RP: YSS Aeon [Mission 4.0] - A Quest into the Dark

It felt a bit like a let down. Transferred from Lion Squad, from the YSS Hokorimasu, from the 8th Standard Fleet to 1 XF, YSS Aeon. Not just a let down, but it was like he hadn't been good enough. Lion Squad was composed mainly of veterans, not newbies fresh from Fort Ready.

He'd been thrilled when he got assigned to the Hokorimasu and now... shunted to a small ship.

But then he'd found out that the Aeon had been sent into combat in the Siren system, which was a hop, skip and a jump away from where the shuttle was supposed to drop him off. After some convincing, the pilot agreed to drop him off on Siren and make like the blazes back to the Hokorimasu. He couldn't transmit to the Aeon without giving away his position and they seemed to be doing alright for the moment. After the amount of Neko insanity (including that crazy Samurai) in Lion Squad, Makoto was fairly confident he could survive Ise-taisa. If not, his will was up to date.

Somehow, the small T8 shuttle made it to surface, avoiding the NMX pickets. Honda Makoto was, by this time, ready in his Mindy M2-2A.

Makoto ran through the list of equipment checks, quietly humming a tune.

Dorsal Hardpoint - Barrier Shield Module - Check
Shoulder Hardpoints - Right Shoulder Capacitor - Check
Left Shoulder 50mm Gauss Cannon - Check
Leg Hardpoints - Two Offensive Augmentation Pods - Check
Nodal Support Drones charged and ready - Check

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He grabbed one of the Atmospheric/Space Plasma Rifles off the shuttle's weapons rack.

Makoto leapt out of the shuttle door and deployed his NSDs. Swiftly, the T8 shuttle shot away, leaving him alone.

"This is Saito-hei, Star Army of Yamatai to any friendly UOC forces. We are locked in combat around the Customs Office and could use some help. We have several civilians, some of whom are wounded, and prisoners. Repeat, in combat around Customs Office, assistance appreciated!"

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Makoto stopped to listen to the sudden Yamataian transmission. It sounded like that old rogue, Takamori... last he had heard, the goof had been assigned to 1 XF. So maybe there was hope yet.

"This is Honda Makoto, Santo-hei, Star Army of Yamatai, responding. Just got here through some sneaky back doors. Less than a kilometer from your position! Getting to be a habit, me saving your butt, Taka-kun."

Makoto activated his anti-grav capabilities, stored the NSDs and zipped over to the source of the transmission. He saw something very strange in the Outer Concourse. A man was driving a cargo hauler surrounded by parasites. Parasites = bad guy. Makoto raised his Gauss cannon and plasma rifle, taking careful aim. He'd only get one shot at this since it was constantly picking up speed.

He fired a single round from his gauss cannon at the cargo hauler, aiming to hit it in the side and topple it. A burst of three aimed plasma rounds followed.

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Takamori looked up and about like he'd seen a ghost. Honda Makoto? That boring old so-and-so was here?! He laughed aloud for a moment without realizing he was on the squad channel.

"Honda Makoto! If you're here, we're well and truly desperate! NMX are all over the Inner Concourse. Come in through the hole we made, link up with the Juni and the squad outside. I've locked myself and the non-combatants in the Customs Office. NMX are trying to get in. I think the Juni's out of the fight!" Takamori replied, feeling ten times better to hear a familiar voice.

"We've got Star Army reinforcements, everyone. Hang tight, I know Mako-chan. Most reliable guy I know," he added to the civilians and the squad. None of them could see it but Takamori was grinning from ear to ear.

Saki gasped at first as she saw once clearly dead body run to the cargo hauler. It made her look at it and do nothing. She finally snapped of it when Cargo Haulers motor started. She shook her head and could see that the vehicle started moving to customs. "Damn!" she said and aimed her newly recharged rifle at vehicle's enginge. She aimed her Gauus cannon too. When Aies gave her a lock-ons he fired both her guns.

Finishing up the ripper, but we've got zombies over here! I'll try to help ASAP!
Tsubei-Heisho

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The Nekovalkryja was relentless in her assault on the Ripper, continuing to fire even while moving to new cover. It looked like Saki was too busy to help at the moment, so she didn't bother distracting her companion.

Saki's weapon tore through the tug like a hot knife and the engine exploded in a pyrotechnic display that caught the zombie on fire.

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The Ripper took cover behind a column, in an attempt to let its shields recover. It fired off a pair of missiles to keep Kyoka busy.

Saki nodded seeing as vehicle stopped moving and zombie caught fire. She needed time for her rifle to reload again so she gave her attention back to ripper. It was covering behind a column hiding from Kyoka and recovering. Saki frowned and moved out. She did not have her rifle recharged, but her gauss cannon had plenty ammo and she still had some missiled.

Saki boosted out moving to flank the Ripper while letting AIES do its counting and targeting. She prepared volley of five missiles and burst of fire from her Gauss cannon. When she could see Ripper properly she fired both her weapons.

And Kyoka noticed what Saki was doing from her new position, and decided to lend her a hand by playing bait. Just because the Ripper was still able to fire doesn't mean it had the best accuracy in its damaged condition - or so the Neko's logic went. So, she fled from her cover, trying to keep the NMX Armor's attention away from Saki while activating her Barrier module and firing a loose volley of shots at it.

Outer Concourse
The Ripper's attention went for Kyoka since it had already fired at her. It moved to fire at the Neko and let fly with both its cannons, however, the response time was just off and the two shots came close but did not strike Kyoka.

However, this gave Saki the ideal opportunity to hit the wounded Ripper from the other side with her Gauss cannon. Her volley struck the Ripper and body slammed it into the column it has been using for cover. Her shots having created multiple holes in its armor plating.

Makoto's volley had struck the cargo tug just after Saki, the already wounded tug flipped in along the floor several times grinding the zombie and several of the accompanying parasites into NXM goo.

Inner Concourse
Yoshiro's volley at the Ripper rang the Ripper's bell when the shots slammed into the helmeted head. The missiles further disoriented the mecha and knocked into a store front.

Meanwhile from Yoshiro's point he could see the large isolation barriers closing off the other concourses that lead to his location.

Makoto grinned as he flew towards the squad. "Oi, Taka-bou, where are you?" he asked his friend.

"Heisho!" Makoto nodded quickly, "Honda Santo-hei, reporting."

He held his plasma rifle in his right hand and fired six blasts at the Ripper Kyoka had been engaging. From his left, he fired a charged beam from the left forearm weapon at the Ripper.

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"Entertaining the ladies with stories of your clumsiness, Mako-chan. Locked myself inside with the civilians and prisoners. NMX are next door and trying to get in. Kinda need your help with that," Takamori replied over the radio.

He couldn't do anything on the inside but Makoto could.

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Makoto didn't wait to see what his shots did. As soon as Takamori had said where he needed help, Makoto took to the air. He flew through the entrance to the Inner Concourse and landed. Makoto immediately deployed his NSDs to act as support against the parasites while he stormed towards the room adjoining the Customs Office. He kicked down the door and unleashed another burst of six plasma blasts.

Once she saw the Ripper was tagged, Kyoka took the opportunity to pound it even further with repeated shots of the Beam function of her rifle. Not taking any chances! The Neko thought to herself, resolving to quit firing when the Aether started going straight through the Mishu PA.

"Arai-Hei, assist Tanaka-hei with Oshiro-Juni! I have it covered over here!" She called over the LASER comms, continuing her barrage against the Ripper.

Arai was ready to give another burst to Ripper when Kyoke ordered her to help out Yoshiro. "Roger that ma'am! Shout out, if you need help!" She responded and boosted away moving towards the Yoshiro. Juni was down and that was bad, maybe he was prick but he probably new his combat. She also hoped his armour was not pierced and he was not parasited.

As saki flew to aid her comrade, she took her flamer in one hand and was spraying parasites she was meeting along way.

Yoshiro got over to the Juni while the Ripper was stunned and dragged him behind cover so that he would not get hit or at least he hoped not. I wonder if I could scan the Juni's armor and see if there are any parasites in the Juni or something. He said to himself and scanned the Juni. He saw Saki arrive and smiled in relief. "He is hurt real bad. Arai-hei, can you take the Juni somewhere safe and get back here." Yoshiro said "I am going to need your help. I'll cover you as you get out with the Juni."

He aimed with the AIES preparing to give Saki cover fire. "Let me know when you are going to move and I'll open fire." He said with determination.

Saki arrived only to see Yoshiro above Juni. Juni did nto look good but she hoped any damage to his armour was so minimal, that parasite would not fit through any hole. "Negative Tanaka-hei, let's focus on that Ripper. Just keep stay from Juni and the Ripper wil target us, since we are threats. Moving Juni now would be too dangerous." She said and jumped to nearest cover readying her weapon.

Remembering their failed graduation exercise he nodded to Saki. "Right then. We need to take the Ripper out and get the Juni out of here." He said as he aimed his weapons at the Ripper. "I know, can you get behind him? Maybe if we catch the Ripper in a crossfire we can destroy him quicker. I am sure that he is going to have to turn around and target you to hit you. If you got a better idea though I would like to hear it because I am all out of ideas."

He hoped that Saki would not take what he said in offense as he was not trying to sound mean or condescending at all. He was desperate and honestly afraid that he may not make it out of this.

The Juni's power armor was a mess in the front. The Ripper's weapons torn it apart. However, he still had vital signs. Weak and fluctuating, the prognosis was not very good without medical attention he would most likely die in minutes.

Nearby the two a section of the wall started to shift, it appeared to be opening. But what lay behind it.

Saki ran to area Yoshiro guarded and slided nexto the Juni. She quickly looked at him, covered by the structre pieces, he was before taking the hit. He was badly hurt and did not have much time before him. For a fraction of second an idea came to Saki's mind to let the arrogant bastard die. She found herseld looking at the soon to be corpse and shaked the tought off.

"Yoshiro we get too take that Ripper out soon. I am practically out of missiles, but my barries module is still fine. I will be decoy, while you flank the bastard and take him out. Juni is in bad state, but we can still get him out of here. We just need to take the RIpper out soon." Saki said, and connected to the Juni's PA system ot activate his barrier module to boost his survival chance. SHe then changed her rilfes fire mode to rapid fire and prepared to act as decoy. "On your go Yoshiro." SHe said, making sure to use his first name, making him sure that she believes in him and his abilities.

Kyoka kept her focus towards the ripper until it was at least incapacitated, then finally engaged the four remaining enemies within her area.

The ripper went down in a smoking heap, which soon self destructed with a satisfactory whoompf.

The two closest zombies moved towards Kyoka, armed with handguns. Which bounced harmlessly off Kyoka's armor.

With the ripper finally down, Kyoka was almost ready to help her comrades with their dilemna. There was, however, one problem. Namely, the zombies. So, without sparing a moment, she turned her Aether rifle to rapid fire and shredded the enemy units with searing hot beams of the stuff.

"All right then. Get ready to go on my mark Saki. " Yoshiro said and checked his weapons. Missiles were almost gone but he had enough for two volleys and his aether blade beam rifle was ready to go. He set the rifle to burst and got ready. "Ok, here we go. Three, two, one, mark!" He shouted and ran to flank the beastly Ripper. He fired his beam rifle as he ran to flank in short bursts as he ran.

Saki was trying to calm her breath as she waited for Yoshiro's signal. She prepared her rifle and gauss cannon. Though she will be running around soon getting fired at and her return-fire will be pretty scarce. It will be up to Yosh to take that sucker down. Saki remember Tsubei-heisho's words and bolstered her courage. She was afraid but she won't let that fear control her.

Yoshiro started counting down and Saki prepared. She wanted to just move fast through areas in Rippers field of vision. Her shields were on full and she still had her barrier module. She should be able to get trough two of barrages from Ripper should he hit her. "Mark!" Yoshito said and Saki flew out of her cover, moving very fast but being uncovered. She fired blind burst Ripper's way as she flew.