Endgame (Taskforce Upsilon & Everglory)

GEAR

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#1
February 8th, OE 102
1:00 PM DST
Lunar Orbit

All was still on Luna. The last of the DAMON had been vanquished, and the Lamalice swarms terrorizing the Colonies kept their distance from Luna, repelled by its psychic inhabitants. It was not a calm silence - hands moved about in the darkness, maneuvering their chosen game pieces into position, the more belligerent of the Moon's quasi-aristocracy having been the first to be overrun by the extradimensional mostrosities in their eagerness for glory.

Overhead, visible from the white surface, a patch of space began to buckle and warp in a decidedly familiar fashion - but it was no DAMON that emerged.

A bright red spear burst from the murky heat-haze, followed in short order by the rest of a sleek, red-and-white vessel - the Directory's cutting edge flagship, the Air Christmas. As its presence in reality was once more firmly established, lights were already beginning to stir below across the surface.

Time had finally run out.



Air Christmas, Bridge

"ES Window, closing. No abnormalities detected."

On the bridge of the Air Christmas, there was a delicate pop as a cork flew off into the distance, and the applause of the bridge staff. Golden bubbles flowed over the lip of the champagne bottle as Brigadier-General Rodgers clapped his hands together.

"Congratulations are in order." He said, turning in his seat to his passengers; "The fastest wartime trip to Luna on record."

The man the bottle was proferred to, however, waved it aside. He had far more important things on his mind. He was a newcomer on the ship, having joined them as the vessel resupplied at Lagrange two - but all knew his name, and face.

"Somehow, it felt like it took forever."

Chairman Hammar gave a grunt of disapproval, reorienting his gaze at the looming Lunar surface in the monitor.

The most powerful man on Earth perhaps in the entire Earth Sphere, the Directory Chairman who had overseen the rise of the most properous era in all of human history. A tall, lanky man with sharp features, wearing a faded green suit, his presence alone indicated the unprecedented importance of the mission at hand. The threat of a Lunar secession, and the Lamalice onslaught were matters that could not be left to any other than his own, steady hand. Thus, he had boarded at L2, determined to tear the threat of war out at its source.

And besides...

He was a man who had learned the hard way that in politics, you could never really trust anyone. Speaking of-

"Lao."

The Director gave a thin smile as he straightened at the mention of his name.

"Sir?"

"Send out the Granzon, front and center."

"Understood, Chairman."

As Lao made to leave, the Chairman's arm suddenly reached out, gripping his shoulder and pulling him in close.

"I should hope-" He said, under his breath; "That thing is worth what we paid for it. For your sake."

Lao's face betrayed nothing but polite concern.

"I shall keep that in mind... Sir."

As Lao departed, Hammar folded his arms and turned his attention back to the matter at hand. There would be time to reign in his subordinate's excesses later, preferably in committee.

Young Queen of Everglory... What are you planning?

"Open a direct channel to Queen Selene. Time is of the essence."
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#2

The Time of Reckoning was Approaching.

Vayne was deep in thought as the Air Christmas had finally arrived at Luna. Between the delays and setbacks that Upsilon had faced, it was simply a matter of time now. While the Chairman himself was somewhat of an unexpected element, it hardly affected his own plans, and as such, paid him no mind. Nonetheless, Vayne was indeed Tian Di’s ‘caretaker’, and as such held an important role in the grand scheme of things.

He slinked out of the bridge while Lao was talking with the Chairman, making his way down to the living quarters. It was a short trip down the elevator and through several corridors, but an ominous aura lurked and surrounded the man, the man ‘walking’ more as a spectre would rather than a human; his presence seemingly flickering in and out of this plane of existence, his footsteps making not a single sound as he moved down the corridor.

It wasn’t long before he arrived at the front door of Tian Di’s room, before knocking three times. The door opened to a dark room, the lights had been turned off, and at the far end, Tian Di was sitting on the floor with her knees pressed into her chest. Her body seemed motionless, yet she was alive. She looked up to Vayne who entered the room, his visage almost giving off a ghastly glow in the darkness that surrounded him.

The dim light brought light to Tian Di’s face, her eyes dulled and almost lifeless, failing to reflect any light off of her blackish gray irises.

“My child, the time hath come. Thou shalt take up the visage of Granzon, and fulfill thy destiny of bringing forth Volkruss.”

His voice was deep and commanding, yet offered a tinge of softness.

“...Yes.”

Tian Di’s voice was monotonous and void of any emotion.

She was still under the influence of Vayne’s strongest ‘control’. Her will was hardly her own at this point; she was a mere puppet, blindly following the orders of the ‘controller’.

Considering her actions in the aftermath of Belfast, along with Gail’s arrival on the Air Christmas, Vayne had to do at least this much to ensure his plans wouldn’t fail. He wouldn’t allow them to fail.

He couldn’t fail.

Vayne exited the room, Tian Di following close behind. The two walked in sync down the corridors, into the elevator, and entered the hangar, where the fully repaired Granzon stood, its hulking form standing tall over the two apostles of Volkruss.

Tian Di made her way to the cockpit of the Granzon and entered it, taking a seat and engaging the mobile weapon’s systems.

The machine hummed to life, its purple eyes gleaming with vigor. The cockpit hatch sealed itself shut, and Granzon made its way to the catapult, before sallying forth into space.

Vayne watched as Granzon made its exit from the hangar, his arms folded and giving a grin under his mask.

“All the pieces are in place. Not even Lao himself can stop what is to come next. All that is required now is for those on the ‘other side’ to succeed on their end.”

Vayne could finally take a sigh of relief, and relax himself a bit. It had been a long time coming for his plan to take action, but after two millennia of waiting, his plans would finally come to furition.

“You were a failure back then Lao, and you’ll still be a failure now.”
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#3
The two bodies DARC had sent to Upsilon were sitting in the same room for once, though they were not speaking to one another, just sitting silently on the opposing ends of the room.

Or not so silently, as the case was for Kvinna. The Melior Esse possessing the woman's body was fuming with anger, gritting her teeth as she looked at her hands that were shaking with fury. But her anger wasn't directed at the Melior Esse near her, nor was it at the feeble food she was forced to be around.
No, it was anger aimed at their 'esteemed' leader Huvud. That she had been sent to be around humans was bad enough, that she was forced to be a subordinate of Sl- the failure was even worse.

But worst of all was the fact that she still - STILL - did not have the Mobile Weapon she was promised! How was she supposed to do anything without a weapon!? Now Huvud refused to even communicate with her. It was as if, as if the failure was better than her, that she was the o-

No. No! Kvinna shook her head furiously and rapidly. At the same time she let out a sound. Perhaps it was supposed to be a growl but instead it was like unnatural sizzling of flames. She would not finish that thought. It was not true.




Slask turned his cool gaze to the Melior Esse technically under his command. "Cool yourself. Huvud's opinion does not matter, we have our orders and our task. All that remains is to do them."

Kvinna shot him a fiery gaze in return and didn't reply, though the emotion behind it was oddly muted.

'She's changed. She's becoming more human.' Johan noted from inside his head.

'Absurd. She is a being of hatred and fury. We are Melior Esse. We do not change, and certainly not towards humanity.'

'You've changed as well.' The voice inside Slask's head, the one whose body he had stolen seemed amused.

'I am a glacier. I move, but I do not change.'

The human's responding laughter gave Slask a minute twinge of annoyance, but it was smothered before the Melior Esse could acknowledge it.

'Glaciers can melt if they move too far from the poles you know.'
 

GEAR

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#4
It didn't take long.

A series of green flashes, verdant glimmers on the dark horizon indicated the presence of Luna's fast response teams. Squadrons of Lympees materialized from their Orgone Clouds, cradling their rifles in both hands, followed in short order by a handful of the Knightly Raftclanz and Diam Lees, Rodgers watching as the various contacts moved to surround their vessel - yet the Lunarians stayed their distance, perhaps weary of the unknown machine currently serving as a vanguard.

Sure enough, in concert, the resplendent form of Luna's Queen made itself known on the bridge of the Air Christmas, occupying the majority of its forward monitor. The Chairman stood alone at the center of the hall, a hovering camera drone capturing his every movement as he locked eyes with his "peer", her pale features showing little in the way of shock or surprise. Unruffled as ever, Luna's monarch was the first to break the staredown.

"Chairman Hammar. To what do we owe the unexpected pleasure?"

"Allow me to be brief, your highness. I've come to address the matter of the Lamalice."

"There is nothing to address. We had no more warning of their appearance than you-"

"Which just happened to coincide with the malfunction of your ZONE."

Selene's eyes narrowed into slits, but she said nothing. The Chairman folded his arms as he continued, evidently far from intimidated.

"Eight million people, eradicated in less than forty-five minutes. The greatest and swiftest loss of human life since the Vanishing Trooper Incident, with countless more being ravaged by the onslaught of the DAMON."

"...What are you accusing us of?"




Meanwhile, within the hangar below, Lao Xi Feng listened to the broadcast as it was piped through the ship.

"For far too long, Luna has been given an unparalleled degree of autonomy. As the exclusive source of EOT for the Earth Sphere, we were more than content to allow you to govern yourselves as you so chose, provided the spoils were shared with us, and humanity writ large..."
The Granzon would see to it that the operation would go as planned. He would wring one more use out of Tian Di before the ascension was at hand... The crisis borne by the Lunarians arrogance had paid dividends to him by means of the rivers of blood those beasts had thoughtlessly spilled. Volkruss' power waxed now, perhaps greater than ever before - he could sense it in every fiber of his being.
"This incident has called that special relationship into question."
Still... He had not survived this long by not being prepared, and he moved among the warlocks and prana-artisans of the cult as they chanted in hushed, somber tones, putting the finishing touches on his own backup plan.

His hand moved over the smooth, green surface of the strange machine anchored in a quartered off section of the ship's hangar. A thousand ghostly faces grimaced back at him from the reflection, and he gave a satisfied smirk. A pair of eerie red eyes flickered to life beneath a broad, horned helm, infused with power by countless evil spirits.

What was it that wretched necromancer had called it? Ah, yes.

1585213782549.png

"Philosopher's Stone".




"If your so-called Lunar Kingdom cannot be trusted to conduct itself responsibly, then a renegotiation of this arrangement is in order."

So that's your game.

Selene bristled. the Queen rising from her seat to stalk towards the camera.

"...Our sovereignty is not yours to take, Terran." She said, "It is ordained by divine right, not your feeble bureaucracy."

"Do you intend to resist, then?"

"I intend to protect my people."

"Then you leave me no choice." - The Chairman nodded off screen to a waiting channel, the one established exactly for this purpose.

"Miss Tian Di?"
 

MKR

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#5
Johanna had been sitting in the cockpit of the Abend for a while, she was ready to launch at a moments notice. And in her waiting, she saw Tian Di and Vayne approach. That man gave her the creeps he looked like a walking funeral procession and now he was walking in rhythm with the Granzon's pilot.
She clicked her tongue at the display in front of her, and the Granzon in fact.

That thing was a walking war crime waiting to happen, but if you made all the rules then what would stop you from deeming it legal, or not making any laws against it. But that mattered little now, she listened in to the broadcast. The discussions between rulers.
She had a feeling how this would end, as all contentions in the modern age worked between nations. Might makes right.

A theocracy of knights and aristocrats, the middle ages modernized and placed upon the moon. Against a grand overarching government who was probably doing this mostly to tighten the leash and secure their flow of technology in what was to come. It was no secret, the further reaches of space were in turmoil and things would not remain quiet down on earth for long either she'd hazard to guess.

And there was the line 'Then you leave me no choice' stated in ominous tones like it always was. She began running her own final set up alongside it, the Granzon had gone out and she wondered exactly how much would survive this initial onslaught.
Her eyes panned down at one of the systems, noting an irregularity within it.

Well now, wasn't that interesting if worrying.
 

VeraC

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#6

Before Granzon stood the royal military forces of Everglory. It was a single entity against an entire army, yet the odds seemed to ever remain in the favor of Volkruss' Chalice.

The machine of Volkruss looked on at the Luna forces, an ominous aura surrounding the machine, perhaps one that would bring chills to all who looked upon it. Lao wasn't wrong that it was at this time that Volkruss' power was waxing, and as such giving Granzon more power than before. Perhaps their relative distance to the crossgate also provided a boost. But nonetheless in this moment more than ever, Granzon became like one with Volkruss

The inside of the machine was naught but absolute silence. Tian Di sat in the cockpit, blankly looking on at the sight before her. Her body was present physically, yet her mind wasn't fully there. It wouldn't be wrong to simply call her a husk of a human, lacking a will of her own. She wouldn't move unless given a command by the one who controlled her.

As such, when the Chairman spoke to Tian Di, she didn't reply nor do anything. Perhaps it was a slightly awkward pause in the heat of things, though sure enough, Vayne spoke up through a private line direct to the Granzon.

"Show them the might of 'Volkruss', my child."

Vayne spoke in a ghastly voice.

With a simple nod, Tian Di began operating the controls of the mobile weapon.

Dark energies began to swirl around the Granzon, distorting the space that surrounded it. Its movements were… odd for anyone watching. The mobile weapon almost seemed to be slightly spasming as it moved, like how one would move if affected by a timelag of some sort.

Not but two seconds passed before the space itself contorted and 'moved' pulling any and all that were near the Granzon purple energy flickered and crackled around an orb that was held above its head.

Without even a single warning, the dark blue machine threw the massive 'projectile' in the direction of the enemy army, annihilating all that touched it and pulling in everything near it, until it reached the end of its path in which it imploded on itself, erupting in a brilliant explosion of antimatter.

Thereafter, Granzon stood motionless, returning to its normal stance.

Vayne, meanwhile, vanished into the shadows within the hangar, out of sight from any wandering eyes. He would bide his time for the moment, waiting for the right opportunity to come.

"You may come to hate me for what I've done, but this is for your sake too, child."

He monologued to himself.

"I'm more than ready to accept the consequences. 2000 years of treachery deserves at least that much."
 

GEAR

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#7
Darkness swelled up before the Lunarian Knights. Orgone rifles blasted, tiny glints against the blackness that flared only briefly before it swallowed them whole. The rolling ball of crackling dark matter hurtled through the ranks of the Lympees, dragging them into its mass before imploding. The micro-singularity burst open in the skies above Luna, the Black Hole oh-so-briefly expanding, becoming a brief, yawning gateway to the infinite void.

It was only seconds before it collapsed in on itself, but it was as if the entire Lunar skyline had suddenly been wiped clean.

Not even debris remained.

Selene could only watch, in stunned silence.

"As you can see..." Said the Chairman, clearing his throat; "Luna's vaunted technical superiority is nothing but a narcissistic illusion."

This seemed to snap the young woman out of her trance, her features contorting in fury as she spoke, voice rising in intensity with every word.

"...You would play at mass-murder-"

"I am fully prepared to accept the consequences of my actions, Queen Selene."

The two leaders stared one another down. Neither blinked.

"Are you?"

The seconds ticked by, a silent battle of wills. At length, the Chairman rose slightly, once more glancing off to the side as he began to signal.

"...Tian-"

"Stop."

He paused... and waited. The young woman on the screen glowered at all present, teeth clenched with fury.

"I see this is how the men of Terra negotiate, then." She said,

"From the barrel of a gun."

The Queen of Luna's fist was clenched so tightly that blood trickled from her fingertips, running in crimson drops to the floor below. She felt like she was burning alive.

"For all your talk of "unity", "progress", and "advancement"..." She hissed; "You're nothing but murderous, unevolved primitives...!"

Hammar exhaled, slowly. All in all, he thought... He had expected a lot worse. Despite the venom in her words... At the very least, there appeared to be no further signs of resistance for the time being. It seemed Lao's ridiculously expensive toy lived up to its reputation... Perhaps he'd keep his job after all.

"Have your militia lay down their arms. The Air Christmas will dock at the secure Alric Point Port." He said, carefully.

"We shall negotiate further in private."

In an instant, Selene's visage dropped from the Air Christmas' screens. The assembled staff could suddenly breathe again, a murmur beginning to fill the bridge as Hammar turned to the waiting Brigadier General in his command chair.

"Well done, Chairman."

"We're not out of the woods yet. Take us down, Rodgers. Have the Granzon escort us, and put the rest of Upsilon on standby."

"Sir!"



Meanwhile...
Artemis Throne Room


It hurt.

That was what she thought, as she looked at her bleeding palm. Selene III, She Of The Flawless Mirror, contemplated her situation in curious silence. Her own guards and aides waited in wordless silence.

There was no need for unnecessary chatter, as their emotions and thoughts all swirled together - the privilege, the blessing, of their people. The empathy that their primitive cousins lacked. Everyone here, she thought, had felt the deaths of those above... And no further tears needed to be shed.

"Sir Caim. Lady Redvak."

There was an immediate, reassuring rustling of metal as two of the armored figures dropped instantly to their knees. She began to pace, turning a braid in her hair between her fingers as she spoke quickly.

"Release the restrictions on Larseilam usage. I want every Knight Machine fully equipped with Eitelm - Exhaust the reserves, if you must."

"Shall we execute them, your Highness?"

Selene paused in her movements, giving the idea due consideration. If the full force of their weapons were unleashed, not even a scrap of that vessel or its ugly, blue monster machine would ever leave the surface... Yet, something troubled her about the entire situation.

"...We shall hear what they have to say, first." She said, quietly. "That man... would not dare to truly threaten the Lady."

"And if they attack?"

She clenched her fist once more, letting the fresh pain surge into her arm. Good. She thought. Remember this sensation. Let it drive you.

"Then we shall strike with such terrible vengeance..." She said, rounding upon them.

"That generations of Terrans yet unborn shall tremble in the shadow of the Moon."
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#8
The moment the finishing touches on Lao's plan were applied the two Melior Esse had tensed, though Slask had done so only minutely. Of the five things they had suddenly sensed in the hangar four of them were irrelevant and easy to dismiss. The fifth one however was worrying. They hadn't heard anything from Huvud so the sources of the negative energy weren't theirs, and one as large as the last one was a threat when not on their side.

And those should be taken out if possible.

"Kvinna, go inform our Brigadier General of this new development. If we can do something about this, it is only through him. I'm sure you can keep your distaste under control, talk to him like you would to Huvud or better yet, our Lord. Hurry."

And with that Slask had left the room behind, he himself heading for the hangar to enter Fabularis.

Kvinna had scoffed at the back of her 'superior' but did as she was told, running for the bridge, trying to keep a lid on her anger.

Talk to a cattle with a fancy title like he was their lord? It was outrageous.

But it was good advice.




Kvinna now entered the bridge in a hurry. "Brigadier General." She spoke curtly. "There is something going on in the hangar. Five sources of negative energy, four small one large, have suddenly appeared there. And that is not a good thing, we thought you would want to know." Kvinna looked around the bridge.

"We can divulge the means with which we noticed the disturbance, but preferably with as much privacy as you can give us. The information is...sensitive." She added, clearly uncomfortable with sharing even that much.
 

MKR

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#9
Johanna's eyes were drawn to the battlefield... Massacre outside as she continued to mess with her console. She paused for a moment, contemplating what was to come after that.
No haughty kingdom in the history of well, any history ever had taken such a defeat in grace. A show of force was fine but such a degree of utter defeat, well. This was likely to go south soon. Especially when said nation prided itself on technological superiority.

Her finger tapped the console, but that was a problem for later. How much later? She had no clue on that it could be anywhere between five generations and twenty seconds she reckoned. Most likely it would be whenever they touched down on Alric Point Port. But it was all yet in uncertainty and what she knew for sure was to look out and keep an eye on the display in her terminal.

Yet the readings were off from their usual status, like a half measure taken. Clicking her tongue in slight frustration Johanna waited, both for the signal to go and for the readings to change.
 

GEAR

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Air Christmas Main Hangar

"I wish you'd disembarked at L2, like I asked."

Juliette Carpentier kicked off from the railings, her hands full of tablets loaded with data, long lavender hair tied back into a functional bun as her personal terminal trailed behind her on a wire, chattering away. A man's voice, it seemed, full of concern.

"I wanted to see the Granzon in action..." She said, fumbling with her load, “And our project through, of course."

"It's dangerous. Lao is about to make his move."

"Is that why you sent Monsieur Gail?" - the Engineer gave a melodramatic gasp as she landed near the red and white frame of the Abend. "C'est gentil!"

"...I asked him for a favor, yes." Continued the voice, tentatively. "Our interests align, for the moment."

She paused for a moment, slotting the different items into several waiting beds. Lunar combat data - dated as it was - would be necessary. Just in case, she thought.

"Just be careful. I can't afford to lose anyone at this stage... We're on the edge of civil war as is."

"I will, I will... For you, mon chou."

"Hmph."

There was the dry click of a phone being dropped into its receiver, and she could hardly suppress a grin. Some people just couldn't handle even a little teasing. Floating back around to the cockpit of the Abend, she rapped on its exterior hatch, beaming at its cameras.

"Madame Johanna? A moment, please?"



Air Christmas, Bridge

Rodgers, noticing Kvinna entering the bridge, lowered his command chair to her level, leaning in to listen as she spoke. Once she'd finished, he raised a finger, beckoning her closer, so they could speak privately.

"...Listen." He said, quietly.

"Once this mission is accomplished, Taskforce Upsilon is to arrest Director Lao and any associated with him. Chairman's orders."

Rodgers turned a small monitor on the chair towards her. What was playing, apparently, was a video - several strange looking machines with large, hooked claws doing battle against what appeared to be Directory forces was displayed. The Brigadier-General's features were grim as he continued.

"There are serious charges being leveled against him on Earth at this moment..." - He sighed, reaching up to rub his forehead in consternation.

"However, we needed the Granzon to force the Lunarians into compliance. That's the only reason his head isn't on a pike yet."

Still, eventually he gave a reassuring smile and patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry." He said,

"Thanks to the work you and your team have done, we have a chance at containing the Lamalice. All of Earth is in your debt - this old soldier isn't going to let anything happen to you."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Aug 25, 2018
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#11
Slask entered the hangar, walking with steady, calm steps towards Fabularis. Outwardly, he seemed as cool and calm as usual. Inwards however....

Well, it was still mostly the same. If it was up to him he'd rather gobble up the veritable mountain of negative energy near them, but he didn't particularly care not getting it either. He wasn't Kvinna or any of the other Melior Esse. It did not make him restless, it did not make his lacking hunger unbearable. The energy was there, but that was it.

There was still some restlessness there though. Namely his argument with Johan.

'Come on, lemme pilot the Fabularis here!'

'No. That was not part of our deal.'

'Well...yeah, but still! I really wanna fight against the moon knights!'

'You would just hold back, We need to be part of this 'team.''

'Pffft, like hell I would! Are you kidding me? Those stuck-up vainglorious assholes need a firm kick to the butt.'

'You are not one of the humans who would do something out of the 'goodness' of their hearts. Why even bother to say it? Say the truth human.'

Johan's chuckling filled their shared mindspace. 'Fine, fine. I really, really really want to fight against people that can fr- nope, not gonna say it. That can stop time in battle. It would be almost as exciting as being able to fight that skeleton whale that was smacking us around.'

Slask stumbled with his next step. 'What?'

If his movements suddenly had some haste to them, well, he was ignoring that as he climbed inside Fabularis.




Kvinna's eyes focused on the monitor that the Brigadier General showed to her. She did not react to the contact with the human in any way. She just... thought for a moment. Thought furiously on how a human was supposed to reply to something like this. When that was solved, she thought a moment longer to ensure that it came across the right way. While she was building her answer step by step it looked as if the woman was intently studying the machines that were showing on the monitor.

"Thank you." She at last said. "We will do our best to meet your expectations - and surpass them."
 

MKR

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#12
Inside the cockpit Johanna would hear the sound outside, looking through the exterior camera as she flicked off a few screens. Those would have to wait for a bit, she doubted she was the only one to take note of it but hey. Outside was a familiar face at least, the one who had put the Weissritter back together and made it better then ever. Something she was more than grateful for seeing the condition the Weissritter was in when Juliette got her hands on it.

"Ah sure, here let me open the hatch for you." She said as she pulled the lever that opened the entrance hatch, in turn letting Juliette in. "There we go." She said, as she looked over her shoulder towards Juliette, giving her a nod as she resumed the check ups on her machine. Making sure it was ready to launch at a moment's notice. "I do want to thank you again Juliette, the Weiss is doing better then ever in spite of me nearly turning it into scrap." She awkwardly mentioned, pausing her work at the console for a moment as she looked over her shoulder once more. "Really saved my hide there."
Johanna seemed relaxed, in spite of the situation both past and present. For what it was worth her free days had done a wonder on her. Then again so might the complete absence of the monstrosity that nearly killed her and wiped a city off the map.

"But I'm sure you didn't come here to bask in my thanks." the Belgian noted, waiting for the Frenchwoman to reveal what had brought her here now.
 

GEAR

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#13
Within the hangar, Lao Xi Feng clambered into the cockpit of the Nagzadd. To anyone else, it would have been an utterly chilling experience, as malevolent spirits and lost souls nipped at their heels from its frame, greedy for even the smallest of touches of the human warmth they were now deprived. Its curled, carved, almost marble-like surfaces shimmered with reflections from its pool-like screens, each a portal into the void itself - but to him, it shrinking even the most violent among their number was a mere triviality.

Such was the power that Volkruss afforded his most loyal disciples.

As the hatch hissed shut, the twin red eyes of the Spirit-Machine came to life, rising slightly off its protective pedestal as it did so. All around it, the bladed, gangly-limbed Jiwens that were its vanguard activated as well, one after another, to the Archbishop's immense approval. He took a minute to savor the moment - the day all of his hard work would come to fruition.

"Well then, my brothers..." He said, smoothly.

"Let us depart."

The Nagzadd raised its hand, a sphere of dark energy pulsing into being within its grasp as the remaining machines rose their hands, a solemn, synchronized chant filling the room, low baritones seeming to rattle the very construction of the Air Christmas itself for the briefest of moments.

There was a flash, and a burst of black smoke-

And they were gone.



Artemis Streets, en route to Negotiations.

"Disappeared?"

The Chairman exhaled through his nose at the news, slowly. The car the Lunarians had sent, at least... appeared safe. Once more - he didn't expect Selene to pull anything... At least, not yet. The contents of their discussions were too important to allow ego to get in the way. He turned his expression back towards his phone, Rodgers face filling the holographic screen, full of concern.

"We've checked every camera. Not only that, but the unusual Mobile Weapons he brought have vanished also."

"Find him."

"Easier said than done. If we so much as blink out of line, we'll have a hundred guns pointed at us."

Giving a sigh of exasperation, the Chairman closed the feed, and massaged his temples. Perhaps, he thought, not putting that man on the firing line immediately was a mistake. Still, he had to put that out of his mind, or a renegade bureaucrat was going to be the least of all their worries.

Lao... What are you planning?



Air Christmas, Main Hangar

Juliette beamed at Johanna like a ray of sunshine. Small wonder that she had managed to become popular amongst the crew of the Air Christmas for the duration of their voyage - consequently, "maintenance checks" were becoming hard to get.

"Quel charme." She laughed, evidently pleased to see the woman in fine spirits.

"I wanted to hand this to you personally..."

Something small and red floated out from her hands towards Johanna. Were she to catch it in her palm, it would resemble a small cube - a data storage device, one not usually seen among Directory-affiliated machines, yet which the new Weiss had a unique slot for,

"It contains the full information on Madame Weiss' new system..." Explained the Frenchwoman quietly, pausing a moment before adding, under her breath:

"...C'est Top Secret, of course."
 

MKR

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Aug 19, 2018
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#14
Johanna awkwardly smiled at the response, seemingly catching herself as the red cube was produced, as it floated towards her Johanna would catch it, being careful to not exert too much force on it in her grab as while she didn't expect it to be easily damaged she also wanted to be sure it wasn't damaged.
Opening her hand and looking at the red cube she raised an eyebrow, not having expected the item. But it didn't take long for her to realize what the cube's rightful place was, speaking as she began to move it into its slot.

"Oh, thank you." She noted, it seemed Juliette had gotten one more thanks out of her, "I'll be sure to not tell anyone then." She whispered back with a bit of a smile "But knowing what I'm all working with in the Weiss is really nice, and just in time for me to crunch through it."
She slotted the unusual method of data transfer into its slot and looked over to one of her screens, now loading in the data. She wondered, why this method of data storage was used, it wasn't exclusive to the Weiss she knew that much but at the same time not using the Directory standard was somewhat unusual, not that it particularly mattered much but regardless it was a curiosity.
She was about to open the content of the cube before looking back to Juliette.

"Ah I don't know if you have clearance." She said half jokingly, while most of the time if someone made something they would be allowed to look into that information but at the same time it would be far from the first time that someone wouldn't be allowed to look into this information. And while Johanna mostly said it in jest there was a kernel of truth in there. After all if Juliette did not have the clearance opening it now would be a problem officially.
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#15

Amidst a dark darkness, naught but a single man stood still. It was a setting not within Earth, nor one within Crescentia. A place between places, one that none but Vayne Marvis had the privilege of entering,. ‘Twas a sacred realm beyond the likes of Volkruss, beyond the likes of Gragas, of Lasfitot. Beyond the realm of mere mortals, it was a plane where “Gods” exist.

Or rather, existed.

Its residents were currently elsewhere, in a different ‘place between places’, one that proved rather difficult to exit; enough so that they remained locked up for over two thousand years. A single man remained steadfast, a lone soldier acting as their warden, in order to prevent their escape and inevitable revival.

But what if that warden, in a singular moment, lost focus and the keys were snatched away from him? Even if he had the drive to last several millennia, even the most godly of warriors will begin to develop fatigue. It was amazing that he was able to last two-thousand years; even Vayne could give him kudos for that.

When one talks about a “one-in-a-lifetime-chance,” for someone like Vayne, it was something he couldn’t afford to lose. And when opportunity presents itself, who wouldn’t seize it? And thanks to naught but a singular ‘time-traveler’, this chance never would’ve presented itself.

Perhaps it was destiny. The stars have aligned, the time of happenings has begun; the borders between realms were at their thinnest. While Volkruss’ power waxed, so too did the influence of its Progenitors.

Vayne moved his arms, and with them, the machine he sat in responded in kind. Within the darkness, the machine blended in with its surroundings, the blackened armor melding with the plane itself. Red eyes glimmered to life, as the machine began moving more. Two wings along the back stretched themselves outwards, as a massive burst of spectral blue energy was blasted from them.

“The time of reckoning has cometh...”

Vayne took a deep breath, as he stretched his arms and flexed his muscles, his inner prana beginning to spread down his arms, before exiting his fingertips, as they ‘reached out’ into the aether. Using himself as a conduit to connect the worlds, and unite the ‘places between places’, he could see into multiple realms at once, or rather, at least the realms he has been to.

“For nigh two-thousand years, I acted as a member of this pathetic ‘Cult’. A cult that worships nothing more than a mere shadow of a once glorious “God”.”

Vayne monologued amidst the void, the quietness of it all broken by his deep voice.

“It was surprising to see thou at the head of it all, Lao. To think that us once enemies. Of all the people who I understood, thou were one I could never fully read. But perhaps one day you will answer my question: For what purpose did thou turn thy back on Crescentia and form a cult worshipping a fragment of thine once designated enemy?”

Vayne paused for a moment.


“Tian Di. What a cruel fate thy had been submitted to. A young child, fated to be the contractor of Volkruss himself. All at the behest of thy progenitors, they who wished for power. Perhaps the least I could do was rescue you from such a fate. A single good deed for many lifetimes of treachery. I only pray that thee look to the big picture and realize that what I did was for your sake.”

Vayne took a sigh. ‘Twas not the time for sentimentality, Vayne had a meeting with fate that required his attendance. His agents were in place, and they needed naught but his signal. He calmed his breathing and began to focus his energy.

“Harken unto life, Volkruss, and thou shall know naught but death.”

Vayne’s eyes flashed with a spectral blue, and the mobile weapon began surging power around itself.

“For thee, Volkruss, God of Destruction; the only destruction thou shalt know is thine own.”

Space began to warp and shift around the mobile weapon, the mech’s power source beginning to hum with a loud bassy-noise.

“As Azrael, the Angel of Death, shall greet you at the doorsteps!”

With his final words, the Mobile Weapon, aptly named Azrael warped out of the black void, heading straight for the moon.

____

As Tian Di was returning to the Air Christmas, something snapped within her mind, as the mind control that she had been placed under suddenly disappeared.

“...Huh? What happened…? Last I remembered… Gramps?”

She looked around, but only found herself in the cockpit of the Granzon, alone and confused. Or well, she was alone, save for that ever-so familiar voice in her head.

“So the child finally awakens from her slumber. Pray, did you sleep well?”

A sarcastic and growly voice spoke up.

“Volkruss…”

“Vayne had put you under quite the spell, it’s been several days since I last heard you speak.”

“Gramps did?”

Volkruss was confusing her even more now.

“That man is untrustworthy, and he is dangerous. His power is not drawn from I, or rather, his power is not directly drawn from I. He must be stopped. Whatever he plans to do, will not benefit neither you nor I.”

“W-What’s Gramps going to do?”

“I know not the specifics, but as far as I can garner, it won’t be anything beneficial to us. You must pursue him Our lives may be at stake!”

There was a sense of urgency in Volkruss’ voice, but perhaps an essence of exaggeration, of deception. Tian Di however, was oblivious to it at the moment; she was confused enough as is.

“If you follow Lao, you’ll find Vayne, that much I can guarantee. Those two may be tied in more ways than mere camaraderie.”

“...Right!”

Tian Di had little clue what was going on. Was Vayne controlling her? Was he manipulating her? Was he just playing the role of caretaker to make sure she would be sacrificed in the end? Were his feelings genuine, and perhaps he was trying to save her? It was all a mess in her mind, and simply waiting around to see what would happen next would only make things worse for her. She wanted answers.

As Granzon was beginning its docking procedures, it made a sharp and abrupt 180, turning back to the moon and sallying forth at full speed.

“Gramps, you’ll give me an answer, right?”

_____

Kusanagi Sword School
Aohara Compound


Within the underground hangar of the Aohara estate, a truck was currently offloading a massive tarped object into the relatively small hangar. Until now, the Aohara family only carried a single Knight Machine, the Amaterasu, but with their alliance to the nobles and Ashford Family, it was at last a new machine was given to them.

The bed of the truck was raised and angled, allowing the previously laying-down mech to stand up. The Raftclans frame had just returned from the Aohara’s smithery, receiving the final adjustments and customizations to the machine.

Okuni, Mifune, and Hikari all stood at the base of the tarped figure, waiting in anticipation.

“Ready…? Pull!”

Several workers pulled the tarp down, revealing that which was hidden.

“素晴らしい、、、”

Okuni looked on and marveled at the sight.

In her stupor, Mifune spoke up.

“Okuni. You have permission to use the Relic Weapon.”

“Takamagahara?”

Okuni became wide-eyed as she turned to her uncle.

“Oji-ue?! You received permission?”

“I talked with the other elders, and they simply told me this: This upcoming fight has the integrity of the entire Kusanagi sword school lying on it. It is your responsibility as head to ensure you don’t bring shame to our swordcraft. In battles where your livelihood is at stake, you must use everything you have to ensure your survival. For that reason, you have been given authorization.”

“Oji-ue…!”

She smiled and turned back to the mech.

“With this, victory is all but assured.”

Okuni radiated with confidence and turned to Hikari.

“Hikari, won’t you sortie with me?”

“Can I sis?! I get to pilot the Amaterasu?!”

Hikari exploded with excitement.

“I hope your skills haven’t dulled.”

“Despite how I look, I’m only second to you!”

“Then together we are unstoppable.”

Okuni smiled in response to Hikari’s confidence.

“...Very well then you two, I wish you the best of luck. This war won’t end until the Queen’s head has been removed. At least give her grace a merciful death.”

“はい!”

The two replied promptly in unison.

“To the capitol then, you two.”
 

Admin

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Jun 14, 2018
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#16
Air Christmas, Main Hangar

At the mention of clearance, Juliette only gave a strange, knowing smile.

“The Taskforce has access to all the latest innovations in technology.” She explained,

“You could say no expense has been spared, oui? Of course, once our mission is concluded, I doubt I’ll ever get to play with such nice toys again...”

She sighed, drawing painted nails up to her lips and tapping on her chin, thoughtfully.

“So naturally, I put my heart and soul into the new and improved Madmoiselle Weiss.”

Her eyes drifted across the hangar, to the various different machines arranged amongst its interior.

“After all,” She added, “Compared to some of these, working on a PTX Frame is-“

Her eyes fell on the Asclepius, and it’s opening cockpit.

“...Eh?”



Main Hangar, moments prior

As DARC’s team made their preparations, behind Johann there was a sudden burst of movement.

“‘Scuse me, coming through!”

A hand slapped against the Melior Esse’s upper back-

And behind it, there was a sudden, unexplained tingle in the depths of the Ruina’s mind. A phantom memory of sorts, of instinctual recognition.

Were he to turn to meet the source of the voice, he would have found himself eye to eye with Gail O’Brennan, who had likewise halted in his madcap flight towards his machine, slowly drifting back from the impact.



Artemis Palace, rear entrance.

Guh... grrrkl...

There was a low thud as the Royal Guard hit the floor, blood pooling out of the new hole in his chest.

A figure stepped over the body, immensely careful not to allow the vital fluids to stain his immaculate shoes. Surrounding him were the finest Knights in the Kingdom, handpicked for their loyalty and skill - but, he thought privately, it was not they whom his success depended on.

It was that woman, Okuni. Sir Boucher had done well to win her to their cause, and as such-

It was time for them to act.

To set the Kingdom back on the correct path.

No, Sir Ashford would not sit idly by and allow their sovereignty to be handed over by a weak young girl playing “Queen”. She simply needed... Guidance.

And who was better suited to the task than he?

Before them, the rear doors slid open, their men on the inside having played their parts perfectly.

Now, he thought as he pulled his gloves on... It was time for the play to begin in earnest.
 

MKR

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Aug 19, 2018
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#17
"I'll make sure to treat her with care then, its the least I can do. Hm?" Johanna noted that Juliette had been distracted, getting out of her chair to look out too and seeing one of the machines seemingly preparing for takeoff. The one belonging to that man that had been talking to Rodgers.

And down below he seemed to have bumped into Johann, the pilot of the Weiss raising an eyebrow as she leaned over Juliette's shoulder like gossiping women looking at what happened in the streets below. She simultaneously wanted to go check down there but should the need to sortie arise she was already fully set up and going out meant she would need to shut all that down.
"That guy from the Irish Guard huh, and his Top Secret mobile weapon." She calmly stated, looking between the open hatch and the men below.

"What's he rushing around for?"
Given what he was doing when she first saw him and the unusual mobile weapon he had she wondered what his purpose aboard the Air Christmas truly was. That thing was nothing like anything she'd seen before and neither was he really. Here on the director's orders, which by his continued presence seemed to be true. Either that or he had managed to avoid the Director at every turn, but even then his Mobile Weapon was still here.

And now he was raring and ready to go? If she didn't know any better that man was taking this opportunity to deploy and assassinate someone, or even start a war by attempting to do so. And well, she didn't know any better seeing as she didn't know the man.
"And where is he rushing to?"
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#18
Okuni followed briefly behind Ashford, a cool demeanor on her face, but she was currently in an extreme state of focus, keeping eyes and ears out for any palace guards that may approach them. Hikari walked next to Okuni, unusually serious, a stark comparison to her normal energetic self. The two were likely the best warriors Ashford would find on the moon, their martial prowess unmatched by none.

As the doors slid open, Okuni turned to Ashford.

“Well then, Ashford-dono, we shall carve you a path to the queen.”

Okuni grabbed the handle of the Katana sheathed at her hip and pulled it from its covering. The blade was glistening silver, almost shining prismatic when reflecting the light off the blade.

The Kusanagi Relic Weapon: Takamagahara

Or rather, one half of it. Forged by Kusanagi himself two thousand years ago, the blade has stood the test of time and has not yet once rusted or been chipped.

“Inmetsu, Second Step: Furinkazan”

Power began to flow through Okuni’s body as she felt her muscles grow stronger and instincts become sharper.

“Hikari.”

“Right.”

With a simple nod and acknowledgement, the two charged forward ahead of Ashford, making their way for the chambers where the Queen would be meeting the Chairman.

It was right to assume that they would cut down all who stood in their way, quickly and cleanly.

It mattered not whether they were soldiers, warriors, queens or kings; for all who were before Okuni’s blade were equal.
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#19
Slask was not sure what to think about the instinctual recognition that the brief contact brought with it, but he did know how to react to it. Most others Melior Esse would likely have panicked over it, but Slask was not like them. Perhaps it was due to the body he was inhabiting but there was still an acute sense of danger there.

'Switch with me.'

'Wha- why change your tune?'

'Just do it.'

A near imperceptible shudder ran through Johan's body as the ownership of said body was temporarily changed. It was too bad that he didn't really have the time to enjoy it right now.

"Hey, you alright?" Johan asked Gail. "Sorry 'bout not getting out of your way but to be fair you also really should've watched where you were going. What's got you in such a hurry?"




Kvinna had thought about whether to keep chasing the chairman? that had fled away from the ship they were on, and ultimately it had been the promise of negative energy at the end that had made her decision for her.

Now she had to just remember that their cover was that it was Slask's ability, not something she shared. Just had to allude the failure might be able to do it. No problem.

"Brigadier General. S- Johan can likely track where they've gone. He can go hunt for them if you give the order?"
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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Gail gave Slask a curious look. There was no way, of course, a human being could have determined such a subtle shift but-

"Hey, sorry. Kind of an emergency." He said, giving an apologetic smile as he kicked away. There was something... charming about it, perhaps the way the light glinted off his teeth, or his boyish laugh - yet to the Ruina, it would have only deepened their scorn.

That feeling.

It couldn't possibly be-

His thoughts were interrupted by a warning siren overhead, causing him to glance up as the room suddenly turned a bright red.

"Attention: Unknown hostiles detected. All available Mobile Weapons, launch immediately. I repeat-"



Artemis Palace

The doors to the Queen's throne room were flung open, the sound accompanied by the clattering of the guards outside to the floor.

Flanked by Okuni, Sir Ashford made his way into the interior with the air of one who belonged there, his perfect features surveying the horrified looks on the assembled knights with no small amount of satisfaction.

Queen Selene rose from her throne, indignation etched into every corner of her features.

"My dear Queen. I have come to liberate you." Said the noble, giving a graceful bow as he did so.

"Is that what you call this, Ashford?" Hissed the Queen striding defiantly towards the group.

She paused, eyes searing into Okuni's own. There was something there, a silent trait shared between the two of them - the old blood, the factor that distinguished their kind from the rest of even other Lunarians. Something that no genetic therapy, no technology, could ever truly hope to replicate:

The blessing of the true chosen.

"And you." She said; "Is this how the Kusanagi Clan repays its debt to the throne?"

She shook her head in disbelief and disgust, eyes narrowing into slits among her porcelain features.

"We should have purged your watered down blood generations ago. You are a disgrace to the name of Tsukiyomi-"

"There is no need for such hostility, your Highness."

Ashford interrupted, rising to his feet as his knights fanned out, letting the strength of his numbers show.

"As my Queen, you and I shall return the rightful order to Luna."

"Your Queen?"

"But of course. Who is more better suited to the throne than I? Who could unite our peoples, and stave off this unfortunate dispute?"

Selene's features twisted into one of disgust - but she said nothing, eyes simply observing the growing number of weapons surrounding them. Ashford's voice was full of certainty, that of a man who had perfectly prepared everything in advance, and was only now seeing the last pieces fall into place as he gave a not unkind smile, extending his hand to her.

"Please, my Queen." He said,

"Let us do what is best for Luna. For the Kingdom. Is that not what we were raised to do?"





On the bridge, Rodgers was busy nodding along with the young woman's suggestion, stroking his beard as he did so, thoughtfully. He wasn't above taking a chance - and finding Lao was absolutely crucial. Was he willing to bet on the DARC Team?

"Of course." He said affirmatively, his voice betraying nothing but complete trust. "So long as you can do so while not provoking the Lunarians, I think-"

"C-Captain!"

In the distance, a kind of... fog was starting to roll in. Rodgers stopped in mid explanation to Kvinna, as the unusual nature of the situation seemed to register to him.

... In space?

The momentary shock of the phenomenon was erased as loathsome, wretched forms could be glimpsed, gliding silently through the void towards the Air Christmas. Spirit Soldiers, their skeletal, rag-clad forms yawning and mouthing wordlessly, advancing on the Directory's pride and joy - dozens of them.

"What... in the name of God?" He managed to breathe, eyes wide as yet the latest of surprises reared its ugly head - yet the surprise was only momentary, as the bridge rattled underfoot.

Outside, lights began to pierce the starry black as concentrated beams of Prana were sent from the mouths of the phantoms, slamming into the Air Christmas' barrier as Rodgers slammed his fist into the command chair.

"Damn it all to Hell." He growled,

"All batteries, fire at will! Get us out of here!"