GBG Session 25.5: Would the Real Wilhelm Please Stand Up?

<Darkling> Lahja, Wilhelm and Lit have all arrived back at the base nearly an hour ago, and not been given much time to get settled back in before more news was thrust upon them.
<Darkling> "What the hell do you mean Corrin is gone?!" Lit yelled at the Vice-Comm. "How does a comatose boy in our custody suddenly disappear?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks a little stunned. Who would want to kidnap Corrin? Why?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Always making trouble for others." The Aryan mutters to Lahja.
<Darkling> "We know who has him," The Vice-Comm was trying to remain calm. "Obviously the same people who took Rasia. What they want with him, we're unsure of. Either way, he can be recovered if you find him when you go for Rasia."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "The same people who took Rasia." Lahja echoes flatly.
<Darkling> "How were they even in the base, and undetected?"
<Darkling> "We have no idea, if we did, this wouldn't have happened."
<Darkling> "And how did they take his Aesir? What the hell went on here while we were away?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Do you think they shrunk it with moon alien technology and walked away with it in their pocket?" Lahja whispers to Wilhelm. The sarcasm is obvious.
Wilhelm_Faustus smirks.
<Darkling> "We do not have the answers for your questions, Lit." The Vice-Comm continues. "And your hysterics are not going to solve anything."
<Darkling> "I suggest you go home and rest for the night, you'll be leaving tomorrow morning and have plenty of time to look over the plan."
<Darkling> Lit looks to the two pilots, obviously stressed.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I believe the Vice-Commander is correct Lit. Some rest would do you well right now."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Rest is a good idea, sir."
<Darkling> He didn't look like he believed that, but his shoulders slumped in defeat. "You're probably right."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> If it's any comfort Lahja doesn't look like she believes it, either.
<Darkling> "Let's go kids." He pushes himself up from the desk, one last glare at the Vice-Comm, then turns to take them home.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja rises with a salute to the Vice-Comm, then she's off to follow Lit.
Wilhelm_Faustus follows up last, hands clasped behind his back.
<Darkling> Back home, the apartment seems almost empty, save for the mewling ball of white fur on the floor.
<Darkling> Lit moves to the kitchen, opening a bottle of wine with his teeth and begins to drink it.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Alcohol. How nice. Lahja actually smiles at the sight. "Don't drink too much, sir. If it's any comfort I think waiting is a stupid idea."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan scoops up Hel, taking a seat on the couch with her in his lap. "There aren't many ways one could easily move an Aesir or its pilot. The most likely scenario is inside assistance from someone high in the chain of command."
<Darkling> "I considered that." He says as he takes a breather from the wine. "Are either of you hungry? I feel like take-out."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "After having connected some dots I think it's rather obvious." A little irritation begins to show, but Lahja puts on a rather strange smile regardless. "I wouldn't mind that."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I suppose I could eat."
<Darkling> "Right. Chinese?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Thumbs up from Lahja.
<Darkling> "I'll order." He takes out his phone and heads to his room.
<Darkling> ===================
<Darkling> "She's on to us sir." The Commander narrowed his eyes at the man bringing the claim to him. "I swear, she knows something is wrong."
<Darkling> "Then there is no stopping her. But nonetheless, we need to proceed as planned."
<Darkling> "So, phase two?"
<Darkling> "Yes, we'll have company soon enough I think. Start the ritual." A salute, and the man exited the commanders office.
<Darkling> ===================
<Darkling> Mid-morning, and he hasn't been by to see you. Wilhelm that is. Instead, you've been kept in your room alone, no visitors save someone bringing food and drink. Odd behavior considering the hospitality before this.
<Rasia> Rasia paces her room, the food getting a little more scrutiny than usual before being devoured. Every errant noise or voice earns her attention, the Israeli fidgeting.
<Darkling> The door opens again, the space empty, no one there.
<Rasia> Her head snaps around, eyes fixed until she wanders over, sniffing.
<Darkling> The room beyond is empty too, save another open door leading to a hallway to the left.
<Rasia> Hair standing on end, she creeps forward, growling just under her breath on her way over.
<Darkling> There's someone on the other side of the door, just out of sight.
<Rasia> "Rr?" Well, let nobody accuse Rasia of being a coward. She darts in, eyes straining the darkness.
<Darkling> A bit of a blue glow in the dark. "Took you long enough to see what was up with today."
<Rasia> "Wilhelm? What happening?"
<Darkling> "Corrin's test is today. Do you want to go see?"
<Rasia> "Test?" A deep frown forms. "Corrin sick." But she closes in on him, just barely able to see by his light.
<Darkling> "Yes, to see how well he can still pilot." A smirk from the Aryan.
<Rasia> "Hmf...okay."
<Darkling> "You don't seem excited at all."
<Rasia> "Dangerous." She runs fingers through her hair, moving up alongside him.
<Darkling> "Everything we do is dangerous, part of the fun. Come on." he starts down the hall, lights flickering to life ahead of them.
<Rasia> Rasia gives chase, clicking her teeth.
<Darkling> He leads her along through the base, not another soul in sight, until they round a corner that leads to an observatory facing out into the same combat pit Rasia had been in a few times now.
<Darkling> In the pit is Corrin's Aesir, piloted by the boy, and across from him are some drones. It doesn't look like they have begun yet.
<Rasia> Rasia leans forward, hands on the railing/glass separating them.
<Darkling> There's quite a gathering here. Seems to be the spectacle of the day.
<Rasia> They're certainly free to try and deny Rasia her spot at the front.
<Darkling> None do, and soon she has her spot, the aryan right behind. "Let's see how badly he messes this up." He says.
<Darkling> "Pilot Sahn, how are you feeling?"
<Rasia> She looks over her shoulder, trying to read just how much venom was in that.
<Rasia> And back to the fight.
Corrin looks up from the plug screen, hands around the Unit's yokes. He's going through the motions of preparing for piloting, if distractedly, but seems strangely listless. "I'm ready, ma'am." he says, a bit too late, grip tightening slightly as he replies. "Ready."
<Darkling> "Begin combat test now." The drones across from you in the pit come to life, miniguns mounted on them spitting out metal that chips away across your Aesir.
<Corrin> The Aesir returns fire as the shots hit home, shoulder-mounted weapon whirring as it aims then flares to life in a short burst at the leftmost drone.
<Rasia> Her eyes widen, a nervous look over to Wilhelm and back to the fight.
<Darkling> The three remaining drones begin to whir around through the air in circles, riddling the armour with bullet holes.
<Darkling> "How are the controls feeling pilot?" The voice comes through the comm again. "Like riding a bike, no?"
Rasia tightens her grip on the rail, chewing on her lip.
<Corrin> "Yes, ma'am." Corrin replies over muffled impacts, sounding more animated despite not understanding what the officer's talking about. The knot in his stomach that's been there since yesterday still hasn't gone away. With a push, he sends Null Zwei striding forwards, still firing as it advances on the whirring drones. Come on, fly over...
<Darkling> The drones manage to keep their distance, peppering the Aesir with more holes as they continue flying in circles.
Rasia scowls. "Fight back."
<Corrin> And with that, a shimmering barrier flickers to life in front and around the Unit as it abruptly charges forwards and towards the drones, solid field moving with it as it seemingly runs straight for the wall.
<Darkling> The drones move swiftly out of the way, bullets now falling harmlessly away from the field around the Aesir.
<Darkling> "Good, you remember how to activate your field. Now, take out the drones."
<Darkling> Wilhelm smirks. "Terrible as ever in combat."
Corrin fires at the scattering drones as the field fades, fervor coming back momentarily. "Come on..." A squeeze of the trigger, and another, longer burst, into the drones' path.
<Darkling> One drone goes down, a lucky shot from the looks of it. "Perhaps you should try engaging in melee Pilot Sahn. That is what you were trained for."
<Darkling> The far wall from Corrin opens up, a large turret appearing.
Corrin doesn't reply, bringing up the shield held in one hand as though he's just remembered it existed. A lunge at the moving drones...
<Darkling> Another drone down. The far turret can be heard powering up.
Corrin is focused on hammering the last drones, now with the shield, and now with the hooked end of the hammer in the Unit's hand. Its weight feels off, but if he just focuses on killing the drones, he won't have to think about what the pilots' orders were. "Come on, die!"
<Darkling> The last drone goes down as the turret fires, a great energy beam cutting through the Aesir's field and slamming into its back. The wall begins to descend. "Pilot Sahn, return to the docking bay, the test is over."
Corrin pushes on the yokes as the effects of the hit wear off and the order sinks in. Have to follow orders. NERV didn't take him, train him, so he could break orders. Inside the plug, he just sits there, looking straight ahead, as the Aesir strides for the dock.
<Darkling> =========================
<Darkling> The next morning sees the Pilots and Lit off in a VTOL carrier, housing both the Aesir, beginning their rexcue operation.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan sits in silence, running different facts and scenarios through his head.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja is peculiarly energetic, twirling and firing an imaginary gun at whatever happens to catch her interest.
<Darkling> Lit speaks to them over the headsets they're wearing. "We don't know for sure what kind of resistance we'll be facing, but there isn't much that can stand up to an Aesir."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Noted, sir." Lahja responds eagerly. "Should we attempt to avoid collateral damage?"
<Darkling> "I should tell you yes, but.." He clenches a fist. "Make these bastards pay."
<Darkling> "Once Rasia is secured of course."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Shouldn't be a problem..." He comments off-hand.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "And Corrin."
<Darkling> "We can't be certain he is here, but the ground team will make all efforts to find him as well."
<Darkling> "Remember, do not fire upon the base while the ground team is inside. They'll be able to handle themselves in the base. You worry about taking out any outside defenses."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Understood." Despite her disappointment Lahja still manages to maintain an enthusiastic tone.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ."
<Darkling> "We're almost there, so go get into your plugs and get set."
Wilhelm_Faustus stands and moves to the back. Soon enough he's in his new plugsuit and inside the entry plug. "This new suit should be useful."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Almost there. Almost time for some much needed stress relief. Lahja changes as well and then she's off to the plug.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The small wings on the back of the suit threw him off, but he would adjust eventually.
<Darkling> Lit comes over a comm. "We're patching a video feed from a satellite to you." As he says it, a video monitor pops up showing the largest of the Faroe Islands. "No activity on the surface, but now that we've focused all our resources on it, we're picking up heavy energy signatures."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks to the video feed, subjecting it to very close scrutiny for a while.  How are they hiding? Underground?
<Darkling> "Right, we're coming up to your drop point. Ready yourselves pilots."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The boy sighs, settling into the plug.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "As ready as I can be, sir. I may be a very happy girl soon." Lahja closes her eyes, only to open them as a particularly bloodthirsty look comes over her.
<Darkling> "Drop em."
<Darkling> =======================
<Darkling> It's closer to lunch now, but the three pilots have been allowed to eat early, alone and away from the workers.
<Darkling> Wilhelm sips at some water while watching Rasia intently.
<Rasia> Rasia eats as vigorously as ever, noticing the Aryan's stare halfway through a coconut.
<Rasia> "Rr?"
Corrin picks at the food, alternating between frowning at it and looking up at the other two pilots. The feeling of a knot isn't going away.
<Darkling> "Today is the day of reckoning." He says.
<Rasia> "?" Milk drips down her chin, all her focus on Wilhelm now.
<Darkling> As if on queue, klaxons begin to wail.
Rasia tenses, growling reflexively. She's on her feet in an instant.
<Corrin> "What's that supp..." Corrin starts to ask when Wilhelm doesn't continue, then jerks his head up at the noise.
<Darkling> "As I said." He rises, then is off to the cages. "This way now."
<Rasia> The Israeli follows, giving Corrin one last look.
Corrin is all frantic motion all of a sudden, clumsily maneuvering the wheelchair after the others as much as he can with arms still aching from disuse.
<Rasia> Perhaps in a bit of pity or frustration, Rasia grabs the boy's chair to push him along.
<Darkling> Wilhelm is off ahead and disappears into a door marked as the locker room for the boys.
<Rasia> Rasia looks down at Corrin. "Safe." And she gets the door long enough to let him in before heading to her own locker room.
<Darkling> In a short amount of time, and someone helping Corrin, all the pilots are in their plugs. A woman's voice comes over the comms. "We're detecting two hostiles approaching. Near ready for launch. Your status pilots?"
<Rasia> "Rrrr. Ready."
<Corrin> "...Ready." Corrin echoes. Two hostiles. Traitors. Targets. The enemy. He swallows. "Ready." he repeats.
<Darkling> "All set." Wilhelm says.
<Darkling> And with the final confirmation the pilots launch, upwards a much shorter distance than normal, and are almost immediately on the surface in shallow water covering the island, face to face with Drei and Vier
<Rasia> "Wilhelm," Rasia gasps.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Rasia, finally."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Good to see you. All of you."
<Corrin> "Damnit." Corrin mutters, staring ahead at the confirmation of the Officer's words. His hand twitches around the yoke, but he doesn't seem to notice. The shaking intensifies. None of his usual yelling. A step forwards into the muck, and Unit 02 raises its shield up to a guard position. "Come on..." He's not moving in.
<Darkling> ============END============