Sierra made her way into the hangar. It seemed like a bit of a waste of space, an enormous hangar, holding naught but one Kirin. The hangar looked about large enough to build almost anything short of an oversize battleship, and it was practically empty. "Why are we here, again, Javier?" the redhead asked, looking towards the frame in the center of the hangar, seeming small, as it was several hundred meters away at the moment.
Following behind the redhead, Javier smiled at her. "You did agree to let me teach you how to be my co-pilot, and what better way to do it then by getting you in the seat?" The Origin Manager walked ahead of Sierra, turning around to face her as they walked towards the Kirin. "You already have most of the skills necessary, and you're familiar with the power systems of the frame. Really, all the co-pilot does is handle the power systems, the electronic systems of the frame, and handle operation of both the on-board drones and missile systems." The blonde pilot turned around again, facing the Kirin. "Do you think you can handle all that?"
"I can probably handle that, but I've never done more than electronics testing on weapons" Sierra admitted, as she continued walking along. "Why the heck did you park the Kirin so far away? Is this your subtle way of telling me I'm too fat and need to lose some weight?" She asked, half as a joke, half just to see if that was, indeed why Javier had done such. "In any case, you're going to be doing all the complicated parts, right?"
"If I thought you were overweight, Sierra, I would've just said that you were beautiful just the way you are. As for what I think of your weight in truth, you're perfect just as you are, Miss Merkur." Javier continued his walking, trying to hide a rosy blush that had spread across his cheeks. "Anyway, if by complicated stuff you mean piloting a 20-ton giant robot, then yes, I will be doing all the complicated parts."
"Oh, so you'd just lie to me so I'd be happy and complacent and you could just get what you want out of me?" Sierra chided, knowing what Javier meant, whether he said it properly or not. "So, are you ever going to teach me how to pilot a mecha for real?" she asked, starting to wonder just how freaking long it would take to get there, it having been several minutes already and the Kirin not looking too much bigger from her vantage point. "Why didn't we drive something out to it?"
Javier mumbled something under his breath about never being able to win, and sighed. "Well, I didn't think about it. And it didn't seem to me that it would take this long to walk to the Kirin. I guess that I'll have to move it closer next time then." The Nepleslian shrugged, then pulled out a small electronic device, meant to record one's voice. "Idea for a device: Remote control for a frame, that causes it to head towards and retrieve the user of the device." As quickly as he had pulled it out, Javier had ended the recording, and had placed the small device back into his pocket. "Thank you for the idea though, Sierra. I think I'll be able to build a new piloting suit around it... Ah, mentioning the suit, how do you like yours?"
"Hrmm? It's nice enough. a little tight in the chest with the armoring, but it feels nice and doesn't look like it was designed by a pervert like Yamatai's uniforms are." Sierra commented, as they edged ever nearer to the Kirin frame. She could have sworn it was moving away slowly, just to spite them. it would have been so much better if they had put it in one of the hangars outfitted especially for Mecha and then flown it over to this hangar, but then again maybe Javier wanted to teach Sierra how to mount a mecha that didn't have any kind of scaffolding or special connectors to make it easier on the pilot.
"Thank you, Sierra. I was worried when working on the initial design, but it does seem to be quite popular with pilots. We were originally going to simply leave it as a skintight suit, but then we wanted to add a layer of interface systems, and then we added in cloth over that, and then we decided to armor the chest, so we ended up with what we have now. I'm hoping to sell it to the Second Expeditionary Fleet so that pilots will have a bit more protection,but lets not get our hopes up, shall we?" Javier slowed his pace, walking besides the redhead. "You do know how to climb into a frame, don't you Sierra?"
"Well, I can get up to the cockpit; if that's what you mean." Sierra said, as the Kirin was finally close enough that they could get to it. "But can I climb it nicely, or get up there in any decent amount of time? probably not. Perhaps you should mark where the good handholds and stepping points are?" she suggested.
"The best place to climb up is the front part of the legs. Normally, the frame would be kneeling down so entry would be faster and safer, but because of the lowered gravity in this hangar, it should be safe for you to try and climb it yourself. I'll stay here on the ground, and give you directions from down here, and catch you if need be." Javier looked at Sierra, and smiled. "Don't worry, this is perfectly safe."
"You just wanna look at my ass" Sierra grumbled, climbing up the frame, taking handholds on different bits of armor and whatnot, making sure she didn't touch anything that appeared to be lubricated or be a moving part. it really wasn't that difficult, and with only 3/4 gravity, she seemed to be able to pull herself up much easier. "So, now that I'm up here" she called from the cockpit area "What do I do? they are always open when I get to them."
"If I wanted to look at your rear end, I'd have just asked." Javier grumbled, before calling up to the girl. "Okay, Sierra, there should a lever next to the cockpit hatch. Rotate it 90 degrees, then pull, and that should open the cockpit. Go ahead and climb inside, I'll be right up there." The blonde pilot started his climb up the same route as Sierra, taking his time to let her get inside the cockpit of the frame.
"that's easy enough." Sierra responded, grabbing the handle and doing as she was told. The cockpit opened, it's clamshell halves splitting apart, giving Sierra access to the inside of the frame. She noted the two seats and guessed hers was the back; it looked more like what she'd use for electronics diagnostics, and, she remembered the wiring of this was connected to sensors as opposed to actuators. Hopping in the back, Sierra swung herself down and around and began strapping herself into the seat.
Javier expertly swung himself into the pilot's seat, strapping himself in as he ran through the start-up sequences, the two halves of the cockpit doors closing as the Silhouette system and PAWN OS activated. "Sierra, before we start moving this thing, You should know. Your station has direct control over the IAPD's output, meaning that its up to you to keep it from blowing out during combat, and that it activates correctly during startup. Got it?"
"So basically it has a 'keep you from doing anything stupid' Button?" the redhead asked, straightening her glasses. as the thing started up, her screen flared to life, and all the vital signs and important information of the Kirin showed up, ready for her to analyze and interpret. "Would you like me to start them up for you, then?"
As Javier's suit linked him into the Frame's control system, he couldn't help but smile at the progress of Sierra. "She's learning this fast. I wouldn't be surprised if she was ready for combat in a few weeks. Smart, and beautiful. Hah, I wouldn't be surprised if she managed to sneak deadly in on me somewhere and i haven't noticed yet." "That'd be great Sierra, but leave it at 25% output. We don't need it for propulsion, yet. While you're at it, activate the EW suite, and bring it up to 50% coverage. You need to learn how to be proficient at electronic warfare too, if you're going to be my co-pilot."
"Yes, Sir." Sierra responded, in mock military seriousness. She ignited the IAPD's, keeping the thrusters on Idle and only letting the Aether generator make 25% of it's maximum capacity, and set it there. She noticed there was a setting where she could put a ceiling on the power the Pilot could ask the frame for, and that she had several overrides. "Umm... Where's the... Oh, wow, thank you, Frame" Sierra said, attempting to ask where the EW controls, the Frame's AI having guessed what she wanted and brought it up for her quickly, allowing her to set it, even giving her some pointers. "I love this computer system" she muttered, searching through the menus for other settings she could mess around with.
"Well, the AI is something that I can't take credit for. Origin starship design came up with the destiny AI system, I just used the fightercraft computer and adapted it for a powered frame." The frame took a step forward, and then another one, and was soon walking in laps around the hangar. "Sierra, this is your first time in a frame, so if you want me to take it slow, I will."
"Correction, first time in a moving frame" Miss Merkur said, monitoring what she can see on her screens. "And I thought you wanted to teach me how this thing works, right? we gotta learn by doing. so. What are we going to do?" she asked, trying to look around the screens inside the cockpit to get a view of the hangar from this slightly higher vantage point.
"Well, why don't we take this frame out into space, so that you can get to use the drones. I know that a few other pilots are conducting training exercises outside the station, but they're practicing on the old Ashigarus. This Kirin is already loaded up with dummy rounds, so why don't we go crash the party?" The Kirin stopped its laps, and did a quick turn to face the exit of the hangar..
"I suppose I really have no choice, you're along for the ride. I'd be afraid to use anything in here, as big as it is. Knowing me, I'd probably hit the walls and I am NOT paying for repairs." Sierra said, looking around for, and soon finding the controls for the drones. it seemed more like a simple command prompt to tell the drone what to do, with an option to manually control one at a time to do something. "Shall I launch them as soon as we're outside?" the redhead asked.
"That would be best, Sierra. Now, increase the output of the IAPD to 85%, I don't like to be late to the party, but I guess showing up with a bang will have to do!" Javier smiled, and moved the Kirin closer to the opening hangar doors. "Sierra, If I start pulling too powerful maneuvers and you feel like you're going to pass out or get a red-out, just tell me, okay?"
"Pffft. I can handle anything you throw at me! I'm full blooded Nepleslian!" Sierra boasted, flexing her arms in her rear seat before put the settings where Javier suggested, figuring he knew what he was doing, as he was the frame pilot, not her. She readied two of the feathers for launch and began to look over a little tutorial of how they worked on her monitor, waiting for Javier to blast off.
The black, blue, and green mecha took off from the hangar, hot plasma from the IAPDs streaming behind it as it cleared Dawn Station. The Frame's AI noted the position of the six Ashigaru being used for training, and Javier changing the mech's course to run right into the center of their little game. "Sierra, use the feathers to attack the trainee Ashigaru from the rear, while I rush in from the front. I suggest that you try using the missiles on the drones to shake them up, too."
Sierra nodded, not responding to Javier because she was concentrating on the drones. She ordered six of them to come out, then specified a target for each, and ordered them all to take a wide looping path above and to the rears of all the Ashigaru who were currently practicing AMBAC movement, completely oblivious to the fact that one of their Managers and an Electronics expert were about to attack them.
"Hey, Trainees. This is Javier Feyete, and this is your test. Try to survive for two minutes!" Javier's Kirin immediately began calculating targeting solutions for the six frames, the hyper rifle firing in fast three round bursts. While one hand was holding the rifle, the other reached to the frame's waist, drawing what would be a solid sword, had it not been replaced by a foam baton.
Sierra ordered the Feathers to fire one missile each at the frames, and let their on-board computers take care of the flying for her. She asked the Kirin's AI "Can you do something to confuse their sensors so they don't pick up the drones?" after that was done, she began to watch what she could of the battle from the screens, they hadn't really done much yet.
"Remember Sierra, you have control of the Kirin's missiles as well, so don't just rely on the drones." Javier smiled as the trainee frames returned fire, but their slower firing AK Rifles couldn't manage to hit the nimble frame. "What are you trainees doing, you need to lead your shots!" The Kirin raised its left arm, firing a spread of autocannon rounds and bursts from the Ionic Pulse Weapons, easily disabling one of the unshielded Ashigaru.
"I have the Frame's missiles too? Allright" Sierra worked on bringing up the screen to control the missiles, and beginning to assign targets to each missile before firing them, one after the other. "Anything else I can do?" the redhead asked, looking through her menus for whatever else there was that her console controlled.
The missiles streaked out from the Kirin's calves in a burst of heated drive plasma, four missiles accelerating up to max speed and impacting the central torso of two of the Ashigaru. Of course, none of the missiles were really armed, and only have dummy warheads, but if they had been armed, they would've been Z4 Space Missiles with positron warheads. But Origin isn't stupid, and they would never do something like that, so they were just dummies.
Some of the incoming fire from the Ashigaru were started to be better aimed, as the remaining frames began to fan out around the incoming frame, and leading their shots to impact against the heavier shielding of the Kirin. Three Ashigaru remained, but only two of them were firing at Javier and Sierra now, as Javier tried to slow the frame down and manuever to avoid the incoming railgun-laser-missile fire. The kennewesian smiled as he began maneuvers that induced more Gs on the two people in the cockpit. While they didn't bother Javier, it might be different for Sierra. "Sierra! I need more power to maneuvering thrusters! And find that third Ashigaru!"
Sierra could feel herself being pushed against the seat, and the restraints, and the wall, and the seat again. it was a surprisingly physical thing, sitting here in the cockpit. "Why should I give more to thrusters? you're beating me around like a rag doll back here!" she complained, searching for that third Ashigaru. "The last enemy is trying to sneak around behind us, he's about half a click below and a quarter click to the right" she informed him, highlighting the enemy for Javier.
"Because, Sierra, you don't want to lose, do you?" Javier questioned the redhead, twisting the Kirin so that he could put a constant stream of hyper-rifle rounds into the third Ashigaru. Unfortunately, he was forced to reload ten rounds in, giving the Ashigaru time to to slide a long, panzerfaust like object down the barrel of its rifle and then fire it at the Kirin. As Javier was reloading, he changed targets again, performing another series of high-G maneuvers as he closed the distance between him and one of the Ashigaru, opening fire from almost point blank range with both auto-cannons and pulse lasers to batter down its shielding, and then slamming an ADNR Claw into the Ashigaru's head, two of the sub-arms in the shoulders deploying and firing quick bursts of plasma at the other Ashigaru as Javier focused on just cracking its visor.
It was somewhat unfortunate, however, that the Kirin's sensors still couldn't identify when a projectile was nuclear, just like the one that was barreling directly towards Javier and Sierra was. Of course, it wasn't really a nuclear weapon, it was just set up to detonate in a flash of bright light upon contact.
"Something tells me we won't lose" Sierra muttered, noting the incoming projectile on her radar screen and ordering a drone to intercept it while the rest ganged up on the frame that fired it. "And please refrain from breaking Origin equipment" the redhead quipped, watching what Javier was doing
Javier broke his vice grip on the Ashigaru's head, sighing as using it as a human shield against more incoming rounds from the other one, firing out from behind it using the hyper rifle and all six sub-arms wielding plasma pistols, the Ashigaru's shields already worn down from earlier as more and more weapons fire impacted it, eventually shutting down and informing its trainee pilot, somewhat cheerfully, that he had lost.
The drone that Sierra had sent to intercept the incoming panzerfaust had done its job perfectly, pulse lasers causing it to prematurely "detonate" in a bright flash of light. Its brothers were doing well too, a rain of pulse lasers battering down the remaining Ashigaru's shielding to let the barrage of missiles through, summarily ending the match in victory. Javier's voice came over the com system of all five Ashigaru, praising them for lasting long enough, and telling them where they needed to improve, and where they were doing well.
Once all was said and done, Javier let go of the Ashigaru he had been holding, smiling as disengaged the silhoutte system to look back and smile at Sierra. "You certainly seem to have adapted well, Sierra. Well, what do you think? Still want to come along with me?"
Sierra looked at the blonde whose face was turned towards her. "Depends. are you going to beat up on all the trainees, or are you going to be a gallant hero?" she asked, smirking at Javier and recalling the drones. "Once the shock wore off it was pretty easy to realise we weren't in a real battle. I'm not sure how i'd do in one of those." The Nepleslian woman adjusted her glasses through her helmet a bit, and began to look around the cockpit once more.
The views out of the 360 degree screens were very beautiful, showing bits of the station here, and bits of space there. There was even a faint hint of the nearby nebula off in the distance. "Now, without the others around, the view is much better, don't you think?" Sierra asked, referring to the serene picture of space.
Javier shrugged. "Sure, space is beautiful and all, but the most beautiful view I can think of is right here in the cockpit with me, even if that beautiful vista is going to tease me for being so corny." The blond shrugged again, set the Kirin's autopilot to return them to the station, leaned back in his seat to cross his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes, a slight blush crossing his cheeks as he thought about how cute Sierra was when she was embarrased. "And of course I would be the gallant hero. Someone needs to give people hope in times like this, and I'd be honored if I could do so."
"So you're going to be the only hero then? Why, millions of women will throw themselves at you! what ever shall we do about that?" Sierra responded, jokingly. "Knowing you, you'd try to make promises to every single one of them and fall utterly short of it." she grinned, poking the back of Javier's helmet from behind his seat.
"It doesn't' matter how many women throw themselves at me, Sierra. I honestly only have eyes for one." Javier shook his head in response to the poke, and stretched out his back. "Besides, I won't be the only hero Sierra. I just want to give hope to people. The real heroes are the people fighting the war, and the people supporting those people. All I'm trying to do is make it so that things aren't so bleak during these dark times. That, I guess, is kinda why I made all of the frames such large humanoid designs. It would've been easier to make a fighter or a tank, but a giant metallic guardian, defending people from evil? It makes them feel like they have a giant knight in shining armor protecting them. A tank or a fighter can't do that, Sierra." Javier looked back at Sierra, blushing but with a smile on his face. "You don't think it's stupid, do you Sierra?"
"Well, I think everything you say is stupid, but that only goes so far" she continued to tease, watching the stars go by out the viewscreens "But it does sound nice to have a knight in shining armor. Hey Javier, will you get me one? I need someone to protect me." Sierra leaned back in her chair as well, smiling at the back of Javier's seat as they made their way back to the hangar.
"I can't just find you one, Sierra. Especially not when I'm here." Javier continued to smile, looking at the roof of the cockpit. "You wouldn't mind, would you, if I were your knight in shining armor? Because I would enjoy that, Sierra."
"You? a Knight? you're too nerdy for that." Sierra joked, wishing Javier would Joke back more often. Oh well, that's just how he was, and he was a lot better than most of the other men Sierra had known. She stretched in the cockpit a little bit, and asked "So how far to the hangar? your fat head is in the way."
"I take back my earlier statement, Sierra. If I'm too nerdy to be a knight, you're far too tomboyish to need protecting." Javier tried to joke back, closing his eyes again. "And you'll know how far we are to the hangar when we get there, Missus Freckles."
"Just because I don't need protection doesn't mean I don't want it." 'Missus Freckles' retorted, noticing the station's arm rapidly approaching on her sensors screen. "Well, it doesn't look like too long from where I sit." she said, increasing the power slightly so they could get back faster. Sierra wriggled around in her pilot's suit, wondering why there was so much armoring on it.
"Its not like any guy besides me would be able to put up with you for any meaningful amount of time, much less protect you." Javier responded, and leaned up, taking control over the Kirin again to guide it into the hangar. "I guess you're stuck with my nerdy self, and I'm stuck with the girl who shows her friends she likes them by teasing them all the time."
"You of all people know I have my charms" Sierra retorted, in a suddenly sultry voice, leaning forward in her seat to drape her arms over Javier's shoulders and begin playing with the bottom of his helmet. " and I have other ways of dealing with people, you're just really fun to tease" she chuckled, smiling again.
"As much as I think you're attractive and all, Sierra, and trust me, I think that you're extremely attractive, this isn't going to work on me this time." Javier said, ignoring Sierra's playing, focused intently on guiding the Kirin back into the hangar, carefully. "Besides, if I know one thing about you, its that you won't use your body to manipulate guys like me to get what you want. You aren't a slut. A tease, yes. But not a slut. Never would you be a woman like that, you're too good for that."
"I don't have to be a slut to use my body to get what I want, Javier. Women are capable of subtlety." Sierra clarified, grinning at the compliments. Silly as he was, he was very flattering, which, next to diamond rings and chocolate, is the best thing you can give a girl to make her feel good. Speaking of which.... "Javier, I want something sweet. do you have any candy in here?"
"Sure, I keep it right next to the powdered unicorn horns. No, Sierra, I would not keep candy inside a 10 meter tall war machine." Javier grumbled, trying to focus on the task at hand. "I'll, go buy you some candy or chocolate or pastries or jewelry once we land, okay?" The Nepleslian offered the redhead a little bit more than she could ask for, not realising it until the last second. "You aren't going to let me take the last one back, are you?"
"I was going to let it slide but you caught yourself. Just so you know, I wear a 5, and nickel turns my skin green, so don't cheap out." Sierra stuck her tongue out and winked at Javier, waiting to see how flustered he got at it. "If you're nice I'll tell you some other sizes I wear." she cooed.
"I'll get you the ring, fine." Javier blushed, briefly thinking about the other sizes Sierra mentioned before shaking the thoughts from his head. "Let me guess, you want a nice fancy dinner with that too? And maybe a bouqet of flowers?" The nepleslian had given up by now, figuring that Sierra was going to find a way to convince him to spend more of his money on her anyway.
"You need to learn to quit when you're ahead" The redhead snickered, watching Javier get more and more flustered. "Now pay attention to landing, I don't want to fall over in a gravity block." Sierra logged away Javier's suggestions in her mind, remembering to take down some of the cockpit recordings so she could 'blackmail' Javier into giving her that dinner.
Javier sighed, and focused on landing the Kirin, managing it easily. "Sierra, with you, i'm never ahead. Ever. Even if it looks like i'm ahead, its just because you're a lap ahead of me and are about to pass me again. Secondly, I'm not going to be able to eat this month, am I?" The pilot resigned himself to his fate, kneeling the frame down on one knee and opening the cockpit, climbing out first and removing his helmet, then offering a hand to Sierra to help her out of the ovoid space.
Sierra smiled as she removed her helmet- gingerly so as to not knock her glasses off, before throwing it off of the frame and letting it clatter to the ground ith a loud series of thuds, watching it bounce away for a bit, before taking Javier's hand and pulling herself up closer to him. "Thank you, Javier." she said, climbing down from the frame quickly, slipping a little at the end and thudding to the ground, where she quietly complained about the use of hard metals as flooring, before scooting a little bit out of the way and watching for Javier to come down.
"My pleasure, Sierra." Javier smiled, easily following the redhead to the ground(but staying on his two feet) and holding a hand out to help her up. "It is always nice to help a beautiful lady out, especially one such as you."
Sierra held her hand up to Javier's grabbing his proferred hand and waiting for him to give a tug before she started up, and once on her feet, she simply let momentum take her forward and let her bump into Javier's armored chest. with a slight "oof" and the sound of the chest-plates smacking into each other, she looked up at Javier and smiled. "Even when that beautiful lady is always giving you a hard time?" she asked
Javier couldn't help but wrap his arms around Sierra's waist, fighting to keep a blush off his face as he shook his head, returning Sierra's smile. "Yes, even when she is always giving me a hard time. I'd rather that she give me a hard time, compared to being a boring damsel in distress. She's more interesting that way."
"Well, I'd be damned if I were a damsel" Sierra joked, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder, sandwiching it between the armored bits and his neck. "The suit smells funny" she observed, but didn't move for a few moments, before realizing she had thrown her helmet a good distance away. The redhead suddenly perked up, pulling out of javier's arms and ran to get the object. "Almost forgot it!" the glasses-clad girl noted, blushing slightly. At what, it was hard to tell.
Javier sighed, shaking his head at the redhead. "Well, it was nice while it lasted. Lets get going Sierra, I have to buy you that ring, don't I?"
