[X][Haman's Offer] Accept
You stare at the offered hand, weigh the positives and negatives… then shrug after a few seconds. Thinking is too hard.
"Deal." You grasp her hand and shake it, "I need all the help I can get anyways."
She smiles almost smugly, "A wise decision, girl. You will not come to regret it."
"I better not." You snark, already a bit turned off by her haughtiness, "So, uh, when does this whole thing stop? I'm still trying to do maintenance on the Woundwort."
"On your Psycommu?" Haman scoffs, "It is already repaired. There was nothing wrong with it in the first place."
Wait.
"You mean you baited me into this conversation?"
She huffs, looking rather offended, "That would imply that I was attempting to deceive you. I am above such tactics. I merely wished to speak with you before I rendered any additional aid."
"Additional aid? Wait…" you frown, "In Hong Kong, was that you?"
"I helped," she waved dismissively, "In truth, young Ple 42 did most of the heavy lifting. I merely gave her the push she needed to save the two of you."
Huh. You should probably thank her? But at the same time it feels a bit like a violation.
"No matter," She points towards the doors, "I will speak with you again when the time is right. However, that will likely be soon."
Soon? You feel yourself sliding out of the room, as if pulled by a powerful force just as the world begins to fade out.
"H-Hey, wait a minute!"
"There is a storm on the horizon." Haman's voice echoes as she begins to fade, "Will you weather it, I wonder?"
Your name is not important to the pilot of this Mobile Suit, but you feel that she should appreciate you more. Sure, you're "just" one of the many technicians assigned to help keep her machine in peak condition, but she could stand to learn a bit more about you! Even ask your name! Or use your name! It's right on your uniform, after all!
You're startled out of your daze while oiling one of the leg joints, when said pilot shrieks and tumbles out of her cockpit. You look up in surprise. What's going on now?
"Woundwort's haunted!" She screams, "Haunted Woundwort!"
She grabs a mallet and scrambles back into the cockpit, and you hear hammering.
That's going to be more repair work later, isn't it?
[X][Lorelei's Loadout] Nu Full Defense (x2 Shield, x6 Fin Funnel, x1 Beam Javelin)
I-Fields are really nice! But you don't have one. So how are you going to keep yourself alive this next fight? You can generate a pretty strong Psycho-Field with the Psychoframe in your MP Nu, but it's pretty tiring. You don't want to end up exhausted in the middle of a fight!
So… two shields. You want one for each arm, slathered in anti-beam coating!
That should be enough to protect you. Should. In the end, it's all up to your own skills!
This should impress Amuro! Oh, you wonder if he'll praise you?
Although… Luke will be there too, so perhaps now is the best time to prepare a little something you've been putting off.
Grabbing a piece of sheet metal and a plasma torch, you begin cutting.
It's time for Katarina Eirkuchen to be born!
You remember sitting in front of the TV with Kaylen and your mother, watching as Londo Bell sallied forth to Axis to stop Char. The Ra Cailum led their combined might, the ships proud and magnificent.
They rarely ever sortie in force these days, since they need everything they've got for Londenion's defense.
But when Londo Bell musters, damn do they muster.
You're counting no less than four Clops accompanying the Ra Cailum, with the Argama trailing behind leading a pack of Columbus supply ships.
In addition, they are towing some serious firepower.
The Lord Frith alone was already imposing enough, but there are three additional Mobile Armors, each being towed by two supply ships each. You don't recognize either, but you really, really hope that one is for you. You do like Mobile Armors. Kaylen once gave you a model kit of the Braw-Bro. Yeah, it was made by Zeon, but the very concept rung a chord in you. Having all that firepower at your fingertips…
Yeah, sure, warships were a thing, but those were huge complex vessels operated by hundreds of people! Mobile Armors just had the single Pilot! All that power… it made them gods! Or, as close as one could be to one, in terms of sheer destructive power.
Hm… Come to think of it, the two rearmost MA look kinda like that one at Axis that Birnam was using…
"Ensign, please don't crowd the window." Captain Nouri snaps as you start pressing your nose against the glass, "We need to see out of those."
Boo. Reluctantly you pull back, leaving the bridge crew to do their jobs unhindered. Couldn't they just walk around you?
You take the much-less-illustrious position leaning against the back wall as you watch the Bellerophon approach the other Londo Bell ships and take up a position alongside the Ra Cailum.
Well, this should be good regardless.
As the shuttlecraft slowly transits towards the Ra Cailum, Eris peeks out the window.
"Hey, Lt. MacKenzie?" She asks, "Those look a lot like that one MA we fought at Axis. Any relation?"
She nods, although you're not that surprised.
"This whole mess is Anaheim's fault. They're doing their part to fix it." She scoffs bitterly, "Had to call in every last favor I had, though. I can kiss my pension goodbye too."
Everyone in the shuttle cringes in sympathy. Shit. Anaheim Electronics is well-known for their cushy pensions and retirement benefits. For Christina to burn that…
"I'm sorry… and thank you." Captain Nouri places a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'll talk to Bright about improving your benefits."
She gives the Captain a grateful smile, but there's some bitterness mixed in.
The Ra Cailum's conference room is packed shoulder to shoulder, and it's a bit gratifying to see that there's a handful of pilots almost as young as you and your friends.
Nobody approaching Sicilia's age, though, which is earning her some stares.
Still, the Pressure in this room is immense. Not overbearing or stifling, but the air is thick with a sense of presence.
Almost every pilot here is a Newtype.
You can also feel the Argama crew, although you can't feel them. You feel Elle give you the Newtype equivalent of a fist bump as she migrates her way through the crowd, away from the Bellerophon group and back to her people.
And you think you felt Hathaway get slapped.
Is this what it means to be a Newtype? Sure, you and your friends are as well, but when you're together you just kind of… gel. You let your presences melt into each other. Here it's like everyone is feeling each other out, trying to gauge the other people in the room. It doesn't take long, you Newtypes kind of wear your personalities on your psychic sleeves, but still.
"Lotta people here, Big Sis." Sicilia chirps up from below you, "piggyback?"
Well, who are you to deny that? You heft her onto your shoulders and she cheers.
The chatter in the room dies as the door opens and Commander Bright strides in, casting an appraising gaze over the assembled pilots. Behind him comes Amuro and Dr. Bidan, although the latter is dressed in a pilot suit. Huh, you guess this is the first time you've seen him without that doctor's coat. Notably, though, his suit has no emblems or Londo Bell livery. It's civilian.
"Thank you all for coming." Bright begins, "You're here because there is a catastrophe in the making, the likes of which hasn't been seen since the Axis Drop. You're the best that Londo Bell has to offer. I have the utmost faith that you will succeed."
Gesturing to Amuro, he concluded, "Captain Ray will brief you on the operation."
The White Meteor nods to Bright, and steps forward.
"This mission was originally assigned to Shezarr Team. You may know of them. They were elite pilots on the same level as the Tri-Stars. However they've suffered catastrophic losses, and the scope of the mission has exceeded what they're capable of handling, so that's where we come in."
The screen behind him flashed, displaying a Mobile Suit that looked similar to the Banshee, but with golden armor, a different horn, and two Armed Armor DE units attached to the back.
"This is the target." Amuro continued, "It is the third RX-0 units, the Phenex. Pilot is Rita Bernal, a Cyber-Enhanced Newtype. She was a Federation test pilot for Newtype-use suits. From what we know, Rita is mentally unstable, and feedback from the Phenex's Psychoframe only exasperates the issue. Her behavior has been violent and unpredictable, resulting in the destruction of Metis colony. If she's allowed to continue unchecked, it's likely that she'll destroy one of the largest fuel depots in the Earth Sphere. We cannot allow that."
The image expands to include a massive Mobile Armor, the Neo Zeong.
"She has Psycommu-jacked a Mobile Armor belonging to our allies, the Zeon Republic. They have given us permission to destroy it, and sent us schematics and specs to us for that aim."
Dozens of little text boxes blink into being, indicating the various systems on the MA.
"The Neo Zeong is equipped with multiple weapons systems and bays, along with an I-Field for defensive measures. It has Incom weaponry which can seize control of a Mobile Suit on contact. Close quarters engagement with this Mobile Armor is not advised until that weaponry is disabled."
Amuro gestures to the screen as the Neo Zeong's specs move to the side, and four different Mobile Armors take up the display's space. Those are the three you saw being towed, along with the Lord Frith!
"The assault will be led by four of our own Mobile Armors," He continues, pointing to the two similar to that Dendrobium-clone, "The Dendrobium II and the Night Fighter are assigned to Sherman Team. They will be tasked with pressuring the Neo Zeong from the flanks, driving it out of the fuel depot and out into open space."
Amuro moves onto the unknown MA and the Lord Frith, "Cascadia Team, you will lead the assault. Using both the Fiver II and Lord Frith, you'll both provide cover for the first wave, as well as use saturation attacks to prevent the Neo Zeong from making good use of its Incom weaponry. The first wave will consist of Teams Alex and Argama. Destruction of the Incom weapons is your top priority. Once those are down, the main force consisting of all remaining teams will be enter the battle, led by myself and Kamille Bidan."
Dr. Bidan steps forward, adding, "The enemy currently has control of a number of Zeon Republic MS. Engage to disable, but not destroy. Their pilots are still alive, and we want to keep them that way. Additionally, do not aim for the Phenex itself. You won't be able to damage it. That's where Amuro, Lt. Riddhe, and myself come into the picture."
Amuro nods, "We will disable or destroy the Phenex once the Neo Zeong has been taken out. None of you are to engage the Phenex."
There's some murmurings at that, but you sense only concern from up front. They really don't want anyone wasting their lives.
"Of course," He says uneasily, "There's two possible complications."
He brings up a map of the operation area, and you see both a Jupitris-class ship on the far side of the fuel depot, and a small force of Federation ships approaching the depot from another vector.
"The Federation is attempting their own retrieval mission of the Phenex. We cannot allow them to succeed." Amuro says with a grave expression, "Additionally, the Jupitris II appears to be docked with one of the fuel storage units. They haven't announced their intentions, but it is unusual. Hopefully they don't interfere."
"Some of you may be attacked by the Federation units," Amuro looks into the crowd, seeming to make eye contact with you, "Preventing their interference is vital. All pilots, if you're not in a Mobile Armor, you're cleared to engage them if they make any aggressive moves. Keep them off of our MA."
Sicilia shifts on top of your shoulders, and you look up to see her raising her hand like this is a classroom.
Amuro catches sight of her, "Yes, pilot Sicilia?"
"I fly the Lord Frith," She speaks up, "Who's flying the Fiver II?"
"Oh yeah… we don't have a free pilot on our team." You mutter, raising your voice to ask, "Captain Ray, which of us is transferring to the Fiver II?"
"You are, Ensign Naese." He answers simply, "I'll let Ms. Pagonis explain the details."
…
Rhea is here?
"Hey there, how's my favorite Mobile Suit Pilot?" Rhea croons as she walks across the bustling hangar towards Cascadia team as you make your way towards your Mobile Suits, "Have you been taking good care of the Woundwort?"
"As good as I can take care of a war machine." You huff, already tiring of her attitude. Seriously, she just feigns concern for you, Rhea doesn't actually care if you live or die. In fact, so long as the TR-6 survived, she probably wouldn't care if you bought the farm.
"Eh, good enough." She shrugs, "So, big mission for you guys! I bet you all want to take a look at the toys I brought!"
Well, "toys" is one way to put it, you guess. You are looking forward to seeing what the Fiver II actually is.
"Oh, and Sicilia darling," The Anaheim engineer pulls a pair of silver pendants out of her pocket, "I made those things you wanted."
"Yay! Gimme gimme!" Sicilia bounces forward and nabs the pendants, giving Rhea a quick hug before bounding back to you excitedly, "Big Sis! Big Sis! Here's yours!"
She presses one of the pendants into your hands, and you lift it to scrutinize the design.
The chain is metal, probably silver or silver-coated steel, and the pendant itself… It looks like a simple, stylized rabbit head.
"See, Big Sis?" Sicilia puts on her copy, "We match now!"
Aw, how cute! You accept the little gift and put it on, and it almost seems to warm slightly to the touch….
Kaylen would have loved Sicilia, you're sure of it. She's such a good girl…
"Earth to Cybele," Rhea snaps her fingers in front of your face, "Kid, you wanna hear what I brought or are you planning on flying into this fight blind?"
Jeez, couldn't she give you a moment? Way to ruin the mood. You scowl at her for that interruption, but she doesn't even acknowledge it.
"So, first off," Rhea gestures towards your Gundam, which is already decked out in a brand new loadout, "You'll be heading out in the Hazel II configuration. Your mobility will greatly increase, as well as your firepower."
Yeah, you can see that. The backpack has been swapped out, and the new one mounts one Shield Booster on each side. You've also got a new Beam Rifle.
"There's a Mega Particle Cannon built into the backpack," Rhea points out, "It can only be used in MA mode, though."
Okay, you're not a fan of weapons that need a certain mode to be used, but you can deal with it.
"Can I still use the Shield Boosters for All-Range attacks?" You ask, trying to get a good look at the mounting points for the Boosters on the backpack.
"Yep! I'll see about getting you Funnels later, but for now, these will suffice." She nods proudly, "But that isn't the main course! Check this out!"
Rhea whips out a little tablet, loading up some schematics and hands it to you. This is that third Mobile Armor you saw outside. The "Fiver II".
"That Mobile Armor is from the TR-6 program. It needs a TR-series Mobile Suit to control it." She points out the weapons systems, "This thing is absolutely packing. You've got Diffuse Beam Cannon Incoms, and a Hyper Long-Range Beam Cannon powerful enough to wipe out a colony in one shot. With this kind of weaponry, even the Neo Zeong will be given pause, which is exactly what we need to happen."
With this kind of firepower, how could you lose? Wait, no, scratch that, you don't want to be thinking like that before heading into battle. It'll just get you killed.
"Here's the rest of what I brought." She indicates a few documents on the tablet, "Feel free to use them however you want… by the way."
She clasps your shoulder with a serious look on her face.
"I do not have any spare parts for the Fiver II's main components, do you hear me? This thing is thrown together out of everything I could scrounge up in storage. If you wreck this Mobile Armor, I will have no way of repairing or replacing it. If that happens, my efforts to reverse-engineer the TR-6 project will take a major hit."
She's gripping a bit tight… and then she just lets you go with a smile, "So treat it well, okay? Okay. Don't die out there!"
With a wave, she turns around and heads back towards the TR-6, shouting orders at the technicians on duty.
"…I don't think I like her." Lorelei comments from the side with a frown.
Everyone is busy. Eris is equipping a Full Armor package onto her Mk.III (only after painting it red), Theo is tuning up the Cascadia Stein, Lorelei is switching up the loadout on her MP Nu, Mort is switching over to the "X-3" configuration, and Sicilia is over in the other hangar putting the Lord Frith through a full systems check. Rhea is handling everything when it comes to the Woundwort, leaving you time to…
[] Try and talk to that one Ple sister who escaped the last battle. Londo Bell picked her up, right? Maybe she can help in some way?
[] Find Lt. Mckenzie. What does she know about those two other Mobile Armors?
[] Check out the Nu Gundam. It's back on the Ra Cailum, but you got enough time to jet over there.
[] Find the Amuro. Stalk the Amuro. Worship the Amuro.
[] Make sure Rhea does a good job on the TR-6. You trust her not to fuck it over, but she might inadvertently fuck you over instead. (Skip short fluff bit, go straight into the fight!)
