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

[cityship]

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.]

Comments

[theboywhowaits]

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.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"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."

[encourage]

"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.

Aaaaand split!

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

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!