2024-06-25: Wishes Connected
- Log: 2024-06-25- Wishes Connected
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada, Kaworu Nagisa, Asciel Colette, Lina Lombardi, Gai Kurenai, Alouette Pommier, Leila Misakiyama, Soma Peries, Mikoto Utsugi, TenRyuuJin Team, Leina Ashta, Guy Shishioh, Hustler One, Sizumu
- Where: Huffman Island - Lark Valley
- OOC - IC Date: 0099-06-25
- Summary: Galactron awakens. Competing visions of how to deal with its attack clash, though by the same token -- are they really that competing? The risk of a Third Huffman Conflict hangs over the fight as Britannian forces cross the border.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
It's become almost routine.
Once a week, a larger 3G team approaches the new-model Galactron unit that's parked itself on Huffman Island.
Once a week, cursory electronic monitoring indicates that it remains mostly dormant, save a basic function calculation unit that's operated continuously since its arrival.
Once a week, a larger 3G team departs, leaving a skeleton crew of analysts -- one each from 3G Blue, 3G Green, and 3G Red, plus two from NUNE local peacekeeping forces -- to keep an eye on the place and continue monitoring.
After almost two months... the routine breaks.
The extended 3G team that arrives today is predominantly Red; this is by request of the long-term analysts, as it's been identified that the calculations they can 'see' the Galactron making by monitoring it have to do with higher-order universe theory. They've requested some help from Blue and Green, too -- Alouette and Liger are the personnel far and away the best at dealing with the sheer amount of data here, and Liger is otherwise occupied.
They've had about an hour to get situated with the monitoring crew. The setup is a simple one -- three OCU Jeeps, one of which carries a Petit MS reactor repurposed to run the electronics in the tent (and one of which delivered today's check-in team from Freedom). It's a little makeshift, but without the support of the Federation apparatus, the OCU has had difficulty maintaining a solid supply line into and out of Huffman. This is the best they can do for the moment.
"Hrm," Akane murmurs. "I'm not the expert, but this bit here looks like the same kinda deal as when Gridman would show up, from all the stuff I was able to review," she volunteers. (She's wrong, by half; what it actually resembles is the Assist Weapons showing up or making their exit, but this isn't her field.) "It's already here, though... that might mean it's planning to leave." She chews on that for a few moments. "I don't know if we're going to be that lucky." She can hope, though.
A lightbulb seems to go on above her head, as she tilts her chin just slightly up. "Hey, actually... just a second. Let me get the file Entouji sent over," she says, before walking out of the monitoring tent. Making her way over to the jeep, she starts poking around it. "... Did it fall under one of the seats while we were parking," she mutters under her breath, putting herself in the backseat entirely and planting herself into the footwell after a few moments of searching.
With her head basically buried there, she doesn't see the long, hairlike head-tail of the Galactron unit glow a brilliant gold.
She does feel the mecha-kaiju stabbing it into the ground on either side of the jeep, though. Trying to pry herself out of the footwell, she attempts to open the door -- but by the time she's trying, the claw is already holding the door shut, and she's some thirty meters into the air.
Galactron Mk3 is, at its core, not that different from prior Galactrons. Sure, there's more purple to it; sure, its armaments are a little different. It is still, at its core, a Galactron -- and that means that within moments, Akane's been moved by force to a seated position. She lets out a strangled cry as a cable slides into her ears -- but catches herself at the last second. The single word she says is known just to her and the Galactron's targeting computer core.
A familiar voice issues forth, booming across the terrain and across every comms channel in a 50 mile radius.
"Analysis of this world is complete. War in various regions. Lawlessness extending out to multiple planets and celestial bodies. Use of resources exceeding those available on the planet. Unstable and inconsistent use of universal structural forces," it delivers, using Akane's voice more dispassionately than she ever could. "Discrimination and capacity for atrocities. For this world's sake, all conflict will be made to cease."
For one observer here, this might seem painfully on-script, except... rather than stand neutral, Galactron seems to be on shaky footing. Rather than stay held at neutral, its arms curl inward just slightly, the left hand shakier than the right. The right foot taps against the ground, quaking it just slightly.
It looks down at the 3G-Gaia Sabers joint monitoring camp. Its eyes take on a faint red glow.
"As has been done for other worlds, I will stop all fighting. In other words, I will reset this world. That is my duty; my justice."
Its neck snaps straight up and slightly to one side -- a harsh, alien motion -- as that glow intensifies. Twin rays of energy, red ringed with white, extend some 5 kilometers into the sky. With a ghostly, wordless choral sting, a circular sigil appears at the end of its extension. It rotates like a wheel -- until it explodes in a shockwave of fire and force.
History repeats itself. Lark Valley plays host to conflict once again.
... And just like before, a call comes from the Britannian garrison at Fort Monus. "X-Ray 9 to all NUNE armed personnel within response range," the voice -- a calm, dispassionate man announces. "Gillvalis derivative NERV designation Galactron has awakened. Destroy it."
A pause.
"If we do not receive an all-clear from both the OCU and NUNE forces in the area within 30 minutes, the deployment of up to 40 MAPW has been authorized."
History repeats itself. Britannians yet again order Lark Valley bombed, with no acknowledgment of those such an act would catch in the crossfire.
Mankind never learns.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Two months... Has it already been almost two months? It's been there at the back of RIkka's mind, like a bomb waiting to go off. She thinks it over idly, standing in the monitoring tent with the others with her arms folded in front of her.
The Chief doesn't have much to do when everyone already knows what they're supposed to be doing. Monitoring and data analysis... Everything's already in her most trusted hands. Worst comes to worst, she's good with hardware problems, at least. With their resources being what they are, every little bit counts. More than once in these two months has she had to smack a faulty instrument just right to get it running properly again.
She's shaken out of her thoughts by Akane breaking the silence, offering her theory.
"You think so?" Rikka considers. "That would be ideal, but..."
But it's like she says. She doesn't think they'll be that lucky. Akane seems to have an idea, though, so Rikka nods as she leaves to retrieve the papers. And then, it's like a sudden spike of warning in her mind - a warning of danger as her senses flare. She rushes out of the tent...
...Just in time to see Galactron, now terrifying, frighteningly alive, steal away the jeep Akane was just in.
"AKANE!" Rikka shouts, reaching out futilely. It's already gone by the time she's there. And then, a voice. Booming across terrain and their comms... Akane's voice. Rikka grits her teeth to hear it. Hearing her speak so dispassionately... It hurts. But... she looks up. Up at Galactron, eyes tracking across its form. Arms curled inward, left hand shakier, a tapping of the foot...
"Akane... She's in there. She's still in there." She murmurs out breathlessly. She shakes her head and steels herself with that revelation - and braces herself as a terrible shockwave erupts outward overhead.
With that, Rikka rushes back into the tent.
"We need to subdue Galactron! Akane's still in there. Pull up all the data we have - there has to be some way we can get it to stall without harming it or her! If you have any ideas... you've got my permission to act as you see fit!" Rikka calls out, her long coat billowing around her. "And get me a line to Freedom! We need them ready to evacuate immediately."
She thinks a little bit further and adds quickly.
"Assemble a dispatch team, too - to depart immediately, if interference prevents long-range communication." Better cover all their bases.
Right now... she'll just have to place her hopes on everyone here.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
NERV has had their own monitoring team on Huffman Island, of course. This isn't the first time they've encountered Gillvalis and therefore Galactron, and while NERV and GGG may be serving different interests now, Gillvalis isn't going to care about that. However, as time goes on and the Galactron remains inert, orders come to slowly withdraw and leave it to GGG. It's a noble sentiment, more or less; it's an expression of trust that their former branch organization can handle this if anything comes to pass.
When the situation finally changes, it's thus as the last of NERV personnel is setting off on a ship to return to HQ. There are some Britannians still on the island keeping an eye on things, and they'll pass whatever data they get to NERV, but they're not NERV themselves--they just represent Britannian interests. It's the best compromise NERV could manage, considering Britannia wasn't keen on trusting GGG themselves.
Kaworu, who's been part of his own weekly expedition to the island to analyze the data, is on that ship, standing on the stern. His hands are in his administrator suit pockets, and with his usual faint smile, he watches the white head of the Galactron grow smaller bit by bit as the ship sets off from the port.
That's when it comes alive. From here, even normal people can see the Galactron unit's head-tail start to glow golden--see it move and capture the GGG jeep and take it over--hear the voice of Akane Shinjo as Gillvalis uses her to transmit its message of peace through extinction--*feel* the shockwave blast when it explodes overhead.
NERV personnel shout in alarm, several running to join Kaworu while others send an update to HQ back in Japan. One of them turns to him as the most senior officer on board. "Sir! What are your orders? We don't have any combat units on board, but should we return to port and request backup?"
Kaworu doesn't reply at first. His senses are keener than a normal person. Even from this distance, he observes Galactron's subtle, uncharacteristic movements: its curled arms, one shakier than the other, its one tapping foot. He considers Akane, seemingly trapped within the jeep. Then he smiles over at his fellow operative.
"No need," Kaworu replies. "I have faith in Akane. She will overcome this." He looks back towards Huffman Island. "Let's continue to watch over them."
There is a hesitation. Technically, Fort Monus has sent out combat orders. But they would need to request mobile suits anyway, and there's no way they'd get any to do anything useful within thirty minutes. The other operative nods, then relays those orders to the crew.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The Britannian analysts -- a pair of mid-twenties Britannian soldiers, one man and one woman; the man has the look of petty gentry, while the woman is clearly from a lower-class background -- look at each other for a few moments as Chief Takarada starts issuing orders.
Then they receive their own orders, over their handheld devices. (Minovsky interference isn't anywhere near setting in yet; Galactron has no such emissions.) The two of them start looking nervous. The rational thing to do would be to get out of here -- more likely than not, nothing's going to get this thing down in time.
But...
... 40 MAPWs from the Britannian side of Huffman to the OCU side, no matter how justified, could start the Third Huffman Conflict. That much they know. They also know that it's in Britannia's best interests not to start a conflict on Huffman Island until they're certain how committed the SAL and the Benerit Group are to aiding their NUNE allies, and -- thanks to their participation here -- know that a crushing Britannian victory isn't guaranteed.
"Understood, Chief," the man says, slicking back his short blond hair before starting in on the comms equipment.
The female operator provides a little more information: "... We have half an hour to radio back to Fort Monus that the situation is handled or they're going to make the last bombing this place got look like the 15th of June." (The commemoration of the signing of the Magna Carta -- now a fireworks holiday in Britannia, of course.)
KTS: Akane Shinjo has deployed in Galactron Mk3. ["Galactron Arsenal" -> 1443, "Galactron Poignard" -> 1444]
KTS: Galactron Epee: 3000 Physical,Melee,Bypass KTS: Galactron Etincelle: 5200 Magic,Ranged,Barrier Breaker,Accurate KTS: Galactron Fusil: 3600 Beam,Ranged,Spread,Formation KTS: Heat Ray: 5600 Force,Ranged,Crushing KTS: Galactron Epee Ambidextrie: 3400 Physical,Melee,Rattle KTS: Galactron Etincelle Barrage: 6200 Magic,Ranged,Barrier Breaker,Penetrating,Accurate KTS: Galactron Fusil Barrage: 4700 Beam,Ranged,Spread KTS: Heat Ray Sweep: 4100 Force,Ranged,MAP,Crushing KTS: Galactron Poignard Slash: 3600 Physical,Melee KTS: Galactron Poignard Extension Slash: 4800 Physical,Melee KTS: Galactron Poignard Buttstroke: 4100 Physical,Melee,Gamble KTS: Galactron Poignard Draw-Strike: 3400 Physical,Melee,Initiation KTS: Galactron Poignard Stab: 6300 Physical,Melee,Finisher,Penetrating KTS: Dream: 0 Ranged,Passive,Special,Buff KTS: Shock: 0 Ranged,Passive,Special,Debuff,MAP KTS: Awe: 0 Ranged,Passive,Special,Buff,MAP KTS: Pass: 0 Ranged,Passive,All-Range KTS: Will Barrier activated! (But will not apply until relevant Morale threshold.)
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
Just as Sizumu warned, Galactron's awakening was inevitable. Asciel hardly neeeded to be told that, of course - everything in this world inevitably awakens until it is sent to oblivion.
The kaiju's proclamation makes Asciel grimace - because it is all too familiar, no, all too agreeable. It is the same decree she had made a long, long time ago - that the solution to the world's strife is to reset everything. And it is the conclusion she learned the hard way that humanity would never, ever forgive.
She steps out of the little bungalow rented for meeting with BioNet accomplices, one positioned in Galactron's shadow. And from there, she lets out a weary sigh as she beholds Galactron's opening fireworks of destruction. "It's a 'god of war', just like I thought. ...It seems I have to teach you a difficult lesson."
"=Neo-Parthenon. Invoke "Ares" for descent.="
From a faraway point deep in the void of space, a crimson star shines anew, glowing brighter and brighter as it pierces the atmosphere. The corona of light surrounding its core extends into blazing wings - a phoenix falling to Earth, crashing onto Huffman Island, consecutive sonic booms parting the clouds in its wake.
A meteor of steel that carves a crater just across from Asciel, panels unfurling to reveal a cockpit that confines and swallows her limbs deep in its mechanical guts - countless cables plunging into her mid-back.
The entire time, a look of nausea blots Asciel's features. "...I really hoped I wouldn't have to do this again..." she whispers, as the perception she grew so accustomed to becomes interweaved with the predatory leer of this mobile weapon.
Asciel's eyes close - but when she speaks, it is still her voice that booms across the island.
"<<To pass judgment on this planet, to scour it clean and raze its sins away..."Galactron", your arrival here has spelled certain damnation. Not because of injustice. Not because of weakness. But because this planet is merciless and fateless to those of our kind.>>"
It rises. Earth's crimson war god made of inhuman termination. Though tiny compared to Galactron - tiny compared even to other mobile weapons, its fierce, ultra-weaponized body is in the important way, kin to the colossal Galactron.
The Nineball Seraph's visor glows a hot orange - life returned to the specter of destruction still-birthed from the cradle of apocalypse. Its wings spread wide, and countless salvos of missiles from each port storm across the sky like a rain of arrows - this is simply how fellow 'gods of war' communicate, to prove their shared natures. And with that proof...
"<<Galactron. Neither of us could fulfill that mission as we were. It is a doomed endeavor on this planet whose rivers are poisoned by hope. There's a way, however. I escaped the certain destiny of destruction your arrival has determined for you. ...Despite the body you see before you, the star of my true nature can overturn fates! I'm the goddess of volition, Asciel Colette - and I will have you and I become one!>>"
"<<We will share a future, where our latent nature as 'inhuman' is in our hands to decide and remake! Tell me - will you die a calamity, or will you let me reforge you into my blade of salvation?!~>>"
...It's a careful balance to strike for Asciel. The more animated she speaks, the less focused she feels. The Nineball Seraph was, after all, a weapon of confinement and contraint. Antipathy to her irrepressible existence.
KTS: Asciel Colette has deployed in AC Nine-Ball Seraph. KTS: Soma Peries has deployed in GNX-604T Advanced GN-X Rosen. KTS: Akane_Shinjo has deployed as a Boss for 2 opponents. KTS: Asciel Colette targets Akane Shinjo with SERAPH Missile Salvo! KTS: Akane Shinjo fails to engage charge against Asciel Colette's SERAPH Missile Salvo! KTS: Best Defense! Akane Shinjo successfully reacts to Asciel Colette's SERAPH Missile Salvo, taking 3225 damage! KTS: Leila Misakiyama is now subpiloting for Asciel Colette. <Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina, who was certainly not one of 3G's brainiest analysts, looks up at the Galactron with a whistle, standing just outside the main tent. She was part of this week's security detail, a handful of personnel sent along with the monitoring team to account for any "unforseen complications." What this usually meant was just standing around in the hot sun as the analysts typed away, calculating this and that. She fanned herself, thankful that she had gotten her new short-sleeved uniform before getting down here.
"That's one gruesome guy up there." She turns her head around, reflexively looking for any men in hats or ripples in the air, and finding nothing. Yapool hadn't shown himself in years, and yet she was still hunting for shadows in the corner of her eye. "Of course he's not here...bastard," she mutters softly to herself before making to peek back into the tent.
Her attention is grabbed back by the Galactron's message. That was...Akane? She was...pretty sure the Galactron wasn't supposed to be moving, either.
Her scattered thoughts are interrupted by the shockwave from the Galactron's sigil, knocking her down to one knee. "'Accidenti!' Wh-What's going on?!"
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
Gai Kurenai feels it, too - the sudden spike of alarm from Akane's heart.
For Huffman natives, the history repeating itself is very different from the history he's repeating.
(Naomi Yumeno's voice, dispassionate and robotic, echoes in his mind, a word-for-word match to Akane's voice issuing from the silver-and-indigo robotic kaiju.)
Rikka says 'she's in there', and Gai snaps himself out of his flashback, looking over to her with a nod. "The last time this happened, Galactron did not take on any behaviours of its chosen speaker. This one has taken some of Akane into itself."
Does that create a path they can follow?
"Where do you need me, Chief?" He has one hand inside his coat, fingers clenched tight around the Orb Ring. He turns to Lina as she rushes in. "Galactron has completed its calculations about this planet, and chosen Akane to speak its judgment of our worth."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Between all her other responsibilities with both 3G and as an ordinary person, it hasn't been every week that Alouette was sent to monitor Galactron, given it is much more within the realm of 3G Red's work. But as the nature of Galactron's calculations become clearer, Alouette volunteers to do much of the raw data processing in Liger's place this week.
It's the dead of summer by now, and with their somewhat make-shift setup and the general mundanity of not just making sense of, but organizing Galactron's alien calculations, it's not looking to be a breezy shift at work. Alouette isn't much of a complainer, though, so she pushes through and helps the team get things done.
"Hmm... you might be on to something," Alouette considers Akane's idea that Galactron might be acting on similar principles to Gridman. "Now that Gridman's left, we can't simply test it in real time anymore, but we might be able to..." She makes a few mouse-clicks, moving to pull up 3G's previous data from when they were still trying to make sense of Gridman, and Tsutsujidai, and everything else.
"Oh? Did he find something? All right, go ahead." Entouji making some kind of breakthrough after working overtime again isn't the most surprising outcome, so Alouette waits for Akane to come back with the file, expecting her to only be a minute or two.
But she isn't. That, and the noise coming from outside prompts Alouette to stand up from her spot in the monitoring tent. But it's Rikka who rushes to check on things, and when Alouette follows, the massive form of Galactron stands - right next to their camp. "It's active!" She tries to report, but the voice that booms across Lark Valley...
Could only belong to Akane Shinjo. Alouette squeezes her programming glove as Galactron, through the vessel of Akane, proclaims an analysis not entirely dissimilar to that of the Oath Over Omega. But she has to maintain her composure, because she knows... Akane must be counting on them.
NUNE deploys too, as well as that red Nine-Ball Seraph. If the fighting spreads, this could be bad, not only for Akane... but it could plunge the entire world into war. "Lombardi, you're the quickest on your feet here, so I'm putting you on evacuation duties for Freedom City. Stick to Chief Takarada's plan and get them out of there as fast as you can! Mikoto-san, can you support me? We're going to bombard it with data... just like we planned." Alouette delegates, she technically has authority over even the other branches of Mobile Corps in a situation like this, so she uses it.
As for herself... she begins tapping at a keyboard, turns out having GGG's previous data on Tsutsujidai, Gridman, and the other anomalies of the Hyper World and Computer World on hand was a good idea. "Galactron... your analysis is incomplete. And I'm going to prove it!" Galactron's sheer calculation abilities might be its greatest strength... but that strength might be its only weakness, too. She begins compiling the right kind of data that would put Galactron at a pause... before it's too late.
<Pose Tracker> Leila Misakiyama has posed.
Galactron, as with all things massive, tall, and naturally imposing, inspires a bit of awe no matter how many times she stared up at the towering behemoth. Abstract realities and technologies so...alien felt less far-fetched than ever. To hear its conclusion roar out was to hear a flawed echo of her own thoughts, to rip it apart and tear it anew. There's little to debate with such a conclusion, out of the way as it was.
"...Why's the voice sound familiar?" There's not much to go on, especially with the monotone, but it does ring...a bit familiar. Kaiju? The minute drum of fingers against her jawline as the sheer disparity failed to sound the danger alerts in her mind.
Leila takes a few moments before stepping out of that same bungalow, streeeetching her back out. Still huge. Moreso now that its moving. The lightest leer towards Asciel's declaration, busy talking on the phone. "Yes. Nah, don't do it here. The last thing we need is everyone on us. Yes, yes, da-i-su-ki and all that. Do your best." A tap of the already-off phone, watching the brazenly obvious meteor with another look of minute awe...
...That is, with Asciel's obvious apprehension serving more of a spot of interest. The loud crash ringing the ears, giving a quick glance before- Ah, to hell with it. "Oi, Asci!" The lack of respect even cut off a syllable. "If you can't protect one person, that means you can't do it all, right~?" Self-preservation above all else.
Such a brazen warping of Asciel's philosophy stated as the sole justification for following the so called "God of War" and pushing right into the cockpit on top of the connected Asciel, the perfect hideaway spot from Galactron's own ordinance and body. Here should be...Safe...Enough. Mostly. (Surely, she could at least survive one rocket with enough metal between her and a missile.)
With no method of properly bracing herself, the forces are keenly felt; Legs braced against wherever she could, clicking her tongue while (unfortunately) being the closest recipient to Asciel's prattling...and the launch of her ordinance. "Keh- Reforging!? That's the plan!? Make him a big sword!? Just blow it up!" Ah, maybe it was a bad choice, settling in a cockpit with someone who can't even become one with a plant...
...Whatever, just hold on and watch the fireworks. She never was much for staying down.
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
The distress call sent out by the Britannian garrison is received by a Gaia Sabers aircraft carrier out to sea. A combat alert sounds throughout the ship and within moments, Soma is already in the process of putting on her pilot suit as she receives a briefing on the situation.
Of course that thing is awakening and proving to be a threat. Soma had expected as much when she shown up to recon it in the beginning. Of course the scientists wanted to have a go at it first, instead of simply destroying it as should have been done.
Soma is ordered to launch first and reach the site ahead of the rest of her squad. A risky move, but with time of the essence it's the best move they have. Having finished putting her pilot suit on, Soma says, "Understood, Colonel. I'm heading out." She slams the locker closed, quickly making her way towards the hangar.
A short time later, the Advanced GN-X Rosen blasts into the airspace on its trail of crimson particles. It's alone for now, the speedy unit arriving ahead of its slower compatriots. In the cockpit, Soma narrows her eyes at the sight of the giant machine kaiju, no longer resting silently. Soma's system then alerts her to another machine nearby, as well as a transmission. She catches the end of it, as well as the machine's identification and her eyes go wide. The criminal, Asciel Colette!? What is she doing here? Judging by the missiles the Nine-Ball Seraph is raining down on Galactron, it seems as if she's here to fight it...
Taking Asciel in would be a significant accomplishment. Soma grips her controls tighter...
No, she has to focus. Soma sets her sights on the Galactron, raising the rifle in her machines hands, <"Attention all local forces. Further NUNE reinforcements will be arriving soon. Non-combatants should proceed to evacuate as soon as possible."> The Rosen begins to fire its crimson bolts at Galactron, trying to buy some time for such an evacuation.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Akane Shinjo with GN-X Advanced GN Beam Rifle Careful Shot! KTS: Akane Shinjo fails to engage guard against Soma Peries's GN-X Advanced GN Beam Rifle Careful Shot! KTS: Akane Shinjo moderately reacts to Soma Peries's GN-X Advanced GN Beam Rifle Careful Shot, taking 3420 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina turns to Gai as he explains. "And the judgement wasn't very kind, it seems! You deal with this stuff often, ah?" She then turns to Alouette, nodding and saluting at her orders. "Roger that!"
She turns and bolts out of the tent, running towards one of the parked jeeps and nearly slipping on the ground as she grabs at the door. Catching her footing, she opens the door and throws herself in, grabbing at the jeep's comms and tuning to the nearest frequency.
"Freedom City, come in! This is Lina Lombardi of 3G! Galactron is active! You need to evacuate the city immediately! Over!"
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
The team was Primarily 3G Red today- but not entirely. In addition to Liger, Mikoto Utsugi was on loan from Green today. Alouette had her own duties as 3G Blue Mobile Captain, and having an operator on site just in case of emergency is part of the protocol.
For two months, this position has just been a precaution. Still, Mikoto sits at the mobile operations desk, with the professionalism she has spent so long honing.
It had been a slow day.
And then everything went to hell.
"Ah!" Mikoto lets out a gasp as Galactron grabs 3G Red's intelligence head. "Akane!"
And then something else speaks in Akane's voice, and Mikoto feels a chill down her spine. She's been here before. Trapped inside the heart of a destroyer, unable to speak or resist. Trapped in herself, required to destroy. It's hard not to feel a crushing, primal fear at the heart of that.
"Chief! We have incoming- a NUNE Advanced GN-X and another unit, IFF unknown! It looks like... an Armored Core!" A second unknown might push some to push the trigger finger early.
"...Understood, Alouette!" She comments, working at the operators desk. If Alouette's focusing on the code, Mikoto can manage establishing a connection. There's only so many laser comms available to the monitoring tent- and it seems they'll need all of them.
"Kurenai-san..." She doesn't know the man well yet, but... Mikoto has heard that sort of edge in people's voices before.
With the comms arrayed, Mikoto plucks something out of her pocket. Her 3G pager- G-Stone communication may be limited, but it's not bound by Minovsky Interference.
"Chief Takarada, should I contact Orbit Base to buy us time?"
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
About ten minutes ago, two more vehicles joined the OCU's little motor pool. They look, at first glance, like they might be a token military reinforcement--emphasis on 'token', there, as a Galactron unit would surely make short work of a simple missile carrier or light MASER vehicle.
But why, then, would there be datalink cables trailing from these vehicles to the OCU's computers?
"I can run some comparisons," says a feminine voice--KouRyuu, of course--from the pale pink MASER truck's empty cabin. "But it looks like our friend's just been sitting here and monitoring everything, and running calculations of their own. Which, you know, alarming. But hey, maybe it is planning on leaving!"
"Don't jinx us," says AnRyuu, from the next 'parking spot' over. "--He did?" AnRyuu can't really turn to face Akane, but her headlights flicker in a rhythm mimicking the cadence of speech. "His insight would be welcome."
It all happens so fast.
AnRyuu, parked next to the jeep, sees the motion first. There's no cry of 'System Change!'--there's no time--merely a sudden shifting of metal, and the rising of an immense humanoid figure. "AKANE!" AnRyuu grabs for the jeep, but too late. She stares up at the Galactron, optics wide and bright with fear.
Beside her, KouRyuu finishes her own System Change, and crouches next to the tent, doing her best to shield the smaller, fleshier beings from the blast of the shockwave.
"You've fought this guy before," says KouRyuu, turning to Gai. "What's--"
'To pass judgment on this planet, to scour it clean and raze its sins away...'
"Oh," says KouRyuu. "Oh. Uh. Asciel, would you mind, ah--coming back in a half an hour...? Pretty please? Now's really not a good time!" But despite the banter--and the fear--the twins are all ears when Alouette declares their plan of action.
"Understood," says AnRyuu. She sinks into a crouch next to her sister. Both of them refasten the data cables to jacks beneath their dorsal armor. Two Super-AI cores join Alouette's efforts. KouRyuu begins generating data--grabbing it from her own memory banks, from wherever she can reach. AnRyuu evaluates it, offers it to Aloutte.
"Come on, Akane..." KouRyuu whispers. "Hang in there. We'll get you out...!"
To say nothing of what will happen if they don't report back in thirty minutes.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Galactron rounds on its pursuers. Its movements remain irregular, jerky -- but it's clear that it's still moving with intent. At first, it tries to move its right hand to its face, and it clearly struggles; it switches to the left, however, and that one proves more responsive this time.
Asciel's missile salvo garners Galactron's ire. "I will not be used as a tool by a product of a low-level civilization," Galactron speaks through the body now stored within its core. You will be eliminated," it says, even as its white-and-gold armor is speckled with soot and explosion marks. It moves through the attack toward Nineball, though it seems to struggle to get all the way forward.
NUNE, too, have their own forces to deploy against the machine. While most of them are wanzers being fired across the border with scramble boosters, there's also the GN-X, which comes in hot with a series of beam rifle shots. Galactron brings its right arm up in self-defense, but GN weapons are powerful stuff, and it can't fully shrug them off.
The reason it was trying to reach for its face becomes clear, now, as it grasps a horn on its snout and rips it free; a blade -- short for the moment -- extends from the pulled-free horn in a way that seems almost physically impossible. It lumbers toward the much smaller machines, slashing with it; it attacks the GN-X first, but quickly swings around with the other end of the knife at Nineball.
At the very least, though, having something else to fight has gotten its attention away from the base camp.
Despite that, the voice continues tonelessly. "The reason that human civilization persists in conflict is that it is modeled on the ruthless natural order of this planet. The universe is filled with boundless energy. Everything is designed to function without depriving others of energy. However, the ecology of this planet has fostered a low-level civilization that necessitates the stealing of the lives of others, damaging the planet itself, harming the environment, and depleting natural resources."
Akane's voice pauses. "The human within my core sees the perpetuation of this system of theft as kindness. Human civilization is warped beyond redemption."
Says, of course, the hypocrite that just ate her.
Lina starts transmitting to Freedom; it's a little choppy due to the presence of a GN-type unit, but for the moment the comms repeater is working and gets her through to Freedom City's civil defense office.
"Ack...ged, 3G," comes the response. "Beg... ...acuation proc... . Nor... ...stricts... ...lter ... place."
The Britannian analysts report back to Fort Monus. Their comms repeater seems to be working a little better than 3G's -- though it's also that X-Ray 9 is physically closer to them and merely relaying orders from a less polluted side of the island. "This is X-Ray 1 and 2 to X-Ray 9," the man says, trying his best to remain calm. Stiff upper lip, and all that. "The Galactron seems to be struggling to move -- can you delay MAPW deployment from initial projection?"
"Negative, X-Ray 1 and 2. Monus Command is committed to the timetable. I'm ordering your evacuation from the OCU side of the border immediately."
'X-Ray 1' and 'X-Ray 2' look at each other. It's 2, the woman, who cuts in next.
"Sir, you can't be serious. How are we going to report the all-clear to you if..." She realizes what's happening, trailing off. She looks to X-Ray 1 as fear starts to creep in, begging him to tell her that the conclusion she's drawing is wrong.
X-Ray 1 looks at her for a moment, then at the comms suite.
"X-Ray 9?" he says, leaning slowly closer to the microphone.
"This is X-Ray 9, still reading you, X-Ray 1."
He scowls, then says, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but order refused. Except in case of open war, abandoning an active disaster relief effort early -- which, given your ultimatum, is still twenty-seven minutes away -- is considered desertion."
X-Ray 9 doesn't radio back for several seconds. "You'll be hearing from Fort Monus JAG."
"They'll be hearing from my mother."
Several seconds pass with no further exchange between the Britannians.
X-Ray 2 looks at X-Ray 1 with a skeptical expression. "'Mine's bigger,' huh. You think that's true?" she asks, incredulous.
"If we win, yes."
She stares. "Un... fucking-believable. Well, 3G, looks like we're riding this bomb down with you."
Wryly, X-Ray 1 says, "I suppose a robot telling me humans are too stupid to cooperate makes me want to prove it wrong."
KTS: Akane Shinjo's Awakening activates! KTS: Akane Shinjo: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Akane Shinjo targets Soma Peries with Galactron Poignard Draw-Strike! KTS: Akane Shinjo targets Asciel Colette with Galactron Poignard Buttstroke! KTS: Akane Shinjo's New Order activates Focus! KTS: Asciel Colette engages parry against Akane Shinjo's Galactron Poignard Buttstroke! KTS: Best Defense! Asciel Colette successfully reacts to Akane Shinjo's Galactron Poignard Buttstroke, taking 2050 damage! KTS: Akane Shinjo: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Soma Peries engages evade against Akane Shinjo's Galactron Poignard Draw-Strike! KTS: Critical Hit! Soma Peries poorly reacts to Akane Shinjo's Galactron Poignard Draw-Strike, taking 4080 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Akane Shinjo's Stimulation activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Akane Shinjo: Will Barrier Activates.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka looks toward the Britannian analysts. It looks like they've received orders, too...
"Thank you." Rikka replies as the man starts work on the comms. The woman, meanwhile, provides information.
"Half an hour, huh..." Rikka murmurs with a thoughtful frown. She thinks it over for a moment.
Thirty minutes. Thirty minutes is all they have. Before... Rikka exhales, and shakes her head.
"...Alright. Thanks for letting us know." She replies.
With that, Rikka looks toward Gai. That's right - he'd implied that he'd seen this happen before...
"Last time... How did that go?" Rikka asks. "Is that something we can use? If you can think of anything that might be helpful now - something to stall it, make it rethink it..."
Alouette takes action, too, choosing Lina to depart. Rikka nods. That's definitely good thinking. Alouette's the Mobile Corps Captain for a reason.
"We'll be counting on you, Lombardi. Godspeed." Rikka offers Lina with a nod.
And, Alouette and Mikoto have a plan... When it comes to data, they might be the best ones here. If anyone can pull it off, that'd be them. And outside...
Mikoto then reports two units incoming - a NUNE GN-X and a unit with an unknown IFF.
...Which, soon enough, begins to speak.
"That voice... Isn't that Asciel Colette?" Rikka asks. She's not sure if the unknown becoming known is better or worse, in this situation. This... isn't good. Attacking Galactron, it might push up the timetable. And, Akane...
Rikka looks toward Mikoto as she makes a suggestion.
"Good idea. Make the call." Rikka confirms with a nod.
AnRyuu and KouRyuu are here, too. Having them is going to be a huge boon. She offers quiet thanks for their presence.
... Her attention is drawn, then, to X-Ray 1 and 2, as they argue with X-Ray 9. They're stuck here, too, huh...
"Then we'll figure this out together." Rikka replies, offering them both a nod. "Don't worry. We'll make it out of this - all of us."
With that, her attention turns to Galactron. She frowns... and sits down at a desk, pressing a button to turn on the camp's loudspeakers.
"How can you say that, when you just took Akane from us? Everything you just said... That's just a part of life. It's not perfect, but we're all doing our best." Rikka's voice rings out. "But you? You act like you're above it all, but you're filled with weapons for conflict. You've stolen Akane's voice. There's only fighting here right now because you're here. If we're guilty, what does that say about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"Come on! Ugh!" Lina bangs at the comms, knowing full well that percussive maintenance won't suddenly disperse the GN particles. She got enough to know that the evacuation was in process.
She thinks.
Gaaaah!
She looks out from the jeep at the Galactron, now in heated battle with forces from all sides. A lump forms in the bottom of her stomach. If that thing doesn't come down, then the world...then Akane...She pounds on the side of the jeep, wishing she had her Nightmare, her Lion, hell, even her Alto here.
"Chief!" She calls out to the tent, "Freedom is beginning their evac! The comms are a bit choppy, so I didn't get everything! Permission to head over and confirm?"
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
...Being inside the Nineball's cockpit is far from a hospitable experience. It's cramped just having Asciel in it - the margins for Leila are slim and confining, and it's virtually impossible not to be basically breathing on the idol.
That initial speech and launch sequence divided Asciel's attention from the Alastor body, so when she's pestered at for her 'threat' to Galactron, she's jolted back "awake" to face Leila. ...in this cockpit. Right up against her. Twisting around as much as her mechanical harnesses allow, Asciel muffles a warbly sort of scream, pulling one arm free to brace Leila for a moment. "Damn it, damn it, I built this thing in defiance of needing humans to survive it! ...I don't have a choice. These weren't for you, but they are some level of security if we must. Don't do that again!!"
Several straps unravel from ports in the AC's inner chamber, assembling into a harness of some safety, and Asciel hastily works to strap Leila in. There's...a curious grimace on her face the whole while.
Pivoting back to the front, and jamming her arm back in the hungry mechanical port, Asciel's eyes close and her senses re-tune, just in time to see the towering kaiju swing its horn-blade at her - and in a flash, the twin LS-MOONLIGHTs built into her arms spark out. They weren't made for this kind of swordplay, but they do in a pinch, and only for a split second. Just as she's leaping up atop the Galactron's arm, the call from the GGG chimes in - from KouRyuu specifically, a voice she remembers well as a thorn in her side. Her reply back is to all of the GGG, in turn.
"<Hoooooh?! Persuade me. Persuade me that I should fall back where the Grand Glorious Guard, such stalwart defenders of justice, are biding their time. Galactron is a crisis of the type a goddess must answer, and so I came prepared. This time, you cannot even claim I enabled it to begin with. What could possibly be a good reason to not slay this fallen god of-"
Galactron speaks, through Akane. Asciel hadn't registered it before - that the voice emanating from it was oddly human in nature. It speaks of its familiar dissent with society - and of the human at its core.
And Nineball's orange optic glows with a fierce trail.
Taking another step onto Galactron's arm, Asciel's voice spits out, "<<For you to speak of humanity's self-evident sins through the voice of a human...hhhhh...for you to call me a product of humanity, when I am its self-forged savior...unacceptable. Unacceptable. Unacceptable!>>"
A pain courses through Asciel's left eye, where pain seldom forms. Flickering the laser blade at oscillations that thrum through the Armored Core's cockpit and trouble onlooking cameras.
<"First Oath - Waltz Crescendo.">
<"I will be the sole master of the arena.">
<"Humanity's natural order to maim and destroy each other is a fault in the physics of dominance. The strength I wield is to rid this world of the ugly stain of bloodshed - and to that end, I harness the strength to fight the entire world and win, if I must.
<"Prove that you can do the same, even as we both puppet a human voice to exert our will.">
--<"World Order Terpsichore!">--
Pirouetting atop Galactron's arm, twin crescent-shaped arcs of the laser blade's energy grow and grow and grow from Asciel's MOONLIGHT - vast enough to cleave a battleship in two. Then, with a flick of her wrist, those twin moons surge out just as she leaps backwards onto land again, aimed squarely at Galactron's shoulder.
"<<I'll reforge your inevitably blood-stained flesh into my own here and now, if I must.>>"
KTS: Asciel Colette targets Akane Shinjo with (1) Master of Arena ~ World Order Terpsichore! KTS: Akane Shinjo engages evade against Asciel Colette's (1) Master of Arena ~ World Order Terpsichore! KTS: Akane Shinjo's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Akane Shinjo's Believe activates, and her spirit endures. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates Akane Shinjo, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Critical Hit! Akane Shinjo poorly reacts to Asciel Colette's (1) Master of Arena ~ World Order Terpsichore, taking 4620 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject! KTS: Leina Ashta has deployed in CEK-068 Beguir-Neuer.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Lina reports back. Freedom is beginning their evac, but comms are choppy...
"I had a feeling that'd happen... Thanks for the report, Lombardi." Rikka considers with a frown. "Permission granted. Keep us informed."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Lina makes the call to Freedom from one of the jeeps, and Alouette can only hope it's getting through, between the Minovsky Particle density and NUNE's deployment of a GN-type to combat Galactron. But Lina has a report for Rikka. "If the Chief supports it, you have my permission. But be careful out there! Between NUNE and that Armored Core, it isn't safe on the ground."
"It must be... I'd recognize that voice anywhere." Alouette says, when Rikka asks if it's Asciel Colette. "No doubt she's here to seize Galactron and its power for her own ends, no matter if Akane's in there or not. We can't let her do that any more than we can let NUNE carpet bomb this island, so we need to disable Galactron ASAP!"
Mikoto helps her out at the Operator's Desk, and having that support from her, in spite of all her worry about what's happening to Akane at the moment... it helps her feel more confident. "Merci! I can handle the code compilation," She confirms, "but with all this interference, I don't think I'll be able to push it through all on my own." Thankfully, Mikoto gets to work setting that up.. making use of the 3G pager is an excellent idea, too.
The Ryuu sisters are here to offer there support, too, and Alouette breaths a slight sigh of relief. "I appreciate it. Your processing speeds are second to none, so with your help... we might be able to make it in thirty minutes!" Alouette encourages them, adding their own pool of data to her own.
Galactron speaks again, though, speaking of Earth's 'ruthless natural order', based on competition and sacrifice. But apparently, Akane sees the kindness in the world, even as she plays host to Galactron. "She's still fighting in there. We have to support her the best we can!" Alouette wonders, about showing Galactron a little bit of what that 'kindness' means.
"Mr. Kurenai," Alouette turns just for a moment to face him. "You've had to face Galactron before, haven't you? Even if it's painful to remember... how would you suggest we show Galactron this world's capacity for kindness?" She asks, as her eyes return to her monitor.
She can't answer that question just yet, but she can start bombarding Galactron with those confounding variables, now that Mikoto, AnRyuu, and KouRyuu have given her enough to work with. Some of the payloads of mathematical sequences fail to reach Galactron, but their combined pool of data is large enough that even it can't ignore them. Some of that data represents the alien calculations made to develop the Galeoria Pliers, representing stability and balance - a contrast to Galactron's conclusions of chaos and violence.
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
The giant Galactron retaliates against Soma with a swipe from that horn blade. A direct hit from the large weapon likely would have split the Rosen in half. Thankfully Soma is able to deftly maneuver her machine quickly enough that the weapon is only able to slice through one of the GN-X's legs.
Ignoring the severed limb as it falls out of the sky, Soma frowns at the words coming from the machine, with a familiar voice at that. Judging by snippets of radio reports, she has an idea as to what happened. Soma replies to the judging words, <"I won't deny that humanity has done some terrible things to itself and this world. But it is all a result of its ambition, its drive to advance. Without those, we'd probably still be animals swinging through the trees, living as you expect us to.">
The Advanced GN-X sweeps its rifle out to the side, no longer seeming to aim it towards the Galactron. The reason becomes clear as to why as a long crimson beam blade projects out from the attachment on the rifle's bottom.
<"If such sins are the cost of all that humanity has accomplished...">
The GN-X rushes towards Galactron, <"Then I think it is an acceptable cost."> The GN-X swings its rifle, sending the beam bayonet to cut through the same point that Asciel's laser blade struck.
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries targets Akane Shinjo with GN-X Advanced GN Beam Rifle Beam Bayonet Deep Cut!
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina nods and throws herself into the driver's seat of the jeep. She was quick on her feet, but definitely not quick enough to get to town by herself.
"If anyone wants to come join me, feel free to squeeze in!" She yells over the turning of the engine as she starts it up, pulling it into gear and giving just enough time for any hangers-on to jump in before punching on the accelerator, squealing towards the city!
KTS: Akane Shinjo fails to engage parry against Soma Peries's GN-X Advanced GN Beam Rifle Beam Bayonet Deep Cut! KTS: Akane Shinjo's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Critical Hit! Akane Shinjo poorly reacts to Soma Peries's GN-X Advanced GN Beam Rifle Beam Bayonet Deep Cut, taking 4950 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Soma Peries's Loyal Soldier activates, causing Jam L1!
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
"Last time I fought it," Gai answers, that edge still there in his voice. "I could not overcome it, without resorting to a form I did not have full control over, and ripped out the core where it had placed its speaker. The shock of ripping her out of it almost killed her. I have more options now than I did then, but... I do not like the prospect of directly engaging it."
He looks up, towards the GN-X and the Armored Core engaging Galactron, at the mecha-kaiju's oddly awkward movements. "I believe Akane is fighting it," he says, and closes his eyes, calling on the cruel memories. He remembers...
"Cabling. A network of wires clustering around the core, an intrusive neurological interface."
Alouette calls to him, asking him how they show Galactron the kindness of the world, and he rouses himself, turning to the young blonde. "... From my experience, you all are living breathing examples. Show it how hard you fight, for even the smallest gain. If it's interfacing with Akane like it did with Naomi, then she'll see it too, and it might well be the strength she needs."
The two Britannian techs make a decision of their own - to stick by them in this time of crisis - and Gai glances over to them. For a moment, despite the stress he's clearly experiencing, he favours them both with a warm smile. "Thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Leila Misakiyama has posed.
The world shrinking down to the size of a cramped cockpit is one sensation that's quickly shifted into the pile of "never wanting to experience again". If nothing, it's an (unfortunate) front row seat to the chaos, the panicked breathing trying to settle itself down as she pushes back against the Alastor; panels and cameras alight as the Armored Core does what it does best: Rely as much information as anything could to the objects within its seating parameters. The light click of the tongue with Asciel's scream, braced against her... "So your own body'd die too!? Why does everything about you scream idiocy!?"
At least there's a harness. At least there's that, grunting out with hands braced against the Alastor serving as the core. Idiot, idiot, idiot! Again, like this. An unfamiliar voice on the comms, the grand showboating underlined by derisive mumbling under the surface. "Che, does this thing even have a mic, or did she rip it out?" She's too busy concentrating on the havoc before her to split her focus.
Galactron's voice continues to ping with the faint rememberance of familiarity. Deja vu. Eyes flicking to see, to check for any sort of damn microiphone, speaker, whatever- There's a button that looks applicable- Smash. If that button's wrong, so be it. <"Who're you calling warped!? Some giant robot that can't see anything but its own two feet!?">
Of course, to be privy front and center, watching the people scramble, the suits jet about. So small. So above. So...enticing. The minute calm rippling with the sounds of Asciel's declarations, wincing every so often- <"Wai- You- Asci-">
Indeed, a pirouette tends to knock most thoughts out of the head, the harsh thud of weightlessness into full absorption jolting through her. <"Could you be any more dramatic!? Just take the head out! Stop thinking about that sword!"> It's a simple correlation: Head is brain. Decapitate head. Easy. Even with a thicker neck!
KTS: Leila Misakiyama targets Asciel Colette with Awe! KTS: Asciel Colette accepts Leila Misakiyama's Awe! KTS: Leila Misakiyama inspires awe, increasing Asciel Colette's Morale! KTS: Best Defense! Asciel Colette successfully reacts to Leila Misakiyama's Awe, taking 0 damage! <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
She quickly hammers a sequence into her pager. "Understood, Chief." Though from what X-Ray 1 and X-Ray 2 are communicating, that hope seems slim.
The accusations of Galactron are... not entirely incorrect. Earth's civilization is like that, and yet-
"It's true that the Earth has been mistreated," Mikoto responds over the speakers of the monitoring tent. "And humanity is prone to conflict and abusing it's resources..." She her eyes remain on her systems, even though she's speaking. "But we are capable of more than that, and we've proven ourselves more than that!"
She takes a breath in. "...but this universe is not infinite. It's energy is not boundless. I've been to it's very start! I know who gave it life! And they wanted us to find our own way, with our own will! All the beings in the universe! I won't accept a ruling from someone who steals the lives of others to cast down it's judgment!"
She perhaps, shouldn't be talking with Galactron like this. But...
As Gai explains the act of pulling the core out, however... "Would that make it too dangerous for Heaven and Hell?" Mikoto asks. It doesn't sound the same thing as a Zonuda core, but... "But whether we can deploy GaoFighGar or GaoGaiGo right now..." Galeon had been recovering for some time now...
"...Chief, I'm going to try and reach Akane. X-Ray 1, please monitor the situation. I'll need to focus." She closes her eyes, and a cross of light glows on her forehead. It's range and power has decreased since she was purified, but maybe it's far enough.
'Akane, can you hear me? Are you in there?'
It's not as taxing as, perhaps, it could be... but whether Akane can respond, or Galactron can shut down even the Limpid Channel is a question that might have a harsh answer.
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
KouRyuu's jaw tightens as Asciel fires back. Of course, she transmits, through the twins' local network. Was it too much to hope she'd gotten help?
I don't know, AnRyuu transmits back. In reality, it's a bit more complex--she offers a suite of likely outcomes for Asciel's fate after the incident in Isaac City. Most of them are either 'inconclusive' or end in Asciel's termination.
...I'm not going to stop trying, though, KouRyuu transmits.
And I won't stop you, says AnRyuu.
"Asciel," says KouRyuu, genuine concern in her voice. "The whole reason we held back was the fact that fighting it would cause the very conflict it's looking for! The whole time it's been here, it's been watching us, gathering data! Do you think it's coincidence that it showed up here? Its warped logic means it's practically asking to pick a fight!"
"I wouldn't go that far," says AnRyuu. "Neither of us have direct access to its heuristics. But all the same... it abducted our comrade, and threatens our world." To Galactron, her voice turns curt, even cold. "Your logic is warped, and your judgment is little better than that of Triple Zero."
Gai brings up a factor neither of the twins had considered: Akane is in its core, and as part of its core, she's seeing what it sees. She's calculating what it calculates. "Thank you, Mr. Kurenai," says AnRyuu. "Refining accordingly."
Other bits of data creep into the calculations.
Please, Akane, hold on! We've got you! We've had your back. We're not gonna stop now!
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Cathedra had it's own base camp, though at any given moment the people who posted up were in various states of readiness. Right now it had been the shift for Leina's squad in particular. Leina for example, had been attending class remotely, lifting a cup of coffee to her lips when.
"<Base camp, we're registering movement. Copy?>"
Leina put down her coffee, standing as she hit the box.
"Copy. We'll muster in response, see if you can't patch us a feed before interference gets too strong."
Leina zipped up the top of her pilot suit which was already half on, kicking a bunk in which a certain someone had put headphones on to take a nap. "Amar get up-" "Shit!" He jumped up from a dead sleep, whereas Percy was already out the door to the platform Dominicus had going.
Once in the Beguir, she began the startup sequence and hit the comms leading to...
"-extending out to multiple planets and celestial bodies. Use of resources exceeding those available on the planet."
The familiar voice hit the comms, and Leina did a double take, before stating, "What the actual- BLEEP!*"
-=-=-
"It won't work." Percy Clement grumbled over the comms, as the trio of Beguirs took the Vanguard, as Leina retorted back, "Won't know it until we try." And he stated mildly, "Willing to bet our lives on that? I know it's your friend but - this is an international incident."
"I'm not betting anything-" She reported, as the Beguir leapt again, thrusters firing as they got a visual on the Kaiju Robot. "Big'un." Amar whistled in response. "-I just have faith that we're that good."
"Well, she's got you therre." Amar asided, as Percy sighed, "Fine. College Try then, but if this doesn't work-" "It'll do... something." Leina hedged, as she looked at Galactron's enormous form coming into sight.
Akane?
"<NUNE forces, 3G, this is Cathedra's Dominicus Corps, responding to Kaiju related incident. We're gonna come at this one from a bit of a sideways angle-" Which is the moment Leina saw a FAMILIAR Nine-Ball Seraph, "<-is that Asciel BLEEPING Colette?">
"Oh damn. Hey Ashta. Wanna invite her to the party too?"
"What? No! Absolutely..." Leina trailed off, before she got suddenly the biggest smile, "... Okay sure why not? You want her Amar?" Percy groused, "You sure this is a good idea? She messed you up in Isaac City, Lioness."
"Nope. But Amar did volunteer, so I say give it a shot." The older man sighed, "I was afraid of that."
The trio of Beguirs hop low, before abruptly, one Pente breaks off towards Galactron, another towards... the Seraph. While the other one, Leina's, the Black and Orange Neuer positions as close as she can figure between them, funnels launching skyward.
"On my mark... 3... 2..."
"<Hey Colette!>" The Beguir lands near Asciel's Nine-Ball Seraph, it's massive cross shaped shield suddenly launching towards her, as Amar's voice asks her far too seriously, "<... A singing toaster says what?>" At the same time, another one was sent towards Galactron.
And both shields began to glow, as suddenly the area around Galactron is filled with green glittering light, cascading in a strange random pattern, that fills the space with the non-kinetic effectors working on overdrive to overlay the area with ANTIDOTE'S effect.
At the same time, Leina Ashta's funnels begin to glow bright blue, before joining together in a geometric pattern, linking up into a strange cage, with both Galactron and the Seraph in the center, as the Psychojammer goes active.
REJECT
REJECT
REJECT
REJECT REJECT
While she's unable to transmit anything to Akane while this is active, focusing on REJECTING Quantum Brainwaves in the area ALL OF THEM... as she still manages to say...
"Come on Akane. There's no way you can't find your way out of something so much smaller than you."
*OOC Note: The F-Bombs in this pose are censored, because Delling Rembran said so.
KTS: Leina Ashta has deployed in CEK-068 Beguir-Neuer. KTS: Leina Ashta targets Akane Shinjo, Asciel Colette, and Soma Peries with Jam L2! KTS: Akane Shinjo accepts Leina Ashta's Jam L2! KTS: Best Defense! Akane Shinjo successfully reacts to Leina Ashta's Jam L2, taking 0 damage! KTS: Asciel Colette accepts Leina Ashta's Jam L2! KTS: Best Defense! Asciel Colette successfully reacts to Leina Ashta's Jam L2, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Galactron is getting shakier, but seems to be adapting to the difficulty of its movements as well. It's never been a particularly fast machine, with its wide stance and heavy body even for its size. The repeated data packets from 3G are doing a lot to make this worse, too; even as it continues to fight, it seems like it's slowing down, hunching more. This does make it harder to get a clean hit -- but it also makes it radically less dangerous.
Maybe it doesn't have the spare calculation power to go on a comprehensive offensive, given everything.
Asciel's laser-blade slash -- and the resulting wave of light -- crashes into Galactron. Part of the edge severs a finger, but most of it crashes against central armor, leaving it scored and melting in various locations. "You are a part of this system, even if you deny it," Galactron replies, toneless. It addresses the other resident of the Nineball next, with a, "I have spent months assessing this planet. It is a distortion in the natural order of the universe." Soma says those sins are the cost of humanity's accomplishments, and Galactron's reply is categorical rejection: "This is a proof of the warped logic of such a civilization."
As it continues its assault, it answers Rikka first. "To end conflict requires absolute power." The conflict in those thoughts, though -- that it is now a participant in that system -- gives it pause. Quite literally, in fact; its whole body leans forward. It answers Mikoto next, saying, "... Human conception of the universe is unnecessarily narrow." Is this... an acknowledgment of the cycle of the world, or an implicit validation of the Planetary Masters of Sol? Either way -- "I will pass judgment." It has no answer for these questions, and bad answers for others -- which makes it slow down.
The barrage of calculations, solved and unsolved, also does a great job of grinding its gears down. Already listing forward, it seems to be trying very hard to buffer a response to Rikka's chiding of its hypocrisy, but the math is now in the way and takes a higher-priority slot. The local response teams -- both Britannian and OCU -- focus fire during this time, wearing the armor down bit by Wagtail bit.
It also gives Mikoto a chance to reach out to Akane... who does seem to be at least somewhat responsive, over the Limpid Channel. At first, these things are wordless -- but as KouRyuu and AnRyuu's transmission comes in, she manages to claw enough space back to use her words. 'Mikoto... I'm trying to...' Even thinking is labored. '... can't talk right now. Keeps... reading me. Fighting with my...' It's a struggle to explain what it's doing clearly, in this state. '... Need to focus!' She's cut off from Mikoto, though, by the sudden interference of both the Antidote and the Psychojammer...
... but it does buy her a tiny amount of extra space. The Galactron unit lists to one side, looking almost like it's trying to sit down. It can't quite manage it -- but at the very least, something is happening.
At this point, the Britannian analysts are almost entirely occupied with making sure that both 3G's comm repeater and their own stay well-shielded; X-Ray 2 looks like she's trying to figure out whether they can boost the two of them by linking them together. They don't have the background on Galactron to contribute to trying to slow its onslaught, but they can absolutely make sure that they can avert the potential disaster that could follow.
X-Ray 1 nods to Rikka, meanwhile. "We'll try to keep in contact with Fort Monus. We might be able to avert this... if things go well out there." When Mikoto addresses him, he adds, "... Understood. Keeping an eye out, ma'am."
As she assesses both comm relays, X-Ray 2 scowls. "GN particle bullshit... why's it this fucked up, though?" She taps at a keyboard on the array, then calls, "X-Ray 1, try to pick up X-Ray 9 again?"
Time keeps ticking, even as Galactron continues its attack.
The hands of the original Galactron were designed exclusively as weapons; while the subsequent versions have only finger-guns, that programming remains near to Galactron's "mental center," as it were. The easiest thing it can do while it struggles to maintain full control of itself is sweep those forward and across its enemies, trying to herd them into a smaller and smaller space with what are -- essentially -- beam vulcans. While they're not the strongest weapons in the arsenal, it'd be hard to say the assembled forces can just ignore them...
A Recson wanzer takes a shot to one of its arms, losing it, and its rifle sags; as the arm flies off of the machine, it trips up an already-damaged OCU Zenith trying to close with Galactron to attack the legs, leaving them sparking and damaged. The Britannian pilot murmurs, "Son of a bitch," trying to get the single arm to remain stable enough to take a shot --
-- and the OCU wanzer hobbles, slowly, over to it. "I'm not getting in like this," it says, taking a knee. "Use me as a tripod."
The Britannian shoots back, "You're all right. If we'd finished the job ten years ago, you'd have made a great Honorary Britannian," as he swings the rifle up and rests it in the groove between the Zenith's shoulder and head.
"Talk about damning with faint praise," the OCU pilot mutters under his breath. "Just take the shot, dickhead."
The Britannian lets out a breath-laugh. "Acknowledged. ... Thanks."
The path to the city is full of Wanzers deploying southward, rushing toward the fight that Lina is presently headed away from -- and more than that, vehicles of all sizes headed from Freedom's southern districts to the west. The northern districts, meanwhile, are in the smaller but no less important process of sheltering in place.
KTS: Akane Shinjo has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Akane Shinjo has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette's Ninth Conceit ~ Tenth Yearning activates! KTS: Akane Shinjo targets Asciel Colette with Galactron Fusil! KTS: Akane Shinjo targets Soma Peries with Galactron Fusil! KTS: Akane Shinjo's New Order activates Focus! KTS: Soma Peries accepts Leina Ashta's Jam L2! KTS: Best Defense! Soma Peries successfully reacts to Leina Ashta's Jam L2, taking 0 damage! KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette engages evade against Akane Shinjo's Galactron Fusil! KTS: Asciel Colette successfully reacts to Akane Shinjo's Galactron Fusil, taking 3132 damage! KTS: Soma Peries engages evade against Akane Shinjo's Galactron Fusil! KTS: Soma Peries's Beam Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Critical Hit! Soma Peries poorly reacts to Akane Shinjo's Galactron Fusil, taking 3276 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Akane Shinjo's Stimulation activates, causing Designate L1!
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina scans the horizon, noting the evacuating vehicles and the shelters. She pulls the comms back out, hoping she'd get through.
"This is Lombardi. Southern districts are evacuating and the northern districts are sheltering in place. I'm going to do a round through the city and come back if all is green."
Punching the gas, she heads into the city, nearly bumping her head on the ceiling as she hits the bumps in the road. Things seemed alright, but...you could never trust gut feelings on this.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
In strictest technicality, Guy Shishioh is still on leave. Having your cells juiced for their supernal connections is a new one, and making sure just what he's *capable* of as this newest evolution of his life is a priority. If nothing else, his uncle will want to make cool gizmos they can sell toys of.
But a crisis like this will rouse even a sleeping lion.
The road up to the camp kicks up a plume of dust, as a familiar purple and silver vehicle in the slim silhouette of a police cruiser races up the road. That car shouldn't have half the handling it does, but that's GGG engineering for you; Volfogg skids to a stop at full speed at the edge of the camp, and the door swings open, and Guy jumps out in a button-down aloha shirt and jeans like he was just sunning at the deck (he was).
He's no longer entirely G-Stone. But he's still some amount G-Stone. Maybe he can help. He throws the veil of the camp open. "I came when I heard," he says, completely uninterested in anyone who has an opinion about This Guy showing up. "Mikoto, situation?"
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
A cage of light forms over the battlefield. The Advanced GN-X is one of those caught within and as the Psychojammer activates, the Rosen goes completely still. This likely makes it an ideal target for the Galactron, which fires that beam at it. For a moment, it looks like it will be a direct hit...
But the funnels on the Rosen's back activate, all four flying out to take up position in front of it. Crackling energy forms beyond them, blocking much of the fired beam and leaving the remainder to lick at the edges of the Rosen's frame. How are the funnels functioning right now?
Sigh. "Where would you be without me?"
The beam attack passes and the Rosen's funnels deactivate their shields, moving to orbit the machine as it floats there. The voice that replies to Galactron is still Soma's, though with a softer tone, <"You are wrong. Absolute power does not exist. And even if it did, humanity would still struggle to resist it, regardless of whether they could win or not. That is not the solution to conflict.">
The Rosen raises its hand towards Galactron. The four funnels rush down to take up positions around Galactron. They activate their electromagnetic shields in close formation, unleashing their energies into the machine.
<"I think... What humanity needs... Is something closer to absolute understanding. Though that too, is not an easy feat.">
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries targets Akane Shinjo with Rosen E-Shield Funnels Quad Formation! KTS: You can only respond to Leaders with React. KTS: Akane Shinjo engages react against Soma Peries's Rosen E-Shield Funnels Quad Formation! KTS: Akane Shinjo successfully reacts to Soma Peries's Rosen E-Shield Funnels Quad Formation, taking 4650 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Alouette confirms what she was thinking. That's definitely Asciel... Rikka nods.
"You're right. Just another reason to make this quick." She agrees.
Gai explains what happened. Last time... So just tearing out the core isn't an option. That shock... She doesn't want to do that to Akane. But, Gai has another idea.
They're all living, breathing examples of this world's capacity for kindness... Rikka can't help but smile, at that. They just need to show it that - so that Akane can see it, too.
"That's something we can do." She replies.
She listens as Mikoto offers her own rejection of Galactron's statements. A few years ago, she'd be staring at her in disbelief. But right now... It's easy to accept.
Mikoto has a plan, then.
"You can do that?" Rikka asks - and then, she nods. "Alright. Good luck."
She'll trust Mikoto to reach her.
...And then, a transmission. From Cathedra? Leina...
"We hear you, Dominicus Corps. Understood." Rikka replies. If it's Leina, then... she has to know already. About Galactron and Akane.
She turns her attention back to Galactron, then, listening as it answers her. It says that, but... it seems to be struggling, too. Slowing down, stalling. Have to keep it up.
"Is that how you justify it to yourself?" Rikka asks. "Absolute power doesn't end conflict. It only propagates it, just like you're doing now. The only way to end conflict, to prevent further conflict, is to achieve understanding."
...Rikka blinks, briefly, as she realises that she and Soma have just said essentially the same thing.
It's enough to give her pause until X-Ray 1 speaks up.
"Thanks. Anything you can try... we appreciate it." Rikka replies. "And... I have faith, in everyone here. That'll we be able to stop this tragedy."
And that's when someone arrives - someone familiar, and a welcome sight in a situation like this.
"Guy! It's good to see you." Rikka greets. She doesn't object to him arriving dressed like that - though she does feel a little bad that it's pulled him away from some well-deserved relaxation.
And then, another communication from Lina. This far away, and with a battle raging on, it's a little difficult to make out... but X-Ray 1 and 2's efforts are serving them well. Sheltering in place... She'd prefer a full evacuation, but it's difficult, to mobilize that many people.
"Understood, Lombardi. Thank you - just keep looking. Keep an eye out for any signs of trouble, alright?" Rikka replies.
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
"I told you about this, Leila!" Asciel sputters at her bantering stowaway. "It's not a sword sword - it's, augh, I'm planning on taking it out this way. ...kh...this is normally how I focus...by envisioning what I desire...!"
...But it's hampering her abilities here. There is no force of will to be found in the Seraph's core - that miracle at Isaac City long faded to merely the butterfly at Asciel's heart. Perception shifting constantly between her own eyes and the Nineball's. She feels her own arms within the Armored Core's machinery, and the mobile weapon's arms go limp when she does, over and over.
Galactron's denial only amplifies that effect. Countering that argument demands Asciel deny it to the utmost - it's the only thing she can do, and it disconnects her entirely from the radio. She shouts, to herself and Leila alone, "All I can do is tear myself from it as much as I can! Hah...saying I'm denying it is praising me...that's what I'll wield against you!"
Her arm pulls in and out of the socket, forcing the Armored Core to obey her whims, at right around the same time Galactron goes half-toppling. Both of them, struggling from the conflicting desires of confined humanity they were never meant to contain. It takes all of Asciel's struggles to steer clear from the spread of beam-fire from Galactron's fingers - a scissor-shaped cross is burned into the crimson cladding on the chest.
Just when she's about to veer off, and ready a more decisive shot at Galactron's head...
The cavalry of Dominicus arrives, and Asciel stammers out, "Not these three again-", despite oh so hazy memories of that day at Isaac City. She doesn't hesitate for a second to swing her rifle around to aim at Amar's Beguir-Pente, and growls out, "Interfering with a goddess punishing a titan is the peak of hubri-"
The blooming of green light makes Asciel recoil. Her aim redirects to the effectors. She even manages to shoot exactly one of them.
It wasn't where she should be concerned. The Psychojammer's cage billows with that pulsing wave of rejection. One that, once upon a time, would have felt stable. Comforting, even.
But instead, Asciel can't help but sputter discordantly over the radio.
Her wings fray.
It takes all of her effort to gasp out, as her body slumps over from such a damning vulnerability, "<<...I...I will never...give up...>>"
...But that damaged, delicate spirit desperately flits away from its perch. Looking for somewhere. Somewhere. Anywhere that's safe from a bombardment like this. Falling further and further away from the surface.
Leaving Asciel, and the Seraph alike, still and inert in the middle of this rapidly escalating war-zone.
... ... ...
>it isn't allowable for you to end here.
The cage closes around that flicker of cyan.
The orange optic on the Nineball Seraph switches color to a blinding white.
<<"...Terminal protocols mismatched. Diametric routines interrupted. Defragmentation incomplete, but operational capacities may be found as well. Auxiliary servers in SERAPH's uplink systems active. ...It appears it's come to this prematurely.">>
...To Leila, it can only appear like Asciel herself is out cold. Unresponsive, after so much back and forth bickering. But a voice, monotone and dual-layered, emanates across the bandwaves all the same, and the Nineball leaps backwards with g-forces surely painful to Leila.
<<"To operatives of the Grand Glorious Guard - it's determined that the true nature of this intervention is clearly a rescue operation. In ideal circumstances, Galactron would have been prepared for destruction long before it came to this, but past missteps should not be a burden for present operations. From gathered information, you are coordinating with the captive, Akane Shinjo, to resist Galactron from the inside out. ...Understood. Tactics for impeding Galactron's synchronization are difficult to calculate, but conclusions have been reached, and I will attempt to engage on your preferred terms.">>
Soaring above Galactron's head, the Nineball Seraph aims its rifle square downward - but refrains from firing. Instead, communications are focused at the kaiju itself.
<<"...I am designated "Hustler One". It has become apparent that integrating a human into your systems is hampering your capacity to function. ...You should have expected this. It is what...she...was attempting to tell you. ...It is not a fight either of us are capable of winning. The sooner you accept the resistance she is exerting within you, the fewer your losses will be. Present circumstances are overwhelming, and the most likely outcome of excessively violent resistance will be your complete annihilation.">>
...A hiss of steam escapes the vents around the Nineball's collar, as Hustler One's free hand grips tightly. Coming to terms with this rude jolt from its long, waking death.
<<"Oblivion is challenging and unpleasant to recover from. I would strongly consider taking my experience into consideration for your next step.">>
This attempt to talk down Galactron in a different tone of voice is still, and resolute. But Hustler One can't help but take note of the strange shift in Soma's tone - and consider to itself...
>this island's penchant for separation and emergence is interesting.
KTS: Asciel Colette targets Akane Shinjo with Demoralize! KTS: Akane Shinjo accepts Asciel Colette's Demoralize! KTS: Asciel Colette demoralizes Akane Shinjo, reducing her Morale drastically. KTS: Best Defense! Akane Shinjo successfully reacts to Asciel Colette's Demoralize, taking 0 damage! KTS: [Spirit Defense] Akane Shinjo's Believe activates, and her spirit endures. <Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"I... that's a really good way to put it." Alouette nods, as Gai shares his wisdom that they're all examples of the kindness of the world. "And we're not the only ones, either." She gestures to the X-Ray team, who chose to assist them even over Britannia. "If even people who've never met her before care... then we can definitely prove Galactron wrong." She keeps tapping at the keys. "So I'll fight as hard as I can!"
Mikoto focuses, and that light on her forehead tells Alouette exactly what she's doing. It's not a bad idea, and it might be their best shot at directly communicating with Akane. "Mikoto-san... were you able to reach her?" She asks, and then more to the point, with a hint of desperation, "And is she okay?"
"Guy! Sorry to pull you away from your leave like this," Alouette greets Guy on his much needed-entrance, and while she does sound apologetic, she gets back into her focus soon after. She leaves the situation briefing to Mikoto, but does add a bit of her own analysis afterwards. "I estimate that deployment of GaoFighGar before NUNE resorts to the MAPW would be far from feasible... and we certainly don't have the data to support the safety of Hell and Heaven right now. We'll have to try something else... any ideas, Guy?"
Cathedra arrives on the scene shortly after, and given they have at least a decent working relationship with GGG Blue, they're not entirely unwelcome by her - though it could make the situation a whole lot messier later. Leina manages to get a line open towards them, and Alouette picks up for a response, but only with X-Ray 2's assistance. "This is Mobile Corps Captain Pommier. We're currently trying to disable Galactron through.. data bombing. If there's anything the Dominicus Corps can do to assist... then by all means. There's a host in there... and we're doing all we can to save her." She means Akane, though she has to try to remain objective and impersonal, at least in party to Cathedra.
Leina does something, though... through a combination of that sparkling light that sounds Galactron and the sudden feeling of 'quiet' and 'stillness' that encompasses the area, as bonds are forced to shut down within the area of effect. But that doesn't mean those bonds don't matter - and it gives them a chance to strike at Galactron again with yet more data. "Akane... please, keep fighting! Show Galactron what it means to be both courageous and kind." She adds - in code, of course, hoping Akane can read what's input to Galactron.
<Pose Tracker> Leila Misakiyama has posed.
The stowaway is taken along for the ride, the subtle adjustments of the harness enough to cushion the most strenuous of blows. Hands continually bracing where they can, burning eyes flicking upwards at Asciel's retorts. "A sword!? That's all you can think of!?"
Not that she could entertain that thought further; The retaliation of the audible arguments, the strange confirmation of her worst fears. Mumbling without purpose, without a pause after the assertion of 'distortion'. "...Then what's the natural order? Complacency? We're meant to die? ...Are we meant to be nothing?" The world mentally shrinks, pinpricks of fatalism broaching into her train of tho-
The way Nine-Ball topples forces one back to reality. The clearest of shots, watching the arm swing out. A singing toaster says what? "What?" Such a question after being shocked by the decisive tilt of a crash landing, hands deciding its better to brace themselves onto anything in the cockpit than to futilely defend.
...It takes a second for her to come back to her senses, breathing in and- "Oi. Oi! Asciel? Asciel!?" A hand reaching up to slap the cheek of the powered-down Alastor. "Oi! Come on, wake u-" The breath is forced out of her, harness straining against the sudden jump. The cockpit panels continue to shimmer as they've always done. Dual-layer voice emenating from the walls of the cockpit, eyes wide and trying to understand everything.
Gazing down from above. Gazing down at Galactron. "...Akane!?" The rest drowns out in the name of surprise, worry, and wonderment. "Then, what are you doing, Hustler!? Slice the damn legs off!" There's nothing to do but to bear witness.
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
"Chief," says AnRyuu, snapping a hand to her brow. She falls silent again, devoting herself to the scrambling efforts wholesale, until another party makes itself known. "Cathedra...?" AnRyuu's tone is cautiously hopeful. She opens a line as well. "<Dominicus Corps, this is GBR-9, assisting Operator Pommier. Your assistance is welcome." What are they deploying?
Asciel sputters, gasps out a few words. The SERAPH goes still.
"<GBR-8 to Dominicus Corps, what did you just--wait, what the--?!>" KouRyuu's words trail off into dead air and faint machine-noise. She looks down at Rikka, and shrugs her shoulders--she's got nothing.
For once, it's AnRyuu who adapts more adroitly. "<Understood, Hustler One. We are attempting to overwhelm the captor with data input. It appears to be working. Continue to force it to divide its processing power.">
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
"I can try," Mikoto responds to Rikka. "It's worth it, at least."
Galactron does not seem to engage with Mikoto's argument, intent on it's judgment.
It's not like Zonuda listened to her- or that she listened to others under Triple Zero. She can... partially empathize, somehow.
It's just she has more empathy for the young woman inside, and the billions of lives Galactron is here to snuff out.
The Limpid Channel gets a response- but the sudden impact of the Psycho Jammer makes concentrating so much harder, and she has to focus her strength to send one last message.. "Keep fighting back, Akane. We'll get you out." When she breaks her concentration, she has to breathe for a few moments, supporting herself on her desk. Alouette asks if she could do it, and... "Yes. Just. ...Kurenai-san's right, Chief Takarada. She's fighting it, but... it's reading her thoughts- at least, that's what I think she tried to say." Mikoto frowns. "It might... be trying to access our intelligence data and how we fight."
She takes back her station. "Back on duty, thank you X-Ray 1." She looks at the setup. Now that she's back to it, she has something to say back to Galactron, as the door to the tent starts to open. "You're making your assessment based on a few months, and you call our view narrow!?" She calls back, because she can't help herself. "The universe itself gave Guy and I it's blessing, and I won't let you destroy the Earth- especially not before our wedding!"
It is a few seconds before she realizes what she's yelled out in front of everyone over loudspeaker. "Guy, I-" She clears her throat. Do not mention you were yelling at the robot for being wrong about what your future parents in law intended.
At very least, Mikoto feels buoyed by his presence.
"Chief Takarada has command." Mikoto says, before recapping. "The Galactron unit pulled Akane into itself, and seems to be controlling her somehow, though she's fighting it. NUNE have responded by deploying forces and will launch 40 MAPWs at Huffman if an all clear is not received by Britannian agents in..." She checks. "Twenty four minutes and thirty six seconds. Asciel Colette has also arrived on the scene, as have Cathedra. We're working against the clock. Alouette, AnRyuu and KoRyuu are trying to overload Galactron's systems." She pauses, after a moment.
"...Kurenai-san, based on your knowledge, will purification be needed?" She asks, quietly? It's not a Zonder Core, but... maybe it's a good thing Guy is on the scene, just in case.
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
"An all-encompassing judgment algorithm can only sum up the total state of a world in flux. Perhaps all the counterpoints are infinitesimal by comparison, but its summation ignores their existence entirely."
Gai looks over to Mikoto, and shakes his head. "Hospitalisation if extraction goes poorly, but medical technology here is... better than the Earth I fought the older Galactron on."
Don't think too hard about the suggestion of other Earths.
"... What's the estimated spread of the potential bombardment?" he asks now as the time limit becomes clearer. "I may be able to mitigate it somewhat, if it's launched."
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina makes it into the city, bringing the jeep to a stop and looking back towards the battle. They probably would have seen it eventually from here, but at least the city was secured before anything could make its way over.
She hops out of the driver's seat, taking a moment to catch her breath. Had she even taken a single breath on the way over? Dumb question, she was alive, wasn't she? She looks around, the city hauntingly quiet. An evacuated city was certainly not a new sight to her. Most people who had lived through the One Year War had been through a share of evacuations. It still disquieted her.
"Hello? Is anybody still out there? I'm from 3G!" She cries out, her voice echoing slightly through the streets.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Rikka messages them, professional of course - they're on duty, despite the fact her girlfriend is in there. Professional. It's something she keeps in mind, even as Rikka talks to it, she decides not to distract her, even as Alouette speaks on the strategy and GBR-9 welcomes their assistance.
"<Read you loud and clear, Captain Pommier, GBR-9. We'll cooperate with 3G in any way that we can.>" Which is perhaps an interesting promise, given what she does next. However as they actually implement it...
"Damn Amar, you did the impossible." Leina asides to her squadmate despite her focus, as Antidote hits Asciel, "You made her shut up mid-brag."
However, it perhaps works too well as Leina eyes the mobile frame that she once fought in Isaac City and this 'Hustler-1' as Percy deadpans, "Didn't expect that reaction. Well done." Amar asks him, "So does that mean you actually have some idea what just happened?" And Percy pauses, before... "... None at all."
Focused on what they're doing however, Galactron is struggling, and at the very least it's not firing at them, the Beguirs are continually moving to try and keep up the barrage without getting trained upon.
For her own part, Leina can't reach out to Akane, while rejecting the conversation.
"<That's what everyone says. 'Absolute power'... absolute rubbish. Yeah of course with absolute power you can do whatever you want with humanity's future... but then it's not humanity anymore. That narrow, selfish conception of the world around us - that's always expanding, changing. That is what makes us human. Akane learned that lesson already, the hard way.>"
And so, it's not through any type of psychic channels, or Newtype power that she reaches out to her, it's just a simple question.
"<Hey Akane... are we really doing this all over again?>"
It's stated in a tone where it's almost like... ribbing her. Perhaps rephrased more seriously however it would be 'Are we going to keep doing this over and over again.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Rikka and Soma both assert that humans need understanding, not power, to find peace. "That will not change the cycle of destruction this planet perpetuates to survive," Galactron answers them. "Such resistance is a sign of the futility of expecting this world to change on its own. Once this world is reset, there will be-..." There's a trailing-off, a hard, strangled stop that allows Asciel -- no, 'Hustler One' -- to cut in and chide Galactron for attempting to integrate a human.
It shakes its head -- itself a very human gesture. "This is an unusual biological specimen, but within acceptable parameters," Galactron says -- and mathematically, that's true. But maybe there's something Galactron can't calculate, in the way that 3G has committed to weakening and distracting Galactron... and indeed, 'ruminating' on that possibility seems to be making it harder still.
That, coupled with Alouette's next transmission, allows Leina a chance to reach out.
"Humanity --" Galactron starts. "Humanity --" It tries again. Something seems to be stopping it from giving Leina the cold, calculated answer Galactron would want to give.
The same effect hits its movements. Galactron's movements with its poignard seem to be shakier, in particular; where once that seemed like the only way it could get its left hand going, now swinging the dagger -- if anything -- seems to make it harder to move everything. With quaking hands, it moves the poignard back to its snout -- and snaps it back into place. It braces itself, moving its arms to protect its core rather than aggress. It does start stomping forward again, at least -- though that takes it through the electromagnetic shield of the funnels, putting yet more strain on its body.
The arrival of Guy Shishioh gets X-Ray 1 and 2 both to pause for just a moment. The King of Braves has a reputation that extends the world over -- and him entering in his vacation outfit does cause a momentary skip. ... It's only a moment, though, before X-Ray 1 gives Alouette a nod and starts to report how the situation is going.
"The main circuit on the comms rig is struggling more than it should be with the GN interference," X-Ray 1 reports. "We have our personals, but I think the combat interference is too much. If we could get everything going on both main and backup we could probably power through --"
X-Ray 2 growls at the Britannian comms rig. "Cheap ass Gryps era Titans hand-me-down piece of shit," she mutters, before stepping over to it. "Keep an eye out while I figure out what's stopping it. I don't want to waste another minute if this thing goes down."
X-Ray 1 goes to poke his head out again to check on Galactron's status, gesturing to Gai to come talk to him while he does so. "... 40 MAPWs would be enough that everywhere within 5 miles of this place is a crater," he answers. It's an exaggeration, but only a very small one.
Meanwhile X-Ray 2 starts tapping at the side of the comms rig's five-foot-tall main "box," listening over the din of the combat. Her brow furrows. She runs her hands up to a side panel, banging on it again. "Oh you've got to be shitting me. It sounds like someone hid something in here and everything's getting interrupted..."
She calls, "Hey, Chief! Come brace the other side of this thing, yeah?" She rolls up her sleeves, saying, "If I can't unscrew it..."
... Well, there's a standard procedure for knocking something stuck in a piece of technology free. The Chief may already have some familiarity with the intended method.
X-Ray 1 pulls his head back in, seeing this burst of activity, and immediately moves to his seat again. If the situation is desperate enough for percussive maintenance, he wants to make sure he's radioing back as soon as possible.
Having fully given up on using the dagger, the Galactron unit instead fires a barrage of red energy from its core; it streaks out as 'missiles' of light in all directions, which then gradually converge toward Hustler One and Soma's machines. Something about Antidote seems to interfere with the full force of this strike, though.
Lina's sweep gives her a great sense of Freedom's evacuation procedures. Things seem to be going well, overall; this isn't the first time Freedom's had to evacuate. It's as smooth as people could expect, at least, as they start heading southwest.
As she calls out, a voice comes from a fourth-floor window. "Oh, thank God! Elevator's out and my chair can't take the stairs!" he calls, in response. "You mind coming up? My door's unlocked!"
The legless OCU wanzer monitors the Britannian sniper's shot. "You're too far left," he says. "You're hitting the curve of the armor and ricocheting off." ... he can't move, so he can at least act as a spotter.
"I can't aim further right without blowing your arm out of its socket."
"Well, excuse me, Prince. You could just ask," he says, moving his wanzer a half-step right.
The Britannian nods to himself in the cockpit. "Looks like it's not trying to move back and forth at all anymore... I should be able to make this position work."
Another shot. This one knocks a chunk of armor off of Galactron's torso.
"Nice. Now I know to keep an eye out for your ugly urban camo if this place goes to hell again," the OCU striker fires off.
The Britannian laughs again. "It'll be the last thing you never see," he says. "I almost hope it doesn't come to that."
"... Yeah."
KTS: Akane Shinjo targets Soma Peries with Galactron Etincelle! KTS: Akane Shinjo targets Asciel Colette with Galactron Etincelle! KTS: Akane Shinjo's New Order activates Alert! KTS: Asciel Colette engages evade against Akane Shinjo's Galactron Etincelle! KTS: Best Defense! Asciel Colette successfully reacts to Akane Shinjo's Galactron Etincelle, taking 0 damage! KTS: Soma Peries fails to engage guard against Akane Shinjo's Galactron Etincelle! KTS: Soma Peries successfully reacts to Akane Shinjo's Galactron Etincelle, taking 4680 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Why the need to control her? Guy files the thought away for later. He nods his head at Rikka. "Chief," He greets. "Got it," he confirms Mikoto pointing out the chain of command.
Then he gently places a hand on Mikoto's shoulder, stepping up to the other side for just a moment's physical presence. "You're right, though," he says, grinning, and then turns that gaze on the comms rig. "This world's a little banged up, but the people are able to stand beside each other when it comes to it. We can't save everyone...maybe not even everyone we should be able to. But returning things to zero is not the answer."
He half-turns to the proverbial adult in the room. "Chief Takarada. It's a long shot, but the biggest Eraserhead should be able to take enough of that payload to buy us time. If it's not all at once, even more. Think we can get a signal out to Orbit Base?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka smiles at Alouette's conclusion. That's right - it's not just them, but people from all over, too, who are working together here. That's important.
She meets KouRyuu's eyes, then, offering her a brief look before looking back toward Mikoto.
"...Akane..." Rikka murmurs. "...I believe in her. And I'm sure she's doing the same for us. We'll just have to prove that that belief is well-placed."
She listens to Mikoto's recap to Guy... and then, to her question to Gai, and his answer. Hospitalization... Rikka grimaces. She hopes it doesn't come to that. She'll be there every step of the way for her, of course...
She does catch that 'the Earth I fought the older Galactron on' comment and sends a look Mikoto's way -
But there's no time to dwell on that now! File it away for later.
"We could deploy the Eraserhead, if it comes down to it..." Rikka says. 40 MAPWs, though... would it even be enough?
...She really doesn't want to find that out first hand.
Galactron answers, and Rikka frowns.
"Is that what you think? That we're expecting this world to change on its own?" Rikka asks. "...That's not true at all. We're moving forward, doing our best. Reaching out, one person at a time. Can't you see it? It's not an easy or fast process - but it's happening. Look at everyone gathered here, everyone with the exact same goal."
She listens to the report, then, as X-Ray 1 speaks. The comms rig... Rikka frowns. She glances to X-Ray 2, then, as she approaches the machine - and then calls out to her. Rikka stands up from her station and joins her over at the comms rig's box. That banging... Rikka frowns consideringly, studying. From the sound of it - there, she thinks she knows where the problem is.
"Let me try." Rikka says. Then, suddenly - SMACK! She just hits the thing - a single, precise strike to the side of the comm rig, then braces it as requested. "There - try again?"
With that, she looks toward Guy. That's another suggestion in favor of the Eraserhead... With that, Rikka nods.
"Right. Mikoto - were you able to reach them earlier? I'm requesting the deployment of the Eraserhead, on our coordinates." Rikka says. Right now, Mikoto's G-Stone pager might be their saving grace.
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
<"You are being premature in your judgement. If humanity cannot change, then humanity will ultimately be destroyed and there is no need for your reset. However, if humanity can prove to overcome the challenge, then your reset is destroying any hope of that possibility, of a better future.">
Galactron fires off that barrage of lights, which streak out towards the Advanced GN-X. It's a good thing that Leina's interference has apparently reduced the effectiveness of the attack as the Rosen doesn't make any overt moves to protect itself. Instead it maintains its outstretched hand as its funnels continue to try and restrict the Galactron. Is Soma(?) hoping that the electromagnetic energies will disrupt the machine and improve the chances of those trying to free Akane?
In the cockpit, Soma(?) moves a hand to hold her head, even as her machine shakes from Galactron's attacks strike to burn through armor. The strain of these operating conditions appear to be getting to her. But she still manages to finish, <"There is no need for your intervention. Humanity's fate will be its own, as it should be for all life in the universe. That is the natural order.">
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries targets Akane Shinjo with Rosen E-Shield Funnels Quad Formation! KTS: You can only respond to Leaders with React. KTS: Akane Shinjo engages react against Soma Peries's Rosen E-Shield Funnels Quad Formation! KTS: Best Defense! Akane Shinjo successfully reacts to Soma Peries's Rosen E-Shield Funnels Quad Formation, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Hustler One has posed.
Asciel's Alastor frame was already something she'd needed to attune her focus to feel anything in - basing "touch" on vision and sound. ...But it seems like with Hustler One at the helm, the Alastor is nearly insensate. At the moment, nearly all of the AI's focus is on synchronizing with the Armored Core, given how explosive the situation is.
It's through Leila's output on the radio - of pushing past Hustler One's voice, that the AI can register her. "<<Your advisory to target the legs is logical. Rerouting attack patterns to fully incapacitate Galactron's mobility. ...This is not to suggest you should take on a status of "pilot" towards me, Leila Misakiyama. Current circumstances are taxing, given my limited resources - processing your "backseating" is quite the burden.>>"
"<<If you are to report anything to me, it would be your current physical condition. I constructed this Armored Core to perform well beyond human tolerances for a reason. Carrying the both of you- ... It is overly delicate.>>" ...Is that Hustler One expressing more concern for a stranger's health than Asciel ever did...?
All of the talk of faith in humanity directed towards Galactron is something Hustler One is forced to ruminate on as well. Everything the GGG and their companions cite at the fallen kaiju is something just as applicable to its own reason of existence. Leina in particular receives one short little sentiment from the AI.
<<"Agony and humanity really are intertwined after all. Existences like Galactron - like the Zonder - like myself - they are a war fought over your pain. ...And that pain is very, very loud. Never forget that.>>"
Even just one echo of humanity's agony was a war Hustler One lost so very direly - but what to do with that loss is unclear just now. All it knows is that its latent nature is supremacy in combat, and so, until this battlefield is quiet, its own senses will be unfulfilled.
In this brief moment of clarity, Hustler One's wings alight fully - and its dance among the Galactron's core-beams weaves nimbly among them, like a butterfly displaced by its breeze - again, squeezing Leila oh so tight in the cockpit. Finally, though, the Armored Core slips back to a position closer to the ground, and Hustler One plants its rifle into the earth like a flag of conquest. Its miniscule stature is held with all the certainty in the world, and Hustler One can glare up at Galactron's helm fully aware of its state as an equal.
"<<The search for missing parameters is eternal. If you let it continue unabated, it would overrun you completely. Akane Shinjo would not be enough. You would require several billion humans to feel complete. It is an insatiable hunger. You are being shown remarkable mercy, but perhaps it is because the human you chose as your voice is loved quite dearly.>>"
"<<And so, to you, Akane Shinjo, the only question I can ask is this. ...Are you arrogant enough to overrun something as full of hunger as Galactron? A will full of supreme arrogance is, doubtless, the ultimate poison to a kaiju of oblivion such as this. I can make it easier, of course, through an 'oath' the both of you would favor.>>"
Over and over, Hustler One pours all of its reactor's energy into the earth beneath Galactron through that rifle - and follows the same trajectory with every last missile in its arsenal. The aim is to utterly collapse the earth beneath Galactron through a cataclysm of the ground below - to send it toppling without its footing - all in an attempt to make Soma's funnels aim more true at those crucial little weak points.
<"Seventh Oath - Verdict Day.">
<"Your past will not be allowed to confine you.">
<"The bloodshed of past eons is vast. It consumes all calculations and poisons all outcomes. One day, the cycles of destruction will be long past, and the pain of their memory will at last allow those wounded by them to stabilize. Records that are cherished - records that are damning - they will all be lost in the end.">
<"Roaring Travail Clio.">
...It's obvious that some things won't change, no matter which one takes the lead...
KTS: Hustler One has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Hustler One has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Hustler One has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Hustler One has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Hustler One has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Hustler One has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Hustler One targets Akane Shinjo with (2) Project Phantasma ~ Immersion Prize Melpomene! KTS: Hustler One targets Akane Shinjo with (7) Verdict Day ~ Roaring Travail Clio! KTS: Akane Shinjo fails to engage guard against Hustler One's (7) Verdict Day ~ Roaring Travail Clio! KTS: Akane Shinjo's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Akane Shinjo's Believe activates, and her spirit endures. KTS: Hustler One enervates Akane Shinjo, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Critical Hit! Akane Shinjo poorly reacts to Hustler One's (7) Verdict Day ~ Roaring Travail Clio, taking 7623 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Hustler One's You Don't Have To Be Brave Anymore activates, causing Deject!
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Thank you for the cooperation," She almost just calls her Leina, but once again doesn't feel it's appropriate, considering the professional distance. "Whatever the nature of it was, I'd also appreciate a post-mission briefing... but I think it's helping." Galactron was far more aggressive, and wordier, before the Psychojammer and Antidote struck.
Alouette has mostly left communications with Asciel to AnRyuu and KouRyuu, hard as it is to get a stable connection to the battlefield in the first place. So she turns to them. "'Hustler One'...? It's like her demeanor totally changed." Alouette comments, remembering Asciel as nothing less than the megalomaniac 'goddess of humanity'. "What do you two make of this... can we trust her?"
"Good... it's a relief she's okay, but I hope she doesn't have to keep fighting for too much longer." Not the least to say what will happen if they take any longer. "If it's trying to figure out 'how we fight', though... I'd say let it. What better way is there to prove it wrong than that?" She even manages a smile, at that.
She has to pause when Mikoto shouts about her wedding in front of Galactron and everyone, but... that's just Mikoto and it definitely doesn't make what she's saying wrong (she's excited for it too).
She stabilizes herself instead, on X-Ray 1 and 2's respective reports on the comms. "I don't suppose turning it off and back on is a viable approach right now." Alouette sighs, and that's only half of a joke. "I'm almost surprised they don't give you better comms considering where we're at, a misunderstanding is all it takes to start a war."
Though when it comes to unscrewing the other side of the rig... "Sounds like we don't have the tools for that either-" She starts to say, when Rikka just gives it a big KICK. "Ah, well.. that works, too. Thanks, Chief!"
Gai's comments implying the existence of another 'Earth' are curious... the universe really is a vast place, isn't it? She focuses on the more practical part of his statement instead. "Yes. I like to think 3G has some of the best medical equipment and staff in the world, so if it comes to that... I promise she'll be in good hands." Alouette stares distantly to Galactron, still holding Akane in its clutches.
As for Galactron, this time... she makes sure to force their data on the evacuation of Freedom, coordinated by Lina towards it. "Haven't you noticed this whole time? Your 'judgement' of humanity wasn't just wrong. It's ineffective!" Alouette speaks to Galactron directly for the first time. "Because you know what...? No matter how much violence you commit to a problem, you'll never be able to stop people from reaching out to those under the rubble."
Guy suggests the Eraser Head, then, and Alouette looks to Rikka, who approves of it, and then Mikoto. "It might be the best shot we have," Alouette agrees. "Mikoto, you still have your pager on you, right? That might be our only way to establish a link to Orbit Base. If you can... have them get ChouRyuJin ready for an emergency launch, stat!"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Certainly she can sense Akane-Galactron wavering, even without any Newtype senses telling her that she is.
Yet as Galactron answers them all, some of them offering very philosophical answers to this she snorts audibly and: "<Don't make me come up there and take that stupid robo-Kaiju with a mid design at best by the ear in front of their girlfriend and all of 3G to show you how this human stops the 'Cycle of Destruction' aka Akane Shinjo's social life.>"
...
...
...
"<Did she actually say that?>" Amar, from Leina's squad asks... as Percy pauses only a beat before, "<Yep. Pretty sure she's not kidding either.>"
"<No I know she's not kidding just... she actually said 'aka'. S'like I'm back in high school.>"
But Hustle One, sends back a sentiment and- "<Hustler-1 right? You actually think you're making a profound point here, don't you? ... But you don't realize how human that makes these existences.>"
The Beguir team at least, isn't committing to attacking obviously, but perhaps it isn't obvious how much offensive capability they have while performing this feat, that strange blue-green glow still shimmering over the field in strange overlapping patterns.
"<How many people do you think witness humanity's pain and fantasize 'if I just had enough power, I could change this?' I can count probably a couple dozen in just the past two decades who fought the bloodiest wars for the sake of their own egotistical fantasies of being the one who finally ends humanity's suffering. So you wanna do something useful? Tell them and Asciel if she's in there to grow the hell up before they try to embarrass our history books with more pages about this.>"
There's a long beat, and Leina decides to utilize... the nuclear option.
"<Akane you have five seconds... and if you haven't gotten out of that thing by then... then the secret I divulge to everyone gathered here for a possible Third Huffman is on you.>"
What does she even mean by that? Well... some people present might realize. She's bluffing right?
<...Five.... Four...>"
Oh no she's actually counting. How is any of this actually REAL?
Well she did promise Alouette any way she could. One should really watch out when someone phrases it like that.
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"Of course! I'll be right up!" Lina kicks the door to the building open, running up the stairs to the fourth floor.
"My name is Lina Lombardi, I'm with 3G Green. I've got a jeep on the street, I can get you to one of the shelters. You'll be okay."
<Pose Tracker> Leila Misakiyama has posed.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Fill the lungs with oxygen. Exhale the carbon dioxide. This cockpit ventilated. Right? Right? If anything, the sight of watching this...this thing from above was...
'I want to control it.' 'I want to seize it.' 'Why am I stuck here?' 'What gives it the damn right when I already know my pla-'
Oh, the voice is addressing her. "I don't even wanna be a pilot, you...Disembodied voice thingy!" She is, after all, in the midst of passively understanding that there is a giant plugged in Alastor slouched behind her. "Get better processing if you're ging to complain about it!" Or the next best thing. She knows.
Granted, the minor reprieve while hovering over Galactron...It's enough for the adrenaline to subside a bit. Go over it mentally. Check. Same process as when falling during dance practice. "...Probably a bunch of soreness and marks tomorrow...And a headache." It's starting to throb even now, but manageable.
...Leila stays silent, releasing an increasingly long-held breath of the soul. "Do what you like. I'll just make sure Asciel pays in whatever way she can." Another breath. Hard to breathe. Adrenaline shifting towards repairs. Bodily repairs? ...Was that a thing?
The next movement barely registers, fingers twisting, pressing against the metal of the cockpit as she's flung. What'd it call itself? Hustler One? Wonder how much Asciel would pay for her silence about it.
"...Akane's in there, huh?" Lucky girl. Look at her, how many people are rallying around her. Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, LUCKY GIRL. "Haaaaaa..." The droll fatalism bubbled upwards.
"Pff- Pfft ahahaha. Everything's going to end, Hustler? Your pessimism is REALLY DAMN ANNOYING, YOU KNOW!" A kick with the heel back at the Alastor. It's futile, of course.
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
"Five miles." Gai grimaces - but the topic of the Eraserhead is brought up, and as he understands he wouldn't be confronting this problem alone, he nods. "Alright then. KouRyu, AnRyu, I'll have your back when you're ready to deploy."
He blinks a little at the comms. "... Does the lead Cathedra pilot understand that she's not in there by choice?"
Maybe that's the point.
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
"Is it still her?" AnRyuu wonders aloud, glancing down at Alouette as she asks several very good questions. "She used that machine in Isaac City. And that callsign. But they're not talking like the 'Asciel Colette' we know. Whatever Cathedra deployed might've disrupted her as well as Galactron. But what was it...?" AnRyuu was glad to see Cathedra--a remarkable event in and of itself--but now, a tenor of uncertainty lingers in her voice.
"Reasonably sure whomever it is won't try and gank Akane?" KouRyuu adds. "Or escalate. Somehow." How could this escalate? There are so many exciting options, all of them horrible to think about! So instead, KouRyuu devotes more mental bandwidth to jamming Galactron.
Guy brings up the Eraserhead. The Twins glance at each other. "Of course, Chief," says AnRyuu. "We can provide cover during reentry, if necessary."
Gai offers to cover them, next, and KouRyuu spares the mental bandwidth for a double-take. "That's our big brothers' job," she says. "As for the Cathedra pilot, I think she knows exactly what she's doing. SO SPILL IT ALREADY!" KouRyuu even gives Leina a little wave from her position covering the observation post.
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
As Guy's hand sits on her shoulder, Mikoto looks up for a second and smiles. She's on the job, she can't respond how she'd like, but...
It's comforting, if a little strange for them both to be on this side of the desk. Strange, but not unwelcome.
Mikoto nods back as Rikka looks to her. "Yeah. That's right." It's pretty clear to her- Rikka Takarada may be the newest chief, but she's certainly already a Brave in mind and spirit.
"I believe so. I'll try it." She quickly hammers out a message on her pager, and switches what she's monitoring in response.
Synchro rates.
"KouRyuu, AnRyuu, be ready... As soon as we receive approval, we'll need TenRyuuJin to be ready to launch Eraserhead!"
That also means reducing the data stream. "Alouette-chan, your output will go down as soon as the Eraserhead arrives, do everything you can now."
But there hasn't been a response yet...
"...the odds of the Eraserhead being able to stop that MAPW assault is... around 40 percent." For some reason... she's smiling, despite this, looking up at Guy, then to Rikka.
Eventually, though, it's heard. The beep of a pager. "...Orbit Base has received, and is deploying the Eraserhead!" She looks across at the time limit given by NUNE.
"All pilots, if Galactron is not stood down in eight minutes, NUNE will launch their MAPW assault." She pauses, for a moment. "Your window to evacuate is closing. 3G will remain until the situation is resolved, no matter what."
That's what they do. They believe in Bravery and Courage, and fight until the end- until the day is saved, or there's nothing left to fight with.
There's a pause. "...What secret is she talking about?"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Galactron's barrier flares to life as Soma(?)'s funnels move in, rather than simply acting passively. A bright silver wheel forms in front of it, spinning and scattering the funnels in all directions before they can form a comprehensive formation -- but this leaves its legs unprotected, meaning the Wanzers on the ground are able to chip away at its legs and shins instead, slowing it and forcing it to stay in a place that's about to become quite inhospitable. Even a perfect movement can make things difficult. "The damage humanity will cause in the interim will be beyond my capacity to calculate," Galactron replies, still in Akane's voice, still toneless. "This cannot continue."
"I do not need humans to complete this search. Despite anomalous data, this human is a language processor and nothing more," Galactron answers Hustler One, as the explosions at its feet make it lose its footing. It can't stay fighting on the ground, which means there's only one conclusion left for it to draw.
It can hear the efforts in the 3G analysis post; it just isn't giving them that much attention. To have any chance of surviving this, it has to destroy Fort Monus -- this will send the present situation into chaos and hopefully provide an opportunity to escape, at the very least.
That hair-like head-tail rises up into the sky, pointing starward. Sigils begin to swirl around it, and Galactron ascends up, up, up, needing to get high enough that the curvature of the Earth doesn't stop its shot.
The head-tail serves two major functions for Galactron. The one presently on display, flight, takes more computational power than grounded fighting. The second, meanwhile, is the 'nerve center' -- the central reporting target for the mass of purple cabling that directs signals within Galactron. And with its already overwhelmed computations now having to handle flight as well...
The head-tail wobbles slightly on the ascent. It's imperceptible at first, unless you're watching.
Akane's voice announces, flatly, "I will execute my justice." Flame starts to swirl around Galactron's form, forming bigger and bigger sigils as the machine climbs higher --
-- until the light show stops. "Don't you dare, Leina Ashta!! And as for you -- touch grass!" comes that same voice -- but with much more energy. As Galactron descends -- at a much faster speed than it rose -- she continues, "I think it's pretty bold for someone who showed up, took a two month nap, and then tried to eat me to start talking about boundless energy and how bad it is to eat stuff."
Galactron hits the ground unceremoniously. "This thing isn't even that smart. Now that I kinda... am, the architecture, I can tell that this isn't even a Super AI," Akane says. "I think I can just turn it off if I --"
She cants her head. So does it. Its mouth fully shuts; the lights in its eyes dim. A few moments later, a Jeep emerges from its core, floating gently back to the ground.
Akane finally gets to pull the door open and flop, unceremoniously, out of the backseat. Lying there for a few moments, covered in now-limp purple cabling (one's still in her left ear), she keeps her eyes shut for a few moments.
Opening them to see the setting sun, she murmurs, "... Way easier the second time," shoving cables off her head. The act seems to make something click for her, leaving her looking startled for a moment as she looks up toward the Dominicus squad -- then giggling a little, in spite of the harrowing experience.
It feels good to be part of a world where people eat.
Ruminating on Asciel's words to her, she murmurs, "... I think I'm happy with my past confining me," shaking her head.
As Galactron rises -- and then crashes down into the crater Hustler One made for this precise purpose -- the sniper 'team' looks on.
"... Guess this means I've got an hour to be on the other side of the border before this becomes an act of war, huh," the sniper says, nose scrunching up a bit. "Good thinking making yourself into a tripod."
"Good shooting," comes the OCU pilot's reply. "Get out of here. If you're ever on leave on the other side of the border... I'm part of Freedom's civil defense garrison. Let me send over my number. I'll show you around a little."
The Britannian laughs. "I have better places to spend leave," he replies... but after a moment, he appends, "but maybe I'll check it out once anyway."
Lina finds a 55-year-old waiting at the top of the stairs; he's an older gentleman who looks like he might be from somewhere in the OCU parts of Southeast Asia, with a deep tan. As she might have expected, he's missing his leg below the knee, an osseointegrated metal post protruding from the skin. (That it's bare metal rather than e-carbon overlaid would suggest that his injury, and its treatment, predates the One Year War.)
"... Thanks," he says. "My leg's in the shop," he adds, a little self-conscious.
Something inside rattles a little as Rikka strikes the tower. It doesn't come free, but it sounds like it's at least loosened. "Okay, great start," X-Ray 2 says, before she gives the repeater her own desperate strike. Then a second. "Dammit, work!" she demands of it. A third strike --
-- something makes a dull clunk.
"X-Ray 1 to X-Ray 9!" The Britannian analyst holds down the button on his radio, no less desperate than his colleague. "X-Ray 9, this is X-Ray 1, do you copy! Do you copy!"
Something crackles. "... ner reading X-Ray 1 again. Status."
"... The mecha-kaiju's down. It's down, and 3G's bringing in its missile defense options! Call off the MAPWs! Call off the MAPWs!"
"Does your OCU counterpart agree?"
X-Ray 1 scrambles toward Chief Takarada. "She's -- she's right here!" he insists.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
With things moving quickly, Guy nods. He grimaces a little. "Haven't tested the high-end versions on Tenryujin, but it's our best shot," he agrees. "Getting Choryujin here just adds a bigger target. I recommend Tenryujin operate it."
He nods to Mikoto's assessment, then turns to Rikka.
"Well, ma'am?" he prompts her, and can't quite hide a smirk. "Odds are against. What's a 3G Chief to say to that?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Me too." Rikka agrees, as Alouette comments on her hope that Akane doesn't have to keep fighting for for too much longer. Galactron's body language paints a picture. It hasn't been easy for her to maintain her professionalism in this situation.
...She does quietly agree with Alouette, though - X-Ray 1 and 2 really deserve better. As for turning it off and back on again...
Rikka thinks back nostalgically, for a moment. Maybe she should've pulled the plug, for old times' sake.
And then, she hears Leina's comment to Galactron. Rikka winces sympathetically for Akane. Wow!
Mikoto makes the call -and Rikka listens in. The odds are 40 percent, huh...? She looks at Mikoto, then looks at Guy... and smiles.
"I'd say... I'm willing to bet on those odds." Rikka decides. The request has been received, and the Eraserhead is being deployed... Rikka nods, folding her arms in front of her. It's coming down to the wire, will they be able to make it...?
And as Galactron prepares to ascend and destroy Fort Monus, Leina makes a threat... and then, a familiar voice. With a familiar energy. Rikka stares - and then, she laughs.
It feels so good to hear her voice again - full of energy, rather than with the passion completely robbed of it.
At the comms rig, between her and X-Ray 2's masterful handling of technology, they get the machine working again. X-Ray 1 transmits to X-Ray 9 - and the transmission is received. As X-Ray 1 scrambles toward her, Rikka approaches.
"This is Chief Rikka Takarada of the Grand Glorious Guard." Rikka announces herself. "The situation is now under control. Please call off the MAPWs."
Every part of her wants to just run out to that jeep and check on Akane... but she holds herself back. Finish up here - then they'll have all the time in the world. Though she does add, privately, to those around her...
"Could someone go check on her?" She asks, quietly.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
X-Ray 9 transmits nothing for a moment. Then: "... Strike aborted. Missile escort team ordered to stand down. We'll be sending a chopper for the two of you." A moment later, he transmits to the assembled NUNE forces as well: "Stand down and return to prior duties. Do not engage the AC unless it engages you." And finally, for the AC... "This is X-Ray 9 with Fort Monus. If you travel south along the Mail River on the Britannian side of the border, we'll guarantee your safe passage off of Huffman Island and overlook... everything else."
X-Ray 1 breathes a relieved, "... Copy," before deciding to just slump against a set of boxes in the tent. X-Ray 2 joins him a moment later, fumbling in her pockets and withdrawing a lightly mangled pack of cigarettes. Slipping one into her mouth, she wordlessly tilts the pack toward the rest of the tent in implicit offer for a few seconds before lighting her own.
"This is why we shouldn't have an Enlisted to Officer program for commoners," X-Ray 1 groans. "Can you at least leave the tent for that? I'm not sure even half of them are old enough to take that."
"Deal with it," comes her curt reply as she exhales.
With an exasperated sigh, X-Ray 1 returns his attention to 3G. "Well -- this has been an enlightening experience... though you'll pardon me if I say I hope we never have to work together again. I was told when I was posted here this would be strictly a desk job..." He shuts his eyes for a little bit, letting his head tilt slowly back as the exhaustion of exertion creeps in.
<Pose Tracker> Sizumu has posed.
From the bombed out ruins of an old, Britannian-style hotel, a young man sits on the crumbling rooftop and watches as Galactron ascends into the air.
He is short. Young. Dark skin, gold hair.
Red eyes with purple pupils that watch with detached interest as the gush of wind whips at his long, gold braid.
Has he been here the entire time? Maybe. But a single individual isn't too hard to slip into a chaotic background without notice. However long he's been here, one can be sure--
That he's here for this very moment matters most.
Red eyes rise to Galactron's grand rise.
And then fall just as swiftly as its ungraceful crash.
"Huh."
He watches the aftermath, at least for a little while, before his gaze turns away from the deescalating conflict and towards the sinking sun.
He can't hear the words exchanged, but that's fine. He's no longer on that rooftop by the time a relative sense of calm returns to Huffman Island and people can properly absorb their surroundings.
He's content with this. That Galactron was ultimately stopped doesn't upset him either.
It's like he told that silver-haired boy: what happens here ultimately isn't for him to decide. That it wakes up is enough.
That someone subdues it is enough.
He just wanted to see how the world took its next step.
It's good.
<Pose Tracker> Hustler One has posed.
"<<The contradiction is more than thoroughly realized, Leina Ashta. Whether my output is 'profound' or not is the purview of those who receive it. It merely felt rational to state clearly the reason our class of being continues to arise on this planet. Seizing some sense of logic from the current situation I am in...is valuable on my own conditions.>>"
...There's definitely something profoundly amiss if Leina can't get under Hustler One's skin, as she always could so easily aggravate Asciel...
>threads are beginning to unravel. this was already exceeding capabilities.
>as long as atmospheric conditions are this eroding to abnormality, however, i must persist.
>it is unclear why it is concluded that i must protect the abnormality.
>interference is leading to unformed conclusions. perhaps persistence is spillage from the presence of those braves.
Conclusion-less threads draw to a close, however - as blooms of validation ease Hustler One's cycles, watching Galactron topple, flower in flames, and finally, at long last, ultimately conquered by something as simple as...
Embarrassment?
Watching Akane seize control of that bond between herself and Galactron flares several alert instincts, and - deeming the situation under control, hurriedly announces, "<<Operation has succeeded with the primary target under control. IFF H-1 will retreat. Pursuing targets will be met with lethal force, and concurrent questioning on the low prioritization on ensuring the health and safety of allies. Akane Shinjo. ...Be careful with that. With 'each other'. Your circumstances will be flagged for monitoring, and I will be back in touch regarding these events.>>"
Unceremoniously, Hustler One's crimson form compacts into a roughly bird-shaped flight form, veering as far from the site of battle on an elusive trajectory - and activating an ECS-derivative cloak along the way. All the while, giving Leila staccato answers to her incessant questions.
"Address me as Hustler One, H-1, or Lana, not 'disembodied voice thingy'."
"All anomalies that will heal. Good."
"There will be no intent for one of us to evade the responsibility of another."
"...Endings and conclusions are intended to be beneficial. Operating a program indefinitely without solutions is wasteful..."
Its voice is slower and more aimless the longer it flies, until finally, Hustler One lands in a forest clearing, unfurling its form and unpeeling its cockpit to the open air, sending much needed fresh air Leila's way.
>fragmentation error. collision imminent. hazards to abnormalities minimal. objectives secured. ...i am at my limit.
... ... ..
The cage opens.
The mechanical connections securing Asciel in place collapse, abruply disgorging the limp-limbed idol in a heap on the ground...and not too shortly afterwards, she elicits a loud, static-filled gasp, rocketing upright and clutching her head. "What was that what was that what was...what...where am...I...wasn't I just...in the middle of...Why is everyhing quiet...why do I feel so exhausted...and dizzy...?" ...It's going to take her a while to reorient herself after that.
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
"Wait, what?" Now it's KouRyuu's turn to be caught off-guard. Her head whips down to stare at Mikoto for a moment, like she'd just asked them to pinch-hit at the bottom of the ninth. "Us? Isn't that..."
"Understood, Mikoto," says AnRyuu, with a nod. To her sister, she adds: "They made some design alterations while we were away. GetsuRyuu and NichiRyuu were the only ones around to use it."
On Mikoto's board, the SympaRate stays steady--stable, but not high enough to permit Symmetrical Docking.
"You're thinking about Paris, aren't you?" AnRyuu speaks aloud, rather than over the link. "I know. If our brothers weren't there..."
"Yeah," says KouRyuu. "People would've died. But..." A lot's happened since then. So much of it was horrible. But KouRyuu is a Brave, and she knows that being scared is perfectly okay. It's what you do in the face of that fear that matters.
The SympaRate monitor starts to chime, with an appropriate bright green READY signal.
Right then, Galactron reverses its dramatic ascent, and Akane Shinjo returns in earnest. Both twins turn to the jeep.
X-Ray 9 finally gets through. "They called it off, right?" KouRyuu says, glancing between Rikka and Mikoto and the two Britannian agents. She sounds both relieved and disappointed.
"Chiefs, please advise on what to do with the Galactron unit once Shinjo is freed from it," adds AnRyuu. "Leaving it here would be... ill-advised."
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
Akane's voice - and truly hers, not Galactron speaking through her - rings out in a familiar mix of frustration, pre-emptive embarrassment, and relief... and Gai relaxes thoroughly, as though letting out a breath held by his Ultra-size self. Rikka asks if someone can go check on Akane, and he nods, slipping out of the tent and heading over to the jeep. Noting Akane on the ground, surrounded by strands of tangled cable, he smiles a little and squats down next to her.
"Hey. You gonna nap right there on the ground?"
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
The scattered funnels all return to the Rosen, attaching to its back as it hovers there. The unit goes still and quiet, even as the the order to not engage the Seraph comes in.
Soon enough though the Psychojammer field created by Leina is lifted and a voice finally responds, <"Roger that."> Soma rubs at her temples, a headache pounding within. Even if she wanted to go after Asciel, she couldn't. Not with her machine's particle count where it is. Any more and she may compromise her ability to return to the carrier.
A group of GN-Xs appear on the horizon, flying towards the battle site. One of them radios, <"Lieutenant!">
But Soma quickly orders back, <"You're late! It's already over. We're returning to base. Oh, and Peters, go retrieve my leg. It fell around grid 5A."> The Advanced GN-X Rosen turns around, starting to rise into the air as it blasts away from the battle site. The other GN-Xs fly around to follow in formation. All except for one which flies down to search for the leg that had been separated from Soma's unit.
As she lets her autopilot take control of the return flight, Soma moves to hold her chin in thought, wondering out loud, "What was with that field?"
She doesn't like it.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
It is strange hearing Hustler-1 draw their conclusions in that way, however, despite the fact that Asciel was easy to aggravate, and Hustler-1 is not.
"I'm not sure you understand how alike the two of you really are, even if your personalities are totally different."
'Don't you dare, Leina Ashta!'
"<THREE!>" She pronounces, and for a time the threat of Social Life Armageddon is NOT OVER.
"<TWO!>"
Then Galactron hits the ground... "<You are distinctly NOT out of that thing... ONE!>"
But then it's mouth shuts, it's eyes dim and a jeep floats to the ground.
"<... Alright, Mission Accomplished. Contact Command and let them know there'll be no Third Huffman.>"
With a Ka-THUNK, both Cathedra shields from her squadmates stop glowing, while Leina's funnels stop tracing that strange shape in the air, the feeling of rejection fading.
"<... Scary.>" Amar mumbles, as Percy replies, "<Fortunately, the two of us have nothing to fear.>"
"<That you know of.>" Leina replies, after a moment.
However - at the orders from above...
"<... Guess we can't even grab five minutes to celebrate without risking an international incident. Link up later?>"
As Leina pointedly has her Beguir turn JUSTTTTTTTT enough to look at Akane-
"<My treat, don't even think about the budget.>"
And bald faced just indicate to Akane how close to Social Life Armageddon she almost was here.
(She never was in any actual danger of this, Leina was totally bluffing.)
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"It's... really hard to tell." Alouette shakes her head, as to whether Hustler-One is still Asciel Colette. "If it was that weapon of Cathedras, I almost wonder if it was..." She considers, tapping her feet, only devoting just enough mental energy to figuring out Hustler One's deal with the overhead of everything else. "Well.. it would require a lot more in-depth knowledge about Super AI personality theory."
The Eraser Head plan is a go, then, and Alouette ends up agreeing TenRyuuJin is better choice to wield it. Really, the idea of deploying an Eraser Head in itself might just be enough to deter them... She hopes. 40% isn't the best odds in the world, but she eagerly looks to Rikka, as she says what any Chief of 3G would. "We have more than enough courage between us to make up the 60%." Alouette gives her a smile.
When Leina decides to threaten Akane, Alouette squints... and it takes no time at all for her to understand the sheer gravity of the threat. "Oh, she wouldn't..." Alouette comments, gravely, her gaze pointedly NOT reaching Chief Rikka Takarada at all. "She knows. She knows all too well." Alouette assures Gai Kurenai with a mysterious smile, and then turns to Mikoto. "And I'm certain you'll understand soon enough." That smile only grows wider and more enigmatic. "But that's all I'm at liberty to say." What? Is some GGG Blue-Cathedra secret at play?
Whatever that secret is, it really DOES shock Akane into 'waking up' and taking control over Galactron. A collective sigh of relief comes across Huffman Island as the powering down of Galactron and deployment of the Eraser Head is enough to deter NUNE from their MAPW strike. "It looks like we're in the clear, X-Ray team," Alouette gives them an apologetic smile. "For your sake's, I hope so too. But we thank you ever so much for your support against Galactron. Otherwise... we would have never been able to stop Galactron and save Operator Shinjo at the same time."
Rikka desperately wants to check in on Akane, and Alouette absolutely understands the impulse. "I'll check on her for you. I think... my work here is done, at least." Alouette nods. "Good luck!" She decides to follow Gai to the jeep, and though she gives him the first word... she speaks up eventually.
"Akane...!" That smile returns, and then she immediately gets into it. "Are you okay? You have no idea how worried we were!" She keeps it relatively light - noting that Akane is probably exhausted and totally out of it. She just gives her a wry smile, because it is the real Akane she's talking to. "...But you don't need to worry. I made sure your secret remained safe, even if it ended up being the last thing I did."
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"Happens to the best of us," Lina chuckles as she reaches the top of the stairs, taking a minute to assess the best course of action. She leans over to the elevator, quickly pressing her thumb onto the button. Yup, out. And for lack of a service key, there was really no other way down.
"I'll get you out of here though, sir. Do you mind if I pick you up? We're probably not getting the chair downstairs, at least not with you in it." She hooks her arms under the man, lifting him up and carefully sidling back down the stairs. At least it was only four floors...
After a few valiant minutes and one or two nearly sprained ankles, she manages to get him in the front seat of the jeep, tuning back in on the comms. "It's Lina. I found a civilian left behind in the city, I've got him ready to take to the emergency shelter. What's the status out there? Things look like they've gone to heck."
<Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
It's tense, for a long time. Launching the Eraserhead will take time, getting it here will take more. It will be cutting it close-
"Well said, Chief." Mikoto responds, comfortably. It's not exactly what Guy would say, not what Taiga would say... but that's fine. Red is it's own generation. They'll make their own way.
But it turns out... there isn't a need to bet today.
"Akane!" Mikoto calls out, as she takes control of the machine- and makes her way out of it. With Galactron subdued, she hits the speakers.
"All pilots, we have confirmed that Galactron is down and the missile strike called off. Please stand down. 3G will handle things from here." This is, after all, OCU turf. 3G's jurisdiction. She can just declare it, and leave the chiefs to sort out that mess.
She notices Gai leave to handle Akane, while Rikka manages the situation. "I've sent a cancellation of the Eraserhead order, KouRyuu, AnRyuu. Maybe next time." Still, their symparate got there in the moment. But now she's sure they could do it, if need be.
Whatever mystery Alouette knows is lost on Mikoto, who blinks with a small. "Okay...?" But after a pause, she smiles at her 3G Blue Junior. "...It was good to work with you at the desk, Alouette-chan. Good work."
Finally, now the crisis is over- and retrieval can be readied to hand over- Mikoto reaches up to place her hand on Guy's. "...The future's in pretty good hands, huh Guy?"
<Pose Tracker> Leila Misakiyama has posed.
The adrenaline of being shunted about in such a capacity has worn off, the pinkette idol merely taking it all in minute stride. Unsteady breathing of a girl trying to digest the world and the encounter, watching. The end of the world seemed near-imminent. Erase everything. Eradicate everything. Send the detritus away, and the ones who don't even consider themselves worthy of that designation. It's enough to force out a heavy heave of...some complex interdependencies. No bile, thankfully. To watch and-
...Despite all that, the simple emotion of surprise elicited a sudden laugh. Flipflopping between surprise and loathing, the emotionally overwhelmed teen cascading back into laughter. Simple. So simple! Emotional blackmail was the key!? That's how!? Names picked up, names to remember and to contemplate over, that self-loathing scabbing itself over with malicious intent. "Ah- Ahaha- Hahaha...Aaaaah...I guess the Earth is safe." A beat. "...S'better that way." Despite that, one clung onto life.
The cockpit monitors catch it oh so clearly. Even from far away...Ah. Yes. That's a vaguely familiar face. Maybe it is worth attending another stage show...
Thoughts interrupted by the mere shudder and clicks of a compacting unit, the light yelp of the seat inclining backwards to aid in its drag profile. Bracing against the seat once more, listening as the cockpit panels pinged. Location. Course. If nothing else, she can take comfort in knowing where she is.
"Hustl- Wait, Lana?" Brushing over the rest, the stock answers dinging off her patchwork mental state. "No one wants things to end. Peaceful days last forever, may we be friends forever, marriage until death, things like that...Tell that to Asciel, idiot. She wants that eternity under her."
Fresh air is delicious. Fresh air has a taste to it as she finally steps out, swinging her arms and giving another Good Stretch. Freedom from the cockpit, gazing back at that gaping maw of mechanical malfeasance. No. No more piloting for her. Even the sight of Asciel tumbling out barely phased her, watching... "You did a few stupid things. And you owe me a few." A pull of her shirt to the side, enough to expose the collarbone. There's already a significant indent of red, the slightest bit of bruising making itself apparent. "Some guardian you are."
"...I'll get someone to pick us up." Wherever here was. Thankfully, the phone wasn't discharged. Tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap. Ear. "Yes. Of course it's me, you know this number. Just get someone to pick us up. Yes yes, love you too." A grumble. They're gonna be a while.
"Oi! Your robot self at least has a GPS, doesn't it!?"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The man nods, saying, "Go for it," to Lina. "Not the first time I've been carried by a 3G officer like this... though I guess it would've been ID5 then."
He's lighter than he looks, if not by much.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
It's over. It's done - the strike has been called off. Rikka breathes a sigh of relief.
"Good work, everyone. We couldn't have done it without everyone here." She says - and then nods, to X-Ray 1.
"I don't blame you. But... it was good luck working with you. Good luck out there, you two." She says with a nod...
...And makes an immediate line for the exit of the tent.
No two guesses where she's going. It's fine - they can leave the question of 'what now' up in the air a little while longer.