RP: ISC Phoenix [Mission 6] - The Trounce of Tami

Luca thought for a moment. He'd only fought a Mishhu once, but it was terrifying before it turned out to be a fake, "When I first saw one, I was completely unarmed, and hurt - but I charged at it and booted it in the face, then ran - but..." Luca replied, pausing for a moment.

"Turns out when my old crew were captured by Mishhu, somewhere in transit, the YSE 1st Fleet discovered our distress beacon and saved us - and to avoid us going completely nuts, they put us in a simulation of a Mishhu ship. And to add insult to injury, our commanding officer sent us on a suicide mission," He sighed lightly, rubbing his back, "Tell you what - the simulation, it felt real, smelt real, hurt real bad too..." He hunched slightly.

"But it was electrifying...!" Luca's unmistakable smirk came on as he straightened his posture, "The real thing will be even more fun to kill - now that we've got the hardware!"

"Really?" Allison replied, "They do that sometimes... also, I think while your friends over there have chainguns," She pointed to them, "They won't be any good unless you load them with something like Plasma-container bullets."
Sebastian, who was manning a chaingun with Mel in the truck sighed, "She's right, this will only rattle them up at best, but won't make serious wounds. Do you have any of that sorta ammo here?"
"Probably not." Allison sighed.

Suddenly a crate could be heard thumping down with a parachute draped over it just next to the truck.
"Scratch that thought," Luca smiled as he got out of the truck and read a note on the metre by metre by metre-big crate.

Mr. and Mrs. Merchant said:

I had a feeling I recognised you from somewhere, Mr. Pavone.
I tuned into the other recordings, heard the one where someone wanted to appeal to save Tami - and the voice - it was yours. I did some further research, and found that you were responsible for the Delsauria Halogli incident, and taking on that Cain bastard.
Here's a special gift to help you and your crew win the battle, free of charge.

Love, Mr. & Mrs. Merchant.

PS: Do drop by in the future. Same price as always, just for you.

Click to expand...

Luca put the note in a pocket, pried the crate open with his hands, and found ample amounts of Plasma-yielding bullets fit for Vincent's 30mm Chaingun, and Plasma-yielding Shotgun shells. 200 12 Gauge-size for personal shotguns, and a backpack worth of 16 gauge for the Deviance gatling-shotgun.
72 extra 40mm Plasma grenades were there too, and three spare M'Cel launchers.

"Thanks." He smiled, looking to the skies, noticing a faint twinkle.
"Hot damn!" Mel exclaimed, jumping out and inspecting the contents, "Dibs on a grenade launcher."
"Really, this had to happen," Mitch smirked to himself as he wandered over, "Convenient, if not staged."

Sebastian also jumped off the truck in shock, "By Lewis Pasco!" He picked up a drum of 30mm chaingun ammo, lifting it over to the truck.
"Fuck me sideways," Allison said, agape. She looked at Luca, "Did you organise this?"
He shrugged nonchalantly, "Not really. Good things come to me sometimes, y'know? Do good things, get god things in return?"

Jim messaged Luca from within the Big Bird, "What was that noise? Arin is wondering if you bought even more supplies."
"Jim, it's our ticket to success," He replied.

"Well by the Maker," Vincent said as he hopped off the back of the ORV (which sprang up in the air in response) and looked over at the box. "Looks like Lewis Pasco's spirit passed us on a little present." Vincent hefted one of the M'Cel launchers and the backpack of plasma-yielding 16 gauge shells.

"I'll get these installed straight-away." Vincent then went back to his truck and started loading the shells into his new Deviance.

Robert stowed away his SMG and grabbed the last launcher. "I think this would be better than what I have now." He said as he looked over it. "Now how do I load this thing?"

"Like this." Luca instructed Robert, getting his own M'Cel out, and opening it like a flare gun, taking the 40mm shell out, and putting it back in, then snapping it shut with a flick of the wrist, "Simple, see?"

Mel looked at an analogue chronometer that had Delsauria's time on it, and then frowned, "These Mishhu might take 'eir sweet time coming, I propose we rest, and get some battle plans laid a bit further, y'know, as to who defends where."

Luca snapped his fingers, or tried to. The armour wouldn't let him, "Sound plan, everyone dismount, and we'll figure this out." He turned off the engine in his vehicle and jumped out, heading back to the outpost.
"Noted," Allison said, sending the message along to Saeko, then getting a reply, broadcasting it to the Phoenix crew, "Saeko says it's a good idea. Says we should regroup just outside the outpost."

Luca waited for the others to come along as he stopped, halfway to the outpost, Saeko touched down in front of him, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. She waited for the others in her crew to touch down, one by one, as Luca waited for his to come along.

Vincent shrugged mightily, sitting down in the back of the ORV. "With all due respect, sir, I'd rather man the guns over here. Someone has to pull security."

Jim messaged Luca, Yo, Luca, I think Arin can handle things pretty well here, but I think I can do far more good if I was to come with you. If someone gets wounded out there on the battlefield, who are you going to be able to call. I have my Airbike here still, so I could follow you guys pretty well. If you could toss me a weapon of some sort, I could even run interference. Waddaya say?

Robert nodded understandingly as Luca instructed him how to use his gun. As the message from the top Neko was passed along, Robert hopped out with Luca. "This outta be fun," He remarked out loud to no one in particular.

"We have turrets there, see?" Allison answered Vincent's question, pointing to the top of the outpost, at the various automatic, and manned turrets, "A fair chunk of them for central defences - we sometimes use them for target practice." She chuckled.

"Jim," Luca messaged his doctor back, "As much as I'd like you to get into the thick of it, you don't have an armour - I'm worried if you get hit with something. However, we do have a spare grenade Launcher for grabs if you want to come out and help us anyway. Just be careful."

Luca and Saeko quickly exchanged quick salutes, then got down to business.

"So you and your crew are mostly land-based fighters, correct?" Saeko asked.
"Yep," Luca responded, "And I've got 3 offroad trucks, armed with weapons that can take on the Mishhu from land and to a lesser extent, air - but not space."

"Three trucks, eh?" She said, rubbing her chin, "In that case, I've got 30 Daisies and 10 Mindies." The assembled troops nodded, "I'll assign 3 of the daisies and one Mindy each to your trucks to help you. The other 7 Mindies, and 21 Daisies come with me to defend the base." She then looked to her troops again, and motioned them to follow Luca and his crew.

With that action, 9 Yamataian pilots in Daisies, and 3 in Mindies came forward, walked past Luca and stood at their respective trucks. One Mindy and three Daisies each to follow them.
"We'll watch from the skies, and warn you of incoming threats," One of the Mindy pilots said, passing by.
"I've heard your kind are good at fighting," An unnamed daisy pilot complimented Vincent on his ID-SOL structure as she walked by.

"That's all well and good - but how should WE defend?" Mel asked from the back.
"I'm glad you asked. Since you all have additional support for each truck," Saeko replied, nodding at Mel's question, "I suggest that one truck monitors a third of the perimeter."

"Then we have a plan," Luca observed, smiling, giving a firm handshake to Saeko, before saluting again, and turning back to his crew, and the additional troops, "Okay, get back to the trucks and get into position!" He commanded, "Once they come, we'll be ready."

Robert snapped into a sharp military salute, one from seeing too many military movies. "Sir! Yes! Sir!" he said in an anticlimaticly low voice.

"Not just good," Vincent replied to the unseen Daisy pilot, "I'm the best there is."

Jim slowly hovered out to the group of trucks and equipment laid out on the soon-to-be battlefield riding his airbike. Leaving it idling, Jim walked over to the supplies and selected the grenade launcher from the pile as well as a bandolier of ammunition. Sadly, this kind of ammunition would not be able to kill any of the enemies, but would, however be able to distract them from their real targets. And hey, he might get lucky. After hanging the grenade launcher over his shoulder by its strap, Jim walked up to Luca with a solemn expression written on his face. "I'll stay near the base, and back any team up that seems to be getting mobbed. With this airbike I'll be fast enough to assist within seconds, so keep in touch. I'm not going to die out here, Luca. You don't go dying either, alright?"

Luca and Company waited, and waited. They stood idly for a few hours, waiting for their invaders to show up. Luca was not only bored, but he'd fallen asleep waiting.

Then a message from Saeko, or, Saeko's Commanding Officer.
"We've gotten a message from the brass." Saeko said, walking over to Luca in her armour, without a helmet. Luca was still dozing lightly. She frowned and shouted: "HEY!"

Luca immediately snapped his head up, as though nothing had happened, "What?" He asked.
"You've been told to pull out, ASAP."
"What." Luca frowned flatly, "Who said so?"
"Well, it wasn't me, it was the higher ups and brass, you know how they are."
Allison piped up, "You mean...!?" She leaned over at Luca, furious, "God damn it! I thought I'd get to roll with you guys," She got out of the truck and stomped over to the armoury.

"So I have to pack everything up and leave, just like that?" Luca eyed Saeko.
"Yes - or we'll do it ourselves."
"Bullcrap..." Luca cursed to himself, "Alright." He sent out the order to his crew to pack up and leave - and to take the ammo crate with him.
The Aether cannon on one of the trucks was dismounted hastily and taken away.

Then Allison came out of the armoury wearing more casual clothing over her YSE uniform, and moving towards the Big Bird.
"Soldier, what are you doing?" Saeko asked the Hei.
"Resigning - I knew all along that you couldn't tolerate getting help."

Saeko gave a pained sigh, "Fine, I can't persuade you. You're hereby dismissed from the service. Hand me your badge and sidearm." She gave over both without fuss and walked onto the Big Bird causally.

Everyone got out of their armours, put them up in the cargo bay, ready for use later.
Luca sat in the captain's chair on the Big Bird, grumbling to himself.
"Maybe it's for the best," Sebastian said, assuring his son, "This whole war's a clusterfuck anyway."
"War is a bitch," John observed dryly.
"We should stick to what we do best," Hitori said.
"Yeah. Kickin' arse 'n taking names," Mel added.

"You're right," Luca admitted, "Let's get outta here. John, Vincent, you're ready to fly whenever."

MISSION - COMPLETE?

MEANWHILE...
"...Now that he's out of the picture, it'll all go as planned." Said someone familiar, but whose identity was shrouded in bureaucracy, secrecy and the Goban incident.

"He's one of the only loose ends remaining, along with Hanley, Vanatosk, Bolverk and ... Ozaki - that drunkard, now in the 11ths," She continued, observing profiles of the former crew coldly, "Techard and Saiga are too well protected - but Travkai was just trivial when confronted." She stifled a small laugh, clenching her fist and grinning wickedly.

"Crushed like dirt... but..." Her expression tensed, "Pavone will be the biggest problem - he'd alert the rest if he finds out," She sighed, looking over his reports and public files, "There is nothing mere about this mortal - or his followers."

BACK ON THE BIG BIRD...
The Big Bird was sailing lightly towards Nepleslia. The crew were, although somewhat disheartened by the lack of combat, had plenty of new toys to play with should combat roll around in the near future.

"Who 're you?" Mel asked Allison.
"I was about to ask: Who's that?" Allison replied to Mel, while asking Vincent, pointing to Valo.

Suddenly. Something was popping up on radar. Lots of somethings, and they were heading towards Tami fast.

MISSION 6 IS NOT OVER YET!!

"Turn around." Luca ordered.
"What? We're just about to..." John stammered. They were still in orbit at Tami and just about to leave.
"Turn. Around. Now. They're here."
"But if we go back..."

"Fuck the regulations. Fuck the brass," Luca punctuated, "And let's go FUCK the mishhu."
John stared at him for a moment, "Aye aye."
"This war may not be mine - but I can still have a party." Luca got up out of the chair and walked towards the makeshift armoury in the cargo bay, and got back into his WIND armour, hurriedly, "All we had to do was be patient."

Hitori, Sebastian, Mitch and Mel shrugged. Just after hearing their leader denounce the war, he was jumping back into it. They just shrugged and rolled with it.
"He is one odd unit." Mel observed.
"You're telling me." Sebastian replied as he got his armour back on, and helped Mel get hers together.
"He's attracted to carnage, much like a moth to open flame," Mitch observed wryly.

Vincent and Robert were still in their armours, and were still armed and ready. Allison, while not having an armour, would get one back on the ground. Everyone was back in their original trucks, except for Luca and Robert, who were on foot. (since the weapon on their truck was taken off prior to leaving)

Fortunately enough, there was one Super Demon power armour left, which Jim or Arin could use if they wanted to come out and play.

"It's time to kick arse and eat cake," Luca mouthed as the ship touched down. He had his hands gripped firmly on his shotgun as he stared at the ramp, waiting for it to lower, little by little, "And all that's left is pie."

The ramp lowered, and the trucks driven by Seb, Mel, Vincent and Mitch could charge out with Luca and Robert hitching a ride with them both.

They'd landed in the middle of a clearing in the forest, far from any civilisation. But the Mishhu had tried to make small attempts to make planetfall pre-emptively in armours.

Robert hopped on the truck with Luca. "Let's ride."

Jim sprinted down the hall and suited up as fast as he knew how. "I know I'm a medic, but hell if I don't know how to pilot an armor." Booting the entire armor up, Jim checked all the systems, flexing his limbs to make sure they were in fighting condition. Stowing his small first aid kit in the rucksack attached to the armor, Jim grabbed the chain gun and steeled himself for battle.

After the trucks had driven out, Luca jumped off and landed on the ground with a tumble. He made a quick survey of the land, and deducted that civilisation, and danger, was 'north'.
Nobody was sure whether that was the right direction, but they followed.

After a couple of minutes travel, up ahead, roughly 30 or 35 metres away were five SMX Ripper armours, contenting themselves with ruining the landscape, and chasing down a lone Mindy. They immediately noticed the incoming trucks and appeared to be momentarily surprised by their sudden entry.

The ISC Phoenix crew had the opportunity to strike 'em first!

Luca opened up the skirmish with a grenade. Fourty-millimetre grenade loaded with plasma. He managed to land it right between all 5 of the armours, disruping their shields somewhat. He then started to load another grenade in, taking cover behind a tree.

Sebastian, from his chaingun, began to pepper the small raiding party wtih 30mm bullets, also giving their shields a further knock, making them flicker somewhat. Lots of bullets tore circular holes through the trees, similar to the cartoons. It'd take something with a bit of extra kick to begin doing serious damage to the armours after Seb's input.

Robert leaped out of the truck following Luca. As Luca fired his shots, Robert lept to another tree not far from him. He then launched a grenade at the nearest SMX Power Armor near him.

'Extra Force' came in the form of Vincent's Deviance, which he fired in one hand while launching a 40mm plasma grenade from his M'Cel in the other. The kick barely even launched his arm back as the grenade soared lazily through the air towards the group of PAs. He hten put both hands back on the grips of the Deviance and opened fire again.

Robert's hit made their shields go down for good, while Vincent's peppering gave the hulls of their armours a serious smashing. Luca, having reloaded his grenade launcher, decided to charge in with his shotgun instead.

One of them tried to fire a beam of aether at him, but he dove forward to avoid it, rolled and perforated the Ripper with a set of new breathing holes. The beam, meanwhile, put a perfect hole which seriously compromised the tree's stability, making it teeter and fall over with a crash, not hitting anybody, but making a heck of a racket, and sending a flurry of leaves and sawdust everywhere.

Luca pumped his shotgun and fired again at another Ripper just a metre away, putting a hole in its chest. The Mindy pilot stopped running, and decided to stand her ground, drawing an Aether Sabre and bisectioning another one of the weakened armours. Two were left to kill before they could safely move on.

Meanwhile, back on the Phoenix. Allison had been taking a look at Valo, just resting against the wall. She then made a very quick damage assessment, pulled out some multi-tools and begun to think of how she could fix this problem. She was familiar with Novacorp and KFY designs.
"Hey," She asked the crew on board: John, Arin, Anna and Crane, "Any of you good at repair? I need a hand."

Robert closed in on the next weakened armor, leading with a flying kick towards it's midsection. "This isn't as hard as I imagined it would be." He yelled over to Luca.