Act 1, A Bright Beginning

[Burdenking]

Rebellion ship, "O.C.S. Bulwark"
0900 hours, 1 week after the battle of Theron 4, the location of the first Rebellion victory over the Empire in the outer colonies.



High above the atmosphere of Theron four, a small world known for its massive land scape of farms and agricultural industry, the O.C.S. Bulwark stands guard with a dozen other similarly sized ships. While the bulwark used to be a simple freighter ship for the great asteroid mines of Vernon, it had been a key player in the assault and capture of the planet from Empire forces. If one were to place a class on the ship itself, it could easily be counted as one of the few Heavy carrier class ship in the rebellions army. Even with that moniker though, its mining lasers were what won the day, allowing the ship to cut through Empire light cruisers and win any knife fights it had engaged in.

However, the fight had killed many of the old crew, and as the rebellion does not wish their heroic ship to be undermanned, a massive influx of new recruits from other rebel planets have come in to fill the space in it, and the many other ships who had followed its lead into battle.

You are one such recruit, come here to fight the Empire for what ever reason you have. The air is filled with excitement and victory, as the moral of the soldiers you travel with and meet seems to grow all the more, thoughts of future victories and possible winning of the war growing strong.

You stand within the main hanger, multiple Combat cores standing at the ready for use, each one unique and customized for battle. Standing on a podium before the gathering masses was a single man, who proportions seemed off. He appeared human, but his size seemed to be inconsistent with normal human physiology.

[Erynn]

Hyacinth strode out of the hallway onto the hangar deck. Why she had been chosen to board this vessel, she had no idea. Her machine was hardly suited for space, but the modification had been made anyway. From the looks of things, she was about to learn the rebellion leadership's reasoning. She only hoped that it didn't involve the phrase, 'Glorified Turret'. Whatever the case may be, Hyacinth guessed that it would likely have something to do with her unique communicative ability.

[Throndir]

Aria Blanchette

Small bursts of muffled chuckles came from a particular young lady. She couldn't help it. Look at that man. Large arms, the stomach... Aria didn't know what to think of, much less what to keep her attention focused on. What did the rebellion want to impart or their latest batch of recruits anyways? The upcoming speech about the tyranny of the empire, or... the mustache? At this thought, she had almost started laughing again. She quickly covered her mouth, hoping it wouldn't draw any unwanted attention, but just as she couldn't contain the mirth any longer. She noticed one of those blooming collectives walk onto the hangar deck; a tall and wiry one. Aria herself was just near the entrance so she was able to get a good look at her. She hasn't seen many of them before, at least not on her colony anyways. "I really hope all this time in space doesn't change us into him." She said with a grin on her face. She wondered if the alien would respond - she could count on one hand the number of times she talked to one, so at the very least it would help build her impression of them.

[Erynn]

"He may be thinking the same thing about you.", Hyacinth replied with a smirk, "He's probably a member of the original crew, if the large scar across his abdomen is any indication."

Hyacinth found herself somewhat amused by the human girl's behavior. Apparently, how someone looked could be a source of comedy for humans.

"Does your assignment here make at least a little more sense than mine?", She asks, half sarcastically, "I've got a tank, and they put me on this ship."

[Mysticsage]

Zephyr sighed as the doors to the main hall opened already running his hands through his bright green hair hair in frustration, "I damn well hope they don't break any of the cargo I brought with me." He had spent the better part of three hours down in the loading docks his six two frame crouching over making sure they did not accidentally damage any of the equipment he had brought with him. He had spent every last cent he owned and gone in debt to the rebellion to get his hands on what he needed and he was not about to let it be ruined by someone else and their idiocy. But, the rebellion had gone after him personally recruiting him with promising him facilities and privacy to run his own projects. As well as his choice of Mecha's and systems to use. Speaking of which once he got his quarters he would have to remember to grab his reflex suit.

It seemed the Rebellion high command were rather desperate for those with Electronics and computing expertise to be so willing to agree to his conditions. Not that he was complaining. The Rebellion provided the perfect means to do as he wanted without oppressive oversight. They had enough trouble keeping tabs on the front lines of the war and keeping the empire at bay, so he could just slide into the background and go about his business without anyone having the time to bother him. That thought alone was enough to put a small back on his face as he joined the rest of the other recruits.

It was not long until he saw the strange looking man at the podium from his position. "So, is this the time you speak to the troops inspiring courage and valor into the new recruits?" He mumbled to himself.

[Throndir]

Aria Blanchette

"I'm good with mechas, been working with them for years. Though... well nevermind." Aria replied. She hesitated thinking of her actual reasons on joining the rebellion. Too much information was too much information after all. She momentarily sobbered up as her thoughts wandered, but she continued a moment later, grinning as she did so. "Though, it can't be as bad as mine. My machine's made for construction back on my colony. I'm sure that strangely shaped man will tell us why we're needed aside from their general recruitment."

[Erynn]

"I'm glad yours is construction based, at least.", Hyacinth discloses, "As for our purpose, I would guess an invasion. We seem to be geared toward that end anyway."

It was a conclusion that Hyacinth needed no assistance to reach.With so little area held by the rebels, invasions would be necessary in multiples.She only hoped that they wouldn't turn into a multitude of bloodbaths.

"Why don't we compare notes a little later on and each see what the other's machine is like?", Hyacinth offers, "If we end up working together, the experience will help us coordinate in combat."

[Throndir]

Aria Blanchette

The mechanic couldn't help but smile widely as she considered the tall and wiry individual in front of her. She wondered what kind of combat core the blooming collective had. Aria considered her own, and though it has had some upgrades for war, like all the other machinery from the rebellion, it was a farcry from calling it something akin to what the empire use. Far from the so-called combat core as it should be.

"Sure! If there's some time after this speech, you can see just how great the Bloody Massacre is. I'd love to see yours though." There was a slight devilish grin, but she stuck her hand out in attempt to shake hands.

"My name is Aria Blanchette. What's yours?"

[Erynn]

"Hyacinth.", comes the response, followed by a cordial clasping of the offered hand. Aria would find the texture of her new acquaintance' skin to be similar to that of a flower petal.

"You may find the Battle Dragon disorienting though.", Hyacinth muses aloud for Aria's benefit, "The controls are rather outdated, and the cockpit is cramped, and as hot as an Ifrit's temper."

Hyacinth wondered what it would be like to get in the cockpit of a bipedal construction core. She had heard a great deal about it from her boyfriend before he had been killed, but now she might get a chance to sit in the cockpit of such a machine herself. The prospect brought memories both good and bad to the forefront of her thoughts, but it was those same memories that would drive her to take the controls of a war machine.

[Meta]

"Taking a cheap shot at my race.  Typical."  Spoke a voice coming behind the ladies. 

The ifrit walked through the ship's hall, arms crossed and a confident grin on her glowing green visage.   She stopped near Hyacinth and Aria, but her eyes were set on the man far away, as she waited the briefing. "The name's Nadiya, by the way.  Whether we'll be friends or not, we'll see.  But I couldn't give a crap until I see your mechs sending sparks flying."   She spoke calmly, the grin still dead set there on her face.  The girl was standing upright and proud, her armor shifting ever so subtly rather like tectonic plates moving over magma.

"But, if I may add...I'm glad to be here.  I'm not picking a fight.  Just measuring up the people I'll be dealing with in the front.  Would be a shame to get dents on my dear old P1L3DR1V3R because someone covering my flank couldn't shoot down an errant."

[Erynn]

"What was that old human saying again......?", Hyacinth mused while considering the Ifrit's words, "Ah, that's it!"

Hyacinth smirks right back at the confident grin.

"The dog that yaps loudest has the weakest bite."

Hyacinth was amused by the Ifrit's claim that she wasn't trying to pick a fight, She may be saying one thing, but her choice of words was saying another thing entirely. Hyacinth would have sought to take the measure of her counterpart, but the Ifrit, Nadiya, was doing all the work for her.

Typical.

Still, the temper was no doubt going to flare now. Thankfully, in the middle of the gathering group Hyacinth could be reasonably assured that prodding Nadiya in return wouldn't elicit too violent a response.

[kai927]

Ion laughs as he notes the conversation between the women, however there wasn't a single drop of mirth contained within it. "Now 'ladies', you are supposed to fight the imps, not each other." He says after walking up to them, a malicious grin spread across his face, "But if you are going to insist on fighting each other anyways, would you wait until I got my camera? I am sure there is a pervert somewhere out there that'd pay dearly for video of three alien chicks beating the shit out of each other." His grin did not fade at all as he eyed the three up and down, though there wasn't a sexual tone to his gaze, rather it was more akin to a butcher trying to determine which hog he'd slaughter next.

Ion did not bother to introduce himself, those that followed the MFL (Mech Fighting League) would recognize him as Ion Holland, better known in the MFL as the 'Demon of Ruel', one of the few wildcard villains in the League. However, even those that don't normally follow MFL might recognize him, as he was in the news just a few weeks before, on allegations of knowingly and intentionally killing his opponent in his last match and was suspended from the League due to it.

[Burdenking]

As the team began to speak to one another, the large man cleared his throat loudly into a mic to get the attention of the pool of new recruits. "Alright Everyone, fall in. Let's get this over with." Said the man gruffly, his voice quite deep but with a hint of synthesizing behind the sound. Behind him, stood multiple other officers, each with modified miner uniforms for the rebellion military service they had performed up until that point. The races were varied, though there seemed to be a couple more Ifrits then other races.

The group of recruits began to file in, taking position of rows to show organization and respect to the man. However, the background noise from the many workers in the hanger didn't lessen, so there would be no break from the noise of fabrication and repairs for the recruits.

[Mysticsage]

A larger smile spread out across Zephyr face as he joined the line of recruits. His observation about this supposed commander had been right on the money, "An Awakened with a synthesized flesh upgrade you don't see that everyday, let alone one who used to work on a mining rig skin. Someone wants to feel more the part of a leader though I suppose I can understand why." he took his position in the line of recruits like everyone else between a smaller girl with pink haired girl and a lengthy blooming collective. His ramblings were audible to those directly next to him though he didn't really notice he was used to working through his ideas his own way.

In fact the only reason he had lined up and was playing the good rookie solider was so that he could get to the things that he was interested in that much quicker. Though he did relish the chance of finding some new interesting things and people to study. "All kinds of people flock to what they assume to be the light in the middle of the darkness i suppose." he mused to himself while studying over the man's construction with a slightly bemused look on his face. At least he would hopefully have plenty to think about. He might even get a new character or two out of it, or at the very least practice his majhong technique on some poor mook. he needed all the money he could get at the moment.

[Throndir]

Aria Blanchette

When the recruits were ordered to line up, Aria couldn't help but keep smiling. She'd met Hyacinth, a blooming collective, and Nadiya, an ifrit, to boot. All around them were many of their kin, though a noticeable amount of ifrit as compared to the rest. Back on her own colony, it was strictly all humans helping each other build and maintain their systems and equipment. They would occasionally have visits from other races, though they were rare and far in between.

"All kinds of people flock to what they assume to be the light in the middle of the darkness I suppose."

Aria heard the man standing next to her say. She couldn't help but overhear, nor did she think that he was speaking to her or anyone else around him; she figured that the guy just liked speaking out-loud. That didn't stop Aria from responding however.

"If there's even a slight chance to get back at the empire, we'll take it." She replied, her eyes still straight ahead watching the speaker.