This logfile is imported from aitelogs2 and may contain errors or wrong timestamps.
#MSVJackOfDiamonds – January 1, 2018
Ehanis is quick to enter the Jack of Diamonds, and starts down the hallway towards the back of the ship. The situation frustrated her, and she needed time to think. Away from the others' bickering. She had her omni-tool's flashlight on, scanning the walls and ceilings (presumably) for any leftover bugs.
Pivin glances over his shoulder from his seat in the bridge as Ehanis' boots hit the deck. A relieved expression crosses his face when he realizes it's not a Collector come back to finish the job. He resumes his work, hands swiping hastily across the haptic interface of the Jack.
The main corridor of the ship seems clear enough. A brief hiss of steam is the only thing that disturbs the calm as Ehanis passes through.
Ehanis chuckles humorlessly as she avoids the steam. "Not falling for that again," she mutters. She continues into Engineering. Ehanis doesn't notice the salarian in the bridge.
Engineering too appears clear of Collectors, but there was clearly a struggle here, judging by the overturned toolbox and miscellaneous items strewn about - not to mention the stains of Collector blood.
Oxaris glowers between the two of them, sighing sharply through her nostrils. She glances to the asari doctor, nodding slightly to her as she flicks her head in the direction of the Jack. "Good." She then turns back to the Krogan, staring up at him with arms folded across her chest. This time, she forcefully puts herself between the two angry fighters and shrugs. "If you want your people back, you're going to have
to let us do our job. And if you want to join us, I'll need to know you aren't going to go rogue in there thinking you can take on the entire Collector force. Because if you are, I'm just going to put you on your ass and lock you inside the Jack. Are we clear?" The turian doesn't at all seem phased by the Krogan, her persona that of a typical soldier and her stance clearly indicates to the Krogan that she is
Jattic continues to stare at the large krogan, sizing him up for a moment longer before giving a dismissive grunt. As the heavy hand leaves his shoulder, it takes with it a small amount of the frustration boiling up inside of the batarian. Makk wasn't wrong. They're all on the same team here. Still, if Lucy was any indication, the crew of the Jack might be a liability. And if it comes down to saving his own people, or saving
Makk's people, it's not much of a choice. But it seems as though Oxaris is on top of things. As the turian gives her speech to the krogan, Jattic steps back, giving a short roll of his shoulders. "If you'd like to be useful then find us weapons." he grunts, looking to Senya.
Zaylus lingers back during the tense discussion, watching each party carefully but ultimately interjecting no more than an occasional grunt. Ehanis' departure catches his attention and eventually he moves to follow, though nowhere near right behind the asari. And unlike her he seems at least somewhat interested in the salarian, entering the bridge without greeting him.
Makk seems mildly amused by Oxaris' spirit, but the serious situation tempers his reaction to a scoff. "I didn't get to live this long acting like an idiot, kid. I'm not some youngblood so eager for a fight he can't think straight. Odds aren't on our side. So we play it smart. And having me with you out there? That's the smart move. We gonna waist any more time talking about this?" he asks. He seems calm and collected
Ehanis does cast a glance over her shoulder at the turian, but doesn't pay him any more mind when it's clear he's headed for the bridge. She sighs at the mess and starts to look around the room, crouching down by discarded toolboxes and similar items to see if there's a trapped bug underneath.
Senya shakes her head, looking at Jattic. "We didn't have many weapons onboard to begin with, and it seems like they took what we had. Aside from that..." she says, glancing towards the spike thrower in Makk's hands. "They left most of our tools. We have a low-power laser cutter and a few things heavy enough to swing, but that's all."
Pivin looks over at Zaylus, giving him a nod. "Greetings. It is good to see not all of you were taken. I understand we are planning a rescue?"
Oxaris stares down the Krogan for a minute more before she nods, stepping back. "Then get what you need and wait. We'll be departing shortly." She then turns to Jattic and Senya, looking at the pair of them. "Then we'll have to scavenge what we can from the Collectors and see if we can find our gear whilst searching for the others." She looks at the rifle on her back, grimacing at the strangely organic weapon.
Jattic gives a frustrated grunt. Assaulting an unknown enemy with overwhelming numbers with six people and two weapons amongst them. Great. He gives a short nod in response to Oxaris' words. "A laser cutter may be useful." he muses aloud, lowering his head for a moment to consider it before finally nodding and returning his gaze to Senya. "Gather it for us." he says to the asari doctor and starts towards the airlock without
Through the viewports on the bridge, the storm is visible, but it is no longer pressed up against the ship, it is as if something unseen is holding it at bay. This reveals something else. Just below the Jack something absolutely massive lurks in the clouds. While only a portion of the ship is visible, and that only thanks to the illumination the giant of a ship itself provides, it must be the size of a dreadnaught at the very
least. It is no ordinary ship. There are hints of a more conventional ship infrastructure, but it is blended with strange, seemingly organic brown growths, aking to a huge, space-faring insect hive. Whether an ancient ship overtaken and infested by the Collectors, or some strange feat of biomechanical engineering, it is a strange and intimidating sight.
Halisi looks to Senya as she too starts to head toward the airlock. "If you're staying, I should reclaim my weapon from Pivin. Someone could use it, I'm sure."
Senya nods as Jattic asks her to retrieve the laser cutter, moving ahead of him and Halisi down the airlock, keeping on the ladder as she heads down toward the cargo hold.
Zaylus nods absently, looking up and around the bridge, occasionally brushing his talons against a particularly interesting surface. "Yep. That's the idea." He mutters, pausing to give the salarian an assessing look. "So, how did..." He trails, his wandering gaze resting on the viewport, and what's to be seen beyond. "Spirits." He whispers, getting as close to the window as he can,
Oxaris walks alongside Jattic, looking ahead. She taps her helmet and says, "I'm not sure how strategically sound the Collectors are, but I think we should try and restrict comms as much as possible. We don't know if they're hooked in or not using our companion's armour." She stops, now turning to the batarian. "I think our best bet for getting anywhere is finding something that resembles a terminal and try to hack
Ehanis grunts and kicks one of the tool boxes before making her way to the door at the end of the room, which leads to the drive core. She checks if it's unlocked, and opens it if it is.
The door opens. Unsurprisingly, the room contains the drive core, which seems unharmed, and is basking the room in a blue glow. There are no signs of any Collectors.
Jattic nods along with Oxaris' initial suggestion, only stopping when she does. His gaze follows Halisi, Senya and Makk as they continue down the airlock before falling back to the turian in front of him. "Until Horizon, the Collectors were little more than a story used to scare children from straying too far from their parents. A myth. While it's clear that they possess the ability to speak our language, I somehow doubt
they've had the time to submit a proper lignuistic glossary to the Citadel between all of their kidnapping and destruction." he says sarcastically, a hint of lingering frustration in his voice. "If we find a terminal, we will examine it. But I don't think we'll have much success in making sense of it. I wish I could say I have a better plan, but for now I think all we can do is play it by ear."
Pivin 's gaze briefly turns out hte viewport as he notices Zaylus' distraction. "It is... unnerving." he comments, before resuming his work.
Senya 's voice sounds over comms: "I have secured the laser drill. The... cargo ramp is open. I believe this is where the Collectors entered our ship. There is an opening in their vessel just outside. There is no sign of any activity, but I will remain concealed and observe."
Ehanis heads over to lean on the railing, looking over the floor below. Finding nothing of note, she lets out a sigh and opts to watch the core for a moment. It's another distraction, just like the bug hunt.
Oxaris rolls her shoulders in a shrug, especially when the voice comes over comms. She sucks in a deep breath and motions for Jattic to follow toward the cargo area. "We have some semblance of a plan. Better than nothing. But, yes, this will probably be improvise as we go along." She glances over to him, mandibles twitching beneath her helmet.
Makk stomps off towards engineering after stepping off the ladder with a strained grunt - the ladders are ill adapted to his large form, and his joints are not what they were 300 years ago.
Halisi enters the bridge, looking to Zaylus as the turian stares out the window, not speaking up right away.
Jattic furrows his brow as Senya's voice comes in over comms. "Then they are still here..." he muses aloud as he follows behind Oxaris, taking the ladder down to the cargo hold after her. It makes sense. They wouldn't just leave two of theirs behind. Or would they? Truthfully, they had no real information on just what they can expect from the Collectors. Either way, it's a relief to know they're not on another wild goose
chase. Even if that means they're about to launch an assault on a foe that has, for months, so effortlessly brought down entire colonies that their identity remained a mystery. "We will do what we must." he grunts in response to Oxaris as he hops off of the ladder, landing with a thud at the landing in the cargo hold. His attention immediately moves to the open ramp.
Ehanis pushes away from the railing and continues. If the collectors were still here, she probably should be regrouping with the others. Not before completing her sweep though, and so she decides to take the other way down. "On my way," she says over comms before descending the ladder to the generator room. Ehanis walks along the length of the room, shining her light between the generators.
Zaylus doesn't respond to the salarian, or acknowledge Halisi's arrival. He's captivated by the sight, his mandibles twitching as his eyes dart all over the disgusting craft. When he's had enough he turns sharply from the viewport, noticing the doctor and brushing past her on his way out of the bridge.
Senya is standing halfway behind a crate, observing the Collector ship through the open cargo ramp. The massive structure of the alien ship can be seen outside, very close to the Jack, to the point where nothing else is visible. An opening in the side of the ship is facing the Jack's cargo hold. An organic-seeming tunnel that turns out of view not far from the mouth, and a metal landing pad of sorts that portrudes
Oxaris drops down into the cargo hold shortly after Jattic, her helm turning to the open ramp and toward the enemies' vessel. She bites down on a swear, instead focusing on the task to come. "Alright, Tioran. Zaylus, group up. We'll be moving soon." She paces slightly, thinking for a moment before she removes the Collector rifle from her back and holds it across to Jattic. "Take it. I still have enough of my
loadout that I should be fine without it initially. Ehanis has her biotics and Zaylus... well, we can give him the drill."
Halisi holds out her hand toward Pivin. "I'm goign to need the pistol back. We're... heading in there, and... it will do more good with the rescue team. Senya is staying behind to cover you."
Pivin nods, quickly producing the Predator pistol and handing it over to Halisi. "Of course. I will remain on comms, and... make sure the ship is ready." After a moment's pause he adds with a quiet sigh and another nod. "Good luck."
The generator room too appears clear. Here too there are signs of struggle. Wrench's blankets are displaced, yanked out of the tight space against the generator.
Zaylus wastes no time getting down to the others, hurrying just a little after seeing the collector ship. "On my way." He affirms over the comms.
Jattic looks down at the weapon, appraising it in the turian's outstretched hands. "Should we come across resistance, we must end them swiftly and get their weapons." he says as he begrudgingly accepts the rifle. "It is imperative that we re-arm if this is to be successful. Three weapons and a drill are not going to be sufficient to stop-..." his gaze shoots out over the cargo hold to the massive structure just beyond the
cargo hold's ramp, allowing the intimidating sight to finish his sentence for him. Still, with a frustrated sigh, he hefts the rifle up slightly. Appreciatively. And locks it onto his armor before beginning his descent down the nearby stairs.
Halisi 's voice soudns over comms as she starts down the stairs, making a brief stop in the infirmary to grab some more medical supplies for her satchel. "You're not leaving me behind." she says pointedly in response to Oxaris. "You need me."
Ehanis crouches by the blankets, and sighs. Either she was sleeping while they boarded... or she hid here when the fight started. Fucking hell, can't this galaxy prove Ehanis wrong for once. She stands up, and makes her way to the module door, opens it and begins her sweep of the room. While she's aware that they're waiting for her, she also doesn't want bugs biting them in the ass because she missed it on
There are no obvious signs of Collectors in the module, and no sounds of buzzing, but it is a big room, with several crates.
Oxaris chimes in over comms. "Never said I was leaving you behind, Doctor," she replies patiently, rolling her eyes slightly as she starts to follow Jattic down. "I'd rather just have those who are taking point to be down here sharpish." She looks towards the vessel, their objective, and sighs sharply, now responding to Jattic. "Agreed. No weapons will make this a short rescue." Her armour systems begin their usual
diagnostic readings, priming the jets, running simulations through the HUD, testing shields and preparing the cloak. She's been weaponless before, but not against an enemy like this. She'll have to make do, though.
Halisi reaches the bottom of the ladder, starting to head down and join the others. "Good." she replies. "I jus-... we have to find them." she says, her voice wavering slightly. She avoids looking out at the dreadnaught hive on her way down.
Ehanis checks just the corner where she stacked up crates for her sister before the stress in her builds up enough to leave the task half-finished. If she finds nothing, she crosses the room and opens the door to the cargo hold.
Makk descends the stairs, heading down to join the others in the hold. He's still gripping his Graal, but now he also carries a satchel with a few tools and some omni-gel.
Senya looks back over her shoulder and gestures towards the laser drill next to her on the ground as Jattic closes. It's an unwieldy handheld device with a pistol-style handle and a horizontal front-grip on the left side, as well as a small, transparent blast shield.
Halisi shows the pistol in her hand after reaching the bottom of the stairs, looking around at the others. "Jason gave me this... It only has the one clip, but... I figure it's better than nothing." she says, looking around as if wondering who wants it.
Jattic takes the stairs two at a time, eager to get this show on the road. "We will." he growls in response to Halisi. "And we will kill who or whatever stands in our way." There's no sign of fear in the batarian's voice. Just pure, unfiltered rage. He looks from Zaylus to the drill, giving a silent nod at the latter.
Oxaris motions to Halisi to give the pistol to Ehanis when she arrives. "Stay close to us, Halisi," she instructs firmly, then looks around to the 'rescue' team. She feels her chest tighten briefly in apprehension, seeing the pitiful state of their gear. But, she steels herself for the task at hand, knowing that this is their only option. There is no running, no abandoning the unit. They get on that ship and rescue
Makk rolls his shoulders after reaching the deck, walking up to within earshot of Oxaris when she calls them over.
Ehanis goes downstairs without much hurry in her steps, the sight of the gigantic collector ship sucking all hope out of her. "How are we going to find anything in there?" she asks upon reaching the bottom of the stairs. She shrugs at the offer, "Doc probably needs it more than I do."
Halisi starts to extend the pistol toward Ehanis, frowning as she shrugs at the offered weapon. "I am... not particularly comfortable with a gun. I fear I might do more harm than good." she says uncertainly.
Zaylus follow's Jattic's gaze as he seems to direct him to the device next to Senya, and he approaches her with a questioning look, stooping down to pick up the drill.
The laser cutter is heavy, and hardly handles like an actual weapon. There is a display that shows heat buildup.
Ehanis extends her hand. "Then give it to me," she says. "I'm planning on doing a lot of harm." Her tone is one of frustration and anger, so it's unclear if she's joking.
Jattic comes to a stop with the others, but falls silent as he waits for Oxaris to say her piece. He's already beginning to step from boot-to-boot. Ehanis' words get a slow, almost-sinister nod from the batarian, clearly in agreement.
Halisi furrows her eyebrows slightly, but after a moment she gives an understanding nod, handing Ehanis the Predator.
Zaylus hefts the device up against his chest, trying to find the best way to wield the damn thing. It doesn't compliment his hand quite like his carnifex does, but the idea of cutting through some of those bug eyed bastards makes up for it a little.
Oxaris looks around slowly at each of them, pacing faintly. "Alright. Objective is simple. We go in, rescue our teammates and the crew of the Jack, get out. We move quickly and quietly, looking for anything that might hint as to where they're keeping our companions. Finding our gear is a secondary objective, as we'll make do with scavenging from the Collectors for now. Then we get back to Jack and go from there."
She pauses, then nods faintly. "It'll be likely that we get discovered sooner rather than later. When that happens, we do not get bogged down. We keep moving." She motions to Jattic, nodding to him. "But if we do find anything that might hinder the Collectors in anyway, and we have time for it... then make them suffer." She looks back to them all. "We'll get our people back. All of them. And we'll show these
bug-eyed freaks that we're not easy pray for them." She turns and points to the Collector ship, glancing at the others over her shoulder. "So let's get moving. We're against the clock here, people."
Halisi nods, shifting uneasily. "Into the belly of the beast..." she mutters under her breath as she looks out at the Collector ship, hand on the strap of her satchel. She digs into it, taking out a breather mask which she attaches to her mouth and nose before looking over at Oxaris. "Pivin ran a scan. The ship has breathable air, but... you should keep your helmets on. Minimize the risk of contaminants. We... don't really
Ehanis glances towards the sight outside the ramp, then to Halsi and her satchel. "Do you have more of what you gave us to reverse the paralysis, Doc?" she asks. She had lost track of time while under the effects of it, so she may be imagining it working faster than it really did.
Halisi nods. "I do... but it's no miracle cure. Trying it in the first place was a longshot. I can't offer any guarantees. I've... never seen anything quite like this before..."
Jattic continues to shift in place, gauntlets opening and closing as he mentally prepares himself for what's to come. As he follows Oxaris' gaze to the Collector ship once she has finished speaking, he takes in a deep breath and starts towards the edge of the ramp. "We will spare no mercy for our enemies." he says, reaching up to tap the side of his helmet which causes his visor to darken until his face is entirely obscured,
Makk is quick to join Jattic in walking toward the ramp, taking a deep breath before crossing through the mass effect field.
Ehanis brings up her omni-tool to check her suit's air supply, and after a nod to herself the helmet seals. "Let's hope they're too cocky to have decent surveillance," she says, "because we're fucked if they do." She shuts off her omni-tool and follows the other two through the field.
The air outside is still, the rumbling of the storm muffled. It appears that the Collector ship is projecting a massive mass effect field, and that both the Jack of Diamonds and the Good Things Come are close enough to the huge vessel that they are encased within said field. The eezo core required for such a feat must be enormous.
Oxaris looks across to Zaylus, making to pat him on the shoulder. "You ready?" She asks, looking at his through her visor.
Halisi sucks in her lips as she studies the ship, apprehension on her face. Her mind goes to Ilyna and Li. To Jason and everyone else that saved her from Ogofau. To how afraid she had been then. Apprehension turns to determination as she nears the ramp, tightening her grip on the satchel as she steps through, joining the others.
Zaylus holds the drill as comfortably and effectively as he can muster, looking back at Oxaris through his own helm. "Yeah. Let's do it." He nods fimly, pressing forward with apparent determination.
Oxaris nods and follows, stepping through the Mass Effect field and toward the Collector ship, joining the others.
Jattic breaks the golden rule and looks 'down'. Whatever 'down' means in this context, his gaze moving to the gap between the Jack and the Collector ship. They had humiliated him. Dishonored him by removing even his ability to fight back. They took his team. 'Feeble-minded'. All of these reminders play on a loop in his mind as he psyches himself up for the task at hand. At the very least, after the events of Di Yu he now
finally has a name and a face for his enemy. He takes a brief moment to glance to his sides at what remains of his team before focusing on the target before him. With a roll of his spiked, pauldroned shoulders, he takes one step back before stomping forward and leaping the gap. He had boarded many ships in his time, but never like this. But, like the Collectors themselves, it matters little. It's just another obstacle
for him to step over. As the weightlessness overtakes his body, there's little he can do other than wait and hope that his aim is on-point.
There is an unsettling shift in gravity for Jattic as he jumps. No doubt a disorienting experience, but his aim is true, and he lands hard on the metal platform that sits at the mouth of the tunnel leading into the depths of the Collector ship. An open doorway lines this entry path, far more mechanical than the rest of the structure. Illumination is dim, and provided by strange growths spread hapahzardly across the ceiling.
Thick liquid drips here and there in the tunnel. Whether a fluid used by the ship in its operation or a remnant of the secretion used to construct the walls of the place is not clear. The corridor turns right out of view not far ahead.
Ehanis sighs and leaps next. She didn't want to admit it, but she worried for her sister. She's a pain in the ass, but she didn't deserve this. And Li.... Ehanis has come to accept that the galaxy doesn't give a shit, but that doesn't mean she has to accept Li's fate. She jumped from the exact same spot the batarian did, hoping that if she missed she'll be close enough to not fight alone. Her leap was
inperfect and there's a slight deviation to her angle that causes her to very slowly drift away from him.
Makk leaps after Ehanis, his weight causing him to move considerably faster than the asari, and he lands hard, letting out a loud grunt as the air is knocked out of his primary lungs during landing. He steadies himself and raises the Graal once he's back on his feet, looking around at the strange tunnel.
Zaylus watches the others warily, uncertain about this situation until he's seen it done a few times. He breathes in hard to psych himself up and takes a running leap after the krogan, clutching the heavy drill close to his chest.
Halisi leaps after Zaylus, clearly not entirely comfortable with the manuever, but she arrives safely none the less, wincing as her unprotected knees hit the platform. She's still wearing the clothes she wore when visiting Ilyna. Pants, winter boots and a gray sweater, although she's strapped one of the Jack's armor vests over her clothing.
Ehanis realizes she's about to miss the platform, and uses a hasty biotic field to correct her course. While it did just that, it also sped up her descent. She slams into the platform, hands and knees first, with a pained grunt. This wasn't good on her healing shoulder, which is complaining the loudest right now. Hopefully the doctor isn't paying too much attention.