Jump to content

Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Nexus Earth - Chapter 6 Session 2a Battlefield New York


Justin OOC

Recommended Posts

IT was a short flight on the dropship up to the Macross Quarter. Her Captain welcomed them to the bridge as the ship began to prepare for an orbital drop.

The bridge itself was somewhat crowded, What with Lily, Mercury, Akina and Masane, and Kai all there in addition to the crew.

"Status Captain."

"We are preparing for orbital descent above New York now Head Captain. Pixe and Skull teams are ready for immediate Sortie. We have your Angelg ready as well, and about one hundred of the newly reprogrammed and repainted Scout drones."

"So few?"

"There's much else that has been higher priority. It was never anticipated we'd need them for actual ground cobat, mostly anti ship infiltration." We have more than the others, since you're only bringing elements from one CRT with us. We have taken care of their ships, beyond the remaining dropships they used, so they've nowhere to go back to."

"Right so our Mecha forces will sortie and handle the three hundred and fifty mechs currently lumbering around the city. The job of the scouts and my CRT forces will be to aid in evacuating whoever is left in the UN building on our dropships and into the Quarter itself."

"I have prepared Cargobay number four for their occupancy, it's the only one that stays uncompromized in any way in the modular transformation, should something require it."

Akina frowned, but moved on, Looking to Lily, Kai and Masane. "I'd love for the three of yo to stay put on the Quarter for this, but I'm going to need you down there. We've got pings on 350 mechs, but over a thousand of the scout models. Even with what we brought from CRT-3 and our drones, we have to approach a kill ratio of eight to one. I know our reprogrammed and upgunned drones are better but current trials are only showing them at 5 to one. Adding the three of you to the ground forces is like adding three low to midlevel Captains to the battle order.

That said I want the three of you to focus on saving the UN ambassadors. I have a special squad, Kuzuha, Raquel, and Junpei, the last three original members of my CRT who will assist you in your charge. it is imperative that we start building international goodwill. The US military, what Takashi left at any rate, is trying to get onsite but they've got enough Archer, Naga, and Naginata type units coordinating long-range artillery from the city itself.

She looks to Mercury. "I'd love to say you could join us,but I'm not so desperate that I need to send a non-com into battle. Feel free to remain here on the bridge and watch the battle unfold though. It's argueably going to be the safest place until we can set you down after the battle."

She looks to Lily, Masane and Kai. "Can I count on the Three of you?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Akina chuckled. "I wasn't asking you to fight in a mech. You'll be going inside the UN building with Kai and Masane and the CRT-3 squad. You certainly have anti-mech capbility, but you're alot more suited to anti-personnel. or at least anti-small mecha."

Captain Wilder nodded to Mercury. "Where you are is fine, one of the harnesses emerges from the deck plate behind you, but I doubt we'll be needing those on this mission."

He looks to Akina. "Captain, We are engaging final maneuvers before drop. If you and your team would please report to the hangar and launch deck we'll have you sortie immediately after we finish our decelleration burn."

Akina nods and leads Kai, Masane, and Lily to one of the private armory rooms on the hangar deck. She smiles. "Luck and skill my friends." With that she turns and heads for the Angelg, her new mech.

Masane looks to Kai and Lily. "Due to the nature of what we're doing, we've been issued Satoshi power armor for this mission as your Zanpukto and my Witchblade may alarm people, as would a girl flying unassisted and shooting blasts of energy from her bare hands."

Unabashedly she began disrobing there preparing to don her own power armor. Kai for his part did his best not to look as more and more clothing was removed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lily gives Kai a stern expression, and reaches out to take his shoulder and turn him around. With him facing her, and his back to Masane, she calls over to the other woman, "You could go behind something to do that you know."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"He's a young man and my Master Princess. I have no secrets from him. Besides I heard you all had abit of an experience at the Hanafubuki Inn. Something about a tussle in the hotsprings. I haven't seen Roshi since I left my time, but I'm told he's still the same sort of guy he was back then, just old and wrinkly.

She' fully disrobed and Kai's turning whole new shades of red and She puts on the undersuit for her Mjolnir armor. "Would it really be the first time he's seen a woman like this?"

Kai coughs as the memory of the hotsprings comes up from the depths.

Masane chuckles. "I thought as much. though the fact that it was Valerie and not you Princess suprises me."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"It wasn't just Valerie," Lily protests...then turns red herself and snaps, "And anyway that isn't the point! What happened there was accidental. You know exactly how seeing a girl undressed will affect him, and it's not appropriate for you to be trying to affect him that way. This isn't about secrets. It isn't about whatever weird master/servant thing you've got. It's about simple, common courtesy. To him and to me."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Masane looks at Lily and for a second the princess sees a very predatory gleam in her eyes. It passes after a moment and then se shmiled.

She looks over to Kai. "I'm done Master. I'll leave so the two of you can change into your armor but you need to hurry up." She clamps her helmet down and picks up one of the battle rifles from the rack and clamps on an underarm blade.

"We've Circinus to Kill, and politicians to save." She leaves the room and Kai turns to Lily.

"I'm sorry."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Yes I can, though I try not to. We share enough as it is. I don't particularly like invading another's privacy. She herself has told me how to keep others out, but the methods don't work between us. There are some moments that have been very uncomfortable."

He smiles to Lily. "That's not what's important right now." Warning lights went on above their heads. "Prepare for combat drop in Five minutes. All personnel need to make it to the Dropships immediately."

He looks to Lily. "We've got to finishi getting ready. I won't look but we have to hurry."

With that he turns his back to her and sheds his Kimono and begins to redress in mjolnir battle armor, seemingly not caring if she saw or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I notice she doesn't return that courtesy," Lily says pointedly, but doesn't push the issue for now. It really wasn't the time.

She unrepentantly watches Kai for a moment, then sighs and vanishes. Her kimono flutters to the ground as she leaves it behind and appears in her underwear behind it. Then she pulls on her uniform and waits for Kai to finish suiting up.

"I'm not sure I can jump with you in that thing," she says, eying the battle suit. "But we can try. Where do you want to go?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai shakes his head. "Save your strength. You're going to need it I think bringing the delegates back. We'll take the dropship down with the others."

Kai walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her. "Stay safe Lily."

The Final approach warning blared.

"We gotta go."

With that He grabbed his own weaponry and headed for the door and the dropship beyond.

On the bridge, Mercury got a great view as the ship finished reentry and began immediately disgorging mecha. Fire from the ground immediately sailded towards them, but the ship's point defense systems returned fire with devastating results. "Captain, USS Nimitz and Ronald Reagan are launching fighter wings on an intercept course. Sir they think we're attacking."

"Open a channel with them."

There was a tone.

"Attention US military forces. We are here to help, please do not interfere!" Static answered him.

"All pilots, incoming hostiles. If you feel you must engage use only nonlethal response."

The Captain looked to Mercury. "I'm sorry but I cannot let them endanger my ship." a salvo of missile impacts near the bridge made the floor buck but everyone who grabbed a hold of something was fine.

"Captain Nanamura reports contact with enemy ground forces. They dropped a ton of bralwlers sir. In the confines of the city they're going to have a rough time."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Lily put her hands on Kai's arms, as if she could feel them through the laminated battle armor he wore. When the alarm blared and he let go, she cursed under her breath and winked out of sight for a moment. Her clothes fluttered to the deck floor as she appeared, sans clothes, a few feet away. From there she donned the the power armor that had been modified to fit her and to synergize with her powers. She hadn't practiced much in it yet, but it'd have to do.

Finally she grabs the helmet and runs into the dropship even as she's still fitting it on over her head, compressing her flyaway hair to fit into it.

"I'm on the ship!" she yelps on the comm. "We're okay to go!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai climbed aboard and the dropship departed, landing in the courtyard of the UN building amidst the cleansing fire of several CRT-3 mecha clearing the zone. The Troper inside quickly exited and began clearing the tower.

Kai took one squad and started heading up Lily had another and each of the 3 originals had a squad. Soon gunfire began to echo through the building as they began engaging the Ravager mecha.

(Kai and Lily each have 5 CRT Troopers with them, which can handle most things. there's about a hundred ravagers in the building hunting and killing everyone in it. They have 150 hp no armor to speak ove and 75 damage laser weapons, and 40 damage claws and fang weapons that negate 12 armor.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lily took the high road, landing her squad on the roof of the UN building.

"All right," she said to her squad. "These Ravagers aren't much threat to me, so I'm taking point. You guys secure the area after me and check the spots I miss. If you spot any civilians, or run into any trouble, give me a call and I'll return to assist. Our objective is to get the UN diplomats and representatives out of this building safely. I'll be d-shifting them to the ship as fast as I find them. We'll go floor by floor, door by door, destroying any ravagers we meet along the way. Lets go!"

She turned towards the rooftop door and bashed right through it, then clomped down the stairs into the UN building itself, her five troopers following close behind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai led his own team and quickly the comlines were filled with sounds of attacking troopers and mecha. Lily and her team got to four rooms before they found somene left alive. It was one of the translators along with two delegates,Germany and France. The two delegates were armed with parts of chairs and all three were injured.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

On seeing the two diplomats, Lily didn't hesitate. She stomped forward in the Satoshi armor, grabbed each of their arms, and vanished, along with them, in a smear of fading blue light.

Back aboard the ship all three appeared in the cargo bay that she'd been told to bring the rescuees to. Without lifting her visor to show her face she nodded at the men. "You'll be safe here until the crisis is past," she told them. Their faces, terrified before but now starting to mix with confusion and hope, made her feel a little guilty that she couldn't say more to reassure them. She had to trust that there'd be personnel on the ship to debrief them. Time spent on that now would be time more people would die on the ground. Lily winked out, reappearing in the room in the UN she'd just vacated.

"Lets go! Move!"

They hadn't even gotten around the next corner before one of the soldiers bringing up the rear shouted, "Enemy contact!" and the sound of weapon fire filled the air. A ravager scout mech; larger than a suit of power armor, though small enough to fit inside a building, had come upon them from behind. it flinched back as high caliber rounds sprayed across it, ripping holes in its armor and sending sparks flying. The ravager turned back and for an instant the men of the Combat Response Team got a good look at it. It was roughly humanoid, like most Circinus designs, but was entirely robotic, without any pilot within. As such, it could move more fluidly than most mecha, with no regard for the limits of biology. There was something unsettling about the smooth, almost organic way it moved, in fact. Precise, but with none of the clunkiness that one instinctively associated with a machine. It was festooned with blades. Its arms, legs, knees, elbows, chest, head, shoulders...all designed to rip people apart while dashing madly past them, or whirling like a dervish among them. A weapon of terror. There was a deceptively small firing aparture on each of its shoulders, each burning with hellish red light.

With hideous speed the ravager burst into a charge, gleaming black claws spread wide in anticipation of rending a puny human suit of armor apart...until a hand grabbed it from behind and swung it around, hurling it back the way it had come with enough force for it to crater the wall when it hit. Another suit of armor was standing there now, where there hadn't been one before. It was ringed by a glimmering blue halo. As the ravager watched, this new enemy assumed a combat stance and motioned its fingers in the universal gesture for 'come at me.'

Plaster and stucco exploded out from the wall as the ravager ripped itself free. From out of that white cloud exploded the scout mech, closing in on the glowing suit in a frenzy of killing intent. On striking the glow around the suit though, its momentum ebbed...and what would have been an armor-shredding strike was slowed to just scrape uselessly off the breastplate.

There was a flash of blue light. Then another. The ravager staggered backwards, uncomprehending, as its arms fell off with tiny explosions of sparks. A lance of azure light was in the Satoshi suit's hand, like a sword of blue fire. The scout drone crouched and the lasers on its shoulders blazed with red beams. The blue aura flared under the assault, but blunted their force to where they could only etch thin lines over the armor's surface.

Then the ravagers head joined its arms on the floor.

The energy sword vanished from Lily's hand, and the blue glow of her aura faded. She stared down at the vanquished ravager for a moment, then whirled and motioned the soldiers to follow.

"Come on."

-----------

Over the next two hours, Lily learned what 'grueling' really meant. Teleporting was as easy as walking for her, but going that distance, dragging her power armor and up to two human beings at a time, took a heavy toll on the metaphysical "muscles" that let her do it. She'd trained herself hard, but mainly for speed, not carrying loads. By the end of the first hour she had to fight down an urge to throw up after every d-shift. The hour after that she felt like she'd faint.

Adding to it was that the building was absolutely crawling with ravagers. They seemed to be in communication with each other too, because after a handful of easy one on one victories, they started grouping up. And when Lily beat two ravager teams, they started bunching in threes....harder to deal with because two kept her busy, allowing a third to attack her soldiers. Without the force field and natural toughness of a Dalaraan noble, they were not immune to ravager claws or lasers. Lily adapted, learning to quickly cut one's legs off first to make sure it couldn't do an end run around her, then engaging the other two directly. Even so, their combined attacks could wear her protective field down, and eventually pierce her armor and skin. The wounds healed quickly, but that took energy too...further tiring her.

Even with all that, the worst thing was undoubtedly that not even Lily was fast enough to save everyone.

She lost her first on the third floor down, after rescuing her fifth delegate. In the hall there'd been a crash from one of the side rooms, and a middle aged woman had come out the door, shrieking. Lily started running up to her, when a ravager burst out through the wall, cannonballing into the fleeing woman and crushing her against the far wall of the hallway. Lily had dispatched the machine, but the damage was done. As they combed the rooms, they found bodies too...some still fresh enough to bleed. She'd teleported one man to the ship even though he'd been pretty clearly mortally wounded. She couldn't just leave him to die, even though she doubted there was any help for him. Then Lily had to evac one of her soldiers when a ravager had surprised them by coming up through the floor and savaging him through his armor. He'd survived at least.

Finally, about halfway through the building, Lily changed tactics. She put the squad on search duty, telling them to locate and direct survivors to a secure location while she went on a ravager hunt to thin out their numbers. For the better part of half an hour she stalked the halls like an angel of robotic death, clearing out one floor then teleporting to the next to do it again. When someone on the squad called reporting any disturbance she appeared immediately to ferret it out. Three times it was nothing. Twice it was a ravager sneaking up on them.

And then, after they were all too exhausted to even cheer at the realization, they had cleared the first floor. The last personnel were teleported up, and Lily finally got to take her squad back…one jump at a time. When she arrived back on deck again for the final time she ripped off her helmet and collapsed onto her hands and knees to dry heave over the floor. Her head was a blinding mass of pain, and her body felt numb all over. She had no idea who helped her to a cot and helped get her tattered armor off. Even then though, she didn’t quite pass out. Instead she croaked, “Kai…where’s Kai?”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai for his part in all this was using Senbonzakura as a freefloating shield around his squad. Of course he ate through his considerable energy reserves keeping his Zanpakto's Bankai released for so long. He didn't find many survivors but none he found died, and the worst any of his troopers got was a scratch. He called for a direct Evac after each floor. He charged Masane with taking care of the Delegates and VIP's, and after he cleared his final floor he was forced to let his Bankai go or pass out. He along with his team returned to the Ship and he made his way to the bridge while they took over security for the VIP's. He removed his Helmet and was notified that Lily had just completed her last run and was returning with her team.

"Let her know I'll be on the bridge, she can join me as she's able." His voice was weak, the exhaustion evident. He made it to the bridge and Saw Mercury seated in an observer's chair and he Smiled. "All done on our end Captain. What's our status?"

"All Enemy Mecha destroyed within a kilometer but there's still alot out there. Akina and her pilots are hitting them hard and drawing them away. Things are going well Lord Morisato."

"Kai will suffice Captain, I don't like being called "Lord.""

---------------------

In the Hanagar Kuzuha, one of the CRT people who'd gone with Kai, walked up to Lily. "Kai's up on the bridge by now. Probably getting a status report from the Captain. He needs his rest, he kept his bankai active for at least an hour and a half sustained. He won't listen to us, so you're going to have to make him rest, or he'll wind up in the medical wing again."

--------------------

Kai looks over to Mercury.

"We may not be able to send you down just yet, please be a bit more patient as we finish clearing out the enemy machines. We'll take you down when we bring Delegates, If that's ok."

Standing there encased in high-grade powerarmor, it was somewhat hard to believe he was the same high school student She'd seen at the Festival.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mercury smiled at the young man. "I'm fine," she assured him, her legs crossed and her arms folded casually. She looked like she was sitting in the VIP room of a party rather than on a bridge of a massive warship, watching the defense of New York City from above. "This has been interesting."

And it was very interesting to watch how they did things, what their capabilities were, and how they responded.

Her darkly lacquered nails shone as she reached up and brushed some hair back from her eyes. "In fact, this is the most interesting day I've had in a long time."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"That it has." An alarm blared. "Captain High energy reading detected from above!"

"Evasive action!" The massive warship lurched right as the deluge of Plasma annihilated the UN building in a storm of brilliant blue-white death. "Eny Stealth cruiser decloaking! Prowler Class, CFS Star Stalker from the database! It's launching mecha!"

Ther were dull thuds as dozens of enemy mecha landed on the decks of the Macross Quarter. "Launch all reserve Veritech fighters! Recall Captain Nanamura!"

"Nanamura Reports she's thirty seconds out. Mecha squadrons are enroute. We have hull breaches by Ravager mecha in Sectors 30, 41, and 43."

There was a massive Explosion in front of the bridge as a Mech easily identified as a Black and gold trimmed quadrono power armor appeared, its shoulder gauss cannon aimed straight at the bridge. Painted on the mask was a grim white skull, the legend "Death's Head" beneath on the collar.

"Die traitors."

At this range the blast would kill everyone on the bridge, Skeleton Key and Rockstar Included. They didn't have thirty seconds, they had perhaps five as the massive coils in the cannon began to emit a faint blue light.

The Captain only had a few seconds.. "All hands brace for Impact!"

(OOC quadrono power armor

http://www.new-un-spacy.com/macrossf/queadluun-rea/queadluun-rea-red.gif ))))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mercury hated this. She was about to ruin everything. But she was also saving everything.

She really hated it when her orders screwed her.

A Mecha was in front of her, suddenly. It was hovering in front of the bridge, guarding them with its metal mass and remove the other mecha's clean shot. Eyes closed, Mercury went through the mental commands to open an ecrypted channel to the other Mech. "Natasha," Merc sent, "I'm here with the Skeleton Key. I advise you to allow yourself to be driven off by my Mecha."

She hoped the other woman went for it. She and Natasha weren't friends, but they'd had a good working relationship. Hopefully, that relationship would save her ass, and the ass of the all-important Skeleton Key.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai looked at Mercury with wide eyes as the bridge crew was in a state of panic, all eyes but his glued to the forward viewport.

There was a second delay, then Mercury heard "Roger that. Block with your right arm then fire with your left guantlet into my right pod in 3, 2,1 Mark!" The gauss cannon Flashed and utterly destroyed Mercury's quadrono's right arm, but her return fire ignited the right missile pod on Death's Head. The Black Mecha shot off like a rocket.

According to plan Mercury's sky blue and silver machine shot off after it loosing cannon blasts and missiles all the way till it came under the protection of the Cruiser's guns. Akina's contingent of mecha exterminated the machinces on th deck and in the skies around the Quarter and then escorted Mercury's machine to the Quadrono Hangar. She broadcast over an open frequency. "Whoever you are in there, you have my thanks."

All this time as the bridge crew looked around and resumed their duties, Kai looked at Mercury. He leaned forward and smiled. "Interesting enough for you now?"

His voice dropped to a conspirational whisper. "I think we need to head to the hangar, I want to meet our mysterious savior."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When the alert went off, Lily was sitting up in the hangar. She was still a bit listless, but recovering from her exertions. Then the flashing red light turned on, and the alarm, and the announcement running through the ship.

Her muscles protested as she jumped to her feet, and when she reached out to twist space...she had to stop as a wave of dizziness and nausea assaulted her. For a moment she could only stand there, doubled over and holding her stomach.

Kai's on the bridge. He's going to need me!

With grim determination, Lily tried again. By sheer force of will, she made it happen. It was by far the worst d-shift she'd ever made...worse even than the first time she'd ever tried it as a child. She didn't so much 'jump' between spaces as sliiiiiiiiiide, smearing herself over geometries alien to her body and mind before finally snapping back to reality on the bridge.

She appeared there, and immediately collapsed onto her knees, coughing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai immediately turns to the kneeling Lily. "Are you alright?" He offered her a hand to help her stand, concern on his face.

"We just got saved by a mysterious Quadrono mecha, Which is currently being escorted into the hangar bay by Akina and Lieutenant Klang (The Leader of Pixie squadron, the ships contingent of 5 quadrono mecha.) Masane's still in the bay with the delegates. We're goin to go say our thanks in person. Do you want to come along?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lily quickly nods and gets to her feet. "Yeah...I just heard the alert...been teleporting too much." She gives Kai a wan smile. "I'm fine though. As long as we've been saved. Lets head down there. Walk down there."

Then she notices Mercury there and her mouth falls open in dismay. "Oh, I...uh...experimental device...lets me do that. Still working the bugs out."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mercury nodded, and the trio moved through ship down to the Hangar bay. Akina's AngelG was there, not with it's weapon drawn but it was obvious that she was still at the controls. Klan Pulled her own scarlett quadrono armor into her alcove as the rest of Pixie Squadron dismounted. Kai, Lily, and Mercury were treated to a rarity, something only a few Satoshi personnel had seen, as the quartet of fifty foot women climbed out of their mecha , soon followed by their aquamarine haired Squadron leader. From the Walkway they were about chin level to the Massive pilots and Klan came over offering a salute as the other four pilots took up positions around the Unknown quadrono armor.

Kai sketched a quick salute and motioned for her to relax. "There's something very odd here, sir. If that were really a quadrono there should be blood or at the least har-gel spewing from the shoulder of that armor."

She looked worried.

"It's alright Lieutenant Klan, I don't think there's anything to fear from the pilot. Nor do I think she's quite the same as you and your squadmates."

He looks beyond her, one eye glancing at Mercury.

"Pilot of the Blue and Silver Quadrono, please open your armor and dismount so that we may see to your injuries and repair your machine." With that he waited.

(OOC Lily, this is the first time anyone in the Empire has seen the pilots of the Quadrono armor, they're one of the most lethal and maneuverable shocktroop type mecha the Empire's seen, and now she has seen why, they're not mechs, they're giant battle armor.)))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mercury didn't rise to Kai's baiting. If he wanted to out her, fine, he could do it. Until then, she'd play it cool. Silently, she signaled her mecha to open, before they took a laser can-opener to her.

"There no one in there," she murmured as the battle armor displayed its empty compartment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Klan and the others were obviously shocked and Akina turned her machine to face Kai. It was Klan who moved first. She walked up to the massive machine and closely looked into the head area. She turned around and moved quickly to where the small group of VIP's stood and then Kai found himself hoisted into the air in her massive hand as if he were an action figure. "You must see this", her voice boomed.

Inside the head assembly was an actualy human-sized cockpit assembly, with most of its functionality Still active. One Screen read "Slave System Engaged." he reached out to touch it, but Klan pulled him back. "Security System is armed, it can only be touched by quadrono right now." she opened her hand and held it level so he could snad there and he nodded. "What was the term you used in the restaraunt? Micronized? We have a Micronized HG trooper on the ship then."

She nodded and turned back to Akina. She set her hand next to the catwalk and he hopped off. Everyone else turned back to the machine and he nodded to Mercury. "If you do not deactivate the system, we cannot repair the arm." He whispered softly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HG trooper. The words sent a slight shiver through her body. They were good words, ones she had missed in the middle of rock concerts and parties and groupies. She missed the stars, she missed battle. But she had her orders.

Mercury didn't say anything to Kai, but sparks popped on the security panel. She sighed to herself. Causing a slight overload to the system to shut it down was better than letting everyone know for sure that the HG trooper was here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Klan watched the system short out and glanced back towards the VIP's. Kai's head imperciptibly nodded. Klan nodded to her team and the four of them moved the now deactivated battlearmor into one of the empy alcoves. CRT-4 personnel came out and began preparations to repair the joint and replace the arm.

"You should know Captain, that I believe we have an unidentified HG trooper in our midst. She's not hostile, at least not as far as we can tell, but still we need to identify her. This armor's old, even with it's technical innovations. Whoever the pilot is, she's been here awhile, or she wasn't good enough to rate high class equipment except as a field tester."

Akina sighed over the com and backed the Angelg into an empty alcove and powered it down. She nodded to Klan as she exited, riding the lift down to the floor. The HG trooper came back over and set her hand down and then carried Akina over to Mercury and the others. "Well it seems we'll have to wat another day to thank our benefactor. I'll have the Captain tighen security just in case you're wrong Kai." Her golden eyes flicked between Mercury Kai and Lily and then she smiled. "I'm sorry but we'll have to delay your debarkation awhile longer as we tend to the Delegates. please make yourself at home on the ship."

She looks to Lily and Kai. "Are you two ready to capitalize on the goodwill our little rescue garnered?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Mercury just nodded at Akina as she spoke. She wasn't going to rock the boat, especially not after Kai had just let her off the hook for some reason. "I look forward to your hospitality," she said with a smile. "Do you have a room I could rest in? This has been too exciting for me!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai nodded with a look of resignation on his face. "I'll be there. The least I can do first is show Mercury to her stateroom." With that the young Skeleton key took off at a brisk walk with Mercury and waited till he was a dozen floors up, down a long deserted hallway of VIP staterooms that weren't in use. He was still wearing his Satoshi battlearmor and had Senbonzakura at his hip. He turned to Mercury once the door closed behind them, keyed in a special passcode, and the cameras in the hallway winked off.

"You're a Circinus pilot." It wasn't a question.

"What is your mission on Earth? and What Fleet do you serve with?"

He knew Masane was already listening in, while she tended the delegates, and Thus he knew Akina likely figured things out too.

"I cannot cover for you forever, and as we are at war with the Federation, I cannot just let you leave."

"I Know you've been here at least a decade. I'd like to think that means you don't believe my people have to die."

"I'd like some answers Mercury, something I can tell the others that will calm them down so they do not react harshly."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I...what?" Lily looked at Akina, then at Mercury, startled. Her attention had been completely riveted on the giants and their power armor that she'd always assumed were mecha.

"Sorry, yeah." She looked at the surviving UN delegates. "I guess this is what I'm here for."

It still felt unreal, after all this time, to finally be addressing the United Nations in the hope of alliance with Earth. How long had it been since she'd come here?

Still in the jumpsuit she'd worn under the power armor, even though had several rips and tears in the arms and legs where she'd taken hits but then regenerated from, Lily walked out in front of the delegates.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the United Nations," she said, "Your planet has been invaded by an enemy you can't defeat by yourself."

Not -exactly- the same speech, since the Federation hadn't invaded yet then, but close enough.

"They call themselves the Circinus Federation, and they are a highly aggressive civilization driven to expand their borders at any cost, through conquest. My name is Aksaniolily."

She took a small device and passed it over herself. Her bright red hair shimmered and turned brilliant blue. Her green eyes melted to golden amber.

"I am also not of your planet. I represent a very old civilization called the Dalaraan Empire. We have been the enemies of Circinus for a long time now, and I've come to Earth to establish peaceful contact, and offer aid against a mutual foe."

"Not everything has gone according to plan though," she quickly added, forestalling comment from the delegates. "My ship was shot down by Earth defense forces, and I was forced to enter hiding. Then Circinus made its big push...and overwhelmed the garrison we had here to protect you. A great deal of damage was done because of that, and I am so very sorry. I've stayed all this time, trying to help...and now I've had the honor of being able to help all of you. It's my hope that Earth will consider the possibility of alliance with the Dalaraan Empire, though I understand this isn't exactly the time to enter into negotiations."

"For now, just know that regardless of anything else, I will continue to aid Earth in protecting itself. Even if at the end you tell me that you wish no contact. I ask nothing in return, I make no demands. Earth must not fall to the Federation."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The room errupted as dozens of the Delegates began shouting at once, but it was the French Delegate who first managed to get those around him to calm down.

"So you are saying there is not one but two alien empires out there vying for control of our world and none of us ever knew anything of it? What's more Satoshi Heavy Industries has managed to best these invaders enough that you have seemingly allied yourself with them against this Circinus Federation?"

"Forgive me young lady, but even with your display, and having seen you do the things you do, It'shard for me to believe. What sort of proof do you have of any of this?"

Raisho nodded and rose from his position behind Lily. "Look to the screen if you will if you wish to see the truth."

The screen behind them showed the earlier battle in space, with the Satoshi ships, waging war against the Circinus First Fleet.

"These Ships are Part of Satoshi Heavy Industries, the ones they do battle against are part of the Circinus First Fleet, their premier unit. There was some sort of misjump and these ships arrived well advanced of their mane force which will arrive in only a couple of months."

He let them digest that and then continued. "We had planned on doing this around this time, But Satoshi needs the aid of the entire world if we are to fend off the Federation Fleet. The Empire can spare no more ships, and we are stretched very thin. If the full resources of the world are not put into defeating the Federation, we will not win."

The room exploded again, this time no one could quiet them down. Accusations of warmongering, a mad grab for total control and even hostage taking were leveld at Satoshi's personnel, and Raisho looked to Lily and sighed. His look said it all. he hated politicians.

"Do what you can Lily, show them that cooperation is the only way."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lily sighed and flared with blue light as she soared up twenty feet into the air and shouted, "EVERYONE STOP TALKING!!"

In the shocked silence that followed, Lily lowered her tone, but stayed where she was in midair with aura flared.

"First, none of you are kidnapped. As soon as it's safe on the ground, you'll all be returned to whatever location you desire. If you really want to be returned now, you can be...though I'm sure you all remember the situation you were extracted from."

She lets that memory sink in for a second...a reminder that they're rescuees, not hostages. Then, in a gentler voice she goes on.

"You want explanations. I'm here to give them to you. Please just listen for now. I promise, all your questions will be answered in time."

"First...there is only one alien nation 'vying for control' of Earth, and that is the Circinus Federation, which has orchestrated these attacks. The Dalaraan Empire is interested only in alliance and cooperation with Earth, not in controlling it. This much can be verified by Satoshi's military commanders."

"Next, Satoshi Heavy Industries is not acting on official behalf of any one national body at the moment. They are protecting Earth because they're the only Earthly organization with the ability to do so. As for the details of the alliance between the Dalaraan Empire and Satoshi...my presence here is a symbol of that alliance. I am the crown princess and heir apparent of the Empire. I was sent to personally talk with representatives from Earth. I started with Satoshi because of the immediate military situation, but I'd like to include the nations...all the nations...of Earth in that alliance as well."

Lily descends slowly back to the deck of the hold they're all in, and the blue glow fades from her.

"I know this is hard. You're all used to thinking of your planet as being split into pieces, like a jigsaw puzzle. That time is over now though. Earth is ready to take it's place in a larger universe, as a citizen of the galaxy. You are the men and women who can make it happen. And it must happen. The Federation isn't interested in your nations or your sovereignity. They will fight you one piece at a time until they have it all...and then Earth will be united in conquest, because it could not unite in opposition."

"I ask you...come together and help Satoshi. They have the technology to fight this war...you have the resources to power that technology. They're not asking for political power, or control. Just commitment to aid in the fight."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally Posted By: Justin OOC
"You're a Circinus pilot." It wasn't a question.

"What is your mission on Earth? and What Fleet do you serve with? I cannot cover for you forever, and as we are at war with the Federation, I cannot just let you leave."

"I Know you've been here at least a decade. I'd like to think that means you don't believe my people have to die."

"I'd like some answers Mercury, something I can tell the others that will calm them down so they do not react harshly."

"You could start with the fact that I just saved you," Mercury said calmly. It was a relief, in a way, to lose her cover. She felt calm, freed from a burden so heavy, she wasn't aware of its full weight until it was gone. "You know I can't talk about my Fleet or mission, or rather that I shouldn't. I am still loyal."
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I know what you did Mercury. You saved me, and most everyone I care about. YOu had a chance to end this war, while dying yourself, but you didn't take it.

What I'm hoping is that you think my people have some hope. To that end, I'd like to speak to Circinus High command. If there's a chance that this can all be stopped without great bloodshed then I'd prefer to go that route, Even if I have to fight the sort of challenge Captain Nagare and General Zonbolt fought."

He looks at her and smiles. "I'd ask a favor of you Mercury, a bargain if it must be that way. I want you to teach me of Circinus culture. In exchange I'll guarantee not just your safety aboard our ships, but also your ability to roam free without a chaperone, and return you to your fleet once they arrive."

In his mind he could feel Masane tense up at the offer, but then nod. It was his choice, one that might put him in jeopardy, but his implicit trust in Lily, Masane, Valerie, and Akina shown through clearly.

"What do you say?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mercury sighed and turned, moving to the viewscreen on the bulkhead. She stared at the images of the city below on it. She'd been to New York many times; she'd walked through its parks and played music for its people. She'd known it would come to an end someday, one way or another. "And someday has come," she murmured to herself.

And then there was Circinus. She had a chance to end the war without anymore bloodshed. Her people could go back to floating among the stars instead of fighting for other people.

"Alright," she said, turning to face him. "Let's give it a try."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kai smiled. "Your life here doesn't have to end. We'll keep the circle small. If you want to continue as you have you can. I won't deny you that, besides your music is amazing."

He extended a hand to her. "Lily should be giving her speech to the delegates and diplomats. I need to be there too I think. Would you like to come along?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...