Eisenhorn

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan

---

Rolan was wary as they advanced, following the Feinyar after it seemed to favor Ser Fionn. Granted he was already favored by the fae, so that was not much of a surprise, but the Captain's order to have their equipment enchanted, however briefly, to stand against the Hunt had him temporarily surrender crossbow, blades, and bolts long enough for them to be enchanted. Now a slight warmth thrummed through them, something that was mildly distracting while on the march, he had to wonder if all enchanted weapons and equipment did this. Gave off not just warmth, but bitter cold, strange sensations, and more beyond that. Not like he had the luxury of bearing true magical arms, nor would he particularly want to before the rest of the Order was more properly outfitted, or barring that at least the Captain and those she kept by her side. He felt it before he saw anything, however, the steady tension of waiting to walk into the Hunt replaced with a bitter cold and overbearing scrutiny. He held his cloak tight, concealing much of what he carried though it felt like it wouldn't help, he did so mostly out of spite.

The grip on his crossbow tightened, fingers settling into a familiar readiness that kept his nerves steady. Rolan considered himself at his best with crossbow in hand, and he even had the luxury to know he was walking into trouble and spanning the crossbow before hand. He hadn't chosen a bolt yet, he wouldn't want to be caught unawares with the wrong ammunition loaded in the event of a sudden ambush. He knew his choice of tools could backfire if not used well, he had learned that the hard way seeing how those opposing them during the trials acted, so he would not be forced to fire an ill advised bolt at close range if he could help it. Then he saw it, just as the Captain acted, a pale, grinning thing reaching out, confident in its place perhaps. The fact the exchange ended with its head on the ground said all that needed to be said about its so called place, but that was just the signal to draw back the curtains as it were.

To call the assembled Hunt abominable would be charitable at best, from hairless hunting hounds with mockeries of human faces to starkly exposed wretches with weapons as varied as their forms. A veritable host of 'hunters' lead by champions of a sort. A pale figure that reminded him of what famine might look like incarnated, one who wore both face and presence of a bird, one who probably was relying on those chained dogs to see, and the one that unsettled him the most. Rope, beartrap, charred and smoldering armor, he knew full well how dangerous a well placed snare, trap, or flame could fell even a large beast, something about the figure had dug its metaphorical claws into him, but he didn't have the luxury to tremble in his boots. Rozenalt had taken to the field, something that finally pushed away the background feeling that had been with them the entire time.

Just as the Captain ordered them into action, Tyaethe launched herself forward, blisteringly fast and leaving a wake of embarrassed and disrupted members of the Midnight Hunt in her wake. He had his orders still, however, and Rolan shouldered his crossbow while loading one of the bolts loaded with alchemist's fire. Taking careful aim, he sent the bolt hurtling out across the open field between the Knights and the Hunt, putting his shot right into the front ranks of the Hunt. The alchemical fire, enchanted as it was, would hopefully disrupt that section of the formation before it ever had a chance to get the charge underway. If not, well, the unfortunate wretch that caught the bolt between the eyes would be not having a good time of it. Stepping back alongside Gertrude, he spanned and picked his next bolt, aiming to put steady, disruptive shots into the ranks of the Hunt the entire time, warning the Captain of the current planned intent.

"Captain, I'll be accompanying Gertrude into the skies. We'll provide support from there, and have a better angle the entire time."

At least until the impending duel between Rozenalt and Tyaethe turned sour, in which case Rolan would have to put his accuracy to the test. He was confident he could make such a shot even under incredibly unideal circumstances, but all the better if they have a moment for a steadied, aimed shot. Never mind whatever nasty tricks the Hunt would employ, be it one of the countless numbers of their ranks or one of the individuals that stood out even amongst such an unpleasant to look at group. This would be a long, hard fight, and he wasn't even going to be in the press of a close assault alongside the rest of the Order. He would have to watch for chances to support their fighting as well, and trust that Gertrude would employ her magic effectively. Fortune willing they walked away from this, since dying in the attempt wasn't an option and the alternative was, quite simply, not an option. Only one way to make that happen now, and that was by cutting through as many of the Hunt as it took.

Falling Skies

Lieutenant Commander Johann "Rhino" Von Brandt

---

Von Brandt had nothing else to add in over the comms as the rest of the pilots locked into the plates, instead taking the time to take slow, deep breaths to center himself before the drop. Even with plates, orbital drops in Secutor were always hard landings even under ideal circumstances, and given how well fortified the planet was, this was not ideal circumstances. As they prepared to launch, Rhino exhaled and finished sealing his suit for orbital entry. Command came over the comms, announcing the approval for the second wave to deploy, and Rhino focused as each member of the squad was sent hurtling out the short distance of zero g before the planet's gravity took over, and he began immediately fine tuning power distribution and his precise position as best he could as they began to descend. He could always gauge how taxing on the pilots a maneuver was by how much Rabbit was running her mouth, and the relative radio silence spoke volume than she usually did.

With the temperature settling, came the inevitable anti-air and interceptor runs on the second wave of descending MAS units, the sound of flak and other incoming munitions rattling against both plate and frame a reminder they were dropping feet first into another hell. Suited him just fine, he thrived in the thick of it, though he didn't have much say in the situation as they dove steadily downwards, comms chatter was getting increasingly busy and one in particular ended up interrupting his train of thought. Some poor rookie got clipped and panicked, losing control and spiraling out of of formation, shedding weapons, armor, gear before someone on her squad cut her comms. Before he could catch himself, he found himself muttering over the squad comm as they continued to descend into fire and conflict.

<<See you on the other side kid, rest well.>>

Rhino focused on the latter half of the descent, Rabbit jettisoning her drop plates and engaging flight form, heading off to intercept and treat the Garmr and Naginatas to their own personal hell of a MAS that could double as air superiority fighter. It reminded him that there was a lot of fancy tech in the team, though there was plenty of time for a wandering mind after the LZ was secured. Spotting the Sentries struggling to get to an AA installation, Rhino began adjusting his trajectory, narrowly avoiding a burst of heavy lasers that clipped the plates, damage mounting as he descended far faster than was safe for most MAS units to even consider. He also was not jettisoning the plates, the mounting damage visible from the cockpit as warning alarms on their condition began growing in number and volume. The shots aimed at Rabbit would buy him enough time to enact his plan, stating as much over comms.

<<Targovo's actually giving me an idea, I'll bail those Sentries out and help clear up some of this AA. Rhino, going in hard.>>

Engaging the thrusters just enough to allow the Secutor to withstand the impact, he only disengaged the plates at the last possible second as he braced himself in the cockpit. Rhino came down directly on top of the anti air installation itself, crushing the weapon platform under every last ton of his Heavy MAS and what little the ruined plates added to that, sending up a massive plume of malfunctioning wiring, smoke, dust and the generator components for the heavy lasers going up from the impact as well, providing Rhino a temporary visual screen. He opened local UEE comms, pinpointing the Sentries pinned down by the Fenrir units that were now, at this moment, between a metaphorical rock, and a quite literal hard place, a confident smile on his face as the system reports showed nothing that couldn't be patched later. The servos were not too happy with the impact but hell, when were they ever?

<<This is Rhino, 7th MAS Squadron. Going to throw some Proxy into the Fenrir ranks and pincer them from behind. Then how's about we rally and go start busting up some more AA?>>

All the while, Rhino had swung up the Secutor's 170mm MAC-011, selecting one of the proximity fused HE shells he had loaded before they dropped. He was going to use them for anti air purposes, but he could spare one to make the Fenrir's lives a living hell for however long they were about to last. Temporarily shunting power from non essential motor functions, he finished the charge sequence and just as the dust was clearing, and one of the Fenrir units was turning to see what the hell just happened to the anti air they were supposed to be guarding, the computer reported full charge and targeting for the proximity fuse. With a squeeze, the MAC-011 shuddered, sending the 170mm shell hurtling straight into the ranks of the Fenrir's hardened position. It was well fortified against attack, but not from behind, and the massive explosion engulfed several of the hostile MAS units as Rhino slung the superheavy weapon, Vanguard 20mm lifting from its shoulder housing and immediately opening up on any hostile air targets that got too close to the Secutor, acting as an impromptu anti air weapon while the hum of the rotary autocannon spooling up was music to Rhino's ears.

One Fenrir was reduced to scrap, the combination of explosion and pressure wave had not only damaged the unit beyond combat effectiveness but likely knocked out, or pulped, the pilot. The other two caught in the explosion itself were dazed and damaged, but had gotten their Shoulder shields in the way just in time. Suited him fine, as he leveled his 30mm and began walking fire across the Fenrir's as he advanced, chewing through damaged armor as he advanced slowly and implacably towards their position. The one Fenrir tried to get a Sledgehammer missile off, and caught the brunt of Rhino's opening 30mm barrage for his trouble. The other, several damaged weapon systems forcing his hand, sent him charging to try and gut the Secutor and its pilot with its Broadsword. A low sweep of 30mm took its legs out and sent it crashing down in front of Rhino, who raised his PG-01 plasma gauntlet that flared to life right before slamming down, coring the unlucky Coalition MAS in one solid blow. Keying to Squad comms, Rhino was pleasant in tone as he assessed damage down to the Sentries, already making ready to head for the next Anti-Air position to start cutting down on casualties before even touching down.

<<7th, Rhino, first anti-air position down. Moving with allied elements to continue disabling anti-air capabilities for the LZ. Damage from landing negligeable.>>

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan

---

Rolan weathered Gertrude's gaze with a steady one of his own as she agreed to his request, which would certainly make things even more interesting for the upcoming fight. He had never been fond of fighting from horseback, too many things to track at the same time between guiding and monitoring the horse, navigating the battlefield while keeping such in mind, and making accurate shots all the while. That and horses never seemed to like him terribly much, even under the best of circumstances. With that in mind, having someone else handling the riding part, or in this case flying, should be much more agreeable while he focused on the Hunt below them, assuming the Hunt lacked means of reaching them which would be a dangerous thing to assume. What surprised him was the rare bit of honesty admitting he was the least annoying among the knights thus far, and he shrugged briefly in an almost 'what can you do' sort of gesture.

"Thank you, I shouldn't have to ask you to fly into anything particularly dangerous."

Ser Renar took the time to approach them, speaking in a lowered tone that Rolan would match when the time came to speak up. Planning ahead in case Tyaethe was found wanting in being able to fell Rozenalt in single combat, smart, though he already had several bolts prepared for the explicit purpose of leveling the playing field. He didn't expect poisons to work to the same extent on members of the Hunt as he did his typical foes, well, typical before the last few months. However, given these were his most potent mixtures he hoped, fortune willing, they would have enough of an effect to slow Rozenalt should the need arise. Gertrude spoke up first, a rare bit of serious and direct talk from her, though not without taking metaphorical shots at Tyaethe. Something about enchanting their weapons as well, though Rolan would not take any chances with trusting anything outside his control, at best it would improve the odds he had in punching through weak points in armor.

"Agreed and well ahead of you for once, Ser Renar. Several bolts have already been prepared for hobbling our target should the opportunity arise. With Gertrude's help in maintaining the high ground, I'll have the rare luxury to make that shot count, so fortune willing I'll see it done."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan

---

Rolan wasn't so brazen as to request to bring down the lord of the hunt himself, no matter how much he may or may not have improved over the past few months, not in an honest fight at the very least. Still, one by one the Knights chimed in, either amongst themselves or directly to the Moonlit Queen, though the huntsman was mostly lost in his own thoughts as he was already trying to come up with plans to assist in weeding out and keeping the Hunt from being organized enough to wear them down and overrun them. This would be a long night on top of a long day, and the Hunt had the advantage of home terrain in this case. Ser Renar offered the smartest question yet, clarification on what constituted besting the Hunt, and clarification was given by the Queen in due time. Slay the head, and the body dies. Or perhaps more fittingly, behead the serpent and the body spasms and sprays blood all over the place in a final fit. That made his role deceptively simple to say, keep the Hunt off their vampire's flanks and support where possible. He could do that much at the very least, though the how was always going to be the problem.

Gertrude was mouthing off again, something about the Captain not denying the vampire her hunt, and the sight of the broomstick reminded him of that flying circus of a jousting match from their post training trials. Depending on where the fight took place, or if they could goad the Hunt into open ground, that might just prove to be an edge he could take advantage of. What disrupted his thought process was the Captain formalizing the terms, noting his own request for a trinket from her collection in addition to the restitution of the Duke's wits. Fortune willing they wouldn't have to make a habit of staking life and soul in return for righting the wrongs of nobility, as thus far he didn't like any of this one bit. Not the mad duke's antics, not the Gannek, certainly not the Moonlit Queen (Though he would not be able to lie and say that her Sister hadn't been easy on the eyes at the very least), and now they were hunting one of the most favored villains of all folklore.

The crow man, who up to this point had been a silent presence, was ordered to provide Ser Fionn a blade, and was indeed provided quite the fine one indeed. While swords were not his forte, the quality of fletching for his bolts was, and the feather's on display would have made brilliant fletching for a select few bolts saved for truly dire circumstances. He wouldn't ask for any, however, that seemed rather rude given one such 'feather' seemed capable of removing his head from his shoulders without even so much as a slight strain. They might work if he had a larger crossbow, although at that point he would be lugging around siege equipment to maintain bolts of that size. Besides that, a fae made of solid flame would be their guide to the current hunting grounds of the Hunt, and with that they were cast back into the woods to go hunt or be hunted, with far worse than death on the line for all of them should they fail and fall short, something that Lord Arken alluded to, though unfortunately the walking torch was dulled for the duration of their latest trial.

"Here I was actually getting used to the walking lightshow, alas."

Kneeling down, Rolan got to work preparing in the short time they had before striking out. Several bolts got the smaller alchemist fire vials affixed into position, the most potent of his current poisons on a few of the better fletched bolts, and after a thought, careful rearranging of his alchemical satchel. He also altered how it was resting at his side, at least for now, which concluded about all the preparing he could do given the circumstances. Instead he approached Gertrude, politely sidestepping the fire fae that was bobbing between the various knights going about their own work to ready themselves for the coming hunt. He wasn't going to interfere with the fae like Tyaethe did, especially since he wasn't keen on being set on fire. He preferred to be the one setting foes on fire, it was a terrible way to go frankly.

"Gertrude, should the opportunity arise might I borrow your ability to fly? Disruption and crossbow fire always did work better with the high ground, after all."

The humming and singing was certainly an indication at least one of their number was overtly in good spirits, though Rolan wasn't exactly following the song too closely as he strategized as much as he could given the circumstances at hand. He would have to rely on his fellows to screen the Hunt from getting into melee, it would be where he was least useful, at least until he could hopefully make for the skies. Relying on Gertrude for that would grow old, perhaps he would be able to find a way to attain flight on his own? He hadn't a single spark of magic to rely on for that, however, which made that wishful thinking at best for now. Right now all he could do was hope fortune was kind and Gertrude not terribly obstinate this time. Perhaps not having to carry one of their number keen on jousting dragons might make it a more palatable request.

Falling Skies

Lieutenant Commander Johann "Rhino" Von Brandt

---

Von Brandt had to chuckle a little bit as the kid struggled with Sabine's general demeanor and bearing, offering a half apologetic shrug as he responded in kind to his own comment. Not too surprising, no one forgets their first combat sorties or first kills, though it all blurs together after a certain point. Some things stand out from time to time, but he didn't have the heart to shoot down his compliments by ignoring them or rebuffing them harshly. Not everyone needed to give the kid the hard shoulder, Boss was quick to warn him against overdoing it on the boozing before offering to be an ear in place of the lack of chaplain. That was something that always struck him as odd, chaplains did a lot more than offer religious solace for those who needed it, often times they were someone who could listen and offer advice regardless of belief. The lack of one on board the ship had been something he noticed pretty quick, so it was a small relief that something was in place, ad hoc as it was.

"Just doing my job out there kid, much to the chagrin of the support crew stripping the damaged armor and replacing it. Most folk aren't in the joking mood after their first real combat sortie, but you get used to it."

Or don't make it long enough to get used to it, but Von Brandt kept that firmly to himself. Still, they had their marching orders, get some R&R for a few hours, maybe catch some sleep, before they deployed into the next phase of the operation. Still, given Rook seemed intent on following him and picking his brain a little, he quietly gave up on getting any rest, instead setting himself up near the Secutor while making himself comfortable. Kicking his feet up, he had the courtesy to push a box Rook's way before letting the tension from the combat operation drain from him at least a little bit. Couldn't relax fully, still had plenty of work to do, but there was a time and place for being on edge and right now was not it.

"Picking my brain a little, eh kid? I can humor a few questions at least, though I'm sure you could learn a lot more relevant to your chassis information from some of the others. Heavies make bad habits if you start with them, after all."

---

"...and that's why the best armor is not taking a hit. Still don't think the techs have forgiven me for what I did to the reactor getting the Secutor back from that sortie."

Von Brandt had focused on giving the kid advice between the various questions and concerns, downplaying anything that could be considered heroic and focusing on what could be learned from his experiences. Having spent some time helping test and refine experimental equipment before returning to the frontline gave him some different outlooks, at least he liked to think so, but he wanted to make sure Rook was at least more knowledgeable than he was before playing the game of twenty questions. Still, his train of thought was interrupted before the briefing started by Sabine rushing in and using him from cover from the no doubt agitated Hex. Probably poked at her metaphorical buttons to get her moving that fast, and he caught the expression as she looked at Rook's lack of booze and chimed in with a casually amused tone of voice.

"Well that is an absolute shame to hear Sab, you know the rules I'm afraid. No smokes, no brews. Now if she wants to strike a deal I'd be more than happy to hear her out."

Of course once the briefing started proper, von Brandt was focused and listening to the orders as they came down from up top. Drop in with the rest of the conventional forces, meet up with supply and set up a FOB, start launching sorties into the city to snag them a nanoforge. Help the 5th along the way, mind, but they were considered expendable in the face of the capturing the nanoforge. Not a pleasant order to receive, but needs must when war called. Even if it left the 5th holding the bag in a possible very compromising position. Kilmer asked about air cover, and the display shifted, giving them the expected OpFor. More of the same, with some aerospace fighter support as well. No signs of any more nasty surprises like Fafnir, but there was no indication of it either until it had turned a ship into an impromptu mass grave. Head on a swivel at all times, as always, then. A question to confirm friendlies were secondary to the primary objective, and Sabine jumped in to, for once, actually be a serious, if still light, influence. Also suggested sneaking off to play hero, which got a snort from von Brandt.

"All that being said, we have an objective for a reason Sab. Being fast and agile enough to go running off to play big damn hero is all fine and well, long as it doesn't happen at the wrong time. All part of the good old 'mission-type tactics'. But I'm not in charge, so whatever you decide kid, make sure your ready to answer if it goes south. No questions here, Secutor just got greenlit for deployment. Even got a fresh coat of paint in over the supplemental armor."

While Sab had made some, in his eye, joking attempt to not be overheard, von Brandt just spoke candidly. Sure you heard stories about heroic chassis pilots hurtling in at the eleventh hour to bail out a faltering front line, or shore up a desperate last stand, but what you heard far less often was the eleventh hour hero getting core'd by a waiting sniper, or the reinforcements doing little more than delay the inevitable order to break off an attack and withdraw. He wouldn't begrudge anyone wanting to save allied lives, if they didn't have any other objectives he'd be happy to lay into reinforcing the 5th wherever he could. He might even suggest having some indirect fire options sent down to the FOB to mount onto the Secutor if things dragged out long enough. It was a point of pride for him, he could pretty much have the entire weapons loadout of the Secutor changed on a whim, it took extremely well to widely varied equipment choices as needed. That being said, it was time to deploy again, and this time it would be from orbit, going feet first into the thick of it. Heading for the Secutor, the scissor lift was waiting, technician bringing him up to the raised cockpit, looking like the old girl hadn't taken a single scratch in the last sortie.

"I'd ask you to go easy on taking hits Sir, but your even worse planet side than you are in zero g."

"Guilty as charged, I'll see what I can do. No promises though."

Scrambling into the cockpit, von Brandt settled into the seat and strapped in, watching all systems go from stand by to fully online. Decoupling from ship power, the reactor surged as it took up full strain, von Brandt instinctively fiddling with the settings and controls to fine tune the order in which each system came online. Rabbit was first to lock into the atmospheric shields, vocally complaining about them before reporting she was ready. Rhino was next, stepping onto a larger set that were specifically designed for larger Heavy class chassis, watching a new display indicator light up, showing the condition and good links on each of the Secutor's feet to the atmospheric shields.

"They aren't that bad Rabbit, pack enough tonnage and you barely notice them. Rhino, set."

Rabbit brought up Targovo, and the unshielded drop into atmosphere that they got saddled with for the sake of blitzing a VIP extraction. He would be lying if trying to fly Secutor at full combat load through re-entry without any external shielding hadn't been a challenging experience, but given the near blackened exterior of Secutor proved to have some serious shock value among the Coalition forces when he hauled the chassis out of the crater he made after his loosely controlled impact. Turns out Vulture had part of it right when it came to the speed and shock value of dropping without shielding, but since they were using an orbital assault as cover, well, dropping without would stand out like a sore thumb rather than have the element of surprise.

"Don't bring that up around my techs, it took nearly a week to talk them down from repainting the Secutor like it looked coming out of the crater. It was a good time otherwise. I swear though, we run into megafauna now that you bring it up, its on you to keep them clear."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

The overall reaction of the Moonlit Queen reminded him why most stories suggested simply not dealing with the Fae whenever possible, as two of their number were, well, cursed was a tad strong of a word to use in the situation. Garishly bright pink hair for one of them, and another turned into a walking, glowing replacement for a torch. That would have been useful not too long ago with the damned Gannek and its attempts at blinding them with darkness, but such was life. What usefulness that came from a spiteful being's decisions were often too little, too late, though he knew better than to even bother saying it out loud. Still, the combined efforts of, well, mostly Tyaethe given the look that the Moonlit Queen had furnished her with before moving on to at least acknowledge his little speech said enough. It was enough, combined as it was by the far more impressive presentations of the other Knights, to bring some form of wager to mind after all. One that, had it offered just a year ago, he'd have balked openly at and fled at all reasonable, and likely unreasonable, speed. He still balked, mentally though, at the task.

Hunt the Hunt, a task that was absurd at the face of it, something that Lord Arken openly questioned to no serious rebuke, just a simple, by Fae terms, confirmation. Boasting about combat seemed to have come around to haunt them already, but it wasn't strictly speaking impossible. Anything could die with enough effort, and if he was going to pick any band of knights to pull it off he'd have chosen the present company without hesitation, but that didn't mean he was eager for the matter. Doubly so since it would cost him his freedom should he fail, and he would inevitably have to break his oath to the Order to serve another if they failed, which was perhaps more important to him than freedom. Of course that same thing kept him where he stood, and he focused on what he could at least attempt to control, and that was the prize required for her Sister. They were being allowed to set the terms of the contest, for the most part barring the Moonlit Queen's prize, and he was going to take advantage of that.

"If we are to set the terms, my personal participation in the matter comes with a humble request should we complete your task. A simple trinket of your own collection to add to my own, I am sure a powerful and capable Queen such as yourself has quite the selection to choose from." Rolan focused on accomplishing what they owed to others, to allow the others of the Order to focus on other possible boons or rewards that would aid them in the future should it suit them. Or at the very least, he could shoulder the ire that may come with requesting such a thing, and doubly so having to fulfill such a request. On the face of it, one could naturally assume a hunter would want a trophy of a successful hunt, even one playing at knight, and if questioned it would be the defense he took. He would not be exactly lying either, no hunter alive could claim to not have taken at least one trophy in their life to commemorate a worthwhile hunt. To face down the Midnight Hunt and win, not merely survive, would be a story none would believe without proof.

Of course, actually accomplishing this was another matter completely. Rolan knew the stories, though Tyaethe was practically eager given her inhuman grin, in spite of the odds. It was easy to forget the monster that hid beneath the child like form, much of which could be said of the Moonlit Queen as well. For that matter, what was it with impossibly powerful beings galivanting about in the form of children? He refocused himself, putting that question away for another time as he wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon. His attention was squarely on the Moonlit Queen and her response in the interim, while considering how to fell the Hunt. Maybe not fell, defeat and death did not mean the same thing, if they could be broken and routed it would be as slaying them to the last. If the opportunity arose to make that happen it would be worth considering, especially since none of them would be granted the luxury of death should they fail after agreeing to such an undertaking.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan wasn't too keen on how things were progressing currently. Some discreet chatter between a few of the Order, but otherwise giving the Moonlit Queen a chance to respond to the defeat of her guardian, and apparently that response was cheerful. Right, this was probably all a game to her, sitting in this little pocket of Fae warped space, simply creating what suited her mood and leaving it for people to stumble across. He had to wonder, however briefly, how many people might have been killed stumbling across the guardian by sheer accident, but that wasn't a line of thinking he wanted to pursue right now. Rather, he focused on the rather abrupt No and what, for a lack of better terms, he would count as a temper tantrum over a big, stupid idiot not having time anymore. That...gave him some inclination as to the why the Duke was robbed of his wits and mind, and also confirmed it was the Moonlit Queen as well. Then she turned on the gathered knights and asked a simple question, what could they even do.

This was where things got tricky, because for all the progress Rolan had made in the recent past, he considered his relative skill and capabilities the least potent of the Captain's chosen retinue of knights. That being said, he had an idea how to proceed, at least in a way that was more than rattling off what he was capable of and pretending it held a candle to the rest of the Order. He would have to do so, he suspected, but he could at least try and set up the others to follow up on what he had to say next. He considered the Moonlit Queen and her stance, as Dame Tyaethe spoke on her own capabilities, mostly as a fighter, but including a mention in liturgy. Hopefully the Queen didn't get her started on that, he wasn't sure he could stomach preaching at this particular moment in time on top of everything else that had passed so far. However, he wasn't going to let the silence stand so he spoke up next, standing his ground where he was among the knights.

"If we are rattling off what we can do, I suppose I have a few to add to the list. Capable crossbowman, competent alchemist, hunter of man and beast, tracker and survivor to name the more relevant. Though one thing does puzzle me, is why you would pass up on a wager so readily in this case. Of all the plainly visible proof and spoken word of your capabilities and talent, it would seem almost counter to all of that that you would pass up a chance to add further to your regalia and proof of such power and prestige. Especially if you think we have so little to offer that it wouldn't be worth the challenge, it'd be the easiest thing for you to take all we're fool enough to offer up, would it not?" Rolan had not been wanting to, or planning to, speak at such length but once he started he found himself continuing, seemingly as naturally as one breathed. He had done similar before, goading the Witch's Apprentice in the past, so perhaps it was something he could make good use of. If not, well, he'd have to apologize to the Captain if they survived this mess intact.

Falling Skies

Lieutenant Commander Johann "Rhino" Von Brandt

---

"Heads up ground crew, sending the initial diagnostics your way, good chunk of the additional armor needs replaced."

Johann was already in contact with the ground crew who helped repair and maintain the Secutor, moving to dock with the Roanoke in the reverse pattern to their launch routine, the mauled state of the Blackout a somber reminder that all the skill, armor, and equipment in the universe didn't mean a damn thing if you caught incoming fire the wrong way. Hex had been hauled off to medical, probably pushed herself just as hard as her frame, and he made a mental note to buy her a drink for the cover. Feeling the Secutor lock in place, a scissor lift met him as he opened the hatch, entire head assembly lifting into a 'buttoned up' position that allowed him to embark and disembark easier. That, and when not in hard vacuum it was another layer of visuals that didn't rely on sensors or systems. The technician operating the lift gave him a hand from the cockpit to the lift with a jab at the heavy damage his layers of armor had taken.

"Keep it up like that sir, and we'll be able to build another Secutor from all the parts we've had to strip to replace and repair."

"Good thing I can't be cloned like that as well, we'd overwhelm armor production if we had to uparmor multiple Secutors. How's she look?"

"Shot to hell sir, mostly armor, some nonvital systems got fried as well. Turns out plasma talons aren't exactly healthy to take on frontally. You really should let the computer handle power control, this isn't the test range anymore."

"Not enough pay in the galaxy to get me to stop doing that, computer'll get it wrong, do what you do best and first round's on me."

With the lift reaching the ground level, Johann dropped himself down to the deckplate, deftly moving out of the way as the service and repair crew got underway proper, being handed a requisition form to begin tailoring the Secutor for the next sortie. First things first was tailoring the 170mm shell load for the next mission. He chose several proximity fuse shells, he could afford to bring a few less APFSDS shells for a bit more flexibility, though more than half was still just that type so he could engage most targets effectively. HESH and Proxy Fuse were more niche, but given the nasty little surprise that had tried to interfere with the space operations having something that didn't need a square on hit would work nicely. Moving to meet the rest of the 7th, he was just in time to see Sabine take off, skimping on her pushups but he didn't have the heart to call her out on it, as well as the Roanoke's own Captain coming down to meet them herself. A rare surprise to be sure, but from the sounds of things it was as much a direct debrief as it was anything else. He glanced at Rook, who had been told to pack several cases of beer, and shrugged.

"Up to you if you want to humor her or not kid. You'll never hear the end of it from her either way you go though."

The Captain's response to Sabine and her antics was understandable, as far as Johann was concerned, though he didn't exactly comment any further on her behavior. She was off chasing Hex now anyways, and he was content to conserve his energy for the next leg of the operation. Three hours instead of one, gave them time to get everyone squared away and functional again, especially since some of the frames needed a lot more repair than others. First diagnostics on Secutor were promising, he'd have been ready in the original one hour time table but having three would let the team not work themselves to an extreme and make sure everything was done officially correct instead of combat correct.

"Just doing what we do best out here, ma'am. I'll see if I can't keep my requests within the reasonable realm of possibility."

Johann turned to the Commander, continuing to fill out the paperwork he had been handed after disembarking, having reset to his usual off duty demeanor. Well, more his off combat demeanor but it was not much different from beyond there. Vulture had the command of this little band of pilots of all skills and frames, so he got the lion's share of Johann's focus.

"So, got anything for us boss?"

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

The trek and 'key' granted by the Lady had gone, compared to what had transpired so far, much more smoothly. Rolan had considered the rather large, now bested, Guardian the rest of the Order had slain and it made him wonder where he would have been more useful. The Gannek had been vitally necessary to slay, for both their own personal goals and the overall good of the woods themselves, but he had a feeling that he merely made the kill slightly faster while he had to consider whether or not alchemist fire would have rendered the guardian ash and bits of kindling. Then again, given its current condition in defeat, that might be frowned far more heavily upon than simply slaying it as it was currently. Still, between their efforts they fortunately had both the door and key in hand, so all that left was, unfortunately, to go wandering a fae realm, parlay with a being powerful enough to maintain her own domain quite thoroughly, and win back not only the Duke's wits but a trophy for the Lady as well. How hard could that be, he considered with full sarcasm as the gate was opened and they were cast into the fae realm proper.

---

"Should have known better, really..."

Rolan's thoughts on the current scenery and warm, snow covered ground were not complimentary, to say the least. He never liked cold weather to begin with, snow being a byproduct of that typically, but the fact it lacked any of the normal signs of a cold winter night didn't help matters at all either. Every little detail he noticed about this place put him on edge, and it left him hoping that fortune didn't abandon them now. The moon was wrong, unmarred and alone in the looming sky, not to mention far too close for his liking. Close enough he had to almost wonder if he could place a bolt on its surface, and how it might even react if he could. Assuming the distance between them matched how it looked, which he couldn't assume or take for granted unlike the not so fae realm he found himself preferring more and more with each passing moment. Not a surprise but there was a large gap between the thought of going into a fae realm, and actually doing so and having to acknowledge everything only working the way the Queen wanted.

The best way he could consider putting it was the place had an empty, comfortless warmth. Yes, it was warm despite the snow, the unnatural moon that hung low and large, dominating the sky like an arrogant fixture, that was what it was, arrogant. Blot out the stars, wipe away all the perceived imperfections, and it was an arrogant approximation of the moon. Fit the way the Lady described her sister, broadly speaking, to have such a realm that stretched out as far as the eye could see, snow and woodlands that grew denser the further one moved from the gateway to this place. The trees were wrong too, mind, but at this point he would be more surprised if something wasn't subtly or flagrantly wrong in some shape or another. Never mind the crow headed fae who had opened his massive beak to comment on their...

Rolan felt every nerve go on edge as he tensed, noting the captain rest a hand on her blade, as he pulled his cloak tighter, concealing his arms from view in case he had to act as he turned to face the fae who had found their arrival. Warden on this side of the gateway, perhaps, fitting for a bird to be ready to squawk the moment it saw something unwelcome or uninvited. Speaking again, the goal of their little adventure made herself known. Small, child like, hair that would drag if the realm was allowed to do so, and a temperament that reminded him of some traits he disliked in people. Her sister was by and far the more preferential one to deal with, and that was not even taking into account anything besides demeanor and behavior, in appearance it was no real contest. None of that was relevant currently, however, as the Captain was....cursed? However it was done, her hair sprung free and grew wild, practically matching that of the Moonlit Queen herself, reinforcing that they were within her power's domain.

She seemed more interested in who landed the killing blow on her guardian, something that Dame Tyaethe rightly pointed out made little difference, though the mention of a guardian not letting them in, he suspected, was a somewhat pointless redirection. If he was to guess at how things worked, the Moonlit Queen probably could tell exactly who's key was used, it was not exactly like they had simply borrowed or stole a literal keyring and tried them until one fit. Considering their presence was also known immediately, a gambler might safely wager that the question on the slayer of the guardian was of more interest since she likely had no eyes on it when it was felled. He had not been present for its defeat, and could not truthfully state who had laid it low, so it was not his place to speak on the matter. Still, he was wary and on watch, deferring to those with experience in dealing with the more dangerous fae to act as diplomats unless he had to interject otherwise.

Falling Skies

Lieutenant Commander Johann "Rhino" Von Brandt

---

"WARNING: Armor Integrity dropping, estimated effectiveness at..."

Johann silenced the alarm as he pushed the thrusters to near their redline limits, though he was not attempting to directly pursue the Fafnir. In close he could keep up, but chasing it would be futile, so he didn't plan to, rather he was playing to the strengths of the current forces in play. Rook was moving fast towards him, Commie having eliminated the two funnels and made sure they couldn't bracket in Rook or try to bracket him in either. which left him open to make for Rook at all available speed. He shifted the position of the Secutor as the incoming fire tried to drive him out of position, taking the brunt of the next burst of HKP shells on the right half of his frame. Most of the impacts so far had been center and left, and one of the earliest lessons he learned piloting something as large a target as Secutor was, quite simply, distributing incoming fire as best he could. Enough focused fire could bore through armor, but spreading it out gave him staying power that most frames could only dream of. Moving to rendezvous with the incoming Rook proved to be wise, given the sudden decision towards blaze of glory by the Fafnir.

"Rook, Rhino: Steady on current course, I have the priority target."

Rhino was all calm confidence as he opened up with his own 30mm Rotary Autocannon, barrels spinning up into a veritable wall of armor piercing incendiary, walking the fire onto the encroaching Fafnir, deliberately focusing on the remaining thrusters to slow it down, however slightly. Putting himself on an intercept course, he retracted the M81 RAC as he pushed towards melee range again, braving the Plasma Talons once more, but this time he took advantage of the mounting combat damage. Reaching past the talons not receiving proper power, he gripped down with enough force to completely sever power to the left talon, firing every thruster he had opposite of the momentum of the Fafnir, wrenching it back and away from Rook by the leg, fortunately not simply ripping the leg clean off. Fortunate for Rhino, not so much for the Fafnir as at that moment...

"PG-01 at 100% Charge."

Wasting no time, Rhino activated the Plasma Gauntlet and unleashed a left hook, slamming the plasma clad gauntlet straight into the opening that had been venting atmosphere, and coincidentally advertising the exact spot where the Fafnir's cockpit was on top of an already weakened spot from the 170mm HESH impact. The Fafnir pilot, fast as they were, likely would not have time to perceive the Gauntlet turning cockpit, pilot, and internals into little more than scrap as the blow bisected the already heavily damaged hostile Heavy. A follow up backwards elbow strike sending the remains of the upper half hurtling away, throwing away the lower half that he had retained a grip on right up until the impact, and Rhino finally exhaled, a held breath that he had not noticed started the moment he told Rook to keep steady on. Another day, another rude surprise sorted out, and he reported the KIA priority target as he arrested his momentum and normalized power distribution across the Secutor.

"7th, Rhino: Priority Target KIA, assuming screening duties as we RTB."

True to his word, Rhino positioned himself in a screening position for the two lighter frames he had moved to support when the Fafnir made itself known. Any visual sweeps of the Secutor would find it difficult to miss the number of impact marks, odd hole in the additional armor, and shallow talon marks along the left shoulder from where the Fafnir had gotten through the Class 3. Rhino considered having those painted back on once the damage was patched, the plasma talons were a nasty trick that could have done a lot more damage if he hadn't held his Class 3 in reserve for as long as he had. He multitasked while screening the return to the Roanoke, finally going through and acknowledging the alerts and warnings that had built up over the course of the engagement, while making a log of the damage from most to least severe before forwarding the information to the team responsible for helping refit and rearm the Secutor. It would give them some extra time to get replacement plating and munitions loaded, and he made a note to prepare several Canister shells to make it significantly harder to evade shots from the 170mm.