| Strayed Bullets | |||
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| Summary: During an attempt of moving a Food Convoy to Earth's Cradle, for bringing supplies to Mars, Ascian - as the only escort - is forced to combat a new mysterious mech. | |||
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Friday, March 04, NCA 121
North Africa home of the Divine Crusaders, a group that had been causing some trouble for earth. This meant in a strange way, they were fresh meat for a corporation like Crest. They needed to see the new unit in action and attacking a cargo line was the best way.
Yes rather simple task, but they didn't want to having the thing smoldering in smoke.
Earlier
The dirty blond was fixing his gloves in the skin tight body suit as he walks outside with a few techs to a hanger in the far back of the massive Crest Complex. "Remember," One of the techs says, "Don't activate the field until you get into the combat zone."
"Yeah I remember, don't need to be killing the pilots." The dity blonde says calmly. Those unearthly aqua green eyes glow gently as the first set of doors start to open, at which he walks into the hanger through the containment door.
Soon the area was quickly cleared back as the hanger doors started to open and the glow of a aqua green visor flashed brightly before the light suddenly focused to the center, before it moved across the band to the side.
The mecha then started to move, its white frame seeme to almost glow in the moonlight as it started to walk towards the carrier for the long flight.
One of the techs then picks up a radio, "R, we forgot to tell you."
The mecha's bright single light seems to glow in that direction to the voice, before the mecha looks down. <<"Tell me what?">> The voice echoed out from the machine.
"We assigned you that Operator."
"Wait.. What?! I said I didn't need a damn operator!" The mech voices out as it swings an arm to the side in frustration before a soft tsk can be heard. <<"She better be worth her damn salt. Cause if she causes me to screw up, so help me.">>
The tech then looks at the brown headed scientist, "... I guess he told you guys this?"
The brown head smirks, "Yeah, he did. We told him earlier today, since he was so gung ho to have a com, the head wanted to go ahead and set him up for the next stage."
"I just hope it goes ok."
"I am sure it will."
Now
The dropshop has already left the area and what is screaming across the open fields is that very white mech known as a NEXT. Is thrusters burning hot white with a tinge of aqua green in them at the cooler spots. The visor glows seems focused in the center and it already locked on the convey.
How fast was it going? Near mach 1.
After a certain set of events at Mars, followed by the assault on the Argama, Ascian had hopped ship from the Ark Hammer to a BAHRAM battleship that was en route to earth. With the La Gian beastwoman concidered to be safe now, he had no qualms with leaving Mars for a bit and doing what was needed of him; to gather more resources for Mars. Especially with the recent destruction of farmland.
And that is exactly what has him currently in the Amenthes, hovering slowly over a series of trucks that are slowly pushing through the desert sand, on their way to the Earth Cradle. There is a gentle hum inside of the cockpit, and Ascian has his eyes closed. His left hand is trembling a little. "Sir, are you alright?" Duat inquires.
"Yes, I'm fine Duat. It's just been a rough time. The Divine Crusaders are suffering heavily lately. And with that, Mars. I was surprised we manage to get this big of a food shipment from the Divine Crusaders." He moves a bit more properly into his seat and leans forwards. The young man looks stressed out, and like he hasn't slept well.
"It is in the~..." Duat cuts itself off. "Warning. ETR reaction detected. Coming in at high velocity." Ascian quickly opens his eyes and pulls his gaze towards the vid-window which opens up. He was glad Duat managed to quickly set it to infra-red, because it was night out. Only the moon had given enough light to show that incoming unit. "It's fast." He mutters and quickly lays his hands onto the controls - a red flow immediately rushing through the unit, which turns about.
"Unidentified unit! Please halt your approach. You are within Divine Crusader teritory, and interfering with a humanitarian mission. I repeat. Please halt your approach!" He calls out over the speakers.
The mecha doesn't reply as it moves in. Ascian can keep radio if he likes, but that white machine was moving in closer and closer. Then there was suddenly a strange eerie glow that started to form around the mecha. It glowed bright aqua green for just that split moment. If Duat was sensative to readings, it may pick up the fact that whatever that field was--
It was radioactive.
As he moves in closer he speeds past the convoy. Though as he does, the mechas head stares down at the orbital frame. That bright light focused right on Ascian. It was like a near momentary slow down. Whatever information Ascian could maybe see on the unit, was it was sleek, curved, and designed with a futuristic look.
As the white mecha came around it skidded to a halt and then just floated there above the ground a few inches. The thrusters seeming to control the thrust. It was.. Just staring at Ascian.
Yes, it was. Duat had extensive sensor systems. "Raising shields. Radiation detected." And immediately a red translucent orb surrounds the unit, then shrinks down around the unit's armor itself, forming a thin shell around it. "Thank you, Duat." Ascian thanks his A.I., whilst looking at the unit. "It looks interesting..." He continues to radio the convoy to keep going, and a set of SV-51s were called in to take over the rest of the way whilst Amenthes and the unknown mech stare off.
"Again." Using speakers, the BAHRAM pilot tries to warn the enemy mech. "Please, turn around - and leave this place. If you attack, your actions may very well be the death of a large sum of Marian citizens - due to starvation. Please, I ask you, turn around." The Amenthes shifts its right arm into that of the shape of a rifle, and aims it straight at the enemy unit. The targetting systems all come online, and begin to align for the unit - as Duat tries to analyze specs further than just the design itself by use of its sensor systems. "I don't like this..." Ascian mutters. He had a bad feeling about this.
The mech just hovers there. Within there was a pilot and he was listening to the voice of a female, that very female was off sight and in the landed dropship several miles out. Her hands were quickly moving over the keyboard as she spoke, "Remember your objective, R. You are there to destroy that Convoy. Crest wants to help Earth put the hurt on Mars. Just remember, not /all/ the shipments, as for your friend there," She glances up at the screen, "... destroy if you have too."
The mecha continues to hover there, before its optical eye quickly movves across the visor, as the light just moves like someone 'looking' toward the convey, before it looks back at the Orbital Frame.
Then without even moving it raises its right arm toward the Convoy and opens fire, however that 'stare' hasn't even moved away from Ascian.
Was this thing daring him?
The blonde back at the ship raises the brow, "..what are you doing R.."
"Tssk! I knew it!" Ascian sends a thick flow of energy through the shield and rushes the Amenthes into the path of fire, expanding its shield and pushing away the volley of 'bullets' coming from the unknown's weaponry.
"What? You are going to attack the convoy? What kind of heartless..." He gnashes his teeth, glaring at the thing from within his cockpit. "Fine. If that's how you want it, I will take you on!"
The wings of the Amenthes suddenly push out pieces of glowing red crystal between them, folding slightly to the back and bathing the area in the crimson glow of redundant Metatron energy; jumping off like red feathered embers of light. The rifle aims more precisely, and releases a volley behind the Next, before moving the path of the plasma bullets downwards - aiming on cutting off one of the more obvious escape paths.
Behold, the mech does speak, or at least a sound is emitted past the speaks by it which sounds like a 'tsk' of annoyance as the kid blocks of the volley of bullets. Then the mech watches the Orbital Frame leap over him, now it seemed..
It was time for the mech to live up to the NEXT counterparts.
The metatron fell and seemed to interact with the Kojima field surrounding the Next causing it to flicker for that moment as the NEXT starts to move. It was like a heart beat.. One pound, here came the shot. Second pound, the pannels on the shoulders started to open as the beams started to move in. Third pound, The NEXT stares up as Ascian attempts to get the upper hand above him, the thrusters starting to glow, the blast moving in. Forth Pound...
The NEXT was gone in one quick side burst and the two energies collide with one another while Ascian got a volley of bullets from the assault rifle as the NEXT then suddenly started to skim back and into the air before, suddenly the thrusters on its back and legs went hot and the NEXT charged in.
It moved in like a rocket, the sickly aqua green glow came to form life on the left arm before it formed a high intense blade made of that very energy that fueled it. With no hesitation, that blade attempted to rip into the Orbital Frame.
"I knew it, that thing is fast." Ascian mutters as the Strayed maneuvers around the plasma bolts like a pro. "And the pilot isn't half bad either." There was a bad feeling at the bottom of his gut. Duat doesn't even respond, it's too busy compensating for the movement of the 'unknown machine'. The Amenthes quickly veers down towards a nearby hill, then moves down behind it to get away from the enemy unit's bullets being sprayed.
A few manage to hit the unit on the shoulders, and further lash across the headunit. But what's worse is that it chases him and soon swings that sword at it. "I... I've seen that sword before? Haven't I?" Ascian wonders out loud to Duat. The unit doesn't respond. It helps the BAHRAM framerunner in his evasive maneuvers, but the sword manages to catch on one of the tail'feathers', and shatters the red diamond there-in.
"This isn't funny." Ascian mutters to himself. "What's someone like this trying to assault a convoy for!" He's already decided that this guy is good. He'd only had a few months of /real life/ combat experience. But he'd gotten a knack for recognizing the elites out there.
"Duat. I need your help. I'm not good enough to beat this guy on my own." His will gets pushed further into the machine, which quickly turns aboutface and lets rip another series of plasma bolts, before Ascian hits the 'boosters' on the Amenthes. Which basically just means that more Metatron crystals push out, and activate, sending a foursome of red rings of energy embers splashing harmlessly into the air as it tries to flee up into the air, whilst still being close enough to intercept fire on the convoy.
Ascian goes to hide, the NEXT is ontop of him. Ascian goes into the air, there comes to the NEXT however it pays off this time, though with a cost.
The Assault rifle makes its mark, but those rings of energy, slam and go through the field like it wasn't there and slams into the NEXT sending it crashing back into the ground. It tumbles across the ground. But like a real person almost, it shakes its head and then rises up to its feet, picking up the assault rifle in its hand as it rises up.
That optic quickly goes looking for Ascian, before suddenly.
Target found.
Back at the dropship, the blonde woman was trying to keep up. She had her work cut out for her, even more so that the pilot of this NEXT was a very stubborn man. "R, are you alright? Your vitals showed an increase for a moment."
If Ascian could hear from that far up, the NEXT at last 'spoke', <<"Yeah-- I'm fine.">> Then with a crouch and hard shove of its foot, the Next went flying into the air once more heading right for Ascian.
Then with a sudden boost to left, then to right, and then one that blurred the NEXT right ahead of Ascian, the missile pod came up from its shoulder before it unleashed a volley of missiles toward the young pilot in his Orbital Frame.
The wings of the Amenthes quickly remove themselves from the unit upon it getting further up into the air and begin to circle around it on the horizontal plane, aimed down at the unknown unit. "What are you? Some kind of robot! Do you feel nothing for the lives of the people who will suffer because of your selfish actions!?" He'd gotten nothing but a 'tch' out of it - as well as some sound he'd barely heard, nor figured was meant for him. But he kept trying to rile it up. If anything, maybe it could break the concentration of the pilot inside. He knew it worked for the gundam kids sometimes. Maybe it would work for him.
Bullets keep flying, smashing pieces of armor off of the wing-bits. But Metatron crystals keep growing from the small gaps and dents they make. And then missiles come flying at it - along with the NEXT. "That's one heck of a jump." Ascian mutters, and charges the wing-lasers.
Red beams quickly dart into the aim, intercepting some of them, setting the skies alight with their explosions. But some of them manage to push through the flow of red lines, which at the same time go seeking for the smooth moonlit mech - trying to surround it and cut into the arms and legs. That's right. Ascian didn't wanna go for the cockpit. Something that had to do with what happened two days ago at a certain church.
The rockets impact on the red shield the Amenthes had up, which flickers severely - a few pieces of armor plating chipping off of the unit. "Its movements are crazy. Duat, you better be recording this." Ascian calls out. "Of course." The A.I. replies, whilst the vidwindow grows in size to display the paths of all the lasers. "Faster, Amenthes. Get him." The young man hisses. And also as if magically so, the lasers go... faster. Winding like a ball around the last position of the NEXT - trying to surround it and wrap it up within their cutting embraces.
The NEXT hovered there in the air, watching the Orbital Frame. The kid was trying to rile him up, heck he was trying to damage his mech, which he didn't like much and quickly avoided.
However as the Orbital Frame attempted to tie him up, the NEXT quickly used the blade to parry some of the attack before slamming the beam into the Orbital Frame, the other hand reaching for the head of the unit as that visor stared into the optics.
Then, it spoke, no /he/ spoke, the voice was that of an adult, someone in their thirties, <<"I feel for lives or I would have already killed you, kid. This is war; Shit happens.">>
Then the blade retracts before the NEXT pushes away, but as it does, it tries to kick the Orbital Frame in the Chest and hopefully maybe shove it down toward the ground and perhaps, into one of the convoy trucks.
<<"Grow up!">>
"Tsssk." He would already have killed him!? That just pisses Ascian off. He gnashes his teeth more, trying to keep himself patient. trying to keep his head straight. But it's getting harder already. "This has nothing to do with me growing up!" The Amenthes directs the beam away from itself, only to have its head grabbed. The machine trembles a bit... and the eyes of the unit begin to glow fiercely.
"[ansi(r,How dare he...)]"
Ascian barks: "Shit." And tries to get the unit to move further away. To get out of the grip. But the NEXT manages to kick the Orbital Frame straight in the chest - causing it to tumble down whilst the laser-emitting wings go dead suddenly in the air, disconnected from the Metatron feed. They all quickly flip over and fall into the ground below, jabbing into it like sharp blades.
"[ansi(hr,How DARE he!)]"
The framerunner was the only one who could hear that voice. Before, he'd figured it was just his illusions. But he'd found out that it wasn't. That Amenthes truly was sentient in a way. The Orbital Frame does indeed crash into one of the convoys, which erupts against its back into a massive explosion...
And when the explosion is gone, there is suddenly a strange... feeling in the air. Like pressure has suddenly changed. And it has! Amenthes is literally compressing the space around itself, into the direction of the fallen wings, as well as the Strayed.
The beams suddenly flare up into the sky once more whilst the wings retreat to the Orbital Frame, simply trying to lash through the enemy unit - a few of them lunging up and trying to strike the NEXT like a bit funnel of sorts, run on Metatron energy! This was insane.
"[ansi(hr,HOW DARE YOU!)]" This time, R would be able to hear it. The voice of a woman scorned. The entire unit flares out, a thick glow around it like a cloud of sorts, emitting fiercely from the Metatron lines. Armor seems to shift, and parts of it spark as its structure comes under great stress.
There was something to be said about space folding crap, bullets didn't work against it. It ate the bullets at least that is how it looked. Plan one worked right. He took out one of the Convoys. Plan two also worked, he pissed him off.
He didn't have a back up plan for pissed off Orbital Frames though.
<<"F*ck Me..">> He says gently as suddenly, things get nasty...
Back over at the dropship the blonde's eyes go wide. The readings were going off the scale, "..R? R?! Respond!"
One of the techs rushes over, "Is that an error.."
"No," The blond says gently typing quickly, "No, I wish it was an error, but whatever just happened... it's big and his vitals are off the chart." The blonde the tsked softly, "Damnit R! Respond!"
Back over at the fight, the field and the wing blades strike into the Next, however the Kojima field was taking more of the pounding but it the force itself crashed the NEXT into the ground and the ground was forcing the NEXT to sorta 'sink' The armor was crunching and but that head of the NEXT slowly rose, like a man struggling with gravity against him to look at the source. <<"....">>
He could hear the females voice, as his hand dug into the ground, then suddenly with force, he broke out of the hold, the Kojima forcefield ripping thanks to the blades, but it was quickly starting to rebuild; Faster then any NEXT could ever rebuild its Primal Armor.
<<"I'm fine.">> He says replying to the female operator as it quickly was getting distant. Perhaps it looked like a form of retreat?
No instead the NEXT spun around 180 degrees on a dime, before a long barrel shoulder weapon came around. It then rested his hands on his hips as he spoke to the kid, <<"Temper temper. You really should learn to control that before something bad happens.">>
Not shortly after that, there was a glow from the barrel before a massive grenade bullet was blasted right for the Orbital Frame.
"Amenthes! Calm down!" Ascian calls out within the cockpit to his very own unit. "You'll be fine! Just calm down! You're not making it any easier on me. Give me back control!" Duat was going on the fritz, trying to wrest control back from the frame itself. Or rather, purge the controlling issues that were going through its very own Metatron Computer. As much as these things were programmed to stop this, Amenthes was somewhat of a 'special case'.
The space however begins to normalize again, whilst Ascian takes a quick look at the Convoy which was finally making some head way. But the truck he'd fallen on. "Shit. That could easily have fed a dome for a few weeks!" He growls, and turns his attention back towards the mysterious mech.
"Amenthes!" The unit's energy output finally reduces, and the wings quickly rush back towards the orbital frame whilst the NEXT is still grounded. "Thank you." Ascian then says, and gently moves his fingers over the half-orb controls. As if petting a child on the head. Admittedly, it could be seen in a much more perverted way too. I bet you were thinking of it that way. Tisk tisk.
Then suddenly. That barrel comes up, and he sees that grenade bullet coming at him. There's a sudden flashback. To a battle, once, he'd comitted to near a town. Against someone in a unique Armored Core. That voice! Was it similar? He couldn't remember. Things were a bit fuzzy.
"NOT THIS!" He still states, for drama sakes, and the frame jets to the left, then goes straight forwards and tries to ram into the NEXT - trying to grab hold of the cockpit. "See how you like it!" He calls out, then sets the rifle high at the chest, a good bit away from the bioreading he was getting - away from the cockpit. And fires a thick stream of red plasma from the rifle - hoping to cut its sensors and the thrusters at the same time.
The Obital Frame comes in fast and takes ahold of the core. However that visor of the head unit was locked onto the Orbital Frame. It seems there was another stare off between the two units again. The force was almost enough to send the NEXT off balance, but he quickly adjusts like a person does.
Then it that last second, the pilot of the NEXT shows off his martial skills, by quickly deflecting the rifle, rotating the Orbital Frames arm around, as he moves around the orbital Frame, and in that very vital moment, he jabs the Kojima Blade right into the back of the Orbital Frame before he yanks it out, however the blade stays activate as he tries to reach his arm around the Orbital frame from behind, reaching between those wings.
<<"I have been a soldier since I was 18.. I grew up on a military.. my father died in these wars... and you crusaders... you /damn/ crusaders... have been trouble since I could remember.">> He doesn't let go just yet. <<"You are lucky I don't containment that whole shipment, because I can, but for now-- I'll just use you as the last measure.">>
There was several Convoy trucks, The pilot knew this. He /only/ needed to take out two, so that is just what he planned to do. Perhaps even make a mockery of the poor kid while he was at.
He then shoved the Orbit Frame before he kicked back with a hard flip of his foot, but before he landed down, he went to slam whole body into the Orbital Frame; If he keyed the velocity right, the impact should make the Orbital Frame impact the end Convoy truck, and maybe, just maybe, disable that Orbital Frame.
"And then all of you trailer trash would be all the same, according to that logic! I know it isn't so! And to think the same way about the Divine Crusaders is just folly! I was trained as a soldier since I was fucking eight years old. That doesn't mean I have to be a heartless puppet!" Ascian shouts right back at R. "I am so sick of you so called soldiers, just hiding behind the excuse of being made into a weapon. The excuse that your poor daddy died. Or that your poor mommy was killed because another soldier pulled the trigger. Fucking deal with it, and move on!"
The Frame tries to turn around before the NEXT manages to stab that sword into its back. But it already succeeded! The frame howls out in pain as it is hit by the sharp weapon once more... and then turns around. Its eyes are glowing red, and its movements suddenly change. "Amenthes! No!" Ascian calls out. But it's too late. Duat suddely flickers... and turns off. Countless of windows suddenly pop up within the frame. "Shit shit shit shit..." He tries to concentrate, but he isn't properly trained to do this. Directly accessing is bad. Even that little voice in that back of his head is going nuts at him for even thinking about it, let alone DO it.
The frame fluidly jumps up and lays its hand onto the back of the NEXT and FORCES it down to the ground, stopping the entire blade attack in its path - and 'jumps' in the air whilst forming its other arm into a rifle as well. Its wings come alive beautifully, flaring out, the red going over into a orangish yellow, like it was burning. Truly looking like a Phoenix. And then, hoping the enemy unit was still on the ground, it /tries/ to crash its knees into the back of the unit to force it down and shifts the first rifle arm into a hand... to try and grab its headunit again - and to lift it up so that it could see her own face.
Though it had no mouth to show, there were cracks of Metatron lining showing in the restrictive mouthmask. It looked like it was smiling, in a sickly way, maniacal. "You know. Touching a lady isn't nice." The rifle is aimed at the back of the cockpit this time.
"NO AMENTHES!" Ascian calls out.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to stab girls in the back? It really hurts you know? Let me show you what it feels like. Oh..."
"No!!!" Ascian tries to force his will into the unit, to take control of that rifle.
"And please die for me? Onegaishimasuuuuu?"
The red plasma screams like a jetfire out of the rifle. Only at the last moment was Ascian able to pull the attack away from the direction of the cockpit, and the shot fires for the waist.
The Orbital Frame is acting like its alive, but that is ok, the NEXT can manage this, no, better yet; The Pilot can. The Next quickly stays on the defensive, somewhere along the motions, it drops the Assault rifle, attempting to deflect being knocked down or taken advantage of, however at last the crazy Orbital Frame gets her way.
'She' shoves him down and takes ahold of the head unit. Once again, they lock 'optics'.
Though as she speaks, and gets ready to take aim. That glow in the visor keeps looking between the oribital frame and the convoy, then back at the orbital frame.
What was going on it the pilots mind at this very point was unknown.
Back at the drop ship.
"The AMS system is staying in sync." one of the techs says.
"Everything has been running perfectly." Another one notes.
However the female operator is staring at the data, there wasn't much she could do expect watch the read outs, though she blinks, before she snaps over to one of the techs, "... Is this normal? Is heat reading is going off the scale."
One of the techs stares at it before he narrows his eyes slight, then adjusts his glasses. "Yes that is fine. Its just part of the cybernetics."
"Cybernetics?" The female operator asks back.
Soon though a sir who had been standing about the whole time, not saying much just watching the monitors. Probably the head leader behind the NEXT, glances over to the female operator, "Don't worry Nell. Your pilot is fine. He has some of the most advance cybernetics that Crest can offer and suited /just/ for this job."
Nell then stares at the readings again. "... hrm...."
At that very precious moment, The pilot of the NEXT has to make a choice, and that choice was simple. He tucked up his feet, just as Ascian got control of his orbital Frame and gave the Orbital Frame one hell of a shove with his feet, kicking the Orbital frame off.
The blast was just inches off, it would have hit. Though it would seem the NEXT chases the Orbital Frame into the air with a quick jump to its feet and then leap into the air. Suddenly a shielding goes over the visor; Vents Shut; and a loud humm could be heard.
There in the air, the kojima field started to pull in in less then miliseconds, the only warning Ascian may have had was everything on the NEXT closing up, maybe the orbital frame warning of a high radiation and energy ready.
Soon, that field, went in so close, suddenly blasted out like a small nuke going off with the force of one to match high in the air, away..
Thankfully..
Away from the Convoy.
When Ascian gets control back, Duat begins to reboot again. But all of that is too slow. He's left in a dangerous position where the machine hovers between not responding at all, and him controlling it. That's what ends up causing the entire unit to get knocked into the air by the kick. And just as Ascian gets it to stop its ascend and halts in the air, the NEXT is right there in front of him. "What the?" The visor closing all of that. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Then suddely, a shock of realization. That radation! "It's like Flynn's unit!" He calls out, and tries to raise the shields to their maximum.
FWHOOOOM!
The blast of radiation and energy crashes into the Orbital Frame, causing its entire energyflow to disrupt and flicker. But with Duat also coming online successfully, it manages to hold. However, the reserves quickly are drained as the Kojima radiation and Metatron energy clash and flux.
In the end, the Orbital Frame drops almost lifelessly to the floor, before the series of VF-51 jets finally arrive from the Earth Cradle and launch a gigantic barrage of missiles towards the NEXT. It looks like it's quite a big squad - and an elite one at that.
"Duat? Amenthes?" Ascian in the meanwhile is left in the cockpit of a unit that seems to have become unresponsive to his commands. "Hey! Answer me!"
Unlike many NEXTs however, that very Primal Armor wraps back around quickly after the explosion, as if it never happened. That visor reveals itself, and the vents open back up as the mech looks down at the falling Orbital Frame. It then looks slightly off to the side to see the incoming fighters, along with the missiles on the way. It quickly drops and allows the missiles to slam into the ground.
When one comes in close, he slashes it with the blade, before spinning around and kneeling down next to the Orbital Frame.
His voice is hopefully loud enough for Ascian to hear. <<"You will thank me later, kid... Your people wont starve so bad...">> The voice sounded winded, tired; As if doing that attack with the assault armor had drained the pilot /far/ more then it did the NEXT.
Then before the fighters get any closer the NEXt was on the move, before firing on the overboost and was gone in a blur of speed.
<<"This is Strayed to command. Mission Complete. Coming home.">>
Nell back at the drop smiled gently as the Crest crews onboard were sorta celebrating. "Good to hear you are Ok. We will have some tea.." She is then quickly inturrupted, which causes her to smirk.
<<"I am not a big tea fan, coffee is just fine. Black.">>
"... Black coffee it is...."
"Shiiiiit." Ascian slams his fists down on the console, even as the man speaks to him. "You still destroyed a few weeks worth of food, you monster!" That's right. Ascian, pilotting the sometimes outright /demonic/ Amenthes, is calling R a monster. "War or no war, you just killed a lot of people. I hope you are proud of yourself." Speakers, barely live, crackle as his voice gets projected, until even that system shuts down. "Tssk..." And so he's left sitting there whilst a small squad of SV-51s launch another volley.
The fighters may give chase, but the NEXT was already on the move and by the time they can probably get a beat on where he went, that information too, was also gone.
Victory for Crest today and their new unit.