[Addendum #1.2 - Explore the Space Dust Cloud]

As James, Mao, Rika and Shintaro broke away from the main group to keep watch of their rear, they'd find themselves lagging slightly behind them. For that reason, as they heard the commotion happening with the main group, they remained undetected. However, not all would be good for them, as the assailants' claims turned out to be true. Several enemy signals pinged around the backup group, surrounding them.

Combat Music:

This wasn't going to be that routine after all.

Enemy #1:

Enemy #2:

Enemy #3:

Enemy #4:

Mao would sigh when he heard the commotion happening on the other side. Damn it. Sounds like their fighting something other than shadows. Luckly Mao thought to himself as he began to type to james, rika, and shintaro. Going to get away from this dust, and towards a shadow. Hopefully i can get some dust in their eye's. Mao cursed to himself as he typed. With his big claws it was hard from him to type. After he sent the message he would blast off towards the shadow.


Le navire de guerre du dragon (standard ship):

Spoiler:

Movement:

Spoiler:

Axis was as energetic as always. The red head would watch as the girl spoke on her love of flying, watching how she used her hands to demonstrate flight before moving her hands to her chest to emphasis her feeling towards being free out there. They were all actions that while he had seen them before he still could not quite understand them. If he were to do the same thing he wouldn’t feel any different…so why were the extra movements needed? Was it something he was missing? And what of this whole matter of teasing? He wasn’t quite sure how to process all of it, but at least he was understanding she was excited about the matter and having fun in her own way. When she said her thank you, he would give a quiet nod back before his eyes drifted over to the one called Cain.

He didn’t seem bothered by any comments Axis gave, but would be the one to agree to bring back anything of interest they found to him. “That is appreciated,” the red head would say, his tone carrying the thanks his emotionless face did not. Shortly after this, he would watch as the little Dees worked to add onto their ship weapons of some sort. He would tilt his head at that one, but assume they knew what they were doing as he heard the short response from the shadow like man with them.

There would be a moment of gathering and briefing before they were all going towards and getting in their ships, though the red head did have half a mind to actually take one of the Dees with him. He wasn’t sure if it was because he wouldn’t have Black Velvet floating about or something else that made him want to do this, but in the in he resisted the urge and moved to his ship just like the others. He would quietly climb in and get adjusted to the smaller environment around him…or the fact that it was asking for the plug that held Black Velvet for power. In his own way, he would allow this as he merged with the ship much like he did his plug. There would be no change in his form or anything of the sort. It was just a connection of him, the ship and Black Velvet that made the ship a bit more manageable and understandable to him.

As the comm came on, he would hear what Axis said, humming a bit as he figured his way around the controls.

“Let’s hope it will be fun.” He sure hated to be bored that was for sure, but at the same time he didn’t exactly like getting overly excited about the unknown. Anyway… ”Understood.”

He would get the ship running and when they took off, he managed to get the ship out the bay without any difficulty. From there they would enter space. Dark, silent, cold….Terrifying to some, but for the red head quite calming. As they flew as a group for the time being, he’d see the dust cloud they were going towards up ahead. It had an interesting shape to it, but was quite a ways away, but that didn’t matter. More time to mentally prepare…Or listen to conversations about hair.

“Sound like a major inconvenience,” was all he would say before falling silent to listen to any other chatter going on. Things were going fine until they entered the dust cloud and split up. The dust cloud not only had their vision messed up, but it seemed it was messing up the communications too. He made out a question from Axis though.

“ -- -ine. -ou -r- br--k-ng up –” Well he would try to send a verbal message back, but honestly he would not be surprised if it didn’t go over clearly both from the way it came in on his end and also due to all the chatter and stuff that was happening over the systems along with a commotion from where the main group had gone. He didn’t like this at all. What had the others encountered that caused all that? Also…

He’d hear the pings from the ship and see they had company too. Well this was just…fantastic…So the front line group was getting attacked and now they were surrounded by what he guessed were shadows or demons. Well, perhaps they would survive this if they stuck together and communicated before….

He’d stare blankly at the text message sent by Mao before he made out the guy’s ship zooming off somewhere. He kind of lost where he went in the dust though. Thankfully his ship kept an eye on where he was. The red head would sigh inwardly at this wondering where that guy’s brain was. Shaking his head, he let his more combat oriented side take over, the white haired fox taking the place of the red head for now.


Looking at the screen and considering his options, he’d eventually send a message back.

Idiot Lizard, why did you go and do that? Hmph! You better be able to stay alive on your own for a while. It is no telling when back up will be able to reach you.

He would type. It would be hard to catch up with the other even if someone tried. He could move at a good clip, but even so it would take a while and it was no telling what the dust, space or the enemy would do in the meantime. Now what to do? Irritating lizard! Anyway...

I'm going to try to do something about the enemy up ahead and get a bit out of this dust I am in to hopefully get a clearer view. Let’s be careful and keep in contact with one another,[/color] he would type as he began to move his ship into position.

Rika’s Ship (Assault Model):

"Hmm....I will try to engage the enemy to the lower left of me."

moving down 2 and left 1

(standard ship):

Spoiler:

Aryll watched the stars. He watch them pass him by as he drifted aimlessly. How long has it been? Days, weeks? Months?

It was hard to tell.

Regardless, he would start seeing something else besides the stars. Tiny speckles of something akin to sand began swirling around him. He felt a gravitational force grab onto his body as he was pulled into the swirling dust. The stars were put out. A curtain covered them.

He floated through the dust until something grabbed him by the back of whatever he was wearing. He could see some flashes in his environment, but most of his sight was obstructed by the dust. Aryll was pulled inside of a small spaceship by a magenta-haired young lad. "An ASSW?" The lad spoke. "Where did you come from? Anyways, that's unimportant, if you can fight, please do so. There are Shadows outside. I'm not much for the frontlines anyways."

---

The dust affects Rika's aim!

Miss if 1-3

Random number (1,10) :

6

Aryll's world came into focus now, and the haze clouding his mind lifted. Thoughts struck him like claps of thunder one after the other.

Where am I?

What...is this...?

Who am I?

He gazes up at the person. "Fight...? I...whoa are you?" The battered machine pulled himself to his feet and noticed small, darting ships engaged in combat. "I...owe you something for pulling me out of space...I can ask you questions later." Suddenly, his memory of his base functions returned. He may not know where or who he is, but he can do something. He drew out a plug. My...Persona.

And you hear a new voice over the comms. "W-wh-- at-- I- thi-s? Wh--re you--?

While you may not be strong enough to fight a single shadow on your own, i can assure you that i am. So watch your tongue! Mao sent the message to rika and would type up a message for james. Shadow man! I will bait this thing into the dust, that way we can quickly take it out. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine, ok? Mao was about to perform a counter attack before he another voice broke though. Who the hell was that? Mao sent that message to everyone.

Le navire de guerre du dragon (standard ship):

Spoiler:

Miss/hit rates:

Spoiler:

Movement:

Spoiler:

Down 3

moving down 2 and left 1

(standard ship):

Spoiler:

"Hang on, I'm on my way to support you. Just as soon as i....get a handle on the controls."

The dust affects Mao's aim!

1st hit miss if 1-3

Random number (1,10) :

10

2nd hit miss if 1-3

Random number (1,10) :

5

---

"Are you all right? I really hate to ask this, but we're in a bit of a problem. Pretty sure it's pirates. So we need to fight our way through." Rika said to Aryll. "You were just floating around so I couldn't leave you outside."

(My bad, Maragi is also affected by the dust)

The dust subdues the fire.

Maragi deals only half damage. (which means 13)

A flash of fire carved through the swirling dust, clipping the stern of the ship, jarring Aryll in the cockpit. During that brief moment, before the curtain swallowed the twinkling stars once more, Aryll saw it. His enemy.

A Shadow.

In that second, he grasped it from the black abyss in his mind. A shred of his individuality, his memory. His hands steadied himself as he firmly snatched the controls, mind taking in the situation as a small, eerily calm smile graced his lips as something akin to andrenalin thundered and pulsed through his body. He heard the rhythmic drumming of dust on the metal hull, the red headed lad behind him speaking...none of it was relevant. That was my purpose. To kill enemies... He thought as he pressed his plug into the dashboard.

So...he'd eliminate them. His enemies.

Rika's Ship (Assault Model:

(standard ship):

Spoiler:

[color=#cc99ff]

Movement - Down 3

"Almost there, hang on!"