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Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 2: Of Dire Tides


Xinnidy
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Shell Shock

The first hit to the Riese shook the bridge, having Roxanna flinch and sink into her chair. Wh-why is this happening? The day had started terrible, and now it was just getting worse, the Riese was taking plenty of damage, that Apotheosis unit returned, and now Lieutenant Kim's unit suffered critical damage. Roxanna didn't want to be there anymore. It was just like in that wretched space scouting mission once again.

"Ugh..." Doing nothing again wasn't going to help, the urge to sound a retreat was coming back, but she knew how badly it would reflect on her. "L-Lieutenant Kim, what Jessica said... you should come back, it's doubtful that the Artemis can keep fighting well like this." That little shred of will wasn't keeping her up for very long. Can I really do anything, though?

Roxanna hugged herself for a moment, biting her lip as she looked at the feed. What had she been doing on her role all this time? If I can, at least... She turned on the virtual keyboard, starting a flurry of scans analyzing the enemy unit. They had data on it now, at least. The Riese was overworked, but it could still make some room for her processes...

A pattern, there was... there was something that could be exploited, after all. A lot of the unit's automatic corrections followed a patterns, and while they could change once the AI caught on, that meant the  "Astin, Abigail!" She spoke up, for once in her life, Roxanna actually sounded invested while on duty. "I'm forwarding data to your units. Get your best shots in!"  

Roxanna casts Attune on Astin and Abigail. Go, my lackeys!

Edited by Xinnidy
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"No, no, no..." Talia panicked, witnessing Vera's devastation of the Artemis. It was too much. The base attack, the rejection from the Professor, T-4... the battlefield was too stressful for her. Keeping track of everything, every unit's slightest movement, it was truly overwhelming. So many people had died and all she'd done was watch it happen. She'd be next, and she'd be too far away to be saved by anyone. She really was just a pathetic shut-in, dismissed by everyone as a failure.

"Leave me alone! Stop looking at me like that!" she cried out, forcing the Umbra into the sky. The base guards had run into trouble, she remembered there being one more... but the remains on the ground explained their fate. The enemy grew larger and more menacing as she approached, but there was no turning back now. Reminders of years ago were flowing back into her mind... but she was better than then, right? The Umbra must have been updated, made better for her to use again. All she needed to do was prepare the weaponry. Checking her arsenal, Talia froze.

Almost nothing was loaded. Where were torpedoes? Or the laser? Were then even on-board or could she not even switch them on? She couldn't stop her attack now, she'd already fully committed. It was a disaster, had she doomed herself to fail from the start?

Talia takes flight, moves to 12,5, casts Shield and attacks Esther with the Prism Sword!

-

Bill paused for a moment, something didn't seem right - and it wasn't the oily boot prints he'd just cleared from near the hangar. He knew that the ship was currently in battle, but there was an odd feeling that seemed to come and go with it. He could never quite put his finger on it, but things soon settled. Perhaps he was working too hard, he had been forced to take a day off after all.

"Nah, don't be daft, you silly ocker." Bill laughed, sliding his mop across the floor. The glistening surface brought some peace to his mind. Everyone around him was battling for the safety of the world, the least he could do was make sure their floors weren't too grubby.

Edited by Shin
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This whole affair was becoming increasingly troublesome with the appearance of... well, what Nikolai assumed was another kid in a robot. 

"Is babysitting service for small idiot children now... where do idiot murder babies keep coming from?" he muttered to himself as he thought long and hard about his advanced childrearing technique of just killing the damn things before they got into any trouble. That way, they don't run away or do stupid shit like get stabbed... plus is more quiet.

He grumbled, placing his giant mechanical behemoth in between the two others. Between this whole self-improvement oprah winfrey idea and the pulsating migraine building up thanks to pressure and the ol' Good Idea Express' Build-A-Baby-Soldier kit in his brainmeat, this day was really just not a very good one. He was definitely going to have to scold somebody on his way home.

No one is stabbing children today unless is me. Even then, I am pretty sure is joke, but also maybe good idea.

Nikolai casts Alert, move to (8,19) uses the ol' Impact Gunlance on Hyperion 2 with Sniper Support from Tarquin.

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Distress

Esther's funnels had scored a perfect hit, staggering the unit just enough for Vera to deal a tremendous blow. She would almost be proud, if it weren't for the mind-splitting headache that exertion gave her, on top of Vera's response. Dealt with later... Things just stopped mattering, with how much thinking hurt, right then... Esther had done something wrong and didn't really understand it. This isn't anything like a speedrun...

She had to treat her headache, calling the funnels back and using a stim she had on hand. The pain lasted only a little longer, Esther sighing and leaning back on her seat. How ill-timed everything was. A sensation of danger came closer, manifesting itself in a mobile suit, the one that had escaped Corona Ten. "What--" Oh, that just wasn't a good time to pester Esther, the suit was too close now, and was using a fancy kind of beam saber. I should have paid more attention to my position... Damn overextending. The Metis' movements were a bit sluggish, but slowly picked up as its pilot's headache simmered down. "Hmph!"

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The devotes go out, and the attunes are set! Time for Talia to-- not make a fool of herself!?
 

Quote

Target: Esther
Final Calc: 38,10
Roll: 38,13
LOL
Hit!
No crit!
Final Damage: 37!

Go Talia!

Esther is NOT PLEASED!

Knife!
Final Calc: 100!,65
Roll: 79,2
Hit
Crit!
Shield is on Mel!
Final Damage: 29
Kinda ow!

Here comes DAT BOI and his intrepid little friend!
 

Quote

Target: Hyperion #2
Final Calc: 100!,9
Roll: 15,2
Wow
Hit
Crit!
Final Damage: 60

The HYPE misses because Alert is cool!

Tarquin can't wait to out do his sister!

Final Calc: 100!,24
Roll: 43,52
Hit
No Crit
Final Damage: 54!

Nice combo!
BOY gains +50 EXP, +4 Will!
Tarquin gains +15 EXP, +3 Will!

 

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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The cries and screams from Talia were not exactly what Tarquin had expected, was there something upsetting about the situation? She had just been forced to evacuate Corona Ten, the chances were that the experience was traumatic but the emotionalism behind it baffled him to no end. Nikolai's comments were another thing he'd have to deal with, Tarquin had a lot of explaining to do afterwards. Talia's behaviour seemed erratic, there was no tactical benefit to an attack like that. He probably wouldn't be able to calm her down, he didn't have the social ability for it at all.

"Specialist Eriksson, would you be able to talk to Miss Haley? I feel she may need emotional support, which may be your forte rather than my own." Tarquin asked. If Thorvald was nosy enough to track him down in his room, surely he had a few words for the girl?"

Tarquin snoops Hype #2 with the held of Thorvald's mighty shoulders

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Snippity snoops are the name of the game!

Quote

Target: Hype #2
Final Calc: 100,24
Roll: 29,80
Hit
No Crit
Final Damage: 77
Dad unneeded!
Tarquin does the job by himself!
and gets himself +200 EXP, +11 PP, and +8 will!

 

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Well the small mooks were gone. That at least made Aliza breathe a much needed sigh of relief. However the big mechs were still around. The pilot from before told her not to face them, so now was a good chance to actually get Hicks and move to the ship. "Hey Hicks...we have to move..." She called her team mate. Who still didn't answer. "C'mon, Hicks really? We can't stay!"

Though sadly the man was still not satisfied. Not until Sledge's killer was brought down. So he took his blade and rushed in after her.

"Hicks no please!" She called out again. Yeah he was more or less looking for revenge even at the cost of his life.

Hicks casts Invincible with the last of his SP then he draws his Assault Sword on Esther.

Aliza stood still, weary of attacking Esther and continuing to try to stop Hicks.

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She hit. And she hit good. The sniper round did what it needed to, and by god did it feel great. And as she sat in her cockpit, reveling in the damage she had done, her eyes settled on her comm system. The last time she had tried to communicate to the enemy, she got yelled at by Jess, angry that she would dare to break protocol like that. At least, that's how she remembered it. But, the feeling of pride had overtaken her. She wanted to hear just how angry the Luna Pilot was that she got shot by the same fiery redhead, twice.

"What's the matter?" She said through her comm system, after getting a connection to the Luna. "Can't slice through bullets with your fancy sword? Shame, ain't it..." She chuckled. "You probably don't even remember me, spec of dirt that I am, but let me give you a reminder. That Legionary that shot you back on Colony 1?" She leaned in to the microphone. "That was me. And I got plenty of rounds where that came from!" For someone so self-deprecating, Elaine was certainly prideful when she felt happy with herself. And it blinded her from the reality of the situation. The reality that she had just forgotten about, being bombarded with missiles and leaving her pretty beat up, and the reality that the Luna could split her in two with a single swipe of the sword it carried. But, this good feeling would never last, and Elaine wanted to soak up the feeling as much as she could. I'm not useless. I'm NOT useless! No way in HELL I'm useless!

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To a fair bit of chagrin, the enemy forces did everything in their power to block off any southern access, once again effectively halting Thorvald and company's advance, and keeping them cut off from the rest of the squad. At a time when regrouping and reinforcing seemed especially needed, no less, with Lt. Kim's craft being badly crippled, and many others taking sizable damage. If there was a way he could have kept the boys' attentions from that spectacle, he would have done so, but even mentioning anything would only be counterproductive. The best that could be done was to keep focus forward.

Nikolai at least, seemed not to have noticed, too busy worrying over Tarquin it seemed. That was a relationship Thorvald wasn't sure he could ever really understand, and part of him still didn't trust it, but for as long as it was effective he was content to take advantage of it. The other boy also, it seemed, had other things on his mind, with this T-2 Talia apparently a foremost concern, as he asked the older pilot to try and calm her down, point her on a path to safety of some kind.

What could he say? Thorvald had no real ideal or insight into her circumstance, but he couldn't refuse a heartfelt request like that. He'd have to think of something. After hopefully wrapping up this other Hyperion blocking their advance though.

"I'll pull her up right after this... Puppet was it now?" The new call signs would take some adjustment, that's for sure. "First though, Makoto, if you don't mind following this shot up with more of those missiles, I think that should make all the difference." It was a little disheartening, having to rely so much on assistance from basically children. Soaking up hits for them would only go so far in a war of attrition. Perhaps he'd need to start paying a little more attention to improving his own output...

Thorvald stays put, uses Hyperparticle Bazooka on Hyperion 1 with Shoulder Rocket Pod Support from Makoto.

 


 

First the lieutenant had offered to come back her up, and now here's Brant? Just what was going on... Wait, since Seung-Min got tied up dealing with Vera, she must have just delegated that task, that explains things pretty well. And at least she had the presence of mind not to send the tin can. Trying to make sense of things, Abigail still couldn't help but be surprised that a plane would fly up to practically the frontlines, just to give her a little patch-up. Not that she didn't appreciate it, she'd taken a lump or two that might've made things difficult in the long run, but... that flyboy was bound to get himself killed like that. Abby'd seen it happen before too many times already. She was about to open comms and yell something to that effect at him when the enemy esper sent her weaponry zinging past. All her energies now being diverted back to combat, Abigail's interteam remarks were postponed, perhaps indefinitely. However, it seemed the target was not herself, who'd been helping the fresh meat make mincemeat of said enemy's escort, but instead Lieutenant Kim, who reeled under the back-to-back assault of the enemy's aces. Just watching was enough to make her wince.

She was going to have to do something. It pained Abby to consider leaving the rookie defense squad alone, but since the enemy clearly wasn't focusing on them any more, it should work out alright, shouldn't it? And she certainly owed Vera, didn't she? Wrestling with her choices, the toaster's foolish engagement was just another footnote, the scales had already been firmly leaning one direction, so another addition to the pile hadn't really been necessary. Abigail was reaching for the controls to her comms systems when a surprise transmission from the bridge came through. The XO, a firm opponent of Jess's in the meeting over her freedom, was now forwarding her schematics and battle data. Presumably she was a last resort, and given how the robot's attempts had ended sending Brant had been ruled out. Was she being trusted, or just expendable? Doyle's inclusion as well just muddied the waters. Fuck it, just take the data and be thankful, no need for all this second guessing.

"T-Transmission received..." Abby replied, feeling a bit of a frog in her throat. She'd have to keep things short, make sure she didn't break down from swirling emotions. "Going dark to minimize distraction, leaving vitals up for Megumi. Godspeed, Doyle."

Then, after one more confirmation the data had come through completely, she pulled the plug on all incoming and outgoing voice and video. If this fight with Vera went badly, Abigail just knew she'd fall apart. To not only have lost everything, but to be powerless to make the difference she needed to, even when given an opportunity on a silver platter... how would anyone be able to live with that? And if things went well? Could she trust herself in that situation either? She didn't want anyone looking in on her, period. Not now. This way should could scream, and cry, and shout, and rage as much as she wanted--as much as she needed, whatever ended up happening. With no-one to judge her for it.

Whirring the servomotors in the Crescent Moon's legs to life, she opened the floodgates of her heart. Roaring out, tears streaming down her face, she became an instrument of revenge. "Bet you never expected this, bitch! Doubt this was part of your master plan! So help me, you'll not survive to fuck over anyone else... Raaaaaaahhh!!!"

Abigail casts Valor and Alert; moves to 12,9; and uses Titanium Sword on the Luna

Edited by Balcerzak
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Bruised ribs, electrical burns, with a concussion standing in for the usual cherry. ... and the lieutenant still wanted to stick around to provide support? It was understandable, but with Christina unconscious there were too many unknowns. Yes, she would have received less from the savage beating, but she could likely endure less. She might actually be in worse shape than Seung-Min, and if her passing out on the spot wasn't clue enough, then ... "Both your vitals are mostly stable for now, but I have no way to tell if Troy's condition will deteriorate. You need to get back to the ship sooner, not later."

Knowing the lieutenant probably had another excuse loaded and ready, Megumi took a moment to call down to the infirmary. Even if the Artemis stayed on the field a while longer, it was important to make sure the infirmary was ready to receive them both. "This is Doctor Amparo, we've got injured. I'm forwarding the initial report." Said report made note of Kim's assessment. "Get a stretcher and any other needed equipment ready and remain on standby." Depending on how bad things were when the Artemis landed, they might need to come get Troy rather than wait around. As long as her minions were ready for either eventuality, so be it.


Firmia could only watch in stupefaction as the Reign showed her the Mantle's exchange with the Luna from the former's point of view. It was daunting, even without directly experiencing the force of the maneuvers. The clash was intense, but ended quickly when the Mantle received a hefty counter and nearly lost an arm. That would have been better than losing a leg, given how the flight mode of these types of units were balanced, but it was still bad, an difficult to repair quickly. The young Alkaev just didn't fathom the android's proclivity for close quarters combat. The Mantle was a dedicated long range unit, not a brawler. Maybe Hannah herself was better suited to that style of combat, but it didn't mean she couldn't switch to a different role as needed, right?

Then again, this android wasn't very android like to begin with ... "First of all, what in the hell was that?! Don't just charge in like you're in a duel! I said to keep your distance!" It also might have helped if she hadn't called out her opponent during the attack and tipped the woman off, but Firmia had enough critique to juggle. "What exactly in your programming gets you so riled up that you have to rush over and smack the enemy instead of just staying at range?"

The real question was mixed in there: what exactly in her programming got her so riled up? Your typical AIs never got scared or angry, and simply kept on attacking until they fulfilled their objective or were destroyed. One could argue that Hannah's objective was to destroy Vera, and she was going about that as best she could, but the Mantle was not the mobile suit for those shenanigans. Firmia might have to consult with the AI enthusiast himself at some point, but Brant's overly positive view of Hannah's development might be too difficult to glean anything useful from. Hannah's development, independent of anything else, was all well and good, but Firmia's hopes for an advanced combat program for her own project would be in question if the android was gradually becoming more human, but also less efficient over time. Maybe Brant could help her whittle the initial program infrastructure down to the gems, but it would only be worth it if using Hannah as a template was better than just creating something from the ground up. Right now Firmia just couldn't tell one way or the other. She needed more data ...

"Ugh, my poor Mantle ..." Firmia groaned. More data for the project meant more 'Hannahnigans.'

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Makoto, Warrior of Steel

"Huuh!" Goodness, it was a good thing Thorvald was there, the volley of attacks was a complicated thing to duck and dodge from --beams were scary! Still, having survived a blow once, Makoto took things much better this time, raising the riot shield to take a good brunt of the blow. Thank goodness that thing had a spare...

"Right! Thorvald, let's go!" It was his time, even if the enemies further south were an issue, as long as he could show the others his prowess, that he could be of help as well! "正義の力を喰らえ!当たれ!!" He was giving it all he had!

Makoto casts invincible, does a FULL DISCHARGE on Hyperion #1!

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Hicks continues being a brave soldier!

Quote

Final Calc: 50,9
Roll: 7,58
Hit
No Crit
Final Damage: 28

Esther counters and the damage she does is so miniscule, Hicks laaaaaaaaughs!

Nice will score bud.

Lucky

"I would suggest, for your own sake, that you hold off on the big talk, Elaine." Why was Louise at all interested in this sort of person? Was it because she'd make a good gofer, to order around? Probably... She seemed so sure of herself with one shot... It wasn't about the battle, it was about the war. Though, at this rate...

Thorvald takes aim at the Hyperions remaining, they're hurting!

Quote

Final Calc: 83,8
Roll: 17,21
Hit
No Crit
Final Damage: 58

The Hyperion counters, starting to get worried!
Final Calc: 100!,7
Roll: 12,30
Hit
No Crit
Final Damage: 34

Makoto comes in for more support!
Final Calc: 90,17
Roll: 50,5
Hit
Crit!
Final Damage: 82

So close!

Thorvald gains +40 EXP, +4 Will!
Makoto gains +25 EXP, +2 Will!

Pushed To The Limit

Between taking on the android, Kim, Elaine's annoyance, and her worries over Esther... The next mech was too much to pay attention to. Even a combat genius could get overwhelmed, and the sight of an allied mech... No, it was different! Even as her machine's evasion systems turned on, she didn't have time to dodge the incoming strike, the large sword tearing its way across the Luna's chest and carving out a heavy gash in its armor. Vera tried to swing back, but with everything happening, she was too off balance to deal with a proper counter, sword swing just wide of the enemy machine's shoulder plating. "Dammit...!" The Luna was taking too much damage to deal with this any further. Even if the ANF couldn't keep this up, could she? Maybe I should've taken those full body upgrades... As much as I want to remain as human as I can, this... This is...

Her lungs were heavy, her heart was pounding. It was a strain she thought she'd be able to handle... "I guess this is as far as one pilot can go, huh? ... For Helena's plans, I'll have to make some more sacrifices."

Quote

Final calc: 100!,N/A
Hit
No Crit
Final Damage: 119

Vera misses!

Abby gains +190 EXP, +2 Will!

Also Makoto did an explosive thing (11,6 jesus) and ruined Hyperion #1

Many much EXP and PP (300 and 11)

 

Back on The Bridge

The translation was coming in, and Jess wasn't happy about any of it! "You get your butt back on this ship this instant, Lieutenant! I'm not risking your lives just because there's a maybe on the field!"

The medbay was radioed, and Olivia echoed back with a "roger," hurrying herself off to get a stretcher with Val, and get it down to the hangar without a moment's notice.

"Do you hear me!? This is an order! Get back on the ship!"

Reasoning

"I..." Firmia was understandably upset, Hannah starting to cool off as others took over the fight with Vera. "I... I just, didn't want to see the Lieutenant, or anyone else die. I... I'm sorry. I was a part of the defense force when Vera attacked the colony. I was in a different state at the time, but I still have the records of the attack. I cannot forgive her for her wanton destruction... I did not mean to damage your machine in my vendetta. I only hope that the data from my clash will provide useful." That was the only positive that she could take away from such a silly decision.

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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"<Understood, Captain, Doctor. The Luna appears to be pinned down and the shock to the Artemis' systems has subsided. Returning to the Heion Riese at once.>" Kim replied over the comms, as the thrusters on the Artemis came back to life, lifting off with it's one good leg and soaring into the sky, the movement causing Kim to lurch, holding back the bile in her throat. Seems the flight stabilizers were also damaged... not severely enough to stop her from returning to the ship, but enough to make the ride uncomfortable. It only took a few moments for the Artemis to fly into the hangar, landing unceremoniously, the damaged leg unable to maintain a regular standing position, causing the machine to fall to a knee.

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The call to the medbay was anything but good. Any time they were put on alert was bad, but being told to be ready with a stretcher... Chasing after Olivia, Val made sure to grab a go bag that she had put together in the spare time they'd had with their lack of patients. It held the essentials and would help them do their best in preventing any emergencies from turning into tragedies. "I'm right behind you Olivia. I... We can do this. Let's go." She knew it was redundant telling the other girl to go, but it helped her somehow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The battle had shifted so suddenly, Astin could barely register it at first. The shock of Kim being so easily handled had left them stunned for a second, before Juria’s words and Hannah’s attack knocked some sense back into them. “Ri--right. Ok Juria. We’ve got this, right?”

Before she could respond, Elaine had let off some distracting fire, the XO had sent information on the robot, and Abby had… wished them luck and charged in herself. Despite the fact that she’d escaped unscathed, Astin couldn’t help but… worry? That wasn’t right. Ugh… Don’t focus on it.

Flipping open a line to their side as well as the Luna, Astin gritted their teeth and spat out, “Right, that’s enough. It’s time to end this.” Hope your modifications can handle this Avery… Sword drawn, and other arm drawn in front of the body like a shield, ready to block as much of that electric sword as it could, Astin charged forward, sword aiming straight for the arm of the mech holding the dangerous katana. Disable the weapon, then deal with the rest.

Astin casts Gain and Shield, move to 12-10, proto hybrid sword Vera

 

“Time to end this?” Whose… Whose voice… It was too much to pay attention to, without faces to attach to all these lines coming in at her, she didn’t know everyone attacking. The sword managed to tip her off, as Astin’s blow came in, swords clashing and sparking, the Luna trying to hold the charging Ceres back in one final stand.

“Astin Doyle, right? You think you’re a better swordsman than I am!? Then prove it!” Blowing the last of the Luna’s engines forward, they knocked the Ceres off its guard, preparing to counter as the sword began to glow a brilliant blue.

 

The response from Vera wasn’t expected, but Astin couldn’t help the small smile that crossed their lips. Chuckling slightly, they focused in on the attack as they called back, “No… No I don’t. I know I’m not actually. But I don’t need to be. I just need to hold you back a bit longer…”

The blow was coming in, and they weren’t going to be able to dodge it. There was only one option… “I’m sorry Juria… Hold on, ok?” Taking a step back as the Luna pushed in, they brought their sword up to bear, doing their best to just deflect the blade headed towards their cockpit. Just deflect it enough that you can counter when she’s distracted… Just a bit. You can’t let her kill you. You promised…

 

“Your sword isn’t going to hold! ASTIN!” Vera’s katana hit Astin’s protoblade with a hefty crackle of energy, but as fantastic as the green robot’s sword was, even Vera’s katana couldn’t be stopped, slowly starting to cut its way through the wide block. “It’s over!”

 

The katana slammed into their sword, forcing their robot back a half step as the block started to crumble. “Ha… Yes… IT IS OVER!” Their sword was rapidly being cut in half, but there, for a few long seconds, it stopped. Risking everything, Astin stopped steadying the blade with the robot’s other arm, instead bring it up and around. The large weaponized fist quickly closed around the Luna’s hand holding the katana in place. “I may not be a better swordsman. But I’ll claim this victory.”

The fist constricted, crushing the Luna’s hand around the hilt of the sword, and Astin yanked their sword back, glowing katana still stuck halfway in it. Pulling their fist back, bits of the Luna dropping to the ground around them, they started to swing. “Now run. Run or die.”

 

Had she really not considered the machination on the Ceres’ other arm? It was so painfully obnoxious, but she was so focused on Astin’s deadly sword… Vera cringed as the Luna’s hand was shattered in an instant, the giant fist making quick work of it, adamantium or not. Vera had to eject the hand, lest she risk losing the entire arm, hilt going with it. The katana’s blade melted and collapsed in an instant, liquid metal falling to the ground motionless.

“That’s all I have left, then… What a mistake.” She had no witty comeback, no snappy response, no cutting insult. “All forces, warp to the Chaldene, and proceed to evacuate. We have more than what we came here for.” In the blink of an eye, the Luna disappeared, leaving Astin alone on the field, facing nothing but air.

 

“Ha… We survived Juria. Time to make sure everyone else is ok.” Kim had managed to make it back to the Reise, and the enemies were disappearing back to their own battleship presumably. Strangely, the first one that popped into their mind after Kim… Opening a private channel, they called out, hoping that with the enemies disappearing she would have her channels open again, “Casson… Abigail. Are you ok?” Others had been injured and even though Abigail had dodged, still… “That was extremely dangerous. But… Well done.” That sword was incredibly dangerous. And strange… I need to make sure our scavenging crews get it. It will be useful moving forward.

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All of the Apotheosis forces slowly followed suit, quickly disappearing one by one after Vera. The Chaldene was the last to go, disappearing much slower than its MS sized allies... But within a minute, the battlefield had become entirely calm. All the remained was the damage done.

Battle Mastery obtained! All pilots gain +10 PP! Map over! Everyone is free to post!

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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Might of Right

Makoto had done it, gunning down the Hyperion to shreds with a major part of the Phalanx's reserve ammunition. There was nowhere for the bigger mech to escape once the missiles and gunfire had started raining --a veritable show for a unit as relatively simple as a guard trooper. Model 21 is amazing... It felt good, to be able to do something for his allies in his own right. Something he knew how to maneuver. The Hyperion had as many holes as Swiss cheese by the end of it, unable to retaliate in any form as it imploded in the same fashion these units seemed to.

Shortly after, it seemed that the enemy group had sounded a retreat, using mysterious technology to warp through space as they did so. Whoa... So that was the level of power the enemy had... truly a wonder they hadn't attacked earlier, but now Makoto understood why their movements seemed so omnipresent. It must be way easier to mobilize an army like that, even with numbers not on their side. I hope we can deal with that.

"Ah... is everybody okay? They retreated!" Makoto snapped back to the current situation, checking the surroundings warily with the Phalanx's main camera. "So... that... was that all of them? Are we okay? Did I live-- YES, I'm alive!!" He fistpumped, hidden by the privacy of the Phalanx's cockpit. All things considered, the tiny bot was barely dented. At least considered to last time it was on the field. That probably had to do with the heavier frame and Makoto's careful, 'follow the leader' fighting style. All for the sake of returning sake after his first... second combat. Thank goodness... mom would have my head for dying. Sighing and feeling himself melt away on the cramped seat, Makoto considered his next option... what did he need to --oh yeah!!!!

"So, uh, Tarquin." He spoke up, "We were really worried about you, uh, I'm glad you're okay... What is up with this place, anyways? Did you know Apotheosis was coming?"

Competence

Astin and Abigail had done it, and Roxanna kind of took part in it. For once, she almost felt proud. "...Good." She didn't want to think too hard on it, or on her past, right now. The best she could do was slump on her seat, and hope things would sort themselves out. "... send out the ground crew, call in the pilots. Damage report." She listed the items absentmindedly, working a few notes in the virtual screen hovering over her control desk.

Edited by Xinnidy
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"Ah...they're all gone..." Huffed out the Italian pilot. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. Her first serious battle and she came out smelling like roses...well actually no. She's currently smelling like BBQ chips, sweat and intense regret. Expected to be honest. They lost a good man, but at the very least one other survived. Speaking of... "Mm...Hicks should be calm by now...Hicks?" She hailed him.

"...." Hicks in the other machine took some huffs himself. The adrenaline sure pumped him up as he was able to keep up with the fight well enough. However that adrenaline had suddenly left him, and was replaced by exhaustion. His machine suddenly slumped over a bit as he passed out.

"!" Aliza noticed this and rushed over to him in her own machine. "Hicks!" She called out. "Crap crap..." She tried to call the ship again. "H.hey! This is Aliza here! My partner just passed out, can I get a hand?"

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"Time to go see what the damage is," Megumi said, standing from the console as it began its shutdown. "I'm no expert on battle performance in war theaters like this," she continued, glancing at Jessica, "but this was a good battle, in my opinion, Captain. Quick, and as yet no casualties. Even if Apotheosis got whatever they were after, we still did a considerable amount of damage."


Normally you'd have to debug a program to figure out what was going on in its processes. The advantage with Hannah then, was that she could just come out and explain herself. Firmia, despite her irritation, appreciated that. What she didn't appreciate were ill timed grudge matches. She herself had a bone to pick with Apotheosis, but she knew there was a time and a place for specific actions. It was difficult to judge in the moment, so overall ... Firmia decided it was best to live and learn. Maybe the data would prove useful. After the Mantle was repaired, she was going to have to look into some new equipment that would help Hannah perform better with the unit. Melee options, yes, but also defensive equipment. Hell, a frame might be easier to work out given the frequency of their battles.

"We'll talk about this Vera priority of yours," Firmia rubbed her temples, "once you're back on the ship. The Mantle's still functioning just fine though, so I've got a job for you while you're still out there." She would have gotten Brant to handle this, but he seemed preoccupied ...


Hot damn that was a vicious lock break! The Luna actually lost its hand and its blade. It would have been nice if Brant had been able to follow that up with a sniping attack like Firmia had instructed, but Vera wasn't stupid enough to stick around with the Luna in that condition. She and the rest of Apotheosis faded like ghosts ... heavily battered, extremely embarrassed ghosts. Sadly, they'd probably gotten what they came for if it was another egghead. "Well, we tried," he murmured, surveying the battlefield for a moment.

"H-hey! This is Aliza here! My partner just passed out, can I get a hand?"

... hell, what else did he have to do out here? Brant steered the Regalia toward the two Legionaries and transformed just in time to land. "Oni-One here," Brant introduced himself. "You're Aliza?" If the other pilot was unconscious, there weren't a whole lot of options. "I'll help you out. What do you want to do, move his unit onto our ship, or get him out of there, first?" Brant didn't have a strong preference either way; the Regalia could carry another mobile suit in flight mode, but only with some limiters switched off and some very good piloting. It might be better to leave the Velite for the salvage teams and just get the pilot aboard and into the infirmary.

Edited by Phoenix
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A Good Fight

"Oh... Thank you, Doctor. Maybe... I would've liked for Kim to be fine, but... As long as she's alive." That was a scary thought, wasn't it? As long as she was a live. She'd really been close to death, hadn't she...? Jess shook her head and tried to jostle the worries out as their helpers called in again. She'd been about to respond, but seeing the Regalia moving in to assist calmed her concern. "Lieutenant Abrams will help you, Aliza. If your Mark IV is still functional, please use the thrusters and get onto the ship. The Regalia-- the Lieutenant's robot, can probably lift your friend's on as well. Once you're inside, we can talk more. I'll be down there in a moment." Jess sighed, stretching as she stood. "A good battle, huh..."

"XO," she started, looking over at Roxanna. "Good work with assisting the pilots. You're in charge until I get back... Everyone else, at ease. This fight's over." A collective sigh left the Riese's bridge. Even the ship hadn't escaped unscathed this time. Were the fights just going to get worse from now on?

Jess tried not to focus on it and headed herself into the elevator after Megumi. She had some new people to see, a lieutenant to check on, one japanese teenager to scold... And a woman to console-- Oh, shoot!

"Kim!" She'd forgotten her most important orders! Two presses on her wrist and she was relaying them. "Do not leave the Artemis! I don't know how well off you are, but you got shocked. I don't want to take any chances with you on the machine's lift. We'll send someone up to get you." Phew. Hopefully that was good enough.

Piece of Work

Avery was the first on the scene as the Artemis came in, jumping back when the leg collapsed down. "Jesus, Kim... Th'fuck'd she do to ya?" Remotely opening up the Artemis and calling the lift down, she got set on getting up in there, riding it up and pausing at the entrance. "Kim? How bad off are ya? An' Christina too? Can't imagine y'all feelin' any good..." She took a gentle step inside, waiting for the lieutenant to comment before doing anything else.

Buck, meanwhile, was compiling lists. Lists of what needed repaired, what needed picked up, and what needed changed. He wasn't exactly big enough to go about helping the pilots out of their robots, anyway. He'd leave that to Avery. And the other pilots, y'know, the ones that didn't get gosh darn electrofried. He was still in awe of that sword... That's why it was priority number one on his list of materials to retrieve. He'd been watching-- of course, he'd been watching! His Crescent Moon was seeing its first fight, and damn did it perform~ If Abby wasn't pleased with it, then fie on her. She just had no taste. But! What he was concerned with the most was that last engage. He didn't get the full view from the ship; binoculars only went so far... He did, definitely see the Luna lose its sword, though. And that! That was tech worth recovering.

A Job

"I do not know if I would classify it as a priority, I... I did not wish to see the Lieutenant die. That is all... Perhaps I do have a 'grudge' mixed in with my records, though I do not quite know how to fix something like that. I hope that we do not encounter Vera until I am more suitably... Discovered." That was a word for it, with how much self reflection she was doing. Even now, Firmia telling her she had something to do, she was wondering why her programming had gone that way. Were her processors just passively downloading scripts when she wasn't aware? Giving her ways to act more human? She didn't know, and checking her subroutines, there was nothing actively suspicious present. "Perhaps it's a registry bug... Or I do not have permission to view anything that could be causing these interactions." How real were they, then?

Talking to herself done with-- for now, she focused on what Firmia wished for her to do... What did she want, exactly? "Please relay your orders."

On Scene

"Yeah... Sure." Olivia had to stuff her thoughts away for now. They had actually injured pilots to take care of. The hangar was coming up, anyway... If she wanted to talk to Val, it could be done later. The one with the knee down, that was their target, right? One of the mechanics had just gone up and into it. "Over there." Dragging the stretcher over, she didn't want to call up and surprise anyone standing in a robot's entrance without a harness. That was a recipe for disaster. They could wait until people started coming down.

Business at Its Finest

 

A quiet day in the office was likely what Professor Liebenwalde was looking for. His most important project was continuing to return amazing results, the base hadn't been targeted for some reason, and the ANF wasn't calling to hound him over his experiments. What could make such a day better?

Nothing. Things could only make it worse, as his phone rang, the tone quite unlike any normal incoming call.

Stefan sat back in his chair, placing a pile of sheets on top of his desk. The last few days had proved superb, the flight data that his beloved T4, Tarquin, had provided was beyond expectations. To think, he'd been in live missions for less than a week, and he was already more talented than some of the ANF's finest. A perfect accuracy rating, twelve kills across five missions, minimal exposure to damage, all at the age of fourteen. The investment was far shorter than a regular soldier, but there was still far more refinement for the process. It was a step up from T2, but that wasn't saying a huge amount - at least she existed as spare parts.

He turned his head to his phone, pondering who could possibly be calling him. The ANF's ethics committee getting cold feet? A dodgy general wanting a few soldiers in a couple of years time? He certainly wasn't expecting any business calls, and the phone was reserved for important calls. Most confusing of all, the number was unknown - something that shouldn't be possible. Lifting the receiver, he cautiously put it to his ear, unsure what to expect.

"Professor Stefan Liebenwalde speaking from Corona Ten." Stefan answered, more intrigued by his contact than concerned. "I'm rather intrigued by how you managed to contact me, this is an internal secure line... but I have to commend the effort."

"Guten Abend, Professor. Are you in the mood to talk? My name is Vera." A calm voice greeted the professor, with less than calm intentions. "I'm second Lieutenant to the Apotheosis forces currently sweeping across the ANF's allied states. This call is a courtesy, as I am offering you the option of surrendering your research and materials, rather than be killed, and have it taken anyway. I'll give you a moment to think it over, but don't keep me waiting. The last time I dealt with doctors I ended up shot, so... Forgive me if my patience is a bit thin."

It had only been a matter of time before his lab was assaulted. Perhaps he was lucky that it was Vera leading the charge. Louise, Helena; other more pragmatic officers wouldn't be giving him the chance to give up.

"Sehr gut, Fräulein. I've been following your group's actions closely, Colony One was perhaps my favourite out of your mischief. With so many bases and facilities falling, I was expecting a visit in the near future. A call in advance is very polite of you." he replied, smirking as he spoke. Apotheosis seemed to want domination at all costs, and for the most part, they were achieving it. From the data he'd seen, they have some impressive machines, and that meant access to some potent technology.

"However, my research may be difficult for your wonderful colleagues to interpret. There's research that most people in my field haven't even heard of. It may take you a couple of years to replicate any of my work." he continued, idly spying his papers on the table. "However, with the right aid and guidance, you could have something functional within perhaps a year, if not months... that is if you were interested."

If they were interested. Vera quickly remembered the last time she'd dealt with armed guards, and as fun as her fight had been with the colony's android, the prospect of being shot did not excite her. With the Riese still active, despite all attempts, if they attacked this facility, it was likely to show up. And if she was to be collecting anyone in person, there was always the chance of... She smirked. Getting scared of a small wound like that was so unlike her. More so, she was afraid of the Riese's potential. Their group had already shown that Apotheosis' grunt forces meant little to nothing, and even their more advanced suits couldn't stand alone.

She sighed. "It is my duty to say that I am, but if this is some silly ploy at a trap, I'm leveling your entire facility. Tell me what you have in mind, Professor."

He'd piqued her interest, but Vera seemed skeptical of the matter. It was almost funny, a single scientist had managed to bargain with a major terrorist organisation. It wasn't as if he were dissatisfied with the ANF, but he had grown bored of the restrictive regulations in recent years - it was getting progressively more tedious to deal with their protocol. Endless drafts and revisions of proposals, why could they not see how great his work was as a whole? The finer details were unimportant and due to change regardless, the sooner a project began, the sooner it could produce results."

"What if I were to say that there were only eighty seven armed guards and one mechanoid pilot on the site? The ANF haven't expected strikes deep within their territory, forces have bee diverted to other territories, leaving us delightfully defenseless, no? Especially if a certain professor were to disable our distress signal to the ANF headquarters." he replied, wondering how best to tempt her further. "I've been looking for a change in employment, and I believe your organisation has a lot to offer someone with my talents. Are you aware of a battleship called the Heion Riese? I believe that it's removed a good number of your men. I've received some wonderful flight data from one of my creations' units, I believe he's taken a dozen of your own."

The armed guards were annoying, but ultimately not a problem. "As long as none of them are androids. I'm only human." One mecha pilot, though? Well, it was a research facility... "What are your terms, then?" Of course, before he could get to those, he brought the Riese back up. She bit back a sigh. It was true that the ship was a terrible thorn in their side, and that she didn't know if she could bring it down, if it came to that. But... If one of the Professor's creations was riding in it, bringing him in would only make their lives easier. Between him and Doctor Watanabe, their waning science division would spring back to life.

She finally managed a smile, nodding. "Your terms, then." With renewed confidence, she spoke up. "Because you've interested me now, Professor. Whether or not I agree to those terms, I'll be coming after you. Please tune into your surveillance if you'd like to see what I can do to eighty seven guards." Excited, that's what she was feeling now. Getting back into the field after all of that time recovering from her colony encounter.

"Wunderbar, I'm glad to see that you and your group value science so dearly." Stefan replied, content with how things were going. If he could carry out his work without any sort of restrictions... just the thought of it excited him. Apotheosis appeared to have no limits when they came to their conquest, it was likely they'd accept anything he could offer to help them realise their goals. "I don't ask for much, Fräulein. All I ask is for freedom to carry out my research without such stiff supervision. The ANF have been reluctant to approve a few of my projects, ones which could change the face of warfare forever. All I require now is a couple of minutes to download my work, another few to disable the distress signal. What time should I expect you to pick me up? I would hate to miss your performance." 

"We value the advancement of humanity. Whatever the cost may be, the world cannot stall like it has been. Whether or not we lose this war, humans will progress. I'm sure you feel the same way, if what you're saying is true. And you'll have ample... Materials. To play at whatever your science project is. Just keep it away from the initiates, they scare more easily."

A couple minutes to download his work? It didn't sound like he had a lot. "We'll be there within an hour. Take care to be ready. And... I will be knocking you unconscious, as we leave. Pardon the procedure, you're still an outside source. We can't have you knowing where our base is located. I hope that's fine with you-- I'll be there either way. Take care, herr Professor." Vera's voice quietly cut out, as silence returned to the professor's office. Whether or not he was ready for it, he was about to become quite the asset.

"See you soon." he replied, putting down the receiver shortly after Vera cut out. Her demands seemed reasonable, an uncomfortable ride was more than worth the prospects of unrestricted research. It would be a shame to destroy such a wonderful research facility and kill a few other less brilliant minds, but it was a stepping stone for his own work. Getting used to a new office would take time, but it wasn't as if he'd miss anyone in particular. If the timing was better, he may have been able to bring Tarquin along with him. He'd have to keep an eye out for the boy, there was no doubt that the Heion Riese would continue to be a thorn in Apotheosis' side.

All that was left was to gather his work, and ensure that Corona Ten had no way of asking for assistance.

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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The buzz around the hangar began soon after the Artemis had touched down, various people moving around, a couple twinges of shock or surprise... another transmission from the Captain came through, ordering her to stay put and allow the crew to get them out of there. Well, that much was obvious, really.

"Understood, Captain." Kim replied, finally having had enough time to return to English. The hangar was unlikely to have translators at the ready anyway. It only took a few moments for Avery to open the Artemis and come up to the entrance of the cockpit, just as Kim had managed to get her belt off and lay back into the seat. She must have been a sight to see, her front coated in bile and blood, suit and hair both singed in places from the electricity... not as bad as her last injury, she supposed.

"Oh, Avery. Am... not okay, but could worse. Christina unconscious, can't get back to seat unbuckle... get her to infirmary first." Kim replied to the mechanic, vision starting to blur and haze further. With her adrenaline fading, she might pass out soon, but she knew for the most part the extent of her injuries, while Christina's were unknown.

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It was concerning to Elaine that the pilot of the Luna had been so familiar with her own name, and it was worrying to think that there might be more that she knew about her. Her large smile quickly shrunk to a small frown, her good mood from landing the sniper round already fading. Already, she was regretting opening how own damn mouth, inside frantically grasping at the fast fleeting feeling of pride, only for it to slip away. It pained her deeply to let such a good feeling go, but she couldn't let that pain show. Not in front of everyone...

The remaining members of Apotheosis were now fleeing, which meant the mission was a success...Somewhat. Survivors of the attack were not many in number, and whatever Apotheosis had come for, they had made off with. In fact, the more she thought about it, the only 'success' that Elaine could even think of was that everyone on the Riese was still alive, and so were a few people of Corona Ten. In the grand scheme of the ever growing war against Apotheosis, this battle had meant little.

"Captain." Elaine said, turning on her communicator. "I'm heading inside the building to check for any more survivors and to asses the damage-" A spark in the cockpit reminded Elaine that she still wasn't in tip top condition. The missiles from the Luna had nearly torn her apart. Elaine let out an audible sigh. "Scratch that. This thing is too busted. I'm coming back for repairs. Then, I'll check the facility."

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It was difficult to tell what exactly had happened from the distance he was at, but the retreating enemies were a sign that the battle had ended in their favour. He'd have a lot of explaining to do, but the victory against Apotheosis' forces, including Vera, was a respectable outcome. Corona Ten had been hit, but it wasn't anything close to the damage Great Lake had taken. The Professor hadn't called him at all during the battle, had he been killed or captured? With no means to communicate with him, there was no way to know for sure. However, there was one person he'd be able to ask, but there was something unsettling about talking to her. It almost hurt to think how similar their composition was, and how pathetic she seemed.

"T-2, do you have information on the status of the Professor? He had called, but I have not heard from him since." Tarquin asked, half-expecting another emotional outburst. Was this girl really designed to the same specifications he was? Makoto's curiosity was probably not unique to him, there was no chance that he could get away without explaining this one. "Makoto... I..."

"He's gone... they took him." Talia muttered darkly, the bitterness in her voice apparant. In her eyes, her rejection was the result of her younger sibling. Why had the Professor called him? Wasn't she enough for him? "T-4... he wanted to go with them, he made friends with the purple haired woman with the sword... He didn't want me to come with him... he left me all alone..."

Talia's eyes began to well up with tears, the girl quickly turning off comms so she couldn't be heard sobbing. Everything had been fine until T-4 had come along, why did he continue to ruin her life with his existence? She slammed her fists on the controls, even in the Umbra, she was still so powerless.

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Oh thank goodness a response. From both the oncoming mech and the ship, they were quite quick. Aliza watched in awe at the transforming mech landing before her. "Whoa..." She spoke aloud, quite astounded by the rather impressive looking machine. "Never seen anything like that in the academy...oh! Is this still on?" She snapped back to it when she realized the comms were still active. "Yeah if you could move the mech on board that'd be great. Thanks a lot, lieutenant." With that taken care of the rookie complied with the captain and used the Legionary's thrusters to cruise toward the vessel above. Good thing the mech wasn't too badly bashed up.

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Move Fast

"Yeah, 'course... I'll be right back up fer you in a second, kay? You don't look so great yerself... Lemme just... Ah, shit..." Avery was taking careful steps around Kim's seat, but started pushing herself faster once she noticed. "She's bleedin', looks like a head wound. Hope it ain't more'n a concussion..." The seatbelt was the easy part, the harder part... Well, Christina wasn't heavy, but she wasn't light. Avery managed to get the girl slung onto her shoulder, but it was still a bit of a task to drag her form towards the exit. The blood dripping onto Avery's worksuit didn't make this any more comfortable.

At least it only took a moment past that to get her onto the lift, looking back at Kim. "Stay put. I'll be right back, promise." She was down the wire with lifeless blonde one second after that, hoisting her towards the stretcher. "Right, glad y'all fast. Get her up there ASAP. I'm gonna get Kim down an' try'n get her up there myself. She's better off."

Olivia wasn't too put off by the body being handed to them, but seeing the injury up close did make this a lot more dire. "Yeah that's... That's a pretty bad head wound. We'll get her up there. Val?" Olivia got Christina onto the stretcher, hoping Val would start leading them off. Megumi needed to see to this immediately.

Explore Away, on One Condition

"Huh? Elaine?" She wanted to see about survivors? "Yeah, just... Find someone that isn't hurting to bring with you. I don't want a lone pilot running into any surprises alone, alright? Check Thorvald. He should be fine. His machine took a lot of damage, but it doesn't look like he took anything all at once." No heavy impacts meant that he was likely fine inside. He was probably one of their better on foot specialists, anyway. All those years of experience, they did a soldier good.

Jess stepped out of the elevator and continued off towards the hangar. Hopefully everyone would be coming back on time...

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