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Volana cursed under her breath, extending the last syllable out as she forced air from between her teeth. At the realization that she had been doing so, the Cytherean pilot unclenched her jaw. It had taken her a few moments to snap back to reality, from her vantage point within the [i]Aurora[/i]'s cockpit she had been the first to get a look at the piece of alien technology which they had encountered, though the similarities between it and the machine which she had used to excavate it were not lost on her. Not in the slightest.

It was beautiful, in an eerily haunting way. Like discovering the skeleton to some previously unknown entity. All sleek lines, tapering forms. Impossibly delicate compared to the Orbital which held it aloft, and yet undeniably created with lethal intent.

Almost entranced by the visage, Volana reached out with her flesh and blood hand, the [i]Aurora[/i]'s own mirroring the motion, running it down the length of the armor. Tactile sensors transmitted basic material properties of the sleek metallic coverings, though she paid the stream of information little mind. Her focus shifted, and she wrapped her grip around the slender weapon which hung from the alien mechine's surviving apendage. The weapon, for she assumed it could be nothing but, came free with little effort. Her gaze drifted across the surface of it.

And then she was pulled back to reality.

<<Look alive. Science team, back on the bird. Right now. Pilots I need to know if that was natural or something’s moving out there!>>

Volana tore her gaze away from the corpse of a machine, placing it down next to the hole which she had dug it out from only a few moments before. The battlenet connection was already streaming a visual feed of the approaching cloud of obscuring dust to a small corner of her panoramic view, courtesy of the arial units. She may have been many things, but naïve was not one of them.

<<[color=aquamarine][i]Aurora[/i] purging SRBs, moving to defensive position,[/color]>> On her command, the extra boosters were dropped from the sides and back of the Orbital into the soft sand, significantly freeing movement for the time being. She'd need them later to get off this ball of dust and back to the ship, but for now she had the sinking feeling that she'd be better served without them.

Mobility returned to normal, Volana moved forward towards the front of their assembly of Orbitals, under no illusion as to her role among the team.

<<[color=aquamarine]We are engaging, no? Or perhaps waiting until something ah, bad happens?[/color]>>

The question, while directed at the whole, was more towards command than anyone else.

<<[color=aquamarine]I am no expert, however I would not say that [i]looks[/i] natural...[/color]>>