((Collab Post between [@Letter Bee] and [@Scribe of Thoth]))

[quote=@Scribe of Thoth]
This kinetic shield made things interesting. Almost like shooting fish in a really big barrel. He wouldn't even need to fully eliminate a target; if they sustained enough damage he could simply pick them off as they attempted to flee through the barrier at a snail's pace. 
[/quote]

Suddenly, Isaac LaBelle would feel a tickle at the back of his head, where the implants every NC Pilot held met with his Mech's man-machine interface. Said tickle would shape itself into a voice, a smug voice that said, <Ah, so this is what a Paragon's brain looks like from the inside.>

A face appeared at the edges of his vision; purple eyes, red hair, and pale skin,. <Happy to meet you for the first time, Isaac LaBelle. My name is Osamu Akiyama, of Red-Star. Now, will you give up control of your NC to me, or will I have to take it through mental force?>

Isaac tugged at his controls, initially assuming the feeling to be some minor glitch or other maintenance oversight. Until, of course, someone started talking. He flicked on his comm while he was still certain he had control,

[color=ff8533]"[i]Non, non, non![/i] I think I'm compromised, keep your heads down and out of my sight! I'll try to stall him."[/color]

He set his focus on keeping Algernon from moving, even going so far as to deactivate his lancer. If he lost control, Osamu would at the very least have to sit through another lengthy bootup sequence while the railgun charged if he wanted to inflict sizeable damage. 

[color=ff8533]<I was briefed on you. This is a neat little power. I look forward to seeing the inside of your brain as well - splattered on concrete, that is.>[/color] At least he wouldn't have to pretend to be a shy loser in his own head.

Despite his words, his NC's controls were locking up, becoming less and less responsive to his instructions; Isaac wouldn't know if his Lancer was truly deactivated, before Osamu's face, inside his head, grinned widely. <So our Paragon spy has a spine after all! How literally [i]cute[/i].>

He licked his lips. <Here's a bit of news; Paragon's manager in Southern France just decided to sell a few of his gene-serfs to Red-Star, including two people with your same general build, the female a brunette and the male a blonde. Of course, given how your bonds with them have deteriorated over the years, this won't be enough to get you to give your mech over to me unhesitatingly. But it's enough to [i]hurt[/i], right?>

A smirk. <I can show you the torments I can put them through once their slave transport arrives in Red-Star territory. Would you like them to make you a few siblings in the breeding camps?>

The smirk widened.

Isaac clenched his teeth, every bit of his mind screaming at him to [i]run[/i] but with nowhere to run to. Bad enough that this guy was invasive, he knew way too much. How far into his head could Osamu see? At least he seemed a bit overzealous with his taunting. Isaac still had an edge. If you could call it that, he still wasn't sure what the conditions were to "win" this little mental match.

[color=ff8533]<You overplayed your hand, you flirty runt. I have no reason to trust a word you say. I'm not giving you a damn thing, let alone control of my Algernon.>[/color]

He let himself focus on his earlier panic, despite some hesitancy on his part. Not enough to completely lose himself in some primal, animalistic emotion, but enough to rail his consciousness against the intruder in an attempt to [i]run[/i], if only metaphorically.

Osamu laughed within Isaac's head, <All right, you got me; I haven't bought your parents yet. But I can do so in just a few seconds; I know their identities, I know their employer, and I have Red-Star's money.>

A vision came to Isaac, of Osamu in his cabin at the [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/833/721/large/victor-kam-father-01.jpg?1453449137]Red-Star Supercarrier[/url] that formed the enemy fleet's flagship. Everything that can be of military use, including documents, was blurred to Isaac's mental vision, but the screen of Osamu's communicator was perfectly clear. Osamu was now typing the name of the Paragon Aristocrat-Manager who owned Isaac's parents, preparing to send a call...

<Not convincing enough for you?>

Isaac stared coldly ahead, clutching his now-useless controls with determined furor. Was this some fabrication? Could he actually do it? He needed a way to momentarily placate Osamu. Giving up control was an obvious no, as there was a good likelihood he'd just end up in those very same slave pits himself. 

[color=ff8533]<You're not a very convincing man. You'll do what you want regardless of how I act, giving in would just get me killed - or worse. Besides, you can't do anything to my parents if I kill you first.>[/color]

He needed some way to make that more than an empty threat. It didn't seem like he was winning, but he had no other choice. Like a rat, he had to scurry away and hope for the best, or he'd be eaten. Osamu seemed pretty secure for the time being, if he had even given away his real location. Could he just disconnect from his NC? No, that might just let Osamu take control easier, not to mention leave him stranded in a warzone. 

Another set of laughs. <You can't kill me first,> Osamu said, although Isaac can detect a twinge of doubt. <And I actually have an alternative proposal - Keep your Mech, but shoot one of your comrades - Alexei, the Southshell Twink looks good, just as good as you do - at the right moment to get him captured. Then pretend I was controlling your NC the moment you did so you can keep yourself away from a court-martial for betrayal. Isn't that a bargain?>

Osamu was now typing numbers into his communicator, slowly and tauntingly. The numbers were of the Paragon transhuman aristocrat who owned his family. He was about to push the 'send' button...

Isaac cringed, he hoped he wouldn't have to see Alexei much after this, that nickname was going to stick with him, he could feel it. Although, there was an obvious solution to that; take out Alexei. Isaac tried to keep his thoughts simple and focused on Osamu's bargain - too much rumination could be damning with this guy poking around in his head. The Red Star pilot sounded like he dropped his guard for a second, so this might be the best deal he was going to get.

[color=ff8533]<Sounds reasonable, actually. You know psychologists say positive reinforcement is more effective than threats, food for thought.>[/color] He tried to keep his thought-"voice" casual enough. [color=ff8533]<Now piss off and you'll get your->[/color] Ew, there's that nickname again, he knew it was going to stick, [color=ff8533]<Southshell twink...>[/color]

A smile. <Thank you,> Osamu said, <I will give you back control of your NC now. But remember, I have your parents' employer on speed-dial...>

Issac might feel his controls returning to him; his Mech was his' once more - for now.

[@Andre Valias][@AzenExile][@FalloutJack][@Landaus Five-One][@Metatrooper][@Scribe of Thoth][@Stern Algorithm][@Sgt Vandingo][@Selvariabell][@Bartimaeus][@Senhara]: