UEEF Marines - IC Thread

[Sherwood]

Eonivar Psychie GunMan2

Welcome to the Third Heavy Assault Division AKA the Dragon Slayers. You are currently on the Ikazuchi-Class Command Cruiser MacArthur traveling through deep space on your way to Tyrol, the homeworld of the Robotech Masters. For Pyrrah, this has been a long trip from Earth as you have been run through multiple layers of training in order to be able to transition from your time in High Lord Breetai's fleet and fighting the humans to not just working along side them, but actually using your military experience to lead a team into action against your old masters. Your time in the old Queadluun-Rau Female Powered Armor has put you in good company as you transition to use your skills in the Cyclone Ride Armor in the UEEF Marines.

For both Onni and Amelia, this has been a very different kind of trip for you as you have snuck away from an Invid Protoculture farm in a stolen ship filled with refugees in a desperate attempt to find help to free the thousands of other slaves still stuck under the merciless claws of the Invid. After being rescued by the MacArthur, you have seen that these humans could very well be the allies you need against the Invid. After getting an offer to join and train along-side the humans and their United Earth Expeditionary Force (AKA the UEEF), you have found yourselves being welcomed by your new shipmates as you and many of the other refugees roll your sleeves up and learn how to use the new technology offered up by the humans.

Right now, the Mighty Mac and several of the support ships of the Third Division are preparing to exit Fold Space in an outlying solar system of the Robotech Master empire to rendezvous with the Atlas, the Third's Three Star Construction Ship and her escorts to perform some minor upgrade work on several of the warships of the Third. Nothing serious is needed, just a nip and tuck here and there, making some changes to the life support systems to be able to comfortably house the new Garudans and their unique atmosphere needs without having to rely upon their rebreather masks all the time.

Psychie

Before the transition to normal space, Pyrrah is called to the office of Commander Mitchell Sorensen, the training company commander in charge of getting the new recruits whipped up into proper Marine form and get them ready for the upcoming fight with the Robotech Masters. His actual rank is Captain, but you have learned that while on board the MacArthur, he is given the title of Commander because a Navy ship has only one Captain, and she is Capt. Renna Taeger. Commander Sorensen has also been responsible for driving you hard in your own officer training classes to help you prepare for your new role as an officer in charge of a team of Marines in Cyclones.

You have met Commander Sorensen several times over the course of your voyage out from Earth, with him giving you difficult assignments in an effort to bring you up to 100%. He gives the initial impression of being a humorless hard-ass that eats young officers for breakfast. But as you gotten to know him, you have discovered that there is a trace of humanity, and surprisingly enough, something similar to humor in the heart of this hard-ass Marine. He has taken you under his wing, paying special attention to your education and demanding nothing less than perfection from you.

At his office, once you are past the outer security screen leading to the Command Deck, you are greeted by his secretary, a sergeant that smiles as you enter. "Greetings, ma'am. Please have a seat, and I'll inform the Commander that you are here." It does not take long before you hear the gravelly voice of Sorensen yelling out, "Send her in!" As you enter, he returns your salute with one of his own and motions towards a seat.

"At ease, Lieutenant, and make yourself comfortable." He opens a file drawer in his desk and pulls out a large glass bottle of liquor and two glasses. "Care for a drink?"


Eonivar and GunMan2

Sitting in one of the ships' chow halls, Onni and Amelia have been joined at their table by a dozen other new graduates from this cycle's Cyclone training program, other former refugees from the Invid slave farm. You managed to graduate the day before and have had the past twenty-four hours off of all duty in order to celebrate your new status as young officers of the UEEF. Many of your class are now suffering the effects of overconsumption of various intoxicants that are safe for your biological restrictions, and it is up to you as to your own level of hangovers (if any).

Right now, the time for you to receive your orders for what team you will be assigned to is drawing near, and rumors are flying around about what might take place. One young Garudan named L'n leans forward to speak in a confidential whisper, "I have heard that Sorry-sen is currently talking to various officers about us. They are making the decision as to where we will be assigned."

Mara, a Paraxian, looks over with interest. "Really? I wonder how we will be split up. I sincerely doubt that we will all end up in the same squad."

Torni, one of the few humans in the group, pops her gum and says, "L'n, it's not Sorry-sen, its Sorensen. I don't understand how you have such trouble with pronouncing his name. But she's right. Before coming here, I saw that there were several officers that had been called up to go see the Commander, all squad leader rank, but they are all short-staffed at the moment. I would bet a month's salary that we will be getting our team assignments by the end of the shift. Sorensen is not one to dither when a decision is needed to be made."

 

[Psychie]

The call to go to the Commander's office finds Pyrrah in the confines of her quarters, leaning over a textbook detailing the inner workings of a Cyclone's built-in radio, combining her studies of basic electronics and simple radio repairs. Her roommate, a fellow Marine officer named Shannon Rhodes taps her on the shoulder. "Hey, Pyrrah. Sorensen wants to talk to you in . . . ten minutes. You'd better hustle. You know he doesn't tolerate tardiness."

Pyrrah stands and sets aside her textbook and stretches, then grabs for her uniform overshirt and starts to button it up. "Yes, indeed. On the bounce and all that." She looks over at Shannon and sees how the other woman is looking quite frazzled. "You need to set those data tablets aside and get to the gym, then get some rack time. You are stretching yourself too thin."

Shannon lets out a groan. "I just don't know how to get everything done if I don't burn the candle at both ends. How do you do it?"

"You have to understand that I don't get it all done; I just don't stress the small stuff. We are Marines, and are the tip of the spear, first into battle. Look at yourself. You lack muscle tone, your eyes are blurry, and you're not getting enough sleep. If we were to drop into a fight right now, would you be ready for it? I think not. This text on advanced physics is interesting, but do you want it on your tombstone when you buy a piece of property because you are weak and flabby?" She tosses the tablet down and continues with, "You are my friend and a fellow soldier. You have supported me in my times of need, now I return the favor. Get. Some. Exercise. Then sleep. Get yourself ready to drop. We never know when we'll be called into action."

The Earth woman says, "Ungh! I hate it when you are right. Ok! I'll take a break from the studying. Now you need to get to the Commander."

Pyrrah gives Shannon a smile and messes up her hair. "Now you are talking sense. I'll be quiet when I get back, just in case you are sleeping. I'll fill you in on how the meet goes tomorrow." Taking a moment to look in the mirror to make sure that her uniform is squared away, she gives a thumbs up to her roommate and heads out to see what Cmdr. Sorensen wants.


Once she is in the office, she says, "Lt. Pyrrah, reporting as ordered, sir." She then slides into the seat that her superior pointed at and tries to relax, but finds it difficult to do so in front of her commander. When he opens up the drawer and pulls out the glasses and the bottle, she feels a brief flash of anxiety. She may be learning the in's and out's of human culture, but her interactions with fellow military members in a more 'social' environment is still somewhat taxing for her to figure out. What is the correct course of action? Do I accept a drink, or do I decline the offer?

Pyrrah finally decides to offer up a smile and nod, tanking the drink in both hands and taking a slight sip. If her commanding officer wants to have a drink with her, then by his choice of divine patrons, she will have a drink with him. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Still sitting as if at the position of 'attention', she waits for Cmdr. Sorensen to breech the subject of just why he has called her in.

 

[Eonivar]

Stage lights flashing
The feeling's smashing!

Lynn Minmei's voice whispered out of Onni's ever present headphones as he sketched a picture of the gathering around him, since the Garudan had super sharp hearing the music was turned down to nearly subsonic levels so no one except maybe L'n heard anything. All of the Garudan that were a part of the UEEF had, in addition to their ever present gas tanks and masks, sound suppressors and regulators fitted in their vulpine like ears to protect their hearing and regulate incoming sounds for them.

Onni had found the music of this new society, particularly of the amazing and revered (at least to Onni) human singer Lynn Minmei, a good way of coping with the limited connection of the the Hin away from their homeworld. Others such as L'n adapted in their own ways but for Onni it was the voice of the dark haired human woman he had the happy occasion of actually meeting when he was being evaluated by the task force. He had her sign his breath mask as he had nothing at the time. He still remembered her awe and warmth at meeting him and the kiss on his forehead she gave him, it was as if he could still feel it and it had been many months or years, time passed differently from a garudan’s point of view.

The dark blue colored fox like creature with tripod like feet with a bushy tail that flicked to and fro to the beat of the music he listened to while he simultaneously listened to the conversation of his comrades. Onni, when not focused in a mission, always had to be doing something with his hands. Usually it is art, his quarters had books and pictures of drawings everywhere (lots of drawings of Minmei too). He often gave away his art, as he often felt that he did not really own anything. He was happy to capture that moment in time with his impression and knew through the HIn that paths of others crossed and faded and that he needed to embrace the moment particularly in gatherings and celebrations such as this one.

Golden pupil-less eyes glanced from one to the other, following the conversation, his body and mind moving almost autonomously, capturing the moment, the faces of everyone assembled there.

Onni's voice was slightly muffled because of his breath mask, but his voice always had a hint of cheer, concern. And warmth to it, a pleasing voice for sure. "Torni, please be mindful that we all had to learn your language, and that all of us from other worlds communicate very differently than how you speak. We use vocal cords only in part of our language and only in whispers usually. It takes us quite a lot of work to strengthen them to speak your language. L'n speaks very well for a Garudan." He paused and poured some more liquor into Torni's cup and reaches up and gives the human a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and then topping off Mara’s cup.

"What does it matter that we may all be in separate units in the near future? We will go where the Hin takes us. We are all here now in this moment. Should that not be celebrated? It puzzles me much that you all always seem to be looking to the future and not looking at what we have here and now? Look at us now. Such an extraordinary gathering of incredible beings. Such powerful and shining souls. I am very proud to witness and be a part of all of your acquaintances!” Onni lifts his cup of juice in a toast as he and most Garudans do not like the way alcohol messes with their connection to the Hin. “To all of us, right here, right now, gathered and ready to fight to free the galaxy of the invid!”

I can’t believe I have come this far
This is my time to be a star!

 

[Sherwood]

Once she is in the office, she says, "Lt. Pyrrah, reporting as ordered, sir." She then slides into the seat that her superior pointed at and tries to relax, but finds it difficult to do so in front of her commander. When he opens up the drawer and pulls out the glasses and the bottle, she feels a brief flash of anxiety. She may be learning the in's and out's of human culture, but her interactions with fellow military members in a more 'social' environment is still somewhat taxing for her to figure out. What is the correct course of action? Do I accept a drink, or do I decline the offer?

Pyrrah finally decides to offer up a smile and nod, tanking the drink in both hands and taking a slight sip. If her commanding officer wants to have a drink with her, then by his choice of divine patrons, she will have a drink with him. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Still sitting as if at the position of 'attention', she waits for Cmdr. Sorensen to breech the subject of just why he has called her in.

Sorensen nods and takes a sip from his own drink with a slight smile as enjoys the flavor of the scotch rolling over his tongue. "Ah, that's the good stuff, there. I'm glad you're enjoying it with me, Lieutenant. This is one of my last bottles that I brought along with me from Earth. I find a slug of this stuff to be a good way to ease my mood. It will be a shame when I finish the last bottle. But at least this one was enjoyed with an officer that I'm quite fond of. So relax a bit. This is not the Inquisition. You're not in trouble or else you'd not be enjoying a drink with me."

He takes another sip, then sets the drink down and pulls out a data tablet. Turning back to business, he says, "I have a list of various candidates for your new squad that we are going to go over together. I have picked out a handful of trainees, all of which are so new that they still squeak when they walk. But their test scores are all in the top 95% of the graduating class, so even with their green status, I feel like they will be able to be integrated into a team fairly quickly. Three of the four are fellow Marines, with just your corpsman being a Navy enlisted man. But don't let that be a strike against him."

Reaching across the table to hand you the tablet, Sorensen continues to talk as you begin to look over the data. "All your candidates are fully rated in the Cyclones or else I wouldn't have chosen them for you to take under your wing. Let us go over your people." He leans back in his chair and looks over at Pyrrah as she starts to read the files.

"2nd Lt. Torni Case is your comms officer for the team. She's a fully qualified electronics warfare operator and skilled marksman, but not sniper rated. She has taken to the 038R Reconnaissance Cyclone and the Silverback with gusto. She's from Mars, and has only been to Earth orbit when she shuttled over to join the UEEF Fleet." He pauses for a moment, and when he continues, he says, "She's an orphan, having lost both parents in the war. According to her psych reports, she won't have a problem serving with Zentraedi that she sees as being 'on her side', but there may be a bit of friction if you run into any non-UEEF members of your race."

"Now we have Hospital Corpsman Third Class Keith Sable. He's your only enlisted, and as I said he's a Navy man. He shows promise, even if he's a squid. He is a bit older than Torni Case, and was on the SDF-1 with his family during the war until their return to Earth. He's a lucky one, having only lost his mother during the war. His psych report shows that he is driven to save lives, and may risk himself in order to do so. You may need to keep him on a short leash, but I have faith in you that you can get through to him."

"Your next two team members are newcomers to us all, and as such, we have only limited information on them. The first is Onni, a Garudan male. He's brilliant, having tested off the charts on our Iq tests. He also has access to what his species calls 'The Hin'. I'm not entirely sure what that is, but the doctors have added all the data we have on it with his file. I strongly suggest you look it over."

"Finally, there is Amelia Dawn, a Paraxian. She is a nasty fighter, and will be a solid resource for you to lean on in a scrap." He goes on to summarize Amelia's skill set and personality profile. "She is a real fireball, having a strong will to win. I see your team being quite formidable in the field once you have had a chance to work together a bit."

"I'll be sending our their assignments to them in about an hour to give you a chance to look over their files in greater detail. Once you have done so you can set up a meeting to get a feel for them in person. After that, we are going to be down to less than six hours before we exit Fold Space for our rendezvous with the Atlas. Your team will then be shuttled over to your new berthing assignment onboard the Garfish Class Troopship Normandy, under the command of Captain Laventri Kutzuzov. Your shuttle for the Atlas will leave in seven hours, and you will then be able to report into Capt. Kutzuzov. Make sure your squad is ready to ship."

Sorensen reaches out and grabs his drink and slams it back and sets the glass down on the table. "I have full confidence in you, Pyrrah. You have shown true grit, and I am proud to have had you train with me. I do hope that you don't hate me for pushing you so hard; I can just see that you are a true diamond in the rough, and given enough pressure, you will shine."

Onni's voice was slightly muffled because of his breath mask, but his voice always had a hint of cheer, concern. And warmth to it, a pleasing voice for sure. "Torni, please be mindful that we all had to learn your language, and that all of us from other words communicate very differently than how you speak. We use vocal cords only in part of our language and only in whispers usually. It takes us quite a lot of work to strengthen them to speak your language. L'n speaks very well for a Garudan." He paused and poured some more liquor into Torni's cup and reaches up and gives the human a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and then topping off Mara’s cup.

"What does it matter that we may all be in separate units in the near future? We will go where the Hin takes us. We are all here now in this moment. Should that not be celebrated? It puzzles me much that you all always seem to be looking to the future and not looking at what we have here and now? Look at us now. Such an extraordinary gathering of incredible beings. Such powerful and shining souls. I am very proud to witness and be a part of all of your acquaintances!” Onni lifts his cup of juice in a toast as he and most Garudans do not like the way alcohol messes with their connection to the Hin. “To all of us, right here, right now, gathered and ready to fight to free the galaxy of the invid!”

Torni looks embarrassed at the rebuke, saying, "Sorry, I guess I forget sometimes that you two didn't grow up speaking English, especially with how well you both have taken to it. Just to be fair, I have started to learn some Garudan, but I'm a long way from being fluent in it. If we are assigned together, you'll have to help me, ok? I want to learn Paraxian, too."

Mara gives Onni a wide grin as she takes a drink, saying, "I know little of your Hin, but you are right about celebrating! We have escaped the Invid, crossed light years of space in a ship that was being held together by happy thoughts and iffy welding, and have graduated in the Marines having made new friends and allies! Truly a worthy accomplishment that will be told in song!" She takes a deep breath in preparation to start said singing when there is a beep from her tablet.

Mara says, "Look! I have been assigned to the Black Widow Squadron, under the command of Lt. Natasha Kerenski. What is a Black Widow? Is it a fearsome creature?"

One of the few humans in the group take a moment to try and explain that while the spider is small, it can be very deadly, so yes, it is a good name for a group of Cyclone riders going into battle. At first, Mara looks somewhat downfallen at the description, but she quickly cheers up when she learns about the venom of the spider, saying, "Yes! Our Cyclones are not as large as the Alpha or Beta, or the lumbering Destroids, but we will strike a deadly blow against our enemies. Truly a worthy name. Well! I should be off to meet my new commander. Be safe, my friends, and best of luck on your postings!"

 

[Eonivar]

Onni gives a knowing nod over to L'n as they communicate via ear twitches, a tail flick, and a message through the limited hin they were connected to.

I admire the humans wanting to learn everything, but there are things that they are not physically built for in order for them to understand properly.

Onni looks back the human communications officer. "Torni, no offense, but you have really small ears, no tail, nor a deep connection to the Hin. I would say the verbal comprises maybe ten percent of the Garudan language, probably closer to five percent. You would have no context just understanding the verbal. My recommendation would be to focus on other languages than my own as well as the technology that is used to enable us to communicate in battle as well as being able to fight the invid."

Onni nodded his head at Mara. "Congratulations on your assignment, may you path shine brightly before you."

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah quickly scans the personnel files as Cmdr. Sorensen summarizes the contents, feeling very excited at the thought of leading this odd assortment of beings. "Sir, thank you for this chance to show what I can do. I promise to not let your confidence down. I will read over these files, and let my squad know to meet me on the range in one hour. After I meet them, we will break off to get our duffel bags packed." She sends the various files and tags them to her own tablet for later examination, then hands it back to Cmdr. Sorensen.

"If there is nothing else, sir, I have a lot of reading to do before I run into my team and share with them our new deployment orders. May I be dismissed?"

If he has more for her, she waits until being given the ok to leave.

If yes, she will stand and give another salute before heading out of the Commander's office, making sure to keep her composure until she is out of view before breaking into her happy dance for a moment, stopping before anyone could see her. Pyrrah then brushes a strand of stray hair out of her face before heading off to look over the files in detail. One part of her research is to look into the public service record of her new ship's captain. Who is this Capt. Kutzuzov? What does his record show of his command ability?

 

[Sherwood]

Onni gives a knowing nod over to L'n as they communicate via ear twitches, a tail flick, and a message through the limited hin they were connected to.

I admire the humans wanting to learn everything, but there are things that they are not physically built for in order for them to understand properly.

Onni looks back the human communications officer. "Torni, no offense, but you have really small ears, no tail, nor a deep connection to the Hin. I would say the verbal comprises maybe ten percent of the Garudan language, probably closer to five percent. You would have no context just understanding the verbal. My recommendation would be to focus on other languages than my own as well as the technology that is used to enable us to communicate in battle as well as being able to fight the invid."

Onni nodded his head at Mara. "Congratulations on your assignment, may you path shine brightly before you."

L'n shows amusement in return, replying to Onni with, She is like a youngster being told some bad news. I give her credit for trying, though.

As the conversation continues around the table, several more tablets ping with the new message notification, namely Onni and Torni. The human looks at her data pad and smiles. "I just got my assignment. I'm heading over to the Normandy, assigned to 1st Lt. Pyrrah in a strike Cyclone team. I think she's a Zentraedi; that doesn't sound like a human surname. Coolness! Looks like I have seven hours to get my duffle bag packed up before I ride the shuttle over to my new post. Hey, Onni, your tablet went off, too. What orders did you get?"

Pyrrah quickly scans the personnel files as Cmdr. Sorensen summarizes the contents, feeling very excited at the thought of leading this odd assortment of beings. "Sir, thank you for this chance to show what I can do. I promise to not let your confidence down. I will read over these files, and let my squad know to meet me on the range in one hour. After I meet them, we will break off to get our duffel bags packed." She sends the various files and tags them to her own tablet for later examination, then hands it back to Cmdr. Sorensen.

"If there is nothing else, sir, I have a lot of reading to do before I run into my team and share with them our new deployment orders. May I be dismissed?"

If he has more for her, she waits until being given the ok to leave.

If yes, she will stand and give another salute before heading out of the Commander's office, making sure to keep her composure until she is out of view before breaking into her happy dance for a moment, stopping before anyone could see her. Pyrrah then brushes a strand of stray hair out of her face before heading off to look over the files in detail. One part of her research is to look into the public service record of her new ship's captain. Who is this Capt. Kutzuzov? What does his record show of his command ability?

Sorensen offers up a brief smile. "Your hard work has earned this chance, Lieutenant. I fully expect and require nothing but the best from you, and I am sure you will do your new captain proud. Well, you have your orders, so I will let you get to it. Dismissed." He stands, returns the salute, then offers up his hand for a quick shake. "Give 'em hell, LT."

As you leave, you can see that there is another officer waiting for his time with the Commander. He gives you a nod as he sees you, along with a subtle thumbs-up as he sees your high spirits.

 

[Eonivar]

Onni glanced at his tablet, looks up at Torni "Ah well it appears we will be squad mates after all as I got the same assignment. All good. I am going to go and prepare my gear for transport. I do not want to have to have another set of cyclones modified on the fly when I get there."

He stands up walks over to L'n reaching over and touching her shoulder, sharing their connection in the Hin directly, their eyes meeting.

It appears this is where our paths diverge L'n, I will see you should our paths cross again whether it is in spirit or in the flesh.

With a squeeze of L'n's shoulder Onni releases and turns to the others gathered there. "And this is where I say farewell to all of you, perhaps our paths will cross again. Good luck and good hunting." With a bow the Garudan turns and leaves.

 

[Psychie]

After spending some time reading over the personnel files on her squad, Pyrrah decides to let everyone do some packing and get ready to go to the Normandy before trying to wrangle them all together. Besides, she has her own gear to pack up. In the meantime, she sends out a quick text message to the team.

I am Lt. Pyrrah, and I am pleased to have you newly assigned to work with me. As you have already seen, our orders are to report to the shuttle bay for transit to the Atlas where we will link up with our new assignment on the Normandy. I look forward to meeting you all in person. We will make our formal introductions in person at the shuttle. Just make sure you are not late! It will make for a very awkward first meeting with our new commanding officers at our new posting. Until then, your time is your own, but I am available to talk if anyone wishes to reach out.

Pyrrah

With that done, she heads to her room to inventory her gear and pack her duffel bag, doing her best to not disturb her roommate once Shannon gets back from the gym and heads to bed.

 

[Sherwood]

The next several hours are a blur of activity as everyone is packing up their gear and preparing to head off to the hangar bay for your flight over to the Atlas. Before too long, alarms sound in the ship, calling all crew members to report to their fold space stations as the MacArthur prepares to make the transition to normal space. This is a jump into a secure system, so no trouble is expected upon your exit jump, but there is always the possibility of trouble, and the Captain is playing it safe.

This time, it turns out that it was an abundance of caution that was not needed. The support ships that are escorting the Atlas have kept things secure, and the jump alert is quickly set aside for normal operations once more. Finally, with all of your gear finally packed away, it is time for you to report to the hangar bay to get to your ride across space to your new assignment.

The cavernous hangar bay is awash with activity as there are now scores of people getting ready to make the trip to the Atlas. Deck crews are busy loading up the massive cargo bunkers of a Horizon-T class dropship, along with directing the various passengers to their seats along the insides of the cargo pods. The center of the cargo pod is loaded with dozens of Cyclones strapped down on pallets, with passenger seating open along the sides of the pod. A rather burly Warrant Officer is the cargomaster of your ride, and he yells out over the noise of the hangar.

"Get to your seats and strap in! The straps are simple enough for a child to use, so if you have difficulty with them, call me so I can come over and mock your incompetence. We boost promptly in twelve minutes."

Soon enough, the massive doors of the cargo pod slam shut, all without anyone getting razzed for their inability to work the seat belts.

 

[Eonivar]

Onni had been working in the cargo bay well before the others came. He got the Squadron Inventory and made sure all of their equipment and mecha were properly stowed for travel. There were always reports of equipment being damaged in transit because they were not stowed and configured properly. The last thing Onni wanted to happen was them to have an emergency and their equipment fail. He made sure they had additional energy, protoculture, and ammunition per standard regulations.

After making sure their gear was accounted for and stowed, Onni checked his CVR-3 armor seals and helmet. It was a new model of body armor, and a custom made version for his small stature and form. His helmet had extensions on the top to account for his ears and hearing, also he had a long flat oblong attachment that was mounted on the back of his armor, that started at his midsection and went up to just below the back of his neck, this was to hold his tail within. It was flat so he could sit properly. To offset the imbalance in his movement with his tail being contained, the CVR-3 was weighted differently than a normal humanoids armor. It took a bit to get used to, it was not initially comfortable, but it was the best solution that Onni had found to house their tail. Also he had built a gas container and filter into the thigh units of the armor. He wore a gas mask that was connected to the armor internally, and that his helmet fit too when he put it on. So he could wear the helmet with the armored glass visor up if need be and still be wearing his mask. He had also added some custom paint to accentuate the ears as well as added several Garudan glyphs to the armor to bless it with good luck. They were rune like hieroglyphs that were on various points of his armor in different colors. The armor was currently its base grey color beyond the glyphs,

After checking his armor and things, and making sure he had the various tools and things to do his job in the field. He finally sat down, not quite strapping himself in yet until the others including Lt. Pyrrah arrived. He sat there and sighed. He did not like waiting without something to do, so he pulled up, on his wrist computer that was a part of his armor, a presentation that discussed Invid computers and how they worked.

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah makes her way to the hangar bay with her gear in hand early, wanting to get her first look at the members of her squad and make sure that everyone was on time. With a data tablet in hand, she mentally checks off one by one the members of the squad arrive. She goes over to each one as they arrive, offering up a greeting and introducing herself to the squad members and wrangling everyone to sit together in the transport pod.

She then spends some time on her data pad trying to get a bit of advanced information on the command that they are being assigned to.

 

[Eonivar]

Upon Pyrrah's entrence into the pod, Onni stands up with a salute. His odd voice slightly muffled because of his ever present gas mask.


"Lieutenant Pyrrah, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am...Second Lieutenant Onni, I am trained in Mecha Engineering and Combat in Extraterrestrial Environments. I have inventoried, checked over, and made sure all of our gear has been stored properly for transport. I also did checks over all of our mecha and made sure we were stocked up on energy and protoculture cells, and ammunition. I have sent you the current inventory and mecha assignments for our squadron. If there is anything extra you wanted I am not certain if we would have enough time to acquire it right now, but perhaps we could request additional equipment once we get to the Normandy. If there is anything else you need that I may be able to provide or if you have any questions of me, please let me know"

The Garudan waited expectantly for an answer his odd golden eyes inspecting his new commanding officer curiously, he added. "Forgive me Lieutenant, unlike our human allies, I have never worked with a Zentradi before so I am unsure as to what to expect. The Robotech Masters never allowed any Zentradi on Garuda., I suspect they were worried about the effect of our atmosphere on your people. We only had clones and then later on invid on our world."

 

[GunMan2]

Meanwhile, Amelia had finished the loading some of the equipment and decided to take a long very well deserved nap. The one called Pyrrah was always trying to please others in a fast and efficient way to the point that Amelia was dizzy just watching the bug do her thing. But to honest she would rather sleep more as she is still nursing that hangover from yesterday from drinking an entire keg of beer much to the surprise of the bar owner. Not her fault she was born as large enough to need to sit atop a double decker bus and needing to drink in large quantities that would kill a normal man or woman that drinks.

But that is neither here nor there as she is not part of a special ops team fro the UEEF which her mom was not very happy even thought she was a soldier too but decided to retire, marry her dad and make her. Well here she is after months of gruelling training and her own praxian blood she managed to get in and get trained to be a soldier, then go out and blast some baddies. Only that, the real work here is more mind numbing than she thought, with very little shooting actions or crazed terror groups to eliminate just training and only training.

And now here she is about to probably get scolded by her whoever her commanding officer, whoever that might be.

 

[Psychie]

Upon Pyrrah's entrence into the pod, Onni stands up with a salute. His odd voice slightly muffled because of his ever present gas mask.


"Lieutenant Pyrrah, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am...Second Lieutenant Onni, I am trained in Mecha Engineering and Combat in Extraterrestrial Environments. I have inventoried, checked over, and made sure all of our gear has been stored properly for transport. I also did checks over all of our mecha and made sure we were stocked up on energy and protoculture cells, and ammunition. I have sent you the current inventory and mecha assignments for our squadron. If there is anything extra you wanted I am not certain if we would have enough time to acquire it right now, but perhaps we could request additional equipment once we get to the Atlas. If there is anything else you need that I may be able to provide or if you have any questions of me, please let me know"

The Garudan waited expectantly for an answer his odd golden eyes inspecting his new commanding officer curiously, he added. "Forgive me Lieutenant, unlike our human allies, I have never worked with a Zentradi before so I am unsure as to what to expect. The Robotech Masters never allowed any Zentradi on Garuda., I suspect they were worried about the effect of our atmosphere on your people. We only had clones and then later on invid on our world."

Pyrrah offers up a professional nod to the Garudan, saying, "I have never had the chance to encounter any of the races in this team besides humans, so I fully expect that there will be a few . . . errors in inter-squad relations as we all learn the in's and out's of what is an off limits topic." She then looks over the work that has been overseen by Onni, and is happy with the results. "You have done well here. I'm impressed. Keep up the good work, and you will quickly find yourself an invaluable part of this team."

The Zentraedi woman then turns her attention to the other members of the squad; namely the two humans, Lt. Torni Case and Corpsman Keith Sable and the Paraxian, Amelia Dawn. Pyrrah greets each one in turn, saying, "We have a lot of work to do and precious little time to do it in. Once we have reported into our commander on the Normandy, I want us to hit the simulators so I can see what each of you can do in a Cyclone. The sims are a scant second-hand choice compared to live fire and maneuvers, but with the limited space we will have access to on the troopship, we will make due with what we have. Perhaps we will have time to hit the larger facilities on the Atlas before we set out."

"One final thing. We are about to shuttle over to the Atlas. Before we get there, I want each of you to learn something about your squad mates that you didn't know before and be prepared to share with the rest of the team. Did they have a favorite pet? What is their mental picture of a perfect pair-bond partner? What is their favorite food? Where were they born? Tell me something like this about each other. Failure to do so by the time we get to our new post will result in twelve hours of extra duty doing something rather . . . unpleasant. Don't be the one that fails in this first assignment."

 

[Eonivar]

Onni's left ear twitched a bit with Pyrrah's response, otherwise he was pretty hard to read, unless one was familar with Garudans.

Onni thought to himself. 'errors in inter-squad relations'? Off Limits topics? What in the Great Grey Mists of the Hin does that mean? Odd.

There was no doubt or hesitation in the Garudan's masked voice response to the Zentradi's complement. "Of course Lieutenant, thank you"

Onni listened further to Pyrrah's orders and wants. He reached down to this wrist unit and checked the inventory on the request for simulations, with an ear still listening to his commanding officer, pausing and looking up at them, the left ear twitched again in puzzlement. Favorite Pet? Perfect pair-bond partner? Favorite Food? Well planet of birth is easy at least. With the punishment for not socializing something unpleasant? I suppose something unpleasant for one maybe pleasant for another?

Onni spoke up again after Pyrrah was done talking. "Simulation time is probably scheduled on board the Normandy, probably already scheduled out to a point with existing personnel there. So we may have to wait for access. In the mean time once we get there I can get a network hub and set up a VR simulation connecting all of our mecha together. You would be using the mecha's functions but in simulation mode so not actually firing or moving anything. You do not get the movement experience or the feel of weapon firing but it does help with familiarizing oneself with your mecha's functions as well as the common tactics and types of our enemy. It's more of a video game feeling but it is serviceable until we can use the actual simulation chambers, if we have time to do so."

 

[Sherwood]

The Chief looks over and bellows, "Sit your asses down!" Then, takes a closer look at your rank insignias and says, "My pardon. Sit your asses down, sir! Always need to show respect to the officers. Makes them feel like they are important." A series of chuckles from the enlisted passengers can be heard as the cargo pod is sealed up tight. Soon after, you all can feel the deep rumble of the dropship's engines turn over and your ride heads out of the landing bay and into open space on its way to the Atlas for your rendezvous with your new assignment.

As you fly, both Torni and Keith take the time to start interrogating each other and the rest of the squad to find out some news about their new team members, just as Lt. Pyrrah ordered. Keith leans over to say to Onni, "I had a pet Labrador when I was a kid back home on Earth. That's a kind of dog. Really cute guy that loved to go swimming in the lake. What about you guys? Care to add something with the rest of the class?"

Torni replies with, "Never had a pet. Had bad allergies to animals. But I can share something else. I love lasagna with gobs of cheese and a good chunky meat sauce. Not that I can ever expect to get a good lasagna that can compare with my grams' now that I'm in the military out in the middle of deep space."

 

[Eonivar]

Onni listened with great interest to Torni's and Keith's responses, looking up the strange words such as "dog", "Labrador" and "lasagna" on his computer for better context. The lasagna sounded really interesting to him.

He looked over at Torni. "I have fur, I do hope that you are not allergic to me."

Seeing them look at him expectantly Onni tilts his head and answers.

"I did not have any pets...the closest I got to a pet was a robotic assistant I built out of invid parts. It's name was "Draf". Unfortunately it was protoculture powered and I had to use it as a diversion when they raided one of our hideouts. It was a good assistant. Most of my comrades in my resistance cell were very uncomfortable around Draf since it was made of invid parts and were not sad to see it destroyed. For food...its hard to describe...the name is untranslatable, they is a very sweet and tasty thing that grows in the deep swamps that is a treat, I will try and describe it with something from earth, its like a fruity potato...similar in flavor to one of your strawberries covered in sugar, but it does not rot your teeth and is quiet healthy for you. Unfortunately they grow in the deep swamps and are only farmed once per year...also the invid use the swamps for their nutrient farming so that makes harvesting them very challenging." Onni paused definitely misinterpreting Pyrrah's idea. "I do not have a pair-partner which I assume is a mate, my kind has always seen me as something of an oddity and despite the invid occupation, my people are on the conservative side when it comes to accepting new things. Most of the Freedom Fighters are outsiders like me, but this is the will of the Hin. Some of us exist to maintain order and some of us exist to fight for our freedom, it is a balance that we maintain. Once the invid are off Garuda...things will change again and the Hin will guide us and evolve us with this change."

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah does her best to listen in on the conversations going on between the team members on the flight over without seeming to do so. It is interesting to her to hear what the others are saying to one another that is not in their personnel files that they think to share. There is still a lot of work to be done in order to make this bunch of individuals into a cohesive team, but this is a start. She keeps the smile off of her face as she listens on, hoping to hear more.

 

[Sherwood]

It takes only fifteen minutes to take the short flight across the void to the waiting Atlas where the comparatively tiny dropship eases into one of the cavernous internal bays and touches down once more. The feel of artificial gravity, absent on your flight in the cargo container, is now restored, and everyone is once more able to stand and walk.

The one loud cargomaster heads through the pod to the main hatch and checks the readouts, then opens up the drop pod to give everyone their first look inside the factory ship. The chamber is massive; capable of holding a ship even as large as the MacArthur Command Cruiser. Looking up, you can see that there are several Garfish-class troopships in scaffolding hanging in the air above you, having the large robotic arms of the repair bay working tirelessly to perform the needed refits to the vessels.

You are not given much time to sightsee, however. There may be a lot of 'hurry up and wait', but right now you have to secure your personal gear and find your way to the Normandy. Your data tablets all give out a beep as new information is downloaded to them. Looking down at the tablet shows a detailed map showing you the way through the unfamiliar corridors to where you can check in.
A pair of heavy-duty cargo lifters begin hoisting up the pallets of heavy equipment that was secured in the center of the pod. The cargomaster comes over to the various members of the squad and says, "Sirs, we will get your Cyclones sent up to your ship, so all you have to do is follow your tablets to where you will meet your shipmates while they waif for the refit to be done on your new posting." He gives a salute in your direction before turning to once more oversee the unloading of 'his' cargo pod.

A few minutes later, you and several dozen of your fellow passengers are able to make your way up through the ship to the level that the Normandy's crew is currently aiding the work on the ship. According to your notes, you are to report to Chief of the Boat Margo Olsen to receive your berthing assignments. It doesn't take long to find the Chief. She is a stout middle-aged woman in a clean, crisp uniform, coordinating the efforts to finish the work on the troopship as soon as possible.

The Chief Olsen watches as the crowd approaches, and she says in a loud voice, "Captain Kutzuzov will speak to you momentarily, but for now, let me be the first to welcome you to the Normandy. I am Chief of the Boat Margo Olsen. Once the Captain has finished speaking to you, you will come to me to get your bunk assignments." She goes on for a minute, going over a few details of the ship for those that have never been assigned to a Garfish before.

She wraps up her small spiel with, "The Normandy is a fine ship, and you are all lucky to have been selected to serve on her. Treat her with respect at all times, and we will get along famously. Now, here is Capt. Kutzuzov. Attention!"

A tall, thin man comes walking up. He is the complete opposite of Chief Olsen. Where she is short and stocky, the Captain is tall and lanky, with a thick bushy moustache and beard covering his face. His uniform is neat, with creases that look sharp and his rank insignia gleaming in the bright lights of the bay.

He looks over the assembled group of newly transferred crew members silently for a moment, then says in a thick Russian accent, "As you were. I am Captain Laventri Kutzuzuov, and I, too, welcome you aboard. For most of you, this is going to be your first assignment to a Garfish-Class troopship. Things may be a bit of a tight fit for some of you, but we'll make it work. I look forward to serving with you. Now, if there are no questions that require my immediate attention, I will turn you back over to the Chief."

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah pauses at the opening of the cargo pod and is impressed with the size of the Atlas, having seen only a few other vessels that are as large or larger. She remembers seeing the massive Robotech Factory that the Expeditionary Force used to build the ships of the UEEF back in the Sol system from a distance. It was so large that it could be seen by the naked eye even from the surface of the Earth. Still, this Three Star Factory Ship is quite the sight.

The Meltrandi woman doesn't linger at the opening for too long, knowing that she would draw the ire of the cargomaster if she delays the disembarking of the passengers and the pallets of gear strapped down on the deck. Instead, she steps out quickly and moves aside to avoid blocking the exit, feeling the weight of her duffel bag on her shoulder.

As they walk up to report in, Pyrrah looks over this Chief of the Boat with interest, listening intently to what the other woman is saying. The Normandy is smaller than the MacArthur, so things will be a bit more confining, but she never expected a cushy ride like some soft civilian. Using her tablet, she looks over the ship's deck plans, trying to get a read on her new home for the foreseeable future.

When the Chief ends her speech, Pyrrah snaps to attention when Capt. Kutzuzov comes into view. She listens to what he's saying, thinking carefully about any possible questions that she has for him. After a moment, she decides to stand mute, not wanting to call attention to herself at this point. Any questions she needs answered can wait for when he's gone.

 

[Eonivar]

Onni gets up out of his zero-g harness and stretches. He turns up his headphones as the initial musical cues of "We Will Win" starts up...and proceed to follow the path on his tablet while humming pleasently and somewhat loudly the song "We Will Win"

Life is only what we choose to make it
Let's just take it,

One of the techs overseeing the unloading of the squadron's inventory heard the Garudan singing as they walked by and started to sing the song to themselves.

Let us be free
We can find the glory we all dream of

And then one of the men operating a loadlifter heard the tech and started to sing along

And with our love, we can win
(Refrain) Still, we must fight or face defeat
We must stand tall and not retreat

and then the song spread to that particular area as one of the supervisors and their team started to sing it...

With our strength we'll find the might
There's no fight we can't fight together,
All together,
We can win

And bv the time Onni reaches the elevator, most of the people in the massive cargo area were singing 'We Will Win' spontaneously.

Blessed with strong hearts that beat as one,
Watch us soar
And with love that conquers all
We'll win this battle, this last battle
We will win We must win
We will win We can win
We can win

Onni turned down his music so he could hear the elevator tone and looked back..."Oh hey, I was just listening to that song...that song is great."

And no one really knows how or why that song just started to be sung on that day on that particular ship, but after that incident, the ship was known for spontaneous bouts of song all the time.

 

[Sherwood]

It seems that no one wants to trouble the Captain with a bunch of questions, at least, not in this setting, so with a nod, the lanky Russian turns the assembled squad over to Chief Olsen and he returns to overseeing the work on his ship.

With Capt. Kutzuzov now gone, the Chief begins to call people up one at a time to get your berthing assignments. When Onni is called up, the Chief says, "You will be bunking with two other Garudans in a environmentally sealed room on the ship with a airlock to get in and out so you can relax without needing your air mask all the time. We only have this one chamber rigged to your atmospheric needs, so hopefully this is going to be fine for you. If it turns out that you need more rooms, let us know and we can work on getting you and your fellow Garudans some more sealed rooms on the ship."

She continues with, "When you are not deployed in your Cyclone off of the ship, you will be assigned to either the hangar deck aiding in the maintenance of the mecha, or in a Saber Cyclone providing onboard ship security of the sensitive locations of the Normandy. Everyone has work to do."

For Pyrrah, Chief Olsen gives you a bunk assignment, and also shares that your on ship time will be spent providing security for the Command Deck, Engineering and the ship's Armory and Hangar spaces. "Its not that we expect that the ship will be boarded, or think that there will be sabotage, but the Captain is a cautious man. The other members of your squad have side jobs, like your corpsman. He will be serving in Medical, and your comm tech will spend some of her time on the Command Deck helping coordinating things for the ship. Obviously, their roles as Strike Marines in your squad will take priority."

Finally, she asks, "Do you have any questions for me that you didn't want to bother the Captain with?"

 

[Psychie]

Pyrrah nods. Having security on board the ship makes perfect sense to her, but she was cloned as a member of the Zentraedi war machine, and fighting is second nature to her. "No need to explain anything, Chief. What the Captain wants, he'll get. All of my squad will comply with their orders. Who is the ranking officer of the Marine contingent on the Normandy? I want to know the name of the person I'll be reporting to directly."

 

[Sherwood]

Olsen replies with, "The head of the Marines on the ship is Commander Connor O'day. He is a Captain, but when on board he is referred to as Commander, since a Navy ship has only one Captain. He already has your names and personnel files, and is waiting to hear from you. Your gear will be sent up to your room for you to unpack, leaving you to go and check in with Cmdr. O'day."

"Any other questions, lieutenant?"