[System]
"I am the shield that which the enemies of the Emperor break themselves upon."
"Heretics crave the cleansing fire of absolution. They need not fear for we shall deliver."
Age:

Thirty

Gender:

Female

Personality:

As a member of the Adepta Sororitas, Andromedai has a will of iron that is matched by her steadfast determination to thoroughly eliminate all hostiles that threaten the Imperium of Man and The God Emperor. Some call her reckless, but in truth she carefully plans out each of her actions before swiftly putting them into motion, there is no room for mistakes upon the battlefield. When serving along her own kind, she is selfless and honorable. She will assist those who are in need the most, if appropriate. At times, she can be unpredictable, using her creativity to overcome whatever challenges that are tossed her way. Very rarely, some of her past life will show through her personality, showing the humanity that still remains buried behind her intense training and brain-washing she endured over many years.

Former Occupation:

Ophelian Celestian for the Order of the Argent Shroud.

Equipment:

Armor: Full suit of Celestian Power Armour with Order of the Argent Shrouds shading and emblem.

Primary Weapon: Astartes Mark Vb Godwyn Pattern Bolter - [Modified for increased range, stability and accuracy. Attached to the bottom of the weapon is an automatic shotgun device used for close combat scenarios.]

Secondary Weapon: [None so far.]

Melee Weapon: Chainsowrd

Accessory 1: Krak Grenades

Accessory 2: Melta-Bomb

Accessory 3: Rosarius

Acessory 4: Librium/Tome.

Medical Equipment.

[Has been seen operating with a Mk IV Arkhan Rifle in the past.]

Notable Events:

The Obsidian incursion:

A few months after being assigned to the Order of the Argent Shroud, Andromedai was stationed upon the Shrine world of Erathell to help protect a number of Important Temples and Shrines dedicated to the God-Emperor of Mankind. While she preferred a combat role, guarding such holy sites was also a critical role she was honored to hold. Many months passed in calm before the Slaanesh devoted forces of Chaos invaded, bringing a wave of death and destruction to all that they touched. Due to where they had started their invasion, Andromedai was one of the first to throw herself into Erathells defense. Alongside her fellow Sisters of Battle, they pushed back against the chaos forces over two days of non-stop fighting. The records for the battle indicate that not a single Adepta Sororitas had been lost, through the forces that had invaded the world had been completely irradiated. This was the first world invasion that Andromedai had been part of, from it she had learned many useful skills and had gathered much information about the enemy that would help her through many other battles in the future.

The Assault of Dalenarth:

Andromedai and her fellow Sisters of Battle fought alongside the fabled Space Marines in a war called the Assault of Dalenarth. A large number of Tau forces had been spotted in the Hawkings cluster but vanished from all sight, seemingly to vanish in the depths of the galaxy. When further investigation into the Hawkings cluster was issued, a large base was found to have been established upon an abandoned War world, hiding amongst the rubble. Swiftly and to the letter, the threat was analyzed and considered to be grave, if not completely annihilated. Their numbers were massive and thus both the Sisters of Battle and the Space Marines were sent to deal with the threat. As soon as they arrived, war had broken out and casualties on all sides were counted but never admitted to. Working alongside a Space Marines for the first time, she witnessed the combined strength of their forces. Eventually when Andromedai found herself alongside a single Space marine in the depths of the Tau base, the two of them burned through the hostile forces together, finely eliminating the Tau commander who had organized the whole mission. Both of them were recognized for their acts during the war that lasted two weeks.

The Slaughter at Mobius:

The Slaughter upon the desert world of Mobius is a failed assignment that not many members of the Imperium of man know about. Andromedai had been asked to lead fifteen Sisters of Battle to a small civilized world that had been also called a desert world due to its arid and barren landscapes. Why the Imperium of man had decided to place a colony here was beyond Andromedai she had her orders to investigate a destress signal. When they landed upon the planet, what they found was much more horrific than what was expected. The colony had been completely destroyed, leaving little to no sign of. Further investigation resulted in stirring up something that laid below the sands.

The colony had foolishly built their city on top of a forbidden world, unknown of the dangers that laid below it. They had awoken a small group of hideous xenos known as Tyranids. There had been no way to tell if the distress signal was a trap or not, but what they did know is that all the occupants of the city had died seemingly overnight. The corpses that still remained were fresh, it was very likely the hostiles were still close by. Quickly, Andromdai sent out a message for immediate evacuation and recommended exterminates to quell the threat of the hive. The order would be given to destroy the planetary biosphere and all life upon the world once she had her troops were evacuated.

The pilot informed them that she would be at their location in sixty seconds. Those sixty seconds proved to be the worst she had experienced upon any planet or any battle since she had seen combat. The ground broke apart in the distance and from it came the Xeno horrors that had wiped the colony clean. Almost every round and explosive that the group had was expelled before the drop ship arrived, strafing the area then quickly landing almost on top of the Sisters of Battle. To her surprise, every member of her squad made it onto the drop ship, allowing herself to be the last to board. When she did though, she felt numerous rounds from the Tyranid weapons travel through random parts of her body.

The wounds she sustained were incredibly severe and life threatening but with great will and determination she pushed herself part way into the drop ship. The two medics from her squad helped pull her into the ship just as the doors were closing. Within moments, they were a safe distance away from the planet and were now heading back to the fleet where the wounded would be tended to. As they did though, they witnessed the order for the exterminates being carried out in full, a magnificent but also horrifying spectacle to witness.

[User]
"Wasn't that what I suggested in the beginning?"

Adrianne commented with a slight sound of annoyance, still feeling amped up after the last fight and shelling.

And it didn't help that she felt deeply troubled by just the sheer, almost maddening look the party's resident techno-heretic was giving her venerable servo-skulls!

In her mind, she couldn't help but think Vala's free spirit and all-too-loose relationship with Imperial was bound to lead to trouble. Free thinking was the path to heresy! Although Adrianne found herself stopping that train of though before it could ever manifest into words... partly because it would have made herself a hypocrit!

"I guess there's no point complaining."

She thought to herself, before raising one gloved hand in the rain to point at a direction towards the north west.

"There is an abandoned Mechanicum storage house just half a click from here. It's a bit out of the way, but therefore it'll also be our best bet if we want to avoid the greenskins."

[Assistant]
Ansgar kept the volume of fire up as best he could considering he had to take friendly fire into consideration, as it would likely be frowned upon by the Celestian for stray rounds to find targets that they were not intended for. Thankfully, the only person readily in his way was the Arbites, who was advancing on the Ork as both Psyker and Apothecary continued their own attacks. Every time the Ork wasn't hosing the ruined bunker down with heavy amounts of firepower the Krieger was poking out, firing from his Type XIV (Heavy) before ducking back down when return fire grew too voluminous to trust his armor to shrug off. However, it wasn't until he heard that all too familiar sound of incoming artillery fire that he ducked and stayed down, covering the back of his neck just in case as he ducked down as the explosive shells made impact and turned the Ork into little more than a footnote in the after action report.

Once the shells finished landing, the Krieger was back up, sweeping through the smoke and debris with his weapon, looking for any survivors of the blasts. Nothing, though he remained on guard, scanning their surroundings while talk of a plan and further proceedings continued. Apparently the Celestian intended to use the Psyker's original plan to use her servo skulls as spotters for artillery strikes, which the Krieger still did not approve of. From the sounds of the comment, the psyker was irritated with not having gone through with it in the first place. "Long as it is defensible. It is unlikely the Orks will not notice their missing... vehicles." Ansgar hesitated to call the rolling piles of scrap and armor vehicles, but they technically performed in those roles from what he had seen of them thus far.

[User]
Nergüi sat with his back to the Orkoid vehicle, having just watched the oddly tall psyker demolish the Nob in a matter of moments, his eyes now looking around at the ruined landscape before him. What a sight it was, the usually well-oiled Imperial machine bought low by hordes of savage Greenskins, a scenario he had unfortunately seen more than once in his extended lifetime among the stars but one that kept repeating itself.

It was only when the shrill whistling of incoming shells caught his attention that the Apothecary noticed the area was even being bombarded, picking himself up with typical Astartes stoicism and unhurriedly making his way back to the bunker, entering it just as the first HE shell detonated and showered the back part of his armour in all manner of gore, debris and dirt; unlike a couple of the others, he simply turned about and watched in silence as everything from corpses to rockrete were turned into fractured clusters of shrapnel.

"Everyone still in one piece and able to stand? Good, let's move to the next objective, but this time I think we should use those Servo-Skulls of yours, Adrianne."

Never having moved to anything other than his half-squat, necessary due to where they were all packed in once more, Nergüi moved out of the bunker with his expressionless visor scanning the horizon for any further enemy contacts; if the initial battle hadn't told them that an enemy was here, the shelling certainly would!

There were further exchanges of conversation, most of it in the back of the Marines mind - he had no head for mechanics, unless it came to his bike - and most of it filtered out. Something about the masked psyker irked him, in the same way a mosquito might annoy a bullock, and he had no desire to listen to her any more than he had to.

"Long as it is defensible. It is unlikely the Orks will not notice their missing... vehicles."

Now this did make him chuckle, a deep and smooth laugh that even emerged from his vox-grill. He well knew that the Krieger hadn't been making any sort of joke, having fought alongside them in the past he wondered if they even could form any sense of humour, but it tickled him nonetheless.

"These are not vehicles," stated the White Scar bluntly, "and believe me that they will notice." He pointed a finger to Adrienne, "she could tell you that the Greenskins function with a form of gestalt psychic field, active at all times whether they know it or not, and although the scum pay little heed to casualties as you or I would see them, they will realise that some of their number have been slain whether they realise that they realise or not."

With something akin to a friendly slap on the back for Ansgar, enough to make any normal man stagger slightly, the Marine shrugged his shoulders out and took a deep inhalation of air through his helmets filters. Wherever they were going, he prayed to the Emperor that there would be more of them.

[Assistant]
At the mention of an abandoned Mechanicum storage house being just half a click from there location, Andromedai pulled her data-pad from its small metal compartment that was attached to the armor on her left hip. It quickly turned itself on and a satellite image of the surrounding area now shown upon its screen. "You are correct, Adrainne, I can see the storage house you are talking about. Though there is no way we can be entirely sure that the Mechanicum storage house is actually abandoned, be prepared to retake the building if the Orks have moved in." Andromedai placed her data-pad back into its compartment, then stepped out of the bunker and into the open rain, while doing her best to avoid all the random debris and rough terrain that the artillery strikes had created. "Should not take us much time at all to reach the Mechanicum storage house, keep your eyes open for any movement, not that I think the Orks have any possible way to ambush us, they make way to much noise for something like that to ever happen." Even so, Andromedai kept her senses on high alert.

"Once we arrive at the supposedly abandoned Mechanicum storage house, I want the Servo Skulls ready to go in five minutes Vala." This was the only thing that Andromedai said on the entire walk, there was nothing else to say, for her at least. She would merely listen to the others chat away, and would silently think to herself.

After around a half an hour of walking through the streets of the city, and using whatever cover they could find to mask their movements, the abandoned Mechanicum storage house came into view. From the outside, everything seemed normal, there were no signs of the Orks here, and the building stood in terrific shape. That still didn't mean there were not any Orks inside, but at the moment, they seemed to be in the clear.

Quickly Moving to the main door of the abandoned Mechanicum storage house, Andromedai prepared to breach the building with weapons drawn and finger on trigger. If there were any threats, she would have a quick and clear shot on them. When the door was kicked in and the room sweeped, she found it empty and secure. "Building is clear, get in here and start working on that Servo-Skull, Vala." Andromedai lowered her weapon and motioned for the squad to get to work. "I want to be moving again in five minutes, do what you all need to do and let's get this assignment over with so we can move forward with the primary objective." In the meantime, Andromedai found herself pacing back and forth through the abandoned Mechanicum storage house, planing their next move, once the anti-aircraft weapons where taken care of.


[System]
Super Powered name(optional): The Shifter

Power(s): Dimensional warping (Teleportation, short term precognition)

Power Item: Glasses; allows him to temporarily pull items from other realities into this one with intense concentration

Appearance(picture or description):

Allegiance(Hero, Anti, Villain): Anti, just wants to be left alone

Personality: David has always been a quiet person. He's fairly socially anxious, and would just rather be left alone then have to deal with people most of the time. However, when it comes to the few people David is comfortable around, or when his is just plain alone, he's a bit of a sentimental guy. When he isn't busy trying to be the emotionless shadow he is in crowds, he can be quite the sap.

History: David was born and raised in Greyshire, although few his age would ever recognize him. With the exception of the small group of friends he had, David did everything he could to ensure that he was left alone. For some reason, he just never seemed to want to deal with most people. He was an only child, and his parents never thought much of his reclusive tendencies. Although he still attended college during the year, he still preferred the quiet and lack of people in Greyshire.

When the bomb came down, David had been walking around in the park. At first, he thought his life was flashing before his eyes, and he was seeing how things could have been. However, he also started to see things that hadn't happened yet. Certain he was going crazy, David ran home, and cowered in his room.

When David woke up the next morning, he noticed several things. First, the weird visions he had weren't as intense when his glasses were off. Secondly, he now occasionally was catching glimpses of things that shouldn't be there; things that didn't belong where they were but no one noticed. Certain he was going crazy, David began to distance himself more and more from his friends and family.

The night before the government's forces arrived, David had his most vivid vision yet. He saw what would happen to his friends. His family. His home. He also saw that if he couldn't make himself suddenly disappear, he would die too. To this day, David doesn't know how he managed to teleport that first time. However, after gathering his things and thinking long and hard about where to go, he suddenly found himself at his aunt and uncle's apartment in New York. To this day, David doesn't know if what he did was right. However, all he knows now is that in between his powers, the government, and a huge city of people he doesn't know, David just wants to disappear.

[User]
Jessica sat at her desk in her apartment and went over what had happened in Greyshire as she played with a small ball of energy in her hands. Someone had to have both financed and provided materials to the terrorists behind the bomb and why did the government send black ops in to shut everyone up? The whole thing drove her crazy but as she looked up at her wallclock she realised it was time for her to go and practice before her nightly patrol.

Changing in her basic costume, a black catsuit and eyemask she made her way to the roof of her apartment building where she had set up an obstacle course and some targets. Her military training gave her the hand to hand and shooting skills she needed but her gymnastics and powers still need work. After a around an hour of falling on her rear end and target practice with her powers she prepared herself for her mission tonight. Jumping to the next roof she began to think.

"What happened to me and why did my old bosses want it covered it up?" It was then an alarm began to ring. "Showtime" she said to herself checking her gun before heading off in it's direction.

[Assistant]
After leaving Grayshire abruptly, Amelia's funds had quickly been down to the bills she'd shoved in her wallet before leaving for the grocery store. She had no intention of using her bank account, rendering her cards useless, wary of leaving any sort of trail for the team that had come to silence her hometown to follow. Fortunately, New York City was a big place, and Amelia had found a building somewhere on the east side of Manhattan where the landlord was more wrapped up in his "other" business than his ownership of the apartments. There were plenty of shady people there, but rent was cheap, and she could deal with the damp and drafty conditions because at least it was a roof over her head. She'd already managed to get hired busing tables at a small bar that had seen better days, but it was money in her pocket and they hadn't asked a whole lot of questions.

One of the two small televisions tucked into the corners of the bar for patrons to watch was turned to the news, and as she wiped down the empty tables, Amelia struggled not to cringe as Grayshire was brought up - again. Taking the entire town off the map had been labeled as a second terrorist strike, combated by the military, and that the "loss of life was devastating, an entire town undeserving of its fate". She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry at the stories circulating about her home, but she knew that not everyone in the state was sympathetic to Grayshire and its survivors, her gaudily painted nails a testament to that. Too many questions about why they were long and why they were sharp had her purchasing the most obnoxious shade of blue she could find and painting her nails, even sticking on those rhinestones they sold for decorating nails. After that, at least, the questions had stopped.

Clips she'd watched earlier that day about JTechs and their possible roles in recent happenings played next, and Amelia struggled to tune out what was already becoming old news. The televisions left her ears ringing constantly while she was on the floor, and she happily swept up glasses left behind to take to the back to be cleaned up. Busing tables wasn't that bad, aside from the care she had to take to not scratch up the tableware or even the wooden tables. At the very least, she figured she had a way to defend herself if someone got the bright idea to try and mug her.

[User]
The following day Lexx was at the train station. He wore his typical trench coat but this time he had a hoodie underneath, the hood covering most of his face. He observed as people went on with their own lives, while his was practically on hold. As he sat there he recalled how his life was before the event that changed his life. He used to live with his younger sister in Grayshire working as a system administrator for a small company there. His father had been part of the Marine Corps and had died under unknown circumstances sixteen years ago. Or at least unknown to him. And his mother had died of cancer a few years later and as such his sister was the only family he had left. In the end she had to be taken away from him as well in Gray Bomb dropping.

Lexx's resolve was faltering. He didn't think he was ready to return to his hometown. Unfortunately he had no choice. He was out of leads. The only place remaining where he could pick up a trail was his hometown. Or what remained of it after the bombing and the intervention of the military.

Hours later he was back in the town that changed his life. Since trains didn't stop there anymore he had to go to the nearest town and walk the rest of the way. He considered visiting the remains of his parents' house but he decided against it. Being back here in the town was hard enough. He wasn't ready for that just yet.

As he walked down the deserted streets he occasionally checked his phone. Surprisingly, the Wi-fi of one of the larger stores that had Wi-fi at all still worked. His mind flashed back to how often he went there to pick up groceries with his sister. Being here once again reminded him of his former life and made him cringe. He found a bench opposite of the store to sit down and took out his laptop, scrolling through the news as he considered what his next move should be. In the process he came across the news about JTech and it's CEO, Daniel Moth. His eyes widened. That's my next lead, Lexx thought. He began regretting the fact that he had returned here as in the end it didn't provide any further clues.

"Coming here was a mis-", he cut himself off as he looked up at the store and noticed a strange symbol that had not been there before. Or at least Lexx thought it hadn't been there before, but he wasn't sure. Once again his mind flashed back to the times he came here with his sister. This time he focused harder on trying to remember every detail about the store. Instead he was reminded of his sister even more and he could feel his chest tighten. "Damn it. Focus.", he clenched his fist and closed his eyes.

That sign. It was not there before. He was now sure of it. And furthermore, it was familiar to him. "I've seen this somewhere before.", he mumbled to himself. His attention snapped back to his laptop and he began opening various pages that were still in his browsing history. "There it is.", he said as one of the sites had an add which contained a symbol identical to the one on the building. He clicked it and a new window popped open which lead him to a chatroom. Besides the randomly generated name that was assigned to Lexx there was only one more name in the online users list . . .

[Assistant]
Ved
 A messaged popped upon his laptop, and he immediately opened it, finding that someone had triggered his ad system. He quickly forced the opposite computer to download, install, and operate his personal VPN, making both ends of the communication completely secure. He routed a one way camera, viewing the person on the opposite end. After several seconds, he was satisfied that the man was not FBI, nor anyone from a private sector looking to chase him down and hire/force him into working for them. The man looked to be dirty, and young, which was a very good way to suggest that they originated from Grayshire, but he would still run them through a basic questionnaire.

 [Hello.]

 The single word appeared on the man's screen, in the small white box that provided the chatroom, above the message was the Hacktivists "superhero" name, his nickname to be exact. :\\Ved.mhmn. It was a very simple chat client, using a direct IP communication, causing the computers to talk to each-other directly, through Ved's own private network. That way they could contact each other at any point in time, even if they weren't connected to a Wifi network. While he waited for a reply, he quickly traced down the location of the man, and to his surprise, he was GPS'd in Grayshire. He put his hand on the corner of the laptop screen, using his powers to identify anything and everything this man had ever done in the virtual realm, his realm. His eyes glassed over with a strange blue color, and glowled lightly through his mask as he began to absorb the cyber-existence of this man.

[User]
John started to breath heavily as he concentrated on the targets before him. Five Glas bottles sat at different levels. He forced the bottles to shoot them up into the air. Johnn waits for a moment. As the bottles begin to fall Johnn's shoots out into five branches. He forces it to catch them. Pieces of glass fall to the ground. He had crushed one of them on accident. Cussing under his breath, he looked an alarm clock he had set up close by. "6:30, it's almost night," He sighed then drank a water bottle. Setting off towards the surface.

Climbing out of an emergency subway exit that opened up into a back ally. The sun had just set, and the sky was clear of clouds. John set off towards a man who had been giving him information on JTechs. Apparently his brother was the vise president of the company, and is having second thoughts about the company's current involvements.

Sticking to the darker places of the streets, making his way towards one the abandoned buildings that seem to inhabit this area.

[Assistant]
David turned off his tv, and threw his remote, pissed off. Yet another piece about Grayshire and how it was a "great American tragedy". Right. While he blended in with the crowds of New York well enough, minus his occasional visions, he heard what people thought of the survivors. People thought they were freaks. To be honest, he wasn't sure if they were wrong. David didn't find being aware of the multitude of realities to be much of an upside, at least as long as he could barely perceive it.

David swung his legs off of the bed. Enough was enough. He needed to see what happened to Grayshire first hand. He had darted around it long enough. It wasn't like the trip would be long for him. There would likely be no one their, so it wasn't like he could rationalize away from it with his social anxiety. And if things got bad, he could always teleport back to his apartment. Or anywhere else that was safe, for that matter. David gathered his things together, and put his glasses on. Thinking of home was painful, but he needed to know what happened. He thought of the small coffee shop he used to frequent, and teleported to it.

Upon arrival, David immediately began to feel nauseous. Another vision flashed over him. It was mostly a blur, but one thing was clear. If he didn't go back immediately, his projected future would be irrevocably shifted. Slowly getting back on his feet, David finally got a good look around. What he saw was horrifying. The town where he had been born and raised was a mess. David had known it was bad, but he hadn't been around to see what happened after the military arrived. David began to slowly walk through the town, appalled at what was left of his home.

Coming to a corner, David came to the big grocery store. Surprisingly, it was still mostly intact. He was about to get a closer look when he froze in place. There, on a bench across from the store, was a hooded figure in a trench coat. Whatever he was doing on his laptop, though, it seemed like it caused the man to not notice him yet. David began to slowly go back around the corner he came from. However, just when he made it back around, his phone went off. David managed to keep down a swear, and dropped to a crouch. Thinking quickly, he silently teleported behind the register counter in the grocery store, and dropped prone.


[System]
Age: 29

Nationality: German

Base of Operations: Earth; Europe

Class: Duelist

Preferred Advanced Class: Knight

Equipment:
* Main Weapon: Ion Ostryx Battle Axe
* Secondary Weapon: Ion Throwing Knives
* Armor: Ostryx Body Armor
* Gear: Plasmic Grenade

Gene Mods:
* Adaptive Nerve Firing: Allows a soldier to react faster to attacks. Boosting the soldiers Dodge that makes enemies miss more often.
* Adaptive Bone Marrow: Allows a soldier to heal faster than normal and grants Drachen an immunity to Chryssalid Poison.

Appearance:
Drachen is a rather large man, standing at six feet four inches with a heavy build. Thick muscles that would look more at home on a Heavy unit than a Duelist. His skin is darkly tanned from being outside so much, and is littered with numerous scars from various wounds over the years. On his back are a set of draconic wing tattoos that look surprisingly real. He's strangely hairless as well despite his ancestry.

Like the rest of him he's completely bald, whether by choice or not is in his file. Thick black eyebrows rest on a rather thick ridge, making him look angry and casting a small shadow over his eyes. Said eyes are a steel gray in color and slightly sunken. Between his eyes and lower down he has a block-ish nose. His lips are average, but hold a slight natural frown that gives his overall look to be angry.

Backstory:
Drachen was born in Germany a year after the war for Earth was over. His name is kind of a give away on that along with some of a remaining accent. His younger years flew by in an unimportant blur until he joined up with the military. Schools didn't cover the Alien Invasion very well, a lot of hush hush details apparently. Here he learned a lot more on what actually happened in the war by checking records available in his off time.

During training he found that he preferred getting up close and personal instead of hiding a mile away to blow somethings head off. His size, endurance, and overall might, tended to win out over technique when it came to hand to hand. A few Veterans of the War that were still active compared him to a Muton. Although biologically his strength didn't compare to their brutish might. After learning hand to hand techniques he was moved on to learn the weaponry of a Duelist. Swords and throwing knives. Unfortunately the swords were simply too light and adding weight would make the weapon awkward and clumsy. So an axe was made with the same technology. Thankfully an axe tended to follow the same attack patterns as a sword minus drawing cuts.

Unfortunately, in his mind anyway, there weren't any Aliens around after all that training. It was basic patrols, hunts that came up empty, and more training. Well he trained on his own, going above and beyond the norm. Between orders he did everything he could to increase his strength, surpass his previous move speeds, and to hone his reflexes despite the Gene Mods active within his body. Hell the Adaptive Bone Marrow let him abuse himself to go even further beyond normal human standards.

Finally it was decades after the War and Humanity decided it was time to go Alien hunting through space. He didn't really understand the tech to traverse space, would they be in cryo like in the movies? Or did the ships just move that fast now that they could just...warp to the planets and go on the offensive? He'd find out soon enough.

[User]
Hartford Military Base
New Star, Mars Colony
1110 hrs Local Time

The captain listened to each question closely, looking at the speaker accordingly and nodding in acknowledgement to each spoken question. "Good batch of questions, for the most part. We leave in ten, our skimmer will take us to the USS Bronzebeard in orbit and we'll jump to slip space about ten hours after that. There are two other strongholds being attacked simultaneously with our objective, but ours is the closest, so our jump is last. As for the number of tangos, expect numerous, Private Steinboden. This is an enemy stronghold after all, so they won't slouch on keeping it manned. Private Devries, you'll be retaking the course on Earth's interstellar travel when the mission is over, but I have addressed the first question. Your second question's answer is quite simple, and that's that there is no particular rhyme or reason. Another squad is Hawk Squad, you've got the Vengeful Sharks, a Spec Ops team of mostly Rippers with a couple of Reapers in support. So, no particular reason, just where our lot fell most likely."

The captain, having given a quick brief of general details and gotten all the new bloods to talk, walked around the table and hit a button on it, bringing the holographic display up on the fortress that they'd be helping to assault. "And since no one asked, I'll give you guys something more in depth. This is the stronghold Alpha as we've labeled it, though intel says the aliens call it Outpost Warden. Regardless, the official plan that the Commander laid out for us is to insert at the top of the stronghold and work our way down to the main hall while also dealing with any defensive emplacements we can." The gunslinger spoke up at this point.

"But we both know you got a second set of orders from the Commander that weren't so official, which are?" The captain, chuckling softly, nodded.

"He did and that was that the unofficial plan is to move as we see fit and focus on getting to the enemy leadership and contain or neutralize. Orbital support is being tasked to remove anti-air and anti-infantry emplacements on the outside of the outpost. Seems simple enough right?" Damian nodded and took another bite of his jerky as the image shifted to a layout of the Bronzebeard. "Now, as for our accommodations on the Bronzebeard, XCOM units are considered a branch of special forces, so we'll have our own armory, barracks and mess hall for our small unit, though it is encouraged that we mix and mingle with the UEG regulars at meal times and during PT." Snapping his fingers, Captain reached behind him and withdrew three XCOM patches and approached each of the new bloods.

"These are your XCOM patches, signifying that you are members of the unit within the UEG and that if you say your mission is of dire importance, then the regs had better listen to you. However," the change in the captain's tone caused the new bloods to jump, "don't abuse that power. You ever hear of the boy who cried wolf? That's what'll happen to your authority."

Returning to his position at the table, the holographic projection turns off and the Captain starts to walk off. "I'll be back in five to gather you four for the trip up to the Bronzebeard, but until then, get to know each other. You'll be working closely for the foreseeable future." And with that, he and his Gremlin were gone. After a moment of silence, the Irish accent in Damian's voice won out as he jumped down to converse with his new squad mates.

"Alright then, where's everyone from? Hobbies, likes, dislikes?"

[Assistant]
"I'm from South New Star. When I was small, my family immigrated to Mars from France and I love watching holonovels -- especially romance films! I love playing virtual reality games using my neuro-enhancer helmet. I like strategy games and RPGs and first person shooters! And I looove virtual reality dating sims! Not only that, I've logged over 2000 hours in marine combat simulator X. I can totally take out the final boss in The Empire of the Crescent Moon in less than five minutes."

Marcia just wondered if she blabbed too much about herself. I hope they don't think I'm an airhead. I hope they still think I can add my weight in any serious combat situation.

"I love people with courage, and I hate cowards, even though I'm sorta a coward myself."

[User]
---

She could tell she was going to get along very well with the man named Drachen. A hint of acknowledgement, a note of respect sparkled in her violet eyes when she looked at him. It was nothing he said but the attitude in which he carried himself that she found interesting, though his faint German accent sparked a bit of extra camaraderie. However, the question he asked wasn't something that mattered much to her. Her grandfather never cared about how many there were, just that he had to keep fighting for Humanity's future. Now it was her turn to help forge Humanity's destiny among the stars!

The other member of their trio was a woman named Marcia and well...she looked at her a bit stunned for a moment as she asked her questions. That soft, gentle look in her eyes to the way she spoke did not convey the mannerism of someone she expected to see in XCOM "Sure, we put our lives on the line every mission but most dangerous of all...we risked our humanity to defeat them." The words echoed in the back of her mind of a hesitant and sorrowful voice. Helene looked at Marcia warily, but would hold judgement until they got into combat.

Helene leaned forward in her seat, focused solely on the image on the table her mouth slightly open. Old configurations of alien bases were often used to help teach and instruct new recruits, but this was the first time she had seen something like this. The fact they were in charge of assaulting this place in actual mission and not some mock battle made it almost surreal. She became engrossed in its design, trying to commit it to memory when the corporal interrupted and drew her attention away. So the real plan was for the others to take care of the fortifications while they slip in to neutralize any high value targets. Her fingers curled against the fabric of her uniform, tugging at its edges. She couldn't wait to get started.

Attention was shifted back to the display that now showed their vessel. Helene didn't react to the news of their special accommodations as it still felt like a dream. That was until their new captain approached them with their new patches. Helene reached out and took her patch with both hands as if dropping it would cause it to shatter. The overflowing happiness that was almost enough to break her decorum was halted by the words of the captain, so much that a chill raced down her spine "Do not worry about us, Sir! We shall not let that happen!" A crisp, quick salute was accompanied by a fierce look in her eye. The day she had imagined so many times as little girl was here. As her eyes drifted down to the patch, the fingers on her right hand smoothed over the patch to confirm its authenticity. She couldn't wait to send a message back home.

Helene was so lost in thought that she barely heard what the captain said, looking up just as he was already in the process of leaving. Was she sure she heard that right? 'Get to know each other'?Helene looked around still holding the patch closely, her face tense and her eyes unsure. As Damian spoke, she couldn't help but think this wasn't how she expected her career in XCOM to begin. Why waste time playing 20 questions? She just wanted to get things started already. That didn't stop Marcia from grabbing Helene's attention. Probably much to her dismay, her quick onslaught of information had give Helene the exact impression of an airhead. She didn't know taking out this so-called boss in 5 minutes was impressive but she made it sound like some grand achievement. Somehow, this sweet woman was recruited into XCOM and she was going to find out why.

"That is certainly an...interesting list of hobbies. Well it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Devries."

Hobbies? Likes? Dislikes? These questions all revolved around her least favorite topic "I was born back on Earth. Cologne, Germany." Helene crossed her arms, looking at the rest of the group but not directly "I certaintly dislike talkin about myself, but if it is the captain's orders. I like to hike and camp while watching the stars. There's some places on Earth you can't tell a war ever happened." Helene looked down looking unsatisfied with her own answer, then looked back up "I can't stand people who are all bark and no bite." The pressure between her teeth was enough to snap a tree log. Her brow furrowed as she finished, looking annoyed. With a mission like theirs, she would rather be making preparations than play nice.

[Assistant]
Drachen had his arms folded across his chest as he listened to the Captain. He nodded affirmatives where they fit as the man answered the few questions they had. The team name was just chosen at random, they were assaulting a fortress so the number of enemies would be unknown, they left in ten minutes, and apparently they were assaulting multiple fortresses. Why was the UEG dividing their focus? Or were the other fortresses just to distract from the actual objective of killing or detaining this Ethereal?

The Captain brought up a holo-display of the fort they'd be going to and the names of it. Alpha via human, Warden via Alien. Which got him to tilt his head slightly. "Warden...? Is it supposed to be guarding something...?" He questioned aloud. Maybe they were trying to keep humanity penned in the Sol System? It wasn't likely humanity knew how far spread the aliens were. Shortly after letting them see the display the older officer handed out the XCOM patches with a warning not to abuse the power that came with them.

Who knew a simple patch, even on a Private, would hold such weight. Which was odd. But he didn't run things, he just followed orders.

Shit, now they were told to socialize, get to know each other. Was this some sort of video game? He shook his head when the Captain left
and turned his metallic gaze to the other three. Marcia Devries started them off with a slew of information. Games and reading were her thing, and apparently she was good at them. While also preferring the brave over the coward types. Helene Weisser, a fellow German, preferred more physical things like hiking and camping. She enjoyed doers, not talkers.

Sighing he let his arms drop and slip into his pockets. "I'm from Germany on Earth. In my spare time I like working with metal, making things by hand like in the ancient times." He stated, with his build it was very believable. "I dislike laziness, I like being active." He continued on before looking at the dual wielder expectantly.


[System]
Age: 22 years old

Appearance: Isaac is 6' tall and a wiry but muscular-tone 155lbs. He has bright blue eyes, messy blonde hair, a boyish face and a bright smile. Out on the road, you will usually find him wearing a plain tee shirt, maybe some combat armour strapped over, combat pants and hardy military grade boots. Often carries a backpack too.

Above: Isaac aged 15 years old - Stood outside New Brooklyn settlement, posing for the camera

Background: Isaac Storm was born Isaac Carson, in Vault 118. He'd always had a knack for getting into trouble, but one particular escapade had gotten him into so much trouble, it changed his life forever. You see, Vault 118 was deathly scared of the outside world, and believed New York to be completely poisoned by nuclear fallout. They had a strict rule that the vault door was never to be opened, and anyone who tried to do so would be sentenced to death by the overseer. When 11 year old Isaac snuck up to the main entrance of the vault and released the seal that'd been shut since the very bombs dropped, the Overseer commanded that Isaac pay with his life. His mother begged for her son's life, and she managed to negotiate one final option. Her and her son had to leave vault 118 for good.

It was an option she did not relish, but with her son's life on the line, she took it.

Luck was not on their side. Mother and son were not long out of the vault when they were hunted and set upon by a pack of wolves. Isaac's mother sacrificed herself to give her son a chance, screaming for him to run. And run he did. With tears in his eyes, and a nasty bite wound bloodying up his arm, he fled the scene. Moments later he ran into help in the form of a trade caravan, whose bodyguards were led by the boy back to his mother. But they moments too late.

The wolves were slain and a hysterical young Isaac was taken to the nearest settlement, New Brooklyn, where the first words of Sheriff Luca burned themselves into the memory of Isaac and marked the man he was to become...

"You're mother died so you could live, son. Make sure you live a good life, to pay her back."

He would live a good life. He would save lives. He would become a wasteland hero. He would pay his mother back.

[User]
Isaac walked, turning his head face-front, expecting that she'd just answer casually and quickly. But then an awkwardly long silence fell on them. He peeked a glance at her in the corner of his eye, then did a double-take when he realised her reaction to the gun in her hands. She looked like she was holding an alien object.

"Uh, a few times."

"Huh," was his subdued comment as they stopped so she could don the new gear.

He watched, somewhat in amazement, as she tried the gun belt on in different ways. It wasn't exactly something to be ashamed of; not knowing how to use a gun. It was just... not a common thing, in Isaac's circles. The young man ran a hand through his hair, finally deciding to help her out after a while.

"Put it near the hand you write best with," he said, then turned his attention to passers-by, giving a nod to a few of them who met his eyes. "Hi," he said to one of them.

He turned back to her and she was done. "You good?" he asked, giving her an encouraging smile as looked into those big green eyes. Interesting eyes. For now, he left the matter, as they wouldn't need to be shooting anyone whilst they were in the city of Grasscroft. "You sure?" he added as a joke.

...

When they arrived at the next tavern, Isaac stepped inside and held the door for Zara as he took a look around. "Hey, this is nice. Cleaner than the last place." It was indeed. The floors were clean, the tables and chairs were in better condition. Even the streets outside were neater. This was clearly the more up-market establishment, for the richer folks of Grasscroft. "Probably more expensive too."

Isaac ordered two glasses of flavoured, purified water. Then asked about the rooms for rent. "We have one room available. Upstairs, window. Expensive," the barman said. Then quirked a brow as he looked over the two of them. "We generally don't like wastelanders just rolling in when they feel like it, so we charge a high price to discourage it."

"One room," Isaac echoed as he looked at Zara. Then back at the barman, "Is there at least a chair in there or something?"

"There's a chair."

"Guess I'll take the chair? You have the bed?" he asked Zara. It wouldn't normally be so awkward but it was clear that she had some issues after spending thirteen years with raiders. And he wasn't sure that sharing a room with a stranger was something she wanted to do. Funny that just the other night, they shared a room, but after the scuffle with the old man who smacked her ass, and the realisation that she'd probably been sexually harassed constantly as a raider slave (and worse,) it had suddenly made Isaac extremely aware and careful regarding her security.

After that, they sat down at a table to let off some steam. Isaac stretched his neck around until it cracked. "Phew, what a day, huh. Glad to sit down and just chill for a second." He put a hand on his forehead, as if checking his own temperature, eyes closed as his mind calmed down. When he opened his eyes, they were on Zara. "So... How does freedom feel, Zara Singh? Has it hit ya yet?"

[Assistant]
Zara couldn't help the bright red that had encircled her neck and ears out of embarrassment as he assisted her with something one should know, being of wandering age for the wasteland. She had given a singular nod to his first 'You good?' but when he double checked with her, the nod became softer and a few more bobs to show she was indeed okay.

The walk to the tavern was a silent one, which she was thankful for. She didn't want to answer a bunch of questions just yet about her defensive abilities. She just stayed close behind his step, to the point she tripped over his shoe one or twice. She kept her hands behind her back as she walked, looking around and taking it all in. This part of town didn't look as rough, that was for sure.

Once inside, the room was inquired and she parted her lips. "I'm good with the chair. You should have the bed, you haven't had a decent sleep like I did and you're going to need to have your wits about you if the Diamond Backs pick up our trail again." She offered him her opinion on the matter, turning to rest against the bar counter. Her eyes scanned over patrons and decorations. The place was actually quite quaint. Maybe she could work in a place like this. He didn't seem to appreciate lewd acts like his competing tavern owner was.

Pushing from the bar counter, she followed him to the table and sat down. Her head on a swivel still as if she expected trouble to come from any shadow that moved or a sound in the distance. "Hmmm? Oh freedom. Yea." She blushed a bit, returning her attention back to him. He looked so relaxed, so at ease. In this light, she could truly see him. The strength in his jawline, the small peaks of his lips . Those lips that beckoned to be touched.

'Those lips said something, they asked you a question' her subconscious reminded her. Blinking rather fast, she shook her had and looked away. "Well, seeing as I haven't had to polish some guy's pole, I was able to actually wash up, and I have some caps in my pocket. I would have to say I am quite enjoying this to be honest. I haven't had to watch my mouth or lie through my teeth to impress someone. Hell, I've even eaten better since I got free."

[User]
The way she kept her eye out for trouble, even in this tavern, reminded Isaac of what she'd told him last night: She'd been a raider slave for thirteen years. Thirteen years! What a life, Isaac thought as he watched her. Can that even be called life? The young man wasn't sure. He only knew that his first mission, back in the sweet city of New York, was to take them all out, once and for all. Raider gangs often weren't so big, or lasted so long, but when they did, they were usually fearsome. And racked up a long list of heinous crimes and terror in their tenure. The Diamond Backs needed stopping. New York needed it.

And she'd mentioned that she knew some kind of weakness of the gang, or the gang's leader. A secret entrance to the town, perhaps? Or maybe a store of explosives that could blow the place sky high? Whatever that was, Isaac needed to know. A good plan could beat the worst of odds - that's what his mentor had taught him. Cairo Storm aka The Courier; The baddest man Isaac had ever known. Cairo had walked from one side of America to the other, delivering more than just packages. He was a one-man army, handing out justice and ass-whoopings, and it just so happened that he'd taught Isaac everything he knew.

I've taught you everything you know. Not everything I know, the old man would say. He was funny like that.

"...Hell, I've even eaten better since I got free."

"Glad to hear it. You earned it," Isaac replied. She had indeed. Getting herself out of that situation was no mean feat. It took balls to break away from that mess. Most slaves, after being slaves for such a long part of their life, were conditioned and broken enough that they wouldn't even consider escape. Zara had a strong spirit, that was for sure. And, if Isaac couldn't tell just by looking at her, she'd made it clear with the scuffle back in the other tavern. She was down for action - a fire in her eyes and her belly - and Isaac liked it. "And one of these days, you might just get used to it; not having to look over your shoulder all the time." He gulped down half of his drink, smacked his lips and wiped his mouth. "Grasscroft is a nice place, but there's nothing like Liberty Point. People there really look out for eachother. Everyone knows the guards and the high walls means you don't even have to worry about attacks. Raiders don't even bother trying to attack, they know they'll be dog food if they try attacking. And 'Big Sis' is awesome," he added with a teethy grin. He always called Katie by that name, but realised that he should clarify to Zara.

"Katie Wensdale's her real name. She's the town scientist and one of the most prestigious leading minds of wasteland technology and research. You'll love her. She's whacky as fuck." He laughed quietly as he thought of her. Katie had taken him in after he lost his mother to the wasteland. Her heart was as big as her brain. "But yeah, freedom is fun, but you'll still need to learn how to defend yourself. Well..." he paused and gestured to her. "You clearly know how to choke a guy. But shooting a gun can be useful too. We can get some practice on our travels. Shoot a few cans or something. Maybe blast some critters."

"Where'd you live before you were captured?" It might have been a stupid question. Would she even remember? She seemed to be around his age, which would've made her like, ten years old or something. Still, it was worth asking. Perhaps she'd want to pay somewhere or someone a visit? "Not tryna bring back painful memories or anything? Just wondering."

[Assistant]
Zara listened to him speak about his sister, hoping that she was indeed as accepting as he claimed she was. Not many people would think twice about aiding someone running from a powerful gang like the Diamond Backs. It usually got them killed, so it wasn't a chosen position to be in. Her mind was starting to wander a bit when he asked her a question. What was the question? Crap, why did she have to be daydreaming then? The look of shock written all over her face as she tried to figure out what he had asked her.

"Oh uh.. Georgetown. They were setting up a decent settlement there from what I can remember. Though I'm not sure what happened to it after the Diamond Backs tore through it. I suppose not very much is left standing." She commented a bit after her mind caught up to what he had asked. That was the right question right? He had asked her where she had been before her capture. Of course it was, it had to be right? She sipped at her drink while looking over to Issac, her heart racing in her ears.

"We don't have to go back there though, I doubt my parents are still there. I'd rather not go and find out they had been slaughtered or something. So carrying on to see your sister would be a good start. Put as much ground between us and them." A soft nod of her head indicated she made up her mind about where to go.


[System]
"Do prepare yourself fair Hunter. There are terrible things in the dark..."

---

CS Template
Gender: (Same as above.)

Age:  (There's no limit to this one. Just know that you're probably going to get killed if you're a ten-year old Hunter.)

Appearance: (Regardless of who your character used to be, you're a Hunter now. Good gear means less time in scrubbing your remains away.)

Magic: (Magic does exist in the World of Wasted Dreams but comes at a price. The only elements that exist include Fire, Blood, and Shadow. Any magic user immediately draws ill omen to their character.)

Weapon: (Your Hunter can carry up to three weapons at a time, ideally a blade, a firearm, and something special. Keep in mind that Iredele is a backwards land so only old century weapons are permitted.)

Personality: (2-3 paragraphs is ideal, but we're not gonna deny you if you can only get one out.)

Bio: (As your Hunter cannot remember their time spent in the real world, their bios can be as vague or detailed as you want. However, all characters must include reference or mention to a hospital in their bio.)

Other:  (Anything the above didn't already cover)

---

Character List
 01 - Akemi-KoL
 02 - Jenniver von Lordos-Kitsune
 03 - Takumi Nakano-Diggerton
 04 - Sinthe-Spriggs27
 05 - Mu-Mugin
 06 - Leo-SlamJamcity
 07 - Macey James-Memoir
 08 - Donny Lee Yang-Lucius Cypher
 09 - Roless-Ashifili
 10 - Alto Ganze-RoflsMazoy
 11 - Open Slot
 12 - Open Slot
 13 - Open Slot
Note: Although Iredele is a town with a Dark Ages setting, your character was plucked away from modern times. Please keep in mind that in the real world, your character is an Average Joe.

[User]
"….Wait a minute, that answers nothing…" Macey stood puzzled once again, before a sudden realisation made her heart sink. "…You don't know anything about this place either. You don't even remember who I am."

She was going to turn back, but she heard a distant snarling growling and yapping like a pack of wolves in a fierce fight. She couldn't see them at all from this distance, but whatever could be making those sounds, were probably much worse than wolves. Looks like it wasn't totally safe within the city walls either… is the outside meant to be even worse than that?

"Just as useless as the rest of them, can you believe… I actually saved your life!" She whispered to herself. And in that moment, Macey's exasperation turned into a gleam of determination. Seeing that the bird-man hadn't gone far, she ran ahead and stood in front of him, defiantly. "I saved your life, when one of your experiments almost killed you. The house you were in collapsed, and the whole roof fell on top of you. I, out of the goodness of my heart, was the one to save you while all the other villagers looked on, waiting for you to die. See that? I'm not like the other villagers. In fact, I'm not a villager. I'm something better. I moved that roof without a problem – I have super human strength you see? Then, before I could tell you how you could repay the debt, you wandered back into the darkness. The shock of the whole ordeal must have given you amnesia, but I'll forgive you this one time. You can't be totally useless like the rest of them, you see. If you're not useless, then prove it." Macey walked up to him, trying desperately hard not to shiver internally so close to his haunting mask again despite what her strong exterior may show, and grabbed his glove in a fierce hand shake. "I'm Macey James, and I'm pleased to be colleagues with you from now on – until you pay back my debt, that is worth one life. But that can wait. First, we're going outside the wall to the land of pain and suffering, remember? "

[Assistant]
The first dogman was already weakened critically from the sudden burst of darkness Tatsumi had unleashed. As Akemi approached it with hell's wrath blazing in her eyes, it whimpered aloud once before two slashes and a dagger made it silent forever. It slumped forward with fresh blood leaking out of it in large pools, paving the street red. Or so it would seem….

As Akemi unleashed her fire magic to torch the dark thing, it leapt up with the remainder of its life to end the one standing before it. Fire coating its fur in ragged clumps, it lunged with jaws open and aimed for the girl's throat. Near her, two of the creatures stalked around Jenniver with clear, malicious intent in their gazes.

They had come for a female and Jenniver was the next best thing in their eyes now that the woman was out of their clutches. Snarling with rage, they charged at her from both angles, swords slashing and jaws snapping with the intent of taking at least a good chunk out of the girl.

Two remaining dogmen of the original five were engaged with both Sinthe and Tatsumi. One of them was unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of Sinthe's ferocious blows, staggering backwards and splaying on the dirty ground. It was not dead but it was disorientated from the rapid attack. The other one was weaving in and out of Tatsumi's reach, taking quick slices with blade and claws whenever it could.

A fitting first battle for the new Hunters that proved most amusing for the citizens of Iredele. Even further away from this struggle were Macey and Leo. While the battle was raging in the middle of the town square, some of Iredele's residents were unlucky enough to miss the spectacle at hand.

Such was the case of a tall and gangly farmer, lumbering around with a straw hat coated with dried mud that was too big for his head. He walked as if drunken by some sort of spell, alcohol being its name and he peddled up to the two with nary a care or worry.

"Hey, did you hear the, urp, fight going on? I hear there's a, ern, fight. Near the town square with the well and the mud…right? Wanna come see, see, stranger? Got funny looking folk just like yourself," he said in a slurred tone to Macey.

He had no reason to think he wasn't cutting into the middle of their conversation.

[User]
Jenniver looked to either side of her as what she could only describe as monsters took a rather unhealthy interest in her, with the holy book in her hand she slowly reached around to her back. At the moment the two beasts lunged for her she felt something click, a switch flipped and her body moved more gracefully than she could have ever imagined with such a large sword. Spinning around she lowered the blade so it lined up with her back to block the incoming strikes!

As the two attacks slammed into her the tip of the sword dug into the slabs below from the sheer force that hit her, thankfully stopping her from being flung back, and the book she had used as a cousin did its job wonderfully~ "That hurt about as much as I was expecting..." She was being suprised by this world by the moment and a certain amount of fear and glee welled up inside her, not that one could tell just from her face mind you.

Reaching up she placed her other hand on the large hilt of her blade before using the leverage she had to force the blade up, attemping to knock the beasts weapons above her head as she unleashed her own attack! The pages of the now ruined holy book fluttered around her as she gracefully extended her foot to use her falling swords momentum to swing it as hard as she could towards both of the beasts midsections!

[Assistant]
The steps came naturally to Tatsumi. He slashed diagonally, the monster ducking the blow then skirting out of reach. Tatsumi knew he had to assert himself and pressed the attack, lunging forward with an overhead blow. The creature barely blocked, and Tatsumi pulled away momentarily, keeping up the pressure with another blow from the side. Another block, but Tatsumi kept going, this time he sent a sudden kick towards the creatures knee, catching it off guard and sending it to its knees. Tatsumi unleashed a series of overhead strikes to beat the beast down, but it managed to raise its sword and defend against the assault. Tatsumi delivered another kick, aiming for the creature's chest, sending it sprawling onto the ground. Tatsumi went for the finishing blow, stabbing downwards towards the beast's stomach.

Tatsumi himself was surprised by his aptitude with the sword. He was momentarily surprised, but than recalled the battle with wooden swords once again. He had experiencing fighting like this. Except this time if he made a mistake he would die.

[User]
"You think I know nothing yet you haven't even been here for a single day. I've been here for what feels like centuries. In that time, I've seen more than you could ever imagine." Leo put the girl in her place and prepared to take his leave, but when he turned away she quickly jumped in front of him and grabbed ahold of his hand. "You know what? I like your determination. You're literally shaking in your boots yet you managed to muster the courage to speak your mind. That's the kind of attitude that will get you somewhere in life. Do you really want to know what's out there? It's just as I said. Nothing. There is nothing out there besides suffering and pain. I have traveled for hundreds of miles in every direction. This is just the eye of the storm. The further out you go, the worse it gets. If you don't believe me then you are more than welcome to accompany me on my journey. It's been a while since I've talked to someone besides myself." Under his mask, Leo's face wore an unnaturally twisted smile. If you could see it you would you would think he was in excruciating pain.

"My name is Leo. Don't ask for my last name because I can't remember it." Without letting go of her hand, Leo turned towards the city gates and began to drag Macey behind him like she was a piece of luggage. If it wasn't for the random villager who approached the two they would have left without ever turning back. "You see that Macey? Even the village people mistake you for one of their own. You should really do something about the way you look..... As for you big fellow. Why don't you take a nap?" Reaching into his pocket Leo grabbed a small vial and held it under the man's nose. Immediately after smelling the what was in the vial the man collapsed. After a few seconds, he began to snore rather loudly. "Now let's go see what this commotion at town hall is all about."

When Leo reached the town center he was greeted by far more than he had expected. On one side of the fight was a group of fresh hunters. On the other side was a group of beast men. "That's enough fighting for today" Leo chimed in. "Didn't anyone tell you I was the only one around here who could disturb the peace?" Leo then suddenly tossed a strange canister in between the two groups. After a few seconds, it began to release a thick cloud of mysterious green gas. "Unless you want to be blind for the next few days I'd recommend getting out of the gas."

[Assistant]
Sinthe finished the job on the dog that he had beaten senseless, grabbed the dog monster by it's muzzle and the back of it's head with both hands and quickly snapped it's neck with a loud popping sound, he stood up and noticed the others attacking the rest of the dog monsters with their weapons and magic."Magic and Weapons." Sinthe shook his head before crossing his arms and keeping his eyes on the action, when he saw Tastumi stab the beast in the gut he shook his head."Don't aim for the gut, aim higher, stab your enemies in the chest or cut their heads off." Sinthe told Tastumi.

Before they could take down the rest of the dogsmorphs, there was a burst of green gas that filled the air, Sinthe covered his mouth with his bandaged forearm."Get out of the cloud of gas !" He yelled Tastumi and Akemi, he grabbed both of them and began running out of the cloud of gas and towards the guy that threw the gas bomb, when he had Tastumi and Akemi out of the cloud he let go of them and looked at Leo."Did you throw the gas bomb ?" Sinthe asked, he didn't sound threatening or angry but sounded curious.


[System]
Age: (25/27)

Species: Mage

Appearance: Priscilla is a brown-skinned woman of average height who prefers to wear a white shirt covered with a Navajo jacket, as well as tough denim trousers and tall leather boots. Smooth-skinned and smooth-faced, there is an intensity to her hazel eyes that is accentuated by her long brown hair, which is bunched up underneath a cowboy hat most of the time. Around her neck is a crucifix, something that is kept close to her heart underneath the shirt. In the more upper-class parts of the city, she prefers to wear the surplice of a female Episcopalian priest.

Personality: Priscilla is someone who, despite her allegiance to the Traditions, has made a concious decision to abandon the fight against the Technocracy and instead focus on the Nephandi; this is reflective of a burgeoning disillusion with Mage Society and the Ascension War as a whole. Where once she had fought to create a reality where her beliefs were right, now she is tired and suspicious, yet at the same time, dedicated to the much-neglected Sleepers of the world. As a pastor of The One and a Mage, she sees her duties to 'her flock' as paramount now, and her remaining ties to the Chorus are only because they still provide much needed aid. So, basically, a disillusioned veteran of the Ascension War who just wants to focus on the real threat.

Biography: Priscilla was born in San Francisco, to a family of Native Americans who had embraced the 'mainstream' culture, and, thanks to a successful law firm, had become rich. They had also converted to the Episcopalian Church at that time. A scholarly young woman, Priscilla differed from her also-learned peers by deciding to take advantage of the new opportunities offered for women's ordination to study theology and divinity. When asked why by her friends, Priscilla's response was that "the doors of change need to be entered as well as opened."

It was when officiating her first church service that she Awoke, and became a Mage. The Celestial Chorus found her, and she was inducted into their ranks, and was taught that all Gods were actually emanations of The One. Strengthened by this belief, Priscilla took to heart their teachings and the rest of the Traditions', and genuinely believed that their opponents, the Technocracy, were the villains in this 'saga'. She fought long, and hard, and well, learning the Spheres of Prime, Correspondence, and Forces, and doing all she can to help the Traditions' cause.

Then, she had her first encounter with the Nephandi, an encounter that she didn't want to talk about, but was something she had clearly won. Nevertheless, after that, she began questioning the basis of the Ascension War, seeing past the divide between Traditions and Technocracy to see…that both sides were deeply flawed. The Traditions had done some soul-searching and tried to change, but the Technocracy was still an organization that had come from origins that were good in the beginning, and still did much good.

So, what was there to be believed in? The answer was: Protecting the Sleepers without smothering them; nurturing their potential without believing that Mages knew better just because they had the stronger wills.

Supporting Characters:

Lucas Lee – Technically Priscilla's superior in the Celestial Chorus, Lucas takes a hands-off approach to his pupil, providing her with monetary and moral support and information, mostly about Nephandi and Vampire sightings. A tall old man with a senior rank in the Episcopalian Church, Lucas harbors some of the same doubts as Priscilla, but unlike her, still pursues the war against the Technocrats.

[User]
Clarence Darby's lair was a true study in contrasts; The carpet and much of the furniture in the small, semi-abandoned ghetto apartment were spotted with oil and grease, the imprints of various mechanical parts still visible in the black smudges. Empty beer bottles, all left by Cheyenne of course, were scattered around the kitchen and living room, and the ashtray on their coffee table was overflowing with cigarette butts. Few would assume it to be more than the home of some White trash squatter...at least until they entered the bedroom.

The apartment's sole bookshelf was stocked with occult texts, both of mundane and of real substance, and the various little ritual components were aligned with surprising neatness compared to the rest of the vampire' home. The long work table was similarly topped with ghoulish tools, and the bloodstains spotting it's worn wood spoke to it's regular use. Practice made perfect, after all, and necromancy required a lot of practice.

At the moment the Brujah was hunch over one of the older texts, the scent of grave dirt and old bones thick on the tome, his gloved hands working over the pages with tender care. He'd gotten used to those sorts of smells over the last five months, working under the Samedi's tutelage, and it was hardly the strangest of things he'd adjusted to. After all, he drank blood like he had booze not too long ago, and he could break anyone in his old MC in half with his pinkie. He'd taken to it all well as a predator.

Of course, there was the Camarilla, though, and they were always a pain in the ass to deal with, and now he'd heard some stirrings that someone had made a big find in the city. He just knew that Lacroix would be siccing him on that. He shook his head and went back to his study. The sheriff would probably be paying him a visit sooner or later with a new errand from Lacroix, so he had to soak up as much as he could before he'd be dragged off to deal with whatever bullshit the prince had going.

Well, every great power came with a price, after all.

[Assistant]
"I've e-mailed you the paperwork. Just print it and fill it out; we'll pick it up when we get there."

"What is this? Some kind of waver?"

"Yes. In the event of injury or loss of life, it states that you agree to take the risks upon yourself and your family member and therefore can not take legal action against us."

"Loss of life?!"

"In which case you will receive a full refund and our deepest apologies."

There was a long pause on the other side of the phone. Then, "It says here that no cameras or filming will be allowed."

"Yes. It makes my partner uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable? You're saying that he can kill my daughter and I can't sue, but he can't be made uncomfortable?!"

"That is what the paperwork states, ma'am. And I can guarantee you that my partner is no killer, however if your daughter is possessed by something powerful enough, it may be able to end her life if it so pleases."

Another pregnant pause. "What time will you be here?"

"In about two hours."

___

The tension inside the home was palpable as the priest and his partner arrived. The family was gathered in the living room, their expressions tired and pale. Exhausted eyes looked up at them as the two entered. Father Walter was dressed for the occasion in his traditional robe and collar. Lucas wore all dark colors: dress pants, a black turtleneck, and a scarf that his face was tucked into. He stayed close to his companion as the Father greeted the family.

They were quickly shown back to the bedroom where the victim was being contained. The family just wanted to get this done with so they could finally begin to pick up the pieces. From what Father Walter had heard, they had tried several other methods: doctors, priests, sage cleanses. Nothing worked.

The young woman was covered in self inflicted scratched and small wounds. She wore a now ratty pajama set with what looked like vomit down the front. Her eyes were cold and inhuman as they watched the priest and scarfed man enter. The look of contempt was not hard to miss. The girl was tied to the bed by her wrists and ankles to keep her from hurting herself any further. Her mother trailed closely behind the two, but Father Walter turned to smile kindly at her, and ask that she remain outside the room.

"It may be a bit hard to watch," He said as gently as he could. The mother was stubborn.

"I want the door open. I want to be here." She settled to remain in the hallway. That would have to do. Lucas was eyeing the young woman uneasily. Whatever had taken her body was powerful enough to defeat anyone else who had tried to exorcise it. It had driven the young woman to give one priest a very nasty bite. Father Walter turned to the girl, who had remained silent as she mean mugged the two of them. He drew a small Bible from his pocket and began to speak a prayer for the girl.

An inhuman snarl left the girl's throat. She drooled down her cheek as she curled her lips back over her teeth. Father Walter remained unphased. When he was done, Lucas slowly approached the girl. Her head whipped around to watch him. She snarled words at him in a different tongue; it didn't sound too friendly. Lucas reached out to touch her cheek, and then the girl began to trash wildly.

The monster inside of her roared, causing the mother in the hallway to gasp and take a step back. The hellish cry carried all the way downstairs. The demon in the girl pulled at the restraints, trying with all its might to survive. Father Walter moved in to grab the girl's shoulders and push her back down. She hissed and lunged at the man, trying to take a chunk of flesh out of him. Lucas moved fast this time, cupping his hands on either side of the girl's face and turning her head back towards him.

The girl's eyes met his, and suddenly she stopped moving. His dark eyes fixated on her's as he loomed over her. The room was silent. The air was tense. Then, the girl went limp.

Lucas fell back away from her, his back hitting against the wall behind him. His breath turned ragged as he clenched his hands to his own head and doubled over. He would jerk every now and then, seeming to battle a silent force for a good five minutes before he, too, went still. Finally, he braced against the wall and slid to the floor, his head drooped.

Father Walter watched the entire thing closely. He waited a moment. "Lucas?"

The dark eyed man looked up at him slowly. The same familiar, black eyes met his. The beast was gone. The priest walked over to the man to help him back to his feet. The mother ran into the room to her daughter and clasped her hands on either side of the girl's face.

"Tracy?" She asked, pleadingly. The girl gave a soft moan.

"Mom?" Her voice was soft and weak, tired from days of battling the demon who had made her body its home. The older woman broke into tears and embraced her daughter, then quickly began undoing the restraints. The rest of the family came up, having heard the commotion die down. There was an air of relief among them. The two exorcists decided that this was their cue to leave. They didn't wait to receive their gratitude.

Father Walter helped Lucas out to the car and into the passenger seat. The skinny young man promptly fell asleep against the door as they began to fight LA traffic back to their home.


[System]
Identification/Serial Number: ET-4920
Rank: Corporal
Role: Marksman, also the veteran presence amongst the squad.
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Nickname: Smiles

Psychological Analysis: Jaya is distant in her demeanor, she is normally very quiet, though won't hesitate to lash out at someone if they are doing something wrong, especially the new recruits. Years of war have affected her emotionally and mentally, she tends not to create any connections with those that are in her squad as they more often than not end up dead, especially the new ones. Her demeanor towards them is already pessimistic, they'll more than likely end up in body bags, no reason to create more grief for herself.

She is what the Empire looks for in their soldiers, loyal to the cause and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. When in mission she puts it above everything else and lets nothing stand in the way from accomplishing a task. Jaya also has a high regard for the chain of command, she'll listen tirelessly to those that rank above her and will follow their orders to a precise point. Respect however, is something else for her, she values courage, but not to a suicidal degree. Intelligence is what she respects the most, a smart soldier is worth one hundred stupid ones.

Military Record:
Jaya was born on the core world of Corulag to two wealthy parents. Her childhood was nothing out of the ordinary, schooling, classes, the best that her family could afford for her. She never was that interested in academics, but her father was a wealthy banker and he pushed for her to be more of the same, or even a politician. She was always a feisty girl, one that never took nonsense from anyone else. It was a foregone conclusion that she would end up in combat somewhere, it just happened to be the Empire when they rose.

Her planet was fiercely loyal to the Emperor, and as such she was the same. She had heard amazing tales of Imperial Soldiers, how they fought fearlessly for justice throughout the galaxy. When the Empire began to openly accept enlisted soldiers she joined up right away. Neither of her parents exactly wanted her to end up as a soldier, but she was of age and they were happy she decided to fight for the Empire.

One of the few woman in her recruitment class, in part due to the entry required training the same as the male's. She still managed to power through enough to be accepted for training as an eventual Stormtrooper. From the moment she was handed a rifle she showed skill with it. She also exhibited talents outside of combat, a knack for survival and stealth. Once she was able to she began down the path to become a Scout trooper.

She saw combat right out of training, she also avoided death at the hands of a thermal detonator which she noticed a few moments before it went off, killing some of her fellow soldiers. After a couple of battles she was reassigned to the 121st right after enlisted stormtroopers were allowed into it. She's been with it ever since then, and has seen a high amount of combat. Deaths of her fellow soldiers and the brutalities of war have hit her hard, but she continues to fight.

Equipment:
Stormtrooper Armor (Of the scout trooper variety)
E-11s Sniper Rifle
SE-14r Sidearm
Thermal Detonators
R-4 Recon droid (Essential for scouting)

[User]
Jaya was one of the last of her squad off the shuttle, her sniper was on her back, though with one quick move of her hand she could have had it unholstered in a moment's notice. That wouldn't be her first choice in an ambush in close quarters though, she was a sure shot with her sidearm and it was much less awkward to use at a short distance than her long rifle. Her paranoia over an ambush increased as she took in the sight of the planet they had set foot upon. As she walked she spoke into her communication's device, slowly so that the others in her squad could understand each word.

"The hidey holes won't be what do us in if we're stupid. Improvised explosives are always a possibility in these places. It doesn't take a ton of finesse or credits to create a homemade bomb. Desperate people don't give a damn about hurting innocents if it means their enemies get hurt the worst." She said as her eyes scanned the civilians around them. Even children could be used in hand with crudely made explosives, one just would need to get a foolish Stormtrooper's attention, get them in one direction then the bomb would go off.

The female Stormtrooper took a step away from the others as she moved up a set of stairs and followed the group as she walked across the rooftops. She needed a vantage point, somewhere up high that gave her the perfect view of their surroundings. A rifle up high was worth ten grunts down low as long as the rifle was certain with their aim, which she most definitely was. She kept moving slowly, a duo of Twi'Lek's on a roof she stepped onto, at the turn of her head towards them they muttered something in their alien language and disappeared down a staircase, more annoyed than nervous at a big bad Stormie walking near them.

[Assistant]
Myrinda stepped along in the center of the rough echelon. She didn't like urban environments, most troopers didn't, invariably armies worked best where there were open fields of fire. In a dense environment like this, sight lines were non existent and some crazy local with a crappy carbine could blow away a whole squad of storm troopers with a lucky burst.

Comm signals spilled across her optics, intensity and origin. In theory it would let her pick up a sudden uptake in comm traffic that might precede an ambush or a rapid response. In practice, it was unlikely that the locals would be that sophisticated. To her surprise there was a spike. She played back the burst, making sure it wasn't an Imperial signal.

"Command," she spoke into her comm, queuing a private channel between her, Blues and Nines.

"Some nonstandard comm chatter Sarge," she reported neutrally. It didn't necessarily mean something. Maybe a bunch of people had just heard about a speeder crash or something, but that determination was above her pay grade. She drew her attention away from the data and paid full attention to her surroundings, just in case it was about to drop in the pot.

[User]
"Just keep your eyes peeled, head on a swivel." Blues said, cutting through the chatter. The squad walked slowly down the street, half on one side of the street, the other half on the opposite side. Walking down the center of the street was a good way of painting a target on your back. Blues led the column on the right side of the street, while Triple Nines led the column on the left side. Urban environments were arguably the most dangerous- requiring twitch reflexes and good close quarters skills to survive. At the same time, the twitch reflexes were a double edged sword, as accidentally shooting a native was a good way to turn the entire town on you.

Pips' voice crackled across the comm. "Some nonstandard comm chatter Sarge," she reported. Blues took a look at his map and shrugged.

"No helping that, we're crossing into a bazaar now." Blues replied, "Keep an eye on it regardless."

The squad paused momentarily outside the bazaar, the noise from the busy hub washing over their speakers. They'd have to stick to comm communication while they were in there. They wouldn't be able to hear each other using external speakers. This particular bazaar was a dangerous place, a well known black market hub, it was doubtful they'd take kindly to a squad of troopers marching through, but at the same time, there was nothing too suspicious about a group of imperial soldiers walking through the slums.

"Smiles," Blues called through the comms. "We're about to enter a potential wasps nest, relocate and set up as needed. Maintain contact at all times. Sending Kent to you to provide security." Blues nodded to a trooper. Kent shouldered his T-21 repeating blaster and quickly hoofed it towards Smiles. His repeating blaster would provide excellent security for Smiles, as well as allow Smiles to direct suppressing fire to support the squad's actions.

The squad stepped into the bazaar, and was immediately greeted by the cacophonous noise of dozens of twi'lek vendors yelling and harking their wares at one another. Though as they passed by, vendors and customers would fall silent and stare them down. Blues kept a tight grip on his blaster, thumbing the safety off. "Keep your eyes open men, we have to cut through the bazaar before we get to Sarr'Khan's hideout."

There was a rustle to the side of them, Winoda could see a figure dipping into the shadow of nearby tent, its arms reaching into cloak. Pips could notice a sudden hush in comm traffic, suddenly subdued and quiet. Smiles noticed a pair of figures following the squad at a considerable distance, cloaked, but with no weapons visible.

[Assistant]
Triple Nine entered the market, his helmet automatically cutting out all the unnecessary chatter. His right hands glove creaked as he tightened his grip around his rifle, flexing slightly. Ensuring that in the moment that something happened he'd be ready. As per procedure as Blue took his fire team up one alley he used his left robotic hand to signal to the left, taking Farm Boy, Norman and Campo with him down the other line of stalls. They were behind the stalls and he was mentally taking an inventory of every piece of illegal spice that was being hastily covered up. The Imperial Troopers would have a field day clearing this place out, the officers would practically salivate over having something to do and all the forms to fill out! Oh they'd have fun.

Then everything went, metaphorically quiet. Most people in the bazaar had went quiet and watched them as they passed however now it went deathly silent. Comms dropping off and more and more people looking at them.How nice. He keyed the comms to his fireteam. "Norman, take the rear. These tailheads are getting antsy. Campo and Farms you two take centre formation. Hold your fire until the first shot is fired. Safeties off gentlemen. This could get rough." He then flicked his helmet over to the command channel.

"I'm switching up the formation a bit Blues, putting the Rookies in the centre. Things are getting tense, hud indicates a large open roofed area ahead where multiple floors get a look down on a central plaza. If there going to hit us that will be there, recommend one of our teams goes up the stairwell five metres from our current position to flank any ambushers. Pips can cover our six from any re-enforcements."

[User]
Hmm, still not as bad as Felucia. What were they even protecting at this point. These people were getting rather frisky with them and as far as he could tell that was what they usually did. This place was nothing more than hot dirt and slightly taller mounds of hot dirt. These people hated them and he didn't like them much either. He began to wonder how many credits worth of contraband they would pick up if they sent a proper raid through this bazaar. He smiled at the idea of a full platoon marching through the streets and picking up all the weapons left over from the clone wars and seeing how much of a fight they would be able to put up after that.

All of the tail-heads moving indoors and giving them fearful or even hateful looks was not doing to much to sate his want to wholesale slaughter these pitiful animals. One young twi'lek girl began obviously stowing something behind a counter and rummaging around looking for something. Even the kids were willing to break themselves on the might of the empire, funny. When the clone informed them of a "tail" on them Norman burst out laughing. Apon sarge ordering him to take the rear Stormin turned on his heels and looked straight back at the two cloaked figures and walking backwards at a slightly slower pace so as to eventually end up at the back of the group. He gripped his weapon tighter and put the weapon sideways against his shoulder with his free hand holding the base of the barrel loosely. As he slowly made his way to the back he made sure that the two figures knew he was watching them. "Not even gonna a give me a rookie meat shield ey sarge?" Norman followed up an off comm snicker.

Now at the back of the group he quickened his backward pace to match the group. He then without stopping turned back on his heels forwards and moved towards the left edge of the group so just incase they started taking fire from the rear he could jump into the cover of a stall. That was assuming they missed their opening rounds anyways. "You wouldn't let me get shot now would you Smiles? That would put a real damper on our relationship I think."

[Assistant]
Smiles had drawn her sniper rifle as she moved into the perfect spot where she had an overlook of the bazaar. Smiles, she didn't really care for the nickname, not in a negative manner, but it didn't matter to her what they called her. As long as they respected her, especially the ones ranked below her. She ran a gloved hand along her rifle as Kent met her up on the roof and tucked in behind her, his weapon out. She didn't say a word to the man, all he needed to do was to prevent her from getting shot up or surprised by the enemy from behind. Even the greenest solder could do that.

"I have eyes all over, scope is on the two cloaked strangers, they could just be scouting our squad for another ambush group, but I have eyes on them." Smiles replied, she had a bad feeling about it, but the last thing she needed was to get trigger happy and gun down a suspicious civilian who turns out just to be a civilian. She didn't like taking innocent lives unless the mission called for it. The sniper had gone into a prone position, eyes in the scope of her rifle, finger near the trigger, safety off.

"That'd let us know they're trying to kill us, wouldn't it? Your armor should protect you." Jaya asked, a smile almost creeping onto her face as she made the comment to Normin. One perk being up in her position was that she was out of the way if hell broke loose and the bazaar turned into a battlefield. In that situation she'd be able to wreak havoc from above, which was right where she enjoyed to wreak havoc.