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

[sweet podado]

Another giggle.  "No problem at all dear, and thank you~.  I tend to show off a bit when around lovely ladies such as yourself.  Granted I don't know how you look like yet but.... well, hopefully we'll find out soon," she chirped.  So far all she's been in contact with were human females, which to her was a dream come true, and if she had any luck they'd be just as wonderful as they sounded.

Clearly she had chosen the right path.

[Phoenix]

The Reign made it back to the Avalon almost as quickly as it'd left. Firmia's prize prisoner, Carlos, was still trapped in his Rhea's brutally dislodged cockpit, but Tonya had him firmly in her mobile suit's arms as she touched down inside the port side launch bay. The timing couldn't be better with those Hyperions closing in. "Galahad here. Retrieval successful. ... maybe. ... I know Firmia didn't send me out there to bring back a corpse for her to kick around ..."

The elevator ride down into the MS hangar was a tense one, twenty-some seconds of wondering how her cargo was doing, and whether or not she failed. Admittedly, Tonya had a tiny personal stake in Carlos' survival, as well. By some miracle she'd been given the chance to meet the Apotheosis pilot that tried to take her and everyone else out face to face. She really hoped she hadn't blown it here. She understood Firmia's need to confront him in person, even just once.

The Reign arrived safely in the hangar, and carefully made its way toward its dock, just past the Regalia's. Before settling back into place, Tonya carefully ... oh so carefully set down the Rhea's cockpit. "Sorry for the mess," Tonya said over the comms, "he got tossed pretty hard out there ..."

"What a tidy woman," Sasha snickered as he eyed the 'mess.' It was about what you'd expect from a battle that fierce, but it wasn't like the androids would be scrapping the pilot out of there with a pair of spatulas. "Stephanie, Jessica, you're up. Let's get him out of there--cautiously, and see if he's going to the brig or the infirmary." Hopefully Carlos wouldn't get any funny ideas now that he was inside an enemy ship. Suicidal maniacs were the worst ...

---

Cheryl was on board, and taking the more appropriate of the two roles, so Olivia could sit this one out, Megumi supposed. She truly hadn't signed on for this. Megumi got started extracting the bullets, glad she wasn't causing Alriana any pain and getting instantly kiboshed as a result. The first bullet came out easily enough, and Megumi kept a good pace, though she was inevitably falling behind Cheryl. Her colleague only had to spray a spot a couple of times and then move on, while the doctor had to actually dislodge and remove those painful little projectiles, and then come back to close them up. Cheryl was done with the anesthetic well before Megumi was even a tenth of the way into her part. There was still the matter of keeping Alriana nice and calm, though.

---

"I'm not going to let myself get worn down like that, again," Brant assured Chris, "I'll be careful but it's not something we have to worry about right now." Only getting shot at and the like ...

Jessica thought he hadn't wanted to talk to her? Granted it was a titanic endeavor to even consider at times, but the last thing Brant wanted was to end all contact like this. That had been killing him little by little, figuratively in one sense and literally in another. At least from the look of things, the long silence was finally over. With that came the risk of having to face that pairing he dreaded so much, but for now it was just Jessica. It was almost enough to make the pain stop, but it hadn't, because deep down he knew that very little had changed in the grand scheme of things.

In spite of that, in spite of the situation, and this damn battle ... or perhaps because of the battle, he had this, a little time with her that wasn't completely poisoned by grief. "I appreciate hearing that, Jess. Really. Thanks."

Edited September 21, 2018 by Phoenix

[Shin]

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. 

[Balcerzak]

Alright, her tag team with mysterious pilot X had worked out pretty well, never mind the fact that the blow that finally scared the Ganymede off for good came from the long range backup somewhere behind the pair. Abigail was half tempted to go for a robot high five, but maybe that would have come off as a little weird?

...nevermind, the other girl was already weird. 'My powers are needed elsewhere!' The line wouldn't necessarily have sounded so strange if not for the utterly serious manner in which it was delivered. Shaking her head, Abby tried to imagine another delivery... no, still pretty odd no matter how you shook it. The advice from the Crescent wasn't exactly flawed either, but it didn't sit well with her regardless. "Retreat, now? While we have the advantage. Like hell. I just gotta make sure I close in inside their minimum range. I've got this."

Jetting the trusty Heracles forward, Abigail, pulled up between some base structures that hadn't yet been turned to rubble as the destruction had rained down on the turrets and ANF mobile suits that had been in the area, popping out long enough to deliver some serious plasma stakes into one of the bombardment specialists.

Abby moves to 29,18, use Plasma Buckler on Saturn 8

 

---

 

Kim had come to him with an odd request. Thorvald bit his lip as he considered it. Objectively it felt like it would be a better fit if their roles were reversed. He and the Odin would clearly be better suited to helping defend Tarquin from another onslaught from the furious Rhea model that had charged the boy. But the idol's 'preoccupation' had clearly got the better of her, as her suggestion hadn't been really offered as a matter for discussion, when she charged in like a bull seeing red as soon as Tarquin managed to create an opening, scarcely waiting for his feedback on the matter. ...She was using that dangerously experimental new system again, wasn't she? There'd be some talking to be done after this was all over, that's for sure.

How had he seemed like the best fit? First deploy in the monstrous tank/suit hybrid, still getting a feel for the full arsenal? That sure was some trust she had in him. Thorvald had to make sure not to disappoint. It was a touch odd that Brant wasn't getting involved in this as well, as Seung-Min had made it seem like it was his idea to begin with, but given how chaotic everything was, the Regalia must just have been tied up elsewhere. Hannah picked up his slack though, and the two of them had been thick as thieves of late, so that made sense.

The delicate operation needed all his attention, so he had to pass the buck on making contact with the 'alien' in the white, blue, and gold. Astin did him proud by stepping up to the plate on that one, and let him rest easy as he focused on making as deliberate approach as possible, and unleashing quick tight burst with his most accurate weapons equipped, only unleashing another salvo when it was obvious the previous one had not been sufficient to finish the job. Sweat was dripping from his brow, and he found himself holding his breath to see if things were successfully, eyes quickly darting between the optical feed, and sensors displaying the Metis's thermal and electrical signals. It shouldn't be possible to do too much damage... shouldn't be. But was it enough?

Thorvald casts Mercy, moves to 14,19, use Machine Cannon on Metis

Edited September 23, 2018 by Balcerzak

[Nanami Touko]

Spray Calm

"Alright... That's that done... I guess things are going fine on your end, Megumi. Alriana, things are going to be okay." The doctor shuffled over to the other side of the bed, gently holding onto the alien's hand. "We'll go and get you something to eat when Megumi is done here. What do you like to eat?" Depending on how long the Sacarians had been here, they might've been feeding her locally caught foods. If not... They could experiment. With teeth like that, she was clearly a carnivore, and they had plenty of meat on board...

Rest, no Relaxation

"Heh... You're welcome, Brant. Go finish up this fight. We can... We can talk later. I'm going to try and rest, process a lot of this... That pun wasn't on purpose, I promise." Process indeed. "Do your best." That was about as chipper as Jess was going to get, sighing and opening the door to her room. The comms went off, she bit her lip... "One more for you." Jess sent a quick message to Abby that consisted solely of 'I'll be in my room.' Hopefully that wouldn't distract her... And give her a decent direction for where to head if she wanted to help with this.

Apprehend

"[Affirmative. One moment, please.]"

Stephanie stood back, as Jessica approached the cockpit, wrenching it open with little finesse, and giving a look inside, eyes lighting up to brighten the interior. Carlos was there, nursing his arm, not seeming like he was going to be putting up much of a struggle. Jessica moved out of the way, Stephanie stepping forward to inspect.

"[He appears injured, but otherwise well. Please release yourself from your harness and place your hands behind your head as best as you can. Any struggle will be perceived as an act of retaliation, and we will apply force to restrain you.]"

Thorvald steps in to put the capture on C3!
He casts Mercy!
(94% 16%)
(41% 11%)
More than enough!
"Systems unresponsive... Suit shutting down. Raul, orders...?"
Thorvald gains +400 EXP, +5 will!
Thorvald levels! Stats pending!

Purasuma Steiku, Setto!
(100% 27%)
(22% 79%)
A hit!
40 dommage!
The saturn goes goes for the counter, and!
(95,81)
not bothering to check that one, nice miss loser
Abby gains +35 exp, +2 will!
Abby levels! Stats pending!

Calling "Home"

Jess made her way into her room, and sat down on the bed... Her arm had stopped sparking, though there was still a noticeable gash in it. It had mostly closed up, maybe one of the mechanics could repair the rest of it? "Okay... I'm still... I'm still kind of panicking, but I have to try and figure this all out at some point, don't I?" Jess sighed, closing her eyes.

Alright... Computer... Me? Show all active programs. It was horrifying and enlightening, a list of everything was was making her run popped up in her mind's eye. From breathing to bathroom, every function was there, sorted into different categories... Including...

"Dammit," she whimpered, fears coming true in an instant. Apotheosis surveillance program. Apt... "Can I even access this? Er... Access Surveillance Program."

'Permission granted', the voice in her head notified her, as she found log after log of... Meetings, her leisure time... A hefty sigh, thankfully there didn't seem to be anything of her more private moments with Abby. But... Can I delete these? Or, even access the source? I can try...

"Connect to source of program... Me."

'Connecting.'

It only lasted a moment, as video feed of a blonde woman sitting at a desk appeared in Jess' brain. "Wait, that's... Helena! You!"

The feed was entirely dark. Helena expected Jessica to have used this time to sleep after the high-stress situation she was put in, but... something off had happened.

While she took this time to check on Jessica's memories, a warning had popped up on her screen. The program was being accessed from the source, a second user that quickly halted Helena's process. Furrowed brow, shocked but stubborn, Helena tried to access Jessica's databases again... and was greeted by her voice. Her name being outed was enough of a tup. "...In the flesh, Jessica, I take it you learned about the program. That was very quick." Now that would be interesting...

Staying calm was no longer on the cards, full system override. "You... H... How dare you? You've been using me this entire time to spy on my crew? My own damn ship!? How dare you!?" Jess was furious, rapidly searching for anything she could do with-- Logs. There were so many... "Helena... Tell me, tell me what happens if I delete all of these logs. Do they delete them on your end? Let's find out..." Select all, delete. Jessica's hard drive was quickly erasing every video log that she'd held stored on her end. If Helena had backups, it didn't matter to Jess. She wasn't going to be getting any more.

Well, that was already a reaction and a half. Helena wasn't getting any more feed if the android could do something about it, now. It did leave the commander a bit frustrated. "You shouldn't even have found that." Something went wrong, horribly so. "If you just want to spit on my face and clean your data... well, you're already doing it." She spoke, matter-of-factly. "Everything we've saved, though, isn't just on your hard drive." A backup plan she didn't expect to use this late... yet here they were.

"Fine. I don't care. Go fuck yourself." At least she was wiping herself clean, 'shouldn't have even found that', too bad you egotistical maniac. "This is the last time you'll get to see anything of the Riese. The last time you get to use me to try and betray the people I'm supposed to trust, and who are supposed to trust me. You disgust me to my core... I don't care if that core is metallic, I can still feel it. I'm getting you out of my head for good!"

"Such pointless aggression..."Helena sighed, though her demeanor remained rather neutral, past the initial surprise. "You already know my grasp within the Riese is stronger than just you. Now, the application was supposed to be robust enough to endure your attempts... let's see how much of that is true." Somehow, that woman must have been prepared for this. Despite how much she attempted to keep her stone face, Helena couldn't hide the disappointment in her tone. "I've got to give my thanks to the genius that decided you should try to integrate society as a human, that Admiral. Did he really not expect me to make use of that, with zero risk of suspicion?" She scoffed. "What a naive old man."

"Just what is your end goal!? I can't understand why you're doing all of this! Allying with aliens, killing everyone, to what end!? At this rate there won't be a human race to reform!" Jessica's anger wasn't pointless at all, this woman was insane! Alphonse should have told me... But I know now. And I'm not going to let this station go to waste. There was the program. It was tied into a lot of her own systems... There would probably be some damage deleting all of it, but did she care? "I'm not some machine... Whoever programmed me made me living, thinking, and not just some tool."

"If the aliens were left alone, do you think they would have opted for friendly contact? The ANF and EU are already looking for an excuse to start a war as it is... no, that's a perfect recipe for disaster." Helena barked out in defense, annoyance clear in her tone. There was some repressed anger at the alien's recent actions, that was for certain. "This is a critical point. We've achieved contact, and it's our turn to go to the stars. What do you think the aliens will do if we're too busy on our internal conflicts?" She flinged words aggressively, leaning forwards to the monitor, giving Jessica a closer look to her face. "Apotheosis is trying to put this game to an end. The ANF and EU should be relics of the past."

A huff, Helena calmed down, posture receding. She'd said her piece, and what Jess had to say about herself was of less impact to her person. "You're a technological marvel. If you think yourself a sentient being, that's probably what you are... I don't know what ANF's plans are for you, but I doubt they are any better." She paused, "You and the Riese are a singularity in this war." Something that should not be, for certain...

"Then we'll stop the aliens too, and figure this all out, like people, not monsters!" Big words, Jessica couldn't solve the year long disputes between the ANF and the EU by herself, but certainly there had to be a way to do it without destroying each other.

"If Alphonse knew, then he had some idea. Some idea of what I should be doing... I'll see what he has to say, and make my own choices." There had to be a way Jess could cut into her and end this, at least with some shot, some... "Louise is dead. You're next." Jess hit delete on the program, the transmission cut off, and--

"Gghhkh!" A hefty chill rang through her being, like parts of her were being destroyed, but... Then, replaced. She felt different. "Hahh... Hahhh... What...?" The program was gone. Whatever it had been, was gone. Helena was gone, there was no trace of it, or anything foreign left in her system. Not that she could tell... There, was something else, though. "Interface...?" It wasn't labeled otherwise, and trying to activate it didn't do anything. "Maybe I need to use it with something..." She flopped, and hit the bed hard, sighing. "Right... Val's coming back with, hot cocoa... Today sucked." Between finding out about her immortality, having to confront the head of the organization they were fighting, and find a way forward... "I miss Abby..."

"You and Alphonse seem to think it can be done so simply... with the ANF weak as it is. Remember that the EU is still a threat. This will take far more than you think." She just couldn't understand that kind of people... whether Jessica identified herself as one or not. "People are going to die, even more than Apotheosis will take. There's a reason we use what we do."

Of course, Jessica just had the need to say the last word. Helena's grip on her chair tightened, her palms going pale, and not for the threat on her life. "Don't you think--...she, cut off." That was too fast, definitely messy. "Ugh, it's like she's a mini-Alphonse, so stubborn..." Helena sighed, "I don't know what I expected from your daughter, Tabitha..." It was what it was...

Helena shook her head, taking leave from her seat. Unfortunately, this was the least of her worries today... everything went wrong. No thanks to her allies. The organization couldn't afford to fall apart now, but there was a looming sense of eventuality surrounding the mobile fortress...

Edited September 21, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Nanami Touko]

Enemy Phase / Turn 05

Things had gone up in flames. Louise was dead, Fatima was dead, Carlos was in enemy hands. Duane had been forced to retreat, the Metis was no longer responding... And while they had dealt a severe blow to the ANF's central forces, the Riese, that monstrous battleship, remained functional, steadfast, and worst of all, fully armed. "Damn them, damn this whole engagement. This was not supposed to go with this way..."

"Raul, we'll hold them off. Take the rest of the forces and run."

"You..."

"The saturns aren't escaping anything, and if you warp out, they might still be able to catch your landing zone, and chase. We can't afford it, or losing you, along with everyone else... Take the ship and run!"

"... You're a noble soldier. To the rest of our forces, activate escape measures!"

Other than the Hyperions, every other unit on the field began to glow green, eventually disappearing, the Chaldene shortly after.

"Long live Apotheosis!" was the cry over open comms, as the Hyperions charged in towards the Riese!

#3 takes a swing at Brant!
(60,32)
Nope!
Brant counters with missiles!
(86,7)
Yep! Crit too!
52 damage!
Brant gains +20 exp, +3 will!

#4 tries its rifle!
(88,28)
Nadda!
Chris flings funnels his way!
(38,57)
A hit!
47 damage!
Brant gains +20 EXP, +3 will!

#6 tries to rifle Kim!
(21,10)
It's still a miss, nice alert!
Kim Hunts back!
(30,73)
Tastes like no crit!
153 damage either way!
Kim gains +20 EXP!

Player Phase / Turn 06!

Victory Condition: Defeat all enemies!
Defeat: Unlikely!
Battle Mastery: Achieved!
Go nuts.

[Ether]

With the Metis ceasing to move after Thorvald's assault, it seemed that the enemy were fed up with their assault, most of their forces warping away. Too late to save their comrades though, and a few stragglers were left behind, most likely to buy time.

"It's almost over... Chrissy. Let's finish this... up."

Kim casts Fury and attacks Hyperion 6 with MARS Mode S

[Nanami Touko]

Kim casts Fury! She hits and she crits!
Ain't no number checkin' for that one, that's a dead Hyperion.
Kim gains +200 EXP!
Kim levels! Evade/Accuracy/Defense!
Christina Learns TK-D Lv3! Christina Learns Sense!

[Ursali]

Cheryl's explanation did nothing to convince Alriana that she wasn't entirely strange, at least by the alien's standards. But it did give her thought about her actions. If she had decided to eliminate the crew before going after Jesicka, she'd be in a completely different situation. She likely would have still failed, as much as she'd like to think otherwise, and would probably not have been treated so kindly. It wasn't something she really wanted to think about. She turned her attention to Megumi pulling bullets out of her to distract herself; it was still amazing to her that she had stopped feeling pain before the doctor had started.

She looked up and gave the other doctor an inquisitive stare when Cheryl grabbed her hand. Was that supposed to mean something? Alriana didn't know, but she figured it did if Cheryl had chosen to do it. The question about her prefered food surprised her, not having expected to be asked such a question in the middle of being operated on. That was definitely strange. But still, she answered as basic as before. "I, like meat. Cooked," she clarified. She wasn't a "savage", whatever that was.

[scorri]

14-15, liquid sword Hype 3

[Phoenix]

Carnivores would be carnivores, Megumi thought as she got the last bullet out. With that finished, she quickly but carefully got to work sterilizing and applying SIEG at each site. Next came the special bandages that kept the wounds firmly closed but not pursed up at the surface. They had near thread like patches that all but seamlessly closed a wound when pulled across one another. Very simple, but much less invasive than stitches when they could be used. The applications went on quick and the bandages went on quicker, so it didn't take Megumi long to finish up once she got started.

"There," Megumi cracked a faint smile she wasn't even aware of, "Thank you for cooperating with us, Alriana. You can take those bandages off in a few hours, but for now, please don't mess with them." It was difficult to tell how much English Alriana understood versus how much she could speak. Megumi erred on the side of helpful body language. It might still be a big challenge communicating all around without Cheryl here, so she was glad her friend was one of the rare few aboard the Riese not having a hard time with this first contact business.

---

"They're leaving!" Firmia was only a little shocked by the green light show, but she had mixed feelings about the sudden but typical change in tactics. It was good to have them pull out before the Mantle suffered any further damage, but anyone they didn't take out today would be back for the next round. It was tiresome to say the least. Apotheosis was never going to truly commit to fighting the ANF. The cost of losing was simply too high. The cost for them had already catastrophic, and they should have pulled out as soon as the Regina went down ... but like stubborn gamblers at a casino, they wanted to get back at the house and recoup their losses, if not in gains for their own forces, then crippling losses for the ANF. No such luck, bastards ...

"This is the Captain to the hangar. Apotheosis just started their retreat. There are only a few units left. Suicide squad ... Get ready to start repair and salvage operations. I want salvage teams on the ground before the ANF even has time to get pictures of that wreckage." She had one more order to give, but it was for the Regalia team and she had to finish thinking it through, first ...

---

"Firmia's a real vulture when advanced tech's involved," Tonya mused as she stepped out of the Reign's cockpit. She left the helmet inside, figuring it would save her some time like it had here when the next emergency came up. "Almost ironic since this battle group is mopping the floor with them." She approached the edge of the walkway and took in the hangar. Things were starting to move with Firmia's orders coming down like they had. Down on the hangar floor nearby, Stephanie and Jessica were seeing to Carlos. Tonya grinned like a cat, pleased with her catch. If she got down there she'd get to see this cocky sniper in person before Firmia got to. Best to let the androids check him over first, though.

---

Jessica was always so quick to end things ... For now Brant just shifted his attention, considering the fight with Apotheosis a brief respite from his real struggles. At least he could win these fights with enough shots fired. Things were still going well and Apotheosis was pulling back its most important assets. It seemed like the Hyperions had fallen down notch or two in importance. Since they were staying behind, it was obvious how this was going to end. The handful of remaining enemies were paying the Regalia team special attention now that they were in clear view and flying low ...

"Here they come," Brant scowled at his monitor.

Attacking at the exact same time, two Hyperions tried to bring down them down, one with its buster sword, the other with its beam rifle.

"Need you on the other one," Brant said, momentarily switching the Regalia into MS mode as its funnels burst into action. The move slowed the Regalia down enough to let the incoming beam shot slip right in front of them and pass harmlessly by. As a bonus, slowing down so suddenly forced the sword wielder to move in even farther to take his swipe at the Regalia. By that time, Brant was ready with the hyper beam rifle's bayonet, and parried the attack before switching sides, giving his opponent one good look at the twin hatches of the shield's integrated missile launcher before one of the explosives burst out and careened into the machine's head.

As Brant pulled the Regalia up and shifted back into flight mode, he noticed the Metis going up against the Odin, Thorvald's new machine. Brant and Chris were out of position and couldn't help, yet. The timing couldn't have been worse, could it? ... on the other hand, Brant supposed all that really mattered when dealing with the Metis was making certain the clone inside wasn't killed in the chaos. Thorvald was certainly seeing to that. "We can head over and grab her as soon as they're out of the way," Brant grunted, preparing to push back or destroy the Hyperions, first. They wanted this meaningless, bloody battle, not the defenders, and they were going to get it.

Edited September 22, 2018 by Phoenix

[Xinnidy]

Astin attacks! Big bad liquid sword!

Roll: 73, 23! Hit and a crit!

That Hyperion couldn't even say its prayers!

Astin gains +200 EXP, 0 Will (capped)!

Astin levels up! +1 to melee, defense, and skill! +3 SP!

Even less hypes to deal with now!!!

---

Follow Peacefully

Carlos looked at the androids making a path silently. There was no point in fighting back now. "Hello, there." He continued to tend to his arm, shrugging. "Not a lot of harness left to deal with, whole place got banged up." He sighed, picking himself up on his good side. "I don't have a death wish, I'll follow." He spoke, almost monotone. There was certainly less life on Carlos' voice now. With a sigh, he complied, putting his good arm behind his head, but not both... for clear reasons. "I got banged up with some glass back there. If you guys are going to hold me around, I would really appreciate some treatment soon."

Turn of Events

That... had been another mass warp. Things were going to be faster than expected then. Wait, that means... we won. It was kind of amazing, with the atmosphere being so tense before. Roxanna expected a lot of sacrifices... well, there were plenty on ANF's side, but nothing on the Riese's crew. "I can't believe we did it... con, congratulations, everybody. All we need is to clean up these final few, and we're good to head back to HQ... good job."

[Nanami Touko]

All Patched up

"Okay. Okay! Awesome... You're gonna be alright." How great was this? Not only had they stopped the crew and the alien from tearing each other apart, they'd even managed to save her from bleeding out. This was great... It was just a matter of what to do now. Cheryl idly reached over and pet Alriana's hair again, smiling down at her. "You can sit up now." She let go of her hand and took a small step back, hands on her hips. "Is she alright to walk around for a bit, Megumi? I figure I can bring her to the cafeteria and fix something up. Let her do something other than sit here and worry... Unless Central or Jessica decide to do something, I want her to feel as safe as possible here." Cheryl gave Megumi a rather knowing glance, Cheryl didn't quite know, but she figured after some talks, how the Sacarians held her would come to light.

Compliant

"[His arm appears damaged. Applying careful restraint.]" Jessica stepped in and picked him up out of his harness, around his good arm, slowly carrying him out of the cockpit, before slinging that good arm over her shoulder, and holding him there. "[Thank you for your compliance.]"

"[Escorting Jessica towards... Firmia, orders, where do we bring Carlos?]" They didn't quite have a brig yet... Where would he be stored?

[Ursali]

Alriana examined the bandages covering her wounds. Her idle curiosity told her pick at them; however, she had been told not to do that so she listened to Megumi's instructions. She turned her attention to the doctor, making a point to make eye contact. There was an awkward moment of silence as she mentally pieced together her sentence. "Th-thank, you for... h-heal me. Not hurt, more." That was something the Sacarians had taught her; however, in this instance, it was genuine thanks. Before much more could be said, Cheryl drew her attention by petting her hair again. She hadn't paid it much mind before, there were much more pressing issues at the time, but now that things were under control that wasn't the case. It felt... nice, though Alriana didn't quite understand why.

At Cheryl's prompting, Alriana sat up on the bed. Were they going to go get food now? Cheryl had said they would when Megumi was done and for the moment that seemed to be the case. If they were going then she wanted to slip back into her armor. Even though she found it to be annoying to wear, she was still attached to the suit. It was the one thing here that was, without a doubt, hers. She slipped off the bed, bad leg first by mistake, and immediately regretted it. She wasn't used to having numb limbs so it came as quite the surprise that she couldn't put enough strength into her leg to steady herself. Her tail was still on the bed so she couldn't use it to regain her balance; instead, she reached out for something to support herself, managing to grab Cheryl's coat. However, she was already too far gone and only succeeded in pulling Cheyrl down with her. "S-Sorry!" she quickly blurted out.

[Nanami Touko]

Floored

"Alright, nice and easy there. Watch out for you leg, it might-- still be numb! Ah!" Luckily Alriana hadnt tugged too hard, so Cheryl had been able to catch herself on the end of the bed instead of finding herself on the floor... Still. "Maybe it would be best if I help you walk, for now." Doing her best to be gentle, Cheryl helped pull Aly back to standing, letting her take a second to adjust to any lingering numbness. "Are you gonna be alright?"

Edited September 22, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Ursali]

"...Yes," Alriana agreed as Cheryl helped her up. She probably should've waited to hear what Megumi was going to say about her being up and about, but she was used to being ushered out in a hurry. Before anything else she manoeuvred her tail under herself, ready to support her if she fell again. "I not... use? To no, feel. I suprise. Fine now, I think," she answered as she slowly put weight back onto her leg. It still felt a little off and she wasn't sure if she could walk on it unassisted just yet. "May need... help."

[sweet podado]

"Firmia honey, if you're done giving orders I'd loooove for you to assist me." Well that wasn't insinuating anything.  Nope.  

Vvi cast sense and fury, move to 15,17 and attack Hype 4 with Genocider, assisted by Firmia Avalon Funnels

[Nanami Touko]

Just lovely darlings~
(100!% 44%)
(73% 100%)
A hit! At least.
61 damage, huzzah~
Vvi dodges because Sense
Firmia support rolls on in
(100% 19%)
(66% 19%)
Ohhh, exact!
126 damage from her!
Vvi gains +25 EXP, will doesn't matter atm!
Firmia gains +10 exp!
 

[Shin]

It wasn't particularly surprising that Apotheosis had begun to flee, they'd lost most of their forces in their risky attack on the ANF base. Despite holding the base, it was clear their side had also taken its fair share of casualties. The battle had been intense, Tarquin had never been this physically exhausted from fighting before. Whilst the debriefing would likely be long,  he'd hopefully get a chance to rest afterwards.

Tarquin attacks Hyperion #1 with his High Precision Rifle

[Nanami Touko]

Dorkin goes, pewpew!
(100% 43%)
(27% 3%)
Nice hit~ 184 coming in
Tarquin gains +15 exp!

[Xinnidy]

Right Behind You!

These Saturns sure were trouble... but Makoto was unscathed, that was good. Deep inside, the boy still felt like he hadn't done enough, he was far less drained than some other pilots. Kim and Christina had gone all out, as did Elaine, surprisingly. It was... pretty hard to compete with them, with his unit, honestly. I need to... adapt more. He wasn't about to blame it on his machine, he trusted the Phalanx with all his heart, and sometimes that made the difference! No, he had to be daring, too.

"Victory goes to those with courage!" He kicked the engine to full speed, using the Phalanx's maneuverability, he launched a hook high into a building next to his target, drawing the line and sending the Phalanx jumping with its modest thrusters, it was enough propulsion to give it the height to climb atop the building. In the battlefield, all was fair, right? And at this advantaged point...

Flying or not, you're not safe from me! Makoto prepared the thrusters once more, already firing the pistol and missiles midair, until he stopped rising, peaking over the Hyperion. "貴方は百年早いだな！ナイトロン・キ ィィィィィィック！！" The guard trooped descended, leg-first, towards the bulky foe. 

Makoto moves out to (16,13) and readies an ALL OUT ASSAULT on Hyperion #1!

---

I get to roll apparently!

Makoto attacks!
Target: Hyperion #1
Weapon: All-Out Assault
Final Hit: 100
Final Crit: 50
Roll: 12, 2
Hit!
Crit!
Damage: 108!

Hyperion #1 is kicked into the ground!

Makoto gains +300 EXP, +3 Will (capped)!

Well, that was successful!

Elepha... Xenomorph In The Room

Some color had certainly escaped Mai's face as she looked at the being in front of her. Something completely mutant had been brought to the room, and was holding a conversation? English, broken as it was. And what was that tail?! A glimpse of her teeth seemed horrifying. Was that the thing causing noise outside?! They were breached by that... and were now treating it. I... I have to agree with the nurse. This is crazy.

"I... I, is this, what they're fighting out there?" She had to ask, figure out if she had the right to know. "I've only expected them to be fighting... humans. This one..." Why wasn't it under surveillance, or fighting back at all for that matter. "Is this a normal occurrence that I haven't been told about? Just... aliens, exist? And there are some with that terrorist group, or, with the ANF?" Mai wasn't even sure anymore, goodness. I'd have preferred if aliens were just a thing from Makoto's cartoons... She couldn't hide the fear and reluctance within her. "So what... what are we going to do about that one?" Best to... focus on the now, or something.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Xinnidy

[Phoenix]

Alriana tried to get up right when Cheryl asked if she was good to walk around. Apparently she wanted to take their alien patient to the cafeteria for some food. Both of them wound up on the infirmary floor. "Hopefully that answers your question," Megumi said, some of the excitement leaving her as she considered how best to handle the situation.

They had to be realistic, here. Noting Mai's reaction, the doctor decided it was best not to move the newest patient around, especially not down into the crew's area. Alriana may not have been a security risk at the moment, and they had judged that she didn't need to be put in the brig as a result, but it was still too soon to be doing anything else besides keeping her alive and healthy. Maybe after the mission debriefing, and sharing what they knew about Alriana, it would be less dangerous to take her to other parts of the ship. For now, it just plain wasn't a good idea.

"The rest of the crew hasn't been brought up to speed yet," Megumi said, nudging her head at Bennet while also thinking of Mai, "... or had time to process all of this. We need to wait and keep her here for now. It's fine if you want to bring her some food, though." All this while heading back over to the console Tiffany was waiting at to check on the pilot's data feed. Things were looking surprisingly good on this end, as well. It actually seemed like the tension was dying down as a whole, with Makoto standing out as overly excited at the moment. This could mean that the Riese Team's momentum was picking up and this battle would be over soon.

"I'm sorry for the scare, Mrs. Watanabe. To answer your questions, yes aliens exist, this one was working with Apotheosis in a manner of speaking, there might be more of them out there the team is fighting, and for now we're going to keep her here." Most of her answers likely wouldn't put Mai at ease, but it wasn't really meant to. The shock would wear off and when it did, she should be alright. Alriana wasn't doing anything to reinforce the fear that came with the unknown. In fact, it was more like watching a stray puppy take in her new surroundings. Almost.

---

As much as Firmia wanted to leave things to Marcia for a moment and go see Carlos now, the battle still wasn't quite finished, yet. That became painfully clear when their alien ally asked for her directly over the comm system. Firmia just wished she hadn't been so ... overly familiar in addressing her. This Vvi girl almost sounded intoxicated, though that didn't seem to be hurting her performance in the slightest. "Why certainly," Firmia replied, putting on her regal mask for a brief second.

Carlos would have to wait. Even as Firmia sent the Avalon's funnels in to fire on the same Hyperion as their new ally, Stephanie called back, asking where they should move Carlos. Firmia had the faintest urge to have them bring him right up to the bridge ... but she didn't want to be seen in a SKIN suit by the enemy, not even a helpless one. Carlos really would have to wait. "Take him to the infirmary and stay with him there. The battle's almost over so I'll be there, soon."

---

By the time they had gotten Carlos out of the embarrassing remains of his old death machine, Tonya had made it down to the ground floor and was listening to the tail end of their back and forth. "So you're the one that was giving us such a hard time back at Great Lie Base. Nice to finally meet face to face," she almost smirked. She kept things tame in light of the overwhelming Apotheosis casualties that were surely weighing on him. It would have been fair game after what happened at Great Lake Base, but that just wasn't her style. "Looks like it's straight to the infirmary ... You got injured during the fight, right? Not when I brought you back?"

Sasha watched from up by the Regalia's empty dock, wondering what kind of person they were dealing with. Was he like Louise? Did he bring enough sass with him to eventually make Firmia regret having him on the ship? Was he like Vera? Was he too simple minded and self limiting for a war like this? Was he just an elite mook being used by the former two? Something to think about ...

Edited September 23, 2018 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Party Pooper

Cheryl frowned at Megumi, but sighed a moment after, patting Alriana on the shoulder. "Fine. But I'm only agreeing with you because our new friend almost met the floor after one step. I'll go and get her something... But if there are aliens Megumi, people are going to have to get to meet them sooner or later... I get that I'm, more likely than not a unique case in this regard, but even you were getting excited at points. You were even smirking. You don't do that." Tongue stuck out at the doctor, before smiling over at Makoto's mother. "Well, Mrs. Watanabe, I'm going to go and construct a burger and see if our new friend likes it. Then we'll get the crew up to speed, and see about letting her around the ship. Alriana, I'll be right back, okay? Try to talk to the people here. No biting," she half seriously, half playfully added, heading for the door.

"Oh, and Megumi?" One last look back at the doctor, all serious this time. "No needles." Out the door the went.

Olivia had very, very slowly been coming over to the general center of the room, eyeing the whole debacle as she had. "So... Uh... Aliens. Are real. And the crazy, world ending terrorists, are working with them... Shouldn't... Shouldn't we be, a lot more scared than we are, right now? I... H-Hi... Alriana..." A paltry attempt at a wave, but the attempt had been made. She was sort of cute, but, only if she kept her mouth closed.

Take Him to Our Doctor

"[Affirmative. Bringing the prisoner up to the infirmary.]"

"[Jessica, should we check him for weapons first?]"

"[Agreed, my apologies for not suggesting that step in the first place.]" She stopped to let Stephanie give Carlos a quick, but thorough search, finding only his sidearm, and pocketing it inside of her jumpsuit.

"[No other armaments found. Proceed.]"

"[Affirmative.]"

 

[Balcerzak]

Her latest attack hadn't done a lot of damage... but she could keep this up all day if needed. "Damn, these things are built like tanks," she muttered under her breath, a little frustrated. Shifting her grip on the sticks, she went about channeling that into something productive, preparing for round two, ready to dodge, weave, and counter their inevitable shift to smaller calibers, with the field devoid of other targets for them.

The attack never came, however, the enemy juggernauts winking out of sight, with the now familiar green glow of energy accompanying Apotheosis's patented teleportation shenanigans.

"Yeah, you fuckers better run!" Abby called out an unheard taunt after the fleeing foes. "Hah," then a sigh of relief. A large chunk of the squad was dealing with some stragglers off in the distance, but with her area at last cleared and empty, Abigail finally had time to look into what had undoubtedly been Jess returning her message earlier. She'd followed up on Tristan's advice, and aside from the man's confusion, he'd made it seem like things were more or less fine, so the urgency hadn't been severe, but it was still something she'd better look into now, while she had the time, rather than just putting it off until touching down in the hangar and changing out of her pilot suit.

Let's see, what does she say... Lips curling into a frown almost immediately upon opening the text, Abby sighed. Tristan's delusion was infectious huh? That sure sounded like a wounded prosthesis, but why wouldn't Jess have known about her own arm? Damn, girl, you get some body mods on that same drunken bender what landed you that tattoo? She shook her head. It was the most likely explanation, but somehow something still seemed off. The uneasy, sinking sense of malaise descending on her was hard to shake. Why would she hate Jess if one of her arms or legs wasn't the one she'd been born with? Some confusion would definitely be understandable, but the captain shouldn't be getting this worked up over things.

Fuck it, this battle's over anyway, I'll let them clean up the mess. Abby didn't even bother radioing any of the others her intentions as she made a beeline back to the Riese, the additional brief message coming in stating, 'I'll be in my room', only spurring her faster. This was feeling more and more like something she'd need to comfort her lover over face to face, her usual emojis wouldn't cut it here.

Landing in the hangar, she left her helmet in the cockpit and quickly descended the lift. Electing not to even bother with changing, she made straight for the elevator. Unless any of the mechanic crew planned on stopping her, she was going directly to her destination.

 

---

 

It was indeed enough! The Metis powered down, plainly and obviously disabled by all means and indications, yet the life signs monitor's reading continued to display a positive signature. Thorvald was beginning to feel a strange sense of deja vu, and only reckoned the feeling would get stronger as the enemy machine was brought back to the Riese and its combatant liberated from within. A clone of Christina... another one. Already girding himself for taking in the same sight of blonde hair as when the Prioxis cockpit had opened, Thorvald still couldn't help but marvel at the situation as a whole. The Odin had performed above expectations, he couldn't have asked for anything more. And using it, he had done the same, saving yet another fragile life. Everything was just about wrapped up out here, best get her back to the boat as soon as possible and get her unloaded and taken a look at.

"Hey, New Girl," he radioed over, thinking all the while that she really needed a new call sign. "Splendid showing out there today, we both of us really put these new suits to great use. Mind doing me one last favor and mopping up that last straggler while I cart the captive back?"

Thorvald casts Bless on Aliza.

As the girl lined up and took her shot, Thorvald shifted the Odin back to mobile suit mode, rather than its impressive amphibious tank configuration. Then, he carefully picked up the Metis, the enemy model dwarfed in size by his Super Robot--much like how the Legionary had compared to the Prioxis--and carried it gently back aboard the Riese. Looking around the hangar for Avery, or Buck, or both, as he disembarked, he called out in general, "We got a live one here, just a heads up. Hoping to get her out of there and upstairs before things get too busy in here. If you can spare a hand to help, great, if not, I should got this."

Edited September 24, 2018 by Balcerzak

[Ursali]

While the two doctors discussed her situation Alriana sat back down on the bed, her legs dangling off the side. It seemed that she wouldn't be leaving the infirmary so soon after all. "Okay. No bite," she promised Cheryl as she left; however, she didn't promise to talk with the remaining two, well three counting the other woman. She hadn't even noticed her until she had spoken up. What was she even supposed to talk to them about, anyway? She'd answer if they asked a question, but she decided she wouldn't initiate. As she waited for one of them to talk to her she used her tail to collect her armor off of the floor. As she slipped it through the openings of the suit one of them called her name.

"Hello," she replied as she met Olivia's gaze. After a slight pause, so she could concentrate on bringing her armor up to her, she continued. "What want?"