2022-08-13: The Bird that Flew the Nest
- Log: The Bird that Flew the Nest
- Cast: Athrusa Hsieh, Yuliana Dispersal, Tieria Erde, Regina Everhart, Sousuke Sagara, Qivi, Nena Trinity, Lockon Stratos
- Where: X Point
- OOC - IC Date: 2022-08-13
- Summary: At a Shuffles Alliance safehouse in X Point, Celestial Being ambushes a loose end.
<Pose Tracker> Athrusa Hsieh has posed.
Athrusa Hsieh is...
She's not... the most elusive individual, to be certain -- several very specific people have just found her going through a stack of tourist brochures in Nouvelle Tokyo when trying to pin her down -- but she at least has a mind for opsec when it comes to her mysterious mobile suit and Shuffles business.
She has a mind for opsec, but it doesn't mean she's impossible to trace.
The Impermanence Gundam is something of an enigma to all parties involved (Athrusa included) -- from photographic evidence from the skirmishes it's been involved in, it's visibly a Gundam-type mobile suit in all-white, with the characteristic elements of Celestial Being, including GN condensers on its head, chest, singular arm and legs...
And the unmistakable pinecone shape of a GN Drive on its back, spiralling red particles emitting from within. GN Particles.
Today, the Gundam travels low to the ground -- it has a tarp over one side of it to hide its missing arm, but is still smeared with caution tape draped all around its body. It doesn't look complete, and has never been complete -- entire armour pieces are just absent and exposing sensitive inner frame underneath, but Athrusa has been surprisingly cagey about letting anyone touch the machine.
Something about... "a poison that must never be known to the world," she expresses.
The Impermanence stops, as it descends over a shelter half-hidden in the nook of an impact crater; ostensibly, this is a safehouse for her to resupply for the rest of her journey to the AEU, where surgical operations await her.
It's about to become something much more complicated.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
OST - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryC0kCkbZQ8 Ego Likeness - When The Wolves Return
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The file comes across Major Pham's desk, as innocently as any of the others. "Chan Shixue," he introduces the object of the conversation, stoic and professional. "She stole classified military documents from her administrative posting and deserted. Consider her an enemy of the state. I trust you will handle this discreetly, Captain." He assumes compliance; he assumes comprehension.
He has both. "Yes, sir," Captain Dispersal assures him, as she flicks through the file. The smile on her face is hostile to life. "We'll see to it." So long as she is the one seeing to the Republic's troubles... the power inherent in keeping everyone in line is power which Yuliana can use to keep herself on top, in this vicious dichotomy.
She won't be a victim.
...---...
In an apartment in South Africa, Yuliana steps around an unfortunate obstacle, and arranges a note in someone else's hand on the table. She wears gloves; she wears a mask. She is exact.
Her partner sighs, from the shadows. "Do you ever think we're too hard on the people who leave?" Wen Yuan asks, as she plugs a thumbstick into Shixue's computer. Parminder's program, he assured them, will do the rest. "It's not that I don't think stealing should have consequences, but... it's not like we really have an exit program either, you know?"
Yuliana flicks through some music, and puts on something maudlin. She presses repeat. "No," she muses, thoughtfully. "I suppose we don't. Are you going soft on me, Lettu?" (Indonesian slang; Yuliana has always found 'first lieutenant' far too much of a mouthful.)
"No, ma'am. I'm fine where I am," Wen replies, as she finishes up. Scattering rubbish. Making it authentic.
But the questions Yuliana asks of everyone around her are so often questions she should ask herself.
Who is she victimising?
...---...
Yuliana flicks through another of those innocent-looking files -- the kind issued for people who have made very, very bad choices in their life, to hear the Republic tell it.
Its label reads: 'Hsieh Baihe'.
All that information she's been gathering, spy versus spy...
She doesn't document her conclusions, as she puts the scraps together.
...---...
"It's me. I have information."
The burner phones 'Verdiska' uses to communicate with Celestial Being have a familiar kind of opening, by this point. The data she sends has been properly expunged of its REA metadata -- Yuliana is, again, an exacting saboteur -- and all instances of the subject's name have been changed: the information now relates to one Athrusa Hsieh.
"You want her alive," 'Verdiska' is sure to specify.
She shouldn't show her hand with an opinion like that, but...
If Celestial Being retrieves Athrusa, Yuliana has the perfect excuse not to bring her back to the Republic. Her country loves discretion over all; if she reports that Athrusa has been taken into Celestial Being's grasp, she's confident the REA will bide their time instead of taking obvious actions to retrieve her. An action, delayed indefinitely... call it something like mercy.
... and Athrusa has already proven that Verdiska, the cover identity Yuliana uses for her actions under Celestial Being, can't possibly catch her alone.
This is the most she can do for the good doctor.
...---...
The RAM-004F Lion F perched on some old fuselage is entirely generic, and entirely evocative of a vulture at rest. Verdiska waits, fingers drumming on a clutch much simpler than the manual complexity she's used to, as her systems scan for the signals of the Impermanence.
It wasn't a mistake, the way she first accosted Athrusa in a Desmatz N. Those wanzers are designed for electronic warfare, but after she turned the data she set it to record over to their pet Whispered, well! It was probably very hard to reverse-engineer the effective electromagnetic pulse magnitudes in order to get usable data, particularly given the half-destroyed state she brought the machine back in, but Shari's headache is hardly Yuliana's problem. Now she has the data to feed into her sensors to help her track the Impermanence down.
She was nice enough to share it along with the other data she'd collected, of course.
The good news about this is that Celestial Being doesn't necessarily know about the Shuffles' safehouse, their secrets still veiled from Yuliana's prying eyes. The bad news, well --
Verdiska receives a ping on her sensors, and the safehouse won't be, very, very soon.
"Verdiska reporting -- I have a signal on the target," Yuliana transmits through Celestial Being's private local channels. Thanks to the voice-print scrambler she's installed in her radio, she doesn't much sound like Yuliana; her voice is still identifiably feminine, but there's a distinct edge of artifice which makes it difficult to place. "Now relaying coordinates. Remember, this is a retrieval mission. Do not destroy the Impermanence. We want the robot, and the girl."
(Yuliana doesn't realise that her statement has unintentional layers.)
The Lion F takes to wing, thanks more to its Tesla Drive than to any of the many plane-wings featured on it -- stylised on its legs, featured on its main body, evoked in its arms, really an unreasonable amount of wings. It's hardly the most unreasonable thing about its approach, as it hovers to land, heavily, atop the edge of the impact crater.
She flicks the various toggle-switches overhead to handle her radio -- and this time, she transmits over a wide band, for everyone nearby to hear.
"Athrusa! Darling! So good to see you. Verdiska here, your angelic friend," she introduces herself, cheerfully, and helpfully indicates the name and organisation she's operating under in the process. "You've proved a mite too slippery to accost on my own, so -- guess what! I brought friends!" She's so chipper about it, it might be difficult to believe that Verdiska once bargained with her shadowy handler for more time to handle the problem of Athrusa alone. ... she doesn't mention it.
Her voice drops, with electronic distortion, as she transmits: "You're surrounded. Now, I could go either way, with regards to how many people I'm hurting today -- whether this becomes a fight is all up to you, sweetheart." Behind the black veil she wears for all these spots of terrorism, her eyes narrow, a long, old scar down the middle of her left. She can still see from that side; she doesn't mention Athrusa's efforts in surgery or advocacy, either.
"Come along."
<Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
The Virtue Gundam stands several miles away from the shelter point, the pilot inside waiting in his cockpit with his arms crossed. Celestial Being had gotten information that classified technology had gotten into enemy hands and he had been sent from Ptolemy Team. Of course, he had considered the chance that this was another feint like the prisoner transport, but Celestial Being's main advantage was its GN technology. If even a single GN Drive got into the hands of someone outside the organization, it could be reverse engineered against them. Tieria couldn't let that happen.
Once the Impermanence Gundam came into view and Tieria saw the GN particles emitting from it, he gritted his teeth. Yeah, this wasn't a feint. This was a priority one. A Gundam, no less. Where do they get off, pretending to be a Meister? It was enough to raise one's blood pressure.
But one must remain calm. Emotion leads to mistakes. He takes a deep breath and radios in on the private channel. "This is Virtue. Target spotted. All Celestial Being personnel report in."
<Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
Abduction isn't really Regina's specialty. It doesn't quite sit right with her, either - but, VEDA requires Athrusa Hsieh's capture, and it's important for her own goals that she earn her keep with Celestial Being. So, when Verdiska calls, Regina is among those who gather.
At present, her mobile suit - WMS-03 Maganac - is crouched down, its cloak furled around it for camouflage. All systems are at rest, except those needed for communication. The machine is perfectly hidden... but not for long, as Verdiska reports the target's signal as well as her coordinates.
"Understood." Regina replies, bursting forth from cover. Soon enough, she joins Verdiska's Lion-F at the lip of that impact crater, her mobile suit looming down on the Shuffle Alliance safehouse. It stands impassively, waiting for the verdict.
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has deployed in CB-00X Impermanence Gundam Prototype. KTS: Qivi has deployed in Blizzaia L Custom <Sarangay>. KTS: Tieria Erde has deployed in GN-005 Gundam Virtue. KTS: Qivi has changed loadout.
KTS: Sousuke Sagara has deployed in ARX-7 Arbalest. KTS: Athrusa_Hsieh has deployed as a Rival. KTS: Regina Everhart has deployed in WMS-03 Maganac. KTS: Regina Everhart has changed loadout. KTS: Qivi has changed loadout. KTS: Yuliana Dispersal has deployed in RAM-004F Lion F. KTS: Nena Trinity has deployed in GNW-003 Gundam Throne Drei. KTS: Nena Trinity has changed loadout. <Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
One of the cool ("cool") parts of school being out is Sousuke suddenly has way fewer reasons to turn down requests from Mithril to support operations. Besides, he hasn't used Arbalest since its foray against the Death Knight, over a month ago. Nora Lemming, the Mithril engineer in charge of studying the Lambda Driver, none-too-subtly indicated she was looking forward to further data with great interest.
Which is one of several reasons Sousuke is also at the safehouse, receiving Arbalest after its repairs. He's in piloting gear, with Arbalest about to be loaded up onto a deployment booster to serve as escort for the next leg of the journey.
Or, for literally now. The base alarms start. Sousuke kicks up from where he's been studying flash cards in the standby lounge, tucking them into his pilot suit's pocket, and then rushes his way to Arbalest.
"Base scanner is ineffective," AL notes. "Enemy has engaged electronic countermeasures."
Sousuke grimaces, gripping the startup cables. "Then we'll confirm visually. But no need to make it easy. Engage ECS Invisibility mode and let's get out there."
"Roger," AL replies, and Arbalest stands up from the squat it assumes in standby; its green eyes flash.
And then its armor slides open, revealing holographic lenses which ignite in a flash of electric-blue. Arbalest disappears, but for the sound of its foot steps and a faint smell of ozone.
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Sometimes your job sucks, even (especially) if you are a member of a paramilitary organization that doesn't exist, has extremely secret missions (or would if it existed, which as we established it didn't) and a limited amount of supplies (see above).
Qivi 'just happens' to know a fair number of illicit and semi-licit suppliers and arms dealers through her contacts at Huffman Island. They'll deal with her if she has the money, and while she personally does not have the money, the Shuffles do - or at least things they can trade, which are more or less the same thing. Most of the things she's traded have been Vultured gear. But to do that, you need to actually go poke around ruins.
Which means that she has, completely accidentally, gotten a whole sideline as a Vulture: digging up the ruined gear, selling it to arms dealers, getting fresh supplies out of it (a couple of which give her much better than market rates). The experts are on the Freedan, but the Freedan can't be everywhere; Qivi isn't a *great* scrapper but she knows the basics. That's why she's out here, though right now she's between digs. It's not her favourite job.
Qivi is safely stowed away when hostilities break out. But as it turns out when wide bands get broadcast, people you don't even know about get to hear them. Qivi doesn't know Athrusa well. She's never spoken two words to her in particular. This does not stop her sudden emergency deployment.
It's a wanzer that erupts from a concealed hangar - little more than a cave from the outside, it could have just been parked harmlessly inside. There's enough junk around the edges of the impact craters to hide any number of shelters, and it's hard to tell precisely where it came from. But it is here *now*: green and black, with a distinctive painted symbol of a bull head, snorting smoke, surrounded by seven rainbow jewels in a ring around it. It looks like a Blizzaia, except one of the arms has been replaced with a heavier one that mounts a Zaku-style shoulder shield and carries a knuckle weight with two protruding spikes. The lighter has a shotgun, and on the other shoulder is a blocky shoulder-mount of a weapon.
People who follow Huffman Island wanzer arenas might recognize it as Sarangay. People who don't... well they still might recognize it as Sarangay. It's not like Qivi hasn't been helping the Shuffles and getting spotted occasionally when she does.
"Better idea," Qivi says, flipping her own communications to open. They're a little crackly, but hey! They're here. "How about you don't? If asking nicely doesn't work, *stop asking*."
<Pose Tracker> Nena Trinity has posed.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaattttt!?"
The annoyed cry echoes through the command center of the Trinity's mothership. Nena is not particularly pleased when she hears the news that there's another machine running around out there with a red GN Drive. She looks at her brother in annoyed surprise, "I thought we were the only ones who had those!"
Johann Trinity, as calm and cooly collected as ever, replies, "Clearly not... Whether it was obtained from another Celestial Being cell. Or a security breach. There are more out there..."
Nena raises her hand and clenches her fist, "Not for long! I'm going to go out there and DESTROY it! Then it'll just be us again~"
"Your mission is to capture it. And its pilot."
Johann's raining on her parade makes Nena cry out again, "Johaaaaaannnnnn!" She looks at him with pleading eyes.
Johann, well used to his sister's methods, remains firm and finishes, "That's your mission. Now get ready."
Nena's pleading expression goes back to one of annoyance, "Hmph. Fiiiiiiine." She spins around, marching off towards the ship's hangar. She calls out, "Come on Haro. We need to go and CAPTURE that unit."
The Purple Haro rolls along the ground to catch up to Nena, buzzing at her as it does so, "Doubt! Doubt!"
-------
"-and it would be like 'I was totally aiming for the head. Not my fault the unit moved and I hit the reactor instead and it exploded!' That sounds legit, right?"
Nena sits in the cockpit of her Gundam Throne Drei, waiting for the signal to proceed. She looks at the Haro nestled in its port in front of her expectently. Purple Haro buzzes back, "Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"
Nena grunts, "What would you know?" She crosses her arms, tapping her foot impatiently on one of the pedals while she waits. Finally the signal to move comes in, "About time!"
The optical camoflauge hiding the Gundam Throne Drei dissolves, revealing the machine. It rises up into the air, before blasting off into the distance towards the location where the target had apparently been found.
Thankfully it doesn't take long for Nena to arrive and join the rest of the Celestial Being units dispatched for this mission. The Drei comes to a stop to hover in the air, crimson particles flowing from the drive on its back, as well as vents in the attached backpack. More than is necessary, actually. Nena's way of going 'Mine is cooler than yours!'
The Drei raises its hand, finger pointing towards the Impermanence before Nena's voice crackles out across local comms as she asks with some annoyance, <"Where did you get that drive!?">
<Pose Tracker> Athrusa Hsieh has posed.
Athrusa's eyes scan just in time as the Lion F descends upon the impact crater -- and as a familiar voice rings through the wide band. A look of sudden realisatioon takes her, tension subtly coursing through her face.
"Verdiska..." Athrusa is unfailingly respectful of the name, given the voice. Her 'angelic' friend... ... ... could it be? Last time when Rena and Anita assisted her, it was also not quite in the service of the REA. That was a hint she deliberately gave her... 'angelic'.
Celestial Being.
Something twigs at her mind, though, in the distance; she can't know that it's the Virtue, but what was this sensation? There's ... something... something that feels so familiar.
Regina's Maganac comes next into view. A desert unit with camouflage... they really came prepared.
To her relief, she detects friendlies as both the ARbalest -- invisible as it is at present -- and more boldly, the Blizzaia L... no, that's a customised version, is it not? A Wanzer...
"This is Heart-5," Athrusa announces. "Thank you for the assistance."
Then, Gundam Throne Drei arrives and her eyes widen further. She recognises it as a Gundam of similar lineage to hers, of course, but more to the point, the crimson particles that erupt through the air...
It's just like the Impermanence's.
The pilot directly speaks to her, and Athrusa grimaces. Nena may or may not be able to sense that there's an Innovade at the seat, on the other side, through their shared quantum brainwaves.
"I escaped with this machine... from the REA. But..."
Athrusa's hands grasp at her flightsticks tighter."
These red GN Drives... somehow, I know they... they must not exist. Neither mine, nor yours. They are a poison to the world!"
Why does she feel that way? She doesn't understand where these feelings are coming from. It's as if Baihe is speaking through her, through some impenetrable veil of memory.
She directs her attention to Verdiska.
"I ... I cannot come with you. There are patients waiting for me. I cannot abandon them," Athrusa answers in turn. "I must attend to them."
The Impermanence's eyes glow, thrumming with the faint red of the power of the GN Drive Tau; on its command, four remote weapons detach and rise from its shoulder, possessing the appearance of metallic, stylised feathers. There's a lot of electronic interference in the air, but Athrusa's direct link is enough for her to take direct control of her remote Pinions.
A metal blade is held in its one arm, which looks... salvaged ...from some battlefield. It's scuffed and doesn't really match its size.
"I apologise. I must resist."
Athrusa takes the initiative, as she deploys her own electronic countermeasures -- she aims for the two at the lip of the crater, the Maganac and Verdiska's Lion F; in a sudden burst of static and disruption, she exerts her will outwards on a wavelength only a bio-terminal such as an Innovade could, tampering with their systems and shut down or slow what she can find.
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Regina Everhart with Demoralize!
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Yuliana Dispersal with Demoralize! KTS: Athrusa Hsieh demoralizes Regina Everhart, reducing her Morale drastically. KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 70. KTS: Athrusa Hsieh demoralizes Yuliana Dispersal, reducing her Morale drastically. KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 106.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Athrusa answers Nena's demand. The battle lines are clear enough. But...!
Nena's not the only one with camouflage! Arbalest suddenly soars into the air - betrayed briefly by a plume of scattering snow below - and as it enters the range of scattering GN Particles, the ECS' hologram sputters and dies, revealing the small white and navy machine reaching all the way up to the Throne Drei.
"Warning: Enemy machine is releasing unknown energized particle. Exercise caution," AL notes.
"Not the biggest threat right now, AL!" Sousuke barks, and then lashes out with Arbalest's tow cable, a wire gun firing it at high speed at the Throne's ankle, wrapping around it, and then dragging the Throne in closer, away from the Impermanence.
"Uruz-7!" he announces. "Entering combat!"
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Nena Trinity with Wire Entangle! KTS: Nena Trinity's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Sousuke Sagara anchors Nena Trinity, forcing her into close range. KTS: Nena Trinity blocks Sousuke Sagara's Wire Entangle, taking 630 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has engaged Nena Trinity! <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
Alright, the jig was up. Any chance of a clean in and out had been dashed, though Tieria had doubted that was ever possible.
The Virtue approaches closer and Tieria's concentration is shaken by a mental flash. Wh...What was that? The Gundam...the GN Drive...could this person be...? Tieria shakes his head and re-centers himself. Can't get distracted. Must carry out the mission.
An Arbalest and a Wanzer...Of course there would be backup. "I'm afraid that's not an option. Those GN Drives are key to our mission, and we cannot allow them to fall into enemy hands! Turn that mobile suit in!"
KTS: Lockon Stratos has deployed in GN-002 Gundam Dynames. KTS: Tieria Erde targets Qivi with GN Bazooka Shot! <Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"Okay, I love what you're doing with that wanzer, but you really don't want to be involved with this," the Lion transmits, when Qivi's ramshackle mech enters the scene. "If we end up fighting a bunch of machines which are still so blatantly in progress, why -- I might start feeling like the bad guy."
'Verdiska' sounds amused about that. Apparently, this is the sort of person VEDA has had working Athrusa's case until now. She is unsympathetic to how unsympathetic this might seem, to someone like Regina.
No, even worse -- she doesn't think of it at all.
"That's right." She addresses Athrusa, instead. "You escaped from the REA. And if we leave you to your machinations, the REA will retrieve you. Trust me -- according to all the data I've collected," which is a curiously vague statement which could refer to espionage rather than base personal experience -- "you don't want that."
Athrusa resists, and Yuliana frowns, as the static washes over her consoles. "Tch," she hisses, through her teeth, as she switches to manual targeting while her systems recover. The Lion F is designed to ease people into using a Manual system -- but this Verdiska happens to already be an expert.
The railgun on the Armored Module's fuselage lights up with energy, as Yuliana inputs the details to strike at the Impermanence -- and even despite the conditions she's operating under, she manages to aim it quite effectively.
"You're coming with us!"
KTS: Yuliana Dispersal targets Athrusa Hsieh with Railgun Careful Shot!
KTS: Qivi charges into the attack! KTS: Qivi partially guards Tieria Erde's GN Bazooka Shot, taking 2730 damage!
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh fails to evade Yuliana Dispersal's Railgun Careful Shot, taking 3450 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 27767 <Pose Tracker> Nena Trinity has posed.
"The REA? Why the hell would they have one of our drives? Did we seriously know nothing about this!?" Nena stares expectantly at her Haro.
Purple Haro flaps its wings, buzzing back, "No data! No data!"
Nena smacks the top of the machine with her fist, "Lot of good you are!" She hmphs, "Fine. Let's just dest-erm-capture that thing and be done with i-H-HEY!"
Nena is caught by surprise as a cable wraps around the leg of her machine and starts tugging her down. Nena looks down, her panoramic display showing her the newly revealed Arbalest on the ground below her. She cries out in annoyance, "What the!? I'm trying to do something here!" She presses her throttle forward. More of those crimson particles start to burst from the drive on her machine's back as the Drei applies greater thrust.
The red and grey Gundam looks to be gaining ground again is this tug of war. Trying to rise higher into the air again and pulling the Arbalest along for the ride, its arms are reaching out towards the Impermanence.
But finally Nena cries out in frustration as she's not making nearly enough progress as she'd like. So finally she says, "FINE!" The Drei stops its attempt to ascend, instead turning on the Arbalest below and starting to rush towards it.
As the Drei reaches its right arm up to retrieve one of the saber hilts jutting out of its shoulder, Nena calls out to the Arbalest's pilot, <"I'll just deal with you first then!"> The Drei pulls the saber free, crimson light rushing out to form its blade. The Drei quickly closes the distance towards the Arbalest, swinging the red beam saber towards it just as they meet!
KTS: Nena Trinity targets Sousuke Sagara with GNW-003 Twin Beam Sabers Strike! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara parries Nena Trinity's GNW-003 Twin Beam Sabers Strike, taking 1350 damage! KTS: Nena Trinity has engaged Sousuke Sagara!
<Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
"Mmmm. . .Guess that's how it's gonna be. . ." Several kilometers out from where the combat ensues resides a unit that appears rather similar to those that have taken up arms at the moment. Within the cockpit of that machine resides one man fully adorned in an emerald pilot suit, just as his machine was. Pulled down from atop of it is a scope as he watches events unfold and with it a small sigh escapes his lips.
"I was really hoping this was all gonna be a bluff but it seems if everyone's getting all rowdy, we're really doing this."
"Gotta do it! Gotta do it!"
Another voice fills the cockpit from the sound of a small orange Haro that is docked at his right side, a right-hand machine of a pilot if there ever was one as the pilot rests his hand atop the small companion.
"Guess so. Still. . .A capture mission, huh? Well if that's the case. . .I really should try to help out this time shouldn't I? Now, let's see, let's see. . ." Through the lens of his scope he begins keeping pace with the movements of the Impermanence, watching as it traversed the battlefield with such speed and mobility that it really could only be attributed to a GN Drive. "Well, at the very least we're not having to take anyone down for this so. . .Don't hate me for what happens next." With that, a familiar voice finally comes upon Celestial Being's Comm's
<"Alright everyone sorry for the wait, I'm here and ready! Lockon Stratos, targeted and firing!">
With those words the rifle within the Dynames hands would grip tight and from it. . .A shot would travel the distance of what felt like into the near horizon as a shot intended to take a shot the Impermanence's remaining arm.
KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Athrusa Hsieh with 'I've got you right between the eyes!'! <Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
"Some people just can't appreciate a good custom fit," is Qivi's off-the-cuff response to Yuliana.
She swaps over to just to Shuffles a moment later: "<I'm here to back you up. I don't know what they want from you, but if I can stop them, I will. If you need cover, call out. That goes for you too, Uruz.>" The biggest problem is that most of the Celestial Being machines fly. Qivi's Sarangay does not fly.
But it can jump.
Tieria fires a bazooka at the wanzer, and Sarangay leaps. Its back-mounted jetpack thrusters flare, sending it on a long arc towards the particularly chunky mobile suit. Sarangay's chunky, but it's *short* - it's only six meters tall, maybe a hair over, and Virtue is literally three times its height.
This does not seem to dissuade Qivi from coming in hot. The boxy shoulder-mounted launcher opens, revealing it as a missile launcher with four square launchers arranged in a grid. They fire, one after another, as Qivi tries to move in on Tieria, the staggered salvo angled to limit the number of directions the Mobile Suit can successfully evade in.
"<Man, they brought everyone! How interesting is that thing? I never get this kind of crowd outside a planned show.>"
KTS: Qivi targets Tieria Erde with MGR-M Launcher Missiles! KTS: Tieria Erde has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Tieria Erde successfully evades Qivi's MGR-M Launcher Missiles <Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
The Sarangay is here, too... Regina observes the wanzer with interest. Is this a coincidence, or does the pilot have some sort of connection to Athrusa, too? A part of her, the part that thrives and thirsts for battle, is interested in a rematch... but, a fight with her would likely cause her to lose focus on the mission. It would be better if she let one of the others handle that.
She listens, briefly, to Verdiska's response to Qivi, 'hm'ing for a moment. Her attention returns to the Impermanence, as the pilot replies to Verdiska.
"...Patients." Regina murmurs, hesitating for a moment. The target is a doctor, in the middle of work...
Soon, however, the Impermanence releases a burst of static and disruption. Her mobile suit begins to lock up, and Regina grimaces. It serves as a reminder that she has to fight. There's something she needs to take care of, after all.
"Move." She says, almost as if ordering the Maganac as she takes hold of the controls. The mobile suit struggles against the electronic interference, drawing out a meteor hammer. It begins to swing it around with some difficulty, but eventually momentum takes over - at which point she hurls it toward the Impermanence, looking to hook onto the machine and force it into close range.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Athrusa Hsieh with Meteor Hammer Hook!
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh fails to evade Lockon Stratos's 'I've got you right between the eyes!', taking 5500 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 22267
KTS: Regina Everhart anchors Athrusa Hsieh, forcing her into close range. KTS: Athrusa Hsieh fails to evade Regina Everhart's Meteor Hammer Hook, taking 2925 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 19342 KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Athrusa Hsieh! <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
The Virtue shifts over to the side, deftly evading the missiles headed its way. The mobility of these GN Drives was unparalleled, such slow attacks would be of little concern.
"I assure you, Lockon Stratos, the concept of being fashionably late does not apply to a battlefield! I'll make sure to have words with you back on the ship!"
The GN Bazooka pulls up to meet the Wanzer in its sights. He'd have to get that thing out of the sky. Energy builds up at the end of the barrel and it fires off a volley of several shots, giving the enemy nowhere to run!
KTS: Tieria Erde targets Qivi with GN Bazooka Rapid Fire! +spirit
<Pose Tracker> Athrusa Hsieh has posed.
The Virtue arrives closer, and Athrusa feels that same mental flash. The person inside that larger Gundam... this sense of familiarity... could it be? Kgh...
The pilot demands that they turn the mobile suit in -- not dissimilar to Verdiska's demand. "This GN Drive..." Athrusa directly addresses Tieria. "These red GN Drives must not be allowed to exist. I cannot and will not share its existence with anyone... I cannot let this poison spread through the world."
If she agrees with Tieria, why resist?
Again, she almost says it as if it's a directive, and it stresses her out as to why she feels that way. She grasps her head for a moment in a grimace. Why is her head hurting so much...?
This is the distraction Verdiska needs to nail the Impermanence with a careful shot from the railgun, which shears against armour and partially exposes the Impermanence's left shoulder.
Verdiska addresses her directly too -- in words so coached she can understand the implicit meaning behind; "But to be taken in by Celestial Being... I..." Yuliana can hear the unusual distress in her voice, which is slight yet significant from her usual monotone.
But what? That fog is back in her mind; not now! You're in the middle of battle, Athrusa!
Athrusa's eyes widen as she senses danger and a bullet tearing through the air moments before she can spot it -- but her head's killing her too much for her to take direct action, and the Dynames' bullet shores through the forearm's armour, further damaging its limb.
The Maganac capitalises on this opening, its meteor hammer threatening to just shore off its head in one fell swoop; it crashes hard against its V-fin for a moment and tears a portion of it off instead as Athrusa draws back, but Regina's already coming in close to her.
Qivi speaks on the Shuffles channel. "<My unit and I are of interest to Celestial Being, in part due to its GN Drive. ... I cannot remember much else, I apologise. Uruz-7, Wanzer Pilot, I'm sending updated battlefield data and cover to you.>"
It's at this time that the Pinions finally move -- two of them lurch out in remote fashion to seek out the Dynames, aiming to strike from opposing directions at the same time and slice through its rifle, which it's identified as its most dangerous asset.
The remaining two seek out the Lion F, seeking to strike in similar formation as they aim towards weaponry and wings -- much like last time, Athrusa never seems to aim for the cockpit herself, whether by choice or... because she has no choice.
The Maganac, on the other hand, is far too close for her comfort -- but she can't do anything about that, and she instead uses her beleaguered arm as she raises her blade and tries to slash through the centre of the Meteor Hammer's chain to try to break the weapon.
"That Gundam is also..." Athrusa whispers, as she gets remote visuals on the Dynames. "Celestial Being... what is their relation to me? I... I..."
This headache isn't going anywhere. It's just getting worse.
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Lockon Stratos with Pincer - Juhua Formation! KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Regina Everhart with Blade Combo! KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Yuliana Dispersal with Pincer - Juhua Formation!
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Sousuke Sagara
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Qivi
KTS: Regina Everhart parries Athrusa Hsieh's Blade Combo, taking 750 damage! KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has engaged Regina Everhart! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 24. KTS: Yuliana Dispersal has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Qivi blocks Tieria Erde's GN Bazooka Rapid Fire, taking 1530 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Arbalest is a comparatively tiny machine - but a third-generation ARM Slave is a miracle of engineering, and when Throne Drei tries to drag it off like a fish tied to a boat, it PULLS DOWN, and manages to actually, if not quite outpower a GN Drive (Red For Some Reason?) at full burn, be enough of a nuisance to the thrust efforts that just stabbing him to death becomes preferable.
The goal is achieved. She comes at him. Sousuke fingers a switch on his handle and the screen blinks, letting him know which hardpoint has just released its monomolecular cutter. He swings one arm down, Arbalest tripling the motion to grab at a knife released from Arbalest's chest, lash it up fiercely to catch Nene's blade! The advanced metallurgy allows it to clash even with a GN Beam Saber, sparks flying as the two forces try to pierce each other. Eventually those forces break - it's not really in Sousuke's favor, as the smaller machine the Arbalest goes flying back down, still tethered to Throne Drei. But despite the clouds of kicked-up dust and snow, Arbalest still stands, and its offhand now holds a different weapon.
<"Uruz-7 to Heart-5. Not a problem.">
Arbalest's green eyes flare in the light as his Boxer shotcannon gleams, and fires a slug straight up.
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Nena Trinity with Boxer 57mm Shotcannon Slug! KTS: Yuliana Dispersal fails to charge. KTS: Yuliana Dispersal partially guards Athrusa Hsieh's Pincer - Juhua Formation, taking 5520 damage! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 60. KTS: Lockon Stratos's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Lockon Stratos fails to react to Athrusa Hsieh's Pincer - Juhua Formation, taking 3960 damage! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 98.
KTS: Nena Trinity's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Nena Trinity blocks Sousuke Sagara's Boxer 57mm Shotcannon Slug, taking 2160 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Nena Trinity has posed.
The Drei clashes with the Arbalest, their weapons briefly locked as they try to overpower the other. Staring at the machine on her display, Nena wonders out loud, "What the hell is that thing anyway?"
Purple Haro buzzes back, "Arm Slave! Arm Slave!"
Nena ohhhhs, "One of those things... Yeah, I guess it kind of does look like one. Somewhat cooler than the stupid looking ones I've seen though. Still."
The two machines finally break apart, the Drei floating back into the air a short distance. It swings its torso around to bring the shield attached to its right shoulder into the path of the fired shotgun shell. The slug pushes through the field of crimson light that briefly appears just beyond said shield, before impacting against it. Nena can feel the heavy impact rush through the frame, but thankfully it's not a particularly bad blow.
Nena then smiles gleefully, "Pretty sure I'm allowed to destroy this one!" She flicks a switch.
The Drei's shoulder shield, still facing the Arbalest, splits down the center and opens. Revealed beneath are a collection of somewhat rounded objects. A bunch light up, before rushing forth from the pod. They spread out as they rapidly fly through the air, approaching Sousuke's location. While they don't look familiar, their purpose can likely be intuited to not be beneficial for Sousuke.
And sure enough, the moment they reach the Arbalest's proximity, they detonate in blasts of crimson light.
KTS: Nena Trinity has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Nena Trinity targets Sousuke Sagara with GNW-003 Beam Mines In Your Face! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Nena Trinity rattles Sousuke Sagara, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Sousuke Sagara parries Nena Trinity's GNW-003 Beam Mines In Your Face, taking 900 damage! KTS: Nena Trinity repulses Sousuke Sagara, forcing him to disengage. <Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"On the contrary, it's because I appreciate your work that I offered you such a warning, wanzer pilot!" Verdiska tosses back to Qivi on the wide band, when she has a moment free. One might question her priorities.
That's the end of the sentence, there's no challenging clause.
"You're late," Verdiska issues, to Lockon, as he arrives, and the condemnation is carried entirely in the irritation of her distorted tone.
It's not his fault, not entirely. It's irritating, the way Athrusa keeps struggling, even though this is the better option available to her. She sounds so distressed, even though the alternative to this battle would have been --
Well, the alternative is the REA's methods. Knowing the details of one fate, it feels a kindness to consign her to the other.
A kindness she is actively abjuring. Athrusa's Pinions aren't, precisely, Fin Funnels, and that limits Yuliana's capacity to respond to them in a deeply unfortunate way. The Lion F jets forward, but it was never designed to work so well this close to the ground, and it's not the most remarkable unit in the hangar regardless -- even with the emergency adjustments Yuliana makes on the fly, the pinions crash through, decimating one of the wings on her legs.
The Armored Module doesn't use its wings to fly, of course, so it doesn't actually hit its mobility terribly much. But it is a stark reminder of the power differential -- between the incomplete Gundam and what it's fighting.
"That's right," Verdiska affirms, belatedly, to Regina. She's too focused on correcting her mech to bother to switching off of wide-band communications. "The target was working as a doctor for the REA -- and she's continuing her work as a fugitive. But she'll never be free, with two targets painted on her back."
Her hand tightens, on her clutch.
"You can't escape so easily."
She can't escape so easily.
And it becomes clear that she's switched to talking to the Impermanence, again, as she declares: "Just look at these Gundams which have come to fetch you... you belong with us, Athrusa!"
She keeps her distance, as she raises one of the Armored Module's hands -- and the missile launcher hidden there barrages out a volley, soaring towards the Impermanence.
She's not trying to hit her cockpit, either.
KTS: Yuliana Dispersal has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Dispersal has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Dispersal targets Athrusa Hsieh with Hand Missile Barrage!
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh blocks Yuliana Dispersal's Hand Missile Barrage, taking 1560 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 17782
<Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
<"Hai, hai, I'll make sure to work extra hard now that I'm here to make up for my absence!"> There's the slightest teasing sound in his tone as he speaks through the comms to Tieria, playful though perhaps a bit cheeky given the situation.
"Tieria's mad! Tieria's mad!"
"Mmm, I thought he was just happy to see me since it's been so long since we've last been on a mission together. " Even with Haro he can't help the little joke. "Anyway, let's make sure that we don't give him any more reasons to finger wag at us, shall we?"
"Roger! Roger!"
He's just about ready to line up his shot, there's already alarms going off in the cockpit, Haro flailing its wing-like appendages crazy as the pinions go for its weapons of all things. The Dynames is forced to take defensive maneuvers as it tries to shake off the pinions as they attempt to create their pincer attack.
A small click of his tongue escapes the lips of the pilot, "Not a lot of wiggle room to aim, Haro!"
The Dynames begins moving, attempting to keep swerving between the two pinions with the kind of movements expected of a Gundam, though, attempting to aim while handling such small weapons at once. . .It ultimately leads to one buffeting his machine, one of its shields damaged and a bit of wiring exposed in its leg. Though just as one one is about to hit the weapon. . .
"Sorry, that's not happening."
"GN Missiles! GN Missiles!"
As the pinion is about to snake its way into range, the knee joints of the Dynames open up, the skirt of the Gundam does as well and from it appear. . .Missiles, lots and lots of them. Their goal was usually to handle large crowds coming in at once to avoid getting crowded upon, though as a distancing tool for this. . .It worked perfectly well. Especially when the rest of the volley of them would start launching towards the Impermanence as well. Only. . .Rather than exploding on impact as they hit. Something interesting would happen. Once latched to their target, the GN Missiles would begin dispersing GN particles right into the unit, bloating it from the inside with said particles before causing internal explosions. He imagined that a few of those landing at non-vital areas might make things just a bit easier to take this Gundam in alive.
KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Athrusa Hsieh with 'I've got plenty for all of you!'!
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh blocks Lockon Stratos's 'I've got plenty for all of you!', taking 1200 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 16582 KTS: Lockon Stratos begins a Formation attack!
<Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
Red GN Drives, a poison... Regina considers that for a moment. Truthfully, she doesn't know much about the technology the Gundams employ. It's not something she can just look into. She's curious, but not enough to stall her advance.
Athrusa moves to sever the chain. Seeing this, Regina pulls the chain taut and then shifts it to redirect the blade. The chain is severed, freeing the Impermanence but preserving some of the chain's length - she may need the weapon again later.
Verdiska confirms that Athrusa is a doctor, and Regina frowns.
"That is... sad." She notes. It's a shame. A cruel twist of fate, maybe. She'll apologize, if she ever sees the doctor face to face - though she knows that may seem hypocritical, as she even now continues to aid in her abduction.
The Maganac dodges to the side to avoid the incoming missile barrage from her allies, using the opening to draw out a heat tomahawk. She keeps the blade deactivated as she thrusts the weapon forward, aiming to disorient the Impermanence without causing lasting harm to the Gundam or the pilot.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Athrusa Hsieh with Heat Tomahawk Disorienting Blow! <Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi snorts. It's not that uncommon for a customized wanzer to look like a bit of a mismatch; sure, the military rarely does it (aside from occasionally replacing legs with something more suitable for different terrain), but private operatives? It's hardly unheard of.
Honestly, Qivi isn't sure why some of the drives are red and some aren't. Surely this is just how they work? She's not sure why it's so interesting to Celestial Being or what makes it different. But that's the nice part about when someone comes in so hot and eager for violence: she doesn't need to figure it out until later.
"<We can talk after,>" Qivi says, followed by: "<And it's Heart-5. Or Sarangay.>" She'll take either. Sarangay is both her usual callsign and her wanzer's name; Heart-5 is what she got assigned. Being addressed by either is fine by her.
More of her attention, honestly, is on Tieria. So this is one of the Gundams that declared war on the world? Huh, she thinks, before her mouth gets the better of her again: "So this is it? You're gonna stop war with that? By coming here and hijacking her shit? Gotta get through me first."
"War's not my life. But fighting is. I'm Qivi, pilot of Sarangay, gladiator. Come on and get me if you can!"
Bazooka blasts hammer down at Sarangay. Qivi loses a fair bit of height, because Sarangay can't fly; its jetpack needs to recharge between bursts, letting her leap buildings in a single bound (even really tall buildings!) but not stay up in the sky.
The particles slam into the raised shield, causing it to glow red-hot. The paint sizzles as it hammers Qivi downward, but her thrusters are showing yellow again. Not green, but good enough for a short burst.
Qivi rockets straight upward with enough force to slam her around in her pilot's seat. She stops firing them pretty quickly, simply launched upward by momentum. She's going to go down again a moment later - but as she does, she fires something like a slash harken but sized for a wanzer, trying to wrap it around Virtue's leg as she drops, pulling it down with her.
Sarangay is, as mentioned, about a third the height of Virtue. But it's heavier than it looks; wanzers are denser than MSs because of the nature of their armour, even before you take into account all the trickery Tieria is using to stay airborne. Qivi figures either she will drag Tieria down with her or he'll have to struggle to hold them both up, her on the end of her cable - and either one works for her, as she raises her shotgun with the other hand and starts firing buckshot upward.
KTS: Qivi has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Qivi targets Tieria Erde with XL Slash Harken Grapple!
KTS: Tieria Erde's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Qivi anchors Tieria Erde, forcing him into close range. KTS: Tieria Erde parries Qivi's XL Slash Harken Grapple, taking 510 damage! KTS: Qivi has engaged Tieria Erde!
KTS: Regina Everhart rattles Athrusa Hsieh, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Athrusa Hsieh blocks Regina Everhart's Heat Tomahawk Disorienting Blow, taking 1200 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 15382 KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Athrusa Hsieh!
<Pose Tracker> Athrusa Hsieh has posed.
Athrusa knows Verdiska is right on some level, so why is every fibre of her being resisting harder than she ever has, even when compared to the Nega Force came to take her back to the REA? This isn't natural! This isn't right! It...
The Dynames is on the move, and she doesn't quite catch the rifle as intended, the GN Shields instead taking the brunt of the blow and missiles instead forcing her to abort her attack as she withdraws the Pinions and...
They balloon outwards, suddenly shifting shape into a rounded surface more suited to be a shield. Are the Pinions composed of Living Metal? Strange technology indeed. The GN Particles, however, still shift through, and Athrusa is forced to take in the difference...
"These green GN Particles... they... feel real. Correct."
Why... does she feel that way?
The Maganac is still hot on her heel, and though she doesn't know the pilot, it's clear that Regina is easily capable of overwhelming her in melee combat. The heat tomahawk rises, and she doesn't predict a thrusting manoeuvre, which disorients her as it clashes against the Gundam's head and, perhaps more than Regina might know, rattles her direct control and dizzies Athrusa herself.
Verdiska intones that she can't escape so easily. she's moving with a little more focus, though Yuliana is still her combat superior and she can't manage to escape the missiles' effective range, instead deploying her Pinions in a similar fashion, as they cocoon outwards into something resembling ballutes.
But Verdiska pointedly says something that catches her attention. Just look at these Gundams which have to come to fetch her...
She belongs with them.
Belongs...
Belongs...
Athrusa's grey eyes hyperfocus all of a sudden--
AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME AGO
A sterile laboratory composed of matte white panes of metal; flat screens course through data at an astounding rate, light coursing through cables and eventually settling upon a vaguely eye-shaped capsule resting upon the back of the room.
A pale, white-haired person rests within, suspended in the pale green liquid of the capsule.
"Innovade pattern-type 0373, registration number 09773-SA271..."
The person's eyes open.
"... Hsieh Baihe."
NOW
"If I return to Celestial Being..." Athrusa suddenly states on wide-band, with emphasis on the word. Why did she say that? Where did that come from? Just what was that painful flash of memory?
"If I return... I... I am certain VEDA would erase everything that I am." VEDA. She independently knows of Celestial Being's extremely advanced AI. "Everything that I have managed to become on my own... I would..."
Athrusa grimaces, and the Pinions transform back from their cocoon state back into sharp, feathery blades that race against the Dynames and Lion F, once more aiming for weaponry with vicious precision.
"I would cease to be Athrusa...!"
She sounds distressed, levelling this at Tieria in particular for some reason, even as she levels her blade up to the Maganac in an attempt to strike at her sensors and buy her time, in a move similar to what Regina's done to her.
"Is that not that the case...?!"
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Regina Everhart with Blade Disorienting Blow! KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Lockon Stratos with Assault - Meihua Formation! KTS: Athrusa Hsieh targets Yuliana Dispersal with Flurry - Lian Formation!
KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Athrusa Hsieh rattles Regina Everhart, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Regina Everhart fails to parry Athrusa Hsieh's Blade Disorienting Blow, taking 5160 damage! KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has engaged Regina Everhart! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 41. KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Alert Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"Protection subject is under heavy attack," AL notes, highlighting a section of screen.
Sousuke grunts in irritation. Can he do anything...? <"Heart-5, if you need to escape, let us know. We can keep them busy for you for a while."> And if need be, could they get Danaan involved...? Here? Hundreds of miles from shore...?
Damn, damn. But...if he releases the Lambda Driver, that should at least let him hold them off. He doubts he can completely stymie an entire squad of Celestial Being elites like that, though, not with their machine's specifications so secret--
No time to think that far ahead. "Enemy unit wields energy barrier," AL notes, confirming the evidence of Sousuke's eyes. "Damage level reduced below Category D." In other words, barely worth discussing.
Throne Drei's shoulder shield opens. AL pings an alert signal and Sousuke turns his knife and--
The gatling cannons on Arbalest's head spin up a high whine, belching fire into the mass. It's enough to prevent the mines from exploding directly next to him, but the impacts still force Arbalest back and prevent him from engaging in maneuvers that will keep him in preferential range. "Enemy escaping optimal engagement parameters!" AL warns him.
"I see that!" Sousuke calls, and clicks a selector button. Arbalest's shoulder hardpoint cracks open and Sousuke reaches for the contents, then whirls on one foot and swings.
Arbalest releases its own fan of explosives - knives shaped like throwing knives but made of a special timed explosive, which will drill through that barrier, cut into the armor, and then explode!
KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos successfully evades Athrusa Hsieh's Assault - Meihua Formation KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 79. KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Nena Trinity with Anti-Tank Dagger Fan! SCENESYS: Sheryl Nome has posted scene #138, 'Diamond Crevasse', at 19:00 EST on 09/08.
KTS: Nena Trinity successfully evades Sousuke Sagara's Anti-Tank Dagger Fan
KTS: Yuliana Dispersal has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Dispersal successfully evades Athrusa Hsieh's Flurry - Lian Formation KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 117. <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
"You don't have the slightest idea what that Gundam is truly capable of!" Tieria pulls out the Virtue's beam saber, parrying the brunt of the cable's attack, but still being pulled down to the ground in front of the Wanzer.
Tieria stares the Sarangay down as its pilot introduces herself. Such meaningless bravado. Qivi...if Tieria was correct, it was a Zentradi name. That would explain the attitude. But a Wanzer?
"You don't need to know my name. I am the Meister of the Gundam Virtue, and that's all that matters!"
He turns his head towards Athrusa, the feeling in his head getting to be too much. This woman...she was like him. It had to be. An Innovator. That would explain why she had the Gundam and the GN Drives. And she knows about VEDA. That's not good. "I don't know how you know what you know, but it's too much. All I care about is recovering that Gundam. Whatever happens to you afterwards is not within my ken nor is it my business."
The Virtue pulls the saber back, blade glowing with even more GN particles, and swings it down onto the Wanzer in front of him.
KTS: Tieria Erde targets Qivi with GN Beam Saber Swing! KTS: Tieria Erde rattles Qivi, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Qivi parries Tieria Erde's GN Beam Saber Swing, taking 465 damage! KTS: Tieria Erde has engaged Qivi! <Pose Tracker> Nena Trinity has posed.
She's free! Hooray!
But. This one is starting to piss her off too.
Whether she intuitively realized that her GN Barrier wouldn't be able to help against these weapons... Or she just feels like demonstrating the superior capability of her machine... Nena doesn't end up trying to block the thrown knives like the previous shotgun slug. Instead she quickly manipulates her controls, causing her Gundam to strafe left and right, slipping in between the launched knives and preventing them from getting too close to be caught in their explosive radius.
Nena giggles over the radio at her opponent, taunting, <"Exploding knives are sooooo last decade!">
But then a word coming in amongst the surrounding chatter catches Nena's attention... VEDA. Nena frowns, "Seriously!? What the hell? Someone has REALLY screwed up here!" She's just glad it's not her. But this just gives them even more reason to destroy that unit and kill its pilot... They're giving away all of Celestial Beings secrets!
But first... "Guess I need to deal with the one in my way!"
The Drei raises both its arms, firing off a couple bursts of crimson blasts from the two beam handguns attached.
KTS: Nena Trinity has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Nena Trinity has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Nena Trinity targets Sousuke Sagara with GNW-003 Dual Beam Handguns Rapid Burst! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara fails to evade Nena Trinity's GNW-003 Dual Beam Handguns Rapid Burst, taking 3375 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
"Haro, they're coming for round two."
"Out of the way! Out of the way!"
As the pinions begin to go on the offensive again, they'd find that the Dynames move with much better movements. It's as though the pilot itself had already gotten accustomed to their movements, already preparing for the best possible way to handle the attacks and frankly. . . It was working. Why? Because it wasn't even Lockon that was maneuvering, rather, in the heat of the moment Haro was taking up the controls to handle all the defensive maneuvers and at the same time. . .
"Did they just-- Tch!"
It was one thing if they were just speaking nonsense, but now. . .They were talking about VEDA?! It'd be one thing if it was just someone who found a GN Drive and was piloting it willy-nilly. But this person. . . If they knew about VEDA, this situation would have become a lot more dire, especially now if they were broadcasting this stuff on the open channel. "If we don't take them down soon we'll have to. . .Haro, keep us moving, we're going for a body shot!"
He says a body shot, saying to aim for the area near the cockpit which should be fatal, but. . . He's seen that shield the living metal puts up, and he trusts his own shooting well enough to deal with this. It's a gamble, but at the very least if he can shake up the cockpit he hopes he can mess with this machine's comm system, maybe knock out the pilot inside. Perhaps it's risky as it might kill the pilot but. . . It's a judgment call, and if anyone can pull off a shot like that, hopefully it'd be the guy with Lockon in his name.
<"Oi, make your next shots count. We're gonna need to hit hard and quick if we wanna keep this hush-hush!">
With those words spoken, the scope within the cockpit came down once more, and like his namesake, like a true sniper, even as the Dynames propelled out of the way of incoming strikes in vicious thrashing moments. . .He'd fire the beam rifle attempting to just pierce through one edge of it, as though he was trying to rip off its armor with a single shot.
KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Athrusa Hsieh with 'Sniping the Target!'!
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh fails to evade Lockon Stratos's 'Sniping the Target!', taking 4650 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 10732 KTS: Lockon Stratos completes the Formation attack! <Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
If Athrusa returns --
A lot of things happen at once.
All the blood drains from Verdiska's cheeks -- and goes deep to her skull, emotions bubbling, BOILING, and it would be some measure of kindness to call the whole thing rage. There's no impression of this, of course.
Empathically, there may as well not even be a pilot in the Lion F. It's filled with blank space.
At the same time, the Pinions become blades again -- but Yuliana is a veteran of some years, and having so much to parse and integrate intellectually doesn't actually touch her instincts as a pilot. She slides a lever in, grasps the clutch and urges it into another drive, and the Armored Module jets up into the air above the feathers.
It doesn't go too far.
How is this going too far?
Erasing a person isn't so different to killing them -- really, it's more or less the same thing, on a surface reading. That doesn't explain the way her stomach knots, the tightness in her throat, the grimace on her lips. Yuliana is an eminently unfair woman, so perhaps the issue is that it's Athrusa's fate, specifically -- but that's not it, either, entirely.
Yuliana Dispersal is painfully aware of the attempts to clone her -- to reproduce the REA's successful failure. She has personal experience with the hell of facing up to being replaceable. She knows very well just how many methods there are to ensure someone's compliance regardless of their wishes, just the same.
(She can't escape. Athrusa can't, either.)
Athrusa would cease to be Athrusa, erasing all those lessons she'd learned. No mention as to her death.
... it's not entirely that Yuliana is unfair, but it is still, very much, that Yuliana is unfair. For all the people she's consigned to death of the mind, none of them mattered. She thought -- she thought --
"Then... the course I set you on... the target I've struck..."
Her voice comes slowly, when it comes. All hitched at the edges, and it would be both easy and wrong to blame the voice modulator. She is not thinking, for the moment. Doesn't think about the implications of her striking this target, after she explained there were two on Athrusa's back, and one belonged to the REA.
"WHO CARES?!" Yuliana yells, as she launches herself recklessly forward -- despite the way Verdiska always fights at range -- to lash out at the Impermanence with the Assault Blade in her Lion's hand. "You're a traitor! A TRAITOR! Do you think you can just LEAVE?! Just like that?! Traitors aren't rewarded so easily! You can't just start over!" She's entirely heated, so it's a good thing Lockon is as fine at aiming as his name implies.
She spits, with venom: "I'll DRAG you to your reckoning, Doctor! One way or the other--!"
But the demands Yuliana makes of everyone around her are so often demands she sees of herself.
KTS: Yuliana Dispersal has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Dispersal targets Athrusa Hsieh with Assault Blade Disorienting Blow! KTS: Yuliana Dispersal rattles Athrusa Hsieh, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Athrusa Hsieh blocks Yuliana Dispersal's Assault Blade Disorienting Blow, taking 2220 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 8512 KTS: Yuliana Dispersal has engaged Athrusa Hsieh! <Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi's name isn't *quite* Meltrandi. But it's 'not quite' Meltrandi in that it's a short form of a name that is, in fact, 100% Meltrandi. She just doesn't use it, and usually doesn't bother to bring up that she is; there are enough unusual names in the world that it's not usually a concern. It's easier for her if she doesn't catch anti-half-Meltrandi prejudice - hence the ear-covering headband.
But she is, and it is, and it's not *that* hard to figure out, honestly.
"Hey, what's that?" she shoots back to Athrusa, though focused as she is it almost slips past her. What does she mean 'return'? What does she mean 'cease to be'?
Qivi swings Sarangay's weight from where it hangs under Virtue as the pair descend. It's enough so that she can land feet-first, and maybe he can or can't - she's not sure she can trip him, but even if she can't she can make it a bit of an awkward landing.
When the sword comes for her, she does something reckless. Stupid, even. Qivi punches it.
The heavy weight, held in the fist with two protruding spikes as long as daggers but squared, catches the beam saber between the spikes. Treated as it is, the saber does not immediately carve through the weight, but it's not something she can hold there and twist like she might against a physical blade; she slips, leaving a lighter score down Sarangay's arm, as she fires the shotgun in her other hand at point-blank range. This one is heavier pellets; spreading less, heavy enough to punch through armour at short range. A wanzer standby, and one Qivi aims under Virtue's arm, near the shoulder. If she's *very* lucky, she'll take it off.
Qivi does not expect to be that lucky, which is why she follows it up with a second shot a moment later.
KTS: Qivi targets Tieria Erde with Covet V300 Boost Shot! <Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"No contact," AL reports. Damn!
Still, Sousuke lets himself speak. <"These are state of the art, actually,>" he notes to Nena, flatly. Ah, but she's getting serious. He's let her get out of range, and just as he thought, she promptly uses it to her full advantage. Arbalest's a quick machine, and Sousuke leaps to the sky, trying to clear out; but Arbalest's superior jumping power just isn't on par with a Celestial Being Gundam that already has the air at its side. The first shot pings him hard - fortunately, Arbalest's beam defenses are up to snuff, so instead of melting immediately to slag, it just is sent crashing into the snow.
"Sergeant, the escort--"
"AL!" Sousuke roars.
Snow explodes upward - wait, no, it's not. It's...light, a wavering opalescence imprinted into the air. Blue and red intermingling around Arbalest as an unspeakable energy erupts around it.
And yet, all sensors can say for sure is that it has just deployed heat-dispersing shoulder fins, and is rapidly venting heat.
He looks up at Nena, levels the shotgun, and fires.
What comes at her is a slug wrapped in a shell of light that rips through barriers like tin cans.
"Lambda Driver activation confirmed," AL says. "Marking combat recordings as classified."
Sousuke Sagara transforms to ARX-7 Arbalest - Lambda Driver Online
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Nena Trinity with Lambda Shotcannon Piercer! KTS: Tieria Erde has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Tieria Erde has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Tieria Erde's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Tieria Erde parries Qivi's Covet V300 Boost Shot, taking 660 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Qivi's Unbreakable activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Qivi has engaged Tieria Erde! KTS: Nena Trinity fails to evade Sousuke Sagara's Lambda Shotcannon Piercer, taking 4464 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
If she 'returns' to Celestial Being...? Regina catches that wording. And, Athrusa knows about VEDA, too - privileged information, that they try their hardest to keep under wraps. But what she says next is of the most concern - if Athrusa is returned to Celestial Being, she will cease to be Athrusa.
Regina pauses, distracted - and she's thrown enough off that when the Impermanence approaches to strike at her mobile suit's sensors, her timing is a little off. Her heat tomahawk just grazes the blade as she moves to try and redirect it, and it continues its course. It strikes at the side of her units head, causing the mobile suit to reel back as the sensors are briefly filled with static.
"...Is this true? What does she mean by that?" Regina asks, uncertain. She's coming to realise that this situation is beyond her. There are forces at play here that she doesn't quite yet understand.
Understanding, however, doesn't seem like it will come so easily. After a moment, Regina forces her Maganac forward and moves to strike... but she hesitates, for just a moment.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Athrusa Hsieh with Pass! <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
At this range, it's a cinch to parry this attack as well, the remainder of the shot bouncing near harmlessly off his barrier. This thing was about as durable as the Virtue was, and neither of them was going to get anywhere with these small attacks.
No longer tied down by the cable, Tieria pulls the Virtue back, bringing the battle back into range, though still grounded. This Wanzer is just a distraction. He needs to get rid of it, and might as well show the TRUE might of a Celestial Being Gundam while he's at it. The Virtue digs its feet into the ground, pulling the GN Bazooka back out and lowering the cannons on top of its shoulders. The armor on its chest slides out, exposing the raw connection to the system's core drive, allowing the back of the bazooka to directly slot in, the outer barrel splitting in half and the inner barrel extending to twice its length. All three barrels glow with energy, and...
"Activating Burst Mode!"
The bazooka and cannons shoot out a wide, connected beam of energy, the pure force of a shot at maximum output pushing the entire suit back slightly.
KTS: Tieria Erde targets Qivi with GN Bazooka Full Burst! KTS: Qivi blocks Tieria Erde's GN Bazooka Full Burst, taking 2130 damage! KTS: Tieria Erde roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable.
<Pose Tracker> Athrusa Hsieh has posed.
In a way, Athrusa's managed to self-fulfill her own fears, which are in part created from half-remembered memories of how Celestial Being operates with regards to its own operatives. As Tieria tells her that she knows too much, and that all he cares about is recovering the Gundam and how what happens to her after is not within his capability or business...
Lockon certainly proves that he's worthy of the name -- the beam lancing through and shoring off armour to expose the GN condenser underneath, which lightly cracks underneath the impact even as Athrusa twists out of the way to avoid a direct hit.
It's Verdiska's words that truly rattle her, however.
The Impermanance buckles even as she tries to retreat, but the Lion proves too fast for her. The blade tears away at the arm's armour, as she tries to defend to no avail. She calls her traitor. A traitor. A traitor... a traitor to what? Who did she betray?
The REA? Celestial Being?
Right now, knowing that she must be silenced for what she knows, Athrusa feels so very alone at present. It doesn't feel good to know her own worst fears are realised.
What was she? What was she born for? Everything she has done, up until now... the moment she wished to be her own person, it was as if... the world wouldn't have any of it.
"I only wish to be my own person, Verdiska...!! I..."
Qivi asks her what's 'that', and she takes it to mean VEDA in this context, distressed as she is. "I cannot... I cannot say," she remarks. "It is not something that is meant to be known."
She's already grazed well past one of her directives, at this point. It feels like she's wounded her entire being.
Regina doesn't quite impede upon her; she asks her what she means. "I do not know. I do not remember much about Celestial Being. I just know... somehow," she admits. "Please."
Sousuke offers her a way. "<... Uruz-7, I accept the escape assistance. My mental state and combat performance are at dangerous levels.>"
She catches note of the light coming from Arbalest, and the Gundam Virtue's extremely powerful cannon; it's at this point that she jukes forward, zipping past the Maganac when she sees Regina hesitating--
--and just goes for the complete disengage and chooses a direction to retreat in at full speed.
+eject
KTS: Really eject? [Enter `yes' or `no'] yes
KTS: Athrusa Hsieh's CB-00X Impermanence Gundam Prototype has been disabled. KTS: You have not deployed a robot. (see +deploy) KTS: You have not deployed a robot. (see +deploy)
<Pose Tracker> Nena Trinity has posed.
State of the art? Doubtful. Nena's Drei is state of the art! The thing she's facing is just-
-Why is it glowing?
Nena watches with confusion as light errupts from the Arbalest. She wonders aloud, "Arm Slaves don't do that... Do they?"
Although it was more of a rhetorical question, Purple Haro none-the-less responds, "This one does! This one does!"
Nena hmphs, "Well. It's probably nothing. I'm sure I can-WOAH!"
Another shotgun slug. But this one is bathed in LIGHT! Nena quickly tries to move her machine out of the way, but she's not fast enough! The slug penetrates through the red barrier that forms, smashing into the chest of the Gundam and knocking it back a short distance. Little bits of armor are blasted away, as several cracks form in the machine's frame spreading out from the impact point.
Nena grunts from the sudden force, before she recovers and notices the damage alerts flashing on her display. That one hurt. She mutters, "Lucky shot... But I should probably keep him from getting another one like that in." She'll show him.
She'll show them all.
The red GN particles aren't poison.
They're beautiful!
And Nena has a lot of them!
The Gundam Throne Drei's backpack flips up, vents turn to aim in the direction of the Arbalest. Nena grins cheerfully.
A large stream of those crimson particles of light rush out of the Drei's vents, focused and directed towards the Arbalest. They engulf the machine and the area around it, throwing sensors and comms into complete chaos!
Nena giggles once more. Even at this close range, Nena's voice crackles a little through the interference as she asks, <"How do you like that?">
KTS: Nena Trinity targets Sousuke Sagara with Jam! KTS: Sousuke_Sagara has deployed as a Rival. KTS: Nena Trinity jams Sousuke Sagara's sensors, reducing his accuracy.
has a new level of existential sad to contemplate
KTS: Qivi has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
the term) but then everything went sideways
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"Y-- yeah, well-- you don't WANT my help, okay?!" Verdiska yells, as the Impermanence's pilot makes that heartfelt wish. "This was -- I'm the one who sold you out, you damn fool!" She shakes her head, and insists, savage: "And you deserve what you get! I could care less what happens to a traitor like you--!!"
It's a slip in grammar which is more revealing than she thinks.
Yuliana at least thinks to kill her radio, as she slumps there, strings cut for that one essential moment.
"Stupid," she mutters, into her cockpit, cursing the dampness of her veil.
"You're so... stupid."
Who is she talking to, radio so cold?
"I thought I could... oh," she exclaims, softly, "it doesn't matter what I thought."
Facing the sheer impossibility of mercy, compelled to commit to her atrocities rather than admit her failure, Yuliana feels so... so very alone, yes, is perhaps the phrase.
She sees the Impermanence isn't on the field any more, though, and she hardly has the choice to stay still either. Flicking her radio back on -- speaking to her allies in Celestial Being this time -- she declares: "Target out of range. I'm disengaging to track her signal."
The Lion F moves to disengage, just the same, and... well, the best lies always have an element of truth to them.
Yuliana certainly does engage her sensors.
That doesn't mean she's searching with any manner of efficiency.
Yuliana does an awful lot of finding people, in her day job, but...
... her heart's just not in it, right now.
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi still doesn't know enough about what Athrusa is going through - or talking about - to have much of a reasoned opinion.
Fortunately Qivi also runs on emotion and she doesn't need to. She can get the details later. Right now she can just focus on what's in front of her.
"<All right, while you get out I'll stop this asshole from shooting you with that giant gun,>" Qivi sends back to Athrusa (and Sousuke). "<Least I can do, even if I got a little separated - >"
She suddenly cuts off because, speaking of that giant gun, it's being aimed at her. "That's a lotta cannon," Qivi says, into the whine of the charge. "Unfortunately I'm not the kind of girl that's interested in those. Why don't you load some good warheads instead?"
...it sounded better in her head.
The GN Bazooka fires, and Qivi hunkers down. Her shoulder shield can only take so much of it, but she's making herself as small a target as she can, pushing against the beam; the landspinners on the feet of the Sarangay whirr angrily as she vanishes inside the blast, obscured from sight.
When the beam clears, Qivi is rocketing out of it. Half of Sarangay is literally glowing hot, the exterior armour plates scorched and blackened; she in the cockpit is alive but not very happy about it, which is why she's screaming something wordless at Tieria.
Also, she's still accelerating on the landspinners. Tieria's blast has done a pretty good job of smoothing the path in front of her - there's no debris big and sturdy enough to matter in a straight line between her and him anymore.
Qivi comes in with a massive punch with the spiked knuckle guard. It's as bad as being hit with a handful of knives - worse, because these are far wider than a narrow knife, just a pair of spikes that drive in. If she manages a hit, she twists, shattering armour while she brings her shotgun around, firing it at point-blank range along with a follow-up punch.
KTS: Qivi has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Qivi has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Qivi has activated the Valor Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
The stream of particles all but buries Sousuke in light for a moment. Something flares around Arbalest. "Enemy has released a directed Electronic Counter Measure," AL reports. He's onboard so he's fine. But... "Laser measurement and guidance systems offline. Communications minimal."
Yet, through the flood, he hears Heart-5 call for him. He calls back: <"Understood! I'll hold them here, go!>"
"Lambda Driver...holding steady," AL reports, somewhat irrelevantly.
"Good," Sousuke replies, because he doesn't trust the damn thing.
First things first, the sniper. He raises his eyes. Jammed, Arbalest's sensors can just about see Dynames, but can't accurately judge the distance. Sousuke signals for an anti-tank dagger. It's like image training. He understands that much. Believe it will hit. Believe it must hit. Believe it can only hit.
He swings back and throws, and the dagger - it's aerodynamic, but it should only have a range of a few dozen meters.
Yet it flies laser-straight for hundreds on its way to Dynames.
Then, spinning around, he aims at Nena, a bead of light gathering at the end of his shotcannon, which he fires into the heart of Nena's machine, accompanied by a vision of piercing armor.
Now, engulfed in an uncanny light, VEDA systems ping him. Unit name unknown, armament type unknown. Last sighted fighting Behemoth at Nagoya.
Subject is deemed disruptive to peace. Subject is deemed of extreme interest.
KTS: Qivi has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Qivi targets Tieria Erde with Double Nail Shatter Punch! KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Lockon Stratos with Anti-Tank Dagger Single Dagger! KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Nena Trinity with Lambda Shotcannon Blast! KTS: Nena Trinity has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Nena Trinity has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Nena Trinity's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Nena Trinity blocks Sousuke Sagara's Lambda Shotcannon Blast, taking 4080 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sousuke Sagara's Outmaneuver activates, causing Control Bonus!
KTS: Lockon Stratos fails to react to Sousuke Sagara's Anti-Tank Dagger Single Dagger, taking 3600 damage!
KTS: Tieria Erde has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Tieria Erde has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Tieria Erde fails to parry Qivi's Double Nail Shatter Punch, taking 8280 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Qivi's Unbreakable activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Qivi has engaged Tieria Erde! Escudo Shard teleports in. Escudo Shard goes home.
<Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
'Please'. It's a small word, but one that carries a heavy weight in the right situations. Now, it acts as a chain that holds Regina down, as the Impermanence takes advantage of her hesitation to disengage and repeat right past her. By the time she's ready to move again, it's too late - Athrusa is gone, and pursuit isn't a specialty of hers.
"...The target has fled. My mobile suit is too damaged to engage the secondary target. I am initiating a retreat." Regina says, moving to do as she says.
In truth, she likely could still fight further and engage the Arbalest. It is of great interest to VEDA, as well...
...But the truth is, her heart isn't on the fight anymore, not for the moment, and without that, she's no good to anyone.
<Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
Tieria grunts as the immobilized Virtue takes the brunt of the Wanzer's attack, barrier pierced, armor breaking. Unfortunately, the attack also hit his exposed condensors, firing off a barrage of alerts. He turns his head in the direction the rogue Gundam fled to. It was no use. He knew how fast those GN Drives could go. There was no way they were catching up, even if he managed to take this Wanzer down immediately.
The Virtue pulls back once it regains its ability to move, disengaging Burst Mode and withdrawing the bazooka. "Damn, the enemy Gundam has left the battlefield. There's no reason for us to stay here. Find an opening and retreat. I'll consult with VEDA on our next steps."
He glares down at Qivi as the Virtue rises up into the sky, holding up its hands in a sign of surrender, then turns and zips out of the area.
KTS: Tieria Erde's GN-005 Gundam Virtue has been disabled.
<Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
"Getting away! Getting away!"
". . . "
In the moment he could see his shot take, the attack hitting one of the condensers. This was good, this was fine, if that was the case they could push the advantage and. . .
"Regina. . .Tierde too. . .? Seriously?"
There's not much that can be said on the matter. If their units were too worn down, they were too worn down. Though that meant that if only the Dynames and Throne could fight. . .MMmm. . .
"Gyeeeeh?! The hel-- A knife. . .From this range. . .Tch, I guess that's all I need to see. Still. . .I think I'm gonna have to hide the drinks from Sumeragi tonight."
In a more direct tone, the Dynames's Meister spoke through the comms. <"Got it. All Meisters, we're pulling out. I'll provide cover fire while you and Regina move, Nena, keep up the particle dispersal as long as you can. I don't want them trying to figure out which way we evacuated.">
<Pose Tracker> Nena Trinity has posed.
Wait, their target is leaving!?
"What!? Where-GAH!"
Another shotgun blast! Nena instinctively turns her machine around to bring the left mounted shield into the path of the shot. It hits harder than the first one she blocked. Much harder. But better her shield take it than somewhere more vulnerable!
Unfortunately, some quick glances across her screens shows that their target is indeed fleeing... Fast. Could she catch it? It's doubtful. Plus after that barrage of GN Particles she launched at the one pestering her, her particle count is getting towards the low side.
"ArrrrrRRRRDAMNIT! Why did they let that thing get away!? It's like they're not even trying!"
Purple Haro buzzes, "Cool it! Cool it!"
Nena hits it again, "Shut up!" And then, to make things even worse, it looks like they're pulling out... Sigh. <"Fiiiiine. Activating wide area dispersal..."> Hopefully she'll get another chance to go after that unit. After all, Celestial Being would be stupid to let it remain in the wild, right?
The Gundam Throne Drei rises into the air, away from the Arbalest. Its vents reorient, the crimson particles spewing out of them now spreading out across a much wider area to engulf the battlefield and make it harder to track the retreating Celestial Being units.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"Direct hit," AL reports. Sousuke emits a little tsk, though - a hit, sure, but the enemy survived handily.
And then left. Arbalest's keen green eyes follow them as they flee. "Can you extrapolate their departure path?"
"Not with the jamming created by the enemy energized particle," Al reports. "I can mark the flight paths I can track in our data for later review."
"Good, do that," Sousuke reports, and then lets his head loll back in its cradle, crash guard contacting the back of his cockpit. He regards the screen, and the hollow sky of X Point for a long few seconds.
"So these are Celestial Being's Gundams," Sousuke says to himself. "...disable Lambda Driver. Signal the Captain that this safehouse needs to be repositioned. We're retreating along B-3."
"Roger," AL says. The Lambda Driver shuts off. The cockpit begins to cool, and the light around Arbalest fades.
"...hope I held them off long enough," Sousuke murmurs.
"They did not appear to be leaving along pursuit vectors," AL supplies, helpfully.
Tieria Erde teleports out.
KTS: Regina Everhart's WMS-03 Maganac has left Regina Everhart teleports out.