Post
Region: Eientei Gensokyo
[The operatives of the Inner Orion Research and Development Corporation Security Force (RDC-SF, colloquially called "Space Cowboys" among its members) were a grim collection, no strangers to blood and violence of all sorts across the systems - from coldly efficient ex-Foundation Mobile Task Force agents, ruthless paramilitary veterans of wars that would never see the front pages, and professional soldiers of national militaries for whom the public salary had paid too little. Empathy had long been ground of them, which was good for their current task - in a show of faith to their Gray partners, in exchange for a portion of the surviving Masoperderm population to be made available for whatever horrendous tests Kelariko had prepared for them (knowledge which was beyond the operatives' pay grade, anyway), the members of RDC-SF were to assist in the extermination of any and all Order citizens remaining on the planet. This they had been carrying out with the cold efficiency expected of them. It was understood this was strictly off the books - the general Foundation would probably not have approved one of their private partners assisting in a planetary genocide. One without obvious, direct benefits to Overwatch Command, at the very least.]
[The forest town Operative Cooper was currently trudging through was not the worst sh**hole he had been in recently, but he was still thoroughly on edge as the hulking reptilian form of a Gray stalked past him, apparently having cleared out a house with the violence he had come to expect from these creatures. His mouth, invisible behind the tinted helm of his tactical visor, pulled down in distaste. F***ing aliens. Then, a soft, plaintive cry suddenly came from the house in front of Cooper. It sounded like the Gray hadn't been as thorough as he thought. He approached the threshold and crossed through the doorway, rifle raised.]
???: Mama?
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Illys: [Sensing the man's apprehension, she softens her tone, attempting to convey calm through her strikingly amber eyes] I'm with the Sisterhood medical mission. Perhaps you've never met a fleshcrafter before, but I have met many of you. The powers that be have abandoned your people and will leave you to death or worse under the Grays. I assume you are ex-military, and your friend is as well. I propose your cooperation...and help...to get as many people off this planet as possible before the worst happens. [She points beyond the crowd and toward the forest in the distance.] I happen to know the location of ships, currently staffed at minimal capacity, ripe for our taking.
---
[The girl approaches slowly, and unclasps her hands within reach of Mercia - a small piece of organic tissue, gently folded into a rough approximation of a dragon-like creature, unfurls its wings and gives a silent yawn. With a tiny hop, the figure leaps from the Angelan girl's hands onto Mercia's, its movements slowing and eventually stopping altogether as it assumes a pose of a dragon about to fly. The girl gives a shy smile.]
Lumei: What a talented child! If Mercia were to learn fleshcrafting, she could animate the toy as she wished. For now, it will sleep.
