[Isabelle Cooper]

0615
Asuran Depot Planet
Brig

Isabelle stood very still as she was quickly searched and her one and only weapon was taken from her side. The handgun was the only thing she carried at the moment, mainly because she had yet to be properly taught how to use anything else and what she had been taught to use, she was hardly good at using. As the restraints were placed around her wrists she realized that this was the first time she had ever been "arrested", if you could even call it that since Atharv had explained why his people had to restrain them and escort them to a cell. Of course Captain Oxford kept talking the entire time, playing twenty questions with anyone who'd listen, while asking questions could be helpful, it would be their luck that the Captain managed to tick someone off and get the entire team in hot water. Not that they were not in it already. 

"I am Atharv, and despite this uniform, I have no love for the Asurans," they all stood in silence as Athrav spoke, telling about how he ended up working for the Asuras and how his wife had died. Dr. Warren spoke up first,the anthropologist explained what they might be able to offer Athrav in return for what she hoped was their freedom.  "If we were to form an alliance, we would be able to offer you the chance to actually strike at the Asuras and possibly do some real damage vs just trying to slowly destroy them from the inside out." Isabelle added once Blake had finished talking, she moved closer to the bars of the cell, "Like Dr. Warren just said, we have people and resources to strike back." that last bit might have been a bit of a lie, because if a group was so well armed to take on a group like the Asuras...then why were they attempting to steal a ship? 

[Steve Hamrick]

0614
Asuran Depot Planet
Construction Sub-Factory

Steve let go of the woman, though it was more like an unceremonious shove further into the construction bay. He cleaned the combat knife on his uniform trousers. "Watch her for sounding an alarm."

He gave a quick look at the palm of his hand. She hadn't broke the skin, but not for a lack of trying. The ramp that he was sure was the cargo bay was down. "Get her patched up, then. Martin, with me." Then he had a thought about testing how willing to cooperate the tech was. "What were you here to work on?"

He already knew what had to be finished as she spoke, stepping backward and closer to Huntley. "I, I have to finish the command connections between the hyperdrive and the bridge."

And she could tell they were planning to take the nearly-complete vessel. They were going to steal it. It seemed both foolhardy and bold. She'd heard the alarm being sounded and shortly deactivated, assumed it was the false alarms that happened frequently. "Congratulations, you didn't lie to me."

"It'll take at least thirty minutes to complete the wiring and initialize the control crystals." She knew she was telling the truth and could only pray the man with the strange light eyes believed her.

<<tag Javan Huntley , Stephanie Martin >>

[Javan Huntley]

0614
Asuran Depot Planet
Sub Factory


Javan nodded to Hamrick. He pulled out his medi-kit and took out a topical pain reliever, a disinfectant and a gell that would clot the wound. He paused and pulled out a small pair of combat medic scissors.

"Hold still please, if these catch your skin, well, I've used a pair of these to cut a finger off before, and it didn't take much to do it." He did not listen to any protests she might have, he cut her top to expose the wound, but did take care to not expose anything more than he had to.

He swabbed the wound with the disinfectant, a really nice new natural remedy they had gotten from the Tokra he had heard, It barely stung at all, in his experience. He then smeared the gel into the wound, it thickened even more as it met the blood, forming a sort of scab. He then sprayed the pain killer. She would still be aware of the wound, but it wouldn't hurt quite as much.

"Please get the work done as quickly as you can. We are not monsters, but all three of us have killed to save our own people before. You saw how my commanding officer tried to kill you without hesitating. Endanger us, and I will kill you myself. Not because I want to, but because I will need to." His tone was not cold, it was actually neutral. He looked the woman in the eye. "Help us, and we will help you."

[Atharv]

0616
Brig

Atharv listened with interest as the members of SV-1 and SV-3, the Ashuddh Vaale, explained the history and capabilities of their people. While he had heard of the expedition and their war with the Asurans, the official version that the gods were passing to the militia through the generals was very different. If they were to be believed, the humans of Earth were blood thirsty fear mongers who burned and pillaged innocent planets, wiping out whole cities and enslaving the survivors. On a weekly basis Atharv and his fellow soldiers were being told that the expedition was on the back foot and near defeat, with only one more push needed to free the galaxy from their vile existence.

Knowing full well the extent of lies and propaganda that the Asurans relied on, Atharv had taken the stories with a grain of salt. As an officer he himself had been pressed into service spreading such fables, but had chosen instead to share misinformation, creating doubt within the men he led. One day he hoped to use that doubt to bring them to his cause. Still, even he was surprised to hear how well the humans of Earth were doing against an enemy with superior numbers and technology.

“I have heard tales of your insurgency, but the magnitude of your victories has been concealed by our leaders,” he explained. “The flow of information within the Asuran realm is carefully cultivated by the gods and their appointed leaders.”

The console he had been working on beeped in alarm. Atharv turned and moved to the device, consulting the display monitor. “As I feared, by attempts to conceal your arrive have been detected. Guards have surrounded the Torana.” The Earthlings gave him a look of confusion. “The Torana, the portal, the astral gateway through which your arrived.” The guards now stationed by the Torana numbered in their dozens, far more than even the combined forces of his loyalists and the expedition could hope to face.

With his subterfuge detected, Atharv knew his time on this planet was up. It would only be a matter of time before his superiors decrypted his records and uncovered the true extent of his sabotage. He hoped to be far from this planet by that time, and right now, the expedition were he best chance of getting out of here.

“We must find another way off this world,” he explained, locating the nearest working cruiser and beginning the plot the fastest route to it. He gave the status of the vessel a once over, and noted with curiosity that it was powering up ahead of schedule. He pulled up recent surveillance footage and watched with amazement as the second group from the expedition entered the dry dock, taking one of the technicians captive. “Most curious. It would seem that your friends have the same idea.”

Striding back over to the cell, Atharv deactivated the door and began handing SV-1 and SV-3 back their weaponry. “We must make it to the cruiser and hold off the guards long enough to complete the pre-launch sequence. Once in the air I can supply pass codes to get us past the orbital defences. But we must move with haste.”

< Tag Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr , Nick Harper , Blake Warren & Isabelle Cooper >

[Steve Hamrick]

0614
Asuran Depot Planet
Construction Sub-Factory

She only nodded, her eyes not making contact but looking at the ground as the younger man tended her wounds. "I'll try, I have to see what the last shift finished on the connections."

Steve circled around the ship to where panels he could see open in the cargo bay were on one side. It was not nearly as straight-forward looking as he would have liked, as he walked up the ramp to get to the open panels where presumably the woman had just been working. He started pulling out the crystals he'd taken from every door control Huntley had busted on their way here.

She met his eyes and swallowed, as she pulled the tunic top of the uniform up more. "I have to help, with the connections."

But she wasn't running as she stepped back from him and accepted the idea of help. "I am Technical Specialist Gahana Vaidya, and if I help you, I want to go with you, away from this gods-forsaken place."

Steve was scanning over the diagrams, tablet back out of his gear and propped against the box that he thought was the tool kit their captive had been using. The girl's estimate was high, he thought, but he didn't immediately attribute it to malice, just a tech estimating on the long side.

As he flipped the crystals around to align circuits, he heard her light footsteps and gambled a little bit of trust, not reaching for the butt of his sidearm as he slotted a crystal in. "I scavenged some circuit pieces from the doors we disabled." He slotted another crystal in as Gahana went for her toolbox and offered a gray box with electric leads for the crystals.

"Just let me test your work, and I have to check on the bridge. The previous shift should have finished the circuitry there." She took a cautious step that direction, waiting to see what he'd say.

Steve cursed as he touched a live crystal circuit and got a small jolt of electricity before looking at her. "So help me, you sound an alarm and security will not get here in time to save you." Which didn't sound quite like the threat he intended, he was in tech headspace as he completed more circuits and tested them. "Martin, grab some of these circuit crystals and go with her. If the connections up there aren't done, get them that way."

"I have no reason to." Gahana headed for the bridge.

0616

Gahana was truly relieved to see that her counterpart on the previous shift had finished the crystal panels here as both women checked the connections and she had gone to tell the others.

Steve eyed the controls. "So we have sublight, still finishing the hyperdrive connections. But we could take it right now. Now, where would the soldiers put prisoners?"

<<tag Javan Huntley , Stephanie Martin >>

[Blake Warren]

0616
Asuran Depot Planet
Brig

Blake wasn't surprised by Atharv's description of the Asuras controlling information. "The first step of controlling a people, control the news."

He fingered the tac vest pouch where he'd put his detonator. Were they too far away to trigger the charges at the gate? "We might be able to do something about that, or unless the radio signal won't make it?"

And SV-3 had completed their goal of a ship, not that Blake doubted his partner's ability. And he'd left the channel open during their capture. "Then we go, detonate the charges at the gate, and I should talk to our second group's leader before he sees you. Avoid any misunderstandings."

Like Steve shooting Atharv on site if the anthropologist looked so much as mildly disgruntled. Blake checked his M9 as an immediate response when Atharv returned it, ensuring that all 15 rounds were still there. The sound was loud in the close space as the slide shot forward to chamber a round and he holstered it back on his leg. "Great, let's hit it before SV-3 decides to come get us."

<<tag Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr , Nick Harper , Isabelle Cooper , Atharv >>

[Stephanie Martin]

0614
Asuran Depot

"Martin, grab some of these circuit crystals and go with her. If the connections up there aren't done, get them that way."

She did what she was told but really she felt like throwing something at Steve. She was supposed to keep whoever this was out of trouble? Stephanie was still putting all the pieces together as she was trying to haul herself together too. Well at least on the inside. She was distracted but Steve had snapped her out of her distraction for the time being.

When they got to the bridge Stephanie went straight to work on trying to things operational. It took a few moments but she heard something move into place. Though quite honestly she wanted to suffocate whoever had made this computer system. That didn't mean she didn't figure it out, she just didn't figure it out as quick as she would have liked. Once she had the last one in place she spoke over the radio. "Finished here Colonel" she replied after a moment over the radio.

[Javan Huntley]

0614-0620
Asuran Depot Planet
Escape Ship/Construction bay


Javan, not knowing anything about engineering (well he knew a lot about GENETIC engineering, but that was completely different) decided to check out the ship, being cautious, and not wanting them surprised by a lazy guard who decided to take a nap in one of the incomplete ship. He found none but then he found the ships medical bay.

His reaction to the machines, medicines and generally advanced medical equipment, was comparable to a 15 year old girls response to free tickets to her favorite boy band. He could only barely contain the scream of joy. Non-radiation Bone scanner, Circular system analyzer, Neuro circuitry monitor. Just to name a few. Then he found the best part. The Bio hazard preparation lab. He knew these ship sometimes had them, but to find that this one was fully stocked...It had a computer system that, even if it didn't have the lists of all known diseases, would still have the programs to create vaccines. This lab was set up so that if they came across a planet with a germ that killed them, they could make a vaccine or a cure.

He made his way back out, in a daze but still alert. "Lt. Col....This ship is fully stocked. I haven't checked out the weapons locker yet, but I would not be surprised to find something in it. Troop and Officer's Quarters are fully furnished. Water tanks are full, filtration, air and water, are at maximum capacity from what I can tell. Oh yeah, and the Captain's Quarters has what I'm pretty sure is multi-directional power shower system with a bunch of buttons that probably control water temp, speed, and pattern. If the US Army treated its officers this way, I'm pretty sure they would slaughter entire countries if told to..."

[Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr]

0616
Brig

Now that he had started his little group off with talking, Oxford leaned back to watch. The people he had with him could be persuasive at best with the need arose, especially Doctor Warren. he opted to listen as Cooper joined in as well. Harper was oddly quite for some reason, but he did put that down to keeping alert about possible attacks. Quietly listening to what Atharv was saying, he sighed. It was not surprising that officials in another galaxy were laying a-holes as well. They had plenty at home front as well. Cowden came to mind. "False news/information spreads fear," he added not moving from his location. He kept tabs on the foe's men that were around.

Hearing about the cut off from the Stargate he let out cussing in various languages, "Donate them," he told Blake, "Warn Hamrick and lets have fun." He was starting to sound like Travis. He was sure Cooper wasn't going to be pleased. he chuckled at the words about Hamrick and co having the same idea, "I know." In fact he knew that was what they were suppose to do. "Well I'm not waiting for Christmas to arrive before we leave this planet. Since we all want to live, shall we start moving?" Since the flagship team was being the bars with a member of SV-3, all four were at the mercy of Atharv to open the door.

<<Tag: Blake Warren , Nick Harper , Isabelle Cooper , Steve Hamrick , Stephanie Martin , Javan Huntley and Atharv >>

[Atharv]

0620
Asuran Depot Planet
Escape Ship/Construction bay

Atharv and his men moved quickly through the corridors of the factory complex, leading their new allies toward the cruiser SV-3 were powering up. Along the way Atharv monitored the progress of the cruiser's preparations from a portable console, impressed with the speed at which the humans of Earth were bringing the ship online. If the rest of the expedition demonstrated the same level of skill and tenacity, the days of the Asuran gods were indeed numbered.

"Detonating your explosives may draw guards away from the dry-dock, making your escape significantly easier," Atharv noted. While this planet was critical to the ongoing war effort, it was considered to be well within the safety of the Asuran domain. There was a great number of loyalist guards stationed here, but not enough to lock down a facility of this scale. With many of them already guarding the portal, an unexplained explosion would further dilute their numbers.

Using his access codes, Atharv opened the door to the dry dock containing the cruiser SV-3 was in the process of stealing. "I suggest a representative of your team go first," he explained to the Ashuddh Vaale. "Your compatriots may react violently to the appearance of me or my men. We will secure the corridor and hold it for as long as possible."

Atharv quickly conversed with the other dissident guards in their native language, explaining to them to gravity of what was going on. If they could hold back the loyalists long enough to effect an escape, the final days of the Asuran gods would begin. Knowing what had to be done, the militia moved back down the hallway and began to set up firing positions.

< Tag Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr , Nick Harper , Blake Warren , Steve Hamrick , Stephanie Martin , Javan Huntley & Isabelle Cooper >

[Nick Harper]

0621
Asuran Depot Planet
Escape Ship/Construction bay

So their new buddy really was on their side, it was that or the man had a really good poker face and deserved a job as a tv con man who knew how to pull at peoples hearts to get them to give him money. Nick had been quiet as everyone else spoke, he wasn't the diplomatic type, and figured it would be best to allow the other members of the group to handle that, not counting Captain Oxford who seemed to talk just because he liked to talk (and sometimes antagonize) for the hell of it. 

Their talking seemed to have worked, or that was how it seemed to Isabelle, then they received the news from Athrav that they had been discovered again, but this time the people who would be coming to stop them would not be friendly.   Isabelle took her gun back, the weapon felt bulky and heavy just like every other time she had handle it, it was something she needed to get used to, "Capitaine , la langue , vous pensez que vous êtes sournois." (Captain, language, you think you are being sneaky but you're not.) unlike Bobby, she did not mix her languages, only when she had been drinking did that occur, and when she did have the need to curse she preferred to do it in her native tongue. 

Oxford gave the order to have the explosives detonated, Harper smiled a bit, excited because they'd get to use the explosive play dough but at the same time he wouldn't be able to see the fireworks. Either way, an explosion was an explosion.  "We should be able to still set them off from right here, if anything all it will take it a little doubling back." Nick replied to Oxford just before they started moving.

They left the holding cells and moved fast towards the dock, so far the coast had been clear but Nick still made sure Blake was behind him, just in case something happened.  "I suggest a representative of your team go first, Your compatriots may react violently to the appearance of me or my men. We will secure the corridor and hold it for as long as possible." 

"Send Warren and Cooper, Hamrick won't shoot them and if anything he can figure out how to strengthen the signal of the detonator so we can get it to go off and it would get our two civilians out of the firefight that might be coming our way here shortly. " Nick looked over to Bobby, knowing very well that the Captain had final say when it came to anything they did. 

[Steve Hamrick]

0620
Asuran Depot World
Aboard ship

Steve keyed his own to answer Martin. "Good work. We need to have this thing ready to take off as soon as we get back with SV-1."

He turned around to Huntley as he explained the first class features and cracked. "Hell, if we wanted the nice stuff, we should have joined the Air Force, Huntley. At least the trip home will be cozy."

And that was the crazy part, wasn't it? Calling Vedas home, but he had to go get Blake back. He looked at their pseudo-willing help/hostage. She nodded. "The brig is not exactly close, I don't know if you can get there and back unchallenged."

"Got no choice, we can't leave them to be interrogated by the Asuras." Steve stowed his tablet and raised his P-90 to turn around for a rescue.

<<tag Javan Huntley , Stephanie Martin >>

[Blake Warren]

0621
Asuran Depot World
Escape Ship/Construction Bay

Blake pulled his detonator out from his vest, ready to use. "Considering all the charges Cooper and I stuck on the ceiling pillars, the gate should be completely buried after they go off."

At Atharv's idea, Blake nodded. "Our second team's leader is kind of trigger-happy."

Blake tucked the detonator back away and went for the dropped ramp. "I've got it, and with any luck they haven't already come looking for us."

He glanced back behind him, considering Atharv as he walked up the ramp to where the woman SV-3 had grabbed was working with Martin. "Captain Martin! Is the ship ready to go, Oxford, Harper, Cooper and me are all present. With a houseguest."

Steve stepped out while leaving the bridge and seeing Blake, who waved, it was a good thing the P-90 was clipped to his vest in his moment of complete surprise. "I thought you guys were captured!" as he pulled the anthropologist in and hugged him.

"We were, technically, but we found a local ally." He briefly squeezed back before freeing himself. Now was not the time to explain their relationship when Atharv boarded. "Harper and I need a way to boost the signal on the C-4 detonators." Blake stuck two fingers in his mouth, whistling to get the rest of SV-1 and Cooper's attention. He could already see the wheels turning as Steve was thinking.

<<tag Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr , Nick Harper , Isabelle Cooper , Atharv >>

[Javan Huntley]

0621
Asuran Depot Planet
Construction Bay

Javan nearly had a fatal accident he and Hamrick stepped out and saw Blake. Fatal as in, if he had pulled the trigger, Hamrick would have slowly killed him...or possibly, what was the phrase used in that scifi novel his sister was always on about? Spaceporting? Well this ship likely had airlocks....

"Doc, if you could be kind of enough to remember we are in a combat zone, and we were unaware of your location and situation. I could have blown your head off...or if this damn thing malfunctioned blown up everything within ten meters...Don't get me wrong glad to see you guys are okay, But Hamrick scares me, and I would really rather not get on his bad side thanks." Javan looked at those who came in after. When he saw the Asuran he lifted his weapon to his shoulder, even though he had already heard the bit about finding an ally. Old habits die hard.

"And Hamrick? As far as joining the Air Force goes, Pretty sure we are technically AF while working the Stargate Program... Gotta admit though, I saw the Air Force Training Facilities on my way to the base. Little cretins got a damn bath house...That's why AF is so soft, they spend BCT polishing their nails and using hand lotion. Gotta have pretty fingers to manage those computer terminals right?"

[Atharv]

0622
Asuran Depot Planet
Escape Ship/Construction bay

Doctor Warren, one of the non-military members of SV-1, approached the Asuran cruiser SV-3 were in the process of stealing to identify himself and the approach of the now freed team. Upon hearing a whistle - which the Ashuddh Vaale around him took to be a signal that the coast was clear - Atharv and the rest of the group moved into the hanger. Indeed the cruiser was nearing launch readiness, with a gentle hum of the reactor and the smell of engine fluids filling the large construction hanger.

"I am Atharv, betrayer of the Asuran 'gods'," he explained to the leader of SV-3, with whom Doctor Warren was conversing. Better to take the initiative and introduce himself before the Earthlings turned their weapons on him. He did, after all, steal wear the uniform of their enemy.

"If you will allow me, I can provide access codes to grant this vessel safe passage past the planetary defences," he added. All the better that he came bearing gifts when trying to win over new friends. "But we must hurry. My deception freeing your people will soon be discovered, and after that, my codes will be useless."

There was shouts in the Asuran tongue from the hallway outside, and moments later came the sound of weapons fire. The loyalist guards must have encountered Atharv's men and were now engaging them. His men couldn't hold them off forever, but they should be able to buy them enough time to make a quick escape.

"That is the loyalists," he explained to Captain Oxford and the commander of SV-3. "Should we have any chance of escape, we must move quickly."

< Tag Robert "Bobby" Oxford Jr , Nick Harper , Blake Warren , Steve Hamrick , Stephanie Martin , Javan Huntley & Isabelle Cooper >