Missing in Action

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

Nol covered behind the rock out crop as another set of shells went over into the valley behind him. The sweat poured down his face in the dying light of day. He checked his rifle as shot and screams could be heard all around him. "Here we go" he said to the woman soldier beside him. He stared at the woman for a minute or two longer, for some reason he had the feeling he knew this woman. Her face and voice were familiar. Yet he did not know her. But there was no time for that now. He saw his captain poke his head over another outcrop near theirs and start firing again. Nol smiled as he followed suit with the rest of the Independent Soldiers. "Take this you Huh choo-shung huh tza-jiao duh tzang-huo!" Nol said as he let loose his clip from his weapon. Then took cover as the next wave of Alliance gunfire came past.

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Huh choo-shung huh tza-jiao duh tzang-huo!
"Filthy fornicators of livestock!"

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

The bustle of the market made way for the relative quiet of the residential area, the two so close together that it was literally a block's walk from one to the other. As much as she loved the market, the sudden change from the silence of the ship to the crushing crowds of the market made Charlie a little panicky sometimes.

It didn't help that she had a crawling feeling along her spine. The weird feeling that someone had been following her. She went as far as to duck into the shelter of a doorway, waiting and watching to see if anyone appeared. Nothing.

"You're paranoid, kid," she murmured to herself, leaning against the cool stone wall and closing her eyes for just a second.

There was a sudden sharp sting in the side of her neck and then...nothing.

Charlie opened her eyes. The sounds of a battle roared to life, making her jump with fright. She was sitting on the ground, a jut of rock behind her back, a rifle in her lap.

"I've gone mad." she whispered to herself. It was quite likely she was in shock. No, almost certainly she was in shock. Or else she was just really ready to puke her guts up, and then she'd be peachy. It was a close run contest in her head.

What the hell was going on?

A familiar voice spoke up next to her and she turned to see Law go a little trigger happy right before bullets began whizzing part their heads. She may have squeaked in fright. Loudly.

Grabbing Law's arm, she pulled him down close enough to be sure he heard her when she spoke. Her tone clearly said 'I've been given a gun and I will shoot you if I'm not happy with the answer'.

"Wèi! What in God's name have you gotten us into?" She paused, something catching her eye. She looked around. Then back at Law. "Browncoats? You've somehow got us playing Browncoats? What is this? Where's the rest of the crew?"


<Tag>

1502
Bluewater
Marketplace

Richie didn't actually have anything to do, given that he wasn't an official part of the crew and was still contemplating leaving. Still, he went along with the others to look around Bluewater and see if he could find anything of use to him.

The market seemed as good a place as any to look. Sleek and well-designed buildings stood all around, some with fancy stores and services, but it was the oddly placed market that seemed to get the most interest among the crew.

He was negotiating with a stallholder over the price of some religious literature when he noticed something unusual pass by and excused himself to go and investigate. Weaving through the crowd, he kept his eyes trained on the streak of blue he could see up ahead. Someone's back framed by the people walking between he or she and Richie. They both came out in a clearing (or, more truthfully, a less densely packed part of the crowd). It was just as Richie suspected. An Alliance officer.

He casually turned around and headed back the way he had come, gaining speed as he got further from the officer. Katylinn and the rest of the crew came into view up ahead, packing up their purchases.

"Alliance," he said, short and sweet, to get their attention. It worked. "I saw an Alliance officer. Should we leave?" He really didn't want to go through another interrogation anytime soon. He was still praying for forgiveness for the last batch of lies he told the Alliance.


<Tag>

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

"Wèi! What in God's name have you gotten us into?" "Browncoats? You've somehow got us playing Browncoats? What is this? Where's the rest of the crew?"

Nol looked at the woman a little strange at first as the bullets went going past. Then he was hit with a strange vision of sorts.

Flashback:

He sat there smug as some one walked in. "Well, I call that a good day" he said to them. "Indeed," she said, deadpan, snagging Law's new hat and setting it on her own head. She got three shotglasses from the counter and sat at the dining table with them, leaning back to rest her boots - and the bottle of brandy - on the table. She chuckled, cracking the top on the bottle and filling the shot glasses. Well, I was thinking that you guys could do the repairs while I do girly stuff. Like actually have a shower, and do my hair, and possibly wear a skirt." She pretended to think about this and frowned. "But then Nightfall would probably crash and burn the next time we attempted a docking. We all know Cap'n sucks at anything involving his hands." "Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi!?" Nol said looking at Charlie.

End Flashback:

Nol looked at the woman confused as he came out of the blackout. "I know you somehow, Ch .... Ch .... Charlie is that right?" he asked as another voice rang in on the conversation. "Goram it Seargent Law, Stop flapping your lips and help us fight" the Captain said firing again. But Nol just stared at Charlie, a confused and lost look in his eyes.

Tag Charlie

1502
Bluewater
Marketplace

Katylinn was wandering around the marketplace, searching for a new coffee machine; one that the rest of the crew certainly would not be allowed to touch after the abuse her now beaten old machine had taken at the hands of the Nightfall crew. She was pulled from her examination of a newer machine, a combination of some coin she had hidden away and their last pay giving her just enough for an actual new machine, not just a better second hand machine. She looked up to Ritchie and shook her head, "not until we get everyone together, until then we'll just have to blend in and not draw their attention, if you'd prefer Shepard you can go back to the ship... Or remain her when he leave. The choice is yours" She had come in on the tail end of his declaration of his intent to leave when she had entered the mess, and could understand his reasoning; she was the first mate it was not her place to debate the moral abyss that he felt he was sinking into.

Katylinn turned to the rest of the crew and gave a small shrug, "Okay lets get our stores back onto the ship and try and find Charlie and the Captain, knowing them they would have gotten themselves into a spot of bother".

Tag

1503
Bluewater
Marketplace

Marcus had been looking some boots at one of the nearby stalls when he’d seen Richie rush by, and promptly set down the boots with a sigh. Just when he’d finally found a pair that he liked, some emergency or another decided to pop up and ruin his day.

Moving quickly through the crowds, he makes it to where the others are, and is somewhat disconcerted by the lack of either the captain or the mechanic. Stretching to his full height, he slowly scans the market area that’s visible, but doesn’t see so much as a flash of movement or color that would indicate either of the two other crewmembers being anywhere nearby. That worried him. Between the possibility of Alliance personnel potentially being in the vicinity, and Nolen and Charlie likely missing, his nerves were quickly getting piano-string tight.

Addressing Katylinn, he speaks.

“Ma’am, with your permission, I’ll go on recon, see what I can find out.”

He pulls his radio from a pocket inside his jacket, which, for once, is left open. He turns the small knob a couple clicks before putting the earpiece in his left ear, and the radio then disappears back into his jacket.

While he only had his pistol and knife on him, he didn’t feel any particular need to go get his rifle. If push came to shove, he could ‘borrow’ one.

Tag

1503
Bluewater
Marketplace

"not until we get everyone together, until then we'll just have to blend in and not draw their attention, if you'd prefer Shepard you can go back to the ship... Or remain her when he leave. The choice is yours"

"I'll stay," Richie said without giving it much thought. If he were to leave, it wouldn't be for Bluewater. The place was a little too sleek and Alliance-ridden for him. Anywhere with more than one Alliance officer was too full of them for his liking.

Of course, it could just be that a part of him didn't want to leave the Nightfall at all.

“Ma’am, with your permission, I’ll go on recon, see what I can find out.”

"Maybe I can help?" Richie spoke up. "Everyone trusts a shepherd."


Tag

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

"I know you somehow, Ch .... Ch .... Charlie is that right?"

Just. Freakin'. Great.

"Yes, that's right," Charlie said without much patience, looking for somewhere safer to move to. There wasn't anywhere. Which wasn't all that surprising since they were in the middle of a war. What the hell was going on?

She peered over the rocks into the battle going on beyond. There was no way this was real. This had all finished a decade ago. Done, kaput, dead as a dead thing. And yet here they were.

"This must be in my head. Or a game. Maybe my tech is malfunctioning..." she pondered aloud, stripping off the brown jacket as she did. She hadn't been a soldier then, she wouldn't be one now. "Excuse me. I'm going to claim asylum. If I'm going insane I'd rather do it in the comfort of an Alliance ship."


Tag

1503
Bluewater
Marketplace

Katylinn nodded to Ritchie and then to Marcus. "Thank you boys, Marcus if you and the Shepard could do some recon - The doctor has agreed to getting some supplies and then staying on the ship so if you need him that's where you'll no doubt find him. Keep in contant, I'd rather not lose any more of my crew. I'll keep the others with me and search as well. See if we can't dig up what's happened to the Captain and Charlie."

Katylinn nodded to the Shepard and Marcus and then turned in the opposite direction to begin searching the market. She clicked on her radio, "Doctor Druitt, the Captain and Miss Cordoy have gone missing. We are searching now, I'd appreciate it if you remain with Nightfall and be on standby. Thank you" she said tersely into the radio. Even after some time with the man on the ship, she still didn't like him any better. Pushing those thoughts aside she began combing the market with Amane, asking the most likely stall owners to have seen them if they had.

Tag

1506
Bluewater
Marketplace

Amane followed close to Katylinn, uncertain of whether she was supposed to be a pretty face or actually help. She stood to the side, watching as Katylinn questioned several of the customers. Her eye was caught by a stall of fresh fruit and she tugged Katylinn's arm, turning her toward the stand.

"May we stop a moment? I have a few credits we can use," her tone was deferential but she was willing to sneak off if she had to, it had been nearly a month since she'd had fresh fruit of any kind. They'd been talking for a while now, walking through the crowded market not something Amane was accustomed too. Her swords "Hikaru" and "Yami" were settled over her right hip, over the plain black pants and long purple tank top. She knew her armbands made her an "easy" mark, which was why she carried the katana.

She paid for the apples, handing one to Katylinn as they continued on their way, Amane finding she could distract the customers into revealling more than they might have originally.

Tag

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

Yes, that's right,"
"This must be in my head. Or a game. Maybe my tech is malfunctioning..."
"Excuse me. I'm going to claim asylum. If I'm going insane I'd rather do it in the comfort of an Alliance ship."

Nolan shook his head clear as the fighting continued around them, suddenly as a headache began he also began to remember things more like some random images of people and places. But one thing seamed to be a constant they all seamed to trigger off a friend type reaction from within him somewhere. "I think this is my doing somehow Charlie" he said starting to piece things together. He shot a look of dread though at her as he saw a image of this battle in his mind. "Charlie not the time, we need to move. Now!" he said grabbing her arm and pulling her towards a side cave in the wall surrounding the entrenched troops. Just in time too as Alliance bombers came over the ridge and proceeded to drop the payload on top of the brown coats position. "I have a feeling I have already lived this event in time, it's like this place is special. Nightfall Cove, why can't I remember" he said frustrated watching the onslaught from their cave.

Tag Charlie

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

Nolan and Charlie had been on the run for what seamed to be hours from and enemy that they couldn't see but could hear. As they rounded a corner Nolan spotted another smaller cave that they could hide in. "Charlie in there quick" he said then followed her in. Upon entering he noticed that the cave was a lot larger inside than the entrance looked. "Looks like we are going to be here a while, Any Idea's on why I'm reliving a event from the past ?" he asked his mechanic. Nolan didn't hear the answer as he blacked out.

Unknown
Bluewater
Alliance Research Centre

Nolan woke up screaming as a Couple of doctors began to probe him in the chest with some machine, After a few minutes of pain they stopped and talked to someone in the dark. Nolan looked to his left and saw Charlie laying on the bed next to him with a mask on her and Doctors around her. Then he saw them coming back and plunged a large needle into his chest. The pain that it caused, caused him to scream through the mask as he blacked out again.

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

Nolan woke up in the cave to Charlies voice, "What happen ?" he asked.

Tag Charlie

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

"Looks like we are going to be here a while, Any Idea's on why I'm reliving a event from the past ?"

"In one word? None," Charlie muttered. She threw the brown coat she'd been wearing on the ground, near the wall of the cave, and sat down. Outside the sounds of war seemed muffled somewhat. She patted herself over checking for wounds before looking up to see why Law had gone silent.

He wasn't there.

And then suddenly he was. Lying on the ground, breathing rapid, eyeballs rolling around in REM before unexpectedly snapping open. He should have been sleeping. Now this made sense.

"Law, wake up."

Nolan woke up in the cave to Charlies voice, "What happened?" he asked.

"You disconnected for a moment. This is a goddamned virtual simulation. Only Alliance have the tech for something this high end." And there was the kicker. If they were in an Alliance VR world, then the Alliance had their bodies. Who knew where they were or who was looking for them? Or if the others were even alive...


Tag Law

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

"Law, wake up."
Nolan woke up in the cave to Charlies voice, "What happened?" he asked.
"You disconnected for a moment. This is a goddamned virtual simulation. Only Alliance have the tech for something this high end."

Nol looked at Charlie blankly, "Huh, what are you talking about, Disconnected, It sounds like your telling me that I'm in a video game made by the Alli .... " Then it all flashed back to him the room and alliance scientists. He explained what he had seen to Charlie and at the end added another thing. "We need to move, If this is acting like my memory of the battle, then this cave will not be safe for much longer. If I remember it we need to get to the valley were the escape shuttle are" he said picking up his stuff from the floor.

Tag Charlie

1506
Bluewater
Marketplace

Jett MacMillian was an old Brown coat General turned smuggler, and also a dear friend of Nolan and Katylinn. In fact it was Jett that convinced them both to start up a crew and buy an old ship to run about in. Jett ran through the crowd in the market place looking for a certain person in the crowd. He was thinking talk about needle in a haystack. He turned in to an alley in order to avoid the men following him. He had noticed the two men when he left the nightfall. He waited in the shadows as the two men rounded in to the alley. Then two gun shots and Jett walked out the shadows in to the crowd again. After another half an hour, he bumped into just the person he was looking for. "Katy, I have been looking for you. I need to talk to you but not here, somewhere much less public" he said to her smiling to all the others there.

Tag All

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

"We need to move, If this is acting like my memory of the battle, then this cave will not be safe for much longer. If I remember it we need to get to the valley were the escape shuttle are"

Charlie moved closer to the mouth of the cave and gingerly peered out. The sounds of explosions and gunfire intensified, an acrid smell hung in the air, figures moved quickly amidst the hillsides. Simulation or not, this was terrifying.

"If you remember it? These are our lives at stake, Captain. We die here, we die in the real world." An explosion sounded particularly close by, debris flying past the mouth of the cave. Charlie flattened herself against the cave fall and cast a withering look in Law's direction. "They couldn't have chosen my life, could they? Our biggest challenge would have been throwing a drunken bar brawler down a flight of stairs(!)"

She took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to calm down and block out the sounds from outside, psyching herself up. God, she hoped the others were trying to get them out of this. What she wouldn't give to be back on the Nightfall right now - she'd even share her best brandy with the others gladly!

"Alright, let's go find this escape shuttle."


Tag Law

1506
Bluewater
Marketplace

Katylinn held up her hand to stop Marcus and Amane from breaking up as she saw Jett running up to her. "Okay Jett, lets get back to the Nightfall and we can discuss it there." She looked over to Marcus and Amane, "okay lets all head back at least then I will know where you all are", she said as she slapped Jett on the shoulders. "Come on Jett lets get back sooner or later". She saw Jaykob retreating through the ship with a nubile twenty-something brunette and she called out. "Druitt best show your friend off the ship we need your skills", she called out, ignoring the look the womanising doctor gave her as he showed the girl off the ship. "Who's been shot or stabbed that needs my immediate intervention he said sarcastically as he approached the group. Katylinn looked to Jett, [b]"Captain and Charlie's missing, I'll bet you'll be needed by the time we find 'em. Jett here has some intel for us"

Tag

Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

"If you remember it? These are our lives at stake, Captain. We die here, we die in the real world." "They couldn't have chosen my life, could they? Our biggest challenge would have been throwing a drunken bar brawler down a flight of stairs(!)"

"Alright, let's go find this escape shuttle."

Nolan glared at Charlie. "I'm sorry Charlie that I can not recall every aspect of my life as crystal clear as what happened yesterday. I realize that Charlie" he said then realized he was losing he temper at the wrong person. He wasn't angry at Charlie in fact he wanted to get her out safe, he was pissed at the people out there doing this to them. "That would have been better and safer" he smirked looking out the mouth of the cave. Nolan waited till there was a clear spot in the fighting, pretty much as the alliance started their retreat. Getting ready to bomb the valley to oblivion. "Okay Charlie lets move" he said moving quickly out of the cave looking back only briefly to see if Charlie was following.

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Unknown
Bluewater
Virtual World
Nightfall Cove

"Okay Charlie lets move"

After this, she was getting a new job. Maybe something in anti-piracy law enforcement or Alliance drugs testing or bungee jumping minus rope. She was fairly sure all of those had a lower chance of death than being a mechanic on the Nightfall.

This was all Law's fault. It always bloody was.

Following him out into flying bullets and debris from exploding bombs, Charlie pulled back on the browncoat jacket. Might as well pick a side, even if it was the losing one. Things were audibly getting quieter, which meant they were dying or surrendering pretty rapidly.

She followed Law down the hillside, sliding into controlled falls where possible to speed up their descent. Rocks and stones dug at her hands, tearing at and embedding in her flesh. She felt something tear through her shirt during one fall, the sharp sting of a shallow cut running from hip to chest.

By the time they reached the valley floor, they both looked like holy hell. Things had fallen deadly quiet at some point, and now Charlie could only hear their own harsh breaths and the distant hum of running engines.

"Is this the end of the battle or is something about to happen?" she whispered to Law, reluctant to start across open ground towards the shuttles without knowing what she was heading into.

Tag Law