( 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.

[childofaxios]

[ She studies him thoughtfully, wondering if that's just something all servicemen do eventually: not sleep. God knows she has enough trouble with it herself. ] You outrank me, sir.

[ Boot's gotta boot. Still: this is one of John's friends. He must be more like John than he isn't. So she tries a smile, though it's a small one. ] John--Commander Sheppard doesn't sleep well out here either.

[ She suspects John doesn't sleep well back home, either, but she has no evidence to support the supposition. ]

[winscenario]

[ Jim can't say he struggles with that much, not usually anyway. Things have just been a little tougher as of late, is all. His insomnia comes and goes, really, but overall he can't complain. ]

Oh, come on. [ He sighs to no one in particular, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. ] Yeah, well, technically John outranks me and you don't hear me calling him 'sir'.

[ Wouldn't John just love that, though. Either way, as Jim sees it, there are no Colonels in Starfleet, so strictly speaking neither of them outranks the other. Besides, it's not like it's worth much here on the moon. ]

It's not exactly the safest place, is it? Being out here. [ He smiles vaguely, looking around them. ] Camp's exposed too, but we wouldn't find anything better than this. It's just... difficult to relax. Especially when you're used to looking after everyone else.

[childofaxios]

You both outrank me, sir. [ So th-- wait a second. ] He never told me his standing back home.

[ Which is just shy of her asking what the heck rank does he have anyway and how can he outrank a ship's captain. Chyler shifts her grip on the weapon, voice calm. ] My parents taught me there's no such thing as a safe place. Here, the city, it doesn't matter. The only difference is that the things out here are honest about what they want.

[winscenario]

He's a Lieutenant Colonel. Where he comes from, that's two ranks above Captain. Where I come from, though, his rank doesn't even exist anymore. At least not in Starfleet.

[ It probably has everything to do with Starfleet following Navy ranks, rather than Army. There were never any Colonels in the US Navy either, so.

He purses his lips a little and shrugs at her observation. ] I agree one should always be careful and ready, but... can't say I completely agree with the rest. Some places do make me feel safe. Some people, too. Maybe it's naïve of me, but I've managed pretty well so far.

[childofaxios]

He's a Lieutenant Colonel?

[ For a second Chyler gapes at Jim, open-mouthed. John. John Sheppard, the skateboard-riding, lollipop-obsessed, guitar-playing commander of RR-1. Is a Lieutenant Colonel.

Chyler closes her mouth. She tries to find her rigid professionalism again. She does, mostly, though she's less guarded than she was before. ]

There's a difference between feeling safe and being safe, though, isn't there? You can feel safe all you want. That doesn't make it true.

[winscenario]

[ Jim nods, shrugging. He's a little curious about what rank did she think he had. Jim wouldn't have expected anything below Major, honestly, considering John's mannerisms and experience, the ease he had while out beyond the wall, around various weapons and the like. ]

And just because you don't feel safe doesn't mean you aren't safe. [ They can be here all day lady, pessimism vs. optimism. He's got practice. ] Some habits are hard to kick.

[childofaxios]

[ Chyler purses her lips. ] Yes, sir.

[ She's not going to keep disagreeing with him. Not out loud, anyway. It's enough for her to think he's wrong and leave it at that.

(You don't have to agree with orders, you just have to follow them.)

Still, being around John is having an effect. She considers him, considers where the boundaries might be, before she says, ]

Does it bother you, that they don't rank things here the way they do where you're from?

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. ]

[realists]

[ cassian always picks a good spot so this time there is a fallen log by the tent that jyn is using as something of a bench in front of the fire, which she directs jim to easily. porg is being reheated over the flames, a little burnt because jyn is actually fairly unused to cooking over a fire. ]

Water should be clean soon. Food's cooking. If you can't sleep we have tea. [ a beat. ] And alcohol.

[winscenario]

[ It all looks very nice and cozy, Jim can't help notice. There's a faint smile as he looks at their little nook, but he doesn't say a word about it, instead following her lead and taking a seat on the log, humming as he takes a sniff at the food being reheated. He doesn't mind the burnt bits much— honestly, if it were him taking care of it, it'd probably be a block of charcoal by now. ]

Tea will do. No alcohol on missions. [ He's got to keep a clear head. Drinking can wait until he's back in the Quarantine. ] This smells great, by the way. What is it?

[realists]

If I tell you, you won't eat it.

[ people are weird about the porgs, she's noticed. even jyn herself had a moment of consideration before it became dinner. but they have no natural predators here and she suspects they will overpopulate soon so she is doing her part to keep it controlled.

she will snap the button on the kettle to get it started for the tea. ]

[winscenario]

Aw, why not? [ He purses his lips, inspecting the meat again. ] Is it some sort of cute animal, is that it?

[ It doesn't bother him much. Maybe it would if he actually knew and saw a live one, who's to say, but it's not like he's intimately familiar with porgs or sees them as pets or anything. He'd be more weirded out if she told him it was cat or dog meat, honestly. ]

Doing alright on the mission so far? You and Cassian. [ Jim's spent most of the time on his shuttle so far, it's only recently that he landed it and joined the rest of the group by foot. So not a lot of time to catch up and gather information on what everyone's found out so far. ]

[realists]

We're always alright. Wall's less so. [ she gestures toward the data pad tossed on top of her bag if he wants to peruse at will. as always, jyn's notes tend to favor the flora and fauna and terrain, but she did make a point to note down all the damage to the wall, which then have notes to check cassian's notes for more in depth notes. that's just the way of it, they're a team for a reason.

the kettle lets out some steam, notably silent, and jyn turns it off, gathering two camp cups and tea before pouring them each a cup and passing one to jim, cradling her own between her hands. ]

It's porg. They're mostly fat, but the meat at the center is tender. [ and like jim won't notice if she asks out of the blue, ] How are you doing?

[winscenario]

[ He reaches for the data pad instantly, opening up her notes and gathered data and going through it with interest, while he waits for the food to be ready. It's a lot like what he'd expect from Jyn, actually, and some incomplete notes on the wall make him wish he could check Cassian's own data pad right now, but that can wait.

Actually he knows there's little point in going through it now, so he only spares the information a cursory glance. Once the mission wraps up, then he'll sit down and put all the information together, then see what he gets from it all. Still, it's good to see that everyone's making progress. ]

Mm. Definitely sounds cute. [ Well, it's not gonna stop him from eating it. He's had some weirdass food on some planets, so this doesn't bother him much. (It might if he actually saw a porg, but.)

He looks up with a hum, setting the pad on the log next to him and accepting the mug with a tip of his head in thanks. ] Doing alright. It's been pretty quiet and peaceful so far, surprisingly. Not that I'm complaining. Sometimes it's nice to be out here on a mission without crazy stuff happening, or something going terribly wrong.

[realists]

It hasn't been too bad out here, either. [ since jim's been doing a lot of flying. ] Not any worse than the normal startled beasts.

[ fighting crazed harpy chickens doesn't rate very high on jyn's crazy stuff scale and it didn't go terribly wrong so she doesn't hesitate to agree with jim. it's been a chill mission, lots of surveying, lots of walking. she hasn't been fighting to survive so it almost seems easy, but still with enough of that adrenaline and outdoors to make up for any boredom the actual surveying might lead to.

heck, just being outside period makes up for the boredom. ]

It is nice. Unlikely to die, plus camping. I'm glad we signed up with you.

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?

[bunnyhopped]

[ They don't have time for small fry anyway, so that works out!

With a bit of prior preparation, the engineers at the Guard were able to adapt the data-gathering programs and software to Hana's mech, at least, so she doesn't have to finagle with another gadget while also piloting, and her mech can act as a giant pink version of it. So she glances at the survey that they're essentially building and adding to on this expedition, giving a thoughtful hum as she contemplates what they've been able to do so far. ]

I've been okay! I'm more used to combat ops at home, but over here it's a lot of this exploring stuff which is fun too!

Do you think we'll discover something really epic on this mission?

[winscenario]

[ Not EVERY animal here is out to get them Hana, gosh. No need to fight them all!! ]

Sorry if it lacks excitement, [ Jim offers with an amused tone, voice lilting as he chuckles softly. He gets it, though. Being used to action, to that adrenaline rush, trudging around the abandoned city likely pales in comparison. On her mech she doesn't even find the same obstacles to be so difficult as the rest of the team walking by foot.

She's been doing alright, though. Not complaining about the lack of fighting and monsters either. Jim takes that as a good sign. ]

It's been pretty peaceful so far, so... I don't know. It is just a scouting mission, ideally I'd like to get the data and go back with as little fuss as possible. But out here, I wouldn't dismiss the chance that we'll run into a friend or two. Not sure I'd call that 'epic', though.

[bunnyhopped]

[ (ง'̀-'́)ง ]

Really...

[ She hums thoughtfully. While Hana is certainly used to more fire fights on her missions, she can't deny that she's also been enjoying the more laid-back, exploring kinds of missions she gets to take on here in the Quarantine. ]

But what if we find some super crazy secret about this moon in the wall, or something? That would be a huge plot twist.

[winscenario]

[ They're all used to different paces, different lives. Jim's known from the start that Hana's far more used to fighting and action, and while Jim's no stranger to that himself, a good portion of his missions back home also involved a lot of long, boring hours walking around, studying the land and so on.

To him, it's easier to adapt to a quieter mission like this. ]

If we did then that would qualify as pretty epic, I'd say. Guess we can keep an eye out for that, sure. You never know.