Super Robot Quest

Basarin · Jun 25, 2018

0900, 28 November A.D. 2071
Command Center Maintenance Bay

"Holy-!"

"What the hell, man!? That thing's massive!"

"Beowulf just looks like-"

"KNOCK IT OFF!" The entire crowd of maintenance flinched as they turned to face Ichiro (and hadn't he been annoyed when some overworked runner had called him Ichigo by mistake). "Yeah, that thing's massive. We get it. But panicking over it isn't going to do anything!" His purple optics bore into each and every worker that he could see. "Beowulf and Richard don't need that from you. Voicing that isn't going to help at all."

Chastened, all of the workers quieted down, only to again begin cheering as soon as the screen was obscured by the bright red flare of the Energy Blaster pack. Ichiro, crossing his arms, snorted to himself; apparently Richard had decided to go all out in the beginning. He couldn't say he blamed him; he probably would have resorted to the "fire everything" school of thought too.

Sitting on his shoulder, however, was a quiet Jessica Satsuma. Ichiro hadn't known her for very long, but he got the gist that it was through her that they worked with the Legion at all. He hadn't met any of them yet, but apparently he was a deadringer for them. Not that I'd know. I was born here. Still, she wasn't usually this quiet...

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked. Jessica started, and glanced at him. "You're pretty quiet. Figured you'd be joining in with the cheering by now."

"...you ever feel like you should be out there doing something?" she mutters. Her legs just listlessly dangled off of the edge of Ichiro's shoulders, and she stared ahead at the large holo-display taking up the center of the maintenance bay. "Like, I've gone through all the training, I've helped keep things level between Galbinus and Major Devin...but I could be out there helping out. Somehow." She looked at Ichiro. "You ever feel like that?"

As he stared at the charging form of the Beowulf - a machine whose frame he shared - readying another massive blast at the kaiju, his fists clenched slightly. "Now that you mention it," he muttered, "I kind of do." The fists then relaxed themselves. "But that's not going to help us right now, I think. Let's just cheer him on, alright?" He offered a small smile to the human. "It'll be our turn soon enough, I think."

0905, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Naval Base San Diego

"Step One: give kaiju an energy detox mouthwash!"

The Beowulf's engines snarled with every inch of ground it covered as it desperately weaved around the rampaging form of the kaiju. A rampaging kaiju, he added, which was royally pissed off at him.

"Step Two: keep his attention on me and not the drydocks!"

Immediately shifting gears at the speed of thought, Richard's foot slammed hard on the brakes as he coaxed the Beowulf into a sliding skid, narrowly missing the bone-jarring impact of the kaiju's descending foot.

"Step Three: I didn't think the rest of this through!"

From the gaping wound now adorning the kaiju's cheeks, acid was just gushing out like weeping sores working overtime, and the ground before him practically dissolved to the touch. "Oh, crap! Configure, configure now!"

Using its momentum, the Beowulf went from driving blithely into an acid pit to performing a jumping somersault as it transformed, crashing to the (solid) ground past the acidic wounds into a rolling crouch. "Gah, that's gonna leave a mark!" he muttered. "Pegasus, I need the Falcon!"

"Understood," Captain Sasaki's voice said coolly. "Prepare for combination."

Confusion.

"Go," the master's voice said to it. The panoramic image of the food superimposed itself with the same image it saw in the distance. "Destroy."

Yet it could not. Not with this strange not-Mercury in front of it. Not when it attaches to the strange metal bird. Not with the pain they continue to inflict.

It must destroy not-Mercury, and its metal-bird. Or at least get it out of the way.

Then there will be no pain. And then there will be food.

Confusion fades. There is only clarity.

DESTROY.

0907, 28 November A.D. 2071
Dockyard

"Haz-mat up! Haz-mat up!" the crew chief screamed, her voice muffled and distorted through the electronic speakers installed in the bulky suits. "Get those suits up, and-!"

She was immediately cut off by the warehouse near the crew collapsing in on itself. Parts of the building looked to be melting from acid, all hanging around the dockyard area like a foul mist. Additional acid began seeping through the newly created openings in the warehouse, and into the damage control equipment inside.

"Okay, screw this one," the chief muttered. In the distance, the now flying Super Robot the spooks had cooked up jumped up into the sky with a burst of flame as the kaiju blasted through where the robot had stood just a moment ago. The horn on the damned thing was emitting a sickly green glow, as if it were building up for some kind of attack-

Bah, not her problem. She had to find more tools to contain the damage, and to make sure that Super Robot had a base left to save.

"Hurry the hell up!" she screamed. "Warehouse E! Move it!"

0909, 28 November A.D. 2071
Debris Field, Battleground

"Using the last of the Energy Blaster!" Richard shouted for the record. The Foxhound's movements aligned nicely with his thoughts, and the 'bazooka' shifted its aim just so. The HUD being fed directly into his mind overlaid a charge meter that abruptly raised to 100%, matching up perfectly with the baleful red glow that was gathering at the end of the Blaster's barrel. "Energy Blaster, firing!"

A large sphere of red energy plowed its way through the air as he pulled the trigger. Swirling ever so slightly as it made its way towards the kaiju, the red sphere howled as it careened towards its target-

-only for the kaiju to edge its face to the right, just grazing it rather than plowing directly into its face. The ground around it erupted, sending additional chunks of smoke, broken concrete and water into a chaotic cavalcade around it. But the kaiju's only reaction was to shake its head and huff, as if it were just rolling its eyes at the attempt.

"Oh, come on," Richard complained. Dropping the now empty Energy Blaster, the Charged Cannon emerged from its holster on the Foxhound's back. Bringing the Charged Cannon to bear, he muttered to himself, "Does Mercury V have to go through this crap every time one of these things comes out of the water!?"

0809, 28 November A.D. 2071
NDV Yi Sun-Sin

"A-choo!"

"Bless you, Hiroki."

"Thanks, Cap'n. Geez, I swear someone's talking about me. How much longer till we get there?"

"Not too long, I think."

0911, 28 November A.D. 2071
Pegasus Command Bridge

"The Dragon is still trying to make its way towards the drydocks!" Dana reported from the console to Haruko's right. Even this name was a bit much for Haruko, but she went along with it; calling it 'the kaiju' or 'that creature' was starting to get a little old. The rounds from the Charged Cannon impacted directly onto the creature, but aside from the electric shocks coursing through it, it didn't seem all that perturbed by the electricity.

"It only paid attention to Callaghan when it inflicted enough damage," Haruko said thoughtfully. From the satellite feed, she saw the Foxhound charging in for a flying punch to the jaw, only for some of the scales on the creature to shift, deflecting a high-impact blow into merely shifted weight. "And those scales didn't react until now..."

"Maybe it was made thinking Mercury V was going to be here?" Ivanna commented. "I would imagine it was probably built with its capabilities in mind..."

"Must mean that alloy they use has some give with acidity," Lana said from her terminal. Looking up, she pinpointed a few structural points on the Dragon. "But this still makes no damned sense! The whole thing is leaking acid like it's blood, but it should have just melted itself by now!"

"I think kaiju physiology is just living BS to begin with," Diana muttered before looking up at Haruko. "Ma'am, requesting permission to provide supporting fire."

"Granted," Haruko said. "Draw its attention away from the facilities!"

"Won't...won't that just make it mad at the Lieutenant?" Ivanna fretted, her avatar poking both index fingers against each other.

"That's a chance I think we're all willing to take," Lana said cheerfully.

"All hands, this is the Bridge," Diana said with the force of authority now granted to her by Haruko. "Batteries One, Three, Five, adjust ninety degrees to Port-side and wait firing solutions...."

0914, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Naval Base Facilities Outskirts

"Are you seriously that hungry that you're going to ignore everything we do to you!?" Richard grumbled in frustration. Again, he might have been imagining it, but a small snarling shudder in the engines sounded an awful lot like a chuckle. "I throw alien energy at you, I punch you in the throat, I electrocute you with a gigawatt and a half and you're still trying to go for the drydocks!?"

"Lieutenant, this is Diana," the military AI chimed in, her avatar briefly intruding into the mental HUD. "Stand clear, incoming support fire!"

"Oh." Without another word, the Foxhound's thrusters were punched hard in reverse as Richard interposed himself between the shipyards and the walking property damage clause that was the Dragon.

A moment later, the telltale red suns of the Energy Blasters slammed directly into the Dragon's back. Adding to the general chaos of bits of scale, flesh, water and concrete slamming upwards into the air, the kaiju reared its head back and screamed in pain, shattering even more windows in the general vicinity. The chaos only increased when fiery lances from the First Wing slammed all around the kaiju's form, only for the rounds to impact harmlessly against its scales.

As the TMUs broke off, however, Richard finally noticed something he probably should have earlier.

"Why is the horn glowing even brigh-?"

Something in the MMI screamed at Richard to be "ANYWHERE BUT HERE!"

"OH, SHI-!"

0916, 28 November A.D. 2071
Command Center Bridge

"Oh for cripes' sake," you mutter as the massive beam of "SCREW YOU WITH ACID" slammed into the building Callaghan had been standing in front of just a moment ago. The building melted, with solid red brick foundations dissolving into a disgusting green liquid sludge that dripped into the sewage systems. The Foxhound was desperately juking to get away from the beam and aim it away from anything important, and the Dragon's head simply followed it, the beam sweeping along with its gaze.

Yet it began to spasm abruptly, as if some muscle group decided its neck didn't need to be on the clock. The Dragon's neck muscles cramped, and its aim was forcibly aimed at a nearby building that met a similar fate to the first building.

"Oooh, there goes the Officer's Club," you wince. "Think they had some vintages from 1999 in there."

"There's another thing to hold against Sheol," Sam commented. As the beam dissolved, and the Dragon shook off the residual shock, he commented, "That thing's gonna be out for blood if the behavior of the other ones on record hold true-"

The Dragon roared bloody murder as it charged directly at the Foxhound claws first, murder apparent even from the long distance cameras.

"Yup, out for blood," Sam shrugged.

"It's going to be awhile if it keeps trying that way," you mutter as you see the nimble form of the Foxhound weaving through and around the massive limbs trying to swat it into the ground like a particularly annoying mosquito. "We're already doing a hell of a lot better than the last fight."

0921, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Makeshift Barriers

"Eh, screw it," the chief muttered as the crew readied the Rupture Foam launchers. "Brass can buy booze at the store like the rest of us." She waved forward the launchers. "Ready Rupture One!"

"Rupture One Ready!"

"Fire!"

"Firing!" From a shoulder mounted launcher, a large pack of self-releasing rupture foam slammed into the nearest pack of acid. A moment later, the densely-packed foam released, spraying containment foam all over the encroaching acid-y death. "Rupture One good! Reloading!"

"Fire on your own time! Keep it away from the power control box!"

Above them, the flying Super Robot caught what looked to be a giant cannon mid-air, and-did it just literally summon a lightning bolt out of a clear sky for dramatic effect? The crew chief just stared for a few moments as what looked like railgun rounds slammed into the Kaiju. She only sighed when she saw even more acid spill from the wounds it inflicted. That's going to be more work.

Turning towards another technician, she snarled, "What's taking you so long with that!?"

"Chief, I forgot the code!" he wailed. "I got 'November, November, Delta, Delta, Whiskey, Echo, Whiskey, Echo! Was it Bravo then Alpha or the other way around!?"

"Oh for f-gimme that!"

@Alectai, this gag's your fault.

0923, 28 November A.D. 2071
Drydock Vicinity

"Pegasus, this is Callaghan!" More rounds from the Arc Cannon slammed downrange into the Dragon, blowing more chunks of flesh and scale off of the giant beast. Yet for all the harm and damage he'd dealt to it, Richard had this sinking feeling they had quite awhile to go. "Foxhound formation's not cutting it! I need the Shepherd out here!"

"Roger that," Diana said. "Inbound now. If you're going to shift, now's the time!"

"Right." He sighed as the mental HUD linked the Shepherd's trajectory to his. "Mode Change! Combine, Steel Formation!"

Immediately he felt his stomach lurch as the Falcon detached itself, only slightly dented for its trouble, as it folded back into the V-33 configuration with the Arc Canon in tow. Yet as he fell into a freefall, he saw the Shepherd already boosting itself upright, ready to receive the Beowulf. He couldn't help but grin. Been awhile, ol' friend. Ready to kick some ass?

Even as more of the acid splattered against the Shepherd's standing form, the steely blue of the Heavy Zirvitium didn't even scratch. "Steel Combination!" he announced, the head unit of the Beowulf emerging just in time for the helmet to fall in place-

-and just like that, his senses expanded once again. Slamming a massive fist into an open palm, the Timberwolf then began to stomp towards the Dragon, who was -

"Hey!" Richard roared. "You don't get to ignore me! Get back here!"

0926, 28 November A.D. 2071
Truck Depot

"We're never getting this fixed," the Chief grumbled as the entrance to the truck depot just melted.

SV-10 'Shepherd' -> Timberwolf
SV-10 Shepherd -> Timberwolf class Formation (Applicable with Beowulf class)

HP: 32
Extra Tough: Can ignore one Enemy attack at Disadvantage, 1d6, Threshold of 4-6. Applies for every attack inflicted against the Timberwolf.
Strikes:

-Roll 2d6, 1 + 2 HP Inflicted. Notable Bonus may apply.

Demolisher: Heavy Weapons Strike at Advantage (3d6, damage depends on package). May use every other turn.

-Heavy Weapon Package: Can equip more updated heavy weapons at RP Cost during deployment.

K-Scale Mesh:

You may attempt to reduce damage at a 2d6 roll (Threshold of 5-6).
Reduces damage by -1. Applies once per Combat Turn.

Heavy Zirvitium Armor: Reduces all successful incoming damage by -1 HP. Reduces Kaus Energy attacks by an additional -1 HP.
Blazing Fist: In-Built Finishing Strike. Test roll situational. Chance to inflict 7 HP.

-"Inferno": Temporarily add +1 HP to baseline Strike damage! Can be activated as a Free Action.
-"Inferno" will last for two combat turns, including turn of activation.

Arc Blade: A collapsible sword that can be supercharged with electromagnetic force.
Cost: 3 RP

- Note: If applied to Timberwolf combine chassis, you may add this for no cost.

Electromagnetic Field:

- Reduces the damage of one attack by 2-5 HP. Any enemy attempting to attack is struck with electromagnetic backlash, inflicting 1 HP for each attack.
- Electromagnetic Field stays online for one turn of combat, can be activated as a free action.
- Refreshes every three turns.

Strikes:

- Can be used to make basic Strikes. If used this way, can inflict +1 HP per Strike.
- Notable Bonus applies.
- If K-Circuits are applied, use new baseline for added damage.

"Ikazuchi No Tsurugi"- Lightning Blade:

- Finishing Strike requiring the deployment of the Spark Caliber. Test roll situational. Can inflict up to 8 HP of damage.
- Target-able - Enemies can make a called shot to disable the weapon if deployed. If successful, will be unavailable for two turns.

Upgrade Slots: 2 Slots Used
-K-Scale, Heavy Zirvitium Armor

Actions per Turn: 1 +1 (K-Suit)

Enhanced Reflexes:

- The K-Suit upgrade grants One Free Re-Roll per Combat Turn (Must be declared)

Notable Character:

- Can make two attacks per turn at 2d6 for 1 HP each. Counts as a single Action.

Intuitive Piloting:
- You may Re-Roll One failed Strike or Agile Roll per Turn

HP Inflicted: 17 HP
Observed Actions: 1 (?)
Observed Abilities:
Multi-Strike:
- Roll 2d6, Threshold of 5-6, inflict 2 HP. Roll this twice. Counts as one Action.
Acid Mist:
- Inflict 1 HP to all targets besides itself. Occurs at the beginning of Dragon's Action.
Acid Beam:
- Treat as a Heavy Weapon Strike. Damage unknown.
Horned Charge:
- Roll at Advantage. Damage unknown.

The Dragon likely has additional capabilities you're unaware of.

Basarin · Jun 26, 2018

0928, 28 November A.D. 2071
Drydock Vicinity

"Arc Blade!"

On command, from a holster mounted in the back, a mecha-sized sword shot up into the air, spinning clockwise as gravity pulled it back down to Earth. Into one waiting hand, Richard caught the sword by the hilt and held it at the ready with a double grip. The Arc Blade looked...exactly as you would expect. Aside from currents of electricity criss-crossing along the blade's edge, it looked similar enough to the "hand and a half" swords from yesteryear.

A pity Richard had no idea how to use a sword. That lesson was supposed to be coming up this week! Even if he had no idea if Sam's method of instruction from 'the Followers of Flynn' would be any good or not.

Focus, he chastised himself, and time to look stupid and sound stupid. He willed the Timberwolf to charge, the Arc Blade held high above his head as he moved to chop off the Dragon's horn. Richard liked to think he looked like the heroes of old charging into battle, but he knew he probably looked more like some crazed movie set extra with an oversized prop.

Swinging as hard as the servos could give him, Richard brought down the blade with - what he hoped - enough force to slice off the horn-

-only for that particular ambition to be denied as the strange scales protecting the Dragon shifted, deflecting what could have damaged the horn into a glancing strike. Richard felt the jarring sensation through his bones as the Arc Blade was thrown off into the air, where it plunged into the harbor's waters.

Yet it didn't seem like a total loss; the energy building up around the horn sparked and flared violently, as if whatever concentrated buildup that was there was smacked into a wall. The Dragon shook its head violently and once again let out a deafening roar, but Richard didn't seem to be in any further danger.

Okay, Plan B then.

"Inferno Mode!" Richard shouted, smashing both fists together. "IGNITION!"

He felt a dull warmth spread across his fists, a strange sensation when he could see the Timberwolf's forearms alight in violently flickering flames. Clenching his fists once, then twice, to make sure nothing was amiss, Richard gave a manic grin. "Alright, Big Ugly," Richard said as he raised both arms, miniature firestorms whirling about his arms in anticipation. Jabbing once, then twice with his left before mimicking a right hook, he roared, "Let's go!"

0933, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Pegasus Command Bridge

"W-what is he doing?" Ivanna exclaimed.

"He's charging at the Dragon head-on," Diana said faintly. "Is he mad?"

Haruko noticed the only one of the AI sisters who hadn't commented was Lana. If anything, the Engineer seemed to have a manic smile that mirrored the one worn by the Timberwolf's pilot. "Do you know something we do not?" Haruko asked.

"You all don't give the strength servos in the Shepherd's frame nearly enough credit," Lana said, still wearing that grin on her face. "Sure, it can't lift a weight like the kaiju's for very long-"

"-wait, lift what!?" Diana yelled.

"-but it doesn't have to," Lana continued as if she weren't interrupted. "Get 'em, lieutenant!"

And to Haruko's incredulous sight, as both combatants smashed into each other from a running start, the Timberwolf's fiery arms grasped at the torso of the Dragon.

And began to lift it.

"What."

The damage control chief - and the rest of her crew - just stared dumbly at a sight they would all carry to their graves.

Even combined as it was, the Super Robot wasn't that large compared to the kaiju. Yet for all the size difference, the Super Robot's arms - which were inexplicably on fire and even then burning large gouges into the flesh it grasped into - slowly, ever so slowly, but surely began to lift the kaiju over its head.

Looking for all the world like a professional wrestler, the Chief didn't think the imagery could get any more ridiculous or awe inspiring. The pilot proceeded to prove her wrong by letting gravity do half the work for him - and forcefully dropped the kaiju's back straight onto its knee.

"Ow."

Richard winced as he felt however-million tons of kaiju drop onto its knee. Or, more appropriately, however-million tons plus the shifting scales that seemed to move anytime he tried to punch or slice at the damned thing. Whatever was letting the kaiju block his attacks like that, it was starting to get really old.

But he did notice one little detail:

The scales did nothing against the energy blasts.

Richard let the grin on his face widen, especially once the Energy Blasters mounted to the Demolisher Array on his shoulders aligned directly onto the kaiju's now-exposed belly.

"Energy Blaster! FIRE!"

And his world was temporarily blinded by scorching heat and bright red lights.

0936, 28 November A.D. 2071
NDV Yi Sun-Sin

"...huh." Hiroki was unable to muster any other coherent response than that.

He had to admit, he and Mercury never actually tried anything quite like that. He was totally going to crib from that one.

He turned to the nearest officer at the bridge. Like his fellows, they were just staring at the broadcasted image from the Naval Base. "You guys are recording that, right?" he asked.

0937, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Pegasus Hangar Windows

"You got it, LT!?" Henry shouted from his end of the view ports.

Adam just grinned and gave a thumbs up with one hand while the high speed camera was aimed at the scrap taking place below. "Yup! Got it!"

0938, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Drydock Vicinity

Okay. A few things I didn't consider.

A: That pissed off the Dragon something fierce.

Richard flinched as the Dragon, far from being finished, emerged from the smoke storm that resulted from the point-blank energy blast straight at him, claws first. He could see where his grip had melted and fused flesh, and two of its eyes were now obscured with burnt tissue. The rest, however, communicated quite clearly that the Dragon wanted him dead.

B: I now have a really unpleasant piece of equipment stuck in the K-Scale in the gut.

He felt all the air in his system get knocked out of him as the acidic horn slammed partway into the Timberwolf's 'stomach' region. Before he could react any further, Richard's senses was blinded further as the Dragon's claws continued to swipe deep gouges into the Timberwolf's frame. The entire time, the momentum and the mass of both combatants forced them closer and closer to the drydocks, with the Timberwolf's braced feet plowing great gouges through concrete that had been set down decades before.

Yet he had the presence of mind to know an opportunity (however painful) when he saw it. With both hands still alight, the Timberwolf grasped at the horn and the unburnt side of the kaiju's face.

C: TOTALLY worth it.

0944, 28 November A.D. 2071
Pegasus Command Bridge

"I don't believe this," Diana muttered as the scene unfolded before them.

Even on the very edge of the drydocks as they were, neither the Dragon nor the Timberwolf showed any signs of backing down. The Dragon's horn was still gouging great big holes into the Timberwolf's frame, all the while continuing to claw out where it could find purchase. Yet backed by Heavy Zirvitium Armor and an equal bloody-mindedness, the Timberwolf continued to trade blows with the Dragon even while impaled, clawed at, and being forced slowly backwards.

"The acid's-!" Ivanna exclaimed. She paused as she zoomed in on the data, before smiling. "The Inferno Mode is sealing the acidic pores from the Dragon!"

The only response from the Engineering section was just laughter as the main output of the kaiju's acid was literally melted shut. The kaiju's flesh, which could withstand the acid's dissolving properties, broke down like candle wax against the burning fury of the Timberwolf's grasp. The Dragon screamed, and finally disengaged the horn from the Timberwolf.

But it couldn't fully disengage. The Timberwolf still held a strong grasp over it, and Callaghan wasn't letting it go anywhere.

"Diana!" Haruko commanded.

"Aye, Ma'am!" Diana smiled grimly as targeting solutions appeared over her avatar's face. "Batteries Two and Four! Adjust twenty-degrees below and fire on these coordinates!"

0951, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Command Center Bridge

"...huh."

"Not much else to say," you agree with Sam as you watch the Timberwolf literally hold the writhing kaiju in place for an entire broadside of Energy Blasts. As the ground churned even further (to the point you feared you were going to dig a groundspring well with firepower alone), the First Support Wing, now in Rotary Craft form, circled around the struggling kaiju as they unloaded everything they had equipped from the Pegasus.

Still, you grimly smile. Things were at least going well enough that -

"-oh, that is BULLSHIT!"

"Wha?" You blink-when did Sam get up to his feet like that?

Then you notice what takes place on the screen.

"Oh bullshit!"

0955, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Drydocks

"Holy!"

The kaiju had literally melted off its flesh. The kaiju had literally melted off its flesh.

Richard didn't know the kaiju could do that!

The tail of the diminished - but now flying - creature slammed straight into the armguards of the Timberwolf. Grimacing, Richard fended off this attack, only to see the expanded form of the Dragon - well, Dragonfly at this rate - charge straight for him. Again.

The creature retained the same head and horn, but it was comically huge compared to the tinier form it now sported. It was like someone had taken a T-Rex's head and slammed it onto a wyvern or a pterodactyl. Great big wings flapped furiously as two outstretched claws descended straight at the Timberwolf's face.

"GAAAAAAAH!" As the Dragon(fly) repeated clawed at his face and arms, Richard frantically waved his arms around in order to get it to get the hell off of him. "Get-off-stop-gah-STOP THAT!"

A certain icon pinged green on the mental HUD. "I said GET OFF!" Richard yelled, punctuated by a wide blast of the Energy Blaster. The Kausen energy blast scattered all around in front of him as if he'd fired a shotgun. THAT finally got the kaiju to back off, and even clipped it slightly. Yet all it was doing was making a wide circle to have another go at him.

"Energy Blast recharging," he muttered, "Heat tolerances on the arms need time to cool, Arc Blade is-that's it!" Punching in a few commands onto the console, he held his right arm forward and opened his palm expectantly. "Arc Blade! Magnetic charge!"

For a moment nothing happened, and the only sounds were the burning buildings behind him and the shrieking of the Dragon(fly) as it descended towards him. Yet before Richard could berate himself for just looking really dumb, a great splash between him and the kaiju erupted. As if the Lady of the Lake herself were throwing it at him (probably out of annoyance), the Arc Blade came sailing straight to his palm, hilt-first.

"Alright!" Catching it handily, the hilt magnetically locked to the hand before lightning burst to life along the edge once more. He looked up with just enough time to see the kaiju try to take another chunk of his face for takeout.

Without thinking, without even preparing anything to put any force into it, the Timberwolf reflexively walked into the strike, holding the Arc Blade at an angle.

The kaiju's claws bounced off, leaving great big scratches along the Zirvitium but otherwise leaving Richard unharmed.

The kaiju?

Well, he could see a sliced off horn in the distance, crashing straight on top of the administrative headquarters.

"...huh." He stared at the controls, then at the Arc Blade. "Go us."

0958, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Command Center Bridge

"Sasaki, get that lieutenant with a freezer truck and haz-mat teams to that horn now," you order quickly. Sam himself is just staring very intently at the horn as it descended onto the naval base. "That's another part of the toolkit we can reverse engineer."

"I've already relayed that, Sir," Sasaki says. She sounds a bit strained - which you can't blame her for, but this command is time sensitive. "But we still have the matter of-"

The kaiju slammed into the drydocks from the sky, apparently deciding its target was preferable to dealing with the Timberwolf.

"-that," she finishes lamely.

Katarina's image then appears to your left. "Sir, the Perseus just made it to New York's outskirts," she says.

"Oh, never a dull moment," you mutter as you simply nod to Sasaki and let her get on with it. "And what's the situation there?"

"Chaotic and confused."

I will post actual stats later, but I wanted to at least get this out now. I'm sure I missed something or misspelled something, but I'll fix those up tonight.

That said, question for you all: do you want me to run an actual combat scenario for the Perseus, or would you rather abstract the overall scenario with a few rolls and possible gains? I have something available, but the Perseus is not going to be taking center stage as the Timberwolf CLEARLY is in San Diego.

Basarin · Jun 27, 2018

1255, 28 November A.D. 2071
New York Outskirts

"Secure that perimeter here and here," Oscar Tellison said quickly. Kneeling down in the remains of a ruined police office, he fiddled about with the holo-display that provided a panoramic overview of the few city blocks around them. "The separatists are just blowing up anything and everything they can get their sights on. If we can keep this area secure, they'll have a place to rally and regroup. So let's give them that chance."

Inwardly, he sighed. He'd sent the word out, even sent out Breakneck with his ridiculous top speeds to drop off encrypted communication buoys around wherever he could identify a "front line," but he didn't have the authority or the rank to actually order any of the American national military units to come here. He could only offer it and hope they'd take him up on it. Even then he'd have to contend with someone trying to play hero and pulling rank on him to do it.

But that was an issue for another time. His main issue right now was that he was somehow the ranking officer, and he only had police and FRC units to try and play infantry with. He'd done his best to keep that off his face, but his frustration showed over the moment they left the room. "Damned Westphalians." Punching the ruined wall for good measure, he jumped out of shock when the K-Suit's arm simply ripped through the weakened plaster. "...I'm not paying for that," he muttered, "it was like that when I got here."

"There you go, ruining perfectly good walls," a voice from outside said. Peering through the hole in the wall, he could see the parked form of Cavalier, still hiding in his Jackal configuration. "What'd that wall ever do to you?"

"Something that made it deserve it, I'm sure," Oscar muttered. "Any word from Breakneck?"

"He should be back any-"

"I'malreadyhereyoudon'thavetospeakformeCavalier," an incredibly rushed voice said out of thin air. A moment later, a silver-colored sportscar skidded to a screaming halt next to Cavalier. As Oscar turned around the corner to just come outside, he noted with amusement that Cavalier's alt-form practically jumped at how suddenly the speedier Kaus appeared.

"For Metatrine's sake, Breakneck, stop doing that!" Cavalier grumbled.

"Can't helpitit'swhat I do," Breakneck said primly, even if he did at least try to slow down his speech. "Communications buoys are dropped, but Tracker's saying we have incoming. Just wentogotakeaquicklookand-"

"Breakneck, slow down please," Oscar said. "What's incoming?"

"Those..." Breakneck paused; a minor miracle if Cavalier was to be believed. "...Westphalians? Look like gunplatforms?"

"Gun platforms?!"

Oscar looked at Cavalier. "I'm not following-?"

"He means tanks!" Cavalier shouted.

"Oh." Cavalier and Oscar looked at each other. "Well, shit."

Note to self, Oscar composed mentally as he leaped straight for the Perseus, Westphalian mobility is ridiculously good. Likely Black Market channels are how they're getting around every patrol known to man and God...

ONGOING: The Axiom crew and Perseus have arrived, but are running into Westphalian elements. However, they will be contributing to the fight while Beowulf fights against the Kaiju.

FYI, still keeping the vote open for the Timberwolf's battleplan.

Basarin · Jun 27, 2018

1005, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Drydocks, Naval Base San Diego

Its name was the NDV Admiral Sergey Gorshkov.

An aircraft carrier launched by the Russian Federation in the height of the Unification Wars, its crew held a sense of irony and humor at all times. Here was an aircraft carrier, among the first of its remastered class, named for a Hero of the old Soviet Union who was a major proponent of submarine warfare. Yet the ship, and the man it was named for, was well regarded and respected throughout its thirty-one year career. It was among the first carrier groups that fully integrated into the Naval Defense Force of the Earth Union, and had served with distinction and pride against Separatist terror attacks, and more recently, the oncoming Kaiju threat.

It should never have been in its current position. Its vulnerability, whether to the kaiju or to Westphalian cells, was constantly dismissed by a commanding officer of the drydocks more concerned with advancing his own career than the actual safety of his charges.

With a shudder and a titanic snap, the flight deck was rent asunder as the Dragonfly smashed into it. With the swipe of its claws, the bridge was smashed in, now rendered useless as metal screamed and shattered under protest, glass and components scattering all around, glittering one last time in the light of the morning sun.

The final blow came when, rearing its claws one last time, the Dragonfly slammed its forearm deep into the superstructure and below. With one last flash of blinding light, the fusion generators onboard ignited.

By 1200, the Sergey Gorshkov would rest in the bottom of the harbor, its destroyed superstructure and hull still jutting out at an angle.

But by then, it could rest easily knowing that justice had been meted out by the warriors of the current age.

For as the Dragonfly turned its attention towards the Timberwolf, the great metal knight strode forward unflinchingly through the still burning wreckage of the venerated carrier.

With murderous intent.

1010, 28 November, A.D. 2071

Richard's limbs felt numb, even through the insulating scales of the K-Suit. Whatever was within that stinger tail, it still clearly held enough acid or whatever it was coated in to foul up the servos inside of the Timberwolf. Gritting his teeth, Richard focused through the MMI and projected as much intent behind his actions as he possibly could.

Yet his movements remained sluggish. His sword slashes - never precise at the best of times - were slow, lethargic, and telegraphed far too soon.

A less experienced pilot would have tried to pull back. Regain control over the Timberwolf's limbs. Circle around, come back for another attempt.

Richard was having none of it. Sheol's monster had destroyed a living relic of human history. More than an instrument of war and peacekeeping, it was where hundreds of sailors and officers called home, where memories and friendships were formed. A monument to the old and the new. And Sheol's monster had utterly ruined it.

Richard knew that his background as a history major back at the academy drew strange looks, much more his legitimate enjoyment of those assignments when others regarded them as wastes of time or just extra busywork, designed to keep them away from the night life. But history held so much more than that. It held human experiences, emotions and stories, all proof that no matter what you're facing, or what you're feeling, someone's already felt or done something similar.

To Richard, those stories were sacred. And he promised himself that he would not let this casual disregard for the human experience go unanswered.

Just focus, he warned himself. Gripping the manual controls tightly, he willed the Timberwolf to bring the Arc Blade to his side, angled slightly downwards as the Dragonfly swept around for another attempt to gouge out his eyes. Just wait. He's going to come at you again, eighty-eight degrees from on high...

Richard willed the Timberwolf to step forward, mimicking the motion of still sluggishly trying to regain control over his systems. Yet as he heard the piercing shriek of the Dragonfly - so at odds with the full-bellied roar of the Dragon that preceded it - the acidic solution that had slowed him so had already run its course. He had full control over his limbs again.

Pity that the Dragonfly didn't realize it yet.

Right as the Dragonfly descended once more, claws stretched outwards, the Timberwolf abruptly pirouetted on its left foot, and like a javelin thrower, hurled the Arc Blade at the kaiju.

It realized its mistake quickly, and moved to break away from its dive, but it was too late. Its momentum, intended for a killing strike, carried it too far forward into the flight path of the Arc Blade. The flying sword tore directly through the left wing as if it were so much tissue paper, and continued its ascent towards the sky unimpeded.

Shrieking, now in pain, the Dragonfly altered its course as it fell quickly to the Earth.

Right back at the Timberwolf.

It only knew PAIN.

Nowhere in its Master's memories could it recall anything like this not-Mercury the Pretenders could muster.

Yet even as it landed onto the not-Mercury's form, even as it ripped continuously at the not-Mercury to sever limb from limb, it still stood.

It slammed its arm into the not-Mercury's shoulder, but its arm continued to strike back.

It slammed its tail into the not-Mercury's stomach. It still stood strong.

It widened its maw and attempted to chew through the not-Mercury's face.

Its teeth shattered.

Why? Why did it stand in its way? Why did it not die like prey should?

WHY!?

"That's more of kaiju breath I'm acquainted with than I ever wanted," Richard growled. Two now badly scratched and chewed - but otherwise perfectly functional - arms took hold of both wings and began to pull. Once again holding the damned thing in place, he decided, "You want to play that way?" The Demolisher Array once again revealed themselves. "Energy Blast! WIDE BURST!"

Shrieking at the now familiar and baleful red light, the kaiju reared back and avoided the worst of the giant shotgun blast that the Timberwolf's shoulders had become. Yet as nice as that would have been, and even at the satisfying sight of seeing more of the kaiju's flesh melt away from the heat of the Energy Blast, that wasn't his real aim.

"Lieutenant, we're coming in danger close," a voice said over the comms. "I say again, danger close."

"Good copy," Richard said grimly. "Fire when ready."

The Dragonfly had just enough presence of mind to realize that another red glow was coming from behind it before it ripped through its back. Its pained roar was lost in the furious backwash of the Pegasus' main battery fire, especially along with the incoming rounds of the First Wing. In their strange, blocky and vaguely humanoid forms the flying mechs circled around, firing everything they were able to manage with wrist-mounted autocannons. As weak as they were, the Dragonfly had been rendered helpless by the barrage of attacks it had just been subjected to.

It still struggled, weakly attempting to use its clawed feet to dig into the K-Scale one last time, but Richard knew its time was finally up.

For the Arc Blade, momentarily forgotten, came plunging back down to Earth.

And it came to rest, pinning the Dragonfly to the ruined flightdeck of the carrier like a disgusting science fair project.

1018, 28 November A.D. 2071
Pegasus Command Bridge

"Launch the Spark Caliber!" Haruko ordered. "We are finishing this now!"

"Aye, Ma'am!" Diana relayed. "Confirming V-33 Falcon is now loaded with delivery package!"

1020, 28 November, A.D. 2071
Pegasus Launch Bay

"Not cool," Adam grumbled as he locked the last strap onto the bottom of the fighter. "Not cool what that thing did."

"It'll get its fair share," Henry said. "It's why we worked this long on the Beowulf, remember?"

"Time to stick it to Sheol and his Monster Mash washouts," Adam agreed. "Spark Caliber good to go! Rich, shred it!"

The Spark Caliber is the name chosen by Captain Sasaki for what is effectively a supercharged battery the size of the Timberwolf's thumb. Shaped to slot neatly into the Arc Cannon or Arc Blade, it is a device that will supercharge the equipment its installed into for one devastating attack. It is so potent, it can only be authorized for use against a foe you are confident will die to the force brought to bear.

As it was, it was also highly volatile. It would remain inert for a few brief moments, but would immediately begin discharging power the moment it was unveiled to open air. Originally viewed as a defect for the designs to an older battery, the strange but brilliant minds of Adam Wilde and James Henry turned this disadvantage into their creation's greatest attack to date.

As the delivery package was released, the locks self-detonated and the package fell apart midair.

A shining, glittering jewel already crackling with dangerous power fell into the waiting hand of the Timberwolf.

"Spark Caliber received!"

With one motion, the Timberwolf took hold of the Arc Blade's hilt, and raised it violently into the air. Pinned as it was to the blade and the flight deck, the Dragonfly was sent flying into the air.

"Spark Caliber! Install!"

With one motion, the jewel-like battery was slotted into the crossguard of the Arc Blade's hilt. And just like that, the subtle crackling energies of the Arc Blade suddenly screamed into being. Pointing the tip of the blade towards the now descending Dragonfly, its writhing form abruptly stopped midair. What looked to the naked eye like a lightning bolt out of the clear sky slammed into the Dragonfly, holding it in place.

With one motion, and with the veritable lightning storm barely contained in the Arc Blade's edge, Richard Callaghan willed the Beowulf to sprint up the angled remains of the Sergey Gorshkov.

Arc Blade raised high above its head, the Timberwolf took a running leap towards its prey.

Finishing Strike!

LIGHTNING BLADE!

The Chief and her crew, exhausted but unable to turn away from the scene unfolding before them, would be able to say they were there for this moment.

Atop the remains of the West Coast fleets' pride and joy, two great titans battled for dominance.

One to destroy and subjugate humanity.

The other to defend it, and everything it stood for.

Blinding as it was, the Chief refused to turn her gaze away. For she saw a legend descend on a blade of thunder.

And watched it cleave through the monster that was responsible for the ruinous destruction it tried to wrought.

As the Super Robot descended onto the concrete, it slowly stood to its full height before taking the massive sword that had slain the monster and slowly sheathed it onto its back. The moment its hilt met the sheathe, one final lightning bolt slammed into the two halves of the kaiju and disintegrated it.

In the moment it took for the last blinding flash to occur, only the scattered remains of leathery wings and tipped claws betrayed any notion that something could come and challenge the Earth Union in its domain.

Chief Tasha Belle promised to herself that she would never speak ill of the crazy bastards who created this thing.

"Aw man, we missed it!?"

And just like that, the moment was ruined.

Even through setbacks, great triumphs can be forged.

A mighty monster has been laid low, smote by lightning in the cause of justice.

Behold! The Defender of the Earth Union!

BEOWULF

EUDF VICTORY

Basarin · Jun 28, 2018

1040, 28 November A.D. 2071
Pegasus Hangar

"Aaaaaaand stop!" At the right hand gesture, the truck stopped reversing, and a horde of maintenance workers rushed to attach restraints tying it down to the hangar floors. A moment later, the Shepherd - now detached from the Beowulf - began to back up in turn.

"That's one delivery of a nasty piece of kaiju," the chief said as she jumped out of the truck's driver compartment. "Just...what do you do with this crap, Sir?"

"Oh, this thing?" Adam rapped a knuckle against the food refrigeration truck holding its precious cargo inside. "We're gonna turn this into so much Science."

SCIENCE!

"They do that, Chief," Henry said quietly as Chief Belle jumped from the few staff members of Sam's lab took up the cry. "Still, much appreciated. Believe us when we say this will be put to good use."

"If it kills more kaiju, fine by me," she shrugged. "Blow them to hell and gone."

"That's the plan!" Adam said cheerfully. "Kinda wonder if we can turn this into a laser gun!"

The Chief's confused face as Adam started making fake 'pew pew' noises while mimicking firing a gun was priceless.

As was the facepalm from Henry.

Ahh, good times.

Dragon Horn gained! Sam is ready to conduct analysis!

1053, 28 November A.D. 2071
Command Center Bridge

"...that monster destroyed the Sergey Gorshkov!" an admiral whose name you didn't catch exclaims. Only military decorum, you suspect, is stopping him from outright screaming. "The flagship of the Fifth Fleet - gone! The Super Robot was supposed to stop something like this!"

Oh, boohoo. You move your head to the side to pretend you are coughing, mainly as cover to roll your eyes in exasperation. Peters, no fool, spots what you are doing with just a raised eyebrow but nothing more.

"It will take so much time to bring the facilities back online!" another navy suit growls. "This has set back the repairs of the rest of the Fifth Fleet by at least two months! Now that-"

"Are you all quite finished?" Peters' voice cuts through like a rifle shot. "May I point out that it took the Yi Sun-Sin one additional hour after the kaiju made landfall to arrive? I imagine that if we had not appeared, there would be no Fifth Fleet to bloody well complain about!" You hide your surprise at the sudden explosion of force behind her voice.

"Général de brigade Peters has a point, gentlemen," another voice chimes in. You recognize that face as Colonel Bernard. It's going to be slightly awkward to deal with him for the upcoming meeting you had scheduled - after all, he still technically falls under the Navy - but he doesn't seem all that perturbed by what had happened. "I admit this is beyond my ability to speak for, but were it not for the presence of the Beowulf...well." His image spreads his hands out in a placating gesture. "I imagine there would be no Naval Base left to shed tears for, no?"

You get the impression that he's enjoying the admirals' discomfort far more than he should. Maybe one of them owes him money.

You raise a hand. "A point, if I may," you ask. When Peters nods, you ask, "The Sergey Gorshkov and its escorts were registered as having entered drydock repairs over..." You check the notes sent ahead to you from Sasaki. God bless subordinates who can predict what their bosses want! "...six months ago. It was set for priority one, but aside from disassembly of the elevator mechanisms, there wasn't any action taken on it. Why have other vessels taken priority if this was so important?"

"A curious question indeed," Bernard agrees. "One that my office has also raised for their vessels, but has yet to receive a satisfactory answer to."

You raise your eyebrow at him, but like Peters, say nothing. That's definitely something you can use for your future discussion. Especially with the word from a certain disgruntled officer that Sasaki has already spoken with.

Either way, the sat-link meeting has gotten very quiet. And you decide Colonel Bernard has a point - you can't help but enjoy the extreme discomfort the admirals are now showing. Especially since they're technically in your debt for having stopped things from getting worse.

Oh, sure you'll have to invest some resources to make good with the senior leadership. But that's something you're getting used to at this point.

Naval Base San Diego saved...minus an aircraft carrier. -1d6 to all interactions with Naval Defense Force until you can repair relations.

That said, the awkwardness when they deal with you is hilarious.

No malus to relations with the Maritime Expeditionary Corps.

Basarin · Jun 28, 2018

1213, 28 November A.D. 2071
Command Center Bridge

"...so to summarize all that," you sigh, "We stomped the Kaiju flat, but not before it destroyed an aircraft carrier that shouldn't have even been there in the first place, got the Navy all upset at us, but not the Marines (somehow), managed to get our hands on new kaiju samples, and we made world television."

"Just so, Sir," Sasaki agrees. She looks utterly drained from the experience, but she was at least managing to stay upright. Unlike poor Callaghan, who was just completely passed out on one of the rest stations below in the pilot's section. Sasaki hands you a tablet, adding, "And that is enough information we acquired from the Naval Base on the...circumstances of the vessels that were drydocked there."

"...these repair plans are ridiculous," you say with incredulity. "Everything's ordered top-down, the junior leaders aren't given any freedom of maneuver...this guy's an embarrassment."

"You're welcome," a voice says to your right. By now, you've worked with Anna long enough to not jump - visibly - whenever she does the 'Batman' thing. "Aw, you're no fun," she pouts, before taking a seat nearby. "So, haven't looked at everything in there either, but there's enough hints in here that I think there's some dirt we can dig up on this guy."

"And the Naval Defense Force can't figure this out on their own?" you ask. The political dance you're having to navigate is already making you want to pull the fire alarm on the whole thing and make everyone leave.

...you're not sure where you were going with that one. Eh, not the worst you've done.

"He's smart enough to hide his tracks," Anna says with a look of disdain on her face. "But dumb enough to keep all his records. And I think one or two of those admirals that were yelling at you is covering for him."

"Do you listen in on every meeting I'm at?" you grumble.

"Maybe."

"Getting back on track," Sasaki says, rolling her eyes despite her exhaustion, "Lieutenant Wilde seems confident that with a month or two of effort, we could also offer to assist in the repairs and cleanup of the Naval Base or the Sergey Gorshkov. However, that would be-"

"-prohibitively expensive?" When she nods, you sigh. "Well, it sure as hell isn't going to be December. We're tapped out after we rush ordered the Perseus over to New York."

"Well..." You and Sasaki look at Anna. "Oh, I'll wait until Haruko-" you see Sasaki's eyebrow twitch slightly, "-finish her report first before I bring that up."

"That isn't ominous or anything," you mutter. "The status of the Perseus?"

"Still operational, if slightly damaged," she replies. "The Separatists conducted an attack utilizing irregular forces and..." She looks closely at the report again with a raised eyebrow. "...modified armor."

"...serious?"

"I for one would really love to get my hands on a Westphalian transport," Anna agrees. "The Separatists have far too easy a time of moving equipment and manpower around the world. Either they have a really good way of hiding their movements, or some really well placed people are on the take. Might be time to do an internal review on some agencies if we get our hands on enough evidence for it."

The casual way she speaks that sentence belies the terror that those words inspire in you. 'Internal Review' was equivalent to saying, 'we have a kaiju about to step on your house in ten minutes, pack everything you can!' It was bad enough when organizations did those in-house; that was usually a sign of misconduct. When an Intelligence Services Agent mentions that offhand, that's never a good sign.

Good thing you've kept her on the good side for now.

"The Perseus was able to rally local forces long enough for reinforcements to arrive," Sasaki continues, ignoring the interruption, "with some assistance from helpful locals." She tactfully doesn't mention the Axiom team, and Anna doesn't ask; she probably already knows, but isn't inclined to muck that up. "The Valiant arrived approximately two hours ago, and engaged and defeated the separatist forces in the downtown area."

A holographic image of the 'Walker' chassis appears. The Walker was nothing more than a pair of reverse-jointed legs and a torso, albeit a nimble one with plenty of armaments. "These Walkers were engaged in what look to be just indiscriminate attacks on the civilian population. There is a tendency towards attacks on financial centers, but no other pattern exists beyond widespread chaos. These were reserved for the downtown attacks, and it took the Valiant approximately fifty minutes to eliminate them all." She grimaces. "We were unable to obtain any salvage; those were all claimed by the Ground Defense Force for analysis and after action reports."

"Fair enough," you admit. The Perseus was effectively playing a rearguard action. Vital, but not in the thick of it like the Timberwolf was. It would be hard for you to claim you had the rights to the salvage. "But for what? Last I checked, they don't have the facilities to make anything out of them."

"That may change," Anna mutters speculatively. "Could be that the DFRI's success is inspiring other efforts to build a Super Robot."

You're...not entirely sure how to feel about that. But you set that aside. "Overall performance of the Perseus?" you ask.

"Tellison performed well," Sasaki assures you. "And Colonel Kim passes on his best. He was most appreciative of our support, and to expect communications from him within a month or two."

Solid, if not center stage, performance from the Perseus and 1LT Tellison. Increased relations with the FRC. Thanks to his efforts, civilian casualties were minimized.

QM NOTE: An additional writeup of the final moments of that engagement are going to come later. Obviously this briefing doesn't tell the whole story, mainly out of wanting to keep plausible deniability.

"With that said," Anna says abruptly, "my boss wanted to pass on a message." You and Sasaki glance at each other before looking back at Anna warily. "The admirals may not be happy, but the Intelligence Services are," she continues cheerfully, in a tone that is not at all suited for discussing internal espionage. "Incompetent officers there aside, we had earmarked a few of the vessels there for some of our upcoming operations." She continues on, still smiling and bubbly, "and no, I'm not allowed to actually tell you what they are, or I'd have to make someone disappear. Anyway! The kaiju almost ruined all of that, but the Beowulf was able to step in on time. We know you're a bit broke for December-" you and Sasaki just glare at Anna for putting it so bluntly, "-so we're willing to front you some of the cost for some projects. As thanks for the help and all!"

"...that's...generous," you say warily, "but what's the catch?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Anna looks all the world like the picture book definition of 'innocent ignorance.' You know better.

"He means we are concerned you will try and ensnare us into some other operation we are not ready for yet," Sasaki says through gritted teeth.

"Ooooh, that," Anna replies, tapping a finger to her chin. "Nope! Not this month anyway!"

You and Sasaki both just slam your heads onto the table in response.

At least you'll get something done this month.

For whatever reasons that we're not allowed to know, the Intelligence Services are very happy with the intervention at Naval Base San Diego. They are willing to front you 6 RP for Turn Twelve, Year Two, at least until you can get your income back.

You're not sure if you should be worried about this.

I will be posting a few more bits about the aftermath of the two attacks, including one snippet that will shed a bit more light on it all, before moving onto Turn Twelve, Year Two tomorrow or day after. I'd type more, but I'm just a fair bit tired from today.

Basarin · Jun 29, 2018

BREAKING NEWS

In a stunning sequence of events earlier today, the North American District was subjected to two simultaneous attacks on its shores.

New York City and San Diego both came under attack at the same time. Despite inflicting moderate damage to both cities, the Defense Force - with Super Robot support - repulsed them.

Further details are below.

Valiant Stand in New York City

Citizens of New York City awoke this morning to a Westphalian terror attack, the likes of which have not been seen since the turn of the millennium and the Day of Starfall. Thankfully, the Earth Union Defense Force was able to organize a response quickly. Utilizing new weapons and equipment, Defense Forces were able to push back into downtown New York and restore order to the streets.

Mander Security Solutions was granted an emergency commission and temporary authority to operate in New York City as an initial response until Defense Force personnel could arrive. The Valiant took center stage in fighting back against the terrorists long enough for reinforcements to arrive, after which it stayed on station until local forces had fully reestablished civilian authority.

Colonel Franklin Kim of the First Response Corps had this to say.

"Despite the indiscriminate loss of life, the citizens of New York are stronger than the separatists counted on. I want to thank all of the brave citizens who refused to bow to Westphalian terror, and who rallied to the First Response Corps to help where they could. I want to thank the brave first responders who risked their lives to help others, despite taking tremendous personal risks."

"And I also want to thank the pilots of the Super Robots who came to our call for help. We would be in a tougher spot without your support. You know who are you, and we thank you."

Dragonslayer

Naval Base San Diego came under Kaiju attack earlier today, roughly at the same time as the New York City attack. Identified by Defense Force personnel by the codeword "Dragon," it moved to attack the Naval Base, where it is theorized that George Sheol wished to destroy the vessels drydocked there for repairs.

Despite inflicting damage to the vessels - including the supercarrier NDV Sergey Gorshkov - the Defense Forces dramatically unveiled a project two years in the making.

Arriving in a new class of dropship, the Defense Force Research Institute launched the Beowulf, the very first Super Robot - and if its personnel are to believed, the first of many more - under the Defense Force banner.

In a grand display of firepower and electricity, the Dragon was successfully destroyed in a decisive engagement by the Beowulf. Despite the damage to the Naval Base and the loss of a carrier, this proves without a doubt that the Defense Force Research Institute is now an organization that can no longer be dismissed out of hand.

On request of anonymity, one person who witnessed the event wished to make a statement.

"Without that Super Robot, we'd all be dead," the personnel claimed. "So this is my only way to get this out there. Thank you."

General Armistead, the DFRI's most vocal critic, was unavailable for comment.

Basarin · Jun 29, 2018

0911, 2 December A.D. 2071
Commandant's Office

"Sir."

You resolutely try to ignore the intruding voice as you stare at the fireplace, simply sipping coffee while huddled under the covers.

"Sir."

Nope. It's not happening. You had an eventful month and an even more eventful day not long ago. You're not ready for another one.

"Sir. You know we're not going to stop asking."

You slowly swivel the seat around until you see the staff facing you. They are staring at you expectantly, and all are wearing some form of heavy winter gear. Worryingly, Wilde and Henry have what look like air cannons strapped to their backs.

"I am not going outside for a snowball fight," you tell them. You then look out the window, where Ichiro is just looking at you with a smirk. "You put them up to this," you accuse him. And you know damn well he can hear you.

"Yeah, and?" he asks rhetorically.

You just slump into your chair and sigh. You suppose this isn't the worst thing to happen after nearly pissing off the Navy.

Resource Point Income: 3 RP (due to expenses from operation) + 6 RP (Intelligence Services contribution) = 9 RP Total.

Katarina's Support: You may add +1d6 to any Action this turn. This can only be applied to one Action. This will refresh next turn.

Special Actions

Improvise with Callaghan and the Beowulf. This is the crazier idea you've heard suggested, but apparently even some Legionnaires find the resemblance of the Variables (a term they've started using to refer to any of your Configuration machines) to Kaus frames uncanny. So, Anna suggests, it stands to reason that the prisoner might think the Beowulf is a new Legionnaire that the Free Brothers haven't accounted for yet.

You have no idea how this is going to turn out, but Callaghan's willing to give it a shot.

He's insistent there's no dancing this time, though.

Cost: 1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of ?)
This has the chance to go hilariously wrong (again) or right.

Maritime Expeditionary Corps - Colonel Henri Bernard of the Marine Corps arm of the Naval Defense Force expressed interest in further application of the V-33. As clunky as the design can be at times, apparently the Marine Corps pilots have grown somewhat attached to it. Colonel Bernard was wondering if you you'd be willing to make an appearance and to discuss further refinement of the V-33's design (particularly maintenance; as simple as it seems on paper, the mechanics have less than kind words for it). You'll probably need to bring Wilde and Henry to this one, and enough of their equipment and tools to really dig into what the Marine pilots are doing.

The main appeal behind this? Well, you'd certainly like more information from the main conventional arm that has to deal with the Kaiju the most frequently...

Cost: 1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for strengthened ties with the Naval Defense Force (2d6+1d6, Threshold of 5-6, Better Opinion Due to Naval Base San Diego)
Chance for greater information from the Naval Defense Force on kaiju activity

The Regency Council - The First Minister's office has decided what Peters predicted: they're going to go for the Regency's offer, but they leave it up to you as to how to actually deal with it. In effect, that gives you a lot of leeway over how to get anything out of the Regency.

Still, you do have certain limits to operate within (which honestly makes you a bit relieved). Specifically, you will identify what it can give you, and you are to identify what it wants from the Union. Once the exchange is done, rinse and repeat.

But how to go about this initially?

[] Spend some time first to identify exactly what it's aiming to get out of the deal. You might not know what it has to offer, but you'd rather see what you'd have to give it first before you start opening with demands for it. (This option will lock you into discussions with the Regency for three turns, but you will have a preview of what it has as opposed to what it wants).

[] Immediately begin negotiating tit-for-tat. You can start small and work your way up through the negotiations. (Will immediately begin a negotiations mini-turn. You will have no idea what it can actually give you beyond what it's willing to say right now, but you will get it earlier).

Courtesy Call - In one fell swoop, you've had limited cooperative experience with the Yukimura Institute and Manders Security Solutions. It might not be a bad idea to personally give them a call and gauge their reaction towards you; after all, the Beowulf has become the public face of the DFRI.

You may choose one.

[] The Yukimura Institute - Though irate at first, the pilot of Mercury V was otherwise impressed with the Timberwolf's performance against the Dragon. It might not be such a bad idea to reach out to them - officially this time, and not through a roundabout way - and compare notes.

[] MSS - Tellison ultimately never met the Valiant, but apparently his efforts were instrumental enough to prevent additional forces from making the Valiant's life more difficult. And by now they'll know who built the Beowulf; a formal introduction and a meeting could be in the cards.

Defense Force Actions

Pilot Training - Heavy Investment
1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Now Accepting Internships...
Cost: 1 RP Locked (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns

Reaction Force
Cost: 1 RP Locked (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3 Turns
Unlocks New Actions. Will Reveal Hot Spots around the world that may benefit from your attention.

Diana's Creativity: You may reduce the Success Threshold of any one Defense Force Action by -1.

~~Inter-Service Cooperation~~ - Anna is adamant that you spend at least December to recoup your expenses from the November operations before you start extending feelers to the other services again. Especially the Navy. They're still a bit sore about the carrier.

They're really sore that as a loggie you knew the situation was mishandled well before you showed up, and could prove it.

Pilot Training – Work is beginning already on training existing pilots as well as preparing to bring in pilots from outside of the DFRI. Sasaki is fairly confident that you're going to see a few washouts right from the get-go, and you can't help but agree. The first few times you saw the test corps pilots, and Callaghan, Tellison and Satsuma, try piloting these things, you saw them stumble out of the cockpits as if they'd run a triathlon in ten minutes. Apparently it's exhausting work until you get used to it.

Still, no need to judge the theoretical newbies. Yet.

You may choose one, plus the specific project. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

You may also now designate a specific pilot to submit for training (excluding Callaghan for this turn).

[] Pilot Training - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Pilot Training - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Pilot Training - Heavy Investment
Cost: 4 RP (1-2 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3-5 Turns
Chance for breakthrough at Advantage (3d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Setting the Banner - Ichiro is up and about now, but aside from helping around, he hasn't done much yet. Sasaki wants to put him through the Proving Grounds and see where he excels at. If nothing else, it will clearly identify what he's good at, and if he holds a particular passion for any specific job-type.

Hey, even giant robot AI personalities need hobbies.

Setting the Banner
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)
Chance to unveil skills

Security Net – You try to tell yourself that you're not going to be as paranoid as General Armistead is apparently showcasing himself to be. But the Westphalians have proven that someone out there really is out to get you. So it only makes sense to look into your own security, and make sure that something above the Warlord's level (a thought you don't really care to think about for too long) is going to have problems getting past.

That, and now that the Beowulf is combat ready, you are going to be expected to start deploying to defend the people of the Earth Union fairly soon. You're not keyed in to the Defense Network just yet, but you still know enough that things look to be escalating.

You may choose one. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

[] Security Net - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Security Net - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Security Net - Heavy Investment
Cost: 4 RP (1-2 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3-5 Turns
Chance for breakthrough at Advantage (3d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Engineering Actions

Variable Configuration - Medium Investment
Cost: 1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Stubborn Lana. Rolling a 1 on any dice will prompt a Re-Roll of that particular dice.

Variable Configuration – There is a lot of ground to cover here. Wilde and Henry have created all sorts of new designs, but they haven't exactly been tested properly yet. Before properly handing them over to the test pilots, they want to run some additional tests, and they certainly would like to see if they can come up with something new.

Wilde also has a few specific projects he thinks requires your attention and approval. Though the Beowulf is now fully online and active, it's still missing one feature, something they're not sure they can reliably activate just yet. That, and there's the old concept idea of the V-33 becoming a dedicated humanoid frame.

You may choose one, plus the specific projects listed below. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

[] Variable Configuration - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Variable Configuration - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Variable Configuration - Heavy Investment
Cost: 4 RP (1-2 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3-5 Turns
Chance for breakthrough at Advantage (3d6, Threshold of 5-6)

So while you have a concept frame of a humanoid form for the V-33, it's incredibly clunky and not something you're comfortable giving to anyone to take to combat. But this is giving your engineers inspiration to try to build on top of that. This time, the Duo want to build a brand new frame from top to bottom. It's not something that is meant to succeed the V-33, since honestly it's not its job to. But they want to build an air frame that can, paradoxically, fight in city environments.

Their logic is such: they want to build something that can dogfight at high speeds while also being able to descend into urban territory because it's really cool. Well, they suppose it's also because it's good to be able to land additional troops in as a quick response force, but Wilde and Henry are being honest. They think the idea's the coolest thing ever.

You can't fault the logic. Just the expenses. It's getting a little harder to get what you want due to increased scrutiny, so you have to invest more to get a similar result these days.

[] Building a Seeker
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3 Turns
Chance for Breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Wilde is up front with you. The Beowulf, the Falcon, and the Shepherd should be able to all combine into one 'mega mecha' if we take it to a logical conclusion. Right now, though, it can't. Not without some serious glitches taking effect. This is something he acknowledges that you might want to hold off on, since there's no telling if or when you may get called into deployment.

The Beowulf and its components are your heaviest hitters right now. You're not sure you can commit to it going through another refit at this moment, especially one as resource intensive as this would promise to be (at least nowhere near the monumental cost you invested two months ago; that budget list still gives you nightmares). Least, not until you have a backup option.

[] San-Ki Gattai / Triple Combination
Cost: 4 RP (2 RP Locked Next Turn)]
Duration: 3 Turns
Beowulf will be able to call on a theoretical final formation, to be summoned in times of dire emergencies.

Supercomputer AI – Dr. Ignatov informs you that there's still plenty of work to be done in this field. This isn't just related to the AI personalities, he insists; his original mandate of simply creating smaller-scale Supercomputers is still something that could be achieved, though you could be forgiven for forgetting about that.

In addition, with the introduction of Ichiro Banner, these options would also start to explore introducing new 'siblings' to the mix. Something to consider, but Ichiro himself hasn't been around all that long.

You may choose one. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

[] Supercomputer AI - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Supercomputer AI - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Supercomputer AI - Heavy Investment
Cost: 4 RP (1-2 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3-5 Turns
Chance for breakthrough at Advantage (3d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Experimental Projects – K-Class Materials, Anti-Gravity Treatments, Kausen Armor Plating – there's a lot coming out of the pipeline from the Science Department, and only so much time and resources available to test it all! Wilde, Henry, Ignatov and Lana are ready to stress test the math from the Science Department in order to see if they can make something a bit more practical out of it than the expensive prototypes you do have.

Lana is at pains to point out that it's going to be expensive no matter WHAT you do with it. But at least you'll add a guarantee that "the stupid thing just won't explode in your face and then make us grumpy about fixing everything."

Wilde protested the accusation of being 'grumpy,' leading to a new round of bickering between the two.

QM NOTE: I will allow you to add a preference towards which bit of science you want to lean towards as a preference, but that's no guarantee that the results will come out that way.

You may choose one. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

[] Experimental Projects - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Experimental Projects - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Experimental Projects - Heavy Investment
Cost: 4 RP (1-2 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3-5 Turns
Chance for breakthrough at Advantage (3d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Science Actions

ESP Theory - Heavy Investment
Cost: 1 RP Locked (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Kaiju Biotechnology - Medium Investment
Cost: 1 RP Locked (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Calm - Ivanna's help enables you to re-roll one failed Science Action Test this turn.

Sam is beyond ecstatic about the new find. More than just a new potential piece of K-Class to study, it's now a great moment to start looking into an entirely different classification of material.

As ridiculously effective as your current K-Class is, Sam points out two things to you:

1: It all came from the same kaiju. That means that sooner or later, you're going to run out of possible applications to tap into.

2: So far, you've achieved everything possible with K-Class as utility. The Dragon's Horn is a K-Class Weapon. And one whose descendant materials are probably going to have less of a problem with being shaped into weapons.

3: Why are you checking this? There were only two things to talk about.

You may choose one. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

[] ESP Theory - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] ESP Theory - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] ESP Theory - Heavy Investment
Cost: 4 RP (1-2 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3-5 Turns
Chance for breakthrough at Advantage (3d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Kaiju Biotechnology – Compared to ESP Theory, Kaiju Biotechnology is not as well developed a field. Sam wants to look further into it. While the obvious applications of K-Class Materials and the K-Suit have already advanced the development of the Super Robot tremendously, he wants to know what else it can do.

He has a few particularly crazy ideas (you in fact said so straight to his face; he took it in stride and laughed about it, and you both carried on) but he wants to do some additional research before then.

You may choose one. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

[] Kaiju Biotechnology - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Kaiju Biotechnology - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Kaiju Biotechnology - Heavy Investment
Cost: 4 RP (1-2 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 3-5 Turns
Chance for breakthrough at Advantage (3d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Xenotechnology Research - For the most part, you have the basics of everything the Legion has given to you figured out thanks to Max's efforts. Understanding, however, does not imply mastery. What we have are basically toddler's versions of technologies that the Legion takes for granted (even if we somehow outdid them with Configuration).

Still, there's work to be done. Max has gotten over her rage over the fact that the artifact she uncovered was in fact the Regent (mostly; she really doesn't like it when someone pulls a surprise on her for a change). She's ready to start refining what we do have.

You may choose one, plus the specific project listed below. If you have an investment project ongoing, you may still choose one and run concurrently.

[] Xenotechnology - Light Investment
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 5-6)

[] Xenotechnology - Medium Investment
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

So apparently the nonstop laughter you heard from the other side of campus the other week was Max having a breakthrough on a shoestring (by your standards anyway) budget. With a little help and coaxing from Ivanna, you were able to get Max to calm down long enough to explain what was going on.

In effect, the Dispersion Field simply denies energy outside of its radius the ability to have any sort of impact past a certain radius, but it takes a ridiculous amount of energy investment in proportion. So, she reasoned, it takes a lot of energy invested into it to maintain that sort of field as a semi-physical barrier. But what if you sprayed it in the air like a demented version of an aerosol spray can?

She declined to answer why her train of thought hit that particular line.

Regardless of reasoning, the result on a small-scale test is that the Dispersion Field effect lingers. Granted, her test had it so that it was only for a short while, but she wants to try a 1:1 test. Complete with testing the Beowulf's Combination with the Foxhound and the Timberwolf, with paint rounds. Maybe even live ammunition if it turns out to work. Since you know by now that the Combine Configuration process is a moment of vulnerability, you agree that this is definitely something worth investing into.

Downside? Well, "it's a freaking Dispersion Field! You know by now that these things aren't cheap to recreate!"

[] Combine Configuration Shield

Cost: 4 RP (One Time Investment)
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for Breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6); You may invest an additional 2 RP to add +1d6 OR Reduce the Threshold by -1.

Basarin · Jun 30, 2018

Plan Consolidating Investments
- Spend some time first to identify exactly what it's aiming to get out of the deal. You might not know what it has to offer, but you'd rather see what you'd have to give it first before you start opening with demands for it. (This option will lock you into discussions with the Regency for three turns, but you will have a preview of what it has as opposed to what it wants).
- The Yukimura Institute - Though irate at first, the pilot of Mercury V was otherwise impressed with the Timberwolf's performance against the Dragon. It might not be such a bad idea to reach out to them - officially this time, and not through a roundabout way - and compare notes.
- Setting the Banner
-- Katarina's support
- Kaiju Biotechnology - Medium Investment
- San-Ki Gattai / Triple Combination

Special Actions

Improvise with Callaghan and the Beowulf. This is the crazier idea you've heard suggested, but apparently even some Legionnaires find the resemblance of the Variables (a term they've started using to refer to any of your Configuration machines) to Kaus frames uncanny. So, Anna suggests, it stands to reason that the prisoner might think the Beowulf is a new Legionnaire that the Free Brothers haven't accounted for yet.

You have no idea how this is going to turn out, but Callaghan's willing to give it a shot.

He's insistent there's no dancing this time, though.

Cost: 1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of ?)
This has the chance to go hilariously wrong (again) or right.

Rolled: 2+6!
Well, you finally got the Drone to start talking. Progress?

20 December, A.D. 2071
Interrogation Report
Submitted by: Anna Smith, Defense Force Research Institute Liaison Officer, Earth Union Intelligence Services

On the recommendation of the Legionary medical officer, Patch, we have placed the Free Brother Drone (Temporarily identified as 'Zulu') under observation. Patch was able to periodically attend this month to administer Kausen medical procedures. Patch confirmed that the Drone was rebooting - the closest human medical analogue we can come up with is that he was knocked unconscious and was recovering from a blow to the head.

I took the time to question Patch on the nature of the Drones themselves, as the Legion does not seem to show any sign of hesitation to destroy them. Even Architect, known to be somewhat passive in favor of construction operations, will take the opportunity to destroy a Drone if presented. The answer is intriguing - Drones on a sapient level are below the level of a full Kaus, but higher than an electronic subroutine. They are mass produced on a large scale, and serve as disposable 'muscle' for the Free Brothers. This is apparently a practice that has fallen out of favor with the Mekaen Dominion, but is not outright illegal - merely viewed with distaste.

This was confirmed when the Drone finally regained consciousness (or booted online, as Patch put it). The Drone was cooperative, but exhibited an extreme state of confusion. After questioning it on its name, rank, and loyalties (in order: ZCUY3954_1 - he was very insistent on the underscore - Drone - Free Brother), 1LT Callaghan (posing as a Legionnaire within the Beowulf) asked him as to why the Drone seemed incredibly confused.

"I do not feel my destruction is imminent," was the recorded response. 1LT Callaghan asked if this was a common state of emotion within the Free Brother ranks, and the Drone confirmed it was. It is not uncommon for a Free Brother to simply outright tear apart a Drone out of boredom, and apparently Tyrannous is well known for such a practice as a hobby.

1LT Callaghan also insisted the Drone's identity number was far too long to pronounce, and would simply refer to it as Zulu. The Drone - now fully referred to as Zulu - agreed to the name convention.

The Drone then asked 1LT Callaghan what manufacturer he came from. 1LT Callaghan revealed that his frame was built here on Earth, and that he was treated well by the humans (which is all technically true; I applaud his wordplay). He then posed that the Drone might be better served defecting from the Free Brother cause to the Defense Force Research Institute in service to the humans. Zulu's response was that of skepticism, but he did not seem wholly opposed to the idea.

When I questioned him on information about the Free Brothers, I was unable to glean much. The Drones are apparently kept in 'sleep mode' until they are required, upon which an entire section will be activated while in transit to the target area. He can only confirm that the Free Brothers have a form of 'mother ship' in some part of the solar system, but he was not privy to that information. Only that a full Kaus Free Brother will order them around.

Patch confirmed after the interview that Zulu was speaking the truth to the best of the Drone's knowledge. He also notes that Zulu is somewhat unusual, as he has actually survived several engagements with the Legion. Noteworthy due to the fact that a Drone's lifepsan can be measured in minutes during combat.

I have recommended to the Commandant, Major Devin, that the Drone be kept functional and online as is. It is entirely possible we could subvert Zulu's loyalty to the Union's cause (specifically the Earth Union, as Zulu adamantly does not wish to go to the Legion), and it is confirmed that Zulu exhibits enough familiarity with Kausen technology that he can be of immense help to the Institute. This will require additional resources and time, however, and the decision ultimately lies with him.

Prisoner identified as "Zulu." Somewhat receptive to switching sides, but this will require some doing. New Special Action unlocked!

Maritime Expeditionary Corps - Colonel Henri Bernard of the Marine Corps arm of the Naval Defense Force expressed interest in further application of the V-33. As clunky as the design can be at times, apparently the Marine Corps pilots have grown somewhat attached to it. Colonel Bernard was wondering if you you'd be willing to make an appearance and to discuss further refinement of the V-33's design (particularly maintenance; as simple as it seems on paper, the mechanics have less than kind words for it). You'll probably need to bring Wilde and Henry to this one, and enough of their equipment and tools to really dig into what the Marine pilots are doing.

The main appeal behind this? Well, you'd certainly like more information from the main conventional arm that has to deal with the Kaiju the most frequently...

Cost: 1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for strengthened ties with the Naval Defense Force (2d6+1d6, Threshold of 5-6, Better Opinion Due to Naval Base San Diego)
Chance for greater information from the Naval Defense Force on kaiju activity

Rolled: 5+6!
Colonel Henri Bernard: Commandant Devin, I do believe we have a great deal to discuss.

Additional Roll because I forgot: 5!

Incredulously, Colonel Henri Bernard thinks more highly of you for throwing eggs in the faces of the Naval Defense Force higher ups.

Apparently, the Marines had been given short-shrift when it came to their own repair requests (due to a certain officer in charge of the Naval Base repairs), and the fact that the Navy was caught off guard - and would have lost the entire EUNDF Fifth Fleet were it not for the Beowulf - was received by the Twelfth Maritime Expeditionary Corps as something of poetic justice.

You asked him if he should be really saying that about the ones who are technically his bosses. His response was a simple, "I don't care. The bastards made their bed, they can damn well lie on it."

Henri Bernard, of the French Troupes de Marine, is a longtime veteran of the Defense Force. Though much of his experience has come from fighting Westphalian piracy in the Pacific ever since the Armée de terre seconded him to the Defense Force, he has earned a lot of battle honors in assaulting enemy-held vessels and hostage rescue operations. More recently before his promotion to commander of the Twelfth, much of his time was spent fighting off the lesser known parts of the Kaiju menace - the human sized abominations that occasionally rear their head.

You recall Yukimura's words about infiltrators, and wonder why this has not been disseminated more in the Defense Force. The answer is apparently it just doesn't happen enough. Not nearly as much as, say, the Dragon or similar cases.

Still, you are well received by the man, and you, Wilde and Henry are given a tour of their own aviation arm. Healthily supplemented by the V-33s, it's quickly shown that there's a rather healthy rivalry between the pilots and the repair crews of the V-33s versus the standard fixed wing or rotary aviators. The pilots clearly are fond of the TMUs, but the repair crews have very little good to say about actually fixing them.

Though Wilde and Henry, as usual, put them to shame in showing them how to actually make the process more efficient, they're still stubbornly taking notes. Issues such as too many moving parts that can go out of alignment, the modular mounts that can get stuck on occasion, and so on. Far from getting annoyed or outraged at the flaws, Wilde and Henry encourage the crews to hold nothing back - they want to know how to fix these things.

And with all that, they are taking notes of how they could improve for a 'mark 2.'

Said 'mark 2' is something that Bernard is most interested in. While the Jackals were incredibly useful, he would very much like a design that could configure into a humanoid form, and could serve in a variety of missions on demand. Bernard hinted that if you could help him out with this, he'd back you in any political turf war that goes on (within reason), and would be willing to work with the DFRI on a permanent basis.

You see nothing wrong with this.

Strong relations established with the Maritime Expeditionary Corps and Colonel Henri Bernard. New Actions Unlocked.
Building a Seeker will now gain a temporary +1d6 for its first roll!

Spend some time first to identify exactly what it's aiming to get out of the deal. You might not know what it has to offer, but you'd rather see what you'd have to give it first before you start opening with demands for it. (This option will lock you into discussions with the Regency for three turns, but you will have a preview of what it has as opposed to what it wants).

If you are being given the time and leeway to feel out what the Regency wants from you, then you are going to take your sweet time figuring it out. You relayed to the Regency that your superiors have agreed, but that you have the authority to fully negotiate on their behalf.

The Regency, no fool, understands what you are doing. But it also understands the position you are in, and just shrugged (at least you think that was a shrug) at the additional time this would take. To the Regency, apparently, a few months was like taking a nap; some time would pass, but you didn't lose that much time out of the deal.

Negotiations are thus ongoing, and you're feeding Peters with as much information as you have the moment you get it. By the end of February, you should have a good idea of what it's willing to offer, and what it wants from you and the Union.

When did 'negotiate with alien lifeforms' become part of your job description again?

You will have a full breakdown of what the Regency is willing to offer and what it wants out of you by the end of Turn Two, Year Three!

The Yukimura Institute - Though irate at first, the pilot of Mercury V was otherwise impressed with the Timberwolf's performance against the Dragon. It might not be such a bad idea to reach out to them - officially this time, and not through a roundabout way - and compare notes.

To be concluded in Interlude, "So There I Was..."

Defense Force Actions

Pilot Training - Heavy Investment
1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Rolled: 2+2!
No additional successes, but Callaghan has clearly brought back lessons from fighting the kaiju.

The irony of the Naval Base defense - that Beowulf had slain a dragon - was not lost on Callaghan. But fighting a great big beast like the kaiju, it turns out, has validated the extra training that he'd been putting himself through.

Diana reports that Callaghan now seems to have the ability to react to enemy actions on instinct. His ability to push through difficult situations remains, but now he seems to be able to instantly react to an enemy attack. In swordplay terms, he could instantly parry an attack away and continue pressing his own offensive.

But Callaghan isn't content with this. With his extensive use of the MMI and the K-Suit, he seems to have his own ideas of how to improve on all future Super Robot operation features...

Callaghan: Intuitive Piloting has upgraded to Instinctive Piloting!
Instinctive Piloting:
- You may apply ONE of the following this turn:

- Re-Roll One failed Strike or Agile Roll per Turn
- Gain 'Deflection' this Turn - Applies on first enemy infliction of HP

- Deflection - When an enemy attack inflicts HP on you, roll at Disadvantage (1d6, Threshold of 4-6). Negate all damage dealt to you, and inflict 50% of that damage to the enemy instead.

New Actions Unlocked!

Setting the Banner
Cost: 2 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6+1d6, Threshold of 4-6, Diana and Katarina on station to help!)
Chance to unveil skills

6+2+5!
Decent results with the Jackal and the Phalanx. But there's more on inventory to try out!

Though Ichiro is currently in a Jackal frame, transferring him to another frame is simple enough, it just takes some time.

His performance with the Jackal is...passable. He's not overly enthusiastic with it, but he can make it work. He has a similar enough reaction to the Phalanx; he complains it's 'heavy' and really clunky, but he does admit that it would be very difficult for anything to actually hurt him if he's wearing it.

Weapons and fighting? That's another story altogether.

Ichiro, you learn, tends to highly favor singular, heavy strikes. His attacks are not very frequent, but they are applied with enough force to shatter an enemy's fixed defenses. This is combined with a tendency to simply plow straight through any amount of firepower sent towards him. It's not that he minds shooting at them, but he has a single-minded focus and drive to close with the enemy and punch them in the face really, really hard.

Sort of like how you feel on some days when dealing with idiots like those admirals.

Though the Jackal or the Phalanx don't seem to be all that suited, one question remains:

Maybe the Centurion is more up his alley?

In other news, the Legion is starting to become more aware of Ichiro's existence. They're rather bemused, and aren't really sure what to make of him.

Except Cavalier. He welcomes Ichiro like an old friend, though this is likely because he's finally found a willing sparring partner that's in his weight class.

Ichiro is exploring his options and learning his own style of fighting. This will continue for another turn.
Cavalier has taken it upon himself to train with Ichiro.

Engineering Actions

Variable Configuration - Medium Investment
Cost: 1 RP Locked
Duration: 1 Turn
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Rolled: 6+1!
Lana: Adam, you dropped it again.
Re-rolling the 1: 3!

Lana's insights from before the kaiju fight lead to a temporary breakthrough. Triple Combination Duration reduced by -1!

San-Ki Gattai / Triple Combination
Cost: 4 RP (2 RP Locked Next Turn)]
Duration: 32 Turns
Beowulf will be able to call on a theoretical final formation, to be summoned in times of dire emergencies.

The original intent behind the Triple Combination idea was to create a sort of 'emergency' form. Something that would be called on in a situation that was so dire that you needed the extra power behind all three forms, and damn the consequences.

The reason for this originally is the volatility of combining three normally stable power sources into one entity. On the face of it, and if animation teaches you anything, jamming three energy sources together should naturally triple your power - as a baseline. "More than the sum of its parts" and all that jazz. The problem is that the Shepherd and the Falcon use very different types of power, to say nothing of the Beowulf. The Shepherd still relies on classic diesel - inefficient, but since it's the only one in your inventory using it, it's not a big deal. The Falcon uses high performance electric batteries, with plenty of onboard spares to recycle automatically. The Beowulf itself uses Fusion power instead of electric like the Jackals do.

Mixing all three together is a recipe for disaster, or at least, a large post-battle maintenance operation that will probably drive Wilde and Henry to drink.

Lana reasons, however, that you might be able to make it more stable than that. And here's her reasoning:

You can keep using those onboard forms of power no problem. Just keep them isolated from each other, but funnel them separately into a whole other power source entirely.

The power source in question? An empty, and modified, Spark Caliber.

You...aren't entirely sure how well this is going to work out, but Wilde and Henry back Lana up on this one. You'll just let them keep at it and hope they don't make something explode.

Again.

Triple Combination Duration reduced by 1 Turn! Lana has an interesting idea of how to make the Triple Combination stable.

Science Actions

ESP Theory - Heavy Investment
Cost: 1 RP Locked (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6), Ivanna's Calm applied

Rolled: 4+5!
Good success! Gained insights into new phenomenon.

Psychic energy pooled together tends to dissipate after awhile. The human brain will simply move on to do something else after awhile, and it won't keep focusing on a single point of action forever.

But psychic energy can be encouraged, like a magnet drawing metal, to flow along K-Class materials.

What does it do when it does? Sam has no idea. But he's registering that modified K-Scale is encouraging psychic energy to flow around. Normally, like with the K-Suit, it just serves as another form of conductivity (insofar that it can be applied to psychic energy). But what happens when you encourage it to stick around, and to keep going?

Sam is very curious to see how this turns out.

Interesting results from K-Class and Psychic synergies. 1 Turn Remaining.

Kaiju Biotechnology - Medium Investment
Cost: 1 RP Locked (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Rolled: 1+1!
Sam: I want to get it on record that I'd love to have force fields for doors in this lab. Ow.

Kaiju Biotechnology - Medium Investment - Second Parallel
Cost: 3 RP (1 RP Locked Next Turn)
Duration: 2-4 Turns
Chance for breakthrough (2d6, Threshold of 5-6)

Rolled: 2+5!
Initial comparison and contrasts of new Kaiju sample begins. Sam is not taking any chances on contamination here.

"Sam here."

"I just want to get it on record that not having force fields overlapping with doors here is a terrible idea."

"I know we don't have force fields yet. Max is still working on that. But that's besides the point."

"We learned the hard way that trying to 'jar' psychic energy indefinitely just makes the K-Class want to explode. So as I told John last week, we're scrapping that idea and seeing if psychic energy can just introduce certain changes to the K-Scale and then let them be on their way. I budgeted in for one exploding lab, but I didn't budget in for two. That'll get fixed next time."

"On a more positive note, however, we're starting to look into the new Kaiju Dragon Horn Rich Callaghan brought in from the San Diego shindig. Now I'm sure the lot of you want me to just break it open and study it with wild abandon in the name of scientific inquiry, but after the last couple of foulups the Kaiju Biotechnology arm's had, I'm not taking any chances. We're keeping it in deep freeze, we're studying it remotely, and we're going to take our sweet time doing it until I can confirm mixing the two doesn't turn them into some gray gelatinous blob that goes around eating people by impersonating puppies or something. Creepy thing."

"Sam Carlson, we're done here."

Exploding labs are bad, okay? Shifting the focus of that study slightly.

Also studying the Dragon Horn to make sure no hidden surprises are lurking around.

Basarin · Jul 1, 2018

1031, 22 December A.D. 2071
Yukimura Institute, Kyoto
Break Room

"Kinda surprised you went with the whole 'pro wrestling' angle with the Beowulf," Hiroki commented. At a questioning glance from Richard, Hiroki explained, "Normally Mercury and I just kinda close in and try to beat the crap out of the kaiju as soon as possible. But I do that now knowing that Mercury can take the hits. You guys weren't too sure just yet, were you?"

"Nah," Richard shook his head. "We've fought Westphalians, we've fought Kausen, but that was the first time we ever fought a kaiju. No clue what to expect, and we were trying to just keep its attention off of the base." Hiroki nodded in understanding with an 'aah.' "Still, I know my boss is handling that part, but that was annoying, you know? Here I am in the Beowulf - then Timberwolf - beating the snot out of the thing going, 'Hey, here I am. Come get me!' What does it do?" Taking hold of the soft drink bottle, Richard mimicks it then averting away to just crash into the pile of rice balls (but not actually crashing into them; those were tasty and he wanted more). "It just goes, 'haha, screw you! I'm gonna go punch a carrier!'" Setting down the soda, he just made an annoyed growl. "And we had him too. Pretty sure the Navy's going to hold that one over us for awhile."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Hiroki commented. "At the end of the day, they needed you, yeah?" When Richard nodded, Hiroki just took another rice ball and plopped it into his mouth. "So," he said between chewing, "it goes like this. We get yelled at all the time about 'how could you let this or that get destroyed? Raaaagh!'" Swallowing, he continued, "It happens all the time, man. You're the only ones in town with a DF Super Robot, so it's not like they've got a better option besides throwing tons of missiles and shells at the kaiju when they know that doesn't work."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did anyway," Richard shrugged. "Some people in the Defense Force are unreasonable."

"Don't we know it," Hiroki agreed. "But the kaiju just ruin everyone's day." Hiroki paused to take a refill of green tea from a passing by automated dispenser. Richard was still getting used to seeing those strange things; as much as they were in the 2070s, some of the aesthetic in the Yukimura Institute seemed more like what authors from the 1970s thought today was going to be like. The floating dispenser looked like a strange mix between a soda fountain and a jukebox, for one thing. "I mean," Hiroki continued, oblivious to the strangeness of it all, "Last time I fought a kaiju was at Yokohama..." He paused. "What's the word I'm looking for? Kind of like a squid, but supersized-"

"-what, a kraken?" Richard posed.

"Yeah, those things! So it shows up out of nowhere, starts trying to eat tourist ships. We're not that far, so Mercury and I are able to show up before anyone can get hurt. We have this big fight, I've got him where I want him. Then what does he do?" Hiroki's face has a look of disgust and frustration, not too far off from what Richard just had. "He then goes and tries to eat the Ferris Wheel!"

"What."

"I know! It eats half of it before I gave it a Blizzard Blast and then punch through it. It's all done and everything, but I'm just sitting there thinking, 'What an asshole!'" He puts a palm to his face at the memory. "And don't get me started about Manila last year..."

1040, 22 December A.D. 2071
Dr. Yukimura's Office

"Yes, the incident at Manila was one such instance where the kaiju opted for widespread damage than anything else," Yukimura agrees.

You and Anna (with Sasaki left at the Institute to keep things running) are seated across from Dr. Yukimura's desk in his office. It looks about how you would expect: certificates, plaques, and old photographs and holograms line the walls. Less tidily, however, were the series of notes, calculations and designs just littered all over the office. (You have no doubt Anna will probably photograph a few before you leave)

Yukimura himself is a thin, older man looking to push sixty soon. His hair, grey as it is, looks to be fighting a losing battle against stress and hair loss - something you can sympathize with and dearly hope is not to be your fate when you get to that age. But you also can see past the physical frailty to see a hardened look to his eyes, as someone who's seen far too much and is determined not to let more continue unopposed.

Something you can also sympathize with.

"Just what is Sheol's end game here?" you ask. "The man's gone out of his way to paint himself as someone who's going to destroy everything until he gets his way."

"In a past life," Yukimura sighs, "I would suggest recognition. The man is brilliant, but I think it unlikely he could accept someone overruling him."

"So...world domination?" Anna asks flatly. Her eyebrow is raised as she speaks. "World domination through giant mutated dinosaur rejects?"

"It makes as little sense to you as it does to me," Yukimura admits. "But I imagine if there is any other objective in sight, only he knows." Turning towards you, he asks, "But that is not what we are here to discuss, is it?"

You nod, from one man in charge to another. "We're trying to put something together to make fighting Sheol and the other threats," you say, "But since we've gone public with what we do, I wanted to reach out to the people who've been fighting the kaiju the longest." Pulling out a tablet, you set it on his desk and slide it gently over to the man. "I don't have the authority to make any specific promises, but as a professional courtesy, I want to stay in touch. I'm pretty sure we've also joined Sheol's hit list, and he's going to go out of his way to wreck the Asian and the North American Districts." As he picks up the tablet to look over the contents, you finish, "I don't want our organizations competing when we should be working together to kicking Sheol's monsters around."

Though it's not complete, the tablet contains initial notes - sanitized for public consumption naturally, you had Anna proofread that - for the fast response group you and Sasaki are coming up with. You sure as hell don't plan on relying on just the Beowulf. With luck, you will get enough resources and clout to build another Pegasus-class, and with their own Super Robots to boot. If Sheol decides to start being contrarian and try to stretch you and Yukimura thin on the ground, you can at least try to divvy up the work and make sure either of you can respond in some fashion.

To your surprise, Yukimura chuckles. "Not afraid of us claiming the credit?" he asks slyly.

You offer your own wry grin, knowing exactly what he's talking about. "I'm no Armistead if that's what you're asking," you say. "This is keeping in exactly with what my own boss is asking for. This is about making sure Sheol can't just push us around, and then maybe forcing him to make a mistake and overcommit."

"I will take some time to review this," Yukimura promises. "In the meantime, do please stay as our guests for now." He gives a knowing glance at Anna. "I'm sure some in your group are quite interested in the home of Mercury V."

Anna once again has the look of 'utter innocence' plastered so hard on her face it almost looks natural. "I don't know what you mean, Doctor," she says in as sweet a sing-song voice as she can muster.

You just sigh. At least this is a start.

Increased Relations with Yukimura Institute. They are receptive to future cooperative ventures.

Either today or tomorrow (likely tomorrow), Peters will give your Evaluation.

Happy Birthday SV!

Here's to many more years to come!

Super Robot Quest

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