Futuristic At the Edge of the Apocalypse, an Eternal Principle

[Bardiel]

Cassidy Kelly


The klaxons sound triggers the rehearsed response to kick in. Already in uniform, they literally dropped what they were doing and began racing out the door into the corridor, falling in line behind the Commandant. The apartment took on a decidedly more militarist appearance, as the shutters descended and it switched over the red emergency lighting. What ever is happening outside, we'll seen soon enough.





As the downdraft blasted around them, Cassidy looked over towards the Rift, the crimson glow growing like when they first arrived in the city a month ago. Almost certainly imagining it, they thought there was the return of ozone in the air. Climbing into the airframe, the airman ensured they were securely buckled as the Bumblebee's engines roared to catch up with the Hornet escorts en route to HQ.


Kelly listen to the Commandant and Natalia's exchange, and tried to give an affirmative nod. They are pushing forwards with Unit-03 and 04's arrival... Natalia seems so fearless, but I am glad not to have to fight an Angel alone... Their eyes returned briefly to the Rift outside, before turning their attention to the two women. I'd do it though, even if I was alone, I'd still fight it for them, for everyone... That doesn't mean it doesn't scare me though. "We'll do it, Commandant. We've been running simulations on the past two encounters for nearly four weeks." Glance at Natalia with a flash of a wry grin, Cassidy questions Durant. "Since Natalia doesn't have the Magorox to charge and dice an Angel yet, what is the plan for the sortie?"

 

[SephirothSage]

Ground Zero; Steel Rain- Galgaliel Emerges!



​

And then, it begins to open. There are no clawing hands rending apart the veil of reality this time- merely a dilation of the rip in space-time, an engorgement of the vile red burn on the fabric of reality. It swells out- and a scream echoes through the city. A sonic screech that seems to ripple through it all- a wordless howl of pain and rage, as a violation of existence begins to flop out. That is the only word for it's initial emergence- a great, black and green shape that emerges through the rip- lines of vivid purple wrapped along it's form in strange, interlocking patterns. It is in the vauge shape of a great whale, terrible and huge- notably larger than the Evangelion's that are to be sent to battle it, in fact.


From the distance, that is all the pilots and their chaperone can witness- but back on the bridge, the sophisticated scanning equipment of NERV and the telescopic arrays pick up so much more. Such as the lines of buds along the sides, almost plantlike cocoons lining it's sides. Such as the maw, wide and terrible- or how what from a distance seem to be lines, are more like cilia held close to the body as it falls into the water- and out of sight. A scan and analysis is already in process- though how much it will tell them is yet to be seen; as Renee's phone begins to buzz wildly. As she goes to flip it open- it's Gregorvitch.


"Ve have confirmed zat zis is Galgaliel, emerged into the ocean. Ze Magi scan is in process, and ve shall have more data zan zis shortly. Initial results are, however, quite unsettleink. Ve have reason to believe it may be able to somehow spawn... more of itself? From ze pods lining it's sides- unt zere are quite a few pods indeed.." He says- his tone never waving from the almost manic note of scientific fascination, save to grow a tinge worried at the end. "Hurry ze pilots arrival as much as possible, jah? How do ve have before ze new vones arrive to support zem, by ze vay? A day still, jah..?" He muses aloud, a thoughtful note slipping into the phone call..


Speaking of which....


@DeusExAlice @Napalm on Toast


I want Synch Ratio rolls to properly control your pods descent with the AT Field, then Agility Checks to aim yourselves properly.

 

[DeusExAlice]

The call went in. Combat.


All she could think of were her belongings still on the station. Some of the last remnants from her service in Germany. Beyond the memories, the nightmares.


Barty's panicked words were balanced out by Durant's level and direct reporting.


It was all overwhelming, the walls of the cockpit feeling closer than ever. She was safe in here, even in the vacuum of space. For how long though? Somewhere, some ridiculous space away was an entity that existed only to make mankind extinct. Something they were expected to take down after crashing into the earth.


Huginn's words cut through the near defeaning silence inside of the cockpit.


"Yeah, I guess we are."


Her voice was quiet, demure. Just thinking about how she sounded that moment was frustrating her. Some irritant that distracted Irene from worrying about the life or death struggle to come in ten hours or so.


"Hey," she asked in german this time. "What have you read lately?"


Irene wouldn't dare ask him to just talk to calm her down, so at times without little to do beyond stress she could coax him to read to her in their native language. Bringing a book along was out of the question for the test, even if trying to read one submerged in LCL would be impossible.


She didn't mind if he made up words where and if his memory failed. Something to kill the silence.

 

[Bardiel]

Cassidy Kelly


"Zut! That thing is massive! Where do we target on it, the cilia or the head? Commandant, if the Angel is able to fire at us like the last one, and spawn young of some kind, should we attempt to engage in a running battle, using the Barrier Plates for cover and try to thin its' numbers, regardless of collateral damage? Conventional theory would suggest taking out the controlling unit, but I'd hate to think of the chaos and contamination that would be caused if parts of it start running amok in the streets." Cassidy began speculating to those present, struggling to parse the appearance of the entity capable of spewing forth more abominations on the city, with their military education.

 

[Napalm on Toast]

Huginn


At times like this, the need to reach out to her was overwhelming. Impossible, of course. But it still hit him like a truck. Huginn chewed on his lower lip, squeezing his eyes closed. She'd hate that. She's strong. Still, he wished he could see her. He considered activating the visual uplink but didn't want to waste energy. The generator in the drop pod was efficient, but they hadn't planned on this being a full-scale orbital deployment. Conserving power was paramount. Still, it would almost be worth it just to see her...


Irene's voice chimed in over the radio. He smiled slightly at the innocent question, keeping his eyes closed. It was not an uncommon request. Irene liked to be reminded of home, especially during their tenure on the lunar base. "You know me. I like the classics." He took his hands off of the controls. He didn't have much control anyway. His Evangelion was basically cargo for the next ten hours. He held them in front of him, suspended in the amber liquid, almost as if he held an invisible object between his fingers. "I've been re-reading the Nibelungenlied. It was one of ou- of my favorites." He swallowed audibly,shaking head head as he made a motion reminiscent of opening a book. Although was currently reading the original text in high German, he was familiar with the translation in modern syntax that would be more familiar to Irene. His voice shifted, losing any hesitance, the rough edges and halts smoothed over as he began to recite the famed epic.


"Uns wird in alten Erzählungen viel Wunderbares berichtet, von rühmenswerten Helden, großer Kampfesmühe, von Freuden, Festen, von Weinen und von Klagen; von den Kämpfen kühner Helden könnt ihr nun Wunderbares erzählen hören." He kept speaking in the same tone as they flew through the blackness, repeating it flawlessly from memory.

 

[Random Word]

Renée Durant


"They're already on a least time transfer," snaps Renée, "We can't afford to wait ten hours. Have the MAGI compute the probability of destroying the pods with an N2 strike against a neutralized target. Clear 6th Fleet's attack submarine group to engage. I want the backscatter measurements from torpedo strikes to estimate its field strength. Keep sonar sweeps constant. I want to know its exact position and the moment any of those pods deploy."


She turns her attention from her phone, "Lt. Romanova, Lt. Kelly, I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of engaging from range. The Angel will likely remain under water and complete its spawning. Unit-01 will briefly ascertain the effectiveness of your weapons from the surface, then if that proves as ineffectual as I assume it will, you will join Unit-00 in engaging the target underwater in close combat. Time is of the essence here. This battle will become exponentially more difficult the longer it survives."

 

[Sherwood]

Natalia Romanova


Looking somewhat concerned with the way events are working themselves, Nat asks, "Am I going to be able to get ahold of a Progressive Sword for my Eva? The target looks like it will take a heavier hit than the smaller Knives can do." Please say that there is a working prototype for me to test. Otherwise, this might take a while. "I assume that the underwater gear I'll need is already being attached to my Eva? I would hate to go into the drink with that thing out there and discover that I'm not equipped to deal with an underwater engagement."

 

[Bardiel]

Cassidy Kelly


"Very well, Commandant." Turning to face Romanova, they continue. "Don't worry, Natalia. I'll be right behind you." Pausing for a moment to consider, they continue. "Say, out of curiosity, have you ever tried synchronised swimming?"

 

[Sherwood]

Natalia Romanova


She lets out a quick bark of laughter. "Um, no. Never liked anyone enough to get into that." She looks over at Cassidy. "I know we can do it. We just work together, and watch each other's back, and there is nothing we can't do." Natalia gives Cassidy a big grin and a thumbs up.

 

[Random Word]

Renée Durant


"The B type equipment was designed to handle the broadest possible range of combat conditions you might encounter. You should be capable of engaging the Angel effectively under water. Your equipment has not changed from your previous sortie, and you will be briefed as new weapons enter production," says Renée absently as the craft touches down on top of NERV HQ. Her eyes are still locked on her phone as she jumps out the side hatch and runs for the elevator.


As the elevator opens onto the bridge she turns to salute the pilots, "Good luck and good hunting." The doors close and she turns to observe the dozens of operators manning terminals on the decks below. "Status report!"

 

[Bardiel]

Cassidy Kelly


Returning the salute to the Commandant, Cassidy turns to Natalia. "Right, let's get to the Eva cages. See you out there!" He promptly heads to the emergency personnel magnetic elevators. Conventional designs would never manage the distances involved without multiple switch overs and within the desired deployment times. With a swipe of the Nerv ID card, the doors sealed hermetically, before the lift began to travel at nearly free fall velocity towards the Evangelion cages held deep below in the Geofront.


With the few minutes until reaching the cages, Kelly began to run over the techniques of the marine sorties with Unit-01. Doubts over the efficacy of being able to used ranged weapons against the Angel crept upon them. The Pallet Gun would suffer water resistance and the Maser would be weakened by attenuation. Nevertheless, Commandant has ordered them to provide fire support to the Unit-00 Pilot. Cassidy's thoughts wandered to the Air Wing's role in the previous battle.


Once the elevator's doors opened upon arrival and the scent of LCL entered, a tingle of anticipation ran through them. This isn't going to be easy, but with Unit-01 and Natalia in Unit-00, we have a chance. The Commandant will have a plan and the other Units are inbound. If we work together we can succeed. There is no other alternative. With their confidence returning, as the memories of piloting the Evangelion welled up fresh from the scent about them, Cassidy strode forward out of the lift and to the waiting support staff. After changing to their plugsuit, they would soon be ready for deployment.

 

[SephirothSage]

The Pilots rush for their plugsuits- the commander for her bridge. The King watches from his throneroom, and scientists scurry about like so many ants in the manifold rooms of NERV. The angel swims through the ocean, seeming to head further out rather than closer to the city; and in the heavens above, two shooting stars draw ever closer- streaking through the skies above- children across the world wishing on those falling stars, not understanding the meaning or significance behind the two streaks of light in the sky. Soldiers at NERV bases across the world staring up with far more sincere prayers for those stars, saluting from the assorted facilities for the production and research of Evangelions...


And the Angel sings it's own song, as Gregorvitch stares at a monitor with widening eyes; a melodious sound that reverberates through Toyko 3 even as the Fortress city collapses into itself, sliding away into hiding as buildings fold away and collapse to create the grand arena that is to play host to a grand battle once more...


And then, as the Pilots are getting into the seats of the God Machines, as the plug suits are donned and Renee is settling into her command chair- Gregorvitch speaks.


"...It's deploying ze pods. It is as I suspected; miniature spawn. However... zey do not seem to possess cores of their own, ze miniature bioforms. It would stand to reason then, that they are not full fledged angels, but extensions of ze main creature. What is more, ze folded Cilia- analysis from the Magi returns zat zey vill, ven unfolded, be akin to monofiliment wire of incredible size- ze cilia are melee weapons. Beyond zis.. ze Angel's AT Field is of relatively average strength; but it's signature seems.. oddly mutable. Expect ze unexpected." He informs her- before turning back to his terminal..


As the Evangelions launch to the surface, and behold it- as the being in the harbor begins to spray it's spawn like bullets- a barrage of five pods striking into the city, and then begining to unfold into strange black /things/, like an obelisk with a tendril sprouting from it's base. Spiderlike legs unfold slowly from each of the pillar-like creatures....


And so it begins...!

 

[Sherwood]

Natalia Romanova


While she would prefer to use a Progressive Sword, there are times that being able to engage the enemy from a distance is a thing of much goodness and beauty. "Did you hear that, Cass? If those things are wielding some kind of monofiliament weapon, we need to hit them from a distance." As her Eva goes through its power-up process, she looks down at the MAS Rifle. You managed to cook the last Angel with this; lets see how well we can do against these little guys. "Concentrate fire on one at a time. That way, we don't have a wounded enemy rampaging through the city. Commandant, any tricks up your sleeve to make this fight a cakewalk?"


[dice]10026[/dice]

 

[Random Word]

Renée Durant


"Deploy articulated plates, contain Tangos 1 through 5. Raise sea wall, activate tsunami protocols. 42nd AAW ground crews prepare M2 loadout for first refuelling. 17th Armoured load DP rounds and engage Tango-1 on sight, highlight for all units. Standby the 6th and 8th HLWs with M4-E loadouts. 4th and 5th SAWs to deploy with the Artemis System and modified M2S loadouts. Tag the Angel before it travels out of range, then return to shore."


Articulated Plates deployed, double concentric containment.


Coastal Plates and Barrier Plates 0 through 4 deployed. Coastal wall complete.


17 of 28 districts reporting successful evacuation.


17th Armoured has visual. Engaging Tango-1.


Artemis System online. Establishing entangled link to MAGI. Link stable.


Half a dozen air bases around Tokyo-3 come alive with activity as ground crews wheel out pods from storage full of torpedoes, depth sensor systems, sonobuoys, the specially modified underwater Evangelion recovery system, and the recently completed Artemis entangled localization system. Hundreds of aircraft take off in formation in support of Unit-00 and Unit-01. The cannons of the 17th Armoured shatter the silence of the evacuated city as they spit fire and pepper the first of the spawn with radioactive plutonium pellets to stymie its regenerative abilities.

Spoiler

[dice]10033[/dice]

 

[Bardiel]

Cassidy Kelly


"Monowire weaponry? You're right that we need to keep distance. The Progressive Knife should be able to cut it if to comes to it, but keeping track of the filaments movements unassisted is nigh impossible... but with the MAGI and our AT Fields, we always have a chance!" Kelly tried to sound optimistic over the comlink with Natalia. "Perhaps Gregorvitch will be able to work out an algorithm to predict the actuators movements and hence the filament's direction. In the meantime, the MAS Rifle will have to suffice... and we saw how effective you were with it last time, Natalia!" They knew the battle would be hard, possibly deadly, but as Cassidy bathe within the LCL filled cockpit, she felt her confidence growing, as she synchronised with Unit-01. "Prepared to assume first point defense position once selected, Commandant."

Spoiler

[dice]10088[/dice]

 

[SephirothSage]

The thing seems to dive into the depths, as it exits the bay and heads into the ocean- and yet it's presence can still be felt, as it lingers on the edge of feeling, on the edge of your perceptions; a nagging shadow flitting just out the corner of your scanning systems 'eye'. Meanwhile, the lesser beasts it deployed scream in unison as steel plates begin to blast up around them- and then begin to flail about with their tail-like extensions, as what seem to be spiderlike legs begin to unfold from the obelisk that forms their main bodies- as they begin to work at breaking freee..!


Initiative Order:


Cassidy- 8


Natalia- 7


Spawn- 5


Galaghiel- 5


Renee- 4

 

[Sherwood]

Natalia Romanova


Moving quickly to put herself in range of the first target, she raises up her MAS Rifle and fires a short burst into target number one to judge its reaction.


[dice]11022[/dice]


My Ballistics Skill is 24, so I was just able to hit. It does 1d10+2 damage, so I'll add that roll here.


[dice]11023[/dice]

 

[SephirothSage]

The beast twists as the attack veers forwards- shifting to try and avoid it- before the beam slams into it's bulky form. The spawn seems to have at best a vestigal AT field, lessening the impact but not diffusing it like a true Angel would. The beam ripples through to pierce it's body- which starts to slowly mend around the burnt hole.


[dice]11117[/dice]


Then, as it boils and twists- flesh bubbling where the nuclear laser struck it- it twists and begins to gleam; focusing energy around itself, somehow- even as the other four begin to do the same....


((+8 Collateral ))

 

[Random Word]

Renée Durant


Massive energy discharge detected!


Lost contact with deployed articulated plates in sector 8.


Seven power substations nonresponsive, sector 8 grid switching to emergency backups.


First barrier plate compromised, temperature 3800K and falling.


The primary display of the command centre flares blinding white for almost a full second before revealing the extent of the destruction. The barrier plates have liquefied like the structural steel of the buildings around them, running like candles. Thermal shock shatters windows for several kilometres as the lower floors of dozens of skyscrapers give way and the buildings crash to the ground in a cloud of dust. A red blinking status indicator on the bottom right of Renée's personal display flares to life, "PROVISIONAL CASUALTY ESTIMATE: 247". Her knuckles whiten around her walking stick and her eyes narrow. "Alpha Wing, 42nd AAW, strafe Tango-1, synchronize fire control with Unit-01. SAGs abort tracking Angel, paint and offer fire control support to all Evas. Unit-01, open fire. Maximal output, do not allow the target to survive."

Spoiler

42nd AAW is Spotting for Unit-01 at Point Blank range (+30 BS)


SAGs are halting their advance to offer Target Painters to both Evas (+10 BS)


Unit-00 should still roll the extra damage die she scored.


I recommend Unit-01 Full Auto with the MAS Pistol. It ought to do a lot of damage with +40 BS.

 

[Sherwood]

Here is the damage roll for Unit-00


[dice]11342[/dice]

 

[Bardiel]

Cassidy Kelly


When Cassidy first saw them, she thought to her self that oddly enough, with their spindle like limbs and obelisk shaped bodies, the image of a T4 bacteriophage came to mind. They are a virus to be eradicated. As Natalia's shot struck and the Angelspawn retaliated, Unit-01 was unflinching as the dust billowed past it's massive frame from the collapsing buildings. As the dust settled across the purple man-made beast, Cassidy read the internal cockpit display: "PROVISIONAL CASUALTY ESTIMATE: 247." Was that because I hesitated, because I waited for the Commandant? Her doubts were immediately assuaged as she heard the new orders for the support units come in over the com-link. Responsd to developments, the battlefield is ever in flux. Redeploy assets as the threat warrants. Pride and complacency lead to defeat. Kelly recited the dictates learned in Saint-Cyr silently, almost as a mantra for themselves.


As the 42nd AAW and SAGs began to feed the new telemetry and firing solutions to Unit-01, Cassidy analysed the data streaming across their displays. A warning alarmed them on one of the Angelspawn. "Synchotronic radiation rising on Tango 1. Engaging!" Raising the MAS Pistol towards the target, Kelly pulled the trigger, releasing the focused maser beam on full auto. To her, across the beam path, the air seemed to shimmer, though it remained coherent, refusing to attenuate until striking the spawn.

 

[SephirothSage]

Even the least of the Starspawn have a soul that shines- even when they are but part of a larger whole. They lack true cores to aim for, but resonate with fragmentary AT Fields, remnants of their parents. The first had already struck- leveling a city block contained within the plates with it's high frequency energy attack... but the next had yet to fire- and it's field shone bright, yet to be discharged in the destructive attack.


The others release all at once, as the nuclear laser cuts down one of the four pod-like beings. One is shredded by a fully automatic burst of destructive, high energy frequency beams that pierce through it's vestigial AT Field with a dismissive ease- it's scream echoing across the light of your souls for but a moment, before it begins to burn away, boiling space and time into itself as it burns into naught but a fine black ash...


Galaghiel howls in the bay- as the rest of it's children finish that attack- the resonant bursts of unnatural energy hiding the forms of the remaining three spawn behind curtains of white, cross shaped light... as if they where merely ranged deployment platforms for the creatures attack....

Spoiler

Alright, next round people!


@DeusExAlice , @Napalm on Toast , you can RP breaking atmosphere this round. If you wish, you can make a SR roll to aim yourselves at the Angel, or Angelspawn, as living projectiles- aiming for the Angelspawn results in you being one turn away from base and a power cable, but the actual angel is four turns out, meaning you would have to be very lucky to reach the wires before power ran out if you aimed at him. If you don't aim yourselves, you hit ground 2 Rounds of movement away from the battle and have to run to base to get hooked up.


Everyone else, roll initiative again. One Spawn dead, three to go. All three remaining are momentarily hidden by the light of the cross beams, giving a -10 to score direct hits.

 

[Random Word]

Renée Durant


Temperature and magnetic flux climbing alarmingly in all Tangos.


Multispectral jamming detected. Isolating signal and reconfiguring to compensate.


Tango-2 neutralized. Tango-1 remains active.


Conventional arms ineffective. All Tangos confirmed pattern blue positive.


"Beta wing strafe Tango-1 and synchronize fire control with Unit-00. Alpha disengage, Gamma wing strafe Tango-3 and synchronize with Unit-01. Establish a depth three concentric barrier ring around projected ground zero. All Units prevent enemy discharge at all costs."


Orbital Control reports Enlil systems have reached turnover. Units 02 and 03 are S-60.


Initiating 2 second manoeuvring burn, 180 degree attitude adjustment.


Burn complete.


Initiating retrograde burn. Decelerating from 11 kps to 8 kps over 36 seconds. Atmospheric contact in 40.


"Lieutenants, in thirty seconds you'll strike atmosphere. During re-entry you'll be generating enough radiation to jam your communications and blind your sensors; there will be no ground control. Extend your AT fields around your rockets to protect them during re-entry. You'll have manual guidance in case of emergency. The countdown timer will inform you when you're five seconds above the surface - engage the explosive bolts to separate the second stage, normalize your AT field, and brace for impact. You'll be on battery from there on out. Operational necessity has delayed deployment of your recovery units, but additional power will be provided shortly after splashdown. Engage the Angel immediately."


Renée glares at a captain issuing frantic orders to operators on dozens of communications channels in the UN liaison cluster. "Have the 4th and 5th HLWs provided an ETA?"


"The new marine recovery system is causing problems for 5th wing, but 4th wing reports ready for takeoff," he calls back. "Orders?"


"Launch the 4th HLW at once, have them maintain a safe altitude and drop to provide support when the shockwave has dissipated. Have 6th Fleet order all carriers to break formation and make a minimum time safe course for the impact site. They're large enough to weather the tsunami earlier. Have them prep the deck for provision of power, flight support for the 4th HLW, and provision of additional deployable batteries."

Spoiler

+40 BS for Unit-00 and Unit-01


The 4th HLW is carrying 4 floating battery packs with 3 turns of additional power each, and will deliver them within a turn or two of their landing once it's safe.

 

[SephirothSage]

It feels them, drawing nearer- and Galghiel cries from the ocean. The shape of blackness under the water turns from the depths to once more face towards the city- nearly a mile out in the ocean, it begins to swim closer once more, turning about face in response to the increased quantity of prey, it seems- a resonant tone that feels to those within AT fields like a challenge, relayed through it's screaming children.

Spoiler

@Sherwood , your turn. There are two Angelspawn standing- the one you've already hit, and one that is totally undamaged.

 

[Sherwood]

Natalia Romanova


Keeping the wounded Angelspawn in her sights, Nat advances and continues to ply it with the MAS Rifle. She takes careful aim and then lets fly with a concentrated burst of deadly energy.


[dice]13498[/dice]


My BS is 34, not including any bonuses due to the burst fire. How many damage dice do I roll?