Whoami

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

Lessons

(Mood Music)

Auriel walked down the city's concourse. She looked up at the old monastery where she was raised by her mother. The golden sun rested between the two prominent stone towers as if it was a holy gateway to another world. Knowing about the heroes and their summoning... Perhaps the sun very well was a gateway. But even if she wanted to find out, she couldn't with the state of her wings. As she walked, Auriel spread her wings out, some kids cheering and clapping their approval at the display. Auriel looked sidelong as the kids as their parents tried to corral them along. She smiled at them and gave a gentle wave, then focused her attention back to her wings. They spread out further than they normally did, but she could still feel that familiar pain in the joints of her wings. The breaks from the heavy chains were taking a long time to heal, and Auriel worried that the longer she went without flying, the harder it would be for her muscles to relearn the skill. Still, the fact that she was able to spread her wings out further than usual was a clear sign of progress, and that warmed her heart. One day, hopefully soon, she could soar through the skies again.

She reached the monastery and pushed her way through the two great oaken doors. Beyond was the courtyard where a variety of activities were being held. Near the fountain in the center of the courtyard, there was a class being held by a monk as he taught letters to a group of orphan children. Auriel knew that the monk teaching the lesson always preferred to do his classes outside whenever possible. He believed that the fresh air and sunlight motivated and opened up the mind to learning. Auriel's golden hues traced left, spotting some of the older monks and nuns of the monastery having a gathering and relaxing in the shade. Their attention was drawn afar to the opposite end of the courtyard, which made Auriel follow their gaze to see what they were watching. She blinked when she spotted a lone woman in some old but well maintained armor. She had a sword in her a hand, a saber to be precise. She appeared to be going through some motions and stances with the saber. They were skilled, and the woman was clearly a veteran with the blade.

Auriel made her way over to her, "Mother? I never thought I'd say the day that you'd wear your old armor!"

Mirin Asher turned her eyes over to Auriel, and her expression made her appear so youthful. "Auriel! Ohh my baby girl! I wasn't expecting you!" she immediately stopped her practicing and tugged Auriel in for a firm embrace.

Auriel hugged her mother back and looked back at her afterward, "The king wanted an audience with the heroes, so I was left with some time on my own. I figured... given how close we are to the First Wave... That I'd come by and see how you and the monastery are doing. Do you need anything? Has the throne promised any soldiers to the defense of the monastery?"

Mirin smiled at first, then scoffed a bit after Auriel's follow-up question. "My dear, if the monastery was given any priority, I wouldn't be here in my armor working off years of rust!"

Auriel frowned at that, "I... I can talk to the king, or the arch-bishop to get the monastery some prot-"

"Ohh don't worry yourself, sweetie! I used to be quite the swordsman back in my golden days. Ask some of the older folks in this monastery, most of them would challenge that I might have been able to best even you in a duel~" she gently elbowed Auriel, which made her blush a bit and look off to the side.

"I'm... Not that great a warrior..." the angel said bashfully.

Mirin gasped, "Nonsense! Auriel! You are the Holy Warrior! You trained since before you even knew your letters! You've done battle with demons and monsters and returned with your head held high! You are the first of your lineage in hundreds of years to fulfill your duty as a guardian and defender of the Heroes of Legend! Don't sell yourself so low, daughter-mine! You might very well be one of the most talented warriors in all the land, and everything you are known for is known because YOU made it happen!"

Auriel looked around the courtyard nervously as her mother spoke out loud. She was feeling rather embarrassed by her mother's motivational speech, though it seemed that some of the others in the courtyard who had overheard Mirin were nodding their agreement. She only blushed more. Then she was elbowed lightly again as her mother leaned in with a mischievous grin, "But I could probably still take you on~"

Auriel let out a defeated laugh, "Now, now, mother. Save your energy for the waves, please!"

Mirin chuckled some more before walking over to a rack loaded with wooden training swords. She grabbed two of them, and tossed one to Auriel. She caught it and blinked, "I'm not good with swords."

Mirin nodded, "Oh I know. I remember when you were a little girl constantly fawning over the Spear of Archiel. You were so fixated on being able to hold it one day that you would rather spar with a broomstick before even laying hands on the training swords. BUT!" she raised a pointed finger, "Your spear wont always be the most ideal weapon in certain places, a sword would be a good sidearm. And besides, I'm sure at least on young hero in your party would gladly appreciate a sparring partner who could teach him a thing or two on the road. Now- use both hands on that sword, and adopt a ready stance."

---

40 Minutes Later...

Auriel lay on the cobblestone floor of the courtyard. She was sore all over, sweating, and heaving. She had dropped the wooden sword next to her. Her mother stood over her, the tip of the wooden sword pointed right at Auriel. The two had attracted quite the audience, and some were even passing silver coins between each other every time Auriel ended up on the ground or disarmed! "I don't... Get it... Haah... How are you so fast?!"

Mirin drew her sword back and offered a hand to pull her daughter to her feet, "Your father was a famous adventurer, he taught me a thing or two during our travels before we settled down."

Auriel took her mother's hand and got up. "Aah... Haa... Alright... I'm convinced that- whew... The monastery is in good hands for the Wave."

There was a myriad of laughter around them. "You focus on saving the world and keeping the heroes safe. Then when you're done, this monastery will still be standing, ready to welcome you back with open arms. But in the meantime... Get that sword ready, I'm coming at you!"

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

I am going to toil away at a post while I'm out here in the field. I have some free time tonight so hopefully I can get something out tonight, but don't hold your breath!

EDIT: On that note, as I have missed a few rounds of posts. I will have Auriel on her own doing something else in the city while the heroes do their thing in the castle.

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

Heads up, the call of duty is upon me again. I'll be going out into the field for another month starting either next week on the 7th or the following week on the 13th. Should be back for the 9-11th of October. There's a chance I'll then be sent back out into the field for a week or two afterward but that isn't confirmed. As always, I'll try to get a post out before I leave for the field, and I'll do my best to maintain communication through OOC while I'm out there!

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

Conviction

(Mood Music)

Auriel looked down somberly at the injured and dying fighter. She didn't flick her eyes between Cole, Fer, and Marcino even as she listened. None of them were wrong on the matter... Rayla deserved many things, but it wasn't her place to make the final decision despite having voiced her own opinions already. She believed Rayla needed to die, but now that she was standing before the bleeding warrior, everything felt wrong to simply execute the defenseless woman. She clutched the shaft of her spear till her knuckles were white. Then when she heard Fer suggest that Auriel could ease the pain for her passing, Auriel took a deep breath. A faint glow enveloped her hand, and she held it out toward Rayla. "This wont heal her wounds, but it should dull the pain..."

Auriel lowered her hand after she delivered the magic, then turned her back on Rayla and the heroes. She began to make her way out of the chamber, "This isn't my decision to make. You must decide her fate as Heroes of this world... I'll wait for you outside..."

The angel made her way through the cave. She had committed the windy pathways to memory on her way in, so she didn't struggle with getting back outside. The bloodshed was so unnecessary... They should have been using this time to prepare the helpless folk for the impending wave. Fortifying villages... Training militias... Supplying the poor... Auriel knew that this mission given to them by the throne was purely to benefit the heroes and make them stronger, but she just couldn't help but feel that the time was improperly used overall. Maybe things could have been done differently if the heroes spread out and handled more tasks concurrently... That was how things had always gone in previous heroic eras. But then again... Auriel wouldn't have had the joy of adventuring with both the Sword and the Shield. She was conflicted, perhaps more than ever.

Regardless... With the first wave so close now, it didn't matter how things were handled. Their next goal was set, and they didn't have the time to bicker and rebuild a plan of action. They were committed now, and Auriel had to be ready for the fallout of their decisions.

Falling Skies: Reboot ver 2

Marathon

(Mood Music)

"Sunray, keep as close to the Krakono as possible - we're moving," Aurelia heard the Kolibri's pilot say over the unencrypted channel. She knew the risk of using that channel, but there simply wasn't enough time to get the UEE's crypto loaded into the AAT-9 for secure comms. It was all they had if they wanted the princess to stay in the loop and accidentally blunder into something they were planning.

"Roger that... Kolibri, your MAS is damaged. At least let me take up the flank." Aurelia was cut short when the AAT-9's radar picked up another red signature in the sky. She flinched a bit, then breathed easy when she remembered by default the UEE signatures appeared as red in the Coalition MAS. Given the variety in the 7th's MAS lineup, it was difficult to simply change all of their transponders with one push of the button. She quickly flagged the signature above as a blue, then turned her sensors to observe it. Another Sparrowhawk.

She heard heavy metal shifting outside of her field of view, and looked over to the Krakono that Pips had told her to stay near. It was preparing to fire. Fire at what? Her radar illuminated with more blue signatures, which she immediately knew was more Coalition MAS units. It took conscious effort to tell them apart from her own friendlies, and that frustrated Aurelia. Perhaps if this AAT-9 could be secured, the techs could work some magic on this machine to rectify the issues. The Krakono fired, and the sensor screens in the cockpit automatically dimmed so as to not blind Aurelia in the dark cockpit. She watched the impressive cannon fire off into a tree line, annihilating the threat before they even knew what happened. She was glad the Krakono was on their side... With the way cleared, the trio of MAS units began to move, using the Sparrowhawk above as a navigating device to find their way to safety.

Aurelia was surprised when a massive Riverdrake leaped out of the woods and jumped on the Krakono. She watched as the massive MAS tumbled to the ground. All of the chaos had stirred the local predators up, and they weren't about to let something bigger than them claim their hunting grounds. Aurelia brought her laser cannon to bear on the Riverdrake, but she was then slammed aside as another, smaller drake chomped at her arm. Aurelia wrestled with the drake for a few seconds before using her shield arm to draw the Automag pistol from its clamps on the right leg. Aurelia pressed the Automag's barrel into the drake's head and fired off three shots. The 40mm HE rounds loaded in the pistol easily buried themselves in the skull of drake and detonated its head. The drake slumped off of the Helmeimr's arm, freeing the laser cannon to once again be fired. When she looked back to the Krakono, she saw the massive drake being speared by a large bayonet. Aurelia breathed deep. This was all too intense...

"Sunray, follow Grizzly - I'm right here to back you up. Don't worry about the lizards, just keep moving where you can," Pips said as they moved.

The princess acknowledged Pips' instructions and moved ahead, only to see a pair of riverdrakes emerging from the tree line and running to intercept her and the Kolibri. These things were everywhere! Her sensors pinged when they detected the Sparrowhawk above was closing in fast. It was covering them! Aurelia fired the side boosters on her AAT-9, strafing quickly to create distance between herself and the drakes. There was a vibrating sound as the Sparrowhawk's gun opened up on the drakes, mowing them down and stopping their advance. Then she heard Pips speak again, this time things sounded a lot more grim.

"Sunray? It's Pips. There's Coalition patrols closing in on our location as we speak - a lot of them. You've got Deadeye right behind you, I'm on your left, and Boss in the sky. We're almost at our ship. It'll have more than enough firepower to deal with them but I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire. The moment the hangar doors open, you run in first. Trust me on this - we'll be right behind you."

Aurelia shook her head as she studied the damage on the Kolibri, "Negative, Kolibri! This MAS is still healthy and able to fight! You're in less of a position to cover the retreat. You will make the first bound to the ship, I will use the AAT-9's shields to cover your advance. Please don't argue this..."

Aurelia didn't know where that boldness came from. She was always rather delicate... But after everything these pilots did to get her to safety, it didn't sit right with Aurelia that one of them would get to end only for their MAS to fail on them and be left behind. The princess recognized she was their priority, but as a leader and ruler, their lives were her own priority. "Er- Boss?" she regarded the flying Sparrowhawk without knowing its official callsign or name of the pilot inside, "Can you try and divert these Riverdrakes to get in between us and the Coalition MAS units? I don't know if that's even possible, but... If there's anything you can do to buy us time without shedding more blood, I'd be grateful."

Aurelia really didn't want more people to die over her, regardless of the flag they fought for.

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

This weekend ideally. I've been hella busy this week.

Diablo 2: The Rogue Companion

Gonna bump this back to the top! I never did manage to start this one up with anyone! Still interested!

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

Three Against One

(Mood Music)

"So you got my right arm so what? Just because I got careless against you bastards doesn't mean I'm going to die just yet. A warrior of the Colosseum dies on their feet fighting or not at all." Auriel heard Rayla say.

She nodded back to their opponent, "I am not above granting the dying their last wishes. If that is yours, then so be it."

“Nobody has to die at all. You could have surrendered and come with us. We were never given the order to kill you but I knew full well that your damn pride and ego would lead to this. I don’t have anything against you but when you kill farmers who have not done anything to you or try to kill me or my friends. That is when I have a problem.” Fer said, followed by Cole.

"Damn it...still dizzy...she's injured...we can take her alive if she loses enough blood."

Auriel stood beside the two of them. The time for talk as over. Auriel had spoken of her opinion on the matter long before this moment, that Rayla deserves only to die. But she wasn't about to speak against the heroes. Regardless of their decision to end her or spare her, Auriel knew they'd need to be at their best if they were to take her down. Auriel's off hand began to glow with light. She took a breath and flared it out toward Cole, enveloping his body with divine light. That light quickly routed itself to his injuries, revitalizing his body and quickly working to seal his wounds. He would feel a strong rush of energy as the Flash of Light spell worked quickly. Auriel then brought her hand toward Fer, doing the same for him as well. She then clutched her spear in both hands, "Let's finish this."

When Fer charged forward to distract and pin Rayla to the wall, Auriel looked to Cole, "We move together, give her no opportunity to fight either of us individually!"

Rise of the Shield Hero - From Another World

I plan on getting something out this weekend! Been hella busy this week as it's the first week back to work after having a month off and traveling.

I hope you feel better soon, Van!!

Falling Skies: Reboot ver 2

Alone

(Mood Music)
(Environmental Ambience)

---

--Crash +24 minutes--

Beep... Beep... Beep... Distress beacon activated...

"Hnng..."

Beep... Beep... Beep... Distress beacon activated...

Aurelia shifted and rolled, groaning again as her sore body finally began to animate. The repetitious beeping and words the pod was blaring out was stirring her from unconsciousness.

Beep... Beep... Beep... Distress beacon activated...

Aurelia groaned a third time, "Haaa... Distress... Bea-" she tapered off, then gasped and immediately shot awake at the realization, "Distress Beacon!"

Completely unaware of her sore body, Aurelia practically threw herself to the crew interface of the life pod. It was international law that distress beacons were broadcasted on all channels, and that all citizens, regardless of loyalty, were mandated to respond. That meant everyone could hear the signal... Even the Coalition. Aurelia's hands hovered over the interface as her eyes darted over it, taking in the details and trying to work out how it was used.

Beep... Beep... Beep... Distress beacon activated...

"No! No! No! Turn off, dammit! Turn off!" she said. But one simply couldn't just turn off a life pod's distress beacon. She knew it too, but her sudden distress clouded her sensibilities. She pounded at the display, which yielded no results.

Aurelia looked around the pod, seeing that the air cushions had all deflated, their purposed served. Knick-knacks that Dearil had stored in the life pod were scattered about. There was a simple backpack with Dearil's name on it that was partly torn open in the crash. A first aid kit remained stowed on the pod's door, as well as a locked away pistol two magazines.

Beep... Beep... Beep... Distress beacon activated...

She had to get away from the pod. Now. Aurelia grabbed Dearil's backpack and opened it up, seeing what sort of things he had stowed away in it. There was a change of civilian clothes wrapped in a watertight pouch, too big for her, but at least it was something. She pulled out two bottles of Hyperwater, which made her smile softly despite the fresh loss. He loved that stuff... Also in the bag was a set camping supplies, a roll of para-cord, a multi-tool, a compass, and some firestarters. Dearil obviously never intended to use any of it, but she was glad that he had prepared a survival bag just in case. Even gone, he was still somehow looking out for her.

Searching deeper, Aurelia came upon a small journal and writing utensil. She opened it and immediately saw written letters from his wife and daughter. How old fashioned, but yet so endearing. The letters immediately reminded her of the picture Dearil had given her before they departed the Hammerhand. She reached underneath her chest plate and pulled out the picture, looking over both Jenna and their adorable daughter. She hadn't noticed the lip stick smudge on the corner of the photo. Aurelia felt tears welling up in her eyes. He was so close to seeing them again... Until she had barged her way into his ship... Made him a target... "Oh God, Dearil... I'm so sorry!" she breathed, holding the picture to her chest and letting the tears streak her cheeks.

Then she heard it... Beep... Beep... Beep... Distress signal received. Rescue is en route.

Aurelia looked back at the interface, seeing the display. All responders to a distress beacon always broadcasted an identifying code to the beacon in order to inform the survivor who was coming to get them. Imperial government identifiers always started with UER, followed by the unit's serial number. The ID wasn't Imperial... The Coalition was using the beacon to home in on her position. Aurelia took one last look at Dearil's photo, then carefully placed it back underneath her chest plate. "I'll get this to your family, Dearil... They need to hear it from me..."

She stuffed all of the supplies back into the bag, then she took the first aid kit and put it into the bag as well. Aurelia then took the pistol, loaded a magazine, pulled back the slide, and put it on safe. She placed the pistol on the magnetic carrier on her left thigh plate, then slung the bag over her shoulders. Aurelia then climbed out of the pod, her eyes squinting as the rays of sunlight beamed through the forest canopy above. All around her, she could hear alien creatures singing and communicating. Cerol was quite a vibrant world. Perhaps one day it could be a paradise for all humanity to visit. She didn't let herself get distracted though. She heard a deeper noise, a sort of thrumming that reverbed off of the trees and surrounded her. It was mechanical... Engines... And MAS units...

Aurelia picked a random direction, and began to move...

---

--Crash +2 hours--

(Mood Music)

Just her luck...

Of all of the directions she could have gone... She ended up heading straight for the enemy. Now she was stuck laying on the forest floor underneath a dense bush, hoping the Coalition would move on so she didn't need to hide anymore. What surprised Aurelia the most was the camp that the Coalition was bivouaced in. It looked well developed, like they had been there for quite some time undetected by the UEE. There was equipment and crates strewn about with optical camouflage tents and mesh hung up in the canopy. Four MAS units stood side by side, all unoccupied. A tight beam communications tent was set up to allow for discreet communications off world... But to where? It seemed that the pilots in this camp were so confident and comfortable that they weren't going to be discovered that they had even laxed their security. How many hidden camps were on Cerol right under the UEE's nose? How long were they there for?

Aurelia watched one man sit at the comms tent, monitoring the net. She overheard the chatter... Other patrols were talking, using words that suggested that there were other camps in the area set on locating her. She heard 'princess', 'the daughter', and even her very name being used on the net. She was very clearly their objective, and she had practically just handed herself over to them by stumbling upon their camp. Aurelia remained silent, at least they didn't know she was there. Perhaps she could turn this into an advantage...

Her eyes fixated on the comms tent. She saw a map of the local area on a table, as well as markers pinned on it which she deduced was likely the other camp locations. That tent was a gold mine of valuable intel... But what would she do if she got there? Shoot the guard and alert the whole forest? Go up against three other covert operatives on her own? As valuable as the tent was, it would practically be a suicide mission... Not worth the risk... Then her eyes turned back to the MAS units, their chest cavities opened and awaiting their pilots, should the need arise, and the power already on in all of them for a hasty call to action. Three of the MAS units looked like slightly upgraded Fenrir models, fitted for covert operations. But the fourth looked entirely different. It looked more threatening. It stood taller than the Fenrirs, its legs in a reverse jointed configuration. The armor plating was painted red, which was covered in more optical camo netting to break the color up while it wasn't in use. She recognized the frame from the holos when she was in the academy. A Helheimr, a rare and devastating unit used as a vanguard in initial engagements. They were notorious in the UEE for the punishment they could both take and dish out.

Slung over one shoulder was a fresh pelt of a large predator. She recognized the head of the beast, it was a Cerol Riverdrake. An animal that reached its size and ferocity by living in large rivers of Cerol's famous 'hyperwater' channels and springs. Whoever the pilot of the Helheimr was, he seemed to enjoy big game hunting. A deep, threatening hiss diverted her attention from the intimidating MAS. She followed the sound to look beyond the MAS, spotting a cage hidden under a particularly thick part of the forest canopy. There was another Riverdrake, live and imprisoned... It was most likely waiting to be skinned and carved much like the one on the Helheimr. Maybe it was sort of unit tradition for these operators? To adorn their mechs with a planet's biggest and fiercest inhabitants? Or perhaps it was meant to further adorn the Helheimr. She didn't know, and frankly she didn't care. Aurelia quickly formulated a plan and watched as a pilot stepped out to admire the drake in the cage. The drake stared back at him with intelligent eyes and growled threateningly, not that the pilot was threatened with the bars in between them.

She quietly unslung her backpack and pulled the first aid kit from it. Opening it, Aurelia produced the auto-injector. It was shaped similarly to a pistol. The top would fit phials of different drugs to rapidly administer them to a patient. She looked at what the kit had available and slotted a morphine phial into the auto-injector. She turned a dial on the back of the injector to set the dose to maximum. It would be a single use dose, but it wouldn't make any noise unlike her pistol. And she wouldn't need to take a life...

Aurelia closed the backpack and brought it back over her shoulders. The ripped piece of fabric on the pack snagged a branch and pulled the bush, causing the leaves to rustle. Aurelia froze from the noise and watched the pilot take his eyes away from the drake to bush. He didn't see her, but given the battle in the skies above and the fact they were on an enemy world, he showed caution. "Please think it's just an animal..." she thought to herself, her hand white-knuckling the auto-injector.

The pilot looked back at the drake, then grinned as he slowly drew a long hunting knife. He slowly began stepping toward the bush. Toward her. He let out a little whistle like he was calling a dog. Aurelia's eyes went to the pelt, then to the captive drake. "He does think I'm an animal... And not in a good way..." It was the hunter.

"Come on out, little chickie~ Ol' Jones is hungry."

Aurelia clenched her jaw. She couldn't move anywhere without him seeing her. All she could do was remain in place and let the bush conceal her. She brought the auto-injector slowly at the ready. She would have one shot to get him down quietly. She rattled the bush a bit more, trying to convince him that an animal was indeed occupying it. Meanwhile, she brought a leg up and dig her heel into the soil. She had to be ready to pounce out at him. Looking beyond him, she saw the Riverdrake was growling quietly and watching both the hunter and Aurelia. She heard it take deep sniffs of air, and she could tell that it knew there was a human in the bush. Still, the drake seemed to wait patiently and watch.

A footstep cracking branches turned her attention back on the hunter. He was close now. Just a few more steps and she would be in striking distance. Aurelia braced her other hand in the dirt. The hunter reached a hand out to start slowly shifting branches and leaves. "Come to rescue mommy and daddy drake have you?"

The moment the large leaf in front of Aurelia was being pushed aside, she struck. Aurelia pushed herself toward him, bursting from the bush quickly and driving the auto-injector into his leg, using her free hand to cover his mouth and one of her legs to pin his knife hand to the ground as he fell back with her on top. Auto-injectors are designed to work fast, very fast. And with the morphine dose set to maximum, the hunter was left a slobbering mess on the forest floor in seconds. When Aurelia struck, the Riverdrake made more deep growls and hisses, masking the noise of their tumbling. Aurelia looked up at the drake and saw it staring right back at her. There was much more about the beast than simple ferocity. She could see it in its eyes. There was a burning intelligence in them as it figured her out.

Aurelia stood up over the pilot and cautiously approached the caged drake. It watched her as she made her way to the cage gate. The drake growled again, but not in the same way it had regarded the hunter. It looked away from her and at the spring lock fitted underneath a cover that only a human hand could fit in. Aurelia looked over her shoulder, seeing that the camp hadn't been alerted to the sound of Arelia's takedown. She looked back at the drake. It watched her, and this time it was dead silent. She saw its hind legs tighten up beside it as it aligned its body to the gate of the cage, no doubt getting ready to launch out if she opened the cage for it. Aurelia reached for the lock and took a deep breath. "Please don't eat me... Pleaaase don't eat me!" she whispered quickly and quietly to herself.

Then she pulled the bar up and back against the spring, allowing the large deadbolt to slide back and out of place. The gate slackened and Aurelia dove to the side as the Riverdrake wasted no time to burst out of the cage. It let out an immense roar which drew the three other pilots out of their tents. "Ah shit! Jones' pet got out! Get th-" he was cut off by the drake leaping headlong into him.

The pilot let out a bloodcurdling cry as the drake's jaw clamped around him, sinking the long, venomous fangs into his body. The drake swung its head around, using the force of the swinging to rip and tear into the pilot and break his bones. His mouth was frothing a yellow, acidic foam as the Riverdrake's venom took action. His body began to sizzle and cook from the venom now inside his mangled body. The drake dropped the body and looked at the next pilot who drew his pistol. He screamed and fired at it, but the small caliber rounds plinked harmlessly off of its rock hard scales.

Aurelia didn't stop to watch the carnage. She ran for the Helheimr and climbed up the MAS unit's entry ladder. She jumped into the cockpit and quickly hit the switch to close the cavity around her. The UEE was always behind the Coalition in MAS technology. In fact, if it wasn't for a half dozen captured Fenrir I's, the UEE would have never have even developed a comparable MAS at all. Since so many UEE model MAS units were based off of Coalition designs, the cockpits were naturally similar. There were some differences in the operating systems and layouts of certain buttons and switches, but for the most part, things were very recognizable.

"Welcome aboard, pilot." a virtual intelligence inside the MAS greeted her as the sensors displays in the walls of the cockpit activated. Soon, her steel coffin opened up into a seemingly transparent enclosure, allowing her to see around herself at all angles. She heard a scream, amplified by the Helheimr's audio sensors. Her eyes were once again diverted to the Riverdrake as it was repeatedly raking its massive claws over the pilot that had shot at it.

"The Ragnarok is all systems green. You have the controls." the VI said.

Aurelia took the helmet, which was wired into the MAS and hung up on the side of the seat, and placed it over her head. A bunch of readouts and technical data was highlighted on the helmet's HUD. She quickly took the controls and began with a simple walk. The Ragnarok ripped through its optic camo netting and blankets. Once she was clear of the makeshift MAS harbor, she brought the Ragnarok into a sprint, crashing through trees and brush.

The last coalition pilot in the camp ran into the comms tent and grabbed a hold of the radio. With a quick, ragged breath, she spoke into the radio. "All camps, all camps! This is Gamma Patrol! The princess has been sighted! She is in the Ragnarok! I say again, the princess is in the Rag-" he stopped when he heard a hiss behind him.

The pilot looked over his shoulder as saw the long snout of the Riverdrake pushing slowly through the opening in the tent. It's nostrils flared as it opened its jaw just two feet in front of him. The pilot was frozen with fear, but the drake didn't care. It snapped at him, and dove into the tent. The massive body of the Riverdrake ripped the opti-cam blanket apart and destroyed the tent as it threw itself around with the pilot screaming inside.

---

--Crash +2 hours, 29 minutes--

(Mood Musc)

Aurelia had set the Ragnarok's VI to take care of simple ground navigation while she did what she could to familiarize herself with the AAT-9. She reviewed the weapon systems the MAS was outfitted with, as well as the armor specs. Knowing the reputation the Helheimr has throughout the UEE, and seeing the classified armor characteristics for herself, she now completely understood why these MAS units were so notorious. For a medium MAS, these things were practically unstoppable once they were moving! That was great for Aurelia.

Aurelia heard a ping in her ear, followed by the VI's voice. "Be advised, friendly units approaching at your seven o'clock. Check fire."

Aurelia looked back over her shoulder, spotting three Fenrir units barreling through the forest after her. "Pilot override: reconfigure IFF." Aurelia said.

"Override confirmed. Set new IFF parameters now." the VI said.

Aurelia designated Coalition signatures as hostiles. If she got out of this mess, she'd have to spend some time to fully reconfigure the IFFs to include UEE units, but for now this would have to do. The holographic radar projected in front of her changed the blue pips denoting the Fenrirs to red. She powered up the Ragnarok's shields, the energy fields sparking to life around the MAS and sizzling smaller plants and branches around the unit. A hail came through in her ear, "Ragnarok, this is Captain Greer. Stand down and surrender or we will open fire on you. This doesn't need to get bloody, princess."

Aurelia acquired a lock on the lead Fenrir in the pack fired her thrusters to keep her forward momentum as she spun the Rangarok to face her pursuers. She levelled the MAS unit's laser cannon on the Fenrir and opened up with a volley of low power shots. The beams ripped through the brush, causing fires in the proximity of the lasers from the heat alone. The Fenrir's shields took the hits, but it did server to stop all three units in their tracks. Aurelia was met with a volley of ballistic rounds being spat back at her. The high performance shields took the hits and dispersed the kinetic energy.

"You're making a mistake, captain!" Aurelia responded to him, "My forces are already looking for me! How far do you think you'll make it away with me? If you value your life, let me go!"

"It ain't that simple, girl. Now judging by that shot, you aren't the most experienced combat pilot out there. Well my men are. You're outnumbered. Our next shots wont be so merciful. Give up." Captain Greer said flatly. He was right.

Aurelia gritted her teeth and turned away from them again, using her primary boosters to launch ahead faster. The weight and momentum of the MAS allowed it to blow through the smaller trees in her path. More shots ripped through the woods behind the Ragnarok, all of them finding purchase with the Ragnarok's shields. With the shields on the Ragnarok designed to harden in the forward arcs, the rear shields left a little more to be desired. The first three rounds were stopped by the shield, but the fourth and fifth pierced through and hit one of the main boosters. There was a small explosion as the plasma thruster misfired and tipped the Ragnarok off balance. Aurelia gasped as the MAS tumbled forward and fell face first into the soil. She was quick to recover, bringing the MAS to its feet and returning it to a run. Without the assistance of the boosters to skate, Aurelia would be considerably slower.

The Fenrirs were gaining on her now. The red pips now crossing over into the next distance ring at fifty meters. Then, more red pips appeared on her radar in front of her. Aurelia let out a frustrated, defeated sigh. She was being cut off! Then the VI spoke in her ear, "Warning, enemy signatures detected at your twelve o'clock. Scans suggest UEE EM signatures."

Aurelia's eyes lit up. The UEE! They're here for her! Aurelia heard the sound of a lock-on warning, then the flat tone of an incoming missile. A yellow flashing pip showed up on her radar that was approaching her fast. She quickly engaged her side boosters, jinking to the right and blowing through a large tree. The missile hissed past the Ragnarok and slammed into woods ahead, causing a concussive blast that blew down some smaller trees and rocked the Rangarok. Aurelia needed to get into contact with the UEE fast, but she didn't have any way of getting onto their encrypted network. She opted for an open broadcast. It wasn't like her presence in the Ragnarok wasn't known by any of her enemies as it was.

“This is Sunray, requesting assistance!” she said, “I repeat! This is Sunray, I am being pursued by Coalition forces!”

The Ragnarok burst forward through another tree. She was relieved to find herself breaking out into open ground. At least she'd have more freedom of movement, even if it did mean she lost her cover. Aurelia spotted some of the UEE MAS units which made her breathe with relief. Behind her, the Fenrirs burst out into the clearing not far from her. Using her forward boosters, Aurelia turned and fired them to once again keep her momentum while facing the Fenrir units. She brought the arm fitted with the repulsor shield up to add for her forward shield strength while letting loose a few more volleys of laser fire. The extra hardened shield did well to stop the accurate fire the Fenrirs were putting on her.

Aurelia kept on firing as she spoke over the open comms channel, “This is Sunray, I’ve got three Coalition Fenrirs on my tail!”

The VI spoke again, "EM spike detected."She was taken by surprise when a laser shot lanced past her and punched into the nearest Fenrir pursuing her, sending it crashing into the crash in a spray of dirt and fire.

The shot was quickly followed up with a transmission, "Sunray it's Pipsqueak. That laser blast came from my squadmate Grizzly, adjust your course to regroup with his MAS - it's a little hard to miss."

Aurelia understood but didn't transmit back. She didn't want the Coalition to get a semblance of their plans by her speaking on an open channel. She followed the radar signature from the EM spike and began running toward Grizzly. The other two Fenrirs quickly broke for cover to engage the new, more pressing threats. While she moved, Aurelia watched as the Coalition units were quickly being taken care by the UEE units. It almost looked easy... Who were these guys?

"That was... disappointingly easy." DISAPPOINTING?! EASY?! "Sunray, you still with us? Circle back to-" Aurelia saw the immobilized Coalition MAS fire off another one of its missiles at the Kolibri and blast it off its feet.

Aurelia quickly changed the Ragnarok's course to run to the Kolibri and make sure the pilot was unharmed. Thankfully, Aurelia's worries for the pilot were quickly doused when she heard Pipsqueak over the net, "Sunray. This is, unfortunately. Still Pipsqueak. I'm a little banged up now and cannot use my radars to locate you, please return to the…blast site, and we'll regroup."

Already on it. In a matter of seconds, the Ragnarok was co-located with the Kolibri. Aurelia popped the chest cavity of the Helheimr open and jumped out of the cockpit with Dearil's backpack over one shoulder. She climbed up onto the sprawled out MAS and used the emergency access handle to force open the cockpit. Looking inside, Aurelia saw the pilot. "Don't move! Are you hurt?! I have first aid supplies!" she was already fishing out the first aid kit from the bag.