2023-10-07: After Me, The Flood
- Log: After Me, The Flood
- Cast: Yuliana Kafim, Shari Loom, Rena Lancaster, Leina Ashta, Anita Rosetta, Teletha Testarossa, Banagher Links, Roux Louka, Naoko Suzuki, Soma Peries, Sousuke Sagara, Kaname Chidori, Sayla Mass, Gayatri D'Cruze
- Where: Ambon, Indonesia
- Date: 2023-10-07
- Summary: Yuliana and Shari march out to claim their first Seat of Power -- and the Whispered girl Gayatri D'Cruze gets in their way. Luckily, the heroes get in Yuliana's way before she can finish what Gayatri's started... and her mission is confused, at once, by her immediate hatred for the Whispered. She can't name what they are, but she can name what she sees when she looks at them: wounds in reality which should not be. The sheer lack of information torn out of their auras is crushing, and between the tattered gaps, She peers into physical reality. From that communion does Yuliana learn the truth: She wants the Whispered, dead or alive, and Yuliana's murderous reaction was only a limited reflection of Her will. Despite this revelation, Tessa and her team are able to rescue Gayatri -- not only from Yuliana, but from the Wild Bear and Soma Peries -- but they're not able to rescue Shari, even after Yuliana plants the dark orchid she came here to deliver. Yuliana doesn't treat Shari like a Whispered, but... Shari's relationship to Her is much different to Yuliana's, isn't it?
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fo02jgeQNA Biz Barclay - Burn Down The Farm
"Will you aid me?" The question, delivered through to Leina Ashta's phone receiver. "Will you send them away?"
The complications of that call are left to the abyss. In the end, it is more true than false -- in that Cathedra does issue an evacuation warning, for the island of Ambon. "Please evacuate," it goes, "Ambon is at risk of a Class I reality warping event. We will alert you when it is safe to return to your homes. Please evacuate. Ambon is at risk..."
And so the civilians of the island have long fled. Even after floods left their population so decimated, two hundred thousand people still live here -- it was an involved operation, moving them all to nearby islands, particularly those in rural villages. It was difficult, as well, not for the REA to take it all over -- this is a threat on their soil! After some negotiations, though, they've at least accepted... some outside assistance.
Even so, they have sent a squadron of Tiandong 3s to secure the city of Ambon; they are almost the entirety of everyone on the island.
Al...most.
"D'Cruze, the last ships are leaving! We've got to go!" A harried engineer tries to reason with his younger colleague, yelling up to her Tendus. Through the windscreen -- the Tendus has a windscreen -- he can see her waving him off.
"I'll take my own boat out," Gayatri D'Cruze assures him, with a teenager's confidence. "I just have to finish calibration on these pumps. We'll have to start over if we leave them for God knows how long!"
"Young lady," the other man yells, assisted by a megaphone, "you get out of there this instant!"
"Shan't," Gayatri sniffs. "Anyway, it's fine. We're not even in the city! Who's gonna come attack this nowhere beach?"
She has, at least, a shred of a point -- she's set their project up on a beach outside city limits. In her mind, the terrorists will surely attack the city; it's what they did last time, after all.
"Damnit, D'Cruze! I have to go!" That engineer finally gives up, to scramble back to his car, to leave her to her calculations. Really, this attack is a blessing in disguise; Gayatri works so much better, when she isn't constantly minded by her handlers. (And when she doesn't have to report to Medical, at that.) The properties of the water sing to her, marrying with the logic of the pump she's using.
Yes -- if she just sets the flow rate like this, the pumps can compensate for tidal flow, and they'll be able to build their flood barriers, and...
All a sudden she looks up, as a Salamis Kai swoops overhead. She is sensitive enough to feel the emptiness which drops from it, and at once horror grasps her heart. She remembers the last time the Whispers went away -- and who took them.
And she knows she is in danger.
She quickly reprograms the communications on her Tendus -- it's an engineering machine, not made for warfare, but it's not difficult for her to convince the ancient infrastructure to send a message out widely. (Even if she has to... modulate it, to make sure it isn't disrupted. It's all very impressive, and she has no time to gloat.) "Hello?" Her voice breaks into military and civilian channels, entirely uninvited. "Do you read me? This is Gayatri D'Cruze. I'm a civil engineer with the REA. Captain Dispersal's coming back!" Gayatri... doesn't really keep up with the news. It means her description is accidentally apt: "That freaky silence woman! We're all in danger! I'm transmitting my coordinates -- please come!"
It's a hope and a prayer.
And, coming in...
"Looks like the Republic's defending the city," Yuliana remarks, inside her now repaired Da Xukong 0, as their stolen Salamis Kai approaches the island. "Think you can keep them occupied?"
"Sure, sure," Wendy agrees, cheerful enough in her custom Savage II. "Am I taking the Altos?"
"Yeah," Yuliana decides. "But we'll drop you outside city limits. The koshki aren't always... considerate in their targets."
"Just 'cause they're smart enough to drive doesn't mean they're not monsters, Captain," Wendy points out, dryly.
"But they're so precious!" Yuliana gasps.
"That is an opinion you have," and Wendy's strange eagle eyes rolling are conveyed through her tone. She frowns, though, and asks: "But are you sure you should do this alone, Captain? Even if the REA's devoted their forces to the city..."
"All right, all right," Yuliana sighs. "I'll take the intern with me. Haa... that's why you've rode along in the first place, isn't it, Sharochka?" She grins, looking over to one Alto different to the others, both in the humanity of the woman at its helm and its capabilities. "You must be curious how the consecration will work. Just because you designed these things," Da Xukong taps a staff slung on its side, "doesn't mean you can't see them in action!" And she sounds quite supportive, as she adds: "It'll be good for you."
Wendy sighs, settling back at her controls. "Okay, cool. Just don't forget to pick me up once you're done..."
"Gardening," Yuliana supplies.
"Gardening," Wendy confirms, a shade unsettled.
Yuliana flips a switch on her console, and her display lights up:
--------------------------- | NIOU-TIA OU-FH | | KH'OU-SH'IAKH'LLOTH'YOU | ---------------------------
And that's how they begin their assault. The Shandor drops low over the city of Ambon, before dropping Wendy's Deadeye and most of the Altos outside city limits, on the path which leads in towards the outer suburbs; it's not until Wendy engages the Tiandongs that they realise Da Xukong 0 is conspicuously absent. No: just as she promised Leina, Yuliana and Shari don't even land close to the city.
The coastline they assault should, by all rights, be deserted.
Someone charges in, anyway.
"W--whatever you're doing -- STOP!" Gayatri screams, inside her Tendus, as she tears around a bend in the coastline to assault Da Xukong 0. The other wanzer turns -- and at first, Yuliana laughs.
"Are you quite mad? Hahaha... oh, this takes me back!" Yuliana grins, as she forces her machine forward. (That strange staff is latched to her machine, opposite her Cleave Axe. It in no way limits her movement.) "You're brave, or you're..."
But her tone changes in an instant, when she realises the sheer scope of lack around the Tendus. "Wait -- YOU!" Yuliana howls, and at once she is angry, the skittering of her machine accelerating to slam into the inferior machine. "The Daughter of Bridges?! I'LL TEAR YOU DOWN!" This wasn't part of the mission briefing given to Shari -- they were coming to the middle of nowhere to plant something -- but, naturally, Yuliana's immediately gotten distracted.
"Aaaaahhhh!" Gayatri cries, as too quickly does she find herself grappling with the stinger of Yuliana's scorpionoid machine, stabbing at her with every intent to smash into its windshield and through. "No way! No way, no way...!!"
She's right, in a certain sense.
There's no way she can win.
But...
KTS: Yuliana Kafim has deployed in Da Xukong 0. KTS: Yuliana_Kafim has deployed as a Boss for 8 opponents.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
"Wait, what?"
Shari Loom, the intern in question, blink blinks at the prospect of going along with Yuliana. "What, so I have to see you wreck the machine again in real time?" she asks. Then, she considers what Yuliana says. "...I am kinda curious," she admits, but then she frowns flatly. "Right. Terrorism is my favorite!" Uuuugh." She rolls her eyes, and starts off towards her Alto.
Gardening.
-=-=-
The coastline is supposed to be deserted, but it's not. And Shari is trucking along in her custom Alto, moving behind Yuliana. The voices are quiet, where she is--so she doesn't notice at first what the Daughter of Bridges is. This is a problem, because--
"Hey!" Shari says. "Hey, what's with getting distracted!? Who cares about Bridgeport!?"
Shari sags in her seat. "Son of a bitch," the teenager says, just to herself instead of over the radio. "Whatever. I'll start scouting while you play with your food, I guess."
She feels a little bad, but it's not really her problem, right?
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
The Three Ships Alliance has facilities in Orb, and when a report came of a civilian call for help, word got out to their mobile forces.
And, as it happens, those mobile forces include a part of the Ra Mari II's compliment. Several of them had been on planet, as part of their now-increased responsibilities. Which is why, soaring in from the East, there is a group of Mobile Suits.
The waverider-mode Gaia Gear Alpha is at their lead. As flight commander for the Ra Mari II, it comes with the job; it also feels good, as her first combat deployment in a month.
"This is is Lieutenant Rena Lancaster," Rena answers, "with the Three Ships Alliance. We read you. We'll be asking Miss Kafim to leave -- politely, or with weapons. Please hold on!"
The white Mobile Suit drops down from above -- eyes narrowing, as she spots Gayatri's Tendus, and then looks at Yuliana's Da Xukong 0. The Gaia Gear Alpha shifts; legs unfold, thrusters firing just so for a softer landing, and the eyes flash -- blue, now.
And deep, brilliant blue is the color of the Psychoframe motes wafting off it.
The right arm lifts -- and then a forearm armor plate pops up, revealing a large gatling cannon mounted underneath -- and pours out a burst of gunfire, shredding through the beach between Yuliana's and Gayatri's Wanzers. She fires for the feet of the Da Xukong 0, too.
"Yuliana!" she says. "Stop it! Pull back! You've already done enough here...!"
KTS: Rena Lancaster: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Rena Lancaster targets Yuliana Kafim with 20mm Gatling Gun! KTS: Rena Lancaster has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
It wasn't as difficult as she thought to convince Cathedra to intervene. In fact, shockingly easy. Rajan Zahi reviewed the footage that she supplied to them of the conversation, then afterwards, nodded succinctly. From the Orbital Ring he was connected to the Councilor's office.
"Councilor Bloodman? This is Rajan Zahi of Cathedra. I'm calling to inform you of a coming police action on REA soil upon the island of Anbon in Indonesia. We'll be evacuating the island of civilians for a coming operation."
"I beg your pardon?" The balding man that came on screen said, "On what grounds? We've received no word of unrest in the area, Witch Hunter. Cathedra's request is denied, the REA is more than capable of defending its own territory."
Rajan folded his hands, and looked at the man, "I'll be submitting it to your office shortly. However, you mistake yourself. I am not requesting your permission."
The aging man's greying eyes leveled upon the man, as he stated evenly, "This is merely a courtesy call. Our mandate allows for unlimited jurisdiction in these matters, and we do not answer to the REA." Councilor Bloodman stared daggers at him, even as he continued, "If the PZ would like to jeopardize its relations with the largest mobile suit manufacturer in the Earthsphere, do so at your peril."
The Councilor tensed, then, replied back with a hard tone, "Then make your submission promptly, for the REA will still defend itself."
-=-=-
The Beguir-Neuer was one of many Dominicus Corps units stationed to be a part of the evacuation, a custom Beguir-Pente with a different color scheme of white accented with pink. It had been a long arduous operation to evacuate them, especially since the REA had obvious resentment towards them being there.
Leina didn't care so much, the REA had simply told Dominicus Corps to stand 'over there' as if it were some playground schism rather than a coming terrorist attack. And so her mobile suit was positioned on a different part of the city, the units evenly spaced as part of Cathedra's own contingent. However, even before the Salamis Kai made it's appearance...
... she received a flash of intuition...
The Neuer reoriented itself, and began to move, not at a slow roll but sudden leaps through the city, utilizing jump jets for short leap frog like hops that tried to avoid damaging the civilian structures, "This is Ashta, I'm on the move. There's an attack coming imminently."
A squadmate, whose name she didn't yet recall, the only one currently in comms range replied, "Hey Princess don't jump the gun! There's nothing out there. Standby just makes everyone antsy, so just rela-" Which is when he saw it too on the sensors, "Holy shit. Everyone fall i-" Which is the last she heard before the Minovsky interference grew too thick.
There was something strange about this, certainly Yuliana was keeping her word, not attacking civilian structures but...
... what she received was from a different direction entirely.
And indeed, as the rest of the squad began to orient to move towards the Altos sent on the approach to the suburbs, Leina made a sharp leap out of the city, towards the coastline, the unit suddenly making a sharp mid-air turn as its clawed feet latched onto a rock cliff, it's leaps becoming sharper as its claws churn away rock every motion before it launches again.
Eventually landing sharply on the beach, scattering sand. "Stop." Leina says sharply over the comms to Yuliana. "This can't be what you're here to do. Unless your ritual calls for bullying her. For the love of God, she's in a Tendus."
The Neuer raises it's rifle, sending a warning shot near the Da Xukong, "Back away from her, right now." The flash of intuition she received never could have been from Yuliana after all.
The Beguir's head suddenly turned to look at the white mobile suit of the Gaia Gear, and- "Wait what - Rena?!" A beat pause, and a sort of wry grimace, "Should have told me the Alliance was Earthside, I guess this is KIND of like hanging out?"
KTS: Shari_Loom has deployed as a Boss for 3 opponents. KTS: Leina Ashta has deployed in CEK-068 Beguir-Neuer. KTS: Leina Ashta has changed loadout. KTS: Leina Ashta targets Yuliana Kafim with Beguir Neuer Beam Rifle Ambush Burst! KTS: Leina Ashta has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Rena Lancaster's 20mm Gatling Gun, taking 1610 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim blocks Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Beam Rifle Ambush Burst, taking 1620 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita had been with Rena when the call came out - and now that their responsibilities have suddenly turned into a combat deployment, she naturally hops right into the Svipul. Not answering the call isn't an option, with a life on the line - but she wants to keep an eye on Rena, too.
And so, the XVF-25I Svipul flies along with Rena's unit in formation in Fighter Mode until, eventually, they spot their target.
Yuliana's Da Xukong 0 tangling with a Tendus... Anita frowns. Even if their machines were on an equal level, this wouldn't be close to a fair fight - but for the gap to be this big...
...Well, it's not like Anita would care even if it was fair.
"I'm going in." Anita says. The Svipul's nose turns down, accelerating toward the two wanzers. Halfway through its descent it unfolds into Battroid mode, using its momentum to slam its shield into the Da Xukong 0 before trying to grapple and push it away from the Tendus - or at least get that stabbing tail out of range of it.
"C'mon. Get off." Anita says.
...It looks like they're not the only ones here, too - and fortunately, some of them are friendly faces.
"Heyyy, Leina. How's life?" Anita greets casually. ...Despite the situation she's currently dropped herself into.
KTS: Anita Rosetta targets Yuliana Kafim with Shield Bash! KTS: Anita Rosetta has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Anita Rosetta rattles Yuliana Kafim, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to parry Anita Rosetta's Shield Bash, taking 1680 damage! KTS: Anita Rosetta has engaged Yuliana Kafim!
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
Mithril is already busy enough as it is; WIth the world teetering as it was, there's not much in the way of things such as "properly taking a rest" or "taking a breather as smouldering embers alight everywhere". More and more, the organization is attempting to take a slightly more procative role: To save what they can, to stave off what they can.
"Captain, a civilian distress signal."
"Where?"
"Ambon, an island in the REA Archipelago. Name: Gayatri D'Cruze."
"...We're going. Set course."
"Aye, ma'am."
---
The Tuatha de Dannan was restocked, resupplied, and fresh from heading out from Merida Island. Picking up volunteers along the way, Tessa's brow furrowed in worry and anxiety, even if she tried to hide it.
Gayatri...
"Land spotted! It's the Da Xukong 0 and Wazners!"
"Prepare tubes one through three!"
"Aye, ma'am! Loading and flooding tubes one through three!"
DANA blinks. It scans, it comparmentalizes, it works its magic to show the battlefield to the TDD-1. Wazners. Fighting inland. But the important target is there, and what must be done is...
"Fire."
"Firing!"
THe missiles launch out as Tessa flicks the comms on, watching the heavy ordinance rain down. Targeted strikes; Three land-attack missiles to cascade into a targeted area with little more than recognizable guide.
Her jaw sets. Open channels. <<"This is the Toy Box, Shuffle Alliance. Gayatri D'Cruze, we've come in response to your emergency call.">> A breath. <<"Head towards the coastline. We'll cover you as best we can.">> A click off.
...There was something strange about this evacuation, yes. She couldn't afford to think about it. Not now.
KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa targets Shari Loom with Itano Circus Missile Dance! KTS: Teletha Testarossa has completed their actions for the round. KTS: [Lucky] Shari Loom's Whispers' Call activates, and luck goes her way! KTS: Shari Loom successfully intercepts Teletha Testarossa's Itano Circus Missile Dance
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Though Mineva has made the decision to officially join the Three Ships Alliance, Banagher is not obligated to take orders from their leaders -- or anyone, really. Any deployment he participates in is his decision. This makes little difference. If Banagher hears people are in danger, he'll be there. It's simply who he is.
Besides, this is a Cathedra operation. If there's any chance Leina will have to face combat, he wants to be there to support her.
Even so...
The cockpit of his new machine, the Destrier Gundam, feels cold around him. A piece of his soul has been left back at Magallanica, sealed away under an agreement he had no real part in. Though the Destrier is a wonder of a machine, it has no soul, not like the Unicorn. The ragged edges of her distance are an ache he cannot soothe.
So many changes. So quickly. After the Rainbow, he thought... Well, it doesn't matter anymore.
"I hope," he begins, hand on the still, quiet metal of his pilot's seat. "...I hope this is right. All of this."
Psychoframe glitters at Banagher's brow, tucked underneath his fluffy hair. The Destrier has just enough Psychoframe to be familiar, while staying just within Cathedra's new guidelines. A bulky, powerful machine, shining in shades of silver and grey, it is clearly designed to protect its young pilot, rather than enable his full offensive potential.
With a rack of funnels at one shoulder, a heavy machine gun fastened to its hip, and the Unicorn's Hyper Beam Javelin in its hand, the Destrier stands ready to launch. Banagher, still dressed in his white-and-red normal suit, takes a breath.
<"Banagher Links, Destrier Gundam. Launching!">
Thrusters fire blue-white as the Gundam begins its maiden voyage. It's hyper-tuned, responding to the very faintest of Banagher's direction -- still unfamiliar, still confusing, compared to the soul-deep partnership he had with the Unicorn. With a slight stutter, the Destrier lands heavily in the sand next to Leina's Beguir-Neuer.
<"Hey, love."> Banagher greets her, softly. <"I like your new machine.">
As ever, the young pilot is eager to protect the woman he loves. The Destrier stands in front of the Beguir-Neuer, juuust a bit. It's not even really a conscious choice on Banagher's part.
<"Yuliana..."> He broadcasts on an open line. <"I don't want to fight you. Not after everything. Please don't do this. This place was your home, and you know the people who suffer from this attack won't be the ones who hurt you!">
With a thought, Banagher brings his funnels to life, fanning them out in a haloed pattern around the Destrier's shoulders. They resemble the Nu Gundam's armaments more than a little, something surely done on purpose.
<"It doesn't have to be this way. Please, just stop this!">
Green light builds within the funnels, promising an attack should Banagher's words go unheeded. After all this time, his heart is still too soft to simply open fire on someone he considers a friend.
KTS: Banagher Links targets Yuliana Kafim with Pass! KTS: Banagher Links has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
ROUX LOUKA got a hot mercenary tip from her sister-in-law-in-waiting which was able to direct a healthy hit of corporate money into a place where it will do good: the pocket of ROUX LOUKA, where it will be spent on useful things like PURCHASING JEWELRY and SPA SERVICES rather than reinvested in CORPO SHIT.
"Heh heh," said Roux at the time as she hit the button for standard propellant-load expenses. "What Cathedra doesn't know won't hurt them." Behind her, the Strike Zeta - slightly weathered from several days of providing pinch-hitter CAP over the Photon Power Labs while they overhauled battered Ichinanas - looms.
THERMONUCLEAR JET DRIVE -> NO PROPELLANT COSTS
THUS
After flying primarily over the Pacific Ocean towards the general area, itself mostly on autopilot, Roux was comfortable, awake, and ready to go at their command. But Leina...
"Leina?" Roux asks in concern, over the comm, and yet the descending Waverider-mode Gundam turns away from its intended rendezvous with the rest of Leina's squad. It's probably just as well: Roux's recent luck with air support has not been the best.
Others are coming. To herself, Roux mutters, "Well, it's a big family get together. Maybe we can go to a dim sum place." Roux does not seriously expect dim sum. Instead she clicks to the open transmission:
<<"Shoo!">> What? That's not a very nice thing to say, Roux! It comes with a chattering barrage of high-caliber head-vulcan fire, aimed towards the Da Xukong 0 while moving to a support-flank position relative to the Beguir-Neuer.
Roux does a single-channel transmit to the Beguir-Neuer. "Leina, promise me this isn't some kind of brain-dicer we're extracting. I couldn't get the full profile to open, it was just their letterhead."
KTS: Roux Louka targets Yuliana Kafim with 60mm Vulcan Cannon! KTS: Roux Louka has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko Suzuki has had an honest to goodness premonition, of sorts. It didn't feel dissimilar from remembering a dream upon waking up and it feeling particularly real, in spite of a lack of clear details. Rather than any concrete sequence of events, she most strongly remembered a feeling. A feeling that, if she had to put it into words...
If nothing is done, someone may die.
She had no idea what must be done, who may die, what the odds of it are and what any of it has to do with her. And yet, that thought wouldn't leave her alone. That, and the one other detail that she remembered clearly: the name of a place. Ambon.
Imagine her shock upon learning that the Kakapo Squadron was to respond to an SOS that had Ambon as its origin point. She didn't know how quickly to volunteer to come along. For peace of mind, if nothing else. As she thought... having even a small inkling of the future is a curse, effectively robbing one of free will.
What she was hoping to see here today was evidence that it really had been a dream, and she was worried for no reason. But reality is rarely so kind. As soon as the speeding Sukeban registers the presence of a Tendus hopelessly grappling with the Da Xukong 0, she knows, and quickly apprises her allies with a level of alarm greater than that of simple concern.
"Rena, everyone - that Tendus! You have to focus on protecting it, or whoever piloting it is going to die!"
She is quick to transmit the data she has on Yuliana's Wanzer to her 3SA allies in hopes of increasing their odds of success. In spite of what she knows, she has to put their trust in them for this. Getting close to Yuliana would be... well, she'd probably make a good distraction, but she'd also have to fear for her life, as well as her mental state. She isn't confident that she'd manage to be anything but a liability. And so, she keeps her distance... until she gets another reading. A custom Alto... no way. It's that custom Alto.
>"You shouldn't go near it, Nova."<, Ariel cautions. >"Remember what happened last time."<
While she's still considering what to do, the Toy Box sends its hail. "Everything is... just like last time..." she mumbles. She isn't a big believer in destiny, but this one's got her wondering. "...I'm going," she firmly decides, the unmistakable violet Arm Slave moving to engage Shari's Alto.
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
Gayatri D'Cruze is an important asset to the REA. Her special abilities no doubt often in demand to help improve the bloc's infrastructure and provide better living for its citizens. Nor are they going to back down when a city in their territory is threatened. As is so put by the REA's councilor, the Republic will defend itself.
And this time, they are not doing so lightly.
Four new signals appear on the horizon, rapidly closing in towards the coastline. Their silhouettes don't exactly match any known mobile weapons. What's more noteworthy though is not their designs, but the propulsion method with which they use to rocket through the sky.
Particles of crimson light streak out of the strange engines built into their backs. Just like the Gundams used by Celestial Being.
But these are not Gundams!
The REA's new GN-Xs rush into the area to reinforce the Republic forces already here. The one at the lead gives out orders to the others, <"Jameson, Connors. Head to the city to support the Tiandong 3 squadron. Lieutenant, you're with me.">
Two of the GN-Xs break off, heading towards the city of Ambon. In one of the other two still closing in towards the Da Xukong 0 and Tendus, Lieutenant Soma Peries replies with an enthusiastic, <"Roger!"> Her eyes focus on Yuliana's machine in the distance, "The traitor..."
The two GN-Xs rush in to the quickly growing battle and the one at the lead speaks over an open channel, <"Yuliana Dispersal. This is Colonel Sergei Smirnov of the REA Forces. Surrender now. This is your only warning."> The Wild Bear of Russia, here!
The Colonel's warning is quickly reinforced with strength as he and Soma's GN-X's come to a hover, raise their GN Rifles and start to rapidly rain down crimson bolts on the Da Xukong, trying to force it away from Gayatri's Tendus.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Yuliana Kafim with GN-X Beam Rifle Warding Barrage! KTS: Soma Peries has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Naoko Suzuki targets Rena Lancaster, Anita Rosetta, and Banagher Links with Insight L1. KTS: Naoko Suzuki has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Naoko Suzuki shares insight with Anita Rosetta, making her next attacks more accurate! KTS: Naoko Suzuki shares insight with Banagher Links, making his next attacks more accurate! KTS: Naoko Suzuki shares insight with Rena Lancaster, making her next attacks more accurate! KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim blocks Roux Louka's 60mm Vulcan Cannon, taking 700 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to react to Banagher Links's Pass, taking 0 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Soma Peries rattles Yuliana Kafim, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Rifle Warding Barrage, taking 2480 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Things have been slowly moving behind the scenes. The clear line Sousuke Sagara drew between himself and Mithril last time he took the field still needs some mending, but...that's an ongoing project. Possibly related to the specific collection of individuals who were aboard the Danaan today.
Regardless, one insertion has been prepared ahead of time.
A flash of electric blue signals the end of an ECS Invisibility cloak, shortly before the pure white and navy of the ARX-7 Arbalest crashes down from a high-intensity jump to land between Yuliana's Wanzer and the Daughter of Bridges' Tendus, monomolecular cutter extended to slice completely through the end of that tail, cutting edge buzzing.
It turns, two green optic covers flashing.
<<I believe the lady is in danger,>> AL notes.
"Get away!" Sousuke calls to Gayatri, over loudspeaker. "You're in danger here!"
KTS: Sousuke Sagara: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Yuliana Kafim with LD Monomolecular Cutter Close Quarters Combat! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim blocks Sousuke Sagara's LD Monomolecular Cutter Close Quarters Combat, taking 1250 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has engaged Yuliana Kafim!
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Kaname Chidori's life has been in chaos for what feels like an eternity, now. And just as things are settling back into place, and she's paid a visit to Marida Island on business--
It seems fate has interesting timing.
She knows, now, what this means. One of the Whispered. Someone like her... of course she's going to participate. the attempt on her life is too raw, too fresh in her mind, for her to make any other decision than this.
---
"Heart-4, reporting for bridge duty!" she announces at the hatch, soon after the Tuatha de Danaan announces General Quarters. There's a faint smile on her lips as she says that. She makes her way to one of the larger stations when allowed, donning a headset and bringing up a dizzying array of informational panels. Eyes flick between them, effortlessly taking it in, as though it were second-nature to the teenaged girl.
For now, she waits, taking in the situation, forming a mental map of the battlescape, getting a sense in her mind's eye of the TDD-1's status. How she 'feels', what she 'sees'... they may not be her senses anymore, but...
KTS: Kaname Chidori targets Shari Loom with Pass!
KTS: Kaname Chidori has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Shari Loom fails to react to Kaname Chidori's Pass, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
It was a matter of convenient timing- and a need for negotiations- that Sayla had been on Merida Island at the time. She had received a message on her civilian phone at the time, moments before the distress call, and frowned. When the distress call came in, wel...
"...There's a non-zero chance that Cathedra will be on site." There's a definite tension in Sayla's voice. "Nonetheless, I think this is your best chance. Permission requested to join the mission."
In the hangar of the TDD-1, Sayla sat in the cockpit of the Hi-Nu, the machine crouched low on the launch elevator to fit in the submarine. It was too big for the Tuatha's launch torpedoes, so it had to launch the hard way. Still, seconds after the submarine launches, the elevator to the deck opens and the thrusters on the Mazin-blooded Gundam burst to life to get it to the beach. "Sayla Mass, Hi-Nu Gundam, launching!"
Sayla falls into formation behind the Arbalest, raising her shield and rifle as Sousuke moves to close. "<We'll cover you, Miss D'Cruze. Please make for safety.>" Sayla doesn't bother with the voice changer anymore- she's not sure Gayatri will remember their last meeting, but it might help? Maybe?
The sight of the Beguir-Neuer and the Strike Zeta confirm her suspicions. Damnit, Leina. This isn't a psychoframe mission...
The Hi-Nu takes it's time to aim- the Da Xukong shield's are hard to breach- but she waits to time her shot as Sousuke goes in with the cutter. Maybe that will help the beam to breach. She doesn't say anything to Yuliana yet.
KTS: Sayla Mass: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Sayla Mass targets Yuliana Kafim with Hi-Nu Beam Rifle Trick Shot! KTS: Sayla Mass has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Huh? Kafim?" Gayatri was confused to hear the name change, but regardless, she asked Rena: "Please hurry!!" To Sayla, she adds: "Hey, yeah, you, you're that woman! Help!" Luckily, many people come to help her -- and just in time.
Yuliana's rage is first interrupted by the Gaia Gear's gunfire, drumming at her wanzer's eight feet. "Enough?! I have not yet BEGUN!" Yuliana screams, forced to dance back a step to avoid too many holes, even as her green Abyssal Veil absorbs much of the damage. She brings her Cleave Axe up to defend itself against Leina's warning shot and Roux's vulcan fire, glancing it away; verbally, over her open channel, she bristles. "I know what she's in, Leina! What kind of wanzer do you think I fought the Mycenae Empire in?!" A pause, a click of her teeth -- "That doesn't MATTER! Don't you SEE WHAT SHE'S DOING TO THE WORLD?! YOU'RE FIGHTING THE WRONG WOMAN!"
But before Yuliana can dive towards the Tendus again, there's the Svipul, unfolding into a Battroid who slams its shield into the wanzer's Injector before taking the mech by its stinging tail and HAULING it off. "You-- you DISRESPECTFUL little--!! If it's not that woman telling me to shoo like I'm some damn cat -- I can't believe you people!" Yuliana splutters, as she turns around to slash at the Svipul with her Cleave Axe to free herself. She fires a fiery display at Roux and Leina to cover her escape, as she backs up.
"I know!" She snaps, to Banagher. "That's why it has to be here, Banagher! Sacrifices need to have meaning to have power! And in any case -- this is a kindness! Of course I want my homeland to have a place in the future to come!" She does him the dignity of not attacking him with anything other than her words, since he's not firing, but -- "Anyway," she adds, hot to boiling, "I've taken every precaution not to hurt the people, this time. Our operation doesn't even target a populated area!"
Yuliana's attention falls on the Sukeban, here, and her blood only boils further -- all her logic to Banagher forgotten. "MORE OF YOU?!" She screams, with a sound of something slamming, in her cockpit. "The world will shatter! It will BREAK! All nonexistence falling into wretched abyss, all torn, ripped to pieces, BLEEDING! How, how, HOW --"
The only thing which could distract Yuliana from boiling over in a situation like this,
is her blood running cold.
Cold as Zaftran winter comes Smirnov's voice to Yuliana's ears; she shudders, looking up at the GN-Xs, and the radio captures the way her breath quickens. "Colonel," she says, and all the rage in her voice drains to dread. "I--I won't," she insists, voice tight. And she finds her volume again, with more panic: "I won't go back!"
(Oh, God, she thinks, with building horror; if the Wild Bear is here, what's happening to Wendy? She was distracting the REA's forces, but she didn't think they'd send this much firepower --)
She skitters away from the GN-X's beam rifles, but not before they blast at her green barrier; wildly, she blasts balls of flame from her Injector towards them, to burn away the threat. Unfortunately for Sousuke, that means that she's on-edge enough to react in the meagre seconds she has between the Arbalest revealing itself and slicing down to bring her Cleave Axe in to block the attempt; even if she has no intuition to warn her, her adrenaline works fine.
"She's in danger?!" Yuliana demands, voice raising to a roar. "SHE'S in danger?! Y-- YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT! You think you can HIDE from me, interloper?!" Backing up from the Arbalest, Yuliana's Injector raises up above her wanzer's head, glowing with another building assault.
Gayatri's eyes narrow to pinpricks, and in she draws a sharp gasp. She remembers --
May 20, 0096
Yuliana wears a fine dress, all spun in deep purples, sheer fabric retaining her mystery where the long drapes do not. It is the first time she has worn a dress to these functions in some time; for years, she has preferred her own tuxedo, perhaps one of the many quirks she's taken from the labs.
And her superior, Major Pham Van Vinh, has noticed.
He has taken her aside to brief her on today's mission, only to leave his office once she was called in; she paces about the room, playing with her sheer scarves as if it could hide her nervousness. Why he can't just tell her who they're killing --
She looks up, sharply, just as the door opens.
And she springs at a brown-skinned girl, a scream tearing through her lips. "-- DEFILER!"
Gayatri D'Cruze screams, throwing her hands up to shield herself. Yuliana gets as far as slamming her into the doorframe -- bringing her hand back, two fingers extended, in a gesture which will crush her windpipe the moment it courses forward into her neck --
-- before the man behind her speaks up.
"Tell me, Yuliana," Major Pham asks, quite calm. "What drives the doe?"
And at once Yuliana's frenzied movement stills; at once, she looks to him. "Placation," she answers, without missing a beat, her grasping hand growing slack against Gayatri's shoulder.
"Very good," he confirms, without blinking. He glances to the girl under Yuliana, panting in terror and eyes too, too wide. "This is our guest of honour, Captain. You'll be Miss D'Cruze's security detail tonight, so do try not to... frighten her."
Beat,
"Overmuch."
Gayatri D'Cruze, like Yuliana Dispersal, is a special asset the REA holds; both of them hold mysteries their scientists have yet to unlock, despite their studies, and both of them have great potential to aid the Republic. Placing them together like this...
"W-w-w-what are-- what's this -- n-no way," Gayatri is close to crying as she slips away from Yuliana, to hide behind the Major. "She's -- I can't go with her, Major! T-there's something wrong with her!"
But Yuliana, now, is smiling, and spreads a welcoming hand towards her. "Please don't worry about a thing," she assures her, and certainly she sounds reassuring. "I must have just mistaken you for someone... if the Major is concerned for your safety, my team and I will protect you without fail."
"H--how are you smiling about it?!" Gayatri demands, and in this moment she is every part the frazzled teenager, not the genius engineer expected to speak. "Y--you just tried to-- Major!"
"Command's delegation is final," Major Pham tells her, firmly, as he steps away. "There are many things we will achieve today, Miss D'Cruze. You may help your country by giving a splendid performance today. And Captain?" He adds, looking back to Yuliana. "Don't stray too far."
"I won't leave her side, sir," Yuliana promises, at once, all her viciousness turned placid.
"That won't be... entirely necessary," he adds, looking between them. "Since it seems you may stress the poor girl out, staying too close. If you need to step out to the gardens, I'll allow it. But you will escort her, and you will retrieve her back to us."
"Sir," Yuliana salutes.
Gayatri isn't entirely convinced. "S-she's really not going to kill me..?"
"Captain Dispersal is a loyal soldier," Major Pham assures her. "You will be at no more harm from her. I promise you that."
But even though he's promised, Gayatri is scared, trapped between the Nega Force all the way in to the mainland.
06 October, 0097
-- "Tell me, Yuliana!" Gayatri screams back, all desperation. "What drives the doe?!"
And Yuliana HOWLS, all her anger redoubled. "RRRRYAAAHHH!" There is the sound of something pounding, inside her cockpit. "You gutless piece of shit! Do you think you can still control me like that?! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" And it's only Sayla's timed intervention which stops her from following through, as her Hi-Nu's shot pierces through Da Xukong's Veil to shoot into her systems. She turns her readied Injector on Sayla, instead -- with only marginally less menace.
"I-- I don't understand--" Gayatri stammers, trembling. "W-when Major Pham said it, s-she stopped... h--hey, Colonel, did I do it wrong? She, she never hurt me at the party, after that, it worked... ahhh, I just made her more mad! How is she more mad?!"
It might be plainly obvious -- to anyone who's kept up with the news. Yuliana was a national secret, and she kept her nation's secrets; could do nothing, at times, except keep them. Yuliana was not compelled in the public eye. Yuliana did not speak of it, in the public eye.
That Pham muzzled her to keep her from murdering her ward was implicit. The reason she could protect someone like Gayatri, back then...
"Fuck you!" Yuliana screams, as her Injector fires wildly, a salvo of flaming fireballs which threaten to scorch both Rena in her Gaia Gear and Sousuke in his Arbalest. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you fuck you FUCK YOU! DIE!"
KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Banagher Links with Goad! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Anita Rosetta with MULS-P Cleave Axe Lunge! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Leina Ashta with Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Roux Louka with Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display! KTS: Yuliana_Kafim Changes attack to Soma Peries, Sayla Mass, Rena Lancaster, and Sousuke Sagara with Infernal Arachnid Injector Stinger Salvo. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Leina Ashta, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Leina Ashta blocks Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display, taking 2860 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Leina Ashta, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Rena Lancaster's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Rena Lancaster, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Rena Lancaster fails to evade Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Stinger Salvo, taking 2450 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim begins a Formation attack! KTS: Anita Rosetta has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Anita Rosetta's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim anchors Anita Rosetta, forcing her into close range. KTS: Anita Rosetta blocks Yuliana Kafim's MULS-P Cleave Axe Lunge, taking 2960 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has engaged Anita Rosetta! KTS: Yuliana Kafim roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable. KTS: Yuliana Kafim goads Banagher Links, reducing his Intuition drastically.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
The 3SA shows up, and Shari scowls in her cockpit. "See? This is why you can't get distracted!" she complains over general frequency at Yuliana while she's being shot at. Of course, she isn't being shot at at first, which gives her time to complain. No names, though. She does know something about opsec. A little. Which means... "What? There's no Yuliana here. Obviously. You've got the wrong people."
She gets out of Yuliana's range quickly, despite the blessed quiet, her Alto booking it to avoid being hit by the things going for Yuliana.
There's comms. "The 'Toy Box'? What kind of a name is--Gh!"
The missiles rain down. Shari hears it, in her mind, suddenly, a warning, and she jukes to the side in her Alto with unnatural speed, evading the missiles that still crash down into the ground in an explosion that could have done quite a bit of damage to the Alto.
"Okay, not taking you lightly, then. Where are you..." She talks a lot, it would seem. But her readings tell her where the misssiles came from, at least. And then she sees the data for--"YOU," Shari grumbles, referring to Naoko. "You should leave while you still can, Sukeban. I won't be as nice this time."
Then she hears Yuliana's ranting. And... "...Y i k e s," she says, all drawn out like that. "Well, you heard the lady. She tried to use brainwashing on her. Guess that's that."
Then she pulls her beam pistol and her Alto fires off a few shots for the TDD-1, trying to get into a better position to take better aim as she instead lunges as the Sukeban with her strange green beam saber, hacking away strike after strike after strike at her. "GO AWAY!"
KTS: Shari Loom has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus. KTS: Shari Loom targets Teletha Testarossa with Loom A17 Beam Pistol Positioning Shot! KTS: Shari Loom targets Naoko Suzuki with Green Fold Saber Combo! KTS: Shari Loom has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Naoko Suzuki fails to parry Shari Loom's Green Fold Saber Combo, taking 4275 damage! KTS: Shari Loom has engaged Naoko Suzuki! KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Roux Louka, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Roux Louka fails to evade Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display, taking 2340 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Roux Louka, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Foresee Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"She married," Rena says. "Her partner could be involved, too. Hold on!"
The Gaia Gear Alpha lands, as the Da Xukong 0 scates back -- and another unit opens fire.
"Leina?!" Rena asks, with a brief note of surprise in her voice. She didn't recognize her Beguir-Neuer, exactly; once she does, though, she understands. The unit that Leina is working with; the one intervening in matters like these.
"Well... we just got down to Orb a few hours ago," Rena says. "Maybe you can come by once we've left? I would say Orb is nice this time of year, but Orb is nice every time of year."
She glances sideways -- a smile crossing her face as she sees the Svipul, as Anita puts it, 'go in.' Then, she straightens up -- and sends a transmission to Banagher. "Glad you're with us, Banagher," Rena says, her smiling face briefly on his monitor. "I'll feel a little better knowing a friend is with me."
Data floods across her monitor, courtesy of Nova. Rena's eyes widen a little -- and then she nods her head. "Thank you, Nova!" she says, before she looks up. Two more incoming units -- and this time, she hesitates. She blinks at the incomplete outlines of the GN-X's brought up by the Gaia Gear's monitor, unable to fill in the details. "I've never seen those before..."
The Wild Bear of Russia, though, is a familiar name. She mutters a curse, softly, underneath her breath.
Mithril's units, on the other hand, are quite welcome. "Arm Slave, Hi-Nu," she transmits. "Do you have a safe place to bring Miss D'Cruze? We can help you get her there."
She grimaces, as the injector rifle fires -- hitting the thrusters to send the Gaia Gear Alpha to the side, but a shot clips its shoulder, and the shell penetrates the armor with a loud thunk. "Miss D'Cruze, don't," she says. "You're going to make her angrier. And not without good reason."
She takes stock of where the Svipul is moving in, and then brings up both of the Gaia Gear Alpha's hands. This time, the underside of the forearms drops down -- revealing two large beam cannons. They fire, twin pulses of red light exploding from them and hurtling towards the Da Xukong 0.
"We're not letting you take her," she says. "We can't do that."
KTS: Rena Lancaster has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Rena Lancaster targets Yuliana Kafim with Dual Hand Beam Guns! KTS: Rena Lancaster has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Teletha Testarossa fails to Evade Shari Loom's Loom A17 Beam Pistol Positioning Shot, taking 2800 damage! KTS: Shari Loom begins a Formation attack! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Rena Lancaster's Dual Hand Beam Guns, taking 3720 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Soma Peries, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Soma Peries fails to Evade Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Stinger Salvo, taking 5200 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim begins a Formation attack! KTS: Sayla Mass's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Sayla Mass, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Sayla Mass blocks Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Stinger Salvo, taking 3600 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim begins a Formation attack!
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
As Yuliana bristles about her history, "Then you know very well why it's BULLYING!" After all a Tendus compared to modern suits? Absurd.
And indeed, what is she doing to the world? Leina doesn't actually say, even though she can feel her vividly. She knows what it's like to connect to a Whispered. Yet, she will not use that word, instead asking her back, "What do you think she's doing?"
Yet as Annie greets her, she replies back, "Oh you know, hanging out at the beach with the gang. Shame its not swimsuit season anymore in this hemisphere." She answers Annie as the Beguir suddenly sweeps a sharp turn to scatter sand, with its clawed feet even as she swings up her shield against the shield that catches the flare in a flashburst against it, "But hey!" She grunts as the impact staggers her suit, "Can still manage a good time." And as Roux suggests dim sum she counters with an alternative to her and Rena, "How about an after dark bonfire if we end up regrouping at Orb? Can set up a Grill."
She does send a private channel to the Strike Zeta shortly after, "<Nah we're here for Yuliana Kafim. She says she has to sacrifice something important to her on this island for her cult's religion? Just - usually their religious rituals bring these Kaiju through cracks in reality.>"
As the Destrier Gundam approaches, Leina's eyes blink several times, before she allows a smile, "Couldn't resist a horse theme, could you?" As she then complains affectionately, "You could have bothered to send a picture! Or were you hoping to make it a surprise?"
Yet it's not just Gayatri she senses, in fact, besides her distress... there's someone even more familiar. When the missiles launch, followed by the confirmation of the Toybox, as Leina puts in a more closed call on a frequency she'll have to wipe after this, "<Toybox. This is Leina Ashta with Cathedra. To the Captain, your current target is the subject of the report I filed with you.>" And since she's playing coy, some, given the nature of it, "<Remember the eyes.>"
Since Sousuke and AL are here, she assumes they'll need to be informed accordingly... after all there are two potential targets Shuffle might want to extract.
However, there's the launch of another VERY recognizable mobile suit as- "Really!? You're on site too!?" However, after a small sigh, and a thin smile, she mutters, "Well... there are worse ways for someone's mother to show up at work I guess."
There is a moment however, when Gayatri speaks like that, and it elicits an audible gasp out of her, "DON'T!" There is a moment, a split second where she wonders how complicit this girl is, but her act carries none of that maliciousness of intent.
The rage is predictable.
Leina can't claim she wouldn't be upset either. There is no deescalating this with words.
And so the Beguir Neuer abruptly leaps aerial. Jump jets adjusting, as she tries to come down right on the Da Xukong, claws suddenly skittering across it's Abyssal Veil to try and find purchase.
Yet it's not just the claws, as she aims the rifle down, with a shot that was already charging, she suddenly fires it point blank towards its tail to try and score a telling blow. "CALM THE HELL DOWN!" She yells at her, hoping that the shock of the hit might cool her off some.
In the wake of the attack. "Ma'am." Leina says to Gayatri in that moment, bluntly, "Stop trying to help. You don't know what you're doing."
It's hard not to be angry at ignorance in the moment. It's an active effort. She has to take a deep breath.
KTS: Leina Ashta targets Yuliana Kafim with Beguir Neuer Claw and Rifle Combination - Crusade! KTS: Leina Ashta has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to react to Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Claw and Rifle Combination - Crusade, taking 5859 damage! KTS: Leina Ashta has engaged Yuliana Kafim!
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
Roux answers the rhetorical question of Yuliana - don't you SEE what she's DOING TO THE WORLD?' - with a somewhat incredulous, "No...?"
What happens next involves what Roux estimates to be some kind of command phrase. This instantly puts Gayatri way higher on Roux's internal table of 'how suspicious people are,' although she provides at least some kind of context for it. Even so, Roux rolls her head for a moment as a flare bombardment comes in. The Strike Zeta rises and tries to jink to one side, but the barrage was sporadic -- and, of course, Roux has issues reading Yuliana's intention.
Well, like, micro-level intention reading. Her meso-level intentions are pretty clear. Indeed, she replies to Leina: <<"Cool. Great. I'm excited about this. *loud, audible sigh that lasts several seconds, and serves as the completion of the sentence*">>
"Oh, am I treating you in a condescending manner? Am I not playing the part right?" Roux answers Yuliana, trying to keep a clamp on the visceral anger that Yuliana's strange ability has always inspired in her. Maybe it is simply the calculus of her inner fight-or-flight response. She grimaces but she doesn't scream. "How rude of me!"
Leina tells Gayatri this, and Roux decides to plus-one. Fortunately, it's a pretty direct line: <<"Yeah, whatever's made her pick you out is what's behind this entire operation. She's been picked up by another maniac after everything the REA already did to her. My god. I'll spare you the commentary,">> as the transmission ends.
As far as Yuliana goes, Roux opens fire with an internally mounted beam weapon while using the lateral thrusters to try and expand the space they control around Yuliana, and perhaps not incidentally, shoot from a different vector than the one Leina is using to attack.
<<"Rena, wish the situation was better... how much aerial capacity do you think that machine of hers *has*? Maybe we can surround her long enough to--">> To what? Roux has few good ideas. Maybe I should get into mission planning, she thinks, with irritation.
KTS: Roux Louka targets Yuliana Kafim with Thigh Beam Engagement! KTS: Roux Louka has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Yeah, seriously. I could've really gone for some swimming." Anita replies to Leina with a grin and a chuckle. She makes a suggestion to Roux and Rena, and Anita's quick to chime in. "Oh, I'd be up for that too."
There's other familiar faces, too! Banagher and Naoko are expected, of course, but no less welcome, but then there's Sayla, too - though Anita doesn't recognize the Arm Slave with her. And then there's the REA forces... Well, she does appreciate the back-up.
"Good to see you all. Let's work together, huh?" Anita says - but soon, she needs to focus down.
Naoko's alarm... Anita's learned by now to trust her. When she reacts that strongly to something, she knows to listen.
"Thanks for the heads-up and a smile." Anita replies with a thumbs-up, turning her attention to the data Naoko sends her. She nods to herself, stowing the information away mentally.
Anita goes in and, at least for now, she's successful in forcing her back. At Yuliana's shout, Anita shakes her head.
"I don't believe you. What're you trying to do here?" Anita asks. "We don't see. Maybe you'd care to tell us what's up?"
Anita grimaces as the Da Xukong 0 is upon her with a swing of its axe. Anita is forced back, raising her shield for defensive. The weapon slams into it, her Pinpoint Barrier flickering to life for a brief moment to mitigate the impact.
...Her talk of sacrifices to Banagher, though... Anita frowns. Anita's never much believed in the necessity of sacrifices. Is that what this is about...?
She doesn't get much more time to think about, because Gayatri recites a certain phrase. Anita doesn't get it at first - but Yuliana's reaction is all the explanation she needs to put two-and-two together. Anita makes a 'tch' of disapproval, shaking her head. She's only stopped from having to intercept Yuliana again by Sayla's timely intervention.
"Hey, point of order? Don't try something like that again." Anita insists to Gayatri - and she isn't the only one, it seems.
Having insisted on staying close, Anita can't go too far - but there's still just enough distance between her and the Da Xukong 0 for her to draw out her gunpod, take aim, and unleash a sweeping spray of fire in her direction.
KTS: Anita Rosetta targets Yuliana Kafim with Gatling Sweep! KTS: Anita Rosetta has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
"Miss." The sound of a technician confirming the far-off dodge, an internal click of the tongue from the Colonel.
"Copy. Prepare another volley! Tubes four through six!"
"Aye, ma'am! Flood and load tubes four through six!" It needn't be said which missiles would be loaded in.
The long shot of the beams fly forth, plinking successfully at the submarine pinged off the coast of the ocean. It's topside; Zero attempt to make itself scarce, the usual leviathan of the seas roaming about.
"Minimal damage!"
"Copy." A pistol. Just a pistol. Just that.
Comms. A private line. DANA marks it appropriately: Scrub after transmission. There's no celebration to be had here, only the rigors of people doing the best ehy could. "<Noted. Stay safe out there.>" 'And give my regards,' something left unsaid. Which meant...There's a minor thread working on Yuliana's reasons for being here. Ticking, mixing in with the background thoughts of hers that keep track of the movement and situations at hand.
Why? Why here, why now, why her? This is fortuitous, but the situation at hand...As the fighting sparks in earnest, there's a strange prickle of the back of the neck for the Whispered. Tessa instinctually perks up at this feeling, muttering to herself absentmindedly.
"...Resonance? Now?" She'd heard about the stranger side of things happening more frequently; Mithril was wont to not keep track of anything and everything, investigations into the paranormal (or normal, at this rate) included. A glance over at Kaname, keeping herself centered. There's nothing she can do but to take advantage of this situation; Whispers were always something so unknown, and it was only dumb blind luck that others hadn't investigated deeper.
There's a deep breath. Focus. Try to feel who else out there, working off of the vague sensations of contact, of the holes pierced through the planes by way of who they were.
can you hear me those out there
myself enemy or foe
I want to see who you are
Say Who You Are
The minute disassociation of mind and body settling back in, instincts of a commander following suit.
"Fire." Back to it.
"Aye, ma'am! Fire!"
And the roar of three missiles pierced through the air, the next volley honing in on the Alto. It's timed to seemingly attack, precisely so between the moments of the Alto taking a few seconds to slow down.
KTS: Teletha Testarossa targets Shari Loom with Diversionary Distraction! KTS: Teletha Testarossa has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Kaname Chidori targets Shari Loom with Pass! KTS: Kaname Chidori has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Roux Louka's Thigh Beam Engagement, taking 1440 damage! KTS: Shari Loom's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Teletha Testarossa rattles Shari Loom, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Shari Loom partially guards Teletha Testarossa's Diversionary Distraction, taking 1995 damage! KTS: Shari Loom fails to react to Kaname Chidori's Pass, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
<"You know this isn't right!"> Banagher cries in return, somehow stung all the more that Yuliana chooses not to fire on him. <"A populated area -- you know this will still affect the most vulnerable. I can't -- let you do this. I'm sorry!">
The funnels' brilliant green light reaches its apex, and with a distressed cry, Banagher sends his armaments soaring forward. They fly alongside the Beguir Neuer, bunched tightly together behind the machine. In the same moment Leina strikes, the Destrier's funnels fire, trying to pin Yuliana down for Leina to get another attack in. Whirling around the enemy machine, they fire on Da Xukong 0 in randomized bursts.
I'm making you an opening. On your left... now!
Banagher's thoughts echo through his bond with Leina -- hopefully in time to enable her fierce new machine.
<"I didn't name this one, actually. I guess Anaheim was working on a competitor for the Unicorn behind the scenes."> Banagher's smile can be heard in his voice, his affection for Leina so clear despite the dire straits they're both in. <"And I could say the same thing to you! Besides, there's nothing like seeing it in action.">
There are clear similarities between the Banshee and the Beguir Neuer -- the claws, the aggressive movements. Banagher keeps such thoughts to himself.
<"Thanks, Rena. It's great to see you well enough to pilot again. Let's protect everyone!"> Banagher calls to his ally. <"I'm glad you're here, too, Anita. We'll be working together more often from now on. I'm counting on you!">
The Destrier moves to engage Da Xukong 0, only to freeze in place as Banagher hears Gayatri try to enact Yuliana's conditioning. <"NO--!"> he shouts, in the same moment Leina protests.
It doesn't work. Banagher breathes a sigh of relief. No matter what, he doesn't want to see anyone force Yuliana into that state, ever again. Memories of what they found inside the Institute for Continuing Study haunt Banagher, swirling around his mind like carrion birds.
<"Don't ever -- do that."> Banagher all-but growls to Gayatri. This is extremely personal. He says no more, but vows to himself to personally stop Gayatri -- or anyone -- should they try to activate someone's conditioning.
KTS: Banagher Links targets Yuliana Kafim with Destrier Fin Funnel: Swarm! KTS: Banagher Links has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rushes into the attack! KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim partially guards Anita Rosetta's Gatling Sweep, taking 2542 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara successfully evades Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Stinger Salvo
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
The Da Xukong proves to be a dangerous opponent, even against the newest designs of the GN-X. Clearly the skill of its pilot is nothing to bawk at. While the two Jinxes trying to force their target away from the one they're here to protect, Soma's eyes glance over in the direction of some of the other units here. Some of which include the Three Ships Alliance...
<"Colonel, what do we do about these other ones?">
<"Leave them be. It's dangerous for us to split our attention with this foe.">
<"Roger."> Soma turns her focus back to the Da Xukong. She's not actually met Yuliana before. But she knows of her reputation... Turning her back on her nation. Sowing chaos wherever she goes. A threat to the stability of the REA and the Federation as a whole. Soma will not let that threat go unanswered!
The Da Xukong responds to the assault from the Jinxes with fire. The two machines quickly separate to try and avoid it. Colonel Smirnov's machine expertly swoops around the flames, barely letting them get close. Soma's GN-X also moves quickly, utilising the strange flight mechanics of the unfamiliar GN Drives to perform maneuvers she never would have thought possible before, even in her Tieren.
But even with her super soldier reactions and brand new unit, Soma's inexperience still proves a weakness as some of the flames lap at her machine. She frowns, countering to the crazed traitor's insistance on 'not going back'. To which Soma assumes she means facing a trial for her past actions, <"You have no choice! We will not allow you to continue rampaging across the world, threatening everything we're trying to protect!">
More bolts of GN particles rain down from the two Jinxes, trying to overwhelm Yuliana and wear her down.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Yuliana Kafim with GN-X Beam Rifle Rapid Spray! KTS: Soma Peries has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim successfully evades Banagher Links's Destrier Fin Funnel: Swarm KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Rifle Rapid Spray, taking 1950 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Even as far removed as she is, Naoko is still wincing in her cockpit from Yuliana's tirade directed at her. Just what is it that woman keeps accusing her of? Once it felt like it was something personal that she had no memory of, perhaps a case of mistaken identity... but by now it's clear that it's about something she might do. But those assertions are patently ridiculous, just what kind of Miracle Worker does she look like? She'd never do anything that would harm the world, she's here to make it a better place!
...She's absolutely not going to even try to say any of that to Yuliana, there's no way that would do any good. Even if she would dearly like to know more about her own nature, she's not likely to get any coherent answers there. But, perhaps, with that angry girl who felt oddly similar... if she can keep things from escalating like they did last time, it feels like there might be a chance to figure something about about herself.
Of course, she's not expecting it to be easy. But at least Shari sounds more annoyed than anything else. Not nearly as strong of a grudge there, perhaps. Let's try to keep it that way.
"Sorry, no can do," she replies, staying calm. "I honestly don't have any beef with you, but the company you keep is..." Sukeban gestures in the direction of the Da Xukong. Naoko doesn't finish her sentence, but the meaning 'do I really need to say anything here' is clear enough. "Anyway. I'm just here to make sure nobody dies here today." Screw premonitions, she'll show them.
She does falter, a little, when she hears of the attempt to exploit brainwashing. That's not cool, to put it mildly. But she's hardly in a position to act on that one way or another. Especially after the Alto's sudden charge forces her on the defenses, trying to intercept the beam saber with the edges of Sukeban's superheated hands like before, but Shari is wise to that trick and slices across the Arm Slave's arms instead. "Gah! Oh come on -- this really isn't necessary, I just wanted to talk!"
Backing away, she quickly retaliates, through a method that Shari hasn't seen yet: her actual "ROKKETTO PUUUUUNCH!" Figuring a flying fist will be enough to get a word in edgewise, she makes another attempt. Best not to waste any time, and directly get to the heart of the matter, as succinctly as possible. "...Tell me. Do I feel familiar to you?" Beyond the time we met before, she doesn't clarify out loud. But somehow, it feels impossible for those words to be misunderstood.
Her breath catches in her throat when she gets what feels like a response in her mind. Yet she knows instinctively that it's not the opposing pilot. This is someone else. It frightens her, yet excites her at the same time. This might be another possibility for answers. And so, she responds. How could she not?
>"H... hello? Is... is someone there?"<
Surprisingly, this reply is in a very 'clear', focused 'voice'. Distinct in the sea of whispers, bereft of background noise. Yet there is a certain artificial, mechanical quality to it, as if an aid of some sort is being used for the purposes of communication. It seems that someone was lucky enough to find themselves some form of anchor. Then again, given what they are... was that really luck?
KTS: Naoko Suzuki targets Shari Loom with Remote Fist! KTS: Naoko Suzuki has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Shari Loom fails to parry Naoko Suzuki's Remote Fist, taking 4929 damage! KTS: Naoko Suzuki has engaged Shari Loom!
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"I'll try not to embarrass you in front of your colleagues." Sayla responds to Leina's message. "For now, let's focus up."
Gayatri makes things worse, and Sayla's glad she held the shot. The Hi-Nu's shield comes up to block the tendril- and gets a hole in it for it's troubles, as it scores up the Hi-Nu's arm- and just bareley misses the epac for the Shield's beam launcher. That's going to need repairs after this, exposing the mechanics of the machine. "<Miss D'Cruze, I am going to need you to focus on running- *purely* on running. Get to the water, now!>"
Keeping at range is going to make it easier for Yuliana to target Gayatri- so Sayla holsters the beam rifle and draws one of the Photon sabers- but rather than slashing with it, she charges in with her shield raised to ram the Da Xukong- given the size difference between the Wanzer and the 20 meter tall Gundam, she's hoping the impact will be enough to knock the scorpion like machine back significantly- and let her play shield for the fleeing young woman. To her credit, she's at least not trying to crush the Wanzer with her Mass.
"<Captain Testarossa, how long until you can get an Uruz in position to retrieve the target?>" She hasn't heard about the second potential target yet. That might change her plans.
"Mrs Kafim," Sayla starts, using the contact comms. "The girl is a child repeating the words of malicious adults out of fear, but she is still a child. Do you really want the blood of children on your hands?" It's... unusually earnest for Sayla to Yuliana- an appeal to the better part of Yuliana- the one who took the bribes from the Foundation to look the other way out of what Sayla hoped was something more than the money. The part who runs the Silent Calling's kinder plans- even if she is dubious of the truth of the organization. For so many reasons.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Arbalest helpfully updates Rena with an IFF callsign of 'Uruz 7' when she opens channel. "We have a retreat point available!" Sousuke himself answers.
<<Though I think 'anywhere else' is looking agreeable,>> AL supplies, on-mic.
Yuliana manages to prevent any serious damage from Arbalest's first assault, and the machine slips its monomolecular cutter up to its facial hardpoint, 'grabbing it in its teeth', before swinging its arms back to pull its shotcannon from behind its back. "Ashta's right, this isn't a situation you can help! We'll stop this!"
...since when is Sousuke this chatty on comms, actually?
The Injector fires blasts of flame toward Arbalest, and the white machine soars skyward in an impressive jump that sees it jump a good hundred meters straight back, a speed that the machine shouldn't really have.
<<Activation confirmed,>> AL notes in the cockpit. <<You're trusting us more.>>
"...she needs help," is Sousuke's answer, then he levels the shotcannon toward Yuliana. Others are reaching out to the troubled, pained soldier. Sousuke sees an enemy trying to kill someone he has to protect, and acts accordingly: He levels his shotcannon and fires, a bead of light erupting from the gun and ripping through any defense on the way to puncturing Yuliana's machine.
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Yuliana Kafim with Lambda Shotcannon Strike True! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Sousuke Sagara's Lambda Shotcannon Strike True, taking 2400 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"WHO WOULD MARRY HER?!" Was Gayatri's distressed yowling, when Rena informs her that Yuliana is married now.
(She's still a teenager. That never stopped being a thing or anything.)
Yuliana fires off so much, so wildly, and there's the sound of another dull THUD inside her cockpit after Leina tells her to calm down -- and her rifle and her claws find purchase, without any real attempt from Yuliana to defend herself. Roux's thigh beams, opportunistically, take the same opportunity. "Tch," Yuliana hisses her breath through her teeth, as she forces herself to focus on the matter at hand. "All right. All right. All right," as if she could repeat her way to calmness, both shaken and stirred. Finally her wanzer moves, lashing out at Leina's Beguir with her Cleave Axe, before she skitters away from Banagher's swarming Funnels -- but she's not quite quick enough to avoid Rena's dual beams. She elects, seeing this, to charge Rena's Gaia Gear instead. "You think I want her? I want nothing to do with these crimes against reality! SHE attacked ME, Renalle!" She, too, will get a taste of that Cleave Axe before Yuliana skitters off again.
The Tendus speaks up, flailing one of its arms: "I KNOW you're bad! You tried to kill me the second you SAW me!" Gayatri looks over to Shari's Alto, and with a widening of her eyes she realises something terrible: "... oh God, you! You -- you've got to get away from her! And -- and that -- behind you, oh God -- look, you're in terrible danger!" She is here, she is here, she SCREAMS it for Teletha to listen; she is here, Gayatri D'Cruze, daughter of two nations, Daughter of Bridges, all the agony of a precious thing.
"SHE WANTED TO COME, WORM!" Yuliana screams, disparaging and hateful. "Do you think me in the business of killing teenagers under my protection?! Look at where you're standing before you make such baseless accusations!" Wheeling from the Tendus to the Beguir, she finally addresses Leina: "You asked what she's doing, Leina -- but look with your eyes! Defiler, perjuror, she tears the world apart with her breath! If you don't see, you're not LOOKING!" This, she screams to Roux, as the Da Xukong's blocky head turns towards her machine.
That Yuliana has just described herself apparently goes right over her head.
That Yuliana could just as easily be describing Shari...
... is that really going over her head, too?
Gayatri frowns, as everyone tells her to stop helping. "It stopped her last time..." She grumbles, because it's more normal than screaming. "So you're telling me there's no way to control this woman any more? No way... she's gonna kill us all..." That's the logic which makes sense, where she's standing; not a crime against humanity, but a necessity.
Patriotism, in the REA, is a powerful thing.
As below, so above: Soma tells her she has no choice, and Yuliana clenches her clutch, tightly, teeth all grit. "You protect nothing but ROT AND DESOLATION!" She snaps, as the GN-X's particulate bolts rain down on her Veil. Where they pierce her machine, they pepper her hull, and Yuliana knows very well she's in trouble if she has to face too much of that kind of weaponry. Just like the Meisters...
She'll tell them later. Right now, she has to focus.
"But you'd like very well for me not to have a choice, wouldn't you?!" She screams at those strange new machines, and she has plenty of anger to answer Soma's, too. "You -- you people -- you look at me and see nothing more than lost military equipment, don't you?! DON'T YOU?! But I'm Dispersal no longer! I'm a Kafim, now!"
"SERIOUSLY!" Gayatri yells, in frank anguish. "WHO MARRIED YOU?!"
"You'll keep her name from your craven mouth!" Yuliana yells back. But it's Soma and Colonel Smirnov who she plugs into her targeting data -- as the twin coils jutting out from her machine's shoulders glow with black energy, and something which is distinctly not a beam fires out at them.
"Play your part as you like, but I'm already pissed off, all right?!" Yuliana gets around to the rest of Roux's protests, finally, irate. She skitters in to lash out at Roux with her Cleave Axe, only for Anita's Gatling Pods to interrupt her before she can really get going. Unfortunately, Yuliana looks at that, and immediately closes the distance to cleave into her Battroid, too.
"What am I trying to do?" She issues, to Anita. "What am I -- what am I trying to do! I found a nice -- UNPOPULATED! -- stretch of godforsaken beach to do my gardening, and all a sudden this girl gets in my face, and now YOU'RE all here, and it's RUINED, I even got the damn island EVACUATED, you're fucking WELCOME," at some point here she started addressing Banagher's concerns as well, because Yuliana's mind is currently critically jumbled. She manages to fire off a flare display at him when she remembers, but it's rather half-hearted, really. It's a wonder she's making any sense at all, given...
... Who is lurking...
... behind them.
But Sayla tells Gayatri to run, and Gayatri, hearing Yuliana's erratic responses, is all too happy to once she has a direction to run in -- towards the water. Her Tendus took a real beating (Leina wasn't wrong to call that bullying), but it's still able to move. "I'm counting on you guys!" She yells back, remembering Sousuke's words about stopping Yuliana.
Yuliana snarls, seeing that -- but her movement to intercept the Tendus is interrupted by, of all things, a communication. Her eyes dart to her radio, narrowing. "I know she's a girl," she bites out, but her hesitation is in the lack of assault. "But-- but she's-- she's wrong, Doctor-- the lack about you is a shallow graze in comparsion! You don't understand... you don't understand!" Her voice raises to a strangled pitch, as the truth slips from her:
"Those girls... She hates them!"
She's interrupted from her anguish, though, by a light to match her darkness -- burning right through her Abyssal Veil, right through her wanzer's armour. It comes out the other side, and Yuliana snarls, turning to Sousuke. "You... what is that? What power do you wield?!" She demands, as she activates her Abyssal Coil again, the darkness jumping towards the Arbalest. "Know darkness!"
KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Leina Ashta with MULS-P Cleave Axe Swing! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Rena Lancaster with MULS-P Cleave Axe Lunge! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Soma Peries with Abyssal Coil Herald Devastation! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Banagher Links with Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Roux Louka with MULS-P Cleave Axe Swing! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Anita Rosetta with MULS-P Cleave Axe Lunge! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Sayla Mass with Despirit! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Sousuke Sagara with Abyssal Coil Dread Charge! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta parries Yuliana Kafim's MULS-P Cleave Axe Swing, taking 1650 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has engaged Leina Ashta! KTS: Rena Lancaster's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim anchors Rena Lancaster, forcing her into close range. KTS: Rena Lancaster fails to parry Yuliana Kafim's MULS-P Cleave Axe Lunge, taking 4600 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has engaged Rena Lancaster! KTS: Yuliana Kafim roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
"Yeah? Well, I don't like you," Shari counters sourly when Naoko calmly says she doesn't have beef with her. "And hey, she's not so bad once you get to know her. Sure, she's vicious and mean, but she's..." Pause. "Well, she protects me, anyway."
Shari does not expect a rocket punch. It does provide the opportunity, though. The rocket punch slams into the Alto, cracking ablative armor, and makes Shari have to scramble to keep her machine upright. "What?" she asks. "Yeah, you feel familiar. Why is that? And why should I... care?"
But suddenly--
There is... a presence. She feels it. Shari feels it, something not Her, but different.
I am...
I am Shari. I am--
She screams, suddenly, over the radio, as she hears something Else.
M who? what? I no N no you are in danger you have to go away E what are--no no no no she'll see you she
S H E I S C O M I N G o o o o o o o o o o o
"No NO NO NO NO," Shari cries suddenly, "I don't--I don't want it! Leave me alone!"
The missiles crash down, after that instant, that moment. She throws up her Alto's shield, but they explode around her machine's feet, making it move backwards like it's stumbling, as she tries to take control back.
She lifts the pistol again. It's just a pistol, but it's an unusual energy, not conventional beams at all but working similarly; the particles are hard to identify. She fires wildly at both of her opponents, attempting to move back and back and back away.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screams, and those who Hear may understand that she is screaming it at Gayatri, not anyone else, when she tells her she's in danger.
"Rise and rise, you cannot see. That which calls is that which wills. YOU CANNOT SEE!"
But there is little to see, it would seem. Yet.
KTS: Yuliana Kafim anchors Anita Rosetta, forcing her into close range. KTS: Anita Rosetta blocks Yuliana Kafim's MULS-P Cleave Axe Lunge, taking 6060 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has engaged Anita Rosetta! KTS: Yuliana Kafim roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable. KTS: Shari Loom has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has disengaged. KTS: Shari Loom targets Naoko Suzuki and Teletha Testarossa with Loom A17 Beam Pistol Barrage. KTS: Shari Loom has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim despirits Sayla Mass, reducing her SP drastically. KTS: [Spirit Defense] Sayla Mass's Tempered Heart activates, and her spirit endures. KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Sousuke Sagara, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Sousuke Sagara fails to evade Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Dread Charge, taking 5220 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable. KTS: Soma Peries fails to Charge. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Soma Peries, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Soma Peries partially guards Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Herald Devastation, taking 3348 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim continues a Formation attack! KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa fails to Evade Shari Loom's Loom A17 Beam Pistol Barrage, taking 3280 damage! KTS: Naoko Suzuki has activated the Foresee Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Um--that's--something to work out later! Please, calm down!" Rena calls back to Gayatri. She sounds exasperated, but cuts the sigh that follows from the transmission.
"I'm not sure, Miss Roux," Rena answers her. "I think it has more than most Wanzers. But..." She hesitates. "...We should assume she's dangerous and she'll make up for any lack of aerial combat."
She looks at the Svipul, as Anita opens fire again with her gatling pod. "You've got it, Banagher," Rena says. Then, she nods. "Roger that, Uruz 7. We'll help you get her there!"
The Da Xukong 0 rushes in, Cleave Axe swinging down. Rena reaches for the back of the Gaia Gear Alpha, pulling free a beam saber off the recharge rack. A blade of dark blue light explodes from it, but she can't quite catch the axe head in time.
The blade slams into the side of the Mobile Suit, sheering through white armor and sending ripped chunks of armor smashing into the sand of the beach. "We don't tear the world apart by just existing! Haven't you learned anything from what's happened recently!?" Rena shouts at her. "She's a scared kid! You, of all people, should know to see the person and not what they're labeled!"
She hears Shari screaming. She feels a wave of fear; a sense of a voice, gnawing at her mind. Rena sucks a breath in, as motes of blue light shine out from all around the Gaia Gear Alpha. The shard of crystal in her chest pulses, hidden underneath her normal suit, but she feels it.
The Gaia Gear's beam saber ignites from the other end -- both ends emitting blades of deep blue light -- and then she lunges forward, sweeping one blade across the Da Xukong 0, before swinging hte other around in a wide arc across it. "Annie!" Rena cries out. "Coming in on your left! Together...!"
KTS: Rena Lancaster targets Yuliana Kafim with Dual Beam Saber Rush! KTS: Rena Lancaster has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Naoko Suzuki fails to evade Shari Loom's Loom A17 Beam Pistol Barrage, taking 5330 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Shari Loom's Instant Mastery activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Sayla Mass targets Yuliana Kafim with Hi-Nu Gundam Shield Bash! KTS: Sayla Mass has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Roux Louka fails to parry Yuliana Kafim's MULS-P Cleave Axe Swing, taking 4350 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has engaged Roux Louka! KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Banagher Links charges into the attack! KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Banagher Links, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Banagher Links partially guards Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display, taking 2470 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Banagher Links, forcing him to disengage.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"You'll 'try'." Leina tells Sayla dryly, but with obvious affection, whereas Roux's EXCITEMENT as expressed in the sigh, gets a smirk out of Leina, "Well at least you'll make a windfall in your wedding fund after this job."
The knowledge that Annie loves swimming fills her full of joy, because well - she's definitely training again for it.
"We'll figure it out after!"
The Psychoframe cockpit, with a few mental commands, it scrubs the frequency, and everything about it. Even if she was putting stock in Cathedra at the moment, she certainly isn't telling them about Whispered.
"Can't really take pictures of the work suit love. Just how it is! All that Corporate NDA stuff." As she replies to Banagher, even as Leina narrows her eyes. "Oh! WERE they now? I'm VERY glad to know that!"
It kinda confirms every single one of her worst fears and reasons why she's GLAD she made this deal.
Leina finds herself surprised when Sayla actually follows her lead, but she doesn't say anything that would undermine it. That is quite the earnest appeal from her, isn't it?
And as Uruz-7 calls out 'Ashta' Leina jolts in surprise, before, "Miss D'Cruze, do what they say - fall back to the shore, they'll help evac you safe-"
It's cut off, by Yuliana coming at her with that axe, and as it's sent in that cleaving flank. Indeed the Axe comes down, and rather than being met by a Beam Saber, the foot claw suddenly lashes out, catching it mid-strike.
It tries to latch down upon Da Xukong's wrist, but after a moment the force of the blow is enough that eventually she has to let go or risk that axe blade being shoved slowly through its vital foot mechanism.
So instead it lets go, leaping away. "Less talking MORE RUNNING - Miss D'Cruze!" Leina calls out, terse, as she hears some of the things she says.
Indeed, as Yuliana says that again, Leina reports back, "Yeah I feel something. What's your point? You used to tell me all the time that you didn't like Newtypes because we 'prejudge' people by what we feel, right?"
As she tells her pointedly, "For the love of God Yuli, look with your other senses. She's terrified."
Banagher tries to create an opening, with that funnel fire. And indeed Leina sweeps the Beguir around in a startling half circle, for the rotational momentum, waiting for the opportunity Banagher gives her - before she charges in from her right.
The enormous shield, larger than the Da Xukong by itself, its held, it's inferior portion of the cross a point for stabbing.
Which she sends to try and pin it down through it's Veil, like a butterfly to a board.
"You say that, but 'she' also seems to hate everyone." Leina utters, dispassionately, to Yuliana, "Except you. And she expresses her affection by tearing you apart again and again and AGAIN!"
Leina can hear Shari's crying, and like that day, she wants to go to her - but she knows. She knows she can't. Even calling out her name would be too much-!
"Shit." And so instead she takes a different gamble, with a closed beam communication to the Hi-Nu Gundam, "<Mom. In that Alto. She's another Whispered. I know her. If I reach out to her though in a Cathedra unit she's not going to trust me. Tessa's gonna have to play this close to the chest but- if you get the chance to get her out of here...>"
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta targets Yuliana Kafim with Beguir Neuer Cross Drive! KTS: Leina Ashta has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Sayla Mass rattles Yuliana Kafim, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Yuliana Kafim blocks Sayla Mass's Hi-Nu Gundam Shield Bash, taking 750 damage! KTS: Sayla Mass has engaged Yuliana Kafim! KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Rena Lancaster anchors Yuliana Kafim, forcing her into close range. KTS: Yuliana Kafim parries Rena Lancaster's Dual Beam Saber Rush, taking 562 damage! KTS: Rena Lancaster has engaged Yuliana Kafim! KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to retreat. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to react to Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Cross Drive, taking 4440 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Leina Ashta's Mass Effect activates, causing Control Bonus! KTS: Leina Ashta has engaged Yuliana Kafim!
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Back at'cha. Looking forward to it!" Anita replies with a grin to Banagher before focusing back down - first turning her attention back to Gayatri.
"Well, for starters... She's a person. You can't-" Anita pauses and corrects herself. "...Shouldn't, be trying to control people. You just gotta address her in the old fashioned way. With your words - and I don't mean commands."
She shakes her head, then.
"...And, don't worry. We'll make sure that doesn't happen. Just follow the folks tryin' to lead you to safety." Anita concludes. ...She can't help but frown, though. She might not have the senses some of the others do to tell that something's going wrong, but there does seem to be a lot of panic... Not that she can dwell on that for long, as Yuliana tries to put her axe through her machine again. She's lashing out - and her anger is only making it harder and harder for Anita to defend herself. Once again the Cleave Axe clashes against the Pinpoint Barrier - but this time, the force is enough to push the Battroid back.
Anita regains her footing, frowning as Yuliana insists she was trying to do some gardening.
"Gardening, huh? ...'Scuse me if I don't believe this is all just about a patch of petunias or somethin' - what're you planting? And... seriously? I saw you trying to skewer her through the windshield, and you're saying she's the one who got in your face? I mean, props on evacuating the place, I'll give you that... but this really isn't adding up, Yuliana." Anita replies. The screaming about the way Gayatri is tearing apart the world... is she a Newtype, maybe? Well, right now she's running, and that's good enough for Anita.
"Right - together!" Anita calls back to Rena. As Rena goes in with her dual beam saber, Anita draws the Gungnir from the Svipul's back - following up her attack with a lunging thrust!
KTS: Anita Rosetta has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Anita Rosetta has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Anita Rosetta targets Yuliana Kafim with Spear Mode - Piercing Strike!
KTS: Anita Rosetta has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Accel Spirit Command and Has Engaged with Yuliana Kafim
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
<"Oh, of course."> Banagher smiles to himself. <"This is all so different. Hey, do you have time after work? Maybe we can go on a quick date before we head home? Could always try a rematch of our race in these new machines...">
Banagher trails off, expression hardening as he speaks to Gayatri. She's young, certainly no older than Bangaher himself, but he can't find much sympathy for her after she tried to brainwash Yuliana.
<"She won't be killing anyone. That's why we're here."> Banagher's voice is remarkably even. <"Listen to L-- Get out of here. We'll handle this.">
The Destrier's funnel fire goes wide, and Banagher frowns. Yuliana shoots a flare at the Gundam in return, and Banagher loosens his control on the funnels, charging forward to try and meet Da Xukong 0's attack. He's unsuccessful -- blasted backward, heavy feet dragging in the sand.
"Damn it." Banagher hisses to himself. He's too green with the funnel rack to fight an opponent as skilled as Yuliana. Settling them back on the Destrier's shoulder rack, he guides the Gundam to pull out a more familiar weapon: the Hyper Beam Javelin.
<"Gardening?"> He calls, as the Destrier charges forward, leaving behind massive footprints in the sand. <"What are you talking about?!">
Even as he brings the Javelin forward, someone begins screaming behind him. Banagher's senses are dampened by his closeness to Yuliana, unable to sense whatever horror lurks just behind the battlefield.
<"Rena -- anyone, what's going on? Why is that girl screaming?"> Banagher asks, not deviating from his attack. <"I don't see anything new on my sensors!">
Beam energy green-hot, the Destrier slashes the Hyper Beam Javelin at Da Xukong 0, ignoring the spear's tip for the moment to utilize the weapon as an axe. Da Xukong 0 is fast, but not as bulky as it could be -- if he can cut through its armor, they might be able to put a stop to this fight.
KTS: Banagher Links targets Yuliana Kafim with Hyper Beam Javelin: Slash! KTS: Banagher Links has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim parries Anita Rosetta's Spear Mode - Piercing Strike, taking 570 damage! KTS: Anita Rosetta has engaged Yuliana Kafim! KTS: Yuliana Kafim blocks Banagher Links's Hyper Beam Javelin: Slash, taking 4185 damage! KTS: Banagher Links has engaged Yuliana Kafim! KTS: Banagher Links begins a Formation attack!
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
<"You're not equipment! You're a soldier!">
Soma's GN-X charges forward, trying to close the distance to the Da Xukong. But before Soma can reach Yuliana, those dark bolts rush out towards her. Soma reacts quickly, bringing the shield on her machine's left arm up. A barrier of crimson light forms just beyond it as the bolts strike it, still managing to destroy parts of the shield's thickened armor.
Soma frowns at the damage, but still continues, <"You're a soldier! Who abandoned her post! Her oath! Her nation!!">
Colonel Smirnov's Jinx flies up to Soma's, <"Lieutenant, you flank her, I'll cover you.">
Trusting in the Colonel's tactics, Soma repllies, <"Roger!"> She takes her GN-X on a long arc around, while the Colonel's starts peppering Yuliana with more of those particle beams, trying to create an opening that Soma can exploit.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Yuliana Kafim with GN-X Beam Rifle Covering Fire! KTS: Soma Peries has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
"Hit." The technicial calls out.
"Copy. Keep an eye." Tessa's internally preening. Just the smallest bit. Any additional bit helps, and with how the battle is panning out...There's not much she can do at this juncture.
Keep it steady. Keep it steady. Keep your breath centered, and keep the TDD-1 as best as it can be. The sounds and pings of that beam pistol echoing out; Another few hits, another few scars scored along the top of the Tuatha de Danaan. The massive back of the submersible beast visible to the plain eye, the island of refuge that could be spotted from shore by Gayatri proper.
"Minor damage to topside."
"Keep it steady."
"Yes, ma'am."
There's a few taps of the console as Tessa arranges the information at hand, scanning over the Alto. Not much of a mobile suit, but she regarded it with caution all the same. Scanning, filtering, noting its weakpoints before sending a broadcast through open channels of its design schematics. Namely: Weaknesses.
"<ETA is two minutes.>" A curt response to Sayla, voice betraying the slightest bit of stress. PRT members were already beginning to swarm up from the TDD-1, surfacing on-shore in various taken Wazners, pushing out to a small foothold on the area. To the naked eye, it just looked like the REA marking a spot for...reasons unknown. "<As soon as she's there, we can secure her.>"
Terrible danger. A premonition. Leina's document, all those months ago. Don't look at the eyes. Relax. Wait for the hopeful to come here.
>someone is here. a voice that's unsettled and calm at the same time, a voice bristling with the raw emotions of someone holding themselves together by sheer will.
>...but you aren't who we're here for, are we. who are yo-
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITBjaOOORrI - die alone - Sewerslvt
the sudden shockwave of sensing something in the midst
anxiety fear hesitation
mind's eye widening 45 90 270 345 346 347 348 349 STOP S T O P S T O P
STOP STOP STOP
STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP
Something is here. I
I It's pure instinct that stops her consciousness. won't
will Listening to a warning. run.
be
here. i can't go away
not when there's someone to save
not until then
I know something's there.
I don't know what it is.
It's a report and a gut feeling.
Don't look at the eyes.
ALL OF YOU.
A blink of the eyes, biting the inside of her cheek for a second. "Begin preparations for a sudden extraction."
"Captain?"
"We may be at something more than what it first seems."
"Aye, ma'am." Mardukas doesn't comment on the fact that Tessa's brow is suddenly covered in sweat.
KTS: Teletha Testarossa targets Shari Loom with Designate L2! KTS: Teletha Testarossa has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Teletha Testarossa designates Shari Loom, making her easier to target and opening her to indirect fire. KTS: Kaname Chidori has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Teletha Testarossa
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
As far as Sousuke's concerned, this mission does not call for extracting Gayatri back to specifically Mithril's care. The REA's arms are safe enough. ...hopefully.
Though he's starting to think this Peries lady is gonna upset her again. Yuliana Kafim...obviously, he's read the files, but he has had little direct experience to date. As long as he can keep the target safe...!
Oh, Kafim hates him for some reason. Uh oh.
A ray of darknes leaps at him. He throws Arbalest aside, but he's not clear before the shot connects, and a BLAZE of blue-white light erupts in the air, a crackling energy barrier that manages to push back the spearing dark assault. The darkness engulfs Arbalest a moment later.
When it clears, the white machine is still standing there, green eyes gleaming, a circle around its position clearly delineating where the field met the ground and prevented the scoring darkness from drawing nearer.
Sousuke releases a heavy breath and gulps deeply. "That was uncomfortable," he notes.
<<I think she has an opinion, Sarge.>>
"Just the one?" Sousuke mutters back. Then, he switches back to the loudspeaker Yuliana's yelling at him over. "Power? I understand why you'd think that. But it's just another tool."
He swings up the shotcannon again, firing several more times. It's easy for him now: Imagine hitting the target. Picture the strike hitting.
Each shot pellet shines with an inner light, punching holes in barrier protections as it passes.
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Yuliana Kafim with Lambda Shotcannon Blast! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Leina's comment gets a smirk. "Only so much I can do." She says, but that quick comment is about all she gets out.
Getting in close with Yuliana brings the unnatural silence again. She can't feel anyone anymore. The headache starts to build again, and Sayla clenches her jaw to concentrate.
But the reasoning that comes forward is not something that makes it better. "You can feel the difference." Yuliana can hunt whispered. If she were on Mithril's side, that would be an assuring revelation. But here...
She hates them. That presence she felt when Emptear connected her to Yuliana? That vast, terrifying form, that briefly turned it's gaze to them.
"...So that's the reason. You're right, Mrs Kafim. I don't understand." The Photon Saber bursts to life, crackling with lightning as it activates, but she keeps the comms close range and limited just to Yuliana. "Let her go, Yuliana. If you do, I'll make sure that she doesn't do anything stupid or harmful like trying to control you again- and deny the REA her expertise. I'll make sure you never see her again, if need be. Won't that be enough?"
She's sure it won't. But if she's going to try things Leina's way... she has to try it properly.
Sayla's blade is drawn up, and she makes a trio of quick slashes at the Da Xukong, hoping to keep driving it back, keep it away from Gayatri. The message that comes to Sayla makes her grimace. "<...Understood. If we can without risking losing Miss D'Cruze, I will- but I can't risk losing one for chasing both. If the other's one working with Yuliana...>" Safe isn't the right term, but... safer, maybe.
A message comes for Gayatri's Tendus, from the Area of the Wanzers- but not, precisely, one of the Wanzer's. A somewhat insufferable man's voice. "<Hey there, lovely lady. Make for the Wanzers, and we'll get you out of here. Maybe dinner after, what do you say?>" Hidden for the moment by ECS, Kurz Weber watches Gayatri's six through the scope of his sniper rifle.
But in the cockpit of the Hi-Nu, Sayla grimaces. "For fucks sake, Uruz-6." She looks back out. "<Two minutes.>" She broadcasts to Sousuke. "<We only have to hold out that long for the VIP to escape. Are you with me, Sergeant?>"
KTS: Sayla Mass targets Yuliana Kafim with Photon Sword Combo! KTS: Sayla Mass has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
"It is a pretty nice chunk," Roux muses to Leina in response.
The devil on Roux's shoulder brings her to say <<"Oh, well, she killed a lot of people in space first, so you know, eggs, omelets,">> in response to what Gayatri says regarding Yuliana being beyond control. But the angel on her shoulder (no relation to what's happening in the Hakone area, lately) leads her to say this snark-ass remark solely to Leina. Leina will get this.
This is the limit of what Roux is willing to grant. She is wary on a visceral level to push forwards into the steeper boundaries of Yuliana's area of influence, but she overcomes it as Yuliana speaks to Anita. Thanks, Anita! Keeping her busy.
And Gayatri is being guided to an escape. She's counting on them.
"Thanks, honey," Roux says with deep sourness to herself. (Ugh, she thinks. It's not HER fault she grew up here. Nobody deserves a blood sacrifice or something over this shit.)
Closing nearer Roux brings out a beam saber and swings it towards the incoming axe -- and something really awful happens! The angle wasn't great to begin with, and the axe-head is durable enough that it goes THROUGH the beam saber's field, superheating and potentially damaged but digging a deep divot into the Gundam's arm with a resounding KTANGG-G of force!
So no Beam Saber. Right?
Not quite.
The other arm of the Strike Zeta is bearing the Hyper Mega Launcher and the Hyper Mega Launcher can do something that Roux often avoids using -- she is by her natural inclination a ranged fighter, shooting people down with precision blows from afar and, in principle, avoiding harm or countershots. Closing in to brawl isn't her usual forte.
But this seems like a good time. As Sayla closes, Roux brings up the other arm of the Strike Zeta and the Hyper Mega Launcher erupts in a shot that might seem to go wide if it were a shot -- but instead it is a *colossal* and screamingly bright, as well as three-times-as-long, beam saber development; it comes downwards even as Sayla makes her slashes.
Roux adds a little kick to try and get clear as she goes. "Khh!" To Rena, she replies, <<"At least we only have to worry about two dimensions, then-- God this is awful! Are you at least getting weekend bonuses, Rena??">>
KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Roux Louka targets Yuliana Kafim with Hyper Mega Launcher Saber! KTS: Roux Louka has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim blocks Roux Louka's Hyper Mega Launcher Saber, taking 1170 damage! KTS: Roux Louka has engaged Yuliana Kafim!
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Kaname stiffens, feeling the same strange sensation as Tessa had. As she reaches out, Kaname hears her in her head. Naoko reaches out, then Shari, then-
there is a hole in the center of the universe
one not of blinding light but of
nothing
and yet, beyond, there is something
it sees her
it wants her
she's falling, spiralling inward toward it, she can't escape, something is reaching out from the other side to pull her ever deeper until
--
Kaname Chidori gasps as though starved for air, clutching at her head, her heart racing as she tries to catch her breath. Panic races through her, and she grips tightly onto her seat. Sweat beads on her forehead. She tries to center herself, reassure her that she is back in reality, that she is okay, that she's safe...
"Tessa...!" she breathes, looking back behind her to the colonel. Confirming that she's okay, and realizing she's just broken protocol, Kaname does her best to return to work "P-passing along new targeting coordinates," she calls out.
A text box pops up on the captain's panel.
>i'm okay<
KTS: Kaname Chidori has activated the Alert Spirit Command targeting Teletha Testarossa
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
It's about as well as things could be expected to go, by Naoko's reckoning. Shari is speaking in a language she understands, making it clear you're not interested in being friendly, but not shutting down the conversation. She used to do that all the time. She's well familiar with the kind of things that would set her off back then, and hopes to use that knowledge to avoid the explosive situation that ended up happening last time.
That was the plan, anyway. And she certainly appeared to have managed an opening. The questions in return are a promising sign. If she could only keep the focus on shared interests, then...
Unfortunately, this is as far as her intentions are able to go. Hearing that voice, and then the other voice, which does belong to the Alto pilot... "Shari..." At least she got a name out of that. But that's when it all goes horribly wrong.
Naoko too lets out a fearful scream, and her mental focus falls, scatters into so many fragments.
no
no
no
no
what's happening stay away please
it's not right not right not right i am being watched
don't look don't let it see i have to escape
monster monster monster monster
Sukeban jerks wildly as nonsensical instructions are fed into it from Naoko's confused mind, until she can pull herself out of the mental morass. In time to see the Alto coming for her, not to avoid the avoid the anomalous beam fire. The Arm Slave is briefly peppered by the barrage before Naoko can reassert control, losing its own layer of ablative armor in the process. Breathing heavily, it takes the efforts of her friends to pull her back into the here and now.>"Nova! Hey, Nova! Keep it together! Ariel, how's it looking?"<
>"I think I've managed to block it out, for now. Nova, you need to get out of here, something strange is happening!"<
Naoko breathes deeply... then shakes her head. "...I understand. We have to save her." Uriel's flustered response is lost in her loud yell as she grabs the giant iron club off her back, in an attempt knock the Alto flat. Attempting to immobilize it is the best she can think of to do in this chaotic situation. That... and try to somehow cut through the noise, attempting to use that which she just learned.
"Stop, stop, you have to stop! I... I'll protect you, somehow! Calm down, and let me help you, Shari!"
KTS: Naoko Suzuki targets Shari Loom with Kanabou Crusher! KTS: Naoko Suzuki has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim parries Sayla Mass's Photon Sword Combo, taking 480 damage! KTS: Sayla Mass has engaged Yuliana Kafim! KTS: Shari Loom has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Shari Loom partially guards Naoko Suzuki's Kanabou Crusher, taking 3639 damage! KTS: Naoko Suzuki has engaged Shari Loom! KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim blocks Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Rifle Covering Fire, taking 900 damage! KTS: Soma Peries continues a Formation attack! KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Sousuke Sagara's Lambda Shotcannon Blast, taking 4900 damage! KTS: Sousuke Sagara: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Sousuke Sagara completes the Formation attack!
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
OST Interrupt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMIvMdCL2H4 Silent Hill - My Heaven
"I'm telling you, you're NOT LIKE HER!" Yuliana yells to Rena, her Cleave Axe coming up to clash against Rena's Beam Saber. But Rena has two blades, and the staff at Yuliana's other side has been untouched through this whole battle -- and now, as Rena stabs into the Abyssal Veil to score her blade lightly across Da Xukong's chest armour. It's not a disabling blow on its own (and wouldn't be a killing blow regardless; Rena's better than that), but it remains important to weaken the machine for later assaults. Anita's, for instance -- and with Yuliana's hands occupied with her Cleave Axe, she has to parry the Svipul's spear away with her tail, instead. She manages to redirect it to graze her, instead of stabbing through something like her weapons systems. "I AM saying that!" She yells, her cameras focusing in on Anita. "You people never believe me! And what are you saying, saying she's just-- just a scared child?!" She looks back to Rena. "She sunders the Earth! She..." Yuliana loses wind from her sails, though, when Leina accuses her of doing the precise thing she hates. "... I'm not doing that..."
Leina's shield comes in, and for a moment Yuliana is pinned, despite the Abyssal Veil defending her from the brunt of the assault. "You don't understand!" She screams, as she flails. "I'm telling you it's different! It's different! It means something! It means -- it means -- SHE IS COMING," and it is not so much a ragged scream as a deep and sonorous herald, the sound of Yuliana's breath audible across her radio. "All things to absolute narrow down and cut the carved edges deep into all things ending through the edges rip the edges tearing down through you where it isn't crash wave consumption pouring out it's pouring out it's pouring out it's pouring out it's pouring out it's pouring out it's"
Her sentence doesn't end so much as stop, like a heart or a hope or the landing at the bottom, until with next breath she says, "nothing came out."
And that's when she starts... to laugh.
Yuliana laughs as darkness builds in her Abyssal Coils, blasting out over Leina's Beguir. "HahahaHAhaha..!" She crows, halfway to crying, all wound like a twisted spring.
Shouldn't someone be controlling her?
Isn't anyone controlling her?
"Her garden..." She wheels on Banagher and his javelin, meeting his makeshift axe with her own; the broad side of her Cleave Axe protects her, as the Abyssal Coil fires, again, point-blank into him. "I will...!" Her Cleave Axe meets Roux's Beam Saber, in another clash of violence; even as those Hyper Mega Launchers wash over the Abyssal Veil, battering the Da Xukong below, the Abyssal Coil fires into her just the same.
"Fine! Fine! Take her!" She yells, to Sayla, only for her gasp to register audibly: "HaaaaAAAhhh-- no, no-- Your will is to-- I don't understand," Yuliana sobs, "I don't understand! She's WRONG! Why?!" Yuliana turns her machine, wildly -- which means that when Sayla comes to intercept her, it's her tail closest to her Photon Sword, and so she knocks away the blow with her Injector. "I failed You? I grew too angry? You wanted -- You wanted her?!" It's not difficult to tell that Yuliana isn't talking to Sayla at all -- until she orients back on her, turning to face her properly. "T--then... I can't... I must," she says, and it is reluctant. "I can't... I can't just leave her be." Is the firing of her Abyssal Coil reluctant, too?
It's not an impossible conclusion. Neither the way that Coil fires out to catch Anita, Rena, or Sousuke's machines -- though the darkness passes Sousuke's Lambda blast, on the way. Yuliana fears the light enough to try and escape it, but Sousuke's imagination is honed too sharp: like a shotgun, a dozen pellets rain into her machine.
Impossibly, the thing which snaps her from her fugue is Soma. Finally her words reach her -- that she's a soldier. "I... I'm a..." She starts, dazed, before she realises the danger she's in, and brings her Cleave Axe up to help protect her against Soma's flanking assault. "No!" She cries, and finally engages another weapon to respond to her -- her Injector, again, firing a ball of flame upwards to close the distance her wanzer can't quite match. "It's the Republic which abandoned me! My oath -- my oath is to my wife! Not to those people who would treat me as less than nothing! Don't you get it?! Human cattle -- there are so many facilities which operate that way! I helped crush one MYSELF...!!" And surely she's not talking about that one, is she?
"But even though the Republic hurt me, it's still my home! And I will lead the way to its salvation!" Finally, finally, Yuliana takes that staff up in her hands. It is vaguely witchlike, glowing green at its tip -- with machinations built into it, which DRIVE down into the sand as she plants it into the shallows of the shore. It glows with green magics, and at once transforms into a horrific black mockery of lady's slippers, the green orchids hanging from their stalks. If they are cut off, they simply regrow; if they are blown up, they reform. Their roots, digging deep into the earth...
"Looks like your little contraption worked," Yuliana says, through grit teeth, as her machine looks to Shari's Alto. "I know -- I know what She wills -- but we have claimed our Seat of Power, and the danger here is great. I can't let you be harmed so easily..."
She forgets to say this on a private channel; it's clear, to their foes, that they mean to leave.
Both of them.
KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Leina Ashta with Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Banagher Links with Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Roux Louka with Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast! KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Sayla Mass with Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast! KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Trust Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana_Kafim Changes attack to Sousuke Sagara, Anita Rosetta, and Rena Lancaster with Abyssal Coil Absolute Barrage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Leina Ashta, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Leina Ashta blocks Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast, taking 1740 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Leina Ashta, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim targets Soma Peries with Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display! KTS: Rena Lancaster has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Rena Lancaster has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Rena Lancaster has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Rena Lancaster's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Rena Lancaster, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Rena Lancaster blocks Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Absolute Barrage, taking 2700 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim completes the Formation attack! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Sousuke Sagara's Will Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Sousuke Sagara, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Sousuke Sagara partially guards Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Absolute Barrage, taking 5850 damage! KTS: Anita Rosetta has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Anita Rosetta has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Anita Rosetta has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Sayla Mass, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Sayla Mass parries Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast, taking 1440 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Sayla Mass, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Banagher Links, making his next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Banagher Links fails to Parry Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast, taking 4140 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Banagher Links, forcing him to disengage. KTS: Anita Rosetta fails to retreat because of Anchor KTS: Anita Rosetta's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Anita Rosetta, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Anita Rosetta fails to evade Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Absolute Barrage, taking 5200 damage! KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Roux Louka fails to retreat. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Roux Louka, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Roux Louka fails to react to Yuliana Kafim's Abyssal Coil Point-Blank Blast, taking 6060 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Roux Louka, forcing her to disengage.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
The Alto does have weak points; it's not much of a mobile suit. Detailed scrutiny however indicates a lot of upgrades over the base model, idiosyncratic adjustments here and there that add up to a much more threatening machine than it should be. But the limbs are less armored than they could be, and there's already cracks in the plating in other places. That presence indeed--wants Kaname. It hates her, it desires her, it seeks to draw her in--
But it doesn't reach her. Not yet.
There is someone to save. Shari's presence is palpable to those with the ears to hear her.
H fear
A terror
T knowledge
E
acceptance
possession
please. please go away.
i can't i can't i can't i can't i can't i can't i can't
"IT ALWAYS GOES LIKE THIS!" Shari suddenly rages, shouting over the radio loudly enough that there may be feedback. "Worse! cut cut cut cut squeeze press down caged told always SHE IS THERE when look when wake when sleep when dream when--"
Naoko tries to reach out. Well, first of course she tries to knock her flat with the iron club, and the Alto brings up the arm holding the beam pistol to block the blow, firing wildly in the direction of the Arm Slave as she does. The armor on its arm crunches but holds, managing to avoid being knocked away just yet. The Beam Pistol is not as lucky; it falls, and cracks when it hits the ground.
"can't," Shari answers Naoko, and it is a whisper, "You can't. I can't. How when she is There? How when I close my eyes and I see and I see and I hear the song the song the song the song--" The Alto jerks as she works the controls, and from its back it pulls a gigantic bazooka, the other arm stowing the Green Fold Saber as it starts to take the machine into its hands. Then, the Alto aims the bazooka for the TDD-1.
"toys not mine toys taken boxed no escape no escape no escape--"
There is a barrage of shots suddenly, one after the other, pouring towards the submarine. And then, over the radio, Shari doesn't think to switch to a private channel either. "c-course it--all things weave into webs as brilliance bends towards salvation."
"...You'll protect me, won't you Yuliana...?" Her Alto is vulnerable. If anything's to be done, it's time.
KTS: Shari Loom has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Shari Loom has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Shari Loom has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Shari Loom has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Shari Loom targets Naoko Suzuki with Loom A17 Beam Pistol Quick Shot! KTS: Shari Loom targets Teletha Testarossa with Standard Bazooka Barrage! KTS: Shari Loom has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Yeah, the Three Ships Alliance gives weekend pay," Rena says, her voice a little clipped. "It's a good deal, we have solid funding, and--"
She has to cut her answer short when she flies in too close to Yuliana. Not like her? Rena's eyebrows knit -- and she grits her teeth, as darkness builds and gathers in the Abyssal Coil. Rena stares for a second -- seeing the way that the darkness grows, while Yuliana laughs. "Yuliana!" she shouts. "Stop it! That thing... you can't really want whatever this would do to your home!"
Her voice shakes as she calls out. "You can't really want this!"
The Gaia Gear Alpha swings up its shielded forearms; the blast of darkness slams into her -- slams the white Mobile Suit backward, as black energy crackles and burns across it. Her eyes turn, towards the Svipul; to Leina, to Banagher, and the Arbalest too. Rena takes a deep, shuddering breath.
Then, she sends the Gaia Gear Alpha soaring forward. Blue motes of light burst off it; from around the chest, then around the fists. The beam saber has been dropped, discarded, and forgotten. The Mobile Suit swings out the left hand, with a burst of blue light -- then the right, with another, and then swings the fists down in a hammer blow for the top of the Da Xukong 0.
"Whatever this is... don't drag her into this!" Rena calls out, as she finishes her swing. "Can't you hear that she's scared!?"
KTS: Rena Lancaster has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Rena Lancaster has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Rena Lancaster targets Yuliana Kafim with Gaia Flash! KTS: Rena Lancaster has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Gayatri D'Cruze has posed.
Gayatri D'Cruze, meanwhile, is having the very bad worst day ever. She has spotted the wanzers piling out of that submersible, and when she receives that insufferable message, she doesn't bother sassing it. "That's where I'm going?" She asks, the strain in her voice even as she tries to keep her cool. "O--okay. Whatever you want, just get me out of here!" Someone is goig to have to save Gayatri from Kurz, but not before her Tendus scrambles for the other wanzers as fast as her obsolete machine can take her.
"You guys... you're with the military? Thank God..."
She's way too stressed to interrogate their disguise. And later on, when she actually gets a chance to talk to them, she's not going to be... all that upset at the deception.
"Okay," she breathes, haggard, once those wanzers escort her onto the sub. "Okay... okay. God... I thought I'd never have to see that awful woman again... oh, God, I almost died out there, didn't I..?!"
Kurz faces a terrible foe, in this moment: a crying civilian teenager.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Roux's comment gets a snort, definitely not a laugh, as she's painfully, PAINFULLY aware of Yuliana's history, "<Hope she had to pick a lot of eggshell out of her teeth.>"
Banagher asks for a date, and there's a smile, "Can't promise right now, depends on the debriefing - and well - it might be all hands on deck getting everyone back home after the big evac. But-! If I can!"
Banagher asks why that girl is screaming, and Leina tries her hardest not to answer him, because - if she compromised things RIGHT NOW when Mithril is SO CLOSE she'd never forgive herself.
"<Alright. I know you, Uruz-7 and Anzus will do everything you can.>" She tells her, thankfully blissfully unaware of Kurz Weber's presence in the psychic chaos of the battle.
She'd fire off a warning shot vaguely in his direction otherwise if she knew what he'd done.
She can hear Shari's distress, and Nova- wait does Nova know her name? Leina dares to hope they might be able to handle this.
She hears her denials, with Yuliana pinned down, she hears what she says, more and more. Taking a deep breath, even as she listens to her. "Are you even listening to yourself Yuliana? You know I know she's out there."
Leina looks through the panoramic cockpit down at Da Xukong, "YOU KNOW!" She tells her more frantically, "And you expect me to believe it's a GOOD THING that she wants to do this to everyone and everything? That what she does to you is an example of her GOOD WILL?"
As she calls out more frantically, "LISTEN TO YOURSELF! PLEASE LISTEN!"
And as the unhinged laughter begins, there's in that moment, the feeling of despair that blurs in her eyes.
At this range, she can't feel it, not within the sickening silence of feeling, but when the darkness builds, Leina abruptly twists the shield out of Da Xukong, pivoting it to turn it around, the enormous shield taking the darkness head on.
Despite the mass of the unit, she feels it being staggered backwards by it, curls of Abyssal Dark wisping off the shield.
"A salvation of exclusion." Is what Leina finally says coldly, as the Beguir stamps the Cross Shield into the beach as her eyes turn to Rena and Roux in their attacks.
In that moment the Funnels rise out of the back of the Beguir in a Spiral, rising and spreading out, before swirling about to all come around into two formations of three.
That each begin to pursue the Da Xukong firing again and again and AGAIN doggedly, and again as if to further 'incentivize' retreat.
"Isn't that what you condemned Rita for?"
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta targets Yuliana Kafim with Beguir Neuer Funnel Array Pursuit Formation! KTS: Leina Ashta has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Naoko Suzuki has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Naoko Suzuki has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Naoko Suzuki has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Naoko Suzuki successfully evades Shari Loom's Loom A17 Beam Pistol Quick Shot KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim has activated the Wall Spirit Command. KTS: Yuliana Kafim parries Rena Lancaster's Gaia Flash, taking 862 damage! KTS: Rena Lancaster has engaged Yuliana Kafim! KTS: Yuliana Kafim successfully evades Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Funnel Array Pursuit Formation KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Attune Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa successfully Intercepts Shari Loom's Standard Bazooka Barrage KTS: Shari Loom completes the Formation attack! KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Banagher Links has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Yuliana is pinned by Leina, and Banagher pushes himself forward to take advantage of the opening. As he moves, however, something changes in Yuliana's voice. She goes from yelling and raving to... fearful, echoing words.
All Banagher can see is Yuliana, months ago, bleeding out in his arms. Broken from her trance and dying.
The young pilot is stunned. The Destrier continues forward, heedless of Banagher's intentions, and he doesn't snap out of his dire reverie until Leina's machine is blasted full-force with some kind of darkness.
<"LEINA!"> Banagher shouts, as his Hyper Beam Javelin crashes against Yuliana's Cleave Axe. He only has a moment to struggle against her before the Destrier, too, is washed with Yuliana's darkness. Banagher cries out in distress as his Gundam is again forced back.
Yuliana's losing herself. Banagher has seen it so many times before, and it's terrifying every single time. Now, after nearly losing himself to his own Ascension, his fear for Yuliana accelerating. This has to end, now. All of this!
With a glimmer of his psycommu headband, Banagher raises his hand, sending his funnels into the air once more. Radiating green energy, they swirl around the Destrier, giving off intense psychic pressure.
Something grows. Flowers? Banagher's cameras highlight each new growth, but he can't focus on them now. These odd orchids remind him of the sash Yuliana danced with. They're bad -- they must be. He has to get rid of them. He has to stop Da Xukong 0.
"Nnh--" Banagher groans, his hands leaving the controls as he struggles with his funnels. It's more power than he's used to managing without the Unicorn helping him. Subtly radiating verdant power, the Destrier takes a step forward.
<"Whoever is making you do this -- whoever is out there --"> Banagher has seen a hint of Her, once, and was terrified by it. <"Stop -- stop!">
Banagher shouts in distress. His funnels spin in the air, locking onto Da Xukong 0, and burst with energy. Power washes over the beach, centered on Yuliana, but perhaps strong enough to destroy the orchids, at least temporarily.
Blinding green light encompasses the Destrier's camera's, leaving the Gundam shrouded in shadow for long moments.
KTS: Banagher Links targets Yuliana Kafim with Destrier Fin Funnel: Synodic Zenith! KTS: Banagher Links has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.
<<"Alright, good,">> Roux answers Rena. <<"Just remember, even when they're your superior officer, you still have to keep in mind your power as a skilled worker--">> But this isn't the time for wage negotiation advice!
The Strike Zeta shifts a little as Roux brings up the other arm to brace the Hyper Mega Launcher and
THAT
is when the surging of abyssal power hikes forwards and smashes through that arm. If it were a human arm you might say it happened at the inside of the forearm and that the strike went through the joint. Other than the 'joint' part, of course, none of that is true.
There is sprayed lubricant and crackles of high-power cables being severed, but to Roux, there is no pain. There is a momentary heart pounding fear of a cascade failure and the Strike Zeta does leap back, but other than this dismemberment, it is -- intact. This may doom her dreams of a quick retreat back to the OCU or to Spain after the battle, but nothing's ever easy when you're getting a paycheck.
Back to Yuliana, who she answers. <<"So did we. It's kind of been a side hustle, rounding these people up. I think their day is done. Maybe you got what you wanted.">> What does she mean by that? Even Roux doesn't quite know; it's the hot animus that Yuliana's aura of silence has always evoked in her.
Fortunately, Roux has other ways to express herself.
Hearing Yuliana cry out in pain and anguish hurts. Despite that animus part of Roux wants to reach out -- even if it was paradoxically stronger in the face of Elisa rather than Yuliana herself. But another part of her sees that strange growing THING that Yuliana is trying to bring to bear.
Roux deals with that by raising the Hyper Mega Launcher, first, to bump it against the Strike Zeta's head. A salute? Not quite -- there's a Gundam-scale override lever that needs manual, mechanical input to stay rooted due to arcane design decisions at Anaheim Electronics. After this she crouches a little and aims the beam forwards.
Roux takes a deep breath...
SH SH SH SH SHRRAAAKK-- no fewer than FIVE of those screamingly intense beams streak outwards aiming to perforate the front of the Wanzer and its strange staff.
KTS: Roux Louka has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Roux Louka targets Yuliana Kafim with Hyper Mega Launcher Barrage! KTS: Roux Louka has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"Yuliana?" She's talking to someone else now, Sayla quickly realizes. Someone talking to Yuliana that she can't feel. The Da Xukong's attention returns to her, as Sayla tries to get the "You can just let her go. You can-"
The Photon Saber, made as it is of light, provides a means to fend off the worst of the blast, but even the comparitively massive Hi-Nu is sent flying back by the Abyssal Coil, skidding across the beach, her head throbbing and echoing with the presence of void energy. But sent away, she can feel her senses coming back, her awareness of the battlefield growing.
And suddenly she is aware that she is between Yuliana and the Alto.
They might not have another chance... and if Yuliana wants to destroy Gayatri for being what Mithril is looking for...
"<Heart-2 to Anzus, Uruz-7. I'm going to try and retrieve the secondary target.>"
The Mazinger Z coloured funnels fly off from the Hi-Nu, opening fire with a barrage of beams to try stop the Da Xukong getting any closer to the Alto, as the Hi-Nu bursts toward the Alto, to try and grab it- and take advantage of touch communications that no one else can listen in on.
"Please come with me- you're in danger if you go back. I can get you somewhere safe, somewhere even the Kafims can't reach- and people who can tell you about those things you hear." She doesn't use the term Whispered, but hopes that Shari can understand.
The Hi-Nu has a size advantage over the Alto, and probably strength over the spent smaller machine. Sayla wants Shari to come willingly, of course. But if it has to become a kidnapping...
...well, she'll deal with the consequences. But she can't risk leaving a Whispered in the hands of the Kafim's if she can avoid it. She knows she only has a few second- and is ready to grab the Alto and take to the skies if need be.
KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Rouse Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass targets Yuliana Kafim with Photon Funnel Array All Out Attack! KTS: Sayla Mass has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Banagher Links's Destrier Fin Funnel: Synodic Zenith, taking 6840 damage! KTS: Banagher Links roots his unit, coming to a standstill and leaving him vulnerable. KTS: Yuliana Kafim rattles Soma Peries, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Soma Peries fails to react to Yuliana Kafim's Infernal Arachnid Injector Flare Display, taking 2340 damage! KTS: Yuliana Kafim repulses Soma Peries, forcing her to disengage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim successfully evades Roux Louka's Hyper Mega Launcher Barrage
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"I wonder why that is." Anita replies dryly, as Yuliana says they never believe her. Her spear is parried, redirected, and she takes a step back to buy herself some space.
"Yeah, exactly. She's scared. Wouldn't you be, in her shoes? You keep saying she sunders the Earth, but I haven't seen anything like that, and I doubt she gets it, either. I just see you. Maybe you're scared of whatever you're seeing, whatever you're feeling, but that don't mean you can just take it out on her."
She saw, for only a moment, the way Yuliana sees - she won't deny that there might be more going on there that she, herself, isn't capable of seeing. But that doesn't make it right.
But then Yuliana starts to speak, an outpouring of words, and it's hard for Anita to follow - and then, laughter.
'Her garden'... Anita grimaces. So there was more to it than that.
The Abyssal Coil fires, and Anita tries to escape it - but it takes so much more to outrun the darkness. The Svipul is blasted square in the chest and stumbles back, collapsing to one knee. It takes a second, but Anita manages to force it back up into a standing position - still, it isn't looking good.
"I'm gonna have to retreat if I take another hit like that - Svipul's on its last legs..." Anita mutters for her allies' benefit. On its last legs - but it still has some fight left in it. It leaps into the air, returning to Fighter Mode, and accelerates. It spins and spirals through the air, peppering the Da Xukong 0 with ranged fire even as its movements make it difficult to track. Eventually, though, it has to come back in for a landing and returning to Battroid mode.
...Still, looking down on the scene from above, seeing those dark facsimiles - and hearing Yuliana's words, too.
"...So that's what this was about." Anita concludes. And now they're trying to leave...
KTS: Yuliana Kafim charges into the attack! KTS: Yuliana Kafim's EN Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage. KTS: Yuliana Kafim partially guards Sayla Mass's Photon Funnel Array All Out Attack, taking 5280 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Sayla Mass's No More Hesitation activates, causing Nullify! KTS: Anita Rosetta targets Yuliana Kafim with Dazzling Acrobatics! KTS: Anita Rosetta has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
It takes a few seconds for Tessa to wipe at her brow, taking a gulp as she refocuses, recenters, and pushes herself right back into the mental fray of battle. Every moment was precious, every second another life-threatening venture. What is she doing, having this mental fugue in battle? More. MORE. Don't stop thinking. Don't stop moving a finger. One step in front of the other, no matter where it goes.
>good<
>focus up<
There's nothing she can spare for Kaname's own break of decorum, harsh glares from the crewmates beside her for a singular second. Manage. Comparmentalize. Move, shift, play with the mental simulations and settle on the next plan of attack and retreat. Retreat, yes, retreat, push back. Here for one thing. For Gayatari.
"Incoming missiles."
"Prepare chaff. Three. Two. One." Missile velocity. Assume type of missile. Calculate in the head. The gut instinct of someone well-versed in warfare and general attack patterns.
"Now." And the chaff exploded outwards, blinking and streaming orange to convince those missiles that they had hit a target, for the heavy ordinance to explode helplessly.
"Missiles neutralized."
"Copy." The practiced response.
Something may be wrong, but that's no reason to back down. Subsuming her mind back to the depths, the island in the storm, a deliberate anchor, shaky and unassuming and self-loathing as it was, keeping herself with the back to the sensation of being watched.
The prick of luck. The t h i n g is looking elsewhere. Focusing elsewhere. It matters. All she can do is to try and remain steady, to feel her neck bristle and prickle and sweat and scream in the primal human instinct to run. The sensation, the feeling of 'emptiness' at the corner of her mind. The concept of negative space is a beacon all on its own.
The comms come in. Target at extraction point. <"Uruz-7. Heart-2. We have what we came for. Come back at your discretion."> Progress. Just a bit more for the PRT Wazners to take her to this submarine and work on their next move...As much as the TDD-1 could stay here for.
<"Heart-2, copy. Good luck."> Second one. Five others here, three accounted for. So the fourth...The one warning? And the fifth. A new one? Old one? Things turn complicated on a dime. She'll have to note the existences later and push them for Mithril. One to be extracted. One unknown. One verified.
Keep calm. You're their ride home.
KTS: Anita Rosetta rattles Yuliana Kafim, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Yuliana Kafim fails to evade Anita Rosetta's Dazzling Acrobatics, taking 3825 damage! KTS: Anita Rosetta begins a Formation attack!
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
AL helpfully summarizes for Sousuke, <<Sarge, I think the enemy pilot requires intervention.>>
Sousuke listens to Leina and Sayla yelling for reason, Yuliana's howling rejoinder. "I agree," he says. "But we'll have to choose for today."
<<Roger.>>
The darkness beams rain down on Arbalest, and Sousuke does not rely entirely on his Lambda Driver barrier to protect him, but he does count on it. Imagine a shield - imagine a protective force that will not let the enemy through. The darkness slams home and rattles the entire machine with its force, shaking Sousuke inside it. But when the darkness fades, Arbalest is sparkling with an invisible light, and it shoves backward, forcing the darkness away. "I can't do that forever," Sousuke notes to AL.
<<Lambda driver is approaching critical heat and power thresholds...we'll have to turn it off and pull out, soon.>>
"Uruz-7 to Heart-2, I'll hold out as long as I can. Do what you can! I think I can keep her busy a little bit longer."
He just can't quite draw the focus together to blast her away like he did to Xia Yu Fan. But...he does have a thought.
Arbalest's face hardpoint releases its clamps, dropping the monomolecular cutter into the air. With a trained practice, Sousuke yanks it out of freefall, grabbing the handle and brandishing the blade, which begins to accumulate a buzzing invisible sheen. "What she's doing shouldn't be possible," Sousuke murmurs.
<<Agreed. This data is nonsense.>>
<<Hey, Sarge?>>
<<This world is a greater mystery every time we turn around, isn't it?>>
"Yeah," Sousuke says, and rushes forward. He gets close to the Da Xukong's scorpion legs, and sweeps the Monomolecular Cutter once, lateral.
The GRAW-2 monomolecular cutter is essentially a knife - roughly the proportions of a Bowie knife. And that, in the hands of an Arm Slave. It's certainly not some behemoth beam saber fit to saw a fortress in two.
Yet, as Sousuke slices into steel, an invisible force commits like violence against everything else in the line of his cut, and when the blade sweeps through, even the legs he hasn't touched might be cut.
KTS: Sousuke Sagara targets Yuliana Kafim with Absolute Repulsion Cutter! KTS: Sousuke Sagara has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Kaname Chidori targets Shari Loom with Pass! KTS: Kaname Chidori has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Thanks to the interference of her friends, Naoko can no longer hear what's not being radio-transmitted, for better or for worse. Almost certainly for better, as the enforced mental distance makes that monstrous Presence feel further away than she knows it actually is. It keeps her from going to pieces under that pressure, keeps her focus where it needs to be. On Shari.
Right now, she isn't so sure anymore what her premonition meant. Was it about Gayatri... or about Shari? After that experience, it feels very much like they're both in mortal peril. She's not going to simply ignore that. Gayatri isn't within her reach, but Shari... Shari is right there. Surely there has to be something she can do, even if she doesn't know what it is right now. She'll figure it out along the way, business as usual for a Miracle Worker.
With an unclouded mind, Naoko is able to attain the perfect focus required to predict the angles of fire that she's going to need to take in account, before the shots actually fired. Even the final shot at close to point blank range is narrowly avoided by Sukeban jerking its head to the side, just before that giant club strikes down, taking away the ability to fire any more. Shari manages to keep the machine from toppling however, Naoko gritting her teeth as she keeps pushing...
Until that whisper, of the non-supernatural kind. Even if it's muddled, the desperation in those words is palpable, and she can't keep it from getting to her, on a personal level. "I can! Miracle Workers like me can make a way where none exists! As long as you believe--"
She doesn't get any further than that before the Alto slips away, causing the Sukeban to lose its balance when the object it was apply pressure to is suddenly no longer there. The short moment Naoko needs to right the Arm Slave is enough to give Shari an opening to launch an attack on the Toy Box, only to be distracted by Yuliana, of all people. She's not about to look that gift horse in the mouth. The club in Sukeban's hands ignites with an electrical currrent as she charges in from behind.
"She can't! But I can!"
So insisting, she jabs the club forward, attempting to short out the Alto's propulsion in a desperate effort to keep it where it is. If she can just keep Shari from leaving...!
KTS: Naoko Suzuki targets Shari Loom with Electro-zap! KTS: Naoko Suzuki has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Shari Loom fails to react to Kaname Chidori's Pass, taking 0 damage! KTS: Shari Loom's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage. KTS: Naoko Suzuki rattles Shari Loom, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Shari Loom fails to react to Naoko Suzuki's Electro-zap, taking 3780 damage! KTS: Naoko Suzuki has engaged Shari Loom! KTS: Teletha Testarossa targets Shari Loom with Pass! KTS: Teletha Testarossa has completed their actions for the round. KTS: Shari Loom fails to react to Teletha Testarossa's Pass, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
<"Salvation? Salvation!? Everything you touch is destroyed! You just admitted it yourself!"> Soma doesn't yet realize the potential implications of Yuliana admitting to destroying one of the REA's projects. She doesn't yet have the information to make that link.
Which is probably for the better at this point.
Soma's GN-X weaves around the fireball fired at it, before pausing for a moment. <"I'm not going to let you destroy that which I'm trying to protect!">
The GN-X stows its rifle and draws the beam saber that pops out of its thigh. The crimson blade lights up and the Jinx rapidly closes in on Yuliana's Da Xukong 0. As it gets within range it raises the blade high and-
...
Nothing. The GN-X is frozen there, short of its swing. Vulnerable as another fireball is prepared...
<"Lieutenant!"> Smirnov's Jinx rushes in, knocking Soma's away in time and taking the fireball meant for her. Ignoring the damage, as well as any attempt to counter, Colonel Smirnov continues to drag Soma's GN-X away, <"Lieutenant, respond!">
Soma's voice does come back, though there's a tone of confusion to it, <"Colonel... Sorry, I blacked out for a moment...">
Colonel Smirnov frowns... He didn't think that the effects of Yuliana Dispersal's ability would have an affect on the Lieutenant. Her flight suit was supposed to protect her from such outside influence. Perhaps it's unrelated? ... No, it's too much of a coincidence. For now...
<"Maintain your range.">
<"Roger..."> Soma's voice is still a little uncertain, but she nonetheless follows the order.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Yuliana Kafim with Pass! KTS: Soma Peries has completed their actions for the round.
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Kaname doesn't have time or attention to dedicate to their glares. This is a rescue mission, and it's... much more dire than it began. But it's not over. The TDD-1 is their allies' ride home, not to mention the getaway car.
She can still feel that presence, tugging at the edges of awareness... but she centers herself. Remembers the feeling of BEING the Danaan. The way she moves, the way the water slips past her...
A tree of courses maps out on her display, passed to the relevant consoles, and she announces, "Evasive options plotted, captain. I'll highlight and adjust best courses as we move."
She breathes. She's dedicating her conscious mind to the Danaan, to the mission. She can't afford to think about what she felt, what's still there on the periphery. The desire she felt from it.
KTS: Kaname Chidori has activated the Alert Spirit Command targeting Teletha Testarossa
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"i want i want i want i want i want i want I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT," a chant which builds to fever pitch, but it's dubious whether Yuliana's really hearing Rena at all.
Or if she's even hearing herself, no matter how much Leina pleads.
Soma gets a response out of her, though -- Yuliana whirling to face her, as she charges in. "I... if I destroy everything, it's only because the Republic made me into this destructive force!" She yells back, shaken for a moment. "And I'm trying to do something GOOD, damn you! Just let me do something good! Where you're standing, you'll never--!!"
But then the GN-X locks up, and Yuliana -- laughs. "Ha...hahaha... oh, I see! I SEE! I see I see I UNDERSTAND NOW! That's why I don't know your voice! Of course, they'd keep someone like you away from me!" Yuliana advances on Soma -- and the only thing that makes her freeze is the other GN-X, swooping in.
She is afraid of the Wild Bear, yes.
"..." She elides, and opens a private channel, to say: "Letda. You've got to extract Lettu now. The Wild Bear's retreating, and I don't want him to clean her up on the way."
"Sure, sure," Parminder Chaudhri says, his shrug audible. "You gonna be fine?"
"We're not done yet!" Yuliana snaps, in turn, which is enough of a confirmation for him.
She does orient to Rena, at least, when her fists slam forward -- and she meets them with her Injector, the Gaia Gear crushes it against her own Abyssal Veil. Her tail is dented, by the end of that rage, and Yuliana scowls. "Scared? You think we are afraid? You do not comprehend Her glory!"
But sadness enters her voice, even as Da Xukong 0 skitters away from Leina's funnel array. "Though... even now, I struggle to feel Her true desire... if I knew She wanted them, I could have taken that girl...!" Her voice is teary, as she says: "I don't understand. I don't understand, Leina. She hates them... so much. I thought the right thing to do was... ah! My mortal comprehension is limited and incomplete! Of course I don't need to kill them all on sight...!!" Is that... better? Is that realisation... better?
No one would blame Naoko for not feeling particularly comforted by Yuliana's realisation that she doesn't have to kill her on sight.
"But no, no, I can't just let her go," she says, to Sayla, at strain. "I was right about one thing -- I can't leave them be!"
The Destrier's Fin Funnels flood the field, and Da Xukong cannot escape them unscathed. When that power washes over the orchids, the stalks and the flowers are decimated; they crumble to dust in instants.
And in instants, they grow BACK, their deep root systems fueling their bloom and something else.
While Yuliana evades Roux's Hyper Mega Launcher -- she remembers how much those things hurt -- the blooming flowers cannot skitter away. It is believable that the Destrier -- by all measures, a machine not as powerful as the Unicron -- might fail to destroy them. But a blow from a Zeta Gundam's Hyper Mega Launcher...?
... no. As the dust settles from her assault, the flowers reform again, growing out from the water anew. They cannot be destroyed by force. No matter the blast, they bloom.
"She is here," Yuliana says, and her gaping grin is audible, as she flicks and toggles Da Xukong's systems to re-optimise in the face of their damage. "So close, so close... could we tear the veil so? It's so damaged...! Yeeeesssss," her voice all to hissing, "yes, this is what we wanted...!" And she's echoing Roux's words, but whether she's talking to Roux...
The question is moot a moment later -- when Yuliana sees what's going on with Shari. "NO!" Yuliana screams, upset, when she sees the Hi-Nu going for her. "LEAVE HER ALONE! Hold on, I'm coming--!" But those familiar funnels come to barrage Da Xukong 0, even as Yuliana abandons her own defence to charge through them. It was a mistake; one of those funnels scores a critical hit on the black metal curving around her wanzer's chest, and the Abyssal Veil shorts out.
"Rrrgh!!" Yuliana snarls, as her path towards Shari is cut off by Anita's fire. "Why can't I take it out on them?" Yuliana snaps, remembering what she said, or at least enough to demand: "WHY NOT?!" It's the kind of spite which still runs through her veins. How much is she entitled to demand from a world which hurt her?
Sousuke has the focus to carve through that problem. Yuliana is so focused on reaching Shari that she discounts his Monomolecular Cutter. It is -- arguably -- the greatest mistake she has made today. (Unless one considers the dark flower blooming in the shadows a mistake; Yuliana, evidently, does not.) Sayla's funnels have disabled her Veil, and so Yuliana has no defence at all against the knife -- but a knife cutting off one leg is no object, to her.
It does not cut one leg.
It cuts every leg.
It cuts through the very concept of her momentum; flatly does the wanzer crash to the ground, the platform which its legs are built on now uselessly flat against the sand. "Impossible!" Yuliana screeches, as she wrenches and yanks her controls, with no success. "No, you can't--!! I WON'T GO BACK!"
Tears in her eyes, she flips back the casing on a button labelled 'lliath'll'yafoll'. "I--I can't save you. You've got to run," she tells Shari, before she hits the button.
Nothing happens.
"N--no," Yuliana chokes out, as she slams the button again. But all that fire she withstood from Soma and Smirnov's GN Particles damaged the Green Fold Crystals arranged in a circle around Da Xukong 0's midsection; the button shorts out, again, the automatic retrieval fizzling to nothing. Her hand forms a fist, slamming her console. "It isn't working?! NO!"
Before anyone can capitalise on her position, though, a green portal erupts around her regardless; the Invisible Burst may be hindering conventional communications, but Elisa has always had... other methods, of monitoring her wife.
Yuliana disappears -- and, implicitly, her wife is occupied with ensuring she does.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
The presence has no hold on Kaname. It cannot grasp her, in this moment. So it does not. Neither does it focus on Tessa, any longer. That emptiness-that-is-full, the dark void that contains... something.
Meanwhile, Shari can't maneuver her Alto out of the way of Sayla's grab in time. "Hey!" she starts, but the touch communications and the unique properties of Heart-2's machine seem to interrupt something; Shari stops ranting and raving, though her throat still hurts from doing so. And what Sayla says...
"You can't," Shari answers, quietly, on that same touch frequency. "I could leave anytime I wanted. But how do I leave what's in my own head? I hear Her. All the time. It only stops when..."
Naoko's words, too, are suddenly able to penetrate the haze. Her electric current runs through the Alto, and Shari can't move it to escape Sayla's grasp, let alone escape being scooped up into the air, if she choses. So instead of trying anymore, she lets the controls go.
"You can't," she says over the radio to the Sukeban instead, on a general frequency. "...There are no miracles for me. This is all there is. There's nothing else I can do." Her voice is hollow. There's no strange distortion to it, no odd warbling. But there's no 'hope' there, when the rage is stripped away. Maybe she isn't only talking to Naoko anymore.
"So don't bother. You're just mucking around in what you don't understand." With her machine largely disabled, there is a chance to try anyway.
"...I hate people like that. And you, 'Miracle Worker'."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
The erratic talk from Yuliana hurts, hearing her come to the wrong conclusions hurts. Everything about this hurts.
Just like back then. Just like with her.
She watches the Da Xukong move forth towards, the teared veil, the blooming flowers...
There is something wrong, everything about this is wrong.
She can't.
When it falls, before Soma and Smirnov's assault, Leina is ready. She's READY to try and claim her for Cathedra's custody.
Anything to keep her away from the REA's hands again.
"REA forces, this is Cathedra, we'll be-"
And instead she vanishes, in that green glow of a portal.
"-gone."
It's both a relief in a sense, and a source of immense frustration, she knows where that portal came from.
"... damnit..."
She utters quietly...
The back and forth between Shari's Alto and Sayla may not be something she can hear, but she can hear her response to Nova the Beguir moves over to the Alto, and...
There's a touch of the Beguir to the Alto.
"Shari. It's me. Leina. Remember when we were supposed to meet and I didn't make it? That was me being taken, and brainwashed - that was my life changing forever. That's why I was so weird to you when I got back."
It's soft, measured, "So much was done to me, it put me in the worst place I've ever been, all for the sake of some assholes with power wanting more of it."
She keeps trying to steady her voice, reaching out to her to that place of hollow despair, "Maybe you're right. Maybe there is no miracle 'cure' to what's going on with you. Maybe it just is - but there are people out there who live with similar. Some of them are nearby right now. Like I said back then, I think, that even if it can't be fixed, it can be helped."
It takes her some time to get out the words, "I didn't think there were any miracles for me either, but the real miracles aren't some - quick fix to our problems - but the people that cross paths with us, and choose to become a part of our lives - not because of some stupid voice in our heads - but because we want to."
A prolonged pause, as she tells her quietly, "Give them a try, please."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"...Do I really need to explain why?" Anita asks, as Yuliana snaps back at her. That much spite... even if Anita had the words, she doubts she'd be able to extinguish it.
The Da Xukong 0's legs are cut out from under it - but before anyone can move, a familiar green portal erupts around her. It's gone - and the Alto that was with her...
...The pilot seems have to stopped fighting. She's talking, now. Anita massages the back of her neck. ...What can she say? She's not really sure she's in a position to say anything helpful, here.
"...I'm gonna go take a quick look around, make sure everything's still alright." Anita asides. She doesn't know what those things that are growing will do - there's not much she can worry about now, so the best thing she can do if see if anyone needs help.
"...You did good today, Naoko." Anita asides to Nova privately, before swapping to GERWALK mode and taking off.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
<<A dramatic result.>>
"Sousuke takes a deep breath and then leaps back, Arbalest bounding away from the Da Xukong as it tumbles. He can just TELL he doesn't wanna be near any of THAT. He skillfully brandishes the knife, Arbalest looking down at it with its main camera just as the pilot does. "The trick is to believe it works," he says. It's a ridiculous statement, not least because everybody knew that already and has been yelling at him about it for 2 years. But he admits, "Nonetheless...it's startling to see just how effective it can be."
<<Uruz 1 was correct.>>
"Trust the machine like an extension of your own body," Sousuke mutters. "I guess so."
Then, AL beeps with an alert: <<Enemy unit departing. Unknown mechanism. REA response forces are in the area. Tagging all units. Combat has largely subsided.>>
"We can't be here when the REA realizes what this unit is, though," Sousuke says. "That pilot's distress...I'm not sure that's someone we can help."
<<It is a possibility,>> AL agrees.
Sousuke ruminates on that for a moment. Then: "Uruz-7 to TDD-HQ, returning via route B-1."
Then, Arbalest's holographic camouflage lenses emerge from within its armor, and a moment later, the machine in white vanishes from the eye.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla can hear Yuliana's cry of despair at her charging for Shari- but she doesn't attack the girl. She just grabs her unit. "...Is this the same Her that Yuliana talks about?" Sayla responds to quiet with her own voice, quiet and calm as she can manage when she's on a time limit.
"What makes it stop?" Naoko cutting her off- and the electric current of the Sukeban shutting down the last resistance- means she can't hear it. "Please, tell me. Maybe I can't help you. Maybe there's no miracles." Her walls feel like they're getting battered, hammered at. She can feel that pressure, like she did when Kaname suddenly knew the weaknesses of a machine. But... That's the only presence right now, isn't it?
"Can you hear her now?" She asks, trying to hear.
Leina comes over, and joins their conversation. Sayla is quiet, as Leina talks about what happened to her. It still hurts, but maybe it will work. Maybe she'll reach out. Even if Naoko's talk of Miracles doesn't.
"Maybe you can't run while She's in your head. But if you want that quiet... maybe we can find a way." She knows they're on limited time, as the Da Xukong vanishes. But if Shari doesn't feel like there's any way to run away from a presence in her head, they'd probably have to lock her up or drug her to keep her from going back. And that was unacceptable as well.
Her thoughts turn to the story she heard of Bani Morauta. Causing that to happen to this girl is unacceptable as well... and maybe it's being accelerated.
"Shari. If you think you can accept our help, I'll offer it freely. And that's an offer that stays open."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Once the green light of the Destrier's funnel explosion clears, the Gundam is safe and sound. Banagher's vision returns just in time to see Yuliana portal away, and frustrated, he runs a hand through his hair.
Complicated emotions echo through his bond with Leina. Concerned, Banagher brings the Destrier Gundam up to Leina's Beguir.
<"Are you okay?"> Banagher murmurs, directly to Leina. <"I'm -- not sure this is a great time for a date, now, but... I'll stay on Earth as long as I can. Maybe we can spend some time together.">
Turning slightly to look at the wreckage of his funnels, the young pilot sighs. He has more practicing to do...
<"Do what you need to first. I'll be here.">
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko pulls back after that singular strike, having no objection to leaving the rest to Sayla. As little as she knows about the Shuffle Alliance as a organisation, she feels pretty certain that they can be trusted with a rescue. She's entirely sure it will be leagues beyond Yuliana's care. Besides, her claims of being able to help Shari herself are mostly bluster, in the end. The only care she could personally offer beyond a physical rescue would be her own clumsy words. It's pretty clear that Shari is going to need more than that.
Then again, the way that Shari phrases it gets her thinking. She would likely keep insisting on being able to help regardless of how true that was, but she might actually have something more to offer here.
"Ah, well, in that case. I happen have some Friends who excel at shutting out what's in your head that you don't want to hear. So maybe don't be so quick to count me out here, hm? 'Impossible' only means that it hasn't been done yet. I'm always up for a challenge."
Shari can be as fatalistic as she likes, Naoko has optimism to spare. Especially after that private transmission in which Anita praises her. Now she's getting downright cheerful about it. "Miracles exist exactly for those times where you feel that nothing can be done! You'll see. If they can happen for me, they can happen for you. Don't need any more understanding than that, not knowing what I'm doing has never stopped me before!"
In return, she gets an 'I hate you'. She can't deny that stings a little, but... she can only chuckle in response. "Yeah. That's how I would have reacted, before things got better for me. That's okay, you can thank me after I make good on my word. Which I always do!"
Eventually. Most of the time. Look, don't worry about the details, she's on a roll here.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
Her eyes scan over the plotted routes, already marking a few, discarding others, and planning the route accordingly. They're all within proper risk levels and time taken, but every small bit of extra safety and time gain was paramount. Every operation was hyperoptimization to the extreme.
"Target secured. Civilian is enroute."
"Copy." There's a sense of relief among the crew, even if they were all watching the fallout of the battle. To see the Da Xukong 0 be pushed back, to see it retreat by Uruz-7's hands...Even if Mithril was in the middle of deliberation about how he had conducted himself, there's still a bit of pride in being the commander behind the person.
<"Uruz-7. Heart-2. We have her."> Time was running short. As much as DANA points out the obvious deliberation, there was dwindiling time. Yet, she doesn't try to pressure.
<"Copy, Uruz-7."> That was that. The main perpetrator, gone. The others, picking up the pieces. A small sigh as she stiffened herself against the throne of the TDD-1, keeping alert. She can't relax, not until they're well and far away from here.
<<"This is the Toy Box. We have the civilian who called for help. God Bless you all, and may your retreats pass without incident.">>
...Time to go. As soon as everyone is onboard. ...So much to report on and mull over.
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
'Target secured. Civilian is en route.'
Kaname finally allows herself to relax, halfway seeming to melt into her seat. Things aren't over--she can't disengage her mind from the battlefield yet--but they've rescued one Whispered.
... She's not sure how she feels about the other one. The one with that... void...
But... someone people like her, rescued from exploiters... that's a victory. She plots an optimal route out of the area--not really necessary, of course, but it keeps her from dwelling on the worst...
"We did it," she says quietly, smiling, turning her attention to Uruz-7's blip on the display. And he's coming back safe, too.
<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.
"It's..." Shari trails off at one question, and focuses on the other, instead. "Yeah. Her," Shari says. "I hear Her. Sometimes it's okay, but..."
the other Presence has abated, for now. What reason there could be for that is not immediately clear.
"Leina?" Shari wonders. "So that's why..."
Similar? She isn't sure she can believe that. Except... "Wait, the people who make it worse? Why would I want to be near them?"
Helped... She isn't so sure of that; but Leina explains. She explains about power, and what she believes of real miracles.
"No," she answers Sayla. "But She's probably busy with Yuliana." Her thoughts of opsec are pretty gone at the moment, though not entirely so; she hasn't shared her own name with Sayla, despite her probably knowing it. "Offer's open, huh...? Sorry. I can't go with a 'maybe'."
"...Are you some kind of cop?" she wonders of Leina. She doesn't dwell on it for now. Instead, she moves to the general frequency to Naoko, "You're a giant dork." Pause. "...But I think you really mean that."
"Besides," Shari starts, "they protect me. Elisa looks out for me. She's scary and obviously kind of horrible but she's always done right by me. Ever since I..."
The world pulses, and a shadow falls over the Alto. "Ah, there she is now."
"...It stops when I'm around Yuliana," Shari finally shares with Leina and Sayla, through their touch communications. "It stops when I help the cause."
The portal rips through the machine's core, cutting it in half. A Macronized hand reaches through it, grabbing the cockpit module of the Alto, and pulls it out. The ball is dragged through the portal, which then closes, letting the Alto's legs fall and crash to the earth.
Shari and the Presence are gone. But the pieces of her technology that fell and are held up by mechanical hands remain.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"Then I'll come back to you when I have a solution." Sayla says, quietly. Shari confirms Sayla's suspicions- she has every reason to run if they try to restrain her...
"...I see. Thank you. I'll-"
And then comes the shadow, and there's a brutality as Elisa cuts through the Alto with a portal. Sayla can't stop her gasp as Shari is yanked from the machine.
But she still has the half of the Alto, and scoops up the rest easily- and the touch still conducts to Leina is still connected. "...I better get out of here before your bosses ask questions." She says, over touch comms to Leina. "I'll see you at home. Stay safe, okay?"
The Hi-Nu's thrusters burst to life, with the machine in hand. "<Anzus, Heart-2 coming in. Retrieval unsuccessful, but you might want to take a look at this.>"
The landing is rough, and the Hi-Nu's landing is rough, but at least they got one of them out.
As for Gayatri D'Cruze?
Well, Kurz Weber is always eager to comfort a crying girl.
Which is probably why someone else is there before he manages to get out of his Gernsback.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
In the wake of Yuliana's... attack...?, some things become clear.
The orchid she'd planted can't be destroyed -- but neither does it seem to be hurting the area. It is fascinating to people who linger around it too long, but they just seem to grow a little sleepy; no one is killed on beholding the true nature of the plant. It turns to ash when it is clipped, and in doing so abjures both attempts to collect samples and anything attempting to eat it. It is not harmed by the salt waters of the ocean; no parts of it are taken out to sea by the waves. Investigations will reveal a deep root system, but no clear effect of the same. Attempts to destroy this root system all tend to end in failure.
The Altos and the Arm Slave distracting the REA's forces, meanwhile, made deliberate efforts to avoid the fighting spilling into the city -- which is to say, the Arm Slave made those efforts, and the Altos obeyed; while they certainly stopped the military from advancing and offering the Wild Bear support, the civilians all have homes to return to, when the evacuation order's lifted.
Internally, there are many questions about losing Gayatri -- the laboratory in charge of her is furious, let alone the higher-ups. But she's disappeared from their networks; their spies turn up nothing about her. They are left to gnash their teeth.
... the flowers bloom even more beautifully at night.