002 - A Time to Gain and a Time to Lose

[purplexing]

Truthfully Hesaeth was not a place that Donnie had been in any particular hurry to return to. So much had happened there, such gains and losses in what he felt was comparatively a short amount of time. He'd had mixed feelings about their abandoning the resources, but he still wouldn't have questioned the decision when they had such dire threats bearing down upon them. Resources could be replaced. Lives could not.

And yet, here he finds himself again. At least he has no intention of poking around what's left of the camp itself, and he and the other Corsairs had made sure that the mines would be inaccessible in the wake of their escape. The Empire would have to start all over again, but for now it seems that they're too busy licking their own wounds after their losses from here and against Flotsam.

Their target is one of two downed ships. It's a wonder what some well-aimed guns can do. The vessel's entirety had listed to one side during its descent, driving itself into the nearby cliff-face until its starboard side had been nearly flattened.

"Considering the load capacity of those ships, I'm willing to bet they've got some decent artillery other than their cannons. Probably didn't think they'd need to pull out anything else," Donnie notes as he observes the site from the rail of their own airship while it circles closer.

The entry point is through the rear loading hatch, which had been partially open perhaps in an attempt to evacuate before the whole ship had tipped over, and after rappelling down from their ship, the real adventure begins. Footing is tricky given the steep angle, ensuring that anything not nailed down or secured has been thrown to the starboard side of the ship. Toppled crates, containers and the equipment meant to move heavy loads make up most of the 'floor' they have to navigate across, as well as some dangling machinery hanging precariously by their loading harnesses.


((OOC: Leaving it open as to whether interested parties want to thread together or individually, whichever is easier/preferred! Also, this is a salvage mission so if there's anything anyone else might be in the market for, let me know!))

Comments

[purplexing]

"...."

Okay, so Donnie didn't know the guy kept multiple shields, but is he surprised? ...no.

"Unless you have like a dozen shields I think that's going to be tedious. Can you unfuse them somewhere out of the way?" he suggests.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link makes a vague, negative noise - unfortunately, unfusing isn't actually something he can do. Once something's on, it's on.

Though, that doesn't mean he doesn't have options.

Taking the now fused shield, he steps up to a nearby wall. And then bashes it, violently, several times against said wall. At which point the crate promptly collapses into a collection of tiny, tiny pieces.

He steps back towards Donnie. Now it's good to go!

[purplexing]

That...seems highly inconvenient. Donnie watches this demonstration, wincing at the noise as Link smashes the crate.

"Ah."

Well, he supposes that is technically unfusing.

"Okay. I think...if you can just clear enough of the crates directly on top of the thing, I can shimmy on down there and see if it activates."

[newmemorywhodis]

Hey, if it works, it works. Who cares if it's not how you're supposed to do it?

Thus begins the process by which Link Fuses a crate, smashes it to bits, and then goes back to Fuse another. It's not the quickest method. But it's still faster than trying to move everything out by hand.

And eventually, Donnie should have enough room to get in closer.

[purplexing]

Donnie just has so many questions and he's certain he'll just get a headache trying to get the answers out of Link.

He watches as Link gets to it, flinching with each broken crate, trying not to think about what might have been in them. In between he casts a look around in case anyone else decides to interrupt the party, but once the noise ceases, Donnie looks back, a lopsided grin pulling on his face in approval.

Okay, he can work with that. He nods at Link, moving to begin making his way down, trying not to let himself get too excited in case the damage was too severe, or worse, it had no power core installed.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link stays close as Donnie descends. He keeps an eye out for any other potential survivors; he doesn't plan to let anyone else get another shot at them.

But he also makes sure to keep an eye on Donnie, too. Does he need help climbing down? Or with anything else? Is there something that Link could do to help?

He doesn't say anything; not verbally. But he does hover nearby, in a way that strongly suggests that all Donnie needs to do is say the word, and Link will leap in to assist.

[purplexing]

Donnie's clearly no stranger to climbing things. Sometimes he and his brothers would have nothing better to do but scale the cliffsides and such by the coast where they'd lived. Donnie and Leo particularly liked finding good places to dive from.

Not that Donnie wants to do any diving here, but he makes his way without much trouble, eventually dropping down onto the armor so he can feel his way around for the cockpit's release.

[newmemorywhodis]

Donnie looks to have things in hand, so Link stays focused on keeping watch. He relaxes into a solid, familiar guarding position - one he's clearly held many times before.

Until danger appears, or Donnie needs help, Link will wait. As long as is needed.

[purplexing]

The turtlekin catches a glimpse of Link as he settles in to keep an eye out, which is enough for Donnie as he slides into the armor.

"Okay..." he says, looking over the console before he goes through the start-up protocols. His fingers fly across the board before he slides his arms into the controls for the arm movement of the mech. Externally there'd be the low hum of power as the armor activates, a soft glow brightening in its eyes.

"So far so good. Might want to move, Link."

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods. Scooches back a bit.

And then quite blatantly settles in to watch with clear curiosity. Sure, he's still keeping watch - he hasn't diverted his attention entirely.

But it's clear that Link's mostly focusing on Donnie and the suit right now.

[purplexing]

With most of his view obstructed, Donnie can only hope Link's moved enough. He pulls the arms back testing mobility before he tries to find enough purchase on something to try getting the armor free. The crates and things that have been piled in around and beneath the armor begin to shift slightly.

Already he can see that this is going to be difficult given the positioning. But he's also noticed the armor's controls have some very interesting features. If he can just push a little bit more of these things away to give himself more space to move, then maybe...

The earlier commotion had already been enough to draw anyone's attention, if there were any other lingering bodies about. The unmistakable sound of a powered-up armor isn't hard to miss when all else is quiet.

Several stuttered shots sound off, something whizzing past Link's ear, the others striking boxes and equipment, but it's clear enough there's more than one person this time.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link starts moving immediately - though not towards the source of the shots. Instead, he moves towards the now Armored Donnie.

Armors aren't the same as constructs. But they don't strike Link as being that different either - so he sees no reason why he can't do the same thing with them that he did with Mineru.

He climbs up the armour, scrambling right to the very top. He then finds a place to settle in right behind the head, where he can maintain a good hold.

Only then does he fire back with a few arrows, each one Fused to more Puffshrooms.

[purplexing]

As Link moves towards the armor, the armor moves towards him. Donnie had heard the shots go off. No time to be careful about things, then. He activates the thrusters, feeling a brief rush as he hears them activate, light flaring behind the armor as it pushes upwards.

He grins to himself as Link hitches a ride, maneuvering the armor around. Already he can tell the response-time is off; it must have sustained some damage when it had been tossed across the ship and buried. He hears a shot glance off the armor's shoulder, but as the smokescreen starts to build up, Donnie eases the thing back, crates toppling as it finally clears the hole completely.

"Hang on," he tells Link, starting to turn the armor around so he can aim for the hatch they'd come through. Shots continue to be fired off, and while the aim is off, they're still too close for comfort given the glare of the thrusters is kind of a big giveaway to their position.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link's not really sure what Donnie's about to do; he can guess he's about to move somewhere, but he doesn't know when or in what direction.

But he heard the instruction to hang on, and so hang on he does. Getting in close, Link makes himself into a small target as he holds on tightly to the Armor's neck. Once he does so, he makes a soft affirmative noise - telling Donnie in his own way that he's ready for whatever's about to happen.

[purplexing]

"Come on, come on, come on..." Donnie murmurs as he pushes the armor. They probably won't be able to fly very far, but he's sure they can make it to the hatch and call for a pick-up.

That Link's still in danger of getting hit is worrying, but the Feder's weaponless, its guns probably buried somewhere below. Time to improvise then.

That purple light appears again, lines forming their own weapons, ammunition slotting into hardlight components of an armor-grade pistol. Donnie fires in the direction the shots had come from, trying to ignore the panicked shouts as he lays down cover fire. It's either them or Link, and Donnie's not letting anyone hurt his friend and ally.

The entire armor falters in midair as one of the thrusters threatens to gut out, and Donnie shifts the massive thing forward to plant a foot on some jutting piece of machinery, propelling them closer towards the hatch with each jerky step.

[newmemorywhodis]

With his hands busy keeping a grip on the Armour, Link can't fire off any shots off his own. But that's okay, because Donnie's doing a pretty good job of that on his own.

A bigger problem though is the way it stutters in mid-air. He can only hope that Donnie has it in hand, as they come closer to the hatch.

And when they do get close enough, reach up to push the hatch open.

[purplexing]

It's not a good thing, and it only gives the Imperial survivors more cause to renew their efforts, daring to pick their way through the fog to try and get a better shot.

"No good, I'm going to have to...improvise," Donnie says as his attempts to restart the thrusters prove futile. Outside, Link has a good view as the turtlekin's magic is at work, an external booster building over the one that's failed on them, all bright glowing purple lines. The armor makes another leap and the remaining thruster supplemented by the mystic one fire up again, carrying them up.

"Link, can you call our ship on standby for a pickup?" Donnie asks as he maneuvers the mechanical arms to brace for contact with the hatch as they come upon it.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods. Pulls up his arm - with the modified communicator Donnie gave him - and makes the call.

"Come now," he says, before signing off. Apparently Link doesn't see the need to add any additional detail.

[purplexing]

Well, it works! So long as they get the message. Probably a good thing they're the only ones out there so that does help narrow things down.

Donnie can already feel the strain. He's still getting used to creating larger constructs with his magic, and boosting an armor is a lot more draining than he'd anticipated. Slowly the hatch begins to groan as the armor pushes it open, shots peppering the space around them with one or two lucky pings that glance off the mech's legs.

Daylight streams in as the hatch is opened, and the armor drops briefly so that Donnie can gather it for another jump as he boosts the magic and actual thrusters to clear the opening. Beyond, Link can see their ship coming in.

[newmemorywhodis]

Just as they are about to jump, Link makes one final move towards the enemy. But it's not an attack; with how hard he needs to cling to the Armour, he's not able to make any real attack.

But he can reach in to his pack with one arm, and lets a few Puffshrooms just...drop. No aiming; he just lets them fall where they may. But the clouds of spores that explode beneath them give them just a bit of extra cover as they make their escape.

And then Link just holds on.

[purplexing]

There's muffled shouts from within the hold as they exit the downed airship. Their own airship comes in low, rear hatch opening to collect them, and it's only because they've seen Link and that particular glow trademark of Donnie's magic that they haven't gone completely on the defensive.

The armor's feet skims the floor before the magicked thruster winks out in a flurry of pixelated light, the other thruster cutting off a moment later as the entire suit falls forward.

[newmemorywhodis]

As the Armour falls, Link jumps off - falling into a tumble across the floor like an acrobat. A firefight and a frantic escape, but Link hasn't taken a scratch.

But...he's not sure about Donnie. He steps over to the suit, and knocks on the outside of it. Is he okay in there?

[purplexing]

The lights on the thing begin to dim as the whine of its systems power down. For a moment all is still.

Eventually there's the hiss of a release as the emergency hatch pops up slightly before being pushed back. A shaky hand settles on the edge of the opening, and grunting, Donnie finally pulls himself up. That last bit of magickery had drained him pretty bad.

His arms waver as he tries hauling himself out, folding in just as he manages to get his feet out, and he pitches forward as he loses his balance.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link had been about to hold out a hand, to give Donnie some help getting out. Instead, he just ends up catching him entirely.

Which almost seems like it won't work out, considering Link's rather small stature. But he's a lot longer than he looks, and he manages to keep Donnie from hitting the ground.

[purplexing]

A brief look of panic flits across Donnie's face before he finds himself caught. He looks a bit embarrassed, but more than grateful to be saved a fall. That would not have been fun.

"Thanks..." he says, trying to resituate himself so he at least won't be falling anywhere face-first.