Imminent Dawn: Callisto

[Mercenary on the Winds]

The Dawn's main cannon zeroed in on it's target, being of the newer ships in service, it was outfitted with a high-energy beam cannon. She'd have to see about the targeting systems herself in the future, for now, she could leave it to the weapon's officer. She didn't have to wait for the targeting to finish up, "Fire!" The cannon fired, and a powerful beam of energy ripped through space, and their target. Unfortunately, the machine was more durable than she'd thought it might be, and with its last legs, it charged the Dawn and opened fire. The Dawn's defenses were more than up to the task, but Sia had never been good with the vibrations of serious combat. "Return fire, with the secondary guns!" She couldn't let that stop her though, especially not in a sim. The attacking machine found the rest of its frame blasted apart leaving them with a momentary breather, one she'd be taking. 

Kazue continued her reckless charge, only halted momentarily by a lack of nearby targets, there would be a lot to talk about with her. Her machine wouldn't properly hold up with her moving like that. The maintenance crews wouldn't appreciate such reckless flying, but from a combat standpoint, it was working, somehow. The northern front was where the combat was now, and Scylla appeared to have taken a sharp hit now retreating into a safer position. They outnumbered the planes, but sure enough, in the distance were the mentioned reinforcements. She shared Alrenne's snicker at the... stilted conversation between the new fighters, but quickly adjusted back into the fight at hand, "All units, deal with the units up north, and let the newer enemies approach us. Focus on breaking up their pressure!" 

Sia moves to 19, 8 and waits! 

[TheRoon]

When Leon saw the fighter go down, he took a short breath. He took in the situation around him. Markus and Scylla were both roughed up and retreating, and Kazue was still charging straight ahead like a scene from The Last Samurai. Good thing it was a simulation, but either way. "Loud and clear, Capt." Leon pulled back his shotgun and spun his halberd as his bulky machine approached Javelin 6. "HAH!"

Leon moves toward 17, 12 and slams down his Heat Halbert onto Javelin 6.

[Xinnidy]

"Hah..." At least the mess with Kazue's positioning had solved itself momentarily, giving Bonner enough time to think on the reinforcements. "Three HEXes, manageable. Expect them to charge as a group." Putting himself in front, Bonner waited for them to give their vector of attack

Bonner to (14,10).

---

"Gh..." Esther was becoming frustrated at how her positioning made chasing the planes cumbersome. "It's not responding in time..." She wasn't used to the HEX's limited maneuverability, but insisted in following the planes through the debris. "I can catch it...!"

Esther to (18,11), stake diver Javelin #6.

[Ursali]

Unlike the majority of his comrades that were disgruntled, to put it nicely, by Kazue's performance, those that had time to pay attention to it anyway, he was rather impressed by her performance. Sure, her tactics were completely nonexistant, but she could, theoretically, perform just as well with live ammunition. More so than that though, he appreciated the fact that there was another lunatic like himself that preferred close quarters combat in the era of missiles, beams, and bullets, even if he was still guilty of the lattermost.

"Finally caught up to you, karate girl. I like the way you fight, but this is a teambuilding exercise, not a solo mission, yeah?" It wouldn't do to say more than that; he didn't want to over step his bounds, one way or the other. It was the Captain's, or the Lieutenant Commander's, job to admonish her reckless tactics and he wasn't about to dare approach encouraging her battlefield behavior.

Daeran to 15,11 wait.

[mcd900]

Louise snipes Javelin 2 out of the stars. [82 - hit] [29 - no crit] 14 damage to Javelin 2, destroyed, 33XP to Louise.

Iskra riddles Javelin 4 with holes. [Guaranteed hit] [22 - no crit] 9 damage to Javelin 4, shot down. 33XP to Iskra.

Leon's machine lumbers into action, taking a big chunk out of Javelin 6! [15 - hit] [59 - no crit] 7 damage to Javelin 6, as it tries to slip behind an asteroid! 10XP to Leon.

Esther rockets into action, slamming a stake into Javelin 6! [4 - hit] [97 - no crit] 7 damage to Javelin 6!
Javelin 6 counters, letting cannon rounds fly! [44 - hit] [10 - no crit] 10 damage returned to Esther! 10XP to Esther.

Enemy Phase 4

Javelin 6 makes a reckless attack on the Dawn! [58 - hit!] [64 - miss]
The Dawn's guns roar in response! [Guaranteed hit] [49 - no crit] 8 damage to Javelin 6, destroying it! 33XP to Sia.

Warnings were going off all across the bridge, sirens blaring and alarm lights flashing insistently that the ship had suffered major damage. Alrenne simply narrowed his eyes, tuning out the dim of sim warnings and maintaining his laser focus on the tactical map--

--he would have, if not for the sudden yank of the deck beneath him, sending him onto the side of the map, his pen slipping out of his hands, down into the recess of the table, projecting its shadow up onto the hologram in front of him. He grimaced.

Item two on discussions with maintenance...

Amidst the shifts of the ship, the synthesized voice crackled back to life on the bridge speakers.

"< --is the old man doing? We're staring down barrels here, we're good but we're not that good-- >"

"< He's still prepping to launch! They got through the patrols too quickly-- >"

The enemy ace squadron <LIGHTNING> approaches alone!

Player Phase 5

Edited May 24, 2023 by mcd900

[Mercenary on the Winds]

A ship slipped its way through the group, and opened fire on the Dawn. The first attack had been nothing but a little shaking, so Sia had expected the attack to be more of the same and continued to scribble away in her notebook. But the attack rattled the ship substantially, sending Sia into the Lt. Cmdr next to her, and then onto the floor as she hadn't braced herself at all. Sia shook her head, but carried out what was necessary, "Guns! Return fire!" She hadn't needed to say it as the guns roared, and the aggressor was torn to shreds, leaving them in complete control of the eastern space. It might have been a bit of embarrassment at being tossed about just now. 

Sia pulled herself to her feet, and huffed, "Maintenance and the engineers are surely having their fun, aren't they?" The slightest pout appeared on her face before sighing, "I'm alright... Just knocked the wind out of me..." She turned her attention back to the new threats, the new squadron of planes. They flew in a bit more of a formation, the insignia on their machines matching. "Careful with these everyone, they're a bit more refined than the others... work together, and take them down quickly; there are still those Hexes to worry about. Lieutenant Scylla, return to Dawn for repairs. We'll be hanging back a bit more; taken a bit more damage than I would have liked." 

The Dawn moves to 21, 11! Sia's HP is below 40%, so her Aura is off until healed! 

Edited June 3, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

"え？あ... ごめんなさい… Um. Shall we, er... Work as a t-team, then...?" Kazue finally spoke English through her rampage on the battlefield, Daeran's direct interjection enough to stifle her for the moment. "あの... I just get very, excited when I'm, piloting. That's all..." Daeran's comms console suddenly lit up with a (;゜0゜), Kazue coming on screen and bowing in her seat-- forgetting what she was wearing.

"What do you recommend would work as a team building assault?" She seemed willing to listen to suggestions, at least, though a fire continued to burn in her eyes as she stared at Daeran over their short range video comms.

---

"Mmmnh... Just barely out of range." It seemed the Dawn had taken a serious hit, but there was nothing Louise could do about that. "Show me you're more than just a sexy body and handle your situation, Captain," she muttered off comms, moving along slightly, rifle at the ready.

Louise moves to 17,10, equip the auto rifle.

[TheRoon]

When the Dawn found itself under fire, Leon couldn't help but turn to see the damage it took. He's no stranger to vessels under his charge being damaged, and this was a sim...though Leon couldn't help but let out a very annoyed 'tsk'. "...keep it together now, girl." He turned back to the remaining machines before him and charged out to blow off some steam. So he pulled out his shotgun and fired at a nearby Javelin.

Leon moves to 13, 12 and fires at Javelin 3 with the AP Slug.

[GoldsbroTSG]

"Tch..." Thankfully nothing seemed to be aiming for Markus. He wanted to keep the fight going, but he knew he needed to fall back. "Gah..."

He went into comms, "Retreating to the Dawn for repairs. I'll be back momentarily." Once he shut off conms, he sighed, "Don't have too much fun without me."

Markus moves to 20,11, heads into the Dawn

[scorri]

Iskra let out a quiet giggle of satisfaction at seeing her target explode. It hadn't been the best battle so far for her, no misses but no serious damage dealt either, so it was good to prove she knew what she was doing. It did seem like others weren't faring so well, as several others were getting hit hard. Still, there was no time to deal with that now. She had to keep fighting.

15-11, shoot #3

[MRDRHAWK]

Scylla was still breathing heavily, the panic still gripping her like a vice. She only barely registered the order to return to the Dawn for repairs, and didn’t even try to respond, beyond moving towards the ship, managing to get docked, barely.

Scylla moves to (20,11) and boards the Dawn.

 

[Xinnidy]

"Gh!" Being unable to shake the fighter's counter volley was enough to shake Esther, gritting her teeth in frustration. This loadout... isn't working out. Mistakes happen, but with how much she wanted to prove herself ahead of the curve, it left her frustration stewing. Need to approach... I can take down a mark, just better aiming...

Esther to (15, 10).Wire-Guided Blade Array equipped.

 

"Tch." There wasn't much time to worry about protocol with the Imminent Dawn in danger. Even if it was a simulation, the way it'd reflect poorly on the group's coordination was something Bonner was sworn to avoid. "Hold the line. Don't afford them line of sight with the ship."

Bonner holds, Autorifles Lightning #3.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Xinnidy

[Ursali]

Daeran was quite taken aback, by a multitude of things all at once. First and foremost was the state of the Dawn, as well as the overall flow of the battlefield. Nearly none of their machines were without damage, simulated or no, and the enemy still had their 'aces' up their sleeve; at least those that needed repairs were docking with the ship to receive them. Kazue's mood whiplash was almost disorienting as she reverted back to out of battle shyness, only for him to catch the determination in her eyes over the video comm she had initiated. "Ah, well, there's no shame in being eager, but restraint is an important part of teamwork. If you only ever rush in you'll find yourself quickly overwhelmed and your team too far behind to save you." There was another thought tied to the unexpected reveal, though it had no place on the battlefield and was quickly shuffled away for later as Leon, Iskra, and the Lieutenant Commander lit up the closest Javelin.

"Well, I had been going to suggest we tag-team the nearest Javelin, but it seems like that is no longer an option. We could do the same to a different plane, but with the state your machine is in I strongly recommend you retreat, hold position, or reposition; if we push ahead we're likely going to be shot down by the enemy HEXes." He didn't his best to match her burning gaze, hoping she would listen. "Follow me if you want, but don't engage until the enemy's closer."

13,9 Autorifle Lightning #1.

 

[Nanami Touko]

"W-Wait, but--" Daeran was off, engaging another enemy fighter, one that looked just about damaged enough to take out. Shook out of her battle high, Kazue checked her machine's sensors, warning signs going off in several places; the joints, the armor, the thrusters. The HEX wasn't keeping up with her. She hadn't taken a serious amount of damage, but the strain of her movements was doing more than the enemies were. She sighed... But, this was a simulation. It would do to push the machine to its limits, so that the mechanics had a better idea of what she needed.

"I won't let an ally fight alone... 準備はできたか!?"

With the fight in her heart re-lit, Kazue growled out a challenge to the approaching aircraft!

Kazue to 10,9, Plasma saber into Lighting #1!

[mcd900]

"Good work, gunnery officer-- gah...!" Alrenne staggered back against the console again as the captain bounced off of him, then to the ground; he righted himself, a furrow distinct on his brow. He made another note - silently this time, but the scratch of his pen against paper was audible, now. He diverted his gaze from Sia, as did the rest of the bridge crew who weren't already fully occupied with their consoles. 

...full documentation of simulation parameters to be submitted to the Captain or XO prior to commencement...

Leon rocks up with an AP slug through LIGHTNING-3, (29 roll to hit, 39 roll to crit), hit/no crit, 10 dmg, 11XP.
Iskra fires her Autorifle at LIGHTNING-3, (guaranteed hit, 49 roll to crit), hit/no crit, 9 dmg, 11XP.
Bonner cleans up with his own Autorifle against LIGHTNING-3, (guaranteed hit, 64 roll to crit), hit/no crit, 13 dmg, kill, 4XP!
Daeran softens up LIGHTNING-1 with some long-range Autorifle fire, (guaranteed hit, 81 roll to crit), hit/no crit, 8 dmg, 11XP.
Kazue slices through LIGHTNING-1 with her Plasma Sword, (guaranteed hit, 70 roll to crit), hit/no crit, 13 dmg, kill, 37XP!

Enemy Phase 5

"< --Yaroslav? Damn, they got him...! Wait-- aargh?! -- >" 

"< --Lightning 1! Lightning 1, respond! Lightning 1! -- >"

There was a burst of static across the comm, then a slam; a balled fist of anger, or perhaps a slumped helmet of despair. Then, after a long moment, a heavy sigh.

"< -- Raven, it's no good! We didn't stand a damn chance against this many! You need to launch, now, or Strand II... the colony's lost! -- >"

Lightning 2 maneuvers...

"< -- Negative, Lightning 2. The colony itself is our best chance. Good luck. Out. -- >"

The enemy HEX squadron gets into their best defensive posture...

Player Phase 6

 

All shipboard units (Scylla, Markus) receive +30% HP regeneration and +1 ammo to all weapons!

Alrenne paced as the ship 'recovered' the damaged units. Does someone down there have an English minor or something?

Meanwhile, the engineer that had waved to the pilots as they filed into the hangar earlier roused the rest of the maintenance crew with a shout.
"Alright, come on, you idiots! Just because it's sim damage doesn't mean you get to just watch! It's not just an exercise for them in those seats, get off your ass, repair and rearm under duress, that's the mission! Sixty seconds, I'm timing you!"

Edited June 9, 2023 by mcd900

[GoldsbroTSG]

What Markus hadn't expected upon immediately docking for repairs was yelling from one of the engineers. Apparently she was getting his guys in motion to patch up their machines. Simulated, at least. It was appreciated, Markus had to know he could count on the mechanics. Every part of a crew was like a part of the body, and everything needed to be efficient if constant success was the plan of action.

Much like now, once the clear was made, Markus gave the team a salute, with a small smile, and 'launched' back into battle.

Markus moves to 16,11

"Apologies, good to go, now." He gave his team, keeping composure as he returned to the fight.

Edited June 9, 2023 by GoldsbroTSG

[Nanami Touko]

The plasma blade had cut clean through the enemy's fighter, her machine still screaming at her, but... "まだ... まだ足りない!!" Kazue wasn't finished yet, boosters pushing her machine after the escaping fighter! "沈め!!"

Kazue rushes to 12,14 and plasma saber's the remaining Lightning!

"She's not going to stop until she's shot down, is she?" Louise idly spoke over open comms. "At least she's providing results for all that spirit..."

Louise gets into position on 15,13

[TheRoon]

Clean up had been simple enough, the merc felt the simulation was close to the end. Though Leon still kept his guard up, especially considering the Dawn was still in hot water. "Backing you up, Kaz!" He called on the comms and rolled behind the Japanese pilot with his own assault on the last Lightning.

Leon moves 12, 13 and drops an Explosive Shot from his Shotgun on the Lightning.

[Xinnidy]

"Haaah..." Bonner was getting tired, but at least the pace of battle was dwindling. "Almost, there..." Fatigue got to him easier, but his experience still meant he was overqualified... as much as a certain pilot was wont to ignore formation...

Bonner to (11, 13), autorifle Lightning 2 if still alive, Diverter otherwise.

---

"Grr...!" Cursing her weapon loadout, Esther could only follow formation while bracing for impact. All she needed was to hit one mark, one point...

Esther to (12,12).

[Mercenary on the Winds]

As the battle seemed to be winding down, Sia spent time issuing orders for the wellbeing of the ship. An exercise to be sure, but a situation like this, were it to occur, was more than just herself and the bridge at risk. There were diplomats and civilians aboard the Dawn and as captain her duty was to them just as much as it was to the mission. "Maintenance, status report on the two pilots who returned for restock and repairs." As if answering her question, the plane, and thus, Markus, reentered the fray quite quickly a fair bit of damage repaired. The battle hadn't gone the best for the unit; most of their pilots had taken some strong knocks and despite some blooming collaborative efforts, it was clear that they weren't quite gelling just yet. Kazue seemed the most troubling to deal with but, so far her spirit had kept her upright and she'd been instrumental in opening space for the others to fall in behind. It was reckless, certainly, but there was something here that they could hone. Her movements and fighting ability made her an excellent forward; it would be matter of either finding someone quick enough to keep up with her, or tempering her head long rush. Daeran had gotten her to halt for a small moment, but the moment Daeran returned to the fray, so did the Japanese international. 

Eventually, it was just the remaining Lightning--which appeared to have tried to charge for the Dawn--and those Hexes defending the colony. Lightning 2 was quickly engage by Kazue, and Leon with Bonner in support. "Helm, move us in closer to the colony. Remain out of reach of their weapons, I believe we've tested our resilience enough today. Speaking of which, to all units, be wary of ranged weaponry on the enemy Hexes, you especially, Ensign Fujiwaru. If you find a moment, please return for repairs; I don't want your machine failing on you at a pivotal moment. Whether or not she'd listen was a different story--she'd already sort of brushed her off once. Sia sighed, and fanned herself a little. Even if it wasn't actual combat, things were still rather stressful for her first instance of being truly in command. A little exhausting if she had to be honest, but the only time one could really relax was when the battle was over. 

Sia moves to 14, 11!

Edited June 12, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

[scorri]

Iskra sighed quietly and moved forward. There were no enemies left in her range, so it was better to just move and be ready to attack when she could.

Iskra to 10-11

[Ursali]

Even with his urging her to stay back Kazue continued to rush into danger. He understood that it was a simulation, she likely did as well, but if this was going to be how she acted on the battlefield then she was only going to get herself hurt. Granted he'd been too preoccupied with trying to reign her in, for her safety, that he failed to see the opportunity to work together and eliminate Lightning #1, but that wasn't much of a revelation when she immediately rushed off to engage the final Lightning number. He sighed, shaking his head as he maneuvered his HEX into a position where he could strike at the enemy.

Daeran to 13,14, blast Lightning #2 with Submachine gun.

Edited June 17, 2023 by Ursali

[MRDRHAWK]

Scylla practically threw her helmet to the side, shivering in… anger? Fear? She didn’t know. She messed up on a goddamn training mission and nearly brought down for it. They’d never let her sortie again after this… even still, she couldn’t just get back out there. Her mech took too much damage from that one attack… she had to just wait it out a little longer.

Too bad she was historically pretty bad at that.

Scylla remains on the ship.

[mcd900]

It was starting to look like mopping up at this point; the last of the enemy looked like they'd be putting up staunch resistance, for what little it was worth. Alrenne nodded, starting to look over the battle's notes, summarizing the salient points, mind already on the debriefing...

Kazue slices with her Plasma Saber! (78 roll to hit, 15 roll to crit), hit/no crit, 13 dmg!
Lightning 2 returns fire with the 30mm Cannon, (44 roll to hit, 15 roll to crit), barely misses!
11XP, level up! +1 SPD.

Leon fires again with his shotgun! (72 to hit, 69 to crit), miss, 1XP.

Bonner pulls the trigger! (85 to hit, 46 to crit), hit/no crit, 14 dmg, 4XP.

"< -- Gah, you bastards...! -- >"

Daeran moves to finish off LIGHTNING-2 with his SMG... (guaranteed hit, 25 to crit), hit/no crit, 9 dmg, kill, 37XP!

Enemy Phase 6

< -- Open fire. -- >"

Diver 2 sends a beam through space...! (75 to hit, 71 to crit), miss, 1XP. It goes wide of Daeran! Diver 2 cannot counter next Player Phase!

Player Phase 7

All shipboard units (Scylla) receive +30% HP regeneration and +1 ammo to all weapons!

Edited June 17, 2023 by mcd900

[Nanami Touko]

"遅すいぞ！" Kazue didn't hesitate, charging headfirst into the enemy that had fired its sniper rifle!

Kazue pulls out the heavy metal sword and smashes into Diver #2!

"Let her have her fun," Louise spoke to the squadron, "since it seems like this simulation can't stop her... As for you, enemy leader... I hope you didn't think you were safe~"

Louise casts Snipe! Fires her beam sniper rifle on Diverter!