Chapter Three: All In

[Sherwood]

Mario takes the pill with a grateful sigh. "Thanks, Lieutenant. I guess I have some questions for the Professor about Traversing, and if using the power so many times in a short period can cause such headaches. We all have a lot to learn about this still."

 

[Kaerri]

As she did so, she took one very long look at Elinor. The farm girl found herself under the scrutiny of those blood-red eyes.

Elinor had yet to actually like the giant woman, and probably never would, unless one or the other of them switched cultures. But she could still respect her as a fighter and a fellow Traverser. Pity she didn't have any other basis for respect, but then those two things seemed to be all Taniya cared about anyway.

As bright green eyes met blood-red ones through the Valkyrie's canopy, Elinor kept her expression bland and her voice neutral. There were plenty of things she thought could have said, but Toph had spoken up for herself pretty well already, by Elinor's reckoning, and the rest was just attitude - not real helpful when dealing with a potential ally. In the end, the Georgian girl settled for a polite, "Something for you?"

 

[Purr]

"I never claimed to be just a Meltrandi killing machine. I am proud of my human heritage, and how the two races have come together to make me what I am. Yes, I call myself a doctor. I ease the pain of my patients, treating the wounded and making a broken body whole again. I suppose that is the human in me, offering up relief from the pain. I wouldn't expect you to understand since you are locked into your own little world of death and destruction."

Taniya kept clicking keys pausing only to see whatever it was on the display below her. "You are proud of a lineage you wholly reject and know precious little of? Your mother and I... Zyorna.... Are we not both born and 'locked into our own little worlds"? Are we not both attempting to save your human race again from elements which you fail to understand?" Taniya nodded.

"Look around you, Dull Blade!" She indicated the aerospace bay with a grand wave of her hand. "Are these Lord Dolza's weak and starving remnants, wishing to die in combat? Dipped into a sea of facts, have you not even begun to question the waters you and yours now founder in? Your only planet is at stake!"

"As for testing you, hah! Upon our first meeting, did you not present yourself as something me and mine were to bow and pay homage to? To feel 'lucky' to be in your very presence? We! Warriors and destroyers of enemies and worlds you will never know, all when your human race was still in its infancy! Of course, I challenged your bravado. - you see the results." With another wave of her hand, she made note of the blasted Male Power Armors and their pilots and the gaping blast in Toph's Ajax.

"If my words cause you ill feeling, half-breed, it is in part because of your lack of understanding into the 'little world of death and destruction' you are so very ignorant of. As for me, I cannot pretend to understand you.

"I give you but facts. Cast them aside as you wish. Hide from your true history and reality as you will. I sought only to see if there was something in you worthy of all that bravado, and to teach and share you where your mother truly comes from - and the honors and glories of those who soared with the stars long before you! Our 'little world' indeed!

Iris nodded to this, a living testament to Meltrandi action.

"My vacation is done. I will take my facts with me and return...

"...along with the knowledge of how to save your precious base. 'Eglin,' did you call it? Within the hour, the base and everyone who calls it dear will be but smoke and ash, buried underneath plasma fires, particle cannons, and missile warheads! But you need not an insulting, close-minded, star-soldier like me to tell you about that, now do you?"

"What are you talking about?! Hey, wait!" Shirley yelled.

Taniya did no such thing.

The Meltrandi veteran tapped one last key on the console. New lights, those that still functioned, shone in alert across the aerospace fighter bay. A great trembling shook one section of the wall for but a brief moment. Then the great metal doors to the fighter bay to the outside rose. Smoke rushed outside and into the fresh wind. Large tufts of dirt and grass fell from above as the Wild Cards were gifted with a panoramic view of Florida grassland and a bright sea of stars.

Yet between that view and the Wild Cards, there hovered a spread-out row of no less than twelve Queadlunn-Rau, their missile racks open, cannons trained on anything that moved. Including you.

"Microniaaaaans!" one raised her hand in a command to attack.

"Spare them!" Taniya shouted.

With but two words, Taniya shook the hearts of every full-blooded Meltrandi before them. They paused in absolute respect. Not one of them even considered disobeying and that much was clear in their total lack of action. A moment later, they recovered and quickly resumed scanning the bay for enemies.

"W-war-queen! We have been searching for you!"

"And you have found me, you lazy wretches! The rest of the enemy is making their way to this bay! Did you bring the spare suit I requested?"

Inside the Female Power Armors, the Meltrandi smiled. They had found their War-queen at last.

One suit out of the many disengaged and zipped toward Taniya, its hatch open to welcome her inside. Meanwhile, four new insectoid creatures of varying colors, buzzed and stayed aloft on big, beautiful rainbow-colored quartets of wings. One of these four seemed to be protectively carrying a cocoon some seven feet long and three feet wide. They all looked a bit like Iris save for their eyes - each a dangerous yellow. Iris, her green eyes still watching Mario, went to the side of her favorite Meltrandi.

As bright green eyes met blood-red ones through the Valkyrie's canopy, Elinor kept her expression bland and her voice neutral. There were plenty of things she thought could have said, but Toph had spoken up for herself pretty well already, by Elinor's reckoning, and the rest was just attitude - not real helpful when dealing with a potential ally. In the end, the Georgian girl settled for a polite, "Something for you?"

Taniya reached for the mecha's hatch and regarded Elinor with a slow nod and grin. "Yesss... As I listened to your squadron channel through Iris, as I watched you all in battle, I learned. Of all humans I have met today, you are the only one who laughs when the good kill is made and who refuses to show fear in the face of death! Yes! Your race, Elly Nor - they will need more like you in the days yet to come!"

 

[Psychie]

Toph lets out a sigh, then transmits over to Mack. "Sorry Boss-lady. It looks like I messed things up between us and this Meltrandi war queen. Guess I need to be a bloodthirsty killer to make her happy, and that is just not the kind person I am." Then, she turns her attention to Taniya. "I won't apologize for being who I am. I do think that it is unfortunate that you are going to base your decision on helping us stop these Zentraedi on my actions alone. If you don't wish to be a part of an alliance with us, that is your choice, even if I feel you are making a bad call."

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Hercules sighed. Was it a sigh? Does he even breathe in this disembodied state? Questions for another time, anóitos ánthropos*. Despite his desire to not end up as exhausted as Mario had, he didn't have the luxury of time to gently coax the answers he needed from the computer.

Brute force it was then.

Herc shaped his mind into a more ballistic form, encased it in a shell of his indomitable will, which he then further encased in his determination. Finally, for good measure, he applied a piercing warhead of pure unparalleled rage to the mental shell and hurled it at the computer's defenses. Had this mental projection of his attempt to break into the computer's data been corporeal, it would have been a bunker-buster. Hell, it'd probably be able to split a planet into two neat halves.

He hoped it would be enough.

*stupid man

 

[Kaerri]

Taniya's words took Elinor by surprise. She certainly hadn't been trying to impress anyone, much less this war-queen. However, the rest of the Meltrandi's speech overshadowed the compliments as far as Elinor was concerned.

"Thanks, I guess," she said. Then she let her irritation start to show. "But I don't get your attitude. You say you're here to 'save our race' but you're willing to let a whole base get destroyed just 'cause you have an issue with Toph? That don't sound like you're trying to save anyone around here. You want to share some of that info, or you goin' to just keep on feelin' superior and let people die for no good reason?"

 

[Purr]

Toph lets out a sigh, then transmits over to Mack. "Sorry Boss-lady. It looks like I messed things up between us and this Meltrandi war queen. Guess I need to be a bloodthirsty killer to make her happy, and that is just not the kind person I am."

Mack watched Taniya's every move as she replied to Toph. "Being true to yourself doesn't warrant an apology from me, chick. Be proud of yourself for it."

Then, she turns her attention to Taniya. "I won't apologize for being who I am. I do think that it is unfortunate that you are going to base your decision on helping us stop these Zentraedi on my actions alone. If you don't wish to be a part of an alliance with us, that is your choice, even if I feel you are making a bad call."

The Queadlunn-Rau's hatch closed and sealed neatly. Its thrusters ignited with bright flame. "Again, you misunderstand. There is no stopping them in our current situation. I go because in but a few minutes, more Zeki-Zentraedi will arrive here to this bay - more than our combined forces can handle. The element of surprise has gone and with it, our chances at safety.

"As for an alliance..." she paused briefly, "... the situation is not right. I can certainly help you, but I cannot trust you for the same."

"Thanks, I guess," she said. Then she let her irritation start to show. "But I don't get your attitude. You say you're here to 'save our race' but you're willing to let a whole base get destroyed just 'cause you have an issue with Toph? That don't sound like you're trying to save anyone around here. You want to share some of that info, or you goin' to just keep on feelin' superior and let people die for no good reason?"

"I do not feel superior, Micronian - I am superior. My people have been saving yours for about as long as you have been alive." Taniya's mecha rose into the air. "Hmm. But... you act reasonably. I will try you, Elly Nor! Think a moment and follow this if you dare!

"Lord Dalzak and his Zeki-Zentraedi know we Ura-Meltrandi have infiltrated his ship. For this, he will swear vengeance upon us. But that is not your concern...

"We have been watching! Surely you recall the those twisted Micronian slagheaps you engaged earlier? The ones trying miserably to blast their way in here by brute force? On your way here, could you have missed the Zeki-Zentraedi's response - their Gnerl fighters attacking them from above?

"Once those sorry excuses for Micronian mecha have been dealt with, the Zeki-Zentraedi will again demand vengeance! But, Lord Dalzak and the Zeki-Zentraedi see no difference between your infiltrating force and the slagheaps! He will assume the only logical path - the slagheaps came from your Eglin base! They will then deal with the intruders - us - and then, since their ship has been discovered, they will lift off and use the power of their warship to blast your little outpost into molten slag! Then off to continue the Maelstrom as they please!

"I tell you this to allow you the opportunity to save your base or at the very least, alert them to evacuate. Is this not more aid from us to you? Without some great distraction, the Zeki-Zentraedi will march on your people before this hour is over! Eglin base will stand no chance against a lightly-damaged Zeki-Zentraedi Assault Scout, especially with Lord Dalzak at its head!

"Now do you see? What have you to offer the Ura-Meltrandi? You know precious little about us, your enemies, the Maelstrom, even Traversing! The only thing you have to offer us are your skills at rebuilding people's heads," she glanced at Toph, "but the one person you have is no warrior. And in war, only warriors can be trusted. A pity for both our sides. Now go and save your people that they might fight our common foe again someday..."

Taniya turned to join her warriors.

* * *​

Spoiler: Scene music

"Touch and Go" by Emerson, Lake, and Powell. Because I can't get this song out of my head as I write this. =)

Herc shaped his mind into a more ballistic form, encased it in a shell of his indomitable will, which he then further encased in his determination. Finally, for good measure, he applied a piercing warhead of pure unparalleled rage to the mental shell and hurled it at the computer's defenses. Had this mental projection of his attempt to break into the computer's data been corporeal, it would have been a bunker-buster. Hell, it'd probably be able to split a planet into two neat halves.

Hercules went from an emotionless vessel to one filled to the brim with all of his great heart, will, and resolve.

Suddenly the difficulty in traveling the quiet, mental distance increased. Instead of "swimming" through water, forcing oneself through was like pulling oneself through sludge. Sure, it could be done, but the amount of effort was greatened, no, magnified. Hercules could not tell if he was getting closer to his destination or farther away. He sensed where to go but the more of his emotion he pulled into the attempt, the worse it became. Something inside of him began to hurt. It was like Hercules was chained somehow.

And there was only one inevitable fate for a man held by chains in the open sea...

* * *​

Doing his best to keep his voice calm, he radios out, "Um, guys? I hate to be overly dramatic, but what the fuck is this bug-thing here, and how is it talking inside my head?!"

The bug-thing replied. In Mario's head. He read her words clearly.

Please forgive This One's intrusion! Self wished only to link all together in the harmonious beauty of a polyphonic nexus and repair the brain-burn damage Toph Kirin's ally is suffering from.

There was something gentle, like soft fingers, massaging something inside of his damaged head. It was a strange feeling but not unwelcome, at least from his body's standpoint.

The feeling immediately ceased.

(EDIT: Edited out a goofed line. =) Thanks for spotting it and pointing it out to me, Kaerri-darlin'! You're definitely paying attention! =) )

 

[Sherwood]

Mario frowns. "Uh, ok, Unit One. No offense meant there. I just have never seen anything or anyone that looks like you, and there is still the newness of the Traversing that I am still getting used to." He then looks over at Hercules at the computer. "Ma'am? If the Meltrandi lady is correct that there will soon be many more Zentraedi rushing in here, I may have to step in and help Herc get the info on where our mecha are located from the computer. Until you've Traversed, it is a odd sensation trying to do something that you've never done before. He may be having some trouble, and we need that info before we get overrun. The headache I had earlier is getting better, so I should be able to Traverse the computer. Lt. Mackenzie? Should I give it a shot? It sounds like we will need those tanks to stop Eglin from getting trashed by the Zentraedi here, and do something to stop this ship."

"Ms. Taniya? What kind of ship are we in, and how many more troops are we facing off against? Knowing that will help us formulate a strategy to deal with this ship."

 

[Psychie]

Toph feels relieved that Mack isn't upset that she may have messed up things between them and Taniya. "Well, whatever it is that we are going to do, lets get it done quickly. I personally don't want to run into a bunch more Zeki-Zentraedi unless we can do so on our own terms. There has to be some way to stop this ship from moving onto Eglin and blasting it to pieces with its main firepower that won't involve us getting dead in the process. Disable the power core or engines, perhaps? The danger there is that if we hit the power systems too hard, it could blow up the whole shebang and take us out with it."

 

[Kaerri]

Well, that made more sense than it didn't. "Thanks again," Elinor said, mollified by the explanation. She nodded once and then turned her attention back to her squad.

"I don't think we've got time for that, guys. Look, we know Taniya's better at this Traversing thing than we are, and she's more familiar with the tech here. If she can't shut this thing down, what chance have we got? 'Specially with these Zek-Zens about to fall on us any minute. That's a big group of bad guys that've just finished wiping the floor with the Franken-mechs we couldn't do more than distract, remember? I suggest we get on the radio to Colonel Sharp ASAP and get his read on things. If nothing else, he can get the evac started, and that's a thing best started yesterday if it's gonna be needed."

 

[Psychie]

Toph is still feeling miffed at the comments of the Meltrandi, but she's doing her best to not let it get to her. "Assuming she is even willing to do so to help us find the tanks. We may be stuck on our own locating them."

 

[Purr]

Heya folks! Here's another post where a whole lot is happening at once. Read carefully and enjoy the ride! =)

Spoiler: Instrumental scene music

"Suicide Mission" by Jack Wall for the Mass Effect 2 soundtrack (because it's such a damned good song!)

Brute force it was then.

He hoped it would be enough.

It was not.

He sensed where to go but the more of his emotion he pulled into the attempt, the worse it became. Something inside of him began to hurt. It was like Hercules was chained somehow.

And there was only one inevitable fate for a man held by chains in the open sea...

Spoiler: Game Master Note for Cap'n

Cap'n, sorry, but I have to keep this game moving and go with the last post you gave for Hercules.

Hercules tried as hard as he could, forcing and forcing his way across that strange, dark divide between him and the thing he was trying so desperately hard to communicate with. He seemed to go on and on and on, but despite his tremendous will and drive, even the brave-souled Greek had his limits.

And he had reached them.

Suddenly, Hercules was back inside his mega-suit. He heard the tormented whirring of fans and temperature alerts coming from his armor's computer. He was dripping in sweat from head to toe though his body had not moved an inch. His mega-suit's climate control was working full-blast and still it was unable to cool Hercules's massive body down to tolerable limits.

This was one of those moments something in his body wanted to just pull his helmet off for a few gulps of fresh, non-recycled air and the feeling of freedom. Any other soldier would have.

Hercules felt tired. Not physically, not really. But definitely mentally and perhaps spiritually. He had given every ounce he had into his first attempt at Traversing, and though it had been a failure, the soldier of Legend Squad had learned from his mistakes in the past. Perhaps this was just one more.

Hercules heard a constant, troubled sound. Like some animal nearby that sounded worried. Then from the left side of his helmet, he saw MechaKitten. Big-eyed, little-pawed, cute-looking MechaKitten.

"Meeeyooooo!!"

And the little fellow looked just as worried as he sounded!

Feeesh-friend! Hercules read across his mind. You overdids it baaad! Better take medicine soon or--

MechaKitten did not have to complete his sentence, for the big Greek felt it coming! Like a tremendous ocean wave about to overwhelm a placid seashore, one hell of a migraine was about to roll in on him like nothing he had ever felt before. Hercules felt he had perhaps a minute before it hit him.

* * *​

Mario frowns. "Uh, ok, Unit One. No offense meant there. I just have never seen anything or anyone that looks like you, and there is still the newness of the Traversing that I am still getting used to."

Inside the Wild Cards' minds (all save Hercules), the following could be read:

Greetings, brain-burned human male! This One is unoffended. Please provide This One your designation that she may address you properly?

* * *​

"Ms. Taniya? What kind of ship are we in, and how many more troops are we facing off against? Knowing that will help us formulate a strategy to deal with this ship."

Taniya scoffed. Another male who failed to pay simple attention. Care and understanding being two things Zentraedi and Meltrandi never shared, War-queen Taniya replied to Mario with the approach she had been genetically programmed to hold towards males of her species. "Idiotic clod! Have I not just provided you the answers to those very questions? Listen, next time!" She shook her head in mild disgust. Was it any wonder that the human words "male" and "fail" sounded alike?

Meanwhile, the other Meltrandi who had overheard snickered contemptuously at him or outright ignored the presence of the male altogether. Such was the way the Robotech Masters had programmed their creations. Only the large insectoids, beautiful in their own way of quietness and stillness, gave no apparent reaction.

"There has to be some way to stop this ship from moving onto Eglin and blasting it to pieces with its main firepower that won't involve us getting dead in the process. Disable the power core or engines, perhaps? The danger there is that if we hit the power systems too hard, it could blow up the whole shebang and take us out with it."

Mack felt a wave of worry hit her. She tried to shake it off. "Muppet, just how many hundreds or maybe thousands of these Zeki-Zens now know we're on their ship? And how many of 'em you think are between us and those targets?" Mack sighed. "I'm not saying 'no,' but given the situation and with the Meltrandi bugging out, I don't see how to say 'yes.'"

* * *​

Taniya lifted off. Dozens of Queadlunn-Rau thrusters ignited like one blazing chorus as the mecha turned toward the open bay doors and the Floridian evening beyond. All Ura-Meltrandi forces, both humanoid and insectoid, began to drift off in an offensive flight pattern out to the cloudy, star-ridden sky.

All save one.

Unit One had turned to fly with the others, her quartet of rainbow-colored wings, like those of some huge dragonfly, were wide and buzzing with eagerness to follow. But she hesitated.

Slowly, her head turned towards Toph's Ajax. Then back to her people. Then back to Toph's Ajax again. A pair of words made their way across the Wild Cards' minds (again, all but Hercules).

Query: War-queen?

As the squadron of Meltrandi pilots spread out, eager for targets despite their exit, Taniya's machine paused a moment. Then, Unit One raised a foreclaw. One long moment passed between absolute leader and adoring servant. Unit One aimed her pincer at Toph, gently, then at Elinor, then lastly at Shirley.

Taniya turned to Unit One. Her mech appeared to sigh in a mix of mild irritation and straining patience. Then, over her loudspeakers, Taniya contacted the Wild Cards once more.

"Doctor Toph Kirin?" Taniya glared. "Are your methods of head-repair limited only to humankind?"

Then that red-eyed glare fell upon Elinor. "Elly Nor. Is your protective nature to serve humans limited to them alone?"

Finally, Taniya regarded Shirley with an icy tone. "Leader Mack, how badly do you want to save your Eglin base?"

Shirley's own sky-blue eyes stared out across the starship bay to her Meltrandi counterpart. The Californian surfer-become-fighter-pilot tried to sound brave, but her words came out all too human instead. "Jesus! What kinda question is that?! My-- My dad's back at Eglin! My Ghost Riders are there! Reggie! The colonel too. Professor Stein. That Hitomi lady. Hell, every human being worth a damn in these parts is stationed at Eglin! What in hell are you getting at, chick?"

But Taniya's lips simply pursed into that grim warrior smile as she awaited Toph and Elinor's replies...

Spoiler: Game Master note

Here it comes, Wild Cards.

You're "all in." The chips are down. You've no time to bluff or draw any other cards. So play your next hand with the understanding that this is a story that can change directions in a heartbeat.

With love,
Your Game Master =)

P.S. No pressure. =)

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor had never really thought about her having a "protective nature." She just did what needed to be done, it was as simple as that. If blasting enemies out of the sky was what needed to be done, she did it. If testing out unproven hardware and software was what needed to be done, she did that. If the stables needed mucking out, she did that too. (Mind you, the first two were a lot more fun than the third!) That was just how she was raised. Was that what Taniya meant?

After a moment, she met the Meltrandi's red gaze squarely. "No, ma'am. I'm here for everyone that lives on Earth. An' I guess those that don't live here, but want to help us anyhow." Her voice held more resolve than her words alone might indicate ("I guess" being a cultural peculiarity, not a signal of uncertainty). "Humans and animals, Zentraedi and Meltrandi - the ones that ain't shooting at me, that is," she said with a glance at the wreckage surrounding them, then looked up again. "And I guess that includes critters I never heard of before, too, like your Unit One there." She shook her head firmly, without breaking eye contact. "No, ma'am, I'll do what's needed, as far as I can, for anyone that's on our side, whether it's you and yours or the chickens on my home farm. We're all in this together an' we oughta act like it."

 

[Psychie]

Toph delivers a glare at the Meltrandi war leader. "I am a doctor to any being that needs help, be it a human, Meltrandi, Zentraedi, or even races that I have never even heard of before, just like Unit One. My medical bag may not be equipped to deal with a full sized Meltrandi, but if you have one of your number that needs my help, I will do my best to aid them. But, just because I consider my first calling in life to be a healer, that does not mean that I am not one hundred percent ready to use lethal force to protect my friends, allies and my entire planet!" She takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I think that I speak for all of us here when I say that all of the Wild Cards would be willing to do whatever it takes to protect the base and all the lives on it that would be lost if this ship were to attack it. I don't know how much help that our three mecha can do to help, but don't count us out of this fight just yet."

 

[Purr]

(Game Master note: Another non-small post here, folks. Read carefully and enjoy! =) )

Shirley came over the squadron channel. "Herc! Get your ass in here! My back seat to my ride is empty!"

Spaceman Sam, still acting like a turret, turned his head to Hercules in question.

"Mew?" MechaKitten inquired.

* * *

Taniya scoffed... "Idiotic clod! Have I not just provided you the answers to those very questions? Listen, next time!"

Unit One sent words across the minds of the present Wild Cards. Her eyes, now a bright, cheery green, looked upon Mario.

Request: Brain-burned male, please forgive This One's War-queen's rudeness. Long has she become accustomed to males of her kind attempting to destroy her. Query: If Brain-burned male requests, This One will continue the Soothing?

Shirley saw this and was puzzled. She rubbed her forearm. "You're apologizing for her?"

Correct, Leader Mack! While the War-queen is indeed the savior of Self's people, the Ura-Meltrandi and the Scrath do have their differences. Among Self's kind, mating with males is necessary, even enjoyable. Not so for Self's saviors.

After a moment, she met the Meltrandi's red gaze squarely.

Toph delivers a glare at the Meltrandi war leader.

To look into Taniya's eyes was not a difficult act. Just a turn of the head and the focusing of intent and it was done. But to hold that gaze was another story entirely.

Both Toph and Elinor found themselves staring into the eyes of a creature that, for one long disconcerting moment, cast aside any doubt of her alienness. Inside that inhuman stare boiled a volcanic fury that crackled with warrior life and seemingly-immortal will. A confidence so absolute as to be a thing of fables. They had never seen such an utter lack of doubt in any human's eyes. Not General Steele's, not Colonel Sharp's, not even their own parents and grandparents. It was possible such a thing did not exist in human beings.

No, ma'am, I'll do what's needed, as far as I can, for anyone that's on our side, whether it's you and yours or the chickens on my home farm. We're all in this together an' we oughta act like it."

My medical bag may not be equipped to deal with a full sized Meltrandi, but if you have one of your number that needs my help, I will do my best to aid them. But, just because I consider my first calling in life to be a healer, that does not mean that I am not one hundred percent ready to use lethal force to protect my friends, allies and my entire planet!"

Hearing this, Taniya turned to Iris, her tone suspicious. "You knew."

Unit One gave an odd nod. Self suspected, my queen.

"Hmph." Taniya put her hands on her hips. "Legion, hold position!"

The warriors in their Queadlunn-Rau paused just long enough to digest the command. Then, followed by their Scrath companions, they took defensive positions high and low, covering each other as if they were guided by one mind.

Meanwhile, four new insectoid creatures of varying colors, buzzed and stayed aloft on big, beautiful rainbow-colored quartets of wings. One of these four seemed to be protectively carrying a cocoon some seven feet long and three feet wide.

"Unit Seventy, to me!"

The Wild Cards read. This One obeys unto death.

This Scrath, brown-carapaced with eyes of dangerous gold, buzzed quietly on rainbow wings. As she approached, the hatch on War-Queen Taniya's Queadlunn-Rau lifted open. With the grace of one so well-practiced as to have forgotten the technique, the Meltrandi veteran ace leapt out of the power armor, performed a half-twist in mid-air, and landed with perfect form back at the computer console she had manipulated earlier. She stood there in her torn black skin-tight suit, the very image of Meltrandi athleticism.
"Earth-lovers," she addressed you, "allow me to correct you once again. I am no Traverser. Nor do I wish to masquerade as one. There is only one Ura-Meltrandi with that distinction..."

Iris looked toward the few undamaged doors leading into the Gnerl fighter bay. Consensus reached: War-queen, our time runs short. Zeki-Zentraedi will--

"You started this, favorite of my hunter-killers," she countered with a grin. "Let us see now if the Earth-lovers are worth more than their pretty words, shall we?"

Shirley shook her head at Taniya. "Cripes, chick! The more you talk, the more sick of your nonsense I get."

"Oh, do I annoy you, little Micronian?" Taniya licked her teeth. "Good!"

Outside under the Florida sky, it began to rain. Droplets by the thousands fell and struck the evening landscape.

The brown Scrath landed upon the Zentraedi-sized computer console with the gentle grace of a ballet dancer. With a nod from Taniya, the Scrath carefully reached for her shimmering cocoon. Like soft silk under sunlight, the threads twinkled with every color. It was radiant and altogether pleasant to behold.

Taniya touched the keys of the console with expert fingers. The alarm horns ceased to sound. "Now..." Taniya's voice dropped to nearly a whisper, barely heard over the crackling fires. She reached for her sword. Her thumb slid along the handle and slowly, a thin, slightly curved beam of orange light as long as a Valkyrie's GU-11 came into view.

The Scrath backed away. With a flick of the War-queen's fingers, Unit Seventy shot away and glided, eager to rejoin her respected comrades, both two-legged and four.

Taniya looked down on the lonely-looking cocoon lying there on the console. "So... Toph Kirin will repair any creature and Elly Nor will protect it - so as long as it is no threat to their beloved, last planet. Leader Mack," she sighed, "will valiantly do all to protect her precious Eglin base. Just like those she commands..."

The orange sword, burning gold in the strange lights of the bay, fell ever so gracefully until it barely touched the cocoon. A neat split appeared along its seven-foot length, from its top to bottom. Taniya's sword-light retracted neatly into the pommel, but her gaze stayed locked upon the cocoon. Her expression changed into something... less hard...

Spoiler: Scene music

"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia

Partial lyrics:
I'm all out of faith
this is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
lying naked on the floor
illusion never changed
into something real
I'm wide awake
and I can see the perfect sky is torn

You're a little late
I'm already torn
Torn..."

Small hands reached out from inside the cocoon. Those hands shook as they tried to push the silky strands aside. Taniya did not assist further, but watched silently. Silk moved and something inside slowly crawled out. She was human-sized.

Spoiler: The contents of the cocoon

Image credit:Leo Chuang

She wore a soft black suit like Taniya's except it appeared undamaged. The suit held the curves of a female who appeared to be twenty years old at the most. Her face was hidden, shrouded in loose brown hair. She staggered, straining with every movement. Then her face could be seen, bunched into a mask of crushing agony.

Taniya watched. Unit One landed on her War-queen's shoulder and did the same.

With tremendous effort, the human-sized creature wrenched herself free from the strands as if they were chains. Face down, she fell to the console, her long brown hair splashing against her back. For a moment, she did not move. Her chest rose and fell as if being alive were effort.

"Rise and provide name and rank."

"Ungh!" the creature cried. Fingers widened against the superstructure. Feet trembled.

One look up at the rest of Taniya's legion displayed some of the Meltrandi looking not toward the doors but at the cocoon. They too turned to watch, their expressions unknowable behind the thick mechanized power armor.

"Aaah!"

Iris made to move toward her, but Taniya stopped her with one raised finger.

Little by little, the trembling female pushed herself up and up, at first to her knees, then finally, to her feet. She made gasping and crying sounds with every movement.

When she looked up, her reddish-brown eyes were cracked like eyes that had never blinked. Her young face was streaked with tears that fell down to her shaking torso. Her hands wrapped around her body. No part of her was still. She shook uncontrollably, apparently unable to stop crying.

"Name... and rank..."

Her mouth twitched. Her lips parted, but at first no sound issued forth. Slowly, she sobbed and stiffened into an attention stance. The fingers and thumb on her right hand went rigid, forming together into a knife-hand. She placed that to her chest in salute. Then finally, she managed to croak.

"Au... Augh... Sss... Auxiliary Specialist... Cera!"*

*

Spoiler: Cera

Pronounced "Se-ra" or Sarah.

Taniya cooly turned back to the Wild Cards, her red eyes simmering.

"Well?"

 

[Psychie]

Toph doesn't hesitate, but instead she grabs her medical pack and pops her cockpit. Looking at Mario, she says, "Keep watch over my baby, and I suggest you let Iris continue to work her soothing on you to make that headache get better. Mack, Elinor, I have a patient to take care of. Cover me!"

After pulling out her jet pack to help boost her along, she zips over to the struggling form and kneels down next to her. In her best soothing voice, she says, "Hey there. Relax. C'mon, lets take a seat. I'm a doctor, and I want to make sure you are ok." As she talks, her hands go to Cera's shoulders help to guide the woman down to the deck, then she goes for her medical bag. First off is to check the vitals of her patient, and hope that she doesn't get violent with her as she examines the strange woman. "Are you able to tell me how you are feeling? Any pain?"

Spoiler

Medical Doctor skill roll: 87%
And assuming she's not human, Xenobiology skill roll: 57%
If I need to use Xeno on her to get an idea of her condition, I'll use an Action Point to boost my roll.

 

[Sherwood]

Mario nods. "Um, yes, ma'am! Unit One or Iris, whatever your name is, you can call me Corporal Zuko, or if you'd rather, Mario will do. Uh, you may continue to do your Soothing, and I am sorry if I offended you in any way. I was just taken by surprise by your sudden appearance."

Spoiler

A quick question for Dannigan. Can Mario operate the Ajax in its Battloid mode, just without all the combat bonuses I would get from the MECT? So long as I don't try to transform, the controls shouldn't be too different, just different enough that I don't get the bonuses.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Hercules' hands scrabbled feebly at the clamps of his helmet, before finally unhooking them and prising the enclosed helmet off. The feeling of cool air on his skin was soothing, but his head was a blossoming cloud of pain. More pain than he'd ever felt before. A voice called out his name, but his brain couldn't focus on the words. And then, like a lightning-struck tree, his body slumped and he crashed down onto the keyboard, his breathing a labored rasp from his overheated body.

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor Hall, call sign "Bruce Leanne"

Elinor wondered if the day had any more overwhelming surprises for them. She also wondered why Taniya thought it was OK to waste time being a bitch but not OK to waste time asking for clarifications. She didn't bother to speak either of these out loud, however. Complaining would waste time, and the Meltrandi was so full of herself she'd either ignore it or waste more time bragging of her own superority (or, alternately, humanity's inferiority). As if fighting was the only measure of a person's worth.

Elinor shook her head and took up a defensive posture, noting the positions of the Ura-Meltrandi and their Scrath allies as friendlies to avoid, if and when it came to it.

Meanwhile, she went over logistics in her head. Mario was in Toph's backseat. Hercules had been ordered into Mack's. Their other tanker (she didn't let herself think his name, not now) wouldn't need a lift home. But Elinor wasn't sure where this Cera fit in. An ally, sure, but was she just a temp patient of Toph's or would they be giving her a lift too? That would put her in with Elinor, which she wasn't against, as long as the girl didn't need more of Toph's care in the flight. Elinor considered the problem even as her eyes scanned sky, ground, and doors for possible hostiles.

 

[Purr]

Inside the Red Baroness, 1st Lt. Shirley Mackenzie crossed her arms and fumed in thought.

Here they all were (almost all, she had to correct herself again), inside some monstrously huge Zentraedi ship of a vessel type that as far as she was concerned no one had never heard of, which belonged to Zentraedi no one had ever heard of, dealing with Meltrandi that no one had ever heard of, along with their praying mantis-buggy-people-things she sure as heck had never heard of, all the while waiting for her last remaining squadmate to reply to her over the comm so she could reunite her team and then maybe reattempt the oh-so-important-secret-mission they had all been so kindly chosen to accomplish!

No. Shirley was far from a happy camper.

If it were feasible, Shirley felt the Wild Cards had to at least try for the mission - if only for Reggie's dad's memory. She very much wanted Booty's last mission to be recorded in history as a success. She wanted Reggie to know it wasn't a failure and that his dad hadn't died for nothing. The mission would fly if she had anything to say about it, except for a certain giant-of-a-tanker who wasn't coming back to her over the comm!

The blue-eyed Californian felt she could trust Bruce Leanne and Muppet to handle things here long enough for Mario to get his alien brain massage or whatever it was while she, concerning Hercules, took matters into her own hands.

She had entered this ship to get her tankers back and that is exactly what she meant to do.

"Cygnus Two," Elinor heard Shirley's voice crackle over the squad comm. "I'm going to grab Hercules and his crazy little cat in the next room. Please see the ship doesn't blow up while I'm gone?" she cracked, hoping Hall would share in her attempt at humor.

The Red Baroness's engines thundered to life as the shining candy-apple red Valkyrie transformed into in Guardian mode and pulled away toward the opening Mario had emerged from. Gracefully yet powerfully, that incredible protoculture-driven machine bore her easily into the air and to the site. She set down, her wings in tight and 55mm GU-11 rotary cannon at the ready.

She hailed Hercules again, but heard nothing from him.

"Blast it. Where are you, you big gyro-eating teddy bear?"

Shirley entered under the blasted remains of the doorway. She noted the undamaged door directly opposite her and the dead end to her right. Using an old trick one of her flight instructors had taught her, Mack leaned her GU-11 out into the hallway and examined the area using the laser targeter mounted on the weapon that also served as a combat camera. It was not nearly as good as looking from her own cockpit, but the action also revealed a lot less of her bird to get shot at, too. Like most combat technology, looking through the GU-11 camera this way was a trade off.

But it worked.

Seeing the corridor devoid of giant-sized enemies, she turned down the hall to her left. She saw a blown-open hole in an air vent way up high on one wall. There was a bench and computer here too. And... human-sized figures on the computer? Wait, she thought, there's more than one? Who is that?

Shirley accessed her Valkyrie's telescopic optical enhancement from her unit's head-sensors and zoomed in. Sure enough, there was some guy in a glassy-helmet futuristic space suit hefting Herc's plasma cannon against his hip as if he knew how to use it. Shirley watched him closely. He had the cannon aimed at her as if he had spotted her before she had spotted him; no surprise, she shrugged, given the noise a Valkyrie in motion made.

Then the fellow moved the cannon away and excitedly waved one hand at a figure lying prone on the computer console. A very large and handsome figure in ASC armor minus his helmet with a mechanical cat licking his face.

Hercules!

* * *​

And then, like a lightning-struck tree, his body slumped and he crashed down onto the keyboard, his breathing a labored rasp from his overheated body.

Spoiler: Scene music

"Fragile" by Sting

Lyrics:
If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the color of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star
Like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are
How fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star
Like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are
How fragile we are
How fragile we are
How fragile we are

Hercules's senses were, for the moment, a thing of the past. One entire side of his head felt as if it were exploding like a sun going nova, over and over and over again. Yet everything felt muted. The real pain had yet to hit.

The muscle-bound tanker could not feel MechaKitten's worried licks on his face, nor could he see Spaceman Sam waving at something down the hallway where Mario had gone. Everything for the moment was a blur.

The big Greek heard the tremendous flaring of a VF-1S twin engines as they flew up, quick as life, to the Zentraedi keyboard he had fallen upon. He saw, dully, a great mass of something candy-apple red, like one giant mass of color before his eyes. The sensation might have been like staring too long at a Vincent Van Gogh painting while under the effects of some serious alcohol.

Luckily for Hercules, he could also not hear the torrent of oaths and questions coming from a black-haired person rushing out of the big red mass. Suddenly, he was choking. His throat was busy. He did not know why. Then he finally heard the words shouted from some womanly source.

"Herc! Swallow the darned water already!"

Water? Is that what it was? Well, it was plentiful in supply from what he could gather. Something bonked harmlessly off his head. Then a dragging sensation overtook over him. All he knew after that was that he seemed to feel like he was rising into the air for a few moments. The air felt cool and comfortable all around him. Little winds pushing air upon his face. He felt he was going somewhere, but where?

Then slowly, Hercules's senses returned to him. He was strapped in the rear seat of a Valkyrie. Mack's Valkyrie from the look of it. It was zooming along down the corridor Mario had gone down. Hercules had been rescued. Air conditioning had never felt so good. He realized he could speak if he were careful about it.

For one serene moment, the A.T.A.C. soldier noticed three items in his lap - his sweaty ASC mega-suit helmet, his now-empty canteen, and on his right thigh was one MechaKitten curled up and cat-napping despite the tension.

Then Hercules had real reason to wish his senses had not returned quite so soon. His five senses were now too sensitive. All sounds were a bit too loud. All sights were just too bright. But these discomforts he could deal with.

But as for his migraine now that his senses had returned?

"...His head was a blossoming cloud of pain. More pain than he'd ever felt before."

It was no exaggeration - this was not simple pain - this was outright agony. Hercules felt like his very mind had caught fire. It was as if something very strong were clutching one side of his head and simultaneously crushing and roasting it. Hercules knew he needed help now.

Over the squad channel, all of the Wild Cards could almost see Shirley's ruffled feathers so frustrated was her tone over the comm. She also sounded winded. "Wild Cards! *gasp* Muppet! Rendezvous with me at your Ajax immediately! Herc is down and *gasp* I don't know what's wrong with him!"

She added, "Mario! Your buddy..." there was a pause, "'Spaceman Sam' just *gasp* helped me haul Herc in here!"

Off the comm, she asked, "Herc, you beach bum, can you hear me?"

Shirley knew Toph was the most-qualified of any of them to deal with these strange new maladies and she felt she could trust the half-Meltrandi to perform her duty.

However, Toph soon had serious issues of her own to deal with...

* * *​

Spoiler: Scene music

"My Last Breath" by Evanescence

Chorus:
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light,
It ends here tonight.

"Hey there. Relax. C'mon, lets take a seat. I'm a doctor, and I want to make sure you are ok." As she talks, her hands go to Cera's shoulders...

Even without touching her, Toph could see the signs of extreme emotional fatigue - the sunken eyes, the vacant stare, the cracked eyes and trails of tears that seemed to come non-stop. Then there was the apparent health of her patient - otherwise pristine.

In very short order, Toph could be certain Cera was a full-blooded Meltrandi, micronized or no. Her facial features, those reddish-brown eyes, that too-healthy-to-be-human glow of everlasting youthful and athletic beauty, all supported the idea greatly.

Cera, like Hercules, was in a universe of hurt; it was the kind of pain so intense as to make rational thinking difficult and heavy thinking impossible. She desired only to focus on her mistress's voice, but also like Hercules recently, the auxiliary specialist's senses seemed far away and near-useless.

That was... until she felt hands upon her person. Micronian-sized hands.

Though Cera's eyes had been open, they had hardly been functioning properly. So despite Toph's best attempts at compassion and care, Cera had not really seen and heard her. Indeed, she seemed to be in such pain as to have hardly registered there was someone near her at all. When Cera's eyes finally focused on what was before her, her mind went blank with horror.

There before her clad in the solid-black T.A.S.C. armor of an Army of Southern Cross soldier. That only meant one thing...

"M-- Muh-- Micronian!!"

In a panic, Cera jerked backwards. Her hands rushed upwards and grasped Toph's wrists in an effort to twist away and out of her grasp.

And that's when things went crazy for the half-human. Many things happened rapidly...

Struck by sudden fear, Cera's mouth opened in a cry so terrifying as to chill the souls of all humans who heard it. And some Ura-Meltrandi.

"Aaaaaaah!!"

Then Toph saw something amazing - during her cry, Cera's wide-eyed, tear-stained eyes quickly faded away into solid white. Those fear-filled circles of brown and red just disappeared. Toph found herself staring into two deep pools of purest ivory.

Then Toph felt Ceph's right hand lock down hard on Toph's left wrist.

Without warning, Toph heard a sudden sound from her own mega-suit. Ksssshhh!!

A tiny speaker near Toph's ear spoke with the familiar voice of her mega-suit's internal computer:

"Emergency purge activated. Reserve oxygen tank unavailable."

Many hours of military practice in these suits had immediately provided Toph with the situation - her mega-suit's climate control system had reversed its fans and began ejecting all of the oxygen in Toph's suit to the outside while simultaneously closing off the reserve tank that made the suit ocean and space-worthy.

Worse still, a quick look at her own wrist computer showed Toph's magnetic seals, those devices that kept her mega-suit shut against outside prying of any kind (including computer hacking), remained locked. This meant that Toph could not pull off her own helmet to get at any new air.

Trapped inside of her own ASC mega-suit, Toph realized that death by asphyxiation had suddenly become a very real possibility...

What does Toph do?

Mario nods. "Um, yes, ma'am! Unit One or Iris, whatever your name is, you can call me Corporal Zuko, or if you'd rather, Mario will do. Uh, you may continue to do your Soothing..."

Mario could still feel the dull pounding of his headache. True, Toph had given him the correct medicine (migraine relief in the form of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine in a pair of pills available but once per day), but like nearly all pills, they took time to take effect. In this case, somewhere around twenty minutes. The all-too-brief moment of relief Iris had placed upon his troubled brain was not only real, but apparently faster.

Mario had also clearly heard Shirley's call over the comm.

However...

* * *​

Elinor considered the problem even as her eyes scanned sky, ground, and doors for possible hostiles.

Alert! All of the Wild Cards read inside their minds (including Herc). Toph Kirin's carapace has malfunctioned!

Mario and Elinor both saw blasts of what could only be oxygen rapidly leaving Toph's mega-suit. Toph's helmet was still on her head and Toph and Cera seemed to be clutching each other at the moment. From nearby, Taniya stared in momentary confusion as Iris pointed a pincer in alarm.

What do Mario and Elinor do?

(EDIT: Adjusted Shirley's dialogue in her section.)

 

[Psychie]

Toph first tries to pull back away from the berserk woman in front of her, but the manic strength of her deathgrip was just too great for the other woman to break with any ease. Don't panic! That will just eat up the remaining O2 that much faster. You have some time; now THINK! Her mind races as she tries the obvious first, but the suit wasn't responding to her. Whatever she did, I MAY be able to fix it, but not while she is holding me like this. Time to get physical. Using her martial arts training, Toph knows that there are ways for a smaller, weaker fighter to break the grip of a stronger individual. First, she will try to distract Cera with an eyeflick ( - Eye-flick (No damage. Opponent is -2 to Strike, Parry, and Dodge for one melee round). Then, with the already disoriented woman reeling from the eyeflick, she will follow up with a escape attempt (I have no personal Martial Arts skill so I have absolutely no idea what the proper terms are for this) either with a joint lock to gain control of the Meltrandi or just a simple strike to her arm.

Assuming that the escape attempt needs a d20, I'll use a Action Point to aid my roll. Just let me know and I'll edit my sheet to show my expenditure of the AP.

IF I am successful with the escape effort, I'll then try to Traverse my suit's systems. But we'll tame that horse when we get to it.

 

[Purr]

First, she will try to distract Cera with an eyeflick ( - Eye-flick (No damage. Opponent is -2 to Strike, Parry, and Dodge for one melee round). Then, with the already disoriented woman reeling from the eyeflick, she will follow up with a escape attempt (I have no personal Martial Arts skill so I have absolutely no idea what the proper terms are for this) either with a joint lock to gain control of the Meltrandi or just a simple strike to her arm.

Assuming that the escape attempt needs a d20, I'll use a Action Point to aid my roll. Just let me know and I'll edit my sheet to show my expenditure of the AP.

IF I am successful with the escape effort, I'll then try to Traverse my suit's systems. But we'll tame that horse when we get to it.

(Once again, please keep all OOC comments in Fat Gandalf's or, at least, in a spoiler. I'd like to keep the "curtain on the stage," that barrier between the show and the back-of-the-house, intact, please.)

 

[Purr]

Toph's eye-flick appeared to do nothing to a person currently lacking eyeballs. There was no flinch from Cera whatsoever. However, Toph was able to get out of the Meltrandi's grasp rather easily through Jeet Kune Do.

Through creativity and good technique, Toph had both freed herself and created her own opportunity to Traverse.

Spoiler: OOC for Psychie

Toph did not use an action point.

 

[Psychie]

Now freed from the grip of Cera, Toph closes her eyes and focuses her will. Reaching her thoughts out to the computer that controls her life support regulator, she sends a silent command, Computer, reestablish normal air flow inside the suit and stop purging atmosphere. She is running out of time, and hopes that this will work. If not, she might be in trouble.

 

[Kaerri]

Spoiler: Quick OOC note

When it was done, Shirley came over the comm to her fellow T.A.S.C. pilots. "Wild Cards. I am Cygnus One. Muppet, you are Cygnus Two. Copy?" Once Toph had, Mack said, "Leanne, you are Cygnus Three. Copy me?"

I'm assuming Shirley means Elinor, in the quoted post below, even though she says Cygnus Two? It seems like just an oversight to me, but if she meant Toph after all, I'll edit accordingly.

"Cygnus Two," Elinor heard Shirley's voice crackle over the squad comm. "I'm going to grab Hercules and his crazy little cat in the next room. Please see the ship doesn't blow up while I'm gone?" she cracked, hoping Hall would share in her attempt at humor.

"No blowin' up while you're gone, gotcha," Elinor replied. "I'll save it 'til you get back." Thus ordered, she kept an eye on, well, anything she had line-of-sight to, and shifted position to maximize the number of things she could see.

Alert! All of the Wild Cards read inside their minds (including Herc). Toph Kirin's carapace has malfunctioned!

Mario and Elinor both saw blasts of what could only be oxygen rapidly leaving Toph's mega-suit. Toph's helmet was still on her head and Toph and Cera seemed to be clutching each other at the moment. From nearby, Taniya stared in momentary confusion as Iris pointed a pincer in alarm.

Elinor's roving gaze flew immediately to Toph. "Miss Taniya, you want to tell your girl we're all on the same side 'fore she manages to kill one of us? Like the one tryin' to help her just now?" Her voice held more urgency than her words. Toph didn't have much time and Elinor knew it. But the half-Meltrandi did seem able to regain physical control at least. Elinor stayed ready to assist if need be -- do her own Traversing attempt, maybe -- but in the meantime, her last orders were to keep an eye out for enemies, and this would be a hell of a time to get a surprise attack. So the farm girl stayed put for the moment and kept watch.