Launch Base Zone - Infiltration

[Jijeka-Te]

Anu had few options, so he decided to go after Ji. He didn't pay attention to the takeoff, either.

Ji carefully followed the 'bots into the dark building, staying in the air and jumping from wall to wall as she drew close.

[Gail Strafer]

And without any resistance, the lone transport ship successfully broke out of the compound, and quickly rocketed away from the island, off to deliver its precious cargo to Robotropolis.

---

Chadin's one little shot cleanly took the robot's head off, causing it to fall out of the machine gun nest and land with a hard thunk on the ground. If the deer looked ahead, he'd see a large air vent sticking out of the bottom of the ship, with a huge grating covering it. If he could get the grating off and leap high enough to climb inside the vent, it would be a good point of entry.

Also, a small doorway sat open nearby at the base of the ship, with a ramp leading down to the ground. That also looked like a point of entry, and a faster way to important parts of the ship, but it would probably have a lot more protection on it.

---

While the hallway would be suitably dark for Jii to make an ambush, she would need to work quickly. At the far end of the building, she'd see the bots walking towards a faint light. If she didn't attack soon she would lose the advantage of the darkness.

[Chadin]

Seeing the Swat-bot's head come rolling off into the dirt filled me with some small satisfaction, but I wasn't finished yet. As soon as the bot went down, I jumped to my hooves and made a mad dash to the ship.

That's when I finally took notice of the transport taking off. I blinked in shock, astounded that I'd become so focused that I failed to prevent the very think I had come here to stop. But there was still a chance to keep the loss of that ship from having any real impact. IF I killed Robotnik now, it would but an end to everything. Without Robotnik, we could safely find a way to restore the damage caused by the dimensional merge. Everyone's freedom would be assured. And I will finally have fulfilled my own personal lust for revenge; for my parents, and for the experiments Robotnik performed on me.

I'd like to believe that those loftier, more noble reasons were what drove me on at that point, but truthfully, the pain of Gerald's betrayal, and the thought getting revenge on both of them was the real motivation; and the angrily glowing scars on my body agreed.

I sprinted for the door at the base of the ship. Under normal circumstances, my Freedom Fighter intuition would have pushed me to use the air duct to enter. But right now, I wanted as direct a path to my goal as possible, and woe to anyone or anything that got in my way.

When I reached the door, I could see the door control panel beside it. I've never been good with this sort of thing, and my mind already was on a fast track. I could try blasting the door's lock mechanism with my crossbow, or slicing it with my knife. But I didn't have a clue how this door might be sealed. While pondering how to get in, I noticed the glow of my scars on my arm and got a novel idea. Putting my hand on the panel, I felt a surge of electricity jump from my body into the panel. I must have overloaded the panel, because next thing I knew, I heard a click inside the door. I pulled on the handle and was surprised and elated to see it open freely. I didn't waste any time as I quickly jumped inside and shut the door behind me.

I heard a distinct click as the door once again locked shut. Apparently the surge only temporarily disabled the lock, but it didn't matter. It got me inside. Now I could focus on reaching Robotnik. he'd probably be near the ship's helm or control room. I'd have to take a look around to find it. Not once in all the rush did it occur to me just how stupid and foolhardy a thing I had just done; such is the blindness of rage and revenge.

[To Launch Base Zone...]

[apologies if I over-stepped myself a bit here. I just wanted to push this along a little faster]

[Jijeka-Te]

(...We just screwed ourselves by letting that one ship escape, didn't we?)

Finally spotting her chance, Jijeka-Te glided in and jabbed the nearest 'bot in a key area with the end of her crook.

Anu stopped at the entrance, having lost Ji.

[Gail Strafer]

[I wanted Robo to get away with at least a few shards, for potential future plots. It's not all of them, mind you. I mean, come on, Robo has to have at least a few little victories to keep things interesting, right? I'm gonna have to guess what you mean by key area too.

By the way Chadin, I should have said the door was OPEN XD.]

Jii's surprise hit went straight into the back of the SWATbot's neck, splitting a few crucial circuits and causing it to fall down. The other SWATbots immediately whirled around at the noise, letting Gail's body land with a dull thump on the floor in the process. However they couldn't see much in the dark beyond a very brief glimpse of Jii in the light of the sparks. Immediately they opened fire at where she'd last been seen, illuminating the dark tunnel in crimson red from the laser bolts. Anu would definitely see the light show from the entrance.

[Jijeka-Te]

Ji had already jinxed back, pulling her crook out as well, after inflicting the wound. She then jumped off the wall and glided above so she was out of sight when the other 'bots opened fire. Getting an idea of how she could pull this off, Ji then navigated behind them, bounded off the opposite wall, and struck another 'bot the same way.

Anu saw the whole thing from outside, or at least the things that the intermittent light could show, but didn't dare get closer.

[Gail Strafer]

The bots were not so easily caught off guard a second time, and had seen Ji's direction in the brief illumination from the laser blasts. They quickly whirled around to follow her path, with her crook missing and striking the SWATbot in the shoulder. Instead of being shorted out it stumbled backwards from the sudden hit, causing it to bump into another and throw off its aim. The last one continued firing away with its gun, hoping to keep Ji illuminated in the light of its fire.

[Jijeka-Te]

Ji stayed on her toes. When her attack missed, she changed course and swerved into a new position to use the two 'bots that were still up but not firing on her as cover. Then she hopped off the floor and bashed the nearest 'bot with an aerial kick, hoping to knock it into the others.

[Gail Strafer]

Ji's tactic worked, as the SWATbot shooting accidentally shot one of his allies in the back, knocking him to the floor along with the bot in front of him. However, since it had seen Ji coming, it was able to backpedal a bit and raise an arm to block. Both actions softened the blow of the kick and merely caused the lizard to push it backwards. The bot then responded by using its other arm to make a slow (but heavy) punch at Ji.

Meanwhile, the SWATbot trapped under the floor under it's shot ally pulled a metal tube out of a storage container, before popping the end off of it. A green flare illuminated the inside of the tunnel. Ji's darkness advantage would now be lost as the light bathed the tunnel in bright green.

[Jijeka-Te]

Ji blocked the punch, keeping her frills at just the right angle so it'd launch her into the air. She then circled around back to the other side of the group, knowing the last thing she wanted to do was let them surround her, and went in for another stab with her crook. She ignored the flare's light for the moment.

Anu watched from outside. He glanced around to see if there was anything he could use to assist Ji from a distance.