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


Nanami Touko
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In contrast to Calina, Abigail had anticipated Jess's comments and request. When turned to for her input, and confirmation that the captain was really serious, she quickly nodded. "Wait'll you get to hear the full version instead of just the Bluff's notes, I think you'll be a lot less surprised why she's feeling this way. And to be honest, I support her on this."

As much a shame as having to give up a battleship like the Riese was, especially with how it'd apparently been designed with Jess's unique circumstances in mind, there was no way they could keep it and not risk reprisal. But getting out of the ANF was healthier for her, for them all, so it was a simple fact of the matter, the only real choice to make.

"There may be a few bumps at first, but I think once the others get to know her, she'll settle in fine. And she can handle the switch from mostly giving orders, expecting always to be obeyed, to having work along under you and I, on a more level playing field with the rest of the guys," Abby confidently proclaimed, before turning to prompt additional agreement. "Can't you, Jess?"

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It was almost jarring how much the change in her company had improved her mental situation; whether it was actually the people present or the distraction they were providing she didn't know; though she suspected the former over the latter. The memories were still there, and she was by no means "okay", but they were no longer jumping out at her and demanding to be relived in excruciating detail. They were in the background where they belonged and would hopefully stay. However, try as she might, she couldn't keep her self-imposed stoicism up completely, as the more severe memories still prompted an involuntary flinch or wince.

She didn't know if there was any meaning behind Tristan offering her his hand, but she didn't care. It was an excuse to get closer to him --close to that strangely soothing person-- and, especially right now, she wasn't going to pass it up. She took his hand and all but pulled herself right into Tristan. She was closer than she needed to be, but that was more or less normal distance from Tristan at this point. She didn't really manage a proper response, merely muttering, "Good. I, want to be here... right now."

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In What Machine

"I don't know!" Barking at her wasn't going to solve anything, but Chris was beyond her ability to withhold anger at this point, grumbling loudly and gritting her teeth. Brant was handling things well enough, and the elevator was done moving. A ding, and they were out, Chris nearly dragging Kim across the hall and into the infirmary. She couldn't take this kind of attitude anymore, didn't she realize how important she was to Christina? That, and Brant was right. If Kim was having this sort of reaction, she was all they had. There was no way that they could use her so aggressively...

"Megumi, 'nother patient for you!" Chris burst into the infirmary, startling Olivia, who nearly dropped one of the scanners she was setting up.

"Geez, a warning. Give me a heart attack... Megumi doesn't need another patient."

"Yeah, whatever. Kim, find a bed. And... Oh. Shut your eyes, too." That was mostly a joke, now noticing Nina helping Megumi to dry Christina off... It was a bit weird to see her in her underwear, but, things had gone well, then? Chris let Kim go next to an empty bed, heading over without pause. "She's fine, right?"

"Megumi operated successfully, Chris... She should be fine. We just have to wait a small bit for her to wake up."

"Thank God..."

No Shots Fired

"Good. Like I said, he's my favorite pilot, and I don't think you need more enemies. I'm not as nice as I'm pretending to be." He smiled a bit wider, eyes nearly slits, as he listened to what else Firmia had to offer... And it was an offer he liked, chuckling openly. "You would, would you? I suppose working for an Alkaev could be quite fun. I've heard all the stories, of course, everyone in the EU Sphere has. Dima is quite popular... Of course, that's all rumor, but I'm sure there's some truth behind everything. Now, I've got several experimental machines on board, the likes of which you've definitely not seen, so your AI can take a peek at them, if she wishes. You'll be able to inspect them first hand... I'll have to do some convincing, it was already troublesome to get these pilots on board with helping the ANF, but... I'll definitely accept your offer-- Just, one condition, though."

He leaned back, idly swinging his cane, smiling even wider, chuckling just a bit louder. "Are you planning on doing anything in person? Perhaps, ground work? Infiltration, dealing with... People of interest? If so, I'd like to request you allow me to participate. I need to work the dust off these bones, it's been so long since I've had the chance to deal with people in person." Trying to hide his smile, just a tad, Troy nodded again. "That would be all. If you're fine with that, the Athena is all yours. Feel free to write up a contract, I'll sign it. And a moment... Stan? Tell the crew we're working for Firmia. I'll deal with any complaints in person."

"I really don't like him... I'll look at the machines later." Galatea was not at all impressed.

No Fight in Sight

"And why should I?"

"Esther, calm down... Louise is right. It's not the same group we've spent years fighting with. The... The Sacarians are running the show now. I for one, do not want to fight for them. If there's any way to save Helena and get her out of there, then--"

"Oh, shut up already~ Gods, that woman doesn't care about us either. You know why I'm 'alive', Vera?" She stressed the word and scoffed, this couldn't truly be called fully living. "Because she let Watanabe play around with my memories until he got an android to work with them. And! And, she even had him erase parts! I'm sure I'll 'live' easier now, but really, I was just a science experiment. Meanwhile, you, Vera? She lets the cats send you off to be a decoy in a fight for them. What does she care?"

"Khh..." So that's why Louise was an android... It didn't sound like something Helena would do, but she was here, telling them, she couldn't have just come to exist from thin air. "What a mess..."

"A mess indeed. So I'm throwing my lot in with these people, and seeing where it leads. Hopefully it's the right choice."

"Hopefully indeed."

Kazue shrunk even further against the wall. It felt like she was hearing things a sergeant shouldn't be hearing...

Limbs Limbs Limbs

"Sure thing, Iggy. Call you later!" Buck had managed to get things loaded up and moving, almost running into Tristan's little group as he passed them for the elevator. "Whoa! Sorry about that! Heavy load coming through." Button pressed, it was time to wait.

Tristan hadn't noticed Buck because Aly had latched onto his arm and shoved herself right up next to him. What a confusing girl... It did make him blush a bit, offering an apologetic look to Aliza. "Uh, we, were going to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat, so I can fix you something too, alright?" He looked up to Aliza and mouthed a 'sorry', starting off, hoping Aly would be fine walking. "I'd still like to chat, Aliza, so let's make those sandwiches and have a good time of it. We can even use the grill press, I've been feeling some melted cheese." I sound really cheesy myself, don't I? Ahahah... Maybe I've spent too much time on the bridge.

Bluff Notes

"Of course I can. I wasn't hoping to become a new captain, or anything... Honestly I kinda wanna try my hand at MS piloting. Sitting in the bridge, and not being able to do anything to actually help in real time, it's kind of painful. Especially when someone you love is, out there fighting their hardest."

Calina sighed, slipping down to the floor and hiding her face in her hands. This was probably the best deal for her, it would keep her family safe, and... If the toaster was at all good at piloting, they'd get another hand to help them. She just had to... Put up with Abby kissing another woman... That just made her feel sad, but... They couldn't take on the entire ANF. They'd die, for real this time. "Fine... Fine. Lemme, just..." Calina popped open a communicator, pulling up Sena's number, she probably wasn't back yet.

"Sena? Come in... Tell Terry and the others to, start bringing the ship over. We've... We've got talks to have."

"Sorry for putting you through this so suddenly, I just don't want to see you all get into that deep of trouble."

"Yeah, your care is appreciated, thanks toaster."

"Captain Titanium Can."

"Mrrgh."

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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"Of course I know how important I am to her! But if we don't give our all and lose, no one is going to have anyone... we don't have the luxury to hold anything back." Seung-Min replied to the unspoken thought, as the elevator reached it's destination and she was forcibly dragged across to the infirmary. Chris had dropped the efforts to hide her frustrations... either that or they had overcome her ability to hide. It wasn't like Kim didn't understand, but she had already given up a prime opportunity to cut and run... she could have even taken Christina with her before the blonde had been shot. It was far too late for that now.

Luckily, the infirmary had better news. Christina was already out of the Sieg tank, and was being dried off. Nina confirmed a successful operation to Chris when the blonde asked, which removed one burden off of her shoulders, at the very least.

"That's the best news I've heard all day... shut your eyes, Brant." Good enough to carry on the joke, even.

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"Actually," Megumi tried not to smirk, "if the lieutenant can get to a bed on her own, you can help us move Christina, Brant. Always trust experience."

Again? Brant squinted. He'd had a comeback for Kim but lost it with the doctor's suggestion, which also felt like a joke, given the amusement he felt coming off of her. Her poker face was the stuff of legends, but there was no disguising her emotions from the TKs. Not the conscious ones at any rate. Speaking of which, Christina really wasn't wearing much, unfortunately ... just the essentials and two waterproof bandages. That made sense considering she'd just been in surgery. Maybe it was best if her sisters helped her this time. Brant was far from prudish, but with everything he and Chris had gone through, and to a smaller extent, what they were still going through, it was better not to be brazen or act oblivious.

With a sigh, he said, "Sure but put a gown on her first."

"There's no time," Megumi made one last attempt before eyeing her assistant, "Oh, and Bennet, swap with me. I'll perform the scans while you help with Christina. Lieutenant, I'm going to need you to lay down and relax. Tell me exactly what's going on." Hopefully focusing on the details of her ordeal wouldn't get in the way of her staying calm and relaxed.


Firmia took an immediate interest in these rumors about her grandfather. A person or even a whole family's notoriety was something that could easily escape them in a situation like this. Firmia spent her life in remote parts of the world, chiefly Siberia. No small towns or anything of the sort. It was either an out of the way, almost completely self-sufficient mansion, or a large testing facility with very few roads leading to it, and not one of them paved. Firmia suppressed the urge to ask Troy what he'd heard and focused on the matter at hand, getting the Athena crew working for her rather than the ANF or for themselves.

Captain Lanzer's condition turned out to be an odd one. Firmia thought she covered everything that would concern him personally, but apparently, the man had some interest in fighting on foot. Firmia was exactly the opposite. She wanted to be behind the controls of a mobile suit or commanding a warship at all times. If she had to fight on foot, her side had made some major errors along the way. Troy must have been one of those soldiers--warriors--that advanced a bit too quickly up the military chain of command, though the Alkaev wasn't aware of foot soldiers becoming naval officers. There was perhaps more going on there that she could look into later. As far as it being a condition of working for her, Firmia had no issue with it on principle. Vera came to mind every time she tried to picture someone actually enjoying that kind of work.

"Ground work ... and infiltrations ... those are definitely inevitable," Firmia nodded with a resigned sigh. "If you want to take part in that, then that's fine by me." It was fine but somewhat cringeworthy in terms of the implied bloodlust. "As long as you can work well in small teams, there shouldn't be any problem. You have a deal, Captain. I'll get back to you with the details, soon."

...

Stan meanwhile sighed at Troy's direction. "You're only sending me because no one's afraid to take their frustrations out on the new guy, aren't you ...?"

"Working ... for Firmia ..." Rex was feeling a lot of emotions ... none of them positive, but if the little brat had made an offer Troy was happy with, then he couldn't fault the man for taking the better option. That did leave the elder Abrams with some things to consider. He might need to get a move on a lot sooner ...

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Aliza was surprised at the change of heart Aly had, pleasantly surprised mind you. It put a smile on her face as she watched her accept Tristan's hand. "I'm glad you decided to come along." He reinforced the good atmosphere. She couldn't help but notice the blush on Tristan's face too, and the mouthed off sorry as well. "...hee hee." She also couldn't help but turn her head a bit with a snicker. This guy was a total dork, but in a very charming way. Granted, Aliza was also a dork too. But it was so refreshing with all these intense situations and serious officers. "Oh, totally! I like grilled cheese myself, so it sits just fine with me!" She picked up her pace with the two of them and pat him on the shoulder briefly. "So let's get to it then, bet you're starved too, Aly."

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Jess' own goals seemed reasonable enough, even if Tarquin didn't quite understand the nuances of pay and pensions. Whatever she wanted to do, he was certain she'd get there eventually - even if she didn't know what it was exactly. Tarquin had time to figure things out for himself too, school was just the first on the list in his planned future. He was only fourteen after all, he probably had a good number of years to sort the rest out.

"That makes sense, I like to think that it's possible to choose something that you're happy with. Even if the choice is difficult." Tarquin replied, choosing to wait and observe the situation at his own leisure. The fuss in the middle of the hangar had already gathered quite the crowd. However, Makoto was certainly a welcome distraction. The connection between the two was rather unexpected, Jess must have had some interaction with Makoto's mother. Tarquin hadn't really met Makoto's mother, he'd been far too preoccupied with Nikolai in the medbay. "Makoto? Oh, you know Jess?"

He'd barely noticed Makoto during the battle, Tarquin's own attention had been on the enemy and keeping the Aria safe. Makoto may have claimed that he was only just surviving, but Tarquin had seen his development during their missions. He wasn't entirely sure how much Makoto had been practising without him, or with who, but the rate he had improved at was astonishing. 

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Okay, this was starting to get a little infuriating. Like, sure, maybe there was some justification for it, but that still didn't make having one's lover insulted and called trashy slurs feel anything but agitating. As Abigail was opening her mouth to berate Calina for the constant 'tin cans' and 'toasters', a sudden uncomfortable flash of introspection caught her dead short.

This is exactly what I sound like, isn't it? People feel this same way, when I'm dismissing and degrading Hannah, don't they?

No, maybe it's not so bad as all that. I'm only getting upset because of special circumstance, because of my close attachment to her, right? Without a special bond... hmmm...

Actually, does that maybe make it worse?

The thoughts were starting to go in a dangerous direction, so Abigail decided to just bail on any more heavy thinking. Putting her back to the wall, she slid down, like Calina had, joining her on the floor. Man, despite the irritation, it really was nice to have her back. Slipping out of her pilot gloves, Abby decided it'd be even nicer to hold her hand, and so she reached out with her right one to take her rebel's girlfriend's left, seeking to liberate it from its own glove.

That's when things got interesting.

"Jesus, Cally. What happened to you?" Starting at just above the wrist, rather than the smooth skin of a forearm--only interrupted by the soft, thin, natural strands of bodyhair--what Abby had brushed up against, after pushing up Calina's sleeve to start to work her hand free, was a crackly mess of scarring.

 


 

Sena had just made it back to the Deliverance, and was preparing to board the freighter, then soon after intending to disembark from her Mark III and make her way to the helm. If it became necessary to pull up next to the wounded Riese to help get Calina and Abigail back from whatever they were doing, then things would need to be put into place to get that done. While there was still some time left, as far as the deadline she'd given Calina, nothing would be hurt by it, if things were already prepared in advance, right? Even if they ended up not being needed.

That, and if she kept busy, maybe it would help keep her mind from wandering.

Maybe.

The buzz of her communicator snapped her out of her current thoughts, and she answered to hear a familiar voice, with a few vague and brief instructions. This was fine. It had basically been her gameplan without being told, after all.

"Un-Understood," she replied back, sounding a little weary and lifeless. One can only operate at 120% platinum mad for so long without it taking its toll, and Sena had stretched herself well past those limits. But the day wasn't over yet, there was still work to be done.

Well, Terry had left the battle first and must already be docked, so passing along the message would buy a little extra time. She should have thought of that herself, honestly. Well, if the best time had been a few minutes ago, the second best time was now.

"Terry, c-come in," Sena switched frequencies. "N-Need you to start getting things fired up, we're g-going back, and not j-just the suits this t-time."

Edited by Balcerzak
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New And Edited Louise

"Muh, I'd rather talk to Helena." Esther still wasn't buying Louise's words so readily. Was she really defecting Apotheosis like that? Were the changes really that bad? "If the cats are ruining it, we should get rid of those."

It had occurred that she hadn't thought as deep about the whole 'transhumanist ressurection' part, but, considering the target was Louise, Esther very much skirted any empathy.

Still... there was a touch of futility to discuss all that from a brig in an ANF battleship. On top of that, being the only one to speak about Apotheosis with any motivation was demoralizing. Esther let out a sigh in resignment.

"Being in the brig sucks."

Acquaintance, of sorts?

"Nope! It's my first time really talking to her, but if she talked to my mom, then I can trust Jess." Tarquin seemed a bit lost in the conversation, wasn't a bad thing from Makoto's perpective to break the topic and fill him in. "She should be either at the infirmary or at the cafeteria right now... do you have any plans for right now, Tarquin? We could go eat something." Yeah. That seemed like a good idea.

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"Mn. I would, like that. I still do not, know how to cook." Alriana remained close as they walked to the cafeteria, enough so that it was probably a bit of an inconvenience to Tristan. His proximity to her was having the standard calming effect and she wasn't about to let that go. Selfish, yes, but it was the one thing helping now. At least her meddlesome tail wasn't getting involved this time. 

It was a bit rude of her, but she had mostly ignored Aliza with her focus on Tristan being near laser-like. However, Aliza was still someone she could trust; a friend. It was a different sort of relationship and with that a different sort of support. She did her best to lighten her expression and give Aliza a smile. "Yes, I am. But, what is a 'grilled cheese'? I have not, had that before."

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No Time to Gown

"Brant's seen me naked, I don't think Christina in her underwear is gonna cause him problems. Get over here, slugger. 'Nother blonde to carry." Chris laid it out plainly, stepping back to get out of the way of everything. She did have to glance back at Kim, though, the girl had barked something when they'd walked in. "And you, headcase. I dunno if you can control that shit or what, but don't just hop into my thoughts whenever it's convenient for you. If you can't, zip your lips. Don't need everyone knowing what's going on in my mind just because you're emotional right now..." A huff, how annoying, 'of course i know', yeah, sure. Chris sighed and propped herself up against the nearby wall, depressurizing her SKIN suit just a little bit, enough to let her body breathe some. "What a huge mess..."

Nina had turned into a bit of a wallflower with all the people coming in, and Chris' comments made her shrink even further. So she had that sort of relationship with someone? Did that mean that those things were allowed for clones? Would it be fine? What were the issues? Nina sat back down on the vacant bed and started to think, wondering what the answer to everything was...

"Yeah, sure boss, got it." Olivia set the scanners down and headed back over, taking over Megumi's towel duty. "And..." She quickly set a towel out on the pillow of an empty bed, her hair could soak it once they'd laid her down.

Terms And Conditions

"Good! It's been so long since I've gotten to kill someone with my bare hands, lasers just don't do it for me." Troy laid everything out plainly once Firmia had agreed, smiling calmly, before cocking an eyebrow at Stan's comment. "Shall we go together, then? I'm more than willing to explain things to anyone that doesn't understand. You as well, Rex, I hope to hear all about this relationship you have with Firmia. More excuses to talk to you~"

Galatea huffed, slinking her way back into the Athena's systems. "I guess I'll go look at machines... Frankly, you're disgusting, Mr. Lanzer."

"And you're adorable. We can't help how we are, you know? I just happen to be a mess, capable of putting on airs. You should be happy I'm not some rabid animal, really~" A little laugh, and a gentle salute to Firmia. "Anything left to discuss then, boss~? If not, I'll bid you adieu until we hit ANF air space... Oh, almost forgot. Too excited. Here." A small ping, the Athena's location popped up for Firmia to inspect at her leisure. "Mind sharing where you are as well? The best I have is... The Arctic, but nothing else."

Jesus, Your Arm

Jess smiled as things seemed to be calming down, nodding. "Right. I trust the both of you aren't going to leave immediately, then... I have to see to some other things, but, I'll be on the ship. If you need me, Abby, Calina, don't hesitate to call. Alright?" Jess blushed a moment, but blew Abby a kiss anyway, not wanting to get in the middle of their little reunion for some PDA. "See you later~" And out the door the captain went, immediately losing her smile and sighing. She hadn't been secretly upset, really, she was super pleased with how things were going... It was just, stressful. Calina was so... Explosive. She had barely been ready for all of that, mentally having panicked when the woman threw a fist. Things are going well, so just, make it, Jess! It'll all work out!

"Right! Gonna check on... Oh. He's gone... A message?" From Ignatius. Buck was... "Oh... Alright. Brig it is, then." Jess didn't know why or how this had transpired, but it was certainly a good thing. They couldn't hold Vera in that cell, even with maximum settings, if her strength on file was to be believed. This way, they could. Now Jess just had to sort things out with her, and their new android friend...

Calina felt herself bristle at the blown kiss, but finally, Jess was gone. Laying a tired head against Abby as she sat down, Calina closed her eyes and breathed her own sigh of relief. "Thank God..." Just the two of them, again... And... "Ah, crap." Abby had already found her scar. "Gimme a... Gimme a second." She took her arm away, unzipping her flight suit, and slinking both out of it. A T-Shirt clung gently to her, just a bit stressed with sweat from the fight, as she gave Abby a bigger view of the mess that her arm had acquired.

"Doesn't hurt anymore... Kind of cool, I guess. Tried to solo two Velites on guard at the Bismarck facility. I won... Just... One of them got a nice stab in. Beam saber right into the cockpit, real terrifying, you know?" She brushed her hair back, a few small scars lined her neck and chin, having been hidden behind the locks. "Guess a helmet isn't perfect against intense heat and shrapnel, is it? Probably the most intense pain I've ever felt, but... Had to do something. Get something. A way to help get you back. And I lived, so... Try not to worry about it. What's more important..." She slid over a bit, before picking herself up, straddling Abby now that they were alone.

"Everything's sorted for now, right? And I finally have you all to myself, no distractions, nothing to get in the way... You have, no idea how much I've missed being next to you like this." She'd almost leaned in for a kiss, but bit her lip, pausing herself. "If I'm... I know that, I was being a huge bitch. It's hard. If you're not in the mood for anything, just... Let me know, okay? I'll get offa ya, sit here, we can just talk, but, just..." Another almost, the hesitation was strong. "Tell me, Abby."

Not The Suits

"Huh? We're bringing the ship over? Uh..." Terry had just gotten out of his suit himself, trying to calm down after having nearly died to some unknown. Hilling still had, so... Things were a bit tense, on board the Deliverance. "Sure, I can get it over there... Not setting up the guns, though. We're still a bit shaky from re-entry, I don't care if that big ass boat is a sitting duck, one plaster from it's beam cannons and we're as good as melted metal." They didn't have any proper shields on this things, just a re-entry system that had been cobbled together by Calina. It worked, but they needed repairs every time. "I'll get it moving anyway... Just... Yeah. Is Calina fine? Did she find Abigail? What's the situation?"

Just Get Rid of Them

"If we could, we would have. They're stronger than us, Esther... Even Vera would lose trying to play hero and taking them out. She's still human, after all~"

Vera sighed, it was true. "Esther, you need to give this up. I really don't understand this fascination with the organization, I thought you were just trying so hard because of me. Can you explain where all of this is coming from? I'd... I'd hoped you would want a normal life, if it became possible. It's not like your treatment is impossible to come by."

Grilled

"You can learn a bit, if you want, today." It wasn't exactly difficult, and she seemed good with her hands. It was just employing them for a different skillset... Still... She's really clinging to me. I guess I was right in assuming what happened today was terrible for her. Hopefully they could talk about it later, or Aly would even bring it up, herself. "Grilled cheese? ... Why don't you go ahead and answer, Aliza? We have to wait for the elevator, anyway." Tristan hit the button, wondering if he'd have his right arm back within the next hour or so.

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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"I obviously can't control it, Chris." Seung-Min replied with a sigh as the blonde settled against the wall. She had gone from concern to annoyance rather quickly, but at the very least if this would be a permanent thing, they were on seperate ships and unlikely to be in close proximity terribly often if it bothered her. More importantly at the moment, Christina was going to be okay, and now it was time to look into Seung-Min's own issue. Doctor Amparo wasn't an expert on telekinetics, so it wasn't clear what she might recommend, especially in regards to a case without any documented cases to work off of. Well, no use wondering before giving her what she knew, at any rate. Stepping towards her and laying down as instructed, Kim began recounting what she could recall from the beginning.

"Well, to start off... I started getting unusual feedback during the sortie. I could... feel the wind as though it was brushing across my skin. When one of the funnels dipped into the water, I felt a cold shock. I didn't take any hits on the machine, so I can't say what would have happened in that instance, but I can't assume it would have been pleasant. That level of feedback is incredibly unusual... T-links are calibrated to prevent that sort of thing from happening. At the time I chalked it up to tampering by Avery, but... effects continued after I unplugged. Even when I continued to be effected in the past, it was always chemical imbalance, never... retaining heightened sensitivity." Seung-Min began, figuring a notation that this was unusual behaviour fir a T-linked pilot was prudent... she didn't know how aware Megumi was of such mechanics after all.

"When I entered the hangar and everything came to a head, well... I've never been able to feel with such ferocity or intensity... so my head was thrown for a loop by it. When Chris came over to check what was wrong, I... I could hear her thoughts in my head, plain as day. Only hers, though..."

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Brant was in a relationship with Chris? Megumi almost felt guilty asking him to carry Christina over to a bed. Almost. Being a clone herself, she'd come to terms with the nuances--the same twins and triplets often did--well in advance. Chris was definitely being a good sport about it, so the doctor could enjoy the old joke one more time. They could only hope Christina would be fine for the rest of the war ... no issues with the Artemis, and no traitors on board to attack her directly.

Brant could only sigh and comply as Chris addressed Seung-Min's new mind reading ability. By the time he'd scooped up Christina, the lieutenant had set herself up on a bed and was explaining the situation to the doctor. It was difficult to ignore Christina's bandages, even with everything else on display. Those used to be gunshot wounds. "Man ... Avery's going to pay for this ..." Brant brought Christina over to the bed and gently set her down, making sure not to let the towel go to waste. After that, he pulled the covers over her and placed a hand on her forehead. "Glad you're still with us, Christina ..."  Heh ... she's so damp right now I can't help but think of that sweaty dough chat. A big amused grin crept onto Brant's face as he stepped away from the bed.

Megumi listened intently to Kim's explanation, hoping she would be able to figure out a solution based on that and the scanning results. She started working on those about halfway through the lieutenant's story. The mind reading part was ... strange, but she'd been prepared for strange, at least in part. The doctor wondered if being able to pick up on the thoughts of particular individuals had something to do with their relationship. Megumi could preempt her sisters--and vice versa--quite easily due to familiarity. That was just one example that sprang to mind. Wasn't Chris stationed on the Avalon now, though? Kim's copilot was Christina, not Chris. The stress of war and combat did bring individuals together much faster ... so either they were close in spite of the apparent distance, or ... Christina and Chris were a close enough physical match that they were both compatible.

"I think this has more to do with Christina, actually," the doctor said, glancing over at her other patient resting peacefully in bed, "though I have absolutely no idea how this could have happened. Is there anything else you can tell me about this?"


It was almost grating hearing the brutal honesty between Galatea and Troy. Even if the Alkaev did prefer openness and honesty to pent up feelings, she still had to find a way to mix water and oil, here. Troy had a good point, though. Galatea was a program, and however complex she was, her basic programming wasn't likely to change all on its own. It was uncertain how hardened and cold Troy himself had become, but he certainly wasn't going to be abandoning his bloodlust over the opinions of a handful of colleagues. As for Firmia ... she didn't know how much she could change going forward ...

Anything else? Well, Troy was interested in getting a transponder signal or something similar from them. The better to rendezvous. Firmia's ever developing strategic instincts had some concerns, mainly that if this was an elaborate trap, that signal could be used to coordinate a massive counterattack against the Avalon and the Heion Riese. It probably wasn't a trap, even if Rex was there--wait ...

...

Well, it probably wasn't a trap, but the vulnerability was still there. Fortunately, Galatea was already in the Athena's systems. That was extremely fortuitous if she could keep any leaks from getting out. Even Rex wouldn't be a problem, then ... and Firmia wouldn't have to make herself look paranoid, here ... "Go ahead and keep the Athena updated on our position, Galatea. I'm going to get started drawing up that contract," she smiled, "I prefer it when things are official. I should also have the Athena's systems figured out by then, which means we can start sending you some helpful data."

Belated, Firmia realized there might be some way Rex could screw all of this up, though the Alkaev was doubtful he'd try it. Still ... there was some insurance she could use, come to think of it. "There is one more thing, Captain." Firmia's smile warped into something a tad cruel, "Please let Rex know that his lovechild with Rosa, as well as his two nieces, are safe and sound here on the Avalon. I'm certain they're looking forward to meeting him."

"That's messed up," Sasha sighed and, admittedly, tried not to laugh.


Troy was in charge, so Stan was happy to have him along when the bad(?) news came ... new news, maybe. The man didn't exactly mind the idea of working for his daughter. He didn't much mind anything as long as he wasn't being abused. Rex was definitely going to be more of a hassle than usual, at least until this 'mission' was over. "I appreciate your kindness, Captain," Stan said, almost jokingly.

Rex shrugged. He was already here with them, and he had nothing better to do since Firmia wasn't even giving him the time of day. Still ... he had some things to figure out.

... and then Rex heard something jaw-dropping ...

"Please let Rex know that his lovechild with Rosa, as well as his two nieces, are safe and sound here on the Avalon."

"W-wait ... what ... did she say ... captain ...?"

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Aly must not have had any opportunities to cook in her life considering her position. Well that was something Aliza was all too eager to correct, we all gotta start somewhere after all. "...what's grilled cheese? Oh!" That was a good starting point. The smile she gave off was nice, though that was a side note Aliza kept to herself. She had to focus on the question. "Well...I think it's better if I show you. I guess that means you never had cheese before?" She asked. "It's pretty tasty, at least I like it. You might too." She looked over at Tristan. "What do you like on your sandwiches, Tristan?"

Edited by TheRoon
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Not That Simple

"It's... I don't, believe it could have gone this way." No, it was too sudden a shift for Esther. "It felt like a home, I liked you, I liked Astin, Duane... we all believed our goal and things were so much easier... and then this stupid ship came in." Esther's perception had been particularly tainted by the Riese. Vera only voiced doubt after them, aliens were only brought up after them. The Riese was a catalyst for bad things.

"I believed in it! I wanted to go out on a mech because I wanted to do my part, like the rest of you. Then you decided to hand me to stay in this brig, and even Louise talks about it with doom and gloom. It's too much!"  Everything was shifting upside down, and Esther had enough. She never had agency over any of these things. It only made it hurt worse. "If the aliens are the problem then let me go out there and kick their ass, at least! That's what this garbage ship the ANF stitched together is doing, s-so, why can't we..."

Ah, the tears started flowing. This sucked. Embarrassed and hurt, Esther turned her gaze to the floor

"I... I don't want to sit around, and... play video games, all the time."

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Elaine nodded, the reassurance from Brant was enough to keep her together for the time being. Whatever fate she had in store for her was uncertain, but she would have to make the best of what she got. Walking along with Brant and Kim put her on edge somewhat - the idea of someone being able to read her mind, especially in a situation like this was. She could only hope that Kim had some sort of control over it and didn't particularly feel like exploring her mind.

Standing in the lift, Elaine listened to the conversation about Kim's new abilities. Would they stick? Were they something that she'd gained from the Sacarians? It was a lot for Elaine to take in, especially after the trauma that Louise had delivered.

Seeing Christina in the medbay was sobering for Elaine, her anger at Avery's betrayal pushing her fear of Louise out of her head for the moment. It was good that Christina had been treated, but it didn't do anything to redeem Avery's actions. All this clone and mind-reading talk was giving Elaine a headache, she wasn't used to thinking so hard. Scratching her head vigorously, she finally broke her silence.

"All this psychic shit is way too complicated for me." Elaine complained, shaking her head. As confusing as it was, she was relieved that Kim didn't have access to her own mind. "If it works with Chris because she's similar to Christina... does that mean it works with the other one... uh Nina... too?"

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"Mn. Maybe I will." As long as she was able to stay close to Tristan she didn't care all that much about what they were doing. Though, it would be good to at least learn the basics. As she was now she was almost completely dependent on others for food; she had at least figured out the microwave during her week stay. "I..." Instinctively, she tried to search her memory; however, all that did was briefly give the memories back the spotlight. She gripped Tristan's arm tighter as she forcibly packed the memories away once again. "I, do not know. I do not, often ask about what I eat."

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Jess smiled a little as the shared name snarl reared itself briefly for Makoto, but the young man seemed to quickly hit on a solution that worked for him. More or less, anyway, he still seemed a mite out of sorts as he explained his circumstances and tossed out a question of his own.

"A little bit here and there," Jess confirmed, "What mother, proud of their son, wouldn't find ways to bring him up in conversation." Then she nodded and returned the salute. "Decided to give it a try, anyway. Helping out," came the slightly cautious answer. "I think it worked well enough to maybe make it a regular thing, what do you think, Tarquin?"

 


 

Sena chewed her lip a little in frustration, but nothing Terry said was incorrect. Even at its current situation, nearly the worst imaginable, the battleship completely outclassed the little freighter the rebels brought to the table. Even so..

The rebel hacker shook her head, and simply responded. "Calina was v-v-v-v-vague as hell. Said she n-needed us there for 't-talks'." If talking failed, Sena simply had to hope what manner of electronic warfare she could manage to wage would be enough for her and the captain to make a close range escape, or at least open a window of opportunity for a rescue attempt, or...

There were very few good cards left in the deck, but they had to try and make them come to the top of the deck as best they could. Anything less would be unthinkable.

 


 

As Calina slid out of the flight suit, like a snake shedding skin, Abigail got her first good look at the horrible scar. And everything made sense. The cockpit on the news hadn't been doctored afterwards, no, that damage had been real. "God I put you through hell, didn't I? Nearly died for me there..." she murmured lowly, taken a little aback with shock to be honest. There was no resistance as Calina spun a slight half circle and mounted her, Abby was still in the process of taking everything in. But even if she hadn't been, that was a welcomed advance after their long separation.

Slowly running her index and middle fingers up along the scar, she reached the elbow and turned the curve, continuing upward. After a bit farther, Abby gave Calina's bicep a gentle squeeze, and the muscle was just as firm and responsive as it had always been. Relieved that she wasn't trying to play the injury off as no big deal if it had in fact actually been some serious, permanent disability, Abigail let the tension leave her body and breathed out a sigh.

When she felt her girlfriend of the past six years shift her weight slightly, she knew from experience what was coming next. Closing her eyes, Abigail waited for the approaching kiss, but when it didn't arrive after a few seconds, she opened them again. Calina had begun apologizing, during Abby's extended blink, and while she appreciated the sentiment, somehow hearing the words just felt... wrong, awkward.

Shaking her head a little, Abigail almost snorted. "Please. Let's neither of us pretend that if the situation were reversed I wouldn't have been an absolute cunt myself. I'd prepared for a bit of raging bitch. Still wasn't easy, but," she smiled slightly, "You could have been so much worse."

Lowering her right hand to Calina's waist, Abigail pulled inward, scootching her along the top of her thighs, drawing their bodies closer. At the same time, she wrapped her left up behind her, taking hold of the back of her skull, burying her fingers in her hair, and holding her neck in place as she leaned in to kiss the series of small scars up along the slight arc they traced on her neck, until reaching one on her chin, where she finally rested her lips awhile.

Breaking contact after a few lingering moments, Abby began, "Thank you for..." then stopped, grunting a "Nnnnhmmmhm," denying and amending her previous words. "Thank you." That was much better.

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Sensational

Chris noticed that thick grin on Brant's face, getting a little smirk of her own. "Sweaty dough, huh?" That would likely be the only reason Brant was smiling in a situation like this, and admittedly, it was a funny thought. If it wasn't about that... Then bringing it up herself let her try and calm down, as Kim explained her brain's situation. It was still... Scary. If this was the next step, then Chris wanted little to do with it. Feeling what you were controlling and mind reading... She already had a hard enough time dealing with her own emotions and thoughts, having to parse not only the feelings of others, but their mental to-do lists whenever she passed them by, yikes. "I'm just glad the Artemis didn't take a hit, or lose one of its funnels, after this started happening. If you were feeling the sensations that closely... I don't... That's so dangerous..."

 Elaine had a point, as Nina stepped forward, considering it. "Would you like to test on me, Kim?" She was wondering if this extended to all of Christina's genes, or if there was something in particular about the girl and her first copy.

That's Messed Up

Troy's sinister side snuck out as his lips curled into a truly devilish grin, a low cackle leaving him. "Don't hide a gem like that on me, Captain Alkaev. And I don't mean the information." What a wonderful smile~ Ah, but what fun, Rex had a child, did he? Rosa... Rosa Alkaev? A storied history, then. "I believe, Rex, that she said your love. Child. With. Rosa. As well as your two nieces, are safe and sound on her ship... And that they can't wait to meet you, hahahah~" Far too much fun, what had started as an AI invasion had swiftly turned into a magnificent job opportunity and the juiciest information. "Well, if that's all, then, we have each other's locations, and I shall see the lot of you in a few more days. If we survive the forces in Canada, of course, but I'm sure with what we have on board, we'll manage."

"Oh, wow... He's not kidding. Firmia, look." Galatea propped up the plans on board for Rex's machine, titled the 'Rebellion', and a monster of a mobile armor, titled the 'Armadura'. Both were insanely customized, the Armadura itself looking like an entirely new prototype weapon.

"The EU always did prefer the heavier machines. You'll have to ask Sergeant Aiza as to how it functions completely, she's the TK we have running it. It's definitely deadly, though. Perhaps you can make use of its data... That said, over and out, Captain Alkaev." Troy cut the feed and started guffawing hard in his seat, making sure Stan and Rex could still hear him through their channel.

"Rex, you playboy, hahaha~!"

Transmission success? Hannah was rather beside herself, hand on her face, worried, staring at Firmia. "Was... Was that really the best course of action?" They'd gotten themselves another ship to work with, a hopefully capable crew, but everything with Rex and... And all that, and this Troy character. "If you're sure, you're the captain, but, still..."

Just Wanna Play Video Games

"Esther..."

"Then? Do that. What's stopping you? A jail cell? Bring it up when one of those people comes to check on you. I'm willing to bet my second life you haven't. 'Excuse me, I'd like to help with the aliens, can I speak to the captain', you curled up with a game and pitied yourself."

"Louise, there's no reason to be that harsh."

"Of course there is," she huffed, shaking her head. "She's just upset because her perfect world didn't work out, not because the organization failed. Apotheosis wasn't about who you liked, it was about trying to change the world. Then Helena had to conspire with extraterrestrials, and we know how that went. Hhhh. I know I came here to give myself up, but do you honestly think I'm not upset about it? Do you take me for a fool? I might've been crazy, but I still managed to respect Helena, at the least... Now, this..."

Vera sighed, was there no winning here?

"Er... Bad time?" Buck turned the corner with his hat tucked down over his face some, not really sure if he should be making eye contact. He'd snagged one of the androids on his way over, Tiffany, and she wasted no time hoisting up the new prosthetics and bringing them into Vera's holding cell.

"It's fine, Buck. I'm still surprised you did this, and I definitely appreciate it." Though, it was a bit awkward having the android fit them onto her... And the cold sensation of these limbs was a far cry from the near real comfort the previous ones gave. Still... Being able to move at all, who would complain? It only took a moment to reattach those, Vera gently flexing the hands and stretching the legs, before standing. "A bit chilly, but, that's to be expected... Thank you. Really..."

"No problem... Captain's probably on her way up to talk to, er, Louise, droid, so... S-See you all later. Er. Bye? Uh. Yeah..." Buck beat a hasty and awkward retreat, as Tiffany locked the cell once again, turning to leave to her post.

"Vera, re-armed, once again." Louise snickered and sighed, at least the woman was fun again.

I Could Go For A--

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it... The question about cheese is certainly important, though. I'll ring Megumi and see, before we have anything." Elevator two, going up. "Me? I wouldn't mind a reuben, if we're grilling cheese, so I'll check to see if the fridge has all I'd need for that. I'm sure Aly wouldn't mind a half dozen slices of meat on hers." With teeth like that, she had to be near completely carnivorous, right? Probably... Maybe that Megumi call had to happen first...

Vagued

"Then I'm going in with talking in mind. We didn't come this far just to get blasted out of the sky by some downed whale. There's a reason we left the ship so far out!" Worried wasn't quite enough to describe how Terry sounded, but Calina was the boss right now, and if that was how things were gonna be... "Can't you call her back and get details? I... Well, if, you're up for it... Sorry." He hadn't quite considered how Sena was feeling right now, with Hilling just... Going up in smoke like that. It was a part of the job, wasn't like this was the first time they'd lost someone, but Robert, he'd been here for so long... Felt like a permanent fixture. Now that he was gone... It would be near impossible for that space to be filled, for everyone.

Could Have Been

"Just because I could have been..." Abby really was content with all this, wasn't she... Enough to try and stop this getting to her. The little kisses, holding her, making things just a little bit closer. Even going as far as to pay attention to her scars, offer a thank you, in her own special way. Calina finally laughed, Abby's attempt at correcting herself too amusing to not giggle over, she, was really back. "You're welcome, then... You'd better hope that door stays closed..." All those little kisses and prods had done a lot more than give Calina confidence again. She didn't hesitate another moment, leaning in to plant a bite on Abby's neck and hold her tightly, hands snaking lower down her back. "... Because I am going to destroy you."

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Brant chuckled silently and nodded at Chris. Someday they had to tease the unlucky damsel about that. 

First scan finished, and Megumi wasn't sure what to make of it initially. The minds of TKs were only comprehensible to her in as much as they were identical to the minds of ordinary people. The biggest anomaly from Kim's brain so far was coming from the amygdala. The doctor tried to slap together some kind of theoretical mechanism for the emotion center of a TK's brain being involved in the interpretation of other people's thoughts. What she knew so far was that the lieutenant's mind reading only worked on Christina and Chris. It may or may not work on Nina, but either way, there was enough similarity between the former two to make them just about indistinguishable to Kim, at least subconsciously, or unconsciously. It could have been something like tuning into certain radio frequencies. Each person was wholly unique, except in this case.

... now, as for how the lieutenant was listening in on Chris' 'broadcast'? Megumi didn't have a clue, and she wasn't about to offer a half-baked theory with her near total lack of experience. "Time for the next scan, but I can tell you right now that the emotion center of your brain is showing very high activity right now. There's more showing up, but nothing I wouldn't expect after the fight you just had. Unfortunately, about all I can do right now is gather data and try to manage your symptoms. This is nothing like dealing with Esther."

Brant frowned at that, wondering if he'd be giving Firmia a call soon to check the journal. He could probably check it himself, but Firmia would be furious if he did something like that from here on the Riese ...


'Rebellion'? Firmia had heard about that machine but didn't know much about it. It was essentially a mobile suit designed for Rex by Alkaev company specifications, and built by the EU. It was just one mobile suit, so whether it was an ally or an enemy, it didn't warrant too much of a reaction from her unless it was armed with a nuke or something. The Armadura on the other hand did. Scooping this group up before the ANF wouldn't give her any kind of technological advantage, but pure firepower was important, too. Equally important was the fact that the more equipment they acquired directly, the fewer they would have to build all on their own. There was still plenty of work involved, however. Firmia was serious about bringing the Athena and her machines up to ANF standards, or better yet, up to her standards.

"I'll be sure to introduce myself to your pilots as well, Captain Lanzer," Firmia bid the man farewell.

She felt good once the call ended. The thought of saving face was long gone. She'd managed to recruit Troy and his crew--for the most part--which effectively pulled the rug out from under Rex and definitely threw a wrench in any upcoming plans he had. Then, to kick the bastard while he was down, Firmia hit him with the news that he had a son with the person he hated most in the world. That ought to keep him good and distressed for a while, and Troy's laughter was icing on the cake. Firmia hated what Rosa did, but if using it was the only way to punish Rex for getting her people killed, then so be it.

Hannah couldn't help but wonder if this had been the right move, but it was too late to turn back now, anyway. Troy seemed to be about on Louise's level in terms of homicidal gleefulness, and so it was natural the Avalon crew had a bad impression. Firmia still held to the belief that it was better for him to work for her ... keep people like that on a leash instead of letting them run wild or worse. Admittedly, the young captain was still trying to figure out right from wrong in war and in life, and this was one of those times when what seemed optimal to her probably looked dubious from the outside.

"I won't say it was the best move I could have made," Firmia said slowly, trying to put more of her feelings into words, "but ... don't forget, it's not just about this war. One ship and some mobile suits were never going to be enough."


"There's no way ..." Rex was only beginning to fully process what he'd heard when Troy ended the call and started laughing. It may have been amusing for him, but for Rex it was downright impossible. Rosa couldn't have possibly brought a child into the world without anyone knowing, much less three of them, and she was never far enough along in any of her pregnancies for a child to be safely removed and gestated elsewhere. She never had so much as a 'baby bump.' This was literally impossible!

"How, dammit?! How could she--grgh!" Rex's fist met the nearest wall. Stan winced, but Rex felt nothing but confused rage. Keeping his fist firmly planted on the wall, he sighed. "... it doesn't ... make ... any sense. You-... don't understand, Captain."

"Firmia doesn't tell big lies like these," Stan noted cautiously, "We clearly don't know the whole story ... but I bet my father-in-law had a hand in this. Wasn't he the one forcing Rosa to keep 'breeding' with you and your little brother? Maybe he sampled some zygote DNA to create a few clones. They would still technically be your child ... and nieces."

That ... made sense ... and it went a long way toward calming Rex down, though he was still severely frustrated. "Yeah ... that could be it. Firmia probably left that detail out on purpose just to mess with me ... ... still ....

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"That's what I thought too... as soon as I couldn't feel anything from Brant, at least. My first thought was that it was because Chris is telekinetic... I can't feel anything from Christina right now, but that's probably because she's unconscious. I... don't really know what else to tell you about the situation... if you had particular questions I could try to answer, but as far as I'm aware, this has never happened before." Seung-Min replied, mostly just trying to keep steady. Chris was clearly distraught by the whole ordeal... it seemed she was more concerned with picking up whatever this condition was than Brant. And then something about sweaty dough? The glimpse into the clone's mind told her it was in regards to Christina, but unless the blonde deep dove on the context in her own head, she seemed unlikely to pick up much more than that.

Moving on... focusing on Nina as the third version came over... focus... focus...

"Nothing. I can't feel anything.... unordinary from Nina. No thoughts. Mmm, and that makes sense. I had a bit of an emotional overload down in the hangar, so that isn't unexpected..." Kim replied to both the inquiry about Nina, as well as the result of the Doctor's first scan. It was then that Megumi brought up another name... Esther.

"So it's different from her? Has she been having issues with her abilities as well?"

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No More Games

"Shut the fuck up!" Esther was already fed up about Louise, she wasn't about to take the berating, especially after tearing up. "I was still waiting, for Vera, or anyone. Now I know it's pointless, but whatever!" ANF weren't her friends, not as far as Esther cared. She wouldn't fight for them, unless the situation was really that hopeless. "If it's that easy to get a mech here then I'd better do it. I don't want to stay around with you. I hate garbage people like y--"

They had visitors, at last, new parts had come to replace Vera's old. It was a good time to be quiet. Her mind was riled up after Louise's comments: after all, how dare that ghost of the past come back and judge her life, when Louise's own was far more pathetic?

Esther bit her lip, turning her back to the conversation. It was pointless to keep beating the glass walls. They were far too thick, and only would raise suspicions about her behavior. Instead, head dropped to a low angle, the girl exhaled some of the anger away in a heated sigh. "...I would like to talk with your captain, whenever they're available." She tilted her head to meet the kid mechanic and android, once they had done their work. Vera was sure to chastise her about it, but it l couldn't be helped.

She never did care for a normal life. That was already over the moment she became an artificial.

She didn't want Louise to be right, either.

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Nothing Making Sense

At least she could find some amusement through Brant... The doctor not having answers was alarming though. If Megumi didn't know what to do, was this just something they were going to have to monitor and wait on? Chris hated that thought, especially with Kim still wanting to fight. If she was feeling things that closely, her own weaponry, and they took a hit, or her field did and couldn't hold against something... "If you can't manage to get this under control Kim, it's gonna kill you." Chris started biting her thumb, what a problem they had on their hands. "Nothing's ever easy with the Sacarians, huh... And you not being able to feel Nina is weird, honestly. We're all the same genes, so what's up with that?"

Nina didn't have an answer either, but she did have an idea as to why. "Maybe it's because I don't have any of Christina's memories?"

"That might be-- Wait, you don't? What?" Chris was taken aback by that, gawking over at her sister.

"No... I have all of yours, from when you were awake, until they made me... Maybe that's how the cloning process works? I'm not sure if that would be why, but that is all I can think of that is majorly different between us all..."

Chris sighed, it was something, at least, but Nina was right, it made no sense as to why that was the trigger. Was it just because Kim was so close to Christina? Memories, brain patterns... "Ahhhh, this is making my head hurt! Why can't things just make sense?"

"... Kim...?"

Chris and Nina both turned towards the voice, as Christina cracked an eye open, trying and failing to sit up. "Chrissy!" Chris was first, but both girls wasted no time in rushing over to her, the bewildered and incredibly tired blonde blinking in confusion at them both.

"Wh-Where am I...?"

"You're in the infirmary, Christina... Buck found you, and Megumi managed to stop the bleeding." Nina held a tiny smile, while Chris was clinging to Christina's hand just a bit too tightly.

"Thank God you're alright... We were so scared." Chris was on the verge of tears, but she was just so happy that Christina was alright.

"I... I'm sorry... I..."

"You don't have to apologize. Not one bit... None of this was your fault. Just... Just so happy you're okay."

One Ship

"I know that much, just... I don't know if this is the right second ship. That's all... The machines look impressive, but the captain? I could do without some bloodhound. I know the J word makes mistakes, but at least she's not... That." Hannah sighed, but the deal was already struck, if only verbally for now. The Athena was definitely impressive, way more firepower than the Avalon at a glance, and more than sturdier. Equipped with a proper E-Field, as well... Like a miniature Riese. Between that and this Armadura, they'd signed on some significant damage.

"As long as you're sure, then I trust your decisions, Captain. And if he tries to do anything stupid, then, I'll deal with him."

There's One Way

"I understand plenty! And it's hilarious!" Troy was still cackling over their comms link, but someone wasn't having any of it, a loud 'AHEM' coming out of Stan's console.

"Let me dispel the myth for you, Rex. Hello again, Stan. Troy, please, for once, stop being creepy."

"Can't do, little AI~"

"Ugh. Fine! Rex, they are your child and nieces. Dima put Rosa under and transplanted things into an artificial womb... Only three of them survived the operations. They are those three. So don't try and convince yourself it's some trick from Firmia, she doesn't need to resort to underhanded methods to get under peoples' skin, unlike someone I know." Galatea had read up on what Rex had tried when she'd had a moment, sneering at him and scoffing.

"Get it into your head, big guy. You're the father of an Alkaev. I hope you enjoy it... Before anyone asks why I'm still here, I'm gathering the data on all of your machines. Having trouble with this green one, though... Merrygate? Strong firewall. I'm managing, but, still, if you know who's keeping it up, can you tell them to stop for a bit? I don't have all day."

"That's be May... Ahhh, Rex, or Stan, be a dear and call her over that, would you? Whew, I haven't had a laugh like that in quite a while! Going to need my meds before I literally have a heart attack over it, hahaha~"

Last Level

"You're so upset~ It's cute. Let's see what all that anger accomplishes."

"And you egging her on is going to accomplish anything else? Louise, just give it a rest alread--"

"Someone wanted to talk to me?" Jess came around the corner, arms folded. She faced down their new android friend, the re-armed Vera, and then glanced over at the now distraught Esther, cocking an eyebrow. "Already tormenting your cellmates, Louise?"

"Nothing better to do than to crush some dreams while I'm stuck in here~ So--"

"Thanks, that's all I need right now. Tiffany, let Esther out of her cell."

The android came right back around the corner and saluted. "[Yes, Captain.]" She stepped over and opened the door for Esther to leave, standing aside.

"You're just letting her out? Just like that?" Louise almost looked annoyed, but her confusion was masking it fairly well.

"I... Thank you, Captain Gefalscht, but..." Vera was just as confused.

"I'm going to assign someone to watch her, don't think this is free reign about the ship. She's simply been a good prisoner, and it's very clear that leaving her here will do nothing good between the three of you... I hope you get along with naturals, Esther, because Kim's going to become your new best friend." Vera sighed at Jess' declaration, only sparks would come of that... She had mentioned the Lieutenant coming to talk to her, but still.

"And what about us?" If Esther had been addressed, then it was their turn, right? Louise folded her arms and started tapping, looking quite expectantly at Jess.

"You, either start selling me all the information you know about Apotheosis at the upcoming meeting, or we have nothing to discuss. That's what... And while I expect something out of you, Louise, I don't expect Vera to utter a word."

The woman bit her lip, and clenched her fists. "You'd... You'd be right, about that." Vera let her sigh out, sitting back down again. "While I have no interest in what these aliens have turned Apotheosis into, as long as Helena is alive, I can't sell her out to you. I'm sorry. If that is the cost of my freedom, then I will remain here."

"And I have zero qualms with doing what Vera can't~! Feel free to ask me whatever you want at this little meeting of yours, captain, I'll give you everything I have." Louise almost started laughing, was it that easy? It would probably come with some caveat, but if that was all...

"Good. We'll see about other measures, Vera. If you can't do that, then maybe something else, but leaving someone of your caliber locked up in this cell serves nothing. If you hate these aliens so much, we should be putting you in a suit to do something about them." Jess knew it was a risk, especially with someone like Vera, but they had ways to lessen the risk, and make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Not completely ethical ways, but ethical left the building after what Apotheosis had done.

"I... I understand. If it's against the Sacarians... I have no problems. But I won't... I can't, fight my former allies. My apologies, in advance."

"As long as you aren't going to turn on us in a fight, I don't care if you leave them alone. We'll talk about that later, then. Esther! Any questions? If not, get ready to come with me. Cameras tell me..." Jess froze a moment, staring off into nothing, before coming back. "Kim's in the infirmary, that's good timing. Hop to it!"

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New information was coming in fast, and with Christina having just woken up, Megumi had to pick up the pace on her data gathering. So, Nina's set of memories was based on Chris and not Christina. Chris had Christina's memories, but her own 'native' memories were all that the second clone had inherited from her. Whatever was going on was likely limited--at least for the most part--to the mental realm.

When Christina came to, Chris was quick to try and bring her up to speed. That put a hopeful smile on Brant's face. Given how frustrating the situation was, she could use the distraction, and Christina definitely needed to know that it really wasn't her fault. Thinking about it more, both Christina and Seung-Min had it pretty rough in this war. Brant wondered if there would be time for them to de-stress as a group. Something like a double date would give them a chance to catch up and maybe even laugh together for a change.

Valerie took a moment to answer Seung-Min regarding Esther. "Esther was having problems, but not like this. She needs medicine to keep her symptoms under control."

"Right," Megumi nodded as she started the second scan. Fortunately, the infirmary had a scanner capable of analyzing TK waves. It was likely the only thing that could help clear up some of the confusion here ... "She's taking Triexanth for it. I was hoping we could address your symptoms the same way, but ... I don't have enough data to recommend that. I don't even have a reason to suspect it would help you, yet. It's just wishful thinking since we're well outside my field."


There was no doubt in Firmia's mind that Troy was a homicidal maniac just itching to throttle some poor sap to death with his own bare hands ... just the same ... that was less troublesome than some other things she'd had to deal with. At least a man like that thrived on the battlefield, unlike Firmia herself or Brant, who both had serious reservations in certain situations. Hannah did mention Jessica, and even when making a comparison like this, Firmia found herself leaning toward the maniac ...

Trying her best to be lighthearted about the whole thing for Hannah's sake, Firmia said, "Someone I can actually hold accountable for their actions ... and someone you're willing and able to smack down? ... Captain Lanzer is almost perfect ... I'm glad I thought of this."

Sasha chuckled. "She just can't win."


"So they aren't clones?" Stan was surprised but didn't show it nearly as much as Rex did. If Dima had managed to save three of those children, and Firmia managed to get ahold of them all, then what was going on back in Russia? What had been developing behind the scenes all these years? What was coming next? 'Curious' didn't do the situation justice.

Rex's head hit the wall this time as his arms fell to his sides. He let himself lean into it, and stayed there for a moment, still frustrated, still angry, still confused. "This ... ju-tch! ... Dima ..." Rex pushed himself off the wall and quickly threw another punch into it with all of his pent up rage. "DIMAAAA!!!"

"Well, if Firmia's goal was to ruin Rex's day ..." Stan eyed Rex pityingly, "... masterfully done."

As for Merrygate, Stan imagined that machine's mechanics were working overtime now to try and protect its secrets from the intruder. Then again, May had access to quite a few interesting programs that she might have implemented herself. He was curious enough to find out which was the case here. "May, are you there? It's Stan. We have a friend--friend?--friend, I suppose--trying to access Merrygate. If one of your programs is keeping her out, could you shut it down for a moment?"

There was the sound of a glass being set down quickly, just rough enough to make a loud glassy 'bop' sound. "There is no way I've had that much to drink--what did you just say?"

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"Then I'll just have to control it." Seung-Min replied... Chris's concern wasn't unwelcome or even unwarranted, but... there wasn't anything they could really do about it. They were at far too critical a point for the Artemis to be taken out of commission, after all. Nina mentioning that she only had memories native to Chris, as opposed to the latter inheriting Christina's entire set was certainly odd... a deliberate choice to foster obedience or simply a side effect of creating multiple clones, there was no way to tell. But either way it seemed to be the dividing line between her ability to read Chris, but not Nina.

Speaking of bouncy blondes, Christina was awake. Chris and Nina had been quick to race by her side, and Kim would have done the same were she not mid-scan. 

"I'm glad that you're alright Chrissy." The Lieutenant noted, a smile coming to her face as she looked over at the congregation of blondes... one would think them triplets if they didn't know better. In a way, she supposed they were.

"I see. Well, if the symptoms aren't similar, it wouldn't be a likely fix. I haven't heard of that medication used for Telekinetic issues, though..."

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