[b][i]Akira Ayumu[/i][/b]

They succeeded! Wait, there was still one Sweeper left and it wasn’t charging at them. Did that mean they were under siege? Akira looked at Jessie and asked, “So, what’s happening and what do we do now?”

He looked at the many re-wounded mercenaries and said, “Actually, I’ll cure a few people,” before casting multiple Cures once more, and then going back to Jessie and saying, “These machines seem a lot more intelligent than before, intelligent enough to rebel against their masters and keep out of danger. But they’re not sapient, otherwise, they could be tricked further.”

Another pause, before he continued, “Jessie, I have an idea - Do you have smoke bombs or anything which diminishes the enemy’s visibility? If so, I can go out there and sneak up on the enemy Sweeper, climb up its back, then stab it with my naginata.” 

Akira then patted his polearm, then said further, “Or I can plant an explosive on it, but that’d be riskier as I might blow myself up. Either way, trust me unless anyone else here has a better idea - I’m one of the most agile folk here, after all. If anyone can do it, it’s me.”

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If Akira’s idea was [i]not[/i] approved, he’d stay in the Fort while listening to any new notion. He’d also request an inventory of the Fort’s remaining weapons and hope that there were catapult parts somewhere... 

If it [i]was[/i], then the young man would wait for the smoke bombs or anything similar to be launched, then rush out in zig-zags, using his ninja senses and his communion with the Planet to avoid running into rocks or bodies or other obstacles. As the Sweeper presumably detected his presence anyway, Akira nevertheless drew on the Planet’s knowledge to guide his next step, hopefully sliding under the enemy machine’s legs before climbing up the back of said legs and hoping the Machine didn’t know how to shake him off. 

If he managed to get within range of its engine, he’d stab it with the blade of his Naginata, hoping that the blade smoothly pierced through some vital components, before drawing it back, shimmying down, and then running back to the Fort and hoping that the Planet guided his way.

This plan relied on his agility, the Planet’s willingness to help, and of course, the machine’s own confusion. If all three factors aligned, then he’d win.