2021-05-15: The Aleph
- Log: The Aleph
- Cast: Maria Balthasar, Leon Albus, Fei Fong Wong, Emeralda Kasim, Elhaym van Houten, Citan Uzuki, Xantia
- Where: Babel Tower
- Date: May 15, 2021
- Summary: Atop Babel Tower, the Black Wolves meet with an unexpected opponent. A desperate fight ensues.
<Pose Tracker> Maria Balthasar has posed.
The Black Wolves have ascended to the very top of Babel Tower.
For just a moment, there is peace and tranquility in the sunlit landscape of broken iron beams and scrap metal; but then--
The ROAR of an enormous blue Gear, absolutely colossal in size. Even compared to a tall Gear, it's tall, hovering at a menacing 28 sharls. Cladded in thick metallic plates, it's extremely clear even at a glance that this is a machine well-equipped to take even the most severe of blasts and shots... and it's deceptively mobile, as well, owing to the twin rocket tanks on its back.
MOMENTS AGO
"We are detecting machine signals in the vicinity of point 28-73," states an operator.
"28-73? That's pretty far up... it isn't Solaris, is it?"
"Profiles and database searches report negative."
"We'll hail them and establish communication-- wait. Where's Maria? Maria?"
NOW
The enormous blue Gear descends. To some folks in the Wolves, who might've spent some time spelunking in the underground stalactite caverns in the Aveh desert, there's a strange similarity to this one and a certain other white Gear...
Your sensors also pick up on something -extremely- weird, though.
...
There's a girl standing on the Gear's shoulder.
She can't be more than in her early teens; she has beige-blonde hair done up in ringlets, adorned with a big yellow ribbon and green goggles, and wears a orange and white outfit.
"Halt," she announces, voice amplified from the giant blue Gear's speakers. "This is Shevat's territory from here on out. Many people have tried to intrude..."
Her tone falls, and becomes threatening. "But Siebzehn and I remove them."
The enormous blue Gear -- Siebzehn -- raises its fists to indicate that she's willing to back up her threat.
"Get ready."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Weglaff stands there, the winch on its arm retracting in the wire that Leon used to navigate parts of Babel Tower. It locks into place with a mechanical, loud 'click.' Then, he turns his head -- and he blinks. Something coming in fast.
A huge blue Gear, with rockets on its back. And, Leon realizes with some alarm, a girl on it shoulder. He stares at Maria Balthasar for a moment, his lips working but making no sound. Then he shakes his head, as if to clear it, and responds:
"We've no issue with you," he says. "But we do need to get to Shevat. We would prefer to do so in a friendly, respectful sort of way... but I realize we're not exactly the most trustworthy lot." They do, after all, consist of two former Solarians, a woman with an uncertain past, a mercenary with a penchant for attempted assassinations of heads of state, and the Demon of Elru.
And Emeralda, but they have to have one person without a sordid past.
"So... I don't suppose we could work something out, could we?"
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Weltall is here too, of course, and inside Weltall is Fei. And Fei looks up up up at the very big Gear and he gives a doubletake at the woman there.
"Is that... a child?" Fei says over local comms. "Or is the Gear being so big screwing with me?" FEI YOU LET A CHILD PILOT A GIANT ROBOT which, yes, is true but to be fair to Fei Emeralda came with it.
He is a little hesitant as well because Maria is probably, lets face it, considerably less durable than Emeralda who has some of the best stats in the game basically on foot???
So Fei says, "Um. Leon." He looks to Leon. "I'm not exactly comfortable--fighting someone who is, like, 13 years old?"
But it's true that they have no choice in the matter if they want to get to Shevat. He makes awkward noises for a bit before adding, "Uh... I promise not to--" He can't really promise that he won't do anythign crazy because he isn't in full control of his actions so instead he says, "We just need to talk to your people."
Fei gestures forward. "Solaris is causing a lot of trouble and we need help."
Fei...
FAILS TO GET READY. Looks like EASY PICKINGS?! He is kind of backpedaling a bit though because he's just trying to think about how to fight a giant robot without putting the girl at risk.
<Pose Tracker> Emeralda Kasim has posed.
"It's so high, and everything is so small! But most of what I can see is water..."
Emeralda is *also* out of her Gear and standing on its... well, kind of the side of its head, hanging on to one of the wings, which has curled and curved in such a way that she can hold onto it. This is because she wanted to look out from the very highest point on Babel Tower, which is clearly on top of one of the Gears while they stood at the peak. Mostly she is looking and around, because she doesn't think there's anything else up except Shevat, which isn't here right now, and Solaris, which *really* isn't here right now.
Until a giant Gear descends from the sky.
Attention grabbed by the noise of descent, to say nothing of Maria's loudspeakers, Emeralda looks up. She has sharp eyes, and she looks right at Maria rather than at Siebzehn. She is considering something.
And then she yells back. "HI!" Emeralda does not have loudspeakers (Crescens does, but she's not in it right now) and so she mostly just... is loud. She cups her hands around her mouth, and her hands stretch and distort into something like a megaphone. "I LIKE YOUR HAIR," she calls up, followed by: "YOUR GOGGLES ARE EVEN BETTER THOUGH. AND IT'S OKAY, WE'RE FRIENDS, WE'RE VISITING SHEVAT! WE DON'T WANT TO INTRUDE!"
Emeralda returns her hands to a more normal shape and waves, practically bouncing on Crescens' head. Clearly this is fine. All they need to do is explain! Crescens sits there - it's not powered down but it doesn't appear to be moving. Maybe it can't, without a pilot in. Even the parts that are obviously flexible (like the wings) have seized up and become stiff in their new shapes.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
The top. The very roof of the world. Elly thinks if they opened the Gear hatches, they might pass out. There is a certain grandeur to being this high; the cloud deck of the world of Filgaia spread out before them...
And then comes a great shadow.
The sight of this enormous and singular defense Gear, moving with the same liquid agility that Elly subtly recognizes from Gebler Gears - the subtle efficiency that comes from everything being *new* and potentially having the courage to dare to be stupid, the bone-deep knowledge that there can be replacements - makes Elly quail deep in her heart.
NOT ONLY: is that Gear twice the size of any of theirs.
NOT ONLY: is it the product of Shevat, the Other, the enemy, the third strand of surface-operation justification, the ones who -- Elly can't even put a finger on it; it is a thousand subtle tastes of fear and oblique references.
NOT ONLY: is it telling them to buzz off - the quiet confidence of strength.
But Elly can see that its operator is out there. She might, potentially, have a respirator, but she's piloting the Gear from *outside*. Remote control? Digital connection? (Elly is sure Tolone could do that.) Direct Ether control, potentially using unsuspected methods that even Solaris never even theorized about?
ELLY, WHO IS IN THE VERIEST SOLARIS-OID GEAR OF THEM ALL (albeit one that has been extensively rebuilt, and may thus be taken as salvage, please, Elly hopes, please) sends Fei a tight direct worried statement that isn't actually sensible for a moment, before she translates it into Regular: "There's something behind her... I don't think you can trust what you see... don't let her appearance lull you into a false sense of security."
Is that the word she meant to use? Elly doesn't have a chance to speak because EMERALDA IS ADDRESSING THE SHEVAT CYBER-PILOT
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"You mean... she's only pretending to be a teenager??" Fei asks, in shock. He peers up at Secretly An Adult Maria Balthasar and then towards Emeralda. "...It would be nice if Emeralda had more friends her age though, but if they're secretly adults..."
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
Doctor Uzuki has perhaps all of a few moments to regard the view from atop Babel Tower. It is not the sort of sight that one gets to see just any day--
Then there comes the unmistakeable sound of a Gear's engine. It's close, he realizes.
And also absolutely enormous, a fact which is apparent to him before he even gets his sights upon it. After all, isn't he the one who designed the Buntline...?
"Is that..." he starts to say, once the massive Gear touches down upon the tower. He never quite finishes that line of thought, though -- instead, the doctor proceeds with, "...We must take care," when speaking to the others. "Elly is quite right. There is something about that 'attitude' of hers... And what's more, that machine... I have not seen anything quite like it before."
Which is, technically, the truth.
Towards Maria, Citan says, "My apologies, young lady. We had wished to contact Shevat but had no other means with which to attempt it. We had heard from an agent of yours where we might be able to make contact, but it appears that may not be necessary."
Assuming this attempt at parlay goes as planned, that is.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Silvestris has its back arched and stands sideways in relation to the massive Gear approaching Babel Tower. It's really the only fitting pose for a cat to assume when a potential threat approaches, even when it's a giant skeletal cat made of metal.
Xantia was quick to spot Siebzehn, and initially announced the approaching Gear as 'trouble'. Then corrected herself as it being 'possible trouble', not sure about its intentions. Given what Maria just said, she's forced to amend yet again, mostly to herself, "Yeah okay, definitely trouble."
Still... is Shevat really sending out a girl this young to fight them? Or maybe... her Gear's head swivels towards Crescens, its pilot considering the parallels here. Is this a similar situation as what Emeralda was forced into by Solaris? All things considered, she wouldn't actually be too surprised if Shevat's practices turned out to be similar to those of Solaris. That being the case...
"Hey, um... hi? My name's Xantia. We're not here to hurt anybody, we just want to talk. Is there somebody we can talk to without actually going to Shevat? 'cause we really don't have to do that as long as we can talk to people from here. Right?"
Xantia's never felt completely comfortable with going to Shevat anyway, this would be fine as far as she's concerned. Even so, Silvestris doesn't drop its guarded pose. Xantia's not about to take any threats lightly.
<Pose Tracker> Maria Balthasar has posed.
It's not that the Wolves look untrustworthy, really, though Gears always add a certain element of complication to Diplomacy; Leon asks if they could work something out, and the girl visibly scowls.
Fortunately, Maria doesn't hear Fei call her a child; instead, he entreats that he just wants to talk to her people. Solaris is causing a lot of trouble...
That does twig something from her, however. Like she's considering it, but at the same time...
"I'm here to defend Shevat. Some of your Gears look Solarian! You can't trick me!"
Oops, looks like she's taking Elly's Gear as a significant negative point against the Wolves.
Emeralda takes her a little bit more off guard, though, because as far as she knows, she's the only one who pilots her Gear by standing on its shoulder. She takes a moment to paw her hair, before reacting, "H-hmph, don't think you can get anywhere by flattering how I look!"
Citan speaks up regarding an agent of Shevat, and Maria considers this for a moment. But she frowns to say, "How do I know you didn't capture them??"
Xantia attempts to also parlay with her; there's an increasingly more frustrated and suspicious noise from the girl as she says, "I don't believe you'd just come all the way up here to 'just talk'. You all must be up to something..."
"Everyone in Shevat's depending on me... go, Siebzehn!"
Elly's ponderances on how the young girl operates the Gear is pretty well answered -- she doesn't, though that raises its own questions with it; just how advanced is this Gear that it can just... receive verbal commands and act, effectively autonomously?
WHOOOOOOSH
Wow, those fists are flying! They're flying! Siebzehn decides to open this fight with a double Rocket Punch, starting from the front and scouring to the back. ... for some reason, maybe just luck or its flight path, it's aiming at Emeralda last, maybe to give her some time to climb back in.
GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Xantia with Rocket Punch! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Citan Uzuki with Rocket Punch! GS: Maria Balthasar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Rocket Punch! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Rocket Punch! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Leon Albus with Rocket Punch! GS: Maria Balthasar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Emeralda Kasim with Rocket Punch! GS: Maria Balthasar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar has adjusted their boss level for 6 opponents! GS: Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Maria Balthasar's Rocket Punch for 112 hit points! GS: Hyper and Shield applied to Maria Balthasar! GS: Xantia takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Rocket Punch for 198 hit points! GS: Emeralda Kasim takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Rocket Punch for 178 hit points! GS: Citan Uzuki critically guards Maria Balthasar's Rocket Punch for 36 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Maria Balthasar! GS: Citan Uzuki activates Power Burst! GS: Elhaym van Houten takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Rocket Punch for 216 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"She--told us her name? Will that help??" Fei tries. It probably won't though. One reason why it probably won't help is because Fei has actually already forgotten her name. There's been a lot to keep track of lately!! It's not like his brain has special memory keeping properties.
A ROCKET FIST slams into Weltall, sending it sliding back and its foot hopping on the floor to try and avoid tumbling onto its back which wouldn't be good for the Gear. It'd be a little tough to get back up!
"Are you in charge of the military here?" Fei asks. "Does Shevat even have a military come to think?" He wrinkles his nose, thinking of Ptolomea. "Or that one guy--"
Instinctively without thinking about it at first, Fei jumps into a flying jump kick towards Sei--Sie---Maria's gear.
SIEBZEHN that's it. Moments after impact and rebounding back he says, "Wait--shit...! I'm sorry!! Please get inside??"
There...is an inside right?
"Doc... you didn't make this one too did you?"
He can't help but think about the bullet you shoot that requires a pilot inside and they're supposed to die after being shot and wonders if this is a similar design philosophy.
GS: Leon Albus takes a glancing hit from Maria Balthasar's Rocket Punch for 91 hit points! GS: Shield applied to Maria Balthasar! GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Maria Balthasar with UMM UMM UMMMMM!!!?! GS: Fei Fong Wong has gained 2 Combo! GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action. GS: Maria Balthasar guards a hit from Fei Fong Wong's UMM UMM UMMMMM!!!? for 145 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Nor am I," Leon answers Fei -- though he transmits that to everyone. Including Maria. "Don't harm her. Disable the Gear or drive her back."
It sounds like there won't be talking to her down. He frowns sharply -- and then makes a surprise noise in the back of his throat, as one of the Gear's fists flies off. He did not know Gears could do that. The Weglaff leaps when he pushes a foot pedal; thrusters fire, the robot lifting up, and the fist still clips the shoulder and sends it twisting backward. He grits his teeth.
"Fei! Don't let yourself get distracted... when she realizes we're not a danger to Shevat, she might regret this!" he says. "Just make sure we don't hurt her!"
Weglaff lifts its left arm. The blue Gear takes aim -- and then the wire launcher on it fires, the wire unspooling again from the Gear's winch. When it comes in closer, it tries to clamp onto the surface of Siebzehn...
...and unleash a burst of electricity into its chest.
GS: Leon Albus has attacked Maria Balthasar with Wire Takedown! GS: Leon Albus has gained 2 Combo! GS: Leon Albus has completed his action. GS: Maria Balthasar critically guards Leon Albus's Wire Takedown for 0 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Emeralda Kasim has posed.
"...?"
Emeralda doesn't seem to know how to react to that reaction! She just has never seen anyone with curls quite like that and they're neat. "I'M NOT!" she calls back, waving again. "CAN WE UH OH"
The 'uh oh' is because Siebzehn is moving, all on its own! Emeralda lets out a much more quiet 'eep' and practically throws herself in the cockpit, because even if she will survive being hit with one of those, it would hurt a lot and also quite possibly throw her off the Tower. Which would be bad.
Crescens continues to not move for a moment as Emeralda slides through the cockpit, landing in the seat and reaching for the control grips. Hers don't work the same way as most pilots'; she squeezes, feeling the strange icy sensation she always gets spread through her hands as her hands spread into the Gear, reaching out through it...
Crescens' wings visibly become more mobile, turning from solid and unchanging lumps of metal to flexible machines with a series of metallic popping sounds as things start to move. Emeralda draws one of the wings across Crescens' upper body like a shield, and it absorbs the impact of the rocket punch; it's not great for the wing, but it saves Crescens' torso and only slides her machine back a few feet instead of over the edge.
Now there's one thing that she has to make very clear, as Crescens' flexibility increases some more, as the joints start to move as it walks in a more natural-looking way. "Just because you don't want to talk... that doesn't mean you can hurt any of my friends either!" Sorry, Fei, Elly. At least it's probably not the worst lesson she could learn?
Moving her 'hands' into the Ether Amplifier, Emeralda manipulates the energy in the way she has never really been taught but kind of picked up over time. It feels a lot like Elly's to people sensitive enough to tell that, though subtly different.
It also makes a chunk of rock fly from nowhere in particular, a massive weight aimed solidly at the arm of Siebzehn that Maria is not riding. Where did it come from? That is something only Ether can answer.
GS: Emeralda Kasim has attacked Maria Balthasar with Terra Feist! GS: Emeralda Kasim has gained 1 Combo! GS: Emeralda Kasim has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar guards a hit from Emeralda Kasim's Terra Feist for 152 hit points! GS: Slow applied to Maria Balthasar!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"Just because she seems small doesn't mean that she's any less powerful," Elly answers Fei with a quick and anxious tone. "That could be deceptive - she could be six feet tall and just have those proportions - ah - oh, no -"
R O C K E T O
P A N C H I I
Elly, whose head was completely outside of the game, is clipped strongly by the incoming kinetic object. Vierge does not crumple and implode, whether by virtue of being swiveled around or simply by Maria not going for a brutal anti-Elly kill shot. (Not common, historically speaking.)
The veering, whirling jerk of Vierge sends it staggering, perilously close to the edge of the battlespace. Passing near Silvestris, Elly whimpers faintly in the back of her throat and then pulls back on the thruster controls. With plumes of glowing blue Ether-fire, Vierge twists up into the air --
But a lot of her obvious techniques... "Why are you out of that machine!? Even if you're - you're a stalwart warrior of Shevat," Elly says, heatedly, "you're in danger --"
Example: The Etheric-framed bolt of lightning that arcs *at* Seibzehn: yes, at this scale it's really more of an arc than a classical lightning bolt, rising improbably up towards the great Gear. But from an electromagnetic perspective, Babel Tower must be quite a terrific 'ground' for electrical flows.
GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Maria Balthasar with Anemo Bolt! GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia softly 'erk's to herself when Maria points out there's Solarian Gears among the group. Technically, that includes Silvestris - even if its frame is not, it was patched up with Solarian technology and originally meant to go to Gebler. Is that somehow obvious? Is she making things worse just by being here? ...She should probably have considered the fact that certain other Gears present right now are far more obviously Solarian than hers, yet that thought doesn't happen, somehow.
"H-hey, I know how this looks, but...!"
That's as far as she gets before giant fists are sent her way. She reacts instinctively, but all that happens is that Silvestris hops a bit awkwardly, not nearly far enough to avoid the giant fists from slamming into its side. The quadruped Gear tumbles over, Xantia frantically righting the machine shortly after, directing its Gear's head back towards Siebzehn.
"...I can't blame you for wanting to protect the people of Shevat, but... what about the people of Filgaia? Shevat has to know that Filgaia will suffer if Solaris is allowed to do what they want, right?"
Leon gives his orders, which Xantia is fine with - just disable the Gear, she can do that. Well... she can try to do that, at least. Without much of a plan, she just has Silvestris leap directly at Siebzehn, and latch onto whatever part of its giant frame she can with its claws. If successful, an electric current will flow from Silvestris's claws, attempting to damage her target internally, after which Xantia quickly releases to return to a defensive posture. Not a good idea to literally hang around when you have no idea what else your opponent is capable of.
GS: Xantia has attacked Maria Balthasar with Dynamic Charge! GS: Xantia assumes the Stoic stance! GS: Xantia has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
Maria has a lot of reason to not trust them going on appearances alone. After all, several of their Gears look like they are of Solarian extraction, and what's more--
"Wait! She had given us her ID number! If you will but hold for a moment I shall transmit it to you!" he tries to argue, but alas, it is likely to no avail -- after all, couldn't they have extracted that from Mirah by force as well?!
This is not a good situation to be in.
Particularly when fists come (literally) flying; Heimdall crosses its arms before itself just in time to manage a perfect block with its reinforced armor, but... if that machine continues in this manner, Citan can already tell that they will be in a difficult situation.
Particularly for one reason:
"Leon! We must take care with her!" he says, over their shared channel. "We cannot afford to take her lightly, but we also cannot win this fight by 'force alone' if we wish to reach Shevat!" He has a moment to pause, as if to reflect on his very words, "...Though, I do not think that we would be able to easily harm her."
This is when Fei asks if he built this one, too. "Er, well... no," he utters, sounding as if he had been caught utterly flatfooted by that question. "This is not... my work. Actually, I wonder if it might have been..."
He sidesteps, then, giving Vierge the space it needs for its Etheric bolt; if the air begins to seem slightly brighter about Heimdall, it might only be noticable by a very careful eye, on this scale.
GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Citan Uzuki with Kouga! GS: Citan Uzuki assumes the Stoic stance! GS: Citan Uzuki has completed his action. GS: Citan Uzuki accepts Citan Uzuki's Kouga for 0 hit points! GS: Cover and Riposte applied to Citan Uzuki! GS: Maria Balthasar critically guards Elhaym van Houten's Anemo Bolt for 48 hit points! GS: Maria Balthasar takes a solid hit from Xantia's Dynamic Charge for 232 hit points! GS: Mighty applied to Xantia!
<Pose Tracker> Maria Balthasar has posed.
One fact becomes really clear when Fei does a flying jump kick on the enormous Gear: 1) Maria is incredibly fearless even when a Gear foot bearing down on her, and 2) Siebzehn absolutely has Maria's well-being in whatever routine it operates on, pivoting on its other shoulder to accept the titanic clash.
"I'm not going anywhere! I fight with Siebzehn!" Maria shouts back at Fei, not... answering the question of whether she's in charge of the military. He gets the feeling that, well, she's not, and two, she probably doesn't really operate as part of one given how this entire situation turned out.
Siebzehn decides to react to Weltall's close-rangedness by blasting surprisingly high over it, and as the two fists return, it pools its fingers to deliver a solid Hammerblow to its face!
Weglaff's wire launcher fires, with a clamp that tries to attach -- but there's a natural advantage to the enormous Gear's rounded plates (other than just being round): it's hard to get a hold of, and Siebzehn's AI seems proficient at using its curves to deflect such blows.
Another scowl at Leon, who chooses to transmit their plans of not hurting her: "I don't fight fearing I'll regret it later. And if you're not going to fight with everything you have, you might just regret it!"
It might be a surprisingly familiar sentiment, for Leon. A child, but already so exposed to the realities of battle; Siebzehn reacts in a simple manner -- with a two-rocketed charge directly at the custom Kislevi Gear, aiming to slam into it with its shoulder!
What Siebzehn is less proficient at, however, is facing magic -- an enormous rock flies out of nowhere and onto its arm, causing a shower of sparks to erupt from its gauntlet; it backs out of Leon's vicinity, instead RUSHING the Crescens to-- to--
--attempt to grapple the winged machine, toss it solidly to the ground, and then step on it!!
"That makes two of us then!" answers Maria, to Emeralda.
Vierge joins in the magic assault, with arcing lightning crashing towards the Gear; Siebzehn seizes up for a moment, and Maria grimaces as she takes hold of the horn on its shoulder to stabilise herself.
"Don't think I'll hesitate to put you in danger either!" Maria exclaims to Elly, once more seeking to grasp Vierge at the waist, leap, and then powerbomb the Solarian gear to the ground.
Xantia pushes the question of what'll happen to the people of Filgaia, if she ignores them -- and the quadruped Gear leaps directly and latches onto the giant, once more doubling up on Elly's electric arc with electricity of her own; there's a loud POP, and an armor plate comes loose--
"I won't arrogantly boast I can protect the entire world. I protect Shevat. We all have our own fights!"
--if you guessed if wrestling is coming, then congratulations!! Siebzehn attempts to deal with Silvestris latching onto its side by just... hopping to its side to try to squish the smaller Gear underneath its titanic weight.
Citan brings up that they have the agent's ID number -- to which Maria, as he already guesses, responds: "How do I know you didn't torture it out of her?!"
The Heimdall is using its power to enhance itself, and Maria capitalises on it by sending a fist forward; unlike the previous one, a gravitic field encases it for a moment, enhancing its striking impact!
GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Mega Hammer! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Leon Albus with Dyna Fight! GS: Maria Balthasar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Emeralda Kasim with Gravity Press! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Dyna Rush! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Xantia with Gravity Press! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Citan Uzuki with Gravity Fist! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Leon Albus takes a glancing hit from Maria Balthasar's Dyna Fight for 119 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Leon Albus gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Leon Albus activates Evade bonus and Countermeasures! GS: Emeralda Kasim takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Gravity Press for 126 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Emeralda Kasim gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Entangle applied to Emeralda Kasim! GS: Gamble: Moderate! Citan Uzuki takes a glancing hit from Maria Balthasar's Gravity Fist for 96 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Citan Uzuki gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Xantia takes a glancing hit from Maria Balthasar's Gravity Press for 78 hit points! GS: Entangle applied to Xantia!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
It impressses Leon really; he thought Siebzehn would be slow and Maria full of the false bravado of the young. This is far from the truth. The wire bounces off; Leon's eyes narrow at that sentiment. He grunts, but cannot respond instantly.
Siebzehn rockets into Weglaff, blasting the Gear back across the ground. The smaller Gear's feet scrape across the top of Babel Tower, catch on the concrete, and then the machine turns. He takes a deep breath, as he sees how the big Gear moves.
It's protecting Maria, he realizes. He feels a little more secure in his decisions, then.
"I fear convincing her won't be easy, Doctor," Leon says. "But we'll see what we can do."
The other arm lifts. The gatling cannon gripped in it spins to life -- and then he sends a massive spray of shells at the back of the Siebzehn, peppering it with rounds. "We would prefer to not trouble you," he says, "but it's critical that we get there and speak with your queen!"
GS: Leon Albus has attacked Maria Balthasar with Gatling Burst! GS: Leon Albus has gained 1 Combo! GS: Leon Albus has completed his action. GS: Maria Balthasar critically guards Leon Albus's Gatling Burst for 60 hit points! GS: Maria Balthasar activates Guard bonus! GS: CRITICAL! Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Maria Balthasar's Mega Hammer for 174 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"...I can't believe something that big can fly." Fei says quietly. Maria doesn't answer his questions, really, so Fei insists, "Can you please just get inside the giant robot??" It's maybe a different variation than the Shinji 'Get in the Giant Robot' Ikari situation and maybe a little more fair honestly.
Nevertheless, despite Leon
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"...I can't believe something that big can fly." Fei says quietly. Maria doesn't answer his questions, really, so Fei insists, "Can you please just get inside the giant robot??" It's maybe a different variation than the Shinji 'Get in the Giant Robot' Ikari situation and maybe a little more fair honestly.
Nevertheless, despite Leon's entreaty that he focus up, he isn't quite quick enough to do it to avoid the double headed strike. He CAN block it--it's not exactly a speedy thing, but for once Weltall has found something that might beat it in pure physical strength. It SLAMS into the floor with a heavy crunch.
"Ghhghghgahhhh...." Fei says.
What's the problem Fei? She wouldn't even be the youngest person you killed.
"NOT HELPING." Fei yells at his alterego before slowly pushing Weltall back up to its feet.
"Right Leon... Let's uh... Let's just... do our best and see where this takes us."
He does glance towards Citan who CLAIMS to not have built this death machine and he believes him--if maybe with a little more hesitance than before the pilot-shooting gun. He just might know who DID. "Right--" He pauses. "Wait, you're a defector right? Do you think they might know about you?"
He is frankly relieved that Emeralda is learning a lesson that he himself struggles with frankly, and INSPIRED BY HIS ROBOT DAUGHTER, he elects to try to get over the fact this kid is, well, a kid in his eyes. A very bloodthirsty kid.
He darts in quickly this time, throwing several quick palm thrusts towards the machine. If Maria falls off, he can try to catch her--if the other robot doesn't do it first. He'll have to just put some trust in the big guy here.
GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Maria Balthasar with Raigo! GS: Fei Fong Wong has gained 3 Combo! GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Emeralda Kasim has posed.
"None of your friends are here right now! And you started it!" Emeralda is firm about this. She doesn't want to hurt Maria - just stop her Gear from attacking - so she's in full agreement with Citan and the others; she doesn't even bother saying so because it's pretty self-evident to her.
Crescens looks like an easy target for grappling. It's (relatively) lightweight for its size, it's much smaller than Siebzehn, and - of course - it has no arms at all, just thruster pods built in where its arms look like they should attach.
But when Siebzehn rushes in, Emeralda doesn't retreat. She holds her ground - and the wings move.
As wings, they have four long 'feathers' and a shorter one, at the 'top' when the wings are in their ordinary position. And that's all well and good - but as Emeralda pumps more nanomachines through them, manipulating them, they shift. The long feathers, still feather-like, move like long 'fingers'; the shorter, topmost one lifts away slightly to act like a thumb.
The hands - gigantic for Crescens' scale, still large on Siebzahn's - try to catch the incoming machine, and just about do it; metal grinds and squeals, but Emeralda manages to wrap Crescens' hands around Siebzahn, though she has to bend her Gear forward at the waist deeply to do it. She flexes her fingers, feeling the metal start to give as she 'connects' to one of Crescens' black boxes...
But Crescens manages to straighten up, literally flinging Siebzahn into the air to slam down heavily - the wing-shaped melee AERODS, combined with the system she's still trying to feel around the edges of, are capable of launching even a gigantic Gear.
(Once. In the cockpit, Emeralda lets out a dismayed sound, feeling Crescens' damage where parts no longer bend, or have been warped out of shape from pushing against so much weight.)
GS: Emeralda Kasim has activated a Force Action! GS: Emeralda Kasim has attacked Maria Balthasar with Devil Hold! GS: Emeralda Kasim has gained 1 Combo! GS: Emeralda Kasim has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Elhaym van Houten critically guards Maria Balthasar's Dyna Rush for 52 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Elhaym van Houten gains 1 additional Combo!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
It's a very good thing that Xantia didn't decide to hang around after digging her Gear's claws into Siebzehn. Letting go of its own accord, the cat-like Gear is afforded barely enough to touch down and start running as that massive bulk comes down to flatten it. The shockwave alone is enough to bowl Xantia's lightweight Gear over, sending it end over end... though when it stops moving, it's standing proudly on its feet, as any self-respecting cat should.
Especially one with claws sharp enough to dig into the metal below it to stop its momentum cold. That seemed like a pretty good idea, given that getting knocked off of the tower... well, it's a long way down.
In the end, though... the words spoken by Maria were what hit Xantia hardest. They managed to rub her completely the wrong way. There's a moment of silence where Silvestis stands frozen, its head lowered. It's impossible to tell from the outside, but Xantia is seated much the same way. When she speaks again, it's prefaced by a short, unamused chuckle.
"...ha... Arrogantly, you say? You think wanting to protect the whole world... is arrogance...?"
Silvestris's head turns sharply back in Siebzehn's direction, and Xantia's volume has increased manifold, just plain yelling now. "Well, that's just fine! Call me arrogant all you like! But, I think that if you're not willing to even try to protect more than your own homeland, that's the same as abandoning everybody else!"
Silvestris's single 'eye' glows a threatening red, and Xantia's concluding statement is punctuated by a piercing laser beam fired from said eye at the center mass of the much larger Super Gear.
"I will protect all of Filgaia from Solaris, no matter what! If you won't help me do that, then step aside!"
GS: Xantia has attacked Maria Balthasar with Optic Laser! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Maria Balthasar critically guards Fei Fong Wong's Raigo for 88 hit points! GS: Maria Balthasar takes a solid hit from Emeralda Kasim's Devil Hold for 326 hit points! GS: Delay applied to Maria Balthasar! GS: CRITICAL! Maria Balthasar guards a hit from Xantia's Optic Laser for 223 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
Just as expected: she says he could have gotten that information through torture, and he can't deny it: without Mirah here with them to argue her own case, that is indeed the sort of information that could have been brutally extracted from even an agent prepared to die for her cause. "I see," is all he can say in response; is there no argument that he can give that might sway her?
Or will they be forced to take this to its bitter end?
"That... may be so," Citan admits to Leon, sighing out a breath. "At least... I do not think she will be easily..." It's a difficult thing for a man who himself has a young daughter to say, it seems.
But the fact that she's at least their match (perhaps more than??) is further underscored when she uses some field -- he can see the readings popping up on Heimdall's display and a little bit of mental mathematics fill in the rest of the blanks regarding what's going on with his Gear as a result -- to slow his movements. "Is that-- a 'gravitic field'? I did not think--"
A fist connects with Heimdall's right shoulder, leaving a splintering array of cracks behind in the plating. Citan winces, not the least because of the bill that had attended his repairs only a week before.
But he strikes out with an open-palmed strike from Heimdall's left, attempting to force Siebzehn away from him and perhaps into a position the others can better exploit -- no, they can't take her lightly at all.
It's then that Fei gives him an idea, by remarking on his status as a defector.
"Ah! Fei! Perhaps that might work!"
To Maria, he then says, "Miss, I am not your enemy! I am Yui's husband!"
He's taking a gamble with this one, though... in multiple senses.
GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Maria Balthasar with Kentsui! GS: Citan Uzuki has gained 1 Combo! GS: Citan Uzuki has completed his action. GS: Maria Balthasar critically guards Citan Uzuki's Kentsui for 64 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Vierge is seized by Siebzehn's lightning assault. Before Maria can complete her evolution and capitalize on the punishing blow, Elly slams down the signal for the HAMMER CIRCUIT, and Vierge crackles with momentary and questionable energy, wriggling out of Maria's grasp like a fish and landing in a four-point stance some distance away along the projection where their brawl takes place.
Safe!
ish
Elly rallies up momentarily, as Vierge has not yet taken critical damage. She whirls it round, answering Fei breathlessly, "It's not... too shocking. If there's enough power in there... Maybe it's a double reactor design. That's like something from an -action show- but if they really did it..."
"It wouldn't be... completely unstoppable, but you'd have power and to spare for everything. But the gains versus the costs... but then, Shevat might need the absolute best for limited forces...!"
Others are moving forwards. Elly does not join the melee assault, because that sounds like an excellent way in her estimation for Maria to pull some kind of power maneuver and throw most of them off of Babel Tower. She thinks Weltall could recover from that, and Crescens could make a safe landing. The others? Questionable.
Half of the AERODs flitter out, sliding to blast in an arcing radius along the right flank of Seibzehn. One big advantage: There is literally a million tons of machine between Maria's saucy perch and the rays of pure Etheric force. This eases Elly's anxiety, significantly.
"Are you aware of what's happening on the surface...? Even in the last few months alone, there's been uncountable disruptions... the Ethos were purged," Elly implores Maria. It's not a sentence that normally would be called 'imploring', but given everything.
GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Maria Balthasar with AEROD Field Spray! GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action. GS: CRITICAL! Maria Balthasar critically guards Elhaym van Houten's AEROD Field Spray for 45 hit points! GS: Maria Balthasar activates Guard bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Maria Balthasar has posed.
Siebzehn is slow in the way a knight who's absolutely used to their armor is; knowing when to make the few bursts of agility it can make count, and when to not bother and let its bulk do the work instead.
Such is the case with the gatling cannon; knowing it can't dodge in time, it uses that already-breached armor plate Xantia popped loose earlier and just trades the last of its usefulness away, letting the rounds shred deep into it and exposing some of the pipework underneath.
"Why now? The surface world's never bothered before in my entire life," Maria replies to Leon. "We've always been fighting Solaris alone!"
That manuever, in the meanwhile, allows it to get close enough to Weglaff to deliver the one of the most classic of fighting moves: a powerful, gravitic headbutt that can Cut even Iron.
Fei begs her to get inside the giant robot, and Maria answers with a fact that might already be evident by the fact that she hasn't already:
"There's no space inside. I told you, I fight with Siebzehn."
Weltall is on the offensive again! The palm thrusts strike with lightning quickness and efficiency; several rumbling thrums rock through the machine, and Maria wobbles again, but grimaces and holds tighter.
"Ghhh... Siebzehn!" Maria calls out, and as if synchronised with her, the titanic Gear once more SLAMS into Weltall, this time to throw it off balance as it flies high up into the air and...
... just cuts its thrusters, arms and legs spread as it threatens to PANCAKE Weltall. Somehow, no Marias are harmed in the making of this manuever.
Emeralda points out that none of her friends are here. "No," Maria petulantly says, "But if I let you into Shevat, there's no telling what you might do! It might... just end up like that time--"
Maria catches herself, frowning deeply.
That moment is all it takes for Emeralda to realise Crescens' wing-hands have grappled onto Siebzehn and FLING them into the air and send them pirouetting and crashing against a portion of Babel Tower. Where the rest of the Gear's gone, however, its fists haven't -- a Hurricane of strikes that tears through the Rust, retaliating at Crescens!
Xantia states that if she's not willing to protect more than her homeland, that's abandoning everyone else; as battle-ready as this teen is, that seems to rankle her.
"You don't know anything! Standing together with so many people like that, you can boast...!!" Maria shouts, at the same time Siebzehn is pierced by a concentrated laser beam from Silvestris; in response, seemingly enraged, it lifts its arms--
And similarly concentrated Breast Fire erupts from its center mass, seeking to sear the quadruped Gear as it criss-crosses the floor of Babel Tower and slags everything it makes contact with!
Elly questions if she's familiar with what's happening on the surface. She mentions the Ethos. Maria has to just scowl at this again, and mutters, "How can I be? Do you think it's peace and quiet up here?!" Well, if this is an everyday occurrence for her, perhaps...
Elly gives her something to be anxious about, though, because AERODs filter out and start to storm Seibzehn with etheric shots; there's a grimace as Maria thinks about taking them out, and the Gear's response is to twist and bring the Breast Burn over to Vierge's remote weapons.
Her Fire Blaster is interrupted as Heimdall sneaks in and delivers another palm strike on a compromised part that Fei already struck earlier; there's a groan from the young girl as the rocking gets more unsteady, the gravitic fields failing.
Then he says something extremely unexpected.
"Y-Yui? You mean-- Midori's mom..."
She hesitates for a good, long three seconds, before shouting:
"No! No! I have to fulfill my duty! As Shevat's ONLY defender!! Begone!!"
And at Heimdall, as well, that Fire is still coming in fast.
GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Leon Albus with Head Dive! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Meteor Press! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Emeralda Kasim with Iron Storm! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Xantia with Fire Drive! GS: Delay expired! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Fire Drive! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Citan Uzuki with Fire Drive! GS: Maria Balthasar has gained 1 Combo! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Fei Fong Wong takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Meteor Press for 290 hit points! GS: Citan Uzuki takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Fire Drive for 328 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Citan Uzuki gains 1 additional Combo! GS: CRITICAL! Xantia takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Fire Drive for 392 hit points! GS: Xantia activates Countermeasures! GS: Elhaym van Houten takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Fire Drive for 342 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Elhaym van Houten gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Elhaym van Houten enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Emeralda Kasim takes a glancing hit from Maria Balthasar's Iron Storm for 153 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Emeralda Kasim gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Jam applied to Emeralda Kasim! GS: Leon Albus guards a hit from Maria Balthasar's Head Dive for 144 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Leon Albus gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Disrupt applied to Leon Albus! GS: Leon Albus enters CONDITION GREEN!!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Elly's right," Leon says. "The world's had a lot happen -- and it's important that Shevat learns of it. This isn't just sheer stubborness!"
It is at least partly stubborness, he allows.
"And those problems--" He answers Maria, even as he sees her take the gatling shots on an armor plate already weakened by Xantia. "--will soon come to your door, whether you wish it to be the case or not!"
The gravitic headbutt slams down at the Weglaff. The Gear is thrown backward, the blue Gear hurtling backward. Leon grits his teeth, rattled in the cockpit. He throws the gatling cannon back onto the armored back of the Weglaff; it locks into place on clamps there.
Then, the blue Gear draws its sword: a large, single-edged saber that is a cold, dull grey color. It glimmers slightly. "I understand that you want to defend Shevat... but a shield is only as good as where it's placed, Maria Balthasar!"
Weglaff raises the sword -- and then the blade superheats, the air around it becoming a mirage -- and the sword blade turns a bright, menacing red hot.
GS: Leon Albus has attacked Leon Albus with This Is No Titan! No Titan!! GS: Leon Albus has gained 2 Combo! GS: Leon Albus has completed his action. GS: Leon Albus accepts Leon Albus's This Is No Titan! No Titan! for 0 hit points! GS: Restore! Disrupt removed! GS: Hyper applied to Leon Albus! GS: Mighty applied to Leon Albus!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Just because I'm inside Weltall doesn't mean I'm not fighting with Weltall!" Fei says, defensively, before realizing this is really not what he's here to talk about. He also realizes that his attempt to defeat Maria without hurting Maria might be a losing battle because Maria is kind of kicking his ass here. Weltall is SLAAAAAAMMMED again and this time plasters to Siebzehn before being SQUOSHED into the floor. The armor looks a little...caved in actually.
"Are you--" Fei begins before realizing that asking if Maria is lonely will probably break his spine at this rate so he ultimately pushes back up slowly, again, placing his hand to his forehead.
"Midori... is a friend of mine too...! She's a quiet kid, right? And Yui's home cooking is absolutely incredible...!"
Sorry Midori, he thinks. He hopes this doesn't make it awkward for you.
...
Fei smacks his own face twice with his hands before Weltall jogs forward. If he can stand up slightly more times than Maria can crush him, that'll be enough.
"I think--some part of you--knows that Leon's right." Fei says. "Think about what you just said--"
Weltall jumps up into the air, slamming his feet several times against Siebzehn before flipping back!
GS: Fei Fong Wong enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Maria Balthasar with Hazan! GS: Fei Fong Wong has gained 1 Combo! GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.
<Pose Tracker> Emeralda Kasim has posed.
The rapid strikes are a lot harder for Crescens to absorb than a single blow, so Emeralda doesn't try. Relocking Crescens' wingshandswhatever back into place, flattening them down into wings again, she tries the ancient art of Not Being There.
It's only sort of successful. Blows batter at Crescens - and Crescens is fast, and strong in more than one way, but the one thing it absolutely is not is tough. Armour plates crumple under Siebzehn's powerful impact; some of them pop straight again for no apparent reason, but most of them stay dented in.
Emeralda lets out another sound somewhere between pain and dismay. Maria might fight hanging on the outside of Siebzehn, but Emeralda comes at it from the opposite direction; Crescens only works usefully because she has put some of herself inside it, spread her nanomachines out into the machine to take control of the parts already there. It doesn't precisely *hurt* as such - she can easily tell the difference between herself and Crescens, it's not like damaging her own body - but she doesn't have a better word for the sensation.
And battered, she's definitely getting that feedback. Crescens steps briskly, trying to circle around toward Fei. She once again finds herself asking the questions that other people might not, because of awkwardness or rudeness: "Like what time?"
Emeralda pauses, reaching for Ether again. Energy shimmers - blue this time, very different than the last. "And anyway - you don't HAVE to be the only defender! That's the point! Everything's better when you work together! Everyone showed me that!"
Emeralda reaches out - with magic. Ice, this time; it begins to form on Siebzahn, clinging to it, chilling it and building up to stiffen its legs. Once again Emeralda does not aim at Maria; she goes for mostly Siebzahn's legs and thrusters, trying to force it to land and stop moving. "So just listen!! For a minute!"
GS: Emeralda Kasim has attacked Maria Balthasar with Pagos Thrasma! GS: Emeralda Kasim has gained 1 Combo! GS: Emeralda Kasim has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
'only'
The word rings out.
Even as the AERODs fly through the blue skies, circling back like so many tiny fledgeling murder-needles, Elly gazes forwards, her mouth open.
'only'
This is what Solaris has been fighting, Elly thinks. This is the great shadow. This is the spectre that lurks in the dark. This is the Other, the shadow-vision. This is what has floated, fugitive, in the sky since time beyond memory.
It has been this one girl.
How long has this been so? Is this girl immortal? (It's not impossible.) Were there others? (Maybe.) Are they dead? Gone? Retired? That desperation sounds as though it is not a temporary state. It is not a covering. It is her.
Maybe she has a unique ability, a unique nature. Maybe that machine is salvaged - maybe Shevat found something from the heavens beyond. And Shevat has endured, now, for how long? The sound of Dr. Uzuki's words lands on her shoulders like a lead-lined shawl.
Vierge straightens up, even as that burst of intense and incinerating heat clips two of the AERODs - one wobbles violently off into the great blue empty, and another simply and directly explodes, leaving a pinkish-yellow cloud of something-or-other hanging densely in the air.
And then the engine turns off.
"... I'm sorry, I - Leon, I'm sorry, I just..."
Elly's head slouches forwards. "If that machine is really the sole defender of Shevat, then... I can't, I can't just do their work for them. I - I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, hold on, ugh, ngh."
Vierge starts to power back up, the impulsive decision probably regretted. It certainly didn't help operational tempo, did it?
"Emeralda, please, be, be careful," Elly articulates, sounding miserable even as the signal from Vierge goes back from 'battery aux' to 'full transmitter power'.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
Everywhere around them is lit up as Siebzehn unloads. But there's one thing that sticks out to him in the middle of it, one exchange that's fleetingly had in the spaces between.
'Midori', Maria says, confirming also what he had long hoped regarding his entire family. "So they are both...?"
But Maria is the only defender of Shevat, and he realizes in this moment that it's a role she has taken to heart -- taken far too well to heart. But it's true in the same breath: Shevat has been subjected to centuries of attrition, losing resources and equipment it could not replace, not in its current status. It could elude Solaris, it could defend against their attacks, but each attack had taken something from it.
Particularly that last invastion. Shevat had never truly recovered from it. In fact, perhaps the only reason it had survived that time had been because--
There are still shells incoming. There's no place to maneuver: all he can do with the Heimdall is attempt to defend. His Gear is pockmarked by the incoming storm; staggering under the assault, it's all he can do to keep Heimdall standing.
And it's in the aftermath that he hears the distinctive sound of Vierge powering down.
"Elly?! Have you been--"
She hasn't been struck, as such. It's a decision she appears to have made herself. Because if this is Shevat's only defender, then...
"Elly..."
He is silent for a moment. "...We do not... Please, listen to Fei and the others," he says, before exhaling a breath. The effect of his Ether, on this scale, is a difficult thing to witness as it works. Perhaps a careful eye might notice a slight change in local conditions if they watched their monitor closely. But the effects are the pronounced thing: an uptick in the ability of their machines to transmit commands from where they are now, slight improvement in fuel efficiency, a small improvement in the condition of their shields.
GS: Citan Uzuki has activated a Force Action! GS: You have activated the Force Action Extend! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Sazanami! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Sazanami! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Xantia with Sazanami! GS: Citan Uzuki has attacked Emeralda Kasim with Sazanami! GS: Citan Uzuki has gained 1 Combo! GS: Citan Uzuki's Stoic stance ends. GS: Cover and Riposte expired! GS: Citan Uzuki has completed his action. GS: Citan Uzuki heals Elhaym van Houten! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Xantia! She gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Xantia enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Fei Fong Wong! He gains 200 temporary hit points! GS: Citan Uzuki heals Emeralda Kasim! She gains 200 temporary hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia tends to enjoy a good fight. She is not enjoying this one. Reflecting on things later, she may realize that she wasn't feeling much of anything at this point. Not for the first time, a side of her was triggered that has absolute conviction in what she has to do - and will not let anything get between her and accomplishing that goal. There's no sense of pride or accomplishment in her actions right now. It's just how things have to be.
That moment passes quickly, however. Just about as quickly as the words 'you don't know anything'. Xantia's eyes widen briefly, and she can't help but smile wryly. You've got me there, she thinks, I don't actually know anything for sure. And yet...
"...You don't always need to know anything. You just have to do what feels right." She's much calmer than a moment ago, making that statement. At least she can be sure that those feelings came from the heart, and weren't imposed on her by whatever memories are causing her to feel so strongly about this supposed mission she was once tasked with.
Calming down isn't going to save her from retaliation, however. Digging in her Gear's claws made sense earlier, but now it's a distinct hindrance in getting away from a massive heat blast of some sort. Lucky for Xantia, her Gear is reinforced with an Ether barrier, the timely deployment of which keeps her safe from being melted down on the spot. If not exactly safe from all damage. After the Fire washes over Silvestris, it's showing clear signs of being on the verge of dangerously overheating, its silver frame now glowing red, sparks popping off left and right.
...and then, it dies down, coolent systems suddenly able to handle what previously seemed to be untenable situation. Xantia suspects someone intervened somehow - not immediately realizing it was Citan - but she's not about to miss a chance to act. "Ok Silvy, you're still in this, so... time to do what you do best."
As for what that is... the original concept behind the restored Silvestris was for it to be a Gear Hunter, to quickly take down enemy Gears for capture. If there's need to disable a Gear, then Silvestris is very well equipped to do just that. With a layer of armor now completely removed and Siebzehn's internal's exposed, Xantia sees an opportunity. And so, her Gear charges, a mad dash to close the distance while Maria is distracted by the others - hopefully, long enough for what she's planning to do.
Which is to drive its spiked tail directly into the pipework once protected by the armor plate that Leon finished removing, crackling with a purple-colored current upon impact. It doesn't look overly threatening, from the outside. But while so connected, Silvestris is rapidly draining power from weapons and limbs alike to try and disable any means of further resistance.
Maria's phrasing earlier hasn't escaped Xantia's notice. She still felt she had to act to stop Siebzehn's rampage, but she's far from unsympathetic. Therefore, her words in this moment are far more gentle than before.
"Don't worry. You don't have to be Shevat's only defender anymore. After all... I couldn't claim I would protect everyone from Solaris if that didn't include helping to protect Shevat, right? We can still be friends!"
GS: Xantia spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Xantia has attacked Maria Balthasar with Plague Needle! GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo! GS: Xantia has launched an attack Link! GS: Xantia has attacked Maria Balthasar with Debilitating Energy Cascade! GS: Entangle expired! GS: Xantia has completed her action. GS: Maria Balthasar critically guards Fei Fong Wong's Hazan for 73 hit points! GS: Maria Balthasar activates Guard bonus! GS: Maria Balthasar critically guards Emeralda Kasim's Pagos Thrasma for 43 hit points! GS: Maria Balthasar takes a solid hit from Xantia's Plague Needle for 0 hit points! GS: Dispel! Hyper removed! GS: Hex applied to Maria Balthasar! GS: Maria Balthasar guards a hit from Xantia's Debilitating Energy Cascade for 0 hit points! GS: Drowsy, Slow, and Weaken applied to Maria Balthasar!
<Pose Tracker> Maria Balthasar has posed.
"Those problems are already at our doors, over and over again," Maria grouses at Leon even as he pulls a cold, gray saber that superheats; she knows that even with Siebzehn's armor plating, there's no getting away from that one.
Fei shouts that Midori's a friend of his too, however. "How-- could you possibly know Midori?" Maria asks, but she knows that she's letting herself get distracted; torn, perhaps, by the possibility that these people are telling the truth and aren't trying to tell her lies and sneak into Shevat and take everything away from her.
While she's conflicted, Siebzehn is on the defensive; Weltall lands several blows, piano-dancing on its breached armor before it flips back. Even as titanic as the Gear is, it can only withstand so much repeated assaults in a short time.
Emeralda posits a possibility to her -- she doesn't have to be the only defender. ... is that possible? Is that really possible? Would Shevat really open up, even after all this time?
While she listens, Siebzehn's legs suffer; there's a painful-sounding CRASH as Etheric ice slams into it; it stiffens, it slows, it makes the already rocket-dependent Gear more immobile.
"Nothing's... nothing's going to change that easily," Maria tries to grapple onto that bravado of hers. She also pointedly doesn't respond to Emeralda's question about 'that time', though if Emeralda's really paying attention, her expression gets more pained for a moment.
Her expression bursts into surprise when the AERODs explode, and maybe -- just maybe -- she overdid it. Siebzehn overdid it. The engine's off. Is the pilot okay...? She doesn't have time to worry about that, is what she thinks, but her heart's speaking otherwise.
The one who claims to be Yui's husband isn't attacking anymore, standing in front and (unbeknownst to her) improving their machines through Ether force. "That's not my decision... even so..."
There's a grimace when she realises Silvestris and Xantia are after her again; much like Xantia, when Maria reflects back on this, perhaps at this point she isn't feeling much of a fight anymore. And perhaps-- neither is Siebzehn, when the machine's tail slams directly into that pipework and--
Maria doesn't see, since she has no cockpit; but she can sense that Siebzehn's systems are being affected. Weapons are powering down; limbs are losing electric output, fuel transmission to the rocket thrusters...
"I can't make that decision on my own. The Queen's... the Queen's order is--"
But suddenly, Siebzehn reacts vigorously, powering up for one last stand!
"S-Siebzehn?" Maria asks.
It's truly an enigmatic machine. Does it not agree with Maria's own swaying heart? Does it still sense danger out there, somewhere? Is this just a fight that it feels it has to see through to the end? Whatever the case may be, without words...
All it has is--
An enormous pair of central trunks that POP upwards from the rocket tanks, revealing them to be more than just for mobility; there's missiles in there. Lots and lots and lots of missiles.
And they LOOSE, bombarding the top of Babel Tower in a veritable firestorm as they explode, one after another!
GS: Maria Balthasar has activated a Boss Action! GS: Maria Balthasar spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Leon Albus with Missile Pod... Fire!!! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Missile Pod... Fire!!! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Xantia with Missile Pod... Fire!!! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Emeralda Kasim with Missile Pod... Fire!!! GS: Maria Balthasar has attacked Citan Uzuki with Missile Pod... Fire!!! GS: Maria Balthasar has gained 2 Combo! GS: Maria Balthasar has completed her action. GS: Leon Albus takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Missile Pod... Fire!! for 364 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Leon Albus gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Leon Albus activates Countermeasures! GS: Leon Albus enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Citan Uzuki takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Missile Pod... Fire!! for 344 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Citan Uzuki gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Emeralda Kasim guards a hit from Maria Balthasar's Missile Pod... Fire!! for 220 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Emeralda Kasim gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Emeralda Kasim activates Guard bonus!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Elly!" Leon says, alarm entering his voice. He looks at the Vierge -- concern writ on his face. His eyes widen. He looks back at Maria; then he shakes his head once. "The problems are different, this time. I thought like you, once--that I had to protect what I cared for alone."
His fingers curl tighter on the controls. He looks, nervously, at Vierge. Then, back at Siebzehn. "I paid for it. You should listen to Emeralda, too."
The missiles come screaming in. "Shit!" Leon swears, and the Weglaff yanks the gatling cannon back in one hand -- the superheated blade still glowing red in the other -- and opens fire. Shells tear through missiles, but several slam down nearby regardless. Explosions thrash the armored Gear.
And then rounds clip through the fire, holes in the fireballs and smoke -- which track onto the Siebzehn. Then the flames part, as the Weglaff throws the gatling cannon to the side. It hits the top of Babel Tower, rolling to a stop.
And the Weglaff leaps -- coming at the Siebzehn, near the right leg. The heat blade flashes -- and Leon's sword strikes at the knee.
GS: Leon Albus spends 1 Combo on Link! GS: Leon Albus enters CONDITION GREEN!! GS: Formation! Leon Albus has attacked Maria Balthasar with Lawnmower! GS: Leon Albus has launched an attack Link! GS: Leon Albus enters the Avenger stance! GS: Leon Albus spends 3 Combo on Gatling, loading 3 into Gatling! GS: Formation! Leon Albus has attacked Maria Balthasar with Superheated Blade! GS: Leon Albus has completed his action. GS: Xantia guards a hit from Maria Balthasar's Missile Pod... Fire!! for 218 hit points! GS: Reaction switch bonus! Xantia gains 1 additional Combo! GS: Xantia activates Guard bonus and Countermeasures! GS: Maria Balthasar takes a solid hit from Leon Albus's Lawnmower for 384 hit points! GS: Maria Balthasar takes a solid hit from Leon Albus's Superheated Blade for 478 hit points! GS: Fei Fong Wong takes a solid hit from Maria Balthasar's Missile Pod... Fire!! for 352 hit points!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Dr. Uzuki speaks to her first and Elly has to respond a little clumsily, and in the end manages to mostly make noises along the lines of 'but--!' with a bit of anguish on the side, as if struggling with language. She sounds surprisingly near to tears; why?
Well, everything. Most of what she has seen from the actions of Solaris were abstract and distant. The actions in Aveh could at least be obliquely defended. Rationalized, more accurately. But they were the actions of a state. Guild Galad, Meria Boule, Aveh, Kislev, Sylvaland; all of them have done things analogous.
But then she saw the purge, from the ant's eye view, and so even now, with a building burst of anxiety in the pit of her stomach, part of her thinks this is all richly and utterly deserved.
In so far as she 'thought' at all, she had thought, perhaps, that Leon would understand it -- and the clouds seem to part a moment after, when she hears his words. Elly swallows as she sees the missile launch and some small part of her mind helpfully makes an estimate and tells her: about one and a half seconds.
Vierge raises up its arms, raising the striker rod. This is not going to help. Elly pulls back on the control for Boost. Vierge's engine makes an interesting noise of complaint that echoes through the cockpit. One second remaining.
The leg drives work. Vierge staggers to the side. I can't, Elly thinks desperately. I can't do this for me. Even Leon says I'm wrong here. And I have to think of Fei. Of Emeralda and Xantia too. Half a second, Elly thinks. A missile casts a virtual shadow inside of Vierge's cockpit.
Elly looks up at it. The Ether Amp isn't up again yet. (Stupid, Elly thinks. How stupid. Why did I do that. Why-- Why did --) There is a shield boost that comes in from Dr. Uzuki's own effects here, but Elly can compare the size of that warhead with the size of the increment on the meters and know that it is not sufficient.
There is a burst of flame outside of the Gear, although it is a brief thing. The missile is too big and too fast. It wobbles slightly, but at this range it is only making the CEP include more of Vierge. A quarter-second remains, Elly thinks, breathing out, and then closing her eyes.
Something enormous goes THUMP, and almost instantly afterwards, there is an enormous explosion that fills the world.
In the world outside of Vierge's cockpit, the pink-and-white-and-Wayside-graffiti'd Gear - suddenly tackled by Weltall - is hidden from sight by the enormous flash and burst of a missile strike.
Zero seconds.
GS: Elhaym van Houten has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
...
Neither Gear is immediately visible.
One second.
One and a quarter.
One and a half.
At one-and-three-quarters of a second, long enough to not notice it if you weren't looking, Vierge and Weltall pop back above the edge of Babel Tower, both Gears' thrusters screaming at full power. Vierge's are visibly flickering.
This is because Vierge is now missing its entire left arm up to the shoulder actuator and most of the covering of the left leg, with the left leg also being just a little bit on fire at the hip. (The fire is not really roaring; the air is thinner up here, after all; but it's detectable.) Several large cracks in the side of the Gear's torso are crackling with electrical arcs, and compressed-Ether fuel is pouring out.
The head turns to look towards Weltall, towards others, before setting down - sinking into a kneel and favoring the left leg.
The audio crackles for a moment and then Elly says, "--right - I'm alright - ah, it's fine, I'm fine -"
Probably for Emeralda (and in no small part Fei). At least she sounds more... focused than she did a moment ago!
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"I uh. I lived in the same village as she did. She didn't live directly in the village," thank god for that, Fei thinks. "But it wasn't too far away."
Maybe he's TELLING THE TRUTH and trying to sneak into Shevat and ruin everything?! But he does say, "Then--talk to the Queen...! We can just sit here!"
but Siebezhn is unleashing a swarm of missiles. Several detonate against Weltall and Fei lets out a cry of pain--
--he sees one heading towards Vierge. That's powered DOWN. Fei throws himself and Weltall forward. "Elly...!" He shouts.
Then what happens hapens. Weltall goes over with Vierge, trying its best to protect it--hard to say how effective it is at that.
Then Vierge and Weltall float back out and Weltall sets down after, a single wing of light emitting out of its back as a stuttering thruster.
And it sits itself down, using its armor to prop Vierge up. "Shit..shit... Elly...!"
Fei opens his occkpit. "I'm not sure it's safe in there, you're leaking fuel--"
He reaches with a hand. "Quick--get in. Just--just in case..."
<Pose Tracker> Emeralda Kasim has posed.
"That's why we want to talk!" Emeralda yells, frustrated. "You just have to tell them - tell them - "
...
"...Elly?" Emeralda had been diverting Crescens toward Weltall. She turns sharply, not walking but gliding a few inches above the ground; because she's gliding rather than walking, she can 'run' diagonally backwards without turning around.
Crescens comes to rest in front of Vierge, spreading the wings wide in lieu of arms, preparing to cover her. She doesn't know that Maria is going to shoot, but... in fact it looks like Maria isn't going to shoot.
But Siebzahn is.
Missiles rain down, and Emeralda - and Crescens can't figure out how to move, or where to go, and still make sure Elly is safe. She braces, crossing one wing in front of her while using the other as a shield for Vierge; at the same time, she reaches out with Ether, causing some short-lived bursts of fire in front of her that cause some of the smaller missiles to prematurely detonate. She can't do much about the bigger ones but stand there and take it.
And it's not enough. Emeralda is... okay, though Crescens looks like it's about to fall over. She has landed, because she doesn't have a choice; the hovering system is broken. Some of the plates that dented earlier over the left side of the chest have popped open entirely, revealing the Gear's internals; some of them look normal, but the place closest to where the heart would be on a human is a sheer silver sphere surrounded by unidentifiable machinery.
"Elly! Fei! KIM!"
Emeralda abandons defending herself entirely to run toward the side of Babel Tower. She turns her back in Siebzehn entirely, and then has to skid to a stop when Vierge and Weltall back up over the edge to avoid running into them.
Emeralda yells something around tears - in Zeboim. She forgot, for a moment; it slipped out. But then, switching back: "You're okay! I thought - you were going to fall the whole way...!"
Crescens spreads its wings again, half-sheltering Weltall and the battered Vierge (the size difference makes it hard) in case Siebzehn tries to shoot them. She's not looking at the other Gear, though - any other Gear, including the other Wolves.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Both sides are getting worn down. The Wolves are wavering as well, some more than others. Xantia can't help but feel like she has to say something, to everybody present.
"Everyone! You too, Maria! We're not wrong - none of us are! This is all just a misunderstanding!" Considering Maria's words cause for more hope, she adds when Fei remarks on this, "Fei's right! All you have to do is ask the Queen what she thinks about this, right? You can do that more easily than we can. There's no risk, we'd need your help to even get to Shevat! ...Right?"
Maybe it undermines her a little bit, but she had to look over to the other Wolves at the end of that claim. She was pretty sure that's how it was, but after all this she's really not sure about the circumstances anymore. How did they end up fighting, anyway?
And then missiles start flying. Xantia briefly considers that maybe that would've been more convincing if she wasn't still draining Maria's Gear of energy while she was talking. Silvestis abruptly withdraws its tail and lays flat in a curled position, depending on its barrier and small stature (by Gear standards) to try and avoid the majority of the damage - there's no way she can get out of the way in time, and the safest place may in fact be in close proximity to Siebzehn, it probably doesn't want to be struck by its own missiles.
Once again, even explosions that go off nearby are enough to toss the lightweight Silvestris around however, and it ends up flipping end over end several times. This time, it doesn't get up all the way. It just rolls back onto its stomach, craning its head to look at the unfolding situation with Elly, Fei, and Emeralda... then looks back in Siebzehn's direction. Xantia doesn't know about Maria, but she sure has no interest in fighting anymore after seeing that.
"No matter how you look at it... this is a family, not an invasion force. You can see that, right? Please, let's just... stop this. Okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"He knows Midori," he says, in those moments once he can speak again, "because she is my daughter!"
He moves to flank Xantia, taking up a position that might prove slightly more advantageous should Siebzehn respond with (explosive) force. "Then, might you ask her for her orders, given this current situation? We will stand down immediately and await the Queen's response!" Citan asks of Maria, echoing the same sentiment as Fei.
But while Maria may here waver, she is hardly ready yet to give up the fight.
At least on some crucial level.
Citan realizes what they must hold the moment those tanks slot upwards behind Siebzehn. He's hardly proven wrong in the seconds that follow.
In the rain of missiles that follows, there is no real space in which to maneuver: there's too many of them and they're falling too fast. Perhaps if he had a more responsive machine than Heimdall the equation might be counterbalanced, but--
Even if he had a better machine, he knows now without a doubt who designed and built this one. There may only be one class of Gear that can match Siebzehn, response for response--
And that isn't all.
He, in the second that follows that realization, sees Weltall leap, interposing itself between Vierge and the incoming swarm. "Fei!!" They both go flying over the edge.
And then Citan himself is struck. Some part of him is aware of how much damage Heimdall has received, again and distantly wonders even in the moment after what the cost will be this time. The rest of him focuses on the more immediate issue: wrestling with the controls, he stabilizes his damaged Gear. He's down and out just yet--
But the same can't be said for Vierge. Even the damage Heimdall has taken -- in either this fight or the one against Stein -- is nothing compared to the systemic damage (he can tell; does he not know the schematics for Vierge) that her Gear has received.
But there's one important part he can also see and it's this:
"Th, the cockpit is undamaged!"
<Pose Tracker> Maria Balthasar has posed.
And just like that, she's wrapped up in battle again; those who hesitate in a fight pay for it, she thinks. Weglaff erupts from out of the fire and smoke with a single defiant lunge, tearing through missiles with the gatling cannon; then, he arrives--
And the heat blade flashes and slices a knee plate CLEAN in half, a white-hot line rent straight through before it explodes.
That Gear that cut its own engine -- the one with the AERODs -- it's not doing well. She honestly doesn't know how many times she's torn down the enemies of Shevat in her perhaps far too long combat career... but she can count the number of times she feels her stomach lurch and something fall into it--
There's an awful one and three quarters of a second, which feels like forever.
But then both gears scream back out, racing through the fire; Vierge, that Solarian gear, looks awful, but... but is the pilot all right?
Maria sees Weltall's pilot disembark and reach out for-- the other pilot, that woman from before? No, not just that; the girl from before, in her winged Gear, is perching herself to block the two, to prevent her from hurting them.
..... Are they a family?
Xantia entreats her once more, saying very clearly what she's thinking -- this is just a family, not an invasion force... can she really just ask the Queen? Would she yell at her? Would she be failing her duty?
Citan urges that Fei knows Midori because she's his daughter -- that he lived in a village close by. These were really people that Midori and Yui knew, and she nearly...
Thoughts of That Room again--
".... U-ugh," the nausea comes awful and fast, as her mind forcefully brings
the bombed-out wall
the half-broken cot
the rocking-horse toy
to the front of her thoughts. She slumps over, clinging to Siebzehn's red horn tightly.
"That is enough, Maria."
An imperious voice booms, seemingly out of nowhere. The city of Shevat slowly overs overhead, surrounded by its orange forcefield; then, there is a flicker. Once, twice, and then... the force field fades.
"Please bring our guests in. I would like to meet with them."
There is cold, hard silence... save for the awful hiss coming from Siebzehn's missile pods. Fortunately, the Gear seems to have caught up with Maria's own thoughts, and has stopped attacking.
"... a-all right. Come with me," Maria mumbles guiltily, turning away from the scene. Siebzehn rises up, transforming into a flight mode as she drops into its hands... and she flies towards an open hangar bay.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Elly--get into Weltall, as Fei said! The damage seems severe," Leon says into the radio. There is an edge of nervousness in the captain's voice, now. He spares one glance at Emeralda; it seems like Crescens is defending the two of them.
He'll take it.
Xantia calls out to her, too. He grits his teeth -- winces at the Doctor's description of Vierge -- and he is quiet for a moment. He blinks, then, as a voice intervenes.
Leon sighs with relief. "...well," he says. "If everyone's all right... let's not keep them waiting."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Everything comes back into focus. Vierge is screaming at her, or perhaps more accurately only part is screaming at her. Comms gear, OK; AEROD module, locked; actuators - thrusters - There is that unique tang of compressed Ether in the air, and there's a faint whistle.
Fei's opening his cockpit.
Get over there. The cockpit's intact. Emeralda's screaming - she was scared - Elly's face turns red, and she grasps the manual override lever and slams it open with both hands. The air whirls and strains, and Elly stands for a moment as her fingers tighten into fists and then --
She leaps.
It's a long leap, but even in the thin air, a focused burst of Ether is enough. Somehow it is enough. She stares directly at the small form of Fei even as he becomes suddenly much less small, and she almost clotheslines him before instead stumbling into the little space behind Weltall's seat and then coming round to rest her hands on the back of the seat.
She isn't bleeding. She looks anxious and scared but she is fine. She immediately says (on Fei's signal), "Emeralda, watch out --"
A voice calls a halt.
Something vast fills the sky, casting a surreal sunset light in the open cockpit. Elly can do little for now but stare at Shevat, luminous and real and *there*, as the wind whips past them.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei catches Elly in both arms, hugging her tightly for a long moment. Elly can feel the relief bleeding off him--a brief moment of unadulterated terror that's gradually tapering off now that she's outside of the hazardous mech. Hammer is going to give him shit if it's even repairable in such condition. In this state, the empathic reasonance of That Room does not reach him but he isn't so lost to his madness that he can't recognize that the person he is fighting isn't an enemy. Not right now. Not with Elly safe and sound, even if it was a worry.
He takes a moment to ensure Elly IS okay before shouting to Emeralda, "We're okay, Em! We're okay! It's okay--" He manages a nervous smile. "I'm sorry for worrying you. We didn't mean to. We're okay."
And a queen extends an invitation. Fei lets out a relieved breath.
"All in all," Fei admits to Elly. "This is a lot better than I expected." Ever the optimist apparently.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
It was likely that Elly was alright if the cockpit was still intact. Nevertheless, Citan still finds himself holding his breath up to and including that moment she leaps from her broken Gear to the safety of Fei's own.
"I am glad everyone is well," he says at last, before addressing Maria:
"...Please, miss, let Queen Zephyr know that we are grateful. Everyone... we should not dally."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia sure is hoping Maria will be dissuaded from continuing. It just feels so meaningless to persist when she can clearly tell that no one really wants what's happening right now. But until there's an official word on that, there's a bit of a stalemate going on. She'd like to go over and make doubly sure Elly is okay, but... her number one priority always stays on the opponent in front of her.
Not for the first time, she wonders if something is wrong with her, not having the kinds of impulses that Fei has. What he did feels like it should be the more natural response compared to this staredown that she's doing with Siebzehn. But that's not a constructive thought process, it never leads anywhere.
In the end, it's a different voice that settles the matter. Silvestris slowly raises back up to its feet as Xantia beholds, what must be, Shevat.
She's not quite certain of her emotions in the moment, except that they definitely include a certain measure of disappointment. She didn't know what to expect from Shevat, but she was hoping that seeing it would trigger some sort of memory. Yet... nothing. There must be something up there, though. After all, if she doesn't have anything to do with Shevat, if nobody up there knows her either, then... what else is left where she could have come from...?
<Pose Tracker> Emeralda Kasim has posed.
Withdrawing her hands from the controls, nearly invisible threads of silver connect Emeralda to it before they pull in, rebonding to her fingertips.
Crescens stiffens again, becoming unmoving - a statue more than a robot, its joints simply do not operate without some way to control the nanomachine lubrication and flexible materials. But Emeralda needed a moment to recover, and she didn't want anyone to hear.
But she grips them again a moment later. She sounds like her nose is stuffed. "Okay," she says, before Shevat...
Well, it's just RIGHT THERE. It's hard not to give her full attention to that; she speaks a moment later, and she sounds much recovered: "Wow! It's - so - floating!"