RP: YSS Miharu Mission 3 Prelude: Rise; you better shine

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Like training simulator suits, the DAISY's control insert will wrap snuggly around you when boarded," Miharu replied. "The bulge shouldn't end up annoying you and will be extra padding to cope with chest impacts. If you really insist... well, you'll need to cover that with a senior officer and that would be either Freeman-Juni or Claymere-Taii once he makes his way here."

"You can try asking, but personally, I think the request will be turned down," the computer confided to Kai. "Everyone is sort of pressed for time and a cosmetic change isn't going to be very high priority."

* * *

Kotori placed her hands atop her desk, one over the other and nodded up at Nyton. "Very well. What would you like us to cover?"

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Alright, I can guess this, I'm sure, but I don't want to wildly guess. You could either be a sprite or a lower ranking soldier, since the officers are probably off discussing the best way to use us as cannon fodder right now."

Click to expand...

Tom's face within the volumetric window, which had not yet been terminated by the engineer, grimaced at Takuma's words.

"Kimura-Heisho, I sincerely hope you have more faith than that in all of us."

After a slight pause, the Yamataian smirked.

"Anyway, I shall be attending to my responsibilities with the weapons. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you encounter any difficulties. We're on a tight schedule and there isn't any space for pride getting in the way of our tasks...

...Kimura-Heisho, do you have any jobs right now?"

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Nyton stood at parade rest as began to go over his outline. "I just wanted to go over an outline of the assault plan. It is a simple plan. I figured once the Hoshi had broken into the atmosphere we would launch our shuttles and bombers to provide air support and escort. Once we are in sight of the base we would take out any critical external systems such as communications or command and control."

He continued to breath steadily as his eyes narrowed a bit. "At this point we would look for any type of entry point available. I am certain there should be a hangar of some sort we could use to gain access. They had to get their own ships in and out somehow. Otherwise we'll have the Hoshi's plasma canons and the bombers make us one. As soon as we find a way in our DAISY Armors would deploy while all aircraft provide cover and continue to divert attention."

There was a brief pause before he continued. "The Armors will be divided into two teams. One team will perform primary assault while the other will be command and support. They will work together in tandem until we have located the crew of the Sekkou. Once the crew has been rescued the support team will escort them out. If their ship is still functional then perhaps we can use it for them to escape. Otherwise they will be bought to the Hoshi where medical personnel can stand by to check them out. I will order Sanjuro to ensure they are all unharmed as well as safe. Eve has been known to leave nasty surprises in her wake before."

Nyton relaxed a little bit before he went on. "At this point it would depend on what our situation is like on the ground. We can gather intel from their main computer just like the Meng Po so Takuma's skill will be necessary here to extract such. He may even be able to shut down the base and any defenses while he is at it. If the Aether Canceller is activated at any point we will also handle that either by destroying it or shutting it down. We should have our DAISY's within deployment range so as to enter the base by then. If our ground is secure enough then the support team will rejoin the assault team and continue to secure objectives or an escape route should we need to beat a hasty retreat. Once all are aboard the Hoshi we shall take off to rejoin the Miharu."

"Any comments, Kotori-sama?"

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

The Taisa nodded. "Hoshi doesn't have the room to carry the fightercrafts, only the shuttles, so the Uriko and the Ryusei will be launched from Miharu at the same time as the separation is done."

"Also keep in mind Hoshi's armament includes particle cannons which effectively fire positrons - an anti-matter attack. Those will not be useable once you make atmospheric entry, so, you'll only be left with the weapon pods and the CFS' projected energy beams."

"If you get pursued, you'll have to take into account Hoshi's defense. There's no ground mission if the auxiliary ship gets destroyed by Ketsueki attack corvettes. It's very likely you'll be attacked from behind at first, so, boosting shield power at your stern should help you last longer. Don't be shy to use auxiliary power early to stay in good condition. You shouldn't need power for the particle cannons, so, what little you have can be shored up by power they won't need."

"The Cougar shuttle and the Ryusei have subspace detonator missiles attached to them. Don't be shy about using them to make your opponents more vulnerable and then strike within that window of opportunity. There's no way to make sure Miharu will be able to give adequate cover at that point, so you must be ready to handle this on your own if push comes to shove."

"Be wary of using the Uriko's torpedo against a ground target - its payload might be better suited in upper atmosphere against any pursuers so use it early to gain an early advantage if you need it. Using it for bombardment against the base might be overkill and we're not going to find anything out from a smoking crater in the ground."

"If you have the time, it might be wise to switch your weapon pods to the armor assisting drone configuration once you make your final approach in the defense net. The extra offensive power it will provide the ground team should be a huge help in initially breaching the defense net."

"If at all possible, I would prefer the aether canceler unit disabled and salvaged rather than destroyed," Kotori finally said. "The Daughters of Eve and Melisson's flagship use interdiction technology that seems to be years ahead of our own development. If we can get our hands on one such device, it could help us counter-measure against them in the future."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Nyton took note of Kotori's remarks and nodded. "Understood. This should help me to refine things then. I will have to look into the time it would take for shifting the weapon pods into armor assistance configuration. I cannot promise you an aether canceller but perhaps the computer will have schematic and system data for one. If we only have so long on the ground to complete our mission then we don't want to be bogged down trying to salvage the device when Eve's forces arrive to investigate."

Giving it another thought Nyton then continued. "Who were you planning on assigning the Mindy's to? I suppose the Samurai would be the ones best suited for the teleportation hit and run strikes but I need to know what my pool of personnel will be and how to augment that with sprites. I have my ideas, such as placing Kurohoshi in charge of the assault team along with our Armor specialists while I fall back with the support team." A slight grin crossed Nyton's face. "I would rather be in the assault team but I suppose I need to start following my own advice when it comes to ship commanders."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Sumaru had then left with Sora's permission, once he had finished the process of getting a new mental backup. From the medical bay he made his way through the halls of the ship with a relaxed pace, the familiar layout of the Miharu silently evoked old memories of his station on the Asamoya. He could remember rushing through the halls, adrenaline pumping, as he was off to another battle. But now-- it was much different. He felt the memories rush by him, like afterimages or ghosts of himself, leading him to an all too familiar place-- the armor bay.

The samurai glanced at the flurry of activity, watching for a bit from the entrance as the pilots and engineers of the vessel were preparing for the fight ahead. It was a nostalgic moment, as he used to be doing the very same, he wondered if they were experiencing the same anxieties that he felt at that time when he was younger. But just as he was reminiscing curiously, he mind was pulled away as he laid eyes on his most trusted ally, sitting off in the corner of the bay.

Without any word quite yet to anyone, though returning any bows or greetings with a polite nod, he entered the bay and walked by to his partner. It looks like we have yet another battle ahead of us Wish... Sumaru thought towards the pink paneled Mindy M2-2A Power Armor as he paid respects to the machine. A small smile crept up his lips as he spotted cute girly graffiti painted on the PA's lower half. The handy work of the ever delightful Shii, Sumaru was sure that only the cute lovable Asamoya sprite could have been the culprit, he took a mental image of the overall appearance with a contained giggle.

"First, it appears we have to get you a new paint scheme better fitting of your new duty my friend." The samurai said quietly to his armor as he brought a curled finger to his chin, thoughtfully considering a pallet fitting a knight. It didn't take long, as the answer was simple. "White, yes... you shall be white." The male Neko said with a confirming nod at the suit. Then mentally he up linked with the ship's MEGAMI-IES, "Megami, could you have my armor painted to these specifications?" Sumaru requested as he sent along the image he had produced in his head. He referred to the Miharu's computer as he would any other MEGAMI unit, not quite yet made aware that people called it by the ship's name.

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"I can instruct the sprites so, though bear in mind cosmetic changes to power armors are currently low-priority given our present timetable," Miharu's MEGAMI computer told Sumaru. "Are you aware that the default color scheme for power armors used by Ketsurui Samurai is crimson red from the waistline and up, with the hips and legs gold?"

* * *

Kotori chuckled at Nyton's last remark. "I adviced the same to Hanako-Taisa and found it hard to follow myself. To answer your questions, though, we could pick Kurohoshi-Juni, Westwood-Hei, Tsukade-Hei and two of the sprites for the job; with Hagesawa-Juni's Mindy being the only one present to support the ground team. I don't mean for the Mindy armors to be involved in ground combat - they'll be near to useless compared to the Daisy when aether canceling kicks in anyhow - so I'd rather have them stand by on the main hull."

The neko close her amber eyes as she tried to recall something and then said: "I think it takes 30 seconds for the variable weapon pods to alter their configuration. You'll have to return them to their launchers first, have them do the switch and then release them once more. The armor assisting pods actually are hexagonal-like discs that split in six segments, each housing a 50-shot plasma cannon. With no CFS, there's no way to recharge them, but it will still provide each Daisy with much more firepower than they usually hold."

"I've discovered that the Armor Assisting Drones are not very useful in close-quarters, though," she cautioned. "Because of their size and numbers - most particularly if we have many power armors with such drones slaved to them - they will tend to get in the way in narrow corridors and they will be much easier to destroy because they won't have as much room to maneuver."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"If they can be reconfigured in less than a minute then that should be adequate time. However I was not thinking in using them to actually support the DAISYs but rather have them stay behind and pull security for the Hoshi. While the Armor teams are infiltrating the base our ship's defenses are reduced. I imagine the Drones would be more suitable to covering the ship from outside the base. They should be able to fend off or at least slow down any attempt to board." Nyton said.

"And you did explain earlier your intent to use the Mindys in your space defense. However why would Hasegawa-Juni be attached to us planetside if his Mindy gets disabled by the canceller? Perhaps he would be better assigned along with the other Mindys?" he thought for a moment. "Or perhaps he should be left behind on the Hoshi and assist Sigurd with security. If I leave Ketsurui-Shoi aboard he could fulfill his duties as her bodyguard as well. I think Sanjuro-Heisho would be capable of doing some quick diagnosis on the Sekkou crew. Any serious cases will be evac'd for further treatment in our medical facility. He would be on the support team of course since his combat capability is still fairly up in the air."

With a slight tension Nyton then looked down at Kotori's desk with a clenched jaw. "I don't want another repeat of Saito-Heisho's combat incompetence. That's still alive and well as displayed be her immediate retreat in the storage room with your twin." Nyton then said with a barely hidden hint of disgust.

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"In Hagesawa-Juni's case, I mean for him to remain with the ground operation," Kotori replied calmly. "The Mindy will be disadvantaged, true, but its internal insert will be able to draw a measure of power and mobility from its NH-27 operator, allowing for adequate movement inside the complex. His forearm capacitors will both have full-charge, giving him each a 15-seconds of operation. The teleportation module mounted on his Mindy will be charged prior to his entry, so, should Ketsurui-Shoi come to harm he will be able to be by her side at a moment's notice. To save power, he'll likely need to depend on handheld weapons, ammunition and battery packs - but the Daisy has that similar limitation so I doubt he will split hairs over it."

Kotori's eyes narrowed. "If you have concerns to share about Saito-Heisho, I would appreciate you state them now instead of nurse them silently and start disliking her for it."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Yes, as my traditionally appointed Sarah M7 Samurai Power Armor is painted to that code. However for this unit, I would prefer this scheme. I understand the priority of the other projects, so please don't rush. I only hope to go into battle with something better fitting, thank you very much for your efforts Megami." Sumaru said in response to the Miharu's computer. Then remembered the pieces of equipment he had brought with him from his M7, which was in storage on Yamatai for the time being. He then quickly went to the box of equipment that was shipped alongside his Mindy, inside was a Ke-M7-W2900 Aether Beam Saber and a miniature sword holder mount for his Daishô.

"I guess I should get to work." Sumaru said to the armor, with a small nod of confidence towards his mechanical friend. The Samurai looked around for a set of tools so he could begin attaching the mount. After a few moments of searching, he was armed and ready to go. He got to work straight away, taking extra care not to dirty his robes; to the point where he had taken a strip of cloth to tie back his sleeves, and make the small kimono top more manageable for working. While he went about the simple job, the male Neko pilot considered his options for the mission ahead. Taking time to carefully think through his options for an advantageous layout, while keeping in mind the problems he would face when in the anti-aether field.

The biggest problem is a power source once my aether generator is offline... Sumaru thought long and hard on how to solve the issue, but was coming up with nothing. That was until he remembered a situation where he had once mounted an extra Capacitor to power a teleportation unit. "Megami, could you calculate if two Ke-M2-G3000 Shoulder Capacitors could power my M2-2A's systems? I understand that this won't be able to power the aether weaponry, but if it could power the suit and the integral systems. Then that should be enough." Sumaru queried the IES for the calculation as he took the time to mentally call up a volumetric display; he used the holographic display of Wish to hypothesize the most beneficial configuration for the mission.

The pilot then began thinking internally of the possible setup. A Ke-M2-P3000 is a must; I’ll have to return to Sora’s side if things change for the worse on her front. Then with the extra capacitors... if I’m not in an interdiction environment, I’d be able to take full advantage of their original use. So with both shoulder points locked up, I should consider the lower leg slots to bolster my fire power. I guess Offensive Augmentation Pods should do the job just fine. That leaves hand-held weapons. A lasr with an attached slag would work, but should I need more firepower I suppose that a Ke-M6-W2901 Atmospheric Plasma Rifle with extra magazines would work perfectly.

Sumaru paused, at this time he was gazing about the bay, looking for ideas in the equipment surrounding him. But where to store the mags...

That's when he caught sight of one of the Daisy's shields and was instantly reminded of another peice of recent equipment. That's right, there's the eliptoid shield, I could store them in that and use it while the forearm shield projectors are offline. Then if I escape the interdiction, I could simply jettison the part and have both forearm weapons, it's perfect! Then on that note, his new changes to his armor were completed. Well, the sword holder was attached, that is. The paint job would have to some later, hopefully.

He stepped back to look over his own handy work, pushing his platinum blond bangs back out of his eyes with a hand swept through his hair. "Megami, could you also analyze this new configuration and calculate it's capability to fulfill what is needed in the mission outline?" Sumaru then presented the computer with the projected configuration. Then as he waited for his answer, he turned to glance over his shoulder and silently observe the rest of the work happening in the armor bay.

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

The tension relaxed as Nyton let himself speak calmly to prevent any sort of emotional bias affect his analysis. "I find Saito-Heisho's behavior to be that of a coward. Nothing against being cautious but running away at the hint of danger is something I find unacceptable. While we were examining your twin, your mother's honor determined that she should destroy her due to the severity of the crime having been committed against the Ketsurui. During the brief attempt wherein Kosuka-san attacked the container, Saito ran away with barely a glance back at anyone else. If she thinks I was not aware of her expression she is mistaken as I have it quite well recorded in my memory. Miharu protected all members from any harm so nothing came out of the scuffle. However I have little doubt in my mind right now that to place Saito in any sort of danger would be disasterous. Her sub-par performance during the Meng Po and this event have me that far convinced."

Nyton paused for a second and took a breath. It was not strained but rather a calm inhalation before he continued. "Perhaps I am being too Nepleslian. Actions such as running away and not being able to listen to simple instructions during combat are seen in a very negative light back home. It is something that has cost people lives to the point that those who acted like this usually ended up being killed by their own allies before they caused any further casualties." he finished with a calm nod.

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Aw, way to ruin the fun," Takuma said, letting off a sarcastic and disappointed sigh. Suddenly, he heard an unexpected voice say his name. Not the kind of voice you would expect to hear when a friend calls your name or when someone wants to ask for your help.

No, it was the kind of voice that meant you messed up. The kind of voice that makes your head dart for the nearest exit and plan an escape root stat. Takuma slowly turned his head to see a volumetric window with Tom's head starring at him disappointingly. My timing sucks, was the first and only thought that graced his mind for the next few seconds.

"Ah, well... I didn't mean that! I'm just trying to strike a little humor...even though it was a bit depressing and probably not aiding moral." Takuma gave a respectful bow to the Juni, hoping he didn't offend the unintentional listener too badly. "Sorry about that."

Takuma rose and relaxed a bit when his superior loosened his expression. "As for jobs I was just going to inspect the Daisy I will be using, but it's not that urgent since I believe the sprites did an acceptable job on them. Do you need my help on something?"

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"As a Heisho, Saito Miyoko-san is now considered a non-commissioned officer and stands as a figure of authority and guidance for soldiers of lesser rank... therefore, her rank imposes the responsability of giving the good example," Kotori replied to Nyton. "I do not expect all my crewmembers to be shock troop material - that's what our infantry soldiers are - but I do expect them to be able to adequately defend themselves and to capably support their fellow soldiers even though combat might not have been their specialization. This said, I do recognize the issue as a problem."

"If Saito-Heisho has such shortcomings, then it is our responsability to give her the tools and the means to overcome them," she coolly continued. "She won't be able to run from all the problems her life will present to her, so it's as much for her benefit as it is to the rest of the crew that she gains more confidence in herself and hone her abilities."

* * *

"The battle for the PNUgen complex showed that the Mindy's default aether generator and capacitor system could, even under interdiction, run most of the basic functions of the power armor." Miharu replied. "You do not actually need extra capacitors if you wish to insure that much, unless you plan staying there for several days. Unlike the M3 Kylie, the Mindy's flesh-core doesn't require much power to be at military power since it acts in symbiosis with your NH-27 body. The power left in the capacitors coupled to the generator system ought to be enough to have your anti-gravity and electronics last a long time in a planetary engagement. You'd need the CFS and active sensors for space operation, though, and that'd be a lot more taxing."

"Hold on; Nimura is being nosey and also offering her own analysis of your present configuration:" Miharu's AI then told Sumaru. "She believes you are thinking of a fixed loadout that will last you all the mission instead of truly exploiting all the advantages the Mark Two has to offer. Anchoring yourself to this idea is something she believes is grossly unimaginative and not befitting a person whom made a name for himself as an Ace pilot... sprite Ichigo adds her apology for her twin's impertinence."

"Her recommendation is to use your dorsal hardpoint for the Black Spiral double teleportation module and to have your shoulder hardpoints either mount shoulder racks to hold handheld weapons for extra versatility (and keep your hands free at need) or limited use weaponry like the gauss cannons or the mini-missile launchers," the ship's computer continued after a moment's pause. "Once your needs become different or that you require recharging, it would be a simple matter to return (via teleportation) to the armor mounting racks on the auxiliary ship and swap equipment parts for newer, more capable parts depending on your needs at that point. Hoshi's battery reserves could be used to recharge your systems while new parts are being mounted as well. As long as you focus on low-energy requirement parts, aether canceling is barely going to phase you, she says."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Giving a slight nod, Nyton folded his arms in front of him. "Well, I must admit that she might do well on the tactical console. Perhaps the seperation from the actual battlefront coupled with the sense of power from attacking enemies afar may help her develop a bit more aggressiveness." he said. "That is just a theory though. I wish we had more time but maybe some physical exercises that tested her limits, with enough guidance focused to help her succeed could boost her confidence as well. Once we have that time, we could proceed to assist her in developing those skills."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Sora watched Sumaru leave her for a few short moments before she walked towards the med bay, trying to decide what she wanted to task sprites to do. The crew isn't as big as the Miharu could handle... most of our work is triage and back-ups, the only special case would be Claymore-san's cybernetics but I believe he does the maintenance for that back in Nepleslia. But we do have 2 medical bays that will need to be manned...

She found herself at the door to the main med bay and heard the movement of organization inside. She inwardly sighed as she realized that Sanjuro had disobeyed her and decided to work through the nap she ordered him to do. "Ashitaka-Hei?"

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Once we have that time," Kotori echoed as she nodded in agreement to Nyton's words. "Was there anything else you wished to discuss?"

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"That is alright, Miharu, it was just a thought. I won't bother about it." Kai responded to the ship's answer. He would just have to wait till later or something. He returned to his testing of the wires, finding most of them to be perfectly fine, if dirty. The Yamataian cleaned out the parts the best he could with a rag, making sure there were no impurities to disrupt the Daisy's actions. He reassembled the armor carefully, before getting it on to make sure he hadn't screwed up.

As the suit flickered to life, the AIES gently informed Kai that he had managed to switch two wires in the left shoulder, and as a result, it had locked up and began twitching slightly. Thanking the AIES for the information, the blond pilot removed the suit and got to work locating the specific wires. Trial and Error, I suppose. he thought to himself, popping the offending armor plate off.

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Nyton went over his mental checklist and determined there was not much else to go over. "Well, since Suzuka-Shosa is handling the issue with your twin there is nothing else I can really contribute. I think that about covers the ground mission." he said. "We only have a few more hours so we should get everything we need done to clear our heads for this before the mission kicks off."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Of course," Kotori nodded. "You may go now. Don't forget to prep up your own Daisy."

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Oh... just assist the sprites in any way possible for now. I'd like you to act as a flexible assistant for the entire tech crew, going from place to place where you are needed. Ichigo-hei is in charge of the shuttles right now and I am working on the weapons systems. If you finish up here early, head down towards us. Rock on."

With a smile and a nod, the Engineer blinked out the window and went to work.