2023-10-21: The Price of Perfidy

• Log: The Price of Perfidy
• Cast: Leina Ashta, Soma Peries, Roux Louka, Banagher Links, Elisa Kafim, Cornelia li Britannia
• Where: Outskirts of Ares Imperial Villa, Pendragon, Britannia
• OOC - IC Date: October 21, U.C. 0097
• Summary: An egg hatches. The spawn approaches an imperial villa to exact judgement upon Britannia. How can we ever trust Burger Fiend again...?

---

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

A cloudy day is in progress in Pendragon. The people expect rain, according to the meteorologists, a heavy storm that will see people huddle inside, except where they're forced to brave the outside regardless by the vagaries of society. And that is normal.

Nothing unusual is apparent, except... for those with the sensitivity to see it, the aura of silence from a certain restaurant in Pendragon is beginning to expand, and the space around it prickles the skin with possibility.

Also, said restaurant--the hip, trendy Burger Fiend--is beginning to glow.

The restaurant has largely been evacuated at this point, and the surrounding block too. Emergency services are at the ready, making a perimter of the building, but... Nothing, aside from the glow, appears to be /happening/ thus far.

When this changes it is all too abrubt. The glow intensifies, until it becomes a shining beacon, visible on the horizon--and then it becomes an egg, which peels outward like a flower blooming. From within tendrils and veils and tentacles lash out. A terrible dragon appears, split open at the stomach. There is a dark, yawning blackness at its core--but it has a great and terrible neck, from which its jaws are split, sinew barely connecting two halves. From long, snakelike fangs, it spits acidic venom that immediately melts down a stone building that was once a cute restaurant. Its grasping claws rush; its horrid tail is thick, hollowed. And at its back, gigantic locusts crawl.

There is an awful ROAR, and the dragon Tremblyat begins to move. It moves west, ignoring the emergency services and bullets that start to clash against it, too huge to care. It walks through the city...

Towards an Imperial Villa, the trees around it falling under its gruesome feet. Soon, it will be there.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqrMFNMgVS0 Gojira - Another World

<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.

Burger Fiend is glowing.

This is not, typically, the case.

This might explain the contingent of Knightpolice currently establishing a perimeter around the burger joint, or the platoon of regular police stationed just behind those repurposed Glasgows, weapons at the ready. Evacuations of civilians had been swift and efficient; this is the capital of Britannia, after all, not some Area. If something happens here, one can be assured that the response will be swift and heavy, light the angry fist of an imperialistic god.

There is only so much you can prepare as a response, though, when you don't know to what you're responding.

And when it's nothing like you've ever seen, well...

A monstrosity blooms from the heart of Burger Fiend, and you can be sure no one expected this as a thing to respond to.

Police start to shout in a panic. The Knightpolice, to their credit, respond swiftly to the great and terrible thing billowing forth from what was once a trendy restaurant. As normal officers fall back in a scramble, as police cars are knocked aside with the lashing indifference of the dragon, the Knightpolice open fire -- but the Knightpolice are outdated, repurposed to deal with and enforce order on a civilian scale. At best, these downscaled and modestly-modified Glasgows can be relied on to perhaps deal with other, KMF-scale threats.

At worst...

                        -+-

Cornelia li Britannia watches viewscreens with a furious stare as the crunched and crumbled carcass of a Knightpolice goes flying with the steady stomp of Tremblyat as it trudges across Britannian city streets towards the countryside.

It's just one casualty of many; many ruined Knightpolice strewn across the city streets have swiftly proven that this is not a threat that can be dealt with by the standard, armed forces of Pendrago.

It was by sheer coincidence that the Second Princess had been here, on business related to the future of Area 11's governance. And now...

Now, her personal Tausendfuessler-class transport vessel hovering in the skies over Britannia, Cornelia stares as Knightpolice make a vain attempt at stopping the steady stalk of a dragon casually rampaging through her homeland, her hands clenched to trembling fists at her sides.

"My lady -- we have Britannian forces stationed here currently scrambling to address the issue, but this... thing... has taken us all by surprise; Pendragon was not designed to deal with a threat like this, just -- appearing in its borders. However... it seems to be largely ignoring the Knightpolice," G.P. Guilford advises her, but his voice is a distant thing. "It seems to have a target in mind. It... my lady, based on the current trajectory, we're estimating its current destination is..."

Cornelia is already gone, her white cape whipping around her with the sharpness of her pivot as she makes her way out of the bridge, and towards its launch bays. Indigo eyes are narrowed. Purple lips twist. She doesn't need Guilford to spell it out for her. She saw the data itself. She knows the predicted route.

She knows exactly what is there.

                        -+-

Cornelia li Britannia's Gloucester had become a fixture, a symbol on the battlefield that inspired resolve and terror in equal measure. Over the years - the decades - it and its pilot had more than earned their fearsome reputations.

It is not Cornelia li Britannia's Gloucester that meets the Tremblyat this day.

It is a sleek, white Knightmare Frame with black and violet horns that leads the assembled defensive line of Sutherlands and Gloucesters that have been scrambled from the Second Princess' available forces. It looks like it has more in common with the "irregulars'" Lancelot than any other extant line of KMF, white armor and gold trim lending it an imperious presence that is only further solidified by the violet cape that drapes at its back.

This is not how Cornelia li Britannia thought she would first test the mettle of this Frame. This is not how she thought she would spend her time in Pendragon.

This is not the place she thought she would be spending her dwindling days in her homeland at. This is far from the most important of the Imperial Villas of Pendragon. In recent days, its relevance has truly plummeted. But...

<"... All units, you are to hold the line here. When the monstrosity arrives, we will engage with extreme prejudice.">

<"The abomination will not so much as lay a finger on Aries Imperial Villa.">

                "YES, YOUR MAJESTY!"

If it were up to her, she would have never come back to this place.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Ever since the Yumi Foundation gala at the start of the year, Leina's opinion on Britannia had long shifted from dim to worse, as she discovered in depth the lengths they'd go to obstruct rebuilding even from sources of completely independent funding.

It's definitely not changed now that she's a part of Cathedra. She's not currently a part of the auditing department, but she was called in to try and speak to an NIA holdout on the importance of further Psycho-frame regulation.

"'It was very brave of you to come forward, Miss.'" She echoed, angry, frustrated, as she walked through the halls at a fast clip, "'I swear on my honor as a Britannian that I'll do everything in my power to make certain stories like yours-'"

She glowered as she changed from quoting to just exclamation, "Everything in his power except anything substantial! Bet you two hundred gilla he's calling whatever black site he's funding right now to reassure him that his lips will remain surgically attached to their ass-"

"No bet." The lead member of her security detail, a man in his mid thirties with a dry sense of humor answered. "Hold outs in the NIA are rarely hold outs on principle."

Leina's eye twitches, but then her gait stops, as she looked out the window of the building that served as home to the political office for that politician and his staff.

"What is it?" The man asked, uneasy.

It's not quite a premonition. It doesn't bolt across the senses like a flash. Yet it is a warning, of something in progress.

"Here!? Now? Gods... damnit..." Even before the awful roar shakes Pendragon, she puts in a phone call, "Roux - you hearing that!? You're okay? Not cut off from the port or anything?"

She says, suddenly concerned, "Think we can still make it to the Benerit Group's hangar. Meet you there? I'll swing by to pick you up if you're delayed."

-=-=-

Her detail gave her a few hundred reasons why she shouldn't launch here.

It's just a Kaiju attack, let the Britannian military and the Knight Police handle it. Dominicus Corps backup is too far away.

As her Neuer launches to give chase, jump jets firing as it leaps over the skyline of the buildings, she assesses it now that she has a better visual - with it's obvious direction.

"<Definitely one of Doctor Kafim's. God... always like something out of a horror flick.>"

Which perhaps... offers the true reason, why she deployed, warring with the always priority of the civilians in danger.

Despite knowing those priorities, she still felt troubled for another reason, which as she carved a path to minimize any collateral damage to civilian structures, began to articulate.

"<Launching to defend the Imperial Villa in the name of Big Corporate. I know why I did what I did but...>" She says quietly, over the comms to the Strike Zeta, "<...feels pretty much the opposite of what Judau would have wanted for me.>"

<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.

        Onboard an REA warship in orbit, Soma Peries exits her quarters in her flight suit, helmet in hand. She pushes herself down a corridor, before rounding a corner into another. Ahead she spots the familiar grizzled look of her commanding office. Pushing off towards him, she calls out, "Colonel, is it true? The Britannian capital is under attack?"

        Colonel Smirnov stops his movement for a moment while he waits for Soma to catch up, replying, "Yes. A large kaiju has appeared and is wreaking havoc."

        As Soma reaches the Colonel, the two begin moving again, floating towards the ship's hangar. Soma looks a little confused though as she asks, "Is this what we're sortieing for? It seems a little out of our jurisdiction."

        The two pass into the hangar, where four GN-Xs are quickly being prepared. They pause at the edge of the raised walkway, the Colonel explaining, "The Britannians are having trouble containing it. There are lives at stake, as well as the seat of government for the BU. And given the recent fracturing of the Federation, Command believes we can't afford to lose any more allies." He pulls himself over the railing and pushes off towards his GN-X, "So we're going to assist them."

        Soma nods in understanding. If the Britannian capital were lost, or even just seriously damaged, it could fracture the Federation even further, leaving it more vulnerable than it already is. She leaps over the railing too, heading towards the replacement GN-X she had been assigned after her last was badly damaged. She doesn't have any experience in fighting kaiju... But she's a super soldier of the Republic. She'll adapt!

        ------

        A short time later an orbital drop pod plummets towards the outskirts of Pendragon, close to where the large creature of darkness appears to be heading. The flames of re-entry pass and soon enough the pod splits, revealing the four GN-X machines within. They detach from the frame of the pod, streaking out into the sky on their own power as they start to head towards the designated intercept point.

        On her screens, Soma zooms in on the menancing creature... This is her first time seeing a kaiju in person. Of course she's seen pictures and videos of them before. But in person... It's something else. She then glances to the side at one of the nearby GN-Xs as her radio crackles to life.

        <"Britannian forces, this is Colonel Sergei Smirnov with the REA. We are here to assist.">

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

AT PENDRAGON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PAX):

"Oh don't worry," says Roux as she strides towards the General Aviation lot where a Waverider sits among two dozen other outlandish personal aircraft, evenly split between glossy things owned by the mega rich and junky outlandish things done by people who work for a living.

Roux pauses as she looks towards what looks like another parked Waverider. "Huh," she says, before climbing up the parked gantryway, pausing only to swipe her card on the DockLock interface.

'Thank you for landing at Pendragon, and please have fond memories of your time underneath the powerful arm of His Imperial Majesty, Charles Zi Britannia. All hail Britannia! Your takeoff vector is *92*.'

NOW

"Well... THAT'S awful," says Roux, as the Strike Zeta shifts from the Waverider mobility mode into the Mobile Suit formation, the thermonuclear jets firing it on a high bobble that lets it rise up and begin to descend with efficiency.

Roux is gazing, of course, on the great dragon Tremblyat. This far off, it looks more like -- like some kind of distortion or sensor error, or mid-budget CGI from the 0070s.

Her eyes flick towards Leina. "Mm," she says. "Well... do you overhear that? That woman with the rod up her backside?" she says in EXPLICITLY tightwaved sidetalk to Leina. "I know her, so you can think of this as us repaying a favor. After all, without her, we might have never taken down that damn clown."

The memory of the mad pierrot is not a happy one. Memories of clowns in war rarely are.

"Here, I'll break the ice." Roux then clicks open a proper channel.

<<"Uh --">> Interrupted by Col. Smirnov. <<"Uh, Villa defense corps this is a bonded combat force, we were in the area and -- patching you through now--">> ("Leina! Say something official to them, alright??")

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.

What a long, strange week it's been.

Banagher finds himself in desperate need of a break. Thankfully, since his previous (and first) battle with the Destrier Gundam resulted in the destruction of the machine's funnels, it has been undergoing repairs and adjustments in an Earth-based Anaheim Electronics research facility.

After a lot of convincing, Banagher managed to find his way to the hangar. He's in his element here, talking with the engineers and mechanics. It only took a few minutes for the initial awkwardness of his new status to wear off, and now the young Newtype finds himself with his sleeves rolled up, perched on scaffolding, typing away at a pad connected to the computer systems of the Destrier.

Hours pass by in what feels like minutes. It isn't until his phone makes an urgent sound that Banagher pulls himself away from the conversation.

"A kaiju attack?" He murmurs, but his expression changes as he sees a picture of the beast. Though it isn't one he's seen before, it can only belong to one person.

And after everything, there's no way he can turn away.

---

<"Banagher Links, Destrier Gundam, coming in!">

If he was in the Unicorn he could've gotten here in half the time, Banagher thinks, sadly. The Destrier is still a wonder of engineering, but his heart aches for his partner. Shaking his head, Banagher refocuses on the situation before him.

<"I'm here to help."> Banagher offers, landing some distance from the Villa. Newly-reworked funnels rise from the Destrier's back, hovering around the Gundam. <"Do we know what's going on?">

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

Indeed, it is true--the Dragon does not care about the Knightpolice, or the regular police behind them. It steps on some, swats others away only as they interfere with its trudging path towards Aries Imperial Villa. Nothing in its steps shows any mercy for anything else in its way; buildings, trees, people.

But when it reaches the Britannian defensive line, it finally comes to a stop, staring down with myriad eyes towards the Morgana, and its allies. There is another ROAR of challenge.

A voice from the heavens crashes down, as if from the clouds itself--but also in cockpits of those who are present, like radio but something less explicable. It is a woman's voice, harsh and cold.

"For too long has Britannia reigned with impunity, regardless of the treachery it doles out to its own Federation. Did you think the world had forgotten JOSH-A? Forgotten the trap laid there? The Britannians who encouraged their inconvenient allies to stay and perish in that man's snare... While they were off safely at their separate base."

"A false and hollow strength, unworthy of those who would name themselves conquerors."

"Can you prove your strength true? Can you defeat the darkness where it rises in your own borders, instead of far-off in others' lands?"

"We shall see."

There is no recognition in its gaze as it looks upon the Strike Zeta, or the GN-Xs, or any other of the machines here. There is only malice.

Motion: Claws rake out towards the GN-Xs from the titanic kaiju, its arm swinging with acid-dripping talons. The other hand slashes down at Roux's machine, even as the creature ROARS in defiance at Cornelia's Morgana, spitting a caustic acid at that machine and its compatriots that will temporarily destabilize armor, apparently wise enough to issue complex attacks.

The Destrier Banagher is in meanwhile simply gets a STOMP to try to destroy it outright as it advances towards the villa, as locusts come swarming from the kaiju's back for Leina's machine.

"AND THE REA!" the voice from above roars, "You DARE!?"

There is a fell intelligence behind this kaiju--and one that is angry.

KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa_Kafim has deployed as a Boss for 5 opponents.
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Leina Ashta with Locust Vents - Swarm!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Soma Peries with Draconic Fury - Claw Swipe!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Roux Louka with Draconic Fury - Claw Swipe!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Banagher Links-Vist with Draconic Fury - Smash!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Cornelia li Britannia with Melt!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist parries Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Smash, taking 600 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Banagher Links-Vist!
KTS: Leina Ashta successfully Intercepts Elisa Kafim's Locust Vents - Swarm
KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Roux Louka fails to evade Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Claw Swipe, taking 4400 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Satiety activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Hunger activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Roux Louka!
KTS: Passive attacks besides Pass require accept.
KTS: Elisa Kafim melts Cornelia li Britannia's armor.
KTS: Soma Peries successfully evades Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Claw Swipe

<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.

        Soma glances across her display as radio chatter comes in from others repsonding to the rampaging kaiju. A couple even appear to be Gundams... But not ones associated with those she's fought in the past. Still, it's a strange feeling to be fighting alongside them for once.

        The squad of four GN-Xs continue to descend towards the void dragon. They are just about to open fire when that voice blasts its way into their cockpits. Soma winces a little at the harsh voice. Is it the one who unleashed the monster below?

        It brings up the incident at JOSH-A. The only reason Soma hadn't been there at the time was because the anti-Celestial Being force she was assigned to had other duties. She was spared being caught up in that trap...

        ... But the voice is claiming it was the Britannians?

        <"Colonel, wasn't JOSH-A a ZAFT trap?">

        Soma doesn't get an answer. Partially because the voice then turns its ire towards the REA. As if there's a more personal reason there.

        The other reason she doesn't get an answer is that there are far more important matters to deal with at this very moment.

        <"BREAK!">

        Responding quickly to the Colonel's order, the squad of GN-Xs quickly break from their formation, splitting up moments before the large dragon claw swipes through the space they had been moments ago.

        <"Open fire!">

        Soma rejoins her squad in formation, pulling her trigger along side them and starting to rain bolts of crimson down towards the dragon. She suppose it doesn't really matter what the voice is saying. It's the enemy, after all.

KTS: Soma Peries targets Elisa Kafim with GN-X Beam Rifle Rapid Spray!
KTS: Elisa Kafim charges into the attack!
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Rifle Rapid Spray, taking 1845 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.

Britannian forces, this is Colonel Sergei Smirnov with the REA. We are here to assist.

"The REA? Tch," utters Cornelia li Britannia from within her cockpit, eyes narrowing as she tracks the descent of that Jinx squadron.

<"And what pound of flesh are you looking to carve out in the name of this gracious 'assistance', Colonel?">

Even with the Federation in the state it's in now, Britannia's Second Princess can't help but see a knife hidden behind every back.

No -- especially with the state the Federation is in.

When best for the jackals to start trotting out, than when the hint of death is scenting the air?

More come. A 'bonded' combat force. Benerit's dogs? The idea brings brief distaste at the back of Cornelia's throat. Roux's voice she recognizes, if dimly. The other, though...

Whatever thoughts Cornelia might have are put on hold as a voice suddenly crashes like thunder from above. Above? All around? She cannot place a source for the booming voice that echoes within her cockpit, independent of any open line of conventional communication -- but that matters little compared to the voice itself -- how detached it seems to be from the brewing battlefield itself...

... and the words it has to offer.

Cornelia li Britannia's eyes narrow into slits as that woman invokes JOSH-A, where her sister nearly died in some coward's trap. Her gloved fingers stretch and tighten around the controls of the Morgana, one by one.

<"... Ah,"> exhales Cornelia, her voice broadcasting over the Morgana's loudspeakers with sudden, sharp intent. <"So many words, to impart so little meaning. My interest in humoring weak-willed whining is already perilously low, so I invite you to simply imagine the sheer lack of CONCERN I have in humoring the self-righteous demands--">

Landspinners crack into lush greenery. Grass is churned under their squealing life, grass she once laid across with her siblings, watching the clouds meandering in the sky--

<"--of a COWARD too content to rest on the laurels of BEASTS to fight her own battles!">

And as the draconic abomination of a kaiju roars, the Morgana -rushes- forward even as the KMF's behind it break in a spreading pattern.

<"MOVE! Now!">

Acidic spittle splatters across the Princess' new Knightmare Frame; it is still sizzling and steaming, eating away at armor plates as readily as it does a Gloucester and Sutherland behind her -- but it does not stop the Morgana's furious advance, intricate lance snapping off to its side as it lifts its other hand towards the far larger creature. Factspheres hatching open, pulsing with accumulating data, Morgana fires off a single, wrist-mounted harken towards the belly of the beast. If it manages to impale into whatever makes up the dragon's flesh --

Retracting wires will send the Morgana skyborn, screaming straight for the beast, lance at the ready.

To Cornelia, the strength of Britannia is self-evident. She does not rise to the bait... but only because the monster and its master have incited her in a different, infinitely more effective way.

Its size doesn't matter. Its horrifying nature is of secondary concern.

Making sure it does not take another step closer towards this villa, and the memories locked away inside it, is more important to Cornelia li Britannia than anything, in this moment.

KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Elisa Kafim with Harken Booster Trammel!
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia anchors Elisa Kafim, forcing her into close range.
KTS: Elisa Kafim blocks Cornelia li Britannia's Harken Booster Trammel, taking 2200 damage!
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Elisa Kafim!

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

There's a grimace on her face at the REA being here to provide backup, Yuliana nearly being snatched by an unmarked REA van off Magallanica made it clear that there's no rock bottom with the REA.

Smirnov may have a good reputation but...

She snaps back to attention as Roux points that out, "That's right..." She says, abstracted, "... that's right - you told me that."

She may not have asked for all the details for understandable reasons, but in the moment, she lets herself exhale, "Alright - I can live with that. Pretty sure even he would shake her hand for that one... and probably cause an international incident but that just goes without saying."

Roux hails them, and Leina smirks, as she clicks the comms over as she puts out a more serious tone-

"<This is Leina Ashta with Cathedra, Dominicus Corps. Our units were in the area for a diplomatic mission and have deployed to assist in the defense of your lands. Please allow us the honor of doing so.>"

It's perhaps too polished in what she says for a moment, before it shifts to something more sincere. "<I owe her Majesty, the Second Princess, my gratitude for her sense of justice.>" As while Cornelia may not realize it's the same girl back then - she proved her wrong in that regard.

Would the people in Area 18 and 11 think the same? Well, credit where credit is due - and a Britannian Princess going to the backend of space to pursue Murasame...

... that's definitely putting her money where her mouth was on what she said in that REA Jungle.

She suddenly is distant, at the realization that Banagher is coming this way, but Dr. Kafim addressing them all direction brings her back into reality. Leina grimaces at hearing their accusations. The information after JOSH-A was scattershot, but there's nothing in that that truly sounds unfair.

The Beguir lands heavily, it's spindly claws skittering to self-correct, even as it several funnels launch from its back. It bounds away as the locusts come, a criss-cross of Minovsky beamfire scything away at the swarm of locusts, reducing them in numbers by the dozens.

"<So is this really just about putting their ideology to the test?>" As the funnels re-rack, the Beguir suddenly rounds the corner near the path to the Imperial Villa, "<That doesn't feel like a 'you' plan - Doctor Kafim! It's been how long since JOSH-A?>"

The rifle is aimed at the Void Dragon, presenting an obvious avenue of attack, but even before it's clicked, it suddenly leaps away.

And one might notice the wire upon it's left arm, it's very notable shield is just gone.

Which suddenly winds around from the next block over, riding it's non-kinetic effectors for the enormous cross shield to just attempt to slam into it's head as a rather large blunt object.

There is no recoil on impact, but the wire suddenly retracts, reeling it back in.

"<And you're only avenging it NOW? Something doesn't add up.>"

Still as Banagher asks that, she clicks over and says, "Rather speaks for itself, doesn't it love?" There's a wryness to her tone, "Glad you're here, ixnay on the alktay about the Unicornyay in ontfray of oyaltyray."

While she was using a voice modulator uhhhhhhh - yeah, things could go bad if Cornelia has an especially STRONG memory and put two and two together - Banagher isn't exactly subtle on his best days.

KTS: Leina Ashta targets Elisa Kafim with Beguir Neuer Cross - Non-Kinetic Ambush!

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"Probably," Roux agrees with Leina. "I just am glad it's not Beecha or something we're talking about. Beecha would look at her and mention her r--" She stops, because Leina's transmitting.

Banagher gets a wordless smile.

And then comes -- the talk.

Roux hears what the master of the dragon speaks, her eyes flicking around because it is emanating into her cockpit rather than coming through the familiar speakers. "..." Her stomach quakes for a moment, but she can feel something buoying her up as she sets back in her seat.

To herself, Roux says, "Alright, you know what, I don't care about this." It's wary and the tone, if it somehow reaches Elisa, is querelous and more of an assertion than a statement. As if she's trying to convince herself. Does she care? On some level it's logical; the REA and Britannia are definitely the crappier part of the Earth part of the Earth Federation. At the same time, would they have been justified, back in the day, if they had just unloaded some beam rifle e-cap into that villa?

Would it have even mattered?

Anyway, here's a giant monster claw.

Roux jerks to the side abruptly, letting out a TSK! as the claw smashes into the Strike Zeta despite avoiding the 'claw' part of it -- as such, armor is not horribly breached and severed, but the Zeta is sent spinning off.

Spinning off -- nearly to the ground -- before the thrusters finally overcome inertia and it instead comes to a skidding landing, completely demolishing the 10th hole of a golf links and installing several new dirt hazards, free of charge. "Tsk--!!"

Roux opens fire -- a paired set of ports on the upper part of the Gundam's torso retract and unleash a barrage of about twenty small semi-autonomous missiles. Their thrusters scream forwards, a barrage of darts that leaves an impromptu smoke screen that lets Roux take four great steps (also damaging the 12th hole) before the Strike Zeta is aloft again.

<<"Banagher, Leina, do you see a weak spot or anything? I can try to hose it down but if she's... making these, not just summoning them from Hell or whatever, she's probably improving their beam resistance.">>

KTS: Roux Louka targets Elisa Kafim with What Was That Circus Named Again? !
KTS: Leina Ashta rattles Elisa Kafim, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Elisa Kafim fails to intercept Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Cross - Non-Kinetic Ambush, taking 2850 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim fails to react to Roux Louka's What Was That Circus Named Again? , taking 5460 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.

Banagher winces at the sudden, inexplicable voice. Despite its thundering quality, it can only be Elisa Kafim's words. Really, he doesn't disagree with her on the cruelty of the Britannians, but that doesn't mean he's going to let a Void-enhanced kaiju run rampant.

<"That answers my question..."> A pause, and then he realizes, <"This is the same as the attack on the REA."> Banagher says, quietly, unsure if Elisa can even hear him. <"You're right to blame Britannia for the things they've done, but attacking randomly like this--! You're only going to make innocent people suffer!">

A flash of warning, and Banagher guides the Destrier's funnels up to meet the kaiju's stomp. Connecting to each other, a net-like shield is formed, pushing against the enormous foot. They buy time for the Gundam to move out from the attack -- though a few of the funnels spark, threatening to overload from the kaiju's strength.

<"I don't want to conquer or prove anything!"> There's almost a hint of desperation in the young pilot's voice. <"I just -- don't want anyone to be hurt!">

The Destrier's cameras zoom in on the kaiju's face, and Banagher's expression turns distressed. This creature isn't even aware of what it's doing, is it? Elisa is just using it as a puppet to cause destruction. It makes his stomach twist.

But he can't banish the memories of the other Voidbeasts he's fought. The horrible things they were capable of, even in the vacuum of space. It has to be taken down.

Gritting his teeth, Banagher mentally reaches out to his funnels. Aided by the psycommu headband around his temples, Banagher urges them into close range with the kaiju. Circling the great beast's head, they glimmer with light, charging -- then fire in unison.

Leina's voice, despite everything, brings a smile to Banagher's face. A private line is established between the Destrier and the Beguir. <"Guess it's pretty simple, as far as fights go. Giant monster and all.">

<"Don't worry, after everything this week, the last thing I need is more attention!"> Banagher maneuvers the Destrier close to Leina's machine, his funnels shooting at any stray locusts. <"I just hope the Destrier will hold together this time.">

Roux is given a smile that quickly fades into a worried look as the Strike Zeta is send skidding. But she's okay -- right? Yeah, she's okay. Banagher turns back to his targeting cameras, gaze hard as he examines the kaiju.

<"These things are made of -- freaky, messed up magic. I don't know if it's anything like the others. And Dr. Kafim's not the type to get distracted."> A pause, before he looks back at Roux. <"I'll go high, you go low. If we knock it down into the golf course, we should get a clean shot in, at least!">

...and nobody will miss a golf course, really. At least, nobody reasonable.

KTS: Banagher Links-Vist targets Elisa Kafim with Destrier Fin Funnel: Swarm!
KTS: Elisa Kafim rushes into the attack!
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Banagher Links-Vist's Destrier Fin Funnel: Swarm, taking 2250 damage!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist has engaged Elisa Kafim!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist begins a Formation attack!

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

The dragon's claw scythes through the space where the GN-Xs had been, fast enough to blur. Only their skill and teamwork spares them in the moment. Bolts of crimson rain down, but it moves, reaching that claw towards them again heedless of the damage that springs onto its scaly, ichorous surface. The bolts sizzle against the acid, as it closes its grip suddenly, attempting to grab one or more of the GN-Xs straight out of the air.

"Hm hm hm. To dismiss kaiju as 'beasts' is to show short-sightedness beyond Britannia's average. The 'beast' before you is born of the energy of Britannians, harvested carefully over the course of long months. It is the very animus of Britannia, aimed at its own throat! Call me coward if you will, but witness: a kaiju born of the hearts of man!"

The Morgana's lance scythes into the claw of the dragon Tremblyat as it lifts a hand to block her assault, spraying ichor and acid everywhere, as it roars once more. Even as it does, it rears back with its terrible jaws, and belches forth horrific flaming acid for the Morgana and its allies both, twisting jaw from side to side in order to encompass them.

For Leina's words, the voice returns, "I have been biding my time, since that moment. It has not been Her will yet that I show Britannia the error of her ways." The shield stops the blast of acid, at least, by slamming into Tremblyat's head, interrupting its motions before it can advance towards the villa once more. For now, the line is held.

"But Her will states now is the time."

Roux has more luck with damage; she avoids most of the terrible claw, and opens fire. Those small misiles scream forwards, and the Strike Zeta is aloft before its retaliation--before those missiles crash into it, destroying tentacles and fans of flesh near its gaping stomach-maw.

"Do you care?" Elisa wonders. "You seem so intent..."

Banagher meanwhile has a moral argument, and Elisa's voice says, "It is the will of their people that empowers this kaiju. No change is effected without sacrifice. And today, we shall sacrifice from the mighty, instead of only the weak. Yes..."

"People will be hurt regardless!" she snaps at Banagher, even as his Funnels go high. He doesn't knock it into the golf course this time; instead, the kaiju charges the Destrier, slapping its claws together in an effort to simply crumple the machine outright.

At the same time, it whirls, presenting its tail in an effort to get space between it and the misssile blasting Strike Zeta and crashing it down upon Roux's machine. In its whirl, it reaches out with snapping tentacles towards Leina's machine, attempting to crunch her between its jaws and draww her closer to the Void within.

KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Banagher Links-Vist
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Soma Peries with Draconic Fury - Seize!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Cornelia li Britannia with Dissolving Breath Bombardment!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Banagher Links-Vist with Draconic Fury - Crush!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Roux Louka with Draconic Fury - Smash!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Leina Ashta with Draconic Fury - Bite!
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Roux Louka
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia blocks Elisa Kafim's Dissolving Breath Bombardment, taking 4800 damage!
KTS: Leina Ashta blocks Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Bite, taking 3750 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Leina Ashta!
KTS: Elisa Kafim anchors Soma Peries, forcing her into close range.
KTS: Soma Peries fails to parry Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Seize, taking 6600 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Satiety activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Hunger activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Soma Peries!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist fails to Parry Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Crush, taking 8400 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Satiety activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Hunger activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Banagher Links-Vist!
KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Roux Louka rushes into the attack!
KTS: Roux Louka partially guards Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Smash, taking 1800 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Roux Louka!

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"Golf course?" Roux says, turning her head for a moment. It looks like a random park to her. To Banagher she answers: <<"Got it. Stay safe out there, Banagher!">> And then the woman addresses her.

                        Do you care?

Roux's eyes close for half a second. "Hmh," she says.

https://youtu.be/jbaDmHXKNak?si=n2FSfa80FTXDeXEL

"Well," she says, in response to Elisa: "Maybe I was too hasty. I suppose what I should say is that I don't care about your 'reasons'. I've been in this seat too many times... it seems like desperation to me, to be taking your show on the road like this. You might kill someone, sure, but if killing people changed the system... then the One Year War would have solved problems instead of causing them!"

The Gundam jinks and swerves. "And if you want to say Britannia sucks -- it's not that I disagree -- but if I overheard this right, there's someone here on the other side of this magic critter who's pretty important for Britannia. And I don't know her that well. We've only really met once. But if I remember it right, she's pretty high up -- she might be their next Emperor. Empress; whatever."

"And --" It's swinging the tail. Roux looks at it -- and the Strike Zeta seems to shift slightly beneath her, the lions' share of the machine's mass being south of her butt rather than north. Is it the air shifting it? Roux supposes so, but her foot jams down on the pedal that throws her forwards, NEARER to the creature. "-- I've heard plenty from Yuliana. And I'm hearing this from you --"

"I don't think Her Highness over there much likes people like you," Roux continues. "Or maybe people like 'Her'. And what I'VE learned is --"

The Gundam keeps getting closer. In fact it's pivoting around and raising up the Hyper Mega Launcher. Its aperture glows.

"-- People like 'that' -- they might be clever, and you'd be stupid to underestimate them -- BUT:"

The beam erupts. Disorganized in some ways, it is not a single coherent blast but a refulgent fountain, the same forces that shape and coalesce a Beam Rifle's emissions into a discrete particle of aimable force creating an immense SABER instead, the autonomous microfusion plant within the Hyper Mega Launcher roaring to 105%% output as Roux braces it upwards. Because the tail's coming:

All you gotta do is be there as it swings.

"They're not unstoppable at a" The sentence is clipped somewhat by the part of Roux's cunning strategy which she didn't really viscerally 'get' when she was being clever, which is that even if she's aiming to carve a bloody vertical gash into the 'tail,' it's still 'coming towards the Strike Zeta' and, as a result, 'hits it' 'dead on' and 'bobbles it up into an arc towards the 4th hole water feature'.

KTS: Roux Louka targets Elisa Kafim with Hyper Mega Launcher Saber!

<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.

        <"The only pound of flesh I intend to carve out is that of the dark monster in front of us."> Sergei Smirnov doesn't have much interest in politics. Only in doing his duty as a soldier, which right now is destroying this creature.

        Of course, the same likely can't be said for his superiors, who will probably try to spin this to their advantage. But that's not important right now.

        Soma is having trouble wrapping her head around the words of the voice that unleashed this monster. This 'magic' is not really her strong suit. All she can understand is what she can see. And all she sees in wanton destruction.

        <"What is the point of this? What do you gain from this destruction? What does anyone gain?"> This does not seem to be a calculated attack. There's no obvious military objective. No strategy. Just death.

        It doesn't make sense!

        The dragon's claws reach out to the GN-X squad again. And this time, one of them is too slow to get out of the way. The GN-X is caught in the grasp of the dark dragon, armour starting to crunch under its strength. The pilot cries out in panic, Soma's GN-X rushing in to try and help.

        <"Hold on!">

        Soma stows her GN Rifle, the compartment in her machine's thigh opening to allow a beam saber to pop out. The GN-X ignites the crimson blade and starts slashing at the claws and arm, trying to force the dragon to let her comrade go.

        All the while, the pilot's panic continues to grow as the cockpit around him grows smaller and smaller, screens cracking and shorting out, the sound of metal warping all round him.

        <"N-No... NO! Help! Let me out! Stop! PLEASE!">

        Soma grimaces at the pleas, sweating as she tries to cut the GN-X free.

KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Elisa Kafim with GN-X Beam Saber Rapid Flurry!
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Roux Louka's Hyper Mega Launcher Saber, taking 2430 damage!
KTS: Roux Louka has engaged Elisa Kafim!

<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.

The voice chasing after Roux's offers platitudes. In the space before Cornelia's offensive, her purple lips curdle. But...

I owe her Majesty, the Second Princess, my gratitude for her sense of justice.

That voice... it's unfamiliar to her. And yet...

Cornelia scoffs, after a long moment of silence.

<"... You may show your gratitude by helping ensure this abomination does not so much as touch the Aries Villa.">

All things considered, it's probably the friendliest and most accommodating Cornelia has been to any of her unexpected reinforcements.

In the here and now, though -- the harken successfully gets a foothold into the hide of the Void-spawned creature. The retracting line is normally to draw others -towards- the Knightmare Frame -- but in machines - and monsters - significantly larger than it... it has entirely the opposite effect: it sends the Morgana -yanking- up into the air, cape whipping behind it as it soars directly towards Tremblyat and it's terrible, split maw.

And that's exactly the way Cornelia wants it.

The words ring out; but Britannia's Second Princess does not have the time to respond to them immediately, not with such a horrifying threat focusing its ire upon her. The twist of her lips in an angry grimace as Elisa speaks of harvesting Britannian energy for this - this - atrocity will have to suffice as the dragon spews terrible globs of fiery acid towards the Knightmare Frame. The first volley splatters across a Sutherland and Gloucester just beneath the Morgana; they melt too rapidly to engage emergency ejection protocols on time, exploding into a duo of fireballs nipping at the Morgana's heels as it rises.

Cornelia's sneer deepens -- but she has no time to mourn the loss of her soldiers. The other Sutherlands and Gloucesters spread out across the foregrounds of the Imperial Villa, assault rifle fire unloading on the legs of the beast. The Morgana itself? -Swings- up its lance, as a sudden field of yellowish-green energy blooms from its tip. The Luminous Blaze creates a shield that intercepts -some- of that flaming acid, but not -all- of it. Several globs splatter and sear ugly holes and scorches into the weakened armor of the Morgana...

"Tch! This thing--!"

... but does not stop the Morgana's trajectory itself, using the retracting harken to soar -high- above it. The Luminous Blaze around the Morgana's lance fades as it remains, suspended briefly in mid-air.

And then gravity takes hold, and it comes CRASHING down, aiming to DRIVE the tip of that lance directly into the skull of the split-mawed dragon just as it tries to drag Leina and her machine into the harrowing churn of the Void within it.

<"How dare you -- you reap others' strength to masquerade as your own, and have the gall to gloat?! Parasite! You know nothing of Britannia's animus! BUT I WILL SHOW YOU JUST HOW DEEP IT CAN GO!">

And the second that lance sinks in -- it discharges an electromagnetic pulse directly into the dragon's skull.

No further. Not a single step further--!

KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Elisa Kafim with Luminous Lance - Implacable Assault!
KTS: Elisa Kafim rushes into the attack!
KTS: Soma Peries rattles Elisa Kafim, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Saber Rapid Flurry, taking 2250 damage!
KTS: Soma Peries has engaged Elisa Kafim!
KTS: Elisa Kafim fails to react to Cornelia li Britannia's Luminous Lance - Implacable Assault, taking 4650 damage!
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Elisa Kafim!

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

She perhaps expects harshness, the Second Princess has a reputation, but when she answers otherwise, "<Then I'll do everything I can to see that it doesn't.>"

No 'Yes, Your Majesty' perhaps but maybe she senses at least that sincerity works far better.

After Leina finishes transmitting, she responds to Roux, "If Beecha was that much of an idiot he'd deserve his time in horny jail." She can really flip back and forth like a switch can't she? Thanks Glemy.

Roux asks for a weak point and- "<Not really! As far as I can tell she's summoning them from...>" Is she really gonna correct her and say the Void? "<...okay yeah sure, hell works.>"

Apparently that's just semantics at this point.

"<From what I'm told, you only learn 'Her' will by interpreting it from Yuliana. At the time JOSH-A happened - your relationship with her was very different.>"

The Beguir-Neuer tries to stay close to the Strike Zeta, given that it's shield is built like a truck. "<I find it's real easy to misdirect from one's real motives if you just invoke 'God's will' every time.>"

When the Jaws come down, they snap around the shield, which starts to visibly warp and distort within its teeth. It's only once Cornelia's lance comes down that she has an opening for the Beguir's arm to get free.

Leina suddenly jerks the Beguir backwards, while releasing the shield, it's wire remaining hooked to it like a Tether.

"<Thanks. That was- too close.>"

It's non-kinetic effectors suddenly lock up, trying to keep it in place against the pull of the jaws, even as the Beguir's jets suddenly leap to swing around and land atop Tremblyat. "<If you're both looking for a clean shot then-!>"

It's clawed feet attempting to sink down into it's head and latching into it's warped flesh, even as it's jump jets fire again, PULLING, to try and pull that split-jawed maw up to expose it's neck for fire from the others.

"<-you've got one! SHOOT!>"

It's a precarious position, with her still linked to the other maw by the shield's wire, but perhaps if they can score a telling enough blow...

... well she doesn't want to think about the alternative where they can't.

KTS: Leina Ashta targets Elisa Kafim with Beguir Neuer Foot Unit Claw Catch!
KTS: Leina Ashta anchors Elisa Kafim, forcing her into close range.
KTS: Elisa Kafim blocks Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Foot Unit Claw Catch, taking 1260 damage!
KTS: Leina Ashta has engaged Elisa Kafim!
KTS: Leina Ashta continues a Formation attack!

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.

Elisa describes the creation of the Void-kaiju, and Banagher's eyes widen in horror. <"What -- do you mean, 'harvested'?! What did you do to those people?! Dr. Kafim--!">

Emotion rises in Banagher's heart, and instinctively, he reaches for the Unicorn's Psychoframe to transform his righteous fury into strength. But she isn't here. The young pilot mentally stumbles, disoriented and lost. The Destrier stalls in place.

The kaiju charges, claws outstretched -- and the Gundam is helpless in the face of its attack. Vicious claws crash around the machine, splintering it. Several panels of shoulder armor are ripped off entirely, exposing the inner mechanisms of the Destrier.

Banagher cries out in fear, bracing himself to feel the echoed pain of his Gundam... But that odd, feedback sensation never arrives. He's still rattled, but as Banagher lifts one of his hands experimentally, he's somewhat shocked at the lack of physical agony.

"Of course." He murmurs to himself, somewhere between relief and sorrow.

Green-flecked-gold eyes take in the damage to his machine. They can still fight, but another hit like that will be the end. Gritting his teeth, Banagher guides his funnels back to their resting place and pulls forth the Hyper Beam Javelin.

His thrusters are still functional. That's all he really needs.

<"Roux!"> Banagher shouts, wrenching at the Destrier's controls to send it airborne in a burst of blue exhaust-fire. <"Now!">

Rotating the Hyper Beam Javelin behind its back as it ascends, the Destrier dives in close to the kaiju. Landing roughly on the monster's shoulder, losing a few more panels of fractured armor, the Destrier puts its weight on its back foot, lining up the spear-point of it weapon.

Roux, on the ground, fires for the beast's tail--

And Banagher lunges forward in the same moment, hoping to drive his weapon deep into the kaiju's head. Hopefully, the combined attack will be enough to send it to the ground.

As it pulls the Hyper Beam Javelin back, the Destrier loses its balance, some internal system failing. Banagher gasps as his machine plummets from the shoulder of the kaiju, frantically firing his thrusters again. This grants the Gundam enough time to land safely (if roughly). All its systems shocked by the sudden impact, the Destrier's cameras flicker out.

"Guh." Banagher grunts out, rattled by the fall.

A heartbeat later, his cameras return, focusing on nearby movement. Banagher can hear screaming. Someone's still trapped in their machine, being crushed -- he doesn't spare a thought before racing over to try and help.

<"Hang on!"> He calls to the trapped man, joining Soma in trying to cut free the GN-X. <"Try to move toward the opening we're making!">

Leina creates an opening, calling out, and Banagher grits his teeth. He can't just abandon this man. Slashing frantically to try and save the trapped pilot, he calls out -- "Funnels!"

Rising to answer their pilot's call, the Destrier's funnels rise up around him, already glowing with brilliant radiance. Last time he tried this... didn't go so well. That doesn't matter. With Leina and Roux working so hard to make this opening, he has to give it all he's got!

KTS: Banagher Links-Vist targets Elisa Kafim with Hyper Beam Javelin: Pierce!
KTS: Elisa Kafim fails to retreat because of Anchor
KTS: Elisa Kafim fails to react to Banagher Links-Vist's Hyper Beam Javelin: Pierce, taking 3300 damage!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist completes the Formation attack!

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

"Hm hm..." Roux was hasty; she explains. The Voice, even as the battle rages on, is willing to speak to her. As the dragon grapples and strikes against others, Elisa says, "This is true. It would be easy to dismiss this attack as pointless, without understanding the plan." This seems to speak as well to Soma's question of pointlessness. But before she says more, the Dragon moves. The Hyper Mega Launcher glows, and the beam erupts, that fountain of partles creating a saber--

The dragon interposes its tail, willingly abandoning that part of itself in order to ensure that the saber does not cut anything more vital. Part of the tail is lopped off, landing on the ground with a horrid crash and starting to melt into the dirt, acid pouring out of its 'blood'.

"You understand little of the greater world. That action here takes on meaning in other realms, resonates with Will and Power. If you survive, perhaps I will explain it to you one day."

"'If'."

This is what she gains, it seems. Meanwhile, those pleas do nothing to stop the dragon. The crimson blade does better; slashing at claw and arms, she can only barely get past the armor plating of the kaiju, but it is enough: she stirs it enough that the Dragon loses its grip on her comrade, and today, perhaps he will survive after all.

'Abomination' is right. Cornelia's Morgana swings towards Tremblyat, and Britannia's Second Princess is there, as assault rifles unload on the bast's leg.

The Luminous Blaze precede a lance's movements; the lance plunges into the skull of the creature, which roars in--is it pain? Is such a creature capable of pain? Anger? Anything at all? The pulse slams through the dragon, and were it mechanical, it would surely stop it completely. It is not... but it still bleeds heavily.

Regardless, Leina is freed, and the kaiju terribly damaged. And Leina gets an answer: "True. I was angry that JOSH-A endangered her. That is certainly why I laid the groundwork for this assault all that time ago."

"...But devastation will give rise to something greater. That is Her wish."

The non-knetic effectors are indeed useful; they hold close to the dragon's head, and indeed Leina's gambit is successful; the 'neck' is exposed by the power of her assault, even as the assault itself does little, fire jets ineffective against the kaiju's terrible scales.

But Banagher's assault comes in--and the the funnels' brilliant radiance prepares as Banagher slams his blade into the dragon's
 neck,, forcing it back down towards the ground, heavy steps taking it further from the villa, its destination. The streets it settles upon still crack and warp and melt, but it has not yet succeeded in finding where it wishes to go.

"I did nothing to them. The energy was harvested passively; nothing they would miss, but through their great numbers, great energy. It is easy, if one knows how."

Then, the dragon rears back, ROARING once again as it redoubles its efforts, firing blast after blast after blast of acidic flame for the Morgana. Its ire is clearly raised. For the others, the kaiju does nothing. Instead, the woman controlling it exerts her Will, and energy of the Void manifests forth; a terrible spiral pattern rises in the air, green and black, and the mere sight of it through cameras and systems begins to degrade them where its light falls on each of the other combatants. Some things are too dangerous to exist. This is one of them.

"Witness! Britannia's contribution to that which must be!"

KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Cornelia li Britannia with Dissolving Breath Rapid Fire!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Cornelia li Britannia with Dissolving Breath Rapid Fire!
KTS: Elisa_Kafim Changes attack to Banagher Links-Vist, Leina Ashta, Soma Peries, and Roux Louka with Absolute Spiral.
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.

KTS: Leina Ashta retreats from the attack!
KTS: Leina Ashta successfully evades Elisa Kafim's Absolute Spiral
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia retreats from the attack!
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia successfully evades Elisa Kafim's Dissolving Breath Rapid Fire
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Soma Peries fails to evade Elisa Kafim's Absolute Spiral, taking 5580 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Satiety activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Hunger activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist fails to retreat.
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist fails to evade Elisa Kafim's Absolute Spiral, taking 5580 damage!
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Roux Louka retreats from the attack!
KTS: Roux Louka successfully evades Elisa Kafim's Absolute Spiral

<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.

        Soma's attempts to force the kaiju to release her comrade, combined with assistance from Banagher, finally prove effective. The partially crushed GN-X drops out of the dragon's grasp. However, it's clearly quite damaged, not even able to support itself. One of the other GN-Xs flies in to catch the falling machine. The third also flies up, Colonel Smirnov asking, <"Are you alright?">

        The pilot of the damaged GN-X replies, <"Y-Yes sir... But machine has had it.">

        <"Sokolov, get him out of here. This situation is too dangerous."> With an affirmative, the two GN-X begin to pull back. The Colonel's then turns to Soma's, Smirnov simply saying, <"Lieutenant."> The Colonel's GN-X then bursts away.

        Instantly understanding, Soma replies, <"Roger."> Her GN-X briefly turns towards the Destrier Gundam, Soma saying, <"Thanks."> Her GN-X then flies off, quickly joining up with the other.

        The two GN-Xs rapidly rush the dragon, weaving around each other as they are buffeted by spiralling magic. There's not much Soma can do against it, not understanding how it works. So she just focuses on keeping up with the Colonel, even as parts of her display start to distort from the damage to her cameras.

        Soma charges the dragon, aiming for its neck where it has already taken damage. She readies her crimson blade, the Colonel beside her doing the same.

        <"AhhhhhhHHHHHHHH!">

        The GN-Xs strike in unison! Trying to drive their blades deeper into the dragon's neck than before.

KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Elisa Kafim with GN-X Beam Saber Through And Through!
KTS: Elisa Kafim fails to react to Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Saber Through And Through, taking 5500 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Soma Peries's Loyal Soldier activates, causing Jam L1!
KTS: Soma Peries has engaged Elisa Kafim!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist has activated the Resupply Spirit Command.
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist has activated the Resupply Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"Yeah, none of you guys tell me your plans," Roux says as she fights the Strike Zeta's controls to level things out. "I'm starting to think it's something about me that seems untrustworth"

There is another interruption as the Strike Zeta hits the water. Much of it surges outwards, forming a dampening sheen over the gentle contours of the golf course; most of it, of course, comes rushing back with mud in tow, even as the Strike Zeta heaves itself back upright.

"Oh, will it?" Roux answers Elisa, when she mentions 'devastation will give rise to something greater.' "Huh."

She brings the Hyper Mega Launcher up too, steam rising from where the heat is flash-boiling stray water. "So what I always wonder is, how come it's someone else who has to get devastated? Because, I mean, that seems pretty consistent, but I read part of the Bible once and it was mostly about the people it was talking about getting smited?"

Roux is lying. She did not read the Bible. She did watch twelve episodes of a OAU dramatization based on a synthesis of Biblical, Quranic and Torah sources intermingled with some authentic Near Eastern sex and violence. If she learned anything, it's definitely about Samson, because that actor was extremely tormented in a hot way.

And then Elisa speaks further. Funnels strike down and the dragon R O A R S, making the Strike Zeta shake. The spiralling sight of the light above comes down and the screens of the Strike Zeta begin to flicker and Roux glances upwards for a moment and for a moment she is seized by vertigo, her hand reaching out for --

She could swear she feels someone grab it.

The Strike Zeta's eyes flicker, but don't go silent: the camera caps come on, as they do during solar weather. A flicker and then a subsidiary view, letterboxed on the top and bottom frame, comes on: it's grayscale, assembled from tiny parking cameras around the Strike Zeta's perimeter... but at the moment, Roux only has one target to worry about.

And Elisa says -

"Did... did you ... make Evil magic... CORPORATE??"

Roux's mouth hangs slightly open, even as she gets a greyscale view of the GN-X's struggling. Roux's eyes flick towards them, but the novel design is just sort of filed away in the part of her brain that takes care of business. Her sensorium, her 'psyche,' is overwhelmed by...

DISGUST, which rings in her voice. "Oh my god," Roux says, followed by the Strike Zeta's head mounted cannons opening up with a screaming barrage of 60mm rounds towards the approximate center-mass of the sorcerous Thing. It looks even less realistic with the parking cameras.

Probably for the best.

KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Roux Louka targets Elisa Kafim with 60mm Vulcan Double Magdump!

<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.

Thanks. That was- too close.

<"Focus!"> is Cornelia's response, barked back in a voice layered in steel.

<"This -- wyrm and its insipid master will afford you no mercy; you can offer no more in return!">

Fighting something like this -- it goes against every instinct Cornelia has developed in over a decade of constant warfare, and the vexation it causes shows in the irritation swelling in her voice. It isn't just a matter of size -- fighting enemies larger than herself has just been part and parcel to being a devicer for a Knightmare Frame.

But they were always other mobile weapons. Always with the knowledge that there was someone human resting within. Always with the knowledge that it was another, human life she was taking.

This... -creature-. She doesn't understand it. Is it alive? Is it the Britannians of Pendragon, emulated into this mockery of an animal shell? The fact that there is a voice goading from above provides no comfort -- if anything, it agitates her further, knowing there is a WILL behind this -thing- that she can't target, that she can't simply--

Cornelia's frown is a persistent thing as she -rips- the Luminous Lance from the skull of the tremendous kaiju beneath her. She listens, as she feels the monstrosity tremble beneath her; listens to Elisa as she speaks to the others, indigo eyes narrowing in slow thought at the references to 'Her' will. 'Her' wish.

"More nonsense," Cornelia mumbles to herself, but she swallows down her agitation at this thing she does not understand -- cannot understand. The constant offense is keeping it from the Villa. She can't let this frustration get the better of her. She has conquered battlefields. Ace pilots. Nations. She cannot fail -now-, when the stakes mean that much--

The dragon rears back. Cornelia can't -feel- Tremblyat's ire, but she -does- know enough about conflict to know what's coming. Knocked from its precarious perch, the Morgana goes flipping backwards through the air. It falls past that roaring, gaping maw as acidic flame churns within. The Viceroy of Area 11 narrows her gaze.

And as the first gout of flame is belched, it is mere inches from contact when the Morgana suddenly -launches- into the air.

Behind the Knightmare Frame, green-tipped wings unfold. The Float System Cornelia is so loathe to use activates as it goes airborne, weaving just barely past the first blast of acid. Its left forearm is already snapping up by the time of the second, intercepting it with a sudden flourish of the Luminous Blade energy defense system. Even -that- only lasts so long, chewed through by flame and acid and wrath, forcibly deactivated as Cornelia -snaps- the Morgana's arm to the side to -fling- the excess of that violet spittle aside.

And as more and more blasts rain, Cornelia is forced further and further into retreat, weaving through bubbling flames that she can -feel- briefly baking at her cockpit. Data from the Fay Nexus' accumulation of Factsphere data helps her to keep the barest second ahead that she needs as her teeth grit and she banks low, beneath and around a sixth blast...

... only to see it soar past, crashing into the gardens at the outskirts of the Villa.

Euphy's favorite. How much time did she and Nunnally spend playing out there--

<"ENOUGH!">

The Float System accelerates -- and suddenly the Morgana punches through the air on a rapid approach towards the horrifying silhouette of the tendril-riddled Tremblyat. As it weaves through acidic fire, the Morgana's shoulder-mounted Slash Harkens shift, pivoting with a hydraulic hiss until they face forward.

<"Britannia will contribute nothing to your mad schemes but retribution for your audacity, PARASITE!">

And then fire with a whine of unspooling wires.

Straight for a pair of Tremblyat's myriad eyes.

KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Elisa Kafim
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Elisa Kafim with Harken Booster Hook!
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Roux Louka's 60mm Vulcan Double Magdump, taking 2160 damage!
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia rattles Elisa Kafim, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Elisa Kafim blocks Cornelia li Britannia's Harken Booster Hook, taking 2400 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"<I can understand wanting to avenge someone you care about->" Leina replies, stressed, trying to stay one step ahead of the reaper, "<-but I refuse to believe devastation can ever be meaningful!>"

'Focus!' Cornelia calls out to her, and momentarily she bristles but - it's true, despite how Yuliana regards her, Doctor Kafim certainly isn't hesitating. If she hesitates...

The sickening feeling of the void grows stronger than ever, and Leina is forced to look away from her cameras and their panoramic view.

Suddenly free from the jaws, the half-crunched shield snaps all the way back to the Beguir's arm.

The Beguir leaps away, abruptly, direction controlled by raw instinct of 'Away' 'Away'. That feeling of aversion and primal terror to something inexplicable.

The Beguir lands with a scream of its claws down upon the streets, spinning into blind half-circles from the momentum of its weight.

Against this, what can she do? What can she do perhaps... save, take the Second Princess' advice?

With her eyes closed, she still feels the press of unreality encroaching, and as she does, the funnels suddenly whirl out of the back of the Beguir in a spiral pattern, focusing on feeling her way through that which harms the other senses.

They spread around the nexus of that sickening feeling, they swarm within their own design, like a nautiloid's shell.

Head throbbing, she sees without seeing. Eyes wide open when others are shut. Each funnel begins to subtly vibrate in the air against the thrum of it charging as she raises the output.

And raises it further.

As one, all of them begin to spew out streams of Minovsky beamfire that slam against the Void Dragon for long four interminable seconds of sustained fire.

Before they begin firing again, more rapidly, again and again and again. The pilot panting, a cold sweat across her brow.

She hates it. She hates using funnels in a civilian city, especially like this - but some things? Some things outstrip the danger.

For some things the consequences of holding back just weigh that much more.

The horror of what Roux asks perhaps weighs slightly more but perhaps in a 'Wot?' manner until Leina's mind comprehends what she was referring to and goes 'Oh' and tries not to imagine Elisa holding an evil board meeting in the horror nexus of reality.

And nope she just keeps shooting.

KTS: Leina Ashta targets Elisa Kafim with Beguir Neuer Funnel Array Over Barrage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Funnel Array Over Barrage, taking 7680 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Leina Ashta's Mass Effect activates, causing Control Bonus!

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.

Banagher and Roux's gambit pays off, forcing the kaiju away from the Villa. <"Nice work, Roux!">

It's tough to feel triumphant in this moment. Banagher can't help but see a victimized animal in the dragon before them, and the more he and his allies attack the creature, the more sickness roils in his stomach. The sooner they put this poor thing out of its misery, the better.

<"That's sick."> Banagher calls to Elisa. <"How can you believe what you're doing is the right thing when you have to victimize so many people? How are you any different from the people who hurt Yuliana!">

It won't reach her, he knows it won't, but he can't just say nothing.

The Destrier's already-damaged cameras flicker and warp their projected images in response to the Void energy manifesting from the dragon. Banagher winces as the spiral rises. This isn't doing anything to help his nausea...

<"I don't know -- what that is, but we've got to stop it."> Banagher calls to his companions. <"Come on!">

At least the trapped GN-X is saved. Banagher replies to Soma with a soft, <"Of course.">, turning his attention back to the kaiju as she flies off. He has to keep his full focus on the energy channeling through his funnels. Keeping this much power in strength without the help of another soul feels impossible.

Hands shaking, the young pilot bites his lip, focusing hard. Even as Void magic washes over the Destrier, wrecking its shattered armor further, Banagher holds steady. The light surrounding his funnels brightens, their color climbing from a dark green to something vibrant, piercingly bright as it gleams across from the Void Spiral.

<"I won't let you--!"> Banagher grits out. <"Nobody else is going to get hurt!">

With a ragged cry, Banagher releases his funnels. Intense, brilliant beam energy races toward the kaiju, their combined force nearly as wide as a bolt from the Beam Magnum. With their power expended, each of the Destrier's funnels falls to the earth. The Gundam isn't much better off -- it barely stays on its feet now, ragged and broken.

Panting, Banagher can do nothing but wait -- the Destrier's cameras have given out completely.

KTS: Banagher Links-Vist targets Elisa Kafim with Destrier Fin Funnel: Synodic Zenith!
KTS: Elisa Kafim blocks Banagher Links-Vist's Destrier Fin Funnel: Synodic Zenith, taking 3600 damage!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable.

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

Two GN-Xs rush the dragon. The crimson blades of Soma and the Colonel slash into the dragon, spurting great gouts of acidic blood as they scythe through its scales and hide to score a telling blow--one that seems to reverberate within it, sending ripples through the whole of Tremblyat.

"You are right," Elisa says to Roux. "A sacrifice has little meaning if it is not important to one. So I can only gain so much from afflicting Britannia, which has my hate and not my love."

"But I can still get some."

'CORPORATE??'

"Perhaps it is my little taste of home, yes?"

the rounds slam into the creature's center; some of them are devoured by the gaping maw there, by the small void within, but some pepper teeth and flesh and rend hide.

Elisa watches, far away, as her kaiju's blasts continue to miss Cornelia's Morgana. Perhaps one can imagine some satisfaction at the destruction wreaked upon those gardens, all the same. Regardless, the Morgana punches through the air, and those shoulder mounted harkens point forward--they fire, for the eyes.

"Hm hm," Elisa's voice says. The dragon's eyelids close, and so the harkens are slight deflected--they tear out parts of flesh instead of parts of gelatinous eye, and they hook in terribly. The dragon roars once more.

"Such beautiful anger. Such wondrous potential."

"What you believe is of little consequence," the voice replies to Leina. "What you do not understand can very much hurt you."

The Beguir finally unleashes those funnels. They vibrate in the air, and spew out streams of beamfire that cascade across the creature's form, leaving terrible burned lines in its body that tht do not even bleed, cauterized as they are. The next moment, Banagher's Destrier unleashes funnels as well--The dragon brings up what remains of its front arms to block, and they are terrifically scored and harmed by it... but its more vulnerable innards are not.

"Ignorant fool," she says of Banagher. "You understand nothing. The REA seeks only to raise up a nation. I seek to lift up all of humanity."

"You should be grateful that I seek only to kill you, operatives of the REA." Locusts pour out of the dragon's back in order to plague the two GN-X machines, in their hordes, each larger than a person and each buzzing, buzzing, buzzing with horror.

Banagher's Destrier meanwhile gets a tentacle to reach out towards his machine as it falls--just the barest touch, to drain energy and disable it with the power of the Void. Should it hit, it will feel terribly cold. "You cannot stop me."

The dragon then rises from the golf course, rushing the Morgana, sending claw after claw after bite after wing strike after claw at her, a full-out assault with all it can bring to bear. And for Leina, at the same time, some of those tentacles rush out to grip her machine--and show her the majesty of the Void.

"You will understand, one day. Or you will not. These are the only options."

Roux, meanwhile, gets a point-blank belch of acid.

Then, the creature begins to glow. Begins to shimmer. The intensity grows, and grows. In moments--

This battle will end, one way or another.

KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Soma Peries with Locust Vents- Plague!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Banagher Links-Vist with Touch of the Void!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Cornelia li Britannia with Draconic Fury - Heedless Combination!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Leina Ashta with Calamitous Grasp!
KTS: Elisa Kafim targets Roux Louka with Dissolving Breath Point Blank!
KTS: Elisa Kafim rattles Banagher Links-Vist, making his next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist blocks Elisa Kafim's Touch of the Void, taking 2000 damage!
KTS: Banagher Links-Vist has been defeated!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Banagher Links-Vist!
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim anchors Cornelia li Britannia, forcing her into close range.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia fails to parry Elisa Kafim's Draconic Fury - Heedless Combination, taking 9360 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Satiety activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Elisa Kafim's Hunger activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Cornelia li Britannia!
KTS: Elisa Kafim roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable.
KTS: Roux Louka rushes into the attack!
KTS: Roux Louka partially guards Elisa Kafim's Dissolving Breath Point Blank, taking 2750 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Roux Louka!
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim rattles Soma Peries, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Soma Peries blocks Elisa Kafim's Locust Vents- Plague, taking 1320 damage!
KTS: Leina Ashta fails to Parry Elisa Kafim's Calamitous Grasp, taking 5680 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has engaged Leina Ashta!
KTS: Elisa Kafim roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"Look, why do you have to do these sacrifices at all!? Who told you that!? If you're getting your plan from someone, how sure are you that they're actually trying to -- Oh, god dammit!" Roux says, even as her barrage strikes home.

The dragon is assailed by the others. Something foreboding in the corner of Roux's eyes as she fights the Strike Zeta upwards. She glances to the side - great, one of the thrusters clogged. She contemplates her options momentarily, and then -- drops the Hyper Mega Launcher.

It's rugged. It will be --

(SLAM! The great weapon lands towards its rear, the weight of its internal microfusion reactor making it tend that way. Sticking upwards, it surged another wash of water over the 4th hole; rising upwards like some strange, abstract sculpture, the Hyper Mega Launcher quietly shuts itself down, lest something bad happen.)

-- fine.

With missile bays emptied out and the Hyper Mega Launcher thus dropped, Roux is running out of options. Especially double because the 60mm vulcans have to shift to the second ammo bay, and THAT has its own problem of 'there are only two of them in the Gundam's head.' But there is an option, even as the accursed wyrm reaches out towards Leina --

"LEINA, HOLD ON!" Roux shouts.

The Strike Zeta bursts forwards with a flash of thrusters even as a belch of vile acid washes over the Mobile Suit. The upraised hand comes forwards, wielding that foreshadowed option: A beam saber, shining magenta-bright and gripped back-hand fashion...

To strike the throat of the Tremblyat!

"What about the actual people," Roux says through clenched teeth, not quite realizing she's saying it. This too isn't exactly a question; more of a demand, if it's anything.

KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Roux Louka targets Elisa Kafim with Beam Saber!
KTS: Elisa Kafim blocks Roux Louka's Beam Saber, taking 2775 damage!
KTS: Roux Louka has engaged Elisa Kafim!

<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.

        Breaking away from the dragon after their run on it, the two GN-Xs rise up into the sky again to gain some distance. Unfortunately they could not expect a swarm of large locust-like creatures to stream out of the monster and rush towards them!

        The two GN-Xs are forced back to back as the large bugs swarm around them. They each raise the shields on their left arms, barriers of crimson particles forming to block the globs of acid spat their way. Other parts of the swarm rush in to bite down on their armour, the number of grooves carved into them increasing rapidly and wearing away the structure of their machines. Even the rapid bursts of red pulses fired out of the beam vulcans in the GN-Xs heads are not enough to ward the swarm off.

        Soma grimaces at the feeling of the numerous small attacks vibrating through the frame of her machine. Each not much more than a small annoyance, but rapidly adding up to death by a thousand cuts. Soma's focus in enduring the assault is distracted by the voice of the Colonel coming through her speakers, <"Lieutenant, we can't remain on the defensive. You push through to strike the kaiju, I'll cover you.">

        Soma doesn't reply immediately like she usually does. Is she reluctant to leave the Colonel's side in this situation? Eventually though, her dedicated to duty wins through and she says, <"Roger.">

        Soma's GN-X rushes away from the Colonel's. At first it's a tough slog through the swarm, but it then begins to thin out as the Colonel's GN-X rains down bolts of red from its GN Rifle, ignoring the swarm's attacks against him to carve a path for Soma.

        Still under threat from parts of the swarm, Soma rapidly closes the distance to the dragon once more, calling out as she does so, <"The Republic may not be perfect-no nation is-but it's doing what it can for its people, and the world!"> Spoken like a true believer.

        The locusts swarming around Soma's machine cause her to lose her grip on the beam saber in her hand. Checking her other weapons, she finds most damaged by onslaught. She grips her controls tightly... A last resort.

        The GN-X's right hand extends flat, fingers coming together tightly. As it rapidly approaches the kaiju, it brings its hand back, a field of red particles forming around it.

        <"And you're clearly insane if you think we're going to thank you for trying to kill us!">

        The GN-X lunges its hand forward, trying to push the barrier-enhanced claws into the dragon as far as the machine can reach.

KTS: Soma Peries targets Elisa Kafim with GN-X Claws Penetrating Hand!

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.

Despite being unable to see outside of the Destrier, Banagher can feel the kaiju's tentacle approaching. In a desperate attempt to protect himself, he brings the Destrier's arms up in a defensive gesture -- to no avail. Freezing Void-energy radiates through the Gundam, cold to the point of burning.

Crying out, the young Newtype can do nothing as the Destrier is drained of its remaining power. It tips over backwards, crashing into the ground. Banagher's head slams back against his pilot's seat.

"D--damn it..." He mutters, teeth chattering.

Blood trickles down from his nose. Banagher finds his own energy sapped alongside the Destrier's, powerless against the magic of the Void. Aimlessly, he taps at his communications array -- nothing. The Destrier is truly out of strength.

As his senses dull, Banagher's eyes flutter. When did he get so tired? Isolated in his dark, freezing machine, the battle feels so far away. A moment later, and his head rolls to the side, the young pilot soundly unconscious.

KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.

Harkens do not hit their mark, but they -do- hit. Cornelia wastes no time; they're already retracting, drawing the Morgana swiftly towards its titanic foe. In its grip, the Luminous Lance begins to burn with emerald light shunting from generator vents along its base.

<"I do not care for your smug platitudes--"> she begins to rebuke; Morgana draws its lance back as it swiftly descends upon the Tremlyat as it crashes groundwards thanks to the relentless offensive of those who have gathered to help defend the villa, intent on the killing stroke.

... When the dragon suddenly surges back upward.

"What--"

It moves, -fast-, and what was meant to be momentum that sent the Morgana groundwards instead sees it meeting the rushing kaiju halfway into its furious advance. The Luminous Blaze has shifted into empowering the Morgana's lance -- Cornelia does not nearly have enough time to reassert that defensive field.

To her credit, she adapts quickly and audaciously, attempting to literally meet the larger creature's blows with the bristling tip of the Morgana's lance, to deflect the first as she gains ground. Unfortunately -- it is a second too late.

The Morgana is not a large machine. The subsequent clash of kaiju against Knightmare Frame is more akin to a cat excitedly batting around a new toy to abuse, just at a harrowing, Void-riddled scale. Every blow of the creature's claws crunches in white armor and sends the Morgana careening towards the next. Within the cockpit, Cornelia rocks violently, biting her tongue as she is knocked forward to the angry and frantic blare of damage warnings. The last blow sees the Morgana swiped by the broadside of Tremlyat's wing. It goes soaring --

The sound of the Morgana crashing into the foyer of Aries Villa is a distant thing, compared to the deafening carnage of the dragon beyond.

And there, the Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame lingers. It is a small machine, but it is surprisingly -tough- too -- sprawled across the villa's foyer, it sparks and sputters but remains largely intact.

Its pilot, on the other hand...

Cornelia sags to her right. Blood drips from her bottom lip in thick droplets, staining purple with crimson as she stares with bleary eyes upon the outside world around her. She stares at shattered marble, and blinks once, slowly.

A flood of memories rushes past like a vault door smashed wide open. There are so many happy ones.

But they all end in blood.

"..."

... They should stay here. Safe, untouched. To force her back here... to desecrate this place so...

Demands to eject are overridden. Cornelia seizes the controls of the Morgana with eyes of fire.

"... I... will not..."

These people. That they denied her what she wanted in the jungles of the REA. And now -- and now--

"... FORGIVE YOU!"

The Morgana is a battered and wounded beast as it surges out of the entrance to Aries Villa, but it has never looked so visceral and -alive- with wrath as it does right now. Violet optics flare bright, pulsing lines of energy crackling sakuradite streams throughout its body as the Luminous Lance ignites with every ounce of Luminous Blaze it had been building; emerald and yellow light swirls and sheathes that weapon with a cocoon of destruction as the Knightmare Frame launches through the sky towards Tremlyat, lance-first.

The Morgana looks to IMPALE into whatever part of Tremlyat it is near with that lance. And then -- that Luminous Blaze energy ignites, and EXPANDS, as the Morgana just - keeps - pushing --

Intent to gather all that energy towards the tip of the lance to drill INTO and THROUGH the kaiju--

with every intention of punching straight through from one end of the beast to and out the other.

KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Elisa Kafim with Luminous Lance - Blaze Extension!

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Leina's not certain how many kinds of hypocritical she feels it is that someone running a faux religion for an eldritch horror being that wants to revamp humanity to tell her what she believes is of little consequence - when so many of their flock have no idea what's truly being offered.

Yet, when she calls out Banagher...

"<Lift up all of humanity?>" There's this, edge to her anger at that, "<I am sick and tired of everything being justified on that altar. How are you any different from any of them!?>"

And indeed as it reaches towards Banagher, she yells out, "<STAY AWAY FROM HIM!>" The jump jets take flight, the funnels re-rack, and she lands towards the golf course, even as tentacles rush out to take hold, and seize her from getting closer to it.

The Beam saber flashes out, once, twice, thrice - before the tentacles grip her tight, and rip - tear, grasp as she tries to lurch her machine forward, losing her beam saber in the process, "<Banagher! ROUX!>"

Roux calls out to her and her alarm glows as it flashes with light, suddenly growing with something shimmering and dire that screams across the senses.

The clock is ticking.

Held by the tentacles around the arms and torso, abruptly the Beguir's feet come up, the claws unlatch, opening like serrated clamps.

And she swings them down upon the tentacles, shredding them. With a sudden scream of determination, the Beguir's jets fire, as she's launched skyward. It's tortured shield just intact enough.

As she buries the point of its cross straight into it's throat with a powerful thrust, at a different point of entry than Roux. It is perhaps far less effective than Cornelia's Luminous Lance, but few things can match that.

In the moment, she merely gives what she has - because it has to be enough.

KTS: Leina Ashta targets Elisa Kafim with Beguir Neuer Cross Drive!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
KTS: Elisa Kafim fails to react to Soma Peries's GN-X Claws Penetrating Hand, taking 4500 damage!
KTS: Soma Peries has engaged Elisa Kafim!
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Cornelia li Britannia's Luminous Lance - Blaze Extension, taking 4620 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has been defeated!
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Elisa Kafim!
KTS: Elisa Kafim partially guards Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Cross Drive, taking 5130 damage!
KTS: Elisa Kafim has been defeated!
KTS: Leina Ashta has engaged Elisa Kafim!

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

The actual people? "The people will change. They will become ready for their future." There is something almost bored in her tone as Leina questions what makes her different, though: "You have Seen before. You know what is different."

"...And I could do much, much worse," the Voice says to Soma, "Than kill you."

That beam saber hacks through the throat of the Tremblyat, cutting through its roars. It makes no more noise than that, except a strange gurgling--and of course, the sound of its acid continuing to dissolve through the ground.

Banagher's Destrier may be out of commission, but for all that this is a near thing, the otehrs are not. The GN-X goes on the offensive, and pushes those claws into the dragon--far, far in, holding it in place for the next strike.

Cornelia fights for her memories. She fights hard. The voice gives no answer to her word of no forgiveness--for instead, Cornelia scythes through her kaiju, from one end to the other, and the void within it bubbles and broils--

Leina's dtermination sees her swing through--and what was 'falling' after Cornelia's strike becomes 'fallen', as the horrible, consumptive core of Tremblyat ruptures... and spills to the ground, instead of exploding.

The kaiju has left devastation in its wake. it has ruined buildings and streets, certainly cost lives, all in the heart of Britannia. ...But it bloodies, rather than destroys, the villa.

There is a symbolic victory here. But even so...

"Hm hm hm," the Voice comes, as her kaiju falls, and its locusts fall, leaving horrible gunk and carapaces all over as they die.

"...Today, Britannia was strong, with the help of the allies that have not forsaken it, for some reason."

"But what of tomorrow...?"

The pressure in the sky abates. The voice is no more.

The kaiju lies defeated, less than half a kilometer from its destination.

...The land here may never be the same.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Elisa is correct in a sense, Leina has seen what is different. But she can't understand how anyone can think it's better.

Anyone that's human.

Anyone that's not being gaslit or tortured or both.

In the moment it matters not, as the dragon ruptures, it's material spilling onto the ground even before the Beguir lands.

But she doesn't stop moving, even as the Beguir's claws slam down in rapid succession across the golf course, all the way to, "Banagher! BANAGHER! Say something!"

A clawed foot comes down over the Destrier Hatch, latching in and tearing it out. The mechanics may hate her later but-

Her own hatch opens, a hand left to bridge the gap, as she leaps from one to another and... relief floods her.

If he wakes up now, or later, the first thing he hears is the question. "Catch a good nap?" A smile, as she says far softer, "Dummy."

All the rest can wait for a moment.

<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.

        The monster finally goes still. Soma pulls her arm out of its remains and floats back a little to look at it.

        Even though its master seems to have vanished at this point, Soma nonetheless replies, <"It doesn't matter what you try to do to us. I'll fight you. For the Republic."> She sighs in mild relief, now that the ordeal is over. Her eyes briefly wander over in the direction of the nearby villa... She's still not sure what the point was. Or why the kaiju was heading here.

        Colonel Smirnov's GN-X floats down to join Soma's. It reaches out, handing over the dropped beam saber. As it does so, the Colonel says, <"Good work, Lieutenant.">

        Soma is... A little embarassed to be receiving the praise. Thinking about it for a moment... Is this the first time? <"A-Ah... Thank you, sir.">

        <"We should get back to base, before our particle count gets low."> The Colonel's GN-X turns, starting to fly away.

        <"Right..."> Soma glances around at the other machines that had fought against the dragon. The only one she actually recognized was Cornelia, by reputation. So she doesn't know who any of them are. Regardless, she thinks they fought admirably.

        The Lieutenant's GN-X gives the other machines a salute, before turning and flying off to catch up with the other one.

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links-Vist has posed.

Banagher startles back awake at Leina's voice. "Whuh--!" He jerks in his seat, reaching for the Destrier's controls, only to be greeted by sunlight, and Leina. Calming down, he removes his helmet and tosses it to the side.

"As far as naps go, I've had better... I guess this means we won." Banagher smiles, reaching out to intertwine his fingers with hers. "I was worried I'd wake up to black skies and soul-draining kaiju... or something."

Leaning forward makes him wince, his head pounding. That's probably a concussion... Oh well, what's one more.

"Are you okay, Leina? That was pretty rough." Banagher breathes out, feeling the adrenaline from the fight leave him. "I think the Destrier is going back to the drawing board..."

For now, that doesn't matter. Banagher leans forward against Leina, closing his eyes -- this time basking in the warmth and love that radiates from the woman he adores.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"I. Am fine. You. Are going to a hospital. Not a Britannian one - for treatment of acute exposure to hell magic. And-" She nudges his shoulder lightly, affectionately even as he leans into her, "-the fact that you're alive after ALL that, shows that maybe it doesn't need to go back to the drawing board. I swear it took some harder hits than the Unicorn ever did."

Her hug is a long one - and it's perhaps only an afterthought that she adds.

"Now I'm not saying that she will. She probably won't. But if the Second Princess comes over maybe pretend to be unconscious again."

If she recognized them from that jungle it would be bad, and the chances of Banagher saying the wrong thing are - high.

Almost Judau realm high.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"You guys need airlift?" Roux transmits over.

The Strike Zeta, for its part, landed on the fourth hole in order to recover the weapon - leaving the kaiju, in its disintegrating majestic horror, to its own devices.

"Don't be discouraged about problems, Banagher," Roux adds, with encouragement, returning the GN-X's salute with one hand without thinking much about it. "Let's hit up that data after you go to a hospital like Leina just said."

("Leina, how do you treat that shit?")

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"If I told you magic crystals, would you believe me or think I'd gotten into drugs?"