Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Nexus Earth - Chapter 10a: Return of the lost

[Justin OOC]

There was a flash of light, about a kilometer from the Macross, and Captain Klang sped toward it clad in her power armor. Kai had charged her with keeping the Macross safe, while Ryoma and Gai fought Ayato. The mech was emitting Satoshi IFF codes, but they were truly ancient. At best it showed as neutral on her Targeting HUD and she decided to take a chance. After all every single one of her weapons had a lock on the newcomer.

She couldn't help what happened next, as her childlike voice boomed out over the comline. "Attention Unidentified mecha, state your name rank and purpose here, or you will force me to treat you as a hostile opponent in a war zone."

She hated her micronized form, since she wasn't actually a child, but had always been treated as such.

[Rebecca Baines]

Arrival, 30 seconds prior.

Rebecca was stunned. She did the best she could to shake the cobwebs out of her head as the D-Drive engines tend to play havoc with the synapses for a split second.

When she looks up as her screen clears from the tachyon pulse that accompanies the dimension warp she sees something that when she had left was only... a wreck.

"What in the bloody hell?" She says, keeping at maneuvering speed as she spots wreckage. As she slows down multiple 'critical damage' blips appear on screen. Some escape pods, some just pilots physically escaped from their mecha with just a space suit keeping them alive. Some various mecha or space fighters just drift, sparking from their powertrains.

She gulps as she looks beyond the bow of the strange ship and sees two gigantic beings locked in combat when she's challenged.

"Attention Unidentified mecha, state your name rank and purpose here, or you will force me to treat you as a hostile opponent in a war zone."

"Hostile, friend? I'm barely coherent right now!" She shouts, but then pauses. "Sorry... there's Satoshi protocols for this think... think... Oh yes. I am Rebecca Shirasu Rathbone, Callsign Osprey. Pilot of the SeaTalon. Lieutenant of Satoshi Crisis Response Team 4. R&D branch. I've been gone for a bit, they probably listed me as KIA or something... but that's besides the point. I need to speak to whoever is in charge to find out what in the blue blazes is going on!"

[Justin OOC]

Without Ruri, it took time for her data inquiries to go through. There was a Lieutenant Rathbone listed MIA from CRT-4. "I have authenticated your identity. Klan's weapons moved out of attack and she moved close. "You realize how long you've been gone, Lieutenant?" The Macross had stopped firing, and around them they could see the telltale drive flares from other mecha rescuing pilots, and salvaging what they could.

"Alot has changed. The head captain is occupied at the moment, So I will have to suffice for now. All the other Captains are engaged in combat."

[Rebecca Baines]

"I've been gone for 2 years, 2 months, 5 days based on my chronometer..." Rebecca says, noticing a string of malfunction warnings stream over her screen. "Bloody hell, the D-Drive just had a critical error... computers are having a kernel panic, hold on."

Suddenly having an important piece of hardware suddenly dismount without being properly removed causes nothing but grief for the mecha operating systems for a moment. It takes some reassuring keystrokes from Rebecca to get things functioning normal again.

"Completely offline... like it was... No time for speculation everything else is functional... What can I do to help, then?"

[Justin OOC]

Klan sighed. This Lieutenant was a gearhead. "See about getting some of the escape pods then. Bring them to cargo bay 4." She sent a datastream over to the Osprey detailing where she was to bring the pods, as well as rewriting her IFF. "We don't have many left to gather, grab what you can and meet me there." With that she sped away, going to rescue her comrades and subordinates.

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca switches the SeaTalon to Mecha mode, to make it easier to collect any free-floating pilots or grabbing escape pods. She also checks to make sure her suit's properly pressurized in the case she has to step outside for any reason, and reducing the pressure in her cockpit to a safe bare minimum. "Roger that."

"Well it's better than going right down the throat of a war I know nothing of..."

She starts flying over to a cluster of escape pods that have docked together via proper rescue protocol. A couple of pod-less pilots have attached themselves outside in rescue bubbles they crawled in and attached to the pods for power, to reduce the strain on their flightsuit life support systems.

Once approaching a safe distance she opens her cockpit and looks about the pots for a attachment point she could use on the mecha to run a tow line from the pods.

Many of the downed pilots and crewmembers of smaller ships look out of the small windows or from their bubbles and look at the strange mecha helping them, and the equally unknown pilot strapping their 'space raft' to the said mecha's hull.

[Justin OOC]

It took some serious doing, but thankfully the magnetic clamps on the arms and legs were strong enough to hold pods on each of them. Three quick trips rescued two lifeboats from Dalaraan ships and ten ejected cockpits.

There was a sharp tone. "Lieutenant Rathbone, I'm sending you coordinates for Mecha bay two. Please land your mecha there for servicing." It was Klan's voice, and she sounded like a child.

[Rebecca Baines]

Not that it sounded strange. Back where she was for those two years away her superior on her missions had a similar voice. Cute one she was. A bit of an authoritarian, but when you have to corral other mercenary pilots, you probably have to grow a pair.

"Command understood. En route."

She starts flying back to Cargo Bay two after dropping off her last load. "And when I get in and this fighting out here is over I'd better get a chance for a shower... This suit's probably smelling F-U-N-K-Y."

She sits back in her seat and heads for the cargo bay for servicing. She makes note when she arrives to see if the bay is a pressurized one or a vacuum-exposed one to properly equalize pressure in her suit, and cockpit.

[Justin OOC]

The mecha hangar was unlike any she'd ever seen. Row upon row a mecha of a type she'd never seen were there, many pristine, but a fair number showed varying degrees of damage. Most notably was the bright red Mecha that had greeted her in space. The entire front of it was open, and a small blue-haired girl had just emerged from it.

Since nobody had helmets on it was obvious they bay had some method for isolating itself from space. A large group of techs had gathered around her, handing her data tablets. She signed each and the crowd dispersed, as the long haired girl finally looked towards the wayward Lieutenant.

"you're human. That's good. With Satoshi once can seldom tell." Her elfin ears gave away the fact she wasn't, though she looked like a 12 year old human girl in every other regard.

The young Captain made her way to her and smiled. "My apologies for not introducing myself. I am Captain Klan Klang, of CRT-9. you should come with me, there are things we need to discuss."

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca raises the visor of her helmet and then disconnects it from her suit. Her short brown hair having a case of 'helmet hair' so it's not very well styled. "That's quite alright. What did you expect me to do, jump back into my mecha and run from the sight of you?" She says with a playful smile, trying to break the ice. "And yes, I'm 100 percent human."

She follows behind Captain Klang, helmet under an arm. "So... back out there, you had mentioned that 'You realize how long you've been gone?'... I've read alot of science fiction in my day and that usually happens to astronauts that time traveled... particularly in that tone...

How long was I gone? Really? Just humor me if this sounds strange."

She blinks, wondering if she's gotten into a new pile of weird.

[Justin OOC]

"Twenty of your standard years." The young captain led her to one of the many changing and cleaning facilities on the ship adjoining the cavernous bays. She stripped out of her own suit and got into one of the stalls, They were the only ones here, though this particular unit was much smaller, only a half dozen stalls.

"I'm lead to believe that's awhile by your human standards."

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca is taken aback. "Twenty.... that's ten years for every one on my..."

She slips into one of the stalls off balance with her back against the wall, then slides down. "I... no... I can believe it. The technology of the D-Drive was theorized to trigger occasional time-jumps if the polarity of the neutron flow somehow reversed during the jump process. Moving the subject not only through space or dimensions but time itself."

She looks up. "Yeah... that's it. I'm... the first time traveler in human history!" She says with a rambunctious energy, accidentally hitting the shower control, turning it on. "... great." To add to her embarassment the flotation device triggers on her suit. Seems two years of her time not keeping tabs on the auto-trigger system made it very sensitive.

"Now I really look like a fool." She says, coaxing her suit off. working around the inflated vest section and feeling relief that she got it off. She'd been wearing it for a few days, and started to welcome the shower. "But... I could use a shower anyways." She tosses the suit unto a shelf in the shower. with her helmet sitting on it. "Hopefully later I can get my suit cleaned and properly maintained again. It's been working fine, but regs say every 3 months all equipment has to go through a inspection if it's to be used in vacuum..."

She breaks her train of thought as she cleans. "So... How long have you been with your CRT?"

[Justin OOC]

"No, you aren't."

She didn't elaborate.

"Maintence should be easy, especially on this ship."

She smiled as hours of sweat and grime washed away. "I became bound to Satoshi when the remains of the Circinus Federation Fleet I served in was defeated in combat. Head Captain Morisato sponsored me for Captaincy and I have served him for the last two months."

She nodded. "We're all older than he is, and yet he just seems to have the natural capacity for this."

[Rebecca Baines]

"I see... I'd been working with Satoshi out of University after my Father died. He had passed before he saw his work on the D-Drive completed and I helped get the D-Drive operational."

She takes a moment to soak in the water. It may be filtered water, but where she was even that was at a premium. "I've never really formed a full opinion of anyone. I've always considered Satoshi my superior, nothing more."

"Seesh... now I feel old. 24 and by this world's time I should be 44... go figure!"

[Justin OOC]

"That's for the best. With the Civil war, there are two Satoshis. We've nearly elimanated the others, but a few officers are still operating."

"Well believe it or not you're older than me, though only by a year."

"I would introduce you to Captain Hoshino, but she's fallen in the war already. We're fighting to make sure no one else makes her sacrifice."

[Rebecca Baines]

"Looks like all hell's broken loose since I left. Care to give me the thumbnail of the situation then?" She says, finishing up washing and drying herself. "At least from what you can tell me?" She starts getting her suit back on, working around the earlier embarrassment of the inflated vest. She'd let the air out, but she didn't want to waste time.

[Justin OOC]

"Which all of it? my sum involvement in the war, or just since I joined Satoshi?"

There was a great difference there. She got out of the shower and dried off, geetting a clean suit from one of the lockers. "I swear, Ruri and Kaname think of everything."

[Rebecca Baines]

"Well... the current crisis outside, actually. Start with the most pressing issues first."

She adjusts her suit a bit. "Me and this suit have been everywhere together. Designed it myself actually. Heck, some of these suits might be based off of my designs, to be honest... it's been long enough." She says with a giggle, putting her helmet on just for ease of transport. Funny how she doesn't feel it when the vest is inflated. More comfortable that way, she wagers. The HUD portion of the visor n her helmet slides down, giving her readouts of her mecha. "I just hope I'd be of some use."

[Justin OOC]

We recieved a distress call from the ruler of the Dalaraan Empire, our ally. Head Captain Morisato called for an immediate force to be mustered and sent, and it was done. We mustered a total of 3 CRT's to come here with 7 officers one seven warships. We've captured one warship and lost 2 though another's fairly beat up. When we got here we found the remnants of the rebel Satoshi, 4 Full CRT's. We have largely beaten and destroyed or captured them. Now The head captain and Princess are fighting alongside what allies they can against Former Head Captain Hizashi Hayami and Takashi Satoshi. In Space, the Goddess Tsunami engages Lieutenant Ayato Kamina in mortal combat. She was wounded, and my Lieutenant, Gai, and Captain of CRT-8, Ryoma Nagare have engaged him to buy the Deity time."

"The Dalaraan Regent is MIA, and we have reports the Emperor may be KIA."

[Rebecca Baines]

"Rebel Satoshi... This problem didn't even exist in my time. This must have been recent." Rebecca says, thumbing the chin portion of her helmet like she was thinking. "Any idea as to what caused the rebellion? Or even if there is some sort of conspiracy fueling this rebellion?"

[Justin OOC]

"In two words, Kai Morisato."

The discovery of a True Heir of the Amaha bloodline, the most revered by Satoshi, and that he's of the ruling line, the Morisato, immediately made his claim to Satoshi stronger than any other. Takashi, the supplanted heir, would have none of it, and slew at least two Captains and their lieutenants in his rage, before he and Hizashi, along with their allies left the Sol system."

Kai is also a true Skeleton Key of immense power."

"Another primary cause is Takashi's Xenophobia. Princess Lily offered an alliance, ending hostilities of the Hidden War, and he refused to allow it, killing some major supporters. in his attempted Coup de tat."

"Ultimately he failed to reaffirm himself and they left, and Satoshi began rebuilding. Just in time for the grand armada of the Federation to arrive."

"A battle would have ravaged earth beyond repair, so on another planet, champions from both sides, Satoshi and the Federation fought in honorable combat. Satoshi was the victor, and Earth was at peace, as we began the process of raising the quality of life across the globe."

[Rebecca Baines]

"Kai..."

Rebecca trembles. Knowing now what she got herself into.

"The main line... A Skeleton Key... Good god... this could rip apart the universe if it goes too far..."

She sets her head against a wall and hits it, feeling like her world is already being torn asunder. "What is our odds? Can we stop this from going beyond anyone's control?"

[Justin OOC]

She shook her head. "A goddess is involved. An interstellar nation has been crippeled, and may yet die. None of us may leave alive."

She sighed. "It's all up to the ones fighting Takashi and Hizashi now. If they can beat them, then I know Gai and Ryoma will win their fight, and save the goddess."

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca considers her options. She knows she's got the firepower, the piloting skill... but what about who is still down there? If she got involved there was no guarantee that the protectors of the Goddess would survive. And if it's possible to kill her... A talented Mecha test pilot might not add up to a hill of beans. But then again...

"Okay, Captain... Then I got two options... either I stay here and accept my fate, or go down there and see what I can do... Since you're outranking me... What would you recommend?"

[Justin OOC]

"Going planetside would accomplish little The resistance there stopped when Tsunami showed up.. Beyond that the Head Captain and others are in a dimension we don't currently occupy. She held up on of her hands and a circle with a alot of ancient writing, along with a large "A" appeared, outlined in brilliant light. "I know he's alive, and that things are going well enough. My master charged us to protect all we could. We have done so."

"Even as it stands, we're moving the macross to where we can hit Ayato, and not Tsunami with the main cannon, should the others fail to strike him down."

I may have a need for you, if you're willing. One of the rogue Starships is missing. I don't have alot of recon forces left. Think you could find it?"

[Rebecca Baines]

She smiles. "Sounds like you have a mission for me, Captain. Leave it to me. Any information on the make and model?"

She has her suit send a signal to her Mecha to start warming it's main zero-point generators. "If I know the threat this ship may pose against me, I can formulate a battle plan. I've tangled with large weapons before. Spirit of Motherwill, Answerer, god knows how many Land Crabs... even one with weapons designesd to take me out... The way I wager the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

[Justin OOC]

"You might regret that statement." She led her to a large panel, and the stats for the Amaterasu came up on the screen, all 1600m of her. "Hundreds of point defense batteries, a Synchro cannon 150m across, and more drone mecha than most light carriers. I think this is where our wayward Captain's gone. I want you to find him, and report back to me. Engage at your discretion, but your primary purpose is to find the ship."

She brought up it's last known coordinates after leaving planetside. "Here's where we lost it. Damn Ships a mile long stealth ship."

[Rebecca Baines]

"I see... If it gives you some comfort... most Arms Forts brought such firepower. Some were 3 to 4 kilometers in length with firepower that would melt conventional weaponry. Drone mecha? Heh... Won't have any remorse when I pop them like balloons. But if we can get away with this without a fight... I'd be a happy pilot."

"You got your scout."

[Justin OOC]

Klan nodded. "alright. Mount up and Sortie then" Back in the mecha hangar, the twenty year old mecha didn't present a problem long, as the fabricators easily managed to rearm and rework its computer system up to modern standards.

[Rebecca Baines]

"Yes, Sir. I'll find your lost ship in no time." She says, saluting. She then double-times it to her Mecha in the hangars. She sees the gantry arms finishing with the upgrades and around the engine she notices the D-Drive was completely gone... it was integrated to the zero-point systems but it just... disappeared!

"That's odd... You there, Engineer! Was anything removed off of the generator?"

"No ma'am. Everything's bound to the generator, you couldn't remove anything without first removing the generator and Zero-Points you can't remove without complex equipment. No one here is certified for that sort of work."

"I see..." Seeing her late father's work disappear from her work seemed like another memory of him disappearing from the universe. "What were the gantry cranes doing?"

"Upgrading your systems, ma'am. Got everything all set." He says, tossing her a new interface cable. "Hook that into the back of your helmet as before and interface that into the cockpit and you'll have all the functions as before with the AMS."

"I don't need it. Everything's wireless in the cockpit."

"Oh... we did that for security though."

"Like anything can break an encryption based on the Mandelbrot set calculated with a seed set by my suit's on-board computer? I'm the keys, bud."

"Oh... Although that already comes standard in our models now anyways."

She steps back a little. He probably doesn't know about the fact she was the first to use that security function. "Hmm. What else does the cord do?"

"Well, it also gives a direct life-support feed from the cockpit. And it gives a fail-safe against ECM since it's a shielded control interface."

"Very good. Well get her ready to fly. I've got a boat to catch."

"Got you, uh... what's your call-sign?"

"Osprey." She says walking to her mecha.

[Justin OOC]

The low level tech nodded, the mech's platform raising up and moving to the catapult even as Rebecca settled into it. as soon as she sent the signal, the plate took her to the catapult deck, and launched her into deep space, her computer already loaded with the route to where the Ship had last been seen.

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca feels the Mecha slam her into her cockpit seat, she's felt it before, but she's not gotten used to it. Once she reaches a suitable acceleration, she cuts her thrusters and coasts off of her momentum.

"Okay... this should take me a few minutes... better start priming the sensor arrays."

She presses a few locations on one of her many flat-screens in front and her sensors hum to life, she keeps them passive for now, not wanting to give away her position.

"Nothing yet..." She whispers to herself as she sits back. She finally starts resetting her PFD that went off earlier. If she has to go out, it could restrict head movement. That wouldn't be good. "So... my little lost black sheep, where are you..."

She thinks of the times while she was gone. All the mecha pilots she fought... and killed. They underestimated her, although they were rookie class themselves. She won't make the same mistake.

"If I'm going to have to engage I'd better think of a plan. I'll have to disengage her engines first followed by disabling it's primary weapons. I could dodge her smaller guns but that might not work out too well. And I hope to god they don't got a mech on my level. Engaging a tango while dodging cover fire isn't good for one's health."

When she reaches the waypoint she takes a deep breath, and starts combat protocols by venting her cockpit so if she has vacate her mecha, she won't violently be spat out, and adjusts her suit pressure and makes sure the ejection system reads green before actively sweeping.

"Okay... come on you little..."

20 km away, there is a ping. Stationary. She closes, adjusting herself into a defensive posture, but staying in aerospace mode.

It seems dead in the black... but she doesn't trust it. "Command, this is Osprey, I've spotted her. But she seems dead or playing dead. Taking a closer look."

She transforms back into mecha mode and keeps her frontal shield system facing the ship, she uses maneuvering thrusters to close to within 2 kilometers of the ship and warms her weapons.

"Okay... should I poke it with a stick..." She says, leveling her rail-rifle at the ship towards it's engine exhausts "... or take it for it's looking like... I smell a trap."

[Justin OOC]

Explosions wreathe her mech, but nothing corrects directly. A silver blur streaks between her cockpit and right arm, the round from a railgun. "You make far too much noise."

Another cloud of missiles left the launchers of the unidentified mecha, all racing towards Osprey at rediculous speed. Her sensors registered heavy beam discharges.

( I need 3 defense rolls please DC 26 each, you may also go on the attack)

[Rebecca Baines]

Click to reveal..

Defense Rolls
*rolls* 2d6: 3+5: 8 + 20 = 28
*rolls* 2d6: 1+6: 7 + 20 = 27
*rolls* 2d6: 5+5: 10 + 20 = 30

"Son of a ... I knew i'd get a hello. Commencing hostilities!" She shouts over the firepower exploding around her. Whoever it was was trying to get a bead on her. She keeps her blade and tachyon rifle on hot stand-by while she fires a retort with her Rail Rifle as she closes in.

Click to reveal..

2:58 pm: Firing 3 attacks.
Sakurako *rolls* 2d6: 6+3+20: 29
Sakurako *rolls* 2d6: 3+1+20: 24
Sakurako *rolls* 2d6: 5+5+20: 30
Railgun Damage: 310 each shot

[Justin OOC]

Two of the shots connect, coring into the legs, but not blowing them off. A string of russian Curses followed, in addition to a pair of railgun shots, followed by a hail of fire from a longrange chaingun.

(Defense 30, 28, 28)

"You will not interfere with the plan."

[Rebecca Baines]

Click to reveal..

Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 4+4+20: 28 - 150 damage
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 1+4+20: 25 - 154 Damage
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 2+2+20: 24 - 0 Damage (beamcoat)

"FFFF dammit!" Osprey shouts in disgust as her systems start flashing damage reports. The two rail shots landed close to her cockpit, if it wasn't for the armor and force field systems she'd be a goner. While the laser shot deflected harmlessly off the armor she knew for a fact this guy wasn't playing around.

"Time to get serious... Activating primal armor..." Almost beyond the speed of thought she triggers extra panels to deploy on her mecha, re-enforcing her own shield system with what on sensors seem to be tachyon particles... where Rebecca came from though, they were called by a different name. Kojima Particles.

"Time to say hello." She says, maneuvering her thrusters to get a vector for a swipe with her energy blade, but first opening with her Railgun, and tachyon rifle (in that order).

Click to reveal..

Mecha HP: 696 Remaining | Player EP: 250 Remaining (-80 from Guard being activated this turn.)
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 2+4+20: 26 - Railgun: 310 Damage
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 4+2+20: 26 - Tachyon Rifle: 210 Damage
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 6+2+20: 28 - Plasma Blade: 385 Damage

[Justin OOC]

Her first two shots go wide, over the guns mounted on the shoulders, but whether they were planned feints or not, it let her get cloes enough to cut deep into the Buster's left arm.

Missile pods opened up and disgorged missiles at pointblank range, as the right arm came up holding a beamsaber.

(DC 30 30, 27)

"Closing will only get you so far little lady, and changing your armor will only do so much. It's not a unique trick PS armor activate!"

The mech became solid green in an instant, and seemed to shimmer.

[Rebecca Baines]

Click to reveal..

Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 3+4+20: 27
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 3+6+20: 29
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 3+5+20: 28

Sorry, no damage this time. Guard saves my butt.

The shots hit square on the mech, and even push SeaTalon back a bit, but after some sparks off her shield seem to re-enforce the mecha's own defenses, there wasn't a scratch. Then when he closed with his energy blade she deftly meets him blade for blade in a fencer-like standoff.

"Ah... all this on a first date? I'm touched!" She says with a grin. "My turn, PERVERT!" She says, as her missile racks swivel upward and open. "Kiss-kiss!"

Click to reveal..

Mecha HP: 696 Remaining | Player EP: 170 Remaining (-80 from Guard being activated this turn.)
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 1+1+20: 22 - Missile #1 - Jams
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 4+4+20: 28 - Missile #2 - 210 Damage
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 6+4+20: 30 - Railgun - 310 Damage

[Justin OOC]

The left missile pod registered a jam, but the right disgorged it's payload, seemingly to no effect against the green tinted mech.

The railgun hit hard, rocking it back, but it too seemed to do little damage. "Is that the best you can do little girl? That hunk of junk you're in is barely worth my time, and you certainly aren't worthy of it."

[Rebecca Baines]

Click to reveal..

Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 4+2+17: 23 Unjammed.

The jammed missile is easily ejected from it's chamber with a flick of a switch. "Can a hunk of junk have triple-failsafes for it's weapon systems? I think not." She says as the sparking fades from her force field and armor.

"Little girl? Heh. This isn't a popularity contest."

She focusses on her sensors using her man-machine interface built into her flightsuit, looking to find her opponent's weak-point on his shielding... it's frequency. If she can find it she could cut through it like a hot knife through butter!

Click to reveal..

Mecha HP: 696 Remaining | Player EP: 170 Remaining
No Spirit Powers active.

First Roll, using sensors to find his shielding frequency. Using my sensors I make a Mind+Electronics roll.
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 1+6+16: 23

Second roll, to set the frequency to my weapon suite. Mind+Electronics roll
Osprey *rolls* 2d6: 5+5+16: 26