[h3][center][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd46nIoKJq8]Careful What You Wish For[/url][/center][/h3]

[i]One and a half successes[/i], Rising Star noted with mild satisfaction. She wanted to bring that up to three successes, a perfect ratio, but she had more imminent issues. The harrying shots from the Messer heralded the approach of the Bradley, and necessitated a few quick evasive maneuvers. Her Wavrider wasn’t quite the appropriate form for this, so she triggered the transformation system in time to interpose the G-Valkyrie’s shield between the mech’s bulk and the source of the shots. The Valk lay on its ‘stomach’, top of the mech toward the enemy, so the shield [i]did[/i] effectively guard it from the enemy’s fire.

But it didn’t really solve the issue. The blue Rook’s performance was on par with a modern HFV, and by all signs, piloted by someone with experience. Rising Star could have handled him one-on-one, but this… She had to deal with the Bradley, too, and she couldn’t damage it. Joan wanted it intact. The Messer drone only complicated things. That was three potential vectors of attack, one of which couldn’t be destroyed, and another of which was close to on par with her own unit’s specs. Sasha didn’t know what to do; she was out of missiles, there were two more seconds until her launcher was ready to fire, and she didn’t dare turn her back to put some space between her and the opposition. 

Too far for Sword Shroud to cover for her, too close range to get a shot from her launcher off, no chance to run, squaring off against a high-performance close-combat machine, an ace Rook with unknown retrofits, and an attack drone. Sasha was as pinned down as you could get in space.

[url=https://youtu.be/dd46nIoKJq8?t=1m5s]The chaplain [color=a0410d][i]growled.[/i][/color][/url]

[color=a0410d]"Rising Star, the Bradley awaits you. Allow me to dance with the Blue Danube."[/color]

In an instant Rising Star’s hesitation was swept away, her resolve bolstered. Joan had her back. No more was she outnumbered. It was two on two, and they were [i]Paper Tiger[/i]. The Lion of Judah and the Chooser of the Slain. She was never in it alone, and even if she were, it was the strongest will that decided the battle. It was shameful that she had doubted for even a second. No pilot could match their resolve. Not together.  If the Father wanted a Bradley, [i]she would have it[/i].

“He won’t wait long. I’ll finish this in [i]one[/i] hit. Then we can finish this fight together.” Steel had returned to her voice, and conviction with it. Her eyes narrowed behind her mask, mind refocusing to crystal clarity. The oncoming Bradley. Her own position. And how she would finish the enemy unit without destroying the machine. He wanted to get closer? Alright then. 

She stayed hunkered behind her shield while he approached, maneuvering just enough to give the impression that she [i]wanted[/i] to get away. She drew her Launcher in close, parallel to the Valk’s body, and waited while her foe closed in. Her verniers fired, trying to put some distance between them without opening herself up to attack, but with her primary thrusters facing the wrong way the Bradley had no problem whatsoever closing in. No doubt he believed he was in luck; his rocket anchor closed around the Valk’s right shoulder, the one spot her position left open enough to grab, and he had ensured she couldn’t escape to long range again.

Then her shield swung out, knocking the Bradley’s gun arm aside to reveal the G-Valkyrie’s green visor in time to watch it [url=https://youtu.be/i4-txHzY4ew?t=18m10s]flash[/url] mere feet from the pirate’s main camera.

On some level, she understood the Father’s prayers. It was unfortunate that their foes perished in such numbers. It was unfortunate that such lethal measures were required to deal with them. It was unfortunate that she had to be the one to kill them. But if their positions were reversed, they would kill her. They would kill the Father. They would kill her friends.

Rising Star regretted that it was necessary, but she did not regret killing this man. He chose his path, and there was no changing that. Before its pilot could grasp that he had been lured in, that closing to range had been exactly what Rising Star wanted, she jabbed her launcher forward with all of the force the G-Valkyrie could muster and drove the heat spike on its tip into the pirate machine’s cockpit. To be certain of her foe’s elimination she pulled the spike back out and fired her Vulcans into the hole she had created.

As she promised; one strike.