I was going to post that, then I remembered there's a steampunk magic girl outfit for her somewhere... and FINALLY decided not to subject that to our poor QM. ;p
The Practice War [Complete]
- Thread starter Snowfire
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
I was going to post that, then I remembered there's a steampunk magic girl outfit for her somewhere... and FINALLY decided not to subject that to our poor QM. ;p
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
You're too kind. Also now I'm kind of curious >.>
Anyway, the next update is about halfway done, but I'm unexpectedly burning out a bit. Probably down to some serious difficulty getting things started in a way that I liked, but we're past that at this point (thank god). Expect the full update tomorrow, I'ma sleep now.
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The Second Battle of Sol: Tactics 3
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
You never had a proper memory of the time immediately after you Spoke Purify, the energy in your soul reduced almost to nothing. The pathways that connected you to it through your Focus were damaged too, buckled under the strain of the energy you'd spun into syllables and unleashed upon the Medicament-class. Sidra was able to share what your eyes had seen after the battle, but your own mind was far more deeply focused on pulling yourself back together. So when you tried to remember it from yourself, there were only fragment, pieces that made it through to you in brief moments of clarity.
Moments like seeing the entire Shiplord fleet wheel towards the Calypso, the Collectors abandoning their escorts to charge bodily through First Fleet to reach you. Or their escorts dancing away from your auxiliaries as they dived into the hole in the orbital line that Lina had had to open to put enough fire density in place to draw the Medicament forward.
You remembered the presence of hundreds of others beside you, what afterwards you found had been the entirety of the Two Twenty Three rallying back to the Calypso to defend you. Lina ordering the Ulfberhts not to ram, and the desperation in her tone as a Collector bulled through a Tower-echelon, ignoring the damage and sending the smaller ships spinning away with drive fields flickering.
Space twisting all around you as the Calypso fired her disruptor battery, and the faint echoes from your distributed presence as Dauntless and Ulfberht class ships added their own fire to the maelstrom. The criss-cross of close range particle beam fire from the new-model auxiliaries and the Collectors, and the former burning away under vastly higher fire density.
But from it all, you remembered one part of it best.
"They're coming through, Lina. First Fleet can't stop them, not quickly enough." Commander Chrace had been that voice, you'd thought, and Sidra's memory had confirmed it later. "Commodore Cyneburg is requesting permission to-"
"Denied." Lina's voice was flat, harsher than you'd ever heard it. "The Ulfbehrt's are to maintain full separation from the Collectors until I countermand it or they attempt to break off. The President's enhancements are still running; we can take the hits." A thread of some fiery emotion rushed through your Minister's next words. "And we've got one more card to play. They might know it's there, but the Two Twenty Three are uniquely motivated right now."
The part of you paying attention to the Harmonial links, beyond the constant support pouring through them, felt energy flare up all around the Calypso, as the Unisonbound brought their power together. Orders flashed across the web that bound you, lining up shots on the leading Collectors and Insight stabbed out to find the weaknesses in their broken skin. A cry of shock came from one of the officers on the bridge.
"Targeting priorities are being overridden, Minister. The entire fleet's, coming down from the very top, but we never sent them! I'm trying to break back in, but-"
"Please do not." Vega's voice, dreamy in the way that only a half-trance made her. "I apologise for not warning you, Lina, but I must ask that you trust us on this."
"Vega, if this is a Unisonbound thing," you heard Lina begin.
"More a 'trying to save all our lives' thing." Vega replied, cutting Lina off. "Stand by."
Gravitational force speared out from the Calypso, joined by that of every Dauntless in one massive volley, and the leading Collector reeled away from the lethal blow. It crashed through another Tower echelon, scattering the smaller vessels like pinballs, but it wasn't going to reach you. Not with the remains of two new-model auxiliary groups knifing in like lethal minnows to devour the bleeding shark.
Sparks of slowly fading light illuminated the battle, remnants of the power you'd called to destroy an abomination, and your soul stumbled for a moment in its steps to recover as it felt the closer pieces being scooped up. The Two Twenty Three, it had to be, bringing the embers of something very close to a Miracle together. Words far away spoke of some purpose, but you couldn't hear them. Then golden light flared at the edge of the viewscreen, and you understood. They'd seen what you'd left behind, if unintentionally, and they'd make good use of it now.
It almost hurt to feel their gratitude, and you understood then how Phoebe must have felt after Insight had been broken. It wasn't quite the same, for the damage done to you was not nearly so severe, but perhaps that was unfair to you both. It wasn't a contest of degrees, and the wounds themselves didn't matter. It was the response of those around you, the Unisonbound with whom you had come to share so much.
You looked out then from the helplessness of recovery, at those who must know that their choice to defend you would almost certainly see some of them die today, and saw something. A single purpose across one hundred and ninety-seven souls, each bound to you and each other; that you would live this day. That resolve was stronger than steel, and deeper than space itself, and even had you been whole you doubted you could have processed it.
You saw it on the plot, and felt it inside, as the Two Twenty Three took those fragments and poured their power into them. Two more Collectors burst through the maelstrom of detonating warheads and beam fire, and streamers of gold erupted towards them. They danced in the void, whirling around each other, and you realised later that those hadn't been streamers. Strands of monofilament hundreds of kilometres long, abusing fully the absurd capabilities of a Unisonbound's Aegis, sliced deep into the leading Tribute vessel, and the flame around them erupted.
Vast sections of the ship's hull sloughed away, and energy poured into the rents opened in its hull from the other Unisonbound. One of them hit something more vital, by luck or Insight it mattered little, and the enormous vessel staggered as an internal explosion ripped through it from within. Another followed, then another, and it started to literally break apart. Another down, you heard Lina say with savage satisfaction.
There was still the other Collector diving straight towards you, but for all the power directed at the first one, it had been missing something. Or more precisely, someone. You would see the images of her later, wreathed in golden flame between the Collector and Calypso. A closer look by one of the Unisonbound would find that she'd actually been right between the Shiplord vessel and you. That was very much not a focus of conversation however, given what she proceeded to do.
Power condensed around the spear which held her original Artefact, one of the oldest and most powerful Practiced items in existence, and then she hurled it bodily at the Tribute vessel bearing down on her. According to watching computers, the spear clocked in just under .2c, leading to a combined impact velocity of almost half lightspeed. The energy shockwave ahead of it shattered a massive crater into the Collector's bow, pushing it bodily away from the Calypso, and digging deep into the ship's hull.
Kalilah flickered across the space between her and her weapon faster than any eye could follow, grasping it one handed and flicking it to full extension. The golden corona around her poured into the spear, a finger touched the firing stud, and light exploded from within the Collector. Every line and seam blazed for a terrifying instant, and a beam of pure destruction burst from the other end of the eight-kilometre vessel.
Your bodyguard ripped the bladed point of her weapon free and brought the spear butt down hard on the fractured bow below her. Another shockwave ripped through the cored vessel, and it started to come apart. There was nothing left inside to hold it together.
Yet six of the ships still remained. Battered and bleeding they might be, but there was no time for the Two Twenty Three to strike again before they reached the Calypso. That was where your memory began to fade, but you still remembered a few things. Utter shock as the bow of the Collector bearing down on you split open like a vast maw. Lina snapping out orders, transferring command authority to one of her subordinates. The Two Twenty Three gathering more closely around you, to protect even as you were snatched into the unknown. A ringing impact, that shook the Calypso from stem to stern, and then darkness.
"We need to get her out of here!" That was Lina again, but there was a desperation in her voice that you'd never thought her capable of. "The security locks won't hold for much longer under what they're putting into them, and her HC from the Two Twenty Three can't make it here in time."
"What about the escape pods?" One of the other officers, you couldn't remember their name.
"Tubes are buckled," Commander Chrace said bluntly. "And their entrance blew a hole through the only one that was still intact. It would also have meant launching her into," a pause that could only be a gesture, "that."
"Damnit, we need options! If they get in here with Amanda still like this-" What were they talking about?
:The Calypso's been boarded.: Sidra answered. They sounded exhausted, but helping you put yourself back together must have been horribly difficult. :Twice now, actually, and they're after us, Amanda. You, to be more specific, but I doubt I'd survive the experience either. I don't know why, but they've pushed for the flag bridge with everything they have. Internal security systems and the Two Twenty Three stopped that, but…: The image of a disruptor 'beam' lancing into the Calypso flashed into your mind from your Platform, and you blinked. Those weren't stars around you.
:No,: Sidra chuckled wearily. :No, they aren't. We're inside a Collector, Amanda, and if the Insight-Focused in the Two Twenty Three are right, there are actual Shiplords fighting them. They've been using drones to screen, not that that works well against Unisonbound, but their combat gear is unlike anything we've seen. We're winning, but it's taking time. And we had nothing but the automatics left when they blew a hole into the command spaces with that disruptor, and the group they inserted went through those like a thresher.:
It took a moment for what Sidra was telling you to penetrate, then you jerked upright with a gasp. :Are you telling me there are Shiplords trying to cut their way in here?: You reached out through your links, heedless of any danger in that moment, and before Sidra spoke again you'd already confirmed it. Actual Shiplords…humanity had never seen them, not even Project Insight had ever given you images, but that might have been outside of their focus.
:Succeeding in cutting their way in here, Amanda.: Sidra replied gently. :And we've still got no idea what they look like. They're using heavily customised combat chassis, and we really don't have the time to continue this conversation. Lina is on the verge of tearing her hair out about not being able to get you to safety.: You smiled at the thought, but it was a hard line of one, then pushed yourself up.
"Lina." Your voice cut through the frantic conversation, the clear projection you'd learnt as a teenager coming to your aid once again. If not for the alarms and Shiplord cutting device, the silence that followed your word would have been total. Lina seemed incapable of speech, like the rest of the command crew, she simply stared and you felt your smile soften a little.
"I'm alright, Lina. It just…took me some time to recover from what I did." You shook your head as you spoke, hoping that she'd understand the gesture. Something shifted in her eyes, and then she nodded sharply.
"I understand." She clearly didn't, but she was willing to accept that you did. You weren't completely sure that you actually did, but now was neither the time or place. "But we need to get you out of here, Madam President, there-"
"Sidra brought me up to date." You said gently. "And I heard your subordinates a moment ago, there is no way out of here."
"Then," Lina swallowed once, fighting down what she clearly wanted to say as your War Minister, but knew you'd never accept. "What is your order, Madam President?"
Moments like seeing the entire Shiplord fleet wheel towards the Calypso, the Collectors abandoning their escorts to charge bodily through First Fleet to reach you. Or their escorts dancing away from your auxiliaries as they dived into the hole in the orbital line that Lina had had to open to put enough fire density in place to draw the Medicament forward.
You remembered the presence of hundreds of others beside you, what afterwards you found had been the entirety of the Two Twenty Three rallying back to the Calypso to defend you. Lina ordering the Ulfberhts not to ram, and the desperation in her tone as a Collector bulled through a Tower-echelon, ignoring the damage and sending the smaller ships spinning away with drive fields flickering.
Space twisting all around you as the Calypso fired her disruptor battery, and the faint echoes from your distributed presence as Dauntless and Ulfberht class ships added their own fire to the maelstrom. The criss-cross of close range particle beam fire from the new-model auxiliaries and the Collectors, and the former burning away under vastly higher fire density.
But from it all, you remembered one part of it best.
"They're coming through, Lina. First Fleet can't stop them, not quickly enough." Commander Chrace had been that voice, you'd thought, and Sidra's memory had confirmed it later. "Commodore Cyneburg is requesting permission to-"
"Denied." Lina's voice was flat, harsher than you'd ever heard it. "The Ulfbehrt's are to maintain full separation from the Collectors until I countermand it or they attempt to break off. The President's enhancements are still running; we can take the hits." A thread of some fiery emotion rushed through your Minister's next words. "And we've got one more card to play. They might know it's there, but the Two Twenty Three are uniquely motivated right now."
The part of you paying attention to the Harmonial links, beyond the constant support pouring through them, felt energy flare up all around the Calypso, as the Unisonbound brought their power together. Orders flashed across the web that bound you, lining up shots on the leading Collectors and Insight stabbed out to find the weaknesses in their broken skin. A cry of shock came from one of the officers on the bridge.
"Targeting priorities are being overridden, Minister. The entire fleet's, coming down from the very top, but we never sent them! I'm trying to break back in, but-"
"Please do not." Vega's voice, dreamy in the way that only a half-trance made her. "I apologise for not warning you, Lina, but I must ask that you trust us on this."
"Vega, if this is a Unisonbound thing," you heard Lina begin.
"More a 'trying to save all our lives' thing." Vega replied, cutting Lina off. "Stand by."
Gravitational force speared out from the Calypso, joined by that of every Dauntless in one massive volley, and the leading Collector reeled away from the lethal blow. It crashed through another Tower echelon, scattering the smaller vessels like pinballs, but it wasn't going to reach you. Not with the remains of two new-model auxiliary groups knifing in like lethal minnows to devour the bleeding shark.
Sparks of slowly fading light illuminated the battle, remnants of the power you'd called to destroy an abomination, and your soul stumbled for a moment in its steps to recover as it felt the closer pieces being scooped up. The Two Twenty Three, it had to be, bringing the embers of something very close to a Miracle together. Words far away spoke of some purpose, but you couldn't hear them. Then golden light flared at the edge of the viewscreen, and you understood. They'd seen what you'd left behind, if unintentionally, and they'd make good use of it now.
It almost hurt to feel their gratitude, and you understood then how Phoebe must have felt after Insight had been broken. It wasn't quite the same, for the damage done to you was not nearly so severe, but perhaps that was unfair to you both. It wasn't a contest of degrees, and the wounds themselves didn't matter. It was the response of those around you, the Unisonbound with whom you had come to share so much.
You looked out then from the helplessness of recovery, at those who must know that their choice to defend you would almost certainly see some of them die today, and saw something. A single purpose across one hundred and ninety-seven souls, each bound to you and each other; that you would live this day. That resolve was stronger than steel, and deeper than space itself, and even had you been whole you doubted you could have processed it.
You saw it on the plot, and felt it inside, as the Two Twenty Three took those fragments and poured their power into them. Two more Collectors burst through the maelstrom of detonating warheads and beam fire, and streamers of gold erupted towards them. They danced in the void, whirling around each other, and you realised later that those hadn't been streamers. Strands of monofilament hundreds of kilometres long, abusing fully the absurd capabilities of a Unisonbound's Aegis, sliced deep into the leading Tribute vessel, and the flame around them erupted.
Vast sections of the ship's hull sloughed away, and energy poured into the rents opened in its hull from the other Unisonbound. One of them hit something more vital, by luck or Insight it mattered little, and the enormous vessel staggered as an internal explosion ripped through it from within. Another followed, then another, and it started to literally break apart. Another down, you heard Lina say with savage satisfaction.
There was still the other Collector diving straight towards you, but for all the power directed at the first one, it had been missing something. Or more precisely, someone. You would see the images of her later, wreathed in golden flame between the Collector and Calypso. A closer look by one of the Unisonbound would find that she'd actually been right between the Shiplord vessel and you. That was very much not a focus of conversation however, given what she proceeded to do.
Power condensed around the spear which held her original Artefact, one of the oldest and most powerful Practiced items in existence, and then she hurled it bodily at the Tribute vessel bearing down on her. According to watching computers, the spear clocked in just under .2c, leading to a combined impact velocity of almost half lightspeed. The energy shockwave ahead of it shattered a massive crater into the Collector's bow, pushing it bodily away from the Calypso, and digging deep into the ship's hull.
Kalilah flickered across the space between her and her weapon faster than any eye could follow, grasping it one handed and flicking it to full extension. The golden corona around her poured into the spear, a finger touched the firing stud, and light exploded from within the Collector. Every line and seam blazed for a terrifying instant, and a beam of pure destruction burst from the other end of the eight-kilometre vessel.
Your bodyguard ripped the bladed point of her weapon free and brought the spear butt down hard on the fractured bow below her. Another shockwave ripped through the cored vessel, and it started to come apart. There was nothing left inside to hold it together.
Yet six of the ships still remained. Battered and bleeding they might be, but there was no time for the Two Twenty Three to strike again before they reached the Calypso. That was where your memory began to fade, but you still remembered a few things. Utter shock as the bow of the Collector bearing down on you split open like a vast maw. Lina snapping out orders, transferring command authority to one of her subordinates. The Two Twenty Three gathering more closely around you, to protect even as you were snatched into the unknown. A ringing impact, that shook the Calypso from stem to stern, and then darkness.
***
You came back to the world to the sound of blaring alarms and a spitting hiss behind you. The plots in front of you were mostly offline, shattered by the impact or cut off by close proximity to a Tribute ship. A few remained, but they were configured in a way you'd never seen before, and before you could try to work it out a voice cut through your thoughts.
"We need to get her out of here!" That was Lina again, but there was a desperation in her voice that you'd never thought her capable of. "The security locks won't hold for much longer under what they're putting into them, and her HC from the Two Twenty Three can't make it here in time."
"What about the escape pods?" One of the other officers, you couldn't remember their name.
"Tubes are buckled," Commander Chrace said bluntly. "And their entrance blew a hole through the only one that was still intact. It would also have meant launching her into," a pause that could only be a gesture, "that."
"Damnit, we need options! If they get in here with Amanda still like this-" What were they talking about?
:The Calypso's been boarded.: Sidra answered. They sounded exhausted, but helping you put yourself back together must have been horribly difficult. :Twice now, actually, and they're after us, Amanda. You, to be more specific, but I doubt I'd survive the experience either. I don't know why, but they've pushed for the flag bridge with everything they have. Internal security systems and the Two Twenty Three stopped that, but…: The image of a disruptor 'beam' lancing into the Calypso flashed into your mind from your Platform, and you blinked. Those weren't stars around you.
:No,: Sidra chuckled wearily. :No, they aren't. We're inside a Collector, Amanda, and if the Insight-Focused in the Two Twenty Three are right, there are actual Shiplords fighting them. They've been using drones to screen, not that that works well against Unisonbound, but their combat gear is unlike anything we've seen. We're winning, but it's taking time. And we had nothing but the automatics left when they blew a hole into the command spaces with that disruptor, and the group they inserted went through those like a thresher.:
It took a moment for what Sidra was telling you to penetrate, then you jerked upright with a gasp. :Are you telling me there are Shiplords trying to cut their way in here?: You reached out through your links, heedless of any danger in that moment, and before Sidra spoke again you'd already confirmed it. Actual Shiplords…humanity had never seen them, not even Project Insight had ever given you images, but that might have been outside of their focus.
:Succeeding in cutting their way in here, Amanda.: Sidra replied gently. :And we've still got no idea what they look like. They're using heavily customised combat chassis, and we really don't have the time to continue this conversation. Lina is on the verge of tearing her hair out about not being able to get you to safety.: You smiled at the thought, but it was a hard line of one, then pushed yourself up.
"Lina." Your voice cut through the frantic conversation, the clear projection you'd learnt as a teenager coming to your aid once again. If not for the alarms and Shiplord cutting device, the silence that followed your word would have been total. Lina seemed incapable of speech, like the rest of the command crew, she simply stared and you felt your smile soften a little.
"I'm alright, Lina. It just…took me some time to recover from what I did." You shook your head as you spoke, hoping that she'd understand the gesture. Something shifted in her eyes, and then she nodded sharply.
"I understand." She clearly didn't, but she was willing to accept that you did. You weren't completely sure that you actually did, but now was neither the time or place. "But we need to get you out of here, Madam President, there-"
"Sidra brought me up to date." You said gently. "And I heard your subordinates a moment ago, there is no way out of here."
"Then," Lina swallowed once, fighting down what she clearly wanted to say as your War Minister, but knew you'd never accept. "What is your order, Madam President?"
A breach has been made into the Calypso's command spaces with internally mounted capital-grade weaponry, and a small Shiplord force has cleared the automated defences and is cutting their way into the bridge. At their current rate, they will breach the flag bridge in one round.
Amanda's Heartcircle within the Two Twenty Three is disengaging, but will require at least twice that to reach you.
Vega is still in her Harmonial half-state coordinating the fleet but is available for personal action, although her combat capabilities are limited. Lina and her staff are all in FSN armoured pressure suits and have armed themselves from the bridge weapons locker. Their equipment was designed to defend against drone assaults, however, not direct Shiplord involvement. The latter was never anticipated.
Amanda is back at full strength.
What do you do?
[] Restore and Reinforce: Although the Two Twenty Three are steadily beating back the Shiplord combat chassis, the standard shipsuits of the FSN seem to be little defence against their weaponry. Direct the power of your Practice into the bridge's security doors to repair and strengthen them. Use the time gained from this to reinforce the bridge defences and make the armour of Lina and her staff far more durable. (Given the energy output of Shiplord weaponry, this is likely to be a delaying action instead of anything else, but will give you much needed time to prepare. It also makes your squishies less squishy.)
[] Deepest Strengths: The Shiplords will almost certainly breach the flag bridge before your Heartcircle can reach them, but you're not incapable of defending yourself now that you've recovered. Order Lina and the other FSN personnel as far back as possible, and make a barrier of your power and self against the Shiplords. (Some link to Restore, but is more combat focused, and will mean that Amanda is fully prepared when the Shiplords breach the doors)
[] Purifying Harmony: Vega and you created the Unisonbound, and you are among the strongest of them all. Although she will be distracted by the links she's holding between so many, she should still be your match given her skill with Kagiso. Take the fight to the Shiplords, for it is you they must want, and face them directly with all the power available to you. (Somewhat a yolo option, but given how hard to kill Unisonbound are in general and the unique capabilities of Vega and Amanda, it's certainly possible. A vastly effective, if risky, holding action.)
[] Write-in
You may be as complex as you please with write-ins.
More relevant information here and here.
Please Vote By Plan
Amanda's Heartcircle within the Two Twenty Three is disengaging, but will require at least twice that to reach you.
Vega is still in her Harmonial half-state coordinating the fleet but is available for personal action, although her combat capabilities are limited. Lina and her staff are all in FSN armoured pressure suits and have armed themselves from the bridge weapons locker. Their equipment was designed to defend against drone assaults, however, not direct Shiplord involvement. The latter was never anticipated.
Amanda is back at full strength.
What do you do?
[] Restore and Reinforce: Although the Two Twenty Three are steadily beating back the Shiplord combat chassis, the standard shipsuits of the FSN seem to be little defence against their weaponry. Direct the power of your Practice into the bridge's security doors to repair and strengthen them. Use the time gained from this to reinforce the bridge defences and make the armour of Lina and her staff far more durable. (Given the energy output of Shiplord weaponry, this is likely to be a delaying action instead of anything else, but will give you much needed time to prepare. It also makes your squishies less squishy.)
[] Deepest Strengths: The Shiplords will almost certainly breach the flag bridge before your Heartcircle can reach them, but you're not incapable of defending yourself now that you've recovered. Order Lina and the other FSN personnel as far back as possible, and make a barrier of your power and self against the Shiplords. (Some link to Restore, but is more combat focused, and will mean that Amanda is fully prepared when the Shiplords breach the doors)
[] Purifying Harmony: Vega and you created the Unisonbound, and you are among the strongest of them all. Although she will be distracted by the links she's holding between so many, she should still be your match given her skill with Kagiso. Take the fight to the Shiplords, for it is you they must want, and face them directly with all the power available to you. (Somewhat a yolo option, but given how hard to kill Unisonbound are in general and the unique capabilities of Vega and Amanda, it's certainly possible. A vastly effective, if risky, holding action.)
[] Write-in
You may be as complex as you please with write-ins.
- They share a basic set of abilities, most iconic of which is their Aegis.
- A Unisonbound is capable of acting outside of their Focus somewhat, although it can leave them blind to potential problems with what they're trying to do.
- The more skilled ones, like Amanda and Kalilah, have shown some ability to directly access the energy that passes through their Focus to them. Kalilah uses it to power her energy weapon, Amanda can be much more subtle. Sort of like the difference between a Warlock and a Cleric (pulling from D&D here)
- Vega is even more skilled with this than Amanda or Kalilah.
- For all that Amanda's and Vega's Foci are not generally applicable to combat, the energy is still at the end of the day energy. This is why a synchronisation block in the Unison process is dangerous regardless of one's Focus. Some are worse than others, but all are still a danger.
- All Unisonbound have been taught to fight in close quarters, and to bring their Focus to bear on that in some manner.
- Vega does so by slipping into Harmony with her opponent, which makes it almost impossible to land a touch on her. Her offensive capabilities are limited, but simple (to her) manipulation of her Harmonic energy allows her to use it as quasi-physical weapons. Unless you want her to drop the links she's still maintaining with the 223 and First Fleet, which are granting considerable bonuses, she'll be acting at around 60-70% capability.
- Amanda is similar, but instead of being impossible to hit, her Focus makes her incredibly difficult to hurt. Consider that she held up against the brunt of Kalilah's power for an extended period of time whilst splitting her attention between her Aegis and complex communication via Harmonial link. Weapons wise she's similar to Vega, and has had some success pushing energy into sung notes through her Concert Set. Although she's shown little consistency in it thus far, weaving Practice into Words is also clearly within her capabilities. When she's done it before it's drained her, but never done any actual damage.
More relevant information here and here.
Please Vote By Plan
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Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Written with Plenty of Grit playing on perma-repeat in the background (I blame you @Baughn, I blame yoooou!). The remaining updates of this battle will almost certainly be from Amanda's perspective.
I'm a little surprised that people didn't think Amanda might the primary target of the Shiplords at this point, given she was the source of the energy burst that blew the Medicament-class away. If you have any questions you need answered to formulate your plans, tag me as normal!
I'm a little surprised that people didn't think Amanda might the primary target of the Shiplords at this point, given she was the source of the energy burst that blew the Medicament-class away. If you have any questions you need answered to formulate your plans, tag me as normal!
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
... it wasn't clear to me that, seen from the outside, Amanda could be identified as the source of the burst.
Robinton
Probably petting Schrödinger's cat
- Location
- Scientifically proving a miracle
Wait, what? I'd assumed that of course she'd be the primary target! (I have a write-in a few chapters back, suggesting the Shiplords would primarily target Calypso - just for the presence of Amanda and Vega!)
So, Amanda and the Calypso are trapped inside a Collector class. (It's bigger on the inside.) @Snowfire, I'd like to a few clarifications on our situation.
Q: Is our fleet winning, or are the guards on Calypso winning? Or both?
Q: What's the ETA on our fleet detonating the Collector that has us trapped? Or is that Collector making a break for hyperspace?
Q: Do the 223 have a portal-maker or teleporter of any stripe?
Q: What's the architecture of the bridge room? Any cover worth mentioning?
Some suggestions:
Mend the doors, buy another half combat round.
Mend the controls, and have Calypso burn our way out of here. (Won't help that much against the strikeforce.)
Mend the evil in the Shiplords' hearts. (Yeah, probably not.)
Use your concert set to project into the Shiplords' minds just how wrong the Mendicament was. Maybe it'll be a Brown Note? Or at least a decent flashbang equivalent.
Get Vega to coordinate our defensive force. (An obvious choice, assuming she's OK to multitask at that level.)
As I've asked before - does the 223 include a portal-maker? If yes, we could get Kalilah and the portal-maker in here within a combat round or so; mission success, everybody go home.
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taovkool
Forever Gone
- Location
- The Library, Department of General Works
Yeah, but what kind of tactic is possible here?
I mean, seriously, none of us here knew the layout of the ship or even how Amanda's exotic ability applies to combat - which is probably the best chance they have considering our combat arms are outmatched and that Portals and the like are probably nil considering they're inside a shiplord.
Don't really know what plan to make here.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The best plan I can currently think of is 'leave in the other direction, close and mend bulwarks, mend internal defenses (while fleeing), buy time'.
If that's SL that are coming they will have at least fair equipment by SL standards, nothing our bridge crew is going to dent very much.
If that's SL that are coming they will have at least fair equipment by SL standards, nothing our bridge crew is going to dent very much.
taovkool
Forever Gone
- Location
- The Library, Department of General Works
How about, get Amanda into that trance thing of hers again, and blow up the Collector from the inside out. Or maybe get her to somehow purge the Shiplord?
Man, this conceptual Practice thing is confusing the fuck out of me. I dunno what it can or can't do because Snowfire keeps pulling stuff out of nowhere. Can't you at least get us an option instead of just putting a write-in for us to fill?
Man, this conceptual Practice thing is confusing the fuck out of me. I dunno what it can or can't do because Snowfire keeps pulling stuff out of nowhere. Can't you at least get us an option instead of just putting a write-in for us to fill?
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
They had capital weapons inside to shoot at us.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
... If I had to make a bet I'd say that currently she's not able to do so, because the 'Purify' was the 'Hell no' reaction of her soul channeled into action. And although Snowfire wrote 'full capacity', he also wrote she's damaged.
And yes, 'that's possible and that's not' is also hard for me - magic(*) without a written rule set is hard to quantify.
(*) stuff you don't know from 1st/2nd-hand experience
Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
What, you mean to tell me that
[] Eject the bridge from the Calypso and join it to the head docking space of Amanda's personal giant robot
isn't a valid vote?
Pshaw, I say.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
... Hm. If there's mending and destruction and insight around, 'building' or 'creation' might also. If that's present in the 223 we could restructure the Calypso into said robot ...
All the more reason to shoot back as fast as possible.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
A: The last transmissions you received before being cut off showed the Tribute Fleet being steadily cut to pieces. And the Calypso's internal security, reinforced by the 223, is beating back the direct blunt-force assault.
A: Unknown, communications are cut off. It is extremely unlikely to successfully make it to the edge of the stellar exclusion zone, however.
A: I think I did answer this before, but I could be wrong. No, they do not. No Potential has that sort of ability.
A: It was partially designed to resist this sort of attack, although the planners only ever expected drone assaults. The bridge layout is set up to allow for effective defence, but it was also seen as one of the last places on a ship that would ever fall. There is not, unfortunately, another way out of it unless you want to try and burn through the solid block of armour its embedded in. The bulkheads are heavily armoured, both to protect the control circuits inside and to act as cover if necessary, and there are automated systems around the door that were designed to hold up an initial rush allowing for the command staff and any others inside to keep separation open.
The combat arms of Lina and her crew are outmatched, certainly. Amanda's basic abilities as a Unisonbound would place her at parity with them. One of the reasons the Shiplords are losing the general assault is because of that. Against purely human personnel, even those in more advanced combat armour, they'd be unlikely to be all that troubled. Against the Two Twenty Three they're losing, and the drones they seem to be used to using as screens are pretty much chaff to the Unisonbound.
A quick primer on the Unisonbound:
- They share a basic set of abilities, most iconic of which is their Aegis.
- A Unisonbound is capable of acting outside of their Focus somewhat, although it can leave them blind to potential problems with what they're trying to do.
- The more skilled ones, like Amanda and Kalilah, have shown some ability to directly access the energy that passes through their Focus to them. Kalilah uses it to power her energy weapon, Amanda can be much more subtle. Sort of like the difference between a Warlock and a Cleric (pulling from D&D here)
- Vega is even more skilled with this than Amanda or Kalilah.
- For all that Amanda's and Vega's Foci are not generally applicable to combat, the energy is still at the end of the day energy. This is why a synchronisation block in the Unison process is dangerous regardless of one's Focus. Some are worse than others, but all are still a danger.
- All Unisonbound have been taught to fight in close quarters, and to bring their Focus to bear on that in some manner.
- Vega does so by slipping into Harmony with her opponent, which makes it almost impossible to land a touch on her. Her offensive capabilities are limited, but simple (to her) manipulation of her Harmonic energy allows her to use it as quasi-physical weapons. Unless you want her to drop the links she's still maintaining with the 223 and First Fleet, which are granting considerable bonuses, she'll be acting at around 60-70% capability.
- Amanda is similar, but instead of being impossible to hit, her Focus makes her incredibly difficult to hurt. Consider that she held up against the brunt of Kalilah's power for an extended period of time whilst splitting her attention between her Aegis and complex communication via Harmonial link. Weapons wise she's similar to Vega, and has had some success pushing energy into sung notes through her Concert Set. Although she's shown little consistency in it thus far, weaving Practice into Words is also clearly within her capabilities. When she's done it before it's drained her, but never done any actual damage.
In order again:
This one would work, and could last for longer than just half a combat round in fairness. Amanda's got a lot of power behind her right now. It's likely to break before Kalilah, Lea and the other member of her Heartcircle reach her, but you'd have less time to wait.
Unlikely. The Calypso is both inside and being held in place by the Collector-class ship. It's not that her systems are offline, it's more that they've already tired to break free and were then interrupted by boarding action.
I'ma go with no.
Direct opposition to her Focus, not a wise plan.
She's kinda already doing that. It's more direct involvement of the personal combat nature I was referring to.
Negatory, see above.
This is...fair. I'll put together a few basic options for you, and post again when they've been added.
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[q]Punch the Shiplords in the face!
Can Amanda status buff her human allies?
Can Amanda status buff her human allies?
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
The Collector-class ships are six to eight kilometres long. The Calypso is...maybe a bit more than one.
Collectors also may or many not be bigger on the inside.
Robinton
Probably petting Schrödinger's cat
- Location
- Scientifically proving a miracle
Thanks for the great info, Snowfire! Any chance we could get a Portal-maker or a teleporter at some point? Perhaps as part of the Body over Soul action chain? Or as a technological upgrade - since they probably won't send a full war-fleet over some intra-system portals...
Worth noting: Amanda and Vega are by far the least Squishy people here.
Here's some more questions:
1. Are there any other (non-223) Potentials on the bridge with us? I'd expect an Insight focused or similar...
2. Are the Shiplords attacking from one direction, or several? I mean, is there only one doorway on/off of the bridge? Or more than one?
3. Can Vega Harmonic-dodge against more than one opponent?
4. Could Vega slip further into that trance, take cover behind Amanda's Aegis, and boost the whole bridge crew with her dodging ability?
5. Could Amanda or Vega catch a Shiplord in their Aegis? What would be the effects?
6. Can we string some razor-wire over all entryways? Could Amanda Mend it and/or extend her Aegis over it?
7. Would a good speechabout the Elements of Harmony help? (In all seriousness, Amanda can do amazing things with words, spoken or sung...)
Worth noting: Amanda and Vega are by far the least Squishy people here.
Here's some more questions:
1. Are there any other (non-223) Potentials on the bridge with us? I'd expect an Insight focused or similar...
2. Are the Shiplords attacking from one direction, or several? I mean, is there only one doorway on/off of the bridge? Or more than one?
3. Can Vega Harmonic-dodge against more than one opponent?
4. Could Vega slip further into that trance, take cover behind Amanda's Aegis, and boost the whole bridge crew with her dodging ability?
5. Could Amanda or Vega catch a Shiplord in their Aegis? What would be the effects?
6. Can we string some razor-wire over all entryways? Could Amanda Mend it and/or extend her Aegis over it?
7. Would a good speech
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Given responses above, I'll go with:
-Mend the doors, but create a "weakness" in one of them for the Shiplords to congregate around.
-Mine the entrance, and the outward-facing consoles in the expected breach point.
-Draw the Shiplords into combat in that area, then detonate the mines.
-If the 223 hasn't shown up at that point, Mend the doors again to cut the Shiplord assault force in half, and finish off what's inside the command area.
Basically we do to them what was done to us in Till My Last Breath.
-Mend the doors, but create a "weakness" in one of them for the Shiplords to congregate around.
-Mine the entrance, and the outward-facing consoles in the expected breach point.
-Draw the Shiplords into combat in that area, then detonate the mines.
-If the 223 hasn't shown up at that point, Mend the doors again to cut the Shiplord assault force in half, and finish off what's inside the command area.
Basically we do to them what was done to us in Till My Last Breath.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Could Amanda create a barrier - by mending the doors and directly standing in the way - stopping the SL from entering the bridge? I assume the bridge airlocks use at least two doors and are reinforced. While stalling the SL, she could try to disrupt their focus, once she analyzed their 'melodies'?
If at all possible, I'd like Vega to keep concentrating on support, she's likely one of the reasons the tribute fleet is losing.
If at all possible, I'd like Vega to keep concentrating on support, she's likely one of the reasons the tribute fleet is losing.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Not apart from Vega. There's an Insight Potential down in the analysis section of the Calypso.
One direction, one door.
Yes, she can.
Probably not.
Not really, now. The Aegis is an extension of their Practiced self, so catching something in it is unlikely to work.
Something like it is already built in, and Amanda could certainly enhance it with her Practice.
No time.
She could. It would be risky, the last part especially, but doable.
Also, I've added some possible options in at the suggestion of @taovkool. Hopefully they will help in the construction of plans!