1

[So, yesterday's mission went comparatively well. As such, one might think that after holding off near-singlehandedly a mechanical Cthulhu the size of a building, Kagura might be celebrating. You'd think wrong.

If you want to find her to ask her something, you'll probably find her in a very out of the way office at Alhambra, with a cable connected from her form to a computer, filling out the paperwork and debriefings like a prim and proper officer should. Unity Group may be mostly comprised of lawless mavericks, but some people still hold to regulations. She's still pretty scratched from the mission, but she can get her repairs later. Nothing vital was hit, anyway. Also, if you are very observant, you might notice the names of some of the people in yesterday's mission in the scrolling forms.

If you want to bother her, though, this is probably the best time, insofar as there is any good time to bother the grumpy Major]

2

[A bit later, you might find her talking on the comm in an empty room. The other side of the comm can't be heard, but deducing the gist of the contents from Kagura's reactions from the moment you're in earshot is not really very hard]

WHAT.
[Pause as the other side talks]
WHY WOULD WE EVEN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
[Short pause]
YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS. OF COURSE THERE WERE GRAVEYARD EXECUTORS NEAR THE HACKED SUITS. I SENT THEM THERE TO HELP WITH THEIR DISABLING. HOW EXACTLY WOULD ARMED OPERATIVES HACK A HUNDRED POLICE SUITS.
[Very long pause, probably an explanation]
WONDERFUL. WELL NOT LIKE WE SHOULD CARE. JUST ANOTHER ANNOYANCE.
[Short pause]
I'LL KEEP IN TOUCH.

[And with that, she cuts the communication channel, before grumbling to herself]

I HATE MEDIA.
[Ryoma didn't bother to introduce himself for his first few days as a member of UG, because it wasn't like it was his idea to join these guys. Dr. Saotome had insisted on it, just as he insisted on Ryoma piloting Getter Robo in the first place. He was beginning to wonder why he let an old, out of shape guy half his height boss him around, but considering the Doc just lost a son, he'd decided not to get too argumentative about it.

At any rate, he's apparently willing to get chummy now. ...Sort of. He's walking around Sakihama Base, cheerfully(?) accosting everyone he bumps into.]


Hey, you! Looks like we're gonna be on the same side. I'm Ryoma! So now that we're buddies and stuff I need you to fill me in.

Who do you think are the strongest fighters in UG?

[Unless there are regular tournaments, after all, this sort of thing can be a matter of opinion. He doesn't mind compiling an oversized list. It'll just give him an excuse to narrow it down.]
[A young man in army fatigues comes on camera, staring into it with a stern expression]

SGT. Sousuke Sagara at your service.

I'm a member of Mithril who will be cooperating with UNITY for the time being. My orders are to specifically protect Kaname Chidori from any threats. However, I have been given orders to sortie in cooperation with Unity missions in order to facilitate good relations between our organizations.


My superiors recommended I finally introduce myself.


Any questions.

[From off camera a voice prods at the young soldier: "You're not going to pick up any chicks that way! What are your favorite songs! Hobby! Romance! Give them some of that"]

[Sousuke's eyes glance off camera.]

"I'm not sure why I would need to pick up baby chickens. The ration stock at the base is plentiful enough not to resort to such methods."
[Returning to the Star Rose after the battle at the Saotome Labs, Kei was even more quiet than usual.

A few hours later, she can be found occupying a kitchen in the UG base at the side, mixing something in a bowl, with a cutting board covered in chopped chocolate standing next to it. Despite the apparent domestic happiness of the scene, she has a largely blank expression on her face and her movements are unfocused as if her mind is clearly on something else.

Approach her?]
[1]

Those who stop by the Sakihama Base's main hanger bay may notice a new addition to the mecha menagerie, techs repairing minor damage to it's back and right arm.

You may recognize the mecha in question– from the news, by reputation, or from your model kits: the Kaiju-slaying Jaeger, Gispy Danger!

http://www.pacificrim-movie.net/media/Gipsy_Danger_Jaeger_Pacfic_Rim_Poster.jpg

At the base of the Mark III Jaeger, while welding sparks rain down over their heads, two brothers in matching bomber jackets clink their bottles of beer together.

Yancy Beckett looks up as you approach, and fishes out another bottle from the cooler. "Hey there! We were just celebrating our fifth battle; care to join us?"

[2]

Later on, you can see Yancy hanging out in one of the lounges, chewing on his lip as he works on a Rubix cube. Care to offer some advice?

[3]

Around the same time, you might run across Raleigh in the gym, sweat staining his tank-top as he runs through a set of staff forms, using martial arts techniques from all over the place. Surprise attack him?
It's a party! Cathy and Liz had their first real honest live-fire people-are-trying-to-kill-us-but-we're-alive deployment at Nora, and not only did they successfully not die, they even helped save the day! Setsuko likewise had her own professional debut in the field of not-dying during the hostage rescue! Good Idea Bear Cathy of course decided this calls for a night on the town. The Star Rose! Tourists, socialites, and Nora refugees looking to celebrate their own not-dying! Dinner! Drinks! Dancing! Young adults in high-risk professions bonding!

1. [semi-locked to invitees]
Setsuko seems the skittish sort, so Cathy's easing in to this with a simple meal in a nice restaurant - there are plenty of those in a location like the Star Rose! She's found a moderately classy Indonesian place, but not so classy as to throw off the mood for the rest of the evening she has planned. Of course, the more's the merrier, so she's sounded out a few other of the soldier types of drinking age in the Unity Group to come along!

[Please ping me if you want to be one of the people invited! Of course, you might still run in to the group regardless, here or in the second prompt.]

2. [free for all]
Food's good and all, but its real function is to give soakage for drinks and energy for dancing! Do you stick with the group as they hit the bars and clubs, or run in to them there?

3. [point and laugh]
The morning after the night before! Well, morning by the clock, anyway, even if they kind of blended together. Whoever've lasted through the night are making their way home, some with some practice, others stumblingly. Are you among them, or up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to mock their debauchery?

[Let's say this takes place after the Symphormers mission but before Macross. Continuity is flexible, so you can still be hungover for the latter, or not.]
[1] [Video] [Speak to Optimus here.]

[Well everyone, after that interesting little event at the power plant, there are now three transforming alien robots at Sakihama base. The leader of them now making an announcement.]

Members of the Unity Group. It is a pleasure to meet all of you, though admittedly I wish that your first encounter with my species could have been under better circumstances. My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. I had mentioned before during the battle that there was a war involved between the Decepticons and ourselves. What I had not mentioned was the scale of it...

[Prime sounded more than a little severe.]

This conflict consumed our entire planet and divided our species in two and had spanned across millennia. A conflict that has spread here when I led a failed attempt to find others willing to assist the Autobots as our numbers... and the energy available across our planet dwindled. It is because of this mistake that I swear that my troops and I will do whatever we can to assist mankind and all its allies in defending itself - not just from the Decepticons, but from all those who seek to cause you harm.

As such, all Autobots present on Earth will make themselves known to ESUN officials and provide assistance whenever possible. A small contingent of which will be arriving to support the Unity Group directly.

I hope that our people can continue to work together. Even after our battles are over.

[2] [New Arrivals] [Speak to the other Autobots here]
Cut for massive size )

1. [Meet Zwei Wing]

[Shortly after the mission, the idol duo Zwei Wing can be found wandering around the various UG bases. They're checking out everything and it's pretty easy to tell that the younger blue-haired girl was a bit uncomfortable being led around like this. Her much larger partner on the other hand seems to be enjoying herself. A lot.]



2. [Meet Kanade]

[Later on Kanade is forced asked to intro herself properly.]

Right, so the Boss Man said I should probably introduce myself properly so here goes. Yo, nice to meet everyone. I'm Kanade Amou of Zwei Wing and the 2nd Division Mobile Disaster Response Corps. Despite the long name there my job is actually pretty simple. I'm just the user of a weapon that can make Noise destroyable.

We're apparently going to be working with all of you so I hope we'll be able to get along.



3. [Meet Tsubasa]

[Unlike her partner, Tsubasa isn't the type to make introduction videos. She's much too shy for that. Instead, she can be found on the Star Rose, looking out into space curiously, or outdoors at Alhambra, where she's simply enjoying the view. In either case, she's humming a tune, which just happens to be the same song those in the mission have heard.]
1.

[Another video intro is coming in. It shows a teenage girl trying to seem cool and professional, with trying being the operating phrase, giving the impression of someone neither used to, nor comfortable with cameras.]

Hi. I'm Kei Kugimiya, a student of the MJP project and member of Team Rabbits. I've been assigned to support the Unity Group and has been assigned to the Star Rose.

[There is a pause as she apparently runs out of things to say, but clearly realizes that she was too brief, creating a rather awkward silence.]

Our team has already taken action in support of the group, during the recent battle of the Nora colony and I hope future operations will be as successful...I'm the pilot of the purple ASHMB and will serve as local mission control in future operations as well. I look forward to working together with you all.

[The camera holds for a bit as she gives a slightly weak smile, before turning it off.]

2.


[Shortly after introductions, Kei can be found moving the shopping areas on the Star Rose and near Sakihama. While her expression is a bit hard to read, it appears that she's looking over the shops for something specific that she hasn't found yet. She already carries a number of shopping bags.]

[1] [It's a video transmission! Which shows a teenage boy, trying not to be tense and awkward and failing miserably. Also it's very obvious he's reading from offscreen.]

Is this on...? Unity Group, I should introduce myself. My name is Toshikazu Asagi. I am a member of Team Rabbits, and the pilot of the experimental AHSMB Blue One. My team was assigned to work with you after the recent operation, and... I hope we'll be able to repel aliens and other enemies as well as we did this day. We saved lots of people together.

...I'm not the team leader, but if you hae questions for any member of the team, you can find us all around easily enough. Let's work well together.

[He sighs in relief. That went better than expected, despite his stage fright! Suddenly Asagi realizes the camera is still going on and grabs the screen, cutting the signal. The transmission is over but he can still be easily reached, either via the comms or in person.]

[2] [Asagi inspects his accomodations at Star Rose. The room is comfortable enough, much more spacious than what he was used to at the academy.]

This looks very good. I think I can get used to living like this! Just...

What are you doing in my room?

[Not restricted to just people he knows. Groups welcome too.]
[In the wake of the defense and successful retreat at Nora, there's a new mobile suit and ship making their residence at the Star Rose.  And also a new pilot for that mobile suit too, who's admittedly a little, well...]

[Video]

I don't think in all the craziness there was a proper introduction.  And now that it's over, well...

I'm Flit Asuno.  I was the one who designed and oversaw the development of the Gundam AGE-1, and even though I didn't intend on piloting it, that's changed.  Everyone who was out there, thank you for helping save the people of Nora.  I'm not sure where they're going to go now, but I know I'm going to stay here.  Stay with the Unity Group.

Commander Bruzar was right when he said I needed to concern myself with saving many lives.  That's what the Gundam's built for too... and it lived up to that goal!  The UE, the Vagans... anyone else... humanity won't lose to them!

[For those of you making the trip to Nora to help with its defense, you'll be met with a whole lot of activity almost immediately.   Between the colonial defense teams preparing their machines, various outside forces also arriving, and new hardware being delivered the place is a bustling little burb, one trying to be ready for the nasty fight that'll soon be on its hands.  One might see base commander Hendrick Bruzar or his right-hand man Grodek Ainoa off in the distance, discussing things over with other important people on the scene.

[But also...]

Careful, careful!

[There's a particular machine that has an entire engineering team dedicated to it, currently working to re-attach an arm.  For those of you familiar with your mobile suits, it's plain to tell by the thing's design: it's a Gundam.  *Explodes*.  But even more peculiar is that the person calling the shots here isn't any of the adults, but rather a kid who's one of the youngest if not the youngest person there.]



I just knew this would happen... why'd he have to run those extra tests on the Gundam's arm?

[video]

[It's time for someone else to make a formal introduction.  Or rather, two special someones!]

Couldn't keep putting this off now could we?  At any rate, it's been nice to meet all of you so far.  My friend here is Sara Harper, director of the Solaris orgnization-

And my friend here is none other than Mizuki Onodera, the Abyss Empress herself!  Sworn enemy of all beings who live on this-




S-SARA!

[We apologize for the technical difficulties that ensue, but when the video comes back, Sara's off in the corner laughing uncontrollably while Mizuki does her best to do damage control.]



Sorry about that.  Sara and I go way back, and you know how things get with longtime friends.  But as I was going to say, if you're not familiar with Solaris, that's just because the organization hasn't been very relevant for the past ten years or so.  We came here to help Solaris get back on its feet again, even if its glory days are long past and it'll just be supporting the Unity Group.  So long as people'll be able to afford college tuition for their kids and have pensions come retirement we'll be happy.

As for me personally?  Well I'm "The Abyss Empress".  An empress without an empire.  A potential enemy-turned-ward for Solaris who's all grown up now and just wants to do what she can to repay the people who decided to take her in rather than kill her when they had the chance.  Anyone wanting the full story's welcome to it if they ask.
1

[A new day in Alhambra base, early in the morning! The peace, however, is disturbed when a cargo helicopter bearing the Graveyard insignia lands in the nearby pads.
Kagura comes out to receive them, standing in the open as a young man in black and purple uniform comes out and salutes smartly.

We brought the parts requested, ma'am.
DID ANYONE COMPLAIN?
Not at all, ma'am.
REALLY?
...well, nothing worrying, Major. Just a bit of grumbling by the guys at lab for the Xanthezes.
GOOD. THE HANGAR IS THAT WAY. HELP THE TECHNICIANS GET EVERYTHING SET UP.
Yes ma'am.

[The man in the dark jacket salutes smartly and heads back into the chopper to get everyone ready. Soon, there is a lot of bustle nearby, as a group of technicians, helped by a small handful of people in distinctive black and purple clothes, start unloading some odd-looking boxes. What might catch the attention of onlookers, though, is the fact that several of this personnel in the dark jackets moving boxes are doing so by flying around as easily as they walk. Or, looking more closely, the fact that all of said people are accompanied by what can only be described as tiny little fairy-ish humanoids, not much more than 20cm tall, whose legs end in a sort of twinkling crystal hemisphere, gabbing happily as they work.

Those who are really well informed probably recognize these as Executor operatives and the adorable little humanoids as the prized unique weapon of Graveyard, Mistletoes (everyone else, on the other hand, is probably going to feel pretty confused :P).

But then, Kagura is right there in the open, supervising everything as the technicians begin building a sort of structure in Kagura's assigned place in the hangar. If you want to ask questions, or simply talk with the artificial Major, now's probably the best time.]

2

[Some time later, a communication open to everyone pops up. A synthesized voice that sounds like a text-to-speech program comes out - Kagura's]

IS THIS WORKING. GOOD.

MY NAME IS KAGURA. MANY OF YOU OF YOU ALREADY MET ME YESTERDAY. AND SINCE EVERY TIME I WAS ASKED THE EXACT SAME FUCKING QUESTION I FIGURED I WOULD LEAVE IT ON PUBLIC RECORD AND SAVE US ALL SOME TIME.

NO, THIS IS NOT A POWER ARMOR. NO, I AM NOT HUMAN. NO, I DO NOT HAVE HUMAN PARTS NOR AM I BASED IN ANY WAY ON A HUMAN. YES, THIS IS VERY SPECIAL AND ALL THAT ROT. NOW CAN WE PLEASE MOVE ON ALREADY.

THANK YOU.


[Well, someone woke up from sleep mode cranky today. Still, the communication is open, so it can be replied to, if you're willing to risk being grumped at.]
1. [video]
[After the formal announcement, a broadcast goes around the Unity Group's networks, flagged as to-whom-it-may-concern. The video's of a young woman, auburn-haired and early twenties, wearing a uniform which those versed in Spacenoid politics may recognize as belonging to the militia of Erewhon, a neutral scientific colony.]

Now that we're officially a team, I should say hello. Lieutenant Catherine Butler, with the Erewhon Colonial Defense Forces. My sister and I will be operating out of the Star Rose for the time being, at least until it's time for ground trials. It's our hope that the Rose, the mobile suit we're testing here, will be an able to support to you all.

I look forward to working with you, and I expect we'll see you around.

[Short and to the point - though if you want more detail, Cathy's online for responses.]


2. [video]
[Just after that first broadcast comes another, marked as related. The person in this video is a slightly younger-looking woman with long black hair, wearing civilian clothes and a less formal expression.]

Hello! I'm the sister Cathy mentioned. Elizabeth Butler, but you can call me Liz. I'm really looking forward to meeting and working with everyone!

I'm online a lot, so don't hesitate to get in touch. You might see some of my drones around, too, so wave if you do! I'm just a warrant officer, so there's no need to stand on ceremony, don't worry. And if you want to know more about the Rose, I'm always happy to show off!

[As with her sister's broadcast, Liz shows up as ready to respond.]

3. Star Rose hangar
If you find yourself physically visiting the Star Rose, you may see the pair working on their machine in the hangar! Or - well, no, you see Cathy, apparently alone, working on and around a bold red mobile suit. Technical types will note it's an unusual design, with many non-standard features of interest. Cathy's directing a team of technicians setting up the surrounding gear and maintenance infrastructure, and putting the MS through its paces in launch exercises.

4.
And over the next few days, Cathy can be seen around and about not just the Star Rose but Sakihama and Alhambra too, clearly exploring. Checking out the hangars and machines, curiously investigating the living spaces and surroundings, and tucking in to whatever the staff recommend as the most distinctive local specialties in the mess halls.
[1] [Suddenly, a transmission to all Unity Group bases! The person talking is... definitely not human. She's some kind of weird alien insect cyborg.]

Citizens of Earth, members of organization known as Unity Group. I come to you with a warning.

I am Hetepheres, a general of the Gebian army. Thousands of years ago, my people came to your planet, but they kept their presence a secret. Today, we return, but we are not united in our goals. The Anti-Earthling Party believes that we should conquer your planet, and enslave its populace. They will start their invasion soon.

I am a representative of the Pro-Earthling Party. We believe in mutual cooperation and understanding between our two races. I was sent here as an ambassador, and consultant, and defender; together, we shall push back the AEP, and perhaps teach them of the mistakes of their way. If they don't want to learn, they shall taste steel.

Your leaders already know about this and have prepared a place for me to establish an embassy. If you need anything, you can find me there.

[2] [Soon, stuff is going on in the hangar at Fort Alhambra. A strange vessel has arrived, resembling a combination of a normal spaceship and an ancient Egyptian river boat. It's not big, enough to transport maybe several mecha at most. A group of creatures that look suspiciously similar to 1-meter long beetles is moving to and fro, unpacking various objects from the ship and disappearing with them inside the base. The whole operation is overseen by Hetepheres, who turns out to be no less alien in real life than on a screen, and pretty giant to boot - roughly 2 meters tall! Also, right next to the ship a mech is standing, which looks very much like her, only 10 times taller.]

Watch out with those instruments, they are very fragile. Yes, bring that to my private quarters, if you please. That console can stay on the ship for the time being.

[One of the beetles raises a hand (they don't really have hands, but details) questioningly.]

Skrrryt?


No, I don't know where the kitchen is. One of the locals will have to answer this question.
.

Tags