Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 3: Crisis Point

[TheRoon]

"Oh uh, huh..." She spoke to herself as the alien let out her last words toward her. Aliza seemed to be caught off guard by the line, she seemed to be a bit of a magnet for flirts. Funny considering she thought she was forward on the department, but it seems like she still had way too much to learn. But before she got too lost in thought Thorvald's complement brought her back. He quite literally gave her his blessings to finish the fight. She felt flattered by his words, and with a smile she answered back. "You got it, Thorvald! (I think that was his name, right??) I'll wrap this up nicely!" So the girl brought back her bow back toward the air, as energy spurred back to life in the railgun. Sparks of blue bounced about again, and she took aim at the final Hyperion that was unfortunate enough to remain on the field. She brought back the string once more as the shining sun once again gleamed off the steel, and the bow let out yet another wild howl. "Bottom's up! ATA!" And the string was let loose, as the bolt of flame once again streamed across the air carrying that same howl!

Aliza uses Focus and fires off ATA at the final Hyperion!

Edited September 24, 2018 by TheRoon

[Balcerzak]

Jess had been sitting in the cafeteria, at one of the tables off to the side, out of the flow of traffic. There had been a few slight bumps, indicating that while the Riese was taking fire, its shock absorption system was also state of the art, like everything else on the latest and greatest ANF flagship. Her conversations the yesterday, both the one with Cheryl and the one with the captain, were still on her mind, now even more so than ever. She was staring down at her now-empty mug, when the sound of someone briskly walking into the place and swiftly going to work at fixing something up arrested her attention.

Looking up, she saw one of the nurses fixing up a hot beverage, and what looked like some sweets to go with it. Definitely looked to be comfort food, not hospital fare, so probably wasn't intended for the medbay. A little curious, but not anything that far out of the ordinary. Still, if the nurse was gonna have her hands full, with both a plate of cookies and a piping hot mug, maybe she should offer assistance. At least with a door, or pushing the elevator buttons, or something.

"You think you got that all right, or should I help out with something," Jess offered somewhat softly, still seated for the moment, but shifting in her chair as she prepared to stand.

[Nanami Touko]

Aliza puts the kibosh on the last remaining Apotheosis suit!
(100% 42%)
(59% 66%)
One final screeching arrow to put an end to the base attack!
Aliza gains +250 exp!

Map Over!
Battle Mastery Completed, all pilots gain +10 pp!
PP, Parts, and cash gained, coming soon!

---

What Want?

"N-Nothing... Just... Er, why are you, suiting back up? Uh, doctor, should she do that with her bandages still..." This was too weird... Their protection had just walked out of the door, Olivia wasn't up for trying to be so close to this space lizard.

FIghting End, Rescuing Begin

Thorvald had went after the Metis!? But he didn't know... Or, he did? Maybe Kim had pointed him that way. Chris let go of a very tense breath, sighing loudly, groaning, and flopping against her seat. "It's over... Ugh... Brant, before Firmia starts calling for us to head back, let's check on her. We went through all this trouble to pick her up, wanna make sure she's safe." Or cognizant, really... With how Chris had been planned, if they'd managed it this time, she wasn't sure she was ready for what they were going to find inside that machine. It wasn't blowing up either, so... Maybe it was too important to let go of, unlike the Hyperions? Either way, Chris called the funnels back, removing her helmet. "What a mess today was."

Hold Your Horses!

"Wahh! H-Hey, Abby!" Buck ran after the girl, the purpose in her step lost on him. "Hey, uh, just... Can I talk, to you for a sec? Ahh, just, your machine, did it handle okay? I wasn't sure about sending it out against those sorts of forces... It... Well, it really needs a major overhaul. The plasma buckler packs a good punch, but standard weaponry... Er... So, was it okay? You don't seem all that beaten up..."

Relax on The Bridge

Tristan let out a sigh of relief. Despite the myriad of ways this could have gone poorly, they'd managed to survive... Again. it was miraculous, but they'd done it. "Roxanna, hail the Admiral, please. He has a lot he needs to explain... I'm... I'm going to go to the infirmary. I'm feeling light headed, going to see if the doctor can give me something to help with that." He was also, admittedly, worried about their new carry-on, but considering Megumi hadn't hailed them, or worse, gunshots weren't ringing through the halls, things were likely fine. He got up and made for the elevator, taking it down only a second after it arrived. "The regiment for training is going to have to be severely improved. Need a big section on 'what to do if an alien species makes it into your bridge'."

Edited September 24, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Ether]

That was it, then. The last Hyperion taken out, and the battle was through. The Heion Riese hadn't taken any casualties... unless the Ensign's report of the boarding was false, but the base defenses had taken a heavy blow. Of the defenders outside of the Admiral's personal guard, only a single legionary that had formed up with them was still operational... how many of those pilots were dead, and how many had survived? Only time would tell. Powering down the ARES system, Kim felt herself return to a sense of normalcy. She was still pumping with adrenaline, but... no severe after effects, at least not yet. Not like the first time. Turning back towards Christina, her co-pilot felt... stronger, somehow. Perhaps forcing the system had caused her abilities to progress.

"Chrissy, the battle... is over. How are you feeling? Do you need me to bring you to the infirmary?" Kim asked, as she brought the Artemis in towards the Heion Riese in order to board.

[Nanami Touko]

Side Effects

Christina groggily started to wake back up... Near the end of the ARES system's use, she'd passed out entirely. Luckily late enough that the extra burden wouldn't have harmed Kim, but still enough to miss the end of fighting. "My... Everything, hurts..." she whined, slowly shaking her head. "And I have a killer headache... What happened? I missed the end of it..." Another fainting spell... At least this time, it was because of a machine like this. She sighed, it would take so much more than just telling herself she was strong to become it.

[Ether]

"Do you think you can walk... or should I carry you... to the infirmary?" Kim asked, concern growing on her face. Christina has told her to activate it, and she could feel that the blonde's abilities were stronger for it, but that knowledge likely wouldn't help ease her worries in the moment. 

"We won, Apotheosis... retreated. So you... don't need to worry about anything."

[Phoenix]

No needles ... pff, that was what the spray and the special bandages were for, though that did make Megumi wonder if any medication Alriana might need further down the line should be taken orally. They needed to gather more data before she started putting anything else into the vaguely reptilian creature's system--she was oddly warm for a reptile, on that note ... for now it was best to monitor those wounds and get ready for any other potential patients. Hopefully no one else that came in was out of the loop about the alien on board.

"... I feel like you're her new favorite," Megumi mused aloud at Alriana. It was kind of funny, but they still had to be very careful until the information reached the whole ship, and not just out of consideration for the crew. Worst case scenario, someone whipped out a pistol and shot Alriana on sight. They would just wind up back here in the infirmary anyway, so best to stay put until the Captain had time to bring everyone up to speed. Speaking of which, it wasn't a bad time to call Tambre back. They were uncomfortably close to capacity in terms of how many people they could efficiently look after.

"Tambre, if you're not dealing with anyone right now, I want you back up here in the infirmary." There~

Bennet's point about being essentially 'the right amount' of scared was probably true, but Megumi just wasn't feeling it. They were dealing with an armor clad, knife wielding, mobile suit piloting velociraptor from some unknown part of the galaxy. They ought to be the ones taking sedatives, to stop their knees from buckling. Perhaps the time to process everything, along with the fact that Alriana could actually communicate with them verbally, was balancing out how dangerous she truly was. The doctor had also been treating her directly and had several other rationalizations for staying calm.

"We should be fine for now," Megumi assured Olivia, watching carefully as Alriana fished up her armor, "And you shouldn't put that back on, just yet. It's fine if you want to hold onto it, but we can protect you." That sounded silly in the doctor's ears considering how poorly they had protected their own captain. Of course Megumi's big weapons were all here in the infirmary, including her depressing memento from Africa ... so she had options. Regardless, the armor was Alriana's to deal with. If she didn't feel like being extra vulnerable, the armor shouldn't disturb those special bandages. The additional pressure on them would just be uncomfortable once the numbing wore off.

---

Boom ... Firmia took off her bare bones T-Link headpiece and stood up from the captain's chair. "I really do need a second in command," she muttered to herself, thinking of Sasha's joke from the introduction meeting. She was about to leave the bridge, but without an XO she was basically leaving the ship unattended. "Flores, keep an eye on things for me up here. If anything happens, you're free to engage any targets the Riese or our mobile suits are engaging." If something did happen, Firmia would just quickly come back.

With that, the Avalon's captain grabbed her tablet and took the shortest path possible to the changing rooms. From there, she would head to the infirmary. The Megalodon II class' infirmary was near the back of the ship, and while it felt like an odd choice, even compared to the Riese's infirmary, the Alkaev could see the designers mulling the issue over for some time before settling on a location. Like the Leviathan class, the infirmary was about as far from the crews quarters as you could feasibly get, but on the larger class it was fairly close to the bridge and entry hatch. The most likely injuries on a modern warship were probably going to be in the hangar area or in engineering areas. That's where all the dangerous work took place, and the MS hangar was where injured arrivals would likely come in. Case in point. The Avalon's reactors were directly accessible from near the crews quarters, so that was a clear trade off of the current placement. It just meant it was a longer trip for any injured personnel coming from the front half of the ship. At least they didn't need to take a lift in most cases.

Changing out of her SKIN suit wasn't the only thing Firmia was doing on the way to face her enemy. She'd figured out how she wanted to address the situation with the Regalia now, and raised her tablet up to contact her via her preferred interface ... "Regalia Team, I have two jobs for you, and I need you on this right now ..."

---

The battle was over but Brant was fighting on a different front, trying to take the 'new' Jessica more fully into account. At some point she would want to talk to him again. He still figured it would depend entirely on how Abigail handled the news. If she handled it well, Brant expected Jessica to keep things brief with him, to make it easier to avoid that particular topic and keep the peace in her preferred relationship. After that, things would taper off into nothing. Working on different ships was an artificial rift that wasn't going to go away. If Abigail didn't handle the news well on the other hand ... Brant supposed he would have to remind himself day in and day out what he was striving for and why. Otherwise the pain would take over and guide his actions. Chris was right ... today really was a mess.

Brant did want to check on the clone the Odin had 'rescued,' but how could they? The Regalia could physically dock with the Heion Riese ... nothing had changed so drastically, but would Firmia let them? Not a change, Brant mused. Chris figured they should hurry and try, lest their captain call and direct them elsewhere, and he agreed. It wasn't necessary but maybe a brief visit to the Riese wasn't out of the question. A brief visit to Jessica probably was. At this point, Brant would rather face a real stabbing than have to be in the same room as Jessica and Abigail. One or the other was fine, but thinking of both made his whole body cringe. And there it is ... Is it ever going to stop ...?

"Urgh, yeah let's see how she's doing," Brant grunted, forcing his thoughts onto the other clone.

"Regalia Team," Firmia came in over the radio, like the Prophetess Chris had warned, "I have two jobs for you, and I need you on this right now ..."

"That urgent, huh?" Brant sighed, taking his helmet off and running his glove through his hair.

"The Regalia didn't take any damage so you two should remain on standby until the ANF gives an all clear signal. But more importantly, I want you to search for any survivors on our side, and direct any rescue teams that show up to them. Second, I want you to identify and mark every Apotheosis unit on the field that was destroyed so our salvage team knows what to prioritize. We'll let the ANF deal with their own units, but I want first pick of everything Apotheosis lost this time and I'm willing to put in the work. So get on it. I'll be on this channel if anything happens."

"Hold on, what about the Metis?" Brant supposed Firmia wouldn't as care much with a Chaldene to pick through but there was also another TK piloting the Metis. Not to mention there was T-Link equipment they actually needed. "Shouldn't we look into that? The unit's holding together better than the Rhea, and the funnel system it uses is different from ours."

"Yeah," Firmia agreed, "... the Odin already picked it up. That one belongs to the Riese now. Focus on what we can still keep for ourselves."

Brant groaned inwardly. This was definitely an arms race in her eyes. He didn't want to bring up the latest Christina clone, hoping that the Metis itself would hold Firmia's interest. She was focused on the Apotheosis units nobody else had touched yet, unfortunately. And the job she had for them actually was important. It seemed like all they could do was check in via radio while they surveyed the battlefield. They weren't going to have time for much else.

---

"Tonya, are you still in the hangar?" Firmia spoke at her tablet as she took off her SKIN suit in the changing room, "I need you to get ready to launch, again. You're going to help out the Regalia and the salvage teams." The Mantle needed repairs, so the Reign was a good stand in. They had to use it for something besides catching fast balls. Tonya seemed only slightly reluctant ... probably wishing she had more time to poke and prod her captured rival. Firmia could certainly understand that, but she had work to do, and Carlos wasn't going anywhere without a cyanide capsule.

Firmia stepped out of the changing room less than two minutes after going in. She had put on a dress shirt, some slacks, and to inch just a little closer to her comfort zone, her new black duster. Now she was ready to face the man that killed her would be crew and stranded her in a situation that was as alien and threatening to her as the Sacarian menace. Stepping into the hangar, Firmia realized she wasn't far behind Stephanie and Jessica. The Rhea's cockpit immediately drew her attention, though, not the scrambling salvage teams, nor Tonya disappearing into the Reign and the suit's optics flashing on, but that roughed up cockpit. Carlos probably needed to go to the infirmary from the looks of that. Firmia resumed her jog, heading around the starboard side of the hangar along the walkway to save time.

[sweet podado]

With the battle over, Vvi couldn't help the cheerful "woop woop!" she let out with a fist bump into the air.  Going back to the communicator, she couldn't help but smile innocently as the next words left her.

"Well, that was a hoot!  So....am I approved to landing onto your ship?" 

Keeping in mind that the others might still be wary of her, Vvi was going to keep an air of frivolity and niceness.  Hopefully that would help the others get used to her quick....

[TheRoon]

That was it. The battle had ended and the massive amount of explosions and gunfire had stopped. Which more or less meant Aliza could finally relax. "Phew..." She expected her first fight in the machine to go badly, but quite the opposite. Things couldn't have turned out better. She couldn't help but grin at the thought of not being dead weight, of actually helping the ship. 'I owe it to you, Sagittae. Thanks! Here's to a good partnership!' With that in her mind she then turned to the new machine the alien piloted. It was certainly something she didn't expect to see, and it also made quite a splash. The Italian pilot couldn't help but wonder what the alien looked like behind that machine. Her curious mind just couldn't help but keep on that. "Well when you get approval to get inside I'll be waiting." She addressed her on the comms. "Just a talk, if you don't mind." With another smile to herself she took off to the Riese.

[Nanami Touko]

Carry Off

"No... Why, does everyone want to carry me? I'll be fine, I just... I'm just hazy. That's all... Fight's over? Okay. Is there anything we need to do, or should we just return to the Riese?" Christina had mostly missed out on whatever Kim had been planning with Brant, so she had no real aim right now, other than maybe an ice pack and a breather. "This is getting way too hard... Not that I'm gonna stop. But, do you think we can finally get a break? A good one?" Only Apoth knew.

Oi

"Captain," Chris muttered with some unfortunate grumpiness, "there's another Me on that machine, and I want her. Whatever you're looking for on the floor can wait, give us five minutes to land in that damn ship, grab her, and get out. Besides..." Chris looked over at one of the Regalia's monitors, a ground crew had already been dispatched from Central's main base. "Looks like we're missing out on the main prize." Repair vehicles were already taking care of loading up what was left of the Regina, Vance not wanting to lose out on the information and technology stored inside of it. Another was heading towards the downed Chaldene, but it was just one crew, they weren't moving anything with that. Probably just going after software, or maybe sending a team inside to check on tech.

"Come on, please. I... She didn't seem like me, or Christina. I'm really worried that Apoth has zeroed in on the sort of clones they want..."

Orders?

Hannah landed the Mantle to check the damage, a large section of the left arm had been gored into by that glaive. It was entirely functional, as was she, there was plenty she could do down here. Firmia had ordered her to retreat, but... "Captain," she began, "should I do anything on the ground? The Mantle and I are still fully functional, it would be helpful to have another set of hands working the leftovers for you. Orders, please." Hopefully they weren't 'get back to the ship for repairs', because Hannah saw no issue with aiding recovery or scanning as things were.

Orders...

The cockpit to the Metis swung open as soon as Thorvald had it set down, but no one came storming out, no grenade, no hail of bullets. The pilot, in a black SKIN suit, stepped forward and sat on the edge, legs dangling out over the edge, as a lazy hand removed their helmet... Blonde hair fell down, blank eyes staring out at nothing. "Awaiting orders," she muttered, sitting there, kicking her feet aimlessly.

Some of the hangar crew were worried she was going to jump, mostly Avery, who had gotten Thorvald's call and was heading over when the thing opened up. "Yeah, uh... Big guy, figurin' y'might wanna spare that hand! Ah, geez, someone get me a lift..."

[Ether]

"I was just... checking. I'll bring us in, and go along with you to the infirmary. Thorvald brought in the Metis, it had... another clone inside. They're probably trying to get her out... right now." Kim replied, pausing for a moment as Christina asked for a break... they could all use a proper one, really.

"Hopefully suffering losses like this... will curb Apotheosis enthusiasm. Two of their commanders died, and one was captured. With any luck they'll take some time to recoup before attacking again." Kim noted, as the Artemis touched down inside of the Heion Riese. Settling the cameras on the Metis as the cockpit opened, the newest addition to their blonde collection was clearly visible... and didn't seem to be putting up a fight whatsoever. Ah, there was the lift.

"Do you want to... stay in the hangar to see her, or head straight to the infirmary?"

_______________________________________

"Err, right. Of course, Captain." Marcia replied, glancing over at Firmia as the girl gave her orders and departed to see to their prisoner, the gunnery officer settling her sights on the weapons controls. Well, hopefully someone left on the bridge could actually move the damn thing if anything else happened... flying was not her forte, not even close.

[Balcerzak]

Monty had had half a mind to poke his nose in on the bridge, during the battle, just for lack of anything better to do. But, it being the first real day on the job, he'd ended up settling on not rocking the boat just yet, contenting himself to keep an eye on pilot vitals, and just poking around on his tablet instead. It was a successful strategy for getting through the engagement, as it turned out. When the second in command contacted him, there was a moment of mild surprise, but he was quick to pick up the horn and reply.

"Open hours? I mean, yes? I'm not running a discoteca here, there's no cover charges, you don't have to worry about whether it's ladies' night, or anything," a friendly chuckle ought to let the other party know the reply was all in good fun, before he decided it might be a decent idea to shift to serious mode, for at least a little while. "Enemy combatant though... Hadn't really considered that angle, but I suppose it's also in the job description. Just, uh, make sure they're properly pacified and we shouldn't have any problems."

That slight worry out of the way, the doctor moved to the next order of business, a little more information. "I should already be set up for most of the common emergencies," he turned his head to glance around the infirmary. Could probably actually prepare a little bit more, but Sasha didn't need to hear that, "But it never hurts to know exactly what I'm dealing with, so if there's anything unusually out of the ordinary..." he trailed off meaningfully. "In the meantime, I guess I'll just give things up here another pass, do some double-checks, keep myself busy."

[Shin]

Tarquin sat back in his seat, it was hard to believe that they'd taken down so many of Apotheosis' aces. Fatima and Louise had both been consumed by their revenge, it was something that didn't sit well with him but they were both entitled to make poor decisions. There were going to be more battles to fight, more wars to win, but he had claimed a small victory in taking down Carlos. Nikolai, ich habe ihm meine Macht gezeigt." Tarquin muttered, idly manuevering the Aria back to the Heion Riese. His machine needed time for repair and recovery, much like himself. "Es wird deinen Beinen nicht helfen ... aber ich kann eine Welle des Friedens über mich fühlen."

Everyone else was gradually landing in the hangar, the repair crew being left with their collection of mobile suits. As the Aria came to a standstill, Tarquin considered his next actions. Visting Nikolai was definitely on his agenda, but the clone that Fatima had been ordering around had been captured. He couldn't help but feel a strange sympathy for their captive, it appeared that fighting had been a decision that was made for them. "Bridge, this is Tarquin. I would like to speak to the captured Metis pilot." Tarquin requested, his decision somewhat impulsive. "Both her and myself are artificially created humans, I may be more successful in creating a dialogue."

He winced a little as he rose from his seat, steadying himself on the side of the chair. Perhaps another reason to ensure he visited the medical bay.

-

The sooner that Elaine got away from the battle the better, it had been an emotional rollercoaster for her. Louise had managed to get under her skin one last time, the red splatter she'd seen from inside the broken Regina was still very vivid in her mind. "Fucking snake sadist bitch... you're playing me even after you died." Elaine grunted, parking the Oberon in the hangar. She'd definitely pushed its thrusters too hard activating the Lunar Phase, she was pretty sure she could smell smoke from inside the cockpit. All she wanted was a cold shower and a soft bed, the day had gone on way too long for her tastes. Hopping out of the Oberon, she climbed down onto the hangar floor. 

Elaine turned back, looking up at the Oberon. Despite all that had happened, she really had proved that she was useful. She wasn't dodging like Kim or flying like Brant, but she played her part. "Good work, buddy. The two of us ain't so bad." she laughed, giving her robot a thumbs up. It was a little childish to think of the Oberon as a friend, but it had helped her start dealing with her insecurities.

-

Talia had been absent from the battle, having anxiously watched it from whatever displays that she could find in the Heion Riese. Makoto had given her a few scares with his pilotting, he'd nearly been crushed by the Regina. As soon as the battle had finished, she began a mad sprint towards the hangar. Despite her relative inactivity, she at least had some genetic prowess aiding her. She passed a wet floor sign, skidding across the floor and nearly crashing into the opposite wall. With all the comotion going on she'd lost focus of everything around her. Shaking her head, she slipped into the hangar, looking carefully for the Phalanx. Some of the others were there already, but she was struggling to spot the police robot.
 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Shin

[Phoenix]

It had only been a couple of minutes. The ANF had probably realized that the battle was wrapping up as well, and had their teams gearing up in advance. Firmia's heart sank at the news. She could care less about the clone situation right now. They already had a new TK--Gordon--whom they couldn't even field yet due to their lack of mobile suits. Bringing another Christina clone aboard didn't seem like it would improve the situation. Firmia also didn't want to just give in to her least cooperative crew member without some sort of compensation.

As if to give Firmia the perfect excuse to let the Regalia go, Hannah chimed in, assuring her that the Mantle was still fully operational, and requesting orders. That wasn't the compensation she had in mind ... "Chris, I don't know what you want with that clone, but if you're going to do this then hurry. I'm giving you five minutes, and after that I want the Regalia helping out our salvage team. This salvage run is the most important to date." Hopefully this clone grab hadn't actually been Brant's idea. The last thing Firmia wanted were not one but two rebellious ... ... Firmia scowled, realizing Chris' callsign was irritatingly on point. The last thing the Avalon needed were two Mordreds.

The captain had more ... delicate orders for King Arthur and her little sister. "Mantle Team, if there's any way for you to set up a data link with the Regina and the Chaldene, I want you to copy everything that's still intact. If the ANF already has someone inside then maybe you can piggyback off their connection without having to get too close. Also, if you find a way to bring back any useful parts while you're working, do it ... try not to step on the ANF's toes, but don't let them distract you either." That seemed like the best she could do. Other than the Rhea, the rest was bits and pieces, all of which her salvage team could deal with.

---

Sasha kept his eyes on the androids as they retrieved Carlos and his ears on Monty while he addressed the situation. The infirmary was ready for any conventional injuries, naturally ... and fortunately Carlos looked like he wouldn't need much to be back up to one hundred percent, again. Was that in anyone's best interest at this point? Sasha shrugged at the thought, figuring it was good to be generous to a defeated enemy. For live captures like Carlos, it meant patching them up. For the dead, it meant salvaging their machines and putting them to better use~

"Yyyep ... looks like they're headed your way, Doctor. captive doesn't look too bad, actually. Our androids are holding him so he won't give you any trouble."

And would you look at that, Firmia had arrived and was crossing the hangar the long way. Well, it wasn't so much the 'long way' as it was heading across via the walkways flanking the MS docks instead of cutting through the center of the hangar, which would require taking the stairs down and then up again, or two lifts. "Another thing, the captain's going to be joining you, soon. Be sure to put on a good show for her~"

---

It sounded like Firmia had given them the go ahead. Not wanting to waste any time, Brant radioed the Riese. "Long time no see," Brant joked to the bridge, "Regalia requesting permission to land. We won't be long. Promise ..."

As Brant turned the Regalia to approach the Riese, a thought occurred. What was Chris' plan here? Just land, go down into the hangar, grab the latest clone, stuff her into the cockpit with them and leave? There was enough room for her ... but only in the strictest sense. There was nothing in the Regalia's cockpit even approaching tertiary seating. Brant nearly chuckled imagining the two girls sharing the copilot's chair, one on the other's lap. "Okay how are we going to handle this? She might be hurt." Well, he could always just carry her if that was the case, but they might raise some eyebrows with the Riese having its own infirmary. If she was injured, then by the time they arrived she might already be up there. How was it going to look if they tried to take her? They only had five minutes ... Either way they were probably going to think this clone grab was all Firmia's idea, and something about that was just plain amusing to Brant.

Edited September 25, 2018 by Phoenix

[Xinnidy]

After the Battle

"It's over... haah." Roxanna breathed a sigh of relief, being just able to feel herself melting against the chair... the captain seat certainly was comfier than the XO's. She was sure of it. "I... thank you, ensign Calvin. I'll see to it..." There was still much to be done, oh dear. She couldn't even linger on the topic and feel happy for her accomplishments. W-wasn't it a good idea, when I told the bridge to spin to avoid that battleship fire? It felt innovative... she hadn't tried something like that in years. Not in any... successful capacity.

"Hello, yes, this is... Roxanna." And now was another issue, the new alien in question. The one that wasn't gung-ho invading the Riese, but peacefully requesting it. Whatever it is, it knows how to communicate with us too well... it's also disconcerting. She couldn't really put it off... and it's not like the crew was completely unprepared to handle it, right? "Per... permission granted. If you don't mind, we'd like you to accompany us to HQ." That seemed like the right choice to make... right? "If we can continue negotiations like this, I'm sure we'll reach some common ground sooner than later." It was good, probably. At least... I'm not freezing up as much as Jessica... That had to count.

"What's next, what's next... r-right, Brant, long time no see." She nodded, receiving the notice. "Yeah, open space for the Regalia." It was probably fine. Roxanna certainly didn't mind, Firmia's crew being more of an asset to her than to the ANF. "And... you. Uncl--Admiral Alphonse. Can you hear me?" She switched channels... honestly looking less forward to this conversation than the one with the Alien.

"Yes, I can hear you, XO Martinson. I will enter the Riese's hangar, and I'll need space." He put plainly, "It might not be for long... where is Jessica Gefalscht located?"

"You're not seriously going to play this off, are you?" Roxanna hesitated, even winced as she mustered the courage to confront him, but she had done it... and had to keep pressing. "She's under all this stress because... basically everything she knew about herself was a lie. You knew you were lying to her. I don't think--"

"Save it for later. I know it doesn't look good, but right now her mental state matters more." It was so pushy, Roxanna had to wonder what was going on in the old man's mind... "Jessica is more important than anyone here, and she might as well be a human. I've put my faith on her from the start, and I will keep doing it."

"You..." Roxanna was already on her wits' end just from the way Alphonse was handling this. She grit her teeth. "Fine! Be that way! Show her what to do! I don't even care... she's in her room, I'm pretty sure." Huff. What an outrage, she thought. That he could be so foolhardy... "I hope she slaps you harder than she slapped me!"

"...Understood." Stoic. He parked his vintage Velite, making haste as he could to leave the unit.

---

The Hero Returns

His machine was beaten up, drained down, and honestly overheating a little bit... but Makoto couldn't be more relieved. "I did it... haha, yeah! I did it!" He felt himself progressing each day, and that was good. He could definitely fight with the others, despite his struggles. He was useful!

After a good boost and jump, he'd finally reached the hangar, getting his roughed up machine to its designated spot... It'd feel even more dwarfed by the super units that the ANF received.  Now Makoto just... needed help getting the cockpit to open. "Uh... anybody got a crowbar?" He tried to reach what crew was working around his vicinity.

Edited September 25, 2018 by Xinnidy

[scorri]

Cocoa

"Ah, uh, no thank you. I've got it. I hope your eye and hand are doing better though." Normally she would have stopped and asked more about how the pilot was doing, but the captain's mental state seemed more important in the moment. Hurrying as best she could down the hallway without spilling anything, she reached the captain's doorway and hesitated. Hands full. Button to press. Right. Carefully, she placed the small plate of cookies on top of the mug and quickly reached out to press the button before grabbing the plate to steady it. They almost tipped, but she managed to enter the room without spilling anything.

The captain was laying on her bed, so Val carefully approached her. "Uhm, captain? I have your cocoa. A-and some cookies. I figured they might help..." She placed them down next to the bed, glancing at her communicator as she did. It looked like the doctor wanted her to go back upstairs... "I can leave you alone now if you want but..." She gulped, not sure if she was helping or hurting, but pushed through, "But I just wanted to say first that... that it doesn't matter to me if you're human or a robot. You're my captain and I'm happy to be serving under you and helping you and your crew however I can. You're still Captain Jessica no matter what you're made of." It was rushed, but she'd gotten it all out. Hopefully it meant something to the captain.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Returning to the Riese

Astin took stock of the Ceres as they piloted back towards the Riese. Some heavy damage, but it had been mostly repaired by the help from the new girl as well as their own deployed repairs. Not too much left for Avery and the others to take care of at least. And they certainly had given the new sword a good run. They were going to have to give Avery some thanks for that. It was a solid addition to their arsenal and even if it wasn't as strong as it had been when Vera was using it, it was still formidable.

Landing in the hangar, they debarked and glanced around. It looked like they'd captured another enemy mech. The blonde hair of the pilot sitting on the edge of the cockpit made Astin wonder if they'd found another one of those clones. It could explain why they'd captured her. Still, not their concern right now. If the captain wanted to bring more enemy combatants onboard, who were they to object? Not like it had done anything the previous times they'd tried after all. Sighing, they glanced around. It didn't seem like that alien had landed yet either. That was going to be interesting. They wondered exactly what she looked like and what she would bring to their group. Nothing boring, that seemed certain.

[Ursali]

It seemed that retrieving her armor had gotten her a bit more attention from the redhead. Did they think that she was suiting up for another go after her wounds had been treated? Even with everything that had been drilled into her, Alriana wasn't that laser focused. Megumi was much more on track, but not quite a bullseye. Alriana had already slipped one leg into her suit but at Megumi's directions she pulled it out. "Fine. I wait," she responded, neutral in tone.

If Olivia had wanted "nothing", aside from worrying about her armor, then why had she talked to Alriana? It didn't make sense to the alien, but it wasn't worth dwelling on; Megumi had given her enough. Why would she be Cheryl's favorite? She hadn't done anything for the woman aside from not biting her head off at the first opportunity given to her. Another confusing thing to add to the pile; or, maybe she could get some answers. Is that what Cheryl had meant for her to do when she asked her to talk? "Why fav-rit?" she found herself asking the doctor. She could start here and move onto another question if Megumi's answer made sense.

 

[sweet podado]

Blinking at the sudden words directed at her, Vvi's eyes widened before a smile brightened up her expression.  "Well! Hopefully this talk will come with a lovely greeting from you dear," she said with a soft laugh, before addressing Roxanna as permission was granted to board the Riese.  "Understood~.  Will be there soon then," and with that she ended communication...for now.

Heading towards the Riese, Vvi landed along with the other pilots.  Once she did though, instead of appearing nervous or shy, she couldn't wait to get out of her robot to greet the humans!

"Hello?  Yoohoo~, may I have some assistance?" she called out from the cockpit, waving a hand as she poked her head out.  Horns adorned her forehead, while fluffy bangs hid her extra pair of eyes.  Violet eyes crinkled in excitement as she grinned, showing off her perfectly set fangs.

"Hope you all don't mind another pilot, heheh~."

[TheRoon]

Aliza's archerbot landed in the hanger and docked up with ease. Aliza took a sigh of relief when the cockpit opened, and she reached over to her notebook on the side. The mech happened to have a handy little spot for that, some sort of small storebox. She opened it up and took a minute to write something down before closing it. Before she left however she noticed the alien mech beside her, docking in just about the same time too.

Convenient!

Aliza did in fact notice the appearance, well really mostly the horns. But it wasn't enough to spook her off, curse her curious mind. 'Whoa...that's...something.' The alien girl called out for some help, and she was technically the first one on the scene. It would be rude to just ignore it, especially after she said she'd talk to her. So... "...right." The Italian put her notebook away and did something possibly very much unauthorized...she moved the super robot's arm and slowly lifted toward the white mech. Before it reached the cockpit it opened it's palm, almost inviting Vvi to step out on it. Aliza reinforced it by leaning out of her own cockpit a bit with a wave.

She was gonna get in trouble for this.

Edited September 25, 2018 by TheRoon

[Balcerzak]

Oh for the love of...

Abby turned and glared daggers at the meddling mechanic. "You touch it, you die. Remember what I told you before?" Heaving an exasperated sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to be patient. "Look, I get it, it's falling a little behind. Was a lot harder to dent some of those enemy machines than it should've been, based on what some of the new fancy ones the others are piloting seemed to be putting out. But it was keeping up with your Crescent," (more or less) "And, I'm not a bad hand with a wrench myself, so if work's being done on it, I'm there helping make it happen, capische?"

"Now if you'll excuse me, there's another more pressing concern at the moment, so..." Abigail waved her hand with a shooing motion as she spun on her heel and resumed course.

[Nanami Touko]

Hangar Hangups

"I wanna see her... The infirmary can wait. I'll be okay, I promise... I'm not that fragile, Kim." She had a headache, not a busted arm, or anything worse. Christina sat up, as the lift came out, peeking her head out. "I can't really tell if she's okay from here... Gonna come down with me?" Christina had stepped onto the Artemis' lift, waiting for Kim to hop on with her, or let her go down first.

Meanwhile, Avery, the poor dear, who had been bringing a lift towards the Metis, was stopped in her tracks by what she saw getting out of this new machine. Aliza was aiding... It, at least, so she didn't need another lift, but... "Jesus Mary Joseph, are we actually dealin' with aliens? Th'fuck's goin' on?" She needed to focus, taking the lift up to the Metis, trying to calm herself down... And this was another Christina. "Lord help me-- Hey, you alright?"

The blonde looked over at Avery with a still empty stare, not saying anything for the moment.

"I... I said are you, okay?"

"What are your orders?"

"My-- What?"

She fell silent again, waiting, likely for any orders to be given.

"Uh... This is, real weird, uhm, alright. Tell me iffin yer okay... An', get on the lift."

"My functions have not been impeded by being shot down. Okay." Without missing a beat, she stood up and stepped over onto it, standing almost at attention and waiting for anything further.

"This is fuckin' weird... Bring 'er down, boys!" Maybe Thorvald was in the mood to carry this one? She'd said she was okay, but reacting like that to orders, what was Apoth doing?

Things to be Doing

Buck, well, he wasn't mad. He didn't get why Abby was so upset, but, if she didn't want him touching it, he wouldn't. He nodded and waved as she left. Speaking of his Crescent... Kazue landed in the hangar after Aliza, touching down and riding her lift down, before pulling her helmet off with a flourish of her long black hair.

"The hero returns alive, and well. You were quite the partner, Crescent Moon. I find you to my liking..."

"Wow," Buck exclaimed, having run over to it without an Abby to pester, "there's not a scratch on it... You must be a really good pilot."

"A pilot is only as good as the machine they ride in... And this carried my powers well, without exception. Tell me, what hands crafted such a masterwork? I must thank them for the clean ride."

"I did."

"You-- I-I'm, sorry? You, did?"

"Yep. Buck Matthews, genius extraordinaire, I put the Crescent together from one of them Apoth bots, fitted it with its weapons myself. Who're you, lady? You talk weird."

Kazue was taken aback, enough to break her out of her put on persona. "I, I see... Er, well, thanks, Buck... I'm Sergeant Kazue Fujiwara. Nice to meet you... Do you think you could upgrade this more? I really like it. It's responsive, and the sword is well made." She seemed rather shy all of a sudden, the extravagant mask just that.

"With all the salvage we're gonna get from today's battle, I can do plenty! Just tell me what you want, and I'll try to make it happen."

"Alright... W-Well, uhm... If it could go a bit faster, that would work. Some more bulk, can you make the sword any stronger, sharper?"

"Probably... That all seems fairly standard. You don't want anything else?"

"Er... W-Well, a samurai... Uhm... I mean, no, I'm fine with that. Th-Thank you, goodbye." With a small bow, Kazue turned towards the exit, leaving Buck alone and mildly confused.

"Why's the Riese got so many weirdos?"

Quick Response

Tristan was still tuned into the bridge frequency, so when Tarquin had chimed in and gotten no answer from Roxanna, he took action on his way to the infirmary door. "Go ahead, Tarquin. As long as she doesn't appear hostile, there are no issues with interacting." That should do that. He continued his stride, making his way into the infirmary for--

"... That is going to take some getting used to." Tristan shook his head, Alriana's appearance wasn't something you could simply look at without being shocked. It was like a creature out of a TV show, except there were no special effects. "Doctor Amparo, my apologies when you must be busy... I'm just feeling a bit light headed, and have a small headache. I figured I could use a break from the bridge's atmosphere... And was going to ask for some acetaminophen. Mundane, considering the circumstances," he managed another glance at their new lizard, "but still. It's not something I readily carry on my person. I should remedy that."

"Fav-rit? Favorite... Cheryl's?" Olivia let out a HEFTY shrug at that one, looking over at Tristan as he'd entered. At least people weren't freaking out over the alien... Olivia had no idea why the shrink was so interested in the alien, sitting back down behind Megumi's desk. At least they didn't have to worry about the komodo going nuts...

Five Minutes of Fame

"She's my sister, what do you think I want? Five minutes, got it. Let's go, Brant." All that was left was getting him to set down in the Riese... Hopefully Jess wasn't around, she didn't want him getting distracted and ruining their already short time.

"Acknowledged, captain. We'll try to setup a data link with the Regina, and speak with any ANF personnel that gets involved, if we get into trouble." Hopefully they wouldn't... It was scan and salvage after that, something the Mantle was still in shape for. "Galatea, can you prep the scanners, and a data link for this?"

"Already on it... Are you alright, Hannah?"

"Huh?"

"Mmmm, nothing. Just, you seem a bit... Worked up? If you had adrenaline, I bet it would be pumping, right now."

"Huh... Maybe. My apologies if I seem that way, I just... Want to help. Let's get this worked on."

"Of course, of course. All setup." Off the Mantle flew, hopefully quickly enough to retrieve some information before they shuffled the remains off.

Move That Carlos

"[Doctor,]" Jessica began, radioing towards the infirmary, "[the prisoner's arm has been heavily damage by broken glass. That appears to be his only external damage, further scans will be required.]" The androids headed off in Firmia's heading, heading towards the lift and the infirmary.

Human or Machine

Jess looked over at Val as she came in, slowly sitting up. She hadn't ever spoken to this girl, why did she care so much? Or seem to care so much. It didn't make much sense to her... But if even the crew that knew her the least cared, and didn't mind what she was... Wasn't that enough? People had seemed more concerned for her than scared, recounting the stares from the bridge. Even Roxanna... "Brant was right," she muttered with a smile. "Thank you, Valerie. For the food, and your words. It's heart warming. Heh." The irony. "I was really worried, but... I think I'll be okay. I have one especially important door to knock on, but... Even if that door shuts on me, and locks up tight, I still have the rest of the ship. I'll be okay. I have to be, for all of us." She was the captain of the Heion Riese... It wasn't just a duty to the ANF, they were saving the world, weren't they? That thought was suddenly... Not so scary, anymore. Maybe this is a good thing...

Jess hopped off of her bed, grabbing the edge with her still good arm, and gave it a heave. The whole thing lifted up with her grasp, making her smile in awe. "Wow! They sure built me good... Whoever did. That's some power... Yikes, I could've broken Roxanna's jaw with that punch. I should really apologize..."

Edited September 25, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Ether]

"I just... don't want to take anymore chances with that... ARES system. You feel... stronger, from all this, but I just want to make sure... you aren't pushing yourself harder than you need to. You've done enough today already." Kim noted, getting into the lift with Christina and taking it down to the ground floor. With the adrenaline fading and everything coming down to normal, Seung-Min finally noticed the... odd mental signature from the new machine. It felt similar to a telekinetic but it was... off somehow. Aliza appeared to be helping the pilot down with the saggitae, obstructing view of them from the ground. 

"Come on then, Chrissy. Let's go wait for Avery to bring her down." The Lieutenant noted, stepping off the lift and over towards the Metis.

[Shin]

"Thank you, Ensign Calvin, I shall approach as appropriate." Tarquin replied, exiting the Aria. Despite his lacking social skills, he'd managed to make some dialogue with Nikolai. It wasn't going to be exactly the same situation, nor did he expect the same results, but he needed to try. He approached the clone, getting a very different vibe compared to the other two. One didn't need to be a telekinetic to feel how devoid of expression or emotion this one was. It was almost off-putting, she stood completely rigid as the lift descended from her unit. Tarquin remained silent for a good few seconds, stumped momentarily for a way to begin the conversation. He wasn't the only one who had thought of talking to their captive. Both Kim and Christina had joined the interrogation squad. If they assumed that their familiarity with the two previous Christina's would make it easy work... well, it would definitely annoy him on some level.

Standing face to face with the clone, Tarquin decided to start the dialogue for himself. If she really was a doll, he'd have to adjust his approach. "I am T-4, fourth in the T-series, although I prefer to be called Tarquin. I believe you belong to a newer series, what you prefer as an informal designation?" Tarquin asked, ensuring to avoid a numerical name for her. "I have been granted permission to converse with you from my superiors, would you wish to partake?"

Was this how people felt when they spoke to him? He was finding it difficult to predict how she would respond. Tarquin didn't want her to be isolated... he knew that too well for himself.

[Balcerzak]

Right, Avery managed to get a headstart on Thorvald, her lift going up to the Metis as his was still descending the Odin; a slight drawback to its magnificent size being the longer transit times. By the time he'd given it a second look, the enemy's cockpit had already opened and its contents stepped out to meet the mechanic, seemingly healthy and almost surprisingly compliant. Arriving at the base of the mech, Avery was just setting down with her and Tarquin had come over as well, apparently curious enough on this capture--despite having seemed almost willing to send half of the previous ones out the airlock upon initial interaction. It was often hard to get a read on the boy, but perhaps he just hadn't been making enough of an effort lately. Kim and her copilot were also on their way over, so he turned and enthusiastically gave them a wave, a small signal to hurry up, things might be getting interesting.

As Tarquin began a stiltingly formal introduction to the latest Apotheosis clone trooper, Thorvald left him to the task, pulling Avery slightly aside and trusting Kim to handle things if the seemingly docile captive suddenly changed moods. "I didn't notice when it happened. D'you open that up, or did she pop the hatch on her own? And what's she said so far?"

Edited September 25, 2018 by Balcerzak

[Nanami Touko]

Weird

"I'm supposed to be a soldier, aren't I? Come on, stop coddling me so much..." Maybe it was the headache, but, Kim's gentle touch was just... Annoying. She'd passed out near the end, but she'd managed it for whole minutes instead of the few seconds during Avery's test, could she not get some credit instead of 'you've done enough today, take it easy'? It just felt condescending...

Either way, they had bigger things to deal with. Tarquin, Thorvald, and Avery, had all decided that this new clone was stop number one. Christina took a few steps closer, getting a good look... "What's wrong with her?" She'd asked it to Avery and Thorvald, Avery shrugging at the both of them.

"Beats me... First thing she asked fer was orders. Got out on her own, jus' sittin' there, waitin' fer me t'give her some. I said, tell me iffin yer okay, an' get on the lift... So she did. In a real weird way." Between the alien, and how alien this girl was acting, Avery was rightfully creeped out.

"Hello..." the girl waved emptily at Tarquin, no smile nor much of a reaction. "Doll. Or C3. Do you have any orders for me...? I was told not to talk unless ordered to."