sake FXP
24 Lee FXP
1 Vee FXP
2 Yasu FXP
4 Kama FXP
5 ReservoirMan FXP
DragonierMan gets:
27 Sparks FXP
7 Sake FXP
17 Lee FXP
3 Vee FXP
4 Yasu FXP
14 Kama FXP))
27 DragonierMan FXP
21 Sake FXP
24 Lee FXP
1 Vee FXP
2 Yasu FXP
4 Kama FXP
5 ReservoirMan FXP
DragonierMan gets:
27 Sparks FXP
7 Sake FXP
17 Lee FXP
3 Vee FXP
4 Yasu FXP
14 Kama FXP))
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((From ACDC))
A flash of cyan materialized several hundred feet in the air just past the outskirts of the NeoShogunate encampment, which rapidly faded and revealed a dark colored, angular Navi in its place. Mach quickly caged his bearings then eased his aerodynamic body into a smoothly diving turn to circle the encampment. He wanted to take a few moments to get an idea of what's changed from a birds-eye view; expansion of the encampment, signs of battle, upgraded tech, etc., as well as see what the NS would do with the unannounced arrival of an airborne bogey at close proximity. Yasu and the Shogun had seen him in this form, but it wasn't known if the rest of the Shogunate was aware of his new appearance, or his resignation from the empire.
He tried to make slow orbit around the encampment as he descended, with the intent of making around 2 full orbits before he aimed to touch down just inside the camp's front gate.
A flash of cyan materialized several hundred feet in the air just past the outskirts of the NeoShogunate encampment, which rapidly faded and revealed a dark colored, angular Navi in its place. Mach quickly caged his bearings then eased his aerodynamic body into a smoothly diving turn to circle the encampment. He wanted to take a few moments to get an idea of what's changed from a birds-eye view; expansion of the encampment, signs of battle, upgraded tech, etc., as well as see what the NS would do with the unannounced arrival of an airborne bogey at close proximity. Yasu and the Shogun had seen him in this form, but it wasn't known if the rest of the Shogunate was aware of his new appearance, or his resignation from the empire.
He tried to make slow orbit around the encampment as he descended, with the intent of making around 2 full orbits before he aimed to touch down just inside the camp's front gate.
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MachMan's inspection would reveal that the camp itself hadn't changed much; there appeared to be a few more NS subordinate tents set up now and repairs from all ROT conflict seemed to be complete, but other than that, everything was familiar. Well, almost everything. The one thing that stood out more than anything was the giant woman sitting on one side of the camp, so large that she'd have a hard time stepping around inside without smashing a tent under her feet. Although she was dressed in full ninja garb (actual ninja garb, rather than the interesting but not so functional version some of the NS wore), it didn't do much to hide a bodacious and gigantic body. A bit of red flesh was visible, at the slit where her stern yellow eyes showed through her garb. Small (relatively speaking) horns extended from the hood as well. There was really no way to avoid catching her eye immediately; she looked to her side and, seemingly, spoke to someone else nearby. "Someone you know?" she asked, in a booming whisper.
There was a pause while the target of her address responded, then said target appeared: it was a pair of intimidating women... or, well, they would be intimidating, if one wasn't carrying the other with a hug around the waist to allow her to fly. The green-armored Yasu was flying towards MachMan, being carried by the considerable strength of the orange-suited, gold armored Roc. "Who the heck is that?" Roc asked, narrowing her eyes behind the orange, hooked visor that extended from her helmet.
"MachMan," Yasu answered, although she looked almost just as perplexed to see him as Roc did. "It's good to see you again, my comrade," she called out, showing that she still considered him as such. "This is a rather uncomfortable way to talk. Please join me alongside Kama, the ninja, over there. We were just speaking to her about an assignment we'd like her to undertake, and I imagine you have business as well. We can discuss it together, unless it's something that needs to be said privately?" she asked.
"Woah! Where the hell have you been?! I can't keep the dang 'Air Squad' together by myself! Skywriter and Pest are basically both paperweights next to you and me anyways, so when you disappeared, it was really just me!" she complained. "If they didn't need me so much, I'd have just hung it up and left. Haven't been able to do a damn thing without you here."
Yasu gave a stormy frown that showed that she was just as unhappy about the state of the Aerial Squadron as Roc was, or more so. "Well, we can discuss that in time. For now, follow, MachMan. And perhaps you can tell us why you've come?"
"What's with the new look?" Roc asked, showing her sharp teeth in a grin as she did. "I like it! Makes you look tougher."
"... Please stop interrupting and let MachMan explain why he's here," Yasu grumbled. If MachMan did as he was asked, the group would fly over to where Kama was still seated. The ninja would also wait patiently to let them talk, being either very polite or very quiet. The fact that she hadn't introduced herself yet might imply she was a bit of an introvert, albeit a giant introvert.
There was a pause while the target of her address responded, then said target appeared: it was a pair of intimidating women... or, well, they would be intimidating, if one wasn't carrying the other with a hug around the waist to allow her to fly. The green-armored Yasu was flying towards MachMan, being carried by the considerable strength of the orange-suited, gold armored Roc. "Who the heck is that?" Roc asked, narrowing her eyes behind the orange, hooked visor that extended from her helmet.
"MachMan," Yasu answered, although she looked almost just as perplexed to see him as Roc did. "It's good to see you again, my comrade," she called out, showing that she still considered him as such. "This is a rather uncomfortable way to talk. Please join me alongside Kama, the ninja, over there. We were just speaking to her about an assignment we'd like her to undertake, and I imagine you have business as well. We can discuss it together, unless it's something that needs to be said privately?" she asked.
"Woah! Where the hell have you been?! I can't keep the dang 'Air Squad' together by myself! Skywriter and Pest are basically both paperweights next to you and me anyways, so when you disappeared, it was really just me!" she complained. "If they didn't need me so much, I'd have just hung it up and left. Haven't been able to do a damn thing without you here."
Yasu gave a stormy frown that showed that she was just as unhappy about the state of the Aerial Squadron as Roc was, or more so. "Well, we can discuss that in time. For now, follow, MachMan. And perhaps you can tell us why you've come?"
"What's with the new look?" Roc asked, showing her sharp teeth in a grin as she did. "I like it! Makes you look tougher."
"... Please stop interrupting and let MachMan explain why he's here," Yasu grumbled. If MachMan did as he was asked, the group would fly over to where Kama was still seated. The ninja would also wait patiently to let them talk, being either very polite or very quiet. The fact that she hadn't introduced herself yet might imply she was a bit of an introvert, albeit a giant introvert.
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Mach expected a few changes, but a multi-story tall ninja wasn't one of them. He'd seen colossal programs before, namely TerrorMan and the Spectre, but not one like the one that sat below. ["New muscle?"] Mazer pondered aloud, and was slightly impressed the Navi seemed to keep relatively normal proportions even at her size.
Mach and the giant ninja's glances met, making it obvious he was detected, but the gargantuan woman's casual reaction prevented any alarm bells from going off in Mach's head. This remained the case as he identified the two inbound programs as Yasu, being carried by Roc. He continued to slow as the pair approached, so he was in a gentle cruise next to them as they spoke. He hesitated to reply to the general's rather chipper attitude, by Yasu standards, but Roc jumped in with a complaint that gave both Mazer and himself some idea what happened to their former squad in their absence. Yasu's reaction spoke nearly as loudly, though she didn't initially say a word. Mazer wasn't surprised by the reaction; from what he'd seen, Roc was less "precision tool" and more "blunt instrument," but he was glad the squad stayed more-or-less intact.
Mach gradually banked towards the giant woman, apparently named Kama, per Yasu's direction and prepared to land. "I... still owe much to the Empire, General," Mach's mildly gravelly voice emanated from the unseen speakers on his fuselage, with the faint graininess from a voice being transmitted via radio. He would elaborate more, specifically how he resigned from the empire and wanted to make amends, but Roc's comments suggested his disappearance wasn't fully explained. ["Hm, guess she doesn't know about BrainMan's scheme, I bet Yasu would want to keep it that way,"] Mazer advised via their private line, to which Mach silently concurred before continuing.
"I must get stronger, so if the Shogun can use me, I'm here to serve," he declared as they came in to land. He widened his stance slightly before the two-toed skids of his feet touched down, and his knees bent mechanically to absorb the "impact" of the soft landing. His engines, which were already muffled to a relaxed hiss, died down to eventual silence as the turbines in his large engine nacelles winded down. He turned to face Roc and Yasu after he touched down, his opaque dark-cyan cockpit still obscuring his face and his spindly mechanical arms hanging straight down at his sides. "To answer your question, Roc," Mach began and trailed off slightly as he raised his right hand, then flexed and balled his fingers into a fist for a moment, making quiet chirps and scrapes of metal-on-metal. "It was... necessity," he continued, not exactly referring to which of the two questions Roc directed towards the Navi, though it seemed to answer both. He relaxed his fingers and moved his arm back to his side, awaiting Yasu's response.
((Request SP Mission [and "rejoin" NS]))
Mach and the giant ninja's glances met, making it obvious he was detected, but the gargantuan woman's casual reaction prevented any alarm bells from going off in Mach's head. This remained the case as he identified the two inbound programs as Yasu, being carried by Roc. He continued to slow as the pair approached, so he was in a gentle cruise next to them as they spoke. He hesitated to reply to the general's rather chipper attitude, by Yasu standards, but Roc jumped in with a complaint that gave both Mazer and himself some idea what happened to their former squad in their absence. Yasu's reaction spoke nearly as loudly, though she didn't initially say a word. Mazer wasn't surprised by the reaction; from what he'd seen, Roc was less "precision tool" and more "blunt instrument," but he was glad the squad stayed more-or-less intact.
Mach gradually banked towards the giant woman, apparently named Kama, per Yasu's direction and prepared to land. "I... still owe much to the Empire, General," Mach's mildly gravelly voice emanated from the unseen speakers on his fuselage, with the faint graininess from a voice being transmitted via radio. He would elaborate more, specifically how he resigned from the empire and wanted to make amends, but Roc's comments suggested his disappearance wasn't fully explained. ["Hm, guess she doesn't know about BrainMan's scheme, I bet Yasu would want to keep it that way,"] Mazer advised via their private line, to which Mach silently concurred before continuing.
"I must get stronger, so if the Shogun can use me, I'm here to serve," he declared as they came in to land. He widened his stance slightly before the two-toed skids of his feet touched down, and his knees bent mechanically to absorb the "impact" of the soft landing. His engines, which were already muffled to a relaxed hiss, died down to eventual silence as the turbines in his large engine nacelles winded down. He turned to face Roc and Yasu after he touched down, his opaque dark-cyan cockpit still obscuring his face and his spindly mechanical arms hanging straight down at his sides. "To answer your question, Roc," Mach began and trailed off slightly as he raised his right hand, then flexed and balled his fingers into a fist for a moment, making quiet chirps and scrapes of metal-on-metal. "It was... necessity," he continued, not exactly referring to which of the two questions Roc directed towards the Navi, though it seemed to answer both. He relaxed his fingers and moved his arm back to his side, awaiting Yasu's response.
((Request SP Mission [and "rejoin" NS]))
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"Ha," Yasu laughed dryly, perhaps trying to be amicable but finding that it didn't come easy. "You know I appreciate your praise of the Shogun more than anyone, but there is no need for modesty. Everything the Empire has granted you has been your just reward for the exemplary work you've completed for all our sakes," she retorted planting her feet firmly and seeming happy to have boots on the ground again once Roc released her. She might be a proponent of the aerial squadron, but it was unlikely she'd be signing up for a position any time soon.
"Necessity, huh?" Roc asked, a further question rumbling in her throat but staying down. "Alright..."
Yasu looked up to Kama and raised one arm. "Kama, you have your orders. Please leave us while we conduct business," she instructed. The giant ninja nodded and did just that pressing her hands together and then vanishing in a plume of smoke so large and sudden, it would look like the aftermath of a high-powered bomb. Yasu waved away the smoke from her face with a grumpy frown, then continued. "I'm sure you'll have the chance to work with her in the future, but I have a mission for you that is not exactly catered to a person of her stature."
"Sweet, no way am I missing out. Now that my sister's safe and I can do what I want, I can't wait to take out some more flying tanks!" Roc agreed, showing her sharp teeth.
"... I'm not entirely certain you're suited for this either, Roc," she sighed, then continued before the other lady could object. "Let's discuss the upcoming mission, MachMan. As you may or may not know, the Neo-Shogun Empire has been experiencing a lot of trouble recently in the form of imitators, or those we assume to be imitators because they do not corroborate with our own soldiers' reports... so far, these have mostly turned out to be harmless coincidences, like our soldiers sight-seeing at some lake, or in one case, a bizarre trick, where a widespread illusion was used to create the appearance of our forces running recruitment drills. However, whenever these instances pop up, we are obligated to pursue immediately... I'm sure you can guess why," she frowned, pausing if he'd like to guess. Regardless, she'd explain anyway if he waited a moment. "There are still remnants of the mind-controlled Neo-Shogun soldiers under BrainMan's influence somewhere out there, unless he happened to deactivate them. I doubt he would, since, seemingly, embedded in them were the only pieces of his own body remaining, which would mean they were the only way he was still 'alive.' Whatever the case, we must take any appearances of imitators seriously, as it could be related to those missing soldiers."
"Putting me to sleep..." Roc yawned. "Do I got a part in this or what?"
"Patience," Yasu instructed, tapping her fingers up and down upon her bicep in a way that looked a little impatient itself. "It gets worse. I have been keeping a close eye within in our organization, despite our message of trust for one's fellow officer, because there could be other remnants of BrainMan hidden within. Doing this, I have come across a startling discovery: Skywriter, seeming to take avenues to avoid detection by myself, but failing to evade Survey's discrete monitoring, has been sneaking off to Electown Net to some sort of event. I managed to trail her once and found that she's attending a large gathering of Neo-Shogun imitators, for whatever reason, dressed as our officers and soldiers, some even as the shogun. I don't know the purpose of the gathering... it is confusing, but, to me, seems exceedingly sinister. She evaded my questions when I attempted to ask about it, which only makes me more suspicious. At any rate... I tried pursuing in .GMO, but the gathering is inside a concealed building and the gatekeeper requires any .GMOs to be deactivated before entry. I may have been able to infiltrate another way, but it seemed... ill-advised."
"My plan was to send in Vee; as a ninja, she's especially well-suited for infiltration, and beyond that, she volunteered once I explained the situation to my four generals. I'd like to send you as well. You're the most familiar with Skywriter, being her commander, MachMan, and seeing as you oversaw her recruitment. There's another advantage: if this is indeed your real form now, then that means you won't be recognizable to her or anyone else when you go through the GMO wiper. Roc, you can go as well, but I'd like to keep you on surveillance outside of their facility. If MachMan calls you, you answer, but otherwise, you just monitor the situation and let MachMan know if anything changes-"
"Bullcrap! That's a sucky assignment," Roc complained, immediately drawing Yasu's ire.
"Roc, that sort of indiscretion is why I cannot trust you to enter the building with MachMan," the other lady grunted. "MachMan, your mission will be twofold: to figure out if this organization poses any threat to us and, if so, inform me so that we can work on a plan for dismantling it. Additionally, I wish for you to confront Skywriter and figure out what role she has in it, though only if you can do so without jeopardizing your safety or the observation mission," the First General continued. "Those are your orders. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them, although as I said, I've never been inside the building... it's a large, dome-like structure, mostly concrete, in an urban area. It's hardly what I'd call discrete, but it is absolutely swarming with Neo-Shogun imitators. I've never seen anything quite like it."
"As I recall, you'd never seen anything quite like a plane either," Roc snickered, earning herself another intense glare. "Well, I'm ready if you are, MachMan. Not that I've got a lot to do this time around..."
"You'll meet up with Vee on site," Yasu interrupted, her one visible eye showing she was just as impatient as Roc in the matter. "As I understand, she's wearing a costume that is not a GMO... She thinks it will be convincing enough so that she can infiltrate. Their technology at the gate seemed advanced enough that such a ruse would fail, but... I trust her judgment. She must have some kind of plan," the First General shrugged. "I'm sure she'll tell you more about it, but in this case, I'm giving you control of the mission. If there are orders to be given, you'll be giving them, superseded only by my own," she finished. "As for your reward, we can guarantee you an SP base if you complete those objectives, with potential for bonuses, as usual."
"Necessity, huh?" Roc asked, a further question rumbling in her throat but staying down. "Alright..."
Yasu looked up to Kama and raised one arm. "Kama, you have your orders. Please leave us while we conduct business," she instructed. The giant ninja nodded and did just that pressing her hands together and then vanishing in a plume of smoke so large and sudden, it would look like the aftermath of a high-powered bomb. Yasu waved away the smoke from her face with a grumpy frown, then continued. "I'm sure you'll have the chance to work with her in the future, but I have a mission for you that is not exactly catered to a person of her stature."
"Sweet, no way am I missing out. Now that my sister's safe and I can do what I want, I can't wait to take out some more flying tanks!" Roc agreed, showing her sharp teeth.
"... I'm not entirely certain you're suited for this either, Roc," she sighed, then continued before the other lady could object. "Let's discuss the upcoming mission, MachMan. As you may or may not know, the Neo-Shogun Empire has been experiencing a lot of trouble recently in the form of imitators, or those we assume to be imitators because they do not corroborate with our own soldiers' reports... so far, these have mostly turned out to be harmless coincidences, like our soldiers sight-seeing at some lake, or in one case, a bizarre trick, where a widespread illusion was used to create the appearance of our forces running recruitment drills. However, whenever these instances pop up, we are obligated to pursue immediately... I'm sure you can guess why," she frowned, pausing if he'd like to guess. Regardless, she'd explain anyway if he waited a moment. "There are still remnants of the mind-controlled Neo-Shogun soldiers under BrainMan's influence somewhere out there, unless he happened to deactivate them. I doubt he would, since, seemingly, embedded in them were the only pieces of his own body remaining, which would mean they were the only way he was still 'alive.' Whatever the case, we must take any appearances of imitators seriously, as it could be related to those missing soldiers."
"Putting me to sleep..." Roc yawned. "Do I got a part in this or what?"
"Patience," Yasu instructed, tapping her fingers up and down upon her bicep in a way that looked a little impatient itself. "It gets worse. I have been keeping a close eye within in our organization, despite our message of trust for one's fellow officer, because there could be other remnants of BrainMan hidden within. Doing this, I have come across a startling discovery: Skywriter, seeming to take avenues to avoid detection by myself, but failing to evade Survey's discrete monitoring, has been sneaking off to Electown Net to some sort of event. I managed to trail her once and found that she's attending a large gathering of Neo-Shogun imitators, for whatever reason, dressed as our officers and soldiers, some even as the shogun. I don't know the purpose of the gathering... it is confusing, but, to me, seems exceedingly sinister. She evaded my questions when I attempted to ask about it, which only makes me more suspicious. At any rate... I tried pursuing in .GMO, but the gathering is inside a concealed building and the gatekeeper requires any .GMOs to be deactivated before entry. I may have been able to infiltrate another way, but it seemed... ill-advised."
"My plan was to send in Vee; as a ninja, she's especially well-suited for infiltration, and beyond that, she volunteered once I explained the situation to my four generals. I'd like to send you as well. You're the most familiar with Skywriter, being her commander, MachMan, and seeing as you oversaw her recruitment. There's another advantage: if this is indeed your real form now, then that means you won't be recognizable to her or anyone else when you go through the GMO wiper. Roc, you can go as well, but I'd like to keep you on surveillance outside of their facility. If MachMan calls you, you answer, but otherwise, you just monitor the situation and let MachMan know if anything changes-"
"Bullcrap! That's a sucky assignment," Roc complained, immediately drawing Yasu's ire.
"Roc, that sort of indiscretion is why I cannot trust you to enter the building with MachMan," the other lady grunted. "MachMan, your mission will be twofold: to figure out if this organization poses any threat to us and, if so, inform me so that we can work on a plan for dismantling it. Additionally, I wish for you to confront Skywriter and figure out what role she has in it, though only if you can do so without jeopardizing your safety or the observation mission," the First General continued. "Those are your orders. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them, although as I said, I've never been inside the building... it's a large, dome-like structure, mostly concrete, in an urban area. It's hardly what I'd call discrete, but it is absolutely swarming with Neo-Shogun imitators. I've never seen anything quite like it."
"As I recall, you'd never seen anything quite like a plane either," Roc snickered, earning herself another intense glare. "Well, I'm ready if you are, MachMan. Not that I've got a lot to do this time around..."
"You'll meet up with Vee on site," Yasu interrupted, her one visible eye showing she was just as impatient as Roc in the matter. "As I understand, she's wearing a costume that is not a GMO... She thinks it will be convincing enough so that she can infiltrate. Their technology at the gate seemed advanced enough that such a ruse would fail, but... I trust her judgment. She must have some kind of plan," the First General shrugged. "I'm sure she'll tell you more about it, but in this case, I'm giving you control of the mission. If there are orders to be given, you'll be giving them, superseded only by my own," she finished. "As for your reward, we can guarantee you an SP base if you complete those objectives, with potential for bonuses, as usual."
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Mach didn't protest Yasu's diffusal of his "debt" with the Shogunate, and left it at that. If anything, the general's statement was something to hold over their heads if he was ever in the Shogunate's debt. He peered up at Kama as she disappeared in what seemed more like an explosion than a stereotypically ninja-esque departure, but his armor and opaque canopy made him retain a statuesque stillness in his posture. He didn't bother waving away the smoke, the targeting system projected in his HUD did quite well to keep his allies identified and annotated with green X-marked squares in his vision, indicating the suggestion that they're programs that shouldn't be fired upon.
He'd previously just glanced to Yasu with his good eye when she mentioned the theoretical partnership with Kama, but turned and faced Yasu directly as she began to detail the mission at hand. He swiveled and clunked into place, then stood with an almost unnerving stillness. His replacement limbs were tireless yet numb; there were no "comfortable" positions nor gestures that seemed natural, so his legs remained planted at shoulder width (well, where his normal shoulders would be located, not the large engine nacelles in their place) while his arms remained down at his sides. Both he and his NetOp listened to Yasu's briefing, and remained silent throughout. Yasu paused with the rhetorical question of "I'm sure you can guess why," to which Mach responded only with silence. He could be whistling to himself and looking around, but Yasu would be none the wiser thanks to his current form.
In reality, he simply listened, while his lone eye looked at Yasu's own. "Support Program? I have no need for-" ["Hang on, Mach,"] Mazer's voice cut in through their private channel, cutting off Mach's abrupt, gravelly, and seemingly insulted response to the reward. ["Think about this. You want to get stronger, for their sake. A support program can help you get there,"] Mazer pleaded; meeting Aera was nearly fatal, and getting Vector was a close second, having a SP base offered for something that looked like a simple infiltration mission was too good to pass up. [[color=blue]"No..."[/color]] Mach responded via their private line, not making a sound to the outside "world." ["I know, Mach... it won't replace them, and I wouldn't dare try to make one that could... But it can help you, don't waste this chance,"] Mazer continued to urge his Navi.
Mach took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he contemplated for a moment, then resumed the conversation with Yasu. "Very well, I appreciate your, and the Shogun's, generosity," Mach replied with a notable grittiness to his voice, as if he was talking through his teeth. This noise seemed to taper off as he addressed the mission particulars, though his tone became cold at best. "Since I'm an 'unknown' with no affiliation, I can 'dismantle' the gathering, Skywriter included, without being traced back to the Shogunate. If they're a threat, do I have permission to eliminate them, if I deem it necessary?" Mach asked. ["Wait, you'd attack Skywriter, of all 'people'?"] Mazer asked incredulously. [[color=blue]"I hesitated before. I won't hesitate again. If she stands in my way, I won't hold back,"[/color]] he responded coldly over their comm line. ["I don't like this..."] Mazer murmured with one hand clasped over his mouth. [[color=blue]"Neither do I. Deal with it,"[/color]] Mach retorted before he shifted his focus back to Yasu and Roc.
"I'm ready, General; send me the coordinates. Roc, I agree with the General, you'll maintain overwatch; I don't want reinforcements creeping in without us knowing," he declared, without having shifted his position at all since Kama's smoky departure. He followed up with a private message to Roc herself. [[color=blue]"If things get ugly, I'll call you in.[/color]] he warned with a cold matter-of-factness in his voice.
He'd previously just glanced to Yasu with his good eye when she mentioned the theoretical partnership with Kama, but turned and faced Yasu directly as she began to detail the mission at hand. He swiveled and clunked into place, then stood with an almost unnerving stillness. His replacement limbs were tireless yet numb; there were no "comfortable" positions nor gestures that seemed natural, so his legs remained planted at shoulder width (well, where his normal shoulders would be located, not the large engine nacelles in their place) while his arms remained down at his sides. Both he and his NetOp listened to Yasu's briefing, and remained silent throughout. Yasu paused with the rhetorical question of "I'm sure you can guess why," to which Mach responded only with silence. He could be whistling to himself and looking around, but Yasu would be none the wiser thanks to his current form.
In reality, he simply listened, while his lone eye looked at Yasu's own. "Support Program? I have no need for-" ["Hang on, Mach,"] Mazer's voice cut in through their private channel, cutting off Mach's abrupt, gravelly, and seemingly insulted response to the reward. ["Think about this. You want to get stronger, for their sake. A support program can help you get there,"] Mazer pleaded; meeting Aera was nearly fatal, and getting Vector was a close second, having a SP base offered for something that looked like a simple infiltration mission was too good to pass up. [[color=blue]"No..."[/color]] Mach responded via their private line, not making a sound to the outside "world." ["I know, Mach... it won't replace them, and I wouldn't dare try to make one that could... But it can help you, don't waste this chance,"] Mazer continued to urge his Navi.
Mach took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he contemplated for a moment, then resumed the conversation with Yasu. "Very well, I appreciate your, and the Shogun's, generosity," Mach replied with a notable grittiness to his voice, as if he was talking through his teeth. This noise seemed to taper off as he addressed the mission particulars, though his tone became cold at best. "Since I'm an 'unknown' with no affiliation, I can 'dismantle' the gathering, Skywriter included, without being traced back to the Shogunate. If they're a threat, do I have permission to eliminate them, if I deem it necessary?" Mach asked. ["Wait, you'd attack Skywriter, of all 'people'?"] Mazer asked incredulously. [[color=blue]"I hesitated before. I won't hesitate again. If she stands in my way, I won't hold back,"[/color]] he responded coldly over their comm line. ["I don't like this..."] Mazer murmured with one hand clasped over his mouth. [[color=blue]"Neither do I. Deal with it,"[/color]] Mach retorted before he shifted his focus back to Yasu and Roc.
"I'm ready, General; send me the coordinates. Roc, I agree with the General, you'll maintain overwatch; I don't want reinforcements creeping in without us knowing," he declared, without having shifted his position at all since Kama's smoky departure. He followed up with a private message to Roc herself. [[color=blue]"If things get ugly, I'll call you in.[/color]] he warned with a cold matter-of-factness in his voice.
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Yasu nodded along with MachMan's requests, then suddenly opened back up her visible eye, contracting her brow downward with a momentarily critical glare that she worked to correct. "You can dismantle the gathering if you must, and if the opportunity arises, but Skywriter is not to be considered expendable. In the worst case, she's probably being controlled by BrainMan, in which case there should be some piece of him you can remove to return her to her senses. If you suspect there is any such implement, I'd ask that you remove it, but there should be no reason to take out Skywriter," she responded quickly, seeming frustrated that she was having to explain that aspect to him.
Even Roc looked somewhat surprised, or perhaps just dumbly confused, hanging her jaw open a bit to show her sharp teeth. It was an expression Aera would have been more familiar with then he would, though. "Hey, you know she'd probably blow you if you asked her too, right? You're gonna smoke a girl like that?" Roc asked, scratching her neck with one oversized talon. "That's uh, pretty unusual for guys, isn't it?"
"That's enough, Roc," Yasu grumbled. "But yes, consider that an executive order: do not engage Skywriter with the intent to delete."
Roc shrugged, then gave a nod in response to both his overt order and his covert message.
"Good enough. These are the Electown Net coordinates. With any luck, this will turn out to be an easy mission, perfect for your re-acclimation. Though things never seem to be quite so simple, do they?" Yasu finished, with no smile in her voice. She gave a salute by pressing one fist to her breastplate. "Good luck on your mission. If you need anything from me, send me a message, though... that's been unreliable lately," she grumbled, remembering some events from other recent missions she'd doled out. "Another good reason to keep Roc watching the outside, I suppose."
"Let's get goin' already!" Roc concurred, vanishing off the net in a plume of flames, which swirled into the shape of a funnel of feathers before dissipating.
((Topic opening soon in Electown Net))
Even Roc looked somewhat surprised, or perhaps just dumbly confused, hanging her jaw open a bit to show her sharp teeth. It was an expression Aera would have been more familiar with then he would, though. "Hey, you know she'd probably blow you if you asked her too, right? You're gonna smoke a girl like that?" Roc asked, scratching her neck with one oversized talon. "That's uh, pretty unusual for guys, isn't it?"
"That's enough, Roc," Yasu grumbled. "But yes, consider that an executive order: do not engage Skywriter with the intent to delete."
Roc shrugged, then gave a nod in response to both his overt order and his covert message.
"Good enough. These are the Electown Net coordinates. With any luck, this will turn out to be an easy mission, perfect for your re-acclimation. Though things never seem to be quite so simple, do they?" Yasu finished, with no smile in her voice. She gave a salute by pressing one fist to her breastplate. "Good luck on your mission. If you need anything from me, send me a message, though... that's been unreliable lately," she grumbled, remembering some events from other recent missions she'd doled out. "Another good reason to keep Roc watching the outside, I suppose."
"Let's get goin' already!" Roc concurred, vanishing off the net in a plume of flames, which swirled into the shape of a funnel of feathers before dissipating.
((Topic opening soon in Electown Net))
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MachMan remained deathly still throughout Yasu's response to his request, with a notable tone of admonishment. He didn't react nor respond to Roc's comment; though Roc's opinion of Skywriter's level of infatuation with him was likely exaggerated, it was obvious she had feelings for him. She wasn't even deterred when... when Aera was around. He exhaled heavily, though the noise and movement was concealed by his armor, to keep his cool.
"Understood, General," he responded coldly after getting the order to not delete Skywriter, and received the coordinates via direct link. He returned Yasu's salute with a bow, giving the general a slightly brief view of his very aircraft-like upper profile, including the emblem-painted ruddervators. "Thank you, and noted, General."
His eye darted to Roc as she departed, then stood up straight as Mazer chimed in, but this time via an open line; an "AUDIO-ONLY" status bar popped up nearby and flickered as he spoke. ["Since we'd need to get in 'under the radar,' I'd recommend a different voice/persona to avoid recognition, especially when confronting Skywriter. I'd fill in as your 'voice,' but she's heard mine before. Want to try 'Mekka' again?"] he suggested, after bringing up valid points. Mach took a couple seconds to mull it over. "I doubt, but wouldn't be surprised if Memora or the Terror Girls are there. I hate that voice, but it's our best option for now," Mach grumbled before he "turned" his voice to Yasu. "Have any other suggestions, General? Also, did they mention any crosses being deactivated prior to entry?"
Regardless of Yasu's answers, he'd take them under advisement and responded simply with "Understood, General. Heading out," which prompted Mazer to transfer the Navi. Mach disappeared in a beam of cyan that shot straight up and out of the network.
((To ElectownNet))
"Understood, General," he responded coldly after getting the order to not delete Skywriter, and received the coordinates via direct link. He returned Yasu's salute with a bow, giving the general a slightly brief view of his very aircraft-like upper profile, including the emblem-painted ruddervators. "Thank you, and noted, General."
His eye darted to Roc as she departed, then stood up straight as Mazer chimed in, but this time via an open line; an "AUDIO-ONLY" status bar popped up nearby and flickered as he spoke. ["Since we'd need to get in 'under the radar,' I'd recommend a different voice/persona to avoid recognition, especially when confronting Skywriter. I'd fill in as your 'voice,' but she's heard mine before. Want to try 'Mekka' again?"] he suggested, after bringing up valid points. Mach took a couple seconds to mull it over. "I doubt, but wouldn't be surprised if Memora or the Terror Girls are there. I hate that voice, but it's our best option for now," Mach grumbled before he "turned" his voice to Yasu. "Have any other suggestions, General? Also, did they mention any crosses being deactivated prior to entry?"
Regardless of Yasu's answers, he'd take them under advisement and responded simply with "Understood, General. Heading out," which prompted Mazer to transfer the Navi. Mach disappeared in a beam of cyan that shot straight up and out of the network.
((To ElectownNet))
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((From ACDC))
A flash of cyan appeared in the sky above the Neo Shogun Camp, followed by a similarly colored beam that crashed down to the ground. The impact point was more or less the same location from where he departed to Electown; he felt if Yasu was waiting for him, it would be there. The light quickly faded away, revealing Mach's armored, angular frame. His bluish-black armor and prosthetics were back where they needed to be, and his head was still obscured by the opaque, dark-cyan glass of his cockpit-style "helmet."
Mach's eye scanned the immediate area, and occasionally glanced down at the "radar" display in his HUD to see if anything was amiss. While his log out function managed to cleanse his program of Agony's influence, he wasn't sure if transferring from one network to another would do the same thing, nor was he sure Skywriter or the others were infected after he left. "Keep chips on standby," he warned Mazer; he didn't expect to walk into a firefight, but it pays to be prepared.
Mazer looked over to the chip "magazine" on his desk, confirming it was still ready to go, then tried to zoom his view of the netspace out slightly to give him a better "big picture" view of the encampment.
A flash of cyan appeared in the sky above the Neo Shogun Camp, followed by a similarly colored beam that crashed down to the ground. The impact point was more or less the same location from where he departed to Electown; he felt if Yasu was waiting for him, it would be there. The light quickly faded away, revealing Mach's armored, angular frame. His bluish-black armor and prosthetics were back where they needed to be, and his head was still obscured by the opaque, dark-cyan glass of his cockpit-style "helmet."
Mach's eye scanned the immediate area, and occasionally glanced down at the "radar" display in his HUD to see if anything was amiss. While his log out function managed to cleanse his program of Agony's influence, he wasn't sure if transferring from one network to another would do the same thing, nor was he sure Skywriter or the others were infected after he left. "Keep chips on standby," he warned Mazer; he didn't expect to walk into a firefight, but it pays to be prepared.
Mazer looked over to the chip "magazine" on his desk, confirming it was still ready to go, then tried to zoom his view of the netspace out slightly to give him a better "big picture" view of the encampment.
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MachMan materialized back in the Neo-Shogun Associate Headquarters, with all his pieces and parts back in tact, but thankfully, still missing one important limb: the black insect/hand that had tried that had clasped itself onto him earlier. All traces of the sensory alterations he'd been experiencing earlier appeared to be gone now, allowing him and Mazer to freely communicate if they so wished.
Thankfully, it also appeared that the others had followed him out, as per his instructions. None of them seemed to have any traces of black goo either, which was equally important. It looked as though Roc, Vee, and Skywriter were all lined up near to Yasu; as he got closer, it became apparent they were running through the mission report. The girls were still in costume, with Skywriter portraying Aera and Vee portraying Peset. Roc gave him a "Yo" and raised her hand in a wave, but it seemed she must be displaying some of her usual tone-deaf behavior, because the others were less animated. Yasu had a stormy expression on, which didn't quite match her usual "mission complete" face. Ever on Team MachMan, Skywriter gave him a primer as he approached.
Once he was close, Yasu fixed her eye on him and continued frowning. "It's good to see you each in one piece. I'll cut straight to it: we need to send someone back in to mop up the ROT factor at that convention and secure the safety of those attending. Seeing as everyone here is uninjured and aware of the situation, I believe it's only fit that we send your team back in. Time is short; I know you were recently infected and may not wish to experience Agony's tactics again, so, if you'd prefer, I'll lead your Aerial Squadron for the duration of the mission and I can pay you for your time so far. Or, if you'd prefer, you can lead the mission and I'll finish up my business with Kama, staying in touch for any communications. If you're willing to do that, I would, of course, be willing to put the original reward offer back on the table," she spoke quickly but with great gravity. It was clear she wasn't happy that the whole team had left without getting the situation in hand first; this was the tough side of Yasu that MachMan normally had the good fortune to avoid.
"First General, I'd note that MachMan was looking out for the safety of his comrades first, one of the stated goals of the Neo-Shogun Army. Together, as comrades-" Skywriter pointed out, perhaps over-eager to be helpful.
Yasu raised one hand sharply and impatiently, then let it fall. "Obviously, the citizens participating in this event, ill-planned as it may have been and with some unscrupulous activities and members, also count as our brethren. We can't afford to turn our backs on anyone, especially not those who show loyalty to our Shogun. The proper course of action would be for MachMan to retreat while the three of you took care of Agony and her minion, but the time for regret has passed and the time for decision is now. Will you go back in?" the First General asked, narrowing her eye with a serious expression.
Thankfully, it also appeared that the others had followed him out, as per his instructions. None of them seemed to have any traces of black goo either, which was equally important. It looked as though Roc, Vee, and Skywriter were all lined up near to Yasu; as he got closer, it became apparent they were running through the mission report. The girls were still in costume, with Skywriter portraying Aera and Vee portraying Peset. Roc gave him a "Yo" and raised her hand in a wave, but it seemed she must be displaying some of her usual tone-deaf behavior, because the others were less animated. Yasu had a stormy expression on, which didn't quite match her usual "mission complete" face. Ever on Team MachMan, Skywriter gave him a primer as he approached.
Quote (Skywriter)
Hey MachMan. We told Yasu about everything that happened and she doesn't like that we left the civilians. We might have to go back. She also knows that there was a strip show but that's another matter altogether, I think it's made her mood worse.
Once he was close, Yasu fixed her eye on him and continued frowning. "It's good to see you each in one piece. I'll cut straight to it: we need to send someone back in to mop up the ROT factor at that convention and secure the safety of those attending. Seeing as everyone here is uninjured and aware of the situation, I believe it's only fit that we send your team back in. Time is short; I know you were recently infected and may not wish to experience Agony's tactics again, so, if you'd prefer, I'll lead your Aerial Squadron for the duration of the mission and I can pay you for your time so far. Or, if you'd prefer, you can lead the mission and I'll finish up my business with Kama, staying in touch for any communications. If you're willing to do that, I would, of course, be willing to put the original reward offer back on the table," she spoke quickly but with great gravity. It was clear she wasn't happy that the whole team had left without getting the situation in hand first; this was the tough side of Yasu that MachMan normally had the good fortune to avoid.
"First General, I'd note that MachMan was looking out for the safety of his comrades first, one of the stated goals of the Neo-Shogun Army. Together, as comrades-" Skywriter pointed out, perhaps over-eager to be helpful.
Yasu raised one hand sharply and impatiently, then let it fall. "Obviously, the citizens participating in this event, ill-planned as it may have been and with some unscrupulous activities and members, also count as our brethren. We can't afford to turn our backs on anyone, especially not those who show loyalty to our Shogun. The proper course of action would be for MachMan to retreat while the three of you took care of Agony and her minion, but the time for regret has passed and the time for decision is now. Will you go back in?" the First General asked, narrowing her eye with a serious expression.
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While he was initially pleased with seeing all of his comrades safe and presumably "sound," their body language and Yasu's expression tempered any feelings of success. He quietly scoffed after he received Skywriter's message. [[color=blue]Seems like everyone's forgotten how to jack out...[/color]] he mentally grumbled in response to the possible command to see to the guests' evacuation, but didn't made any audible nor verbal reaction as he clunked into conversational distance. His spindly arms barely swung at his sides as he moved, then went unnaturally still once he eased to a stop. His engines were turned off as well, so his standing form was statuesque in both stillness and silence.
His eye followed Yasu, and he listened quietly to her options for moving forward. His immediate response initially was to state the fact he accomplished all objectives tasked to him by both Generals Yasu and Vee, thus earning his payment regardless of his choice, but he held back. He was trying to rejoin the Shogunate after all, and arguing over rewards when he previously said he "owed much to the empire" wasn't a fight he should start. Thankfully Skywriter jumped in to avoid an awkward pause.
With the cards on the table, and coincidentally a reassurance that Yasu was back to her normal self, MachMan finally spoke up. "Yes, General." If Yasu didn't show any resistance to his answer, or immediately belt out orders, he cut in with his own. "On log in, I'll ingress through the roof, if the passage is clear. Plan A: Assuming the event is still "on," you two walk in like any other guests, and keep a low profile. Our goal would be to coax Agony and any infected programs outside. Plan B: If the place has devolved to chaos, facilitate the patrons' escape while I engage the enemy," Mach detailed the plan in a low, gravelly voice, and shifted his upper torso to gesture towards Roc and Skywriter when he mentioned "you two."
"Don't let any infected programs make contact with you. If infected, Agony will get in your head and warp everything you hear. She didn't try to control my body, but I wouldn't put it past her. Finally, do not engage Agony; leave her to me," he continued before he shifted rotated his torso to face Vee. "General Vee, if you wish to join us, I recommend accompanying Roc and Skywriter." He doubted Vee would protest being included in the plan like anyone else, but since she technically outranked him and Yasu seemed to have a penchant for respecting the hierarchy, he left the option open. "Questions? Suggestions?"
His eye followed Yasu, and he listened quietly to her options for moving forward. His immediate response initially was to state the fact he accomplished all objectives tasked to him by both Generals Yasu and Vee, thus earning his payment regardless of his choice, but he held back. He was trying to rejoin the Shogunate after all, and arguing over rewards when he previously said he "owed much to the empire" wasn't a fight he should start. Thankfully Skywriter jumped in to avoid an awkward pause.
With the cards on the table, and coincidentally a reassurance that Yasu was back to her normal self, MachMan finally spoke up. "Yes, General." If Yasu didn't show any resistance to his answer, or immediately belt out orders, he cut in with his own. "On log in, I'll ingress through the roof, if the passage is clear. Plan A: Assuming the event is still "on," you two walk in like any other guests, and keep a low profile. Our goal would be to coax Agony and any infected programs outside. Plan B: If the place has devolved to chaos, facilitate the patrons' escape while I engage the enemy," Mach detailed the plan in a low, gravelly voice, and shifted his upper torso to gesture towards Roc and Skywriter when he mentioned "you two."
"Don't let any infected programs make contact with you. If infected, Agony will get in your head and warp everything you hear. She didn't try to control my body, but I wouldn't put it past her. Finally, do not engage Agony; leave her to me," he continued before he shifted rotated his torso to face Vee. "General Vee, if you wish to join us, I recommend accompanying Roc and Skywriter." He doubted Vee would protest being included in the plan like anyone else, but since she technically outranked him and Yasu seemed to have a penchant for respecting the hierarchy, he left the option open. "Questions? Suggestions?"
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Yasuo seemed pleased, at least, that she didn't have to defend her position of keeping him on a leash despite his carrying out the stated objectives. "That is a sound plan. Don't worry about preserving the flow of the event... Hopefully, the civilians have all had the good sense to jack out anyway. If any remain, get them out any way you need to, although it would be rather poor PR for us to attack our own fans to EJO them. I'd advise against that course of action," she grunted, as though she had some inkling MachMan was already considering that option.
The navis present listened attentively to MachMan's description of the effects of having Agony inside his head. There was only so much they'd gleaned from watching him earlier, being mostly unable to receive his warnings, so the specifics were news to them. Yasuo particularly wore a darker expression, clenching her teeth. "Well, MachMan, you have my full permission to use force and eliminate this target as completely as you're able. I have no patience for any navi who would use mind control schemes," she spat vengefully. She didn't mention the ROT, which begged the question of whether any of the others new Agony's association with them.
"I will certainly accompany you again. We'll need all the hands we can get, in case one of us is infected," Vee agreed.
Yasu nodded, implying permission. "It's probably obvious, but a ranged attack seems most appropriate here. From what you've described, even being spattered with that black substance has adverse effects. Other than that. I'm sure you'll handle tactics well by your own judgment," the First General added. "Most of all, we need to handle this quickly. Please depart immediately," she suggested, impatience evident in her tone.
((Adding another post to the other topic for setup purposes))
The navis present listened attentively to MachMan's description of the effects of having Agony inside his head. There was only so much they'd gleaned from watching him earlier, being mostly unable to receive his warnings, so the specifics were news to them. Yasuo particularly wore a darker expression, clenching her teeth. "Well, MachMan, you have my full permission to use force and eliminate this target as completely as you're able. I have no patience for any navi who would use mind control schemes," she spat vengefully. She didn't mention the ROT, which begged the question of whether any of the others new Agony's association with them.
"I will certainly accompany you again. We'll need all the hands we can get, in case one of us is infected," Vee agreed.
Yasu nodded, implying permission. "It's probably obvious, but a ranged attack seems most appropriate here. From what you've described, even being spattered with that black substance has adverse effects. Other than that. I'm sure you'll handle tactics well by your own judgment," the First General added. "Most of all, we need to handle this quickly. Please depart immediately," she suggested, impatience evident in her tone.
((Adding another post to the other topic for setup purposes))
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"Understood General, I wasn't going to hold back on her anyway," he said in response to Yasu's clearance to eliminate Agony. Thankfully he'd still have Vee, who proved to be quite useful thus far in both intel and tactical aspects. After he received his final orders, he turned back and started to spool up his engines. "Will do. You have your orders, move out," he ordered before he started to take to the sky. He didn't push his engines up to a significant amount of power until he was several dozen feet above the group, and once he began to rapidly accelerate, his body briefly shined cyan before he rocketed off in a beam of light as he was transferred back to the mission area.
((To ElecTown))
((To ElecTown))