( closed ) scouting the wall

[winscenario]

who: Jim Kirk, Beverly Crusher, Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Cassian Andor, Jyn Erso, Chyler Silva, Hana Song, Emma Swan (+ anyone else who's still interested! feel free to PM me, no worries)
what: team mission
when: February 7th - 17th
where: along the wall of the Abandoned City
warnings: monster fighting & consequent injuries at most

With the prospect of more power in the near future, the Government of Riverview is looking for multiple teams of people to take a survey of the wall surrounding the Abandoned City and note all structural damage and areas where the integrity of the wall is compromised. The objective is to note the location and nature of any structural damage or interference with the tech components (laser emitters, etc.) that is compromising the integrity of the outer wall.

The team assembled by Jim Kirk will head out on the shuttle, making the trip at least far quicker, although long stretches of the wall are done by foot, in smaller groups or pairs. No one is advised to be out there on their own. Everyone will be given a handheld scanning device to study the wall, and a device similar to a tablet where they can store all the data, complete with detailed instructions on how to use both. The shuttle will be available to pick people up and drop them off at different points of the wall as needed, to try and make the trip as quick as possible.


[ ooc: this will work as a mingle log, so everyone is free to write up their own top levels and/or tag around as much as they like. ]

Comments

jim kirk ▹▹ open

[winscenario]

▹ SHUTTLE LIFT

[ While the Abandoned City isn't too far away from the Quarantine, the fact that they have to study along the outer wall, which is overgrown with greenery and not exactly an easy hike, does promise for a long and tiring journey. Jim intends to make use of the shuttle the best he can, and other than take the whole team over to the wall, he also flies along the structure, picking people up and dropping them off at various spots as they ask him to, so covering greater portions of the wall isn't as difficult.

Usually it's a quiet ride, but Jim sometimes puts on some music, playing quietly in the background, and he uses the quick trips to catch up on what they've figured out about the wall so far. ]

▹ ON THE GROUND

[ Eventually the forest gets too thick to be safe to fly the shuttle around, and Jim finds a relatively safe spot to land the shuttle, and leaves her there for the remainder of the mission, joining everyone else on foot. Armed with a handheld phaser and a sharp knife (because not all monsters out here can be taken down with a gun, after all), he often stays a few feet ahead or behind the group, keeping an eye out for any potential danger.

Every so often he falls into step with others, when someone else happens to be on the lookout, using that opportunity to check up on what they're doing, and asking about the data they've gathered so far.

If a strange sound comes from the foliage, Jim stops in his tracks, holding a hand up as a sign for anyone else with him to stop and be quiet. He lifts his phaser, pointing it to wherever the sound comes from, eyes glued to the same spot. Better be ready to duck and hide if it does turn out to be a wild monster... ]

▹ CAMPING

[ A long trip requires some rest, especially if they want to keep everyone alert for the dangers and make sure their mission will be a successful one. So when the sun sets and it starts getting too dark for them to keep going, that's when they start looking around for a place to camp.

It's not easy finding one along the wall, though at least there's always some stream of water they can use to wash up or quench their thirst. Jim makes sure everything and everyone's alright, that someone's keeping watch too, and that they have enough food for everyone before he actually takes care of himself.

Between washing up, studying the maps and any information he has, and helping with setting up camp, he can be found just about anywhere. He'll be one of the few taking a lookout shift while everyone else sleeps, or he may not be able to sleep so keeping whoever's on watch company seems like a good way to pass the time. ]

▹ WILDCARD

[ Got another idea that's not included in the prompts? Feel free to throw it at me! ]

> camping

[childofaxios]

[ Chyler is on watch when Jim comes walking out from the cover of the camp, toward her position. She knows who he is, of course. She knows he and Sheppard are friends. Industrious person that she is, she's even gleaned some of why Sheppard was gone, keeping company with Jim those handful of days last month.

But she hasn't had reason to seek him out, and surprisingly enough they haven't really crossed paths before now. She won't bother with the shuttle team unless she's flying out with Sheppard and-or Finn, and that hasn't happened before now.

Hence the long, appraising look as he comes toward her, the curt nod. Then she's facing back out toward the jungle, P90 resting comfortably in her hands. ]

I'm not set to be relieved yet, sir.

[winscenario]

[ What little does he know about Chyler has come from John, and at the moment that stands on basically: she's capable, and she wanted to tag along. If John thinks she can handle it, then Jim trusts him, and so far he hasn't had a single motive to doubt that trust.

She is pretty quiet, though, evidently used to keeping to herself. Not that he really minds it, what with Jyn being part of the team too, but Jim hasn't been on his usual mental state to try and engage either, in hopes of breaking the ice.

Later at night, once the camp's all set up and everyone's settled in comfortably, that's when Jim spots her on his aimless walk, and decides to make his way over. He's stepping closer when she addresses him, and he mirrors her nod. ]

I'm not John— you can just call me Jim, you know. [ He shoots her a small smile, taking a seat on a log next to her. ] And I'm not here to relieve you. Just didn't feel like sleeping yet, is all.

camping

[realists]

[ it's while jim is milling around, fussing like a nanny droid, that jyn steps in front of him, redirecting him toward her and cassian's tent and dinner. ]

Alright Jim, enough, sit down. [ TWO CAN PLAY THIS CAREGIVER ROLE, SON. SHE WILL BE GOOD AT IT OUT OF SPITE. sit ur tush down, captain. ]

[winscenario]

[ He's effectively stopped in his tracks when Jyn moves to literally stand in his way, even going so far as to startle him a little. He opens his mouth, closes it again, pressing his lips thinly and frowning just so. ]

Fine. [ SIGH. Despite the slight roll of his eyes, though, he drops his head in surrender and follows after her towards the tent. ]

ground

[bunnyhopped]

[ Unfortunately, Hana's bright pink mech isn't exactly the stealthiest of things, so more often than not Hana is bringing up the rear as the group journeys through the forest to investigate the wall. If they run into any trouble, she can always use her boosters to take her forward, soaking up any potential incoming attacks or damage like a good Tank Character(tm) should.

At some point, she finds Jim falling back almost to where she is, and she waves. As in, the mech's cannon arm moves in something that resembles an arm waving. ]

Hiya, Captain! How are we doing so far?

[winscenario]

[ For what it's worth, at least the size and color of her mech keeps the most skittish animals off their track, so it's fewer creatures following them around. There's no way to know how the bigger, more dangerous creatures might react to the sight, but so far they haven't crossed paths with a single one. Jim'll just be glad for that.

He glances to the mech when the long arm waves at him, and he smiles, returning the gesture with a quick, friendly salute. ]

Alright. It's been pretty quiet so far, so it's been easier to gather the data without any interruptions. [ A good sign, he thinks. Unless it's some kind of omen, but he sincerely hopes not. ] How're you getting along?

John Sheppard + OPEN

[deploy]

Clear.

John Sheppard takes point at the front of the group with his second-in-command Chyler Silva, scouting ahead, clearing a path through the brush, and calling back detours due to terrain or wildlife over the radio for those following in their footsteps.

They kill as is necessary, electing to avoid conflict whenever possible. On a long-patrol mission, controlled combat is the key to survival, and success. The less attention they draw to themselves, the better. Even with their substantial numbers and firepower, they're on unfamiliar ground, with limited resources, and he'd rather be safe than sorry.

It's John's preference to work in smaller numbers, with people whose habits he's familiar with, but he's open to making new friends. He might even be open to conversation if a perimeter's been established. Sneaking up on him would be a bad idea.

Cover.

More than once during the mission, they'll come across treacherous areas that need crossing. Expansive marshlands, river rapids, stone labyrinths, and pockets of jungle too dark and thick to be anything but dangerous that can't be avoided. John circles back to cover the group, taking a defensive position during difficult crossings until everyone's made it over to the other side, and lending a hand to any stragglers who find themselves in a tough spot.

No man gets left behind on his watch. Just don't dilly-dally.

Charlie Foxtrot. Closed to Jim Kirk.

"Long time, no see." John sidles up beside Jim with a grin on his face, rifle cradled in his arms. They're already half-way through the expedition, and this is the first time they've crossed paths long enough for him to get a word in. Both men have been busy. Jim leading, and John operating as security.

They haven't seen any action in the last twenty-four hours. It's possible they've left the majority of the dangerous flora and fauna behind them in the jungle. The terrain they're traversing through now is like something out of a National Geographic. The temperature is hot and humid, and the soil is soft and moist, in stark contrast the tall limestone rock formations point up into the sky like spearheads. So far, the biggest danger is in slipping and falling. The edges of the spikes are sharp enough to cut skin. One wrong step, and you're deli-meat.

There isn't much protect from the elements, despite how high the labyrinth of rock reaches over their heads. If it's going to rain, which judging by the strong winds and thick of cumulonimbus overhead, it will, they'll need somewhere to make camp and keep dry. Either an overhang, or a crevice deep enough for the whole group to fit into.

If they don't find cover before dark they'll be in for a bad night. John has Chyler searching off the beaten path, but so far? Nothing looks promising.

"Call me crazy, but I think there's a cave up ahead. I keep hearing a whistling sound."

Wildcard.

John will keep camp with everyone else, take his turn standing watch, and even check in on the science types given a moment. He's good at multi-tasking. Except when it comes to working and eating at the same time. Someone should remind him to shove a Power Bar into his mouth when he gets cranky.

Feel free to PM to plan something out, or surprise me!

wildcard

[childofaxios]

Chyler does one better than shoving a Power Bar at him. She brings him a tray of the mediocre field rations in one hand, carrying her own in the other. They might not be sharing quarters, but that doesn't mean she didn't find out exactly which tent was his as soon as she had a free moment.

There's been an odd tension between them since that day in the elevator. Not tension, exactly. Something thin and fragile, delicate as a thread, something both of them seem afraid to either test or break. She knows she doesn't want to be the one to do it.

That's part of why she stands outside of his tent for almost a full thirty seconds before she says, "Sir? I brought dinner."

It comes out tentative, and she hates that. She clears her throat and tries again, managing clipped and officious instead. "You need to eat something that doesn't come out of a wrapper."

[deploy]

"Come in." John's on his hands and knees on the floor, leaning over a large paper map with a pencil, his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth as he charts their route by hand. It's been years since anyone's properly surveyed this area, and the lay of the land has changed significantly, costing them precious time and resources.

Which is why he's upgrading the map to match their most recent scouting reports at 0200 hours instead of eating, or sleeping. They'll need all the intel they can get to stay high and dry for the next leg of the mission. There are few things worse for morale than swampy boots.

"How wide would you say the north by north west marshlands were, a mile? I couldn't see the end of them, but the valley at the base of the mountains is partially visible, so I'm guessing the marsh stops short of the bottom of the valley due to the ascent. If we follow this ridge over here-" He taps the pencil against a topographical high point, waving Chyler over without looking up, "It'll be rocky terrain, and we'll be doing some climbing, but we should be able to stay dry- so long as it doesn't rain. I think that's as close as we'll get to that section of the wall, without going up into mountains. We just don't have the equipment for that."

John nods to himself, sitting back on his heels.

"Now what was that about a wrapper?"

[winscenario]

"Yeah, it's been forever," he answers with a huff, lifting an eyebrow at John. Carrying a smaller weapon himself, Jim seems fairly relaxed, at the moment not expecting to make any unpleasant acquaintances with the local fauna. He's ready for it if it comes up, sure, but he's not about to make the whole trek tense and on edge, spooked by the slightest breeze blowing through the leaves.

Not that there are a lot of leaves around here, just... rocks. Lots and lots of very pointy and very sharp rocks, the edges of each of them looking genuinely menacing. If Jim's been more on edge about anything, it's the possibility of anyone in their group slipping and falling against one of those rocks and getting a nasty cut. Sure, Beverly could easily take care of the injuries, but still.

He looks up to the sky, studying the clouds ahead, the distance to them, and crunches some quick numbers in his head to get a rough idea of how long until they're right above them. Shouldn't be long. Which means they're running short on time to find shelter for the night.

"Do you," he sounds a little surprised, but turns his attention away from the clouds, and towards any sounds coming from their surroundings. There is a quiet sound, a little ways ahead, and Jim definitely knows it's not from the rest of the group, seen as they're some hundreds of meters behind them. This far ahead, they can't even hear their voices, let alone their steps. "Last time I found a cave out here, there was a wrinkled old body in there— pollen that messed with your head too. Fun times." Not that he's trying to scare John, just: "Be careful."

[deploy]

"I'm always careful." John nudges Jim with one elbow and cuts in front of him, skipping ahead. Playful, but also eager to find cover. Hiding his anxiety of losing daylight without finding cover behind a boyish smile thrown back over one shoulder. They're running out of time. The stone jungle has been a nightmare to navigate in broad daylight. At dark and wet, it'll be a sharp-edged maze from hell. Slippery, too. As if they didn't have enough to worry about between the killer wildlife and walls made of knives.

"Jim, I've got eyes on potential camp." At the end of an extremely narrow crevice, only two men wide, is a yawning cave entrance. John can already feel the difference in air temperature and moisture, meaning it might be deep enough to offer sufficient protection for the entire group to wait out the night.

Providing it's empty.

John waits for Jim at the beginning of the crack in the stone walls, shifting his grip on his rifle to keep it at the ready, but closer in towards his body. It's going to be a tight squeeze.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" One of them is going to have to go first. John would rather it was him, because he's armed to the teeth, but this is Jim's mission, after all. Covering him from behind isn't a bad option either.

Re: John Sheppard + OPEN

[thesavior]

[Emma was in John's group that day, but they didn't know each other that well, so she was not the type to get all up in his business. They were walking over some rocky terrain when she heard the crack above their heads. ]

John! don't move!

[ Emma had already frozen the rock above them, so it looked like it was encased in light. The rock slowly moved away from them and landing on the ground next to them with a small thunk. ]

You okay?

[deploy]

[John hadn't seen the rock, he was too focused on the path ahead, and the group behind him to spend much time looking up.

When Emma calls out, he stops. Watching the rock held in place and dropped harmlessly to the side by what could only be magic. Colour him impressed.]

Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. That was a cool party trick.

jyn erso ✧ open

[realists]

camping

[ i'm not saying jyn brought roast porg, but she brought roast porg. she lived off protein cubes, she'll eat anything -- even if the puffin like bird had been watching her cook one of its wild brethren.

the tent she is sharing with cassian is pitched quickly and efficiently (by cassian), while she assembles their rations and cleans the jug of water she'd collected from the river, dropping a tablet inside that bubbles up and purifies the water into something potable. no use making herself sick off questionable water.

she uses the downtime to input and adjust data, not just from the study of the wall but of her general study of the flora and fauna of the abandoned city. while she wouldn't be considered approachable, per se, she seems easy enough when she's chatting to cassian or jim so give it a shot. she will certainly share if anyone needs water or food, they're only as strong as the weakest team member. ]

scouting

[ delving beyond the wall has become something of an enjoyable job for jyn since arriving. she appreciates that every go is different, she enjoys mapping the changes and bringing back samples, she finds a special sort of relief in fighting the monsters and feral animals they sometimes encounter. she's generally pretty chill once she's outside, although she's been trained too well to ever be complacent on a mission. if she got herself killed for being too self-satisfied to be aware of her surroundings saw would rise from the grave and force slap her.

she is petite but when it comes to fighting she is vicious, a whirling dervish of violence. it becomes clear that although jyn has a calculative, tactical mind, she is here to be the muscle. all five foot three of it. ]

wildcard

[ come at me, chums, choose your own adventure. ]

scouting.

[evasives]

[this is weirdly familiar in set up if not actual situation. jyn, looking ready to literally pounce at the strange birdlike beast staring her down from atop the edge of the wall. she's like a cat with her truncheons for claws, and he doesn't know why the bird isn't more afraid.]

[probably because it has back-up. cassian squints, watching a second bird land neatly on the other side of the wall while a third does the same on a broken patch, talons curling around the vine that split it open.]

[he lifts his blaster through the underbrush he's tucked behind and shoots one of the monsters on the wall; it dies with a squawk that startles the other two, leaving jyn with a good moment to strike.]

[realists]

[ she takes it easily, leaping forward and laying into the bird with a flurry of blows. she's not incredibly careful of the claws or beak, focusing on offense rather than defense, but it seems as startled by jyn's attack as it was by cassian's shot so she manages to weave out of its grasp until she drops one truncheon to grab the second in both hands and, well

drive it directly into one of the bird's eyes. the sound it makes is horrifying, but jyn doesn't have time to notice because now it's mad at her and it jerks away from her, ripping the truncheon out of her grasp. sticky purple blood sprays across jyn's face and chest as it rears up, trying to swat her with its wings, making her scramble back. away from the one truncheon she has left that isn't stuck in its face.

in hindsight, she should not have lingered with the truncheon in its eye. ]

Camping

[thesavior]

[Emma had seen Jyn around, but she had never talked to the woman. She couldn't call her a girl, not after watching her kick so much ass on the field. Emma could definitely give credit where credit was due.

She found her by one of the campfires. She made noise to make sure she didn't scare her. ]

Did you get something to eat?

scouting

[bunnyhopped]

[ But has Jyn ever fought alongside a bright pink mech with another five foot three bundle of energy piloting it?

For Hana, too, these missions to the areas that lay beyond the safety of the Quarantine's walls have become something to look forward to. They give her something of a purpose when she's so far removed from what she should be doing back home. Although she's a different sort for the Perimeter Guard, she's still a soldier.

Hana's fighting style in her mech focuses on balancing defense and offense. Being in an armored mech units mean that whenever the monsters rear up for a big attack, Hana tries to swoop in with her boosters to act like a literal body block for someone. Other times, she's using them to knock enemies around and scramble them about, and other times she's using the mech's cannons to dispense fusion ammunition into the big bad monsters.

Though, honestly, she's really impressed by how Jyn fights, enough to say in the middle of a scuffle: ]

Wow, you're really good at fighting!

Emma Swan |Open

[thesavior]

♔ Scouting


[All of Emma's life, the only thing that she wanted was to be needed or to be part of something. She would feel better if she were back in Storybrooke making a difference, but that wasn't where she was at the moment. She was in the Quarantine and for now, that was home.

Emma was a somewhat simple woman in her needs. She needed to protect her family, and her life and she needed to help people. Emma had learned that she needed to trust people in order to survive, although that was not an easy feat most of the time. She was trying. Lucy, was a huge factor on why she was here scouting along a wall. Emma's magic was somewhat tricky most of the time, but she had accepted it into her life and she believed in it, so it made it much easier to control.

The terrain was somewhat dodgy at times, but Emma could always toss protection spells so no one got injured too badly. For those who were injured, she could heal any minor wounds. ]


♔ Camping

[ They say there is no rest of the wicked. Emma was most definitely not wicked, but she was a hard worker, who did her job to the best of her ability and tried to be as little trouble as possible. She didn't think of herself as a fierce warrior or a woman who has seen a battle. Some might think that battling an ice queen and a wicked witch would be considered a battle, but to Emma, it was like a Tuesday. She just didn't see herself that way.

Camping or sleeping in cars was something that she was used to, so she tried to make it as comfortable as she could. Emma is completely open to conversation or sharing both her food and information. ]

Did anyone here go camping as a kid?

♔ Wildcard
[ come at me with anything ]

camping!

[dancingmd]

[Nursing a hot thermos of tea, Beverly is sitting companionably by the fireside with some of the other members of the party, including Emma. It's been a long day of surveying and of tending to the occasional wound here or there, but though she's physically tired, she feels mentally amped up, ready for anything as she's in mission mode. She shakes her head in answer to Emma's question.]

Not as a child, no, but my husband loved to, so we took our son as often as we could.

cassian andor | open

[evasives]

i. scouting

[scouting is easy, familiar, and the threat of doing so outside the quarantine doesn't feel as dangerous compared to espionage within imperial territory, especially when you've already died. cassian is naturally observant. his notes about the state of this wall are extremely detailed, and he's more than willing to talk about what they find. he uses the tablet as directed, scanning over weak portions of the wall or giant gaping holes. he tends to at least be in the periphery of jyn and tends to lag at the back whenever he's with a larger group. he's eerily quiet when moving through the overgrowth, but just as careful to make a noise if he finds himself near another person. he knows better than to startle.]

[when it comes to combat, he prefers to fight from a distance. his aim is sharp and precise, and his paranoia about his surroundings often has him noticing at least the less subtle monsters on the prowl.]

Drop! [which he will announce when necessary, and you should probably do as he snaps out, before he shoots in your direction. he's aiming for a monster, clearly!]

[it doesn't always mean distance prefers him. he carries knives as well as his blaster, and he is proficient in close quarters combat. he's more used to fighting people, but he's come out here often enough that he's adapted to the recklessness of wild animals. but sometimes fighting off two at once is tricky! maybe he could use some help??]

ii. camping

[his tent is pitched perfectly, shared with jyn along with the rest of the supplies they've brought together. he's very good at finding safe spots, close to water with at least one side that isn't exposed. cassian tends to keep to himself in the quiet time, when it's still a little too early to just go to bed. he may have gotten better at socializing in the quarantine, but he's still too used to being alone on these reconnaissance-like missions, that he always spends each night taking stock of whatever supplies are left. preparation is important! he's basically a boy scout but, like, the spy version.]

[he's working though, even in the dim light, double checking his notes on the state of the wall and correcting minute details that probably... don't need that much detail. if someone comes up to him, he very idly says:] I will eat in a moment.

[on one of the later days, towards the end of the mission, his hand is bandaged up. it doesn't hinder any of his work or fighting, simply because he can use both hands. but a very large catlike creature managed to take a swipe at his palm, the gash deep enough to get fairly bloody, but it hadn't severed major muscles or arteries. his blaster is just a little bloody since it's his dominant hand, and he's still arming himself with it. he doesn't seem concerned, even as he takes a break from cleaning his blaster or mulling over data to flex his fingers.]

iii. wildcard

[ hit me up with any etcs! ]

ii.

[realists]

Stop whining, [ jyn complains, mouth turning down in a frown as her grip tightens on his hand held between them. in all honesty, cassian isn't whining or even complaining, he'd simply said she didn't need to worry about his hand and jyn decided that was whining.

she probably doesn't need to worry about his hand, but that doesn't mean she's going to let get away with not changing his bandage. they don't have bacta here, they have to be smart until they get back to the city so she is going to keep his hand clean and dry until then, carefully unwinding the bandage so she can put a new one on. ]

i.

[dancingmd]

[While she's no slouch when it comes to defending herself, Beverly is here mostly as a scientist and as a doctor, to take notes and tend to the inevitable injuries that occur out in the jungle. She trusts the guard to know what they're doing so when Cassian tells her to drop, she wastes no time in falling flat to the ground as a shot goes off overhead. There's a squeal from some creature, though she can't see it from her position.

She rolls over on her back and pulls her own phaser from its holster, ready to shoot if Cassian needs help, but she doesn't get up yet, not until she's given a clear - or told to run.]

[childofaxios]

[ She liked Cassian well enough the first time they spoke. He went up in her estimation when she learned he was part of the Perimeter Guard, but not much, given how lackadaisical the training for the PG is.

Seeing him in action on-mission drives her respect for him up exponentially. She starts watching him whenever she gets the chance, mostly when she thinks he won't notice. She likes seeing how well he handles his weapons, the way he takes a calm and quiet lead when they're in the field. She volunteers a few times to fill out the security on teams he leads, not going out of her way to talk to him or anything, just. Y'know. Doing her job. And watching him do his.

She is in fact watching him do his when he yells Down, weapon raised in her direction, and she hits the dirt, rolling on to her side to see a massive quadrupedal plant-dog-thing rising up out of the underbrush.

Should have seen that, Silva. Should have been paying attention.

She hefts her P90 and fires a breath after Cassian, tagging the thing in what looks like its head once before she opens up into a series of controlled bursts, shooting along with the rest of the security team until there's nothing but a stump oozing green blood and shedding leaves and the monster's body is collapsing toward the forest floor again.

Chyler doesn't trust non-human creatures to die the way they're supposed to. She doesn't miss once.

Still, as she rolls back to her feet and approaches the body, scouting and prepared to open fire again, she glances Cassian's way. ]

I'm sorry, sir. I should have seen it coming.