NationStates Jolt Archive

The planet below the Dominion fleet had not been given a name, or designator by any of the races, and so, was simply: the planet. Their purpose for entering orbit, and sending drop ships to the surface? Colonization. The Termins needed a new world upon which to breed, and this would be a suitable planet. It was a suitable match with the geography of their home world. In addition to this, is was shown to be rich in less evolved insectoid life forms, making it ideal for the Mantid Scientist caste, and the Sathian Workers. The Mantid Leadership was particularly interested in further developing their weapon technologies. In particular, the Mantid known as Deadly Flower. Deadly Flower was by all means the typical Mantid Warrior, accepting of course his knowledge of weapons, and his knack for them. Had he not been a Warrior first, he would indeed have been inducted into the Scientist Caste. On several occasions, he has worked with the Scientists, and tested new weapons. He was looking greatly forward to the opportunity to do so again. There was only one thing that caught his interest as much as weaponry and the applications there of: mating. Of course, his limitless love for weapons got in the way of that quite often. He was often more focused upon killing, refining his weapons, or finding new weapons to kill with, that he often forgot there were two sexes among his species.

Deadly Flower was the first Mantid to touch down, and lead his group of Termin to the designated area they were to explore, having a lesser Mantid catalog all information along the way. The younger Mantid had been assigned to him as a sort of under-study. This younger female had displayed avid prowess in both Science and War. Her choice had been to be assigned to combat teams, and so she had been. She had never expected to meet the epitome of her desire in a male. Deadly Flower barely noticed her, though. For the first time in her life, she was frustrated by this. In the end, when mating season came about, whoever got to her first would do, but ideally, she wanted the DNA from herself and Deadly Flower to mingle, and hopefully spawn a score of exceptionally adept scientists and warriors.

Sleek Claw, she was known as, and she had essentially shadowed Deadly Flower since her assignment to his combat team. Aside from rest periods and other times during their days when they must be apart, she was always with him, always taking note of everything he divulged to her for informative purposes. She had even once seen him in combat. The sight had nearly altered her pheromone levels to breeding readiness early. He was... beautiful. In the three years since her assignment to his team, he had begun to take gradually more notice of her, at least as a fellow Warrior. Today, on this mission, he had consulted her about the best path to their objective. He had begun to trust her judgment enough to at least know her opinion. Whether or not he followed it, was another story. Now if only she could get him to be more interested in her as a female, she would be most pleased.

Deadly Flower marched along, hissing or antenna-messaging to the Termins specific instructions. Mainly keeping them on task, since they were very much of the mind to kill anything that moved. The Termin Soldiers, at least. The Termin Workers followed behind him, watched over by Sleek Claw, his apprentice of sorts. The two Mantid Warriors would have been perfectly at home if they were set to their own devices. This environment was very close to their chitin colors at the time being, and it wouldn't take long for their bodies to naturally adapt fully. However, they were instead supposed to march with the Termin Soldiers, and oversee the founding of a base-camp. One of several to be set up until the Termin Workers, and Diggers had dug out an appropriate chamber for their new Queen. For not only would this be a Colony, it would be the coronation world of the first secondary Queen of the Termins. She would serve as a ruler for the planet, and because she lacked experience, she would be super ceded in matters of the species as a whole, by the primary Queen, who would be called "First Mother".

This gave the Termins, and Mantids a definative sense of importance. This wasn't just a Colonization. It was the laying of the foundations for millions of new lives... Not just Termin, but Sathian and Mantid as well, and also opened the door to new research in all fields important to all races. This world, was not just another world, even though it had not been named. That, would be left to the Second Mother, who would dictate the world's name when she had moved into her throne room, and been bred by her King.

The sheer magnitude, and the gravity of this world, this mission, vexed even Deadly Flower. He was honored and humbled to have been placed in charge of even a portion of this endeavor. To be given the command of one of the most capable of the younger generation of his Caste was even more astounding. The highlight of it all, was that he might just have the chance to remain assigned to the planet as it's head of Surface Security! While that would be an end to his gallivanting around, across, and through the systems, waging war with his Brethren, he could accept it. Besides, it would give him a chance to begin his own weapons research.

By the time they reached their target destination, he was filled with elation, his senses on over-drive. He held his Termin-Acid Spray-glands ready, and flexed his Rippers, his wings twitching silently. All his Soldiers were on edge, as well, and even Sleek Claw was more alert than normal. Not to say any of them were slouches, mind you. He commanded the Workers to begin working, and set the Soldiers on a perimeter, while he and Sleek Claw, patrolled amongst the Soldiers and Workers.

What the Secticans hadn't planned on, however, is that a small fleet of obviously metal ships was in orbit on the complete opposite side of the planet. Since neither fleet knew what the other was looking for, in the case of first contact scenarios, both were under the impression that this planet was solely their own.

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Thirty klicks from Deadly Flower's location...

A convoy of Clan vehicles was moving through a forest not too far from where the Secticans had landed. Several Titan-class troop transports, essentially enormous, tracked multi-role vehicles, were moving towards a NavPoint set not more than three weeks ago by a surveillance drone marking a certain energy signature unique to a rare metal called nitrium. Nitrium, much prized by the Clans, was essentially like Platinum to humans of Ancient Terra, but was also capable of being used in reactor processes, refining techniques for armor, and various other techniques.

When the Nitrium find was made by the autonomous drone scout those three weeks ago, the Scientist caste had gone into an uproar. For years, Nitrium had been an element that they thought could only be made synthetically or found in certain conditions. However, in this case, it had been found not more than two or three meters from the surface by the scout's scanners and, as such, had been marked as an item of high interest. The planet, now aptly named Nitrius by the Scientist Caste, was not more than a short insta-jump from Clan-controlled territory, so the Scientist Caste, with the help of the Maho Caste, forced the Warrior Caste to hold off from sending a force there until they could bring in an outside source to help them study this unusual phenomenon.

And thus, Doctor Edemira Tennenbaum Orrozco had been called upon to help the baffled minds of the Clan Scientist Caste unravel this mystery of such a high quantity of nitrium existing in such a natural state in such unusual circumstance. The Maho Caste, having heard of the (in)famous Doctor Tennenbaum, had sent a representative, one gynoid known as Karakuri Chachamaru, to assist the Doctor with her studies.

Chachamaru was quietly standing atop the lead Titan, scanning the horizon as she calculated how much time was left until they reached the NavPoint. Looking over to the Doctor, who was set in her segway not too far away, Chachamaru finally spoke in her mechanical, yet almost human, voice.

"Doctor Tennenbaum," she said. "We will be arriving at the NavPoint in roughly ten minutes. Please make your necessary preparations for departure."

And thus, Doctor Edemira Tennenbaum Orrozco had been called upon to help the baffled minds of the Clan Scientist Caste unravel this mystery of such a high quantity of nitrium existing in such a natural state in such unusual circumstance. The Maho Caste, having heard of the (in)famous Doctor Tennenbaum, had sent a representative, one gynoid known as Karakuri Chachamaru, to assist the Doctor with her studies.

Chachamaru was quietly standing atop the lead Titan, scanning the horizon as she calculated how much time was left until they reached the NavPoint. Looking over to the Doctor, who was set in her segway not too far away, Chachamaru finally spoke in her mechanical, yet almost human, voice.

"Doctor Tennenbaum," she said. "We will be arriving at the NavPoint in roughly ten minutes. Please make your necessary preparations for departure."

The legendary Argentine merely nodded and replied with, "Very well, then. Let me clean up." She finished scribbling a few notes into her pad and stuffed them into one of the segway's innumerable cubbyholes and pockets. She then putted to her stateroom, whistling Gene Kelly's "Singin' In The Rain" as the Doctor did so. Upon entry, she then clapped, arousing Javier from his own work, a paper for his graduate seminar in Biology.

"Up, lazybones. We have a job to do. Help me get prepped for the trip planetside--unless you want me to become a useless Mongoloid."

Sighing at her very offensive term for the retarded, Javier got up and said, "Yes, Doctor."

The process was simple enough--well, simple enough if you were a babysitter. The Doctor was dressed in the clothes she wore on Biology expeditions. The clothing was just as disordered as she could be. The trousers resembled those of a World War I doughboy's, albeit better fashioned for the future world. They had puttees, sturdy but simple boots with specially designed retractable cleats, and a waterproof, acidproof and stain-resistant khaki colored fabric partly of Tennenbaum's own design. The rest was a shirt and tie, with a fisherman's vest, a short lab coat with more pockets, and a belt with--surprise!--more pockets and tools. To top it all off, the woman had two items. One, a widebrimmed pith helmet, and two a pressurized helmet and suit that went over the whole shebang.

It all took eight minutes to prepare the accoutrements, whereupon Tennenbaum and Javier exited. As the team rendevouzed with the rest of the Clanners, Javier began to snicker when he looked at Tennenbaum's suit.

"What is it, Javier?" Tennenbaum asked curtly.

"Nothing....Doctor, you sort of remind me of my Grandmother. She always did that," the assistant said with a nervous smile. He then saw Tennenbaum stare coldly at Javier, and stopped laughing.

"Really?" Tennenbaum raised an eyebrow now, obviously not amused and not getting the point. Deciding to avoid a nasty preflight lecture about not being conflated with his relatives, Javier waved the whole matter off and said, "Um, no. Forget what I said."

"Good," Tennenbaum replied sternly, looking at the environment nearby. "Focus; there is work to be done."

All the while, the Termin Workers had begun their work, digging the very first Termin burrow on the surface of the planet. Eight of the largest and most ferocious Termin Soldiers stood guard by the workers as they dug, moving in time with the workers. When the Worker's labors had taken them fourty feet in, like clockwork, a second group of Termin Soldiers moved into place at the entrance. Elsewhere in the came, Deadly Flower and Sleek Claw had taken up a discussion of camouflage techniques, one arguing that using a blend of physical disguise as well as mimicry was the best way, while the other argued that utilizing their bodies own chromatiphors to synthesize and mimic their surroundings without the aid of silly do-dads and such was the truly Mantid way. All of this, carried out through their antennae, and the occasional chemical excretion.

In the middle of their discussion, a Termin Worker reported to Deadly Flower, and informed him that the Termin Soldiers had been exhausted. A group of eight every fourty feet, in an abreast line, four facing forward, four facing back. The tunnel was about eighty feet wide, which left the massive Termin Soldiers plenty of room to turn this way and that. They would each even take shifts cleaning their chitinous bodies, hooked claws and making certain the Termin Workers were working. Deadly Flower made his way, Sleek Claw in tow, to a communications unit that had been set up by a third Mantid that had been brought with them, a Scientist and Architect. Nimble Jaw had rigged up the communications unit in record timing, and when Deadly Flower came to use it, he was the first to do so. He sent a message for more Termin Soldiers to be sent via Mammothfly drops, and when he recieved confirmation of his request, went back to his rounds, striking up the discussion with Sleek Claw where he had left off.

About an hour later, six fireballs streaked across the sky, and began to rapidly decrease speed. When the massive armor plates that protected their sensitive eyes and wings folded back, acting as further stabilisers and rudders, the six objects most closely resembled massive dragonflies, with exoskeletons over eyes and wings, and about the size of a 747 jet. The six landed one at a time and offloaded their cargo, which was a massive armored pod. The pod split open, and twenty four Termin Soldiers piled out of it, their exoskeletons wet from the lubricated sacs they had been in. After each mammothfly had dropped it's cargo, it sped off into the distance, presumably to leave the atmosphere again, and return to the primary Termin Carrier ship.

The Star of Titan transports soon came to a halt, their treads creaking to a stop as the five transports disgorged their compliment of troops. The five transports, only capable of holding twenty five troops each (passengers notwithstanding), had only a Star of unarmored infantry to protect them. Enough, or so they thought at this point.

"Alright, men," the Star Commander shouted. "Secure the area! Points Beta through Epsilon are to spread out around the mining site by at least a half a klick! Alpha Point is to guard the Titans, understood?!"

"Aff, lead!" The points shouted in unison as they went about their jobs. At the same time, the five multi-role transports, each equipped with a crane, began off-loading their cargo, which were parts to the mining complex that was to be built. Furthermore, several construction vehicles began arriving, ten in total. These small, humanoid machines, not much bigger than the Elemental, began taking the materials and assembling them over the NavPoint.

As the crews began their work, Chachamaru slowly stepped down the ramp from the Alpha Point Titan, observing the work of the Laborers for less than an eighth of a microsecond before addressing Dr. Tennebaum.

"I would suggest that we begin taking fauna and soil samples, Dr. Tennenbaum," she said, her mechanical voice resounding in an objective manner. "According to the data I contain within my memory banks, nitrium is said not to promote the growth of plant life. I believe I provided you a document with that information, correct?"

As the crews began their work, Chachamaru slowly stepped down the ramp from the Alpha Point Titan, observing the work of the Laborers for less than an eighth of a microsecond before addressing Dr. Tennebaum.

"I would suggest that we begin taking fauna and soil samples, Dr. Tennenbaum," she said, her mechanical voice resounding in an objective manner. "According to the data I contain within my memory banks, nitrium is said not to promote the growth of plant life. I believe I provided you a document with that information, correct?"

Tennenbaum was busy marveling the alien sky with a sense of wonderment. Breathing in the air, she clapped her hands together and smiled before pronouncing the place, "Truly marvelous. 'In life, he suffered from a sense of unreality...'"

Before she could finish the quote by her favorite author, one Jorge Luis Borges, Chachamaru put her back on track. Sheepishly, the Doctor said, "But of course, Miss Karakuri." Rummaging about, she pulled out the relevant paper and looked it over. Tapping it, she then noted, "Ah yes. It's rather volatile in its natural form. Fortunately, it does not often appear in its natural form. It also tends to sap nutrients out of perfectly good ground and stunts plant growth."

Turning to her stalwart assistant, she then said, "Javier, please take some samples; I will do likewise." The assistant nodded and then pulled out a soil sample kit and a scanner; Tennenbaum's contraption extended an arm and its own set of analyzing equipment. The two began taking soil and fauna samples, running them through scanners. Tennenbaum then spoke to the robot, speaking without turning her head, "Miss Karakuri, see if you can't persuade the others to assist us. We are but two individuals, and this is a rather large world."

"I will contact the DropShip and have them retrieve more Laborer Caste," Chachamaru replied. "In the meantime, I will begin processing samples of the top-soil and the outer layering of the trees."

As Chachamaru leaned over to begin scraping the top-soil, within an eighth of a second, a transmission was sent to the DropShip, a little more than ten klicks from their position, to return to the fleet and bring more of the Laborer Caste down to assist Dr. Tennenbaum. The DropShip, after taking a few seconds to read the order, returned a transmission to Chachamaru acknowledging the order, and was soon making the preparations to launch.

Meanwhile, during that time, Chachamaru had already begun to scrape some of the top-soil off the ground and had begun her analysis. As the gynoid began running the tests, she noted that the nitrogen content of the soil was unusual.

"Doctor," she said. "I am detecting normal nitrogen amounts while simultaneously finding abnormal quantities of nitrium. Furthermore, my ongoing analysis of the soil is detecting an unknown compound. I am attempting to analyze its components individually, but it seems to be producing an interfering electromagnetic field and a harmless amount of radiation. Are you receiving the same findings?"

"I will contact the DropShip and have them retrieve more Laborer Caste," Chachamaru replied. "In the meantime, I will begin processing samples of the top-soil and the outer layering of the trees."

As Chachamaru leaned over to begin scraping the top-soil, within an eighth of a second, a transmission was sent to the DropShip, a little more than ten klicks from their position, to return to the fleet and bring more of the Laborer Caste down to assist Dr. Tennenbaum. The DropShip, after taking a few seconds to read the order, returned a transmission to Chachamaru acknowledging the order, and was soon making the preparations to launch.

Meanwhile, during that time, Chachamaru had already begun to scrape some of the top-soil off the ground and had begun her analysis. As the gynoid began running the tests, she noted that the nitrogen content of the soil was unusual.

"Doctor," she said. "I am detecting normal nitrogen amounts while simultaneously finding abnormal quantities of nitrium. Furthermore, my ongoing analysis of the soil is detecting an unknown compound. I am attempting to analyze its components individually, but it seems to be producing an interfering electromagnetic field and a harmless amount of radiation. Are you receiving the same findings?"

"Yes, Miss Karakuri." Looking at the readouts with intense fascination, she could only say, "The readings are awfully similar. In fact, they are quite the same." Javier then looked up and said, "I am finding the same readings, also." Tennenbaum looked up and scratched her chin, thinking out loud now.

"This much nitrium in the soil should be explosive, and yet here we are. So what is the case? Especially with the unknown compound. It is ambigious, and its EM field prevents us from finding out what it is. But we do know that it is somewhat radioactive and it produces an EM field. A thing to note." She then pulled out a notebook and scribbled that fact down, before saying, "Now. How to decipher the field.....hmm.....what if we could chill it somehow?"

She then asked Chachamaru, turning to her with some curiousity, "No....here's another thing. If the EM field is distruptive to our scanners when they look for what it is made of, then why doesn't it affect my equipment or Javier's--or you?"

))- The two of you are welcome to continue along for a bit more as a bit of a catch-up, I guess. -((

"That is a very good question, Doctor," Chachamaru replied, further scanning the soil before moving on to a tree. The gynoid firmly grabbed on to the exterior of the tree and, in a single swift movement, popped off a piece of bark about the size of a buckler. Returning to both the Doctor and Javier, she easily divided the piece of bark into equal pieces, handing the pieces to her colleagues before scanning her own piece.

"Now that is truly bizarre," stated the gynoid. "My analysis concludes that there are trace amounts of what appears to be uranium in this plant life."

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In the meantime, the DropShip that had been contacted was currently on its way up into the atmosphere, veering to point North West towards the dark side of the planet at roughly twenty five thousand feet, and then began climbing steadily from there on.

The fleet, in the meantime, was busily preparing to transfer several more Laborer Caste, Titans, and construction units, along with several tons of building supplies so that an actual space port could be built where the LZ had been designated for the DropShips.

"That is a very good question, Doctor," Chachamaru replied, further scanning the soil before moving on to a tree. The gynoid firmly grabbed on to the exterior of the tree and, in a single swift movement, popped off a piece of bark about the size of a buckler. Returning to both the Doctor and Javier, she easily divided the piece of bark into equal pieces, handing the pieces to her colleagues before scanning her own piece.

"Now that is truly bizarre," stated the gynoid. "My analysis concludes that there are trace amounts of what appears to be uranium in this plant life."

Tennenbaum nodded, as did Javier--the two ran their scanners and came to the same conclusions. "Trace amounts of uranium...the radioactivity certainly seems to prove it," the Doctor said, putting it into an evidence bag. "But there's the rub. Another question. How did the plant life survive with trace amounts of uranium and such volatile materials in the ground?"

Javier raised his hand.

"This is not lecture, Javier, you are free to speak," was Tennenbaum's reply.

At that, Javier declared, "Perhaps it is a simple matter of evolution. After all, why else would the plants have adapted to the uranium and nitrium and the unknown compound?"

Tennenbaum stroked her chin and said, "Alright. Javier, search for signs of evolution and adaptibility to the conditions. But keep in mind it is but one possibility. Things could be different than we expect." She then said thoughtfully as she looked at the soil sample, "I will save a soil sample for further study. I am eager to deduce what this unknown compound is. It must be possibly magnetic, given its properties. But there is no way to know."

Tennenbaum and Javier scooted over the terrain, collecting more samples and trying to figure out what was there. They hoped to see some local wildlife, hopefully small. Barring that, more flora. They found some plants to take from the ground and analyzed them....

))- Surprise! -((

Having gotten lost in their conversation, and not really feeling a need to remain watching over the Termin Soldiers and Workers, Deadly Flower left Twitchy Antenna in charge, while he and Sleek Claw began traipsing about, scouting some. After a time, it changed into a hunt, as they grew hungry and smelled the presence of life-forms big enough to sate their appetites. Little did they know, they were dead set on the road to making First Contact with a new race. It could be described as two rams, charging each other with heads lowered: Contact immanent.

Deadly Flower had elected to hide upon the ground, and had camouflaged himself amongst some green bushes. He watched as these odd creatures moved about, and heard their growls, grunts, and other noises. The one closest to him, unwitting as it was, looked directly at him multiple times, and then at the last moment, snagged a hold of his antenna. That was when he stood. That, was when contact was truly made.

A creature seven and a half feet tall stood up directly before Javier, looking like a Praying Mantis from Earth, only put on steroids for several hundred years. It's praying arms spread out, and opened, showing the many rows of needle-spines, it's antennae curved back and down, and it's second pair of arms reached for the human. It's wings spread as well, and it's mandibles spread wide. Deadly Flower was opting for complete shock-and-awe to paralyze his prey, and also to distract the others, while Sleek Claw slunk closer to her chosen prey.

Sleek Claw's target happened to be the gynoid, whom she approached from behind and above, suspended upon a tree branch and reaching down silently, stealthily, while Deadly Flower made quite the spectacle of himself. Which she would later admire.

A creature seven and a half feet tall stood up directly before Javier, looking like a Praying Mantis from Earth, only put on steroids for several hundred years. It's praying arms spread out, and opened, showing the many rows of needle-spines, it's antennae curved back and down, and it's second pair of arms reached for the human. It's wings spread as well, and it's mandibles spread wide. Deadly Flower was opting for complete shock-and-awe to paralyze his prey, and also to distract the others, while Sleek Claw slunk closer to her chosen prey.


Javier was until this moment picking up mundane samples. Things got a lot less mundane when he was spooked by the presence of the Giant Friggin Mantis. He immediately lept back, and began backpedaling rather quickly, screaming, "DOCTOR!! DOCTOR!!" as he dashed.

Tennenbaum inattenttively said with a sigh, "Javier, why are you screaming like a little boy? It's rathe--" She then felt one of the dirt clouds Javier kicked up as he ran to the woman, and looked up to witness the giant thing. Her eyes opened, and she said, "Hmph." She then motioned for Javier to get behind her, saying, "Come now, it's just a bug. 'Translation being unfaithful to the original' yes, but a bug still." Tennenbaum then pushed a few buttons, and then held her hand to her hips. She then said staring at the bug, "Miss Karakuri, please do call for assistance."

Then, Tennenbaum did something unexpected. She held her hand up at the Thing. She then screamed and said, "Halt! Identify yourself! We mean you no harm!" In case it did mean harm though, Javier noticed she had a contingency plan. She had armed the shields, ready to go off at her command. Also, that hip-hand placement was close to one of her favorite things....

Chachamaru hadn't actually be searching for either of the giant mantids, so she was quite surprised to see the first practically pop out of nowhere. She had noticed a pair of large creatures on her short-range radar, but she hadn't been paying too much attention to it. Now, with the advent of Deadly Flower in full view, she began to pay more attention to it and, as she began to notice, they were being flanked.

On a radio channel, she was quick to rouse the attention of the Alpha Point, which was quick to respond and was moving swiftly to their position, guns armed and ready. However, she noticed something...odd. There seemed to be quite a lot of static now, and, as she began analyzing her surroundings, she came to realize that it was definitely not the unknown compound that was creating this problem. Thereby, she continued to scan.

All this took place within roughly four or so seconds, and it would take Alpha Point about six or so minutes to get to them.

"Already done, although," she said, "it seems that this creature is not the only one nearby. An equally large creature is in the vicinity, although it is difficult to pin point due to the EM interference."

))- 'Giant Friggin Mantis' I lol'd hard. That was great. -((

Deadly Flower didn't understand a single word. Mainly because they don't communicate in the same ways. His wings closed, and he stood upright, beginning to walk toward her, and getting about half way before he leaped into the air, and flew off into the trees. 'Strike before the distraction wears off!' His antennae sent to Sleek Claw's.

Sleek Claw was already poised to strike, and did just that. Quick as lightning, her 'Rippers' flashed out, and dug into the gynoid just under her arms and crossing inwards toward her neck. Sleek Claw then began to lift, though she found the task a bit difficult, since the gynoid was more massive than she had thought.

Meanwhile, Deadly Flower leaped from tree to tree, doubling back around behind the Doctor, and far out of view.

The gynoid was quite surprised to find herself being lifted into the air, albeit slowly. She looked up to see the form of Sleek Claw, and her look of bewilderment switched to a look of displeasure. To a human, it would seem genuine. To Sleek Claw, it wouldn't mean a damn thing. What would mean something was what happened next.

Very obviously displeased, Chachamaru engaged her rocket thrusters on her back, leg, and feet, the thrusters extracting themselves from her under layer of what appeared to be, but actually wasn't, natural skin. She would then stick her feet out forward in the same direction Sleek Claw was moving and then activated them at full thrust, the several-hundred kilogram thrusters flaring to life as Chachamaru tried to throw Sleek Claw off balance and burn her simultaneously with her own back-mounted rockets.

"Get out of here!" Chachamaru looked down at Tennenbaum, a look of urgency upon her face. "It's a distraction!"

))- 'Giant Friggin Mantis' I lol'd hard. That was great. -((

Deadly Flower didn't understand a single word. Mainly because they don't communicate in the same ways. His wings closed, and he stood upright, beginning to walk toward her, and getting about half way before he leaped into the air, and flew off into the trees. 'Strike before the distraction wears off!' His antennae sent to Sleek Claw's.

Sleek Claw was already poised to strike, and did just that. Quick as lightning, her 'Rippers' flashed out, and dug into the gynoid just under her arms and crossing inwards toward her neck. Sleek Claw then began to lift, though she found the task a bit difficult, since the gynoid was more massive than she had thought.

Meanwhile, Deadly Flower leaped from tree to tree, doubling back around behind the Doctor, and far out of view.

"Get out of here!" Chachamaru looked down at Tennenbaum, a look of urgency upon her face. "It's a distraction!"

Tennenbaum immediately slammed a button on her segway, and a shield flickered for a brief second before coming to life with a hum. She then reached into a concealed carry holster to pull out....a Walther PPK.

Now, this PPK looked rather ordinary. The kind people buy for self defense. And it was. But, Doctor Tennenbaum had modified hers--and hundreds of others for the New Dornalian Internal Security Bureau. These "Tennenbaum PPKs," "Tennenbaum Devices," or "Super PPKs" looked like their ordinary cousins, but when Tennenbaum cocked it, the moment the slide went forward something happened. It began to hum and glow slightly. Armed and dangerous, she immediately yelled to Javier, "Get your scanner out! We're evacuating!" The assistant pulled out his scanner as the two fell back, and he began working it. Showing an overlay map of the land, it began beeping, but also flickering in and out. Javier began hitting it, saying, "The EM interference is troubling my scanner. I can only get the overlay, but no more. It's losing the tracking."

"Then try every way you can to break through, damnit." Tennenbaum had no paitence for mechanical failures, and even less paitence for giant insects. One sneaked behind her, the other captured Chachamaru. She leveled her pistol at Chachamaru, but gritted her teeth--the inevitable explosion created by the Tennenbaum Device's assault would no doubt injure the gynoid just as well as the insect--which was severely.

So, she radioed Alpha Point, saying, "Alpha Point, this is Doctor Tennenbaum. Can you kind gentlemen and ladies perhaps hurry it up? Miss Karakuri has been siezed by an awful bug. A real awful one." Tennenbaum then did an about face and motioned for Javier to cover her rear. He pulled out a small Laspistol and began shooting at Sleek Claw, aiming for the obvious parts of the insect whilst missing Chachamaru, whilst Tennenbaum and Javier began moving back to where the rest of the Clanners were at high speed.