Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 2: Of Dire Tides

[Balcerzak]

Abigail was pleased with how she had handled herself during the meeting. A little too pleased perhaps, given that it had amounted to simply not jumping in and making an ass of herself on any number of occasions. Well, sure, she probably wouldn't have been jumped on just for proposing a callsign for herself--assuming she didn't pick anything purposefully inflammatory, which was not guaranteed given the robot's own provocations on that subject--but she didn't mind giving herself a little more time to pick one out either.

As far as other subjects went, Abby wasn't quite sure what to make of the strong-willed Russian woman they'd picked up, but with a little more time, she was sure something would shake out and the chips would settle into place. She'd certainly had no suggested locations of her own to bring up, and there didn't seem to be any harm in letting the wee one's choice take the day. And of course any discussion on the Apotheosis monstrosity wasn't anything she was willing to engage in in public, not and invite any more hatred on herself than she'd already gotten. Christina had been treated surprisingly well, after her offering, though... which was a pleasant surprise. She made a mental note to talk to the girl a little more later, see if she didn't have any tips she might be able to share. Hopefully her mood would be improved this next time; Abigail had been a little surprised at their earlier talk, she hadn't thought their previous impressions had been so poor as all that.

At Jess's dismissal, the (former) rebel stood up, nodded to the captain and mouthed the words 'meet you later', then leisurely left the room. There were several options at her disposal now, to fill up her time, but there was one pressing matter Abigail needed to resolve first. It hadn't reached 'urgent' status just yet, but there'd been a lot going on, and little opportunity since the  morning to address it. Not seeing any harm in appeasing her bladder, she  made her way to the nearest lavatory.

It wasn't far, which was good news, and it didn't seem like she'd have much in the way of competition for the facilities either, based on what she'd seen of the scatter of those who'd already left. But just as she was thinking such thoughts, and about to reach for the door, it swung open, narrowly missing her. The woman stepping out certainly didn't, however. Figuring the collision was at least half her fault, and not eager to get on any more bad sides, Abigail figured she ought at least apologize somewhat graciously.

"Oh fuck me. Sorry about that, guess I was a little distracted. Still, you should watch yourself too," Abby muttered before stepping back and appraising the situation. Thankfully, the two had been slightly offset, and so hadn't crashed heads, especially given how similarly built they seemed to be. It was almost like looking into a mirror, if her reflection had been an angry red-head instead of an angry blonde.

"Oh. You. I've been looking for you," Abigail crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I assume you know the reason why."

Edited September 25, 2017 by Balcerzak

[Ether]

After a conflagration between Firmia and the Captain, the meeting came to an end, with Jessica asking their new guests to stay behind... that was unlikely to be pretty. It seemed their next destination was to be a research facility known as Corona Ten... Seung-Min didn't know much about that particular facility, but it didn't seem to be a particularly bad stop if it was as on the way as it seemed. Regardless, with that sorted, along with several people exiting the room in a huff... emotions were running on high within the crew as a whole, and Kim couldn't exactly call herself an exception. The incident with Avery was still nagging at her head, and likely would continue to do so until she did something to blow off steam.

With little better to do, that seemed the course of action then. Making a quick detour to her room to properly change out of her SKINsuit and into something more comfortable, Kim then found herself at the Heion Riese' gym, spotting Astin over by the flight simulators... coaching Juria? She recalled something to that effect being brought up in the meeting, yes... well, it couldn't hurt to have the copilot more versed in combat she supposed, though seeing their training in action gave Kim some level of inspiration. Not bothering to interrupt the duo, the Lieutenant stepped over to the less-used simulator a slight ways away from the flight sim... on the ground combat. Cranking the settings to their maximums quickly before placing the helmet on, Kim laid down on the simulation bed and closed her eyes...

Edited September 25, 2017 by Ether

[Nanami Touko]

File Out

As everyone else started to leave the meeting, Christina snuck in with them, giving one last glance to Firmia, Brant, and their friends. She wasn't quite too sure about the girl, or their situation here, but she didn't want them to get tossed back out after all of this. The Riese was a really safe place... But it wasn't much her decision. Stepping out and turning to leave, she spotted... Abigail. She hadn't really wanted to get involved with her, but just past her was also Elaine. She never did bring her that food... Ugh, but could she slip that in? Abby's arms were crossed, things seemed... Just a bit tense. She didn't really... It won't be that bad, right? Sighing, she slowly stepped up behind Abby, poking her head out.

"Hi. Elaine... S-Sorry about not bringing you that food. Got, uh... Got into a small argument, slipped my mind." That wasn't everything, but it was accurate enough.

Let's Get Down to Business

While Christina was leaving, Buck charged in, pointing a finger at Hannah, who was struggling to stand on her one leg. "You!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! The heck you think you're doing, coming to a meeting like this in shambles!? You could've damaged something even worse!"

"I, but I'm a pilot, I should--"

"No excuses, gah. Sorry, Captain. Shouldn't be running into things like this, but this darn android just can't sit still."

"I... I'm sorry."

Jess stared at the exchange, having been prepping her questions for the Russians, not quite sure what to make of things. Hannah had made it to the meeting, but it was true that she was missing some pieces. She was technically a pilot... But... Wait, why was she acting like that, anyway? Apologizing, being confused? That... Wasn't what robots were supposed to do.

"It's fine, Buck. J-Just... Take her out of here."

"Sure thing, Jess! Now get your arm over my shoulder. I know you're heavy, but as long as you're awake, you can just use me like another leg." Buck slipped himself under Hannah's arm, to help give her some balance, letting her slowly hobble out of the room. The door shut, leaving Jess with the Russians... And Roxanna.

"You can stay, XO. Now... D-Down to business. What's the p-plan for all of you? I know that I-I offered rooms, and that o-offer still remains, but... Will you be f, fighting with us, if anything h-happens? And the machines, c, c-can we get specifications on them? I know that Rosa said, t-to let your mechanics take care of, th-them... But..." That was no longer an option for them. Jess didn't think the three, and maybe Brant, would be able to take care of those machines alone.

And, there was Firmia. Jess had ignored her threat during the meeting, because ultimately, it didn't bother her, but having to have her complain at her was definitely going to be annoying. I can only hope she smartens up... I don't want to have to put any of them away until we can drop them off somewhere.

Let's Talk About X

"Hmm? In private? Talk about what? I'm not a mind reader, Val." Olivia knew what this was probably about... And wasn't super comfortable feeding into it directly. She'd followed Valerie onto this boat to work all of that out in a more healthy manner, and not this soon after coming on. Luckily, it seemed Val wasn't going to be able to answer... For an unlucky reason.

"Great. Val, get the bandages and disinfectant. I'll check to see if this needs stitches..." Olivia sprang up, setting her bookmark, gently putting an arm on Bill's back and guiding him over to one of the empty chairs to sit down.

"Now, sit still... And let me get a look. Sorry if I hurt you, it's been a while since I've done any of this." Gloves on, it became rather apparent that he'd need at least some bandages... But stitches wouldn't hurt. Valerie could handle those. Olivia may have helped her study and done some of her homework, but she'd never done any tests for her.

Edited September 25, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Phoenix]

"We'll have to check in to be sure, first," Sasha said, glancing over at Firmia, "but for now, we'd be happy to stick around. As for the specifications ..." Sasha's shoulders slumped slightly as he considered that. They already had the Regalia's information, or at least whatever version was sent before the fiasco at the main facility. The Mantle and prototype were not loans from the company, though. They didn't have any business giving out anymore information about those suits than they already had, at least not technical details. "Mm, yeah let's see what Rosa says, first. Only the Regalia was supposed to be here."

Firmia seemed to flinch at the last part, glaring at the table in front of her. Sasha could only assume she was brooding over everything that had happened up to this point. It couldn't really be helped right now, so ... "Why don't we give her a call, then?" he asked, looking at Brant this time.

Brant sighed at his alpha tool as he checked it. Rosa had been trying to get through, alright. His email notifications had exploded into the triple digits, somehow, but Rosa was still trying to make contact, and that was the more pressing issue. "Yeah ... let's give her the bad news, I guess. Get this over with ...."

"Wait a minute!" Firmia shot out of her chair and quickly moved over toward Brant. "Do not put her on, yet!" Brant wasn't sure why, but Firmia's anger, while still there, had been trampled underfoot by something like desperation. Whatever this holdup was about, it could very well be a matter of life and death for her. That left Brant feeling even more confused as she reached out with her hand, expectantly. "Let me see your computer for a minute," Firmia said, her voice calmer but still urgent, "It's the only way I can turn this situation around." ... and with that, still not knowing quite what was going on, Brant took off his alpha tool and handed it over to Firmia. As soon as it was in her hands, she turned halfway from him and began furiously typing on the little keyboard, clearly trying to get something complicated done extremely quickly.

[riariadne]

Dwight was among the last to leave the room- although he had a few choice remarks in mind about the Alkaev woman's attitude regardless of any sort of status she had, it seemed best not to let tensions flare up any further than they already had. Besides, the Captain and XO seemed to have the situation enough under control that it was probably best not to worry about it. Instead he headed back to the bridge, still pondering the video that they had been shown. It defies all logic, and yet it seems difficult to deny the reality that this is what happened... how can we prepare for a threat like that? In all his time in the forces, never had the enemy seemed to have such an overwhelming advantage that he was unsure how to approach.

His thoughts went to the others who were less fortunate to be on a ship like the Riese. Douglas. It was difficult for him to focus on what could be the worst case scenario, yet he knew not the details... maybe he feared finding them out. He sat at his designated chair, contemplative about the different paths that were unfolding, unable to find any words to speak to the others on the bridge.

[Dandragon]

That's what you get when you expect to be alone. Someb-...Oh brother. The awkwardness of the situation was two-fold, as the blond in front of her probably had intended to go to the bathroom, before running into one of the people that spoke out against her being allowed to pilot a mech alongside the crew. Abigail, former rebel and mercenary, now in the custody of the Heion Riese, the very same leader of the rebel group that was allied with Apotheosis, was now confronting her.

"Looking for me, huh?" Elaine said. "No, I don't know. Now, I gotta get some grub to eat, so I'll just be on my way, thanks." She had a somewhat annoyed tone to her, mostly because of her empty stomach irritating her, now that there wasn't any sort of immediate threat in the area shooting at her. And it made her rather grumpy, to put it lightly. Especially after it had interrupted her thought process of trying to pick out who she could speak to among the inhabitants of the ship. And she really didn't want to have to deal with whatever beef 'blondie' had with her. So, she preemptively tried to move and get out of the way. She really needed a good burger. Maybe with some cheese...

"Hm?" Elaine hadn't even heard Christina approach, and was a little spooked, but the feeling soon went away with an apology from the other, similarly blonde woman. "Oh, uh...it-it's no big deal. I was just about to head down to the Cafeteria to get something, so...Yeah. If you can excuse me, Abigail."

Edited September 26, 2017 by Dandragon

[Balcerzak]

 Several orders of business were brought up over the course of the meeting, but Thorvald found himself swiftly preoccupied after Jess's response on the near universal blackout with all ANF facilities since that initial Apotheosis broadcast. He'd been doing his best not to worry excessively, but with last contact with his family having been since prior to the Colony One mission, it was getting harder and harder to put the niggling fear that something might have happened to them to the back of his mind.

Of course, this was a process not made any easier with the reveal of the viral video and the fearsome foe it contained. All thoughts of callsigns and Russians were pretty much lost in the wash at that point. He registered Dwight's concerns, and was briefly reminded of the conversation he'd had with Roxy, Roxanna, and the old man about advances in tech,  and Christina's comments on its likely pilot also caught some interest, but they were really both stuck at surface level, not penetrating as deeply as they really ought to have.

Thorvald wasn't quite sure what had prevented him from speaking when Jess had asked for requested stops along the way. Not at first, anyway. Once Tarquin had offered up a suggestion of the own, providing a second choice that would conflict with the curious young boy's--likely requiring the captain to make a difficult choice--was immeasurably more impossible. Had it been a fear of looking weak to the rest of the squad? An irrational worry that voicing concerns might make them come true? Any other uncomfortable emotion? Whatever it had been, Thorvald didn't feel quite himself, and didn't particular enjoy being so out of sorts, but he had no real idea where he should go from here.

Having quietly excused himself, he'd been leaning against a wall a small distance away from the door, far enough out of the way to not impede the rest of the traffic flowing out from the meeting, yet not far enough to have committed to any destination. Thorvald was still pondering his options when a distraction presented itself. The sight of the young mechanic, Buck, struggling to act as a crutch for the disabled Hannah was enough to snap him out of indecision, offering a welcome distraction.

"Oh, you two, for the love of... Here let me help you out," he called out as he made his way to their position. "You figure one of us under each arm'll make things easier on ya?"

[Nanami Touko]

Helping Hand

"Wha? Oh, sure, Thorvald. She's really heavy, though. Watch out..." Buck paused and let the big guy get himself underneath Hannah's other arm, the android smiling at their gestures.

"Thank you both. I appreciate the aid. It was quite difficult to arrive at the meeting on time with just a pipe to use as a makeshift leg."

"Then you shouldn't have done it! You could've collapsed and put yourself into a worse state than you're already in, you darn robot." Buck sighed, adjusting his hat with his free hand, as they got into one of the arriving elevators.

Hannah seemed to quiet down, not sure what to say. Only when the doors closed did she finally ask, "am I only just a robot?"

Buck's finger stopped right before the bottom middle floor button, staring up at her. The discomfort in her 'voice' had been quite telling, and he didn't really know what to say. He was just a kid that knew his way around an engine and a robot! He didn't know anything about any supposed 'ghost' in a machine. Whatever was happening with Hannah was beyond his scope. He pressed the button, and stayed quiet.

"What do you think, Thorvald?" With Buck not giving her any answer, she looked to him, wondering what he had to say on the matter. "I asked Elaine and the other mechanics for skin. Like, you all have. That would cover my joints and make me, appear more human. They all looked at me as if I was crazy; as if I was broken." Buck lowered his head at that, looking away to the elevator wall.

"Am I broken?"

Altercation...?

"Alright. Sorry... Won't happen again. Uh, are you two..." Fighting, was going to be the next word from her, but she didn't want to press buttons. She took a few steps forward, slightly placing herself in between them. Guess I'm getting involved after all. "Uhm. I know situations were pretty tense before, a-and... Well, I know Abigail's past with the crew, it was only a few days ago... But, everyone here seems to accept me. And she... K-Kicked ass, today." Christina smiled a bit, up at Abby, but dropped it and looked away pretty quick.

"So, I... I just, think it'd be better if we all got along. There's bigger problems knocking on the door than what happened earlier, right? We all saw that thing, so... I, uh..." I don't know what else to say, or even if I should say anything else. What am I doing? I should've walked on past. Ugh... Now I just look, and feel stupid.

Interrupted, Once Again

Jess nodded along with what was being said, waiting for one of them to call up Rosa. The woman had seemed nice enough; better to deal with than the other man. Dima... That had been one experience that Jess wasn't ready to face, any time soon. Still, she'd been so bold as to forward off her DNA records to them. Was that a mistake? It seemed like such a silly thing to do. What was even sillier than that, was Firmia once again stepping out of line, and holding up their meeting. Jess sighed, crossing her arms. The girl wasn't spouting orders to her or the crew again, but it still felt silly to watch the older pilots bend to her whims. Was it just because she was an Alkaev? They were supposed to get this meeting done. I hope she doesn't think people are going to drop things and come running around here. This is my ship, and it will not be dictated by some teenager with an ego.

[Phoenix]

"Sasha, what's your personal account number?!" Firmia hadn't asked the question loudly, but the desperation was back in her voice.

<"The hell do you need my account number for?!"> Sasha asked, both flabbergasted and annoyed. He didn't like being dragged along for the ride, especially not when personal finances were involved. Realizing he should probably stick to just one language for the sake of everyone involved, Sasha continued in English. "I guess it's in the records anyway, but what do you need it for?"

"Never mind," Firmia said, clearly having looked it up as soon as Sasha failed to deliver. "I'm transferring the funds from my accounts to yours. When they get there, confirm it for me and then shut up and don't say anything else about it."

"Is this for playing bodyguard for you all day?" Sasha half smirked at his sudden enrichment. What the hell was going on, here ...? Firmia was still stabbing away at the keyboard at full speed, so Sasha checked his own wrist mounted device. It was about the size of a bulky watch, and lacked a keyboard, but he could check what Firmia wanted him to with it, so he called up his personal account information on the tiny display, and waited for the change.

"There!"

With that, Firmia moved on to ... something else, and Sasha watched as a notification of a certain 'purchase' popped up. Reluctantly, he confirmed it vocally. Then, he watched as his checking account grew from a mere four digits to seven. <"Damn!> I need to start working for you instead of your stingy folks."

"You do work for me, now ... aaand there!"

Nothing happened on Sasha's end this time. He, Brant, and Tonya, all glanced at the young Alkaev, wondering what 'there' meant. Firmia sighed in relief, and turned back to Brant. Whatever her desperation was about, she had apparently worked it out ... and in less than a minute. "You can put her on, now. I've got this under control." Firmia handed Brant his alpha tool and took the seat next to him. "... all under control."

[Nanami Touko]

Stupify

Jess watched the proceedings with confusion and slight impatience. Whatever Firmia was doing seemed really important by the sound of her voice-- even Jess could tell the desperation in that tone. Luckily it didn't seem to take long... She'd purchased Sasha's services? Something like that. "If you w-want to call her then, Brant." Jess let her arms relax and unfold, softening her brow. Hopefully, this resolved sooner than later. I still have to meet with Abigail and talk to her about her place here. Hopefully she was just joking about that date thing... She probably was.

Edited September 27, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Phoenix]

"Want to? No," Brant joked, "going to? Naturally. Here goes ..."

...

...

...

"Brant. I hope whatever's been keeping you 'busy' has been resolved, now," came Rosa's voice. She was obviously holding back given the situation, and probably under the assumption she was on speaker, or something to that effect. "I haven't been able to get in contact with the transport in more than an hour. Was the Riese able to make contact? And isn't there a monitor or something you can put me on?"

Brant glanced at Jessica, silently asking the same question. If she agreed, he could just toss Rosa up onto the meeting room's large monitor. Then, just maybe, while someone else debriefed her, Brant could go back to thinking about other things. Yes, even daydreaming and missing details was preferable at this point. Brant wasn't sure how far he'd get though, not with Firmia's anger boiling toward the surface, again. She was right next to him, too, so it was like sitting next to an actual fire.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Making Contact

Finally... Jess didn't wait to let Brand plug in his tool, stepping out of her seat and plugging it into the desk herself. Ross's face quickly transferred to the room's main screen, replacing the footage of whatever that robotic monstrosity was. Jess smiled, sighed, and saluted. "Hello, R-Rosa. We managed to save the surviving t-transport crew from Apotheosis forces in th-the area. Sasha, Firmia, a-and... I, never got her name. H-How awkward..." Jess quickly cleared her throat and tried to ignore that painful pause.

"They're all safe! As w-well as the three suits they a-arrived here in. So, I have to ask, with... Th-The rest of the transport crew... Didn't m-make it. What are we going to do a-about repairs to these machines? I know you, d-didn't want us poking a, around in them, but... That seems the o-only choice left." Jess wasn't sure what her answer was going to be... Whether it be that she demand their guests do all the repairs, or if she'd try to have another team sent out. These machines can't be that important...

[Phoenix]

"No one else made it?" The question was rhetorical. That was a lot of casualties, even under these circumstances. "A slight change of plans, then," Rosa decided, thinking on her feet as she processed the new information. "There wouldn't be any point in recalling everyone, not after we sacrificed so much to deliver the Regalia. However, our demonstrator and the Mantle weren't a part of the arrangement. We'll need them both back as soon as possible."

No surprise there, Sasha thought, though Rosa didn't seem to be finished, yet. "I know the situation over in America is even worse than in the far east, and it's dangerous to be traveling by air, at the moment. So, I won't have my pilots return until we can find a relatively safe window. In the meantime, I'll allow your people to make any necessary repairs, Captain, provided they're supervised by ..." she squinted as her eyes shifted in Sasha's direction. "Right, Sasha there. I trust you can take care of that."

That reminded Sasha that Firmia had just told him that he works for her, now. What was she scheming, here? Looking at the younger of the two Alkaevs, she seemed like she was holding back an ocular death ray or two. Tonya only looked slightly more composed, as if she was just waiting for the right moment to strike. This was bad ... "Yes, ma'am," Sasha wound up blurting out on instinct. Whatever Firmia was up to, it was in no way official, just yet.

That was when the iron was struck. By Firmia.

"Not so fast, mother," Firmia said, fighting back the urge to attack Rosa straight out of the gate, "If you take back the other two suits, the government is just going to confiscate those, too. They'll give them to the air force or something. They're better off here with me."

"First of all, watch your tone," Rosa scowled, "second, you aren't supposed to be there. You'll be coming back with Sasha and Tonya as soon as an opportunity presents itself. I won't have my daughter goofing off aboard an ANF warship. Third, and no offense to you, Captain Gefalscht, but I'd rather our own government be using them than a foreign one, at least under the circumstances."

Brant sighed. That had been rather pointless on Firmia's part. He wasn't sure what she'd hoped to accomplish standing up to her mother that way. Then again, nothing about Firmia's attitude changed when Rosa fired back. She hadn't gotten more angry or less angry. She'd reached some sort of stable point, and Rosa's attempt to lay down the law hadn't really fazed her.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Attempt to Diffuse

Jess nodded. That made sense. This had started out as a simple delivery of one unit, keeping them all there indefinitely wouldn't do. She let Rosa finish her piece, thinking on the best time to have them sent off-- and getting interrupted once again.

Jess turned and scowled at Firmia, hoping she wasn't about to burst out like that once more. There was going to be a serious talk once this call was over! The only reason Jess wasn't reprimanding her right now was because she was Rosa's daughter, or so the mother comment lead her to believe... That had been rather cutting of a remark, hadnt it? What is going on with this girl

"S-Sorry about that, Mrs. Alkaev. Yes, of course we'll have them sent back. Th-The best time for that would b-be after reaching HQ, s-stationed in Nevada. Its close to th, the c-coast, and will be a quicker t, trip than flying from the m-middle of the country. We'll h, have Sasha superv, vise repairs, too." At least this was going well, now. Hopefully it would stay well enough to end the conversation.

 

[Dandragon]

Christina brought up a good point. Everyone did accept her, quite quickly in fact, and she was shooting at them just like Abigail did. But, the point didn't really hold anything at the current moment, because all Elaine wanted to do was to get past and go down to eat something. It was this lady that was the aggressor here, not herself, for once. Still, she was getting impatient. And hungrier.

"Listen, Chrissy, I'd love to discuss things and all that, but I am really hungry so..." She said, turning back to Abigail and her crossed arms. "...If you could please move, I can go eat."

Edited September 27, 2017 by Dandragon

[Phoenix]

"Nevada? Alright then," Rosa nodded, "If there's-" "Sorry, but-" Firmia cut in yet again, "... no, I'm not sorry," she suddenly shifted gears. Firmia stood up from her seat, and keeping both hands on the table, she faced her mother, once again. "I wasn't asking you to leave the suits here. I was just explaining that they're better off staying here. They are staying here, though; all three of them. You don't get a say this time."

Brant was beside himself--and a very defiant Firmia--in disbelief. He couldn't imagine what was really going on beneath all of that righteous fury exuding from her. All he knew for certain was that Rosa wasn't going to put up with it for long, not even with ANF personnel watching ... especially not with ANF personnel watching.

"Excuse me," Rosa hissed, fixing her daughter with a glare, "Just what has gotten into you, all of a sudden?"

"This whole situation is your fault," Firmia shot back, "All of it! Now, I'm not going to let you make it even worse by dragging us back there. They'll just take the rest of the suits and lose them fighting Apotheosis. So instead of letting that happen, you're going to sign over all three to me. I'm over here in America, so they can't threaten me with anything, right now. I can fight Apotheosis and win, so that's what I'm going to do. There should be a form in your emails by now. It's just a template I filled in, but it'll do. Now sign it."

"You think that just because you're overseas at the moment," Rosa's eyes narrowed, and her tone lowered to something that probably seemed a little out of character to Jessica ... deadly, even, "you can twist my arm and suddenly get your way? You have a long way to go before you can start telling other people what they're going to do, Firmia. What exactly makes you think I would even consider giving you sole ownership of those machines, both on a rebellious whim, and while under the ANF's umbrella? Do you actually believe I would take that sort of risk? I don't care how upset with Apotheosis you are, I will not let you fight them, and I will not allow you to misuse the company's prototypes."

"They're already mine, and not the company's," Firmia said, with all the confidence of a woman holding a gun at the head of another, "I just want to handle this civilly, if I can. I already sent an emergency lockdown command to all three suits. They won't accept anymore remote signals now, and since I'm the only one on this ship that can undo it, they're mine." The ANF could breach, remove, and replace certain components, operating systems included, but some functionality would ultimately be lost in the overhaul, making them little more than lightweight velites. Not worth the effort expended by either party to obtain.

"So THAT'S what you were doing with his wrist comp," Sasha smacked his own forehead. He might have been able to stop her if he'd realized sooner, not that he was sure whose side he was on just yet. Firmia likely had other plans for all the money she transferred to him, but he knew some of it would likely be his if he took her side. Despite Firmia being a slightly more palatable option in light of Rex's revelations, the way things were panning out was still a little daunting. They'd all just let her pull this crap without really thinking about it or getting in her way. Rosa was probably annoyed with him and Tonya as much as Firmia for letting her do it. Possibly even Brant. It was his device Firmia had used to send off the lockdown command.

"That's not all I did," Firmia huffed, "and that's not all I'm going to do if you don't sign the damn form!"

[Xinnidy]

Hot Topic

Things certainly erred towards tension with the Russians, and Roxanna watched that civilian girl's trend with surprise --Jess wasn't backing down, but that girl certainly wanted to give a run for her money--. It was all weird, and no more comfortable once one of the head Alkaevs, Rosa herself, had been suddenly added to the conversation through the main screen. Roxanna had to turn her chair a fair bit, now focusing on the woman's expression through the screen. It was certainly a lot of information that she still had to process, not only from the moments before the conversation started but from the very glaring disconnect between the elder and young Alkaevs. Interesting... so I guess she is resolved to provide us assistance despite her mother's decision. Even with selfish reasons, we could make use of that... Speaking up to Rosa in defense of Firmia's point seemed like a death wish, however, so Roxanna had the good sense to remain quiet on that end, eyes shifting between the young Firmia and Jessica. Did her arguing with Jessica feel as messy as this bout between mother and child? At least there wasn't random Russian slipping by from watchers...

As much as Firmia's sudden interruptions made her eye twitch, Roxanna didn't want to give off a warning to the girl. It was pointless with her mother right there, and Jessica was somehow beating her to the punch. It was tempting to interject during Jessica's stutters, it wouldn't do to let the Alkaevs think that the Riese crew had some sort of disorder and dissent over their top members. Roxanna had to settle her frustrations with a silent sigh. Playing lap dog for two teenagers way over their heads... can I just go back to a Kraken-class?

There was a chance moment during the bout of silence after Firmia's latest threat to finally break her silence. "...Mrs. Alkaev. Considering the fact that plane bringing those machines was intercepted on the way here, it is likely that they will try to do the same if you attempt to take them back. Apotheosis is holding most of their attacks on both coasts, making a safe path complicated." Very roundabout, even. The only path that seemed clear of Apotheosis activity was trying a mesosphere jump, even then, it wasn't something many warships were equipped for. "If they've already gained enough information to launch an attack on you, trying to ship the mobile suits back so soon might result in more losses." Roxanna hoped that tackling it from that angle made sense. With how hard Apotheosis fought to get rid of the machines before they reached the Riese, they'd definitely take a second chance if given.

Looking For Trouble

No dice. As much as Makoto tried to ask the engineers about the simulation devices, they hesitated to talk about that stuff with a civilian. Some of them probably didn't know where it was either. "Bummer..." It was such tough luck... maybe Elaine would know. Is that meeting over? I wonder. It certainly would help speed things up to just hear a plain 'yes' or 'no. 

Makoto had plans to go to the infirmary to check on his mother again, but it seemed like things had already ended in the meeting room on the same floor -- as soon as he left the elevator, he saw a familiar face further down in the hallway --it was that kid pilot!--. "Oh, hey!" He waved towards the boy, walking at a brisker, but still reasonable, pace. "So, Tuh--Tarquin! Right." What a weird name. "Did things go well in the meeting? That seemed sudden." Was he even allowed to ask? "Those terrorists are all over, huh? Their mobile suits aren't like anything I've seen in reports, not even the prototype stuff! Isn't that weird?" It certainly seemed the gap was a bit glaring... thankfully the Riese crew seemed to be more than able to make up for it!

Edited September 28, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

Uhh, uhh, uhh!

"Errr... Why don't we all eat together??" Christina piped that up quickly, hoping it would help settle things enough to move along. "You two can, talk about whatever's going on with full stomachs. That'll make it easier, right? R-Right...?" I should really just go, at this point...

Stand Down!

Jess growled, and the next thing she knew, she was speaking before thinking. "Stand down, Firmia Alkaev! Whatever grudge you have with your mother can wait until official business is settled! My meeting room is no place for you to be playing games!" She didn't know what had gotten up Firmia's skirt, but this level of stepping over the line was beyond anything she'd expected. If she didn't listen this time, her next order was going to be having Brant remove her from the room. She looked back at Rosa, who seemed just as upset-- who wouldn't be, with their kid messing around this much? Admittedly, a part of her wanted to see how this resolved, but most of her wanted them to get back on to business...

[Ether]

These combat simulations were like riding a bike... you never forgot. The dive was something Kim had gotten used to, a long time ago... it felt real... almost too real. But she supposed that was the draw of these things, the Lieutenant could already feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. A leaf cracking beneath a boot. The smallest tell, but it was big enough. Turning to her side abruptly, Seung-Min felt the wind blow by her face as the bayonet flew past her cheek. A scream in some language, she wasn't sure... Greek, maybe? It didn't matter, the war cry muffled and replaced with a whimpering gurgle as Kim drove her knife into the assailant's gut, pulling it free and stabbing the simulated terrorist four more times, just far enough from the original wound to slip between a different set of ribs each time. Tossing him over her shoulder, the man's vigour faded from his eyes, his warm life's blood coating Kim's hand and side before she dropped him. Frisking the corpse for a moment, she scowled in disdain... no ammunition. He must have been one of the ones shooting earlier. That left her with thirteen shots left in her pistol, then. She'd have to make them count.

"<Thirty-one down... too many left to go. Well... easy part's over.>" Kim muttered to herself, as she continued further inland through the underbrush. That compound wasn't going to destroy itself...

[Phoenix]

"This isn't a game," Firmia shot back, "I'm not unlocking the suits until she signs the form I sent!"

"So much for my plan," Tonya muttered, crossing her arms.

Brant placed a hand on Firmia's shoulder, hoping to help her calm down, and she turned to face him, instantly. For a moment, all the rage she had been holding back against Rosa was aimed at him, but the girl quickly buried it beneath ... pity? It even showed on her face, but why? Why pity? That was when Tonya ... or rather a memory of her, whispered bitterly into his ear, "Why didn't you tell me what Rosa did to the two of you?" Suddenly, everything made sense. Everything. ... and then the anger returned, much stronger than before. Brant hadn't just sensed Firmia's feelings, she had also sensed his, and something in his realization sent her over the edge.

"... oh shit."

Firmia turned away from Brant and back toward the monitor with fire in her eyes like never before. "Sign it, or everything Rex sent us is going straight to every publisher I can find! Every single one!"

"Everything Rex sent you?" Rosa looked less angry and more confused, now. There was a first time for everything. As quickly as it had started, however, Rosa's expression changed. She looked like someone that had just been beaten in a mock battle, but wouldn't take the loss ungracefully. "I see what's going on. If you've been in contact with Rex, then perhaps the information is about our family history, possibly even some things about myself that would be embarrassing if leaked to the public. Is that what you plan to do, Firmia? Threaten me with whatever interesting stories Rex was able to come up with?"

Firmia put her hand on Brant's shoulder this time, though he was already seated again, making the act easier. Brant half buried himself on the table as Firmia indicated him. "Shiiit."

"It's not like I don't have proof," Firmia impaled her mother with a knowing look, watching for even the slightest reaction. Rosa usually had full control over a situation, but not this time. There wasn't anything she could really do to keep Brant from talking, so knowing this, Firmia was expecting some sort of reaction, a tell that she'd finally won. The reaction, the tell, never came. Firmia couldn't let the silence continue, otherwise the ANF officers might decide to side with her mother, instead of her. Whether or not her mother would back down easily, Firmia felt she had to turn this argument completely in her favor, and right this minute. "What you did to Brant, and Rex ... and even Tonya ... it's unforgivable, and it's the reason Rex tagged the transport so Apotheosis could find us, again! It's why he sent us all of that data, and it's why I'm going to publish it if you don't do something good for once in your miserable life and sign the damn form! You don't know how to fight Apotheosis, but at least the people here know what they're doing, t-to some extent. T-that's why we have to stay here, so we can have a better chance of taking them down. I don't care if you like it or not, just sign!"

"What happens when this is over, Firmia? When Apotheosis is defeated?" Rosa asked, seemingly shifting gears, "Do you expect to get away with stealing three mobile suits and defying the Kremlin on top of that? They have no interest in the ANF's war effort aside from data collection, so they won't look on you kindly for this."

"I don't care," Firmia said, her energy finally running low. She didn't want to be reminded of 'what came next,' but naturally her mother wouldn't let her get through this without bringing it up. "I don't have a home to go back to, and everything I care about is right here on this ship. I'll do whatever I have to do beat Apotheosis. Surviving would just be a bonus."

[Balcerzak]

She claims she has no idea. She thinks she can just brush me off and snag a bite to eat? The fucking nerve! Abigail's face quickly dropped into a bitchy scowl, and she reached out an arm to cut off Elaine's avenue of escape. "Don't play games with me," she uttered in low tones, but that was all the further things got before Christina had shown up, apologizing to Elaine. Apparently that was the reason for the hunger. Didn't change a thing.

Abby closed her eyes a few seconds, pausing and processing before opening them again. In the meantime, the ex-Apotheosis blonde had slipped her way a little between the two of them, seemingly worried that tensions would cause one, the other, or both of them to do something they might regret. Had it looked so bad, to an onlooker? Really? Nobody was going to get hurt. They'd just been going to talk this over like civilized human beings, and the thief would then agree to give back what she'd stolen. It was really just that simple.

That said, she certainly didn't mind the flattery. Bringing her arm back in and scratching her nose a little, Abigail looked to the side after meeting Christina's gaze and confessed, "Yeah, I did kind of kick some ass out there, didn't I? Could've done better, but pretty pleased with the performance in general... given that I had to use a loaner." She turned to face Elaine with her final comment, her eyes boring holes into the redhead as she purposefully left the exact nature of her demand obvious, but as yet unsaid.

At that, Elaine mimicked Abby's earlier motion, crossing her arms and refusing to actually acknowledge the issue. What an infuriating piece of work...! Deep breaths, Jess did warn you about her. Remember. Breathe. Her left hand was balling itself up into a fist despite this, and she ground her teeth a little, but Christina proved that if piloting didn't work out for her, she might have a future as a hostage negotiator, with another skillful defusal of the situation. Talking things out after food would work. They'd still have a chance then for the obvious solution to be arrived at and both be on their merry way. Plus they'd be happy and fed. Win win, right?

"Fine by me. You can run off ahead, Elaine, but I expect to see you waiting at the table for us! ...Christina, you wouldn't mind waiting here a tick for me to take care of business and then show me where the cafeteria is, would you?" Abby tried flashing her winningest smile at the girl, but given the situation, it might not have come across quite as intended.

[Juliette]

"Practicing and practicing! That make perfect," Juria restated, smiling at her earlier success before focusing again on the screen. "Juria know Velites. Ah, and trees." As simple a concept as they were, maneuvering through them was difficult to her based on her very little experience, and she struggled with not bumping into her surrounding environment- much less actually hitting. "Ah! This sort thing hard. Not good at keeping track moving..." She missed a lot more than before, taking hits from the enemies and finishing with heavy damage, but she did it, sighing heavily after her near loss to what was meant to be easy. "Why it so hard for focus? How you stay calm in battle, Astin friend? All thing around me make nervous to know where all is..."

[Nanami Touko]

On Loan

"A loaner? That... Oh... Oh, I know what this is about." Chrissy said little else, waiting to see if what she'd tried would defuse anything... And it did? Huh. Huh? How!? It was just... Food... Whatever. "A-Alright. You, go ahead, then. Elaine, too. I'll bring her down. Haha..." I said I was going to avoid it, and now I'm eating lunch with them. What am I doing? I... Am I taking this helping thing too far? But... But, I have to... Christina sighed, staring off into space. She was running down that spiral again, and it wasn't pleasant.

Something Wrong

"For the last time, I... B-Brant?" Brant's collapse had taken Jess out of her driven anger, helping her to take a step back. This time she really noticed Rosa, who looked... Challenged. Like whatever Firmia was bringing up was something that was never supposed to be known. Rex. Who's Rex? Rex... Think... Do you know... Brant had a brother named Rex in his file. What does he have to do with this? What's going on?

Jess was now stuck between the fangs of Rosa and Firmia, both seeming unable to stand down. Until a few more lashes passed, Firmia starting to run out of energy. It almost sounded like she was complimenting the crew at the end of things, though through strain. "What's this all about?" Jess looked at everyone there. "Look, Firmia, I might have the authority to keep these machines here until the situation gets better, but what... What's going on? I can't help you stay here unless I know why this is so important." Between Rosa's cracking exterior and Firmia's lack of information, Jess was stuck between a snake and a hard place. It was obvious that Rosa wasn't the charming business woman she'd painted herself to be, but Firmia's ego was so large that she didn't feel she'd get anywhere.

And asking Brant... That much seemed out of the question. He was losing it against the table, bringing anything up to him wouldn't go far. She looked over at Sasha and Tonya, wondering if either of them would talk. Someone has to...

[Phoenix]

This couldn't be happening right now, could it? Did Firmia really know about all of that? Tonya most certainly did ... and there wasn't much point keeping everything under wraps if Rex led Apotheosis to them as a means of revenge. Rex ... was he so bitter with Rosa that he thought he should get back at her by getting Firmia killed and the Regalia destroyed? Did he know that Tonya was with her? That was a whole other can of worms, Brant regretted so much as taking a whiff of. What now? What could he do now that the Alkaevs were at each other's throats? Firmia seemed intent on throwing her life away for revenge, and if she pushed hard enough, she just might succeed. What could he do now that the captain was asking questions? Brant didn't have an answer he could easily give her. What had happened to him and his older brother was too personal to bring up in a monitored room. He couldn't move, and he couldn't think of any sort of way out of this mess. It seemed like it was a matter of moments before everything boiled to the surface, regardless.

Brant didn't notice Tonya until she was right behind him ...

"I already told you," Firmia glared at Jessica, "I'm trying to take down Apotheosis, and the company's hands are tied, now." With the Kremlin fearing an all out assault by Apotheosis, they were confiscating every bit of equipment they could get their hands on. The Russian based military contractors were suffering mightily as a result, and the comparatively small reimbursements weren't much consolation when even prototypes were being scooped up and being made combat ready. With no viable strategy against the hit and run tactics of Apotheosis, this would amount to very little, and a lot of assets would be lost to their inexperience, both with the machines themselves, as well as the advanced technology being used against them. The demonstration craft and the Mantle were slated for that unwinnable battle if Firmia lost this argument. That was why she couldn't lose this argument.

Sighing in exasperation, she said, "Fine. Maybe then you'll agree to help me instead of her. I need this ship and its crew to fight Apotheosis, so if you're not going to get in the way, I'll explain." She took a deep breath while she still had the opportunity, and then glared at her mother's enlarged face. "My family has a really ... awful history. It would take days to get through all of Rex's notes, but what matters right now is that she's one of the worst of the bunch!" Firmia thrust an accusing finger at her mother, and finally seemed to get a response, a small wince, but nothing more. "She ..." Dammit, Firmia could hardly bring herself to say it aloud. This wasn't the time to lose her nerve! "She ... guh ..."

"I believe I know what Rex is accusing me of," Rosa interjected, seeming to regain her composure, "If that's why you're upset, Firmia, then there's nothing to worry about. I didn't do what he accused me of doing."

Brant flinched. That was a damnable lie, but he'd lost his voice in a similar manner to Firmia, not to mention his motor functions. He couldn't find a way to pick himself back up! The TK had no idea embarrassment could be this crippling. The most he could manage after Rosa's false reassurance was to pick his head up a few inches. This was just ... terrible. Brant's head quickly fell back onto his arms. For a moment, he figured that was it, he was down for the count. That was when he felt Tonya begin to gently rub his back. It was surprisingly comforting given the circumstances.

"Just one more battle, alright?" Tonya said. Then her hand stopped moving and came to a rest near the center of his back. "Listen, Rosa, Rex can be a real bastard sometimes, but he wouldn't compile all of that just to set you up. If you don't want to admit to it and incriminate yourself, that's fine. We've got bigger problems to deal with than you, right now, anyway. But as a final warning, if you do anything to my students, again, a thousand years of medical advancement won't be able to fix what I do to you."

"Now you're doing this too, Tonya?" Rosa nearly rolled her eyes, but seemed to resist the gesture, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but as one of our pilots, you should know better than to disrespect your superiors. To see even you acting out is admittedly quite disturbing ... at the very least you should have some common decency."

"Oh practice what you bitch, you bitch," Tonya waved her free hand at the monitor in disgust, "if your idea of decency is stealing my organs over some boy and forcing my students into bed for your twisted sense of fun, then you can go to hell and rot there."

[Nanami Touko]

Flick The Switch

"I'd like to deal with Apotheosis too, but..." Was that really Firmia's goal here? To use these suits and her ship, to get back at all of Apotheosis? Was she mad? The ship couldn't fight Apotheosis alone, there was no way that would be possible. Had she not seen that footage? Jess was having a hard time believing that footage taken directly from a Velite's head cam could be so easily tampered with and redistributed that quickly, but...

Jess waited, leaving that behind her. Firmia was trying to explain things, but it was hard for her to say. What was it? What... And Brant was so... Tonya spoke up, and her mention of just one more battle made things a bit more clear. Whatever Rex accused you of... Please, don't tell me this is going where I think...

*Click*

As Tonya spoke, something clicked in Jessica's head. Not snapped, just... Clicked. Like everything suddenly became clearer, her whole body had cooled off. Something like that; something calming. Her conversation with Brant at the pool came back to her mind.

"...you're the first authority over me that hasn't been suffocating, overly demanding, or just sadistic," or just sadistic. She played it back through her head.

"I'm not actually allowed to date anyone, anyway. Not staff members, or civilians. Not even while I'm away and on loan to the ANF. That's pretty suffocating for a non military organization, don't you think?"

"This is way more considerate than what I'm used to..."

"It wouldn't be the first time I was interested in someone, but I've never had the freedom to move forward ... and I probably never will."

The last line played over and over in her head. Never had the freedom to move forward, probably never will. Never had the freedom... It didn't make sense to her at the time. Why wouldn't he be able to move forward with his life? Whatever had happened couldn't have been that bad-- but it could have. Tonya hadn't been very subtle, but she hadn't filled in all of the blanks, either. Jess didn't need them filled in anymore. Brant's reluctance to fight against his superiors, his inability to forget the past, it clicked so hard it hurt.

"Heh... Hah!" She could only laugh. It was that bad, wasn't it? "You actually, did that. You... How could you, ever?" Rosa, sitting there, on her high horse, like she was still in the right. Jess' fists balled up quicker than her aim. "You... You act like you've done nothing wrong. How can you be so terrifyingly bold? To try and play it off like it never happened? You sit there, and you, you actually try. You try to lie this away!" she growled, slamming a fist onto the table, joining Firmia's glare at the creature behind the camera.

"I won't have it. No, Rosa, I get it now, and not just because your men are throwing it out onto the table. Now everything with Brant makes perfect sense. You think he's just quiet about everything? That he never says anything? That he's here to be a 'model soldier', and he won't share anything of his life? Haha... Ahhh... You're through with him." She stood back up and stared daggers at her, barely holding in a building rage.

"I will do everything in my power, to make sure that you never see this man ever again. I will use every resource, every contact, every single morsel of power that I have as a Captain of the ANF navy, to ensure, that you never see him, or any of them, EVER AGAIN!" Her hands were back on the table, eyes focused only on one place. Even with Roxanna there, hiding how she felt about this wasn't going to happen. This was a personal matter now.

"Do you hear me? You disgusting stain of a human being? There is nothing that I will ever let you do to him." Jess grit her teeth and stood back up. "Firmia is staying here. So are the robots. Sasha and Tonya are free to stay or go as they please. And Brant, Brant is staying here. He gets to choose what he does with his life, from now on." Jess bit back a scream, the anger too heavy to carry, grinding her teeth and digging her nails into her hands. How dare this woman do that to one of her men? How dare Rosa does that to someone she liked! And then have the gall to act like it was nothing. How could you? How can you?

Edited September 28, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa