RP: YSS Miharu Mission 5, Part 2: The Fight For The Lost

@black Knights:

The teeth of Nyton's makeshift chainsaw ripped at the Yama-dura alloyed armor, steadily digging into the material and the more tender insides of Rin's Daisy armor. A loud grating whine sounded out as the Taii went along his grisly task, blood frothing with foamy bubbles where he cut.

It was a grisly task, one that splattered an abundant amount of blood spray about, staining the pale slime of the floor, Rin's armor and Arethusa's front and perhaps even Shikamaru's legs with ruby-red droplets.

Despite its wearer's distress, the AIES of Rin's armor was very well aware of what was happening and had already implemented measures to preserve its user as well as it could. As Nyton cut, viscous HS blood poured out of the cut insert and as Nyton's implement proceeded through Rin's upper abdomen, the substance followed to cover the to-be-exposed raw flesh to shield it and stopper up the bleeding.

Nimura did not understand why Yukari had insisted in propping up Rin like a tree to be cut down, but as Nyton finished his cut the sprite lunged forward and seized Rin's severed upper halve - losing no time in lifting the slimy-red underside from the lower body to avoid any last second with invasive nanomaterial.

As the AIES implemented measures to have its wearer Rin become comatose to put her in stasis, the lower legs flopped down to the floor. It seemed like Arethusa's apendages had been ineffective in countering the spreading traces of NH-18 inside: from the exposed 'upper end' of the Daisy's lower body, steaming guts spilled out along with enough blood to make for an impressive red puddle. Amongst the entrails, grayish-filaments enjoined with the exposed meat stirred and twitched.

Nyton quickly realized that he had been in error. He originally thought that the insert would be sufficient in keeping Rin contained within the upper half of the suit. Apparently Nimura had known otherwise and reacted in time to prevent the upper half from falling and getting infected by the NH-18 nanomachinery. Upon completing his task he then observed the lower half and scanned it for any information Arethusa could retrieve. He withdrew the nodal tentacles that had been attacking it previously before sending out two spears to isolate a tiny fragment of the nanomachine infection before cutting it off from the rest of the mass. Keeping it away from him, Arethusa encased it in a tendril that remained apart from the main body. As it did so, Arethusa attempted to cautiously analyze it and further understand the makeup along with why it had become ineffective before stepping away from Rin's lower half. Nyton figured if they could not learn anything from this tiny fragment then he would just toss it to the ground and let Asher torch it like the rest.

"Everyone step back. Westwood, torch the lower half once everyone is clear and eliminate this thing." Nyton comm'd over the shared Knight net.

Asher stood still, still as a statue as Nyton tore through Rin's body. There was something strange in him when he watched the grizzly instrument do its work. This suddenly felt wrong, terribly wrong, but what alternative did they have? What alternatives could they even think of? Besides throwing themselves to Melisson, there was nothing. Being taken out of battle like this, there was no honor, no satisfaction.

Masako died in battle, but despite the ways she died, she died on her two feet, fighting. Nyton died in battle, preventing something just like this, but did so on his own terms, as a man. Kai died in battle, but did so against an overwhelming foe. So many of the sprites had died in battle, fighting or striving for whatever they held dearest to them. Even Miharu perished in the blaze of war.

But this? As Asher saw it, no soldier deserved this. No one deserved to be simply removed like this. The mere suddenness of the realization caused him to shudder for a second, bringing one of his armored hands to his head. Once he recovered, he felt it was no longer relevant. There was no more time.

"Everyone step back. Westwood, torch the lower half once everyone is clear and eliminate this thing." Nyton comm'd over the shared Knight net.

Click to expand...

"Yes sir!" answered the Malifarian as he stepped forward, spattered boots decorated in the morbid designs of blood-shed. He raised his Flamethrower and looked back at those around him, making sure they were clear, and then toasted the remnants of the lower half.

Yukari was relieved when Rin stopped feeling.

Strangely, she recalled parts of Nepleslian history when battles were waged without effective medical techniques to treat the injured. The results were horrific.

Rin was a Nekovalkyrja. She would survive, Yukari told herself.

@black Knights:

Asher let loose with a gout of plasma fire that broiled to cinders the gore that had spilled out, but the yama-dura alloy was too tough to conveniently turn to lag and he knew from the leg punctures that the nano-material was likely spreading further down the leg as well.

Using his plasma torch - a more focused implement than the flame thrower - the Malifarian smelted open the power armor, after which more flamethrower action insured that were would be no sign left of the NH-18 aside from the tiny bit Nyton had taken out.

Arethusa's analysis did not have much to yield that Nyton didn't already know. The NH-18 was an adaptive nanomachine colony that was used as a weapon. Arethusa's nodal composition was defensive and thus more stable. The M8's material could resist, isolate and quarantine but it could not actively combat and eliminate the more aggressive nanomaterial by design. Partly because it was experimental, partly for the wearer's safety.

As Nimura placed Rin into Yuzuki's care, Hinoto spoke: "The observation deck should be just further ahead this ramp," she reminded them.

The ramp itself climbed up a distance of 40 meters from where they stood. The slime receded about midway, leaving more familiar metal flooring. Most of the bug mishhu that might have lingered in the area appeared to be gone.

Satisfied by the analysis but not so much with the results Nyton immediately set the chunk of the NH-18 down via nodal tendril onto the scorched remains of the lower Daisy half. He aimed deliberately for one of the portions that was still super heated and likely to eliminate the sample but just to be sure he messaged Asher.


Nyton listened to Hinoto's report and gave a nod as he recognized the area. "Everyone, check your ammo, reload magazines, get yourselves set. Next rush is in twenty seconds."

Nyton checked everyone's status via AIES; ammunition, Armor status, physical condition, etc. While doing this he loaded a fresh magazine into his LASR and messaged his fellow officers.

Kai continued to not look. He was eager to move on, not wanting to be in this spot any more. they had lingered much too long, suffered too much loss, and wasted too much ammunition. they needed to finish their mission, and the only way was to move on. The Yamataian's impatience began to show, as he muttered over the general comms

"I don't care what we do with her we just need to move. Keep her or leave her it won't matter if we're too late."

It seemed callous, and indeed was, but it did underline a point- they were taking a lot of time that they did not have in order to care for someone who would only slow them down in a fight. He didn't say that last part out loud though- The Yamataian was annoyed, not heartless.

"Gotcha, Clayboss." responded Asher, raising his flamethrower for another blast of flames. With his mind already wondering elsewhere at the close of this, he began to feel sad again. He was using his flamethrower on this dead body, more than he had used it on anyone else thus far in the mission. Despite those thoughts, he provided a well-enough sweep of the charred corpse, before finishing up, and turning off towards the destination.

Yukari shook her head at Nyton. She was fine with her one weapon.

"Yuzuki-san, you are in charge of Rin. You will stay at the edge of the deck with her and protect her." She took to the air and pointed with her revolver. "Let us go, Black Knights. Battle awaits us."

She led them to the edge of the observation deck, echoes of Rin's screaming bouncing inside her head.

@Black Knights:

The ramp - it's flooring more practical metal plating - ended before a similar heart-valve-shaped armored doorway. Before breaching it became a concern, the portal expanded open.

What lay beyond - what Hinoto termed the 'observation room' - was slightly smaller than Miharu's wardroom had been. Their entryway seemed to be on the starboard end of the chamber which was a rough half-circle shape - the opposite hatch likely lead to a portside mirror of the ramp they had gone up. Two tables with chairs lined the straighter walls to the left, and midway a new ramp rose up to yet another armored hatch.

The chamber was only dimly lit, and much of the luminosity came from the radiance shed from numerous large volumetric displays that hovered in mid-air, an insubstantial tapestry covering the curved convex walls. The images depicted went from various sensor scan displays of the sea of opponents assailing Miharu's wreck, to the rising bell curves of power distribution diagrams that tracked the give and take between energy reserve and power buildup in significant systems, and psionic wave readouts tied to the operations of the flagship's powerful amplifiers.

At the center on these displays was a fleshy-looking chair upon which reclined a waifish yamataian female that was in her midteens. Long crimson hair stirred air current blowing through the newly opened door - the glow of volumetric displays having pinpricks of light dance over her wavy mane - as she stood up and turned her wine-red eyes upon the soldiers that entered her sanctum. The fleshy chair she had sat on melted and receded into the floor. Even though she was physically diminutive next to any of them, from the moment she had stood up, there was the sense that her presence filled the chamber.

Armored only in a stained babydoll dress, the Mishhuvurthyar Interpreter Melisson faced the yamataian power armors. "Welcome, Black Knights," she greeted them.

"That's Melisson?" asked Asher aloud to the room, never quite having had the opportunity to see the interpreter before, despite his in-direct involvements in the past. This was the woman that had commanded and coerced fleets of Mishhu to attack and destroy. Many of his friends, mentors, and comrades had been paved over by her path to glory. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but raise a certain issue. He pointed at the woman, and looked back at the rest of them, before drawing his hand back to his head. "Who would'a thought she'd look so... bangable. I mean, give'r a few years and I'd probably tap that. I'd tap that all ova' tha' god damn place. On tha' wall, on tha' floor, in tha' kitchen, in tha' bathroom. Hell! I'd probably tap it in here! Shit. If it weren't f'all thass' happened, I'd almost call killin' potential ass like that a waste."

Melisson's lips twitched as they threatened to expand into a grin before she hid them behind the back of her hand to cover up amused giggling coaxed out by Asher's words.

It was hard not to label it as cute. In other venues, it might have been charming.

As Nyton entered the room he could recognize the setting. It was as though he were stepping back in time, minus the presence of the insufferable Lorath. Here was where it began. This was the place he had been infected. Without realizing it he was glancing over at the spot he had been standing when he defended Melisson at Hanako's order. Right there, the chair which had been her repose before it dissolved away.

Thar she be.

No, it is just her representative. Her true form lies elsewhere. This is just one of the pieces of her game. As expendable as a pawn according to the reports from the multi-nation meeting.

Then WHAR could her true form be?

I seriously doubt she will be very forthcoming with that information.

Then what good is thar in wastin' time banterin' wit 'er?

None.

Enough time was wasted already. Nyton had a princess to save and a crew to protect. If Melisson wanted to spill some existential reasoning or trot out another psychological game then she could do so in other ways. It was much like before when Yukari made her decision not to engage in negotiation with Ume or waste time with Kotori-C's villainous dialogue. No sooner had Asher spoken and caused Melisson to giggle then Nyton wasted no time raising his LASR at her and open fire. There was no malice in the defiance but there was definitely a burning in his blood to see Melisson die. One piece at a time if need be.

LASR metal hail ripped across Yukari's armored flank, jostling the XO as her barrier was been reduced to nearly nothing. Had Nyton not quickly stopped his attack, she probably would have lost her sensor package.

That had not been where Nyton had been aiming! That had not been the direction where he had leveled his weapon at. And yet the moment he fired, he had suddenly realized - to his shock - that he was actually firing at one of his allies. His thoughts whirled at the implications... but as far as he could tell, he had all his reasoning!

Melisson girlishly put her hands behind her back. "I wouldn't advice doing that again," she helpfully adviced them, her voice sounding well-meaning.

"Nice shot, Clay-boss. I'm thinkin' I understand why I'm havin' naughty thoughts 'bout someone who looks sixteen now." commented Asher, leaning forward to look at Nyton's target. "Then again, I keep picturin' here at twenty, so that might juss' be me."

Tom gave Yuzuki a nod as he bade her farewell. "Take care of her. We will return."

His last parting look at Rin caused tears to well in his eyes. He blinked them away and then turned to what lay ahead.

Mellison was... different than what he had expected. In person, she seemed as small as before, but he sensed a definite power coming from her. He was just about to start scanning the room when Nyton opened fire on Yukari!

He whirled his LASR towards Nyton, dumbfounded at what the Taii had done, but lowered it when he heard Melisson speak. There was definite tension in the room, and he dared not do anything before he had a firm grip on the situation.

He secretly wished Asher would stop talking.

He looked around the room, allowing his sensor suite to provide him any extra information about their surroundings it could.

Why am I not surprised? Nyton grimly thought to himself as he took possession of his bearings. Refusing to allow the shock to linger he immediately stifled it with a solemn grin and faced Melisson. He stepped forward this time, moving away from the others and putting himself at the fore of everyone. His mind raced over the possibilities of how Melisson had accomplished this. Had it been spatial distortion? Maybe illusionary redirection? Did she muddle his senses so that his targeting would be off? Worst of all, was it only him? Had Hinoto's gambit failed and he found himself still under her control?

Arethusa, review the data and determine what happened. Did I AIM for Yukari or was I somehow thrown off? he thought while calmly sifting over his options. He had to find a solution.

he privately messaged Yukari.

"I'm surprised you bothered. I thought the destruction of your little puppet here didn't matter to you." Nyton said over the suit's loudspeaker, glaring at her from behind his helmet.

Arethusa answered Nyton. Nyton knew the AIES reponded. but he didn't understand what the AI told him - it was like it was speaking a foreign language he could not comprehend.

"Rest easy, Nyton. You still have free will - you all do," Melisson fondly answered, referring to his thoughts, rather than to his spoken words.

Though for all intent and purposes Nyton had sent a telepathic message to Yukari, Yukari did not actually receive it.

Language is out. Image based feedback is also likely out. It's like I'm being cut off from the others. Nyton pondered.

"Fine then, if you don't want us to kill your representative we won't bother. Get out of the way so we can kill your true body!" he sharply ordered.

Melisson grinned slightly, but offered Nyton's order no acknowledgment.

"You have come this far, under great adversity," Melisson told them all. "You have earned your audience with me. It would be unfortunate to squander it with meaningless posturing."