[RAID] Final Frontier

[BlackFireKitsune]

((As always, this month's raid is limited to those who signed up beforehand. Please don't post if you didn't sign up!))

Sunlight filtered down through fluffy clouds that drifted lazily across the sky - fluffy clouds that the nondescript black jet occasionally flew through on the way towards its destination. That destination was the northernmost part of Sinnoh, an area almost perpetually coated in a thick blanket of snow and ice. The jet's interior comfortably seated the team that had been assembled, voluntarily or otherwise, for the mission at hand. Elite Claire sat near the front of the aircraft but facing backwards to regard the majority of the team - all except Agent Faleen, who was currently piloting the jet - with a tablet in one hand and a stylus in the other. "All right, everyone," she began, "as I'm sure you're all well aware, our destination is the grounded Galactic airship currently located in the northern tip of Sinnoh. The initial scouting team sent out from the local branch reported a great deal of damage to the craft, but they also reported signs of functioning electricity to at least parts of the craft, so we'll be operating under the assumption there could still be Galactics inside. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's better to be prepared."

She tapped away at the tablet a bit, then turned the screen towards the group to display a picture taken from ground level. Plenty of snow coated the ground as well as the top of the metal airship, but its broken and bent exterior, the slightly slanted angle at which it sat, the gaping hole in one side of it, coupled with the amount of broken trees curved around it gave evidence to a rough landing. "As you can see, the damage the craft sustained is almost assuredly from a crash. No witnesses reported seeing it crashing or landing, so we can only assume its cloaking technology was on when it went down." The elite leaned forward and swiped her stylus across the screen to bring up a second picture, this one taken closer and mainly of the large hole in the side of the airship. Said hole, on closer inspection, actually seemed more deliberate than accidental, its edges precise and expertly placed, save for the few large dents in various spots. A ramp led down from the hole, though half of it was covered with snow, and though it wasn't lit, what little sunlight got in, either from the sun itself or from rays reflected off the snow, showed one or two very large, hulking forms in the dark. "This area here, we can assume to be their vehicle bay or garage, based on reports from a previous mission. You will enter through here, and make your way to the interior of the ship to scout it more thoroughly, retrieve whatever items or information of importance you can find, gauge whether or not it actually does still contain any Galactics and if so, deal with them accordingly, then retreat. As much as I'd love to go in as well, I'm going to stay outside to guard the perimeter and the jet in case any Galactics - or anyone else, for that matter - show up and try to mess anything up. Are there any questions so far?" Claire asked, raising her gaze to the assembled team as she turned the tablet back around and set it down in her lap.  

[TawnyAngel]

((Collaborating opening post with Tinn))

Aulus had been tense as a taught bowstring since waking up and getting on the jet hadn't helped him relax any. The staff clipped to his belt offered at least some reassurance though and the rank of pokeballs on his belt offered more; they were ready, as ready as they could ever be, and if there was anything alive in there they would find it and deal with it. Aulus glanced over at his former partner, trying to gauge Alex's mood because... well, that was it. It was the ship; it was The Ship, and they were going towards it.

Hayes' expression was what Aulus would recognize as his 'thinking face', and as usual it was directed at a screen. The blond rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, reaching a gloved hand up to tweak glasses that weren't there. "Looks like they had to bust out. Well, out or in," he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the image of the wreck as if doing so would flush some critical knowledge out of hiding - say, for example, from which direction the hole had been made. "Did the scouts pick up any tracks around the craft?"

"Good point," Aulus put in with a nod, his train of thought clicking onto the same lines as Hayes' and trundling onward, "and did they have any pokemon scent around? Any idea when it crashed?"  

[Rocket Agent Faleen]

This was certainly an interesting way to spend ones birthday, an official mission from the higher ups, asking a group of Rockets to infiltrate the crashed Galactic base, and find out what they can.
.... on second though Faleen couldn't think of a better way to spend her birthday.

The moment she had found out about this mission she had made her case clear, Having the most extensive archive of Galactic tech data that Team Rocket had, and throughout the years collected whatever scraps of mech and tech she could from the opposing team.
She wasn't sure what they would find left over in the wreckage, but the robotic engineer had her optimism. If nothing else, the flying base its self would be a work on engineering genius she wouldn't mind getting a closer look at, now that they weren't having to sneak through the colony of roaches that were the Galactic.

The Agent glanced over her shoulder briefly as Clare stood up and addressed the team about their mission, but otherwise remained focused on her duty of piloting the jet.
Before she had got on the flight she had made sure she had gathered everything she intended to bring on the mission.
Each of her pokemon secured in their pokeballs, except for Porygon who was already stored on one of the two USB she kept stored in one of the pouches at her belt, along with a megastone she had been gifted to the day before by Agent Hayes, and her Sig was holstered securely at the small of her back.

She would have time to prep herself more fully once they landed.  

[Rocket Agent Tambrey]

Seeing the airship in the position that the photograph showed, even though she'd been expecting 'wreckage', caused Tambrey to take a sharp breath; there is was, 'the beast' that they'd been imprisoned upon, downed and 'broken'- it reminded her of old whaling pictures. It was a rather eerie sight, in her opinion.

As with almost every mission, she'd chosen specialist contact lenses, eschewing her glasses, though a pair of black snow goggles were settled around her neck for the plane journey, and a cold weather jacket was currently unzipped until they reached their destination.
She was mostly in uniform, though on her feet where rather more durable boots, for the cold.

She half hoped they did find Galactics and half hoped they didn't...
'Busted out'? Huh... Tambrey leaned forward a little at Hayes' words, realising she'd been lost in her thoughts for a moment.
Her questions were running along the same line as what Aulus had just asked, so she didn't pipe up for now.  

[caffeinecraving]

Kailee was so nervous she was gonna be sick. Her eyes were trained out the window for the most part. Her fingers white-knuckling around the belt that tied her to the seat. They said there was likely no one there... It was going to be a quick in and out mission and she could say she participated. Then why was she so sick to her stomach. She glanced up though as there was someone talking. She listened and looked at the pictures. Well... at least it looked deserted. She glanced around to see how everyone else was fairing. She took a deep breath. She had been practicing. No need to worry. She shook her head as they were asked for questions. None came to mind aside from when were they headed home. However she figured that that wasnt a good question to ask when she was supposed to be acting brave.She would feel better when they were moving she was sure of it. Afterall... the unknown was more terrifying then the reality. Well thats the thought she was going with. She pulled her pack, holding her new berry case and a bunch of test tubes, just in case, closer and gently hugged it as an unconscious stress relief.

She looked up at Aulus asking questions. Not friends, not really a friendly face either, but knowing he was there made her calm a bit. Especially hearing him talk out questions and think toward the main goal. Now that it was mentioned they could have been trying to cut out... but what if they were trying to get back in... She didnt like that thought... not at all....

 

[Shaddaling]

Lex had no love for his former team. They had ended up being a job, the true leader had gone insane with rage and the figure head was pretty much a little kid with a dream to be a mad scientist. The sole thing he had missed was the ship. There was just something magical about being in a floating zeppelin, airship, whatever you wished to call it.

He did wish that his baby Fennekin was better behave so he didn’t have to leave his flareon at base to watch her. The fire type would be nice to have as a space warmer considering the weather and his pokemon types. Glit hated the cold with a passion and he wasn’t sure how Spins was going to react. Flatline, his Porygon-Z and the only one he had out, was nestled in his parka, head just peeking out, and giving displeased ZZzzz.

Lex was taking that the machine made pokemon didn’t care for the cold either. Or perhaps the fact he was surrounded by strangers.

He shifted, listening to Elite Claire, got to start remember more names then his fellow ex galactic members, his roommate, and his friends. Jermone was easy to remember because of Bro and his tats.

That was a rather big hole and it seemed more as if they had cut their way out then sustained it during the crash. Perhaps this is what allowed Howlback to return to him, the Crobat exhausted but pleased with herself, sporting minor injuries. He kept quiet for the moment, wanting to hear the answer to the question.  

[Rocket Agent Tama]

Tama sat on the plane, looking over the faces of the other Agents, Grunts and Elites sitting around him. He didn't know any of them, but that didn't mean he couldn't work with them. He adjusted the scarf stuffed into his jacket as he looked to Claire as she pulled out the tablet and displayed the images of the Galactic aircraft and the damage done to it. He had missed the previous raid that dealt with Galactic, but what he had gathered, the Rockets must have come out victorious.

He had no general questions, he just wanted to go in, kick butt, and get out. This was his first raid, so he was a bit nervous that him or his team could mess up or miss something in their search. But, running his fingers over the Pokeball that held his Charizard Tiamat, he knew she would be there to support him and encourage him that he would do fine.

Looking back to the images of the aircraft, especially the hole in the side, he had to think. "Has it been determined or not if it's still able to fly? If so, I doubt Galactic would truly abandon it if it still could."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"The scouts they sent out got as far as the ramp and said it did look like some force had been used on the vehicle bay's doorframe, likely to force it open. It was probably damaged during the crash and wouldn't open on its own anymore," the elite explained as she tapped at the tablet, flipping through a couple pictures that were mostly the ship at different angles to find a better one of the ramp and bay itself. Unfortunately, she didn't have one. "There were no visible tracks around the exterior, but it also snows in the area very frequently, which would unfortunately cover tracks. They have no idea when it crashed. If there were any scent tracks at one point, they've long since dissipated and couldn't be tracked when the scouting team attempted to do so. The scouting team didn't go inside, and so we don't know if it can still fly or not. Judging from the amount of snow on and around it, though, and the extent of the damage, it probably can't. If it can, they probably would've tried to fly it again to go somewhere more hospitable."  

[Rocket Agent Tambrey]

"Not even any wild pokémon signs?" Tambrey ventured, finally engaging her brain a little more with the conversation and looking somewhat thoughtful.
"If it's been there a while, open like that, I'd have thought something would have made use of it by now, unless something's preventing the behaviour..." Which could mean a few different things, not all of them were all that comforting.  

[Rocket Agent Faleen]

Faleen wouldn't mind finding out just why the large base had crashed in the first place, she certainly didn't try and make any assumptions as to what they would find in there, or who, if anyone at all, Heck, this might even be a trap.

It was that desire to find out though that kept her on the edge of her seat. though for now, she just sat in silence and listened to the questions asked, having none of her own that wouldn't be answered once they got into the base.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Wonder why it crashed," Aulus murmured, leaning forward a little as he studied the hulking thing intently; his musing wasn't phrased as a question because if that information was available he was sure Claire would have supplied it.

The ship was... he didn't even know. It was surreal he guessed, talking about it and looking at it and going towards it. He'd never really seen it from the outside before and it was somehow both bigger and smaller than he had imagined. That didn't even make sense.

"Maybe they ran into Articuno," he added with a huff of exhaled breath and a shake of his head, not really meaning it but semi-pondering the scenario all the same. This would be an ideal habitat for the ice bird and Galactic would go after it if they saw it, but frankly he suspected that his mind was just seeking anything to think about other than the fact that they were going towards the ship and he was going to go inside the ship, inside the white corridors that echoed your footsteps and those tiny rooms with the chairs bolted to the floor and-

The scarred Agent shifted his shoulders, glanced over at Alex again and then on to his current partner, Tam. They'd be okay, all of them. They'd go in, get s**t done, get back out, and maybe in doing so they'd be able to leave it behind them a bit more. He hoped so.  

[caffeinecraving]

Kailee listened to the answer an thought about the picture. Out... they had been trying to get out. So that was better. Because if they got out then they would have to go off somewhere else right?

She just put to mind that they were explorers and they would make some great finds. Plus... she had her pokemon. They would make sure they were safe. And right now as she looked back out the window at the falling snow. She was grateful two of them were fire types.

She looked to the elite agent and then looked down to her pack. Well... they knew nothing... And so asking questions wasnt going to do anything except make them worry even more about the unknown. She bit her lip. She wanted off the plan and onto the ground. Perhaps... they would find something valuable. She would really hate if they came all this way for a ship that was barely passable as scrap metal...

 

[Shaddaling]

“That would be unusual. If it was truly abandoned then it probably could be expected some sort of wild pokemon to take shelter in it, making it a cave of sort.” Lex glanced at Tambrey thoughtful before looking back at Claire. Which met three different things, the train pokemon had gone feral and claimed the ship, Deimos machines were on, or there were living Galatic members onboard keeping wild ones out.  

[Rocket Agent Hayes]

The elite nodded faintly as Claire flipped through the pictures, brows furrowing. No tracks, no scent. "That thing holds a- lot of people," he mused, fingering the cuff of his glove. If they were still there, a group that large would have been picked up by the scouts.. No. It was dead, empty, silent. Over. His thumb made a quiet zhwip-zhwip noise over the fabric; he glanced over at Tambrey.

"Could be a couple still holed up in the powered parts, maybe, driving anything big off," he commented, but he didn't sound too convinced of it. "You'd expect some little things to keep sniffing around, though." The blond shook his head and returned Aulus' look before asking one more thing of Claire.

"So, salvage. Any priorities?" While they could take one of the ridiculous mechs, it probably wouldn't be powered and it was really the little fiddly tech - like the G-Ball - that had been more remarkable in its design.  

[Rocket Agent Tama]

Tama had no more questions, content with the answers. It seemed that others were voicing the same thoughts about something probably still being inside, especially with the mention of no wild pokemon trying to take over the 'abandoned' ship.

He turned and looked out the windows, hoping they landed soon. The best way to find out the answer to these questions for sure was to head inside.