[Sakura "Fubuki" Yagami]

1942
Overlooking village

There was a pause after Sakura had last spoken. Gaines seemed to need time to think about what he was going to say to her. It figures idiots would ask her out in the the middle of the freaking desert to talk and not have planned it out in the slightest. Though that being said it was also Aear's style not to plan anything so he probably gave them little or no warning.

Earth? You mean the backwater planet that no one cares about Earth? Sakura had heard just about everything now. These travellers, explorers, whatever they were were claiming to be, not only from another galaxy, but from the most remote planet they could think of. At least that was how Sakura saw it. She'd come up with some BS being on the run but these guys took the biscuit. And then it just got better, Earthicans and Meowtians working together? That'll be the day. There was one slight problem with his statement. I've been on the run from the Meowtian government for half my official life. I would hardly call them my people.

And the Major's explanation went on and on. Sakura had stopped listening a while ago now and it was only when Gaines pointed out her ship did she come back to him. Sakura gave Gaines a coy smile. So Aear hadn't told them. Aear. You didn't tell them i'm a Trident? How we were raised? The sh!t we had to grow up with? How about the auto-healing crap they shoved in me? Sakura snapped at her brother. Her anger getting the better of her and fuelling the magical reaction causing the air around her to grow colder still. If she wan't careful she was going to plunge the area into subzero temperatures and these guys were dressed for desert not arctic conditions. Of course Sakura was long since used to such cold, it didn't bother her and unless someone pointed it out she wasn't going to notice.

Tag: Tyrone Gaines, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore, Kata Harris, Sthenno Kshaeta

[Billie Jean Witwer]

1942
Overlooking village

Last thing she had remembered was talking to Gaines on the radio, before someone had grab her arm and pretty much vanished into thin air. She had been adjusting her vision once they appeared somewhere. Her hearing hadn't affected as she heard the gun cocking and knew it was being aimed. As her vision cleared, she saw it had been Gaines. Before she could have said anything, there was something sharp and pointy ice stick or blade like near her neck, so moving away was out of question.

With lack of action to be taken from her part, Billie could only listen as the Major and person who captured them spoke, Sthennos comment had made her smile a little. The woman was a excellent with it came to voicing her opinions. Yet the Navy Officer silently agreed it had been rude to taken them without asking. She shivered as the temperature dropped around them, given the cat's ability to control it. "Could you not make it so .....cold." she spoke through her clatter.

"Hey," Billie warned, "No dissing my home planet or .....you .......will be sorry." Eying the ice blade, she knew she was hardly in the spot for making warnings unless she wanted her throat to meet that cold blade. But it was the chilling air around her that was making her cold and could bet that her lips were turning blue.

She noted a group of lights making their way in the direction of the team, "T...T....Trouble, Sir?" she tried to point behind the man as she slowly made an attempt to raise her hand.

Tag: Tyrone Gaines, Aear Charter, Kata Harris, Vanessa Whitmore, Sthenno Kshaeta and Sakura "Fubuki" Yagami

((Threw in the other trouble ))

[Tyrone Gaines]

1943
Overlooking Village

The Meowtian survivor did not seem at all happy to see the SV team, reporting that she was on the run from her people, used terms such as ‘Trident’ which Tyrone didn’t know the meaning of, and going so far as to insult Earth. All in all, a pretty atrocious start to the major’s negotiations.

“Regardless, we mean you no harm,” Tyrone explained in vain.

From behind him, Lieutenant Witwer spotted something, and announced the approach of the unknown group.

The timing could not have been worst. SV-2 was already in a stand-off with Sakura, and didn’t have the time or manpower to deal with another threat. The major considered his options for a moment. While she had initially taking his team members hostage, Sakura had since held back her threats of violence. While she was far from being classified as a ‘friendly’, and Gaines would certainly be concerned presenting his back to her, the new arrivals demanded their attention.

Swearing, he turned his back to Sakura, raised his binoculars, and examined the group. Just as he’d feared; Asuran soldiers, the infantry of the enemy.

“I take it they aren’t friends of yours?” he asked Sakura. While he hadn’t personally engaged Asuran troops in the field, other members of his team had.

“They mightn’t have spotted us yet,” he examined to the team. “Lay low and set a defensive perimeter. Only fire if fired upon.” Fingers crossed this was just a scouting party passing through, and not the prelude to a full scale invasion force.

< Tag Aear Charter, Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore, Sthenno Kshaeta & Sakura "Fubuki" Yagami >

[Aear Charter]

1943
Overlooking Village

Aear had stayed quiet, he was trying to figure Sakura out. None of this was normal for her. He'd been expecting her to kill the rest of the team and probably attack him. And yet they were all still standing and apart from her trademark abrasive personality she hadn't done anything yet. Aear was well aware of the cold, his sister had an ice affinity and with their magic levels their MAF wasn't always easy to control. It did seem to be quite a bit worse then the last time he'd seen her and he couldn't help but wonder if that's why she'd been wearing a seal.

Sakura looked to Billie, she didn't seem to be coping to well with the cold that she was producing. Unfortunately for Billie there was nothing she could do about it. Well when I don't have to think about using magic anymore i'll put my seal back on and the cold will go away.

It was then that Billie pointed out the Asuran infantry. Aear turned just after Gaines as Sakura moved to stand next to her brother. She knew the type on first glance, she spent enough time as a pirate to recognise a bully or those that worked for one. What's the battle plan? Go down their and start eating people?

Lemme think. Hadn't yet admitted to being a vampire ya know. Aear surveyed the group. They don't LOOK like too much of a problem. We COULD fire of some rounds and do some heavy damage then 'hop' in and finish of the rest. Aear turned the Gaines looking for an opinion. He and Sakura as a team could make short work of them. The only concern is what happens to the village. Aear didn't like taking more lives then necessary, his sister didn't mind but he got the feeling that she'd grown attached to the village. You have to 1st class mages now don't forget.

Tag: Tyrone Gaines, Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore, Sthenno Kshaeta

Edit: That smilie is supposed to say vampire

[Sthenno Kshaeta]

1944
Overlooking village

Sthenno nearly lost her balance a second time when whoever was holding her suddenly removed the knife at her throat and the grip on her shirt. She was just able to throw her weight back to keep from falling onto her knees. Stunned, she placed her hand on her throat and then looked at it. No blood. Still, this was the first time someone had ever physically threatened her life. Sure, she’d dealt with hungry animals glaring at her through an electric fence, but this was something entirely different. She placed her hand on her throat again and decided that it was best to sit down. She landed with a dull plop on the sand next to the Lieutenant. Sthenno only then noticed that it was cold. Really cold. She had dealt with freezing temperatures at night in the desert, but this was something different. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, feeling her teeth beginning to chatter. She only really started hearing things again when the woman behind her mocked Earth and the Lieutenant responded.

Sthenno looked up and noticed the strange lights in the sky for the first time. Normally she was quick on the draw with these sorts of things, but death threats and this mind-numbing cold were considerably slowing down her thought process. It took a few moments of wheels turning for her to realize that this was some sort of military attack. The soldiers were already taking up their positions, and she realized that she was in very real danger. Sthenno felt a spike of panic and glanced at the woman behind her for the first time. She had been too scared to do so before, and was genuinely surprised that she was young and pretty and not a monster. That somehow gave her the courage to move. With a concerted effort, Sthenno made it to her feet and crept over to the Lieutenant. She tugged at her arm hard, trying to move her.

“Come on, let’s… go. This cold is going to… absolutely ruin our complexions.”

Tagged: Aear Charter, Tyrone Gaines, Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore

[Billie Jean Witwer]

1943
Overlooking Village

She shivered violently as the cold went away. While it wasn't as cold as it had been from earlier, it was enough to keep her teeth clattering over and over. It had been this experience she had no desire to collide with at all. Struggling to find the warm, she listened to Sthenno's comment and laughed a little despite being mot able to stop her teeth from clattering, "We might," she took a pause to moist her mouth, and agreed, "Need a facial."

Slowly she lead the two of them towards Gaines, asserted the situation, she was about to ask for orders when he was already speaking away. Hey he was better than her last CO, while, but a few seconds later her brain went tin to 'err' mode, yet nodded, "Yes sir." Then motioned for the doctor to follow her. By now she was no longer feeling cold. Setting up the area, she pulled out her zat, and set it aside, "Waiting game." Billie explained as she watched with trained gaze at the foot soldiers making their way. This didn't appear to be a random drop to her, as they weren't heading into the village, "Sir, there are chances they know we are here, or they came looking for her. Either way, there might be a fire fight."

"That zat is for you." Billie told the doctor, "Just don't zat us twice."

Tag: Tyrone Gaines, Aear Charter, Kata Harris, Vanessa Whitmore and Sthenno Kshaeta

[Tyrone Gaines]

1947
Overlooking Village

From their position overlooking the village, SV-2 continued to observe the advance of the Asuran infantry. Aear, the team’s XO, suggested that the team provide suppressive fire while he and Sakura enter the fray. It was a logical plan, but the major was still unsure of where Sakura’s allegiances laid. As he watched the Asuran soldiers continue their march toward the village, he studied the Meowtian from the corner of his eye. If she was as powerful as Aear, she could quickly turn the tide of the battle. If she betrayed them however, things would go from bad to worst very quickly.

Lieutenant Witwer suggested that the soldiers might be on the planet hunting Sakura or SV-2. “Possibly both,” Gaines replied. “It’s too much of a coincidence for them to arrive so soon, they could have been monitoring the Stargate after they shot down the Meowtian ship.” It was likely that after bringing down Sakura’s vessel, the local garrison had waited to see if rescue was sent, and only then moving in for the kill.

“Alright. Angler and Harris, get down that dune double time and circle around to the right, try and flank them. Aear, work your magic, pun intended. Witwer, Doctor Kshaeta and I will provide covering fire from up here. And you,” he said, pointing squaring at Sakura. “I want you were I can see you. Hold up here and let us take care of this.”

No, Tyrone wasn’t about to put his team in danger bytrusting someone who had moments along threatened to kill his team.

The team ecologist seemed hesitant and unsure about the coming battle. “LT, keep an eye on her,” Tyrone added to Billie. Things were about to get very noisy and chaotic, but so long as the Doc kept her head down she’d do fine.

Vanessa and Kata relocated to their flanking position while Aear likewise moved into position. At the top of the dune, Tyrone dropped to the sand and crawled to the edge of the dune, peering down his sight toward the passing group of infantry. When everyone was in position he gave the order to attack.

“All unit, open fire.”

< Tag Aear Charter, Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore, Sthenno Kshaeta & Sakura "Fubuki" Yagami >

OOC: Apologies team, just moved house and the internet isn’t connected yet. I’ll do my best to keep up, but otherwise feel free to push the story along without me.

[Aear Charter]

1947
Overlooking village

Aear watched and listened both to Gaines and to the approaching platoon. This was going to be interesting, it had been a very long time since he'd fought alongside Sakura. Not quite as long since they'd fought each other but someone how she wasn't the same now. It was one of the reasons he wasn't entirely sure he could trust her let alone Gaines. Sakura had been through the same childhood he had, after that Aear joined the Empire and Sakura became a pirate. They had their differences in opinion but they did tend to work well together, even if Aear was usually reluctant.

Gaines then gave out his orders and Aear started to move into position, to which Sakura raised an eyebrow. You can actually give him orders. Ok i'm impressed. Aear rolled his eyes at her statement, he didn't follow orders because it was a requirement, he followed orders by choice, because their people were working together.

Gaines, normally I would say not to trust Sakura. On the other hand she actually seems to care about what happens to the village and she didn't kill you guys the second I sent up that flare. Something is different about her, like she's changed in a good way. Thought you should keep that in mind. Aear sent Gaines a mental message, his two cents regarding what she was up to. Actually he had no idea what she was up to, he never really did. [Bunrout Form] Aear's hidden weapon formed a pair of gauntlets as Aear kept moving forward. His ears flicked however as he heard, or rather felt Sakura sit down. She was pushing mana into the air, presumably to use her MAF, or her ice mage as the Earthicans would probably call it.

The ground in front of Sakura froze before spreading forward towards the village. It went straight past before she made her move. She rapidly froze water from the air adding to the line of ice she'd formed creating a large wall of ice between the army and the village. She looked up towards Gaines. You let them through and it's my turn.

Aear was still moving towards the army when he heard to order to attack. Ok so he hadn't followed the plan exactly, he'd moved far closer then he was told but he was improvising. He was close enough to one of them to start wreaking havoc. [Sonic wing] The spell propelled Aear forward placing him on top of his target almost instantly as he charged mana into his fist before slamming it into the soldier. Hikari SMASHER! Calling out the incantation the spell caused an energy shockwave on impact designed to interfere with shields and deal structural damage to armour before a sonic boom sent the soldier flying. Without wasting any time Aear formed six large bullets and sent them out into the army. [Hraesvelger] Aear version of missles set to detonate once they'd spread through the enemy ranks. Aear's "few rounds" he'd mentioned. Aear took a second to see what the flank was up to before he'd make his next move.

Tag: Tyrone Gaines, Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore, Sthenno Kshaeta

[Sthenno Kshaeta]

1947
Overlooking village

Sthenno looked down blankly at the weapon that the Lieutenant had just passed to her. She weighed it in her hands, peered carefully at it, and then wiggled her finger on the trigger. She’d held rifles before, but never fired one. Actually, the only time she’d ever used a weapon was when she’d chopped away undergrowth with a machete. Sthenno really wanted to question why she’d been chosen for this mission. She knew what a zat was, of course- fire once for stun, twice for kill, and three times to make a body disappear. But that didn’t mean she knew how to use one. Sthenno stuck close to the Lieutenant, but was aware of the fact that she might throw off the soldier’s concentration. But Sthenno felt safest with Billie and didn’t want to stand near anyone else. Eventually she just stuck for pointing the zat in the direction the enemies were coming from and making sure she had a clear shot.

The rest happened in a blur for Sthenno. She was momentarily stunned by the sight of Harry Potter magic being worked by the two Meowtians. This was yet another thing she’d thoroughly read about but was perplexed by in real life. Then she focussed on the oncoming army and started firing. She didn’t want to kill anyone, but she had no clue if she was hitting anyone twice. She mainly fired blindly, occasionally rolling side to side to avoid hitting someone in front of her but staying as close to the Lieutenant as possible. After what seemed like forever, the shooting seemed to slow. Sthenno stopped and looked over at the two soldiers next to her.

“What do you see? Are we allowed to run yet?”

[Tyrone Gaines]

1948
Overlooking Village

Before he moved into position, Aear informed Gaines telepathically that he believed Sakura could be trusted. Unable to respond, and still not 100% sure how to Meowtian mind reading worked, the major simply offered a nod and a thumbs up in reply. So far his XO hadn’t led him astray, and he’d keep in mind Aear’s vote in Sakura’s favour.

At Tyrone’s side, Sakura wove her magic and created a wall of ice between the enemy forces and the village. The act alone - creating ice in the middle of a desert - was a sign of the power the young girl wielded. So long as she stayed in control of the magic, Tyrone didn’t mind.

Looking down his sight, the major aimed at the lead enemy fighter and opened fire. The man hit the ground before he knew what was happened. Next to him, Witwer and Doctor Kshaeta joined the volley. Down below them, Aear worked his magic, using a variety of creative yet painful looking ways to bring down their foes. “Frag out!” Gaines yelled, throwing a grenade down the sand dune and into the middle of the group for good measure.

The battle with the Asuran soldiers was over almost as quickly as it started.

When the smoked cleared, no one was left standing.

Gaines led the rest of SV-2 down the sand dune to join Aear on the battle field. The team examined the Asuran soldier, confirmed that all were KIA, and grabbing any technology or intel that they could fit into their backpack.

Drawn by the sounds of battle, the villagers had climbed over Sakura’s ice wall and were approaching the team. They started in disbelief at the fallen Asuran infantry, amazed at what they were seeing. “Never before has anyone stood up against the Gods and lived to tell the tale. Truly, you are worthy of our devotion.”

Without warning, the villagers dropped to the knees around the team and began praying, asking for their forgiveness and pledging themselves to the team.

< Tag Aear Charter, Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore, Sthenno Kshaeta & Sakura "Fubuki" Yagami >

[Aear Charter]

1948
Overlooking Village

Aear looked over what was left of their battlefield panting a little from his use of particularly high powered magic. He couldn't help but be disappointed that his enemy hadn't put up more of a fight. Aear sighed and started collecting the empty cartridges he'd spent as the rest of SV-2 made their way down the sand dune. It was Sakura that approached him first holding out her arm but not directly looking at him. He knew exactly what she was offering, to feed on her mana to replenish his own. With her antics on the Lost World of Sakurano she always had plenty to spare and tridents didn't produce much on their own.

Aear looked at the others to make sure they were busy before he practically bit into her wrist setting a white flame over his body for a second. A-arigatou... Aear gave her a smile before turning to help collect the Asuran technologies they could salvage. As they did the village had decided to come and see what sort of mess they had made. Aear supposed a thank you was fair, that was until they dropped to their kness and started mentioning things like devotion and forgivness.

No bowing, no devotion, no damn praying! Get up. Get up! Aear dragged a couple of the villagers to their feet. He had enough of this kind of annoyance at home being adopted into the royal family. We're not gods and neither are they. We're just ordinary people.

Sakura just giggled at Aear. He hadn't really changed since they'd last met, always so modest. My brother has always been modest. You wouldn't believe he's the Prince of Meowtis. Sakura only giggled more when he glared at her. It was always fun winding her brother up. Looking over her ice barrier to make sure everyone was clear, she pointed out her hand and large cracks formed along the wall before it exploded, the shard impaling the remains of the fallen Asuran soldiers. Well it was either that or melt it and risk flooding the village, something the suns would have done anyway.

Tag: Tyrone Gaines, Billie Jean Witwer, Kata Harris, Vanessa Whitmore, Sthenno Kshaeta

[Billie Jean Witwer]

1948
Overlooking Village

She took a dive at Gaines words before realising that she had for forgotten the doctor. Bills climbed - or it was closer to crawling- back up and gently gripped Sthennos's hand and dived again, this time causing her hair to have sand running through them. She couldn't even grumble at the Major as he had given the warning. Shaking the brown particles from her blond curl, "Stay here," she told the Doctor, before Billie moved back to the top. Then opened fired while Charter worked with magic.

Seeing the smoke clearing from the wind, she stopped and took a real good look, between the grenade and the cat magic, she really had no need to fire, but just in thing, "So much for being fine and mighty," she mused as she looked at Sthennos, "Eh?"

Seeing Gaines motioning them to follow, "Come on," she helped the woman to the top of the dune before guiding themselves back down to join the team.

Looking back the chaos, she was about to speak when she noted the villagers coming to see what the clamor was about. And awkwardly nodded when she heard the words, "We are going to be in bigger trouble now," she mumbled to Gaines, and for some reason Admiral, Captain Snarky and Colonel Cocky weren't going to be pleased at all. "Word will spread that we aren't to be messed with." Seeing them bowing down, she stepped forward, and was about to speak when Aear's action shocked her. One would think that after seeing what the galaxy offered something like this won't rattle her, however it did.

"Don't you dare..." She as about to take a step forward towards him before she remembered that this wasn't the Academy and this wasn't her fight but her peoples. Bills rose an eyebrow at Sakura words, of Crown Prince. She stopped from snorting.

"We did fight against them just as you would. If you ever need us, we will come to your aide." As the rush of fight was leaving her, she was feeling drained after a exciting day.

Tag: Tyrone Gaines, Aear Charter, Kata Harris, Vanessa Whitmore and Sthenno Kshaeta

[Tyrone Gaines]

1949
Overlooking Village

The villages continued to bow and pray before the team, swearing devotion to them while cursing their former allegiance to the Asura. Aear didn’t react well to this, demanding people cease and return to their feet, explaining that the team were mere mortals.

“It might take a bit more than words,” Gaines explained to the team, keeping his voice low. “Across almost half a dozen galaxies we’ve seen the same thing. Humans mistaking technology for magic and divine powers.” He surrounded to the bowed more villagers and tried to convince them to return to their feet. Lucky, Stargate Command had developed a number of ways to tech less advanced species about the reality of the ‘gods’ they worshipped.

“LT, get back to the Gate and let Doctor Collins know that we’ve got another assignment for her.” Vanessa, the expedition psychologist, had developed an education program to help open the eyes of societies such as this. From what he’d reach, it had come in very handy during her work with the Delian Galaxy. It was by now means an easy process - each culture had to rebuild not only their government and religious structures, but also ask some very deep questions about their own identity.

The chieftain and Uffgah, the head priestess, approached the team with hesitation. Given that the team had just swooped down and killed their former gods with loud and powerful guns, it wasn’t hard to see why they were afraid. Sakura creating an ice wall out of nowhere probably didn’t help.

“Your people are free now, you worship no one,” the major explained. “Now your will only know peace. We’ll send through supplies in the next couple of days to help you get back on your feet.”

With that, he bid the villagers farewell. Giving Aear a moment with Sakura, Gaines led the rest of the team back to the Stargate.

< Tag Aear Charter >

OOC: Alex can you finish the episode off with a quick post about whether Sakura comes with us, stays with the villagers, or leaves for another world?

[Sakura "Fubuki" Yagami]

1949
Overlooking Village

Sakura watched as the rest of SV-2 awkwardly tried to convince the villagers that they weren't gods and nor were they to be worshipped. Despite the awkwardness that would always come with such a task she got the feeling they were rather well practiced at it. Not her skillset mind, she'd always been doing almost the opposite, when she wasn't fleeing from the legal system that was. It was as Tyrone turned to lead SV-2 away that Sakura span round and spoke. You're just going to leave? Supplies are all well and good but what about these bodies? You'd leave the village to clean up your mess?

With that Sakura turned and held out her hands summoning dark purple circles under the fallen Asuran soldiers. Long Distance Transfer As she spoke the incantation the bodies faded as the circles shrank and disappeared. She'd transferred them to the other side of the planet, far enough away that if they were to be stumbled across the village would be safe. Sakura then turned back to Uffgah, shooting Gaines a glare as she did.

Chima Weave Sakura formed a small pendant and handed it over to the head priestess. If you're in trouble this will let you talk to me. She smiled at the chieftain, their hospitality had helped her figure out who she wanted to be, who she didn't want to be anymore. Sakura turned to Aear who held out the ribbon she'd discarded earlier. I think you dropped this. Sakura took the ribbon and tied her hair causing it to braid itself and change into a blonde colouring. Back to your place then?

End of Mission