Welcome to Gaia! ::

( I know what a Makarov is, Limber. Its the Russian/Soviet copy, essentially, of the Browning 1911 .45 calibre pistol. I've fired one before.. also, PuddleJumpers are more grey than black...but I don't really care what color it is, long as its not pink.... although that would be funny)

".....so who wants to split up into teams?"


The voice seemed to come from a deep well. He flicked his ears as he tried to focus on the sound, then realized that his helmet was missing. He felt a dull pain around his chest, and opened his eyes. sunlight assualted his vision, making him blink as his eyes adjusted, then he took a look around. He was still in the Chiroptera...

- I remember piloting it...then....

His memory failed him, but the pain from what felt like several broken inner ribs ( His species had a layer of outer ribs to act as a form of natural armor to protect vital organs), and the slight catch in his breath told him that at least one of the busted ribs had punctured a lung, which also told him a little of what had happened to him.

- Without a hospital, the punctured lung would be almost certainly life threatening, possibly lethal....that is, if I didn't have Nanotech to prevent stuff like that. Speaking of Nanotech.....

Kest'ak'ain was nowere to be seen- or rather, felt. He wondered what had happened since he had been out, when he heard a sound outside.He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked out a window in time to see what looked like a Lantean PuddleJumper setting down.

- I really need a Heads Up on whats happened.... Kest'ak'ain gone- He took in the sight of the apparent old friend of Rockies - New guy showing up, a Lantean ship landing nearby....and what the hell is that aroma?-

His nares flared as he breathed in deeply, and he savoured the smell, as he looked around to see what it was. a splash of maroon caught his eye, and he dipped a talon in it and rubbed it between two fingers, then lifted it up to taste

- Blood.....damn, its almost irresistable! I'm not that strong of a carnivore, but this stuff is dredging up old instincts with a vengeance-

He rolled off the bench he was laying on, and collapsed. Obviously, he was still weak.

" hey guys? I'm awake now....little help here? oh, and what the hell has happened since I've been asleep?"

"...your guess is as good as mine. Lantean ship, screwed up "digital" world.... what's happening, I have utterly no clue..... looks like a Lantean is coming to meet us, though."


The PuddleJumper dropped its hatch, and Laz saw first the shimmering armor that its pilot wore. Then the Lantean killed the shields, and he stood revealed.

- Lantean Marine armor....-

" Greetings, Brother"
He called out in Ancient.

THe Marine looked at him, his strngly handsome features visible behind the transparent visor of his helmet.

" I see you....but you are no Lantean. Who are you?"

" It may be easier if you speak our language....what was your name?"

" I never gave it. It's Lasten."

Lasten switched to Standard English, and cleared his throat to get everyones attention.

"Obviously, you are stranded just the same as I am. On a ordinary world, this wouldn't be a problem. however, their seems to be some sort of.....created creatures here, under the control of some sentience, and it is not friendly. in fact-"

A far off roar cut him off. Lasten drew his gun and clicked his shields back on as he turned to face the direction the sound had come from.

" Looks like they are coming to kill us."

"Oh great...I havent been up for no more than ten minutes and someone...or something is trying to kill us!" he thought before sighing. "So what exactly was that you killed earlier?" Todd asked Lasten not really expecting an answer to his question. He then Look to Laz "Think you can stand?"

"....I can stand. Now, where'd my guns go?"

Lasten fired into the forest, and heard a howl of pain as he connected with a Fury. He fired again, and the sound cut off with a gurgle. His sensors painted the forest, and he saw that there were at least thirty of the Shock units waiting, watching. He dropped another one with a shot to the throat, drew a bead on another, then froze, the gunsight on another Furies head.

- Why are they not attacking? are they waiting for something?

He fired,and the Erinyes pitched back, dead before it hit the ground. a expllosion at the forest verge threw flaming debris everywere, forcing him to crouch as....something smashed into the clearing. He stared at it as it threw its head back and roared; the thing had six legs, and a pair of massive horns on its head. He fired at it, and the bolt glanced off its forequarters. The massive....rhino thing, glared at him and lowered its head. He wondered what it was doing when he saw a green nimbuis of energy surrond the pair of horns, coalesce into a ball of green fire, and zip towards him. He threw himself backwards, the ball of green plasma passing only a few feet above him, the energy bleed from it enough to drain his shields.

- Oh lovely....a Tank form.... whats next, a mobile fortress?-

The tank pawed the ground and roared again, then charged him. He threw himself upwards, trusting that it would be going too fast to hit him. obviously it was more agile than he thought, for it tossed its head and threw him to the ground, the impact stunning him. The tank dug in its talons, spun around to face him, ignoring the others. Lasten picked himself up, and met the Tanks slitted eyes calmly, then beckoned. The Tank rushed him again, but this time he wasn't going to jump. Instead, he pulled both swords out, rolled to the side, and swung. The Tank lumbered past, roared, then collapsed onto its side as the tendons of its legs on one side snapped, severed by Lastens hit. The massive creature raised its head, tried to fire at the Lantean, but Lasten mearly stepped to the side, the ball of plasma missing cleanly. he leaped lightly onto the Tanks armored back, noting in passing that, just like the Shock units, the Tank wasn;t armored nearly as well on the hindquarters, and forced the beasts head to the ground as it snapped at him with its beak, before raising his swords up. the Tank spasmed as the swords cut through armor scales, flesh, and bone, and cut through its neck. Lasten slid off, and wiped the blades clean on its hide before looking up.

Three more Tanks stood amongst the dozens of Shock units watching him from the forest verge, and he swore.


- I should have stayed in the pod....-

So many questions filled his head as he watched in awe of the large beasts that stood before him. "This is going to get messy..." he thought as he stared at them. He then looked to Lasten "what pther tricks does this guy have up his sleeve?"

"Whoa...." he said before taking aim with his new found rifle. He took careful aim before firing at the legs of one creature. The shot grazed it and made it mad causing it to glare at him. Todd took aim again as the menacing creature came twoards him. "Steady....steady....." he fired again and hit its back leg making it trip as it ran. Todd gave a quick sigh of relif before taking aim at another target.