The Adjudicator

[srwu_npc3]

[1 - combat log, taking place during the mission]
It's a joint Unity Group-SSR operation to take back Aidoneous Island from crystalline Chimaera that took it over. The attack force is split into several teams to make sure the strike is swift and enemy is dealt with swiftly. However there are difficulties... as soon as you reach the island, it turns out its defense systems are still active - and they treat you as hostiles!

And that's just the start of it. In the middle of a fight, Meteor-3 - the artifact meteor still floating above Aidoneous Island, cracks open, revealing its new crystalline form - the Balmarian space probe Septuagint. You can't reach it though, you have your own problems...

As Septuagint releases a group of Vayyikras that attack everything on the island! Fight for your lives - and fortunately, you are not alone!


"You may be strong, but I'm more handsome! Boost Knuckle!"
Irm's Grungust knocks one of the birdlike enemies back, with a group of Adeles moving in to provide support fire.


"Not exactly the foe I expected to fight today..."

The SSR are here, and they're on your side. Adeles (one of them pilotted by the guy above), FDX Team and their Gesterbens, even a few white Gespenst TTs. Today, and hopefully not only today, you fight together - as allies.

"Argh! You assholes are pissing me off! You want to die so badly? Come! I'll send you straight to hell! What the hell was that? Do you even know what a real attack looks like?!"

Oh yeah, and one of your allies is filling up the shared comm frequency with loud cursing and screaming while dodging enemy attacks frantically - and fighting back with a truly ridiculous amount of gunfire. That unit design... isn't that an AHSMB?

(Enemies:
Ghosts and non-descript unmanned autogun turrets, quickly replaced by...
Vayyikra Bens - large but surprisingly fast yet durable miniboss-level enemies. They are armed with optical beam cannons, melee slashers, and gun slaves (bits). Lots and lots of gun slaves.)

[2]
The fight is finally over. Septuagint turned into its humanoid form - Zehirut, but it too was destroyed after a fierce battle. SSR members - including Viletta Vadim, Woolf Enneacle, Rand Travis and Amara Barton, were genuinely grateful and happy that they could work at your side, not against it. SSR's Lee Linjun also has words of encouragement to everyone.


"I just received congratulations from a few of our sponsors. The president of Russia, the Prime Minister of Argentina... all of them extend their thanks towards SSR."

"As well as a few representatives of the ESUN membership countries. It looks like they were torn on whether support Unity Group or SSR, and this operation finally shifted the scales. We may expect more funding from now on."

"And it looks like more are to follow, considering our track record."

The track record in question is easy to discover with only a little bit of research. It looks like recently, SSR was on a roll. Not just responding to threats as they appear, but doing their own operations to push various threats back. Balmarians, Zentradi, peacekeeping operations all around the non-ESUN locations of the globe...


"That Linjun guy wasn't lying. Looks like a few countries withdrew their sponsorship very recently."

Is this a sign of things to come?

Comments

2

[empress_without_a_throne]

One joint operation where SSR gets the lion's share of the credit and we're being hung out to dry?

2

[keep_your_dignity]

I'M NOT SURE THOSE GUYS ARE GOING TO LIKE WHAT THEY FIND. NO ORGANIZATION WHERE THE CURRENT RUSSIAN LEADERSHIP HAS A FOUNDING ROLE IS GOING TO BE BIG ON GIVING NEW MEMBERS A FAIR SHAKE.

WORKS FOR ME, THOUGH. MORE COUNTRIES IN THERE MEANS MORE CHANCES FOR SOMEONE TO BLOW THE WHISTLE WHEN SHIT INEVITABLY GOES FUBAR.

[Kagura seems entirely nonplussed by the whole ESUN countries leaving and the SSR swaggering, her only response an offhand comment as she continues her work]

1

[star_of_sad]

Here they come...

Watch out - now!

[Setsuko hides behind a building. As a Vayyikra passes overhead, suddenly the Virgola lunges up, slashing with a beam blade from the Nautilus Carver, hitting a blind point!

Now, if she could do anything about those gun slaves...]

[a_linear_mind]

And he's rubbing it in...

[empress_without_a_throne]

[She gives a weary sort of sigh and snort.]

I just hope things don't go full circle again for Solaris and then we bring the rest of the Unity Group along as well.

[And considering how Willis was in his own post...]



So how are you holding up?

[a_linear_mind]

You know me, I'll manage. At least physically, I had a bit of mental shock thrown at me a few times during all of that.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I think everyone out there probably had some shocks. Though considering how you were the last time you had some...

[She just gives him a smile.]

[a_linear_mind]

I never did apologize for that did I...

[empress_without_a_throne]

You didn't, but I never took you out to dinner after you returned from La Gias. I'll say that's a fair trade if you will.

[a_linear_mind]

You didn't really have a chance to, I on the other hand had plenty of chances to say sorry that I didn't take.

So...sorry for...that.

[lostamigo]

[As a Vayyikra passes overhead, Daniel aims his revolver and shoots at it repeatedly. Well, to be precise, he shoots twice; the following bullets are aimed at the bits coming in his direction.]

I'm not paid enough for this.

[a_monetized_mind]

You're not paid enough?! Nobody is paid enough!

[Enter Jen, pursued by bits.]

[lostamigo]

I don't know. Three times more and I'd be happy with that.

[Daniel spins the chamber and fires a single Genevieve shot, that splits into a dozen bullets mid-flight. That destroys a few bits, and scatters several more.]

Watch out. There's more.

[sixteenthgun]

Targets locked... firing.

[A small cluster of photon rifle shots fly out strike a few of the Gun Slaves. Not all of them are down, but at least two explode into flames.]

Leave the remote weapons to me.

[The Wildschwein approaches from a distance, gliding just over the water's surface before taking cover. It fires a few more times before that, just in case!]

[empress_without_a_throne]

It's alright. My biggest problem with that wasn't what you had done or refused to say, just that you were giving up on yourself. And I'm grateful you didn't follow through on that.

[a_linear_mind]

Should you really be grateful that some idiot decided to stay around.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Yes. Yes I should.

[a_monetized_mind]

What is even happening!!

[Jen's own pistol fire back at the bits is unsteady, with most of her shots missing.]

Where's my dinosaur!? I like the dinosaur!

[star_of_sad]

Yes! Thank you, I won't waste this chance.

[And since the large Balmarian machine passed overhead, that means Setsuko is behind it. So...]

An opening! Fire!

[She fires straight turret rounds into Vayyikra's backside, one after another.]

[herodrawing]

Don't worry guys, I'll save you!

[Red Five rushes in - but before Izuru can do anything, enemy slaves are shot down by a storm of bullets and curse words.]

Wait, that unit just now?!

[sixteenthgun]

[The Wildschwein's targeting systems are still focused on the Gun Slaves, especially while some try to break off to attack Setsuko. As he moves to avoid attacks, Cobray can't help but think...]

They're almost like the Werkbau's...

[But he shakes his head and regains focus. Drawing and raising a larger rifle with both hands, he quickly aims.]

Course adjusted...


Graviton Rifle - Dead End Shoot!

[The dark violet beam lances out, cutting across the path of a few more Gun Slaves. It wasn't a direct hit, but just the beam grazing them is enough to cause crippling damage.]

[star_of_sad]

Virgola... please lend me your power...

[And on Setsuko's side - her Carver starts charging power. Its fins deploy, the shark-like maw starts to glow...]

The Glory Star! Full burst!

[The Vayyikra does not even have bits for defense. Temporarily defenseless, it can only try to dodge the discharged beam of devastating energy.

But it doesn't. For once, size worked to its disadvantage.]

It's over.

[For this one, at least. But there are so many more...]

[lostamigo]

A friend of yours?

[Daniel shoots his gun dry and stops by to reload quickly.]

...What's that about a dinosaur?

[a_linear_mind]

You have some strange priorities Mizuki.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Well what do you expect? I'm only eleven.

[a_monetized_mind]

[Deep breaths, Jen. Deep breaths.]

His name is Grimlock, and he works for Optimus...He can turn into a fire-breathing dinosaur...

[Focusing on Grimlock is a little bit calming; Jen's own reload goes by smoothly and cleanly. The next few shots from Jen are much more accurate.]

...He let me ride him once, and he has the soul of a poet.

[herodrawing]

Mr Grimlock is cool! He's a robot dino... ah, not the time for that!

[Izuru deploys the beam launcher and fires several short, concentrated bursts.]

Ah, the other unit? That's... an AHSMB? Isn't it?