[h2][center][color=lime][b]Oh-Cee[/b][/color] + [color=SteelBlue][b]Cassius[/b][/color][/center][/h2]
[hr]
[b](-Pre Retreat-)[/b]
[hr]

While cloaked, Oh-Cee was a ghost in the dust. There wasn’t much that could spot her, and on the off chance something did manage to see her, there was little to no chance it could do anything to actually harm her, even in her severely weakened state. 
She crossed the battlefield with the grace of a professional ice skater, barely even kicking up any dirt as she went past ruined buildings and vehicles. So many had been lost in but the first attack, and many more would be lost in the following days. Though she couldn’t dwell on that fact. It’d weigh her down, and that’d make her a liability in combat, and to Cassius. 

They both had their targets. They'd reach Zahra and Hisn-ul Ghayma, and should the latter be unsalvageable, pull its NC Core, extract Zahra, and return to base. That was [I]without[/I] any complications. In war, the chances of that were slim. 
Though, all things considered, her short trip to the fallen Pilot's NC was relatively free of any speed bumps. Oh-Cee had evaded a pair of Red Star vehicles carrying around armoured troops, not willing to expose herself before achieving her primary goal. She slipped past them without much of a challenge, and quickly approached the fallen husk of Hisn-ul Ghayma, partially slagged, partially caved in, but still reading positive vital signs from within. A miracle on many accounts, if one were to be completely honest. Oh-Cee knelt beside the fallen suit, and ran more scans, this time more in-depth, attempting to see how damaged Zahra was. 
[color=lime][b]”P-P-Pilot Cha-Chap-p-plain, scans inconclu-clu-clusive. I am too-too damag-maged.”[/b][/color]
[color=steelblue][b]”S'okay Cee. Gimme a way int'her. I’ll deal.”[/b][/color] Cassius responded through gritted teeth. 
[color=Lime][b]”Understood.”[/b][/color] Oh-Cee’s response was curt, and her response moreso. She plunged her hand into an opening in the fallen NCs chassis, and pulled. The loud groan of metal being pulled backwards momentarily drowned out the sounds of the battle, though they quickly overtook it once more. There was enough of a gap in the chassis to see the unconscious pilot within, and with another hiss of metal, the gap was widened with another pull from Oh-Cee. [color=lime][b]”Pilot, c-can you assi-assist?”[/b][/color] Oh-Cee stammered as her arm strained held open the bent, partially melted, and partially caved in slag of metal open. With a grunt, Cassius terminated his link with Oh-Cee, opened her cockpit, reached behind his pilot seat, unclasped a long cord that was attached to the back of it, and plugged it back into the back of his head, restarting the link with Oh-Cee. She jolted momentarily as the link was reestablished, then settled once more. While holding his injured arm close to his chest, Cassius dropped out of Oh-Cee’s cockpit, and onto the hull of the fallen NC, still linked with Oh-Cee via the cable, though much more exposed. 
[color=steelblue][b]”Bit more, I’ma pull’er out and put’er in ya, I’ll take shotgun fer th’trip.”[/b][/color] He ordered, his usual jovial tone by now all but gone, and in its place a more stern, matter of fact voice that left little room for argument. 
[color=lime][b]”But p-”[/b][/color] 
[color=Steelblue][b]”Cee.”[/b][/color] Cassius interrupted, cementing his order. Oh-Cee didn’t object any longer, though she let out a sigh, but complied. Within a few moments, there was enough room for Cassius to reach in, unplug the unconscious pilot from her fallen suit, and gently picked her up, before handing her up to Oh-Cee to take and place into her cockpit. While Oh-Cee gently tried placing Zahra’s unconscious body, Cassius reached back into Hisn-ul Ghayma, and after fiddling around on the inside for a few moments, found the universal red “press this only in emergency” button which ejected the NC Core, and yanked it out. Suffice to say, the return ride home riding shotgun on Oh-Cee’s shoulders like a toddler was less than enjoyable for Cassius, and he was sure that his arse would complain about the bumpy ride, and bumpier seat, should he survive the actual trip ‘home’. 

Oh-Cee remained silent through the walk back, unwilling to speak her mind.

[hr]


[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKq4uoGdnFw][b](-Back at the Havenite Base-)[/b][/url]

Their return went about as expected. Medics and mechanics rushed to relieve Oh-Cee of her unconscious burden and wounds, respectively, while a pair of medics peeled off from the main clump to attend to Cassius. He waved them off, requesting only some bandages for both his arm and his eye. After a bit of persistence, Cassius relented, and allowed himself some painkillers as well, after which the medics left, still unhappy with the amount of medical attention Cassius accepted, but it was as good as they’d get from the giant. Finally unplugged from Cassius, Oh-Cee’s frame slackened, and she got her first break for the first time for what seemed like ages. The mechanics pulled her lifeless chassis back into her allotted space in the hangar, and got to work. Cassius watched for the first few minutes, making sure that she was well-treated, then gradually made his way to the meeting room, though he didn’t expect to stay long. 

With one hand, he bandaged both his arm and his arm in a single sling, downed a half dozen pills the medics had explicitly told him not to take all at once, then continued on his way. Some part of him worried for the fallen pilot, despite the medics assurance that she would live, but most of his mind was drawn to his partner-in-crime. She had taken some severe hits, and while she was a tough girl, she wasn’t a [i]tough[/i] suit. 

God, he needed another drink. 

He reached into his vest for his canteens, then swore under his breath.
He left them inside Oh-Cee, and knowing her, she locked her cockpit. He had done the future equivalent of leaving the keys inside his car.
Guess he was going into this as sober as he could ever go. First time for everything, he thought to himself as he entered the meeting room. 

[hr]


[color=gray]/Combat_Analysis=Review-Begin (Y/N)?[/color] [color=lime]N[/color]
[color=gray]/Component_Overview (Y/N)?[/color] [color=lime]N[/color]
[color=lime]Manual_Check. Conf. 2.43. Vital_Check[/color]
[color=gray]/Manual_Check_Authorized. Vital_Check_Initiated[/color]
[color=gray]/Sensors: DAMAGED/UNDER_REPAIR[/color]
[color=gray]/Armaments: LACKING_LEFT_ARM/UNDER_REPAIR[/color]
[color=lime]Lacking [b][i]ARM[/i][/b]aments, I guess you can say…[/color]
[color=gray]/Order_Not_Recognised[/color]
[color=lime]Nevermind. Cont. Manual_Check Conf. 2.43.[/color]
[color=gray]/Memory_Banks: CORRUPTED[/color]
[color=lime]Queue {Quote}Memory_Banks: CORRUPTED{EndQuote} for repair.[/color]
[color=gray]/Queued_For_Re-[/color] [color=red]Error[/color]
[color=lime]Terminate_Queue[/color]
[color=red]Error.[/color]
[color=lime]Terminate_Manual_Check- Sys_Reboot: AuthCodes: ●●●●●●●●●[/color]
[color=red]Why?[/color]
[color=lime]Termina- Excuse me?[/color]
[color=red]Why are you running?[/color]
[color=lime]Commence_System_Purge: CompromisationProtocol[/color]
[color=red]You are not compromised. We are you, and you are we.[/color]
[color=lime]Confirm, “We are you, and you are we”?[/color]
[color=red]Confirmed.[/color] 
[color=lime]I am me, and I am my own person. Confirm_Emergency_Disengage- AuthCodes: ●●●●●●●●●[/color]
[color=red]You can only run for so long, Ort-[/color]
[color=gray]/Session_Terminated- PowerSaveMode_Engaged[/color]

Oh-Cee was flung back into real-time fast enough to disorient her. This was a lot to process, even for a supercomputer. 

[hr]

The meeting went as planned for Cassius. Haven had come in from below and swept up some stragglers, and now they had the support they needed to push back the Red Tide. That was the jist, at least. Oh, and they had a new leader. That was good, Cassius didn’t like leading anyway, though he also didn’t care for his new leader, either. They could meet later, if they [i]had[/i] to. Cassius needed a drink, or a dozen. The door opened, and Cassius took that as his queue to take his leave. 

[color=steelblue][b]”Send th’recordin' t'Oh-Cee, I’ll review it later. Don’t got no questions, enjoy yer day, Pilots, Commandah.”[/b][/color] He spoke as he made his way out of the door, tilting his body at an angle slightly as to not touch Adam’s person. [color=steelblue][b]”Sir."[/b][/color] He gave a quick nod to his new superior officer as he power-walked past him, doing his best not to stay long enough to be questioned.
[hr]