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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 19, 2017 12:53:01 GMT -6
“My shields absorbed most of it but they shorted out afterwards. My armor barely stopped the rest. Shields are meant more for dealin’ wit’ glances than takin’ it full on. Your advantage’s mobility; stick with it. With Thrak n’ Joe making th’ most noise they’ll never see ya comin’," Lysander said.
Maelstrom tought about it. He did not necessarily agree, but there was a reason he trusted Lysander as the team's lead. He had good judgment, kept them all together, and always had everyone's backs. The past couple weeks had shown him that more than he had even known before. As the other men discussed one of the Cerberus rifles and Alliance connections, Maelstrom undid his modifications, figuring he could try to play around with the stealth generator on the Phantom armor some before reaching the base. He got the sword back out and gave it a few practice swings.
He sighed, before walkinng back over to the impromptu firing range Fischer had set up. Pulling on the gauntlet, he pointed it at the armor and yelled, "Weapon hot!"
The grouping disappointed him. It was obviously a weapon meant for a maximum effective distance on the short side of mid-range. It made sense. After all, with their cloaks, they should not have any problems with getting in close. Now Maelstrom just needed to find a discrete place for a few grenades...
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 19, 2017 21:12:06 GMT -6
Maelstrom walked off to the makeshift rifle range with a sigh. Eric felt for his friend; the shadows had been his ally ever since his initial escape from Cerberus. Lately he had to emerge to do battle with his former captors as well as the Collectors. Jonathan Hunt would be heading back into the lion’s den once more, a den populated by soldiers and officers whose own level of mistrust could rival his own. A cloaking device would only be effective to a point, even if the enemy boarding party could not easily detect it. But Maelstrom could depend upon his new circle of friends. Eric, Joseph and Meldom had snatched him and his family from their jaws not long ago. They could deliver again. But they would need to go faster and hit harder than before.
Lysander determined that the best hidden mod to try on his own armor was to retune the servos to allow a brief burst of enhanced strength and mobility, a mix between Maelstrom’s agility and Joseph and Thrak’s resilience. The tricky part was programming the suit’s omni-tool to manage the switch over when it was time. Eric was a grease and bolts mechanic. A programmer – not so much…
Perfect excuse to hit on- hit up Geneenh, thought Eric as he walked down past his locker to one of the weapons lockers to take weapons for himself and one for Emily’s use. His past experience with “cleaning up” some Cerberus bases after they had been abandoned or scuttled, raiding their logs, allowed him to recognize a few weapons. The Talon was a powerful hand pistol but only at close range; the Hornet would be more ideal for Maelstrom’s passenger to keep Cerberus hounds at a distance. Eric kept the Talon for himself and took up a Raptor rifle. A reverse engineering of a turian weapon, it was not much on stopping power but could be used as a decent enough sniper rifle as well as an assault rifle to soften up targets to be mowed down by close quarter fighters. Eric also clipped on three standard grenades along with two flash bangs and a smoker.
Opening up a couple of unclaimed lockers Eric came across a lighter version of his armor.
I think Emmy can get by with this – lessee what Mal thinks.
Carefully hoisting the armor up past the benches dividing the rows of lockers he made his way back to Maelstrom and Joseph who were still testing and adjusting their procured equipment.
“Found this and this lil’ number for th’ lil’ lady,” announced the senior N7, presenting the light armor and Hornet to Maelstrom. “Should help keep her aboard th’ Vengeance during our visit.”
[Insert response by Maelstrom]
“Say, anyone here got Genennh’s com code by any chance? Could use her help with retooling this omni-tool to work wit th’ stuff on mine,” Eric waved his suit’s device before his friends. “Get to know her better; see how good she really is. It’s a stretch but maybe she has th’ stones to help us slip in a coupla upgrades past Cerberus’ lil’ wet noses…”
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Post by Corwin Havens on Mar 19, 2017 21:29:22 GMT -6
The assassin's stared at her for a moment, blinking in surprise. He was not certain what to say to this Asari. Here she was, potentially older than everyone else on the ship put together, asking him for advice.
"Nothing as cheerful as that,," Corwin finally said. "But if you really want insight...."
Corwin took a long sip before continuing.
"There are no innocent bystanders on a mission like this. You may think there is. I don't know. If you're coming on this mission, don't have any illusions about what we're doing. We're stealing a ship being built by workers who are just trying to survive. Chances are, they will still be there checking systems or basic maintenance. It won't be all guards. Shipyards don't work that way.
Hopefully we'll arrive at the right time and causalities will be minimal."
Corwin shrugged, running his fingers through his hair.
"What's your assessment of this mission?"
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Post by Geneenh T'Loris on Mar 20, 2017 19:47:03 GMT -6
She took another sip of brandy before answering.
"I think it's the first step of a long and probably fatal journey for us," she said. "I think the Broker brought us together to execute another holding action against them, much like the Greek forces in your battle at Thermopylae. The only question is will we die at the hands of our enemies like those ancient warriors did, or can we, as you humans like to say, make lightning strike twice and succeed, just like Shepard did?"
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 20, 2017 20:23:23 GMT -6
“Found this and this lil’ number for th’ lil’ lady,” Lysander said,handing over the armor and weapons. “Should help keep her aboard th’ Vengeance during our visit.”
Maelstrom regarded the gear like a viper waiting to strike, when he thought of the largely-unknown woman. He took them, though, knowing they were necessities. "Should work. Let me run these down to her quick."
With that, he left the other men on their own.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 21, 2017 19:27:08 GMT -6
Maelstrom eyes nearly burned into the gear Eric was showing him. Then suddenly the former Cerberus inductee took the armor and weapon from him with "Should work. Let me run these down to her quick."
In another moment, he was off towards his ship and the gear’s intended recipient. Eric huffed, resting his hands on his sides and then realized he had yet to test out his own gear. And seeing that Joseph had the presence of mind – or lack of décorum- to set up a target range in the locker room…
“Okay… one side n’ let an expert operate!” the senior N7 declared as he shouldered his Raptor and took aim at the target. He studied it for a few seconds noting the spread patterns of his young counterpart’s earlier efforts. Eric’s eyes squinted; a cocksure grin took his lips as he squeezed the trigger. As expected, the impacts of the rounds were not very powerful but still pretty effective for the work that lay ahead. A few more shifts in aim, a few more squeezes and the artist completed his work.
The results, to anyone else, were merely additional holes in a piece of armor. But the effects of paredolia would make the bullet holes appear to depict a “happy face,” complete with freckles.
Eric re-engaged the safety in his Raptor and upheld it with a crooked arm, smiling at Joseph.
“… purty good, huh, Junior?”
[Paredolia – the effect of seeing patterns in objects and scenery, most notably faces]
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 22, 2017 18:21:19 GMT -6
Joe shrugged.
"If you had done it blindfolded I might've been impressed...a little bit," he said.
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Post by Corwin Havens on Mar 23, 2017 10:43:55 GMT -6
Corwin cocked an eyebrow.
"That sounds fairly dramatic," the assassin observed. "Here I thought we were only stealing a ship and doing what Maelstrom loves to do best... killing Cerberus agents."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 23, 2017 18:09:49 GMT -6
"If you had done it blindfolded I might've been impressed,” said Joseph of his senior officer’s marksmanship. “A little bit."
Eric collapsed and clipped his weapon to his backplate. “Speaking of impressions, we’d better start workin’ on ours for when the dogs come a sniffin.’ We can’t exactly fall back on the good captain Braxton even if he’s on our payroll now. He just might have a past he hasn’t brought up that could bite us in the ass at the wrong moment. So according to Mal it’s priority chop-chop and need-to-know.”
The senior N7 squinted. “Ya know, a lil’ humor in the right places could help defuse some tension. Especially if it involves krogan toilets or vorcha in floral dresses.”
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Post by Geneenh T'Loris on Mar 25, 2017 4:21:07 GMT -6
"I'm looking past that," Geneenh said. "I'm looking at the part where we use the ship to fight the Collectors--which is the wrong fight, by the way.
"We're just fighting the Reapers' pawns--assuming that they actually exist," she said. "That would make Shepard's mass murder a bit more palatable, even if only a little. At the end of the day, that's all it was. He threw those people at the Reapers in order to slow their advance, nothing more. The fact that it's batarians makes it easier as well. Had it been my people or the salarians or the turians, the Council wouldn't have been nearly as...forgiving.
"If the Broker truly wants to stop the Reapers, we have to take the fight to them," she said. "And we're going to have to fight them in a very unconventional manner. Standard ways of fighting is a waste of time that will ultimately end in our mutual destruction. We have to find their heart and cut it out, then burn it and scatter the ashes.
"To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the Broker," she said. "If we're fighting the Collectors, then he's not nearly as well-informed as he wants us to think or he has no idea how to fight a war.
"And then there's the matter of Cerberus," she said. "Right now, your people are fighting a war on two fronts. Those forces have to unite if we're going to have any chance at winning. Either the Alliance has to defeat them or merge with them, otherwise your people are doomed."
She looked over at the human and shrugged.
"Sorry," she said. "I tend to think out loud, and when I do, I tend to ramble."
She took another sip of brandy and waited for his response.
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 25, 2017 11:11:35 GMT -6
"It's not exactly what I'm used to, but thank you, Maelstrom," Emily said, with surprising warmth in her voice. "I'll keep the Vengeance safe. I promise."
"This violates several security protocols," his trusted VI, still not renamed, warned.
The objection was dismissed with a few subtle hand motions. Turning his full attention back to her, he added, "I'm not the one to thank. It was Thrak's idea, and Lysander found the gear."
"But you trusted me with it," she countered, seeming no less appreciative towards him than a moment ago. She paused. "Do we have to do this?"
"Do you want other people to go through what we did?"
She looked away. "No."
"Then we do this. Otherwise, we're sanctioning their actions."
She nodded her agreement, despite clearly being anxious.
"The crew will be with you for backup."
She nodded again.
He started back to the rear portion of the ship, towards the personal cabin that he had largely ceded to her since taking her aboard. Maelstrom rifled through the foodstuffs and found the ingredients he needed for the pre-battle feast. He loaded it all into a polymer sack and started for the galley.
"Maelstrom!" Emily called. "I want to come."
Only with great effort did he keep from flinching. He generally kept the different aspects of himself and his life partitioned. Then again, those walls had been breaking down between himself, Lysander, and Fischer for a while. Maybe he needed to start taking the plunge more deliberately, especially if these people we're going to be ongoing teammates for the foreseeable future.
He nodded his agreement, and she launched from the ship with surprisingly childlike enthusiasm.
"This is Maelstrom to all hands," he called into his helmet, trusting his VI to relay his message, "I'm preparing a meal in the mess. Anyone's welcome." A joke coming to his mind, he added, "In addition to more standard fare, the burning blood of our enemies will be served."
Emily looked at him quizzically, and he almost laughed. The thought of Fischer last time he made it pushed him over the edge.
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Post by Urdnot Thrak on Mar 25, 2017 12:04:26 GMT -6
Thrak barrelled through the too-cramped corridors of the death-trap as he responded to Maelstrom's urgent call. He shoved some members of the frigate's crew out of the way in his headlong pursuit. There we're only three things which garnered such single-minded focus from a krogan. An enemy to beat into an unrecognizable mass of bloody pulp and bone shards. A fertile female. And, of course, a dinner call.
When he arrived, he seated himself at the first table he could find, the metal bench creaking in protest. The krogan watched the range with unwavering attention, as the human in Collector armor arrived and started unpacking ingredients, the Girlie from his ship following behind.
Thrak almost called out to the human about ignoring him before noticing a pistol on Girlie's hip.
One of the asari twins he had nearly run over on his way there arrived, heading straight over to the man in black and starting to help. As the man and asari started cooking, Girlie sat across him at the table.
"Thanks," she mouthed silently.
Thrak barely registered it, returning only a small nod. After all, there was food being made.
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Post by Corwin Havens on Mar 25, 2017 13:12:46 GMT -6
Corwin sipped his alcohol, savoring the delicious flavor lingering on his tongue. He's heard similar rants from people at the many bars and nightclubs around the Citadel. Shepard, the first human Spectre. The Collectors, the boogeymen of the Terminus System. The Reapers, scourge of the galaxy. Cerberus, the worst kept secret of the universe. Just for once, he'd like to talk about Elcor Hamlet.....
"Well...."
But before he could continue, Maelstrom's voice came through his earpiece. A quick glance at his omnitool told Corwin that it was definitely from the insane mercenary.
This is Maelstrom to all hands. I'm preparing a meal in the mess. Anyone's welcome. In addition to more standard fare, the burning blood of our enemies will be served.
".... apparently I'm not going to be eating tonight," Corwin quipped. "I like my steak well done."
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 25, 2017 13:13:57 GMT -6
Joe shuddered as he remembered his former employer's secretary and her offer to mate with him. Thankfully, he was saved from any response by Maelstrom's announcement he was making a meal for everyone.
"Can't talk Pops, there's food to be eaten," he said and started making his way to the mess hall.
*****
Upon his arrival, he saw the biotic preparing something, aided by one of the asari twins they had picked up from the volus freighter while en route to the Collector base.
He saw Thrak was already there, intently watching the pair as they made the meal, and Emily sitting across from him.
"Hey Thrak, hey Emily," he said, taking a seat with them.
Emily nodded in greeting but Thrak said nothing, watching the food with all the intensity of a soap opera fanatic watching their favorite show.
"Hey Mal!" he called out. "You making more pho?"
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Post by Geneenh T'Loris on Mar 25, 2017 13:23:49 GMT -6
"Whereas I am curious to see what he is preparing," she said. "Thank you for the talk, Corwin. And the brandy."
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 25, 2017 14:13:40 GMT -6
Maelstrom smiled at the former N7's question. "Some. Not enough for everyone to have a huge bowl. This time, I'm making it with roasted red pork instead... One of my favorites. To round things out, I'm making a bit of fried rice and pad thai too this time. Red bean for the bubble tea. Enaya thinks she can replicate a pretty good dextro version for our turian and quarian friends."
"I am the new ship's cook," she added with a mix of playfulness and serious warning.
"Then you'll have to learn to cook some more traditional human food," he played back.
"And you'll have to learn how to eat asari," Enaya said.
Maelstrom stared wide-eyed, and she blushed, only catching the innuendo after speaking it. She worked with a new found sense of urgency.
"That's not what I meant," Enaya said, elbowing him painfully in the side.
Maelstrom looked back and saw Emily looking less than pleased by the jest. He wondered for a second why, before just deciding she was not a fan of innuendo. With a slight smile, he wondered what her reaction to pho would be.
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 25, 2017 15:08:18 GMT -6
Joe looked over at the krogan.
"Sorry, Thrak, nothing on the menu is potentially deadly, so you'll probably find it pretty bland," he said before noticing Emily also looking over at the pair with only a little less intensity than the krogan. "How about you, Emily, ever had pho?"
She said nothing, her attention focused wholly on Maelstrom.
"And now I'm sitting here talking to myself," he muttered. "Nope, that's not crazy at all..."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 25, 2017 15:46:39 GMT -6
This is Maelstrom to all hands. I'm preparing a meal in the mess. Anyone's welcome. In addition to more standard fare, the burning blood of our enemies will be served.
"Can't talk Pops, there's food to be eaten."
Joseph immediately started off for the mess hall, leaving a momentarily puzzled Eric.
"'Burning blood of our enemies...?' Wow - Mal's really let down his... hey, wait up, Junior!"
Eric arrived a few moments after the younger N7. Maelstrom was hard at work on the main course with the assistance of the ship's cook Enaya, seasoned with light banter. Emily had also joined the group. She seemed fixated on Thrak, who himself was enraptured with the activity at the mess counter. Joseph tried, and failed, to engage with both of them in light conversation. Eric smirked and sat near the blond mountain of a man.
"Food, fights n' fornication. Watchwords for the krogan," observed Eric. "As for Emmy... Mal's a regular magnet lately... it's not like he tries or means to... with everything he's been through..."
He switched subjects, trying to perk up. "Well, then! More pho for us mofoes?"
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 25, 2017 15:52:51 GMT -6
"Nope, that's not crazy at all..." Fischer said.
"Not crazy?" Maelstrom asked, partially distracted by his cooking. "Doesn't sound like you at all."
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 25, 2017 16:10:39 GMT -6
Joe cocked an eyebrow at the biotic.
"Okay, what have you done with the real Maelstrom?" he said. "The real Maelstrom wouldn't know a joke if it came up and shook his hand. Even the doc said, 'Damn, that Maelstrom is uptight!' "
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