Hier Kommt die Sonne [IC 01: Ich Will]

[The Carlisle]

Alberto turned around to see most of his team not following him. Hoshintoko and Ayako charged off to fight the giant dinosaur and Elletra standing still undecided on what to do. He rested his hand upon his face and sighed deeply. {And I thought I chose the ones who put more forethought before acting} he said in Tharanixian. He slid the hand slowly down his face, shaking his head back and forth a bit. When he took his hand off his face, a new look was on it. He had the same look in his eyes as he did for the scientist.

"Well! I guess a small distraction isn't so so bad once in a while!" he shouted, giving a hearty laugh. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey from his silver bag and puled the top off it. He took a big swig from the bottle, gulping down half its content. He gave a big sigh when he was done. He capped the bottle and shoved it back into the bag. He reached into his shirt and pulled out both of his revolvers. He looked down at Elletra. "You make a very good point. I wouldn't want my lab to be torn up by this thing. How will I study this planet without proper equipment," he said. He looked at the dinosaur and cracked his neck. "Now, I wonder what the insides of this creature look like," he said with a wide grimace on his face.

With a giant flap from his wings, he soared away towards the dinosaur. He brought his guns up and fired two rounds simultaneously at the dinosaur's torso.

[Malshan]

From what she heard from the doctor, she reminsced of history, from her favourite history files of the Glorious Revolution. She sighed, and mused about it.
"Yes, those were great times... I wish I could have fought." - Hoshintoko meanwhile went pale, and levitated unstably, slightly shivering.
"Believe me, you wouldn't want such a thing. War is hell."
The Enginseer had a comment in reply, but she decided it would be polite to keep that to herself.

After it, she heard the bushes rumble, then shaking from behind them. She first ignored that, however, she had heard metal being torn. Looking behind the perfectly straight corridor she carved, she could see the ship she's responsible for being torn to pieces by an oversized lizard. She exclaimed, in her cold, robotic voice, notably displaying the most emotion that any of the crew could ever hear from her: "Keep away from my ship you..." - she continued on screaming like a 20th century Earth fax modem, likely making Elettra blush, should she translate from Binary, and definitely making Hoshintoko notice.

"Ayako, watch your language!" - she scolded her, then began to follow, levitating higher, until she could spread her wings. The doctor could hear Hoshi-chan's switches working inside her, the engine noise of the wing motors, and the sound of coronal discharge all over her wings. Then she, without flapping her wings, moving them lighting fast with finesse to maneuver, she begin approaching the ship at a very high speed, aiming down her sight, and shooting at the monster attacking them. While Ayako was down at its feet, trying to make it fall by attempting to cut through his leg with a steel cutting laser.

The beast roared and swatted at Hoshintoko, its scaled armor smoking slightly from the effects of the laser pulse. It turned its attention from the gigantic metallic object which had invaded its territory and swung its tail at Ayako. The spike on its tip whistled as it flew through the air toward the flying being. The rounds that Ayako was firing at the beast glanced off its thick plate of scales, hardly affecting the lizard at all.

Nikhan recovered from his initial shock and vaulted over a pile of fallen metal, heading for the rear of the ship and more importantly, the cannons. Once he arrived, he growled in frustration. Only one of the four appeared to be intact and, as he hurried to prepare it, the dino stepped on the ship again, tearing a large swath of hull from its side.

[Nachfolgia]

A new sound ripped through the air, knocking Nikhan on his ass. It was extremely high pitched and sounded like someone scraping razor sharp claws across metal. The wolfman writhed in pain as the sound continued, the frequency acting as an inductor for pain. Nikhan growled and clawed his way to the window again, this time noticing a head attached to a long neck lift above the trees. Its mouth opened, revealing rows upon rows of teeth set into an armored face.

The creature screamed again, making Nikhan wince. It approached the ship, towering over it like a titan. It smacked the ship with a clawed hand, rocking the remains on its base. Nikhan turned and dove out of the hole in the bridge, making for the cargo bay where he had stored most of his heavy armaments. As he ran, he activated a comm line to Ilyesse.

"Captain!? We've got a visitor. A really large, pissed off visitor with big claws and what looks like armor plating."

And of course, Ilyesse heard his comm request. Unfortunately, so did the raptor in front of her. It hissed loudly, its three-inch teeth looking much more menacing while framing its throat.

I hate lizards.

It lunged. She dodged to the left, firing a grenade at its face. In a comedic blend of timing and aim, the gamma ray grenade got stuck in the raptor's throat as its timer continued to count down.

"Run towards the cliff."

She didn't wait for the others to take her advice.

"Nikhan, see if you can fire the ship's rear cannons at it. I and my group happen to be in a bind of our own at the moment."

Still under the effects of the berries she ate, Ilirra had no idea what was going on. To her crewmates, it was a fight to stay alive, to her it was a fun little game. Ilirra watched in awe as Ilyesse fired a gamma ray grenade at the raptor and commented on how pretty the glow was. Instead of running like the captain said, Ilirra got distracted by a butterfly flying overhead. She stood there for a couple of moments, staring at the butterfly with a stupid smile on her face until she got yanked by Daluu. Ilirra giggled and skipped as they made their way to the cliff.

[Starkindler]

Hoshintoko was going out and getting ready to turn for the next barrage, when her proximity sensors detected a spiked tail closing in to her. Unfortunately, she detected it late, not having enough time to completely swerve, she turned around to protect the gun power line. She got caught in the spikes, tearing her clothes apart, along with a deep, wide scar on her synthetic skin, and external plating, leaving her leak coolant for several seconds until all the affected coolant lines were identified and closed. She was also left around spinning and falling, inches from hitting the ground, when she discharged her capacitors through the wing flow engines - leaving large arcs as she got to the air again.

She used the long range property of her weapon to get farther from the dino, still circling around it. However, as her sensors were still resetting, she couldn't judge if her distance was far enough from it to be completely safe. She also couldn't determine the beast's reach anyway, having no reference about animals that big, and having no time to do a scan, and interpolate from sentient lifeforms if comparable. In stead, she made a guess that it relies on its eyes, then guessed about two round holes as its eyes, targeting them and shooting on them, with higher powered charges, keeping the weapon voltage high, aiming for a long continuous cut across the hard armor.

Meanwhile, Ayako was falling over, getting dizzy from the swat, however, owing to her heavily reinforced material and structure, she did not suffer any damage. Apart from a sensor overload, she was forced to reset her systems, keeping her out cold for a few minutes near the beast's feet.

[The Carlisle]

Alberto looked nonplussed when the bullets when the bullets deflected off of the beast. Then a wide smiled creeped over his face. "Massive frontal plate, possibly calcium with traces of iron," he said,"Necessary to attack from another angle."

When the beast stepped onto the ship for a second time, he stepped a tad too close to the lab. Alberto's face changed to a look of fury. {You fucking mutt! How dare you step on my baby!} he shouted in Tharanixian. He dive down and built up speed. He dodged the tail and flew through between the legs of the beast, going from the tail end to the front. While he did, he shot at its groin and underbelly, emptying his clip.

[Rupudska]

Still under the effects of the berries she ate, Ilirra had no idea what was going on. To her crewmates, it was a fight to stay alive, to her it was a fun little game. Ilirra watched in awe as Ilyesse fired a gamma ray grenade at the raptor and commented on how pretty the glow was. Instead of running like the captain said, Ilirra got distracted by a butterfly flying overhead. She stood there for a couple of moments, staring at the butterfly with a stupid smile on her face until she got yanked by Daluu. Ilirra giggled and skipped as they made their way to the cliff.

Ilyesse effortlessly grabbed Ilirra's other arm and hoisted her onto her back. At the speed Ilirra was moving on her own, she wasn't going to be fast enough to escape.

"Hold on tightly, do not let go unless I explicitly order you to do so." There was no way to know whether she would do it, but it wouldn't have hurt to give the command anyway. Hopefully Ilirra's training would at least somewhat shine through the hallucinogen of the berries.

She leaned forward further and further, until her torso was almost parallel to the ground and she was running on all fours. Lycanians usually did not run this way; while they could move much more swiftly on four limbs than they could on two, it was seen as quite primitive to do so, and burned twice the number of calories. Not that Ilyesse cared, she had been re-raised by cultists of numerous species who had rather different views on what was and what was not primitive.

"Daluu, how fast do you think you could ascend that cliff face?"

[Minroz]

Still under the effects of the berries she ate, Ilirra had no idea what was going on. To her crewmates, it was a fight to stay alive, to her it was a fun little game. Ilirra watched in awe as Ilyesse fired a gamma ray grenade at the raptor and commented on how pretty the glow was. Instead of running like the captain said, Ilirra got distracted by a butterfly flying overhead. She stood there for a couple of moments, staring at the butterfly with a stupid smile on her face until she got yanked by Daluu. Ilirra giggled and skipped as they made their way to the cliff.

Ilyesse effortlessly grabbed Ilirra's other arm and hoisted her onto her back. At the speed Ilirra was moving on her own, she wasn't going to be fast enough to escape.

"Hold on tightly, do not let go unless I explicitly order you to do so." There was no way to know whether she would do it, but it wouldn't have hurt to give the command anyway. Hopefully Ilirra's training would at least somewhat shine through the hallucinogen of the berries.

She leaned forward further and further, until her torso was almost parallel to the ground and she was running on all fours. Lycanians usually did not run this way; while they could move much more swiftly on four limbs than they could on two, it was seen as quite primitive to do so, and burned twice the number of calories. Not that Ilyesse cared, she had been re-raised by cultists of numerous species who had rather different views on what was and what was not primitive.

"Daluu, how fast do you think you could ascend that cliff face?"

“Umm~” Daluu mumbled as he blasted his shotgun at one dinosaur in the face, killing the beast down. He quickly grabbed the raptor in its head, crushing it and then threw the corpse at the other bunch of the raptors. Like the bowling ball. Taking a quick peek at the cliffs as the Norr continued firing his guns at the incoming dinos in his right hand.

“Well, long enough to survive in one piece, cap’n.” He answered. “Let me guess, we gonna jump down?” Daluu sounds like he’s joking.

[Rupudska]

"We are going to climb up, Daluu. We will scaled down the opposite side, if there is one."

I admit there is a chance there is a sheer cliff on the other side as well. In fact, the chance is fairly large if this planet is habited... and in any way developed.

Her nails extended into talons as she approached the cliff face, and with an audible grunt, she began to scale it.

[Minroz]

"We are going to climb up, Daluu. We will scaled down the opposite side, if there is one."

I admit there is a chance there is a sheer cliff on the other side as well. In fact, the chance is fairly large if this planet is habited... and in any way developed.

Her nails extended into talons as she approached the cliff face, and with an audible grunt, she began to scale it.

“Okie dokie~” Daluu replied, shooting down more dinos in his range. He gave a swift kick to the raptor near him and then dropping his fist to the another, smashing its brains. His plasma shotgun overheated, he cursed his luck before putting his gun away and pulled out his laser pistol. Tugging Illira along, away from the heat of the battle, Daluu skilfully blast his pistol on incoming reptiles who are heading for his position.

Bringing the Lycanian pilot closer to him and then turning back, he shot down more raptors down on his way. He then started climbing up the cliffs, following his employer behind.

“Well, this reminds me of boot camp.” Daluu muses on the 'scaling the cliffs part'.

[Rupudska]

It took a few minutes, but Ilyesse and Daluu eventually managed to scale the cliff, to find a thick band of forest on a slight incline at the top. It was quite clearly artificial, as the incline of the slope was far too smooth to be natural. Come to think of it, that cliff face was unusually vertical. And the shape was extremely circular. Perhaps it is the defensive wall of a ruined city.

The climb up the slope was an easy one, compared to that of the terrain behind them, it was very gentle on the feet. Curiously, it was even warmer at the top of the cliff than it was at the bottom. It could also be volcanic in nature, though it would not easily explain the cliff's shape. Without the slightest care for social etiquette, Ilyesse removed her top as well, balling it up with the rest of her clothing. Not like there was anything there: Her chest made a cutting board look mountainous.

[Minroz]

It took a few minutes, but Ilyesse and Daluu eventually managed to scale the cliff, to find a thick band of forest on a slight incline at the top. It was quite clearly artificial, as the incline of the slope was far too smooth to be natural. Come to think of it, that cliff face was unusually vertical. And the shape was extremely circular. Perhaps it is the defensive wall of a ruined city.

The climb up the slope was an easy one, compared to that of the terrain behind them, it was very gentle on the feet. Curiously, it was even warmer at the top of the cliff than it was at the bottom. It could also be volcanic in nature, though it would not easily explain the cliff's shape. Without the slightest care for social etiquette, Ilyesse removed her top as well, balling it up with the rest of her clothing. Not like there was anything there: Her chest made a cutting board look mountainous.

“Urgh!” Daluu grunted as he put Ilirra down on the ground. “We’re safe from the beasts down there. Feels like my first scout trip already.”

He put in the guns down and rest for a bit. The Norr then scanned his surroundings with suspicious eyes. “Well, can’t we pick a better safe spot? I had a feeling we should move on now.” He picked up his weapons.

“Oh y’know, people might mistaken you for the boy, Captain.” He observed her half-naked body with a cheeky smile.

[Rupudska]

“Urgh!” Daluu grunted as he put Ilirra down on the ground. “We’re safe from the beasts down there. Feels like my first scout trip already.”

He put in the guns down and rest for a bit. The Norr then scanned his surroundings with suspicious eyes. “Well, can’t we pick a better safe spot? I had a feeling we should move on now.” He picked up his weapons.

“Oh y’know, people might mistaken you for the boy, Captain.” He observed her half-naked body with a cheeky smile.

"Well, in certain cultures, that would actually be advantageous." Ilyesse continued walking through the forest, which began to thicken the further from the cliff she got. Not only that, but it continued to get warmer.

I certainly hope the cities of this world are not any hotter than it is now, even I have limits when it comes to high temperatures.

There was another scent besides the smell of the jungle in the air, though neither Ilyesse nor Daluu would recognize it. It was an ancient smell, caused by a smelting process rendered obsolete trillions of years before either of them were born.

[Nachfolgia]

It took a few minutes, but Ilyesse and Daluu eventually managed to scale the cliff, to find a thick band of forest on a slight incline at the top. It was quite clearly artificial, as the incline of the slope was far too smooth to be natural. Come to think of it, that cliff face was unusually vertical. And the shape was extremely circular. Perhaps it is the defensive wall of a ruined city.

The climb up the slope was an easy one, compared to that of the terrain behind them, it was very gentle on the feet. Curiously, it was even warmer at the top of the cliff than it was at the bottom. It could also be volcanic in nature, though it would not easily explain the cliff's shape. Without the slightest care for social etiquette, Ilyesse removed her top as well, balling it up with the rest of her clothing. Not like there was anything there: Her chest made a cutting board look mountainous.

“Urgh!” Daluu grunted as he put Ilirra down on the ground. “We’re safe from the beasts down there. Feels like my first scout trip already.”

He put in the guns down and rest for a bit. The Norr then scanned his surroundings with suspicious eyes. “Well, can’t we pick a better safe spot? I had a feeling we should move on now.” He picked up his weapons.

“Oh y’know, people might mistaken you for the boy, Captain.” He observed her half-naked body with a cheeky smile.

Ilirra laughed and cheered during the entire climb up the cliff face, treating Daluu like a carnival ride. She plopped to the ground as Daluu set her down, exhausted from carrying her. " Awww, the rides over?" Ilirra whined, her ears and tail drooping. She blushed and giggled as Ilyesse took off her shirt. Her smile then turned to shock when Daluu commented on Ilyesse being mistaken for a boy. " Don't worry Captain, I still think you're a girl! A really pretty girl!" Ilirra said as she hugged Ilyesse from behind.

[Malshan]

Alberto looked nonplussed when the bullets when the bullets deflected off of the beast. Then a wide smiled creeped over his face. "Massive frontal plate, possibly calcium with traces of iron," he said,"Necessary to attack from another angle."

When the beast stepped onto the ship for a second time, he stepped a tad too close to the lab. Alberto's face changed to a look of fury. {You fucking mutt! How dare you step on my baby!} he shouted in Tharanixian. He dive down and built up speed. He dodged the tail and flew through between the legs of the beast, going from the tail end to the front. While he did, he shot at its groin and underbelly, emptying his clip.

The beast howled as bits of metal pounded its fork in the legs. The metal projectiles actually managed to dent the armor of its body inward, forming a rather uncomfortable saddle of sorts that had the giant lizard walking bow-legged. The bullets also stuck to it, burning through the layers of scales before coming to a stop and cooling just a few inches from the squishy interior that the shell housed. The lizard narrowed its eyes and swiped at Alberto, its claws gleaming with a green substance that sizzled as it fell from the monster. The local flora withered and died as the liquid/gas combination landed too close.

Nikhan looked up from his work --- attempting to swivel one of the last functioning plasma torpedo tubes toward the beast --- as the venom splashed the bulkhead around him, causing globs of molten metal to fall around him. He yelped as bits hit his tail, burning away a small section of fur before he could rid himself of the material.

The wolfman gestured over to Alberto and hit his comm unit, "Alberto! Drive the beast into range of the tube! There's only one shot, so I suggest we use it quickly before that monster melts it."

[The Carlisle]

The claw hit one of Alberto's wings. Thankfully, it was only a grazing strike, cutting some of his feathers off. Unfortunately, quite a bit of venom splashed onto it. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed loudly as the venom burned his feathers and skin. With the fear of death driving him, he quickly reached into his silver bag and grabbed a gun-like device and a vial. He jammed the vial into a hole on the top of the device and shot it onto his wing. The gun release a compound which coated the effected areas. The compound stopped the venom and its burning but also hardened, creating a casing around the wound.

Alberto panted fro pain and from the spike in adrenaline. He shoved the device back into his silver bag. He glared at the beast with the fury of a thousand suns. He holstered his guns and flew at the beast. With a ready fist, he punched the beast in the face. He could feel that the beast had plating even on its face as it bruised his hand quite a bit. He raised his hands like a boxer.

"Come on you beast. Let's play a gentlemen's game of fisticuffs," he said. He flew back a bit to give himself some distance, which was conveniently where Nikhan had positioned the torpedo tube. Alberto didn't know this or was paying attention to this detail. He was locked in fighting the beast.

[Malshan]

The claw hit one of Alberto's wings. Thankfully, it was only a grazing strike, cutting some of his feathers off. Unfortunately, quite a bit of venom splashed onto it. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed loudly as the venom burned his feathers and skin. With the fear of death driving him, he quickly reached into his silver bag and grabbed a gun-like device and a vial. He jammed the vial into a hole on the top of the device and shot it onto his wing. The gun release a compound which coated the effected areas. The compound stopped the venom and its burning but also hardened, creating a casing around the wound.

Alberto panted fro pain and from the spike in adrenaline. He shoved the device back into his silver bag. He glared at the beast with the fury of a thousand suns. He holstered his guns and flew at the beast. With a ready fist, he punched the beast in the face. He could feel that the beast had plating even on its face as it bruised his hand quite a bit. He raised his hands like a boxer.

"Come on you beast. Let's play a gentlemen's game of fisticuffs," he said. He flew back a bit to give himself some distance, which was conveniently where Nikhan had positioned the torpedo tube. Alberto didn't know this or was paying attention to this detail. He was locked in fighting the beast.

The lizard shook its head as if ridding itself of excess water when Alberto punched it, its long tongue tasting the air as it hissed at the flying figure. It lumbered toward him, keeping low to the ground while it approached. Stopping just short of the cannon's angle of attack, it rolled head over heels and swung its massive tail at Alberto again. Not missing a beat, the beast rolled to its feet and roared, exposing its seven rows of razor sharp teeth which gyrated and churned while saliva flew out of its mouth.

Nikhan, now finished with the calibration of the torpedo, stood against the jagged tear in the ship facing the monster. In his hands was one of the last functioning assault cannons. His muscles rippled as he hefted the enormous firearm, bracing it against his shoulder and himself against the ship. The wolfman had tapped into the ship's main power systems and was routing it through the projected energy weapon. Pulling the trigger, Nikhan blasted the monstrous lizard with a stream of hyper-accelerated photons.

The dinosaur flinched slightly as its armor plating heated, though it didn't appear to take damage. Instead, it swiped at Nikhan, smashing the barrel and knocking the howling wolfman across the weapons bay.

The assault cannon exploded as its particle accelerator overloaded, in turn setting off the torpedo launcher which sent the ninety kilogram vacuum-enhanced warhead flying through the tube and into the beast, knocking it back several steps. Nikhan braced and waited for the tube to explode. 5...4...3...2....1....nothing? he thought. He sighed, thinking that the timer must have been damaged during the transition. "Somebody shoot that torpedo and blast this thing into extinction, please!"

[Minroz]

“Urgh!” Daluu grunted as he put Ilirra down on the ground. “We’re safe from the beasts down there. Feels like my first scout trip already.”

He put in the guns down and rest for a bit. The Norr then scanned his surroundings with suspicious eyes. “Well, can’t we pick a better safe spot? I had a feeling we should move on now.” He picked up his weapons.

“Oh y’know, people might mistaken you for the boy, Captain.” He observed her half-naked body with a cheeky smile.

Ilirra laughed and cheered during the entire climb up the cliff face, treating Daluu like a carnival ride. She plopped to the ground as Daluu set her down, exhausted from carrying her. " Awww, the rides over?" Ilirra whined, her ears and tail drooping. She blushed and giggled as Ilyesse took off her shirt. Her smile then turned to shock when Daluu commented on Ilyesse being mistaken for a boy. " Don't worry Captain, I still think you're a girl! A really pretty girl!" Ilirra said as she hugged Ilyesse from behind.

“Hey, can I see some hot actions between you too?~” Daluu teased, conjuring up a perverted imagination. Being a womaniser, he had little-to-no qualms in cracking some perverted jokes. Shrugging, he took a quick check on his shotgun. Seeing it’s not overheated, the Norr switched back to his plasma shotgun.

“Anyway, what about the others down there?” He’s referring to Alberto and Nikhan who are busy fighting dinos. “Even the greatest warrior has his own limits.”

[Rupudska]

“Hey, can I see some hot actions between you too?~” Daluu teased, conjuring up a perverted imagination. Being a womaniser, he had little-to-no qualms in cracking some perverted jokes. Shrugging, he took a quick check on his shotgun. Seeing it’s not overheated, the Norr switched back to his plasma shotgun.

“Anyway, what about the others down there?” He’s referring to Alberto and Nikhan who are busy fighting dinos. “Even the greatest warrior has his own limits.”

Ilyesse climbed up a tree to get a better view of the battle between Alberto, Nikhan, and the dinosaur, completely ignoring Daluu's lewd comment.

"They appear to be doing just fine on their own. I see no reason to return to the ship and help." She jumped back down onto the grass below the tree and continued walking. The temperature of the air was now approaching 66 Standard degrees.

[Wolfenium]

Hiding beneath a canopy as rubble collapsed around her, Elettra was clearly in no position to fight the giant lizard. Screaming her head off, she yelled, "that's it! I quit! I hate this damn job! Why can't I do something plain for a change!? How do I end up in some godforsaken hell with a monster lizard stamping around-UWAAHHHH!"

Scampering aside as the lizard's foot came stomping down beside her, the robot girl had no way of knowing how to take on the beast. She was not like any of the other crewmen currently fending for their lives against the giant beast, and she was pretty sure small arms could not do shit to it. What did she have to fight it? Willpower? Her cheap shrill? Even she was not dumb enough to believe in them. She could not possibly fight that thing.

The claw hit one of Alberto's wings. Thankfully, it was only a grazing strike, cutting some of his feathers off. Unfortunately, quite a bit of venom splashed onto it. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed loudly as the venom burned his feathers and skin. With the fear of death driving him, he quickly reached into his silver bag and grabbed a gun-like device and a vial. He jammed the vial into a hole on the top of the device and shot it onto his wing. The gun release a compound which coated the effected areas. The compound stopped the venom and its burning but also hardened, creating a casing around the wound.

Alberto panted fro pain and from the spike in adrenaline. He shoved the device back into his silver bag. He glared at the beast with the fury of a thousand suns. He holstered his guns and flew at the beast. With a ready fist, he punched the beast in the face. He could feel that the beast had plating even on its face as it bruised his hand quite a bit. He raised his hands like a boxer.

"Come on you beast. Let's play a gentlemen's game of fisticuffs," he said. He flew back a bit to give himself some distance, which was conveniently where Nikhan had positioned the torpedo tube. Alberto didn't know this or was paying attention to this detail. He was locked in fighting the beast.

The lizard shook its head as if ridding itself of excess water when Alberto punched it, its long tongue tasting the air as it hissed at the flying figure. It lumbered toward him, keeping low to the ground while it approached. Stopping just short of the cannon's angle of attack, it rolled head over heels and swung its massive tail at Alberto again. Not missing a beat, the beast rolled to its feet and roared, exposing its seven rows of razor sharp teeth which gyrated and churned while saliva flew out of its mouth.

Nikhan, now finished with the calibration of the torpedo, stood against the jagged tear in the ship facing the monster. In his hands was one of the last functioning assault cannons. His muscles rippled as he hefted the enormous firearm, bracing it against his shoulder and himself against the ship. The wolfman had tapped into the ship's main power systems and was routing it through the projected energy weapon. Pulling the trigger, Nikhan blasted the monstrous lizard with a stream of hyper-accelerated photons.

The dinosaur flinched slightly as its armor plating heated, though it didn't appear to take damage. Instead, it swiped at Nikhan, smashing the barrel and knocking the howling wolfman across the weapons bay.

The assault cannon exploded as its particle accelerator overloaded, in turn setting off the torpedo launcher which sent the ninety kilogram vacuum-enhanced warhead flying through the tube and into the beast, knocking it back several steps. Nikhan braced and waited for the tube to explode. 5...4...3...2....1....nothing? he thought. He sighed, thinking that the timer must have been damaged during the transition. "Somebody shoot that torpedo and blast this thing into extinction, please!"

Grabbing a stowed gauss rifle from a random crate, the panicked girl was quickly firing off the gun by the hip like a mad Rambo, her high pitched wail screaming off as she tried to take it down. Predictably, the monster barely got scratched at all, as the rounds either failed to penetrate or just grazed its scales. Watching the roaring lizard turn its attention to her, she soon realized she was out of rounds. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she quickly found herself frantically trying to unload and squash her magazine into the rifle.

"IAMNOTACHEWTOYIAMNOTACHEWTOYIAMNOTACHEWTOYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," wailed the horrified Mechanian as the howling dino began storming her way. Without thinking, the frantic girl finally fitted the gun in as she hoisted it at eye level - the right way to use a rifle. Aiming down the sights, she fired off in panic at the dino, but this time, a shot made a lucky hit at the torpedo lodged on the monster, detonating in a violent boom as a fountain of blood doused the area.

"H..." blurted the surprised girl, "HOLY SHIT, I DID THAT!? OMYGAWD, TAKE THAT YOU OVERGROWN PEST! I'LL TEACH YOU TO TRY TO EAT-*splotch* ...me..."

Splattered with dino blood, the girl's initial enthusiasm melted away pretty fast. Back to her usual disgust, she grumbled, "I'm so quitting this..."

However, shaking off the injury, the dino appeared to have some rage left in it. Roaring at the cyan robot, Elettra again shrilled to the morbid discomfort of her friends as she began running from the beast.

[The Carlisle]

Alberto flew out of the way of the tail. He was about to get a jaw full of teeth, but a wailing scream made both him and the dinosaur reel back. He clasped onto his ears again, screaming from the pain. "NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!" he screamed. The screaming stopped, but seconds later a giant explosion happened. The force created by the explosion sent Alberto flying off 10 meters before he could regain control. He looked back at the dinosaur to see it had a large hole blown out of it. "AHA! A breach in its hull!" he shouted loudly. He flew forward, flapping his wings hard to pick up speed. He got up to the dinosaur, which was easy as it wasn't paying attention to him, and landed a hard punch into the wound. Bones broke on both sides. But more importantly, a piece of the dinosaur's rib moved and jabbed its heart. The beast got a look of shock and fear, as it was aware that it was dying. It flailed about before finally collapsing to the ground and slowly died from blood loss.

Alberto flew above the beast and grasped at his fist. It was certainly broken but he quite frankly didn't care. With a wide grimace on his face, he yelled at the dinosaur's corpse, "And that is why you never take you eyes off of your opponent!" He unclasped his crippled hand and whisked out his silver bag. He pulled out his bottle of whiskey and finished what was left of the bottle. He sighed happily and threw the bottle away.

[Rupudska]

After a few more minutes of walking, two things happened for Daluu, Ilirra, and Ilyesse. Firstly, the opposite edge of the cliff was in view, and it made it glaringly apparent that the planet was inhabited as, after all, pristine chain-link fences are not natural phenomena. Secondly, the temperature of the surrounding air reached a balmy 70 degrees Standard, a temperature even Hoshintoko would likely find quite unbearable.

Ilyesse responded to this temperature in the most logical way that she still could and finally shed the last article of clothing still on her. It helped a surprising amount, even when she moved her tail between her legs to keep Daluu from staring.

What she saw at the base of the cliff below was nothing sort of spectacular: An enormous, heavily industrialized, highly technological city that appeared to be in the interplanetary/early interstellar phase of technological developnent. To the crew of the Zombie, it would still seem primitive, but only as the ancient Greeks seemed primitive to the United Nations upon its founding. The city was more or less circular, and divided into 5 ringed sections divided only by appearance: At the outer extremities, where Ilyesse was, was the industrial section. [Ilyesse and Daluu were specifically standing over a smelting facility, thus explaining the intense heat.] Further in were residential, light business and entertainment, governmental, and at the city's heart was the historic district, dominated by an enormous step pyramid that had to have been a full kilometer square and at least 200 meters tall.

Ilyesse fished her communicator from out of her pants and quietly spoke into it.

"I suggest you all head towards the cliff to the north-west of the ship. Saying this planet is inhabited at this point would be a severe understatement."

[The Carlisle]

In Alberto's pant's, his communicator vibrated and beeped. HE dug his hand into his pants pocket and brought the communicator up to is face. It was Ilyesse reporting on the mission she went on. Alberto was thinking spiteful thoughts to his crewmates for delaying so much on the dinosaur. When he heard the word inhabited, he screamed "FUCK!" He was REALLY looking forward to studying everything on this planet without interference by other sapient scientists, but it seems those dreams were shattered. He pinched his forehead and sighed deeply. When he lowered his hand, he had a more serious look on him and a much calmer demeanor. "I'll be there in a few," he said. He shoved his communicator back into his pants pocket.

He flew down to the ship and entered the bridge through the hole the dinosaur kindly tore open. He walked up to the briefcase, which was still intact. He opened it and stared at the vials. "Which one," he thought. He tapped his finger on the top of each one. He grabbed one after a few seconds of thought and shoved it in his bag. He didn't know why, but he felt that he would need the nanomachines later on. He then turned and flew out of the hole and started flying towards Ilyess's position. He didn't bother with the others. He knew they got the same message.

He arrived a few minutes later at Ilyesse and her squad. Ilyesse was naked Daluu was scratched up, and Illira was off in Wonderland. Alberto settled down next to Ilyesse and looked out at the city before them. It was a metropolis of millenia before. He grabbed his chin in thought. "Wow. I've only seen a metropolis like this in pictures. It's fascinating seeing this in real life," he said. He rubbed his chin and then brought it down. "It's pretty shitty," he said. He couldn't stand the fumes the industry produced here. The heat, even for a Tharanixian, was unbearable. He immediately ripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground, revealing what it hid. His torso was quite muscular, like someone with a regular training schedule. His arms were much more muscular than his torso and had several scars and metal pieces all over them, clear signs of body augmentation. His revolvers rested in holsters which were strapped across his chest, creating an X. He turned his head to Ilyesse. "So where do we proceed from here? I very much doubt that the locals are gonna be receptive of a menagerie of intergalactic sapients walking into the city. From what I've observed of this planet so far, they are most likely gonna shoot at anything that looks remotely like a threat," he said.

[Malshan]

Nikhan, standing near Alberto, heard Ilyesse's transmission and nodded, keying his comm unit once to acknowledge her order. "Be there in a moment, ma'am." He extricated himself from the remains of the dinosaur which he had been examining and set off into the forest after Alberto.

Arriving a few seconds after the man, Nikhan took in the view with a sullen look on his face. "I'm really hoping we didn't kill someone's pet back there. That might make a bad first impression on the natives. I think." He gazed at the city, hardly glancing at Ilyesse's naked form. Staring at the Alpha, or lusting after them, was anathema to him having been raised in a pack himself. The Alpha chose their mate, not the Betas, Deltas, or Omega wolves.

Keying in a few commands on his wristpad, Nikhan began passively scanning the outskirts of the city, examining the material of construction. "Not even Tugboat grade materials. Or even planet jumper grade. Damn...these folks are primitive. Very much so."

The wolfman paused. "Then again, to survive those creatures back there, they must have some pretty interesting defensive measures. I wonder if I can get a sample of their weapons technology."

He turned to Ilyesse. "What era do you think their weapons tech is at? Chemical powered kinetics? Photons? Or how about basic laser and coilgun technology?"

[Nachfolgia]

After a few more minutes of walking, two things happened for Daluu, Ilirra, and Ilyesse. Firstly, the opposite edge of the cliff was in view, and it made it glaringly apparent that the planet was inhabited as, after all, pristine chain-link fences are not natural phenomena. Secondly, the temperature of the surrounding air reached a balmy 70 degrees Standard, a temperature even Hoshintoko would likely find quite unbearable.

Ilyesse responded to this temperature in the most logical way that she still could and finally shed the last article of clothing still on her. It helped a surprising amount, even when she moved her tail between her legs to keep Daluu from staring.

What she saw at the base of the cliff below was nothing sort of spectacular: An enormous, heavily industrialized, highly technological city that appeared to be in the interplanetary/early interstellar phase of technological developnent. To the crew of the Zombie, it would still seem primitive, but only as the ancient Greeks seemed primitive to the United Nations upon its founding. The city was more or less circular, and divided into 5 ringed sections divided only by appearance: At the outer extremities, where Ilyesse was, was the industrial section. [Ilyesse and Daluu were specifically standing over a smelting facility, thus explaining the intense heat.] Further in were residential, light business and entertainment, governmental, and at the city's heart was the historic district, dominated by an enormous step pyramid that had to have been a full kilometer square and at least 200 meters tall.

Ilyesse fished her communicator from out of her pants and quietly spoke into it.

"I suggest you all head towards the cliff to the north-west of the ship. Saying this planet is inhabited at this point would be a severe understatement."

The effects of the berries finally began to wear off. Ilirra's mind started to clear and she started to regain control of her actions. Whatever chemicals were in those berries took Ilirra on an amazing and weird trip. The whole time everything looked and sounded weird and strange. The dinosaur that attacked them, in Ilirra's eyes, looked like a giant chameleon wearing a top hat and dancing the merengue. Even while riding on Daluu's shoulders, she thought she was riding a kid's carnival ride. Everything was vibrant and full of color and Ilirra liked the sensation.

With the effects wearing off, Ilirra began to see the real world, the vast jungle that engulfed the planet. With her slow return to reality, she also began to feel the extreme heat. " Hey guys, I think the berries are wearing off...damn its hot." Ilirra said as she wiped the sweat from her face. Whether it was the berries or out of necessity, Ilirra striped down just like Ilyesse. She felt more comfortable naked and sighed in relief of how good it felt. She then noticed her surroundings and looked up at the city in disbelief. " I think I'm still hallucinating." Ilirra said as she gawked at the surrounding buildings.

[Minroz]

-snip-

-snip-

Daluu whistled at the discovery of the ruined city. He finds the mystery of the planet is getting interesting. At the same time, admiring the bodies of Iirra and Ilyesse, noticing their sweat dribbled down their bodies.

“No you’re not, Ilirra.” He replied to the Lycanian pilot. He figured out she’s no longer under the effects of His eyes looked on in mixture of amusement and lustful imaginations. However, he had to dismiss his perverted thoughts as he focused back on survival.


“Anyway, shall we head into the city and find something interesting or not?” Daluu asked Ilyesse.