RP: YSS Miharu Mission 5, Part 1: Amaya's Gate

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

@Amaya's Gate:

"Sorry. They all looked a lot alike to me... and the mental probe stopped shortly after I, ah, borrowed it," Kotori confided back to Masako and Nyton.

* * *

The Black Knights went on the move. The trio of Nyton, Asher and Ichigo went first, then followed by the duo of Masako and Kyou. The rest trailed behind, covering their rear against the unexpected.

60 meters forward, a telepathic "Now!" from the enemy nekos forewarned the attack. Four nekovalkyrja shot down the shaft - easily identifiable as sisters of the youngling they had fought back on Bowhordia (seeing how hairstyle and clothing was their only point of identification, Kotori's difficulty in visually distinguishing them made more sense now). Tentacle-coils cushioned the hard fall, all four swiftly righting themselves to face the Black Knight line-abreast.

The two Eve-younglings at the center inched back, their postures much as if they were bracing for attacks, while the two on the outer sides - bearing what looked like small toolkits, flinged them forward to toss out dozens of small metal spheres that dribbled down the floor with a cacophony of metallic pangs while the nekomachina above revealed their upper torsos over the ceilings edge, LASR's at the ready.

Their opening attacks were swiftly executed. The silvery metallic spheres shot into telekinetic motion, while the nekomachina above began firing armor-piercing rounds while flinging out high-explosive grenades at the leading group - Nyton's.

Nyton's group tensed, ready to counter-attack or dodge - while Masako and Kyou tried to get a bead of the nekomachina to support the leading trio... but it turned out the situation quickly changed.

Armor-piercing LASR rounds ricocheted off walls, having been deflected in midair. High-explosive grenades apparently misfired, ending up detonating right next to the firing nekomachinas and even the plumes of those explosions shot toward Nyton, Ichigo and Asher only to be dispersed away by some invisible wall. Half the ball bearings deviated from their intended targets like the AP rounds, but the other half reversed course, cutting back to maul into the four NH-25 nekos: two crumpled back, badly wounded, while the two others were instantly killed courtesy of head strikes that crunched through their skulls to messily pulp their brains.

Chunks of destroyed nekomachina rained down, and save for the two wounded, badly shaken daughters of Eve... it looked like the enemy had fought against themselves... and lost.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Woo, now that went well." said Asher out loud, and let out a low whistle at the aftermath of the sudden attack, and it's imminent failure. He looked around for a moment, scanning for any anomaly that signified further attack. He tilted his head at the wounded and dead Nekos, and then pulled out his flamethrower.

"Welp, less' clean up!" the Yamataian stepped forward, and tapped the trigger on his flamethrower on the two dead Nekos, desecrating their already dead bodies. Then, as he approached the two remaining Nekos, he leveled the plasma thrower on one and spoke. "A f'effort," then he let loose three seconds of fire on one neko, and then switched to let loose three seconds of fire on the other, "and A f'execution, eh heh heh heh."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

There was, truthfully, very little dead bodies could do against plasma flames so they were nearly instantly vaporized. So was Asher's first victim. The second, though, dodged the white-hot sheets of plasma he sprayed at her in a somersault (he wasn't exactly sure how she managed that with tentacles for legs - he'd have to watch the replay in slow motion later).

Shortly after she was out of the killing zone, she flung her hands out towards them, glaring daggers as she yelled "Burn, you bitches!"

At which point her body promptly stiffened as flames erupted from her orifices - mouth, nostrils, eyes, ears - before her whole body immolated by itself. She briefly tossed and twisted around in agony before she fell to the ground, already reduced to charred bones and disturbingly little calcinated flesh.

Above the vertical shaft, two nekos were looking down, mouths gaping and eyes wide with horror. Arms snaked out to seize them and pull them back out of sight.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Asher jumped back, and raised up his flamethrower at a defensive standpoint, figuring he wouldn't have the time to switch weapons. The Yamataian, however, would find himself unsatisfied as the Neko in front of him burned to death by what seemed her own will. He stared at the body for a second, before looking up to see any other combatants. When he spotted the Nekos, he raised up his forearm blaster and popped off a few shots, but wasn't quick enough to score anything as they were pulled away.

An audible growl escaped his from his helmet's speaker, as he reequipped his plasma rifle. His Daisy was then enveloped into the therm-optic camo, deciding to take a hidden approach to any more ambitious enemies.

"Okay, somebodies' gunna' have t'explain this'n t'me." said Asher, ready to continue forth, but still a little confused, and angered.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Wish I could, bud. Did we have 'friendly' help on that one?" Kyou looked towards Nyton, confused. "Because I didn't think we had that kind of resources."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

At the scene of utter decimation Nyton almost let out a chuckle as their enemies attacks were literally thrown back onto them. Before he could follow through Asher had already stepped up to ensure the enemy forces were dead. He relished seeing the two corpses and wounded neko being consumed by the flamethrower. The sight of the pyrokinesis being turned back upon it's user only confirmed his idea on just what just happened.

This had surpassed everything he imagined possible for Kotori's abilities. Before he could throw plasma streams up at the gawkers they had been pulled back out of view. The battle was still afoot and they had to move fast to capitalize on the utter destruction of the first wave.

"Don't let this chance get wasted! Team One, advance! We're going up! Team Two, follow below and cover us! Team Three you cover the rear!" Nyton commanded over the comm as he rushed forward to lead the charge. Before initiating gravimetric propulsion he sent out a wide spiral plasma spout from his right hand that flew up ahead of him. As he he took off he then followed up with SLAG rounds set to detonate at the top of the shaft entrance where the enemy had last been seen.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Now thass' what I'm talkin' about!" said Asher, and activated his own thrusters, while switching to his Gauss Bazooka. He took up Nyton's right flank in the air, and kept his rifle raised to aim and/or hit the first thing that popped in his sights. Perhaps this time, they'd actually get to kill their enemies, instead of having to set through another failed ambush.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

A quick switch back to her Plasma Rifle and Masako was on Team 1's heels with a motion to Kyou to follow. The young Warrant Officer continually swept her surroundings with both sensors and weapon as she readied herself to counter any attacks.

While she was concentrating on protecting her comrades for the moment, part of her mind couldn't help but ponder the way her enemies had died. It was disturbing to watch some of them die to their own powers, but such ways were better than her allies suffering from them.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

As Kai advanced to cover the teams in front of him, He spoke up about his idea to the rest of the Black Knights. "It seems like our 'guest' is a bit stronger than we expected. Makes you wonder just what goes on in this Empire." The Gauss Bazooka traced lines around the air, searching for a target, the Yamataian's finger ready to begin firing any moment he saw something worth killing.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Nao doggedly stayed awake. "N-Nao. I'm Nao." She spoke to Ayumu, forcing out the words despite the lack of pain. Yes, the edges around her back were hurting, but for some reason, the spot where the AMES backpack was at didn't even so much as feel a thing. It wasn't entirely credible to the painkillers or any pain signal blocking, but more to do with the fact that the burns were deep enough to destroy most of the nerves around there. In all probability, it went down to the muscle and bone. "Yuzuki ordered...me here. Please." Nao looked to Ayumu, eyes pleading. "Just a quick patch, so. So I can get back to the engines."

Even as she said that, the sprite had a sinking feeling she was already replaced.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Kyou followed, deciding not to comment on Kai's statement. Honestly, I just haven't seen enough of this universe to decide something like that... Instead, she opted to keep her attention focused ahead of them, keeping her rifle at the ready. Plus, it's not like I feel like complaining about it. Every fight we don't have to deal with makes it a bit easier on us.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

@Amaya's Gate:

Nyton, Asher, Ichigo and then joined up with Masako and Kyou... had their power armors cresting above the edge of the vertical passage to hover above one side of the control room.

There was a single nekovalkyrja facing them. Her shoulder-length black hair was stirring from the scalding heat of the floor and her pale skin was marred with painful-looking burns - Nyton's grenade had not left her unscathed. With only a knife in hand, her blue eyes glared at them fiercely.

The other nekos were absent - AIES sensors registered them as having taken cover out of sight beyond the other passageway. There was the buzz of encrypted telepathic chatter going on, but this time they did not have insight in what was being said.

Facing down gauss bazookas, plasma rifles and LASR; she lost no time and yelled: "Don't fire! We surrender!"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Kotori was either out of range or not focusing on breaking the encrypted telepathy. Nyton decided that it was dangerous to possibly be out of range of Kotori's psionic reflection and that the surrendering neko was likely a sacrificial spotter. If that was indeed the case then he would happily oblige.

Wasting no time Nyton pushed himself up with his gravimetric propulsion into a flip. During the flip that was being propelled by his momentum he lashed out with all three available plasma projectors. The streams flared out and tightly swooped in to strike from above and both flanks of the neko leaving only her fore open. With the streams on track to it's target Nyton then 'landed' a few feet above the floor, gravimetric propulsion activating, in a crouch with his LASR pointed right at the neko. Upon landing he fired a three round burst of HE rounds from his LASR.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

@Amaya's Gate:

Nyton's Super Phalanx's power readings made a dramatic drop as he used his plasma projectors along with gravimetric flight, causing him to stall and unceremoniously crash down to the floor on all fours.

However, his assault had been more than sufficient to kill the wounded NH-27. She had shied away from the first plasma stream but the second brushed against her and vaporized her.

There were cries of dismay which rose from the other passageway, and the five remaining lifeform readings darted away at a breakneck speed of 100kph (as fast as neko flight could allow). The control room was theirs.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Upon crashing Nyton immediately rolled back up to the ready as quickly as he could, the pleasure in killing almost sullied by frustration due to the ungracious landing he suffered.

"Dammit Telemachus, cut off the gravimetric drive faster next time! We can't have another stall out like that!" the man said angrily to the combat computer.


The PHALANX's sensors picked up the sounds coming from the other passage that had come from the remaining neko along with the readings of their flight.

Hmph maybe they really were serious about surrendering that time. the Nepleslian thought while he motioned to the others.

"Don't let them get away! Finish them off before they can escape!" Nyton ordered to the rest of the team. It seemed the enemy was genuinely on the run and he hoped they would be able to reach Meni and Mani before Surtur was activated.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Asher kept scanning around for more targets to take on as their leader took down the surrendering Neko. From the corner of his eyes, he watched the display. To him, it was boring to kill an enemy that didn't fight back, but it reminded of reasons why people surrendered. One, they lacked the ability to fight any further, and do not want to die. Two, they're trying to lull the other party in a false sense of security. In this situation, he surmised, it was the second. Either way, the enemy was best just ignored, and killed. Still, something about Nyton's assault reminded him of Sanri's death.

As he recalled the end of the sprite, he find a similarity in how she died, and the neko in front of him. It was quick, indiscriminate, and showed how serious their side was in this battle. In a way, Asher gained a new-found respect for Nyton, for knowing to stay relentless in a charge.

"Don't let them get away! Finish them off before they can escape!"

Click to expand...

The walking war crime of a soldier raised his Plasma Rifle and checked the activity of his camo, before blasting headlong after the fleeing Nekos. "Yes sir!" responded Asher in submission to command, his rifle raised as he pursued the enemy. He was ready to open fire on any opponent that fled or charged his line of sight.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

@Amaya's Gate:

Ichigo initially had a brief spurt of speed to catch up, but her situation readings showed the stealthed Asher ahead of her. With a gauss bazooka as her present weapon of choice and a friendly in the way, with soft targets as opposition... it felt to her like she would be more useful accessing the control consoles they had just secured.

"Gunshin-Hei!" She called out before tossing her gauss bazooka for the other nekovalkyrja to catch. "I'll access these consoles and see if I can cut off their retreat by activating emergency shutters."

* * *

Meanwhile, Asher had zipped down to see the five nekos ahead of him, on the verge of zipping out into the next power reactor chamber and out of his line of sight.

A squeeze of his rifle's trigger and he vaporized the neko lagging behind.

The next nekovalkyrja ahead - a NH-17T, made recognizable as a psionic nekovalkyrja for the short horn in the middle of her forehead - drifted to a stop, crying out a grief-stricken "Yasuna!" before realizing stopping to cry out had been a really bad idea seeing she ended up facing the transparent form of Asher's Daisy power armor on her own. Gritting her teeth, she extended her hands out before her.

It looked like she might be trying to somehow protect herself. Asher fired anyways, struck her dead on and killed her as well.

There were three nekos remaining, and they still had a lead on him.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Two tango's down, three t'go." radioed the Malifarian to the Squad.

Y'not gettin' away from me. growled Asher in his thoughts as he strafed left and right to avoid any loose body parts. Killing them like this normally wasn't all too thrilling, but since they were technically routing the enemy, it was at least tactically satisfying.

He felt a personal joy as he locked on his enemies' range and angle. Satisfying his reason for being, and enjoying it at the same time was almost blissful, and made it easier to forget extraneous things beyond the combat. So, as he focused on his ordered targets the Yamataian gripped the Rapid Grenade Launcher attachment of his Plasma Rifle and used his AIES to assist him in adjusting for a decent trajectory.

Killing you n'securin' this station iss' my one purpose in bein' alive. Asher fired three rapid shots from his RGL, sending three incendiary round sailing through the air, not to strike the Nekos, but to strike the paneling or flooring nearest them for a fiery, splash damage effect. I ain't gunna fail. followed that, with another volley of Plasma fire from his rifle.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Kyou, startled, almost didn't catch the bazooka when it was thrown to her. "Wha- oof!" More surprised then rocked, she stumbled back a foot or so before stopping. Damn it. I wish she'd give a bit more warning then that. Scowling inside her helmet, she stepped back up glaring at her. "Careful, Asher. Even if they're running, they're still dangerous."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Tom bit his tongue in disgust at the sight of the battle which had quickly devolved into a massacre. He had made it a point to transition to a position in the guard where he didn't have to fire on fleeing or surrendering enemies.

But now was not the time to debate the morals of what they were doing. As Asher charged on ahead, wholeheartedly intent on completing his objectives, the engineer carefully approached the control panel's center to familiarize himself with the controls. Their main objective was to take control of the gate, after all.