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

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Ichigo's Daisy armor quivered. It seemed that despite the cut in her helmet, the sprite still lived.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"I'm goin', I'm goin'." said Asher as he hustled off to the first response he got, which was Ichigo's subtle movements. The Malifarian hustled on over to the helm-split sprite, and kneeled down next to her. He placed a hand on her arm and sent her a telepathic message. "Ey', Ichigo, I only got one workin' arm since I split my otha' one at tha' bicep. So, uh, this ain't gunna' be a comfortable trip."

The soldier grabbed one of Ichigo's plates, before sitting her up in an upright position. He then loosed the boarding cable stored in the chest of the Dragoon Shikaku's torso armor. He wrapped the cable around her thighs and secured the Yarvex hook on the loop. With that, he placed his good hand to her back and retracted the cable, securing her legs to his chest, with his hand supporting the rest of the loose weight. To him, it seemed surprisingly clever, and a comfortable, speedier alternative to dragging her.

"Alright, I'm gunna get Ichigo to tha' med-bay, you guys, uh..." declared the Malifarian as he turned back to the rest of them, "Well, I don' think you guys'll be doin' much." And so, Asher stumbled along towards the Med-bay, before sending a message to command.

"This is Asha', reportin'. Freeboss n'Kuro-Juni are livin', but in critical condition. Gunny is got some light burns 'ere n'there an'Mara sounded alright. Currently movin' Ichigo to tha' Med-bay. Requestin' support t'evac tha' wounded." reported Asher as he went along to the med bay.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Kai dropped the rifle when it was out of ammunition, his eyes seeing nothing but a bright light as the grenades and plasma bursts exploded over the battlefield, finally killing Eve. He rubbed his eyes, and slowly regained his sight, the odd lighting of the ship in open space casting a bluish glow from the nearest spacial distortion. The Yamataian shook his head a couple times, and crawled out of his hole, realizing he was standing on the hull of a vessel in space without any form of space suit.

The Yamataian let that thought sink in for a moment as he breathed air provided by the atmospheric retention field keeping it nearby, though it was a bit thinner than that of his helmet, especially after much of it had been consumed during the battle. Slowly, he walked over and watched as Asher checked on and heckled the other pilots, and then found Kyou. Painfully, and with a wince, he pulled off his uniform shirt, the sleeves crumbling off to about the elbow, and threw it to the Neko.

"Here you are, Gunshin-Hei. I know it is more difficult to use your volumetric projections with burned skin, so I hope the cloth does not hurt too much." he said, not looking in her direction exactly, rather watching Asher's odd way of 'rescuing' Ichigo. "Perhaps we should make our way somewhere where the atmosphere is retained by something more solid than a forcefield." the Shirtless Heisho suggested.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

With the battle over, Masako slowly drifted down to the deck until she was sitting on her rear. Grimacing in pain, the young Warrant Officer decided laying upon her back would be more preferable and flopped backwards in her Daisy.

It was pretty hard to breath with her chest burning as if it were on fire, but she knew the Daisy would keep her alive. Releasing her weapons, the raven-haired Neko reached up and pulled her helmet off with a grunt of pain.

"I'm...going to need a bath after this," she muttered before glancing over at the smoldering changing room and grimacing. "....not likely to happen any time soon." she muttered again before taking a deep breath. "Westwood-hei! Report!" she ordered before turning her head to cough up more blood onto the deck.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Dead.

The demon was dead.

Yukari looked at what was left of the corpse of Yamatai's most evil creation and felt nothing. Eve was gone, gone forever thanks to the Signaler ability, but there was still the next opponent. A fight Miharu was not able to take on in her shape.

She quashed that thought train with a deep breath. Chiharu-sama has blessed us. The original sin of our evolution is made right again. Good will surely come of it.

It would have to do.

Yukari's face appeared in the corner of Asher's vision. "Acknowledged, Westwood-Hei."

A pause. Those with still-functioning armors then saw Yukari, too. "Armored personnel, area is secure. Well fought, Black Knights. Medical staff, dispatch to the Wardroom and tend to the wounded. Area is clear of hostility."

Image panels appeared before personnel in the Medical Bay showing who was in the worst condition and the atmospheric status of that area of the ship. Hoshi, at Yukari's request, instructed the armors of the wounded to stand down from combat and focus all efforts on medical care of the pilots.

The Shosa looked over to Miyoko. Nyton would have to be revived. "Please assist the medical staff, Saito-Juni. When Mara is available, I will send her to reactivate the MEGAMI."

Last, but most important. Yukari tried to contact the Taisa through an image panel near Surtur, to ask for her status. Telepathy, she guessed, was not a comfortable means of communication for Kotori for the time being.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Fred said:

Around the moment Masako's SLEX grenade had exploded, Miyoko noticed dramatic changes in Eve's cyberwarfare attack against Hoshi.

At first she didn't know what to make of it. Then as the change went on, she realized that Eve's PANTHEON presence had entirely lost its momentum as it - to all appearances - began to devour itself.

After a few more seconds, the cyberpresence was gone and Hoshi recovered, self-restoring itself from the damage done.

Click to expand...

Miyoko didn't this as a chance to relax just yet. The science officer did her best to help Hoshi as it recovered from the attack, coaxing its previous-invaded systems back online and shoring up their defenses again just in case some new threat immediately showed itself. Fortunately, the quantum computer was able to do this with only a little guidance from her.

Yukari's announcement of the end of hostilities made her finally relax for a moment, looking up from her frantic work on the computer's security for the first time in what felt like hours.

Doshii Jun said:

The Shosa looked over to Miyoko. Nyton would have to be revived. "Please assist the medical staff, Saito-Juni. When Mara is available, I will send her to reactivate the MEGAMI."

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"On my way," Miyoko sighed through her grunt of pain caused by standing up. Though the chief threat had passed for now, she still didn't feel the overwhelming sense of relief she expected--she'd spent half the day expecting to die at any moment, so it was a bit hard to relax after that. Still, with nobody she knew getting shot for the first time in quite a while, it was hard to not feel like things were getting better as she hobbled off toward the medical lab.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Westwood-hei! Report!"

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Asher's stride was interrupted by his Wing Commander's request for a sit-rep. He looked down at Ichigo's caved-in helmet, and then continued on towards the Med-bay.

"I'm carryin' Ichigo to tha' Med-Bay. Everything seemed to calm down after we iced Eve. Naka-boss n'Gunny are good, Tom looked like he was still breathin', Mara sounded alright, Kotoboss might be okay, n'I'm sure your perky chest iss' still perky, despite tha' gapin' hole in it." reported the Malifarian as he strode into the Med-Bay and looked around for someone to assist him. "I just got to tha Med-Bay, y'want me t'come back f'you next?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Grimacing at the situation, Masako shook her head. "No, tend to Ichigo-san and Freeman-juni," she replied before sighing. "Just glad Nekovalkryja don't have hearts," she muttered to herself.

"Gunshin-hei, check on the Taisa's condition. We need to make sure she's okay," the Warrant Officer instructed.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Kyou grimaced, but put the jacket around her. "Clothing isn't much better than nothing at this point, but..." and she pulled the jacket closed around her, "I do appreciate it." She stood up, doing her best to stay covered, and nodded to herself. She glanced over at Masako, a bit worried about her, but nodded again. "On it. Can you move yourself to the Med-Bay, or do we need to help you there?" While she waited for a response to that question, she made her way over to the Taisa's armor, sending a simple text message (or tried to, at least) both to the armor's systems if possible, and the Taisa herself.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Armored personnel, area is secure. Well fought, Black Knights. Medical staff, dispatch to the Wardroom and tend to the wounded. Area is clear of hostility."

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"This is Mobile Medical Unit. We're on our way!" Azumi replied as she and her conscripted caretaker rushed to the decimated wardroom. They paused for a second at the entrance. The destruction was staggering and there were still fires raging unabated. Updates from the system pointed out the most critically wounded pilots. Asher having evacuated Ichigo already they then focused on Tom and Masako.

"I'll handle Freeman-Juni. You tend to Kurohoshi-Juni." Azumi directed while rushing over to treat Tom. She checked the massive gash on Tom's chest and observed his hemosynthetic insert was already working quickly to seal the cut and heal him. Still, the loss of blood was concerning along with any possible organ damage. Tracking down a vein she began to administer hemosynthetic fluid to aide in restoring him after the blood loss. Once the IV was run she began locating the bandages within her bag to try and hold back the bleeding even further. "Just hang in there sir. We'll be able to move you to the medical center soon."

The other 'medic' caretaker turned nurse Miko arrived next to Masako. "Ma'am, let me see the damage here." she said a little uncertainly. The indentation had managed to break several ribs along with her sternum and cause internal bleeding. However it appeared most of the damage was internal. "It looks like it's all internal ma'am. We're going to need to get you to the medical center and treat you further."

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At the medlab where Asher had just delivered Ichigo he was greeted by Ayumu. "Let's bring her over to the hemosynthetic chamber Westwood-Hei." she announced before directing him to an already prepared chamber. "I need to remove the suit from her but if her injuries are as critical as I fear then I want to have her already set up inside the chamber."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Gotcha, Amumu." answered Asher, believing with all his heart that that was the correct way to pronounce Ayumu's name. The Malifarian stepped over to the hemosynth tank and loosed his boarding line, allowing Ichigo to gently sit on the floor, propped against his body. With that, he bent down, unhooked the anchor, and reeled in the line back on his chest.

"Alright, now she ain't bleedin much from no where else otha' than' the face." mentioned Asher, pointing at the grizzly hole in Ichigo's helmet. "I think we can yank her outta' tha' armor, juss'... tha' helmet mighta' got in her face some." With that, Asher grasped a grippable piece of Ichigo's helmet, and pulled up on it, seeing how far he could get off without a reaction.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

In the immediate aftermath, Tom's armor rocked back and forth. His eyes were shut tightly, his face contorted in pain as his body was wracked with spasms.

Random thoughts flared in his mind: names, faces and memories. The thoughts were random and jumbled, each an image of his life scribbled on wax paper then held up to the sun... For just a moment, he would see some recognizable feature of his life.

Something from his childhood. The first medal he received in the Star Army. Cooking dinner for the crew. Dancing with Yukari in the wardroom. His parents. Ralt.

But just as soon as each image came, the thin sheet of paper was burned through, and the blinding pain made him writhe.

A voice.

"Just hang in there sir. We'll be able to move you to the medical center soon."

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An ally? The medical center? No more danger? He thought for a moment, then his Daisy opened before Azumi, revealing Tom's injured form.

The large vertical gash on Tom's chest originated near the bottom of his left breast and descended all the way down to the bottom of his abdomen. Most of the ribs on his left side were sliced through, although this would be hard to tell because the heat from Masako's grenade had cauterized his wounds, a disgusting charred white stripe surrounded by dark black and red skin. A few boils were also present due to the searing effects of the grenade.

"Mngh," Tom moaned. He coughed and gasped for a breath of air. When he spoke, his voice was raspy and weak.

"Tais...a? Is she ... we safe?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Not paying mind to how Asher pronounced her name, Ayumu focused on her patient. As he reached for the helmet though she reached out with her hands to stop him. "Hold up. Do not remove her helmet yet. You may injure her further or at worst it may be the only thing keeping her brains in." she said.

With that she quickly grabbed a scanner to verify that status of Ichigo's head. "If you are certain she has no other wounds than we may begin removal of the Armor."

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Back at the wardroom Azumi listened to Tom's barely audible voice. She only caught it by chance when she was putting her head close to his face to verify his breathing was still somewhat steady.

"Tais...a? Is she ... we safe?

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"Did the Taisa suffer injury? If so then we need to treat her right away. I'm going to make sure you're okay though, alright sir?" she said reassuringly while reaching for some pain killers to administer. She then called over to Miko to try and get triage moving faster.

"Miko, if there's nothing more you can do for the Juni then verify if she can go to the medlab on her own. If so then I need you to continue monitoring Freeman-Juni while I go find the Taisa."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

@Kyou:

Kyou got a return text message.

@Yukari:

The volumetric window Yukari created before Surtur just provided the Shosa with an unappealing external view of the chestplate's claw-marked and half-smelted surface.

A moment later, that window closed and reopened inside Surtur's cockpit cavity. Yukari could see Kotori, but only faintly - the Taisa was in near pitch-black darkness, the only light present being the faint one that was shed by Yukari's volumetric window, one that glinted off Kotori's black hair; that was all Yukari could see as Kotori was hanging her head, her breathing labored.

"She's beaten," Kotori hoarsely told her. "But she's not entirely destroyed. She had a contingency just in case something like this happened."

@Asher:

Ayumu's scan of Ichigo's head revealed that the kama's zesuaium blade had stabbed deeply into her nasal cavity to then slice downward through the roof of the mouth, the upper incisors, the tongue, the lower incisors, and then the lower jaw... while leaving the neck untouched.

Ichigo had been extremely lucky. A few centimeters deeper, and she would've suffered brain and throat damage. At the moment, the sprite was likely delirious from the pain, but it was at least nothing that the hemosynthetic tank couldn't get fixed.

It was also likely a rather ghastly sight. The lower half of her face had effectively been split in two vertically.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Awesome, 'cause I wanna' get back to tha' Wardroom as soon as possible wit' a flamethrower." said Asher as he repositioned Ichigo, and deriving from his own experience as an Armorer, opened her armor up. With that he put one hand under her armpit, lifting her up, and dragging her out of the insert and onto the floor. "I heard, back in tha' old days, n'I mean tha' really old days, they burned witches. I dunno if that wass' tradition, or somethin' superstitious, but I think iss' a little fittin', yeah?" The Malifarian eyed the sprite up and down as she sat perched on the floor.

"So, Amumu, yay or nay on tha' helmet?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Fred said:

"She's beaten," Kotori hoarsely told her. "But she's not entirely destroyed. She had a contingency just in case something like this happened."

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"What?" Yukari's body bristled. Not destroyed? Not dead? The demon lived? Still? After the hell they slashed through to finally eliminate her, she lived?

"P-please explain, Taisa." She tried to steel herself to whatever was coming next.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Tom looked up at Azumi and sighed. He nodded once before relaxing where he was, going limp and trying not to move so that the medic could tend to his injuries.

"Thank you."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Ayumu observed the scan report and nodded. "It should be safe enough to remove the helmet but it is going to be messy." she warned. Utilizing Asher's assistance she worked quickly to remove the helmet and suit. Upon the removal of the helmet the two halves of Ichigo's lower face began to pour out blood despite the regenerative nature of her body. Some of the spray would threaten to hit them while they sought to remove the rest of her Armor. Needless to say it would be messy business but it was necessary to get Ichigo prepared for the hemosynth chamber.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Masako grimaced at the diagnosis from Miko and nodded. "Understood," the Warrant Officer replied as she sat up, gritting her teeth in pain. She let the armor do most of the work as she slowly stood up. When she was finally standing up straight, she disconnected the plasma rifle and all the attached armament.

The raven-haired Neko knew she was probably damaging herself even more by doing this, but she thought it would be best if she walked to the Medical Center on her own. "I'll be on my way then," she replied as she began to walk steadily out of the wardroom.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

@Asher:

If Asher had thought seeing Kotori after her fight against Amaya with one cheek blown out had been disturbing, the sight of Ichigo was even more so.

The cut through the nose was nasty, but mundane enough. It was the two halves of the sprite's lower jaw that were a macabre sight, like a pair of malformed dangling insect mandibles.

@Yukari:

"Eve's PANTHEON presence had contact beyond the Blue Rift," Kotori told Yukari. "She had a trail of several satellites equipped with quantum entanglement communication systems to provide her consciousness near instant access to outside this region of unstable space."

"Those lead to several of her own PANTHEON nodes throughout known spaces, nodes tied to small safehouses from where she could respawn and have enough resources on hand to start recuperating from any losses."

"Those I thwarted when I took over. They won't be a problem - I had the PANTHEON presence engage copy-protection measures to total those locations," the Taisa assured. "The problem is the contingency Eve had beyond that."

"Eve had disconnected locations which were designed to revive the previous NH-17T version of herself after one year would pass without a new ST backup being recorded," Kotori's eyes opened to look back at Yukari, the volumetric window's weak ambient light catching in her amber irises. "She had three such sites whom she each visited separately every 4 months."