Shin

Headless Hazard "Sir Dunn would seem to be an appropriate messenger for Malaphar. It is somewhat troubling that he remained among Prince Owen's party for so long with his intentions going unnoticed." Sebastian mused, recalling Emmet's suspect behaviour in retrospect. "If he has truly gained immortality alongside Arteria and Appellon, simply removing his head may not be sufficient. However, Malaphar does not seem to share said immortality. When he had returned to our camp, he was in need of healing. Surely if he were also capable of escaping death, he would not require such attention? I feel there is vital information that we still lack. There is something about the vial that he wishes to avoid." Aurelio was completely lost, as was Graham. Neither of them had been present for the group's Magonsaete journey and had not experienced the madness behind most of the journey. "The vial? Like back at Dettard's castle?" Graham asked, finally finding something he could connect to. "I knew that it was important to him, but I didn't realise it was so powerful... can it really make people immortal?" "This Emmet made it sound as if he would return in the near future." Hera added, the surreal nature of the group's circumstances far beyond anything she'd faced before. She paused for a minute, putting her hand to her chin as she thought. "He had approached from the west and departed to the east. There may be other tribes that he wishes to contact for this Malaphar. I fear that they may be swayed by the same promises I was."

Claire moves to 10,14! Claire attacks Arteria with Blizzard! (59 13) Claire deals 26 damage! (3/55 HP remaining) Claire gains 10 XP! Claire gains 1 Tome WEXP! "My personal favourite's the one where we all drown together, but I like that one too." Suleiman moves to 12,15! Suleiman attacks Arteria with his Steel Lance! Arteria's Vantage activates! Arteria attacks with her Silver Blade! 16 Atk, 47% Hit, 5% Crit, 21% Sol (3 29 81) Ouch! Suleiman takes 16 damage! (14/41 HP remaining) Suleiman gets his turn now! 11 Atk, 91% Hit, 5% Crit, 21% Adept, 21% Sol, Charge not possible (87 15 62) Suleiman gets the kill... for now! "Not bad at all..." Suleiman gains 53 XP! Suleiman gains 4 Lance WEXP! Suleiman picks up the Silver Blade! Constance moves to 12,13! Constance heals Owen! Constance gains 10 XP! Constance gains 3 Staff WEXP! Constance makes a deal with Belial! Something will happen soon!

Doll or not, Tarquin had done his part in sealing Fatima's fate. Her respons had been harsh and hostile, but there was no need for him to make a last dig at a dying woman. His move had been far less sophisticated than his previous shot or Kim's flamboyant finish, but the simple shield bash was enough to allow his allies to continue. Much like Louise before her, Fatima had fallen victim to her own lust for revenge. As a young boy, Tarquin had always assumed that adults were more sensible and rational than children - but he'd learned that it certainly wasn't the case for a lot of people. It wasn't that he could put the entire fight behind him though, the damage to the Aria was something he'd have to accomodate for the rest of the battle. His side twinged, if only for a couple of seconds. He could recall the injury he'd taken back on Colony One, and it hadn't bothered him since. Considering the impact he'd received from Fatima, it made sense that it wouldn't be comfortable. He'd just have to be careful, for all his genetic prowess he still had the body of a teenage boy. The presence of more aliens bothered him less than it should have. If humanoid androids, telekinetics, clones and feline aliens could exist, almost anything else was fair game. - The screeching of tearing metal was music to Elaine's ears, her Oberon was incredible at full power. The Heracles she'd borrowed from Abby was a distant memory, this was far more up her alley. Another one of the Apotheosis goons had bitten the dust, they'd removed most of the threatening ones. Elaine let out a sigh of relief. "Nice going, Kim. You really fucked that one up." she commended, taking comfort in knowing that she wasn't the one Kim was brutalising. "If this is the best that Apotheosis can offer we can really turn the tables." "Well, shit." Elaine muttered, half-unaware that she had her comms switched on. Aliens? Really? The whole scenario was starting to sound like a weird kid's comic book - a weird kid that she'd have probably taken lunch money from. At least one of them wasn't outright attacking them for once.

(Words LATER) Elaine Accel, Valor, move to 12,18 and Lunar Phase Shift Saturn 2 Tarquin Sense, Shield Bash Fatima

The combination attack between Fatima and one of her minions was something Tarquin couldn't take lightly. Evading and retaliating against the first was simple enough but the sheer speed and power behind Fatima's approach was tremendous. Either she'd studied his record or she was truly furious, a close quarters attack like that was something he could barely reply to. Forcing the Aria's shield in front of him at the last second, Tarquin felt the impact of the blocked blow. The entire cockpit shook, the screech of tearing metal ringing in his ears as the glaive's blade ripped against the Aria's shield and body in turn. It had been a split second decision to defend, but he was glad he had. The stingers wouldn't have done anything to halt the approach - and probably would have seen his end. "Scheiße, das war viel zu nah für meinen Geschmack." Tarquin muttered, putting a little more distance between himself and Fatima. It wasn't Fatima was displeased with Tarquin's victory over Carlos, she was absolutely livid. Considering how he felt when Nikolai went down, such a response was to be expected. She'd done a number on the Aria too, he was picking up several damage alerts and system malfunctions - including his railgun's power supply. Fatima had made one mistake though, her attack had put her in a vulnerable position. He couldn't exactly engage her at this range but that couldn't be said for his allies. "Take him back, I've gotten what I wanted from him. I'd be careful with how you treat dolls, sometimes we fight back." Tarquin replied, a strange sense of kinship tainting his smug response. Killing or maiming Carlos wouldn't do anything to help Nikolai and Louise was proof that vengeance could go too far. "Coming in close would be the best tactic to defeat me, but that would assume that I lacked adequate support. Chasing after a doll who shot down your friend might not be the cleverest, no?" Tarquin smiled, he wasn't sure if he taunting her or trying to offer her advice, perhaps even both. The battle wasn't anywhere near from over, but he felt at peace. He might have been forced into his fate, but he was the one choosing to move forward through it.

Friends Turned Sebastian was content with the partial resolution, focusing on Malaphar and schemes would at least provide a common goal for them all despite their differences. That however didn't make their task any easier, Malaphar was a potent force on his own, let alone orchestrating a whole nation of bandits. "My apologies for interjecting, but I can confirm Malaphar's combat prowess from my own observations. It is not that he is simply powerful, but he possesses magical abilities beyond the reach of even the wisest wizards." Sebastian confirmed, combining the knowledge of Owen's brief alliance with Malaphar with what he had been told by his predecessor. "Master Javier had said he had a grasp on reality at its core. Navigating through space and time as if he were on another plane of existence. Decades ago he only had a rudimentary command over his abilities, but I fear they have progressed with time. It is not clear why he would encourage conflict, his motives are unclear." "The Aega may have declined his offer, the individual who visited us warned that refusal would result in our end." Hera lamented, fearing that her choice would have resulted in her clan's death regardless. "Emmet... I think that was the man's name. He wasn't overtly threatening... but he made me uncomfortable, there was something off-putting about how he carried himself." Spooks had materialised next to Alain, sending a gentle stream of cold air around him. "i wOULD dIE aGAIN fOR yOU, mASTER... iF yOU aSKED mE tO hANG mYSELF, i wOULD gO sEARCH fOR rOPE." Spooks soothed, practically inches away from Alain. "i cAN sTILL sMELL a dEAD mAN's sTENCH. hE wAS hERE oNLY dAYS aGO."

"Wise words, Prince Owen... I shall have to keep an eye on you, you're almost as interesting as your sister." Owen attacks Arteria with his Whip! 21 Atk, 72% Hit, 0% Crit, 17% Astra (79 33 20) Owen misses! Owen gains 5 XP! "Almost... she would have come right at me instead of playing with a piece of string." Arteria looked over at the newly emerged Suleiman, yawning as she cast her gaze. "To your credit, Prince Owen, you make as many friends as you lose. You should really tell them more, otherwise they will ask all sorts of questions." she taunted. "I'm a friend of the Wykian royals. Perhaps I'm here to stop you finding her, perhaps I'm here to find out where she is... maybe I'm just bored. There are so many different answers, which one do you like best?"

One of Firmia's henchmen was broadcasting a request to avoid destroying Carlos' machine, supposedly for another one of Firmia's selfish schemes. He hadn't completely destroyed the machine, but keeping the damage to a minimum hadn't been his priority - nor was the fate of the pilot. He'd done it, he'd struck back at the foe who had crippled Nikolai... it wasn't a happy ending for anyone involved, but his shot hitting the Rhea had been satisfying. "My priority was disabling the enemy unit, optional advice was acknowledged." Tarquin replied, taking a degree of rebellious pleasure in the damage he'd dealt to the Rhea. For so long he'd followed orders to a tee, perhaps some more flexibilty and freedom would be something he enjoyed. He had one last message to make, although he wasn't entirely certain whether Carlos was alive to hear it or his communications were functional enough to receive. "I'm not like the other clones, you weren't shot down by T-4... I'm Tarquin. Make sure Professor Liebenwalde knows that too." Tarquin said firmly, this wasn't something that he was commanded to do, this was something he actively wanted.

Tarquin smirked, his grin as smug as his face was possibly capable of. "My apologies, but that day will require a luckier target than yourself. I don't care whether you survive or not, this is all I want." Tarquin replied, his sights locked onto Carlos. There was no chance that he was going to miss, this was the shot that he'd been waiting for all mission. "Nikolai, I can't undo the damage that this man has caused you such damage but I'll make sure he knows that his actions did not go unpunished." Roxana attacks Carlos with Dual Beam Cannons with Tarquin suppprting with Full Output Railgun Tarquin attacks Carlos with Full Output Railgun

Fragile Alliance "oF cOURSE, mASTER. i wOULD sTAND iN tHE rAIN fOR yOU uNTIL i wAS sOAKED tO tHE bONE... wHICH wOULD hAPPEN rIGHT aWAY". Mr Bones proclaimed, jumping up and giving Alain a salute. "cOME sTRANGE sPEAKING sKELETON. tHE mEAT wEARING sKELETONS nEED uS oUTSIDE." Mr Bones and Señor Bones ambled outside, although the latter only seemed to understand when beckoned towards the door. Graham was relieved that Nana had taken refuge in the corner of the room, remaining silent for the time being. What was less than ideal was the argument that had broken out, people didn't seem happy with Cass for some reason. Why hadn't he noticed any of these problems? He thought that Cass had been doing well up until now, she'd always taken charge when they were younger... had he just accepted that things would be done her way? He was ready to interject but Sebastian shot him a stern look, shaking his head as if he disapproved of getting involved. Graham sighed, everyone was ganging up on Cass and it was frustrating that he wasn't being allowed to help. Aurelio, on the other hand, didn't feel any particular reason to keep quiet, stepping into the argument for himself. "Captain Kettletrousers is right, having a big toss up after all this ain't going to fix much. I'm following the Princess because it's better than hiding in a hut from a bunch of brain eating cavemen, you guys are following her to get this country sorted out. Nobody's really got any better options looking at it." he remarked, finding some irony in him trying to promote group unity. "We've got a Princess with no country, a tribe leader with no tribe, one who commands a pair of idiots and a wizard with friends who live in a cave. I'm not the biggest fan of Clip-Clop, but he's giving it his best." Barry and Paul were off to the side by themselves, listening in carefully. "I feel sorry for the tribe leader with idiots, I bet they're completely incompetent too." Barry whispered smugly, his brother even more oblivious to the conversation than himself. Hera was rather unsettled by the conversation, how had these people defeated her warriors when they could barely even get along? "I... I miss Adele too, Cass." Graham interjected, disregarding Sebastian's warning to stay out. "It was so much easier when we had everyone. It was you, me, Adele, Owen... and Jeeves. I couldn't do anything to stop any of them going away, I was too scared and I just let things happened... maybe if I tried... I don't want to repeat mistakes either. I don't know what's right for Magonsaete, but I know it isn't this Malaphar. None of us want him to have his way. "Malaphar... the man I spoke to called him his master. He was a strange fellow, but the promises he made and the power he showed... if there were a man he were to bow to, it seemed like there was no other option." Hera admitted, visibly ashamed by her own poor judgement. "How much power does Malaphar hold? How is one man able to tempt the south into a unity never seen before?"

The death of Louise by her own hand had left Elaine rather numb, the complete disbelief of the situation consuming her attention. She'd barely even noticed the enemy attacking her and missed her counterattack horrible. Why had it shaken her up so much? Louise was cruel, she'd tormented Elaine and relished toying with her as a child would by pulling the legs off of an insect. The way she'd died didn't sit right by her, a horrific accident was no way to go, even for a psychopath. "Crying like a baby ain't gonna fix this, Elaine." Elaine barked, slapping herself in the face firmly. For once, she was right, feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to keep her friends, and Tarquin, alive. She could worry about things like feelings and thinking later, there were too many enemies for sulking and she had something she needed to test out. Grinning, Elaine felt her heart start to race, she hadn't activated the Lunar Phase Transience since she got arrested and put in jail. She wasn't sure why her uncle had called it that, but it had a more mature ring to it than the "Super Kill Mode". Punching a glass panel to her side, Elaine's entire cockpit was bathed in a red light, it was time to show everyone what she was capable of. The back of the Oberon opened up, revealing an arrangement of thrusters which burst into action. Both of its fists burned with a bright light, the machine hurtling forwards wildly towards Carlos' Rhea. "Hey, sniper shit! Try and snipe this you cowardly bastard!" Elaine roared over communications, following up Kim's attack with a mighty blow of her own. Elaine activates LTP, casts Strike and Accel, moves to 12,23 and attacks Carlos with Lunar Phase Shift Tarquin casts Sense and awaits Carlos to respond to his threats

Carlos was far calmer than Tarquin had perhaps anticipated, although it was greatly preferable to the villainous theatrics both Louise and Vera had pulled before. It was almost relieving to see that Apotheosis didn't fill its command posts with psychopaths, but it didn't change Tarquin's goals. Carlos clearly didn't understand or was simply uncaring of the damage he'd done. Expecting compassion from the enemy was a foolish thought process, he certainly didn't care much for the Apotheosis troops but it was a different matter when it came to his own friend. "Correct and also correct." Tarquin replied, somewhat unsure why he was continuing the conversation. "I wish you the best of luck. My accuracy across the last eight missions has been 100%, I'm sure you can recall our previous encounter... I intend to continue along the same theme."

Louise being removed from the battlefield had done litle to calm the battle, there were still a number of threats that they needed to deal with. The base's forces were dropping one by one, and the Heion Riese was having its own trouble. The medbay was an unlikely target, the security support that they had would hopefully be able to deal with the issue. As much as Tarquin disapproved of conversing with the enemy, now was a good time for him to say a few words of his. Broadcasting solely to Carlos, Tarquin was determined to let his enemy know of his plans. First he'd shoot down his machine, what came after depended on how good a mood Tarquin was in when it happened. "You likely know far more about me than I do about you, but that doesn't matter. For my own reasons, I intend on shooting you down." Tarquin warned coldly, already inputting into his console to select his target. Both of their units excelled at long range, the difference would be from the choices they made and the support they received. Louise's mistake had been to exact her revenge blindly and disregarding everything for her own agenda - a series of errors that he didn't intended to make for himself. "I don't care whether your cause is right or wrong, you're simply my target."

Sidney moves to 12,14! "Of course I know who you are... Charlotte. Maybe you're right, perhaps I am hoping just like you're hoping that Owen won't replace you once he gets bored." Sidney attacks Arteria with Montana! 13 Atk, 94% Hit, 36% Crit (10 81) Sidney deals 13 damage! (42/55 HP remaining) (30 84) Sidney deals 13 damage! (29/55 HP remaining) Sidney gains 10 XP! Sidney gains 2 Bow WEXP!

"You have my trust, I shall advance to provide fire support." Tarquin replied, easing the Aria closer to the front line. There were targets in range, but there was one that caught his eye, the Rhea. It was a tactical next target and it fit his own goals very nicely. Whether or not the Rhea's pilot died didn't matter, Tarquin's only goal was to put him through the same suffering as Nikolai. It wouldn't help his friend in any way, but it would enact a twisted justice for Tarquin himself. Perhaps it wasn't that different from Louise's mad quest that ended in her death, or the beginning of a slippery slope towards madness... but it didn't matter. It was what he wanted, and a necessary part of the task at hand, it was as simple as that. "Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium..." Tarquin muttered to himself, his sights set on the Rhea as he came to a halt. Tarquin moves to 17,17!

Tarquin was perplexed by Kazue's surreal battle cry, but it was put to the side by Makoto's situation. Whilst the others may have expressed concern, Tarquin was relatively calm about Makoto's siutation. Despite his limited experience, Makoto had proved that he was more than capable of being part of their team. Makoto was the kind of person to give his all for his companions, but was sensible enough to not sacrifice his own survival. Whilst he still had a long way to go, Tarquin was content to call him both an ally and a friend. "Your contributions have been vital against the Regina, you have provided a significant tactical advantage." Tarquin commended, the impending demise of the Regina gave him the freedom to focus elsewhere. "An offensive position is not currently required, please ensure your own safety is prioritised." The end of the Regina came more quickly than he'd expected, and Elaine of all people had been the one to land the flying blow. Death from who Tarquin considered the poorest pilot was a cruel fate, but then again... it wasn't exactly as if Louise was innocent or undeserving by any means. - A sense of power rushed through Elaine as the Oberon's fist connected with the Regina. She could feel the vibration as she powered through, how much power had she put into the attack? It was only after Louise's message that she realised what she had done. Despite her best intentions, she was the one who had killed Louise - and unintentionall at that. The satisfaction drained from her face, a harsh sinking feeling settling in her stomach. Part of her wanted to be sick, another wanted to run away... what had she done? The hope that Louise could be saved was dashed by her dying words, nobody spoke like that unless they were done for. "Wait no... holy shit! I didn't mean... not like this! Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Elaine howled, slamming both of her fists on her controls. How did she do something so stupid? Everyone else probably thought she had done the right thing intentionally, but why did it feel so wrong? Piloting the Regina, Louise was a colossal monster that threatened everything, but now she was a feeble dying animal. Elaine hadn't just killed her, she had outright murdered her, brutalising her to the point where her last moments were likely to have been agony. Elaine didn't feel like a hero, if anything it was like she was the villain. There was nothing she could do, what had happened could not be undone - and she would have to live with it for the rest of her life.

"I-... uh... well shit, that didn't sound as good as it did in my head." Elaine muttered, almost scared by Louise's insane ramblings. When Louise had been messaging her, taunting her, nearly driving her insane... she seemed so confident, so in control. However, when things got tough, everything had broken down, Louise's inner core had been exposed. She was a complete trainwreck, a twisted soul that could have been beyond salvation. There was one question, if Louise were so vile, why was she she hesitating? Surely she could finish the job and be the hero she dreamed of? Did she still feel sorry for Louise, even after all this. All her friends were fighting for their lives and Elaine was risking them all for her own whims. The Regina needed to fall, even if she did have to kill Louise for it. "No matter what I say, you always find a way to make me doubt myself. I ain't good at thinkin' or talking' most of them time, but I'm gonna do this for everyone. Including you." Elaine declared, putting the Oberon's thrusters on full. "I ain't saying that the Admiral didn't screw you over, but doing this is lettin' him screw you all over again. I'm gonna stop your robot, no matter what, I can't let you hurt anyone else." She charged forwards, the Oberon's fist primed to drive into the Regina's main body. If she played things right, maybe she could save Louise. She'd need full power to take it down, hopefully it wouldn't be too much. Elaine casts Accel and Valor, moves to 17,20 and attacks Louise with her Revolver Stake

Evening of 24th May 812 - Aegan Clan Fort The rain had come quickly, Cass and her group had barely enough time to relocate before it had grown heavy. The Aegan fort was a solid enough building, its stone walls were mostly complete and whatever breaches there were seemed reasonably easy to cover. An untidy collection of plants of questionable health surrounded the building, the Aegan clan had made some attempt at farming but it was likely their efforts had been unsuccessful. Hera didn't leave the group to linger too long, instead taking them inside and away from the rain. "We all reside within the fort, it provides relief from nature's harshness. It is only a few months ago where we moved here, the building itself has been here for generations. We did not even consider using it as a home until last winter, the cold and winds were harsher than previous years... something has stirred mother nature." Hera announced, leading them into the main hall. Corridors lead off in different directions, cells lining them as they trailed into darkness. If anything the fort looked more like a converted prison, it wasn't too dissimilar to the one where Cass had met with Dettard when the fire occurred. "Our crops do not grow well, but these walls keep us safe from the other tribes. It is rare we make contact with outsiders, the priest across the river is one of the few we dealt with until that man came to us..." "oH hIM. i rEMEMBER iT lIKE iT wAS yESTERDAY. hE sEEMED lIKE a nICE gUY uNTIL wE kILLED hIM. tHEN hE wAS sORT oF dEAD." Mr Bones declared, the skeleton completely unable to adjust his volume for an indoor environment. Graham groaned, he was still uncertain why Alain was keeping his terrifying minions around - couldn't he make them disappear until the next battle? Hera looked down despondently, taking a few moments to come to terms with the death of her tribe's only ally. Kelbara smirked, the skeleton's reveal was amusing to her as it was unsympathetic for Hera. Even Aurelio could see that the moment was rather awkward, letting out a cough and quickly changing the subject. "I'm guessing it's bed time for everyone, having everyone in a place like this means people can't get the jump on you. One thing that I'm not sure about... doesn't anyone keep watch at night?" he asked, noticing the clear lack of guards at the door. "I mean, the fort's great and all, but someone could easily walk in." "tHAT's bECAUSE wE kILLED tHEM aLL." Mr Bones replied, giving a thumbs up, only for his hand to fall from his wrist. Hera's disposition only grew more solemn, with each passing statement... it only seemed to make things worse - and Barry and Paul hadn't even opened their mouths yet. The whole party is free to post!

Elaine knew that responding to Louise was a bad idea, but she couldn't help herself. To hear someone this sorry for themselves and so angry at other people... it made her think too much of her self for her own tastes. They were different though, she couldn't sucker herself into believing that the psychopath they were fighting was someone justified in their actions. Just because people made you angry didn't mean you could punc-... nevermind, they needed to stop Louise regardless. They'd dealt a lot of damage to her, they just needed to keep going. "We heard your story, it ain't fair what happened to you... but going on a crusade to kill the Admiral ain't gonna fix your legs." Elaine replied, part of her hoping she could sway Louise's mad rampage. Everyone else was just making her angry, Louise was probably going to snap - of she hadn't already. "Things won't work out right, whether you win or lose here. If you win, you'll be left with no purpose and if you fail, you'll... probably be executed if you don't die in this battle. Existin' like this doesn't work no matter how you look at it. - Tarquin didn't think much of Louise's threats, and Elaine's response was a prime example of the emotional thought process she was fishing for. It didn't matter if she were right or wrong, justified or not, she was a designated enemy - he had no reason to feel bad or guilty about her condition. She had actively chosen to fight against them, the decision was entirely her own. Calling out Elaine was rather tempting, but it was incredibly likely either the Captain or someone else would beat him to it and have far more impact in doing so.

Owen moves to 11,13! Suleiman remains below deck to fix the breach for this turn! ENEMY PHASE I've only drowned once before, I would be happy to try it again with you, Prince..." Arteria moves to 11,15! "I'm getting jealous, dear sister. I can't let you have all the fun to yourself!" Apellon and the troops surrounding him will move next turn! Berserker moves to 7,9! Pirate #1 moves to 10,7! Pirate #2 moves to 9,8! Pirate #3 moves to 9,9! Pirate #4 moves to 19,9! Pirate #5 moves to 17,9! Pirate #6 moves to 17,10! Pirate #7 moves to 5,10! Pirate #8 moves to 5,11! Pirate #9 moves to 5,12! Pirate #10 moves to 11,14! Pirate #10 attacks Owen with his Boarding Axe! 13 Atk, 34% Hit, 0% Crit (99 59) What a scrub, right? Owen strikes back with his Killing Edge! 28 Atk, 100% Hit, 34% Crit, 17% Astra (12 6 68) OWEN SMASH. Owen gains 27 XP! Owen gains 2 Sword WEXP! Pirate #11 moves to 15,16! Archer #2 moves to 15,14! Archer #2 attacks Sidney with her Killer Bow! 14 Atk, 37% Hit, 17% Crit (31 16) Sidney prays for her life! (20) Engel was listening, the arrow whizzes past her ear! Sidney counters with her Silver Bow! 17 Atk, 97% Hit, 6% Crit (45 24( (48 19) Archer #2 dies regretting their luck! Sidney gains 23 XP! Sidney gains 3 Bow WEXP! Thief #2 moves to 17,11! Thief #2 attacks Constance with his Machete! 13 Atk, 64% Hit, 2% Crit (84 2) No dice! (65 70) So lucky! Constance gains 5 XP! Thief #3 moves to 14,15! Thief #3 steals Freya's Vulnerary! Reinforcements spawn! Suleiman returns from below deck! Chapter 11A - Turn 3 SPREADSHEET Arteria stared longingly at Owen, her eyes devoid of any sanity or reason. "It is a shame that your sister is not here to join us, I am rather fond of her presence. She tries to hide and fight what she truly is, but I can see the monster inside her. Her true self... she needs to embrace it." Arteria cackled, overjoyed at her fiendish fantasy. "But you like fighting too... you pretend that you're sensible and responsible, but it felt good killing just now, didn't it? So many people have wrong you, wouldn't it be better just to eliminate them all, one by one... watching each and every one of them suffer as you finish them. You have more power than just your status, you have a blade that can put an end to anyone who you see fit." "Don't listen to her Prince Onio-... Owen! She's using words to try and confuse you... or something!" Serge cried out, horrified by the pale abomination ahead of them. Was this the woman that Steve had defeated? That was the other guy's name, right? She couldn't be that strong then, he wasn't that much stronger than Serge himself - plus he'd had time to hone his skills. Arteria smirked, looking over at Serge with a disgruntled expression. "You, I remember how much fun you had trying to break my arms... the cracks and the snaps, I could tell that you were serious. Perhaps I should return the favour, Molenli..." she barked, far less playful than she was with Owen. "Actually it's Mozzarella, miss..." Serge stammered, his legs growing weak. He'd forgotten Steve's barbaric display, now it was something that he would have to face. "My apologies... Mozzarella. I wonder what sound your arms and legs will make, I cannot wait to find out." she added, raising her sword. "You'll have your turn very soon." - Suleiman's repairs were hurried, but the result was enough to keep them afloat for the time being. Esclabor wiped his brow, holding another plank ready for the inevitable next breach. "I... at least my work meant you could focus on the important one." Esclabor remarked hastily, trying to downplay his own shoddy craftsmanship. "We're still letting in water, but it's nowhere near as bad now. Get back up on deck, it's hard for me to accept, but you're more useful than me down here or up there. I'll try and stop it from getting any worse, rough those pirates up a bit for me." Esclabor gave Suleiman a thumbs up, the man doing his best to hide how impressed he was with his ally's talents. Suleiman has fixed the main breach! The boat should be OK for now!

Reunited and repaired "It's good to see you making friends, Princess. After having killed so many of her tribe, you must have made a convincing case." Sebastian remarked, listening to Cass' warnings of the weather. "It should be safe to move her, slow and steady should mean fewer broken bones. As wonderful as residing within a tent would be, a more stable setting would better facilitate recovery. I can ask our allies to begin preparations to move, Mister Aurelio should be able to manage moving equipment. I would be more than happy to offer my assistance with Miss Naimanzuunnadintsetseg. I am unfamiliar with the weather patterns in Magonsaete, but I would estimate we have perhaps an hour." - That which stands Hera chuckled, slowly rising to her feet after Sylvia's offer. "Do not think me so defeated that I cannot stand. Your ally may have won with their words but your pink haired friend was unable to cause me harm." she replied, giving the pirate a grin. "Although another few years and I would be old enough to be your mother. It seems not long ago that I was looking up to my tribe's elders for guidance, but now they all turn to me for hope. It will be difficult to explain that all of our fighters have perished... and now we are inviting their killers to stay among us." Graham approached slowly, hoping to escape from Alain's undead servants and join another conversation. "I... uh, yeah. That's pretty awkward, maybe mentioning it would be a bad idea." he suggested, wincing as Nana continued to fly around him, screeching its horrible cry.

Elaine gritted her teeth, irritated by Louise's attempts to get a response out of her. It wasn't that she was particularly afraid, although admittedly the Regina's presence was rather intimidating, but frustration that Louise had played with her for so long. She'd been a fool to think that Louise saw her as a person, she was just another victim for the psychopath to play her sick and twisted games with. She desperately wanted to get her revenge... but attacking a giant snake robot alone with a team of snipers watching was something that even Elaine wasn't stupid enough to do. She shook her head, determined to make herself useful. Aliza had made a good opening, but she was a little too far to quite get there. That was without a little help, Elaine chuckled, pressing one of the buttons on her dashboard. "You're going to have to find someone else for your play date, you scaly assed freak. I ain't falling for your tricks." Elaine retorted, thrusting the gearstick to her side forwards. Even she was surprised by the speed of the Oberon... perhaps it would have been a good idea to practice a little with it before the mission. Elaine was liking the sounds of their new ally, they were super into fighting - something Elaine could relate to. "I've got your back, Aliza. Leave this one to me!" Elaine casts Accel, moves to 23,22 and attacks Cressida #2 with Wrist Grenades - Tarquin wasn't quite sure what to make of Kazue's strange monologue, he would have gotten more sense out of Bill or Avery. He would have questioned the decision of whoever had selected them, but it wasn't as if the rest of the crew were particularly normal either. The Captain had made a logical choice in their targets. It would be far simpler to deal with the Regina once they'd cleared out the squadron ahead of them, as well as offer aid to Admiral Vance if the need arose. He was met with an unlikely ally for his next target. Tarquin didn't think particularly highly of Firmia, his impression so far was that of a selfish brat - he wasn't entirely sure how she'd ended up with an entire battleship under her command. Not that it mattered currently, it was simply another weapon that they would be shooting at Apotheosis with. "I shall provide supporting fire, ensure that your aim is sufficient." Tarquin remarked cooly. He was confident in his own aim, he was yet to decide what he thought about Firmia's. Brant was another matter, he had demonstrated his own ability on a number of occasions. "Merlin, I require assistance with my next target. Please prepare for a long range attack." Tarquin casts Sense and supports Firmia's attack with his High Precision Rifle Tarquin then attacks Cressida #4 with his Full Output Railgun with support from Brant's funnels

Parts 3, 4, 5 and 6 to some extent feel more linked than the previous parts and build off previous events. They're also more similar in narrative feel and tone, so they feel more as part of a series than 1 or 2 do. I'm not a massive fan of 7 at all, but it's generally well liked.

Despite her plans to try and steady her nerves, Elaine wasn't anywhere near ready for something this scale. Suits had appeared out of nowhere, littering the base. "Shit, I've got a bad feeling about this one. Something in my gut ain't sitting right." she mumbled, scanning the area for enemies. It wasn't the number of enemies that had her on edge, it was a select group of familiar faces... or machines, she hadn't actually seen many of their faces at all. They were like the bosses from some old video game, tougher than any of the underlings they had. The Regina was the most terrifying of them all, the footage that they'd been shown didn't do it justice. Was it really that big? What made it worse was the psychopath pilotting it. Whether it were in her own head or on the battlefield, Louise terrified her on so many levels. "This is Red, it's lookin' pretty hot out here. I don't even know where to start." Elaine brodcast over her radio. She was ready to fight, but there were too many targets - choosing badly could leave an opening for Apotheosis to tear right into them. As much as she wanted to take on Louise, doing it along was a death sentence. "Might as well pick a group and start on them, right?" - Statistically speaking, it was going to be a difficult battle. The number of forces and their positioning meant that they needed a plan, and quickly at that. There was too much at stake for either side's commander to back down. The scale of the battle would have major consequences for the conflict, but it was a sense that was lost on Tarquin. So far he'd participated in a string of battles because he was ordered to, whether or not the ANF won or lost didn't really bother him on a personal level. The Rhea had appeared alongside the enemy forces, one thing that he did have a personal investment in. Considering the status of the machine, it was likely to be the same pilot from before. "Es gibt eine Sache in dieser Schlacht, die zählt. der Rhea wird von meiner Hand fallen." Tarquin vowed, gripping his controls tightly. He didn't want victory for the ANF or even himself, this one was going to be for Nikolai. As satisfying revenge would be, he'd have to ensure that it was achievable within the confines of the battle as a whole - unless things were to go poorly. It was likely that there would be a number of casualties, the generic models were starting to look rather delicate. "Captain, my recommendation would be to coordinate with one of the base's squads to eliminate one of the opposing groups before the other strikes." Tarquin suggested, scouting the area for a suitable place. He'd be able to provide long range support for his allies fighting up close. It was almost ironic that the Professor's design intentions were a factor in his survival. Elaine had raised a valid point for once, they'd have to make an active choice in their approach. Whichever group they didn't back up was likely going to fall, it was a fate that they'd all accepted when they'd agreed to fighting. PLANTS AND PICKLES

Suleiman moves to 13,13! Suleiman goes below deck to make repairs! Saving my friends... and Esclabor It became clear as Suleiman descended below deck that the ship was in trouble, there were several spots where water was leaking through. The floor was starting to collect small puddles of water, although with the leaks one could have expected it to be worse. Of all people, Esclabor was hammering against the wall, trying to patch a breach with a plank of wood. It wasn't a fantastic job, if anything he was only delaying the inevitable - but he was at least buying the group some time. He looked over at Suleiman, his expression deadly serious as he struck the board with him hammer. "I'm no expert but this isn't looking good. I've been trying to fix up some of the smaller leaks, but there's a big one that I couldn't deal with." Esclabor admitted, visibly displeased by his own ineptitude. "Vesta's still puking her guts out so any bright ideas would be appreciated. Suleiman can fix the large breach or work on the smaller ones with Esclabor! "I shall be your shield." Nelon moves to 13,12! "By Engel's grace." Accolon moves to 13,11! Constance moves to 16,11! Constance uses Mend on Eric! Constance gains 12 XP! Constance gains 3 Staff WEXP!