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Canadian Leprechaun
Has Never Actually Been to Canada
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So question: Given that Cerberus with 2 of the heads being missile launchers worked thematically for the spirit and that the Zombies are designed to be fully functional without a head, Is there a reason why they haven't replaced the Zombies head's with a head shaped missile launcher? Seems like a cheap way to up the damage.
lost star
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Twould require a complete redesign and likely the removal of some armor. Head trick aside, the main use of the Zombie is that it's a decent and cheap newbie shield mech. The head is best likened to a one time grenade more than anything else.
M110
New
lost star
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What did it mean to lose a planet? It was something that boggled the mind to contemplate. The average person could not really understand the impact. Lilly herself couldn't really get her mind around it. She didn't much care to either. Sometimes it was best not to think too hard about things.
The refugees probably had similar minds. They'd left a planet. It was easier to think that was what happened. They hadn't left a mass graveyard. They'd left a planet. She could see it in every line of their body. Tired minds, exhausted spirits, and shattered wills. No one wanted to contemplate what had happened. Only a few were really standing without qualms. They were mostly the ones with family still. Those groups were just grief stricken, not nearly broken messes.
Credit to Kriff, he'd done well with saving families. She could tell just based on how they looked at him as he exited first that he'd performed miracles. She could also tell that only discipline and honor kept him up, though your standard person wouldn't be able to figure that out just looking at him.
The man had somehow gotten a clean and pressed uniform from somewhere before landing. His hair was done up in a neatly shaved mohawk that seemed to be the most common style of the refugees. The combination would have been called Space Punk or something in another time period. Here it was just the last bit of his nation's sense of fashion combined with stark military discipline. It was a statement and probably the last bit of defiance the man had left.
"Venerable Lilly." The man offered a hand as he approached.
"General Kriff." Lilly took and and took a few moments to really read him to the best of her ability. "Yer not broken." She stated bluntly. "Yer closer to it than I'd like."
The man didn't tremble. He didn't wince. He gave a small nod. "I appreciate your evaluation of my mental health, but I'd request you mind your fucking business."
He obviously didn't mean anything rude with the words. The crude vulgarity was a local peculiarity that would likely disappear with their nation. Lilly had reviewed some of their history, and that was one of their quirks. Crude, rude, and defiant had been their trademarks. All of it was gone.
"Will do so, if ya can put yer people in the line o' fire and keep it together without me poking." Lilly nodded carefully towards the pilots unloading from the transports next.
"If we wanted to stay out of combat or get vengeance, we would have stayed with Master Jeanne. She offered." Kriff responded and shifted to a parade rest to better present himself to the people offloading. "She's obviously playing a small political game of sorts in arranging this, but whatever it is seems relatively selfless compared to the other games that happened before the end. This was one choice of many that we accepted of free will."
"Dunno what it here. Can't read people that well through video, and I haven't even exchanged letters with her anyway. That's all been Bolt and he's honest to a fault." Lilly contributed and gave a small wave to a few children. "We can discuss more later. I think yer being honest at least. Any pilots I should worry about?"
"At the moment no. See how they do once the mechs are assigned. You should have the numbers and who has Heart Crystals. Been interesting to see how much the men cling to them. More than a few good men passed on their Crystals as a last will. It's helped more than I expected." Kriff saluted to a few injured men as they began to walk out.
Pup chose this time to run up, and immediately began to almost herd the injured men into a few powered wheel-chairs he'd grabbed. Lilly very deliberately did not do what she wanted to do there. She just watched and breathed out an irritated breath through her nose.
"Told the boy to come here and just look pretty." She grumbled. "I barely do PR and I know that much."
"He is very young and eager." Kriff observed with artful neutrality. "It's not harmful thankfully. If anything it shows surprising humanity. Experts that young tend to be focused to a point where they aren't always relatable. I did not expect someone so personable. You included. I was anticipating some sort of declarative independence based off your profile."
"Would you mind explaining that please?" Lilly asked leadingly.
"The founding principle that happens when an expert breaks through paints everything they do afterwards under that lens. They channel willpower and everything is done because they say so. I've seen many experts in my time. The ones focused on duty are pure duty. You ascended fighting against others for independence so you should have hints of it even here. Yet here we are just talking." Kriff wasn't watching Lilly directly as he spoke, but the woman could tell he was trying to probe her with his words and was observing her closely.
Lilly carefully examined herself. She could see what he meant in a way. Her ascension had been a bit strange, not that she'd tell anyone that. She'd held tight to all of herself out greed and desire. Her core founding was not rebellion or independence. It wasn't even greed. It was simply choice. She had chosen when and where. Free Will was perhaps the best description of it, though she'd never actually voice it.
Just focusing on that was enough to make people stand up a bit straighter around her though. Lilly smiled slightly as Pup continued to help. "I choose my own path. If that means following your lead, that's me still."
"Dangerous." Kriff said simply. "I can work with that. And Pup?"
"He's a little guard dog." Lilly teased with a soft smile.
Mostly. Lilly wasn't going to say that the spirit they'd put in his mech had likely helped significantly. Pup was young, weak, and required a lot of training for an expert. He wasn't flawed though. Lilly's instincts screamed that he had potential to become something grand.
Mid movement Pup paused and tilted his head and looked in a particular direction. Lilly's gaze immediately shifted before she even thought. Her body moved and tapped at an alert in her pocket. Pup moved towards the problem, on instinct, then on recognition.
One of the men exiting the shuttle had looked strange. Lilly didn't get why consciously. Neither did Pup. Their instincts said just said something was bad. The security team didn't bother to ask questions. Neither did the Fu-dog that had stationed itself at the side. They both moved in concert towards the shifting man, and he was brought down before anyone had a chance to register anything.
A few seconds later the medics were being called as the man was hefted into a carry and pulled to a stretcher. The next few minutes were a bit of a blur of activity as field tested and battle hardened medical professionals took charge. The man was carted off and out of sight shortly thereafter.
Kriff watched it was an exhausted expression. "Status?" He asked.
"Exhaustion, trauma, and possible heart attack." One of the medics said. "The medical facilities are not in use?" He asked Lilly.
"Some are, but we haven't had the numbers or the expertise to use it all." Lilly answered back as she looked over the other shellshocked refugees. "Our 'Olympus' is really enough to be a small city if we ever get the people fer it. That includes two fully supplied hospital areas and room fer more if need be."
"Read that in the briefing. Still fucking amazing." Kriff muttered. "All for one mech?"
"MTA loves something they call masterworks." Lilly answered back with a shrug. "If anything I think they might have underpaid. From what my hubby says one Third Rate one is worth thousands of MTA credits, and you know the conversion ratio."
"Considering the expenses, they might have but..." Kriff turned to stare at the looming mountain nearby. "Well, the immediate reward is sometimes more valuable than some nebulous future."
"Well let's get you all in there for the immediate reward then." Lilly countered and grinned just a bit widely at everyone still watching. "Come on, food and drink inside! Fresh beds, secured homes! Tomorrow will be another struggle, but today you all rest!" She put her will into it, and the people responded every so slightly.
It was enough for now.
The refugees probably had similar minds. They'd left a planet. It was easier to think that was what happened. They hadn't left a mass graveyard. They'd left a planet. She could see it in every line of their body. Tired minds, exhausted spirits, and shattered wills. No one wanted to contemplate what had happened. Only a few were really standing without qualms. They were mostly the ones with family still. Those groups were just grief stricken, not nearly broken messes.
Credit to Kriff, he'd done well with saving families. She could tell just based on how they looked at him as he exited first that he'd performed miracles. She could also tell that only discipline and honor kept him up, though your standard person wouldn't be able to figure that out just looking at him.
The man had somehow gotten a clean and pressed uniform from somewhere before landing. His hair was done up in a neatly shaved mohawk that seemed to be the most common style of the refugees. The combination would have been called Space Punk or something in another time period. Here it was just the last bit of his nation's sense of fashion combined with stark military discipline. It was a statement and probably the last bit of defiance the man had left.
"Venerable Lilly." The man offered a hand as he approached.
"General Kriff." Lilly took and and took a few moments to really read him to the best of her ability. "Yer not broken." She stated bluntly. "Yer closer to it than I'd like."
The man didn't tremble. He didn't wince. He gave a small nod. "I appreciate your evaluation of my mental health, but I'd request you mind your fucking business."
He obviously didn't mean anything rude with the words. The crude vulgarity was a local peculiarity that would likely disappear with their nation. Lilly had reviewed some of their history, and that was one of their quirks. Crude, rude, and defiant had been their trademarks. All of it was gone.
"Will do so, if ya can put yer people in the line o' fire and keep it together without me poking." Lilly nodded carefully towards the pilots unloading from the transports next.
"If we wanted to stay out of combat or get vengeance, we would have stayed with Master Jeanne. She offered." Kriff responded and shifted to a parade rest to better present himself to the people offloading. "She's obviously playing a small political game of sorts in arranging this, but whatever it is seems relatively selfless compared to the other games that happened before the end. This was one choice of many that we accepted of free will."
"Dunno what it here. Can't read people that well through video, and I haven't even exchanged letters with her anyway. That's all been Bolt and he's honest to a fault." Lilly contributed and gave a small wave to a few children. "We can discuss more later. I think yer being honest at least. Any pilots I should worry about?"
"At the moment no. See how they do once the mechs are assigned. You should have the numbers and who has Heart Crystals. Been interesting to see how much the men cling to them. More than a few good men passed on their Crystals as a last will. It's helped more than I expected." Kriff saluted to a few injured men as they began to walk out.
Pup chose this time to run up, and immediately began to almost herd the injured men into a few powered wheel-chairs he'd grabbed. Lilly very deliberately did not do what she wanted to do there. She just watched and breathed out an irritated breath through her nose.
"Told the boy to come here and just look pretty." She grumbled. "I barely do PR and I know that much."
"He is very young and eager." Kriff observed with artful neutrality. "It's not harmful thankfully. If anything it shows surprising humanity. Experts that young tend to be focused to a point where they aren't always relatable. I did not expect someone so personable. You included. I was anticipating some sort of declarative independence based off your profile."
"Would you mind explaining that please?" Lilly asked leadingly.
"The founding principle that happens when an expert breaks through paints everything they do afterwards under that lens. They channel willpower and everything is done because they say so. I've seen many experts in my time. The ones focused on duty are pure duty. You ascended fighting against others for independence so you should have hints of it even here. Yet here we are just talking." Kriff wasn't watching Lilly directly as he spoke, but the woman could tell he was trying to probe her with his words and was observing her closely.
Lilly carefully examined herself. She could see what he meant in a way. Her ascension had been a bit strange, not that she'd tell anyone that. She'd held tight to all of herself out greed and desire. Her core founding was not rebellion or independence. It wasn't even greed. It was simply choice. She had chosen when and where. Free Will was perhaps the best description of it, though she'd never actually voice it.
Just focusing on that was enough to make people stand up a bit straighter around her though. Lilly smiled slightly as Pup continued to help. "I choose my own path. If that means following your lead, that's me still."
"Dangerous." Kriff said simply. "I can work with that. And Pup?"
"He's a little guard dog." Lilly teased with a soft smile.
Mostly. Lilly wasn't going to say that the spirit they'd put in his mech had likely helped significantly. Pup was young, weak, and required a lot of training for an expert. He wasn't flawed though. Lilly's instincts screamed that he had potential to become something grand.
Mid movement Pup paused and tilted his head and looked in a particular direction. Lilly's gaze immediately shifted before she even thought. Her body moved and tapped at an alert in her pocket. Pup moved towards the problem, on instinct, then on recognition.
One of the men exiting the shuttle had looked strange. Lilly didn't get why consciously. Neither did Pup. Their instincts said just said something was bad. The security team didn't bother to ask questions. Neither did the Fu-dog that had stationed itself at the side. They both moved in concert towards the shifting man, and he was brought down before anyone had a chance to register anything.
A few seconds later the medics were being called as the man was hefted into a carry and pulled to a stretcher. The next few minutes were a bit of a blur of activity as field tested and battle hardened medical professionals took charge. The man was carted off and out of sight shortly thereafter.
Kriff watched it was an exhausted expression. "Status?" He asked.
"Exhaustion, trauma, and possible heart attack." One of the medics said. "The medical facilities are not in use?" He asked Lilly.
"Some are, but we haven't had the numbers or the expertise to use it all." Lilly answered back as she looked over the other shellshocked refugees. "Our 'Olympus' is really enough to be a small city if we ever get the people fer it. That includes two fully supplied hospital areas and room fer more if need be."
"Read that in the briefing. Still fucking amazing." Kriff muttered. "All for one mech?"
"MTA loves something they call masterworks." Lilly answered back with a shrug. "If anything I think they might have underpaid. From what my hubby says one Third Rate one is worth thousands of MTA credits, and you know the conversion ratio."
"Considering the expenses, they might have but..." Kriff turned to stare at the looming mountain nearby. "Well, the immediate reward is sometimes more valuable than some nebulous future."
"Well let's get you all in there for the immediate reward then." Lilly countered and grinned just a bit widely at everyone still watching. "Come on, food and drink inside! Fresh beds, secured homes! Tomorrow will be another struggle, but today you all rest!" She put her will into it, and the people responded every so slightly.
It was enough for now.
Simonbob
Really? You don't say.
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one MTA one is worth thousands of Third Rate credits.
I see the group focused sensor Expert is like that out of the mech, as well.
It's really a cultivation step, isn't it?
lost star
Connoisseur.
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Experts get intuition out of the mech and a few minor things. Nothing like real cultivation bonuses though. Their intuition is top notch though, and aligned along what they broke through under. Pup is protecting his people. Lilly is what people want.
AmeriaOlacyne
idk
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No, the original one is right, they're not talking about credit to credit conversion, but Masterwork Mech to MTA credit conversion. But it might be better to delete or swap that second 'one', like:
"one Third Rate is worth thousands of MTA credits"
or
"one Third Rate Masterwork is worth thousands of MTA credits"
Simonbob
Really? You don't say.
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That would make sense, but it wasn't quite clear, until I went back to re-read it.