2023-08-18: A Lesson In History
- Log: A Lesson In History
- Cast: Eight York, Rena Lancaster, Roux Louka, Anita Rosetta, Naoko Suzuki
- Where: Beyond the Time
- OOC - IC Date: 0097-08-18
- Summary: Full Frontal and his Neo Zeong subject a number of the Ra Mari II crew (and a special guest) to the horrors of the Universal Century. Though this was meant to teach a lesson in futility, what will be their personal takeaways?
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: | | TERRAIN: Space | | ATTRIBUTES: nothing | | BONUS STATS: HP and MOB | +---------------------------< TITLE: Introduction >----------------------------+ - "So... not only Gundams oppose me." An empty space addresses you all, as - - the hulking red form of the Neo Zeong rises. "Me, the vessel filled with - - the collective will of the people! Very well... I accept your challenge, - - warriors!" The shoulders of the Neo Zeong open, and the machine unfurls - - itself -- unfurls a /ring,/ around itself, shining golden with Psycommu. - - The first display of his power is an explosion which rips through several - - weapons, and any attempt to /meet/ the Neo Zeong is met with a horrific - - display of power: whether through crane-clasps which fold out to catch the - - assault, or the machine's giant /hands/ catching the blows, it is clear - - that this foe cannot be taken out so quickly. Only when the Unicorn - - plunges its fists into some of the Neo Zeong's too /many/ fists does Full - - Frontal's attention orient to one of his attackers. He grasps the Unicorn, - - and his words echo, through his suit and through his heart, to all - - assembled: - - - - "It's the Miracle again. Nothing will change! No matter what you do... - - look, Banagher. All of you! Take a look for yourselves!" - - - - When two Psychoframe units resonate with each other... Miracles occur. And - - now, as the Neo Zeong launches, he leaves behind a trail of green light -- - - a trail he /tosses/ the Unicorn into, as he blasts off. Defeating him - - means following his trail -- a trail more RED than green, when entered, - - all molten rock and blazing star-fields. Your cockpit or station will - - tremble with the force of it, as your camera or sensor output is doubled - - over once and once again with strange and bright after-images. This space - - is as much conceptual as it is physical, an overlay of reality, and your - - first struggle is to /adapt./ To keep your machine from shaking to bits -- - - to keep yourself focused on the goal. - - - - It is made all the more difficult as Axis itself resolves, in front of you. - - As all the horrific, wonderous power of Axis Shock washes over your - - machines, and you must find some way to bear the power without being cast - - away into endless space. - - - - "This is where it all began," Full Frontal says, as he swoops past, his - - green trail leading to the next vision. "So, you all see it as well... in - - that case, let us travel together to the end of time in this universe!" - - - - He tells no lie. You're travelling through /time,/ now -- through the - - cruelest parts of history. - - - - Nothing will change, Full Frontal said, and this he intends to /show./ - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 1 >-------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight York was not on the bridge, a few moments ago. The battle ongoing against the Neo Zeong is one in which she is not participating directly. But the shining Psycommu power that comes...
Nothing can defeat it, for now. And as the battle continues, there is another miracle. The green light flashes, and then there is red. As the group surges towards that trail, their cockpits and stations tremble with force; Strange, bright after-images come, and this conceptual space requires will and understanding to navigate.
Where Eight was before doesn't matter; she finds herself on the bridge of the Ra Mari II in this strange conceptual space, main viewscreen doubling over and over. Roux Louka is also there, as is Licia Chovan...
"...?"
The ship shakes. Full Frontal speaks. And time travels around them quickly.
"Everyone!" Eight says. "If we're going to follow him, we have to be ready for anything!"
But the bridge on the RMII is... suddenly quite short-staffed. "Roux," she says, "I hope you know how to use a console. We're going to need you."
Time surges forward for everyone else, and over their radios,
"This is Captain York. Apparently I'm going to be with you for this one. Good luck out there."
FPT: Eight York has acted with Intuition and Hit Points.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena Lancaster leans forward in the Gaia Gear Alpha, a breath caught in her throat.
The Neo Zeong looms huge before Rena, and her eyes widen. She stares at it -- and it's not the first time that she has seen something tremendous and terrifying. She did at GENESIS, too. It doesn't make it, somehow, less frightening. Her fingers tense about the controls.
The Psychoframe resonance rolls over them all. She stares, as time seems to unravel -- and come back together with a view that, before, she only saw on the news.
"Octo!" she calls out. "You're--" She hesitates. "Right... this is... this is something else. Annie, Naoko, report in!"
FPT: Rena Lancaster has acted with Intuition and Mobility.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux Louka isn't fighting the Neo Zeong, either.
It's probably just as well. At her best she might have a fighting chance. She is not at her best. Her arm has healed enough to not impair daily efforts, but it still pains her, despite the best medical treatment the Ra Mari II can spare. The other bruises, at least, are largely gone, other than a lingering discoloration around one eye. Which she is hiding with makeup.
But as a wise man once said: Even so...
Roux finds herself here, because she could not see herself, in the bitterness of defeat, being elsewhere. Roux goggles for several seconds, feeling that subtle neural thrill of Potential, before she looks at Eight. "Right!"
Roux attempts to vault over what she had interpreted as a handhold and nearly tumbles to the ground. (Why does the ship still have gravity?) She is healed enough to play it off as landing in a tactical pit, slapping her hand on a weapons trackball pad and looking up.
"Why does power like this end up in the hand of people who *use* it like this?" Roux asks; somehow, it's less acerbic than she usually is.
FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Intuition and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
They're locked in a fierce battle with a fierce opponent. The Neo Zeong is a monster of a mobile armor. Try as she might, Anita can't detect any weakpoints, and those hands intercept any shots she does make.
Well... if shooting once doesn't work, just keep shooting. He can't keep this up forever.
...And then, the Neo Zeong and Unicorn clash - and resonate. The Neo Zeong launches in a trail of green light, and there's no choice but to give chase. Green gives way to - and Anita winces as her vision swims, and the cockpit trembles. She's forced to disable the Visual Link System, for now - returning to standard visibility. And when she returns, she's met with a surprise...
"Eight!?" Anita calls out. How...? ...Well, honestly, if she starts asking 'how' now, there's a lot of things she's going to have to question. Better just to roll with it - it's what she's good at. "I hear you."
"Anita here! " Anita replies. "Still reeling from all this, but I'm holding up just fine. How's everyone doing?"
She takes a deep breath and exhales, letting calm flood over her as she tightens her grip on the stick and works to get the Svipul back under control.
FPT: Anita Rosetta has acted with Intuition and Hit Points.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
The danger of Full Frontal and his machine was made self-evident at Palau, as they have all seen firsthand. Naoko did not actually face the Neo Zeong that time, but the data didn't lie - that thing is truly a monster. This battle was clearly going to take everything they have, so how could she not feel that she had to be there?
Be that as it may, she's not quite so eager to go toe-to-toe with it right away. It has more fists than she does, that seems like a losing proposition without some sort of plan. She thus decided to stick to her usual initial position in the formation - the rear, aiding Kakapo Squadron by means of a constant data feed as she analyses the gigantic machine, apprising them of its predicted movements and any notable changes.
The appearance of its ring of Psycommu shards most certainly counts as a notable change. Naoko frowns as numbers are suddenly going way, way up. "Be careful! It's amplifying the resonance--"
That's as far as she gets before an unbelievable sight unfurls in front of her eyes. This is... Axis. She's actually there, as the Shock is happening. This should be exceptionally alarming.
Should be, but... she doesn't see the horror. All she sees is the miracle. If this was supposed to teach her anything, she is blind to it. No matter the circumstances, she is genuinely thankful for the chance to actually be there, and see it up close. Because this is where it all began. Her fascination with and absolute faith in miracles. "Beautiful..."
Rena asks for a report then, and she blinks, having momentary forgotten that oh yeah, people know her actual name now. It's gonna be hard to get used to being called that again. "Ah - yes! All good! Guess we can only really go along with whatever's happening, right?"
She won't fight it, of course. She'd never fight a miracle. The trick is to let the miracle wash over you, without letting it overwhelm you. It's no different than Palau. She's done this before, she should be able to do it again.
FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Intuition and Mobility.
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 12 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Eight York | | STATS: INT/HP Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Anita Rosetta | | STATS: INT/HP Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: INT/MOB Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Rena Lancaster | | STATS: INT/MOB Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Roux Louka | | STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 0 Failure | +-----------------------------< Round 1 Results >------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"I know," Eight says to Rena. "But I can't do nothing when there's no one else to do it."
Licia chimes in over the radio, "Roux and me'll make sure she doesn't get thrown around too hard! Restraining belts on, Cap'n!" She winks at Roux, and at least will be able to continue handling the helm in all of this. Eight will have to take care of a few extra stations herself from her Captain's console, but with Roux on weapons, that's most of what they need between the three of them.
Nobody makes fun of Roux for not expecting the ship's gravity. But Anita asks how and, "...I don't know, but I feel like there's someone watching over us to make sure the ship doesn't go un-commanded in something like this."
She's sure of that, somehow, even as she buckles into her seat.
"...It's pretty," she agrees with Naoko, "But stay on your guard. I have a feeling it's about to get a lot less so..."
The seat isn't really designed for her in this state, so it'll be a bumpy ride--but Eight's not giving up yet.
Everyone's approaches do work though; Rena checking on where the others are, Roux questioning the use of power, Annie getting control, and Naoko not fighting the miracle. The next vision comes quickly...
FPT: Eight York's party has drawn a new Challenge! FPT: Drawing Card 3 for Round 2.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: ARM | | TERRAIN: Space | | ATTRIBUTES: Swarm and Beam L2 | | BONUS STATS: ARM and SGT | +---------------------------< TITLE: Silent Voice >----------------------------+ - You are here to fight. - - - - For evil, the wages of evil! For sin, the wages of sin! - - - - You are here to save people. - - - - To mold a true Neo-Zeon with my own hands, I charge you with the task of - - bringing me her head! - - - - Even though none of them desire your salvation. - - - - The battle lines are drawn. - - - - Axis looms large in it's original form, so different from the footage of - - the Shock, with a spherical module asteroid attached on by numerous - - struts. And it's defenders line up in grey, rear armors moving in synch, - - like some hideous intimidating dance. They're backed by an enormous giant - - in green, flanked by a pack of wolves. - - - - And they are hungry for blood. - - - - They are met head on by the other side, Cyclopean giants of metal that - - emerge from the shadows of dummy asteroids. A fleet of ships offering - - hails of fire as the Asteroid defenses return them. A red mobile suit - - carves into their front line, mothers releasing their children to fight, - - while funnels rise to meet the bits. - - - - Soon you are awash in the chaos of the two sides, caught within a field of - - death. Yet another journey upon the mobius strip. - - - - Your desire to fight, to save people, now competing with one far more - - primal. - - - - Survive. - - - - As you fight in this chaotic melee, flashes, an understanding. By the end - - of the day, only ruin and death awaits Neo-Zeon, both sides shattered, - - their leaders killed. - - - - The Federation fleet comes in the silence after, and the wanton destruction - - is met with something worse than a sense of triumph. - - - - Apathy. - - - - One less problem to deal with. The status quo that Haman Karn and Glemy - - Toto sought to challenge not only survives, but thrives. - - - - What meaning was there in this conflict? What hope, what possibility did - - it create? - - - - Ask the silence, and receive your answer. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"I'm okay, Annie," Rena says. "This is... a lot, but..." A lot for a Newtype; it's a sensory overload, to put it mildly. Her eyes blink a couple of times. Then, she looks at Naoko, and she bites her lip for a moment. "Be careful, Naoko. This... isn't quite real, I think."
But it's more real than 'not at all,' too.
Then, she sends a transmission to the Ra Mari II: "Miss Roux, Licia, we're counting on you to keep Eight safe."
It's more real than 'not at all,' and that includes the rush of Mobile Suits. Countless Neo-Zeon Suits laying waste to each other, ships firing their blasts. They dash and dart in; the Gaia Gear Alpha dances between them, before firing the beam rifle, slashing through a Zaku III's midsection.
They rush in from both sides, while the Federation watches.
Her eyes narrow. "This... this is the first war," she says. "But..."
She frowns. Maybe there's a lesson they want her to learn -- but it's not one she sees. She knew from a young age that Haman Karn and Glemy Toto wouldn't change anything, because she saw the lives left hurt in their wake.
FPT: Rena Lancaster has acted with Armor and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Guess so." Anita replies with a nod as Nova says that they can only go along with what's happening. "Traveling through time... Guess we should be ready for anything to happen."
Licia assures them all that she and Roux will look after Eight and Anita smiles, offering the camera a thumbs-up.
"Counting on you, you two." She says - and then considers Eight's words. "...Well, I guess I gotta thank it, then. I feel a lot better with the ship at my back."
And before them - Axis, before Axis Shock, and the great battle seeking to consume it. Anita watches it with a frown... and then glances toward Rena.
"Yeah... looks like it." Anita says. They don't have much choice now but to fight - so Anita re-engages her Visual Link System and takes aim with the Gungnir SC, providing cover fire for her team.
FPT: Anita Rosetta spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Anita Rosetta has acted with Armor and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
"Don't worry," Roux answers Rena. "I will!"
And what Full Frontal chooses to show them is...
Is -
It's Axis.
And if that's Axis, then --
"Do you want to know something funny, Eight?" Roux says, as she gazes upon the battle.
"I know where I am, I think, or where I was. I - Judau and I, we tried - we tried to make a difference ourselves," Roux continues, turning her head to look towards Eight. "We tried to abduct Mineva Lao Zabi. I suppose -- I suppose it's happening right now, if I'm seeing this right. Or it had happened."
"All of them died here," Roux says, quietly. "So many of them. Mashymere, that -- that goofy-- And that ridiculous greasy two-toned Chara Soon-- and Glemy--!!"
Roux makes a choked noise, that tries to hide a sob. She looks away from Eight's position. Perhaps it's too embarrassing to admit. Seconds pass, and her hand trembles, but she puts it back, slowly, on the control console.
"... heh," Roux says thickly: "We had to let her go-- let Mineva go-- because we were... we were in over our heads. We're lucky we didn't get shot, but I suppose that's because of Haman Karn's mercy. All of us were just-- running around, unsupervised, doing whatever we thought was best--!"
"And the Federal forces-- they stayed back and they let us handle it," Roux says, thickly. "They let us kill each other, rather than join in and make it a rout!"
"Is that what you wanted to hear, Full Frontal?? Is that supposed -- to be the first step to some -- ugh! Why do I waste my breath," Roux concludes. "I'm the wrong *kind* of Spacenoid, aren't I?"
Even so...
"This is for all those idiots," Roux continues. "Because we *remember* them, damn you!" The weapons she's controlling are not the most dramatic; mostly point-defense in the starboard arc; but she is, at least, controlling it with verve, now.
FPT: Roux Louka spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Armor and Targeting.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
A sensory overload of the GOOD kind!! In Naoko's estimation, anyway. Even if she's massively psychic, she doesn't perceive things quite the same way a Newtype does, letting her focus on the aspects that matter most to her. Tunnel vision has always been a thing for her. "Real or not, it's better than any simulation I've ever seen!"
Eight sure wasn't wrong, though. The scenery goes from pretty to ugly in no time flat, the miracle of Axis fading into the vision of a war zone surrounding the very same asteroid base. It's rather a wakeup call, to be confronted with the sort of sight that used to be so alien to Naoko in her world where war seemed so far away as to not even feel entirely real. Especially a war being fought far off in space. She doesn't know nearly as well what exactly she's looking at here as the others do.
Now Rena's words have a different ring to them. She very much wants to believe that this isn't quite real. Unfortunately, the weapon fire does register as very real to her instruments. "N-no way... are we actually traveling through time? Is there... any way back? What should we do? Are we supposed to preserve history, or change it?"
She's panicking just a little bit. Thankfully she has her little helpers to aid in keeping her focus.
>"Nova! Hey, Nova! Snap out of it, we're gonna get shot out here!"<
"...Right! No worries, I've got this!"
Just don't think about it. Just fight, and stay alive. That's good enough for now. Sending her remote weapons out into the fray, she focuses on keeping herself out of harm's way while taking pot shots at any mobile suit that happens to get a little too close for comfort.
FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Armor and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Sensory overload is right. Eight feels it all around her, the flowing time, the strangeness of this place; even the ship itself seems to be not quite real around them, the doors off the bridge flickering. But there's nothing to be done about that. Rena transmits to the Ra Mari II, and Eight looks down, a small smile on her face.
"I'll do my part," she says quietly, and though it's not over the radio, Rena might hear it anyway. Licia instead says, "You got it, Rena! And it's easy to feel better with this behemoth around, right?" to Anita. Eight is quieter about it, but she does appreciate that reassurance herself.
As reality shimmers around them, Eight checks IFFs and comms; she quickly identifies what's going on. That war. So when Roux says she knows something funny... "Sure," says the Captain, and she looks out over the viewscreen and over the display on her console, listening. And they died...
Funny, is it?
"We're all the 'wrong kind' of Spacenoids," Eight says. "...I'm sorry."
Eight adjusts three dials on the console, and starts to load up missiles. The Ra Mari II's armor is powerful, especially for this era, but the best defense against being hit is to destroy the enemy before you can be.
...even if she'd rather be fighting the Federation, here.
Licia is quiet too. Then, "I was a pilot back then," she says, as she pulls up on the system, turning the many guns of the starboard side of the Ra Mari II towards their enemy. "I fought for these people. I thought I was doing the right thing. That we could get something better for Zeon than we'd had. ...But it was all like this, in the end. Just killing for killing's sake. The point..."
Naoko speaks up, and Eight is happy to hear her enthusiasm anyway--even if it's a strange way to be enthused. Until the matter of history comes--
"Stay alive," Eight says to Nova. "That's an order, Pilot."
FPT: Eight York spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Eight York has acted with Armor and Sight.
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 24 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Eight York | | STATS: ARM/SGT Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Anita Rosetta | | STATS: ARM/SGT Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: ARM/SGT Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Rena Lancaster | | STATS: ARM/SGT Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Roux Louka | | STATS: ARM/TAR Charges Used: 1 Failure | +-----------------------------< Round 2 Results >------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"I think... I think it's showing us what happened," Rena says. "It's just part of it, though. This happened, but... it's picking one moment to focus on."
Rena frowns. Then, she nods to what Eight says. "Yeah. We're not the spacenoids that they're thinking of," she says. "We're the ones caught in the middle."
The Gaia Gear Alpha draws both its beam sabers -- and cuts through a pair of ReGelgs rushing in, slashing them apart with twin strikes. The Gaia Gear Alpha looks up, the eyes flashing once.
"We'll push through," she says.
FPT: Eight York's party has drawn a new Challenge! FPT: Drawing Card 2 for Round 3.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: HP | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Boss and Endurance | | BONUS STATS: RX and SGT | +--------------------< TITLE: Paint The White Clouds Red >---------------------+ - It is 0086. Doctor Hell has been defeated; his Kikaiju Army has been - - overcome. Yet the celebrations at the Photon Power Lab have been cut - - dramatically short by the arrival of two new, unknown... mechanical - - beasts? Nay, these are no mere first-generation Mycenaean war machines; - - these are true Warrior Beasts, unleashed at the command of the Great - - General of Darkness himself, and these are their names: - - - - WARRIOR BEAST GRATONIOS, a pink-and-purple biped with detachable - - white-and-purple masks mounted on its chest, which can detach and unleash - - thermal beams from their eyes! Its horn array unleashes electrical blasts! - - Its drill-tipped arms can extend and lash like whips! - - - - WARRIOR BEAST PILANIAS, the green-and-steel-blue dimetrodon quadruped, - - armoured in detachable scales that can be magnetically flung at its foes - - and shatter apart into ferocious acid bombs on impact, capable of - - stripping away even Super Alloy Z! Its terrible maw a missile launcher of - - seemingly endless capacity! - - - - Their assault upon the Photon Power Lab is overwhelming and merciless. - - Gratonios's masks' thermal beams have ripped Diana A's arms off and - - blasted holes in Boss Borot's rotund silhouette, and Pilanias's scales - - render their formerly impressive armour nigh useless. - - - - Even the mighty Mazinger Z, still damaged after the destruction of Hell - - Island, proves no match for these Mycenaean nightmares-given-form: The Jet - - Scrander ripped apart, its arms melted by acid or detonated by thermal - - rays, yet the young Koji refuses to yield, even to the machine's final - - moments, when it topples forward and the impact jars the Jet Pilder loose - - from the cranial dock. - - - - All is not yet lost; when these events transpired, of course, Great - - Mazinger was en route, and Tetsuya Tsurugi's arrival would swing the - - balance of the battle back in the heroes' favour... But he is not yet here. - - - - The existence of miracles itself begets enemies who will stop at nothing to - - erase those miracles. Triple Zero is proof of this assertion, yet the - - miracle that is 'Mazinger' had its own enemies long long ago. Defy their - - wrath. Hold the line at the Photon Power Lab. Buy time for Great Mazinger - - to arrive and wreak a Miracle of its own, that the story of these godlike - - machines cast in the likeness of devils might continue... - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
"... Heh," Roux says, between volleys. "Sorry to be a dump like that. It's just-- it's maddening. Maybe it's my vanity. Maybe I shouldn't feel bad about it. Mashymere, Chara... did you know them?" she asks Licia, quietly, even as the weapons speak and the Mobile Suits' blows strike and the world turns green and Axis smears into the not so distant shape of Mt. Fuji and
WARRIOR BEAST GRATONIOS smashes the ground with a drill-tipped arm, smashing forwards and arcing towards the already dismembered Diana A, the Boss Borot showing light through its rounded body, and Mazinger Z half-melted --
"Oh my God," Roux says suddenly. "Koji!?" She thrusts herself half out of her seat and --
"I only heard about this second-hand," Roux says, her eyes wide as she stays upright. "They -- they have to have lived, obviously, because I've seen all of them and they didn't even get roughed up, other than that break in the nose Koji was trying to hide!" (Is that real or did Roux over-interpret?)
"I never understood this," Roux says. "I mean I never -- I never understood if it was trying to steal the Prometheus fire or something or if it was just... just hatred, envy... ancient feuds... It's..."
PILANIAS staggers forwards, its maw gaping open and a new missile emerging with a scream of challenge towards the Ra Mari II and its escorts.
"..."
"Okay so," Roux continues, as if finding the ground under her feet, "Tsurugi's supposed to show up but I guess he stopped to get kara-age or something, mess those things up! The pink one's probably easier!" And Roux herself joins in, sweeping point-defense weaponry down to roll thunder over the Pilanias!
"This ship isn't supposed to go on Earth, is it," Roux asks Eight then, gravely.
FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Hit Points and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Always." Anita comments to Licia with a grin. As for her question...
"...We'll figure something out. For now... like Eight says, only thing to do is stay alive." Anita replies.
She goes quiet for a moment, then, considering Rena's words. The ones caught in the middle...
"...That's always how it goes, huh? There's always someone." Anita comments, massaging the back of her neck. "I think... we can make a difference, though."
she shakes her head - and as her vision blurs again, she braces herself for what's to come next. They're...
...on Earth?
...And before them, is the site of a vicious battle. She recognizes the forms of the scattered machines, and tearing into them...
"...Geez. Can't catch a break." Anita mutters. She massages the back of her neck, then shakes her head and listens as Roux talks about the situation.
"So, we gotta buy time? Works for me." Anita says, rolling her neck. With that in mind, the Gungnir SC retracts and Anita draws her gatling pod. She strafes across the battlefield, using GERWALK mode's maneuverability to harry Gratonios with a hail of bullets to keep it distracted.
FPT: Anita Rosetta has acted with Hit Points and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
This all didn't start so bad, from where Naoko's sitting. But this... this is where everyone has their painful stories, their awful memories. Which she just... doesn't share. Even with things having taken a turn for the bizarre back where she used to live, she can't help but feel weirdly privileged by the innocent ignorance of her life before this. It just doesn't feel equal, doesn't feel fair. It's one reason why she can't stop fighting. If there's anything you can do to try and keep others from suffering like that, how could you ever choose not to?
Morale having taken a dive, Eight's encouragement does wonders to keep her going, though it's still a struggle to keep up with such a chaotic battle. Zeon fighting amongst themselves... it all seems so senseless. Just how many died out there on that day...?
She is freed from depressing thoughts by the sight of a new crisis looming ahead. Suddenly, Sukeban has solid ground under its feet again, as she's greeted by a sight much more familiar to her. Of course she knows exactly where this is. She even knows when this is. Though she learned of these events long after they happened, this is a subject she's studied well. After all, she is the Mazinger Team's self-proclaimed biggest fan! And so it stands to reason that quite unlike just a moment ago, this time she doesn't hesitate for a second.
"Mazinger Z...! KOJI!!"
Gone are any thoughts about how real this is or what the proper course of action is. There is only one choice here. The Arm Slave's thrusters flare to life, charging ahead full speed. No regard at all for how inappropriately sized her machine is for this task. She'll attract their attention if it's the last thing she does - both of them!
"Not today, Gratonios, Pilanias!!"
Of course she knows their names by heart. And of course such a challenge could only be followed by one action.
"IMPROVED MAZINGER-APPROVED DOUBLE ROKKETTO PUUUUUUUUNCH!!"
It may not nearly as impressive as Mazinger's giant fists, but the Sukeban's fists do indeed rocket off, one for each of the Mycenaean machines. That's new. Koji personally showed her how to do it - how to turn her wire-guided fists into genuine rocket punches. There was never a more appropriate time to use them.
FPT: Naoko Suzuki spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Hit Points and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Just part of what happened; moment by moment. "We are." Caught in the middle... But Rena's right. They'll push through.
Roux says it, but, "It's not a problem," Eight tells her. And Licia turns to Roux for a moment, "Not well. My dad was a tutor for noble types, so I knew some of the crew closest, but..."
Suddenly, Koji--
"We can't risk that they 'should've," Eight agrees. "We're with you. Loading up other weapons--"
Licia says, "I don't get it either," she admits. "But it seems like over and over those feuds just keep fighting, forever. Like we'll never get away from it." She sounds... gloomier, than usual, by far. Maybe it's getting to her.
But Eight, "Right! Launching missiles!"
Pause. Roux asks gravely. "Well it... can," Eight hedges. "But not this low. It's actually a ship designed for planetary bombardment from space," she explains, and one can imagine the nervous laughter someone else might apply.
But Anita at least thinks they can make a difference. Licia says, "I hope so. I'm not giving up here." Eight nods firmly, as she moves over another set of guns to aim at the Warrior Beasts.
Eight notices the challenge--and the firsts. "...Watch over Nova out there," she advises, "I'm giving you some covering fire, Miracle Worker! Nice work out there!"
She's not exactly a fan, but she appreciates the family. And Naoko seems to need the encouragement.
Either way, the ship is running overdrive to try to keep working this low to the ground...
FPT: Eight York has acted with Hit Points and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Yeah," Rena agrees with Anita. "We've already made a difference. I can't accept that we can't -- that there's no point to what we're doing."
She shakes her head, sharply. She agrees with Eight; Eight can feel that pulse of agreement, sort of a nod inside her mind.
Then, the world distorts. The sky is bright and blue, as it comes into focus.
"Gh--!" Rena grunts, sharply, as Gratonios smashes the ground with its drill arm. She stares at the heavily damaged Mazinger Z -- then shakes her head. "Right, Roux...! We can hold them off! I remember hearing about this--"
She heard about it after the fact; she was at Axis, then, and it took a long time for news from Earth to come there and be disseminated. Even then, what they received depended a lot on Haman Karn -- and then what her mother shared, too.
The Gaia Gear Alpha ducks around a missile, before she sends the white Mobile Suit rocketing forward -- and its limbs fold up inside it, wings unfolding. The waverider-mode Mobile Suit directs itself for Pilanias.
Then, a rush of missiles explode from it, snaking trails of vapor left in their wake. The tips superheat, a bright and ugly red, and then come crashing down for the Machine Beast.
FPT: Rena Lancaster spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Rena Lancaster has acted with Hit Points and Reactor.
FPT: Anita Rosetta's Defence Optimization Ability assists! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's Attrition applies! FPT: Rena Lancaster's Minovsky Field and Psychoframe Abilities assist!
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 24 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Eight York | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Anita Rosetta | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: HP/SGT Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Rena Lancaster | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Roux Louka | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 0 Success | +-----------------------------< Round 3 Results >------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
"He approved that?" Roux says after Naoko claims Authority, but the rest of what's being said is heartening. Anita may not be as wracked as Roux, but is that so bad?
"I want to apologize if he's keyed in on my brain patterns or something," Roux remarks to Eight before nodding to Licia once, with a faint smile. There isn't time to chat at length now, even as the Gaia Gear Alpha bombards a Machine Beast.
Double Missile Punches, however licensed!
Heavy weapon fire - missile bombardments and GERWALK gunpods speak! Traditionally they did not fare well against Dr. Hell's army, but here and now, they don't have to "win" - simply buy time...!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VjKA6r7__s
Are these the true Machine Beasts? The Kikaiju of the time acted in history. Is this what happened there, then? Have they been sent through time, or only through its shadow? It's hard to say. They do seem to waver - but the two creatures can only bring so much rage to bear, having already focused on Mazinger Z and its allies so thoroughly. (Perhaps more to the point, most of them are in the air, at least provisionally.)
"I think I see Great Mazinger!" Roux says, turning her head--
FPT: Eight York's party has drawn a new Challenge! FPT: Drawing Card 12 for Round 4.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: INT | | TERRAIN: Space | | ATTRIBUTES: Long Range | | BONUS STATS: ARM and WSP | +---------------------------< TITLE: A Cosmic Glow >---------------------------+ - A nail fashioned of rock looms before you, ready for the hammer strike. As - - if representative of Zeon's solution to the Federation. A supply line of - - Columbus-class ships trails like a comet behind the Salamis and Magellan - - class ships. - - - - You are a part of this. An impenetrable fortress looms before you. - - History calls to you. You have a role to play. - - - - In the darkness of space, two eyes open, ephemeral, all-seeing. And beside - - you, a Salamis Cruiser is suddenly skewered by a salvo of beamfire. It - - erupts, quickly becoming a fireball, in the void. - - - - Another salvo consumes a supply ship. - - - - Where is the enemy? Where? Where? It's not even a blip on your sensors. - - Not even the best snipers could blow up a battleship from this range. - - - - Your heart pounds. - - - - You have a direction, that's all. And the overwhelming realization that - - she sees you. Your duty is clear, it is too much of a threat for this - - unknown assailant to be allowed to continue decimating the Federation - - fleet. - - - - Will you become another victim of history's flow? - - - - It is a harrowing journey into the unknown, shots fire at almost regular - - intervals, predicting where you will be far ahead of time, with nary a - - warning on your instruments. You must trust your eyes, your senses, your - - intuition. - - - - Until eventually you see it, a green mobile armor, shaped like a Tricorne - - hat. The sense of eyes are overwhelming. Reality blurs and distorts. - - - - You see it, a Core Booster flying, Zeon's daughter within. Zeon's son - - carves off the top of her ship with the Beam Naginata of his Gelgoog, - - pulling the blow at the last moment. The White devil flies at him, - - offering certain death with a Beam Saber. - - - - And the green Tricorne hat intercepts the blow meant to end the life of - - Zeon's son. - - - - LALAH! - - - - Her scream, becomes her melting into a whirlpool of light, flooding all the - - senses expanding more and more as she diffuses into the fabric of reality. - - Four points of light, a bright star joining their destinies together in a - - constellation whose full dimensions are beyond one's capacity to - - comprehend. - - - - They all see it, for time is meaningless. They are caught in the event - - horizon of fate and cannot escape. The light of the Axis Shock akin to a - - Black Hole. - - - - Cause and effect. Possibility annihilated. The path to the rainbow a - - linear, foregone conclusion. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Earth fades away before them. They find themselves in space once more. Looming ahead, a great fortress, and around them, Salamis and Magellan-class ships.
"Where...? Or, I guess when-" Anita starts - when suddenly, beamfire erupts out of nowhere. A Cruiser is skewered, then a supply ship.
In the darkness, all-seeing eyes are opened. And you have been seen.
"What's-" Anita starts. The Svipul rockets back suddenly, narrowly avoiding a barrage of beams. "...Watch out!"
She readies her gunpod once more - ready to intercept and fire at the attacker.
Briefly, they can see it - a mobile armor in the shape of a green Tricorne hat. And those who recognise it...
Might possibly recognise, too, where this particular tale ultimately leads.
FPT: Anita Rosetta has acted with Intuition and W-Space.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"One Year War," Rena answers Anita, when she asks 'when.' She recognizes some of the mobile weapons -- and the ship designs. Her eyes linger on a Magellan, before she looks back at the Mobile Armor. Her eyes widen for a moment, even as the Gaia Gear Alpha ducks and darts between a few blasts of energy.
"That's... that's Lalah Sune's unit," Rena says. "I heard about her. Then this is..."
She swallows. It's a tragedy, though it's not her tragedy. It still makes it hard to watch.
And they're much too far away. The Gaia Gear Alpha readies the beam rifle, as she looks out. But she knows where this ends.
"...How awful," she says.
FPT: Rena Lancaster has acted with Intuition and W-Space.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Hell yeah he did, Naoko would have answered Roux if she wasn't so busy rocket punching Mycenaean beasts in the face! This trip sure is all about ups and downs for her - giving her the chance to fight against this particular threat alongside Mazinger Z is really doing her a favor, it's the sort of thing she always dreamed about! ...in her dreams she was in a robot more appropriately sized and armored to go toe to toe with these things, but no one could hold her back from doing the best she can with what she has to work with, not when the Photon Power Lab is at stake.
...wait, was it really at stake? Only when the vision fades back into the void of space do Naoko's higher brain functions return enough for her to start wondering again about what is actually going on here. Does going from vision to vision mean that they're succeeding at whatever it is they're supposed to be doing? Or are they just... lost, and ending up in random places?
No, not random. These are all moments of great crisis. What was it that Full Frontal said? 'Nothing will change'. But... that's not right. Bad things keep happening, sure, but... they were overcome. Even if she lacks way too many pieces to put that particular puzzle together, something must have been changed by that, surely.
Nothing quite like a battleship exploding nearly to snap one out of one's thoughts. "Geh! What is--?"
She doesn't know what this is, far less familiar with this part of history. Anita's warning comes in time to alert her to incoming beam fire. But where did that come from? Her lack of a clear sensor reading tells her one thing. "Something small's shooting at us... it's fast!" Unheard of back in that era. These days, there's a logical conclusion. "Some sort of remote beam weapon!"
Rena puts the situation into the proper context. Now they're in the One Year War? Talk about periods of time that don't feel real to her, she wasn't even alive then.
Focusing her efforts on dodging the bits, she only gets a clear view of the machine they belonged to once the tragic conclusion is about to unfold. Even struggling to put together what was happening here, and the pilot's name not really ringing any bells for her, she'll not soon forget it after she hears that voice shouting it in her mind. "...Lalah..."
FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Intuition and Armor.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
They're being - watched?
Something about this augurs ill to Roux. Maybe this is a crux point in history, even if it's not an event commonly discussed. Sometimes these things are very small, very petty, but this, at least, has the grandeur of a space battle.
Rena says a name she knows - "Lalah Sune?"
And Roux's eyes turn forwards as something flies...
Intercepts...
LALAH!
Roux rocks back in her chair, jaw slightly agape.
"She..."
"Did she know?" Roux halfwhispers to herself.
FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Intuition and Piloting.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight shakes her head. "He could've keyed on mine. That would be worse for me!" There isn't time to chat right now, no--but Licia appreciates Roux in the moment, feels that bit of kinship even if they weren't really on the same 'side'...
Earth fades away again. Where, when, whichever. They have been seen, and Eight blinks in alarm. Licia is already maneuvering the ship to make it as small a target as is possible (not very) against the incoming fire. "Shit!" she says, but Eight sees it first--
These ships are old. By their standards, anyway. The One Year War...
Lalah Sune's unit. "...Awful," Eight agrees with Rena. She looks to the Armor, and then...
She wonders, what she would've done, in the same situation.
"Remember why we're here," Eight says then. "We're chasing. We're not just here to look through history--we're here because we think we can change the future!"
"Remember that!"
FPT: Eight York has acted with Intuition and Armor.
FPT: Eight York's Aggressive Forward Ability assists! FPT: Anita Rosetta's Laidback Sharpshooter and Pinpoint Barrier System Abilities assist! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's Unnatural Intuition applies! FPT: Roux Louka's I can't believe it! applies! FPT: Roux Louka's I'm falling in love with myself! applies! FPT: Roux Louka's Ability assists!
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 28 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Eight York | | STATS: INT/ARM Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Anita Rosetta | | STATS: INT/WSP Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: INT/ARM Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Rena Lancaster | | STATS: INT/WSP Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Roux Louka | | STATS: INT/PIL Charges Used: 0 Success | +-----------------------------< Round 4 Results >------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
The One Year War... Anita nods. And so, that unit is, as Rena says, Lalah Sune's. And this is...
Anita frowns.
"...Yeah." Anita murmurs in agreement.
But they have to defend themselves. They come from a time where weapons like this are more commonplace - the knowledge of the future allows them to defend them from the past. It isn't easy, by any means - but they make it through.
It's like Eight says - they're not here just to look through history, but change the future. Anita grins.
"You're right. Our future... it's the one we make for ourselves. We can't let one guy decide what we can or can't make of it." Anita says.
They've witnessed the tragedy of the past, to carry it with them to the future - but ultimately it's up to them to decide how they'll let it affect them.
FPT: Eight York's party has drawn a new Challenge! FPT: Drawing Card 10 for Round 5.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: ARM | | TERRAIN: Air | | ATTRIBUTES: Endurance and Swarm | | BONUS STATS: HP and RX | +-----< TITLE: Photon Power Lab Under Assault! Aphrodite As Final Sortie >-----+ - Archduke Gorgon of the Mycenaean Army continues his partnership with Doctor - - Hell by planting the birdlike kikaiju Harpia Pi7 in the Mt. Fuji area. - - With Koji injured in a careless motorcycling accident, its up to Sayaka to - - investigate alone. She fights valiantly in Aphrodite A, but the symbol of - - peace is outmaneuvered and outmatched. Boss Borot does not fare any better. - - - - With Sayaka apprehensive about letting Aphrodite A take any more damage and - - Koji unable to sortie in the Photon Power Labs decisive weapon, Archduke - - Gorgon begins his direct assault, hoping to usher in the Mycenaean - - conquest over Earth. - - - - Making matters worse, Baron Ashura adds fuel to the fire, sending wave - - after wave of tanks to surround the building, which will be quickly - - captured even if the Photon Barrier prevents serious damage. - - - - While Professor Yumi is prepared to surrender to Doctor Hell, it is up to - - you to hold off long enough for Mazinger Z and Aphrodite A to make their - - return. The tanks arent very threatening to a full-scale mecha, but they - - are /very/ plentiful. Harpia Pi7 continues to bombard you from the skies - - with missiles and bombs, and is quick and tactical enough to successfully - - avoid most counterassaults. - - - - In the end, this is an endurance mission and although it was won by Sayaka - - making the heavy sacrifice of her beloved Aphrodite A to pin down the - - tricky Harpia Pi7, hers was a decision that undoubtedly saved countless - - human lives. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko goes a little quiet by the end of that encounter. Even lacking the full frame of reference, the tragedy is palpable. The bigger picture is nebulous, but this, this was something very personal. It would be difficult not feel anything. The reality of war isn't something she was ever fully prepared for.
Lucky for her, she is one again ripped out of darker thoughts by suddenly feeling solid ground under her machine's feet again. And in very familiar surroundings, because they have appeared in exactly the same place as before, at a different time. Once again, the Photon Power Lab is under assault by Kikaiju. The struggle it must have been, to defend that structure against constant attacks by the Myceneaen Army.
Naturally, Naoko perks up immediately at the chance to be a huge Mazinger nerd again. "This is... the Harpia attack! That means Koji can't fight right now! We have to help Sayaka and Boss!"
See if anything will stop her from rushing right in, no way anything will. Tanks can still pose a bit of a problem for an Arm Slave, but Naoko's is particularly fast - she's depending on that to close the distance quickly, never pausing as she sprays vulcan fire across the vehicles. She hates how mundane that weapon is, it usually doesn't do nearly enough damage... but against lots of small targets, it's actually perfect.
There's nothing she can do to stop that Kikaiju though, it's too high up and her machine doesn't fly! But she's assuming the rest of the team will be able to pick up the slack and deal with that particular threat.
FPT: Naoko Suzuki spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Armor and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Yeah... this was terrible, but... it was their tragedy. It wasn't ours, much less all of humanity's," Rena says. "Our future doesn't have to be brought down by what happened to them."
Rena looks at Anita, for a moment, and then she nods her head, before the world begins to change again. They're back on Earth -- and once again, they're facing Kikaiju.
Naoko explains -- and Rena nods, quickly. "Right... we can do that!"
She sends the Gaia Gear Alpha in, after Naoko's ARM Slave. The beam rifle fires - - several shots of mega particle energy hurtling for them -- before drawing the beam saber, and then closes with the Kikaiju, the beam saber flashing.
FPT: Rena Lancaster spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Rena Lancaster has acted with Armor and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
"I suppose every tragedy is everyone's tragedy," Roux says. "But if you take your pain and you make it someone else's problem -- just because you're hurting..."
Roux's philosophical routine is ended abruptly by the manifestation of a MACHINE ARMY!
"He can't? Why not?" Roux asks Naoko, a little blankly. She knew Koji, of course, mostly after all of this. "But that doesn't change the point, huh. Hey, that one's up high -- Eight," Roux says, half-turning, "can we tilt the nose up a little?"
As Roux tilts her head upwards, she muses, "I suppose Photon Power's going to be more important than we thought to the future, if it's going to come up like this... unless it's just following our thoughts? Naoko, we both care about Koji and his friends, right?"
If possibly not in similar ways. Either way, soon enough Roux holds down the MISSILE key, and a barrage rises towards that aerial Kikaiju!
FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Armor and W-Space.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Exactly." Anita says with a nod of agreement toward Rena.
The tragedy plays out... and then once more, they find themselves on Earth.
"The Photon Power Labs again?" Anita says, taking a moment to get her bearings. Fortunately, Naoko recognises this moment in time, too. "...Right!"
There's an army of tanks, and a flying Kikaiju - a particularly fast one. Naoko keeps the former occupied but for the latter... Anita grins.
"A fast, tricky one, huh...? Fortunately..." Anita says. The Visual Link System visor folds down over her eyes once more, and the Gungnir SC emerges. "...There's no target I can't hit."
The Gaia Gear Alpha engages it in close range, and so doing, gives Anita the opening she needs to take aim. And eventually...!
"...Firing!" Anita announces, trying to snipe Harpia Pi7 right out of the sky!
She knows this won't be permanent - but it's always important to try.
FPT: Anita Rosetta spends 3 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Anita Rosetta has acted with Armor and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Anita's grin is something Eight can feel, hear as much as she would be able to see it over video. That's the future that they're fighting for -- the one that they can carry forward.
"But that's the world, isn't it? Everyone's tragedies and triumphs, all together. ...Our story doesn't have to end the same way." She nods, to Roux. But--
They are on Earth again. Naoko has the context, at least. So if they can help...
"We sure can," Eight says, and starts directing heavy cannon fire towards the kikaiju. Frankly... She is not concerned about the ship in the wake of these tanks; she's more worried about her friends in their much more vulnerable suits.
Luckily, she has a solution to that: The Ra Mari II has a lot of guns.
Roux's request? "On it," Licia Chovan says, tilting the ship upward. Nobody's using the main cannon in-atmosphere, but Roux has plenty of rouxm for missiles.
"Maybe it's following us, maybe it's important. It's important to you, that's good enough for me!"
FPT: Eight York spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Eight York has acted with Armor and W-Space.
FPT: Anita Rosetta's Attrition applies! FPT: Anita Rosetta's Defence Optimization Ability assists! FPT: Rena Lancaster's Attrition applies! FPT: Rena Lancaster's Minovsky Field and Psychoframe Abilities assist!
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 32 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Eight York | | STATS: ARM/WSP Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Anita Rosetta | | STATS: ARM/SGT Charges Used: 3 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: ARM/RX Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Rena Lancaster | | STATS: ARM/RX Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Roux Louka | | STATS: ARM/WSP Charges Used: 0 Failure | +-----------------------------< Round 5 Results >------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +----------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Success >-----------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: | | TERRAIN: Space | | ATTRIBUTES: nothing | | BONUS STATS: nothing | +--------------------------< TITLE: A Warmer World >---------------------------+ - The final beacon of these visions pulses, a black hole surrounded by bright - - white-yellow-red light, and it is a difficult navigation -- those - - doubled-over visions of your consoles are at their worst, now, coming to - - the end, and many machines will tremble as they fly inside. - - - - Where everything is black. - - - - But let us pretend you can see. Let us pretend there is ANYTHING to see, - - here, in the infinite blackness after time's own end. The gold Psycommu - - ring of the Neo Zeong is all that shines, now, and its light barely even - - reaches the machine it surrounds. It is consumed, too. - - - - Your machine is barely holding on, here in the dark. Your lights flicker, - - and many die -- but there are enough still to read your tactical panels. - - Your weapons systems are dead, though any psycommu remains active... and - - you're able to identify all your friends, here in the dark. - - - - "Witness it for yourselves," Full Frontal invites you all. "Complete - - nothingness, devoid of light... even the passage of time does not exist - - here. This is how the world ends, at the end of its time. Beyond the - - deepest truths of reality... annihilation." - - - - Not even Triple Zero is here. - - - - Here, there is nothing. - - - - Full Frontal's voice rings hollow and fervent through the grave. "Struggle - - against it all you like, but the outcome will not change. Surely, you must - - understand this. Hope and possibility are nothing but fleeting dreams - - glimpsed at from the doorstep of this nothingness! Illusions that offer no - - comfort! They lead people astray, and create meaningless conflict! Only - - Newtypes understand the sheer cold at reality's end..." - - - - It is not only Newtypes who will speak against him. - - - - But here, in the place time forgot... - - - - "Even so, the heat of mankind... it warms the universe, doesn't it?" Lalah - - Sune's gentle voice reaches out, with her hand, upon Full Frontal's - - shoulder. "The thoughts and ideals you had as Captain have been heard. - - Now, it's time..." - - - - Her light, gentle and gold, fans out from the Neo Zeong-- and the end of - - time becomes just that little more HOSPITABLE. The struggles of your - - machines are eased, as all your consoles and systems rush online again. - - - - "Speak your convictions," her voice echoes, amongst you all, "and don't be - - afraid." - - - - "I'll bring you home." - - - - (Since you received the Success card, you'll start the boss battle with an - - additional +30 SP! Please let your bossrunners know you received this - - result.) - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: - >-------------------------------+ +---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
"I... I don't know why!" Naoko replies to Roux's question in the middle of the battle. They left the embarrassing details out of the account. But she can add another detail. "All I know is... this is when Doctor Hell almost won, Sayaka had to sacrifice Aphrodite A to save the Labs. I won't let that happen!"
She doesn't need to directly answer the other question, it's pretty clear just how much Naoko cares about Koji and his friends. Who knows, that just might have something to do with why the Photon Power Lab showed up more than once. But if it was an attempt to wear down Naoko's resolve, this isn't the way to do it. This just serves to motivate her more.
Even if these are just visions. Even if nothing they do here can make a difference, because that's the point Full Frontal is trying to make. She could never just sit idly by when something terrible is about to happen. That's why she was here in the first place, standing against the Neo Zeong. It's why they were all here.
Regardless, the battle fades before reaching a definitive conclusion, and Full Frontal presents his ultimate demonstration. More than a little unsettling, though once again - Naoko has the good fortune of having friends in the cockpit with her. Friends whose presence does not fade even in the unending darkness outside.
>"Calm down, Nova. Remember, this is a vision, just like the rest. He's trying to upset you."<
>"You're not gonna let this guy get the better of you, are you?"<
It's what she needs to hold herself together, long enough for hope to be made manifest in the presence of Lalah Sune - an existence that cannot be denied even in this void. 'Speak your convictions', she says, promising to bring them home. That's all Naoko needed to hear to be all too happy to oblige.
"What the hell are you even saying, it's all pointless because 'eventual heat death of the universe'? And just how long from now is that? What do people even have to do with it? It's not even worth thinking about stuff like that, what matters is what we can do right now!"
Which surely includes overcoming this empty man and his empty words.