Loose Ends (Bio, Gear, ???)

Aug 25, 2018
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#1
August 22nd, OE102
Southern Russia, Russian East European Plain
14:57



A single Masouki was flying away from a nearby settlement out into the empty plains surrounding it. It was, of course, Legerior CL, the Masouki piloted by the Terra Sentinel defector Sigrid Korppi. Fleeing from the would-be assassins Terra Sentinel had sent after her this time.

The Mobile Weapon bearing a striking resemblance to the Jinrai was hardly the stealthiest of machines. And so she had left where she was stationed in.

After all it was plainly obvious that Terra Sentinel didn't give a single rat's ass about lives or collateral damage, civilian or otherwise, in their insane quest to settle their grudges with the blood of countless innocents.

No communications were sent from the Masouki, if her hunters had any way to track such things.

The area she landed in was almost entirely just vast, empty plains dominated by nothing but grass. Yet in the middle a hill rose towards the skies, heedless of its surroundings. Whether manmade or natural, the hill gave a good vantage point for her to wait on top of either way.

And there...she waited, Legerior standing impassively. Inside the cockpit, Sigrid was focused on sensing her surroundings, looking out for any hint of others and hostility targeted towards her. Yet despite what one would think to be a calming act or something one needed to be calm for, her teeth grated together.

She just wanted to forget all about Terra Sentinel, leave it in her ugly past and move on with her life.

The sky was completely covered by clouds. As fine a day to fight for one's existence than any other.
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#2
The clouds darkened, as the minutes passed.

A raindrop fell on the Legerior's shoulder. Then, another. It wasn't long before a steady pitter-patter was beating down upon the machine's brow and shoulders, as if the heavens themselves were absolving her of her sins. A lemming at her feet darted about, taking shelter under the machine's limbs from the incoming storm. The only sound was the distant boom of thunder, the faint illumination of the clouds far away.

"That's far enough."

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A bolt of lightning flashed down, ripping into the flesh of the earth - and illuminated the stark, bright features of the Raioh. It walked slowly towards the mound, every flash of the storm illuminating its determined features, emerald green eyes raising to look up at the Legerior as it folded its arms, crimson scarf fluttering in the howling wind. Eliza closed her eyes in the cockpit, and gave a low, long sigh of resignation. The woman hadn't made the trek easy - after all, why would she? Everyone in Terra Sentinel's ranks knew what happened to those who chose the path of the turncoat.

None ever escaped.

"...You've made a grave mistake, Sigrid Korppi." She said quietly, the Raioh shifting its stance, one leg sliding out before the other as she let her breathing slow, arms flowing out in a familiar pose.

All she could hope, at this point... Was to make it quick.
 
Jun 14, 2018
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#3
Were she keen-eyed against the growing gloom, the unfortunate miss Korppi would further be able to make out a second figure in the snap-flash of lightning. Almost cartoonishly minute against the towering Raioh, the difference in scale was dramatic enough that it stood atop its companion's shoulder, feet firmly planted and arms resolutely crossed. Armor like pitch faded into the overcast sky, sharply contrasted by the self-made gleam emanating from its crimson visor.

Entombed within the diminutive Gespenst, in the back of her mind Anastasiya was thankful that Eliza couldn't see the ugly grimace she wore at the sight of the Legerior. It roused her ire, yet at the same time brought a feeling like a lead weight in her gut.

Traitor.

The battle armor remained rooted where it stood even as the Raioh took a fighting stance. She would intervene if and when necessary; despite the scientist's misgivings regarding the task, she would give Eliza the chance to do this on her own.

They both understood how important success was today.

"I'll back you up. Let's complete the mission."
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#4
So there were two then. However diminutive the size of the Gespenst, the presence of the hostile pilot was impossible to miss. Yet Sigrid blinked at the small voice. That was unexpected. "You're right about that." She replied, deep exhaustion and fatigue creeping into her voice. "I never should have joined your pack of rabid grudgefilled people in the first place."

Legerior's arms shot to the tail container where the Flu launchers were held, and pointed the thin barrels at the duo. "At least I fled when I saw what you really are. I don't know if you ever were what I thought you to be, but I know what you are now..." It hadn't been courage that caused her to flee that day. She was not courageous, she was not a warrior. It had just been visceral fear, disgust and terror that made her run away. She still felt those emotions, fear most of all, yet they did not rule her. Not yet at least.

"Blind murderers unable to see what you are doing, blind to the suffering you cause with every action you do! Using the memory of the dead to justify every atrocity, every innocent death!" And with those hissed words, filled with myriad of complex emotions, the beginning of the battle came as the raindrops glittered with the light of the four Flu shots flying towards Raioh's legs. After a short pause, the action was repeated with another four shots streaking at the legs, hampering the Super's approach if nothing else.
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#5
(Murderers...)

Eliza's brow furrowed as Sigrid spat flame at the two of them - but her mouth was sealed. That accusation wasn't her to answer... or, was it? Here she was, after all, fighting for those very same murderers. For a grudge that wasn't hers. Why? Because she wanted to protect Anna? All the thoughts that had been forced to the back of her mind started to simmer, rapping against the wall of the cell she had entombed them in, demanding her attention.

It took the whine of the Raioh's HUD to snap her out of it, and at the sight of the streaking lights, she felt uncharacterisic panic well up in her chest.

Incoming fire detected.
Engaging evasive maneuvers.

Almost unbidden, the mechanical frame about her twisted swiftly, carrying her limbs along with it. With seemingly practiced Ease, the Raioh lept to the left, letting the beams scythe into the hillside where it had stood. As the second round was prepared, the Plasma Converters of the Super Robot glowed, and it twisted as it landed, sending a sphere of red destruction to meet Sigrid's own blast. It collided with the incoming beams, sending up a screen of blasted crimson and white between the two that illuminated all three machines in its brilliance, tearing the air, sending gales of force rushing across the planes.

Set mode: NRM
Pilot Profile Selected: Close-Range Combat.
LIOH, Engage.

Eliza cursed under her breath, giving a low groan as she felt the System adjusting, moving them forward. The Raioh burst from the smoke, thundering towards Sigrid seemingly on the tips of its toes, moving with such swiftness that it left a wave of after-images in its wake as it closed the gap. She could already feel it - her heartbeat increasing, her focus tightening, as LIOH did its work. She didn't need to be distracted. Any noise that came out of this woman's mouth - that was all it was. White noise that needed to be silenced.

All she needed to do was focus on their mission.
 
Jun 14, 2018
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#6
"Do you really believe...," came a snarled response from the Gespenst, its arms parting and right hand snapping up, "That we don't understand? That we don't act purely out of necessity?!" Space seemed to bubble and froth and twist in the vicinity of the upturned limb, the slim profile of the Mega Buster Cannon emerging as it dropped from the ether into Ana's waiting fist. The tiny battle armor leveled the weapon at Sigrid's machine even as the interior of the barrel took on a brilliant multi-hued glow.

"If the Directory hadn't been so corrupt - so willing to sacrifice its own people without a second thought to cover up the atrocities it had committed - none of this would have happened! Omsk wouldn't have happened!" Her free hand went to the cannon as well, clamping down on top of the first; Ana felt the alloy of the grip crack and yield beneath the pressure of her fingers. It didn't matter. The thing would only last for this one shot anyway. The plug that connected it to the suit grew scorching hot as more power than it had ever been designed to handle surged through the union. A brilliant crimson caution began to blink in the corner of her vision - WARNING: CHARGE LEVEL EXCEEDING SAFE LIMITS - but she disregarded it.

"This fight is for all the friends - the family - that I lost that day!"

A column of energy erupted forth from the cannon, discharging with such brutality that Ana was forced to brace herself against the weapon recoiling. Metal screamed in agony as the woman refused to release the trigger - the barrel's surface went from dull yellow to brilliant red to white-hot before she relented, leaving it as little more than a dropping pole of slag that shed droplets of molten metal in the wake of the Raioh.

The continuous beam was a far cry from the cataclysmic firepower of some full-sized machines, but all the same it far exceeded what one would expect from the diminutive armor - and was more than enough to threaten the Legerior's well-being.
 
Nov 14, 2018
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#7
- - -
Mission: Eliminate Terrorists and Protect VIP
Requester: Mars Φ Atroux
Enemy Forces: Unknown
Objective: Eliminate enemy mobile weapons

Operation Code: Misfit

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<<Message Data>>
This is Mars Φ Atroux of Endymion. I come to you with a time critical mission, so I'll try to make this brief.
Our organization has managed to locate and connect with a rebelling operative of the terrorist group known as Terra Sentinel. Our interactions have been brief, however, as we have been unable to retrieve and take in the operative at this time due to a variety of reasons, primarily of which are the operatives of Terra Sentinel that have been tasked with keeping the fugitive out of our hands through whatever means possible. Recently, we have managed to arrange with the rebel an operation.


Your task is to await the arrival of the rebel in a designated position, the enemy operatives will be sure to follow. When all targets are present, defend the VIP and eliminate the enemies however you see fit; destroy them outright or neutralize them for capture, I leave the choice to you.

We're contacting you for this mission do to your unique relationship with DEI, as well as your prodigious performance records with them. Terra Sentinel can think whatever they want, but on paper you're an independent mercenary group and I trust you to perform like one.
<<Message End>>

- - -

"So, how do you feel about the nature of this assignment?"
"...Unsporting, I suppose, would be the word"
"Oh? So you would consider this like some sort of game or sport?"
"In a vague sense, yes. I have discovered recently that humans often translate subjects and information into the form of games and the like to process them more handily."
"Hm, noted."
'Defense target has reached the combat area. Reading two energy signatures in pursuit but visual can only be confirmed on a single unit... It has a funny face.'
"Initiate launch sequence, we can scan for any signs of stealth or jamming on the second unit once we enter the zone."


Far away, sitting in a valley of tall, grassy foothills, laid the faintly shimmering shape of the Pendragon, the Avalon system providing visual cover in the dim light of the storm. Within the confines of its bow, the Straybird, cradled in its compact position, began to stir as the clinical white light of its hangar cut to a hazardous, flashing red. Green eyes glowered in the darkness as the hum of the dimensional catapult increased in intensity before a flash of crimson light bathed the hangar. Through the black machine's eyes, Aeolus saw the myriad, streaking colors of subspace. He could practically feel the Straybird's wings carving through the raw energy.

'Target speed achieved; energy transference all green; Deactivating Imaginary Road in 3... 2...'

- - -

Above the Regelior, a red line appeared and collapsed on itself rapidly like a ripple in a pond. Bursting forth through this hole came the towering form of Straybird, its wings spread wide, wreathed in fiery white energy, and leading a trail of crimson silhouettes behind it as it barreled forward.

'Pardon the intrusion~'
"Focus, Penelope."

The black machine pulled up from its collision course with the Raioh, its red followers splitting off as well before swerving back to converge on the enemy from various different angles.
 
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Aug 25, 2018
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#8
"Necessary? The Directory is gone, scattered into countless pieces of what it was before! Is Terra Sentinel's hubris so great you think that the only way for a better successor to the Directory to come out is if you kill everyone else and become it yourselves!?" Legerior aimed its Flu launchers at the diminutive Gespenst, but was forced to dodge under the beam sent by her foe. Thrusters lit up to life and with them humming as Prana coursed through them Legerior leapt off of the hill and soared into the skies to avoid being shot down.


"The Directory was corrupt, but are you any better? Your entire cause is built on nothing but lies! You took out the Directory's censuring 'tool of tyranny', only to begin to that exact same thing yourself immediately after! You claim to fight against a monolith that cares nothing for human lives when its long gone, yet you mercilessly go after anyone who no longer wants to fight for you even if they want nothing to do with fighting anymore!"

The Masouki that was now hovering under the clouds pointed one of the Flu launchers at the far away Gespenst, and pulled the trigger five staggered times, adjusting the aim of each of the shots to follow the Gespenst's movement. As the trigger was pulled for the fifth time, a tube connected the other Flu launcher to the thruster behind it. The barrel of the rifle expanded with two small panels expanding even further down- and upwards, with the expanded sides of the barrel revealing a layer underneath them glowing bright with energy as that launcher entered Hi-power mode.

"And what does killing me even have anything to do with Omsk!? I left when you madmen chose to blow up a tower full of non-combatants when you controlled the battlefield it was in!" Accompanying her screams, the Hi-Flu launcher released a streak of energy far wider than the previous shots by the Legerior at the Gespenst, angry arcs of scarlet lightning running across the stream of energy.

"Everything you faulted the gone and shattered Directory for, however deserved, you have already done yourself or are well on your way to doing!"
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#9
"What?!"

Eliza's eyes went wide as something massive, dark and avian burst into view, blocking her path. The Dynamic General bolted to the right, swinging its body away from the oncoming impact - but it never came. Instead, with almost inhuman agility, it bolted up into the sky, letting death rain down on the Raioh, glancing blows skimming off its armored plates as it danced about madly, one arm shielding its face from the incoming fire.

"That's...!" Eliza gasped, as the HUD showed the new foe clearly for the first time.

The Institute!

That movement... It could only be the Straybird. She'd never seen it in person, but the demonstrations they had seen were... intense. Who was it, then? Couch? Bertram? Or... one of her friends? For a moment, as the smoke cleared, the Super Robot merely stood, as if it weren't even hearing Sigrid's impassioned words. Eliza's eyes were fixed skyward on the dark newcomer, her breathing already heavy, feeling sweat as cold as ice forming on her brow.

Pilot heartrate increasing.
Alpha wave disruptions detected.
She felt nauseous. What was this? She had felt so strong only moments ago. Could it be the System-?

A rain of furious fire issued forth from the Legerior at the Gespenst caused Eliza to snap back to reality, a cry ripping from her throat:

"ANA!"

The Raioh dove forward, body absorbing some of the Fluid Launcher shots across its chest and shoulders, the blasts leaving black holes in its armor as it tried to move between the two machines. Stalling, part of her thought. Just stalling. What would happen if she lifted her hand against the Institute? Had she been left for dead already...? Or did they just no longer care?

"What..." She whispered;

"What...should I do?"

A sharp beeping on her HUD seemed to provide the answer. A system message chirped insistingly in her ear - and the Raioh's exterior speakers let out a burst of static, as an external signal elected to flex its power.

-- Incoming priority transmission. Beginning broadcast. --
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A familiar voice crackled to life over the din of the battlefield, as the Raioh turned its head slowly towards the Legerior.

"...Have you quite finished?" Said Hyperion, as smooth and unflappable as ever.

"Sigrid Korppi."​
 
Jun 14, 2018
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#10
Anastasiya's view snapped skyward as a warning trilled in her ear, one she hadn't expected: an intense dimensional energy signature. The emergence of the Straybird from subspace was therefore less of a sudden shock to her than Eliza, but the enormity of the thing was nonetheless enough to give one pause. She couldn't identify the machine, and given the situation at hand that could likely mean only one thing - another enemy. A hypothesis that was proven true as it rained fire upon herself and the Raioh.

She leapt from the Dynamic General Guardian's shoulder as Sigrid likewise fired bolts at the pair, scowling as several of the blasts dug holes in the armor of her partner's machine. Dammit, Eliza...I can take care of myself! But there was nary a free moment to reprimand the woman as the Legerior unleashed the Hi-Flu launcher. The Gespenst threw its arms wide, shattered remnants of the Mega Buster falling from its grasp; segmented plates snapped open on the suit's chest armor, and a brilliant azure-and-violet beam issued forth. It slammed headlong into Sigrid's fire mid-course, erupting into sprawling tendrils that encircled the blast and parasitically siphoned off its energy to the very unit she had been targeting. The same scarlet discharges that had enshrined the shot seemed to now instead crackle across the battlesuit's blackened surface.

"You're naïve."

Bringing her fists up Ana brought them crashing together, crimson arcs passing between the plasma stakes that adorned either forearm. She couldn't hope to even scratch the surface of the sheer power she had felt in that pocket dimension with Eliza...but that didn't mean the experience hadn't taught her a few new tricks all the same!

"Do you really think that simply removing the Directory will stop those men that caused so much suffering? That they'll just give up?! They're still out there, waiting! Waiting for the chance to take control again! But I won't let them live to see the day!"

The Gespenst flashed forward, accelerating with tremendous vigor toward the Legerior. Its hands violently chopped the air and ruby bolts snapped through the air toward Sigrid, plasma thunderbolts shot through with the power of its own weaponry that had been ensnared by the Vampire Laser and turned back on their origin.

"And if you get in our way, I'll cut you down too!"
 
Nov 14, 2018
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#11
A flash of lightning lit the back of Straybird, its dark silhouette staring down at the white machine below it. 'These terrorists sure like to talk,' Penelope quipped. 'Maybe if they just talked everything out without blowing everything up they'd get a lot more done.' Aeolus, tuning in to the ongoing broadcasts and starting a log of the audio, mused back, "This is the crux of many of mankind's problems. If all Terra Sentinel did was talk then we wouldn't have anything to worry about, at least."

The Straybird's eyes seemed to follow the minute Gespenst as it pushed off from its mount towards the Regelior. 'Oh! So that's where the second unit was... Why's it so tiny?' As the black machine switched its gaze back to the Raioh, Aeolus replied, "It's putting out rather anomalous readings and I can't verify its power source, but I suppose that's for our defense target to figure out. As for us, we will pick on somebody our own size."

A red line split the air in front of Straybird's left arm and the Plover grenade launcher shot out and attached itself to the machine's arm, its thick barrel flipping out sharply. Aeolus aimed at Raioh and sent a broadcast to the white unit. "Attention Terra Sentinel," came the young, synthesized voice of the android. "Surrender now and I guarantee your immediate safety." In their personal communication, Penelope chimed in. 'I don't think that's how that's supposed to go.' she said. Aeolus silently shrugged and replied, "Not like they'll accept anyways."
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#12
Sigrid took a deep breath. Of course the tiny Gespenst would have something that turned her weapons against her, her luck had been shit ever since the year began why would it change now? "You're right. I was naïve. Likely I still am." Legerior swung to the side in a burst of movement before speeding away to keep the distance between Sigrid and her foe. "But that does not mean that I'm not right. Those men and women may still be out there waiting for their chances, but they are not the ones burning down everything they can get their hands on in their self righteous blind anger while the world is crumbling down around them!" One of the Flu launchers was placed securely on to the tail holder. "And the only reason why I'm here is because of you fucking assholes! All I wanted was to live in peace but no, you paranoid fuckers just had to send killers after me WHEN ALL I WANTED WAS TO NOT FUCKING FIGHT!"


For a moment Legerior stilled, or rather kept going on straight as Sigrid's hand flew to her mouth in shock even as her chest heaved as she panted after the outburst. She hadn't meant to use such crass language. But still! Why couldn't they understand that not everything was about their stupid grudge that they couldn't let go of!?

But Sigrid shook her shock off quickly and decelerating, Legerior turned around and pointed its vacant hand at the Gespenst. If beams wouldn't work then maybe bullets would. The arm mounted machine gun, a comforting familiarity from Jaohm, came to life by announcing the continuous hail of prana-coated bullets with the repetitive fire that machine guns tended to do.

And that was when his voice cut in, undoubtedly from far away.

Hyperion.

"Of course not, I'm still alive aren't I? So I continue, because you forced me to." Her anger had always been quick to fade, and it had been exhausted at least for the moment, leaving naught but bitterness of a woman whose head was wanted for the crime of having a heart. "I was in Beijing, forced to experience a hell on Earth while you were busy setting up your kill satellites, too soon after witnessing the horror you forced on the planet." The machine gun kept on spewing the bullets even as she spoke. If only she had listened to her father, all those years ago. "I'm not like you, I had no interest in pursuing a meaningless grudge that wouldn't change a thing."

"All I wanted was to not fight."
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#13
"You're right, Korppi."​

The Raioh watched the battle unfolding in the air with an a sense of hopelessness. Eliza looked up at the Straybird's barrel, trying to find the right words. Yes, she wanted to say, yes! Of course she would throw down her weapons, if only it would end this! All the while, Hyperion spoke - staid... calm... always at his own pace, cold, and clinical.

"You're not like us at all. You chose not to fight. You chose to run. To flee. To hide.

You are a coward.

A weakling who only thinks of themselves, of their own safety.

Such selfishness does not belong in our ranks. Nations have crumbled to dust... because of people like you."

The Raioh's scarf fluttered in the breeze, as lights from the ongoing battle flashed all about them. Hyperion seemed to almost be savoring the sight of the two locked in mortal combat, even as lightning forked down in the distance... and rain fell even heavier on its armored body, cooling the burning scars from earlier.​

"We... are different."​

Unbound, the Raioh spread its arms wide as it spoke, though it seemed to be not of Eliza's own inclination. It lifted its head to the heavens, the rain rushing down its heroic features, as if washing it clean of its sins.

"Terra Sentinel does not suffer the frailties of the heart. We are an army unlike any other that has come before. An army that is invincible, because it has purged every vestige of weakness from it.

Your departure... is only a natural part of that process."

The Super Robot lowered its arms back to its sides as it lowered its body slightly, letting them dangle listlessly in the air, pushed gently by the howling wind. It looked almost as if it were bowing before the Straybird in supplication for some imagined trespass... before Hyperion spoke once more.​

"Kruger here is the same.

She is not a soldier.

She is a scientist.

One who has been putting her nose in places where it did not belong.

Not unlike... your Father."
Eliza's breathing practically stopped, but Hyperion continued unchecked, as if his notation of her data-digging was as boring and uninteresting as the weather.

"We have ways of expunging even those weaknesses."​

Click.

The metal arms of the DML system suddenly clamped tight about Eliza's frame. There was an incessant, rising buzzing in her ears, and the metallic taste of blood at the back of her throat as she managed to gasp:

"What?!"

"LIOH. Set Mode: BSK."


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Light.

Bloody, crimson light erupted from the chest of the Raioh, the machine rearing back, bolts of plasma firing off its body in all directions as it gripped its head, mimicking the pain of the woman within as a bloodcurdling scream echoed across the battlefield. Trails of energy snapped from its eyes as it turned its gaze on the Straybird, body coiling like a serpent - and sprung through the air, leaving the ground with such force that it left a burning crater in its wake.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHH!!!"

As it cannonballed through the air at breakneck speed, Hyperion continued unhurriedly, seemingly satisfied with the transformation.

"A pilot is just part of the machine. My LIOH brings out its full potential as a weapon. A warrior whose mind is free of doubt, fear, and pain."​

The Super Robot's body twisted - and delivered a spinning kick at the Straybird's midsection - one that left the boom of a thunderclap in its wake as the plasma converter on the limb turned the entire arc into a sweeping, dazzling crescent of plasma that snapped out, eager to ensnare its dark counterpart.

"This is my final gift to you, Korppi: The privilege of dying on the battlefield.

You can thank me later."​
 

XekuZwei

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Jun 14, 2018
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#14
Whatever response Anastasiya may have fielded to her opposite number's statements was surrendered to a grunted curse as the Legerior unleashed a flurry of mystically-imbued rounds her way. The Gespenst shuttled sideways from the line of fire in a most unusual fashion, appearing almost to stutter through the air as it darted rightward. The miniature battlesuit hunched forward and a quartet of self-guided projectiles launched on trails of vapor; in the space they had occupied a further four seemed to somehow grow from its steel carapace, and they too issued forth. The eight-set of what looked to be tiny split missiles arced erratically toward Sigrid, the kinetic penetrators they carried in lieu of explosives intent on shattering the machine's visual sensors. It followed up the attack in turn, looking to close the distance between the two to a range bracket where it could truly shine.

Hyperion's words rang in her ears and served only to bolster Ana's convictions...that was, until he alighted upon the subject of Eliza. Her brow furrowed at the accusations he leveled even as she dove toward the Legerior; had the man not been praising the scientist's works only the day before? Had she not already proven herself a valuable asset to Terra Sentinel? Was it to do with what she had queried Ana on, that System ACE?

And just what did he mean by -

It felt as though the anguished scream that filled her helmet had spontaneously transfigured the blood in her veins to ice. "ELIZA!" The little machine spun on its heel mid-flight in a gross violation of physics, the acceleration compensators built into its shell inadequate to overcome the rushing sensation in Ana's head as flesh went one way and ichor attempted to obey inertia, causing darkness to claw at the edges of her vision. Her gaze alighted on the Raioh just soon enough to observe the colossal machine erupting from the ground in pursuit of the Straybird.

"What are you - what did you - " she gasped, "- stop! STOP!" The Gespenst leapt at the super robot's wake, the assault on Sigrid all but forgotten for the moment.

Eliza! She had to...had to...!

"Don't do this! If she can't fight, have her retreat! I can complete the mission alone, you know I can!" She knew Hyperion was listening - knew the man, wherever he was, would no doubt pick up on the pleading note that tinged her words, the roots of desperation. Anastasiya Mikhailov would never have, under ordinary circumstances, openly opposed the head of Terra Sentinel. But...there was nothing ordinary about this. No, this was...

"Just... just stop hurting her! Please!"
 
Nov 14, 2018
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#15
'Warning, unit incoming; close combat unit confirmed; evade, ev-'

As the White mobile weapon rapidly approached, Aeolus' robotic brain worked quickly. Straybird swiftly raised itself up and away from the rocket propelled kick but it was too late. The blow was softened by a match in speed and the computerized reaction of the android, bringing Straybird's free arm and leg up to block, but the extreme thrust of the kick itself was still immense.

As they tumbled from the attack, Aeolus took stock of the rapidly evolving combat situation. "This mission is getting more complicated by the second," he mused to himself as he righted the Straybird, a red pulse flowing out from its wings as they stretched wide. More notifications from Penelope came to Aeolus, positing tactics and maneuvers and relaying statistics but Aeolus simply opened up the comms once more.

"Attention, I am now extending the terms of surrender. If you wish to help your... friend, then aid in the disabling of their unit or tell me how to do it."

With this said, the black machine slipped into the Imaginary Road, appearing moments later behind Raioh, passing the minute Gespenst with great speed and seeming to glance at it as it went by. A brief flash appeared on Straybird's arm as the Plover launcher was substituted with a bundle of Pheasant Cutters fanned out in the machine's digits. Quickly approaching the Regelior's position, Aeolus' line opened up once more as he said, "I'll need your support as well, Defense Target."
 
Aug 25, 2018
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#16
Legerior flew both upwards and to the side while Hyperion was monologuing to avoid the missiles. Yet the Masouki did not get to move for long before it froze when the scream took over the comms completely. Her mind hadn't had the time to properly register just what Hyperion had said, but despite knowing better Sigrid could not help freezing on the battlefield as she was overtaken by a mix of horror, disgust nausea and fury. She only snapped out of it when some of the missiles crashed onto Legerior. The shifted position meant that the visual sensors weren't destroyed, but the missiles still took their toll, destroying both the Crystallizers and one burying itself on one of the arms. The arm retained limited functionality, but while it could still hold a rifle and shoot it would not be wielding a sword without repairs.

It had been years since the Omsk tragedy and the death of her father, and while she still felt the loss keenly the grief had dulled over time.

Normally, hearing someone admit to murdering her dad in cold blood would still make her furious beyond compare. And while it certainly fed into her fury now as well, it was not the primary source of it.

"I intend to." She both hissed and snapped at once, voice filled with fury aimed at Hyperion, and something inside her snapped. Death was scary. Every death was a tragedy. No person deserved to die. Sigrid did not want to kill anyone if she had the choice to spare them. Deaths were an unavoidable part of war but that was not an excuse to kill every enemy and opponent, it was just further cause to hate war with every fiber of her being. But if death had to be dealt, at least it should be swift and for all its horror and cruelty, the death meted out by the Guardian system was swift in nature. The admission made Sigrid want to puke all over again, but it was how it was.

This was not that. This was not one side killing the soldiers of another. This, this was just execution.

No, Sigrid amended herself as her hands gripped the controls with white knuckles and teeth gnashed together as tightly as her jaws could muster force to. This was torture. On more than just one person. A death punishment with as much inflicted pain as possible and a slow death.

"I was going to do that even without you asking!" She felt insulted that there had been any need to even ask that, and that carried through, cutting through the fury she felt clearly.

"Let us help you save your friend from this torture."

Legerior followed the Gespenst, though it made sure to stay away from Ana just in case she turned back on her. The rifle that had been placed on the tail holder was taken out and combined with the other Flu launcher and held them in front of her. A red circle appeared around the combined barrels as prana gathered within them, shining a scarlet light. And much like with Hi Flu mode, a wide beam of energy fraying at the edges and with scarlet lightning running across the length was shot at the Raioh's legs, aiming to take away the Super Robot's mobility.

No, Sigrid did not like death. Every person, be they android, bioroid, human or alien had someone who cared for them, someone who would feel grief at their passing and who would cry for them. Every death of a person was a tragedy, an unrecoverable loss on the world.

But this...thing, this monstrosity, this abomination and demon that was the head of Terra Sentinel was not a person. And so, deep within Sigrid she made a decision, and swore: She would kill Hyperion. No matter how long it took, she would end him, eradicate his presence from reality. Not for revenge for her father. But so that no child would ever have to lose their parents from his actions. That no mass murder would be ordered by him. That no one would have to be tortured to death in front of their friend, or that no one would have to witness their friend be tortured to death in front of them.

A better world would never be built on deaths. Yet for the sake of a better world...

Hyperion had to die.
 

GEAR

Administrator
Staff member
Jun 15, 2018
1,165
1
18
#17
"Did you think we would just accept an outsider into our ranks so easily?"​

Hyperion's voice showed not even a shred of emotion as it rang through Ana's cockpit. Of course, all of this had been prepared in advance. Kruger was a liability. An inconvenient little red number on a balance sheet somewhere. What had she been expecting? That the two of them could just magically live together, that all of this would go away?

The Raioh followed on the Straybird's heels, blisteringly quick, a crackling mass of thundering fury that practically breathed down Aeolus' neck even as he dipped out of subspace. The sheer speed at which it was accelerating was shocking for something of its size, the Legerior's blasts glancing off its armored legs as it flew, as if it didn't even feel pain.

"I had hoped that you could become a sword of righteousness. That you could bring out that System's full potential, and reshape this world."​

Not giving the dark Super Robot even a moment to breath, the Raioh twisted into a rising, thruster-assisted axe-kick that started at the tip of the Straybird's toes, ascending back into the air, delivered with the shriek of a booming thunderclap. Regardless of whether it struck or not, the DGG wasn't yet done, spinning with the surprising grace and swiftness of its ninja-like predecessor as it turned it attention to its original target, affixing Sigrid in its cameras.

"Your fixation on this woman has been a distraction. A mistake."​

"UUURRAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!"

At the apex of its "jump", the Raioh suddenly dove with a nigh-suicidal fixation and force, exploding down at Sigrid as its body wrenched itself into a living arrow. The Raging Strike sent the Raioh cannonballing through the air towards the Legerior with the force of an atomic bomb, one foot spearing down at the Masouki like an arrow cast from the bow of a furious, judgmental God.

"One long overdue for correction."​
 
Jun 14, 2018
157
0
16
#18
A...mistake?

Had Hyperion somehow reached through space and thrust a dagger deep into Ana's bosom at that very moment, the pain of the wound would still have paled in comparison to the impact of his words. That he would so casually dismiss all that Eliza had contributed toward Terra Sentinel's justice even in her short time with them, merely because she was a fresh face, would be a disservice enough. But this, this...torture for seemingly no more than the sake of it, or as some kind of sick object lesson, it crossed the line of what she was willing to accept in the name of their ideals by a leap and a bound even if one disregarded their burgeoning relationship.

And then! to further imply that Anastasiya's association with the scientist had by some manner blunted her own dedication, her own zeal, her own loyalty to the cause she had committed her life to? That was nothing more than twisting the metaphorical knife. Nothing more than a deliberate attempt to hurt without need nor cause.

This isn't...what I'm fighting for.

The thought struck a strange chord in her mind, a sudden epiphany. Hyperion had not always been the figurehead of Terra Sentinel, and it was undeniable that the direction he had helmed the organization in had diverged somewhat from its original trajectory. But now, with the peace offerings of Sigrid and Aeolus ringing in her ears amid agonized screams, a degree of logical thought somehow managed to bubble up through the panic and rage and fear and grief. And it was thus: were they...right? Had she been so laser-focused on her missions, on her goals - no, she realized abruptly, that with time Terra Sentinel's goals had somehow become Hyperion's goals - that she was blind to just how far they as a whole had strayed from the path? Did this truly bring them any closer to avenging Omsk and their fallen comrades? And even if the answer was yes...at what cost?

Terra Sentinel was not extant to rule the planet with an iron fist.

Terra Sentinel did not live on to sway the populace to their whims.

Terra Sentinel did not seek to silence those who opposed them out of hand, but instead to reveal their injustices to the world.

These things were not the things she had pledged her service and her life to. If Hyperion was the helmsman of the vessel that was Terra Sentinel, he had surely cast her adrift to be lost at sea for the sake of his own ambitions. How could she have been so ignorant? So...so stupid? How many colleagues that had perished since that man's arrival had done so in vain, only for their deaths to be smoothed over with honeyed words of vengeance? Sacrificed, just like he so clearly intended to sacrifice Eliza?

"No," she growled, "You're wrong. I am a sword of righteousness, and I will reshape this world. And I'll do it with Eliza at my side whether you like it or not."

This was madness. Utter madness. To halt the Raioh as it was now, without harming the pilot, would be a Herculean effort. It was a lucky thing that Ana had some unanticipated allies.

"Let's get her, you two." And then it's Hyperion's turn.

The Gespenst seemingly blinked out of existence, dropping off the face of the dimension as it abruptly slipped into the place between places and raced toward the ninja-like machine. She had no idea whether it would work, but if she could just bring the Raioh here...cutting it off from Hyperion's access might be enough to shut down LIOH. The hard part was getting her hands on it long enough to shift it between dimensions. For a moment she doubted whether such a thing was even possible, but no: System XN could do it.

She simply had to believe.
 

Kujo

Member
Nov 14, 2018
108
1
8
#19
"Target is engaging with new support unit; Engage Imaginary Road."

Straybird disappeared once more. Inside the colorful void of subspace the Plover appeared on Straybird's free arm, its form flicking out once again.
'Aeolus, the target's movement is rapid but primarily linear; I have identified that its thrusters have been localized almost completely within the units on its legs;."
"Roger, prepare for Flood Assault maneuver, engage routine Alouette."

Energy began to surround Straybird within subspace before the black unit jumped out of the Imaginary Road, appearing a fair distance from the Raioh and brandishing the Plover. A single blast was fired, aimed at one of the unit's legs before the Straybird quickly darted off in retreat; meanwhile a series of hyperspace doubles appeared and began to swarm about doing the same, aiming for the white mobile weapon's limbs while covering each other's withdrawal. The primary Straybird continued to cross paths with the red silhouettes while firing, doubling back and swooping around in long, rapid curves to avoid any of the berserk Raioh's advances.

Between movements, Aoelus noted the Gespenst disappearing in a similar fashion as the Straybird. Did the terrorists manage to get data on the mysterious black machine in the past? Regardless, the young robotic pilot made a note to watch for its reappearance and end the assault to provide support.
 
Aug 25, 2018
205
0
16
#20
"Let's hurry, I don't know how much longer she still has left in her."

Following the Raioh's ascent Sigrid's eyes widened as she realized who the target would be for the coming attack. Oh nononononononono-!

Sigrid just barely had time to separate the Flu launchers from one another and to throw Legerior to the side as quickly as she could while pumping as much energy into the thrusters as was possible, a maneuver that happened more smoothly and quickly than what it should have been thanks to the Blessing on Legerior. Then her eyes widened the tiny fraction more they still could as, much like the divine wrath of a furious god made manifest the Super robot that was completely wreathed by energy began its descent.

And all Sigrid could do at that point was pray. Pray that Legerior and its speed and boon would be enough. Pray that she could avoid a hit, for direct or glancing it would not matter she would die either way... and pray that she and Legerior were capable of surviving a miss.

And, an instant later, it was over. The Titan's arrow had been shot at its target, and it had missed. But Sigrid was not safe yet as Legerior was buffeted and battered and thrown around by the air pressure caused by Raioh's extreme speed and weight. The Masouki's frame rattled badly by the winds. And while it likely would have only received superficial damage if it was in pristine condition Legerior wasn't.

Already damaged by the Gespenst's missiles, both of Legerior's feet broke off from the ankles, the broken soles descending into the obscuring dust cloud caused by Raioh's impact. They were followed by most of the Masouki's right hand that was still clutching one of the Flu launchers that also wasn't able to weather the damage anymore.

It took a moment for Legerior to be steadied again but with slight difficulty Sigrid managed to do so. In the back of her head there was almost hysterical relief at still being alive, but much like the blaring warnings about the accrued damage she ignored that. She had lost one of the Flu launchers, and on its own the single Flu launcher wouldn't be able to pierce through Raioh's armor.

There was only one thing remaining that had the possibility of piercing through the armor plating. The sole remaining hand on the left put the Flu launcher on the tail container once more and took out the blade from where it was stored in the left thruster, and lodged it to rest on the stump of the right hand that was extended outwards, before adjusting its position. The other blade was then also taken out of its container, and the two were combined into one by their handles.

Unlodging the double blade, the intact arm was brought behind Legerior's back, the two edges taking an angry orange glow as their cutting power was enhanced through Prana. Sigrid could not see Raioh from under the cover of the dust cloud, but she could still sense Eliza, her waning life and her unbridled, artificial aggression. Legerior spun around itself a few times before releasing the double edged blade, hurling it into the dust cloud as it spun quickly like an angry, very deadly orange boomerang.

And while she was confident in her skill at sensing people, ultimately it would still be down to luck whether the strike would land where it was aimed, at the hip joint that connected Raioh's left leg to the body.