2009-04-24 - Death/Rebirth Pt. I-a

//The Far Side of the Moon/

"Level Six, clear. Now entering the final phase."

The moon is home to many things, and many secrets. One of the more particularly well-hidden ones lies at the dark side of the moon: the location of the massively powerful quantum computer known as 'Veda.' A dull hum reverborates throughout the ornate halls of Veda's chamber at a constant, steady rate as Ribbons Almark steadily types away at the control panel before him. Standing just behind him, Alejandro Corner of Orb Union smiles dimly, looking upwards toward the massive green monolith beyond.

"The acts and scenes that have composed this play are all too interesting," Representative Corner muses with an amused smirk. "An organization that desperately seeks for a peace that doesn't exist with their grasp; a princess making the futile attempt to struggle against the flow of history; a lost hero, unable to let go of the past; three siblings, born to be sacrificial lambs; a man who has sought war so fiercely that he has become a devil; a young colonel looking for truth and justice in a world that will never offer it. The players have made their last, vehement bid to break out of the rolls they have been consigned to. They don't realize the hopelessness of it. Soon enough, though..." Alejandro glances downward towards the pulsating blue core of Veda, his smile widening. "... everything will fall into place."

A silence settles over the hall as Ribbons continues his work, only offering a kind and humoring smile for Alejandro's words. The man looks up, eyes narrowing with abject entertainment. "It has been an interesting play to observe," he continues smoothly. "But... I believe it is time to bid our dedicated actors adieu." His gaze drifts, towards the screens surrounding Ribbons. His smile grows fond, the smile of a man thinking of a bright future.

"I will very much enjoy watching this final act."

/Orb Union Islands, South Pacific//

For the longest of times, the Orb Union has strove to eliminate warfare. Despite their small size, their advanced technological achievements have kept them safe from a full front to be mobilized against them. The fight would be too brutal, too bitter, to be worth the effort expended.

Apparently, times have changed.

The bright, bold flags of the Earth Federation ripple in the wind amidst a fleet of battleships rapidly approaching the Orb Mainland. The fleet size is impressive -- intimidatingly large, even, mobile suits patroling around the armada of ships, the distinct trails of red particles amongst them intimating the presence of the Federation's GN-X squadrons. They dot across the vast ocean, forboding and strong. Perhaps the largest mobilized effort against the Orb Islands is now coming to knock at their doors... in full force.

 Alia Winchester sounds completely awe-struck. "Are you seeing this?"

"HURRRRRRRGHK!" Amuro Ray strains, vomiting up blood-specked bile into a bucket beside his luxurious four-poster bed. Sweat covers his skin from head to toe. His famous 'fro is matted against his scalp like some kind of lesser haircut. His left arm is in a cast, and his right leg in a brace. Bandages are wrapped around his torso and legs, already stained crimson by the constant bleeding.

"Amuro, try to keep /something/ down!" Beltorchika demands, exasperation colouring her voice. "We're running out of medicine and you can't even swallow a saltine without throwing it right back up! What's /wrong/ with you??" she complains, tenderly wiping his brow with a cool cloth. "You're stronger than this!"

"I got... blown up..." The White Devil replies, voice hoarse from all the abuse his throat has suffered. "Give me a fucking BREAK, woman!" he half-roars, before devolving into a helpless coughing fit. Beltorchika makes concerned tutting noises and brushes his sweat-soaked hair back out of his eyes. The coughing subsides and he sighs, rolling onto his back and throwing his good arm over his eyes. "Am I getting too old for this?" he wonders in a low voice.

Beltorchika frowns, eyes narrowing. "You're /twenty-four/ years old, Amuro Ray," she admonishes, slapping him lightly on the chest. He winces. "Get back to me in /twenty years/." And before he can reply, the red alert sounds. "Wh--" he gasps, moving his arm and head to stare at a wall screen. His eyes widen as he sees the armada approaching. "Oh... oh /shit/," he groans, struggling to sit up in his bed. "Beltorchika... get me my... normal suit!"

In the past year, Garrod's opinions of Orb have vary wildly. At first, he considered them all crazy for the course they took: An opinion that was only further reinforced by a long string of running into the faction's crazies. Then he relented and decided to give them a chance. In that time, he has seem them do many heroic things... and many questionable choices. There were times when he wanted to cheer them on and others when he was almost on the verge of washing his hands of them. Even now, he is somewhat wary of them. They are good people, but there is something... off with them as of late. It doesn't take a genius to see that they've been hit with a few too many setbacks and tragedies in recent months. Garrod sits upon the deck of the Freedan, which currently sits in the harbor of the OU. They had came here to pick up a shipment, but then the EFA blockade came sailing in, and given the fact that the Freedan has... some property that technically belongs to them (even if he did found it abandoned), they've decided not to go out there and submit to boarding and inspection. With the federation all psyched up, giving them an excuse to lock them up and csonfiscate the Gundam X wouldn't be wise.

And as the story goes, the Federation does not waste any time. The battleships that have somehow secreted their way to the welcome mat of the Orb Islands do indeed begin discharging one suit after another, the Federation quite literally throwing the kitchen sink at the decidedly green-shaded faction to judge by one of the mobile suits that leaps from the deck of a cruiser. Mobile armor fills the air, GN-X squadrons soar. There is something different about this, than any other attempt the Federation has made to squash the island nation since their entrance into the war proper.

Aboard one of the battleships, Paptimus Scirocco sports a slight smirk as he watches the air fill with suits crafted by his precious Jupitoris. To say that the Man from Jupiter is likely to pat himself on the back by the end of today is somewhat of an understatement.

"The hammer falls, indeed," he murmurs, arms crossing before he turns from the bridge, leaving command of the ship to a naval commander with a slight wave. He has pressing issues, such as boarding his latest construct, PMX-003 The O. Scirocco likes gold, and he will shower the Orb Union in it today.

Yes, that's right, you read that right.

"Stenbuck, Bear, you have the lead, direct me where you will," he informs the nominated Federation field commanders as The O belches forth from the battleship, nearly causing the poor thing to capsize from the sudden massive shift in weight as the unit takes to the skies, fifty verniers blasting it forward amidst a sea of GN-X's. Yesterday, he shot down Amuro Ray. "I know he still lives," he notes... to himself, since he's one of the great soliloquy players in the solar system.

The remaining battleships have already taken targets, military targets a primary concern, and without further adieu begin firing missiles under the charge of units, aiming to take out shore defenses and naval craft before they have a chance.

Alia is already in the air, sitting at the controls of Zefholm. Her routine visit to the islands is now anything but routine, at all the radar reports and visuals of... a massive fleet inbound. "...They're serious. They're really going to do it." She's awe-struck at the size of the attacking force. "They're just going to sweep through here, destroy everything and kill everyone and say today was a good day for justice since the terrorists are dead." That does seem to be the plan, as missiles come in. Zefholm won't be able to stop all of them, but Alia does try to at least thin their numbers out by flying to the coastline, lashing out with various miniature tornados and wing-fired energy beams in hopes of shooting some of them down.

Tieria looks down at the vast expanse of blue beneath him, the endless sea of Oceania spreading outwards from horizon to horizon. The Ptolemaios has only arrived recently in Earth Orbit after having fled away from the point where it had been ambushed out by the moon. One might have expected the group to flee and lick its wounds after having lost their most crucial piece of hardware - without the support of the quantum computer Veda, which was even now being subverted in its hidden location, they were flying blind. But even a blind man knew which way was down, and down was the direction where they would find the Orb Union and the heavy task force that was even now poised to crush it once and for all. Resting his hands lightly on Virtue's controls, the purple haired Meister takes a long, deep breath, bringing his emotions under control. He couldn't lose it like he did last time he was in battle - it would simply get people killed who might otherwise survive. Clenching his hands on the controls, Tieria opens up a voice link to the Ptolemy and the other Meisters, trying his best to keep his voice level. "All of you know how dire our straights are here - and now the Orb Union is being dragged into the crosshairs, just as we were earlier this week. Our enemy seems unwilling to leave things to chance - they want to wipe our every part of Celestial Being, Mithril, the AEUG, and Orb. Our allies came to our rescue earlier - it is time for us to repay the favor." Virtue detaches it's docking clamps, moving away from the side of the Ptolemy with a flare of GN particles. "We may no longer have a plan to follow - so we simply fight for our friends and allies. Come back safe, and let us do what we can to get Orb out of this fix." With that, the heavy-set Gundam turns over, plummeting down towards the atmosphere and the ocean bound islands far below.

David is smiling in the cockpit of his GN-X, checking over it's status for the nth time. All perfect. All powerful, all wonderful. This is power. He smiles, comfy now that he's able to pilot the mighty GN-X again. After his previous victory in it -- against an Aries, sure, but that's still a victory -- he's finally able to pilot one again, and it feels GOOD! His GN-X just cruises along, immediately moving into formation along with another squad of GN-X units, accelerating out as the missiiles fire en masse. He's going to enjoy this. This is what he /lives/ for.

The camera angle changes slightly, and there is Kai Shiden, ace reporter, veteran pilot, brosef, leaning against Amuro's ridiculously extravagant armoire. He steps out from behind it, into full view, and tosses a normal suit out onto his bed, immediately powerstealing Beltorchika's future relevance. He himself is already in one, a rare occurance.

He'd try to talk Amuro down, but he already knows that don't fly.

"Looks like we've pissed 'em off good, this time. It can't just be for JOSH-A... bet they've been planning this one for a while." Kai turns away from the beleaguered Amuro, looking back over his shoulder, concerned. "Hey, Amuro. Don't overwork yourself... we knew somethin' like this was gonna come eventually." Kai tilts his head back, pushing his grey hair away from his eyes before sliding his helmet on, checks the whip ludicrously attached to his belt, and jogs down halls and out to where the Guncannon Detector is waiting to deploy.

The sounds of the incoming missile fire start to shake the ground. Kai grits his teeth.

There is an ancient custom, dating back some number of centuries, of 'piping aboard' the captain of a ship - that is to say, to formally welcome him aboard his vessel by some officer playing a ceremonial pipe or flute.

The sound of the Warrior Flute being played on a hill overlooking the main harbor of the Orb Union's capital island has absolutely nothing to do with this old, surface-world naval tradition, and the typically earth-shaking and flashy appearance of the Schleiman Tank should drive that discrepancy home quite nicely.

Granted, Rocket *is* here to 'greet' the EFA forces, in a manner of speaking ... but rather than welcoming them to Orb, he's out to send them packing. Still, he's chosen to ally himself with Orb, and with an attack on the Union's home island commencing, he has every intention of sending mobile suits, other giant robots, and the fleet they sailed in on back to wherever they came from, in as many pieces as will manage to float there.

Where did Kyrios come from?

Cutting swiftly through orbit and shimmering in the heat of the atmosphere, the orange and white Gundam easily catches up with the heavier Virtue, retaining a pace that puts it right next to its teammate.

Allelujah doesn't have much to say; as the transmission floats up into his ears, the young supersoldier keeps an even grip on the controls, staring down pensively at the monitors. His glance diverts to the side, a grim, serious look on his countenance.

"Roger. Tieria -- Setsuna -- we should keep close." Allelujah looks ahead. "I have a feeling something would devestate us if we were to seperate."

Sergei Smirnov sits within the cockpit of his mobile suit, his gloved hands clenching at the controls of the suit to gain a level of familiarity with what is for the most part alien structure to him. His eyes closed, the Wild Bear of Russia breathes in deep, and exhales slowly, in a calm, relaxed process. The docking bay of the Russian command ship open, vertical racks sliding out to reveal a long row of GN-Xes.

"This suit..." Sergei murmurs to himself, eyes cracking open. "... feels much more different than the Tieren. But--" He moves easily, operating the control system of his machine and bringing its systems online one by one. At the front of the mobile suit rack, the face panels of what would look to be a modified Jinx slide open, four eyes coming online in flashes of violet. "... it's nothing that I can't handle." Sergei's eyes drift towards the Orb Mainland. He frowns.

"... Hrn. GN-X Squad Choubu, deploy! Advance under Plan E7! Keep formation behind me!"

With flares of crimson, a squadron of GN-X shunt outward in a tight formation. At their lead? A single, dark-blue colored mobile suit, bearing striking resemblance to the GN-X itself -- if not for some differences, like the long antenna on its head... or the large blue lance it carries.

"There is no allowance for anything other than victory."

Sergei Smirnov activates his GNX-604T Advanced GN-X unit.

The Prince of the Kingdom's Alba raises to fight once more.

The Alba was fitted with thrusters to get it close to the Orb Union Islands. The name of the game today was to obtained air dominance...and Bastion easily makes his talents avalible. Though he can't drive the GN-X's yet, given he has many things he has to do for his country, on top of relearning the controls for the Unit, he once more fights in a unit not quite made for some of the more diverse land battles.

He would have to see about getting one of those drives that allowed him to float in the air.

Reguardless, the Alba lands on the islands, the thrusters disengaging and landing the Alba safely, as a strike squad of GN-X's formed around him. Their commander signaling Bastion, and the Prince responding. "I'm here to support you." Bastion says, as the commander explained the plan. Fly low and fast, get to the nearest anti-air instalations and start taking them down.

Bastion could do that, given that the Alba was mostly land locked anyway.

Macua has had mixed feelings on Orb on and off as well but she knew there were some damn good people in Orb. She'd come to not judge factions by the whole but by people with in. She trusted the one who'd hired her to help Orb and she was working for little more than ammo and repairs today..

She's standing on the deck with Garrod at this point. She radios Garrod, "This is going to be bad, you know what I'm going to do Garrod. I'm not asking you to come along after me, you understand?" Lamia Loveless has flown many combat missions in her time as an adjunct to the Earth Federation forces, but her rank has remained, officially, 'technician'. This means she does not get the sweet, sweet Jinx. Maybe someone with a computer has good sense - or maybe robot discrimination is a universal.

The Isurugi edition of the Jet Dagger dual-mode aerial mech sits in the higher launch catapults of one of the flagships, Lamia herself settled in and ready. Perhaps she is reflecting on the transience of war and life. Or perhaps she is thinking about how to steal one of these 'Jinxes,' and avoid further redheaded consequences.

The Jet Dagger sails above the main force of GN-Xs after its launch, the absurd design of flying wing + mech seeming quite functional for now. Bursts of explosions and light come far below Lamia as she looks down, and she watches impassively as the distance closes.

It was such a nice day before the battleships showed up. Akira was just here to enjoy the weather and the view, and then the latter got spoiled by something as butt-ugly as the EFA's fleet that they apparently pulled out of their collective asses. He opens one eye and turns his head slightly from his slouched sitting position, having a great vantage point from which to see them coming. He lets out a quiet sigh and suppresses a shiver from a sudden chill.

"Winds're changing," mutters the psychic. He had a feeling...

Akira stands up, perched on the shoulder of the massive super robot Buriki-Daioh. He can see something approaching at high speed, and needs to do something about it before it gets here. Scrambling into the hatch on top, Akira slides down the rungs of the ladder and swings the door open to the spacious cockpit, running up to the control panel. He takes a deep breath and begins to concentrate, to feel for the connection, and then...

Buriki-Daioh's eyes light up, a golden glow shining from them. The ancient machine reaches down into the water, it's hand disappearing beneath the surface for a moment. When it comes back up, the waves part as it brings something with it, water flowing off of it as it creates small waterfalls off the surface of the object. The ancient Babylonian robot swings it up and clasps it in both hands, the last of the water running down the edge and the weapon gleaming in the light.

When the first missile approaches Akira's position, the massive edge of the reforged Massacre Blade is there to meet it with a shriek of tearing metal and a flash of light. The battle has begun.

The armored Charger does exactly as it's name suggests, the blocky machine pulling after the EFA cruisers, machine pulling after them. Just a day ago, he was on opposite sides. So why is Heero with the EFA?

He doesn't really like any of the groups. In this action, to wipe out the 'terrorists', it would be against him before. When he had seen that man from before, heard of that man from before, on their side - a machine that seemed to be based on Wing, he had simply assumed it to be based on the weaponry before he was let out - that they had used what technology that was supposed to stop war, to make more of it.

Maybe it would be best if they were the first ones to be wiped out.

Fail, succeed, Heero doesn't care either way. Soldiers will die on either side. The battle, in itself, is necessary. The wars have to continue until every soldier dies. So Heero simply just has to keep fighting.

He's just a weapon, after all. The same as the machine he now pilots.

Missiles crash against the EFA's base, and the rather blocky Charger continues on, pulling onwards, to the Orb Union's coast.

 Alia Winchester transmits, "So you're here too, huh, Akira?"  Akira Tadokoro transmits, "Like I'd be anywhere else."  Kai Shiden transmits, "This is the big leagues, people."  Akira Tadokoro transmits, "Yeah."

The escape from Dakar being what it was, Lyle's typically assigned mobile suit is currently so much shrapnel decorating a street back in Africa. Lucky for him, the Irish sniper got out of things relatively unscathed, since he didn't try to use his FACE to block a space laser, and only had to spend a little bit of time in medical, rather than vomiting up blood all day long. But hey, different strokes, right? Lyle was close at hand when the alert came through about the impending EFA attack, so in pretty short order he's already suiting up, and running out the door of a locker room pulling on his normal suit helmet just in time to meet up with Kai Shiden, Ace Reporter, and presumably also Amuro Rey, Just Ace. "Man," the Karaba pilot says, conversationally. "We don't get a lot of time to relax around here, do we?" Lucky for Lyle, there's a suit waiting for him as well, ready to deploy; another Rick Dias, of course, though this one lacks his preferred green paint scheme, and is instead left in 'generic dude' colours. But what can you hope for on such short notice?

 Alia Winchester transmits, "I know. A fleet that big... they're here to kill literally everyone, aren't they?"  Akira Tadokoro hehs, "Guess we'd better not mess around then, huh?"

Guy Shishioh is not a soldier. He is a force to stop evil in the world, in whatever form it manifests. He is a guardian of justice and peace.

That is why being here bothers him. The thought that this fight will harm innocents digs into him. The knowledge that the EFA is not perfect digs into him, the knowledge that the Orb Union is not all evil digs into him. Everything about the oncoming battle bothers him. Most of all, though, the knowledge that this fight will continue even if he's not here, that it will possibly go worse, that the EFA must win despite its flaws because the alternatives are even worse--most of all, that bothers him.

The King of Braves descends from the sky, the silvery mirror particles flaking off it. Inside the cockpit, Guy Shishioh, bedecked in his golden armor, stares at the various units. They are not monsters like the Zonders, but even so, he has to destroy them. GaoGaiGar's hands rise and clench, Guy cracking his knuckles.

"Alright! Let's go!"

 Kai Shiden transmits, "They'll probably be content with shattering the Union."  Rocket transmits, "They're not going to succeed."

As the Gundam Meisters streak downward toward the looming battle, the Ptolemaios takes a slower approach. Dipping slowly into the atmosphere, Celestial Being's transport ship sparkles in the iridescent atmosphere, GN Field glowing vividly. Inside, Sumeragi Lee Noriega frowns, her look one of intense concentration. She says nothing; no one else on the bridge does, either. The tense silence is broken by the sound of the tactical forecaster unscrewing a flask. Nearby, Feldt Grace frowns.

 Rocket transmits, "You guys have the Schleiman Tank backing you up."  Alia Winchester transmits, "Well, I'm not going to let them just do that and wave their little Federation flags and talk about how awesome and justice they are. Rocket, alright if I fly air cover over you, keep them away from your tank?"  Akira Tadokoro transmits, "Hmph. They just bit off more than they can chew. Think it's time I see what I can do with Slival's 'gift.'"

"Are you sure you want to go o-- Kai!" Beltorchika exclaims, hands flying to her throat in surprise. "How did you get in-- oh, never mind..." she trails off, as Amuro Ray wincingly reaches out and grabs his normal suit. White, with an offset vertical stripe of blue. His colours. Slowly, painfully, he levers himself into a sitting position, then a standing position. Beltorchika sighs, quickly changing his bandages and reinforcing his dressings.

The White Devil can barely even dress himself. His girlfriend is forced to help him get his suit on over his casts; his body is weak, but his eyes are honed steel. "Yeah... we've pissed 'em off... by standing up and /demanding/ the rights they've stolen from us...!" he grunts, finally getting to his feet. He grabs his crutches from beside the bed, sets them under his arms, and turns to kiss Beltorchika goodbye. Hopefully not for the last time.

Down in the hangar, the Newtype looks over the mobile suits available to him. Rick Dias-- outdated, not suited for this level of combat. Gundam-- sentimental but antique. Dijeh SE-R-- temperamental, can't fly. The A1-- destroyed.

His eyes land on a blue and white wedge, almost identical to the creamsicle Waverider he so recently got blown up. Sure, it technically belongs to someone else, but... Amuro Ray's mouth crawls into a brief smile, and he hauls himself into the cockpit, groaning and wincing all the way.

Breathing heavily, he manages to get the harness done up one-armed and looks down at the controls. Two pedals. Two controls sticks. "Heh," he chuckles. One arm. One leg. "I've done more... with less. Amuro Ray!" he announces, as the launch catapult lights up. "Zeta Plus A2! LAUNCHING!"

And the blue waverider soars out into the sky. The White Devil already knows what's coming-- and he already knows that there's one man here who just can't be allowed to live. "Paptimus Scirocco..." he croaks. "Say your prayers."

Amuro Ray activates his Zeta Plus A2 unit. Amuro Ray's Zeta Plus A2 transforms into its Waverider mode.

 Rocket transmits, "Wield it well, Akira!"

"Well too bad," replies Garrod as he stands up and steps over to the Gundam X, "I'm coming anyway. I'm not going to just sit here and allow that bastard Ali to set the world on fire." It only takes him a few moments to climb into the cockpit of the GX and slide the controller into it's port, "Gundam X, heading out!" Verniers snap open as the Gundam soars out of the rear hanger of the Freedan and turns towards the beseiged port.

 Amuro Ray transmits, "Sorry, Judau! I'm borrowing this!"

For Setsuna F. Seiei, being stationed on the planet instead of with the Celestial Being mothership is fairly typical. So when he finds himself seated inside of Gundam Exia and he has Tieria droning on in front of his face, he can't help but give a mild grunt, although whether it's agreement or otherwise is another issue. "Setsuna F. Seiei, Gundam Exia, launching," he intones with his typical monotone, the Celestial Being suit bursting from its container on one of the smallest nondescript Orb desert islands. Bristling with its typical weaponry, the suit makes a direct charge into the thick of things, firing off shots from the sawn-off beam rifle it sports at the encroaching GN-X units.

 Akira Tadokoro transmits, "I'm no swordsman, but I'll try!"  Judau Ashta transmits, "Huh-- hey!! What the hell're you doing?! You better not get it blown up, Bright's already yelled at me enough for that!!" <Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Kai Shiden transmits, "Well, now Bright's gonna yell at you for not locking it up right."

As the Federation fleet makes its way towards the Orb Islands, Rising Gundam remains within the middle of the vast number of battleships, once again taking on a defensive stance towards the battle as its pilot remains on stand-by. Meanwhile, within the cockpit of the Gundam, Rain continues to wait and watches as the multitude of mobile suits begin launching from the carriers in the area, appearing like strings of colors that are being lead by the golden O and a single GN-X. As the red GN particles shower the skies, a slight red hue is seen that will signify the coming of the blood that is about to be shed. Folding her arms cross her chest, the good doctor continues to watch on as the mobile suits fly towards the Orb Islands, still continuing to question the need to fight this out though its apparent people have their reasons. Through out the current sorties she has participated in, Dr. Mikamura has begun once again to question her stance in the Federation and whether she'll seek to improve it or leave it all together. Many a time her words have been spoken over the air waves and met with critisim and discouragement. To some this might mean the Federation doesn't desire the peace and shoot down others that wish otherwise but to others she's actually a voice that rattles the cage of those war-mongers.

Today, however, Rain will keep her thoughts to herself and her words silent from the radio waves. As missile barrages fire from the surrounding ships and stream like firey arrows in the sky, the good doctor will give her support to the Federation once more. Their actions today will determine will determine what she decides to do. Still though the words of the organization still echo in her mind, "Celestial Being."

<Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Akira Tadokoro transmits, "Don't think any kind of lock could stop Amuro Ray right now."

Among all the other GN-X suits flying in the EFA forces, one of them stands out... because a certain Captain Yurika Misumaru has taken it upon herself to paint it pink and lavender. Soma Peries has taken it in stride, however, and has largely ignored questions regarding the colorscheme. After all, the Tieren Taozi's pastel pink never bothered her. This is a little more dignified.

When the order is given, Soma pulls her mobile suit out of formation and begins to accelerate toward the Orb forces. She scans quickly over the video inputs around the cockpit, eyes narrowing as she spots a few very familiar suits. "Gundams. Celestial Being." Soma's grip clenches slightly on her controls as she steers her GN-X toward them. "Moving into range."

<Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Kai Shiden transmits, "Bright calls that kind of detail a 'weak excuse'." <Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Akira Tadokoro snorts. <Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Amuro Ray transmits, "Heh. It'd do these ki-*kaff*-ds good to spend a few days with... Bright." <Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Judau Ashta transmits, "Aaawwwhhhh, maaannnnnnnn..."

In the cockpit of the Bolinoak Sammahn, Sarah Zabiarov is trying to keep her head about her.

With brows furrowed and her black helmet atop her lap, the girl stares at her hands, which absently fidget in nervousness and uneasiness. Today is the start of a very important mission--a dangerous mission, in fact. Today, Orb Union is being approached at their front door, and they will not be happy. Likely, they will be out for blood. But it isn't her own well-being she worries and frets over. It's the well-being of her Admiral.

Orders come over commlink, advising all units to prepare for launch. Within the mobile suit hangar of the Jupitoris, a few technicians work diligently on making the last-minute preparations on the hulking suit awaiting launch. A few minutes more and Sarah receives the green light for launch. Her stomach unsettles a bit more.

"Lieutenant...Commander Sarah Zabiarov, Bolinoak Sammahn, preparing to launch," she announces uneasily, slipping her helmet on and strapping it firmly into place. The Bolinoak is nestled into a catapult and, seconds later, thrust out into space before it makes its swift journey into Earth's atmosphere as hurriedly as possible.

Leo Stenbuck is eternally grateful for the position of command granted to him by Paptimus Scirocco. He's even more grateful for the fact that, unlike yesterday's fiasco in Dakar, he doesn't need to babysit his soldiers in a pitched battle like this. As ridiculous as the Earth Federation goverment can be, the military is still, by and large, made up of trained professionals. They know how to get the job done... as long as they're given the tools to do it.

"You all have your orders," the boy declares, from the cockpit of his GN-X. Apparently, his performance in Dakar satisfied his wounded pride over losing a GN Drive to the wrath of Ali Al-Saachez and Gauron; he has, once again, repainted his GN-X blue.

"Lieutenant Commander Stenbuck, GN-X, launching!" he announces, for the benefit of the ATC tower on the EFS Flying V, a sea-based mobile suit carrier. It looks a lot like a modern aircraft carrier, largely because it basically just is one.

Assisted (unnecessarily) by a launch catapult, the GN-X shoots down the flight deck and into the air, trailing a wake of blood red particles. It ascends immediately, accelerating to catch up with Soma and her Pitaya. It doesn't take long for the blue GN-X to take up a position alongside the pink one.

"Stick together," Leo instructs, his GN-X gesturing vaguely at Soma's with its rifle. "If the fat one's here, it has some kind of shield... we might need to concentrate fire to get through it. Uh... other than that... you know the drill."

Daiyu Lin has not been seen in public for almost two weeks. She went into the hospital, and was later dismissed, but nobody saw her. Nobody saw her get in Jade Gundam today, either. And yet Jade Gundam has just launched, the black and deep blue machine taking off into the air with the aid of a dodai. Daiyu doesn't trust the small thrusters on Jade for high speed, and speed is what she'll need at first.

Especially if she's going to do what she's trying to, which is keep up with Leo Stenbuck. Jade Gundam falls behind slightly, although she keeps the dodai going as she 'surfs' behind him, avoiding the red contrail - it makes her an easy target if she's all lit up like that.

Inside, Daiyu is struggling like she hasn't struggled in Jade Gundam since she first got into it. Everything aches. She puts it out of her head, but it's harder than usual, and she hasn't even exerted herself yet.

K-changg.

The wide feet of the Guncannon Detector settle onto the top of the flying Waverider, dropping into a kneeling position, beam rifle up and ready. The private comm between Kai and Amuro opens up. "Celestial Being doing their own thing... Tessa pulling Mithril out of nowhere... Al-Saachez and Gauron having just finished their attack... this is the worst possible timing." Kai warms up, sniping missiles as they pass.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Amuro Ray transmits, "Lyle, we're launching Dodais from the Audhumla, be sure to grab one." <Radio: A - Orb: General> Lyle Dylandy transmits, "Got it."

The Princess of the Orb Union is, as always, one of the first to join the defense of her nation -- just like her father before her, during the One Year War, in the one necessary lapse of his pacifism. She comes from the Audhumla with the AEUG; she evacuated Dakar with them, so it's only natural that she join them once again here.

Today, the Rouge uses its high-mobility Aile pack; the Sword was damaged in the battle with the Federation, and the Aile will be able to support Dodais better anyway. Opening a comm to Amuro and Kai, she asks, "... You guys -- you're both ready, right? Are you sure about this, Amuro?"

That man... worries her, sometimes. He's a good person, but he's so driven -- too driven, sometimes, for his own good.

The Tuatha de Danaan Battlegroup, also known as Mithril's West Pacific Ocean Fleet, has withdrawn support from the Orb Union. Their obvious reason is that Orb has kind of screwed them, lately.

The actual reason is that Orb has been corrupted to the bone by /something/, and Mithril wanted to be in a position to surprise the enemy. But, despite the slowly worsening political climate and the treachery of Ali Al-Saachez, the discoveries she's made about Alejandro Corner...Teletha Testarossa did not expect this. Not to mention, the timing is perfect - the Danaan /should/ still be down, after that brutal battle the other day. Which is why the EFA ships will probably be a little surprised when torpedos appear out of absolutely nowhere, screaming toward the /rear/ of the EFA battle line. And why Orb will hopefully not be swearing when Tessa comes on the commlink, calling, "This is TDD-1, Captain Teletha Testarossa! It looks like we're just in time...I'm sorry to make you all worry."

Alia brings Zefholm into a holding pattern well above the Schleiman Tank, having decided it's likely a tempting target given its size and obviousness. Now that her shock at the size of the fleet has passed, she's angry and looking through it for units of note... and settling on a blue ATAC. "There you are, you hypocrite! Acting like you're some amazing sword of justice, then talking down on people like Camille and telling him he needs to let his so-called superiors talk for him... you're part of everything that's wrong with the Federation!"

Then the wind elemental thrusts its left palm forward, creating a horizontal tornado about half as tall as itself. This miniature storm flies out, trying to cut and blast Bastion's Alba.

COMBAT: Alia Winchester has attacked Bastion. Tornado added to their queue. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has missed Bastion with her Tornado attack. COMBAT: Bastion has counter attacked for a minor hit on Alia Winchester's Zefholm using Thrust.

Bastion turns, as Alia decides to single him out and rant at him.

Wrong with everything that was in the Federation?

"Do you know what that man said to me? What -good- is honor! I can not believe you think I am the worst person in the Federation because I dismiss a ANGERY BLOODTHIRSTY LITTLE CHILD!" Bastion says, as his unit's thrusters activate, throwing the Alba into the air and using the Tornado as a boost, which would send him flying towards Alia. The Alba would turn suddenly, after it finished the attack.

"You are just a honorless dog like him, we asked you for help against the Devil Gundam, and instead of helping you refused, and then complained when we called you out on it!" Bastion roars, as he aims to take the shouder of the ATAC and ram it into her unit, trying to crash her and her unit into the ground, using the thrusters as a boost.

He cuts the transmission to her and sends one to the unit he was with, "I'll take care of her, I'll meet up with you at the next one, take out the Anti-Air weapon here and move on."

COMBAT: Bastion has attacked Alia Winchester. Tackle added to their queue.

The size of that force was... insane, to say the least. That they would be sending this much of a force to strike at the Orb Union... someone was trying to remove them from the picture once and for all. Tieria was not going to let that happen. Not if he had anything to say about it. Virtue's GN Field expands around it, the shimmering barrier absorbing the heat that always comes with an atmospheric reentry. And so the heavy Gundam continues to plummet downwards, picking up more and more speed as Tieria fires up the GN Drive to the highest output that he dares in this sort of orbital drop. The altimeter drops with alarming rapidity on the screen, and it isn't until he passes ten thousand feet that he lets up on the gas a bit. Trusting that Setsuna and Allelujah will be right behind him, Tieria selects the brightly colored GN-X down below - it's bright colors making it stand out in formation. Both turrets on Virtue's shoulders rotate around, spraying bolts of GN particles down into the GN-X and it's wingmen.

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has attacked Soma Peries. Virtue Cannon Spread Fire added to their queue. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has activated a spirit command.

A warning suddenly appears on-screen in front of Guy's right eye, alerting him to the torpedos that crash into the rear of the battle line. Damn, someone's come up behind them! On the other hand, this is perfect for Guy; fighting out over the water gives him a reduced chance of hurting someone accidentally, someone uninvolved with the fight.

GaoGaiGar turns about-face and rockets to the rear of the EFA's troops, sensors scanning for the source of the attacks. "Damn, GaoGaiGar's not made for underwater combat," he snarls, hefting up his right fist. The King of Braves hovers in the air, and then the fist begins to spin, faster and faster until it's a blur of red pain that crackles with energy. Water is no obstacle to those with courage!

"BROKEN..." GaoGaiGar steps forward, swinging heavily. "MAAAAGNUM!" Smoke explodes from the arm as the rocket punch is launched, spiralling through the air and then turning down, aiming to break through the water and punch a sub!

COMBAT: Bastion has struck a major hit on Alia Winchester's Zefholm using Tackle. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has counter attacked for a minor hit on Bastion's Alba using Caloric Missile. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has attacked Teletha Testarossa. Broken Magnum added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Tieria Erde transmits, "This is Tieria Erde. Celestial Being is here to pay back the favor you rendered to us."

COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has missed Teletha Testarossa with his Broken Magnum attack.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden transmits, "Amuro! From the right!" <Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden transmits, "These sensor readings... a GN-X squad incomin'."

Alia winces as Alba closes and strikes, the sword digging into the side of Zefholm's body. "Shut up! You're the worst kind of monster, acting high and mighty because of your title and expecting everyone to die for you, or else they're a terrorist!" The shoulder charge comes in, though just before impact, a cry of "Caloric Missile!" causes a light blue bolt of magical energy to form. It flies out and hits Alba, but isn't enough to stop Bastion, driving the wind elemental into the sand. Alia cries out, feeling it through connection feedback... and she gets angrier for it. "And quit reinventing history! I fought it too, I just didn't take point for my enemies like you wanted!"

A wind-gust forces the ATAC off, then Zefholm gets up and begins to rise, pointing its halberd down at Alba. "Radiannnt...." A pink energy circle forms, then the halberd tip slams into it to change the circle into a thick beam of prana, "Buster!" It's flying right for the ATAC...

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Akira Tadokoro transmits, "Crap, got one comin' right at m--/Churchill/?!"

COMBAT: Alia Winchester has attacked Bastion. Radiant Buster added to their queue.

Allelujah's gaze slides toward the horizon, where he sees a vast field of troops moving in -- a vast canvas of vernier-flares, of dark shapes, and the chilling vision of tens, even hundreds of blood-red particles flaring out. The supersoldier takes a deep breath, and upon cue of the Virtue moving down so does the Kyrios.

It plunges downward, sliding through the air and piercing the clouds with a trail of green particles shimmering behind it. As white fingers claw away from the pristine hull of the orange Gundam, Allelujah notices something in particular about a group of GN-Xes (and what appears to be a Gundam) that have seperated from the rest. Wait.

One of them -- is pink.

Allelujah was about to notify Tieria of this, but the other Meister's on top of it. He sighs to himself, preparing himself for that unpleasant sharp headache, the struggle of his mind that comes with it ...

Kyrios banks and dives, going towards the blue GN-X and pumping it with its usual spray of hot-violet energy bullets.

COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has attacked Leo Stenbuck. Submachine Gun Spread added to their queue.

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has struck a solid hit on Soma Peries's GNX-603T GN-X Pitaya using Virtue Cannon Spread Fire. COMBAT: Soma Peries has counter attacked for a minor hit on Tieria Erde's Gundam Virtue using GN Vulcans. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has struck a solid hit on Leo Stenbuck's GNX-603T GN-X using Submachine Gun Spread. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has counter attacked for a minor hit on Allelujah Haptism's Gundam Kyrios - Gust using GN Beam Saber. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has missed Bastion with her Radiant Buster attack. COMBAT: Bastion has missed Alia Winchester with his Thrust counter attack.

The Rising Gundam continues to wait on the sidelines upon the Federation command ship as Rain merely continues to listen to the incoming transmissions from the Federation radios. Its all she can do at the moment until the Orb Forces either get bold enough to head into the fleet or one of her allies calls for help. Much like Guy however, She prefers to be out at sea with the less possibility of harm coming to innocent civilians.

The good doctor surveys over the combat data that continues to be fed to her Gundam, tapping away at the holo-keyboard in front of her. She may not be in combat yet which means she is still operable to do her other function: Support.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Amuro Ray transmits, "Handle it, Kai."

Approaching from a different angle entirely, Setsuna F. Seiei rages as only he can, a darting thrust slipping the Solid Sword into an enemy unit, casually ripping right through the craft as the Exia Gundam floats to one side. Cast into silhouette by the brilliant red explosion, the mobile suit starts forward again, a systematic, unyielding approach that will slowly but surely decimate every unit it comes across. Inside the unit, the young Meister grimaces in discomfort, the ache that's been present in his side since his encounter with an old mentor a week prior burning more than ever.

Picking up comm-chatter from his 'teammates,' the overly emotional and not at all taciturn Setsuna banks Exia to one side, spotting the trio of Titans units that the Meisters are going after.

"There's no 'I' in 'team,' Setsuna!" one of his handlers shouts from the Celestial Being mothership. With a narrowing of his eyes, that sawn-off beam rifle comes up, shots fired at the straggler, the Jade Gundam.

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has activated a spirit command.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Amuro Ray transmits, "Lyle, support Kai against the GN-X team."

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has attacked Daiyu Lin. Beam Rifle added to their queue.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Amuro Ray transmits, "I've got a date with the Man From Jupiter...!"

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has missed Daiyu Lin with his Beam Rifle attack.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden coughs once, into his fist. <Radio: A - Orb: General> Amuro Ray seems not to notice.

Bastion's blade suddenly comes in, trying to thrust forward...but then he thinks better of the manuever, and the blade comes to the side, smacking into the side of the beam to cause it to go long. Bastion takes a moment to breath, narrowing his eyes as the sword spins and points towards Alia.

"You have seriously misjudged me, and it is you that is trying to reinvent history. I didn't ask you to take poin...I asked for help. You immediately backed up and refused, until we yelled at you over the radio for being a coward!" Bastion says, and drives forward, his blade flashing for just a moment as he attempts to slash the blade right into the wind element.

"I am here now because your forces have brought machines of war in a place they did not belong! All to preach the insane babblings...you tried to make the people listen by force. You can not force your opinions on others!"

COMBAT: Bastion has attacked Alia Winchester. Strong Slash added to their queue. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Bastion has missed Alia Winchester with his Strong Slash attack.

"I will take the shield into account." Amber eyes focus on the Virtue as it charges and opens fire. Soma quickly pulls her GN-X away from the blast, but didn't quite anticipate just how wide it was. The beam burns along her suit's leg, but otherwise doesn't seem to hamper its performance too much. The beam vulcans on its head fire several rounds, though Soma doesn't really expect them to do much. They're mostly there for covering fire as she pulls in even closer.

"Engaging the fat one." Until she has a better name for it, she will continue to use the more generic code names she has heard them being referred to as. The Pitaya draws its rifle, levelling it in the direction of the Virtue and firing a brief burst of shots. She hasn't encountered this one personally before, so she'll have to test out the shield.

When she sees that orange Gundam come into view, something begins to... push. "Be careful of the winged one! The pilot...!" She breaks off there, unwilling to bring her attention too far from the Virtue.

COMBAT: Soma Peries has attacked Tieria Erde. GN Beam Rifle Barrage added to their queue.

Alia sends Zefholm into a sideways dodge, out of the sword's path... then she begins looping around, building up speed to charge at Alba. She finds herself being met head on, and tries to zip around and past Bastion. "Shove it! All I hear out of you is 'do things the right way'... and your right, legal way is..." She manages to get past successfully. "For people to shut up and die, and if they don't like it, they can die some more! Quit acting like you're the authority on justice and right! Here's my Aegis Rush!" Zefholm's wings unfurl, each firing a green energy beam from the gem on their tip, each targeting a different part of Alba while Alia tries another charge. This time, the halberd is ready, and she lashes out with several tip thrusts, followed by a wild axe-head swing before trying to bank off to the side and fly away.

COMBAT: Alia Winchester has attacked Bastion. Aegis Rush added to their queue. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has struck a major hit on Bastion's Alba using Aegis Rush. COMBAT: Bastion has missed Alia Winchester with his Thrust counter attack. COMBAT: Soma Peries has struck a solid hit on Tieria Erde's Gundam Virtue using GN Beam Rifle Barrage.

"Captain! Clean hits!"

"Good," Tessa says back. Her voice is quiet, eyes locked on the tactical map ahead. "Flood forward tube three, fire another ADCAP in ten seconds." Something's angling away - she figured it would be a GN-X or something, something she could handle relatively easily. GaoGaiGar...the Black Robot. Just her luck.

"Well, may as well make the most of it...prepare sensors to get all the data we can. Prepare for crash dive!"

"Aye ma'am! Sensor stations, ready! Brace for crash dive!"

The Broken Magnum comes screaming in - and then Tessa calls, "Now, crash dive!"

The sub sinks - rapidly, out of range of the incoming fist, the thing simply shooting by harmlessly. "Mecha combat," Tessa mutters. "I hate having to do this. All hands, get ready! I need split-second timing out of you!" As if this is anything new. "Now, VLS one - anti-ship missile, fire!"

"Aye, Ma'am!" Richard Mardukas barks. "VLS one, fire at the Black Robot!"

The tube splits open, shooting a missile out into the air - shedding a stage as it pierces the surface, going screaming toward GaoGaiGar!

COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has attacked Guy Shishioh. Anti-Ship Missile added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Alia Winchester transmits, "Finally! If I keep this up, I'll ram 'superiority' down that hypocrite's throat!" <Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Amuro Ray transmits, "That's the spirit! Push them back, people! This is our HOME!"

COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has struck a solid hit on Guy Shishioh's GaoGaiGar using Anti-Ship Missile. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has counter attacked for a minor hit on Teletha Testarossa's TDD-1 Tuatha De Danaan using Drill Knee.

Daiyu Lin is slow for several reasons, but probably number one on the list is that she is using a unit that is not meant to fly as an aerial unit via dodai. Multiple dodais, in fact; there are two others moving much faster from behind, apparently on automated flight to catch up with Jade Gundam.

Slow does not mean vulnerable.

Daiyu literally reaches up and catches the two most dangerous beam shots with her hands, clenching her fist closed as the bolt slams into her palm. Jade Gundam's hands smoke as she lowers them, the palms apparently unharmed from their use as defensive tools. "You thought you could get the better of me. Wrong. Jade Gundam is as powerful as it ever was!"

One of the dodais whips forward, actually past Setsuna from Daiyu's current position. She tenses and leaps, throwing herself in a mad leap toward Gundam Exia; she tries to plant Jade's boots on Exia's head and leap off, making it toward the higher of the two dodais behind him. "Engaging the Gundam," she sends to the other Titans in the area. "And I'm taking contrl of the spare dodais. Don't shoot them down."

COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has attacked Setsuna F. Seiei. Jumping On Your Head added to their queue.

"Daiyu, back us up when you catch up," Leo orders, glancing at a rear camera feed and the distant form of Jade Gundam atop a flight sled. He turns his eyes back to the rapidly approaching trails of GN particles that mark the presence of the Gundam Meisters. They're not hard to notice, and the fires of re-entry are even less so.

"One, two..." Leo counts under his breath, seperating them into distinct wakes as they draw closer. "... dammit... all three of them are here? They're not kidding around if they brought everyone..." The blue GN-X produces a beam saber in its left hand, igniting its blood red blade and giving it a few quick swipes through the air. "Alright! Peries, Daiyu, let's go!!"

Leo's GN-X accelerates towards the descending Gundams just as the two forces enter firing range. It makes it forwards about two hundred feet before it has to shoot suddenly to the side, dashing away from Tieria's blasts as they cut their way towards Soma and her Pitaya. The GN-X spins back towards Virtue, raising its beam rifle...

... and doesn't get the chance to fire. Kyrios rockets in, spraying beam rounds towards Leo's mobile suit. They clatter against the GN-X's side, and it whirls to face its new opponent, raising its beam rifle. It's coming in too fast to get a clean shot on... so the GN-X dashes forwards again, leaping closer to Kyrios's path and whipping its beam saber into the Gundam's side as it passes.

"Didn't you learn your lesson last time?!" the Titan shouts, GN-X turning to track Kyrios's path. The beam rifle comes up a second time; this time it's at a much better angle, and red beamfire sprays out of the weapon after Allelujah's mobile suit.

A few flashes of light in the corner of Leo's eye catch his attention as he's firing, and he spares a glance; it's Exia, firing at the approaching Jade Gundam. "Oh, no you don't," Leo murmurs. His GN-X ceases fire on the Kyrios and turns its attentions - and beam rifle - towards Exia, taking careful aim.

COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has attacked Allelujah Haptism. GN Beam Rifle Assault added to their queue.

Bastion's sword misses it's mark, right before the shield would smack the Alba. Stumbling backwards, Bastion grunts...

"To clean the evils of this world, one can not simply decide that the system is too broken to fix! That is cowardly and the easy way out. Sure, you fix the system...or die, but in the end a new boss rises, same as the old boss. The corruption is still there, and worse...people resent you because of how you did things with force." Bastion continues...

The sword comes forward suddenly, catching the light of the sun as the Alba moves, not as fluidly as a GN-X, but the Unit seemed fairly responsive today. The attack drives forward, trying to aim it right into the power core of the magical machine.

"The Orb Union's intentions are not wrong...war is awful...war is wrong. War should always be the last thing to be used...but it's methods are no better than the organization they claim is wrong! If you wish to change something...then change it! FIGHT WITH YOUR COURAGE! DO NOT TAKE THE COWARDS WAY OUT!" Bastion roars, fueled by his unfaulting faith in his friends...in his country.

COMBAT: Bastion has attacked Alia Winchester. Strong Thrust added to their queue. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has struck a major hit on Allelujah Haptism's Gundam Kyrios - Gust using GN Beam Rifle Assault.

The Ptolemaios continues its slow downward crawl. Fire cascades across the bubble of the GN Field until it breaches the clouds. The Ptolemaios cuts through the underbelly of the sky, poking out like a horrible machine birth -- the GN Field shimmers brightly, like a display of fireworks that never quite realized when it was time to burn out.

Inside, Sumeragi Lee Noriega monitors the battle. "Tieria," she says, having finished her flask off in what would be record time, for anyone else. "That GN-X unit you're fighting -- something familiar about its paintjob. I think we've seen this pilot before. Transmitting the tactical data we were able to gain from past encounters with the suit -- if it is the same person inside, it might give you a bit of an edge. Use it wisely." BEEP BOOP BORP and the data beams directly to the Virtue.

Sumeragi Lee Noriega, meanwhile, callously discards her flask. She seems almost surprised when it clatters to the ground instead of floating freely. Feldt Grace once again deeply frowns.

COMBAT: Sumeragi Lee Noriega has activated a spirit command.

The Princess breaks off from Amuro and Kai as the situation starts to change; there's just too much going on to cover them. Hopefully, their years of honed teamwork will be able to carry them through... hopefully. Surveying the battle, the Princess spots the EFA's aggregate fleet... and frowns. "... looks like there's nothing to do but dive right into the belly of the beast," she says, with a little trepidation. And dive right into the belly of the beast she does. Heading out into the EFA fleet, the Princess almost immediately switches from her usual tactic of 'swords' to favor a rifle, twirling the weapon into perfect firing position before raining shots down on the Federation ships. It may not be that effective... but it'll probably draw a lot of attention.

COMBAT: Alia Winchester has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Bastion has struck a glancing hit on Alia Winchester's Zefholm using Strong Thrust.

'The Fat One'. Sigh. It seemed like he was doomed to be known by that name for quite a long time. But Tieria really doesn't mind any odd names that the enemy comes up with for his mobile suit - because Virtue's massive size means only that it is better suited for smashing the enemy into the ground. Instead, he simply smiles faintly, before narrowing his eyes. "...you're right, Allelujah," he states quietly. "There is something about this one... something... strange." His comm-screen flashes, and Tieria nods once. "Thank you for the information, Sumeragi. I'll be sure to put it to good use."

But one of the enemies is cutting in towards Exia after already firing a burst at Allelujah, and Tieria isn't going to let that pass. As the GN-X swerves to the side, Tieria suddenly brings Virtue down on top of the other mobile suit, a beam saber ejecting in each hand. "Don't think that I'm going to let you get away with that!" he shouts, slashing downwards with both blades at Leo's arm - trying to slice the limb off at the shoulder. This one seemed familiar - was it the same crazed GN-X pilot he had faced while trying to stop the Tuatha...?

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has attacked Leo Stenbuck. GN Twin Sabers added to their queue. COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has missed Setsuna F. Seiei with her Jumping On Your Head attack. COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has missed Daiyu Lin with his Beam Vulcan counter attack.

Alia retorts, "The system /is/ force! People asking for you to please stop didn't do a bit of good, the Federation just keeps executing whoever they want and using a slick news team to paint themselves as justice! Trying to show evidence got them taken off the air! So maybe..." Bastion's blade is coming in, and rather than the direct hit he sought, Zefholm manages to dash aside just in time to take the hit to the other 'rib' area, which is still a significant blow given the force behind it; sparks fly and metal rends, drawing a hurt cry from the pilot. "Maybe I have to take every last one of you out before I can go home and be left alone!" Gliding backward, Zefholm's wings fan out once more, repeating its beam volley from moments ago... six shots, six different targets; one at each limb, one at the head, one at the chest of the blue ATAC.

COMBAT: Alia Winchester has attacked Bastion. Wing Beams added to their queue.

The missile crashes into GaoGaiGar with a thunderous explosion, blowing the machine back through the air. He recovers his balance just in time to lift his right arm, the high-velocity spinning fist of his reattaching with a pneumatic hiss. "Heh, a pretty amazing thing," he says of the Tuatha De Danaan, briefly pondering how he should fight something underwater. "Maybe..."

GaoGaiGar suddenly dives, splitting the water around it as it descends at high speeds. It grasps at the ship and, despite the water slowing it down, manages to hammer its sides with its drill knees a few time, though it doesn't do much damage. "Tch...no, I can't pull that out yet, once I use it it'll need time to recharge. I'll just have to soften it up until that moment!"

His passions stoked, Guy suddenly rises, breaking the surface of the water. "Okay, Rain. It's time for a little faith!" With a mighty roar, GaoGaiGar accelerates along the coast, picking up speed. Amazingly, a maelstrom of sand surrounds it, obscuring the King of Braves in...a conspicuous cloud of flying sand. Another cry and GaoGaiGar rises up, covered in a courageous sandstorm, and then dives toward the water once more, aiming to break through and puncha puncha the Tuatha De Danaan.

With sand fists.

COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has attacked Teletha Testarossa. The Power of Courage added to their queue. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has struck a major hit on Teletha Testarossa's TDD-1 Tuatha De Danaan using The Power of Courage. COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has struck a solid hit on Bastion's Alba using Wing Beams.

Allelujah remembers the painful failure from last time -- from his botched attempt at getting the Tau Drive.

"..." Allelujah's memory is coming back to him at full force, and all of the shame and pain floods back as well as Kyrios dips and turns away, its submachine guns stilling for the moment. Mid-turn, though, the hail of bullets smash again the side of its hull.

"... I've learned," The supersoldier grunts, feeling the pressure.

It's definately her.

Thank god for Virtue's backup; the bigger and more defensive Gundam is more of a match for that person. Left with a dented crater, Kyrios turns and steers away, veering off in a tight circle this time toward the pink GN-X:

"What is your name?" The young man transmits, opening a channel to Soma. At the same time, hatches on the jet-like Gundam open up, releasing small phalanxes of missiles all streaming with glittering green energy.

COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has attacked Soma Peries. Anti-Air Missile added to their queue. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has missed Leo Stenbuck with his GN Twin Sabers attack.

There's a slight grind to Setsuna F. Seiei's teeth as his shots are stopped by the palm of the enemy Gundam. It's an interesting technique, and not one he'd personally try, but different strokes for different blokes. "A mad leap?!" he finds himself surprised by the retaliation, watching as the Jade Gundam seeks to use Exia as a stepping stone.

That just won't do. A quick burst of beam vulcans from the wrist of the unit may serve enough to force Daiyu into another action, but a quick thrust to one side is likely to thwart it entirely, the Gundam Meister ensuring that he is not in the right position to be stepped on like some kind of lackey.

He does the sensible thing though, when he sees Daiyu heading for those platforms. "What, your 'Gundam' can't fly?" he may well be talking to himself. On the other hand though, he happens to be armed with several daggers, all charged with the pink energy of beams. Drawing two out, he flings them at the Jade's back, quite happy to hit it -- or one of the platforms!

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has attacked Daiyu Lin. Beam Dagger Throw added to their queue.

Bastion growls..

"Never. I will not allow you to touch them." Bastion says, eyes narrowing with determination. His sword swings infront of him, aiming to try and block the attack, blocking the majority of the blow. However, it still stumbles backwards, it was a large hit. Bastion quickly lowers his sword to the ground, as the fire stone stares to shine.

Quickly, he slashes the sword upwards, as a large pillar of flame attempts to overtake Alia's unit, trying to melt her armor away and cause her unit to over heat.

"Time to end this."

COMBAT: Bastion has attacked Alia Winchester. Melting Flare added to their queue. COMBAT: Soma Peries has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has struck a solid hit on Daiyu Lin's Jade Gundam using Beam Dagger Throw. COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has missed Setsuna F. Seiei with her Empty Hand counter attack. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has struck a solid hit on Soma Peries's GNX-603T GN-X Pitaya using Anti-Air Missile. COMBAT: Bastion has missed Alia Winchester with his Melting Flare attack. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has counter attacked for a minor hit on Bastion's Alba using Caloric Missile.

"They have lost everything," Alejandro Corner observes as his dark gaze turns to his green-haired assistant. "Celestial Being has lost that which they thought to give them guidance; whatever support the Orb Union had has and will slowly trickle away into nothing. MITHRIL has fallen by the wayside with nothing to show for it but a poor hand--"

And that is when torpedos rain from the ocean over the Federation ships beyond.

As he witnesses these happenings from the viewscreens floating throughout Veda's chambers, Alejandro's lips curl distastefully. He knows what it means. He knows who it is. "... Persistent to the bitter end, isn't she?" he asks of his assistant. "But this just means that one more loose end will be tied up. I'll have to thank her, when this is all over. She's made things wonderfully simple for me." Yet, Alejandro's frown persists -- until a voice just beyond him utters a simple, but tremendous, phrase:

"Level Seven, clear." Ribbons Almark smiles.

"We now have complete control of Veda."

"Oh?" Alejandro is ripped from his thoughts at the declaration, his eagerness scarcely contained. His gaze shifts to Ribbons, eyes full of life and greed. "Finally. After so much time, it's finally within our grasp -- /my/ grasp. Everything has gone according to plan. Not Aeolia Schenberg's... but /my/ plan..."

As Alejandro speaks, the floor beneath the massive green monolith in front of begins to let off a low hum of hydraulics. The paneling shifts and opens, light shining upwards from the ground as something rises upwards like a holy artifact, like a buried treasure. Smooth, sleek cylindrical -- to most, it might look like a coffin. But the person within is not dead. Simply sleeping. A man bedecked in a monocle and a simple, pure white patient's suit, his mouth covered by a breathing aparatus. Locked in cold sleep, it is a face practically anyone could recognize. The face of a man who addressed the world over a year back with a simple message to end war:

"... Aeolia Schenberg..."

<Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Tieria Erde transmits, "Tch, at least we know they cared enough to send their best at us...!" <Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Akira Tadokoro transmits, "There best ain't gonna be good enough!"

COMBAT: Alia Winchester has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has activated a spirit command.

Alia doesn't approve of fire near Zefholm, and surrounds the elemental in a tornado that spreads the flame column, dispersing it every which way but onto the Wind Elemental. As it fades, she's already yelling "Caloric Missile!", lashing out with another explosive bolt of light-blue magic. "Did I hit a nerve? Do you understand how horrible it feels now to have someone threatening the people you care about, cutting them down? I haven't had anyone do that to me, but I've seen it happen to plenty of others and seen how awful they feel because of it! And so long as you want to side with what might as well be a giant evil empire..."

Zefholm throws its halberd away, which vanishes in a flash of light. A larger tornado begins to form in front of the machine, growing with each moment. "You're just helping continue that, and pounding your chest about how great you are! You're nothing but a bully with a crown! Tempest..." The tornado flies toward Alba, Alia screaming in fury, "Divide!"

On its own, this would be an obvious attack. But as the storm flies at the ATAC, Zefholm rises to fire a series of wing beams at it, hoping to force Bastion onto the defensive. Then Zefholm spreads its arms apart, causing the tornado to split into two identical, equally large copies that attempt to converge on the ATAC and tear it apart.

Virtue's sabers come down at the blue GN-X's shoulder, and the mobile suit's left arm snaps up, interposing its own beam saber between its shoulder and the Gundam Meister's blades. The three weapons meet with a tremendous flash of light, and though the force of the impact presses the GN-X's own saber too close to its own body for comfort, it manages to hold off Tieria's strike... at least for a second or two it takes to call for help.

"Daiyu, get this guy off me!" Leo barks, not moving his gaze from his targetting reticle. His fingers twitch, making minute adjustments to the rifle's aim, and when the reticles finally line up he gently squeezes the trigger on his control stick. A single beam of blood red energy lances out of the beam rifle, streaking through the air towards Exia's left arm.

Shot fired, Leo's GN-X rips its beam saber away from the blade lock with Tieria and spins away, dancing away from the larger Gundam even as it turns to face it. "We're doing well," the boy mutters to himself, taking a moment to catch his breath. "If they're all here... that just means we'll destroy all of them at once!"

COMBAT: Alia Winchester has attacked Bastion. Tempest Divide added to their queue. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has attacked Setsuna F. Seiei. GN Beam Rifle Maneuver added to their queue. COMBAT: Alia Winchester has struck a devastating hit on Bastion's Alba using Tempest Divide. Knock Out! Bastion's Alba unit has become disabled!

Jade Gundam /does/ have leg and foot thrusters. Daiyu has to activate all of them at once early to avoid being shot by Exia; it launches her back into the air as if she had made her jump successfully, somersaulting her forward and over Setsuna's Gundam without making contact with his head. "I haven't needed to fly to take down people like you in the past," she says, coldly and rather sharply.

She hits the dodai badly because of the sudden change in her angles, slamming into it chest-first with enough force that Daiyu, in her trace suit, has the air knocked out of her. She scrambles up onto it, but not before several of the knives find homes in her back. As she rises, she punches thin air, and a ripple of force extends toward Setsuna, although it is neither very powerful nor very accurate.

Riding the dodai, Daiyu does not turn toward Setsuna for a follow-up; she jets toward Tieria and Gundam Virtue instead, accelerating rapidly toward his side. This time Jade Gundam remains on the dodai, delivering a left-handed punch at Gundam Virtue's heavy armour. While powerful, it's not as powerful as it could be - but a surge of chi leaves her hand flaming as she drives her fist forward, angled to crack armor and expose the inner frame. "You're mine, now," she sends to Tieria, as she tries to keep him off Leo Stenbuck.

COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has attacked Tieria Erde. Liao Quan added to their queue.

Well maybe if Tieria ever gave the real name of his Gundam, it wouldn't just be called 'the fat one' all the time! Even as Virtue jets forward, Soma calls out on the comm to Leo. "Incoming! It's faster than it looks!" She's about to move in to try to intercept, but she feels... something.

"This pressure... It -is- him." She grits her teeth as the missiles pepper her mobile suit, preventing it from getting an easy shot off for a moment. "You!" With the sensors still flickering, she doesn't want to risk a shot.

"My name?" The GN Drive whines as it begins to come back to full power, red particles trailing behind as it flies in toward the Kyrios. "I am Second Lieutenant Soma Peries, Super Solider number 001!" Rather than firing, Pitaya raises its free arm and presses the fingers together before spearing the hand forward at the Gundam. Waves of aggression radiate outward from Soma as she presses the attack, directed mostly at Allelujah. "And you will not stand in my way!"

COMBAT: Soma Peries has attacked Allelujah Haptism. GN Claws added to their queue. COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has struck a minor hit on Tieria Erde's Gundam Virtue using Liao Quan.

Engaging the Tuatha de Danaan in melee is a silly thing to do for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it is faster than basically anything else in the water - up to and including torpedos.

But Guy's trick works, this time. He dives before it gets too low, ramming the drill knees into the hull. "CAPTAIN! PUncture in the aft deck, near the computer core!" "Closing the bulkheads - that should hold the water off for now!"

But not forever, Tessa thinks, tracing the line of her chin with her braid. Bad. An enemy like this...normally she'd send her ARM Slaves after it, but in this situation she has to confront it head-on. Damn!

"Captain, the Black Robot is retreating, and -- kicking up a sandstorm?"

"Trying to use it as a distraction," Tessa murmurs. "Thinks we won't be able to see him amid the dust. Clever...for any other ship. Dana! I need targetting solutions!"

"Aye, Captain," the ship's computer says, and an active sonar ping wings out into the air, looking for GaoGaiGar, retreaving as much data as it can - and finding GaoGaiGar just as it slams into the sub, sending it rocketing lower, Tessa not even having time to brace her crew for impact. Commander Mardukas is sent sailing to the floor. Men around the ship do much the same. And in her chair, Tessa frowns, and says, "He's gotten greedy...and we see him. Fire a Harpoon Missile, shake him off!"

"A-Aye Ma'am," Mardukas grunts, righting himself shakily. "VLS 3, Harppon Missile, fire!"

COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has attacked Guy Shishioh. Harpoon Missile added to their queue. COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has missed Guy Shishioh with her Harpoon Missile attack.

"Watch yourself, Allelujah," Sumeragi Lee Noriega snaps from the still-advancing Ptolemaios. "What's with you? You're getting sloppy out there!" She's not usually this tense, but she can tell just from the flight patterns the Kyrios is exhibiting that Allelujah's got something going on. She quietly prays 'something' is not 'Hallelujah.' "Watch the claws!"

COMBAT: Sumeragi Lee Noriega has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Soma Peries has missed Allelujah Haptism with her GN Claws attack. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has struck a glancing hit on Setsuna F. Seiei's Gundam Exia using GN Beam Rifle Maneuver.

"... Soma ... Peries ..."

A supersoldier.

Allelujah is struck dumb momentarily, just mouthing that name like an idiot. It's only until he gets Sumeragi yelling in his ears that he snaps out of it. Transmitting a quick "-- Roger," Kyrios pulls a slightly daredevillish move -- veering sheer upward, spinning in the air as one of the claws just barely misses smashing into the back of the Gundam's flight form. A hit like that would have done a number, but he isn't out of the woods yet. His brows furrow; all of the hate radiating into his mind is making him testy, like an animal pushed into a small box. Please let it not go to the point where -- where He comes out.

"... A supersoldier ... from the HRL facility -- like me?"

Can it be her -- her voice is so familiar, and yet it's tinged with something. Tainted.

Now, like a bird diving toward its prey, the Kyrios turns sharply down, a rain of bulky blasts falling from its front guns.

COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has attacked Soma Peries. GN Beam Submachine Gun Blast added to their queue.

Bastion attempts to make his stand here...

The warrior narrows his eyes and attempts to wait... then the tornado's come, trying to tear through the land and his unit. He hears that his unit had already made it...good, he can...ha has to hold on a little longer. Bastion stabs his sword into the ground and attempts to weather through it.

However, Ms. Ilovesupersnow manages to blow through his defenses, throwing the Alba into the air as the tornado blade tears through him, before slamming the machine back to the ground.

Right when Setsuna F. Seiei fully intended on following after the Jade Gundam -- and, you know, probably putting Seven Swords into its back -- there's a snap blast from another of those blasted GN-X units, causing interference. Forced to pull back from his initial thrust, Exia draws its shield up, catching the strike.

He can't believe it. They're using...

... /tactics/.

"You think you can just interfere and hold off Virtue at the same time?!" the growingly-heated Gundam Meister demands, thrusting the solar furnace to the max to close the gap -- and bring sweet, sweet pain to the table for the stylized blue ace GN-X piloted by Leo Stenbuck.

Particles fly thick and fast in the wake of the Exia as it nears, the Solid Sword snapping into place, infused with those potent particles as the pilot seeks to bury it clear through the enemy, and give Leo Stenbuck a haircut by interposing the blade right through the roof of the cockpit.

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has attacked Leo Stenbuck. GN Longsword Strike added to their queue.

So, it seemed that this melee had gotten rather crazy, hadn't it? Tieria narrows his eyes for a moment as another Gundam comes into help - not a GN-X this time, but something different. The punch lashes out, but it is intercepted by one heavily armored forearm. The armor there cracks, but holds steady even against the chi powered punch. "Hmph, so they keep coming one after another! But this is the home of our allies!"

Virtue twists, disengaging from Daiyu, and brings both beam sabers to bear. "And I will NOT let you pass here!" The Gundam's eyes flash, and Tieria dives at the Jade Gundam - throwing first a shoulder check, then following in with both sabers, slashing left and right, then from the sides, both blades crossing in an X, before he finally finishes up with a double thrust towards the center of Daiyu's unit's chest. "I don't know why you are here, or who you are working for... but you have no clue as to how dangerous those suits you have been given are!" He lashes out with one last kick, to try and knock the Jade Gundam's Dodai away, giving Virtue some room to maneuver.

On the other side of the world, the postman drops a piece of mail into the box of a certain apartment in New York.

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has attacked Daiyu Lin. GN Saber Assault added to their queue. COMBAT: Soma Peries has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has missed Soma Peries with his GN Beam Submachine Gun Blast attack. COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has missed Leo Stenbuck with his GN Longsword Strike attack.

Guy Shishioh is in a bad position. He really is not one who can attack at range, possessing only his Broken Magnum and the reflection of his Protect Shade to strike targets he cannot close the gap with. This is why, despite however absurd the idea of chasing a speedy submarine underwater might be, he has to go for it.

Then suddenly a missile is launched at him. It's a large missile, and he gets the feeling being hit by it would be troublesome. He can't hope to dodge underwater, however, he's simply not manueverable enough; this leaves him one option. GaoGaiGar's left hand rises, and from the bubbles on its forearm light issues forth, as the cyborg screams, "PROTECT SHAAAADE!"

The water parts before him, blown apart as though by an immense wind or some other force. If the Tuatha De Danaan is unrivalled under the seas, humanity's strongest cyborg, Guy Shishioh, will just change the rules! The missile strikes the wall of force and explodes gloriously, the sheer power of it driving GaoGaiGar back. Sweat drips down Guy's brow, but finally, the explosion is contained, transformed into a blue beam which is then forced into the shape of a pentagram.

"Hyaaaa!" He roars as the water begins to fall back into place, aiming to capitalize on this moment. GaoGaiGar drives toward the submarine again, releasing the pentagram of redirected energy. As it soars, his right fist comes around, punching through the Protect Shade Reflection and glowing a bright blue. "TAKE THIIIIIIS!"

COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has attacked Teletha Testarossa. Reflect Punch added to their queue. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has struck a major hit on Teletha Testarossa's TDD-1 Tuatha De Danaan using Reflect Punch. COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has missed Daiyu Lin with his GN Saber Assault attack.

There's something about this pilot... Something that just makes Soma feel very angry. At least she isn't feeling pain like she was last time she encountered him. That must mean the specially shielded pilot suit and helmet are working.

When Kyrios dodges away from her strikes, Soma quickly turns her Pitaya around. "You're going to ask my name and not give your own? Typical... Celestial Being, all of Orb Union. You're all alike. Terrorists!" Instead of dodging the incoming blasts, the GN-X lifts its left arm. The Defense Rod slides out of its docking point and begins to spin, neatly catching the energy blasts from the machinegun and knocking them away. "That sort of attack won't work on me!"

Soma raises her own GN Rifle, firing several precision blasts as she once more closes the distance. She's got to get in close, to where it's harder for Kyrios to use those missiles.

COMBAT: Soma Peries has attacked Allelujah Haptism. GN Beam Rifle Snipe added to their queue. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Soma Peries has struck a major hit on Allelujah Haptism's Gundam Kyrios - Gust using GN Beam Rifle Snipe.

Continuing to sort through the combat data, Rain continues to detect numerous bogies around the area. Shifting through and through, the good doctor begins receiving transmissions, requesting tactical aid to which she responds quickly with combat advice. For some, the advice seems to ring true, such in the case of the GaoGaiGar, which appears to be at a severe disadvantage against its opponent and yet seems to gain a slight advantage upon the Tuatha De Danaan!

Rain smiles as their teamwork pays off and she quickly replies to Guy, "Direct hit! Whatever you did down there, Guy! Keep it up!" and then begins to once more head back into reviewing the guidelines. Geeze, she feels like she's playing a real-life version of End War.

However, that moment of glory is soon over as the Zefholm unleashes a devastasting tempest against the Alba. Hearing Bastion scream out over the primary frequency is all the reason she needs to mobilize. The thrusters of the Rising Gundam begin to fire up as she calls out to the ship, "The Alba is down! I repeat the Alba is down. Falling Rain in Rising Gundam is launching to retrieve the fallen. Requesting cover fire!"

The Federation crews respond with, "Copy that, Falling Rain. We'll have you covered."

"Roger!" replies Rain whom continues, "Rising Gundam! Launching!" and then her suit boosts off from the Federation Flagship! Speeding towards where Bastion fell, the Rising Gundam lands nearby as the cover-fire from the Federation ships begins to unloads on the Zefholm, driving it off from where the Alba now lies. Whether it will come back isn't her concern at the moment as the Rising Gundam kneels down next to the Alba, transmitting, "Bastion.. If you can here me, im here.. We got cover fire on us at the moment. I'm going to repair what I can." and then she begins to go to work on the Alba's primary systems, "After that, you need to get back to the ship. Understood?"

COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has just effected repairs on Bastion's mech.

He was getting to that.

"... Allelujah Haptism," the other supersoldier replies. Unlike Soma, he doesn't have the shielding -- and it's taking its toll just as the damage is taking its toll on Kyrios. Sweat is starting to bead on his forehead, for the most part being soaked up by his hair in an uncomfortable, sticky mess. He looks beyond that, however -- the mental discomfort is much more.

Allelujah can see what the girl's doing, and he doesn't like it -- he feels more and more cornered, and even his attempts at concentrating aren't working as he's knocked off-course by that precise blast of GN energy. "-- Ggh!"

The orange Gundam is forced to snap back into its human form, teal eyes levelled at the pink GN-X. They ignite with a bright snap of light at exactly the same moment as its claw shield snapping forward to grab a hold of the other machine as it pulls swiftly to the side. Even in this form, it's still incredibly mobile.

COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has attacked Soma Peries. Claw Shield - Catch added to their queue.

Cagalli Yula Athha's Gundam Strike Rouge transforms into its Aile Strike Rouge mode.

Bastion groans.

Today was not a good day to be Prince. He hears the radio, pushing a button to tell her he was alright...just slow to respond. The Alba would eventually stand, thanks to Rain's quick ability to make patch jobs on the spot.

"Alright...if she tries attacking though, tell me, I'll come back and finish this off." Bastion says, before using his thrusters to head back to the ship. The Orb Union was full of people like her, and it made his blood boil.

Daiyu Lin can't steer the dodai fast enough to evade Tieria's strikes. So she doesn't.

She steps off the dodai instead.

The body check misses; one of the sword strikes comes close, but by the second, Daiyu is plummeting. She feels light as she enters free fall, descending, dropping -

Daiyu hits a second dodai with enough force to drive it down about fifty yards. She pulls up immediately, going into a steep ascent even as her abused legs ache from the impact. She's starting to wear down, although it doesn't show very much in Jade Gundam's maneuvers yet.

"Be quiet," Daiyu hisses. "I am an EFA soldier, and you ask why I am here? You should /know/." She keeps ascending, an even steeper ascent that is probably pretty brutal on her. She tenses as she comes close, reaching for Virtue's leg as she swings by; her fingers drive in with impressive force, and she uses the momentum of the dodai to try to twist Virtue's leg right out of its hip and, if the world was the kindest place ever to her, shear it off the mech entirely.

COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has attacked Tieria Erde. Lao Hu Zhi Wu added to their queue. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has missed Soma Peries with his Claw Shield - Catch attack. COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has struck a solid hit on Tieria Erde's Gundam Virtue using Lao Hu Zhi Wu.

Leo's breather is interrupted, /quite rudely,/ by Setsuna F. Seiei. The GN Longsword plunges in towards the back of the blue GN-X; it is, apparently, completely oblivious to this fact. GN Drives don't exactly make a lot of noise when they propel you, and compared to most mobile suits, Exia's approach is positively sneaky, with Leo's attention turned to Tieria.

It is, apparently, not sneaky enough. Half a second before the blade bites into the GN-X, it suddenly lifts upwards and rotates backwards, flipping backwards over Exia's charge. "You rely too much on your mobile suit," Leo chides. "You can't beat me just because you have a fancy machine! "The GN-X pushes its feet off of Exia's back and springs away. It barely classifies as an attack; it's a taunt, through and through.

Particle density increasing, the blue GN-X swings around in a tight turn and shots in towards Gundam Virtue, drawing its beam saber back in preparation to strike. "Come on, come on," Leo mutters to himself, eagerly awaiting the signal from Daiyu.

It's not really a 'signal,' per se, but it comes anyways when Daiyu charges in. The GN-X accelerates again, shooting in towards the two Gundams; it slips right past them, beam saber thrusting inwards towards the same hip Daiyu goes for. The blow is timed unbelievably well; the blade plunges in towards the joint less than half a second after Daiyu begins her grapple.

Whatever the result, the GN-X releases its saber and keeps going past the two Gundams, abandoning the weapon. If it ends up falling into the ocean, fine. If it ends up stuck inside Virtue, even better!

COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has attacked Tieria Erde. GN Beam Saber Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has struck a minor hit on Tieria Erde's Gundam Virtue using GN Beam Saber Mastery.

As the Rising Gundam launches from the fleet of ships, the Princess immediately turns her attention to it; ships are one thing, but a mobile suit is something else. After all, even a Zaku can take any battleship that wasn't explicitly designed with combat in mind; a Gundam is something special, something important.

With that in mind, the Princess's machine swoops toward the Rising Gundam, switching for a split second to its beam saber in the hopes of a full frontal assault; however, after a second, the Princess thinks better of it. Getting in close might draw the attention of both Bastion and Rain, whereas keeping off to the side might /only/ draw the one she's actually firing at.

With that in mind, Cagalli sights in her shot slowly before firing, trying her best to aim for one of the Rising's legs.

COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has attacked Rain Mikamura. Leg Aim added to their queue. COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has missed Rain Mikamura with her Leg Aim attack.

Sumeragi Lee Noriega and her big old battleship continue chugging toward the carnage. Sumeragi scowls as she observes the battle. "C'mon, Allelujah," she mutters, half annoyed, half disappointed, half concerned, 150% genuine. Still, something else catches her eye: "Tieria," the tactical forecaster broadcasts, "tweak your aim two degrees as indicated."

COMBAT: Sumeragi Lee Noriega has activated a spirit command.

"You are here because you are blind to what is going on around you!" Tieria states quietly - with a hint of sadness behind his voice. "You can't even see the danger in front of your faces for your desire to do battle. But..." Two enemies at once? This was going to be challenging. Tieria spins around, and even thought Daiyu manages to get a grip on one of Virtue's legs, she'll find that it has more than enough power to resist any chances she might have of doing significant damage. Servoes grind as the leg joint powers against the martial arts move, and smoke comes from the leg, but not the dramatic fractures and damage that Dayiu might be hoping for. Leo comes in a second later, and Tieria blocks one of his beam saber slashes, sending it aside. The saber blade glances off of Virtue's armor, almost all of its power robbed by Leo having to penetrate Virtue's field, and most of the rest going away as the blow spends itself against plas-steel instead. Virtue twists, and suddenly accelerates upwards. Hard and fast. If Daiyu wants to hold on, she better have good command of the Dodai's down below, because she'll find the Jade Gundam being dragged upwards at a stupendous rate. And then kicked free as Tieria preps for his next attack. One of the GN Bazooka's slides around from Virtue's back, and Tieria brings it around to dock with the GN Drive port on the front of his suit. He narrows his eyes, and states, "...I was like you as well. It isn't until we're close to losing everything that we begin to see what truly matters." The bazooka splits open, two charge rails sliding out to almost double its length. A heavy whine fills the air... and the massive beam of energy that Tieria unleashes splits the sky, slamming down into the sea below with a tremendous explosion of water and steam. The question is, did Daiyu and Leo have a chance to get out of the way in time...?

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has attacked Daiyu Lin and Leo Stenbuck. GN Bazooka - Burst Mode added to their queue.

"... Hmph."

Ch-CHACK.

A golden Walther P5 gleams in the dim light of Veda's halls as Alejandro chambers it. Advancing at a slow, steady pace towards the would-be coffin, he smiles, his voice grating and muted by the helmet he wears.

"Such a desperate, small man you are," Corner remarks easily as he lifts his gun, pointing it towards the cryogenic chamber. "So vainly hopeful for your new world that you would even go so far as to put yourself into a cold sleep for centuries. But the man who has come to see you is no ally of yours." Alejandro smiles in triumph as his finger curves around the trigger of his gun. "The world you have longed for no longer belongs to you. This world, your dreams, your technology -- it all belongs to me now. Yes... I, Alejandro Corner, shall take center stage!" His eyes narrow.

"And there is no room for ghosts in the new world I will make from these pitiful ashes. Goodbye... Aeolia Schenberg!"

The trigger is squeezed. And with a deafening BANG, the golden Walther unloads a bullet into the thick front glass pane of Aeolia's chamber. Glass *CRACKS*, spider-web lines tracing throughout it. "Ahaahahahaha!" Alejandro fires again. And again. And again. Over and over, until the entire clip is unloaded into Aeolia's coffin; droplets of blood float through zero g as Alejandro laughs, basking in a delight he can't quantify through mere words. His eyes shut, he remains oblivious to the screens around him, crackling and fading, until--

-- the giant green monolith before him dissolves into a massive picture of a dead man.

"Aeolia Schenberg?! Ribbons, what is this--?!"

"..." Ribbons' teeth grit, his eyes narrowing. "... it's a system trap...!"

"If you have come here with evil intentions, then to my own disappointment, it seems the world has not become what I wished it to be," speaks the image of a man recorded hundreds of years in the past. Aeolia Schenberg stares on gravely, leaning on his cane as he frowns. "Mankind still foolishly favors battle, leading the world down the path of destruction." His eyes narrow, the aged man looking on with a grim sort of determination.

"However, I still have faith in mankind..."

"Shut this down, Ribbons--"

"... and I would like to entrust power onto you."

"Stop, NOW--"

"The world-- "--mankind-- "... must change!"


 * TRANS-AM SYSTEM :: ONLINE||

COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has struck a devastating critical hit on Leo Stenbuck's GNX-603T GN-X using GN Bazooka - Burst Mode.

Tessa's brilliant plan is to stuff a torpedo up Guy's nose.

This does not work.

"It's got a barrier!?" Tessa gasps, in surprise and horror. No time to evade, no time to act, just: "CRASH DIVE!" she shouts, and the sub simply /drops/ out from under Guy...and it fails, his fists hitting the ship and propelling it even further down. Is GaoGaiGar even rated for this kind of depth. "Ghh," Tessa grunts out, as the bridge crew tries to figure out what the hell just happened. "Status!" Dana shows a status report. It is Bad Times all around, but the crew is experts - they'll manage. Tessa has to focus. She closes her eyes, and says, "Drop two depth charges." The Danaan sinks, rapidly descending into the waters below - and if Guy descends, he will have a bad day. Because in the midst of the Danaan's bubbling descent, there is now a bomb.

COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has attacked Guy Shishioh. Depth Charge added to their queue.

Just then as she finishes patching up Bastion, Rain does a quick scan over the system as she replies to Bastion, "Alright then. I don't think she's coming back but just to be certain you get bac--" and then she received transmissions coming from the Federation ships about the Strike Rouge raining down upon them.

However, it seems the Strike Rouge is much faster than seems as just before she is able to respond to the distress call, The Rising Gundam comes under fire from the very same mobile suit. In a normal mobile suit, its likely the shot to the leg would have cripppled it but thanks to the mobile trace system she is able to use her own agility to leap to the side with assistance from the vernier thrusters!

Taking a glance at the Strike Rouge, Rain shoots a glance to Bastion and say, "Damn she's fast... Bastion get back to the ship asap!"

The Prince refuses causes Rain to transmit further, "If you go down, I won't be able to carry you back! GO!" and then the Rising Gundam's head vulcans shoot out swiftly in an attempt to pepper the Rouge enough to keep its attention, "I'll handle this!"

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has struck a major hit on Daiyu Lin's Jade Gundam using GN Bazooka - Burst Mode. COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has attacked Cagalli Yula Athha. Head Vulcans added to their queue. COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has struck a solid hit on Guy Shishioh's GaoGaiGar using Depth Charge. COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has struck a minor hit on Cagalli Yula Athha's Aile Strike Rouge using Head Vulcans.

Bastion damns...

"Alright. I'll trust you with this Rain." Bastion manages to say, before charging off for the ship once more. He hated this, this feeling of helplessness.

COMBAT: Bastion has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Bastion has activated a spirit command.

The way these Titans are fighting is almost infuriating to Setsuna F. Seiei, but the temperamental fighter has no intention of letting it get the best of him. They're on a mission here, and there's been a very sophisticated mission plan drummed up by one Sumeragi Lee Noriega. A plan which the young Gundam Meister has every intention of following through with, as he chases after the GN-X piloted by Stenbuck -- only to pull sharply away as a message from Tieria bursts in, concerning the discharge of the bazooka.

Bringing Exia about, he keys in on another of the key targets -- and starts forward, only to falter as the aging visage of Celestial Being's founder appears across his console, droning on about how humanity must change for the coming battles.

"Aeolia...?"

Something has happened, something unforeseen, but something most definitely fortuitous. "TRANS... AM?" he reads what he sees, like the English Second-Language boy he is, blinking in incomprehension. The readings that come up across his unit are different, they're much more powerful, the potential output from the GN Drive rocketing right off the charts and onto the next console.

Glistening pink, the Exia Gundam, suddenly ceases to be where it was, just a pink blur that's on its way towards one of the Titans in just a moment--

COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has activated a spirit command.

Setsuna F. Seiei's Gundam Exia transforms into its Trans-Am mode.

COMBAT: Bastion has activated a spirit command.

"Allelujah Haptism..." For a brief instant, that named sounded familiar. Like something from a long time ago... It was only an instant, though, before Soma snaps back to the present. "Tch.. I don't know what you're trying to do..."

She feels, before she sees, the shield swinging around to strike. The Pitaya's GN Drive whines softly as it moves back and to the left, just barely avoiding the clawed shield. "It's not going to work!" Reaching out once more, the GN-X tries to grab hold of the winged Gundam and shove it, the thrusters moving to force it around and back toward some of the others. She was ordered not to get too far away, after all. And if she can manage to slam Kyrios into the closer of the two other Celestial Being suits to take some heat off the others.

COMBAT: Soma Peries has attacked Allelujah Haptism and Tieria Erde. Grab and Ram added to their queue. COMBAT: Soma Peries has missed Tieria Erde with her Grab and Ram attack. COMBAT: Soma Peries has struck a minor hit on Allelujah Haptism's Gundam Kyrios using Grab and Ram.

Cagalli's machine is peppered lightly by head vulcans; she rears back a little, letting the Phase Shift armor take the brunt of the damage. The machine loses some battery, but not much else -- the Rouge is pretty well-shielded against physical assaults and bullets.

"You'll try!" the Princess shouts back to Rain, drawing her beam saber and igniting it almost immediately; the armor on a Mobile Trace unit tends to be tough unless it's designed purely for speed, so she needs the extra power from the beam edge -- and she knows it.

"... Tessa, I'm going to handle this Gundam and then come over," the Princess says, opening up a comm to Tessa briefly before her actual assault. "Try to hang in there until then!" With that said, she promptly turns her attention back to Ms. Mikamura; her attack is more complex than most of her usual fare, mostly because she doesn't trust simple to work on a Mobile Trace machine.

Weaving back and forth, Cagalli swipes her saber at Rain over and over, gracefully switching targeted body parts and angles like a professional. She finishes with a quick, low slice from underneath the machine, using all the dimensions of the battlefield to their fullest.

COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has activated a spirit command.

Daiyu Lin lets go of Virtue rather than be dragged up with it, the dodai bucking wildly as she deals with the backblast from the thrusters on the enormous Virtue. She shakes her hand to knock the little shards of metal she always picks up from shearing armour off.

Daiyu is breathing hard. She shouldn't have come out. She's being a weakness on the Titans; her entire body aches, and she can't catch her breath. She's also moving a little slower than before - which is why Virtue finds her an easy target with its burst fire.

Jade Gundam flies away from the dodai she was riding, landing on a second one a good ways down and further out. She's going to run out of dodais if the others explode like the one Tieria just took out, but she puts that out of her mind for now as she accelerates toward -

That's new. She squints at the pink-glowing machine and goes to divert its incredibly fast charge, leaping to deliver a flying kick that owes more to the momentum of Gundam Exia than Jade Gundam. It's awkward, but undeniably effective if it manages to connect. "Down!"

COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has attacked Rain Mikamura. Saber Dance added to their queue. COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has attacked Setsuna F. Seiei. Shui Niao Jiao added to their queue. COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has struck a solid hit on Rain Mikamura's Rising Gundam using Saber Dance. COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has missed Setsuna F. Seiei with her Shui Niao Jiao attack. COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has missed Daiyu Lin with his Beam Daggers counter attack.

The depth charges blast GaoGaiGar back through the water, shaking the King of Braves to his core. The Tuatha De Danaan undeniably has the advantage here, and if GaoGaiGar were to descend further, the water pressure would simply destroy it. The Protect Shade's barrier could protect it temporarily, but not long enough to take out this powerful submarine. This leaves him only one chance, one brief moment. As soon as this attack is finished, the submarine will flee or get so far down that he cannot catch it at all.

GaoGaiGar erupts from the water again, sending up an explosive fountain of froth. He's been in communication with his support staff this entire time, and something falls in front of him, launched by GGG. It's...a screwdriver?! Guy's left hand rises and attaches to the tool, the silvery coating on it vanishing and revealing the orange and yellow color it normally possesses. GaoGaiGar pulls a quick loop and then pushes down through the water it cannot normally be in, that it cannot endure sustained periods in. Guy's voice booms out: "DIVIDING....DRIIIIIIIVEEEEEER!" A yellow meter on the tool's side fills up, and then the dividing core, powered by liquified oxygen(?!) is discharged.

The water bubbles, and as though the hand of god came down to guide him, the seas part, the Dividing Field creating massive walls of water which rise up around him, chasing after the Tuatha De Danaan. "Don't think you can get away from me!" He snarls, and the Dividing Driver is cast aside. Far away, something flashes on a screen:

GOLDION HAMMER - CONNECT

"SYSTEM CHAAAAANGE!" A voice bellows, and launched from a nearby Gutsy Geoid Guard transport vessel, which had accompanied the EFA's fleet, the super robot Goldymarg erupts, flying into the air. He begins to transform, limbs rolling back in, head vanishing, the massive hammer that makes up his shoulders ejected and a hand emerging. GaoGaiGar charges alongside it. "HAMMER....CONNECT!" Guy roars, and GaoGaiGar's handless right arm punches into Goldymarg, a moment later the fingers of the super robot sized hand flexing. "GOLDION...HAMMER!" The ejected hammer falls, and Guy clutches it, the oversized weapon dwarfing even GaoGaiGar itself.

"Tuatha De Danaan...I can't let you escape! I won't! HAMMER HELL!"

GaoGaiGar dives through the water, ripping free a beam nail from the hammer's side. As it flies, a golden sheen flows into the machine, transforming it into a solid gold to match the hammer, radiating light. It descends through the watery arena, forced apart by the power of Science! The nail is driven toward the Tuatha De Danaan, and GaoGaiGar turns, aiming to use the hammer to drive it right through the submarine. "HAMMER HEAVEN!" The hammer's claw extends, poised to tear the nail free and wreck havoc in whatever portion of the submarine it hit, if any.

"BECOME THE LIGHT!"

The Strike Rouge moves in swiftly and catches the Rising Gundam in its dance of blades! Rain bobs and weaves in an attempt to dodge the sabers well enough however the sudden transformation of the Exia catches her off guard, grasping her attention for long enough for Cagalli to strike a clean blow across the Rising's front chest plate!

The Mobile Trace's feedback system engages and strikes Rain hard! She screams aloud before managing to leap back far enough so she can catch her breath! Breathing heavilly Rain thinks to herself,. o O (Well that was just about as stupid as I could get..) and then replies to Cagalli, "You are pretty handy with that blade, Cagalli Athha.. However.."

Then the Rising Gundam's inner shoulders open, revealing its shoulder mounted cannons that unload on the Strike Rouge as Rain continues, "Don't count me out just yet! My friends are fighting just as yours are!", she uses the time to begin to pull and activate the beam bow, set on the Gundam's wrist!

COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has attacked Cagalli Yula Athha. Concealed Machineguns added to their queue. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has attacked Teletha Testarossa. Hammer Hell and Heaven added to their queue. COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Teletha Testarossa has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has struck a major hit on Teletha Testarossa's TDD-1 Tuatha De Danaan using Hammer Hell and Heaven.

The blue GN-X, having continued right on past Jade and Virtue, curves around in a tight turn, swinging to approach Daiyu again. Presumably, it's for some sort of wacky team assault; that would be bad news bears, even for a target as heavily armored as the Virtue.

Luckily for Tieria, they never get the chance. Frowning, Leo turns his eyes back towards Virtue after a moment of attending to Things around the cockpit; some radio communication, a few settings tweaks, crotch rearrangement, et cetera. He's met with the sight of the charging GN Bazooka.

Leo's eyes widen, and he yanks back hard on the sticks; the GN-X's legs swing forwards and its torso snaps back as it decelerates, aborting its approach towards Daiyu. The mobile suit shoots backwards through the air, racing to get away from Virtue's arc of fire. "Nonononono," stammers Leo, pushing the GN Drive as far as it'll go.

It doesn't go far enough.

The GN Bazooka's enormous beam of energy crashes into the GN-X like... well, like an enormous beam of energy. The blast consumes the comparatively tiny mobile suit completely, obscuring the machine entirely from view. Any bookie worth their salt wouldn't give better than a 1:100 chance that even a /part/ of the GN-X survived being struck by such an awesome weapon.

Thankfully for Leo, Guy Shishioh is within a one hundred mile radius of him at the time of impact, which means, as we all know, that with a brave heart, one percent becomes one hundred. The blast finally clears, and the blue GN-X is... still there, arms crossed defensively across its chest. Its beam rifle has been obliterated utterly... and the rest of it isn't looking too hot, either.

Leo's radio crackles to life. "Is that... the best you can do, Celestial Being?!" he shouts, voice ragged. The GN-X spreadis its arms wide; when it does, the left one creaks dangerously and almost falls off. "I'm done going easy on you three!! Celestial Being can't be allowed to continue its hypocrisy!! I'LL MAKE SURE THOSE GUNDAMS WILL NEVER FLY AGAIN!!"

The GN-X's right arm rips its sole remaining beam saber from its sheath, red blade flaring to life. It shifts the weapon into both hands, lifts it above its head, and charges, GN Drive spraying particles like there's no tomorrow. Leo, as he is wont to do, screams his lungs out. "UAAAAA!!"

The GN-X is upon Virtue in seconds, and it slams the sword downwards, trying to sever the Gundam's arm. It isn't a simple attack, but with so much screaming, it's bound to work!

COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has attacked Tieria Erde. GN Beam Saber Assault added to their queue. COMBAT: Leo Stenbuck has missed Tieria Erde with his GN Beam Saber Assault attack.

Tieria looks on as his attack roars down on Leo and Daiyu, narrowing his eyes in regret. "...I wish..." He shakes his head. "This sort of thing..." All that this was doing was causing more and more hatred. More and more violence. "...there has to be a better way..." And then, everything goes red. "This particle density? This power...? This is...?" Tieria asks, staring down at the display in the Gundam's cockpit for a moment. A new screen comes up, a single man whom he had seen once before, in Celestial Being's declaration of war on war itself, appearing before him. Aeolia Schenberg sits much as he had in that last transmission "To those who possess the GN Drive: I do not know if you have inherited my will. However, I wish to entrust to you my final hope, the full potential of the GN Drive. To those have strove towards a pure world, I pray that you will continue to fight for true peace -- the end to all wars. Not for my sake, nor for anyone else's... but of your own free will." Tieria narrows his eyes for a moment, and then a smile crosses his face. "...we were not wrong," he states quietly. "In the end, we were not wrong." The smiles grows wider. "WE ARE NOT WRONG!" The last legacy of Aeolia Schenberg. The final gift he had given to the Meisters of the plan he had created! TRANS-AM SYSTEM : ACTIVATED Virtue's entire exterior turns red as a cascade of GN particles pours out of its drive, every limiter for the safe storage and output of the green particles being removed in one instant. In that instant, Virtue's barrier becomes even denser, and the suit speeds up - becoming a blur of its own. Not as fast as the lightning fast Exia, but still an unpleasant surprise for those fighting it - as Soma might note as she dives through the empty space where Virtue was a moment before. Then Leo dives in screaming at him... and Virtue is gone, having slid aside from attack and reappeared a hundred or so feet away. "You have my apologies..." Tieria states, looking down at the GN-X that is still in his area. "I promised Chibodee that I would not kill you - and I hope that you do the right thing, and eject now!" Virtue shimmers for a moment - and rushes straight in towards Leo's GN-X. Both GN Bazooka's slide into Tieira's hands, and the two turrets snap down, locking onto Leo's unit. "But such things as these Tau Drives are a force that will cause only war in this world! I will destroy each and every one of them!" The blast of energy that erupts from Tieria's weapons looks like the sun had come to earth - and then gone barreling right at Leo's unit, flying off into the sky beyond, before finally dispersing some distance away over the ocean.

Tieria Erde's Gundam Virtue transforms into its Trans-Am mode.

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has attacked Leo Stenbuck. Virtue GN Full Burst added to their queue. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has struck a apocalyptic hit on Leo Stenbuck's GNX-603T GN-X using Virtue GN Full Burst. Knock Out! Leo Stenbuck's GNX-603T GN-X unit has become disabled!

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has activated a spirit command.

The sudden change to Exia's systems is not something that was in the mission plan. "This wasn't in the mission plan," he states the obvious back to the mothership and Sumeragi Lee Noriega. Regardless, the unit is moving with blistering speed, a steady blur that suddenly has the likes of Daiyu Lin right in front of him. "--!"

On instinct, he performs his usual routine when somebody performs a flying kick at his unit; stab them with pointy things. Twin daggers emerge, but Exia is moving /too/ fast. It blurs right past the Jade Gundam, its sudden pivot causing it to go a little too far.

"Recalibrating," he states, although it's more of a mental adjustment than anything else. This unit, it is everything to the young Gundam Meister. It was given to him when he was at his darkest; its forefather saved him when he was but a boy.

Gundam Exia is everything that Setsuna F. Seiei aspires to be. It is the be-all and end-all, everything he has ever wanted and everything he ever feels he will need. Within its cockpit, within the grooved seat, he feels at home; he feels warm, and something akin to love. He is endlessly fascinated by the possibilities this Gundam offers, to both himself, but more importantly to the world at large.

A world that, sadly... "... is distorted. YOU are part of that distortion!"

Coming about, that rapid blur that is the Exia Gundam approaches Daiyu Lin and the Jade Gundam from one side, and then the other. There is a threat posed with each strike, for with each rapid pass, the young man is seeking to plant one weapon after another into the chassis of the enemy. First it's those daggers, and then it's two beam sabers. Then, the short and long swords, solid weapons lined with potent GN particles.

It culminates as the Solid Sword snaps up into place, that massive long weapon that can even cut through a shoe. "And as a GUNDAM... I... WILL CARVE THAT DISTORTION FROM YOUR HEART!"

The rest proves a guttural roar, as Setsuna F. Seiei becomes one with his unit, seeking to drive the whole length of the blade through the Jade Gundam -- and then slice it clean in half!

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has attacked Daiyu Lin. Seven Swords added to their queue.

The Ptolemaios halts in its approach, hovering just shy of the boundary of the battle. It hangs there in the sky, observing impassively, GN field occasionally reflecting the more brilliant explosions as plasmic blobs of color on its surface.

Aeolia Schenberg's broadcast captivates the bridge crew of the ship. As it concludes, Sumeragi Lee Noriega stands, taking a few hesitant steps forward, as if the gravity in the room had just quintipled. The tactical forecaster is at a loss for words, eyes wide, mouth hanging open slightly.

"Trans... Am?" Sumeragi says, the words falling clumsily but quietly from her lips.

COMBAT: Daiyu Lin has activated a spirit command.

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has struck a apocalyptic critical hit on Daiyu Lin's Jade Gundam using Seven Swords.

Knock Out! Daiyu Lin's Jade Gundam unit has become disabled!

It missed -- !

As Allelujah gets closer, the pressure wearing on his mind begins to build to the point where it feels like a wall -- and his head is split asunder by a massive headache. In the confusion, Kyrios is smashed toward the Virtue (who doesn't seem to be paying attention to the 'stay close' thing) just as, perhaps as an act of God, something happens. Unfortunately, this leaves the thin Gundam to be carried back in the air further, sparks flinging out from its damaged side, until ...

TRANS AM ACTIVATED

"T ..." Allelujah cracks a storm-grey eye open, panting softly. "... Trans ... Am?" He manages, at last, to grab control.

A strange change comes over the Gundam: limiters broken and released, GN particles flow free, wreathing the mecha in a corona of red light; it becomes blurry, almost transient, the edges of it slightly prismatic as it breaks the light. And it's become incredibly fast, difficult for the naked eye to follow.

Like a comet, the revigored Kyrios blasts for Soma, unleashing a blitz of white-hot bullets!

Allelujah Haptism's Gundam Kyrios transforms into its Trans-Am mode.

COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has attacked Soma Peries. GN Beam Submachine Gun Focus added to their queue. COMBAT: Soma Peries has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has struck a major hit on Soma Peries's GNX-603T GN-X Pitaya using GN Beam Submachine Gun Focus.

He's too fast.

Once upon a time, Daiyu Lin would have been able to keep up with it. Speed is one advantage, but it's useless if your opponent is as fast as you are; she could just keep moving, blocking attack after attack with her hands and feet, using a minimum of motion to minimize his advantage.

That was then. And this is now.

Daiyu puts up a valiant defense. She actually /does/ parry a knife with one of Jade's apparently unbreakable hands, and catches one of the beam sabers on the side of her foot, sliding it away. She even manages to get in a strike of her own, although she aborts it once she sees it's not going to connect for another parry. But she is out of breath, labouring just to stand up and keep Jade Gundam moving on the dodai, and she is weak.

The last sword shears through Jade Gundam as Daiyu fails to keep up, her arms feeling as if they weigh about a thousand pounds each. The pain is blinding in her side and her chest, and she lets out a startled exhalation. "You..." Slowly, Jade takes one automatic step back to try to brace and recover - and runs out of dodai.

Daiyu plummets. This time there are no other dodais under her; she falls all the way to the water, Jade Gundam not quite in two pieces but badly damaged, landing with an enormous splash and sinking.

COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has struck a solid hit on Cagalli Yula Athha's Aile Strike Rouge using Concealed Machineguns.

Now... Soma is fast. Her eyes are fast, her reaction time is fast... but not -that- fast! "Where did he go?" Amber eyes dart wildly around the cockpit, trying to track Kyrios in the cameras. "Where..?" And then a flash of pain darts through her mind, and Soma quickly pulls her controls back. "There!" Thrusters fire, and the GN Drive spins to full life, but it isn't -quite- fast enough, and the laser bursts strike again and again, charring some of Pitaya's pink armor an ugly black.

"No.. This is my Jinx Pitaya!" As she speaks, all four eyes on the GN-X glow brightly, and Soma pulls it back farther away from the Kyrios. "I am a super soldier! You won't defeat me!" For now, she can't -quite- keep up with Kyrios. That's okay... Soma is confident that her mind will catch up soon enough. However, there's one thing that she can see a bit more clearly. "Both of you, come! I'll shoot you both down!" More waves of aggression are projected from Soma, spreading wider and wider... and she points the GN Rifle at Virtue, firing several times as she attempts to find some weak point in that particle shield it has.

COMBAT: Soma Peries has activated a spirit command.

The concealed machine guns catch Cagalli off guard, and she staggers back a few feet from the shots; it's not much of a stagger at mobile suit scale, admittedly. She doesn't respond to Rain; she's getting to the point where she's unable to really force herself to respond to even mid-battle compliments. The last few weeks have just worn her down.

There's something to be said for being worn down, though; it may decrease your amount of hot blood, but it also leads to a little more reliable, consistent performance at spots. You can't run in and scream needlessly if you don't have the energy to, after all.

Eventually, she says, "... Your friends are having trouble. It'd be better if you retreated," before coming in with the saber again. She slashes at Rain's wrist and the beam bow, trying to disable the weapon she's just brought up before she's even gotten it fully online. Preventive warfare: the best kind.

COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has attacked Rain Mikamura. Beam Saber Assault added to their queue. COMBAT: Soma Peries has attacked Tieria Erde. GN Beam Rifle Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Soma Peries has struck a glancing hit on Tieria Erde's Trans-Am using GN Beam Rifle Mastery.

Leo's blade bites through empty air, where the decidedly slothful Gundam Virtue was just a moment before. His scream stops abruptly as the GN-X overbalances, flipping forwards. It takes the Titan only a heartbeat to right the mobile suit, but it heaps even more confusion onto the boy's growing disorientation. "H-huh?!" he stammers. "Where'd it go?!"

When Tieria begins speaking, the GN-X whirls to face Gundam Virtue. "It's... pink?" he gapes. "N-no... it's... red?! And it moved so fast...!!" Most of Tieria's words go in one ear and out the other, with Leo as distracted by wondering what the shit just happened as he is. One in particular, however, catches his attention.

"Promised Coach...?!" he growls. "... Yesterday... dammit!!" The boy slams a fist on his control console in vague, directionless anger. This is going south fast... he needs to refocus. "Alright, Gundam Meister!" he shouts, turning his attention fully back on Virtue and the distressingly high number of guns it's pointing his way.

"Don't think I'll give up just because you got a little faster!!" The GN-X raises its sword again, poising it to thrust. "WE'LL SEE HOW GOOD THAT GUNDAM DOES YOU!!" Pilot screaming once again, the blue GN-X charges.

About a second after it does, Tieria fires; the GN-X dives downwards out of the way, but it's in vain. The blast is just too big. It consumes the top half of the body, disentigrating it almost instantly. Suddenly without propulsion, the lower half coasts for several seconds on momentum alone before it begins to drop towards the water below.

When the GN-X finally begins to fall, the mobile suit's cockpit block erupts out of its crotch as Leo ejects, frantically yanking on the lever. Half a second after the escape capsule is clear, the lower half of the body explodes into a cloud of flame, smoke, and shrapnel. The shockwave from the explosion buffets the ejection pod, and it goes spinning out of control, spinning slowly as it plummets out of the air.

When it finally hits the surface of the ocean, it disappears beneath the waves, throwing an enormous column of water, steam, and froth into the air behind it.

<Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Aeolia Schenberg transmits, in a pre-recorded message, "To those who possess the GN Drive: I do not know if you have inherited my will. However, I wish to entrust to you my final hope, the full potential of the GN Drive. To those have strove towards a pure world, I pray that you will continue to fight for true peace -- the end to all wars. Not for my sake, nor for anyone else's... but of your own free will."

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Staren Wiremu transmits, "He... doesn't know if you're working for him or not, and he still... what... agh..." <Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden transmits, "It-- it's like a massive Jet Stream Attack!"

COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has struck a major hit on Rain Mikamura's Rising Gundam using Beam Saber Assault. COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has counter attacked for a minor hit on Cagalli Yula Athha's Aile Strike Rouge using Heat Naginata.

Allelujah is starting to feel pumped -- so this is the true power of the GN Drives.

-- Wait, why is he enjoying this so much? The supersoldier bites his lip, trying to get a hold of himself. He can't kill this woman, this woman who sounds and feels much like that little girl he had known so long ago -- his only friend.

But is she really her?

Regardless, he cannot let her attack Virtue. In the time it takes Soma to fire her GN Rifle, it takes less of a fraction of a second for the red pulsing machine to veer right up, flip out its sword from its holster, and slash diagonally toward its rifle-holding arm.

He's coming. This is it - Guy Shishioh's secret power. The true power of the machine called GaoGaiGar.

And it is a big hammer. Well, it is a super robot.

It's a big hammer poised to evaporate her ship. She watches, frown ever-steepening. The parting of the water - a new application, but the Dividing Driver is a recorded device. The Goldeon Hammer is not NEW, but it's the first time it's been pointed at Tessa. She frowns. OK. Get it together.

"Keep current speed. EMFC to active mode. He's going to hit - yes, there, all crew out of all decks, sector D! Dana prepare the EMFC to block off waterflow from those areas until the crew can establish emergency bulkheads!" She watches...there. "ALL HANDS! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

The ship is rocked by Hammer Hell. It rattles, people flying, sparks scattering everywhere, bubbles flying. Tessa shouts, "NOW! EMFC, 120#38 DANA, DO IT!"

And when Guy moves to retreive the nail--

It's gone.

The Tuatha de Danaan has escaped, flying through the water, and somehow dissipating the nail of the Goldeon Hammer in the same motion.

COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has attacked Soma Peries. GN Heat Sword added to their queue.

Leo's GN-X transforms into a field of debris in Virtue's blast, it's GN Drive melting away and it's particles being consumed by Virtue's blast. Tieria narrows his eyes for a moment, and shakes his head. "A pity..." He didn't want to take him out if he didn't have to, but at the same time, that GN-X was too dangerous to allow to survive. A moment later Soma unleashes a barrage of energy in his direction, several shots raining down on him. However, the shots themselves have no real luck - they are all deflected away by Virtue's GN Field sent spiraling away with only one glancing off of Virtue's shoulder by virtue of the fact that it had bent a bit less on the field than the others. The Gundam rotates around, all four of its cannons snapping up and locking onto the GN-X. "There isn't anything else that we can do but fight in this world - but at the end of the fighting, we must make sure that there is something left for the people who come after us!" A massive barrage of energy roars down on Soma, and Tieria adds, "As long as you use those drives there will not be a world left for the future!"

COMBAT: Tieria Erde has attacked Soma Peries. Twin-Linked Double Barrel GN Cannons added to their queue.

After so neatly dealing with Daiyu Lin's Jade Gundam, despite the rather spirited attempts to defend herself, Setsuna F. Seiei turns his gaze onto the battlefield. What else is there, distorting the landscape? There are countless battleships, still launching missiles at the Orb Mainland, there's chaos everywhere and fighting galore.

Even with this gift, can Celestial Being hope to save the country, with the Federation so damn determined to destroy it? "Damn... Federation...!" he slams a fist against his console, before noting that there appears to be a time limit on how long his suit can do this Trans-Am thing for.

He has to make the most of it, right?

With only seconds left, Setsuna F. Seiei bursts towards the enemy lines, the battleships there, firing one shot after another from his sawn-off beam rifle, all in the vain hope of avoiding catastrophe. The timer sinks into single digits...

COMBAT: Soma Peries has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Allelujah Haptism has missed Soma Peries with his GN Heat Sword attack. COMBAT: Soma Peries has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has missed Soma Peries with his Twin-Linked Double Barrel GN Cannons attack.

Each of the present Gundam Meisters suddenly make their transformations as the Trans-Am systems release their locks and engage. What is the Trans-Am system is anyone's guess at this point but it seems to have released the Meisters into a form of Hyper Mode that is engagable by the Mobile Trace System. This intrigues Rain heavilly and she requests the ships begin scanning and relaying combat data back to headquarters. The ships out to sea begin doing just that, scanning the Exia, The Virtue, and Kyrios heavilly as well as capturing video of their initial combat moves. Will this even prove useful to unlocking the secrets of the Celestial Being?

Only Time can tell at this point.

However, now we must return to the moment. With her allies falling to the Gundam Meisters, Rain is heavy hearted in her battle against the Strike Rouge. Knowing she needs to focus her opponent in front of her, Dr. Mikamura remains more worried about them then she is about the fight she is engaged in which becomes costly as Cagalli comes in swiftly with her beam saber! (Damn she's fast!) O o. thinks Rain as she instinctively drops her beam bow and reaches behind her to pull the gundam's naginata, bringing the polearm up and slashing lightly against the Strike Rouge but not before the beam saber connects with her wrist!

The blow connects and deals heavy damage to the circuit unit, which is once again reflected in the feedback system! She groans aloud, attempting to fight through the pain but its too much! The good doctor drops her Naginata and grasps her wrist with her other hand, mumbling lightly to Guy over radio but its apparent she is losing hope here.

Receiving Guy's return-transmission, Rain looks up to Cagalli and manages to pick herself up,. o O (I gotta get this hand operational again if I am going to survive until Guy can get here to pull the others out.)

Raising her own spirits through the use of the Super Robot Spirit, Rain begins working ferviously on the holo-computer to compensate for power flux and energy drains. Its not much but its enough to keep her going. She replies back to Cagalli, "I won't leave my allies behind just like you wouldn't leave yours either. So i'll fight until the end if I have too.. Just like I did when the Mercy saved your men."

The Rising Gundam evades to the right, swiping its beam bow from the ground and activating it in mid-run. She speeds off towards a higher vantage point and takes aim with her bow, "We don't have to do this, Cagalli.. I don't want to fight you any more than you don't wish to fight me. Whether you think we are or not, I believe we can be allies! I've tried to show this to you mulitple times but each time you've disregarded my attempts!" and to that Rain keeps her bow aimed and asks politely, "Let me retrieve our soliders and lets end this alright? Call off the others."

COMBAT: Rain Mikamura has activated a spirit command.

Slowly, the image of Aeolia Schenberg fades away like a ghost of a memory. Alejandro Corner is left staring in barely contained fury as the viewscreen before him displays glowing red Gundams ripping through their opponents, moving at speeds that can scarcely be tracked. His left brow twitches.

"... Ribbons. What is this system?"

"There is no data on it within Veda," Ribbons replies calmly, his lips pulled into a thin line. "Given that fact, it was most likely installed into the black boxes of the original GN Drives, to be activated once Aeolia Schenberg died."

"... A system trap," Alejandro repeats his assistant's earlier words, looking down towards the bullet-riddled corpse of Aeolia Schenberg.

"Also, it appears that the data on the meisters as been completely--"

Ribbons never finishes. The pristine white glove of Alejandro Corner /smashes/ into the thick, cracked glass panel of Schenberg's cryogenic container. His teeth grit, lips pulling back as his eyes grow unsteady -- with rage.

"So he predicted this too, did he? Is he a prophet? A /genie/? How absurd! I will not be controlled by a ghost! He is dead! This world is mine now!" Alejandro steps backward, smiling a dangerous, hate-filled smile.

"Aeolia Schenberg... your precious 'system'... I'll tear it all down in the birth of my new world."

Resuming his composure, Corner straightens, floating calmly past Ribbons as he goes. "Ribbons, keep maintaining Veda. And contact the Federation.

"Tell them they will be receiving reinforcements within the next twenty four hours."

Ribbons Almark smiles a knowing, easy smile as Alejandro turns his back to him -- the type of smile someone might don when dealing with a child.

"Certainly, Master Corner."

After seeing Leo and Saiyu both go down, Soma is focused. She's very focused... and she does not intend to lose this fight. When Kyrios flies in, she pulls on her controls, swinging the GN beam saber around to meet the large heat sword. Sparks fly, GN particles skipping along the sword, and Soma slowly lifts the rifle to point at the winged Gundam. "You won't stop me that easily!"

And then she feels another stab of pressure in the back of her head. "You as well?" Rather than firing on the Kyrios, Soma pulls back away from it, barely avoiding the massive particle beams from Virtue. "I am a super soldier.. and you cannot stop me, Celestial Being!"

Turning slightly, the GN-X Pitaya sends a few blasts from the head vulcans toward Allelujah, trying to keep the Kyrios at bay for a moment. GN rifle in hand, Pitaya drives forward, diving at Virtue at dangerous speeds and firing all the way. The head vulcans add their own blasts as well. Whether she's trying to make her mobile suit harder to target or she's just charging blindly is difficult to tell. Once the GN-X is close enough, Soma brings up the beam saber and drives it at Virtue's shield, trying to pierce it so her continued blasts can get through it. "I will put an end to you!"

COMBAT: Soma Peries has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Soma Peries has attacked Tieria Erde. Gatling Fire added to their queue. COMBAT: Tieria Erde has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Soma Peries has struck a major critical hit on Tieria Erde's Trans-Am using Gatling Fire.

The Goldion Hammer swings powerfully, but the Tuatha De Danaan is gone. What, then, is there for it to strike? An enormous amount of water, as the temporary Dividing Field begins to dissipate, the walls of water rushing in to crush the King of Braves. It's an enormous amount of force, and at this depth it simply cannot endure. With a mighty roar, Guy is buried under a terrible amount of liquid doom.

For a moment, there is nothing. Then, abruptly, a pillar of light fills the air as a sizeable portion of the ocean itself is transformed, destroying untold amounts of aquatic life and ruining the livelihood of local fishermoon as an enormous school of fish is caught. In the photon-filled gap, GaoGaiGar soars up, steams of blue-green fire trailing from its back.

"...so they're gone," Guy quietly reflects to himself, secretly relieved. This is war, people fight, and a lot of the time people die. But if in this particular scenario, the Tuatha De Danaan and its crew could be driven off without the lot of them dying or continuing to assault the EFA, then Guy considers it a victory.

"Alright! Rain, I'll be right there, so get away!" Still clutching the obscene Goldion Hammer, GaoGaiGar soars through the air like a golden bird of unnecessarily large bludgeoning doom, coming to where the Strike Rouge and Rising Gundam are.

"Hrraaaaaaagh!" With that eloquent battlecry loosed, Guy descends from the air, lifting up the hammer...and then lashing out with a heavy foot instead!

COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has attacked Cagalli Yula Athha. Goldion Fake-Out added to their queue.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden, having never closed the visual link, transmits, "J... Jesus..." <Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden transmits, "S..." <Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden shakes out his head, and speaks with better conviction. "Someone get the medical bay ready. Amuro's gonna need it."

COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has struck a glancing hit on Cagalli Yula Athha's Aile Strike Rouge using Goldion Fake-Out.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden transmits, "...told you not to overdo it..." <Radio: A - Orb: General> Amuro Ray tries to respond but is just coughing wetly instead.

So that is the power of a super soldier.

Allelujah grunts -- this speed is almost too fast for even himself to control sometimes, and he's feeling the g-forces behind it. The movement of Kyrios is jerky, and it resheaths its blade in the blink of an eye before it brings its submachine guns out again.

He aims --

He starts to fire --

PARTICLE LEVELS LOW

"... It was only temporary?!"

With a low whine, the red enveloping the machine dims, no longer blurring it as if an ethereal figure; it returns to its prior colors, a weak spurt of green light from its engine the only indicator that it's still functional.

It seems as though he's paralyzed.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Kai Shiden transmits, "Lyle, you OK in there?"

The Lady Athha opens her mouth to talk to Rain. However, she is promptly cut off by Guy's hammer streaking through the air... and fortunately, she blocks in /both/ directions, rather than merely 'up'. The feint is intercepted, but even so, the Princess's machine takes heavy damage, and she hurtles end over end through the air for a bit.

"This is exactly why I don't bite when you make that kind of offer!" Cagalli shouts as she refocuses, this time on the heavy weapons platform 'GaoGaiGar.' "You say you want to fight but then your God damn goons come out and hit me with something that could've snapped me in two if I'd taken it straight! This is our /home/, and you act like /we're/ the ones who're making the fight happen!" She draws her second saber, saying, "The Federation -- just /bullies/ people because it can!"

With that, she turns her attention to defending herself from Guy in an aggressive manner. Oh, how she'd kill to have access to her ship-cutting swords at the moment... but as it is, she'll have to settle for the beam sabers still, coming in with a forceful series of slashes at GaoGaiGar's arms in an attempt to radically decrease its combat efficiency. Just keep yourself alive, she reminds herself, as she carves. Just focus on staying alive.

COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has attacked Guy Shishioh. Beam Saber Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Cagalli Yula Athha has struck a major hit on Guy Shishioh's GaoGaiGar using Beam Saber Mastery.

<Radio: A - Orb: General> Lyle Dylandy transmits, "Tch... Yeah, I'm holding together, mostly."

And as fate would have it, that single-digit counter runs down to zero. Exia stops being so flashy pink, and finds itself suddenly buffeted by a high amount of flak fire from the warships it was charging together. "D-damn!" the young Meister within curses, fist slamming again as it lifts the shield to defend itself. It has little choice; it starts falling back towards the Mainland, firing shots still while under cover.

This one was rather relentless - Tieria pulls himself back and away, putting as much of his GN Field between the GN-X and his Gundam. That manages to absorb quite a bit of the incoming fire, but it is still going to be dangerous, and the repeated impacts are pushing down the available number of particles he has left in his drive. Several shots break through his barrier, smashing into Virtue's chest, and Tieira grunts, getting ready to unleash another attack... The warning chime goes off on his Trans-Am system. "...this is the time limit?" he asks, looking at the display for a moment. "...that first attack must have taken more out of the unit that I thought it did." He would have to be more sparing of his use of Virtue's weapons in the future - an overwhelming attack might work, but not if it left him low on power afterwards. "Allelujah, I'll have to leave this one to you!" he shouts, before accelerating upwards. He needs to get some separation before the Trans-Am effect wears off - he's still not sure what sort of shape his suit will end up being in after this incredible release of particles.

As the Virtue begins to pull back, Soma once more turns her Pitaya toward the orange Gundam. "Don't think I've forgotten about you, Celestial Being!" Though she seems to have forgotten his name quickly enough, perhaps. The GN Drive whines back to life, sending a spiral of red particles flowing behind the GN-X as it flies toward Kyrios. "I will show you my determination!" Beam saber is held high.. then...

Suddenly, the GN-X Pitaya just stops, a short distance from Kyrios. The rifle and beam saber shift slightly as Soma's instinct fights against the orders she was jsut given. After a few moments, she lowers both weapons, and the beam saber is stowed back in its place in the Pitaya's knee. "...Second Lieutenant Soma Peries, withdrawing."

"Sorry I kicked you!" Guy quickly transmits to Cagalli, after a brief conversation with Rain. "I thought you were attacking her and that she needed help. She said I was wrong, though, so...hey! No hard feelings, right?" Guy doesn't retaliate when the beam sabers cleave through GaoGaiGar's armor, instead jetting back. "Hey, Rain! I'll leave her to you!"

He rises up into the air, glancing around. This fight's been going on for awhile, and all around him numerous units are engaged. It's enough to make a man dizzy! But one in particular catches his eye, withdrawing from the fleet--the unit piloted by SETSUNA F. SEIEI, the man with too many vowels stringed together in his last name.

"Alright, Goldy. I know you can't handle that many attacks, but just a few more, then we'll withdraw for the day! Crush that one!"

Goldymarg's reply is lost in the wind as GaoGaiGar accelerates, but it is probably something like 'YEAH I LOVE BREAKIN' STUFF GUY'.

Bellowing, Guy suddenly descends on Setsuna, swinging his mighty hammer in a shiny, glorious potshot!

COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has attacked Setsuna F. Seiei. Goldion Hammer added to their queue.

As Rain begins to attempt to open negotiations with Cagalli, her attempts are immediately shattered as the GaoGaiGar comes in and strikes the Strike Rouge. In immediate attempts to conduct damage control, Rain transmits to Guy advising him to back off but the Strike Rouge is on the War Path!

Lowering her beam bow, the Rising Gundam rushes in between the two combatants and keeping on the cover defensive of the GaoGaiGar but throws away her beam bow. She's unarmed and prepared to use her own suit as a shield if necessary as the good doctor replies, "Cagalli! Stop! He did not know and was merely coming to protect me as your allies would have done for you.."

Then Rain looks around before shooting a glare back at Cagalli, "Look around you! The Federation forces are withdrawing!"

It is as Rain says, the units of the Federation are beginning to withdraw from the Orb Island battlefield. While she may not have the influence that some other officers may have, one was gracious enough to step up and defend her claim to withdraw!

Rain says, "What I state to you is the truth and that unit had no intention of harming you. We're withdrawing. We have no more reason to fight. If you feel there is a reason, then strike me now. An unarmed combatant." and then with a serious and determined look, finishes, "Its your move."

As Tieria Erde pulls out and his two fellow Meisters hang out to dry, the Ptolemaios lurches forward, moving into the fray. The GN Field deflects stray fire; Sumeragi Lee Noriega, inside, pays it little mind. "Looks like they're retreating," she says. "Some of them, anyway. I wonder why that GN-X held back -- are they being ordered to... toy with us like that?"

Setsuna is further away, and so Sumeragi Lee Noriega is forced to leave him to his own fate. "Setsuna F. Seiei," she murmurs, seeing the fury of GaoGaiGar's imminent attack. "If you have anything left, use it now..." Her voice grows more firm, beaming directly to the weakened Meister. "Gundam Meisters don't go out like that, kid, so /find a way to move that thing/."

Meanwhile, the GN Field shudders, as the Ptolemaios uses semi-automated technology to pull the damaged and enervated Kyrios inward, out of play.

COMBAT: Sumeragi Lee Noriega has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has struck a glancing hit on Setsuna F. Seiei's Trans-Am using Goldion Hammer.

Grinding her teeth as Guy admits to what's going on and Rain points out the withdrawal of the Federation forces, Cagalli tosses her beam saber and beam rifle down to the shore of the Orb Mainland. For a long while, she says precisely nothing to Rain; she really, /really/ wants to deck the other woman, though she wouldn't admit it.

She feels hurt and violated. This is her /home/ and the Federation is acting like they have some kind of moral high ground for coming in, striking, hurting people -- and then retreating, as if nothing ever happened, as if being gracious enough to leave before destroying everything she cares about makes them better.

"... /get out/," she growls. "Just leave. /Now/. I don't shoot people in the back, but if you show me a stance again you're going to see how far I can throw an Armor Schneider." Gundam Fighters are just as dangerous unarmed as armed; Cagalli isn't dumb enough anymore to think being weaponless means Rain is undefended.

<Radio: B - Orb Tactical> Cagalli Yula Athha is not so controlled here, and just shouts, "Nnnghhh -- BULLSHIT!"

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has activated a spirit command.

Setsuna F. Seiei, Gundam Meister, receives a boost of morale support from his handler, one Sumeragi Lee Noriega, Strategic Forecaster.

He also receives a massive hammer for his efforts, as the Federation pilot attempts to take a cheap shot at him, while he's falling back. "You think I'll allow it?!" he demands rhetorically, even as that massive strike cleaves down, severing the shield used to block and knocking the unit down a good hundred yards in the air.

But it's back in a flash, rising like a burning arrow. That wasn't a potshot; that was an insult. And Setsuna F. Seiei lets Guy Shishioh know what he thinks about that, as he seeks to drive the Solid Sword square into that chest lion -- and with a little bit of luck, out through the collar and into the other face as well!

COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has attacked Guy Shishioh. GN Longsword added to their queue. COMBAT: Setsuna F. Seiei has struck a major hit on Guy Shishioh's GaoGaiGar using GN Longsword.

Setsuna's sword impales Galeon, the lion face on GaoGaiGar's chest, eliciting a pained roar from both the space lion and the pilot. At that moment, Guy's grip on the Goldion Hammer loosens, and it falls to the water, Goldymarg loudly complaining the entire time. "Tch..." Guy wipes some blood away from his mouth. People are insisting he retreat, but not before he decks this guy!

"One hit!" Guy looks down, and sees, amazingly, the sword, only inches away from impaling himself personally. This Gundam pilot's playing for keeps, and Guy's not the sort to let that slide.

"HELL!" Guy stretches his right hand out, as red energy swirls around it. "AND..." The left hand goes out, glowing a bright blue. "HEAVEN!" The hands begin to vibrate. Since acquiring the Goldion Hammer, Guy has not had need to call upon the power of Hell and Heaven often, as doing so too much puts strain on his body. But here, against this pilot, he's willing to use it just to make his mark. Only a few yards away from Exia, Guy begins to chant: "Gemu giru gan go gufo..."

The hands clasp! From GaoGaiGar's side, green fog sprays out, electromagnetically charged to circle both machines. With a howl, he drives forward, aiming to repay the chest strike in kind with a mighty two-handed blow!

COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has attacked Setsuna F. Seiei. Hell And Heaven added to their queue. COMBAT: Guy Shishioh has struck a apocalyptic hit on Setsuna F. Seiei's Trans-Am using Hell And Heaven.

The pair of Gundams stand on the shoreline, facing one another as the waves crash against their metallic feet. A couple moments pass before Cagalli tosses her weapons aside, gritting her teeth and obviously more pissed than one could imagine which is something Rain can empathize with. The two factions have been exchanging blows for sometime and then they casually retreat. The feeling of anger is obviously mutual, she's seriously like to deck Admiral Paptimus for his elitist ways but like that would ever happen.

When Cagalli answers her, Rain doesn't initially say anything and only gathers her equipment. She doesn't live the life of a warrior which to many will be seen as a weakness. Is her pacifisic ways getting in the way of her primary judgement? Is the Federation really where she belongs and if so, what is her place in it all?

The good doctor for once realizes how powerless now she is to inflict any kind of change. There are good people in the federation but even then she lacks the capability to act or gather the support she needs.

With a glance up to the GaoGaiGar, the Rising Gundam proceeds to make its way away from the Strike Rouge, only glancing back for a moment. Rain says, "Thank you and for what is it worth, even if you don't listen to me, I am sorry for the trouble." and then the boosts off towards the Federation ships. Seriously, its a pain in the ass to be a peacemaker.

Peacemakers, people taking potshots, the Federation reeks of hypocrisy, even for one as jaded as Setsuna F. Seiei. Breathing hard, he realizes he's managed to push his Gundam to the limit, the solar furnace in dire need of a good, long, hard charge. It doesn't help though, that the sword wasn't enough to knock this opponent into the ether.

Instead, the Gundam finds itself on the receiving end of what must indeed be another potshot, as Guy Shishioh throws caution and good sense to the wind in order to get in one last hit. It finds its mark. The two-handed blow catches Exia squarely, and the unit simply flies backwards, crumpled and on the verge of defeat. Very likely, he could return to the fray, and push this fight to the utmost; but where's the strategic sense in that? Defensive fire from the Orb forces should be enough to force the enemy to retreat, and for his part, Setsuna F. Seiei uses the thrust that's been given fist over fist to fly his battered unit away.

All of the expended particles means that the Kyrios is a sitting duck, although not necessarily unable to move. It is sluggish as it starts to float back, the pilot having no choice but to just watch as the pink GN-X cruises up.

Kyrios stares back, its dull green eyes flashing.

Thank god she didn't kill him -- but at the same time, he's unsure if this is really the person he's been looking for. Without anything visual to grasp, all he has is an impression in his mind. Her presence. He instinctively knows it's her, but she acts so differently. Did the EFA do this to her?

"Soma Peries ..." He murmurs to himself as Kyrios is raked up by the Ptolemaios.

Tieria adjusts as much energy as he can on the fly, plotting his own course towards the Ptolemy. He frowns for a moment, and the nods. "Sumeragi, do you have any idea this power down period will end up lasting for?" he transmits. There wasn't much else he could do - besides hope that he can make it back up to the Ptolemy and that his drive won't cut out on him in the meantime. A last gift, a valuable blade that could prove the difference in battle, but this sword seemed to have two edges at the same time. And it could cut the pilot as easily as the enemy.

Inside GaoGaiGar's cockpit, Guy Shishioh is breathing heavily. The Tuatha De Danaan, Gundam Exia--both extremely dangerous opponents, and ones that not even a cyborg can go face-to-face with one after the other without being winded. He couldn't destroy that Gundam, though...which means it'll just be back another time, to prolong the fights and hurt, possibly even kill, his allies.

"...tch," Guy says, and GaoGaiGar dips low, retrieving the Goldion Hammer before it sinks any further. Guy continues to breath heavily, and the King of Braves makes its way back toward the Federation fleet, looking to dock on the Gutsy Geoid Guard's maintenance ship that came along with them.