Steel Frontier: Mercenaries (Sci-Fi) (Mech) (IC)

[Flarbinia]

(OOC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=537984)
Macduff Station. Near the John Cabot Border
Members of the Mercenary Companies hired by the John Cabot Company were gathered in a large empty room, light shining off the massive holographic projector in its center. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the holographic projector hummed to life, an image beginning to form. Within a few minutes, they could see the image of a man wearing the uniform of John Cabot Officer, the stars indicating that he is a General. "Attention, Mercenaries. I am General Layton. You have been gathered here because your respective Companies have been hired to fight for the John Cabot Federation. As many of you are aware, you will be fighting the Triskelion Syndicate, one of the largest and most powerful Pirate Cartels in the Known Universe. Their forces may be fearsome, but they are no true soldiers. Each company has been assigned missions suited to their skills: the Bull Sharks will head to Ōyamatsumi to search for any Triskelion Syndicate Bases and destroy all Pirate forces they may encounter on that Ocean Planet, the Red Knights will neutralize the enemy garrison on Bedivere so that a strike team can enter the palace and capture Captain Raymond The Bloody, the Titanium Legion have been assigned to capture Blackbeard to break the Triskelion Supply chain for the nearby systems, the Tundra Lions will land on Boreas ahead of the invasion force and secure a beachhead, Balder Defense Industries has been tasked with rescuing the prisoners on Blackbeard, the Desert Wolves will destroy the enemy's Duat Reed fields, the Gray Hawks will destroy the Anti-Air defenses on Maxim, and Steel Eagle Company will use the meteor shower to reach the surface of Etana undetected, capture the fortress on Mount Thunder Bird, and deactivate the planetary shield." General Layton said to the assembled crowd, the holographic generator being deactivated. "The General has given us our orders and we will accomplish the goals that have been given. Like Bull Sharks, we will strike fast, strike hard, and show no mercy to our foes. Now move!" Marty Vance said to his men from inside his Exo-Suit, the Bull Sharks who were aboard the station heading to the hangar to get to their transports. The rest of the Mercenaries followed suite, wanting to get to the frontlines as soon as possible.

[Honghai]

Ayra watched and looked around, never truly paying attention until she heard the man say "Balder Defense Industries," then...

Blackbeard? That sounded... dangerous. But...

She laughed it off. She wasn't going to sweat over it. She flipped her long, blue hair over her face.

Everybody seemed so... in a rush to get to where they had to go to. She still paid no mind. Now that he had her attention, she wanted to continue looking at the person - but he'd also ran out.

Oh well.

Now she was going to go, but it all'd seemed...

She didn't know. She shrugged laughing.

[Offer Erapia]

Briefing Room




Alistair, who was nicely seated in the back took a long breath. Then relinquished it with a sigh he shifted in his seat and fixed his position. The synthetic carbon and silicone material of his suit stretched accordingly to fit his movements. Under his dark tinted visor he watched the person speak. The plan of attack was a multi staged front. He specifically was to be sent to the reed fields, apparently it was supply depot of sorts. Under his smooth vanta black helm he looked around. As he did he had his helmet begin recording the audio of the speaker, as too not miss any needed information. His heterochromic eyes glossed over the other pilots in the room. Alistair wanted to remember the facial features of all he could, after all he was going to be working with them from now on.

He on the other hand didn't much enjoy the thought of having people look at him he wasn't socially awkward at all. But he couldn't stand when people looked surprised at his scars or the looks he'd get from his strangely colored eyes. It was one of the reasons he wore the power suit. The suit in question was a fine piece of equipment the chest and abdomen were well armored in overlapping dragon like scales. His helmet was not only Lazer proof but could enhance his vision, hearing and could even record audio. Furthermore to top it all off there was a breathing appuratice that could filter smoke and even allow him to breathe underwater for a short time.

His train of thought was quickly interrupted as the presentation was brought to a close. Alistair would definitely have to go over the audio. He stood up and followed the other pilots out of the room. He started to make his way to the hanger bay where his and the other mechs resided. Taking an elevator he was lowered to the hanger floor, it only took him a few seconds to locate his mechs in the swarm of pilots and machinery. Approaching his mech he immediately began running diagnostics and system checks. He wanted...no he needed to be sure that everything operated smoothly unless he wanted something unfortunate to befall him and the grey ghost.

[Eclius]

Warrick came to the meeting in casual clothing, the type one would wear to a bar in the busiest districts of Nelron. Unlike his colleagues from other mercenary companies, Warrick relied mainly on his implants, rather than exosuits and armors. As the briefing went on about Etana, he recorded the General's words using his optical implant and casually took a sip of the Nelronian whiskey from his flask. When the meeting finished, he smirked, as he read through the intelligence reports that were sent to him by the Steel Eagle. As an experienced field agent, these reports seemed much like the works of amateurs. As Warrick left the Macduff station, he immediately called Corvin Harcrow, his second-in-command at the Nelron Intelligence Service (NIS), and one of his confidants who knew about his involvement in Triskelion Syndicate affairs.
"Good evening boss," Corvin greeted. "I hope the meeting went well".
"It was long," Warrick responded in frustration, as he took another sip of his whiskey from the flask. "The general from John Cabot Federation talked too much, I don't like him."
"I've read the reports and the video recordings you sent me sir," Corvin continued. "The intelligence report on Etana from the Steel Eagle seems...incomplete."
"Precisely why I called you Corvin," Warrick responded, as he stepped into his military-grade VH-20 Voyager space ship. "I'm heading back to Nelron, I need you and the others to gather some info for me."
"Of course, sir," Corvin replied. "While you were away, the team already started gathering the basic info on the main Triskelion Syndicate bases at Bedivere, Etana, and a few others. We will focus on Etana in the coming days and give you a full report. We have registered this as one of our own ops with the NIS so no one will suspect a thing."
"In the meantime, I believe I'll need an Appletini on Nelron before the mess on Etana"
"The Salem Descendants, sir?" Covin asked. "Intels from domestic security services indicate these people are more than hackers-for-hire on Nelron, it's best that you approach this with caution."
"I know what I am dealing with Corvin. In the meantime, send me whatever you have on the other bases. Should the need arise, we can use them to make a few friends."
"Of course, sir."

With a loud burst, Warrick's space took off from Macduff Station and headed off to Finnegan City, the most renowned casino and entertainment district of Nelron. Before the operation of Etana, Warrick had an old friend that he needed to meet.

[Flarbinia]

The JCFS Arthur Currie. Near Macduff Station
"Establishing communications with the Skidbladnir." The communications officer said to General Layton as a Holographic Projector hummed to life, the image of a man in a dress uniform with a bearskin cloak and nine Medals. "This had better be important, General. The transports are beginning to head back to the fleet." Bjorn Olafson said to General Layton in the serious tone one would expect from a CEO addressing the board of a company. "I told your men that they would be heading to Blackbeard. That was the result of a clerical error. The communications officers will be sending you the correct coordinates momentarily." General Layton replied as the communications officers typed on control panels, the computers beeping as the commands were entered. Within a few seconds, the Arthur Currie had transmitted the location of the rescue mission to the Balder Defense Industries ships. "Basil? But that's behind enemy lines." Bjorn Olafson said as loud as he could, his usually calm demeanor momentarily replaced by a brief moment of surprise. "I have the upmost faith in the ability of you and your men to succeed in this task." General Layton said to Bjorn before ending the transmission.
The Hangar Bay of Macduff Station
Darrel "Rambo" Patton entered the transport and sat down, strapping himself in before beginning to inspect his weapons. "Is my Winchester Model 1897 loaded? Check. Walther P38? Check. Knife? Check." Darrel "Rambo" Patton said to himself. "Checkin' your weapons to make sure they're ready to go? I honestly ain't surprised. A good Bounty Hunter never goes after a mark with faulty equipment." Kopec, a broad-shouldered giant of a man with gray hair armed with a Beretta Cx4 Storm, said to Darrel, the symbol on his right shoulder pad indicating that he was the squad's Medic. "You were a Bounty Hunter?" Darrel asked the Medic. "Yes. However, the longer I was in that line of work, the more I began to question the morality of the bounties I collected. It got to a point where I had to call it quits." Kopec replied, his voice filled with regret. "I was a soldier who got promoted to Corporal for saving a superior officer from a POW camp without backup, only to be transferred to the Hell Bats as punishment. I formed a heist crew with my best friend Brent Tucker and our pilot Damian Horn after our term of service ended. For seven years, we robbed banks, getting away scot-free in the Aurora Skies. That winning streak ended with an ambush on Medici, me and Damian being the only ones who didn't get killed by snipers. After that, we parted ways. I became a Bounty Hunter who occasionally did wet work for the Mob and Damian became a freelance pilot working out of a rusting hangar. My last job for the Mob ended with him and Roland Johnson, the officer that I rescued, being murdered by one of my pursuers." Darrel "Rambo" Patton said to Kopec, growing silent at the mention of his old war buddy's death, the transport doors closing as the ship prepared for takeoff.

[Canis Rex]

Dain slipped a hoodie over his uniform as soon as the meeting finished, tucking his head beneath the flap of the hood and trailing behind his comrades as a straggler. They were gallant warriors, always seeking glory and coin, while new recruits still mistook him for some officer's kid that got allowed to hang around base. He was small in comparison to their fit forms. Silent as they swapped battle stories and morale-boosting shouts. He nibbled on pocky and grain bars while they downed meat and alcohol.
A box of the chocolate-covered sticks is pulled from his personal bag and he keeps close to the walls of the hallways to avoid any stray bumps from his fellow mercenaries. It's only when the smell of the hangar, oil and welded steel, hits his nose that he picks up the pace and breaks the last three pocky sticks between his teeth at once. Techs and mechanics scramble to make final adjustments as pilots board their war machines, quickly evacuating themselves and their equipment from the vast space.
He approached his own mech, the Bloody Wolf, and gently lay a hand on the exterior. A simple hello as well as an opportunity to go over it with his own eyes. He didn't completely trust anyone else with maintaining his companion. Satisfied that everything was as it should be, he stepped foot on the open hatch of the chest and let layers of armor close to swallow him into the cockpit.
Various arrays of sensors and gauges light up as soon as he falls into the seat and grips the controls, tossing his hoodie and bag into a compartment at his feet before snapping it shut. The machine's neural wires rise up like tendrils behind him and slot themselves into the link plugs situated on his neck and upper spine with a mechanical hiss. He exhales with a drugged-like euphoria. His senses are flooded with numbers and readings, digital information dancing along the organic pathways of his nervous system.
The cockpit lights grow dark once more as the uplink is complete, anything the devices could tell him redundant when it was already transmitted into his brain quicker than his eyes could hope to make sense of any image. He eases back into the seat, securing himself in place with a criss-cross of belts over his torso. A finger is pressed to the button on his collar that would allow him to speak, confirming his status over comms.
"Preparations complete. Standing by for launch."

[Mavela]

Lukas Branner strolls into the Hangar Bay, looking for his mech among the hulking masses of steel and wires. He sees it in a far corner, its carbon black paint job and short stature of 5' 8" making it barely visible in the dim lighting. Branner hops the railing, all too excited to reach his mech-suit and begin the mission. His mech was perfectly suited for the job at hand. A larger machine would have trouble dodging the numerous lasers and missiles defending the Maxim from air raids, but Lukas could easily fly under the radar and dodge whatever came his way in his suit.
Branner reached his MAV IX Commando and tapped the circular inlay on its front. The Commando completely opened up, allowing Branner to easily step inside. He secured the neural interface in place, and with a simple thought, the mech closed like a shell around him. After a couple of seconds of complete darkness, various lights and overlays activated, showering Branner with faint blue light. He tested all of the controls, activating his shield and cloaking device, and unsheathing his various weapons. Ready to go, he sent a takeoff request to Hangar Command, and the bay doors opened. The bay lights turned green, and Branner launched into dark nothingness, separated from space only by a thin shell or steel.
He'd find his way to Maxim, but first, he had to take a detour...

[Offer Erapia]

Hanger Bay



Upon finishing his diagnostic Alistair positioned himself behind his mech, at the tail end. Reaching up, and after pressing a small metallic square he entered the code into the holographic keypad. Afterwards a small, man sized hatch opened with a hiss and he walked inside. A short walk later and Alistair was in the command center. Unlike other mechs who's control room would be in the head or chest his was positioned a few segments away from the back end. Some might think it was unorthodox but in a close quarters fight one would be preoccupied on the head rather than the tail. Sitting on his coushioned seat he reached back and grabbed a fiber optic cable and inserted it into the back of his helmet. In an instant all data on softwares and hardware systems flooded his visor at the same time he opened comms to his transport ship.

Since his mech was so long he had to be the last one out the hanger bay, not wanting to risk an accidental collision he'd coiled his mech in a circle like a snake trying to hide. Minutes passed and finally he received a message alerting him that his transport had arrived. Since his mech was controlled by thought he didn't need the use of levers or buttons. Just a simple one word thought and the mech was called to life. Small portholes opened along its length and from it a vast number of legs popped out and hit the floor.

Up...

He thought and his machine was quick to respond. Gears whirled and hydrolics hissed as it began to move. A quick left turn and slight incline later and he was properly positioned inside the transport ship. He felt his weight lift as it took off heading towards his destination. To pass the time it would take to get there he qeued up music which began playing inside his helmet. Alistair relaxed and sat back in his chair, well more of a glorified throne than chair but he relaxed nonetheless. His body rocked back slightly as the transport jumped into hyper space.

Here we go..

He thought.

let's see how this plays out..

[Mavela]

Lukas squirmed inside his suit as the reality of how small he was in the universe hit him. He quickly shrugged off the thought and blasted toward the nearest planet. The MAV IX Commando couldn't go anywhere near lightspeed, so it was a long flight. To entertain himself, He pulled up a military map of Maxim on his visor. The air defenses had the entire planet covered, there were no gaps to slip in. That wasn't much of a problem though. Branner had recently installed a laser-cloaking system onto his mech. He still wouldn't be able to fly in directly, though; the Triskelion radar technology was far too advanced. He would have to fly in precisely between the limits of two SAM's radars. Lukas wasn't used to such precise flying. He knew he needed practice.
Lukas started to sweat from the heat created as his mech entered the atmosphere of Nerre, a lush planet around which Macduff station orbits. The planet was teeming with life, but not a human settlement to be found. Despite its welcoming aura, the planet was known for its harsh terrain of scraggly mountains, vertical cliffs, and narrow valleys. Lukas slowed down to MACH 1 and soared down a cliff face, inches from the rocky walls. Suddenly, he turned vertically upwards, found a valley only a few feet wide, and turned sideways to fit in, matching each twist and turn. He heard a horrible screeching noise and was instantly dragged to a stop, tumbling down to the ground. The breath was completely knocked out of him, and it took Lukas a minute to recover. He looked down at his chest, The mech was riddled with dings and scratches, ruining his brand-new paint job. That was enough fun for a day, Lukas needed to get back on the mission. He readied for takeoff, and angled himself to leave Nerre. He blasted through the atmosphere and back toward Macduff Station. Nearing the hangar doors, he sent his credentials to the tower and the steel doors creaked open. He'd need an actual starship to reach Maxim. He found a small, pod-like vehicle that was rated for Hyperspace travel. It needed a fingerprint for activation, so Branner opened his mech and touched his bare hand against the pod. It almost seemed alive. A burst of light pulsed from his hand, and the pod receded to reveal a seat and console. Branner reentered his mech and stepped inside the pod. He set his destination in the console, and the pod took care of the takeoff. Back in the expanse of space, it took only seconds for the pod to reach hyperspeed. Lukas pushed back in his seat in anticipation of the G-forces, but none came. He was clearly in hyperspace, but the pod's support systems were so advanced that Lukas didn't feel a thing.
"Maxim, here I come..."

[Eclius]

Finnegan City, Nelron

Covered by the neon lights and buildings, there was the Finnegan City, a metropolis that fully embraced tradition and modernity and a shining symbol of greed and desires in Nelron. Warrick put on a casual suit, and landed his hover vehicle at the penthouse of Black Lotus, one of the biggest casinos and hotels on the surface of Nelron. Unattracted by the poker games and the slot machines, Warrick walked straight to the bar. He sat beside a young lady, possibly in her early 30s, who wore a simple white-and-gold dress, with a triangular tattoo on her forearm. Isolated from the crowds and the noises of the casino, she seemed unbothered by the environment, quietly sipping her Nelronian mojito. "A drink for the lady," Warrick demanded, as he slipped a poker chip to the bartender as a tip. "Appletini, half the vodka, and extra schnapps". Her eye lash raised, revealing a pair of cybernetically augmented eyes. She turned her chair slightly and smiled at Warrick. "Sir, I am committed." She said, revealing a ring on her hand. "The name is Octavia, though I don't believe we've met before."
"Not a problem." Warrick smiled flirtatiously. "This is strictly business".
"We'll be right back." She told the bartender. "Save the drink for us. This gentleman and I have some...business to settle."

A few minutes later...
As Warrick entered Octavia's personal suite on the top floor, he was amazed by what was inside. A clever little hideout compound is cleverly hidden behind the closets of the hotel. And there it was the Coven House of the Salem Descendants, one of the most notorious hackers and spies-for-hire group on Nelron. Their equipment ranged from holographic computers to data analysis and collection tools, were matched only by Nelron's Cyber Intelligence Service.
"What do you want this time?" Octavia asked, revealing a hint of curiosity in her voice. "dirty materials on the politicians, or leaked reports on the corporate shenanigans?"
"Etana." Warrick responded as he handed over a small chip to Octavia. "4 million Nelron Credits."
"This must be urgent," Octavia smirked, as she took the chip from Warrick. "Tell me something Warrick, why are you always seeking trouble?"
"Trouble?"
"Yes, first the whole thing with Isobella, now you're messing with Triskelion Syndicate"
"A corporate necessity Octavia".
"It's bold and foolish..." Octavia sighed, she turned to her colleagues, then commanded. "I need info on Triskelion Syndicate's forces on Etana ASAP."
"Much appreciated," Warrick said, as he handed over another payment chip to Octavia. "And this is a special thanks to the coven matriarch."
"Oh please," Octavia responded. "Come back in three days, and we will have info for you."

[Honghai]

She'd went over, looked around for spare tools. She didn't think of carrying any on her person. Just straightaway was a toolbox. She ran over, not afraid to run in heels - she ran over to the toolbox. She thought maybe it had a touchsensor on it, if the wrong person had tried to access it, the sensor would know. The sensor would have the owners' fingerprints in it.

She took out her stungun, smiling. She was going to override the toolbox. Pressing the trigger, the electricity shot out all over the toolbox - as she was tall - and caused it to malfunction. It was overloaded with energy. She shot it again, thinking to shoot exactly where the sensor(s) probably were, and setting the stungun to fire precisely at them. As the electricity trickled out more, a wide grin set on Ayra's face.

She put the stungun away, and started trying to open it again. The sensor beeped, and a greenlight shone. Her touch made it through and it'd successfully open-up. She'd take just a large wrench out, and go straight to Lavendermaiden.

She started upgrading it, unbolting some things and working more on the mechs' insides. The shield was modular. It wasn't really a bad mech; it was a great piece of work, but she'd thought on adding more spaces to stash things in it. She didn't like killing, but maybe she'd put a pistol in a space just incase things'd gotten out-of-hand.

She'd also had a thought about helping others - adding-onto other pilots' mechs - but then... she knew some people were very attached to their mechsuits that they'd never let anyone fix or customize it. She could empathize with that - but at the same time... what is a little help? It's not like she was gonna renovate everything...

When she'd got done, she'd ran back over and put the wrench back in the box. Fortunately she wasn't the one to steal other peoples' stuff.

. . .

Piloting Lavendermaiden, she thought about leaving the station and going off on another planet. Just to get some fresh air. Scratch that, morethan fresh air. She warmed-up the mech, letting it take-in all of the new upgrades and features and also warming-up her seat. She scooted around, trying to get comfortable. Two arms came out from under her and would take her shoes off for her - then the footwarmers kicked in.

She set the mech to go to Corsanthus, hearing how it was a great planet for socializing.

. . .

Corsanthus was a great planet for socializing, but it was very safe. Drones and androids scanned and roamed every part of the planet just-in-case something happened, but people still got-on with their normal lives and talked to people.

Getting out of her mech - still barefoot - she went around the planet. Firstly to buy some more clothes, then to a pub. She had bought so many new dresses and shoes - but there was a way to fit everything in the mech, even if it could take-in alot but it seemed like it couldn't take in this stuff. The clothes were vacuum-sealed - flattened. She'd put them in the new spaces in the mech, then putting on her new shoes. This time it wasn't heels, but flats. She went to the pub. She drunk and socialized and flirted with all sorts of people and danced until a song that she didn't like was about to come on - then she went to another pub and did the samething only they didn't seem to play songs she didn't like.

Ayra's feet began to hurt, and she took-out a device - it worked something like a chip. She'd chip herself with it, and it'd send signals all the way to her feet so they could stop hurting. She kept drinking and dancing, until she got tired.

She went back to her mech and slept in a compartment in it, wearing a white plastene suit (well, not normal plastene, this was plastene farmed on a planet where when the plastene was produced, it wasn't as plasticky as normal plastene) so her skin could breathe. She pressed her foot up, and the compartment would start blasting cold air at her. She fell asleep smiling.

[Offer Erapia]

Touch down


Time has past by like a blur. It wasn't all that surprising, really, after all he was in hyper space but still those several hours went by quick. In his command room, highlighted in and from the neon light the only thing that alerted him to his landing was the sudden jostle of his being. A near mute whooshing sound which came from the impact dampeners on the transport. Shortly after comms crackled into his headset the captain signaling that he'd arrived.

Live feed cameras..

As quick as the thought came to him the visor and holographic screen that appeared before him displayed various camera angles. With them he walked the grey ghost out of the transport, who had just dropped the off ramp. The numerous legs clicked and clicked as they move one at a time but at the same time in unison. Alistair and his machine were still fifty-eight miles from the target but he didn't need to get any closer. An effective range for him was around sixty miles so he was closer than usual. It wasn't an error in judgement, the rail gun in question, depending on the range and load had a flight time anywhere from thirty seconds to three minutes. The latter of which was when he was nearing the maximum range of one hundred miles.

As the transport took off he sweeped the surrounding area, including the ground beneath him. The radars and sonars alike did their job giving off hollowed pings every few seconds it took only five to show results.

All clear..

His heavy and gravel like voice was only further deluded by the metallic after tone the helmet created when he spoke. A couple of quick commands later his rig was stopped a few hundred yards from his drop off point. The centipede like legs had stabbed hard into the ground, anchoring him for the attack phase. But before he could do that not only did he do one last systems check but he also sent a message back to command.

Grey Ghost in position waiting for green light..

While he waited Alistair guessed it would be best to prepare the gun.

Gun up!..

He thought, putting a little extra vigor into the command. All at once, from his armored box he could hear faint whirring and various other noises as well as feel weak vibrations echoing throughout the ghost. From the outside the site would have been marveling to others should there have been any. The meter thick armored scutes cracked and folded back on themselves revealing a massive cannon that rested inside the belly of this metallic beast. Once the gun was cleared hydrolic pistons pushed the seventy nine foot gun slowly towards the heavens. Only when it reached an optimal angle of sixty eight degrees did the motion cease.

Load High Capacity incendiary..

At the base of the gun, where the breech was, a spinning cylinder twisted as it selected the right round, then it stopped and a push rod entered the back end, shoving the round into the cannon breech. A notification appeared on his visor telling him the action was done. All he needed now the confirmation of the attack. As he waited he set the radar to passive and the sonar to maximum, in order to be ready for a unexpected strike Alistair set the shields to medium and activated the anti air armament.

Now to play the waiting game..

He thought with a mischievous chuckle.

[Flarbinia]

The Dakuwaqa
An old man with a scar on his face smoked a Corncob Pipe as he watched the transports carrying members of the Bull Sharks flying towards the fleet on the holographic map, his sword hand on a Red Chess Piece that was carved in the image of a Knight on a Great White Shark. "Coordinates have been entered into the computers of every ship in the fleet, Sir. Once the transports are in their hangars, we will be ready to leave." A Communications Officer said to him as Marty entered the Command Center. "Perfect." Admiral Charles said as he moved the Knight in front of a Fisherman armed with a fishing spear, the pieces on the other side of the board still on the other side. "Reti Opening. You must have attended one of the more prestigious Military Academies, Charles. They're the only places where a Fisherman's son can learn the Classics." Marty said to the Admiral as he looked at the Chess Board, picking up a Pawn and moving it forward. "Thomas Gage Academy. However, I couldn't afford the fee to use the Sets provided by the school, so I swam four hundred feet and carved mine out of the best Coral I could find. Never won any tournaments with it, but I sure put some nobles in their place." Charles said to Marty as he moved a Merman dressed as a Bishop in front of his Pawn. "And the scar?" Marty asked the Admiral as he followed Suite. "Jean-Pierre De New Calais didn't take losing well and challenged me to a duel to first blood." Charles said to his commander right before moving a Pawn forward. Marty moved his Rook, one that looked like a castle carved from a reef, forward, not wanting it to be blockaded. Charles moved his Knight, his opponent moving his Pawn forward in response. The Admiral moved his own Rook forward, Marty taking the bait by moving his Pawn forward. The Red Bishop was moved onto the Green Pawn's space, the old man removing it from the board. They continued to play until Charles uttered the word "Check", Marty responding by capturing the remaining Red Bishop. That was the mistake that cost him the match, the Green Knight being captured by the Red Queen. "Checkmate." Admiral Charles said before turning his attention to the holographic map. "All transports have landed in the hangars and everyone onboard them has been accounted for. Head to the Jump Point and go to warp." Marty said to everyone else in the room as Admiral Charles reset the board, the Communications Officers relaying the order to the rest of the fleet. The Bull Sharks immediately headed to the edge of the MacDuff System, powering up their warp drives. Within three hours, the fleet had left the MacDuff System.

[Honghai]

She woke-up, putting on a new outfit. The mechs' computers instantly greeted her. She hugged the screen. She then stopped, and started piloting, flying out of Corsanthus. She went to Blackbeard. She'd take parts out, creating her shield. With one hand, firing blasts to stun - and the other, blocking whatever lazers or attacks that came-at Lavendermaiden. She threw the shield at them, the shield then splitting into many pieces and then hitting them. She'd then see other mechs. She'd start grappling and wrestling, throwing them down on their back. Lavendermaiden was atop them. Her lights were on, blinding them most-likely temporarily. She'd then send shocks into the rival mech, shutting the mechsuit down. She fired in all directions, freezing the enemies.

She looked around. Sensors indicated there were red-yellow-orange blobs, but also showed different pictures of the same thing. Images of harmless people that were placed in jeopardy. Probably imprisoned for no reason, captive for no real reason. She welded through the bars - some were old-fashioned, but huge, cells - others, she just had to kick with the right amount of force and...

It opened.

She made sure no-one was hurt. She saw a few mothers holding babies, crying. She soothed them. She started to get out of her mech, thinking it was scaring them. Purples and lilacs were peaceful colors, but some people - no matter what - would be frightened by a giant robot. It was Ayra. A tall girl. She asked if she could hold the baby. The mom allowed her to. She'd soothe, more - using medical techniques. The baby stopped crying. She kept on doing this, but some seemed scared because of her height. Ayra made herself small, bending down and playing with them - showing she wasn't scary. The babies giggled. The moms started smiling. They also probably had a whole lot of stress - and so Ayra would console and comfort.

When she was done, she'd got back into Lavendermaiden and led the freed prisoners out - well, towards escape pods. She saw soldiers trying to retake them. She shone her lights in their face, and then used her hooks to disarm them and break their guns. She'd then stun them in-place. She'd guard, making sure they were safe. She knew where the escape pods were heading-to, infact the moment she stepped out, she snuck around and set the coordinates then snuck back where her mech was.

The man had said to rescue them, but never said what to do with them when they were safe. This would risk them getting killed or in danger again so instead of letting them enter the pods and fly off, she led them to a smaller ship - well, small, but big enough for Lavendermaiden to still fit in it - and set the coordinates back to the spacestation. She wasn't sure if anyone was here, but she'd thought here at MacDuff, they'd be in good hands.

[Offer Erapia]

The Bombardment



The waiting was over. After a short message gurgled across Alistair headset his finger began dancing across the holographic pad. He began charging the rail gun, electricity sparked and struck the metal rod over and over again in quick succession. Charging it's material, at the same time either side of the barrel began charging positive energy the force of the repulse was centered around the area of the bus lengthed sabot. It was then increased, along with with the electric charge. Which in turn created so much heat and energy the titanium-tungsten rod began to glow red hot with static electric heat. It shook violently at first, then as the force grew it became still not daring to move under the massive amount of force being applied in all directions in on it.

At the base of the gun the the power exertion unit began to charge. From the piloting compartment in the back Alistair began to hear a low drone which steadily built into a high whine. The auditorial cue signaled it's peak power output.

Thermal dispense unit activate..

The thought came quick and with command. Responding in kind the tip of the massive cannon began to glow red hot. This is where the "thermal" part of the gun came into play. Everyone knew what a rail gun was they are nothing special in the vast universe. But through his years he'd discovered that if you increase the heat of the already super heated object. Then, it basically becomes something like hyper kinetically charged plasma. Alistair visor showed flight path as well as time of impact. Moving his foot slightly he placed it over a metallic petal. He slowly depressed his foot and at the last second it clicked against the floor he muttered.

"On the way.."

The gun, in a split second, released all the energy that had been stored up. The round quickly passed the thermal dispensers. A bright flash was emitted as the round was super heated and sent hyper sonic. The discharge of energy was so great it sunk the legs of the grey ghost nearly a meter into the hard ground. Alistair was rattled moderately inside his compartment the shock dampeners aiding in decreasing the kick of the gun. The round itself ripped through the air the friction from the wind sheer alone keeping it super hot.

"Time to impact, fifty-seven seconds"

His metallic voice rasped. He thought about reloading and his mech followed his lead loading another round. He slightly changed the elevation of the gun and depressed the petal again the entirety of the action took less than ten seconds. The gun kicked again sounding out a ear rupturing blast. The force of the discharge sending a visible shockwave through the tall grass. The cylinder rotated again and the push rod extended slamming another round into the breech. No sooner than that did he jerk his foot again the red hot barrel slammed back yet again.

Load Airburst munitions..

A resounding hiss echoed faintly in Alistairs headset. The hydrolics tensed under pressure the cylinder flipped on its access and on end opened revealing the different type of ammo. After it was loaded the gun once again changed its elevation to a slightly sharper angle and fired. Another ten seconds ticked by the action was repeated and after another ten seconds it was repeated again.

When he finally felt satisfied he ceased fire. The high capacity rounds from the first salvo were now twenty seconds away from impact. Strategically aimed, Alistair had placed the first trio of rounds at the fortresses flank. Once the air defense installations and more importantly, the walls were taken out the second trio of rounds were aimed for the interior courtyard of the fortress. The shells containing hundreds of fist sized ball bearings were set to tear apart any small mechs or unarmored personnel.

The digital countdown inside the ex miners visor ticked down slowly. The last five seconds always seemed to slow down for Alistair. But they ticked down all the same and no sooner did it hit zero did Alistair receive confirmation of impact. He could only imagine what the scene must have been as he got another confirmation ten seconds later. With a quick thought he began lowering the gun back into the hull. Another thought soon after and the drill heads located under the mechs head began spooling to life with a high electric whine.

I guess we should get a bit closer..

Was the last thought he had before his mech nose dived into the ground disappearing in a matter of several seconds.

[Mavela]

In what felt like an instant, the pod shuddered and exited hyperspeed. A daunting grey planet loomed in front of the pod's front window, almost completely covering Lukas's view. Maxim was somehow more lifeless than he had imagined. Monochrome freighters darted across Maxim's atmosphere like flies. Maxim's main commerce came from manufacturing, and its facilities had been converted to manufacture starships, fighters, freighters, and space stations for the Triskelion Syndicate.
"MAV, how do we do this?", Lukas asked his mech.
"Maxim's air defenses are synchronized by a series of satellites that all communicate with Darh Station. You'll have to disable the station in order to avoid detection by satellites. However, each SAM station will still work independently, and they cover overlapping areas. There is a small window of uncovered space in between those areas, and you'll need to fly directly and precisely through that window. Once you get through, you need to either hijack a land craft or fly close to the ground and get to Faal Crater, where Maxim's central generators are located. Once you destroy the generators, the SAMs will use 24 hours of backup energy before they are disabled. Good luck", the MAV mech responded.
"Sounds pretty simple."
Lukas initiated a scan and located Darh Station. Once he got close enough, he opened up the pod, and made the rest of the journey in his mech. He activated his active camo and soared further towards the station, eventually clasping his hands on the black steel. An EMP would be the easiest way to get the station down, but it wouldn't be permanent, and it would be detected quickly. Lukas would have to get inside the station and hack its central console.

[Flarbinia]

Bedivere
"Looks like your old buddies have reached the planet. You sure you can take on your former brothers in arms?" The commander of the Triskelion Syndicate garrison said to a pilot in black armor covering faded red fatigues. "Are you questioning my loyalty? I left because I refused to be a Chess Piece. Make no mistake. The Wild Dogs will tear through them like they were meat fresh off the bone." The Mech Pilot said to the garrison commander before heading to his Mech. It was a green Heavy Mech holding a flail and a kite shield with a built-in MLRS, its head resembling that of a man wearing a Bascinet, the titanium alloy Aventail from its owner's gladiator days providing additional protection to the neck and shoulders.
Suijin System
The Bull Sharks entered the Suijin System, seeing no pirate fleet heading to the Jump Point. "Stay on High Alert and begin scanning for Triskelion Syndicate ships. They could be waiting in the asteroid belt to ambush us once we're in orbit." Admiral Charles said to the fleet as it moved towards the fourth planet, the ships powering up their weapons and shields. In the Briefing Room of the Dakuwaqa, Marty was standing in front of the pilots as he stood in front of a holographic map of the planet. "Ōyamatsumi. As you are aware, its surface is ninety-two percent ocean. You have to options if you're forced to bail out of your Dropship: sink to the bottom where any Mech not built for Deep Sea combat will be crushed like an egg in a car compactor or float to the surface. The atmosphere is mostly hydrogen. Breathe the air for more than three seconds and you'll drown, so most of you will be issued rebreathers for this mission so that you don't die if your cockpit is breached. Their oxygen supply only lasts eight hours, so make them count if you want to make it back alive. The coordinates of your landing zones have been sent to the dropship pilots." Marty said to the assembled Mercenaries right before deactivating the holographic projector, the pilots heading to the hangar to enter their Mechs and board their squad's assigned Tiger Shark Dropships.

[Flarbinia]

Darh Station
"Your contacts on Lawrence have informed us that Mercenaries have invaded the planet. Should we send reinforcements, Angus?" The Chief Of Security of Darh Station said to his commander. "No, Silas. Ensuring that Maxim's war production doesn't fall into enemy hands is a higher priority than protecting some Duat Reed fields. Besides, protecting Diego's territory is his responsibility, not mine." Angus said to his subordinate as he stared out at freighters going to Warp. While the destruction of the Duat Reeds on Lawrence would cost the Triskelion Syndicate millions in lost revenue, the loss of shipyards would be a far worse blow. "What was the Triumvirate thinking? The Triskelion Syndicate have fought Mercenaries before, but it looks like we've bitten off more than we can chew this time." Angus thought as he turned his attention to the holographic map, keeping a watchful eye out for any enemy fleet that might drop out of Warp. "Anything else you wish to tell me before returning to your post?" Angus asked Silas. "Our previous sensor sweep detected a pod entering the Solar System and jettisoning its cargo, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary." Silas said to Angus as he pointed at a position on the holographic map, the empty pod floating lifelessly in space. "All security personnel are to be on the lookout for any 'uninvited guests' and shoot to kill. All decks, all levels. I hope your men are up to the task of bagging the intruder." Angus said to Silas as he walked over to a control panel and entered a command, the holographic map changing to one of Darh Station. "Don't worry, Angus. Whoever or whatever was in the Pod is gonna have a welcome party waiting with their guns loaded and their safeties off. Problem solved." Silas said to Angus as he watched the security personnel patrolling the station, weapons at the ready. "You better pray that you do not survive if this is the case. The Triumvirate is less forgiving than I am, especially when that failure could cost them a planet with valuable manufacturing facilities." Angus said to Silas, the Chief Of Security gulping at the very mention of the Triumvirate.

[Mavela]

Lukas knew what he would have to do, but it was a risky plan. If it didn't work, he would be dead.
"MAV", he said hesitantly, "Open the suit, but stay in position."
The steel plates retreated, and Lukas was launched out into the icy depths of space. His thin, pressurized, protective layers and emergency rebreather would be enough to keep him alive for 10 minutes at the very most. His only hope was to play the part of a mutineed crew member, and pray the Syndicate would be kind enough to rescue him, bringing him into Darh station.

[Flarbinia]

Security Personnel in spacesuits exited a hatch and turned around, seeing the intruder. They immediately pointed their ASHAs and opened fire, bullets flying towards their target. "It appears that a patrol has encountered the intruder. It won't be long before they terminate our unwanted guest." Silas said to Angus as the holographic zoomed onto the part of the station facing the empty pod. "I will believe you when I see the corpse floating in space." Angus replied as he watched the Security Personnel move closer to their target. "How can you have so little faith? My men have battle rifles that can be used in vacuum and numbers on their side while the intruder has a pistol." Silas said to Angus in a confident tone as he glanced at his commander. "Battle rifles that have less range than other Battle Rifles and a squad of Security Personnel who have no real combat experience. You best hope that they are up to snuff, Silas. An infiltrator can do some serious damage to this station and we cannot afford to have our satellite network go dark when Maxim is a valuable target." Angus thought to himself. "The chances of a single intruder with a pistol taking out an entire squad that have numbers on their side and armed with rifle is small, but if our little infiltrator manages to fight their way inside Darh Station, go to Red Alert. The more people to fight, the more likely for them to land a killing blow." Angus said to the rest of the officers in OPs as he headed to the lift with Silas in tow. "Wait, where are we going?" Silas asked Angus as the rest of the command staff turned their attention back to the holographic map. "To the armory. If our men fail, we will need to handle this ourselves. I hope you still know how to use an SMG." Angus replied.

[Flarbinia]

Macduff Station
Congratulations on the success of the mission to Basil. Balder Defense Industries inflicted heavy casualties against the Triskelion Syndicate forces on Basil and rescued the prisoners while suffering minimal losses. I will see to it that you and Ayra receive our highest honor the John Cabot Federation has to offer." General Layton said to Bjorn Olafson via the holographic projector. "Thank you. However, I highly doubt that you only called to congratulate me." Bjorn said to General Layton. "Some of the prisoners your forces were of greater political value than we thought. Deprived of leverage over its more powerful tributaries, the Triskelion Syndicate are now fighting a war on three fronts. The Duchy of Nova Milan, the Chalcedon Republic, the Charlemagne Merchants League, the Kingdom of Lucan, and the New Georgian Empire have joined the war on our side. The war has expanded, but our initial plans have remained the same. Your forces will head to Boreas to secure an additional beachhead for the invasion. The more breaches in the wall, the harder it is for the enemy to defend the stronghold." General Layton said to Bjorn before ending transmission.
Northern Ōyamatsumi
"Mayday! Mayday! We've been hit by an enemy SAM site and are descending rapidly! We will have to bail out and hope that we get picked up before our Rebreathers run out of air!" The pilot of Hammerhead Squad's Tiger Shark dropship said over the comms before she and her Co-Pilot ejected, their seats deploying a parachute to slow their descent as the Tiger Shark dropship hit the water. Within seconds, the Mechs floating to the surface. "Move it, Hammerhead Squad! We need to get to shore or we're sitting ducks." Morris, the leader of Hammerhead Squad, said on his squad's frequency before heading towards the nearby island, the rest of Hammerhead Squad following suite. "That was a close one. If that missile had hit the generator, we would've met our maker sooner than expected." Darrel "Rambo" Patton said over the Comms as he took point, his Mech's machinegun pointed towards the tree line. "I hope we get to take down some Aces. Pirate Cartels give the best Black Market upgrades to their best pilots and we can make a killin' off of those kinds of parts." Richie, the mechanic and youngest member of Hammerhead Squad, said over the comms, the counter on his Mech's grenade launcher indicating that it had eight grenades in it. "Don't let your greed blind you to the fact that we are behind enemy lines. I can't put you back together again if it gets ya blown to kingdom come." Kopec said to Richie, his Mech's trigger finger itches away from firing the carbine. "Infrared picked up enemy movement near the beach. Mostly Light Mechs and infantry." Queens, Hammerhead Squad's sniper and second-in-command, as their Mechs walked out of the surf and retracted their floatation devices, her Mech's rifle pointed in the direction of the enemy. "Once you get a clear shot, light 'em up like the Fourth Of July." Morris said to the rest of his squad once they were on the beach, the Mechs pointing their guns towards the enemy positions and opened fire, explosions echoing through the island as tree trunks were torn to shreds. The Triskelion Syndicate troops and Mech Pilots wasted no time in returning fire, the armor of Hammerhead Shark's Mechs taking the brunt of the hail of bullets and missiles. The firefight continued for an hour before the guns finally went silent. "Hammerhead Squad, damage report." Morris said to the others, the image of his Mech on one of the screens, several areas being displayed as yellow. "A quick patch job is all I need to get my Mech back in the game." Kopec said to his commander as he performed a quick sensor sweep of the area to confirm his kills. Within fifteen seconds, it read five Mechs and fifty infantrymen. "Richie is gonna have to cannibalize one of the enemy Mechs for parts to fix Rocky's right leg joint and head, but other than that, everything is fine." Darrel responded. "Cockpit was breached and I took some shrapnel to the shoulder and upper arm." Queens said to Morris through her rebreather, Kopec immediately heading over to her Mech. "My Mech's Night Vision will be inoperable until I have access to the repair bay on the Dakuwaqa, but other than that, all it needs is a quick patch job." Richie said to Morris before beginning the repairs.

[Honghai]

"Um... Boreas?" Ayra was unsure.

This was... good and all, but something seemed off. She wasn't the type to worry, but she sensed something odd about this.

"They're putting me in a combat area? That's..."

She tried to smile.

"I-i've got people to save. If I'm there, then what about in other pl-"

She cut herself off, thinking of something. Lavendermaidens' shield could detach and split apart, and it was huge. Hopefully the detached pieces could fly under their own weight; she wasn't so sure about it as she hadn't done it in awhile, and she'd been modding her mech lately. It's just... it may not be her, actually her there - for her bedside manner, but atleast the floatingpieces could get them somewheres safe, right?

But if that's the case, then what about....

Hopefully there are other medics, because she'd have to help in Boreas - but there was a pickle. An odd situation. To take care of wounded people, or people atrisk - or people in a combat area, her fellow mercs that were being shot or sliced-at...

She gulped.

She really hated having death on her mind. She started to cry.

"Of all those I probably can't save...I'm sorry..."

Then she thought about her mechsuit.

Maybe Lavendermaiden could go and help out, and I'll just be in Boreas. It can pilot itself. It's a risk but... I mean... I was all about risk, it's what I have to do.

I just can't shake the feeling of something going wrong on these missions. Especially if I'm not there to help.

She cried more.

[Flarbinia]

"Boreas is a planet covered in ice and snow. Our mission is to capture Fort Aquilo, a strategically important stronghold overlooking Leopard Seal Bay. You will land near the enemy's rear as part of Heavy Strike Group Tyr while the main force will attack the fort. Their objective is the destruction of the generators powering its automated defenses. The Infantry protecting the Generators shouldn't be too much trouble for you, but do not engage the enemy Heavy Mechs and Anti-Mech Guns. You can't treat the wounded if you are dead. As for the prisoners you rescued, the fleet won't be moving out until our ground forces have returned from Basil and the nearby planets and the moons of this system's three gas giants. That should give you enough time to take them to Macduff Station and patch up as many of them as you can while you're on your way there. Once you've completed that mission, head to Boreas and once you are in orbit of the planet. I will be heading down there to lead the main assault in person. I didn't inherit my Mech so that it can rust and gather dust in the ship's hangar. I inherited it to kick ass and take names." Bjorn Olafson said to Ayra through her Mech's comms.

[Honghai]

"Uh... well..." By now she had stopped crying, but she still wasn't sure about this.

"Didn't we receive some kinda report of people dying out in the void of space? Not a good way to go - you'd best believe it. Even worse, when your mech is heavily damaged and it cannot go into Autopilot and save you..."

"But since you're so sure about this..." She worriedly rubbed her face.

"All I have to say is: don't die on me." She tried to not show anxiety anymore, and just move on and do the mission.

If he was willing to get all busted-up in a giant snowball, then maybe he can be Ayras' guest. In a way, it is betterthan those commanders and generals that just sit back on a ship or spacestation somewhere and decree orders.

She made sure Lavendermaiden was ready, and she continued to pay attention to what was going on. While she wasn't the type to "combust," to stress out and get all scared, these were people out there dying. Good men and good women that were getting blasted - or already were blasted - by BDIs' enemies and the enemies of MacDuff.

It had tore on her heartstrings, but someone like... Mister Olafson? was willing to get it done and that is commendable.

Well, she was readying, the computer would get the coordinates, but Ayra couldn't stop thinking about how far it sounded. And as it's an ice planet... probably ridden with lots of crashes - but maybe there's already safety measures in-place there. Destroying generators? Sounds plenty simple, but she just couldn't stop fretting about the loss-of-life even though she was kinda... beyond it now.

The people BDI were against, most likely, wouldn't take this so easily. Knowing them, they'd probably want revenge. And all those gunners taking heat...

Eh. It happens.

She giggled, easing her mind off of it by starting to play a game as the mech made its way there.

Heavies...

She laughed more.

Nothing a shield couldn't solve.

[Flarbinia]

"No. If you have no other business to tend to, get in formation and head to the Jump Point. I will be assigning you to Beowulf Squad for the next few missions. A round penetrated the cockpit of their Medic's Mech and while it missed him, the shrapnel that hit him guarantees that he will be out of action for some time. They need to be at full strength if they are to complete their objectives and I cannot spare anybody else on such short notice." Bjorn Olafson said to the Medic before ending the transmission. "I want the Tech Teams to being preparing Sigurd for Drop as soon as we go to Warp. If I am going to head to the surface of Boreas, my Mech's systems will need to be fully charged and its cannons fully charged." Bjorn said as he stared at the holographic map, the communications officers relaying the orders to the Mech Bay. "You're participating in the assault? With all due respect, Sigurd is a mighty war machine and its ax sharp enough to cut through an enemy Mech's armor, but one well-placed shot to the cockpit or the reactor and it's a one-way trip to Valhalla." Ivar Thordson, Bjorn's second-in-command and co-founder of Balder Defense Industries, said to his commander. "I know the damn risks, Sword Master, but unlike the Pirates we are fighting, I've been trained to pilot a Mech since I was large enough to wield a sword and fought in several wars." Bjorn replied as he turned his attention to Ivar, the old man staring back at him. "Just don't get yourself killed down there. I'm too old to be in command of a Mercenary Company." Ivar Thordson said to Bjorn. "I will inform the salvage teams to save some of the better parts for your Mech. That way you can fight alongside the troops during our next mission." Bjorn Olafson said to Ivar, the old man grinning for the first time in years.