[center][h1][b]Nikita Shaw[/b][/h1][/center]

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The time had come to deploy for patrol. Nikita looked over to her ISS counterparts and nodded to them. They knew what the plan was if things went up in smoke. She climbed back into the Noblesse, the cockpit closing inside the chest once she was secure. Nikita pressed some buttons and flipped switches while the cockpit sealed around her. Before long, the Noblesse was moving again. She had only spent ten minutes aboard the Artemis, so didn't have the time to get comfortable and groan about the patrol. The black MAS walked in behind the line of 12th MAS units as they made for the catapults.

Nikita eyes held on to her brother's MAS as it entered the catapult. She was quiet, there wasn't any need for words to him. Nikita knew how her brother was feeling about the sudden reunion, and she didn't want to make it worse by talking just before a combat patrol. The other black MAS units of the ISS fell in behind Nikita, waiting to launch as well. [color=white][i]"Hey, Commander,"[/i][/color] one of the servicemen started, [color=white][i]"Looked like you had a past with that 12th commander. Former lover?"[/i][/color]

Nikita rolled her eyes, [color=white][b]"Ask it like that again, and the Coalition will be the last thing you should be afraid of, major. Now stow it and go over the plan again."[/b][/color]

Nikita could hear the synthesized chuckling of other servicemen over the ISS comms. The Noblesse took another few steps toward the catapult. She was up next. Since Nikita was attached to the 12th, she wasn't going to be on the same patrol route as the other ISS operatives. Worse yet, her assignment had her not being the first on that station if things went wrong. It grated on her. [color=white][b]"Alright, major, you're in command of the squadron until after this assignment. You know what to do in the event of a crisis."[/b][/color]

[color=white][i]"Yes ma'am. Fly safe."[/i][/color] the major said.

Nikita's MAS climbed into the catapult, locked in, and began her launch checks. It wasn't long before she was green for launch, and she was quickly sucked back into her seat from the sheer acceleration. The Noblesse's mimetic armor automatically engaged, and the black armor took on a foggy blue tinge to match the ambient light given off by the planet below. The Noblesse fell in with the 12th on the far left of the formation. When the Coalition MAS units began openly communicating with the 12th, Nikita didn't say much. She noticed the red unit, and was familiar with its reputation, but Raul Tigres fought in an entirely different theater. For all Nikita cared, the Blood Valkyrie was just another ace.

Another one of the coalition pilots addressed Nikita directly, [color=white][i]"Strange seeing a MAS flagged as ISS mixed in with the dogs. Piss off one of the royals?"[/i][/color]

Nikita sighed, she knew this was going to happen. It did every time. [color=white][b]"Force multiplier,"[/b][/color] she said. Nikita wasn't about to go and tell her enemy about her standing with one particular member of the royal family.

The coalition pilot chuckled, [color=white][i]"You've got spirit, I like that in a woman."[/i][/color]

[color=white][b]"Take a number and sit with the rest, pilot. Now do everybody here a favor and do your job."[/b][/color] Friend or not, Nikita wasn't a fan of negligent soldiers who focused more on chatting than paying attention to their task.

Nikita's MAS was suddenly and violently shaken by a brilliant explosion. She was tossed to the side of her cockpit, but held mostly in place by her seat's harness. Alarms and lights blared up to warn Nikita of the dangers. She quickly suppressed the alarms and flipped some switches. Nikita's cameras turned to the fireball that was the Perseus. Like the rest of the 12th, Nikita pulled back and armed her weapons. She glanced to the side, and saw the squadron of the ISS MAS units already careening toward the station to secure Lupus. Then the two rookies exchanged fire. Nikita grit her teeth. [color=white][b]"Iggy, control your team!"[/b][/color] she scolded.

Another alarm blared that her MAS had been target locked. She quickly spotted the coalition MAS aiming its cannon at her. She locked back and spoke over the comms to the coalition pilot, [color=white][b]"You'll regret pulling that trigger, pilot. Keep it together."[/b][/color]

Nikita waited, hoping that the exchange between the two rookies didn't just reignite the violent conflict.
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