Katheeri

[Tiger Carson]

Tiger and Zera observed the police vehicle pass by, but didn't make any special note of it, they hadn't had any luck with their new strategy since they had adopted it. "We've asked several locals, and no dice." Zera said, sounding like even she was losing her patience. "Hasn't anyone seen anything?"
"We're just going to have to keep looking." Tiger said, "It's a big planet, someone may have seen something.  We just have to keep looking and asking."
"Too bad I'm not willing to trust the police here, they may have seen something." Zera said, "But the system may be too corrupt to have it be reliable."
"True enough, there may be some good officers, but I doubt there's enough of them on this hole." Tiger said, "Like it or not, we may be on our own..."

[Kurt]

Simo's little shoot out lasted about five minutes. He sat comfortably on the hood of the red vehicle, the bodies of the drug dealers spread about him, and casually smoked a cigarette. "Mission complete Fuzz." He said into his headset

[Sylono]

A smile crept on the vixen's face in spite of herself, there was something about a "good idea" that she definitely loved, especially when it was her own.

"We should consider getting a vehicle..." She said as she quickly jogged ahead of the group, coming to a stop as she motioned with her hands to get Korben and Elizabeth's attention. Even with their current posse not consisting of any blatant trouble makers, Shepherd decided to make her feelings on the matter known. "Legally, if at all possible."

At the very least... Shepherd would settle for non-disruptive or even covert, but the vixen wasn't about to give anyone ideas.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

A small, nondescript, yet highly advanced star fighter, landed in the hangar on the other side of the city. Out of it came a curious individual. Scaled, winged, tall, and handsome, this individual was strikingly similar to Bohdan. However, this individual was radically different from Bohdan in nearly every other form, personality, wealth, even style. He goes by Ilya Kuryakin. Ilya left the hangar on an old diesel motorcycle, revving his engine up and riding out of the hangar, the large doors to the outside opening for him. Ilya was on a mission: to find the Katheeri so that he can tell him the location of Aiolius. That magical place of floating islands simply screamed riches into the ears of Ilya, and he was heeding their call as fervently as any other treasure hunter. But there is a key difference: Ilya would not let anyone get in his way.

~

"Okay then," said Bohdan, retracting slightly from Antoine's icy reception of his question. "Then I shall start." Bohdan opened his hoodie and took out his bronze Ogniemite medallion. It was greatly worn, but the insignia of his faith was still clearly seen.

"This is my first medallion," said Bohdan, holding it. "I grew out of it, but always kept it. It holds great sentimental value in my heart, especially since the man who gave it to me is gone." Bohdan looked down onto his medallion as he stepped down from the rail and next to Antoine.

[Zaphyr Stone]

"Agreed." Zefran laughed at Shepherd's add-on, "I see some kind of old station up ahead." He pointed to a decrepit building that hugged one side of the railroad, "There might be a vehicle there someone left behind?"

----

"Sorry to hear that." Antoine could tell this conversation was happening with or without him, "Hey, changing topic real fast. You're not all 'gentle giant', are you?" He sized up the dragon, "You can be pretty mean, right?"

----

Laika's brow furrowed at the odd phrase that came through the radio. "Who was that?"

Max shrugged casually in response, "I haven't a clue. Maybe we patched in someone else's frequency on accident. It's happened before. Like the time we heard that department store's employee walkie-talkies, remember?"

"Oh...true." She hummed softly, not entirely convinced.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Elizabeth and Korben looked at each other, and proceeded forward.

"Okay," said Elizabeth. "Let's check it out." Korben readied himself for whatever malevolence may be lurking within the suspicious ruin of a train station.

~

Bohdan stopped walking at Antoine's inquiry. He stared at the coyote for a few moments before speaking.

"Yes," he said softly, nodding to reinforce his answer. "Yes, I can be very mean." Bohdan continued walking. "I can do things that would make you shudder."

 

[Sylono]

While the odds of a vehicle being in or around the old station were slim, Shepherd hummed an agreement before making her way to the building with the others (though not with as much caution as Korben and Elizabeth). With the assumption that the others were planning to check inside, the clone herself intended to check the side of the building they couldn't see.

[Zaphyr Stone]

Zefran ran a hand along the dry, weathered wood, old scorch marks indicating some kind of firefight took place years ago here. It looked like it used to be a small midway point. More than likely it was a refueling station and rest stop for the train workers rather than a drop-off/loading zone for actual passengers. He doubted there would be a vehicle left behind here, let alone one that was still functioning.

He walked inside and looked around at the disarray. Old papers scattered everywhere, inventory forms, counting slips. This place had been turned upside down and looted for anything valuable a long time ago.

Zefran jumped at the sound of glass crunching under his boot, and he looked down to see an old broken beer bottle in even more shards where he had stepped. He was about to move on when something caught his eye. The dust beneath the bits of glass flipped up off the ground in a strange lip, and upon further inspection it wasn't dust at all, but a scrap of cloth.

Something about the cloth, mundane and otherwise insignificant as it was, felt familiar, and he picked it up. It was old and faded, eaten up by the elements. He brushed the dirt off and started to recognize it more and more. It wasn't a cloth but the remains of a sock. It's wrinkles suggested it had been balled up at one point.

Then it hit him. "I know this place."

----

"Good! We're gonna need that in a bit." Antoine laughed, "Relax, I just need an imposing figure for some of these people. I mean I know I command a certain presence." He gestured grandly to himself, "But not everyone has the good taste to be impressed."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Elizabeth and Korben stepped inside, with both of them noticing the blaster burns on the walls and floors. The glass crunched beneath both their feet, and Korben dusted off a nearly-ruined chair, stood it up, and sat down on it. However, they both turned their heads when Zefran notified everyone of his memory of this place.

"Where do you remember it from?" asked Elizabeth, crossing her arms and leaning against a wall.

~

"Tch," uttered Bohdan, shaking his head. He then looked around.

"Where are we going to, anyway?"

[Renardfrost]

Renard had a habit of meandering into interesting places when he was left to his own devices. The Abandoned hulk of a station was definitely one such place.

He twitched his ears at the sound of crunching glass and gravel underfoot. Listening to the wind whip and howl through the hulks of boxcars and eroded pillars. Something had happened here a while back. That was cool. He liked places with stories.

"I don't know what it is, but I'm already a fan." He said, kicking a spent laser fuse and watching it skitter to a concrete wall where it shattered on impact.

[Tiger Carson]

Tiger and Zera continued to look around, not having found any useful information yet.  They decided to stop, and get something to eat.  They stopped at a food truck, got some sandwiches, and they then sat down to eat their sandwiches.  Tiger was eating a roast beef with cheddar cheese and some lettuce.  Zera was eating a chicken breast sandwich with mustard and lettuce.  Both had elected to have wheat bread with their sandwiches. "So, Tiger, you find any interesting women yet?" Zera asked him.
"Actually, not yet." Tiger replied, "That I'd like to date anyways.  I'm still kind of gun shy after the last few..." Zera felt bad when she saw Tiger's face switch to a sad look.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of that..." Zera said, frowning from it.
"It's okay, I know you meant well." Tiger said, "What about you?  Any guys catch your eye?"
"Nah." Zera replied, "Actually, I'm not looking right now.  I want to focus on doing my best for the team, if I find someone, I'll find him when I'm doing what I love."
"Good idea, I'm of the same mind." Tiger said, brightening up a bit. "We'll find our future mates when we're meant to, not before.  Moving on, thoughts on those two movies we saw last week?"
"You mean Captain Corneria: Civil Conflict and The Rainforest Story?" Zera asked, to which Tiger nodded. "I thought both were good.  I'm with Captain Corneria on the issues about casualties and oversight.  Seemed a bit worrying with regards to Steel Man's stance though...  But it was done well, if you're gonna do a super heroes vs. super heroes movie, that is the way to go.  As for The Rainforest Story, I liked it, a lot of humor, and nice call backs to the animated classic from fifty years ago.  Loved the songs they chose to bring back for the film.  As for the film's category, I'd say it's more of a realistic animated live action mix.  Given that the boy was the only physical thing in there aside from environmental set pieces he interacted with.  Good film, I'm glad I watched them both, and would highly recommend others do the same."
"I feel the same way." Tiger said, taking another bite out of his sandwich.  He and Zera did enjoy these little moments of family bonding, just shooting the breeze.  It was a small distraction, but one that they needed so they could later get back on track and be refocused on their mission.

Edited May 22, 2016 by Tiger Carson

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Ilya decided to stop his bike on the curb of the sidewalk for a quick refill of coffee at a pitiful bodega on a busy, dirty street corner, whose decrepit concrete sidewalk was populated with the proletariat of Macbeth. These tired-looking canines and felines of all shapes and sizes, while despite working long hours for a pittance, nevertheless went home to a cooked meal, a roof, four walls, and a musty bed. They, despite their humble status as cogs in a capitalist machine, are content with their lives. However, there are those within the machine that aspire to be greater than the sum of its parts, yet must still work to gather together enough funds to leave Macbeth and journey to the light of Lylat: Corneria.

Ilya entered the florescently lit bodega and was greeted by an aged, slightly chubby bobcat native to Macbeth. "Afternoon," said the cat. His faded yellow short sleeved button shirt, scuffed brown shoes that seemed to be decades old, and brown khakis told keen observers that this was his de facto outfit when behind the counter. "Need something?"

"Coffee," Ilya responded succinctly. The shopkeeper nodded, and turned around to the shop's coffee machine. He poured a cup of the steaming hot dark brown liquid into a paper coffee cop.

"How do you want it?" asked the shopkeeper.

"Two sugars," answered Ilya, while studying a counter of potato chips. The shopkeeper nodded, and poured two packets of sugar into the cup. He then placed a small red coffee straw into the cup, and handed it to Ilya.

"Two credits," said the shopkeeper. Ilya nodded as he was given the cup. He then placed it on the counter and took out his wallet from his right back pocket. He took out two credits and handed it to the shopkeeper. Ilya took the coffee. Suddenly, though, a robber burst seemingly ripped open the front door and pulled out a blaster pistol, switching his aim between Ilya and the shopkeeper.

"Gimme your creds!" said the robber. The shopkeeper instantly threw his hands up, but Ilya's hands were slower. "Come on, today!" The robber's garb, who was a short dalmatian, consisted of a black hoodie with the hood draped over his head, black jeans, and worn gray sneakers. The shopkeeper opened his cash register, and took a paper bag to fill it with the money from the register.

"Listen, friend, just walk outta here," said Ilya, trying to reason with the hostile thief.

"Shut the f--k up, freak!" yelled the robber.

That was the last straw for Ilya, who suddenly threw the piping hot coffee into the robber's face. The robber recoiled in pain, and yelped in pain. He collapsed onto the sidewalk outside, writhing and screaming in agony. The pistol he wielded sat, fully loaded, on the floor of the bodega. Ilya calmly turned to the shopkeeper, who was shaking as he stared at the writhing robber, his hands still up.

"Hey," said Ilya, trying to catch the shopkeeper's attention. The shopkeeper still stared at the robber outside. "Yo!" Ilya yelled, snapping his fingers in front of the shopkeeper's face, who snapped back to reality and turned to Ilya. "Hi, welcome back! Now... Do I have to pay for the second cup?" The shopkeeper shook his head, his hands still up. "I'd like that second cup, then." The shopkeeper nodded, stumbling to make that second cup. A few more scream-filled moments later, Ilya had his cup, and also bought a bag of Ugu potato chips. He sipped the cup a few times amidst the screams of the robber, and was content, as his nods of satisfaction conveyed. He drank the cup over the course of a few very loud minutes, observing the robber intently as police sirens began to wail in the distance.

"Thanks for the coffee," said Ilya as he threw away the empty cup into a dirty trash can located near the door. He exited the bodega, stepped over the screaming robber, and mounted his motorbike. Ilya rode away as a police car arrived.

[Sylono]

When Shepherd came to a stop, she found she made the discovery she predicted, there was no vehicle (much to the disappointment of something deep down inside her). There was only some old junk and a few large, rusted railway tracks piled carelessly along the building... she supposed if someone was dedicated enough they could fetch a fair enough sum of credits were they to make off with the tracks, but, it was probably more trouble than it was worth.

With a shake of her head, Shepherd pushed the thought out of mind (not that she was seriously considering the idea of making such a quick buck) and turned back to regroup with the others. After circling around and making her way inside of the building, Shepherd did her best to silently catch up with anything she may have missed.

[Kurt]

Simo pulled up his cell and snapped photos of the scene. The building, one of each body, the car. As he was sending them to the officer that hired him, he heard a noise come from inside the building. 

Reacting on instinct he dove behind the vehicle and drew his handgun. A Reservist 7mm. Taking careful aim, he kept it locked on the doorway. "How many did you report were here?" He whispered into his mic, sending a direct provate message to the officer he was in contact with.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Ilya rode his motorbike down the half-empty two-lane street, the double solid yellow line faded from decades of wear and tear, and general neglect. The motorbike periodically dashed left or right to avoid the occasional pothole or crack in the road, but in general, it was a relatively smooth ride. The only thing in need of maintenance was the paint of the double solid yellow line.

Ilya and his bike stopped at a small intersection, where a few business set up shop. However, he noticed a closed down newsstand with graffiti sprayed on the iron shutter. Leaning on it was a tall tykeriel wearing a black trilby, a long sleeved blue button shirt with its sleeves rolled up, a leather vest over it, loose fitting jeans, and black sneakers. He jogged from the other side of the intersection to Ilya on his bike.

"Hey, are you Ilya?" asked Trilby, stopping a few feet from him. Now, Trilby spoke with a faint Magyar accent.

"Yeah," answered Ilya. "You're Trilby?"

"Yes sir," answered Trilby. "Now you know why they call me that." Trilby tipped his hat to Ilya, who nodded in response.

"What's the word?" asked Ilya.

"Word is... the Katheeri is confirmed on Macbeth. Just landed in BHK Spaceport about an hour ago."

"Alright, thanks," said Ilya as the light turned green. He gave Tribly a 50 credit bill. He prepared to ride off, but not before Trilby gave him another word of advice.

"Oh, and one more thing. The Katheeri's got people with him. Lots of them. All packing." Ilya nodded and sped away. Trilby dashed back to the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding an old sedan.

[Zaphyr Stone]

"This is where I was brought after they transported people onto the train. They were going to put me on the train too, but someone else started firing on them, so they had to stop here to barricade themselves and me inside." He walked around the room, looking over each spot in the room that became more and more familiar, "They were fighting off whoever it was, and I was up against that back corner. I remember doing something...strange. It was like calling out for help. I can't really describe it more than that. I only know that whatever I did made me pass out." He jumped in alarm at Renard's sudden presence and laughed it off, "Oh, hey."

----

"Gonna talk to some old colleagues of mine. I started my career in a lot of these rings. Most of them have moved off world since then, but there's still one or two people from those days I can shake down for info." Antoine grinned, "That's where you come in."

[Renardfrost]

Renard waved sheepishly to Zefran, his eyes scanning the area. " This place has long since been shut down." he noted, squinting a bit as he tried to find some sort of clue

[Sylono]

Sending a startled look in Renard's direction, Shepherd's features quickly took on a slight frown, she hadn't even noticed the red furred fellow when she had entered. If this were any other job, the vixen would've stated the rather suspicious nature of the man's arrival.

"That's an understatement," She said with a hint of amusement in her voice, approaching Renard casually, "if I were born yesterday, I'd probably think this place wasn't in proper use at all."

"Doesn't look like a place an individual would just... I don't know, casually waltz into." She added offhandedly, turning her attention away from Renard to examine the corner Zefran had pointed out, as if she wasn't hinting at the fox to provide an explanation.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Elizabeth and Korben turned to see Renard entering the ruined doorway of the abandoned station. Korben scanned Renard. Once again, that mysterious energy reading he picked up when the group first met him on Corneria was detected. He sighed, crossing his arms. Korben was befuddled by this.

~

"Do I have to hurt them?" asked Bohdan, the cobblestones crunching beneath his boots.

[Renardfrost]

Renard displayed a slightly annoyed face at what he perceived as a rather thinly veiled interrogation from Sending. He wasn't the most open person, and the fact that he had tagged along with them on what seemed like a whim would be a little off putting,  but he liked to think he was a bit more trustworthy then that.

" Are you Asking How i got here? Or how I got here so quickly?"

He twitched his ears as he looked up at the sky, noting the sky slowly growing cloudier than usual, he could feel moisture and a bit of static in the air. Something felt.. off.

Edited May 22, 2016 by Renardfrost
making the post a little less vauge

[Zaphyr Stone]

"Chyeah, that's obvious." Zefran chuckled at Renard's remark. He sat down on the ground, staring at the corner as though he were trying to glean any more information from it. Now he remembered he was here and why, but how he got there in the first place was still a mystery to him. It was as though he had simply woken up on this planet all those years ago. It was frustrating to say the least.

----

"Eh, we'll have to eyeball it when we get to that part." Antoine answered, "I don't expect you'll have to, though. If you can be as frightening as you say, I get the feeling that'll be enough."

He took a deep breath as they finally entered town. "Okay, boys. Game faces on."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan nodded as he heard Antoine's notice. He then took attention to the rottweiler amongst them.

"So, Johnny, is it?" he asked. "What is your story, if you have one that is?"

[Sylono]

"Those will do..." Shepherd stated, she didn't recall seeing the fox with them when they had split into teams. As much as she wanted to grill Renard for answers, this wasn't the time to play interrogation, so she settled for what he was offering up... for now, that was.

"So, mister Renard, how did you get here?"

[Renardfrost]

I Came in from the south," Ren stated simply, crossing his arms.  " there is a hole rusted in the fences there. I noticed it from the seedy bar that i came from. figured it'd be a good place to gather my thoughts, but you guys ended up being here."

[Zaphyr Stone]

Zefran was only half-listening to Renard's explanation. Something else had his attention, a strange ache in his wings. At first he assumed they were just stiff from being strapped tight under the harness, and he fiddled with it to make it a more comfortable hold. When that didn't alleviate the discomfort, he got back to his feet and stretched his back, hoping to pop something and relieve the ache. He could smell coming rains in the air and wondered if perhaps it was a reaction to this.

He stepped back out into the open, leaving the group to continue their conversation. Something felt off.