[indent][hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qJLhXWW.png[/img][/center][hr][hr][b]Apprentice Pilot Kyra Newman[/b]
[color=silver][sub][b]IC 286.08.16[/b] // Petrichor-8 System, Frontier Planet Alora // Approaching planet's surface.
1426 hours // [@Raijinslayer][@Supermaxx][@Lemons][@Fading Memory][@Feyblue][/sub][/color][hr][hr][/indent]
[indent][color=silver]Approaching her specialized robot, Kyra took a second to marvel at the sight of what must’ve taken dozens if not hundreds of hands to create. A sleek design that focused on maximizing speed and surveillance capabilities, the TC-730 Marble is effectively a repurposed model to suit the requirements for her ability to pilot it. Several features were removed in order to optimize the capturing of environmental information and threat recognition systems, the weight re-configured to support the electronics required for it while still maintaining a high level of mobility relative to other mechs. With a reverse-legged design to minimize energy use on lift-off or a burst movement option without burning fuel, relying on several miniature thrusters for more precise mobility, were it not for the ladders locked in place for a Pilot’s convenience she would’ve had trouble climbing up to the cockpit in the chest compartment, a hatch open on the machine’s shoulder.

The bespectacled woman nearly slipped off the rungs of the ladder when she heard the voice of her retainer call out to her, clinging for dear life as she did her best to listen to the old man’s barks. The veteran wasn’t even looking at her, focused on one of the two VVIPs of their personal mission, yet she was certain he would catch if she didn’t give her full attention to his words. She squirmed when he finished, eyes finally settling on her disheveled figure still wrapped desperately around the ladder, and the brunette had to physically gulp down her nerves before she replied.[/color]

“Y-Y-Yes [i]sir[/i]!” [color=silver]Kyra physically winced when she heard the squeak that slid into her voice near the end, but thankfully it seemed that was all the old war dog had to hear before he leaped up to perch atop her robot faster than she could’ve even without the momentary distraction. Hurriedly climbing up after him and carefully heading to the hatch of her mech, she slid down the small chute directly into her chair inside, the seat perfectly modeled after the deep dive VR machine she used to play with in the comfort of her home. For a moment, the young woman relaxed, eyelids closed and enjoying the familiar cushions beneath her body despite her bum throbbing slightly from the impact. 

Her eyes shot open at the sound of a company jingle, one that she heard thousands of times before when booting up her favorite competitive title. The interior of the cockpit was pitch black, save for the white lettering of the name ‘Emerge Program™’ before the darkness slid away as the Heads-Up Display lit up her surroundings. The screen displaying her surroundings filled her sight, her periphery filled with hovering gauges and meters that near perfectly represented the status of her machine. Others lined the bottom, numbers and bars that notified her of her weapons and movement capabilities, most of them filled to the max save for a grayed out box that signified absent back-mounted equipment. The center of her view was lined with a cross hair, measuring lines helping her gauge the relative distance between her and a target, as well as a smaller simplified version of pertinent information such as energy levels and currently loaded ammunition in a small reticle beside it. Forgetting the time and effort it would’ve taken for the developers of her mech to translate actual systems into gamified stats, Kyra grasped the two controlling mechanisms in her seat and was happy to see her machine raise the automatic rifle in its hands in response. She was home.

The HUD lit up with the words ‘Welcome Back, Agent’, the tagline any player of Ironclad Core would know by heart, just before the right side of her view filled with the portraits and names of those currently keyed to the general radio channel. Her immersion immediately died as soon as she saw the list, the maximum team size within the VR game only reaching around twelve. Though minimized for the sake of visual clarity, she counted over forty names of only half she could recognize, their ranks signifying them as members of the platoon joining the Pilots and Constellations on the mission, as well as Rigel who was currently set to mute and Lictor who was no doubt listening to the conversations thrown about on the open channel.

Another two names added themselves to the list soon after, Eight-Ball and Aberrant Integration System Subject One- she quickly renamed it to ‘Aissi’ -joined the channel. Unlike the other names on her team list, Alto’s displayed what she expected from her VR game, a life bar and small symbols briefly summarizing his diagnostics popping up beneath it. She’d never had a chance to be fielded alongside other mechs before, and the sight made her feel both relieved and nervous. Kyra hoped she wouldn’t have to watch that gauge deplete on-duty. 

Though her fellow newbie Pilot attempted to fish for a partner, Aissi had responded before she could, the view she had of the half-Aberrant riding up alongside the experimental machine Alto piloted being a surreal experience. It was like watching a game bug in real time, despite it being very much real and not a recording issue in the slightest, her systems entirely in the green. She polished her glasses anyway, yet another immersion breaking movement Kyra had to ignore as she opened her mic to speak to the two still on the open channel.[/color] “Um, due to the disparity between the deployed number of Pilots and Constellations, it was decided before the mission that Mission Control would allow the pla- th-the units on field to decide their own composition of groupings... S-So long as each Pilot had at least one Constellation assigned to them.”

[color=silver]Which wasn’t telling the full story, but the Pilot wasn’t sure how much of the mission briefing she was supposed to share with the rest of the crew. The levels of information between members seemed off, with certain members kept in the dark of things that should’ve been pertinent for all involved, and the young woman didn’t want to step on any toes if she could help it. Besides, the listed pairings were near identical to what eventually formed, if the Orbitae woman standing atop the last unstated mech was any indication, so all happened as it should-[/color]

“How interesting.” [color=silver]Kyra just barely stopped herself from physically whirling her mech around to the source of the voice, coming not from the voice comms but from the physical audio picked up by her sensors. Seated atop the opposite shoulder from where she had entered her robot, the figure of Dombay sat atop the metal plating, legs dangling off the side and their sheathed sword politely laid atop their lap. Eyes perpetually closed, they still happened to turn exactly to where her imaging systems were displaying the surroundings from, ‘looking’ directly at her through the screen.[/color] “Then, please pardon my sudden arrival, but I prefer to ride alongside Miss Newman and Master Lictor.”

[color=silver]She never saw when or how they got onto her mech, none of her systems reacting until they’d settled onto the shoulder. The small map on the top right corner of her HUD, lighting green with moving dots that symbolized friendlies within her current surroundings, hadn’t registered them until just before they spoke, the small green dot atop her own and next to Lictor’s as if it’d always been there. Kyra wasn’t sure how to react, to respond, but before she could the minimap widened, more information flooding into the reconnaissance systems as the hanger door began to open.[/color]

“Ladies and gentlemen, time to head out!” [color=silver]Rigel’s portrait on her screen lit up as she saw the figure of the muscled man approach the slowly opening door, the skies murky with smoke and air that was no doubt as difficult to breathe in as it looked with the level of planet Corrosion their destination suffered from. Turning to the assembled group of soldiers, Constellations and mechs, Rigel threw out his arms to either side, the smile on his face somehow more manic now that they landed as he shouted with his loudest voice yet.[/color] “Welcome to Alora!”

[color=silver]Then the skies lit up with missiles, shells and laserfire, the symphony of discharged artillery completely drowning out everything else in the world.[/color][/indent]


[indent][hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/EZxSm84.png[/img][/center][hr][hr][b]Red Giant Ahkari Ganju[/b]
[color=silver][sub][b]IC 286.08.16[/b] // Petrichor-8 System, Frontier Planet Alora // Approaching Princess D-47's Nest
1430 hours // [@Eisenhorn][@McMolly][@Asura][@vietmyke][@OwO][/sub][/color][hr][hr][/indent]
[indent][color=silver]Though the skies above were murky and dark, the sun shrouded by the clouds formed overhead along with the air being murky and inhospitable, Ahkari watched from the hotel’s cracked windows as it shone bright with the last of humanity’s might.

It wasn’t easy, but through the combined efforts from the desperation of the situation, promises levied that would be upheld even if she were to suffer an untimely demise, and every last bit of familiarity they had as fellow inhabitants of the planet, the Red Giant had convinced the acting general to support her operation. They needed a distraction, and he gave her one, with every last bit of the forward base’s remaining firepower designated with one, singular target: the Nest. The economical cost was immense, and no doubt the shrinks riding in the space cruisers were already chewing the Brigadier General out for wasting precious resources when the planet-side mission was effectively considered a failure. She would have to buy Lenard a case of expensive brandy the next time she saw him for his help, if only to alleviate the migraine he would develop.

Ahkari had a faint hope that perhaps the enemy was weakened enough by the constant battles that the barrage could somehow inflict a decisive blow, but at the end of the day, it was a useless endeavor. Already, she could see several of the discharged shells exploding prematurely, the defensive measures of the Aberrants immediately responding to the oncoming threat as reactionary balls of plasma met the artillery fire halfway and causing both projectiles to end mid-flight. Small shapes in the distance flew up to meet the rest, aerial forces using their very bodies to protect the mother base to force an early detonation. While fewer in number, the devastating beams of light created by stationary rail and laser cannons were much more difficult to intercept, and yet before they could attempt to dent the metallic ‘petals’ of the Nest, the shimmering presence of a powerful barrier stopped them in their tracks, absorbing the energy of the assault until it dwindled to nothing.

Expected, but disappointing. What mattered, however, was the enemy’s response afterward.

The Constellation twitched as she felt the ground rumble, the Aberrant force rising from the urban jungle as if merely awoken by the level of firepower that would’ve leveled several sectors of the city had it reached its target. From her periphery, she saw many of the soldiers raise their weapons, the distant sound of approaching aliens sending them all into high alert. The purple-haired commander had informed the rest of her company the details of what would happen, and even warned them to stay still and not engage with any passing force except on her command, but even she was palming her spear when the enemy came into view.

A colossal force seemed to rise from the streets themselves, a wave of Pawn-Class Legionnaires crowded ear to ear as they filled the city with terrifying numbers, the asphalt of the road disappearing under the mass of the swarm as they progressed toward their destination. At a towering nine feet each, their bodies were covered in a blood red carapace that protected only the most important areas such as joints and vital points, the visible flesh pulsating and raw as if the skin had been peeled off. Baying and shrieking echoed through the surroundings, thousands upon thousands of voices cried for bloodshed, an evolved feature created only to instill terror into the heart of humanity. As Aberrants required neither food nor water, they possessed mouths and vocal cords for no other purpose, empty of even teeth as they stampeded past the hotel without a second glance.

The mass of bodies, so copious they frequently bumped each other into the buildings surrounding their path, would frequently cause the walls of the hotel to crack and the supports to groan while the blades that replaced where hands would be scraped against the concrete, the fearful sounds of certain weak-willed soldiers thankfully drowned out by the haunting wails of the Pawn swarm. Flying above them were several squadrons of surface-based Knights, aerial fighters and drones darkening the skies that were but a moment ago ignited with fire, along with the Bishops that silently commanded the horde. To name every type of Aberrant that passed them by would be a severe undertaking, and after the seventh variant she stopped attempting to keep track, yet knowing that they could’ve brought such a force upon themselves should she have proceeded with her original plan made the commander shudder.

Even after the deluge of bodies had ended, Ahkari didn’t dare make a move until the rumbling stopped, the sight she beheld no doubt mirrored on every street and corner of the city facing the forward base. To think that the Aberrants were able to repopulate their forces to such an extent… It was unlike any other operation of this scale she’d experienced in her many years of serving as a Constellation. An unnatural level of ability for a single Princess.

Perhaps it was the fault of the Queen that birthed D-47. However, the Dorothy bloodline of the Aberrant hivemind were known primarily for their ability to birth an impressive personal guard, not a high reproductive capability. But the thought of said guards reminded the commander that her mission had only just begun, and though she would’ve given it more thought if she had the chance, time was of the essence. [/color]

“Alright.”[color=silver] Keyed into a radio frequency reserved only for the squad leaders, platoon commanders, Pilots and Constellations, Ahkari notified them all that it was time for action after a quick check with her surveillance officers.[/color] “Move out. We have to reach the target before they figure out what is happening.”

[color=silver]The Constellation wasn’t naive enough to believe they’d drawn out every defending unit situated around the Nest, though the light show almost certainly cut the number by a significant margin. They couldn’t keep up stealth at a quick pace, with seven mechs, twelve mobile vehicle weapons, at least a hundred and fifty soldiers, the sounds of their engines and footsteps at any notch higher than glacial would alert anything with functioning ears, so she eschewed it near entirely. She’d just have to rely on the Aberrants hopefully treating the forward base with a higher threat level than it actually was, and a bit of luck. 

With nowhere near as much gravitas as the swarm that passed through minutes ago, Aurigae’s company passed through the war-torn roads, the rumble of wheels on asphalt and grumble of worried soldiers seemed louder than usual, the empty streets devoid of life save their own. Unlike the hotel, the rest of the city was nowhere near as meticulously cleaned, the bodies of humans and Aberrants alike left where they lay. Destroyed infrastructure stayed as it was, fires flickering in any direction one chose to look, and the unmistakable smell of ionized air left behind where plasma weapons were used. Grimly, Ahkari wondered how many piles of ash were once people, and if one day they’d create technology that could piece a disintegrated family back together again. 

But that was neither here nor there. Though they were left unmolested for an hour, more than she thought was possible in Aberrant infested territory, their luck ran out by half of the next. So close to the Nest that she could almost see the finer details of the structure in the distance, the Constellation was unsurprised to see the welcoming party that stumbled upon them.

Rounding a building only a block ahead of them, a surge of Legionnaires, thankfully more of a lake than an ocean like what had passed them before yet still numerous in numbers, and the Bishop-Class Spearmen that led them. As their namesake suggested, Spearmen used a long rod of alien metals as long as they were tall, a powerful twelve feet that, while smaller than even the smallest forms of human mecha, they used to dangerous effect. Unlike a human, who would use a dangerous point to defeat opponents with their superior range, an Aberrant needed no such tactics. With overwhelming might, they simply swung their ‘spears’ as if they were mere sticks, buildings torn in half by the sheer strength of their physical prowess. Technique was not a lower form Bishop’s strong suit, but rather relying entirely on their natural ability.

A privilege of the strong.

Ahkari noticed the handful of Jetsam flying along with the Spearmen, and upon sighting the human group, immediately began to wriggle their bodies and reveal the beam weaponry hidden beneath their ‘scales’. With the size of the forces roughly 2:1, with the commander counting upward of two hundred of the Pawns and counting as they surged around the corners of buildings, the Constellation gripped her spear tightly and allowed it to extend to its full size, the hiss of pressurized air exuding from the weapon.[/color] 

“Engage the enemy!” [color=silver]The commander cried out, the screams of hundreds of Legionnaires melding with the roar of her soldiers as she immediately leapt toward the building ahead of her, the air around her pushing the woman forward rather than slow her approach while she heard the sound of gunfire ring out behind her. Running along the wall, her eyes were set on the Spearmen, who began to simultaneously scale the buildings around them in unison. Eight in total, she barely had just enough Constellations to keep them from descending upon the infantry and ripping them apart, but as they fanned out to avoid her entirely the Constellation grit her teeth.

From first glance, they seemed to have realized the threat she possessed, and were planning to wipe out everything else before dealing with her. And, as she attempted to intercept a duo that were a bit too close to each other to both avoid her entirely, she changed the frequency of her radio to a select few. [/color]

“Constellations, catch those Spearmen! Pilots, keep the Pawns off them and get them in position!” [color=silver]The spear in Ahkari’s hand roared, spewing the air built up within it, and she hopped onto the handle just before it began rocketing through the air. With no visible technologies to control it, the spear was entirely piloted by her Anomaly, the air currents guiding her spear as it made its path through the skies toward her two targets. Intercepting them just as they twisted to see her approach, she kicked off her spear as it flew directly into one, the point clashing with the rod raised in time to keep it from skewering the alien through the head while the other wound its ‘spear’ around with a wild swing to remove her head. 

A powerful burst of wind adjusted her mid-air so that the weapon swung harmlessly away from her, yet she still felt the air around her warp from the force of the attack. Bringing her hands together, she thrusted them simultaneously palms first toward the assaulting Spearman, the air between her and her target compressing until it violently burst, rocketing her down to a building while careening the Aberrant into the sky, the flash of its barrier indicating the absorption the blow.

Her spear, having kept pressure on the other opponent even during her short scuffle, suddenly retreated as it flew to catch her before she could land, the two Aberrants meeting on a rooftop as Ahkari floated above them, seated on her spear once more. Eyes narrowed, she could only wish her fellow Constellations luck, slowly lowering herself to meet the two rapidly approaching Bishops with her feet on the ground, spear twirled into a readied position.[/color][/indent]