2024-12-12: An Empty Diamond Crevasse
- Cast: Character :: Sheryl Nome]], Character :: Ranka Lee]], Character :: Alto Saotome]], Character :: Sagiri Sakurai]], Character :: Rin Naujakaite]], Character :: Flay Allster]], Character :: Leon Sakaki]], Character :: Lilium Valerie]], Character :: Aurora Dusk]], Character :: Rose Tritten]], Character :: Liam 7-020]]
- Where: Lagos, Nigeria
- Date: U.C. 0099 12 12
- Summary: The Vajra suppression operation in Lagos begins ahead of schedule. Bug killing and singing ensue.
- Log: An Empty Diamond Crevasse
- Cast: Sheryl Nome, Ranka Lee, Alto Saotome, Sagiri Sakurai, Rin Naujakaite, Flay Allster, Leon Sakaki, Lilium Valerie, Aurora Dusk, Rose Tritten, Liam 7-020, Lucine Azul
- Where: Lagos, Nigeria
- OOC - IC Date: 2024-12-12
- Summary: The Vajra suppression operation in Lagos begins ahead of schedule. Singing and bug murder ensue.
KTS: Kaiju Navi has deployed in Vajra Heavy Soldier. KTS: Rose Tritten has deployed in ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior. KTS: Sagiri Sakurai has deployed in Tyranado. KTS: Rin Naujakaite has deployed in Combat Proto Test Group Nauja. KTS: Lilium Valerie has deployed in GNX-603T GN-X. KTS: Kaiju Navi has deployed as a Boss for 9 opponents. KTS: Lucine Azul has deployed in Dianthus Mk. 3. KTS: Sheryl Nome is now subpiloting for Rin Naujakaite. KTS: You have not deployed a robot. (see +deploy) Target is not in combat.
KTS: Alto Saotome has deployed in VF-25F Messiah <Fighter Mode>.
FPT: Lightly Loaded Bonus=28 ["ES-25A High Speed Machine Guns" -> 617, "GU-17A Gatling Gun Pod <Fighter Mode>" -> 182, "ROV-127C Beam Vulcans" -> 177]
KTS: ES-25A High Speed Machine Guns Closing Assault: 3600 Physical,Melee,Accurate
KTS: ES-25A High Speed Machine Guns Chasing Fire: 3900 Physical,Ranged,Intercept,Accurate
KTS: ES-25A High Speed Machine Guns Shredding Burst: 3400 Physical,Ranged,Microtarget,Crushing
KTS: ES-25A High Speed Machine Guns Concentrated Barrage: 4800 Physical,Ranged,Finisher,Accurate
KTS: EN Barrier activated!
FPT: Lightly Loaded Bonus=10 ["ES-25A High Speed Machine Guns" -> 617, "GU-17A Gatling Gun Pod <Fighter Mode>" -> 182, "ROV-127C Beam Vulcans" -> 177, "Wing-mounted Missiles" -> 55]
KTS: Leon Sakaki has deployed in YF-25 Prophecy <Fighter>. KTS: EN Barrier activated! <Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Lagos, Nigeria, is a beautiful city, but like many parts of the world
these days, it's going through some very tough times. A large fence cuts out a
swathe of it, designated the Lagos Quarantine Zone due to the Vajra that still
infest the area and the humans who've been infected by V-Type Infection
therein--though the fence itself is more to keep people out than in, since
that's hardly going to stop the hostile insectile aliens from doing as they
please. SAL forces, including pilots from private military company SMS, have
been gathered to prepare for one last decisive attack on the stubborn
remaining Vajra to clear them out once and for all. As horrible as the V-Type
epidemic has been, there's hope that once the Vajra are gone, Lagos's medical
officials will be able to get it fully under control.
There are temporary arrangements within the quarantine zone set up to
watch over both the Vajra and the infected, including the Lagos National Arts
Theatre, where Sheryl twice performed, once as part of the Earth Sphere Global
Tour, once to kick off a new global tour only to be attacked by the Vajra.
That, too, is where the destruction from the attack was the heaviest.
Reconstruction has been slow due to the quarantine; fortunately, it wasn't
that extensive and didn't affect the residential areas at all, so locals can
just stay home.
That doesn't mean it isn't stressful in other ways. A lot of people
have passed away from V-Type Infection, and even though it's a blood-to-blood
infection, it's spread further than medical officials could have anticipated.
With quarantine procedures in effect, there's a lot of fear, clashing against
the hope that SAL will finally clear the Vajra out of this area once and for
all. No need to hide the upcoming mission from the public.
It isn't just SAL forces that have come here. Their allies have also
arrived, including the VTX Union. And who else might be hiring out their
services at the time but Sheryl Nome? She's been half-forgotten by the public
after her disastrous concert last July; there's been gossip and rumors since
then, but when it comes to actual performances, many look instead to the Super
Dimensional Cinderella, Ranka Lee. After all, she's supposed to be able to
quell the Vajra. She'll be coming here too--but that's a story for someone
else to tell.
After getting escorted by Rin, Sheryl walks among the quarantined
people in the medical tents, having quietly gone in to volunteer to help hand
out food without quite volunteering her identity. This isn't so strange;
there's been a lot of volunteers coming in to the quarantine zone, after
getting the proper precautionary equipment and signing the necessary waivers.
She wears one of the few outfits she kept when she ran from Frontier: a
low-hipped blue dress with a matching beret, white blouse and gloves, pink
neck bow, and fawn brown knee-high boots. There's also her iconic fold quartz
drop earring that dangles from her right earlobe, and a thick blue face mask
that's less for her own benefit and more for everyone else's. V-Type Infection
is spread by blood, not air, but that makes little difference when you're
prone to coughing up blood.
It's as she's doing this that the alarm sirens go off. The Vajra purge
mission isn't set to go off until a few more days from now--the evacuations
were scheduled to begin today so there wouldn't be any civilians underfoot.
But here they are anyway as the Vajra emerge for some reason from the
underground.
"You go help fight. I'll be fine," she urges Rin, pushing her a little
in case she needs it. "Just make sure you crush them good, all right?"
And so that's how Sheryl Nome ended up getting herded into an
underground shelter with several other rattled civilians. The evacuation route
has already been drilled into them, so they're out of the way in quick
measure, but there's still a pervasive atmosphere of anxiety. Sheryl, for her
part, can only keep her head down as she waits for the professionals to do
their jobs.
Outside, the large, insectile Vajra are swarming out of the sewers
where they had been shut in. It's unclear why they're doing this now, but some
observation makes it quick what their intent is: about a dozen of the large,
more powerful red armored Heavy Soldier-type Vajra are forming a perimeter,
supported by smaller but more agile Mobile Soldiers, while the smaller,
younger, green fliers carry eggs out and away from their nest. It seems like
they're choosing to abandon this site.
Which would be all well and good, except the Vajra still present an
existential threat to humanity. Even if they leave this place, they'll find
another place to roost and raise their brood, which will grow up to destroy
whatever humans they come across. It's moving the schedule up a few days, but
it's time to hunt some bugs. ...Or so some of the people in charge have
decided.
KTS: Flay Allster has deployed in GAT-X105E Launcher Strike E Gundam.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
'Just like Lynn Minmay' Ranka heard someone say again, for the thousandth -
perhaps millionth time. The speculation, the praise, the accolades.
Yet she didn't feel like she was doing anything admirable, by being here.
If anything... if anything... she felt responsible...
Every time she tried to parse that knot of tangled feelings in her stomach
though, the thoughts looped back upon themselves, to that day on the Vajra
ship - to Durandal's office, to the recording of the concert she saw, with the
moment that Sheryl's singing...
... stopped...
To dozens upon dozens of times that she'd watched Alto take off, wondering if
he'd come back.
"It's my choice." She told herself, again, for the thousandth time, as she
buckled herself in to the Koenig.
-=-=-
"Another song?" Grace O'Connor asked with a questioning look and a smile,
before she agreed, "Of course we can do that. Our songstress of hope should
sing of more than just battle..."
"Then..."
Grace somehow kept her face from souring at the suggestion, though the more she
thought about it...
"Sheryl's disappearance truly must trouble you so..." She agreed
sympathetically, as she reached out, a hand cupping her cheek, as she looked
her in the eye, through her glasses. "Very well, I'll arrange it for you
personally."
-=-=-
"New track huh?" Carnaria commented to Ranka casually, "I guess even when we're
in a situation like this, idols have to advertise."
Ranka's face actually split into a smile, "No nothing like that... you've
definitely heard it before."
As she thought about that day when she met her, when she saw the Variable
Fighters taking off from the Colony to fight the Vajra...
"I just don't want anyone to ever forget it."
-=-=-
It felt like the whole nation was behind the SMS for this operation. Indeed,
as if to demonstrate this, the entire nation was linked up to hear Ranka Lee
sing, the theory being that wherever she was singing - the people were safer
from the Vajra.
And indeed... she was singing, as her Koenig Monster joined the battle, flying
in the midst of it's Variable Fighter escort.
But the song the nation heard was...
Diamond Crevasse 5050 - https:'www.youtube.comwatch?v=AYW6r80kNPE
A gentle melody precedes her singing beginning, quietly, mournfully, with quiet
emphasis. It's a song that only Sheryl Nome has heard her sing personally
before, but now she sings it for her - and for all of them.
"Dear Lord in Heaven
"Back when I was deep in love with you
"There was not a moment when
"I imagined such a parting would tear us in two."
To share those feelings with everyone, of parting and loss. Her fear and worry
and anxiety... and yearning- all sing ethereally, across the entire nation of
Nigeria. Most phones, TV screens, even emergency broadcast equipment in the
shelters had it playing.
"If we were fated
"To never touch each other again
"Then at least, before I wept,
"I wanted you to hold me tight and forget for then."
What good were these abilities of hers, if she couldn't reach out to her
whenever she wanted? Well, maybe she can't do that, but she can lift up her
voice in song... and hope it's heard.
"Our long, long good-bye..."
The equipment on the Monster radiates the fold waves across the Vajra, and all
that sadness and yearning and fear suddenly strikes them as they form their
perimeter, as they sit in confusion, eyes looking one way, than another as if
trying to figure out what is being commanded of them, and coming up short...
momentarily stunned.
By the power of a song.
"'Farewell to thee, farewell to thee'
"Times twenty thousand
"So tenderly and cruelly
"To myself I said."
The entire nation looks to the Songstress of Hope for protection, and her
feelings - her message towards someone in particular tries to protect them all.
"Your gentleness when you waved your hand hitched my breath
"But what I want now is strength."
KTS: Ranka Lee is now subpiloting for Kaiju Navi. KTS: Ranka Lee targets Alto Saotome, Rin Naujakaite, and Lucine Azul with Caution!
KTS: Aurora Dusk has deployed in GNX-603T GN-X. KTS: Liam 7-020 has deployed in Type-4 Akashima 'Balor'. KTS: EN Barrier activated! KTS: Lucine Azul accepts Ranka Lee's Caution! KTS: Ranka Lee suggests caution, raising Lucine Azul's Intuition! KTS: Best Defense! Lucine Azul successfully reacts to Ranka Lee's Caution, taking 0 damage!
KTS: Alto Saotome accepts Ranka Lee's Caution! KTS: Ranka Lee suggests caution, raising Alto Saotome's Intuition! KTS: Best Defense! Alto Saotome successfully reacts to Ranka Lee's Caution, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
The temporary military base that has been set up near the Lagos
National Arts Theatre has been serving to provide the defenders of the
quarantine zone with a place to park their units, rest and otherwise
coordinate to keep the Vajra from wreaking havoc on the city.
In one of the base's modular hangars sits Alto's VF-25F Messiah, parked
in plane mode. Alto himself is currently seated in the cockpit in his SMS
uniform. He's going through a checklist in his hand, ticking things off as he
does general maintenance on his machine. It's not uncommon for SMS pilots to
have at least some hand in maintaining the units, given the PMC doesn't
exactly have a huge support staff to rely on.
While writing on the clipboard, he fumbles his hand for a moment and
drops the pen. It falls into the foot well of the cockpit. Alto groans in
annoyance and sits for a moment, pondering just leaving the damn thing down
there... No, he better not. It could be a danger in the middle of a fight.
Sighing in resignation, Alto leans forward and starts feeling around for the
lost writing instrument. It takes him about a minute, but finally his hand
finds it. He leans forward a little more, grabbing at the pen. And as he does
so, the necklace around his neck slides out of his shirt.
Sitting upright again, Alto glances down at the necklace. Specifically
at the rounded purple gem at the end of it. It naturally reminds him of the
owner... Who he hasn't seen in months. He doesn't even know where she is.
Naturally part of him remains worried... But he also knows how strong she is.
She'll be fine. He knows it.
The sudden blaring of alarms draw Alto's attention. There's only likely
to be one possible meaning for them, causing him to frown. Alto throws the
checklist and pen out of the cockpit, quickly closing the fighter's canopy and
starting to flip numerous switches to bring his Valkyrie to life as he radios,
<"This is Skull-4. I'm already in position and ready for launch. I'll head out
first.">
It doesn't take long for the Messiah to taxi out onto the makeshift
runway, before its engine nozzles narrow and the fighter blasts off into the
air. Alto quickly swings his craft around, bringing into view the sight of the
Vajra swarming out of the tunnel entrance. It doesn't take him long to
recognise the things they are carrying... They're trying to move the nest! On
the one hand, that's a good thing for Lagos...
... On the other, it's a bad thing for wherever they happen to end up
next. And it'll likely be somewhere hidden away that will need to be found
again. Giving them more time to hatch more Vajra.
Alto can't let them get away!
As Ranka's song starts to echo across the radio channels and into his
cockpit, Alto lets the sound of her voice wash over him. He takes in a deep
breath, closing his eyes for a moment...
Then opens them again, <"This is Skull-4, engaging! Fox 2!">
The Messiah blasts forward the air, a missile hanging from the its
wings detaches and darts out towards the Vajra swarm. The missile streaks in
towards its target, focused on the perimeter to try and create an opening that
will let Alto through to get at the fleeing Vajra beyond.
KTS: Alto Saotome targets Kaiju Navi with Wing-mounted Missiles Single Missile! KTS: Flay Allster's GAT-X105E Launcher Strike E Gundam has been disabled. KTS: Flay Allster has deployed in GAT-X105E Aile Strike E Gundam. KTS: Rin Naujakaite accepts Ranka Lee's Caution! KTS: Ranka Lee suggests caution, raising Rin Naujakaite's Intuition! KTS: Best Defense! Rin Naujakaite successfully reacts to Ranka Lee's Caution, taking 0 damage! <Pose Tracker> Sagiri Sakurai has posed.
"Mmmf... I hope Ms. Sheryl and Rin are okay..."
"They're fiiine, Rami."
"How do you know, ma'am? ... Because you have faith in them?"
"Uh? Nope. Because I checked in with them five minutes ago, as per the
schedule!"
"Wh -- jeez, you could have told me that!"
"What? Why? Do you wanna talk to 'em? I can ring Ms. Galactic Fairy up right
now--"
"Wh-- pfff-- N-n-n-n-no!! I -- I'll take your word for it!"
"Haha! Rami, it's so adorable how easy you are to wind up~."
"And it's so reprehensible how much of a tease you are, ma'am."
"Utterly reprehensible."
"H-hey, turnabout's not fair game here!"
This is the ongoing conversation of the remaining members of Special Section 3.
At their stations on the Carriax, the small
shuttle-slash-weapons-delivery-system-slash-base-of-operations has been
maintaining its perimeter around the quarantine zone in preparation for what
feels like the frankly inevitable moment where the fight comes to the Vajra...
or... when the Vajra take the fight to them. It's been a busy past few weeks
for SS3, since Sagiri decided on what amounted to what she calls her womanly
intuition (and Amies has lest charitably described as "base reptile-brain
instinct") to take on the runaway Sheryl Nome as a client. They've been around
the world, since then, visiting the myriad of places pockmarked by the
horrific events of Junius Seven's landfall. And this...
... well, maybe ending up here in Lagos was inevitable, too. At the very
least...
They had more than good reason to.
Ultimately, Sagiri wasn't going to stop her client's wish to lend a helping
hand; with the proviso of semi-regular check-ins, having Rin there with Sheryl
was good enough for her, which speaks volumes of the casual faith she puts in
her subordinates. For the rest of them:
It's a holding pattern. One that largely sees Sagiri Sakurai, inestimable
manager of VTX's Special Section 3, spinning listlessly in her chair as radar
data streams out an endless series of nothings. Flush-faced Rami Amasaki, the
now second-most junior employee of the outfit, is just shooting flustered
glares at their noble manager. Amies Ernest and Meryl Spanna mostly keep vigil
over the Carriax's bridge; their vicious critiques of their superior are, of
course, launched with a casual ease that leaves Sagiri grimacing.
Hirosuke Amasaki, the Only Mature One, just has a good-natured chuckle over it
all, of course.
"Aaanyway..." continues on Sagiri, beginning another leisurely spin of her
chair. "You don't have to worry, Rami. You trust Rin, right?"
"Of course I do!"
Sagiri casts an easy smile Rami's way. "Then trust her to keep Sheryl safe."
Rami blinks. And then a small smile touches her lips, like a distant echo of
Sagiri's. "R-right. You're right, ma'am."
"Don't let her sucker you so easily, Rami," Amies casually asides. "The truth
is, she just doesn't like being close to bugs without a giant robot between
her and them."
Sagiri -guffaws-. "Come on! It's a normal response! Bugs aren't cute even when
they're small, let alone the size of a house! And cuteness is inversely
proportional to size!"
Rami can't help the laughter that spills from her lips. Covering her mouth with
her hand, mirth filters back into her expression before hesitation overtakes
her; her gaze tilts back towards the unassuming skies. Her brows furrow gently.
The Vajra. They were always frightening, and yet... it was always in a distant
way, for her. Something unknowable, on the fringes of space, rarely seen. Were
they always this aggressive--?
As if in direct answer to Rami's worried thoughts, the sirens go off.
And the second they do, the whole of Special Section 3 begins to scramble.
Sagiri is already out of her chair and helping-slash-dragging Rami's out of
hers by the time Hirosuke is handing out orders. Meryl is opening up
communication lines direct to Rin by the time Sagiri and Rami are loading up
into the Tyranado, connecting the Quark Drive, and loading up its myriad
systems.
<"Rin! I'm deploying Test Group Nauja at these coordinates -- it's the closest
open area I can get to where you and Sheryl are! Uploading directions to you
now--">
$$$
<"Eugh... I really do hate bugs...">
This is the bold battle cry of Sagiri Sakurai as the Tyranado launches forth
through the skies. The Carriax hot on its heels, the VTX prototype mobile
suit's optics flare with a blue-green hue that seems to practically leak from
its optics at the dizzying speeds it flies at, the Quark Drive swiftly
funneling energy throughout the machine as it preps for combat.
<"Hee,"> Rami can't help but giggle. <"But you're here anyway, aren't you,
ma'am?">
<"Of course. Protecting our client's interests is the most important thing!">
Rami, for a moment, is touched by Sagiri's dedication.
<"Next to securing a big fat payday, anyway!">
Only to have it dashed upon the rocks of her faltering expression. Behold: the
duality of Sagiri Sakurai.
<"Ms. Nome has made it safe to one of the shelters,"> Hirosuke's voice informs
them over the comm-lines. A soft exhale of relief follows from both pilots of
the Tyranado. And when that familiar voice begins with an unfamiliar song...
Sagiri pauses.
Ranka. The Superdimensional Cinderella. She thinks of what Sheryl told them,
about her. About Ranka. About her gift.
About Grace.
"..."
Pastel green eyes narrow before they refocus on the burgeoning swarm. Hands
grip tight on the controls. And then--
<"This is Sagiri Sakurai of VTX's Special Section 3! We're coming in to offer
what support we can -- we've got your back, Skull-4!">
And with this bold proclamation, the Tyranado jets crossways from the Messiah,
Beam Bayonets flourished to unleash a machine-gun staccato of beam fire upon
passing Vajra as it blazes past. The effect Ranka's song has on them...
No time to think about it. For now: making sure their client - and their lives!
- are safe and secure.
KTS: Sagiri Sakurai targets Kaiju Navi with Beam Bayonet Blast! KTS: Sagiri Sakurai has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Naujakaite has posed.
"Oho, escort duty!" Rin had said when she got this particular assignment.
And Rin has been walking around.
Rin's hair is done up into a high ponytail. She is wearing an official looking
set of fatigue garments - a blue blouse, sleeves rolled up and buttoned into
place, along with a pair of somewhat baggy trousers. She has a black belt
around her waist, mostly holding a portable radio handset and a couple of
nondescript cylindrical pockets. The VTX badge rests on one breast pocket,
pinned in place. A face mask much like Sheryl's is in place. And, of course,
she's been pushing the cart - even if it wasn't for Sheryl's condition, she
looks like an athlete.
Or a bodyguard, yes. But she isn't armed.
Rin has mostly looked around and greeted people being fed. English is common
enough in Nigeria that she has been able to answer a couple of questions,
but...
... Well, what do you even say? She has at least been able to keep up a
reasonably cheery.
But then came the howl of the alarm. Rin went almost immediately from cheery
happy orangutan-lady sidekick to the nice woman with the gorgeous
pink-lemonade hair to -- something tenser, more alert. Her eyes cut towards
Sheryl at what she said.
Something about Sheryl's words sparks strange feelings. A sensation of longing,
of impermanence. It blooms, it rises, it... sits there, coiling, warm and not
wholly unwelcome but surely tense. "... You're sure? I can ask --" she begins,
before stopping, and then laughing.
"Okay, okay," Rin told Sheryl, "but - be safe, alright?!" After a hesitant
pause, if a short one (for those with ordinary time perception) she gave
Sheryl a brief, one-armed side-hug, and then turned to walk out.
On the way past: A child, surly enough to be memorable and who had received a
small Promise, sees Rin leaving with some haste. "Hey!" he calls. "Red,
where's my cookie?"
Rin stops, reaches into her blouse pocket, and tosses it to land on his bed.
Once she's out of the hospital tent, her radio starts talking. She pops it up
and says, "Youkai, I'll beat it there. The client is going into the shelter
designated for," glance, "Hospital tent Mercy-3, repeat, Michael Echo Roulette
Charlie Yellow Numeral-Three. Hup hup!" And from there into an open space,
currently only containing some crates and shipping containers, and now, also...
One of the great machines, whether friend or foe, that mark the history of the
world.
SWEEP AND DISSOLVE
The first one of Rin's little circus of semi-autonomous prototype mechanoids on
the scene is Scorn - the bird one. (Rin herself, in a VTX-produced Gespenst,
and Rancor, the wolf-like one, are following... but they do not fly nearly as
well.)
A song comes through the comm networks and Rin's lips thin for a moment. The
tune she recognizes, and the word, but it's... Ranka. "Mm," Rin says quietly,
with a faint smile. "She really is good, huh?" A thought, perhaps, for herself
(and also everyone on the bridge of the Carriax.) "... it's kind of a funny
feeling."
She pushes another button. <"VTX-4 actual, we are coming in fast. Scorn, ray
'em, back up Skull-4!">
The aerial droid, loosely and abstractly bird-shaped, banks to the side. There
is a flickering flash of blue lasers from the aerial platform, but they're
rangefinders in this application, followed shortly afterwards by bursting if
precise barrages of beam blasts onto the erupting Vajra.
"Hey boss," this to Sagiri. "Do you think this counts as a cover? It feels
kinda... different to those, huh."
- Log: 2024-12-13
- Cast: Flay Allster, Leon Sakaki, Lilium Valerie, Aurora Dusk, Rose Tritten, Liam 7-020, Lucine Azul, Sheryl Nome, Ranka Lee, Sagiri Sakurai, Rin Naujakaite, Alto Saotome
- Where:
- OOC - IC Date:
- Summary: <Summarize!>
KTS: Rin Naujakaite targets Kaiju Navi with Scorn - The Pitiless Judgment of a Beam Emitter!
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.
<poem>
Officially, the mission to eradicate the Vajra was meant to be days from now. But things don't always go as they're planned - especially when it's something as unpredictable and adaptable as the Vajra that you're dealing with. That means that when the Gaia Sabers receive the distress signal from Lagos, they aren't able commit nearly as many numbers as the city may have hoped.
They don't send nothing, however - an Agamemnon-class cruiser 'Blaiddyd' makes its way to the quarantined stronghold of the Vajra with whatever pilots it can muster. One of those pilots is Flay Allster, considering she was there for the briefing and has some experience fighting them. The Strike E was supposed to make an appearance at a trade show in Huffman Island just a day later... but it will have to do.
There's really no other choice for Striker pack except the Aile. Its maneuverability might be limited in a city, but the Sword Striker would just get swarmed... and even the Gaia Sabers wouldn't risk using the Agni in a city. "Flay Allster, Strike E... taking off!" She announces, the Aile Strike soaring from the linear catapult to meet the fleeing Vajra.
Flay... can't say she enjoys fighting in a city, even if it's being evacuated. There will always be people caught in the crossfires when you pull the trigger, there's no way around that. But the Vajra won't care about that, will they? "We might be a little ahead of schedule, but we're here to make sure the Vajra can't get away, no matter what." Flay informs the rest of the Gaia Sabers on-site. "Feel free to engage them with everything you have... especially if you can push them away from the shelters."
With that, Flay aims the Strike E's bazooka, and fires a round of pellets towards a group of Vajra from the shelters. The payload might not be enough to pierce their armour, but it should be enough to keep them locked down for their allies. Ranka, too, fights, through her song... and Flay can still respect that just as much as she did last time.
"That's a different song from usual, isn't it..." Diamond Crevasse, was that Sheryl's? It's not Aimo, but that's fine... it still seems to have the intended effect as the Vajra turn to confusion. "It's a lovely song, but try not to let it distract you," Flay warns her allies just the same. "It's meant to catch the bugs off guard, but that doesn't mean you should lose yours~" The pellets continue to fire on the stunned Vajra. "After all, she won't be able to sing anymore if we don't protect her."
KTS: Flay Allster targets Kaiju Navi with Strike Bazooka Pellet Spray!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
A sea-green 25-series Valkyrie blasts out of the hangar, hot on the heels of the Messiah, Leon Sakaki sitting at the controls as he whistles.
"Lotta bugs today." The angelic voice of Ranka Lee echoes over the radio, as Leon puts the Vajra swarm in his sights. This is why they pay you the big bucks, he thinks to himself.
"Skull 4, this is Siegfried 1. I've got your six. Engaging!"
The unforgettable noise of a gunpod spinning up fills the air, as Leon fires his first volley, laser shots cutting through the air.
KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Kaiju Navi with Gatling Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Alto Saotome's Wing-mounted Missiles Single Missile! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi moderately guards Alto Saotome's Wing-mounted Missiles Single Missile, taking 4040 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Sagiri Sakurai's Beam Bayonet Blast! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi poorly guards Sagiri Sakurai's Beam Bayonet Blast, taking 1350 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Rin Naujakaite's Scorn - The Pitiless Judgment of a Beam Emitter! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully guards Rin Naujakaite's Scorn - The Pitiless Judgment of a Beam Emitter, taking 2250 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Flay Allster's Strike Bazooka Pellet Spray! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi moderately reacts to Flay Allster's Strike Bazooka Pellet Spray, taking 2880 damage! <Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
This was early. This was too early. Final maintenance checks weren't done yet--half the pilots were asleep--And the final briefing hadn't even happened. These weren't favorable conditions. Under most circumstances, these wouldn't even be acceptable conditions--but their hand had been forced.
In the makeshift pilot's bunks, Lilium Valerie is rudely awakened by the blaring of every siren in the area going off at once. She hits her head on the bunk above her--cursing--and leaps out of bed. As she rifes through her things, struggling into her pilot's suit, she attempts to parse the specific tones. 'Vajra breach... major incident... Scramble.'
She takes off running down the hallway, joining the throng of pilots--Sabers, Mercenaries, SAL Regulars, all sorts and all stripes--moving as one in the general direction of the base's various hangars. They're a decent ways away from them, and largely still half asleep, but what choice do they have? If the Vajra get away--or worse, get to them first--then all the work spent preparing for this offensive would be wasted. To say nothing of any additional lives that could be lost...
She glances up from the mass of humanity to the sky, watching a Variable Fighter streak overhead. The sound of Ranka's song blankets the airfield... Lilium wonders just what it makes her feel. A question for later, she supposes. The horde of pilots starts to split into various directions, now outright sprinting to their respective machines.
The Second Lieutenant wonders for a moment if she'd be able to see anyone she knows--and even glances around the various craft headed towards takeoff for a moment--but is more than aware that she's far too pressed for time to stop and chat. Indeed, she's already coming up on a series of vaguely humanoid shapes covered by tarps... or at least they were covered by them. In fact, by the time Lilium reaches the foot of the ladder into her GN-X's cockpit (Returning the salute of a staff sergeant standing on its maintenance gantry as she started her climb), the Gaia Sabers' premier frontline units have already been totally uncovered, and the external starting mechanisms of their GN drives engaged.
She's barely scrambled over the cockpit hatch when the ladder is pulled away--not that she notices, as she's already strapping herself into her seat. The hatch slides closed, and the monitor flicks on. Ranka's song switches from a distant sound to one that fills the cockpit, and the GN-X rises to its feet.
<<Second Lieutenant Valerie--GN-X Long Barrel--I'm taking off to engage!>>
Whatever the Vajra were up to, it wasn't Lilium's job to figure that out. But it was her job to stop it. Her unit rises to a decent height, rifle forwards--and as soon as one of the larger Vajra forms is within range, a bright orange beam slices through the sky.
KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Leon Sakaki's Gatling Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi moderately guards Leon Sakaki's Gatling Shot, taking 2465 damage! KTS: Lilium Valerie targets Kaiju Navi with GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Careful Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Lilium Valerie's GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Careful Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Lilium Valerie's GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Careful Shot, taking 1620 damage! <Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
When the Blaiddyd deploys its mobile suit complement, Aurora is there. This is only mildly strange because of her prior engagement a day later - the same as Flay, actually. The trade expo.
This time, Aurora is assigned to a GN-X. She launches from her own catapault, following Flay into the city. "Second Lieutenant Aurora Dusk, GN-X. Launching!" Aurora isn't particularly a fan of fighting in cities... but she never has a choice in the matter. Time to go.
"Acknowledged." Flay gets her response as effectively Aurora's superior here. They're both on site as irregulars, and Flay outranks Aurora, so why not?
The singing is nice. Vajra don't think so. Aura don't particularly care what they think 'bout that. "So, that's the effect Ranka has on them..."
Seeing Flay and Valerie launch their own attacks, Aurora picks a large Vajra, centres the target and pulls the trigger. "Firing!"
KTS: Aurora Dusk targets Kaiju Navi with GN-X Beam Rifle Burst Fire! KTS: Aurora Dusk has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Aurora Dusk's GN-X Beam Rifle Burst Fire! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully guards Aurora Dusk's GN-X Beam Rifle Burst Fire, taking 1360 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.
Back to Lagos. It hadn't been that long since the Tritten Team had ridden this exact same route, in a ZAFT drop-pod down to this very city, the Quick Reaction Force for the concert attack that ripped Sheryl Nome from the public eye. They were there once again, now deploying from the One Fine Day for exactly this moment, a Vajra incursion. The trio were silent mostly, except for Aspyn humming along to Ranka's song.
As the trio screamed in over Lagos once more, the radios in their headsets began to crackle with the radio feeds, giving them a better idea of what was going on. The pod made a quick path recalculation, bringing it farther from the Blaiddyd, just in case a Blue Cosmos member aboard decided to have a 'tragic accident'.
"Ugh...what are they all doing here?" Sushila grumbled in Rose's right ear. "This Vajra stuff should just be handled by the SAL."
"You know ZAFT is still under strict deployment limitations onto the Earth. We're going to be the only ones down there, so stick closer to the SMS forces and try and give the Gaia Sabers a wide berth." Rose replied, punching in the final codes for the pod to deploy.
With a set sequence of explosive bolts, the drop-pod split open, and the trio of ZAKU Warriors dropped out in formation, and screamed towards the city.
"What if one of them gets in like, trouble?" Aspyn radioed into Rose's left ear, her ZAKU's beam axe igniting.
"Help them if you can." Rose radioed back.
"But you know, take your time." Sushila added.
Sushila broke off to land on top of one of the taller buildings with a better vantage point, her beam cannon unfolding, as Rose and Aspyn rocketed closer to the ground.
"Rose! I'm gonna touch down and start clearing that nest in the corner of that big city square." Aspyn called out.
"Okay Aspyn, I'll cover you!" Rose replied, squeezing the right sequence into her control stick to switch to her Blaze Pack's missile pods and switch the Master Arm to on. The multi lock clicked onto multiple Mobile Warrior types swarming around the park, and shortly after the hatches slid open, a barrage of missiles shot out from the Blaze pack, their smoke trails spiderwebbing across the sky.
KTS: Rose Tritten targets Kaiju Navi with AGM138 "Firebee" Guided Missile Barrage! KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Rose Tritten's AGM138 "Firebee" Guided Missile Barrage! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Rose Tritten's AGM138 "Firebee" Guided Missile Barrage, taking 2886 damage! <Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
NERV still has a vested interest in the situation in Lagos. One tangible sign of that--at least, for the past day or so--has been an Akashima in the motor pool outside the quarantine zone. Its massive form towers over everything else nearby, as ominous as it is reassuring.
The emergency response begins to deploy, and the giant awakens from its slumber.
Cables detach from the Akashima's limbs and torso. The clamps and braces holding it to its deployable standby scaffold release, one after another. In the cockpit, its pilot presses touchscreens and runs through the last of the checklist. "Pilot Liam," he says, "deploying to neutralize Vajra hostiles." Camera feed lights up an aux display, captured by a nearby monitor. Liam watches as the drones flee, bearing... eggs.
A faint pang echoes through Liam's heart. He takes a breath. He can't let them escape. They'll just relocate somewhere else, and more people will die. The Akashima steps out of its cradle, and strides down a main road, towards the quarantine zone. "Akashima Balor, engaging the enemy.
[OOC] Liam 7-020 says, "blu-ray: Oops, edit that out please! That's not done." <Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
NERV still has a vested interest in the situation in Lagos. One tangible sign of that--at least, for the past day or so--has been an Akashima in the motor pool outside the quarantine zone. Its massive form towers over everything else nearby, as ominous as it is reassuring.
The emergency response begins to deploy, and the giant awakens from its slumber.
Cables detach from the Akashima's limbs and torso. The clamps and braces holding it to its deployable standby scaffold release, one after another. In the cockpit, its pilot presses touchscreens and runs through the last of the checklist. "Pilot Liam," he says, "deploying to neutralize Vajra hostiles." Camera feed lights up an aux display, captured by a nearby monitor. Liam watches as the drones flee, bearing... eggs.
A faint pang echoes through Liam's heart. He takes a breath. He can't let them escape. They'll just relocate somewhere else, and more people will die. The Akashima steps out of its cradle, and strides down a main road, towards the quarantine zone. "Akashima Balor, engaging the enemy." The Balor's massive, monoptic head angles down, towards the Vajra 'convoy'. What looks like a sensor dish at first glance begins to glow in the infrared spectrum, and a moment later, a beam of tangible, focused, broiling heat erupts from within. The Balor's 'gaze' falls upon one of the soldiers, intent on scouring it from the earth.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Kaiju Navi with EL-334-A Optical Heat Ray - Target Acquisition! KTS: Liam 7-020's Tactical Intelligence activates Strike! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Liam 7-020's EL-334-A Optical Heat Ray - Target Acquisition! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Force Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi poorly guards Liam 7-020's EL-334-A Optical Heat Ray - Target Acquisition, taking 1710 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Lucine knows where Sheryl was-- at least, she knows as much as what was allowed. Lucine would have talked instead about the wonderful night she had with Rena and Liam that night at the casino, and how her boyfriend looked like he was a dashing secret agent from a movie in his suit. ... Thankfully, no one ever did, or ever thought to. The story of the glamourous anonymous young woman they met that night shall remain a pleasant memory.
What Lucine doesn't know is that Alto doesn't know, and perhaps, even if she did, she'd be reluctant to correct that. There's a strong bond between Alto and Sheryl, one that may make it even harder to speak on certain issues face to face.
Now, as Lucine flies in the Dianthus, those pleasant memories are far away. Her playlist, an eclectic mix of Martian jazz, pop songs, and classical piano, is turned low as she scans the area for signs of Vajra for Terminal. Such missions are perfect for the fast Dianthus; she'll be back to the Nadesico before long, providing there's no sign of activity.
The first sign of things being different is the presence of SAL and VTX Union units. "Odd..." Not entirely unexpected, considering the reason she's there. And that reason is, of course, the Vajra.
And speaking of that...
This scouting is quickly changing to a completely different sort of mission entirely.
As Lucine Lucine spots the Akashima and wonders who it belongs to, she hears Alto's voice reporting in. Lucine flips her radio on in turn. < "... This is the Dianthus. Coming in to assist." > Perhaps, it was meant to be, as she hears Liam report in as well, confirming that the slumbering giant is, indeed, his.
Swooping in low, Lucine is surprised by the first notes of that song. She glances to the side of her display, noting it's not coming from her music player, but the radio. Lucine instantly recognizes it. ".... Sheryl? Is she..."
No. They're sung by someone else- one of Sheryl's biggest fans. "Ranka..." she murmurs quietly to her cockpit, yellow eyes briefly softening.
A patch of drones carrying eggs is seized upon by the Dianthus like a hawk, attempting to slice through and scatter the crowd of them in one swoop.
KTS: Lucine Azul targets Kaiju Navi with CL0-V3 Glaive Dive! KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Lucine Azul's CL0-V3 Glaive Dive! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Lucine Azul's CL0-V3 Glaive Dive, taking 3240 damage! <Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
The Vajra's emergence might have been a surprise, but Lagos's defenders have three advantages: one, there had been set-up for an offensive to take place soon, so there are people on-site to launch immediately, even if they aren't completely ready; two, the Vajra are attempting to leave, not attack; and of course, three, Ranka is here, singing her song that sends the Vajra wheeling around, heads whipping back and forth as if to try to find the source of her sound. Alto and the others thus get plenty of opportunity attacks in.
Alto's Messiah shoots a missile at the perimeter at one of the great red Heavy Knights. Leon, Sagiri and Rin all back him up, Leon and Rin's droids unleashing a barrage of blue lasers, the Tyranado unleashing a rat-ta-tat-tat-tat of beam gun fire. The initial missile smokes the Heavy Knight's wings, and as it begins the fall, the Tyranado's beams creates cracks in its armor that Leon and Rin's double barrage of lasers take full advantage of. Liam's Akashima opens fire with a beam of broiling heat an instant later, a final blast that smashes through the Vajra's considerable armor and changing its trajectory.
On the other side of the Vajra perimeter, Flay, Lilium, and Aurora push their attacks, while Team Tritten drops down from above to join in, however little they like it. Flay opens up rounds of pellets from the Strike E's bazooka, impacting a group of smaller green Vajra along a long line in a direction that pushes them away from the city and towards the Heavy Knight. Rose and her team attempt to shoot at the fliers carrying away the eggs directly, but another one of the Heavy Knights zips in to intercept and take on the attack itself. As it does so, that opens it up to Aurora's gun fire, and Lilium's rifle beam smashes into it to push it the rest of the way out of the way. The group of green Vajra is sandwiched between a pair of the big red Vajra, forming a cluster as they slam into each other, then fall, veering off away from the city. Thanks to the coordination and precision of everyone's combined attacks, their dead forms crash into the lake, well away from any populated areas. City fighting is terrible, but they're all professionals.
It's thanks to that too that the Vajra don't notice the Dianthus until it's too late. Making critical use of the opening that everyone else made for her, Lucine is able to punch through the group of egg-carrying drones. Her unit's relatively small size means she's not able to take out much of the group, but what she does hit, she hits with extreme and deadly force.
Even with all that, the Vajra don't pull together a coherent counterattack--not at first. But as Ranka's song continues--as her feelings of sorrow and worry make it into her sound--there is a change to their demeanor. Their wings flare as the perimeter bugs pull together to form a more concentrated defense while the fliers with their eggs continue to concentrate on departure, then unleash a concentrated blast of missile fire against all their attackers. There's no uniqueness, no elegance, no thought: just missiles, missiles, missiles, as far as the eye can see. If anyone gets any special treatment, it's Lucine and her Dianthus, who's chased down by several of the Mobile Soldiers, who will tackle her unit directly if they can catch up to her.
The Vajra at least don't aim towards their own kind, so there's impetus to head towards the fliers beyond trying to take out the eggs. However, at the same time, the Vajra give no care whatsoever for the city below; the missiles may hit it too if no one takes care to intercept them first, one way or another. After all, the people there may as well be ants.
But there is one person here they care about. As the missiles launch in all directions, evasive maneuvers take place among the targets--and therefore there are missiles that go where they weren't meant to go.
One of them impacts the Koenig Monster, where Ranka sings.
~ * ~
Meanwhile...
Sheryl's eyes crinkle. The mask hides it, but she smiles at Rin's concern, and returns the brief side-hug. "I will. Now go!"
She can't possibly guarantee that she'll be safe and she knows it. Still, she'll be safer with Rin out there shooting down Vajra than in a shelter with her doing nothing. She trusts in Rin too to call in to Sagiri and the rest of Special Section 3 to let them know that she's secure--at least, when Rin leaves her, she's being escorted to safety with everyone else.
Evacuees and volunteers alike murmur amongst themselves as they all take their spots in the shelter. Sheryl sits among them, hanging her head. The air of anxiety lifts some as Ranka's voice emanates through the speakers, singing Sheryl Nome's debut song. Sheryl, too, looks up and listens, complicated emotions squeezing her chest.
It's been difficult for her to have the heart to sing since she ran away from Frontier, but the sound of Ranka singing a song so deeply personal to her makes her lips move almost unconsciously beneath her mask, singing along under her breath.
"Dear Lord in Heaven..."
They sang it together once before--just a couple of lines, that day they first met. Back then, too, Ranka had started singing, and Sheryl had joined in with her. Back then, Ranka had been a nobody, and Sheryl had topped the charts. Now...
"Our long, long good-bye..."
Now, it's the reverse. Ranka Lee is the Songstress of Hope who will lead humanity to victory against the Vajra, and Sheryl Nome, once the lauded Galactic Fairy, is... irrelevant. Dying. Sheryl hates it, but she could never hate her.
"Your gentleness when you waved your hand hitched my breath..."
All she can do is listen--
"But what I want now is strength..."
--as Ranka's Diamond Crevasse 50/50 is interrupted by the sound of explosions and the screech of the Vajra.
KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Lucine Azul with Vajra Armored Claws Heavy Impact! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Alto Saotome, Sagiri Sakurai, Rin Naujakaite, Leon Sakaki, Rose Tritten, Flay Allster, Aurora Dusk, Lilium Valerie, and Liam 7-020 with Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Aurora Dusk engages charge against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Aurora Dusk successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 4128 damage! KTS: Sagiri Sakurai engages intercept against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Sagiri Sakurai successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 2236 damage! KTS: Flay Allster has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Flay Allster engages intercept against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Flay Allster's Physical Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Flay Allster successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 0 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 fails to engage intercept against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Liam 7-020's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Liam 7-020 moderately reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 3382 damage! KTS: Cannot inter this attack. Possible reactions are React, Evade, Guard, Block, Charge, Accept, Job, and Intercept. KTS: Lilium Valerie engages intercept against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Critical Hit! Lilium Valerie poorly reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 4558 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Ace Attacker activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Leon Sakaki fails to engage Evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Leon Sakaki's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Leon Sakaki moderately reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 3420 damage! KTS: Rose Tritten fails to engage Evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Critical Hit! Rose Tritten poorly reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 5203 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Ace Attacker activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Lucine Azul engages evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Heavy Impact! KTS: Lucine Azul successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Heavy Impact, taking 3510 damage! KTS: Rin Naujakaite engages block against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Critical Hit! Rin Naujakaite poorly blocks Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 4858 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Ace Attacker activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Alto Saotome engages evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage! KTS: Alto Saotome's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Alto Saotome moderately reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Micro-Missiles Wide-Area Barrage, taking 0 damage! <Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Her eyes are on the viewport, as Skull-4 breaks away to attack. Her fingertips against it for a moment, but she never stops singing, the equipment capturing every single note, every single feeling and transmitting it to the public.
"I encountered you, and then I was born as the stars glittered above
"So long as I live, so shall I continue to love
"What's the point in waiting for a hopeless miracle you claim's forgone?
"'Cause the shining of those stars, blurred by my tears, are all gone...
It's said that when you're hearing someone's voice over electronic equipment, the way it's captured... it doesn't feel like your voice anymore, by the time you reach them. Not so this time, it's as if every single sound and feeling is captured perfectly. Every mourning note, every hint of sorrow. Every yearning desire within this loss that she feels.
"Forever lingering on my skin, my heart, my dewy eyes
"I'll never forget your warmth as you held me close like the rays of a sunrise
"A long, long good-bye..."
She sees the VTX Crew fly by in the Tyranado and the Carriax, and manages a hint of a smile, they helped save her after all... save her... from what? As the Gespenst joins them, she reminds herself that she's not alone, no matter how she feels right now.
"Farewell to thee, farewell to thee
"My dearly beloved
"Because I had you by my side, I could walk ahead
"I know I'm not alone, but still I feel so lonely
"So I want you now to answer me"
Lucine she views engaging the Vajra next, feeling her presence, and the world feels a little brighter, knowing she understands. But still, it's not enough for her, is it? To know they're with her - perhaps it's greedy or selfish... for a different sensation carries to a pair of earrings.
Where are you
It is just a momentary feeling, a sensation that both Alto and Sheryl feel acutely.
Please be safe
However the slip in concentration- even if not carried in the song is enough. The Vajra, they understand one thing. This sadness is the result of people - humanity. They did this, and it must be corrected.
A missile strikes the Monster, and the entire thing shakes from the detonation that tears a section of the hull away, the engines spewing smoke. Ranka can be best said to 'flinch' for a moment, then she keeps singing...
"S-Snatch a blazing meteor out from the heavens to light up a sign
"I want to keep loving you, I want you to love me for all time
"What's the point in freezing for a world that won't hold out a hand anymore?"
She doesn't let herself stop, she keeps singing even as Carnaria yells over the comms, "Damn - we lost the Aft thruster! Barrier Systems Failing. We're going down! I repeat, we're going down!" As Ranka pinches her eyes shut against the sudden G-Force.
I'm scared
The two with the earrings feel it again, but the singing doesn't stop, after all - Sheryl didn't as the world went mad around her, not until the very end. If she can give that much...
"Brace yourself kid!"
"I keep putting on airs, but in truth your touch is all I long for...
"Why can't I find my way? My tears spill-
... then so can she. The Monster strikes the ground abruptly, and the transmission goes dead for Nigeria all at once, with one last heavy impact, before it crackles away to static.
And within the bunkers, the people whisper, some making panicked noises, and a few even breaking into tearful sobs.
-=-=-
Everyone on site sees it, the Koenig Monster slamming down into the ground, skidding... sliding before slamming into an outcropping that causes it spin out, briefly aerial once more, before the Monster strikes the lake just off shore.
Partially submerged, spewing smoke into the air like an angry lake beast.
The comms are utterly silent within the Monster.
The Vajra however, are not, as several immediately break off, to descend towards the fallen craft...
KTS: Ranka Lee targets Alto Saotome, Rose Tritten, and Rin Naujakaite with Shock! KTS: Rose Tritten accepts Ranka Lee's Shock! KTS: Ranka Lee shocks Rose Tritten, reducing its Morale significantly. KTS: Best Defense! Rose Tritten successfully reacts to Ranka Lee's Shock, taking 0 damage! KTS: [Spirit Defense] Rose Tritten's activates, and its spirit endures. KTS: Rin Naujakaite accepts Ranka Lee's Shock! KTS: Ranka Lee shocks Rin Naujakaite, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Best Defense! Rin Naujakaite successfully reacts to Ranka Lee's Shock, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
Aurora sees the big Akashima deploy and immediately recognises the beam emitter it uses. She's only ever seen one Akashima with that weapon, and until she sees another, anyone using it gets flagged in her mental IFF as him. As she fights, she gradually drifts closer to Liam in formation. Does she realise she's doing it?
Missiles! Missiles! Missiles! The sky fills with MISSILE ALERT. An undifferentiated swarm of missiles... Aurora's instincts (are they all natural?) take over, and she focuses on her objective, dives in using the Vajra fliers as insect shields. A 'If you fire... I cannot guarantee the safety of the hostages behind me!' move. Hm. Now where did she learn that kind of trick?
Just because they're being used as insectoid shields doesn't mean that Aurora can't attack. The beam sabers flash out, and she advances on the nearest fliers, intent on cutting them to ribbons.
Aurora opens a channel to Liam and Lucine as a matter of habit. Why wouldn't she call Liam? Again, her internal IFF flags him as basically a squadmate.
%(It's meant to be that way, even if it's taken a while to happen.)
KTS: Aurora Dusk targets Kaiju Navi with GN-X Beam Saber Rapid Flurry! KTS: Aurora Dusk has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Aurora Dusk's I've Accepted the Machine that I Am activates! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Aurora Dusk's GN-X Beam Saber Rapid Flurry! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi poorly guards Aurora Dusk's GN-X Beam Saber Rapid Flurry, taking 2475 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sagiri Sakurai has posed.
Do you think this counts as a cover?
<"Huh?"> Sagiri Sakurai blinks as Rin's familiar voice comes through the clarity of her commlines. She scratches her cheek, and even in the midst of mrlrr with malignant monsters, she takes a moment -- to consider the music.
Even if Sagiri -isn't- the biggest buff of modern-day galactic pop (much to Rami's deep dismay and eternal embarrassment) she knows this song is Sheryl's, not Ranka's. And the voice behind it -- the tenor, the tone -- the emotion...
"Mm," Sagiri exhales. "... no. This is more like... a dedication."
Rami Amasaki blinks. Her cheeks flush. <"A- a dedication??">
<"heh heh heh heh">
even for anyone not on board the Carriax at this moment, Amies Ernest's tiny voice makes it horrifyingly easy to picture her glasses-glinting expression of delight.
<"A-Amies, stop!">
<"Oh Rami. I'm not doing anything. I'm merely a vessel for the ship...!">
<"Ugh. I swear, you're all insane.">
That they can find time for this even in the midst of a hellacious Vajra swarm just means that they're that damn good at their job.
And that, yes, they're all insane. Even Meryl.
Still -- Sagiri has plenty of reasons -not- to like the Vajra right now beyond her simple disdain for insects. The most immediately relevant: how damn -hard- it is to breach those exoskeletons. She swears it gets more and more difficult every time they fight -- and she knows there's a terrible truth to that fact.
The weapons of the Tyranado pack a punch, thanks to the Quark Drive. They haven't pushed it to its limits, Sagiri knows -- but how long until even that isn't enough? How sustainable is this? ...
Thoughts she pushes to the back of her mind as the Vajra manage to put together a counter-offensive. Incoherent though it might be, it's still deadly -- and so scattershot it's proving to be a threat to -more- than just the assembled forces arrayed against them. VTX's Fallen Angel puts it all together with an eyes-widened "Shit--!" before the Tyranado unholsters -both- Beam Bayonets.
"Rami! Jack up the output!"
"R-right!"
And, optics igniting, the Tyranado fires, and fires, and -fires- an endless volley of high frequency gunfire upon those missiles, arms sweeping in either direction and frame spinning in mid-air to catch as many of those missiles as it can. To its credit, the Tyranado intercepts a good bulk of them. The only -real- problem? Sagiri's focus is almost entirely on trying to shoot down the bio-warheads raining down towards the city itself before they can land, and when a few break through, they explode across the back of the Tyranado in a ravenous bloom of fireballs, aborting that firing sequence and sending it violently tumbling through the air before counter-thrust manages to catch it.
Within the cockpit, Sagiri and Rami rattle about; SS3's manager shoots a look over her shoulder Rami's way, concerned but firm.
"Rami, you okay?"
Rami clenches her jaw and gives resolved nod. "Yes, ma'am -- wait, the missile trajectories -- Ms. Lee's Monster--!"
Struck. Sagiri's pastel green eyes widen as she watches the Koenig spin out and screech to a violent crash.
And already, the seasoned ace of VTX is already moving, punching the accelerator on the Tyranado with a barked, <"Carriax! Give me cover fire!">
<"Understood, Sakurai. We're targeting the ones splitting off. Do what you have to!">
She doesn't even have to hear Hirosuke's confirmation before the Tyranado is breaking off, roaring towards the direction of the Monster with those dizzying speeds it is so very capable of when pushed as behind it, the Carriax banks into position, firing off a volley of its -own- missiles into the Vajra swarms.
<"Ms. Cinderella! Koenig -- come in! Are you alright?!">
KTS: Sagiri Sakurai targets Kaiju Navi with Carriax Payload!
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
Lilium's unit falls in with Flay, Aurora, and the rest of the Blaiddyd deployments fairly swiftly after moving to engage--moving swiftly from the first targeted knight to the two sandwiching the smaller forms--and then searching out other targets as they fall into the lake without intervention. It's this search for potential high-value marks for the Long Rifle that leaves her distracted from the sudden swarm of Bio-Missiles--and that distraction causes her to activate her Beam Vulcans far too late to meaningfully intercept the missiles bound for her. And, unfortunately, with the city behind her shifting out of the way like she usually does is not an option
<<GIYHAAAH--!!>>
A yell over the shared line. A sputter in the GN drive for a moment, as Lilium's unit briefly spins out of control. A frantic grasping at control columns and an emergency reboot of the Flight Assistance Computer later, and she's stabilised... just in time to see the Koenig Monster slam into the ground and hear Ranka's singing abruptly cut out. That's. That's bad--I mean, obviously it's bad, there are people in there, but if she remembered the orientation correctly then from a strictly tactical perspective this was--
Lilium's eyes widen slightly as a portion of the Vajra swarm breaks off, turning towards the downed Variable Bomber.
<<Shit, shit--SHIT--!>>
A series of curses are directed over the line towards nobody in particular as Lilium, flying into a panic, starts snapping off shots in the general direction of the break in the Vajra formation
KTS: Lilium Valerie targets Kaiju Navi with GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Snap-Shot!
<Pose Tracker> Rin Naujakaite has posed.
It's a pretty good reaction force, Rin thinks, and it's not just because of her being in it. Fighting the Vajra... something about it is... easier, perhaps? Because, after all, they're... insects, massive insects perhaps, but if they wish to communicate, to show their true selves, they sure as hell haven't done it yet.
She doesn't question it that much.
"This isn't exactly rousing battle music but I appreciate it," she comments to the Carriax, while unlimbering the Magna Beam Launcher (MP type) that her Gespy has as core equipment. "I think you're right, it's just... somber, but maybe that's good? Not everything has to be peppy and poppy and up-beat!" A couple of shots --
-- something interrupts the song --
No, they got hit, Rin thinks, turning her head in the glittering and half-speed landscape she has to live in. She hears the transmission's decay and she watches the Monster. It falls; it falls, it strikes, it BOUNCES, and then it ends up in - in the lake -
Rin's mind, and her gut, swell in turmoil for a moment. She couldn't have just -- That wasn't -- Was it a Vajra weapon? It looked like -- but why --
I'm locking up, Rin thinks. She can feel her pulse increasing.
I should stop this, Rin thinks. Do something. She doesn't. Her pulse rate keeps increasing.
Swimming in this strange and horrific hyper-reality she is able to force herself to say something - it's more of a quick blurt, barely digestible as language - "rncrgethterehelphr"
The quadrepdal unit that had been pacing Rin and not doing a great deal thus far beyond periodically mounting a slight rise and ingesting visual data -- *erupts*, surging forwards in swift and leaping bounds that send them, him, bounding over several low slung buildings, avoiding them entirely.
Of course, Rancor's job was probably in large part to cover Rin on the ground, and the Gespenst is immediately struck against by a Vajra drone, leading to an "ngh!!" from Rin; though the impact throws the Gespenst back and makes the control thrusters kick in to brace it against the insult, she is at least not --
But perhaps Rancor's *true* job is to do what he's instructed -- and he continues his atrociously swift journey without comment or delay until a mere fifty yards away, where he dips down slightly before SPRINGING into the air to smash bodily into one of the Vajra going for the downed Koenig, aiming to smash the pointed wedge of his head-parts into the thing's thorax and, perhaps, hammer-and-anvil it into pieces in the lake itself.
(Which itself may not be the healthiest thing but you take the good with the bad.
KTS: Rin Naujakaite has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Rin Naujakaite targets Kaiju Navi with Rancor - Sic 'Em!
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Like a seal attacking a school of fish or a bird of prey catching a sparrow, the intention is enough to cause chaos, as well as divert a portion of Mobile Soldiers towards her.
The hunt is on.
".... Come *get* me," Lucine urges the Mobile Soldiers chasing her, as her trajectory flips upwards in a sharp angle. Her face contorts against the pull of gravity, ever a harsh mistress, but the thrill of the chase still manages to get through the sorrow of Ranka's singing, reminding Lucine of what's at stake.
She can't divert all of them by herself, nor make themselves all aim towards the sky, rather than towards the city.
As fast as the Dianthus is, it can't outrace a squad of Vajra working together with a hive intelligence. As she focuses on one part of the small portion of pursuers, another splits off to prepare for a pincer attack, attacking as she swoops around for another loop to keep close to the battleground. "Ngh!" Reflexes and Newtype insight force Lucine to angle the Dianthus at an angle into the awaiting Mobile Soldiers, keeping them from not getting as firm a grip as they could have, but still sustaining damage as the Dianthus attempts to force them off with a controlled daredevil drop in the air.
The speed makes the sound of Ranka's singing turn tinny in Lucine's ears, but still audible. Lucine's so focused that she doesn't realize the Monster beginning its crash course towards the ground.
In fact, it's only when she hears Ranka's voice cut off that Lucine realizes it. "Damn it!" The Dianthus begins its own descent as it swoops in, now playing the part of the killdeer, as its five 'petals' project out from its back.
A projection of energy echoes out, attempting to stun whatever portion of the approaching Vajra without risking hitting the city below.
She has to the Koenig will be okay, as long as it's protected.
KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Lucine Azul's Morning Star activates! KTS: Lucine Azul targets Kaiju Navi with Aure-019 System v.1 Howl!
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.
What are the Gaia Sabers doing here? Well, that answer is pretty simple. Lagos is a city of Earth, and the Gaia Sabers are the sword that will protect the Earth. That's not likely to be an answer to the Tritten Team's satisfaction, but they will do their part if they can.
"...Mhm. That means it's working," Flay asides quietly to Aurora. They manage to link up with Valerie, too, which is good - even if just their squad alone is terribly few against the mountains of Vajra that have made this city their home.
Something still feels rather unusual about the Vajra's behavior, but maybe that's just the effects of the song kicking in. They make no efforts to vary their attacks, to adapt to their opponents - they fire missiles, missiles, and more missiles! For Flay, that's not a problem at all - the VPSA could take care of them on its own.
But as much as she's prone to do so, in a battle like this, you need to think about more than just yourself. So she puts some effort into actually shooting them down, CIWS guns and bazooka pellets locking on and scattering to intercept as many missiles as she can. That means - whether Flay intended to or not, some of the missiles heading Team Tritten's way are helpfully shot down, even as they take a rather large brunt of the swarm.
What Flay's CIWS fire isn't able to stop, however, is the unfortunate missile that slips past and strikes the Monster Ranka had been singing from. "That's..." Flay's eyes widen as the transmission of Diamond Crevasse... simply cuts out. "Ranka's!" That's a problem, to say the least. "It doesn't matter if we don't have Ranka's song anymore," Flay thinks, though it might sound callous at first... "If Ranka's in trouble, she needs our help more than anything. So..."
Like Aurora, Flay draws the beam sabers mounted on the Aile Striker pack, and raises the thrust, aiming to slice apart a stray mobile soldier or two before they can make their way to the wreck of the Koenig Monster.
KTS: Flay Allster has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Flay Allster targets Kaiju Navi with Whirling Blade Advance!
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
One of the GN-X maneuvers closer. Liam glances at it, concern and comfort filling his heart in equal measures. "Aurora?" he asks, over the channel. Lucine joins them a moment later, but Liam is less surprised by virtue of having prioritized the Dianthus' very distinct silhouette and IFF. Programming knowledge is handy like that, sometimes.
"I hope she's hearing this," Liam says, "wherever she is." As melancholy as the song is, he prefers it to the bombastic version of 'Aimo' Ranka performed last time. "Stay alert." That's for everyone, not just Lucine, who's fought these things alongside him many times. "Looks like the music's working, but..."
Missiles. So many missiles. The Balor's head snaps up. Another burst of incinerating heat hits the center of the oncoming swarm, and four of the missiles detonate mid-flight in brilliant white blooms. There's too many to stop them all. The Pinpoint Barrier ignites to catch a few more, distancing their detonations from the Akashima's armor with a flickering, half-tangible wall. The rest of the missiles slam into the Akashima's thigh and chest, hammering into it. Liam grunts, and keeps the machine steady as debris rains to the abandoned street below.
He's fine. But...
"RANKA!" Terror clutches Liam's heart. "Aurora, keep them off of that craft!" Not that she needs any help, but instructing her a little feels right in the moment. "Lu--" They're going after her, too. A moment after the Dianthus releases its stunning wave, the Balor's megaparticle cannon finishes charging, and hoses down the Vajra moving on the smaller machine.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Kaiju Navi with EL-444P Variable-Output Cannon Array - Focus Fire! KTS: Liam 7-020's Tactical Intelligence activates Focus! <Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.
Rose does her best to avoid the flurry of missiles, her Blaze's normal maneuverability restricted by gravity. One of the bio-missiles gets too close and detonates, ripping through the spiked shield on her ZAKU's shoulder. The weapon panel light on her Beam Tomahawk blinks red as she stabilizes her ZAKU. Flying evasive, she watches as the Koening impacts the water.
"Oh CRAP!" Rose hisses, seeing the Vajra start to move towards the crash site. But now isn't the time to panic. Cool head, cool decisions, nothing rash and nothing without thinking. Just like they said at the Academy.
"Aspyn! Sushila! The Koening is down and the Vajra are closing in on it! Shift focus and help keep the Mobile Warriors off of it!" Rose ordered, rocketing towards the flying vajra closing in on the Koening.
"Is Ranka okay? What are we going to do with out her singing?!" Aspyn called out, the worry in her voice obvious.
"We're going to fight the Vajra that's what we're going to do, now come on!" Rose replied. "We're not letting the Gaia Sabers take all the credit!"
As Sushila's beam cannon lanced out into the sky, striking the flying Vajra, Rose and Aspyn closed in for their own attacks.
KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Rose Tritten targets Kaiju Navi with Formation Attack Pattern Epsilon!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
The Prophecy rears back as it gets tagged by the Vajra claw, Battroid legs flying out from underneath the fighter mode. Leon yanks back on the flight stick, but it's not enough to leave him without a nasty scrape on his fighter's hull. And he took such good care of it, too.
"Son of a-!" Leon's breath catches in his throat as the voice over the radio goes silent and the Koenig drops from the sky. Ranka Lee is on that Koenig. Ranka - she looked so young.
Leon sees it. The fighter soaring off into the sky, before disappearing in a horrible, all-consuming flash of light. Mia.
Flaring his leg boosters, Leon pulls the YF-25 in a rather complicated maneuver, spinning the plane with the legs before transforming into Battroid mode as he forms up around the Koenig's crash site, firing the Laser Vulcans all the way.
"GO TO HELL!"
KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Accel Spirit Command and and has gained Terrain bonus! KTS: Leon Sakaki has deployed in YF-25 Prophecy <Battroid>. KTS: EN Barrier activated! KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Kaiju Navi with Beam Vulcan! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Sagiri Sakurai's Carriax Payload! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Force Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Critical Hit! Kaiju Navi poorly guards Sagiri Sakurai's Carriax Payload, taking 2726 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Lilium Valerie's GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Snap-Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully guards Lilium Valerie's GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Snap-Shot, taking 2686 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Rin Naujakaite's Rancor - Sic 'Em! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Rin Naujakaite's Rancor - Sic 'Em, taking 2880 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Lucine Azul's Aure-019 System v.1 Howl! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Force Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi moderately reacts to Lucine Azul's Aure-019 System v.1 Howl, taking 1800 damage! KTS: Lucine Azul rattles Kaiju Navi, making its next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Flay Allster's Whirling Blade Advance! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Flay Allster's Whirling Blade Advance, taking 1950 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Liam 7-020's EL-444P Variable-Output Cannon Array - Focus Fire! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully guards Liam 7-020's EL-444P Variable-Output Cannon Array - Focus Fire, taking 2700 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Rose Tritten's Formation Attack Pattern Epsilon! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully guards Rose Tritten's Formation Attack Pattern Epsilon, taking 3204 damage! KTS: [Lucky] Leon Sakaki's Good Luck Charm activates, and luck goes his way! KTS: Kaiju Navi fails to engage guard against Leon Sakaki's Beam Vulcan! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Leon Sakaki's Beam Vulcan, taking 750 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
The Vajra are clearly not pleased if the barrage of micro-missiles released at them is any indication. As some of them swoop in towards Alto's Messiah, he quickly starts twisting his flight stick, feet pressing on the pedals as he sends his fighter darting around the approaching missiles. He then goes into a sharp turn, the missiles turning to follow. He then dives hard, starting to spiral, the missiles once more trying to track him, right up until two collide with each other and explode, taking their fellows with them.
Leveling off, Alto is about to counterattack when he notices the sudden ending of Ranka's song. Glancing around quickly, he spots the Koenig diving down towards the water, smoke trailing from it.
<"Ranka!">
The Messiah quickly turns to give chase, catching up to the crashed Monster a short time later. It quickly transforms into Battroid mode, landing down in the shallow water nearby. Raising the gunpod it its hands, the Messiah starts shooting bursts of gunfire at the nearest Vajra, trying to keep them away while Alto calls, <"Ranka! Are you alright? Canaria! What's your status!?">
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
With Ranka's song interrupted, the Vajra's movements change. No longer scattered or confused, their patterns and motions sharpen. The fliers continue to try to escape with the eggs with a singlemindedness that fails to acknowledge anything else going on, even their own deaths, and that leaves them vulnerable when Aurora dives in among them to use them as shields, then cut them down. However, a small contingent of Mobile Soldiers zoom in on her from above, aiming to knock her out of the formation and away from their babies. Once she's away, they'll close in to viciously yet methodically tear at her mech's armor with their claws.
Lucine's Dianthus has already been knocked away, and the Mobile Soldiers on her continue their assault, even as she opens fire on them to stun and avoid hitting the city below. She's successful in scattering them and forcing them away from the city, diverting their wrath--and also putting them directly in line of fire of Liam's Akashima, reducing them to a crisp. There are more Mobile Soldiers from the perimeter left, though, and they open fire with their back cannons on the Dianthus--and start to bodily swarm the far, far bigger Akashima, flapping their wings with such intense speed that it will rapidly start to heat the behemoth up, like bees attacking an invader in their hive.
Divides between SAL and the Gaia Sabers may as well not even exist to the Vajra. Sushila's beam cannon strikes several of the green Mobile Soldiers at the edge of the break in the perimeter as Rose and Aspyn close in for a more physical assault against them, while Lilium peppers them with shots and Flay gets right in the fray with her beam sabers to tear them apart. In response, they and several of their cohorts zip forward with claws outstretched to tear into Rose and Aspyn's ZAKUs and Flay's Gundam, while more offer cover fire from their back cannons on Lilium and Aspyn, unrelenting and far more measured than any panicked shots. Still, it does an excellent job of distracting them.
The contingent of Vajra that broke off for the Koenig naturally get an immediate response: Leon's Variable Fighter change and nonstop Laser Vulcans gets the personal attentions of one of the Heavy Soldiers, which zips around and attempts to bash into the sea green VF over and over, potentially knocking it away from the Koenig. Rancor, for all Rin's emotional tumult, does his job and does it well, spearing one of the Vajra that had been going for the Koenig pinning it down into deeper waters before they both sink. It's not enough to outright kill the alien, but it's plenty to stun and critically wound it.
Sagiri and the Carriax are the MVP for the moment. Intercepting all those missiles is no easy task, but they manage it, whether with counterfire or with the body of the Carriax itself. There might be some ash and debris that falls in their wake, but no missiles make it through. Because of that, Sagiri has the space to break through with her considerable speed and hitting the Vajra aiming to zero in on the Koenig with counter-missiles--and because of that, Alto makes it to the water itself to open fire on the Vajra in an attempt to ward them away. One of the Heavy Soldiers faces off against Sagiri's Tyranado with a barrage of cannon fire from the projectile emanating from its back. Another drops down into the water to grapple with Alto's Messiah, smashing its claws into him and attempting to get up on it and push it down. The enforced armor Sheryl got for it ages back are paying off now.
But there's one Vajra left that breaks through all the defenses. It lands on the Koenig and, calmly, methodically, begins to saw through its metal side. It isn't the action of a creature just going after a weakened enemy. There is comprehension there. There is intelligence. There is a goal.
Anyone with the spare attention for the Vajra that flew over to the Koenig Monster, and the spare brain cells to analyze what they're doing, will realize it:
They know Ranka's inside.
And they're trying to get to her.
~ * ~
A dedication... Sagiri's more right than she knows. Sheryl, Ranka, and Alto form a beautiful triangle, each of them influencing the other, so Ranka's Diamond Crevasse 50/50 is far more than a mere cover. Even if that's not apparent to most people, it's clearly apparent to Sheryl herself as the song continues. As Ranka pours more and more of her feelings into her voice.
Where are you? Please be safe.
It's a feeling that pulses inside Sheryl with the intensity of a migraine. Her near-silent voice cuts off as she looks up, the violet crystal in her drop earring swaying at the abrupt motion. "Ranka...?" she whispers.
Reflexively, she starts to rise--but she stops herself, settling back down on her knees. She can't answer. Physically, she can't answer, but also she knows Grace looms in Ranka's shadow. She can't answer. What good would it do anyway? She can't stop the Vajra. Even though she has their weird fold germs inside of her...
But the next moment, she freezes not because of her despair over her own situation, but the strike on Ranka's escort vessel. She can't see what's going on from inside here, but the audio is still on--who would have the time to cut it off now?--and soon there is a great static, and then nothing, to which Ranka, even after flinching, sings to the very end. Like a professional.
I'm scared
Like the professional Sheryl should be.
"Ranka...!"
A different kind of feeling lurches inside Sheryl like a monster as the transmission statics out and cuts. Her blue eyes widen. Around her, everyone goes silent. Then they whisper. The noise of panic starts to rise.
And then a child sobs.
Their mother tries immediately to hush them, but they can't be consoled. How could they be, after the Songstress of Hope has fallen? But it snaps Sheryl out of her own stupor and makes her stare over at them. At all the other evacuees--people from Lagos she's never met, people from Frontier who came to help with the relief effort. All of them frightened. All of them falling into despair.
A sharp pain stabs through Sheryl's head. She gasps as she clutches it without thinking. It fades almost as soon as it came, though, and Sheryl pulls her hand away--and brushes against her earring.
Her heart skips a beat. Fold quartz. She takes it off and holds it up to the light, where it gleams: a small but significant chunk of fold quartz. The thing her grandmother had been studying. The thing the Vajra make inside their bodies.
Sheryl stares into its depths. Her song has no power over the Vajra. It has no power--right? So she'd been telling herself all this time.
But there are humans here. People who are afraid, who've been hurting for ages. As she looks around at them, it dawns on her that there's something she can do after all.
She looks back at her earring, and her eyes set with determination. She pulls off her mask and casts it at her feet.
Ranka... if you're the Songstress of Hope, then I'll sing even in the midst of my despair.
Sheryl affixes her earring back onto her earlobe and rises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYW6r80kNPE (An Empty Diamond Crevasse)
"Dear Lord in Heaven... back when I was deep in love with you..."
The child's crying slows and stills. They, and the others around them, look around in confusion. It only takes them a couple of seconds to spot Sheryl, arms outstretched as she sings. Some of the lighting flickers, and for a moment, it seems she stands under a spotlight.
"There was not a moment when I imagined such a parting would tear us in two... ooh ooh..."
'Isn't that Sheryl?' 'I thought she quit singing...' 'What's she doing here?' 'So pretty...'
So the people in the crowds murmur, their anxiety easing.
"If we were fated to never touch each other again,
"Then at least, before I wept, I wanted you to hold me tight and forget for then... ooh ooh..."
One man in particular pops up from the crowd, gaping. With a white suit and hat, blue hair and thick brows, round sunglasses, Elmo Kridanik also left Frontier after he was removed as Ranka's manager, and eventually came to Lagos to help with the relief effort. He certainly never expected to see the Galactic Fairy here, as expressed by how he gawks at her.
"Our long, long good-bye..."
"Deculture...!" he utters in awe. He shakes his head and scrambles over to the door. Keeping his voice low to avoid interrupting Sheryl's impromptu performance, Elmo tells the guards that they need to patch her song out to the national broadcast that had just been interrupted.
"Farewell to thee, farewell to thee, my dearly beloved
"Because I had you by my side, I could walk ahead."
"Please! I'll do anything! You've got to make everyone hear her song!" Elmo bows deep at the waist. "Ranka would want that too, I just know it!!"
The guards shoot each other a look--but they're also from Frontier. They don't need convincing. "We'll call it in right now," one says; the other is already on their communicator, relaying a message from the bunker to their superiors. They'll get a response right away--but while the patching takes place, the Vajra continue to attack, and Sheryl continues to sing... and the fold quartz in her earring shines.
"I know I'm not alone, but still I feel so lonely, woahh
"So I want you now to answer me...!"
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
"Retrieve LQ at once." Is Grace O'Connor's sole order to every resource she has, as she checks the read out on her vitals.
Glowering, she holographically taps a few keys, then says with angry resignation, "It can't be helped." And abruptly cuts the feed on the League Monitoring equipment, as she begins to charge up something that may be needed.
-=-=-
Neither Ranka nor Carnaria respond to the comms though, Carnaria's face is buried against the controls, impact deadened just enough by the airbag which shot out and back inside.
Whereas Ranka's head is lolled forward in the harness that otherwise keeps her bolted in to her seat.
A dedication. It is the appropriate term for it. That Ranka Lee wanted people to hear her music never meant desiring people not to listen to Sheryl Nome's. No, if anything she wanted her music to drive Sheryl to greater heights, just as Sheryl's music drove her to where she is now.
... But Sheryl is...
In the dark, it's like she can hear her. No that's not accurate. It's more like she can feel her. This aura of pink warmth, flickering around the edges with the faintest red.
Sheryl...
An ephemeral hand reaches out as if she might cross that expanse between them, but the closer she is, it's like the further she gets. A maddening paradox of feelings, the faster she sprints... the further away she is, but no matter how far.
She can feel her! She can feel her-!
It's those feelings that she tries to chase after, but others...
Ms. Cinderella! Koenig -- come in! Are you alright?!
If Ranka's in trouble, she needs our help more than anything.
RANKA!
Damn it!
Shit, shit--SHIT--!
Is Ranka okay? What are we going to do with out her singing?!
Ranka! Are you alright? Canaria! What's your status!?
Torn between two sides of her feelings, she feels that connection start to waver, between the girl that is Ranka Lee, and the Songstress of Hope everyone needs her to be... Alto especially, out here right now... distantly she starts to hear the faint blare of alarms, and a banging noise that becomes... like sawing...
still I feel so lonely, ohh
So I want you now to answer me...!
It is not the next line of the song that Sheryl is singing that crackles over the comms, but it is the next line.
"I... encountered you...and then... I was b...born as the stars glittered above..."
It is also an answer, to everyone over the comms, and to the singer herself... her eyes crack open, and there's a frightening scent of blood in her helmet, but...
... she's still here, and she makes herself known that way, which is the exact moment that a Vajra's mandible erupts through the hull just in front of her.
Ranka's too out of it to even realize she ought to scream.
-=-=-
Grace's finger calmly inputs the code to finish the arming sequence of her last resort as she utters darkly a single word. "Useless."
Still, she's waiting until the last possible moment to set it off.
[OOC] Sheryl Nome says, "blu-ray It's not enough to outright kill the alien, but it's plenty to stun and critically wound it. In return, though, the Vajra attempts to curl in on Rancor--and self-destruct. At least the water will contain the blast, but that might be cold comfort in another second."
KTS: Alto Saotome accepts Ranka Lee's Shock! KTS: Ranka Lee shocks Alto Saotome, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Best Defense! Alto Saotome successfully reacts to Ranka Lee's Shock, taking 0 damage! KTS: [Spirit Defense] Alto Saotome's Song of the Fairy activates, and his spirit endures. KTS: Alto Saotome targets Kaiju Navi with Leading Fire! KTS: Kaiju Navi engages guard against Alto Saotome's Leading Fire! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully guards Alto Saotome's Leading Fire, taking 3225 damage! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Aurora Dusk with Caution! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Strike! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Rose Tritten with All-Out! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Wall! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Lilium Valerie with Pass! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Alert! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Flay Allster with All-Out! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Valor! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Leon Sakaki with Demoralize! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Focus! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Rin Naujakaite with Goad! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Wall! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Sagiri Sakurai with Awe! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Strike! KTS: Sheryl Nome targets Alto Saotome with Dream! KTS: Sheryl Nome's Fairy-9 activates Trick! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Aurora Dusk with Vajra Armored Claws Heavy Impact! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Lucine Azul with Vajra Bio-Machine Guns Leading Fire! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Liam 7-020 with Vajra Mobile Soldiers Swarm Converge! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Rose Tritten with Vajra Armored Claws Vicious Swipe! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Lilium Valerie with Vajra Bio-Machine Guns Ripping Barrage! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Flay Allster with Vajra Armored Claws Vicious Swipe! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Leon Sakaki with Vajra Bio-Cannon Close Impact! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Rin Naujakaite with Vajra Bio-Cannon Self Destruct! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Sagiri Sakurai with Vajra Bio-Cannon Tearing Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi targets Alto Saotome with Vajra Armored Claws Sharpened Crush! KTS: Liam 7-020 fails to engage guard against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Mobile Soldiers Swarm Converge! KTS: Liam 7-020's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Critical Hit! Liam 7-020 poorly reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Mobile Soldiers Swarm Converge, taking 4070 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Ace Attacker activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Kaiju Navi's Defiance activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Kaiju Navi rattles Liam 7-020, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Lilium Valerie has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Sagiri Sakurai has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Sagiri Sakurai engages evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Cannon Tearing Shot! KTS: Best Defense! Sagiri Sakurai successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Cannon Tearing Shot, taking 0 damage! KTS: Lilium Valerie engages evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Machine Guns Ripping Barrage! KTS: Best Defense! Lilium Valerie moderately reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Machine Guns Ripping Barrage, taking 0 damage! KTS: Flay Allster has activated the Rouse Spirit Command. KTS: Flay Allster's SEED Factor activates! KTS: Sagiri Sakurai has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Lucine Azul engages evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Machine Guns Leading Fire! KTS: Lucine Azul successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Machine Guns Leading Fire, taking 3040 damage! KTS: Rose Tritten accepts Sheryl Nome's All-Out! KTS: Sheryl Nome orders an all-out attack, raising Rose Tritten's Skill! KTS: Best Defense! Rose Tritten successfully reacts to Sheryl Nome's All-Out, taking 0 damage! KTS: Flay Allster fails to engage parry against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Vicious Swipe! KTS: Flay Allster's Physical Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Flay Allster moderately reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Vicious Swipe, taking 1440 damage! KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Rose Tritten has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Rose Tritten fails to engage Parry against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Vicious Swipe! KTS: Best Defense! Rose Tritten successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Vicious Swipe, taking 2700 damage! KTS: Aurora Dusk fails to engage evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Heavy Impact! KTS: Aurora Dusk poorly reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Heavy Impact, taking 3900 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi repulses Aurora Dusk, preventing her from Charging the next attack! KTS: Leon Sakaki fails to engage Block against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Cannon Close Impact! KTS: Leon Sakaki moderately reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Cannon Close Impact, taking 3960 damage! KTS: Rin Naujakaite has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Rin Naujakaite has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Liam 7-020's The Hound activates! KTS: Rin Naujakaite fails to engage charge against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Cannon Self Destruct! KTS: Best Defense! Rin Naujakaite successfully reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Bio-Cannon Self Destruct, taking 4350 damage! KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Alto Saotome engages evade against Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Sharpened Crush! KTS: Alto Saotome's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Alto Saotome moderately reacts to Kaiju Navi's Vajra Armored Claws Sharpened Crush, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
Aurora definitely did notice when Ranka's song cut out. She just... assumed the escorts had it handled? She was busy losing herself in the fog of combat at the time.
Her attention draws back when she's ordered to back up the Koenig Monster, though. Flay expresses something that's basically an order, and that's as good as one. Liam is more explicit in telling her what to do. Either way, Aurora's GN-X veers over to support the Monster
However, in her attempt to reposition, she's intercepted by a squad of Mobile Soldiers. "Out of my way!" Aurora draws her beam saber and tries to fight them off while on the move, but her attention is too split. Sharp claws rake across the back of her machine, leaving their mark. Aurora's mistimed attempt at slipping through the formation still gets her through, though.
She spots the single Vajra nearly immediately and flags it for every ally she can. "Heads up. Vajra going for Ranka directly!" It's fairly obvious what it's doing, because she's done the same type of mission. High-value target retrieval. It's going to kidnap Ranka!
"No you don't!" Out comes the beam saber again, as Aurora swoops down to impale the offending... Vajra spec ops? Do they have those? ...No, it's an interesting topic actually. Do hiveminds have specialist units? She can't tell any difference other than goal here. Maybe she'll find someone who knows more about it and ask.
KTS: Aurora Dusk targets Kaiju Navi with GN-X Beam Saber Through And Through! KTS: Aurora Dusk has activated the Valor Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
There's no response from the Koenig, which just makes Alto even more worried. The bomber shuttle doesn't look too damaged, but still a crash like that could...
No, she's fine. Right? Right!?
Distracted as he is, Alto fails to notice the Vajra charging him until its too late. The creature's first swing of its arm sends the gunpod flying from the Messiah's hands. There's a surprised look on Alto's face as on the screen he can see the Vajra in front of him preparing another strike.
'I know I'm not alone, but still I feel so lonely, woahh
'So I want you now to answer me...!'
The engines in the Messiah's feet light up, pushing it backwards away from the Vajra's swing, those sharp claws just barely missing tearing through the VF's torso by a couple of feet. The Messiah spins around in the air as it circles the Vajra, gracefully drawing one of the assault knives from within its shield.
The knife begins to glow with light as the craft's pinpoint barrier focuses on it. Alto strafes around the Vajra, swings the knife in to drive through a gap in the space insect's exoskeleton.
In the cockpit, Alto's eyes are glued to the screens as he tries to push the glowing knife in deeper. But as he is doing so, he notices the the crystal on his necklace shining.
The fold quartz. Is it reacting to its pair? He could have swore he heard Sheryl's song... Is she nearby!? If he could find her...
No. Now is not the time. The Koenig is in danger, even as one of the GN-Xs swoops down to try and save it. Alto needs to focus!
KTS: Alto Saotome's Here Is The Warm Sea activates! KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Alto Saotome has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Alto Saotome targets Kaiju Navi with AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Aurora Dusk's GN-X Beam Saber Through And Through! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Critical Hit! Kaiju Navi poorly reacts to Aurora Dusk's GN-X Beam Saber Through And Through, taking 3300 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Aurora Dusk's Hands Stained the Colour of Wrongdoing activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Alto Saotome's AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge! KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Alto Saotome's AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge, taking 5130 damage! <Pose Tracker> Sagiri Sakurai has posed.
If nothing else, there is a poignant and palpable sense of relief on Sagiri Sakurai's part as the Tyranado and Carriax's efforts bear fruit in defense of the city.
Lagos - the entirety of Earth, really - have already suffered enough, recently. If she can protect it, even a little bit...
To her, that's more than earning her paycheck.
The missiles of the Carriax ripple fire and heat and force through the air as the Tyranado spins with dizzying intensity through the skies. Thanks to the Carriax, it manages to break through the Vajra's lines and intercept them on the path to the Koenig. Everything that comes next -- well, that's a bit tricky to navigate.
Counter-offensives are coming, and Sagiri knows it. She calls out a "Hang tight!" to Rami before banking their mobile suit to the left and -up- from the Koenig's position, such that when that Heavy Soldier aims and fires -- it fires straight up into the air.
<"I don't think so, you buggy bastard--!"> shouts Sagiri, full of a belligerence only VTX's Fallen Angel can truly bring to bear. Rami instinctively ramps the output of the Quark Drive; jade-and-cerulean energies -pulse- through the Mobile Suit.
And it -jukes- to the side with a phantasmal crackle, so fast it leaves greenish afterimages in its wake, leaving the Vajra's beam attack to punch through the dead center of one of those fading phantoms.
The Tyranado comes to a stop -- and as it does, Ranka's voice once more crackles through the comms. A little weaker, but still there.
Still singing that dedication, no matter what.
<"... Hah,"> exhales Sagiri, closing her eyes. <"Ms. Cinderella is really giving it her all, huh? I guess... we better answer in kind. Meryl! Time to break out the big guns!">
<"Understood, ma'am! Mega Buster Striker, en route!">
The undercarriage of the Carriax opens as it flies past, and from it launches a massive, oblong object. It jets through the skies--
<"I'm only gonna tell you bugs this one time!">
Until the Tyranado takes hold of it with both hands with a CH-CHUNK! of impact.
<"Our client has a very important date to fulfill! When it comes to fulfilling our clients' needs--">
The front of that egg-like object hisses open, revealing a cannon barrel.
Crackling with mounting energies funneled into it direct from that oh-so mysterious Quark Drive.
<"--Special Section 3's Special Service can't be beat!">
And with a blinding flash--
THOOOOOOOOOOMMM
The Mega Buster Striker discharges in a beautiful column of haunting, sizzling blue-green energies, intent to wipe out that Heavy Soldier and any other Vajra that might get in its way.
The Buster Striker was still useful against the Vajra, last time. Sagiri is just hoping it still works. Either way, it doesn't matter. Someone important to her client is in that Monster; and hell, she likes Ranka too. Which means--
<"And you better bet your ass that's a guarantee!!">
-- there's no way she's backing down here.
<"Um, ma'am. ... you know the Vajra can't understand you, right?">
<"I know that, Rami. But sometimes you've gotta wear your heart on your sleeve, loud and proud!">
<"O-oh...!">
<"Besides -- the louder we are, the more clientele we'll attract! That's called building your brand, for free!">
<"... o-oh.">
<"For a moment, you were almost admirable, ma'am.">
<"Hey! It's important for a gal to reach shamelessly for the things she wants in life! Sheesh!">
Meanwhile -- Meryl frowns as she takes stock of the situation, blue eyes darting to the readouts from Rancor, Scorn, and Rin's Gespenst. As that Vajra goes out in a sudden and violent self-destruct, the redhead's frown deepens in mounting concern, flicking open the commlines.
<"Rin -- what's your status? Do you need assistance--?">
KTS: Sagiri Sakurai targets Kaiju Navi with Mega Buster Striker - Standard Fire!
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
< "Thanks, Liam..." > Lucine lets out a sigh as the Akashima's attack decimates her attackers. < "... If they're going for the Koenig Monster... maybe they realize it's the source of the singing? It's a sitting duck-- Liam!!" >
A flash of alarm prompts the Dianthus's pilot to swerve left to avoid another contingent of Vajra, but she equally feels alarm for the much larger Akashima, though not enough information to help Liam with their initial attack.
< ".... Liam, you're still in danger." > Or rather, she didn't realize *what* they were trying to do, just that there was 'danger'. < "They're planning something. Be careful." >
Cannonfire dents the small Dianthus's armor; reinforced as it is compared to its earlier incarnations, it still prioritizes speed and agility over security and size. Glancing at her readouts, Lucine resumes staring straight ahead.
She can feel it, though; something else is happening. Connection and bonds, something she would compare to the communication between certain Newtypes, but... not. Another path through the woods that separate one soul from one another.
A frequency, folding the distance between hearts like paper origami, until it becomes a thing that flies, as light as a paper airplane.
This moment, as far away and vague as it may seem from her vantage point... It needs to be protected.
< "Focus on the Koenig Monster. I'm going up to establish a scattered shot to try to divide their ranks. Take advantage of it if any of you can!" > Lucine's voice edges on a command as she swirls up into the sky, the sun against the Dianthus's back. Drawing the Argen-21 Beam Arbalest, the Dianthus points and aims downwards, its pilot mentally drawing a point on where each target will lie. The Dianthus's radar is true, and with Lucine's own senses, it will be as definite as the swoop of an owl's wings, and fall of claws on a mouse's back.
The scattering flow of shots erupt from the arbalest, casting in a swirling spiral onto the Vajra swarms below.
KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Foresee Spirit Command targeting Liam 7-020 KTS: Lucine Azul has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Lucine Azul targets Kaiju Navi with Argen-21 Beam Arbalest Lacrimosa!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
Leon continues his barrage of fire up until the point one of the Vajra charges a close-range beam and sends it directly at him. Quickly, Leon jerks his shield in front, focusing the Pinpoint Barrier to a point, but there's not enough time. The blast pushes the YF-25 backwards as it takes the brunt of the beam, boosters kicking up soil as metal peels from the heat of the blast. Leon groans with exertion. Ranka may be down, but keeping himself alive in this nightmare might be the bigger problem.
[Warning: Pinpoint Barrier Defense at Limit] the onboard AI beeps at Leon, who grimaces.
"I know, I know! How about this?"
The battered shield of the Prophecy pops open, and it draws its Assault Knife from the interior, the last dregs of the Pinpoint Barrier licking around its edge like flame as the 25 flips it into a reverse grip.
"C'mere!" The Prophecy takes off, as Leon makes to drive the knife into his attacker.
KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Kaiju Navi with AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge!
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
Lilium's heavy breathing fills her cockpit, just barely audible over the radio as she continually opens fire on any Vajra she can see in front of her, Long Barrel rifle glowing white-hot--she's too panicked to properly cycle it. All thoughts of preserving or denying Fold Quartz, or even confirming kills. As far as she's concerned, if she hits the shot and slows the Vajra down, that's more than enough. She occasionally shoots a frantic glance towards the Escort Target, but is a little too busy to properly keep track of its status--after all, she's being shot at.
As the bombardment from the Mobile Soldiers' Bio-Cannons streaks towards her Mobile Suit, Lilium grips her controls and initiates her tried-and-tested evasive maneuver--using the GN Drive's unique flight characteristics to shunt the entire mobile weapon thirty meters or so to the left horizontally at maximum speed. As usual, her seatbelt digs into her through her normal suit and her insides feel like they're still roughly thirty meters to the right, but the GN-X isn't so much as scratched. Hovering in place for just a moment, the Lieutenant struggles to catch her breath..
Is that... Ranka Lee, again..? She's.. alive?
A moment of relief washes over her, and her gaze turns--despite everything--to the wreck of the Koenig Monster just in time to hear Aurora's callout and see the sole surviving Vajra from the wave that rushed the downed VB tearing into its hull.
<<Confirmed, I see it-->>
She yells, bringing the Long Rifle to bear. They'd taken Ranka Lee before. They were trying to take her again. That couldn't be allowed to happen. She couldn't kill the Vajra trying to get to Ranka without risking Ranka herself's life--she wasn't fully sure just what it was that the GN-X's beams did to human beings, but she knew it wasn't pretty--but she could pick off any others that tried to close in while others solved the main issue.
Lilium takes in a sharp breath, steadying her aim... and fires.
KTS: Lilium Valerie targets Kaiju Navi with GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Sub-System Targeting Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Sagiri Sakurai's Mega Buster Striker - Standard Fire! KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Sagiri Sakurai's Mega Buster Striker - Standard Fire, taking 4160 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Lucine Azul's Argen-21 Beam Arbalest Lacrimosa! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Critical Hit! Kaiju Navi poorly reacts to Lucine Azul's Argen-21 Beam Arbalest Lacrimosa, taking 4180 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lucine Azul's Bright Eyes activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Leon Sakaki's AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge! KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Leon Sakaki's AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge, taking 3975 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Lilium Valerie's GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Sub-System Targeting Shot! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Lilium Valerie's GN-X Long Barrel Beam Rifle Sub-System Targeting Shot, taking 2000 damage! KTS: Liam 7-020 has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
There's no answer from the Monster. Liam feels his jaw tense as the seconds stretch out. Cooling vanes spread out from the back of the Akashima's elbow and shoulder, venting heat as a shimmering haze. "Keep them distracted," Liam says. The Akashima takes another step towards the fallen shuttle. Liam stops the machine, and settles it into a low defensive stance as he immediately meets with renewed, ferocious resistance. Vajra climb up his machine. The heat readout starts to rise into the orange band. They're trying to cook him alive in here, Liam realizes, unsure whether to be terrified at their determination, or laud their audacity.
Liam scrapes the Akashima's hand down its torso. One of the Vajra comes with it, gripped in the giant's hand. Smoke starts to vent from the overheating coolant vane.
Lucine cries out. What did she see? "Understood!" Liam says. He trusts her. First matter of business is to get rid of the Vajra clinging to his machine. The Prog Sword ejects from the shoulder mount. The Akashima's free hand rises to grasp the hilt, and then slash and stab at the aliens trying to overheat it. Once he's cleared himself some breathing room, he lunges at one of the larger Vajra, reminding them he's not out of the fight yet. As damaged as the Akashima is, there are others in far worse shape here.
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.
It's clear that the effects of Ranka's song begin to fade, the Vajra regaining full control of their actions. They push forward, against Gaia Saber and SAL units alike, those claws outstretched to attempt to tear apart the Strike E. Flay levels forth one of her beam sabers to force it back, but the Vajra cuts right through the saber, scoring a hit on the arm, the brief impact sending sparks flying. She turns her sensors, if only to make sure those ZAKUs are still behind her.
And while the Phase Shift Armour protects her from any serious harm, Flay is markedly at strain right now. As Aurora points out, the Vajra's true goal seems to be to capture Ranka. And they're a hivemind... so it couldn't just the one going off on its own. "There's way too many of them, there's no way I can get there in time!" Flay answers Aurora's heads-up as she clashes against another Heavy Soldier. "...So I'm counting on you."
Plugging the beam sabers back away, the Strike E soars upwards, now aiming down its beam rifle at the hive of Vajra that stand between them and the Koenig monster. What she can do is... buy enough time. ...Enough time for what, exactly? Ranka is still singing even now, it crackles on the comms. It might be that she has no intention of escaping. She barely even knows Ranka, but if there's anything Flay Allster won't do, it's to let someone's feelings go to waste.
She aims -- and fires, green lances of beam fire striking as many Vajra as she can reach. It won't be enough, not nearly on its own, but it is one effort out of many to save the life of someone who can't even defend herself right now.
KTS: Liam 7-020 targets Kaiju Navi with Progressive Blade Slash! KTS: Liam 7-020's Tactical Intelligence activates Valor! KTS: Flay Allster targets Kaiju Navi with 57mm Enhanced High-Energy Beam Rifle Rapid-Fire Assault!
<Pose Tracker> Rin Naujakaite has posed.
Rancor sails into the lake, the creature wrapped around his forward prong, his prow, his head. His legs have pressed down too. In a sense, the creature has him at a disadvantage now - his legs are not agile enough to grasp on and apply leverage, to *pull* that sharp head through the creature.
The Vajra has no such issue. The automaton, perhaps, of flesh, engulfs the automaton, perhaps, of metal, and though they sink into the lake, there is a titanic explosion. It is probably not wholesome for anything living in that lake; a huge splash in the air heralds the detonation as water expands, rises, and then falls back in a great and anomalous rain. A short-lived one, to be sure.
And Rin...
Blinks awake as something clicks off. For a moment she feels a bitter surge of self-loathing twining around the combat space as she reengages. The Magna Beam Launcher is immediately raised and shot at the first Vajra she can see --
But what good is it going to do? Focus returns, the world blooming. She can hear what Sagiri is saying... well that's good, Rin thinks bleakly, they're still alive for right now. "Scorn, get closer," she states with authority as she brings the Gespenst II round, backing in between two relatively bulky buildings (one commercial, the other a school that, thankfully, had its back half blown out and is not currently in use) to brace her weapon and fire upwards.
(Some bubbles rise in the lake. People probably aren't looking.)
Where is the Koenig, Rin thinks. They can't take her without actually taking her. This isn't a video game, they can still -- unless Ranka -- her eyes saccade up for a moment, spotting the ZAKUs for a fleeting moment, the VF-25. Then:
A song rings out.
Well, it's more like it clanks out, if we must compare it to the sound made by striking an object. But the sound is inimitably and indescribably *Ranka's* -- and that makes Rin's eyes widen. If she's singing, she isn't dead.
A moment later, Sagiri speaks. How the hell long has it been? Rin thinks with irritation. That was like ninety seconds! She answers Sagiri, a little ragged but perky: "I had to wrestle one of the damn bugs! I'm operational but Rancor--"
Something heaves up on a marina. Something is in fact big enough to just power through a dividing fence and directly into patio seating facing out on the lake for a tasteful little bar and grill serving the highest quality of currently-trendy cuisine.
"-- Oh, he came back on," Rin reports. "Scorn, eyes on your sibling!"
Scorn, who also shoots a missile at a Vajra while doing it but more in a casual 'you annoy me' way than a real commitment of assault, does just that. The high-fidelity camera adjusts several times quickly to reach the right zoom level.
Rancor is revealed. Approximately seventy percent of Rancor's armor plating is gone, as is his hind right leg (and the left one isn't looking so good.) He is pulling himself onto shore with basic, powerful motions of the forelegs, one of which has started smouldering now that it's out of water. The side of the blank-seeming plate of his head armor has shed a large cracked portion, revealing the rack of three tiny (seeming) red lights on swivel mounts which peer through cunningly crafted slits to feed visual data back to the logic blocks. Only one of them is still moving.
Rancor pulls himself on shore, completely destroying the patio seating of the local restaurant. He pushes upright. The red lights brighten slightly. His head turns, even as a horrible mechanical fault grind noise rings out, towards...
The fallen Monster with its precious cargo within.
"He looks like shit," Rin assesses, soberly. "Is he still trying -- Ugh! It's on the way, gonna link up with VTX-4.2 and cover you on the approach! Scorn, make me a path--"
Which would be rather a nasty thing to do in this kind of an urban area, however well evacuated, wouldn't it? Of course, Scorn understands the ask and has developed his style through painstaking effort and struggle (as far as a computer bird drone thing can struggle). A quick subvisual laser scan confirms the situation below him - a beam bombardment smashes down, but it tracks roadways and spares buildings. Missiles fire out, precisely, one per customer, as Rin fires up the maneuvering thrusters and follows the street grid.
The Magna Beam Launcher fires in short magenta snaps, rarely from far, and with chilling levels of precision. It would be more worrisome if the foe wasn't, like, the Vajra - and despite this pincer attack Rin still has to dodge, weave, and throw the Gespenst into a somersault that clips off a McDowell's sign that was kept too low to the ground!
"Whoops," Rin huffs. "You know, Sagiri, you really are a company woman to the core, huh? That was really inspiring now that I'm not worrying so much--"
KTS: Rin Naujakaite has activated the Rouse Spirit Command. KTS: Rin Naujakaite has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Rin Naujakaite targets Kaiju Navi with Team Up Combo - Press The Attack!!
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.
Rose does her best to avoid the flurry of missiles, her Blaze's normal maneuverability restricted by gravity. One of the bio-missiles gets too close and detonates, ripping through the spiked shield on her ZAKU's shoulder. The weapon panel light on her Beam Tomahawk blinks red as she stabilizes her ZAKU. Flying evasive, she watches as the Koening impacts the water.
"Oh CRAP!" Rose hisses, seeing the Vajra start to move towards the crash site. But now isn't the time to panic. Cool head, cool decisions, nothing rash and nothing without thinking. Just like they said at the Academy.
"Aspyn! Sushila! The Koening is down and the Vajra are closing in on it! Shift focus and help keep the Mobile Warriors off of it!" Rose ordered, rocketing towards the flying vajra closing in on the Koening.
"Is Ranka okay? What are we going to do with out her singing?!" Aspyn called out, the worry in her voice obvious.
"We're going to fight the Vajra that's what we're going to do, now come on!" Rose replied. "We're not letting the Gaia Sabers take all the credit!"
As Sushila's beam cannon lanced out into the sky, striking the flying Vajra, Rose and Aspyn closed in for their own attacks.
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.
As the Vajra close in, their terrifying claws whipping and whirling, Rose instinctively shifts her ZAKU's arm to try and deflect them, but with a shield that is no longer there. The claw rips off the ZAKU's arm, sending it pinwheeling away. She blasts back, shooting a burst that knocks another Mobile Soldier from Asypn's machine and sends it falling to the ground. Over the helmet radio, she can hear the singing, even feel it.
It feels so...calming.
Focusing.
Like something within Rose is opening up...
She spots one of the GN-X's, clearly a new pilot separated from its companions, losing a fight with a mobile warrior. She does a quick yo-yo maneuver and dives down, leveling the ZAKU's beam assault rifle pipper on the Mobile Soldier and letting the green beams stream forth, gutting the warrior and sharply flying a curving arc around the GN-X before she screams towards the Koening, Aspyn close behind as Sushila's Beam Cannon arcs carve gashes through the steaming and spraying water as they engulf more Mobile Soldiers with them, doing her best to slice a path for anyone trying to help.
<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.
As the Vajra close in, their terrifying claws whipping and whirling, Rose instinctively shifts her ZAKU's arm to try and deflect them, but with a shield that is no longer there. The claw rips off the ZAKU's arm, sending it pinwheeling away. She blasts back, shooting a burst that knocks another Mobile Soldier from Asypn's machine and sends it falling to the ground. Over the helmet radio, she can hear the singing, even feel it.
It feels so...calming.
Focusing.
Like something within Rose is opening up...
She spots one of the GN-X's, clearly a new pilot separated from its companions, losing a fight with a mobile warrior. She does a quick yo-yo maneuver and dives down, leveling the ZAKU's beam assault rifle pipper on the Mobile Soldier and letting the green beams stream forth, gutting the warrior and sharply flying a curving arc around the GN-X before she screams towards the Koening, Aspyn close behind as Sushila's Beam Cannon arcs carve gashes through the steaming and spraying water as they engulf more Mobile Soldiers with them, doing her best to slice a path for anyone trying to help.
KTS: Rose Tritten targets Kaiju Navi with Fomation Attack Pattern Lambda! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Liam 7-020's Progressive Blade Slash! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Kaiju Navi poorly reacts to Liam 7-020's Progressive Blade Slash, taking 3900 damage! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Flay Allster's 57mm Enhanced High-Energy Beam Rifle Rapid-Fire Assault! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Flay Allster's 57mm Enhanced High-Energy Beam Rifle Rapid-Fire Assault, taking 2937 damage! KTS: Flay Allster bypasses Kaiju Navi, preventing it from Guarding the next attack! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Rin Naujakaite's Team Up Combo - Press The Attack!! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Rin Naujakaite's Team Up Combo - Press The Attack!, taking 3150 damage! KTS: Rin Naujakaite begins a Formation attack! KTS: Kaiju Navi accepts Rose Tritten's Fomation Attack Pattern Lambda! KTS: Kaiju Navi's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Best Defense! Kaiju Navi successfully reacts to Rose Tritten's Fomation Attack Pattern Lambda, taking 2625 damage! KTS: Rose Tritten rattles Kaiju Navi, making its next maneuvers more difficult.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
In an instant, the line connects from the bunker where Sheryl sings to, if not the national transmission, then a local one to at least encourage those still fighting, sound waves rerouted to take over where Ranka had been so brutally cut off. The guards give Elmo a confirming grin and thumbs up, and Elmo pumps his fists with joyous enthusiasm. It's an effort to keep himself quiet and not interfere with Sheryl's song, but he manages. This is why he started Vector Productions in the first place--to let the deculture of truly great music be a vector between people's hearts. To him, the fact that Sheryl used to be the biggest name in the music industry makes no difference, nor does the fact that he was fired from being Ranka's manager. It's not just his job but his life's purpose to spread deculture!
"Snatch a blazing meteor out from the heavens to light up a sign
"I want to keep loving you, I want you to love me for all time!"
Sheryl herself is too absorbed in her performance to realize, as are the people now enchanted by her, watching and listening with a wonder bordering on reverence. It's a crowd of maybe forty people at best, and she hasn't been on stage or practiced in months, and the aftermath her intermittent coughing fits pain her throat now even after only a few verses, but she puts no less passion or emotion in her voice. Her impending death, her fall from grace, her disappearance... They all matter, but what Sheryl feels for Ranka now eclipses them all. The feelings that resonate back into her, not just from her but from Alto as he fights with everything he's got to keep her safe--keep both of them safe, ultimately--lift her up and let her anguish ring clear and resonate into catharsis.
"What's the point in freezing for a world that won't hold out a hand anymore?
"I keep putting on airs, but in truth your touch is all I long for...
"Why can't I find my way? My tears spill so fast, I can't wipe them away...!"
It's not just sound waves, though. The fold waves that had been so weak in Sheryl before build within her, until her call and response with Ranka draws something out of her. It isn't necessary to the Vajra that they be broadcast, for they can feel it within their own bodies--something that had been building for a long, long time, and now breaks as if through a dam to flood everything in its path. It breaks too through Sheryl's eyelids, streaking down her cheeks in the form of tears.
"Oooh oooh... woah-oh-oh... yeah ah ah..."
Sheryl doesn't notice the Vajra. She barely notices her own tears. What Sheryl does notice is Ranka herself. Her wavering voice that she nonetheless feels from an impossible distance. I want you now to answer me, she had sung, and Ranka answers--and just as Sheryl had drawn out her full potential once upon a time, so too does Ranka inspire something that resonates in her throat, in her soul, in the fold microbes populating her brain.
A lone Vajra looms over Ranka, having sawed its way into the Koenig to reach her. It peers at her barely-cognizant form, and leans down--
I... encountered you...and then... I was b...born as the stars glittered above...
"I encountered you, and then I was born as the stars glittered above,"
And it rears back, head whipping back and forth in renewed confusion. The other Vajra--all of them, even the fliers that should be escaping with the eggs--mirror its movements. Their attacks, their escape attempts, all stop. The one who is one of them should be right in front of them. She is right in front of them. So why is she suddenly somewhere else?
"So long as I live, so shall I continue to love!"
So when Aurora swoops in to impale Ranka's would-be Vajra kidnapper, it doesn't react. When Alto thrusts his Messiah's knife forward towards a gap in the Heavy Soldier's armor, it doesn't react.
"What's the point in waiting for a hopeless miracle you claim's forgone?"
Leon likewise knifes his enemy Vajra, enhanced by the last of his Pinpoint Barrier, and it jerks and buzzes weakly to no avail, a shadow of the monster it was literally seconds ago. Sagiri's Mega Buster Striker sears beautiful energies forward into her enemy, and it buzzes back and forth as if unable to tell which way is which; it dies doing this, never understanding anything (or perhaps fundamentally understanding everything) about the nature of S3's service.
"'Cause the shining of those stars, blurred by my tears, are all gone--"
Lucine's scattering shots, Flay's lancing green beams, and Lilium's sniper fire work like a dozen charms each, blowing through the Vajra's ranks and breaking apart their once-tight formation. The Vajra swarming Liam's Akashima simply fall off as he swipes them off with his Prog Sword, leaving him free to crush and cut them through.
"If one day we can be reborn into a world where we're safe and free,"
Rancor pulls himself to shore and is unimpeded, now that his enemy has already died, and Scorn carves perfect lines in the streets that guide Rin and her lasers to the Koenig; nothing gets in their way.
"Then I know I'll find you again, I know you'll race straight to me!"
Rose and her teammates clear the last of the space around the Koenig, ensuring any backup that could come simply won't. Without any more impediments, Aurora crushes the Vajra she's impaled, and Alto runs his clean through. The Vajra's considerable armor and quick-evolution against arms helps little if they can't even fight back.
"Never let me go, let us never again take love for granted,"
But then, that's the point, isn't it? That's why Ranka's song is being used.
"'I won't let you feel alone,' I want you to whisper to me, planet..."
It's just that it's gone back to being Sheryl's song, now.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
The confusion the Vajra start to display in front of Ranka is missed, as she instead squints from the sudden lighting then flinches from the noise as the Vajra attached to the hull is engaged.
Lightly tossed around by the sudden jostle of the crashed Monster she's trapped within, she squints at the glare of the knife as the Vajra is killed.
Her gut twists, as she expels a soft whimper, but then...
"So... long as I live... so shall I continue to love..."
Never let me go, let us never again take love for granted,
'I won't let you feel alone,' I want you to whisper to me, planet...
Her eyes are distant, unfocused for several interminably long moments, like it matters to her to hang onto that distant song until the last moment, to answer it - even if today the two aren't precisely in synch.
That doesn't matter, so long as their feelings reach the other. Sometimes, singing at each other, rather than together is the way to express yourselves.
Then abruptly, her eyes open wider, and Ranka looks one way, then another. "Canaria...?" Then her eyes hone in on her slumped form, that's now growing half submerged, "Canaria...!"
Hitting the release, Ranka immediately topples out of her seat, sloshing about as the shallow water grows deeper, everything hurts, but...
"... You're all out there... right? Canaria is hurt... she needs help..."
... that she's hurt too? Well, that can wait, since she's also awake. Slowly, fumbling in her partially submerged state, she hits the release, and begins to pull her arm over her shoulder, moving towards the edge of the ship, where the Vajra mandibles had clawed a new entrance.
"Alto... Alto... I heard her." Maybe medical attention is what is most important in the moment, but this question can't wait, in her mind, "Did you?"
-=-=-
~Elsewhere~
Grace O'Connor compares the readings she now has in front of her, idly disarming her countermeasure on the side, "It doesn't make sense, the growth inhibition of the Witchcraft can't account for this..."
As she considers the readout, her mind tries to make sense of it, but eventually her pragmatic, goal-focused side of her kicks in again... as her expression begins to sport a smile, "Well, perhaps I can find use for you after all in what time you have left... Fairy Nine."
<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.
Alto is confused at first as the Vajra doesn't react as badly as he expects when he stabs it. In fact he's able to push the blade in deeper, seemingly inflicting enough damage to end its life.
The Vajra collapses and the Messiah takes a few steps back. Alto glances left and right, looking at his screens at the sight of the Vajra in confusion. But Ranka isn't singing?
'I encountered you, and then I was born as the stars glittered above,'
Alto's eyes go wide as the song starts to filter through his radio. Not Ranka's, but Sheryl's. He was right. She is here, somewhere... He knows it.
Something sounds different though... He's heard Sheryl sing many times. There's something different about it this time. And why are the Vajra responding to her? Is she producing fold waves too? But why now? Of course, they don't even know why Ranka does it...
Alto's thoughts are disrupted by a transmission from Ranka, <"Ranka!">
The Vajra are confused and rapidly being picked off. There's breathing room. Which means Alto can afford to turn his attention to the Koenig.
The Messiah turns towards the nearby Monster and flies across the water's surface to it. It transforms into GERWALK mode at the last moment, landing down beside the crashed bomber. The cockpit canopy opens and Alto jets out of it and into the air, clad in his EX-Gear.
Ranka wades through the rising water, carrying Canaria with her. As she reaches the rip in the hull, a pair of metal hands drive into the opening. The sound of hydraulics stress is quickly joined by that of metal tearing as the hole is enlarged, allowing more sunlight into it.
Alto appears to block the light, reaching a powered-suit hand out to Ranka as he smiles at her, relieved to see she's relatively alright. He replies, "Yes... I heard her."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
Leon wrenches his knife free from the Vajra's exoskeleton as it stands there. He kicks it with the YF-25's leg, and when it doesn't respond, puts it down with a quick burst from his head turret. That song... Not Ranka... Sheryl Nome? What is she doing here? He turns the head camera to the shuttle, watching Alto rush to Ranka's aid. She seems alive. That's relieving. Alto seems like a good guy. He doesn't deserve that kind of loss.
Leon turns back to the swarm of Vajra, standing there as docile as sheep. The way their songs calmed the Vajra... Leon thought this stuff was only in the movies. Well, miraculous events or not, he still has a job to do. Time to get paid. The Prophecy levels its Gunpod, and goes to work.
<Pose Tracker> Lilium Valerie has posed.
The Vajra horde seems unending--Lilium can keep a fairly wide spread at bay with her Long Rifle, but the barrel is starting to get close to its limit. Warning lights flash across her panels. Her drive's GN Particles drop below the 30% mark. The Vajra assault shows no signs of slowing down. And then...
And then...
The voice of another songstress sounds over the radio, and the Vajra fall into total disarray. In an instant, the tide turns entirely. Frantic shooting against whatever she could sight in can give way to slow, methodical elimination of priority targets--Long Rifle shots aimed dead center mass at larger, more durable Vajra. As the assist computer does most of the work, Lilium catches herself humming along to the music....
<<So this is the strength of an 'Idol'...>>
<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.
As the beam rifle shots streak forward, Flay expected some serious resistance from the Vajra, watching with anticipation of their next moves, before their defensive line crumples like sandpaper. Is it because of Ranka? No... once the static on the radio clears, it's another voice that sings.
"That's... THE Sheryl Nome?" Flay asks, under her breath, her perfect focus momentarily broken, as she lowers the beam rifle to see all the scattered and destroyed Vajra that now lay the city. And judging by what they're seeing, her song really does work on the Vajra, too.
In that sense, maybe it always was the Galactic Fairy's Destiny to return to the stage. No, more than that... it was her own decision, and her bond with Ranka that brought her here. There's nothing more to be said than that, as Flay keeps her focus heightened, enough to help mop up what remains of the defenseless Vajra with beam rifle shots and beam saber strikes.
<Pose Tracker> Sagiri Sakurai has posed.
You know, Sagiri...
<"Haha! What can I say? I live to see that long line of numbers at the end of my paycheck steadily get longer!">
Rami Amasaki quietly dies inside of the second-hand embarrassment she knows Sagiri Sakurai will never feel.
Sagiri proves this by - despite the circumstances - grinning so brightly her eyes squeeze shut with all that magnetic mirth.
<"But like hell I'm not gonna prove that I've earned it, every time it comes around!">
Green-blue energies dance in electric arcs around the inner-barrel of the Mega Striker Launcher in the aftermath of its assault. Sagiri heaves out a quiet sigh of relief to herself as she sees the results still have the effect she was hoping for. ... she's just not quite sure how long she's going to be able to bank on that, as far as the Vajra are concerned.
The barrel begins to churn once again. Sagiri begins to map out more complex strategies to employ to keep the rest of the Vajra away from the Monster as best she can...
... and then she hears it. Sheryl's song.
Sagiri and Rami both blink in unison. The duo's attention turns toward that shelter in the distance.
"Shit. Sheryl--"
But Sagiri's concerned reaction comes to an abrupt thought as she sees the apparent reaction in the Vajra.
They just... -halt-. The assault, the retreat, -everything-. Even the one precariously poised at the Monster. They all just...
... stop.
Like they're confused.
Sagiri can't stifle her -own- confusion, welling up to the forefront of her features in the furrow of her brow and the press of her lips.
"What..."
They're reacting to Sheryl's song, too? Or is it Ranka's, or... both...?
Not for the first time, Sagiri lapses into thought. There are implications to this, implications she -feels- in her gut but doesn't quite understand -- scientific logic was never quite her thing, especially something so esoteric as, well. Whatever all... this... is.
But for right now? As the renewed assault thins out the number of Vajra, as they finally repel the enemy, Sagiri just... huffs out a laugh, relieved and exasperated all in one.
She's got questions. Questions for people who occupy whatever crazy paygrade all this occupies. But for right now, she definitely knows this:
<"Well, I'll say one thing. She sure still knows how to make an entrance. Way to wear -your- heart on your sleeve, Ms. Galactic Fairy.">
Behind her, Rami's expression warms over into a smile of her own, beaming in its relief and enthusiasm. It tempers, for a moment, as she watches the Vajra be repelled.
"... Ma'am... if Ms. Lee is here, then..."
Sagiri frowns.
"... Yeah. I know. That scummy manager is probably skulking somewhere around here, too." Sagiri waits a moment -- and then turns on a tightbeam to the Carriax and Rin's Gespenst.
<"Rin -- great work out there. Get back to the Carriax for now -- Meryl, can you help her with any repairs Rancor might need?">
<"Of course. Honestly -- your companions are almost as reckless as our manager is, Rin.">
<"Pffff, please, I know exactly what I'm doing!">
<"You do see how that makes it worse, don't you?">
<"Ehhhhh. Anyway~! Keep the engines warm -- Rami and I are gonna swoop in and see if our favorite client needs a pick-me-up before she comes under any unsavory attention.">
And with that, the Tyranado banks away. Sagiri's sure she can leave the clean-up to the others. For now, well...
It's like she said: her client's needs are her top priority.