Both Sides Now (Artemis): Difference between revisions

[[Harry Sato|Sato]], Savel and Dakora examined holographic displays of Shint Warships, trying to find out how to breach the vessels. While initially considering breaching through the sensitive sensor array - thus achieving both entry and a blinding of the vessel, they also considered disabling the ship weapons, to give the ''Desdemona'' more leeway. Colonel MacKenzie urged for simplicity, focusing on the likely success of the infiltration team, which focused the following planning. Using some of the scans that [[Didrik Stennes (alternate)|Major Stennes]] had been able to steal away with, it was likely that they would be able to create 'sensor echoes' of the shuttle, hopefully confusing the Shint sensors for long enough to allow the shuttle's approach.

Upon arrival in the Celendi Nebula, the ''Desdemona'' sends off half her senior staff to enact their ploy. After a 'threat' from Major Stennes against the 'deserters', Captain Olivera hits and seemingly disables the shuttle, prompting the approaching Atraxia class vessel to dispatch a fighter squadron to investigate. To cover the infiltration team aboard the CSC ''Don Pedro'', the ''Desdemona'' engages the Shint fighters before they get wise to the plan, with Majors Stennes and Adea, as well as 2nd Lt. Kader, going outside in fighters of their own, joining Major Dakora's squadron in the direct attack. The World Ender and ''Desdemona'' exchange weapons fire multiple times, but while the Desdemona's weapons seem almost useless against the might of the Shint vessel, their opponents' weaponry batters the old Commonwealth Ship and all but tears through their shields. On his superiors' orders, 2nd Lt. Kuva starts to maneuever the ship into a debris field that Kader located during the planning session. The battles rages on as everyone involved awaits signs that the infiltration teams' endeavours were succesful, even as their every offensive move seems to barely make a dent in the Shint forces. Defeat seems almost certain...

Onboard the CSC ''Don Pedro'' and outfitted with the modified prismic shielding technology and communications badges that should allow compensation for Shint jamming tech, the team sets out from the ''Desdemona'', playing at desertion. The World Ender sends out fighters to ascertain the status of the shuttle after the Desdemona's friendly fire, but an interruption from Major Dakora's fighter squadron interrupts their investigation. Meanwhile, on the inside, 2nd Lieutenants Lux and Thevn fix the hull damage caused by the Desdemona while Mediator Jovenan keeps an eye on the status of their prismic shielding. While waiting for the opportune moment to infiltrate the World Ender, Lux and Thevn also manage to get a passive communications feed through the defunct communication console, allowing the infiltration team to hear outgoing transmissions from the other vessels nearby. As Shint voices praise the glory of their Empire, Major Dakora kicks the shuttle into gear and propels it like a speeding bullet into the giant vessel, lodging itself into one of its sensor nodules.

'''Team Dakora''': Leading Jovenan, Thevn and J towards the aft reactor, Major Dakora uses Thevn's knowledge of Shint ship design and protocol to avoid patrols. Upon arrival at the reactor, sensors read Shint lifesigns within, and the group decides to divide and conquer. Thevn and Dakora enter combat with the Shint guards, while Jovenan leads J to dislodge the core of the Prismagon Reactor. The Major gets pummelled by a previously unnoticed Shint, but Thevn manages to kill it and give the Major a temporary reprieve from the concussion he'd earned. Jovenan and J dislodge the core just as an alarm starts ringing throughout the World Ender, caused by the explosives set by Team Sato. Seeing as their cover is well and fully blown at this point, Dakora sets an explosive device of his own and leads his team back towards the ''Don Pedro''. On the way back, their team encounters a group of Mizarian slaves transporting a replacement prismagon core. While the encounter remains peaceful, Dakora does relieve the demure slaves of their cargo while Thevn has an encounter with a Mizarian who seems to know of her. Once again en route to the ''Don Pedro'', Dakora is hit in the leg by a stray Shint projectile, but before he can volunteer to stay back as a distraction instead of slowing them down, the explosive triggers and incinerates their pursuers.

'''Team Sato''': Leading Savel and Lux towards the fore reactor, the team adopts the principle of 'kill them all' as they charge ahead. Eventually, this gets them stuck inside a room that sealed the doors and killed all non-essential systems once all Shint life signs within had faded... They have to find another way back once they have the Prismagon in hand, but for now, they continue on. Using a creative method of hostage-taking, murder and mayhem, the team puzzles their way to the Prismagon Reactor where Savel manages to dislodge the still burning hot core from the reactor. Realizing that their race against time won't be successful if they don't manage to deal with the pursuing Shint approaching them, Lux - who is the only one able to operate her brother's specially designed explosive devices - wishes her teammates good luck and decides to stay behind, taking down as many Shint as she can before finally succumbing to the explosive hellfire of her own devices.

The infiltration party reconvenes back at the ''Don Pedro'' with -2 seconds to spare, and lurches back into empty space with their precious cargo. An all-out war occurs once the Shint fighters are alerted to the cargo the reawakened shuttle carries, and seemingly for every impact to the prismic shielding, the prismagon cores grow brighter. The team aboard the ''Don Pedro'' becomes aware of the danger posed by their cargo just a little too late, and soon, a Reality Bubble originating from the stolen prismagon cores expand to envelop the ''Desdemona'', the fighters and the World Ender itself. All onlookers say their prayers, ready for the end. Meanwhile, in a reality quite unlike their own, Commanders Adea and Yalu stare in awe at their viewscreen as a rift in space-time opens up and deposits a warzone in front of them, and a voice quite like their Captain's speaks to them from an unfamiliar vessel...