MetaQuest - Glory to the Bacterian Empire! [Otomedius/Gradius]

I'm not sure if this game will generate much interest here, but here's hoping that a dedicated RP forum will let this game survive lol. I come from a Touhou forum called Maidens of the Kaleidoscope, which does some quests in its RP section, though I doubt this game would've gotten any participation there. So a friend recommended I try spacebattles forums, but the quest never seemed to gain any ground there either. And then I found this place, so... third time's the charm?

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READ THIS FIRST:

Spoiler: Game Mechanics

Generally, this quest is pretty open. Write at least one command (beginning with ">") and I will parse it. It can be almost anything, though this does not mean your input is guaranteed to succeed, especially if other players are opposed to it.
Any command that is written in strikethrough will be interpreted as a joke command and will prompt a joke response, but please don’t overdo this, I’d rather have more serious commands than joke commands.

With that being said, this will be the format for most of the game.

However, when you enter combat, either inside or outside a ship, you will be presented with a list of choices to do. This is similar to spacebattles, as well as a lot of the quests I've seen here, where you must vote on an option. This lasts until the combat situation ends.

Combat successes and failures will be determined by a roll of two virtual d20, one for your success, and one for the enemy. If your roll is greater, your action will succeed. 20 or more is considered a critical hit, while 1 or less is a critical failure. If both rolls produce the same number, neither action will succeed. Modifiers to the roll can be granted by perks or environmental factors.

Dialogue, as well as the special commands listed below, are considered free actions during combat.

Being a Gradius/Otomedius themed quest, there will be spaceships and other craft that you can pilot. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, and they usually have at least one trait that can modify rolls. Keep this in mind.

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With the general mechanics out of the way, the following commands may be posted at any time, and have special responses:
“>Inventory” will list your current inventory.
“>Quests” will list your current quests.
“>Perks” will list your current perks
“>Relationships” will list the current relationships you have with people you have interacted with more than once.
">Look around" or a variation of it will give you a description of your current surroundings.

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Last but not least: Have fun~.

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>You are Meta Lium, ace pilot of the Bacterian Empire.

>A stoic and determined woman, you are among the best pilots in the entire empire, second only to the Gofer Sisters, the current leaders of whom you adore and swear fierce loyalty to. In fact, you think they’re the most adorable things in the universe. You’ve always had a soft spot for cute things... Of course, you’d rather not be caught acting unprofessional or fawning over something if you think the Sisters are watching.

>Your personal vessel is the Big Core DX-01. A highly advanced version of the classic Big Core Mk. I, designed to be more maneuverable and deadly. In addition to the standard laser array, the DX comes equipped with missile launchers and deploy-able attack “options” that resemble smaller Big Cores.

>Generally, you tend to work alone. Though at one time, you did have a wingman. Her name was Tita Nium, a younger human-form bacterian, and the pilot of an experimental prototype craft named the Examiner. The two of you were close, almost like sisters. That was, until she decided to defect from the empire and joined the “Angel Squadron” of “G”, an anti-bacterian alliance between the planets Earth, Latis, and Gradius. From that day forward, she became your enemy and has remained such ever since.

>Speaking of those loathsome Angels, they have become the bane of your existence. You have suffered humiliation at their hands not once, but twice! The first time was during the first invasion of Earth, where they shot the DX down over a mountain range. The second time, roughly a year ago, you didn’t even have a chance to take your revenge, as the DX was blasted out of the sky by an ancient bacterian weapon system that was malfunctioning.

>After recovering from the injuries you sustained and having the DX repaired, you now patiently wait on board the Gofers’ Flagship, the Helheim, for your next orders.

>You are currently in your quarters. What will you do?

>_
(Please input at least one command, action, or dialogue, beginning with an ">" to differentiate it from OOC.)

Spoiler: Character

Name: Meta Lium
Species: Bacterian (Human Form)
Age: Appears to be a human aged 18 to early 20s. But is much older than that. Exact age is unknown.

Spoiler: Inventory

>Jumpsuit [Equipped]
>>A sleek, form-fitting suit.
>Core accessories [Equipped]
>>A pair of hair accessories resembling cores.

>DX-01 System Interface [Equipped]
>>An eyepatch-like device permanently grafted over your left eye and wired to your nervous system. It allows you to plug into and have higher control over "Big Core Mk. I" class vessels.
>>It is also a vulnerable spot! Having it destroyed could effectively cripple you permanently, while severe damage can be incapacitating. Keep this in mind when in close quarters combat.
>>As an incentive to not get hit, any damage sustained to a ship connected to the interface will be felt as pain. However, it's never lethal, even if the core is destroyed.

Spoiler: Perks

>Big Core Mk. I Mastery
>>Despite your interface being custom-tailored to the Big Core DX-01, it is compatible with other Big Core Mk. I systems, allowing you to pilot any "Big Core Mk. I"-class vessel with little difficulty. However, you would be out of your element trying to pilot something like a Big Core Mk. II or a Tetran-class ship.
>>+2 to combat rolls when piloting a "Big Core Mk. I"-class vessel. -1 when piloting others.

>CQC Experience
>>You can defend yourself better should you find yourself outside your ship without a weapon.
>>+1 to non-ship combat rolls when unarmed.

Spoiler: Ship

Name: Big Core DX-01

>Number of Cores: 1
>Number of Barriers: 5
>Barrier Strength: Average (10 HP each)
>Mobility: Medium-fast (+1 to evasion-related rolls.)

>Can jump?: Yes

Weaponry:
>BC Laser Array
>>A standard weapon system that all Big Core Mk. I-class ships are equipped with. Four lasers are fired straight forward. It's easily dodge-able, but does a lot of damage to un-shielded ship.

>Missile Launchers
>>Fires a pair of missiles that travel in opposing arcs. Though easy to dodge on their own, they can help corral a target towards the laser array, plus they do some decent splash damage if they hit something.

>"DX Option" Drone x4
>>The deadliest weapons in your arsenal. These miniature big cores carry their own versions of the weapons above, and can fire autonomously. However, they're only programmed to fly in certain configurations near your ship, and aren't nearly as armored as the main craft.


Special:
>Rolling Barrage
>>A maneuver where your options circle the ship as you do a barrel roll, all firing a barrage of rapid-fire lasers at the target. While devastating, this attack will temporarily overload the laser array, rendering you unable to use it for three combat turns.


Status:
>Currently docked with Flagship "Helheim", Hanger 03