Endgame: Shining Nova (MK)

[GEAR]

Lunar Orbit

The Partisan Launcher X blasted down from its position above the chaos, a spear of light piercing the cloudy heavens in a manner that would have done its namesake proud. Like a hungry dragon it slammed into the surface, whipping about left and right, enveloping a hapless Raftclanz below before it even knew what hit it, blasting the Knight Machine into an emerald blossom of fire as its Extractor went critical. Framed against it, the Abend's mortal enemy stood framed by the light, shining blue against bloody red.

"RRRAAAAARGHH!"

Juliette's Riot X cannonballed up towards its foe, hot on its heels, soaring on wings of flame and fury. As the blast came down, with a roar of fury, the twin blades on its forearm combined - and came crashing forward, an equally massive pillar of energy slamming into the imposter's own, causing the beam to fracture, scattering in every direction as it sent a new hail of death below. The overflow from the blast still cut into the Riot's shoulders and extremities, the plasma making the living metal boil and hiss as it was burned away.

"As long as I live, I swear on all that I am, you will never know peace!"

The wall of plasma erupting from its hands was brought forward and overhead in a murderous axe-slash, before the unit's thrusters flared, swinging it brutally about in a side-swipe from left to right, the sheer size of the weapon alone posing a challenge, even as the runaway Proton Reactor seemed to flay its own host with every strike, sending streams of flaming mercury-like flesh from its body, as if it were a graceful dancer wreathed in silk.

"It's because of people like you that the fighting will never end!"

 

[MKR]

What beautiful displays of destruction, if even the vaunted knights of the moon could not withstand such a weapon. Why she simply had to take it home with her, of course the blood curling scream indicated that things were not over much to her dismay. She really would have liked Juliette to just keel over and die there, at the very least go unconscious or something. But no, things never exactly went the way she wanted them to.

The one armed knight aimed its gaze below as the void of space cooled the barrel of its weapon instantly the approaching Riot dashed itself closer, distance. Such was the key to victory at such proximity the favor was to her foe but at greater distances it was hers. The lost arm stood testament to that, the cord on the Partisan launcher whipping back, clicking onto a set of split missiles and flinging them forward the machine itself swiftly dashing back, its wings carrying it with impressive speeds as the explosive split missiles were cast into the oncoming assault, detonating in the middle of space yet still those blades reached forward. Energized tips colliding with the AB Field that covered the machine, thankfully for Nephele absorbing the worst of the remaining blow.

The worst, but not all.

A cut, running from left to right to right across the machine's chest, had it not been for the field a lethal blow. Now, annoying structural damage and a new weak point. Another blow there would prove lethal, such was evident. The helmet that covered the machine's eyes shone as the new explosion was used for a swift escape, oil trailing out of the new cut and the missing arm as it did so. In contrast to the silk clad dancer that the Riot X presented this was like a trail of pollution across a river stream, the view of the stars tainted by stains of progress.

"EXACTLY!" Came the reply. "The fighting never ends, machines like these keep being made by people like you- That's the intent!" Nephele called out.

"How many technologies does this thing contain that would improve the life of peoples everywhere? You know it better than anyone, and now that it's been made its inevitable for it to be made simpler, cheaper, and then move down the food chain to the people!" The machine dashed back and forth, aiming to distract as the rifle was readied. "A new standard of technology, the race for supremacy begins anew, a new generation, new technology, until it reaches the Homefront. Over and over!"

"All for the price of a dozen lives- and thousands of replaceable Bioroids. After all, that's what the Riots are for aren't they."
A hail of energy, fired haphazardly as the machine focused on retreating further and further. More to impede the Riot rather than hit it up front, that had proven less then effective.

"The humane solution to stand against the dark! To usher this world into a golden age of progress!"

 

[GEAR]

"The Golden Age is dead!"

The split missiles slammed into the surface of the Riot as it ripped forward through space, tearing into its body as it advanced nonstop on its target. Pain was nothing but a mere illusion, every hit sending sprays of silvery metal into space around it, gleaming ribbons of molten agony. One blast tore into the machine's face, one eye furiously glowing as it surged ahead.

"And YOU were the one who killed it! You want to pay for progress in blood?"

As Juliette spoke, doubtlessly the HUD on the Abend would have started screeching warnings to Nephele - the kind that were usually reserved for incoming missiles. Rays of light were jutting out of the Riot's body, energy building within its chest as its overtaxed Proton Reactor started to reach its limit. Every passing second it shone brighter and brighter, starting to build to a critical mass as it bore down on the custom Gespenst.

"Let's see how much YOURS will buy!"

Both arms swung inward like a pair of scissors, aimed to cleave the machine in two at the waist, before the Riot accelerated immediately, spreading its arms wide as it did, as though flinging its arms around the imposter in a death-hug from which there could be no return. There were only split seconds to react as the heat signature kept rising higher and higher, the haze wreathing the Riot like a hellish heat mirage, a demon that was determined to drag her to Hell...

 

[MKR]

"That was a golden age? Hinging on the continued breath of one man?" Her sensors indicated... missiles? She ducked to the side sharp corners were the key there. Her eye lingering on the chasing Riot and not particularly eager to find out what toys were in the toybox for her adversary to whip out in a moment's notice.
"All while the Directory festers and rots enough that its second in command summoned legions of skeletors to kill everyone."
Realization-

That thing was the missile.

Up up up up up! No- the Weissritter's incredible speeds carried it up just far enough for its legs to be bisected instead of it, had it not been for the upgrade then this would have been a fatal blow. In a way, Juliette's worst enemy was Juliette.
Inside Nephele's heart rapidly thrust itself against her chest, she could feel it in her throat. With a flick of the wrist she made the rifle reload, switching to the solid projectile as she did so. She was down three out of four limbs, five if she counted the head. But- it was not yet over. Confidence, keep going react as if you weren't hurt to destroy the enemy's morale.

"So congratulations you've participated in a golden age like that of the Dutch East India Company!" She called out as she put the weapon on her right arm's stump. Left hand at the trigger. "Corruption, suppression of the many so that a few can say 'everything is great'!"

Fire, one projectile, two, three. Head and then the arms. Now, so far her foe had done a mad dash for her every time, as such in anticipation for it. Every remaining split missile capsule was released from the machine's shoulders. The Abend continuing to propel itself upwards, leaving a minefield between the two that the heat the Riot was expelling would easily detonate. If not, well she had one shot left in the chamber.

"Terrorism! A satellite drop in China! Police brutality against anyone unfortunate enough to be born in space! Gigantic wealth gaps as well as 'the single biggest loss in human life' is that your 'Golden Age'? The Directory had all the tactical acumen of a fat pig bloated in preparation for a slaughter! It was paying for its stagnation in blood! It just wasn't yours."

 

[GEAR]

"Putain!"

Sure enough, the imposter's assumption was right on the money. The murderous hail of explosives once more rained down on the Riot X - and this time, struck true. Within the Cockpit, Juliette grit her teeth as the light grew, eyes still tunnel-visioned on the Abend. Her hand dipped into her uniform pocket as she spat a curse, feeling a powerful, familiar heat rising in her own body. She'd come too far to back down now!

“Ca sent le sapin!”



Shrapnel burst in all directions as the Riot exploded violently in the midst of its suicidal charge towards the Abend, the sheer amount of heat and energy sending the Personal Trooper's sensors scrambling for cover. Chunks of its arms, head, legs flew in all directions, a brilliant white explosion illuminating the damaged machine's features. Some below, who would have raised a questioning glance, would have seen the bursting reactor overhead, like a glowing light in the Lunar skyline.

 

[MKR]

A sigh of relief washed over her, the brilliant explosion decorating the vacuum of space like a newborn star. Not often you saw someone go out to split missiles in this day and age. Still, she needed to head to an extraction point. With this damage she was not reaching the agreed location with the Kurogane so something closer would need to do. "J'aurais dû abandonner." She replied to the void which cursed her, she opened the console revealing the red cube inside.

She gave the supernova a glance, a final gift from the departed, she thought. The folks back at base would have a hoot examining that one. Nevertheless with her destination planned she activated the thrusters, what energy she had left would be used to get as close as she could and if that was not enough she had the few things she really needed and could always send a recovery team to get the remains of this beauty.

Though she had to give the woman credit where it was due, for a gearhead she could throw down. A worthy foe all in all, she nodded to herself. Her conviction was also nothing to scoff at, but a reactor explosion to the face? Yeah she wasn't surviving that one with guts and dedication, if that was the case half of the people who died 'that day' would be alive and kicking.

 

[GEAR]

Chunks of burning Riot flew through the void, surrounding the Abend. Its thrusters flared up, the machine preparing to return to whence it came. An interesting diversion no doubt, one that would make, as she thought, for a great tale later on. Except-

There was a sputtering whine as her foot pressed the accelerator... and then, nothing. The multi-hued energy that radiated from the Abend's wings failed to materialize. A quick check of the system - the core itself, the prototype engine, all of it was working fine, yet... A diagnostic hummed to life. A vital power line, seemingly cut. Had it been damaged during the battle somehow? Or had the explosion of the Riot been more damaging than expected?

The proximity alarm continued to whine incessantly as it picked up debris. Tiny bits of metal, no bigger than a man, that plinked off her armor at intervals in their ceaseless drifting. There was a faint, unmistakeable scent rising in the recycled air - that of... burning, of frying circuitry. But, from where?

"Did you think that was the end, ma chérie?"​

Clang. Clang. CLANG.​

There was a sharp, metal hammering outside the Abend, getting closer with every moment, as Juliette's phantom voice called out to her, now with a distinctly metallic ring to it. Her normally pleasant tone dripped nothing but the purest venom, ringing through the walls like the bell of a night watchman.

"That I could really lose that easily to a machine I made?"
​

 

[MKR]

A grimace, well this was not the worst time for the engine to give out. If it had been in the middle of a duel that would have been certain death especially against a foe that persistent and.. gung ho. A cut power line? Unusual yet still reasonable, an unlucky bit of debris perhaps, there were now ample openings in her machine where they could enter from that was for certain. So she took the red cube out of where it was stored and then-

She froze, the smell hanging in the cockpit as her eyes darted around. How? What-

At least the who was no question as the voice was unmistakable but the other two questions were fully valid, had Juliette somehow been swallowed up by the vengeful ghosts that attacked minutes prior, the ones that now had vanished again? Surely not. No one else had been returned in such a way during the actual battle with the phantoms so something else was going on, hallucinations? The most reasonable explanations especially with a test type engine. She swallowed the brick forming in her throat as she took out the red cube, eyes whirling around as she reached over to the emergency escape. Trying to gauge where the voice was coming from before she fired herself right into its awaiting claws by accident.

 

[GEAR]

"You think you can still get away?"

ZZzzzzrtt-

There was a sharp snap noise, and a buzzing, as though a mosquito had landed by her ear. For a moment, there was nothing - and then a tiny, gentle hiss, like air escaping through a pinhole. The emergency escape lever drifted into the void before her eyes, neatly severed at the hinges, as though an electric saw had been run through them, still glowing and burning hot to the touch.

"Assassin...! Imposter...!"

The clanging seemed to stop, at long last. For a moment, it seemed as if she had left - as if the entire thing had merely been the product of an exhausted mind. But then-

Space seemed to split before her very eyes. As if two separate halves were drifting apart from one another. After another second, it became immediately apparent that they were, the two halves of the monitor sparking and flickering as they slid apart. If she were to blink, she would have missed the flashes of light that emitted forth, so quick they were like mere illusory sunbursts before the eyes. But then-

With a sudden, horrible burst of screaming air escaping, the hatch to the Abend blew away in pieces, leaving the interior exposed to the elements. A figure was standing there before her, arms at its sides. A dark red visor set in a metallic, gleaming suit of bronze and regal purple, as though it were a noble hawk or eagle. Her voice rang out, clear as a bell as she lifted her hands, a bright, pulsating energy rippling between her palms.

"I am Atefalina, The Steel Princess. Righteous quicksilver is my blood, and molten steel my flesh. By my hand, you will be punished."

The light formed a neon band between her fingers, falling in ropes about her grasp as she pulled it taut.

"And this-" She roared voice building to a echoing crescendo;

"Is for MY FATHER!"​

The plasma whip lashed out - once, twice, a hundred times. It ripped and flayed the interior of the machine, through flesh, meat, bone, and metal. From the outside, it would have been a horriffic sight - as though a blender of blades had been jammed into the Abend's chest and was now flensing it apart from the inside shearing every inch of it away until nothing was left but scraps.

 

[MKR]

That... Wasn't good. Her way out to put it simply destroyed, there was to put it simply very little for her left to do. Except for one final act of defiance against the coming storm. One should never be unprepared to take some emergency measures and well, she was dead. With this kind of blood rage yeah it was just happening. So her hand let go of the cube as the monitor split and went to her pilot suit. At least there was no reason to be concerned about capture the firearm which she produced needn't be aimed at herself.

In the void of space the only thing that would give the woman... entity before her the gratification of the kill was the fact that Nephele was wearing her helmet and thus didn't die from the void around them. It was cold, chilling, her gaze lining up with the visor. Some sort of personal combat suit or something? Eh, she honestly didn't care. There was a simple straight forward point at which to fire.

Her finger went to the trigger, no more words came from the Assassin.

As the assault began, in the void of space no one could hear the shot of a gun. Aiming straight for the visor in an act of what she believed to be Mutually Assured Destruction as even in the moments before the blade came down, Atefalina saw a knowing grin on the features of the woman holding Johanna's face. Both of them knew it, she had won. No matter what happened in the moments after.

Lose the battle, win the war.

The war that would engulf all, a torch placed upon the dried grass that the Directory had prepared for them.

All so that the ashes could produce something better.

Someth-

Slice, slice, slice, cut, cut, nothing was spared.

The features of the loyal knight, clad in white upon a mighty steed were splattered with the frozen blood of a traitor who never held loyalty to the king. Its features gazing down upon the scene in uncaring judgement.

Who was guilty in the eyes of the knight, the one who pulled the trigger... Or the one who made the gun?

Perhaps it mattered not, judge, jury and executioner fulfilled their role in an instant and the sentence was death. How many cuts were required to slay a monster? In this case, but the one.

But how many were required to feel something other then rage?

Only one could answer that question.

The black void of space was tainted red. A princess had slain a knight.