RP: Setareh Wing [Four] Take On Me

Matai Airspace

Karuah followed Naak's orders and quickly ascended high into the air to avoid getting involved in the fight below. She wanted to help them out, but they did not have the time to get caught up in the fight, but there was something she could do. "Saeid, analyze positioning of the New Veyrin Republic as we pass over and gather the data. We can use it at the opera house."

There were tones and beeps of confirmation as the VANDR began to process several tactical maps and large quantities of data.

Matai Airspace

In her position among the wing, Irfan was doing a lot more investigation along the ground. The various flames of the airspace was definitely concerning, but this Eyr Ranr had seen potentially worse incidents when ships caught fire on a dry day. Even damaged as she was, she knew full well that the Wing had the ability to take on this unexpected situation. No matter how good they got hit, the Vanguard never lost. The uncertainty of the enemy machines, however, had Irfan just about snort in laughter.

"Once we get them lined up, it won't matter what they're flying. They'll be scrap. Lucidity and I still got plenty of firepower to make sure of that, boss!"

As she spoke, her machine dipped and lowered, descending just a bit more to partially land atop a building with its booster still running. It was to make herself lighter so the structure supported the large VANDR, trying to run it at lower capacity to avoid any potential over-stressing that would kill the last bit of propulsion keeping her combat-effective. The waterfalls of Matai and its people were too important to risk her crashing into their streets from a simple mechanical failure.

Matai Airspace

"Enigma copies all." Came the doctor's reply as he vectored his craft towards the opera house. "You heard the lady, fast as we can." Zoren said to his craft. With this flared his engines and took off, and was soon breaking the sound barrier.

Zoren spared a second to look down below at the damage that the NVR were causing, and it filled the doctor with rage, with only vengeance on his mind. "Let's kill these bastards." He said as he drove his craft ever onward.

Fly high and do not engage.

Mox needed no extra urging on that count. Sonatine ascended in concert with the wing, as Mox eyed with increasing concern the visible and shocking carnage around them. And watched with increasing concern Lucidity and Irfan, as the great engine of war struggled to carry out its pilots orders, damaged as it was. They, quite conversely, had never seen anything at all like this. Live-fire exercises didn't prepare one to see the wreckages of actual battle, let alone assaults on a population center. There likely wasn't anything that could.

"...Lucidity's staying low, Lanranr. Permission to break formation to cover her?"

Mox barely waited for a response. Cover your wingmates. Their first, last, and only mission.

Matai Airspace

Information flooded into Ishtar as Naak got some of the same information from the entry ports that connected to Victory. All of a sudden the level of alert spiked to dire circumstances. Naak checked for why and several different sources of information came up. She saw the video feed of the Makuzhar and in between quickly sent messages and status reports read his name, "Orin Suran".

"Ishtar..." Naak breathed out. "That's our assignment."

The Lanranr looked with an uncertain eye at Lucidity and then spoke to Mox, "Confirmed. Cover her." She went on to everyone, "We're approaching fast. Ishtar see if you can get tactical data of the positioning of the NVR units directly around the opera house, and possibly inside of it, as well as position of the Makuzhar."

The FIOMNI sent an acknowledgement as she began to focus her VANDR's sensors more firmly around the Opera House. Intrusions through onsite surveillance systems in the building and several quick sweeps gave her a basic map and tactical display of just what was going on. It was somewhat rough, but it would have to do as something more indepth and complex would take up more time. As she was, Ishtar's frame had taken station far above the Opera House where it remained for now.

"Sending a basic layout of the Opera House. Their surveillance system is civilian and does not provide as high definition or detail, but I've managed to get a rough idea of inhabitants currently within the structure." she sent details along with a real-time tactical map/layout around the area. It displayed some Vanguard forces engaging a larger, or perhaps better equipped New Veyrin contingent. With the other NVR forces, should they join with their fellows it was entirely possible and probable that the Vanguard on site would be overwhelmed in a matter of minutes.

High Above Matai

"Lanranr, I am in position and ready to engage targets." Shaanti announced quietly through the comms as he stared at the mess of frames below through long-range optics.

Matai Airspace

Naak looked to the sniper's VANDR's current stats through Victory's team sensors and nodded as she dodged enemy fire.

"Vayshirin, I want you to engage targets from a position of your choosing! The rest of you, get to-"

As she spoke a piece of a looming building began to crumble slowly and then was cascading down to the ground. Naak checked for civilian casualties and then, aggravated by what she saw, spat out a few choice words.

"Give them stuff of nightmares today, Setareh. Ishtar and Shaanti will take up their positions around the opera house. Some of us will need to get into the opera house itself." As it came closer into view, it could be seen that a chunk of the opera house's side had been buckled and the building was exposed enough for Naak to find an entrance for the VANDR of her wing to get a foothold on the fight. She raised her head and began the firefight against the swarm of what seemed to be fifty NVR frames that surrounded the outskirts of the opera house that the local Vanguard unit was working against with half that number. None of them were able to make it into the opera house while the fighting was going on.

It was apparent there were NVR members in the opera house by the footage garnered by Ishtar. The Makuzhar was in the middle of it, as well. Setareh needed to get in there before the situation escalated out of hand.

"But first we have to fight our way in. Remember, the Makuzhar is in there! We need to dispose of them!" She gritted her teeth and persevered past the enemy lines, dodging and weaving as she did.

Matai Airspace

Zoren nodded his assent. "Roger, Boss. I'll keep the airspace clear" He Said as he kicked on his afterburners. With the blast, Enigma broke the sound barrier and flew towards the enemy.

"Controlled shots! Prep the Shock lance!" Zoren ordered as he banked skyward.

"We are good to go, Doctor. Give them Hell." Enigma replied.

Zoren grunted as he turned his VANDR towards the ground. As the first of the targets lined up, he fired his cannons. He then sighted in on the next enemy VANDR, then the next. He repeated the process until his altimeter began shrieking its low altitude warning. Zoren pulled out of his dive and flew after a new set of targets.

The Sahti VANDR dipped its nose, banking to starboard as it then dived toward the Opera House. The tranformable Frame seemed to elongate, gaining heft and size as it switched from that of a fighter to a mobile humanoid form. As it did so, the VANDR had gone into a free-fall, friction building until the barriers cut on and the atmosphere simply sloughed off. Nearing the ground, Ishtar's frame quite literally collided with an autonomous NVR frame in a literal brawling free-for-all to gain her position around the building. One of the Sahti's slender fists glowed, a shimmering haze of heat wafting around it crashed into the Soono's head, destroying its NI-equivalent component. The dive had appeared reckless. Only cutting her drives on long enough to slow her decent enough to not pancake herself on the well-tended avenue.

Yet it had allowed her to get the drop on the unit, thanks in large part of the VT Drive's lack of lighting her up like a beacon. The piece of the Soono's head in her grasp was tossed to the ground, after the vicious act of quite literally ripping the head off after impalement.

Matai Airspace

With the orders to engage, Karuah began to circle the battlefield from the air, there was no need for her to engage directly. Since they were in a city though she wanted to keep damage to building to a minimum in case people hadn't evacuated.

"Saeid lock onto three targets." With those words, three reticles appeared in no time. They were soon followed by a volley from Saeid's Star Locust missiles, three at each of the frames. Knowing that that wouldn't be enough to finish the average frame, the pilot and frame pair followed after with the Storm Ray LEMB, 12 frames this time to at least distract some from firing back.

Matai Airspace

The arrival of a protective companion had Irfan snort in a big ol' laugh. Lucidity might have been struggling, but the idea that she needed help was absurd. Sure, she was bounding and knocking some roof-tarps off as she tried her best to keep moving at full speed... but she was totally ready for the fight! The large cluster of enemies ahead of them gave her something to look forward to, the woman roaring out over the comms with her trademark bubbly confidence.

"Let's go Lucy! We got work to do!"

Just as one of the NVR pilots was about to shoot their glorious and esteemed butt-carrying leader down, the Haidan boosted to full power and into the sky, running her claws through its back and out the front, turning and firing her eye-beam at a nearby foe before slashing both arms outward to bisect her skewered enemy. Irfan boosted into the pack, smashing into another as their shields pushed against one another, the pair tumbling from the sky briefly before smashing into the rooftops below. The small ant-like form of civilians scattering drew Irfan's snarl, her hate for these terrorists almost overwhelming her cheery attitude as the thump-thump-thump of the mortars into the pack chasing Naak sounded off. She was going to draw their attention as best she could, cursing over the comms as her pinned foe smashed a hand into her side, knocking her off and back into the air with a flickering booster dash to distance herself. The eye of the machine fired off again, puncturing and disabling her opponent in a flash.

"Ooof~... close call."

High Up... Like, REALLY High Up.

Breathe in... Breathe out...

Target moving fast. Have to lead the shot a little. No, too much. No, too little...

...Perfect.

CRACK!!!

Direct hit. Target eliminated.

Keep cloaking system engaged. Move position one mile to the southeast to prevent enemy from tracing origin of shot.

New orders. Need to find good position to cover infiltration team. NVR surrounding opera house.

One standing still. Lining up shot on the Lanranr.

Breathe in... Breathe out...

CRACK!!!

Direct hit. Target eliminated.

Shaanti's lips curved upwards slightly, and he flew downwards towards the city. He came to a landing on the rooftop where his last target had been standing. Still cloaked, he moved for the edge.

Breathe in... Breathe out...

Matai Airspace (Substantially Lower Than Previous)

Fuck everything why was Irfan like that.

...but Mox couldn't deny her skill. There was, one might even surmise, a hint of admiration as the elder runner dived headlong into battle like a woman with a death wish. Mox, they had far less experience here, they had never seen actual bloodshed before, and for all their training and for all the live-fire exercises and for all the promise shown in simulation, Mox was afraid. Adrenaline told them to fight like hell, here, outnumbered and outgunned but certainly not outmatched. Reason told them this was... not a place they wanted to die.

Not a place they wanted to die.

And duty saw them ignore both, and do their level best to keep pace with Irfan, hurtling to Sonatine's full atmospheric speed a heartbeat after Lucidity burst into action. Lucidity crashed headlong into the swarm ahead and, entangled with an enemy, tumbled down - Mox boosted upwards hard, VT fangs whirling free from their shield as they threw themselves headlong into the fray.

Not a place they wanted to die.

The chaos of the battlefield was dizzying. Sonatine fed them information faster than they could process it, and Mox acted, reacted, automatically, without thought. Mox was a buzzsaw, the phantoma needles deadly to everything they came close to, intent and determined to make themselves a target while Lucidity was vulnerable. And a target they did make themselves. Sonatine's barriers flared, her frame trembled, and something veyrinite pierced her right shoulder. Mox saw, but barely perceived, the warnings Sonatine communicated to them. ABS operation questionable. Prajna leak.

Not a place they wanted to die.

They'd been caught from behind, the enemy frame still piercing theirs with its own blade; Mox didn't give them the opportunity to withdraw before their fangs tore through it. But - Irfan. Lucidity. Ignoring the warnings Sonatine continued to flash at them, Mox instead cast attention to find their ward. Irfan left this battlefield alive. Mox would allow nothing else.

Matai
Opera House (Central South Side)

"Vayshirin Mox!" Naak called. "I want you on Irfan. Don't let her butt into trouble!"

Naak looked around at the chaos being caused before she redirected her focus on the group of Setareh Wing members and their fights once more while she realized the fight was going to take too long if they dealt with enemies right now.

"Where is the Makuzhar?!" Naak called out to Victory and the Erla NI gave her the coordinates.

"The Makuzhar is holed up in the NorthWest portion of the opera house. We need to get from our flight path through the city from the central of the South side all the way to him. We're going to have to crack open the shell to get to the shell. Ishtar, find an area of the opera house for us to punch through the roof where it will be easy to get in by force and where it has been completely evacuated. Setareh, I want you flying in close and taking out enemies where you can, but primary objective is to make it to the roof!"

From her position, the FIOMNI had begun to see a somewhat steady stream of enemy combatants. As more began to come in, a series of ports on the Frame opened. From them a series of missiles streamed forth to which the enemy began to swerve, weave and try to shoot down as they drew near. Then the first impacts and explosions reared their heads. Only three of the enemy had been outright destroyed, others put distance between the Sahti VANDR and themselves, and a precious few streamed smoke or bore scorch marks from the particle explosions.

Naak received her answer in way of a quick jotting of a point along the northwest portion of the building's schematic which she'd disseminated among the pilots' own NI units. Beyond that the normally chatty NI was eerily quiet as she met a piloted unit in a head on clash.

Rooftops...

Warning: hostiles have discovered your location.

No sooner had Archer warned him than two enemy mechs had landed on the roof behind him, preparing to fire.

Shaanti growled lowly at himself. He'd become careless, developed tunnel-vision, and had remained in one spot for too long.

Spinning around, he began formulating strategies. They all seemed a little too complex for his liking, however. Too many variables to take into account. But then he remembered his youth as a fieldball prodigy, and grinned. Sometimes, the best solution was to simply charge forward and smash the opponent.

So, that's exactly what he did. Archer dove forward like a feral beast with its claws extended and tackled the one on the right. The other managed to get some shots off, but they inflicted minor damage on his shields. Straddling the other mech, Shaanti plunged his claws straight into the cockpit of the downed VAANDR. It powered off instantly.

The other was behind him, getting ready for a heavy hit. Shaanti shot out one of his legs and managed to score a hit to the knee joint. It buckled and sent the enemy into a kneel. Shaanti rolled over onto his back and primed his sniper cannon, aiming for the cockpit.

Breathe in... Breathe out...

A flash of light later, the other VAANDR had a hole burned straight through it, and was tumbling off the building to the streets below. Standing back up, Shaanti cloaked and began moving closer towards the opera house as Naak instructed.

Matai Airspace
Opera House (Central South Side)


With the attention of several enemy frames, Karuah had Saeid quickly climb to escape firing range. She knew that they were ordered to fly close, but she wanted to do a bit more to distract them so that her squad could approach without running into a total kill box. After all, as the mechanist, she was sort of the medic of a frame division, it was her job to make sure everyone's frames lasted till they could get home safely.

Once she had the altitude she wanted, she began a dive, and quickly selected nine targets throughout the field of frames and fired. What was fired though was not conventional weaponry, however, it was a salvo of nine Regenerative Canister Missiles that quickly accelerated and crashed into their targets.

The damage was almost nothing, but each missile detonated into a large cloud of densely charged particles that would hamper energy based weapons and interfere with communications for those inside the clouds.

After seeing her work, Karuah spoke over the radio with a sense of urgency. "Dampening clouds deployed. It won't stop everything, but their firepower should be significantly lowered now's the time to get close to the opera house."

Matai Airspace
Along The Rooftops

Irfan squealed her laugh as Mox joined in, the pair of suits making good work of their foe. Having a wingmate who could keep up, even with her Haidan damaged, was the best! She couldn't fight without full abandon, of course, but she could depend on her rump being safe from dastardly enemy plans. The short-haired Iroma laughed as Lucidity propelled up and forward to comply with their push. She was going to make a big name for herself as a legendary ace if they added on a rescue job like this. It wasn't as glorious as surpassing the most kills recorded by a Vanguard pilot, but it was a way to becoming an ace in the field!

Her skipping and sputtering was using the rooftops to control stability, establishing a near smooth flight pattern at the sake of sending some dust and debris scattering about. It wasn't dangerous or anything... but it definitely was forcing her to occasionally force herself to maneuver evasively.

"Moxy, stay with me~. We're going to focus on firing outward on the boss lady's flanks! We hit 'em with tons so they can't mass-up and rush us!"

Matai Airspace
Such Rooftops, Wow

"Respectfully, ma'am, her butt is already IN trouble."

In the best sort of trouble, if Mox was being honest with theirself. They'd only had a short span of experience with the elder runner, but this smacked of making all the same mistakes. Making all the best mistakes, even. Fucking fuck, WHY was Irfan like-... Sonatine continued to feed all that cheerful data about 'leaking prajna' and 'maximum continued operational time, in seconds' and Mox wrote it off as depressing. No, Mox had a job to do. Damage to their (brand new, sob) frame wasn't going to prevent that. Useless arm and aggravated pitch and yaw notwithstanding, Mox kept close at Lucidity's flank.

As plans went, Irfan's wasn't the worst one Mox had ever heard. And they'd already failed entirely to die when they should have, right? Invincible under the white sun. Yeah. Mox liked the sound of that...

"Just pick your angle, Song. I'll keep your lines clean."