Dead Space | Galactic Alliance Hex Dominion of Polis Massa

[Sal Katarn]

I arrived in due time.​

To do battle with rhyme.​

Lone soldier against a horde of droids.​

Someone grab me some polaroids.​

​

[member="Saverok"]​

​

I swing through high orbit in a zero G suit, nearing the hostiles who are... somewhere near Skor.​

 

[Darth Assimilus]

Justice I smell it.​

Yea, Though it flows without wrong.​

My head it aches so.​

​

Dredge did a number on me.​

Carry on my wayward sons..​

[member="Raph Thule"]​

 

[H3xle]

Entering Skor Space
FNS Eldari Fist - Vigilance Class Frigate
Mission: Patrol with Galactic Alliance Navy ((Other ships are with it, but I'm not going naval unless someone wants to play that way))
Enemies: [member="Saverok"] [member="dredge"]

Firemane RRS - Dropping in FDS Ptagh

Spoiler

Lieutenant Kalair - Kar'zun
-Armor
-Main Weapon
-Sidearm
-Grenades (2 Frag, 2 Gas)
Sergeant Taira Vanere - Eldorai
-Armor
-Main Weapon
-Sidearm
-Grenades (2 Frag, 2 Gas)
Sergeant Evan Horshy - Near-Human
-Armor
-Main Weapon
-Sidearm
-Grenades (2 Frag, 2 Gas)
Corporal Kaivan - Kar'zun
-Armor
-Main Weapon
-Grenades (2 Frag, 2 Gas)
Corporal Harald Stormcrow - Valkyri
-Armor
-Main Weapon
-Grenades (2 Frag, 2 Gas)
Private Towacca - Wookie
-Armor
-Main Weapon
-Grenades (2 Frag, 2 Gas)

Fire was a good way to announce their arrival, Tomas thought to himself as he finished sealing himself into his power armor. Being Firemane Marines, Fire was often appropriate at all times.

Once he was fully sealed into his armor, he blinked his HUD up and saw his marines come online as their armors were sealed. His sergeants moved around and double checked the enlisted marines while Kalair and Tomas checked eachother. Once everyone was checked and double checked, Tomas sent the affirmative to the dropship pilot. The deck canted visibly despite the inertial dampner, and the outside of the dropship became encased in fire.

"Check your weapons, we drop in 15 seconds." Tomas spoke over the squad channel. Affirmatives came back, and his HUD populated with his squads weapons and armor status. He did a quick check of his own weapons, then slammed a power gauntleted fist into the button beside him. The rear hatch of the drop ship opened, and his marines and he stepped out into fire and air.

They freefell for a few moments, then each of his marines kicked in their jump jets and rode columns of fire to the ground in formation. External audio pickups located several screams coming from up ahead at the bizaar. Tomas and his squad began to move that way, looking for trouble.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Location: Skor
Allies: GA [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Arieth zh'Vranthi"]
Enemies: [member="Saverok"] | [member="Zardavorok"]
Fleet:

Spoiler

Sovereign, Sovereign-class
Watch Tower, Vigilant-class
Devil Eyes, Warden-class
Witch Sight, Ulur'uur-class
Lance, Haran'uliik-class
Spear, Nebula-class

Attack Craft
4 Roche-class Light Corvettes
4 Tegaanalir-class Patrol Ships
5 To Vhin-class Electronic Warfare Starfighters
5 Hecr-class Sentry Starfighters
12 Rekali-class Space Superiority Starfighters
36 Ra'gr-class Superiority Starfighters

The small flotilla of Outback associated vessels reverted back into real space away from the planet around midsystem. "Eyes and ears up, interdiction to the rear of the formation. Scramble attack craft. Put the Watch Tower on monitor mode for communications leaving the system with Devil Eyes and Witch Sight monitoring local hyperspace traffic." Rach situated himself in the chair waiting for the information to begin flowing into his tactical data readout on his right. The woman behind him settled into her battle station which was really just standing there with a railing to hold onto. The meter thick blast shields had already closed over the viewport, changing over into combat mode.

"Contact GA Forces and inform them of our intention to assist." The elder kept his focus and his calm, projecting the air of authority and control over the bridge as the Star Destroyer shifted its position. "Bring Lance and Spear to our port, Watch Tower to starboard. Devil Eyes dorsal, Witch Sight Ventral. Plot long range solutions for Watch Tower and Sovereign on enemy vessels." Forty hypervelocity cannon barrels turned and adjusted as targeting computers brought up firing solutions on the three Horde vessels attacking the planet. Worst case, the Horde wouldn't be fleeing in those ships.

"Commander, hyperwave interceptors and hyperspace monitoring is online. Attack craft in position." Attack craft held defense screen positions around the small fleet.

"Hide mode for everything. I want to leave them guessing about our numbers and exact location. Power up the sensor masks."

 

[Choli Vyn]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Trextan Voidstalker"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"Heh," another half nod and a slight bit of her lip. "Well, the Starfighter Corps do that to you I guess." Choli told him, giving him a brief flash of a waning smile. He was staring at his metal hand again, fingers lightly flexing. There was an inquisitive scowl, followed by a contemplative shift. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]He was strange. Well, maybe not so strange as much as just not quite what Choli typically had to interact with. He wasn't like the Jawas. Nor the Raiders. Certainly not as silly or ridiculous as Janes, Locke, Owen and the rest. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Well, what exactly [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]is[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] the problem?” well, let’s see what he had to say then. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

There was a twitch of the lips at her first statement. “I don't imagine every pilot is quite so determined. They probably teach you to fly, not to be that stubborn and single minded.” His tone was lighter than it had been, his response verging on both a complement to Choli and teasing the Starfighter corps.

“I've just been having occasional trouble with coordination. Sometimes it's fine. Then i go and crush something or drop something I'm not gripping enough.”

He sighed. Choli's blunt retort had been about the best thing for it. “It's a lot easier to blame hardware than admit it's me.”

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]


[SIZE=10pt]“So you’re saying I’m stubborn and single minded?” for a brief moment, Choli gave Trextan an arch of her brow, a half scowl sweeping over her face. One that shifted into half amusement to relay the mock affront.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A shake of her head and the girl brushed her hair back again from her face. “It’s alright, thanks.” she assured him, waving a hand in front of her so as to say it was okay.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“I’d have thought you were giving me a line, but then I realized….” she let the words drift and she was amused once more. “You are likely not trying to get into my pants.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Ah yes, that little bit of crude Rogue humor. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]With them already in hyperspace, they had about fifteen more minutes to go. A glance at his arm and Choli gave a small frown. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Typically is. When does it act up?”[/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

The crude humour caught him off guard. It took him a second to recover. Asmus Janes had been a bad influence. “Well you slip out of them so quickly anyway,” he replied. His expression made it obvious he was still a touch embarrassed by how quickly she had stripped down to to change into scrubs. “Besides,” he said with an arch of both brows, “I've got no high horse to stand on when it comes to being stubborn.”

The casual conversation made it easier to think back on his arm. She was blunt about it, but at least it didn't feel like he was being blamed or examined as if he wasn't even there.

“Probably when I'm stressed,” he admitted with a nod of the head. “Which supports the whole 'in my head’s thing.” He tapped a metallic finger to his temple. His throat tightened up when he looked up to meet her gaze. That had been a rather crude comment. He hadn't made any progress on getting into anyone's pants to date. And now he was trying not to think about that.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]


[SIZE=10pt]If Choli thought that Trextan wasn’t able to give as good as he got, she was quickly surprised. The quip that followed about her slipping out of her pants just as quickly was the sort of comeback that she’d expect from her fellow Rogues. The surprise swept over her face along with the slight raise of her brows in mild respect. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“So, not [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]in [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]my pants, just when I’m already [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]out [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]of them. Got it.” more humor reflected in her eyes, the hue now shifting back to a warmer hazel. Genuine humor, typical glib Rogue, but for anyone not used to it, might seem a bit confusing. Janes, Locke, and all the rest of the Rogues were a rather bad influence when it came to crude humor. If anything, Cholie was well used to seeing a broad spectrum of blatant flirting and terrible lines. For the most part, she had been the designated flyer in those bar hops due to her age; so there was no forgetting exactly how those nights turned out. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Of course, it seemed with the widening of Trextan’s eyes, he wasn’t [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]quite[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] used to that type of humor. Okaaay, reeling it back in. For a moment, she had forgotten her own troubled thoughts amidst the conversation. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Right[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Rising to her feet, she took her hands and swept the bulk of her hair over her right shoulder. Fingers deftly began to separate the mass into three thick ropes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Stressed makes sense.” she took a few steps forward, the dark slash of her brows pushing forward as she went leaning in a bit to look at his shoulder. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“May I?’ she inquired, gesturing to his shoulder and arm with a jut of her chin -- seeing as she was a little busy braiding her hair to keep it out of the way. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

There was a flare of panic in his eyes as she drew herself up. After that line there was a fraction of a second where he thought she was actually about to get out of them again. His expression settled when she started working with her hair.

Without thinking about it he brought his organic hand up to brush his hair back from his own face.

“Erm sure,” he replied. The humour was a nice distraction from events, but it would have become obvious Trextan was somewhat out of his depth in lewd wordplay it it had continued. Back on Coruscant the Sith had been about ritual, routine and discipline. A young girl from one of the mid levels had asked if she could kiss him once and he'd let her, but she'd been sent off to fight the next week before it could even come up in conversation again.

“Can I ask: your eyes, they change colour right?”

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=10pt]Choli had barely finished tying off the end of her braid when Trextan asked her that question. The girl gave a pause, her own eyes mirroring the widening of Trextan’s eyes. They were getting pretty apt at swinging the spot light back and forth. Choli felt a bit of warmth flood her face. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Awkward cough, and the brunette swung the long plait to her back again. That’s when she went crouching down beside Trextan, his cybernetic arm in front of her. She kept her eyes lowered then. They had always been a rather annoying bit that brought attention to her. One of the many reasons why she typically had her aviators on all the time. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Umm,” reaching up without another by your leave -- and hopefully Trextan wouldn’t jump thinking she’d accost him -- Choli brought her hand to encircle his wrist and bring it up. With the lobster pink scrub, she couldn’t quite see how high up the cybernetic set against his arm or shoulder, but she figured she could at least test a few things. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]He had mentioned when he was stressed right?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Yeah, they do.” she admitted, the warmth of her fingers transferring over to his cybernetic arm. Choli had never really seen something as high tech or advanced as the arm Trextan had. Must be nice to have a Marshal for a father. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Rather annoying thing but, that’s what happens with genetics.” she said in an offhand comment, giving a shrug of one shoulder. Turning back to the cybernetic, Choli redirected the conversation. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Well, certainly a high end piece.” she began, adding a low whistle.[/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

“Are you sure?” He asked in amusement. “I'm certain all I learned in genetics was that brown trumped blue.” His eyes flicked up towards her and then returned to his arm.

“Yes, i suppose it is. Guess I was lucky there.” The tone in his voice made it obvious it was still difficult to admit that. One of the nurses on Sullust had told him he was lucky to get such an expensive prosthetic. “Didn't feel very lucky at first. At the time I was rather petulant about it. I just wanted my arm back. I was still coming to terms with it all I think. Still am.”

Trextan reached down with his left hand and pinched the cuff of the scrubs. At first he just tugged them back to the elbow. Realising how loose they were he wrapped his wrist around the arm and slid them all the way up and over his shoulder. Everyone had been telling him how brave his father was whilst he wallowed in self pity. As if by contrast he wasn't. It hadn't even been his fight yet he'd woken up with a large part of him gone forever. The memory if the mad dark Jedis expression as she stood over Jacen ready to kill him would stay forever.

“Made by AEI and out of phrik. Damned sith should have a harder time cutting this one off.” He grinned as he looked up. “I keep wondering: if i lose or put weight on my left arm is this one going to look silly? But then i guess it will never match.”

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=10pt]Hazel eyes went flickering up to meet the blue of Trextan’s own. Humor and bemusement at this distance seemed to color her eyes a lighter shade of malachite, almost flecked with copper and gold. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Then you know more than I do. That’s the reason the Alliance medic gave me when I asked.” Amused, she shook her head and returned her attention to his arm. It certainly didn’t appear natural, that is, not like the standard synthflesh covered ones. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Certainly wasn’t any material Choli had seen before. Curiosity got the better of her, much like any salvage job. Maybe time spent with the Jawa’s rubbed off on the native of Tatooine, prompting her rather unorthodox disregard of personal space and how she proceeded to inspect Trextan’s arm. It wasn’t the observation of a medic, or of a physical therapist, but of a mechanic. Ask her, and honestly she’d likely say they were both one and the same. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“What did you say this was made of again? Phrik?’ Her fingers, bruised and with lingering dried cuts, delicately went surveying over his forearm and wrist. Searching and inspecting. She had no clue that Trextan’s sensitivity to tactile stimulation was just as refined as an organic arm, or that temperature would regulate the power cell throughout the cybernetic. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“It’s warm,” her face contorted into a frown, as if that wasn’t what she expected at all. Again, she had no idea yet that it was [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]supposed[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] to do that. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Maybe it is the cybernetic…” came her murmur, this time her left hand joining the right as she went sliding her hands and fingers up towards his shoulder, searching and inspecting for anything that would prove that so. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Choli had been a mechanic and a tech junkie prior to joining Rogue Squadron. That knack had been developed throughout the years, but her time with Chloe and Jan had allowed her to realize that the Force could very well be used to enhance her senses when working with electronics. Nothing too extraordinary, but it allowed her to pinpoint a few faults here and there when turning a wrench. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]So when her concentration focused on Trextan’s arm, a small increase in temperature along with the growing expression of concentration upon the teenagers oval face would suggest a stirring of the Force. If Trextan was paying attention as his father had attempted to teach him, he would catch it.[/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

He’d smiled as her fingers had reached the shoulder. The delicate touch when she’d moved her fingers over the inside of his elbow made him smile. “That ti…” he started to say. Then he fell silent. Trextan saw the look of concentration on her face, felt her attention move from the physical realm.

Having a stranger inspect his arm like this was strange. It sent a few butterflies through his belly. But he was also curious to see what she had to say about it. He was slightly hesitant about her turning towards the Force. He did not trust easily and Trextan was uncertain what she was doing. Again curiosity just managed to win out and he fell silent. She had so bluntly placed the blame for his issues and he wanted to know of that opinion remained.

Trextan had never been particularly technically minded. Like his father he was bright, but his complicated childhood had damaged his schooling. He’d been combative there instead of paying attention. At least it seemed he’d payed more attention in biology that Choli seemed to have.

The entire shoulder joint had been replaced by the prosthetic The skin was still slightly pink and bruised around the join. At least it looked fairly neat on the surface where skin rounded off and metal began. Beneath the surface he knew it wasn’t quite so simple. Cybernetic enhancements ran into his pecs and back muscles, blurring the line between him and the arm.

There were several questions to answer, but for now he stayed quiet and let her concentrate on whatever she was doing.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

[SIZE=10pt]Well, the additional heightened senses that came with the Force as Choli inspected his arm came with some rather comical expressions from the girl. First there was confusion, then awareness, puzzlement, and finally, “Ohh, well that’s interesting.” She was half muttering to herself, murmuring a few sounds of introspection as she ruminated over what she was discovering. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Choli had expected the arm to be a rather technology advanced cybernetic, but electronic manipulation and the way the Force enhanced her ability to trace the artificial fibers, locate sensors, and, yes, even find some rather interesting additions. The power cell was actually radiating heat, but at a comfortable level, so as to match his body. By and large, made to mimic an organic arm as much as it could.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]By the time she came to where flesh met phrik, her fingertips lightly traced searching circles along the seam. She wasn’t a skilled medic, but she could feel where the artificial muscles and tendons that connected the cybernetic to pectoral muscles and --[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] oh, shoulder too[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Huh[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],” the pilot was a bit at awe as much as driven by more curiosity. She was used to crude cybernetics, and even though there was a slight bit of bruising, this was rather unlike what she’d interacted before. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“They actually have it connecting here [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]too[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]?” More wonder, this time, fingers sliding under his collar bone only to pause as the sleeve would only go so far back. It was incredibly intricate surgery. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She withdrew her hand then, slightly impressed. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

It wasn’t a reaction he’d seen before and that had him enraptured by her response. Everyone else tended to look at him with pity. Or tell him he would learn to live with it in an apologetic tone. She was actually engrossed in working out how the arm worked. It was refreshing.

“Sorry, I went quiet while you were having a good look. So it’s made of phrik, the same stuff they make log boxes on star destroyers out of so they can survive a reactor breach. It’s kept at body temperature. They said because it's so integrated that if I went somewhere cold the metal would transfer all the heat away from my chest which isn’t good.”

With the investigation done he turned his chest towards her and tugged down his sleeve. His arm still tingled where she had been running her hands over it.

“So what do you think?” he grinned, quite obviously keen for her to finish her appraisal.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]


[SIZE=10pt]What do I think? Choli’s lids rose a little higher, their faint slant widening as if the question was putting it lightly. Coming to her feet, she rose, adding,”That if you ever want to make a pretty pile of credits I know a few junkers who would trade a good ship for that.” Her hand gestured to his right arm, the girl turning to plop herself back onto the pilot seat. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Well, if you didn't mind the amount of work it'd take to get it off you. Them artificial nerves and sensors run up right against your own. It's as much a part of you as.. well your arm.” That brought a bit of a twitch to her lips. “Got your standard irritation but it ain't as bad as I've seen with others. Yours seems to be healing-- though I bet it itches like hell now and then.” As all standard wounds do when healing. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]It gave a small creak as she sank into it, not the most comfortable of chairs, but it did its job. “You’ve a heck of a power cell in there. I can’t really tell what sort, not like anything I’ve seen. I thought that maybe the radiating heat meant it was malfunctioning, but if you say it is [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]supposed [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]to do that, I believe it.” Knees spread slightly apart and Choli brought her forearms to rest on top of her thighs. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“I don’t know much about what Phrik is supposed to be, but if you say that it can withstand that much… “ another low whistle. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“They didn’t spare the tech or a dime for your arm then. I haven't seen the standard Wounded Vet program, but I wasn’t expecting to see something like that.” What she said might make it seem as if Trextan likely had some luck with the cybernetic. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“I’m surprised the Jedi Order have the funds for something like that.” Not to mention, she thought to herself, with the other add ons.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A gesture back to his arm. “Especially one with a weapon…and whatever else you have there. I didn’t get that good of a look, but you have something on the wrist.” He also had something along his palm but Choli wasn’t familiar with VT glow technology. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“I'd have to accost you some more to get a closer look.” Another twitch of her lips. Okay, so the crude humor was not [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]completely[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] gone. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Blame Janes. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

“Huh,” his eyes panned from Choli to the arm and back again. He opened and closed both hands together. There was a range of exercises he was supposed to be doing and he’d been lax in completing. It was, if he thought about it, an almost excessive amount to spend on a prosthetic.

There was still a short, sharp flare of anger that everyone had assumed that he would be back into the fight and needed an appropriate prosthetic. It angered him more that Jacen had been correct. He hated it when people drew parallels between them. It was different to have someone appraise it this way. Refreshing. He also wasn’t aware quite how easily influenced he was by the fact that a girl his age was impressed by his arm.

He pursed his lips in amusement and echoed her words from earlier: “I’d have thought that was a line, then I realised you were more interested in getting into my arm than my shirt off.”

He stretched his arm out ahead of himself and tugged up the sleeve again. “I did get it because I saved Jacen’s life on Kaeshana. So in a way I suppose this is an expensive guilt trip arm.” He let out a brief, low chuckle.

“I’m not allowed to play with all the toys yet. Probably for the best for now,” he admitted. She was interested, so he could talk more. “The inside of the wrist is a small terminal.” He tapped on it with his left hand and the screen illuminated. “If we get on a GADF ship it’ll connect to the secure network and hook me up. Rest of the time it’ll run off the holonet.”

He closed his fist and twisted the back of his hand to face him. “This one I’m allowed to try.” He looked around them and mentally measured the space. Then he stood and pushed himself back half a step just to be sure. Balling the fist tight he tried to activate the shield. Nothing happened. To train it someone had to be hooked up and activate the systems through a datapad. He had to learn the particular sensation of each one and teach himself to think of that to activate it. Like having someone bend your leg for you and try to copy. He gave another shake of the arm.

“Never mind,” he said with a slow shake of the head. “It’s quite impressive too.”

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]


[SIZE=10pt]And just like that, Choli shot up onto her feet again. “Here, let me see.” she offered, adding with a subsequent twitch of her lips, “Not the shirt, the arm.” continuing the banter that they were tossing back and forth with. It wasn’t flirting, Choli didn’t really flirt. It was just typical Rogue banter that she’d become used to. You had to be practically trapped in the darkest reaches of the Alliance Carrier to be unaware of Rogue Squadron’s boisterous revelry. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Whether he acquiesced her request or not, the teenager was already moving to encircle his wrist again. Brows shot forward, concentration arose her olive features, and she did her best to get a proper idea on how it might function.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“How they tell you it works?” she inquired, fingers pinching along the wrist and feeling for sections of the phrik arm that may slide back. Her dark head went ducking forward as she attempted to answer that question herself; even if she didn’t know exactly [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]what[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] it was supposed to do.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Here is to hoping she didn’t accidentally get shot. [/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan knew this wasn't flirtatious behaviour, but he was still happy to be receiving the attention. Even if he knew it was actually for the advanced prosthetic that had been his new nemesis not hours ago.

“It's not a toy!” He laughed. She carried on feeling around the arm. “Okay okay, that tickles! I can feel that you know.”

With his organic hand he feigned shooing her away. There was actually a serious matter to attend to. He rotated his wrist so the back of his hand was away from her face.

“Careful,” he said more seriously. “Back of the wrist is a shield generator. You can try and get it on by all means but I'd rather you didn't lose a hand. It makes a disc around this big.” With his left hand he traced a circle with a radius close to the length of his forearm.

“Goodness I bet the deck mechanics love you,” he joked. “Right. There's a sort of tractor/pressor in the hand and a paddle beamer in a compartment in the back of the forearm. Those aren't active yet.”