2022-11-27: The Cockpit May Be Targeted
- Log: 2022-11-27: The Cockpit May Be Targeted
- Cast: Beam Coat, Ranka Lee, Sophia Mayhew Castellan, Asciel Colette, Michele Luio, Tieria Erde, Regina Everhart, Lockon Stratos, Kallen Kozuki, Cascade Vermilion, Rin Starking, Emilia Eschonbach, Karma Sato, Ai Martel, Serinas Nikola, Cornelia li Britannia, Sakia Davila
- Where: Near 'The Tower' Orbital Elevator
- OOC - IC Date: 26 November 0096
- Summary: The noble institution of the Gundam Fight comes under attack from those who are disatisfied with the ways of the Federation. CW: Bigotry (Towards Zentradi, Coordinators)
<Pose Tracker> Beam Coat has posed.
The Tower orbital elevator does a lot of traffic, but today is a little different. There's a truly enormous high-profile movement toward the Elevator today from across Europe and Britannia. Perhaps it's the Shuffle Alliance's movement through the 4th Fight that has made this movement through the 5th feel possible.
Moralia, Area 12 (Taribia), Neo-Canada, Neo-Mexico, Ravnui, Neo-Spain, Da Han Zhong, and Neo-Poland have chosen, for lack of a better term, to carpool. Some of these nations have made large strides in the Gundam Fight -- well outsize from expectations -- by... it's not that they've "worked together," exactly. But they've been disinterested in taking heads even after successful clashes, and potentially disadvantageous matchups for each have been shaken up by one another's Fighters.
The secondary connection? Either the Gundam Fight Commissioner, the head of state, or the head of military affairs for each country has been very outspoken about escalating the war against ZAFT and crushing the Sleeves should they win. A victory from any one of the Fighters in this convoy would almost certainly complicate ongoing conflicts -- but then, intervening might destabilize the Federation, calling the legitimacy of its institutions into question.
The situation is messy, and the opportunity small. All it would take for so many people to smell blood in the water and put thumbs on the scale of the Earth Sphere's power distribution is a spark --
-- which comes when the coupling between the car containing Ravnui's Gundam and the car containing Neo-Spain's abruptly detonates in northern South Britannia, a fair ways out from the Elevator itself. Damage to the track is light, but it renders the whole convoy a sitting duck, and getting underway again will take hours.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka Lee had a ticket. She was part of a sponsorship deal with Neo-Holland's Lop Gundam, sent to the games just to sing her jingle at some out of the way place. Sure the Fighter in question or their Gundam wasn't on the train, but Elmo assured her it was fine, after all it was going to the same place she needed to be. It was a good gig, it paid well, and she had a good feeling about this...
... and then she boarded the train in economy class. As she was about to take her seat, an usher cleared his throat, "I'm terribly sorry ... Miss. We're overbooked, so we're going to need to move you to a different car." "Ah-! I-I see." "Please follow me."
She didn't see. Clearly the seat was empty, and noone else was trying to claim it. She'd been on enough trains to know something was awry, but they didn't ask to see her papers - they didn't take her ticket to the side and mumble something. No, he just escorted her back from one car, to the next, as she felt countless eyes upon her and a multitude of whispered remarks. Until...!
It's now been several hours into the transport, Ranka's wedged herself between two strapped in stacks of luggage within the car, cramped and uncomfortable. It didn't escape her that she was the only one escorted back here, and that nobody else looked like her. And making a scene would get her kicked off, so...
... she's making the best of it, humming the jingle she nows far too well by heart to herself, as she ends the current hummed verse with a soft, forlorn...
"...ninji-n loves you yeah..."
Ranka hears an explosion in the distance, and nervously jolts upright, as the train lurches to a stop shortly after, feeling her knees buckle against the stack she'd wedged her feet against. An announcer overhead is telling everyone to please remain calm.
She is not calm. Crawling out of the space she'd put herself into, she stands up, and starts to pace, squishing her phone as she checks the rail company's website for more information.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Hours ago and a hemisphere away, the Hyperion was already underway toward the general area of the orbital elevator. Hyperion will be on patrol, using the full spread of its integrated battlegroup to cover an area that would normally - and in other quarters, is taking - an entire fleet to patrol. And then a communication came through.
"Ma'am," the cabbage-haired XO Amata Kole pipes up from her seat on the command island. "Incomming communication. Flagged third-party." She squints. "Strategic forecast?"
Captain Sophia Mayhew Castellan tips. "Pass it to me," she says, and a moment later has pulled it up on her command seat's screen. "...interesting. Yes, that'd be..."
She shifts her attention back to Amata. "Change of plans. Plot a course for this specific point."
Amata's own screen lights back up. "...outside immediate response range of the bulk of defenses. Yeah. I get it. Helm!"
--*--
And thus, the belly of the Hyperion comes into view, breaking through the cloud layer as it begins its descent. The Hyperion itself is an enormous ship, bristling with railcannons, though for now all are in cruising formation. Laser communicators scan across the train, looking for contact points to broadcast peaceful intent, while on the bridge, Captain Castellan folds her gloved hands. Waiting. "Is the KMF team loaded on Helios yet?"
"Aye, ma'am," Amata chimes.
"Get them down there. If nothing comes of it, they can provide mechanical assistance."
"You know how much Henderson loves moving heavy objects around."
Sophia huffs. "I don't particularly expect the quiet will last long enough to even have to grit out the offer, frankly. Anything new from our Forecaster friend?"
"Not yet, ma'am!" Comms yells, and then, like clockwork: "Wait...actually, yes! Communication incoming!"
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
The explosion is the fireworks kicking off the real gala - while lesser terrorists would settle on striking the fear of god into a mass of politicians, that just won't do.
And so, shortly after the decoupling, a gale of wind rushes from above, the air itself seeming to land upon the Ravnui train car with a gentle, but distinct *thunk*. The aura of invisibility settles - a black and cyan Arm Slave, newly equipped with a strange...scarf? around the torso. Its arms are crossed, its orange eye is glowing. Asciel's a recurring sight by now - mostly known among formal law enforcement circles as 'that especially loudmouthed one, which was at JOSH-A in particular'.
"Goooooood morning, orchestrators of the Gundam Fight!~ Is your journey through the land of the searing Amazon enjoyable? Did the tired among you get roused from your naps? Fortunately, this special, unsanctioned decisive match is about to begin!"
The Codarl's fist rises up - then, clad in a thrumming, blinding aura of light, crashes down into the train car, tearing a hole into Ravnui's Gundam chamber, its balefully Gundam-ey face restfully gazing up from the gap.
"Now, I have a myriad of complaints with the Gundam Fight as a whole, since the entire idea is fraught on the face of it - but until today, we could at least tolerate its semblance of honorable combat, its emphasis on the skill and valor of the pilot. However! The way you've been comporting yourselves as of late, rife with cowardice and collusion, leashing the fervor of martial prowess while you cower away deciding outcomes by deception and political capital..."
"Absolutely wretched."
The Arm Slave deploys its twin high-power autocannons, underslung beneath each arm, roaring and ripping away at Ravnui's Gundam, before seeking out any explosive tanks within the car. Fire breaks out quickly - and once it does...Asciel leaps to the next train roof - this one...a civilian passenger car. Gatling guns still aimed downward...
"Now, because I'm merciful and understanding, instead of completely incinerating the most -rancid- of garbage upon this train, I'll take it upon myself to rip off the heads of these adorable Gundams one by one, since it's clear you're not using them as they were intended. Afterwards, once it's clear just how bad your situation is, I'll make things short and sweet for the rest of your lives. Oh, but since I can't really tell who's in what car, if you want to protect the lives of innocents, those of you with the nicest suits should maaaaaaaybe offer yourselves up as clear and obvious sacrifices. <3"
...Then Asciel's leaping to the next hangar car, tearing a hole, and firing again, this time on Neo-Mexico's Gundam. Meticulous, methodical, and ruthless to each one - it's only if she gets the right opportunity that she'll take a head. (Surely she can get a nicer-looking prize than...one with a -sombrero-...)
<Pose Tracker> Michele Luio has posed.
Michele Luio is not Blue Cosmos. She is not involved in the Gundam Fight. But some people would like her to be involved in both, due to Luio & Co's trading power and resources.
She's sitting in a VIP car, sipping wine with some manager who is very, very interested in her in multiple ways, but is luckily only talking business right now. That's all it'll probably ever be, but who knows?
Michele is not sitting against the window, because she has predicted this train will be attacked. She left multiple notes with multiple people, hedging her bets that half a dozen Gundam Fighters will lead to a kingmaking attempt. Desptie this, she's here with Brick Teclato, her assistant, and he has courteously led her away from a window seat for himself. She's quietly unnerved about it - if he died...
She doesn't think about it anymore once the train rocks. As they go to a stop and the manager starts panicking, both she and Brick remain as calm as possible in such a situation.
Michele checks her watch. "About time."
"You k-knew this'd happen?" The manager asks her, his voice quavering.
"Of course I did. This is my job and my gift - the one you're really interested in. Get down. I sent word to bring assistance several hours ago. Brick, the commpad. Get us patched in."
Brick obliges Michele's request, passing Michele a headset and a short-range comm that should be able to interface outside the train to a nearby ship - the Hyperion - but not further due to Minovsky particle interference.
The call rings. 'PROPHETESS' is the callsign of the day.
"Explosion was between Ravnui and Neo-Spain's cars. Sending estimate coordinates. Hostiles inbound. I don't have a count. My visions will work best with telemetry to relay them - share yours and I'll share mine."
Beam Coat goes home.
<Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
From the Ptolemaios, coasting hidden within the Orbital Ring, the Gundam Virtue approaches the scene. Tieria thought very little of the Gundam Fight, understandably. Celestial Being's mission was to put a stop to war, so why would he accept a simulacrum of such? However, while that was Tieria's opinion, VEDA had not called on them to intervene in the Gundam Fight.
Until now.
VEDA had calculated that this train holding multiple Gundam Fighters would be a potential target for anti-Federation forces, and as usual, VEDA was always right. Just as well. Tieria needed a distraction from the dead end they were running into with the stolen prototype.
"Celestial Being, do you read? This is Erde. The mission today is to drive back the anti-Federation forces and defend this train. I don't like working with the Federation either, but this is the nature of interventions. Understand?"
<Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
VEDA has made another prediction. There is a train transporting a group of Gundam Fighters. It will likely - no, perhaps inevitably - come under attack.
...Should anything happen to them, this would only further stoke the fires of war. To Regina, this is something that must not be allowed. And so, a Maganac, its beam-resistant cloak flaring out behind it as it charges toward the scene.
"Understood, Erde." Regina responds. She turns her gaze up to the train and... "...The attack has already begun. Engaging."
The Maganac lowers itself before making a grand leap, heat tomahawk drawn. As it lands the weapon crackles to life, taking a swing at the Arm Slave opening fire on the car's inhabitants - more to drive it back and express aggressive intent than to actually attack it. Right now, she must draw attention away from the car and to herself.
She doesn't speak. She's never been much of a talker.
<Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
<Mission start! Mission start!>
Over a certain frequency the high-pitched computerized voice resounds over communications.
"It looks like VEDA and Miss Sumeragi's forecasts were right on the money. I guess the question is now, how many groups decided to bite?" A more human, more care-free voice finds himself speaking to the source of that previous chatter, a small orb-shaped machine, one with simplistic yet almost cartoon-like features, that was based right at the side of his cockpit.
Up to this point, Celestial Being had come to a tactical conclusion of the potential attack within the vicinity of the orbital elevator. If even one of these nations had been traveling alone with their delegates it would have been reason enough for an attack, but a choice to perform this 'carpooling', it just spelled trouble all over. It was like begging for a combined front of enemies to pounce on them.
A small sigh escapes the young man, he brings his hands to the controls of his machine, watching as the system illuminates and veers to life, and yet a smile still keeps on his face. <Hai, hai, getting into position now. Still, looks like we'll definitely be having our hands full today here. Everyone keep their eyes open. Who knows what these anti-feds got in store. >
With those words passed along, Lockon's hand reaches for the orange sphere. "Ready, partner?" In response, flapping of cylindrical wings popped from its frame, "Ready! Ready!" "Alright,Dynames, Lockon Stratos, Disengaging optical camouflage."
From the mountainous terrain several miles out, what had been a rocky surface visibly shifts as metallic green forms out of thin air. The visage of a Gundam becoming exposed to the world as the sound of the GN drive silently came to life. Unlike those that were already speeding to join the frame, all that transpires as the Dynames prepares for combat is detaching of the oversized rifle from its shoulder joint before taking a sniper's position in the well covered terrain.
"Now, let's see who gets caught in my sights."
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
While there haven't been any huge, newsworthy Black Knights incidents of late, that isn't to say they've been slacking. Kallen for one knows that well, as she's intermittently been sent out on solo missions. Quick and dirty sabotage and procurement operations. In that same vein, she's been putting people through combat training, making certain nobody develops bad habits in their combat routine. But when the word came down about several Gundam Fighters booking a singular train, all with strong anti-coordinator and anti-spacenoid leanings... Well, that's too good to pass up. Especially after somebody made the suggestion they're supporting Blue Cosmos under the table.
The raid is coming from two directions, just like their train assault so many months ago. From the front, a crimson demon races down the tracks, intent on meeting the train head on and halting its path with a claw. Not to destroy the engine car, but to tear it off the tracks with a sudden, steel-crunching wrench... That part had been her suggestion. Minimize innocent casualties onboard, if there are civilians around too... They've got an image to keep after all, of heroes for those without power.
From vantage positions and cover, her allies are waiting to engage from the sides. None of them saw the explosion coming, and Kallen is very loud over their frequency. "Who got an itchy trigger and forgot the plan?!" She's become a little insistent about people explaining their thought processes and what doubts they have. It helps to reinforce strategy, if people give input. And stops them from suddenly deciding to bail so readily. There may have been a few rank and file subjected to her teaching methods. Good or ill, she'll soon enough find out it wasn't any of their people screwing it up.
And before long... now that ship looks awfully familiar. If it deploys a certain Flag unit... "Joy, we've got incoming hostiles. Alright, everyone pick your targets and drop 'em! Make it quick, before the Blue Bastards decide they're not above hostages to save their own hides."
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade Vermilion isn't the first of the Black Knights to make themselves known, but she's one of the loudest... speaking in a strictly military equipment sense. She doesn't actually broadcast anything.
But an enormous cannon fires during Kallen's approach. It is loud enough that it can be heard over the chaos of the bombing. Shells impact on and around the train, as much causing chaos as doing significant damage to the track or the cars. The goal here is that it makes it harder to target her... though it has the side effect of causing a distraction all around, really. There's plenty of chaos, to be fair, but why not add some more?
The carrier of the cannon proves to be a particularly heavy-looking Knightmare Frame, almost overbuilt; blocky and heavy, with a cannon mounted on its left shoulder and extra hardpoints at chest and hip, armed with machine cannons, missile pods, and (presumably) slash harkens. Clenched in its hands - less true hands and more blunt grippers with only two fingers and a thumb - is what looks like an enormous spear, the head extended to almost be a glaive-like blade.
It's a Panzer-Wespe, the newer-model European Knightmare Frame; not unique, but not especially popular either. It's only unusual to see one because if you want an artillery unit in that size bracket, wanzers have existed for decades.
Cascade finishes her shelling attempt and accelerates forward, retracting the bracing system as she goes. She either can't fire the enormous cannon on the move or is choosing not to, using the smaller hip-mounted guns instead.
"Not all of those are ours," Cascade sends, on Black Knight channels. Not that it wasn't obvious by this point, but, well. She was going to say it and now that she has a moment to, she's *actually* going to say it, dammit.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.
"I can't believe that I'm on my first mission and it's something as romantic as this," says Rin Starking, to herself, with comms carefully muted, inside of the cockpit of a Burai that has been somewhat accessorized. Close-suited already, it has been accented with several aftermarket consoles and a haptic control glove to the side. There is also smoothly undulating red-green-blue lighting, though it isn't quite enough to overcome the lights from the display screens.
Rin breathes outwards, forcing herself to relax. "Come on," she tells herself, "come on..."
BOOM!
Rin whoops!
-- "Wait," she says, with sudden desperation, "that wasn't me, I thought that was the signal! Fuck! Do we go? We go! Got it!"
Rin turns her head to look at -- the ship. It looks... flat. It's not really a warship in her judgment, it looks like a mobile airstrip.
Rin cups her chin. "If I can take down something like this," she muses, "I'll be up there with Char and Tanegashima guy." Rin has not paid much attention to Japanese history despite being dedicated to its liberation. Her head tilts downwards. "Alright -- I'm not gonna go off the deck but let's make this cook." The Burai begins to skid along the ridge line, but it isn't alone...
Momentum accelerates the Burai forwards, forwards enough for lines to streak outwards from the harken mounts -- and it is joined alongside by a Wanzer with what appears to be a welded-on single-object Harken mount, which hooks on and winches the wanzer up more slowly than the Burai's quicker ascent up towards the deckside of the Hyperion. And in short order...
There they are. A squad has landed on the deck. The Burai whirrs forwards, with the accompanying Wanzer, which seems to be underequipped with just arm-mount dual shields following after. There's a whizzing whirr as an aerial object takes off from behind it and Rin lets out a hot breath.
"Oh my God," she says, "I'm doing it!!" Her eyes go wide.
"The lifts!!" Rin says -- and she also says, "Rancor, cover mode!" -- even as the multimode assault rifle the Burai is carrying comes up, firing several grenade charges towards one of the two lifts coming upwards. ("I can't even think of a neutralizing the spawn joke," Rin says to herself, "holy *shit* I'm really doing it--!!")
KTS: Rin Starking targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Liberator Combined Arms Platform Grenade! KTS: Rin Starking has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
In Britannia's second VIP car, an old man sits in a wingback that is maglocked to the floor, with an expensive brandy in one hand and a lit cigar in the other. He is not being met by anyone else.
The secondary VIP car. In years past, he would have been close to the royal car. He would have people wining and dining him, wanting his favour.
A young man in an expensive-but-not-expensive-enough suit and a Blue Cosmos badge on his lapel comes to see him. "Mr Eschonbach, is everything to your liking?" The old man nods with the cigar in his mouth, not bothering to talk. "It's an honour to have man of your stature here. Your funding has helped us fight the scourge of coordinators across Britannia and the armed forces..."
Joseph Eschonbach doesn't bother to keep listening, as it's all the same. That's all they saw him as now. A moneyman. If it weren't for those damn spacenoids...
His eyes track to the woman who *is* getting attention from the greedy and desperate. Luio's little rescue brat. As if you can secure a legacy without suitable blood. Icelina's wretched daughter was proof of that. Hmf. Time to remind her of her place here.
Joseph stands up, walking away from the man trying to elicit a donation. "I didn't know Diable was so desperate as to try and elicit business from neophytes. Though I supoose if a man like you is the best they've-"
And then the car explodes, and Joseph would fall to the ground where he not using the manager to stop himself. Joseph finds himself at a loss for words as Michele walks to the seat. "Impertinent bitch..." He mutters under his breath.
--- Simultaneously ---
Emilia Eschonbach sits in her cockpit, her mask and hood down. This is the furthest away a mission has gone, but she wouldn't refuse. She waits for the cue, hidden in the bushes.
The cue is not the traincar exploding.
"Wh-what's happening!?" She doesn't have time for an answer, the mission is go, with Kallen's charge and cascade's shelling. Her custom Burai, Jack, charges into battle. Rin's confusion mirrors her and Emmy follows her and her little support squad, the support arm for the AS Hammer winds out to let her grab it. "We're h-here to get the VIPs, remember? Th-that means making sure they c-can't get away!" She's anxious, as she starts charging forward, getting ready to take out some of the rear cars.
Her current speed will put her next to the luggage care at any moment.
<Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
Another spawn point camping scenario, Karma thinks to himself as he sighs in impatience, their intelligence had informed them of this transfer of gundams but the time table seemed off, and suffice to say Karma had beenwaiting for much longer then his attention span can hold out. Perhaps if he lets his eyes rest just a moment...
Startled awake by the sound of explosion and someone proclaiming to want to destroy the fighters. Wait isn't that what they were... Karma shakes his head roughly and wipes his drool from his mouth.Still though the Queen hasn't spoken yet, so until they do they don't go. Then the word is given and it sees the comms are open and the fun can begin.
<"No idea who the party crashers are but if they are willing to be our distraction I don't see a problem. Sides the loud one seems like they want the same thing we do anyways so might as well let them have their fun too. ">
Karma's unit raises it's rifle as Karma's display begins to take in the scopes input as he scans for targets making sure to avoid Asciel and their big moment of declaration of a good time. In a way Karma is even content to watch Asciel and see if they go through with their threats, it isn't like there were really any innocents on that train anyways, they were all guilty of supporting Britannia. In fact for the moment Karma is content to wait and see hwo this all plays out before he starts opening fire.
<Pose Tracker> Ai Martel has posed.
Among the Black Knights' contingent is a gunmetal-silver Arm Slave in a brown cloak, its hood drawn, draped over the short horn on its forehead. It kneels on the ridge opposite Kallen.
Its pilot, the time-lost noble Ai Martel, clicks her tongue once when the train explodes. "Tch... how unprofessional. Nothing from our side of the ridge... in fact, I fear we may not be the only ones chasing this bounty," comes her reply. There's mild alarm as contacts light up on her screen, but it gives way to determination as the cloaked Shadow races down the ridge--
And through the Minovsky static, she hears a familiar voice over open comms. She lights up, opening a private band as she approaches the field. "<Ah, my dearest owl, is that you?>" She draws a blade from her hip, dropping into a ready stance and brandishing her blade at the Maganac.
"<What a lovely surprise... I'd hardly have expected to find you in the field. I'm afraid I fly another flag today... but I suppose our purposes align closely enough.>"
<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
Serinas is emotionally distraught; This is the first time she's actually lost someone she'd regularly seen and talked to in the war. A call goes out for a dangerous mission. A chance to strike a great blow to a whole bunch of Blue Cosmos leaders at once? (At least, that's how she sees it...) How could Serinas not jump at the chance?
She's been assured she's not the ONLY ONE on this mission, the Sleeves will be sending ummmm, wellll, it's unclear... maybe a person? Maybe a squad? They are definitely sending one or more people! And there are definitely ZAFT sympathisers on the ground *somewhere* nearby-ish she can try to make it to, ZAFT *absolutely* only makes good, well-thought-out plans. Absolutely.
A one-machine drop pod streaks down from orbit. And down, and down... The Queadluun series has more powerful maneuvering thrusters than the vast majority of other machines, and doesn't depend as heavily on long braking with a ballute. The Hyperion's sensors see it for sure, but probably think they'll have more time, or an MS that didn't expect defenders to be here vulnerable while it parachutes down, or even a DINN flying down from high altitude...
There is just long enough for whichever bridge bunny is watching the radar to suspect that the attacker has suffered an equipment failure and is going to crash, before the pod breaks open, revealing of all things a Meltrandi assault armor?! Queadluun-Rheas aren't exactly commonly used on Earth, but it's not *unknown*, and clearly is some sort of refined, upgraded model of the Queadluun-Rau everyone is familiar with from the Zentradi War at the very least. Also, it's got the same anti-ship beam cannon Serinas's CGUE was carrying last time, this time in the shoulder mount it was clearly designed for rather than kitbashed into a handheld frame.
Serinas is relieved to see so many others attacking the train; it's clearly not just the Sleeves, even earthnoid allies have decided to take part! But of course, there are those who would defend Blue Cosmos... And that means she has to STOP THAT SHIP so everyone else can accomplish what they're all here to do.
The Queadluun-Rhea adjusts course for the Hyperion. It's coming in FAST.
KTS: Lockon_Stratos has deployed as a Boss for 2 opponents. <Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
"Target spotted, target spotted!"
Haro calls out for attention as a screen on Lockon's display shows an unfamiliar red unit. A small whistle escaped his lips. "Not bad. . .Wait. . .Is that. . .?" He had watched as the red KMF and her unit had taken the time to neutralize the tracks. In truth, if they had waited just a bit longer for their attack, rather than just bringing the train to a complete halt, more than likely they could have ended up derailing the train entirely.
"Black Knights, here? They're a little far from home aren't they? Well as much as I appreciate the soft stop, I can't give you guys too much of a warm welcome. "
Within the cockpit, a rifle-like mechanism is pulled down, he aligns himself with the scope as his sights lock in on the Guren from the distance.
"Sniper detected! Sniper detected!"
In the distance another unit had been caught within the Dynames radar. Not a unit that was within the inner fray, but keeping a distance just as Lock on was. "Tch. Haro, mark the red one for a successive shot."
With minimal movement the Dynames adjusts itself as it finds itself aiming down the sniper-equipped KMF closer by. Adjusting his shot takes little time at all as he takes his first shot. An accumulation of gn particles powering the weapon before being fired out with precision.
"Next!"
Without even confirming his mark, the Dynames adjusts its sights back to the train tracks and with enough time to adjust from the recoil, the same kind of fire power is applied as the Guren finds itself on the receiving end of a sniper shot.
<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.
Viceroy Cornelia li Britannia is not in Area 11 this day.
The official reason was that the Second Princess of the Britannian Union was attending a diplomatic mission abroad. The truth?
The truth is, the Viceroy numbers among those on the immense convoy of this unofficial alliance of Gundam Fighters and their nation states. It wasn't particularly difficult to gain access to one of the train's railcar, discretely -- not when the train was crossing through Britannian territory. A matter of course from there to make sure her Gloucester was safely stored aboard, in the name of assuring a safe and uneventful journey through Britannia to the Tower.
The fact is, though, Cornelia did not come here for a safe and uneventful journey.
The fact is, though, Cornelia would be very disappointed if nothing -does- come of this. It is a large, obvious target, within a very fragile context that could disrupt the balance of power within the Federation should this coalition succeed in its desires -- or should it be derailed. And given the pattern of the Black Knights' recent activity, and the people they have chosen to throw their support behind...
-Someone- has to come.
From within her private car, Cornelia stares out her window, violet gaze hooded in expectation. A frown creases her lips. as she feels the earth rumble beneath her boot heels, but the look in her eyes is steady. Intense. Focused. There's a familiarity to all this, where even the lying in wait to see if the bait is bitten has its anticipatory appeal.
Compared to the complexities and frustrations that have dominated her life in Area 11 of late... Compared to the revelations she still finds herself coming to terms with...
Cornelia's right eye spasms briefly before the BOOM
Cornelia rocks forward violently, hair spilling over her face.... but those purple lips turn upward.
"Finally."
Cornelia rises to her feet, a hand rising to her communication earpiece as she approaches the other end of the car, towards where the weapon she feels so comfortable with resides awaiting her.
"Darlton -- prepare my Gloucester. It's time."
-+-
Several disparate groups advance upon the Elevator-bound train as explosions ripple through couplings and cars, disrupting whatever hope they might have for reaching their destination untouched. ZAFT, the Sleeves, stranger groups still...
... and the Black Knights.
A custom Burai and a Panzer-Wespe speed across the grounds towards the train as the latter's shelling completes. And it is just as Emilia's Burai gets so dangerously close to her destination--
<"BLACK KNIGHTS!">
That something small and violent and -fast- surges forth from some unseen point in the train car in a smear of violets, whites and golds --
--aiming to -smash- that Burai out of the way with the broadside of a distinctive, gilded lance.
The wheels of Cornelia li Britannia's Gloucester squeal across the earth as it spins about with the momentum of its lance's stroke, assault rifle swung up to aim directly at Cascade's KMF, firing upon it in a way that does not dare drown out the boom of the Viceroy's voice.
<"Yield now -- or I will show you the foolhardy of your decisions today!">
She doesn't expect them to yield; more to the point...
she doesn't want them to yield.
KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Kallen Kozuki with 'Just firing from my hip.'! KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Karma Sato with 'Just firing from my hip.'! KTS: Lockon Stratos has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Emilia Eschonbach with EM Jousting Lance - Disabling Blow! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Cascade Vermilion with Assault Rifle Pot Shot! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion fails to Evade Cornelia li Britannia's Assault Rifle Pot Shot, taking 3040 damage! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Rin Starking's Liberator Combined Arms Platform Grenade, taking 2025 damage! <Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
A honey sweet voice that sends a hum through silicon. Asciel scarce expected to hear it here, in this intense circumstance, atop an enormous train barreling through the mountains.
It actually makes her stagger - where she might have done something senselessly acrobatic in lunging into the opportunity of Regina's warding-off swing, all Asciel can do is back away.
<"I'm overwhelmed by how much I realize I missed you,"> Asciel interjects to Ai, as breathless as one can be when she doesn't draw breath. <"I wanted to admit this to as few as possible. But I can't stop myself. Not when I hear your voice. ...I was terribly close to having left your life so shortly after entering it. I put myself in the throes of danger, and only through a mir- <only through my will to endure> did I make it through.">
<"I still feel strange. Merely at...90 percent. Yet here I am again. I suppose I just cannot turn away from these opportunities. It's too fulfilling. All I can think of right now...">
<"Is dancing with you here.">
Asciel dissolves into the wind again, leaving but a shimmer of her presence, like so much a heat haze, where she was - only for that, too, to leave with nary a sign but the buckling of the train roof where she stood. With the lightest of *clunk*s, she lands - and disengages her ECS...right behind Regina's Maganac, Monomolecular Cutter at the ready - and lunging forth in a shoulder-to-hip arc.
<"Awww, ruining the little fun side trip I was having by claiming Gundam Fight victories in spirit~ I'm in a good mood though, so I'll let it slide. I feel like showing off my aptitude with the blade, though, so if you could put up a showy resistance, that'd be much appreciated!~">
KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Regina Everhart KTS: Asciel Colette targets Regina Everhart with Monomolecular Cutter Slash! KTS: Asciel Colette has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Regina Everhart has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Regina Everhart blocks Asciel Colette's Monomolecular Cutter Slash, taking 2700 damage! KTS: Asciel Colette has engaged Regina Everhart! <Pose Tracker> Sakia Davila has posed.
"'Course, 'course we're not the only ones." A conclusion set four hours ago verbalized to oneself, scratching her chin over the pilotsuit as the Zaku rumbled to life. The drop pod streaking alongside Serinas, an unmarked Descent Capsule that crashed into the landscape, a bump and a scrape before the door jettisoned itself open, an antiquated suit wrenching itself out. There was no subtlety in this approach; A meteor careening down without discretion, visible for every ship in the sky to see.
Oh. A deep breath. There's people around. There's the innate chaos, the thunder, the feeling of one's element. It's so easy to drown out everything with a lack of self-preservation, some grease for the mind, and the need to continue to sow the flames. Things, everywhere. The spark, setting alight. A familiar voice stirking her ears, the vibrations sending a grin alight on her features.
A breath in. "ASCIEL!" Loud and clear over open comms, a scream of nothing but pure, intonated rage as she went for the simple, mere, direct approach. Banking on months-old memories, banking on feelings left to fester. "IF YOU'RE STILL IN LEAGUE TO FULFILL A DREAM, THEN JUST BLOW THE GUNDAMS UP!" A breath out. Big sister, huh?
So long as there were distractions on the battlefield, others could do what they needed to. Which meant the obvious solution: Face the trains, aim right at them, and begin the charge to shoulder-check a carriage entirely. Passengers or Gundam, whatever the largest one the track had.
KTS: [Lucky] Karma Sato's Beginner's Luck activates, and luck goes his way! KTS: Karma Sato successfully blocks Lockon Stratos's 'Just firing from my hip.' KTS: Cornelia li Britannia rattles Emilia Eschonbach, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach blocks Cornelia li Britannia's EM Jousting Lance - Disabling Blow, taking 2580 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 13680 KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Emilia Eschonbach! KTS: Kallen Kozuki successfully Evades Lockon Stratos's 'Just firing from my hip.' <Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka's brought up the train website when Asciel's announcement begins, and she looks up in horror as she announces that she's going to kill people on the train - and if the people in suits don't give themselves up, she's going to kill all of them.
She hears the thump a few cars down with the hangar cars, and the sudden unholy ripping sound of medal terrifies her as she runs over to the train door she came in from, knocking repeatedly, while glancing over her shoulder as she hears the firing from the Arm Slave that doesn't sound too terribly far away from her.
"Please! Open the door! OPEN THE DOOR!" It does not open. There's hardly any concern for the luggage car right now compared to many other priorities, "Please! PLEASE! There's somebody in here...!"
Ranka's frantic knocking slows, then stops, as she realizes that... noone knows. And even if they did, noone cares. With a whimper, she puts her head against the cold metal, her closed fist resting against it as she mumbles against it.
"... I'm in here."
The true depths of her helplessness sinking in, she moves over to a corner behind a stack of luggage and sinks down as she begins to squishes her phone, adding names to the thread alphabetically down her phone list - Alto, Anti, Brera, Elmo, Emilia, Kallen, Kaworu, Milly, Nunnally, Ozma, Rin, Sheryl - and shakily she starts to type stream of consciousness, flinching and briefly stopping as she hears another explosion nearby, warm tears in her eyes.
>the train im on is under attack
>they say its about the gundam fights why theyre doing this
>things r blowing up nearby
>im locked up in the luggage car
>noone knows im here
>noone knows
>noone
>im scared
>if i dont make it
>thank u for being part of my life
>thank u for being there for me
>thank u
>i hope this reaches u
>i dont know if it will
>but im thinking about all of u
>and ill try to be brave for all of u
>but im scared
Breath hitching and vision blurred another sound of an explosion from the battles outside jolts her into dropping her phone.
She fumbles for it at first but... with that uncertainty that any of them would get through the Minovsky interference, she eventually stops trying, curls her arms around her knees, putting her forehead against them trembles... a few seconds later, she sings to herself, quiet, subdued.
"How I wuh-wish we could still be together
"But nuh-no matter how I voiced my long-longing to the air
"It would not ruh-reach you, now so far from me
"Shall I go, all alone, on an azure juh-journey?"
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
"'Prophetess'," Sophia quotes from the communique, with something like amusement. Still. Visions. Hm.
Sophia wonders if she already knows the means of this sorceress' powers. She could have cut her own title out of the superstitious, with a little more interest. Still: "Understood, Callsign Prophetess. Assistance appreciated."
"You're running with this?" Amata asks, skeptical, as Sophia mutes the line.
She can't quite see Sophia's Geass go live, the threads of ties lighting up the battlefield, telling her the location of every soul within. "Of course," Sophia says. "We'll find out how valuable her advice is. And the more we learn of her, the easier it will be to meet our benefactor again."
"Sneaky," Amata says, lightly.
"I have my moments," Sophia says.
And then: "Ma'am! Black Knights swarming in! And looks like a ZAFT/Sleeves mixed drop from above!"
"And here come our guests," Sophia notes. She looks up. "We've seen one of them before. Who..."
Squint. Frown. "That drop pod. That should be the Queadluun-Rhea we had trouble with before," she says, and stops looking in its direction. "Blow it up as soon as the pod is clear."
"Ma'am, aye!"
"And the other..."
Intent, pulsing. Where...lots of people directing worry at the ship, but someone's--
She doesn't catch it until they've already rapelled upward onto the deck. "Impressive maneuvering. Get the squad out."
"Ma'am, aye!"
Elevators into the depths of the Hyperion rise upward, and from them launch a series of Knightmare Frames, a wave of Sutherlands with lances and combat batons swerving to tackle in to Rin and her squadmate and bash them about!!
KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Rin Starking with Knightmare Contingent Drubbing! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan rattles Rin Starking, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Rin Starking blocks Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Knightmare Contingent Drubbing, taking 960 damage! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan has engaged Rin Starking! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Serinas Nikola with Heavy Rail Cannon Shot! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Serinas Nikola fails to Evade Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Heavy Rail Cannon Shot, taking 4510 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sophia Mayhew Castellan's I See Your Sins activates, causing Designate L1! <Pose Tracker> Michele Luio has posed.
As Joseph Eschonbach approaches, Michele doesn't have to hear his whisper to feel his naked contempt. The manager is still quaking a bit. "A-ah, she-"
But Michele defends herself proudly and calmly. "Ah, Mr. Eschonbach. You must be coming out of New Y- oh, my apologies. Pendragon."
She continues with her mic muted, without a second beat. "We were just discussing business propositions. You're familiar with my family's company, of course. Further contracts are always quite useful in the game we play, correct?"
A pause. "Ah, or are you not familiar with the 'rumors' about me? Special Advisor of Luio & Co means a lot more than simple financial advice in a post-Contolism generation." She doesn't sound like she cares about Contolism - it's simply the easiest way to describe it.
And then, she speaks into her mic. "You have two attackers. Follow my flight plan and you should be fine on their movements." She's mentally crunching the data she gets from telemetry, and then-
"Demoralize the Zent. They're coming in fast, so they're expecting to have to move. You move first and scramble their expectations. Act like you're ten steps ahead - you are."
A data input of numbers.
"The other one's up close. Even if they've landed on your flight deck, you have more weapons and units. Flank and kill."
More numbers. This Prophetess is a sheer genius in tactics, it seems.
KTS: Michele Luio targets Serinas Nikola with Demoralize! KTS: Michele Luio has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
Regina's eyes dart from one Arm Slave to another as a second arrives on top the train. This one brandishes a blade at her. She supposes this was never going to be easy. Both machines are smaller than her own, but she knows better than to underestimate a mobile weapon based on size alone.
The first one, the one that fired upon the Gundams first, disappears for a moment... appearing right behind her. It's surprising - too quick to attempt a parry. Regina's Maganac turns, shield raised to block the attack. The Monomolecular Cutter carves in arc through her shield. Had she reacted a moment too slow, that could have been dangerous.
"I will try not to disappoint." Regina replies, taking Asciel's goading in stride. Once more, the Heat Tomahawk lashes out toward Asciel's machine... but this time, it is no warning - she intends to strike true.
Ai's machine hasn't been forgotten, either - Regina ducks toward her quickly. Rather than swing with her weapon, however, the Maganac's leg lashes out, looking to disrupt the Zy-98 Shadow's footing to create an opening for her to capitalize on.
KTS: Regina Everhart has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Asciel Colette with Heat Tomahawk Strike! <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
Tieria takes inventory of the situation. The others have found their targets, now he just needs to find his. Hoh, a Zaku? "It's almost too easy."
The Virtue points the GN Bazooka towards the Zaku as it moves towards the train car. It hasn't noticed him yet. Best to get its attention before it makes it to the train. The GN drives whir to life, collecting energy as the Bazooka's barrel glows, spreading from the base to the tip before releasing in a massive beam of energy.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Ai Martel with Leg Sweep! KTS: Regina Everhart has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Tieria Erde targets Sakia Davila with GN Bazooka Shot! KTS: Tieria Erde has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Ai Martel rushes into the attack! KTS: Ai Martel successfully avoids Regina Everhart's Leg Sweep KTS: Asciel Colette parries Regina Everhart's Heat Tomahawk Strike, taking 1080 damage! KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Asciel Colette! KTS: Michele Luio has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Sophia Mayhew Castellan KTS: Michele Luio has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Sophia Mayhew Castellan [OOC] Michele Luio blu-ray ignore above blu-ray, I used Spirits insttead <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
The longshot was enjoying witnessing the chaos, but it does give Karma a bit bigger picture of the battle and the increased awareness catches the unit taking aim at him. The kngithmare twists grabbing for it's shield but is caught up on foliage and actually manages to trip and fall. It is this fall that causes the GN bullet to whiz over his head. A stroke of luck indeed.
Righting itself the longshot brings it's rifle up to try to pin down enemy that shot at him. <"Engaged by an enemy, from visual I think it is one of those angel beans or whatever they like to call themselves.">
Taking stock of the opponent it looks like a sniper unit, similar to Karma's own. Karma sits in the pilot chair as he hesitates for a moment trying to determine the best path to success before he chooses a path. A flick of a switch here, a button press here and the rifle takes on a hum of electricity before the rifle releases an electrified round towards the Dyanames.
KTS: Karma Sato targets Lockon Stratos with Longshot Sniper Rifle Systems Targeting Shot! KTS: Karma Sato has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade finds herself accompanying Emilia. It isn't an intentional thing - she's never even met Emmy before, not in person. It just worked out that way; she was moving in the same direction, and quite a few of the books and studies she'd read about Knightmare Frame tactics suggest very strongly that trying to do things alone was a good way to get yourself killed.
And with the chaos on this battlefield, it needed a careful eye more than ever. She'd been made for battle, but not in a little tin can like the Panzer-Wespe. It doesn't follow what she wants it to do as fast as she thinks about it, or starts to move. It's hard to keep track of everything all at once, and so she focuses, accelerating toward the rear cars. "Understood," she says, professional and precise as always in a cockpit, focused intently on her goal. "I'll support the approach, then." Emilia, improbably, has more experience than she does. Cascade has never deployed with the Black Knights before, not once; nobody here knows what to expect from her, but the chaos of battle doesn't seem to be panicking her, at least.
She doesn't get where she's going before she's fired upon. Cascade jerks her controls, banking sharply to the left as the landspinners squeal; perhaps half the burst hits her instead of the whole thing, and the armour of the Panzer-Wespe holds, more or less.
The Princess Cornelia. That's a priority target. Cascade has only a moment to study its lance, built so differently than her own, before she hunches the Panzer-Wespe downward...
...and charges. The machine is built for ranged combat, but Cascade brings it in close. Not close enough to engage Cornelia at close range, but close enough that the shorter-barreled guns in the Panzer-Wespe's hips can fire, a barrage of shots to pin Cornelia down and stop her from chasing.
Despite everything, her lips curl up slightly. This *is* more interesting than support fire. She's never experienced it quite like this before.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Cornelia li Britannia with Machine Cannon Barrage! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sakia Davila charges into the attack! KTS: Sakia Davila partially guards Tieria Erde's GN Bazooka Shot, taking 3705 damage! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia fails to evade Cascade Vermilion's Machine Cannon Barrage, taking 4300 damage! <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
Of all the times for a phone message to go on, it happens in this moment. Kallen has a system in place to feed such things into the Guren's displays, just in case... And she's glad she did, in this moment. To herself, completely unheard by everyone else... "Shit, Ranka's *HERE*!?" And as she leaps up to go find that car, a shot passes no more than a meter away from hitting her. The sniper, huh? She can't safely rescue Ranka with a sniper aiming for her. So she'll have to resolve that.
It's killing her, to not go immediately and protect a friend. But she'd be putting Ranka squarely in the crosshairs if she did... "All Knights, avoid striking the luggage car. It appears those bastards locked a civilian inside." She'll have to start there. And come to save her directly, once this long-range asshole is out of commission. But that means reaching him, and annoyingly she's lacking in good long-range.
Only one thing for it! The Guren makes an abrupt turn, kicking off the top of a train car as she launches the harkens. She'll have to use the terrain, aiding her in getting closer as she watches the path of Karma's return-shot to find the target. There's a distinct 'plunk' sound, as the grenade arm launches a shot from its maximum range. Not an ideal move but the best she has until she's able to get in close. And hey, maybe she'll get lucky and blast this interfering clown off his perch.
KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Lockon Stratos with Arm Cannon Grenade Shot! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
Okay, so, that actually plays out slightly differently than Serinas hoped, and exactly as Sophia did:
No one should be expecting what's coming, but Sophia does. The drop pod breaks away-- and a shot from the railcannon immediately slams into Serinas's armor. One shot isn't enough for a kill -- the Rhea model was redesigned by engineers who placed a priority on pilot survivability -- but the round lodges in the chest in a nasty dent surrounded by cracks. Perhaps more importantly, Serinas's reactions are *completely* thrown off. The Queadluun-Rhea spirals downward, and the brief delay in regaining control so she can properly slow her descent was NOT accounted for when she chose to reveal herself. The suit goes down into the jungle at an angle, not a true crash but certainly enough to rattle the pilot and bang up the machine a bit as it crashes through a swath of trees before pulling back up and making its way towards the ship. She's certainly not feeling as confident now, though she's still just as full of anger. <"You...">
<"It's because of you! This war!"> Serinas tries to get close as the cannon on her shoulder aims. If she can get close, they can't point ALL THE GUNS at her.
<"I just wanted to live in peace! I wanted to see the Earth Sphere and its culture and see my Mom! B-but... because of your hatred... I can't have that! Everyone in ZAFT can't have that! We have to fight for our lives and our loved ones instead! We have to fight this stupid war, or you'll kill us fast or kill us slow! WHY?! WHY DON'T YOU WANT NATURALS AND COORDINATORS AND EVERYONE ELSE TO LIVE IN PEACE?!">
She tries to get as close as she can before taking the shot, aiming for the center of the ship, a bright blue impact cannon beam spearing through the air.
KTS: Serinas Nikola targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with AA-76/QD Shoulder Cannon Close Contact Blast! KTS: Serinas Nikola has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Michele Luio demoralizes Serinas Nikola, reducing her Morale drastically. KTS: Serinas Nikola targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with AA-76/QD Shoulder Cannon Close Contact Blast! KTS: Serinas Nikola has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos successfully evades Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Systems Targeting Shot KTS: Lockon Stratos successfully evades Kallen Kozuki's Arm Cannon Grenade Shot <Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.
An authoritative voice ripples through the radio space.
BLACK KNIGHTS.
Something is smashing, blasting, attacking out there.
YIELD NOW!
It's the viceroy? On this side of the planet? Entirely focused on hunting and destroying them during this attack? Rin thinks, with a cold chill running up the small of her back. She feels like she's standing on a razor's blade for a moment.
"I'm seeing some kind of Zentraedi gear attacking in this direction," Rin reports through the tactical network - she has linkage, through the little aerial buddy, despite, you know, having gotten on the deck of a frigging mothership. "Uh, is that with ours?" And then one of the elevators rise and a squad of Sutherlands disgorge, coming towards the Burai!
This isn't a contest. One Burai vs. one Sutherland - you'd bet on the Sutherland but it's within horse race parameters. Burai would have a chance. Against three or four? There's a strong disadvantage, to the point where the Burai would be better served just jumping off the side of the ship.
The police Wanzer - a Kyokei - is even less useful. No guns! Two of the Sutherlands accelerate forwards, and the great thing about the police wanzer's position is that *it* has to move way less than *they* do in order to get in their ways. The Kyokei lumbers forwards, turning its side towards the racing Sutherlands --
And smashing one reinforced shield-edge into the foremost Sutherland!! Just as the second one collides into the side of the Wanzer, which skids perilously in this kinetic mishegoss; that singular Harken lashes outwards, anchoring to the deck, as its engine roars to life.
The Burai whicks out from behind the scrum, firing some rounds at the backed-off portion of the squad element--
-- as Rin says, "Rancor!" while sliding her right arm into the haptic glove. It squeezes like a living vise around her wrist and hand, even as she twists and accentuates the motion with -- "THROW!"
-- and the Kyokei twists round, tumbling over as it hurls the shield-slammed Sutherland towards the edge of the deck. One bounce and --
Rin's eyes widen with shock and glee. She doesn't dare crow because there's another one there. Rin twists the Burai round, the wheel-drivers in full reverse power towards the foredeck as Rancor winches itself back upwards and smashes outwards with that self-same *Britannian whackin' arm* (apparently) to body that Sutherland aside before hurling forwards. Several rounds end up embedding into the back quadrant of Rancor, one of them boring in deeper, nearer to the pilot block.
It keeps going, anyway.
"They did WHAT" Rin answers Kallen in shock-horror as the Burai leaps over what Rin, innocently, would lead into the hangar space of this great aerial pig of a mothership, landing down onto what Rin EXPECTED to be a poop deck and racking back the cycler control on her weapon. The Burai executes a 180-degree reversal on wheel-drive and --
-- faces towards the forwards window of the Hyperion.
The Kyokei joins it a few seconds later, slightly on fire.
KTS: Rin Starking targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Rancor - Charge Them!! KTS: Rin Starking has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sakia Davila has activated the Strike Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Sakia Davila has posed.
Meters closing bit by bit as she charges towards the carriage, only to be blindsided and knocked off-side by a simple rocket. Forced away by the blast, taking it barely in stride as the energy exploded over the suit, knocked back, forced to stumble back and regain ground. Barely staying standing, the sheer heat already forcing the slight warp of metal around its metal skeleton.
"Gh- God, fuck." That sole monoeyed stared impassively at the intruder, he pink lense flicking back and around. Spotted. "Gundam, huh? It's not my lucky day. You here on business or for your own wants, huh? This doesn't look much like war to me." Crouched down, hunched in. The fascimile of human wariness before exploding in a sheer sprint towards the Gundam, arm-panel flicking open to unsheathe a simple hooked scythe.
One that struck as brazen as all her movements, direct and to the point.
KTS: Sakia Davila targets Tieria Erde with Scythe! KTS: Sakia Davila has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Ai Martel has posed.
The tone of Asciel's voice is almost musical to Ai's ears. The breathless dependency, the need, resonating in her heart... it sinks at the thought of such a loss. The Shadow's heel kicks off the dirt and dodges as the Maganac's leg sweeps in, the Arm Slave's cloak billowing in the wind.
The rush finds completion in a lunge, and a thrust upward with the Shadow's monomolecular sword, toward the Maganac's center.
Switching to an open comm, she quips, "It takes two to tango, but perhaps you're skilled enough for a third~?"
<"Hn... the thought of losing you...!"> She trails off, not willing to entertain the end of that thought. <"I worried so, when I didn't hear from you. To think that someone so powerful can be brought low...">
<"Ah, but such worries don't belong on the battlefield. I'm sad to say I'm quite underdressed, this evening... but let us dance!">
KTS: Ai Martel targets Regina Everhart with Monomolecular Cutter Thrust! KTS: Ai Martel has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Regina Everhart blocks Ai Martel's Monomolecular Cutter Thrust, taking 3300 damage! KTS: Ai Martel has engaged Regina Everhart! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Serinas Nikola's AA-76/QD Shoulder Cannon Close Contact Blast, taking 2340 damage! KTS: Serinas Nikola has engaged Sophia Mayhew Castellan! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Rin Starking's Rancor - Charge Them!, taking 2800 damage! KTS: Rin Starking has engaged Sophia Mayhew Castellan! KTS: Tieria Erde fails to parry Sakia Davila's Scythe, taking 3525 damage! KTS: Sakia Davila has engaged Tieria Erde! KTS: Sakia Davila roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable. <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
As the Zaku approaches, Tieria attempts to pull out his beam saber to parry the scythe, but the bazooka left him unable to react in time, taking the slash to the chest.
"Ngh! You mean to tell me that attempting to attack an event like the Gundam Fight ISN'T an act of war against the Federation? Spare me with your hair splitting!"
Finally taking out his saber, Tieria decides to continue the close combat and brings it swinging down onto the Zaku.
KTS: Tieria Erde targets Sakia Davila with GN Beam Saber Swing! KTS: Tieria Erde has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
A lot happens at once for Emilia- caught as she is by Cornelia's surprise attack, she barely has time to pull the spike shield arm up, Cornelia's lance driving her forcefully into the luggage car, the rear of Emilia's Burai smashing through the wall, it's cockpit block jutting through. Emilia starts to gear up her landspinners to respond when her phone beeps, and the message comes up on a display.
>the train im on is under attack
>they say its about the gundam fights why theyre doing this
>things r blowing up nearby
>im locked up in the luggage car
>noone knows im here
Emilia's heart stops. The luggage car. Her factsphere can't look in here. But.
>im scared
>if i dont make it
>thank u for being part of my life
>thank u for being there for me
>thank u
>i hope this reaches u
>i dont know if it will
>but im thinking about all of u
>and ill try to be brave for all of u
>but im scared
"C-C-Cascade, cover me! P-p-please!"
The back hatch of the Burai opens, displacing luggage. Against her better instincts, Emilia pulls her hood down as she dives out of the still running KMF, her lavender hair in a loose bun at the back of her head. "Ranka!" Her eyes dash around for her best friend. Why was she here? Had Emilia just done this? Had Emilia gotten her killed? "R-R-Ranka, I'm here! Wh-where are you!" It's hard to hear the singing above the din of battle.
But she hears a voice, and rushes towards it as as fast and desperately as she can.
"R-RANKA!"
Outside, Jack remains unresponsive.
---
Joseph hands what's left of his brandy to the man next to him, but the cigar stays in his mouth. The Blue Cosmos boy he was steadfastly runs over with the man's cane. Actual ivory- and a nice solid head on it. "Oh, I'm familiar with your 'father's' concerns, yes." He looks like he's about to spit. "The old man must have lost his mind if he's counting on the ramblings of spacenoids and some overpriced garbage he found on the street." He doesn't break eye contact with Michele, even as she tries to brush him off.
He's too committed to being a bastard to observe what she's doing. "It's a Zent. Just play a godawful song and shoot it in the face while it's crying." He rolls his eyes. "Don't tell me you're honestly buying this."
Serinas screaming over the speakers, though, seems to make Joseph laugh. "Pathetic, aren't they. Lost the war and think we care about their opinions."
KTS: Sakia Davila fails to rush. KTS: Tieria Erde rattles Sakia Davila, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Sakia Davila partially guards Tieria Erde's GN Beam Saber Swing, taking 2170 damage! KTS: Tieria Erde has engaged Sakia Davila! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach targets Cornelia li Britannia with Pass! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 78. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
"Tch. Quick response on that machine."
He can see just how mobile the Guren is at its response makes it ever so easy for it to outmaneuver a precision shot, and just as quickly begin a retaliation attack. "Incoming fire, incoming fire."
"I see it, I see it, there's no way that thing's gonna--" Suddenly an alarm goes off as indications signal he's been locked onto. Without the unit even turned to face the enemy sniper, it maneuvers itself out of the line of fire. Almost as if it had eyes in the back of its head or something. The grenade is in the meanwhile just as surprisingly dodged in quick succession though looks as though the first shot almost set it up to be taken by the second.
"Eyaaaaah~. I thought that shot was perfect before. Wasn't thinking he'd be taking his shot so quickly in return. Thanks for the save, Haro!" It was nice having an AI like Haro that could handle the controls when he was focused on sniping. Though it's a good thing he didn't see Karma's slip up, or even Lockon might have lost his cool in how that shot was dodged.
With both shots evaded, the Dynames prepare another volley of shots. "if you're planning to wait till you get a clean shot be my guest, but if that's the case. . ." The first is a quick precision shot launched at the Burai. If the two were just going to exchange volleys he was fine keeping it a battle of attrition, though as he sees the Guren jolting forth, there's a quick realization that if it came in close, things would be rather troublesome. "Haro, up the charge on the next one. We're not letting that one take another step forward."
"Roger! Roger!"
The charge of the weapon could be seen even in the distance. The sound of charging energy disperses as another precision attack is launched towards the Guren this time intending to give purchase to an attack.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia fails to react to Emilia Eschonbach's Pass, taking 0 damage! KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Karma Sato with 'Just firing from my hip.'! KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Kallen Kozuki with 'I've got you right between the eyes!'! KTS: Lockon Stratos has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Kallen Kozuki has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Kallen Kozuki successfully Evades Lockon Stratos's 'I've got you right between the eyes!' <Pose Tracker> Sakia Davila has posed.
A slash to the chest was all that she needed, quickly doing her best to follow up on that same attack. Leading on after the charge, one step, two step, hitching her arm back to swing a punch straight at the Gundam in question.
"Is it!? It's already a war that the Federation's doing within itself, isn't it!? Hairsplitting idiots crashing suits against each other for power! Isn't that WAR!?"
The minute attempt to whisk past that blade amounted to naught, a clean strike on the Zaku's shoulder. And yet, she followed in, refusing to stop the punch towards the abdomen of the Gundam.
"Or it's fine that the Federation wastes all this money just to have some person sit in a crummy chair, ah!?"
KTS: Sakia Davila targets Tieria Erde with Pure Knuckles! KTS: Sakia Davila has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lockon Stratos enervates Karma Sato, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Karma Sato blocks Lockon Stratos's 'Just firing from my hip.', taking 6000 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Disruptor activates, causing Jam L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Enervator activates, causing Deject! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify! KTS: Tieria Erde parries Sakia Davila's Pure Knuckles, taking 975 damage! KTS: Sakia Davila has engaged Tieria Erde!
<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.
White cape rippling outward from behind it, the Factsphere of Cornelia li Britannia's Gloucester snaps open briefly in the wake of its assault. A pulse provides her information she already largely knew, or at least assumed.
The Black Knights. Sleeves, a smaller contingent of ZAFT. And a small handful of machines whose make she can't quite place, but look familiar all the same. Mercenaries? ...
And on their side...
For a brief moment, Cornelia looks sidelong, first towards the familiar sight of the Hyperion above... and then to Celestial Being's machines. Her indigo eyes narrow to slits, gloved fingers curling taut around their controls. She has an immediate urge to abandon everything and attack those machines for having the gall to come to -their- aid after what they did, but...
"... -Tch-." Cornelia's stern, angry gaze turns back to the Knightmare Frames before her.
She has higher priorities, now.
"Consorting with ghosts, now, Black Knights?" she muses to herself. "How fitting for you to find allies in those who only know the taste of loss." That Panzer-Wespe starts to move -- a European-make Knightmare Frame, a little more obscure in make. Are some elements of the AEU throwing support behind the Black Knights?
--Something to consider later. As it stands, the Gloucester is tearing away from the train car with immediacy -- a luggage car, no occupants; Cornelia figures there's little risk to damaging it when the rest of the train has already been so compromised. All the same, her KMF banks rapidly away from the train itself as Cascade advances, but it isn't rapidly enough: bulletfire dents and ricochets off the Gloucester's once-pristine violet armor, knocking its right shoulder backward forcibly.
But if her enemy is hoping to keep her from -chasing-, well --
A second later, the chest-mounted Slash Harkens of the Gloucester fire off with a hydraulic whine of rapidly unspooling cord, looking to -impale- into the shoulder joints of the bulkier Panzer. The subsequent retraction aims to bring Cornelia's Gloucester -charging- straight into that Black Knight machine...
... intent to JAM one mighty, metal knee into the dead center of the machine with a rattling impact. This. This is satisfying. This is what she relishes. But...
... something is wrong. Cornelia peers at the Burai, where it has remained completely immobile. Her brows crease, even in the midst of melee. Is it...?
Cornelia is not one known for mercy. Her assault rifle swings, aiming for a sweep across the lower body and - specifically - the leg joints of that Burai unless stopped, not out of some sense of leniency or compassion -- but to see if the Knightmare will -respond-. If not, it'll be crippled, and she'll have something to consider. And besides...
... right now, members of the Black Knights are far more valuable to her alive.
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
<"My my, today is a -most- uplifting day if yet more enjoyable voices sate me."> If Asciel had lips, she'd be licking them. Privately, she pipes in to Sakia, <"Now now, could you do your big sister a huge favor? Out here I've been preferring going by 'Atrytone' as of late. Don't think about it too much. It's something of a ritual of luck! ...It looks like you're having a lot of fun though. Roaring in defiance of this entire ordeal. Good. You're still a liiiiiiittle bit pathetic, but I'm here. You can rely on me, and that alone should bolster your spirits. Don't die!~ If you're envious of me getting to sever Gundam heads, I'll bring you back one as a souvenir, I think you'll like that!">
Though Asciel's slightly overcomitted with the Cutter, she ripostes Regina's tomahawk with the sudden -flash- of a completely different arm-mounted saber, one of vivid orange glowing energy. The duet of matched swords whirling around the larger Maganac is a display of quite avid fencing...but already, there's a vivid light pulsing from the Codarl's core, thrumming and gleaming. Asciel's at a sword-length away from Regina, emitting a slight tongue-clicking sort of noise.
<"Now now, you're treating my dance partner rather roughly, and showing little sign of passion yourself. We're here to stamp our own intent on the decadence and ridicule of valor that is the Gundam Fight. This is the world's very repudiation of the idea, of deciding fate through a lie of combative prowess. If this incident doesn't hold weight in your cute little heart...">
Asciel's mono-eye flashes orange. She drops her sword with a loud clatter onto the train car roof - and holding her hand outward, index finger tucked behind her thumb.
<"...shouldn't you just go away?~">
The Codarl...-flicks-. At seemingly thin air.
And in this simple, almost mocking gesture's wake, Regina is hit by an indomitable wall of force, aiming to hurl her farther and farther away. Light whirls and rushes around her, akin to a furious tornado...
<"...Are you holding up well yourself, Ai?~ I'm a touch surprised to see you here, especially since Arm Slaves can be rather rugged on occupants. Hardly as luxurious and comfortable as you deserve!">
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Cascade Vermilion with Slash Harken Entangle! KTS: Asciel Colette targets Regina Everhart with Lambda Driver Reject! KTS: Asciel Colette has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Emilia Eschonbach with Assault Rifle Pot Shot! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Asciel Colette rattles Regina Everhart, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Regina Everhart fails to parry Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Reject, taking 3800 damage! KTS: Asciel Colette repulses Regina Everhart, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia anchors Cascade Vermilion, forcing her into close range. KTS: Cascade Vermilion partially guards Cornelia li Britannia's Slash Harken Entangle, taking 1755 damage! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Cascade Vermilion! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach fails to react to Cornelia li Britannia's Assault Rifle Pot Shot, taking 4560 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 9120 <Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka can't help it, she shrieks when the Burai smashes through the wall. The jolt causes luggage to topple as straps break, and she's quickly battered and half buried in her corner as she whimpers and tries to hide beneath it.
A hatch opens, more luggage falls, as she shakes under her enforced hiding place and then-
'Ranka!'
Is she imagining things?
"E-Emilia?" She dares to say, as she peeks out, luggage shifting as she crawls out from under it. "Here-! I'm here-!"
Upright, she stumbles over the haphazard footing of shifting loose luggage as she makes it over to her. Freaked out by this turn of events, "Emilia! You s-shouldn't be here! Everything is huh-horrible it's-"
Context clues sink in of where she came from, as her eyes dart to what she's wearing and the Burai on her way over...
"-did you steal that to come rescue me!? I-"
... and comes to the entirely wrong conclusion. She only knows Emilia can pilot from the Millympic Games after all. It doesn't even register that she barely sent out those text messages, that Emilia wouldn't have time to change and steal that and come after her. She's too upset and relieved all at once to think it through.
Finally barreling into her, she clings to her, shaking, her nerves shot by this sudden turn of events and these wild shifts in emotion... "Thank you-! Thuh-Thank you so much!" She sobs as Cornelia's gunfire litters the Burai buried in the wall, "W-We have to get out! We have to get out of here!"
... but alive. And safe for now at least. From here, Kallen and Rin would probably hear her babbled thank you's distantly over the Burai's radio, even if Cornelia managed to cripple it.
KTS: Ranka Lee has deployed as a Sub Pilot for Emilia Eschonbach! KTS: Ranka Lee targets Emilia Eschonbach, Kallen Kozuki, and Rin Starking with Awe. KTS: Ranka Lee has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Emilia Eschonbach KTS: Ranka Lee inspires awe, increasing Kallen Kozuki's Morale! <Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
She's not half bad, Sophia thinks. It's not dramatically better than her own calls would be, but it lets her focus on specifics. So this is a tactical forecaster...
"Received and acknowledged. Confirming two attackers," Sophia says, eyes scanning across the field in a way that someone looking with noraal eyes would find confounding. Fortunately, neither is on camera. "Deck attacker has an accompanying support unit. Unmanned." How'd she confirm that? Don't worry about it. "Helios, you getting this?" she asides.
"Aye ma'am!" chimes the frustratingly calm Desmond Siege, as the Hyperion's escort ship Helios roars up from beneath Hyperion. Hyperion is a behemoth of a ship and lumbering besides, but HELIOS is a zippy escort, and as Serinas recovers herself, she can already see the smaller ship roaring straight at her.
"<Ah,>" the overcalm male pilot replies to Serinas' desperate pleas. Her shots spatter against the HELIOS as Desmond moves to intercept, swinging up to put its belly in the path of the blast. "<It is a tragedy, isn't it? That wish for all to be of a kind. Natural hates Coordinator. Newtype ascends beyond Oldtype. Like a child's game.>"
Then Helios' onboard missile tubes swivel down toward Serinas and fire, waves of missiles careening toward the Zentradi battlesuit.
"<The truth is that we hold no such hate. People will die today because of unworthy men who claim the seats of kings. Before you can fight it, you must make peace with it,>" Desmond says.
Sophia sighs. "I swear the man thinks he's a philosopher," she muses...watching directly down the viewlane of the bridge as the enemy proceed to completely thump her KMF team.
"Henderson's going to hate that," Amata notes, as a Sutherland goes completely off the edge of the Combat Deck.
"They're equipped for falls of this altitude," Sophia murmurs, distantly. "I think our on-deck combat protocols need work, though." Watching.
As the Burai drives directly up to the windows. Do you see her there, Rin? The woman in the white uniform, with the red hair, and the fearless gaze?
She tips up her chin. "Popups," she announces. Combat control calls back: "Aye!"
Rin's stance is interrupted when turrets pop up around her from the deck, miniguns peppering her with anti-unit fire.
<Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
Now at full melee capability, it's no large task for the Virtue to deflect the Zaku's punch as its pilot clicks his tongue at the enemy's protests. All he heard was excuses. Excuses and justifications, rolled up in the poison of ideology. He had heard it many times before. He would hear it many times again. He would not stop hearing it until VEDA's will was done.
"I don't care. You're the one attacking, you're the one that needs to be stopped. Whatever you need to tell yourself so you can sleep at night, please kindly keep it to yourself."
Tieria takes advantage of the Zaku's distraction to charge the GN Cannons mounted to the Virtue's shoulders, firing off GN particles in a surprise shot.
KTS: Ranka Lee inspires awe, increasing Emilia Eschonbach's Morale! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 9120 KTS: Tieria Erde targets Sakia Davila with GN Cannon Shot! KTS: Tieria Erde has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Serinas Nikola with Helios Rocket Flyby! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Rin Starking with Pop-up Deck Turrets! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sakia Davila rushes into the attack! KTS: Sakia Davila partially guards Tieria Erde's GN Cannon Shot, taking 5760 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Tieria Erde's Analyst activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Ranka Lee inspires awe, increasing Rin Starking's Morale! KTS: Rin Starking successfully evades Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Pop-up Deck Turrets <Pose Tracker> Michele Luio has posed.
"I'm sorry. What do you think you know about me, again? Do you think that's the most painful thing you can say?" Despite this, Michele's blood is running cold as Joseph says 'overpriced garbage', as she subtly taps Brick on one side in a specific spot, just in case.
"That I was adopted for my powers? You don't know what it's like to be me. Rich, powerful, intelligent, and beautiful. My father's company stands - your city's in hell. My family lives - you failed yours, except for one granddaughter you shipped off to a boarding school in occupied territory. Nobody will ever love you."
"I'm worshipped."
A pause, as she checks her data.
"Or did you not think I'd put as much research into everyone in this car - including the nobodies such as you - before I even got in it?"
A beam shot from an angry ZAFT and a Black Knight. Separate contenders?
"They're not coordinating. Separate allegiance. Divide and conquer."
"But be cautious. That beam rifle's going to do major damage to your ship. Keep her from focusing fire and you'll have less of a risk. Luckily, as I mentioned, they won't assist each other much."
Evasive telemetry is input. Michele is in the flow, especially after her harsh words.
KTS: Michele Luio targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Caution! KTS: Michele Luio has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Michele Luio suggests caution, raising Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Intuition! <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
She may have something important on her mind... but Kallen's gotten sharper over time. That little bit better at seeing the angles. "Too obvious! You'd never hit me that way." And just like that, she hooks a harken into the cliffside and recalls halfway to it before de-anchoring, launching the red, bird-like KMF OVER the sniper's shot.
She's got to get this done fast. Best way to handle it is taking advantage of coordination. "Longshot, I'll wrap him up, you follow up on my mark!" The speed at which the Guren is approaching is above and beyond what Knightmare models ought be capable of. She is in fact, overclocking the hell out of it, to get squarely in the Gundam's face before launching the Harkens, all for the sake of tying the sniper up like he's an oversized Christmas Present.
Koji Kabuto teleports in.
POT: Koji Kabuto is now set observer.
KTS: Serinas Nikola rushes into the attack! KTS: Serinas Nikola partially guards Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Helios Rocket Flyby, taking 4275 damage! <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
She may have something important on her mind... but Kallen's gotten sharper over time. That little bit better at seeing the angles. "Too obvious! You'd never hit me that way." And just like that, she hooks a harken into the cliffside and recalls halfway to it before de-anchoring, launching the red, bird-like KMF OVER the sniper's shot.
She's got to get this done fast. Best way to handle it is taking advantage of coordination. "Longshot, I'll wrap him up, you follow up on my mark!" The speed at which the Guren is approaching is above and beyond what Knightmare models ought be capable of. She is in fact, overclocking the hell out of it, to get squarely in the Gundam's face before launching the Harkens, all for the sake of tying the sniper up like he's an oversized Christmas Present.
Just as she's sending out the harkens, she can hear terrified but happy sobbing on the radio. She lets out a breath she didn't realize was being held. Ranka's... safer. For now. Just got to get back and make sure this all works out. Hopefully they'll be able to explain it reasonably...
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade, who at least finds it easy to pay attention to transmissions in a combat area, sends back to Rin, "<No. There's at least three groups here. I'm not sure about some of them.>"
Cascade's landspinners whirr again as she repositions, kicking up sparks as she leaps onto the tracks to grind along one of them in a thoroughly unapproved manner. Where did she learn how to do that? *Why* did she learn how to do that?
...it felt right, that's all.
Cascade gets some distance down the track before Cornelia fires the slash harkens at her. One of them glances off, half-deflected by the plating of the Panzer-Wespe, but another digs in; it's enough for Cornelia to guide her charge in, certainly, driving a knee at top speed into the Panzer-Wespe.
The Panzer-Wespe rocks under the blow, but doesn't fall - Cascade flipped the bracing system for the cannons on for just a moment and the back of the legs extended a support strut, supporting the machine. But at this speed, having just been grinding along the track, it causes a horrific whine of metal, and one of the struts snaps, leaving Cascade momentarily off-balance.
And alone. Emilia has gone somewhere else. Outside of her suit. Why?? Cascade thinks to herself, emotions that she won't let herself show in her current position rushing through her. She tenses up, leaning forward, gripping her controls more tightly. "I can only do this for so long!" Cascade sends to Emilia, unsure if she's even hearing her or if it's going straight to the (empty) suit. There's actual emotion in her voice instead of just the harsh focus from before.
With Cornelia close, Cascade has a new option. She has a spear of her own - a spear with an extended long blade, more like a yari than a European spear. She could stab with it, or slash, and it's the second she does now, whirling it before striking at Cornelia, a rapid-fire series of strikes.
The first one, and one of the later ones once the capacitors have a chance to build back up, discharges with a white-blue thundercrack, similar to but different in construction than Cornelia's own EM lance. The attacks are rapid, precise, and almost mechanical. They're not *quite* predictable, but they feel less organic than Cornelia's own, as if the user was extremely well-drilled but hadn't had a lot of personal battlefield experience with the weapon. She aims at joints, attempting to disorient or unbalance Cornelia without breaking the anchor attachment.
KTS: Kallen Kozuki has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Lockon Stratos KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Cornelia li Britannia with Stinger Lance Impale! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Lockon Stratos with Slash Harken Entangle! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
Ai's Arm Slave avoids her leg sweep before lunging, the blade soaring toward the center of Regina's Maganac. Her shield arm shifts to defend it, moving it just in time for the monomolecular sword to bury itself into it.
"Hm. Come, then." Regina replies. If they wish to fight her together, so be it. Battle is much more thrilling when the odds are against her, and pitting herself again opponents who seem to move so fluidly together... How can she say no?
Although... when Asciel rebukes her after skillfully parrying her strike, Regina frowns inside her cockpit.
"...Passion." Regina repeats. "You speak of passion, and yet you gleefully fire upon those not allowed to fire back. Where is the thrill in this, robbing them of their fight? You-"
Whatever she was about to say next is interrupted as the Codarl flicks at thin air and a wall of ferocius light follows. Surprised, Regina attempts to cleave the light in two with her heat tomahawk - but it assails her still, pushing her back.
"Hm. You hold a mysterious power." Regina notes. This is... dangerous. If she doesn't end this quickly, she might find herself overwhelmed.
With this decision made, Regina hurls her heat tomahawk into the air. She rushes down the Codarl, unleashing two swift, powerful, bare-handed jabs at the Arm Slave - movements that almost seem too smooth to come from a Maganac. Ai is next. The heat tomahawk descends and Regina catches it in one fluid motion before swinging the weapon repeatedly.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Asciel Colette with One-Two Jab! KTS: Regina Everhart targets Ai Martel with Heat Tomahawk Combo! KTS: Regina Everhart has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Asciel Colette fails to rush. KTS: Asciel Colette partially guards Regina Everhart's One-Two Jab, taking 4940 damage! KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Asciel Colette! <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
The Longshot feels the impact of the shot from Dynames on the shield and slides back as joints spark and the system tries to cope with the impact of the bullet. The damn GN particles are of course just adding to the system hating itselt. Still though Karma has to admit he is impressed, everything this enemy can do, it's a shame it is the enemy but still he can make use of it. Continuing his retreat to cover he is also checking to make sure there are battle records for this fight.
<"Got it Guren, hold him down best you can and be aware those particles don't play nice with our systems."> Karma grumbles as he is still sorting out the particles effect on his own unit. For the moment though he is aware he can't sit idle. Taking a deep breath he swivels out of cover and raises his rifle for a quick shot before trying to make it to another position of cover.
KTS: Karma Sato targets Lockon Stratos with Longshot Sniper Rifle Quick Shot! KTS: Karma Sato has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Sakia Davila has posed.
Ah, it has been months since she's head that voice. That voice so seared into her mind, only minutely mentally snapping at the sudden private comms. Atrytone? Fine with her. <"If you're going to live up to being a Big Sister, you might as well start now. Do sisters let their poor, poor, poor, pooooor siblings down!?"> Grappling in, mind two places at once, trying to-
Blasted by a cannon. Off-guard. Head. Upper chest. GN particles hitting home, ripping, shredding metal of a Theseus-shaped beast, chipping at the mono eye and stripping the metal down. Still staring defiantly, that arm hooking to swing broadside at the abdomen.
"Don't GIVE ME THAT!" Hit or not, the other arm wound itself up: A haymaker, tried and true, right to the solar plexus of that heaveyset machine. "Just because you don't see the idiocy of the Gundam Fight doesn't mean I gotta shut! You gonna stop the Gundam Fight too!? Or is it only your approved wars!?"
KTS: Sakia Davila has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Sakia Davila has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Sakia Davila targets Tieria Erde with Interrogation! KTS: Sakia Davila has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lockon Stratos's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Kallen Kozuki anchors Lockon Stratos, forcing him into close range. KTS: Lockon Stratos fails to parry Kallen Kozuki's Slash Harken Entangle, taking 2700 damage! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Lockon Stratos! KTS: Cascade Vermilion enervates Cornelia li Britannia, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia parries Cascade Vermilion's Stinger Lance Impale, taking 915 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Eye activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Knife activates, causing Deject! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has engaged Cornelia li Britannia! <Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
Another ship is getting in the way? <"Then those unworthy men should die!"> She tries to rush past the Helios, firing her hand gatling lasers at the missiles, but barely manages to take any of them out, her armor rattling around her from the explosions, left pockmarked with dents and scorch marks. Some part of the cockpit closure mechanism is jarred a little loose -- if they WERE in space, she's wearing a pilot suit inside anyway -- but now she can hear a faint whistle of wind and a slight constant rattling.
She paid for the opportunity to get close with damage to her armor. She'd better make use of it!
It's not exactly coordinating, but she flies up towards the deck. <"You and that Kushrenada guy are the same. You talk as if just fighting on whatever side you're on is noble, but it's not. If you know your leaders are unworthy, you should be helping us fight them! You're only not 'cuz they're not after YOU.">
The bruised and battered Queadluun-Rhea lands on the deck, where it towers over the Knightmare frames. Hell, Serinas would tower over them even OUT of the suit! She tries to kick one of the Sutherlands off its wheel-feet, then snatch it in her claws and after a thruster-assisted spin THROW it at the turrets menacing the Black Knight. <"COWARDS!">
That masklike faceplate/sensor cover briefly turns towards Rin. <"I'm glad not all Earthnoids are like them. Together, we can stop them...">
KTS: Lockon Stratos successfully avoids Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Quick Shot KTS: Serinas Nikola targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Cultural Exchange! KTS: Serinas Nikola has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.
Rin stares into the great window through the Burai's cameras.
She can see them. They can see her - at least her KMF. Rin doesn't shoot the Liberator gun; that thing is inches thick, and at most she would blur it. It's not invincible but it's not something she can easily break. Not like that. She's staring at the KMF...
At her.
Rin's back freezes.
A thin faint voice comes through the radio, secondhand, through Emilia's connection. It's -
Ranka? Rin wonders.
The civilian was Ranka?? Here?? On that train?? Her eyebrows twitch.
Something's moving in the corners of her vision. A dreamlike sense of peril rising. Like mushrooms unfolding... Rin watches them, and to herself, in her thoughts that come too fast by far, she tells herself something.
I can't let this woman win. Not when I came this far. Not when everything's been working so swimmingly. Because (she reaches over to touch the little good-luck medal in the breast pocket of her piloting gear): I am...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Q_595qu_A
And just as the first of the turrets pops up, marginally faster than the others, the Burai dives down into a squatting crouch. The Kyokei slams forwards in a swift spiral that sends it skewing off to the side, swerving in a wild zigzag as the Burai stays in this awkward position, reversing backwards. Gunfire rakes the deck as the reverse drive wheels around in tragicomic patterns. The Burai, just, manages to avoid meaningful hits - oh, sure, on this level you can't dodge every last single shell, but it isn't hit *and harmed*. The Kyokei is less lucky but is a brick, and even it's moving quickly.
Amusing. Perhaps she's going to try to waste all of Britannia's money.
EXCEPT... there is a third party involved here. Coming behind the two mechs, almost leisurely, is an up-armored commercial drone platform. It has a gun underslung it and it pivots around, wobbling a little, dangling little metal pods beneath it. It wobbles violently as one of the rotors is nicked by a trailing shot from the turrets, although the turret in question is immediately smashed against by the Kyokei.
And in the Burai's cockpit, the one human pilot steals glances on one of the smaller computer screens - an adapted drawing tablet - and makes the last motion in it. A sweep of one hand. "Scorn! Execute!"
The drone, wobbling, straightens - and three of the little metal pods fling downwards. It looks like some kind of clear slime with little droplets of something white in it. One streak in a downward arc, like a parenthesis, another in the other direction, and a final slash down the middle.
The Burai then stops abruptly in the center of the open space. NOW it shoots - the drone dumps a couple of shells forwards too. This should just leave some big white dings and shallow craters to buff out at base. But they're not so much shooting to penetrate as to throw heat into that goo...
... and ignite it.
She answers Serinas as she fires, through a digital voice distorter: "Earthnoid... spacenoid... I'm a super soldier without borders. Whatever stands in the way of liberation is my enemy!"
KTS: Rin Starking targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Witch's Jelly! KTS: Rin Starking has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Tieria Erde parries Sakia Davila's Interrogation, taking 975 damage! KTS: Sakia Davila has engaged Tieria Erde! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Rin Starking's Witch's Jelly, taking 3610 damage! KTS: Rin Starking begins a Formation attack! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Serinas Nikola's Cultural Exchange, taking 2784 damage! KTS: Serinas Nikola has engaged Sophia Mayhew Castellan! <Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Emmy rushes over to pull Ranka up and out of the luggage with all she's got. And it's... a surprising amount, honestly. She wants to hug Ranka, and tell her it'll be all right. She can't though. "I've g-got you, b-but we have to m-move."
Emmy moves with agility, to get Ranka back to the cockpit. She grabs on to the line to pull them both up. "H-Hold on-"
And then the Burai is battered with rifle fire, and the two ae swung- but Emilia doesn't let go of either, and pulls Ranka onto the cockpit seat with there. Once they're in, though, it's cramped and tight, even with both of them being so small. "St-stay close, and l--ow if you can." There's not enough seatbelt for both of them, and she doesn't have a helmet in here. She didn't learn. "I-I'll get you h-h-home. I p-promise." Ranka's her best friend in the world. She will not let her down.
Jack whirs to life and speeds out, starting to drive. "I'm b-b-back! Th-they'd locked s-someone in h-here!" That someone is sobbing next. "And I'm g-gonna make up for l-lost time!" As she starts moving, she glares down at Ranka. She has to do something.
With one hand, she grabs her phone and the earbuds. They're not as good. "R-Ranka. Don't l-look, okay? I'm getting us h-home." And she slips the earbuds. "P-play 'Bad Times'."
And then something plays, in Ranka's own voice.
"Aimo aimo nedel lushe
"Noina miria endel prodea
"Photomi."
"Here we are in a warm sea: look up and breathe."
Now, though. Now is the time for anger. "I-I won't let you h-hurt her anymore! I w-won't let you have your way anymore!"
The eight harkens of Jack, including the two massive 'Giantkiller' harkens, fly at Cornelia at full tilt, carrying Emilia's anger. They aim to jam in and wrap around wherever they can... until Emmy puts all power into her landspinners in reverse, to drag Cornelia's KMF into the dirt. "Cascade! Finish her!"
---
Joseph Eschonbach was expecting her to back down, to show meekness. Know her place. Instead, Michele slices into him with a scalpel, expertly and cruelly.
"Failed?!" He responds, shouting now. "My daughter failed me! She *betrayed* me! She betrayed Britannia! Her half-Zeke brat should be grateful I give her anything! Instead she causes problem after problem for being too stupid to learn a damn thing! Unlike your father, it seems I'll be unlikely to recoup my investment with that wretch!"
Michele drags him into the light, and shows him for what he is. A withered husk of a man, with nothing left but cruetly. Blue Cosmos favourite sort of person. Still, he seethes at nobodies, his face turning red with anger.
"Nobody? NOBODY!?" He roars, all semblance of civility gone. "If you won't learn your place, then I will remind you of it!"
Joseph lifts that cane, and starts to swing at Michele as she tries to provide support to Sophia. He is a true Britannian, after all.
If your enemy won't bow, break their spine.
KTS: Emilia Eschonbach targets Cornelia li Britannia with Beanstalk Pull! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 61. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia successfully evades Emilia Eschonbach's Beanstalk Pull KTS: Emilia Eschonbach roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable. <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
Another punch, another parry. This was getting annoying. The Zaku was in significantly worse shape than the Virtue. A mere grunt. Letting things get to her head. This is why she's lost.
"The Gundam Fight will be addressed in due time. I'd appreciate if you didn't make me party to that toxic ideology of yours."
At this point, any attack would probably take it down, but best to be thorough in such matters. The Virtue's chest armor opens up, exposing the direct connection to its GN Condensor. "GN Bazooka....Burst Mode." The GN Bazooka splits in half, the rear end popping out to insert directly into the Condensor, charging up its power to unleash it in a wide beam, pushing the Virtue back and out of the fray.
KTS: Tieria Erde targets Sakia Davila with GN Bazooka Burst Mode! KTS: Tieria Erde has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sakia Davila fails to Evade Tieria Erde's GN Bazooka Burst Mode, taking 4950 damage! KTS: Sakia Davila has been defeated! KTS: Tieria Erde roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable. <Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
Another locked on shot finds itself incapable of snatching up the Guren and its fast movements. The KMF and its ability to traverse the terrain makes the distance between the two close in closer and closer. His shots keep on coming but it seems that even precision shooting with the power of a GN sniper rifle wasn't going to be effective, and by the time that she gets in close. . .
"Crap!"
"Out of range! Out of range!"
It was more like she was too close in range, but the fact of the matter was that the Guren had gotten in close enough that there's very little that the Dynames can do as the Harkens attempt to ensnare it. Kallen can take pride in that she succeeds and in fact, it looks like for a moment Karma's got the perfect opportunity to take his shot on the Gundam. Though as he's about to pull the trigger
Kallen would watch as the larger machine emanated a green light from its back. Particles blasting out from its power source as it filled the air. "Oi, oi, oi, don't think this is just some Knightmare Frame from back home you can lock down so easily. . .Hate to break it to you, but you're not in Japan anymore!"
Karma's shot is fired, and in a last minute burst the Dynames propels itself forward even with Slash Harkens ensnaring its frame.
While the Guren certainly had speed and maneuverability with its lighter frame, when it came to a game of tug of war was it able to stop the thrust and weight of a Gundam from dragging it along as it moved out of the line of fire?!
"Kinda hard to snipe you both when you're trying to get so close. . . Haro, GN missiles!"
"GN Missiles launching! GN Missiles launching!"
With the Guren so close, Kallen gets to watch up close and personal as the Gundam's skirt and knee joints open up to unveil an array of missiles. All at once they deploy outwards, some for the Guren, and some for the Burai. Interestingly enough. . .If those missiles ended up hitting, rather than exploding on contact, something unusual would transpire. Particles would begin to flood the point of contact of where the missiles had lodged themselves, the missiles would still be trying to propel the enemy units towards the trajectory of the missiles, though weirdest of all. . .The units would begin to bloat in a way that was ever so reminiscent of the Guren's Radiant Waves, only to a much smaller degree.
KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Kallen Kozuki with 'Give a guy some space!'! KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Karma Sato with 'Give a guy some space!'! KTS: Lockon Stratos has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lockon Stratos enervates Karma Sato, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Lockon Stratos rattles Karma Sato, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Karma Sato blocks Lockon Stratos's 'Give a guy some space!', taking 4200 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Disruptor activates, causing Jam L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Enervator activates, causing Deject! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify! KTS: Lockon Stratos repulses Karma Sato, forcing him to disengage. KTS: Kallen Kozuki successfully Evades Lockon Stratos's 'Give a guy some space!' <Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Sophia just sits there WATCHING Rin and her squad assemble in front of the armored frontal window. Will it survive whatever's next? Oh, probably.
She does tip her head to the side, hearing a voice roaring in anger and drawing nearer. "Do you require intervention, Prophetess?" she asks, low. She quietly sends a smaller slice of the ship telemetry - the nearby position of Major Henderson's Sutherland team.
...the extremely nearby position, considering the scale of the battlefield. She can't possibly know exactly where Michele is, can she?
Meanwhile, back on the bridge: "She's right about that beam rifle, captain, that thing's anti-ship category."
"Yes, it's given us a few dents to remember her by before," Sophia agrees. She watches Rin begin her movements. "Third machine," she mumbles. "Two unmanned...she has to be the control point, then." Changes mental tracks. Desmond! Do keep our idealistic friend busy!"
"Of course, my Captain," Desmond replies on the ship band, and goes back to philosophizing with Serinas. "<So swift to condemn a man to death,>" Desmond says. "<Which is the problem, you see.>"
The Queadluun-Rhea bursts past Helios, and Desmond swoops back around. A new wave of Sutherlands charge out of the deck, and THESE immediately set for lance charge and move to simply PUSH Serinas' powersuit off the ship, the deck smoldering from where she's struck.
Meanwhile, Sophia has turned her attention back to Rin, as the blobs her drone has been spewing heat and ignite. Sophia watches with just a small amount of concern as the decking scorches from the intensity of that heat.
Which is when Helios surges around, railcannons firing on the armored Combat Deck to try and blast away at Rin's several mechs, as a blackened shape begins to become clear in Sophia's decking.
KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Rin Starking with Helios Full Barrage! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Serinas Nikola with Knightmare Contingent Spears! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rin Starking retreats from the attack! KTS: Rin Starking fails to evade Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Helios Full Barrage, taking 4320 damage! <Pose Tracker> Michele Luio has posed.
Joseph Eschonbach strikes, expecting to break a spine and teach a lesson.
Michele doesn't even move. She doesn't even *flinch*. "Brick."
Brick is suddenly up, his hands catching the cane. He pulls forward, and then smashes Joseph in the jaw with his fist, not hard enough to knock him out cold but possibly enough to do real damage.
"Sir, I need to request you leave." He says, coolly, as Michele turns to the stunned Diable manager and the Blue Cosmos lacky. "My apologies for the commotion. Let us hope it won't happen again."
Brick does not let him retake the cane.
Michele is too in the zone to care that Sophia offers to 'solve' the problem. "Handled, thank you. Let's focus on saving this train."
"They're going to ready a decisive blow. I've got eyes on their likely targets..." She inputs defensive data. "Shore up here, and here, and make evasive maneuvers here. By the way, *when* we all make it out - I'll be in touch."
KTS: Michele Luio targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Sparkle! KTS: Michele Luio has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Michele Luio has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Sophia Mayhew Castellan KTS: Michele Luio has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Sophia Mayhew Castellan KTS: Serinas Nikola fails to Parry Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Knightmare Contingent Spears, taking 4200 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sophia Mayhew Castellan's I See Your Sins activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan repulses Serinas Nikola, forcing her to disengage. Ranka Lee has paged Emilia Eschonbach, Cascade Vermilion, Rin Starking, and Kallen Kozuki with, 'Going to do a Caution next round, can hit 3 people. Anyone here who'd be particularly affected by music since everyone would hear it?'
KTS: Michele Luio sparkles, reducing Sophia Mayhew Castellan's incoming damage! KTS: Ai Martel parries Regina Everhart's Heat Tomahawk Combo, taking 735 damage! KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Ai Martel!
<Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.
There is something about the pilot of this Panzer-Wespe.
It's the thought that runs through Cornelia li Britannia's mind as she feels the other Knightmare Frame -grind- backwards against her Gloucester's forward assault. It's an oddity that the princess clues into almost by sheer battle-tempered instinct now. There's a peculiar contradiction in the way this KMF moves. Technically proficient and fluid... but stilted in that way those who have fought long enough recognize instantly even in the frantic heat of war.
Inexperience.
Where did the Black Knights get someone of so much obvious training, but so little obvious battlefield experience--?
"Tch," is the hissed thought of Cornelia, first and foremost, as she -yanks- backward. She only gains so much space, so at home is she in the thick of the fight -- enough space, at least, to see the flourish of that yari-like spear whirling into place in the distinctly European Knightmare Frame's grip. Another dichotomy.
Cornelia's frown deepens just as 'Jack' drags itself out of the train. Sluggish reaction time. The Burai couldn't outmaneuver the weapons fire. Did the pilot disengage?
... Was there something smuggled in the luggage compartment Cornelia wasn't aware of...?
The Panzer-Wespe lunges. The Giantkiller harkens fly. Cascade is proficient, but--
<"Enough!">
The first blow of Cascade's spear drags across the Gloucester's midsection, electricity discharging in a chaotic dance across violet-painted armor.
And that is precisely when Cornelia's lance -slams- down, catching the haft of the Panzer's spear within the expanding prongs of that golden weapon. Cornelia's Knightmare moves -with- its momentum --
-- and -thrusts- both lance and spear up just as Emilia calls out, intent to use both her weapon and Cascade's to intercept and -knock- the Giantkillers aside.
<"This farce is over,"> announces Cornelia, her voice booming over the battlefield. And it is then that she -pulls- her lance backwards --
--and looks to -ram- it into the Panzer.
Whether it runs the Knightmare Frame through is immaterial; where Cascade produced a flourish of blows, Cornelia seeks only one, targeted strike -- to unload a full flash of crackling white-blue EM discharge into the bulkier machine, seconds before the Gloucester wheels upon Emilia's Frame.
<"Burai pilot, you will relinquish what you have taken to me--">
And here the Gloucester -charges- forward, landspinners screaming across the ground as that lance is brought to bear, looking to -tear- through the Burai's right shoulder -- and bring Cornelia dangerously close to the her target.
<"--or I will pry it from your bloodied grasp!">
What does the Burai's pilot have? What did they take? It's immaterial, in this moment.
Cornelia will not allow the Black Knights to stake claim on anything. Ever.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Cascade Vermilion with EM Jousting Lance - Implacable Assault! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Emilia Eschonbach with EM Jousting Lance - Strategic Strike! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Emilia Eschonbach KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Emilia Eschonbach KTS: Cascade Vermilion fails to Parry Cornelia li Britannia's EM Jousting Lance - Implacable Assault, taking 4371 damage! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Cascade Vermilion! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach blocks Cornelia li Britannia's EM Jousting Lance - Strategic Strike, taking 1230 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 7890 KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Emilia Eschonbach! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia begins a Formation attack!
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
While the Guren gets pulled along by the much larger Gundam unit, that proves ill-suited for the sniper's *aim*. Even flailing along on a chain with the Dynames in its face, the Guren is mobile enough to spin out, using one landspinner as it leaps, to kick off the SIDES of the missiles, using them like tiny platforms to right itself and flip overhead. "Not a bad attempt, and thanks for calling it Japan. But I can't let you interfere much more than this."
No time to charge up the Wave Surger yet... and just as she's thinking that, she gets an eyeful of what those missiles can do. Remarkably similar effects, which is interesting. Shame they won't be able to take any to Rakshata to analyze. So, the arm with a cannon strapped on pulls a knife. She's gotten pretty good at close quarters using this, partially thanks to her encounter with that unique AS unit. She's got no desire to kill the pilot here, even if he is interfering, but... She DOES need to disable. So she's plunging the weapon down toward the partially-exposed forehead camera, looking to knock out its sensor array and force a retreat. She needs to get back to the train. They still have a job to do, and she needs to back up Emmy too, get her headed to safety with Ranka.
Escudo Shard teleports out.
KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Lockon Stratos with Fork Knife Riposting Slash! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Sakia Davila has posed.
There was only the slightest bit time between cognizance and being completely, utterly blasted with energy. Moments lasting imperceptibly long, the sensations of being cooked, seared, beam superheating the frame of the Zaku I as it was tossed back. A wordless scream echoing out, suit flying in a lazy arc.
Crash. A rebound, up a few inches, back down. Such was the force, twisting, bumping against a rock as the metal slag flung itself off, smashing into the ground before sliding to a stop.
"...K-k-k-k-k-khhhhhh..." A sound between pain and laughter, that weak, molten monoeye staring at the perpetrator of such an act. "In due time? So I was righ- KH- Right..." The oddest sense of vindication. There was that line of thinking. "First aid, first aid..." Trailing off, the Zaku I a desecrated corpse.
<Pose Tracker> Ai Martel has posed.
"Ah, I cannot speak for my partner, but myself and mine intend to *avoid* civilian casualties. This 'Gundam Fight' is such a barbaric spectacle, besides--"
Ai brings up the Shadow's sword to knock Regina's Heat Hawk aside, though the joints in its hand begin to seize from the heat. She clicks her tongue. "What of all the innocent lives endangered in the Fight's opening rounds, hm?" The sword loops around beneath and slashes upward into the Maganac's arm.
"Surely you'd agree that in the grand scheme of things, the loss of a few undeserving Federation nobles for the sake of curtailing the Gundam Fight outweighs the loss of so much more in property and life in the stages preceding this!"
There's a smile as she answers Asciel's question, <"Well enough! As I said, this is hardly my favorite dress... but I've the physique to handle such things. You'll see my pride and joy soon enough, my dear, don't you worry...">
KTS: Ai Martel targets Regina Everhart with Monomolecular Cutter Slash! KTS: Ai Martel has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Regina Everhart blocks Ai Martel's Monomolecular Cutter Slash, taking 2160 damage! KTS: Ai Martel has engaged Regina Everhart! KTS: Karma Sato has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Karma Sato has activated the Strike Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
> I'm a super soldier without borders. Whatever stands in the way of liberation is my enemy!
Serinas smiles, hearing someone proudly proclaim to be part of the 'all of a kind' the HELIOS's pilot touched on earlier. <"If only everyone thought like that...">
Sadly, she doesn't make an excellent strike in KMF bowling. That would have been amazing, like come on.
> So swift to condemn a man to death. Which is the problem, you see.
Serinas's voice turns icy. <"They were quick to condemn a quarter million souls on Junius Seven."> Then, full of anger again: <"How long before the next one, if no one stops them?!">
Another team of KMFs comes for her. She tries to kick their spears aside, but they're ready, impaling her suit's legs for her trouble and forcing her off the deck.
There are damage warnings on her HUD. This isn't going well... But she can help that Black Knight keep the ship busy for a *little* longer. She'll have to count on the others to deny Blue Cosmos the chance to control the world through the Gundam Fight.
The shoulder cannon almost seems to suck in energy as it prepares for another shot.
Serinas is screaming. <"So DO SOMETHING! Why won't you DO SOMETHING instead of TALKING! STOP THEM! WHY?! WHY?!">
The cannon suddenly whips around to point at the HELIOS, and fires.
<Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
The Longshot raises it's shield as the missiles begin to impact around the unit and one, one lands directly in the shield. Karma had seen such swelling plenty of times from the Guren and quickly releases the shield but not fast eough as it explodes , shrapnel impacting against the Knightmare's armor. Karma is of course having to adjust quickly to keep primary systems up and running and hard decisions are having to be made, like if the air filters are really a primary system.
Karma grumbles to himself, <"Hey Guren, aAt the rate things are going I got one more shot in me before I am going to have to get out of here. Hate to say this but this guy is better then our normal targets."> With his warning given he begins to do something stupid. A couple of power reroutes, a couple of more systems shut down, and all the power dumped into the optics for aiming to try to cut through any static. "Ok lets do this."
Taking a deep breath Karma prepares for his attack as he focuses on his target. The Longshot raises it's rifle and takes aim as it's pilot holds his breath and the shot is fired, Karma anxiously watches for any form of impact.
KTS: Karma Sato uses hyper reloader KTS: Karma Sato targets Lockon Stratos with Longshot Sniper Rifle Perfect Shot! KTS: Karma Sato has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Serinas Nikola has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Serinas Nikola has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Serinas Nikola targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with AA-76/QD Shoulder Cannon Precision Fire! KTS: Serinas Nikola has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
So shortly after Sakia demands Asciel not let her down-
<"Tsk, what a letdown. Overextending yourself carelessly against a clearly superior foe. I'd -hope- you're aware that those aren't just any old Gundam, as Celestial Being has been notoriously unwilling to contact about any design specifications or engineering innovations of theirs~ When up against impossible odds, your 'victory' needs to be more carefully thought out. A shame!~ If I can, I'll pick you up and give you a scolding after this is done."">
...Maybe Asciel shouldn't have distracted herself by Sakia's plight, as she calculates the Maganac's movements all wrong - it's faster and more fluid than it's supposed to be, and the axe the axe just like last time avoid contact at all costs PREPARING EMERGENCY MEA
>I cannot believe it. ...this is 'fear'. That's what this crap is!!! Completely unacceptable.
As though being pulled like a puppet on a string, Asciel halts after the axes tear through her scarf, revealing the Codarl's extant 'scarring' - a gash of silver down the Arm Slave's chest, breaking from the cyan. She's leaping into this so soon after getting back to Earth that it hasn't even been repainted.
<"Ahh, that's where you're awry. The Gundam Fight this time around is a complete joke. Perhaps it always was. They will not fight with genuine intent regardless - so my opponent is the Gundam Fight itself. The heads of the Gundams are trophies. The heads of the Gundam Fight committee are what wins me this match. I'm glad to clear that up~">
She has to keep talking. It staves off the heaviness of <fear>. Feet demagnetizing from the train roof, Asciel leaps backwards, flaring out a hailstorm of bullets afresh at Regina, moving out where Ai moves in, perhaps as part of that dance.
<"Oh, I'm well aware that you're far more durable than you look.~ Though I doubt you could use the engine of will to ensure-"> Asciel cuts herself off.
...can she even explain the 'why' of that? Shouldn't she have been so torn apart that even the Lambda Driver wouldn't have responded...much less in a way to momentarily knit her intent back together?
...if it happened to Ai, could she even re-create that on a human? Exceptionally doubtful. Don't rely on that possibility.
KTS: Asciel Colette targets Regina Everhart with AK-87 Gatling Cannon Burst! KTS: Asciel Colette has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Asciel Colette enervates Regina Everhart, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Regina Everhart blocks Asciel Colette's AK-87 Gatling Cannon Burst, taking 4510 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Asciel Colette's Vex Routine - JUDGE activates, causing Deject! KTS: Michele Luio has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Serinas Nikola KTS: Lockon Stratos successfully avoids Karma Sato's Longshot Sniper Rifle Perfect Shot <Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
Ranka is pulled up into the cockpit seat, and as cramped as she is, she can't even express how much relief she feels from just not being alone anymore...
... even if she's being shot at. She clings to her, as cramped as it is, as she nods and keeps her head low, "Okay." She says quietly, "I-I believe you... after all, you came for me."
Emilia tells her not to look. "I-I'll try."
'P-play 'Bad Times'.'
It begins to play, and despite saying she'll try, her head raises from just being startled to hear her voice being played in this context as the Burai jolts and jostles them around, her red eyes wide.
It makes sense however, it was her gift to her.
She tries to focus on the music, even with Emilia's anger palpable. Was she angry at this person for attacking the train? She doesn't... understand what the sides even are here.
As that domineering voice comes over the radio, and Ranka cringes despite herself before the force of that imperiousness, "What d-does she even think you took? You were just rescuing me! Tell her you didn't steal anything."
Ranka bites down a shriek as the cockpit shakes from the blow of the Gloucester's Lance.
Are the terrorists after something in the luggage car too? Is that why she's so upset at Emilia?
Ranka peeks, but despite the Britannian marking on the cockpit she remains clueless to what's going on. Could the terrorists have just hijacked Britannian military frames?
So confused by this she tries to just focus in on the song, and when the verse ends... synchronizes to it.
An ethereal voice floats over the radios of the insurgents.
It's strange, in the sense of contrasting the passion of battle and its high emotions, at first distracting but then calming, focusing in the beauty from the voice of the singer.
BGM Change - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FCHfwZMkmw
"Lulei luleia
"Skylarks soar like lapping waves over me.
"Lulei luleia
"You are the gentle child of all greenery."
"Aimo aimo nedel lushe
"Noina miria endel prodea
"Photomi."
"Here we are in a warm sea: look up and breathe."
Its lyrics carry this timelessness about it, like a lullaby or a love song, that seems to transcend language in the feelings it conveys to those that hear it.
KTS: Ranka Lee targets Emilia Eschonbach, Kallen Kozuki, and Rin Starking with Caution. KTS: Ranka Lee has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lockon Stratos's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Lockon Stratos partially guards Kallen Kozuki's Fork Knife Riposting Slash, taking 1740 damage! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Lockon Stratos! KTS: Ranka Lee suggests caution, raising Kallen Kozuki's Intuition! Rau Le Creuset teleports in.
KTS: Ranka Lee suggests caution, raising Rin Starking's Intuition! KTS: Ranka Lee suggests caution, raising Emilia Eschonbach's Intuition! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 7890 <Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
'Cascade! Finish her!'
"I am *trying*," Cascade responds, though she manages to not sound angry despite the words and emphasis she's using. Frustrated maybe, but mostly she's just intensely focused on the Gloucester.
Cornelia is a better pilot than her in a Knightmare Frame. She has experience - she has literally been doing this several times as long as Cascade has been alive. Cascade is keeping up for the moment; she's a quick study, she thinks she's identified some weaknesses in Cornelia's style, and she's perfectly willing to fight *really* dirty. But she isn't winning.
Cornelia deflects the spear, twisting it out of line. Cascade rotates with it, pivoting on one foot in another 'you should definitely not try this' maneuver, moving with the thrust that catches the Giantkiller harkens.
Cascade reacts quickly, then, rolling backwards. Cornelia's lance penetrates, a crackling discharge shocking through the machine. For an instant, the Panzer-Wespe freezes entirely, shocked into having its systems lock in place. It's not very long; Cornelia has only a bare instant to capitalize, which she does by turning toward the Burai.
And then Cascade unfreezes, her Panzer-Wespe coming to life all at once. She rates her chances of taking Cornelia in a straight-up spearfight as 'not that great' - but when one set of rules fails, you change the rules.
Cascade jerks down the shoulder cannon, pulling it down until it's almost parallel to the ground. This is definitely not the way it is intended to be used: close-range, with another unit behind the Gloucester that she absolutely does not want to hit. And yet Cascade does it anyway.
She holds like that for a bare instant - just long enough that her predicted path for Emilia's Burai moves her out of the line of fire - and then fires. The kickback is enough to propel the Panzer-Wespe back a step or two as the armour-piercing slug blasts straight for the Gloucester's midsection, a single penetrating round.
"She will not," Cascade says, her distorted voice coming online. (The distortion is intentional. Many of the Black Knights seem to use it, and she sees the advantage in not being recognized by Britannians.)
Emilia - no, Ranka's music sounds in her cockpit. It's an annoying distraction, to her, here and now; some other part of her would be happy to listen to it, but not the fighting Cascade, the Black Knight Cascade Vermilion. Cascade mentally tunes it out after the first few notes.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Cornelia li Britannia with Shoulder Cannon AP Slug! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. POT: Rau Le Creuset is now set observer. <Pose Tracker> Tieria Erde has posed.
As the Virtue puts away the GN Bazooka and prepares to leave the battlefield, his comms pick up...a song? What is this? Somebody on the train?
Hoping to stop the violence through song...if only this were the Macross Fleet. Unfortunately, humans weren't quite that simple.
"Lockon. Come back to the ship when you're done. Virtue out."
KTS: Tieria Erde's GN-005 Gundam Virtue has been disabled. KTS: Sakia Davila's MS-05B Zaku I 'Angina' has been disabled. <Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
A 'barbaric spectacle'. Hm. Ai parries Regina's Heat Hawk and comes in for an upward slash that she just barely manages to bring her shield up in time to defend against - a corner of the shield is carved off in the process, flying off into the distance. Her machine proves its agility earned by its smaller size... or, perhaps it's just the sheer talent of the pilot.
"Perhaps at first. But such loss will act as a spark to fan the flames of war. That is to be avoided." Regina replies. But Ai isn't alone. Asciel has a comment for her as well. Within her cockpit, Regina frowns. ...Well... framing her thoughts in the form of a fight, that she can understand at least.
"...I suppose I can respect that. But a trophy won without effort is meaningless. If you wish to take it, you will need to deserve it." Regina replies.
...And she's going to try. The Codarl disengages from the roof and leaps backwards, unleashing a hail of bullets her way. Regina already has Ai to contend with, and her shield can only block so many bullets. She raises, prioritizing the protection of the Maganac's vital components. Bullet after bullet impacts the mobile suit, and when the volley ends, the Maganac stands there, smoking...
...But it still moves, sensors still glowing red. It is far from finished. Its arms disappear into its cloak for a moment before one is cast out, a chained weapon hurled at Asciel's Arm Slave - the meteor hammer seeking to wrap around it and drag it violently back into the melee. And then the Maganac shifts and it's Ai's turn to face it's fists as it ducks in, unleashing a pair of quick one-two punches at her machine.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Asciel Colette with Meteor Hammer Entangle! KTS: Regina Everhart targets Ai Martel with One-Two Jab! KTS: Regina Everhart has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion enervates Cornelia li Britannia, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia fails to evade Cascade Vermilion's Shoulder Cannon AP Slug, taking 6780 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Eye activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Cascade Vermilion's Assassin's Knife activates, causing Deject! <Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Joseph Eschonbach's cane is caught, and in one swift moment there is a sickening crack to his jaw, before he is sent to the ground. No one dares move. Indeed, after a moment of silence, the calm ones go back to talking as if nothing ever happened. The less calm ones are still panicked, but by the battle mostly. For a long, aching moment, Joseph is just on the floor.
The young blue cosmos man, eventually, picks him up and starts walking him out of the train car, in silence. Impotent rage seethes out of every pore in his body, but there's no backtalk, no retorts, no cursing.
Rather hard to do that with a broken jaw, after all.
----
The Giant killers are knocked off path, and Emilia quickly pulls the lever to wind them back in, leaving her prone to Cornelia's charge. But Ranka's here, with her, and if she hits her- Emmy raises both her shields and Cornelia's lance is sent off course into her shouled, and the once rewinding Giantkiller has it's cord severed. Emmy gasps, and grimaces.
"Sh-she w-won't listen." Emmy responds, quietly. "They'll n-never listen..."
She looks out at Cornelia's KMF, as Ranka starts to listen. If she admits anything, it means Ranka is tarred with the same brush. If Cornelia finds out Ranka was there from the staff, she's a target. Then...
"<<I w-won't.>>" Even distorted, Emilia's voice is as firm as it ever gets. It's only a snippet, as to not give away the song. That song isn't for people who want to hurt Ranka.
The Burai swings the Arm Slave scale hammer at Cornelia, in three rapid, wide swings full force. It requires the full body of the Burai to hurl it's weight around, explosive charges firing on each impact. "I'd n-never let anyone t-take her!" She yells, in the interior of her cockpit.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.
Rin watches as the flames ignite and spread. "Anyone can be a super soldier," the digital voice answers Serinas. "All it takes is dedication and appreciating your gifts... and those of your comrades. That's why the Black Knights can't be defeated, even if the forces of oppression might bury us in their bodies."
"Because we are *all* super soldiers!" And the flames develop into that mark of a great, disfiguring ZERO, blatantly visible when seen from above that is going to need significant refurbishment to remove entirely, thanks to home-made incendiary chemicals!
At this point a secondary machine is coming by. Railcannons are beginning to fire. The first couple of rounds give Rin the information she needs to grind the Burai back and launch Harkens up to get back to the topside deck, outside of this line of fire. This works for the Burai...
The Kyokei's Harken is an aftermarket singular model; it launches, it attaches, but it isn't enough. The Kyokei rises up about five meters before several railgun rounds smash into its side, sending it flying to the side, the winch mechanism ripping clear as it tumbles.
Rin looks to the side - "Rancor!" - and in only three meters of ascent, makes a fateful decision. The Harkens up top disengage and the Burai falls back down in a low crouch, wheeling over towards the smouldering Wanzer, grasping one of its arms and yanking it back upright. Though it is trailing smoke, the Wanzer begins to move again, wheeling off to the side under visible control --
-- And the Burai pivots further to look back into the control deck.
Its right hand comes up and makes an Obscene Gesture to the command crew. This Obscene Gesture carries some actual intelligence to it - for one thing, it's Britannian in origin - but for the most part it seems to express the user's sentiment. The drone takes off from the Burai again, whipping forwards--
-- and something comes through her radio, and Rin hears a familiar song.
Ranka, Rin thinks, feeling some of the hot delight of adrenaline dissipate. Not come ripping off, but... muting; the volume lowering. A reminder, perhaps. This position is bad - perilous. Maybe it's time to get out of here, Rin thinks, and the Burai begins to skid nearer to the edge of the combat deck -- and the side. (The Wanzer, limping, has stayed in that area to begin with.)
And yet there is more to be said, to be shared. Rin has a lot of feelings about this. These feelings are expressed by a sudden inverse-loop maneuver on the part of the combat drone, which releases-- everything, it seems; it jerks in the middle of the maneuver as about 30%% of the drone's mass abruptly separates and proceeds onwards on an unguided trajectory towards the approach line of the Helios.
The drone wobbles violently on its way back towards the Burai, but what is PROBABLY a bigger problem for the Helios is the range of - you guessed it - MORE home-brewed incendiaries as well as several KMF-busting munition packages, raw high explosive packed into what seems to be for all the world like some kind of *workshop-grade iron bomb*.
"ZAFT pilot! Your life isn't worth this ship! Dump what you can and get back to the PLANTs!" Rin encourages Serinas, as she watches the drone - Scorn - wobble...
KTS: Regina Everhart anchors Asciel Colette, forcing her into close range. KTS: Asciel Colette fails to parry Regina Everhart's Meteor Hammer Entangle, taking 4500 damage! KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Asciel Colette! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach targets Cornelia li Britannia with Hammer Time! KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 36. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rin Starking has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Ai Martel fails to parry Regina Everhart's One-Two Jab, taking 4680 damage! KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Ai Martel! KTS: Rin Starking has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Rin Starking targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Scorn - Express My Feelings! KTS: Rin Starking has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia fails to parry Emilia Eschonbach's Hammer Time, taking 7020 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Emilia Eschonbach's Curse God's Name activates, causing Sparkle! KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has engaged Cornelia li Britannia! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Rin Starking's Scorn - Express My Feelings, taking 3074 damage! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Serinas Nikola's AA-76/QD Shoulder Cannon Precision Fire, taking 3363 damage! <Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
"Lockon! Incoming! Lockon Incoming!"
"Working on it!"
It was becoming an uphill battle as the two Black Knights coordinated their attacks. One working as a vanguard to position the other for a proper shot. If it wasn't for Lockon's own little 'partner', he's sure that his attacks would have been much more serious time and time again. If Lockon was in an KMF as well, he seriously doubted his ability to keep on going the paces with these two but. . .
Not a bad attempt, and thanks for calling it Japan. But I can't let you interfere much more than this.
Lockon. Come back to the ship when you're done. Virtue out.
There's a sly grin that come over the Dyname's pilot's face, "Well now, I'll definitely hear the end of this from Tieria if I don't pick up the slack. . ."
The green lights illuminate with more fury from the machine as a voice from the Gundam picks up, the Guren tries to go for a kill shot as it intends to puncture the Camera Mode headscope and at first it looks like the Dynames was going to angle one of its shoulder shields in an attempt to block the attack. Though just as they attempt to maneuver to intercept the blade, The sound of Karma's rifle fires off.
"Redirecting, redirecting!"
Without warning haro circumvents Lockon's controls of the shoulder shield in an attempt to buffer the bullet. Prioritizing the frame of the unit over anything else. While the frame likely has a few dents, damage wise it had been minimal. Though the use of that shield was toast. And what's more so. . .
Through Karma's aid, Kallen receives an opening to strike at the Camera Mode Lens without issue. A spiderweb crack appears within its frame, clearly making that head mount no longer operable. And yet. . .
<Sorry, but If you're gonna want me to stop 'interfering', you're gonna need to try a bit harder than that... >
The antennae V raises up, concealing the lens once more, only to expose the Gundam's eyes once again as they light up. Its free hand reaches towards its skirt, and in one hand while holding the rifle, the other pulls out what appears to be some kind of pistol. Unlike the rifle it surely had nowhere near as much fire power as the GN rifle, but when it came to fire rate, well the thing was less like a pistol and more like a machine gun with how many blasts it was trying to fire out. If the Guren could be hit with precision, then it would be taken with a spread of shots instead.If there was even a bit of distance in doing so, the rifle would be holstered to pull out the second pistol <Nice shot. But I'm still the best.> Karma would find that his Burai would begin getting pelted by pistol fire as well. Thankfully not as lethal as a laser sniper shot, but enough to attempt to shoot up that machine from head to toe.
<Pose Tracker> Michele Luio has posed.
As Joseph is pulled away, Michele turns to her manager friend, calm but smug satisfaction on her face. "I lost the appetite for business...but perhaps you can have your offices call me later, and we can finish our discussion."
One last data input is put towards the Hyperion, as attacks come. "They're open...your kill. Here."
A payload of everything Michele figured from their strategies earlier. The best assistance.
KTS: Michele Luio targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Heart! KTS: Michele Luio has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Karma Sato and Kallen Kozuki with 'Haro handle the controls, I'm hitting them all!'. KTS: Michele Luio bares her heart, letting Sophia Mayhew Castellan deal some extra damage! KTS: Michele Luio has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Sophia Mayhew Castellan KTS: Michele Luio has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Sophia Mayhew Castellan KTS: Kallen Kozuki successfully Evades Lockon Stratos's 'Haro handle the controls, I'm hitting them all!' KTS: Lockon Stratos has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Lockon Stratos enervates Karma Sato, reducing his Morale significantly. KTS: Karma Sato blocks Lockon Stratos's 'Haro handle the controls, I'm hitting them all!', taking 5280 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Disruptor activates, causing Jam L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Enervator activates, causing Deject! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify! KTS: Karma Sato has been defeated! <Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.
'She will not.'
'I w-won't.'
Cornelia li Britannia's teeth grit. It is a motion of annoyance, of frustration, burgeoning in her not so much for the defiance; that's just expected. It's a frustration that blooms from somewhere deeper, somewhere difficult to readily place in any way that Cornelia can address right now, an annoyance that bubbles hotter as she hears the briefest hint of - music - on the other end of the Burai's communication. Violet lips peel back.
But whatever annoyance she might have to vent is placed by the wayside as the Panzer-Wespe changes tactics. Thrust willingly into the Burai's defenses, Cornelia's Gloucester has over-committed in its thrust; the Knightmare Frame swings to face Cascade's Panzer; that assault rifle is swung up, pointed at her. Its grenade launcher locks into place.
And as shoulder cannon unloads on the Gloucester, a high yield grenade is launched at the Panzer.
Unfortunately, the Gloucester's reaction times are a single second too slow to outmaneuver the heavy cannon slug; sacrificed to a counter-offensive, that cannonfire BLASTS across the side of the violet Knightmare Frame's midsection, blowing away an ugly chunk of armor to reveal sputtering wiring and metalwork beneath. The force of it is enough to knock the Gloucester -backward-; landspinners SLAM into the ground with a squeal to stop the backward momentum, but by then, Cornelia is already on the off-foot as that immense hammer COLLIDES with the Gloucester.
Once. BOOM
Twice. BOOM
T H R I C E . BOOM
That assault-rifle wielding arm flies through the air in a separate path from Cornelia's Gloucester as that third and final blow sends the violet, custom machine soaring straight upward into the air like a ragdoll. Armor plating is concave here and there; the cockpit block is singed and dangerously close to compromised. Within it, Cornelia is -slammed- back into her seat, head cracking across the back as a snarled gasp of pain wrenches from her lips. She feels something wet and warm at the back of her skull.
All it does is ignite a fire in her eyes and a snarl at her lips.
She won't, stuttered the pilot.
<"Very well.">
Those words are a harsh hiss. The perfect accompaniment to those slash harkens as they launch from the airborne Gloucester's chest and look to IMPALE into the shoulders of Emilia's Burai from directly overhead.
<"Bloodied it is, then!">
And then -yank-, the retraction of those Harkens not drawing the Burai -up-, but the Gloucester -down- in a violent descent at dangerous accelerations.
Lance pointed downwards to drive through that Burai like a furiously pointed meteor.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has activated the Enable Spirit Command. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Emilia Eschonbach with EM Jousting Lance - Goddess of Victory! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Cascade Vermilion with Grenade Launcher! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Cascade Vermilion fails to Evade Cornelia li Britannia's Grenade Launcher, taking 4590 damage! KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Foresee Spirit Command targeting Emilia Eschonbach KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Emilia Eschonbach KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
A soft voice comes over the radio, grasping Kallen's heart. Ranka's still okay, and she's singing... That song. One that's so obviously special to her. To nobody but herself, though in spirit it's to Ranka, she speaks up. "We'll protect you, and your heart. I swear."
Even as her fellow Knight has to retreat, Kallen whirls the Guren around, charging the Surger as she practically dances through the hail of close range bullets. It's unseen to anyone, but right now Kallen is perfectly calm and serene. Her control is precise to the extreme, and her spirit unwavering.
The energy buildup in the Guren's silver claw is blatant, if not Lockon himself, the Haro will no doubt know something terrifyingly dangerous is coming. When the air around it begins to 'melt' into a heat haze, it's all the more blatant. And then it happens. The Guren is right in the face of Dynames, thrusting out its claw in a way that's just SO fitting then they're dueling over Gundam Fighters. Given the slightest bit of purchase, it's going to latch on and squeeze, as the Wave Surger threatens to cook off the Gundam's internally stored missile stocks, alongside the bubbling and expanding metal.
KTS: Emilia Eschonbach fails to Parry Cornelia li Britannia's EM Jousting Lance - Goddess of Victory, taking 9960 damage! KTS: Your unit's HP stands at -2070 KTS: Emilia Eschonbach has been defeated! KTS: You're out of the fight. Consider using +eject to leave the battlefield. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Emilia Eschonbach! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia completes the Formation attack! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Kallen Kozuki targets Lockon Stratos with Wave Surger Eruption! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Karma Sato has posed.
Karma is already in the middle of the ejection process as he watches the shot glance off the shield of his opponent and grumbles with annoyance as he punches the eject sequence and sacrifices another Longshot to be destroyed. In the end it was ok, its just a Burai with a different load out. The next Burai he picks up will also be the Longshot afterall and the next and the next until someone finally comes after him for losing so many units.
As the ejected cockpit lands away from the fight he speaks up over comms for the final time before he starts the hike to rendevous point, <"This is Longshot, made it out of the fight. Will be at the rendevous site, unless someone wants to give me a ride on their way back."> Climbing out of the cockpit he retrieves the battle data and starts his trek whistling Ranka's song to himself as he goes.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Michele's got it handled, Sophia hears. She's barely listening by now, since she currently has several extremely big problems brewing like not even 300 meters away from her own personal face. But she does hear a fateful phrase.
"It's a date, Special Advisor," she says, foregoing the pretense of the pseudonym. She's already passing data to individual specific teams to prepare for the hits to come. "Desmond!" she barks.
"Ah, this one doesn't want to chat," Desmond muses, as damage alerts sound across the Helios. Helios veers away - which does still put him in the sights of a screaming Serinas. A shipkiller round like that SHOULD blow the Helios completely apart.
But the Hyperion Battle Group is built of sturdy stuff. It slams into the side of the Helios, and it begins to smoke and falter, but it doesn't sink, instead swerving to vanish under the Hyperion's belly, with a final transmission:
"<Because it is not my King's command.>"
Sophia's eyes are focused on the great big Zero Rin has burned into her deck plating. Her jaw sets. "Alright," she says. "Give them main guns."
Much of the combat deck folds outwards, a MASSIVE railcannon rising up from the center of deck. Why does it have a massive railcannon?
Because sometimes you have to chase people off the deck.
It buzzes with an electromagnetic charge so mighty it might short out unhardened KMF systems, and then FIRES, and then FIRES, and then FIRES, scattering the deckbound combatants!
Unfortunately, as soon as they're off the deck, they then have to contend with the SIX OTHER heavy cannons mounted on Hyperion's underbelly, bombarding the area below with shells that blast hills to craters and flattens whole swaths of jungle.
KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Serinas Nikola with Heavy Rail Cannon Concentrated Fire! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan targets Rin Starking with Heavy Rail Cannon Concentrated Fire! KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rin Starking has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Rin Starking successfully evades Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Heavy Rail Cannon Concentrated Fire KTS: Lockon Stratos fails to retreat. KTS: Lockon Stratos fails to react to Kallen Kozuki's Wave Surger Eruption, taking 6903 damage! KTS: Kallen Kozuki has engaged Lockon Stratos! KTS: Serinas Nikola has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Serinas Nikola fails to Evade Sophia Mayhew Castellan's Heavy Rail Cannon Concentrated Fire, taking 6960 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sophia Mayhew Castellan's I See Your Sins activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Serinas Nikola has been defeated!
<Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
Lockon makes sure to properly confirm that Karma's taken out of the game. He can't afford to be taken by surprise by anything now. . .
"Danger! Danger!"
%Alarms go off in the Dynames as indications of intense radio waves begin to surge. "Oi, oi, oi, they seriously about to do what I think they are?!"
In a close range fight such a hit like that was already trouble, but as the Guren makes use of its smaller frame, and close-range prowess it's able to get right where it needs to inorder to reach its missile stocks. Which. . .Was also dangerous. "Uuuugh--Damn it!!!"
He can only watch as one of the legs where the larger missiles had been contained was bubbling over. If this continued, forget losing missile stocks it was all the more likely that the Dynames itself was gonna become a microwave. A tough decision is made as he severs the components for the leg all together. It's thanks to the fact that the Dynames had flight capability its still able to maneuver, but all can watch as the leg simply bubbles over to the point that it's completely unrecognizable. Completely deformed and erupts into green particles within the Guren's grip.
"Critical damage! Critical damage! Retreat! Retreat!" Haro shouts out louder than the alarms going off in the cockpit. "Tch. The Dynames can't keep going like this. . . But. . ." Suddenly there's a bit of a bite to his lip, a low whisper to himself, "I won't lose to a group of terrorists. . . Haro! Adjust for the shift in weight, calibrate the back up sensors. No way I'll be able to let the others call me by this name if I don't get one shot in!"
The pistols are tucked back and with it, the rifle is pulled out one more time. With the damages accrued, a missing leg, a damaged sniping lens, the range that she's in, she should know from everything she's done that she'll be safe. Yet. . .A pilot knows when something's coming.
<You got me pretty good. But. . .If you took my leg. . .I'll be taking that arm of yours! Targeted and Firing!>
One final shout erupts as one final attack's given. It's an attack not meant to end the pilot, or even the Guren, it's a shot meant to completely maim it. To disarm it in the most literal sense and remove its most lethal weapon. Even if the Dynames had to retreat, if such an attack was able to get through, he could at least retreat knowing that the anti-fed assault's weapons had been clipped to some level. The question would be. . .Could he make the shot. . .?
KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos targets Kallen Kozuki with 'Targeted and Firing!'! KTS: Ai Martel has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Lockon Stratos enervates Kallen Kozuki, reducing her Morale significantly. KTS: Kallen Kozuki fails to Evade Lockon Stratos's 'Targeted and Firing!', taking 7800 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Disruptor activates, causing Jam L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Enervator activates, causing Deject! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Lockon Stratos's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify! KTS: Lockon Stratos roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable. <Pose Tracker> Ai Martel has posed.
The scarf is slashed away from Asciel's Codarl, and Ai can't help but stare. <"Operating at 90 percent, indeed..."> she murmurs over their private line, brow furrowed.
The shock of it is enough to distract her from Regina's attack, bringing up her sword to knock the Maganac's blows aside too late. The Shadow's chest armor dents in, sending ear-splitting clangs through to the cockpit.
But she still functions, and the mono-sword comes up once more. "And out of the flames of war might come a better world," she replies to Regina, pressing the attack with a flurry of strikes from the deadly-sharp blade.
"Surely we can do better--" She grunts with effort as she attacks, "--than to pretend this 'Gundam Fight' is any less cruel to the grovelling masses than total warfare is!"
<"Mn? What is this 'engine of will'?"> she asks, before backtracking-- <"Scratch that. I'd prefer more secure comms for something so dramatically entitled...">
KTS: Ai Martel targets Regina Everhart with Monomolecular Cutter Press! KTS: Ai Martel has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Regina Everhart has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Regina Everhart has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Regina Everhart blocks Ai Martel's Monomolecular Cutter Press, taking 1410 damage! KTS: Ai Martel has engaged Regina Everhart! <Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
In the heat of combat...Asciel -once again- finds herself stymied by weapons with -flexibility-, the chained hammer easy to parse from the angle of being a big heavy impacting weapon, but bewildering as an entangling tool. She dodges like it's a fixed material, and is punished for it, wrapped up and slammed into the ground, tearing a gouge in one train car - to the panic and fear of the occupants within, who flee and scramble for cover, or duck into safer compartments.
<"...Ai. Ai, who believes in my strength. Ai, who I'm at last side by side with, in this one small way, only to-"> Asciel has to pause. Another annoying feeling - that of having parameters for her own performance, and falling short. <"-be outside of optimal performance. ...hehehe. Ai, you're going to provide me what I need to transcend these limitations. Just like everyone else in the world is - but you're going to be a most special consort.">
Flickering. Blazing. Shimmering. Asciel's rippling with a malfunctioning ECS, making her resemble more of a mirage, more of an illusion. The Lambda Driver pulses. It shines with a yet hazier heat glow. If Ai had any wonderings what an 'engine of will' would be - what else could it be but this? And it's on full display to so many people. It's her 'heart'. It's going to perform-
It's going to perform at what's become a concert. Ranka's song fills her senses, and all other words drown out.
She does look up, at this beautiful blue sky, at the mountains passing and rushing by. She 'breathes', in that vents open all across the Codarl, spewing steam and sucking up cool air desperately.
For just a moment...Asciel sings, as she only ever has in the confines of steel - never to the open air. She sings in reply (defiance) of Ranka - she sings in serenade (need) to Ai - she sings in intent (judgment) to Regina.
~~( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgQg_mN8AVo )~~
{~I wanna tell it to all the world~}
{~~~~~~~~A dosce tu dati re~~~~~~~~}
{~~~~~~~~~~~~I am yours~~~~~~~~~~~~}
{~~~~~~~~~~~~Ezu sai-ha~~~~~~~~~~~~}
{~~~Even now I wanna be an angel~~~}
{~~~Thirty auguso noman di ku re~~~}
...it's just the opening few lines. Some may remember it as one of Sharon Apple's - though sung in a slightly huskier cadence. But even from this...each word thrums. It sounds like a normal song, albeit in Zentran, just as Ranka's - but to Regina...that strange light from before converts each word into a deafening, mech-rattling vibration, as though trying to etch each melody into the Maganac's very joints. A defiance of the idea that simple physical motion will be the victor in this contest.
<...what an amazing feeling. Surely...Surely this is what would truly exceed all else in determining the world's fate. Will you understand, or will you succumb to the cycle that has seized all of Earth's history?">
KTS: Asciel Colette has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Asciel Colette targets Regina Everhart with Lambda Driver Smite! KTS: Asciel Colette has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Regina Everhart blocks Asciel Colette's Lambda Driver Smite, taking 5180 damage! <Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
Woah, woah, woah! Serinas never said she was going to sacrifice herself! But one more hit and she'd better leave or it's GOING to be a senseless sacrifice...
Serinas isn't focused, not in any of the ways she usually is to fight. She's been off-balance, distracted, and enraged almost the entire fight, unable to hyperfocus, or to use her coordinator mind to track everything, or to ride that feeling of being a Zentradi in the thick of battle... She's just a big (very big) angry teenager with guns.
And it's not like she did *nothing*. She glares with hate at the HELIOS, as if that might somehow intensify her ship-killer beam.
HELIOS abides. HELIOS withstands.
> Because it is not my King's command.
What? WHAT?! Seriously, she can't understand why anyone would... be like that. He MUST be lying, using empty words as a cover for cowardice. It's the only explanation that makes sense. Serinas continues shrieking: <"THEN YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A TOOL! YOU'RE NOT EVEN--">
Aimo aimo nedel lushe
Noina miria endel protea
Photow mi
What is that? It's not like Serinas has never heard music before, but she's never heard this song, and it's beautiful, and it's just... so out of NOWHERE.
For a few seconds, she forgets what she was saying. She forgets what she was doing. She starts to look around for the source--
> Just play a godawful song and shoot it in the face while it's crying.
The tears on her face aren't from the song, they're tears of frustration at a world that doesn't make sense! How can people be so horrible?!
That doesn't change the positions and physics of electromagnetism, hypersonic slugs, and armor, though. A few seconds of distraction is all Sophia and her crew *need* to take Serinas out of the fight. Railcannon fire batters and tears into the Queadluun-Rhea -- It doesn't go flying from the impacts, but it's pushed back, bent, warped, one of the legs is twisted the wrong way, and an arm (not the part with her actual arm in it) is broken, hanging on by wires and bits of internals and bent, not completely severed armor. Its thrusters sputter as it goes tumbling down...
> ZAFT pilot! Your life isn't worth this ship! Dump what you can and get back to the PLANTs!
Serinas is disoriented, but she knows she has to get away. She's probably not making it to orbit, but going in a mostly-straight line very fast is something she can still manage. The -Rhea manages to orient itself and zooms off into the distance, towards whatever ground rendezvous point ZAFT or the Sleeves suggested. Hopefully it's a good one.
When she gets a few seconds to breathe, she curses herself for letting music get to her in battle. Ugh, it's such a cliche... ...But it WAS just, such a beautiful song...
If Ranka still has her contact info and she was part of that text, she will *eventually* send back a frantic 'Are you okay?!' but, unlike some people, she doesn't check her phone mid-battle. Also it's hard to use a phone when your fingertip touches the entire screen. It might be awhile.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Starking has posed.
"Copy, Longshot, I'll see if I can," Rin begins to answer Karma as she moves nearer to the exterior point, the point of egress, the point of *escape*. And then the deck of the ship begins to unfold, to reveal something within.
The unfolding is a well-timed and smooth operation. It is, of course, largely automatic, but large machinery cannot move that swiftly without special designs that add up over time. You wonder why Super Robots require maintenance so often? This is why. Better to take a little while longer. Still, one might time the emergence of the main gun at three seconds. Enough time to gawp before being utterly annihilated.
Except that as Rin sees the deck unfold, watching the slight flicker she can perceive in the 60hz monitor that's standardized issue in the Burai...
It doesn't take three seconds.
Because that is Rin Starking's secret, the thing that has backed up a half-dozen boasts and explained two dozen little tics and irritations. To *RIN*, it takes a little over *eight* seconds... relatively speaking, of course.
The world telescopes a little. A weapon of that size would be unquestionably fatal. The little obstacles and boundaries, the moments of restraint, the casual little fillips to keep her from grinding herself to death in frustration, fall away; her hand moves into the haptic glove hard enough to make it jerk and she can feel the pain in her knuckles but her nerves (even for her) are slower than the digital signals sparkling through the Burai.
Does it hurt? Does it hurt when she drives the KMF's right arm over to yank at the Kyokei's upper arm and pull it backwards, into a controlled fall? Sure does; it hurts just as much as when the Harkens, fired upwards to hook and arrest or at least *slow* the plummet to the ground, hook in and the KMF jerks.
Dangling from a string, of course, it should be easy prey for the *half dozen* additional lower slung weapons. This despite what seems to be a preposterous field expedient of *swinging the wanzer* while leaning backwards, putting a dangerous wobble in the KMF/Wanzer combination even as the Harkens keep paying out more and more carbonfiber line.
It's not miraculous. It's a matter of time - time to think, time to scramble.
Of course, it may seem a little miraculous when the KMF, despite this counterbalance and a one-armed grip, brings up that multimodal assault rifle. Sideways, no less, because it has to. Everything's swinging back and forth, but it nontheless returns fire, efficiently, tight groups aimed at each of the weapons as it swings to face the KMF and open fire.
One round, either by random chance or injury, goes a little high -- severs one of the two lines -- and the KMF releases the other one, opting to take the fate of falling the remaining dozens of meters to the ground rather than dangle like a spider's treat.
During the fall, Rin's arm, soaked with sweat, reaches outwards to one of the little nooks where she's hidden small white pills, stuffing two of them in her mouth. She bites one when the Burai hits the ground, before she can force them down a dry throat; but that's alright.
KTS: Rin Starking targets Sophia Mayhew Castellan with Liberator Combined Arms Platform Full Barrage! KTS: Rin Starking has completed their actions for the round. <Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Firing the cannon like that was reckless at best, dangerous at worst - and worst of all, it didn't occur to Cascade to warn Emilia that she was about to do it. She just seized the moment, and acted. Hopefully Emilia did not get the wrong idea, that Cascade was about to fire *through* her to get to Cornelia.
She wouldn't. At least, she's not going to.
Cascade lets the cannon rise back up after firing, the smoke clearing from around the head and upper body of the Panzer-Wespe. When it clears, like Cornelia's Gloucester, the Panzer-Wespe is clearly damaged, the front of its torso split open from the grenade. One of the missile pod doors flops open, unable to stay latched; several of the larger sloped-angled plates are pitted, dented, even rent in one place.
She is impassive on the outside; the Panzer-Wespe shows nothing of her emotion, and Cascade doesn't speak. On the inside, she's a tempest. But she has no way to express herself that feels right; no way to let it out. She lets it churn within her. It doesn't feel great.
Emilia starts to pummel the Gloucester apart, and Cascade circles. She's definitely not going to fire the cannon again with her in proximity like that; she has to find an opening to let herself in, ideally without using literal artillery. Damaged as it is, the Panzer-Wespe has to pick and choose its approach.
Except Cornelia dives at Emilia, and then Cascade can't wait anymore.
She can't stop Cornelia from hitting the other pilot. But she can stop her from a critical follow-up; she fires her own harkens, a pair on the hips, trying to simply drag Cornelia away from Emilia and prevent a killing blow. "Get out!" she transmits, with some more urgency than usual.
Still trying to crank the Gloucester back, Cascade reaches out with the Panzer-Wespe's gripper claws and simply yanks on the cord, a sudden surge rather than the steady pull the retractor system normally puts out. She's anchored herself with her remaining brace strut, trying to make sure Cornelia comes to *her* rather than vice versa.
She only needs to get her away from Emilia. Once that's done, Cascade fully intends to bail, too - assuming Emilia can. Either on foot, or on vehicle.
KTS: Cascade Vermilion has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Cascade Vermilion targets Cornelia li Britannia with Slash Harken Entangle! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Sophia Mayhew Castellan partially guards Rin Starking's Liberator Combined Arms Platform Full Barrage, taking 5145 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Rin Starking's Punishment activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Rin Starking's Yomi activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Cascade Vermilion anchors Cornelia li Britannia, forcing her into close range. KTS: Cornelia li Britannia fails to parry Cascade Vermilion's Slash Harken Entangle, taking 3780 damage! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has engaged Cornelia li Britannia! <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
As the Wave Surger is cooling down, the Guren begins to pull away. She's reasonably certain on the bursting missiles and vaporized leg making this a success. But... She spent too much time in the Arena circuit. She can feel it before the shot fires, that he's got one last trick up his sleeve.
Try as she might, this one's too fast. The full might of the sniper fwips through the Guren's silver arm, shredding it off at the shoulder. Alerts are blaring all over the inside of the KMF. Warnings about the structural breach. Kallen shuts them down. She has EYES. "Good shot... but I've still got an arm left. Gonna keep trying? Or are we postponing for next time?"
The gauntlet has been thrown. What will his pride as a sniper do? Well... he doesn't really have a choice, does he? His backup already left, and they're expecting him.
<Pose Tracker> Michele Luio has posed.
As the battle ends, Michele smiles. A fellow player. "Very well. Good work, Captain." She ends her call.
And then, after closing and putting away the commpad, she takes her brand new cane in hand, and begins cleaning it with Brick's help as they await egress. It has *old man germs* on it.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
As the battle outside continues, Joseph Eschonbach, his pride wounded and his chances of another invite dashed, walks past a window.
---
The Gloucester leaps, and the harkens spear both shoulders. The hammer is still in hand, and she doesn't have the movement to pull up the shields. She only has one chance here- it all counts on one moment.
And at that moment, Emilia Eschonbach's eyes spy a man walking past a window, and she makes a mistake.
"Grandfather!?"
Her anger bypasses all rationality, all sense, and the autocannons of the Burai aim and fire at that train car, firing wildly. She can't aim right now. She can't focus, it's just a barrage. But that lack of focus, that stupid decision could cost her everything.
Jack's reactor is impaled, and the cockpit block is scored- but not skewered. The impact drives Jack into the ground, and it only has moments of functionality. "Ranka! H-hold on to me! K-keep your h-head down!"
The remaining seven harkens on Jack frie to anchor to anything, as Emmy puts all remaining power into getting Jack seated *up* from Cornelia's Gloucester. "Come on! Come o-on!" She has to hope she gets enough before the engine dies-
And then Cascade fires her harkens and gives her a fighting chance. The second she sees her opening, she hammers the ejection button- and launches.
There's a slice in the side of the cockpit block, difficult to see through but plausible to look back on with camera footage. It could be nothing. It could be enough, to the BU Forces.
Inside, Emilia holds Ranka tightly to her chest, covering her head as best she can. The trajectory of the ejector is off, the strange angle and lack of a stabilizer meaning instead of a slightly rough ballistic trajectory that can be predicted, it's a turbulent and unpleasant ride- with no idea where they'll land. Or how roughly.
But as long as Ranka's okay, it doesn't matter.
---
On a bullet ridden traincar, Joseph Eschonbach lies on the ground covered in blood. He is uninjured, apart from his jaw. What's left of the young man from Blue Cosmos is not so lucky. Joseph doesn't bother to look. He saw enough meat like that in the Zentradi wars. He's not going to try to get up. Better to lay low.
He'll try and shout for help when he sees movement, and not before. If that Luio woman walks past he might pretend to be dead. It worked in the war.
As long as he survives, that's all that matters.
He can make the girl suffer for it later.
<Pose Tracker> Lockon Stratos has posed.
His shot hits true and with it, a surprising follow up is coming from the red KMF's pilot. In truth it'd be hard to tell who would win if this fight kept going, but after a bit of internal debate, and forcing one of his hands to settle down from pulling the trigger. . .
<Sorry there, but I'll be trying to avoid it next time, you should too. As for, let me give some advice. Call off your attack. You might succeed hitting the rest of this train, but. . .> The Gundam's body shifts in the direction of the destroyed Burai sniper. <You've got men who I imagine would prefer not to die on foreign soil.>
With that said, he doesn't do anything. Perhaps Kalen might take it as advice. . .Or a threat. But the fact remained. She was the one acting as one of the CO's of this mission. If she called the fight, she could regroup with her losses. If she didn't, she could wait and see if a small group were able to take the train, but at the same time, she'd find herself with the corpses of multiple Japanese left to waste when they could have been keeping for the good fight back home.
<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.
'Sh-she w-won't listen. They'll n-never listen...'
Despite herself, Ranka feels sad at that kind of stubbornness.
She can't see the Knightmare Frame attacking them as anything but the aggressor, because her mind can't comprehend the idea that Emilia would be here to attack this train.
Emilia's passion to protect her is clear, and Ranka feels touched. She genuinely thought she was going to die today...
... she's faced death down a lot, but it's frightening every time. When the Vajra came, when Anti grew to be Kaiju sized and she was flung off, and today in a train attack where she was alone and isolated while everything is exploding.
It feels like she's rescued a lot, but she can't even parse that as something depressing, she's just so relieved that someone is always there. Alto arriving to save her, Sheryl dragging her along by the hand when she was too scared to move, Brera catching her when she falls, and now Emilia coming for her.
To her surprise, someone sings back, a different song entirely. And Ranka's song falters ... dies at the wonder of hearing that song sung so beautifully, a song that so few people sing these days...
... then the song is joined. In a sweet songbird cadence of her own version that nevertheless tries to capture that haunting, seductive quality of Sharon Apple.
The little birds are making noise.
"Es kucha ta
In today's forecast, a hundred million suns will fall.
"Mulen en ma Moju kidiya den midya
It's so dazzling, I can't-
"O deyu nado-"
Alarm enters her song as Emilia shouts Grandfather. The anger is so intense that it floods her, like a sharp spike to the brain that almost stuns her, which is made manifest as something far more physical when the reactor is impaled.
Instead of finishing the line - there's a shriek as its cut off. And as Emilia tells her to cling to her she holds on as tight as she can, and buries her head downward into her. Still reeling, she only nods her head fractionally against her and holds on as tight as she can.
Abruptly the two are sent hurtling away at a rapidity that knocks the wind out of her. And despite how harrowing it is when they impact...
... for some reason she trusts she's going to make it.
<Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
"For those who have not been burned to ash, perhaps." Regina replies. "The Gundam Fight, too, will be crushed. But not in this manner. Not today."
Ai attacks, her monomolecular blade flashing out in a deadly flurry. Regina backpedals, her shield shifting to block blow after blow - but with the condition of Regina's machine some slip through, piercing the armor.
And then, Asciel sings. Regina has never heard the song before. Her life up to this point has never really allowed for it. But it is not the song that concerns her, but the light that erupts out, to overwhelm her machine from every angle. Bombarded and broken the Maganac slumps slightly, joints sparking. It would be reasonable to assume that that finished it.
"...I will not. I refuse." Regina insists. "I am not broken. And I defy you."
Regina tugs hard on the chain of the Meteor Hammer, looking to pull her Arm Slave over to her. Despite the protests of her Maganac's joints, strained to their very limit, her Heat Hawk swings multiple times in a combination attack of pure aggression. Its blade flickers, barely able to maintain itself. Within her flurry of attacks, the chain is severed - but this doesn't concern Regina. She turns, hurling her end of the meteor hammer at Ai's Arm Slave. This is a distraction more than an actual attack, however - Regina charges after her, Heat Hawk raised...
...but the weapon's blade finally flickers off for the last time. She doesn't notice or doesn't care, striking at Ai's machine with the deactivated handle of the Heat Hawk.
KTS: Regina Everhart targets Asciel Colette with Heat Tomahawk Combo! KTS: Regina Everhart targets Ai Martel with Improvised Melee Weapon! KTS: Regina Everhart has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Asciel Colette blocks Regina Everhart's Heat Tomahawk Combo, taking 3675 damage! KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Asciel Colette! <Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
The attackers get off her ship. Sophia watches Rin move. She doesn't have the kind of Geass that can see your thoughts, can read your reactions; she can't tell HOW Rin did what she did, only that she navigates a scenario that should Definitely Kill Her with tolerances that amount to zero, and Sophia's not all the way happy until she's off the ship. Sophia settles down, slightly, once that is true. But she watches the movements with her Geass.
"Uh, Ma'am--!" Combat control calls. "Enemy is--!"
"Planning to fire again. Brace for impact!" Sophia barks. How? Coordinator....Newtype....she can't be sure and the ship is shaking too much to make it easy.
"Report!" she calls, only once the shaking has stopped.
Amata's the one who calls back. "Damage to weapons! Main guns 2 and 3 on fire! We lost some of the light cannons on the other side! That..."
"Precision shooting? In that situation...?" Sophia mumbles, and slumps back in her seat. "Well. We did as we could," she finally decides. "Notify operation command that Hyperion will maneuver to battlefield observation and disengage from active battle. Get a fire control team on those batteries!"
And below, the Hyperion begins rising away, battered enough to retreat - not far, and not enough that it had to recall its Knightmares. But enough that it won't be opening fire anymore with those terrifying guns.
KTS: Ai Martel rushes into the attack! KTS: Ai Martel partially guards Regina Everhart's Improvised Melee Weapon, taking 3690 damage! KTS: Regina Everhart has engaged Ai Martel! <Pose Tracker> Cornelia li Britannia has posed.
The Gloucester falls.
And in a split second, the Burai's autocannons pivot--
--and fire on the train car.
Cornelia doesn't immediately register what has happened in the heat of the moment, save that something unexpected has occurred. Instinct and experience force her to focus on the objective until she feels the her EM Lance tearing through the Yggdrasil Drive. Until the volatile burble of the Core Luminous prompts reactor failure warnings from her Gloucester's scanners.
The Gloucester lands on top of the Burai. The lance is -ripped- out in a splatter of fluid torn from the compromised drive. Held in that one remaining hand, she prepares to spear the cockpit block in the exact spot she needs to lock it in place.
And yet, her brows are furrowing.
"... What did you do...?"
Indigo eyes slide sidelong towards the train car.
Cornelia has time to see the splatter of blood and metal torn apart like tissue before fury ignites in her. She has no idea whose it is. There are very few in this train she actually cares about - several whom she probably despises, truth be told. But her mind tears her away towards associations of the past.
The bloodied body of her mentor, shot and killed in the dark by skulking monsters. How easy that blood could be Lelouch's. Nunnally's. Euphy--
<"... A rat's contemptible, squealing end is more than you deserve, you--">
Spurred by a knot of anger that needs release, that lance plunges...
... only to be stopped as two pairs of Harkens snag around that gold weapon and impale in the Gloucester's chest and -yank-.
The Gloucester, in mid-motion, is -yanked- off course. The Burai's cockpit bloc ejects a second later.
Cameras will catch what Cornelia could not see in the moment. And she will not forget.
In the immediate present, though, the wellspring of Cornelia's anger has to be directed -somewhere-; Cascade's Knightmare is still tugging, still -dragging- her away from the spiraling cockpit --
-- and any resistance only lasts a precious few seconds before the Gloucester is suddenly going -with- that momentum, battered and burned frame tearing -across- the earth in a squeal of landspinners as it seeks to drive into -- and -past- that Panzer, intent to drive her lance into the center of the KMF and -rip- it past with a violent, wide swing the second she is in range, an imperious shout of fury following in her wake.
KTS: Cornelia li Britannia targets Cascade Vermilion with EM Jousting Lance - Piercing Thrust! KTS: Cascade Vermilion fails to react to Cornelia li Britannia's EM Jousting Lance - Piercing Thrust, taking 5300 damage! KTS: Cascade Vermilion has been defeated! KTS: Cornelia li Britannia has engaged Cascade Vermilion! <Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
As missions go... this hadn't been the intense success she'd hoped for. Too many outside variables. Too much that split the team off their goals. This interfering sniper isn't wrong though. So Kallen swallows her pride and flips on the radio, as the red machine bends down to pick up its limb. "Knights, this is Q-1, we're falling back. Too much heat remains on us, and I won't ask you all to lay down your lives this far from home. There are too many in Japan and across the Earth Sphere, in need of our justice. In need of those who will stand and fight in defense of the powerless."
She'll do what she can to aid in the retreat... but as it stands, she's carrying the messily severed Wave Surger arm in the Guren's regular hand. There's not that much she really CAN do. "I'm sorry, everyone." ...She feels like a failure of a forward leader. But if nothing else, she'll try to get them all home. That's the least she can do, if she can't live up to Zero's talent and expectations for commanding the field.
<Pose Tracker> Ai Martel has posed.
The Shadow's head snaps up at the sound of Emmy's voice over comms, and sees the Jack's autocannons blazing wildly, impaled by the Gloucester. "Emilia--!" She can't disengage. Not quickly enough for it to matter, not without leaving Asciel at a disadvantage--
The ejection system flares and kicks itself free of the Knightmare Frame, and she takes some measure of relief, glancing at her compass to take note of the vector the cockpit block is on. They won't be leaving her behind.
Asciel's music provides a lovely backdrop as she attempts to reposition for her next attack--
And promptly finds herself dodging the hammer, advancing into Regina only to find herself reeling from the weight of the inactive Heat Hawk coming down onto her Shadow. Its cloak tears, the machine's shoulder yanked out of place and left limp by the blow. In the cockpit, Ai yells out in pain as the control linkage wrenches downward.
A normal person's arm would likely be broken after this. But Ai Martel is far from normal; an angry purple bruise blossoms along her forearm, but it's intact as she pulls it from the control sleeve.
The order to retreat comes in, and she is... disappointed. The adrenaline was merely beginning to flow. But she understands.
"You have my respect," she compliments Regina, even as she leaps back, "If, perhaps, not my agreement as to the methods. I do hope we meet again~"
Pods open from the Shadow's thighs, sending out a swarm of missiles in the Maganac's direction to cover her retreat.
<"And as for you, my love..."> she adds over Asciel's band, <"We'll need to speak very soon. I have something to show you.">
She swaps to the Black Knights' band. "I'm broadcasting the heading of Emilia's ejection block. I'd go after her myself, but I'm afraid I've lost the use of an arm..."
<Pose Tracker> Cascade Vermilion has posed.
Cascade did not consider fighting Cornelia to defeat to be a particularly likely outcome. It would be *nice*, but she wouldn't put money on it.
But pulling her away from Emilia? That she can do. Even if Emilia's actions were nonsensical to her - she doesn't understand why she turned away twice, to rescue someone (how did she know? did she come on the mission to do that?) and then to fire at an unthreatening train car - she did say she'd watch the other Black Knights. Even if this is her first live mission.
But having done that, she has also acquired Cornelia's full interest and focus. Cascade aches to use a gravity blaster, to simply knock away and *blast* the other Knightmare Frame, to use her special sword to saw it into pieces -
But she has none of those things, and they belong to someone else anyway. What she has is a badly damaged Panzer-Wespe, a spear, and a hope.
Cornelia comes in to impale the Panzer-Wespe with her own lance, and this close-in, with the damage the Panzer-Wespe has taken, Cascade cannot stop her. The spear strikes solidly, blasting away another chunk of armour plating with the thunderbolt - but this time it doesn't freeze up quite as badly, it simply lurches backwards. It's barely functioning; its left arm hangs loose, the hydraulics severed, while the right clings to its own lance. Both legs seem operative, but both the bracing struts are damaged - one is missing, one is bent and useless.
Cascade does not press the attack, but turns and flees, spraying sparks as she accelerates down the tracks and then off them. She figures Cornelia has better things to do than chase her, though she can't be sure; she keeps attention toward her back to make sure nobody is firing on it.
She'll have to circle around before she can check for additional retrievals. "OK," she transmits back to Kallen, a clipped phrase so short to be barely anything at all. Her radio crackles from the electrical damage.
<Pose Tracker> Asciel Colette has posed.
The song becomes a chorus.
Defiance is met with acceptance.
Harmony is forged from will.
It ravages. . . but is defied in turn.
...Still, Asciel finds peace. She calls out a loud "Thank you~" that she's sure Ranka will hear. Whoever she is, wherever she is - the shared song was enough to satisfy Asciel.
>...wait, no it isn't!! Just like everything, I need to identify and secure that! Hmph. I'll have to ask around in the aftermath of this for who all is that capable at the art of song.
...That little stunt pushed Asciel to her limits, however. The Driver flickers - and isn't helped by that furious axe of Regina's. Inexplicably, the fear is -sticky-. There's something she detests about this weapon now, something she can't quite face. She puts up walls of force - and they shatter, far easier than they should, in the wake of each blow, gouging at joints, tearing at armor - even once, forcibly splitting apart the Codarl's face, thus revealing yet again that odd, human-like under-visage that gazes at Regina with a baleful, yet stern sort of look. (It may be a slight shock - but any closer look makes it clear it's just a fascimile, and not that she's an armored Zentradi herself. The facial movements are just a liiiiittle off - and whenever Asciel speaks, she's forgetting to actually move her lips.)
<"Hmmmmmm. How stubborn. I don't know which concern you're here with - if you're one of the Federation's servants, then I'm sure your resilience is but expectation. Though if you're an acquaintance of those two Gundams of Celestial Being's - their intent is bewildering even to me.">
<"...Or is it that my passion has burned a little too hot for you, aww.~ It's just fine if you give in a little bit, you know. Iron-hard workers like you worry me. Being so taut and rigid only means you'll shatter when the troubling day comes. Yielding to me, who'll take care of absolutely everything, is just in your own best interest. Hopefully when next we meet, you can fall into Big Sis Atrytone's arms a little more securely! In the meantime...you'll stop swinging that obnoxious little axe at me, okay!">
With alarms blaring and errors piling up in every perception, Asciel prepares her exit - switching down the Lambda Driver, leaping backwards, and whirling a hailstorm of one last gatling onslaught - focusing on Regina moreso than the train she was so keen on ripping to shreds. She's jumping off it all the same, and retreating into the jungles of the southern continent...!
<"...Ai, you have no idea how much I need to hear your voice in a little bit more peace later on. How much I want to see everything you intend to show me."> ...There's a...very strange noise that follows when Asciel gets a look at where Ai's Arm Slave got caved in so close to the arm. The idea of Ai being -hurt- by all this is, is- [furious unacceptable pain vengeance longing healing] everything.
--[priority_insert.parse-"THERE IS A LOT THAT IS GOING TO GET RUINED IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO AI MARTEL"_; cardinality(3)]
<Pose Tracker> Regina Everhart has posed.
Something seems to have distracted the Shadow. Regina notes it, in the brief moments before she begins her attack.
But, it seems this fight has reached a conclusion, as Ai's machine leaps back.
"...And you, mine. Your talent comes through clearly in your blade." Regina replies. The Shadow retreats, leaving her a gift of a swarm of missiles. The Maganac's head vulcans, unused to this point, flare to life, shooting down the volley - but in the resulting smoke and explosions, she loses sight of the Shadow.
And she has, too, Asciel to contend with.
Her axe lands true, splitting the Codarl's face. It shears close, close enough that Regina can see within. It looks like a person's face, but... is that just a design...?
"Mm." Regina responds, remaining silent on the matter of her allegiance. Her machine has been stripped of any identifying insignias, as well.
"I appreciate the offer, but I can take care of myself. We shall see what the next encounter brings." Regina replies. Asciel also leaves her a parting gift - in the form of a gatling volley. Regina raises her shield. It's torn to shred in the attacks, and several important joints are struck.
"...Hm." Regina notes, looking over her machine's readings. The damage is... They have speed on their side. Pursuit would be impossible, especially after having lost sight of them.
...But, it's fine. She's satisfied - this was a fine fight. That's good enough. The Maganac wraps its cloak around itself and leaps from the top of the train, Regina switching over to Celestial Being communications as she does so.
"My targets have retreated. I am returning to base." Regina says. It's best she doesn't stick around.