Mercenary on the Winds Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 Sia sighed as Kazue charged right in, and engaged one of the units defending the colony. Instead of making a physical note as she had before, a mental one sufficed for this one. Even if it worked out, flying outside of the confines of her unit put more than just her at risk. "All units, engage the defenders carefully. Keep an eye on their weapons and range, don't let them focus us down. Break them down, and take control. Helmsman, take us just out of range of their main weapons, and prepare the main cannon. Lieutenant Commander Bonner, take control of the assault!" Sia moves to 12, 12! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 Iskra frowned, fidgeting slightly, before flipping over to her newtype cannon. She'd avoided using it up until now, but she couldn't put it off any longer. She had a part to play and she needed to prove that she could do it. Can't miss this one. It doesn't matter if I don't kill, I need to prove that I belong her. She closed her eyes, letting her mind open up. It was only a simulation, but she could still feel it. The overload was floating right on the edge of her brain, she could only do this once, but she could feel the weapons spring out, slamming into the enemy. Iskra uses Sense, wire-guided cannon Diverter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 (edited) Markus to 13,13 Edited June 18, 2023 by GoldsbroTSG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 (edited) "Hmm..." Things could have gone much worse than they did, at least, so Bonner suppressed his thoughts for then. He was getting a little fatigued, cursing his rust and age mentally. With a thrust of the controls, he charged towards the simulated colony, taking the advantageous spot previously taken by the Diverter, and aimed a quick hit at the remaining opposition. Bonner to (6,13), use Arrestor Cable on Diver #1. "Tch, damn it..." She was frustrated, and out of range. Biting her anger, Esther figured combat was pretty much done, and focused on repairing her machine. Terrible showing. Esther to (14,11), enter ship. Edited June 18, 2023 by Xinnidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Leon spotted the last opponent left, just barely out of reach. "...screw it." So he purged the armor he had on to give himself more mobility. "Here goes nothin'!" Off he went to shotgun the final Diver. Leon purges the heavy armor and gains +1 move. Leon moves to 14, 8 and Shotguns Diver 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Okay, the repairs would have to be good enough. Scylla had a reputation to repair… or, she would, if there was anyone left besides one guy who looked like a sitting duck. She couldn’t even reach him! ”Dammit… whatever.” At least she could guard the boat, in case anyone else came out. Sia would probably appreciate that. Scylla to (12,11) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursali Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 (edited) The simulated battle was quickly coming to a close, Daeran watched as Leon moved to deliver the finishing touch to the Diver only for it to duck behind some convenient colony debris. It wasn't the first shot the Leon had missed as things were winding down, though rather than see it as a slight on the man's skill he chose find relief that even professional pilots like Leon don't hit every shot. Daeran to 9, 14, Autorifle Diver #1. Edited June 18, 2023 by Ursali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share Posted June 26, 2023 (edited) Louise's rifle fires again, leaving a second streak through space! (76 to hit, 24 to crit), hit/no crit, 11 damage to Diverter, 11XP to Louise. Kazue makes a first swing with the Heavy Metal Sword! (71 to hit, 55 to crit), hit/no crit. Then swings again! (20 to hit, 10 to crit), hit/crit, Diver 2 goes down! 37XP to Kazue. Iskra focuses intensely, letting the Wire-Guided Cannons entrap the Diverter! (crit), destroying the Diverter, 77XP to Iskra! Iskra levels! +HP, +Melee, +Skill, +Luck. "< -- What?! H-How can this be--?! -- >" Bonner extends the Arrestor Cable! (12 to hit, 22 to crit), hit/crit, entangling Diver 1 and dealing 21 damage! 4XP to Bonner. Leon pumps his shotgun, taking aim at Diver 1. (87 to hit, 98 to crit), miss. 1XP to Leon. Diver 1 counters, (38 to hit, 92 to crit), dealing 11 damage back to Leon! Daeran sprays his Autorifle! (67 to hit, 91 to crit), hit/no crit, riddling Diver 1 with rounds, taking it down! 40XP to Daeran. Daeran levels! +HP, +Shoot. Map complete! Ensign Kiria, the radar operator, spoke up, her voice filling the bridge. "No remaining contacts on scope! The colony area is secured." Alrenne nodded. "Very good." He keyed the communicator on the tactical console. "Bridge to engineering - the simulation battle is complete. Shut down the equipment." He flipped through his notes, briefly pondering them before looking towards Sia. "Captain, the simulation is complete. Your orders, please. I believe a debriefing would be appropriate, if you'd like to have the pilots assemble in the ready room." There was... quite some variation in performance today. It wouldn't be appropriate to draw conclusions from a single instance such as this. It is, however, quite clear that there are already some natural inclinations towards cooperation between some of these pilots. And some... distinct interest in the Captain. Well, personnel issues are another matter... Edited June 26, 2023 by mcd900 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 The group managed to pull it all together, and successfully managed to down the enemy HEXes guarding the colony. Affording them complete control of the colony, and the space surrounding it. Sia let out a breath that she didn't quite realize that she had been holding, but they managed to get through the simulation without any of the pilots being downed. A single point of data wasn't anything that solid judgments could be made from, but there would be a bit to talk about regarding what went on. The most obvious of which was that of Ensign Fujimaru. Her skill was undeniable, and her effectiveness was plain to see, but her not being shot down was more of a stroke of luck than it was anything else. Sia reached for her notebook before, remembering that she had been knocked to the floor by the vibrations of the bridge--something they'd have to mention to the techs--collecting the parcel. She took a deep breath, "I am inclined to agree, Lt. Commander. There are some things that I'd like to discuss with them all immediately. If we could have all of the pilots disembark from their simulators and meet in the ready room in ten minutes. Also, I would like the vitals logs of the pilots sent off to both doctors to be looked at for any anomalies." Sia tilted her head back and forth, before turning to the door, "Everyone needs to be begin looking over relevant data, and places where we can improve on the bridge. Aside from that, it was a reasonably good first outing. I believe that is all for the moment. The Lt. Commander and I will be in the ready room with the pilots if there is anything of immediate importance... Shall we, XO?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) "Aye, Captain. I'll have the pilots assemble, then, and the data forwarded to the medical team." Alrenne gave an intent nod to the comms officer, tapping buttons on the tactical console to turn off the holoprojector, but not before glancing at the varying conditions of the machines. They'd defeated the enemy, certainly, but the damage some of them had suffered in the process was rather alarming... He shook off the thought. There was little point in mulling that over right now - the debriefing was barely minutes away, and it would no doubt be one of the more obvious topics. The Lt. Commander moved to accompany Sia to the ready room, scheduling a meeting with maintenance on his communicator as they went... The screens in the cockpits of each machine winked off one by one, leaving the pilots to ponder the battle. The view of the colony and space was replaced with the steel of the hangar walls, engineers bustling about and tugging away heavy cables. A voice crackled over the comm. "Hey, pilots. Cool sim, huh? I think I forgot to introduce myself earlier, we were rushing. I'm the maintenance chief, Cia." The voice was plainly familiar, being the one yelling earlier; there was a pause now, as if speaking to someone else. "...huh? Oh, damn, alright. Message from the bridge for all of you - get to the ready room, within ten minutes. Go ahead, we'll clean up here-- Hey, be careful with that datacable, that's worth more than we make in--" The transmission stopped, the bustle of the hangar seeming to intensify through the camera views. Edited June 27, 2023 by mcd900 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Louise couldn't help but hold a cocky smirk as the simulation ended. She'd sunk a few enemies, done her part to cover her allies, kept her machine in almost perfect condition, and even aided in giving suggestions to the other pilots. A near perfect performance-- annoying that it wasn't perfect, but near perfect was good enough with a new squadron. She popped open her HEX's cockpit, riding the wire down to the hangar floor. Not a jitter or a shake left in her body, she ran a hand through her extremely well kept teal hair and flung it behind her, strutting confidently towards the exit of the hangar. She glanced aside, hoping the rest of the squadron were taking care of themselves. Kazue could feel her heart rocking in her chest as the simulation ended, quickly opening her cockpit and almost jumping down to the hangar floor, quickly riding the wire faster than would maybe be advised. She straight up combat rolled onto the hangar floor, still needing to shake off some of her residual energy, walking fast towards the exit-- and not realizing she'd followed orders to leave without changing out of the pilot suit she'd worn under her clothes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 As soon as the message had terminated, and Scylla was back out of her HEX, away went her pilot helmet, flung against the nearest wall with a loud bang. “Fuck!” She couldn’t help the anger coursing through herself at the whole thing - she nearly got her ass rocked by one measly hit, because she got caught off guard. There was no way she’d be taken seriously as a pilot now, assuming she could even be one still. She probably fucked it up so badly that she was about to be sent home. ”God dammit…!” Scylla kept cursing under her breath, her emotions practically choking her. All she could do now was make her way to the ready room, keeping her pilot suit on as she did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 And with that, the mission was over. The enemies were cleared out, and the sims were finished up. Shutting down the machine, Markus sighed and scratched his head. He took a moment to assess his performance. "Decent, I guess... coulda done more, but, getting shot down probably would've sucked more. Guess I can take that." He sighed again, and opened his cockpit, seeing that Kazue had already bounced. He shrugged, as he climbed from his plane and made his way back to the hangar ground. He gave a stretch, as he went to meet up with Leon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 Esther ended the simulation slumped forward, face buried in the controls. She couldn't get a good showing, and it frustrated her to no end. "Ugh..." She slowly removed herself from the cockpit, donning her jacket once more before leaving. It was time to go to the ready room and learn what else she'd have to beat herself over... And there went Louise with all the joy in the world (and a very hasty Kazue as well). "Tch." Esther couldn't quite feel their vibe. "Haah..." Bonner wasn't too displeased with his own performance, in contrast to others. Nobody left to prove but himself, and he'd done a fine job as it were. "That civilian is going to be a headache." Wiping the sweat off his brow, he took his time leaving the cockpit. Off what I recall, most others followed rank, but Sia might have more thorough data. The team wasn't unworkable, but definitely green to the concept of working as an unit. All things considered, Bonner handled worse. Still beats me why this group was chosen for the mission. Thinking back to his talk with Daeran, Bonner couldn't help speculating as he took a casual pace towards the ready room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursali Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 "Whew..." Daeran let out a sigh of relief as he got himself out of his helmet and out of his cockpit. He was pleased by his own performance, managing to down his fair share of machines and keep damage to his own low; his skill would hopefully be apparent to his fellow pilots, especially any of those that thought to run his name on Noodle. He wished he'd actually managed to rein in Kazue, or at least managed to pull her into anything resembling a collaborative effort. Speaking of, he spotted her beating a hasty retreat to the ready room on his trip down the wire. "Ensign Fujiwaru, wait up!" He called out to her once he was firmly on the hanger floor, hurrying to catch up and keep pace with her. "Nice fighting out there, karate girl. You blew some of us out of the water, you know?" It wasn't that inaccurate of a statement, at least in terms of number of enemy suits downed. She still seemed to be on edge, hopefully small talk would help her calm down before the Captain and Lieutenant Commander went over her performance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 "Eh!?" Kazue hadn't expected anyone to catch up to her or address her, her adrenaline and her bad social queues mixing to form a collapse of surprise in the moment. She paused and blinked up at Daeran, slowly nodding. "Uhm... Y-Yes. Thank you... I, I just... I really like piloting machines. Maybe not the killing, part, but in a simulation, well... I am allowed to let loose. You did very well, as well... I... uhm..." She looked down in thought, about to continue, when she noticed her legs-- "AH!?" She turned bright red, immediately, hands squirming to cover herself, before finally giving up and rushing ahead to get to the meeting as quickly as she could. You'll be late if you turn back! "S-Sorry! I will talk! Later!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 Leon was a little pissed that he took so much damage near the end, but it did fire him up. "Alright fine, time to get-" Before he could enact his revenge however, the final robot was destroyed and the sim ended with a total shutdown. "H-HUUUUH?!" The red haired man gawked at the screen as his chance for redemption was taken away from him. "No way! I was just getting warmed up! Arrrrrgh!!!" He threw his head back in frustration, which bumped into the ceiling of the mech. "Agh!" He recoiled from the potential brain damage and held his aching skull with both hands. He took a brief moment to cool off after, and he hopped out of the mech with a huff. "...well all things considered I didn't do that bad, even if I couldn't stick the landing." He noticed Markus approach, he gave his new partner a wide grin. "Nice work out there, partner. Might be just a sim, but you sure did good." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 (edited) Markus started with a nod, letting Leon say what he felt. He pondered for a moment before he answered; of course Markus didn't think his performance was all that great, but he appreciated the gesture. "While I appreciate it, I could've performed better." He nodded again. "But that's what the sim is for. For learning, and improving." He looked directly at Leon, and gave the smallest smile. "Thank you, though." The smile wore off, and his serious mode came back, "However, I would like to apologized. I misjudged you pretty harshly and I shouldn't have. You're a pretty impressive pilot, and I do look forward to working with you, more." Rosa finally finished mixing the coffee and cream she put together. Of course, the match was already done when she finished. She laughed, as she grabbed a second cup, pure black coffee, and walked back to Cheryl. "Here you go, Cheryl~ Black coffee, fresh from the pot." After handing it over, she took a drink of her own coffee. "Ahhh~ Sheesh, that was exciting. Well, whenever you're ready, you want to go meet with the Captain for their debriefing? There should be a little bit of time before then." Edited July 1, 2023 by GoldsbroTSG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 Leon took a good look at Markus as he became a little critical of his own movements, and smiled when he complimented his piloting skills. "Aha, you really think so? Thanks. I feel like I made some mistakes though. That being said, we could make all the mistakes in the world, but as long as you come back alive then you're a good soldier at the end of the day. In my book anyway." He pat the younger pilot's shoulder and walked off. "Looking forward to seeing how you improve too, man. C'mon, I'm sure the captain's got a few words for us." Though considering a certain Japanese pilot's stunts, she probably had more words for her than him. He was fully expecting to bring trouble, but it seemed like he got out troubled. Wonder what her deal was...kinda makes a guy curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted July 5, 2023 Author Share Posted July 5, 2023 As Alrenne and the captain entered the briefing room, he tapped his communicator, uploading some of the battle playback to the large screen mounted on the room's wall. Scenes from the sim battle played, jumping from cut to cut of HEXes and fighters maneuvering, working in tandem, and... working alone. There. That should be suitable for, ah... guiding our discussion. As the pilots filed in, some in groups, some individually, he observed their expressions calmly; excitement, disappointment, ambivalence... embarrassment? "A-hem. Alright. Settle down, settle down, find your seats. Now - Captain, if you'll excuse my initiative here, I'll start with saying that your individual battle skills were sufficient or better. Some of you saw more or less combat - that's not what I'm concerned with here, a single battle isn't enough to draw conclusions for that. You've all been through your pilot education in... one way or another, and have learned that already, I should hope." The Lt. Commander gestured towards the monitor, a tactical map glowing a dim blue overlaid on the footage. "You met your objectives efficiently. Now - I have some observations about the way you went about it, but in advance of that I'd like to hear any thoughts you all have now that you're no longer in the thick of it. He looked to the side. "Captain, if you have any remarks, I believe now would be a good time; else I think we should allow the pilots the floor for now." He fixed his gaze on the room, not singling anyone out in particular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 Sia flipped through her notebook as Alrenne began setting up the room for their debrief; there was a sharp cutoff in her notes, right around the time that the Dawn had taken that second hit. She probably should have expected it, so that could be considered a hit to her own performance for their first outing. However, much of her notes did focus on a particular person; one of the first to walk in--more like jog in--was the ensign in question. Yet, despite her almost self destructive charge into the enemies, she seemed embarrassed. The shift in personality was completely unlike the young woman that Sia had met in the pool. The others slowly funneled in, and there were a couple standouts among them; Louise was beaming, Scylla and Esther were various shades of frustrated, Daeran, Bonner and Markus looked more in thought than any particular emotion, and Leon was... well, Leon. The man hadn't changed at all since they'd spoken years ago. Sia straightened as Alrenne called upon her, fighting back the urge to lapse back into her position as XO, clearing her throat. "Yes, the Lt. Commander is correct; you all completed the objectives of the mission well, and without any causalities. I can certainly see the potential within the pilots here, but, I can also see a fair number of concerns that will likely need to see effort to overcome to fly as a unit. The Lt. Commander and I will offer our remarks, but there are things that he and I can't see as we're not in the field flying alongside you. So I would like you to make your thoughts known, so that we can take those into account with our own remarks. With that, I leave the discussion to you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 "Well..." Louise crossed her legs, folded her arms, and held the brightest smile. "I'd say, aside from one very standout individual, we all did wonderfully for a first outing, myself included, if I might say so~" Louise spared Kazue a glance, the woman wearing one of the first layer pilot suits... She'd taken it seriously in some manner, at least. "If I had thoughts to make known, they would be... Why did the CEN hire a civilian for military operations? It doesn't matter how well she can pilot a HEX... If she can't fall in line and cooperate with the tactics and strategies we've learned and employ, she'll get one of us, or herself, killed." Louise didn't want to mince words, especially with the captain offering them the floor. Kazue shrunk further, trying to hide in their seat with everything being targeted towards them. "I... I, I, uhm... My, apologies..." That was all she could manage, hiding her face in her hands. She was getting reprimanded, wearing this, and had nothing to say in retort. This Louise lady was right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted July 7, 2023 Share Posted July 7, 2023 "Well, as an old hand of the battlefield..." Spoke the man with a sly grin as he leaned forward in his chair. "I, for one, think the group did pretty well overall. So I agree with miss Park's assessment." He scanned the room for a moment, and gave Kazue a glance himself. "I admire everyone's willingness to learn from their mistakes, just as much as I admire their passion in the heat of battle. I can relate on both accounts." He looked back to Sia. "The important part at the end of the day is coming back alive, I just hope that's everyone's first priority." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursali Posted July 9, 2023 Share Posted July 9, 2023 (edited) Daeran hadn't expected Kazue to collapse on the spot, reaching his arm down to offer her a hand up. She seemed content to stay on the floor and continue the conversation for the moment but he doubted she intended to stay on the floor for long. "If you don't like the killing, perhaps you could learn to aim to debilitate enemy machines, rather than for the cockpit? You are in a rare--" Was all he managed to say before Kazue became extremely flustered. Out of instinct he followed her gaze, seeing her trying to cover herself. He did his best to course correct and refocus on her face, but she was up and running away within seconds. I was wondering if she meant to be running around in her pilot suit... The answer is clearly no. Well, nothing for it. Hopefully she can survive the meeting, there'll be far more eyes on her there. Daeran leaned back some in his chair, arms crossed. There was no need to echo Louise or Leon's assessment of their overall performance as a group; though, as he'd suspected, Kazue had quickly become the topic of the meeting. "I will say that, regardless of CEN's reason for hiring a civilian, as one of the other close range specialists I do appreciate how effective she is." He spared Kazue a slightly apologetic glance. "That being said, I agree with both Leon and Louise. Her passion is to be admired, but she needs to be able to work with us as a team. As one cohesive unit. If she can't do that, well..." He let the thought go unfinished, leaving it up to everyone else in the room to complete it as they saw fit. Edited July 9, 2023 by Ursali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted July 9, 2023 Share Posted July 9, 2023 Markus eyed the room, as he listened to others speak. Some brought up the group performance as a whole, while also referring to Kazue's performance. The man took a minute to gather his thoughts, he wasn't satisfied with how he performed, who was he to criticize someone else's actions? That's when he came up with an idea. He sat forward. "If there's concern with her actions as part of a team, then we could practice scenarios exactly for that in the simulators going forward. And it could help for the rest of us as well. There are several sorts of tactics and formations that not every pilot is gonna know at a glance. It would help getting her adjusted, and we all learn at the same time." He proceeded to sit back again, and waited for anyone else to input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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