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Daireem - Cerania
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Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
11/28/2008 1:19:38 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo's stirring awakened Valerie, but she kept her eyes closed in a vain attempt to get a few more minutes of rest. When she opened them, she saw Hugo outside working rather roughly on the wing. Something seemed off.

She slid across the seat to the other side of the cabin and opened the door, dangling her legs outside.

Valerie: Good morning.

She paused slightly. He seemed to have calmed down before she showed up, but she was still curious.

Valerie: Is something wrong?

She grabbed one of the last granola bars and peeled the wrapper. She could figure any number of things was wrong, but figured it best to ask.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
11/28/2008 6:42:04 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo peered at Valerie for a moment, as if considering something.  Though he looked tired, there was an electric intensity in his eyes that she had never seen before.  Turning back to his machine, he answered business-like, "I'm nearly done here.  Having to deal with these things all the time finally got on my nerves. How is the leg?  We should probably put on a new dressing now, actually."

He couldn't deny that her behind had been a nice thing to behold.  It would be a good distraction from the things bothering him.  A few years ago he would've probably taken advantage of the situation.  In fact, why shouldn't he do so now?  Because she had given up on the bounty?  Nah, she owed him that for saving her and Mattias.  Perhaps it was something else...  

Hugo blinked away the thought and closed up the wing with a thump.  Giving it a pat, he said, "Okay, done. Finally, your turn.  Who would've thought I'd be taking care of two fine ladies in one morning?" It was a joke, but his heart wasn't quite in it at this early hour. He looked for something to wipe his greasy hands on, finally settling on a rag from the back of the craft.
Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
11/28/2008 9:30:21 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo's answer was obviously not the whole story, but, as she should know quite well, some people need their secrets. She nodded, then gave her leg a pointlessly demonstrative shake when he asked about it.

Valerie: It doesn't feel good, but I'm okay.

She watched him finish with the wing while she downed the snack bar. Just as he closed the wing, she crumpled up the wrapper and shoved it into the box from which it came, tossing it back behind the seat. She turned back to Hugo when he made his crack about two "fine ladies" and responded with an amused smirk.

Valerie: I don't know if I should be flattered or concerned about pulling down my pants for you.

Obviously not too concerned, she stood up and slid down her jeans, twisting around to try to get a look at the bandage. A relatively small circle of dark red had soaked into it, but it didn't look bad at all for having had a twisted, sharp piece of metal shot into it.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
11/29/2008 6:43:33 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo smiled and said, "You know, I wouldn't have thought someone with a big hole in 'em would be such a morning person."

Taking care not to pull the wound open, Hugo removed the bandage and inspected the damage. It had bled a little, but looked fairly healthy, the strips that held it together were still firmly in place. A new bandage later, he pronounced her fit for service.

He stood up and looked around for Mattias. "Mattias ought to be sleeping around here somewhere.  He went to 'find cover' last night after you dropped off. Let's find him and get moving if we want to stay ahead of the bandits."

Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
11/29/2008 12:29:03 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Valerie: HA. Believe me, I've had worse. And I've always been a fast healer... but the drugs probably have something to do with it.

She pulled her pants up and got her coat out of the 'thopter.

Valerie: How in the world would he expect to find cover here?

She scanned around, but didn't see him. Maybe he was successful. She walked around the other side of the Albatross and finally saw a dark mass a short way away, barely in shadow. It started to stir.

Valerie: Ah, he's over there.

Mattias trotted over with his hastily-folded tarp and shotgun.

Mattias: Are you guys ready to go yet?

His eyes were dark, lids droopy. He obviously hadn't gotten much sleep. Valerie considered that yesterday's events could be rather traumatic to someone that wasn't used to that kind of thing... like Mattias. He seemed pretty paranoid anyway, so he wasn't so well off.

Valerie: Uh, yeah. Just about.

She gave a last look around the area to make sure nothing was left behind and climbed into the ornithopter.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
11/29/2008 7:30:01 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo ignored Mattias' haggard look.  This adventure would make him or break him, but there was no breaking things off before it was over.  "Yes, let's go."

Mattias and Hugo climbed in and got seated.  Soon the ornithopter was humming along at speed towards the big volcano.  The morning skies were clear and they had a moderate tail-wind pushing them along.

Shortly they arrived at the volcano.  The previous day seemed like ages ago, and it took a moment for Hugo to orient himself and recall where the bandit dirigible went down.

The remains of the shattered obsidian spire glittered in the shallow morning light as the trio descended in their banged up little craft.  A great mess of metal struts, cabling, and canvas lay beside it.  As they approached, they noticed an oblong lump underneath that looked like it might be the gondola.

With a bump and a scrape, Hugo landed the craft. "So, let's try to find a way into the airship."
Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
11/30/2008 3:06:47 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Valerie stared at the broken mass before her. It was intimidating. Looking at it from here, it didn't look like they'd be getting through that mess.

Mattias was the first to express it in words.

Mattias: How the frag are we gonna get in that?!

Valerie stepped out of the Albatross with a limp, studying the wreck a bit longer.

Valerie: There's probably plenty of space between the struts. It's the skin I'm worried about.

She reached into the flyer and pulled her butterfly sword belt from the floorboard, tightening it around her waist. She left her coat and katana inside. She turned to Hugo.

Valerie: Hugo, you seem to have some experience with dirigibles. How thick are we talking here? Would it be foolish to try to cut through it with a knife?

She pulled her knife from her pocket and idly flipped it around. She remembered she had left blood on the blade from her knife fight last night. She'd have to clean it later. She pocketed it.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
11/30/2008 7:01:01 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo looked over the wreckage and answered pensively, "There are lots of openings built in.  If we're lucky we can just walk right in and have access to the gondola directly.  Otherwise, I'm not sure.  I've never had to cut this stuff before.  I do know they tear and leak, because I used to hang out with the guys who repaired it."

Before the crash, the airship represented an impressive feat of engineering.  Two huge aluminum frames formed side-by-side cylinders, containing rows of pressurized balloons of helium that kept the entire structure afloat.  Surrounding the frame and protecting the balloons was a sturdy skin of treated canvas.  This canvas was fire-resistant and stiff, able to withstand years of weather and wear.  Underneath the huge lighter-than-air component of the dirigible was a much smaller gondola that held the crew and cargo.  While it was possible to put people and stuff in the superstructure, this was generally not done because of the risk to the fragile interior balloons.

They couldn't find any built-in opening near the gondola, a metal support strut had torn a wide hole into the canvas nearby.  Hugo said, "We should be able to get into the cabin from here.  There are emergency hatches all around.  But, uh, if this is like the Werrington we'd better check for booby traps before bustin' in."

Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
12/1/2008 4:48:26 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Valerie stepped nimbly across the wreckage to where Hugo found the opening. From the way things were looking, the gondola was in miraculously good shape.

Valerie: What kind of traps are we talking?

She couldn't imagine explosives. That's just an accident waiting to happen.

Mattias: I'll just... stay out here. Keep an eye out.

Valerie nodded. He was still being paranoid, but it still didn't seem too bad an idea.

Valerie: I've had, uh, a history with traps. After you.

She gestured into the hole.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
12/1/2008 7:13:50 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo answered, "Thanks, Matt. I was about to suggest that we need someone to keep a lookout. Just, uh, fire a shot if you need us back. As for the traps, we had springboards with spikes. God knows what a gang of bandits would resort to."

He stepped into the opening, holding the small torch from his toolkit. Pausing a moment, he mused, "Then again, perhaps bandits wouldn't need to use booby traps, because who in their right mind would try to break into a bandit airship?"

The canvas formed a tent, held up by broken metal and the gondola. Yellow light filtered through numerous small holes and rips in the material. It was very dusty, and the floor was an uneven mess of obsidian and wreckage.  Moving carefully, Hugo made his way around the structure until he found a large split in the side.  The crash had smashed the gondola like a pumpkin, splitting it open at the seams.

Gingerly, he stepped inside and played the light over the interior. Beckoning Valerie to follow, He said, "We seem to be in the storage section."  

Boxes, sacks, and containers of all kinds were strewn through a large interior space. Some larger crates were chained down toward the aft. The walls and roof showed large cracks from the impact.  

Moving toward the bow of the airship, Hugo said, "Come on, we can check this stuff out later. Let's do a sweep for survivors." He made a mental note to find the bridge and the armory as soon as possible as well.  These two locations would probably have the most useful stuff.  With a volume like two large airliners stuck together, they had a lot of ground to cover.
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