MSPNPC Erbil — Hop on by
Yogan Yalu
(( Subterranean tunnels, Provisional Government Complex, Tecra))
Having secured MacKenzie’s invitation to tag along on the planet-hopper escape, Erbil finally unclenched. Although he was fully prepared to follow through with his promise to return up the stairs and face his people, he was glad he didn’t have to. His mind had roiled and raged long enough. Now that things calmed down and he could think clearly, he realized that Dakora was right. Right now, Erbil might be the only member of Da’al’s woefully understaffed diplomatic corps who had a functioning brain. The foreigners, the Starfleet officers who had come to their aid, were in trouble. He hoped he could help them all before it was too late, and perhaps in return, they could solve the outbreak of rage that threatened to consume Tecra.
MacKenzie: It appears that Commander Adea also couldn’t resist whatever it is that’s at work here. We need to regroup with the others and see if they’ve learned anything else that might shed some light on this…
Dakora: He was functioning as the Medical Officer for that team. ::He grimaced.:: So there was no one to dope him up like you did for me...
MacKenzie: How are you both feeling?
Dakora: I think I'm holding up alright. The meds seemed to have dulled the intrusive thoughts enough to ignore them for the moment... I'll let you know if that changes. ::Beat.:: Ahem. If at all possible. I mean.
Erbil took a quick self-inventory. The waves of extreme emotion that buffeted against him upstairs were noticeably more tranquil now.
Erbil: I’m feeling better, too. I think being separated from everyone has helped. It makes the urges and the rage easier to resist. ::beat:: I’m worried about what happens when we leave these tunnels.
The tunnel terminated at a secret landing pad. Erbil was glad to see the vehicles were undisturbed. At least there was one thing this meteor disaster hadn’t destroyed. They approached the planet-hopper.
MacKenzie: Erbil, I assume you know how to fly one of these?
Erbil: I have a basic certification, yes. These hoppers are the primary method of intercity travel for government workers.
MacKenzie: I think our best shot right now is to make for Commander Yalu’s team. Doctor Jones is with them and might have an idea about what’s going on.
Dakora: Agreed. It's our best bet.
MacKenzie consulted her scanning device and got a fix on their crewmates’ location. From what Erbil could make out, they were in a dense quarter of Tecra just beyond the crater’s edge.
MacKenzie: Get in. Erbil, you drive. I’ll navigate. Lieutenant Dakora, you… well, you just try not to rage-kill us along the way.
Erbil: Yes—— ::beat:: Captain.
Erbil climbed into the driver’s seat and strapped himself in. Back in the day, when he was a young up-and-coming bureaucrat, he loved getting to travel for work. The long days, strange boarding houses, and bad convenience food long ago cured him of the desire to planet-hop full time. Thankfully, he remembered how to operate the old, reliable transports like he’d been doing it daily for years.
Dakora: Don't worry Commander, I'm a lover, not a fighter.
MacKenzie: response
The old, clunky planet-hopper fired up on the second try. The engines whirred and the legs extended into position. It wouldn’t be the smoothest ride, but it would get them where they needed to go.
The first hop took them high above Tecra. Erbil looked away from the crater, not wanting to relive the emotional flyover he’d taken earlier that day. However, the undamaged quarters of the city looked just as dire. Dozens of buildings burned with no visible effort made to extinguish them. Mobs of Tecrans filled the narrow streets, destroying everything they got their hands on and smashing whatever else got in their way.
Dakora: Holy strokes... How did this happen?
Erbil: I’m an old man. I’ve seen a lot of things. I’ve never seen anything like this.
MacKenzie: response
The occasional phaser blast streaked up at them from the crowds below. That suggested that armed members of either the Gendarmerie or the local constabulary were part of the fracas. Erbil shook his head in dismay. Could things possibly get worse?
Dakora: So, any idea of how we can get them out of there?
Erbil: They’re sandwiched at the end of an alley, surrounded by taller buildings. If we try to land the hopper, we’ll be swamped by mobs before we can even disembark.
MacKenzie: response
Dakora: The roof is too small to land on, but if you can hold this thing steady enough, we might be able to open the back cargo ramp and touch just that onto the roof.
The idea seemed preposterous, and Erbil whirled around to rebuke the Starfleet officer for proposing something so stupid. A glance at the man’s dark eyes stopped Erbil in his tracks. The tide of rage had started to come in once again. Erbil fought against it. If Dakora could do it, so could he. He spoke through gritted teeth.
Erbil: That sounds awfully dangerous.
MacKenzie: response
Dakora leaned back into his jumpseat behind them and crossed his arms.
Dakora: The featherheads-- The Pilots-- used to do it with infantry landing craft all the time when I was in the Marines. ::He frowned.:: Just you know, try and use a light touch when you plant the ramp on the roof so we don't bring the whole building down...
Erbil: We fly birbs like this to get to conferences. I’ve never used one to rescue people from a rooftop. Hopping isn’t really a “light touch” kind of activity.
MacKenzie: response
As they hopped closer toward the other team’s hidey-hole, Erbil messed with the controls to make the hopper less, well, hoppity.
Erbil: I don’t know if this is going to work. If we hop too hard, we’ll crash through the roof!
MacKenzie / Dakora: response
The crosshairs on the city map got closer and closer. Erbil did his darndest to execute a soft, non-house-crushing, final hop.
Erbil: Here we go!
MacKenzie / Dakora: response
(( OOC: I’ll continue this as Yalu. ))
Tag / TBC
MSPNPC Da’al Erbil
Interim External Relations Minister
Da’al Interim Government
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