World Tree MUSH

    Serval walks in pensive silence for a few moments. She perks up as she spots one of the terminals, a large trapezoidal construct with yellow power lines in the frame. "Ah there's one." she trots over and kneels beside it, cracking open the side panel to check the internals. "Lets see here... argh!" she jolts back as the power system emits a jolt, the lights dimming a moment later. "Nope... this terminal's been disabled. We can't control it from here... I think there's another one on thee far side though." she looks up, pointing across the span of the bridge, where a few Robots are lined up with their human handlers. These are heavy-duty combat models, less battered looking than the ones in Svarog's camp, but still pretty old. "Just keep your badges close and we'll be fine."

    Talia is still dressed like a tech priestess of sorts, all she needs is a bunch of cybernetics to replace her body parts and she'd look the part perfectly. The cloak will keep her concealed for now, especially with that hood. Hopefully nobody looks too closely, or they'll find the green lady who's been at large along with the other criminals.

    She observes the bridge. Those machines are much too fearsome to deal with in a direct fight, and they can't go around chopping the guards up. So, Talia will trust the badge, and keep her face hidden as she remains under that hood.

    "Badges... okay," Jessica agrees, tightening the straps of her pack. "Bi De, are you good in there? You'll have to tuck in again for a little bit," she says, apologetically. The catgirl flicks tail as she sighs, readying to try to get through. But first she makes sure her ears are hidden again, and curls the tail in under her coat. Best have the badge out and ready, she figures.

    Clara follows after Serval, but frowns when the terminal she finds turns out to be uncooperative. "We can't do anything to make it work?" She asks, lips pursing into a pout. "I guess there's nothing helping it, then."
    Clara holds up her badge over her head.
    Dooo doo dooo doooooo!
    "I'm ready." She says, bare feet padding through the snow as she starts valiantly walking towards the other end of the bridge.

    Sigh. Riding in a backpack isn't the most comfortable thing for a chicken the size of Bi De, though he can't really complain. He doubts it's easy for the petite Jessica to haul him around either! He's over ten pounds of fowl-tempered muscle, after all! "This Bi De will endure. For now. It is much easier to stay hidden without my... admittedly distinctive plumage. Perhaps I should attempt to take a human form after all..."

    "...aaaaaaaaa--"

    ...What the hell is that? A valid question that could be asked, as a quiet, droning noise slowly begins to rise above the ambience. It's as if it's getting louder. Or...

    ...Perhaps... closer?!
    Look up! In the sky! Thankfully not too far up, because that could be fatal otherwise. Not only to anyone below whatever's going on.

    If there's a nearby Space Anchor it might give a clue to the source of that sound, because it probably would have activated shortly before that noise started. And what is its source?

    A person, dropping in from probably higher up than is strictly good and healthy to fall from. A streak of red and beige, tumbling ass over teakettle from the sky. As it nears the structures, the tumbling figure turns gracefully in the air, reaching out for the top of a nearby wall for what would doubtless be the most epic of saves...

    ...And completely misses. The yelp dissolves into colorful curses that would make a sailor blush, right before the figure falls headfirst into a pile of snow, throwing a spray of the stuff into the air.

    The astute might have noticed the thick and fluffy tail from the tumbling figure. The person who notices the tail now need be far less astute, since the dark red, fluffy appendage is the only thing sticking out of the snowbank when this is all over. it is particularly fluffed up now, and it's reasonable to assume it's because of the irritation of the being within the snow.

    Serval glances at Clara. "No, some of the major components were removed. I tried to do a bypass, but as you saw, I got a shock for the trouble." she says, showing her hand, and the angry looking red welt from where the electricity slammed into her. She's about half-way across, when Stelle speaks up. "Who activated that Anchor? Where'd it even come from?" looking between March 7th and Dan Heng, who look just as baffled. "Do you guys hear that?" asks the pinkette archer, glancing around, then looking up to see the. "Kittyman?!"

    They're not the only ones to notice the falling Miqo'te, the local Silvermane Guard all turn and advance when he lands in a nearby snowdrift... brandishing their pole-axes, or chunky industrial-punk rifles. "Hands where we can see them! This is a Restricted area! Identify yourself immediately!" barks one, as a couple in the back start bringing the robots online.

    Serval comes to the rescue though. "Ah! Miles, that's where you've been! We were looking for you." she begins, jogging over. "Sorry, that's one of my assistants. I'm here to look at the power grid, and I asked Miles here to check on the overhead trunk bus. He must have fallen while from one of the posts."

    The blonde engineer rocker drops a medallion-sized object near to C'dakhi, and gestures for him to pick it up and put it on... somehow. Look it's a complex hand gesture while trying to bodyblock the ruse.

    Oh. Well there's no helping it if the panel had components removed. But...
    That. That sure is a person falling from on high.
    Clara's red eyes drift up at the noise-- and then trail down as the catman comes careening out of the sky-- almost makes a SWEET save-- and lands himself in huge snowdrift.
    Clara, gentle and caring as ever immediately rushes over without so much as a second thought, bending forward and resting her hands on her knees.
    "... Are you okay?" She asks while subtly nudging the pass on the ground his way.
    "You didn't hurt yourself did you?"
    Clara has the first aid kit, in case he did.

    Meanwhile...

    "Oh dear..." Jessica gasps, also concerned about the feline newcomer's health. It shouldn't be strange to check on someone fallen though, so she doesn't hesitate to do that, which might help keep any observers from getting a good look at him. "Mn... going to need to cover those ears like I did mine, probably, but..."

    She's not sure how easy it will be to identify him as an outsider. Hopefully they're looking for a catGIRL specifically and the APB out on them didn't say 'cat-person' instead.

    Talia, again, tries to rush Clara down when she notices the girl has gone barefoot AGAIN in the snow! It's like she wants frostbite, the poor foolish dear. "At the very least, wrap your feet up in something." She whispers, tearing at her cloak until she has some makeshift coverings for Clara's feet.

    Then, catte. Talia arches an eyebrow curiously while the guards approach C'dakhi, remaining every bit the stoic technical priestess type once more. SHe shakes her head in disapproval at "Miles" for being so careless.

    Bi De just peeks out and hms, "Impressive how resistant her feet are." He's a talking chicken hiding in a gun-crazy catgirl's pack full of candy bars. A catman falling out of the air isn't really going to make his day any more crazy, so he pays attention to something else. Though, C'dakhi might notice the rooster DOES at least size him up before tucking the head back into the pack.

    Serval is fortunate that the 'kittyman' has the background that he does. He hears well (also partly due to his miqo'te biology), and is smart enough to wait before popping out of his impromptu igloo house. The soft thud of the medallion-sized object is also registered, and he discreetly pokes out one bronzed hand and swipes the medallion, yoinking it back into the snowpile.

    There's a bit of shuffling around in the pile, and finally he rights himself and stands, long, pointed ears flicking to get the snow off them. Those ears aren't exactly cat-like, but somewhere between a cat and a fox, and have a natural backwards point (and notably, not only is is a different color, but the ears point differently than Jessica's). The medallion has been pinned to the right side of the strap that holds his pauldron on his left shoulder, like it's always been there.

    "Aye, that's me -- Miles Oboro!" he confirms to Serval's words. It sounds natural, coming from him, and he exits the snowpile, dusting himself off and returning the square-framed pince-nez to the bridge of his nose. "Sorry 'bout the loud landin'... don' think I'll ever get used t' these bloody things..."

    He pauses here, to look at Clara, and offers a wide smile. Not a creepy one, to note. It rather looks like he might have precisely two braincells bouncing around in that auburn head of his. But it's a jolly smile, nonetheless. "Nah. Jus' landed on me 'ead. Nothin' 'mport'nt up there." He chuckles. "But thank ye fer th' concern."

    Jessica's words are heard too, and he looks to her, confused. "Well, shite. That'd be a record fer causin' trouble, even fer me." His words are aside, though, specifically to Jessica.

    Bi De gets a look too! C'dakhi blinks, watching him tuck his head back into the pack. He probably didn't hear the bird speak, since he was falling through the air. "...Chicken?" Headtilt.

    The Guard stand back when Serval interjects. "Sergeant, aren't we meant to be on the lookout for a Felino Outlander?" asks one of the troopers, looking to one in a bit more ornate armour.

    "The communique said it was a female, with blueish black hair." He then waves the group back . "Back to your posts... leave the repair team to their work, or you'll be taking responsibility if we all freeze tonight when the power goes out."

    As the guard all disperse, and the robots are put back into sleep mode, Serval lets out a sigh of relief. "So, 'Miles'... that was an impressive entrance, care to explain what you're doing here?" asks the rockchick engineer before shrugging. "Whatever, looks like you're with us now. Stay close, don't make a fuss, and try not to break anything."

    She then turns to the nearby terminal, reaching out to the control sphere poking out of one of the faces, then frowns. "... Primary power's been cut. It's almost like someone's severed the energy connections."

    "Did the Guard do this?" asks Stelle curiously, adjusting her hood a little.
    "Possible, With the Frontline on high alery, they msut have rotated the bridge to make it impassable, thene cut the energy supply so it couldn't be rotated by accident... or by deserters trying to escape." she sighs. "That way, even if the Frontline collapses, the Fragmentum monsters can't overrun the backline section and get into the city."

    Serval shakes her head. "That's just conjecture, but Gepard did mention having to use 'Extreme Measures' to repel the Fragmentum... anyway, lets press on, with the power cut to the terminalss, we should look for the supply distributer, try and reroute the power again."

    Talia attempts to cover Clara's feet. This earns a pout from the silver-haired girl as her feet are no longer bare in the next moment.
    Sigh. Though when the catman turns out to be okay, she nods. ... Even if she furrows her brow at the fact that he landed on his head. Was... was that a joke? Was that supposed to be a joke?
    Nevertheless she holds up a finger to her lips with a small 'shhhh' on the topic of the chicken in Jessica's backpack.
    BUT when Serval manages to cover for the team and the guards decide to return to their posts that Clara heaves a quiet sigh of relief.
    So when the next terminal is a no go, she huffs.
    Moving on, she starts to follow Serval and Stelle, promptly twists her ankle, squeaks, and falls flat on her face into the snow.

>> SUMMARY[Clara] >> This is why I don't wear shoes. ._.

    Talia winces at the fall, before she bows at C'da-I mean, uh. Miles Oboro! Yes. She is every bit the mystery technical expert.

    She agrees with Serval's assessment, the engineer got her job for a reason after all. It's better if they find a way to redirect power. They're right on their way to do that when Clara falls and Talia feels like she's about to get folded in half by Svarog. So she rushes to Clara and helps her up. "Can you walk?"

    If Clara cannot walk under her own power, Talia will promptly lift the smol bean and carry her the rest of the way.

    "Nnnh..." Jessica pouts, offering Clara a hand up. "I wish I knew more about tech and stuff. I can maintain my guns but that's about it." Well, probably a bit more, but a tinkerer she is not! Jessica instead glances back at the new arrival.

    "Sorry you got dragged into this," she says sheepishly. "We're looking for a dangerous artifact before someone else can get to it. Probably nothing you haven't heard before, you're probably a Harbinger too, huh?"

    An absolutely menacing presence seems to lurk behind Talia for a good moment while she and Jess help Clara up.

    As soon as he's sure the guards are some distance away, Bi De peeks out his head. "Chicken, yes," comes the refined voice. "This Bi De greets you. I am the hand to hand specialist of this group." He doesn't explain further, burrowing back into the pack.

    C'dakhi nods to Serval's explanation. "There, ye see? I was male last time I checked," he replies with a lopsided smile. "If ye wanna check t' make sure though, I expect ye t' buy me dinner first, ser. And t' show me yer face at some point. Proper procedure, ye unnerstand." And here he offers a wink to the guard.

    To note, there was a reason C'dakhi did that. He's counting on the guards being discomfited with the suggestion and to make their escape more swiftly.

    So once they're gone, he'll address Serval again. "Aye, what I'm doin' 'ere... Cid Garlond, who's 'n engineer, said 'e detected wavelengths out this way sim'lar t' corrupted crystals from our world. Clearly this *ain't* our world, so we was worried the aether corruption 'ad spread t' other worlds. And wi' the Scions bein'... well, busy wi' somethin' 'r other, 'e was recruitin' adventurers what's 'ad some experience wi' the Tree t' go look. So 'ere I am."

    As for the instructions? He salutes and agrees, "Aye aye, cap'n." He doesn't sound like he's being sarcastic with the 'captain' term of address. Not the right rank, but at least he's recognizing her as a superior easily enough.

    Clara falls over then, and c'dakhi blinks. "Whoops. My turn ter ask now... ye all right?" Talia's got her though, it seems! He'll offer help if needed, though! He also offers a bow to Talia in return. It's an 'eastern' bow, a gesture that someone from his world's Othard or Yanxia might do.

    He is also, notably, unaware of any heavy presence nearby!

    Jessica's words of 'getting dragged into' something get a wave of his hand. "Not t' worry, lass," he offers. "Sorta what 'n adventurer signs up fer." Though he also admits, "An' that goes fer me too -- I ain't much for technology more 'n a tomestone. Though I realize that an' ain't keen on touchin' it, so I'll be keepin' meself outta trouble."

    Suddenly CHICKEN! "GAH!" Tail fluffs out and he looks at Bi De. "...A talkin' chicken?" Pause. "...A chicken monk?" Since 'monk' is what he thinks of when he hears 'hand to hand specialist'.

    Then he remembers, "Oh. Right. Name's actu'lly C'dakhi. I'll answer t' 'Miles' 'ere, though."

    The walk into the main 'living area' and marshaling zone is uneventful. Serval points out though. "There it is. The Mechanism Energy Hub... the big ball-shaped thing behind... the gate." she sighs, looking at the gate controls. Another big trapezoid that looks in the same state as the bridge controls. "Looks like we might need to find a key... lets ask the sentry if he can let us through."

    She strides up to a guard, and puts on a big smile. "Yo! Evening soldier!" she says sweetly.
    The sentry looks a bit bored. "Are you the emergency engineers? I saw you hanging around, did you find the problem?" he asks.
    "Not yet, everything looks normal so far. I think the problem's stemming from the hub itself. If you let us in, we can do a service inspection. I've worked on various iterations of this kind of installation."

    That makes the sentry a bit more alert. "Hah, no, no no no, no can do! No one gets neare the energy hub without the security leaders encryption key."

    Serval jumps on that. "So, which officer should I be bothering for their key?" she asks, making the sentry look a bit more tense for a different reason. "Lieutenant Dunn's resting up ahead... if he gives his permission, I won't stand in you way." he says, gesturing to the tent field just up the road.

    As she carries Clara, Talia feels a brief chill. She remains stoic as she can, while carrying the little one. Svarog might not be too welcome here, so he'll have to put his faith in Talia for now in taking care of his charge. "Forgive me." She whispers to Clara, still awestruck the girl hasn't lost her feet to frostbite by now.

    To the catman Talia bobs her nod softly when they're out of earshot from the guards. "Talia Kyras. It sounds like you got voluntold." She says with a quirked eyebrow beneath her hood. "Does this Cid Garlond regularly recruit people for missions? And who might these scions be?" Talia has many questions for the catman all of a sudden, she'll have to choose them wisely.

    Talia ventures towards the lieutenant's tent up the road when her question regarding his location is answered, well before she can speak no less. Serval certainly works fast.

    "I'm fine." Clara says, voice muffled by snow to C'dakhi as she lays there face down for a good beat. Between Jessica and Talia she's back on her feet again though and-- carried. "I-I'm fine, really." She assures Talia while unwrapping her own feet so she can walk properly again.
    The menace looming behind Talia, however, seems to recede.
    But then to get where they want they need a KEY. This is turning into a huge runaround.
    "I don't like this." Clara murmurs. "The longer we're stuck here..."
    The higher chances of detection or someone seeing through the party's ruse.
    "Oh. Yeah. Bi De's really good at fighting fist stuff." She confirms for the feline man. Before she pauses. "Corruption... Like the Fragmentum?"

    "I mean, I work for a military company," Jessica offers, talking to the newcomer. "So this was sort of a mission that um... ended up getting weird, for me. I hope everyone's all right... but at least they have some interesting food here!"

    Priorities.

    Oh, looks like they have a task then. She sees everyone looking toward the lieutenant. Once they're away from the guard, she cautions, "Careful. Officers can be a lot more cautious and may figure out who we are!"

    Bi De's voice murmurs from nearby, "Patience, Miss Clara. It is true that we must make haste, but being reckless will cause us to fall even farther behind. Needless conflict or pushing too hard and needing to find another way will cause a greater delay than simply being careful and methodical in our approach."

    C'dakhi is smart enough to keep his mouth shut while Serval tries to get them into the area they need to get into, and just look like a dopey catboy. But as he looks 'vacantly' around, he's on the lookout for something else -- corrupted crystal formations! They'd be jagged but almost liquid-looking crystals that glow a bright orange.

    Talia's words don't go unacknowledged, though. "Adventurers 're usu'lly who most people go to fer this kinda thing," he explains. "Cid's worked wi' groups 'f us b'fore -- fact, I've pers'nally worked with 'im -- an' our records 're available from th' guild, so 'e can 'and-pick one 'e wants. Th' Scions 'a th' Seventh Dawn, 're a group 'a scholars an' warriors what takes care 'a problems when they get too big fer th' city-states ter 'andle."

    World-saviors, basically.

    "Frag.... what?" C'dakhi asks, to Clara's statement. "Might be sim'lar. Corrupted crystals are what 'appens when leylines get super-charged an' erupt outta th' ground. Crystallizes instantly, an' contact wi' these crystals attracts all manner 'a nasty stuff. Corrupts widlife, too."

    OH HEY, Jessica is suddenly talking his language -- FOOD! "Oh?" He tilts his head. "Any cookin' techniques ye found that ye can share?"

    And Bi De's words, C'dakhi can... presumably hear? If he does, he'll offer quietly, "Aye. Rogue 'ere, so I ain't too far outta me element. Hidin' ain't always not bein' seen. Sometimes it's jus' not bein' noticed 'r recognized."

    Serval headtilts. "Dunn... Dunn? Hah, why didn't you say so! We'll be right back." she seems chipper, almost giddy. As the group move down the street, March pipes up, "Hey Serval... this 'Lieutenant Dunn', you know him?" she asks.
    "You bet I do. We go way back. He's easy to talk to. Watch me persuade him."

    They round the bend, and a tall man in full plate armour, with a tower shield and a heavy looking spear, all embedded with pale blue crystals stands chatting with his men, normal troops in regular Silvermane uniforms. "Hey, Dunn! It's been a while. I didn't know you made security captain!"

    He turns, adjusting his helmet and somehow managing to look surprised behind the concealing plate. "S-Serval, it's been a long time... you're still so..." ahem. he clears his throat. "You look good."

    Serval doesn't skip a beat, "Allow me to introduce my assistants to you. They help me take care of business at the workshop." she gestures at the group in general. "Everyone, this is Captain Dunn, an old friend of mine. He used to be an ace on the keys in the band."

    While March and Dan give polite greetings, Stelle sniffs the air, like a dog. "Something smells weird..." she blurts, gravitating toward one of the subordinates.

    Dunn instantly shifts. "Zackery! How many days has it been since you showered?" he asks.
    'Zackery' stammers. "I showered right before me shift--"
    Dunn doesn't seem convinced. "What did you say?" he presses.
    The guard relents. "I--- I haven't showered in two days, sir."
    Dunn admonishes the guard. "Unacceptable! Especially in front of visitors. Apologies for the embarrassment, all."

    Serval shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. Hey, if you get a chance, you could come back and play with us sometime. The spot's always open."
    "I haven't touched a keyboard in years... but I don't stand on ceremony. HOw can I help you?"
    Serval cuts straight to it then. "The lines look fine, all that's left is the energy hub. The sentry said I needed an encryption key. Can you help me out?"

    Dunn's demeanor changes in an instant. "Serval... can you tell me what Captain Gepard told you?"
    "Let me think... 'Hey, sis the energy lines at the frontline are malfunctioning, those useless engineers can't find the problem'. Something like that?"
    "And when did he ask you the favour?"
    "This morning? He's on urban patrol today, right? That's why he popped in to ask the favour."
    Dunn manages to FROWN through his helmet. "Captain Gepard just returned to the frontline. I could... reconfirm with him?" he asks, though his grip on his lance tightens just a little.

    Serval blinks. "He's back? He was still in the city a little while ago..."
    Dunn sighs. "You haven't changed Serval... you're still a lousy liar. These people aren't workshop assitants. Right?" He relanets just a little. "Look, Serval, it's not that I don't want to help you. But I am a Silvermane Guard."

    "I'll give you a change. I'm not unreasonable. You can leave, and I won't tell Gepard. But the Outsiders stay here." Dunn says.

    "Looks like it's a fight after all." remarks Stelle, drawing her Bat from her inventory pocket dimension, the weapon appearing in a flare of blue-white.

    "I got you into this. I'm not abandoning you now. Dunn, this concerns the entire world! Don't stand against us, please!" pleads the rock engineer.

    "Damn it Serval, we practiced together for years! You must understand me by now!" growls Dunn, as he reaadies his shield, and gestures for the other guards to move into formation.

    "My rock and roll soul is to uphold the duty of a soldier.

    The Guard then rush in, brandishing their poleaxes as Dunn advanced behind his shield.

    And it's a fight.

    The moment that is revealed, Jessica's backpack explodes open, a flurry of feathers and talons erupting out and tumbling down in front. The bird skids to a halt and-

    Does a sweeping bow.

    "This Bi De respects your commitment to your responsibilities, Lieutenant Dunn," the bird says formally. "However, this Bi De regrets that this responsibility places us on opposing sides. I hope that after all this, we can maintain respect for one another on more friendly terms."

    And only then does he flash into action, ping-ponging between the Guard in an attempt to sweep legs out from under them, knock them back, or otherwise incapacitate without killing. Though there may be some pretty nasty bruises if they aren't strong enough.

    "Ahh... let's try to avoid any serious injuries!" Jessica says to the others. Which is going to be hard for her, as she uses firearms! The cat leaps back, climbing up on anything nearby if she can, and starts snapping off shots. Ideally she's shooting for weapons or, at worst, limbs. The *crack crack* of the pistol sounds a little off, and others might realize she really IS taking it easy! This is one of the normal firearms she was lent, not her more deadly originium bullets.

    Talia listens to C'dakhi with curiosity, but the topic is hardly relevant. She'll have to discuss things with the catman at a more convenient time. For now, she and the team have a job to do.

    As they approach Dunn, Talia keeps a distance. She remains placid and stoic for now, quietly listening as Serval discusses with Dunn. She bows her head when Serval indicates her, but she remains quiet for now to keep up her mystique.

    Truthfully, she's feeling more than a bit nervous, trying to chant 'I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.' in her head to keep herself calm, despite feeling as if this ruse could fail at any moment now.

    "My rock and roll soul is to uphold the duty of a soldier."

    Talia, privately, thinks about how that's the least 'rock and roll' thing ever.

    The guards are going to find a cloak tossed at them when it's time to roll for initiative, and Talia suddenly is like a flash of movement, her lightsaber springing to life with emerald light while she cuts up rifles and spears with her saber. She lashes out with kicks and punches and other hand-to-hand techniques to neutralize soldiers she disarms. Not literally of course, leaving a trail of severed limbs wouldn't look great.

    All it takes is Dunn's hand to tighten on his weapon for C'dakhi to look between him and Serval. He keeps the kind of vacant look on his face, but he's paying very close attention, making certain that he keeps his eye on how this all shakes out. And most importantly, keeping an eye on Dunn, to make sure he's not about to attack.

    And then of course the fecal matter impacts the ventilation system, just as he figured it would, apparently because this 'Dunn' guy recognizes the one leading them. He has no idea what a 'rock and roll soul' is, but it doesn't matter right now.

    "'Least me instincts ain't failed me yet," he notes, and WHERE DID THOSE DAGGERS COME FROM. In short order he's armed, with a downward-pointing dagger in each hand.

    Looks like there's a group, so he has something for that. As the group bears down, he stands straight, making a sign with his hands, prompting a small burst of color around him -- blue, then yellow, then red. It's a sequence -- hand seals? Then he slaps the ground under him, and a round circle of the area seems to start shaking, just slightly.

    Looks harmless... but if any guards step into it -- and he aimed it for where the bulk of the group will be running towards -- they may find themselves losing energy. Very, very slowly.

>> SUMMARY[C'dakhi Tia] >> Ten --> Jin --> Chi = Doton, AoE DoT. Slow HP loss. Does not affect allies.

    "Fragmentum is... Kind of this stuff that happened because a thing called a Stellaron. It's like a corruption of the world where monsters come from." Clara explains for c'dakhi's benefit. Oh no. Oh no oh no. It's just like Jessica said. The officer is more suspicious and sees through the group's ruse. Ignoring the fact that one of his men hasn't showered, Clara starts backing up slowly. The ... The outsiders stay?
    No. No that's not good.
    That's not good at all.
    Biting her lip, Clara balls her hands into fists. Because it's as the guards start approaching that the tiny girl gives a warning:

    "You have to treat me nice or else I deploy The Mechanism."

    There's a beat of silence. Because as the Silvermane Guards continue to approach, Clara tenses. She draws a breath... And then...

    "HELP ME, MISTER SVAROG!"

    The air behind the approaching guards ripples. There's a shimmer of something VERY large moving slowly... And then Svarog deactivates his optical cloak.
    "I'm The Mechanism." The ten foot tall mechanical man says matter-of-factly, as he casually takes two men and clunks their head together with enough force to knock them out.

>> SUMMARY[Clara] >> BASAKAAAAAAAAAA! >_<

    Dunn drops his shield into place, an energy field forming over-top of the metallic and crystalline construct. As Bi De comes bounding around, he'll find the shield a more robust bulwark than it probably should be. On impact, Dunn brings his spear around and performs a rapid three-thrust strike, trying to hit the rooster.

    The other Guards move to engage, only to get winged by Jessica, slashed by Talia and their weapons destroyed, and thene the few that move forward toward Serval and C'dakhi find their footing somehow loose, and trip over some of the tents as the minor vibrations cause the supports to slip.

     That just leaves Dunn himself as a bulwark to break through, or outflank. Svarog clanks a pair of men together like the worlds worst set of cymbals, and that leaves him in the perfect position to back-attack Dunn.

    With the weapons destroyed and guards being thoroughly bullied, Talia uses a Force push to knock Dunn off-balance. "This is pointless." She says, stowing her lightsaber and clipping it to her belt in a graceful motion. "We have no interest in slaying you or your men. Your leader is lying to you. Will you hear our story or will you insist on a soldier's death?"

    She might be buying Svarog time to KO Dunn.

>> SUMMARY[Talia Kyras] >> Bro just pack it in before the robot hits you.

    With Bi De being a melee sight to behold and the soldiers tripping over their own feet, that just leaves Dunn.
    Who may feel an imposing sense of existential dread as Svarog looms behind him.
    Svarog does not taunt. He does not quip, nor does he verbally jab.
    He simply scruffs the Captain by the back of his armor.
    And then bodily slams the man into the ground with bone rattling force.
    Dunn will live. His men will survive.
    But they're going to regret that they did, for the next few days of medical treatment.

    Jess changes clips to something a little less lethal, and starts firing at the center of mass of any guards remaining a threat. She doesn't want to shoot a friend of Serval's, though, so she ends up hopping down, and instead of just shooting any lethal part, empties her clip in rapid succession at the edge of the shield, trying to just use the impact to help make him off-balance. Maybe not a great idea, though.

    C'dakhi is leaving Dunn alone for the time being. This is not his world, and not his fight. He's here for support, and 'support' currently means concerning himself more with the other soldiers.

    The problem is, he's not only a rogue and ninja... he's an ASSASSIN. And he didn't get the memo about using non-lethal force here! So the soldiers that tripped -- and apparently MFers get hit with another MFer! -- will also find the formerly vacant-eyed catboy, dual-colored eyes now narrowed in focus, leaping up above them and tossing a handful of sharp kunai down in a rain around him.

    Fortunately for them, their armor should blunt some of the damage. So there's still time to make sure he understands these guys aren't supposed to die.

>> SUMMARY[C'dakhi Tia] >> Death Blossom. Low-potency AoE physical attack. RAIN OF POINTY THINGS! C'dakhi didn't get the memo that we weren't killing the opposition.

    "It is admirable to fulfill your duty, but when your duty threatens those you are sworn to protect... there is a higher duty," Bi De points out, as he rebounds from the shield and lands on the ground. He fluffs feathers, though a few spatters of blood escape, showing he did not get through unscathed. He attempts to ignore it, though, and sighs. "Very well."

    The bird shimmers into a bright silvery light, and leaps up! Darting to the side, he streaks forward, claws outstretched toward Dunn's head! So fast, though perhaps he can be stopped before he-

    Bursts into a sparkling cloud of silver light.

    Meanwhile, the REAL Bi De, now inky black and darting along the side on the ground, spins about to aim a kick at the base of the shield, trying to knock its planted foundation off.

    A lot of things happen at once. Seele, who'd been hanging back performs a special move. "Disappear amongst the sea of butterflies!" she bites her thumb, twirling her scythe around behind her, before launching forward in a high speed charge. She synconizes with Bi De's two-way strike, aiming to cut the shield up and disable its defensive barrier with overwhelming force. "ILLUSIONS OF THE PAST!" Multiple after-images surround Dunn, slicing at the shield from all angles, before... she's seemingly not actually moved.

    Bi De's strike comes in, and dislodges the shield, while Jessica's shots manage to knock the slab of metal aside, staggering the Guard Officer.

    Then The Mechanism scruffs him, lifts him up and slams him into the ground... Dunn doesn't move, save to roll over onto his back, his helmet cracked and showing off a dark brown eye, set into a mildly tanned face. His shield sparks and releases smoke, and his lance sits shattered at his side. "Serval... why?" he asks groggily, before he goes limp.

    Serval shakes her head. "I'm sorry Dunn. Time for a little nap." she says frowning.

    Dan Heng kneels down, and does a quick check of the downed Officer. "He's just unconscious, don't worry."

    Seele snorts softly. "Stubborn fool. Strong though. Wildfire lacks people like him." she says

    Serval approaches, kneeling downw to rifle through Dunn's pockets and pouches. "... Got it! The encryption key! Lets go before---"

    She's cut off, as a warning klaxon starts sounding across the base zone. It's a deep growling buzzer that sounds in sets of three pulses.

    "Looks like we attracted attention." remarks March 7th.

    "That's the Enemy Attack alarm... every single guard in the zone just became our enemy." agrees Serval.