IC-Ep 1-Retrieval(Xiang/Juliette)

[Mr. Handy]

Docking Bay - Styx Base, Pluto
0645 GMT - Tuesday, August 9, 2112

Captain Juliette Desjardins made sure that Sofia Torres got safely out of the docking bay and completed her pre-flight checks. She encountered no problems, and the Persephone's fuel reserves were quite ample. After all, she had never made the return journey to Earth. A short hop like this would be no problem, and she'd still have more than enough fuel to return to Earth one day.

Lt. Hu Xiang sat in the co-pilot's seat, while Lt. Colonel Howard Bruce occupied the third seat. "All right, Captain," said the security chief. "The docking bay's dome is still open, so we can take off any time. Just get clearance from Ground Control first."

[Lynx]

" Roger that sir." Juliette said. "Ground Control, this is the Persephone. Permission to take off?" Juliette put her hand on the steering. She could feel the adrenalin pumping. Going back out there, when she knew that they knew that she knew. This was going to be quite a day. Her hand trembling ever so slightly on the controls as she waited for permission to take off.

[SSior.27]

Hu checked his restraints, waiting for the ship to gain clearance and move out of the dome.

[Lynx]

Adrenalin rushing, Juliette waited impatiently for the signal to GO. Even a minute seemed like forever. High on the thrill of the day she was easily bored. "As we wait for clearance, Sirs, has there been anything exiting going on at the base? It was said something about an intruder capsule to private Torres, anything I need to know about?" Juliette let the question hang, waiting to see who replied.

[Mr. Handy]

"Please stand by," said Lt. Colleen Rose.

After a short pause, the commanding officer's voice came on: "This is General Pryce. Four intruders entered the base in what appears to be a T-Mat capsule, though no known T-Mat technology has anywhere near the range needed to reach Pluto from any other object in the solar system. They have been taken into custody, and their capsule has been secured. We don't know what if anything they have to do with the aliens yet, but the investigation is ongoing. Lt. Colonel Bruce knows as much as I do, so you should direct your questions to him. You'll be able to take off in just a minute."

"It's like the general said," said the security chief. "At least one of the intruders is an alien sympethizer, probably all of them. I suspect that they're in league with these aliens. The timing of their arrival is just too perfect to be a coincidence."

Shortly afterwards, Lt. Rose came back on the radio: "Persephone, this is Ground Control. You are cleared for takeoff."

Captain Juliette Desjardins fired the Persephone's thrusters, and the ship rose out of the dome and into the sky. The protective dome returned to its closed position as Juliette flew towards the position where she had landed the Demeter. Her scanners showed that it had not moved, and there was nothing else nearby that they could detect. Soon the scout craft was visible out of the main viewscreen.

"Good," said Lt. Colonel Bruce. "Set her down, Captain."

OOC,[b]Juliette[/b], please roll Pilot Space Transport at double your effective skill to land near the [i]Demeter[/i]. You will only fail this roll on a 100.

[Lynx]

Juliette landed the Perspehone, but it was an unusually rough landing for a pilot of her calibre. She cursed a bit. " MERDE, She is not responding well to the controls, hope there is no technical problem showing up a bit late." She shut down the thrusters, but left them ready for the return.

[SSior.27]

Thankful he double checked his restraints, Hu's knuckles regained colour as his fingers unclenched the nearest part of the ship. Truthfully, he hadn't remembered grabbing them. Biting back a snide inquiry if the sun had been in Juliette's eyes, he simply says, "Blast, this is why I hate flying with another at the helm."

[Mr. Handy]

"You'll soon get your chance, Lt. Hu," said Lt. Colonel Howard Bruce. He rose from his seat, opened the airlock, and stepped inside. "Take the helm and keep your eyes open while wer're out there. Captain, if you'll join me in the airlock, we'll go outside and check on the Demeter." He drew his sidearm. "Have your weapon ready. The scanners weren't showing anything, but that doesn't mean it will be safe out there."

[Lynx]

Juliette got up, she was happy to abandon the Helm to Hu, a bit worried if there was something wrong with the ship. She looked at Hu and replied with a sweeth smile. "If you think this was bumby. lt. Hu, you should have been there when I coldstarted her down in the cave. She's a bit edgy, thats all. Just be gentle with her..." Juliettes eyes smiled just as much as her smile, and with her most dazzling smile and sweeth tone of voice she continued. " And make sure she gets home safe!" She then walked past him towards the airlock and unholstered her blaster. "I'm ready to go outside sir,"She said to Lt.Colonel Bruce "I have codelocked the Demeter, so I have to be the one to open her." She waited while the lt. colonel exited the airlock and shot a glance back at Lt. Hu. Her eyes were glinting with excitement. She was going outside on another adventure.

[SSior.27]

Hu nodded in reply. He sat at the helm and checked the monitor for incoming blips. "I'll keep an eye from here, just don't take too long. And don't worry, I'll get her back safe and gentle."

[Mr. Handy]

After Juliette entered the airlock, Lt. Colonel Bruce cycled it, depressurizing it to equalize it to the pressure of Pluto's thin atmosphere. When it finished, the outer door opened to reveal the barren surface of Pluto. This section of ground was relatively flat, which was why she had chosen to land the Demeter here. The two of them stepped outside and walked the short distance across to the Demeter, which was exactly where Juliette had left her. The rock formation with the tunnel leading underground was visible a short distance away. There was nothing else out here as far as the eye could see. Styx Base itself was too far away to be visible.

Lt. Hu Xiang could see everything going on outside on the Persephone's main viewscreen.

[Lynx]

Juliette touched the dorscreen, fingering the code. She then walked catiously into the airlock. Pulse was high, she pressurized the airlock, and went inside. She then checked every cabinet inside for stoaway aliens. Sincerely hoping she would find none.

[Mr. Handy]

Juliette waited anxiously while the Demeter's airlock cycled. Outside the ships, Lt. Colonel Howard Bruce watched alertly. Lt. Hu Xiang sat at the Persephone's helm and awaited the security chief's return.

Xiang had a good view of the Demeter and Lt. Colonel Bruce on the main viewscreen, as well as of the rock formation with the cave. Without warning, six of the most hideous mostrosities he had ever seen emerged flying from that tunnel. They varied in size, but they averaged a little smaller than man-sized. They had large, membraneous wings that propelled them awkwardly through Pluto's thin atmosphere, oversized heads that resembled giant brains with antennae, slimy green webs coating their chests, and numerous long and thin limbs ending in small pincers. They each seemed to be holding something...and they flew right towards the security chief as he stood alone on the surface!

Unaware of what was happening outside, Juliette watched as the airlock finished cycling.The Demeter was a small craft, and the main cabin was barely large enough to fit her. When the airlock opened at last, she saw another of the bizarre creatures within, seated in the pilot's seat just a couple of feet away. It turned to face her...

Story
JAYSUN81

Elizabeth Young
YOCKENTHWAITE

Lucuus Verres
IMPINTRAINING

Brook Davies
THORN

Captain Wladyslaw Kowalski
MR. HANDY

2nd Lt. Maria Carvalho
MR. HANDY

General Richard Pryce
MR. HANDY

Colonel Indira Patel
MR. HANDY

Lt. Colonel Howard Bruce
MR. HANDY

Major Natalia Orlova
MR. HANDY

Captain Karin Bauer
AINE

1st Lt. Hu Xiang
SSIOR.27

2nd Lt. Edward Barrett
COLLECTOR

Private Sofia Torres
BENTHERAT

Private George Bond
ZIELONOBRODY

Captain Juliette Desjardins
LYNX

2nd Lt. Colleen Rose
LARAQUA

Sergeant Heinrich Kohl
DR. BLOODWORTH

Private Alison Silver
ARCCOS

Private Robert MacCrimmon
UMBRAGEOFSNOW

Aliens
MR. HANDY
MR. HANDY
MR. HANDY
MR. HANDY

Title music by
RON GRAINER and
BBC RADIOPHONIC
WORKSHOP

Designer
MR. HANDY

Producer
MR. HANDY

Directed by
MR. HANDY

OOC,Episode 2 will start soon! Look in this thread for the links to the new threads for Episode 2.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Episode 2 starts in the threads linked below. [b]Xiang[/b], please read and post here:

The Ambush

OOC,[b]Juliette[/b], please read and post here:

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