(set: $targetTime to 0)
(set: $actualTime to 0)
(set: $machineDamage to 0)
(set: $hanekoAffection to 0)
(set: $tsubasaAffection to 0)
(set: $graceAffection to 0)
GRACE: Good morning, Flamechasers. Today, we'll be running a scrimmage battle. Our scenario will be a hotly constested border action.
GRACE: Team Gold completed this scenario in 6 minutes of combat, so I expect you to clear it in 5.
Tsubasa and Haneko exchange a look. Knowing those two, Tsubasa thinks she can do it in 4 minutes. Haneko only wants to beat Team Gold - she thinks you all need the time. To the side, Touka only winces.
Major Grace didn't miss a second of it, and also looks at you expectantly.
[[If it took Team Gold 6 minutes, it'll take //us// four.|Briefing 2 Tsu]]
[[Don't worry. We'll beat Team Gold's time.|Briefing 2 Han]]
[[Yes, ma'am. We'll do our best.|Briefing 2 Grace]]//You've committed yourself to completing the mission in 4 minutes!//
(set: $targetTime = 4)
//Tsubasa's affection has increased!//
(set: $tsubasaAffection to it + 1)
Haneko pointedly turns back to face Major Grace, while Tsubasa flashes you a smirk. You haven't known her for as long as you've known Haneko, but you think you can read her lips. 'Glad you can keep up with me.'
Touka's expression, if anything, becomes even more worried.
GRACE: Very well. It's good to aspire to high hopes, but do try not to disappoint. Especially since you haven't even heard of what the mission is.
[["As I was saying."||Briefing 2]]//You've committed yourself to completing the mission in 6 minutes.//
(set: $targetTime = 6)
//Haneko's affection has increased!//
(set: $hanekoAffection to it + 1)
Haneko gives you a slight head shake, that nobody else would've known is a nod. For you, you can read her gratefulness like the back of your head. Tsubasa simply huffs, as you've come to expect from her.
Touka at least marginally relaxes.
GRACE: "Very well. If you feel the time is necessary, feel free, so long as you defeat Team Gold's time. I will warn you, however, that lack of ambition and urgency will kill this project as surely as failure."
[["As I was saying."||Briefing 2]]//You've committed to completing the mission in 5 minutes!//
(set: $targetTime to 5)
//Grace approves of you!//
(set: $graceAffection to it + 1)
Tsubasa and Haneko both shoot you a side-eye. Neither of them were particularly happy with the indecisive compromise, but you're not on a team because you agree with them perfectly. You're on a team with them because your disagreements make you stronger.
Grace's expression seems to get just a little bit less harsh.
[["As I was saying."|Briefing 2]]Grace: You'll be facing off against 6 next-generation Tchempo Extension - Enforcer variants as a squad of 3. One will be the special high-performance variant, just in case.
TOUKA: Wait, 6, Major? Why are you sending them out with a 2 to 1 disadvantage?!
GRACE: It's nothing to be surprised by, Warrant Officer Touka. Tchempo maintains a crushing numerical superiority over Iuryis, and will likely remain so in the field. Plus, just as a matter of principle, Brigadier General Claude Jing decided to only excel as much as she thought was safe. She aimed for parity.
Haneko scowled deeply.
HANEKO: So you want us to defeat twice the number in less time?
GRACE: Correct. You've proven yourself to be exceptional pilots, above Team Gold, and Tsubasa has the Phoenix Heart. Being that much more exceptional should be the minimum expectation.
(if: $tsubasaAffection is 1)[Tsubasa glances at you. Her challenging gaze asks you only one question -
TSUBASA: It won't be a problem, right?]
(if: $hanekoAffection is 1)[Haneko glances at you. For once, her expression is so complicated you can't read it.
HANEKO: ...I see.]
(if: $graceAffection is 1)[You nod. If Major Grace says we can do it, we can do it. Simple as that.]
Grace huffs out a silent laugh.
GRACE: It's good to see you've got the spirit for it, at least. Assume we've found the squad of six deep inside Iuryis borders, and they refuse to answer hails. For no reason in particular, let's say they come from the Tchempo Extension Response Force (TERF).
GRACE: You are authorized to shoot to disable, lethal only if provoked.
GRACE: Any questions?
TSUBASA: Yes, I have one. Is there any point to this exercise?
From the way Haneko curls her lips, you see that she was thinking the same exact question - she was just too polite to say it out loud.
Grace sighs in frustration.
GRACE: It's necessary because although your team scores are good - the best, even - it's simply not good for the //honorable Brigadier// General's faction. If you aren't born right, don't have the right ears, and aren't in the right place, it won't be enough to be better - you have to be //unquestionably// better, //undeniably// superior, just to prove you still //belong//.
TSUBASA: Are you saying that we aren't?
GRACE: Not to Iuryis, you aren't.
Tsubasa scowls.
TSUBASA: I understand. No questions.
GRACE: Then get out there, and prove your worth.
You nod, and follow your teammates out the door.
All it takes is proving your worth on this team, huh?
[[Flamechaser 3, Karahara, Penguin, launching!]]The asteroid field is vast, and your machines are tiny in the vast darkness of space. Worse yet, Major Grace has pitted you against TERF machines, which tended to camoflauge themselves in space.
TSUBASA: I see them. Bringing them over to your monitors.
She blasts off towards them like a comet streaking through the sky. Unfortunately, they see you at the same time she sees them, and you hear the missile alert warnings blare immediately.
HANEKO: "Loading flash."
You quickly glance at Haneko, watching her load the flash missile into her cannon.
Unfortunately, you're still watching the number of missiles come at you and Haneko increasing fast, and an ugly feeling reminds you of fighting Lizbeth's sheer extravagance.
Haneko glances back at you on the monitor, and in the span of a second, you old friends read each other's minds.
"Do you need me?" you ask her.
"No. But I do want you here," she replies.
But is that where you can make the most difference in the battle?
[[Yes. You'll be Haneko's shield. |Defend Haneko]]
[[No. You'll be Tsubasa's shadow. |Follow Tsubasa]]
[[No. You need to assert your own existence. |Your Own Way.]]//Haneko's affection has increased!//
(set: $hanekoAffection to it + 1)
(set: $actualTime to it + 1)
"I'll be here for you," you say, moving your machine in front of hers, and loading flak into your gun. You'll use your bullets, your bulk, and your shield to defend against everything coming her way.
TSUBASA: "Fine, be that way. Make sure you carry her weight, Haneko."
HANEKO: "Oh, I will. Try not to get left behind by our duo. Firing in two, one!"
The round screams out of her shell, before any of the missiles can even dream of arriving. Her shot flies straight and true into the heart of the enemy formation, where it detonates with a wave of blinding light - literally.
In the shadow of the second sun erupting in the middle of their formation, you see an orange flame - but for now, you have to keep the missiles from disrupting you and Haneko.
You light up the sky with flak. You shoot down half the missiles with your gun, watching as the missiles turn the sky bright orange. You watch another third miss you entirely, and as the final sixth come you catch it on your shield and other explosions, suffering under the bombardment.
You do this all for your best and oldest partner, Haneko.
"Thanks, Karahara," she says, loading in her piercing rounds. "Now I can really cut loose."
TSUBASA: You might want to hurry it up. I've already cut down two over here, and the other three are scattering.
[[But for now, all you can do is wait for your machine's sensors to recover.|Line them up, knock them down.]]//Tsubasa's affection has increased!//
(set: $tsubasaAffection to it + 1)
(set: $actualTime to it + 1)
KARAHARA: I'll follow Tsubasa, then. Hopefully we'll be able to clean them all up faster that way.
HANEKO: Got it. Go. I'll handle it over here.
You nod gratefully, and take off after Tsubasa.
Some of the missiles streak in your direction, but you ignore the meaningless noise and continue charging forward. They whoosh behind you, but in front of you is Tsubasa's exhaust and the enemy machines, still smoking from their missile trails.
Tsubasa turns her mech slightly to glance at you.
TSUBASA: Following me?
KARAHARA: You bet.
TSUBASA: Then just watch me. You don't need to worry about anything else.
In front of you, you see the rest of the enemy mecha turn their guns to you, tracer fire already starting to come your way. But since Tsubasa dodges right, you'll follow her until you get closer.
HANEKO: Flash round incoming in two, one!
Both you and Tsubasa raise anti-flash in time, and lower it with the exact same timing. Like she said, all you have to do is watch her every move.
Faster than you can blink, she's cut apart one of the machines and is already moving to her next target.
You can't just cut apart the machines behind her or there's no point. You have to do what she needs you to do.
Which, right here, right now, means laying down suppressive fire on the most alert machine so that she can continue running up the score.
But you're not satisfied with just a little bit of suppressive fire. You boost in after the machine and cut it apart with your own two hands.
[[Three down, two to go.]](set: $actualTime to it + 1)
KARAHARA: You trust me, right?
HANEKO: Of course.
KARAHARA: Okay.
You blast off at your Penguin's top speed, flying straight at the missiles. You ready the flares and countermeasures in your collar, pull out your explosive magazine, and stow your rifle.
For your next trick, you're going to pull off a disappearing act. Because your chance to shine the brightest happens when nobody even remembers you're there.
You've got to do your best to attract the cover of the missiles, though. Just as a favor for Haneko. You flash the countermeasures in your collar, pulling all of the missiles towards you.
HANEKO: "Firing in two, one!"
You quickly turn up your anti-flash protection as you thrust yourself forward at the highest power available. The second sun lights up the formation, but you have no time to see that, as you track the wave of missiles flying straight at your face.
You weave between two thirds of them in formation, drop your explosive magazine, and take the last third in your legs, on your shield, on your exposed arms, and sometimes you take a few on your cockpit shield.
(set: $machineDamage to it + 1)
But momentum is mass and velocity, and you are both heavy and fast.
Your explosive magazine cooks off behind you, creating the convincing explosion you're looking for, as you survey the battle from the vantage point of a dead woman.
There were six machines in the enemy forces. You count two wrecks, three disoriented, and one quietly sneaking away from the rest. Tsubasa can't see that one, and sixth machine has intentionally disappeared behind an asteroid from Haneko's vision.
KARAHARA: "One unit's gone behind an asteroid, has probably disappeared from everyone's vision."
HANEKO: "Taking damage here, I could use an assist."
TSUBASA: "Looks like the other three are scattering. I'll need your help to run them all down."
So you had the freedom to choose. Run down the threat only you could see, or assist your teammates.
[[Assist Tsubasa]]
[[Move back to defend Haneko]]
[[Chase down who you see]](set: $actualTime to it + 2)
When the last spots finally disappear, you take good note of the battle.
Tsubasa dominates up close while Haneko dominates from far away. Torn between these two great monsters, the remaining three machines hopelessly turn fire from one to another.
If they turn fire to Haneko, you shoot down the missiles in flight while Tsubasa removes their gun and arm for their troubles. Two left.
If they turn back to suppress Tsubasa, Tsubasa dances between their shots while Haneko's silent but deadly bolt rips the head, arm, and leg off of another machine. One left.
If they do neither, but throw away their weapon in surrender, Tsubasa holds them at swordpoint long enough for the cockpit hatch to open and for the simulation to count her as out.
There's just one problem.
[[Where is the last machine?|Tsubasa exposed]](set: $actualTime to it + 2)
Right now, you think Tsubasa is exposed to more danger. She's fighting against three machines in close range, while Haneko can move herself out of the way.
KARAHARA: Moving in to assist, Tsubasa!
TSUBASA: Try to keep up, then!
Since none of them even realize you're coming up from behind them, you arrive back on their radars by eliminating the machine that seemed the freest, looking between both Tsubasa and Haneko.
You and Tsubasa exchange a look, the edge of your weapon both stuck inside of your unlucky victims.
TSUBASA: Race you to the last one.
KARAHARA: It's on.
The last machine, abruptly realizing it's about to be sandwiched between the two of you, throws away its weapon in surrender. You force its arms behind its back, while Tsubasa uses the Phoenix Heart's meter-long fingers to delicately force the cockpit hatch open.
TSUBASA: That's the last machine neutralized.
KARAHARA: No, that's not right, there's one more.
[[Where is the last machine?|Haneko exposed]](set: $actualTime to it + 2)
You boost back to Haneko, after spotting out that machine slipping away. No matter how tempting it is to try and handle the threat you saw by yourself, it's more important to defend your teammates.
Right now, that means you have to defend the person under greater threat, especially since she keeps getting harassment fire from the remaining machines.
If you take those away, she can focus on shooting more.
KARAHARA: Alright, I'm moving back to defend you, Haneko.
HANEKO: ...Understood. Loading piercer rounds.
You load in flak missiles and kill all the missiles still streaking towards her.
She returns your kindness with a few sharp retorts from her cannon. One, two, and while Tsubasa's still briefly in a melee with the last machine she plants a round through the machine to score three kills.
TSUBASA: You stole that one.
HANEKO: And if I did?
KARAHARA: ...guys, there's still one more.
[[Where is the last machine?|Tsubasa exposed]](set: $actualTime to it + 3)
(set: $graceAffection to it + 2)
...No. Tsubasa and Haneko don't need your help. Where you're most needed is hunting down the last machine, the one nobody else sees!
You rocket towards the last machine, fixing it in your radar.
KARAHARA: Take care of the other five, I'll handle the last machine!
TSUBASA: Got it! Good hunting!
You follow the machine into the asteroid field, watching it duck and weave out of your way. Finally, it disappears - but this is the kind of tricky opponent you're on guard for most!
You leave behind your magazine traveling in the same direction, while you quietly get behind where your attacker will show up - only to find both of you had the same idea!
Your gun barrel and theirs snap up and start exchanging fire at close range.
Her fire is accurate and precise, which makes it easy for you to block with your own shield - while your own fire is wild and inaccurate, but at least occasionally gets a few glancing shots.
But after a few circles, you can tell that you won't get the decisive result you're looking for, while your opponent will eventually wear you down.
You charge forward, only to find it deftly leaping over your course. Only a hasty boost right keeps you from losing your back outright to the other machine's slash - instead, you only lose half of your head.
(set: $machineDamage to it + 1)
KARAHARA: Engaging the high performance machine in close quarters at my coordinates!
You only have time to shout that much before you have to raise your shield against another storm of close range gunshots. You try and retort with your own fire as much as possible, but it's obvious you're flagging and will need to reload - click.
Damn. You were hoping you'd have longer. You can't duck around a nearby asteroid to reload without losing sight of this machine, and you think that's the last thing you can afford.
The only good thing is that you see your opponent run out of ammunition at the same time, and rather than try to run away, both of you share the same idea - charge!
Thinking quickly, you rig up the countermeasures in your collar to flare at exactly this moment, exposing your opponent to the blinding light of the sun at close range. In that infinitely harsh light, you see the outlines of the twin weapons, guns with sword edges, and you see that the machine's sensors cook in the blinding light.
Nice, you smile wolfishly. Now you have her where you want her.
You raise your shield for an overhead smash, only to find her right sword precisely leaping up to sever your hands from your body.
(set: $machineDamage to it + 1)
What?!
But you were sure she was blinded! How could she fight like that?!
(And when did you start being convinced you were fighting a her?)
GRACE: Good attempt, Karahara. Just not good enough!
Rrgh, of course! It was Major Grace! That would explain how she was so strong in every way! Of course you were going to get torn apart like this!
In your cameras, you can see exactly how she's going to cut you apart in a moment, and you won't even have anything left to resist her with.
But you didn't want to go out like this!
You wait for her to commit to her stab, and once she does, you jump at her! You don't have hands, only thrusters, so you've got to let her stab you deeply in the core regions, away from your cockpit and reactor!
(set: $machineDamage to it + 1)
Your machine screams in pain. Everything on the main monitor starts blaring warnings about remaining integrity.
You don't care.
Right now, your ability to push machines well past their limit is going to come into play.
With her sword still stuck on you, you slam the nubs of your arms into her waist and haul her weight over your head. It's a perfect suplex, if only there was something to slam her against.
But without the surface in easy reach, you've forced her to have her back towards the asteroid - and with a loud cry, you slam your thrusters open as far as they can go.
Your machine is much lighter than it should be, with the loss of so much armor and parts - and if could easily move you around when you were twice the weight, it easily slams you and Major Grace into the asteroid.
You hear a satisfying //crumpling// noise under you, as you smash her machine's thrusters against the nearest asteroid.
When you boost off Major Grace's machine at full speed, you barely avoid her lethal damage - but since you took out most of her thrusters with that attack, she can't pursue.
And at this moment, Tsubasa's Phoenix Heart and Haneko's Kingfisher show up to assist.
GRACE: Congratulations. You win.
(if: $actualTime <= $targetTime)[[[Job well done]]]
(else:)[[[Missed the time, accomplished the mission]]](set: $actualTime to it + 1)
You follow along with Tsubasa, sticking in her shadow. While you see Haneko dodge a cloud of missiles, you and Tsubasa quickly snap your guns up to punish the last two machines for daring to look away from the two of you.
Tsubasa takes the arms off of her mark cleanly, while you messily rip and tear apart your own, avoiding the cockpit. With that, five of the six machines have been pacified, but...
[[Where is the last machine? |Haneko exposed]](set: $actualTime to it + 2)
None of you are picking up anything on passive radar. For a long moment, none of you find anything on any of the passive bands.
Tsubasa starts drifting back towards your group, lacking any better idea of where to go.
HANEKO: ...Switching to active band scan.
...!
KARAHARA: Behind you, Tsubasa!
There, in the shadow of her machine! The high performance machine!
Tsubasa spins around, sword in hand, but it's intercepted by one of the machine's swords. There's a sword in the machine's other hand, and it comes up to stab at one of the Phoenix Heart's weakpoints.
The tip of the blade draws mechanical blood.
Haneko immediately starts gaining elevation, looking for a good place to take a shot without Tsubasa in the way.
You'll need to move to.
[[Stick with Haneko]]
[[Join Tsubasa]](set: $actualTime to it + 1)
//Haneko wishes you were here for her...//
(set: $hanekoAffection to it - 1)
It happens in a flash. Several flashes, actually.
HANEKO: Engaged with hostile - !
Her cannon is disabled first, and although the arm-mounted cannon pieces put up a good fight taking her pound of flesh in return, the other machine is unerring in its aim and unceasing in its fire. Haneko swiftly finds her rangefinder, head, and arm disabled, before you and Tsubasa can even think about reaching Haneko.
Tsubasa might've been able to get there faster if it wasn't for you slowing her down, you think.
KARAHARA: Hey Tsubasa, let's...
[[Stay together]]
[[Split up]](set: $actualTime to it + 2)
Tsubasa and the last Tchempo machine exchange blows a dozen times. You and Haneko keep circling around, looking for your chance to interfere in a duel between greats.
You've got a sinking feeling about who's piloting the other machine, in fact. Only maybe five people could think about keeping up with Tsubasa in a close up duel, let alone start to slowly overpower her like you're seeing.
The other pilot suddenly breaks off with enormous speed, acceleration you didn't even think was possible.
GRACE: That's it, time's up. You failed to defeat Team Gold's time.
GRACE: You completed most of your major objectives, but unfortunately, this battle has now attracted too much attention and cannot be covered up. In the real world, this would cause an open diplomatic incident, one Iuryis is currently ill-equipped to deal with.
GRACE: Return to base.
[[MISSION FAILED]](set: $actualTime to it + 1)
Ah...screw it, if the situation needs you to be stupid, you'll happily be stupid!
Right now, this battle is a 1v1 with 2 people hanging on the sideline! With this charge, you'll turn into a two versus one, and by shaking up the battle you can turn it into a situation where Haneko can get her chance!
Tsubasa and her opponent trade blows brilliantly, one blade holding up against two as they circle each other. But if you lower your shoulder and raise your shield -!
KARAHARA: Penguin, coming through!
(set: $machineDamage to it + 1)
You don't even know when it happens, but suddenly you find your entire left arm taken off at the shoulder. The momentary split forced the enemy machine to back away, and the other pilot took that opportunity to rip your arm off.
You turn to face the enemy machine, just as you see it sharply jerk to the side as Haneko's piercing round rips the head clean off the machine's shoulders.
Tsubasa's sword carving through the arms just punctuates the point.
GRACE: Mission accomplished. Let's see how you did.
(if: $actualTime <= $targetTime)[[[Job well done]]]
(else:)[[[Missed the time, accomplished the mission]]]None of the Flamechasers can stand to look each other in the eye.
Tsubasa probably thinks it's her fault for choosing this team. Haneko probably thinks it's her fault for choosing to follow Major Grace, instead of Brigadier General Claude Jing.
You're frustrated that you let your team down.
If only, if only.
What did you do wrong?
GRACE: Next time, commit to doing what you do best.
[[Final Stats]]Target Time: $targetTime
Actual Time: $actualTime
Machine Damage: $machineDamage
Haneko Affection: $hanekoAffection
Tsubasa Affection: $tsubasaAffection
Grace Affection: $graceAffection
HOMEGRACE: Very well. A passable performance. I hope we've learned a lesson about setting high expectations for ourselves - whether that's imposed on ourselves or otherwise.
(if: $tsubasaAffection > $hanekoAffection)[You and Tsubasa share a quick fist bump.]
(if: $hanekoAffection > $tsubasaAffection)[You and Haneko share a quick side hug.]
TSUBASA: So you mean, we could have and should have done better?
GRACE: Exactly.
GRACE: Now let's review your performance.
[[Final Stats]]GRACE: Congratulations, everyone, on a job well done. I must say, my expectations were high, and you exceeded them.
(if: $targetTime is 4)[(set:$tsubasaAffection to $tsubasaAffection + 2)]
(if: $targetTime is 6)[(set:$hanekoAffection to $hanekoAffection + 2)]
(if: $tsubasaAffection > $hanekoAffection)[You and Tsubasa share a quick fist bump.]
(if: $hanekoAffection > $tsubasaAffection)[You and Haneko share a quick side hug.]
GRACE: Now, let's review your performance.
[[Final Stats]]
(set: $actualTime to it + 1)
The other machine doesn't even waste a moment. If you and the Phoenix Heart are sticking together, the other machine will simply charge the both of you simultaneously.
TSUBASA: Hah! Too hasty!
Her Phoenix Heart charges out in front to meet the other machine in a head on clash, but the other machine twirls out of immediate range. It's not enough to escape Tsubasa's Phoenix Heart, however, and with a massive light flare, the Phoenix Heart matches the other machine's dodge.
Just in this brief exchange, you can tell the two of them are in their own world when it comes to melee combat...and since you don't know of anyone else who can match or outclass both Haneko and Tsubasa in their specialty, it has to be Major Grace.
But even if Major Grace can outclass you in ranged and close combat, there's one way she definitely can't outclass you right now - in numbers!
You charge forward, right at their center mass, telegraphing your intentions to both Tsubasa and Major Grace.
Tsubasa's eyes widen, and then narrow.
With a brilliant flash of light, she forcibly wrenches Major Grace's machine into the path of your charge. Caught between a charging penguin and an inescapable trap, there's nothing her machine can do, until you smash into her back and crush half of her machine.
Backing away from the damage, Tsubasa surgically cuts off the arms and head of the machine to settle the battle.
(if: $actualTime <= $targetTime)[[[Job well done]]]
(else:)[[[Missed the time, accomplished the mission]]](set: $actualTime to it + 2)
TSUBASA: Are you sure?
KARAHARA: Yes, I'm sure. I'm only slowing you down.
TSUBASA: Okay, then.
Tsubasa's Phoenix Heart blasts off and leaves me in the dust. That's fine. I just need to take care of myself so that Tsubasa won't be held back by me. Ahead of us, after securing the ejection from Haneko, the other machine vanishes into the asteroid field.
TSUBASA: Pursuing now!
I had to stay behind her if at all possible, keep up with her speed -
???: You shouldn't have split up.
I'm attacked from behind. Suddenly, my thrust has dropped to nothing, precision fire tearing apart my main thrust unit. I can barely turn before the mystery machine is on me, taking off another arm with an upwards slash and crushing my Penguin's head against an asteroid with an errant stomp.
(set: $machineDamage to 5)
All I can do is wait impatiently for the mission to end.
[[MISSION FAILED]]