Polo 2012/07/08(Sun)18:27 No. 430372 ID: 44b4ea
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I ride Rokoa, giving her directions when I feel like speaking, tugging on her ears when I don't, until I sense Rakae and Rikek. It looks like not much has been disturbed from our camp. Rikek and Rakae are disturbed by Rokoa's presence, but I let them know I'm alright. There's a greeting and a hug somewhere, but I'm dizzy, and barely am aware of myself getting Rakae and Rikek up to speed.

"Where's Three Stripes?"
>"They're at the mushroom farm, getting food. You know, if this place gets peace, is there any reason why Three Stripes and his group can't stick around? I don't know how well we can accomodate a predator, and his hive friend.. they stick out." Rakae says.

Rakae is mentally letting me know that I need not go onto Rokoa's mothership, but acknowledges that I believe there is merit.

Tell Rakae about the Moton egg. We're finishing this mission properly, dammit.

Don't go there you crazy bitch. This is Rokoa's issue. Not yours. Go home and not die.

>>430372
If they can stay here without getting killed, then that actually seems appropriate. The only reason we wanted to get them out of here was so that they didn't get shot by Rokoa's hive when they moved in. Three Stripes isn't really a close friend of Polo's or anything so there's no real need for him to come back to the hive.

Theres no reason they can't stay, however I bet they would like to at least experiance civlized life.

Would it work if Three Stripes headed offworld with Riklek? He didn't even know what an emotion predator was, so his hive probably wouldn't have as much awkwardness as homeworld hives.

Just out of curiosity, how common is red fur among neumono? Aside from the tribal neumono in the caves, Rokoa's Queen is the only one we've seen with fur that color.

>I do not know any human music.

That's fine, but the idea has some merit. Crazy Rokoa humming a tune might be less suspicious than her trying to drop code phrases in her conversation for you. Whatever system you use though, there should be a framework in place for her to signal you if it's 1, 2, 3, unexpected fourth case, or time to gtfo, etc.

Hive friend? Singular? Giant was the only one who came along? Regardless, Rakae makes a good point. We don't have to drag them back to civilization once (if) things are safe here again.

Try to explain yourself to Rakae, and to reassure her if you can. I mean yeah, you know is suicidally stupid, but it's worth doing.

(Rokoa? You probably can't here me from inside Polo's head, but go say hi to three stripes. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you again. And I'm sure you'll get on great with Giant. XD )

>>430384
I am also curious of this.

Agree that Three Stripes and company should stay in the spire; It'd be tough on them to stay with your hive. They'll be better off here, where it's reasonably familiar. We know where they are if we want to check on them later. Tell Rakae about the moton egg as well, and joke that you never thought you'd complete that mission objective after all.

...Being next to Rakae, sensing her link, you think of your hive and home, and have second thoughts of going through with this. It's idiotic. It's insane. And yet, you're drawn to it. Maybe a bit of Rokoa did get into your mind, but you feel you have to do this. Wish Rakae and Rikek well, and to have a good life. It's time to go.

>>430388
waht?

Polo 2012/07/08(Sun)19:20 No. 430395 ID: 44b4ea
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>How common is red fur?
Not uncommon, but it is normally somewhat desaturated. Deep or bright red fur is far less common.

>Hive friend

"I don't see him moving as being unnecessary if this place becomes uninhabited again. Rikek, what are the chances of him being taken offworld?"
>"Uh.. I don't think customs would look too hot on that, sorry." says Rikek.
"Think any of them would like civilized life?"
>"We... didn't get that impression." he continues.
"Okay. Remember, there's a moton egg down there. Just grab it, hang tight and an evac will come no matter what. As for me, well, I'm going for the long shot. By the way, by 'hive friend', did you mean everyone?"
>"Yes, there were 10 or so." Rakae explains.
"Then, goodbye, Rikek, Rakae. As ridiculous as it sounds, I think my going up there is worth it."
>"Don't say it like it's forever. Are you even okay? You don't even look like you have your eyes open in there."
"I'm putting on the bio armor. I'll be fine. Better, even."
>"Okay. I expect to see you in a couple of hours!" says Rakae.
>"Right! Good luck!" Rikek says.
"Yeah. See you later."

Despite her discomfort, Rakae is feeling that Rokoa had better bring me back safely. Almost threateningly so, while Rokoa laughs it off.

>"Alright, CC. My hive is going to be in there by the time we get back down. Don't worry about it. I'll get you in. Any last things you gotta do, or shall we?"

>>430372
Who else here is going to be sad if Rokoa and Giant never meet, never wrestle for dominance in a convenient pit of mud or perhaps pudding, and never make out with each other afterwards?

ahem.

Nothing I can think of.

Just gotta close the mental link. STEALTH MODE ENGAGED

Stealth mode activate.

PS, you are a crazy bitch.

Check you can still mask your empathic link, even with all the pain. ...Oh, and tell Rakae about the bag of stuff you nailed to the cliff outside, all those weeks ago. You think Rikek's camera might be in there.

Operation Long Odds is a GO, starting now.

>>430395
Yea, tell Rokoa she'd have been a great mother if you could've been a father :V

Typo fix:
>I don't see him moving as being necessary if this place...

>>430395
Why haven't we called our hive yet to tell them something's up?

>>430407
'Cause there's a risk, however small, that Rokoa's hive is listening in. Polo's hive knowing about this plan wouldn't change much, anyway. Rakae can tell them what happened afterwards, if it goes bad.

Our hive doesn't need sensitive mission details. They know the war hive is hostile, and that they have people waiting for evac. That's all they need to know.

Hug friends goodbye. Disgusting cuddle hive protocol go. Pop the helmet and let them see your eyes to make Rakae feel better. (You can reassure that it's nowhere near as bad as the first time you put it on, anyways).

And you need a parting barb for Rokoa before you go dark and she stuffs the bunny you back in the box. (I've got nothing I think is funny enough though. Anyone got any good ones?).

You can establish communication codewords or whatever en route.

Well I mean, do they know the conventional strike is going to hit anyway? Or are they preparing for that already despite the truce?

I suppose if Rokoa's hive is listening to the radio it would completely fuck up everything for Polo to talk over the radio at all.

1/2 Polo 2012/07/09(Mon)08:58 No. 430545 ID: 44b4ea
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Oh, food! Before I go, Rakae has scrounged up some food. We take enough to get a good meal.

I took a brief period to warn my hive already.
>>430235
It is a risk on account of Rokoa's hive trying to listen in, but I'm losing much of my room to talk about caution.

In any case, I do not know when the conventional strike is to happen.

Hugs are given, and I go silent.

2/2 Polo 2012/07/09(Mon)08:59 No. 430546 ID: 44b4ea
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We start moving down. Three Stripes and that giant are on a walk, crossing our paths while we eat our food. Three Stripes is happy to see me, but I do not like the way that giant is looking at me. Odd bewilderment, as though seeing a snake move down a slope by biting its tail and forming a wheel. More concertingly, its mixed with a desire to run up and kick that snake to see how it reacts. Rokoa dares her. Three Stripes starts saying 'vaota' a lot, broadcasting peace.

>>430546
To her, you are impossible. Many others that lived with your modern technologies and culture (and even one from a hive grown around extinct races reborn) were freaked out by your ability to mask yourself.

She's probably from a tribe that would think that messing with one's link is wrong. Or that she is going, "whhaaaaaat the fuck". Or that she is just Rokoa Classic with a little extra cuddle.

>>430546
Say "Vaota".
Can you use your link to imply that Three Stripes and Giant are lovers?

Say vaota and tell Rokoa to behave, we have a mission to accomplish.
If you are feeling up to it try givin three stripes a hug, this might be the last time we see him.

Given that you're wearing your armor with the link off, it's quite possible she doesn't even know what you are. A Nuomono with no empathic link would be one thing, but you look like a nuomono-shaped metal thing with no empathic link.

...can you tell what's behind her bewilderment? Is it your lack of link, your strange metal shell, or, uh, your mount? If it's just one of those, you could resolve it by opening up, popping your helmet, dismounting, etc. If it's all at once, stopping probably won't work anyways.

But in any event, try to diffuse the situation. Rein in Rokoa (heh), and offer your own voata in response (I'm assuming Giant's picked up what that means by this point?). As amusing as those too picking a fight might be, it's an unnecessary delay.

(Hey, Three stripes! You don't want to let Giant fight Toothy and Silent. That would be very bad. Silent is your friend, and Toothy is dangerous and crazy).

>>430546
Open your link long enough to prove that you have one, say goodbye to 3-strizzle (possibly including hugs), and be on your way.

1/2 Polo 2012/07/09(Mon)10:23 No. 430563 ID: 44b4ea
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"Vaota." I resist the urge to literally rein in Rokoa.

My link is temporarily opened, and a hug is given. The giant one is threatening, but Three Stripes is insisting that I am alright. I do not like how it looks like she can behead me, armor or not. Or how Rokoa is still daring her to do something.

2/2 Polo 2012/07/09(Mon)10:25 No. 430564 ID: 44b4ea
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I get out at the first chance I get before things get more volatile. We head on, stopping by the backpack and egg, this time remembering to get Rokoa to put her shirt on and moving down to the the upper facility. I hear faint gunshots, and what I think are arkots. It looks like the Salikai will make them fight for every inch.

>"There's a box around here with some papers that I can pass off as important. I don't intend on speaking to you again after I put the lid on. Any last words?"

See you on the other side.

"If everything goes fine, let's go into the royal break room and get a royal cup of joe. Wash down that coffee cake. Still got the taste of that in my mouth and it's called 'coffee' cake for a reason."

Giddy up horsey.

You are planning on having a way of signalling me if the situation is a 1, 2, 3, other, get out now, etc? Or am I just supposed to guess depending on if I hear you getting beaten up or shot?

>Any last words?
Sure! Here's several possibles.

"I really must have caught your crazy somehow. I don't know if it was in that jerky, the coffee cake, or if I just spent too long breathing the same air as you. But I'm obviously insane now."

"Try not to get yourself too badly killed or maimed, crazy-face."

"...you owe me one hell of a coffee cake if we someone both make it through this alive."

Oh, how about a code word for "get in here and kill this rogue queen"

>>430564
"Just in case we don't make it out of this, I love you."

Do it. :V

>>430564
"Remember, there can't be a rematch if either one of us ends up dead."

1/3 Polo 2012/07/09(Mon)11:50 No. 430582 ID: 44b4ea
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"You have some way of signaling me if the situation is one, two or three?"
>"I'll make sure you know."
"There won't be a rematch if we don't make it out of this. But if we do make it out,, I will expect more cake. And this time, don't put your crazy into it. Now giddy up."

She takes a few strides forward, oddly amused by that last line. Just when I almost think that maybe I have made her docile, she bucks me off at the box. I get my pistol, machine gun and rifle for weapons. Rope, grappling hook and rations are included.

Rokoa takes the bio armor's communicator, now that it isn't being used. With that, my communicator is turned on and set to let me hear what Rokoa hears.

2/3 Polo 2012/07/09(Mon)11:51 No. 430583 ID: 44b4ea
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I'm put in, and the box starts moving. It's a rocky trip, and the gunshots get louder and more frequent. I begin sensing her war hive, and that familiar sense of fear I had when one of their battleships moved by comes back.

Rokoa gets help to stand up, as some of her hivemates guide her to the teleporter. When asked what's in the box, she answers with papers and a 'tiny-people armor' that may be of interest for engineering.

They have an understanding. They have their orders to go deeper in the facility, and won't bug her. So I feel myself getting teleported up. Rokoa is told by someone that she is to see the Queen. Rokoa acknowledges it, and continues walking. I don't know where I'm going, and I have to trust Rokoa now. She sets me down. She continues walking. I sense war hive above, below and all around me, but Rokoa turns the lights off, implying that I am alone in whatever room this is.

Asteroid Quest - Intermission 1-3 END Polo 2012/07/09(Mon)11:53 No. 430584 ID: 44b4ea
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All I hear for minutes is the sound of Rokoa walking through the halls. Then a door slides open, and the sound comes from what I assume is the main bridge. There is chatter and orders getting flung about. At first, anyway. It quiets down gradually, until I can hear Rokoa's footsteps again.

>"Rokoa. Did you kill that blue one?" It's the queen.
>"No."

There is a long silence. At least a full minute. They are no doubt gauging each other, leaving my bling, before the queen speaks.

>"You've fucked up. Disobeying orders, letting yourself get captured, losing your bio suit, and for what?"
>"For the location of a hell of a discovery." Rokoa replies. "Why did you order me to kill her?"
>"You're not in a place to ask my decisions."
>"I'm in front of you. That is the best place to ask."
>"I do what I must."
>"You're doing what you feel like. You're in your own little box, now. Look around, we all agree."
>"And now you speak out of line to me?! I should have you killed!"
>"You've been trying that for years. Go on, then, just pull the trigger, and be known as the damn queen that kills her own!"

Another several seconds of silence. Then a gunshot. And another. A third, a fourth, and a thud.

>"You aim worse than me, you rogue quee-" Rokoa doesn't sound any worse off. Another couple of gunshots. "I said look around, you're completely alone!"

For what I assume is because it was a six shooter, I hear a few pistol whips.
>"Throw her in the brig, on the hook!"
"If you cared about the hive in the slightest, you'd fall over dead!" Rokoa manages, before the sounds of more battery and getting drug off come through, before the communicator is taken from her and turned off.

Which works fine, because that was all I needed to hear.

Right. Assassin quest time. With mandatory non-lethal conduct. It's like an awesome neumono version of live-a-live. Looking forward to it! This chapter was crazy fun.

First big decision is probably whether we go to break Rokoa out of the brig (trading stealth for backup / firepower) or if want to solo the queen. Or maybe if Kork or Tirrek made it on board, we can try and recruit them? Tirrek might be a tough sell, but Kork's workable, I think.

I'm pretty sure Rokoa brought us right in front of the queen, so we really hasve no choice but to pop up and kill her.

Nah, she dumped us in an empty room somewhere. We heard all that via radio. We've got ourselves a sneaking mission now, not a jack in the box one. :p

She was sending you hints when she was talking to the queen. "You're in your own little box now. Look around" That was directed at you, Polo, as was "I said look around, you're completely alone!"

Remember, this is a sneaking mission.

Hmm your probably right. still Rokoa has made it fairly clear she won't kill her Queen so I doubt freeing her will help us in any case.

Rouge queen and that last line is your go.

look around twice, you are alone so go ahead and leave the box.

you aim worse than me, she's not a good shot at all so you have the advantage.

You have your mission soldier, stealth mode, kill rouge queen and free rokoa!

I agree, assassin time.