Test for guess where

[3xmadder]

1

Okay okay!

[A new arrival at some Unity Group base or other is taking charge of the hangar as soon as she pops the hatch on her tricked-out Gespenst. Yes, someone tricked out a mass-produced Gespenst, in addition to painting it red. It's a whole special project thing.]

Who's in charge of the hangar here? I need maintenance and a fresh coat of paint before someone gets hurt! There's a world of pain waiting if I have to deploy before someone cleans the dust out of this guy's joints!

2

[It's a mecha battle! Your character was engaged with some winged mook of a bad guy before a red blur came out of nowhere and just started punching the crap out of it with Plasma Stake-enhanced punches and a noisy battlecry coming in over the comms.]

Taaaake THAT!

[One final uppercut smashes the enemy to pieces in a frankly completely overkill manner. Where did this lady even come from?]

Ha...ha...heh, sorry, did I steal a kill there?

3

[It's been a slow week so far, but that doesn't mean people aren't on standby. That's why Katina is in the pilots' break room chugging an energy drink and considering a trip to the gym instead of something similar with a beer and a bar when someone else enters.]

Heads up!

[She tosses them a can. She's being considerate, right? As long as they have good reflexes, anyway.]

4

[Someone just destroyed a Kaiju! A lone Gespenst stands on a carrier nearby and seems to consider the spreading patch of fluorescent blue blood from the corpse.]

You know, if people are going to say I do this anyway, maybe I should...there's enough here...

Comments

2

[knightmare_princess]

You foolish...

[ She's an ally not an enemy do not impale do not shoot do not hold being the princess of the most important Empire in the modern world (at least) over her head. ]

A less skilled soldier might have accidentally skewered you getting in the way like that!

[3xmadder]

Well, that's why I came over here, Princess. Here's to your skills.

[She is at least smart enough to Tesla Drive up and out of Cornelia's "accident" range as she says that.]

[knightmare_princess]

Perhaps you could at least attempt to actually cooperate, as opposed to rushing about like a mindless beast!

[ You get back down here god dammit she doesn't want a friendly fire incident but she has grappling thingies. ]

4

[modern_ancient]

Do what, paint yourself in the blood of your enemies?

[3xmadder]

...you got that right off, huh?

[modern_ancient]

It took me a minute, actually.

I wouldn't recommend it, personally. It looks good at first, but then it starts to dry out and you'll be cleaning out flecks of dried blood for months.

1

[prismphantom]

[Ask and you shall receive! Well, sorta.]

A new Gespens-

Wait. I'm sorry, I was mistaken. I'll be sure to repair this as soon as possible, though I didn't know Lieutenant Bailaran lent it out to you.

[Oh boy. And as Elma's looking at the machine, and then back to Katina herself...]

Does he know about the new paintjob?

3

[getter_guts]

[Ryoma's reflexes are basically superhuman. His attention span, on the other hand...

On the bright side his head is a lot harder than an aluminum can containing a carbonated beverage, and he mostly seems to notice because of the THUNK noise.]

Seriously? This stuff's all sugar and caffeine. You might as well work out after a milkshake.

1

[actuallyselfish]

"Welcome to U.G. Base #1. You'll have to sign up on the maintenance list." A bored technician says, handing a clipboard to you.

"We've got a huge backlog at the moment, but we should be able to get to your unit in 4 days or so?"

[3xmadder]

Some of us need a few more calories than others, I guess. Besides, the caffeine's good for focus in combat.

Nice job taking the hit, though.

[3xmadder]

Excuse me? Who the hell is Lieutenant Bailaran and why would you think this was his?

[Katina, for her part, isn't used to seeing small robots in charge of maintenance, but she's rolled with weirder things.]

[3xmadder]

[Instead of taking the clipboard, Katina just returns a narrow-eyed glare.]

Four days?

[And then immediately goes Full Metal Jacket.]

FOUR DAYS?! WHAT KIND OF SLACKER MECHANIC LETS A FOUR-DAY BACKLOG HAPPEN? I'VE MET HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS WITH A BETTER TRACK RECORD! HELL, I'VE COMMANDED THEM! GET OUT THERE AND START ON WHOEVER'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST AND STOP GOOFING OFF WITH YOUR CLIPBOARD OR I WILL HAVE YOU ASSIGNED TO A SPACE STATION AND THEN HAVE YOU THROWN OUT THE AIRLOCK, YOU HEAR ME?!

[prismphantom]

O-oh, this one isn't his then-

[Fortunately you won't have to just deal with the subot though, since his handler also makes herself known, knocking on his head once.]

Judging by the sounds of it, it's just they both got in on the Halloween Plan. Chop chop, Elma, you're familiar with the model's maintenance and our new friend'll just get madder the longer you wait.

[3xmadder]

Huh, I thought I knew all the Halloween Plan test pilots. I guess they never tell me everything, though.

[She extends a hand to the lady who seems to know what she's doing. Saluting is for people wearing an actual uniform.]

Katina Tarask. Lieutenant.

[3xmadder]

[Five years ago, Katina would have laughed that off. Then she wound up in the Steel Dragons.]

Have...you actually tried it before?

[prismphantom]

Well I wouldn't call Albhard -that is, Lieutenant Bailaran- one of the test pilots. More he just got early access to another model. His is still the usual boring gray.

Selena Recital. Lieutenant as well. Albhard's one of my superiors.

[3xmadder]

I sort of just talked my way into the position myself.

[Well, threatening and calling in favors both involve talking.]

The official test pilot for these things is still with the Steel Dragons as far as I know.

I'm guessing you're from another ESUN group too, if your boss uses a Gespenst.

[3xmadder]

Alright, alright, you're the royal general lady, and I just boss around a couple of slackers. Point me at what needs punching.

[prismphantom]

Spot on. It's a group more on the intelligence side of things, not necessarily out in the limelight and getting their names in the paper like the Steel Dragons but then again you were the ones to take down Professor Zoldark.

The name's not as fancy as the "Steel Dragons" either though... just "Team Jelba".

[3xmadder]

Hey, the name just came from the battleships. Everything else was just being in the right place at the right time. Probably.

[prismphantom]

Maybe, maybe not. There's only so much you can chalk up to sheer chance. "A chance occurence is divine ordinance"... that's how the Captain puts things like that.

Considering just how much you've accomplished, it really does make you wonder if there's not something greater at work.

[actuallyselfish]

The slacker mechanic jumps back eyes widening.

"...Yeah! Yeah, I hear you, Ma'am! No need for airlocks, I'll get working on it right away!"

She turns to run off and get to work...

[actuallyselfish]

...Then stops and turns around, eyes narrowing.

"Wait a sec. Are you actually in my chain of command?"

[3xmadder]

[Katina follows - stalks, even - after the mechanic, mismatched eyes not leaving direct contact with hers.]

Do you really think I can't arrange something?

[3xmadder]

Oh good, you got one of the poetic officers.

[Katina shrugs.]

Personally, I don't care about divine ordinance or whatever. I just go where there's bad guys that need punching, then do my job.