Earlier That Day
“Cowards, the lot of you!” A loud cry cut through the hangar, as a single woman finished beating down the final guard. His limp body slipped from her grasp, as she turned towards the large robot looming overhead. Her birthright, something that had been ‘well-kept’ and ‘maintained’ in her ‘cultural indoctrination’. Being pulled from the Doban Manor and forced to play ‘noble’ to a group of young blue-bloods had never sat well with the young woman, even less now as the entire planet went to war. So, she had done the best thing she could think of.
“A little rough love never hurt anyone; they all could use the lessons Father taught.” Wiping a smudge of blood from her mouth as she strolled to the huge robot, the young woman grabbed the armor to start pulling herself up. A loud crack rang out, causing the woman to halt.
“You’re going to climb off that robot and come with us, Baron Doban! For assaulting other nobles and breaking past the guard detail here in the maintenance facility, you’re being detained!” Two guards stood in the entryway, guns trained on the woman. She simply grinned, tightening her hold on the armor.
“HAHAHAHA! You think to stand in the way of the Mighty Doban! My will is unwavering, and path resolute! You pathetic nobles seek to overthrow a Queen who cares more about the people than you ever did! Go ahead and shoot your bullets; they won’t reach me.” Spinning so her cape did a fancy flourish, the woman leapt upwards, smacking the locking mechanism on the open hatch as she dropped inside. The hatch’s pneumatic seals hissed to life, slamming shut and locking firmly as the woman dropped into her seat. Lights came to life within the cockpit, as the engines within the giant robot roared to life. The entire bay hummed with the force of the revving engines, as the woman grabbed the familiar controls.
The soldiers watched in shock as the giant robot they’d considered ‘archaic trash’ came to life. There was a chain stretched across to the far side of the bay, locked behind solid doors with mechanical locks. The metal of the chain seemed sturdy enough to ‘hold’ this robot...until the robot grabbed the chain in one of its huge gauntlets. The shoulder-mounted engines roared even louder, as the mech took one step to the side and ‘pulled’. The reinforced doors crumpled like so much scrap, as a ball of solid steel came hurtling through the expanse towards the huge robot. It seemed almost the same size as the huge robot, but the robot stopped it with one palm. The sheer momentum of the huge projectile caused the Bemidban to bury itself into the metal flooring. Wrapping the chain around its gauntlet, the robot turned towards the exit. A comm-link to the hangar was opened, and the woman’s voice could be heard.
“I’ll warn you both; continue to stand in my path, and I will consider you my enemies. And all of my enemies will be crushed.”
The guards finally fled, leaving the Baron to her machine. Hefting the massive wrecking ball close to her side, the woman glanced at her watch. It was only 1300; if she made a beeline for the throne, she could still make it on time!
Outside the Palace, a single green bolt shot towards the intimidating fortress. Years late for the coup already underway, the young woman was pushing her companion to its limits. The tried-and-tested Bemidban had come through on all accounts. Her gaze darted across the idyllic castle, before falling on the most unique location. That was the one; that had to be the throne room. Secondary engines roared to life, as the stubborn woman took the only route she had available to her.
Swinging the huge wrecking ball once, the robot unleashed the chain, sending it hurdling towards the wall. It slammed into the wall, leaving a wrecking-ball sized dent within the armored exterior. Yanking the ball free, the woman used the destroyed surface as a stepping stone to reach the roof. Hitting the accelerator again, the giant mech went shooting across the roof of the castle, sending dust up and causing the structure to shudder ominously in locations. The Baron pinpointed the location of the throne room, and sent the Bemidban towards that roof. Her wrecking ball dragged behind the giant robot, causing untold destruction to the fine details of the roof. Stopping above the throne, the woman hopped out of her mech, landing firmly on the ground. Stepping over to a large window overlooking the throne room, she finally caught sight of the Queen, and saw the knights surrounding her. Stepping away from the window, the Baron started drawing a picture of the room from above compared to the roof. Satisfied with her measurements, the woman remounted her mech. Piloting to the edge of the room, she picked up the giant weapon attached to her mech. Setting it down with a bit of authority, the building groaned in agony. She saw the spider-lacing cracks shoot across the reinforced surface, and nodded in satisfaction. Grabbing the hydraulic tether attached to her cockpit for repairs in low-gravity, the woman began pulling out the reinforced rope. Attaching it to her belt, she took a deep breath.
Kicking the cracks caused dust to spring upwards and the mech started to visibly sink. Erina sprinted across the roof in the opposite direction, letting the cord uncoil behind her. It was clearly too long as she approached the edge of the roof; if it didn’t break, she was going to hit the ground extremely hard. She couldn’t hesitate though, or it would mess up her entry. Stepping onto the edge of the roof and jumping outwards in a twisting motion, the woman saw the roof as it finally collapsed, dropping her huge robot into the floor below. The anchor attaching her to it also began spooling away rapidly as she started to fall, before it snapped taut. She was sent in a flying arc towards the window, as dust and rocks filled the throne room. Slamming into the window with her weight, the surface shattered and she broke through in a sprint, undoing the cable as she broke into a dash. With a move that was so smooth it was criminal, the Baron swept the Queen into her arms, not pausing to see the looks of shock or awe in the faces of the Knights.
“Sorry about the sudden appearance, Queen! This humble Baron offers her assistance in this time of civil unrest!” Conveniently, the shattered rubble under the Bemidban provided a running platform, which the woman used to leap into the cockpit. It sealed shut as both women entered, dust only starting to clear now. The entrance of both pilot and mech had been mere seconds, but had definitely had an effect on those present. Speakers crackled to life, as the Baron spoke with heartfelt passion.
“Confronting Royalty without a Knight to protect her!? Is such conduct ordinary for the Lunarian Nobles?! Dogs, the entire lot of you! But don’t be concerned!” With a swing of one hand, the giant wrecking ball emerged from the rubble and returned to the Bemidban’s side. “I, Baron Doban, will hammer pride into the lot of you! HAHAHAHAHA!”
“Cowards, the lot of you!” A loud cry cut through the hangar, as a single woman finished beating down the final guard. His limp body slipped from her grasp, as she turned towards the large robot looming overhead. Her birthright, something that had been ‘well-kept’ and ‘maintained’ in her ‘cultural indoctrination’. Being pulled from the Doban Manor and forced to play ‘noble’ to a group of young blue-bloods had never sat well with the young woman, even less now as the entire planet went to war. So, she had done the best thing she could think of.
“A little rough love never hurt anyone; they all could use the lessons Father taught.” Wiping a smudge of blood from her mouth as she strolled to the huge robot, the young woman grabbed the armor to start pulling herself up. A loud crack rang out, causing the woman to halt.
“You’re going to climb off that robot and come with us, Baron Doban! For assaulting other nobles and breaking past the guard detail here in the maintenance facility, you’re being detained!” Two guards stood in the entryway, guns trained on the woman. She simply grinned, tightening her hold on the armor.
“HAHAHAHA! You think to stand in the way of the Mighty Doban! My will is unwavering, and path resolute! You pathetic nobles seek to overthrow a Queen who cares more about the people than you ever did! Go ahead and shoot your bullets; they won’t reach me.” Spinning so her cape did a fancy flourish, the woman leapt upwards, smacking the locking mechanism on the open hatch as she dropped inside. The hatch’s pneumatic seals hissed to life, slamming shut and locking firmly as the woman dropped into her seat. Lights came to life within the cockpit, as the engines within the giant robot roared to life. The entire bay hummed with the force of the revving engines, as the woman grabbed the familiar controls.
The soldiers watched in shock as the giant robot they’d considered ‘archaic trash’ came to life. There was a chain stretched across to the far side of the bay, locked behind solid doors with mechanical locks. The metal of the chain seemed sturdy enough to ‘hold’ this robot...until the robot grabbed the chain in one of its huge gauntlets. The shoulder-mounted engines roared even louder, as the mech took one step to the side and ‘pulled’. The reinforced doors crumpled like so much scrap, as a ball of solid steel came hurtling through the expanse towards the huge robot. It seemed almost the same size as the huge robot, but the robot stopped it with one palm. The sheer momentum of the huge projectile caused the Bemidban to bury itself into the metal flooring. Wrapping the chain around its gauntlet, the robot turned towards the exit. A comm-link to the hangar was opened, and the woman’s voice could be heard.
“I’ll warn you both; continue to stand in my path, and I will consider you my enemies. And all of my enemies will be crushed.”
The guards finally fled, leaving the Baron to her machine. Hefting the massive wrecking ball close to her side, the woman glanced at her watch. It was only 1300; if she made a beeline for the throne, she could still make it on time!
Outside the Palace, a single green bolt shot towards the intimidating fortress. Years late for the coup already underway, the young woman was pushing her companion to its limits. The tried-and-tested Bemidban had come through on all accounts. Her gaze darted across the idyllic castle, before falling on the most unique location. That was the one; that had to be the throne room. Secondary engines roared to life, as the stubborn woman took the only route she had available to her.
Swinging the huge wrecking ball once, the robot unleashed the chain, sending it hurdling towards the wall. It slammed into the wall, leaving a wrecking-ball sized dent within the armored exterior. Yanking the ball free, the woman used the destroyed surface as a stepping stone to reach the roof. Hitting the accelerator again, the giant mech went shooting across the roof of the castle, sending dust up and causing the structure to shudder ominously in locations. The Baron pinpointed the location of the throne room, and sent the Bemidban towards that roof. Her wrecking ball dragged behind the giant robot, causing untold destruction to the fine details of the roof. Stopping above the throne, the woman hopped out of her mech, landing firmly on the ground. Stepping over to a large window overlooking the throne room, she finally caught sight of the Queen, and saw the knights surrounding her. Stepping away from the window, the Baron started drawing a picture of the room from above compared to the roof. Satisfied with her measurements, the woman remounted her mech. Piloting to the edge of the room, she picked up the giant weapon attached to her mech. Setting it down with a bit of authority, the building groaned in agony. She saw the spider-lacing cracks shoot across the reinforced surface, and nodded in satisfaction. Grabbing the hydraulic tether attached to her cockpit for repairs in low-gravity, the woman began pulling out the reinforced rope. Attaching it to her belt, she took a deep breath.
This one’s for you, Father. I’m sure you’re laughing heartily at this situation from whatever rocky throne you found. Kicking the cracks caused dust to spring upwards and the mech started to visibly sink. Erina sprinted across the roof in the opposite direction, letting the cord uncoil behind her. It was clearly too long as she approached the edge of the roof; if it didn’t break, she was going to hit the ground extremely hard. She couldn’t hesitate though, or it would mess up her entry. Stepping onto the edge of the roof and jumping outwards in a twisting motion, the woman saw the roof as it finally collapsed, dropping her huge robot into the floor below. The anchor attaching her to it also began spooling away rapidly as she started to fall, before it snapped taut. She was sent in a flying arc towards the window, as dust and rocks filled the throne room. Slamming into the window with her weight, the surface shattered and she broke through in a sprint, undoing the cable as she broke into a dash. With a move that was so smooth it was criminal, the Baron swept the Queen into her arms, not pausing to see the looks of shock or awe in the faces of the Knights.
“Sorry about the sudden appearance, Queen! This humble Baron offers her assistance in this time of civil unrest!” Conveniently, the shattered rubble under the Bemidban provided a running platform, which the woman used to leap into the cockpit. It sealed shut as both women entered, dust only starting to clear now. The entrance of both pilot and mech had been mere seconds, but had definitely had an effect on those present. Speakers crackled to life, as the Baron spoke with heartfelt passion.
“Confronting Royalty without a Knight to protect her!? Is such conduct ordinary for the Lunarian Nobles?! Dogs, the entire lot of you! But don’t be concerned!” With a swing of one hand, the giant wrecking ball emerged from the rubble and returned to the Bemidban’s side. “I, Baron Doban, will hammer pride into the lot of you! HAHAHAHAHA!”