[center][h1][color=ed1c24][b]Terra Launching[/b][/color][/h1][/center] Joey warned them maybe thirty seconds before the actual call came that a call was [i]going[/i] to come. With a nod, Terra gave a nod to Kxeyun to indicate that now was the time, and then headed off towards the NC Hangar. She would have enough time to suit up at the locker room nearby. They really needed to make her a spare suit, in future... Anyway, the battle was upon them, and they had to get moving right away! [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh0Xvxiep7g[/youtube][/center] Soon, she was in her flight suit, stepping into the hangar where she left Id originally. Good, they had maintained it. She would've said that if it wasn't at full when she herself left it, then it hadn't been properly dealt with. Terra had made sure that Id was in good shape when she arrived here in Haven, and wouldn't hear a word against it. Proceeding directly to the red mecha, it opened itself up as it scanned her presence and she stepped inside. Her presence in the cockpit automatically started up the machine, even as she was connecting herself to the system. It was a simple program. You could do similar with your own car. [h3][color=9e0b0f][b]SYSTEM ID STARTUP[/b][/color][/h3] [color=gray]Pilot Interface[/color] - [color=ed1c24][b]90%[/b][/color] [color=gray]Cockpit Status[/color] - [color=00a651][b]GREEN[/b][/color] [color=gray]Weapon Status[/color] - [color=00a651][b]GREEN[/b][/color] [color=gray]Engine Status[/color] - [color=00a651][b]GREEN[/b][/color] [color=gray]Sensory Input[/color] - [color=00a651][b]GREEN[/b][/color] [color=gray]Gyro-Stabilizers[/color] - [color=00a651][b]GREEN[/b][/color] [color=gray]Power Source[/color] - [b][color=ed1c24]100%[/color][/b] [color=gray]Energy Shield[/color] - [b][color=ed1c24]100%[/color][/b] [color=gray]Overclock Engine[/color] - [color=00a651][b]GREEN[/b][/color] [color=gray]Check Status Complete. Begin Combat Procedure.[/color] She launched, not long after somebody else in the group did, and soon they were facing the Kinetic Shield, not exactly out of town... They watched as at least a couple waves of attackers never made it through without being pummeled by Darwin's perimeter defenses. Then, some of them made it through. It hadn't been easy for Red-Star, since they had to phase slow-moving targets through and such. To think, this was the sort of thing that they expected her to live with in attacking this place, just shoveling meat bodies through to waste their lives for the next group. Pointless, tactless, idiotic actions... This alone would've been enough to make her leave, but Red-Star was Red-Star, so they were a [i]conglomerate[/i] of bad habits. Non-NC weapons had come out to battle among the mecha. True, they could still do some harm, but not as much. Doubtless, they had even been given orders to locate Id among the enemy, but where WAS their wayward NC, just now? The answer was that Terra was stealthed, and by that we mean she had crouched. What? There were buildings enough to conceal one's presence. It allowed her to sight the enemy before [i]she[/i] was sighted. Advantage, Haven people. Well, for a moment, anyway, because those gunships would most certainly have an aerial view and- Oh, she was shooting them down just as they found her. So much for the element of surprise. Now, the combatants would see her get up and start firing at the Red-Star support as the larger enemies were making their way onto the scene. They were a problem, for sure. For instance, Terra was at least vaguely aware of some of them and their capabilities, while she actually knew the pilots of others. Defection has its advantages too. Some of the information might change on you because of it, but this wouldn't. This was NC piloting. You couldn't go on a random shuffle without things suffering, yes? Oh, definitely yes. And that was when she heard someone shouting at them from the other side, on an open channel, easily tracked AND well recognized by her. Terra got on Haven's closed channel first to talk to the team. [color=ed1c24]"I've identified Grand Sword Star and I know the pilot personally. I'm going to use some psychological warfare now. If anyone overhears this, DO NOT take it seriously."[/color] So, the FIRST thing that Terra did was use her Overclock Engine with her thrusters while readying her plasma rifle. Then, as it went off, she flew - very fast - to basically strafe over Grand Sword Star with a barrage of plasma shots and a grenade launch. [i]That[/i] was just to get her attention. Hisako [i]loved[/i] GSS, maybe a little too much. She [i]was[/i] a slave, and her mentality was to serve with fanaticism, so everything she had, she treasured deeply. Because Terra's own defection would have been a surprise to all - She let on NOTHING before her escape - she could imagine that it would be pretty galling if GSS was damaged by Id now. Even more so, was what Terra now did with a direct line of communication to Hisako's NC as she landed nearby. Her voice took on a sultry flavor and she sounded umm...horny. Terra could do this at will, and even slaves have imaginations. The only question was...did the other pilot ever fantasize about the white-suited ace? [color=ed1c24]"Hisako, I found you... I knew you would be here. I need you... I want you, in battle and in body. I remember that long flowing hair and that perfect shape... I've wanted that in my quarters for a long time. They just wouldn't allow it in Red-Star. But we could do it, now that we're here. We could fight and be free, and come together as one when we're done. I missed you [i]so much[/i]..."[/color] If anyone wants to know what this sounds like, just imagine Terra's steady voice suddenly going to Lust from [i]Fullmetal Alchemist[/i]. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [center][h1][b][color=2e3192]Dread Arriving[/color][/b][/h1][/center] So, at last, the day had arrived. They'd been trying to hype him for this, but it was just irritating. If you're going to deploy, then deploy already. There's no sense waiting, when you can taste the viceral carnage in the air. Just let open the gates, let chaos reign, and most importantly...get out of his way. Now, there had been some preliminary trash to be flung at the Havenites - Havenites? Who cares what they're called? They're nothing. - and then some of the other pilots went in. Some were sneaky about it, while others were loud and stupid. Dread merely waited a moment to allow them to be targeted like the meat they were...and then entered himself. Into the battle walked a bear on two legs. More than a bear, Ursa Nova was a semi-humanoid murder machine. It was built like a bear, but highly functional on two or four limbs, and about to leap about quite easily, though it was heavy. The trick lay in an advanced thruster system and a pilot who doesn't care about the forces involved. For now, Ursa stepped into view and did a quick look around, trying to determine just who was it that needed to be assaulted. There was mention that the artificial human, Terra Laedo, was to be taken in...but Dread was going to ignore those orders, unless he found himself assaulting her...and by then he would kill her. No, he didn't care about their human-plus project. It was a foolish waste of time and resources, and she was garbage, anyway. You want something dead, you hire a killer. End of story. [color=2e3192][b][i]Now...which one of you can be torn apart the easiest, which one of you is a challenge, and which one of you...is a vital backbone to be SNAPPED?[/i][/b][/color] These thoughts had him quickly focusing his attention...on Hisn-ul-Ghayma. And he did so because, believe it or not, Neural Combatants showed up rather highly on infrared, as opposed to a currently-empty city. NCs were packing [i]fusion generators[/i]. You don't conceal the heat from that so easily. Maybe with a factory or a nuclear powerplant nearby, but really what you needed was Nova's own dispersion vents on a subtler setting than 'purge'. As it stood, Hisn-ul-Ghayma was easy to find by heat-traces AND because Dread had seen the drones fly out. It was offering support fire, it did not seem like it was meant to take as many hits as some of the others, especially not his own machine. It was open and waiting for attack. Time to take a bite... Ursa lowered onto all-fours, the rear thrusters activated, and it began rapid-leaping towards its prey! Though it was a big and heavy-looking target, it was made for stable leaps and outright slamming and wrestle attacks, so pounding through fire and pieces of city were nothing to it. Indeed, what was coming at Zahra was [url=https://cdn4.gamepur.com/images/horizon_zero_dawn/horizon-zero-dawn-frozen-wilds-fireclaw-new-machine.jpg]pretty damn dangerous![/url] The fiery beast was going directly for the heavy slam with all of Newton's Laws and plasma flames behind it as the forward claws were coming in for a burning grip! It was gonna be the tackle from hell!