[center][h1] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjcyLjY2MzIyOS5UV0Z1YVdOb1lXVjJaWEp6WlEsLC4w/epyval.regular.png[/img][/h1]
[h3] Seiginoyari Sector, Planet [LOCATION REDACTED], SHINKEI Institute Test Bunker 5 [/h3] [/center]

"...can't believe we're being sidelined for half a cycle!"

Mina Balik glanced up from the aquatic plant she was cultivating as a reptile-like Hellion with vibrant red scales barged into the dorms, tossing his helmet into the far wall with a resounding "clunk".

"Count your blessings, Aile," chided the burly goatlike Hellion that followed him into the room. "Back when you could count number of PARAGONS on one hand, time off'd be a miracle."

"But a HALF A CYCLE!?" the Hellion Aile vented, collapsing onto his bunk irritably. "Nothing but tests and practice runs and no action to speak of! Seriously Serago, the miracle is if I don't go nuts waiting for something to do!"

"You could take up Kanter Cultivating," Mina piped into the conversation, gesturing to the wobbling aqautic plant in front of her. "It's a traditional Sidonian art, very relaxing." Mina delicately scraped at one of the branches to demonstrate and gave a yelp as the plant violently thrashed sprayed rainbow colored ink all over the ceiling and her face.

"Oh yes, that's very relaxing," Aile snarked in between bouts of laughter. "You've got relaxation all over you, can't believe I missed it!"

"I-it's a difficult art to learn!" Mina said indignantly, rubbing the multicolored goop out of her eyes, her reddening cheeks hidden by the ink and her hands starting to shake as she attempted to towel herself off. "L-luckily the ink d-doesn't stick in fur...uhhh..."

"Least she's trying to find something to do," piped up the vixen Hellion curled up in the corner, crossing her legs as she perused a magazine. "And not whining obnoxiously about it." Aile merely sulked in response and turned towards the wall to avoid her unamused glare. Mina felt a towel pressed into her hands and quickly cleared her eyes to see the horned Hellion smiling helpfully at her.

"Th-thanks, Serago," Mina murmured, moving to towel off the ink from her hair.

"Not a problem. Luckily enough it does look like it's not drying on you," Serago commented. "If you need another towel I'm sure Aile can lend you one."

"If he's not too busy sulking," the vixen interjected, casually turning to a new page. "What has his tail in a knot anyway?"

"We're on shore leave for the next half-cycle, Kyrie," the larger Hellion revealed. "Deus is scaling back operations because of the uprisings in the Tan Metto system and the ongoing fighting over Betonamu, so they're cycling out PARAGON units for recuperation and repair work."

"That's good," Mina said brightly. "Some of my systems have been sluggish and the field repairs aren't cutting it anymore, it'll be good to get a tune-up."

"Hrm, yeah, I guess that is a plus, too," Aile grumbled to the wall. "We haven't exactly been fighting nonstop anymore, like we were a few years ago."

"Do you think that means we're winning?" Mina suggested, her tone brimming with hope.

"Don't jinx it darling, I'm sure we still have a long way to go," Kyrie chimed in, tossing her magazine aside and stretching before she got up and sashayed over. "Just enjoy the down time and get ready to fight again when the time comes."

"I agree, we should use this time wisely," Serago agreed, giving the lizard hiding in his bunk a pointed look.

At that moment, an alarm suddenly blared into life, causing all four Hellions to jump in shock.

"Aaaaagh, fuck!" Aile shouted, rubbing his snout from when he leapt up and smacked it on a top bunk. "What the hell is-"

"[i]PARAGON-12 pilot report to Hanger 4 immediately![/i]" Sounded a mechanical voice over the shrill sound of the alert. "[i]PARAGON-12 pilot report to Hanger 4 immediately![/i]"

Feeling the bottom drop out of her stomach, Mina didn't stop to wait, dashing past Serago and down the hall as the other three pilots tailed behind her. Bursting into the room, she found the base commander herself, tall, fishlike, and imposing as ever, standing over the diminutive scaly scientist working furiously at the console as other techs ran around. Looking out the control tower window, Mina spotted the imposing figure of PARAGON-12 standing silently at attention, hooked up with wires and piping to the surrounding hanger, seemingly unharmed.

"What's going on?" Mina said, too shaken to observe the proper protocol. "Is something wrong with Rude Buster?"

"That's the thing," the Commander said seriously, running a hand through her flowing red hair nervously. "We're not sure what's going on with it..."

"What do you mean you don't know!?" Aile shouted back.

"Something is tripping our sensors like crazy," the lead technician replied. "But we have no idea what, our sensors are all coming in blank and there's no reports of any unusual activity near us." She adjusted her glasses and spun around in her chair to look at the pilots. "All we know is that whatever's going on, it's targeting Rude Buster."

"It's not some kind of Deus superweapon, is it?" the Commander said dourly.

"I don't want to say impossible," the scientist replied. "But considering the closest Deus presence is in the nearest sector it's unlikely that they are doing...whatever it is they are doing..."

Mina ran past the commander and pressed her face to the glass, trying to get a better look, to see if anything stood out of the ordinary, and then something did...

"Ma'am, we're getting a massive energy spike from PARAGON-12!"

"Boost the dummy Vigor fields! Don't let whatever is in there into the PARAGON!"

Mina watched in horror as the air around the Rude Buster began to fizzle and turn blue, gradually at first but then engulfing the mech entirely. There was a flash of light, and the blue cleared, leaving a stunned silence in the control room.

"Rude Buster?" Mina said helplessly, turning to look at the others in the room. "What happened to Rude Bu-"

A flash of blue, and Mina suddenly had more to worry about then a vanishing PARAGON.