2025-03-15: A Pirate's Life for Us

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KTS: Rose Tritten has deployed in ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior.
KTS: Ren Takeda has deployed in MVF-M11C Murasame (MA Mode).
KTS: Flay Allster has deployed in GAT-X105E IWSP Strike E Gundam.
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez has deployed in Queadluun-Vargal.
KTS: Leon Sakaki has deployed in YF-25 Prophecy <Fighter>.
KTS: EN Barrier activated!
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has deployed in Nazca-class Refit.
KTS: Ren Takeda's MVF-M11C Murasame (MA Mode) has been disabled.
KTS: Ren Takeda has deployed in Lion 500.
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        The door leading onto the bridge of the Macross Quarter slides open and
 Captain Jeffery Wilder walks through. He glances around the bridge, noticing
 that the ship's three operators, Monica Lang, Mina Roshan and Ram Hoa are at
 their stations. And of course, at the helm is Bobby Margot. Wilder could have
 handled many of those who had previously served aboard the ship choosing to
 not come along. But these four...

        Wilder moves to take his seat in the Captain's chair, tugging on his
 cap as he asks, "How many are with us, Monica?"

        The Quarter's chief operator stands to move over to Wilder's side,
 "Over seventy percent. We should have no problems."

        A surprisingly high amount have chosen to stay with SMS. Wilder nods in
 approval, "And the Frontier government?"

        Monica glances over at the other two operators, who give her nods. She
 then reports, "So far, it seems like they've not caught on. Those who chose
 not to join us have apparently kept quiet."

        "They are all good people, regardless of the choice they've made."
 Wilder rubs his chin thoughtfully, "And Skull-4?"

        Monica shakes her head, "No word, we can only assume..."

        Wilder nods, "Very well. Then let's begin."

        Wilder activates the comms to the rest of the ship and the SMS forces
 that have prepared.

        "Attention. I don't mean to sound self-righteous, but we joined SMS to
 have the freedom to make our own decisions, instead of just obeying orders."

        Wilder stands up from his seat, "As of now, we are no longer soldiers,
 we are pirates. And our first spoil is this ship. Let's go!"

        Wilder turns to look at Monica, "Send the package."

        Monica nods, looking down at the tablet in her hand and tapping
 commands into it.

        -=-=-=-=-

        The bridge of the Battle Frontier is a multi-story affair, with
 numerous operators working not just to manage the warship's systems but also
 many of those of the large Island One colony ship too. So there's always a
 certain buzz of activity.

        But things rapidly grow more chaotic as alarms start to sound.
 Operators starting to call out reports.

        "Network intrusion detected!"
        "The first and second firewalls have already been breached!"
        "Counter-intrusion protocols are failing, the virus is adapting too
 fast!"
        "Breach trace in progress... It's coming from Island One... Section
 thirty four... Bay seventeen! It's the Macross Quarter!"

        The officer in charge snaps, "Lock down the system! Get a boarding
 party to the Quarter's dock now!"

        But before anyone can do anything to follow through on those orders,
 all the screens on the bridge suddenly switch over to an identical feed of a
 chibi caricature of a VF, shaking its finger like 'No.'

        -=-=-=-=-

        Back on the bridge of the Macross Quarter, Ram reports, "Package
 delivered. The security systems have been overridden... Docking anchors
 released! We're free!"

        Bobby grins as he pushes his sleeves up, taking the warship's control
 sticks in his hands, "Hold on tight, we're not taking this easy!" He pushes
 the sticks forward.

        The Macross Quarter's engines flare up, slagging and charring part of
 the dock's walls as it rapidly accelerates out of the bay at speeds it really
 shouldn't be. It quickly clears the outer edges and moves out into space,
 flying away from the giant colony ship behind it.

        Mina reports, "We're clear of the dock. All systems are green. No signs
 of any hostile traces in our system. It seems that Miss Hoshino's little gift
 worked."

        Ram grins, "Was there any doubt?"

        -=-=-=-=-

        Somewhere at her console on the nearly empty bridge of the Nadesico,
 Ruri holds up a V sign to the camera.

        -=-=-=-=-

        Back on the Quarter, Captain Wilder orders, "Launch the escorts. We can
 expect the defense fleet to recover quickly. Set course for the mobile
 shipyard."

        The Macross Quarter turns in space, starting to head towards one of the
 large support vessels belonging to the Frontier fleet. Along the way, it
 launches several VFs which take up escort positions around the vessel.

        And as predicted, the Frontier Defense Fleet soon starts to respond to
 the hostile actions, several squads of VF-171s starting to fly in the
 Quarter's direction. Additional nearby SAL forces also start to approach the
 area after receiving notice from the Battle Frontier.

        However, the Macross Quarter is not alone. Having found a way to
 dispatch a message to some of its friends, some inconspicuous looking cargo
 transports are on approach to the fleet. But soon enough, they turn out to not
 be quite so innocent! Their exterior cargo bays open, suddenly revealing
 Terminal mobile weapons nestled within.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.

A small sea of tan VF-25As fly in formation alongside the Quarter as it breaks
 away from the port. Among the crowd, though, are a few distinct shapes and
 colors - a sea-green 25 and a deep blue, flanked by a group of Queadlunn-Rheas
 in red and grey. The voice of Ozma Lee crackles over the radio.

"Alright, nuggets! We're gonna be catching a lot of heat for this, so look
 alive! Keep your eyes glued to your radars. Protecting the Quarter is the main
 goal, but I'd better not see any of you go down either!" he barks.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a professional, no need to worry." Leon Sakaki quips
 back over the radio, sighing in the cockpit of his YF-25 Prophecy. WIth the
 super packs equipped, the distinctive green is hidden a bit, but the tradeoff
 for increased firepower, speed, and armor is more than worth it.

"And no backtalk!" Ozma roars. Leon groans. This is why he left the military. .
 .

"Don't take it too personally. He can be like that to rookies." The ever cool
 and confident and notably still-alive Michael Blanc radios Leon with an
 apologetic smile from his blue VF-25G Messiah.

Leon Sakaki has made his choice - it may not be the easy way out, but it's
 certainly better than flying for the FDF or, even worse, never flying again.
 As he continues to check his radar, his mind turns to the distinct absence of
 one Alto Saotome from their formation. What choice did he make?

KTS: Violet Miyazaki has deployed in Dinosaur Tank Mk. II.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki's Dinosaur Tank Mk. II has been disabled.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has deployed in Dinosaur Tank Mk. II.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Takeda has posed.

The Quarter making it's move was the signal.

Ren Takeda was suited up and had found himself seated in a Lion 500. It was
 painted a black and white color mainly. Having red up on the specs and given
 the controls some test movements over the past day, he gave a nod as he felt
 ready. This was a bit different than the Duels he participated in.

But now? Now it was time to do something about a government that was going a
 bit too far.

"Strata-5. Launching."

Taking a sensible approach, especially with the equipped rail gun, Ren used the
 natural curves and designs of the Colonies to slightly hide his unit. And took
 to sniping and disrupting formations of VFs from afar.

The first sign that he is there is when VFs in mid to center areas of their
 formations suddenly end up veering radically due to their wings being shot
 into. One after another. He's careful about it, using the machine's specs to
 move along the line of the Colony and keep apace of the VF squadrons.

A sniper he may not be normally, but he was making a good show of harassing the
 hell out of them left and right!

<Pose Tracker> Violet Miyazaki has posed.

         "Alright, here's a good spot." A violet-haired woman in a lab coat
 leans against a wall,surveying the colony ahead of her craft.

        "Hey, Dr. Miyazaki. I think something's going on!" The woman next to
 her, a blunette with her hair in twintails and literal pink eyes leans over a
 railing, looking at the deploying machines. "A fight's breaking out! Hold on,
 let me check the radio." The blue haired woman, Erica, pulls out a device that
 is obviously a radio. It looks exactly like you'd expect military radios to
 look. "Hold on... something about SMS becoming pirates?"

        The violet-haired woman, conveniently named Violet, shrugs. "Whatever.
 I want that fold drive! I'm sick of my expensive damn Macross being on bricks!
 Go my dinosaur tank!" She presses a button, opening a hatch beneath her, and
 excitedly spikes a medallion down into it. The hatch closes behind the
 medallion, which travels through another hatch, hitting the wall of the
 colony. Where there was once blank space, there is all of a sudden now a
 dinosaur... a tank... A Dinosaur Tank.

        No sooner than it blossoms into existence, the Dinosaur Tank floats off
 the colony and begins drifting, wiggling its stubby little arms slightly
 pathetically.

        "Hey, Dr. Miyazaki. I think we should've put some jets on that thing."

        "...Dr. Viviani, I have a very important job for you," Violet
 announces gravely. Erica leans in, puppy-like look of excitement on her face.

        ---------As if the first newcomer wasn't strange enough, the Dinosaur
 Tank is soon joined by a genuine ghost of a bygone war - a Byarlant. The
 Byarlant swoops in a cobra maneuveur before landing, front-first, on the
 dinosaur's back, acting as a makeshift scrander. With Erica's guidance, the
 Dinosaur Tank slowly makes its way towards the location the duo's intelligence
 (the information they have gathered, not the towering, grandiose intellect
 they like to boast about) suggests the Fold Drive they're after is.

<Pose Tracker> Tabizan Tilgez has posed.

Of the many things Tabizan Tilgez had planned to do today, absolutely none of
 them were going to a battle.

*She* had expected a pretty ... well, 'easy' isn't the right way to describe
 the schedule she was on today, but 'straightforward'. Among other things, it
 involved testing some of the new adjustments on the experimental Queadluun
 variation, but combat wasn't expected; they just wanted to test one of the
 more experimental weapons systems. After that she had intended to swing by
 Island 3.

That was, however, *before* the Macross Quarter got taken over by pirates... or
 whatever. At the time Tabizan heard about it, details were still a little
 unclear... but seeing as she was already suited up to fly, why *not* send her?
 And she wasn't going to complain; if anything, she was eager.

And that's why there's a purple and gold mobile unit accelerating in from the
 SAL forces.

Exactly what the unit *is* may take a couple moments to figure out. If you took
 the curved, organic shapes of a Queadluun-Rea (not a -Rhea, the leg and foot
 structure is very Rea), but gave it more human-like proportions - shorter
 lower legs compared to the upper, a taller, more extended torso with hip
 plates that flare outward, supporting ZAFT-made extensional arrestors - that
 would be a good start. It's also missing the laser guns on the hands (which
 have five fingers, now) and with a slimmed-down, more MS-styled arrangement of
 back thrusters, without the side-pointing missile launchers to bulk up the
 shoulders. And, finally, its head is more MS-styled too. It even has a short
 V-fin!

Still has the mounted impact cannons though. Some things never change.

The new unit only starts to slow as it enters what is rapidly becoming a battle
 zone. Tabizan whistles to herself in her cockpit, pauses one moment to collect
 herself, and then starts transmitting to SAL forces. "ZAFT's here to back you
 up!" she transmits, her voice sounding upbeat. "We'd never leave you to fight
 alone. Let's show them what we're made of!"

It goes on in that vein for a while as she switches between squadron channels,
 functioning as impromptu coordination for the incoming forces. She aches to
 join the battle... but not yet.

<Pose Tracker> Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has posed.

         "What ARE they doing over there...?" Astarte Spalding sighs, leaning
 into the viewscreen from the front of the bridge and peering at the Macross
 Quarter, broken off from the fleet. Things were bad enough as they were
 without ships going rogue. "Consciences got the better of them, I suppose."
 She walks over to the captain's seat and sets herself down. "If only we were
 all able to, hm?"

         "Captain, multiple Terminal signatures detected!"

         "My, they're serious. Keep in position, weapons ready. Get the
 Trittens out there, too. But don't fire just yet. I don't want to be the one
 who fires first on an ally, former or not."

         "Captain, there's... a dinosaur?!"

         "...A what."

<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

Terminal's had its hands full enough already dealing with the situation in
 Orb... but as it turns out, Orb isn't the only place in the world currently
 dealing with a power struggle. The organization has turned its watchful gaze
 to the Frontier Fleets... where the ever-ongoing war with the Vajra led to
 iron rule by its new acting President, Leon Mishima. It'd be concerning enough
 if the SMS weren't friends of theirs.

Like the Nadesico, the Archangel is a pretty good pick if you just want a ship
 to cause the most damage possible to an overreaching government. As such, upon
 receiving word of what the Macross Quarter plans to do, it's currently nestled
 itself behind an asteroid along its fellow rogue ship's path. The situation
 isn't so bad that sending out the Freedom is necessary, and Cagalli has her
 hands tied enough dealing with things back in Orb, so instead...

"They've started to open fire... Flay, are you ready?" Miriallia Haw's voice
 echoes over the CIC.

"Well, what do you think? I can think of a lot of ways I'd prefer to be
 spending my nineteenth." The red-haired girl sighs, as she ties her hair back
 for her helmet. "But I've fought with the SMS against the Vajra before... and
 now they've found themselves in the same mess as we're in. And if I don't go,
 Kira will have to. So.. I'm ready for anything." The startup screen boots, and
 the Phase Shift turns the Strike E its signature colours.

"All we have to do is escort them until the Macross Quarter makes it through
 the shipyard. Once we're done, the Archangel will pick you up as soon as we
 can. Got it?" Miriallia explains. "Strike E is clear to launch!"

"Got it... Flay Allster, Strike, let's go!" A lone Gundam-type mobile suit
 flies from the Archangel's linear catapult. The CIC desk instantly opens comms
 with the Macross Quarter and the rest of the SMS. "This is Flay Allster, with
 the Gaia- ah, Archangel Corps. We're here to back you up! Let's make it quick,
 shall we?" She transmits, as the the monitor starts to light up targets. The
 dinosaur tank is weird but hopefully not a problem yet, while the ZAFT ship
 and mobile weapons... definitely are. "I hope Shinn isn't with them..." Flay
 frowns, while the targeting scope lands on a rather brightly coloured
 Queadluun.

She's fought something like that before, albeit piloted by Elisa Kafim of all
 people... so she decides to take her chances. The shoulder cannons pop out,
 and fires off a quick burst of shots from an angle, to draw Tabizan's
 attention away from motivating her allies.

KTS: Flay Allster targets Tabizan Tilgez with 105mm Cannon Opening Shot!
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

From the One Fine Day's launcher, a trio of painted ZAKU Warrior mobile suits
 shoot out into the ado around the Macross Colony. Per Captain Astarte's
 orders, they hold their fire, closing in on a proper firing position.

"Are they seriously trying to abandon us now, of all times?" Sushila grumbled,
 her Gunner's Beam cannon unfolding.

"And after we made sure Alto got his fancy new VF!" Aspyn added, doing a quick
 barrel roll around the trio.

"It is a pretty inconvenient time. The Vajra aren't just a threat to the
 Macross Colonies, they're a threat to everyone living in space!" Rose frowned,
 watching beams of energy lance out from both sides. "We're...ready to attack
 the dinosaur?" She added, just as surprised at the appearance of the robotic
 dino-tank. Then her camera spotted and zoomed in on the rapidly moving Lion
 500 as it's aim turned to them. Rail gun rounds began to scream past,
 scattering the trio. "Contact! We're engaging! Come on girls!"

The trio split up and closed in at the Lion from multiple angles.

KTS: Rose Tritten targets Ren Takeda with MMI-M633 Beam Assault Rifle Maneuver
 Shot!
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda engages evade against Rose Tritten's MMI-M633 Beam Assault
 Rifle Maneuver Shot!
KTS: Best Defense! Ren Takeda successfully reacts to Rose Tritten's MMI-M633
 Beam Assault Rifle Maneuver Shot, taking 0 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        The Maross Quarter rapidly maneuvers into position inside the gantry of
 the mobile shipyard. It's a fast approach, but at the deft hands of Bobby, the
 Quarter slides into place with ease, its docking hatch latching on to the
 shipyard's at the last moment.

        The chaos of this sudden boarding gives those aboard the Quarter the
 advantage as they override the locks on the hatch. The SMS boarding team
 equipped in their EX-Gears rush aboard, quickly heading for the shipyard's
 main control room. They encounter some minor resistance from the onboard
 security, but the large vessel is mostly filled with civilian contractors who
 are definitely not going to risk their lives to defend it, quickly making
 themselves scarce as the team moves through the corridors rapidly on the
 thrusters of their power armors.

        Securing the control room, the boarding team starts the transfer
 process. A bay door on the shipyard opens, a crane lowering a large piece of
 complex looking equipment out. Rails start to take it along the gantry towards
 the Quarter, where a section of its hull folds open to reveal its interior,
 along with a space for the fold drive to slot in.

        As the transfer starts, the Quarter's head operator, Monica, radios to
 their allies, <"Attention allied forces. We'll need protection while the
 transfer is in process. We can't risk damage to either the drive or the
 Quarter's internal systems.">

        The Quarter does have its own escorts, but they are already starting to
 engage many of the defense fleet's Nightmares that are approaching. Missiles
 and gunpod fire start to blast across space around the Quarter and the
 shipyard. The shots from Ren's rail gun smash into the wings of some of the
 FDF's Valkyrie, putting holes in them and tearing them off in worst case. The
 damage cause the Nightmares to veer off, helping to ease the numbers the
 Quarter and its escorts have to face.

        -=-=-=-

        Of course, the FDF, responsible for protecting the ten million
 inhabitants of the large Frontier Fleet, is not a small force. And they're not
 just going to let SMS turn pirate and steal their equipment. On the Battle
 Frontier's bridge, which has had its systems restored to normal functions, the
 command officer orders, "Send in reinforcements!"

        More FDF Valkyries appear at the edge of the battlefield. But the
 Nightmares are not the only thing from the FDF heading to stop the Quarter.
 Another signal appears in their midst, one that would be familiar to those who
 were there for the last great Vajra attack on the Frontier Fleet.

        The red and white YF-29 Sentinel blasts through space towards the
 battle forming around the shipyard. In the cockpit, Alto frowns at the sight
 of the Macross Quarter hanging in the gantry of the larger vessel. He knew
 that they'd decided to make a run for it, since he got the same message
 everyone else did. For his own reasons, he hadn't made that choice... But he
 didn't fault them for it. He understood. Which is why he didn't report them
 ahead of time.

        But Alto had expected they'd simply take the Quarter and leave.
 Starting a battle in the middle of the fleet... This is something different!
 As such, he opens a general channel, <"Stand down, Quarter! You're taking this
 too far. Running away with the ship is one thing... But you're actively
 fighting against the fleet!">

        Looking at the various units guarding the Quarter, Alto recognizes some
 of the more unique ones, <"Skull-1... Siegfried-1... Are you really going to
 shoot down fellow pilots?"> Even as Alto says this, his system gets a missile
 lock on Leon's Prophecy. Though he doesn't pull the trigger yet, as he too
 doesn't want to fight them.

        But if they continue down this path...

KTS: Alto Saotome has deployed in YF-29 Sentinel.
KTS: Alto Saotome targets Leon Sakaki with Pass!
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez engages evade against Flay Allster's 105mm Cannon Opening
 Shot!
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Best Defense! Tabizan Tilgez successfully reacts to Flay Allster's 105mm
 Cannon Opening Shot, taking 0 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Violet Miyazaki has posed.

         Swiftly, like a fencing foil, Violet draws something from her
 pocket. The object extends as she flicks it out, revealing... an extendable
 pointing stick. "Alright. Dinosaur tank, go get me a Fold drive! The Dinotank
 begins wiggling in the direction of the ongoing transfer, but Erica in her
 Byarlant is doing most of the work maneuvering, using the Byarlant's flight
 system to manhandle the monster in the right direction. The thrusters roar to
 life, and the dinosaur part of the dinosaur tank grits its teeth at the sudden
 G-forces, spinning its treads as if it's trying to go faster. In her cockpit,
 Erica briefly slams into her seat before leaning forwards again. G-forces are
 nothing to someone who has accepted the sacrament of artificial evolution!

        "Hey, Doctor! There's a furball going on here!"

        "Why would that stop us? Blast anyone who interferes!"

        The dinosaur tank roars to life, unleashing a sweeping gout of flame
 across the interfering... anyone, really. Including any ships that have tried
 to move to interdict it, or that have tried to respond to its attack on the
 Frontier.

        Across their private comm link, both Violet and Erica throw their heads
 back and laugh. It's been a while since either has gotten the chance to do
 this, and they're enjoying the attention. At their core, they're both the same
 type of attention hog.

KTS: Violet Miyazaki targets Astarte Spalding-Monteiro with Superheated Flame!
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro engages evade against Violet Miyazaki's
 Superheated Flame!
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro successfully reacts to Violet Miyazaki's
 Superheated Flame, taking 3600 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Takeda has posed.

The Lion takes off as soon as it sees incoming units headed it's way. Not
 unlike the simulations or the actual duels he has had after all. Just more
 serious, because well... serious matters. The split strategy has the Lion
 zipping around the connection of the Colony to another, beams melting a bit of
 hull as the agile unit disappears for a moment. And veers to turn around and
 zip right back at the trio coming after it.

And that's with MISSILES coming out of it as it does so, using the high speed
 and maneuvering of the unit to try to dash through to the other side to try to
 use their formation against them before heading straight back out the way it
 came and towards the main battle field.

Ren meanwhile transmits over the Terminal frequencies, << Strata-5. Engaged
 with ZAKU squad. Transmitting location. Running maneuvers. >>

KTS: Ren Takeda targets Rose Tritten with Cask Missile Pod Volley!
KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Rose Tritten fails to engage Evade against Ren Takeda's Cask Missile Pod
 Volley!
KTS: Rose Tritten successfully reacts to Ren Takeda's Cask Missile Pod Volley,
 taking 4324 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has posed.

         "The dinosaur is attacking!"

         "Evasive action!" The Nazca quickly pivots to the side, able to avoid
 the brunt of the flame as its sights lock onto the dinosaur tank. "No,
 seriously, what the hell IS that thing?!"

         "I'm not too sure, but it's heading towards the transports!"

         Astarte grits her teeth and taps at her temple. She was... definitely
 going to have to put in for some leave after the last few weeks. "Whatever it
 is, it can't be up to anything good. Let the rest of Frontier Fleet and the
 Trittens deal with Terminal. We're taking out this ugly son of a bitch! Fire
 the cannons!"

         "Roger! Firing High Energy Beam Cannons!" The One Fine Day turns to
 the tank, its cannons pointed directly towards it, the ship pushed back
 slightly by the force of its fire.

KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro targets Violet Miyazaki with 120cm High Energy
 Beam Cannon Burst!
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki fails to engage charge against Astarte Spalding-Monteiro's
 120cm High Energy Beam Cannon Burst!
KTS: Best Defense! Violet Miyazaki successfully reacts to Astarte
 Spalding-Monteiro's 120cm High Energy Beam Cannon Burst, taking 4350 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Tabizan Tilgez has posed.

The Queadluun-Vargal doesn't resemble the Inanna too closely. It looks, really,
 like something halfway between the Queadluun battle armour series and a mobile
 suit - which in some ways is what it is. Those are certainly some ZAFT pieces
 of equipment on it - the extensional arrestors anyway. The small shield looks
 unique, the impact cannons look like those you'd find on a Queadluun-Rau or
 Rhea, and that's all that's visible at the moment.

The pilot may be occupied hyping up her side, but the rude interruption from
 Flay doesn't cause her to miss a beat. "Love you guys, but it looks like I've
 got a battle of my own to handle," Tabizan finishes up her current call as she
 sees the Strike's cannons pop out.

By the time it fires, she's moving. The thrusters on it are a little rough -
 they slam Tabizan back, but she pushes against it, remaining upright in the
 face of the surge of G-forces. It's not the worst she's had. The
 Queadluun-Vargal does a little roll, straightening out -

"It's a little lost mobile suit!" Tabizan recognizes the Strike, from pictures
 if not in person - she's never actually seen it before, but her work with IDB
 definitely has gotten her to know what it is. Breaking away from her position,
 the Queadluun-Vargal darts 'downward' (inasmuch as 'down' is really a thing in
 space), firing the thrusters again to initiate a long coast while she brings
 up the chest cannons.

And fires! A single beam from the left one - it's a mega particle beam rather
 than the standard, the Queadluun-Vargal being different on the inside as well
 as the outside. She does not (immediately) initiate a communication to the
 Strike. She *wants* to, but she's learned not to push it.

KTS: Tabizan Tilgez targets Flay Allster with BC-21 Mega Impact Cannon Snap
 Shot!
KTS: Flay Allster fails to engage evade against Tabizan Tilgez's BC-21 Mega
 Impact Cannon Snap Shot!
KTS: Flay Allster moderately reacts to Tabizan Tilgez's BC-21 Mega Impact
 Cannon Snap Shot, taking 3600 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.

Leon cuts through the crowd of 171s with a grimace on his face, punching holes
 in wings with his Gunpod and crippling engines with his head turret. Fighting
 other people is not an enjoyable job. As he hears the oh-so-familiar sound of
 a missile tone, he swings his fighter around and transforms to Battroid,
 Gunpod and head turret at the ready to intercept - only to stop, when he sees
 who's targeting him.

"Alto. . ." The Prophecy stares down the Sentinel for a second, and then-

A long-range sniper shot screams through space and misses the wing of the
 Sentinel by a hair's breadth, the crackling energy beam almost blindingly
 bright. It's so close, in fact, that it had to be intentional - only a master
 marksman could put it so close. This wasn't a strike to kill. This was to get
 Alto's attention.

Across the battlefield, Michael's VF-25G forms up with the Prophecy in Battroid
 mode, the sniper rifle still sizzling with energy after the shot as the blue
 Valkyrie's advanced targeting eye puts the Sentinel in its sights.

"Well, if it isn't the princess. And with his new toy, too. I see you've made
 your choice. What'd they do to win you over?" The duo of VFs stare down the
 29, floating in space, fully armed with Super Packs.

"Alto. . . why are you doing this? Why are you with them?" Leon asks. He
 sounds hurt.

KTS: Leon Sakaki accepts Alto Saotome's Pass!
KTS: Best Defense! Leon Sakaki successfully reacts to Alto Saotome's Pass,
 taking 0 damage!
KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Alto Saotome with Pass!
KTS: Alto Saotome accepts Leon Sakaki's Pass!
KTS: Best Defense! Alto Saotome successfully reacts to Leon Sakaki's Pass,
 taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        The transfer of the prototype fold drive into the Macross Quarter
 continues. The rail system has reached the Quarter and the crane is lowering
 the large device into the provided opening. The Quarter's various VF escorts
 are flying close defense against any FDF Nightmares that try to get in to
 disrupt the process. Meanwhile the warship's Destroid turrets are shooting
 down any missiles that try to get close to the drive.

        On the bridge, the three operators are reading off reports of the fight.

        "Terminal forces are engaging. The Strike is targeting an unknown
 part-Zentradi model with a SAL registration."
        "Confirmation of the One Fine Day and the Tritten Team. A ZAFT unit,
 perhaps?"
        "Strata-5 is engaging the latter. As for the former..."
        "Kaiju confirmed."
        "It's a dinosaur."
        "I can see that."
        "Why is there a dinosaur in space?"
        "Perhaps it's looking for whatever happened to its fellows?"

        "Focus, girls." Monica, admonishes the other two operators, before
 reporting, "The Sentinel has entered the AO..."

        Captain Wilder grunts as Alto's voice echoes out of the bridge
 speakers, "It seems Saotome has made his choice."

        Monica nods, "It's not wholly unexpected, given what has been reported
 by the news about the new role of Sheryl Nome." Still, it can't help feel like
 a little bit of a betrayal...

        "Fold drive has been lowered into position! The engineering team is
 beginning to engage the connections."

        Wilder nods at the report, "Tell the boarding team to begin making
 their way back. We'll be leaving as soon as the drive is online." Though
 evidently that's still going to take a little time.

        -=-=-=-

        Alto had been focused on the Prophecy, so the sudden bolt of energy
 rushing past his wing catches him by surprise. But he instantly recognises it,
 turning his attention to the blue Messiah, "Michael..."

        At the questions, Alto replies, <"I should be asking you guys that!
 We're supposed to be fighting the Vajra! They need to be stopped, before they
 take away everything we have..."> Alto's chest tightens a little as he
 remembers the things he's already lost... And is still losing.

        <"The President has a plan! This is the best chance we have to deal
 with them once and for all. Why are you running away now!?"> The Sentinel
 still doesn't fire, though its missile lock remains active.

KTS: Alto Saotome targets Leon Sakaki with Pass!
<Pose Tracker> Violet Miyazaki has posed.

         "They're firing! Dodge!" Violet waves her director's rod like a
 conductor's rod, commanding the kaiju to dodge. The Dinosaur tank's treads
 spin to life again, impotently, and Erica does all the work again, pushing
 through the enemy fire. Unfortunately, the dino tank is blocking her view, and
 she can't really dodge that well for it.

        "Raaarrghhh!" In space, nobody can hear you roar, unfortunately."

        Violet turns her attention to a nearby screen. "Wait. Magnify that.
 ...They're taking MY fold drive! Erica! Go get it!"

        "But I'm already moving the dinosaur!"

        "Go!"

        The makeshift Byar-Scrander detaches from the dinotank, swooping over
 to rush towards the crane, blasting particle beams at the nearby SAL fighters
 before drawing its sabers and performing a corkscrew dive towards the lowering
 drive.

        "And as for you... return fire! Launch missiles! Feed the targeting
 data from the observation craft!" Violet swings her rod again, and the
 dinotank roars silently in response, launching anti-ship missiles at the One
 Fine Day, which, being a ship, should probably worry about the 'anti-ship'
 part.

KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Attune Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki targets Astarte Spalding-Monteiro with Dinosaur Tank
 Missiles Anti-Ship Volley!
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro engages intercept against Violet Miyazaki's
 Dinosaur Tank Missiles Anti-Ship Volley!
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro moderately reacts to Violet Miyazaki's Dinosaur
 Tank Missiles Anti-Ship Volley, taking 5440 damage!
KTS: Leon Sakaki accepts Alto Saotome's Pass!
KTS: Best Defense! Leon Sakaki successfully reacts to Alto Saotome's Pass,
 taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

missiles detonate around Rose as she tries to dodge them, shrapnel smashing
 into her ZAKU.

"Unbelievable. WHAT EVEN IS YOUR PLAN?!" Rose hissed, accelerating forward
 towards the Lion. "Run away and then what, fight the Vajra on your own? Or are
 you just going to run and hide?! There are millions of people living in space,
 and all of them are under direct threat from the Vajra, and the Earth is next!"

KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Strike Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

Flay's would-be target catches on quick - going from hyping up her allies to
 dodging cannonfire in the matter of seconds. "Tsk... they're fast!" Flay
 mutters, as the monitor re-orients on the Queadluun's new position, and the
 cannons retract to the IWSP Striker. If they weren't on opposite sides, she
 might even be impressed.

Lost or not, Flay knows exactly where she should be, even if she's not exactly
 as enthusiastic about shooting at a ZAFT suit as she might've once been. The
 Queadluun-Vargal being unfamiliar as it is, she's not sure what to expect in
 return - and her reaction time isn't so fast that she can deal with it in
 time. Seeing the glow of a beam, Flay makes a similarly sharp maneuver, but
 the Strike E is just as quickly cut off by the burst of megaparticle fire
 splashing across the lower chest.

It's not so much that the Strike E is in any particular danger, but it does
 mean Flay responds by maneuvering closer and raising up the shield. As the
 gatling-barrelled tip of the shield begins to rotate, Tabizan will realize
 that's not to protect itself from further shots - a steady stream of bullets
 flying for the Queadluun in a much wider pattern than the cannon fire.

As the Strike E gets closer to the Queadluun-Vargal, it becomes a lot clearer
 just how strange of a design the mobile weapon is, in its marriage of Zentradi
 and ZAFT engineering. This pilot seems like they're a whole lot better than
 just some test pilot... but without hearing from her directly, it's difficult
 to tell just how big of a deal her opponent really is.

KTS: Flay Allster targets Tabizan Tilgez with 30mm 6-Barrel Gatling Gun Blitz!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.

Leon is silent after Alto launches his barrage of questions. Only Michael can
 see it, but he looks sad. These damn tools for murder! he thinks. It's true.
 He's only spreading violence, but-

"I'm never going to follow someone like him again, Alto. No matter what kind
 of plan he has. There has to be a better way to stop the Vajra than what he
 wants to do. There just has to be." Leon's fists shake on his throttle.
 Michael moves as if to offer support, but Leon shakes him off.

"Stay out of this, Skull 2. This is is my business," Leon says. Michael only
 nods.

"Alto, someone has to do something about this tyranny. And if you're going to
 oppose that, then you need to get out of my way. I don't want to do this,
 but-!"

The missile bays of the Super Prophecy open, and the two missile alarms wail in
 unison as Leon unleashes a wave of micro-missiles at the Sentinel.

KTS: Rose Tritten targets Ren Takeda with AGM138 "Firebee" Guided Missile
 Telemetry Shot!
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez fails to engage Block against Flay Allster's 30mm 6-Barrel
 Gatling Gun Blitz!
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Best Defense! Tabizan Tilgez successfully reacts to Flay Allster's 30mm
 6-Barrel Gatling Gun Blitz, taking 3168 damage!
KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Alto Saotome with SPS-25S/MF25 Super Parts Lockon
 Strike!
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda engages intercept against Rose Tritten's AGM138 "Firebee"
 Guided Missile Telemetry Shot!
KTS: Ren Takeda poorly reacts to Rose Tritten's AGM138 "Firebee" Guided Missile
 Telemetry Shot, taking 4410 damage!
KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Alto Saotome engages intercept against Leon Sakaki's SPS-25S/MF25 Super
 Parts Lockon Strike!
KTS: Alto Saotome's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Best Defense! Alto Saotome successfully reacts to Leon Sakaki's
 SPS-25S/MF25 Super Parts Lockon Strike, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Takeda has posed.

The Lion turns as a lock on is detected, reversing it's thrusters to get the
 missile in sight before shooting it quickly.

The explosion rocks the trajectory of the Masquerion unit as it spirals towards
 open space.

It's not made for toughness, but rather maneuvers.

The hissed question is not answered. Instead, the unit fires off it's thrusters
 to get moving again, spiralling and turning as a larger barrel comes around to
 point at the ZAKU trio.

Repeated railgun shots fire out again and again as it attempts to delay the
 trio from their pursuit.

Ren hums to himself, frowning as he analyzes what he is looking at in terms of
 weapons on the three. One's a Gunner, another may be the lead unit... his
 focus shifts towards the lead unit. He takes notes in his head, listening to
 reports on the status of the Quarter and the allies on the field as he
 continues the run and gun battle he is waging with the trio.

KTS: Ren Takeda targets Rose Tritten with FT Railgun Staggered Fire!
<Pose Tracker> Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has posed.

"Missiles coming!"

         "Intercept!"

         "Roger!" The OFD's CIWS take aim and fire at the volley of missiles,
 detonating several of them in the air, but failing to avoid the entire
 barrage. The bridge shakes as the missiles slam at the hull, causing the
 captain to click her tongue.

         "I've had about enough of all this. Fire the VTOLs!"

         The ship takes aim at the dinosaur tank, firing a barrage of missiles
 straight up and over, bringing them directly down onto the kaiju.

KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro targets Violet Miyazaki with Vertical Launching
 System Surgical Strike!
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Erica makes a dive towards the fold drive, but her sabers are met by a
 barrier light light as a white and grey Messiah rushes up in Battroid mode to
 put its shield and pin point barrier in the path of the attack. Over the
 radio, the voice of Ozma Lee says, <"Not so fast. You'll have to get through
 me first."> The famous Skull-1 of SMS is rather well known amongst mercenary
 circles as an ace pilot. Though whether that fame extends beyond such
 circles...

        Behind Ozma, the fold drive is lowered into the Quarter's hull and the
 armor plating starts to fold back over to close the opening.

        As the battle continues to rage around the shipyard, on the Quarter's
 bridge Mina reports, "Connection to the drive is at forty three percent. It's
 a good thing we've done this before or it wouldn't be going this fast."

        Captain Wilder says, "Perhaps still not fast enough." He's eyeing the
 the depths of space through the bridge windows, where he can see several of
 the closest defense fleet warships starting to finally act. Wilder hmmms,
 "Tell our allies to be prepared. We won't have a lot of time to escape."

        Monica follows the order, radioing the Terminal forces assisting them,
 <"Attention Terminal forces. If you don't want to be left behind facing down
 the entire Frontier Defense Fleet, I suggest you don't stray too far from the
 Quarter. We'll be making an abrupt exit as soon as we're ready.">

        -=-=-=-

        <"And what way is that? How long will that take? Sh-"> He cuts himself
 off, before correcting, <"We don't have much time any more. Who knows when the
 Vajra will be able to adapt to the new weapons. We have to act now, while we
 have the chance!">

        It seems like Alto can't convince Leon though as the Prophecy fires.
 The missiles sweep across space towards Alto. He grips his controls tighter,
 "So be it..." Alto pulls the trigger, unleashing a barrage of his own missiles.

        Some of Alto's missiles meet Leon's and detonate, purpleish distortions
 appearing in space at their location. The missiles are swallowed up by them,
 seemingly vanishing inside them, before the distortions blink out again,
 leaving no trace of the missiles behind, thus keeping them from reaching Alto.

        The remainder of Alto's missiles continue onwards to Leon though,
 threatening to do the same to the Prophecy.

KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Alto Saotome targets Leon Sakaki with MBL-02S MDE Micro-missile Launchers
 Trailing Barrage!
<Pose Tracker> Tabizan Tilgez has posed.

Just like Flay depends on her shield, Tabizan depends on hers. The shield on
 the Queadluun-Vargal is a little smaller than one might expect, but it fans
 open wider on deployment, covering at least the torso of the Vargal from that
 stream of bullets.

And the reaction is a little unusual - because there's the flicker and power
 spike of Phase Shift armour! Not the most powerful Phase Shift put on a mobile
 suit, but enough to keep the expandable shield in one piece as it defends
 against that stream of bullets. Or part of it; Flay's use of a wide spread
 means that Tabizan can't keep it everywhere, and some of them do connect with
 the unit itself, especially down on the legs where the expandable shield
 doesn't reach.

"I was surprised to see a stray here! Normally I get called the cat..."

Tabizan's image pops up on Flay's communications. The Vargal might be so new
 that it's hard to recognize, but the Meltrandi pilot is, to those in PLANTs
 who follow the military at all, much more well-known... even if her face is
 slightly obscured by a helmet, because even Tabby's devil-may-care attitude
 draws the line at trying to breathe vacuum. She's only really visible from the
 shoulders up along with the edge of the tight-fitting suit, familiar in design
 (though not in colours or pattern); black and ZAFT red.

"Though I wasn't expecting to see *anyone* try to steal a whole Macross! I'd
 say 'that's a first', but I can remember it happening a couple times already."
 Tabizan cants her head just slightly, her hair in her helmet mashing against
 the back. "Kind of an interesting career path, isn't it? Gaia Sabers icon
 to... well, space pirate's assistant!"

While she talks, though, she fights - or at least she flies. Lowering the
 shield slightly, Tabizan accelerates toward the Strike, clearly attempting to
 close with it. That's backed up when one of the hip-mounted arrestors fires,
 the pincer-like clamp aimed at the Strike's shoulder. It may not be likely to
 penetrate deeply, but if it clings on, Tabizan uses it to reel herself closer,
 the clamp twisting slightly to try to damage the joint even through its phase
 shift armour - not impact but torsion, which it is less effective against.

KTS: Tabizan Tilgez targets Flay Allster with EEQ7R-V Extensional Arrestor
 Anchor!
KTS: Leon Sakaki engages intercept against Alto Saotome's MBL-02S MDE
 Micro-missile Launchers Trailing Barrage!
KTS: Leon Sakaki's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
KTS: Critical Hit! Leon Sakaki poorly reacts to Alto Saotome's MBL-02S MDE
 Micro-missile Launchers Trailing Barrage, taking 5170 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Alto Saotome's The Twinkle Of A Tearful Planet activates,
 causing Insight L1!
KTS: Flay Allster has activated the Enable Spirit Command.
KTS: Flay Allster has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Flay Allster engages parry against Tabizan Tilgez's EEQ7R-V Extensional
 Arrestor Anchor!
KTS: Flay Allster's Physical Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage.
KTS: Flay Allster poorly reacts to Tabizan Tilgez's EEQ7R-V Extensional
 Arrestor Anchor, taking 2430 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.

Leon's missiles are absorbed in the storm of dimensional explosions, and he
 gapes. "MDEs? Holy-!" Leon quickly fires interception bursts with his head
 turret and Gunpod into the swarm, but it's too late - he takes out a few,
 stopping them dead in their tracks, but several more fly past. Leon reverses
 backwards, but he's caught in the edge of the radius, and a massive chunk of
 the supplemental armor on his shield is shredded.

"Goddamnit!" Leon pulls his throttle upwards, lightning racing along the
 Prophecy as it transforms to Fighter and overburns at Alto. The real dogfight
 begins now. The whine of a Gunpod spinning up engages, and Leon takes the
 fight to Alto.

KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
Leon Sakaki transforms to YF-25 Prophecy <Fighter>
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki engages charge against Astarte Spalding-Monteiro's
 Vertical Launching System Surgical Strike!
KTS: Violet Miyazaki moderately reacts to Astarte Spalding-Monteiro's Vertical
 Launching System Surgical Strike, taking 6360 damage!
KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Foresee Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Alto Saotome's Here Is The Warm Sea activates!
KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Alto Saotome with Gatling Full-Auto!
KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained
 proficiency bonus.
KTS: Alto Saotome engages evade against Leon Sakaki's Gatling Full-Auto!
KTS: Alto Saotome's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Best Defense! Alto Saotome successfully reacts to Leon Sakaki's Gatling
 Full-Auto, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Violet Miyazaki has posed.

         The Messiah guards the blow from the standard colours Byarlant,
 lighting up the logo on the shoulder - the... sphere and ring of the AEUG?
 Over the contact comms, an eerie, distorted giggling can be heard.

        Erica swings both sabers towards Ozma in sequence, then attempts to
 dive for the Drive again, trying to seize it from the crane in a flyby
 maneuveur. The uptuned Byarlant is fast... but maybe not fast enough to grab
 it in time, or to avoid Ozma.

        Meanwhile, the Dinosaur Tank's missiles explode in mid-space from CIWS
 fire. Violet swings her rod around again. "Guess who else has had enough of
 this?" She thrusts her hand forwards, like she's seen ship captains do when
 giving especially Cool orders. "Fire!"

        The Dinosaur's mouth brims with glowing energy leaking through the
 teeth, before opening and spewing a stream of fusion energy straight for the
 center mass of the One Fine Day.

        "FUSION...BUSTER!!!" Violet isn't a super robot heroine, but she sure
 does think they're cool.

KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki targets Astarte Spalding-Monteiro with Fusion Breath!
KTS: Rose Tritten engages evade against Ren Takeda's FT Railgun Staggered Fire!
KTS: Critical Hit! Rose Tritten poorly reacts to Ren Takeda's FT Railgun
 Staggered Fire, taking 6240 damage!
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro fails to engage evade against Violet Miyazaki's
 Fusion Breath!
KTS: Best Defense! Astarte Spalding-Monteiro successfully reacts to Violet
 Miyazaki's Fusion Breath, taking 4725 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

The railgun impacts Rose's ZAKU arm and explodes her shield. Her ZAKU
 Cartwheels as she struggles to gain control, her fist slapping the Master
 Caution into silence.

"You jerk!" She growls. "Sushila! Aspyn! Pattern Delta!"

The three ZAKUs rapidly scream in, spraying the Lion with beam machine gun fire
 as they close in. Sushila fires off a pair of quick Beam Cannon shots to force
 it into position, before the foot of Rose's ZAKU closes in with a Comet Kick,
 and Aspyn's beam axe swings down!

KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda's Focused Insight activates!
KTS: Rose Tritten targets Ren Takeda with Ace Attack Formation Delta!
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda engages guard against Rose Tritten's Ace Attack Formation Delta!
KTS: Ren Takeda successfully guards Rose Tritten's Ace Attack Formation Delta,
 taking 4590 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has posed.

         The bridge shakes even more as the energy hits the One Fine Day dead
 center, alerts ringing out as damage to various systems is reported. Astarte
 stands back up, walking over to the comms station and looking out at the tank,
 her eye twitching at the giggling coming through.

         "Just a little advice from a woman with experience in this sort of
 thing..." Her lips curl faintly into a smile. "...Girls who laugh like that
 aren't very popular with their peers." She turns to weapons. "VTOL. Again.
 Give it everything."

         With another "Roger," the One Fine Day releases another barrage of
 missiles, unleashing the rest of its store onto the dinosaur's head.

KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro targets Violet Miyazaki with Vertical Launching
 System Surgical Strike!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Takeda has posed.

The incoming shots force the Lion into position as the larger barrel flips back.

It's a testament to the control that doesn't immediately wreck the unit as the
 grinding Assault Blade comes up to block the beam axe and the Comet Kick nails
 into the unit's torso.

It's the wrong direction from the way that Ren wants to go, however, and he
 grits his teeth in the cockpit of the Lion. He's glad he flat out bought the
 thing, but it's definitely not his full style.

Still, he decides on a surprise. An open comms comment, "Not bad team work."
 From a young voice. Too young to be a seasoned pilot perhaps.

But then the Lion does something that is definitely not even remotely standard
 protocols nor standard for it. Thrusters fire on full burst as the Lion
 reverses the entangled trio's trajectory. One of the leg extensions shoots
 out, swinging to knock into the leg of Rose's Zaku.

Then the entire unit spins hard. The effective spin is used to both shoot up
 and unleash a kick into both Zaku to send them flying into the third before
 the Lion continues it's spiralling trajectory towards the Macross Quarter.

Some might even recognize it as what shouldn't really be possible with a unit.
 But it's done effectively, and flawlessly. A full on martial arts cyclone
 attack.

KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda targets Rose Tritten with Cyclone Kick!
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Ozma's Messiah takes the blows against its shield again, the force
 sending it flying back a little bit. This gives Erica an opening to dive for
 the fold drive. But she is intercepted by a stream of bullets fired by one of
 the warship's Destroid turrets. It's not a significant threat, but it's a
 brief enough distraction for Ozma to regain some ground and come rushing in
 with a flying kick to knock the Byarlant away.

        On the Quarter's bridge, Mina reports, "Connections are at seventy
 three percent!"

        Ram then calmly says, "Boarding team has returned."

        Wilder nods and stands from his chair, "Good. Disengage the hatch,
 we're launching."

        The Quarter separates from the mobile shipyard, starting to move away
 from the gantry. The armor section that had been opened to allow the inserting
 of the fold drive now finishes closing, blocking off Erica's further attempts
 to try and pry it free. Unless she wants to try and blast her way through the
 warship's armor.

        The call for the retreat hasn't gone out yet. But the Quarter's
 Terminal allies should expect it soon enough.

        -=-=-=-

        The MDE missiles detonate just short of Leon, shredding part of his
 armor. Does it seem like they might be detonating a little too short of him?
 Perhaps Alto has tweaked the proximity charge so as to not wipe Leon out
 completely...

        Still, Alto is not backing down completely as Leon gives chase. Alto
 pushes the throttle, his engines flaring as the Prophecy comes sweeping
 towards him. Its gunpod lights up and the two fighters twist and weave through
 space as Alto puts his new fighter through its paces.

        The Sentinel's movements are quite a bit faster than the Prophecy's,
 the strength of its thrust seeming to be several levels above that of the
 older design. And Alto's putting them to good use as Leon's streams of bullets
 slide close by without actually getting a direct hit.

        Of course, Alto can't dodge forever. And after a particularly sharp
 maneuver, he swings his fighter around, switching it into GERWALK mode as the
 arm and hand lowers out of the frame, gripping the Heavy Quantum Beam Gun.
 Alto calls out, <"You're making a mistake going against me! I won't hesitate
 to do what I must!"> The Sentinel swings its arm around, aiming the gun at the
 Prophecy as it sweeps past.

        The trigger is pulled, a beam of golden light tinged with blue lancing
 out of the weapon. Though thankfully, it's still only aimed towards the
 Prophecy's wing.

KTS: Alto Saotome targets Leon Sakaki with HPB-01A Heavy Quantum Beam Gun Pod
 High Powered Shot!
KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Valor Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

Even as Tabizan raises her unit's shield to defend itself from her bullets,
 Flay was not expecting to see the familiar sight of that power flicker. "No
 way... she's got Phase Shift too!" Her eyes widen, as the gatling shield
 lowers to a defensive position. It's annoying, the way it limits most of the
 IWSP's options, even if her bullets were able to push the Queadluun-Vargal
 back a little.

The engagement being pretty much a wash so far, the Strike E begins to double
 back, equipping its beam rifle, and trying to get some kind of firing
 solution... until her opponent speaks. Flay doesn't particularly follow the
 latest trends in the PLANTs, even now, but there is passing familiarity in
 the way Tabizan presents herself. "A stray? I know exactly where I'm supposed
 to be." A slight, forced smile curls up Flay's lips as she turns on her own
 communications. "Do you?"

She has to agree, though - stealing the Macross and the fold drive is a
 pretty bold move. If the SMS doesn't have an actual plan of what to do next,
 things could turn out pretty bad in the war against the Vajra... but she's
 also experienced first-hand how far the ideology of anything being on the
 table as long as it's war can take a person. Even if it's the Vajra, she
 wonders if what the Frontier Fleet is doing is right... it's something that
 never would have crossed her mind before.

"...It was a mistake," She answers Tabizan, about being the Gaia Sabers' icon,
 after some hesitation. "But at least you seem to be having fun doing the same
 for ZAFT, right?" She adds, that smile returning. Despite Tabizan's carefree
 attitude, though, she can tell she isn't just here to play games. Especially
 not when that arrestor fires off, latching itself into the Phase Shift Armour,
 not carving deep but twisting through the armour all the same.

At the same time, the Strike E receives a retreat order from the Archangel. The
 rest of the Frontier Fleet is on its way, and the Quarter is planning on
 folding right out. The Archangel needs to get out of there before that comes
 to pass... but the Strike E is stuck in the Queadluun's grasp. In a desperate
 maneuver, the Strike E repositions it's shield again, the free hand grabbing
 the beam boomerang and using it to slice off the anchor.

It's followed by a burst of two point-blank railgun shots, just enough to
 create some distance, rather than actually damage the Vargal through its PSA -
 before the Strike E circles back with a series of high-speed beam rifle shots.
 It looks as if it's a retreating volley... but that depends on if Tabizan is
 keen on letting her opponent get away.

KTS: Flay Allster has activated the Rouse Spirit Command.
KTS: Flay Allster's SEED Factor activates!
KTS: Flay Allster targets Tabizan Tilgez with Strike High-Mobility Attack!
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez has activated the Rouse Spirit Command.
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez fails to engage Evade against Flay Allster's Strike
 High-Mobility Attack!
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez successfully reacts to Flay Allster's Strike High-Mobility
 Attack, taking 5220 damage!
KTS: Rose Tritten fails to engage Parry against Ren Takeda's Cyclone Kick!
KTS: Rose Tritten successfully reacts to Ren Takeda's Cyclone Kick, taking 4800
 damage!
KTS: Ren Takeda begins a Formation attack!
KTS: Ren Takeda anchors Rose Tritten, preventing it from Evading the next
 attack!
KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Leon Sakaki engages evade against Alto Saotome's HPB-01A Heavy Quantum
 Beam Gun Pod High Powered Shot!
KTS: Leon Sakaki's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
KTS: Critical Hit! Leon Sakaki poorly reacts to Alto Saotome's HPB-01A Heavy
 Quantum Beam Gun Pod High Powered Shot, taking 6270 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Alto Saotome's The Twinkle Of A Tearful Planet activates,
 causing Insight L1!
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki fails to engage charge against Astarte Spalding-Monteiro's
 Vertical Launching System Surgical Strike!
KTS: Violet Miyazaki moderately reacts to Astarte Spalding-Monteiro's Vertical
 Launching System Surgical Strike, taking 6360 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

There is a loud crunch as Rose's ZAKU loses the lower part of the leg. Every
 alarm in her cockpit is screaming, nothing left to lose now.

"That is it! Alpha Strike him!"

"Don't we only use that on ships?"

"I don't care! Do it!"

The three ZAKU Warriors begin to whip around the Lion, confusing and slashing
 at it with thrown and swung Beam Tomahawks, before Aspyn prepares a final
 helm-splitter of a final blow, her Axe slamming down like an executioner.

KTS: Rose Tritten targets Ren Takeda with Anti-Ship Formation Alpha!
KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Ren Takeda engages parry against Rose Tritten's Anti-Ship Formation Alpha!
KTS: Ren Takeda successfully reacts to Rose Tritten's Anti-Ship Formation
 Alpha, taking 3960 damage!
KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Tabizan Tilgez has posed.

Better to take it lightly than to lose yourself in the battle. Tabizan had to
 have that trained out of her; it's really the only reason she did not qualify
 for red-uniform pilot status when she was in the military academy, not that
 she'll admit it.

She's still tempted, sometimes. Less right now than she could.

"Oh, you recognize me! I thought I'd have to do my whole introduction. But if
 you're trying to get me to defect I'm not interested. And it's not the fame,"
 Tabizan adds, almsot offhandedly. "Meltrandi don't have many places to go on a
 'pure, blue Earth' either, you know? I've lived on PLANTs all my life, anyway.
 I'm not a Coordinator precisely, but I can't see myself anywhere else!"

"So I don't mind doing it for ZAFT. If I can be a beacon, that's enough for me!
 And if I burn so bright I blind some poor Earthlings, well, their loss!" She
 winks at Flay. "At least the last thing they see will be gorgeous~ ... if you
 think you can keep up with me, time to prove it!"

Cutting into the extensional arrestor works well. So well, in fact, that
 Tabizan gives up her attack to retrieve it, pulling it back so that Flay can't
 carve it off. It still gets her free, granted, so she's got what she wanted,
 but it leaves Tabizan with a lightly damaged arrestor rather than none at all
 on that side.

The railgun shots slam in, but by this point Tabby is moving like she was born
 to the air... or space, as it may be. Vargal's motions aren't quite dancelike,
 but they're not precisely *not* a dance either; her evasion tend toward the
 weaving, taking advantage of Vargal's shield combined with her ability to pull
 enough Gs that it would be dangerous for a non-Coordinator to even attempt.

Tabizan wasn't lying, though. She's *not* a Coordinator. But her father was a
 command Zentradi, and the way she handles acceleration forces is comparable.
 There's a reason she passed ZAFT piloting school.

With a flick of her wrist, there's a short blade in Vargal's hand. Or not a
 short blade - it telescopes, extending to the length of a large one-handed
 sword, beam blades activating on the sides like a smaller anti-ship sword. But
 she doesn't go in with the edge - instead, she performs a long lunging thrust,
 firing the back-mounted thrusters for additional acceleration.

And if she hits, there's a discharge like the bad end of a serpent weapon, a
 jolt of electricity that would cause thunder on earth. In space, of course,
 there's no rumble afterwards, but the crackle and flash and pop of the circuit
 is bad enough!

"Come on, stray! You used to be an icon, and I am one - let's give our forces a
 show!" Tabizan blows a kiss from behind her helmet. If she realizes Flay is
 retreating, she doesn't show it - but going for a lunge instead of something
 that restricts her is its own signal. Flay might be able to retreat, but Tabby
 might be able to chase... or return to her forces to support them.

<Pose Tracker> Violet Miyazaki has posed.

         "Hmhmhee-oof!" Erica's laughter is cut off by Ozma's swift kick
 sending her spiralling away from her goal. "Damnit." She quickly recovers,
 though, advancing ominously on Ozma, blades drawn like some evil chef.

        "Heheehehee... ahhahahaaheeeheeee...
 AAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHA/HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!/ The Byarlant dives
 towards Ozma again, pilot swinging recklessly again and again and again...

        The dinosaur tank, left to drift by Erica, is riddled by missiles
 throughout the head and body to the point of beginning to spark. One missiles
 detonates directly in the face, provoking another soundless howl of pain, and
 the Dinotank slams into the wall of the colony... then somehow launches
 itself directly towards the One Fine Day again.

        "Damnit, we're out of time!"Violet briefly stamps her foot in a
 childish manner before regaining her composure. "Nevertheless." Again, her
 hand sweeps out in a grandiose gesture. She can't quite resist talking back to
 Astarte. "This world is full of many people with their own tastes in that kind
 of thing... I'm sure she could find someone!" ("But I only want you," Erica
 cries.) "FIRE!"

        Again, the damaged jaws of the dinosaur open, but this time a stream of
 glowing, hot magma emerges, spraying up and down the One Fine Day's body. The
 dinotank is probably finished, but Violet is fine with that. "After this,
 we're leaving, Erica." She prepares her subordinate for retreat over a private
 channel.

KTS: Tabizan Tilgez's Strut Your Stuff activates!
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Tabizan Tilgez targets Flay Allster with MMI-558J Composite Sword
 Heartbreaker!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.

"Come on, you stupidly beautiful traitor . . ." Leon's pushing the Prophecy to
 110%, but even then, it's absolutely no match for the Sentinel. The thing
 moves like a bird in flight, like an angel of death soaring through the starry
 space. Leon's Gunpod shots fail to connect, any that do simply dissipating in
 the 29's barrier. The FDF really had made something amazing here.

"The fact that such a marvel happens to be killing me isn't a good thing!"

The image of a bird in flight quickly becomes a bird of prey swooping in for
 the kill as the Sentinel transforms to GERWALK. Leon sees the Heavy Beam Gun
 open and charge up, and his eyes go wide.

"Oh, shi-" The beam blasts right through the Prophecy's left wing, sending it
 into an uncontrolled spin as Brunnhilde howls at Leon.

"Damnit, damnit, damnit, DAMNIT!" Leon manages to right himself by pulling out
 into GERWALK as well, trailing smoke and fire and lots of expensive mechanical
 parts. Leon lives up to his namesake and roars as he launches missiles from
 every single port on the Super Pack at the Sentinel.

"ALTO!!!!"
Leon Sakaki transforms to YF-25 Prophecy <Gerwalk>

KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Alto Saotome with SPS-25S/MF25 Super Parts Swarm
 Barrage!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Takeda has posed.

A proximity alarm sounds in the Lion and the thrown tomahawk takes out the held
 rail gun of the unit before it spins around.

Ren grits his teeth as the other slashes come in, shifting the thrusters on the
 Lion left and right to avoid them.

The final strike comes down with the helm splitter and the Assault Blade comes
 up to parry the blow. The chainsaw whirls as it skids along the blade.

Ren can't help but be a little amused. But he sees someone needing help in the
 distance.

<< Siegfried-1, incoming assistance fire. >>

The Lion spins again before unleashing machine gun hell on all three of the
 Zakus before shifting it's gun arm up in a sweep to try to catch Alto's
 Sentinel as well. It's a long shot, but Ren has some... extra experience to
 make it happen even as he continues to gun his thrusters to get closer to the
 Quarter. Fold Drives are something he is unsure on, and he does not want to
 find out if he can survive one without being somewhat in or near a ship at
 this point.

KTS: Ren Takeda has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Alto Saotome engages evade against Leon Sakaki's SPS-25S/MF25 Super Parts
 Swarm Barrage!
KTS: Alto Saotome's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Alto Saotome successfully reacts to Leon Sakaki's SPS-25S/MF25 Super Parts
 Swarm Barrage, taking 3480 damage!
KTS: Flay Allster engages react against Tabizan Tilgez's MMI-558J Composite
 Sword Heartbreaker!
KTS: Best Defense! Flay Allster successfully reacts to Tabizan Tilgez's
 MMI-558J Composite Sword Heartbreaker, taking 0 damage!
KTS: Ren Takeda targets Rose Tritten with M950 Machine Gun Full Auto!
KTS: Rose Tritten engages evade against Ren Takeda's M950 Machine Gun Full Auto!
KTS: Critical Hit! Rose Tritten poorly reacts to Ren Takeda's M950 Machine Gun
 Full Auto, taking 4998 damage!
KTS: Rose Tritten has been defeated!
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

Rounds slam into Rose's ZAKU Warrior, finally choking the life out of it.
 Sushila's ZAKU Gunner brings it to a stop as she and Aspyn retreat with their
 team leader back towards the heavily damaged One Fine Day.

Rose stews in her cockpit the entire time.

KTS: Rose Tritten's ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior has been disabled.
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        "Fold drive connections are at one hundred percent! It's online!"

        Wilder sweeps his hand out to the side, "Order the retreat! Begin
 charging the fold drive. We're getting out of here."

        The SMS escorts begin to initiate emergency landings on the Quarter's
 flight deck. Their Terminal allies get the retreat order, with the offer to
 join the Quarter in folding away. It's the best form of escape, as there's no
 way for the FDF to pursue. But of course, if any in Terminal have their own
 means they can do so (the Archangel probably hasn't been noticed yet so could
 slip away for example).

        Ozma is also one of those that falls back towards the Quarter's deck,
 using a close range barrage of missiles between himself and Erica to disrupt
 her swings and force her back briefly.

        A portal of prismatic light rapidly forms in front of the Quarter as
 the warship begins to leave, providing only a small window of opportunity for
 its allies to join it.
 
        -=-=-=-

        Leon unleashes his barrage of missile in Alto's direction and this time
 Alto doesn't have enough time to react. The missiles explode around the
 Sentinel, though its armor and pinpoint barrier hold under the assault. The
 result is some scorching across its frame, but it's still relatively intact.

        The Sentinel transforms into Battroid mode brings the gunpod in its
 hands up to aim towards the Prophecy again. Alto watches his screen as his
 aiming reticle sweeps over the Prophecy's other wing, coldly saying, "Leon..."

        The system behind Alto's head pulses with a soft green glow.

        The aiming reticle shifts slightly to settle on the center of the
 Prophecy's frame. And Alto pulls the trigger.

        The Sentinel fires an even more powerful shot from its gunpod, this
 time with even more deadlier aim.

KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Alto Saotome targets Leon Sakaki with HPB-01A Heavy Quantum Beam Gun Pod
 Danger Shot!
KTS: Violet Miyazaki targets Astarte Spalding-Monteiro with Magma Stream!
KTS: [Lucky] Leon Sakaki's Good Luck Charm activates, and luck goes his way!
KTS: Leon Sakaki engages evade against Alto Saotome's HPB-01A Heavy Quantum
 Beam Gun Pod Danger Shot!
KTS: Leon Sakaki's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
KTS: Critical Hit! Leon Sakaki poorly reacts to Alto Saotome's HPB-01A Heavy
 Quantum Beam Gun Pod Danger Shot, taking 7320 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Alto Saotome's The Twinkle Of A Tearful Planet activates,
 causing Insight L1!
KTS: Leon Sakaki has been defeated!
KTS: Alto Saotome roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him
 vulnerable.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro engages react against Violet Miyazaki's Magma
 Stream!
KTS: Best Defense! Astarte Spalding-Monteiro successfully reacts to Violet
 Miyazaki's Magma Stream, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has posed.

         "Thrusters at full impulse! Bring us back!"

         "ROGER!"

         The One Fine Day's engines roar to life, pushing the ship backwards
 just in time to avoid the stream of magma and eliciting a cheer from the
 entire bridge.

         "Now, as for you, young lady..."

         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW4-klReBQA

         "You've distracted me quite enough as it is. I don't know what it is
 you're after, but it'll have to wait until we've settled things here first. I
 swear, this generation, thinking they can always barge in whenever they please
 without even reading the room! Back in my day, we used to say 'excuse me!' No
 wonder the world's been going to the dogs lately!"

         Astarte turns to the weapons station. "Jenais! Beam cannons! Full
 power!"

         "Yes, ma'am!" The tactical officer taps at her panel, warming up the
 Nazca's main cannons, the gathering energy lighting up the outside of the ship
 with its intensity.

         "Maybe this will teach you a little respect for your elders!" She
 thrusts her hand out towards the viewscreen. "Fire when ready!"

         The beam cannons fire, shooting off two thick beams of energy,
 converging into a single point in the middle of the dinosaur tank!

KTS: Astarte Spalding-Monteiro targets Violet Miyazaki with 120cm High Energy
 Beam Cannon Focused Assault!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.

[[Warning. Situation critical. Analysis indicates zero percent chance of
 evasion.]] Brunnhilde's warning is precise and unceasing. It's over.

The Gunpod shot obliterates the Prophecy directly in its core, and time seemed
 to slow down for Leon. In the final, last seconds before impact, the boy
 clutches the small pendant around his neck - a good luck charm, and a reminder.

"Mia. . ."

It would be easy to die. The thought comes to Leon, at the edges of his
 consciousness. It wouldn't be so bad. He can just slip away. He can see her
 again.

A tune tugs against the edges of the blackness.

"However far away. . ."

It sounds like rock music. Or folk music. Pop? Techno, perhaps? It was a
 strange mix of genres, or maybe it was none of the above. He can't tell.

In his fading consciousness, Leon's life flashes before his eyes. Dying would
 be a relief, he thinks again. He can just let his eyes close. Dream until the
 end.

But then suddenly the stars are all around him, the vast expanse of the cosmos
 in full view. It's so beautiful.

Leon lets go of the reaper's hand.

KTS: Leon Sakaki's YF-25 Prophecy <Gerwalk> has been disabled.
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Alto sees the Prophecy explode. This is not the first time he's killed
 someone...

        ... Though it is the first time he's killed someone he's known for more
 than a single battle. Still, right now he doesn't feel anything about it as he
 just stares at the rapidly expanding debris field.

        Of course, will he still feel that way later?

        It seems like the Quarter is making its escape now. There's no way to
 stop it. So Alto simply spins his Sentinel around, switching back into fighter
 mode and blasting off back towards Island One.

        It seems he's lost his friends too...

        But that's alright. If it's in the name of destroying the Vajra.

KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.

Leon's unconscious body, clad in EX-Gear, drifts through space as the Sentinel
 streaks off. The cracked necklace glints in the void.

Slowly, Michael's Messiah flies up and cradles Leon in its hands. The yellow
 eye turns up at the fleeing red fighter.

"Princess. . . you've really done it now," Michael says - Alto can't hear him,
 of course.

"Skull 2, get back to the Quarter! We're about to Fold!" Michael shifts to
 GERWALK and races back to the Macross with Leon in hand. As he lands on the
 deck and heads inside, he looks at the immobile body of the young boy caught
 up in their war. He says nothing.

The Quarter enters the Fold Gate, and the world slips away.

KTS: Violet Miyazaki fails to engage evade against Astarte Spalding-Monteiro's
 120cm High Energy Beam Cannon Focused Assault!
KTS: Violet Miyazaki successfully reacts to Astarte Spalding-Monteiro's 120cm
 High Energy Beam Cannon Focused Assault, taking 5960 damage!
KTS: Violet Miyazaki has been defeated!

<Pose Tracker> Violet Miyazaki has posed.

         "They dodged that! How did they dodge that?!" Erica gapes as the One
 Fine Day somehow evades the magma flow attack and returns fire. The particle
 beams rip through the Dino Tank, separating the Dino from the Tank, and
 causing both to explode in a (silent) cacophony of sparks.

        "Ah, damnit!" Violet stomps a little again. "Erica, we're going!"

        Erica backs away from her brief duel, turning and flying away. It was
 fun, but it's time to go now. She loses Ozma in a debris field, then flies a
 ways away before being picked up."

        "Well," Violet says, "we didn't get the fold drive. But we had fun, and
 that's the important part."

        "Yeah. I wanna fight that guy in the sniper type again sometime."

        "Whatever that ship does from now..." Violet grins. "I'm sure it will
 be very,"

        "very,"

        "interesting."

KTS: Ren Takeda's Lion 500 has been disabled.
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

"Well, you have to know your future enemy, right? That's the way the Gaia
 Sabers saw it." Flay answers, about knowing who Tabizan is. She shakes her
 head, when Tabizan suggests she's trying to make her defect, too. "It's
 nothing like that. Actually.. I think the PLANTs are lucky to have someone
 like you." It sounds like a compliment, but there's also a mild look of
 digust when Tabizan repeats Blue Cosmos ideology, even if it's in mocking.

"Still, I can't let you soak up too much of the spotlight." She decides to
 take Tabizan's confidence - arrogance, even, in stride. Flay knows Tabizan is
 the better pilot between, even if she's not a Coordinator as she says - and
 her entire role here was to distract her long enough for the Macross Quarter
 to complete its objective. In that sense, the whole purpose of this little
 skirmish was to put on a show... and it seems like that's the way Tabizan
 likes it.

Thankfully, Flay's maneuver with the beam boomerang was enough to break free
 from Tabizan's attack, but that's not nearly the only trick Tabizan had up her
 sleeve. Seeing the forward lunge, Flay expected something like the GINN's
 heavy blade only for it to extend outwards, the tip narrowly grazing the
 side of the Strike E's body, leaving behind the unpleasant residue of
 electricity. "W-what kind of weapon is that?" Flay asks herself, pushing
 harder down on the control stick as the IWSP thrusters blaze forth. "That was
 close..."

"Looks like I've got to get going, but who knows... maybe I'll take you up on
 that someday." She answers Tabizan's demand to put on a show. "After all, what
 self-respecting icon doesn't have her very own rival?" She concludes, before
 the transmission cuts off from the distance. She briefly finds herself
 wondering if Tabizan 'swings that way or something' considering the blowing
 kiss, but that's quickly replaced with the shock of Leon's Prophecy seemingly
 blowing up...

"We really can't afford to waste any more time here... Archangel, I'm
 returning!" She transmits, as the ship prepares to join the Macross Quarter to
 fold out...

<Pose Tracker> Astarte Spalding-Monteiro has posed.

         A palpable sigh washes over the bridge crew of the One Fine Day as
 Astarte makes her way back to her seat, wiping some sweat off her brow.
 "Captain, are you alright?" XO Xiao looks over, concern in her eyes.

         "Been through worse. Made it out in one piece, didn't we?"

         "It's been quite a few weeks for us, Captain."

         "I'll say, Xiao. I'm going to put in for some leave for the whole crew
 once we get ourselves settled down."