[center][h1][color=ed1c24]Terra Laedo[/color][/h1][/center]

[i]The facility was quiet, or about as quiet as a military structure might be, all surveillance quietly watching for any possible intrusion.  Strangely, though, today it would find that the reverse was occurring.  For soon, there was the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and then a loud SLAM!!  The outer wall of the facility suddenly expanded and tore apart, revealing a glowing palm from within a smoke-filled room.[/i]

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss30A92kSyk[/youtube][/center]

[i]Alarm sirens began to sound as a red Neural Combatant emerged.  Humanoid, with spikes and edges that would cut anything they touched, and flight system to increase its travel options.  This machine was the new gem in the army of the the Red-Star, an NC simply known as Id, a machine of killer instinct designed to work in congruence with a pilot capable of meshing with its input at high levels and withstanding the strain that came with it.  Well, it worked...but the pilot had no intention of flying their colors.

Her secondary generator needed a moment to cool down before being put to the next task at hand.  This escape plan would utilize Id's capabilities to the fullest, and deliver her from this country, this corporation, faster than they could have any hope of containing her.  She made for the coast at normal speeds, firing behind her with a stolen plasma rifle whenever she had radar contact.  Accuracy was not as important as occupying them.  If she delayed too long here, they could mobilize more NCs, or even someone capable of standing against her at an equal-footing.  That could not be allowed.

While Id made for the southern coast, the radio had been full of chatter on her wavelength.  Red-Star command, those of whom were to have been her comanders, demanded she return immediately or face destruction.  She ignored them.  Her attention was more on the enemy combatants who seemed to have forgotten they were on the same channel as her, at least until an officer shouted at them for being incompetent.  It was an honest mistake, but a foolish one.  It let her in on a few of their plans, bought her some extra time.  Soon, the red NC was in position...and stopped.

It was time, the big push.  Terra activated flight engine overclock-[/i]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The base intercom whistled, halting the dream prematurely.  Well, not so much a dream as a recent memory.  This was her reality now.

This was [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mGoiR7lqvw]Haven.[/url]

[b][i]"All NC pilots to the Operations Room.  I repeat, all NC pilots to the Operations Room, immediately."[/i][/b]

She had been asleep to recuperate energy that she needed, to re-organize her brain, and to try and put behind her the unfortunate facts of her escape from the Red-Star facility.  As Terra sat up from the bed in a black tanktop and cargo pants she had received from supplies, she had on a glum face because putting it to rights.  Can you guess which two out of the three goals were achieved in her sleep?  If you're wondering how her escape ended, half the base knew the details, by now.  She overclocked her propulsion engines with the special generator outfitted to her NC and outran the Red-Star forces, from Southern Japan to the Northern tip of Australia, where she was naturally spotted by Havenite forces and simply waited for them there.  She did not so much as surrender as agree to be escorted  Terra did not give up control easily, the reason she pretty much demanded to be on speaking terms with someone in charge to be treated decently, instead of as a prisoner.  After all, that was why she was here.

Getting out of bed now, Terra ran her hand through her hair and got a handle on her mood.  She was projecting a depressing sort of blue when she sighed, and that had to stop.  They didn't see that, but it was apparent to her, and she didn't want to feel that or really show that.  They needed her to be in control.  [i]She[/i] needed to be in control of the situation.  Since this sounded important, she elected to get into the only uniform she had, her white and black flight suit, the same one she had come in.  It was supposedly reminescent of something from an old car show, but while some people had referenced it to her, she never really saw, so who could compare?  The way they described this 'Stig' character, he didn't seem human, anyway.  Terra was genetically-engineered and everything they've said about him was far more implausible.

One thing that had surprised her, coming into this place: Although people were uneasy about her before, the people of Haven were a kinder breed than those she had known in her life.  Well...apart from her parents.  Still, it was unexpected, and one of the reasons she'd opted for sleep was that she needed to figure out how to deal with this.  These were all strangers to her.  Indeed, the commanding officer was most pleased to see them, while [i]her[/i] commander punished tardiness in her peers.  People [i]shoudn't[/i] run meetings late, though, so this was all a mixed message to her.  At least the meeting could get started.  It looked as though Red-Star had followed her, or even if not, they had much invested in this area.

[color=ed1c24][i]It's the price you pay for free intel and a fully-equipped pilot.  People start to notice you.[/i][/color]

It had been her intention to come to Haven for a long time, never really seeing any wisdom in Red-Star's methodology.  This, she had kept to herself and her plan was executed without warning.  It was the only realistic way to do it, even if neither side was prepared to deal with it.  Now then...  This base was basically surrounded, at least insofar as the water was concerned, and only the reactive barriers were keeping off the heavy stuff, but then...these did not repel other forms of attack.  It didn't take a genius to figure out that the enemy - their enemy, her enemy - would use other tactics to try and bring the shields down.  Commander Narra's briefing was startling at least one of the other pilot, especially at the mention of breeding slaves.  The other girl's breath took on nervous yellow waves that stood out among the dull gray hum of machinery around them.  Despite all this, the Commander himself was in high spirits, speaking with waves of calming green.

Terra made it a point to not be influenced by others, but it was nice to see that command was keeping its head in this situation.  Narra began to name off some expected enemies that, frankly, were already well-known to her, and her to them.  It was unfortunate, but training in the same army will allow others to understand things about you.  Still, he was rather pleased with himself, in that he'd managed to bring in some reinforcements and obtain the knowledge that he had.  You can guess where at least [i]some[/i] of that came from.  Something that Terra didn't like, though: Commander Narra seemed to want pilots and NC's captured almost as much as Red-Star did, though for different reasons, such as interrogation and resources.  That said, it was problematic.  And furthermore, he continued...

[color=ed1c24][i]Damn.  If they really want me to curb the more lethal half of my training to their own ends, this is going to make things complicated.  My NC is certainly geared to destroy.  It's modular to any handheld weapon, it has deadly capabilities as much as versatilities, and-  Wait, WHAT did he just say?[/i][/color]

For once, Terra was properly confused, and...she wasn't really hiding it, either.  She tilted her head to the side a bit, looking at the commander like he'd grown a third nostril.  He'd assured them that the barriers would hold against missle bombardments and the usual preliminary attack moves, which was why he wanted them to spend the time they had before deployment on a...social meeting?  And...their options were...  What was going on here?  Is this how things were here?  A bar, a coffeeshop, a bathhouse...  Finally, after taking all that had been said in, THIS was where Terra broke her silence.

[color=ed1c24]"Commander, this puts me in a most awkward position.  I don't know anybody or really much of anything about Haven, Darwin, or - let's be honest - Australia.  I don't know how to even approach this.  I haven't really done any of those things.  And apart from that...don't you have any [i]tea?[/i]"[/color]