2011-03-14 - Phoenix And The Jet

Last Day

The Amenthes, Ascian's Orbital Frame, is forced to land on an intercepting dropship as it featherfalls down from the air. Before him, a Gespenst IV is forced to flee - and is for all sense and purposes, more severely damaged. However, the Amenthes' Self Supporting Armor is heavily damaged, and the unit will require some severe repairs. It was a good thing that BAHRAM had begun preparations for an operation in the close future, and quite a bit of Metatron resources and techs were available at the Earth Cradle at the time of his inevitable landing in Afrika. And the unit managed to be repaired. Ascian's damaged pride however, was not so easily fixed. And for some reason, he'd gotten an idea. A bad idea, but one he just could not put out of his mind. A realization that he needed someone to teach him how to - more properly - pilot his Orbital Frame. And there was only one person he could think of.

After some severe convincing for resources to be shifted in order to help Ascian in this task, with the promise that he'd participate in the Operation against WYRED, information was scooped together, and he managed to find a clue as to where this 'sensei' could potentially be hiding out. Sadly, the area that was reported was a rather sizable one; this would make it difficult. And with the clock ticking, only two days until the raid, the young framerunner was only that much more stressed out.

Now Over South America A red streak scars the skies over Bolivia, as Ascian sends the Amenthes over this particular country with its sensor-sensitivity at an all-time high. "Still not detecting any Metatron signals?" Ascian inquires of the frame's artificial intelligence. "No, sir." Duat replies dutily, and suddenly decreases a little clock at the side that had been counting how long it had been since he last asked. Darn. He failed to be patient enough to make it past fifty-five minutes. The frame then suddenly comes to a halt over a mountenous area.

"Tssk." Ascian lets out an annoyed sound. "Sir? Giving up?" The A.I. requests to know of the framerunner. The young man just remains a-hover over the area, a small town visible on the edge of a forest, and the unit itself hovering over what seems to be a decently sized waterfall. "No. Just..." The young man closes his eyes and rests his head back. "I'm feeling like an idiot." He lifts his hands off of the controls; letting the A.I. take over the unit's controls for now, so he can lay his arm against his forehead. He sighs. "Maybe I should just start burning the forest or something. She'd surely come, right?" He mutters. "Sir... I don't think miss Hera would appreciate such a line of thought."

The Ardjet was on patrol. It was a vauable asset to the Federation after all, it was made to be out numbered and engage a far larger force of enemies. It's weapon could lay waste to an emery squadron like a newtype with funnels but without the need for a hurculean feat of finding a newtype.

She flies over the area known as the lungs of the earth. She has some music playing and seems to be a bit distracted.

"Earth itself's not so bad, even as messed up as it is. I can at least understand the Earthnoids not wanting to leave their home... and all those idiots from the sides do except for the PLANTS, which just make things worse."

She sighs takes a deep breath and contiunes ot the next nav point. Till nothing really she pauses for a moment as she checks a contact on her scanner. It might be Ascian it might be something else. There were still local defences forces who patroled in the are also, so there was a possiblity of renegade zentradi....

"ETR Reaction Detected!" Duat suddenly claims. With its sensors still as expanded as they were, it could not detect exactly where it was coming from however. "To the east." A red arrow appears, pointing at the signal. "Concentrate the sensors on that area, whilst we make our way over." Ascian lets out a relieved sound and puts his hands back onto the controls, slipping his fingers into the suitable crevaces.

The Orbital frame turns its head first, then the upper body, before finally she turns all the way and the wings push metatron crystals from between their folds. "Should I activate combat systems?" Duat requests. "No, leave them off." Ascian replies, and lets his will sink into the machine. The red glow of Metatron's light flows through the cockpit, further into the veins of the machine - to its core, from where the light finally expands. There is a sound like wind being sucked in...

And blastoff! The red unit speeds through the air straight for the indicated direction. At its high velocity, and on a well prepared intercept course with the 'unknown ETR reaction', it doesn't take long for Amenthes' sensors to catch its identity. "It's her!" Ascian sounds way too chipper. "Duat!" The A.I. already knew what needed to be done, without being ask of it. "Opening commlinks!"

Amenthes tries to cut off the Ardjet, whilst the communication link is offered to Ken. It's a Video+Audio link. If she'd accept, she'd find Ascian grinning at her almost happily. <<"Found you!">> He states. Perhaps she might expect him to immediately start shouting something about a traitor, or try to attack her. But the Ardjet's sensors may find that he hasn't prepared any such systems. <<"We need to talk.">>

Ken Marinaris pauses as she picks up another Orbital frame as well. Leo isn't out this way so it's got to be BAHRAM or Born in space. Either way: hostiles. The Ardjet turns and moves to close in on the other machine. She doesn't seem so keen on talking. Prehaps she really isn't as Ascian gets a target-lock warning. The Ardjet is in range and is locking weapons.

The comm link gets a reply.

"Stand down and power down your machine, this is your only warning Crusader."

When the Ardjet starts locking its weapons, the Amenthes engages its defensive shield, but otherwise does not start up other weapon systems. "I am not here to fight. So cut the act, Marinaris. I've come to you as an ambassador of peace... sort of." He pauses, thinks about these words, and then shrugs. "Actually, I have a favor to ask." It's that simple.

Ken Marinaris says, "Cut the act? I know why you're here."

WISPs deploy from the cape is attached to the back and form up into a formation to deploy. She's also locking on with the orbital lasers. She's got a job to do afterwards, one way or another. She however stand down.

"... right, get talking."

"Do you?" Ascian asks. "Look. I am here for a simple reason - off the records. I am not here as BAHRAM, but as me. As Ascian Luddite, boyfriend to Hera Drake." He figured that dropping that name should get him at least some reduction in animosity from the big busted woman. "I know that you personally trained Hera. And I am here for but one simple reason. I seek a mentor as well."

Ken Marinaris has not disarmed the weapons. "It was still supporting someone like Grimms."

That's when the Ardjet tilts it's head a little bit. "I wasn't left with much of a choice now was I. I suggest you depart soon, or I'll be back this way soon."

The Ardjet is backing up but still facing the other orbital frame, and Ken's reaching over to kill the channel it looks like.

"It no longer does. All BAHRAM does at this point in time is protect Mars. The Divine Crusaders no longer is the hell hole you once left, Marinaris-san." This much was true. And perhaps she knew this as well. Amenthes lifts its head as the Ardjet moves, almost as if it was trying to interact with whatever spirit there may be within the machine. "I will keep bugging you, miss Marinaris, until I die. I will try to prove to you that BAHRAM is a better place now." He didn't know of Aumaan, or what Nohman had truly planned. All he knew was that he was fighting for a good cause. "Please. At least concider my words." He isn't leaving.

Ken Marinaris was an operative of Nohman who has become conflicted since her insertion. But that's neither here nor there, as Ascian isn't cleared to know and it's for his own good.

"You continue to do so you may end up in an early grave." She then kills the connection. The Ardjet turns and floors it at top speed.