IC: Gate technologies, Stargate: 2064 Options

[BGMFH]

James calls back over the radio, "Ten-four Cosmo. I'll play Horatius, just find me my bridge!"

[Leowulf]

Ghost Dragon says over the radio subvocally, "Two kilometers is a long way to try and make an escape. We can defend better from our positions here, though we will eventually be overwhelmed. There can only be a limited number of soldiers inside of their vehicle. I was about to sneak up on the leader if he came back down until I heard that a grenade was covering the new arrivals. I can help cover our escape. They do not seem able to see me, as I had hoped. But, Cosmo, what makes you certain the front door is still open?"

Ghost Dragon readies a defensive IPE grenade by pulling it from his belt and holding it with two fingers looped through the pin in both hands.

[A Rodent of Unus...]

"$#@*&!" is the only thing the Mad Hatter can muster to think to himself at Ghost Dragon's bickering. It takes him less than a nanosecond to recover before he responds.

"There's a city on top of your heads now, and the door is open. If you want to stay, fine. Unlike the military men we brought along, I couldn't give a fig about leaving a man behind. So either do as I say or don't, but stay off the commlink so those of us wishing to see tomorrow can coordinate our retreat." The annoyance found in his digital voice is almost jarring, but that's to be expected considering the fact that he just rammed his temporary body into a squad of goons at over 150mph.

[Shadow]

The drone plows into the first two Jaffa with a tremendous force that lifts the lead to of their feet and throws there broken, wrecked bodies into two others. In total, four Jaffa fall down leaving one, soldier and the one dressed in black.

A pop in the air like a punching bag being hit signals the launch of Os’ grenade. The 20mm projectile arcs threw the air detonating nearly perfectly on target. The detonation of the grenade engulfs all of them. A shimmering golden light can be seen threw the debris and smoke.

As the cloud clears, only the Jaffa in black is left standing. He stretches for his hand and a brilliant blue bolt of electricity arcs out and touches Os. The energy grounds itself through the older man and burns it’s way to the ground.

“Kree, tolan no viery, omnaious!” He shouts as the bolts strikes it’s target.

[Leowulf]

Ghost Dragon glares at the mage that has come down the teleporter. He says over the radio, "Begin the retreat. I will handle this."

Ghost Dragon drops his spell, making himself visible. "Was it lightning? Let me try..."

Holding the grenade in one hand, Ghost Dragon focuses his energy, drawing in as much mana as he can. He forms the mana into the spell and raises his other hand toward the figure in black.

"RRAUGH!" he roars, and his eyes glow as the spell streaks toward its target.

[BGMFH]

"Frag!" comes over the radio, James voice irate. "Everyone out now!"

James switches to suppressive fire and opens up with the MP5 and his right arm, all the while screaming "Jaffa Kree!" in a voice as intimidating as he can muster. The radio voice comes over "Lets get them confused, start shouting commands back at them."

[Shadow]

The lightning bolt slams into the Jaffa's back, arcing around him and grounding out at his feet. The impact knocks him a step forward, but otherwise he seems intact. He start to laugh. Then a device at his belt sparks and explodes. A bright gold field shimmers around him, then vanishes. He stops laughing when the burst from James SMG rips into him.

The two remaining Jaffa on the ground divide their attention, one turns to Ghost Dragon, the other to James. Their weapons light up with the orange fire and spew forth bolts of death at each target.

Ran reaches Cosmo and hefts him on her shoulder.

[kevyn668]

Over the comm: "Rodger THAT!"

Chase explodes into motion before Cosmo's voice can fade from the radio. Using the flurry of activity to cover his movement as best as he can, Chase crosses the distance separating him and the carcasses. He slides to a crouch at one of the alien bodies and snatches what he thinks is the "control gauntlet" before scrambling after the retreating team.

[Moonstone Spider]

Torque transmits over his Radio.
Torque: "Personally I'm with you GD, running out into the desert where we have no cover and theres 'An entire City' to shoot at us is completely nuts. Unless you can render us all invisible at once. Can you suggest any better ideas?"

[Tziluthi]

Christ, they have mages too? Os thinks as the smell of ozone clears up.

Not really taking that much of a hit thanks to the eletrical insulation in his form-fitting armour, he ups and fires off a parting grenade at the alien, then quickly about-faces and piss-bolts with the rest of the team.

[A Rodent of Unus...]

"Your funeral, good riddance. Everyone else, out now. I'm locking the door in ten seconds and will try to keep the controls confused for as long as I can."

[Leowulf]

Ghost Dragon grins evilly as the figure in black falls. He tries to dodge the shot from one of the Jaffa's staves.

Over the radio, he says, "I taxed myself a bit with that spell. I cannot conceal all of you. I lack the power. I can conceal myself and perhaps two others. More, and I would be likely to pass out from the strain. I think concealing those of you who are most wounded would be the wisest course of action. That would be James and Torque."

He begins running for the exit behind the others and tries to cast a spell to conceal himself, James, and Torque once they are all outside.

After casting the spell, he says, "Sorry, James. We must make this run count. That was all I had."

[BGMFH]

"Rodger Ghost" James replies, trying to keep up.

[Shadow]

As the team retreats, Os peppers the fallen Jaffa with another grenade. Unfortunately, this one is not quite as on target as the last and detonates behind the circle. Responding energy beams lance out and explode the rock wall where ever they hit. Debris and fragments rain on the team as they make the turn to the outside. Thankfully, the door is still open.

The wounded team regroups just outside the temple. After spending three hours in the temple, the hot air is like a sledge hammer in the stomach. If it is at all possible, it has gotten hotter since you all went inside.

Stepping out onto the sand reveals the immense shadow of the pyramid. A quick glance up shows what landed. A giant spacecraft… shaped like a pyramid.

Ghost Dragon quickly casts invisibility on the wounded, and then you all start your 3 kilometer run. Darting out of the shadows of the temple follows Snoopy. The long eared dog had stayed nearly invisible during the whole engagement.

After a few minutes of running there is no apparent pursuit, though you are getting hot, and tired.

[crechebaby]

Ran shifted Cosmo on her shoulder. He looked thin, but she was beginning to suspect the ever present burritos had played a part in her growing fatigue.

That, and it's three hundred degrees out here.

A quick glance back at the pyramid made Ran's stomach do a sudden flop. The scene was so incredibly bizarre, so ridiculously unreal, even after the trip through the Stargate, that she blinked at it a couple of times before turning her head back towards her destination.

"So, Coz," Ran subvocalized. "You got our random deathtrap picked out yet?"

[A Rodent of Unus...]

With his sensors heavily honed on the pyramid for any signs of trouble, Cosmo's skyboard hovers down next to Ran.

"Yes," is the voice's only response to her question. "I can take the body from here. Hop on yourself and we'll fly ahead and prepare what we can for the escape, and I'll send the board back one by one to pick up the others."

[crechebaby]

Ran gratefully hefts Cosmo's sweaty little body off her shoulder and onto the skyboard, climbing lithely up behind him.

"Useful little gadget."

[Leowulf]

Ghost Dragon continues running along with the group. With the heat being unbearable, he takes sips of water to try and keep cool.

[Shadow]

Ghost Dragon and Torque lag behind the group, injuries and fatigue combining to slow them down. Ran and Cosmo take off on the board and hover away incredibly fast. Soon they are naught but distant specs.

@ Cosmo and Ran,

it only takes a minute to reach the gate. All is as you left it.

[A Rodent of Unus...]

As his skyboard dumps his body gently onto the sand, it resumes the position it was inside the temple. His arms are still tucked over his head, which in turn is still stucked between his knees. "You're a rock, dude... just a rock..." can just barely be heard whispering from his lips.

In the meantime, the board seems to wait for Ran to hop off before heading straight back to the group to pick up the others up and ferry them back, two at a time.

[Shadow]

The board returns to the group a few minutes after it left, this time empty.

[Tziluthi]

"Torque, Ghost. On you get."

[crechebaby]

Ran crouched down beside Cosmo and squeezed his shoulder, giving him a firm shake.

"Hey, little guy." Her accent had become thicker over the last few heart-pounding minutes, and she struggled to make herself clear and reassuring while her heartrate slowed back to normal. "The worst is over." Could be. Probably wasn't. "We're all ok. Now we need you to get us the frag outta this hellhole."

She leaned back into the insufferably hot sand and removed her bandana, wiping her damp forehead ineffectually with the soggy piece of cloth.

... out of the frying pan...

[Leowulf]

Ghost Dragon waits for Torque to climb onto the board, looking at him in astral so he can keep track of him, and then he gets on afterward, noting this with, "Ready.." followed by a sigh, as the fatigue from casting too many spells at one time and the hot sun combine to make him nearly pass out.

This is one job I am beginning to wish I had not taken. To go through the gate with the wrong address could kill us. What we find on the other side could be even worse.

He steps, or rather stumbles, off the board when it reaches the gate and waits for the others to arrive.

[Moonstone Spider]

Torque climbs onto the board alongside Ghost Dragon. As the board reaches the gate he slides off.

Torque: "Cosmo how long do you figure it'll take to punch in coordinates and activate the gate? A couple of us took some damage, if we've got a minute or two I'd like to slap a bandaid on the wounds before we go into another unknown situation."