Futuristic The Titan

[Siren77]

AnonyMouse animegirl20 Jagson GolemGuy Bard Bard

The first day of a climactic tropical vacation settles to an end. With new threats on the horizon, the crew of The Titan had much to do and much to prepare for in the coming three days that Operative Siri had given them before their inevitable termination. That time was to be used wisely in an attempt to scheme a plan to fend off the operatives of the Alpha team on the island, just so everyone might be able to leave with their souls still intact.

While the entirety of The Titan’s lesser crew were busy enjoying their vacation and one another’s company, the six higher ups spent their time doing their best to pick apart Jacen’s brain to discover whatever information they could use against the threat.

The first day was an unfortunate bust, due to Jacen’s dumbassery of the previous night which rendered him a hungover and confused individual that couldn’t tell you what day it was let alone information in The Alphas. Ezro wasn’t surprised by this and gave everyone the day to enjoy what time they could and to scheme their own ideas. Not much could be done though with their lack of information. Any trap or surprise they could craft would be easily foiled by the knowledge that the Alphas were undoubtedly listening on to anything and everything the crew had to say, even when behind secure doors. So the usual social antics from the previous day would persist until that nights eclipse over the horizon, and dawn would bring forth the first of the two days they had to finally plan.

The second morning was much more fruitful, with Jacen healed up and rested they could begin asking questions about their threat in an attempt to know what they were up against.

First it was asked how many of the Alpha team were present on the island, and who they were. Jacen could confirm that five operatives were present, and given that no knowledge of any others were made known to him he doubted that any others would be present. First there was Big Brother, Wanabu, who Jacen and Ezro knew to be the individual who had received the instructions straight from the one they called ‘Farther’. Second was Big Sister, Siri, who had approached the Crew when they first arrived. Finally there was the ‘Little Trio’ that consisted of three weakest members of the Alphas forces. Little Child (the shapeshifter), Little Brother, and Little Cousin. Those last two were the ones that the crew had yet to encounter so there was no knowledge on them save for Jacen’s knowledge of their presence.

The entire Little Trio was ‘adopted’ into the Alpha force shortly after Jacen’s departure, so Ezro could only assume that his knowledge of them came from the Watchtower he had been in contact with.

The next question to arise was who of them would duel Jacen, and unsurprisingly the strongest of the bunch Big Brother would take on their Helmsman. While on the topic, the Alphas attack methods were also addressed.

Ezro would question, “What fighting styles and weapons would they all use? The standard ITF fighting style is Sycom Battery, but I want to ensure that they don’t have any other tricks up their sleeve that you might know of.”

“Little Cousin knows Sycom Battery but he primarly uses robots to do his dirty work.

Little Brother knows Sycom Battery as well as a style that is known as Lightning Fist. He has no weapons but is an expert in hand to hand combat.

Little Child primarily uses their shapeshifting to develop strange tactics in the battlefield.

Our two major threats both know Sycom Battery as well but they are more dedicated to the tools they use.

Wanabu has the standard military rifle and pistol but his primary weapon is a crimson colored solar blade He is trained in the combat style of his ancestors Ma He Teco and Ma Ze Han. He's been modified. His eyes become somewhat allowing his perceived time to slow down to an eighth of a second allowing him to easily doge and counter attacks. There's a reason why he's the second strongest field operative.

Siri wears a skin tight body armor that can absorb blaster fire. She has a pistol and a home made modified solar blade that can turn into a whip for long distance attacks. She is quick and agile like a cat. She also has some further hand to hand combat skills taught to by her father.”

The crew attempted to pry as much information as they could for the remainder of the time, trying to find any sort of weaknesses or tactics they could use. But all in vain, the most they could do at that point was plan on how they’d take the bastards on in order to triumph over them.

Though it was against Ezro’s wishes, it was decided that everyone would need to take on a target in a one on one confrontation once things went south. The captain would stand by with Jacen and would take on Wanabu should the duel not go in his friends favor. Silmaris was to take on Siri, and would attempt to isolate her from the rest of her allies to prevent her from disrupting everyone else’s battles. Alice, Al, and Kal would deal with the Little Trio. Given Kal and Al’s injured state, it was prefaced by The Captain that they should aid one another and not let anyone be pinned down by more than one opponent.

Any preconceived notions of power were to be left behind. All of the Alphas were to be treated as equal in Threat against everyone. No one was to get a big head and bite off more than they could chew. Caution, patience, and strategizing would be how they’d succeed in this battle. But first, they’d need to understand what they were up against.

On their third and final day Jacen and Ezro both would help train and inform the others on Sycom Battery and methods to work around various strategies. The combat tactic main relied on strong attacks from the upper body, with combinations of strikes similar to Southpaw but with more mix ups of elbow and shoulder strikes in quick and powerful movements. While the legs were rarely used, it was still advised to be wary of strikes from the southern region. Due to the way the stance was set up in a sort of boxer method, any attempts to kick or knee would be seen from a mile away.

The Alphas would be no fools though. Given Wanabu’s knowledge in Ma He Teco and Ma Ze Han, Little Brothers style of Lightning Fist, and Siri’s unknown origin of training, it could be presumed that the switch in stance would allow for different tactics to involve the legs more, Much like Ezro’s experience in Muay Thai. Analyzing a stance would be the best way to determine what they could do. Should it be heavy set in the shoulders and torso, it would be no different than any other boxer type style. Whereas loosened hips and knees would be quicker reactions from the legs.

Hours and hours would be spent drilling and practicing to prepare. All defensive work just so there wouldn’t be any surprises during the encounter. Any other fighting methods that Sil, Alice, Kal, and Al knew would also be encouraged to be practicedand heavily drilled so they’d be at their peak potential for the fight.

They had until the dawn of that next day to prepare, after that there would be no telling when they would come.
——————————————————————

 

[Jagson]

Jacen breathed heavily as sweat glistened his body. He moved his bind staff with grace . Though he hadn't used it in years getting back into it was like riding a hover bike. " You must win." He thought to himself. He wasn't fighting for himself. In these past two days he finally started to believe what the captain was saying.

He stopped his practice and deactivated his bind staff. He put it away before picking up his data pod. "Sil can you meet me at the beach in an hour?" He typed. He took a couple gulps of water before he started to run. In a few hours he and the others will be in the fight of their lives. He had to get this off of his chest so he could truly get into a state of pure focus.

AnonyMouse

 

[Siren77]

Ezro would spend the bulk of his own personal time the third day beating up one of the punching bags they’d drug from the ship that was strung up from a tree. Muay Thai was his main focus as it was arguably his Primary fighting style. Sycom had gotten enough drilling when he was helping out the others, there was no need for it. Especially considering it might not be a good idea to use a fighting style the adversary was so aptly trained in, though it would still be kept as his Secondary. A Tertiary style was minimally drilled just to be a slight surprise tactic in case the opportunity allowed for it, that of course being a strict grappling style known as Wrestling.

He also served as the main training dummy for Jacen to practice and prepare for the daunting fight with Wanabu. But the captain wholeheartedly believed that his Helmsman could take him on so long as he had faith in himself and his abilities. As the day went on, Jace showed some great improvements in his rather rusty experience, but Ezro advised that from here on out he should take more time out of his day to train and keep himself in good shape with the fighting.

Ezro would also spend a little extra time with Alice, not necessarily training but more talking. He’d rant, scheme, and simply converse to get his mind off of things for a moment only to go right back to pummeling the inanimate bag. He was a little worked up, that much was obvious. But it was well deserved given the stress of ensuring his friends survival in this situation. If a single one of them perished there’s no telling what sort of wrath and rage would rise from him, and it was preferable he not find out.
No matter how many hours he put in, it still felt insufficient. When it was time for them all to get a nervous nights sleep, he yearned to stay out and satisfy his mind. But his fighting spirit was often quelled by Alice as per usual to prevent him from doing anything reckless. So to bed he went, and a surprisingly peaceful night he was to have.

The morning came sooner than he liked, with a panic induced cold sweat greeting him as he rose from his slumber in the early hours of the morning. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t bring himself to rest or relax. So he found it best to simply get up and give his body time to wake up and relax.

Quietly he slipped out of bed as not to wake Alice, then departed from the room making sure that none would catch him in the act. He had been extra careful thus far to preserve their little secret from being spoiled, and he had no intention for it to go to waste.

This day the rest of the crew had been instructed to return to their usual jobs, given the information that they’d be leaving quite soon. None were to leave the ship for any reason, save for the six involved in the plan at hand.

Ezro was quick to head inside the ship and head for the armory where he would equip himself for the day. On his way he saw very few people moving around, which wasn’t surprising given the time. Once there, he quickly grabbed his Hellfire and Solar Blade before heading to the Engineering bay to run mandatory check ups and to make some desired modifications.

All was well with the Tri Function. It’s calibrations were at a perfect level, and it was packed and ready with plasma cell ammunition. He didn’t tamper with it all that much, as the intricacy of the weapon was beyond his comprehension. To break it would almost be a cause for suicide given how rare this piece of weaponry was. Only slight modifications were made in the form of an adapter for an enhancer that would magnify it’s shotgun blasts to a higher degree in power and a tighter spread.

The Solar Blade was where he was really hoping to tamper and modify, being a project of his that he’d been meaning to get around to for a long time. Today was just an excuse for him to finally do so. First the core was stabilized to prevent any sort of combustion once it’s self sustained solar cell was opened. Then, the core in its entirety was removed and set aside in a safe spot while the hilt was torn apart. It’s metallic shaft would be extended for a wider grip, and a second opening was added at the bottom. After a ridiculous amount of OCD, it was made symmetric both vertically and horizontally just so the pattern would look professional. Finally, the core was carefully modified to support the energy exertion necessary to allow for the twin blade design he desired. Once everything was set and diagnostics run, the weapon was deemed ready for use.

Holding the black hilt firmly in his right hand, Ezro activated both buttons on the blade which ignited two brilliant emerald blades that each spanned four feet. Given the hilts width of about two, it brought the weapons overall width to about ten feet. He couldn’t help but feel like a giddy child holding a new toy. It was magnificent and everything he could’ve hoped for from the weapon.


With his upgrade solar blade and the Hellfire (Shotgun) strapped across his back, Ezro headed back to the armory and grabbed all other tools he’d need for battle. He wasn’t expecting to be using his firearm all that much, so extra cells were left behind and replaced by a trio of standard grenades that lined his belt. A fourth of the flash variety was also added as a last ditch maneuver should he need some space. At last the time had come, and he felt ready to fight. All that could be done now was wait.

So that’s exactly what he did. Finding a rather comfy looking rock (he reckoned it was the same one Al had been sitting on the previous night), he took a seat and waited for the others to rise and prepare as well. All the while carefully scanning his Crimson eyes across the area, ready for the first sign of trouble. Hours would pass, yet he wouldn’t move an inch.

 

[GolemGuy]

Alejandras, who had long since discarded the silicone coverings of his cybernetic limbs, was inside the Titan's engineering bay. For the past three hours, he'd been working on his arms and legs. Alejandras' hands were too large to operate most firearms, so he would be stuck to close-quarters, so he added modifications as necessary.

He was able to fix on a plate of metal too his replaced forearm, finalizing it. Along with it, Alejandras welded sharpened metal prongs to his fists, and several more prongs that were curved back onto his forearms. He additionally affixed more metal plates to his arms, and some superconductive plates to deal with laser fire. On his legs, he attached two metal hooks to the sides of his feet, able to dig into the ground, along with the additional metal plates as his arms.

Alejandras also wore a metal vest, with the same metal prongs present on his arms adorning it. It was heavy, but the spinal support in his back held up perfectly, and cut in joints allowed for decent maneuverability. He wore a pair of green and brown trousers that ended right were the cybernetic legs started, and on the sides were pockets. Alejandras filled these pockets with an assortment of sharp objects.

Alejandras, while walking out from the engineering bay, was covered with very minor burns from using a welding torch and plasma cutter without the proper equipment. He strode over to Ezro.

"Rise n' shine capt'n, we got a long day ahead of us."

Siren77

 

[AnonyMouse]

When she wasn’t training and strategizing with the others, Sil spent most of her time in the laboratory or engineering bay. The Titan wasn’t a research vessel, but it did have a small lab for performing chemical analyses. After all, an ITF warship might need to respond to biochemical attacks or virulent outbreaks. The equipment at her disposal wasn’t the best, but she had picked up a few things during her time here.

I think the boys just want to see a catfight, she thought when Ezro assigned Siri Vala to her. She saw that matchup coming from a mile away. They were both females, both agile fighters who relied on evasiveness and speed. And, frankly, she didn’t trust any of the guys to fight her. They would be too… distracted.

Sycom Battery wasn’t as perfect as the ITF made it out to be. It was taught to soldiers because it was relatively simple and easy to pick up. And it was reliable, due to the minimalistic footwork. It just worked. Sil had received the same training, but almost never relied on it. She kind of wished that Siri was a Sycom practitioner. It would make this a lot simpler. Instead, I drew the wild card, she thought.

Silmaris had been trained in the traditional Tymari style of Rach L’maer, often mistranslated as “Raging Sea,” or “Wrathful Wave.” The word actually translated as “Moon and Sea,” and emphasized drawing an opponent in using parries and grabs and striking them back or down with counter attacks. It was supposed to emulate the insistent pull of Tymar’s tide and the crashing of waves. It required reading your opponent’s attacks, anticipating them, and turning their energy against them. Sil had no idea what to expect from Siri, so her plan was to simply survive the first few seconds, long enough to get a read on her, and then work out how to counterattack.

The biggest problem was that solar blade. It could end the fight in an instant. Sil could count on one hand the number of times she had faced an opponent with a solar blade and it was usually some bloke who had no idea how to properly use the damn thing. She would either keep her distance and use a ranged weapon or wait for an opening and disarm them. But neither option would work on Siri, whose blade could become a whip and who was definitely too skilled to be easily disarmed.

So, Sil decided to think her way out of this problem. Solar blades use intense heat to melt through flesh, bone, and armor, similar to a plasma torch or arc welder. Nothing can withstand them indefinitely, but Sil knew of a few materials that might hold up long enough to allow her to deflect strikes. Unfortunately, most of those materials were heavy. Making armor out of them would put her at a disadvantage, since Siri was already lighter, slightly smaller, and probably faster. So, Sil’s only option was to create a heat resistant coating, such as an ablative paint to apply to her suit.

She spent hours reading scientific journals and in the lab trying different mixtures and testing them out on the plasma cutter in the engineering bay. It often took an hour or more for the lab to synthesize the chemicals she needed. While it did that, she would go to the rec room to train or to the beach to meditate and practice her forms. She was always doing something. Zero down time. She even let the droids run the kitchen and prepare meals, so she could stay 100% focused on the mission at all times.

Which also meant she never got to speak with Jacen. She had practically saved his life that night. Everett made it clear that he might not have made it had she not acted so quickly. Sil saw him around the ship. She passed him in the halls. Even though she wasn’t actively avoiding him, she never properly made time for him. And, in the end, isn’t that the same as avoiding someone?

The morning of the duel, she awoke early to begin putting her suit back together. She had applied the heat resistant paint to the thin composite plates on its surface the night before and let them cure in an autoclave. The parts didn’t look any different. The paint was a black ceramic-alloy, which ought to hold up to a solar blade for about two seconds before it began to vaporize. As long as she deflected Siri’s blade and didn’t let it sit in one place for too long, the armor should work.

She was suiting up when she received Jacen’s message. Sil sighed. “I guess it’s time,” she thought as she zipped up the skintight chameleon suit. It fit like a glove. She chose to keep her natural form for this mission, with porcelain white skin and elfin ears. Instead of human hair, she sported three headtails. Two thin, multicolored ones hung like bangs, while the third, much larger one, hung almost to her waist and split into smaller tentacles about halfway down. She could actually grab things with it, like a third hand, but rarely relied on that little parlor trick.

Sil adorned herself with knives, including her jackknife. She strapped it to her thigh and affixed her rifle to her other leg before leaving the Titan. As she stepped out onto the beach, she spied Ezro sitting on a rock and Al nearby as the sun began to peek over the horizon. Nearly an hour had passed since she got Jacen’s message. She wondered if he planned this. ‘Meet me on the beach at sunrise.’

Sil rolled her eyes before striding over to the other two men. No way was Jacen that clever.

Siren77 Jagson GolemGuy

 

[Jagson]

Jacen saw that the sun was rising. 'Talk about timing." He thought. He let out a breath as he saw Sil walking to the cap and Al. He walked towards her
"Sil. I need to talk to you." He said.
AnonyMouse

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sil turned to face Jacen. He looked much better than that night she had held his hair while he puked in a dirty old trash can. He seemed more focused now, instead of the listless mess he had been on that first day. He seemed like he might actually live to see tomorrow.

"Okay," she said. "Would you like to speak here or in private?" She was very aware of the presence of Ezro and Al and the fact that they could hear and see everything. She didn't care, but wondered if Jacen did...

Jagson Siren77 GolemGuy

 

[Jagson]

Out here is fine." He said. He let out a breath as he looked at her. "Thank you for... The other night. Eve told me you spotted what happened." He said.

He gently touched her hand. "Look I know you really don't care about me, But if we make it out of this alive would you like to have dinner in my quarters sometime." He smiled at her. "I want to get to know you better mermaid." He said his face showed his sincerity. "Even if it is just as co workers."
AnonyMouse

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sil smiled. And, for once, it wasn't that condescending, shit-eating grin she often used when she was mocking someone. She actually smiled at him.

"I manually induced vomiting and held you as you emptied the contents of your stomach into a wastebin. If that is what 'not caring' looks like, i would hate to see what it takes to show my concern for your wellbeing," she said with a hint of amusement. "But I would do it again in a heartbeat, Jacen."

She held his hand between both of her own and gave it a gentle pat.

"I think we can find someplace more scenic than your quarters," she said, "but, yes, I agree to dine with you... away from prying eyes." She briefly glared at Al and Ezro before returning her focus to Jacen. She released his hand and half-turned away. "But, first,... Siri. If you have feelings for her, I apologize in advance. I will do what I must."

Jagson Siren77 GolemGuy

 

[Siren77]

“Indeed my friend, a long and hellish day awaits us. Yet two of our numbers still slumber in this instance. It would be wise to awaken them just so we’re all focused and equipped for the task at hand...” Ezro took a disgruntled deep breath, the nerves were killing him. “A bit longer they can rest, then it’s time to move.”

Doing his best to get his mind off the day, he fully turned to Al with a feigned smile.

“How do you feel Al? How are your injuries? I see you’ve gotten a few more burns, which I assume developed from the impressive work on your prosthetics?”
GolemGuy

 

[Jagson]

He nodded. "I understand." He said. "I hate that we're on different sides, but we made our choices." He looked at Sil and smiled. "Thank you Sil." He said. He looked over at where Ezro and Al where. He decided it was best if he didn't try and pull anything at the moment. "Would you like to enjoy the rest of this sunrise together?" He asked.
AnonyMouse

 

[GolemGuy]

"I'm going to be honest, that burn on the back is starting to itch, but luckily that's it. Eve pumped me with enough painkiller to numb a corpse!" Alejandras snickered. "Yeah, took me the early hours of the day. They're practical in two ways. First, of course, is intimidation, and everyone knows putting spikes on something makes it scarier. And then of course the spikes are sharp and will puncture."

Alejandras twisted his head towards Jacen and Silmaris, and he smiled. Not that half-hearted or cocky smile. A smile that said 'He did it', he leaned his voice towards Ezro, and spoke in almost a whisper.

"Oh, ain't that sweet?"

AnonyMouse Jagson Siren77

 

[Siren77]

“Good, Good. It sounds like you’re well prepared for today’s events, you seem confident which is also good. I made some modifications of my own to my weapons, just to give an advantage in most situations. However my confidence is a little fried, I can only be so cocky for so long.”

He laughed, but it wasn’t very convincing. Ezro himself had done his best to avoid looking at Sil and Jacen, letting them have their moment and giving a little respect.

“Leave them be. This day could very well be one of their last together.” He said in a hushed tone, an obvious tone of snark in his voice.
GolemGuy

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sil nodded at his question. "That is fine by me, but do not let it distract you," she said coldly. "Enjoy these moments, but do not cling to them, Jacen. The enemy can show up at any minute." She fell silent for a moment as she stood by him, watching the first flash of morning. In the corner of her eye, she spied Al whispering something to Ezro as he nodded in their direction. And there it goes. The rumors have begun, Sil thought.

"Look at those peasants. I should send my knight to punish them," she said, using a faux aristocratic voice, but quickly dropped the act. "I never thanked you for covering for me the other day. You think fatass suspects something?" she teased. "I honestly wouldn't care if he did. After today, it might be time to come clean."

Jagson Siren77 GolemGuy

 

[Jagson]

"No need to thank me." He said as he put his arm around her. Given something for that tub of blubber to look at "Maybe Al seems to be able to pick up on stuff." He said as he gazed out into the distance watching the sun slowly rise up

 

[Bard Bard]

Kal Rezd exited the Titan, dressed once more in a black overcoat. Over the past days she had done as Ezro had instructed and practised combat techniques. However, between her lightness, her injured leg and her lack of proper training in fighting styles per her nonmilitary background, she reckoned herself poorly suited to close quarters combat and melee, and had subsequently opted to practice her aim so that she might engage at range. As such, a rifle hung on a cord across her chest. She gazed across the beach, sighted Jacen and Sil together...

She made her way down to where Ezro and Al stood and took a place next to the latter. "Good morning Captain, Alejandras tel-Murkuntelli."

Jagson GolemGuy AnonyMouse Siren77

 

[Siren77]

“Good morning Ms. Rezd. Glad to see you’re up at ‘attem. Looks like we’re still waiting for White to get up so we’ll all be ready for the task at hand.” The captains eyes wandered over to the Bungalow. “Speaking of, my nerves are a little on edge so I’d be more calm if I knew everyone was up and ready to go. You two enjoy one another’s company while I excuse myself for a bit.”

With that said, Ezro rose from the rock and left his weapons behind before jogging over from the shoreline to the edge of the jungle trees. After a quick entrance into the shelter, he quietly entered the room he and Alice had shared as not to disturb her. Once he was standing before her, he leaned down and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face before promptly gently shaking her shoulder.

“Hey, it’s time you get moving. Get up and get yourself equipped, the adversary could be here any moment.”
Bard Bard GolemGuy animegirl20

 

[animegirl20]

Alice was exhausted from all the training they had been doing the past couple of days and she was sleeping comfortably. Suddenly she felt someone shaking her shoulder and she heard a voice. "Hmm?" She slowly opened her eyes and stretched out her arms. "Oh right I'm up." Alice sat up and sighed. "Crap I didn't wake up late did I?" She then got out of bed and took out her clothes to get dressed. She was actually about to start stripping but then realize he was still in the room. "Ezro you mind? We aint that close yet."
Siren77

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sil glanced down at his arm around her waist and where his hand rested. She neither moved closer, nor pulled away. "That is awfully forward of you, knight. Your queen doth not approve," she said... but, still, she didn't pull away. A difficult day lay ahead of them. As the sun finally fully rose above the sea, she quietly said two words to him:

"Earn it."

Jagson

 

[Siren77]

“No, it’s just a little after dawn. But we need to be ready for them at any time today, even if it means staying up a few hours. There’s no rush though.”

Ezro had already started moving for the door, admittedly after being stagnant for a moment.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll give you your privacy.”

Once he was out the door, he shut it behind him and waited patiently for Alice to come out.
animegirl20

 

[Jagson]

He nodded before taking his hand away from her. "There's some stuff I have to take care of." He said as started to walk away. "See you later

 

[animegirl20]

After Ezro left Alice got dressed. Today was going to be a tough day a dangerous one at that. Her body and mind felt tensed. Not good she needed to stretch and relieve the mind.....if there was even time for that. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Clear the mind......." She breathed in and out slowly. Well she felt a little bit better. Alice grabbed her sword and came out the room to see Ezro waiting for her. "Everyone else outside?" She said as she sat her sword down and started stretching her arms.
Siren77

 

[Siren77]

“Yes they are, everyone’s just hanging out on the beach for now waiting for when they come. Though with no sign of trouble for now you should be fine to get on the ship and grab what additional weapons you might need.”

Ezro watched on as stretched, his eyebrows furrowing in a concerned manner.

“How do you feel?”
animegirl20

 

[Bard Bard]

With Ezro's department, Kal pondered what to say to Al. After a moment, she asked: "How are you feeling?" It was a generic thing to say but... oh well.


GolemGuy

 

[GolemGuy]

"Welll, I'll say what I said to Ezro, the burn on my back itches, but Eve pumped me with enough painkillers to numb a corpse"

Bard Bard