• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.

Chapter Eight: Drake's Dream!

Dannigan

Kaerri's Man. =)
Supporter
Roleplay Availability
Roleplay Type(s)
(Previously on Robotech: Broadsword.)

"I'm the Dude" by Keith Forsey for The Breakfast Club Motion Picture Soundtrack


Spaceman Sam - VR-052-Cyclone-MOSPEADA-Veritech-Motorcycle-109.jpg
(Image credit: reddit.com)

The animated CVR-3 armor known best as Spaceman Sam steps forward with what could be called calmness toward the Silverback SUV. Captain Sharp hops off first and helps Captain Piper down in a gentlemanly manner. They along with Murphy and Stein move off to the side of the stage providing Spaceman Sam all of the spotlight as it were. But the spaceman soon appears to be in trouble. With great energy, Sam puts one foot on the side of the Cyclone and makes playful yanking motions as if he had perhaps stepped into some gum and he can't pull "his" foot off the hull. Then, he puts his other foot on the side of the veritech and that boot adheres too.

Then suddenly, Spaceman Sam is hanging there horizontally. Defying gravity and appearing totally wacky, he "looks" at the Broadsword crew and excitedly grabs the sides of his helmet as if to say, "Oh no! Now what do I do?!" Smiles and chuckling from the crew follow.

Step by step, Sam scales the sides of the Silverback Cyclone until he reaches the top of the hood where the captains stood. There, he brings his arms up and flexes in a most manly fashion raising all manner of hoots, hollers, and whistles from the Broadsword crew. Every pose "he" makes there just shrieks he-man machoism and over-the-top grandness along with lots of pointing at himself and vigorous head-nodding. Finally, he pulls a folding tablet from his arm-sleeve. He writes on it. And when he holds it up high above his head, it proclaims in huge flashing letters, "I'M THE DUDE!" This gets the loudest, longest laughter and applause you have heard from the long-traveled and battle-weary Broadsword crew yet. Broo begin pointing and chanting, "You da Dood! You da Dood!"

Spaceman Sam puts away the tablet as the laughter slowly dies down.

When Sam talks, it is with every bit the Californian surfer. His body language, his tone, all of it - pure beach bum. It's enjoyable to watch and listen to, because for a few moments, it's hard to remember that there really is no human being underneath that suit. Just Spaceman Sam.

"So, like, every one of you dudes knows me. Because... like... I'm the Dude. And I owe it all to Captain Drake for making me." Sam nods in reverence and upon seeing this, other heads bow for a silent moment. "But I owe my snazzy new accent and gnarly ways to Miss Elinor Hall over there. Wave hello, Miss Hall. Yeah, there she is. Drake made me, yeah, but Hall? Hall made me cool." Sam does a little dance, but when that dance dies down, he takes on a stance of seriousness.

"So, dudes. It's down to this. Drake's dream, man. Let's pop the hatch and dive deep into it, dudes!" Spaceman Sam does a slow about-face as the hatch to the Broadsword's center hangar bay opens revealing a gorgeous blue ocean, a fine blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds, the warm orange sun, and the sounds of great rumbling engines filling the air which drown out the sounds of the waves far below you. Fresh, wonderful wind comes into the bay like an invited guest and there is a collective sigh as it touches each person, alien or otherwise, with its refreshing invisible comfort.

"Mass Effect Legendary Edition - Official Reveal Trailer Music (FULL TRAILER VERSION SONG THEME)"​



sky-sun-sea-path-wallpaper-preview.jpg
(Image credit: WallpaperFlare.com)

You figure you are a few thousand feet up, but to those of you with aeronautic backgrounds, the sounds of the engines sound... wrong - too numerous to be true because since when could a huge battle frigate like the Broadsword sound like it had dozens and dozens of engines? Then you see something slowly fly by the hangar about 500 meters out. It heads from your left to your right.


You see that the Broadsword is slowly turning starboard (right) and in doing so, it is allowing you to slowly see more and more of what is really out here. At first, some of you mistake the vessel that flies by the hangar bay as the Esper. And why not? It is solid black, looks recently repaired, and it glides through the sky as nimble as an interstellar cargo vessel should. But then you see another vessel above it. It, too, looks like the Esper, but it can't be, can it?

Spaceman Sam steps to his left as if making room for someone. To his right, a hologram of a human in a UEEF uniform with many commendations upon it appears, lightly bearded, brown-haired, pudgy, and facing the outside like Sam. Then you hear a familiar voice over the outside engines, over the waves, and over the Broadsword's intercoms as Captain Drake speaks like a ghost from the past. It sounds as if the man is in the middle of addressing people of importance. Perhaps you?

"It is not something everyone will understand." Captain Drake's British accent is filled with urgency and seems to come from the ship itself. "But it is of the ultimate importance that we get through the Black Binary and go back in time before all this started! Before Earth died! Before the betrayal! Before the bloody Regess... won!" The hologram puts his hand over his mouth as if he had just sinned by saying it.

More "Espers" come into view. Three at first. Then ten. Then you lose count as at least thirty of these ships fly above the water in a holding pattern made impressively stable and nigh-perfect by Sam pilots.

Captain Drake gestures, his voice and his face expressing the deepest concern. "How else is humanity going to stand a chance? The Yana-Meltrandi aren't going to hand it to us! The Zeki-Zentraedi are only looking out for themselves! We can't count on anyone else - we must change the future by altering the past - or risk our entire history, our cultures, everything we've lived for - vanishing at the hands of the Invid! Sam!"

The hologram turns to Spaceman who slowly turns to the hologram and gives it his fullest attention. "Listen to me and do everything I tell you! I might not... be there... with you... when the time comes. You might show up quite alone." He gasps and falters for a moment. "If it all works out, if the time-space fulcrum of the Black Binary is real and can take us back, back! Then I want you to start on the plans I gave you. During that time on Earth, it was comparatively peaceful. The Restoration, they called it. Hulks and hulks of millions of dead starships, some of which crash-landed on Earth. Use those! Use the Robotech Factory inside the Broadsword to work at building Pacifica!

Spaceman Sam nods as the hologram of Captain Drake reaches out and "grabs" Spaceman Sam by the shoulders, his hands blurry as the light touches Sam's hypercarbon skin. "Do not raise anyone from the ice until you find Traversers! Trouble knows how to find them so you must work together! Professor Albert Stein! Ylva Sveadotter! Reginald Booty! They'll be alive in the past! If you can't get them, get Traversers like them! Tell me you understand me! Tell me you will do it!"

Spaceman Sam slowly nods. The hologram looks down towards Sam's feet. Trouble the MechaKitten, the Mewwoo from space, lets out one long positive mew from where the Wild Cards stand. In your minds, you hear his boyish voice and he sounds quite serious. "I unnerstands, Drakey! I'll does it!"

Outside. Below. The vast blue reaches of water ripple, not just in one place, but many, many places. Each second you watch the immense blueness beneath you, more and greater ripples spread across the water. They pour downward, off of something. Somethings. Then your eyes seem to trick each one of you. Among the crew, necks crane, people fidget, and all eyes look down into the water as breaks in the water appear - incredibly-large, dwarfing people, dwarfing mecha, dwarfing the Broadsword.

"You may have to build for a very long time, Sam. Finding even a single Traverser could take years. But Pacifica... Pacifica will be humanity's chance against the Invid! Perhaps our only chance!"

Gargantuan light-blue orbs rise from those ripples in a manner that the mind cannot easily comprehend from where you're standing. They loom up from the ocean spanning miles across. The Earth's water cascades down the slick sides as one enormous island slowly, phenomenally, rises out of the ocean - a single island covered in white and green with tall buildings, moving vehicles on the air and on the streets, and starships hovering or docked at the docks of the astonishing island city. Dozens and dozens of what look like people move hurriedly like ants together across the city's surface. Everyone is carrying, working, building. Ceaselessly.

Then you realize it - they aren't humans at all - they are all Sam and Samantha units! Hundreds of them!

The islands many protective domes look like this:
fantasy-landscape-futuristic-city.jpg
(Image credit: Dreamstime.com)

Pacifica itself looks very very much like this!
i53JG.jpg forums.cybernations.net.jpg
(Image credit: cdn.alga.asn.au)

Above the docks in the city, where many spaceships lay quiet or hover about slowly, is one gigantic ship that makes the rest look oh so small by comparison. It too is covered by Samanthas and Sams and it looks like this.

SDCV Ikazuchi-class Carrier (click on the smaller pictures below the big picture for additional angles of this enormous space vessel). It does not look quite complete yet, but... that day appears close in coming. =)
Ikazuchi-class-Super-Dimensional-Carrier-1 (1).jpg
(Image credit: Mechajournal.com)

The hologram of Captain H. Drake - that one driven, tireless, compassionate Traverser desperate to escape the nightmarish reality he knew - holds his face in his hands for a moment, and slowly, he lets them fall. The hologram now looks so very relieved. His smile is nothing less than contagious for it contains something it lacked a moment ago - hope.

"Sam, Trouble. I am terribly sorry for saddling you with all of this, but if no one else makes it through the Black Binary... you are it. If only one starship makes it through to travel back to the past - it must be the Broadsword. No other vessel can make Pacifica happen. Can make her... real." He says this as you continue to stare down into a city that is very real despite your overwhelmed collective senses wondering to the contrary.

The grinning hologram wags a finger at Spaceman Sam. "I... don't know what I can give you that you don't already have... but you, you mental little twit," he kneels down as if picking up a kitten-sized kitten. "I know what you want! We are off to the mess for some fish! Let's go! Come on, Sam! Dine with us!" The hologram does an about-face with one hand up as if carrying something or someone and the hologram disappears, vanishing into the air.

Spaceman Sam suddenly looks so very alone. That is, until you look beyond him - at the majestic island city called Pacifica.

Drake's dream.
 
Last edited:
The grand reveal. A mysterious, hidden place to be. A weapon, or a tool, or something of use against the cruelest foe mankind has ever faced. Those were the expectations, when Ylva entered hangar bay Bravo. High expectations, certainly; fueled by Spaceman Sam's prior announcements. And yet, the scene that unfolds in front of her eyes exceeds all those expectations with ease. And funnily enough, it's not the squadron of futuristic aircrafts out there that make it all go over the top. Not the ambitious planning that built an island like that amidst the ocean. Not any of the other, incredible impressions. No, it's really just two words. A name. Her name.

Sometimes too much of a scientist to be a soldier. In other times too much of a fighter to do proper science. A broken, slowly recovering world, and her idealistic soul lost within. There were doubts, often enough. Doubts which path to take, where she really belonged. This presentation here, just now, in the Broadsword's hangar bay - it doesn't only show mankind's best hope for the upcoming war. It doesn't only show that Earth can still have another ace up ts sleeve, after the Broadsword. No, it also offers certainty. If there were doubts before whether she belonged here - and there certainly were, when she first arrived - they're gone now. Drake's words - simple, and likely without knowing what would happen, back then in the future - they're like a prophecy. Like a promise that this is the place where she's needed. And while two words shouldn't matter, compared to what Spaceman Sam reveals, they still change everything.

And it shows. As Ylva's eyes seek the other two that were mentioned - both Stein and Reggie, standing out amidst the others in their different ways - her posture shifts. Ever so slightly. Subconsciously. Her back straightens just a little. The chin's a little higher than before. As she moves to get a better look at the island-city below, her steps seem more confident than before. And as she seems to drink in all the new impressions out there, she does so with a new peace of mind that she didn't even know she lacked before.

So - what now, then? There's a plan unfolding, obviously. As it seems, most pieces are in place. The Broadsword made it. Traversers are aboard, though she knows as little about that as one could imagine. The Pacifica itself - built from starship scraps? It certainly doesn't look like it - but it sounds awfully familiar. Like something she's worked on, previously. Digging up resources from the oceans' depths, reusing the materials of previous battles; that's been her kind of thing, for a while. She didn't walk on the sea floor in a Logan for nothing. And that wasn't even one of the fancy new ones that she just saw in the hangar bay previously...

"Quite the show out there, Sam. Impressive. You didn't exaggerate." Her voice betrays the awe of someone who understands enough of the details to know how ridiculous a project like this is, all things considered. There's a hundred questions in her mind. She settles on a single one of those. "So with this long-term plan working out, down there - what's needed?" Without the Broadsword traveling back in time, it seems like she would have made an impact. Or Drake would not have mentioned her name, right? So the real question is: How to make an impact, now?
 
Mario listens and watches intently as the presentation is made, showing the grand vision of Drake's plan. It is a huge order, and it makes the Italian feel very small. In a quiet voice, he says, "Holy crap that is one big ship. This is going to take a lot of work to make happen, and I am not the kind of guy to sit around on my ass when there is work to be done, so . . . What is our next step? Where do you need us the most?"
 
"But holding true to Beema's advice, I told her I would pass this information along on one condition - Taniya tell me where to find Ice-9." Captain Sharp allows himself a smile here as a series of laughs and some applause build and rise from the Broadsword crew. "And she did. I'll share those dangerous details later, because all of this is secondary to your purpose, my purpose, our purpose here together on Earth.
Toph can feel her breath catch in her throat when Capt. Sharp mentions that he now has a location for them to get some Ice-9. If we can get a hold of that supply, we can use it to revive mom! But I must keep this in perspective. She may be my mother, but the good of the mission and the ship comes first. I cannot let my emotions get in the way of my intellect and rational thinking.

With that thought being filed away, she turns her attention to the briefing. She raises up her hand to ask a question. "Please pardon what may be a silly question, but with these Invid coming to Earth, is it feasible for us to contact the Robotech Masters and negotiate a truce in order to be able to both focus on the Invid? After all, making contact with the Masters is why the UEEF set out in the first place. It may not be possible to form an alliance, but if we can, who knows how the fight will come out?"
 
Way back when
To embarrassed Cal's credit, he tries to give eye contact to Elinor as he salutes. He has a deep voice with a country edge honed well by military life. "Uh, yes ma'am. Sergeant Calvin, Marine Recon. We'd like some real foo--, uh, real spaghetti, please." Cal keeps glancing at Scary Jerry who is now playing with Beema with his free hand while smiling with way too much enthusiasm at the rest of you. At this point, he and Beema could be mistaken for family.
"You got it," Elinor said with a smile, sincere if not as (over?)enthusiastic as Scary Jerry's. Two at a time (she could still remember her grandma scolding, "You're not a fancy waitress in some fancy 'serve 'em quick and get 'em out' restaurant, Ellie, you just take your time and don't drop anything!"), she carried full plates of real spaghetti and bread, first to Cal and Jerry, then to anyone else who hadn't yet served themselves. Nothing in her demeanor indicated the faintest thought that waiting tables might somehow be beneath her or not part of her duties. On the contrary, she felt more connected to them, serving her new crewmates just as she had fetched and carried for her family back home. If anyone called out specific requests, more bread or whatever, she complied with wave and easy smile.

"Pipes!" Jerry exclaims. "It means the Robotech Masters aren't here yet! It means the United Earth Government hasn't been wiped off the face of the planet yet!" Professor Stein overhears this and positively blanches in response. "And... and... you guys from The Army of the Southern Cross!" Jerry looks ecstatic. "You haven't been smashed straight into your graves yet with all of your pretty tanks and twirly-birdy helicopters yet! Shit! If you're here with us, you get to watch it all happen!"
Elinor's mouth twisted wryly. Lucky us, she thought, but didn't say.

Before too long, Captain Piper, looking and sounding more relaxed, escorts you to Hangar Bay Bravo. "And that's why giving an in-person tour is tradition on the Broadsword," she says of the tour as you take an elevator ride below decks. "Sure, anybody can look at a map, but this? It's kind of a way for old crew to tell new crew, 'you're welcome here' and all that kinda friendly stuff. I mean, I don't know about you being born here on Earth with it being only May of 2025 and all, but for most of us from the future, the Broadsword is home! So welcome home, you guys!" Piper smiles and Wwarlock wags his tail because dogs are like that.
Elinor nodded. "Thanks, Captain. This's my first ship assignment, but back home on the farm -- that's a literal farm," she added with a grin, "an' no small one either -- that's how we do it, too. More homey-like to meet your new home in the company of your new friends and family, right? My Grandpa Will usedta say, 'Maps are all fine an' dandy, but there ain't nothin' like walkin' the place to learn how to get around.' "


Now
Breathless Beema runs up to Elinor and without asking, just holds her hand like an older sister as the the Broo shaman-in-training explains, "Crew like Sharp! Broo like Sharp! Beema do too!"
Elinor smiles down at the young Broo, pleased to be included as if she was family. "Wild Cards do too," she agrees. "He's a good man." That's all she has time for, since she wanted to hear the rest of Sharp's story -- actually she wanted to hear the first of Sharp's story. How on Earth did he end up talking to Taniya of all people?

"But holding true to Beema's advice, I told her I would pass this information along on one condition - Taniya tell me where to find Ice-9." Captain Sharp allows himself a smile here as a series of laughs and some applause build and rise from the Broadsword crew. "And she did. I'll share those dangerous details later, because all of this is secondary to your purpose, my purpose, our purpose here together on Earth.
Elinor glances at Toph, knowing how much that information would mean to her personally. She herself files it away for later, probably the same "later" Sharp mentioned. It might be secondary, but that didn't mean it wasn't needed -- that Ice-9 was what could save Commander Kirin, and that would help their purpose.

"So, like, every one of you dudes knows me. Because... like... I'm the Dude. And I owe it all to Captain Drake for making me." Sam nods in reverence and upon seeing this, other heads bow for a silent moment. "But I owe my snazzy new accent and gnarly ways to Miss Elinor Hall over there. Wave hello, Miss Hall. Yeah, there she is. Drake made me, yeah, but Hall? Hall made me cool." Sam does a little dance, but when that dance dies down, he takes on a stance of seriousness.
Elinor obediently waves hello with her free hand, since the other is still holding Beema's (unless Beema has let go). She doesn't say anything, but she looks over to catch Shirley's eye and grins. It was Mack that had inspired her to pick "surfer dude," after all.

Spaceman Sam nods as the hologram of Captain Drake reaches out and "grabs" Spaceman Sam by the shoulders, his hands blurry as the light touches Sam's hypercarbon skin. "Do not raise anyone from the ice until you find Traversers! Trouble knows how to find them so you must work together! Professor Albert Stein! Ylva Sveadotter! Reginald Booty! They'll be alive in the past! If you can't get them, get Traversers like them! Tell me you understand me! Tell me you will do it!"

Spaceman Sam slowly nods. The hologram looks down towards Sam's feet. Trouble the MechaKitten, the Mewwoo from space, lets out one long positive mew from where the Wild Cards stand. In your minds, you hear his boyish voice and he sounds quite serious. "I unnerstands, Drakey! I'll does it!"
Elinor can't help being caught up in Drake's urgency, his intensity. If he's like this in a hologram, how much more had he been in person? For a moment, she envies the Broadsword's original crew, for their having the chance to be under this man's command, and she feels a sort of echo of their grief for having lost him. His death was a loss indeed, to all of humanity. But envy and even grief fades as his orders, though to others, pull her in, and she feels as if she is under his command. Without realizing it, she nods right along with Sam and Trouble, promising this dead man from the future that she will do it. Whatever it is she's needed for. Whatever it is he needs her for.

Outside. Below. The vast blue reaches of water ripple, not just in one place, but many, many places. Each second you watch the immense blueness beneath you, more and greater ripples spread across the water. They pour downward, off of something. Somethings. Then your eyes seem to trick each one of you. Among the crew, necks crane, people fidget, and all eyes look down into the water as breaks in the water appear - incredibly-large, dwarfing people, dwarfing mecha, dwarfing the Broadsword.
. . . .
Gargantuan light-blue orbs rise from those ripples in a manner that the mind cannot easily comprehend from where you're standing. They loom up from the ocean spanning miles across. The Earth's water cascades down the slick sides as one enormous island slowly, phenomenally, rises out of the ocean - a single island covered in white and green with tall buildings, moving vehicles on the air and on the streets, and starships hovering or docked at the docks of the astonishing island city. Dozens and dozens of what look like people move hurriedly like ants together across the city's surface. Everyone is carrying, working, building. Ceaselessly.
The appearance of more than two dozen "Espers" has registered in Elinor's mind, but it's a lesser matter compared to the intense personality of the holographic Drake, and so she only notes the ships as peripheral to her attention on him. It's clear from his words that the Broadsword has probably been here (or now, if that was the right word) for much longer than she'd thought, and the Sams had probably been about preparing and searching for Traversers for quite some time. Stealthily, of course.

But the sudden refocusing of everyone else's attention draws her eyes back to the scene outside. Her eyes widen, her jaw drops slightly, and her hand tightens on Beema's. "It's a city," she whispers as the island emerges into full view. Pacifica wasn't just being planned -- Sam had built it! How or why it was key to Earth's defense she doesn't know, and doesn't even think to ask, yet. The fact of the city's reality drowns out almost all else. Almost -- because Drake's still talking, and Elinor can't help but listen, even as her eyes take in the enormous surprise before them.

"Sam, Trouble. I am terribly sorry for saddling you with all of this, but if no one else makes it through the Black Binary... you are it. If only one starship makes it through to travel back to the past - it must be the Broadsword. No other vessel can make Pacifica happen. Can make her... real." He says this as you continue to stare down into a city that is very real despite your overwhelmed collective senses wondering to the contrary.

The grinning hologram wags a finger at Spaceman Sam. "I... don't know what I can give you that you don't already have... but you, you mental little twit," he kneels down as if picking up a kitten-sized kitten. "I know what you want! We are off to the mess for some fish! Let's go! Come on, Sam! Dine with us!" The hologram does an about-face with one hand up as if carrying something or someone and the hologram disappears, vanishing into the air.
The lightheartedness of that last recorded interaction makes Elinor smile despite her continuing wonder at Pacifica. She's glad Drake had had Sam and Trouble to depend on, that he could count on their hope making his dream reality. He hadn't gotten the chance to see this for himself -- or would he? she wonders. Somewhere out there he was still alive, or being born, or something; would his future, but not that far in the future, self ever come back home to see this? Whether he does or not, she's glad that he at least knew he had a reliable hope, even if he couldn't see the result of it.

She waits for the answer to her squadmates' questions, having nothing to add herself at the moment that wouldn't be simply a repeat.
 
Last edited:
Side scene: Elinor and Hitomi
Elinor had noticed the others slipping off to see about recordings to their families. Now it was her turn. She stopped briefly at her quarters and checked her appearance to make sure she'd left off all unit, ship, and other insignia, anything that might indicate where she was or what she was up to. She also took a moment to settle her hair back into place. While she wasn't one to bother with a million "products," she also didn't like her hair straggly or windblown-looking. She looked over her reflection in her mirror, nodded firmly in approval when everything was just so, and left her quarters, moving quickly to meet Hitomi.

"My turn," she greeted her friend and Jeet Kune Do instructor. "Just say when you're ready..."

After Hitomi indicated the recording had started, Elinor smiled quirkily at the camera, and leaned in closely as if inspecting it. "Is this thing on?" she asked, then sat back with a wink. That was a Hall family joke; though most of the people on the farm could get by well enough with technology, Elinor was one of the few truly comfortable with high-tech items. Many a time, a videocall, phone call, or video or audio recording had begun with just those words, and not just from the elder Halls. Now, any of them was likely to start off with them, just to be silly.

Her expression sobered. "I know, y'all were told I was dead, killed in action. I wish I could come in person to prove I'm not, but you can trust the person I'm sending this message with. They'll tell you as much as they safely can, but I'll tell you now -- that's not goin' to be much. What I'm doin' now, it's important, and it's secret, and there isn't much more that can be said aside that, leastwise as regards what I'm up to. So, on to what I can say." She leaned forward, not close, but intent on the imagined viewers, so far away in both distance and situation, but never far from her heart. "I love you all. Never forget that. I'll come home when I can, but don't count on me for Christmas, nor anythin' else until you hear from me again. And try not to worry, OK? I'm not alone. I've got some real good people with me, and we'll be watchin' each other's backs just fine. And yes, Mom, I am remembering to wear sunscreen when I'm going to be out in the sun." She nodded reassuringly, then took a deep breath. "So, until next time. Y'all take care now, you hear? Hugs to each an' every one of you. I'll see you when I see you." She looked past the camera and nodded to Hitomi.
 
Last edited:
Side scene with Hercules and Hitomi

"What about Shirley? Elinor? Ylva? Cera? You've all only known each other since the Assembly or less, yet you seem comfortable with them - even with your very life."

Hercules nodded as he considered Hitomi's question and replied, "With respect, Captain Mackenzie and Lieutenants Hall and Kirin are my superior officers. Professional courtesy and military order takes precedence over my shyness. It's not a matter of being 'comfortable with them', it simply that they are due the respect of their rank and that overrules my feelings. The same would probably be with Lieutentant Sveadottir once I've interacted with her more. As for Cera, I barely know her, I've barely spoken more than a dozen words to her."
He sighed, "I don't think there's much that can be done with this situation, and I'm grateful for your offer to help. But I don't think we're going to get very far. I'll see you later, MIss Hitomi."
With that he rose, smiled to her again and left the room.
 
( Captain Hesperus Captain Hesperus Tag!)

Side Scene with Hercules and Hitomi

Hitomi can't help but give a glowing grin at Hercules's remarks. Hers is an expression that lacks worry and contains something closer to admiration. "Maybe not, my good man, but I'm confident that a guy like you can tame this inner beast of yours. Please keep in mind - the Hercules of yore didn't tackle all of his challenges without a little help; you don't have to either. I'm here should you change your mind, my friend. Until then, sayonara, Hercules-san!" she waves.
 
Last edited:
( Kaerri Kaerri Tag!)

Side Scene with Elinor and Hitomi

Hitomi seems to quickly catch on to Elinor's family joke. Of course the camera was on, but something in Elinor's easy manner seems to suggest something more and the ever-perceptive Asian American gives a little smile.

When the recording is finished, Hitomi does something she rarely does when it comes to individual "performances" of this nature; she nods and claps in clear approval. "Elly, this is one of the reasons I enjoy having you in Jeet Kune Do with Toph and me - I've never had to remind you to think things like this through; you seem to do it as if it's in your nature. I might not have to edit your message at all! All in one take too! Yoku yatta, Elinor-san!"

Not one to leave you guessing, Hitomi adds, "'Well done' in Japanese." Elinor and Toph both know that Hitomi is a master of many languages but the ongoing joke is - how many? She has never come out and given a number. It seems if it's a major language, either she knows it or knows its brother and sister well-enough to gather some meaning.

Then the lovely doctor and more shifts gears. "I feel I should tell you, Elly - I think there is a small chance that your families were not informed of your deaths. I know for certain General Steele sent it out - the order was right there in one of the hard drives we collected when we raided his safehouse. However, that's no guarantee that the messengers made it. Eglin and nearby areas are under attack by the Malcontents. Your families and friends are spread out across the globe - especially Hercules's in Greece. Given the state of the area right now, I imagine that there's a chance that they never got through. Small, but large enough for me to wonder about it and share with you."
 
Sidescene with Hitomi and Ylva

The website wouldn't let me quote the previous post, so this is as good as I'll manage - all Dann's writing, of course.

Hitomi takes a long look at whatever her laptop is presenting her, then with a mild nod that seem born of satisfaction, she looks up to Ylva with a grin. "For presentations like these, I think it's really far more about avoiding saying the wrong thing and getting your people to worry more about you. I like your presentation. It's reassuring without being revealing and I won't have to edit much at all, Ylva. Nice work!"

Hitomi takes a look at Ylva's outfit. Like Toph and Mario before they changed back into their white UEEF uniforms, Ylva is currently dressed in sterile military fatigues that feel like a polyester/cloth blend. They are clean, sharp, with a greyish-black camouflage pattern without markings, identifying patterns, clothing cuts, or obvious materials of any kind. Virtually untraceable. =)

"Well, good." Ylva's voice betrays that she's not all that convinced; but this is one of those things you can't really get right, other than by showing up on her family's doorsteps. And that'll be a while, if ever. Last time she checked, everyone was supposed to die a horrible death. "You know, it's weird. All of this. I mean, everything is, but this video... being dead..." She gives the camera a nod. "It's good to get the news out. One less thing to worry about." Ylva turns to leave. "I'll leave you to it. Let the others spread the good news as well."
 
Side Scene with Ylva and Hitomi

Hitomi folds her fingers and from her chair, she reaches her arms out high above her head in a much-needed stretch. When it is finished, the Japanese-Polynesian replies in a good natured tone. "Nothing about our situation is normal, Ylva, but this is far from the first time that I've been in adverse and highly unusual situations. If ever you want someone to chat with, look me up. It's part of the reason The Professor brought me along." Hitomi gives a hearty thumbs-up to the Scandinavian. "Until next time, you just keep doing what you do best!"

And with that, Hitomi turns to her laptop. Her fingers begin expertly-clicking the keys as she gets to work as Ylva and Hitomi part ways for now. =)
 
Last edited:
Side scene with Elinor and Hitomi

When the recording is finished, Hitomi does something she rarely does when it comes to individual "performances" of this nature; she nods and claps in clear approval. "Elly, this is one of the reasons I enjoy having you in Jeet Kune Do with Toph and me - I've never had to remind you to think things like this through; you seem to do it as if it's in your nature. I might not have to edit your message at all! All in one take too! Yoku yatta, Elinor-san!"
Elinor bowed, as she would have in Jeet Kune Do when accepting an instructor's compliment for a technique well performed. "Nature or trainin', ma'am. Or both. A test pilot that doesn't think through her plotted flight plan is a test pilot who isn't gonna last long, and from the minute I decided on that path, that was what I aimed for." She shrugged. "Fate's got other plans, it seems, or at least this Captain Drake does, but a good brain an' a cool head isn't gonna hurt on this mission, either."

Then the lovely doctor and more shifts gears. "I feel I should tell you, Elly - I think there is a small chance that your families were not informed of your deaths. I know for certain General Steele sent it out - the order was right there in one of the hard drives we collected when we raided his safehouse. However, that's no guarantee that the messengers made it. Eglin and nearby areas are under attack by the Malcontents. Your families and friends are spread out across the globe - especially Hercules's in Greece. Given the state of the area right now, I imagine that there's a chance that they never got through. Small, but large enough for me to wonder about it and share with you."
"Well, that's all to the best, then," Elinor replied with a nod. "The less worry they have, the better. I just hope if they get his fake notice after they get this, they won't think this was recorded first." She smiled. "But you or whomever can answer that for 'em, as much answering as they need or you can give, right?" It was less a question and more a statement of faith in her friend and martial arts instructor. Elinor had done her part by recording; it was Hitomi's part from here, and Elinor had no doubts in her or anyone she chose to entrust with this.
 
"Fate's got other plans, it seems, or at least this Captain Drake does, but a good brain an' a cool head isn't gonna hurt on this mission, either."
"I agree! And the more, the better!"

"Well, that's all to the best, then," Elinor replied with a nod. "The less worry they have, the better

Hitomi sighs, her gold-brown eyes deep in thought. "That... is my intent behind all of this. Not just to counter General Steele's lies, but to arm both your families and our side with reality. Your people deserve to know the facts; how else are they to get them? Throughout Earth history, entire wars have been started on lies. On the yin-yang, great times of peace and human achievements have been made possible through the use of facts. If General Steele and his people want to battle in the age-old battleground of information, they'll find me and people like The Professor ready and willing to stop them; the alternative being Steele influences who he wants like countless dictators before him. How can I call myself a 'good gal' if I choose to stand aside?"

Hitomi taps her nails on the table then waves to Elinor. "Okay, time for philosophy is over. Time for typing! And besides," Hitomi winks at Elly, "don't you have a world to save or something?" With a playful motion, Hitomi glances at the door and gets to work on her laptop. There is a great deal to be done and more than one battleground to do it on. =)
 
Hercules looked out over the vast aquatic city and the veritable horde of Espers flying around with a face of slowly-dawning horror. Everything he saw, from the fleet of Espers, the gigantic city and the immense freaking warship under construction made him wonder what he was getting involved in. He was only a tankie, a man who sat in a massive tin can firing ordinance at stuff that wanted to kill him and those he cared about. All this? It was far beyond his ability to comprehend. A spaceship from the future, traveled back in time and across huge expanses of space to be here with a crew of catpeople and freshly-thawed humans and surferboy robots was close to the limit of his coping strategies, but this new reveal...

Hercules took a couple of big steps back, his breathing ragged in the turbulent wind whipping through the open launch bay door and sat down heavily on one of the supply cases firmly lashed down to the deck. He would need time, lots of it, to process everything that he was witnessing.
 
Mario walks over to stand next to the big man and places his hand on his shoulder. In a calm voice, he says, "Hey. You ok, man? I get that this is a lot to take in. Believe me, I get it. Just think of this as a real chance to win this upcoming war and make sure that the future that the Broadsword came from never happens the way that they recorded it."
 
Captain Hesperus Captain Hesperus (Taaaag!)

"Technopolis" by Yellow Magic Orchestra! You may remember this title from our Broadsword section of the same name. Since we're talking about the city, it seems only right to (finally!) play this as part of the conversation! =)



Silanon Silanon
"Quite the show out there, Sam. Impressive. You didn't exaggerate." Her voice betrays the awe of someone who understands enough of the details to know how ridiculous a project like this is, all things considered. There's a hundred questions in her mind. She settles on a single one of those. "So with this long-term plan working out, down there - what's needed?"

Sam strikes an athletic pose, like a surfer riding a board through a barrel, the thumbs and pinky fingers extended with knuckles facing you. His every word is combined with the swaying and laidback body language of surfers the world over. "So, like, besides mind-blowing amounts of resources, Drake wanted the cities to have, y'know, people in 'em. How can you save humanity without humanity, right dude? You need humans. Otherwise it's all bogus and what a dragimus maximus that would be."

Professor Stein looks on, one of his great hands against the side of his silver-haired head in awe. Of all the secrets Drake had withheld from the Broadsword, Stein had never dreamed it would be something of this scale, this magnitude. Stein appears pleasantly shaken by it all. "Come again, Sam? 'Cities?' Would you please explain what you mean?"

"Yeah, duuude! Cities! Duuuude. Pacifica is the first of what will be many; Pacifica is Earth's very first mobile geothermally-powered underwater city. The only one of her kind, man. But the plan is to make more. See, like, the aqua-cities? They've got this other uber-important purpose - one that'll really alter the course of humanity. And it's toootally raaaaad, duuude!"

The Broadsword drifts into a casually slow turn about and above vibrant Pacifica. Below you, there are new towering buildings, busy factories, and armed military stations all with teeming masses of Sams and Samanthas. In compliment to the technological, great green gardens and patches of forest cover the city in patches of natural beauty, bringing the outside inside. In the center of that gleaming, magnificent city is a flat space wider than an American professional football stadium (over 200 meters). It appears to be a circular phenomenon made of mighty-looking gun-metal hypercarbon slab rising some 30 meters high all around - one gigantic disc of steel - its purpose unclear but its presence unmissable.

Captain Sharp is blinking a lot as he tries to take in the grandness of it all. Sharp points at the colossal steely circle in the middle of Pacifica and asks, "That is totally rad, Sam?"

"Yeah!" Sam chortles and rocks from heel to heel in merriment.

"Why?"

"Because it's a mini-Grand Cannon, sir. A mini-Grand Cannon on a mobile underwater platform - all like Captain Drake designed. What you're looking at is the barrel's hatch."

"EDF's Finest Disappointment: The Grand Cannon!" It should be noted that the YouTubers on this post fight the title of this video pretty hard - and with good reason. The Grand Cannon was Earth's sole "Death Star" weapon if you will and a great many of Lord Dolza's Zentraedi were utterly blasted out of existence when it fired during the First Robotech War. It is common knowledge for your Characters that the Grand Cannon was then counter-attacked in Alaska by Lord Dolza's forces and completely destroyed.


"My God!" Captain Sharp brings his hand over his heart. "If we had had even a small number of these during the war, who knows how many people on Earth would have been saved?"

Sam gives Sharp a thumbs-up. "Right on, man! You're diggin' Drake's vision like you were there with him! Of course, Pacifica's Grand Cannon isn't complete yet."

"What is holding it back?" Professor Stein leans in.

"The plans," Sam explains. The Pacifica's main cannon is much like the SDF-1's in scope, but with the SDF-1 and SDF-2 destroyed, there's only one place to go, man."

"South America!" Captain Sharp smacks his fist into his palm. "While the first of Earth's Grand Cannons was obliterated in Alaska, the second in South America never fired a shot because it was never completed! Are you saying the Broadsword has to go there and recover what it can?"

Sam nods to all of you. "Bingo, Captain sir. No plans, no completed Pacifica mini-Grand Cannon. Of course, the South America Grand Cannon's not going anywhere so, like, time still seems to be on our side, sir."

There is a series of exclamations, lively oaths, and blown-away sighs around Hangar Bay Bravo as each member of the Broadsword crew reacts in their own fashion to this news.

* * *​
Sherwood Sherwood
Mario listens and watches intently as the presentation is made, showing the grand vision of Drake's plan. It is a huge order, and it makes the Italian feel very small. In a quiet voice, he says, "Holy crap that is one big ship. This is going to take a lot of work to make happen, and I am not the kind of guy to sit around on my ass when there is work to be done, so . . . What is our next step? Where do you need us the most?"

Spaceman Sam nods to Mario with a coolness only surfers exude. "Yeah, dude. The carrier? She's an Ikazuchi-class Carrier of the latest generation - the baddest of the bad. Unlike the Pacifica's Grand Cannon, it's only a matter of time before we complete her; maybe a few months at this rate.

"As for what the Broadsword can do, well, I think it's like this:

"1. We gotta get Commander Kirin back in the game, man. Her, like, totally unique perspective on the Zeki, Ura, and Invid might been the difference between mondo victory or shameful defeat.

"2. Somebody's gotta get the plans for the Grand Cannon out in South America. It's in Malcontent territory but with the Zeki puttin' out the call to arms, it might soon become Zeki territory! And the Zeki? Given how far along they are past Lord Dolza's Zentraedi, they might be able to do something with all that tech!

"3. You've already covered filling the Broadsword with provisions, but that's only gonna last so long. When the Invid come, they lay waste to everyone and everything. Part of Drake's plan was to find Earth's best and brightest and bring that element here to live on Pacifica. Of course, everybody's gonna have their own list of who they want aboard.

"Yeah, dudes! It's this plus whatever you Traversers think up! There's good reason Drake needed you all to be part of this - he always said so! We get all of these bases here covered and Pacifica will be zoomin' on her way to fireworks and parties on the beaches, dudes!"

With that thought being filed away, she turns her attention to the briefing. She raises up her hand to ask a question. "Please pardon what may be a silly question, but with these Invid coming to Earth, is it feasible for us to contact the Robotech Masters and negotiate a truce in order to be able to both focus on the Invid? After all, making contact with the Masters is why the UEEF set out in the first place. It may not be possible to form an alliance, but if we can, who knows how the fight will come out?"

Spaceman Sam shakes his head mournfully. "Awww, no go, Lieutenant Kirin. The Invid waxed the Robotech Masters' surfboards big time. In our future, it's like the Bummer of the Century! By the time the UEEF reached Tirol, the Robotech Masters had lost to the Invid in a huuuge way. Nobody knows where the Robotech Masters fled to after that. Some think they'll be coming here, but for what, no one seemed to know."

Piper adds, "Not even the Hunters knew. By the time we realized how badass the Invid Regess was, the Invid were kicking all of UEEF's asses and had us on the run all the way to the Black Binary. I think you know the rest."

* * *​

But the sudden refocusing of everyone else's attention draws her eyes back to the scene outside. Her eyes widen, her jaw drops slightly, and her hand tightens on Beema's. "It's a city," she whispers as the island emerges into full view. Pacifica wasn't just being planned -- Sam had built it!
"Iz, iz!" Beema pants and squeezes Elinor's hand.

* * *​
Kaerri Kaerri
Elinor obediently waves hello with her free hand, since the other is still holding Beema's (unless Beema has let go). She doesn't say anything, but she looks over to catch Shirley's eye and grins. It was Mack that had inspired her to pick "surfer dude," after all.

Shirley takes a moment to come out of her daze. She replies to Elinor with a silent, sweet grin and a thumb and pinky outstretched and wiggling, knuckles toward Elinor, in a surfer sign unknown to most farm-girls. Then she goes back to looking as if she is mentally reeling.

* * *​

Hercules took a couple of big steps back, his breathing ragged in the turbulent wind whipping through the open launch bay door and sat down heavily on one of the supply cases firmly lashed down to the deck. He would need time, lots of it, to process everything that he was witnessing.

Hercules soon finds himself with company besides Mario. Coosi and Duskee crawl up beside him, Duskee offering Herc a cold German Pilsner (beer) not long out of the Chessel Corporation's hidden provisions you found in Vera Cruz, Mexico. Both Broo pat the big Greek on his shoulders. "Hey!" Duskee grins, his fangs showing. "You no worry, Hurk-yoo-leez! Broadsword Numbah One! Wild Cards Numbah One, too!"

"Yah, yah!" Coosi balls her fingers into fists and punches the air. "We keeel de monsta! You will see!" Being creatures of the moment, Coosi's demeanor suddenly shifts as she looks across Hercules's mountainous shoulders. "Ahhh, Hurk-yoo-leez want massage? Coosi have strong fingas!" she flexes her hands. "Hurk-yoo-leez help feed tribe so he Numbah One!"

* * *​

Psychie Psychie

Captain Piper chooses that moment to walk up to Toph. The youngest of Captains has a sheepish grin on her face as, with some of the crew behind her, Piper makes a statement to the Meltrandi-human Wild Card Traverser. "Hey, Kirin! We uh..." Piper smiles awkwardly. "We thought that you being the Commander's daughter and all, we kinda got together and made a decision to bring a gift your way. We love your mom and... you kinda by extension." Piper turns back to her crew as if to query. There are enough faces familiar to her that nod and give positive reinforcement that Piper seems satisfied as she turns back to Toph.

"Uh, just let us know when you want it, okay?"
 
Last edited:
"As for what the Broadsword can do, well, I think it's like this:

"1. We gotta get Commander Kirin back in the game, man. Her, like, totally unique perspective on the Zeki, Ura, and Invid might been the difference between mondo victory or shameful defeat.

"2. Somebody's gotta get the plans for the Grand Cannon out in South America. It's in Malcontent territory but with the Zeki puttin' out the call to arms, it might soon become Zeki territory! And the Zeki? Given how far along they are past Lord Dolza's Zentraedi, they might be able to do something with all that tech!

"3. You've already covered filling the Broadsword with provisions, but that's only gonna last so long. When the Invid come, they lay waste to everyone and everything. Part of Drake's plan was to find Earth's best and brightest and bring that element here to live on Pacifica. Of course, everybody's gonna have their own list of who they want aboard.

"Yeah, dudes! It's this plus whatever you Traversers think up! There's good reason Drake needed you all to be part of this - he always said so! We get all of these bases here covered and Pacifica will be zoomin' on her way to fireworks and parties on the beaches, dudes!"
Toph sits, her mind racing. She finally says, "If I were to give a vote here, obviously I will go with trying to get that supply of Ice-9 that Commander Kirin needs to get back on her feet. Not only am I speaking from my own personal self-interest, but having mom back in command would be a huge morale boost to the crew. Besides, it sounds like we would be putting a black eye on the Zeki Zentraedi's faces in the process, and keep them from being able to rally the surviving Malcontents under their control."
Captain Piper chooses that moment to walk up to Toph. The youngest of Captains has a sheepish grin on her face as, with some of the crew behind her, Piper makes a statement to the Meltrandi-human Wild Card Traverser. "Hey, Kirin! We uh..." Piper smiles awkwardly. "We thought that you being the Commander's daughter and all, we kinda got together and made a decision to bring a gift your way. We love your mom and... you kinda by extension." Piper turns back to her crew as if to query. There are enough faces familiar to her that nod and give positive reinforcement that Piper seems satisfied as she turns back to Toph.

"Uh, just let us know when you want it, okay?"
When Capt. Piper approaches her, she stands to give the other woman the respect she is due. Then, when there is an offer of a gift from the crew to her, all because of her mother, it is almost a physical blow. These people, most of them don't even know me as anything other than Zyorna's daughter, and they are still willing to approach me with a gift. She must have really touched these people in a very meaningful way. I love my mom! Clearing her throat, she says, "Uh, yes, ma'am, and thank you. Thank you all. I hardly know what to say. Is this gift something that would be best given in private, or is it something appropriate for this gathering? I don't wish to dishonor your love for the Commander by being disrespectful of your good will."
 
Hercules turned to look at his fellow tanker and smiled weakly.
”I hear you, Mario, it’s just....”, he swept his arms out expansively to indicate everything around them, “In just a few short days, days, we’ve gone from being a pair of GroPos, blowing up Bad Zeek and AUL shit, to hunting out advanced spaceships, meeting future robots and UEEF troops and now there’s a damn city in the middle of the ocean with a giant spaceship being built. It’s so much, too much, for me to take in. I’m a simple man, I like good food, good wine, good music, good company and I like protecting those I care about. Point me at a problem, give me some heavy ordinance to solve it with and I’m a-okay.”
He shook his head, sadly, ”I just want a bit of normality, or whatever passes for that these days. I want to cook kolokythokeftedes, Mama's dolmades recipe and moussaka. I want to sit out in the sun and eat it all with a good glass of Retsina wine and listen to Giannis Poulopoulos singing."
He shrugged his massive shoulders and sighed, "But I know for the time being that's a pipe-dream. This upcoming war with these Invid is going to take all our efforts to overcome, no time for cooking or relaxing."

He looked up as the two Broo came over and smiled, accepting the beer and cracking it open to take a long swig of the golden brew.
"No, Coosi, Hercules no want massage, but thank you.", he replied, ruffling her hair with his free hand.
The Broo were a curious race, as flighty and easily distracted as Earth cats, but as animated as puppies. It felt it odd that he didn't feel shy interacting with these admittedly pretty alien women as he did with human ones.
 
(Part 1 of 2) Captain Hesperus Captain Hesperus Psychie Psychie

Toph sits, her mind racing. She finally says, "If I were to give a vote here, obviously I will go with trying to get that supply of Ice-9 that Commander Kirin needs to get back on her feet. Not only am I speaking from my own personal self-interest, but having mom back in command would be a huge morale boost to the crew. Besides, it sounds like we would be putting a black eye on the Zeki Zentraedi's faces in the process, and keep them from being able to rally the surviving Malcontents under their control."

Captain Sharp doffs his spectacles and cleans them with a handy cloth he keeps in a chest-pocket. "Noted, Lieutenant. But that's a discussion we'll hold soon in an upcoming briefing. There are... details that ought to be discussed prior to making any decisions on going after our sole lead on Ice-9." Sharp sets his jaw and puts his glasses back on. "Details that will be shared strictly on a need-to-know basis."

One glance among the crew shows the Special Forces team nodding in agreement, the Broo looking mostly to the Special Forces team for their reaction then once seeing it, joining it, and then the remainder of the Broadsword crew with a mixture of reactions - no one appears surprised. Instead, they quickly seem to settle into the roles they will likely be taking on when the time for action is called for.

He shrugged his massive shoulders and sighed, "But I know for the time being that's a pipe-dream. This upcoming war with these Invid is going to take all our efforts to overcome, no time for cooking or relaxing."

While several of the Broadsword's human crew sigh in resignation at the apparent reality of these words, Professor Stein steps forward with his hands behind his back and offers another point of view. "If you will allow another point of view, I think the only force among us that probably does not require relaxation, my good soldier, are the Sams. I say there must be time for relaxation lest we overwork and burn ourselves out before the Invid make their arrival. I, for one, have heard no timetable as to when this shall happen. To work and work for what might turn out to be years without a break is worse than mental - it is self-defeating. I say we should balance work and play and remember that above all - we are human and Broo and must act the part lest life lose its very meaning."

"Meeeeeew!" a certain MechaKitten cheers. "What he sez!"

"Oh, everyone knows you are just in it for the fish."

"Reeewr!" Trouble bats with his tiny paws. "Da feeesh an' da pettin'!"

He looked up as the two Broo came over and smiled, accepting the beer and cracking it open to take a long swig of the golden brew.
"No, Coosi, Hercules no want massage, but thank you.", he replied, ruffling her hair with his free hand.
The Broo were a curious race, as flighty and easily distracted as Earth cats, but as animated as puppies. It felt it odd that he didn't feel shy interacting with these admittedly pretty alien women as he did with human ones.

Coosi straightens in surprise when Hercules ruffles her hair. Some switch inside her Broo mind suddenly flips and she begins pushing her head against his muscled fingers and grinning with gleeful abandon. Coosi sweetly reaches over and puts her arms around Hercules's waist, hugging him while friendly purring sounds erupt from her throat.

"Hurk-yoo-leez, Numbah One! Yes yes!"

Meanwhile, on Hercules's other side, he feels Duskee curiously poking Hercules's steely bicep. Then Duskee pokes his own muscle, then he looks up to the big Greek's face to see his expression. If Hercules does not show any signs of irritation, Duskee goes right back to the bodybuilder's arm, pressing and grabbing while scratching his head in confusion.

"What you eat to get sooo biiig?" Duskee asks.

"Duskee-san, my bet is Greek food," says Hitomi. A touch of her pleasant perfume kisses your noses as she passes by. "And lots of it!" Hitomi then looks at Coosi fiercely hugging on Hercules. She gives a smile and a wink up to him that seems to cheerfully say, "Good going!"
 
(Part 2 of 2)

Clearing her throat, she says, "Uh, yes, ma'am, and thank you. Thank you all. I hardly know what to say. Is this gift something that would be best given in private, or is it something appropriate for this gathering? I don't wish to dishonor your love for the Commander by being disrespectful of your good will."

Piper stares at Toph, shaking her head more and more as Toph speaks. She looks about her to her star-traveled fellows. "Maaaan, is there anybody on this ship that doubts this is Commander Kirin's daughter?"

"Not me," one lady in a wrinkled UEEF uniform says.

"Sounds just like her," says another wearing a uniform that looks like it has also seen better days.

Piper stretches and lets out a pleased sigh. Casually, she lets loose as she is wont to do. "Well, that sounds like a 'yes,' and to answer your silly question - if I were gonna give you something in private, you think I'd be dumb enough to tell everybody in public?"

"You miiight!" exclaims a well-armed muscular bronze-skinned woman whose wild hair implies she has been out in the field without a haircut. "We know yooou, Piper!" she says with a sharp Hispanic accent.

"I know you too, Gabi! Now get moving!" Piper looks down at an information-displaying bracelet on her wrist. "Sam says we're due for final approach to Pacifica's star port any minute now. Woo!"

"Vamos Muchachos" by Pepe Deluxe. What a great jam! Just try keeping still while listening to this! Bet you can't! 8D


The Special Forces trooper called Gabi turns toward Toph, a rucksack over her shoulder with what looks like a sleek but dirty robotic drone peeking out from inside of it. She stomps over to the Wild Cards nearest Toph as Scary Jerry and Cal haul up something large and box-shaped under a tarp. They disappear beneath it and start messing with whatever is underneath. Gabi glances outside to the sea and the aquatic city that is Drake's Dream, then she puts one hand on her hip and stabs a finger straight at Toph.

"Hey, Kirin! Lemme tell you somethin', chica!" Her eyes blaze at the half-human, half-Meltrandi as the wind blows all about you. "We gonna get your momma back, don' you worry! We don' care who got the Ice-9 or what we gotta do to get it, comprende?"

Scary Jerry peeks up from under the blue tarp. He curls one edge of it around his bald head making his crazed eyes stand out. "She's right! Your mom's coming back to us! Bad enough we lost Drake - ain't NO FUCKIN' WAAAY we're losing your mom too!"

Big Cal seems to unfold the box-like object under the tarp and aim it directly at Hangar Bay Bravo's exit where the crisp sea air whirls and Pacifica awaits. "Somebody you know told us that you're a flight officer. Says you like tearin' up the sky in jets and Veritechs and stuff. Gave us this idea that you were stressed and maybe you'd like to blow off some of that steam like your mom does... on this."

(Here's some mood music for ya!)
"1. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" by Joe Hisaishi at 25 Year Concert in Budokan


The Special Forces team tears away the blue tarp revealing a flying machine unlike which Toph never knew was real, but here it is, gleaming in the sunlight, aimed at the exit, ready to fly.

jorge-roldan-signes-render1.jpg
jorge-roldan-signes-render2.jpg
(Image credit: Jorge Roldán Signes)

(From Hayao Miyazaki's delightful masterpiece, Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind)
Mehve Film08_nausicaa.jpg
(Image credit: Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind Wiki - Fandom)

Captain Piper folds her arms and smiles. "It's an exact copy of your mom's Mehve. With the resources you all helped get from the AUL in Mexico and Cera's help, we were able to create a copy of your own. Wasn't our idea though. All this came from her." Piper grins and points and there on the opposite side of the Mehve and out of the way stands Hitomi. The Japanese-Polynesian beams a lovely smile at Toph and just gives a little wave to her.


Trouble sprints out of whomever's grasp he is in this time and runs up to Toph's feet, meowing madly. "Reeeewrwrwr!" "C'moooon! I'll be your Fox-Squirrel! Put me on your shoulder and let's gooo!"

Piper adds, "We've thought ahead. One of the Samanthas is down there in the Ajax you brought here. If anything goes wrong with your flying, she's ready to transform and catch you!"

Anyone with any of the following Skills can pilot a Mehve without penalties. Pilot Hover Cycle or Hover Vehicle, Pilot Jet Aircraft, Pilot Jet Fighter, or Pilot Veritech. Happy flying! =)
 
Last edited:
"2. Somebody's gotta get the plans for the Grand Cannon out in South America. It's in Malcontent territory but with the Zeki puttin' out the call to arms, it might soon become Zeki territory! And the Zeki? Given how far along they are past Lord Dolza's Zentraedi, they might be able to do something with all that tech!
Mario frowns and crosses his arms. "Having the main gun of Pacifica up and running sounds to me like it would be the priority here. The good news is, we are all familiar with the Malcontent Zentraedi war machine to know what they are capable of. The bad news is the presence of the Zeki. That Beastmaster mecha was a real ass-kicker, and that was just one of 'em. If Toph hadn't gotten her shot in when she did, well, lets just say it wouldn't have been pretty. I guess what I'm trying to say is that getting those plans should be our next priority, both to get Pacifica up to 100% and also to keep them from the hands of the enemy."

He pauses, then goes on to say, "Before committing to this, we would need some intel on what we'd be facing going in, both in the form of the known Zentraedi forces in the area, the layout of the complex, and if there are any automated defenses to deal with. We can then come up with what mecha we would be using to go into this, as in the Super Logans or the Mjolnir tanks, and if it would be possible to have some Cyclones along for times we need to dismount."


When the mysterious gift for Toph was being presented, Mario looks over at it in surprise. "That looks so cool! Kinda like a motorcycle for the sky! Give it a whirl, Toph! Show us what this amazing flying board is capable of!" He gives the pink haired doc a wide grin and a thumbs up as he walks around the Mehve in admiration.
 
Last edited:
Mario frowns and crosses his arms. "Having the main gun of Pacifica up and running sounds to me like it would be the priority here. The good news is, we are all familiar with the Malcontent Zentraedi war machine to know what they are capable of. The bad news is the presence of the Zeki. That Beastmaster mecha was a real ass-kicker, and that was just one of 'em. If Toph hadn't gotten her shot in when she did, well, lets just say it wouldn't have been pretty. I guess what I'm trying to say is that getting those plans should be our next priority, both to get Pacifica up to 100% and also to keep them from the hands of the enemy."

He pauses, then goes on to say, "Before committing to this, we would need some intel on what we'd be facing going in, both in the form of the known Zentraedi forces in the area, the layout of the complex, and if there are any automated defenses to deal with. We can then come up with what mecha we would be using to go into this, as in the Super Logans or the Mjolnir tanks, and if it would be possible to have some Cyclones along for times we need to dismount."
Toph fires off a quick glare at Mario when he puts is input in and it is not to go get the Ice-9 for her mother, but as she listens with her analytical side of her brain, she has to admit that the tanker has several good points. Her expression softens as she drops her head down, then she nods. With a heavy sigh, she says, "Damn you, Mario. Why do you have to be so . . . reasonable? Yes, you are right. We have to think of the needs of the many over my own personal desires to restore my mom to full health. But by God I will see her back on her feet before long. That is not negotiable in any way, shape or form."

"What can we do to help out with the prep work for this? Mario has another point that we need as much info as we can get before going in."
The Special Forces trooper called Gabi turns toward Toph, a rucksack over her shoulder with what looks like a sleek but dirty robotic drone peeking out from inside of it. She stomps over to the Wild Cards nearest Toph as Scary Jerry and Cal haul up something large and box-shaped under a tarp. They disappear beneath it and start messing with whatever is underneath. Gabi glances outside to the sea and the aquatic city that is Drake's Dream, then she puts one hand on her hip and stabs a finger straight at Toph.

"Hey, Kirin! Lemme tell you somethin', chica!" Her eyes blaze at the half-human, half-Meltrandi as the wind blows all about you. "We gonna get your momma back, don' you worry! We don' care who got the Ice-9 or what we gotta do to get it, comprende?"

Scary Jerry peeks up from under the blue tarp. He curls one edge of it around his bald head making his crazed eyes stand out. "She's right! Your mom's coming back to us! Bad enough we lost Drake - ain't NO FUCKIN' WAAAY we're losing your mom too!"

Big Cal seems to unfold the box-like object under the tarp and aim it directly at Hangar Bay Bravo's exit where the crisp sea air whirls and Pacifica awaits. "Somebody you know told us that you're a flight officer. Says you like tearin' up the sky in jets and Veritechs and stuff. Gave us this idea that you were stressed and maybe you'd like to blow off some of that steam like your mom does... on this."
Toph feels the smile return to her face, along with a few tears. Zyorna was more than just her mom; she was their Commander, and she could feel the love and support that the crew here have for her. Wiping her eyes, she says, "Oh, yes! We will have her back on her feet if I have to go storm the very gates of hell to get that Ice-9. It'll happen. That much I swear."
Captain Piper folds her arms and smiles. "It's an exact copy of your mom's Mehve. With the resources you all helped get from the AUL in Mexico and Cera's help, we were able to create a copy of your own. Wasn't our idea though. All this came from her." Piper grins and points and there on the opposite side of the Mehve and out of the way stands Hitomi. The Japanese-Polynesian beams a lovely smile at Toph and just gives a little wave to her.
Trouble sprints out of whomever's grasp he is in this time and runs up to Toph's feet, meowing madly. "Reeeewrwrwr!" "C'moooon! I'll be your Fox-Squirrel! Put me on your shoulder and let's gooo!"

Piper adds, "We've thought ahead. One of the Samanthas is down there in the Ajax you brought here. If anything goes wrong with your flying, she's ready to transform and catch you!"
The trickle of tears turns into a full on flow as she looks at the amazing flying board. She goes up to each of the people that were revealing the Mehve and gives them a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, then goes over to Hitomi and takes the other woman by her hands. In a quiet voice, she says to her, "Do you have any idea how much this means to me? You do realize that this makes me love you even more, don't you?" She pulls her into a tight hug, holding her close for a moment before releasing Hitomi to go and examine the Mehve in more detail.

"Thank you all for this! It is a gift beyond worth to me. C'mere, Trouble! Lets go and see what this baby can do!" Toph reaches down to scoop up the mewling mechakitten and puts him on her shoulder as she heads to the Mehve, getting ready to take flight. "Am I clear for take-off?"
 
Hercules took a couple of big steps back, his breathing ragged in the turbulent wind whipping through the open launch bay door and sat down heavily on one of the supply cases firmly lashed down to the deck. He would need time, lots of it, to process everything that he was witnessing.
Elinor noticed the big Greek moving away from the group, but it looked like Mario and the Broo were ready to support. Too many more people would call attention to him that he probably wouldn't want. At least, Elinor wouldn't want it, and so far Hercules hadn't seemed the attention-seeker type. So she remained in place, but kept a part of her mind on him in case she was needed.

"As for what the Broadsword can do, well, I think it's like this:

"1. We gotta get Commander Kirin back in the game, man. Her, like, totally unique perspective on the Zeki, Ura, and Invid might been the difference between mondo victory or shameful defeat.

"2. Somebody's gotta get the plans for the Grand Cannon out in South America. It's in Malcontent territory but with the Zeki puttin' out the call to arms, it might soon become Zeki territory! And the Zeki? Given how far along they are past Lord Dolza's Zentraedi, they might be able to do something with all that tech!

"3. You've already covered filling the Broadsword with provisions, but that's only gonna last so long. When the Invid come, they lay waste to everyone and everything. Part of Drake's plan was to find Earth's best and brightest and bring that element here to live on Pacifica. Of course, everybody's gonna have their own list of who they want aboard.
Elinor nodded, taking mental notes. "Speaking of provisions, is Pacifica self-sustainin'? Or are we goin' to need to plan regular supply runs? For the city itself, I mean, not for us -- I know we'll be picking up our own as it's needed and we find some." She wondered if her own home might someday be able to help with Broadsword's supplies. While there wasn't usually a huge surplus, the Halls did manage to have some to sell (or trade) after their own needs were met, and maybe they could find some way to pay for fresh farmfood. And visit, not-so-incidentally... It also crossed her mind that if Pacifica did have farms, well, maybe some of her family would be willing to migrate. She doubted they'd all come -- no one would want the family home abandoned! But it was a big family after all. And once her brother Freddie got his agricultural degree, maybe he'd like to take it to a high-tech place like Pacifica. Equally likely he'd get city'd-out and run home, I guess, but it's still years away anyhow.

Big Cal seems to unfold the box-like object under the tarp and aim it directly at Hangar Bay Bravo's exit where the crisp sea air whirls and Pacifica awaits. "Somebody you know told us that you're a flight officer. Says you like tearin' up the sky in jets and Veritechs and stuff. Gave us this idea that you were stressed and maybe you'd like to blow off some of that steam like your mom does... on this."
Elinor stares at Toph's gift in frank wonder, and (she hopes) hidden envy. Not that she wants to take the Mehve away from her fellow pilot, but she does sort of wish they'd made two of the pretty toys. Then again, watching Toph soar about would be fun, too. And goodness knows Toph could use some positive feeling about her mother, instead of just having to remember her on ice. That reminded her of something she'd meant to say earlier -- namely, that reviving Commander Kirin wasn't just a personal thing, but important to the whole ship (and, as Sam had said, probably to the mission as well) -- but she didn't care to distract the joyous mood just now, so she back-burnered the thought again for later.

"Thank you all for this! It is a gift beyond worth to me. C'mere, Trouble! Lets go and see what this baby can do!" Toph reaches down to scoop up the mewling mechakitten and puts him on her shoulder as she heads to the Mehve, getting ready to take flight. "Am I clear for take-off?"
Take-off clearance properly ought to come from Piper or Sharp, so Elinor waits until one of them has given the affirmative before calling out, "Have fun, Toph!" with a grin and a wave.

Mario frowns and crosses his arms. "Having the main gun of Pacifica up and running sounds to me like it would be the priority here. The good news is, we are all familiar with the Malcontent Zentraedi war machine to know what they are capable of. The bad news is the presence of the Zeki. That Beastmaster mecha was a real ass-kicker, and that was just one of 'em. If Toph hadn't gotten her shot in when she did, well, lets just say it wouldn't have been pretty. I guess what I'm trying to say is that getting those plans should be our next priority, both to get Pacifica up to 100% and also to keep them from the hands of the enemy."

He pauses, then goes on to say, "Before committing to this, we would need some intel on what we'd be facing going in, both in the form of the known Zentraedi forces in the area, the layout of the complex, and if there are any automated defenses to deal with. We can then come up with what mecha we would be using to go into this, as in the Super Logans or the Mjolnir tanks, and if it would be possible to have some Cyclones along for times we need to dismount."
Elinor nods. "We surely don't want anyone else gettin' their hands on it. Might be time for a scouting trip, then. Unless gettin' that Ice-9 will be a quick trip." She nods at Sharp, but only in acknowledgment of his earlier statement that this isn't the time to discuss that one. "Not just because she's Toph's mom, but because she's the Broadsword's ranking officer. And like Sam said, she'll have a perspective we might just need."
 
"Having the main gun of Pacifica up and running sounds to me like it would be the priority here.
Good thing someone else mentioned that - hard thing to say the right way, without knowing the people. Setting up advanced technology like those cannons takes time. And the impact of such a weapon; it'll be greater than the presence of a single human mind, no matter how likable, or reliable, or competent. As soon as Commander Kirin is back - and there's no doubt in Ylva's mind that it'll happen, eventually - she'll need tools to work with; better to have them at the ready, or at least on the way.

Thus, Ylva nods in quiet agreement as Mario points out likely priorities, and takes in what follows with a somewhat controlled curiosity. A gift, well-chosen, seemingly; though in her eyes, the real gift today is having actual hope, not just the promise of a plan. She's seen wasteland where the bombardments have turned civilisation to nothingness. Sometimes, it's hard to believe, but right now it's quite easy. While the Mehve draws most of the attention, and rightfully so, Ylva's eyes continue to glance over the scenery below. Lots to discover. Lots to understand. Many things to be done, before mankind will be prepared. But heck - it's one hell of a start already, and it looks the part.
 
Last edited:
Captain Hesperus Captain Hesperus Psychie Psychie

Captain Sharp doffs his spectacles and cleans them with a handy cloth he keeps in a chest-pocket. "Noted, Lieutenant. But that's a discussion we'll hold soon in an upcoming briefing. There are... details that ought to be discussed prior to making any decisions on going after our sole lead on Ice-9." Sharp sets his jaw and puts his glasses back on. "Details that will be shared strictly on a need-to-know basis."

"What can we do to help out with the prep work for this? Mario has another point that we need as much info as we can get before going in."
Mack strides up to Toph and pointedly aims a finger at Captain Sharp with her other hand on her hip. "Muppet, you can start by listening to our C.O. when he tells you to button it until we get behind closed doors, or have you forgotten what we all learned together during the Assembly?"

Shirley lets that sink in for a moment, and feeling her Point has been made, she grins a bit and points at the Mehve. "Now you and the cat get to scootin' before Elly or I get tempted to push you off of it and do it ourselves!" Shirley adds a playful kick to Toph's rump then steps away from the Mehve to allow her the space she needs to launch.

Piper raises a hand to a nearby Spacewoman Samantha and the android approaches Toph. "Her" newfound accent and country mannerisms or as expressive as ever

"Sugarplum, you lissen here and lissen good while I teach you how to fly this here flying machine, cuz if you don't, you'll wind up in the water quicker than you can say 'lickety split!'"

Opening up the fold-out laptop on her left wrist, Samantha displays a full-color three-dimensional hologram and shows Toph the safest and easiest way to pilot the Mehve. Only after this is done does Captain Piper grant the order to take off.

Toph is fitted with a CVR-3 megasuit priot to launch.

"Remember!" Piper orders. "Sam is going to be right behind you in a Valkyrie in case anything goes wrong! If it looks like you're in trouble, he has orders to catch you and bring you back here. Now go have fun!"
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top