"Sochie?" You ask once you and Sochie are entering the White Doll's cockpit, your time at the training ground over.
"Hm?"
You look her in the eye. "If you get a Papillion, would you consider becoming a member of the Laura Rola Autonomous Mechanical Doll Corps?"
For a moment she just gapes at you, but then she regains her nerve. "Why would I need a Papillion? Can't I just ask for a transfer in my Kapool?" She elbows you in the side for emphasis.
"I'm not implying anything!" You assure her as you force the White Doll back on track. "It's just that our mobility and ability to fly is the core of my team's philosophy. If we had to take a groundbound Mechanical Doll with us…"
"It would only slow you down." Sochie finishes for you, sighing as she leans back into you.
"…I'll think about it. Can we talk about something else?" She sulks, though her Pressure has been filled with a new determination.
*
[X] Lord Guin will probably assign you one in a week or two, no need to fret.
[X] Use the White Doll to help them excavate.
You help out at the dig site until the sky begins to darken. The White Doll is a little too big to help Sid and his people with the buried ship, but you are able to provide assistance with bringing the closest land battleships out of the ground.
+20 to Kingsley Valley Mountain Cycle roll!
*
The next morning you find yourself called into Lord Guin's tent, along with the Colonels and Captain Gavane. Lady Lily and the disguised Queen Dianna are here as well.
"Let me begin with the news from our Dark History dig sites." Lord Guin says from behind his desk.
"We have received excellent news from Inglessa:" He begins. "We have not only found another cache of Papillion, we have also found this:" With that he reaches into the lockbox at his desk and retrieves a Nano Block.
"This was delivered to be by express train due to its small size." Lord Guin smirks at you. "Captain Laura, I believe you can make use of this object?"
"Yes, sir." You breathe as you reverently take the Nano Block from his outstretched hand. Lord Guin somehow smiles even wider as he continues his briefing.
"As for the Luziannans, they have excavated several more of their new Mechanical Doll, the Luziraiders. Furthermore, Sid has reported great progress at Kingsley Valley. We should expect the first of these hovering battleships to be ready sometime next week" He lists from the documents before him. "Our allies in Floria, however, have not been so fortunate. They have yet to locate any new Mountain Cycles.".
From there the meeting turns into a briefing, of a different sort than that of the last few weeks.
"A party?" Lady Lily asks after Lord Guin makes the announcement. Her surprise is mirrored by everyone in the tent. Why would Kihel-as-Dianna and the people around her invite her enemies for a party?
"A reception, actually." He answers airily, toying with his pen as he corrects her. "A few days from now, Queen Dianna Soleil will announce the formation of a Moonrace nation on Earth. She has graciously invited us to witness this."
Colonels Gern and Mallygan look at each other before the Inglessan officer speaks. "So what is the plan, sir? Prepare an attack?"
Lord Guin shakes his head. "No. My entourage an I will be picked up by a Moonrace shuttle and escorted to the Soleil by the Royal Guard. We do not know the exact location of the Soleil, nor will we have time to act on that information until long after the reception is finished." He inclines his head towards you. "I, as the leader of the eastern theatre of this war, have been granted permission to bring an escort, but even Laura's White Doll cannot take on the heart of the Moon's forces on its own."
Corin and Arisa might disagree, but you refrain from voicing your thoughts.
Lord Guin stops you from leaving when the briefing is over. "Laura, have you given any thought as to how you will go to the reception?"
You nod at him. "Yes, sir. I've already decided:"
[] "I'll go as Laura Rola." Keep the mask.
[] "I'll go as Loran Cehack." End the Farce.
He then asks if you will be escorting someone to the reception.
[] Sochie.
[] 'Kihel'
[] Write in.
*
Later, you take the Nano Block to the White Doll. Sitting down in the cockpit, you weigh the powerful repair tool in your hand as you browse through the list of damaged and destroyed systems.
[] Repair a System.
--[] Write in.
[] Hold off for now.
Weapons
Type-TX Beam Pistol 10/500 (Heavily Damaged. Ranged)
Attacks Per Turn: 1d2
Damage: 2
Critical Hit: On Critical Success.
Special: -Penetration 1: +1 to target's Armor Save DC. -Unreliable: Unusable for one Turn on Major Failure. Unusable for all following Turns in a Scene(Update) upon Critical Failure.
Defensive Systems.
Turn-Type Armor (Non-Combat Mode).
Armor Grade: 6
Armor Save: 1+
Special: -Beam Resistant 1: Beams that hit this unit lose one level of Penetration vs Armor. -Nano Lamination 2: Damage from non-Penetrating Kinetic and Explosive attacks is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1). Nullifies damage from Point Defense Weapons.
Left Arm Lightwave Shield (Non-Combat)
Shield Grade: 4
Shield Size: Medium.
Shield Save: 3+
Shield Integrity: 6
Special: -Lightwave Shield: Does not block lasers. -Regenerate 2: Regains 2 Integrity at the end of each Turn.
I-Field. 280/500 (Heavily Damaged)
Field Density: 6-3
Dissipation Save: 4+
Field Integrity: 4
Special: -I-Field: Barrier against Ranged Beam Attacks only. Immune to Beam Penetration. -Dampening: Whichever Ranged Beam Attack breaks through the I-Field has its Damage reduced by remaining Field Integrity. -Regenerate 1: Regains 1 Integrity at the end of each Turn.
Mobility Systems.
Landskimmers. 14/200 (Damaged) -Speed +: Hidden -15 modifier to speed DC while on the ground.
Lightwave Maneuvering Thrusters (Flight Mode). -Flight+: Unit can fly. Terrain modifiers ignored. Hidden -20 Modifier to Speed rolls while flying. -Lightwave Propulsion: This system requires no fuel, only energy.
Lightwave Main Propulsion (Voiture Lumiere). 14/500 (Heavily Damaged, Unstable) -Extreme Speed: Hidden -45 modifier to speed DC while in the air or in space. -Unstable: +1d45 modifier to speed DC while in use. -Demanding: +30 to Condition DC after three Turns or one Engagement of usage with Pilot Skill below 4. -Lightwave Propulsion: This system requires no fuel, only energy.
PSI Systems.
Psycommu System. -Psyco-Control: Pilot Level may not go below 1. May control the White Doll while outside the cockpit at NT-Level 3. -Requirement: Requires NT Level 2 to use.
Psychoframe. -NT-Amp: Allows the usage of MS scale NT powers. -Requires NT Level 2 to use.
NT-D Mode. -NT+: Allows the usage of NT power one level above that of the user's Level. -Demanding: +100 to Condition DC after three Turns or end of Engagement if the user is not NT Level 4 or above. -Exclusive: Cannot be used at the same time as Bloody Siege Mode.
Bloody Siege Mode. -Mode Change: Splits the mobile suit into pieces, nine in total (ten with backpack). Each piece (except backpack) has its own I-Field. Can be used within gravity. -Requirement: Requires Pilot Level 4 and NT Level 4. -Excusive: Cannot be used as the same time as NT-D Mode.
Stealth Systems.
Invisible Umbrella 14/500 (Heavily Damaged) -Cloak 1: -10 modifier to various DC as the White Doll disappears from passive sensors. Breaks when the White Doll enters Medium Range or attacks.
Holo-Decoy 14/500 (Heavily Damaged) -Decoy 1: Produces a faint afterimage.
Misc Systems.
LUNA Energy Transference Module 14/500 (Heavily Damaged) -Universal Compatibility: The White Doll can use most types of equipment by wirelessly transferring power to them.
Carapace Backpack. -Armory Backpack 5: Can store 5 weapons for later use. -Adaptive workings: Will alter itself to carry MS weapons no matter their shape. Within limits.
-Carapace I-Field 14/500 (Heavily Damaged)
-Carapace Flight Mode 14/200 (Damaged)
Integrated Weapons
Weapon in the same place as the Right Arm Destruction Manipulator Beam Saber. (Gun/Burning Hand)
Three small weapons around the Beam Saber. (Three Hooks)
Four small weapons on the White Doll's head. (Four Arrows)
Weapon on the left wrist. (Sword/Gun)
Bloody Siege
Weapon within the White Doll's head.
Weapon deep in both legs.
Weapon in the chest.
Weapon in the shoulders.
Weapon deep in the left arm.
Weapon in the waist.
*
Since there is a technical ceasefire in effect you have tomorrow off. You decide to-
[] Continue your training under Arisa and Corin.
--[] Go alone.
--[] Invite someone (write in).
[] Talk with Arisa and Corin.
[] Hang out with Sochie and Miashei.
[] See what Captain Gavane has to say.
[] Grab Sochie so you can experiment with Pressure together.
[] Spend time with the disguised Queen Dianna.
[] Seek audience with Lord Guin.
**********************************************
Current Position Week 14.
Legend.
Red = Inglessan Militia (and Luziannan Militia for now).
Brown = Florian Militia
Dark Blue = Dianna Counter.
Star = Headquarters.
Pentagon = Major Bases.
Diamond = Task Force.
White Square = Kingsley Valley Dig Site.
He's right that the sleep mode White Doll couldn't do it.
The full power of the Turn X? Yeah, that could do it trivially. There are two canon non-Turn MSs capable of meaningfully opposing a Turn unit: ELS 00Qant and the Unicorn at maximum Newtype Space Magic Bullshit levels.
[x] Repair a System.
--[x] Weapon in the same place as the Right Arm Destruction Manipulator Beam Saber. (Gun/Burning Hand)
[x] "I'll go as Laura Rola." Keep the mask.
[x] Sochie.
Shining finger, a beam cannon, and a probable sword upgrade. GIMME. Grappling hooks, PD lasers, and standard issue sword/gun don't compare, and we can't even use the Bloody Siege mode weapons yet. And Bloody Siege is pants compared to having actual funnels anyway, because you can't use it AND fight as an MS at once.
@Iceblocks
Does the Turn-X's NT-D come with all the canon NT-D bullshit? Funnel hijacking, full body psychoframe antics, the Awakened state?
Yes, but the Turn-Type NT-D System is mostly geared towards amplifying the pilot's Newtype abilities and drawing power from the other side. It doesn't possess the automated features of the Unicorn NT-D, so if the pilot of a Turn Unit wants to replicate those feats it will have to be done manually.
[X] "I'll go as Laura Rola." Keep the mask.
[X] 'Kihel'
[X] Repair a System.
--[x] Weapon in the same place as the Right Arm Destruction Manipulator Beam Saber. (Gun/Burning Hand)
[X] Hang out with Sochie and Miashei.
No contest on system repair, if IBO taught us anything its that effective ranged firepower is king.
Yes, but the Turn-Type NT-D System is mostly geared towards amplifying the pilot's Newtype abilities and drawing power from the other side. It doesn't possess the automated features of the Unicorn NT-D, so if the pilot of a Turn Unit wants to replicate those feats it will have to be done manually.
[X] "I'll go as Laura Rola." Keep the mask.
[X] Sochie.
[X] Repair a System.
--[x] Weapon in the same place as the Right Arm Destruction Manipulator Beam Saber. (Gun/Burning Hand)
[X] Spend time with the disguised Queen Dianna.
[X] "I'll go as Laura Rola." Keep the mask.
[X] Sochie.
[X] Repair a System.
--[x] Weapon in the same place as the Right Arm Destruction Manipulator Beam Saber. (Gun/Burning Hand)
[X] Spend time with the disguised Queen Dianna.
"I'll go as Laura Rola." You say after a moment of deliberation. Lord Guin perks up at the decision while Lady Lily is struggling between humor and a bit of jealousy (her Pressure is conflicted).
"And as for who you will be taking with you?" He asks, alight with interest.
"Sochie Heim, sir. Will Miss Kihel come with you and Lady Lily?"
Lord Guin nods. "She will."
You nod back. "Understood, sir. Was there anything else?"
"There is not." He chuckles. "Have a good day."
*
[X] Repair a System.
--[X] Weapon in the same place as the Right Arm Destruction Manipulator Beam Saber. (Gun/Burning Hand)
With a tap of a finger you set the Nano Block to repair the weapon in the White Doll's stubby right hand. The block is instantly expended, dissolving into a multicolored cloud of nanomachines that disappears into the walls of the White Doll's cockpit only to appear outside of it a moment later, streaking down the right arm on its way to the stump.
The repair process only takes a minute, which you spend getting the White Doll airborne and headed towards the training ground. Time to see how the new weapons work.
Very well. The answer is very well.
The inbuilt Beam Rifle is equivalent to the White Doll's Beam Saber when it comes to destructive potential, and doesn't seem to lose cohesion over long distances as easily as the Leo Beam Rifle. Speaking of the Beam Saber, you can't quite put your finger on it…but it seems to be a little easier to wield.
Destruction Manipulator Beam Rifle
Attacks: 2d2
Damage: 4
Base AP: 4
Critical Hit: Yes.
Special: -Penetration 2: +2 to Target Armor Save DC. -All Range Weapon: No Long Range Penalty. -Integrated Weapon: Does not count towards the carried weapon cap.
Destruction Manipulator Beam Saber now has 2d2 Attacks per Turn! (Upgraded from 1d3)
As for the other weapon…You are honestly not sure if it is an actual weapon or a quirk of the engineering that lets the right hand beam emitter switch between Beam Saber and Beam Rifle mode, but the third weapon doesn't actually do anything other than latch onto the target with the right hand's claws before dumping all the energy in the capacitator onto the target in a flood of barely-stable Mega-Particles.
It is certainly destructive, but you would never even consider using it against something if you wanted to keep the person inside alive.
Shining Finger. (Melee/Beam)
Attacks: 1d1
Damage: 4+3d4
Base AP: 5
Critical Hit: Yes.
Special: -Penetration 3: +3 to Target Armor Save DC. -Massive Criticals: Critical Successes deal triple damage. -Grab Attack: No Unarmed Penalty. Successful Hit demands a Piloting Roll from the Target to disengage. -Wave Surge Attack: Does half damage upon successful Target Armor Save. -Merciless 7: Units targeted with this weapon may not be spared with the Mercy modifier if the Attacker's Piloting Level is below 7. -Integrated Weapon: Does not count towards the carried weapon cap.
*
[X] Spend time with the disguised Queen Dianna.
"The reception is the best chance we are likely to get in a long time." Declares Dianna-as-Kihel after a day spent helping her with her work. "We will have to make the switch then."
Sochie, who is privy to the fact that her sister has traded places with Queen Dianna and was invited to join your planning session after work, furiously nods her head.
The plan is simple: Once the reception starts, but before the announcement ceremony, the three of you will enter the Soleil under the guise of escorting the 'incognito Queen Dianna' around the reception, get to Kihel-as-Dianna and make the switch, and then leave with the real Kihel. If you miss your chance before the announcement it might be possible to perform the switch afterwards, but you shouldn't count on it.
It is not even close to an ideal plan, but you have nothing else.
*
The next day you emerge from your tent in the guise of Laura, forcing you to wonder if chose to remain as a woman to the public out of some kind of sunk-cost fallacy, but quickly conclude the negative: It is still working, even if the slower people around camp are asking about 'Laura's girly brother'.
Sochie, however, is less than enthused.
"You are going like that?!"
You can only blink at her. "…Yes?"
"B-but! I-!" She wildly gesticulates around her before sighing, disappointment radiating off her. "Never mind."
As good as you are at being a girl, and with your powers to boot, you just don't get Sochie sometimes.
Dianna approaches you before you leave for the Moonrace-occupied territory. She asks you to be ready in case the opportunity for her and Kihel to exchange places arises.
Lord Guin has Lily, Kihel, and Sochie ride with him in a Moonrace high-speed shuttle with the colonels while the rest of the Inglessan, Luziannan and Florian delegates take separate shuttles. You are flying behind them in the White Doll as part of the concession given by the Dianna Counter.
When you reach the Soleil a few hours later the White Doll's sensors detect a mobile suit you haven't seen before: An orange quadrupedal unit sitting idle at the southeastern outskirts of the reception. Lord Guin told you that the Dianna Counter allowed the Tejas Militia to bring their own mobile suit, probably because the core Tejas territories are on the opposite side of the Moonrace occupied areas, separated from the rest of the Southeast Amerian Coalition.
You land the White Doll according to the instructions of a Dianna Counter soldier and take the chance to look around before you leave the cockpit. It is easy to see why the Dianna Counter allowed Tejas and the rest of the Coalition to bring one mobile suit each: The entire Royal Guard is present around the Soleil, and you count nearly two dozen WaDoms spread around the immediate area. Add this to the four Almaiyas hovering above the celebration (and the two grounded ones flanking the Soleil), and the two Earth mobile suits look less than threatening.
Exiting the White Doll, you meet up with Sochie as Ambassador Miran greets Lord Guin and Lady Lily, welcoming them to the celebration before leading them, Kihel, and the colonels inside the large party tent.
As with the ball at Bostonia castle two months ago, the celebration is teeming with Dianna Counter officers, Amerian rulers, diplomats both foreign and from the other Amerian nations, and others.
There is still some time before the reception officially begins. What do you do?
[] Walk around with Sochie.
[] Stick close to Lord Guin.
[] Stay around your mobile suits.
[] Take a closer look at the Soleil with Dianna-as-Kihel.
[] See if you can find the delegates from Tejas anywhere.
Such power! Even if the target makes the armor save it's still likely dead. And with dat Pen value most things don't get an armor save.
Only Hashmal, Battleships and the White Doll can survive a hit if the save isn't made. Fucking Hashmal would probably survive multiple hits ... but an AI controlled Hashmal is the kind of thing that might trigger Combat Mode if the White Doll recognizes it. It IS an automated genocide system, after all.
Only Hashmal, Battleships and the White Doll can survive a hit if the save isn't made. Fucking Hashmal would probably survive multiple hits ... but an AI controlled Hashmal is the kind of thing that might trigger Combat Mode if the White Doll recognizes it. It IS an automated genocide system, after all.
Such power! Even if the target makes the armor save it's still likely dead. And with dat Pen value most things don't get an armor save.
Only Hashmal, Battleships and the White Doll can survive a hit if the save isn't made. Fucking Hashmal would probably survive multiple hits ... but an AI controlled Hashmal is the kind of thing that might trigger Combat Mode if the White Doll recognizes it. It IS an automated genocide system, after all.
Point of order, for gameplay reasons a 6 on an Armor Save roll is always a success, just like how a 1 is always a failure. Same reason as to how DCs will never go above 90 or below 10.
As for Hashmal, at least one has been converted to a remote-controlled drone by the Dianna Counter technicians (you met it during the raid on the Dianna Counter base, where it had been stolen by the RRET team). The rest are sitting in storage without their reactors.
The Hashmal fight almost happened when Loran and the crew were attacking the Dianna Counter base a few updates ago. Luckily for you, the RRET team didn't bother with familliarizing themselves with the controls before they stole the control unit and a Dainsleif.
As for the Combat Mode, it is an automatic response to the White Doll feeling threatened. The only person who could push a button to activate it is dead.
We can't manually activate it, and I'm not sure if Hashmal could even slow the Turn X down with Combat Mode online.
I'm fairly sure we could take one down without it. Go UP and nickle-and-dime it to death with our new beam rifle. The Claw Guns can't hurt us and the Muspell Beam Cannon is largely gimped by the number of stacking saves and regenerating barriers we have.
With the I-field at full repair I know we win, assuming that Barrier/Shield Grade works like Armor Grade, because the Muspell would be trying to break a 1+ save to do 2 points of damage per sucess to a bigass regenerating barrier.
Point of order, for gameplay reasons a 6 on an Armor Save roll is always a success, just like how a 1 is always a failure. Same reason as to how DCs will never go above 90 or below 10.
As for Hashmal, at least one has been converted to a remote-controlled drone by the Dianna Counter technicians (you met it during the raid on the Dianna Counter base, where it had been stolen by the RRET team). The rest are sitting in storage without their reactors.
[X] Take a closer look at the Soleil with Dianna-as-Kihel.
You take Dianna-as-Kihel by the hand and lead her towards the Soleil. "Let's check it out before we begin."
The disguised queen nods, though she takes her hand away the moment she gets her feet back under her. Sochie stays behind to entertain Lady Lily.
You are not entirely certain what to think of the Luziannan noblewoman, but it was nice of her to lend the three of you these dresses.
To be perfectly honest, you think you look good in green.
The entrances of the Soleil are covered by tents, but since you are just scoping the ship out you refrain from trying to peek behind them. It is Queen Dianna's ship, after all. She knows where the entrances are.
Dianna Counter soldiers are everywhere, many of them looking at you and Dianna-as-Kihel. Even among the pilots in the Mobile Suits there are those that would rather stare at you than keep a lookout. Is Laura Rola and her White Doll really that famous among the Dianna Counter?
Whatever the case, you and Dianna-as-Kihel walk a half-circle around the Soleil (with the odd detour to talk to a curious delegate), taking note of patrols and the like. You can sense other patrols behind the tent wall and within the confines of the ship, but that is a matter for when you get inside. And by that point you should be able to bluff your way past them.
*
Once the reception formally begins you and Dianna-as-Kihel return to the Inglessan-Luziannan delegation to grab Sochie so that you can begin your mission. First task: Get into the Soleil. With some trepidation you pull back the tent flap covering one of the flagship's entrances, revealing the three of you to the patrolling Dianna Counter soldiers behind it.
Their reaction is immediate. "Who are you!?" Demands the apparent leader. "You are not allowed back here!" They push you back with their guns before Queen Dianna takes a step forward, letting them get a good look at her face.
"At ease, men." She says to the frozen soldiers. "I simply wanted to make sure your daily work was up to par." You and Sochie step up to flank her. "The Royal Guard asked us to escort her here." You tell the white-clad soldiers. On the other side of Queen Dianna Sochie nods in affirmation.
And with that the disguised queen simply walks forward through the patrol, you and Sochie hot on her heels as the stunned soldiers reflexively get out of her way. The sight repeats itself with the guards posted at the entrance to the Soleil, but after that all you meet is the odd crewman who hastily salutes their Queen before going on their way.
"I should be at the bridge in circumstances like this." Queen Dianna whispers as you ascend an otherwise empty staircase. "We will probably find Miss Kihel there."
Right, smooth sailing. You think as she leads you through another hallway. Just gotta get past the Royal Guard. But…
You look over at Sochie, who is looking almost as uncomfortable as yourself. This feeling in your Pressure…why does it fill you with such foreboding-
A metallic noise that can only be described as a 'godawful shriek' echoes through the Soleil's halls from the outside. As one the three of you rush to the nearest window, right in time to see the huge white machine from the raid on the Dianna Counter base last week leap upon a silver SUMO and tear it to pieces.
A nearby WaDom tries to respond but has its cockpit smashed in by a vicious, lightning-quick strike of the white machine's blade-tipped tail.
From there the white machine charges another WaDom, which is unable to fire because of the guests behind its attacker. You too explode into action, spinning on a heel to sprint back the way you came.
"Loran!" Sochie cries out after you.
"Keep going!" You yell over your shoulder. "I'll help them deal with that thing, you go make the switch!" Whatever Sochie might have answered, you do not hear it over the sound of your footsteps and the pounding in your ears. You do feel her Pressure, as confused and scared yet determined as it is, yet-
Suddenly you feel another Pressure, unique among those within the Soleil in that it does not contain a single trace of fear. There is only giddiness, determination, and the intent to kill. You almost trip when you realize that whoever this is, they arranged, or at least expected, the white machine to attack.
And they seem to be going towards the same place as Sochie and Queen Dianna.
Because of the circumstances the Battleplan for dealing with the White Machine is locked to use Melee weapons while driving it away from the civillians.
