Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 3: Crisis Point

Ether · November 7, 2019

"We'll see who is all talk!" Seung-Min replied as her funnels continued to swarm the Poesis, hammering beams into the now-exposed inner workings of the Sacarian machine, covering Abigail's approach by suppressing the Poesis' weapon systems, it's own funnels having been drawn away in pursuit of the Artemis itself. She had to admit, she hadn't been expecting Abigail to approach in... quite that manner, feeling an odd sensation flare up in her body as the extensions of the Artemis... and in turn, her increasingly sensitive TK-field, were used as a sort of stepping bridge by the Vergloria. Abigail had made a point to be gentle, but it still elicited a surprised cough from Seung-Min on the first step, each funnel rejoining the swarm after it's turn as a step was up.

Moments later, it was over. Between her funnels and the Vergloria's magnum, the latter had managed to close in enough to carve the cockpit of the Poesis out with the beam claymore, and summarily crush it in hand. Two down, two to go...

[Warning. Energy levels approaching critical. Please refuel immediately.] came the blared warning, as the Enyo cannon ceased rotation, grinding to a halt. They wouldn't be using that again without either a proper rest stop, or an engine jumpstart... unfortunately there were still very dangerous foes about.

"Nice work, Abby. I knew you were the right one for the job."

Xinnidy · November 10, 2019

"That's... one down, Major. His presence is gone." Lynx sighed in relief.

"You can always count with this team... Heh, take a gander that we could take that one on, too?"

"I don't know, Major. Fuels are running low for most of the group."

"Well, we have plenty of data for that model. Let's see how much we can squeeze out of these tanks."

Bonner casts Analyze on Astin![-20SP]

Edited November 11, 2019 by Xinnidy

Nanami Touko · November 11, 2019

"One down..." Two more and change. The change had to go as well, for all they'd done, and with how much they were still chasing after the smaller units. "Galatea, lock onto the Ceres. Shields up."

"Got it, working...!"

Galatea casts Shield, Hannah casts Accel!

"Brant, I'm coming in! Target: Ceres!"

Hannah to 8,16, Twin Bird the bird!
Final Stats: 76,27
Roll: 19,42
Hit!
Final Damage: 203

"Hannah!? Damn Android, leave me alone! I fixed you! Show some courtesy!"
The Ceres swings back, but misses!

Hannah gains +20 EXP!

Phoenix · November 11, 2019

"Right," Brant nodded, glad his explanation hadn't left a negative impact, now of all times. Chris even fired back, aiming to get them both pumped up for the remainder of the battle. "I'm alright, Hannah. It's not our problem. Our problems are these guys ..." It was too bad this was going to be a long slog once even after the regulars were dealt with, thanks to those powerful lead units and warships ... or not. "Well, there goes one of them."

There wasn't any time to reevaluate their chances against the Sacarian leaders, as Hannah just sent them the signal. They hadn't had the chance to really master the move, but it was time to attempt another Twin Bird Maneuver. Practice makes dead enemies. "Hang on, we're going to hit the Ceres as hard as we can here. We're ready!" Given their positions and energy, they might actually be able to pull this off twice ... something to keep in mind if the first left them in a good position.

The Reign still handled the high speed maneuvers better than the Regalia could but they landed their combination attack easily. Sure enough, while the damage wasn't decisive, they were still in a good position to hit the Ceres again. "Hannah's being pretty damn courteous, Marianne," Brant radioed the traitor, much of his contempt hitting her name, "You don't want to know what the others would do to you for trying to kill Christina." ... that said, "Let's give'er another!"

...

Firmia watched the Twin Bird Maneuver on the radar, and to her surprise, they immediately turned and pulled another one. They wouldn't be able to keep that up for long, but the Alkaev couldn't complain about their choice of targets. If Marianne got away today ... well, obviously Firmia would just hunt her down and kill her, but it was more the very notion of her escaping in the first place. She couldn't let that happen, but the Riese was still vulnerable, so the Avalon couldn't break away to assist directly. Not just yet. What they could do is give Astin something to think about.

"Marcia, target the Luna--the stupid one--and prepare to fire missiles!"

"snrk The stupid one," Tonya tried not to look back to see what sort of fresh hate was on the captain's face this time.

Brant cast Strike and Focus moves to 9,17, uses Twin Bird against Marianne!

Firmia cast Marcia's Strike!

Revolyutsiya (Chapter I)

With the meeting adjourned, and battle preparations underway, most in the meeting room funneled on out. The only ones left when it was over were Vladimir, Ziva, and Paul. The latter didn't seem to have any business left in the meeting room, but simply wanted to be a comfortable distance from the Sacarians for the moment. A few minutes passed and Vladimir made some calls, letting Ziva take over keeping tabs on Nemesis Squadron, their job being to mark all of the disabled AMS units still in the field. The rescue teams could deal with them soon enough, but they needed every combat ready unit back at Statlas as soon as possible.

"How are you doing so far?" Ziva asked, noting how frustrated Juliya looked, even through her color tinted visor, "Vlad wants an ETA."

"Our ETA is 'when we finish,'" Juliya hissed, "Don't you people trust us?"

Ziva smirked at the woman. "Of course not. Anyway, he wants me to keep a line open in case something changes on either end."

"That accent ... "Juliya met eyes with Ziva through the monitor, "Are you one of Gabriel's people? I don't think you're Russian."

Ziva was surprised anyone noticed her accent, but occasionally it did come up. It probably wouldn't be too annoying to talk about herself for a bit. It wasn't a bad way to kill time and break the ice. "That's right. I've seen some people around here that aren't Russian, though ... but yes, I'm from Israel."

"Ah ... so tell me more about him. He may be my cousin, but he hasn't just been gone for ages, I've never really known him."

Oh. She just wanted to know more about Gabriel. ... Ziva didn't let her disappointment show.

"In fact, tell me every last detail. I want to know what to expect from this wannabe king of Russia."

Ziva glanced at Vladimir, who was frustratedly overseeing battle preparations from a single large monitor and a console. She then cocked an eyebrow at Juliya. "Still spying for Dima?"

"What?"

"I just need to make this clear, Juliya, Dima is just as much an enemy to Gabriel as Minister Bogdan is. The difference is that we probably won't kill him on sight ... at least I don't think that's the way Gabriel's leaning. I'm not sharing anything with anyone that might leak back to that man. You never know what details can ruin a person, so best not to take chances."

Juliya sighed. "He's my grandfather. I'm not some pawn of his, alright?"

"Well, you obviously aren't a pawn," Ziva chuckled, "That isn't my concern. My concern is whether or not you're a good source of information for him. Whether you talk too much, basically."

"I ... ugh, never mind then! I'll just ask that clown myself next time I see him. Tell the Director we're almost done. It should only take us a few more minutes to wrap up and then we'll head back."

"That's good news," Ziva smiled.

"Ugh ... I can't wait to turn the tables on Apotheosis and those damn cats. That's the only good news coming ..."

...

"Haal'Sen, there's something I need your help with," Gabriel said, leading the way to the hangar the Archangel was kept in, "Our schedule's going to be tight, but once Shia'Naar is gone I want to apprehend Dima." Unfortunately, due to the two battles in front of them, and Juliya's warning, Dima had just enough time to make a run for it if he was so inclined. If he did opt to stay in Kalten, anyone dumb enough to continue guarding him would be violently swept aside. "There's something important I need your help with, but I'm not sure if it's physically possible. You'll have to work out the details for me ... As for what I need, that would be ... understanding. I have no intention of playing Dima's games ... but I still need to understand who and what he is. Every monster I've ever come across was once a powerful human being, with good or at least sensible goals. If it's possible, I need to see Dima's journey from an idealistic young man into this scheming snake with my own eyes."

"Yes?" She'd brightened up almost instantly, more than glad to help Gabriel with anything... Dima, was it? She listened, and much as the thought of not removing him immediately made her fur bristle, she understood his point. "I see... Understanding..." She thought as she walked, a pensive hand placed on her chin. "It... May, be possible. If you have a moment before we take off, I shall explain in the hangar... I will have to get my hands on Dima, though. But, if I can, I could... Act as a bridge between the two of you... Allow you to see into his mind as I do. This is all speculation, of course, but with how receptive your race is to this, Telekinetic phenomenon, I wouldn't rule it out."

"I had my suspicions," Gabriel smiled, "If it's possible, then I want to do it. I apologize in advance for whatever you have to see ..." Gabriel was willing to put up with whatever he had to in order to fully grasp the evil he was trying to avoid in the future, but knowing Dima and human nature in general, this wasn't going to be a pleasant ride for the Sacarian.

"If there is someone else there with us, I should be able to avoid seeing what you do, by focusing on them. If not... I will, bear with it. Please do not judge me if... I end up, in a sorry state over it." She'd already managed tears over Gabriel's past. Dima's would not bring pity or care... Just terror and disgust, enough to put her out of sorts, were his actions as heinous as the man in question.

"Don't worry about that," Gabriel frowned, "And thank you, Haal'Sen. Doing this will help demystify this new world we're heading into." Politics, propaganda, backstabbing, black projects, international affairs, Dima was familiar with all of it, no doubt.

"Heh... Your praise calms me. Anything for you, Gabriel..." She almost asked about his answer, but he would surely tell her when he was ready.

...

Two surprises awaited Gabriel, and one Haal'Sen, in the hangar the Archangel was being kept in. The flight module on the Archangel's back was to be expected, but the tablet schematics didn't do a good job of showing the true size of it. It was practically big enough to serve as a base jabber. The other surprise Gabriel found was that only the Praxis Zeta was in this hangar. He didn't see the Psi anywhere.

"Did you land somewhere else, Haal'Sen?"

"Oh hey!" Wade's voice blared over the Archangel's loudspeakers, and then the hatch in front of the cockpit opened. The mechanic had stepped out into view and began waving a couple of seconds later. "Boss, you've got to check this out! This countermeasure system is off the charts! The fliers don't have anything on this thing!" Gabriel already knew about the hologram array, but what he didn't know was that Wade had been experimenting with it since the meeting began ...

"Hmm? Er, yes, near the Vaska. I went to speak with Captain Petya, and then I became his escort to the meeting. Shall I call it back? He asked for the Vaska's hangar to remain open, so it should only take a few moments for it to return." It was fully repaired and stocked, unless there were changes that needed made...

"Wade? What are you doing in my Liege's machine?" A quick peek into his mind said he was doing testing, which calmed her ire, and made sense. "Never mind... Should I accompany you, to see what he means? I do suppose three people would make the Archangel's cockpit rather tight, though..."

Calling the Praxis back to her? That sounded like a handy feature. Wade agreed. "You can do that?" the mechanic's brows hopped up, "That's a contender for the 'best feature' I've heard of. Wish I could do that with my tools ..."

"Speaking of tools," Gabriel steered them back on topic, "Show us what you're so excited about, Wade."

"Right, right! See, this system does your typical hologram shenanigans just like the fliers, but the advantage with this setup is that it's WAY more useful than anything we've tried before. Boss, you could use afterimages, trailers and leaders! That'll even confuse the crap out of TKs!"

"What are afterimages?" Gabriel squinted, approaching the Archangel's lift as it lowered for him.

"It's like ... have you ever noticed that blur when you swipe your hand by your face really fast. Imagine that in super slow motion, but your hand still moving at the same speed. It's KIND of like that. Thing is, if you use trailers and leaders, you can keep people from knowing exactly where to aim ... and that's just the beginning, man! Fake weapons, hiding your actual equipment, pretending to be in one configuration when you're in another, faking damage, hiding damage ... just, seriously, the sky is the limit! I can't wait to see you pilot this thing!"

When Wade put it that way, Gabriel couldn't help but be intrigued. Having ridden up the lift with Haal'Sen during Wade's explanation, he was able to take the pilot's seat by the time the mechanic's hype petered out. Wade stayed standing by the open hatch, leaving the copilot's seat for Haal'Sen if she wanted it. In the meantime, he started pointing out some details onscreen.

"You've been busy ..."

"Yeah, you're not going to have time to customize this on your own, so I was trying to get a few things set up in advance."

She supposed it would be best to have it come back to the hangar, programming in some autopilot to get it there. As long as the hangar was still open, there would be no problems... And having not received an error in response, all things seemed green. Hopping onto the lift with Gabriel, Haal'Sen listened to what Wade was explaining... Some of that would be useful. Mostly hiding damage and weapons, but...

"While those features would work effectively against earth TKs, Wade, some of what you described would be entirely ineffective against Sacarians... I suppose I am doubting Gabriel's ability to make proper use of things. That is rude of me... My apologies, Gabriel. I will advise, faking weaponry and hiding what you have are likely your best options for confusing Sacarian pilots." Hopefully that would smooth things over, it was accurate. Weapons were inanimate, Sacarians relied on their eyes for them, and making them react improperly towards a fake weapon could set them up for incorrect defenses.

Haal'Sen gave Wade a curious glance as he stepped aside, sneaking in behind Gabriel to take a seat. She really did want to get out of this pilot suit, though... Having it open was helping, but it wasn't enough. "If meetings are over, I need to find those shorts, again..." Or a dress. She wished to see what it would feel like. Raay'Xel had certainly looked comfortable.

And right on cue, as she'd gotten comfortable in the copilot seat, the Psi fly down, hovered into the hangar, and then walked itself back into its assigned station. "There we are."

"No harm done," Gabriel said. An assessment was an assessment, after all.

Aside from the mindreading, Wade didn't know much about Sacarian TKs. They were obviously more powerful, and if they were mindreaders, they would probably figure out the trick sooner rather than later, but in a firefight, knowing was only half the battle.

Shorts, though? Was she going to change, again? Wade made an uncomfortable face at Gabriel's monitor, knowing full well he was an open book to the Sacarian behind him. The Praxis arriving was a good opportunity to change his focus, so the mechanic took it. "Heh, look at that, just quietly floating in here. 'Haal'Sen, I'm home.' Erm-anyway ... I'd say with the afterimages you're at least sniper-proof. Not sure about saber fights, but that's what the other fakery's for. 'Oh no, I've lost an arm--Gotcha! And STAB!'"

"Once I get a feel for this I'm sure I can find a use for everything," Gabriel nodded, agreeing partly with Haal'Sen about not wanting to rely on the holograms against the Sacarians where evasion was concerned. "It looks like the effective radius on this array is quite large. Would this have an effect on the Praxes if they were close by?" From what he could tell, any suit standing right beside his would be fully inside the array's effective radius.

Wade shrugged. "Sure, though you'd need to program it for that, first. The two major weaknesses I could find are that really bad weather might give you away. The array can simulate weather effects, but it's got limits. There's that and you can't make yourself completely invisible. Yyyet ... I tweaked the algorithm as much as I could but it just can't handle hiding the whole suit ... too many angles and too advanced, so don't try that ... Everything else is perfect in a fight, though. It's not like they're going to have much time to think things through while everyone's shooting at them."

"Yes, Wade, I want to change again... I'm far too warm in this suit, even having half of it on is almost unbearable. I kept it on for the sake of the meeting, but... Ugh, we will need to stop in some town, or have one of you go shopping for me. I require dresses, desperately." Hopefully that wouldn't be a problem.

"As for the difference, I shall do my best to explain," she began, turning on the AC of the suit. "A human Telekinetic can feel emotions and intentions, to a degree, depending on their power. A Sacarian can feel your entire presence. If a living organism with a mind is piloting a mobile suit, I can tell where they are in it. That is why I said some of that would be ineffective. Any of us would be able to tell where Gabriel is at all times, and thus ignore any after images. The weapons is a different story, they are inanimate, and as such we hold no power over their presence." Hopefully that would paint enough of an image for Wade.

"Mrrr... I left a change of clothes in the Psi. Do you mind if I get changed, Gabriel?" She had her hand over her communicator to send a signal to the Psi if so. Hopefully he would give her permission.

"Certainly," Gabriel grinned.

"Vlad said we were getting attacked soon," Wade winced, "Aren't we supposed to be getting ready for that? That's why I got so much set up, here ..." As for knowing exactly where Gabriel was, that was fair, so no cheap tricks in that department. It should work in most other instances, though. Since Gabriel was willing to fight with or without a system like this, Wade wasn't worried about him one way or the other.

"That's fine... I shall pilot without my suit, for once. The Praxis is designed to keep the cockpit safe, save for the most extreme circumstances. Like, suicidal drones, for instance... At which point a pilot suit will do me little good." She had input commands, the Psi walking over from its station, stopping in front of the Archangel. Its cockpit opened, and Haal'Sen slipped out of Gabriel's machine, jumping over to it.

"Give me a moment, then." The hatch shut, and she wasted no time in discarding her pilot suit, rummaging around the storage container for the clothes she'd left.

"I guess if Ziva does it ..." Wade tried to reason, then stopped to focus back on the Archangel. "Okay, Boss, I've got it set up so you can access different modes just like weapons. They're basically macros. They're all marked and I even grabbed some icons to help show what they do. You've got tooltips you can read if you've got time, too. Whatever helps."

"You're always going above and beyond, Wade," Gabriel smiled appreciatively, "Thank you."

Wade smiled back, a bit awkwardly ... "Y-you're welcome. Gotta earn my keep, right?"

"Yes, you do quite well, Wade," Haal'Sen called over, having finished getting herself back into her shorts and a t-shirt from before. Leaping bad over, she nodded. "The best machines are backed by smart mechanics. We would not be able to do as much as we do without you. Take pride in that." She slipped past them both again, collapsing into the copilot's seat with a huff. Crossing her legs, this was much more comfortable. She sent the Psi back as well, of course.

"Thanks, I'll try ..."

"Well, the alarms haven't sounded yet," Gabriel noted, "Why don't you walk us through some of the modes you set up in the meantime?"

"Oh, sure thing," Wade managed a less nervous smile this time, "I can have you up to speed in five minutes, easy."

Haal'Sen leaned off her seat and stood, leaning herself onto the back of Gabriel's chair, letting her tail wag now that her body was free to breathe. "You do not mind if I watch, yes? I cannot imagine many scenarios where I would need to know, but the fact I can imagine some is a bit worrying." Hopefully Gabriel would not mind.

"I think it's essential," Gabriel smirked, "If I have to fake an injury, better you and Raay'Xel see it coming."

Nanami Touko · November 11, 2019

"You want COURTESY!? YOU SHOT MY FUCKING SISTER, YOU WORTHLESS PILE OF SHIT!" Chris wasn't having any of this bullshit, popping out several TK missiles as they flew past her, and ramming them into the Ceres for extra impact! "You'll be LUCKY to die quickly! GRIT YOUR TEETH!"

Brant casts Strike and Focus, and begins another go around!
Final Stats: 100!,31
Roll: 37,25
CRITICAL!
Final Damage: 383!
"AHHH!"
Missiles, sabers and beam rocked her machine, Marianne starting to get pretty scared, as the warning signs flashed orange, and red.

"G-Get, away from me! Astin, should we really still be here!?"
Marianne swings back!
Final Stats: 0,44
Can't hit!
"D-Dammit!"

Brant gains +10 EXP!

Firmia casts Marcia's Strike!
"Hey there, Captain Alkaev! Could use some supporting fire!" Terry was feeling pretty good, all things considered. With one of the big cats going down, it was time to get involved in the nonsense. "Let 'em have it, boys! Smile!"

Terry moves to 10,8 and fires on the Luna!
Final Stats: 0,11
Roll: 93,18
Miss! Lol.
"Marianne! Get out of my way, insect!"
Astin counters with a hefty slash!
Final Stats: 100,39
Roll: 93,71
Hit!
Final Damage: 131

Firmia supports!
Missiles away!
Final Stats: 100!,13
Roll: 56,10
CRITICAL!
Final Damage: 124

Terry gains +30 EXP, +1 will!
Firmia gains +5 EXP!

Edited November 11, 2019 by SnakeMomMelissa

Xinnidy · November 11, 2019

"Yes!" Caroline nearly popped off her seat --well, would have, were she irresponsible and not fastened her belt--, the force pushed the air out of her lungs, so he sat back on the chair promptly.

"Hoo... o-okay. I'm probably not dying in the next 30 minutes..." A sweaty cold grip hastened on her controls, as Caroline began to move her Legionary again.

"Another battleship with damages... I can do that..."

Caroline to 9,8, repairs Terry.

Repair module is used!
The Deliverance is repaired for 86 HP.
Caroline gains +50 EXP!

Edited November 11, 2019 by Xinnidy

Nanami Touko · November 12, 2019

Things were blowing up around her... She still needed more, something, to sate this anger and sadness on, something to just... "Astin..."

"Astiiiin!"

"Whoa-- Vera, what!?"

"You didn't stop him! You didn't try to save him! Why didn't, any of you... Why!?"

"It, was orders, what was I supposed to do--"

"ORDERS!? MY BROTHER IS DEAD!"

Vera lands on the ground, casts Sense, Accel, Valor and moves to 9,10 using the Raikiri on Astin.

Xinnidy · November 12, 2019

Vera casts Sense![-20SP]
Vera casts Accel![-5SP]
Vera casts Valor![-35SP]

Her rage cannot be ignored!

Vera attacks!
Target: Luna (Astin)
Weapon: Raikiri Redux
Final Hit: 100!
Final Crit: -- (Valor)
Roll: 4
Hit!
Damage: 457

Astin counters!
Weapon: Liquid Metal Blade
Final Hit: 0!
Final Crit: 44
Roll: 34, 60
Miss!

Vera gains +5 EXP!

Even on a mere Velite...

"Damn it... Vera needs to calm down, I need to talk to her later."

Esther casts Sense![-25SP]

Esther lands on the ground, moves to 10,9 and attacks the Luna with A KNIFE.

Esther attacks!
Target: Luna (Astin)
Weapon: Heat Carving Knife
Final Hit: 100!
Final Crit: 76
Roll: 9, 29
Hit!
Crit!
Damage: 159!

Astin counters!
Weapon: Liquid Metal Blade
Final Hit: 0!
Final Crit: 34
Roll: 30, 4
Miss!

Esther gains +5 EXP!

Slicing through the armor!

Edited November 12, 2019 by Xinnidy

Phoenix · November 12, 2019

The second Twin Bird Maneuver went off flawlessly! "Alright! Reign, let's circle back for another pass. And thanks for the assist, Chris."

To think they had Marianne running scared at this point. Brant couldn't deny it felt good to pay her back in fear more than in outright victory, but they couldn't afford to take any chances here. Chris and Vera may have been on the warpath right now, but they had the right idea. Astin and Marianne had done more to harm them than most in Apotheosis just by being on the Riese. Letting them get off with just a good scare was out of the question. Deftly dodging Marianne's counterattack, Brant guided the Regalia high enough to get a good view of the battlefield and update his mental map of what was going on.

"Let's see ... not bad, not bad. Once they run out of regulars we can start focusing down the tougher suits. The snowball's starting to roll ..."

Firmia clenched her fist as Terry radioed her asking for fire support. ... just this once. She would not make a habit of helping these people or get too friendly with them. It wouldn't be a popular decision, but the Alkaev reminded herself that she needed to set the record straight before she sent the androids in to retrieve the scientists. As soon as they defeated Apotheosis, this alliance with Apotheosis' old side show clowns was over. For now, she was content with mercilessly lighting up the opposing Luna. "We won't let that traitor warp out of here this time! MARCIA, INCINERATE THEM!!!"

"All this yelling ... everyone's just done today, aren't they?" Tonya sighed.

Firmia attacks Astin with AA Missiles!

Revolutsiya (Chapter II)

"This is the Vaska, Captain Petya speaking. Gabriel, can you hear me? They're coming."

Wade piped down as Petya radioed the Archangel, and Gabriel, a tad confused by the warning, doublechecked his system for any alerts from Statlas. They weren't on alert yet, so at the very least nothing was close enough for them to detect. The Vaska ought to be underground, still, so how could its sensors detect anything? The best Gabriel could deduce with so little information was that someone elsewhere had used the network to send the Vaska a warning. "Who's coming, Captain? We're not picking up anything, yet."

"The units that retreated after the Minister attempted to take control sent us a message. They are still out of our range, but our mutual enemy was detected two minutes ago. We will still have to deal with this ourselves ... no help is coming while the Minister is still in charge."

It sounded like the Russian fighters that had been supporting the Vaska before it was taken still did. Gabriel supposed that as long as the ship wasn't destroyed, there was still hope to get it back. Once it was gone, it was gone, and none of them would have the range and battlefield awareness necessary to stave off Apotheosis any longer. For Gabriel, it was just good to have extra eyes out there, even if they were technically still enemies. "Thanks, Captain. Be sure to let Vladimir know so we can prepare to head them off."

"I will."

"Sssooo," Wade carefully interjected, "fight's about to start?"

The Archangel was certainly an interesting machine... Oh. "Then we should prepare for combat. If they are that close, it will be a matter of minutes before they arrive. Prepare yourself, Gabriel. And Wade, be ready for repairs as soon as we are finished. There will be a lot of them." Haal'Sen slipped out of the Archangel again, hopping onto the lift and saluting Gabriel with her hand over her heart. "I wish you the best, my Liege."

"It's a good opportunity to test the Archangel's abilities," Gabriel noted, somewhat happy to be able to do that before facing Shia'Naar directly. "Fight hard, Haal'Sen," he gave her a salute of his own, something a bit more casual, evening inclining his head toward his hand rather than raising his arm, "We need to deal with them quickly. After this, Shia'Naar, Dima Alkaev, and Minister Bogdan."

"Yikes," Wade scooted toward the open hatch, "That's one heck of a hit list. Let me get out of your way, heheh ..."

"As always!" Filled with mirth over the coming fight, Haal'Sen took the lift down and rushed towards her machine, opening the cockpit and having its own lift descend. 'Raay'Xel, are you ready for combat? Our time approaches, we must once again prove our worth.'

'Of course, Haal'Sen. I was simply seeing what this T-link device felt like to use... it is a curious thing, I will give it that.' Raay'Xel replied mentally, sat within the Praxis Zeta's cockpit. It hadn't been a lot of time, but just enough to get a chance to leaf through the altered systems in the newest Praxis model.

'After witnessing your performance earlier, I am quite enthusiastic to give it a proper trial by fire.'

'A word of warning, if you do not mind it... I would suggest it as a last resort, if possible. I passed out after use, I imagine your first test would be the same. We will... Training with these will be necessary, once we have time and room to breathe.' Haal'Sen pulled herself up into the cockpit of the Praxis, setting herself down and setting her engines up. 'That said, your enthusiasm is appreciated. It was incredibly effective... I pray that we can master these systems. If we do, defeating Shia'Naar may be more achievable than I'd ever imagined.'

"Gabriel!" Juliya, again ... "You and your bodyguards need to get a move on, they'll be here any second!"

"Where are you and your team, Juliya?"

"Inbound. We've almost made it back, but I don't see anything. They're probably going to teleport into the perimeter, again. The defense turrets aren't going to have a clear line of fire."

"When the enemy appears, be ready to move, quickly." Gabriel got the Archangel fully activated and began walking the machine toward the airstrip just outside. The mobile suit felt heavier on the ground with the large flight module, but the listed specifications weren't much different from the last time he'd piloted it. Its speed and maneuverability should be about the same overall. Getting used to the new balance wasn't something he wanted to do in a battle, but it wouldn't be the first time. "I'm heading to the main building. That's close enough to move to wherever they appear and not waste any time."

"It's time to see if you're really king material or not. Try not to die out here."

"That would take some doing. Keep your team safe, Juliya. Control, this is Gabriel in the Archangel. I'm taking off. Haal'Sen. Raay'Xel. Engage at your discretion."

GoldsbroTSG · November 13, 2019

Tycho was suddenly caught off guard by the oncoming message from the... Aria(?). Yeah, it was that one; big sniper, pretty much spot on from the report. A nervous laugh first led Tycho's reply, "Well, it's normal for ya'll, I suppose I'll be used to it soon enough. I appreciate the thought," He attempted dismissing the pilot's concern... Besides, he knew that sound. He sounded even younger than Tycho did. Is that also a fucking KID in the cockpit?

All it lead to was more questions about what he's suddenly become a part of. Something he'll soon be acquainted with, he was sure. What also caught his attention was the sudden group up on one of the lead robots on the Sacarian side, before he knew it, it was destroyed. Completely, and utterly. It was a beautiful sight to see such synergy at work, and then the group soon moved onto their next group of targets.

Well, guess I'll do what I do best. With the tides seemingly turning into the favor of the Riese crew, it was only a matter of time before they had this battle won. Not in an attempt to feel or act overly confident, Tycho had one simple move in mind. With no real order thrown his way, his best idea was to allow the rest of his allies a chance to wrap up their fight. Weaving, dodging the mechs in front of him, he brought his attention to the enemy battleship. A foolish, potentially suicidal plan, but he's been through worse.

Time to teach the Sacarians the meaning of 'Annoying Little Shit'.

Tycho Focuses, moves to 16,14, and engages Chaldene 1 with his toothpick!

Balcerzak · November 13, 2019

The Aria had taken a pretty nasty hit, but then Tarquin had asked her if she could take the wheel while he tried something rather daring. Jess had gone along with it, of course, her visual deficiency was much less of a hindrance just moving the mech around than it would be for aiming and firing after all. Plus, that had been the reason why she was there in the first place. To aid and support. The boy's explanation was brilliant, and with the two of them it felt like they could really pull it off.

And boy did they ever. The rapid fire railgunning had seen them score two decisive hits, and even the miss against that one impressive alien craft had been enough to force it out of position, its accuracy in attacking the Artemis suffering enough that Lieutenant Kim had been able to evade a swipe from its monstrous tail. A complete win, in the sergeant's eyes. She hadn't understood the German the boy had uttered: whether he was pumping himself up for their next engage, cursing the enemy, or some third option all seemed equally plausible. Yes, it sounded harsh and angry, but then again, wasn't that pretty much characteristic of all German? There was no point dwelling on it, as he quickly switched back to English, and their communication and coordination continued as normal.

Despite the success of the ingenious maneuver, it also had rapidly depleted their energy reserves, and when combined with the host of supportive fire they'd participated in over couple of minutes since the maneuver, as well as their own shots of opportunity, Jess hadn't needed Thorvald's radio message to know they were running low. But that was just like him, wasn't it? Always looking out for others. She'd discounted it at first, when Cheryl had brought it up, but it certainly was a calming influence, and definitely helped the wounded soldier cope with the experience of being back in the fight.

Now that they'd docked, and the mechanics had busily begun the refueling efforts, as well as some emergency repairs, Jess had something else on her mind. Maybe she was overthinking things, but Tarquin had been sounding pretty strained at times, and they were both working pretty hard. "I was thinking about maybe seeing if they couldn't send up some bottled water and a protein bar, could use a little fuel myself. Is there anything you might want? Figure it'd be better to ask for everything in one go if there was."

Xinnidy · November 15, 2019

Firmia is pretty pissed off!

Firmia Attacks!
Target: Luna (Astin)
Weapon: AA Missiles
Final Hit: 100!
Final Crit: 13
Roll: 35, 99
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 99

Astin counters!
Weapon: Wrist Missiles
Final Hit: 100
Final Crit: 7
Roll: 24,49
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 67

Firmia gains +10 EXP!

Tycho casts Focus![-10SP]

Tycho decides to... sword a battleship?!

Tycho attacks!
Target: Chaldene #1
Weapon: Xiphos
(Lucky roll: 18%; Lucky++)
Final Hit: 100
Final Crit: 13
Roll: 86, 31
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 62

Chaldene counters!
Weapon: Missile Barrage
Final Hit: 22
Final Crit: 4
Roll: 6, 77
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 91

Tycho gains +10 EXP!

Whew...

Finally, Bonner moves to (9,13), landed.

Nanami Touko · November 16, 2019

Enemy Phase/Turn 5!

"Thi... This is ridiculous! Astin! If we stay here, we're gonna die! Even Vera's trying to kill you! Duane's dead, one of the fucking Knights lost... I-I can't do this! No!"

Marianne flees to 10,24!

"Marianne! Ugh, dammit... Wait!"

Astin chases after her to 10,16!

"Cowards! Once we have dealt with these pests, they will die in turn! If San'Xuur wasn't enough to handle these humans, then he wasn't worth his station, simple as that. Keep running, you little fly!"

The Hexis moves to 12,13 and swings its tail at Kim!
Final Stats: 52,11
Roll: 61,6
Miss!

Kim counters with Mode A!
Final Stats: 100!,29
Roll: 21,97
Hit!
Final Damage: 58
"You're getting slower! And my systems are just starting up! Keep running! Run to the ends of the planet!"
Kim gains +120 EXP!
Kim levels up! +Shoot/Acc/Evd

Gamma #1 moves to 12,15 and slices at Thorvald!
Final stats: 100,14
Roll: 84,77
Hit!
Final Damage: 13
Thorvald counters: 100!,31
Roll: 55,5
CRITICAL!
Final Damage: 120
Thorvald gains +30 EXP!

Second verse same as the first! #3!
43,4 means crit!
22 damage to Thorvald
45,66 for Thorvald!
69 damage!
Thorvald gains +30 exp!

"Hmm... If you refuse to stop guarding that puny machine, I shall have to blow you both up! Cannon, all range mode!" The hefty gun strapped to the arm of the Theoria opened up, two barrels folding out of it, the three burning bright hot!

"FIRE!"

Gemini Laser (MAPW)!
Final Stats Vs. Thorvald: 100,0
Roll: N/A
Final Damage: 16!
Final Stats Vs. Makoto: 100,0
Roll: N/A
Final Damage: 132!

Gammas 2 and 7 turn their funnels onto Abby!
2 eats Alert!
7 doesn't!
Final Stats: 52,9
Roll: 23,96
She defends!
Final Damage: 36

Gamma #4 tries to cut her one good!
Final Stats: 67,19
Roll: 62,22
Hit!
Shield%: 44 (miss)
Final Damage: 81
Abby counters!
Final Stats: 100!,26
Roll: 24,28
Hit
Final Damage: 308
Abby gains +2 exp!

Phobos #5 moves in to fire on Abigail!
She counters!
Final stats: 100!,29
Roll: 55,5
CRITICAL!
Final Damage: 349!
KABOOM!
Abby gains +12 PP, +25 EXP!

Edited November 16, 2019 by SnakeMomMelissa

Xinnidy · November 16, 2019

"Another missile volley! Get rid of their 'fish'!"

Chaldene #1 decides to bombard Tycho again!

Chaldene #1 attacks!
Target: Velite Mk.III-M (Tycho)
Weapon: Missile Barrage
Tycho chooses to evade!
Final Hit: 22/2 = 11
Final Crit: 7
Roll: 29, 5
Miss!

That... could've been bad.

Chaldene #2 moves closer and fires its guns at Tycho as well!

Chaldene #2 attacks!
Target: Velite Mk.III-M (Tycho)
Weapon: AA guns!
Final Hit: 36
Final Crit: 27
Roll: 47, 23
Miss!

Tycho counters!
Weapon: Xiphos
Final Hit: 100
Final Crit: 13
Roll: 14, 21
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 62

Tycho gains +10 EXP!

Whew!

All other enemies close in!

Player Phase/Turn 6

The fight goes on...

Victory Conditions:
Defeat all enemies!

Loss Conditions:
The Riese is destroyed!

Battle Mastery:
Defeat Marianne and Astin in the same turn!

Stats!

Edited November 16, 2019 by Xinnidy

Phoenix · November 25, 2019

Revolutsiya (Chapter III)

"Капитан, враги! Прямо над нами!" The officer minding a radar console quickly pointed out a group of mobile suits directly overhead. The whole bridge was dismayed by the accuracy of the warp ... this was why. This was why they never loitered anywhere. Even if they had the time, insane ambushes like this could happen. Apotheosis was literally right on top of their mission target.

"Огонь АА!" Petya ordered a preemptive barrage of anti-air fire.

The Vaska's E-field protected the ship from the enemy's weapons, and the AA guns forced them to spread out and keep their distance momentarily. That was long enough for several mobile suits to step out onto the Vaska's catapults, ladened with heavy weaponry.

"Orders, Sir?!"

"Заказы?"

"Все подразделения, заниматься!"

"As you command... Control, this is Haal'Sen in the Praxis Psi. Launching!" Her machine nearly jumped out of the hangar, blasting off into the sky, funnels releasing and spinning alongside her. The T-Link was ready, for emergency use. Hopefully no problems would arise, big enough to necessitate use.

"Does this line still function? Haal'Sen? How amusing, to see you working for the humans." A smug voice had entered her machine, a line she couldn't block.

"Tch... Khiia'Sar. To what do I owe the honor?" Rook, serving under Shia'Naar, with an insufferable personality towards those under her.

"I simply wished to see what had become of the queen's offspring. I am rather disappointed... I can only assume the humans defeated you... Is that Raay'Xel, as well? Hah! The both of you! How amusing!"

"Silence!" Haal'Sen bit back, snarling over the comms. "You will not insult my Liege! He is a better pilot than you shall ever imagine to be!"

"I would like to see you utter those words when your Gamma is a smoldering wreck. I shall take great effort to dismantle you both, just to hear you beg."

"Rahh!" Haal'Sen slammed mute, as she couldn't cut the line. Rooks had authority over their comm lines, a feature she'd forgotten to address. 'Gabriel, allow us to setup their leader so you may end her. My comms are locked, I assume Raay'Xel's will soon be as well... It is something I shall have to address after we win this.' Thrusters to max, Haal'Sen's fury would fuel her funnels.

Oh? Now this was an amusing turn of events. Was that Khiia'Sar? Oh now this... this was just wonderful.

"Khiia'Sar. To think I would see you again... I had hoped it would come to pass, but I had no belief I would have such excellent fortune" Raay'Xel chimed in, the Zeta taking off and swapping to it's plane form in a single, smooth motion, racing through the air ahead of Haal'Sen due to the transformation.

"A part of me always did want putting you into the ground to be how I ascended to Rook. That position means nothing to me now, but shutting your mouth will be no less pleasurable all the same!"

Haal'Sen's comms were locked? Well, it was certainly inconvenient, but at least the confrontation with Juliya had prepared Gabriel for authoritative shenanigans like these. As long as they could still coordinate, Gabriel could serve as a line between his knights and the rest of his allies. At this range, it shouldn't be a problem anyhow. "Alright, I'll be there in a moment," he said, launching the Archangel into the air and moving toward the impending showdown.

Quickly, Gabriel found that not all of their enemies necessarily had to warp in all at once. A brilliant green flash marked the arrival of the second wave of enemies, and they were right in front of him. The lead unit was a rather hefty looking machine with what looked like beam cannons sticking out from its backpack in a star-like pattern. Those cannons were the least of Gabriel's worries, as the lead unit wasted no time in aiming its largest gun directly at him. Before he could open fire, an intense blue beam nearly claimed his machine's head. Someone was a fairly accurate shot with the beam smartgun. Violet and yellow streaks followed swiftly as the unit began to scatter in midair.

"GACHIRIN!!!" Juliya's rage came out over an open channel as she and her team came flying in at supersonic speeds, guns blazing.

"I take it she knows that one," Gabriel noted awkwardly. Now might be a good time to get back on track. "I'll leave them to your team."

"GOOD!!! Nemesis Squad, it's time! We're going to annihilate this bastard once and for all!"

"Let him through and spread out," the lead unit ordered, his voice more than just calm. He actually sounded like this was merely practice. "We have to deal with the hunters, first."

Once and for all ... this was definitely personal. Best to focus on Khiia'Sar. Gabriel took a longer route, but transforming into plane mode bought back his lost time as he closed in on Haal'Sen and Raay'Xel.

"You always were overly smug of your position, weren't you, Raay'Xel? It is time the two of you runts were put in their place! Kill them!" Khiia'Sar was more than content to sit back and watch, three of each Gamma model charging after the traitors.

"Khhh..." 'Raay'Xel, here's where our machines get pushed to their limits! I trust you can handle this!' Haal'Sen met the incoming charge with funnel and rifle fire, attempting to drive off the other two machines, while dodging and weaving past their beam weapons. The i-Field would likely manage to deflect everything, but wasting power in such a crucial fight was pointless.

Beams clashed as the middle unit collided with Haal'Sen, the others attempting to sandwich her, once again being met with funnels to drive them off. Of course, this meant Haal'Sen would receive the same, having to push the other machine away to dodge sudden beams. She fired as she disengaged, shots colliding and piercing the enemy Gamma's i-Field, charring and melting outer plating.

"You shall not defeat me! I fight for a better, more worthy purpose now! COME, SLAVES!" Roaring ahead, her machine began to faintly glow again. Though not as strongly as before, her funnels began moving faster and targeting more precisely. Continued pressure on the same points of the enemies i-Fields was beginning to make them give way, small char lines of beam colliding with metal appearing on limbs. Once again, one attempted to charge her, beam sabers clashing. This would not be over so easily.

"Me? Smug of my position? Hah! Hahah! You say such things, Khiia'Sar? Glad to know you learned humour while I've been away!" Came the riposte from Raay'Xel, as the battle began in earnest. It seemed that Khiia'Sar was content to allow her pawns to be taken before entering the fray... an advantage she would soon regret squandering. Three gammas, was it? Well luckily, her Zeta was specially designed with Praxis units in mind.

Thrusters at maximum, the Zeta rocketed into the enemy formation in plane mode, bits spreading out at her wings as they began to focus fire on the sacarian in centre position. Not that they would do much aside from but a small amount of stress on the I-field, but that was fine. Her enhanced mobility had already caught the gammas off guard, and closing the distance far more quickly than they could have been prepared for, a little bit of stress on the I-field was all her sabre needed...

"Come, give battle in place of your Rook, if she will not move!" Raay'Xel roared, the drive-by slashing immediately successful. Evading the incoming fire with an agile roll, and smashing through the Gamma's I-field through a small breach from her bits, the lead Gamma's armas well as the rifle it had been holding dropped to the ground below in a burning lump, the Zeta charging past and wheeling around on a dime, preparing for another pass.

Gabriel's frustration began to show on his face as he was headed off by two Praxis Gammas before he could reach Haal'Sen and Raay'Xel. His opponents wasted no time in unleashing hell in his general direction. Taking advantage of his speed and angle of attack, Gabriel flew higher and faster to outrun their beam weapons. Keeping himself above his opponents also spared Statlas unnecessary damage from stray shots. That was the last thing they needed right now ...

"Let's see what Wade's modifications can do for me."

An icon, a rough 'X' shape made with a pistol and short blade, caught Gabriel's eye. He prepped the hologram array and began to guide the Archangel toward the two Gammas. It was probably a good thing he didn't know exactly what would happen when he activated the system since the Sacarians might see through it too quickly, otherwise. Wade had only managed general descriptions, nothing Gabriel could quite picture without a demonstration. For the moment, he could only focus on weaving through the incoming fire, but it was by no means easy. "A little closer ..."

Or maybe not! Gabriel had to slow down fast to avoid being engaged at melee range from both flanks. Fortunately, he was fast enough, and as the Archangel transformed back into MS mode, the two Sacarians converged on the spot where he would have been, leaving them both exposed and floating right in front of him.

Gabriel went ahead and hit the icon, and his visor promptly 'explained' the situation to him. A small figure representing the Archangel appeared in front of him and toward the bottom of his field of view. This little mockup, Gabriel realized, was showing him what the hologram array's illusion would look like from the outside. That was useful for two reasons. One, it would let him know what he was doing, and two, if the Sacarians could only look into his mind for a moment, the illusion would be the first thing they noticed, which could help reinforce the deception. Acting quickly, Gabriel made his move, keeping an eye on that representation he was throwing up. It was currently heading for the Sacarians with the repurposed beam saber, but the real Archangel's flight module flipped up as it approached, giving the two gauss guns a clear shot at both of them.

"There!" The guns fired, sending two hyper velocity rounds into both units. The I-fields didn't soften the blows even a little. The outer shell of one's cockpit was partly exposed, but the pilot refused to quit. The other's chest armor was mangled almost beyond recognition, but they weren't going to back down, either. Both units quickly peeled away from each other to avoid an easy follow-up. That was when the shooting started, again ...

Were Gabriel and Raay'Xel doing alright? Haal'Sen paused a moment to glance a them, only to be caught in another beam clash, cursing her situation. "I need... To thin, these numbers...!" Breaking away once more, Haal'Sen found herself chased by the two others, the third staying back to fire. Perhaps the shots that had penetrated it previously had done more damage than expected... "That one dies first!" Funnels flying, she attempted to break off the chase, to varying success. One was drive off, the other continuing to gun after her.

"Hrrghh... I hate this flight mode, but it will have to do!" Stopping her acceleration, her machine began to fall, only to swap into its plane mode and dart back towards the far away Praxis. Surprised, its funnels flew in front of it, Haal'Sen letting their beams impact harmlessly against her i-Field. "You are MINE!" Reforming MS mode in a flash, her suit's glow escalated, the enemy Praxis freezing in the air, fidgeting as it tried to move. Haal'Sen grunted at the mental weight of her manuever, controlling her machine and stalling the other at the same time, but kept her charge all the same! "Die!"

The beam over her saber crashed against the i-Field, bright sparks flying past her as it dissipated, blade underneath colliding with the shoulder of the enemy machine. "Hhhhrhrhhh... HRAHHHH!" Metal crunched, as the blade found its way into the less protected sheets, slicing clean into the cockpit. All motions stopped, Haal'Sen letting the machine go, the thrusters giving out, the metal carcass plummeting to the ground. The beam reformed as the field slipped away, Haal'Sen turning her machine. The other Gamma models had stopped a moment, the display causing the pilots inside to feel fear for the first time. Humans were nothing. Another of their race, possessing powers they hadn't seen before? Terror.

Though startled and addled with fear, they soon began their approach again, meeting funnel fire with rifle blasts as they dashed through the sky. Haal'Sen could only smirk, heavy as her breathing was. "Now you know what drives me. Be scared. Be terrified! I am a Knight sworn to Gabriel's service! You are BENEATH ME!"

Now how to handle the other two? With it's rifle gone, the lead Gamma unit wasn't especially a threat anymore... it would need to rely on it's sabre, which could do some damage, but with her superior speed and mobility, so long as she didn't allow herself to be bogged down, that opponent would never be able to do anything to her aside from mild harrying with it's bits... annoying, but manageable. Still, best to get it out of the way. How about...

Deploying her other set of bits, the remote blades swarmed in towards the damaged praxis. Darting around the incoming counter-fire was easy enough, and an opponent expecting the bits to fire back was entirely unprepared for the reality of the matter, as several pointed fangs tore into the Gamma, rendering it's I-field useless in response. They were simply too small and numerous for the machine's sabre, and it was swiftly and efficiently torn to pieces, a smoldering cockpit falling to the ground, only to detonate as it's damaged reactor fully failed. With that taken care of, Raay'Xel was able to bank hard to her left, taking two shots at the foe on that side with her rifle, both beams connecting with the I-field and-

Solidifying on impact. This had been one of the toys she had wanted to put to action the most. The lava mod for her G.B.R. had done it's work, bypassing the I-field and gumming up the Praxis Gamma's joints. Poor thing couldn't even properly draw it's sword, as the Praxis Zeta transformed into MS mode in it's face, and plunged it's plasma stake through it's chest, impaling the cockpit and pilot in a single, brutal strike. Turning to her final opponent, Raay'Xel made sure to keep Khiia'Sar in the back of her mind. Being stabbed in the back would be no way for this to end.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Phoenix

Phoenix · November 25, 2019

(Sorry for double post but there's a spoiler tag in my last one and they ALWAYS break if I so much as glance at them)

Brant casts Strike!

Nanami Touko · November 25, 2019

Time for some mass spirits!

Chris cast Daunt on Hexis, Tristan cast Devote on Chris, cast Devote on Jez, Jez cast Attune on Hannah, Attune on Aliza, Christina casts sense!

It seemed as though their attacks were going off without a hitch... For now. There was mostly just the big machines left to deal with... One of them still going after Kim like a fly on shit. "HEY!" One missile broke free and dove for it, exploding against its barrier. "Catnip for brains!" Hopefully Chris had his attention, at least for now... "Two down, two to go! You talk it up like you're tough shit, but your big bad buddies are already hamburger in their suit's remains! What makes you so special!?"

"Grrgh... Foolish human, your mouth is the only powerful thing you have!"

Tristan, meanwhile, was still trying to get a handle on the battle. The Riese, damaged as it was, had managed to get a moderately clear picture of the battle. "Brant, Chris, come in. I'm going to be updating everyone with recent scans, in a moment, but since you're so in the thick of things..."

"Whoa, that was close...!" Christina still didn't get why that huge machine wouldn't leave them alone, but Kim was still on top of things... For the moment. It was then that Astin's Luna warped past them, Christina scowling at the enemy machine. "Kim..." The Ceres was fleeing, too... "I think they're trying to run. We should stop them!" It was a lot easier to get a lock on the Apotheosis machines, over the Sacarian ones, Christina getting the Artemis at the ready to attack, should Kim choose to.

Xinnidy · November 30, 2019

"They're escaping, Major, let's get to them." Lynx continued anxious despite their victory. With the Apotheosis forces thinning, it felt like part of their duty to not let any exceptional mobile suits escape. Fighting that Luna again would only push more on their plate later.

"We'll have to trust the others. These machines are above our specs, unfortunately." Bonner continued to approache the battlefield in a pragmatic manner, the Mantle had taken flight as a jet again, reticles already aimed at an Apotheosis unit. "That said, we can cull the herd."

The Mantle transforms to plane mode, becomes airborne, moves to 10,17, uses Hip Beam Cannons, supported by the Regalia's Hyper Beam Rifle, on Saturn #3.

Bonner flies in!

(phone formatting, bear w me)

Bonner attacks! Target: Saturn #3

Weapon: Hip Beam Cannons

Final Hit: 100; Final Crit: 13

Roll: 8, 88; Hit! No Crit!

Damage: 38

Saturn #3 counters!

Weapon: Wrist Beam Gatlings

Final Hit: 71; Final Crit: 22

Roll: 97, 9; Miss!

Brant provides support fire!

Weapon: Hyper Beam Rifle

Final Hit: 100; Final Crit: 28

Roll: 34, 44; Hit! No Crit.

Damage: 63

Bonner gains +20 EXP, +2 Will! Lynx gains +40 EXP, +2 Will! Brant gains +10 EXP!

A tough nut to crack!

Edited November 30, 2019 by Xinnidy

Phoenix · December 1, 2019

Brant moves to 11,20, uses Propellant Tank and Chris attacks Marianne with the TK Missiles!

Edited December 21, 2019 by Phoenix

Nanami Touko · December 6, 2019

Vera becomes airborne, moves to 9,16 uses Pulse Kunai supported by Hannah's RM-51 on Gamma 1!

Louise casts Strike, moves to 10,15 uses Danse Macabre on Astin!

"There's no running from a battle like this, Astin~!"

Xinnidy · December 9, 2019

Brant swoops in first!

Brant attacks!
Target: Ceres (Marianne)
Weapon: TK Missiles
Final Hit: 100!
Final Crit: 16
Roll: 21, 39
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 131

Marianne counters!
Weapon: Wired Fist
Final Hit: 14
Final Crit: 19
Roll: 15, 76
Miss! So close!

Brant gains +10 EXP!

Vera takes it to the skies!

Vera attacks!
Target: Praxis Gamma #1
Weapon: Pulse Kunai
Final Hit: 86
Final Crit: 27
Roll: 8, 91
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 128

Praxis Gamma #1 counters!
Weapon: Proto ESP Bits
Final Hit: 40
Final Crit: 3
Roll: 17, 14
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 133

Hannah provides support fire!
Weapon: RM-51
Final Hit: 100!
Final Crit: 4
Roll: 2, 84
Hit!
No Crit.
Damage: 104

Vera gains +5 EXP!
Hannah gains +15 EXP!
Hannah levels up!

Vera casts Strike![-15SP]

Louise has a few words for Astin!

Louise attacks!
Weapon: Danse Macabre
Final Hit: 100!
Final Crit: 100
Hit!
Crit!
Damage: 318!

Astin counters!
Weapon: Liquid Metal Blade
Final Hit: 40
Final Crit: 50
Roll: 82, 9
Miss!

Louise gains +5 EXP!

Whew!

Edited December 9, 2019 by Xinnidy

Ether · December 11, 2019

They were whittling away at the Sacarian forces, and one of the Knights had perished. As much as the pilot of that hulking suit was spouting bravado, so long as he kept swinging at the Artemis, Kim could keep him contained. The battle was turning in their favour, they just needed to get in a few more decisive blows. When Christian pointed out that the Luna, with Astin inside, was fleeing, Seung-Min paused for a moment. By all accounts they should let them run, save the energy and ammunition for targets that were staying to fight and focus on dealing as hefty a blow to the Sacarian forces as possible, but... this was personal. And Christina already had a lock on the Luna.

"You're right, Chrissy. We can't let them get away." Seung-Min replied, the Artemis' twin railguns firing up and blasting the retreating Luna with hot metal. Astin wasn't... really the Apotheosis target that was truly personal, but Av- Marianne was outside of their range. They'd never catch her before she got away, they would have to depend on the others. Brant and Chris were already working at it, they would simply need to trust they could handle it.

"Brant, Chris, Hannah... we're a bit too far off to help in chasing her down, but... I- we're trusting you to take that bitch down. If the cockpit survives, don't kill her until I get to rough her face up a little, okay?"

Kim attacks Astin with 115mm Twin Railguns, and moves to 10,12 with Hit&Away

Phoenix · December 12, 2019

Close. Marianne almost landed a hit on the Regalia, but neither the counter nor Brant's quick maneuver to evade it through off his aggression. The traitor wasn't getting away this time ... though from the sound of things Kim was worried there wouldn't be enough left for her. Likely true. "Can't make any promises, but you can bet we'll get her," Brant tried not to chuckle. Chris wasn't about to risk Marianne escaping a second time, not even for a good show. They would just have to split the traitors fifty-fifty. "Hannah, she's still on the move! Let's end this!"

Revolutsiya (Chapter IV)

Petya grit his teeth as two of the enemy mobile suits descended on the Vaska. Even with his own pilots firing from the catapults, things were packed in too tight, and the bridge was completely exposed, a fact the enemy was keenly aware of. Things looked dire when a Gamma's bits shot down all the missiles fired at it, and stopped right in front of the bridge, beam rifle poised for destruction.

"Not so fast!" The Gamma was suddenly tackled in midair by a Crown, its pilot intent on protecting the ship at any cost. "Don't worry about me, just blow him out of the sky!"

Petya wasn't ready to lay down that much friendly fire, but his mobile suit pilots had just seen their captain dead to rights and were having none of it. The Volkovs began firing a hellish barrage of missiles that quickly engulfed both the Praxis Gamma and the Crown restraining it. One of the Volkovs was promptly lanced by a beam rifle fired from the other Gamma, forcing the others to focus their attention on it. Petya could only cringe as his pilot and the Sacarian both plummeted to the bottom of the drydock in flames ...

Just the one left. The Vaska wasn't in position to fight back with its larger guns, and the AA turrets could inflict enough damage. The Sacarian pilot knew what they were doing, and learning from their colleague's failed attempt on the bridge, they stayed directly above the superstructure, denying all but the AA turrets and the mobile suits a clear shot at it. Taking aim at the catapults, the Praxis began shooting at the remaining two Volkovs, forcing them to take shelter inside the fore launch bays while their weapons reloaded. There was one other Crown and a Throne present, but their beam weapons weren't causing enough damage due to its I-field.

"We need reinforcements," a comms officer said, clearly discouraged by the loss of the previous pilot, as well as the enemy directly overhead. It couldn't take out the bridge easily now, but it was only a matter of time before it moved into position and took out the bridge.

"Oh good, I made it in time," a young woman's voice came over the radio, shaking the comms officer, "Vlad said you guys needed help!"

"It's a Throne," one of Petya's men offered with a shrug. He and just about everyone else doubted a Statlas Throne was going to last long against that crafty Gamma, but if she could buy their own pilots time to regroup, maybe ...

"Funnels!" As the Throne raced over the top of the drydock, the crew got a good look at it, and sure enough, there were two funnels speeding off ahead of it straight toward the Praxis Gamma. The machine shot first, aiming to hit either the funnels or the unit behind them, but the Throne rolled out of the way, and the pilot's funnels broke off, letting the beam pass between them before zigzagging closer and closer to their target ... and they weren't bothering to fire their own guns ...

"Kamaaakazeee!"