2011-05-10 - Technical Difficulties

Raven's Nest - The Arm Pit Time: 1708

The Evening was starting to set in outside of the Nest. There had been rumors of the Crest ship showing up, however they didn't seem to be a large problem. Waiting for some kinda 'shipment' they said. A few of those who knew the inner workings probably knew that seemed a little fishy, however with no proof---

-- what could you do?

Two individuals of great importance sat at the bar. One of them a mid aged twenty year old guy with deep tan, brown hair, and red dyed bangs. This was Genobee; He was supposed to be the runner-up to replace R, of all things. The guy R trained at youth to become his replacement when the time came.

The female along side of him was one who had full set of red hair, but her bangs were that of blonde. She had a scar running from her right eye ridge, went along her nose, and then down to her lower part of her left side jaw. She like Genobee, was a member of Crest's Armored Core group; but they were also Ravens. Her name was Agraya, pilot of the Armored Core Red Star.

She pulled back the jacket's sleeve to look at the watch on her wrist, before she took the last drop from the bottle in front of her. She then slowly rose to her feet, before looking over to Genobee. The task they had before them wasn't easy. "I counted forty.. maybe forty-two." She said easily, before placing her hands in the jacket pockets. "And we have a bell to beat. Think we can really do it?" Those steel white eyes looked over to Genobee.

Genobee's half lidded eyes peered at the now empty bottle they had shared, an expression of loss coloring his features darkly. "Arn't women supposed to leave the last drink for their men?" he mused as he slid from his stool, plucking his coat from the back of the seat and sweeping it on to his arms, the fabric whispering quietly as his arms slipped into the sleeves and it settled on to his shoulder.

Flipping his hair from inside the jacket's collar, Genobee loosed a sigh, Always hate these 'on the clock' missions. Can never have that much fun." he complained dryly, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up for the coming festivities "Don't you worry. We'll manage. Just make sure to watch your own back as well as mine."

"I always have your back, partner." Agraya said calmly before heading outside with Genobee shortly behind her she was sure. This wasn't an easy mission. Attacking inside the Nest.. the Raven's home.. allies to the Trailers...

Vice had to be out of his living mind.. or that data was /very/ important. More important than Crest was willing to let on.

As Agraya started down the market area, she pulled out a small device. Flipped it open, pressed a few buttons, and then closed it. She placed the item back inside her pockets once more.

Raven's Nest - Security Center Time: 1712

The Security was chilling back. Playing a round of poker really, till suddenly there was static on the comms and all the cameras went down. A few of the members rolled over and tried to over-ride whatever was going on. We've lost signal.

What do you mean we lost signal? Another asks before he comes over.

However shortly the door opened and then with a roll of a canister in. The group looked over before smoke raised from the canister. There was some coughing, before the team passed out. Those military boots strolled across the metal floor, before then a few switches were flipped.

It was not soon after, alarms sounded in the Raven's Nest. It was the signal to move all civilians down to the lower section. It was the sound to clear out the upper levels, open the lower sections, and move people.

No one questioned it, because even if it was a drill, things had to be done; and with the comms down--

-– well, hard to ask questions, wasn't it?

Then those boots started to head back down, as once more Agraya could be seen pulling off the mask from her face. She tossed it off to the side, before radioing over to Genobee, "We are in the green. I will be there soon."

"Mm, don't take long." answered Genobee, settling into the pilot's chair of Dual-Face, easing the helmet down on his head and fastening it into position, "I'll get lonely." he added, busying himself through the activation sequence, lights coming to life all around him as his machine stirred.

"Cute sir." The female Crest pilot replied with a grin on her face. She did admire the man; She perhaps always will.

Raven's Nest - Hanger Time: 1722

The area was being cleared out. Crews were working fast. Agraya and Genobee by this point have already sneaked around thanks to the knowledge of Genobee knowing the place inside and out. Sadly though, they needed their mechs in order to take the terminal home.

That meant they needed the area clear, at least clear enough. Not everyone could be hustled out, and others, anyone who was willing, was asked to stand on guard. If this was an attack, if this was not a drill, they needed people ready.

A few techs on the move suddenly noticed two Armored Cores were powered up. Once of them glanced up, "Wait--- are you guys helping?" The tech asks. There was an eerie lack of response. The others just kept moving. That one tech however tsked softly, "Hey! Anyone in there!?"

<<"Yes.">> The female voice boomed out from the Armored Core, before it suddenly reached down and picked up the tech. That red, bright optic stared now at the tech in hand. <<"And you are now dead.">>

"Wha-- WAIT!!"

The Armored Core then flung the tech. <<"Orders are clear. We find the /real/ terminal. We leave behind no evidence and we only have a short time. On your mark sir.">> The Black Armored Core looked over to the other who was more identical to R's old Gabriel machine, but black itself with two grenade launchers. <<"Lets set.">>

Suddenly the female piloted Armored Core jetted out for the main hanger, guns ready for blazing and to take down anyone who stood in their way along with locate the terminal-- even if it meant all terminals.

MISSION OBJECTIVE Defeat Genobee & Agraya or Push Back in 6 rounds. Protect Sly Heckler. Don't Let Crest Get The Terminal.

A while back, Sly Heckler was out drinking with Spectre. At one point, Sly asked the veteran mercenary if there was anything out there that Spectre simply would not fight if he could avoid it. After thinking about it for a minute, Spectre replied, "You know, there's really only one thing I know that makes me nervous anymore."

After a brief pause for effect, he explained, "You, when you get one of your 'good ideas.'"

Three days ago, Sly Heckler had a good idea.

A while back, Sly and some other elites infiltrated a Crest compound, and stole a data core. Sly hid in the L5 wreckage to examine it, but was quickly tracked down by Crest forces anyway. In desperation, Sly jumped his ship into the Saturn region, and hid among Saturn's rings. The terminal was sending a tracking signal that, after some work, he couldn't manage to block, and it would take some time before they could get into that data core and find the information they needed.

Sly didn't have that kind of time, so he needed to find a way to engage and overcome the Crest forces. So he had an idea.

He couldn't block the signal, but he could replicate it.

So he jumped back to the Earth sphere, and docked with Raven's Nest. When the terminal transmitted next, Crest would easily pick up its signal.

And 50 identical ones, from similar looking mock-up terminals that Sly and his crew made.

The decoy terminals were hidden all throughout Raven's Nest. The nest had a lot of junk technology, so nobody really noticed an extra piece here and there. For Crest however, the only way to tell one is a fake is to actually walk up to it an examine it. Sly had hoped that Crest would not be willing to commit those kinds of forces.

He hoped, but he didn't count on it, so his Seraph was kept powered up and ready, just in case.

Meanwhile, in the Raven's Nest hangar ...

The Valstork is currently ensconced in the hangar, getting some tender loving care from a few of the Nest's best and most trusted mechanics; the Valhawk is walking back and forth, moving cargo and parts and materials to wherever they're needed; he's just set down a container-load of space torpedoes and micro-missiles for the Valstork when a fight breaks out on the other side of the hangar.

"What the - ?!" Kazuma brings the Valhawk back to its full height, turning to get a better look at the two ACs which just went to combat mode inside the hangar - and one of which just threw an unarmored, unprotected tech to a grisly demise. "Mihiro, let Nest security know we're on their side, then raise Sly and Macua! And bring us up to combat mode - I'm not keen on an all-out firefight in here, but we may not have a choice!"

"On it!" Mihiro answers, rapidly keying in commands as Kazuma sets the Valhawk into motion, massive metallic footfalls accelerating to an all out run towards the Cores.

"If Crest sent you guys, the bar's closin' early - but the heat's still on in the kitchen, so either leave now, or stick around an' get *served*!!" Kazuma taunts over the radio, attempting to grab one of the Cores and fling it straight into the other with a quick maneuver of giant robot judo. Or something.

Wildcat was snoozing inside Red's cockpit. Again.

He was probably fine-tuning the ECM all night and fell asleep on the job. Again.

The alarms suddenly going off caused a yelp to emit from within Red's Core, and immediately a *bang* and a faint 'owwwww' following. Wildcat might have banged his head on something, don't mind him. "Possible attack...?" He wonders, tapping the radio-comm a few times only to get static. "...And jammed...?" A grin splits his face as his eyes widen. "Oh~ho~... so it's like that...!" He activates Red, closing the panels that lead to the cockpit, and turns the AC towards the doors, expecting them to open and let them out to meet the invaders.

Only... they didn't.

Red pauses, single optic flickering as Wildcat tries to figure out what's going on, only for two other AC's--the Red Star and Dual-Face--to activate and head /into/ the Nest (after killing a tech in the process) with the Valhawk in fast pursuit. "...You've... got to be... kidding me..." The half-PLUS says in disbelief, a tone that quickly escalates as anger takes hold. "...You've got to be kidding me." Red spins around, thrusters activating at full power. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!"

He blasts off in very hot pursuit of the two Ravens now tagged as 'Enemy', firing the Core turret at both AC's. "COME BACK HERE!!!"

SOME TIME AGO

"... said to Dr. Hell, I said, 'Hey, buddy, I know it sucks havin' your whole army trashed by one guy, but c'mon--no need to be so /blue/ about it'!"

The entire Crest board room erupts in uproarious laughter as a broadly grinning Banjo Haran leans back in his posh seat at the head of the table and rests both heels against its edge. He even goes so far as to lace his fingers behind his head as he waits for the atmosphere in the room to die down; he's been at this for an hour or so by now, so he's developed a pretty good sense of this group's ebb and flow. Several bottles of expensive Martian champagne are chilling all up and down the table, and there isn't a single board member without a bubbly flute.

"Anyway," Banjo leisurely continues once the board members have begun to settle, "we should probably get down to business." He draws a remote from one of his suit jacket's inner pockets, points it at a tiny computer on the table before himself and hits a button; not only does the room go dim, the computer begins to shed markedly more light, all focused on the wall above and behind Banjo. The first slide in what must be a presentation - apparently entitled 'HARAN CO. AND YOU: A PRIMER' - is displayed.

"Obviously, I'm not talking merger," he begins as he clicks another button; the presentation advances to a slide of Haran Co. and Crest's logos sort of joined together, only the union is crossed out. "Nobody wants - or /needs/ - that. I /do/, however, think that there's a lot we can do for each other." Click; now the presentation is showing two lengthy lists breaking down Crest and Haran Co.'s individual strengths as brands.

Now, instead of laughter, the board members are sharing a sense of forced interest; if it /weren't/ for the preceding hour, one of them probably would have spoken up to politely send Banjo on his way by now.

"I've got experience working with everyone, everywhere, and while I know how successful you guys have been in your arena, I'm /sure/ there isn't a single one of you who wouldn't like a little more, huh?" Click; another slide, once again depicting Crest and the Haran Co.'s logos; this time, however, they're bordered by words like 'SYNERGY' and 'NETWORKING' and 'MULTI-LEVEL APPROPRIATIONS'. "I've got contacts galore in Katharon, in the Fed, even the Crusaders--"

"Uh," one of the older members cuts in after clearing her throat. "Well. That, uh--this is /quite/ the intriguing, uh, offer, Mr. Haran, but we're really quite bus--" Click.

This time, there's a picture instead of a presentation slide; it's of one of the board's junior members waving a fist-full of cash alongside executives from several other major corporations. Their attention is focused collectively on a dirt ring, within which two chickens appear to be fighting quite violently; one is actually missing an eye.

No--wait--those aren't chickens, just kids in incredibly well made costumes.

One of them is /definitely/ missing an eye, though; the older woman goes white. The rest of the /board/ goes white, even the one black member.

"--and I think that, given a place on this board, I'll have what it takes to bring this company outta the dark ages." Banjo flashes a wide, gleaming smile. "What do we all think?"

A LITTLE WHILE AGO

The vote to swear Banjo in as a member of Crest's board was unanimous, but it'll be a few days before it's official; it's just enough of a gap to afford him the freedom to begin probing the company's activities on a more personal level without having to put up with complaints from his new colleagues. To that end, he - or, more correctly, his glimmering mobile fighter crafted in Daitarn 3's image - is posted up on top of what was once a Discovery Space play center. His eyes are glued on one building in particular, though he's occasionally glanced at the clock in a corner of his HUD.

At 1700, he realizes he's forgotten something important--nay, /vital/ to the success of his mission here; he can only think of one way to right this grave wrong.

"Tsugumi, sweetie," he begins once Daitarn 1 has dialed Project TD's labs, "I need a favor: you know that test pilot, the--no, the, uh, the other one. The redhead; yeah, her. Yeah, I'm sure--what? No, yeah, I'm serious, look, just help me out here: I need her to bring me a bottle of Alize; I'm out in this abandoned city in Hindustania, and--what? Yes. /Yes/, I promise you, I'm as serious as that weekend in Neo-Paris, alright? Okay--good; I'll be the, you know, the one with all the yellow light pouring out of it."

Beat.

Beat.

"Oh, yeah, make sure she brings a mech, alright? Alright--talk to you soon."

NOW

Banjo Haran - and Daitarn 1 - are both tapping their foot impatiently on top of that abandoned Discovery Space building.

Solis had come by the nest on typical trailer business, locating some fuel lines and some resources to be used in the refurbishment of the Obsidian site.

Unfortunately, as usual, something has gone wrong...

The last few times it was a fist fight. Or occasionally his drunken sister puking on people. Right now its the place falling under immediate attack and him being separated from his engines...

As the klaxons sound, he rushes through the corridors, finding the battered blood red transport ship he flew here...

After breathlessly whispering a few prayers he unlimbers its package and steps in...

A sudden thrust of jump jets launches the Tengu skyward, landing amidst a miasma of energy on a nearby rooftop.

Solis takes a moment to allow the machine spirit to shake off its sleepiness as he engages the armament and attempts to discern precisely who the belligerents are.

A CONSIDERABLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AGO FOURTH GENERATION SPACE BATTLESHIP EXCELION Clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick-- draaaaaaaaaaag-- clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick.

Looking like an officer from a particularly hokey episode of Neo-CSI, Ibis Douglas furiously smashes away at her keyboard at approximately five million words per minute, pausing only to click onto the next tab that needs to be filled out at the speed of light. Her quarters are dimly lit, if only because that way her face is illuminated a little more dramatically in the milky green glow of the monitor, because computers have green lights when they are futuristic.

But a little communications window opens up in the corner of her screen, telling Earth's Most Questionable Hero that there is an incoming call! The Chelsea-born girl takes a moment to actually register this As A Thing and blinks dully as her computer emits a very stock ringing noise, and it is after another decisive couple of clicks that the comms window springs to life with a kind of grainy, artifaced rendition of Project Terrestrial Dream's Chief of Engineering, Tsugumi Takakura.

"Tsugumi..." mutters Ibis, caught unaware. "Ibis..." mutters Tsugumi, lost for words. It is kind of awkward. It's always kind of awkward, now. It's all Sleigh Presty and Ingram Prisken's fault, proof that nobody with blue hair can ever be trusted. The two women whose fates are forever intertwined with space travel look away from their computers for a few moments, unsure of how to break the ice.

The mousey-looking brunette with the ridiculous pleated braid on the other end of the computery talk-window composes herself quickly, adopting the stern look of an employer who expects something a little better out of their resources. "Ibis, there's an emergency. One of our stakeholders has..." she furrows her brow. "Has requested you, specifically, deploy immediately."

Now, it is Ibis' turn to frown. She leans back in her chair with both hands behind her head. Darkly, she reflects on the following:

A) She doesn't really answer to Project Terrestrial Dream anymore. B) Tsugumi does not actually have the rank to tell her what to do. C) This is bull/shit/.

But...

But the /Hero of the Federation/ doesn't turn on her friends just because of a few technicalities, so it is after a moment's consideration that Ibis leans forward again with both hands on the desk and stares evenly at her neo-webcam. "Tell me what I need to do, Tsugumi." she says, and the screen wipes.

PRETTY MUCH RIGHT NOW NO DEFINITELY RIGHT NOW RAVEN'S NEST, HANGAR

The time and date fade from the screen as the telltale scream of the boosters belonging to a certain someone's Y01-TELLUS fill the air, throwing the lanky Armored Core over the landscape at speeds best left described as 'stupid'. Seated comfortably within the cockpit because she rices the hell out of her machine with custom pieces-parts, Ibis Douglas is looking at the mapradarsensorscreen with a slightly confused expression on her face.

"I don't understand..." murmurs the A-LAWS ace to herself, looking at a shadowy parcel nestled in the corner of her cockpit. It cannot actually be seen from this angle. "What is this really all about...?" she asks, looking up to the heavens for an answer.

But all the heavens have to say is 'Dude, why are you skating a giant robot around all these shattered buildings?'

The TELLUS powers on through the dead city, the pilot rather vainly glimpsing at the blurry reflection in mostly-broken windows, finding some small measure of joy at how bad-ass her new ace colours of silver and ghost-green look compared to the terrible old white/red/black ensemble she used to rock on her machines. Well--wait, shit, there it is.

The A-LAWS Armored Core pulls up outside of the abandoned Discovery Space building much like one might park a shitty late-model Neo-Prius. The cockpit splits open, revealing the helmeted form of Ibis Douglas at the controls. She looks up at the towering form of Daitarn-1 and Banjo Haran atop the building, and then /presses buttons/.

The Silver TELLUS about-faces with a brief burst of jet flame, leaving a trail of sparks and shattered shopping cart smashed to the winds, and then proceeds to boost straight up the side of the building, both feet dragging a ragged trail of smashed concrete and broken glass through what is already a piece of construction that has /seen better days/. The sound of agonized turbines is extreme, and deafening.

Time /runs slow/.

The TELLUS reaches the top of the building and lashes out with an arm, fingers punching through the roof in a spray of debris that sends shudders through the superstructure, and the boosters keep on firing. The TELLUS does not stop, it keeps on going up, even while that arm remains locked to the building. The open cockpit is close enough for Banjo Haran to spit inside, as the speeding Core vaults over the roof for something--

Ibis leans out of the cockpit and hands Banjo Haran his bottle of Alize with a sharp salute and then seats herself back at the controls

--time resumes, and the TELLUS' feet SLAM into a billboard just a few feet away from the stationary people on top of the building, a billboard proclaiming that maybe you too should try driving the Neo-Pinto, it's not at all a deathtrap like the old one. The A-LAWS unit rushes past Banjo and the Daitarn-1 in a mechanical hurricane, righting itself with a final burst of maneuvering jet fire and grinding down the side of the building like a goddamned professional, a shower of sparks and tortured metal filling the air before it leaps away to safety, the bill-skateboard spinning end-over-end before Ibis catches it in one hand and jams it into the ground.

Mission Complete.

-

Macua Huitl had been pulled into this not for the money more to help out Sly and well given how she feels about Crest? It hasn't taken her machine however is wrapped in a large camouflage cloak in an urban pattern even in the hanger itself she's done so for as reason. She's got an idea trouble is coming. Just not that it's more AC's from the looks of it.

Alarms are going off as something blows its way in and are pretty much shooting anywhere. she remains calm however. Oddly she closes her eyes for a moment and then checks the CI's status. Everything was good to go. Seems Sly had been on the money about there being trouble.

She also picks up another contact coming in she's not sure who it is but it's not listed as hostile at the very least thank goodness for that. She's smirking actually now and she says.

"Only an idiot looking to die at the hands of the rest of the nest does something like this. I guess your too damn stupid to even beat Boss Savage on a IQ test."

Spikes break the back of the cloak and launch them into the hanger, Funnels?! A NewType for sure and they are opening fire on Genobee's machine but oddly not on the other at least not yet....

Round 1

Kazuma Moved in quickly, however Agraya was ready for it. She was a PLUS after all and one of Crest's best mission runners, outside of Genobee himself. As The mech moved in, the Armored Core quickly dashed to the side, deflecting the strike away, but also trying to return the attack with a shotgun blast. However this didn't work accordingly as the female pilot had hoped, as she missed her target completely. <<"Shove it boy. You do not even know who you are dealing with.">>

The Red optic then focused as the sudden 'Crazed' Wildcat made his way toward them. She quickly jet thrusted back, moving side to side easily with the bipedal mech. Red Star seemed liked a pretty quick mech, or very well-balanced. But what do you expect from an Armored Core built by Crest Ind. Who was the leader in engineering, technology, computers, fuel, home security, arena matches, toothpaste---

-- Really, the list goes on and on. A nation on to themselves, masters of their own who had been in a shadow war with other "nation" sized corporations for years and years. Taking up the small ones and making them their own. A giant. That was Crest. That same very Corporation also fueled the Ravens. That was perhaps the only part of this puzzle that was odd. They were taking back what was theirs, within an organization that they personally helped raise up to its power. They made the Ravens, along side Mirage.. what the Ravens are now.

As The red Star slides back, the missile launcher pops up and fires off her payload in slot one right for Kazuma, Wildcat, and Macua. For now she was setting herself up to go check out one of the signal locations.

Crest Ind. Nevada Hidden HQ...

An older man sits in a chair looking outside of the large building that hides itself in the vast desert of Nevada. Twice now they had trouble from the Trailers own. However, it was his son's job to deal with the fleas that continue to bother them. It was his son's job, the Vice President of the Mega-corp to deal with regaining that precious information.

Not something the President himself liked very much, but it was the future and his son did have a better way of looking at it then he. After all, times have changed and his son knew how to play the Shadow War now. Though his thoughts were distracted as a man walked in. He slowly placed his finger tips together, "What may I do for you?"

"President, sir.." The young man stated before placing his hands behind his backside. "We got information from the New York Headquarters. The-- one that deals with the public?"

"What of it?"

"The board wants him on sir. It was a solid vote."

"Was it? Really?" The old man then turned around in his chair at last facing the man. "How strange. They never really agree on anything. Outside of when it comes to making their wallets fatter."

"Perhaps that is what happened, sir."

"Perhaps. We will see. It doesn't matter. My son will soon gain the title of President and soon the deal with Kisaragi will be signed. That will force Mirage to either follow suit or they will have to strike out. We are, after all-- the military side. A little puppet can have his hands over there for all I care, but he will never control our pride and joy. Our.. soldiers of war.."

The trailer response is as quick as expected, a motley crew of defenders forming out of the wood work. Genobee is not surprised.

Kazuma's snappy line receives little in the way of response. The Dual Face maneuvers deftly out of his reach, whipping around in a sudden pirouette, the machine's rifle leveling a 'warning shot' back at the machine. The barked shot labled as a warning if only because it missed. "Navis Orders. Do Not Have Time For You." he states in reply.

Wildcat comes next, a rattle of turret fire, the thick of it evaded by a timely strafe, machine scooting nearly out of the field of fire with an extra 'oomph' provided by the shoulder mounted emergency thrusters. Bullets graze along the side of the machine, gouges dug into the hip and outer arm, superficial at best.

The funnels come next, beams streaking by as the Dual-Face veers here and there, explosions from erred shots providing a back-lighting for the black mech. The answering shot from the rifle is not a warning, Genobee resting the reticule over the center mass of the cloaked figure.

"Red Star. Locate Signals, No Time To Play." he advises Argaya, rifle sweeping around to level on Wildcat's machine, reticule drawing low to try to pull a shot on the machine's leg and hamper in the chase. The gun thundered, a single shot. "On The Clock, Lets Go."

-

Banjo Haran's hand extends in super slow motion until the tips of his fingers are brushing the bottom of the bottle; in that moment, time /stops/. The entire world goes /gray/. Off to the right...

STYLE 100000 TIME 100000 PRECISION 100000 RANK S

... and after that helpful summary, the world regains its colour and time reasserts itself.

Banjo gives Ibis time to make it all the way down to the ground because /he's/ too busy popping that bottle and drinking like half of it in the time it takes the TELLUS to speed from the top of his building to the ground.

"Right, so," he begins after wiping his mouth off, "Let's go in."

With that, Daitarn 1 - and trace suit-clad Banjo Haran - bend at the knees before leaping explosively through the air; it seems at first that he means to just sort of randomly crush some building because he doesn't give a fuck, but when Daitarn 1's feet crash through an unusually brittle section of pavement and furthermore threaten to collide with the Dual-Face's head, it becomes clear that there was a plan all along.

-

"Yeah, well, you're being horrible guests not to make time for your hosts' generosity," Kazuma snarks back at Genobee, the Valhawk's engines lighting up just enough to 'skate' back and forth, the Laser Vulcan firing up to blow away a batch of incoming missiles - and score some hits on Argaya's machine in the process. "Then again, you're not even being polite enough to *act* like guests ... so we're gonna just show you the door, hard an' fast! Now *power down your Cores* or you'll be lucky if you can *walk* outta here!"

The Valhawk charges in again, crossing its arms briefly in front of the torso before snapping them apart and open, dipping into a crouch before 'skating' in close and aiming a kick at the Red Star, trying to knock the Core off-balance and give one of his fellow defenders a better shot …

Sly would like to say this hadn't gone as planned, but he actually had planned on this. Hopefully the Raven's Nest won't find out his involvement in this, or he'll have bigger problems than just being sued for damages. He'll be lucky if every Raven in the world isn't hunting a bounty on him. Yeah, this one was a bad idea.

Still, he's got to see this one though now.

After the Crest forces commit, the Seraph charges out of the hangers. He thought about trying to angle for a contract fee for the defense of the Nest, but that'd be going too far, he figures. Instead, he charges out like an angry badger, firing SRM missiles out at all the enemy forces. He's got a part to play in all this, too.

For that, he opens a narrow-band transmission with the enemy. "Hey kiddies. I didn't think even you'd be stupid enough to barge your way in here. And for what? This?"

Sly motions behind him. Wedged there between his chair and the back of the cockpit, is the terminal. Or at the very least a very close replica. "You want it that bad? Come and take it."

Solis watches the motion of the attackers, making a notation of Red Star and his motions, he allows himself a brief moment...

The usual urges to give into hatred, shout and fire the weapon boil up, but he again acknowledges that the appropriate response is to be calm, and rational...

AC Pilots are not to be trifled with.

He squeezes off a rapid burst of weapon's fire before skidding away behind cover..

Never assume that an angry Wildcat equals a stupid Raven.

Red suddenly slide-bursts to the right while continuing firing its chest-turret, blowing down the missiles aimed at Red itself but unable to hit the Red Star in the process. Unfortunately, it skids right into Genobee's rifle blast and all the armor from the right shoulder down the torso to just past the hip-joints is riddled with holes. Red spins from the force of the hit, thrusters alternating to send him right at Genobee, and he lashes out with his Moonlight blade in retaliation.

"You know better, Genobee," he hisses, his voice calm and without the typical pauses and cackling. No, he's dead serious--which is also when he's the most dangerous... and perhaps the most insane/unstable. He presses his melee attack, swiping again--but not with the intent to cut this time. No, this time there is a burst of energy from the blade that acts much like a laser blast.

Hundreds of thousands of miles away in a Space Station Thinktank somewhere. ..

Tap, tap.

Alone in her office, which is both sizable and plush in comparison to the cubicles handed to the mere mortal staff members of Project Terrestrial Dream, Tsugumi Takakura taps her fingers idly on the space between the buttons of her mouse, scooted back far enough from her desk that she has to pretty well stretch to reach her computer. Her e-mail client fills the display, cursor hovering pointlessly over a blank piece of taskbar with buttons for her to press.

Tap, tap.

The local time is approximately Dumb In The Morning, and she should be asleep. And if she isn't asleep, she should be doing some work. Instead, Tsugumi emptily drums her fingers on the mouse and gently presses her palm against the hard plastic, looking at a peice of mail that is well over three or four months old by now. She feels like, somehow, she failed. Project Terrestrial Dream couldn't beat the clock.

Tap, tap.

7/3/121 SENDER: idougl SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR TRANSFER FROM PROJECT TD FTE POSITION 0050438

Filio was right all along, she thinks moodily, leaning forward on one hand and staring at the screen. Having to talk to her again at a /certain someone's behest/ didn't make it any easier, it was obvious that Ibis was /done/ with the test-pilot businesss, and relations had cooled dangerously as a result. What Tsugumi wasn't banking on was how incredibly shitty it felt.

Office life in the space age, y'all.

But meanwhile, back in /Sunny Hindustania/

Daitarn 1 explodes through the pavement like a bomb made entirely out of drunken CEO moxie and mechanical biceps. Ibis watches the proceedings with a look of muted amazement on her face, not having expected that. But shit, she's learned to expect a /lot/ in this day and age, so she can't be all /that/ blown away.

"Gonna saturate the area with fire, get clear." she transmits to Banjo 'Groove Thief' Haran, silently counts to five, and then hurls the TELLUS down after the Daitarn.

It appears on the other side in a hailstorm of laser fire, bright blue beams raking through the ground and leaving molten trails of joy in their wake. The Y01 in the snazzy paintjob keeps firing and it don't stop, making approach a seemingly painful prospect.

Round Two

<<"Understood, Dual-Face. There should be a signal source near you.">> The female pilot replied as the Armored Core went to move. She didn't have time to check who was hit by what Missile or who was after her tail. Though a part of the Machine, she was still able to glance over slightly and see the timer count-down. As she located one of the fake terminals she gave it a quick read over. Then leveling her gun down to it, the female Raven got a cruel smile on her rosy red lips. "...they never said what condition.." She purred before blasting the terminal to pieces.

This however was bad timing perhaps on her part. There was a counter attack that had found her Core, then as she turned around to look, she came to se the Valhawk on the move. Her thrusters ignited, however it was too late. The Valhawk slams her Armored Core into a wall, which causes the foundation to creek from such an impact. Thankfully, the Nest was built like a damn fort when it came to structure walls.

Though how much damage could a fort take?

As Red Star started to recover from the blow, Sly Heckler was on the move. Wait-- did he have a signal. <<"..you..">> She hisses out softly. <<"You are the Target!">>

PLUS is angry, angry PLUS is baaad.

The Missile then slammed into the Red Star Armored Core, however those thrusters were burning bright. As Solis made his attack, the Red Star quickly avoided and then blasted out from its left hand a mini-grenade launcher which packed a punch. Soon the over-thrusters ignite then with blazing speed, The Red Star goes to point black shot a few people right in the faces. One of those was Kazuma, which she tries to strike the Shot Gun square in the head unit. Then as she spends around and leaps into the air, blasts a shot-gun shot for Banjo, who just tried to crush her comrade.

Last of all, her sights then set on Sly Heckler, at which she charges with blazing speed, shutting down the thrusters just in time to try to impact that shotgun into the unit of Sly's before pulling the trigger.

Macua Huitl just knows she can senses a pressure from one of the attackers but it doesn't feel right there's something off about it but for now she's got the missiles coming in at her she throws the cape off of her machine it's clearly a Gundam, a mobile G fighter to be exact and would read unknown unit. The Funnels shoot the missiles down but too close the machine's caught in the blast but it seems to be that she was caught in it. The strange machine however takes the hit pretty well. AS it pulls a weapon clearly not human tech and it expands into a mecha scale spear. The Gundam tilt's its head.

"Heh, is that it corn dog?"

She says something on the radio, then speeds into action with no more words, the machine blurs as it moves after the Armored Core and starts attacking from several points problem is she seems to be in several places all at once. Which one's real?

-

Kazuma doesn't even wait for the shotgun to be leveled before the Valhawk is in the air, planting a foot squarely on the Red Star's head before he drops down behind it; there's a 'pop' noise followed by a quiet *whoosh*, then a muffled clatter - and then the *snap-hiss* of a beam saber being ignited in a sound-carrying medium.

And the Valhawk spins around, Ray Blade activated, and tries to start relieving Argaya's machine of some of its weapons.

Or some of its *limbs*. He's not being too picky at the moment.

The explosion strikes near the Tengu. Solis stumbles to the side, growling slightly... It's not just that he was damaged, it's that his opponent wasn't even targeting him.

He runs through a list of damage control options and continues attempting to analyze his opponent's actions. He feels like he was just woken up and thrown into this...

None the less, he squeezes off another burst of fire before again rushing for cover.

Dual-Face's shot lands, but not without reprisal, Wildcat carving a gleaming rent into Genobee's machine for his trouble, the metal glowing hotly at the edges of the shallow cut. The wild pilot follows up, an energy wave erupting from the machine, searing into the Dualface, Too close to avoid, Genobee exchanges blows, coming out on the worse end of the trade.

His troubles compound themselves, Daitarn erupts from out of nowhere, a reflexive sweep of the AC's arm brings the laserblade to life, it is of little use. The wild kick connects, driving the machine back, feet sparking as they drag against the ground, heels dug in to try and hold it's ground.

Then suddenly, lasers! So many lasers! More lasers than the Dual-Face's chasis has room for! So, being a portion wise pilot, Genobee elects to take only a small portion. The black AC weaves through the laser fire, skating in a serpentine as it rushes the unknown unit, laser sword still blazing upon it's left arm. He is not kind with the application of said sword.

"Buisness." he answers Wildcat, "Nothing Personal."

The target has presented itself, with a heads up from Argaya, Genobee adjusts his path, streaking back to join the woman and her lighter unit, the double launchers flipping into position even as he moves.

The twin cannons speak, hammering out round after round of grenade fire, flinging them back towards Wildcat, Banjo, Ibis, Sly. None are ignored in the heavy barrage, explosions rocking the compound wherever Genobee can place a few salvos of fire.

Charging an enemy to shoot them point-blank might be a good idea when one Armored Core is fighting another, but against Battlemechs, getting that close is a mixed blessing. During the lowest period of Inner Sphere history, ammo was at a premium, and mechs were designed to fight in melee combat. Even today, modern battlemechs are often built with this in mind.

Such is the case with the Seraph, which was given a retractable anti-mech blade on the left arm.

When the mech comes over-boosting straight at him, Sly twists the torso of his mech to the side and extends the blade. When the enemy charges shotgun-first, Sly brings his blade down, hoping to impale it straight though the barrel of the shotgun, ideally causing the weapon to explode from the backfire when it's fired. However, the shotgun proves tougher than Sly considered, and he doesn't manage to carve his blade straight though the weapon, instead just knocking it to the side. The shotgun blast doesn't miss the Seraph's armor, but it does cause the blast to bounce off the powerful armor that they make the battlemech out of.

Meanwhile, Sly smirks, backing his mech off as fast as he comfortably can. He gives the woman on the other side a cocky, lopsided smile and shrugs slightly. "The target? Ain't I always?"

With the enemy this close, he can either go with the snub-nose PPC or more SRMs. He opts for the missiles, which have limited tracking. It doesn't take him lock to acquire a lock, and send out a pack of Streak SRM missiles. Not as powerful as the PPC would have been, they do have the advantage of independent targeting that should track even when the enemy makes some defensive moves.

Wildcat snarls softly under his breath as Red endures a return slash across the lower abdomen before he hisses at the retreating Genobee, "Damn Crest dog."

Red crouches slightly as it charges up its back thrusters for an overboost, then bursts forwards as Genobee starts firing grenades back at his attackers. A few minor adjustments to the left or right cause the grenades to just barely go wide, firing a shot from its rifle in retaliation once Wildcat is certain of a shot, but skids to a halt once it clears the explosions. The chaingun mounted on its back folds up and over its shoulder, aiming at both the Red Star and the Dual-Face.

"Leave. NOW!"

Red opens fire, strafing both enemy AC's while continuing to move, not making himself an easy target in return.

It's important to note that at this time, there are no hazy flashbacks, there are no regret-tinged memories of what might have been, what could have been.

Because Ibis Douglas is busy catching a facefull of pineapple.

If there is one thing that the TELLUS is not, it is 'being built to take sustained grenade fire to the teeth.'

The silvery, beautiful Armored Core rocks backwards, armour shattering underneath a hailstorm of explosions and shrapnel, which would be like some kind of beautiful abstract art if it wasn't filling Ibis' cockpit with warning sirens and funny red lights and making all her systems fail. No, that just makes her annoyed and slightly worries.

The TELLUS jets sideways out of a giant cloud of angry explosions, trailing smoke and dangling panels all over the damn place like that thing was a second-hand buy at Crazy Coop's Used Giant Robot Lot. Ibis coughs and furiously waves her hand in front of her face because the cockpit is filling with what is /likely/ to be highly toxic smoke from things like melted wires and/or classified propulsion systems.

Whatever, she's totally got this.

Upon discovering that the Laser Rifle is no longer actually working--if the way her computer is buzzing angrily at her upon pulling the trigger is any indication, that is--the redhead All-American action star throws her hands in the air in a most exasperated fashion. Her knee somehow bumps the giant button that controls the missile launcher.

It responds in kind by belching high explosives on rocket motors at the nearest threat.

Banjo tracks the Red Star's movements carefully, and as soon as it becomes clear that the PLUS is coming from him, he and Daitarn 1 deftly draw the folding fans/glowing golden solar fans stored at their sides; a few stray shotgun pellets peel paint from its chest, but the lionshare of the projectiles are rather fortuitously deflected by the fans.

Strangely, they do nothing of note to protect him when the entire room becomes noise and smoke and fire and hellacious kinetic forces; he even crosses his arms and Daitarn 1's arms in front of their faces and it doesn't really help. By the time it's over, he's on his knees, gritting his teeth against the pain of experiencing a prolonged carpet bombing while Daitarn 1 stands tall.

"Genobee," he lowly transmits as he retakes his feet, "Agraya; I'm not stupid enough to think I can give out orders and have you two follow 'em /now/, but I thought you should know:"

Daitarn 1 begins to channel a significant portion of its solar energies towards its forehead, and accordingly the golden oval adorning its brow leaks pulsating motes of artificial sunlight; as it prepares itself, it also seeks a more advantageous position by firing its foot-mounted thrusters to hurl itself through the hole it made in its arrival. When it reaches the apex of its ascent, it holds itself still in the air; both fan-bearing arms cross over its face for just a moment.

"You should get your kicks in with this kinda garbage /now/, because it's over soon; y'all are gonna be nice, /respectable/ corporate hitmen by the time I'm done with you, you got me?"

With that, Daitarn 1 drops its arms; as soon as they fall, its head is practically consumed by the broad ray of punishing sunlight that explodes from its Pulse Ion Engine to rake across the Dual-Face's entire being.

"Don't worry, though: I'll get the tab for these repairs."

Round Three

The Red Star gets kicked to the side by Kazuma and if that wasn't enough, Sly caused a back blast from the Shotgun. Thankfully, the weapon was tough. However this meant she missed her main target and that is only upsetting the PLUS deep within even more. Medication can control only so much anger after all. Though being an angry PLUS was playing heavily again the Crest pilot and that tick-tock of the clock wasn't making this any easier.

With the kick, a miss, and then her attempting to blast Kazuma back for getting in close range, she only find her Armored Core getting sliced into. Being shoved right into Macua's blow at which she tries to defend against but with no success.

The Armored Core slides along the ground, before picking up the Shotgun once more that left from the mech's right hand and then as Tengu armor opens fire, she returns a shot back with the shotgun. Thankfully her shot seemed to hit, unlucky for him, his missed by a few inches.

The Armored Core quickly rose back up to its feet. As the Red Star stood up, she watched as the sudden missiles came in. It was risky, but the Armored Core fired off her left hand grenade launcher. The explosion of the missiles impact and the grenade launcher being focused down, slammed the Armored Core back.

The Machine flew through a wall and rolled over. However the Armored Core forced itself back up, as Agraya inside was not doing so well.

She didn't expect such an offensive power. That was mistake one.. and that meant Genobee was right.

Damn him for being right.

As Red Star moved out, Wildcat's attack was noted on the lock on screen, <<"..shit..">> She said softly. Her Armored Core was already having issues and the massive spray of machine gun bullets didn't help it any. Red Star started to be knocked back by the impacts. Jerking back with each impact of bullet, one of them destroying the optical lens of the Armored Core's head unit and worse, it was smoking. Smoking was never good.

<<"..some great pilot huh..">> She radioed over to Genobee as the missile launcher on her shoulders, both to be correct raised up. <<"..you always inspired me.. you know that? I always hoped to fight like you.. be as famous as you.. Guess this is going to look bad on the record isn't it..?">> There was a soft laugh. Agraya closed her eyes for a moment as a single tear ran down her youthful face. <<"..But I rather face death here-- then face his WRATH!!!">> She yells out as suddenly she slams the Armored Core into full throttle.

Then those steel-white eyes get a twinkle of a predator look in them as Banjo speaks out, <<"Like I really care who you are. You are not Navis. A Job is a Job and we are Ravens. Even if by taking this assignment /He'll/ have our heads after.">>

The Red Star's thrusters burned bright as she moved to the center of the combat. Her hand moved quickly over the targetting system. Her computer locking not only on distant terminal signals, but also on several targets. She was dropping her whole missile payload here.

The Raven's Nest was going to need one hell of a repair job after this.

Crest Operator Floor

There was boots impact the tile floor of a building somewhere. Someone yelling, 'you don't have clearance' and a familiar voice of a certain dirty blond yelling back, 'Take it up with the Vice. I'm Pissed!'

R walked into a room with those eyes of his glowing bright, "What the hell, Nell! That mission was a fake job?"

The Blonde girl looked over the papers spread out over the table. "I've been trying to figure that out. I don't even know who sent the mission in."

"F**king great." R growls out before he slides his hands through his hair. "And I am not even allowed to go home."

"Wait why?" Nell asks glancing up.

"No clue. I told them, you heard me, Mission done. Then they sent me a signal saying to stay in the area."

"So you said screw that and came here." Nell said with a smirk. "Hacking I take it?"

"Just wanna see what is going on back at home. Only take a few minutes."

"I swear.. one day your going to get us both into hot water." Nell said shaking her head.

Sly's not what you'd call a hotblooded pilot. Quite the opposite, he's usually something of a panicked fighter that survives by quick thinking more than GUTS and COURAGE. But being quick thinking has a power all its own, and it saves Sly from a missile massacre tonight. When the giant mass of missiles come in, Sly does the reasonable thing: He hides behind something big and heavy. In this case it's just a matter of ducking quickly into a side hallway, letting the missiles that were meant for him slam into the doorway. The explosion is pretty massive, and sends dust and shrapnel showering across Sly's mech, but the machine is made out of tougher stuff than that.

Though the cloud of dust and debris, Sly's silver and blue Seraph stalks out. This time Sly doesn't pull any punches. He storms out of the dust, heavy AC-10 already spinning, and fires off a burst of shots for the AC as soon as he can acquire a clear lock. He doesn't spin the weapon too hard just yet, instead picking and choosing his bursts with care as he charges at the Crest machine.

"Come on, you forget why you're here? I'm /right/ here! Whacha' doing way over there?"

 Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "So who's payin' for repairs to the Nest after this little brouhaha settles down?"

 Sly Heckler transmits, "I guess the Ravens can sue Crest for the cost of repairs. Unprovoked attack and all."

 Ernula transmits, "Ah, is the Nest in trouble?" "I'm sorry~!" "I'm kind of doing a little long-range recon right now."

 Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Roger that."

 Wildcat snorts. "Good luck with that, Sly."

Adrenalin flooded Genobee's systems, those beautiful natural highs that a person gets when pushed to their limits. It burned through the drugs in his systems, those chemical restraints that held him back began to slip. His mind moved a step forward into the future, he became acutely aware of the world around him. A modified human spurred into full gallop.

Wildcat harried him with a barrage of fire. The black AC almost danced through it. Rounds smacked against the armor here and there but it was becoming increasingly difficult to find Genobee in the crosshairs for Wildcat... almost as if the man knew what the other AC pilot was going to do before Wildcat himself did!

"Leave?" came the replied, his voice colored with a game chortle, "But I'm just starting to have fun!"

Then came Ibis' flush of missiles, they set of a screech of warning in Genobee's cockpit. The machine whirled around to face the onslaught. The gun built into the machine's chest spoke, rattling off a cloud of fire into the approaching swarm as the Dual-Face jetted away, whittling the salvo down into nothing but a cloud of explosions, gunning them right out of the air. With smoke obscuring the space between them, that wave of energy that ripped from Genobee's laser blade would be difficult to detect until it was too late.

And then came Banjo, his little light shining brightly. He could see it, before it erupted towards him, he could sense it, his mind working just a heartbeat ahead of the world. Thrusters flared as the sunraker fired, the black machine /almost/ almost escaping harm completely! The black paint doing well to conceal the effects of the searing ray. The smoke that rose off of the machine's arm and the sight of bulging metal gave Genobee a good hint of why it was a good idea to not be slow in his escape.

<> He almost sang back to Argaya, a smile threatening to crack across his face, <>

<> he begins, cut off by the sight of Ibis unit eating a fistfull of rockets, <> he coaxed Argaya once more.

Without further ado, that big rifle of his sweeps around once more, leveling first on Wildcat. His unit's already banged up.. he just needed a push! The targeting reticule shifted, leveling towards the Red's pelvic before Genobee cracked off several shots, the rifle thundering out with each pull of the trigger.

Still moving, Genobee's next target was Banjo! His boss-to-be finding himself underfire from his soon-to-be employee

<> he nearly howled as he pulled the trigger time and time again, threatening to empty the weapon!

A whole mess of missiles is launched by the Red Star, and Kazuma puts his evasive skills to the test - actually using the Valhawk's shield to help deflect the force *and* give the Valhawk an added boost out of harm's way. "You know, some jobs are *not* worth the paycheck that gets offered with 'em," he comments mildly to the Raven. "And if somebody was hiring me to attack Trailer facilities, I'm pretty sure *nothing* - no amount of money or other negotiables - would make me take that kind of job. So if you get outta here in something resembling one piece, tell whoever hired you - *they didn't pay nearly enough!*"

A power surge is channeled into the Ray Blade, the green-tinted shaft of energy growing to nearly the proportional size of one of the fabled Colossal Blades - and Kazuma swings for the Red Star's hips, trying to shear the thing's legs off, or at least do SOME damage to them - and if he can at least force the Raven to withdraw rather than completely scrapping her machine? Eh, good enough - they'll have a real hard time hiding after this.

Macua Huitl is too fast for them to find the real one apparently and the spear sinks home for a moment, before Macua pulls back, and compresses it. She puts the weapon away preparing her machine's fists and she smirks a little bit. AT least till she's caught in the firepower. She's not down and the damagad Amazon CI seems to be up upt o something she's still standing her ground waiting on Kazuma to make his move. The pain from the feedback system has lessened enough.

"Your weren't bad but your also damn stupid."

Macua now launches her machine into another set of attacks following up she'll actually attempt to grab the AC, Drive it into the ground then just relentlessly attack it without a bit of mercy she's aiming ot rip apart power connections, the sections where they attach the modular parts of Armored cores when putting them together. The gril from Brazil isn't in a forgiving mood today from the looks of it.

The TELLUS missile bays hang open after firing a single solitary rocket-propelled peice of love, and the angry chorus of error messages coming from Ibis' sparking and malfunctioning computer screen is soon doubled in intensity and volume. Maybe that wasn't such a great idea after all. A gloved hand goes to the black and yellow ejection controls underneath the seat, taking firm hold of it as things start to shake. When the missiles fill the screen, the tag is squeezed and pulled, just like they taught. Easy as pie.

Nothing happens.

Ibis doesn't even bother to wait to see if it's going to maybe fix itself magically, because there's about ten seconds between dawning comprehension and certain death in this situation. She swears, violently, words that we'll certainly not repeat here because it's unbecoming of a role model like that to use such language, and kicks the controls that open the cockpit hatch. Hard.

The TELLUS' splits once more, cockpit opening up, and a green-suited figure with a shock of red hair comes clambering out of it at the speed of sound, immediately diving away from the Armored Core for safety just in time for a storm of missiles to come punching into it. There's a moment's delay as warheads thrust through flimsy armour like a Getter pilot through an open hole, and then activate with a cinematic beep.

The A-LAWS unit just about splits in half, and the resulting explosion throws the still-flying Ibis into a nearby wall face-first, whereupon her next action is to skid down it into a dishevelled pile and grasp about clumsily for the emergency transponder on her hip, wondering why there's so much blood in her vision and why she's so dizzy.

Back to the wall, Ibis watches the rest of the fight play out through a fog of pain and disbelief, slumped down on the ground and hopefully out-of-the-way enough to not get plastered by something fancy.

Wildcat sees the Red Star activate its missile pods and curses sharply, immediately reversing thrust and heading backwards as fast as Red's thrusters allow to avoid the missiles raining down on him. Red shoots a strong blast back at the AC's direction, but then gets blindsided as the Dual-Face strikes. One shot hits Red's right hip, blasting off the right leg entirely. Another blast slams into the left shoulder and left forearm, blasting off armor and the MOONLIGHT assembly. A third completely decimates Red's head unit, not even leaving a stump behind and sending Wildcat into total darkness within the cockpit.

Wildcat hastily (and barely) manages to maintain Red's balance on one leg by using thrusters. But this is fine. He can still fight.

This is when Wildcat senses Genobee starting down the slippery slope of PLUS sanity. Half-PLUS he may be, but there's a certain shift in the air when a PLUS is pushed too far. He chuckles deeply, a feral grin settling on his face. "That's right. Accept the madness, Genobee," he comments calmly, typing in a few commands and flipping a few switches within the cockpit. "Return to the true nature of a PLUS!"

With a loud laugh--the creepy laugh that no Raven ever wants to hear be emitted from Wildcat's AC--Red activates every single weapon system, from missiles to chaingun to rifle, at Genobee. So what if Wildcat is piloting on instinct alone? That's what a PLUS does!

Trapped between screaming missiles and super-precise rifle bursts, Banjo has little choice but to hunker down in the air and take the take the beating as it comes. The fans are of /some/ help - a few missiles and rifle shells both bounce from their golden planes - but by and large, Daitarn 1 is pummeled by impact after punishing impact. Its whole body gradually descends beneath the kinetic forces, and all the while, Banjo struggles to keep his eyes open, his legs steady, his throat from expressing the agony shooting through his body.

Thankfully, the onslaught stops right about when the machine touches down, and his choices are /still/ limited; while Daitarn 1 no longer has its fans - both were just about ruined in the combined fire - it still has its hands, and as dangerous as the two Collared are, removing one of them from the fray is more important than anything else. He exhales roughly and cracks his knuckles; Daitarn 1 expels jets of exhaust from its back and cracks /its/ knuckles.

Neither actually removes its right fist from its left palm, however; the machine instead channels its Pulse Ion Engine's output towards that fist, lending it a brilliant golden glow--and only adding to the discomfort Banjo's already experiencing.

Another fighter would probably say something big, and bold, and audacious to punctuate the blow to come, and another time, Banjo might even /be/ that fighter; however, something about being caught in missiles and grenades all day has lessened his flair from the dramatic, so when his body - and Daitarn 1's body - can no longer stand the strain, he gives no warning, no proclamation, little more than a wordless cry of determination when he lunges forward to drive Daitarn's searing right hand directly into the Dual-Face's belly.

And if he /hits/, he'll similarly say nothing at all when those energies are violently, explosively expelled within the Armored Core's body.

Round Four

Red Star lands down after the attack. The Armored Core was attempting to over-heat and Agraya was doing everything in her mental power to keep the AC cool. This fight was long and it was brutal. Several of the signals transmitting had died down; but she never know if they were real or not. However if this-- Battletech Pilot-- really had the terminal then taking out all those others was pointless.

Oh well, at least she could report she gave it everything she had and hope for some repayment.

Sly Heckler once more taunted her, but she was growing weary. Her eyes were starting to glaze over and she was having trouble keeping her precise focus. Compared to the Veteran she respected, she was looking like a child trying to fire their first gun most likely.

<<"..why do you care so much..?">> She asks out to Sly. <<"..why did you have to steal it in the first place..? Couldn't get your own damn hardware..?">> She then grits her teeth. Then came in Sly's attack. Her thrusters ignited again as she attempted to avoid the attack from the Seraph. However the shot nicked the side of the Armored Core, though that Grenade Launcher on its arm aimed right at Sly and opened fire.

Agraya can't help but grin by how Genobee starts to talk. It was slightly like a cascade downpour really. It was this same cascade of emotions that caused the near bankrupt of Chrome and Millennium way when; The same plague that also tied later the Raven's into the Trailers. So I guess it wasn't all bad, was it?

<<"Eee-ahhhaahahah!!">> The female pilot lets out a laugh. A nice crazy laugh before she just smiles devilish, <<"BURN!! All of you BURN!! Cause we are Ravens! Forever and Forever! No matter our creed! No Matter Our Cause! Though we strike at home, we will only grow stronger!">>

Kazuma's attack comes in and the Red Star quickly attempts to avoid. The massive blast streaks by and peels away the armor. However the machine was still standing and the Grenade Launcher was far off.

The Red Star saw in the static the Gundam moving and moving in fast. <<"Fast little one there.">> She mussed out. However with a quick step back she let Genobee come between her and the angry Brazilian Gundam Fight. <<"But not as fast has Genobee!">>

The Armored Core stayed close to Genobee, using him for the needed protecting as she tried to solve how to deal with Sly Heckler. She didn't have any missile payloads left and he was a troubling target. <<"Mmm, Genobee~">> She almost sang song his name. <<"We are quickly running out of time. Mister-you-know-who that /hired/ us, is not going to be pleased. Though I don't know what is worse.">> She then slams some ammo back into the shotgun. <<"Dealing with him.. or dealing with /Him/. Neither side is going to be happy with us, but at least /He/ will forgive you I am sure.">>

Then taking a risk, Red Star steps out from her shield protection of the seee--safety of Genobee's Armored Core. The Pilot cracks up laughing as she blasts out several grenade rounds carelessly around the room. Attempting to blast everyone and anyone she can. Though only three seem to be her primary target and one of those is Sly himself.

Back with R and Nell

"Huh.." R raised a brow. "...This.. is weird.."

"What is?" Nell asks walking over after getting the papers organized.

"..I need to head back to the Nest. Against orders or not." R then starts to make his way out. "I don't like it when the home computer isn't responding."

MISSION NOTICE !! Two Rounds Remaining !!

 Wildcat curses. "This~ is bad. Very. Very ba~d."

 Kazuma Ardygun growls, "I've had just about enough of these bozos …"

Earlier.

Folka had came back to the Nest for a little break. Repair, resupply, and then go back to whatever it is Folka does. He is the traveler sort, but the one thing he always does upon returning to the nest is take a shower. His various and very simple clothing is set in his room, while Folka takes his shower, only at the highest temperature setting.

Now.

Thanks to Agraya and Genobee, there is enough caved in halls and areas of the base to warrent their own distruction. Finally, and without warning, Part of the base's wall collapses, exposing Folka Albark, who is currently completely and utterly still showering, staring up at the fighting mechs. He is like the eye of the storm, completely stone faced as he moves carefully to reach for a towel, drying himself off and wrapping it around his waist.

"IALDABAOTH! RISE!" he shouts, jumping straight up into the air as the war machine named Ialdabaoth suddenly appears right behind him as if brusting through the ground beneath his room as it's cockpit swallows him up. The Crimson Shura god bursts to life as it bears down on one of the offenders, landing behind it and lifting up one of his hands. A surge of energy erupts around the Shura god aiming to toss the unit into the air, before he spun, rapidly aiming a spray of punches into the machine before taking one of his hands and aiming to backhand the unit away from him.

The Shura jumps with the backhand, aiming to kick the unit back down, while landing next to the Invictus.

His face is perminately fixed in a :| now.

 Wildcat transmits, "Take them down. FAST. PLUS cascade failure."

 Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Workin' on it!"

 Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "- where'd Folka come from?!"

 Folka Albark transmits, "Anyone that interupts the showertime of another man does not deserve to be treated with honor!"

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "You~ don't want to know~ what happens if even I~ get caught up in it any wo~rse."

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "Master folka!"

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "Macua. I am afraid I will have to ask of you another favor once this is concluded. My clothing was incinerated by the large machine."

He couldn't let her fall, not right now, it was too early, far too early.

The Dual-Face's single eye flared, its brick like head swiveling around to catch sight of Macua's advance on Argaya.

The Dual-Face whipped around, where once there was just the light, quick Red Star there is now the thicker, better armored Dual Face, its single red eye gleaming. There are punches, so many punches. With the Red Star to bolster it however, the Dualk Face does not fall, its heels dug into the battered floor, armor pounbded into, warping and buckling. Power couplings are difficult to come by however, hidden away securely inside the machine. The blows do not go unanswered, Genobee's rifle speaking in a single bark within the closed quarters.

Fire floods in from another direction, a glance into a secondary camera revealing an almost comical sight, Wildcat. What wasn't so funny was the ammount of weaponry the machine still had operational. Weapon-fire poured in, Genobee, boosting away from the barrage, a shock-wave of energy cast from the machine's laser blade, depleting at last the weapon's battery. Ammunition and armor were quickly becoming short in supply.

He could not force himself to be frugal however, not with the sound of the his blood thundering in his ears, his heart hammering in his chest. He could no longer hold back. Daitarn came in, the machine streaking in with a fist meant for the middle of the Dual-Face. Genobee could almost feel the world around him, his mind now almost two heartbeats ahead. Everything flowed. A boost of thrusters forced the Dual-Face out of Banjo's reach, a single grenade launcher flipping around and leveling towards him, firing off a round for his trouble.

<<Hehe, easier to ask forgiveness than permission, is it?>> chortled Genobee to the mad woman at his back, Argaya, Red Eye. If they made it back alive...

Well, he'll have to worry about that man in the towel before that, won't he?

A warning squaks into the machine's cockpit, Dual-Face suddenly rocketed into the air. A storm of punches breaks open into the AC's thick hide, threatening to rattle the pilot out of his harness, a staccato beat of metal fists against metal hide that further batter the machine. Then a back hand and a kick, a eruption of thrusters scarcely able to get the machine's feet beneath it.

<<Time to quit playing around.. I guess.>> utters Genobee, shaking off the birds and stars.

Wildcat and Banjo are abandoned, there is only room for Sly Heckler within Genobee's heart now... And by heart, I mean targeting reticule. <<Time to give it uop.>> Goads Genobee, both barrels sweeping down over his shoulders from behind the machine's back. Thrusters flare once more, rocketing the Dual-Face forward in a quick succession of boosts that break here and there for sudden climbs of altitude, he is far from a blurr in the monitor but his movement is something anyone would be hard pressed to keep up with.

All the while his finger is on the triggers, all of them. The gun mounted into the machine's chest rattles off rapid fire, the rifle barks time and time again, punching out armor-piercing slugs while the grenade launchers add their throaty voices to the chorus. Explosions abound in Sly's neighborhood.

The Valhawk ducks away from a couple of errant(??) grenades, and Kazuma shakes his head a bit - then gapes as Folka Albark, whose shower was just VERY rudely interrupted, enters the fray and starts pounding on the Dual-Face.

That was admittedly awesome, if terrifying. And since Kazuma knows better than to get between a superior combatant and the object of his wrath, Kazuma starts doing some mental calculations. "Mihiro, stand by on thrusters and heat-field control. We've got an idiot to punt."

Mihiro responds, "Got it!" as she starts keying in commands, priming the subroutines which she's sure Kazuma now has in mind.

And he doesn't disappoint her. "All right, you birdbrained Raven," Kazuma transmits. "Time to have us some roast chicken to make up for the damage you've done!" The Valhawk leaps, engines boosting its ascent nearly to the hangar's ceiling ... and then it begins an angled descent, right leg fully extended, left leg tucked in, and the heat-field generators on the Valhawk's right foot begin venting high-thermal plasma, rippling and flaring around the Valstork Family's mobile unit.

"BURNING VALHAWK KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!" roars Kazuma as he descends towards the Red Star, in the manner of superheroes since times of yore. (and also of super robot pilots)

-

"Come on, a little closer..." Sly mutters to himself as the Red Star comes at him. He attempts to punch the grenades out of the air, but that works about as well as it sounds, and blasts strike his Battlmech over and over as he maneuvers. His goal here is pretty delicate, but it's slowly coming together. She asks him why he stole it, and he only gives her a smirk in response.

"You know what your problem is, sweetheart? You're all too focused on what's in front of you. You never even look at what's around the corner!"

As Sly talks, he also gives a signal by hitting a button on his control panel. The signal isn't to his own mech, though. Instead, it's to other people around the field that have been getting into position while Sly tries to lure the enemy mechs into place.

More blasts strike Sly's Seraph from behind, doing a number on the rear armor and knocking Sly's mech off balance and out of position, but it doesn't matter. Sly's Seraph was just a decoy. A slight-of-hand trick to distract the enemy.

See, most people in modern warfare don't consider infantry a very good counter to mechs, but there are places in the Inner Sphere where anti-mech infantry are a viable resource. Sly didn't have direct access to any of those soldiers, but did have access to a few of their weapons, so he stationed his own people around. Little with a tripod mounted Varible-speed laser, Rex with a man-portable recoilless rifles, a couple mercs with flamers, and one or two people with man-portable SRMs all start their assault, bringing fire down on the Red Star from all angles.

-

Wildcat can feel it tearing at the edges of his mind. Genobee's well down the slippery slope of sanity now, Agraya has started slipping, and the anger that had been driving him--keeping /him/ sane, is being eaten away. It's a familiar feeling, and only the knowledge of what will happen next keeps Wildcat even coherant with /three/ PLUS'es pulling each other down into insanity. Speaking on the radio for a time, switching between a clipped serious tone to a more sing-songy insanity, doesn't help much either.

The fight goes on, however. He senses intent, unable to see what's going on, and focuses on the spark of insanity itself--Genobee. No missiles, a few rounds left in the rifle, chaingun's still working... core turret offline, probably by the retaliatory attack during the 'fire all you've got' option... MOONLIGHT damaged, but possibly still operational.

Operating Red solely on memory, he shoves as much energy as he's willing to spare into Red's thrusters, the AC scooting forwards a few feet before suddenly charging forwards in an overboost, charging with the sole intent to knock down the Dual-Face before it can cause more damage... or before Genobee can drag them down any further into insanity!

Macua Huitl had known Folka was about but had seen no reason to draw her master into this, they could handle it. So she's not evcen thought about it. With the two attackers coming for bare, clearly the people behind this had to have paid them a lot of money to do a job like this. But right now she's got Genoboe intercepting the attack. The hostile machine doesn't fall however it seems the designs been altered likely for good reason against things like this. However then comes the fire there's a whole lot of fire she can't get close, she issues orders to her funnels to attack again while she grabs a section of dislodged wall to protect herself with, once it fades she's aware wait what Folka? Oh this just got even more chaotic. now blurring as she moves she'll show up behind GenoBee again and start attacking a few strikes might just get their way to folka by pure acident, he caught her off guard the sudden attack on now both the Shura and the Raven.

"!!! Folka! I err I'm sorry!"

You can hear the embarrassment in her voice. She's gone now or is she? The other Crest hired Raven would suddenly have the Gundam fighter attacking them again. "Hey don't think I forgot about YOU! You laughing so much now how about this?!"

The rapid punchin', turns to kicking at this point!

"Ah--shit!" Banjo tightly exclaims grenades explode around him in stereo. His entire trace suit briefly illuminates with a webwork of red.

Usually, such displays are limited to limbs to indicate the mobile fighter's inability to utilize those particular systems; Banjo knows /exactly/ what to think when he glances down to see its ubiquity, and accordingly he does his best to continue moving, to continue doing everything in his power to subdue Genobee.

Charging Daitarn 1's hands for another explosive blow is out of the question; it's like turning the stove on high and just pressing a hand down on it, and even with half a bottle of fine French liquor in his blood, Banjo isn't stupid enough to do that twice in such quick succession, especially in his condition. Instead, his and Daitarn 1's hands quickly reach for their sides to draw their two remaining Solar Fans; the /first/ two are snarled, ruined messes on the floor of the Raven's Nest and the floor of Daitarn 1's cockpit, but Banjo's engineers were bright enough to consider redundancy when they designed its weapons load out.

With Genobee's attention on Sly, he hopes to take advantage of the Collared's lapsed focus by leaping after the Dual-Face in an unerring line. Black smoke billows beneath the mobile fighter, interrupted only by intermittent flickers of artificial sunlight from its engines; it lacks the stability to perform the kinds of complex maneuvers necessary to actually fight in mid-air for any prolonged length of time, so instead Banjo aims to make one strike with both fans in passing.

Fortunately, the fans are searingly hot planes of raw solar fury.

/Un/fortunately, this means that even if he escapes the Collareds' wrath, he'll be rocketing away into the Hindustanian sky until physics or his shoddy propulsion systems finally dictate that he crash somewhere.

Round Five

MISSION NOTICE !!! One Round Remaining !!!

The Red Star was now out from under her protective cover of Genobee. The PLUS disease was getting bad, though perhaps good for her. As she was suddenly a great deal faster and running more on the nature of things. Though Kazuma is able to strike down with the Kick, however those thrusters kicked on just enough that all she lost was her grenade launcher arm. Being the whole left arm was knocked out of joint from the attack.

<<"Is that the best you got?!">> She yelled over to Kazuma, before cackling. <<"If I had a grandmother, she hit harder then that!">>

We say again, PLUS insanity, is bad insanity.

The here come the little man with their cute little guns. The Red Star quickly kicked her thrusters into over-drive as she danced around the attacks, However as she tried to fire back at Sly Heckler for what it was worth. The shotgun jammed up. <<"..well..">> She murmured.

Hooking the Shotgun to the side, she attempted to fix her Armored Core's left arm by force the machine to snap it back into place once more. It worked again, but the gears were grinding; you could hear it too.

Taking the Shotgun back in hand, the Armored Core searched around, till suddenly came in that blasted Gundam again; this time, there was no Genobee to hide behind. <<"..I am starting to /really/ dislike you.">> Agraya said very, /very/ calmly. Macua came in and utterly beat the /Crap/ out of the Red Star. The Armored Core was beaten around, dented, bent, and then the last impacted slammed it across the room and right through another wall.

There was claimed another fake terminal. Anyone been counting how many thus far? Sly better hope that the original one was indeed still ok.

"R! I did not give you permission to return back to the Nest!"

<<"Who said I was going back to Nest, Vicey-boy? Ever heard about flying around for some fresh air?">>

"I know what you're doing and you know I can pull our agreement in a snap of a finger."

The NEXT comes to a halt in the air to that radio reply. That aqua green visor flashes bright white suddenly before it dims back down to the single bright aqua green near white light where the field of vision was looking. <<"..you threatening me?">>

"..."

<<"Really? All the Bull-*****-S**t I've put up with. Your threatening.. Me?">>

"..I.. am giving you an order."

<<"... Order ignored. The Nest is my home.">> The NEXT states coldly before cutting all radio transmission and continuing on its flight path. It was a long flight really.

O'overboost?! That heap had a overboost?!

The pilot's teeth grit as Wildcat comes barreling in blindly, the machine bracing, ready to lunge to the left or the right. A last second evasion... that never came. A thruster didn't fire, instead sparking ineffectually! The machine could scarecly step to the side before the impact, Wildcat barreling by, slamming past the Dual-Face, hammering it soundly, the machine knocked from its feet and sent sailing through the air, twisting as it went! The crash landing is enough to make something snap inside Genobee, pain burning into his side with every breath. For now it is an annoyance, later it will be agony once his brain accepts the signels for pain from his nerves again.

The bit assault from Macua came next, beam weapons searing the machines battered armor, weakened beyond its endurance, the metal seemed to boil, swelling up before erupting in a conflagration of shrapnel and fire. His rush had held him aloft for so long, now it seemed it was all down hill. He couldn't even seem to land his returning shots.

Banjo was nearly the nail in the coffin, those burning fans slicing through the weakened armor like a hot knife through melted butter.

Yes, melted butter.

A deep rent was torn into the machine's side, that is after the fan had cleaved through the unit's left arm in order to get through to the side, the machine left with a clean-cut, sparking stump and a gash that nearly reached it's primary engine. The grenade lobbed after the man going painfully wide.

Time was short, counted in a handfull of seconds. Genobee's focus leveled on Sly's Seraph once more. He would not leave before that man was taken down! With only a few more grenade rounds left, Genobee commited them all into this last strike. His machine could not manage another hectic flurry of maneuvering, so he simply led it into a strafing gallop, beating feet as it fired away, pounding grenade shell after grenade shell toward the battlemech, the weapons thundering in unison as they emptied the last of their ammunition.

!!!

Folka watches as the Invictus goes down!

"This ends NOW!" he shouts, his voice alone reverberates power. As he says this, the aura of red...ENERGY reverberates. He hardly notices Macua's accidently fire, he simply punches the blasts with his hand, absentmindedly sending them back to sender. The energy continues to build as Folka steps back.

"TAKE THIS!" he booms, debris of all sizes starting to float, as he brings both hands back...and punches forward. Two beams of energy shoot from his hands, which take the forms of dragons.

"SHURA MARTIAL ARTS TECHNIQUE, KISHIN SOJUUGEKI!" as he shouts this, the two dragons ENTER the Dual-face. Each one taking their delight in destroying...eating...melting, and even flashing along the internal equipment if Genobee is not quick enough to dodge the two dragons.

"IGNITE!" he shouts, as the two dragons finally shoot out, curling around the Dual face, and igniting. Attempting to catch the mech in a explosion.

Grenades suddenly slam into the Seraph from the target Sly hadn't had a chance to focus on. Blast after blast smashes against the machine staggering it back and blowing off most of the frontal armor. And then, just when things seem as bad as they can get, they get worse.

An alarm goes off on Sly's controls. A big red flashing one. One that reads 'breech: Ammunition storage. "Oh, /hell/." Sly has no time to react. He can't even hit any buttons before his computer automatic ejection systems blow the windows out of the front of his mech, and launch his chair forwards, rocketing off into the nest, as explosions rock both from inside and outside of the Seraph behind him.

The mech erupts into a massive fireball, the blast shattering all across from the machine as the ammo blowout hits the fusion core and causes a rupture which literally just blows the entire mech to pieces. By the time the parachute opens and Sly's chair slams into the ground, there isn't much left of the Seraph aside from the endoskeleton.

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "SLY? GET CLEAR"

<Radio: A - Normal> Sly Heckler transmits, "I'm alright...Autoejection system kicked in."

Red ricochets away from Dual-Face upon impact, some thrusters damaged and the extreme momentum making what is left of the AC unable to remain upright. Red slams into the ground on its side, rolling over multiple times and nearly bouncing in the process. Wildcat is jolted harshly within the cockpit, his head slamming against something sharp somewhere even as he endures the whiplash of each impact. Once the AC finally skids to a halt on its back, it lies still despite still gripping its somehow-still-functional weapon in its right hand.

Wildcat remains in the cockpit for now, holding together the bleeding gash in his scalp with one hand as he tries to force Red to open the jammed cockpit hatches by typing commands directly into the on-board computer with the other. This is going to take a while.

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "Ow ow owow owowowowow...!"

After like thirty straight seconds of flying, Daitarn 1 finally crashes into some small, Hindustanian village's fruit stand a ways away. The machine is actually in pretty good shape, considering; it'll just need to be worked on for a while before it's operational again.

"Uh," Banjo exhales, punctuating the woozy syllable with a brief fit of coughing. "Christ, uh--fuck, uh--Jesus--" The young CEO forces himself upright - an ordeal in and of itself, thanks to the screaming pain in his ribcage - and hobbles over to the cockpit's hatch. Along the way, he grabs his watch from Daitarn 1's convenient glove compartment and as he steps out into the light, he takes the time to carefully adjust the accessory, until--

"Hidden Missile," he murmurs into its face.

About twenty yards away, a completely unused Burger King explodes when a /missile launcher/ rips through its foundation to launch a rocket towards Banjo's position. The villagers look on in a mix of fear and awe until, at the last moment, the missile splits in half along its length to allow the shell to fall away; they'll litter the streets until someone gets around to moving them away, but there's no major collateral damage. All that's left behind is the rocket's propulsion...

...and a long length of metal curved slightly at its nose and tail. Four wheels stud its bottom; a totally rad 'NO FEAR' logo adorns its underside as well.

While it pains him to run, Banjo nonetheless jogs forward until the skateboard has fallen to a point where he can hop aboard it, and once there he directs the makeshift vehicle in taking off into the skies to speed back towards the Raven's Nest.

The fight may be over for him, but he still has a responsibility to Ibis Douglas, Space Cop and Space Deliverywoman and Space Cheesecake Lover Extraordinaire.

<Radio: A - Normal> When an auto-eject singnal is a received, an automated advertisement plays, "Need a new mech? Try a PHX-0 Zero Hawk from Achernar Battlemechs soon!"

Macua Huitl is indeed beating the heck out of the Red Star sending it through another wall. She's getting ready to stalk over and make sure they are down. It's time to put an end to this antics. But then things go bad, things go very, very bad. Sly's mech is hit and it's not just hit it's going down hard and it's going to go up she calls out a warning. Then start's scrambling away, at this point. To keep clear, there's not much more time other than to see Folka just open up without any holding back, using an ability she's not seen too often. She's now racing to make sure there's no other surprises from the attackers she doe open a comm channel to banjo though.

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "Juku...did you just...?"

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "This is R. Anyone reading?"

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "Ow ow owwww..."

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "We had two ravens attack the nest."

<Radio: A - Normal> Sly Heckler transmits, "Yeah...I'm reading sales brochures for a new mech."

Things are looking tremendously shitty for Space Cop Ibis Douglas, hunkered down behind a gigantic broken piece of concrete with a bunch of twisted rear sticking out of it. She covers her head with both hands and grunts in discomfort as the floor shakes from one of the dozens of oversized explosions making the inside of the Raven's Nest such an occupational health and safety nightmare. Too much blood on the outside, not enough on the inside. This job's looking pretty grim.

But before the in the soaked A-LAWS pilot suit can get to thinking about her life insurance policy, there's a particular gleam in the sky that catches her one good eye, and she narrows her eyes in ham-fisted determination, knowing that this is her one shot to get out of here in one piece before one of these stupid machines goes up like an atomic bomb, and the Getter Team isn't even here to blame for it.

It starts off as a stumbled gait, with one foot barely able to go in front of the other, but it's with surprising speed that Ibis picks her pace up, darting in a wide circle around a cratered section of hangar floor as she keeps her eye on the prize. An errant shell casing falls from above as she sprints forward, nearly as big as she is, and nearly crushes her. But it doesn't. Get owned, physics.

Red hair a-blowing dramatically, it is with a decisive moment of parkour that Ibis damn near runs up the side of the wall and kicks off into the air with hand outstretched for a certain heroic, boozed-out knight in shining armour coming in from above at Mach Radical. There is, of course, a few seconds where it looks like it's too late, but then Banjo Haran makes the clutchest save in the history of catching things that are about to fall, and the law of these things dictate that there's only one place for Ibis to wind up: in the CEO of Haran Enterprises arms like a god damned princess.

"Nice catch." grunts the heavily injured pilot, doing her best /not/ to bleed all over her rescuer. She does a poor job of it. "Sorry about the mess." she adds, dryly. Her sense of humour is shot, but then again, what are you supposed to say after getting rescued by a dude on a rocket skateboard?

(The answer is 'tubular'.)

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "...what.."

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "Two Ravens attacked the nest on a job they were guning for Sly."

<Radio: A - Normal> Sly Heckler transmits, "Some of your buddies just blew my Seraph to hell."

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "...Genobee... and the Red Star..."

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "They were just as firehappy as that damn falcon tho hit the nest."

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "...two... ... ..."

<Radio: A - Normal> R dead silence.

<Radio: A - Normal> Sly Heckler transmits, "Yeah. I...may have made some remarks to the female pilot which were not appreciated. I should really learn to stop doing that one day. Anyway, one of them got a shot into my AC ammo bay."

<Radio: A - Normal> Juku Reimaru transmits, "Did I what?"

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, ".. I am.. glad you are safe, Sly. Are the people safe?"

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat hisses softly. "R... Hangar bay is heavily damaged... but I don't thi~nk--" Ahem. "...Think the rest of the Nest... got damaged too much... The Nest... was evacuated... before things went downhi~ll..."

<Radio: A - Normal> Sly Heckler transmits, "Yeah, I think the ACs or whatever are gone."

<Radio: A - Normal> Ernula transmits, "That's not cool!" "Not cool at all!" "We're all friends here." "If they're gonna be shooting at their friends, then they don't belong with us!" "I'm really angry about this~!"

<Radio: A - Normal> Ernula doesn't sound angry at all.

<Radio: A - Normal> R tsks.

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "They know the rules. I'll have a /talk/ with them both later after I get back and judge the damage myself."

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "R. There was... a PLUS cascade event. Minor... but it ha~ppened."

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "..nrrh.. Klein isn't going to like this..." pause, "..peachy.."

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "...They said... it was a job... I'm inclined to... agree... May have had... their leashes pulled..."

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "They... KNOW... the rules..."

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "My clothes."

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "..Who hired them?" pause, "..your clothes?"

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "They are destroyed. As are my quarters."

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "..I have.. a feeling.. I am going to really, really be mad when I get back.."

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "That depends. Does mass distruction anger you?"

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "...I heard something... about Navis... but I~--" Ahem, "--I don't know beyond that...""

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "We got some dead personel too."

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "I think I might have something of Raul's you can have Folka"

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "Navis? ..why would.. nnrh.. I'll-- I'll look into things once I get back." pause, "..and does mass distruction anger me? It can when it may endanger the safety of my friends and that of the Ravens. Corporations may have placed their money into assisting us into constructing it-- but we have maintained-- ..."

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "Much appreciated. It will do until my clothes can be regenerated by the Ialdaboth."

<Radio: A - Normal> Wildcat transmits, "...My head hu~rts... I~... am going~ to sleep no~w..."

"Don't sweat it," Banjo roughly replies as he struggles to support Ibis Douglas' weight without tumbling off his skateboard, "small price to pay for a cute thing like you in my arms."

With one final burst of propellant, the skateboard rockets away into the sunset; just before Banjo and Ibis fade away into the misty annals of history for today, the former is captured flashing his best, glittering, pristine white smile.

It looks pretty good, despite being framed by blood and soot.

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "..I'll.. be there in a few hours.. maybe I can talk to spec about moving a few things to the Den for a bit till stuff gets-- organized again."

With the fight gone, Sly Heckler just sort of sits in his fallen pilot chair, waiting there long after things calm down. He slips off his neurohelmet, and places it next to him, resting there with his eyes closed for a good long while before his radio finally gets his attention, and he absently picks it up.

"Sly, you alright?"

"I'm okay. Seraph is toast, though. Totally gone."

"Figures. Did it work? Did they buy it?"

"Yeah, looks like it. They should dismiss any more signals they get as just more decoy terminals they didn't get."

"Well, at least there's that. I'll get the Seraph towed in to start rebuilding it."

"Great. Tell Cathrine to pull the real terminal out of the ship. We've got some time to safely get our data off now."

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "Wait Ialdaboth makes clothing?!"

<Radio: A - Normal> Juku Reimaru transmits, "Look, don't question that thing."

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "It makes an image of it's pilot upon bonding to it's Shura. Both pilot and articles are regenerated after some time."

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "I am sure Juku will love to provide a more technical explanation."

<Radio: A - Normal> Juku Reimaru transmits, "Shit be freaky, yo'."

<Radio: A - Normal> Macua Huitl transmits, "I'm pretty sure it's what it says on the tin."

<Radio: A - Normal> Folka Albark transmits, "It just is."

<Radio: A - Normal> R transmits, "Since I have calm down a bit more. Thank you everyone for stepping in who helped defend the Nest. I'll be handling the situation and will, most likely, need to redirect traffic to other Trailer locations.”