(OOG: Since we can't rightly delay this by /another/ week just to stay caught up with the Bledavik attack - that would be too unrealistic - we're just going to continue at our own pace until the events are over with, and then start posting with the rest of you.)

Shaina twisted the strap attached to her scanners around her fingers, twirling the goggles around idly as she watched the hulking form of the Yggdrasil in the distance. They'd gotten close enough to it that they might as well have been staring into the whites of their eyes, but...

Either they were extremely lucky, or the stealth devices she'd gotten from Mordon actually /worked/. She was skeptical, and rightfully so, considering some of the field tests she'd run. But it seemed the technology had indeed been perfected, because they were well within the sandcruiser's radar and periscope ranges, and... they were still trekking along unnoticed.

Not only that... but the Yggdrasil seemed paralyzed in the sand. it had been sitting there for hours, with little sign of activity outside, and if it wasn't another resupply - something she was fairly sure it wasn't - then it must be an accident or emergency.

Bad for the Yggdrasil, but good for her.

With an indifferent shrug, Shaina slid a few feet back from the tip of the dune and sludged back to the bottom, eyeing the small, shielded camp -- and her companion -- with no little distaste as she made her way back. She hated the desert, detested extended field missions... and she wasn't very fond of Lambs, either. And that's all her companion was, no way around it.

"Well, see anything of interest? Besides a large sandcruiser that we've been watching for almost an entire day... watching, but not actually DOING anything?" Darius grumped, glaring at Shaina as she walked back down the sand dune. With a disgusted sigh, he leaned back against Weltall's leg, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't see how watching is helping Elanore... after all, she's in the grip of a large number of murderous pirates, waiting to do who knows what to her... and..." He sighed again, shaking his head and looking pointedly at the Element, waiting for an explanation.

Again the indifferent shrug. Shaina had worked hard to achieve the level of calm - or perhaps it was emotional repression? - that allowed her to make that gesture convincing... and it worked admirably on Darius. "They're... definitely silent. But then, I'm sure you already knew that, didn't you...?"

She stopped at the edge of the circle of firelight, remaining cloaked in shadow. "I've given you what reassurances I can, Darius. Considering what records I have on these individuals - and the one I believe saved her, from the excerpts of Clorys's final readouts - I don't think she has been harmed. But if we don't do this right, that could change. You do understand that, don't you? This isn't a game we're playing -- if you can't take it, return to Bledavik and take your chances with Kislev."

Darius grinned at her... a rather unfriendly grin at that. "And if you are wrong... if she HAS been hurt..." He shrugged again, pushing himself away from Weltall's leg. Not even pausing to look at her, he walked up the side of the sand dune, peering down at the sand cruiser.

"Still... we should be able to attack any time now. Just run down there and POW! Knock a hole in the hull, storm the place, and grab Elly." Darius paused for a moment, before turning back to Shaina, an expression of concern crossing his face for a moment.. "We... do know where she is down there, don't we?"

"My point, 'wonder-boy'." Shaina smirked and stepped into the firelight, settling down with her legs folded beneath her - an unusually traditional style, even for her. Gods, she hated working in the field. "If we we pound our way in, we could be cornered and even killed before we ever have a chance to get to Elanore. And /that/ would be a big help to her, wouldn't it?

"We need to try a... quieter tactic, Lamb. And if you're willing to let me modify your gear, I can have us ready and inside that sand cruiser before midnight."

Darius looked at Weltall. And back a Shaina. And back at Weltall. And at Shaina again. And swore.

"Alright, I suppose that it needs to be... but tell me what you are putting on it before hand... And don't you dare touch anything else!"

"That's it," Shaina called down to Darius, nursing a sore hand. Weltall had quite a few securities, apparently... and it seemed to her that she had encountered all of them. She wasn't sure that much electricity was good for any human, and after that many shocks... Well, one false move, and Darius would get worse. Guilt by association... "Just like I promised, Lamb. It won't interfere with your normal operation at all."

After a final check of her work, she slid down the arch of the gear's arm, and jumped from its hand to the sand below. It was a pleasure to be on the ground again; at least she didn't have to worry about the sand trying to use her as a lightning pole. "As long as you follow my direction," she continued, looking over to Darius, "This should work out well enough."

With a half shrug, Darius hopped onto Weltall's crooked arm. "Fine with me, as long as everything goes according to plan. Lets just not mess things up, and get Elly hurt... and we'll save Kyoko as well, if we can help it."

Several button presses later, Weltall's cockpit swung open with a loud hiss. Darius grabbed one of the guide bars, swinging around to land on the edge of his seat.

"So, when do we launch our little raid?"

Shaina arched an eyebrow, extending her hand to the side and making a small gesture. Crescent's eyes flashed to life behind her, and the gear knelt into the sand, with its arm extended much as Weltall's was. "Eager, aren't you?" She turned and stepped into her gear's hand, glancing over her shoulder. "After I prep you on using that drill, we should be ready. Agreed?"

Darius made an airy gesture, sliding back into Weltall's cockpit. "Just point me in the right direction, and away we go. But what do we do if we can't get in there with these drills? Just start tearing off plating till we get inside?"

He smiled slightly at that, dropping down into his seat. With a quick motion, Darius cracked his knuckles as he looked at Shaina's gear on the viewscreen. She was useful... for the moment.

But what if Elly wanted to go back with Shaina... no, she wouldn't do that. He knew that somehow... she wouldn't. He didn't know HOW, but...

"Then we make use of my brand-new pulse cannons. And hope that I don't hit the room Elanore is in by accident." With another trademark shrug, she motioned, and Crescent's hand lifted her to the cockpit. "But of course, she's luckier than that..." Shaina climbed into her gear and pulled the hatch shut, keying on the encrypted channel they'd used to communicate for the last week.

"I'm sending you a program via intralink right now -- install it as soon as you get it, and run a diagnostic check to make sure everything is working right. Assuming it's correct, that laser drill I just installed should work in tandem with Weltall's cloak, and conceal any use of the device until we drill completely through.

"You'll have to anchor your gear to the hull, and go it on foot, obviously... Our cloaking technology will extend beyond their hull and into the ship to enable us to make use of these drills, but after we're finished... we'll be on a timetable. Even our technology can't hide a hull breach for long... they'll notice the jamming before we're more than a few steps from our gears."

Shaina took a deep breath, tallying plans off one by one in her head. None of them were very promising... and they all depended more or less on Darius's stealth skills... "As soon as we're in, stick close to me. Do /not/ do anything on your own, Darius, do you understand? I can't cover you, and one false move will ruin everything."

"Of course, stick by you..." Darius replied, tapping his fingers along one of Weltall's control globes. "Is there anything else you'd like to repeat yet AGAIN, oh great leader?"

"Just making sure you understand the situation, /partner/," she responded, a sardonic twist to her tone. "Lambs are notoriously dim-witted and forgetful. And I can't afford to take a chance on you."

Shaina flipped the comm system to standby and powered Crescent's engines up, bringing the gear to its feet in a rush of sand. The cloak activated automatically, dampening her sensors a bit, but hiding the gear from sight. "Let's get going, Lamb. We might as well take advantage of their downtime while we can."

Without waiting for his response, she launched Crescent into the air, keeping both Weltall and the Yggdrasil within visual range as she rose slowly into the air.

Their window of time wouldn't be very great... despite the wonders this cloaking device was showing her, she was sure the residue of her engines would remain visible on the cruiser's sensors, and... that meant that they would be looking for anything that might cause trouble. Meaning her, and the boy Darius. The night ahead was going to be anything but peaceful and easy.

But that's what she loved, right? Now if only Victoria could be here with her... but she was here to complete a mission, not make useless wishes, right?

"Onward," she whispered, a faint lilt to her tone. "Time to rescue Elanore..."

(Summary: After a little argument and modification of Weltall, Shaina and Darius get off their collective duff and start their mission to save Elanore - finally. ^.^)