And Say What The Dust Reveals
And Say What The Dust Reveals
Arc: None
Summary: Shot down on an abandoned asteroid base, Victoria and Nucefora await rescue
Date: 2658.248
Related Logs: In The Cleanly Game of War
Participants: Victoria Nucefora Cole

A response to the beacon, such as it might be, comes a few hours later… first visible in the telltale flashes among the stars visible through the faint haze of the atmospheric containment field. Whatever's going on out there, it seems there's shooting involved. "Well, guess that answers the question about a nice, uneventful ride home" Nucefora comments dryly from where he's still working up on top of the damaged shuttle, trying to get the turret back online.

Tori just eyes the lights and sighs. "Come on, when have we ever been that lucky?" she asks, still a little disgusted with it all. One day, maybe. "Do you want me to try the power yet?" she asks, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. After all, there's not much else she can do, unless maybe there's programming involved…

"Might as well give it a shot" Nucefora comments with a little shake of his head. "Guess it's going to be now or never on getting this damn thing working" Nucefora adds, his gaze still directed more out towards the stars than at the spacecraft he's on or the woman he's talking to.

Tori steps into the shuttle, finding her usual seat and murmurs a soft prayer. "Here goes," she says loudly enough for hopefully Nucefora to hear her. She then powers up what's left of the craft, after they went and monkeyed the wiring to the weapons turrets and systems only. So if she also crosses her fingers, perhaps she can be excused. "Please work," she murmurs. "Please."

Amazingly enough, after a brief flicker of the shuttle's power, and a few exploding sparks from inside the walls, the soft whine of the turret charging can be heard. "Not sure how many shots we're gonna get out of this thing, but we've got something!" Nucefora calls to Tori perhaps a little excitedly.

Tori is trying to resign herself to yet another failure, so Nucefora's excited words about it working have her pump her fist in the air gleefully. "It works? Really? Sweet!" She moves from the pilot's seat, since the shuttle is not going anywhere. "S now I get to take a nap while you shoot at the bad guys?" she teases.

"Now we hope that we don't have to use it" Nucefora replies with a little shake of his head. Outside the shuttle, the firing has died down… one side or the other having apparently come up with an advantage in the conflict. They'll find out soon enough which way it went.

Tori wrinkles her nose, moving to where she too can watch. Though with things seeming to die down a bit out there, it's not a lot to see. Then she ducks back in the shuttle. "Should we see if we can get any sensors at all? Or just leave well enough alone, since I couldn't get them going earlier?"

"Probably leave well enough alone" Nucefora replies. "The sparks just from getting the laser warmed back up didn't look all that friendly, and we've already overloaded all the systems once. Likely as not we'd just catch ourselves on fire if we tried for more"

Fwooshboom, that would not be nice. "Alrighty. I'll try to cross my toes then, that it's the Majestic incoming, and not the kitties." Sigh. "We never did find anything useful here, did we? I mean, the original purpose for the mission - are you going to come back?" She's thinking that the majestic will win, of course, because the alternative just is not worth considering.

"I don't think we're going to find much here, to be honest" Nucefora replies. "As trashed as the controls were? We're not going to get any sensor logs. The Kilrathi apparently weren't here for long, and I'm guessing paid their visit better than a year ago while they were overrunning this space" he explains. "Wasted trip, really" There's a moment's pause, and he feels compelled to add. "Sorry"

Wasted? Hrmph. Okay, intel wise, that's true. Tori gets that professionally, for sure, though she'd kind of hope that personally is a different story. She stays quiet for a moment after that comment, considering how best to respond. "I expect that happens," she says, opting for neutral when she does speak. "I won't hold it against you if we make it back to the Majestic alive. Though - I might not volunteer for your next crazy mission either." the last is said with a smile, meant to be a joke.

Of course, he was only thinking in the professional sense. Someone's going to have some explaining to do later! "Well, I do thank you for that" Nucefora replies with a little chuckle, before he dares to venture. "And are you sure I couldn't talk you into it?" Nucefora replies, trying a little humor to break the tension. "I'll bring the wine, you bring the rubber raft"

Of course, it does occur to Tori that this particular mess is all Voodoo's fault, since he missed a rock. Bloody bomber pilot. Hrmph. She is about to say as much when Nucefora makes his joke, and that actually distracts her somewhat. "Oh, hey, I'm telling you - beach. Though admittedly the rubber raft did have its moments, I think one of those chain resorts could be quite relaxing."

"I suppose I can see the advantages. Sheets. Shower. Breakfast." Nucefora replies with a little grin, starting to say more before he's cut off by the roar of engines. Thankfully, what makes its way along inside isn't the reddish-brown durasteel of a Kilrathi craft. Instead, it's a silver-grey bare durasteel broadsword with a Kilrathi voodoo doll painted on the front. Figures.

Tori grins as Nucefora starts along the advantages, waiting for him to finish before she adds to the list, but the roar of engines obviously cuts them both off. She watches intently, curious as all get out as to who is coming through, hoping they can identify the incoming ship before it shoots them. Or something. Then as the bomber lands and she sees that voodoo doll, her brow furrows. "Oh, he's gonna die," Tori says, as she sees the broadsword that arrives. "I can fly the darn thing." She gets to her feet, now totally sidetracked.

Nucefora looks curiously towards Tori at that. "Who's going to die now?" he wonders as he makes his way quickly out of his seat, drawing his sidearm just in case. Can never be too careful about such things after all. Might as well see what's going on.

The bomber has barely settled on its landing skids when the hatch inside pops open, and a single flight suited figure carrying a laser rifle drops out from it.

Tori has her own sidearm of course. She jumps down and heads over to see if that really is who she thinks it is. And hey, their suit radios should work now? With the bomber to amplify? "Unless you're kilrathi, don't shoot," she says, as she steps out to where she is visible. Hey, Nucefora's the one with the turret aimed, right?

"Do I look like a bloody cat to you?" Comes a call back from the suited figure, complete with australian accent. "Get your asses aboard, we've got a mess outside" There's a jerk of his arm back towards the bomber as if to reinforce the point.

Nucefora apparently decided that the turret wasn't such a necessary precaution for a Broadsword, at least. Either it's friendly, or the laser would barely scratch its paint. Which probably explains why he makes his way out from the shuttle right along after Tori.

Tori restrains herself for now, though it's a very very close call. Just wait until she has a chance to slap that face. Grumble. Instead, she fastens her helmet, holsters her sidearm, and simply follows after Voodoo. "Thanks for the rescue, Voodoo," she says. "Lucky for you this ain't no beachside resort, or I might have to stay. How about some details?"

Nucefora follows along after the other two, looking between the two of them curiously. Wondering if he's missing some history there, perhaps. "Thank you, Major" he comments after a quick glance to the man's shoulders. Apparently, he's still learning the pilots.

Cole looks back towards Tori. "Let's just say I wasn't the only ship to come out here looking for you, and I prefer my chances in space than trying to hold off the Kilrathi marine corps with an SLR" He is nice enough to step aside and let the other two move to the hatch first.

Tori just shuts up now, as she gets aboard the broadsword. "Will it help if I take the tail gun?" she asks, for now letting the history and her grievance fall back so they can get back there safely. She can slap his smug face later. He'll still deserve it.

"Go for it" Cole replies with a little bit of a nod, as he moves himself along into the pilot's seat once more. "Think we could use every extra gun we can get at the moment" he adds without explaining, before the hatch clicks shut.

"Cheerful fellow" Nucefora comments idly to Tori, even as he moves to get clear of the hatch and mostly put himself somewhere out of the way.

Tori blinks and then she shrugs a bit. "History," is all she says. Nucefora can no doubt get her to talk later, if he asks. She heads for the gunner spot, settling in, strapping down, whatever is the case, and glad to have working systems thank you very muchly. A breath and then, "Okay, Voodoo, let's get out there and shock some kittens silly, shall we. I'm sure our teamwork can totally beat theirs?" Sounds good, anyway. At least she is trying.

"Sounds good on paper anyway" Cole replies with a little chuckle. The bomber sways and rocks as it lifts again, before turning around sharply and racing back towards the entrance to the landing bay. For some value of 'racing' anyway.

Well, it is a broadsword. Even the scimitars were faster. Still, Tori will appreciate the attempt to race. Since she has the opportunity while Cole flies, she checks the systems, makes sure the tail guns are in her control and alll, and otherwise prepares. "Buckle up, lt commander, we're going for a ride." she says.