Eve of Crisis (Bio, Tar)

[GEAR]

OE 102: January 5th, 12:21 PM
Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
Directory Air Base

An oppressive sun beat down on the Directory's main airport in Saudi Arabia - a modern marvel of sculpted glass and the latest technology, its beautiful towards stretching up into the sky towards the sun. Despite this, the people below - civilian and military alike - went about their business as usual. The locals were used to the heat, and the Directory's soldiers knew better than to complain.

And then... there was her.

Dressed in black and yellow, a thin, lanky woman paced hurriedly back and forth alongside a landing strip on the outskirts of the area - like a frantic wasp, wandering sporadically in and out of the shade of her attendant's umbrella. Pale-faced and dressed in dark semi-formal wear, her platinum blonde hair was done up in a practical ponytail, bobbing and weaving as the strutted purposefully. As she did, she fanned herself with a sheet of papers, constantly glancing up at the sky, and then back at her attendants, a pair of uniformed Directory soldiers who had barely moved an inch since their arrival.

Her name was Eliza Kruger, a researcher with the Dimensional Energy Institute and she was currently thinking about two things: What it would be like to die of Hheat stroke, and the impending arrivals... whose flight was currently over an hour behind schedule.

The Institute didn't often work directly with the military, but this was... A special case. Security concerns had been raised, and it fell to her to address them. As such, she'd reached out to the Directory, who were sending two of their members to oversee the project at hand, and to ensure its safe arrival in their hands. At the last moment, there had been some kind of personnel shakeup, and now what she was receiving was... She flicked open a personal terminal, its holographic surface flickering to life as she studied the profiles that had been sent over earlier that day.

Some kind of albino with half their profile redacted, and what appeared to be a mountain of a woman who barely fit in the frame of her profile picture, she noted. Wonderful, she thought, quietly. The Directory really was sending its best.

The roar of an aircraft engine interrupted her thoughts as the Tausendfuessler Class transport descended from the clouds, its bulk filling the sky, and casting a shadow over those below it. It coasted down, giving a slight jolt as it hit the concrete, and glided across the runway smoothly, air flickering about its four turbine engines as they began to cool.

Removing her hands from her ears, and peering out from behind her attendant, Eliza gave a relieved sigh, and began to walk towards the plane as boarding ramps were brought to its sides.

Finally! - She thought.

 

[XekuZwei]

Eliza was not alone in expressing relief at the flight's arrival. Having taken a moment to extricate herself from a woefully undersized seat aboard the Tausendfuessler, Anastasiya Mikhailov emerged only after a number of other individuals had filed out of the aircraft. One thing was certain as she unfolded her seven-foot frame from the comparatively minuscule boarding hatch: she'd never suffer a case of mistaken identity. Of the two contacts Miss Kruger waited for, this one at least was near impossible to miss.

Anastasiya's attire was decidedly more casual despite her military association, consisting of an almost tracksuit-like outfit of breathable, lightweight material well-suited to dealing with the heat. Its jacket was unzipped nearly to her bellybutton, revealing a low-cut top that did a poor job of concealing a - let's be honest - frankly awe-inspiring bosom. For every inch of her height, the colossal figure seemed equally well-equipped in other dimensions. A trained observer might have been able to pick out the silhouette of a sidearm hidden away in an underarm holster on her left side, though it appeared rather toylike thanks to the difference in scale.

Shading her eyes against the sun with a hand, Anastasiya scanned the edge of the strip. She had presumed - correctly, as it turned out - that their greeting party would have gotten quite impatient with the delay in the plane's arrival. While less obvious than her own stature, spotting the smaller woman was not entirely difficult, not between the rapid stride she cut toward Ana and her unusual locks of a color near to silver. She matched the description that had been provided to a T, in any case.

It was fortunate that this wasn't a sneaking mission. Together, the two of them would have been perhaps the world's most conspicuous team. Moving to meet her peer halfway, Anastasiya extended a hand that would easily dwarf Eliza's own, a wide grin splitting her expression. "Eliza Kruger? Anastasiya Mikhailov." As if there had been any question. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Nobody warned me she was going to be cute!

 

[Tarsier]

Watching as the giant woman ahead of her attempted to leave her seat, Prisca carefully stood up from her own, still uncomfortable with the weight of gravity. Leaning against the seat for balance, her thoughts turned to the outfit she had been issued.

Every aspect of it was unbearable; the skirt was too short, and the socks didn't cover enough to fully protect her legs. The black cloth was much too warm for the area, and the thin framed glasses had been left unshaded. All that could be hoped for was a chance to replace it, one she doubted she would have.

Steady enough after a moment, she continued to the exit, staggering down the ramp onto the ground. Still recovering, she watched as the woman from before spoke to a civilian escorted by soldiers. With the civilian matching the picture she was given, the woman could only be the other soldier she would be working with, despite her appearance.

Approaching the group while blocking what little sunlight could be, she introduced herself to the scientist. "Private First Class Prisca Charname. I'm sorry for the delay, but can we speak inside?"

As she spoke, she could only think, I hope I won't have to be here long.

 

[GEAR]

As the two materialized, Eliza was suddenly aware that something had eclipsed the sun. An unscheduled eclipse, perhaps? No, this was a man-made phenomenon! The woman before her was... Massive. She had never seen someone so huge, and the awe on Eliza's upturned face was clear as she mumbled, reaching out to tepidly grasp the proffered hand in response.

"B... Big..." She stuttered under her breath before catching herself,

"I-I mean... Welcome to Tabuk, Ms. Mikhailov, Ms. Charname."

The other one, Charname, looked even more uncomfortable than she did, Eliza noted with some degree of satisfaction. Misery, as it were, loved company, and she was not exception. Still... There was something... Off about her, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, that sent a faint tingle crawling down the back of her neck as she shook her hand. Nerves, maybe? Or... Something more?

"We're very grateful for the Directory's assistance in this matter... How was the flight?" She asked, signaling to the staff assembling on the tarmac to begin the unloading process. The rear of the ship opened with a mechanical groan, and they began to set about the process of unloading the two's equipment.

 

[XekuZwei]

Taking care to ever-so-gingerly shake Eliza's hand - she wasn't in the habit of removing arms from their sockets, and she wasn't hairy enough to be a wookie anyway - the colossal woman's smile didn't falter one iota at the researcher's flabbergasted reaction. It was a thing you got used to, and though she'd never admit it Anastasiya had honestly always kind of enjoyed it anyway. The slack-jawed expressions were the best one. The other woman managed to get out her greeting with only a little stammer, which was better than many...perhaps she had more steel in her spine than appearances suggested.

"Thank you; the Directory is only too happy to support the DEI regarding our shared interests. The trip was a bit cramped," she gave a playful wink as she said, "but otherwise pleasantly uneventful." Glancing around at Eliza's gesture, she spied the technicians unloading their cargo. The long, low transport gurney supporting what must have been Prisca's Huckebein was preceded by mundane supplies and a far smaller, upright transport frame over which a tarp had been draped - her Gespenst.

Acknowledging the suggestion of the second, somehow even paler woman who had appeared beside them with a nod, Anastasiya motioned to a group of small structures that lay just off the edge of the wide tarmac. Not a bad idea, that. These two might spontaneously combust if they spent too long in the sun by the looks of them. "Agreed. Shall we?"

 

[GEAR]

Recovering from the gigantic woman's appearance a little, Eliza's composure returned a little, as she pushed errant hairs out of her eyes. She glanced at Charname as well, almost sheepishly, before muttering:

"Please, right this way." Almost grateful for the opportunity to scamper away.

She led them to a series of futuristic ATVs - albeit older models, ones that hadn't been used in the Directory's front line for quite some time - and clambered into the back of one with some difficulty, indicating that they do the same. Inside, it was surprisingly roomy, so much that even Anastasiya might find it to her liking.

Behind them, the Gespenst and Huckebeine were loaded onto flatbeds, and taken along for the ride as the convoy began to roll, with Eliza giving the diminuitive Personal Trooper a questioning look briefly before boarding, seemingly surprised by its compact size. Evidently used to riding in greater comfort, the researcher squirmed in her seat as the ATV trundled along, gripping her restraints in a white knuckle grip until they hit the freeway, causing the bumping to subside somewhat, to her relief.

"Let's go over the mission." She said, pulling out the same personal terminal before as she did, flicking its surface to life.

Eliza held it out between the three of them, and it projected a three dimensional map, blue and green light filling up the interior of the ATV as she did. Their current position, heading towards the Directory base, was marked on the map as a green arrow, motoring along in real time.

"The Institute was hired to produce some important hardware for a Directory Prototype." Explained Eliza, "We just completed it the other day, and now it's to be brought to our Jeddah facility for final assembly and testing. Normally we'd fly it, but... The size and nature of the device requires it be shipped over a land route, traveling south along the coast."

Reaching out, she drew a red line down the west side of Saudi Arabia, indicating their route, and the three machines - her own, a hulking, clawed beast of a weapon, was indicated as well, towering over the other two's representations.

"The three of us will be providing security for the convoy once it moves out..." - She folded her arms again, giving them a focused look. She had the appearance of a woman who was constantly perturbed by something, even when she was only giving information.

"Any questions so far?"

 

[Tarsier]

More comfortable now, in the APC and discussing tactics, Prisca shared her questions. "If the convoy is immobilized," she began, examining the route for any possible ambush locations, "Will we be able to move the device ourselves? To a more defensible position, at least." Pausing for a moment, she added, "And its composition; what air defenses, armor, and PTs will be with us?"
Noting a few more locations, she began marking them while continuing, "I'd like to know what groups are in the area as well, especially near these points, and what their forces use. Allied, mercenary, or hostile." After a moment's hesitation, uncertain if the answer could be given, she asked, "And how usable is the device in its current condition?" With nothing further, she returned to the map, examining the scientist's machine.

 

[XekuZwei]

Climbing into the ATV's elevated interior with significantly less difficulty than the two shorter women, Anastasiya held back a little grimace as the vehicle's springy suspension dipped noticeably at the addition of her mass. Nobody's body self-image was totally bulletproof, after all. Settling into one of the surprisingly accommodating seats lining the cabin, she brushed a strand of wind-disheveled blonde hair from her face before leaning in to view the holographic image while Eliza ran them through the plan.

To her surprise, her seemingly-meek companion wasted no time jumping right into a line of focused questioning. Once more nodding in agreement with Prisca's words, she let the other woman do the talking for the moment. She seemed to be hitting all of the important details, though if they got a straight answer on that last one Anastasiya would be impressed.

This all seemed...like it was going to be a little too easy. And that sort of feeling made her nervous.

 

[GEAR]

"We'll be carrying the device on a Rhinocerous Class landship on loan from the Directory. It'll be fairly secure, but... There's reasons why we don't regard even this as adequete security." Said Eliza, gaining a sudden appreciation for Charname's insight despite the barrage of questions directed her way - now, she was all business.

"As far as composition... It'll be us, plus three additional Huckebeine Mark IIs, the Rhinocerous, three ATVs, and a supply truck." She said, highlighting the position of the gigantic, horned moving fortress located at the base, before zooming back out to display the map of the route once again.

"The local groups are the reason we requested this additional security in the first place. The research DEI participates in is extremely desirable, especially to our competitors... We have reason to believe that we'll be targeted during the move by mercenaries in their employ."

This was delivered with no small amout of smugness from the platinum-haired woman, as if she were proud of the fact that their accomplishments caused others to stoop to theft.

"Possible ambush points are here, here, and here." She said, gesturing to some of the points mentioned by Alicia, "We're not expecting much more than some clunky second-hand Axios, but..." Eliza trailed off as she thumbed through various screens, coming to a video, which she opened up in a separate panel.

"...There's also the case of this group, here."

A video clip began to play. In it, a dark blue colored Mass-Production type Huckebein Mk-II fired at a distant target among the sand dunes, photon rifle flashing brightly in the darkness as it did. Suddenly, a plume of blue energy burst from its chest, as a large figure flickered into being behind it, driving its limb clean through the hapless machine. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone, leaving the Huckebein to crumble to its knees. Here, the video paused, highlighting a pair of emerald green eyes, barely visible in the darkness.

"They call themselves Ultimate X." Explained Eliza, folding her legs as she did; "They're billed as a worldwide vigilante group... but in practice they're more like a pack of terrorists, if you ask me. They've attacked our facilities in the past, and we've had extreme difficulty in dealing with their specialized mobile weapons. If Ultimate X shows up... It's up to us to handle them."

Finally she came to the matter of the contant being moved itself... and paused, not moving to reveal any further data on her device, causing the flurry of data and information to temporarily cease.

"The current status of the device is..." - Eliza's brow furrowed with concentration before continuing, "...Well, that's on a need to know basis, and all you need to know... is to keep away from it. It's a highly sensitive piece of equipment that hasn't been adjusted yet... There's no telling what could happen if something disturbed it."

 

[Tarsier]

Unsatisfied with the vague answers about Ultimate X, Prisca focused on the recording. While examining the footage frame-by-frame, she asked, "How many machines can they deploy, and what have their goals been with the past attacks? Will they want to seize the device or destroy it?" She dreaded the answer to the last; if her suspicions were right, there would be nothing the group could do to prevent the second possibility.
Unable to identify anything more about the machine shown by herself, she turned back to Eliza, saying, "You mentioned their machines are specialized. If this is their melee unit, what do you know about its sniper support?"

 

[XekuZwei]

Anastasiya's brow creased at the mention of the land battleship; the Rhinoceros was a colossal vessel by any force's standards. They didn't exactly take those things out for joyrides. That meant that the device was either immense in and of itself, or even more tremendously important than Eliza was letting on. The large woman scanned the projected route again as she listened, noting the potential ambush locations; though the map was limited in resolution as far as topographical detail was concerned, she silently picked out what seemed to be optimal spots for her own operations. Given the Gespenst's size, taking advantage of the terrain was a fundamentally different process for her than for most pilots.

The mention of Ultimate X and video of the mysterious foe, however, brought Anastasiya's attention fully to the present. She knew that name. Terra Sentinel had had dealings with them in the past, though she had never been privy to the details. What she did know was that their technology was notably more advanced than the mainstay machines of the Directory, as evidenced by the clip Eliza had shown. But disclosing that information to the other two was far too risky unless absolutely necessary. If UX was involved, they might just be getting themselves into a whole heap of trouble more than anyone was anticipating.

"Do we have the long-range capability to counter any support units?", a question to follow up Prisca's query. Her Gespenst did have a mega buster cannon, but it was somewhat limited in use. "I can provide cover fire, but sniping is generally outside of my machine's range envelope."

 

[GEAR]

"W-Well..."

Eliza scratched the side of her head, a little perspiration forming on her brow as she collected her thoughts. Truth to be told, the mere idea of going head-to-head with the likes of Ultimate X terrified her - experienced as she was behind the controls of her own machine, it was very rare that she would engage in live fire operations. She clicked a little more, nervously, on her terminal, bringing up an image of a cloak-covered Personal Trooper.

"Ultimate X has been known to field anywhere from two to eight machines at any given time. They have some specialized long range Personal Troopers among them... We believe they are modified from the Mass-Production Huckebein series. These Sniper PTs, as we call them, are equipped with high-power beam-type sniper rifles and modified sensor units." - She scowled - "Our ability to counter them at present is... Limited, at best. Our best chance is using the Rhinoceros' main guns to take them out, but... the turrets are very exposed, and the close-range units might interfere."

Another swipe, and her own machine was magnified, the hulking brute-like robot from before, long talons hanging motionless at its sides.

"My Chaos Leo is a 'Special' designed with defense in mind. If the Sniper PTs appear... I'll do my best to shield the convoy. The two of you will have to outflank them in the meantime."

And don't, she added mentally, let me get shot to pieces in the meantime!

"We believe they're going to attempt to capture the device, rather than destroy it... but Ultimate X has destroyed facilities outright before. Surprisingly, casualties are usually kept to a minimum... Even so, we can't be too sure."

 

[XekuZwei]

"Hey, don't sweat it." Extending a fist the size of a grapefruit, Anastasiya gave their nervous comrade a gentle, playful punch on the shoulder and a light smile. "The Directory sent us for a reason. We'll keep everything under control." She had her own misgivings about that admittedly, but there was no reason to cause Eliza or Prisca any further unease.

Twisting to look over her shoulder out one of the tiny armored viewports that lined the ATV's cabin, she spotted the rising walls of a fortified compound in the distance. Time to suit up.

 

[Tarsier]

Seeing the researcher's discomfort, Prisca retrieved a nearby canteen. As she offered it to Eliza, she considered her own options. "My Huckebein won't be able to do much more than cover their line of sight with smoke," she agreed. "Our only option might be to charge their position."
Terrified at the idea of assaulting an unknown enemy's position, she forced herself to remain calm as they waited for the APC to reach the base. As the vehicle approached the gates, she turned to the holographic display, her eyes locked on the still-frozen video.

 

[GEAR]

Eliza gave something of a "Gerk!" noise and a soft whimper when given an affectionate thump by Ana, giving the woman a teary-eyed look. Clearly, she hadn't been around others nearly as much, and wasn't quite sure how to interpret the gesture - from Prisca, however, she gratefully accepted the canteen, guzzling its contents in rapid time, and lowering it with a satisfied sigh.

"Right." She said, looking out the window herself, quietly repeating Ana's words.

"...Everything is under control."

***​

Over the course of the next two hours, they arrived at the base, and had their machines subjected to final checks and desertproofing. Eliza flitted about to and fro, sparing the new arrivals barely a glance, notably overseeing the loading of the cargo - covered with tarps - into the Rhinoceros Class, the Tripoli. Venerable and armed to the teeth, the landship cut an imposing figure - especially since some enterprising tech had decided to paint a shark mouth along the imposing blade that made up its distinctive "horn". The ship's Captain, an older Irish gentleman answering to Major Glenn McIntyre, was hospitable enough whilst asking that they excuse the ship's interior, as it was currently being renovated - presumably, because of Eliza's grumbling, at DEI's expense.

At exactly 3:00 PM, the Convoy departed, the Rhinoceros' imposing form churning up a cloud of dust as it made its way down the coastline, several mass production model Huckebeins traveling at an amicable pace beside it on foot - occasionally one or another took to the air to scout ahead.

For two whole hours, nothing appeared to menace them...

***
​

"Hold it."

Within the confines of the ship, Eliza, Ana, and Alica's machines were stored in the hangar - There was no need to alert their foes, after all, that any additional forces had been brought in. Seated cross legged in the Chaos Leo's cockpit, Eliza suddenly snapped awake, as the radio came to life, fumbling with her drink pouch as she did.

"We're coming up to the first ambush point. Sphinx One, Sphinx Two, scout the perimeter."
"Affirmative. We'll-"

The hangar suddenly shook, and the sound of an explosion filled the air as the radio suddenly cut out. It was replaced swiftly by the sound of the ship's operator, and warning sirens began to sound around the three of them.

"Sphinx 5, 6, 7, this is the Tripoli. We've got multiple contacts approaching from Ambush Point one. Move to intercept."

"A-Already? That was fast." Grumbled Eliza, trying quickly to bring the Chaos Leo hurriedly out of standby mode as she did, the Special shuddering with power as its emerald eyes flashed to life. Beside her, the Rhinoceros hatch opened to reveal churning sand on the winds, and the sound of gunfire filled the air.

The fight had begun.

 

[XekuZwei]

"We're coming up to the first ambush point. Sphinx One, Sphinx Two, scout the perimeter."
"Affirmative. We'll-"

Combined with the low rumble that shook the hangar beneath their feet immediately after the transmission cut off, that was probably a sign that things had gone sour. It took only a moment for confirmation to come over the radio. Whoever was out there, they were making their move. Rising from the folding chair she'd managed to commandeer, Anastasiya took a minute to run through a series of well-practiced stretches; an unexpected limb cramp would be bad for a normal pilot, but disastrous for her. Let's do this. She shucked off her jacket and - a mite embarrassingly - pants, leaving only undershirt and a pair of thigh-length compression shorts. Stepping to the nearby Gespenst, she placed a hand to a small flat on the back of the unit, and after a moment a staccato artificial voice announced that it had accepted her biometric data.

The rear of the machine seemed almost to blossom open, panels shifting and swinging away along the length of the limbs as the backpack hinged upward, head tilting forward on a swiveling mount. Anastasiya stepped 'into' the unit's now-open back and situated her limbs within its own before delivering a voice command, "Activation code alpha zero seven." The same actions as a moment ago proceeded to occur in reverse, closing her into the three-meter Trooper like a medieval knight in a suit of armor. The helmet lowered over her head as the final step, its interior bathed with low-intensity light cast from the heads-up display as it came online.

The Gespenst automatically ran through a preflight checklist - actuators, comms, thrusters, and System XN all green - as Ana flexed her limbs to ensure there were no issues. Grabbing the Neutron Beam from its rack and stowing it on the rear of the machine's skirt armor, she then hefted the mega buster cannon in-hand, near to twice as long as even her new height. The minute unit stepped to the open hatch, sand flowing steadily past as the Rhinoceros forged onward under fire.

Her voice crackled over the comms line between their machines, "You ladies ready for this?"

 

[Tarsier]

Raising her machine's Rotary Beam Cannon, assembled into a handheld configuration, Prisca initialized its mounted reactor. A harsh whine filled the hangar as the barrels started to spin. With the hatch opening, she stepped into position to launch, the Huckebein's hover jets flaring on standby.
Recieving Anastasiya's communication, she reported, "Private First Class Charname, ready to sortie." As beams lanced past the opening, Prisca steeled herself for the battle ahead.

 

[GEAR]

"No." Mumbled Eliza in response, the Chaos Leo peering over its claws at the other two machines.

"But, I'm going anyway. Chaos Leo, Sphinx 6, launching."

With that, the Special rocketed out of the Tripoli on a blast of kaleidoscopic dimensional energy-infused power, rolling as it hit the ground, claws dragging lines in the sand as it came to a halt. For all her complaining, Eliza had still managed to position herself at the head of their group, forming a wall between them and the enemy.

To the right of the route, the coast spread out before them, the sea sparkling like a carpet of jewels under the sun, even as dusk began to descend. To the left, desert dunes populated by occasional cliff faces, and it was over these that the enemy made their presence known. Six yellow-colored Axios, standard models used by civilians and military alike, their frames pitted and worn from what must have been years of service, were immediately visible to the group, slowly making their way towards the Rhinocerous.

Bright lights flashed over the hills as the barrels of their machineguns immediately lit up, tracking the three new arrivals mercilessly. The Axios advanced in two groups of three, their slow speed compensated for by a steady pace - and constant drumbeat of fire.

But, these were not the true threat.

In the distance - perhaps visible only to the enhanced sensors of Prisca Charname - a long metal barrel gleamed from beneath a camo cloak, drawing a careful bead on the Rhinoceros. Each was positioned in a different location - one on a plateau overseeing the route below, the other among the ruins of what once may have been a watchtower, located down the coast. They were positioned in such a way that they could cover one another, if one were to be assaulted, and the smoke issuing forth from one of their weapons showed that their damage had already been done, sending the remaining two Mass Production type Huckebeins scrambling for cover.

Allied Forces:

Huckebein Mk-IIM x2
Rhinoceros

Enemy Forces:

6x Axio

2x Sniper PT

 

[XekuZwei]

"Pffft." The seriousness of the situation couldn't prevent Anastasiya from letting out an amused noise at Eliza's response. Prisca was all business as expected, though that stability was an asset when dealing with enemy forces of unknown composition. They'd make it through this yet.

The Gespenst leapt from the open hatch in the wake of the Chaos Leo, skipping along the sand on bursts of rocket thrust until it came to a sliding halt at the foot of the far larger machine. She was a mere black speck next to the Special, she and Eliza's difference in stature having been suddenly and dramatically reversed. The little PT's sensors scanned the surrounding terrain in far higher fidelity than they had any right to, yet another advantage of the extensive EOT that had gone into the design. It seemed that the snipers were still beyond her detection range, at least so long as they held fire...but the Axios were another story.

"Eliza?" The Gespenst brought the mega buster cannon to bear on the slow-moving units, and energy pulsed in the depths of the barrel. The illumination in Anastasiya's 'cockpit' dimmed noticeably as the battlesuit's computer automatically shunted maximum power to the weapon, and a few moments later it coalesced into a blinding blue-white beam that lanced out toward one of her yellow-framed foes. She summarily dropped the gun to the ground, red-hot barrel melting the sand into rough glass as it impacted. It would remain too hot to fire again for far too long to be useful, the price of full-size power in a miniature package.

"Do me a favor and throw me at something, would you? Hard as you can."

 

[Tarsier]

Jets burning at full power, Prisca followed the other two pilots into battle, her Huckebein gliding just above the ground. Focusing the sensors towards any vantage points she could as she approached, a pair of snipers soon revealed themselves. While marking their positions for the other Directory forces, the enemy's rashness concerned her; the Axios were advancing without cover, and the snipers, while fairly well positioned, were both alone. Listening to Anastasiya's request, and doubting that she could be dissuaded, she instead advised, "The coast will be easier to cover, and the plateau easier to retreat from. Stay alert, though; this is too careless to be their real plan."

Firing a burst from the gatling gun to suppress the Axios, she broke off to support the two surviving guards. While its accuracy suffered from the strong recoil, far too much for the Huckebein to compensate for while hovering, it would likely be enough to force them to slow their advance. Arriving at the crudely fortified position, Prisca disabled the jets, raising the heavy weapon to protect it as she slid across the sand.