trans_9 | Off to work

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Off to work

||Attention, Attention,|| Stacy's voice rang out suddenly throughout the ship. ||Will the following personnel please report to the Obs Deck:||

||Michael Blanc,||
||Kazami Shiro,|
||Andrew Davis,||
||Aibghalien Marsai,||
||Spiderman--616 universe,||
||Julian Keller,||
||Nanashi,||
||Katara,||
||Lash,||
||Wags-Tail-Alot,||
||Phillip,||
||and Vita.||

||Attention, Attention...|| The message repeats over and over, until all of the people she was calling reported to the Obs Deck.

Once they get there, they're greeted with an unusual sight. The mouth in the huge statue on the wall opens, revealing a screen. On it, the dossier for the mission flickers into display, understandable to every person there. Smaller copies of the dossier appear in holographic form in front of everyone.

The planet's stats, right next to a rotating picture of it, a dusty brown orb with orange clouds overhead:

Planet Designation: Arkez prime
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Scattered pockets of hardy flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: None.
Sentient Life: None.
Water: 13% of the planet's surface.

Climate: Arid, desert climate [Click here for cultural equivalents for non-Earth cultures.]
Landscape: Dry, arid, desert landscape.
Air: Normoxic concentration: 28% oxygen, 62% nitrogen, 5% xenon, 5% trace gases, such as hydrogen, krypton, and argon.

Air Pressure: 14.543 pounds per square inch.
Sky: Red with orange clouds.
Sun: A class F2V, yellow star.

Warnings: Terrain can be hazardous. Recommend caution when navigating terrain.

Mission: Minor Ohm splinter force detected on planet's surface. No Node detected, minor threat. Destroy before reinforcements arrive. Ohm artillery detected. Unable to send in heavy weaponry to engage. Ambush/Reconnaissance team will deploy to reduce Ohm threat prior to full engagement. Details to be provided.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wags held back a whine. Okay, definitely smaller than what we saw on Zokez, but that's only relatively. There's gotta be a hundred guys there. Mostly the small ones, but they got a couple of the one that look like they're on fire, one of the big-ass spiders, and two I've never seen before.

I have enhancement spells ready for anybody in close proximity. They will last twenty minutes or so, and should be sufficient to cover all of us. Strength, endurance, and flight. Let me know.

Aibghalien stayed close to but not on the ground, scrutinizing the enemies with a keen eye.

I also have a number of destructive spells at the ready, as well as ones dedicated to battlefield control. In short, tell me what you want obliterated.

Andy was staying behind, not transformed yet like Lash was. Right now he needed to, well, make sure they didn't see him.

That said, he was still ready to transform at a moments notice.

Only a hundred? And only one... Tank? Was that what Cargn called them? Kazami casts his gaze over the group with them. I fear that Stacy may have sent too many people on this mission. He'll allow a little bit of confidence to seep through, to try and keep the others from worrying too much.

The only ones I'm worried about are the new ones, the firecasters, and the Tank. The small ones aren't half as tough as one of Destron's mutants, I've killed dozens of them. He looks over his shoulder at Julian. There was no point in saying it again, the boy knew that everyone was waiting on his word. Kazami may be used to working alone, but he's lead, and been led, often enough to have some discipline about things.

Katara took a breath when she heard the layout. She wasn't sure about the terrain, but if they were anywhere near water, she knew which Ohm she'd be targeting. She'd already faced the grunts before, and was pretty sure this team would be able to take them out. That tank, really, was what she was worried about.

Hiding wouldn't be hard: this wasn't the first time that she had to go incognito.

Julian looked at the map, and weighed his options.

«Alright, we'll split into three groups. Phillip, you're with ~~the flats~~ Michael. Katara and ~~Aig~~ ~~Alib~~ the elf are with me. The rest of you are going to meet up with the Spider-man and the wolf.»

«When the rest of you get there, I'll kick up a dust storm. It won't last long, but should give you enough cover that they won't know you there until you're right on time of them. Hit'em hard and fast, and get their attention. I need you to draw them off, pull as many of them as you can away from the water and from the firebugs. Especially the tank.»

«Once you have their attention, Katara, the Elf, and I will come in from the back end and take out the firebugs. Those are the main target. Once they're taken down, we'll signal Stacy and everyone withdraws. Michael, you find a spot that gives you a good vantage point. You and Phillip will be directing and covering our retreat.»

That seemed like a fairly solid plan, though it was predicated on the belief that the Firebugs, while good for taking out starships and large carriers from miles away, weren't much use against a few, small faster moving targets right in front of them.

«Everyone got that? Good. Now pick up a boost from the elf, then get ready to move out.»

Aibghalien, the wizard correct patiently, readying his magics.

Once people moved properly into position, he quickly cast mass bear's endurance (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bearsEnduranceMass.htm), mass bull's strength (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bullsStrengthMass.htm), and mass fly (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndlive/spells.php?ID=5248) on those assembled.

Just be careful Spidey replied, using the waldoes and the devices Phillip gave him to watch the creatures - and take pictures within the suit's hard drive, just in case. Spider-Sense is a tad bit wild here, meaning they're a bit on the wild side. Knowing our luck? They'll probably attack me and Clifford right about now.

You're just saying that so they don't do it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. You say they won't attack us, they'll attack us. You say they'll attack us, they'll attack us. No option that doesn't involve them trying to rip off our heads so they can wear them as jaunty chapeaus. Wags said.

Katara nodded quietly to herself. This was pretty much exactly what she'd expected would happen, more or less. She definitely understood that she'd have to help take down the firebugs, and the others would be assigned to thin the head, so to speak, so none of the others rushed to the firebug's aid. The moment she had water at her fingertips, she wouldn't waste any time: they had to take them down before reinforcements arrived. She didn't want a repeat of last time.

Quick, deliberate and strong. As it was, she could already feel strength coming to her: was this what Aibga-alien was capable of?

She had trouble with the name herself.

Right. Just say the word.

Of course Nanashi was happy to be pulling everything else away from the firebugs. It was bad enough that it was so arid here, she didn't appreciate the thought of anything to due with fire.

We should just take the initiative instead. I know I can take a lot of hits before I am disabled, so shall I do my best to draw the tank's fire?

Wags was tempted to let her do it, but decided against it

Were you even paying attention last time we fought these guys? As much as I want something horrible to happen to you, I'm voting we don't go with your suicidal idea. Shut up and stick to the fucking plan.

The tank doesn't fire anything, anyway. It knocks things over. It's the flamethrowing bugs that have the range. Kazami rubs his neck, looking at the sky. Someone, save him from masters of strategery. The wolf's way of putting it, I don't agree with. But his sentiments, I do. Julian Keller is in charge, with a decent strategy, and I'm not sure that a woman who gets even the combat capabilities of the enemy wrong is the one to disregard his orders for.

Drawing away the tank was among the things he requested, and I did not say that it was firing anything. Besides, I am not saying that I would not need help.

Oh? I misheard you say that you wanted to draw the tank's fire? He snorts. Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable in the rear, while we handle everything.

Is this really productive? Unless I misunderstand, what she's proposing is in line with the strategy of the first group drawing out the tank and... soldiers? I suppose? Her proposition is that she specifically attracts the attention of the tank, hypothesizing in a vacuum that her ability to withstand its assault exceeds that of the others. If we assume this isn't baseless, what is the point of argument? It is either acceptable to allow one person to specify a target or not.

Aibghalien's mind simply worked on levels beyond the norm, and communication by the commrings exacerbates that. The sentiments poured through like a wall of rock, sharp and heavy and entirely too fast.

The problem with drawing the tank is that it's far too clustered within the environs to be counted as a possible alternative to the strategy. However, our mission is to take out the artillery as quickly as possible, in order to eliminate the rest of the Ohm within a specified time. Stacy will not wait forever for us.

Phillip rubbed his chin and wondered something. Micheal, if you will, I'd like to try something to perhaps give us a edge in all of this. Specify keywords: I might be able to pull up a winning strategy from the Gaia Library.

And with that, Phillip closed his eyes as green-yellow light flowed from him and his eyes closed. Please proceed while I am doing the look up.

Wait, if you're trying to think of something and they haven't seen us yet, then why should we start the attack?

Ah my apologies then. I keep forgetting I don't have Shotarou with me.

«Shut. Up. All of you.» God... this group. At least the X-Men bickered while following orders.

«We don't have a whole lot of time before they figure out we're here. Get into position, we're starting the assault.»

Katara had not said anything during the arguing. She figured all that would have done was made things worse, and it was a fairly delicate operation to begin with. At this point it was typical: people were going to bicker and have different ideas, but ultimately, Julian was the leader. What he said, they'd have to follow.

She felt that tightness in her throat and that fluttering in her stomach. Time to face the Ohm again.

While the arguing was going on, things weren't going entirely unnoticed.

In fact, if they were to take a look back at the Ohm, they'd notice something missing now.

The Tank, specifically.

Oh, wait, there he is! Looking down at them from atop a nearby hill.

Oh...Oh shit. Well, there goes the element of surprise.

The massive beast rears up slightly and lets out an inhuman rumbling, and in a few moments, the Ohm Grunts began to rush in towards them.

Time to get to work, it seems.

As the group was arguing, Spider-Man's Spider-Sense started blazing louder. Noticing the missing Tank, he began to call out to the group. Guys? Guys? Hello! We got a problem! Tank's missing! Everyone, it's...

Cue rumbling.

...just found us.

Retracting the waldoes and retrieving Phillip's devices, Spidey sprang up as the Grunts came out at them. "At this point, I just want to say... DO YOU APES WANNA LIVE FOREVER?!"

Aibghalien, with a sigh, cast Invisibility on himself, then took off in a wide arc around the battlefield.

I'm still with the plan. Moving around behind. If the fire-things move, I'll engage them from whatever angle I'm at.

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