Amidatelion

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

"No, I - wait."

Marta stands up from her position haltingly. Her wounds had mended as if they had never been there, but she had - rarely - been subject to such violence. Turns out being shot really hurt, never mind seeing your own vital organs fall out of your gut. The shock had damn near immobilized her.

"I still - have some vim in me. You'll need the backup... and I have a mean left hook."

Raising her left hand, it flashes white, revealing the armored gauntlet of wrath.

"I've never liked leaving anyone behind to make a run for it; I won't start now. Please."

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

Marta shuffles off the ground slowly, her once-pristine habit riddled with bloodstains and bullet holes. Her messy cowl reveals a few stray locks of honey hue, which do nothing to obscure her bloodshot eyes and tear-streaked face.

Typically, the Sister would try her best to present a more dignified image, but it's clear to everyone else that her last stunt pushed her conviction to its ragged limits.

"...Is... is anyone hurt... ?"

She clings to her armored fist and looks to the east, where the sound of rumbling artillery draws closer.

"I-I don't want to do that... ever again. Let's get out of here."

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

Before the Soldiers' bullets could perforate Nil, Marta suddenly jumps before her, holding a gauntlet of radiant whites and greens.

"Thirty-Three Seconds exactly! Everyone, hang in just a moment longer-"

In the very moment in which heavy lead riddles the Sister's skull, a radiant light flashes throughout the room. In that instant, all injuries simply vanish as flesh reknits itself. Bruises disappear into thin air as inflammation is erased, and even fatigue is eliminated as ischemic muscles return to perfect rest. Everyone within 33 meters is completely and perfectly healed.

Marta staggers in place, fighting the horrible pain as several bullets are pushed out of her now-untouched cranium. One step later second fusillade hits and her teeth crack from the sheer pressure needed to stop herself from crying out. One more flash of verdant green, and they're restored, alongside the bits of intestine that had gone flying. Tearing a strip of cloth from her habit with her teeth, she bites down hard as she rushes the soldiers. One more flash, then another, then another, she bulls through the hail of bullets, tears streaming from boggled eyes.

The frontline soldiers balk in temporary astonishment; all the time she needs to deliver a devastating gut punch, grab the soldier and trip him over her, grappled to serve as a shield.

Then, she allows herself to scream in agony.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center, The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

"Speaking of kinetic times- "

Stepping to the side, the Sister grips the back of an office desk and heaves it forward. With an ear-splitting crack of polished wood being subject to sudden and unexpected ballistic stress, a formerly disk-shaped object slams into a group of soldiers and sends them flying straight through the back wall.

"- you don't have to tell me twice, Noel! Consider them held back!"

This said, she grins impishly as she aims an errant mug she found. That's the fun thing about this left arm, she thought. Everything I can grab is artillery.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

In any future retelling of the day's events, Marta would swear up and down that she was not asleep when Noel called her with all due urgency and that she most definitely did not startle awake, uttering some kind of strange gurgly cry and reflexively adopt a boxing stance.

No, that story definitely would stay under a seal of confession.

More importantly, she had just been shot from inaction to action, the undirected, stagnant stress now firing from every nerve as she tried to keep stock of the many, sudden developments.

"I'm starting to see it's zero to one hundred in two seconds flat with Task Force Obsidian," she groaned, following the group quickly as she limbered her shoulder. There was a non-zero possibility she'd be asked to punch a ship again, and she was not looking forward to that strain.

"But I'm ready to help. What's the game plan?"

She hoped against hope that no one would actually stand between them and the airport so they could evacuate in peace. Naivete, probably, but she did not relish having to send some poor soul careening into the stratosphere - metaphorically or otherwise.

Legitimate self-defense might not be sinful, but she wished she would endure into less kinetic times.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

It is much easier to deal with the effects of politics, thought Marta, than politics themselves. An invading army can be fought, a destroyed town can be rebuilt, and hungry people can be fed, but a battle waged with veiled threats, hidden compromises, and honeyed words weighed down by the sickly sweetness of double-triple-meanings was not that. If it weren't for the likelihood of escalation, she'd almost have preferred if their brazen foes had just punched her in the face - that she could deal with - something that could be handled with touch and feeling.

As she was, the stress and thumb-twiddling had left her already fatigued - but more than that, she was bored. Even with the high stakes and potential dangers, nothing had gone catastrophically wrong - yet - and her delegation had been reasonably well-behaved, all things considered, leaving her with no recourse but to stand there and listen in on all the complex talk of intrigue and politics. Her incredible ability to fall asleep in any situation turned against her, the Sister was already starting to feel drowsy.

...

...

She jolts with a start from her position, leaning against the wall. She'd almost fallen asleep standing right there... that probably wouldn't be too responsible. Her Right Hand could put her back into action immediately, washing away fatigue and inflammation faster than any caffeinated beverage, but beyond seeming ill-advised in this context, using her powers for the equivalent of an energy drink just felt so petty.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and did a few stretches before leaning back against the wall. Ugh, this pernicious somnolence... Keep it together, Marta; This is your responsibility, too.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mission Four - Knives in Phnom Penh

The City of Phnom Penh - 11/11/2022

Marta's eyes tracked Yulian's departure carefully until he turned a corner and left her field of view.

"Well... it seems you keep very interesting company."

Her thoughts were more along the lines of "Wicked, Pompous Douchebag" - she'd seen enough of the PLA's camps to experience little but contempt for the idea - but it seemed like poor diplomacy to exchange barbs at this early stage, especially after she'd just gotten her habit dry-cleaned. Instead, she made an innocent gesture by placing a hand over her face.

"I was also surprised by the willingness of your delegation to make such bold statements in this time and place."

It would be even worse if Huo Ren and his toadies got used to making verbal shows of force and thinly veiled threats. Marta at least had more faith in the members of Task Force Obsidian... she kept close to Nil especially, however. Not that the young woman clearly couldn't take care of herself, but it might mean trouble if someone tried to take advantage of her relative lack of social graces. The nun kept her constantly within reach in case she had to be pulled from some unintended faux pas.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/09/2022 06:00 UTC+8

"Well, with any hope we shouldn't need to do much more than that."

Marta spoke from the chair where she was seated, paying close attention to the briefing. She flexed her fingers idly, enjoying the recovery from the last mission.

"It's a diplomatic encounter, after all, right? Even after everything, the Chinese would not risk the bad publicity of attacking a ceasefire negotiation in broad daylight. It... doesn't have any rationale, yeah?"

The nun must admit that statement was charged with more than a little wishful thinking. It would be wonderful if there were a ceasefire, preferably one that helped the whole situation get sorted without any more violence. Still, she wasn't so naive as to expect that things had any guarantee of turning out that rosy.

Even so... she did sincerely believe it would be irrational in the utmost.

"But this is going to be a big, important event with tons of dignitaries and such, right? I hope we won't have to be in front of the cameras too much, I'm not really good with all that..."

After she said this, she reflexively checked to make sure there weren't any stray hairs peeking around the side of her headdress.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/2022

Marta decided she would put serious effort into learning at least a little Mandarin in the future. At the very least, it would prevent situations like being caught staring uncomprehendingly and the subsequent furious blushing. She had apologized, but...

Well, she was about to respond, but then Cristina arrived with a severe look on her face. That was about when she decided this had graduated from a conversation into a "meeting" of sorts, so she stood up and shook some of the sand off her body.

"This little corner is becoming quite popular. Not as popular as Qingshe, though!"

Marta forces a smirk as she gestures meaningfully to her bandaged arm.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Sister Marta Rocha

Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/2022

Marta just sat on the beach towel, seemingly paying close attention to the complex conversations and strategic considerations Jin Li and Qingshe discussed. In truth, she was deep in thought when the latter had arrived, considering how she felt about the political situation.

She had her own opinion about miracles And what it meant to hope for the miraculous in a world already steeped in impossible powers. But can one expect a miracle? She didn't think so. A miracle should defy sense and explanation - even that of Arms Masters. Hope for it all you want, but is it really a miracle if it can be expected?

What man calls a miracle must be wrought by man. Are not our hands here on earth, by design, to act as we will and wish? That's probably what she'll tell them.

...well, if the conversation goes in that direction, anyway. Marta isn't sure if they realize she doesn't speak Mandarin, but the chance to point that out has passed, and things are becoming slightly... awkward...