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Post by Belle Starr on Aug 22, 2015 14:25:26 GMT
Belle Starr turned towards Vo Kshaa, her rose petal lips inches aways from his. Her blue diamond eyes looked longingly into his cyan one, then she gently grabbed his chin with one delicate pale hand and pulled his lips towards hers, kissing him long and passionately. No matter what may come in the future, for that minute in time and space, they were truly one, like they had been to what her seemed so long ago. For that brief moment, Vo was again her Prince Charming and her his beauty with the beast within, and all was right with the world.
Sadly for Belle, the moment ended when the kiss did, and all the realities of her present life came crashing down again upon her blond touseled head. She still felt torn between her love for Vo and her love for Volodja. She still felt reponsible for Vo's abduction, torture, and imprisonment. She still felt she didn't have control over her inner monster, the Were-Volge hidden in her genes. She still felt that while they were solving the problems of Red Deer, she had somehow not kept her pledge to her clan mate Bocar, to keep his daughter, Lady Christianna, safe. She still... felt!
As the kiss ended and Belle opened her big blue eyes, all these feelings collided and threatened to overwhelm her again, but then she focused on one significant belief. She thought that she was one incredibly lucky woman to have two such incredible men in her life. She knew that most woman were grateful if they found one, and Belle had actually met two, both of whom truly loved her, and both of whom she deeply loved, and she felt blessed for that fact alone. Belle didn't know how the situation might play out, but knew in her heart that however it did, both these brave and talented men would still be in her corner for any upcoming life battles.
Belle smiled warmly at Vo, then leaned her blond head on his stout shoulder, saying, "Thank you Vo! Thank you for your support, but even more important, thank you for your love! I know I'm the onlyone who can solve this personal dilemma - this love triangle! Oh my God, I never thought those words - love triangle - would EVER be coming out of my mouth! Anywho, I will make some kind of decision once we return to Fortress Kshaa, I promise! It wouldn't be fair to either of you if I didn't! I'll get my head around it, but never doubt one thing! I love you Vo Kshaa, and always will! Now if I can just reconcile that with my love for Volo too..."
Belle let the sentence trail, then lifted her head and decided to change the subject as she looked at her uneaten food, "Anyway, on to the next homefront crisis! We have a helicopter waiting on us, so we better saddle up and mosey on put of here! I wonder if this here restaurant has to-go boxes?"
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Aug 22, 2015 15:12:46 GMT
Volodja got everything he needed with the help of that really friendly shop clerk who asked if he had some time to have a cup of coffee after his shift in the store ends. Volodja explained that he is about to leave Red Deer but he thanked him warmly for that gesture before leaving the store holding a soft package under his arm. Streets were full of hurrying crowd and Volodja had some trouble of keeping steady course, but he managed to do it, Sandy walking by his side. Volodja thought about her - she was pretty and intelligent, sweet and lovable. And Volodja truly loved her. He was ready to do everything to make her happy and several times when he had a choice to make, he chose Sandy. She was his first true love. But he also knew that he loved Belle as much as he loved Sandy. Especially when he was with her not only in richness but also in poorness, not only in joy but also in grief, so he had no illusions about her. He loved Belle in the way she was and now he even dared to picture himself by her side as her significant other and not only on her sad days only (as it usually was) but happy ones as well. At first he didn't imagined that - all he wanted to do is to help her and he suppressed his feelings for her. But now everything changed, their friendship developed to love and hope awakened in Volodja's heart. At beginning it was vague, but it slowly grew, just like a first snowdrop - beautiful white flower - in springtime. "Snowdrop peeking out Among the last year's tree leaves The spring has begun" That was the message Volodja sent to Belle through their EGO link, hoping that she doesn't find it too clumsy. Just a simple haiku, just like a snowdrop. He could not make fancy presents at moment but it came from his loving heart. After that moment he had to put his personal dreams and hopes aside and concentrate because he felt another crisis in the air. That's how they lived - if they managed to end one crisis, the other begun soon after that. Just like back in Europe. And he really thought that he can have some rest in States when he left the Old Continent. THAT was an illusion indeed.
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Post by Sandy Bell on Aug 22, 2015 16:52:23 GMT
Sandy Belle rolled her blue eyes when the shop girl made an obvious pass at Volodja Uljanov, thinking as she frowned, "She must think I'm not good enough to be his girlfriend, and am just a damned bodyguard."
Sandy glanced over a Voldja, admiring his aristicratic good looks, having to begrudgingly admit that although he was a clothes horse, as her old squad mates would have described him with distain, in his case, the man really did make the clothes instead of the other way around. Volodja may dress like a dandy, but the way he walked and the look in his eyes said there was much, much, more to the man. Sandy couldn't blame either Belle, the shop clerk, or the countless women who stared after him as they walked down the street for wanting him.
"Yes, without a fucking doubt," Thought Sandy to herself, grinning as she walked next to him on the streets of Red Deer, "Volodja is just plain yummy!"
Then Sandy had a thought, doing more than just playing as his bodyguard, glancing around to see if anyone was about with hostile intentions towards Volodja, remembering what had happened not very long ago, and said to him, 'You DO know someone wanted to harm you, and specifically you, in the hospital. Even though they drugged me with some kind of sleeping potion, I was aware enough to know YOU were the target and was able to scare them away with my Pulser SMG! At the time, I thought they were assassins, but on second thought, since they used hallucinatory drugs instead of poison, I think sombody sent them to torment you! They called each other Mr. Kid and Mr Wind, and sounded and acted like professionals, albeit eccentric ones. Have any idea who they were or who might have sent them?
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Aug 22, 2015 17:30:09 GMT
"I am really not sure, who is behind this, but I am really grateful to you for guarding me at the hospital. Drugging us explains those bloody voices in my head. I must have been quite a sight, I assume. But it also makes me worried...Wynd and Kyd, you say. Sound familiar indeed. I heard about guys like them...back in Europe, when I was on payroll of couple of governments. What the hell they wanted from me? Why they wanted to drug me? To hear some classified information perhaps? But I am out from the game for good."
Volodja adjusted package he held and explained to Sandy. "Just like you, my poor girl, I used to serve my country and wear an uniform. Unlike you, I didn't had much chance to wave the flag and encourage my men to storm into certain death. We were usually behind the enemy lines and had to do the dirty work, like eliminating some sentries, without giving poor guys a bloody chance to protect themselves. We did what we had to do and tried to spare as much lives as we could because we were men, doing their job, not a bunch of merciless cutthroats. At least we had an advantage - we didn't had to take direct orders from some highly ranked bloodthirsty prick, wearing shoulder straps of the size of an air plane wing, covered with stars and other symbols. We were mostly on our own until...Never mind that. I still have occasional nightmares of that event when I became officially KIA. So I am sort of the ghost of the past myself." Volodja smiled but his eyes were serious. Then he continued:
"After that event, I had a career change which brought me together with men like Marcel or those two, you saw. But Now I am out from the field for a relatively long time. I do wonder why they are after me and how the hell they could find me at all. And I will figure it out. Until that we must watch our steps and leave this nice City really fast. I don't want anyone getting injured by those wynds and kyds because of me. They probably left vicinity after you ruined their plans, but one can never be too careful."
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Post by Luuzuk Kshaa on Aug 22, 2015 19:27:30 GMT
An old VA-10B Gargoyle landed on the runway near the hangars. An Irathient woman and an Indogene man exited the aircraft and then she led the man into the hangar showing him the VBI plane which was partially disassembled for repairs.
"Well, I did imagine it would look like a pile of scrap metal, but I've never imagined the pile of scrap metal would look that bad", the Indogene man said, visibly wincing at the sight, "But then, as I completely understand your desperate situation, I still agree on this deal. For half million scrip of course."
Lu's eyes widened in surprise as they had planned a simple barter trade and the man never mentioned the scrip before. But he had never seen that because her eyes were hidden behind her goggles.
"Well, I'm not in a desperate situation as the plane will be repaired in half a week or so", she answered, "I just thought I could win some time with this deal. So 100,000 scrip."
"Oh, that's just shallow. We're talking planes, not trucks. 300,000", the man winced again as if any reduction of the price dealt him physical pain.
"200,000", Lu replied calmly, leaning her back against the hangar's wall and overlooking the repairs.
"Okay, agree on 200,000. Consider it a sign of gratitude for your work on broadcasting the weather forecasts which are really beneficial for any trading activity of Red Deer. You can send the scrip…"
"Actually, it's you who owe me 200,000 scrip, not the other way around", Lu voiced without moving a muscle on her face "I'll gladly accept your gratitude gift in a form of simple chip-to-chip transaction."
"What the jek?!"
"210,000. Throwing a jek at me is a bad idea", Lu said in the same calm tone.
"But that's insane. This wreck of a plane is a real piece of shta…"
"220,000."
"Look, let's have some common sense here Miss Luuzuk. Do you really need that chopper or not?"
"I need something to fly away in. The point is, I already have that something right here in my hands. I could use a chance to fly away sooner, but if not, I'll just wait for it to be repaired. The time it spends in this repair hangar, the higher price it gets obviously. So 230,000."
"No, you're really insane."
"240,000. You know it's not me who had thrown scrip into the deal. I've offered a barter trade, you seem to not like it, so here's the result."
"Well, the plain barter trade seemed at least plausible, but this…"
"Deal then? A chopper for a plane, no scrip involved, everyone's happy!"
"Deal, deal", muttered Indogene seemingly dissatisfied but actually already planning how to convince Esthete that the plane was damaged due to the recent AI malfunctioning so that all repairs would be done using budget funds of Red Deer.
"Good luck then!" exclaimed Lu, waving her data pad with freshly signed exchange papers as she sent the message to the team of their new transport in an excellent condition.
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Post by Chase Lonehart on Aug 23, 2015 3:39:35 GMT
Chase walked slowly back towards the direction of the airfield. He spotted the same people he passed by on his way to the facility, but now he paid them no mind. The hardest part for him was trying to figure out the right words to say to Iri, to tell her that the damage had been done long before she attempted to find an answer. Two months of time wasted. It was almost impossible for Chase to figure out how to explain it to her. It was also going to be difficult explaining it to everyone else who knew him, including Belle, Taffer and Vo. However, he knew Iri deserved to be told first and foremost. He finally found himself at the airfield, him taking a seat on a bench where he had a good view of the aircraft that sat there. He closed his eyes, taking in a few deep breaths and letting in the cool air into his lungs, the smell of fuel and other liquids from vehicles. Chase wanted to go home, as he was sure everyone else wanted to. Though he had no real concept of his past to tell him where home was, to him, it was wherever Iri Sewuel was. He spotted Lu in what appeared to be heated discussion about the chopper next to her in a hanger across the way. The whole world seemed different to him, though he couldn’t figure out how. Chase then realized that it might have not been different and that it was he who was different. He was no longer bound by the questions of who he was, with who he could be open to a wide open range of possibilities. Now, whenever he was going to make a choice, it was going to be one he was going to be making himself and not a question of what he would do if he was his old self. Both scary and exciting, he thought to himself. I am without that limitation anymore.He just hoped that whatever he choices he made from here on out were the right ones, and not ones that hurt people. Well, not hurt the people he knows, but others he didn’t know were within a range of possibility. Every choice was no longer a hindrance or a burden. What more could anyone ask for in such a situation? Chase begun to notice the arrival of the others, which prompted him to proceed with heading to the chopper. He tucked himself into a corner, pulling out his VBI Player. Chase wanted a little while out of his skull and selected some music to listen to on the return trip. ——— Chase had been informed of the attack that occurred at the fort before he went to find her. He found Iri in what had been their quarters, her sitting quietly in her sleeping gown and still wearing her brown gloves.. He could see the sad and tired look on her face, like she hadn’t slept in days and she had been crying her heart out, sitting at the end of the bed. Chase closed and locked the door behind him, setting his bag down by the side of the bed as he took a seat next to her. She finally made eye contact with him, seeing the sadness in her indigo colored eyes. “I missed you,” she told him. “I’m sorry, I haven’t checked the files. Something came up. And now, my species is in danger because of me.” Chase placed his gloved, left hand on the back of her neck. “It’s okay,” he told her. “One problem at a time. Besides, I think checking those files wouldn’t help.” He began to tell her what Esthete told him, telling her she didn’t have a chance at finding a solution because of the damage done to his brain and the extent of the damage. She cried, burying her face into his shoulder. He held her with his only real arm. “The deck was stacked against us from the start, Iri,” he whispered softly. “I don’t blame you. You shouldn’t blame yourself. This was all on me. It’s not a failure you’re responsible for. And anything after this moment is strictly on me. Including what you decide to do next.” Iri pulled back from him, a look of confusion crossing her eyes. “If you want to leave me, I’ll understand. I won’t blame you and I won’t-“ It was at that moment he felt the impact against his cheek. It made him stop in mid sentence. He was surprised by the slap that Iri delivered to him. “It doesn’t matter,” she told him. “It doesn’t matter if you never remember meeting me on the worst day of your life. It doesn’t matter if you never remember the first time we made love. It doesn’t matter if you never remember the eight years we were apart or reconnecting again in Freedom. I love you. And I am not just going to walk away from you, even for a chance at having a life with someone who’ll remember everything. So, how dare you give me that option! How dare you!” She slapped him again, and he accepted it. He realized he had pissed her off and he decided not to resist the punishment. The next hit was actually a closed fist and he felt his jaw got too far in the wrong direction, and it knocked him back a little. She went to punch him again, to which Chase caught with his left hand. She forced her shoulder into him, causing him to fall back onto the bed. She got her wrist free as she straddled him and continued to slap and punch him a few times until she broke down to tears and collapsed on top of him, apparently exhausted. She sobbed into his chest, out of breath. “I love you,” she said, her breathing labored. Shortly after those words had been spoken, she began to snore. Chase looked down at her to see her eyes closed. He realized she must have been exhausted from everything that’s happened to her. He rolled her over onto the bed as carefully as he could so not to wake her. He carefully got up, and began to peel off his outfit until he was down to his underwear. Carefully, he slid back into bed, covering himself up. He scooted close to her, holding her close as she slept. The others were right. He was foolish to even propose that option to her, and she told him she was staying. He closed his eyes, figuring he could use the sleep too. I hope she does stay, he thought to himself. Who else would love a brain damaged freak like me?—————— Iri woke up some time later. Due to there not being any kind of chronometer or a window in the room, she couldn’t tell how long she had been asleep. She felt him lying behind her, her turning her head to see him there with her. She couldn’t count how many times she woke up in the middle of the night during the last two months, not finding him there with her. But this time, he was. She carefully turned to face him, watching him a moment as he slept. The brain damage was done, with no way to restore everything. She knew he was still alive, and that a piece of how he was still existed. Only the old Chase would have given her the option to leave. But she wasn’t going to leave him. Who else would be willing to have a relationship with a damaged soul like her? She closed her eyes again, about to go back to sleep. But then she had a thought as she drifted off. In the morning, she said. We are definitely going to make up for some lost lovemaking time.
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Post by Sandy Bell on Aug 23, 2015 4:33:52 GMT
Volodja Uljanov said as he and Sandy Bell walked down the streets of Red Deer towards the airfield, "After that event, I had a career change which brought me together with men like Marcel or those two, you saw. But Now I am out from the field for a relatively long time. I do wonder why they are after me and how the hell they could find me at all. And I will figure it out. Until that we must watch our steps and leave this nice City really fast. I don't want anyone getting injured by those wynds and kyds because of me. They probably left vicinity after you ruined their plans, but one can never be too careful."
Sandy frowned, realizing this was how it was always going to be with this team, leaving one crisis, heading into another, with still another one looming on the horizon. She decided that this moment was the closest she would ever get to having a quiet time with Volodja, so with a look of determination in her blue eyes, she grabbed Volodja and dragged him into a vacant ally, pushing him against a wall there.
As her two strong tan arms on either side of him caged him in, Sandy looked intently into his eyes and stated in a matter-of-fact manner, "Listen Volodja, I've tried to tell you this several times during this mission, but I've never been sure you got the message. This time, I'm going to make sure you get it before the next crisis makes it impossible to do so. I'm going to be blunt, because I'm not good at being any other way. I love you, plain and simple. I love you more than I've loved anyone in my life. I love you more than I love myself. I love you more than life itself. My love comes without strings, but my love is a lifetime commitment on my part, if not yours. I know I'm not the prettiest or the brightest girl on the block. I know I can be fucking crude at times, and really don't know Mozart from Renoir, but I'm willing to learn if that's what you want. I know I'm probably the biggest diamond in the rough you'll ever run across, but I'm willing to be chiseled and reformed into anything that will make you happy."
Sandy sighed, hoping she wasn't sounding as desperate and pitiful as she felt she was sounding, then continued, "One thing that I am is loyal to the core - I'll be there when you need me and I'll be there when you wake up in the morning. I'm really flesh and blood, not a dream in your head Volodja, and now that I'm not tied to an EGO host I can make my own decesions of when I come and go! I love you with every inch of my fiber, and if that means you want to change me into someone who is good enough for you, I'm willing to try my damnest to be that person. I guess it also means that if I'm not enough of a woman for you and have to share you with others... well, I guess I'm willing to swallow my pride and do that too! I love you that much Volodja Uljanov!"
Sandy pressed her lips hard against Volodja's kissing him deeply, putting all the passion in her soul in one last ditch effort to win his heart with a single kiss. Sandy was willing to sacrifice her pride, her identity, even her very life for Voldja and ask nothing in return but his love, and she hoped that message was sent not only in words but in the passion of that kiss. When the kiss ended, she smiled, freeing him from where she had trapped him against the wall, a symbolic act for what she felt she had to say next.
"However, if you can truly say you don't love me, and don't want what I have to offer, please tell me that so I can quit hoping that maybe you do. I love you truly, but I've got to be loved back. I just have to be... so if you don't want me, let me go forever. You say the word, and I'll never bother you with this again. I promise, although I can't promise that I'll ever quit loving you from afar!" Sandy gave a quick nod, signifying to herself as much as to him that she had finished what she had to say on the matter, then smiled and dutifully straightened his collar, "No need to answer me now, for when we return will be good enough. Besides, I do believe we have a chopper ready to take us home!"
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Aug 23, 2015 5:28:14 GMT
Volodja returned the kiss to Sandy. He knew that he didn't had to pretend the passion and love he put into it. They were true feelings. His heart might have been shared between two really special girls - Sandy Bell and Belle Starr, but he loved them both - truly, madly, deeply. And both of them had equal amount of his feelings. He released their lip lock, looked at Sandy with his serious brown eyes and said to her with his soft voice:
"If I told you that I don't love you, it would be a biggest lie in the world. You are my first true love. I loved you no matter what and just the way you were and the way you are. You should never change because someone else might want that. Only reason for you wanting to change into someone else should be your own decision and only if you really want that because of yourself. I still love you, no matter what. You can be sure about that.
But I am really confused, because I discovered that I have fallen love with Belle as well. Not because she is superior human being. So are you - you are pretty, sweet, lovable and caring. And you have great potential to become somebody if you want to. I did everything to maintain our relationship and only change I wanted, was turning you into the real girl once again and give your life back to you so you can decide what to do with it. At least I managed to help you with the latter.
You should never consider yourself being a lower class. If you prefer to stay on anybody else's shadow then I will have to respect your decision. But it still means that you and Belle are unique in your own way. You both are very special to me. Remember that. And I am really proud and happy that I met you, Sandy. You taught me that there is still love in this world left. And you you loved me even after you got to know my flaws and despite the fact that I am the lost romantic in really unromantic world. A romantic with torn apart heart. A guy who fell in love with two wonderful women simultaneously.
At moment things are really complicated and I can't predict how the story continues. Another crisis is waiting for us and I am not sure that we can find any simple solutions to public problems or our personal ones. Simple solutions are not in our nature, I guess. So we must proceed step by step. Maybe we have a solution around the corner waiting for us and we accidentally stumble on that. But you never have to doubt about my love. You don't have to fight for anything you already have. We will find some kind of compromise between all of our feelings. Yours, mine, Belle's, Vo's. I am sure of that. At moment nobody has won love and war but that also means that nobody has lost anything either. All we need is time. We really have our ride to catch now. I do wonder what kind of mess we enter this time."
Volodja hugged Sandy strongly but yet tenderly and gave her sweetest kiss, he could. They had to reach to their vehicle soon to enter into another team crisis. This simple mission they just finished, became into diplomatic puzzle and drone war. He wondered what expects them back in their fortress. An earthquake? An alien invasion? Wait a minute - they already had one. Whatever it might be, it will be hellish task once again.
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Post by Atticus Batman on Aug 23, 2015 10:11:00 GMT
While everyone else was making their deals, having dinners, or heading to the airfield, Kaj talked to some of the Biomen and Gulanee on the Empire's stratocarrier awhile longer. However by the time everyone else started arriving at the current meeting place for the team, Kaj was already there leaning against a wall, perhaps not built as sturdy as him but still a pretty sturdy wall indeed. His weapons were by his side and he had figured out how to successfully keep his beret on his head. So he is just calmly and patiently waiting against the wall as he eats some jerky that he had gotten from his new friends in the Gulanee/Bioman Empire.
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Post by Belle Starr on Aug 23, 2015 11:51:06 GMT
Chloe Mac Gyver was the last of the team to arrive, being pushed in a wheelchair from a hover taxi for her leg was still in a cast, not having the benefit of an EGO device to heal her quickly. Belle Starr as her VBI employer had offered her one once but she had told Belle "No Fuckmuppet, I'd rather live by my wits!" In fact, as a professional hacker, she was wary of having anything put in her head that she didn't put there herself, liking having a low electronic profile, however she was reconsidering her position after this mission.
Still, Chloe had a personality that wouldn't be down for long, so greeted everyone with a jaunty, "Hellooo mates! Don't look so long in the face! This Shelia will be be up and shagging like its nobody's business before two shakes of a roo's whisker!"
Belle smiled warmly at Chloe's exhuberance and always saucy manner, signaling the Taxi driver to wheel her into the helicopter next to where Chase Lonehart was already sitting, then giving the driver a generous tip on his return out. She saw Kaj leaning against the wall of building near the craft, giving him a friendly nod of her blond touseled head. Belle noticed Taffer and Lu Kshaa examining the outside of the helicopter, and she swore she saw him actually kick one of the wheels it was sitting on, but it might have been her imagination. Volodja Ulvanov and Sandy Bell were lawst to arrive, walked up side by side, but as Volodja gave Belle a loving look, Sandy glared at her angrily with narrowed blue eyes.
Belle went over to the couple to greet them and hopefully bury the hatchet with Sandy, and Vo Kshaa joined them about to about to say something, when Belle suddenly noticed the sun glint off something on the top of a nearby parking garage. She recalibratred her enhanced vision and saw a Castithan Sniper appear out of cloak aiming at the team just as her EGO radar registered him at the far edge of it's range. Belle yelled "Sniper," then threw herself on top of Vo, sheltering his body with her own.
Belle's heart beat at twice it's normal rate, her blue diamond eyes wide with fear, but not for fear of losing her own life, but for fear of losing Vo again. One thought dominated her mind as time seemed to stand still: I don't want to live without Vo! At that moment, she knew! Despite all the gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands, and self-torture she had put herself through over which of the two men, Volodja or Vo, was her true love, her subconscious mind told her that what her conscious mind couldn't decide. Belle instintively moved to save Vo, and while she lay on top of him, sheltering his body with her own, her conscious mind came to the same conclusion. She may love Volodja, his wit, his charm, his intellect, his company, but her heart would always belong to Vo, her true love, her Prince Charming!
Belle heard the double retort of a Ranger sniper rifle and not feeling any bullets tear into her body, she rose her head, and looked deep into Vo's grinning face, and said with a big smile before kissing him passionately while tears of joy flowed down her beautiful freckled face, "I choose you! I'll always choose you! I love you so much Vo!"
If Belle had been of a mind to and had glanced over at Sandy and Volodja, she would have seen a scene that mirrored her own, with Sandy sheltering Volodja's body with her own and kissing him passionately as they lay on the ground.
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Aug 23, 2015 12:17:20 GMT
Volodja Uljanov rose to his feet and realized what just happened. He realized one more thing - he was free now. Meeting Sandy tied him with the team. Left by Belle cut those ties. It was time to return to his old paths. He could imagine loving relationship with Sandy -sweet, simple Sandy. But he was way too complicated for her. Actually for anybody, so he better go now.
"I love you Sandy. And I am sorry. You must be feeling consolation prize now and I never want that happen to you. Best of luck. it's time to return to my grave." he said to Sandy.
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Post by Atticus Batman on Aug 23, 2015 12:45:28 GMT
When Belle yelled "Sniper," Kaj looked towards where she had been looking and also saw the glint. He raised his LMG, aimed and fired. However given his military training, despite his desire not to kill, he aimed for the heart and double tapped, just as he heard a Ranger fire twice. The sniper fell off the building. Kaj glanced at the direction the ranger fire came from and saw Taffer standing their with a smoking Ranger in hand. Then Kaj quickly went to where the Sniper's body fell. He took the sniper rifle of the Castithan, but did not need to check for a pulse. After all the guy had two holes from the ranger in his skul and several from Kaj's 3-burst fire LMG, that he double tapped, right in and around his heart. Kaj picked up the sniper rifle, and a datapad from the sniper then went back to the team.
As they got up Kaj calmly, and seemingly unphased by it all, said, "The Castithan sniper is dead. All he had on him was this sniper rifle and this datapad."
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Post by Sandy Bell on Aug 23, 2015 13:43:27 GMT
Sandy Belle sat on the ground where Volodja Uljanov left her, watching his back as he walked away. She rose her tanned arm as if she could stop him, but it fell quickly as she realized it would be a futile effort if she tried. Volodja was his own man, and would do what he wanted when he wanted - always! Sandy realized there was nothing she could do or say to change his mind once he was determined that what he was doing was what was best for him.
Sandy sadly realized another thing about Volodja. Despite his honeyed words and protestations of love for her, he really didn't love her. It was obvious to her that he loved Belle and only Belle, and when he found he couldn't have Belle, he left Sandy both literally and figurtively laying in the dirt. Sandy remained sitting there for what seemed like an eternity, her tan arms resting on her knees as she stared where they both had been laying together mere minutes ago. She had been willing to give her life for him, but it had meant nothing.
"My life meant nothing to him, so my death would probably mean even less," Thought Sandy bitterly to herself, as she eyed her Pulser SMG lying in the dirt next to her, "So I guess suicide would be fucking stupid. It wouldn't make him care more, although it might make me hurt less."
"Get that idea out of your head soldier!" Ordered Sarge, her EGO psyche, through the telepathic link they shared. "You've gone through worse, and will again!"
"No... no, I haven't," Thought Sandy to Sarge, but then mentally put up a false front of bravado, "But you know me Sarge - always a survivor!"
Sandy sat in the dirt until Kaj came over and his huge purple hand gently on her shoulder and said, "Time to go little soldier," then helped her up as he picked up her pulser, and led her into the helicopter like she was suffering post-traumatic shock, which in a way, she was.
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Post by Taffer on Aug 23, 2015 16:09:19 GMT
"Since when I got superstitious?" Taffer mentally asked his EGO as he caught himself kicking the wheel of their new/old aircraft.
"According to my experience with you, you get kind of superstitious when your hormonal condition changes to what you usually call "a bad feeling" and it's actually coming to it right now", Em Dash replied in his head.
Taffer looked over the team gathering around the copter. Everyone looked normal without any sign of problems they might have.
"Let's re-check the systems then," he said to Lu, "I have a bad feeling indeed and I don't like it. I can't afford any emergency to delay…"
"Sniper!" he heard Belle yell, interrupting him mid-sentence. Still with his bad feeling in mind, he didn't take any chances to guess who might be the target. He quickly crouched and tilted to the side as if he was about to perform a dart-roll, entering the Cloak at the same time. But instead of finishing his roll, he sat back upright aiming his Ranger at the direction Belle's EGO marked for the team. He saw a sniper there and after taking a quick aim on the head he pulled the trigger without any second thought, habitually pulling his rifle down to compensate for the recoil of the first shot. Two men shot simultaneously, their two rifles sounding as one; the sniper aiming at where Taffer could have been if he had finished his roll and Taffer aiming at snipers head. The shooting ended with the sniper falling from the roof, pierced by a double headshot and several additional bullets from Kaj's LMG, while sniper's bullets hit the ground without harming anyone.
"Everyone's okay?" Taffer asked, mostly looking at Kaj and Chloe as other's health was directly being shown to him. "Lu? Are you…" he moved his hand to touch the shoulder of the Irathient girl who was sitting motionless and looked right in front of her with unblinking cyan eyes, her goggles raised to her forehead.
"She'll be okay", Lu said coming from behind the copter while Taffer's hand fell through her holographic copy. "She's not too used to be sent like that to catch a sniper's bullet, but she learns quickly and she won't be upset too much for that."
Taffer showed a thumbs-up to Lu and then noticed Kaj had already searched the sniper and handed him the data pad.
"Encrypted", Taffer voiced, "We don't have time to work on it now. As I'm the only pilot in the team, I assume someone really does not want us back too soon, so that's exactly what we're going to do — get back home ASAP. Now team, everyone get into the copter. Anyone who fails to do it in next thirty seconds is going to miss the train!"
Several defensive drones came surrounding the team, one of them sounding with Esthete's voice, "This is Esthete. I've detected an unauthorized usage of firearms. Care to tell me what's going on please?"
"Self defense, THAT's what was going on", Taffer snapped coldly. "We can't stay here any longer. Esthete, I hope you'll complete the investigation here and share the results with me personally as I was the target of this killer. Here's the data pad found on him. Make a scan and a data copy of it if you need it for your investigation as I'm taking it with me."
After Taffer allowed the data pad to be scanned, he jumped into the copter and started the engine, voicing the countdown for the takeoff.
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Post by Vo Kshaa on Aug 23, 2015 17:39:38 GMT
"Sniper!" Vo heard Belle yell as he threw herself on top of him. A red dot appeared on the radar and he heard a double-shot which usually a Ranger sniper rifle makes. As Belle raised her head, he smiled warmly at her, feeling very pleased that she thinks of him in a moment of ganger, but thinking at the same time how to push her off himself politely so that he could be actually helpful for the team in the upcoming fight.
"I choose you! I'll always choose you! I love you so much Vo!" Belle said with tears of joy flowing from her diamond blue eyes.
Vo closed his eye for a moment, querying the team's status and to his pleasure he found out that the red dot had already blinked out of the radar and no one from the team was injured. He sighed with relief as he could finally let go of his survival instinct to fully enjoy the kiss Belle was about to grant him.
"I love you too Belle. I always will!" He whispered right before he lost himself in a passionate kiss.
"Now team, everyone get into the copter. Anyone who fails to do it in next thirty seconds is going to miss the train!" Taffer's voice made him part the kiss.
"The Commander calls, train is coming", Vo whispered to Belle, echoing the old earthlings' saying about the means of transportation that was very rarely used in this new world. He helped her up and looked into her diamond blue eyes again. All the words seemed unnecessary as the kiss had said it all to each other. Whatever happens next, he will treasure this moment of their intimacy and will hope for more of them to come. From now on, it was his responsibility to make this beautiful woman happy and he gladly accepted it. They walked hand in hand and boarded the copter which was about to carry them back home. As they fled to their base, Vo held Belle's hand in his one feeling himself a happiest man in the world.
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