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Post by Gundam Revival GM on Dec 20, 2012 17:24:12 GMT -5
Razel landed Spera Pridem just as Lord Kraeos popped up on him com screen. As he landed he could see Trent doing the same with Prophet of Sorrow, the slight fog around his MS billowing outwards as it hit ground.
Razel's attention immediately went back to the com screen where the behemoth of a man was bringing Hiro into view. <No> Razel thought as he saw Trent's partner come into frame. He couldn't bring himself to look at Trent, instead watching as Kraeos literally crushed the life out of the young pilot.
He hesitantly looked over at Trent on the com screen...
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Post by Trent Valencia on Dec 21, 2012 2:55:27 GMT -5
Hiro...
Put Hiro in his Mobile Suit and he could fly circles around most of the pilots in the E.S.S., Trent included. Take him out of the metal exoskeleton, strip him of his shields and weaponry and he becomes just a boy. A fierce and fearless soldier, true...but a boy nonetheless. Kraeos demonstrated that fact as he crushed Hiro's body as simply as a paper cup.
Trent's hands clenched around Prophet's controls, shaking with rage even as Hiro's body hit the ground. A thousand decisions flashed through his mind, all of them fueled by anger, frustration, helplessness, despair, hatred. None were tactical, none were the result of a clear head.
Trent breathed the pain out in a long slow exhale. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he rushed headlong into the impenetrable barrier and blew up on impact; not Hiro, certainly not Trent himself. And with the rest of E.S.S. waving the white flag in the face of this new evil, the citizens of the colonies needed something to hold on to, some little spark of hope.
Hope. How many times had Trent tried to slip through the barrier like Hiro had, only to fail and be driven back? And yet here stood Razel in his weapon of war that was not so different from Trent's own mobile suit. But it was different, or Razel knew something that Trent didn't, something that allowed him to pass through the barrier unscathed. If he could come in, perhaps Trent could go back out. He spoke over the comm, but was unable to look Razel in the eye.
"Hiro is dead and the E.S.S. has lost its spine. There's no place for me here now."
Trent reached up and tore the military emblem from his jumpsuit and let it fall to the floor. If Razel was here, there was a good chance the Royal Army still had some fight left in them. Trent hoped that somewhere out there, Culas and Pax Pacis still had fire in their blood and fuel in the lines.
"We're on our own here for the time being, Razel. But it doesn't have to be that way for long. If you know of a way through that barrier, I'm all ears."
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Post by Gundam Revival GM on Dec 26, 2012 23:30:52 GMT -5
Razel was relieved to see his once good friend straitening up and getting to the task at hand. He had a lot to think about when he had the luxury of time, but for now they both had work to do.
"Trent," Razel said as he prepped Spera for re-launch, not looking at the screen, "I need you to report to ESS and tell them we have a way through the barrier."
Razel stopped what he was doing and looked Trent in the eyes through the com-screen, "whatever they did before I got here will have to go unnoticed for now. We have a way to fight back, and we'll need all the help we can get to fight off these..."
Razel trailed off in thought, then physically shook his head, a slight shiver going up his spine.
He looked back at Trent, "you with me?"
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Post by Trent Valencia on Dec 27, 2012 22:41:56 GMT -5
Trent didn't respond immediately. The last thing he wanted to do at that moment was retreat back to E.S.S. grouped in with cowards and simpletons.
He remembered a story told to him long ago by a superior officer. During a great war that had encompassed the entire world, soldiers were recruited from every crack and crevice to fight. Every able-bodied man from 16 to 60 took up arms. Even the women did their part to help the war effort. As there are cowards now, there were cowards then, men too scared to lay down their lives so that others might live. These deserters were presented with white feathers as a sign of their weakness. If Trent were to keep to that tradition, he'd have to pluck an entire flock bald.
"E.S.S. may be less help than you think, Razel. Something has taken the wind out of their sails."
The surrender was odd, now that he thought of it. Kofista wasn't the type of man to back down, even in the face of odds as hopeless as these. If anything, Hiro's brutal murder would have stirred the old man into a bloody rage, not make him roll over like a pup. No, something was very wrong here.
"I'll take your information to them, but I don't know how much good it will do. If the leadership has lost their nerve, if they've been compromised..."
Trent trailed off. His mind whirred with possibilities. How much help could he count on if he couldn't convince Kofista, or whoever was in charge? How many soldiers would rebel with him if it came to that?
"I'll do what I can, that's all I can promise. You just be sure I get an invitation to the party one way or the other."
Trent raised his artificial hand to the comm and pointed at Razel.
"And keep that metal-fisted Russian of yours on a leash. The E.S.S. took a black eye today. Apprehending that fugitive would go a long way towards restoring people's faith in the system...at least in their eyes."
Trent fired up Prophet's jets, glad to have some purpose to direct his anger towards.
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Post by Gundam Revival GM on Dec 28, 2012 21:59:33 GMT -5
"Thanks, Trent," Razel said, nodding his head at his compadre. He was continually impressed with the way Trent handled himself and his emotions, guessing it was something that comes with age, or experience maybe. He knew that he would be a ball of emotion if he'd just lost Dmitri or Hal.
"I'll let you know what we have as soon as I get back to England," Razel said, starting Spera's jets, "Hal should be right behind me, we'll know soon."
Spera shot up into the sky, flying away and into the distance, Razel in a hurry to get back home.
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