P The One Two Endragon Boogaloo

[Soresu]

The Griffin rumbled ever so slightly as the VTOL Transport hit a patch of rough wind. The craft's turbine engines thrummed as the eight people sat in relative silence. Situated in the Griffin's passenger compartment. Such as it was, it wasn't comfortable. But the tallest or near enough of the small party had grown accustomed to BAMF's utilitarian designs and their spartan interiors. All form and function with little in the way of comfort. The craft bucked again, but the silver-blonde-haired woman illuminated by the light of the datapad clutched in one hand continued whatever they were working on.

It'd made the BAMF fireteam wary enough to've been told they were going out into a largely (to them) unexplored area of Ereshkigal, their new Homeworld. But to top it off, what could only be two members of the OIA, Liquidators had been stuck to the pad-wielding woman's sides like glue. They'd been briefed on just what types of fauna the eggheads and their BAMF handlers had come across so far including the horrors lurking in the caves near the recently discovered Atlas Shipyards.

LCpl Grimes 'Stimpy' to those familiar enough with him had already had one of the Liquidators in his face. Laying down the ground rules of this excursion. And despite, in his estimation being a hard bastard paled when the woman, moving a cigarette from one side of her mouth to the other had scared the hell out of him. It was common knowledge you didn't screw with the suits.

The Griffin's crew chief, their name the Qadeshi woman hadn't even bothered to ask for closed the pilot's compartment's reinforced door behind him.

"Ma'am?" His voice reverberated throughout the passenger's compartment and was only just loud enough to cut through the sound of the VTOL's engines and lowered voices of the BAMF team making small talk among themselves before Grimes shushed them with a swipe of the hand.

The chief grabbed onto one of the safety grips looking to who he figured was the more senior of the two Liquidators. "Pilot says we're two minutes out. She's saying all this damned san-" he stopped as the silvery-haired Qadeshi looked up from her pad, the pale kaleidoscope of light playing all sorts of havoc with her dark complexion and the dark blue of her eyes.

The man cleared his throat, "Saying the sand may start playing havoc with the intakes even with the desert kit installed." He was dancing around the 'We'll have to check once we land' bit even as the woman with the pad continued to stare at him.

"And check for potential damage and component malfunction." Her voice was of middling timbre for someone of her height. Looking back to her datapad then, having effectively hung the man by his bootstraps she went back to what she was doing.

In truth, she hadn't wanted to come out to this desert. However magnanimously the Board had offered it up to her people, they'd found it a unique challenge considering the vast expanse was a glittering sea of obsidian particulates, that with a strong enough gust of wind could shred an unprotected individual.

And it was only a few days ago that Doctor 'Umu Almaerifa Čehrāzād al-Qadesh bint Samara bint Albert Dantès d'Marseille (Sherry for short) even heard the land was gifted to her people.

More than a few were woken up in the initial drop from the colony ship to begin exploration. And for whatever reason she'd only now been requested to fly forth to their new homeland. Tentatively named 'Ubar', the request came from the best engineers and geologists her people (Ranking lower on her scale and she'd said as such when told who they were) had to offer that was out of the thaw. But there'd been more to it she surmised. Considering her worth given the contract she was under only someone higher up in Babel's food chain could apply enough power to get the OIA to send out their pet scientist accompanied by two Liquidators and an armed escort.

Which meant it was likely a board member. From the reports given to her - her people had discovered several natural cave systems that showed habitation at one point or another. It'd sparked enough of a debate among fledgling Erishkigal academia's worldview of the planet's alien flora and fauna to become a blip on the anonymous board member's radar.

Samples had been shipped back to Chaldea along with the request. And to her chagrin, she'd been the one chosen, moved like some pawn on the board to go out there. For it to be her, it meant something... less than ordinary given her rising acclaim and the few papers already published on some of the dark little world's native life. And they cared enough to attach this lot to her hip along with every piece of equipment and all the supplies she'd demanded.

Meeting the two suits had been a real treat. Just like having all of your teeth pulled with zero anesthetic. Sherry had made peace with the fact the OIA held a leash about her neck. For the time being at the very least. And perhaps for the ten thousandth time, she'd thought about strangling that Astarte woman for dangling her sisters at her like bait on a line. A Faustian Bargain if there ever was one.

"I hope you both enjoy sand," Sherry remarked having not taken her eyes off her work since the crew chief spoke. Who still waited on the OIA spooks to respond. Many found the sand to be synonymous with her people and their proclivities to the deserts of the old homeworld. Considering those self-same deserts had kept their core territory safe from the precursor of what became Babel for the short war between her people and the Congolomorate still in its infancy. And then the barbarian hordes that'd been the other nations of their world during the War in Heaven at bay it was apt enough. Harsh environments breed harsh and hardy people.

And it was still a point of pride and if only now good-natured jab at the non-natives for what had before their arrival to their continent and its fertile coasts and lowlands.

One of the fireteam's members had been dumb enough to try and mask the beginnings of a snort of derision into a cough before being punched in the arm by their buddy. Who, to their credit mouthed: 'Shut the fuck up.'

 

[A_Bibor_Farkas]

The single silver eye, fell on the Team inside the Griffin before falling back to their principal. "I much prefer the cold...Куколка, we do this and do this quickly, grab what information or reports you need, the last thing any of us need is to be in this black Hell-scape. I don't even think the Great Hero would wish to subject himself to this stupidity. However I will take it over the constant rain," the short bob cut silver hair reflected the now red interior, the glow from her cigarette and now red glow coming from her hair and one, un bandaged eye fell to the unfortunate lance corporal." Your team will pull Security and maintain a defensive perimeter around the griffin, fall out of line and its cause for execution. This isn't a...how do you say?" Lyudmila paused for a moment, inhaling more of her cigarette, casually exhaling from her nose and back into her mouth. " A picnic.. do not let your guard down. The Doctors research is important, that is all you need to know and will know." with her briefing complete, the turbulence shaking the cramped inside as she dropped the almost dead cigarette before lighting another, holding on to the ceiling mounted handholds.

The monochromatic suit forever indicating an agent of the OIA was open, exposing her side arm and personal blade, as well as a set of gloves mounted to her shoulder holster. Sighing heavily with an exhale, Lyudmila's eyes fell once again to Sherry." How far until our target destination?" her words were curt, not enjoying this assignment anymore than the others, since her specialty was information extraction. Field work was always more of a hassle than it seemed to be worth.

 

[Soresu]

Thankfully the change in light masked Grimes' blood draining from his face but he answered with a curt: "Ma'am." in response and a nod.

"I much prefer the sands, ayn vahida." Sherry answered in turn, "The sun would warm them only to cool to below freezing at night." She sighed wistfully. With a swipe of her finger, what the Griffin saw, she now saw, and by extension the Volgan. Black sands, sparkling in the weak sunlight of the world's star. Beautiful and quite deadly if what the orbital scan had shown were accurate. The chain smoker's charge had just piggybacked her way into the transport's optics. Half the screen displaying the dunes the other half the Griffin's intake of data. A helpful destination marker blinking.

Raising an arm, the dusky-skinned scientist snapped her fingers once, then twice in the crew chief's direction. Unaccustomed to such abuse a scowl formed but he answered, "Minute and thirty, ma'am."

"Thank you." The Qadesh woman replied not entirely without feeling with the barest sliver of gratitude. "If you'd been listening, the chief provided you the answer thirty seconds ago." with that she waved a hand in front of her face briefly before looking Lyudmila in her eye through the faint curls of smoke.

"And you are welcome," she said in calm regard to the Liquidator, "For my people developing the cure for cancer." The compartment had gone just shy of deathly silent. The OIA woman had just matter-of-factly told the lance corporal that execution was on the table if he and his team screwed the pooch. And here was a civilian talking back to her.

"The equipment we're carrying could buy several of these transports." Her sapphire eyes flitted down to the lit cigarette and back up, "And you're smoking around them." Even as she spoke her fingers worked the pad of their own accord before Lyudmila would find it pressing at her side.

"Some of the native fauna on this planet track by scent. Or heat." Wearing a frown Sherry rotated a hand hearing little pops from her wrist. "And you're a walking beacon that could kill us all." The latter seemed to cause a stir among the fireteam.

Pausing then, eyes closed, she sighed, "You should switch to the patch. Or dare I say gum? I could've sworn I requisitioned both for you." Apparently what the Liquidator wanted to know was being shoved right into her side via the pad.

"Lance Corporal?" She spoke up again to catch the soldier's attention. When he looked in her direction she began giving him some helpful information on just how not to die from exposure to some of the fine particulate obsidian entering his throat and lungs.

For Lyudmila, Sherry's notes were as ever meticulously organized. It showed the target destination, one of the recently discovered cave systems that seemed rather spacious. From the photographs and video, helpfully muted with subtitles it detailed what the team found. Former habitation, a potential new species of fauna currently on no record. With the various scientific teams back in the capital backed up from the massive influx of discoveries this particular one was on a waiting list months in the making as far as DNA analysis was concerned.

But judging from some of the media on the pad it seemed there were indeed indications of life. Even what seemed to be claw marks with the appropriate measurements having been performed and even a simplified geological report attached. The rock it seemed was at least as hard as granite and the markings were possibly as long as Sherry was tall. At this point, it was speculation until Lyudmila's pain in the ass charge could do her job. But it was potentially a predatory species. And this madwoman's people were turning this place into their new home.

They'd wanted the best. And they were getting it. With the Volgan along for the ride into quite possibly one of the most lethal parts of the planet. If her Hero had been or was real in the metaphysical sense, hopefully, they were looking down on her favorably. Because this madwoman's people were turning this place into their new home. Even its name seemed cursed to her Volgan sensibilities. If she'd studied up on Sherry's native language and its nuances, it painted a pretty gruesome picture.

 

[Wolf626]

"I'd take all the sand and rain and cold for even an hour of sunlight." Grumbled the Lusiad part of the Liquidator team, barely suppresing a yawn. She was a study in contrast of her partner. Her hair was long and dark, highlighted here and there with Babel gold. She was tall, though not as tall as their charge. Her skin was tanned. And the biggest difference, was the genial smile on her face. Their only similarities were their suits and the fact that she was also one eyed. "Gotta keep up my tan, you know?"

It seemed that the upper echelons of the Auditors had a sense of humor. Bringing these two cyclopean women in to a team dubbed 'Nhbdy'. That they actually well worked together only solidified the jest.

"Don't worry soldiers, Lulu is actually nice. She'll just just slit your throat or shoot you. No pain, no fuss." Laura Colt smirked, though it was akin to a jackal grin for the poor grunts.

The deathly silence was broken by a barely contained chortling, as Laura looked away and shook with laughter. "You're as advertised, ain't ya doc? I for one am quite grateful. Second hand smoke is actually worse, after all." The amber left eye of Laura twinkled, as she leaned forward in her seat to look at Lyudmilla.

Laura whistled at the claw marks. "That's a nasty one. To have claws that size... Hey Doc?" she called out. "Why don't we just send a bunch of drones with sleeping gas through the tunnels?"

 

[A_Bibor_Farkas]

Ignoring most of the comments, blowing smoke back in the direction of their principal, catching the Data pad her one eye traced every bit of information showing what other researchers had found in this cave. her gaze falling back to her companion. "You will be on that list if you keep calling me that. when you lost your eye did you lose your brain too? Grey, ensure the team is ready, I'm sure we are closing on the target." her gaze fell back to the data pad, the slow increase of anxiety and tension starting to take hold, taking a breath as well as a short inhale again. trying to formulate some semblance of a plan."Пиздец.... I don't like this, not one bit. Lance Corporal, your heavy weapons specialist will accompany us into the cave, Agent Grey, stay with them here on the griffin to keep the area Secure and if we call, the Doctor takes priority." Her body tensed for a moment, finishing the second cigarette quickly, beginning to check the web gear, she brought. The quiet hum of the Jackhammer as it begins to hum to life. the final preparation, slipping into the webbing gear, carrying additional batteries and ammunition, Lyudmila slips on a headset, for communications." All teams test comms and make sure the sand is not interrupting communications. Let's get this over with."

 

[Soresu]

"You heard her," Grimes barked looking to his team who went about doing their checks as the Liquidator went about her own. Of course, he'd politely thanked the good Doctor for the tips. He was telling them to get their masks ready.

The crew chief pressed a finger to his ear. The man's head turned toward the cockpit. And then back, "Pilot's picking up some strange readings out there. Can't tell what they are exactly," He was addressing Sherry, "Ma'am, your people are settling out this way?"

"Yes, various potential settlement sites have been explored. For the more promising ones, we've begun to tentatively set up outposts. Why do you ask?"

Running a hand over his shaved scalp the man chewed at the inside of a cheek. "Don't understand all the technical jargon, ma'am. I'll patch you in with them. I need to head back into the cockpit compartment." the door shut behind him leaving Sherry to look to Lyudmila and Laura while she pulled an earpiece out of a pouch and fixed it around her ear.

"Speaking," the OIA women's charge motioned at them. She wanted them to listen as well. Closing her eyes, Čehrāzād seemed to nod to herself. "Say again?" her eyes cracked open as the Griffin touched down with a little thump as its landing gear met the smoothed-out rock the previous survey team had designated as a prime landing site. Nearby, high up enough from the sands to not be as much of a problem for flyers and other vehicles.

Tearing the pad from the chain-smoker's grasp, Sherry was swiping left again and again. Her eyes took in the details of whatever was being sent to her at a single glance. Something was throwing off some strange ambient readings nearby. Energetic was the first word that would come to mind. It was a well-known fact that her people seemed to enjoy the unique challenge of building increasingly advanced power-generating systems. And with the weak sunlight of Erishkigal's star, solar arrays had been tossed aside for potential sustainable long-term power sources.

They might have had as ever begun to adapt to their environment at a respectable clip. If the people of Qadesh were anything, they were certainly versatile. But from the look on the woman's face, she seemed to be a little troubled as she folded the smart-material-based pad in half and tucked it away.

Grimes tapped one of his team on the head and the man stood. Seemed he was the one Lyudmila demanded to accompany them. The mechanisms of the transport's ramp groaned and whirred as it lowered showing the same dismal sky as the rest of the planet, perhaps minus the capital where light pollution was on the rise.

It was decidedly cooler up in the higher latitudes of the planet and maybe a little more to the Volgan's liking. Perhaps except for the sand. Still, it made for a beautiful sight as the Griffin started to power down its engines.

"Welcome to the great unknown, ayn vahida." The taller of the women said, gesturing toward the ramp. For their part, Grimes and the remainder of his team were at the mercy of Laura and whatever she desired. All except the specialist Lyudmila demanded to join them.

"Let's hope your Hero looks favorably on us out here."

The whole damn planet was still a giant great unknown.

 

[Wolf626]

"Roger, roger." Laura said, picking out her own custom Caliburn MKIII. Her smile stayed the same even as she checked the stock, the sighting system and the chambering mechanism. Smoother than warm butter. She donned a headset handed to her, snapping her fingers twice over the earmuff, testing it. "All good on my end." she muttered, jostling with the VTOL's landing.

'I wonder if the Doc is ignoring me or just doesn't want to answer the question.' she thought as she settled in with Sergeant Grimes. "Alright, boys and girls. Let's keep the bird safe for the scary grumpy ladies. Or else..." She said, choosing to not elaborate. The Auditor's reputation did the job enough. " I don't want just rifle sensors, I want your eyes peeled. Understood?

Turning towards her partner and the principal. "Be careful you two. And try to play nice, huh?" She said with a teasing smirk on her face, knowing water and oil when she sees it.

Noting the weapons specialist, she simply waved. "And you too, random dude. Don't die."

 

[Aistiva]

Arriving at the maw of the cave, the crew is met with a foreboding sight. The maw of the cave, reaching about sixty five feet above them at its peak and appears to descend into the earth, it reeks of death and decay. Large bones and the remains of other less fortunate fauna litter the entrance trailing inside to whatever is or was nesting within.

---

The cavern was still, deep in slumber to find a peace she did not know awake as resources for food where she hatched became more and more scarce. The gentle rise and fall of the dragons chest was all that could be heard, acting as her own personal lullaby as she dreamed. Around her; was this place she'd called home since she had broken her way into this world. Broken pieces of eggshell long decomposed, the remains of her nest subtly intact. It was made up mostly of compiled sand, packed together to create a lifted seam that gave a hammock like affect. Where Sitara's chin rest on one side and her tail drape over the other. Bones scatted beneath her, some small, some large. A pile of her discarded siblings used to fuel her survival and an array of miscellaneous creatures she'd hunted between then and now. Her skills were getting better, slowly but surely, larger and larger animals falling prey to her talons.

Hunger pains became her everyday, so when voices came to find her, a hum of something strange hissing in her ears and the smell of some foreign invader in her home tugged her slowly from sleep all was met with annoyance. Slowly at first the creature stirred, sand falling away with a soft shhhh as her muscles roll, wings stretching slowly a clicking echoing off the caves walls.

From the maw of the cavern a light can be seen slowly growing brighter and brighter in the pit of the darkness, a rich navy blue like the skies above, speckled with dancing starlight as the young dragon moved to get her wings beneath her. The light is followed by golden blinking eyes, a chuff, a forced breath of air pushing through the opening enough to ruffle the hair of the women standing at the entrance. Sitara goes to rise quickly, immediately on the defensive; stretching her body upward as her head and horns hit against the roof of the cave she growls, immediately recoiling as her agitation builds. Her attention stolen briefly her head quickly snaps back, eyes narrowing upon the shapes of the intruders a growl as her mouth comes agape ─ from the outside all that can be seen is the outline of head and mouth and teeth. And then the spark of fire as the stream erupts following the tunnel and exploding outward. ​

 

[A_Bibor_Farkas]

Hearing the Rustling and scraping from the rear of the cave, Lyudmila's eyes narrowed turning her weapons light on for a brief moment to see the reflective glowing eyes looking back her direction. Sharpened teeth shadowed by the flame produced as it Began to barrel the trios direction. The few precious moments before the inferno would reach the group, were all the Liquidator had to act, and act quickly. Darting quickly toward the two, pulling them to the ground using her specialized suit to take the brunt of the flame for its short burst coming through the caves entirety. The flame had caught part of the private, melting a portion of the oxygen mask and his equipment, quickly working to doff the damaged equipment, his face was partially burned as he charged the initial round into his Gjallahorn launcher, firing into the rear of the cave, the concussive wave from the 20mm grenade reverberated against the cave walls showing little to no effect on the creature that attacked. Groaning as she began to roll over, dizzy and slightly burned herself, Lyudmila snapped back to the situation rolling over searching for her weapon. the dust from the cave now leaving a thin coat on their group as she grabs the submachinegun charging a shot to hopefully do something." .Куколка,Ты абсолютно бесполезный лох! damn...it stay back!" taking a moment to find her headset in the confusion, Lyudmila quickly presses a finger to the ear piece as the transmission crackles over the air." Grey, there is a massive...thing in here, make sure the griffin is ready to go we are falling back!"

 

[Soresu]

Laura soon got her answer in the form of bright, scorching flame and the silhouette of what both Lyudmila and Sherry inadvertently ran into. Erishkigal hosted an entire biosphere almost completely alien to their old homeworld. Scientists had worked feverishly since first setting foot in the dark world that was their new home to understand anything and everything. What may've worked on one species could not fare better against another. And the very thing breathing fire at them was something no one had yet encountered in the dimly lit world.

Perhaps this creature saw its fire reflected in the eyes of the comparatively smaller humans. Lyudmila's charge, her normally dark eyes burned bright blue from the brief illumination. The heat! It reminded her of home. Where out on the sands the temperatures could become lethal. Even as the flames roared overhead, Lyudmila's curse and the 'whump' of the Gjallahorn did not stop her from reflecting on that while curling up briefly.

But it was still a wonder. A genuine wonder. To see something like this. Oh, it was frightening but exhilarating. It was a strange duet of emotional stimuli given she was facing death but also something she'd never encountered before. Ever. Such was her path in life. Full of wonder at the unknown in all its splendor and horror.

As Lyudmila shouted into her headset, Sherry shouted at her. "Light! Light! Light!" Practically trying to shove a spherical device at her as she unfurled herself from the fetal position she'd been in moments before. Matte-black around the middle with a small cluster of clear LEDs along its poles. This was a mostly lightless world. And it was sufficient to say that its residents would've adapted to such an environment. What humans from the old homeworld took for granted with their clear skies and bright sunlight Erishkigal's fauna lacked that luxury.

And it'd been one of the points of interest, debate, and outright academic brawling on how to effectively counter the native species. And what Lyudmila felt being shoved at her was such a thing. It was a simple, general deterrent.

If anything it could distract the beast. Blind it momentarily. Scare it. Piss it off. Anything was possible.

-----

The remainder of the BAMF team were immediately on alert upon seeing the telltale signs of fire. The Griffin's crew chief had been in the process of replacing a component in one of the transport's intakes. A simple swap job in and out. The pilot, still in the cockpit was yelling 'What the fuck?!' to no one that could hear them thanks to the armored glass and titanium cutting them off from the outside world. The crew chief came close to echoing the pilot. But instead yanked the damaged component out, the new one, still nice and sealed in its plastic with the Conglomerate's logo stamped on it found itself being assaulted as the man unpackaged it like his life depended on it. Because it did.

 

[Wolf626]

"Thing? What thing?" Laura asked into her comms, just before the fires of hells came forth heralding a beast of reckoning.

"Filha da puta! O que é isto agora, caralho?!" she yelled in her native tongue, before quickly schooling herself. "Marines, watch your fire! You shoot the VIP I shoot you!" she commanded, before turning towards the engineer, single golden eye boring down on his soul, an unfriendly smile on her face. "Would you kindly hurry it along?"

Without waiting for a response, she set herself up by the Griffin's ramp, sighting the DMR down the cave entrance. Waiting for the moment. The right moment.

 

[Aistiva]

Noise. Following her blast of ink stained flames was the eruption of senseless noise. Annoyance gripped her, lips curling into a snarl, and just as her head snapped toward the entrance she was hit in the chest by...something. It knocked her off balance, a dull ache ebbing from where the assault hit her. Simultaneously it shoved her weight into the wall to her left causing sand and rock to break loose and crumble down over her head and back. A low growl emanated from her throat, eyes narrowing and her maw opened, but this time instead of loosing another stream of flame a deafening roar billowed outward. Trying to scare off whatever had found its way to the doorstep. All the while, she wondered - had she been followed? She was careful on her hunting trips, learning from past mistakes, she had watched other hatchlings fall to their own missteps.

The shouting, the screaming, another...what? How many were there? What were they?

Sitara dropped her weight, anchoring down on her wings as she began to stalk out to the opening. Inky night sky nose breaking the maw of the cave first, her head rising above the small group in a half a second of contemplation before her maw parted, plucking the man - who'd already lost his helm; from the group by his legs. Her neck and head rolled side to side, rag dolling the man like a puppy with its favorite toy before she tossed him skyward, opened her mouth caught him again. Screams quickly snuffed out by crunching of armor and bone between her teeth, growling as her head snaps back to the group, tail lashing her eyes narrowed as if to say your move.

 

[A_Bibor_Farkas]

Quickly cursing again, Lyudmila checked her Jackhammerto confirm the weapon was charged, staying in front of the Principle the liquidator took aim as the massive creature shredded the young marine. " Is this what you came for doctor!?" the woman took her time as the poor Private took his last breath. bringing the laser onto her target as she illuminated the creature with the weapon light, a silent whisp eminated from the weapon as the sickening crunch of cracked scales resonated around the group. creating a surprisingly heavy wound in the creatures shoulder before charging the weapon again.

" This little rendevousz is over we are not risking You or the Griffin." her demeanor was calm focused solely on the impossible odds of this one liquidator against an unknown creature.

 

[Soresu]

Sherry looked on wide-eyed before seeing the Liquidator turn the light on her weapon. And the sudden hum of it firing. As if she'd be scolded by someone younger than her! It was an affront. Even if the Volgan woman was simply doing her job it chafed.

"If you think this is the worst of the megafauna in this desert you're mistaken!" She almost shouted while what could only be something from a half-forgotten myth stood before her. And take a shot into its shoulder. The specialist was dead. But it seemed the good Doctor while not unsympathetic at the loss of human life trivialized his death as his own doing. It was his job of course. To defend the citizens of their new home. But it was his fault for not standing clear from something so large.

"Besides, that crew chief said the intakes for the engines were fouled with sand. Obsidian sand." She stressed the latter. Volcanic rock pulverized over however many eons it had lain on the ground of this hellish world. Babel had been steadily adapting equipment to the new conditions. But everything was slow going. You simply could not build up a civilization overnight. Certain things took priority over others. And even with the modular system supposedly adapted for the Griffin, it was proving unreliable enough to necessitate spares being brought for some of the components.

"That won't blind it for long." She chided, scrambling to her feet, the device still in hand. At least the one-eyed brute took some of her advice. For once. Probably would just piss it off more. But it could very well give Lyudmila time to do something.

To Laura, she could hear all the gruesome details over their communication equipment. If that thing hadn't gone down with a heavy weapon smacking into it, the rest of the BAMF squad with her may as well try to tickle it with their Caliburns.

They looked to the other Liquidator. They were not exactly privy to what was being heard between the two OIA women and their charge.

"That gunfire?" the crew chief called down to Laura, his hands full trying to do the job of a crew all by himself. The job should've been simple enough without a damned whatever it was in that cave distracting him.

 

[Wolf626]

"No, it's my cousin farting." Laura replied, before snapping at the crew chief. "Of course, it's gunfire, dumbass! We got megafauna coming, so speed it up!! IDIOTA!!"

She did not like this. One bit. She keyed up her communicator. "Doc, Lyudmilla I don't care if it shits gold or pisses diamonds, get your asses out here! Now!" the agent yelled, knowing that if it was needed, Lyudmilla would sacrifice herself for the mission.

Laura Colt hope to the Lady AND the Great Hero that it wouldn't come to that.

 

[Soresu]

"Isto é trabalho para quatro pessoas! Se queres que vá mais rápido, trás o teu cu para aqui!" The chief shouted down at Laura, shaking what looked like some sort of fancy hi-tech socket wrench at her. He'd made sure to swipe one of the gloves he'd donned earlier along the length of the arm visible to Laura. It had the Engineering Order's insignia on it. That sleeve had been speckled, with the black obsidian sand of this accursed place. For him to admit his possibly needing assistance would be something only Laura may well understand. But from his tone which was both annoyed and guttural from the effort he was putting into his work, it sounded positively hostile to the Lance Corporal. The man had the balls to say whatever he'd said to a Liquidator. And he had no fucking idea what he'd shouted. Roaring. Gunfire. And now two Lusiad shouting at one another. He should've taken his mother up on that offer to potentially work at some bakery in Chaldea when she planned on opening it. She did eventually. Recently actually. It was a bit niche' and she did good business. One customer, she'd complained about was some young woman from Qadesh being her most frequent repeated customer. And apparently, his mother thought she was touched in the head due to how she acted. Acting like an immature kid despite being an adult.

 

[Aistiva]

A sudden beam of light found her gaze, which was locked onto the group in a menacing display. Sitara's eyes immediately closed tightly, her head shaking in defiance to the ache that rushed through her head and the confusion of being suddenly blinded. Her eyes adjusted for Ereshkigals dark atmosphere. She growled, pulling her head away from the light seeking the shadows to regain her vision when pain bloomed on her shoulder. The beast roared, nostrils flaring with the increase of her pulse as adrenaline flooded her veins. The force of the hit threw her off balance and pushed her weight her wings opening as her claws reached for the cave walls to try and catch herself and counterbalance the hit. But despite her efforts, her other shoulder hard into the cave wall. Rock broke free, falling at her feet and blood pooled from her scales where they'd broken and split.

The dragon hissed as she regained her footing, tail lashing as she started toward the group mouth agape, her wing coming across to attempt to swat away the light, her head dropped low with full intent of consuming them all. Until, through spotted vision her eyes locked with Sherry's.

And time stopped.

The beast would halt abruptly in her tracks, falling statue still as emotions and thoughts collided in an instant. All of the commotion surrounding the pair would dissipate, sounds falling upon deaf ears, sights a blur in their peripherals in the moments that the bond locked into place, their souls tethering to one another. One heartbeat, two, and Sherry would hear the words of the dragon echo in her mind. "What....what is this?" panic etched into Sitara's words.

 

[A_Bibor_Farkas]

As the massive creature whipped to and froe, almost falling over, Lyudmilla took the chance to reload her weapon with a new battery and a fresh magazine, the weapon beginning to hum again prepping the next shot, this time aiming for the creatures head, as if a call and response, the Liquidator knelt down, took a short breath and began prepping her shot." Doctor.. why did it stop moving? make a decision or I will!" her voice echoed in the chamber before she activated her communicator." the creature has stopped moving, get that damned gunship ready, we seem to have a moment, if it moves its dead."

 

[Wolf626]

Inhale, count to four. Exhale, count to four. That old sniper mantra played in Laura's head as the situation played out. Now came the razor's edge. Every sense heightened, dragging the seconds relatively into hours. Here was the turning point. And all they could do was wait. Wait and pray.

"How are we looking Engineer?" Laura asked, as if they hadn't just been insulting each other's mothers. It was a Lusiad thing.

 

[Soresu]

Lyudmilla's question fell away. It died on deaf ears. This very intimidating creature locked eyes with her. She could not quite define the sensations now spilling into her mind. It had frozen her in place so much so she did not even blink.

All the Liquidator would get in answer was the shifting of a pebble. No, a part of a bone a fragment compared to what was strewn about.

The doctor hadn't taken a step back. It was a step forward. This only seemed to add to the growing pile of evidence the Volgan had concerning Sherry's common sense when facing something that caught her interest enough to be daring enough to through caution to the wind.

Typical batshit insane Qadeshi.

"How should I know?!" came the unbidden thought and verbal response in synchronicity. To Endragon and chainsmoking Volgan. Was this crazed bitch talking to it now?

Sherry's mind was a twisted maze of sharp angles and gentle curves. Bright light with spots painted in the much more comfortable darkness. It knew things so alien, so foreign. And with each passing glance more was gleaned. But as this... human? Yes, they were called that. Wariness began to poison that panic. For the moment, it seemed this human did not intend harm.

It made noises, words, directing them to the one draped in black. It fidgeted slightly, "I-" the human turned her head to the other one. "I-It talks." her words were low, little more than a murmur as the thought echoed those noises.

---

The crew chief hesitated momentarily, the other Lusiad's partner's voice echoing from the cave. A question. Then an answer. He grunted as his work sped up. No roar or flood of whatever it'd breathed before spewed out.

Those two yelling at one another verged on the normal. Near imminent demise or not said they were alive and spiteful as ever. At least Laura had that.

"Another. Minute." a shove from the chief and low burr of a curse word, "And a half." the latter portion of his response was telling enough that he'd achieved something at least.

Their private comm channel was still open, and Laura was privy to those two simple words. That meant one of two things. Sherry'd lost it. Or she'd just uttered perhaps two of the most important and damning words the good doctor could say.