Letter Bee

Mass Effect- Seraphim

Vulkan allowed multiple posts per posting round!

Mass Effect- Seraphim

Mass Effect: Seraphim Post

Ashton typed back to the cyber-intruder, Your warning has been noted. Don't worry; we will use that route if needed. Now either help us deal with these mercs, share how you penetrated my security, or face my prototype firewall program.

Flame, meanwhile, whirls around at Cicero, his eyes wide as he tensed; the crackle of biotic energies can be heard around him. "I remember you; I was a slave of the pirates pursuing your bounty, Ka'Jem Khadorr. Now tell me why you're here posing as an outlaw -"

"Flame!" Ashton broke in, "Don't start a fight when we're going to be fighting in ten - wait, nine minutes now!"

Then, while waiting for Flame's answer, the brown-haired boy began pressing his personal computer's keys, typing in random-looking strings of programming code. This seemed incomprehensible, until one of the nearby lifting mechs suddenly activated itself, lumbering to just in front of the assembled group which now included Alexis. Then, the giant machine sat down, reverting to 'sleep mode'.

Ashton then said, "I can reactivate the mech to fight any time I want; it's under my full control." Looking at Alexis, he said, "By the way, Exit 04 is open to all of us if we can open a way to it; our multiple biotics - Flame and Ka'jem - ought to be able to clear a path for us if things all go wrong."

He then typed to the mysterious cyber-intruder, So, you willing to help?

Mass Effect- Seraphim

Mass Effect: Seraphim Post

Ashton ran through Omega Station's colossal port; he had lost his pursuers, but it was clear that he needed to find a safe place. Yes, a safe place in Omega; those came at a premium and there was no need to remind him. As he turned a corner, the boy found himself raising his arms to protect his face as someone crashed onto him, knocking him back to the ground.

"Ugh..." the boy sat up, brushing his brown hair instinctively even as he faced the person whom he had collided with. His eyes then opened wide in shock as he saw that the person he had crashed onto was another boy, about his age, with red hair and golden eyes.

His fellow kid appeared to be as surprised as he was, but offered a hand to Ashton anyway; he was upright first. As the young 'security expert' took it and was lifted to his feet, he smiles and says, "Thanks for that."

Flame nods, clearly looking over Ashton before asking, "You look like you're from Earth, or at least deep Alliance space. Why are you in Omega?"

Ashton rubs the back of his head awkwardly and says, "It's a long story. Suffice it to say I went alone."

The deep stare the redhead gave him caused Ashton to tense up a little, before Flame responded again, "You don't sound like a liar; just a fool."

Ashton frowns and says, "Well gee, thanks!", before consulting his Omni-Tool's inbox, hoping to find a key to returning home there. Then in a message that he had put on hold, he finds something more; an offer that can change everything. Looking at his fellow kid, he says, "But a fool with resources - Some of them, anyway. Did you receive a strange message in your omni-tool's inbox as well?"

Flame snorts, "Yes, that's what I came for. Don't tell me you went to Omega chasing shady offers from shady people." That was going to be his conclusion, but something didn't sit right. So instead he said, "Let's just talk on the way."

-------

"So let me get this straight, Ashton Andrews," the redhead said, "You came all the way here... For a Batarian?!"

The reply was, "He was my mentor and one of the few Batarians that are friendly to Humans. That and I also wanted adventure and to prove myself more capable than other kids my age."

The other kid laughed as they reached the main hangar, "Well, that's something other kids in Alliance Space can only dream about! Let me help you, then." He glanced at Ashton, his looks lingering longer than was necessary, "My name's Flame Brooks, by the way."

The two boys then looked around at their surroundings; they seemed to have arrived first, but looks can deceive. And so they paused to listen to Saris Fen's message, before Flame looked at Ashton and said, "Two hundred soldiers and air support?! Is this businessman whacked?! We're not all Archangels!"

He then put a hand on Ashton's shoulder and said, "I'm a Biotic and you say you're a 'security specialist'. Therefore, you must be the genius planner who can make a plan for this. I presume other mercenaries would be coming here soon to reinforce us, right?"

Ashton stops hyperventilating; Flame's touch and subtle flattery calms him enough to focus. He opens up his small personal computer; this will have more power than an Omni-tool. The boy then said, trying to hold back the wavering in his tone, "I am going to map out this place by... Hacking into the camera feed. This will allow us to plan possible routs of attack, escape, and ambush, as well as track enemy movments. I am also sure that I can hack into an enemy mech if need be..."

Mass Effect- Seraphim

Name: Flame Brooks

Race: Human

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Artwork Originally of Lark Meadows from Moonlight Apparition, a webcomic made by one Darkhalo4321; all credit given to her.

Personality: Flame Brooks is mistrustful, broody, and a bit self-absorbed; the difference between him and most 'emo teens' is that one, he has genuine tragedy in his life, and two, he sees that being antisocial is still a bad thing. He is quick to anger and quick to apologize, paranoid about what people might do to him yet greatful for any show of kindness. And while he doesn't like the feeling of being indebted, especially with obligations he regards as minor, when he feels he owes someone something important (like his freedom), he tries to repay the debt as best as he could until he has done so.

Backstory: Flame was born to Red-Sand Addicts who sold him to pirates for a sum of money. Manifesting Biotic powers early in his youth, the boy was given his implants in an unsafe age, and it was only due to pure luck that he survived and even avoided the constant pain most Biotics suffer due to their modifications. Nevertheless, as he had a control device implanted in his head at the same time, life was miserable for him, especially as the pirates kept using him to move cargo around or loaned him for 'construction projects'; they rightly feared what would happen if he were taught to fight. Nevertheless, as he grew older, Flame dreamt of freedom.

Opportunity came two years ago, when the pirates kidnapped a Batarian Noble with a bounty on his head. Said Batarian clearly had other plans than being held for ransom, and used a hidden weapon to blast their ship's bridge to pieces, turning off the 'keys' to the control device in Flame's head. Now, the boy, fourteen then, led a revolt with the other slaves in the ship and took out the remaining pirates and threw them out of the airlocks. Then, as the increasingly-damaged ship became incapable of flight, one of the other slaves managed to turn on the distress beacon and contact the Systems Alliance.

After rescue, Flame was initially treated well, before he was confronted with the discrimination against Biotics that still existed in Systems Alliance space. This got in the way of Flame's continuing rehabilitation and therapy, before he ran away once more, ran away from his abusive foster family and non-understanding 'psychiatric help'. Feeling betrayed by the system, he went back to the lawless regions of the Galaxy, planning to make a living as an Adept.

But not after acquiring two things; one, a rudimentary education and access to more due to his access to the extranet, and two, a nagging feeling that the Batarian Noble from long ago had nobler motives than expected...

Specialty: Adept.

Powers/Skills:

Basic Armor, Pistols, Throw, Lift, Warp, Singularity, Barrier, Stasis.

Equipment: A cobbled-together suit of armor that fits a sixteen-year old and a pistol. Also a few caps 'acquired' from thugs and criminals who went in his way.

Misc:

"I just want a place to belong..." - Personal Quote.

Mass Effect- Seraphim

Name: Flame Brooks

Race: Human

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Artwork Originally of Lark Meadows from Moonlight Apparition, a webcomic made by one Darkhalo4321; all credit given to her.

Personality: Flame Brooks is mistrustful, broody, and a bit self-absorbed; the difference between him and most 'emo teens' is that one, he has genuine tragedy in his life, and two, he sees that being antisocial is still a bad thing. He is quick to anger and quick to apologize, paranoid about what people might do to him yet greatful for any show of kindness. And while he doesn't like the feeling of being indebted, especially with obligations he regards as minor, when he feels he owes someone something important (like his freedom), he tries to repay the debt as best as he could until he has done so.

Backstory: Flame was born to Red-Sand Addicts who sold him to pirates for a sum of money. Manifesting Biotic powers early in his youth, the boy was given his implants in an unsafe age, and it was only due to pure luck that he survived and even avoided the constant pain most Biotics suffer due to their modifications. Nevertheless, as he had a control device implanted in his head at the same time, life was miserable for him, especially as the pirates kept using him to move cargo around or loaned him for 'construction projects'; they rightly feared what would happen if he were taught to fight. Nevertheless, as he grew older, Flame dreamt of freedom.

Opportunity came two years ago, when the pirates kidnapped a Batarian Noble with a bounty on his head. Said Batarian clearly had other plans than being held for ransom, and used a hidden weapon to blast their ship's bridge to pieces, turning off the 'keys' to the control device in Flame's head. Now, the boy, fourteen then, led a revolt with the other slaves in the ship and took out the remaining pirates and threw them out of the airlocks. Then, as the increasingly-damaged ship became incapable of flight, one of the other slaves managed to turn on the distress beacon and contact the Systems Alliance.

After rescue, Flame was initially treated well, before he was confronted with the discrimination against Biotics that still existed in Systems Alliance space. This got in the way of Flame's continuing rehabilitation and therapy, before he ran away once more, ran away from his abusive foster family and non-understanding 'psychiatric help'. Feeling betrayed by the system, he went back to the lawless regions of the Galaxy, planning to make a living as an Adept.

But not after acquiring two things; one, a rudimentary education and access to more due to his access to the extranet, and two, a nagging feeling that the Batarian Noble from long ago had nobler motives than expected...

Specialty: Adept.

Powers/Skills:

Basic Armor, Pistols, Throw, Lift, Warp, Singularity, Barrier, Stasis.

Equipment: A cobbled-together suit of armor that fits a sixteen-year old and a pistol. Also a few caps 'acquired' from thugs and criminals who went in his way.

Misc:

"I just want a place to belong..." - Personal Quote.

Mass Effect- Seraphim

Name: Ashton Andrews

Race: Human

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Artwork Originally of Jason Levasseur from Moonlight Apparition, a webcomic made by one Darkhalo4321; all credit given to her.

Personality: Ashton is brave to the point of foolishness, smart to the point of smugness. Raised with the values of a middle-class human teenager, the boy was taught the basic elements of 'right' and 'wrong' but has since learned of the existence of moral grey. But despite learning of moral greys, Ashton is still innocent and naive, and knows it; he knows that he is unprepared to tackle Omega without help. But nevertheless, he is determined to survive and even thrive if given the chance, and eventually pursue his personal objectives...

Backstory: Ashton can remember a life back on Earth, a happy and privileged life with friends and videogames and school. It was uneventful until the Reapers came, and the boy was torn from his roots as he and his parents fled the planet in a hasty evacuation. The next few years were a whirlwind of privations and movements in a refugee convoy, where the boy quickly eluded his parents' attempts to shield him from hardship and found an apprenticeship as a locksmith and programmer, helping make facilities more secure. In time, his mentor, a Batarian outcast nicknamed 'Rigger', began giving him more concrete lessons not just on cyber-security, but security in general.

When the Reaper Invasion ended, Ashton and his parents went back to Earth to rebuild their lives, but he never forgot Rigger. As the young man continued his lessons in security and cybersecurity over the Extranet, he also realized that what can be used to keep intruders and hackers out can be used to let them in. This lesson, though basic, was irrelevant for a time... Until news reached him that Rigger had disappeared into Omega itself. Knowing that his parents, or most of Humanity, would not allow a child to go off alone to rescue a Batarian, Ashton knew he had to arrange his departure from Earth as discreetly as possible.

He then began taking on cyber-security and security jobs over the Extranet, using an anonymous identity: Aegis. As Aegis, he protected several business establishments from hackers and thieves, and even managed to receive a payment from a mid-level bank in exchange for preventing a major heist even before it began. But even as he pocketed the money from these jobs, he was researching Omega, looking for an opportunity to go on a trip to the 'heart of the Terminus Systems'.

Opportunity arrived when one of his uncles who had been seperated from the rest of his family by the Reaper War and subsequent population displacements was reported to have turned up in Illium, and Ashton's father decided to visit his brother and take Ashton with him. Ashton saw it as his chance to slip away and rescue his old mentor. So upon arrival in Illum's spaceport, Ashton carefully slipped away just as his father was distracted by a toilet break, although he did leave behind a moderately-encrypted note saying where he was going and what he was doing.

Evading both police and criminals by a mix of lying, bribery, and taking calculated risks, Ashton slowly made his way towards the Terminus Systems, doing more security and cyber-security jobs as Aegis as he did so. His last operation was to do some work for a PMC Company working in Omega, in the hopes that he can get their services as 'security' in return.

But then his luck ran out. The PMC that he had done work for, and planned to hire, found out that not only was he Aegis himself, but also working alone. And as they were the unscrupulous type of PMC, they planned to enslave him and sell him off to the highest bidder in response. But Ashton, in a fit of justified paranoia, managed to plant a bot in their closed network that notified him that he was going to be kidnapped, and so the young man managed to give his would-be captors the slip... Only to find himself in Omega and without any way to survive much less rescue Rigger. Was this the end for him?

Specialty: Infiltrator

Powers/Skills: Ashton is an expert in security and cyber-security, which translates to hacking, infiltration, and preventing the same things from happening to his side. Although not a good pistol shot or knife user like actual professional infiltrators, Ashton has the brains to compensate for that and is able to act as mission control or a direct agent. He is also reasonably athletic.

Equipment: Civilian attire including a knife-proof vest underneath his clothes, a backpack containing food and water rations, a miniature flashlight that can be used to blind enemies or as a club, meta-material rope, omni-tool and miniature personal computer, and a stolen pistol from the PMC he ran away from.

Misc:

"I've never seen a hacker I can't keep away," - Personal Quote.

Mass Effect- Seraphim

@Vulkan, Edited in a personality!

Mass Effect- Seraphim

Name: Ashton Andrews

Race: Human

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Artwork Originally of Jason Levasseur from Moonlight Apparition, a webcomic made by one Darkhalo4321; all credit given to her.

Personality: Ashton is brave to the point of foolishness, smart to the point of smugness. Raised with the values of a middle-class human teenager, the boy was taught the basic elements of 'right' and 'wrong' but has since learned of the existence of moral grey. But despite learning of moral greys, Ashton is still innocent and naive, and knows it; he knows that he is unprepared to tackle Omega without help. But nevertheless, he is determined to survive and even thrive if given the chance, and eventually pursue his personal objectives...

Backstory: Ashton can remember a life back on Earth, a happy and privileged life with friends and videogames and school. It was uneventful until the Reapers came, and the boy was torn from his roots as he and his parents fled the planet in a hasty evacuation. The next few years were a whirlwind of privations and movements in a refugee convoy, where the boy quickly eluded his parents' attempts to shield him from hardship and found an apprenticeship as a locksmith and programmer, helping make facilities more secure. In time, his mentor, a Batarian outcast nicknamed 'Rigger', began giving him more concrete lessons not just on cyber-security, but security in general.

When the Reaper Invasion ended, Ashton and his parents went back to Earth to rebuild their lives, but he never forgot Rigger. As the young man continued his lessons in security and cybersecurity over the Extranet, he also realized that what can be used to keep intruders and hackers out can be used to let them in. This lesson, though basic, was irrelevant for a time... Until news reached him that Rigger had disappeared into Omega itself. Knowing that his parents, or most of Humanity, would not allow a child to go off alone to rescue a Batarian, Ashton knew he had to arrange his departure from Earth as discreetly as possible.

He then began taking on cyber-security and security jobs over the Extranet, using an anonymous identity: Aegis. As Aegis, he protected several business establishments from hackers and thieves, and even managed to receive a payment from a mid-level bank in exchange for preventing a major heist even before it began. But even as he pocketed the money from these jobs, he was researching Omega, looking for an opportunity to go on a trip to the 'heart of the Terminus Systems'.

Opportunity arrived when one of his uncles who had been seperated from the rest of his family by the Reaper War and subsequent population displacements was reported to have turned up in Illium, and Ashton's father decided to visit his brother and take Ashton with him. Ashton saw it as his chance to slip away and rescue his old mentor. So upon arrival in Illum's spaceport, Ashton carefully slipped away just as his father was distracted by a toilet break, although he did leave behind a moderately-encrypted note saying where he was going and what he was doing.

Evading both police and criminals by a mix of lying, bribery, and taking calculated risks, Ashton slowly made his way towards the Terminus Systems, doing more security and cyber-security jobs as Aegis as he did so. His last operation was to do some work for a PMC Company working in Omega, in the hopes that he can get their services as 'security' in return.

But then his luck ran out. The PMC that he had done work for, and planned to hire, found out that not only was he Aegis himself, but also working alone. And as they were the unscrupulous type of PMC, they planned to enslave him and sell him off to the highest bidder in response. But Ashton, in a fit of justified paranoia, managed to plant a bot in their closed network that notified him that he was going to be kidnapped, and so the young man managed to give his would-be captiors the slip... Only to find himself in Omega and without any way to survive, much less rescue Rigger. Was this the end for him?

Specialty: Infilitrator

Powers/Skills: Ashton is an expert in security and cyber-security, which translates to hacking, infilitration, and preventing the same things from happening to his side. Although not a good pistol shot or knife user like actual professional infilitrators, Ashton has the brains to compensate for that, and is able to act as mission control or a direct agent. He is also reasonably athletic.

Equipment: Civilian attire including a knife-proof vest underneath his clothes, a backpack containing food and water rations, a miniature flashlight that can be used to blind enemies or as a club, meta-material rope, omni-tool and miniature personal computer, and a stolen pistol from the PMC he ran away from.

Misc:

"I've never seen a hacker I can't keep away," - Personal Quote.

Letter Bee's Character Sheets

Name: Ashton Andrews

Race: Human

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Artwork Originally of Jason Levasseur from Moonlight Apparition, a webcomic made by one Darkhalo4321; all credit given to her.

Backstory: Ashton can remember a life back on Earth, a happy and privileged life with friends and videogames and school. It was uneventful until the Reapers came, and the boy was torn from his roots as he and his parents fled the planet in a hasty evacuation. The next few years were a whirlwind of privations and movements in a refugee convoy, where the boy quickly eluded his parents' attempts to shield him from hardship and found an apprenticeship as a locksmith and programmer, helping make facilities more secure. In time, his mentor, a Batarian outcast nicknamed 'Rigger', began giving him more concrete lessons not just on cyber-security, but security in general.

When the Reaper Invasion ended, Ashton and his parents went back to Earth to rebuild their lives, but he never forgot Rigger. As the young man continued his lessons in security and cybersecurity over the Extranet, he also realized that what can be used to keep intruders and hackers out can be used to let them in. This lesson, though basic, was irrelevant for a time... Until news reached him that Rigger had disappeared into Omega itself. Knowing that his parents, or most of Humanity, would not allow a child to go off alone to rescue a Batarian, Ashton knew he had to arrange his departure from Earth as discreetly as possible.

He then began taking on cyber-security and security jobs over the Extranet, using an anonymous identity: Aegis. As Aegis, he protected several business establishments from hackers and thieves, and even managed to receive a payment from a mid-level bank in exchange for preventing a major heist even before it began. But even as he pocketed the money from these jobs, he was researching Omega, looking for an opportunity to go on a trip to the 'heart of the Terminus Systems'.

Opportunity arrived when one of his uncles who had been seperated from the rest of his family by the Reaper War and subsequent population displacements was reported to have turned up in Illium, and Ashton's father decided to visit his brother and take Ashton with him. Ashton saw it as his chance to slip away and rescue his old mentor. So upon arrival in Illum's spaceport, Ashton carefully slipped away just as his father was distracted by a toilet break, although he did leave behind a moderately-encrypted note saying where he was going and what he was doing.

Evading both police and criminals by a mix of lying, bribery, and taking calculated risks, Ashton slowly made his way towards the Terminus Systems, doing more security and cyber-security jobs as Aegis as he did so. His last operation was to do some work for a PMC Company working in Omega, in the hopes that he can get their services as 'security' in return.

But then his luck ran out. The PMC that he had done work for, and planned to hire, found out that not only was he Aegis himself, but also working alone. And as they were the unscrupulous type of PMC, they planned to enslave him and sell him off to the highest bidder in response. But Ashton, in a fit of justified paranoia, managed to plant a bot in their closed network that notified him that he was going to be kidnapped, and so the young man managed to give his would-be captiors the slip... Only to find himself in Omega and without any way to survive, much less rescue Rigger. Was this the end for him?

Specialty: Infilitrator

Powers/Skills: Ashton is an expert in security and cyber-security, which translates to hacking, infilitration, and preventing the same things from happening to his side. Although not a good pistol shot or knife user like actual professional infilitrators, Ashton has the brains to compensate for that, and is able to act as mission control or a direct agent. He is also reasonably athletic.

Equipment: Civilian attire including a knife-proof vest underneath his clothes, a backpack containing food and water rations, a miniature flashlight that can be used to blind enemies or as a club, meta-material rope, omni-tool and miniature personal computer, and a stolen pistol from the PMC he ran away from.

Misc:

"I've never seen a hacker I can't keep away," - Personal Quote.

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

((Collab Post between @Letter Bee, @Metatrooper and @Senhara))

Flashback, Five Years Ago

Daegu Base was once a bulwark of the struggle against Communism, an edifice of steel and concrete that carried a garrison of soldiers from the Pre-War US before the Apocalypse. Now, it was a stronghold of both Capitalism and Communism, as the Red-Star Ruling Corporation sought to control the human will. Cody Ang was stationed there in response to troubles in the 'eternally rebellious' Japanese Archipelago, and tasked with training the soon-to-be Slave-Pilots, most of them 'bred' from foriegn prisoners who have not been ransomed by their employers. Now, in the VR simulation room, Cody was faced with his newest pupil, a 15-year old boy named Alexander Sky who wanted to be a 'Comrade' as fast as possible.

Cody stared down at the cadet, looking at him with a piercing gaze through his jet-black t-shaped visor. Just by looking at his eyes, he could tell that the boy was truly determined to become a pilot, although only time would tell if he could truly become one. He approached the boy, still encased in his red armored battle suit and asked him "You got a name?"

Alexander blinked and said, "Alexander Sky, Master; I come from the Gansu Provincial Breeding Camp, where I was bred from Volkov stock. I am property of the Corporation and thus the property of all Comrade-Pilots I am assigned to. Thus, you are permitted to use whatever teaching methods you wish as long as there is no permanent damage to my ability to fight." A gulp, "But, normal procedure in Red-Star, set by our superiors, would be to start with a spar with Virtual Reality versions of our NCs."

Cody paused for a moment, moving his hand to the bottom part of his helmet, where his chin would be, making a thinking gesture. "I see. So I assume that you have handled an NC before?"

Alexander's reply was, "I was given the necessary implants early in my development, Master, but I have only piloted Simulations; an NC Core has been alloted for me, though, with an NC Body to come with it."

Cody then remarked, "Very well, we shall begin the session immediately. I will be judging your performance after." He then interfaced with the TABRIS AI system through his helmet, before giving a command to load an existing virtual battlefield, along with the NCs of both Cody and Alexander.

TABRIS responds to Cody with a rather calm female voice, soothing almost. "Loading battlefield V5." She then talks to the both of them "Battlefield V5 is being loaded. Please begin linking to your NC VR Chair. As per protocol, sim pain receptors are set to be full realistic... Any sim variable changes should be input now."

Alexander sat down on the nearest VR Chair, where the implant sockets were almost identical to the ones in a proper NC. The implants on his spine and neck, exposed through holes in his suit, connected with said sockets while a VR helmet was lowered onto his head.

The scene then switched into a clear and grassy steppe field, where Alexander was now in his Mech-to-be, Phoenix Inferno. Phoenix Inferno was now facing Cody's own Mech, waiting for the signal to fight.

Cody sat on his own chair as his NC, which he nicknamed the Halberd began to materialize in a virtual form. The implant socket then found connecting itself to a socket on his helmet, giving him a slight tingle at the back of his head in the process.

As the room shifted into the appearance of a steppe field, the two NCs appeared as well with a considerable distance between them. Cody then switched to TABRIS' comm channel before speaking. "TABRIS, give me a live feed of trainee Sky's cockpit."

The faux-AI responds, "Understood. Opening live feed." A little purple window displays on the HUD of Halbred, the internal area of it showing Alexander. On the top of the window the words "TABRIS CONTROLLED INTERFACE" is seen. She then promptly begins focusing on the sim with intent, no one knows who she is. She liked that, yet it was kind of sad.

Cody then activates the Halberd's weapons systems, before firing a warning shot from the mass driver cannons, right at Phoenix Inferno's feet. He would then arm the ripper missiles and prepare for Alexander's inevitable approach, curious to see how he will accomplish it.

Phoenix Inferno lifts itself high onto the air with a huge jump, a combination of anti-gravity systems and rockets carrying it to the skies. It then zig-zags downward, flying at Halberd at an angle, covering its own advance with blasts from the shoulder-mounted fusion cannons on the virtual model...

As the NC rises into the air, the Halberd unleashes a salvo of 8 ripper missiles and another 8 shortly after. The missiles lock on to Phoenix Inferno and start following it, surrounding the mech as they do so. Shots from the fusion cannons take some of the missiles out, but most of them managed to reach their target. While all of this was going on, the Halberd's arm mounted plasma cannons start tracking Inferno's position, while the missile launchers prepare another salvo.

Phoenix Inferno, covered in an orange cloak of energy, bursts through the cloud of smoke from the ripper missile launchers, barely singed due to the force-field. It dives at Halberd, then unleashes its own missile volley, releasing missiles loaded with electrified nets that stretched up to several square meters; enough to catch an NC. Most of them would be obliterated by the plasma cannons should they fire now, but at least three or four would land on their target.

As for Alexander and his mech, they would be gone from frontal view.

Blasts from the Halberd's plasma cannons obliterated most of the missiles, but around three manage to make it past the fire. It then releases a single salvo of ripper missiles once again, eliminating the rest of Inferno's missiles, with the remaining four rippers crashing into random areas due to a lack of a target. The mech's sensors would then scramble to quickly locate Alexander's position, as the mass driver cannons and plasma cannons move into firing positions.

Alexander was in the most obvious position; behind Halberd's back. He now dashes towards the mecha, hoping to make melee contact with it before it turned around.

The sensors manage to pick up Alexander's location as he's dashing towards Cody. "Clever." he says, right before activating the rocket boosters of the Halberd and suddenly boosts away backwards, colliding with Alexander. He hopes to stun him or knock him down to buy enough time to get his weapons ready.

It somewhat worked; Alexander was caught off-guard, but recovered quickly from the pain than expected. Turning on his Fusion cannons once more, he shoots streams of superheated gas at Halberd as it presumably turned around, impacting the opposing Mech's own energy shields!

As the Halberd turned around, it was greeted by a barrage of fire from Phoenix Inferno. In the process, its shields were heavily damaged and were rapidly being depleted, but at the same time, it opened Alexander to attack. While he was still getting fired upon, Cody in turn activated all of the Halberd's weapons, which were trained onto Alexander's position, blasts from the plasma cannons would be fired at his mech, while the missile launchers fired salvo after salvo of ripper missiles. The mass driver cannons on the other hand could not fire as the target was too close, but as soon as he moved away, he would regret it.

The forcefield holds for a few moments, but Phoenix Inferno is is soon wrecked by the volley of plasma and missiles, with Alexander screaming in agony in his cockpit/virtual reality helmet. It was time for the battle to be terminated.

A few seconds after Alexander started screaming, Cody terminated the simulation. The grassy steppe slowly faded back to the pure white of the VR room, while both NCs started dematerializing. Cody quickly unplugged the socket interfacing with his helmet and rushed over to check on Alexander.

The boy was breathing hard, crying as the VR chair detached his implants from his sockets. At Cody's approach, he shrinks away, saying, "I'm sorry, Master; don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me!"

Cody grabbed the boy's hand and helped him up, putting his hand on his shoulder in the process. He saw the fear in the boy's eyes, knowing full well what Red-star did and would do to this boy if word got out that he failed. Cody then said, "There's no need to apologize, you performed excellently." He paused for a moment before speaking again, "Don't consider this a failure, I believe you have the potential to become an amazing pilot."

Alexander quiets down, his breathing relaxing. He then says to Cody, "You're kind, Master; you're really kind to a Slave like me." Facing him, the young man then asks, more firmly than he had formerly exhibited, "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch." Cody said. "I was just taught that you should treat people like people." He thought about the report that he would give to his superiors later on, he could only hope that they were content with his description of Alexander's performance. He then spoke again. "Now, you should go get some rest. I can escort you to your quarters if you want."

The boy smiled at this, then, with mild shaking, looked Cody in the eyes, "Thank you, Master." Looking side to side, he then made a request, "Master... I really hope I am not taking advantage of your kindness, but Slave-Pilots are rarely given sweets; pastries and such. Can you... Have I... Have I earned some?"

He kept gazing at Cody, his eyes wide and slightly teary.

Cody stared back at his eyes, and stayed silent for a few seconds before an audible chuckle could be heard. "I do believe a reward is in order for your efforts today." He then starts walking towards the exit as he motions for Alexander to follow. "Come on, I'll take you to the mess hall." he says.

And with that, a friendship was forged.

TABRIS took note of what happened. She's curious "Cody's nice, too nice... Alexander though, I don't think he'll stand up... That pain that caused him to scream out, I don't think he'll get used to it." She ponders the events that just occured, taking a personal interest to Cody and Alexander.