I have only just recently returned to the guild after being away for several months! I noticed this RP and it caught my attention! I am game as long as you haven't given up on it yet, Hukos! What do you say?

Sure, I went on a bit of a hiatus myself before but I can definitely rp if you're still there.

OOC: I'm somewhat interested in joining this myself, reminiscent as I am about PSO.  I'll write a brief entry post and see if that sparks some additional interest.

IC:
"So what is it that you want me to do here, chum?" asked the round-faced tekker, his cybernetic purple eyes refocusing as he looked across his desk at the tall, somewhat gangly young man who stared back through long blond bangs.  His face was masked in black except for those eyes, and he wore a yellow and brown jumpsuit that suited his brown complexion, as well as a brown synth-leather jacket with the collar up.

The man gestured to the pair of guns that laid on the desk between the two of them.  The guns looked like advanced-tech sub-machine guns, and like all weapons made in this day and age they utilized Photon power, with a constant blue energy beam lining the top of both metallic guns like a rail.  "I just want to know if you can identify the owner of these weapons."

The tekker frowned and the tips of his long newman ears twitched.  "Hey pal, these better not be stolen or nothin'.  I'm no fence, see?"

"I'm trying to find this person to return the guns.  But they've disappeared and this is all that they left behind.  It's my job to find them...they were last seen on Pioneer 1."

The tekker's ears perked up.  "A hunter, then?  Only hunters got the A-clearance to go down ta Ragol's surface.  Gotta see yer ID."

The man nodded, reaching up and pulling open his jacket to show the holographic badge on the front of the chest armor he wore.  The badge displayed a white symbol with a semi-circle gear shape along the bottom, with a much smaller semi-circle above it and facing the other direction, with a line segment in the middle between the two.  Also hidden inside of his jacket was a boomerang-shaped device with a single orange Photon edge.

The cyborg nodded after his eyes had scanned the badge a few moments.  "ID checks out - section Whitill.  Okay, I'll help ya, but next time make sure you got more cash - time is money, can't be wastin' both."

Reaching out from the folds of his outrageous green cloak, the tekker picked up the two mechguns and examined them with his eyes, the original flesh and blood sacrificed to make room for some of the most sophisticated sensor technology ever built.  "Hmm...I thought it looked like a regular pair of mechguns, but these mechanisms are much more sophisticated.  It's definitely custom-made; there are some Vise after-market parts here, that stuff's rare and expensive!  But these must have been built for a, an android or somethin'-"

"What makes you say that?!" interrupted the young man as he shot up from his seat.

"Well, it's the compensators - there ain't a one in neither of these guns!  Believe me, chum, the recoil'd crush organic limbs."

"I see..."  The man put his hands on either side of the desk.  "Are there any other things you can tell about this gun?  Maybe any unusual markings?"

"Well, there is something here, on the side of each of the handles," remarked the tekker as he pointed to a small red sigil on one side of each gun, that only flipped out after he had pressed a hidden button.  "It's got an ID in it, just like your badge, but smaller and not for hunters.  More like a personal ID."  The red mark looked like two letters that had been combined together; a lower-case d and an upper-case K.  "But the funny thing is, it doesn't say anything else in it besides that same mark.  I'm guessin' you know more about what it means than I do, though."

The young man nodded, his eyes serious as he picked up the mechguns and stored them away in the duffel bag he had brought them in.  "Thank you.  That confirms my client's report."  He then departed, the duffel bag over one shoulder.

I'm joining the expedition to Ragol...that should be the fastest way to find you, dARK.  He headed out of the shopping arcade where the back-alley tekker's shop was located, and headed into the main concourse before going into the transport that led to the Principal's office...where he and the other hunters he would join would be briefed on the mission they were being sent on.  But one thing was for certain: something had happened to Pioneer 1, and it was imperative to reestablish contact or at least find out what was going on down there.

Or my name isn't Mar Owens.

OOC: Be glad to have you, but my post will probably be crap, considering I'm a bit torn up about Dio.....

IC: Hukos kept looking around the room, waiting on other potential teammates to arrive. He was already sitting in the Principal's office, tapping his feet. He was somewhat impatient for this to finally get started, but at the same time knew the danger that surrounded the mission so he decided rushing into things wouldn't be a good idea either. He sighed, as there was really, little else to do but sit around and wait for the others to arrive. Hukos only signed up for this expedition for the purpose of making some money initially, but also understood that Earth itself was limited in time, and that this mission was completely necessary.

Anyway, he just sat around waiting until the others came.

OOC: Sorry for how short it is, couldn't really think of anything else to do with him already waiting ^^

OOC: I'm still game, I'll post an IC possibly tomorrow!

OOC: Yay! ^_^

With at least three people, we could definitely get it going, but the more the merrier still

"Maybe you should just leave this to the professionals!" protested the slender Newman female, "You're still very much green. You've only been a Force for about a year now!"
She reached out and placed her hand on the (male) human's shoulder. He turned around to face the Newman. He gave a small small hoping to reassure her. Her bright blue eyes began to build up with tears, and she turned and faced the opposite direction.
"I may have been a Force for a year, but I've been a Ranger far longer!" he tightened a golden clasp around the waist of his black robe, "Listen Naya, she's your sister, and she's my wife! Surely you can see why I must do this!"
Naya turned back around as a stern look creapt across her young face, "You make it sound like I don't care!" A small strand of her light blue hair fell in front of her right eye. She carefully brushed it behind her ear and crossed her arms across her chest. "Believe me, I care! However what you're doing is nothing short of pure recklessness! No one has any clue as to what's going on down on the surface. I would hate for you to go down just to disappear like the rest of them! Besides you aren't a ranger, you are a FORCE! You're not going down there armed with with heavy weaponry. No you're going down there with that little stick of yours!"
The human placed his ID badge on a chain and hung it around his neck. "A Force can be very handy in tough situations. They are in short supply you know. It takes alot of skill to become one, and most seem the process of becoming a Force just isn't worth the effort."
"Please, Bal, you're the only family I have left!" Naya hopelessly pleaded.
"You say that like Harmony's already dead!" Bal grabbed his staff and two small daggers resting on a small table off to his right, "We don't know what happened down there, and we don't know the fate of anyone from Pioneer 1!" he placed the daggers inside his robe, "Did harmony ever tell you how we met?"
Naya just shook her head. "It was on Pioneer 1! We had just made it planet side, I was a rookie Ranger and she was a communications operator. There was a problem establishing contact with home planet. As it turns out upon entry into Ragol's atmosphere one of Pioneer 1's relay dishes had been damaged due to the extreme heat. She came outside to survey the damage and decided that the dish had to be replaced. I was the closest individual to her so she voulunteered my help. Two days later the relay dish was up and running and a connection to home planet was in place. She thanked me for my help and was on her way, but something inside told me to catch up with her. So I did. There was a crude bar up and running at the time near the construction site of what would become central dome. I asked her to have a drink. So we did. Two years later we were wed." Bal let out a small sigh, "She was so happy to hear you were on board Pioneer 2. She was going to throw you party upon arrival. Being a hunter I was assigned to protect the Pioneer 2 and set out to rendezvous with her. Pioneer 2 was still a ways off at the time and it would take upwards of a week to reach her. I left Ragol four weeks ago. I was supposed to bring you by our living quarters and give you the grand tour, but when we arrived something happened planetside. Now all I want to do is see Harmony one more time. What is not known is always the scariest part!"
"I'm just scared, I didn't mean to offend. I just worry about my sister, she was all that I had. You're now my brother and the thought of losing another family member just scares me!"
Bal ran his hand through his short black hair. "That's why I must go! It scares me that I do not what happened to Harmony or the entire crew of Pioneer 1! I am part of Pioneer 1, and I owe it to myself to at least try.!"
Bal walked over to Naya and gave her a hug. Naya was crying now, but she now knew that she couldn't change Bal's mind.
"I will find Harmony, and we will have that party like planned! Everything will be okay just give it a little time. I may be new a being a Force, but I'm still hunter just like seven years ago!"  Bal let's Naya go and tunrs toward the exit of the small chamber, "We'll have teleports back to Pioneer 2 so if things get too hairy we can always regroup. I'm running late I need to get over to the Pricipal before they start without me. I'll see you soon!"
With that Bal left for the Principal.

OOC: There ya' go. I hope it doesn't sound too bad. If there's any problems with it just let me know!

OOC: Its fine, just have to wait on good ol' Terg to post now.

OOC: Okay, let's get the ball rolling.

IC:
"Why hasn't the government released an official report yet?!" wailed a bystander who seemed ready to complain to anyone nearby who might listen.  This included Mar as he stood in the teleporter that would take him to the Principal's office.

Because they don't know any more than you or I do...yet.  Mar didn't deign to say that aloud, but he could not help thinking it as he was caught up in the blue glowing rings of transportation.

He materialized in the entry portal to the office, and was greeted by a uniformed aide who bowed respectfully as he walked past into the meeting room itself.  Mar found himself looking at, and being looked at, one of the other hunters who answered the Principal's call for assistance.  There was that moment of mutual appraisal, looking past initial impressions to the smallest details that only another hunter could pick out.  It was not an awkward moment, at least as far as the ordinary citizen was concerned; it was more like the first test of trust before battle began.

"My name is Mar Owens.  What is yours?"

Mar never did like long introductions.

OOC: Hope that gets things started enough for us to meet in the Principal's office and get our briefing - I won't likely post again until Monday at the soonest, and may not be able to post then since I'll be on a road trip and will depend on motels to have WiFi on my way.

"I'm known as Hukos," the young man in a white and blue uniform said out loud. He wore some armor, with his upper body having a white but thin armor so that he wouldn't be carried down with immobility. Same with his blue pants that hung below him. They had a layer of armor in them, but very thin as well. "I take it... we're going to be teammates?" He asked aloud, looking up to Mars, rather curiously after all, never having met this person before. It was a strange thing, having to meet someone that you would be teammates with, but never having met them in person at all. That's just how the cookie crumbles in some cases, he supposed.

Bal was a little uneasy a he neared the teleport that would take him to the Principal's Office. He wasn't the only hunter left from Pioneer 1, in fact there were five hunters that went with Bal to meet the Pionerr 2, but he was (to his knowledge) the only one taking part in this mission. The others seemed scared. They also had friends and family planet side when they left, but they didn't want whatever happened down there to happen to them as well. They were taking the cheap way out. Relying on others and hoping everything works out in the end.  Bal didn't like that one bit. It said alot about the character of these "hunters". Whatever.

Bal had no clue how many Hunters would show up, but he hoped it was enough. He took a breath, and stepped into the teleport. Blue rings surrounded him, and in an instant he was inside the Principal's Office. The aide  greeted him. Bal remianed motionless. This place was alot larger than the office on board Pioneer 1, but he didn't see anyone. Was he to late, or was he the only one.
"Ummm..." Bal began, "Where is everyone?"
"They are inside the meeting room, just beyond those doors over there." The aide gave a smile and Bal headed thorugh the doors a little embarassed. Of course they were in the other room! Bal felt like he was a rookie all over again. It was much larger than Pioneer 1, how was he to know?

Bal stepped into the meeting room, and gazed across the small crowd. It really was a small crowd considering the number of hunters on board Pioneer 2. He began to feel a little nervous, as he took a seat on a small bench located to his right. The mission was about to begin.

"I take it... we're going to be teammates?"

Mar considered that question.  He certainly had his own motives for going down to the surface, but he was only able to go in the first place because of the mission being given to them now.  And as much as he'd rather focus on his own objectives, he couldn't do that without at least cooperating with the other hunters.  It was a necessity.

"Yes," Mar answered.

Before he or Hukos could say anything else, though, another hunter stepped in - one with short black hair and his ID badge on a chain around his neck, as well as the obvious implement that only a Force would use.  The black robes definitely made it conclusive that it was a Force.  He seemed somewhat nervous, and a bit awkward - but he also didn't strike Mar as being a newbie hunter.

There was little time for further introductions, however, as the Principal arrived in the room to begin the briefing...

OOC: Hope bringing the Principal in is okay, Hukos; I figure that's why Bal sat down as quickly as he did, but if you want to have Bal introduced before the meeting begins, go ahead.

OOC: I don't mind that at all.

IC: Hukos quickly nodded as Mar answered his question. Well, that part was down. One question answered, a billion left to go. Like, for instance what the hell was going down there? From what he had heard of rumors, there were a lot of dead people from the dangerous wildlife on Ragol. Could simple wildlife REALLY be that dangerous?

"Glad to hear it," Hukos said with a light smile, although he really wasn't happy. He was far too concerned with all the things going on in this mess and none of them added up at all. He would just have to answer his own questions once they reached Ragol.

OOC: Hate to post without story, but I likely won't be online until Saturday at the soonest - I'll try to make a post then.  In the meantime, if you want to drive the story a little further, either of you probably should, unless you want to wait for me to do something with the Principal.

OOC: To be fair, its Eggpire's turn to post. But either way it doesn't matter to me. Not in a rush to post asap.

OOC: If that's okay I was hoping to intoduce Bal to the others after the Principal. That's the reason I haven't posted an IC yet, though if you rather I do it before...

(OOC: I wanna wait on Terg, to be honest.)

OOC: Oh, sorry!  Didn't realize you were waiting for me.  But I'm back, so we can continue, right?

(Yes, go ahead and post. I want to keep the same order that we established ^^)

(Wait...who's supposed to post next?  And with what?)

(OOC: Well, the order was Me, Eggpire, and you. But we're waiting on you to post the Principal and move the plot forward, that's all.)

OOC: I just assumed that since you had started this RP that you'd take charge of that; but I'm up to the task, so I'll go ahead and take things a little further.

IC:
Before more introductions could be made, Principal Tyrell stepped into the room.  Tyrell was not one to joke or take unnecessary risks, and his serious face clearly reflected that he was down to business.  His head was framed by gray hair, and he wore a bulky jumpsuit with green and blue dominating its color scheme, with a high collar that semi-circled the back of his neck.  He sat down behind the desk that was his own, and he surveyed the gathered hunters.

"Is this all of you?" he asked.

The hunters looked at one another, then Mar nodded.

The Principal sighed heavily, then pressed a button on his desk's holographic console.  It brought up a three-dimensional display of Pioneer 2 in orbit around Ragol.  "I'll get to the point, then.  Fourteen hours ago, we entered the Ragol system and established contact with Pioneer 1.  Shortly after establishing contact..."

The hologram showed a large explosion on the surface of Ragol.  "There was an explosion, and all contact was lost.  The military sent scouts ahead to establish a transporter beachhead, and reports have come in that most of the buildings seem intact.  But there is no one on the surface, except for monsters that have attacked the military forward team."

Everyone on Ragol had vanished without a trace.  Monsters attacking.  These puzzles only added to the mystery.

"We didn't bring a large military with us - Pioneer 2 was meant primarily for colonization," explained Tyrell.  "So we cannot afford to send the military in, as we need them for defense of Pioneer 2 should we be attacked as well.  What we need you for is to scout out the planet, go into the mining facilities and other areas under the surface, and find any traces you can of what happened to the people of Pioneer 1.  You have been granted A-class access to the transporter that leads down to the planet, which should allow you to circumvent security systems on-planet as well, in case survivors have barricaded themselves in.

"Do you understand what your mission is?  You must find out what happened to those people, and discover any clues that may provide an explanation.  We will send other teams of hunters as they become available, but you will be our first wave."

(OOC:Sorry, sorry, sorry. This site is so insanely slow for me these days, for whatever reason. No site I go to slows me down this much.)

IC: Hukos simply blinked and accepted his mission. That would be it? Well, there would still be danger, but not as bad as he thought the mission might be. His confidence was definitely peaking, upon hearing this news. "Alright then," He agreed. "Let's do it, I'm ready," he nodded, acknowledging that he was ready to go and do the mission, as they were instructed to. He looked over at Mar in the eyes and asked "So, you ready?"

OOC:
PSO-themed RP? I'm so in. 8D

IC:
"UNDERSTOOD." The flat, emotionless and electronic voice emanated from a huge RAcast stood at the back of the gathered group of Hunters. Dressed and painted in only black and red and stood so still all this time, it was easy to see how he'd gone relatively unnoticed. The android offered no further words of conversation as he turned mechanically round and  started to clank steadily out of the room, though his gaze fell briefly on Hukos, Mar and Bal and he paused for a moment. It felt almost like he was sizing the three of them up, judging them... but after only a brief pause, the android continued on his way out. As the doors slid shut behind him, assorted mutterings emanated from a few of  the other gathered Hunters.

"...the hell was that?"
"--think it was really... y'know... that guy?"
"The 'killing machine'? Don't be an idiot! That's just a rumour they tell rookies to scare 'em off!"
"Still gave me the creeps..."

OOC:
Hopefully that should be enough to go on

"Principal?" Bal spoke out catching Principal Tyrell's attention.
"Yes?" he responded with a faint smile, hardly comforting.
"You said you had sent scouts down to the surface correct?"
"That is correct." Tyrell cocked his left eyebrow ever so slighty.
"Did you find any...any bodies? Were there any confirmed casulties?"
"None were reported to me. Let me check just to make sure..." the principal switched on a small holo screen and began thumbing through various screens until he arrived at the information he sought, "...nope, no reported dead."
Bal let out a sigh of relief, "Good, then that means the settlers from Pionerr 1 may very well still be alive." He turned and went to meet the others.
Tyrell's eyes narrowed as he noticed three white strips around Bal's upper right sleeve, "Say you wouldn't happen to be from Pioneer 1 would you?"
Bal stopped and turned around to face the pricipal once more. "Yes, yes I am. Uh, how, how did you know?"
"That robe you're wearing. It was only issued to Hunters on board Pioneer 1! Pioneer 2 Force robes do not have the three rings around your right shoulder." A true God honest smile came over the usually strict principal Tyrell, "It comforts me to know that someone with knowledge of the land will be accompanying the other Hunters. That will increase the chances of mission sucess that much more. Good luck, and may you find whoever you're looking for!"
Bal nodded and went to join in with the other Hunters. He approached Mar, and Hukos...

Mar nodded to Hukos.  "Ready.  Let's move out..."

He noted the android, the black and red one, and something in his blood froze.  They locked eyes for a moment, and man and machine regarded each other with nothing but calculation of the other's capabilities.

The moment passed, as the android also considered Hukos and Bal before leaving.  The hushed whispers from the other hunters gathered nearby only told Mar what he already knew: that android was a battle machine, designed for one and only one thing.  Killing.

Analyzing the competition?  Then if he scanned us for that long, we're likely the strongest hunters that could get in the way...

But why an android would care who came along for the mission was something Mar didn't understand.  Nevertheless, as Bal approached himself and Hukos, Mar decided it would be best to ally himself with the others the android had scanned.

"What's your name?" he asked Bal.  "I'm Mar.  Want to team up for down below?  This mission would be safer with someone to watch my back."

He let Hukos introduce himself; he didn't want to presume to take charge of the group.

OOC: (Apologies for the delay, yuku being dumb, etc.

This post took 15 minutes to type up in the quick reply window alone x.x

RAGE :O)

IC: Hukos looked on as the two others, Bal and Mar, appeared to introduce themselves to each other. He wanted to do the same, but felt it polite to wait until they were finished. After that, Hukos cleared his throat, looking at the other two. "Name's Hukos. Glad to be on the same team as you two," He told him, greeting them with a friendly smile. He didn't really notice the stranger analyzing them, it didn't seem to be of much importance to him. He was simply eager to get along with the mission, even though such impatience seemed to be the downfall for most young hunters. He nodded at both of them, indicating he was ready to get things going.

OOC: What the heck, I liked PSO too, so I'll give this thing a try!

IC: The doors through which the huge RAcast had exited suddenly opened again as a red-headed Newman girl came running into the room. She avoided Bal, Hukos and Mar by dodging around them at the very last second, apparently only noticing them in the nick of time. Sliding to a halt- in a way that was either a happy accident or else a well executed but unusual move- she ended up on one knee, head bowed, before Principal Tyrell's desk. Hardly pausing to draw a breath, she spoke in earnest tones to the Principal. "My humblest apologies for being late Principal Tyrell," she said, still kneeling, "but the temples have a very strict seclusion policy, as you are doubtless aware. I wish to join with whomever else shall be a part of this mission, and to do all I can to aid it. Have I missed the briefing? The introductions? Oh wait I should introduce myself! I'm-". At this point Principal Tyrell broke in firmly, a grim expression on his face.

"I'm well aware of who you are," he said, "because there is only one Newman hunter, of your age and description, who lives in a temple- or sanctuary I should say, temple is hardly the right word for them- and wears such a singularly distinct uniform as yours on the whole of Pioneer 2. You are Amy the Holy am I correct?" A red not much less vivid than the girl's hair crept into her cheeks as she answered, "yes sir, that's me". Principal Tyrell, expression unchanged, said, "then get up off the floor and stop bowing. There have been no introductions- this mission is urgent and we haven't the time for niceties. That and the fact that your reputation- such as it is- gives you a generally positive report are the only reasons I'm not going to lecture you on the importance of time management- and why I'm not going to go over the briefing a second time. If you want the details, ask the others". Still blushing, Amy complied, half-wishing that ridiculous nickname hadn't spread so far around Pioneer 2- though it was actually better than her full name, strangely enough. As she stood up, it became clear to those gathered what the Principal had meant about her appearence and outfit.

In addition to her red bob, she had coffee-coloured skin and bright blue eyes. She was tall for a Newman, though still well-proportioned, and was probably only an inch or so shorter than some of the male hunters already gathered. Her outfit was mainly white, with blue trim here and there and where most female Newman hunters wore shorts, she had full-length trousers tucked into her high boots. Her top was still sleeveless, but strips of material hung beneath the belt at the front and back, giving the odd impression of her outfit being a modified Force uniform. An impression that wasn't too far from the truth since while Amy was primarily skilled in close-quarter combat, she had seriously honed her Force-skills on the voyage to Ragol, making them more powerful than those of most Newman hunters, but still below the level of those who specialised in Force techniques. Another oddity was that, instead of carrying the dagger-like blades most Newman huntresses preferred, the weapons that hung at her belt looked to be sabers or something similar. As the Principal finished chastising her, Amy gave a short, sharp bow of her head and started looking around those gathered, wondering just whom she should ask. Perhaps it was because she'd only narrowly avoided a collision with them on the way in that her gaze fell on Hukos, Bal and Mar. Approaching them as unobtrusively as possible- after her less-than wonderful entrance- Amy said, still blushing, "so, um could you guys tell me what I missed?"  

"What's your name?" Mar asked Bal.  "I'm Mar.  Want to team up for down below?  This mission would be safer with someone to watch my back."
"I'm, err, Balaba Walker," he paused awkwardly, still nervous, "But please call me Bal. Balaba's such a mouthful am I right?"
He let out a big smile and laughed uncomfortably, "Of course I want to team up down below. Going it alone may very will be my suicide note."
Hukos spoke up next, "Name's Hukos. Glad to be on the same team as you two."
"Ye, yeah," Bal was tremling he did not know why. He's been on missions with the Guild hundreds of times before, but this time felt different somehow. As if what awaited them planetside was expecting them. Bal looked off toward the left as a red-headed Newman girl dashed by him almost causing him to lose balance. "What in the-" he watched her as she knealt down before the Principal. Hecouldn't quite make out what they were saying as chatter in the room seemed to increase still talking about the Cast that had been in the room previously. He shrugged and turned back to his new team mates, "And I was worried I was going to be late," he let loose a half smile and continued conversing, "So are we all ready to head out? The sooner we get down on Ragol the better. I just hope everyone down there is still alive."  Bal turned around to see the Newman girl approaching the trio. A hint of red could be spotted in her cheeks. She stopped and began too speak, "so, um could you guys tell me what I missed?" Bal nodded, "The Pricipal wants us to head planetside and search for clues as to what happened to the people down there and what casued their disapperance." he extened his hand outward, "Balaba Walker by the way, but please just call me Bal!"

(Bump for SilverShadow/Terg)

As the solidly-built RAcast clanked his way out of the exit, he was nearly run into by a red-haired Newman girl, who hurriedly threaded her way past him and through the doors he'd just exited. He paid her no heed, proceeding onward... but he was halted in his tracks by the voice of the secretary off to one side.
"...excuse me..."
The android's gaze shifted round to focus on the human he towered over.
"So it is you... listen. I've a... mission I want you to undertake. Call it a personal request if you will."
The android turned fully toward the petite woman.
"YES?"
"...it's the President's daughter." the woman continued, in hushed tones. "She's been missing ever since the... incident. Red Ring Rico... a top hunter and researcher. We lost contact with her, along with the rest of the colony, when that explosion occurred." She held out a small data box. "This... contains further details of the mission. And Rico's personal passcode... she used it whenever she sent sensitive data back to us. If she's left anything for us on the surface..."
The android took the data box, stowing it away safely. "UNDERSTOOD." he flatly stated.
"One last thing." the secretary continued, "This mission is highly confidential. Please don't let any details slip, alright?"
"...ACKNOWLEDGED." replied the RAcast, turning and plodding away from her steadily. His mechanical gait took him to the teleporter back down to Pioneer 2's shopping area. He walked steadily out of the teleporter and toward the near-by Check Room, completely ignoring a bystander who was stood idly by and complaining about the government not saying anything. The attendant at the desk looked up with a polite smile as he approached. The android's face, of course, displayed no emotion.
"Hello!" chirped the attendant. "Let me see... Section ID Redria... and your name..." she trailed off, going slightly pale, and cleared her throat. "...erm. H-how might I h-help you today?"
"WITHDRAWAL. EQUIPMENT."

Red Ring Rico.  The Principal's daughter, a beloved Hunter, a living legend.  She was aboard Pioneer 1, and if anyone had survived the calamity on the planet, it would certainly be her above all others.

At least, that's what Mar figured after he and his new allies had been given the briefing from the Principal's secretary on their way out from the office, along with the necessary codes that would help them decipher any messages left behind in case any were found.  His new allies now included Amy, nicknamed "the Holy."  Mar had never been one to hang around in the social circles of most other hunters, but even he had heard of the young prodigy and her dedication to fusing arts both martial and magical.  For some peculiar reason, it made Mar feel much better to have her along.

After finishing the introductions that had been interrupted by the Principal's secretary, Mar was the first to walk over to the teleporter that would lead to the surface, with the A-level access that was given to all hunters involved in the mission.  "I'm already prepared for the mission," he said somberly, "so I'll wait here until the rest of you are done getting prepared.  Unless you're all ready to go right now?"

Watts...I would gladly take the time to tell you of my new mission, if you were still here to hear it.

OOC: Ack! Terg? I actually talked with Hukos about this - the idea was for my character to be the sole (or one of only a very  few) participant(s) in that specific mission. Sorry, shoulda IM'd you about it or something; but basically it gives him more of a purpose and drive to be going down there.

My bad, shoulda made a note in OOC in my post I guess x_x

Is everyone cool with that if we do it that way? Everyone else (bar Gem's character I suppose) I note already has at least one reason besides the President's assigned mission to be going down to Ragol after all...

OOC: That's fine.  Just pretend that part of my post didn't happen, then.  I'll leave it there, though, so people don't get confused by post edits and whatnot.

Amy took the proffered hand, shaking it firmly as she introduced herself to Bal. "Amy the Holy," she said before giving a theatrical roll of her eyes and then adding, "but for the love of mercy just call me Amy! Well, unless I manage to do something that really impresses someone and you feel the need to give me a dramatic introduction, then it might be okay..," she trailed off before saying,"um, nevermind that last part". She then exchanged introductions with Hukos and Mar, before they made their way out of the Principal's office and down towards the transporter that would lead to the surface. Mar was the first to walk over to the teleporter, "I'm already prepared for the mission," he said somberly, "so I'll wait
here until the rest of you are done getting prepared.  Unless you're all
ready to go right now?" Amy spoke up again at this point. "I was worried I'd get to the briefing only to find you'd all already have gone," she said, "so I didn't have time to make get everything I wanted together. I travel light though, so I'll only be a moment or two". So saying Amy headed over to the Check-Room, noticing the huge RAcast she'd nearly collided with earlier was there too. Amy inwardly winced as she saw him. He reminded her of an instructor she's had when she was a novice, back almost four years before she'd boarded Pioneer 2. She'd been terrified of him- which she guessed was natural, since androids of that kind could easily terrify adults nevermind children. As a 10-year old girl she hadn't even been half the size of that android though and, Amy mused as she glanced over to the RAcast, even now she probably wasn't much more than half the size of this one. As she collected the items she thought most necessary for the imminent mission, Amy let herself mull over the past a little more.

She'd been raised at a temple all her life, a large impressive building on the old world. No matter that the people and system of worship and way of life now occupied a much more compact sanctuary, to Amy it would always be the temple. She was well aware that the order that raised her would have preferred to train her up to be one of their own, just as she was aware that they hadn't because they were paid a generous sum not to by her family, in regular installations. Her family....what a complicated matter that was, they were why she- and the temple- had been careful to insure that her real, full name wasn't anywhere on the records of Pioneer 2. Just 'Amelia X' or more recently, 'Amy the Holy'. In spite of the fact that it still made her blush, Amy wasn't too unhappy about the nickname- at least she'd gained that name herself, and a name that seemed to be a title got you work as a hunter. She'd gained that of course, when she'd started taking more interest in Force techniques. At first the priests- being Force types themselves- had been overjoyed when she'd asked them to teach her, thinking that she'd seen sense and wanted to fully join their order. They'd been disappointed when she'd bluntly told them otherwise, but they'd trained her nevertheless. Increasing her Force abilities would make her more effective at long-range attacks after all, and speaking of long-range...Amy grasped a small but powerful hand-gun she'd checked out, feeling the heft of it. She was hoping she didn't have to use it and that her blades and Force abilities would be enough- but it didn't hurt to cover every possibility did it? Stowing the gun with the other few items she'd checked out, Amy strolled over to rejoin the others.  

(Okay, I guess we'll try to move on from here. Sorry guys ^_^;;

I guess there can be simultaneous missions going on at once... or just multiple teams? To be honest I'm a bit confused here myself >_> )

OOC:
As far as I read it so far, everyone is heading to Ragol's surface to carry out the mission the President's sent them on - but everyone also has an ulterior motive that will come into play sooner or later. Mar, Amy, Bal, Hukos and my character too all are following orders. But everyone bar Amy thus far has also been shown, privately so far, to have their own reasons for going there too.

OOC: Okay, thanks. Blame me for being dumb and not being able to have reading comprehension ^^;;

IC: Hukos stared over at Amy, greeting her into the party with a very warm expression. "Welcome to the party," He smiled, thinking nothing of it. After all, she was a good person, what was there to fear from her? Nothing as far as he could be concerned. Standing upright, he was eager to get this show on the road once and for all! "Well then, Amy, Bal, Mar, you all ready to proceed with the mission we have?" He asked them all, looking at each one honestly. There was something going down on Ragol, but there wasn't anything he could figure out right now. He wanted to know, and if he had things his way, he would have the answers at some point.

The RAcast was vaguely aware of Amy's gaze falling on him. He paid her no heed, however - she was of no relevance to his current mission parameters. That was all he was focused on, as that was the way he was made. He wasn't made to have feelings about things, after all... just standards.

Be polite (when needed).

Be efficient.

Have a plan to kill everyone you meet... should the need arise.

As such, he turned around, narrowly avoiding knocking into the small (well, small to him) Newman with his shoulder.
"PARDON ME." he apologised flatly as he clanked off at a steady pace toward the teleporter down to Ragol. The large shutter door barring access to the teleporter slid smoothly up as he approached, what with him holding the same level of access as all the others enrolled in the Ragol investigation. He plodded into the teleporter itself, and soon vanished from sight.

Bal look over at Hukos and smiled, "Heh, I'm all set to go. I made sure I prepared before I left for the Principal!" He wathced as the Cast walk by the group and make way toward the teleport. The cast vanished from sight before Bal spoke up. "So is that the cast everyone freaking out over? He doesn't seem so bad to me! But then again I spent A LOT of missions beside Casts and have grown somewhat fond of them! Still, I probably won't be crossing him any time soon!" Bal stopped talking and waited until everyone was ready to descend planeside!

Amy instinctively ducked as the RAcast's shoulder almost knocked into her and acknowledged the droid's flat apology with a quick bob of her head as he clanked away towards the teleporter. As she re-joined the others she was in time to hear Hukos ask if everyone was set for the mission. "I'm all set now," she said, "and Mar said he was ready earlier, so I guess I was the only one holding the party up!" she finished, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks again. Partly the blush was brought on by thinking of her spectacularly inauspicious arrival earlier. But partly also by how warmly Hukos had greeted her. That was one disadvantage living at a temple gave you: Although there were priests and priestesses both at the temple, and though friendships- and more- between the two weren't forbidden, they had a very restrained, formal manner of establishing such relationships, one that was steeped in the traditions of daily life in the temple, and was as intricate and complex as any other ritual or routine that took place there. Thus, when it came to interacting with others outwith that way of life Amy was, while not clueless, still a little uncertain as to how to act or react. With the upshot that she wasn't entirely certain whether Hukos had simply been greeting her warmly, or if she'd caught his eye because he thought her pretty. If the former, all well and good, if the latter- well the priests had always said she'd inherited the good looks of her family. That thought triggered of a different chain of thought, causing Amy to remember why she'd been late to the briefing...

Though there had been no shortage of work for hunters on the voyage to Ragol, it had often been work of a certain type, mainly acting as a secondary peace-keeping force aboard Pioneer 2. Thus, while the work had kept her skills sharp- and given her time to hone her Force skills- there hadn't been any of the work Amy had truly craved: venturing into the unknown, with monsters and treasure both a distinct possibility. Her restlessness had not gone unnoticed by the priests, who'd suggested she take some time in seclusion to clear her mind, since the end of the voyage was imminent. To keep them happy she'd agreed, carefully insuring her period of seclusion would end when the colonists started to head to Pioneer 1. What could go wrong with that after all?

 Almost everything it turned out. With the loss of contact the present mission had been initiated and the call for hunters sent. The priests must have known how important it was when they received the call that had been meant for her- but seclusion was seclusion. All or not at all. And so she'd been late to hear and late to go. And they'd known how important work like this was to her. It wasn't just the money after all, but a chance to put her combination of martial and magical arts to the test on a live mission- to prove herself. And not to other hunters either. Amy was well aware that she was the only member of her family aboard either Pioneer 1 or 2. She had a real chance to make a name for herself and prove herself worthy of the family name- not prove herself to other members of her family, but to herself. And this could be her make-or-break assignment. If she could distinguish herself here, if she could- together with her companions- solve whatever mystery lay behind the loss of contact with Pioneer 1 then, Amy believed, she would have proven herself to herself, and she might finally be ready to lay claim to her true name. She glanced towards the teleporter again, wondering what the assignment held in store for her and her companions...     

Mar Owens glanced around at his team members...it looked like they were all ready for the dangerous assignment that awaited them on the planet below.  They had seen the images from Pioneer 1, they knew what Ragol's surface should look like and what major creatures lived there.

"So, shall we?" he asked rhetorically as he stepped into the teleporter system, set for the surface of Ragol by the primary Pioneer 1 Dome that would be their first target to search...

The teleportation sensation was much like being yanked out of one's own skull, being thrown upward through dazzling lights as all other senses became numb, and then finally landing back down as reality congealed back together...and yet, only few people actually got sick or jarred from the teleportation experience, as Mar already had his slicer out and ready as his eyes looked this way and that, stepping off the triangular teleporter pad and onto the soft grass of Ragol.

Green grass, verdant trees, small streams that sparkled and burbled with small flying insects chasing each other over the water...and sunlight, real, true sunlight that shone through fresh air.  Not the simulated kind that the Pioneer 2 refugees had to survive with for the past years.  Mar couldn't help but take in the sight, even as his eyes swiveled back and forth to watch for any trouble.

I wonder if the others see this place the same way I do...it seems hard to believe that anything bad has happened here, in fact, the major explosion that was detected by Pioneer 2 seems to have left no marks on the landscape that I can see...what is going on here?  And will dARK even be here?  I intend to find out.

BAM!
The unmistakable sound of a heavy weapon being fired resounded from up ahead. A loud, chilling howl cut through the air shortly after, only to suddenly be cut off by another loud shot. By the sounds of it, the Cast they'd seen earlier was already living up to his reputation...

(Short post but I just wanted to keep things moving at a good pace :3)