GBG Session 20: Just Rewards

<Darkling> "Pilot's, were feeding a visual of the Jotun through to you right now as we prepare to launch you." A screen pops up as Lit explains this showing the Jotun as it approaches the base in a leisurely looking stroll.
<Darkling> It's tall, it's head barely more than a small lump on top of it's torso, no neck at all. In fact there are no eyes or any sort of features on it. It blends into the snow, it's hide a snow white hue.
<Darkling> "It's still a fair distance from the base, we're not sure why it's taking it's time. Launching you now."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Daughter of Suttung, come to avenge your father?" Wilhelm muses from the plug of Null Drei.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja smiles at the sight of the Jotun. It's not exactly forced, but certainly a deliberate choice on her part, and doesn't seem particularly psychotic. "It's kind of cute." She mutters more to herself than anyone else.
<Rasia> Camouflage. Rasia adjusts her weight, the flood of biometric data beaming to NERV indicating a slight increase in heart rate and perspiration. Normal.
<Darkling> A moment later you're pushed into your seats as your Aesir are rushed to the surface.
<Darkling> Then, you're on the surface, a wing of VTOLs flying overhead on way to the Jotun. "Do what you do best pilots."
<Rasia> Unit 01 falls forward with metallic groans, its forelimbs slamming into the snow thunderously. It visibly slumps and strains under the massive, if semi-sleek armor, tail stuck out rigid to help balance her. The right arm mounts a ball of pain.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Null Drei lifts off the ground, feet dangling as it hovers with arms folded.
<Darkling> The Jotun doesn't pause far off in the distance. It continues forward, confident.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Null Vier looks a tad less energetic than usual. It's picked up some new features, too, the most noteworthy being a nice and most definitely not shiny shoulder mounted gun.
<Darkling> The Jotun stops, its long slender arms coming together in front of it's torso, energy already starting to crackle.
<Darkling> A bright, rippling beam of energy whips past the Aesir, slamming into the dome behind them.
<Rasia> Ducking past the beam, Rasia charges ahead fearlessly, moving on three limbs like a primate. Kicking up sand and tearing huge pocks in the soil, Unit 01 brings its massive fist around, smashing into the Jotun's AT field with a crackle. Its double-thick muzzle does little to stop the throaty, rumbling threat the Aesir makes.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Null Vier charges along right behind 01, plowing through the snow with much more caution than Rasia. "Wilhelm, Rasia... this one seems oddly frail. I don't trust that." Lahja says to the others, sounding a little edgy.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Null Drei unfolds its three fields, spreading them thin. After a few moments to organize the information flooding his senses Null Drei starts forward as fast as it can, arms back slightly.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Take time aiming your shots, Lahja. This thing has the speed to parry them. Strong as well, unnaturally so for a Jotun."
<Darkling> One thin long arm lifts up, an ice-like structure forming around it like a serrated lance end, and it thrusts down into Ein's leg.
<Rasia> Rasia's biometrics take a spike, her leg lightning up as the flesh tears and sprays blood, the Jotun's lance having pierced even the massive shell. Unit 01 drops to the ground, the snow already painted a frozen red.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Swatting away bullets? Lahja looks more than a little offended by that. Regardless Null Vier charges into neutralization range and beyond, its field colliding with the Jotun's, and then it takes aim with its new weapon.
<Rasia> The spear manages to pierce the large shell, but pulls up only tangles of metal. Unfortunately the armor's integrity is reduced all the same.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Null Drei finally settles down into the snow, taking on a familiar stance in preparation to fire off its heavier AT powers.
<Darkling> Seemingly ignoring the incoming attackers the Jotun's neck appears to open, a red shiny core revealed inside momentarily as a wrenching sound bursts out of it, emitting in a wave around the Jotun and slamming into Ein before returning to normal.
<Rasia> Armor rattles and joints pop, but Ein comes out mostly unscathed. Unfortunately, the assault stunned the warrior, and its fist swings wide.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Pay attention to me, Gunnlod!" Lahja says as Null Vier's shoulder weapon unloads on the Jotun, sending off a shotgun-like blast of glowing projectiles right at the Jotun's face. Then she giggles at the sight.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Null Drei lifts a hand, focusing blue hexagons in an outstretched palm before firing them at the Jotun, a white-hot blast of screaming AT Field.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Almost immediately after the shot his synch ratio plummets.
<Darkling> Gunlodd takes the blow to the chest, it's frame turning momentarily towards Drei.
<Darkling> It's arm forms again into it's icy hand spear and slams down by Ein, missing and leaving a gaping hole in the ground.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja glares daggers at the Jotun's chest, firing off a shot at the white giant. It's a hasty one, prompting a few choice words from her even though it connects.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> As Wil's synch ratio rockets back up, Null Drei fires off another blast of AT Field/
<Darkling> Despite the blast from Drei, Gunnlod lands a solid blow, wearing down Ein's protective armor and shell even more as it attacks with a single mindedness.
<Rasia> Unit 01 snatches Gunnlod's arm in one hand, twisting and jerking until the monster dares stumble. Bringing its spiked fist around with a titanic blow, searing AT energies and raw power shred open flesh, splattering Ein's armor in Jotunblut. Hurling the arm away, it slams Gunnlod with another blow, before landing back on all fours.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> After watching that last attack Lahja looks positively rabid, screaming in the cockpit as Null Vier fires in an utterly reckless and almost berserk manner. "You worthless pinheaded Jotun! You're supposed to help me develop empathy! Do you think you can do that before you die?"
<Rasia> Rasia looks at her co-pilot feeds for a moment, electrogalvanic response spiking.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Null Drei's eyes flash, beams of energy shotting out and magnified by a warped AT Field, striking the Jotun!
<Rasia> Now that there's some momentum going, Rasia pounds at the Jotun's legs, rather than expose Ein's belly.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "If I make myself feel sorry for you that's empathy, right? And if I shoot you and put an end to you that's a decent thing to do, right? No more misery, right?" Lahja says it with only a small edge to her voice as Null Vier takes careful aim, showering the Jotun's head with glowy projectiles of doom.
<Darkling> Gunnlod takes a step back as it's small head is peppered with Lahja's rounds. It staggers a moment, seeming to want to continue, even taking a single step towards Ein again before it detonates, consuming itself and Ein in the explosion.
<Rasia> Ein shudders, and falls over onto its belly, seemingly out of exhaustion rather than damage.
<Darkling> "Good work pilots. Time to come home."
<Darkling> Some VTOLS are flying overhead to survey the damage of the fight.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Sir." Lahja salutes, her voice flat and mildly frustrated. She looks to the prone Ein, trying to build up some feeling of sympathy, but only mildly succeeds in doing so. Seems she's feeling marginally more sympathetic toward the Jotun.
<Darkling> -------------------
<Darkling> Back in the cages Lit and the Vice-Comm are waiting for you to exit your Aesir.
<Rasia> It takes Rasia an extra ten minutes, thanks to that D-Type, but sooner or later she's down by Lit and the VC, her visor popped off to see and breathe.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm waits quietly, hands clasped behind his back.
<Darkling> Maybe without thinking, Lit's picking Raz up in a happy embrace. "You did good girl."
<Rasia> Rasia's cheeks color, not that anyone can see it, but she returns the hug.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja salutes the pair, but it's a little halfhearted. Seems her mind is elsewhere again. If she had any kind of combat high this time it must not have been a very good one.
<Darkling> Lit releases her as the Vice-Comm steps up. "We've got word from the Commander, with today's performance, you are clear to come home Rasia."
<Rasia> A muted smile.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Congratulations, Rasia." Lahja sounds sincere, but a bit drained.
<Darkling> "We will need to keep you just this one last night, I do apologize for that."
Rasia nods, her mood undiminished. Home is home.
<Darkling> "A win is a win." Lit smiles.
<Darkling> "Really though, good job all of you. Go get cleaned up."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja opens her mouth, quite possibly with the intent of saying something about a Pyrrhic victory, but whatever it was she decides to keep it to herself and stay broody.
Wilhelm_Faustus heads for the boys locker room.
Rasia nods, jogging off to change, rubbing at her joints. Phantom pains?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja heads off as well, her pace leisurely in comparison to Rasia's. "It was cute inside, too."
<Darkling> Some voices seem to be traveling through the vents. "I think he's crazy for letting her go. What's the Commander been smoking?" Another voice picks up. "I dunno. I feel safer with her gone anyways."
Rasia wiggles her ear, staring up at the vent with her suit half-off. Hnn?
<Darkling> They continue on. "You see how she could get that thing to move even with the heavy shit we strapped to it? It's not natural!"
<Rasia> Well it's not like it didn't take effort... She kneads her elbows again. Ein running like a lizard instead of a wolf, now that's unnatural. Rasia keeps staring at the vent.
<Darkling> "She's on our side you dumbass. Besides, all their work is paying off. He's getting exactly what he wants from the research. You see that new ar~" *SLAM* "What are you two slackers doing in here?!" "Oh shit! Sorry sir, we were just, uh, going back to work!"
<Rasia> A quiet blink. Rasia returns her attention to Lahja, looking like she has a question on her tongue, but never quite blurting it out
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja casts a look to Rasia. It's curious, but she still looks preoccupied. "Hm?"
<Darkling> Another slam and quiet.
Rasia pulls on streetclothes, opting for a different question. "Eeh...ehhmpathy?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja opts for overly frilly and girlish looking stuff. She seems almost embarrassed by the question. "The ability to connect with others emotionally. If I see a mother and a child and one of them gets gunned down and the survivor gets splattered in blood and I feel sorry for them, that would be empathy."
<Rasia> A nod. And Lahja wants to have that... "Not have?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> For a moment or two Lahja looks entirely too entertained by her own words. She catches herself and turns to hide it, trying to fold up her armored plug suit. "Very little."
<Rasia> Pat pat. Rasia's hand rests on Lahja's head.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Thank you, Rasia." Lahja says quietly, giving up on trying to fold the suit.
<Rasia> The Israeli exits, her plug stuffed messily into her locker. One of the gloves is even hanging out.
<Darkling> Lit waits outside, leaning on the wall opposite the doors.
Rasia wave!
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Warm. That almost seems absurd. Lahja lingers a while longer to stare at the wall before she exits as well.
<Darkling> A big grin on Lit's face. He's beaming with pride.
<Rasia> Rasia's smile isn't so big, but Lit's mood is too infectious to ignore.
<Darkling> "Well, you'll be happy to know I've arranged for a proper meal tonight too. We've got the west mess hall to ourselves and a buffet being setup as we speak."
<Rasia> ... Rasia wipes at her mouth with her sleeve.
<Darkling> "As soon as Wilhelm joins us we can be on our way."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja nods to Lit, opting to keep her distance.
<Darkling> Lit looks to his watch. He didn't really want to have to help Wilhelm out of that new suit.
<Rasia> You could send Raz?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A wild aryan appears! Well, not so wild.
<Rasia> Wilhelm gets a smile, too.
<Darkling> "Alright, to dinner!" Lit gives Wilhelm a calp on the back and takes them down the hall.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stares at Lit's back as she follows along, slightly surprised at the gesture toward Wilhelm. You've got genetically modified organism germs now, Waffleface.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> By that logic, Rasia has far more of those germs than Lit, in many more places.
<Rasia> And you think Rasia's body is home-grown? Face it, Lahja, errybody's getting infected. The Israeli licks her chops, looking to the three people she'd kill for. Or be killed for.
<Darkling> ===========END===========