trans_9 | Gently, but with undeniable will divesting myself of the holds that would hold me. (Pt. 5: Chances)

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Gently, but with undeniable will divesting myself of the holds that would hold me. (Pt. 5: Chances)

The plan was...well, it wasn't simple, but it sort of was.

While the CLF attacked multiple Clone Processing centers to distract the government, the group with the CLF would target one particular one in the region that'd once been New Jersey. The group with the government would offer their services in putting down their own people.

In the center, they'd split up into several groups. One would fight a fake fight, create a massive diversion, and blow up the room where the samples their DNA were being kept in the process. Another group would secure a teleporter pad. That team would teleport out other teams to steal a ship, steal some med tech to teleport to said ship, and steal a medical database. Another team would go to the main command center and hack into the government mainframe to down the sensornet around the planet so they could escape. And Nightwing himself would accompany the clones to upload the harvested memories to the Mother Brains, left unguarded because of the diversionary fighting, and make sure that was all they did.

Meanwhile, there'd be a standing order for all teams to avoid killing other crewmates, and avoid killing guards unless absolutely necessary.

It was a complicated plan. If a single part fouled up, they might find themselves dead, trapped, or worse. But if it worked, it'd work pretty spectacularly and leave them with medtech, a medical database, the clones helped, and possibly a grateful Council depending on how the fight went, because of the ones seemingly aiding the government.

In some worlds, things that were a million-to-one-chance (exactly a million-to-one) by their nature had to work. Let's hope this world is one of them, eh, mission crew?

[ooc: Only comment to threads if it says they are open here. All threads: OPEN. Characters may get injuries up to and including 7 on the Injury Scale (scroll to the bottom). Any higher, and they must ask permission of the plot-runners, just to make sure everyone isn't immobilized without enough people to help move them.]

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"Maybe it'd be better if we split up, cover more ground. Sakura and I know what we're looking for." He opened the locker with his name on it with the key he'd been given, surveying the things they had been given and making a soft sound. He wished he were half this well prepared on most of the things he gotten invovled in. Uniform, bag, supplies. Really, Kanner had practically given them everything they'd need to pass. Including what looked like a medical kit.

A closer look revealed that it was one, if a very high tech one. Everything a trauma medic could dream of. Shielded case, refrigerated compartment, neatly organized, and apparently, according to the instructions, bio-locked. Whatever that meant, as far as he could tell it seemed to mean that it would only open for him. He didn't waste any time in following the instructions to code it to himself. He tossed his own bag down, quickly grabbing what little medication he had and adding it to the new kit. The rest could easily be regained on the ship and would only add weight that he didn't need. His scanner joined the things he was keeping, the one piece of ship tech that he considered absolutely vital. He grabbed his sword, trainers and the spare t-shirt he'd brought along and sat them down, leaving the Omnicomm in the pile and moving all of the food and supplies he'd gotten from the hotel as quickly and efficiently as possible into the new bag. Changing was as simple as pulling everything on over the plant suit and then withdrawing the thing down to what looked and felt like a hospital bracelet.

He made quick work of the rest of the supplies that Kanner had left for them, stashing the small sealed and labeled packages in new backpack. As far as he could tell, it was mostly food and grooming suplies, as well as an extra uniform shirt and a few of the tiny sealed packages of t-shirts and pants and socks.

He wasn't sure if he should be disturbed or not that Kanner knew what size and sort of pants he prefered.

The backpack was serviceable and seemed to be hardy, clips hooked into his new belt to hold it still and keep the load from shifting. It was a very useful tool, holding everything he might not need immediate access to, unlike the medkit now resting on his hip. He sat down to pull the boots on, glancing at Sakura as he did so. "I could almost thank the guy, seems like he thought of everything." He kept his voice soft, not including Zouchi or Howard in the conversation for the moment.

He glanced at Howard, somewhat concerned. Howard had been...quiet. That wasn't the normal for him. With as dangerous as this mission might become, it worried him a little. "Do you know what happened to Howard? Or is he being worryingly quiet at everyone?" He didn't think he'd ever seen Howard this quiet, it was unnerving, and considering the situation, he didn't need any more of that.

"Do you have objections to us splitting off, sir?" He glanced at his watch. "Three hours to get this job done." Before the teleporters left, with or without them. "Seems we'll get more done if we go in pairs."

He didn't know Zouchi, and that was really the rub, knew he was nominally in charge of this unit and a member of security, but they'd barely interacted before this. If they were going to be going into a possible combat situation, he'd much prefer Sakura at his back. That was the simple thing, they might still be learning each other, but he knew Sakura a whole heck of a lot better.

Sakura was looking at her own locker with her name on it. It was disconcerting to think Kanner had pulled this together so quickly. Would it have been for anyone, any name? Was it just convenience that they'd "decided" to help? All by Dick's orders in the end, but that was a matter of interpretation. Up to a point.

"To us, at least," was her quiet reply to Rory. She figured whatever it was had something to do with them being kidnapped, if she didn't know what the specifics were. Tossing a worried look his way, she steeled her shoulders and opened her own locker.

A note was folded under a strange cylinder of tiny bead-like things. Exceedingly tiny beads. Slipping the note out, she unfolded it, reading what was written there. She was surprised -- she actually could read it.

"Kanner says the security passes are good for everything but the private offices. The big tech is on level 42 and higher. There may be contacts in here, but we shouldn't depend on it. He left clothing changes for all of us." Her lips pulled up into a fleeting smile. "As of right now, we're one of the out of town contingent of doctors here as part of an ongoing conference in dealing with terrorist threats."

Really, it was funny if they thought about it. "It's up to us if we want to trust him, but an outward disguise does an amazing amount to help blend in. People expect doctors, they see doctors, they don't look past that." Tossing her concepts of modesty to the wayside, she didn't mention the end part of the note that told her what was in the cylinder. Sorry, my hair's too noticeable? Don't worry, it's a technical dye, use the wand to get it out later? Shrugging out of her vest, Sakura activated her plantsuit crystal and retracted the suit until it was more of a leotard than anything else. She made short word of pulling the provided clothing on, slipping a kunai up one sleeve, explosive tags up another.

Stashing her flak vest in with the small backpack located in the locker, she turned back to face the rest of the group. The cylinder was in her hands, and then upturned over her head. It felt like sand falling on her scalp, and she ran her hands through it. The most unnerving crawling sensation made her grimace. Not long afterward, patches of pink hair were going black, until Sakura sported a very different look than usual. She belatedly remembered to rub at her eyebrows, transmitting enough of the -- what, nanites? -- to turn even her eyebrows black. "Split up, we should be able to cover more ground. It's your call, Zouichi. I know you and Howard have worked together before, but you've never really seen me outside of 'Daisy.' Rory and I can work the opposite end from you both and meet up again in the middle, if you think that'd work best."

His call.

For someone as fixated on licking his wounds as he currently is, Howard's still paying exactly the right amount of attention one should pay to a mission where you have a few hours to steal something and get out or end up either dead or trapped on the Worst Planet Ever - which is saying something, since Howard's previous vacation spots included Epicurea (hated it) and Saturnus IV (hated it like burning). The last thing he wants to do is get stuck here, either with the Galileean people or the CLF - all of whom he has very special and specific feelings of loathing for - and let the rest of the team down on top of that humiliating put-down earlier today.

Besides, stealing is one of those cruel, selfish, mean things he's very good at.

Bitter and hurt? What bitter and hurt?

He gets dressed in the uniform, not speaking a word to the other three as he does so. The new med kits are nice, although he does feel a little sentimental pang discarding his old beaten-up kit with the quick-rigged strap. Like Rory, he takes only what he needs from his old kit, plus the candybars and shampoo bottles from the hotel because screw you, Galilee. Also, hair conditioner can be used for a variety of purposes, including greasing, and if they have to move anything heavy or quickly it might help.

Upon his hearing that the private rooms won't be opened by the pass, into his backpack go his lockpicks and spare shoelaces. The food supplies, too, though Howard has no idea why any reasonable people would need them for a three-hour heist, but he's not going to complain about them.

He is a bit worried about being stopped for looking as obviously fifteen as he is. Maybe not saying much will serve a double purpose - there'll be less of a chance for outsiders to hear his voice crack.

Were he in a better mood, he may have made a tension-breaking comparison to Ocean's 11 or The Getaway or one of the Fast and the Furious movies. But instead, he just gives them a curt nod that he's ready.

Besides, he's always hated locker rooms.

Zouichi nodded sharply in Rory's direction. "No need for the 'sir'; you can call me Zouichi. And I agree. However, I think in the interest of getting things done quickly and without injury -- Sakura. You and Howard can work together, yes? I assume the both of you are familiar with each other from Medical."

He turned back to Rory. "Rory, I'd like you to come with me. I know we've never really worked with each other, but I'll be able to guard your back. I'd like both teams to have one crew member who knows exactly what equipment we need to take, and at least one used to battle situations in case things go south and we're forced into a confrontation."

Zouichi paused, looking at each of them in turn, particularly careful to watch Howard. "Objections?"

"Yes, actually. Both Sakura and I can handle ourselves in combat, and we've worked together in the past and know how to work with each other. Howard has a better knowledge than most what will be useful in medical. He's more than capable of pointing you in the right direction." He nodded politely in Howard's direction, voice serious and calm, giving his reasoning for the objection. "Contrarily, I've never worked with you before. If it comes down to a fight, my preference will be to have someone I know guarding my back rather than someone I've barely exchanged pleasantries with." There was knowledge in his eyes, and a slight shifting in his body language as he stood. He had been a soldier, once. Might be again once his head finished straightening itself out.

He lifted his sword from the bench, adjusting it until it hung at a comfortable and assessable angle, giving himself a moment to think before addressing Zouchi again. He was still facing the locker, not even looking at him as he fussed with the sheath. He had thought at first pass that Zouchi was a soldier, a reasonable assessment considering, but he was starting to think otherwise. The ability to command a unit depended entirely on being able to judge the people under your command, a skill that Zouchi apparently lacked. He kept himself from sighing by pure strength of will, resting the urge to childishly ask if Zouchi had received his military training in games of make believe on the grounds of his primary school.

"The thing is, what you're suggesting, if I understand you correctly is this; we haven't worked together, but your belief is that we can manage a partnership on the fly without any preparation. It doesn't work like that. Even if Sakura or I didn't have the required skills, I would still voice the same objections. Covert operations require the ability to trust your partner. Howard apparently trusts you. He knows you, you've worked together in the past. I don't know how you fight or even what you fight with. I don't know how your skills break down or if you're right or left handed. For us to try to find any sort of rhythm in a potentially hostile situation will only make things worse, if it were necessary, of course we would manage. But it is not. Therefore, beyond the logistics of who has the required skills, we have a natural split. If we're going to split the unit, then split it along those. If not, then it would be more practical for us to stay together." His voice was frank and level as he explained, turning over his shoulder to offer eye contact at times, but mostly focused on settling his gear and adjusting everything to fit properly.

If this was what Zouchi would insist on, he would rather they stay together as a group, rather than allowing two people he had a responsibility to walk out and into a dangerous situation.

His head still hurt, like his brain had been knocked around during the memory transfer, like nothing had quiet finished settling. Everything felt raw and wrong, displaced and haphazard.

Sakura wasn't Amy, would never be Amy, he didn't want her to be. He had a wife and she was beautiful and wonderful and the only woman he would ever want in his life. What Sakura would be, what he liked about her, was the fact that she was his partner, and he could trust her, in combat and in the operating room. She reminded him of a soldier he had met once, a very long time ago. A stubborn, practical guy who had become a medic after being drafted and dreamed of becoming a doctor when he go home. Someone who utterly refused to give up because the odds were against him.

He trusted Sakura more than he did anyone on this planet aside from Conner and the Doctor. He didn't trust Zouchi, or, now, think that he knew what he was talking about. A soldier he might be, but obviously unschooled in the nature of the internal operations of a unit. Every sensible part of him told him how the unit should be split, if it were his century, he'd never consider throwing two people who didn't know each other at all into a potentially dangerous situation without giving them time to acclimate to each other, and certainly not into a covert operation with a time sensitive goal where they would need to have established trust and understanding to work efficiently together.

Zouichi raised an eyebrow. He did, actually, trust Rory -- Sakura and Howard's comfort level with him, observable through both body language and their manner of speech, both suggested someone who could be relied upon. And he implicitly trusted most of the crew, who had incentive to work toward the same goal.

Zouichi had worked quite often in impromptu partnerships, and did not particularly value familiarity over utility, so long as instinct told him his partner could be trusted. Familiarity could help someone cover their partner's weaknesses. It could also lead to blind spots and learned carelessness.

However, if Rory trusted Sakura and would refuse any other split, then he had only one question.

"Howard, do you think you can recognize the technology we need to take out of here? If I recall, you weren't one of the people originally touring the facility."

Howard watches this whole exchange, rolling his fingers on the strap of the new med kit, torn between what his answer should be. On one hand, he would rather be with Zouichi. He's perfectly capable of working with Sakura - they certainly did fine with the crash in the Med Bay - but he and Zouichi have been through enough life-or-death situations that they have a certain amount of understanding.

At the same time, he trusts Zouichi's judgment more than he trusts Rory's. He hasn't seen Rory in a stress-pressure situation, and still instinctively resists whenever Rory gives him an order. He'd trust Zouichi with his life more than he's ever trusted anyone else with it.

As for the medical tech? Who the hell knows if he can figure that out.

"Yeah, I can probably figure it out."

Zouichi nodded, businesslike; he trusted Howard to be able to tell him whether he could do the job or not. Er. More or less. "Then that's how we'll do it." He turned to Rory and Sakura. "Contact us if things start getting hairy -- provided they don't hit us with a comm blackout, that is."

"And one more thing." He paused. "Let's all get out of this safe and sound. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be stuck on this planet when this is all over."

The look Rory gave Sakura said a thousand things without saying a word, though it was mostly hidden from the other two by the locker door. There was little more frustrating to a soldier than someone ordering them around who didn't seem to have a clue what they were doing, though he didn't really mind Howard confirming what Zouchi said.

"Should we establish an extraction point and time?"

He wasn't leaving without Howard, but it was better to ask if Zouchi wanted to establish a rendezvous point or simply have them exit the building on their own.

"Yeah, same. If anything goes wrong, let us know." He held up his hand, displaying the ring. "Would it be better to establish a check-in time? Or should we be maintaining comm silence?"

In it's own way, it was another test. Zouchi had proven himself incapable of understanding established partnerships, had even misread Howard, by the looks of things. But if he could at least be relied on to establish points of contact, well, it would at least be something.

"The extraction time has been decided for us: three hours from now. Let's try and check in with each other in an hour and a half, and a second time thirty minutes before we have to be out of here. I don't know how feasible that's going to be, especially if they end up realizing we're here and disabling communications, so don't worry about having to rendezvous back here, either -- do what you need to and get out whichever way you can."

"Got it." Locker door closing, she was ready, not so much looking at Rory as motioning past him and toward the door with a nod of her head. Sakura adjusted her pack, then pulled her hair back up into a messy bun. "Check at the midway point, then an hour after. Stick in twos and make a clean exit."

Calm, despite the fact she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. All this technology was unnerving, even after her time on ship. Yet only if she let it get to her.

"We'll start at the top and work down. Good luck." She flashed Zouichi a smile, then a smaller, more thoughtful one to Howard. In the end, she was talking to him. "Remember we're not moving so much as we're picking out stock for transport." Don't take unnecessary risks, she wanted to say, but they all knew that.

"We get away with anything, we're at a net win. And if anyone gives you trouble? Remember you're meant to be here."

It might not save them in the face of any serious opposition, but it'd do a damn sight better than letting inward feelings of being out of place leak through for others to see.

Nodding one last time to Zouichi, she headed out through the door. Mission's on.

Time to get a move on it.

Howard doesn't return Sakura's smile, instead checking the lock on his med kit one last time and stepping up closer to Zouichi. There's some palpable tension and he'd rather just get a move on. All the standing around is wasted time, and while three hours means they don't have to sprint, it's also not a long enough window to justify dawdling.

"Closer to the front and top's going to have more of the emergency care materials. If you guys go top, we should go nearer to the entrance." Also, staying on the outer ring will make it easier to escape to the outside if they have to.

He follows Zouichi. Did Zou really have to bring the coil rifle? That thing probably weighs more than Howard does. Not for the first time, Howard wishes he'd brought a gun of his own. Might be something to start seriously training with back home.

Time for some five-finger discounts!

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Gently, but with undeniable will divesting myself of the holds that would hold me. (Pt. 5: Chances)

Re: Subthread 5: Medical Thief Team

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Aaaaand split!