2011-01-22 - The Celestial Scribe

Aidoneus Island Before

Arthur Goodman gets one good look at the mighty being once known as "Meteor-3," growing so massive it blots out the skies. Arthur Goodman promptly orders the Blanc Rival to run away.

Phobos Now

"This is unjust persecution!" The bridge of the Blanc Rival has been filled with the loud noise of Arthur Goodman's grating voice for the entirety of their journey to the Martian moon of Phobos. Now angrily biting his thumb, Goodman stares at the mission plan - an entire mission plan relating to the current situation on Mars.

The planet he has been reassigned to. "Forced to some backwater planet because of a simple misunderstanding...!" grouses the tubby blonde as he abruptly thrusts a gloved hand forward. There to meet it is a slice of cheese cake, held outward by his lieutenant. "Why should I be punished for believing the Blanc Rival was to shore up the final defensive line?? I was simply doing my duty...!"

His lieutenant, astutely, says nothing. "And now, I've been assigned to a planet made for fading away into obscurity...! Cast aside, like -- like trash! Arthur Goodman is not trash!" Goodman shovels a large chunk of cheesecake into his mouth, sneering as he does. "This must be that Scirocco's fault, damn him...!"

"... uh, sir..." the lieutenant begins, clearing his throat. "-What-." "We're approaching the target." What targ-- ah, right. The /Martians/." Grunting, Goodman grabs the helmet to his normal suit and shoves it on. The visor helpfully hisses open, so that he may still freely eat that cheesecake. His narrowed eyes focus on the Metatron refinement facility beyond, dotting the barren landscape of Phobos.

"All units, deploy! Your objective is to eliminate all enemy troops and destroy their refinement plant! Your mission begins -- /now/!" "Destroy, sir? But couldn't we use that metatron ourselves...?"

"The Federation does not need any crazed space rock to achieve victory! Just you watch... I'll destroy them with superior, overwhelming firepower and restore justice to this barbaric planet..." Another chunk of cheesecake is shuffled into that gaping maw. "... dehn shuuhly dehy'll aghknowlehj muh jehniush uhgehn...!" "..."

 Vindel Mauser transmits, "This is Colonel Mauser - we've recieved a flash beacon report from Mars about an A-LAWS offensive that is taking place out there. All units who are available, report to your units in the Earth Cradle hanger. We will be deploying for Mars in 5 minutes."

 Oi Shinda transmits, "Sir yes sir!"

 Erika Keese transmits, "Mars?! Yes sir!"

Alia considers herself fortunate; not only did the EFA - in light of her earlier discussions with Captain Global - opt to trust her with advance knowledge of a joint A-LAWS/Federation operation against the DC, but they're letting her accompany them. She sits in Zefholm's cockpit, her mind going over what her investigation has discovered. She now knows that the man who took an ARM Slave into the streets of her home was acting under Axel Almer's orders, and that 'Ascian Luddite' isn't an alias; it really is the name of that blue-haired man who later took hostages to gain audience with her... and he, too, is a DC pilot. Alia now knows all the names and affiliations of those who took the most significant actions against Langran mere weeks ago. Yet as she prepares to launch, Alia comes to a realization: Chasing specific DC pilots is useless. If she truly wishes to punish the Divine Crusaders for their incursion and make the people of Langran safer, then she must strike at meaningful strategic targets and reduce the DC's ability to wage war. That would serve her beloved home much better than pursuing grudges against individual DC pilots... she need only look at Masaki Andoh's obsessive pursuit of Shu Shirakawa, and his utter lack of results to see this is true. With this realization in mind, she sends Zefholm out of the hangar and joins the EFA/A-LAWS forces at hand.

ELSEWHERE

Paptimus Scirocco smiles mysteriously as he is cursed in a far-off location. It leaves his adjutant thinking that he must be smiling at her. She nervously smiles back.

CLOSER

The man known as Gates just happens to be on Mars. Why is that? He arrived with a parachute still trailing from his back about a week ago, because there's a business deal to be done, with people paying good crazy space rock for equally good armaments. There are all kinds of wars going on, after all.

"I'm sure you'll find that the weapons we're providing are the usual top of the line items. You can't go wrong with our weapons, no, not at all," Gates explains. Meanwhile, the apparent aliens are using them on test dummies; they're arm-mounted weapons that happen to have.

"Man-catching nets are a standard."

One of the garish looking things fires a massive net at a target dummy.

"Not to mention the flame thrower."

A target dummy bursts into flames.

"And my personal favorite. An all-galaxy receiver for Animal Planet."

The aliens pause, and all slowly turn to look at Mister Gates. He smiles, eyes half-lidded, with a toothpick between his teeth. No, that wasn't mostly lifted from the Fifth Element at all, that's absurd. With proximity alarms abruptly going off within the facility though, the smile slowly fades from the man's face. "The Federation, now?! But a marathon of Neo My Dog Ate What?! was about to start!"

The man's hands lift to his thin blonde hair, and the pulling and screaming begins.

There is a crackle of blue light -- the tell-tale flash of a jump drive activating and depositing its carried ship with it. The UCS Ramayama comes out of a holding pattern near the Phobos, surging forward. Machines begin start hurtling from the open hangars in answer to the approaching A-LAWs flotilla. Dark blue Gespenst II-SM's hurtle out, blue light tailing from their Tesla Drives.

One machine takes the lead. The Soulgain hovers in front of them -- and brings its fist up, mimicking his movements. The red-haired man cracks a smile as he sees the approaching forces.

"Look alive, boys," he transmits. "We're not gonna let them screw over our BAHRAM allies."

Blue lightning explodes along the frame of the super robot. Axel's lips stay curled into a smirk -- and he waits, daring them to come at him.

"And how long has it been since we received the alert from the Martian Factory?" Vindel asks as he walks through the corridors of the Earth Cradle, his mantle swirling about as he steps into the cross currents that swirl about inside of the massive internal hanger here. He had something else that needed to be dealt with, but this took higher priority - the supply of Metatron was essentially to their allies in BAHRAM, and if the Federation managed to wipe out one of their major facilities it would prove to be a serious blow for their efforts in the Martian Sphere. It only takes a few moments for Vindel to reach the cockpit of his unit, a small communications window opening even as he locks the combat harness into place. "We can't afford for the Zweizergain to be too heavily damaged - the return trip may take twice as long if we have to send ships out there to bring you back," Lemon states, looking over from her computer terminal from across the communications link. "I've almost finished calculated the normal space jump coordinates - we'll need a few minutes to gather enough energy for the jump." "I understand," Vindel replies, his brow furrowing slightly as he considers the last update of the situation they had received. "All DC units, assemble in the rosetta. We will be performing a normal space jump as soon as we have made the necessary calculations." The rosetta is a massive pattern set into the center of the hanger, large enough to accommodate a number of mobile suits, with various points labeled on the floor in formations that help to reduce the amount of stress and energy required to make a mass jump with a large number of units. For this sort of range and precision, every variable had to be accounted for. "Calculations are finished. I'm forwarding the data to your cockpit," Lemon states, pressing one key in as dramatic a fashion as possible. "Good luck, Vindel." She glances over, and adds, "And tell Axel I'm not accepting 'stuck on Mars' as an excuse if he's not back tonight." "We shall return, no matter what happens," Vindel states with a degree of conviction that only someone who has done this innumerable times can project. A moment later a major gravity quake is detected in Martian obit... and the Zweizergain flares into existence, numerous Lions and other mobile suits and robots appearing in formation around it. "Divine Crusaders - attack!"

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Blanc Rival is Healing Care in her A-LAWS issued pilot's normal suit.

'Her' being a nice way of saying 'no one can tell what the hell gender she is.'

In any case, she's watching Goodman in--shockingly enough--complete contemplative silence. Violet eyes follow him as he angrily bellows and barks about being offended and what-not, waving a piece of cheesecake around. More pointedly, Healing is observing the cake flung about.

"Come on," she quietly mutters to herself, half-reclining into a random tac-nav's chair. The tac-nav has been forced to stand on her feet as Healing Care lounges like a fat, lazy cat. "Just one slip-up and he'll choke to death. Wouldn't that be great??" Leaning back, she peers up at the poor Blanc Rival tac-nav, who awkwardly shifts.

After a minute of silence, the young Cyber-Newtype huffs and hops out of his/her chair and onto her proverbial feet. "Pft, you humans are just utterly boring. Why am I even here??"

The orders are ultimately given, drawing a shrill squeal of delight from Healing as she hops and claps her hands as obnoxiously and annoyingly as possible. "Yay! Finally! Something useful!"

NOW

The GNW-20003 Arche Gundam Drei rips from the Blanc Rival's launch catapult, burnt-orange GN-T drive particles lacing the endless darkness in its wake, carving an illuminated path as it descends upon its target. In the heart of the mobile unit, Healing just beams behind her visored helmet, violet eyes flickering a wide array of colors.

"Eeny Meenie minie moe, catch a Martian by its toe; if it hollers let it squeal some more; and don't you stop 'til you see some GORE! Come out, you dumb Martians! Captain Care of A-LAWS wants to /play/!"

Meriden Almace doesn't always recognize that Arthur Goodman may or may not be a no-good captain and tactician. She's just here to do what she's told.

Still, she reflects, it's kind of a change. Mars is not where she's from, but it's from a lot closer to home than Earth is. She feels kind of weird, attacking it with intent to pacify. The Martians just want to be left alone; why doesn't A-LAWS let them? It contrasts with the part of her that says Bad Things Must Be Stopped, and there are Bad Things going on on Mars that she has to Stop.

"Ensign Almace, launching!" Meriden says into her radio, before a mobile suit deploys from the Blanc Rival. It arcs on support thrusters bolted to its frame, which deactivate as she comes closer to the ground, dropping the unit the last couple hundred feet as the burned-out jets detach from the frame. Meriden absorbs the landing, testing the lighter gravity by bounding up once, then landing.

It's the Gundam. Not just a Gundam, /the/ Gundam. Just with a few more attachment points scattered all over it, and a few sub-thrusters that weren't there in the One Year War, all those years ago.

LAMIA LOVELESS is here as part of a complex series of transfers, at one point during which she will be handily lost track of before entering in a world of sports entertainment. This would probably work better if she wasn't entering under her own name, but perhaps it's just that she's here to keep an eye on Goodman.

Strangely enough, her inward assessment of the man is at least average, perhaps even shading upwards. No Qin Shi or Mauser, but he's at least not grotesquely incompetent, merely venal. Venality can be dealt with.

The Gespenst II-M launches from the Blanc Rival through the miracle of standardized animation sequences, the shock and rattle sending a bouncing hsock through Lamia's body before she enters a free-fall environment. The Gespenst has no particularly characteristic details beyond an extra rifle magnetically affixed to its back. Other people introduce themselves flashily; Lamia stays quiet.

Destroying the refinery will simply delay the matter, she reasons, and as Zweizergain beams in, the logistical wisdom of Goodman's desire becomes clearer. She nods slightly to herself; she knew no Federation admiral could be as incompetent as he seems. He is just very fat and gluttonous.

Lamia has the occasional moment of tragic optimism.

Last time Novas fought against the DC, her mech got totaled.

She hopes that she isn't going to be called to go all out like that again. Sure, maybe she CAN match Vindel Mmauser if she goes all out and nearly kills herself, but it's not something she really hopes for in every combat mission. She is actually here because she volunteered to go on this mission and she volunteered to go on this mission because Meriden Almace was going along this mission.

She wanted to fly with the tyke again and maybe mention her later plan to overthrow the nefarious and horrible dictator: Ted Morrison. But that will have to wait for later.

"I don't think Poipoi is gonna be too happy about this." She murmurs, "Launching--"

The Samsara swoops out, peering at the Merry Gundam.

On the Rosetta, the Migarder stands. Among the masses of units, the giant beetle-style mech flies down from orbit. Oi Shinda was on the field. He'd been taken out of combat by various factors the past almost-year, and it was time to make his comeback. The beetle mech opens it's back as the warp-in occurs, materializing ready for flight as it descends towards the surface of the martian moon. This may illicit reactions such as 'Why is there a Balmarian Drone among the DC units?!', and similar such responses.

The answer is complicated, and Oi Shinda doesn't feel the need to explain it to anyone! ... Well, okay, he did. At one point. "Kind of like home, only more... actual land." Oi murmurs to himself, touching a few buttons on the MIGARDER's control panel. "SCANNING." Pings a feminine voice from the giant beetle, the targetting computers beginning to scan for targets in the area. "Alright then. We've been out of commission for far too long, my Migarder!" Calls out Oi.

"Let's remind them of your beauty!"

At the request of his teacher, A-LAWS Commander Homer Katagiri, there is a /masked man/ among the complement of the Blanc Rival's pilots at the moment. Though he has little interest in Mars one way or the other, an assignment is an assignment, even for the One Man Army... But even as the Federal forces begin to deploy, his spindly, black and white machine is not among the first wave. It's not until the appearance of Shadow Mirror machines that he bothers to deploy, the GNX-Y901TW Susanowo actually stepping in front of another machine mid-deployment, taking its place on the Rival's catapult. "Inform the general that I shall be deploying," Bushido tells the bridge, as the faceplate of his custom A-LAWS pilot suit slides closed with a faint hiss of pressurisation. Moments later, the Flag-like shape of the Susanowo launches into the night, its two GN Tau drives producing a stream of burnt-orange, processed exotic particles to propel it, its hands cradling its two black, hybrid-state katana. Inside the cockpit, the masked ace's mouth pulls into a faint frown. "Now then," he says. "Shall we begin?"

Among the last of the DC units to teleport in behind the Zweizergain is a massive red and black machine, towering over the common Lions and Gespensts, head and shoulders over even the Zweizergain. The flames decorating the unit's armour seem to shift and intensify as the reactor powers up, weapons systems come online. The Soulgain may lead the charge of the Divine Crusade, but the Black Thirteen fills the space left in Axel Almer's wake.

Coop Cooplowski, once Emperor of Earth, once Protector of Australia, smiles to himself from within the cockpit, his thick arms folded over his chest, the steel of his breastplate chill against his flesh. It has been a very long time since he has had occasion to fight off planet, away from strategic targets or allied fortifications or silly little things like mountain ranges that get in his way, force him to check his fire, restrain himself. A few more kilometres and he'll barely even have to worry about being in a gravity well.

The thought brings a smile to the big man's face as he reaches for the controls. He is growing weary of holding back.

More movement from the Blanc Rival's launch deck, as the 1 Gundam is raised onto the catapult. The pilot within smirking to himself as his brings the unit to life. The Tau GN drive springing to life as it joins the gathering forces intended to assault Mars. "Beside Pain, Launching."

On Mars:

Ascian had been asleep on the Amenthes when a series of red lights suddenly go flashing inside of the main NUT facility in Vascillia County. The unit still locked in its braces, and people hard at work in preparing with additions to his unit, as they'd been requested to do, it looks like it is asleep. It hangs right next to the Ancalagon, and an equally lifeless looking Hathor. Things had been busy on Mars recently, and the young man with the blue hair was beyond tired. But then, so was his current partner, probably.

But, unlike his partner, inside of the Ancalagon, he does immediately wake up. Duat comes to life amidst a gentle glow of red in the cockpit and opens the black shielding, whilst tossing up a few vid-windows. Ascian rubs his eyes and looks at one of them that claims 'Warning! Enemy forces detected near: Phobus' in blinking letters. He slowly turns his head towards the dragon-styled Orbital Frame. "I better wake her up." He knew about Hera's abilities at 'sleeping'. They were legendary, in his eyes.

So, he gets out of his cockpit and slowly makes his way over to the machine and looks at the black energy-canopy and gently leans his hand on it. It opens almost immediately, revealing a barely awake Hera. "Figures..." He mumbles and looks about... then reaches for his side and takes a metal canister from his belt. "Right then. Little Princeeeeess?" He leans down a bit and looks at the girl's face smiling. "Wake up time!!" He screws the bottle open. He then appologizes to Ancalagon, "Sorry buddy. But she needs to be up."

"Come on, lazy butt, up and at it!" And he suddenly tosses the contents - water - right at her face. Not even waiting to see the results of what would sure to be swears and what else not being tossed at his head, he quickly runs for the Amenthes, which is coming out of her dormant state and is being readied up by Duat. And... was he laughing while running away? How childish. Tisk.

He hops into his own cockpit, and quickly secures himself with the cross belts that had recently installed into his unit. Less tossing around in the cockpit that way and all. He lays his hands on the two half-orb controls, and the canopy of his own unit closes. The machine then drops from the clamps and makes it to the center of the hangar, which is starting to open its rockface side hidden entrance. He leads the unit outside and waits at the entrance whilst starting up the high-velocity verniers of the orbital frame. Then, opening a comm-window with both video and audio, he smiles at the contents of the Ancalagon. "We're headed to Phobus. Last one there gets to take he other one out to a place of the winner's choosing!" And... blast off! But not at full velocity at first, so that the dragon styled Orbital Frame could catch up.

On Phobus:

Alarms go off all across the Metatron refining facility on Phobus. Many civilians are at work there, working on the dangerous and incredibly powerful material that gives the BAHRAM forces the only edge they have over the EFA forces that surpress their very civilization through murder, corruption and god knows what not. It isn't odd to see these people fight back so feverish, and to know how loyal they are to the cause of BAHRAM -- unaware of the true intentions of Nohman.

However, it are not these loyal people that first launch from the facility. No, it are the A.I. driven Orbital Frames, Raptors and Mummyheads, and a rare Cyclops or two rise up from the moon's surface and ready their weapons, trying to meet the forces before they can make it to the surface.

Noriko Takaya has been largely quiet for a while - overseeing the unexpectedly long process of upgrading Gunbuster's specs following its totalling at the hands of Ahava Kachol, she ended up sitting out of most of the final stages of the Balmarian invasion...in the end, Gunbuster ended up simply fighting off the swarms of the enemy somewhere far from the front, doing what she could to defend the NPCs and their unexpectedly volatile battleships.

Now she sits in the cockpit of her NRX-7, arms crossed under her chest as she watches the data scroll across her monitors, up-to-the-second situation data to prepare her for the battle. "Hm," she sighs, and reaches out to the control sticks. "Another battle like this? I guess it was too much to hope that we could see eye to eye after all that." Besides, Metatron...even Noriko knows how important it is to limit that stuff. Those BAHRAM guys were...pretty nasty.

She grabs the levers, and yells, "Roger! Noriko Takaya, NRX-7 Nausica, launching!"

It's been a long while since Adam Winters was in space. His first time bringing his new mecha into space. With these new upgrades he's had made to it, he should be able to handle whatever he goes up against. His mech launches from the bay, the YF-22 Raptor doing a quick barrel roll upon exiting and coming about in time to ready itself to rush into the battle. Zero-G combat is a beast all on it's own, and something he hasn't trained for. Let's hope he's prepared.

Alia glances aside at the RX-78-7 Gundam, knowing its significance immediately. Just a few years ago the mere sight of it would have filled her with glee and an urge to pilot it... an urge she no longer feels as she looks herself over, clad in all the trappings of her new life in La Gias. A smile reflects Alia's satisfaction with how far she has come in changing her ways for the better, but it doesn't linger; there is important business at hand. She begins to fly off to the side of the A-LAWS/EFA forces and then advances, hoping to use Zefholm's great speed to serve as a flanking element on the approach to the refinery. She'd like to just slip around and strike at the target itself, but that's not likely; a refinery this important, on the DC's home turf (one among many, anyway), is going to have adequate defenses on all sides. Nonetheless, she can try to avoid the thickest of the fighting in the hopes of finding a good opening to push through, lashing out at defending units with the occasional spray of energy beams or whirlwinds...

"Our forces are deploying. They should arrive on target within five minutes." Arthur Goodman gulps once. "Good. Then with this, we can--" And then Healing Care squeals so loudly that Arthur Goodman lets out a yelp of surprise and topples out of his captain's chair, cheese cake flying.

It is when Healing has departed for the docking bays that Arthur Goodman finally manages to drag himself up. "... Didn't I say /that thing/ wasn't /allowed/ on the bridge?!" "S-sorry sir, but she won't listen to orders, and the last time someone insisted she stabbed them in the thigh with a butterknife--"

Arthur Goodman looks sidelong at the tac-nav, rubbing his thigh to ward away the phantom pain. "... And then shoved another one of our officers into the trash recepticles the last time we tried on Sloppy Joe Saturda--" "Ghhh -- nevermind, nevermind! Where is that Bushido?!" "He's refusing to launch right now, he-- ah, he is telling us he is ready to launch--"

Arthur Goodman feels the distinct pressure of a blood vessel pressing up against his forehead as he falls back into his chair. "It seems I have to do everything myself...! Gunners, fire off an initial volley with the main guns! And lieutenant-- "-- go get me another slice of cheese cake."

And as all of this happens, the metal barrels of the Blanc Rival's front main guns extend; whiteish red energy accumulates and then releases int bolts of particle fire, shooting into the wave of approaching Divine Crusader forces.

Packard had been escorting a small group of his superiors form Delaz Fleet and Delaz Fleet R&D. The Admiral had started to see the writing on the wall with Neo Zeon. It was best to prepare for the worse, such as seeking to improve its ties with the Oldsmobile army. The possibly of overhauling the fleets aging mobile suits had been a major issue. With the collapse of the alliance with ZAFT, the updating their machines to GOUFs DOMS and ZAKUs had been cut short and they didn't have enough for the entire fleet. Other ways would have to be found.

Alarms went off as he was informed that Phobus that they were under attack. Packard barked several orders and prepared to scramble.

Right the hell now!

Rising from the Red planet is a lone old one years transport, once it's high enough it's hangers open and start to deploy mobile suits. Packards suit the first one to be craned out and the blue GOUF hits its thrusters to full and he sends a signal to BAHRAM.

"This is Packard of Delaz Fleet, deploying mobile suits to assist."

Then he opens a general com to the feds.

"COME FEDDIES COME TPO YOUR DEATHS! YOU WILL FALL HERE!"

Hera was indeed sleeping soundly. She even had a little blanket over her, how cute..

However as the alarms were going off, Anca gently powered up to speak to her, "Hera.." he said calmly, "Hera wake up. This is urgent."

"..five more minutes daddy.."

"...humans.." The AI grumbled softly.

That is when thankfully super Ascian showed up, at which Anca let him do whatever he needed to do too get Hera up. This resulted with a wet cockpit seat and a flailing Hera, "GAAAH!!" she roared out, before flipping back her wet hair with one hazel almond eye open.

She quickly sat out of her cockpit rolling up her now semi-wet blanket as she tried to see who, before her eyes caught the sign. "..oh no.."

"Hera," Anca spoke up. "We do not have time for childish games."

"I can see that!" Hera says with wide eyes before she sits back down and takes command of the draconic Orbital Frame, which closes the cockpit window once more.

As Ancalagon warmed up, Hera then glared at Ascian with meanest look she could give with puffed cheeks (this probably killed the fearful factor) and listened to what he had to say. She then pointed at the screen accusingly, "You be the one buying!"

It wasn't to long before the Draconic Orbital Frame at full thruster power coming out of all locked six pylons was flying right for the Phoenix Orbital Frame.

Meriden Almace brings the shield out from its magnetic clamps on her back. She needs that to not die. "Man," she says to herself, "this thing flies pretty well given it's ancient! It's almost as old as I am." She would have been about four when it got its project canceled the first time. Maybe three.

It actually doesn't fly. Meriden takes bounding leaps across the low-gravity terrain, hopping from rock to rock and using it - and the shield - as cover from stray fire. The other hand, the one not holding the shield, reaches for a different set of clamps.

Though the RX-78-7 is mistakable for the actual Gundam, its rifle is quite distinctly different. It even has a side-mounted scope that Meriden gets readings from, eyes flicking up to the top left corner of her cockpit screens as she takes aim. Mind, the unit she's aiming at is pretty big, she probably doesn't need the scope... "I'm engaging!" she sends on her radio, having picked her target.

Bracing against a low tor, Meriden fires the rifle like it was a sniper weapon. The bolt is so tightly focused it's more white than pink, and the barrel's end glows faintly afterwards, the thin air of Mars not immediately cooling it off. All she has to do is keep picking them off and she'll do fine, right? Riiight?

 Ascian Luddite transmits, "I'm telling you! You are paying this one!"

 Hera transmits, "Am not!"

 Ascian Luddite transmits, "Am too!"

 Hera transmits, "Am not!"

 Suriel Misaki transmits, "Ladies."

 Suriel Misaki transmits, "I am an impartial judge."

 Suriel Misaki transmits, "Are not."

 Hera huffs!

 Hera transmits, "You owe me a new blanket then."

 Ascian Luddite transmits, "Deal."

 Hera transmits, "If-- IF you beat us~"

 Ascian Luddite transmits, "If you beat me, I get to learn what food you /really/ like stuffing into your belly."

 Hera transmits, "Hehe."

Once more, the Earth federation has come to Mars, and once more Erika has found herself rushing to it's defense as she always had. Though born in the colonies of Side 3 and thus a child of Zeon, it was the martian landscape she grew up knowing. Martian air she breathed. Martian skies she looked up into with youthful, wide-eyed innocence. She won't let anything happen to her world. As she climbs into the cockpit of her machine, Erika pauses for a moment to look out upon the battlefield, watching the forces of the A-Laws array themselves against the combined militaries of BAHRAM and the Shadow Mirrors... but with the exception of her mentor Norris and what few men he brought with them, no support from Zeon. Her grip tightens as she powers up her mobile suit and steps up onto the launch deck, "Tch... not that we /need/ Karn anyway. She and all her rabid fanatics can all just go burn up in the atmosphere for all I care..." It's... disquietting when the land of your birth abandons you. As the catapult releases, the ReFined Gouf hurtles out of the hanger and into space, coasting on sheer momentum for a short while before taking over with her verniers, "this is Morning Glory, on scene and combat ready."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Oh, just as a heads up... I like expensive dinners..."

"Let's do it," Axel says -- answering a question that Mister Bushido hadn't asked him. The Soulgain lifts its hand. It curls, fingers coming half closed, and the palm shines with a strange blue light. Bioelectricity shudders over it, as the robot's hand mimics the motion that Axel made inside of the cockpit. "I heard a lot about you, Mister Bushido. Never got to see you on the other side, either--so let's see what the hell you can do!"

The lightning coalesces along the palm -- and then it explodes off, a fast bolt of blue light ripping through the void. It curves slightly, twisting around a Lion flying ahead of the machine, and then comes whipping around for the side of the Susanowo.

"SEIRYURIN!"

Rio agrees to help attack BAHRAM -- Maybe if they can destroy it, it will stop feeding recruits to the divine crusaders... ANd with fold technology, it's not like she even has to stay on Mars for long! But interplanetary mistakes can happen...

Rio, suited up, runs out into the Blanc Rival's hangar and looks around. A certain dark blue suit with a gundam head is nowhere in sight. She finds someone standing at a computer. "Excuse me, where's the Huckebein Mark II?" The man looks up at her, then at his computer. "....Nooope, no such unit on our manifest, miss." "What? There has to be a mistake!" "It's definately not here, miss..." "...Maybe there was some problem? Okay, what about the Gespenst T-Link type?" ".....Nnnooope, don't see that on here either miss." "What?! Well what _do_ you have?!"

A giant metal foot steps into the launch area. The camera pans up to reveal... A leo. A shield leo, to be precise. At least it has a big gun. Inside the cockpit, Rio is... as determined as ever, actually. She'll show them that she can kick ass in any mech! "Rio Mei Long, Shield Leo, taking off!" The Leo is flung out into space. Seeing an enemy ReFined Gouf, it readies its machine gun and lets loose a hail of bullets!

So, they A-LAWS had sent quite a major force to try and make this push - still, they did not have victory in hand just yet, and Vindel was not about to simply sit back and allow them to have their way in this battle. "The mothership is our main target - if we can take it out, the rest will wither before us like vines cut free from the root." The Zweizergain is still riding the cusp of the teleporter beam, and Vindel uses this to skip ahead of the rest of the force - and his machine disappears entirely, appearing instead above the A-LAWS ship. "There is no room for hesitation on the battlefield!" the Colonel declares, pulling back one hand and taking a fighting pose. "DYNAMITE!" "ZWEIZERGAIN!" And if Goodman happens to look up in the next few moments, he'll see the blue and black shape of Vindel's machine descending from up above, shrouded in a halo of brilliant energy. Aiming right for the bow of the ship, as Vindel tries to cave the armor in and hopefully crush the main cannon before it has a chance to do any damage to his forces. "KIIIIIIIICCCK!"

Lamia bears down. The target is approaching steadily and there seems to be little incoming storm aimed directly at her. The Gespenst II-M swerves, even as she glances over her shoulder towards the back sectors of the Gespenst's cockpit view. It is nameless, but Mister Bushido's launch --

The feeling passes, unnamed, though it comes back when she hears Axel Almer speaking of attacking Graham. She exhales deliberately. She should find something else to do on her way towards the refin-

'COME FEDDIES TO YOUR DEATH'

Lamia's head swivels.

The Gespenst's thrusters kick in, rapidly exceeding the usual safe rates of acceleration. Lamia, being a soulless robot, gives no shit, and the additional acceleration adds to the impetus when one hand draws back as she approaches the lead Gouf, aiming to engage in what is best described as a flying throat-aimed---

The RX-78-7's energy beam lances across the void and bites into the Black Thirteen's lower right chest area, striking with sufficient force that it actually rips through the massive robot's plating and into the interior systems, a fact which draws a raised eyebrow from Coop as he sees damage readouts slide from green to yellow in the affected section. This is unusual in the extreme.

"Well now," he rumbles, the massive robot altering its course and speeding toward the leapfrogging Gundam. "Looks like someone's got a little bit of punch to 'em." Coop forgoes wandering through his rather ludicrous selection of weaponry for the moment and draws his left hand back, the Black Thirteen mirroring the motion. The machine accelerates as it thrusts the hand forward, its massive left fist firing out from the forearm toward the Gundam. The right follows suit shortly thereafter, coming in on a slightly different trajectory.

"Not quite enough," the big man comments as he whirls, the Black Thirteen spinning along its vertical axis, the right leg sweeping across in a long, looping kick aimed not at the Gundam but rather the rocks it's jumping on. "Re-entry's a real bitch, ain't it."

There's a red Codarl-i standing upside down on a floating asteroid, which before long means it's then standing upright, and then upside down again as the space rock continues to revolve. "Ahhhh~! I'm getting sea sick from all of this spinning, why haven't we gone and figured out a flight pack for this thing yet, in space?!" Gates demands to know, hands slapping the sides of his face and helmet as he attempts to regain his composure.

A moment later, a coolant fin rises on the back of the Codarl, the unit known as Venom. Forcing science-magic to work for him instead of against him, the asteroid settles down long enough for Gates to line up a shot on the Arche Gundam as it goes flying by.

"Hello in thee, are you a neko-chan~? I hope you are, but with such a big, strong looking mobile suit, I don't think you're cute at all! Where is the kawaiiiii in the design, where is the grace? So kowaiiii~" Gates whines across a tight-beam, his brilliant plan of psychological warfare commencing against this 'Captain Care' with her horrible rhymes. The physiological war starts with a spray from the massive cannon held under the left arm of the Codarl-i.

"Oh cool Meri, you just picked a fight with Evil Coop," Novas says, "You really don't half do anything, do you? I'm so proud! I'm going to draw that beetle looking guy, finish it off, and then come help you out--"

She works best at 'midrange' so she starts small, drawing her sidearm and plugging several white bolts of beam energy for the beetle. "Sorry about shooting you down in advance! If you want to retreat like a yellow bellied coward, nobody will fault you against it... cause you're fighting Novas Stellas! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!"

"You ready Samsara?" Novas murmurs, "Maybe this one will surprise us..."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Axel Almer transmits, "Hey, Gates. How's the TV watching?"

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Gates transmits, "I'm stuck on some channel with someone seeing how much food they can cram into their mouth! This isn't the channel for me at all. Let me try somethin--" Codarl gets shot. Kitten meows quietly filter through. "Ahh~ that did it!"

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Axel Almer transmits, "Can't beat live entertainment."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Gates transmits, "But sometimes it just gets too real, and in your face! Just an hour ago, I watched a man receive a bullet to the brain. It was..." Sniffle, sniffle, meow. "--so very sad!"

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Breakneck Kowloon transmits, "..."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Ascian Luddite transmits, "There there, Gates."

Pushing bitter thoughts about Neo Zeon out of her head to focus on the task at hand, Erika pushes her Next-Gen Gouf forward towards the battle and grips her controls tightly... but that faint, betrayed feeling that has rooted itself in her mind everytime she thinks about Haman Karn doesn't fade quite so easily, and her aggrivation leaks out, forming the presence of anger and frustration around her that other Newtypes would feel. Then Rio takes a shot at her, and like a dog that's been riled up, she just /snaps/ at her. The RF Gouf whips around out of the path of the bullets, using it's superior mobility to it's full advantage as Erika fires back with her finger machine guns, "God damn FEDS! Why can't you just leave my planet /IN PEACE/?!" The ReFined machine hurtles itself forth towards Rio, moving with surprising speed and fearocity as erika thrusts out her arm and extends the heat rod hidden within. With a savage swing and a flick of her wrist, she sends the beam-tipped cabling lashing out towards the Leo, "All you ever do is use Mars as a dumping ground for all your unwanted! You ship sociopaths and lunatics to our world! you shove problem soldiers down our throats! All you Earthnoids do is give us the problems you don't want to DEAL WITH!"

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Evil Coop transmits, "An' I used to think Jersey Shore was bad."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Was that before or after you utter subjugated it?"

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Axel Almer transmits, "It was a show, Colonel. Lemon... made me watch it. It was..."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Axel Almer groans.

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Evil Coop transmits, "It was very groan."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Vindel Mauser chuckles.

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Lemon also mentioned that she expects you back in the Earth Cradle tonight, Axel."

Unfortunately, that is not a thing Meriden can repeat immediately. The heavy rifle needs a chance to recharge before it can let off another focused high-power shot, which is why Meriden has gone on the evasive; she jumps up and back.

Not fast enough, though. The flying fist slams into the Seventh Gundam's stomach, sending it flying - and when Meriden descends down toward a rock, Coop is already there, sweeping across with Black Thirteen's feet.

Seventh Gundam lands on its back with a crunch. Low gravity can save it from severe damage from the landing; it cannot save it from the disorientation of the flip and the impact of a proportionately giant fist against its stomach. Meriden manages to scramble upright, getting a message from Novas -

"He's actually called /Evil/ Coop?" Meriden sounds somewhere between impressed and aghast. Flipping some switches, she transmits to him instead. "Evildoer! I'm going to stop you! And then I'll stop the other terrorists here, too!"

Meriden trades her beam rifle for a short-barreled weapon that looks like a heavy revolver with an absurd caliber of round. When she starts to fire, the reason becomes clear: it's actually a grenade launcher, shooting smallish spheres at high velocity right toward Black Thirteen's head in an attempt to get it to back off. "I'm Meriden Almace, and I'm not going to give up!!"

She's kind of idealistic sometimes.

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Axel Almer transmits, "Yeah, yeah..."

"What the--what the fuck are you even saying?" is Healing's initial response to the Codarl-i. Furrowing her brows within the cockpit of the Arche Gundam Drei, the totally and for real Cyber-Newtype just looks vaguely annoyed by Gates' strange remarks. "This thing isn't ...whatever the hell you were saying. This thing is a /machine/. A machine I will use to /kill you/ and all /Martians/. DO - YOU - UNDER - STAND??" she wonders to him, in loud, pointedly punctuated English.

From its asteroid perch the Codarl-i fires its shot. Warning sensors yell at Healing, to which its possibly-not-any-gender-at-all pilot responds by flipping the Arche Drei around and ripping a pistol out to fire back. The Arche Drei is struck hard; so hard, in fact, a segment of its arm goes flying off into space. Healing just gnaws her test-tube baby teeth angrily.

"You son of a bitch THIS IS A NEW TOY!" she shrieks, as the Arche barrels right for the Codarl-i, producing a second pistol with which to relentlessly fire beam shot after beam shot at the red machine's ugly face. "I'll make you pay by taking your life! And /that/ is a stretch of compensation if you ask me!"

Well, it seems the Migarder has found it's target. Or rather, it's target found the Migarder. The white bolts of Novas' mobile suit impact with the translucent shield of the Migarder, piercing it to deal some damage to the armored hull of the beetle. Oi points dramatically towards Novas, despite the fact that he knows that she cannot see him. "I will not be running like a coward! If anyone is to be running, it should be you! Fire!" He slams his fist down on a button on the Migarder's control panel. The Migarder's shell opens, several missiles flying out of the tubes on it's back! It flies in towards Novas' unit, each explosion turning into a rather beautiful display of flower-shaped explosions. Almost more like fireworks than missiles!

"I apologize as well, for today, it is you who will be falling!" He grins, pressing several keys on the Migarder's control panel, the beetle-mech flying surprisingly agilely for it's size, darting in to attempt to circle Novas' suit, the chitinous wings of the Migarder glowing as several lasers are fired out towards the Samsara! "See it! Do you not find the Migarder's elegant attacks beautiful?!" Is he quite sane? Probably no. Does it matter? Probably not.

Phobus Orbit

As the A-LAWS come in for their assault, the Raptors quickly spread out, cleanly dodging the incoming fire. It's like fighting Mobile Dolls. These suckers are fast. The mummyheads however, are not as lucky. While in reality, they are simply mummyheads with heavy armaments, they are slower. But, they have one thing going for them! Shields! Rounds deflect right off of them, as if nothing ever happened, and they continue forth. And finally, as they get into range, they fire at nearby units as they pass by, and the cyclops launch for the further away ship, Blanc Rival. A few of the Raptors go for the Elemental Machine, the Zefholm, trying to melee the machine into submission. A foolish notion perhaps. But they are A.I. driven machines... like they could possibly know better.

Mars Orbit

Amenthes is burning in hot, verniers at full power, Metatron pushed out from every possible fold in the funnel-style wings, leaving a gigantic stream of red Metatron energy and making it look like a gigantic bird of fire is launching up straight into the air. The unit leaving Ancalagon hanging just behind it. They both are fast units, and capable of breaking orbit with fair ease, but in the end... as Hera had discovered during their spars, the phoenix was faster than the dragon.

Phobus Orbit

And finally, with that massive speed, the BAHRAM pilots reach the orbit and find their targets. "That's a lot more than I expected." Ascian mutters, looking at the large quantity of units being noticed on his monitor. "ETR reactions are of high quality. Please precede with caution." Duat warns Ascian as markers start getting placed. "But we've got reinforcements." The young man grins. "And besides... we've arrived now."

When properly in range, the wings suddenly break apart, and his thrust is instead produced at a lesser quantity by the wings at the unit's legs. The twelve bit-like units quickly seperate from their previous positions and shift into a rotating orbit around the Amenthes and start warming up their weapons.

"Which unit are we going after, sir?" Duat requests of the framerunner. Ascian is looking at the many vid-windows which have popped up, giving him a fantastic look of the situation. He stops his gaze for a moment on Alia's unit, and then shakes his head. He doesn't want to fight her. His attention then finds a different unit which had just launched. "That one!" And from the homing beam array - integrated in those wingbits, he fires! Red lasers immediately dart through space, ignoring anything and everything else, and try to stab into Beside Pain's unit.

Moving at frankly absurd speeds, propelled by the might of its serial-mounted false solar furnaces, the Susanowo's course seems to be bringing it unerringly towards the Soulgain, as if fate itself were drawing the black and white mobile suit in like an orange-tailed comet. The masked ace of the A-LAWS taskforce isn't /specifically/ heading towards Axel Almer's machine, but there's a certain inevitability in the way the samurai-styled machine rockets forward, perhaps unaware of the attention directed its way by Lamia Loveless' Gespenst II-M. "Hn?" wonders the One Man Army as he realises he's being addressed directly by Axel, as he notices the Soulgain's crackling energy - moments before the Seiryurin shoots towards him in a hooking arc, careening towards the side of the Susanowo, where the masked man sits at the decidedly conventional controls of the reclining, Flag-style cockpit. Why, it doesn't even have a linear seat! "Too slow." The throttle is tossed open, and a sudden burst of energy from both drives, channeled through the suit's GN Thrusters, hurls the Susanowo forward, one great black blade scything through that leading Lion Axel previously shot around, the whole machine thrown into the strike so that it whirls end over end, bringing one foot down towards the Soulgain's head. But... Bushido's frown has vanished, a more manic look pulling the corners of his mouth up, a hint of mad light in his green eyes. Well, if he has to be stuck out here, at the very least he has a worthwhile opponent to face. Even if it /isn't/ a Gundam. "COME, AXEL ALMER!!" Bushido shouts, a note of barely restrained glee in his voice. "ALLOW ME TO USHER YOU TO YOUR /NEXT/ WORLD -- THE AFTERLIFE!!" Susanowo's gauntleted right hand swings back up then, the black blade 'Unryu' slashing at the larger Soulgain in a deadly arc.

That voice! "You?!" replies Rio, and as the heat rod wraps around her machine, she brings the Leo closer, trying to bash with the shield and then following up with saber strikes. "I..." she's not sure what to say to that list of grievances. Eventually her mind latches on to, "Is BAHRAM really any better? I don't see the Crusaders all coming here to 'free' Mars, either!"

"Hmph. Mister Bushido... is he trying to sabotage me?" Arthur Goodman wonders dismally, curling a lock of blonde hair around one thick finger. "Maybe Scirocco sent him? ... Tch, it doesn't matter. Whatever happens, I will drag myself out of this hellhole, because justice is on my side!" "Sir?" Goodman turns around, and his dour expression lights up ever-so-slightly at the sight of his fresh dessert. "Ah, good work, lieutenant! Perhaps I shall indulge myself a little on the sidelines while our forces finish mopping up the filth." He takes that slices, stabbing his fork into it. "Hm hm hm. It is a little gauche to have a celebration snack so soon, but I suppose that just goes to show my overwhelming faith in my ability to--" And then the Zweizergain appears directly above the Blanc Rival. "--succeed--"

CRUNCH

"--?!" The hit lands with such resounding force that the entirety of the Pegasus-class ship rattles with a metallic shriek of compressing metal as Goodman is knocked to the side of his chair. One of the double-barreled main-guns caves in, electricity crackling and surging out of control until the cannon barrels explode into hellacious fireballs. His eyes widening, the Brigadier-General's grip momentarily slips on his dessert -- only to catch it at the last minute. He heaves a sigh of relief, and looks up.

"What the hell was that?!" "Sir, we have a direct hit on the ship's bow! One of the main cannons has been destroyed! It-- it's the Zweizergain!" "The-- the what?! Mauser!?" Goodman asks, with wide eyes. "Fire! Get us away from that thing! I don't want to deal with that -- that -- teleporting asexually reproducing monster machine!" "I don't think that's how it wor--" "S-stop arguing with me and fire already!" And so, another of the main guns pivots, barrels compressing with the fire of massive bolts of energy that seek to drive the Zweizergain away.

"I'm not welcome in the afterlife," Axel growls back, the smirk on his face spreading wide into a grin. He stops looking terribly bored with this whole thing, realizing now that he is about to get a real work out. The kick slams into the head of the Soulgain, denting the side -- and the blade comes flashing down for the Soulgain's shoulder. It splits the armor open, cutting into the metal.

Sparks explode out of the top of it, lightning shuddering over the machine. "I haven't sent enough PEOPLE THERE YET!"

Axel thrusts his right fist out, and the Soulgain does the same, gears and skeleton shoving the fist forward at the midsection of the Mobile Suit. The left hand follows up a moment later in a left hook, which comes at the upper torso and head of the Susanowo. Axel's eyes light up, red-lit letters flashing a warning: Voice Activation Required.

"BYAKKO KOU!"

The two fists explode off the wrists, tornadoes of lightning crackling off them, as they cross right onto the Susanowo and slam into the machine -- and try to tear past it a moment later.

As they broke off and Hera irked with Anca, swearing up and down he had planned this. She and her Orbital Frame went right for the Gundam unit that Ascian had marked that he fired upon. "Think we can do this, Anca?" Hera said with a sly grin on her lips.

"Unsure. I will need more time to analyze. However, at the moment we stand at a fifty to fifty ratio."

"I can live with that--" Hera raises a brow, "... why do you need time..?" "Not enough data." "Oh right." "Hera." "Yes?" "Pay attention to where we are going."

"Ack!" Hera yelps out as she nearly meets one of those AI units. The massive Frame quickly barrel rolls out of the way before its pylons at last extend out from its body, the plasma webbing catches between all the pylons becoming its now 'wings' and giving it more of a draconic shape.

The Tail flickers gently as It, thus Hera, looks up at her target, "... oops."

"... Hera..."

"Sorry!"

This battle is nuts, that much Adam is certain of. There's mechs and suits and god knows what else flying around in every which direction, lasers and missiles flying around, and for a few moments as he floats there in the zero gravity, Adam Winters can't help but be amazed at how beautiful it looks. Until a laser nearly clips him and snaps him back to this moment in time. He quickly zips up and away from that battle and spots Rio in definately the wrong mech. He's not sure why she brought the Shield Leo, since he personally does not care for that unit. Either way, she might need help. He knows how unreliable those can be. Flying up above Rio and Erika's battle, he brings his mech's rifle to bear, aiming in on the RF Gouf and letting loose with a quick burst of rifle fire.

Talking on the radio with his assorted cohorts results in a few horrible revelations about just what Mister Kalium is doing inside of the Codarl-i while firing at the Arche Drei. "Could you shout a little louder in my ear, you insensitive little prick, I'm nearly there," Gates replies, as a peppering of handgun fire glances off the front of the thick red armor. It leaves a heavy gouge, a gray chassis beneath beginning to be revealed.

"And who said I was a Martian? That's racist! Don't call me that! "Ahhh~ why are you so mean?!"

The communication abruptly snaps off, as the Codarl-i itself disappears from view. The handgun fire rips through the tiny asteroid, reducing it to smaller asteroids that in turn spin off to later be shot by a small triangle ship struggling for survival against all odds and an endless sea of asteroids, with 'HI SCORE' at the top-- "You'd subject some poor triangle-ship to an endless battle?? You truly are a monster, little boy! I'll do what I just told my dearest friend, and my main squeeze Fable Ardross-- I'll CORNHOLE YOU!"

How Gates' brain just went from thinking about a video game to reality is another thing entirely. Reappearing on another nearby asteroid to a ripple of bending light, the Codarl-i takes a moment to bend at the knee -- and then it propels itself forward like a lunging predator, wielding its massive blade. Ponytail whipping back and forth, the Venom seeks to inject its potent fang across the torso of the Arche in a series of horizontal slashes, momentum fueled by the equally potent Lambda Driver. "To coin a phrase; I'M COMING!"

Somewhere, Viola A.I. shudders as if violated.

The 1 Gundam is forming up along side other A-LAWS units when suddenlly the void around the Gundam lights up even redder than the burning orange emitted by the Tau Drive. Beside laughs, "You think you can challenge me? FANGS!" the 1 Gundam lifts it's shield arm unleashing it's GN fangs.

Evil Coop is not actually named Evil Coop. Like his counterpart in this world, Evil Coop's real name is Harold Cooplowski and, also like his counterpart in this world, doesn't go by that name at all. But as he is coexistent with an alternate universe himself, Evil Coop is called Evil Coop for the sake of narrative convenience. One could just as easily call him Skinny Coop, Armored Coop, Emperor Coop, The Coop Who Can See His Own Feet or The Coop Who Unloaded A Tactical Nuclear Missile On Snooki And The Situation Thus Making An Alternate Universe A Better Place. All are technically accurate.

For example.

Skinny Coop's lip curls up in a grin as Meriden's challenge rings out, and he actually laughs a little as he brings the Black Thirteen around to face her. "'Evildoer?' Really?" Armored Coop asks. "Do you honestly talk like that? What are you, twelve?" The giant robot's left hand comes back down and connects with the forearm, the right being forced to take a more circuitous route as it avoids stray laser rounds.

"Well then, Meriden Almace who isn't going to give up," Emperor Coop says in response, "I'm Major Coop Cooplowski." The left hand reaches forward and spreads outward around the grenade rounds before closing inward. The fist - armoured and strenghtened to withstand the stresses of melee combat - belches smoke from between the fingers as the rounds go off, and The Coop Who Can See His Own Feet smiles as he shakes the fragments out of his hand. "And you," says The Coop Who Unloaded A Tactical Nuclear Missile On Snooki And The Situation Thus Making An Alternate Universe A Better Place as the Black Thirteen's right forearm comes forward, red energy shining from deep within the frame, "Aren't even going to get the /chance/ to tap out."

The arm bucks once, and a beam a dozen feet wide lances outward.

Alia seems barely bothered by the drones, competent at both close-range combat with Zefholm's halberd and its long-range weaponry; wherever they wish to meet her, she's glad to engage. They're not doing much damage, but they are slowing her down enough for Ascian to arrive before she can get too close to the refinery, and she comes under fire from several beams. Too surprised to fully dodge them, Alia instead crosses Zefholm's arms to weather the worst of it and retaliates with a sparkling blue bolt of magical - and explosive - energy at her attacker. "...You," Alia speaks in cold anger. She has never seen the Amenthes before, but it matches the information she has... it has to be Ascian's machine. She's going to have to defeat the defenders here before she can strike at the refinery anyway... that one of the three men she has been investigating is right here honestly just makes the matter a lot more convenient. Ascending to meet Amenthes in a head-long charge, Alia spreads Zefholm's wings. The gems on their tips glow, then release a series of thin green beams at the Amenthes. They're not targeting any specific area, Alia is more than glad to hit /any/ part of the machine!

"USELESS!" Vindel shouts as one of the massive gun barrels swings around in his direction. As the heavy cannon beings to draw a bead on his location, the blue and black machine leaps up and over the beam, a single gesture ushering the Dark Blade from whatever hidden pocket dimension that Vindel keeps the weapon stashed in. The beam fades away just in time to see the flashing blade cutting right towards the barrel, aiming to slice the cannon right off at the base from the ship. "Such weak will is unable to stop my dream! No matter how long you struggle, I will crush all who try and oppose the world that the Divine Crusaders will create!" Let the others fight among themselves - Vindel knew what would create a stronger world. Conflict. Violence. The infinite struggle of one man against another. "And those who hide behind their subordinates are destined to be crushed before those who will stand forward and fight!" Yeah, Vindel doesn't think that much of this Brigadier General. GO EAT YOUR CHEESECAKE ON SOMEONE ELSE'S BATTLEFIELD. "Boost Knuckle!" The Zweizergain drops both arms down as Vindel calls out his attack, the two fists and forearms spinning about for a moment as the rocket fists rev up to full speed. "Double shot!" A single spinning turn, and Vindel launches first one fist, and then the other, right towards the area below the bridge of the Blanc Rival. Each one attempting to punch straight through the ship if it can get a good enough attack run.

"I don't care what you are--dead people are all the same!" Healing Care barks back as the handguns unload at the Codarl-i. It vanishes, prompting the girl(?) to lift her green brows and squawk in confusion--and only squeeze the trigger that much more. Fire after beam fire roars from the pistols, gnawing through asteroid and space debris, just /hoping/ to pin the Codarl-I down--and take it out.

"Quit hiding from me you fucking Martian! I will--what the hell are you talking about!"

Before Healing can really get any direct answer, the Codarl reappears and attempts to pounce the Arche Drei and possibly Violate the A-LAWS mobile suit. However, quick thinking and a distinct desire /not/ to be violated by the red mobile unit prompts her to kick up the verniers and send the Drei backpedaling through space.

"Woops, someone's just shootin' blanks, I guess!" Healing cries, followed by hoist of one GN powered pistol and a shot fired. Right for the Codarl's perceived groin-area. Who cares about strategy??

The Nausica rockets out of the launch bay, just in time to receive reports that the ship is under attack by the deadly Zweizergain!

...eh, Goodman can handle it.

She rockets inward, checking systems for the umpteen zillionth time. "Pile bunker," she mutters, "Beam cannon, shock lancer--" She whirls the lance between the machine's fingers, nimbly as she pleases. Close in on the enemy base and blow it off the moon with the Buster Charge, should be easy enough--

Norris. Screaming, because that's how Norris Packard rolls. She sighs, and mutters, "Power to pile bunker..." as she gets a lock with the auto-turret. The automated ballistic weapon starts peppering the universe around the blue GOUF while Noriko boosts in his direction - she'll have to get past him to get to the base and start levelling the place. She blinks, as a Gespenst approaches faster than she's used to - but the automated system shhhooould be programmed to account for that. Should. Who knows, that whole thing was Jung's project, anyway.

'Neo' RX-7, really, she thinks, as photon thrusters flare her onward!

Meriden Almace wouldn't know what Evil Coop calls himself. She gets /her/ information from Novas, and Novas is famously kind of good at exaggerating.

"I'm fif - sixteen!" Meriden snaps, in response; it takes her a moment to remember that she lied about her age to join the army. She doesn't look sixteen. "And I don't see why it matters to you, anyway."

Still, watching him just /catch/ a grenade was kind of chilling. Meriden is fairly certain that the slightly antiquated Gundam cannot do something like that without blowing its hands off. She suddenly brings the shield up when he swings, hunkering down behind it.

The beam is bigger than she expected. It drives Meriden back several yards, and some of it goes around the shield, scorching at the frame of Seventh Gundam. She sticks her head up into it, firing a stream of bullets from the obligatory head vulcans while considering her actual options here. Raising the grenade launcher again, Meriden fires every round currently remaining in it, the cylinder flipping open afterwards and waiting for a speedloader she doesn't use. Instead she drops the grenade launcher. "I'm pretty sure me and my Gundam can stand up to you!"

Provided he doesn't just shoot through the shield, anyway. It is looking a little blasted around the edges.

The draconic Orbital frames quickly heads back into combat. Hera's eyes go wide as she takes notice of the damage that Ascian's orbital frame is taking, "Ascian!" she yells out. Ancalagon races ahead quickly, however the blast impacts the Amenthes before the other orbital frame could cover it.

Then with the claws out stretched, and Hera snarling with anger. The Orbita Frame goes to reach in to try and grab the Gundam's face that Alia is piloting and claw it up, or shove it back, maybe even impale it with the said claws.

"You wont take Phobos!" Hera's voice yells out, "And I wont let you win or hurt Amenthes any further!"

"Better to having a bunch of drunk, angry, disgraced Federation soldiers swaggering across our world abusing our people? /YES!/" Erika screams back, using Rio as an excuse to just... vent all that pent up aggression and frustration she's let build up for months. The heat rod reels back and snaps into place as Erika reaches for her beam sword, using her foot in the meantime to stop the shield blow before deflcting the saber strike with her own. the mobile suits clash as erika surges past, leaving a red welt in the Leo as one of her shoulder horns spins off into space. "But what does it /matter/ if some drunken soldier comes stumbling out of a bar and decides to force his attention on the first martian /wench/ he sees? After all, we're /barely even human/ as far as your Earth federation is concerned!" Erika whips around, bringing her beam sword to bare, only to get interupted as Adam rains bullets from the sky, "Shit!" She kicks in the verniers and bolts away as head vulcans answer Adam's rifle shots, "Get out of my sight!!" The beam sword flickers and dies as Erika holsters it once more, then grabs for her rifle. Even as she pulls it out though, her five barrel machine gun is already firing, spraying shells that are quickly joined by pink beams of compressed minovsky particles.

There's a slight twist in the Susanowo's movements as the Soulgain's fist pistons outward, but even Bushido isn't fast enough to avoid the strike at such close range. Similarly, the left hook slams into the side of Susnaowo's armored head, knocking the spindly black and white mobile suit around as the more massive machine's fists strike it... And then the two fists both launch off at the apparently staggered Susanowo, but - the GN-powered custom machine suddenly lunges forward /into/ the rocket fists, the impacts rocking the masked man around in the cockpit even as the suit's right hand thrusts forward, the shorter black blade 'Shiranui' snaking out to stab at the Soulgain. "Indeed," Bushido concurs. "At this rate, I can see why you have not been allowed in." Ohhh, snap. Twisting around, Susanowo's hands come together, bringing the two hilts of its katana together until they mate together in a crackle of energy, 'Unryu' and 'Shiranui' merging to form the double-bladed lance 'Souten', Susanowo's gauntleted left hand feeding the blades additional energy. Despite his apparent mania, Bushido handles the controls with a gentle certainty, allowing his mobile suit to function as an extension of his will; it dives in towards the Soulgain again, Souten whirling to strike with both blades in quick succession, the Susanowo not staying in any one place for too long. "GRAAAAAH!!"

There's a slight twist in the Susanowo's movements as the Soulgain's fist pistons outward, but even Bushido isn't fast enough to avoid the strike at such close range. Similarly, the left hook slams into the side of Susnaowo's armored head, knocking the spindly black and white mobile suit around as the more massive machine's fists strike it... And then the two fists both launch off at the apparently staggered Susanowo, but - the GN-powered custom machine suddenly lunges forward /into/ the rocket fists, the impacts rocking the masked man around in the cockpit even as the suit's right hand thrusts forward, the shorter black blade 'Shiranui' snaking out to stab at the Soulgain. "Indeed," Bushido concurs. "At this rate, I can see why you have not been allowed in." Ohhh, snap. Twisting around, Susanowo's hands come together, bringing the two hilts of its katana together until they mate together in a crackle of energy, 'Unryu' and 'Shiranui' merging to form the double-bladed lance 'Souten', Susanowo's gauntleted left hand feeding the blades additional energy. Despite his apparent mania, Bushido handles the controls with a gentle certainty, allowing his mobile suit to function as an extension of his will; it dives in towards the Soulgain again, Souten whirling to strike with both blades in quick succession, the Susanowo not staying in any one place for too long. "GRAAAAAH!!"

Just when Gates thought it was safe to get back in the water. "NANI?!" he demands, showing just how fluent he is in other languages as the long blade of the kukri passes through nothing but delicious space air. The Drei floats backwards, and that handgun -- that handgun shoots something vital!

The groin of the Codarl-i explodes outwards from that well-placed shot, the legs threatening to spin off into space. Pieces of the Codarl-i's codpiece splash against the backpedaling Drei, as the force of the eruption of body parts sends the red unit backwards.

"You're making it really difficult for me to cornhole you! I don't shoot blanks! Let me show you just how loaded my weapon is!"

And with that stunning proclamation, the Venom unit gathers itself, bouncing off a series of asteroids to begin peppering the Drei from multiple angles with a near continuous spray of shrapnel. The heavy arm cannon never gives up, firing wildly as it leaps, with several shots heading towards the nearby Gespenst Mk. II-M as the Codarl leaps right past it! "And stop calling me a Martian, you little prick!"

The bugbot's wings flap increadibly quickly, flying up out of the way of the spiritual blast as it fires a laser swiflty in return! The multicolor laser potentially pierces through the center of the spirit blast, which may be part of why it didn't seriously damage the bugbot, only singing some of it's armored plating as the slow machine flies up out of reach. "...What is Tohou?!" Oi responds, swiftly shifting the thrusters and turning to get a better look at it's ghostly enemy. And then she calls it ineffective. Oh no. She did not just. Did she really just.

"Ineffective?! The Migarder is the pinnacle of the technology of it's age! A powerful mech that can fire more missiles than you can ever dream of!" He begins to furiously work at the controls of his Migarder, while the voice of the Migarder pings, "MISSILE TUBES OPEN." Suddenly, several missiles fire up out of the back of the Migarder...and do the strangest thing. In mid-air they twist together into a massive twisted spear of energy missiles. Which then propells itself towards the ghost mech! "My Migarder will dismantle you in it's beautiful explosions!" The energy spear would attempt to pierce through into the ghost mech, before explosions rock through it!

The Raptors have a tough time keeping up with Alia's unit, and a few of them explode as she retaliates. They pause for a moment... then suddenly flee in order to take care of less powerful units.

"Shit!" Ascian quickly presses for his unit to shift away from the incoming fangs and tries to get his Homing Beams to get a lock on the things, but fails miserably. His unit gets run through by the beams, creating massive gashes across his unit's armor, even sending it on a momentary tumble.

And just when Ascian thinks he is in the safe, a big red alarm goes blaring, showing an incoming blast of energy. "Get out of the way, Duat!" But the unit just doesn't respond fast enough. The verniers try to push the unit from 0 to 100, but it simply cannot handle that whilst trying to still keep the fangs from hitting, and the blue electrical wave rams into its back, sending trembles throughout the machine and even managing to flow through the machine's exo-skeleton, letting Ascian feel some of its force.

"RAAAAAAH!" He screams out, feeling the painful sensation of the magical electricity run through the machine which conducts energy a bit too well at time. "Sorry!" Duat quickly calls out, and cuts off the contact to the cockpit for a moment... as the Amenthes floats almost dead in space.

"The... the hell was that?" Ascian manages but a bare whisper, opening his eyes, breathing heavily, his head somewhat aimed down. Through his hair strands that have fallen before his eyes, he watches as Hera throws herself at Beside Pain. He couldn't help but... smile a bit. "Are you okay, Sir?" Duat inquires. "I'm fine. I'm fine." He opens a communication window to Hera. "Hey... be careful there." He'd heard her shout his name. "I... I'll be fine." He stammers, giving her that somewhat cool look only a wounded person can manage.

He then throws his head back up, tossing his hair back, and pushes his hands more firmly against the controls and resets the wings to their proper places and speeds out of the grip of the FANGs and darts for Alia. No way he could take another one of /those/. "Get out of here! Stop oppressing my people!" He didn't know it was Alia in there. All he knew was that they were threatening Mars. A series of red orbs suddenly form in its palms, and not caring about the fact that they are meant for long range attacks, with the burst shots still floating in front of Amenthes' closed fists, he tries to PUNCH Alia's Zefholm with it.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Tssk... I need... to get them to make this cockpit less conducting.. tssk. That hurt."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Hang in there."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Norris Packard transmits, "A Top Squadron pilot..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Norris Packard transmits, "No one else would drive one of those machines!"

Very carefully, Goodman places his cheesecake on the arm of his captain's chair. "Hmph. Against overwhelming firepower, nothing can--" And then the Zweizergain slices off another of the main guns from the ship. "Wh-why is he still alive?!"

The gun turret flies through the air and explodes, the small ripple of heat and force bursting beside the Zweizergain even as the massive super robot prepares those rocket fists. "Wh-- I am destined for greatness, not-- not-- crushed... ness...! I will not allow some dimensional alien's paltry words deter me!" Goodman snaps his gaze towards the gunners, eyes wide. "Fire a missile volley, immediately! Shoot that vile warmonger out of the skies!" And, it is just as the Zweizergain fires those fists that the missiles from the White Base's descendant launch off; by trick of fate, the warheads collide with those fists, the explosions knocking them /just/ enough off track.

Of course, that isn't the end of them, and through the smoke and heat another volley launches off, aimed to hammer into the thick armor of the universe-displaced super weapon. "... I will not tolerate slander against my name...! I will show you the power of overwhelming force!!" And, in anger, Goodman stuffs another chunk of cheesecake in his mouth. Rest assured, the gnashing of his teeth is incredibly indignant as he chews.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "What are you talking about, Norris?"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Also, Hera, if things get to hot, I want you to pull out of here!"

"You know full well that's not going to happen!" Adam calls back, his mech deftly avoiding the head vulcans, and the shots from the machinegun. He weaves and spins in and out of the fire and then suddenly changes directions, flying off away from Erika, whipping his mech around and then coming back down towards her yet again. Truthfully, he doesn't know the reason why the EFA is out here. And to be honest if someone asked him, he doesn't care. He's here because he has orders to be here and this mech is one of the targets he's been assigned. So while Rio is appologizing, Adam is focused.

His mech quickly finds a target lock, and one of the shoulder mounted missile tubes opens up, the missile launching in a spiraling arc towards the DC mech, leaving behind it a trail of smoke and spent rocket fuel, and hopefully about to cause a massive explosion.

Exploding with laughter as the Codarl is struck and force to relieve itself of its load, legs and bits of its armor flying outwards from the core. The laughter only momentarily pauses when a piece comes flying at the Arche Drei, to which one of its long-as-hell lanky arms snaps up and swats it away like one would a pesky fly.

"Well I do like playing hard to get! But what's an old and now /clearly/ impotent machine like that going to do to me? It doesn't have the /stamina/ to handle my Arche Drei!"

Then it springs off in an odd display--its groin having been all but decimated and all--firing wildly in the Drei's direction. It veers sharply, a splinter of the cannon fire digging into its side, grazing it...but otherwise the Drei avoids certain the worst of it.

"Takes one to know one," is Healing's stellar response to being called a 'little prick,' as one of two rather large remotely-controlled fangs snap off the Drei and shriek right for the Codarl, intending to shiv and shoot the thing to death.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "And what about you?"

"Tch..." Axel growls, softly. "You talk good shit. Too bad /this/--" He grows, as the shorter black sword stabs into his machine's side. Sparks explode off it, as gasses inside are released, and then Souten comes down a few seconds later. The mighty super robot rattles inside, as Axel held from being thrown about by the force of the blow. "--is not gonna bring me down!"

Soulgain strikes out with its left arm. The arm blade slashes out past the Susanowo, never quite catching the Mobile Suit. The machine turns a moment later -- verniers firing rapidly to make the machine turn about in space. The right hand comes back, energizing with a fiery glow about its blade. The arm blade comes hacking at the midsection.

"GENBU--"

The left arm blade wheels around, energized as well. It chops down at the shoulder plate of the Susanowo. The right one comes up again, in an X-slice aimed at cutting into the midsection of the machine.

"--GOUDAN!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I'll be fine... after all... you still owe me dinner."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "No way I'm missing that."

The Black Thirteen's plating holds up well against the head vulcan rounds as the tracers fizzle and die, and sparks fly as the rounds ricochet off into space. The grenade bombardment is another matter entirely - the rather reckless bit of showboating Coop just pulled off was only possible because he caught the single grenade and smothered it with the armoured palm. Catching half a dozen grenades is a feat of dexteriy beyond the giant machine, and the many-times-larger blast would almost certainly remove some of the machine's fingers, rendering the hand useless for further engagements.

And so Coop engages retrograde thrusters to buy him the half-second he needs to slam a large icon on the holographic display to his left. "Weaponspace active," Kiva's voice chimes out as the Black Thirteen turns its left side toward the incoming projectiles, a massive shield of its own assembling itself onto the black and red behemoth's arm. Coop takes the blasts on the physical barrier, which buckles and bends with successive detonations, metal warpinf from the heat and force of the explosions. The last grenade blows the bottom right quarter off entirely, and it clips the Black Thirteen's right hip before spinning off into space, slowing as Mars' gravity well tugs it downward.

"So now we're down to 'pretty sure', are we?" Coop asks, his right hand spinning the holographic dial and then slapping against a single selection. The Black Thirteen shifts its right half forward and extends its arm to one side, into the black portal that yawns open beside the titan. Coop pulls the arm back toward the centre of his body, drawing out a massive chaingun with an underbarrel ammunition drum, the barrels already spinning as he levels the weapon in the direction of the RX-78-7. "Let's see if we can downgrade that some more, shall we?" Coop shouts over the...surprisingly quiet firing of the weapon, what with the being in space and all.

Lamia thinks to herself, perhaps if you didn't use Metatron weapons in battles on Earth, the government would be less concerned about your planet. Of course Healing Care expresses unpolitic opinions as well, which ay or may not indicate the cycle of violence. Lamia tunes them out. In a way the backdrop is familiar and comforting. Ah, verbal abuse!! The Gespenst rattles and shakes, thrown off course by Norris's counter-strike...

And then a potent blast from Gates's cannon passes near the Gespenst, which is driven to return fire back along its origin point. Lamia tracks for a second, emptying two more shots after Gates's machine, but to little direct effect -- then Packard swoops on the machine weapon. Lamia glances at it with some concern.

"Takaya," she transmits towards Noriko, ignoring Norris like a total bitchbot, "this is growing increasingly complex. Will you be able to handle this particular shrieking fanatic?"

Lamia blinks once. Where DID that come from? Meanwhile one of the guns on the back of the Gespenst is unholstered, the beam rifle levelled out one hand as Lamia focuses on the weaving pattern of the the spaceborn Codarl. Three - two - one -

"Data analysed," she murmurs to herself, before firing twice, ideally right at the Codarl's junk.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Had to remind me, didn't you?"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Better to concentrate on that, than the smell of burning hair..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "... point..."

"No," Erika replies, her voice going deadly calm, "But I have seen it happen enough to know--" The shots ring out as Erika skillfully surges past the fired dobergun shell. her machine quickly whips around, his machine gun firing once more to detonate the missiles that streak in. And there she stops, right dead center between the Shield Leo and Raptor. It's heat rod fully unfurls as Erika sweeps her arm around andspirals the coil in a wide arc around not just her, but both her foes, "-- That the Federation has no right--" Then the cable contracts, threatening to snag both machines in it's steely embrace. if the two of them don't get out of the way prono, they'll quickly find themselnd bound back to back, their suits slowly being crushed against one another by the constricting cable, "-- TO BE HERE!"

"Yeah basically." Novas says, "I'm saying that trying to freak me out with pretty attacks isn't really going to work. The shortest distance between my fist and your face is a straight line, you know. Shooting at empty space isn't going to make it harder for me to dodge unless I fly into it or something. You can try and pincer me but that's not really pretty, that's ... a pincer."

Of course an energy spear of missiles is, technically, a straight line. Novas is so enthralled by this idea she forgets that energy spears to the chest can be hazardous.

KOONKBOOM! goes the Samsara!

Flying back, Novas swears under her breath and retaliates with a spread of her own of impact cannon fire, trailing the bugs movements in an attempt to catch it with at least a half volley of the projectile.

"I gotta take care of you quickly so I can help out my pal Merry!" She says.

Alia is in no Gundam; the Wind Elemental Zefholm is perhaps the most obvious sign of her rejecting that form of machine in her new life. It moves with much of the same speed that a Gundam or many Orbital Frames have, however. She proves it when two such Frames rush her, halberd twirling to deflect Ancalagon's claws and starting to juke aside from Amenthes' glowing fist. She almost gets Zefholm clear, though Ascian manages to strike the side of its body and send it into a damaged spin. She quickly regains control, not too surprised when both Ascian and Hera shout at her; their words aren't too different from her own just weeks ago. And in the face of their righteous anger, she is intense but reasonably calm while responding. "You misunderstand. I am not here to conquer or destroy Phobos... I am here because the Divine Crusaders have repeatedly done harm to my home. Funding the creation of Granzon, gleefully sending troops into our streets, and taking hostages to force a meeting with me. I am here to it abundantly clear that the Holy Kingdom of Langran is not yours to abuse!" She brings Zefholm around for a flying pass at Ascian's Frame, halberd ready. "That is all I desire! When you leave us to live in peace, I will do the same. But this is three offenses against us that have gone unanswered, and now I will make you understand the consequences of your actions!" She tries to swoop past Amenthes with a horizontal swing of Zefholm's halberd, then spin and come back for a tip-thrust at the Frame's back, and finally tries to dig the halberd's hook into the machine and rip through whatever the weapon can get hold of!

As Amenthes turns attention to the Zefholm, the 1 Gundam strafes around raising it's beam rifle, and fires off a shot to throw the OF off balance, laughing to himself, "Keep it up!" he sneers.

Distance is a good thing for Meriden. She doesn't want to engage a unit that much bigger than she is in melee - she barely knows how to do it in the first place, and she is entirely sure that it will not end well.

She's really taking a beating out there, though. The constant barrage of bullets chews through the shield Meriden keeps up and interposed as she backs up, trying to get back to that tor she used as cover before. She doesn't get there in time; the bullet-riddled shield starts to fail, the lower section bending inward as it gets slammed over and over before part of it shears away.

"I told you," Meriden says, "I won't give up! Come on... Hyper Bazooka!" She does, in fact, have one of those; it's one of the kinds with a collapseable barrel, as awkward as they look, and she had it clamped to the Seventh Gundam's back, under where the shield normally sits and near the rifle.

Meriden fires. The explosion is thunderous; Mars has an atmosphere even if it isn't a very thick one, and an explosion that big is going to be loud if at all possible. Of course, it will be loudest if she manages to actually strike the Black Thirteen with the bazooka shell first, something she tries very hard to do, using the awkward weapon like a rifle as much as a proper bazooka.

"It might be a bit much to ask someone without training to face me themselves, but is THIS the best that you have to offer me!?!" Vindel shouts. It was clearly a clever trick to be able to deflect his attack in such a manner, but it was a mark of pride for the firing crew that they could pull such a thing off - not for their commander. "Ridiculous!" The second missile barrage ripples up out from the Blanc Rival, and Vindel narrows his eyes with a snort. The two boost knuckles swing around in mid-air, plowing back through the barrage even as the missiles attempt to swat the blue machine out of the sky. Rocket after rocket explodes in the wake of the spiraling fists, until the entire barrage has been blown to pieces. Only then do the two rocket fists spin about and reattach to the Zweizergain's arms. "Overwhelming force is the one thing that you do not have. If you wish to be overwhelming, then you must have more than one ship!" There is a flicker of motion, and suddenly there are four Zweizergains hovering in space out in front of the Blanc Rival. They launch off in all directions, each one coming to a stop and raising one hand - all of them pointed at the engine block of the ship. "Now take this!" Vindel roars, each Zweizergain suddenly flashing as a brilliant blue ball of energy ripples into existence in its oustretched palm. "JARYURIN!" And all six beams fire at once, converging on the engine block in a single wave.

Noriko narrows her eyes as she gets Norris' attention. Alright, well then. "Not wanted here?" Noriko mutters. "I thought we were all humans."

Eyes tick over to her console as Lamia calls to her. "Yeah, I've got this! I owe him a couple lumps anyway!"

She continues the boost onward--and there he is! She snaps the Lancer up, the heat rod whipping and snagging around it while Noriko holds the electro-lance sturdy, Norris' electric charge passing into the insulated hand units of the NRX-7 and ceasing to exist - while Noriko continues to barrel toward him, with a heavy CHUNK not at all audible in space as the pile bunker sets.

"A skillful use of all ranges is important to a successful battle!" Noriko snaps back. "But I guess you were always more about the /philosophy/ than the results, huh!?" she says, and then drives her bunker arm forward in a vicious punch, before the pile bunker launches forward to sheer through Norris' armor!

"Yes, what will this old machine do, I wonder?" Gates mutters to himself, watching as the Drei summons forth that mobile weapon. It comes hurtling for the Codarl, which pauses atop another asteroid. The asteroid begins spinning with the force of the Arm Slave's landing. The eyes of the unit flash, and the exterior of it glows blue as that jutting-backwards fin manages to gain another inch or two.

The Fang slams into a field of energy that manifests out of fat air, finding itself unable to penetrate the protective womb that the Amalgam Killer crafts. He begins laughing, laughter that's cut off into chokes as two shots slam into the field.

"Ahhhhhhhhh~! What is it with people shooting for the crotch of my robot?! It's not nice you know! I know what you're trying to suggest, that you'd like to kick me in the crotch! It's not nice! Aim for the head LIKE A REAL MAN!"

His rage manifesting, the Fang that flickers and struggles against the potent field of science-magic that Gates has summoned finds itself turning. The Codarl assumes a stance, and then punches space right in the kisser! "FWOO!" he exerts within the cockpit, similarly punching the open air.

"LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE!" Gates roars across the limited battlefield space he's taking up. The Fang hurtles outwards, given new propulsion thanks to the Lambda Driver. Powered by something other than delicious GN Particles, it flies right on past the Drei -- aiming to imbed itself right in the head of Lamia Loveless' Gespenst!

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Tssks... what the hell is going on... I'm not this much of a rookie! I should be able to do this!"

"DEFENSE SYSTEMS ACTIVATE." Pings the mechanical voice of Migarder, folding itself up to present the least amount of space as a target, while the shielding on the Migarder comes to full bore. It somewhat works, negating some of the damage and leaving only moderate damage to the Migarder's beautiful armored plating. "...You... You misunderstand me! I do not attempt to freak you out with the beauty of the Migarder's attacks! I simply enjoy beauty in all things!" Replies Oi to Novas, hitting several buttons as various warnings ring out from the Migarder. He murmurs soothingly, "Don't worry, my Migarder, you will come out of this fine." The migarder does not answer. Sure, it can talk, but in no way is it going to respond to that.

The migarder turns slowly towards the ghost mech, opening it's back again, producing it's wings as it flies into the sky, hovering over the battlefield. And then missiles begin to fly out of the Migarder's back. Moments later, these missiles begin to rain down towards Novas' Samsara. It is literally as if she was caught in a storm. And rather than hailstones, there are hundreds of multicolored missiles comprised entirely of energy descending down towards her, each one exploding into massive bursts of energy.

Hera narrows her eyes at the strange unit, that she /thought/ was a gundam, but soon came to realize that was indeed no Gundam. "..Anca.."

"Chances against this unit are dropping Hera. We either should change targets."

"But Asc.."

"Is not our concern."

Hera stares at the terminal in her Orbital Frame, "... How-- How can you be so cold?"

"Simple Answer would be - I am machine. Proper answer to your question - Your life is my priority. His is not."

"My life huh... is that why we are not able to help him? Cause you are getting in the..."

She listens to what Alia has to say, however yet again the Draconic Unit is not able to do much to protect the fellow Orbital frame. "... Damnit Anca!" Hera yells at the AI. "Stop it!"

"..."

Hera then turns her attention to the Zefholm, "I don't know what you are talking about, but you attacking Phobos is assisting the Earth Governments in undermining our Orbital Frames. In helping them you are going too--"

"--Hera enough." The AI quickly interrupts before changing Targets to the gundam, which was Beside.

Hera tsks, before she follows what Anca tells her to do. Strange for a human to do what a machine says, but Anca did save her life many a-times.

As the Draconic Orbital frame then nears in on the Gundam, it activates its sword, with the glow entracing along the blade, before attempting to slash through or into the Gundam.

"Hey--what, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!"

Healing Care is annoyed and surprised when the Codarl takes her unit's Fang and redirects it not at Healing's Drei, but at Lamia's Gespenst. No thanks to AMALGAM VOODOO MAGIC she is unable to summon the Fang--but far be the Cyber-Newtype from worried about a comrade. Instead she just snaps at Lamia, "Don't you fuckin' mess my Fang up, you hear!?"

Meanwhile, Healing goes back to all but slamming and pounding on the control console of the Gundam Arche Drei to get control of her damn Fang back. "ARGH! I hate these Martians!!"

...and, in complete annoyance and frustration, Healing Care's Drei kicks a piece of asteroid debris at the Codarl.

"Go again, you son of a bitch!"

Bet you thought this pose was over, Gates!

Norris Packard sees the gespenst pull off off from the fight, he knows he's going to have a handful with Noriko. Yes he's yelling he does that a lot to troll his foe, some times it works. Other times it doesn't work. This may be one of the times it doesn't work as the Gespesnt flies off to engage another he'll let her go, but Noriko proves her worth again as she evades his incomming attack.

Norris isn't so lucky this time but he now knows who it was. "Good, it seems your training hasn't wavered no has your will! I thought it might be you Miss Takaya! Come lets' see how you have improved."

The Bunker is still impaled into the GOUF and he pulls back ripping it free. He pauses at some of the other radio chatter.

The Mobile suit's blade lashes out at Noriko's with the Tempest Blade.

With the cable wrapping around him, Adam suddenly finds his mech tied up, though thankfully Rio managed to evade it. So it's just him getting crushed. How could he have run right into that? Rookie mistake. He has to get out of this, as he tries to think of how to cut the cable. He lets out a cry of frustration and as he flexes against the cable and manages to flex it enough for his CWIS to deploy, the six barreled minigun firing off a burst to cut the cable. Free, he quickly launches himself at the offending mech. "I have had enough of this!" He cries out, his CWIS kicking back into gear as he tries to pelt the Gouf with hundreds of rounds of ammo.

Small particle emitters can be found all over the frame of the Susanowo, which - along with the removal of standard safety limiters at the masked pilot's request, courtesy of designer Billy Katagiri - is where the machine's tremendous mobility comes from, exotic refined GN particles giving it subtle pushes as much as larger scale movements. This, perhaps, is what contributes to the initial miss of the Soulgain's arm blades. After all, Mister Bushido didn't gain his position by being /suicidally/ reckless. Just mostly reckless. But Axel's followup attack is more problematic, the fiery-glowing arm blades slashing into the Susanowo's midsection even as the One Man Army tries to maneuver away, the super robot's strikes scything through armor and superstructure, damaging important components not nearly far enough below the cockpit for comfort. "Indeed, you are a strong opponent, Axel Almer," Bushido says, never one to be afraid to give the enemy their deserved respect. Not the opponent he wants to face, not the opponent he's /destined/ to face, but nevertheless... Strong. Someone worthy of helping him to hone his skills, someone against whom he can climb higher towards the zenith of battle, that perfection only a warrior can obtain...! "AS SUCH, I APOLOGISE!" The Susanowo 'skates' back in the vacuum away from the Soulgain, swinging its left arm back; bringing Souten close enough to the suit's trailing power cable that it can attach to the double blade, providing an additional stream of compressed particles from the machine's back-mounted condenser. The drives spin up, a rushing trail of orange behind the Susanowo as it tears forward, Bushido picking the target of his next attack carefully: Seeking, with eagle-eyed precision, a spot where the super robot's armor is already damaged, to bring Souten to bear in a brutal, high-speed, high-power slash /through/ that point, the hybrid state blade impossibly sharp, impossibly strong...! "FOR TAKING YOU BY FORCE!!"

Rio twists the Leo out of the way, pushing the AMBACS system to the limit to avoid the heat rod. She isn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry, but I have to stop you!" She aims the dobergun again as she starts charging...... The twists around, drawing the Leo's beam saber again and trying to drive it into the Rick Dom's shoulder. If she can stop the arm with the heat rod from functioning, maybe she can force Erika to leave the field.

A 'Hyper Bazooka?' "That doesn't sound good," Coop mutters to himself as the Gundam expands the collapsible barrel. In response, he ejects the drum from the chaingun, sending the the half-spent ammunition sailing away into the low atmosphere, away from where its detonation can damage the Black Thirteen. He keeps the weapon in the machine's hand, however, using the bulk of it to brace against the back of his shield as he waits for the round to come in.

The explosion is indeed thunderous, the impact rattling the dark behemoth all the way up its body and into the cockpit; Coop stumbles for an instant before recovering. The shield is gone, simply melted away into shrapnel and superheated slag, as is the bulk of the chaingun, with the exception of about a dozen feet off the handle. The Black Thirteen's armour is smoking and glowing red where chunks of molten, shattered metal slammed into the body of the mech, but it could have been worse had the round hit directly. Much worse. The admission is an irritation, and Coop lets an angry breath flare out his nostrils as he tosses the remains of the weapon away. "Pointless for you to run anyway," the big man snarls. "You'll just die tired."

The big hands slam together in front of his chest in a sharp clack, the motion mirrored by the Black Thirteen. The hands pull apart from each other, and blazing red energy flares out from the gap between the palms, and then simply up into the sky as Coop raises his hands over his head. Projecting up from the Black Thirteen's palms is an enormous line of light barely contained by technology and will. Coop grits his teeth, muscles standing out from his neck and shoulders as he brings the sword back a degree or two and then down, down, down.

"Ttch... what kind of machine is that?!" growls out Goodman as the boost knuckles of the Zweizergain demolish the remains of his ship's missiles. "Hnngh... reverse and ascend! We'll put him in the sight of the megaparticle cannon and ruin him!" His eyebrow twitches as the crew scrambles around him, the Blanc Rival's thrusters reversing with a low and steady rumble.

"One ship is more than enough to overwhelm this site! I'll show you A-LAWS' might!" And then, three more Zweizergains appear. "... ah, right," Goodman mumbles with wide wondering eyes. "It can do that." And then, churning blasts of sapphire scorch the skies of Phobos from four different directions. "E-evasive maneuvers! Keep it up! Maximum thrust, ready-- ready the damned megaparticle cannon!!"

The spheres of broiling fire just /barely/ miss the engines of the Blanc Rival as it ascends backward through the skies of Phobos. One of the Jaryurin spheres impact the heavily armored hide of the ship /just/ in front of its secondary thrusters, blackening metal and rapidly - albeit mildly - melting the surface alloys. The ship shakes -- but otherwise remains unharmed. "Gh-- now! Fire!" "Y-- yes, sir!" From the port side of the Blanc Rival, panels retract; out of the belly of the white beast comes a large, sleek cannon, the steel gray barrel crackling with gathering megaparticles that dance along its edge.

It takes all of a second before the cannon unloads one blinding white surge of particle fire aimed to shoot the Zweizergain with vast, burning force as the excess energy barrages the surface of Phobos without relent.

The 1 Gundam manages quite well to get that shot off and catch Ascian off-guard. The beam rifle's glow sears straight up along the machine, and the Amenthes' torso and right side of the cockpit begin melting immediately. Part of its right arm even crumbles under the pressure whilst Ascian desperately tries to get out of the way! "Shit! What the hell. Duat!" He's almost crying, he isn't used to taking this much punishment.

Just barely, he is capable of blocking the Halberd as it coems down with Amenthes' right arm... assisted by Duat's melee combat program assistance. "Why... what is going on?" He demands to know from his Orbital Frame.

"Their skills are simply better, and their output is beyond ours." Duat reports. "Their skills... are better. But Duat. I..." "You will die if things continue this way. You are too distracted." "Distracted?" "Her... you keep staring at the vid-window." "Shut up Duat. I can manage two things at the same time."

A more fierce glow passes through the Amenthes as he hears Hera talking to Alia. "Miss Winchester!" He recognized her. "What you are doing now is much worse. You thought that the Zaibach empire was bad? Are you truly that BLIND to what the A-LAWS and EFA do to our people!? The Divine Crusaders may threaten you..."

"But can you honestly condone of this!?" He suddenly opens a video link to her... of a subfaction of the A-LAWS running through the streets of a Vascillia County city using LEVs, firing upon innocent people whilst shouting about 'dirty enders'... if she'd accept the transmission. "BAHRAM may be with the DC. But we only do so because we have /no other choice/! Katharon doesn't wants us to increase our armaments to fight the EFA and the A-LAWS, and the federation murder our people! How..."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SUCH A FUCKING HYPOCRITE!? I thought you were better than that."

The Amenthes' wings spread wide, and its stretches its arms to both sides, forming two large balls of energy once more... growing and growing. "If you truly care to save the innocents. If you truly care to save your kingdom. You will help us, or at least not get in the way!" He then turns around and moves the arms of the Amenthes around, folding its arms and raising the output of the machine.

"FOR THE FREEDOM OF MARS!" He calls out, and throws the balls of energy straight at Beside Pain's 1 Gundam.

"Copy," Lamia tells Noriko before her attention goes fully back up towards the legendary hero of time, Gates Lastnameundisclosed. Her eyes narrow as she's told off about shooting at his groin. "I was not aiming for your pen--"

The Fang hits her Gespenst in the head. Part of the screens flicker before the computer starts compensation, producing an oddly skewed view through the two remaining cameras out of the six main ones. Because Gates just broke most of them!!

Lamia frowns again, slowly. That was not using any mechanism she could detect. Perhaps, she thinks, it is that psychokinetic metal from Venezuela. Somehow. The Gespenst reaches up, gently disengaging the Fang from its head and releasing it. "Captain Care, your weapon," Lamia reminds with the tone of long-familiar habit, before resuming approach, abandoning the mega beam rifle entirely!?

As thousands of taxpayer dollars float free, Lamia draws from the Gespenst's waist module dock port the greatest weapon of all. Balancing on its own Tesla drive thrust, the mech-scale shotgun is raised, sighted, and fired twice to fill the immediate area around Gates with high-velocity tungsten shot. Will he be able to adapt to /that/??

"As I was saying," she continues, "it was coincidental." Then she fires the third shot, obligningly, at the Codarl's sexy head.

"I'm not going to die!" Meriden seems very firm on this point, though the sheer optimism and tone of voice makes her sound as young as she is. "I'm just going to stop you so we can destroy the military base and go home!"

Meriden does not recognize what Coop is doing. She has never seen any sort of blazing sword before. But she doesn't need to. That part of her mind that she doesn't entirely understand how it works nudges at her, and then shoves.

MOVE

Meriden's eyes suddenly open wide behind her helmet. The Gundam suddenly surges sideways as Meriden slams down on several controls, getting better control of the old-style machine than she's shown all fight; it tucks and rolls as the Blazing Sword shears through the rock she was hiding behind without slowing down, neatly bisecting it.

"Oh crap!" Meriden looks back at the sheared-through rock, glowing faintly red. That could have been her if she wasn't faster. The Gundam, now in a kneeling position, returns its shield to the clamp and retrieves the heavy beam rifle. The bolt is just as focused as the first one, but much better aimed; Meriden targets a shoulder on the Black Thirteen, attempting to disable it - though honestly she's not sure she can blast through the armour with one shot. Still, she can hope.

"Bring it on, Bushido!" Axel roars. "Let's see what you got! I'M DYING TO SEE SOMETHING NEW!"

He looks at the Susanowo and considers. He is strong -- too strong, he thinks. There is a determination there that Axel Almer has never quite had. His life was constant hardship, and it hardened him, but in a way, it softened him. It was not until Beowulf changed so suddenly that Axel, finally, began to understood what it would take. It wasn't until then that his own drive outgrew the drive that Vindel had put into him.

The red-haired man's eyes go wide. "I'm not gonna be able to dodge this," he realizes quiet, as the sword comes carving upward. "He's too damn--"

The sword cuts into Soulgain and tears out the back. There is an immense, fiery explosion -- the cockpit block is sent firing out by the ejection mechanisms, as a huge fireball erupts. The Soulgain is split in two, leaving a huge gaping hole in its side, as the sphere of flame leaves this world.

In the distance, there is a pale glint -- as the cockpit block, hurled away faster than it has any right to go. Axel grunts softly, looking back at the battle rapidly fading away, and the growing sphere of Mars ahead of him. He looks at where Susanowo was, and he starts to realize, for the first time, just what it will take to defeat Kyosuke Nanbu.

The glint goes brighter, as it hits the Martian atmosphere.

This time Vindel can't escape as the ship slews around, bringing the largest gun that it has in its arsenal to bear on him. A single eyebrow is raised, and the Colonel takes in the image of energy being gathered for one powerful, punishing blast. Clearly this is an attack that will do a huge amount of damage if it hits. "So, I see that you have decided to pull out all of the stops. Very well then - if this is your best, then try and hit me if you can!" The massive beam pushes itself to its maximum charge, and the beam roars out - a red and white particle beam that sears space as it races towards the Zweizergain. The cockpit polarizes, doing its best to keep Vindel from being dazzled by the passing beam of energy... ...and the Zweizergain disappears. The beam chews into the side of Phobos, reducing rock to plasma as the massive burst of energy burns into the small satellite, leaving another scar that will be present for millennia to come. The UAC watches their property value go down again, if they haven't been wiped out by some teleporter induced demonic accident by this point. And Vindel reappears right next to the Mega Particle Cannon, his eyes narrowed. "WEAK!" he roars, and spins about - the Dark Sword in hand once again. And this time he unleashes no mere slash - instead trying to bury his blade to the hilt into the internal workings of the massive Mega Particle Cannon. "If I must cut your ship apart a piece at a time, rest assured that I will fillet you into a million pieces to achieve victory!"

"That's not the worst I can do, uh ... uh whomever you are!!" Novas says, "Who are you anyway?" Pause. It seems to be a tough customer--tougher than she thought, in fact. Durable. Maybe she really does need to hurry or she'll lose herself!

Nah, she thinks, probably not. She's a goddess fo war and even if she 'has a bad day' there's no way this guy is really going to challenge her. Her bigger concern is that Meriden is going to get eaten by Evil Coop.

"Hang on just a little longer." She says, swooping back, suddenly, the missiles flashing down in front of her--but then she flies THROUGH the missiles, entirely immaterial for af ew brief moments--as she closes in on the bugbeast, aiming to tackle into it at close range, pummeling it with her giant robot fists--now, of course, material!

"Can you throw all that when I'm on top of you?" She grins.

The heat rod is severed, sparking as Erika ejects the damaged weapon from her frame. But the head engineer of the Oldsmobile Army (that being her dad) thought ahead to this predicament and designed the system with backup cables so it doens't take long before a fresh spool is loaded into place. not that erika has time to use her reloaded heat rod as bullets come raining out of the sky, trailing behind the RF gouf as Erika hurtles herself through space. Bullets find their way to her machine's foot, shredding it in a hail of lead... but Erika focuses on rio ahead of her and draws forth her beam sword once more. "It's too late... to STOP ME!" The blade flicks out and intercepts Rio's, clashing as the two lock together, "I am going to beat back your fleet and chase them all the way back to the Earth Sphere!" The beam sword twists as Erika deflects the blade away from her, then whips out a metallic fist for the optic panel that makes up the Leo's face. A moment later, a knee thrusts up into it's gut, followed by a slam to the head with the pommel of her sword. Then she twists the blade around and plunges it into Rio's mobile suit. "You are not welcome here."

Alia is somewhat indignant at Hera's reply, but refrains from shouting. "Perhaps you personally had no hand in it and have no idea of my grievances, but they are as real as your own. The DC have forced me to act, and I will put an end to their aggressions." She might say more, but Ascian butts into the conversation with vivid imagery and a lot of furious screaming. He has some good points, and Alia watches and listens. When he is done, Alia becomes incensed; not as loud as he is, but very upset all the same. "How dare you! You attack us and take hostages, then wish to condemn me for striking back... then demand I fight for you against people who have done me no harm!? The people of Langran are neither your slaves nor your property to abuse as you wish, and I am here because you have attacked us!" With Ascian on the move, Alia brings Zefholm to hover in place and point its halberd at his Frame. "I can't make it any more clear than that! I'll leave you in peace as soon as you have made amends for your repeated attacks on us! Until then..." A pink energy circle forms in front of Zefholm's weapon, arcane runes laid around it. "Radiannnt...." She slams the halberd's tip into the circle, turning it into a thick beam of sparkling prana energy that flies across the gap between Zefholm and Amenthes while Alia finishes the attack cry: "BUSTER!" Given the beam is half as tall as the Amenthes is, Ascian may wish to move.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Axel Almer transmits, "Aw, shit--" Static crackle. "--going to visit--" Crackle. "--Mars! Catch you on--" Craaaaackle. "--lip...ide..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser sighs.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser being the one who needs to break this news to Lemon.

As the beams of light erupt from the orbital frame again the 1 Gundam unleashes it's Fang's as they fire upon the Orbital Frame to counter, before they spin, and attempt to stab into Beside's target and fire at point blank. Beside laughing happilly before a sword cut staggers the 1 Gundam forwards. "You...WORM!"

What do you do when you're faced with such an impressive sight? "Think about that poor triangle ship!" Gates beseeches Healing Care, fearful for the fate of the arcade machine hero. But it falls on deaf ears.

What it does provide however, is a very easy way with which to evade a spread shot from a mechanical shotgun; an asteroid did it. The giant piece of space rock hits the Codarl-i dead-on, right as the rounds from the shotgun pepper into the rear of the rock, shattering it into dozens of smaller asteroids.

"The cycle of death continues! You're both monsters! You both... deserve to be cornholed!"

The debris clears as the kukri slashes forward, utilizing that science-magic to clear a path with a single swing of the weapon. The debris is caught in that field, and whisked outward, revealing a somewhat flatter looking Venom after it received the same kind of treatment Piggy did in Lord of the Flies.

Blue eyes sparkling for a robot, the Codarl-i is quick to leap through the gap, aiming to once again close the distance on these enemy units. It seems that Venom is going for the Gespenst -- only for it to disappear from view once more!

It reappears a moment later, aiming to place the massive vibrating kukri square into the back of the Arche Drei!

Cackling despite Gates' horrible words, Healing seems to enjoy the fact she just smashed him in the face with a piece of asteroid. Alas, Lamia's comments fall upon deaf ears. The Fang, by its own design, manages to retreat back to the Arche Drei and dock. The Drei, on the other hand, hangs in space, its pilot glaring toward the Codarl.

"That'll learn you, you dumb /human/!" Healing snarls before--finally--turning her attention toward Lamia and her Gespenst. "You there! Stay outta the way, y'hear! I'll finish this piece of shit--he's mine, you got it?!"

Fortunately for Ms. Loveless, Healing's 'reign of terror' is short-lived. The Codarl--in a display of 'what the hell, seriously'--manages to close in at rapid speed, its eerie eyes glowing before it /vanishes/.

When it reappears, it lunges in and backstabs the Arche Drei in the back...and the GN-T drives. The drives are summarily punctured and destroyed. Which means--

The Drei EXPLODES

Fortunately, the escape pod manages to whisk away unscathed. Team Healing is blasting off again!

The beam saber plunges into the Leo -- Rio kicks off, and electricity arcs around the hole. Someone watching this episode complains about electricity being conducted through a vaccuum, but the animators don't care, it looks cool. Rio whips the Dober gun around. "You can't fight the whole fleet!" She fires, close-range.

CRUNCH nothing goes, and Noriko lets herself grin a little, ripping the pile bunker free. "I've improved plenty," Noriko murmurs. "The people of that beautiful planet are depending on me, so I can't let up!" And then the GOUF whips out a Tempest Blade, SURPRISE!! and Noriko snaps her arm up to counter, but the blade sheers through its defensive armor, Noriko gritting her teeth at the sound of damaged metal. "Hngh!" she grates out, eyes ticking to the objective beyond. Keep fighting, keep steady...keep pushing and he'll fall! OK!

"Good one!" she yells. "But don't forget--"

She holds down the firing control of the Beam Cannon, which begins to glow with a baleful purple light, higher, higher, higher-

And then she jams the thrusters forward and aims to drive the shock lancer into the GOUF at full burn, filling the machine with DELICIOUS ELECTRICITY, while hopefully Norris is too diverted by the possibility of a Beam Cannon Megablast to dodge!

"Hmph. Incinerated," scoffs Arthur Goodman smugly. "Where is all your bravado now, Mauser? My talents may be wasted on Mars now, but when we gather the Zweizergain's remains and take you prisoner, surely my position and future will be secure!" Goodman laughs heartily, the sudden and loud barking causing some of his crew to start; there are more winces and grimaces than even when Healing's screeching laughter filled the bridge. Finally stopping, the A-LAWS Brigadier-General sighs in contentment, taking his slice of cheesecake. "And now, truly, I can enjoy my victory--" "The Zweizergain has appeared on our port side!" "--snaugh?!" Bright blue eyes stare in horror at the be-spiked form of the Zweizergain, holding a massive sword high into the air. "E--euughh... evasive! Evade, maneuvers, do them! HURRY!!"

Somehow the crew reads Goodman's incomprehensibly frantic orders loud and clear; the massive Pegasus-class ship banks starboard just seconds after the Zweizergain's sword comes down like the executioner's axe. The tip of the blade bites into the side of the Mega Particle Cannon, the friction of contact causing metal to scream and sparks to rain across the length of the blade as it tears a shallow gash across the weapon. Not enough to disable it -- but far, far too close. "Fire the main guns! The anti-air cannons! Everything!" screeches Goodman, "Let's see how evasive that spiked /abomination/ is when the skies are filled with fire!"

And sure enough, the aerial space between the Blanc Rival and the Zweizergain swiftly fills with red light like fire as the main guns all fire in sync -- streaming pulses of energy joined rapidly by artillery slugs, combining physical and particle into a full-blown onslaught of firepower.

You know, as it stands right now, Adam Winters has had enough of this mech. It's giving both him and Rio way too much trouble for what it's worth, and he has decided that he's going to put an end to it right here and now. Thankfully his mech comes with a weapon designed to do just that. Floating back away from the Leo and the Gouf, the Raptor mech deploys it's biggest weapon, the rail cannon, and levels it at it's target, "Alright. This ends here." Yelling at Rio over his radio, Adam begins to fire the rail gun, letting out shot after shot from the massive mass driver until it glows white hot and overheating alarms go off inside of the cockpit, the weapon shutting itself off to prevent damage to it if any more rounds were fired from it.

Hera grinned as she made the hit on the Gundam, however seemed she was ignored. Then came in Alia once more, this tie she got in the way of the attack, however she was able to swing Anca's tail to strike into the strange machine they faced which was kicking both hers and Ascian's afts.

As the orbital frame spun around to face Alia fully, those sword swords sat out along side the arms, the clawed hands clenched into fists as the optics under the draconic helm glew bright. Ascian gave the lead, but instead of going for the strange machine, her attention went back to the Gundam. "RRAAAHH!!" She yelled out, diving down for the Gundam with both swords ready and attempts to de-head the unit and perhaps shove it in the way of the massive attack from Ascian.

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Ascian Luddite transmits, "GRAAAAAH!"

Lamia looks towards Healing Care.

Healing Care's mech explodes.

Lamia looks back towards Gates.

"Your threats of anal rape are as empty as your soul," she says, the shotgun getting cycled with some difficulty in the zero gravity environment. "Is this a typical greeting upon your planet?"

The Gespenst accelerates. The shotgun is held at the ready, steadily pointing forwards. Behind herself, she can see that the Soulgain has been disabled, sent aside and down to Mars. She feels a mixture of strange regret and a glowing pride that it was Graham who did it; perhaps a regret that it was not...

But she's focused on the job at hand, she reminds herself, and then it actually becomes true. The shotgun is fired once, but it's fired wild, away from the Codarl. The actual attack is when the weapon is twisted around at the last moment, the steel latticework 'stock' used in a manner that damages it and its image as a support system for a shotgun, and reveals it to in fact be high-tension reinforced structural steel, which it genuinely is.

In many ways, that is exactly what Mister Bushido represents: The sacrifice of 'self' in pursuit of a goal. He's given up so many things in his quest, forsaken his name and his pride, given up on the skies that he once held precious, sacred, above all other things on Heaven or Earth. It's madness, of course, the way the masked man has become distorted and twisted by his desire for revenge, by his need to surpass one, specific enemy-- The Susanowo completes its vicious slash through the Soulgain, a tremendous explosion announcing the super robot's apparent complete destruction, even as the cockpit block ejects and arcs towards the Martian atmosphere, leaving the A-LAWS mobile suit there, scarred and damaged by its battle with the Shadow Mirror machine. The power cable detaches from the hilt of Souten, and inside the machine's cockpit, the One Man Army scans around, letting out a slow breath as he searches for any other 'suitable' opponents.

A lot of missiles fly past Novas Stellas and explode beautifully behind her. She seems perplexed for a moment before, gazing down, she sees that that is the source of the missiles. She jogs along the back, missiles ripping past her as she tries to find the belly of the beast. This is the weirdest fight Novas has ever been in and that's saying a lot because Novas has been in many, many fights. And one of them was against a talking dolphin.

She hops off the Migarder as it turns--waiting until she sees the belly and...

"THERE!" Novas shouts, swinging her arm down--aiming to slam her robot's hand THROUGH the underbelly--but that in of itself isn't too damaging as it partially unsolidifies to get through to the center of the machine.

"If you can't fight in any situation then what sort of crusader are you?" Novas taunts, even as the souls of the dead whisper in the ear of Oi--possibly freaking him out a bit!

"Tch," Coop snarls as the blazing sword cleaves through stone rather than Gundanium. His shoulders bunch and surge as he starts bringing the energy beam upward, but the blade is difficult to control even with both hands. The sight of the fleeing Gundam takes up a magnified segment of Coop's cockpit, even as the FOF indicator for Axel Almer blinks out of the battlefield. He is doing well, but he realizes that with Almer down, the swordsman will be free to seek other prey. And anyone powerful enough to best Axel is powerful enough to threaten the others gathered here. Meriden's Gundam draws a bead on him, aiming the next shot carefully. "Sorry, kid," he says, his arms slowly pulling apart from each other. "I've wasted enough time here."

The energy beam rips apart into four equal pieces as a second pair of arms burst from the Black Thirteen's side, the limbs crossing in front of the black and red behemoth in a rapid double cross block. The Gundam's beam round slams against the energy blades and shatters them, gleaming motes of red energy dancing around the giant robot as the energy blade vanishes. The flame decorations covering the Black Thirteen begin to surge and brighten, almost seeming to dance and burn along the armour plating. Coop crosses his arms in front of his body, a second pair of holographic limbs following suit in the cockpit, mirroring the motion of all four arms as the Black Thirteen begins to swell with power.

Then they drop down and to the right, wrapping around a massive haft and pull, slowly drawing a sixty-foot crossguard out from the void. Coop's face reddens and his muscles swell as he drags the rest of the weapon out from the portal, a jagged-toothed blade trailing shadows as it's drawn forth. The blade is longer than even the Black Thirteen once drawn outward, and Coop strains against the pull of Mars' gravity well as he pulls it back behind his shoulders.

BLACK THIRTEEN BEGINNING SYSTEM CHECK Reactor status.........................  OVERLOAD. Output Limiters........................  DISABLED. Weaponspace deployment .................  Standby. ALL SYSTEM CHECKS COMPLETE EQUIPPING CHAINSAW VIERHANDER

"No limits," he rasps, his eyes dancing with glee as the Black Thirteen rushes forward. The jagged teeth begin racing along the edge of the blade, roaring in the thin atmosphere as the Black Thirteen blazes with primal energies, Coop screaming a two-word battle cry at the top of his lungs: "NOOOOOOOOOO LIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITS!"

While Vindel might be having a hard time landing a hit, it seems that the Zweizergain remains too mobile for the Blanc Rival to be able to land an excellent hit against either. The first actual damage that he takes for the day is when a missile explodes a short distance away from the blue and black machine, showering it with fragments of the casing and scuffing up the outer armor something good. But Vindel weaves back and forth, avoiding the rest of the barrage as if he were stepping between a dense crowd of people - dodging some, avoiding others, and shoving a few aside. And as he gets close enough, he lashes out with his blade, laying open another section of the ship. And Vindel laughs. "You are a sad man, Brigadier General. No warrior will count his victory before he has actually managed to claim it! For instance, I shall not count you defeated until I see your burned body at my feet, or your severed head in my hands!" The Colonel closes his eyes for a moment, concentrating as he reaches for something deep within. If he is to do this, he must embrace peace and tranquility. Focus... and let the power from within flow forth. The Zweizergain suddenly flashes a deep red in color, power surging up from its pilot (and the drive core as well, truth be told). And then a dozen Zweizergains explode out of the single one, each of them slashing out with their sword as they arc out into space. And a moment later, each aims to come crashing back down into the Blanc Rival, driving their swords towards the sides of the ship with as much power as they can manage - and the true Zweizergain launches itself straight at the bring, blade flashing around in a single flowing cut to slash open part of the hull on a nearby deck.

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Ascian Luddite transmits, "H... Hera... I need you to get out of the way..."

<Radio: A - DC Chat> Ascian Luddite obviously sounds like he is in pain.

"One that hates melee combat." Replies Oi, as he hits a button. The moment that the fist would impact with the Migarder's underbody, a laser would ignite to life on the underbelly of the Migarder, lancing out with the simple intent to shoot the mech off the bottom of it. Regardless, the fist plunges right into the Migarder's underbelly, causing a pretty large amount of damage to the armoring and systems there, the ancient balmarian technology sparking. "And who is mildly annoyed now."

His Migarder was not doing well. Oi shakes his head slightly. Melee combat was out of the question. As such... the entire bottom of the Migarder lights up. Before beginning to fire massive amounts of lasers at the ghostly ship below, the thrusters sending the Migarder up higher into the sky, attempting to shake off the ghostly mecha again. "SYSTEMS AT 49%." Pings the mechanical voice of Migarder. And Oi frowns, tapping on the buttons of the Migarder's systems quickly, before nodding. "I'm sure we'll be able to continue fine. Hang in there, my Migarder."

Mere moments before the dobergun fires, erika spins her RF Gouf back and delivers a swift kick to the barrel, throwing it off just as it thunders. The shell spirals off into the inky black of space. "Just watch me." Warning alarms go off in Erika's cockpit as she snaps her attention back up to Adam. The first shot sails past as Erika launches away, then barrels towards the Raptor. Another shot rings out, this time barely missing. The third and four shot however find their mark. the left arm shatters entirely as the railgun rips through it, as does the right leg below the knee. Still Erika surges forth, closing rapidly with the nimble craft. Then she tucks in her arm and leg and grits her teeth as she summons up her spirit, "Get the hell..." And then suddenly, the one armed, one legged mecha hurtles towards Adam with a single foot extended, "OFF MY PLANET!"

There comes a time in every man's life that he gets to cornhole someone he doesn't like. Actually, it only happens to a select few. Gates is one of those people. The kukri penetrates deep, and the response is most satisfying to this brazen man of base emotions; the Drei explodes like a fine sex doll.

"I wasn't done with you yet!" the Amalgam Killer roars in protest, hands clenched into futile fists of fury and frustration! He slams both down onto the arms of his chair, but he's not about to caught so easily by the seeking net of Loveless. His beady stare fixates on what it shouldn't; he sees the Matrix, quite literally.

The Codarl-i fades out of sight, the weapon passing on to no doubt kill a school of sea fish like so many plastic coke can rings. There was a wonderful typo about to happen there, but luckily, it didn't happen. "It's not how I say hello, but--!"

What does happen is the reappearance of the Codarl-i, the unit designated as 'Venom' by the forces of Mithril on yet another asteroid, and yet again upside down. Running the Lambda Driver for so long is ridiculous; it can't handle much more, and neither can the thoroughly satisfied pilot. "You ever heard of the refractory period?" he questions the enemy pilot. "I think I need a moment."

A moment passes. The Arm Slave begins firing with both underarm weapons, heavy slugs hurtling through space towards the Gespenst. "Ok, I'm good!"

"Argh!" Rio is foiled again... and then Erika _turns her back_. Rio can't believe it. "Idiot... Get off the field before you die!" The Rio charges in again, trying to stab the beam saber into the Gouf's remaining shoulder and then tear it free.

Novas's systems aren't exactly chipper right now either, the counterattacks doing a fair amount of damage to the Samsara's frame. Novas will have to grudgingly admit later that Oi is a tough fight. For now though she is going to continue being a bitch. "Heh heh--is that all you've got...!" Novas shouts, but the upper thrust compared with a solid laser barrage send the Samsara flying off the machine. This is good for Oi!

"Khhkk..This is getting tricky." She murmurs to herself, Samsara's left arm detonating into a lance of light.

"I'll annoy you all the way to hell!! INFINITE JOURNEY!!!" Novas shouts, her mech bursting forward again to rip at the giant bug creature the 'lance'--actually erupting spirit energy directly from Samsara!

Norris Packard knows how well Noriko can rip another machine apart. She's been trained by Master Asia, and is a member of Top Squadron. He says, "Yes, your one of the few who have not forgot about the colonists." He will never discout Noriko gave up ten years of her life and has forever lived a step out of time since her fateful trip.

"Then I think my normal bluster is not in order, it won't work on you. You have ... moved beyond that." Norris forces hgis machine into full evasion now, the G forces push him back into his seat as he barely gets out of harm's way, and then comes about back at Noriko, and his he moves in with his sword. A single focused strike upon Noriko's machine.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Just do what you gotta do!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Anca will handle the rest."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Just... be careful... I don't know if my... targetting will be any good."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Anca transmits, "She will be safe." Hera over her AI, "We will be!"

"Tssk... FANGs again." Ascian this time manages to weave through the things with much more ease. Some of them get dangerously close to the cockpit, but he manages to deflect them with Amenthes' right arm, which had shifted into that of a sword and were pushing them off-course. "Raaaaah!" He's getting into it, that, or he's just hurting enough to shout out whilst attacking the flying bits to keep them away whilst Alia is talking back to him.

"I am not asking you to attack them, just don't attack US! Also, NONE of your people were ever hurt by my actions, nor did I EVER attack them. Perhaps I hurt that man, or that family, in a mental way, and I am sorry. I'll send the guy a damn fruit basket if you want me to! An~ SHIII~AAAAH!"

The machine is send rocking as the FANGs break through his defenses and STAB into his machine from several directions. The unit's glow almost goes entirely dead. A backlash of energy is sent through the machine, and the Amenthes shakes severely, and begins to twist downwards towards Phobus, falling, the Metatron energy lines barely lighting up. It continues to fall for a moment until... a series of Raptors all of the sudden move to its location and stop its plummet.

He looks up in pain, his hands off of the consoles and against his chest.

"BAHRAM A.I. Control Program Active." It flashes in front of his eyes. "Thank you, Duat." Ascian whispers, his body trembling, and he slowly extends his arms to lay his hands onto the controls again.

"I highly suggest leaving the combat theater!" Duat warns him. "I... I can't. Hera's still here." "She will be the death of you, if you keep thinking like that." "I don't care! Rather it be me - a broken man, than another young girl with a bright future ahead of herself!" "Give me the controls, Duat!"

The machine suddenly flares to life as the window that indicated the control program suddenly gets changed for a different one!

<<"PREPARING TO SHIFT TO VECTOR CANNON MODE!">>

This time though, Ascian isn't grinning. He's in pain, and his gaze on the area in front of him is barely there... and he can feel the taste of something metalic in his mouth. The exoskeleton of the machine shifts, and a hole forms in the torso of the machine above the cockpit... slowly pushing forth a cylindrical weapon. A cannon of sorts.

<<"Shift to Vector Cannon Mode - Mark Two!">>

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.

<<"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.">>

Ascian follows the reticule on the screen before him, aiming at Beside Pain's 1 Gundam, bit it was moving... or was he moving. His head was feeling woozy. "I don't wanna fight you, Alia. I am truly sorry for what I did to your kingdom, for the sorrow I've caused. I promise... I'll be better."

<<"READY TO FIRE">>

"BUT THE A-LAWS CANNOT REGAIN THEIR GRIP ON MARS!" The raptors holding the Amenthes at that moment suddenly turn black as the machine sucks Metatron energy out of them as it finally fires the massive weapon. Sending a stream of near invisible energy out beyond Beside Pain's unit, in a massive wide shape... compressing space, trying to crunch whatever is within like the insides of a black hole.

Holy crap. If this weren't in space that mech would be done. However Adam is a bit surprised when not only is she still functioning, but she's now launching into an attack at him. He raises the assault rifle and fires wildly in her direction, only to find her mech having a foot strike him square in the 'head' of his mech and send him toppling end over end backwards. It takes a few seconds for the Raptor to finally settle itself, only it settles itself upside down and facing away from Erika's Gouf. However a quick 180 degree turn and Adam finds himself looking at the heavily damaged suit, "I've given you enough chances to surrender and yet still you continue to push you luck! Just lay down and die!" The rifle still in hand, he fires off the attached grenade launcher, sending the projectile spiraling through space towards the nearly destroyed Gouf. Hopefully this will be enough to shut it down.

Meriden Almace's eyes were already wide. It is hard for them to get wider. Somehow, she manages it.

"Craaap," Meriden says when the extra limbs explode out from nowhere. She gets her Gundam up, and prepares it for a backwards jump as the impossibly big sword comes from nowhere in particular. She spends a moment goggling at that, shadows rippling around the blades, the sword beginning to spin up -

"That's way too big!" she says, panicking. That part of her mind keeps her moving, and the Gundam jumps backwards. It can't make it... until Meriden mashes the flight systems. Designed for zero gravity, they cannot make the Seventh Gundam really fly this close to a gravity well, but they give her some air control she wouldn't have otherwise; she jets backwards, and the blade misses her by about two feet.

Meriden lands hard. The Seventh Gundam takes a step back to absorb the impact and brings up both hands at once. One of them still has the Hyper Bazooka; the other has the recharged beam rifle. Meriden fires both simultaneously. Her eyes aren't even open right now; she is piloting by feel, and doing a better job of it than when she wasn't. "No limits yourself! I - I don't surrender! Not now, not ever!"

This was not a good situation. "Migarder!" Oi calls out, hitting several buttons. The Migarder shifts, turning to present as small of a space as it can, folding it's wings in so that the armored top shell is where most of the damage is absorbed, the shielding coming up. Oi grits his teeth. Oh this was not going well. The impact of the attack sends the Migarder spinning, armor and sections of it's shell breaking off from the hits. "...Damn." Oi says. This was not looking like it would be a winning battle for him. However.

"It's not over yet!" Oi calls out. "I won't give up until the last moment! Migarder, unload everything you've got!" Of course. By everything it's got, he means to unleash another swarm of missiles. They fly up into the sky, sparking beautifully, before arcing in, semi-homing in onto the Samasara, though not very effectively. They could be easily dodged as before. Maybe. Not that Oi is hoping for that. "WARNING. SYSTEMS CRITICAL." Pings Migarder, several warning sirens going off inside of the cockpit. "ENERGY LEVELS DROPPING, RETREAT SUGGESTED." Oi shakes his head. "Not yet. We can still win this, Migarder!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Oi Shinda transmits, "Systems are at 23, energy levels at 31. I may have to retreat."

"Why won't he stay still!?" demands Goodman angrily, gripping thick blonde hair in frustration and mounting fear. "Unruly dogs ought to know when they need to be put down! I will not -- not!!" "Not...?" asks his lieutenant, peering at the infuriated general. "D-don't question me! Prepare the mega particle cannons -- BOTH of them! He has insulted the honor of A-LAWS for the last time!"

"I'm pretty sure he's only insulting y--" Goodman glares at his lieutenant. The young man seizes up. "--y-yes. We won't let him insult A-LAWS' honor any long--"

Multiple Zweizergain spawn from the primary mech en-masse, all riding through space with their massive swords held at the ready. Goodman doesn't even need to bark the order before one trigger-happy gunner opens fire. The esteemed Brigadier-General is already hollaring in surprise and terror as the main guns unload, pummeling not the main Zweizergain, but those doubles that all seem completely intent to ram the Blanc Rival blade-first.

Simultaneously shooting and backing up, the Blanc Rival might look as frantic as its general, but the plot works; explosions light the sky as the main Zweizergain punctures THROUGH the firestorm meant to hold its doubles at bay. The edge of its blade CARVES through the deck hull, not completely bypassing it but exposing some of the interior of the room beneath that heavy armor plating.

The position also Vindel get a good look-- "NOW! FIRE THE MEGA PARTICLE CANNONS!" --at not one, but /two/ particle cannons on either side of the Rival. Both glowing bright. And both firing off twin blasts of radiant red-tinged white energy that scorches the earth and transmits enough force to violently rock the ship backwards: CHOOM

"With my homeland on the line?! FAT CHANCE!" Erika retorts, her single remaining arm sweeping out. That reloaded heat rod comes back into play as the cable uncoils and flicks out, it's beam emitter slicing the grenade clean in two between it gets close enough to be a threat to her, "I will never surrender as long as Earth oppresses my home!" more warning alarms sound in the cockpit as Erika spots the Leo charging her. the cable retracts with a snap and the beam sword swings up to intercept the blade once more, barely making it in time. The proximity of the deflected beam saber bubbles and melts the outer armor of the Gouf's arm. "Piss off!" With a surge of surprising strength, the damaged mobile suit shoves Rio away, them launches into the air, once more making a beeline for the raptor high in the sky. Of her two opponents, that one is the more dangerous of the two. "FALL!" the beam sword thrusts forward as Erika charges, turning her mobile suit into a gigantic spear to skewer Adam upon.

SUDDENLY "I apologise," Mister Bushido transmits towards the Zweizergain as the GNX-Y901TW Susanowo dives towards the Shadow Mirror super robot, trailing a virtual torrent of reddish-orange GN particles. "I am generally adverse to interfering in another's battle, however..." The Mega Particle Cannons light up Bushido's viewscreen, the brilliance reflecting on his suit's faceplate, causing the screen to momentarily darken in order to keep him from going blind. Despite the horrific torrent of power being unleashed below, despite the potential for friendly fire, well... He would rather be able to get back to Earth, all things considered. Being stranded in Martian orbit without the battleship would be problematic. And no doubt Homer Katagiri would be disappointed, if he allowed Goodman to meet his maker. So the Susanowo charges at the Zweizergain from above, Souten whirling in a deadly arc which the Susanowo follows up by continuing through the motion, kicking with first one leg and then the other in the hopes of driving Mauser's machine away from the Blanc Rival. "...I have been left with little choice!"

Even though the Seventh Gundam is ridiculously small compared to the mass of both the Black Thirteen and the ridiculously large blade it is carrying, Coop knows by the lack of reaction in his palms that he hasn't managed to score a hit on the wily little A-LAWS pilot. Stopping the swing takes a herculean effort, and the seconds it takes provides Meriden with the best opening she's had for a shot at the Black Thirteen since the combat began.

And she makes it count. Bazooka and rifle discharge into the chest plating, engulfing the machine's upper body in a wave of fire. Coop screams in anger as his machine comes out of the blast looking decidedly worse for wear, with a car-sized hole in the forward armour where the beam rifle hit plating worn away by the bazooka round, just under where the sternum would be on a human being. "Bitch!" Coop roars as he rushes forward, bringing the sword back up over his right shoulder for another swing, his mind blazing with hatred, focused on the image of obliterating the Gundam with a single, vicious strike.

The strike never comes.

Instead the Black Thirteen carries through with its momentum from the windup, flipping backward relative to its hips, the machine's left foot streaking up in a rapid diagonal kick.

"I am familiar," Lamia answers, flying straight ahead to attempt to slam plasma staked fists into the forehead of the Codarl. She is shot resoundingly with machine cannons, which causes her to reconsider her lifestyle decisions that came up to this point. She is really kind of committed to short-range combat at this point.

The thought crosses her mind that she might die here.

It's unlikely, she judges. Air is hissing out of her cockpit as she thinks that, but she can handle it; the Gespenst turns around as it flies, killing its velocity with jaw-shaking acceleration and coming up to reach out with one hand. Reach out! Reach out for the --

-- ridiculous pony tail that the Codarl is trailing. Lamia shoves one of the Gespenst's knees forward and yanks backwards, hard, aiming to make herself the anvil and the Codarl's head -- the hammer! Or possibly vice versa; she is unfamiliar with Martian technology.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Erika Keese growls with a faint trace of anger, "/One/ down!"

A laugh erupts from Beside, watching the Orbital Frame begin to charge up. "You fools are already dead for fighting back!" Until the other enemy that had joined attemtped to attack him form behind. He pulled the Gundam into a spin, dipping beneath the sword swipe, before trying to make it out of the area of the blast. However he's a moment too late as the beam sheers past, peeling away a layer of armor, and one of the optics from it's eye's shatters. With a growl the GN Buster Rifle is raised, aiming at Ascian, unleashing a higher powered blast at the Orbital Frame. "You're all FOOLS! For thinking you could stand against us!"

The 1 Gundam sparks, and various bits of armor shredded off, before it spun flying back to retreat to safe lines, "This isn't the last you've heard of me!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "I'm ok Ascian.. you.. are you ok?"

Alia is quite surprised as Hera flies into the path of her attack at such close range, unleashing the beam regardless and making a quick glide aside from the tail trying to strike Zefholm. "Is that your defense for what you've done?" Alia is less than thrilled with Ascian's choice of words. "Imagine if I did the same, if I came into your home and took your neighbors at sword-point to make you do as I wished. Would you forgive me simply because I then let them go as promised and nobody was killed? Surely you see how absurd that is, and even if I were to somehow ignore /your/ actions?" She brings the Wind Elemental around to try to get a view of Ascian's back... and opts not to immediately press an attack; he and Hera are getting ready for... /something./ She waits it out, opting to explain herself further in the meantime: "There would still be the matter of DC troops in war machines willfully entering the streets of the capital, engaging in battle. Should I also ignore that? And the DC's funding of Granzon, one of my home's greatest threats? You now say you are sorry... why should I believe you?" Still very angry, Alia points out just before Ascian fires: "You used my heart against me once already, deceiving me in so many ways. I have no reason to think you are doing anything more than trying to trick me again for your advantage!" And then the Vector Cannon fires, Alia safely watching the massive display of power by virtue of not being Ascian's target. When the attack ends, Alia makes her move. She swoops toward Amenthes, halberd twirling as she tries to make several cuts while passing the Orbital Frame... and spinning with a wide horizontal slash as she goes by!

"Have I? I wonder, sometimes," Noriko muses, as Norris begins his work. Shit, shit, shit!! He's coming fast--!

Noriko snaps up her Lancer again, Norris' blade skidding off its surface and Noriko sees a few servos start to light up on her damage display, harmed by the force of impact. /Jeeze/ that guy's ridiculous! Still...!

"It's good to be respected, at least," she murmurs, and then grunts. "But you and I are still on opposing sides!" She surges in again, throwing Norris' arm aside with the body of her lance and lunging in with the pile bunker to rip into the entire lower-half assembly of the GOUF, hoping to sheer the machine in half and hopefully cripple some vital systems. Without legs the AMBAC should get pretty messed up, she thinks. Should...! "HERE I COME! BUSTER! DESTROY!"

Again, Rio is ignored. The Leo charges again and stabs -- but sudenly goes into a somersaulting spin, ending with it almost sitting atop the Dom as Rio works the controls frantically. It tries to jam the beam saber into the Dom's neck. Sever the connection to the sensors, and she'll be blind.

It would appear that Adam has sufficiently distracted Erika enough, as she manages to run his Raptor through pretty cleanly, but she leaves herself open for a strike from Rio. Of course now Rio may need to drag the disabled Raptor back to the ship.

Two Mega Particle Cannons shouldn't be able to get - but even a stopped watch is right twice a day, and Vindel is unable to dodge this assault. The two mega particle beams slam into his machine, blasting into it with a force that staggers the imagination. But he doesn't take it full on - even as the armor begins to melt on his machine, a few small explosions erupting out as systems are overwhelmed or the bombardment of particles cause tiny nuclear reactions across the surface of the machine, the Zweizergain teleports away from the blast. It reappears a short distance away from the Blanc Rival, armor steaming and smoking from the blast. This leaves Bushido coming at him a moment later, and Vindel narrows his eyes slightly as the proximity alarm goes off. And the Zweizergain disappears again as Bushido launches in, his machine passing through empty air as the blue machine teleports once again. "So, another one has come to do battle, have they?" Vindel asks. "Very well then - I shall meet you both with my full power! COME! I SHALL BECOME THE ASURA, AND BRING THIS BATTLE TO ITS CONCLUSION! CODE KIRIN - MAXIMUM DRIVE!" A blazing red aura flares up around the Zweizerain, energy blazing out as Vindel pushes the drive to its limit. System XN triggers, and from that aura erupts innumerable bolts of red light. Each one arcs away, resolving itself into a shadow of the Zweizergain, each one diving about, lashing out and attacking both Bushido and the Blanc Rival. More and more appear, punching, kicking, slashing - showing no mercy for their foes. And in the final moment, the true Zweizergain comes screaming out of the mass, aiming its fist at the Susanowo - aiming to punch it so hard that Bushido is launched straight into the Rival.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Another one shown up to fight - interesting."

Unfortunately (for Meriden) that is not something she can pull twice. The gun needs to recharge and she's down to one shell on the bazooka; it's too hard to carry a lot of rounds for the thing, as they are fairly bulky.

She keeps backing off even after she lands. "I am not a bitch!" Meriden yells back, firing the beam rifle even as Black Thirteen swings for her. The bolt is pink and kind of malformed, striking with much less force than the highly focused bolt from before.

It also leaves her open for the kick. It doesn't hit her terribly hard, but it doesn't need to; the relative size of Seventh Gundam and Black Thirteen means that she's bowled over anyway. Meriden loses the bazooka entirely; she only barely manages to keep ahold of the rifle.

She has a hand free to hold the battered, half-broken shield now, though. Meriden plants it against the ground, levering herself up with it while simultaneously using it as cover. Ignoring the warnings on her display telling her exactly not to do this, Meriden twists a knob on the side of the rifle, focusing the beam into a sustained cutting ray. It works very well for about three seconds before something in the gun sparks, spraying the Gundam with yellow-white electricity.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Get out of here Ascian."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Go, please."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "No way..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Please!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "But I..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "I'll be fine."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Now please. Go!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "... I will. But please... don't disappear. Don't disappear like her..."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "I wont. Anca wont let me."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Fable Ardross transmits, "...wha? Oh, my radio's on. I thought I left my soaps on. Damn. *click*"

A wonderful thing happens when the ponytail of the Codarl-i is grabbed, and pulled painfully backwards. As Gates' hands lift up towards his bald head inside the cockpit, the exterior shows the reason for his concern. The toupee of the Arm Slave just came right off, snapping like so many pieces of twine. "My hair-- my hair!! MY HAIR!!" comes the roar from within the cockpit.

The red Slave lowers its arms, trembling with rage. Inside, the Amalgam Killer knows that this is getting out of control; he is. With a sharp hiss, the Lambda Driver deactivates, the fin protruding from the back lowering.

"KARATE CHOP!" Gates yells. The Arm Slave moves, aiming to send an arm chopping into the middle of the Gespenst. He needs to buy some time, and consider an exit from this fracas! "You'll pay for taking that topknot! Those are expensive! Expensive, I say!"

Erika runs the Raptor threw, but before she even has time to pull her blade loose, Rio is there behind her, swinging at her Gouf's neck. The Mobile Suit shudders as the blade drivers into it, punching through the 'collarbone' and emerging through the severed armsocket of the left arm. The screen flickers briefly as the backup cameras come online, but erika knows when she's beat. With a quick spin, she kicks Rio away, then abandons her sword and speeds away, "Tch... damnit."

Hera watches the gundam leave, before her full attention turns to Ascian and Alia. "Leave him alone!" Hera yelled out to be heard as the large draconic orbital frame flew up to try to intercept but once again to slow. One of the blades detaches.

"I'm sorry, alright." Hera says gritting her teeth. "I'm sorry that you have so much hatred toward us! But Ascian is right! We do this cause we have no choice! I do this for Anca, cause I no Anca can't live without what is on Phobos."

"Hera!" The AI Barks out, like a parent trying to scold a child. The AI knew this-- was probably not the place to lose emotions or say such things.

"But I wont let you hurt Ascian any further or his frame!" The draconic Orbital Frame retracts one blade before the clawed hands glow brightly and then is gulfed in plasma flames, before it reaches out to try and slash deep into Alia's unit.

Rio doesn't pursue as she watches Erika go. She holsters her beam saber and machinegun, and flies over to the damaged Raptor. "Winters..." She hesitates. "...It's just wrong... People do that to her... And now she feels she has no choice but to fight us. She doesn't deserve to die." That wouldn't be justice. The Leo starts towing the raptor back to the blanc rival for landing.

Norris Packard scores a direct hit on Noriko the blade ddoes damage but not enough to stop her, Noriko's skills are not deined. He replies. "I am a solider of Zeon and I have my duty to my nation. To the bitter end if it must be. I swore an oath and I shall not break my oath of Service!" The people are it's stregnth and those who are he serves. Noriko has her own path and she's stuck to it. He can not hold back it would be an insult. The shield comes up it doesn't stop the attack, the bunker dfigs into the arm and part of the machine it self, the damage is bad the arm is rendered useless and ther eis damage to the balance systems. Norris machine pulls away and it's not moving very well.

"You have learned my weakness in space..."

"But I am far from finished."

The heat wire lashes out trying to ensnare around the machines head and just make Norikor GET OVER HERE! He'll have his blade he's got to make her come to him and then he'll strike trying to remove the machines limbs, with vicous blade strikes.

"Yet even crippled a wounded foe is still a deadly one!"

"If she fights she's a combatant. And clearly she's a threat. I don't care what her reasons are. They don't matter. She has a choice, and she made the wrong one." Adam responds to Rio, as she hauls him in, "We gave her a chance to lay down her arms and she refused."

"And what advantage was that? To let myself feel a bit better about myself?! To find a person I could maybe RELATE to? You know what? FUCK YOU! I am glad I didn't try to become friends with a frigid hag like you! Bitch!" Ascian is pissed, pissed at getting constantly berated for things he hasn't done. Pissed at getting blamed for things he hasn't done. Pissed for being hated, simply because of the bad apples within the Divine Crusaders - killing people left and right and leaving families empty. Pissed for looking bad in front of Hera.

And then the radio comes in... and he almost has to cry when he hears Hera's voice begging him to leave. But even through those beads of liquid, moving away from his eyes and fluttering around in the cockpit at Zero-G, he can still see the incoming attacks. "I CAN'T GO DOWN HERE!" The machine's wings tremble, the machine shakes... and with a burst of bright light, the pieces of the Vector Cannon setup suddenly disappear and the raptors reactivate. A mummyhead suddenly appears right in front of the Amenthes, and catches the entire blast of Beside Pain's rifle.

"Tssk... I cannot believe this. How can I be a big brother... or even someone more important to her... if I cannot even protect her?" He whispers to himself and then is forced to raise Amenthes' sword arm around to /block/ Alia's attack... sending the two of them into a momentary sword lock. "I won't fight you! Winchester! I need to live another day... she won't let me die." And with that, he turns his unit around and blasts off!

That leaves Alia Winchester with a series of raptors however, who are suddenly blocking her path. And even helping the Ancalagon. And then suddenly... Cyclopses! The two which had left earlier to deal with other things suddenly come rushing at Alia's unit's backside and try to grab the Zefholm's arms, each one for one arm, obviously.

Rio sighs. "That's right, too. Whatever their reasons, they can't be allowed to endanger the Federation."

"Aah, there you are Bushido!" Goodman declares with joy as he sees the approach of the Susanowo. "We have this well in hand, but I give you permission to finish him off--" --and then stares in muted annoyance as Bushido's mobile suit slices through nothing more than air. "Wh--what are you doing, Bushido?! You must move faster than that! Attack him, strike him down, before--" The Zweizergain glows red.

"--th-that happens. All hands, pull the Blanc Rival up as high as it can go! Quickly!!" shouts the Brigadier-General, frantic. The crew complies swiftly; the Pegasus-class ship only groans mildly in protest as it ascends straight into the air, going higher and higher through the vast skies of Phobos. With thrusters at their full power, even the immense battleship is able to fly at impressive speeds.

And it is these speeds that save them from the brutal onrush of Zweizergains. A shadowy fist plows /just/ under the belly of the white behemoth, slicing a thin cut through armor; another kicks off one of the anti-air turrets. Yet the damage is all minor enough to allow the Blanc Rival to fully clear itself over the Zweizergain's rage. A testament to the ship's ability, maybe.

But largely a testament to the power of flukes and luck. "Target the Zweizergain! Main guns, fire! Force it to move -- and then Bushido will eliminate it once and for all! And then I... I... "... I will be acknowledged for my greatness!!" The skies rain crimson as shining crimson light lances down from the heavens one more time; the main guns all fire in synch, the multitude of them crashing down like the arrows of god to relentlessly punish the Zweizergain -- but largely to attempt to fence the massive super robot in. But then-- "How /do/ you fence in a teleporting machine?" "Shut up, lieutenant." "Y-yes, sir."

Lamia casts the strands aside -- and is promptly attacked. The Gespenst is struck with ringing, armor-dimpling force. The cockpit is voided to space.

Lamia keeps working. She blinks a few times, pressure equalizing in her eye sockets as she operates the controls further. The consideration of exiting on the part of the Codarl may be noted but Lamia may in fact not give a shit, especially since they disabled a mentally ill person /and/ an officer of the Federation armed forces. (The same person, in fact!)

The Gespenst does draw away fractionally. This is unfortunately merely in order to give Lamia a moment to inspect a control system, lean on an override, and overspin the Gespenst's gyroscope system. It hangs there in space, doing nothing, for about two seconds.

Then suddenly, in deadly silence, the entire machine pivots around with brutal force, aiming a double-legged kick at the back of the Codarl. Lamia may be shouting dramatically. WHO KNOWS?

Novas Stellas thinks this isn't exactly her best battle. But she is certain she has the upperhand and isn't going to retreat while Meriden is still fighting. She still has to take Merry on an adventure, and there's no way she's just going to leave her alone with a Coop an the area. And that includes the non evil one.

"Not giving up until the last moment is a good way to die." Novas whispers, "If you die happy, then I'm happy, if you die sad, I'm sad. But I can't control that, now can I?"

Novas doesn't QUITE dodge the missile swarm. They detonate but, being missiles, they explode--Novas gets a lot of concussive damage from the force of the explosion and some shrapnel digs deep into her cockpit shield.

"It's not just you fighting me, it's Migarder! Are you going to ignore your companion?!"

She opens up with her impact cannons one more time, intending to fend him off rather than destroy his mech entirely. It seems nice, his mech, and pretty.

The cutting ray projected by the Seventh Gundam's beam rifle swings up toward the damaged body of the Black Thirteen, and Coop sweeps the broad blade of the Vierhander around to parry it, the bolt cutter meeting a titanic wall of metal, teeth still whirling on either side. The big man brings both left hands against the flat of the blade, spreading them white as if bracing against the raw power of an equally-sized opponent. But then the fingers of each hand shift along the blade, seeking specific places on the weapon and pressing inward, segments depressing with a faint 'click'. The weapon suddenly breaks apart, pieces scattering in every direction, larger chunks separating into smaller ones as the vierhander unfolds into a debris field composed of dozens, even hundreds of swords. Countless styles, curves and weights.

Coop Cooplowski smiles, the Black Thirteen's arms spreading wide. "Got you now," he says in a low tone.

The red and black machine surges forward, catching a broad-bladed single-edged sword in its upper left hand and sweeping it upward. The upper right hand picks a knife as long as a station wagon and hurls it down toward the Gundam, lower right and lower left snaking out for twin scimitars, slashing a pair of cuts across its body as it turns back to face the Gundam. On and on Coop moves, bringing a different weapon to bear each time, discarding them upward after a single strike, never giving Meriden the same look twice. A jagged-edged cleaver. A straight-bladed sword with a ring on the end of its haft. A katana and wakizashi. A broadsword that ignites with fire as it's swung down. Slowly Coop begins to clear the field, the pieces reassembling themselves into the monster sword several hundred metres over the Black Thirteen, each blade connecting itself to the whole.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Oi Shinda transmits, "Systems at 6%. Orders?"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Oi Shinda transmits, "I will attempt to fight on if it is ordered, however for Migarder's sake, it would be best for me to retreat."

Already, Mister Bushido and the Susanowo are at less than peak performance from the battle with Axel Almer and his Soulgain; the mobile suit itself is damaged, its particle reserves low. The masked ace himself is pushed to the limits of physical and mental endurance, thanks in no small part to his own recklessness, his own relentless drive to push himself and his machine as far as they possibly can. And both Vindel Mauser and the Zweizergain are enemies not to be underestimated. The Zweizergain vanishes from the spot where Bushido's attack would strike it, leaving the One Man Army to expend energy fruitlessly; and then, the reappeared super robot flares with terrible energy as Vindel unleashes his power, the Zweizergain's 'shadows' striking from all sides, forcing the masked man and his high-speed close-combat machine to work hard to defend themselves, to avoid being destroyed on the spot - Goodman's orders over the comms a vague annoyance, buzzing at the back of his attention. That last, powerful strike, however, meets nothing but the void as Susanowo /moves/ - it does not teleport, having no such capabilities, but instead it moves with a tremendous, unlikely speed, enveloped in its own red glow as Bushido pushes the overtaxed GN Taus even further, unleashing the Susanowo's true power-- Before one drive simply /erupts/, knocking the machine out of Trans-Am, its shoulder smoking. Bushido looks at the warning lights, the 'paper doll' readouts showing damage throughout his suit's structure, and his gaze is disdainful. Even with this... "There is one mistake you have made today, Crusader," the One Man Army notes, for the moment sounding dangerously calm as the Susanowo pulls its Souten apart, returning the single blade to two, so dark they gleam against the night. Suddenly, the machine erupts into forward motion - perhaps a last, desperate gasp, but in his heart Bushido feels something he hasn't in a long time. A familiar thrill, balanced on the razor's edge between certain defeat at the hands of a superior opponent, and the hope of victory regardless of any disparity, because... Because...! "FOR I..." The Susanowo strikes at the Zweizergain, slashing furiously with both Unryu and Shiranui in a relentless assault, the suit's machinery groaning in protest as Bushido keeps pushing it beyond the limit of its own impressive specs... "...HAVE ALREADY SURPASSED ASURA!!!

Alia stares in surprise as the 1 Gundam suddenly disengages; apparently even a 'glancing' hit from the two Orbital Frames did more to it than she thought. But now she is alone, facing off against those Frames... one of which is in very poor condition but still functional, the other about as well off as Zefholm is. These are not good odds for Alia, but she can't just back down; she has no interest in explaining to her Prince that she went all the way to Mars to confront the DC, then backed off the moment things became difficult. That would be an incredible waste. Hera's words nonetheless calm Alia down some, netting a softer reply. "You had plenty of choice... the DC chose to enter my home. When your actions, not just your words, prove you only desire peace with Langran? Then I will leave you be, because we have no interest in conquering Phobos. But your forces cannot repeatedly strike at my home and then be surprised when I retaliate." ...Strange, though, that Ascian would disengage after screaming at her with so much hate. After a brief sword-to-halberd exchange between Zefholm and Amenthes, Alia lets him leave... she has the other Frame and various BAHRAM drones left to deal with. A sudden ascent carries her over Hera's claw strike, and the oncoming drones are met with her gladly engaging them in a flying battle; Zefholm darts to and from, lashing out at them with 'missiles' of light-blue magical energy... within moments, it is down to just Hera's Ancalagon and Alia's Zefholm on this flank. Now, she is much more confident about the situation as she speaks to Hera again. "You've been making effort time and time again to shield that man. He clearly means a great deal to you, so by all means... pull back. Go to him. I will let you go if you disengage now." Zefholm crosses its arms in front of itself, starting to inexplicably conjure a tornado. The storm simply hovers in front of the Wind Elemental, as Alia concludes: "I will open fire if you don't leave. But I'm giving you that chance! Go to him, be with the man you clearly wish to see safe."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "Hmmm - I've taken too much damage. I need to withdraw to ensure the Zweizergain can return us to Earth."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Evil Coop transmits, "This slippery little kid is pissin' me off. Do we keep it up?"

That massive kick comes in due time; the chopping action seems not to have been enough to give the Codarl-i enough time to really get anywhere of substantial distance away. In fact, once that chop made its mark, the Arm Slave turned, and began leaping away, as one can do only in space.

That doesn't stop the Gespenst from catching up, and delivering one heck of a missile dropkick to the back of the fleeing Codarl-i. "What! No! Not my ass!" Gates cries within the unit, for indeed, the posterior of the Arm Slave is now rather dented in.

It's also now flying away, hurtling towards deep space thanks to the actions of that kick. With the Lambda Driver out of commission, and no real propulsion system to speak of...

Gates may well be Lost. In. Spaaaaace!

Only, it suddenly shimmers out of existence, optical camouflage creating quite the ambush! An ambush indeed, for Venom reemerges, kukri leading, aiming to carve right through the ass of the Gespenst! "I promised you a cornholing!!"

As the linked impact cannons open up, Oi Shinda attempts something he rarely does. He hits several buttons on the Migarder, quickly activating the flight systems, attempting to evade the attack. As the giant bug slowly begins to move ... it's hit by the attacks. Armor is ruined, it's body is crackling and sparking, even as it tries to repair itself. There was not enough water here. It's restoration systems are failing. Error screens begin to appear in front of Oi Shinda. Oi did not like to retreat.

But for his Migarder, he would do that. "Migarder." He glances towards the viewscreen, looking towards the enemy ship. "Let's get out of here. Our beautiful act has gone on long enough." Immediately, the flight systems burst into life, beginning to move the Migarder out of combat with the meltrandi ghost. Due to the speed of the Migarder though, or lack of it, however, it would likely be easy to send it out of commission.

That... is a lot of swords.

Meriden barely has any idea what to do with all of these. Bluntly, she panicks. She lets her instincts run away with it.

Fortunately, they're pretty good instincts. Meriden charges /into/ the weapons, not away from them. A couple of them catch her, clipping the Gundam; one sends her reeling, but the other she just plows through, ignoring the fact that the Seventh Gundam just had a big chunk of shoulder armour removed. And then...

She slashes. Meriden is, however, almost entirely untrained at melee combat; this is the first machine she's ever piloted that has proper hands, and the wild swing is easy to avoid. She ends up throwing the sword away rather than keep it, because it's almost useless to her and she needs a hand back.

Having already lost her grenade launcher, Meriden recovering an ammo pack of grenades from an interior hatch seems kind of pointless - until she starts to throw them by hand, one at a time, scattering them around the Black Thirteen in an attempt to get it to step on one or lob one into a joint. Anything to disable. She's now so close that she's probably grabbable, or smashable, but it also gives her a decent opportunity to bombard one last time. "No, you don't! I told you, I'm not going to stop!"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Oi Shinda transmits, "This is the Oi Shinda in the Migarder. I'm retreating to somewhere with water."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Evil Coop transmits, "Listen up! Anyone still fighting, stay clear of the following line of fire."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Evil Coop transmits a 140-degree arc out from his robot.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Duat, the on-board A.I. to the Amenthes, notifies to Oi that there are locations of water on Mars, and gives him the coordinates to the nearest body of H2O.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Oi Shinda transmits, "Thank you, I'll be retreating to that location to refresh my Migarder."

Hammered by both the beam cannons and Bushido - tch. If Axel had only defeated this fool... but Vindel knows that the red haired pilot would have fought as hard as he could. Slacking was not in Axel's nature, so if he could not claim victory here, then there was nothing to do for it. The blast drives him back, searing away at the Zweizergain's armor with a glancing hit - the main guns are powerful enough that even Vindel can not take that sort of hit and remain unphased. But the followup from Bushido is worse, as the masked samurai cuts around inside of his guard, the blade slamming into the blue machine's side and cutting deep. Too deep. Vindel can see that the core of the unit is already threatened. If System XN goes down, they will be stranded on Mars without any way of easily returning to the Earth Sphere. And that is one operation problem he cannot allow to take place. The Zweizergain shimmers, before teleporting a modest distance away from the Susanowo - its blade raised in salute. "Not bad, 'Mister Bushido'," Vindel states in praise of his foe. "You are a worthy warrior - and your desire for combat and skill at war are commendable. You waste your talents on men like this," he continues, gesturing contemptuously at the Brigadier General. "If I had my preference, I would continue this fight to the end. But I have my men's welfare to think about as well, and for their sake I cannot embrace the possibility of absolute defeat. We shall conclude this another time.

"But you are worthy of standing in our ranks, o' Noble Warrior," Vindel adds. "Those who embrace battle absolutely have a grand destiny that awaits them - for the sake of humanity, and protecting the Earth from the menaces that come from both within and without." There is a flash of light, and the Zweizergain is gone - teleported away from this area, and off to one of the safe zones on the battlefield.

Hera listens to what Alia had to say. Her eyes close for a moment, she wants to push on, she tries to push on, but her AI kills her controlls for a moment. "Anca!"

"Hera. She has a point. Our skills are not up to par with her. We should go."

"But..."

"Hera. You listen to my advice before. Do so now or we will not survive."

Hera tsks softly. She looks back at Alia's unit, before narrowing her eyes, she then speaks to her, "You win... and I trust you that when I leave-- so will you... If Phobos is destroyed, so are we. It is important to us--" she then tsks and whispers to herself something, something very softly.

"But if you are behind the reason Phobos is destroyed... that it threatens our frames... I wont be held responsible to what happens next. I am sorry for what we have done to you-- but... vengeance only begets vengeance."

Is all the female pilot has to say before she and her orbital frame take leave.

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Oi Shinda transmits, "That was not the greatest enemy for my Migarder. Too evasive...and...odd. I have never seen someone fly through the Missile Storm unharmed."

The kukri slides - cuts - but doesn't penetrate. Gates has discovered a secret about the Gespenst: Its legs can lurch backwards and they have now crossed over the elbow of the Codarl.

However, he is partway inside. It might be enough.

Lamia takes a fraction of a second to look around the battlefield. It is full of disorder and it seems unlikely that they've achieved full success.

Lamia then totally lurches the Gespenst in a hip-actuated. This is surprisingly powerful, especially when the Gespenst then lets go of the Codarl's leg, drifts backwards for a moment.

Light flickers.

What happens is far less impressive than it would be, were the backdrop the real Moon and not some cut rate asteroid with airs. Or if Lamia had air in her cockpit and could scream. Nonetheless, the sudden lethal onrush is coming from a Gespenst, and it leads with a foot. Logically, therefore:

Ascian looks behind him as the Amenthes, severely damaged, takes him out of the combat theater. He'd never felt this awful before. "Shit..." He mumbles... his hands then suddenly ram down on the consoles, the young man folding over a bit. "Shit shit shit shiiiiiiit!" The Ender continues to cry. "I can't believe this. What... what kind of weakling am I?!" He felt powerless, defeaten, even more crushed than the Balmarians had ever been able to crush him.

"Ascian, sir?" The female sounding Artificial Intelligence seeks a response from the frame's framerunner. "What is it, Duat?" is all the young man can muster to say, his hair hanging wildly in front of his eyes, his breathing somewhat eradic as his mind hangs between anger and sadness. "I... I'm sorry." The A.I. gives as a response. The young man simply... looks up at the little indicator of its status. This kind of behavior confused him. "Sorry?"

Not answering him however, the unit suddenly indicates Hera. She was following him back to the NUT facility. But he can't get himself to say something to her. Too ashamed.

The thing Coop Cooplowski likes least about this dimension is all the goddamn psychics running around everywhere, pulling off things they shouldn't be able to do on skill alone, getting inside his /head/. He doesn't know Meriden is doing this to him, since she hasn't done anything creepy like the Balmarians tried on him. But he's beginning to suspect something is up after the eighth or ninth near-miss.

It makes him angrier-er.

"Enough already!" Coop shouts as he withdraws upward, evading the hurled grenades and reaching out for the Vierhander, which the Black Thirteen catches in its right hands. "You're like a broken record," he snarls as he sheathes the massive weapon into the void behind him, black energy coursing outward as it vanishes into storage. "With your goddamn won't stop, won't stop, don't stop! KIVA!" he roars as he opens up his holographic weapons display.

"Yes, emperor?"

"She put that song in my head," he says as he presses his hand down on the display, covering a row with each finger, and then sweeps them across his body to the right, selecting a wide swath from the available choices.

"...yes, emperor."

A loud and low series of piano chord echo out in the cockpit as weapons begin deploying out of the dark portals and attaching themselves to any available space on the Black Thirteen. Rifles, shoulder-mounted cannons, then shoulder-cannon-mounted hardpoints, followed by shoulder-cannon-mounted-hardpoint cannons, and so on and so forth. Sections of armour plating slide away from the Thirteen's frame, disgorging more barrels of iron, energy welling out from within them. "Just a small-town girl," Coop sings along in his deep baritone as a 140-degree arc out from the Black Thirteen suddenly lights up as hostile on Divine Crusader tactical displays. "Livin' in a LONELY WORLD!" he shouts as he pulls the triggers, and the sky lights up.

"Wh-- it's still /standing/?!"

This is Arthur Goodman's response as he sees the Zweizergain, heavily damage yet still intact, before his rapidly twitching gaze. That vein in his forehead throbs again.

"G-ghhh! Ready the mega particle cannons again! We'll incinerate him!" "Sir, we don't have the energy; the reactors running low, we can't power a full shot." "Wh--what?!" screeches Goodman. "Then do /something/! If we don't, he'll-- he'll--"

Light flashes, and the Zweizergain teleports away. "--disappear?!" Goodman stares with a long, thoughtful silence at the battlefield. His eyes stop twitching. His lips pull into a thin line.

"Hah! It seems we've driven their commanding officer off!" the pasty blonde announces. "Well done, gentlemen! I would have preferred if Bushido could have remembered to catch him before he could escape, but it seems victory is ours! Now where is my victory swee--"

Goodman looks -- to see his cheese cake splattered on the floor. His right eye twitches again. "--t." Silence. "... Lieutenant, get me another slice." "... that was the last one, sir." "Ghhh... DAMN Vindel Mauser!!"

Noriko sheers the GOUF right the hell in half--

But Norris Packard is nothing if not good at doing that right the hell back.

"C'mon, c'mon--" Noriko mutters, knowing Norris is really, really good in the clutch, getting herself ready, snapping her arms up, if she can /just/ handle--

Nope.

Noriko floats in a belimbed torso, arms crossed. "Humph," she mutters, and keys in the return command. Screw that guy, seriously.

Alia holds her position, tense as Hera considers the offer. When Hera disengages, Alia causes the tornado to disappear while speaking in a very polite and serene tone. "You will have my departure. I bear the people of Phobos no ill-will, and have no interest in controlling their lives. After no fewer than three offenses against my home however, much like you... I had no choice. I could not just stand by and let the Divine Crusaders believe we will tolerate repeated abuses against us. Now that you have seen we will defend our peace with strength and skill that equal your own... I'll gladly stop meddling in your lives. I will leave your home now, and if you stay out of mine then we need never see each other again, need never /fight/ again." True to her word, Alia lets Hera go after that; the only other thing she does is make a transmission to Ascian. Her righteous anger is gone now that the last of her enemies retreats, a feeling of peaceful satisfaction coming over her. Having struck a meaningful blow against the DC's war capabilities, she knows that if they choose to wrong Langran a fourth time that they will do so with a noticable shortage of certain important materials. Alia begins to fly Zefholm back toward the A-LAWS ship that carried this attack force here, even as she hopes that perhaps this blow truly will convince the DC to leave Langran alone. Having one fewer enemy, one fewer attachment to the wars of the surface world that she would just as soon stay neutral in... would be wonderful.

It's like a pipe organ of pain, Meriden thinks, in the few seconds she has time to do that in.

"Then go away!" Meriden yells. "Go back! I don't really want to hurt you either, but I will if I have to!" Given her performance so far, she is not actually doing a very good job of it, but she means it. Hurting people is not what she joined the army and got heavy weapons to do!

The barrage of beams strikes everywhere but where Meriden is. It /does/ take out part of her robot; the Gundam loses an arm entirely, the damaged shoulder joint not enough to hold it on after another beam lances into it. Meriden herself hunkers down in the cockpit, putting the battered and nearly broken machine through some intense acrobatics to keep herself alive, darting between beams.

She is running out of weapons. Meriden has no grenades left; she has a broken beam gun, half a shield, and a single beam sword, and that's all. But there is another flash of insight. This only works once.

The Seventh Gundam charges Black Thirteen one last time. Meriden raises the shield as she goes and throws it, trying to lodge it in the big hole in the chest she left with her own alpha strike - and then she jumps, trying to plant her feet on the part that sticks out and balance right there. The single remaining arm whips back, draws the over-shoulder beam sword, and drives it into the hole like she was a vampire hunter and she could stake the Black Thirteen.

She is yelling, but she doesn't really make out any intelligable words while doing so. It's somewhere between anger and being terrified. "Get off the planet!" is what she finally comes up with, slashing hard with the sword. If only she'd practiced more with it!

<Radio> Tightbeam to Ascian Luddite, Alia Winchester tries to appear, looking very calm. "That woman cares deeply for you. I can only imagine what actions you have taken elsewhere in your life, to inspire that kind of protective love. Far be it from me to destroy such a bond... I will leave you now in peace. Good bye, Mr. Luddite."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Alia Winchester: Ascian Luddite comes through, audiovisually, apparently having been crying a bit. A soldier... crying... isn't that pathetic? "I don't know what actions I took to inspire such a thing. But know... that by helping them take Phobus, as much as you say you will now leave me in peace... have put that bond in mortal danger."

"And so, the day was saved." Novas says while people continue to kill each other. And then she looks at Meriden an Coop battling. gosh, she thinks, it's just /Journey/.

Novas glances down and sees her foot is tapping. She stomps on it, and winces. This distracts her from being actually helpful.

As Vindel addresses him... Bushido can't help but listen. There is a certain kind of sense in the words of the Shadow Mirror commander, a troubling kind of sense that doesn't stop bothering him even after the Zweizergain vanishes, leaving the Susanowo alone in the vicinity of Goodman's flagship, the masked man's green eyes turning to look at the Blanc Rival, his mouth pulled into a firm line, but... The One Man Army lets out a slow, steadying breath, and steers his mobile suit closer to the Blanc Rival, either to dock or to simply keep up some sort of defensive perimeter for the battleship, with what little energy remains in the one still-functional false solar furnace. Though there is a temptation in the idea if working for commanders with, perhaps, a more... Compatible view of the warrior's lifestyle, some parts of Bushido's past still cling to him, still keep his gaze focused on his true goal. Even with all the things he's forsaken in his quest, could he engage in outright treachery...? "Next time, Vindel Mauser," Bushido says to himself, because he is in fact straight up a crazy person. "We will see how well /your/ ideals serve you on the battlefield."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Hey... Hera...?"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "..yes.."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I'll treat."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "..First.. get looked at.. and then, ok."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "And thanks... for back there."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Don't know what would've happened without you."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "Well, next time don't be so brazing ok? Going up against two isn't smart, just opens yourself up to be flanked by the other."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "..at lleast that is what Anca tells me."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Vindel Mauser transmits, "All units report in - do we have anyone out besides Axel?"

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "I didn't go up against both of them by /choice/."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Ascian Luddite transmits, "Hera and I are retreating to the NUT facilities on Mars."

<Radio: B - DC Tactical> Hera transmits, "His unit was badly damaged. If I didn't go with him, he could have gotten lost in space."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Ascian Luddite, Alia Winchester seems unmoved, speaking calmly but firmly. "Those are the consequences of your actions. This cycle of strike and counter-strike can end here however... if you leave us be, then I will do likewise. I would as soon spend the rest of my life quietly in Langran, never again meddling in the affairs of the surface world, or Phobos, or any other region."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Alia Winchester: Ascian Luddite transmits, "You will likely spend your life on Langran in peace... for from this point on, the A-LAWS will once again push into Mars and subjegate our people. You've doomed me, Hera, and an entire planet. But good luck, spending your life quietly in Langran." Obviously, Ascian is angry. "I don't think that my actions deserved this, now did it? Goodbye."

<Radio> Tightbeam to Alia Winchester: Ascian Luddite forcefully breaks contact.

The illogic of this situation would have offended other people - it is inconceivable that this girl is holding her own against the raw power of the Black Thirteen in the outdated, outclassed piece of crap she is piloting. And yet she keeps coming. And Coop keeps singing, mad with rage.

"Streetlight!" he laughs as the Seventh Gundam rips into the damaged chest plating, tearing away at the interior. "People!" Chunks of metal and mechanical fluids spray outward, dousing the smaller robot. "Livin' just to FIND emotion!" Coop calls out as the main chest plating buckles and fails, sailing away on the gravitic tides and providing a good look at the interior of the Black Thirteen.

And the bow of a potentially familiar ship, pulsing with the reactor's output.

"Hiding!" Coop shouts as he tears the other plate off, fully exposing the massive barrel tied to the core of his machine. "Somewhere in the niiiiiiiiiiiight!"

The Wave Motion Gun fires.

Meriden Almace's expression goes from determined to panicked right as she smashes open part of the Black Thirteen to reveal -

"Uh," Meriden says.

The cannon fires. Meriden drops down an instant beforehand, hanging onto the shattered shield with one hand. The shield survives a fraction of the second in the blast before simply vaporizing; the Seventh Gundam's fingers go with it, though the rest of Meriden's machine falls to the ground, rolling between the Black Thirteen's legs to avoid the enormous blast.

Meriden looks up, her robot on its back, at quite possibly the largest crotch she has ever seen in her life.

And then, for lack of any other weapon at all, Meriden fires the head vulcans straight vertically, trying to drill up underneath the armour on Black Thirteen and hit it in what just might be a vulnerable spot. She only gets one chance at this - then she has to pull back, no matter what. She's out of hands and out of weapons!

The discharge of the Wave Motion Gun draws a /hell/ of a lot of power from the Black Thirteen's reactor core, and neither it nor Coop's rage are completely inexhaustible. The cockpit lights dim, the music fades and Coop nearly drops to one knee as the beam of energy roars off into the distance, where the law of inverse squares will eventually take care of it before it hits a planet. Probably.

As a result of the pilot's exhaustion, the Black Thirteen does nothing to defend its gigantic crotch from facebullets, and the rain of vulcan fire chews away at the armour plating to reveal just what is stored where the legs of a super robot meet. Which is to say missiles.

The ancient mech is doing remarkably well against 'Evil' Coop Cooplowski, but let's be honest: Enough is enough.

Meriden is starting to get a headache, the kind she gets when she's driving all ten bits at once on the Proto Gundam. She doesn't know why - she's not driving any bits here! But it's there. And, frankly, she is entirely out of ammunition of every sort, unless she wants to keep firing the damn head vulcans.

The battered Gundam rolls away from the missiles, red rocks and dirt blasting up in plumes behind her. And then she runs. Both the legs on the Gundam are still operating; she makes remarkably good time for something so battered, even using her additional thrusters as jump boosters once in a while.

"I'll be right back!" she sends. "With more guns!" The Blanc Rival /is/ right there... "Unless you want to go back with your boss?"

She may not be coming back all that fast.

"...That was crazy." Novas says, lowering her bag of popcorn and following suit.

Sunday, January 23, NCA 121 Vascillia Local time - 01:35:25 AM NUT Facility

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A video comes up, showing a wounded looking Ascian, who has one eye bound off by a bandage, and his hair looks somewhat singed. His face looks dirty in some places, as well as burned and scratched. "This is private Ascian Luddite, of the BAHRAM space forces." A medic can be seen working on the young man's face, but is trying to stay out of the camera. In addition, a younger BAHRAM pilot with raven black hair and blue hued bangs is hovering in the background, looking worried.

"Last night, at 8 PM Vascillia County Local Time, Phobus was assaulted by an elite and sizable army of EFA and A-LAWS." The young man grabs a datapad at his side and presses a few buttons. A quick set of images comes up, showing video of Mister Bushido in the Susanowo going at it with Vindel Mauser in the Zweizergain -- the Blanc Rival firing large cannons into the mix of battle -- Alia Winchester and Beside Pain in the Zefhold and 1 Gundam respectively, ganging up on the Amenthes, and the Ancalagon saving its ass.

"We fought hard, but their sheer numbers, and the fact that we were unprepared and could only launch an unprepared and unsupplied section of the Divine Crusader forces, we were unable to hold Phobus. With this, the EFA and A-LAWS once again have regained grounds on BAHRAM... no... Mars, and clearly are threatening to increase their grip on this red planet. A Metatron Refining Facility, posted on that moon, was likely taken in the process." He suddenly winces, as the doctor tries to apply something to his face with a cottonswab. "The Blanc Rival is still posted and hanging above the moon." He adds to this.

"As a pilot for BAHRAM, I must thank the rest of the Divine Crusaders for coming to aid us in such difficult times. Especially as I know that much of our resources and manpower was lost in the defense against the Balmarian forces." He bows his head a bit. "It gladdens me that we, as a faction, can show that we can work together, even after being so divided after the unfortunate death of Bian Zoldark. And I hope that, even with such a set back, we can still count on your support. As you can, of course, expect support from me."

"Ascian Luddite, Out."

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