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Pillars of Salt (Pirate Mecha Quest)

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[X] Jabberwock
[X] BISHOP-class

SV loves being creative so let's set ourselves up with the mecha that rewards that
 
[x] Black Jack
[x] ROOK-class

- what are the weapons in our ship? Any support vehicles like helicopters?
 
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III
  • Threadmarks
    • III​

    Jabberwock. You look up at the KNIGHT-class' white frame, and suddenly the stifling air of the bay is almost too much to bear. The clutter, the people, the constant crampedness of it all – you imagine clambering up the scaffolding and jumping into the cockpit, of the feeling of sand on your feet and wind on your face and taste of PRISM in the air.

    Damn, but you would've liked to sortie. You shake your head ruefully and turn away, back towards the elevator. Johann follows you like a shadow, and though he asks nothing, you feel a sudden need to justify yourself. "Just wanted to make sure they were in fighting shape," you offer lamely, as if you don't pay each of the engineers a small fortune to ensure that the mecha never spend a single picosecond unprepared for action.

    Johann, however nods quietly. "Preparedness is a wise man's luck, Captain."

    "That's from your book, isn't it?" The elevator clicks shut behind you, the floor humming as you rocket towards the officers' quarters. In a few moments the temperature has returned to normal, and you can breathe easy again.

    "It is from the Saam, yes," Johann says.

    "Someday I'm gonna have you explain all that to me," you tell him. You have your own thoughts on religion – complicated thoughts, to say the least – but Johann always seem so contented by the practice of his faith. Maybe if you converted you'd stop getting all those fucking headaches.

    A smile touches the edges of Johann's lips. "My door is always open."

    The elevator grinds to a stop and the door clicks open. You take a step out, formulating a response, but before you can speak you find yourself face to face with Chalcedony.

    The girl takes a step back, her face reddening slightly, but then she recognizes who exactly she's run into, and she stomps one foot, fists clenching at her sides. "You!"

    She's in a mood. You inhale slowly through your nose, putting on your Captain's face with an effort of will. "Hello Chalcedony."

    "I was just headed to the bridge," Chalcedony says. "To give you a piece of my mind!"

    "I'm always available for my pilots," you say, giving her your blandest smile. Johann steps out of the elevator and up to your side, but says nothing.

    "Well…good!" Chalcedony says, and you get the sense that this isn't exactly how she expected this conversation to go. "We'll do it now then." She runs her hands along her thighs as if attempting to smooth wrinkles out of a dress, although the plug suit she wears is too form fitting to wrinkle. "First, I want to make it clear that I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. I know you lost a mecha fighting the revolutionaries, but I paid-"

    "Fifteen men," Johann says, his voice like a stone in the middle of Chalcedony's river of words. You turn to glance at him, surprised to hear him speak out of turn like that.

    "I – what?" Chalcedony asks.

    "We lost fifteen men rescuing you," Johann says.

    A tinge of red touches Chalcedony's pale cheeks – from anger or embarrassment, you can't quite tell. "Yes – well," she stammers, "I paid their weregilds too, didn't I?" She meets you and Johann's eyes in turn, as if daring you to challenge the fact. "And I gave you a small fortune besides. I compensated this crew fairly!"

    You cross your arms. "I never accused you otherwise."

    "No, but-" Chalcedony shakes her head. "My point is, I didn't join up to repay you for rescuing me. I joined because there are things I want. Things I need! I thought I could get them here, as a part of the Ahriman."

    You work to keep your face blank. "You thought? Are you reconsidering?"

    "No!" Chalcedony shakes her head. "Not exactly. I'm just worried. Not just for me, either. For everyone. I heard about you, August, did you know that? Back…before. When I was in Ranchicourt."

    You rub the back of your neck. "I didn't realize my exploits got quite that high up the ladder." Memories flash behind your eyes, as vivid as the day they were made. You see…

    [] The Flight from Ruskor
    [TRAITOR BACKGROUND]
    Born and raised in Ruskor, the most isolated of the local cities states, you were selected as a potential pilot before you could walk. Lucky enough to survive the surgeries that wired the necessary cybernetics to your brain, you were tasked with the defense of your home from its enemies…until one day you realized you could no longer stay, and stole the Ahriman to flee into the wastes.

    [] The Assault on Infinite Ziggurat
    [PIRATE BACKGROUND]
    Pilots are a valuable commodity, and the free cities have no end of back alley scientists seeking to make a quick buck by churning out their own. Most of your "classmates" died on the operating table, or overclocked soon after, but you proved the rare success. You made your name during a daring raid on Sett's greatest battleship, Infinite Ziggurat, and stole the Ahriman from its belly.

    "But it's been years since then!" Chalcedony says, snapping you back to reality. "You could really be somebody August, but you…well, I'm worried you're plateauing."

    "Well I won't argue that we haven't hit a lull, but-"

    "But a lull will kill a crew of this size," Chalcedony says, her hands gesticulating wildly as she talks. "You're cautious, which is smart, I get it, but you're bleeding crew and you don't have a lot to spare."

    "I won't put the crew in needless danger. That accomplishes nothing." You feel, more than see, Johann nod in agreement beside you.

    Chalcedony nods. "Then don't. Be smart. But if that's your plan, you need more firepower."

    "I don't suppose you have another small fortune lyinh around, then?" You ask, with a wry smile.

    "No," Chalcedony says, rolling her eyes. "But I know people. Mandalay-"

    You jab a finger at Chalcedony. "Don't talk to me about Mandalay." Mandalay Mandalara, Captain of the Free Ship Baba Yaga, is known from Ruskor to Alleghaine as the worst kind of pirate – narcissistic, cruel, and unbeaten on the sands. The two of you have crossed paths before, and only the fact that you're both signatories to the Salt Accords, the fragile truce between Free Captains, has stopped the encounters from devolving to violence.

    "She wants to talk to you, August," Chalcedony says, her bottom lip jutting stubbornly out at you. "She's been bugging me about it ever since she heard I joined up. She's in a freelord's fleet now, you know."

    That gives you pause. To serve under one of the six pirate freelords was an honor many a free captain would kill for, but Mandalay had never struck you as the type to pledge herself to any master, no matter how prestigious. "She's up to something."

    Chalcedony nods. "Of course she is. Something big, I'd bet."

    "I still don't like her being involved."

    "Then don't commit! Just meet with her. And maybe hang around a little, so if this blows up in her face…" Chalcedony shrugs. "You can at least sift through the rubble."

    [] Meet with Mandalay
    [] Refuse

    Hull: 0
    Agility: 1
    Systems: 0
    Engineering: 1
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] The Assault on Infinite Ziggurat
    [PIRATE BACKGROUND]
    Pilots are a valuable commodity, and the free cities have no end of back alley scientists seeking to make a quick buck by churning out their own. Most of your "classmates" died on the operating table, or overclocked soon after, but you proved the rare success. You made your name during a daring raid on Sett's greatest battleship, Infinite Ziggurat, and stole the Ahriman from its belly.
    [X] Meet with Mandalay
     
    [X] The Flight from Ruskor
    [X] Meet with Mandalay

    I find myself morbidly curious what could prompt us to turn traitor, when being a Pilot would have to be a position of glory and luxury normally...
     
    [X] The Assault on Infinite Ziggurat
    [X] Meet with Mandalay

    I'd rather be famous for success
     
    butchock said:
    - what are the weapons in our ship? Any support vehicles like helicopters?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    The Ahriman sports numerous rail guns, positioned so the ship's only blindspots are directly below the PRISM engines that keep it floating above the ground (even a ROOK will struggle under the force of said engines). It has also been upgraded with limited missile bays for long-range interception.

    Support vehicles include:
    2 Haulers (hoverbikes capable of dragging a single mecha behind them, used for salvage)
    3 Lifeboats (hoverboxes, essentially, with limited range. 3 will fit the 50-strong crew of the Ahriman in its entirety, if they squeeze)

    No helicopters. There have been several attempts to re-establish true flight after twilight. All have ended disastrously.
     
    [X] The Assault on Infinite Ziggurat
    [X] Meet with Mandalay

    She wants us as a competent no. 2 or 3 after she goes for the fleetlord's head, I've got a beer on it

    In that case, let's hear her out, so we know what's about to explode.
     
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