Coalition Operations II: Escape from New Colorado

[Vosur Aekira]

"Sounds good to me." she spoke, taking off in a run. "Let's hope the others make it safely still."

[Rayleonarde]

Jayce prayed silently, waiting for Eddie to stop. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that all things fear something. The trophy-maker was no exception. Jayce’s mouth curled into a cruel grin.
‘Hunting a hunter,’ the Mongdrigan thought. ‘First time for everything.’

[Mikala]

Emilá heeds Kyva’s warning, continuing on as fast as she can without touching the lines until they come to the station. “I imagine Mesmerin and Commander Dazzel will beat us there, seeing as a power outage doesn’t affect the surface as much.”

[Alessia Starfurr]

"Not necessarily." Kyva replied "It may be darker down here ,but remember the lights are out up there too, the sun has set, down here we have an almost direct route to the Mall they may not." Kyva added as he ran along with Emilia.

[Romulan_Furry]

*** En Route to Gunnison, New Colorado ***

Having no success contacting Mesmerin on the standard frequencies, Eddie switched to one that he knew wouldn't be jammed. "Sheriff Eddie Morales to Asset Merlin-Zero-One, do you copy?" As he proceeded with this latest attempt, a nearby sign read "WELCOME TO GUNNISON". Near it, there was a woman, dazed and confused, wandering toward the road.

*** En Route to Gunnison Mall, Gunnison, New Colorado ***

Mesmerin kept up his pace until he heard a clear transmission: "Sheriff Eddie Morales to Asset Merlin-Zero-One, do you copy?" It was enough for Mesmerin to stop in his tracks, giving a hand signal to Sora to halt.

"Merlin-Zero-One copies - go ahead, sheriff," he responded.

*** Gunnison Residential area, Gunnison, New Colorado ***

The power outage wasn't anything detrimental for young Molly. Just meant she had an opportunity to look outside with those night vision goggles her mother gave her for her recent birthday.

It was a mistake. The moment she looked over the yard, she spotted a black, humanoid yet insectoid creature in the yard, and it snarled at her. Terrified, she screamed, and ran to her bed, screaming for her daddy. Her mother and father both came bursting through the door, and when Molly tried to explain what she saw, they didn't believe her. Megan - her mother - tried to talk about how she used to have nightmares at Molly's age, but Molly insisted it was real. her father tried to prove there was no monster at the window, shining a flashlight at it as he said, "See? No monster."

Wrong. The Xenomorph had the father on the floor chewing on him in an instant. Unarmed, unarmored, and unprepared, Megan grabbed Molly and ran.

*** Unspecified location ***

K'Tath's voice would crackle over Cobalt's radio. "... Is this thing on? Tell me this frequency's not f***ed up as well..."

[Vosur Aekira]

Sora picked up the signal, not needing Mesmerin to do the hand-gesture to stop her due to this. Out of caution, she pulled her pistols off of her belt, looking about as her helmet's heads-up display was showing an automatic-direction-finder while it was trying to best tune-in on the emergency frequency.

[Alessia Starfurr]

"Spotty ,but much better than it was before should clear up a little as i focus the comm system on your frequency..."Colbalt said followed by the sound of MIc Feedback quickly fading, followed by Cobalt cursing to herself...

[Mikala]

Emilá runs up the stairs of the subway station onto the street. The mall looms in front of them, but people are in chaos from the sudden power loss. “Jeez people. It’s just power and communications.” She says sarcastically.

[Romulan_Furry]

"Merlin! Look, things are going to s***, fast. You got an exfil strategy?" Eddie asked, seemingly oblivious to his vehicle approaching the dazed, wandering woman.

"We can discuss an exfil plan once we're all together - RV point is Gamma Mike, north of the station. Get there, ASAP. Merlin out," came Mesmerin's response.

*** Gunnison Cemetary ***

Perched up in a tree was K'Tath, with a medical kit before him. nearby, Megan and Molly were entering the area, but K'Tath seemed not to notice. "Cobalt, ignore the screams you hear for the next couple minutes," K'Tath told his lover. "It's just me doing first aid on myself." He grabbed one particular tool. "Kids, don't try this at home..."

Megan moved quickly through the graveyard, trying to keep Molly calm, considering they both left Tim to the "monster". She stopped suddenly when a man came up from behind one of the headstones. "Quiet!" he quietly exclaimed. He motioned his hands for them to approach, whispering, "Come on, come on..." Molly and Megan ducked behind an adjacent headstone.

"Mommy, I'm scared..." Molly whimpered. The man looked back at them.

"Did you see one?" he asked. Megan and Molly looked to him, but never responded. The man took it as an affirmation. "Me, too."

An echoing roar sounded as K'Tath used the device to cauterize and seal the gash in his side. The man cocked the .357 Magnum Revolver he was carrying. Molly began crying she wanted to see her father and go home. "Shut her up!" the man whispered hoarsely.

"Hey - put the cigarette out and get down!" Megan suggested.

"**** you! I'm not gonna die hiding!" the man growled.

This was enough to get K'Tath's attention. When he saw Megan and Molly hiding behind the adjacent headstone, he came to the conclusion the man was threatening them - which wasn't far off, given how he was speaking in evident hostility and pointing a 357 at them. Not gonna sit well with K'Tath. If there was one thing he'd kill someone for, it's when that person threatened a child.

A quick Plasma blast to the head cut the man's sentence short, before he could say what he'd do to Molly if she didn't shut up. Megan hesitated. If there was a sniper in the area, they knew she was here, thanks to the loudmouth plant worker. At the same time, however, she had to keep moving. So she took a chance. She gathered her remaining strength, and took Molly and ran for the exit. No further shots rang out.

*** Gunnison Mall Parking Lot ***

Mesmerin, after telling Eddie where to meet the rest of the gang, resumed course for the mall. Of course, he got a subtle hint in the Force that something was in there. And he wasn't gonna take chances. He loaded a round into the chamber of his rifle, and armed the integrated Disruptor.

[Vosur Aekira]

"I've got a direction on that transmission." Sora spoke quietly, both pistols switching to armed mode. "Definitely from the center of the Mall. If you know enough about this creature, weaknesses would be ideal. Heat, cold, impact... anything would be useful."

[Alessia Starfurr]

"Merlin! Look, things are going to s***, fast. You got an exfil strategy?" Eddie asked, seemingly oblivious to his vehicle approaching the dazed, wandering woman.

"We can discuss an exfil plan once we're all together - RV point is Gamma Mike, north of the station. Get there, ASAP. Merlin out," came Mesmerin's response.

*** Gunnison Cemetary ***

Perched up in a tree was K'Tath, with a medical kit before him. nearby, Megan and Molly were entering the area, but K'Tath seemed not to notice. "Cobalt, ignore the screams you hear for the next couple minutes," K'Tath told his lover. "It's just me doing first aid on myself." He grabbed one particular tool. "Kids, don't try this at home..."

Megan moved quickly through the graveyard, trying to keep Molly calm, considering they both left Tim to the "monster". She stopped suddenly when a man came up from behind one of the headstones. "Quiet!" he quietly exclaimed. He motioned his hands for them to approach, whispering, "Come on, come on..." Molly and Megan ducked behind an adjacent headstone.

"Mommy, I'm scared..." Molly whimpered. The man looked back at them.

"Did you see one?" he asked. Megan and Molly looked to him, but never responded. The man took it as an affirmation. "Me, too."

An echoing roar sounded as K'Tath used the device to cauterize and seal the gash in his side. The man cocked the .357 Magnum Revolver he was carrying. Molly began crying she wanted to see her father and go home. "Shut her up!" the man whispered hoarsely.

"Hey - put the cigarette out and get down!" Megan suggested.

"**** you! I'm not gonna die hiding!" the man growled.

This was enough to get K'Tath's attention. When he saw Megan and Molly hiding behind the adjacent headstone, he came to the conclusion the man was threatening them - which wasn't far off, given how he was speaking in evident hostility and pointing a 357 at them. Not gonna sit well with K'Tath. If there was one thing he'd kill someone for, it's when that person threatened a child.

A quick Plasma blast to the head cut the man's sentence short, before he could say what he'd do to Molly if she didn't shut up. Megan hesitated. If there was a sniper in the area, they knew she was here, thanks to the loudmouth plant worker. At the same time, however, she had to keep moving. So she took a chance. She gathered her remaining strength, and took Molly and ran for the exit. No further shots rang out.

*** Gunnison Mall Parking Lot ***

Mesmerin, after telling Eddie where to meet the rest of the gang, resumed course for the mall. Of course, he got a subtle hint in the Force that something was in there. And he wasn't gonna take chances. He loaded a round into the chamber of his rifle, and armed the integrated Disruptor.

"EDDIE STOP!!!" Rae said almost attempting to slamm on the brakes herself.

*** Gunnison Cemetary ***

"What the heck was that all about, are people really that paranoid!?"


***Gunnison,Subway exit ***

Kyva  'threw' himself out of the subway exit, running for the mall he skidded to a stop, a large group of people blocked his way.

[Mikala]

Emilá stares at the wall of people. “What now?” She hisses.

[Romulan_Furry]

"Long briefing, not enough time," Mesmerin told Sora as he dashed through the parking lot.

Unbeknownst to him, K'Tath was a half-kilometer away, tracking another Xenomorph trail that went toward the mall. The sun had vanished completely, and the stars were blocked by a sudden rainstorm that had blown in from the sea. Emergency Radio chatter indicated that the Nuclear Power Plant K'Tath had been in earlier had caught fire, and the fire had spread through the entire plant, prompting evacuation. Surprisingly, WY agreed to evacuation, and called in the UNSC Colonial Guard.

Great, K'Tath thought. More meddlers. He had enough to deal with as it is. The Xenomorph outbreak itself was a handful.

*** Highway ***

Eddie barely stopped in time to avoid hitting Darcy. She screamed, almost coming into contact with the SUV. Eddie immediately and instinctively got out and went to her. "Darcy?! What the hell are you doing out here? What happened?"

Darcy was completely incoherent, sobbing something about the hotel, and Carrie's stomach being gone with so much blood, and kept repeating "she's dead". Eddie gently got her into the SUV and opened the channel to Mesmerin. "Merlin, we have unconfirmed reports of casualties in Gunnison, can you confirm?"

"Negative, but given what we're up against, it would not surprise me. I'll brief you all at the RV point. Suggest you floor it there and don't stop. Merlin out."

[Alessia Starfurr]

"i'm a telepath, do you want me to read her memories to figure out what she's trying to talk about, sherrif?" Rae offered "With her permission of course." the white vixen added.



***Gunnison, mall***
"I suppose we go over."Kyva said wrapping his arms aroind Emila. "I'm going to jump with you, you okay with that?" he asked.

[Vosur Aekira]

"Fair enough, normal rounds until you tell me otherwise." Sora spoke quietly as she kept in the chase, attaching one pistol back to her hips to allow her a free-hand to ease mobility and yet remain able to fight. Her helmet's receiver picked up on several channels having currently-strong signal in the area. "Emergency services say there are fires in the local power-plant, they are currently in evacuation procedure. They will not be able to restore power until the fire is taken-care-of. A state-of-emergency message's been broadcast out, intended for UNSC Colonial Guard." She forced herself to not slow down despite something else being brought to her attention. "There're reports of shots being fired. Rifle or high-caliber handgun in description and also possibility of casualties. This place is starting to tear itself apart without that 'thing' adding to it."