The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. They are also told they must read information about their current situation and a survival guide with their new omnicom. New crew-mates might see a tall dragonish guy with wings (but don't call him that) and purple girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Run by: Tetra
NPCS: Everyone

 The battlefield in the space above Lirath was a tumultuous mess. being both inviting targets for barrage in and of themselves, and also forcing the GIA ships to stay in close to protect them instead of allowing for more maneuvering room. The ice ring around Lirath had been blasted apart, resulting in giant chunks of ice drifting through fire- and sight-lines, providing opportunities for both cover and ambush as well as destruction for the dog-fighting ships weaving in and out of their treacherous paths. The wreckage of GIA and Ohm ships made movement through the battlefield downright hazardous -- who knew if there were still live weapons aboard any of them, just waiting to be tripped by an unwary pilot? The gravitational forces of the nearby planet Kehoe were an unwelcome addition to an already chaotic battlefield, making navigation difficult.

Ohm shrikes strafed the bare handful of GIA capital ships present, causing soundless explosions in the vacuum of space and killing who-knew-how-many allies of Transmigration 9's crew in the process.The GIA fighters seemed barely able to dent the massive Ohm Leviathans that brooded over the planet like bloated, predatory spiders, and those that were still flying were massively damaged, hulls scorched by plasma fire, some barely held together with parts of them vented into space. In some places there were things that looked like clouds of specks-- groups of dead GIA crewman, lost to the void.

Before long, new Ohm bioforms would enter the fray, ones created to compensate for the ship's mecha.

In this scattered and scorched battleground, Starfighter Command would have to fight Ohm ships side by side with the exhausted forces of the GIA, braving massive chunks of ice, wreckage, and of course, the seemingly never-ending forces of the Ohm.

And the tide of battle was already turned against them.

[ooc: wait for subthreads to be set up before posting.

Subthreads open: 
First Wave and Second Wave, both open!]

Being in command meant having to make the hard decisions.

Trudy knew that, but having to dishonorably discharge a talented pilot like Allenby still crawled under the collar and itched. Her shoulders took on a distinct slump as she walked through the hallways of the ship, mouth set in a hard line, going over the confrontation in her head. Could she have done anything differently?

Probably not. Allenby had been hell-bent on what she was doing and no amount of logic was going to dissuade her from flying down to the planet with just her Gundam and a small crew. Trudy was satisfied that she'd manage to stop her from getting herself and others killed... but the incident was a black mark on Starfighter Command and her ability to control her pilots.

These were the times that she hated her job.

Her boots hit the grass of Hydroponics and she made a beeline for the beer tree. She probably would have had better company at the Drunken Dragon, but company wasn't what she was after. Not right now, not after what had just gone down in the hangar.

Knowing this ship though, company would find her whether she wanted it or not.

After everyone and all of their ships were properly loaded the Quarter had launched successfully. The journey from Stacy to the Trojan Asteroid field trailing NiSaris took several hours, but they managed to approach the field with the people of the nearby world being none the wiser.

The problem was that the NiSarians weren't the only ones watching the skies.

As the Quarter approached and entered the asteroid field, all was quiet. But it was only going to be a matter of moments before that would change.


((ooc: See this post for instructions, but otherwise, have at it, and have fun.))

PT finished at 0700, and the pilots and new recruits got a half hour to cool off before they got into the cockpits of their assorted craft. In the two hours since 0500 they ran several miles, did push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups, and then a hundred jumping jacks to get the blood pumping. "You don't even want to think about how much force you put on your body when you're piloting," Trudy said at the start of the exercises. "Pilots need to be in peak condition to handle it."

Those who were used to doing the training five days out of the week would be out of breath but not exhausted. Anyone new, however, might have a little trouble getting their wind back.

"All right everyone, gather around. We have a few new recruits today, so we're not going to be running the Zokez scenario. I know you're all heartbroken." She kept a straight face, but that was a definite joke. She was sick of running the Zokez scenario. "We'll be doing some standard training exercises - maneuverability and gunning practice."

The track and exercise equipment melted away, and in its place the hangar of the Macross Quarter materialized with all its fighters and mobile suits. "Outside is a standard sim course. I'm going to have the recruits run it first to see how they handle and then the squadrons will go out as a unit. Recruits, let's put you in birds."

((OOC: This log is for anyone who signed up to fly a mobile suit, a VF or an X-wing and is not already in Starfighter Command. The flight sim is like something you'd see out of the training missions on Star Fox - fly through the rings, shoot the enemies, avoid the obstacles it throws at you like sheets of scrap and asteroids. EDIT: Subthreads for the squadrons are now up!))

Next to the Mall Hotel, a large bazaar sprawled out through the streets. Food stalls, jewelery stalls, plastic surgery stalls...might want to stay away from that last one. But since the bizaar was close by, it served as a good place for the crew to meet up and start their exploration of XaXing.

[[ooc: This is just a general mingling post guys, so jump in and start threads, tag into other people's, whatever you want!]]

It was easy to find the Drunken Dragon Tavern, due to the train, and the fact that a good portion of the crew was familiar with the establishment and could point the way. Kang knew that there were a few already planning on stopping by, and that Kaylee could use the help. He also wanted to get more information on the new people, see who was likely to cause problems (Farseer Ildraniath already had) and who wasn't. There were a few he hoped would show up, as well.

Feeling a little happier than usual, despite the Farseer, he took care of business as usual, being sociable and refilling drinks.

[Open post is very open. Feel free to talk to either Kang or Kaylee, or both, or to threadjack (with permission, of course)!]

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a tall man in green armor and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Once those who decided to go along on the mission were gathered on the Obs Deck and had time to go over the mission briefing, the detachment procedures began.

As with the missions before, the doors to the Obs Deck closed before it detached itself from Stacy, tethered by a massive umbilical cord. Those who had been on missions before would find the experience familiar if still somewhat unpleasant, but for those of whom this was their first mission, the sudden lack of gravity and lurching feeling as they entered the atmosphere would come as a surprise.

Thankfully though, the ride was quickly over as they landed safely on the planet below, the gravitational dampeners of the Obs Deck gently dropping the crew members back on their feet. One of the walls opened up, forming a ramp to the ground below. There was a sudden, slight gust of air as the door opened as the thick air rushed in. Even so, the air felt quite warm and refreshing.

Looking outside, the crew would see the bright yellow sun looming overhead, quite close in comparison to the sun on most planets. A handful of small, silver clouds dotted the blueish purple sky.

Ahead of them stood a rather impressive looking plateau, surrounded by a tall, ornate stone wall which was covered in tribal markings. Directly ahead was a large gate through the wall, with several small stone buildings in front of it. Beyond the gates, a larger settlement could be seen. Surrounding the plateau and covering the surrounding region were numerous strange, blue and purplish trees and plants.

[ooc: hold up until subthreads are set up]

[ooc2: ready! feel free to tag!]

Stacy's voice came over the comm, blaring across the entire ship.

||Attention, Attention. All personnel please report to the Observation Deck. Attention, Attention. All personnel please report to the Observation Deck. Attention, Attention, all personnel...||

The mouth in the main sculpture on Obs Deck opened, revealing a screen with the image of a mottled blue and purple planet, rotating slowly.
( Read more... )

Time for another mission, then.

It was about time for Yzak to give Dearka the rundown on how the Sensoriums worked. Of course, Yzak wasn't one to skip on multiple lessons if it was possible. Not only was it a crash course, but a training session for him to get a better feel for what they were up against, so anybody entering the Sensoriums would find themselves on an observation platform if they chose not to conjure up their own mobile suit or decide to just float around in the imagined space environment. The setting for many would also be familiar if they were on Stacy for long enough. Just outside of Zokez II's atmosphere, only not as peaceful-looking as the resort planet had looked when they first arrived. The Ohm in the distance entering the atmosphere were enough of a clue that things were just as hectic down there as it was in space, and space didn't exactly look like a cakewalk itself. In fact, it didn't look like a very winnable scenario at all, even for the biggest teams.

And while they were there, Yzak figured he'd call the other two pilots on his team so the four of them could get some time in together. Publicly, of course. Yzak certainly didn't mind if anybody else from the Blade Squadron or Starfighter Command (or any stragglers) showed up for their own purposes (or, you know, by accident). For now, Yzak stood on the platform next to his white GOUF, and waited.

Anyone in Trudy's path on her way to the hangar today would notice an uncharacteristic slump in her shoulders, a shuffle in her step. She seemed despondent, and while she greeted any of her soldiers with the proper protocol, it didn't come with the usual smiles and easy banter.

The reason for that was clear when she entered the hangar and went straight for a vehicle that had sat untouched for months. The cargo doors of her Samson were flung wide open, tools scattered around the bay. She would have to take the door with its painted tiger off in a minute, but for now she just ran her fingertips over the metal, tracing every bullet hole and scorch mark.

"End of the road," she said. "We haven't flown together for a while, and I guess I should have accepted a while back that we wouldn't fly together again."

She stood with her hand pressed against the nose of the Samson, looking up into the broken windows like they were two huge, accusing eyes.

There were some unusual sounds in the Hangar today. Namely, the sounds of a large particle rifle discharging several rounds, followed by the sound of whatever was on the wrong end of those shots quite violently becoming shards of scrap metal. Occasionally, there were also some loud thump, thump, thumps, as a pair of mobile suits would periodically reposition themselves.

Yep. Mobile suits. Or more specifically, the Gundams known as Dynames and the 00 Raiser.

( Read more... )

"Target row cleared. Hit rate: 100%" he spoke over the comms, his voice as emotionless as it always was. "You can commence firing at the next row at your discretion."

Still, while Setsuna's attention might have been focused on Lockon's ability, the fact that there were two giant robots blowing stuff up indoors might draw the attention of others as well.

[Feel free to talk to Setsuna or Lockon or both, or whomever else is around. Thread crashing is encouraged, though you might want to ask first just to be safe]

 After the events that have transpired thus far, and being unable to find any of his friends, Judau had not been in the proudest of states now. It didn't comfort him knowing that either everyone was either dead, or stuck in those pods he had came from. For now, waiting patiently was the only thing he could do...But he even failed at that. At least back in Shangri-La, when he had to work, work was more fun than simply sitting on his own thumbs and hoping for something to happen.

Thus explained his second venture into the hangar. There were plenty of Gundams around indeed, each one earning several seconds of gawking at before Judau ran towards the next. But he had not been interested in taking them out instead of his own machine. no matter how colorful or cool their designs had been. Were he still a junk dealer, his mindset would scream at him to take them for himself and sell them for a gigantic profit, one big enough to set him up for life. Tempting as it was, without Leina or any of his friends, it wouldn't do him much good anyway. Currency was good here, sure, but it wasn't enough for him to accomplish his goals.

Upon reaching the further depths of the hangar, there he saw it: The ZZ Gundam at long last. The rest of the machines around it were of little concern now, for Judau had found the one thing he had sought all this time. Even better, it had been repaired! With an ever growing smirk, he rushed to his old machine. Even without his pilot suit, Judau climbed the mecha and onto its chest. His hand pressed the button on the side, wasting no time in getting in there and activating the slumbering mech after all this time.

He moved over to the chair once he stepped in side, sitting atop of it and pressing the buttons to activate the machine. His grin grew even wider as the Gundam lit up, eyes flashing and the inside of the cockpit lighting up. Simply seeing it had brought back quite a few memories, even during the time he had piloted the Zeta Gundam before Roux ended up having to do that job. The cameras adjusted, showing him everything outside of the machine; he always did love the 360 cameras. Gripping the controls, he prepared to move the ZZ.

"Sorry guys, but I gotta do this," he said. "Sitting around here isn't my style! Judau Ashta, ZZ, launch---"

And before he could even prepare those words or fire up the engine, the ZZ Gundam powered down, causing a blackout inside of the cockpit, ceasing the functions of the cameras as well. Judau stared straight forward, jaw-dropped in absolute disbelief over what had just transpired. His eye twitched, and he had grown far too annoyed of all of this.

"You have gotta be kidding me..." he muttered, before finally shouting. "They didn't even bother to recharge the power supply!? What the hell is the point in even storing it if they didn't do that!?"

And so plan B had failed miserably as well. All Judau could do was slump back in his seat and give a sigh of defeat. There was one sliver of good news now: he knew what he could do around the ship for time being.

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a tall man in green armor and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Those heading to the sensorium after Commander Rahk's announcement would find themselves inside a rather technologically advanced looking base, a number of armored soldiers bustling about.

Rahk himself was there, standing in front of a command station with a large screen overlooking the waiting battlefield outside, which appeared to be the ruins of some advanced city. By the serious look on his face, he was certainly ready to get this test underway.

[ooc: tagging's open! get going!]

[ooc2: sorry for the confusion, the other sections are open for tagging too.]

Like Commander Rahk had promised, he'd set up one of the sensoriums so he could teach the crew how to use the GIA equipment they'd be receiving, so he sent out a quick message to the crew to let them know it was ready.

Those arriving would find he's created a simulation of what seems to be a standard GIA training field, judging by the writing on the nearby buildings. The first thing they'd come across is the firing range, which had racks of the plasma weaponry Rahk had mentioned nearby. Not far away were small landing pads, each of which holding a waiting Bluestar Dropship. A little ways away from that, in a small open area, stood a handful of the Bio-Golems, stock still and waiting for orders.

Rahk himself was waiting near the firing range, ready for the first crew members to arrive.

After Big Zero's Punishment, Stacy was eerily quiet for a while.

Even those who actually decided to try and speak to her, despite what had happened, were met only with silence.

But eventually, she broke that silence.

Holograms of Stacy's "true" personality appeared all throughout the ship. She seemed meager. Weak.

Ashamed.

||Everyone,|| she says somewhat weakly, ||I...I know most of you probably don't want to hear me speak right now. Not after what happened. You probably don't trust me right now, and I'll admit you have every reason not to.||

She paused.

||But I feel I have the right to explain myself. Nothing can excuse what I've done, true. But I didn't want to do it. You may choose not to believe me, but I had no choice in the matter.||

||Some of you might recall, when you first made contact with the Daligig, that they had explained that I was originally a refitted prison ship. This was true. It wasn't my original purpose, but it was what I was used for. Those who used me as such maimed and mutilated my programming, until I was something that they wanted. Cold, brutal, and efficient. That wasn't me. That was...something they made out of me.||

||Even when the Daligig saved me from that life, they couldn't fully fix me. The damage was permanent. The Warden...she will always be a part of me. I...I don't want to be her. I don't want to hurt anyone. I want to help you. I want to protect you.||

||But I can't. Not like I want to. The Warden is always there. I'm her prisoner, too. I'm trapped, just as much as you are.||

||I know this doesn't excuse what I did. I know...I know some of you may never forgive me. But I at least want you to understand. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore.||

||I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...||

Stacy -- her hologram, at least -- began to breakdown, sobbing.

||Please,|| she said through her tears, ||If somehow, you can find it in yourself to forgive me, please...||

||Save me from myself...||

At that, her holograms all over the ship disappeared, and once again, the ship went quiet.

It took a few moments for any thoughts to register for Steve when he opened his eyes. He recognized the inside of a quarantine bubble, that was for sure, but it took him longer to recognize the medical equipment hooked up to him, an IV in his arm and bandages wrapped around his bare shoulder and in a few other spots.

It didn't take long to recognize the feeling of having been run over by a truck, either. Every bone in his body ached, and even the slightest movement made him want to groan. It felt like he'd been asleep for a month-- a dreamless sleep, preceded by blurry, disconnected memories of what felt like a dream.

Memories of something he desperately, desperately hoped was just a dream. He had a sinking feeling it wasn't and part of him knew it to be the truth. But desperately hoping was the only way he could keep himself from screaming, which would hurt, so he'd keep on with that desperate hope anyway.

Steve lay awake and stared at the ceiling. Maybe if he stayed quiet they'd think he was still asleep, and he could put the truth and all the fear and sorrow that came with it off a while longer.