Super Robot Wars Null

March UE 0083
Nadesico Medical Bay

You wake up to the incessant beeping of an EKG monitor. You slowly open your eyes and are immediately struck near blind by the harsh lights of the Medical Bay. A nurse notices you stirring, and walks over to your bed.

"Oh! You're finally up, you gave us quite a scare when you passed out in the hangar." She says.
"How long was I unconscious?" You ask while clutching your head.
"Two and a half days. The captain wants to speak with you, we're in the midst of preparing to leave for Mars. We'll let you out as soon as we declare you fit for duty." The nurse picks up an inflatable arm band and loops it around your right arm.
"How badly was I injured?" You ask.
"Not as badly as you think. At first we thought you had a concussion, but it turned out you were just exhausted. Aside from your nosebleed, there was also quite a bit of internal bruising, though most of it's healed on its own without any complications." The nurse replies as she finishes taking your blood pressure.
The doctor comes in and performs a few more tests before declaring you fit for duty.

---

You make your way to the bridge to talk with Yurika, no doubt you've missed quite a few developments. You open the door and are greeted by not only Yurika and the rest of the Nadesico's bridge crew, but also a pair of teenagers, one male, one female, and a trio of adult women wearing pink and black flight suits. Yurika eagerly waves at you.

"Hi Mira! I'm so glad you're feeling better. I'd like to introduce you to these people from the Shiba Archeology and Robotics Institute (SARI). These are Kenji Kusanagi and Tsubaki Tamashiro of the Jeeg team," She waves her hand at the pair of teenagers. "And these are Tatsuko Mido, Monko Saotome, and and Mitsuko Yagyuu of the Build Angels. Jeeg team and Build Angels, this is Mira Ayana, our security consultant!"
You wave your hand in greeting while taking a look at the people from the SARI. The pair from the Jeeg team seem normal enough, Kenji is wearing some kind of biker outfit, and Tsubaki's dress has an armored segment around her chest. The first thing you notice about the Build Angels is how Amazonian Saotome is, the next thing you notice is Yagyuu's eye patch. At that moment, Yagyuu seems to recognize you.

"Ah, you're that Mira Ayana! I didn't realize that Nergal had managed to hire you. Well, it's nice to finally meet you in person." Yagyuu offers a handshake.
"I'm sorry, have we met before?" You ask as you hesitatingly accept the handshake.
"No, but you had a certain reputation in the EFF. You're one of the most respected pilots to have participated in the Battle of Axis and survived, only really second to the White Devil himself. I'm surprised you didn't realize it." Yagyuu gives you a warm smile.
"I...didn't really pay attention to that kind of stuff after I left the EFF." You admit with a hint of embarrassment. "Wait a second, I think I recognize you. Mitsuko Yagyuu, the She-Devil of the skies of the Far East. You went private too huh?" Yagyuu chuckles.
"Touché."
Yurika chooses that moment to break into the conversation.
"Well, there were a few things I wanted to talk to you about Mira, and to catch you up on why the people from SARI are here, so let's get started! First order of business, after the unknowns were destroyed and those other machines disappeared into the singularity, they sent an encrypted data file to us."

Ruri attempts to crack the data file-DC 15
1d10 + 5 (Ruri's ability as a hacker) + 3 (Omoikane support)
4 + 5 + 3 = 12
FAILURE

"Ruri's tried to crack that sucker open, but the only thing we've been able to read off it so far is what was already readable. And what's readable says it's for your eyes only, Mira. The file doesn't seem to be malicious, so we've let it sit for now, but take a look at it in your spare time and see if you can do anything with it? Anyway, on to the next order of business, why the people from the SARI are here. Mr. Kusanagi, if you would be so kind?" Yurika gives the floor over to Kenji.
"Eh? Oh, right. Old man Professor Shiba saw something in an archeology paper about recent findings on Mars that got his attention. SARI doesn't have any pull on Mars, so the professor decided to send us to check things out while he handles a few things on Earth." Kenji explains.
"Also, I just noticed something, and I can't believe it took me two days to notice this, but wasn't there supposed to be another person with you?" Yurika asks.
"Oh, Kyo? Something urgent came up that he had to help the old man with, so he sent us ahead." Kenji explains.
"And we were sent along with the kids to keep them out of trouble." Saotome says. Kenji hides a look of embarrassment. Did something happen between him and the Build Angels?
"Anyway, I wanted to tell you, Mira, that preparations to depart for Mars are almost complete. If everything goes well, we should be in orbit of the Red Planet in two weeks." Yurika explains. You raise an eyebrow.
"Why don't we just Fold to Mars. Wait...the Nadesico doesn't have a Fold drive?" You ask in horror. Mr. Prospector, who must have entered the bridge at some point, chooses this moment to speak up.
"Unfortunately, access to Fold Quartz and Fold drives is highly regulated by the New UN Spacey. For a private corporation such as Nergal Heavy Industries to contact the N.U.N.S. we would have had to go through the Federation, which would have entirely defeated the point, as it would have compromised the secrecy of the entire project. Rest assured though, two weeks of travel time is far faster thanks to our proprietary Phase Transition Engine, with conventional Minovsky craft systems it would have taken closer to a month to make the trip." Mr. Prospector pushes up his glasses as he finishes his explanation.
"Fair enough I guess. When do we leave?" You cross your arms.
"If we don't run into any unexpected delays, we start climbing tomorrow afternoon, anywhere between 2 and 3 pm. Until then, you're free to go about the ship!" Yurika says.

As you and the people from the SARI leave the bridge, Ruri speaks up.

"Your ReZel hasn't been fully repaired yet. Uribitake's not happy with how badly your machine was damaged in the last combat, he's not sure if he'll be able to get it combat-worthy in time for our departure." You wince.
"I'll apologize to him the first chance I get." Ruri nods as you leave.

All of the luggage you took has been transferred to your private room aboard the Nadesico. You have the rest of the day and part of tomorrow to kill time.

What will you do? (pick TWO)

[ ] Spend time with Ruri Hoshino
-Ruri seems like the most-level headed of the Nadesico bridge crew despite being a 14 year old. What's her story, and how did she end up as an operator on a private warship?

[ ] Spend time with Minato Haruka
-After Ruri, Minato seems relatively sane compared to the other members of the bridge crew, especially Yurika. You're also slightly acquainted with her, why not get to know her a bit more?

[ ] Spend time with Yurika Misumaru
-As much as you dislike the notion, Yurika is technically your commanding officer. Why not found out what makes her tick? At the least, it should inure you a bit to her...eccentricities.

[ ] Hang out with Gai Daigouji and Akito Tenkawa
-Gai is having what can only be described as a nerdgasm over what happened two and a half days ago. Akito seems to be making friends with him as well, why not follow up with Gai and get to know both of them a bit better?

[ ] Get to know the Jeeg team
-You've been formerly introduced to Kenji and Tsubaki, but your relationship essentially begins and ends there as of the current moment. You doubt they'll tell any trade secrets, but maybe they'll tell you why a private enterprise practices archeology alongside development of robotics? Besides, they seem like good kids.

[ ] Get to know the Build Angels
-You and Captain Yagyuu know of each other by reputation, but that's hardly a substitute for actual interaction. As fellow ex-EFF pilots now working in the private sector, why not talk shop?

[ ] Try to make sense of the encrypted data file the Luxon NEXT sent to the Nadesico
-The file states it's for your eyes only, but how are you even meant to unlock it? You have no experience with cryptography, and even Ruri with the assistance of Omoikane, the ship's onboard AI was unable to decrypt it. You don't think this is urgent at the moment, but you get the nagging feeling you can't ignore this forever...
-Will involve a high DC to try and decrypt. Very unlikely to yield anything actionable even if you pass the DC

[ ] Help Uribitake repair your ReZel
-Mechanics was never your strong suit, and Uribitake is still upset with you for letting this happen in the first place. You'd just get in the way.

A/N: And so the start of the first non-tutorial turn begins! Sorry the update is a little shorter, but I didn't want to risk things getting too 'show, don't tell'. Constructive criticism is welcome as always, and please, I welcome discussion! I'm disappointed in the apathy I've seen from the watchers so far. Please, plug this quest to your friends, in other threads if it's allowed!

Series that will have most or all of their story adapted and feature characters prominently, and have their stories significantly affect the plot
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
Mobile Suit Gundam 00*
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed
Martian Successor Nadesico
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Dancouga Nova
Macross Frontier
Kotetsushin Jeeg
Magic Knight Rayearth
Mazinger Series (Will mash up elements of Mazinkaiser and original series together)
Getter Robo (Will mash up elements of the original and Armageddon)
Daimos
Metal Armor Dragonar
Full Metal Panic!

Series that will feature mostly just characters, may have had an impact on the backstory of the world
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
Combattler V

Series that will have their story significantly altered to fit the setting of this crossover
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
Voltes V
Dancouga
Gunbuster
Code Geass

*Will also feature heavy story changes to fit the setting of the crossover

Winning Vote:
[X] Get to know the Jeeg team
[X] Spend time with Ruri Hoshino

---

March UE 0083
Aboard the Nadesico

After a late lunch, courtesy of Ms. Howmei, the ship's cook, a thought occurs to you that it might be a good idea to get to know the people from the SARI a bit more. You're tempted to talk with Captain Yagyuu and the Build Angels, but you're more curious about the Jeeg team. That, and you want to thank Kenji for pulling your fat out of the fire against the Unknown Super Robot a few days ago. As it turns out, you can ask the ship's systems to locate anyone on the ship if you're a registered member of the command crew, which, despite your status as a mercenary, you technically are, so it's trivial to find Kenji and Tsubaki. You head down to one of the recreation lounges, where you find Kenji and Tsubaki going at it in a game of ping pong. You don't make your presence known immediately, opting to let them finish the current round. It doesn't last much longer, concluding after a few seconds when the ball unexpectedly hits the top edge of the net, Kenji flailing about to try and hit it back, only for the ball to land off the table anyway before he can hit it. Despite losing the point, Tsubaki giggles, then notices you.

"Oh, hi there Ms. Ayana, was there something you wanted to talk to us about?" Tsubaki asks as she puts away her paddle.
"We'll be working together for at least a month, so it makes sense for us to get to know each other better. Besides, I was curious about the two of you." You explain.
"Oh, that makes sense I guess." Tsubaki responds.
"I definitely know I'll like working together with you." Kenji says as he...ogles you? You realize he's staring at your breasts, your low cut shirt giving him an eyeful of cleavage. Tsubaki notices this, and immediately slaps him upside the head.
"Eyes on me Kenji, or am I not good enough for you?" Tsubaki says indignantly while crossing her arms under her chest to emphasize her own bust. Kenji can only stammer in an apologetic tone in response. It looks like this is a familiar dynamic between the two of them, and you can't help but giggle.
"Ah, young love." You say to no one in particular. At that, Kenji and Tsubaki both blush heavily before turning away from each other.
"A-A-A-A-A-A-Anyway, what did you want to know?" Tsubaki says, eager to change the subject.
"Well, I am a bit curious about the SARI itself. Archeology and Super Robots typically aren't things you'd put side by side in the same institution." You raise an eyebrow.
"You'd have to ask the old man, he's the one who started the whole thing. All I know is that Jeeg takes some design cues from something he found in one of his digs." Kenji says as he flops down onto a couch. Tsubaki nods.
"If you've got any questions about Jeeg itself, I can try to explain as best I can. I don't know some of the underlying science, but it essentially uses exotic magnetism to keep the whole thing together." Tsubaki says.
"What, like Super Electromagnetism, the stuff that Big Falcon and the Nanbara Connection use in their Super Robots?" You ask.
"Mmm...not quite. The way Professor Shiba described it, Super Electromagnetism and the kind of Magnetism that Jeeg uses share a common 'ancestor', but split off in different directions from there. Does that make sense?" Tsubaki explains.
"Yeah, I think I get it. But why were the two of you chosen for this? Is Professor Shiba trying to make the next Kouji Kabuto?" You ask with a raised eyebrow. Tsubaki shrugs.
"You'd have to ask Professor Shiba himself." She says.
"Fair enough. Regardless, you both seem like good kids. By the way Kenji, I noticed that you made a face toward Saotome earlier. Did something happen between you and the Build Angels?" You ask. Kenji stares down at the floor with a look of defeat.
"Oh, right. Saotome kind of...beat the shit out of me when we first met to teach me a lesson." He admits. You're not quite sure how to react to that, but for some reason you're not surprised.
"Huh, reminds me of my drill sergeant from basic training." Tsubaki and Kenji both give you a mortified look. "I joined the EFF during the Gryps Conflict, remember? Most of my training was under the Titans, and they were big fans of corporal punishment. Part of the reason I defected to the AEUG." You explain. They both nod in understanding. You're interrupted by a knock on the door before someone enters. It's Captain Yagyuu and the other Build Angels.
"Kenji, Tsubaki, we need to go over our plans for what we're going to do on Mars, remember? Ah, apologies Ms. Ayana, but I'm afraid this discussion is going to have to be private." Yagyuu says.
"No problem, I was just about done talking to them anyway. I'll leave you to it." You wave to Kenji and Tsubaki as you leave the lounge.

---

No one else is really free for the rest of the day. You think to check in with Gai and Akito, but when you peek into Gai's room, he and Akito are binge-watching Gekiganger 3, and they're so engrossed in the show you can't really find a good opportunity to butt in. Minato, Ruri, and Yurika are occupied by preparations to depart for Mars. You consider looking at the data file the Luxon NEXT sent to the Nadesico, but one look at the encrypted portions are enough to make your head spin, so you abandon that train of thought. You apologize to Uribitake for getting the ReZel custom wrecked, to which he grumbles acceptance before telling you to get out of the hangar. With nothing else to do for the day, you grab dinner, and, after trying out the ship's exercise facilities, go to bed.

You wake up early the next morning, and, after having a German Farmer's breakfast courtesy of the kitchen staff, decide to head to the bridge. To your surprise, the only one there is Ruri. Seeing as no one else is around, you decide to strike up a conversation, you are a bit curious about her.

"So, what are you doing on the Nadesico? You're obviously some kind of prodigy, or Nergal wouldn't have put you on the ship." You lean against an unpowered console.
"You're right about that much. As I understand it, I'm some kind of proto-Coordinator. Officially, I'm the science officer, but I actually control a lot of the ship's functions. If I'm not around, the ship won't be able to operate." Ruri says. You're slightly taken aback.
"What, is Nergal trying to make the next Amuro Ray for battleships? Were you even given a choice in all this?" You ask out of concern.
"I don't really know anything about my past. Nergal doesn't really know much either, apparently, and even if they do, they're not telling me. It doesn't really bother much though." Ruri says nonchalantly. You decide to change the subject.
"Well, what do you think of the other members of the bridge crew?" You ask.
"Idiots, the lot of them. They do well enough in combat though, so they get a pass for that much." You have to stop yourself from laughing at that statement.
"I notice you didn't include me in that illustrious opinion." You snicker.
"You seem alright. You've got a good attitude, and you're not obsessed with romance like the captain is, so there's that much." You give a mock bow.
"I thank you for praise oh Lady Hoshino." Ruri rolls her eyes, but you see her mouth almost curve up into a smile.

The doors to the bridge open, and the other members of the command crew come in. You and the others go over the details of how you're going to get into space, which takes up most of the morning. You decide to sit with Minato and Ruri at lunch. After lunch, the last preparations to go to Mars are completed, and the Nadesico starts to ascend at 2:28 pm.

---

As the ship gains altitude, there's an incoming call. Megumi puts it on screen, and you're greeted with the visage of a middle-aged man with a moustache. Yurika immediately recognizes him.

"Oh, papa! Why are you contacting me now?" Yurika asks her father.
"Ah, Yurika, you've grown up to be quite a lovely woman, haven't you? Alas, I am here on official business. As Admiral of the Third Space Fleet, I must ask you to hand control of the Nadesico over to the Earth Federation Forces." Admiral Misumaru says.
"We can't do that papa, we're on a mission to ensure the safety of Mars!" Yurika says.
"And you're absolutely set on this course of action? Nothing I say will convince you to change your mind?" Admiral Misumaru asks.
"Nope!" Yurika says cheerfully.
"Well, I'm not surprised. I can't really do anything to stop you anyway, attacks from the GrassHopper machines have picked up around the globe, and the EFF has stretched itself thin to deal with it. Now, you didn't hear it from me, but your optimal path to Mars is going to take you straight into the path of the 94th Orbital Reserve Flotilla. That's commanded by Admiral Munetaka, and he's a well-known jingoist and hardliner. The 94th might be filled with nothing but outdated junk, but Munetaka's a stubborn bastard, and he'll definitely try to seize the Nadesico by force. Be careful my dear." Admiral Misumaru warns.
"Don't worry papa, we'll be able to handle him!" Yurika chirps.
"That's my girl! Good luck out there." Admiral Misumaru ends the call, and the IFF of the Third Space Fleet's flagship, which had shown up on sensors during the call, pulls away to rejoin its own fleet.

Suitably forewarned, Yurika gives the order to prep Gai and Akito's Aestivalis frames for launch in anticipation of combat with the 94th Orbital Reserve Flotilla. As the ship gains more altitude, the tension on the bridge increases as the inevitable conflict with Admiral Munetaka draws closer. Shortly after you clear the stratosphere, the ship's sensors pick up a large number of EFF ships. Munetaka doesn't even have the courtesy to video call the Nadesico, instead sending his ultimatum over in text format. Megumi reads it out verbatim: 'Hand over the Nadesico to the Earth Federation, or we will seize your ship by force.'

"Minato?" Yurika says.
"Yes captain?"
"Full speed ahead! Get us past the blockade!" Yurika orders.
"Ay ay, captain, full speed ahead!" Minato acknowledges the order cheerfully before gunning the engines.

The 94th immediately realizes that you're not complying with its order to surrender, and so they start launching mobile weapons while charging their ships' beam cannons. Admiral Misumaru wasn't kidding when he said that the 94th only had access to outdated junk. Delphinium and Moebius mobile armors, Asshimars, GM IIs, the most up to date machine that you can see based on the sensor profiles is the Marasai. The ships are even more outdated, all of them, Munetaka's flagship included, Magellan class ships that look like they were only pulled out of mothballs last week. You're about to order Gai and Akito to launch when the ship receives an incoming transmission.

"Nadesico, maintain present course and do not launch mobile weapons. We will provide cover for you." The transmission is audio only, and sounds like it's being put through a voice modifier.
"Who are you, and why are you helping us?" You ask.
"Your destination is Mars, and your objective is to improve security there, correct? You do not intend to promote conflict. We only target those who promote conflict." The voice on the other end says. You immediately realize the implications of who you're talking to.
"Wait a minute, are you-" You're interrupted by an alert from the sensors.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKw9hgzncZw&t=45s

"Multiple mobile suits just appeared on our flanks! There's four of them, two on each side." Ruri says.

Your suspicions have been validated, Celestial Being is performing an armed intervention on behalf of the Nadesico.

The Gundams of Celestial Being immediately spring into action. One of them, the one you saw in the news report about the Enact, hefts its sword before slicing off the cannons of Moebius mobile armors and the limbs off of enemy mobile suits, while simply smashing Delphiniums in such a way that the pilots are forced to eject. An orange and white Gundam does the same, transforming into its own mobile armor form to move about the battlefield more quickly when the need arises. A green Gundam shoulders a sniper rifle and fires beam rounds at enemy mobile suits, destroying beam rifles, limbs, and heads. The pilot of the last Celestial Being Gundam, a blocky white machine, does not seem to be as merciful as the others, firing some kind of megaparticle cannon that utterly destroys anything that gets caught in the beam. The Magellan class ships attempt to disable the Nadesico by firing their beam cannons at the ship, but the ship's Distortion Field was designed to to counteract just such a thing, and the beams harmlessly disperse around the ship. Before you know it, you're through the 94th's blockade.

---

As the Nadesico continues on its journey toward Mars, Mr. Prospector speaks up.

"We're approaching the rendezvous point with the other Aestivalis pilots. There are also extra supplies that have been prepared for us, so we should slow down and take stock of our situation."
"Captain, something's approaching us at high spe-wait, it's slowing down." Ruri says.
"Is it the other Aestivalis pilots? We're not at the rendezvous yet." Yurika tilts her head in confusion.
"Negative, sensor profile indicates it's a single machine. It's close enough to us to get a visual now, putting it on screen." Ruri answers.


What do you see?
[ ] J-15-05 Vergängliches Flimmern
From this distance, the machine could be mistaken for a Gundam. However, it lacks the distinct head crest, and you don't think you've ever seen a Gundam with such distinct, almost ribbon like objects coming off its body. There's a rifle of some kind slung across its back, and the entire unit is colored platinum with blue accents.

[ ] MSND-7 Titania
An enormous Super Robot fills the monitor. It's easily 31 meters tall, with a distinctly feminine shape. There's a pink, flower shaped jewel in the chest of the machine, and what look like detachable drones on its back. The entire machine is green with pink and gold highlights.

[ ] DMNX-122 Blühende Rose
A moderately sized Super Robot 27 meters tall with a feminine shape is heading toward the ship. There looks to be some kind of...whip coiled in its right hand, and the hilt of a sword on its hip. You can make out some kind of wrist mounted cannon built into a gauntlet on the left arm. The machine's color is a riotous mix of pink, red, and black.

---

A/N: And here's your replacement machine! Also, sorry for not rolling for combat with Celestial Being, I didn't want to bloat the post and make things complicated when the Gundam Meisters would have won anyway. Constructive criticism is welcome as always, and in particular I want to know if I kept Ruri in character. Also, as you might be able to intuit, you're not going to be piloting this new machine by yourself. The first machine, translated, means 'ephemeral flicker' and the second is 'blooming rose'. Anyway, vote, discuss, and critique!

Winning Vote:
[X] DMNX-122 Blühende Rose

---

March UE 0083
Aboard the Nadesico

As you observe the incoming Super Robot, you realize something. Its maneuvering is...off. For starters, it's not moving in a completely straight line, it's constantly zigzagging and firing off maneuvering thrusters to course correct. At a short distance away from the ship, the Super Robot clumsily comes to a stop. A few seconds later, Megumi blinks in confusion.

"Uh, captain, we're receiving a transmission from the unknown, sound only. Should I put them through?" Megumi asks. Yurika nods. Everyone winces as there is a burst of static, followed by what sounds like microphone feedback.
"Unidentified mobile weapon, this is the Nergal warship Nadesico, identify yourself or you will be fired upon." Megumi warns. The white noise persists for a few seconds before it suddenly clears up. A moment later, someone speaks.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" A young, feminine voice says.
"Yes, we can hear you now, identify yourself." Megumi answers.
"Um, this is the Super Robot Blühende Rose, I'm Lucia Aion. Can we come aboard? We're starting to overheat, and we can barely get this machine to move as is." Lucia says. All eyes turn toward Yurika as she puts a finger to her chin in contemplation.
"Hmmm...well, given how erratically they've been moving so far, I doubt they know how to use any weapons it might have. Sure, we can take them on! Although we should probably send out Gai and Akito to escort them in just in case." Yurika comes to a conclusion. Megumi nods before turning the connection back on.
"Blühende Rose, you are clear to land. Be advised, we are sending out a pair of Aestivalis units as an escort for your approach. Do not deviate from the designated flight path or you will be fired upon." Megumi calls out to Lucia.
"Got it, I'll wait for the Aestivalis units to come out, then follow them in." Lucia says.

It's a few minutes before Gai and Akito are able to go out in Zero-G frames, not the least because Akito has no experience in space combat. Nonetheless, Gai is able to give him an adequate crash course using Gekiganger analogies, and before you know it, the pair of Aestivalis are flanking the Rose.

You, Yurika, Jun, Goat Hoary, and a pair of armed guards make your way down to the hangar where the Rose is going to land. Kenji and Tsubaki offered to assemble Jeeg in case Lucia tries something funny, but Yurika vetoes the idea, reasoning that combat within the hangar could result in catastrophic damage to the ship. You also point out that if Lucia was hostile, she would have just attacked the Nadesico at the first opportunity.

From the operations booth in the hangar, you witness the Blühende Rose not so much land as not crash, as it stumbles about a bit before coming into the hangar proper. As it enters your line of sight, you feel a brief, stabbing sensation in your head, and it's immediately gone.

Compatibility Check
Roll 1d20
1|Below bare minimum
2-8|Bare minimum compatibility
9-15|Average Compatibility
16-18|Above Average Compatibility
19-20| Maximum Compatibility

Roll 13
Average compatibility-Full access to combat functions, unrestricted access to some non-combat functions, most esoteric non-combat functions locked

Now that you're up close, you can get a better look at the machine. You note that it has a feminine shape, although not to the extent of the Aphrodite or Venus series of robots that Photon Power Labs has produced. The Rose has curved hips and a 'skirt' that's likely made of metal fiber, feet that resemble high heels, fingers with short claws that might be mistaken for fingernails at a distance, rounded blue eyes (the only part of the machine not red, pink, or black in color), and what might be construed as an armored bustline if one squinted, but it's certainly not going to break into the polls of 'sexy looking robots'. Hell, it doesn't even have a 'mouth', there's a faceplate that looks like it would be more at home on a Gundam where that would be.

You're brought out of your observations as the cockpit opens, and a trio of young girls stumbles out. You assume one of them is Lucia.





The green haired girls waves to your group.

"Hi! Sorry for imposing on you. I'm Lucia Aion."
"I'm Nina Wärter." The pink haired girl says.
"Yukari Tsukiumi." The blonde waves.

The three of them are wearing form fitting pilot suits of different colors. Lucia and Nina's suits match their hair colors, being green and pink respectively, with black highlights for Lucia and white and gold highlights for Nina. Yukari's suit is blue with purple highlights.

Before you or any of the Nadesico crew can ask for an explanation, Yukari groans.

"Oh, I don't feel so good...I feel like I'm gonna hurl..." She moans while clutching her abdomen.
"Ah...I don't feel very good either...I think being primary pilot took more out of me than I thought." Lucia starts wobbling back and forth while clutching her head. Jun runs over to a phone in the wall.
"Medic! We need a medical team down in the hangar now!" Jun says into the receiver. Nina sighs in exasperation as she supports Lucia on her shoulder.

A few minutes later, the medical team arrives and spirits Lucia and Yukari down to the Medical Bay with Nina accompanying them. You don't have much time to contemplate things before Ruri's face appears in a video link from the bridge.

"Captain, the additional Aestivalis pilots are on approach. They're towing the extra supplies with them as well." Ruri briefs Yurika.
"Alright, send them over to the other hangar, we'll meet them there." Yurika says. Ruri nods in acknowledgement before closing the link. Your group goes over to the other hangar, and you're not made to wait long as three Aestivalis frames come in for a smooth landing, towing a trio of cargo containers and an equal number of spare frames. The red Aestivalis opens its cockpit first, and the pilot takes off her helmet to reveal short cut green hair and blue eyes.

"Man that was a drag." She tosses helmet toward Yurika, who catches it despite a moment of surprise. "Hey, where're the showers? Then I need some food." As she says this, she touches a control on her shoulder, causing her pilot suit to recede to her waist, revealing a black sports bra.
"Excuse, me, who are you?" Yurika asks.
"I haven't heard your name yet, pretty girl." The pilot responds.
"I'm Yurika Misumaru, captain of this vessel." Yurika says in a surprisingly professional tone.
"I'm Ryoko Subaru. The other pilots in my group are-" Ryoko is interrupted by a girl with long brown hair, glasses, and lavender eyes.
"Hello! I'm Hikaru Amano, another pilot! My blood type is B, I'm an Ophiuchus and I'm eighteen. Among my favorite foods are pizza crusts and slightly soggy rice crackers. Nice to be working with you!" Hikaru promptly blows into a party horn blower. Where did she have room for that in her cockpit? Your thoughts are interrupted by the teal Aestivalis' cockpit opening.
"Ah, I live! I breath! The air is delicious!" From what you can see, the third pilot has long dark blue hair and brown eyes. Ryoko gives an exhausted sigh.
"And that's Izumi Maki. Gonna warn you now, she is absolutely relentless with stupid puns. Now, where're the showers?"

---

Yurika, Goat Hoary, and Jun opt to get the new Aestivalis pilots settled in. Yurika has assigned you the task of finding out what's going on with the pilots of the Blühende Rose. You head to the Medical Bay to find Lucia passed out in a bed, Yukari pale faced and leaning over a bucket, and Nina gently patting Yukari on the shoulder. You clear your throat to get Nina's attention. Nina gives Yukari's shoulder an affectionate squeeze before turning to you.

"I assume you have questions?" She says while crossing her arms. You nod.
"Unfortunately, we won't really be able to give you many answers. The three of us were live test subjects, you see, and one of the side effects of the experiments we were subjected too was random memory loss. All any of us could tell you is this: the Rose uses something called the Diffusion Crystal Drive to power itself, and all three of us were...engineered to be its copilot." Nina explains.
"Copilot? What do you mean by that?" You ask.
"You probably didn't notice from down there, but the Rose is a two-seater. The primary pilot handles all the direct controls, movement, aiming, stuff like that. The copilot handles regulating output from the Diffusion Crystal Drive. Don't ask me about the physics, as far as any of us can tell, none of us were ever told how it works." Nina throws her hands up in frustration as she finishes her explanation.
"I take it you found an opportunity to hijack the Blühende Rose and escape then. Who were these captors of yours?" You ask as you take notes.
"No idea, they were a big fan of smoke and mirrors. The memory loss we suffered from some of their experiments makes things even muddier." Nina takes a second to look around the Medical Bay. Aside from you and the three girls, there's no one else within earshot.
"Say, do you think you could pilot the Rose?" Nina whispers to you. You almost drop the tablet you'd been taking notes on.
'What, why?" You sputter out.
"When we entered the hangar, the Rose did an automatic scan for people who were compatible with it. You came up as the highest match. Look, you people seem to be on a mission, and from what we saw in the hangar, you could use some more firepower. Besides, there's this nagging feeling I'm getting that you really need to get in that robot. Don't ask me why, it's just something I feel, and I can't explain where it's coming from." Nina says.
You get the same feeling as well, that you need to pilot the Blühende Rose, though you have no idea why.
"I'll think about it." You lie. Both you and Nina know you're going to pilot the Blühende Rose one way or another. Nina suddenly yawns.
"God damn I'm beat. Hey, do you think you can grab our spare clothes from the Rose? I like how sexy the pilot suit makes me, but I learned the hard way it's a bad idea to fall asleep in these, they chafe like all hell when you wake up." She explains. You nod in understanding and make your way back to the hangar where the Blühende Rose is being kept.

---

As you open up the cockpit of the Blühende Rose to retrieve the girls' spare clothes, you're struck by a sudden headache. You suddenly feel an urge to do something, to find answers. You shake your head to try to clear things up, only for the headache to return, twice as strong. The urge returns as well.


You grasp the edge of the truth. What do you do?

[ ] You absentmindedly bring up the encrypted file from the Luxon NEXT on your tablet. Before you realize it, you've plugged it into a terminal in the Blühende Rose's cockpit, and see 'Decrypting Section 1' come up on your tablet.
-Will decrypt part of the file the Luxon NEXT sent to the Nadesico.
-Will roll to provide vague hints, but most items will not be actionable in-character without additional context, and any items that are actionable will be impossible to deal with until you return from Mars

[ ] Your blank year comes to mind, and you suddenly experience a ray of clarity.
-Will roll to reveal part of what happened to you during your blank year
-May reveal potential threats, but most such hints will need additional context to be understood in-character

[ ] The display in the cockpit comes to life, and it displays...a technical diagram?
-Will roll a high DC check to comprehend technical specifications of the Diffusion Crystal Drive
-Make early progress to unlocking esoteric non-combat functions


After processing that revelation, you decide to clear your head by doing something else after dropping of the girls' spare clothes.

How do you spend your time?

[ ] Socialize with bridge crew
-Will roll to see who you hang out with, possibilities are Ruri, Yurika, Minato, Megumi, or a combination of any of them

[ ] Socialize with pilots
-Will roll to see who you hang out with, possibilities are Akito, Gai, Kenji & Tsubaki, Ryoko, Hikaru, Izumi, the Build Angels, or a combination of any of them

[ ] Check on Blühende Rose copilots
-Nina's exhausted and not in the mood to talk anymore, Yukari is in too much pain to speak right now, and Lucia's still unconscious. You'll let them rest for now.

[ ] Watch the news. The Nadesico is still close enough to the Earth Sphere to get good reception in spite of the ever present Minovsky particle
-Will roll to see what's on. Will generate in-character knowledge about things happening related to other factions reveal potential threats

---

A/N: And here's the update! Sorry if it seems awkward in places, but I was kind of stumped on how to do the 'get in the robot' part. It would have been easier to make seem a lot more natural on the OZ or the Celestial Being route. Also, the Rose girls' casual outfits aren't what's in the images above, think more like stuff characters from the Original Generation games wear, but in their colors. Also, yes, I do see the similarities to SRW J, it was the first SRW I ever played, shut up, I like it a lot.

Anyway, voting, discussion, critique, please! Also, this time, please plan vote.