2022-02-19: Brave the Ocean

• Log: Brave the Ocean
• Cast: Jude Espella, Carina Cameron, Shinji Ikari, Sanary Rondel, Hazard Chevalier, Suzaku Kururugi
• Where: Cavern Off Nouvelle Tokyo
• OOC - IC Date: 2-19-2022
• Summary: During followup investigation of the sea monster in Nouvelle Tokyo, the terrorist Beast shows up and tries to make a bid for peace for the kaiju. It has surprising results.

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<Pose Tracker> Jude Espella has posed.

The combined efforts of NERV's anti-kaiju branches have tracked down 'MWE2-001', the aquatic kaiju that attacked Nouvelle Tokyo one month ago and had its horn broken.

With the help of the Britannian Union, they have tracked it to a cave system in the Pacific Ocean, where it has been resting for quite some time. Londo Bell has been informed, due to their cooperation last time.

Deep beneath the waves, the cave system is expansive. Mobile suits can move bit by bit, and even the larger ones fit, but they can't all spread out. It seems, in a way, manufactured - there's no branches. It all goes one way.

It's deeper in the caves, as they start shifting the waters, that things get weird. Machines hooked up to the walls, waterproof. Aquatic cameras. Sonar pulses.

But, even if they're detected, nothing happens. It's not like anyone's manning this equipment right now. What is this place?

A more open space can be detected ahead. It's still half-submerged, but there's likely an oxygenated area.

And perhaps, their quarry is past there.

KTS: Shinji Ikari has deployed in MPMZ-17 Ichinana.
KTS: Carina Cameron has deployed in RPI-209 Gloucester.
KTS: Carina Cameron has changed loadout.
KTS: Suzaku Kururugi has deployed in RZX-7 Lancelot Club.
KTS: Suzaku Kururugi has changed loadout.
KTS: Hazard Chevalier has deployed in GF05-094NTB Tyrant Gundam.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Cameron has posed.

"This is one of the dumber things I've done in the past five years," Carina Cameron mutters.

The Havant itself is hovering in the lower atmosphere, a deployed buoy and a dangling communications sinker routing command and control to and from the machine Carina is *actually* flying: A Gloucester. A non-standard one, equipped with a large set of water jets on its backpack. It's been plated up with reactive armour and a large riot shield. Its weapon of choice is a long-range rifle, sealed against the water and designed to fire at high velocity even under the waves.

As they go along, Carina's leaving small beacons behind to keep her linked up to the Havant. "This doesn't feel like a monster cavern," she muses into the com as she pans her factsphere across the machines clinging to the walls. She's got it in a recording mode. "This all feels very manufactured."

On the other end, a tinny voice comes back - the Havant's first officer, Commander Reeve. "Could it be some sort of base?"

"I don't know, but there's air circulating ahead. I can see it on my scanners." Carina frowns and leans forward in her seat. She set aside her pilot's jumpsuit and cape today for a more close-fitting blue and white flight suit. The shoulders feel too peaky for her tastes.

Maneuvering her Gloucester's rifle into a ready position, Carina eases to the rear of the little column. "Everyone," she transmits, voice clipped and authoritative, "be careful as we move ahead here. Whatever we expected coming in here, I'm sure it'll be quite different."

KTS: Sanary Rondel has deployed in MPMZ-17 Ichinana.
KTS: Sanary Rondel has changed loadout.
KTS: Sanary Rondel has changed loadout.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Water is garbage.

Shinji Ikari's gliding over it, anyway, in his Ichinana (some wit in the cages painted the chest purple and green, Shinji assumes to make fun of him.) which is equipped with NERV's latest budget sink: progressive water skis. They do not help the general feeling of queasiness, restlessness, and a bit of fear. Shinji's never been this far out on the ocean before. He'd dreamed of going, as a young boy, thinking there might be a place for someone like him, some kind of island nation where they liked weird little boys who couldn't fake a smile very well.

It's cold, and wet, and angry. Shinji frowns, and a buzzing in his ear reminds him to focus. It's not going to dance to his thoughts like Unit-01. The shadow of Mazinger is just a robot, and he needs to focus on driving. No time to let his mind wander.

"The trail leads here." Shinji speaks over the com network, swallowing his unease at working with the Brittanians so closely. They've been unpredictable before and he seemed to be NERV's rep on this mission. If it goes to hell?

"You're doing great, kiddo." The voice of reason whispers in his ear.

"It'll be great when this monster maker's in jail, Misato." Shinji grouses, carefully edging into the cave. "Activating breast florescent. Watch yourselves, BU." Shinji's Ichinana's chest glows with blue light, cutting through the gloom of the cave. It might hurt your eyes if you aren't careful! Eisen_Daiwel teleports in.

<Pose Tracker> Sanary Rondel has posed.

A traffic cone orange Ichinana is among those heading into the cave system, hard hat-esque beam of light coming out of its head as it marks the path for those that might need a little extra guidance on heading into that cave system. The sight of the wall-bound machines and the signs of observation have Sanary's trigger finger twitching a little, and it'd probably be an issue if she was here herself or on foot, but...

Well, it's a good thing she's in a machine. It's a lot harder to make the Ichinana discharge a shot by accident.

<<"Right this way, people. Watch your step, don't push, because I don't know how good any of us are at turning if anyone tips over.">> She warns with some attempt at sounding nonchalant about the situation. <<"And if we do end up having to fight down here... Uh. I guess us folks up front should duck while everyone further back starts firing?" Just like in the movies!">>

<Pose Tracker> Hazard Chevalier has posed.

         Every time, it's euphoric.

         The nerve plugs itself into Hazard Chevalier's spine. Biological systems unite. The sub-brain unites with Hazard's own, taking over autonomic functions so he can focus solely on control. Tyrant Gundam's eyes light up as they become Hazard's. Fingers flex as they become Hazard's.

         The water is natural. The pressure. It's cold against his metal skin, against his Gundanium flesh. But the pressure is a memory of another place that he has never been. It's not a comfortable memory - all fire and claustrophobia, the world pushing down upon his shoulders, he a titan trying to hold up the world alongside all the other titans around him - but it's a memory nonetheless, and it pleases him.

         He's unhindered by it. This pressure is nothing compared to that pressure. This pressure is a distant reminder of a home he's never been in. He can lift his feet here - lift the Gundam's feet - without problem. He can walk without trouble. His footsteps, *his* footsteps, stir the silt and sand at the bottom, send fish fleeing for cover, kick up clouds in the ocean floor.

         Hazard - Tyrant Gundam - takes point. He's more suited to taking point that most of the people here, he's fairly sure. Tyrant Gundam is durable. Tyrant Gundam is big. Tyrant Gundam is tough.

         Hazard, also, is all of those things, although he's not actually *that* tall.

         Except right now. Right now he's a titan again.

         "It's fine," Hazard says over the radio, without a hint of nervousness in his voice at being this deep. Tyrant Gundam's hand comes up over its shoulder with a jaunty thumbs-up as he continues moving. "We're expected, y'know? It's not a trap. We've been invited."

         "If it was a trap, we wouldn't be invited so obviously. It'd be some...subtle thing, right?" Hazard has no idea about how that kind of thing works but he's still pretty sure.

         He looks over his shoulder at the Gloucester and the Ichinanas. "Besides. Even if it is a trap, don't worry. You can count on me!"

<Pose Tracker> Suzaku Kururugi has posed.

The last time that Britannian forces were involved in this matter, Euphemia was the one on point-- guiding forces into the problem whether they wanted to be or not. This time around, Britannian involvement in the situation is rather more willing.

The RZX-7 Lancelot Club used by Suzaku Kururugi doesn't look much different from an ordinary one. It doesn't have water jets deployed on it, but the cockpit block is a specialized variety intended for undersea usage and life support. In place of the water jets that really should be expected, it has a series of devices affixed to specific points on the chasis that can later be deployed to float it back to the surface.

In short, Suzaku's Lancelot Club is very literally just crawling the seabed otherwise. It doesn't seem to actually be having problems with that, though.

At the cave itself the Club assumes a supporting position rather than taking point or rear; Suzaku is aware of the hazards of KMFs in the context of anti-kaiju situations. Even so, all of this is very... odd. He prioritizes minimizing obstruction on his part, which is fairly easy in a Knightmare frame.

"Understood," he answers both Carina and Shinji. After a moment, he checks his current radio configuration and asks, "Are you alright, Ikari?"

Evidently he picked up on the unease.

<Pose Tracker> Jude Espella has posed.

There's no signs of explosives or any of the sort, so it's probably not a trap. As they march into the caves, eventually, they reach that pocket.

There's an exposed 'cliff', leading up to a mantled ledge with a series of equipment. Computers, scanners, something connected to those cameras, experimentation...all sorts of things. None of it is manned - it looks like this place has mostly been shuttered.

It feels very 'mad science'.

On the edge, half-submerged between the water and the ground, is 001. The dinosaur has grown, to the size of the Tyrant Gundam. His horn has been filed off, and his missing eye has been replaced with an obvious cybernetic. His missing jaw, the same, and metal painfully is attached across his body. His head rests on the mantle, as he...

Is being massaged by a person in a diving suit and oxygen tank. It's colorful, with a clawed gauntlet. This immediately opens them up as Beast - the person who fought Euphemia during the Death Army 'attack' in Nouvelle Tokyo, and who NERV has had several encounters with - a kaiju manipulator affiliated with the Black Knights. Shinji would be the first to recognize her, having actually met her multiple times.

She can feel you, but for a moment, she just finishes massaging ointment into the kaiju's nose.

And then she activates her radio, turning.

<"Oh...you've come to kill him, haven't you? This poor creature, forced to fight against his own will. I didn't make him, but I know how he was made...I don't want to fight you - I don't think he'd want that.">

Beast slowly climbs onto his head, to clean debris off that horn.

<"I want to save his life. Zarozarowan here can be rehabilitated. So let's not start with the fighting - for his sake. Let's talk about how we can help him have peace.">

Newtypes feel an angry tension underneath. She's not lying, but she doesn't like any of you. She's doing this solely for the kaiju's sake.

<Pose Tracker> Hazard Chevalier has posed.

         Well isn't this reminiscent.

         The scanners, the computers, the cameras. For everyone else it probably looks like a typical lab. For Hazard it's a reminder of the place he came from.

         And the kaiju reminds him of himself, again.

         Tyrant Gundam's fingers flex. A kaiju recognizing a kaiju. A monster recognizing a monster. Hazard takes a breath, and Tyrant Gundam's chest rises and falls. It's that bound to him. Weird-looking, to see a Gundam breathe. Normally it's not noticable, but that sigh can't help but be noticed.

         Tyrant Gundam walks forward. "Why doesn't he want to fight?" Hazard asks. "Kaijus fight. It's what kaijus are for. Does he not want to be a kaiju anymore?"

<Pose Tracker> Carina Cameron has posed.

With a small frown, Carina glances over towards one of the Ichinanas. Shinji's.

"Ikari," she encourages with a mellow smile, "it will be alright. We have good people here who know how to deal with difficult situations. Just remember we're here for you, alright?"

Suzaku's presence is a slight surprise. She'd been impressed by the young man during Ashford's outing aboard the Havant, and while she'd known he had military rank, it's still an interesting coincidence. "Be careful, Kururugi," she urges quietly.

The Gloucester bosots up onto the ledge before settling to one knee, sniper rifle propped against a reinforced shoulder. Carina takes stock of the setting and the array of computers and equipment. The gigantic dinosaur is spotted, but she holds her fire, weapon trained on it.

And on the person in the diving suit.

Carina frowns before switching her comline on.

"Explain yourself," she transmits, somewhat curtly. "This creature attacked both military and civilian infrastructure. And we have records of *you* attacking a member of the royal family of the Britannian Union. Are you the one responsible for this monster's attacks, or is something else going on here?"

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Suzaku Kururugi. The great traitor.

Well, one of them, Shinji thinks, remembering that political cartoon with Suzaku and his father. Shinji's first instinct is to just turn his head and not say anything, taking the reprimand for what it clearly is: he's getting too wordy for the Brittanians. And why should he care anyway? What the hell has Japan ever done for Shinji Ikari?

"I'm great." Shinji says, shocked at his tone of voice. "Thinking of getting a vacation house down here." Why does he always sound like a sociopath when he's piloting a giant robot? "Ma'am." Shinji acknowledges Captain Cameron neutrally, taking pictures of the mad science gear and transmitting them back to the NERV.

And then Shinji's thrown for a loop. "Beast." Shinji says in an entierly un-Shinji Ikari like tone. Beast can clearly hear her enemy, which might make this worse. "Here to recruit this thing to your army?"

She makes her pitch. Shinji transmits the information to Sanary and NERV HQ, to make sure someone's listening. His Ichinana moves warily, its rigid stance almost relaxing like the animalistic posture of an Evangelion as Shinji moves to the side. "The last time you helped a kaiju you used it to melt a city block. Why should we believe a word you say? If this thing is, uh, peaceful, wouldn't it be safer at STORAGE?"

<Pose Tracker> Suzaku Kururugi has posed.

The Lancelot Club did not enter holding any of its weapons. The VARIS rests at the small of its back, its paired MVS remain at their mount point. It doesn't draw its weapons at they come across the kaiju, or the person tending to it. He doesn't really have strong feelings about the situation going into it-- it's important to him because it was important to Euphemia, and because people got hurt when this creature went rampaging before. However--

All else being equal, Suzaku prefers to save lives if he can.

"I'll be fine. Thank you, Captain," Suzaku answers Carina. The smile is practically audible on his voice. "Warrant Officer, if you prefer to cleave to formalities. I'm an irregular attached to ASEEC; we work with NERV via STORAGE sometimes."

His attention swings next back to Shinji, "A glass house at the bottom of the ocean would be something else. Underwater caves are just scary, though." Emotionally, this engagement is good-humored enough. He's trying to engage as positively as he can given the circumstances.

He maneuvers his Club about to flank Shinji's Ichinana on his side closest to Carina's Gloucester. Then adds, <"STORAGE does have expertise in safe handling and relocation of kaiju. We expected it to be hostile, though, so it would be a while before it could be arranged-- I've never conducted such an operation.">

<Pose Tracker> Sanary Rondel has posed.

<<"Weird way to get an invitation, but... Well, we're not getting blown up yet.">> Sanary laughs lightly in response to Hazard's observation, still pushing the Ichinana along at a steady pace so as to not cause a traffic jam herself. <<"I guess that's one for the not a trap column. And this really would be the perfect place for it.">>

Eventually, she sees a... No. It's That Kaiju! Even if it's not the first one Sanary's ever fought and despite only seeing it once before, its appearance is still something that's all too familiar to her as the one that got away. Her first instinct is to stat blasting, but she holds her fire when she actually hears someone addressing the group.

That actually disarms her somewhat. The Ichinana turns its head a few times to let Sanary get a better look what the others are doing, and she double-checks what she's hearing with what Shinji's picking up just to make sure her speakers aren't malfunctioning.

<<"If you and it... Him? If neither of you want a fight, then... Sure, let's work something out.">> Even though the firepower is probably on her side, the terrain isn't, and the idea of dying in a cave in doesn't sound all too appealing to Sanary.

<<"We've got orders to take him in or take him out. So if you want this to go smoother, I'm thinking you let us bring him in for...">> Suzaku mentions STORAGE, and Sanary tries to come up with something else before just continuing. <<"Whatever it is they're gonna do, and we pitch the idea of not killing him in the process. It's the best shot he's got at surviving compared to-">> The Ichinana gestures around broadly, being careful not to swing either of its arms too wide at anyone standing too close. <<"-all of this, right?">>

<Pose Tracker> Jude Espella has posed.

"Kaiju don't exist to fight." Beast says, immediately, as she chips off algae. "They often fight to achieve their needs, but their needs are more similar to Maslow's. Food, sleep, entertainment. Safety."

"I would know. I speak to them."

Carina's curtness is met with exhaustion. "I was not involved in Zarozaro's attacks. I did fight Euphemia, though, and we're even going to become friends, hopefully~." This isn't hostile whatsoever. "He was genetically engineered as a weapon. He was sent out to fight. He was injured and hurt. He's tired of fighting. He just wants to eat whales in peace."

A pause from Beast. "He likes belugas."

Shinji doesn't get any outward hostility, but some frustration. "I don't have an army. I have *friends*. They choose to help me - and as I said, he wouldn't want to fight."

"STORAGE will cut him up, or experiment on him, or decide to put him down. If you can get clearance for him to be more free-range - I'm willing to work with STORAGE, just this once." She doesn't like it, but to say otherwise is to doom him to death. She knows their type.

"And no cuffs. On either of us - I'm not risking it to chance. You don't have to take me to your base or whatever it is you would do - I know you're expecting a trap. This isn't one."

"But I refuse to gamble. 'Take him in and pitch the idea of not killing him' isn't an option."

Beast moves down, towards the cybernetic eye, and begins massaging ointment into the crease between machine and skin.

"What do you think? About kaiju? Do you think they're impersonal monsters? Because they're so much more."

<Pose Tracker> Carina Cameron has posed.

Boy oh boy is Carina glad there are people here who are better frontline pilots than she is. She made the trip herself for one reason: Someone has to handle command and control in situations where the Havant cannot squeeze into a cave.

She keeps the rifle ready, maneuvering back to give Shinji and Suzaku more room to work. While she's a qualified pilot for any autobalanced machine, she's also not a regular in the seat. Better to let the more experienced officer handle it.

The more experienced oficer and the, uh, child.

When Beast speaks up again, the Havant captain lowers her eyelids ever so slightly. "I have no particular opinion about the sapience of kaiju or lack thereof," she says with a slow shrug. "Ultimately my concern is the protection of the people of the Britannian Union against any threat, and through the Federation, the protection of the Earth and its people. Whether that's conventional enemies or monsters trying to eat them, that still applies."

The Gloucester turns its factsphere towards Sanary as Carina switches her comm over, cutting out Beast and linking in allies only. "Is what she's saying consistent with your orders?"

As much as Carina has command rank, she's not part of STORAGE. She's not even in NERV.

<Pose Tracker> Hazard Chevalier has posed.

         No, that's wrong.

         That's absolutely wrong.

         It's a curse, isn't it? To be trapped between two worlds. Normally he just feels a deep nervousness. He puts on a smile and tries to fit in as best he can while reciting lines that were prepared for him - 'it's a Gundamfighter thing,' 'after...', all that stuff. He's never met another of his own kind - that is, another dinosaur, another mechasaur, or anything like him. Only other kaiju.

         And he knows.

         He knows, for a fact, that that's what they're for. Fighting.

         Because it's what he's for.

         Right now he wants to scream. He wants to tell her that that's wrong. He wants to tell her why that's wrong. But he...can't. Because he's trapped.

         He wants to show empathy. He wants to show compassion. He wants to show that he understands the kaiju better than anybody else could, because even someone who can talk to them, even someone who can communicate with them...

         Well, they aren't kaiju, are they?

         Tyrant Gundam's eyes meet Zarozarowan's. Hazard's eyes. They stare into the other monster's cybernetic gaze. Then, there's a deep, deep sigh, again.

         He knows what to do. He knows what he wants to do, but he knows what he should do.

         There's a smile on his face, but it's the same smile he usually puts on. Trying to fit in. "Listen. You have no leverage right now, y'know? You're here - he's here - because of the kindness of strangers. You don't get to make demands. What you're offering is a surrender. What we're telling you is that you'll be treated like prisoners of war. You'll get all the rights of a prisoner of war because that's how it works."

         "But you don't get to say stuff like 'no cuffs.' You don't get to make demands. You don't have any power - you already know we can kill him."

         And part of him - part of him, not the subbrain, not Tyrant Gundam, but part of *Hazard* - really wants to.

         "If you're surrendering, we'll accept it. Otherwise..."

         He shrugs.

         It's not a threat. It's just matter-of-fact.

         And also a reminder that, oh right, Hazard *is* in Londo Bell. He's probably been studying up on this kind of thing to make it easier to do that part of his job.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Both Sanary and Hazard give a fairly hardline response. The Brittanins seem willing to look the other way.

"Uh." Shinji is in a somewhat unique position, here. "Look, let's call into NERV before anyone starts a fight that leaves anyone else stranded on the bottom of the ocean, okay? Hey, Kaworu? Kaworu?"

Static.

"Those stupid particles!" Shinji can never pronounce the name right. Command decisions are not Shinji Ikari's forte. He doesn't want to start a bloodbath over nothing, but Beast has shown time and again how dangerous she is around giant monsters

"Why do you like those things better than people?" Shinji asks, hoping to at least stall.

<Pose Tracker> Sanary Rondel has posed.

<<"What's a Maslow?">>

Clearly, Sanary's not as well read as Beast might expect with that namedrop just whiffing entirely. The talk of whales and use of another kaiju's name has her furrowing her brow while she tries to figure out how much of this can be trusted, but something about this isn't setting off Sanary's LIE alarms.

What STORAGE may or may not have planned for the kaiju, however, does get a low grunting noise from Sanary's speakers. It certainly wouldn't be unexpected, but Beast's guess and Carina's question both have her taking a moment to try and figure out how to respond with what little she knows.

Eventually, she answers Carina first, but she doesn't bother swapping comms and just keeps using her open channel. <<"My orders didn't say whether they'd prefer the kaiju dead or alive, just to cap or kill it. If I was one of those higher ups, though? Getting a hold of one that's willing to stick around for research instead of freaking out and trying to wreck everything would be way more interesting than something that wants to break out or blow everything up all the time. Or...">>

She takes note of Hazard's response, and then she taps her chin a few times. Sanary's really taking her time coming up with responding for once. There's also the matter of actually getting a response from NERV or STORAGE, though, and Sanary follows Shinji's lead in trying to get a a response from anyone. She gives up on trying to get reception about as quickly, though, and then she blinks her headlamp twice before speaking up again.

<<"Alright, idea. I ain't any command staff of anything in NERV outside of a construction team, but I think I can get up somewhere reception doesn't suck to get one of their highers up on hold. If you're all okay with waiting, I can go do that and see what they wanna do?">>

<Pose Tracker> Suzaku Kururugi has posed.

Suzaku weighs something in his mind. The responsibility of the kaiju is going to be the real sticking point here in terms of compromise. For most of the assembled parties, it's better subdued in an unacceptably permanent way... or dead. Though he doesn't think STORAGE is actually likely to cut the creature up, that's at least something he can probably smooth over by simply making the thing not officially their problem.

< "Nonlethal subdual of kaiju is an acceptable outcome within the operating procedures of STORAGE; additionally, it's my belief that Sub-Viceroy Euphemia would not want a violently abused life form to be killed for the actions that it was coerced into by others," > He chimes in, checking his helmet seal as he does so. < "This individual is accused of crimes against citizens of both Britannia and OCU Japan. We are far enough out at sea however that jurisdiction to take custody of her is arguable. As Miss 'Beast' here is directly accused of bringing harm to Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, that could get sticky and I'd prefer if it didn't." >

< "Preference of action on that end would go to Captain Cameron." >

< "Speaking personally," > He concludes, < "I prefer to avoid loss of life." >

<Pose Tracker> Jude Espella has posed.

Beast's tone changes slightly at Hazard. "I've got more leverage than you think, unless someone didn't tell you what happened in Nouvelle." That's all she says. "We're not prisoners. I refuse that." Carina gets a mmhm. "I...understand. I don't like the Federation, but I'm not going to start a fight that'll hurt my friend."

But it goes back to exhausted as Shinji asks a question. "I don't like them better - I *understand* them better. Human emotions are messy. Hard. Kaiju...sometimes, I feel like one. I can feel deeply into their hearts. Their emotions. Their wants. It's my job, as that person, to grant them."

"I know what Zarozaro wants. He's told me. So I'll grant him that wish, even if it isn't necessarily mine."

Beast hmmmms at Sanary.

"Minovsky particles are too dense. You won't get a signal. You'll have to make the decision yourselves."

"Please. End the fighting. Isn't that what you people proclaim to want in some ways? Or is that all a lie?"

<Pose Tracker> Carina Cameron has posed.

Carina is quietly glad she's been dropping communications buoys. That said, that only goes to the Havant, and Carina's here, not there. So much for connecting the phone line to NERV.

With a puff of breath, Carina rests her elbows on her thighs and slouches forward in the pilot's seat as Suzaku dumps everything in her lap. She'd rather hoped Sanary would solve the problem for her. The ethical dilemma isn't one she wants to wrestle with.

"I would prefer to solve this without bloodshed," she says, pushing back a few locks of hair - she left her glasses behind and went with contacts, at least. "We are willing to take the creature into custody. The officers assure me that kaiju can be stored without fatalities. If that's the case, it should hopefully assuage your concerns."

She moistens her lips and listens a moment, before crossing her wrists delicately and shifting one leg to rest over the opposite. Beast can probably feel around the edges of the blonde captain thinking the other issue through.

"Handcuffing you wouldn't be particularly useful in this situation, in any case," she concedes. "We have a ship on scene with a KMF personnel backpack on board. I would prefer to have you board that personnel backpack and come back to meet with STORAGE of your own volition, on the understanding that you are to go straight to STORAGE."

Carina shrugs slowly. "It's my preference to resolve any issue without loss of life or personnel. If you say you were not responsible for the kaiju attack, I take that as a good-faith admission. The other issues can be resolved in time."

Carina is not sure she *can* arrest Beast in international subwaters. They can throw the book at her for the Euphie incident later.

<Pose Tracker> Hazard Chevalier has posed.

         "Honestly, nobody really tells me anything. I'm a Gundamfighter! It's not really a position you get lots of info in. The reigning champion spent *his* whole fight looking for one guy!"

         He's getting really good at sounding jovial and nonchalant about things.

         Tyrant Gundam waves its hand in front of its face. "It's just procedure, y'know? I might be a Gundamfighter but I'm also in Londo Bell, too. There's rules about how this is done! I don't really have any authority, soooo..."

         The Gundam shrugs.

<Pose Tracker> Sanary Rondel has posed.

<<"Ech, figured. Saves me a trip, at least.">> Sanary lets out a light sigh, then grunts lightly as she stretches out in the driver's seat to get a little more comfortable. <<"But... Yeah, that's right. Wrecking shit happens too much out here, and as glamorous as being a hero is, fighting for the hell of it is...">>

Not something she's great at? Something's she's had an inconsistent track record in? Something she's still scared of dying doing if she bites off more than she can chew? <<"... Too bloody, yeah. The captain's got the right idea, yeah. He'll have to go into custody at least for a little while all the paperwork and stuff gets sorted out, but I'm sure she can get her higher ups to not do anything nuts until he's turned over or whatever. And then...">>

She's seeing an angle. She forgets to mute her mic as she lets out a vaguely ominous chuckle, then claps her hands (audibly) before straightening up in her seat.

<<"Alright, how's this? Construction team. Everyone's heard of kaiju being huge and wrecking shit, but who's ever heard of one that can build shit? Restoring damage instead of causing it, building bridges instead of burning them, the works. If your guy sticks with me once the paperwork's sorted out, he'll probably be as free as he'll ever be without getting shot at. I'm talking weekends, paid leave to go eat belugas or-">>

She pauses. <<"He likes belugas, or he likes EATING belugas?" Anyway. A couple of my guys were injured about week ago, so it's not like we're full up on people right now. And if he's workin' under me...">>

Sanary gets to wave that in front of everyone's faces. She chuckles briefly, again forgetting to mute her mic. <<"... I can't have someone being put under or restrained while I'm training 'em. Maybe studied and observed, but he's gonna need supervision rather than s... Seh... Straight jackets, yeah?">>

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

Shinji listens.

He doesn't understand. He can't even approach it. Even if they're animals, how could you put those violent wants over the safety of people?

The Brittanians seem to have this in hand, though, taking Beast's attack on their princess about as personally as Shinji should've expected. There's no way Father didn't take this into account, and the limp strike force suddenly makes a lot of sense. Just for a second, Shinji Ikari understands the way his father thinks: the Brittanians have to take this person in, and that means NERV doesn't deal with losing her when the rescue party comes. You win by losing.

Shinji Ikari looks like he's going to be physically ill for a minute.

"Not much I can say to that, Brittanian Forces." Shinji says, taking a long look at the masked woman. How old is she anyway? That's assuming she's even human, and not some custom coordinator who came out of the test tube fully grown and weaponized. She tried to kill him. Twice.

"I'll give you a lift." She shouldn't be on board a Brittanian battleship after nearly killing the one royal they all like. The Ichinana lowers its shield hand, offering a palm to ride in.

<Pose Tracker> Suzaku Kururugi has posed.

This isn't an outcome that Suzaku Kururugi could have guessed at. He didn't have a bad impression of Carina, but this is a lot more peaceful than the average Britannian officer he's worked with across his relatively short career. Especially the ones high up enough to have command of their own ship or installation. The people from NERV... that's a different matter. He hasn't personally had much to do with them, even though he has a STORAGE badge and clearance to engage in civil defense efforts with them.

Sanary is a little unsettling. Hazard is-- he doesn't really understand Hazard. It was a fairly by-the-book reply he gave to the possible deal on the table. Shinji is awkward, and feels... actually, that's pretty much it. Awkward.

< "Thanks, Ikari," > he replies. His Lancelot Club breaks off from the Ichinana's flank, moving to join Carina's Gloucester. The previous formation seems unnecessary at this point-- it doesn't occur to him in the slightest that Shinji is acting out of caution towards Britannian handling of Beast.

After a moment or two of silence, he opens up area comms again and says, < "Beast-- peace is difficult. How much people prefer it to getting their way, or a gut feeling, varies a lot. It's easy to want peace when you don't lose anything for it. Unfortunately, that means that desire often co-exists with a desire to fight. Until the 'thing they can't stand losing', whatever it may be, is handled." >

< "Accepting your conditions wouldn't be an easy thing for most in this situation," > he concludes.

<Pose Tracker> Jude Espella has posed.

"If he wants that." Beast says to Sanary, evenly. "I'll talk to him about it on the way there."

"Seems we're in agreement." She sounds about Shinji's age, to his estimate, if he can get through the modulator.

"I don't care how you transport us. Just make it safe." Beast replies to both Carina and Shinji, climbing onto the hand of the Ichinana. She's fast - if it twitches to crush even a little, she rolls off.

"I know." She replies to Suzaku. "But that's what I fight for."

"Peace between man and kaiju."

She mutes her mic, turning towards Zarozaro. There's a vague sense of something going on there, as she talks. More psychic than physical. "Come on, Zarozaro. Your peace is here. Let's leave the caves with them."

Zarozaro roars, once, and then moves to do so, if allowed to do so.

"This site - do whatever you want with it. I don't care."

<Pose Tracker> Carina Cameron has posed.

Carina's Gloucester feels about 267 metres too short for her comfort. Suzaku's presence, at least, prompts her to lower her rifle and rest the barrel against the cage ground.

She seems inclined to let Shinji handle things, in any case. Kaiju aren't her usual idiom - and they can always arrest Beast later, if they need to.

As beast clambers onto Shinji's unit, Carina sighs and moves her rifle to rest against the Gloucester's shoulder. "Alright, then," she concedes with an incline of her head. "Let's return. This will be in STORAGE's hands from here."

This ended without her being stepped on by a sea dinosaur. Life's good.

<Pose Tracker> Hazard Chevalier has posed.

         Peace between man and kaiju.

         Well, that was peace between humans and dinosaurs. And that's something Hazard Chevalier wanted desperately. Something he wanted so badly that Tyrant Gundam has a physical reaction - people can see the Gundam's hands clenching, and can imagine Hazard himself doing the same. He wanted that.

         Didn't he?

         Or was this just the kind of peace that extended to the people they liked? The kind of peace that extended just far enough to look real, but was bought with blood? Was it fair that kaiju got someone to stand up for them but everyone still looked at his people as a menace? At...his...half-people. Half his people. A confusing world.

         Tyrant Gundam's fingers dig into its metal. It's light damage - he'll repair it later.

         He wanted that. But kaiju got the benefit of the doubt, didn't they? Just stupid animals. They couldn't help it. They're nothing but animals. People care about them because people care about stupid animals.

         But he was made to fight. Mechasaurs were made to fight. Kaiju were meant to fight. That one of them didn't want to be a kaiju anymore didn't change that. And that he...

         Well.

         It wasn't important.

         With others having the situation well in hand, Tyrant Gundam turns, walking in front of Zarozaro mostly because it's the biggest mech and needs to get out of the way so the other large thing can get out, and there's really only one exit.

<Pose Tracker> Sanary Rondel has posed.

Sanary finally remembers to mute her mic as she lets out a relieved sigh, not sure until Beast actually doesn't reject her idea that it would have even worked. It's coming from a place of genuine interest, too, although whether it's for her own or the kaiju's...

Probably about 70/30 there. Her Ichinana turns towards the Gloucester and the Lancelot Club to raise a hand in a slightly exaggerated thumbs-up at a job well done, and then it turns back just in time to see Shinji's Ichinana lowering a hand. She inhales sharply as she sees Shinji getting ready to let her on his machine's palm, and she keeps a closer eye on his Ichinana than on Zarozaro as it begins to move.

Thankfully, that apprehension wears off sooner rather than later, and Sanary starts talking again. The Ichinana remains still for several seconds until there's the sound of a speaker switching back on.

<<"Take a load off, then. We've got a bit of a hike until we get back, and this cave was pretty rough just getting in. Maybe... Oh. Captain! Just say the word if you need a hand getting Zarozaro on board your ship or calming your crew down. ">>