2010-12-17 - Operation SRW - The Shield Generator

NEVIIM -- EXTERIOR

The White Star dominates L5. It has reshaped the geography of this portion of space completely. Side 1 and PLANT have had a few damaged colonies turned into bulwarks, with the Divine Crusader and PLANT fleets deployed to hold them back. The satellite itself is defended, thoroughly, from the human forces. A large defensive fleet remains, despite casualties, and nearly every Aerogater force of any size has been redeployed here.

This will be the final battle. Humanity's forces have been arrayed, with a series of careful communications and cooperation. Today, they have parity with the remaining forces of the Seventh Fleet. Their forces light up the heavens, in the distance.

A single hatch opens on the White Star -- welcoming in the last, damaged Huleh that is creeping back. The massive hatch swings down and blocks it off from sight.

Operation SRW is ready to go.

NEVIIM -- INTERIOR

Euzeth Gozzo looks up from the command room. He frowns, bringing his hand up to secure his mask into place. His lips curl into a frown, as he sees the images on the holographic monitors flickering about in front of him. "Have my Vayyikra online."

The masked technician next to him nods. "I will. Lord Laodicea is expected to take the field, in the Hermodhr Shivah, m'lord."

"I see." He frowns. "How did it come to this? How did these Samples push us this far?" The scientist gives him no answer -- much less any comfort. "Is /it/ prepared?"

"It is."

Behind his mask, Euzeth smiles. "Have it ready."

A single hatch opens on the White Star -- welcoming in the last, damaged Huleh that is creeping back. The massive hatch swings down and blocks it off from sight.

Phase Two is complete.

The Huleh-class carrier is only one of many. It looks like it's been in a recent battle with a Sample ship of some sort, with massive gashes blasted in the top and sides by naval-scale solid projectile weaponry. Scars from particle beams can be seen all along the vessel, and even one of the Huleh's hangars appears to have been battered around the edges. It limps back to the White Star, transmitting all it's proper codes and clearances in a hurry. They don't want to be caught out there when the humans come a-knocking.

The Huleh stops in one of the main hangars, everything sealed up around it. It's crew begins preparations to disembark, unsealing hangars to remove damaged units and transfer pilots to mechs they can actually use in the fight. The only problem is, it's not Balmarian mechs that drop out of the Huleh... unless the Ze Balmary Empire has begun purchasing weapons from the Luciferians.

All hell breaks loose right about then, precisely on time with the mission plan. A half-dozen full lances of BattleMechs leap out of the Huleh's rear-facing mech bays, the black and red machines of the Wolf's Dragoons and their sub-units immediately laying down a curtain of fire. The Balmarians are caught with their pants down by what amounts to mobile artillery clearing the way, forming up and facing deeper into the White Star. Doors into the hangar seal in a hurry, massive slabs of layered metal sliding in place between the slow 'Mechs and the rest of the station.

Armored Cores follow. Extravagantly-painted, detailed and customized ACs of both Normal and NEXT types follow the BattleMechs, the dozen unique machines each sharing a single thing in common: speed. NEXTs blitz through the closing doors and clear out the space beyond as the 'Mechs get in position, and Normals chase down the stragglers that try and outrun the 'Mechs in the cavernous interior. Nobody gets away.

The radio is suddenly abuzz with high-paid, mouthy Ravens and Lynxes counting kills and laughing about the whole 'Operation SRW.' The MechWarriors remain professional, occasionally getting smart-mouthed but sticking to the job. The Assault-class BattleMechs line up, face the interior wall... and fire.

When the smoke and flame clears, the way is clear for the elites of the infiltration force to move forward. If the Balmarians didn't know they were here before, they do now.

"Okay people, listen up," Spectre transmits, his Seraph-class 'Mech stomping forward like a wall of mobile guns and armor. "We've got reason to believe the Balmarians have a shield generator hidden somewhere in this block. We take that out, the rest of the attack force can get in here. We'll have a hell of a fight on our hands, but you all made it this far because you're good enough to handle it."

"Go weapons hot. You see an alien, you take the shot. Spectre out."

NEVIIM - INTERIOR The inside of the massive space station is not what people might expect. There are no endless miles of corridors, no hanger bays or large mecha storage areas - at least not in this part of the station. They can certainly be found in other areas, but there are also large parts of the White Star that are dedicated to other purposes. And this part is perhaps totally incongruous with the excepted norm, for it is a bright and sunny day, with a few stray wispy clouds dotting the sky. The warm sun shines down from on high, and a gentle breeze ripples across the ankle high grass causing it to sway like an ocean of greenery. Great terraces can be seen off in the distance of the many rolling hills and mountains, as well as large orchards of various trees, some familiar species from other, others alien with blue or purple colored leaves, many of them gravid with fruit. Some of the trees are immense, stretching up high enough that a full sized mech might be able to hide in one. The sky itself seems infinite, but the appearance itself is deceptive - it's hard to say how much freedom to soar one has with this illusionary sky, and stretching one's wings too much might result in an abrupt encounter with the roof. The distant terraces have what seem to be sparse pieces of furniture set up across them, although most of the graceful white seats and tables are unoccupied. There are a few scattered figure wandering about - most of them are dressed in loose white robes, wearing silver masks over their eyes and upper faces. People - some of the kidnapped citizens of Europe are present, wandering about in a daze along the terrace, occasionally stopping to eat or gesture at each other, but no one seems to speak. They seem to be in some sort of a trance, not really aware of the world around themselves. And sitting on one of the terraces is perhaps the only person in the area who is not wearing one of the white robes. Ingram Prisken reclines in one of the chairs on the fourth terrace, a dish of fruits and cheeses at his elbow next to some sort of mask, and a glass of wine balanced in one hand. As the ruckus of the intrusion team grows louder in the distance he closes his eyes for a moment, a faint sigh escaping his lips. "And so you proclaim your arrival with thunder and death - not the most graceful of entrances. Well, it is what we should expect of beings as primitive as these Samples," the Administrator muses, raising up his glass up and draining the last of the wine. "Very well then. If we are to settle this as barbarians, then let us be barbarians." Ingram tosses the wine glass off of the top of the terrace, watching the faint sparkle of the clear crystal as it tumbles down to the white carved marble of the tier down below. It shatters into a thousand pieces, and the terrace bursts into light as a pattern etches itself across the ground. A beam of light rises upwards from the mystical symbol, and Ingram picks up the four eyed mask sitting next to him on the table. The silver and red mask bears a striking resemblance to the one Euzeth himself wears, and Ingram steps off of the terrace... and into the black hand of the Astranagant as it rises from the ground below, emerging from the mystic symbol like a black demon arising from the infernal depths. The clawed hand swings around to deposit Ingram within the Black Angel's cockpit, two streamers of green energy erupting from the machine's 'wings' as it ascends into the air. "I am Aleph Barshem, Administrator of the Balmarian 7th Fleet. You are trespassing on the territory of our glorious Lord Gozzo," Ingram states, his voice echoing ever so slightly from the distortion behind his mask. "For your arrogance, the punishment is death."

"FINAAAAL!! FUUUUUUUUSION!!!!!"

Somebody might have noticed a white robot with a gold lion's-head on its chest emerging amongst the sundry and assorted combat mecha being disgorged from the formerly-Balmarian ship. They might even have noticed the bullet train, the drill tank, or (most likely, and ironically) the stealth bomber.

They can't *possibly* fail to notice the yell, or the swirling green sphere of electromagnetic fog which follows Guy's/GaiGar's shout, as the three GaoMachines disappear into the EM tornado, reconfiguring and latching onto the core mechanoid. And very, very soon ...

"GAO!!! GAI!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!"

The King of Braves is in the house and ready to *tear it down* - even ready to go through the Astranagant to do so. "You should never have tried to extend your 'territory' anywhere near Earth, 'Aleph Barshem'!!" Guy calls out as the last of the EM fog finishes dissipating. "The Balmarians have cast their shadow across the Earth Sphere for too long ... TONIGHT, YOUR INVASION *ENDS*!!!!"

Aitan Chazak growls as he slowly suits up and climbs into his Ezekiel Har... anytime now and the Samples will be at the walls of Neviim like the barbarians they are... and Aitan fully intends to see them smashed against it. "Aitan Chazak, ready to d--" Alarms go off suddenly as Aitan looks up, and reports start coming in about machines INSIDE the Neviim, "The HELL? How did the samples get ins--" The Huleh. "A /TROJAN HORSE/?! Those cunning bastards! I'm redeploying!" The blue and white Ezekiel roars over the landscape of the Neviim's interior, so close to the ground that he blows the hats off captured and entranced Samples as he flies. "Them again..." His grit tightens on his controls, "The /Dragoons/."

EARLIER ABOARD THE ARGAMA

"Laura! Wait!" Captain Bright calls out from the opposite end of the corridor. He's racing after her on one of the zero-gee tracks that line near every wall of the ship. "I need to tell you something.."

Coming to a stop before her, Bright reaches out -- his hand gripping something. "I want you to take this," he offers. "In the event that we fail today, I'm giving you one final order that must take precedence above all else. Should the suffering of humanity be too great and there is no other alternative.."

Captain Bright's hand unfurls slowly, the ambient light in the ship glinting off something metallic. "You are to activate the Moonlight Butterfly device in order to deny the enemy their victory and ensure that humanity has -some- kind of future in which they are free to make their own destiny."

"I may not be alive to give this command should these events come to pass," Bright explains. "And so, the Earth Militia and I trust in you to carry out these orders should you deem it absolutely necessary."

Bright's hand opens at last, leaving the object for Laura to take. It's a little angel wrought from silver attached to a length of silver chain. "Good hunting, White Doll."

The Preliator strides out, after the initial blitz strike by the faster machines. Servoskulls flood out behind it, moving to engage the nearby systems and attempt to flood the balmarian system with the encanted and sacred scrap code of the machine cult, as well as attempting to disrupt flow systems and comm relays within the larger mechanism. The Preliator's own machine song hums out against the darkness, its chainblade cycling, hungry... "Yes, I hear it too," he whispers to his machine, an unnecessary affectation as he still shares the intimacy of the manifold with it... So many machine songs, jangling and inhuman... He's fighting for mankind. For his girl. For the green earth. And yes, Preliator, all the bunny rabbits. Solis feels happy, like an axe seeing a tree. "...shield system, acknowledged. Warning, we intend to cause as much damage to other systems as feasible."

 Solis Vivent transmits, "This is Vivent. I am going to attempt to commune with the heretechnical song of the xenos-machina in order to attempt to augur the location of our prey, or a suitable ansible to allow us to affect dissolution of the corporeal and dogmatical bonds which retain the shield system in operation."

Before the Huleh, Wufei had spent a bit of time speaking to someone he had spoken to a while back. A young man by the name of Ascian Luddite. Ever since Bright Noa's Operation the previous day, Wufei had been like a man possessed trying to get anyone willing to fight the Balmarians into action. Which brought him to Africa. Wufei pretty much asked Luddite to join him in a rescue operation that Global designated 'SRW', and had a feeling Luddite would take part, simply for the defense of earth against alien attack, or what Wufei got from their initial encounter. NOW Altron Gundam's left arm dragon fang pierces an ezekiel's reactor right out of the gate as it moves out of the carrier. "Nataku on the hunt." Wufei growls into the radio as he tugs his collapsed trident from it's charger.... Wufei was, however, grinning from ear to ear...

The fact that Raidiese F. Branstein was selected for the EFA's part in this infiltration mission wasn't too much of a surprise. The SRX project was designed to fight the aliens like this, and his machine had the best firepower, put into a surprisingly small package. However, the fact that he /accepted/ surprised many people, including Aya and Ryusei, who felt the firepower of the SRX was better used outside.

Rai couldn't really explain his reasoning here. Getting into the White Star was indeed a key tactical maneuver, but there could have been many machines that took that slot and did this job. However, Raidiese felt compelled to go himself. Maybe he just needed to see the inside of the station. See what the Balmarians were on their own turf. Finally know this enemy he had been prepping to fight for so long.

The R-2 Powered steps out of the ship in formation, sliding along the ground at high speed as it dashes into place, taking the most of the surprise to use its Magna Beam Rifle to take out embedded defenses like turrets and security cameras. "This is Super-3. Everything is normal so far. Moving on to primary obje--" Rai stops cold when he sees a machine off in the distance.

The Astranagant.

It couldn't be. He saw it die. Whatever happened to the pilot inside, he was THERE when Ryusei killed that machine. Yet here it is, facing him down once again. And this time, they can't form the SRX to stop it. This time, all he's got is the R-2 Powered. And he's not backing down. The R-2 Powered slides into the open, moving out of cover to where the Astranagant can clearly see it, as Raidiese transmits openly, "Ingram. That's the second time I've seen you die, and yet you're still here. So what's your game this time?"

Once, the wings of the Moonlight Butterfly engulfed everything and turned the machines of war into dust. The symbol of Balmarian power in the Earth Sphere is exactly that: dust. It would just need a little coaxing to remember that, to forget all of the people it is carrying through inhospitable space, to leave them adrift and just go back to being dust.

The White Doll waits on the launching ramp onboard the Argama, Militia ace Laura Rolla staring at it blankly from behind a pressure shield. Bright comes up behind her and she turns to look at him, still almost emotionless.

Her fingers tighten around the object without realizing what it is. She wants badly to tell Bright that she can't obey him, that he's too eager to throw away lives, that this plan can never come to pass-- even if she saved everyone now, it would just be the prelude to the acceleration of war. Even now, having shared a fraction of the White Doll's technology with the EFA and A-LAWS, she might have doomed this reality.

"Captain Bright, I," Laura hesitates. "Thank you. I'll do my best, Captain."

After he leaves, Laura opens her hand where the figurine has left an imprint in her palm. She slips it around her neck, tucking it into her normal suit. "You're a good person, Mr. Bright."

Inside, where the fight has pierced, the White Doll called Gundam slips out from invisibility, its hands free of weapons. Laura watches the information flood in with wide eyes, murmuring to herself: "When I'm at the controls of my machine doll, the White Devil is my Angel."

Theresa Testarossa has her drive back, if not quite a full idea of what the hell she thinks she's doing. She heard about the slipping into White Star. She heard about the Operation. She knew she could not make herself plan it, was still not quite emotionally ready to mount something effectively in such a short time. But there was something she could do. Or rather, something she could not do.

She could not make herself simply wait. So Tessa has called on her newest friend, and taken something one of her oldest left waiting for her, and together they made their way - quietly, and with only the grudging permission of the people who can sign off on such things, to the rendezvous with the Trailers' secret trojan horse.

Spectre, Tessa thinks, dimly. So this is the war power your people have. Just who are you...but the tinles in her chest, the fear in her heart, let her know that it's not the time for that, especially as the way is cleared for the infiltration team to move.

The midnight black machine's eyes flash red, and Tessa rises with it. Her settings aren't great; she can already tell she's going to be sore from using this contraption. She's just not good for it, not a true ace at it.

But she'll manage.

"Meiya," Tessa says quietly. "...I'll be Ansuz tonight, whatever you choose to call yourself. Stick with me, OK?" She sounds just a touch uncertain, perhaps frightened. This is, after all, for all the marbles.

"Alright, Fragarach," Tessa breathes, as the machine LURCHES into the air, and she's cut off from making a dramatic launch proclamtion because she's too busy going "YEEP" at the thing's raw /speed/.

Ted Morrison couldn't escape this. There was simply no way that the Leader of Erehwon, hailed as the Unification Hero of the very same planet. Ever since that some of his people migrated to the Earth Sphere, he cannot lax on his reputation anymore, if he wants to keep the benefits. Sure, being hailed as a hero is great and amazing. It, however, brings you in situations like this: helping lead daring assaults in the belly of the invaders. Nothing to do to fret about it. Now he's here. Time to do some damage. The RMP-5GA Rampage is one of the aftermentioned Assault BattleMechs that helps sky rocket properity damage of the White Star. "Roger that, Spectre-Lead." Ted takes a deep breath, thudding the massive piece of LosTech foward. Leading a Lance is not something new, but it always bear responsability that those that are under you might not come ba-- Oh, what the hell is he thinking about this, /this is not the time for mopey war philosophing/. The message of Aleph Barshem echoes through, giving the dictator a brief pause in his path. Frowning, he waits for it to be done, before flipping a switch. That's it. He had enough of those loud, self-righteous mouther assholes of aliens trying to sound all mighty and superior over them. "Alexia, broadcast me." A brief moment later, the Rampage's speakers blows through the local area -- through some of the area's local speakers as well. "Aleph Barshem, Administrator of the Balmarian 7th Fleet. I am President Ted Morrison, Leader of the Free Planet Erehwon, located in the Inner Sphere." The man begins, his lasers powering up. "I've had it with all your self-appointed righteousness. I won't take your godamn bullshit, *&?"$/ing on our heads from your 10 feet pole up your (&"/$ing ass, rambling about how much more refined that you are than us." The Rampage's Pulse Lasers power up, AC rotates up, missiles are primmed. as he continues. "You are leeches. You are /parasites/. You come knocking on here, wanting to reap the 'seed' you've sown with that stupid meteor a few decades back. Then you come rolling in, claiming to lord over us, /call us freaking primitives/. At least /we make somethings of our own/. Big, fat, freeloaders. Freeloaders with more /tech/ than their temperament should be allowed to have!" His weapon systems aims themselves toward the revived Astrangant, as Ted remains calm in his speech, some intensity rising in his tone.. "For /your/ arrogance of thinking you could lord over us, I'm going to destroy your overgrown cliche of a battlestation, send you crying back to your mother in whatever sector you come from, because, as I keep telling you assholes;" "WE'RE OUT OF PIZZA SAMPLES ALREADY!"

The humans are not alone, not alone at all. Nenai had hand picked the best Male and female power armor pilots from her crew for this mission. They were to have the honor of taking the war to the BAlmarians main base in the system. To face live balmarians was an honor few of their people ever had.

"They think we are broken dogs, whipped. They do not understand we are stonger than ever before, let us show them the poiwer of the Meltrandi and the Zentradi!"

The force of aliens were ironically under the joint command of Spectre the suits form up ready to engage long time foe.

"Understood Spectre!"

Nenai opens a general channel to the Balmarians and says in Meltrandi.  Raidiese F. Branstein transmits, "Be careful. That's the Astranagant over there. I've fought this machine before. Its power can't be overstated."

 Solis Vivent transmits, "It and they will fall before us."

 Ted Morrison transmits, "I remember that thing."

 Guy Shishioh transmits, "Duly noted, Rai. But don't underestimate the power of courage."

 Spectre transmits, "Understood, Super-3. Focus fire but don't let the other one take you by surprise."

 Solis Vivent transmits, "These are the hours of glory. We have already won. We merely now determine the details with which our victory shall be recorded."

 Solis Vivent transmits, "Balmari delenda est."

 Spectre transmits, "You said it, Solis."

 Chang Wufei transmits, "Prisken is a dead man that wants to die like a man....when in fact he'll just die."

The charcoal black machine had been here before. It had come from this place to so missery, terror and uncertinty on the people of the Earth Sphere, under the control of a man who himself was controled. Now the machine was back, passed on to some one else to finish a dead man's fight.

Meiya Mitsurugi considers the radio for a moment, then looks at the cieling o of her cockpit. "Phantom. That will do nicely for today." She moves the machine forward and jumps down. It has to use it's thrusters to keep up with the Fragarach's raw speed. The red optics flash between it's model number plate. PTX-001-R. A Gespenst, but not just any Gespenst.

One of the two first Gespensts.

A while back, in the Sahara

Ascian had been amazed at how Wufei had been able to hunt him down. However, when he was offered to join an offensive on the aliens, he had been easily convinced. He had no problems with the Chinese looking youth, and the manner in which he spoke appealed to him. Besides, that was what the Divine Crusaders had been created for. For the defense of earth, against the alien threat. So...

Now

"Out of my way, kid." Ascian's Amenthes darts rapidly past Wufei's unit and switches the right arm of its unit into that of a sword and rams into into a twosome of Ezekiels nearby that were rather surprised by the sudden invasion - before shifting that same arm into a rifle and blasting the units to pieces like some kind of madman. Before the alien units have a chance to explode however, the Divine Crusader is already carrying onwards.

"THIS IS ASCIAN LUDDITE - AMENTHES UNIT. BALMARIANS, THIS IS YOUR LAST DAY!" And not even hesitating, he aims his units' rifles towards the many factories and storages - letting loose a barrage of energy bolts from the tip of the weapons. "DIE!" Silly Wufei, there was no chance this young man would miss a chance to massacre some aliens. In fact, he'd try to get into the living area if he could... the only thing that was stopping was that he realized that alone... he could do little.

 Chang Wufei transmits, "Don't get ahead of yourself, Luddite."

 Ascian Luddite transmits, "Haaahahahaaa. Thanks for bringing me here, Chuujoku-jin shonen."

 Chang Wufei transmits, "Don't let your glee make you jump on a sword, Luddite."

 Tightbeam to Ascian Luddite: Chang Wufei transmits, "Stay back with me and we'll kill Balmarians together."

"It is a clever tactic, Aitan - but it is not anything less than I would have expected of the Samples of a world we have come to claim. They are of our stock and creation - were they not capable of this much, they would not be worth our effort," Ingram comments mildly as he runs through the necessary tests upon the Astranagant's systems. He does not necessarily need to do so... but it would be negligent, and ignoring his responsibility to preserve Lord Euzeth's dream, if he did not. Victory at all costs - that was the goal. The shield generator was deeper within this sector, woven within a shrine to the glory and power of the Spirit Emperor. That was the most likely goal. "As loud as ever, King of Braves," Ingram states dryly in reply to Guy's rather boisterous statement. "If by 'too long' you mean for the past fifty years, then yes... we have cast our shadow here a long time. Your world exists in its current state thanks to our generous gifts and guidance. The Devil Gundam, the Zentradi - so many points during which your race might have ended if not for the power we have given you." Ingram turns away slightly, the Astrangant coming to hover just a handful of feet above the ground. There are more units deploying - most of them the typical detritus that Aleph would have expected from a Trailer strike force. But there were a few of interest. The White Doll - quite a threat, inside of the White Star. It would have to be dealt with. And then... "...the R-2," Ingram states quietly. "Raidiese, once again you have returned to be a thorn in my side. I admit, it was foolish of me to have not killed all of you back when I attempted to destroy the SRX... but I was a different person then. I have a new view of life. A clarity that I lacked before." It's impossible to tell if Ingram is smiling because of the mask, but he seems amused about something. "But as I'm sure you will find, death is something that does not hold as tight a grasp on those of us who have bonded with the Zehirut. The crystal restored me, and Lord Euzeth gave me a new perspective. A new purpose.

"He helped me to see that there is no value in you Samples beyond what we can use you for. It was foolish of me to ever believe that there was anything worth preserving of your world beyond the genetic legacy you would give to the Empire." He glances over as Ted begins to shout and rave, and then simply shrugs dismissively - as if all of Ted's boasting and shouting were as important as a mouse attempting to impress a tiger. "It is the way of you Samples to put up a fierce front when you know the situation is hopeless. With only a handful of people and this base, we have brought your world to its knees. We have pushed you harder than any other enemy before or since." The Astranagant holds up one hand, a finger pointed accusingly at Spectre, and those following him. "And we are not yet defeated." The two blazing green TK wings on the Astranagant increase in intensity for a moment, energy pouring out of them like a wave as Ingram prepares for opening assault. The black machine strafes sideways, tiny motes of light spilling out of its wings as it moves across the distant terrace. And each of those motes of light transforms into a shimmering blade, rippling with psychic force in the open air. Like feathers drifting from the wings of a black, deadly angel, the green shards erupt outwards towards the oncoming attack force. Each one moves lightning fast, slicing through the air with an audible hiss as it attempts to bury itself into the metal armor of some unit or another and explode violently. The entire barrage cuts across the landscape in front of Ingram, leaving a huge rising brown cloud of dirt and dust as stray feathers explode in the scenery, leaving a wasted and desolate track of ground in its wake. And if people are not fast enough, that trail of destruction will also include the wreckage of various units as well.

 Tightbeam to Chang Wufei: Ascian Luddite transmits, "Don't get in my way!"

"Hmph," Aitan replies, "At leats they show tactical sense, unlike some of /our/ commanders..." He's not gonna lie. He squarely places the blame for the sample's victory thus far square on the higher ups, "Maybe once we capture them, we can replace the /trash/ officers with someone actually compatent..." Then Ted starts rambling around pizza samples, and Aitan gets confused, "What the... what the /hell/ is he talking about? Tch... whatever..." The Olga Cannon snaps up as Aitan takes aim, then unleashes a single blast from his weapon.

The strange attack roils up, smashing into the PPC... The surface lascerations are not especially significant, but he doesn't have multiple meter thick armor anymore... A few of the skulls are thrown from their position, others simply latch on all the tighter, chittering in anger as they attempt to re-establish or retain their linkages. Solis shakes his head as Ingram speaks. He doesn't know Ingram. He has no history with the man. He's just another balmarian, another alien threat. Nothing special. Nothing what so ever. "You're not worth the time of speaking to, balmarian." He slips into the manifold as the PPC unleashes a roiling wall of flame at Ingram's machine, attempting to super heat the surrounding atmos and deprive the Astragant of wind to use to throw things around... Meanwhile, the rest of Solis' mind continues reviewing, and re-reviewing and re-re-reviewing the auspex findings of the various servoskulls as he attempts to hash out the location of the shield system. Beating the crap out of alien commander 3 isn't the primary mission focus.

 Laura Rolla transmits, "I know this is a lot to ask, but please try to be careful while fighting here! There's... a lot that can be lost."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Like what? Alien lives? Like I care!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "I'm only attempting to burn expendable things."

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "We have people to rescue, Ascian."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Civilians are not valid targets."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Start killing civvies and you're next."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Clear?"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Perhaps it is time to see just what these aliens are made of."

<Radio: E - Mission> Laura Rolla transmits, "Don't oppress those that had no say in this! We can still make a difference here!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "You would care... but fine. I will try to spare the civilians... But don't look at me funny if I 'miss' by accident."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "They didn't ask to get drawn into this. You got your warning."

Nenai Illan Says "So clone templates? HA! You know their scions would likely rise up agianst you one day. There's something about them we only came to understand in our defeat. I look forward to the say when together we can see your species never threatens any other again! Your kind is a manance to anyone who wants anything out of life. We were monsters but we know what were now and have sought to change. You have not, come. Your people could never create soliders worth a damn on your on. Even our Regult pilots still had minds that were their own! Your nothing but a race of puppet masters who can't stand on their own merrit! We will win."

The squadron splits up to evade Ingram's fire and manage t to evade it but their weapons have no apprent effect upon Ingram this time, several break off to deal with drones or other units so the aces from earth can handle the big bad.

"Missiles now!"

Nenai's missile pods on her shoulder and hips oen and return a massive barrage of missiles for Ingram himself.

"Your machine will not save you, you have no true fight in you!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "Ascian. I didn't bring you to kill civilians. Kill /ONE/ and Spectre will be the LEAST of your worries!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I get it, okay?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Good."

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "Good. That aside, lets focus."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> James Heller transmits, "Good hunting."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "I believe..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Pygman!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Take us to where Vindel Mauser is."

<Radio: E - Mission> Phantom transmits, "Gentlemen. We have a mission to perform. All those involved know the consquences of deliberatly engaging in murder

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "If you 'miss' with intents of engaging the civilians, we will consider you a hostile and eliminate you."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Tssk."

The TK attack from Ingram slams into the R-2 Powered, dealing a bit of damage to the shining blue armor, though Rai is more confused than anything else. Ingram seems...quite off today. If it's a trick, it's a good one, as this rapid shift in personality is a complete turnaround from his usual tactics. Whatever the game is here, Rai can't quite keep up. Which in itself is odd, since Ingram is usually trying to lead him by the nose...

Well, there's only one thing Rai can do right now: Pursue. The R-2 Powered moves into a chase position, following Ingram's machine, as the gatling guns in the R-2's head fire rapidly, Raidiese spraying fire here and there just to try and keep Ingram moving. His goal right now is to keep the powerful machine from getting any good firing angles on the others here by constantly throwing fire at Ingram and keeping him defensive.

"What's that, Ingram? No glib taunts about showing true power? No carefully crafted plans that turns our own efforts against us? Come now, don't tell me your little brush with death at Ryusei's hands was enough to break your resolve and destroy all you'd been working on already?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "Focus, Ascian. Focus on Prisken if you want a target."

"Phantom," Tessa laughs. "I guess you couldn't resist, huh?" She's not pushing her machine to its limits. She's not physically capable of that, not really. Gosh, is this the kind of exertion it takes to run an ARM Slave!? Feet hit the ground, and she overcompensates her leg's swing, the machine sailing into the air and then landing on its butt, silver ponytail falling to the ground.

"This was perhaps not a good idea," Tessa laments, and then -- "--Shit! Ingram!" she belts out, not even worried about the damage to her image. She should've brought Kyrios, at least she knows how it /works/, but--then, she's under attack!

Tessa belts out a wail as the T-Link Feather slams her machine, but she responds in kind, pulling triggers to get the chaingun to return fire rapdily, before lurching to her feet. Keep it together, Tessa, keep it together. You /know/ how to do this, you've trained before...!

A slow, deep breath. Focus her attention. "AI," she murmurs, "What's its status?"

Silence. Tessa bites out an oath, and reaches up under her arm for a grenade, yanking it out and priming it. And then, she decides to be an idiot, and say right on the Yelling At Each Other band, "Hello, Administrator," as she lobs a grenade at the Astranagant, timing it to explode exactly as their paths intersect.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Colonel." <Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Bardos Island has arrived. Should you require repairs, don't hesitate to use us as your shield."

Wufei watches as Prisken's shot goes wide of his mech, but his own dragon fang finds it's mark, even if barely hitting Ingram's Astranagant. "Juku worked overtime on this, didn't she?" He says as he keeps Ascian under control for the time being. The Double beam trident's connector finally clinks into position with Altron's hand and it quickly extends and ignites, but as Altron goes after the Astranagant, another weapon depolys...it's particle cannon tail....firing a double shot at the Astranagant.

'I'm inside the enemy station! Please tell me you won't hurt any of our people out there.'

'Were it any other day, I might have to just to see if you come running. But these /Balmarians/... They take humans and /extinguish/ the spark, Laura. Their fighting spirit--gone, or twisted unrecognizably.'

'It's for everyone's benefit, Ghingnham! You won't regret it!'

'No... no, I won't.'

'I know you don't trust him, but he's a warrior of the Moonrace. He won't go back on his word.'

'Fine. I'll trust him by your word, Laura.'

'Like what? Alien lives? Like I care!'

'I'm only attempting to burn expendable things.'

'You would care... but fine. I will try to spare the civilians... But don't look at me funny if I 'miss' by accident.'

Laura Rolla grits her teeth as various channels are fed into her cockpit. Even as the shards of energy come wailing down upon the White Doll, its shield and the scintillating field around it cause the majority of the burst to glide harmlessly by. Its white exterior is marred by black scars from the near-strikes, but even those begin to heal as the 'Gundam' continues on.

"Even if we win here, what cost are we paying to do so?" she says, hands clenched around the controls. "What if they kill everyone here? What if I have to do something?"

The White Doll lurches mightily forward, swinging its shield arm to reflect a portion of the attack back toward Astranagant-- a robot that the Turn A Gundam has met before and held on against. If she has to be the great shield again, then so be it!

Keeping the oval-shaped shield raised against the Balmarian suit, the Laura circles with her leg thrusters, producing a beam saber from a recharge rack in its shoulder. She keeps the thin saber leveled toward the Astranagant, eyes glowing as she assesses the angles.

With a sudden lunge, the Turn A thrusts even though it's too far away-of course, this being the legendary mustache, the blade extends to ridiculous lengths to threaten.

Boasting and raving is not in Ted's nature. Stating the truth is(as ironic that might be). He was merly stating the fact. The blind often overlook the truth. The blind or the crazy, that is. "I said my piece. Prepare to face the wrath by the mouth of my cannons." Morrison lets out, shurging off a few warnings of the incoming attack, turning about to meet the Fake Balmarian Atlas head on... and get a full brunt of the Olga Cannon in the face straight away. The Rampage stumbles back, it's chest smoking. "Tch! Speaking of, look! The result of you Freeloaders." Morrison mutters, leveling up his weapons to brandish them against the Ezekiel. The Assault Mech begins it's strafe side-ward, opening fire with a burst of lasers aimed at the Balmarian's cockpit. IT's a medium laser. Nothing dangerous. Just enough to give a jolt. That's part of the plan. Suddenly, Aitan's video feed transmission will be covered by the face of a helmeted man, throwing him an highfive. "Hello, Balmarian! Aitan or something, right? How are we doing on this /fine day?/"

The Seraph marches forward, into... a lush, sunny countryside?

The difference, to Spectre, is striking. He was never one for going to the Earth-side space colonies, and something this big being on the inside of the White Star... actually kind of makes sense, when he stops to think about it. The Seraph keeps marching forward while he takes in his surroundings, the BattleMech's throttle keeping it going at a decent pace. Behind it, the 'Mechs and the Armored Cores begin to spread out, scattering throughout the green zone.

"'Yet' being the key word there, Aleph Barshem," Spectre replies easily. "I didn't come all this way to have my sterling record tarnished by a loss."

The Seraph is abruptly not where it was a moment ago. The lights that tear up the grass and trees don't find it, and a scattering particle beam pulses outward from a weapon port on the Seraph. It disappears behind the other massive trees, the sound of the battle helping it blend in with everything else without being caught up in the blast.

It emerges briefly from the foliage, but not near the Astranagant. The Ezekiel Har is suddenly under fire from it's Snub-Nosed PPC, the blue and beam-and-helix particle beam ripping through purplish leaves and screeching as it sears the air. The red and black emblem of Wolf's Dragoons is visible on the similarly-colored camouflage of this particular unit, the dark red appearing to be veins of lava all across it's surface. Spectre likes his 'Mechs painted a certain way; it makes his enemies know exactly who they're up against.

When the massive trail of destruction comes his way, it doesn't take much for Ascian's unit to dash out of the way of the incoming feathers and their destructive powers, a dim red trail following the Orbital Frame which pulses a red bioluminescence like as if blood was flowing through its veins. Its wings spread slightly in the process - pushing out the metatron crystals from between its folds to raise its velocity.

"I can't believe I have to work together with these clowns. This is WAR! Not some back-garden fight where you can go all nicety-nice... Tssk." Normally, he would probably not be this blood thirsty - but with the recent longterm exposure to metatron energy, his mind has not been entirely at rest. A slight reddish haze is already forming within the cockpit, and his A.I. doesn't seem to be acting quite the same.

"So... they want me to get this Prisken guy? He doesn't look too tough... let's get him!" Oh Ascian, you silly man. Stop underestimating your enemy, it is not healthy. Ignoring further calls over the radio for a moment, and his own personal safety, he rushes in for the Astranagant and tries to get up close and personal with it whilst forming a massive 'ball' of red energy in both its 'hands'.

Now, normally one of these things gets trown, a big explosion follows, and stuff dies. That's the way it normally goes. This time however, the Amenthes just rushes forwards and... attempts to PUNCH the head of the enemy unit - with explosive force - and goes for a gutpunch with the second. Is this guy mad!?

The storm of telekinetic feathers showers across GaoGaiGar, which stands there and takes it, glowering at the Astranagant. "You take a lot of credit for the Balmarians, Prisken, but humanity has other allies ... we don't need any more of *your* help, especially not if this is the cost that comes with it!"

An opening comes, and Guy seizes it, GaoGaiGar hurling itself forward with both fists lenched and raised. He doesn't have guns or swords or anything. GaoGaiGar has its fists, and its feet and the drills on its knees.

He uses them now, not quite with a martial artist's consummate grace, but with a brutal efficiency of movement, determined to break the Astranagant into however many pieces it takes to clear the way.

Aitan snarls. His patience has long since fled him and the sight of Ted on his monitor only serves to draw a growl from his throat, "It /was/ fine until you assholes showed up, but I think my mood will improve once I plant my fist in your face!" The medium laesr paints across the hull of the Ezekiel as it charges forward and pulls out it's laser blade with the intent to CUT Ted... only to have Spectre pop up out of nowhere and blindside him. The Ezekiel staggers as Aitan twists around and fires off a quick snapshot, "Tch, I forgot, you wolves hunt in /packs/." Aitan quickly glances around... A heavy and an Assault mech... not good odds, but he's not going to give up just because of a little foul play. Choosing to take care of the bigger threat first, Aitan turns back towards the rampage. And then he slugs it right in the gut, because damn if it doesn't feel satisfying.

"No, no I really couldn't." Meiya smiles slightly. She watche sthe ARM SLave trip over itself and swirves her Gespenst to prepare to cover the other machine. Clearly she's going to have to give Tessa some physical training if she's going to insist on coming to the front lines like this.

The T-Link feather slices into one shoulder of the Gespenst, causing it to slide one foot backwards. "Ingram..." she seeths for a moment. "No... no you're 'Aleph Barshem' now, aren't you?"

The Gespenst ignites it's thrusters again, blitzing across the ground at high speed. "Regardless of your name. You helped take KAr Wai-Lau and turn him into nothing more then a robot!"

The plasma cutter is grasped from the Gespenst's side and ignited as it passes right by the Astranagant, trying to slash the weapon through it's defenses.

A mere introduction to the battle - Ingram was expecting that the Samples would warm up before long, and then this would be much more difficult. He needed to be ready - and they would fall before him, one way or another. Any other option was unacceptable. Failing Lord Euzeth was unacceptable. And thus they must fall. "Quite different than you were before, Solis. Have you learned to focus better than, instead of simply rambling about your mission?" Ingram asks with a mocking tone of voice. "Perhaps you might actually rise to being something other than trash." The flamethrowers blast out at the black Balmarian machine, but are stymied by the presence of a rippling energy barrier, the shimmering green Nendou Field defeating the attempts of Solis' machine to heat up the air by any significant margin. Nenai's attack is a bit more threatening - Ingram glances over as the Zehirut notifies him of the incoming missile barrage. The two Gun Familiars launch from the back of the Astranagant, snapping back and forth as they unleash their energy cannons on the incoming wave of guided weapons. The missiles disappear in small groups as they explode, their warheads committing mutual fratricide as they are cooked off by the beam cannons. "You assume that you understand us, Zentradi, but not even your glorious leader knew all that much about you, beyond what we wished for you to know. Our soldiers have a chance to attain glory... of course, how many of our soldiers have you actually fought!?!" Rai's barrage of shots slams into the TK Field a moment later, creating a series of ripples in the air as the heavy metal slugs slam into force physically manifested and flatten out, leaving only minor distortions in the field that rapidly fade away. "You assume that you are even worth talking to, Raidiese," the masked man states in reply. His voice is condescending - as if he were looking down at something that he were having to scrape off of his boot instead of an old subordinate whom he was at least somewhat friendly with. "Whatever power you have is insignificant. You are just another project that I should have abandoned instead of nurturing to fruition. I thought that the SRX could have made a difference - instead, you were the vehicle that helped to show me that there is no point in having 'hope' for humanity. I suppose I should thank you... were it not my sire who deserved that praise." The Astrangant opens up with its Photon Vulcan in return, raking the R-2 as Ingram swoops away to deal with another threat. Tessa's grenade is well timed - it explodes right in front of Ingram, pieces of shrapnel tearing through his shield and embedding themselves in the Astranagant's frame. But the field pulses, and chunks of the blast are thrown right back at her - most likely an unwelcome surprise. But the radio message is replied to, the masked man stating, "Good afternoon, Asfanit. Or would you prefer your other name? The woman you called weak, cowardly, and foolish - Tesstarossa? I assume that you have not seen the light and come to rejoin our cause?"

The two Gun Familiars flip over as Wufei opens fire with his Gundam, his shots slamming into the Astranagant's energy field. The two drones blast away several times in return, aiming to tear away chunks of the Gundam's armor. The much more threatening attack comes from the White Doll, and Ingram spins around as Laura unleashes the huge beam saber at him, slamming into one shoulder and burning away at it for a moment. The green shimmering blade from the Z.O. Sword snaps up to deflect that blade aside, and Ingram leaps back. "Impressive, White Doll. I can see why Lord Laodicea wishes to capture you so earnestly. It will be quite interesting seeing just what sort of power that machine possesses." As Guy lunges at him, Ingram spins out of the way - one of GaoGaiGar's fists barely clips the wing of the black machine, but beyond that he catches nothing but air. "Ah, Shishioh. So arrogant, simply because you have been blessed with powers beyond what you actually understand. You talk about 'allies', but you subjugated the Zentradi as clearly as we seek to dominate you. War is not just a matter of fists and robots, but of wills, minds, and culture! Only the superior can survive - and we will take what we need from you!" Ascian's more direct approach seems to be effective - Ingram blocks the blow with both arms, the TK Field and his defensive move robbing the attack of much of its power. The second blow he weaves away from, stepping backwards as Meiya throws herself at him. "A Gespenst is such an outdated machine - tell me Er'ela," Ingram asks slyly, his blade snapping up to deflect Meiya's own aside. The two swords clash for a moment, sparks flying everywhere as the two struggle. "Do you use this machine out of some foolish personal affection, or do you believe that Galuin's spirit somehow is going to help you if you use his equipment?" Ingram spins around, the Z.O. Sword flashing as he lashes out at both Meiya and Ascian in one quick motion. The green telekinetic blade cuts a shimmering path in the air, driving the two of them back as the Astranagant leaps up and out of the way... and then a series of after images cut through the air where Ingram was standing, trying to slash through both of their machines. The two Gun Familiars spin around, forming up next to Ingram before racing across the fields. They blast away, first attempting to hammer the Turn A as they pass, then adding their fire to Nenai's Queadluun-Rau before she can attempt to evade. Solis gets treated to an extended burst from both of Ingram's head mounted photon vulcans, the rapid fire guns blazing away as they look for a weak point in his machine. The black machine continues to jump through the formation of the attackers - he bypasses Guy for the moment, instead running down the R-2 and slashing sideways at Rai as the Astrangant passes, the Z.O. Sword trying to carve a piece out of the Powered machine. And finally Ingram kicks his unit around, launching *backwards* at Tessa's Gespenst - his sword leading the way.

"That's super." Ted replies chipperly, annoyingly so, in the vein of uncaring cheerfullness even if he said something in the lines of: 'my wife left me, my dog got killed and my kids hates me.' The Rampage does not take too well on melee attacks going up to it, but Ted has quick enough reflxes to slam down owe of his arms to throw the thrown punch to it's guts toward the ground, leveling his other arm at point blank to fire into it's chest with a large dose of Pulse Lasers. "We're here today to get you out of here. I hope you've packed up all nice and tidy in this thing, because there might not be anything left of this place when we're done with it."

Wufei was still getting used to having that tail on the back of Altron. It was completely new to him. However, It seemed the Astranagant was too focused upon everyone else to attack him. so rather than hang back and wait for Prisken to remember he was there, Wufei activated the boosters on Altron and went to GET Ingram's attention, courtesy of his double beam trident!

The vulcans smash into the Preliator's frame, causing the machine to stumble slightly backwards, although it rapidly readjusts as it moves in an encircling action.. It can't match the balmarian machine for mobility and its flamethrowers are apparently being interfered with, still... There's only two opponents engaging them. Solis's attention flicks back for a moment as his name is spoken. The balmarians know about him? Good. He doesn't waste time engaging with Ingram on a personal level. Balmarian Commander #3 isn't the goal here... The chainsaw of the Preliator engages, but its not directed at Ingram, its directed at a bulkhead, attempting to open a gash wide enough that he hopes it'll reveal a service conduit or something similar for his skulls to flood through. The shield is the objective. Ingram's just a target of opportunity.

That's okay, stay away from GaoGaiGar all you like. He doesn't need to be anywhere near arm's length to punch, after all. The Phantom Ring is invoked, GaoGaiGar's right arm and fist spin up to full power ...

And two words later, the Broken Phantom is screaming through the air in pursuit of the Astranagant - and homing in as best the rocket-punch can on the Balmarian machine's center of mass. Guy's not playing around this time ...

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Keep whoever the hell that is occupied. We need to break off and find the shield system."

The snapshot from Aitan's cannon strikes Spectre's Seraph, the beam 'splashing' against the 'Mech's armor plating. It dips out of sight again, undoubtably circling the Balmarian soldier like... well, like a wolf, actually. "Surprise," Spectre says dryly.

The Seraph comes back out and then disappears again, like it was taunting him. The black and red machine moves swiftly through the trees, speedy on land at the hands of an experienced MechWarrior. The BattleMech may not normally be his first choice of unit in the field, but he can appreciate it's comparative agility and close-quarters arsenal. Then again, he expected corridors and hangars, not... this.

Once again, the Seraph reveals itself. This time it actually fires, a blast from the snub-nosed PPC diffused from range and, ideally, washing across the front of the Ezekiel. The particle blast has a funny way of screwing up sensor systems when they're mounted anywhere near the surface; Spectre intends to make use of this.

"I knew they were after the White Doll, but..." Laura trails off, alerted by trajectory warning alarms from the side of her VR helmet. The machine doll backs off, its beam saber retracting and shutting off for ease of management.

"This seems like... everything's going fine? I'm not sure I like it. Maybe if we can keep it up..."

If the White Doll is listening, it doesn't respond in any tangible way. Yet, the two of them work together fluidly, Laura guiding her doll through the Gun Familiar barrage, making good use of the I-Field to create openings where there are none.

Beam saber still in hand, Laura uses her advantageous positioning to come flying up behind the Astranagant as it plows into the main line of attackers. As it whips its sword about, Laura flies in with graceful accuracy, once again extending her saber for a surprise stab to what she expects to be the core.

The large Pulse laser seers across the Har's hull as Aitan retaliates in kind with a close quarters shot from his olga cannon, "Heh... I get it... you think I'm one of /YOU/. A sample! Well, your assumption is going to get you--" Aitan is cut off as Spectre pops out again and problem electrocutes his machine with the PPC, causing lightning to arc across his controls. His screen flickers and he lets out a loud cuss as he lets go for a moment, "I am getting tired of you!" the Ezekiel leaps into the air as it's skirt armor glows and a barrage of Spark Missiles leap out.

Tessa's grenade hits just right. She grins a little, letting herself exult a little, and then realizing that is an INCREDIBLY ROOKIE MISTAKE. And it does get his attention. Also, it shoots the grenade back. "What!" she yelps, and the shrapnel slices up her machine, sparks flashing and flying.

"Yes...that's the name I've chosen to make mine, Aleph," Tessa says, quietly. "You've shown me a lot that I won't soon forget. About...who I am, and who I could be. I knew I couldn't just stand by, tonight."

ANd then Ingram is moving, and Tessa yelps in surprise! The Z.O. Sword comes at Tessa's ARM Slave (which is not a Gespenst), and she focuses, seeing, sensing, knowing, understanding - velocity, mass, acceleration, force is mass times acceleration, and on and on up the chain.

The AI murmurs, "Driver: Activation."

Ingram's blade SLAMS into...nothing at all, or at least it appears to be nothing. But it is something, and perhaps it is everything - because what it is is a pinprick counterforce, applied to Ingram's blade and nowhere else, while the Fragarach's arms are held out some distance away, holding the powerful machine it bay.

"You've shown me I can fight, Aleph. So why aren't you?" Tessa demands of him, as she snaps her arm around, letting the long-barreled rifle connected to her AS's shoulder slide into place, grabbing the firing mechanism protruding up from the barrel. "No. Better question. The Zehirut. Why? Why me?"

The Effect Field Rifle does not make any sound at all, but a slug of shorn-off metal rockets out of the barrel, driving toward Astranagant, while Tessa tries to get a feel for its capabilities.

Raidiese should be furious at the treatment he gets from Ingram, and he is, but there's a little part in the back of his mind which is telling him to stop and analyze this. That something is wrong. Ingram just as much as admitted to him that the SRX project /was/ designed to stop the Balmarians, and Ingram had been playing both sides. Ingram said that it changed when the SRX destroyed the Astranagant. That showed him that the SRX was too weak? Unlikely. What was it Ingram had said when it was stuck down?

That Juddeca was the key? The key to what? If it was the key to the enemy's plans, they already knew that. That's why they destroyed it. So why was Ingram so focused on telling them this before he died? Why did it matter?

Then things suddenly click in Raidiese's head. Juddeca wasn't the key. /Destroying/ it was the key. Ingram was never free. Perhaps none of the Balmarians are. The SRX team's purpose was never to defeat the Balmarians, or to doom humanity. Juddeca was a master control unit that controlled more than just drones. Its death was the key to Ingram's freedom.

Their failure to recover him before the Balmarians did must mean...

Rai barely manages to dodge the incoming sword attack, so focused on the quickly-occurring revelations that are coming to him now. All his years working under Ingram, everything is starting to make sense. The SRX was indeed intended as the ultimate counter, not to the Balmarian armies, but to very specific things that needed to be destroyed so they could free themselves. Ingram knew it. But now he must have been reconditioned under whatever is currently maintaining control. Are there any Balmarians who aren't 'conditioned' like their human samples are? Rai suddenly doubts it.

What to do about it? Rai isn't sure. All he knows is that he has to draw the core Ingram out somehow. His machine sweeps to the side as Ingram attacks him, running in the opposite direction as it turns around, Magna Beam Rifle aimed to fire one powerful shot, hopefully at the source of one of those glowing wings, to cripple Ingram's speed and offense. As he fires, Rai transmits an open smirk. "Oh, come on now, Ingram. You're abandoning your plans so easily now? Of all the things I've known you to be, a /quitter/ wasn't one I'd guess. Did you ever even have a plan, or was all this just you breezing though, making things up as you went along?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Raidiese F. Branstein transmits, "Ingram's been conditioned. I don't have time to explain how I know, but trust me. That is /not/ the true Ingram Prisken."

"YES!" Ascian's attack hits true to his enemy's suit, and immediately the Amenthes takes distance to get out of the way - so that she is not hurt by the force of her own attacks. Of course, the slight glimmer in the air shows that a thin shield is protecting her from its effects either way - thanks to Duat's battle computer programming. After all, it is better to be safe when fighting aliens. And the first priority of Duat is to keep the framerunner safe.

However, a quick extra burst of speed is required as a glow of green suddenly comes from the corner of his peripheral vision. His hands firm around the controls, and the pulse of red energy doesn't even have time to cover the entire unit before Amenthes responds with a sudden burst of velocity - taking him out of the Z.O. sword's range! A form in the meantime begins to form within his cockpit, a female like flaming red head, peeking out from behind his head - near the back of the cockpit. Grinning. Manicly.

"Duat! I want you to prepare the Vector Cannon mode - we're going to take some distance!" The unit continues to fly back whilst opening its wings and launching a massive volley of lasers that shoot towards, and past, the Astranagant. A series of nearby factories and storage units face massive explosions as the red homing beams strike true to their targets, laying waste to the structures.

<Radio: E - Mission> Guy Shishioh transmits, "Okay, what do we do about that?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "Sounds like this one's a clone."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "So... let me guess. Don't kill him either?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Raidiese F. Branstein transmits, "No, he's not a clone. We need to treat him like we would a human that was conditioned. Try and draw out his real personality by talking to him, pointing out the contradictions in what he's thinking. Eventually the conditioning could crack and allow him to re-exert himself. It's a long-shot, but it might be our only chance of stopping the Balmarians for good."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "You want to kill something so bad, help me find the shield generator so we can silence it."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Finally! Someone who wants to kill something! I'm with you, Vivent."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Here I thought we were going to carebear stare them all to smithereens..."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "We came here to silence the shield generator. Killing needless personnel is not my objective."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Unfortunately thus far I've been unable to determine the generator system, or systems, location."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Want me to dedicate the Amenthes' sensors for the Generator?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Every sensor system helps."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "The Preliator doesn't have the augurs the Hostis did, and Castilla is not here to focus them."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite's system voices, "Duat Sensor Systems - seeking for high energy sources indicating a shield."

<Radio: E - Mission> Duat claims, "Please stand by..."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "You do realize that the shield is likely to be a civilian manned structure... right?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "I'd actually put money on it. Cowards hide everything behind hostages."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "So... how do we destroy it without killing them?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Or shall I just aim the Vector Cannon at it and hope that they run away in time?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Depending on the generator's location, we might be able to silence it just by shooting it."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Or hitting it."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "If it is a more complex situation, I can use the curses of the machine god to unmake its logic systems."

The Gespenst locks blades with the Astranagant, sparks flying from the plasma cutter against the Z.O. blade. "Call it whatever you want. But I don't believe /KAr Wai-Lau's/ ghost is protecting me, no."

Meiya's Gespenst spins around, releasing the blade lock. "Kar Wai-Lau is dead." The Gespenst rushes hte Astranagant and leapsupwards, flipping over in the air as the plasma stake slide into the arm housing. It's thrusters fire and it rockets downwards.

"I will use this Gespenst to see through KAr Wai-Lau's last fight in his stead! I will put his spirit to REST!"

"JET!!!!"

The fist slams forward, and the plasma stake rocket outwards at the Astranagant's arm on impact. The release of plasma crackles throughout the area, making hair stand on end. The reflecting light making the area turn white for a brief moment.

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGNUM!!!."

"I don't /think/ you are human." Ted corrects, anti-missile systems activating, launching themselves out to intercept the incoming spark missiles ever since they started to lock on -- a few gets past, impacting against the Assault Battlemech. Systems are starting to fail, some weapons are slightly nicked. Ammo is still safe and sound, which is what matters. When you have this much stuff locked away behind a few tons of metal, you rather like it not exploding. "I am /certain/ that you are one of us." Morrison keeps his verbal pressure. It's kind of a shame to fire up this beautifull garden with their rampaging, but what can you say? They have to. Maybe they can save some of it. "You want to know why I'm so certain that you are?" The Dictator is gratefull of Spectre's cloaking field and his visible ability to make full use of his heavy mech's ability to kind of vanish, then unload a massive amount of pain. The Rampage keeps up close and personal, this time slamming in the Autocannons to full tilt into the Ezekiel's chest. "C'mon. I know you're burning to ask me."

The Photon Vulcans streak out as Garrod thrusts his Gundam sideways and draws his beam sword with his free hand, "You don't even know what you're talking about! Adom has always BEEN Macua! She was human to begin with! If you doubt me, why don't you ask your little friend Ingram!" The blade flicks out, narrowly missing Lev, "Besides, you Aerogaters came to our tworld to do exactly that to US! How the hell can you act with such righteous indignation when the very thing you're accusing us of you /knowingly/ do yourself?!" The G-hammer snaps back as Garrod reels it in, then qucikly stows it away as he grabs the other Hyper Beam sword from his hip. "Tessa! Duo! Macua! How many have the Aerogaters brainwashed to pit against their own comrades?! Adn how many more will be brainwashed if you succeed?! You call us monsters, but what we're fighting for--" The Double X charges forward, it's blade slashing out as it spins around, "IS! Halfway through it's spin, it's other blade comes arching up with a hip to shoulder bisecting slash, "OUR!" This ends with a spinning roundhouse kick to the face, "FREEDOM!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Duat reports, "Filtering all energy signatures by size - to find harmonic sequences similar to that of the shield-data commited to the database. Large quantity found - please as the band is made more specific. Estimated time: 5 minutes.

Spectre doesn't so much have a cloaking field as he has a /lot/ of battlefield experience and an equal amount of huge-sized cover. The Seraph moves like a ghost of a 'Mech, but even the heavy BattleMech isn't invisible. That's something that is rare in a 'Mech--and something he himself did not bring on this mission.

The Seraph's Anti-Missile System fires up, shooting down the Spark Torpedos before they even get close. A few of them make it past only because Spectre has moved by then. He's strafes the Ezekiel, flanking him with Ted even though Ted might not even know he's doing it. He's a real ace, and he's adapted to and used to 'Mech combat, rather than the fast-paced, speedy dance that Terran pilots enjoy. He's in his element.

Ted keeps up the talking; Spectre keeps up the barrage. He waits for the right moment to line up his shot and then takes it the instant he sees an opening, a concentrated particle beam with a blue-white helix spiral around it screaming out of the Seraph's other particle cannon. He doesn't bother getting a perfectly clear line of fire--the beam goes right through the branches of one of the trees he's ducked behind and keeps going, losing no power in the transition.

Nenai Illan isn't fast enough, this time the gun salves catch her machine, but she proves why she crawled out of the ranks and earned her comission. Nenai it hit but is able to brace her machine to better roll with the damage from the blasts, but the damage is telling, she knows another hit like that might set off most of the ammo abord her machine. She opens up, unloading every last missile she's got, the impact canons belch shells, the laser guns open up as she just keeps shooting at.

She then barks an order and several of her troop break off.

"Wait what? Back him up? Captain are you sure?!" "Yes, do it!" "It shall be done!"

Two male and two female armors break off and Solis would be contacted by a stone faced male zentradi. "we have orders to escort you from Captain Illain. Consider this partial repayment for Monument city."

Well, Wufei has Ingram's attention for a moment - keeping it for too long is another thing entirely. As the Shenlong Gundam lunges in with its beam weapon leading the way, Ingram brings his own blade around in a spinning parry, the Gundam's beam trident being knocked off target and barely scraping the black machine. Guy's rocket punch slams into the Astranagant a moment later, the TK shield crackling as the rocket punch strains to break through and do some damage. But it's power isn't what it could be, and Ingram flashes past - swiping with his sword as he drives the super robot's own fist back towards it. "Nice try, Shishioh - I don't see your orange robot with you, however. Are you prepared to throw around your biggest attacks in here, where you might break through a wall and injure your own people?" The White Doll strikes a moment later, but Ingram is ready for it. He brings the Z.O. Sword around, the two blades clashing once again as Laura's assault is stopped in mid-blow. Ingram tries to overpower the other pilot's blade, but he can't remain still for too long. If he tries to fight any one opponent, the others will slip by. He needs to keep them all tied up. "Tch. You won't have it all your way," he growls at Laura, leaping back as Tessa moves to follow up. Her totally an Arm Slave and Not a Gespenst unleashes a blast from its rifle, the beam cutting into the side of the black crystal mech. Ingram tries to rattle off a shot in return, but he just can't line it up. There is something that Tessa had said... "Fighting? What does it LOOK LIKE I am doing? I am fighting to destroy you and protect Lord Euzeth's dream! It was a dream you believed in as well." He leaps back, the black crystal beginning to fuse together and fill in. "As for the Zehirut... curiosity. You had something about you that was different than the others. I had always heard about the 'mysterious' captain of the Toybox and the links that ship had to the Whispered phenomena. You touched something greater than yourself - the Zehirut is a gift from a higher power. It would be interesting to see how the two would react when put together. I believed you had some value then." The mask tips back, and Ingram laughs. "A fool I was. You were just trash - you have no value." Another shot whistles over Ingram's shoulder, and he turns slightly to see the R-2 moving in again. There was a time that he looked forward to fighting Rai - no matter how the simulators looked, they were never something that was 'serious'. You could never fight someone at full power as long as you held doubts about them. Loyalty, compassion, those things would hold a person back. Only when you hated your foe and you were willing to put it all on the line could you fight at your full strength. Which was why he had... done what he had done, was it not? "My plans? They were weak, simple things. Selfishness that did not truly embrace Lord Euzeth's vision. I see now that nothing I could have accomplished will equal his grand design when all is said and done. Serving him... there is no higher honor I could attain." The two units come close together, as Ingram directs one of his Gun Familiars in to try and sneak a shot in at Rai. "Perhaps you should try it, Rai. You might attain the same bliss that I feel at this moment."

The orbital frame is starting to pull back - probably for a powerful long range attack. Would Spectre reel them in, or was this one simply intending to blaze away regardless of the consiquences. Ingram couldn't follow too far out, unfortunately - he needed to keep in close. But the Gun Familiars could engage at that range, and the barrage of lasers slams into the Astranagant's shield. The black machine is punched again and again, but the two Familiars weave to and fro, putting several shots into the Amenthes as it tries to pull back. And then the Gespenst comes rushing in, and the Astrangant is rocked as Meiya's Jet Magnum crashes into it. The plasma stakes splinter crystal and shatter parts of its interior frame - the regeneration rate is frightening, as it can easily be seen repairing itself as she pulls her hand back. And Ingram smiles, even as the Astrangant jets up and away from the old model Gespenst. "Ah, but Gaulin's spirit has been at rest for quite a long time. Ever since he burned out his mind resisting us - fighting to the very end. Trying to preserve the rest of you was a mistake - letting you melt your brains would have been a much better option." Nenai's barrage comes screaming in, and Ingram looks over at it. "Attack pattern analyzed," he muses, and then reaches over for a switch. "Evading... now." And the moment before the crushing barrage manages to impact his machine, the Astranagant flickers... and disappears into several shimmering after images, the entire attack passing through it without effect. On the black machine at least - the rest of the barrage slams into the hillside and creating a nice large creater. A surge of energy passes through the Astrangant as it prepares another massive assault. The wings blaze orange for a moment as energy collects around the hands of the black machine. "I will see you all crushed into nothingness. ATTRACTOR SHOWER!" A massive wave of beams - hundreds, if not thousands, explode forth from the Astranagant's claws and rake the fields down below. Each beam doesn't do much damage on its own, but there are hundreds that aim at each mech, a crushing barrage... And unfortunately for Solis, Ingram has noticed him trying to hack away at a wall. "Clever. But that of course implies that you survive," he muses after a moment, the top two eyes of the four in Ingram's mask glowering for a moment. "Let us see just how touch that machine of yours is. For you will not defile these sacred halls any further." The Astranagant raises one hand, an orange glowing ball of light forming within its claws. Beams of energy rotate about it for a moment, emitting out from the sphere as more power is channeled into the attack - and then Ingram crushes it within his machine's claws, the ball of light collapsing into a tiny black vortex. The tiny howling dimensional rip swirls about, absolute blackness rimmed by traces of orange energy. "Let's see if you can survive just one shot," the masked Balmarian states - and the black vortex erupts from its fist, racing out to engulf Solis' machine completely. The crushing vortex within will rend and shred his machine - generally doing not nice things to him before spitting out whatever is left a moment later.

Welp, time to take a page out of the old mechwarrior's handbook and use the terrain to your advantage. The ezekiel lunges through the air as the LBX scatter shot shoots out, missing his machine by mere feet as they instead take the tops off several trees. Spectre's heavy PPC on the other hand has a might more success. Even with the forest in the way, it still manages to blast it's way through several large oaks to glance off the Har's shoulder. "If this is going to be some overly sappy 'human heart' moments, I am going to be sick... but alright. Tell me /why/ you think i'm one of your ass backwards race? And in the meantime, I'm going to go murder your /friend/!" The sound of trees being ripped up can be heard as the Ezekiel comes charging out of the woods, dual weilding a pair of large ferns as he starts trying to beat Spectre like a dirty rug.

Solis' head turns as the attack comes crashing in from Ingram... He narrows his eyes at it, "..." The energy field surrounds the Preliator, crushing inward, lightning surrounding him, crushing the exterior armor... The sensation is akin to being pressed, crushed beneath a heavy weight... Solis growls, "A DISTORT field?! Is that the best you can manage!" He snarls, "How many times..." "...do I need to tell..." "...imbeciles like you..." "I." "AM." "THE BULWARK!" The Preliator's arms spread wide, strange sigils flaring before the field is torn open, leaving the Preliator defiant even as it smolders from the residual burn from the collapsing energy field. "Stop embarassing yourself, Prisken." He turns as Nenai's men and Ascian take up positions, his servoskulls and own augurs still feeding data to him... "And I didn't do anything for repayment. I saved Monument City because it needed saving, just like this white star needs destroying..." He does glare back at Ingram, powering up his flamethrowers and sending a roiling wall of flame at Ingram's machine to dissuade him from further annoyances, "Find the damned shield generator and this vaunted ship of theirs becomes nothing more then target practice."

Ingram's attractor shower blasts Altron pretty darned hard, but this only brings a broader smile to his face. Wufei usually used it as a way to focus on his opponent, and since Ingram had multiple threats....well... Wufei didn't really bother with many niceties as he aims his left arm at the Astranagant and aimed his dragon fang at Ingram's back....looking to grab the blasted thing so Shishioh could blast him into the next universe....or a black hole.

"We'll see about that, Ingram!!" GaoGaiGar leaps into the air, Drill Knees spinning up - and then, oh hi beamspam.

"PROTECT WALL!!!!!"

The shimmering defensive barrier around GaoGaiGar flares as it gets pounded on by every single beam which was targeting the G-Stone-powered super robot ... but the barrier continues to hold firm, and none of the beams find their way past it.

In fact, more than a few of them find their way back - redirected into pentagram shapes, and the beam-pentagrams flying back the way the beams came from in the first place. In several cases that means straight for the Astranagant; in others, they may just go flying into the nearby bulkheads or equipment.

"This is one scenario," Guy says with grim determination, "Where collateral damage is *not* a driving worry. You'll have to do better than that if you want to discourage me, Prisken."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Wait... collateral damage isn't a worry. But... but..."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite TILT

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Remember the objective. Also remember, we can't accomplish that objective if we're compressed and thrown into another universe as a fusioning singularity."

<Radio: E - Mission> Guy Shishioh transmits, "That was partly to counter *his* efforts at psychological warfare."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Grrr... make me get my hopes up too."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "I leave the psychological warfare to you, Shishioh. I'm more concerned about his /actual/ warfare at the moment. Its interfering with our search."

<Radio: E - Mission> Duat reports, "Possible locations filtered down to three posibilities."

Rai continues chasing down Ingram, right on the faster, stronger, more agile mech's tail all the way. He dodges the gun familiars, his machine tearing though the ground as he quickly spins to the right and left, chasing the enemy down, peppering the Astranagant with fire from his head cannons as he pursues. If Ryusei were here, Rai knows what he would do. If Aya were here, Rai has an idea for that. But here, with none of his team to back him up...Rai has no plan. He just has a feeling.

"Maybe you're right, Ingram Prisken," Raidiese transmits with a smirk. "Maybe humanity doesn't have any strength which can stand against your master. It's possible we might be doomed to fall here." Then Rai's smirk vanishes, and is replaced by a cool, fierce determination that few ever see in his gaze. "But I will never, /ever/ submit to the will of your people!"

After that, Rai does something he should never do. He throws the R-2 bodily at the Astranagant. He does not draw beam rifle or sword, instead opting to charge straight though the attacks Ingram throws at his way, and launch the heavy, bulky R-2 Powered straight at the Astranagant. Instead of weapons, Rai launches with the R-2's massive fists, aiming first a flurry of punches more suited to Ryusei's piloting style than his own, before he flings the R-2 right at the enemy machine, looking to do nothing less than grab the larger, superbly powerful machine and grapple it down to prevent it from zipping all around anymore.

"If I have to give my life to stop your master from taking anymore humans for just one more minute, I'll give it gladly!"

The annoyingly persistent White Doll keeps close to the Astranagant, darting in with its saber and keeping behind its shield. It's only when Ingram takes the time to lay down a truly energetic suppressive fire that Laura seems to hesitate.

The hundreds of ray beams go firing through, impossible to avoid completely, dancing along the I-Field barrier. Sparks shower past the mustached Gundam, energy rendered harmless, though some directly penetrating shots wheedle through and scar its breast.

"The shielding's getting low," Laura moans, worriedly tapping away at the controls to keep up on the situation. Still, she's not in any great danger compared to the civilians below, and so it's her duty to continue!

She shouts at the Astranagant: "I have to keep you contained so the others can stop you!" keeping her promise by dashing forward, again, its chest silos opening to fire an equally dazzling display of low-powered shots. These, by comparison, are timed somehow-- they pass the Astranagant and dissipate in forceful explosions, at least cutting down on his options on where to fly to. They are unerringly precise, calculated by the bizarrely advanced targeting computer of the Turn A, leaving the melee units unscathed but perhaps rocked slightly.

When Amenthes his hit, the obvious thing to do is to become angry. But no such thing happens. Ascian is remaining strangely calm all of the sudden. He was rejected the option of harming the innocent, which was fine. Right now, he was given a mission. "Duat, find that shield!" He commands, and the A.I. begins to search it with its sensors, claiming its process across the radio at regular interval... and when it finally has decided there are but three options - and each is PAST Ingram's machine...

"Melee mode!" Ascian announces. "Keep Vector Cannon mode prepared, we'll need it for the shield generator!" - "Roger that, sir!" Duat reports. "Go!" His grip around the controls tighten and he blasts off past ingram's machine whilst changing both of the Amenthes' arms into blades. "Duat Blade Rampage, Flyby! GET OUT OF MY FUCKING WAY YOU ALIEN SCUM!"

The verniers burst to full velocity, as if he were preparing for interstellar flight, and his entire machine trembles whilst his momentum is still held back by the force of space compression the Metatron is capable of excerting. "HAHAHAA- HEEEEEEREEEE I COME!" His machine suddenly almost becomes a blur as the compression is released and the unit blasts off, its wings almost /burning/ like those of a Phoenix, blades each on one side of the unit as he flies straight for Ingram's machine... and unleashes a large quantity of strikes whilst trying to get past - to get into the more populated areas.

Nenai Illan Sees the enemy mahcine evade, she's not going to give up. This world, this system is her home now. A number of it's people has accepted them. She now attempts to evade the barrage, btu htere's just too many, there are far too many of them. She's struck again, and again. The badly damaged machine goes down hard into the deck, it bounces several times and skids to a halt.

Ingram has won? Or has he? Nenai machine moves, there's a hiss as the cockpit opens, and she crawls out. Still clad in full flight suit armor, and she's got an Zentradi assault rifle with her. She stares down the cosmic horror mecha and lets out a yell.

"You should know better than anyone about the truth of us and the humans. You...will fall. Your species is dead inside. The humans have something you do not. They...know how to live! Balmarians just /exist/. Like we used to! Now come let me show you a real warrior!"

Nenai jas realised what would Britai do? He's get the hell out oif his mech and keep fighting. Nenai now opens fire, and starts moving as quick as she can.

The male pilot grunts. "Warrior debt now contiune the mission. We have Balmarians to foil today."

<Radio: E - Mission> Duat announces, "SHIELD GENERATOR FOUND! SENDING LOCATION TO ALL MISSION UNITS!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Servoskull Zonvolt XIII transmits, "Locus determined. Feeding data into sensorium rig information. Provisioning to alternate logic core derivatives." An image of a temple like structure (as if made in ANSI) is displayed.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> James Heller transmits, "I'm already directing our spy stats that way, sir!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Hm."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "A good thing I chose to join the battle."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Keep me updated."

For once, the Rampage is not the target of focused aggression. Thanksfuly, Spectre is not made out of paper like so much mechs in the Earth Sphere seems to be. The pilot inside the LosTech mech slowly leans foward the radio. A pair of eyes and some red hair can be seen behind the visor, narrowed before the camera.

"You couldn't kill him even if you tried. Anyway, buddy, your name is Marcus Gunter. You're from the Inner Sphere, Lucifer. You'll remember this, now. If not, then I'll /make you remember/." Ted leans back into his feets, flicking a switch, speaking out. "ALEXIA, he's all yours." It's not what you would call a hack that is suddenly flooding into the Ezekiel's systems. It is more of a sudden switch of the imput sent through the computer systems aboard the Rampage, a digital strength that is empowering through the communication circuits and, just for a moment, widens the lines for something big and steady to come through. Ted vanishes from the com-video, the window growing large, large enough to cloud a good 3/4 of the visuals of the Balmarian Mech. Radio floods in. There will be a long enough window of opportunity to do what it needs to do. Images suddenly comes flashing through the video feed. Almong others, a news reel featuring a very familiar Atlas and him at the time he was part of the Grey Death Legion, during the Fourth Succession Wars. A home movie shot by someone else shown him part of some celebrations. A video of /live/, filled of photos, of Juku and Marcus arguring. The audio has a digital-sounding woman dronning on and on his name. What he has done that has been recorded. Who he is. What he is. Who he /was/. Slamming both audio and video at once, ALEXANDRIA is unloading the program they have been working on. It's called 'Sledgehammer: Apply To The Forehead'.

<Report: EFA, Divine Crusaders, Katharon, Trailers, and Unaffiliated> Seismic readings in the Pacific begin to go off the chart. Earthquakes are detected in the southern Pacific Ocean, originating around Aidoneus Island. The cause is, at present, unknown.

The Ezekiel comes after the Seraph. The counterattack with whatever energy cannon it has over there is fierce; it drives it back, the blaze of light searing away the armor on the Seraph's left side. Spectre starts to turn it his 'Mech--

--and the Ezekiel comes rushing out at him. The tactic is startlingly familiar; he's seen this before. He knows who it is, and that's why he doesn't get completely pummeled by it. The Seraph jumps backwards with a bluish-purple flash of a GN-TI-assisted boost, the treetrunk grazes him, crunching armor on the opposite shoulder he hit on the Ezekiel. They go blow for blow, and that's alright with Spectre. Come on, Ted, where's that plan...

Spectre lines up a shot with another cannon's barrel, finger on the trigger. He fires two rounds, and the heavy metal shells blast forward, shooting through the air... and going right over the Ezekiel's shoulder and past "Aitan" in an incredibly well-aimed volley. The shells fragment like anti-mech shotgun rounds, tearing through the sunny orchards towards the much more noticeable target.

Don't think he's forgotten about /you/, Aleph Barshem.

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I can just take out that shield generator in one shot!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Remember, the more time we spend here, the more time /they/ waste out there!"

The Effect Field RIfle fires metal, not.../bullets/, per se, more like sheared off serrated wedges. It also does not have a muzzle flash, so who the hell knows what that thing's actually doing.

"Even now, he still has that kind of power...?" Tessa mutters to herself, her mind seeing clearly, understanding well, the movements and motions of the Astranagant and its pilot. "What dream? The subjugation of Earth? Don't try to con me with the party line, Aleph. You held back, even beyond the necessity to bring in Samples. You could've bombed cities to ash in /seconds/, but you refrained! Is Euzeth holding back for something, or were /you/?" SHe moves. The Attractor SHower reins hell down on /everything/, but Tessa's not so easily beaten; Her mind sees it, knows the placement, deflects it, Attractor blasts not /stopping/ but /redirecting/, bouncing up into the air and away from Tessa and her machine while she keeps a good jog up. It's not even close to fully utilizing the Fragarach's speed, but she manages to keep herself from tumbling in the grass while she keeps up with Astranagant. She knows this area well. It's a little shocking to see it from this perspective, but it's a little shocking to see ANYTHING from this perspective. Tessa's corrupted right arm itches, she thinks, and then thinks it again, with a question mark at the end. "No, more than that...if I was trash, why did you work so hard to protect me!? The treatments, the access...weren't you the one who trained me to maintain the Samples!? And weren't you the one who saw to it the ones who had been my friends were in my care!? That's too much for coincidence, Aleph! I'm not some /fool/, I know a pattern when I see it!"

She slashes her arm down, and Fragarach does the same - and Ingram's own attractor shower rains on him from heaven.

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Silence it. Be wary, it may have defenses."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Silence it, as in, destroy it?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Confirming mission!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Render it incapable of continuing its operation. Oblige its spirit to return to the omnissiah."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Alright! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Avoid excessive damage to the superstructure. There may be hostages nearby."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I will try to aim away from any lifesigns - and warn on speakers."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "James! Get your spies away from there."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Good. James?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite jollily sings, "I get to fire the biiig guuun... I get to fire the biiig guuun." As if going 'neener neener'.

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Take faith in your wargear! MACHINE SPIRIT!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "May our shots ring true!"

<Radio: E - Mission> James Heller transmits, "WAit what are you doing?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Silencing the shield system."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite can be heard in the background, cackling, whilst James asks that question.

<Radio: E - Mission> James Heller transmits, "I have no spys there. I'm keeping an eye on the damn old island. Oh god damn it boy, don't be stupid."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Ah, sorry. Guess I misunderstood."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Well, no worries then!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "What is your name anyway, Pilot?"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Ascian Luddite, BAHRAM framerunner."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Ah. Solis Vivent."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Yes, Divine Crusaders, that means."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Nice to meet you, Solis. Heheeee..."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "Don't become too overwrought on battleglee. I used to do that far too often."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Oh come on. I don't get to have nearly this much fun on a regular basis!"

Unlike Tessa, who basically sees things in Math-o-vision, Meiya acts in pure instinct. An undirected sort of comunnion betwen herself and the battlefeild. She knows it, and it knows her.

The Gespenst leaps backwards from the Astranagant and flips over in the air to come down on both feet, and immediatly fires it's thrusters to zip across the battlefield as the attractor shower rains destruction down from above.

Meiya zigs and zags the Gespensts throuwgh beam fire, weaving back and forth through narow misses, and digs it's feet in to launch itself upwards again. "Wrong!"

"He may have expanded his ability to fight your control, but Kar Wai-Lau never truely ceased to be himself. Durign his last moments at the Earth Cradle, he died free from the Aerogators!"

"And hopefully, Ingram Prisken, so will you."

The plasma cutter is switched to Jet Magnum hand, and the plasma stakes reset and recharge. The Gespenst descends immediatly after Tessa's redirection of the attractor shower. The Jet Magnum stakes fire, feeding plasma into the cutter's blade, intesifying it and enlarging it to broadsword sizes as Meiya swings it down with both hands.

"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "I didn't say don't enjoy it. I said don't get battle drunk."

<Radio: E - Mission> Nenai Illan transmits, "Focus on the missile. We have Balmarians to crush!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I know what you are saying, but it is an advice I cannot follow today. It feels... sooooo gooood..."

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "Ascian, If you die I will never speak to you again."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "To know that the weight of these alien... scum... means so little before me and Amenthes! Like gods over their lives!"

Aitan snarls again as his blows miss! "God damnit, hold still you agile little--" BWIP! A video appears on screen, much to Aitan's surprise of a hauntingly familiar setting and machine. Out of gut reflex, he lets go of his controls and presses himself back into his seat, "What the--" "And here we are with the Grey Death legion, the mercenary unit famed for recovering a treasure drove of lostech! Tell me, do you have anything to say about your victory here today?" a reporter asks, thristing a microphone in Marcus' face. Marcus just rumbles, "Lots of good people died. Kids who didn't know any better, vets who were just a hair too slow, people who just ran out of luck. I just hope it was worth it." BWIP! Another video, this time on the display to his right. He jerks and presses himself against the left armrest. "God damnit, get that camera out of my face!" marcus exclaims, pushing his hand in front of the lens, "Can't a guy just enjoy his drink for once?" BWIP! This time an image appears to his left, of him and a younger woman arguing. He jerks away from it as well, sweat beading up on his face. 'Marcus Gunter: Age 67. Prior Affiliations: Grey Death Legion, Dawson's Roughriders, Hell's Irregulars, Ace and Spades' Facts rattle off through the speakers and Aitan starts to tremble uncontrollably. 'Earned the Federated Suns Medal of Honor, Earned the Lyran Star--' Aitan starts to fumble with his seatbelt, his breathing becoming rapid and shallow. 'Known Relatives: Romero Gunter, father, Deceased. Marian Gunter, Mother, Deceased. Alexandro Harvel, Third Cousin--' "Have... have to get out. Have to get out. Have to get out." Aitan starts to mutter to himself as he pushes himself out of his seat, "Have to get out! Have to get out! HAVE TO GET OUT! LET ME OOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUT! He slams on the door release and the hatch opens to the temperate atmosphere outside. With all the drive of a madman losing his mind, he dives out of the Ezekiel and falls fifteen feet to the ground, impacting and rolling down the hill. With frantic gasps, he rolls onto his hands and knees and claws off his helmet, then slumps over panting for breath.

<Radio: E - Mission> Nenai Illan transmits, "Mission, Mission!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Warning. Firing the Vector Cannon. I suggest against any folding or other space-compressing methods for the next five minutes... JUST in case!"

"A tough machine - but even the most powerful defenses are of little use unless there are others who are willing to hide behind them," Ingram replies to Solis. So it seems that there is still a bit of the old alien hunter in there. Ingram had wondered if there were others like him - the man had sounded like he had come from another organization, and the Administrator had half expected that there would be others who would emerge to do battle when the invasion started. But as the flames roar out, the Astranagant vanishes into another series of after images as the flames lick at it, reappearing above Solis. One of the Gun Familiars spins around, launching several shots into the side of the other machine in response. The Altron is only a short distance away, and Ingram glances over as one of its dragon claws lances out, trying to seize onto the black machine. But as it grabs on, the Astranagant vanishes once again, leaving Wufei holding nothing but air. Ingram reappears atop a small hill nearby, and glances over. "Where is the will and rage you showed before, Wufei? Or have you begun to realize that this is the end?" The rebound of his rain barrage is a surprise, but Ingram only narrows his eyes as Guy sends the entire barrage right back at him. He holds up one hand, the Nendou Field solidifying into a honeycomb matrix as the shots slam into it in rapid succession. "Such determination - very well then, I accept that you are willing to go all out," Ingram replies to Guy. "A pity it will not do you any good." Another Gun Familiar swings around behind GaoGaiGar, firing off a blast into the back of the super robot. The fact that Rai is willing to get up close with him is surprising - Ingram blinks, the upper pair of eyes on his mask looking confused for a moment at the approaching R-2. "That is not how that machine is supposed to be... ARG!" He gasps as the massive block of metal that was created to keep the Tronium Drive safe from even the largest hits slams headlong into the Astranagant. The R-2 bats the sword aside, and smashes the Astranagant across the face with one hand, before driving another into its chest, and Rai just beats on Ingram for a moment. "It's futile, Rai!" the blue haired man shouts. "You're just delaying the inevitable! Even now, Lord Euzeth has awakened the doom of your planet! Nothing can oppose the Planetary Sanitization System Septaguint." As much as he might wish otherwise, Rai's comments have thrown him off of his game. The White Doll remains as persistent as ever, and this time instead of opting for a melee attack, Laura just starts blanketing the area with explosives. The blasts go off in rapid succession, throwing the Astranagant around each time one of them detonates nearby. Cracks appear in the armor, fusing together after a moment... but more slowly this time. As more damage is done, the machine seems to be losing its regenerative capacity. Ingram tries to shoot at the Doll, to drive it back, but he just can't hold the lock. "Get out of my way. Our moment of triumph is near. Lord Euzeth needs me at his side! And so all of you must die!"

They aren't obliging in the 'dying' part. Ascian comes in from behind - there's too many of them. He can't keep track of them all, can he? The Orbital Frame slashes and stabs, pushing the Astranagant before it as its pilot keeps up the assault. Ingram spins around, lashing out with his sword, and the blade goes wide. Under the mask, his lip twists slightly in a snarl of displeasure. "Why do you keep fighting!?! Why won't you just lie down and die?!?" Nenai obligies in crashing to the ground, but then she gets back up! A Meltrandi is an easy target - and Ingram turns his back for a moment. Which costs him - the woman pops open her machine, rifle in hand as she opens up on him from behind. Bullets slam into the TK Field, several of them breaking through to strike the black crystal frame directly. "We do not simply exist! We grow! We expand! Unlike you we do not destroy everything in our path!" Ingram snaps back, the two Gun Familiars blazing away as if to add a bit of emphasis to his words. And if Rai's words were bad enough, then Tessa chimes in, and Ingram grits his teeth as he listens. And for some reason he can't help but listen. Something, deep down, tells him that he needs to hear what the silver haired girl has to say. "I did... what I thought was right at the time. I know that I was wrong now! Euzeth showed me the correct path. My near death was the vehicle he needed to show me... that I was... wrong. I shouldn't have cared about any of you!" His own attack slams back into him, and Ingram is thrown about in the cockpit, striking his head against one of the crystal pillars that surround his seat. The mask cracks under the blow, small bits falling away from the fracture that goes from the middle down across the lower right eye. "I will not listen to your accusations, woman!" Meiya joins in with another solid blow, and Ingram is rocked backwards. He can't counter, he can't hit them. What is wrong? Why can't he defeat this Samples? Primitive barbarians... why? WHY? As he knocks the Gespenst back, Meiya's slash leaving a smoking gash in the side of his machine, the blue haired man leans forward over the controls. "I am NOT being controlled...!" He pulls back, leaping away as a huge barrage of fire barely clips him as Spectre opens up. Bullets just barely miss the Astranagant, and Ingram shoots a murderous glance in the mechwarrior's direction. "...I am not!" With a shout, Ingram lashes out, his sword cutting a Z pattern at Wufei's Gundam. A moment later he disappears, reappearing just in front of Solis' giant robot and bringing the telekinetic blade from the floor upwards, aiming to cut him from top to bottom. The White Doll will be trying to keep up - that's fine. Ingram boosts up and over, inverting his machine and lashing out at the head of Laura's machine a moment later, trying to score a telling blow. And as his feet touch the ground once more, the Astranagant lunges for the R-2, trying to drive it back into Tessa's machine with a rapid series of slashes. The Gun Familiars also have a field day - they blast away at Nenai for a concentrated barrage, before following up and trying to pick apart Guy with a rapid series of shots. Solis and Ascian get a brief amount of attention, more blasts being fired in their direction each moment. And Ingram just looks at Rai, and shouts, "I was my own master! I STILL AM!" "...I am..."

To be frank, Ted knew that it wouldn't be painfless. Facing yourself, especialy when you're convinced you're someone else, sure is an ordeal. Morrison lets out a sigh, letting out all that tension of this program not working. They did worked on this thing for a while, it /had/ to work. "And that," He says, on the speakers, the feed on the now empty Ezekil ending. "Is who you are." He's didn't expected him to jump /out of the mech/, he has to be hurt down there. That is why the Rampage moves up to give cover to the old man down on the ground until pickup can arrive. "Spectre, I've got him. Unload on that other guy in the crazy mech, I'll get him on the ACs."

Wufei isn't impressed by Prisken's words, even as the Sword cuts into some of Altron's shoulder armor. "My rage has become amusement, Prisken. Amusement at your words. Hollow words in the face of overwhelming odds." Lowering Altron's shoulder, he fires his boosters to try and ram his shield into Ingram's mech. Might not work, but oh well....

There are no reactions in your queue. Ingram's blade is intercepted by Solis' chainblade... Blessed mechanisms clashing with telekinetic force... It succeeds in causing the assemblage to roil and burn, but it fails to do anything resembling substantial damage, but the feedback is beginning to have its affects.

The PPC does not physically ravage Solis as the Hostis did, but the human body can only take so much pain, even one such as Solis... He bites back the sensation of having his arm's inner workings torn apart, and the heat of the telekinetic blade against his palm... "LUDDITE! CONCLUDE THE SHIELD SYSTEM!" He looks back at Ingram and growls, "You are becoming irritating. Stop embarassing yourself. Stop shouting the platitudes of a race of people too cowardly to fight their own battles! I don't care what the hell you were before... Stop getting in my way!" The Preliator rolls forward, using the blade as a launch point to attempt to cleave through Ingram, before levelling its main cannon and firing a massive burst of energy at the distant temple structure just in case Ascian isn't able to get his own shot off. "I've already foiled your race's plan to murder a city, I've reclaimed my lover from your clutches, I've destroyed more of your drones then I care to count and I've HAD IT WITH LISTENING TO THE BRAINWASHED EXTOL THE MERITS OF THEIR TORMENTORS. Wake up and get the HELL out of our way. We have work to do."

The R-2 sweeps back, spins around and then lunges forward again, deftly dodging the sword slashes in a way only Raidiese could get the R-2 to move like. Rai doesn't smile as he listens to Ingram begin to crack. Despite the fact that this is the result he wanted, he doesn't feel any sense of superiority in this one down. Hearing Ingram like that shows Rai how much he considered the man a friend, back when they worked together.

The R-2 offers no attacks in return as Ingram slashes at him, and is quiet until Ingram begins to break down. It's time to ease the pressure off, he thinks. At least the physical pressure.

"Now it's your turn, Ingram Prisken," Raidiese starts in a firm, though not cold voice. "Show me your strength! You brought all this together to be able to break those chains which held you in thrall for so long, but only you can take that step. It's time for you to turn that critical eye of yours inward Ingram, and tell me who you are! What YOU fight for!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Very clever, Doctor."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "I have my moments."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Also Doctor Hell, I will be borrowing your island for a moment."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Of course, Colonel."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "I have sustained heavy damage, but Bardos still flies."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "I will need to retreat soon."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "...unless it suits me, of course."

Even amongst all the carnage, the missiles and flamethrowers and plasma and familiars and bullets and fists, the White Doll cannot be shaken. Its I-Field, strangely able to deflect both solid-state shots as well as beams, allows for the most daring of pursuit actions.

Yet, despite this tenacity, the 'Gundam' breaks off for no good reason and dashes away on its leg thrusters. It hovers, away from the melee and immediate danger zone, seemingly unsure of itself.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Well."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Now that I have completed the deal of the millenium."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "I believe Bardos must withdraw from the battlefield.."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "The damage we have sustained is immense."

Another Protect Wall is invoked - but this time a significant handful of blasts get through before Guy can bring the barrier up. Still, by the time the Gun Familiars are done raining shots on the King of Braves ... while GaoGaiGar is starting to look a little the worse for wear, it's far from being taken out of the picture.

And as much as Guy is still ready to fight ... he hears, and sees, what Raidiese is trying to do. Trying to give Ingram a chance to break out, to break free of the controls *he* was under. As such ... GaoGaiGar remains at the ready, fists clenched tightly, the Phantom Ring hovering around the right forearm and ready to start spinning up ... but the punch is not thrown, either at range or close up.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Very impressive, Colonel."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Bardos is retreating now. We will serve as the repair facilities for the duration of the battle."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Thank you for your assistance, Doctor. We shall see if it is effective."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Of course, DC soldiers are obviously exempt from being shot."

"WHY I WON'T JUST DIE!? WHY WON'T YOU!? I GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO!" Ascian calls out behind him whilst his unit continues to fly at high velocity. He ends up meeting a series of megillots on the way, and slashes straight through them with the assistance of Duat whilst the systems for the Vector Cannon begin to load up. He follows up with a quick shout at Solis. "SHUT UP! WORKING ON IT!" And finally he lands right in front of what looks like a beautiful temple...

"TO ALL BALMARIAN CITIZENS AND OTHER ALIEN SCUM!" He begins, pressing the Amenthes' legs into the ground. "I can't believe I am really doing this... giving them a god damn warning..." - "WE HAVE SET YOU UP THE BOMB! THERE IS NO CHANCE TO SURIVE! MAKE YOUR TIME AND GET OUT ON THE DOUBLE!" That should do it. What was with the broken English anyhow? Maybe the translators to this SRW operation were lazing off.

"VECTOR CANNON MODE!" Ascian announces.

The Orbital Frame sudden begins to arch backwards much like it was in pain. However - its hands lie at the torso at the same level as the two horizontal metalic beams. The rib-like armor plating moves out of the way suddenly as a hole begins to form and a sizable but short-barreled cannon forms right there - its exoskeleton shifting. The bit-composed wings of the Amenthes push out another good chunk of Metatron, as if the thing was going to take off at interstellar speeds.

"Shift to Vector Cannon mode - Mark Two." - So announces Duat in its typical female voice, somewhat belatedly.

The unit finally folds over as the cannon forms - spreading its arms and linking their fronts against the back of the railgunmolds and pushes the energy-created beams into position around the cannon. Its shoulders, where the Metatron crystals were still showing from the last burst of speed, suddenly let energy slip in order to create thick black lines in a half-moon shape towards the newly created 'backsides' of the forming Vector Cannon sidings. Red streams of energy begin to flow through, much like the circuit design veins on the actual frame.

"All energy Lines Connected."

The energy that was being released by the bitwings on its back finally takes shape in the form of a set of huge hawk-like wings that spread straight back, away from Amenthes. Each red-metalic wing carrying a transparent crystal end. A massive wave of energy is beginning to form within the unit.

"Gravity and Kinetic Energy Cancelers - engaged."

The cannon chamber is beginning to show a strange anomaly of flickering space as the unit begins to gather the energy to compress it on an extremely large scale.

"Inner Chamber Pressure Rising Normally."

A eightsome of circular plates suddenly appear right around the half-way point of the railgun beams and begin to circle around it, slowly speeding up and forming a red electric link like lightning constantly seeking earth - spreading this all throughout the long metalic beam towards the cannon as well as its end.

"Life Ring has started revolving."

A large meter in front of Ascian showed how far his unit was with the charging, going up at a rapid pace, and he begins to align the targetting reticule onto the middle of the temple - at the source of the massive harmonic energy signature.

""READY TO FIRE!"

"FIIIIREEEE! HAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

The electic waves between the railgun beams flare and the energy of the compressed space is lengthened within mere seconds - racing for his target and filling the direct and rather thin line aimed at the source - so that he will not hurt any civilians. Well... none that ran away anyhow. And Ascian? Ascian cackles like a madman...

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "HAHAAAAAHAHAHAHAA!"

Nenai Illan Says "Our enemies were let to die as themselves. You do something worse, your race consumes souls and idenities. We have learned what it means to protect, to build, to even...create. As of now the first naturally born Zentradi are being born. They will have the choice to be something other than a warrior. If I die to day, I die glady. I will not let ... them have that choice ripped away from them. Like prehaps your own will!"

She comes under fire, she leaps, rolls, and back flips out of harms way. She's lot her rifle, however she's now found the last thing you want any a pipe. However she only picks it up she holds her attack. She's seen Guy, Laura and Rai not attack. She respecs their sense and stand down.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "By the by."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "I believe that that meteor is, indeed, a threat to the known world. If Bian's files are correct, it was something he failed to convince the rest of the world existed; though I cannot imagine *what*, I have no doubt its destructive potential is easily enough to consume the planet."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "And likely the colonies and Mars as well."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "I am certain it is the meteor, because it is clearly coming from Aideoneus Island, and Bian was the sort of man to keep such a thing underneath him where he could watch it... carefuly."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "I see. Do what you need to in order to deal with it."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Oh, I need do nothing."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "That is the wonderful thing about self-styled heroes, Colonel."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "They are always willing to pay you for the opportunity to do what they would do anyhow."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I must... ehhh... I do have family there..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Dr. Hell transmits, "Help if you like, it makes no difference to me."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite suddenly says, at a very calm town. "A meteor that can destroy earth, the colonies, and Mars...... that's impossible..."

<Radio: E - Mission> Solis Vivent transmits, "We can deal with it."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "This is what Bian Zoldark tried to warn us of. He dedicated his life to show us that these aliens, and that meteor threat... was coming. And what did earth DO!? They destroyed him! Tsssk..."

Meiya's moving in time with her. Tessa lets herself grin a little. She wonders if she can count on this in the future - but there's no time for thoughts like that, not here. Tessa gets through to him as the Attractor Shower rains on his head. "And that included making sure I'd have access to the treatment after I was freed?" Tessa replies, coolly. (her hair is actually still mostly red, incidentally) "That included subverting your own people!? And now, /now/ you tell me Euzeth has shown you the light while all the rest of us are breaking free!?" --shit, she thinks, as her mind clicks on something. Try to prove it wrong, Tessa. Give it one last swing before going to the worst case scenario. "You were our greatest ally, Ingram Prisken! And NOW you tell me you make yourself our enemy of your own will!? Don't give me that bullshit!"

Tessa is in a bad mood, apparently. She /leaps/ away, landing about a hundred meters back and then stuttering on the landing, falling to her butt. "Dammit," Tessa grates out, quickly rising back up while Meiya swerves in. "I PERFORMED the conversations, Ingram Prisken! I know someone whose mind is being controlled when I see it!"

Her mind sees it, understands it - a change, a nanosecond's chance. This area --yes, and...of course, "so I can...that would...mumble, mumble, normal force of friction would be--"

She plants her hands on the ground, and the ground under Astranagant sheers open, cables lashing out from the substructure of Neviim and lassoing Astranagant, pumping it full of DELICIOUS VOLTS even as it tries to slam the machine into the ground. Maybe that will clear his head, she thinks. Hopes. Prays.

The sudden arrival of the familiars is something that even Spectre can't plan for. "Oldtypes" have a hard time dealing with remote weapons, and Spectre is no exception, the shots from the smaller things picking apart the Seraph. It weathers the firepower like only a BattleMech can, even as the sharp corners of the 'Mech's armor burn away. It's skeletal structure begins to show, weapon casing starting to become visible as it gets hammered to hell and back.

Spectre keeps it moving. He doesn't stop, not for anything. The Seraph jumps again, closing on the Astranagant to get to within 'mid-range' for a BattleMech, only a few hundred meters away. He examines the enemy mech with his eyes with only the assistance of the cockpit window zoom function, looking for... something. A seam, a hatch--

It looks like a mobile suit, even if it isn't really anything like it, Spectre decides, and they always put it in the same place. He raises the heavy PPC again and waits for a brief lull in the battle, waits for him to sit still for even an instant, and puts a blazing blue shot right where he's aiming.

Spectre's choice of target makes it clear that he is not going to be spamming Convince.

Marcus Gunter has been carried away, now to be safe from his Balmarian mind control. Ted Morrison takes a deep breath. Good, that plan worked. It worked so hard that the old man was almost back to himself fully in mere /minutes/, even after a big ass fall from the cockpit of his mech. That leaves him free to start rampaging on the Balmarians again -- even if the Rampage has been damaged pretty hard. Remote weapons are still something that are utterly strange to the Erehwon leader, something that's /new/ and, frankly, that he wants pretty bad to have on his own. Sadly, he's not the right kind of terrifing mutant that can use those. Alas. Dreams are broken. Morrison's own conviction is similar to Spectre, turning the large piece of LosTech into a different angle from the Dragoon, unloading strides of AC into the Astranagant. Some might be slamming Convince. But he still need to be utterly rammed in a little for THAT to work. Everyone knows that.

The Gespenst is ignored this time, or rather, not directly targetted. Meiya takes the afforded time to turn and dash away from Ingram so as not to get caught in everyone's crossfire.

"Ingram Prisken. I may owe my freedom to your actions. But this is the only way I Can repay you."

The Gespenst activates it's thrusters to leap into the sky. "Colossal...!"

PT curls over at the apex of it's jump. "Lightening...!"

It descends and stretches ouwt one foot, plasma from it's reactor sizzling across the surface of the foot as it aims for the now entwined Astranangant courtesy of Tessa.

"KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Attempting to shoot at Ingram while he's going through this is probably not the best idea. The Preliator comes rumbling in, its chainsaws bared as it tries to carve a piece off of the Astranagant, and Ingram just isn't having any of it. The black machine disappears into a shimmer of several after images as the huge grinding blade passes right through it, only to reappear a short distance beyond... another Axion Cannon shot held in hand. "I will not suffer your nonsense, fool!" Ingram roars, and races forward - blasting Solis at point blank range with the distortion shot. Wufei's attack a moment later receives much the same treatment, and only a slight error keeps the Z.O. Blade from slicing right through his machine. Ingram growls, another small chunk of his mask falling away... and then the entire upper right portion tips forwad and crashes to the floor, breaking into several pieces. But as Rai doesn't attack, Ingram pauses for a moment - torn between the urge to hear him out and to strike out at the man. To break the one who would imply that there was something... wrong. Something wrong with Lord Euzeth's dream. That destroying this world might somehow be wrong. "I fight... for Euzeth's dream. It is all... that is important to me..." Wasn't that right? It was what he had been convinced of all along. ...at least as long as he could remember. "Trying to carve my own path..." It had been a mistake... right...?" The interior of the White Star is seared a brilliant white as Ascian's Vector Cannon discharges. The beam arcs over the hills, trees being pulled in the direction of the beam, leaves pulling off and sucked into the vortex. The blast sails deeper into the White Star... and strikes the small shrine where this area's shield generator is housed head on. The blast creates a small mushroom cloud as the entire shrine vanishes, trees being flattened in all directions, the grass catching on fire and transforming into a wave of ash that is blasted outwards in all directions. The shield outside flickers and goes down - and deeper within the White Star there is a dull *boom* as a power conduit overloads, sending a tongue of flame through a distant docking bay where it erupts out into space beyond. The shield is gone - it is not a huge loss, as the defenses can be redirected to cover the gap... as long as there are forces left which can cover the breach. It's a major loss - the White Star is open to being board. "...it doesn't matter," Ingram states, looking back at Ascian. "The world is ending. The White Star is no longer important. Lord Euzeth has unleashed the end, and there is nothing you can do to stop it." Spectre unloads on him with everything he's got - and Ingram simply blinks out of the way once more, vanishing from view as the barrage passes completely through his location. A single dismissive motion sends the Gun Familiars running Spectre down, blasting away at him over and over again, trying to cut the legs of his mech off in retaliation for his attack. "You..." he growls. "If not for this attack, none of this would have happened! I'll do you a favor and destroy you before..."

Before he can leap after Spectre and tear him limb from limb, Tessa slams into the Astranagant from the side. The massive electrical shock races through the entire machine, and Ingram screams for a moment as even the cockpit is electrified. But her words are almost as bad. He grimaces, and growls, "And how many people would see me dead for what I've done?" he shouts back at Tessa. "I doubt any of them would believe it one way or another! What does it matter? I've had to do everything on my own. None of them believed me when I told them that the threat was coming! All of you just wasted your time fighting each other, and I had to find a way to hold back the tide alone! If it wasn't for Bet, I'd never have made it as far as I did! And now you're telling me that I was an ally?" He laughs bitterly. "I was only looking out for myself. I... am better off... no..." Another part of the mask cracks away. "...he's willing to kill you all, rather than lose..." And then Ted opens up, an attack that will probably hit both Tessa and Ingram given that she is still pinning him down. But before the blow can land, Raidiese throws himself into the path, the R-2 taking the barrage in Ingram's place. "...Rai!" he starts, and then focuses on Ted. He'll destroy him, he'll... ...damnit, why was he concerned about a Sample? He shouldn't care! They were trash! They were... And then Meiya flahes in, and kicks Ingram's mech in the face, another blow. And then Ketol starts screaming on the radio, Balmarian signals are going offline. It's too damn much, it's... "AAARRRRRRRGGGGGH!" ~CRACK~ The rest of the mask falls to the ground in pieces, and Ingram looks back up after a moment. A thin trickle of blood runs down his face, from where he had cut himself on the console just above the hairline. "...I will..." He narrows his eyes. "Get off of me!" There is an explosion of dirt as the Nendou Field pulses, throwing all of the machine's around the Black Angel in all directions. The Astranagant blasts up into the air, spinning about for a moment. "My destiny... is not yours to decide..." Ingram gasps after a moment. And then the Zehirut sourced machine vanishes in a flash of light, leaving behind nothing but smoke and flames of the battlefield in its wake.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical & E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "THE SHIELD IS DOWN!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Chang Wufei transmits, "and Prisken ran....again."

<Radio: E - Mission> Nenai Illan transmits, "Nenai here, my unit needs recovery and I need a lift."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Heeere... aliens... come on. I got more of this! Come on! Let me destroy you ALLL!"

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite's radio suddenly cuts out.

<Radio: E - Mission> Ted Morrison transmits, "What the hell...!"

It was a reflexive decision on the part of Raidiese. He didn't think about it. He merely saw a gun big enough to destroy Ingram leveled at the man, and slid his R-2 in the path, taking the blast full in the chest of the giant mech, shattering armor and sending the R-2 staggering back. If Rai had thought about it, he may not have done it, but he doesn't second-guess it now.

Either way, the move bought Ingram time to retreat once again.

"Ingram," Rai transmits after him, unsure if Ingram is even able to hear it. "There is more strength here than you want to believe. Enough for both of us to stand against whatever Euzeth throws against us. You still have that hope in you, if you search for it."

Regardless, it looks like their mission here is done. "Spectre, I believe we're done here. What's the next move?"

The Turn A Gundam is already gone. It's hard to say when it slipped away, considering its ability to bend sensors and hide itself, as well as teleport.

<Radio: E - Mission> Guy Shishioh transmits, "That didn't sound promising."

<Radio: E - Mission> Guy Shishioh transmits, "Then we'd better get out there and stop the 'end' from happening."

When the shield goes down, and Ingram has taken his leave, this leaves Amenthes floating in the air, Ascian staring with wild amazement at all the destruction in front of him. "We're GODS Amenthes! WE'RE GODS!" A small laugh begins, a little manic laughter, that turns into that of a maniac within seconds flat. Duat's indicators suddenly begin to flush with static as the mental instability of its runner starts causing the Orbital Frame's wavelength to almost perfectly align with his own...

It's taking control. The red glow within the cockpit continues further, and a woman of flames suddenly breaks free from the back of the cockpit - and like a ghost floats around the man, grinning. "You can kill them all..." She whispers, "You must save your family. Stop the meteor. Go to Mars. Protect it." Her head then turns towards the exit, and everyone between them and the location their Trojan Horse had come in from. "But they are in the way... aren't they?" - "They... are in the way." The young man stammers like a zombie. "But..." His right eye twitches a bit as a slight glow of energy flows through underneath - amidst the poisoned scar.

"I can't... Even Gods cannot protect from that..." He turns his eyes a bit to the side where a small image appears of what Dr. Hell had mentioned. The meteor that Bian had warned of. "I rather be safe." He is shivering a bit, looking around. "So then what?" - "We stay here..." Duat deactivated, and Amenthes' Vector Cannon mode is canceled automatically. "We let them do it... those who can create miracles that even the Gods cannot grant." He mutters and turns his unit around - facing away from the entrance. There were Megillots still around. "AND WHILE THEY MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE, WE DESTROY!" The verniers come to life, and the figure of the winged firey spirit smiles. "Destroy."

Fortunately for Tessa, she actually attacked him with Neviim's substructure, employing Whisperhax and the Lambda Driver, so Ted just blasts some power cables. Isn't it grand?

And she watches Ingram's rambling, firm-hearted but poorly-rooted defense. Well. No, not poorly-rooted at all, is it? Tessa's eyes tilt down a little, and her machine does the same, the Lambda Driver's effect faltering. "Ingram," she mutters, eyes hard. "It couldn't be...but it is, isn't it...?"

She looks up at that sudden blast from the TK Field, blown off her feet and sailing in the air, landing on her butt /again/. She's got to get this landing thing down!! But on the ground, TEssa grits her teeth frowning, as the Driver starts to power down. "...dammit!"

God damn Turn Types, how do they work?

"Our next move is further inward," Spectre says. "Secure a perimeter and setup a field base for rearmament and rapid repairs. We'll move out in forty-five minutes and head for whatever passes for a command deck or a core."

He exhales and relaxes a little in the smoking Seraph. Spectre keys in a course, marking Nav Gamma as their exit point, and Nav Foxtrot as the place the base will be erected. The Seraph starts to walk over, Armored Cores and BattleMechs running all around to keep searching for things that might shoot them. Ravens rejoice. MechWarriors relax.

It's not over yet, though...

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Right."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Head back to Gamma."

<Radio: E - Mission> Raidiese F. Branstein transmits, "On my way."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ascian Luddite flicks his radio back on - but it's staticy, and it is almost as if a ghostly whisper can be heard beyond Ascian's voice, "I am remaining here. There are still drones to clean up..."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "I'll have a dropship from the Honor Among Thieves meet you there."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "We've got drop pods for just such an occasion."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Hope you don't have a weak stomach."

<Radio: E - Mission> Raidiese F. Branstein transmits, "I'll survive."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ted Morrison transmits, "Oh boy, you're getting a joy ride."

<Radio: E - Mission> Raidiese F. Branstein transmits, "Spectre? Thank you."

<Radio: E - Mission> Spectre transmits, "Don't mention it."

<Radio: E - Mission> Ted Morrison transmits, "Good luck, kid."

Ted relaxes in his cockpit. He reaches into the fridge, cracking out a beer while waiting for repairs. So far so bad. They got in. At what cost, though? That damn crazy kid... why the hell did he go in the way like that? Maybe he's trying to save that guy. The thought crossed his mind. "Whatever it is, Alexia, you did great work, girl. I'll buy you a bottle of wine if we get out of here alive." "Are you sure? Last time you have said that, it was a 1 credit vinegar." Answers a feminine digital voice in the sound isolated confines of the cockpit. "Yeah," Ted replies, chugging his beer, crushing the can. "It'll be some winey that the bloody french will cry for selling it."

NEVIIM CORE The air shimmers as the Astranagant completes its teleportation deep into the center of the White Star. The damage inflicted upon it is already starting to mend over, the Zehirut Crystal taking in the power of the nerve center of the artificial moon to restore its power. The black machine glides through the air, looking at the giant pair of black sanctum doors that lead to the absolute center of Neviim. This was where Judecca had rested for so long, and now the doors were sealed once again, the inner shrine harboring its dark secret. Soon, Ingram knew, the doors would open. The Zehirut was already on its way back - he can feel the distortion of space as it moves through reality, surfing across the waves of other dimensions and possibilities to return here - to the place of beginnings. "Destiny..." Ingram whispers, looking up at those great doors. And then he turns, moving deeper into the ship. The Fold Drive had exploded - the room itself was alive with living lightning, power arcing from shatter conduits and exploded junctions. The Black Angel drifts forward, holding out its hands and plunging them into the shattered circuitry of the Fold Drive. "...can only be attained by those with true power," Ingram finishes. And the Astranagant drinks deep of Neviim's life blood, the great power that was being fed to the engines. "I will be here at your service... 'Sire'." Smirk.