So what was the girl's bachelorette party like? Anywhere near as crazy as the guy's?

>>1845985
Good to see you Wong.

>>1845985
Hi Wong. How was your Labor Day?

>>1845997

Nothing could be as crazy as that.

>>1846000

You too!

>>1846001

Atypically lazy and relaxed.

File: veggieseason.jpg (89 KB, 640x640)

89 KB JPG

>>1845985
Welcome back.

File: Roman-amphitheater-in-Amm(...).jpg (603 KB, 2048x1536)

603 KB JPG

“...And with that latest bit of news, I would remind the Senate that the passage of the Safe Belt Act would constitute an act of war and likely create a staging ground for the Avalonian forces should they return to the Solar System. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone here that Bahamut Corporation and Bucephalus Heavy Industries are more than capable of providing our forces with the requisite mecha without being forced to stoop to stealing Harpies from the people of Phaeton.” Consul Tullius Rhodes adjusts his tiny, round spectacles and shifts his corpulent frame in his chair.

“Would the Esteemed Consul from Colony Seventy-Seven acknowledge that the people of this so-called independent nation were criminals mere days before?” The thin-faced Consul Maris Li steeples his fingers on the table before him, and glares at Rhodes. His use of the number rather than the colony's name is deliberate, a reminder that Senator Tullius Rhodes comes from a poor slum colony, as if simply saying it would dirty Li's mouth.

The senate room, by tradition, resembles an amphitheater. Overhead, the stars are projected across the ceiling, a real-time view through the armored roof of the senatorial palace. The room, as one might expect, is circular, with concentric semi-rings of seats around a dais located along one wall. Seating is determined by seniority, with the outermost, largest ring belonging to junior senators, while the innermost are occupied by the eldest and most experienced senators. Some of this innermost circle have been elected time and time again to ensure the requisite amount of pork is passed through legislation for their colony to benefit, sleepy old men and women who view these proceedings as a chore. Others are the lions of the senate, fierce and wealthy politicians with an eye on the Chairman's seat, if not for themselves than for friends they can reliably control. Above even them are the three Consuls, seated at individual desks before the dais. One for Europa, one for Io, and one for the colonies farther afield, Jupiter's other moons and those planets beyond Jupiter that have sworn allegiance and accepted citizenship. However, today only two Consuls are present. Maris Li, of Europa, and Tullius Rhodes, of Io. Bitter rivals, and today the air is more poisonous than usual with their usual counterbalance, the venerable Brian Wiggum of the Outer Provinces isn't here to counterbalance them. Over a century of life has sapped Consul Wiggum's health, and once again he has been forced to skip proceedings for medical attention. His chair sits, temptingly empty, a reminder that this longstanding member of the Jovian Senate is likely to retire soon, and create a glorious opportunity for some lucky Senator.

[Continued]

>>1845985
Evening Wong
Oh man am I excited to see how this is all going to play out

>>1845985
hey wong.
awaken kestrals, its time.

>>1846027
>Over a century of life has sapped Consul Wiggum's health, and once again he has been forced to skip proceedings for medical attention. His chair sits, temptingly empty, a reminder that this longstanding member of the Jovian Senate is likely to retire soon, and create a glorious opportunity for some lucky Senator.
So long as the seat doesn't go to his son, Ralph.

>>1846027
>Wiggum
Wow from police captain to Consul what an amazing career

File: Rome+Senate[1].jpg (66 KB, 640x336)

66 KB JPG

“Certainly not.” Tullius scoffs, “Their government and military may be composed of former space pirates, yes, but I assure you I am quite familiar with the colonies in question, and most of them, while occasionally lawless...the fault, perhaps, of the General in charge of overseeing the Belt...are civilian in nature, not the rabid horde of barbarians you so unjustly paint them as.”

Maris' lip twists in disgust. Some days, it's him verbally strangling Tullius, but today isn't one of those days. On the urging of a close ally, the General that Tullius refers to so cavalierly, he'd introduced the bill in question, and now thanks to a certain space pirate deciding on a whim to discover some self-proclaimed legitimacy, he's being raked over the coals for it, “Yes, I'm sure your dear friend, the pilot of the Black Ogre, is not a barbarian at all. Why, he's only marrying half a dozen women, one of them an Avalonian Paladin, has invaded a planet, robbed the Europan Museum of Culture...not that you care about that...committed countless thefts, hijackings, kidnappings, and done untold damage to UJCIDF morale and property. Of course, the Esteemed Consul from Colony Seventy-Seven would know nothing of that, as he personally did not donate anything to the Museum. Certainly not a priceless heirloom statue of the great Terran ruler President Barron Trump which has still not been returned. Additionally, while the Esteemed Consul from Colony Seventy-Seven sits there, blithely trusting in the goodwill of Roarke Starwind, he is quite willing to slander the commander of our own SOUL forces. Perhaps, as Starwind is Ionian, he feels some kinship to the Pirate King?” He knows he's being more rude than usual, to the point of unprofessionalism, but damn that, today he's earned the right to vent. “We are empowering a cancer at the very heart of the Solar System, a traitorous rot that cannot be relied upon to serve Jovian interests, and a vital security weakness.” Of course, someone with as many investments in Bahamutcorp as he has is truly uninterested in declaring the Belt's mecha fair game for seizure, but the removal of pirates creates lucrative opportunities for a man with an interest in mining corporations and colony builders.

[Continued]

>>1846054
This guy.

Fuck this guy.

>>1846054
Sucks to suck loser, statues ours now.

>>1846054
Well, it looks like there will be Two Consul seats for ambitious senators to fight over once this is over with.

File: RomanSenate[1].jpg (63 KB, 480x235)

63 KB JPG

Tullius' fat face spreads in a toadlike grin, “Why, the Esteemed Consul from Colony Fourteen raises many fine points! Indeed, Roarke Susan Starwind is Ionian, from a colony very near to my own. Indeed, he is a savage. Indeed, I have not been robbed by him, and for the sake of my seven beautiful daughters I hope he is content with his existing wives.” He wags a plump, sausage-like finger in the air to still the obedient laughter from the members of his faction, “However, the Esteemed Consul from Colony Fourteen ill-serves this body by speaking of war.” Like his colleague, his deliberate mentioning of the Colony's number is intended for effect.

Maris Li comes from old money, his colony is virtually impossible for newcomers to purchase a home in, a sculpted utopia of palatial estates and garden forests. “After all, his father made sure he never saw combat during the last one.” Tullius deliberately leans his other arm, an old-fashioned metal prosthetic, ugly and blatantly obvious, on the desk, clenching his metal fist, “I have no time for wordplay today, so I hope those of you expecting our usual sparring will forgive me for foregoing it. The Belt must be held if Jupiter itself is to remain safe from further Avalonian assault. If we waste our resources holding the Belt ourselves, Mars will become the dominant partner in the war against Avalon, claiming Jove-knows-how-many planets under the banner of the Caliphate. If we leave this to Mars, should it ever turn to war between our worlds they would be able to strike at us directly without delay. Roarke Starwind is willing to hold it and lend his considerable personal strength as a pilot to our cause in exchange for legitimacy, and regardless of anyone's quibbling, the Planetary Chairman has seen fit to authorize this. Unlike the Esteemed Consul from Colony Fourteen, I know the value of a savage, and I would have this one as our ally rather than belonging to Avalon or to Mars. The Caliph already has an advantage in diplomatic relations with the new lords of the Belt, I suggest we close the gap while there is still an opportunity to do so.”

Consul Li has several scything rebuttals prepared, and is poised to hammer them into Tullius' ears directly, when the smooth, musical voice of the man sitting behind the desk on the central dais interjects, “Enough, both of you. Put it to a vote. All in favor, the blue light. All opposed, the red.”

[Continued]

>>1846044
Whos that again.

File: Spoiler Image (249 KB, 610x800)

249 KB PNG

>>1846099

File: main-qimg-d62d23e525ce76f(...).png (90 KB, 332x250)

90 KB PNG

Luther Luxol leans back in his chair and sighs. Strong-featured, with a smooth, bald head he started shaving the moment his hair began to thin, he could almost have been carved from stone. In contrast to the brightly colored formal clothes in several different styles worn by the Senators, he stands out in stark black and white. The Planetary Chairman wears no crown, no laurels, no purple toga despite being the closest thing to a true ruler Jupiter has. Instead, he has the Suit. White shirt, black slacks, black vest, black jacket, black socks, black belt, black shoes, black tie, and a lapel pin bearing the Jovian flag, the Suit is distinctive in its imposing coloration and antique cut. Suits are still worn by many people on formal occasions, but the Planetary Chairman's Suit is an icon, of a style hailing back to the days when the Jovian Colonies were first established by wealthy tycoons fleeing the economic repression of Venus back when Venus was the replacement home for humanity following the nuclear conflict on Terra.

The senators hit the buttons on their chairs, and out of habit, he counts the flashes of blue and red light from the little metal pods sitting before them even as a monitor on his desk automatically tallies them. It's an inefficient and unnecessary procedure, but such extravagances are what makes government government. Ceremony and splendor instill awe and respect, give people something to believe in, and he knows their value. That is, after all, the reason for the man waiting outside the door to the Senate chambers, “It seems the Senate believes, almost unanimously that the Belt is safe enough with the establishment of the allied nation of Phaeton, Consul Li. The bill is denied. One would wonder that such a longstanding member of this body would propose a bill that would authorize sweeping military action in the Belt at this time, particularly for the sake of declaring all non-military mecha as government property for requisition. In my humble opinion, Consul Rhodes has the right of it...this time. If the bill had passed, there would surely have been an uprising, regardless of whether or not General Fairchild managed to crush it. One would suggest that, in the future, you should perhaps consider more carefully who among your many friends has the best interests of Jupiter at heart.” It pains him to scold Maris Li, a man of many connections and a great deal of utility, but he does so anyway, knowing that he's one of the few people the veteran Europan Consul will listen to on a personal level.

Maris Li bows his head, “I will continue to do my best to represent the interests of Jupiter.”

“As will I.” Tullius Rhodes replies, his joviality subdued by the Chairman's rather direct glance in his direction.

[Continued]

File: Fat senator model O.png (1.54 MB, 1047x1233)

1.54 MB PNG

>>1846076
... You know, I am giving the Io Consul the image of Oliver in my head, along with his song even if proven wrong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pIEGHSE_1k
Pudgy man earned it.

>>1846105
Oooh. Forget he had a name.

>>1846107
Oh Lex. How did you get here from Injustice.

>>1846117
EVERYONE from the Simpsons has a name.

File: 77fde36a6ef7584f4579384b6(...).jpg (10 KB, 236x255)

10 KB JPG

“I rely on both of you, as always. Debate is not to be feared, gentlemen. Disagreement, expressed through words of argument, is to be cherished. Some say the ability to argue, to dissent, is what sets us above the animals. Let us not forget what happens when debate fails.” He turns his head to glance at the painting behind him. The Burning of Berkeley, an artist's representation of the last battle in the ill-fated California Revolt from Terran history. An unsettling piece, but one that has hung in the Senate chamber for generations as a reminder that all viewpoints should be heard, even if not agreed to. “Now that that matter is settled, the time has come for serious business. The fighting on Qu'lir, Monbash, and Dwakim illustrates a new phase of the war. Direct confrontation, gentlemen. No proxies, no barely-trained rebels whose first exposure to a HMIS was some Avalonian advisor giving them a few hundred Knights and telling them to be brave against our own native allies. Avalonian soldiers, many of them elites who've spent their entire adult lives learning how to pilot, and although currently we enjoy the benefits of a technology gap between the line units and ours...that gap is closing with the introduction of the new, heavier, customized Knights used by their elite forces, the so-called Cavaliers. On top of that, Qu'lir was the first planet to be graced by Avalon's Paladins since they met the Megabass. My own youngest son was among those who participated in skirmishes with the Paladin Berenger and part of the squad that destroyed the Paladin Gerin. Of course is possible that this was simply a fluke, a one-time affair spurred by what they hoped to claim beneath Qu'lir's surface, a comatose Green Man that perished at the hands of League forces. They cannot continue to simply throw away Paladins at this rate, after all...as much as I wish they would.”

He pauses, smiling thinly at the laughter of the Senate and wishing it didn't sound so sycophantic, “However, assumptions can be lethal. We do not know if they are truly restricted to twelve, or if that is simply what the Green Man at the heart of their civilization wishes us to believe. We must maintain maximum battle readiness, we must expect anything and everything. You are the Jovian Senate, and I can say to you without fear of causing a panic outside this room that we still cannot rule out the potential existence of spores or other biological weaponry of the Green Men. Now, thanks to the research undertaken by our friends at Bahamut Corporation, including a fascinating and extremely confidential report by newly-promoted Senior Researcher Irina Gaunt, we have new insight into the biological power distribution and enhancement systems employed by the Paladins and can potentially...” His voice breaks off as a senatorial aide bursts into the room, ignoring the usual protocol to make her way to his chair and whisper in his ear.

[Continued]

>>1846142
Mercy me.

>>1846142
So.. who's ready for Stern to have a Bluegill with a biocore and that giant beam saber?

File: a_better_world[1].jpg (51 KB, 620x348)

51 KB JPG

His response is prompt, unhurried, “I'm afraid my announcement regarding the new War Marshal shall have to be postponed. Momentarily we shall evacuate the chamber and seek shelter in the bunker below. We're under enemy attack.” He raises his voice, “Calmly, everyone. Do not contact the outside, our adversaries do not yet know we are aware of their ambush.”

Maris Li raises his voice as he stands up, “Chairman, should we not call for the Praetorian Guard? We have forces stationed all around the colony.”

“Enemy forces, Senator, are already inside the colony.” The Chairman responds grimly, “The Praetorians are sufficient in both numbers and skill to utterly rout these invaders, but a direct battle would cause untold casualties among the civilians, especially if they manage to use this building as a hostage. We require a scalpel, not a blunt instrument.”

“Who, then?” Tullius Rhodes raises his voice. “Chairman, most of our ranking aces are on the front lines or on Auditorium dealing with a...certain matter.”

“Internal fighting regarding a decorated UJCIDF General facing ridiculous allegations at an extremely inopportune time, you mean? Or do you mean attending a wedding instead of being here when we need them?” Consul Li snaps.

“Well, I suppose if you consider treasonous corruption a ridiculous allegation, that's your affair, but I, for one...” Consul Rhodes starts, but is abruptly cut off.

“Enough, both of you. I'm already tired of this. I was hoping for a desk job, but even on my first day you're making me stretch my legs.” An unfamiliar but cutting voice accompanies the entrance of a tall man in a heavy raincoat. The others all drove here through the automated rain cycle, he'd chosen to ride his jetbike.

[Continued]

>>1846177
Hi Ceasar's daddy

>>1846177
And then Papa Merrow proceeds to take on 40 knights on a jetbike.

I'm half expecting Chairman Luxol to have a personal suit of blue or purple/green power armor.

>>1846210
His personal mech is probably in those colours.

File: captain_maximilian_jenius(...).jpg (155 KB, 600x600)

155 KB JPG

The face beneath his hood is grizzled, rendered old more by wear than by time, on the late edge of middle age. As he pushes the hood back, though, his hair is revealed to be freshly dyed a vivid blue, and the lights of the room gleam off his old-fashioned spectacles.

The entire room is silent.

“Ladies and gentlemen, your new War Marshal, effective immediately.” The Chairman's usually implacable voice, for once, sounds just a touch nervous, “I'm sure he needs no introduction.”

“No.” Maris Li remarks in a small voice, “No he does not.”

“H-Hang on!” Tullius Rhodes bursts out, “Luther, this is preposterous! How long has it been since he's piloted a mech? You know what he's been through, I've seen it with my own damned share of friends and family! You can't ask a man with...with...” His voice trails off, realizing what he was about to say.

“Cockpit phobia.” Rudolph Merrow adjusts his glasses.

“Right, with cockpit phobia to go into combat again!” The Ionian senator puffs up with indignation, “This is monstrous.”

“Incorrect, this is necessary.” Merrow's voice is smooth, hard, and flat as obsidian floor tiles. “There is only one way, Consul, to overcome a phobia. Exposure. Repeated, constant, exposure. I have forced my body and mind to endure the sensation of the HMIS over and over again, but to truly overwhelm my trauma, I have to taste combat. Bitter and sour though it is. I came here today to accept my new position and run some tests on my new mech, but from the looks on your faces, I see I have a mission far more pressing than destroying these Avalonian toys.” He shakes his head, “You're all looking at me with such worry. Such pity it's almost contemptuous. Not one of you believes I can do it, so I'll prove you wrong. General Hermione Fairchild's treason is not the last this body will face, I suspect, and for anyone considering following in her footsteps...I will show you what is waiting for you. No matter who you are, no matter what position you hold, if you are a traitor to Jupiter I will root you out, pluck you like a maggot from a wound, and I will crush you.” The whole time, his voice barely shows a flicker of emotion, “Luther, is it prepared?”

The Planetary Chairman nods once, “The Emperor Swordfish awaits you. Strike like a thunderbolt, Rudolph Merrow, Hero of Jupiter.”

[Continued]

File: my body is lady.png (357 KB, 452x521)

357 KB PNG

>>1846222
>“The Emperor Swordfish awaits you.

File: 1325377670369.jpg (90 KB, 826x667)

90 KB JPG

>>1846222

>>1846222
>Emperor Swordfish
Oh god, I did not know I wanted to see this

File: f0547f23d2d898859ed839224(...).jpg (16 KB, 387x300)

16 KB JPG

>>1846222
>Emperor Swordfish
Also that reminds me about when Caesar got asked why the King Swordfish could operate when he jacked it. Could it have been his father using it for his therapy/rehab of his and not that he left it for Caesar?

>>1846222
Somewhere Ceaser feels an overwhelming sense of dread

>>1846222
And so Caesar's nightmare will finally come true.

>>1846247
>Also that reminds me about when Caesar got asked why the King Swordfish could operate when he jacked it. Could it have been his father using it for his therapy/rehab of his and not that he left it for Caesar?

Possibly. It may have been that the Emperor was originally supposed to be Caesar's.

>>1846249
Since if papa merrow is privy to the details of the ambush, he might have been told where it came from. Caesars gonna get his butt kicked so hard he'd taste boot leather.

>>1846222
Hmm, is it really a "phobia" for him? Going by his story, it sounds more like his emotional trauma was what kept him from getting back into the cockpit, not so much fear.

>>1846279

Didn't Rudolph not want Caesar anywhere near a mech?

>>1846291
Unfortunately, Caesar is very much like him. I wonder if he ever noticed.

>>1846289
That's one way that people develop Phobias, anon.

File: well_fuck.gif (455 KB, 500x371)

455 KB GIF

>>1846289
Sounds like what happened to Amuro, sans the newtype fuckery, and I don't want to consider that there was

>>1846222
>The Emperor Swordfish
Ah upgraded custom units are always the best Brigandy & Dracodeus are so sick.

>>1846291
Could have been reverse psychology. Rudy may not have wanted Caesar to pilot just because he felt the pressure to as the "son of the Hero of Jupiter."

>>1846310

If there was Newtype fuckery going on, Roarke would already be a Newtype.

Newtypes arose from mankind adapting and evolving as they spread across space.

>>1846321
>Newtype Roarke
Well that's a terrifying concept

>>1846326
Well roarke already has the Fist Funnels...

>>1846326

Naked Floating Roarke is truly terrifying from an enemy commander's perspective.

Half his nation's military defecting is scary.

File: latest[1].jpg (597 KB, 1200x885)

597 KB JPG

With zero ceremony, Rudolph Merrow turns on his heel and walks out ahead of the orderly lines of senators en route to the bunker beneath the complex.

The room he heads for isn't a proper mechbay, not by any real standards. It has a sufficiently-large loading gate for a large mech to exit, but no catapult providing egress from the colony itself. It's relatively small, built for a single machine.

Four huge limbs, somewhere between wings and shields, are hooked up to the walls, and suspended in the middle of them hangs the humanlike body of the mech itself. Their tips are long, slender, sharp, almost like those of a blade, and underneath nest small bodies whose shape always reminds him somewhat of a turkey baster. As he has done literally every time he sees it, he grumbles about damned Terran technology and unreliable plasma blades. It's still painted a generic olive drab shade, completely uncustomized. The sculpting of the armor is fluted, curvy, and organic despite its massive bulk, the unmistakable Bahamutcorp aesthetic on display, and the squat head with its gleaming mono-eye could be easily missed if it weren't for its singular massive, bladed horn.

“How ugly.” He remarks, touching the tip of its foot.

“If you don't like it, it can always be changed.” The Planetary Chairman suggests.

Rudolph Merrow glances back at him, “No. It should be ugly. It's a weapon, an ugly thing put to an ugly purpose. I'm not required to like it, so long as its performance meets expectations.” He dons a pilot suit, then grabs the liftwire and rides it up, stone-faced.

The Planetary Chairman turns to the woman behind him, “Watch him closely, will you?”

She salutes, “Yes sir, I'll be monitoring his vitals the whole time. We'll know instantly if anything is wrong.” She switches on a monitor, medical screens popping up, “I took the liberty of attaching this to the Emperor's HMIS, if there are any irregularities, they'll show up instantly.”

[Continued]

>>1846398
>Kshatriya

It's a good name, but honestly not one I would've given that mech.

>>1846398
Whew.. for a second there I thought he'd get some sort of reverse unicorn, where the V crest becomes a horn he uses to stab people. this is just a metric ton of bits.

>>1846453

I considered base form Unicorn, but Bahamutcorp is supposed to be Zeek aesthetic while Bucephalus is EF aesthetic.

>>1846463
Then why not the Sinaju.

Its also properly Umu.

>>1846398
Ooooooooooh shit, this has been a long time coming.

>>1846479
>Sinanju
Do you mean Sazabi? Sinanju's Caesar's mech.

>>1846493
shit, yes. My bad.

>>1846479

Because the Sazabi doesn't look right.

File: 3137934-12+(1)[1].jpg (8 KB, 320x240)

8 KB JPG

Inside the cockpit, Rudolph Merrow's implacable expression breaks into a wide-eyed grimace, and he shudders and clutches his arms around himself, scratching at his shoulders. His breathing is harsh and ragged, and he licks at his lips. The air smells like copper, like blood and shit and fear, and even though he knows it's an illusion, he's practically choking on that stench.

The nurse looks at the Chairman with worry, “Heartrate spike, sir, breathing is irregular...should I shut it down?”

Luther Luxol just shakes his head, eyes fixed on the mecha, large enough to tower over the previous model, “Not yet. Not yet. Come on, Rudy...”

The Emperor Swordfish powers up with a low roar, huge thruster banks springing to life as its wings flex, pulling free from their restraints.

Luther sighs with relief, and activates the comms, “All systems green?”

“All green. Emperor Swordfish, ready for launch.” It doesn't hesitate in grabbing down a massive spiral lance from a rack on the wall, in fact, it's almost hasty in how quickly it seizes the weapon.

Luther glances at the line showing the elevated heartrate the nurse is monitoring, hoping she doesn't have some way to inject Merrow with a sedative if she panics over his condition. It's the sort of thing doctors would do, in his experience, but he knows how counterproductive that would be, “And what about you?”

“I'm fine.” Rudolph Merrow grunts.

“Just fine?” Luther can't resist needling the War Marshal a little.

The Emperor Swordfish's mono-eye swivels down to glare at the Planetary Chairman, “You'd better hope that's enough, otherwise I might step on you.”

Luther snorts, “You're definitely alright if you have that kind of attitude.”

The Emperor Swordfish shrugs, “What weren't you telling the Senators?”

“Was it obvious?” The Planetary Chairman sighs, “Very well, I've known since this morning that this attack was going to happen. I received a message directly, telling me that it was.”

The Swordfish's squat head swivels towards him, “Then why all of these theatrics?”

The Chairman smiles coldly, “For effect. I needed this attack to happen, so that when I execute General Fairchild people cheer instead of mutter that I'm a tyrant killing off potential rivals.”

“Are you?” The War Marshal questions.

The Chairman shrugs, “Perhaps, I certainly wouldn't want to see Hermione Fairchild as Planetary Chairwoman, would you? On the other hand, she's a tick, fat and swollen on Jovian blood, clinging to the underbelly of the beast that is the UJCIDF. It's high time she was plucked and crushed. I also need you to save the day, single-handedly, to remind everyone...not just Avalon, not just ambitious figures in the military, but also Mars, Luna, and even Terra, that Jupiter IS the Solar System League.”

[Continued]

>>1846594
Welp, Luther and Rudolph are going to be one hell of a combo. Good thing we aren't facing Jupiter right now.

File: mm_max_closeup[1].png (280 KB, 500x381)

280 KB PNG

“It doesn't matter to me. Do you know why I accepted your offer?” Rudolph Merrow remarks.

“Some reason beyond patriotism, I expect. I won't insult you by implying that you missed the thrill of combat.” The Chairman shrugs.

The Emperor Swordfish nods, “As War Marshal I am the highest-ranking officer of the UJCIDF, second only to you, with authority that no other officer can countermand.” The great cargo doors of the room slide open. Outside, rain is still pouring down, a grey curtain that makes the buildings of the colony look fuzzy and unreal.

“You didn't accept my offer just for the sake of power, otherwise you would have run for Planetary Chairman yourself. Don't insult my intelligence either.” Luther crosses his arms.

“That's too much trouble. There's only two things I want to do.” Rudolph Merrow examines the Swordfish's sensors. Two squads of Knights move with eerie precision towards the senate building along the nearby street, more of them converging along parallel paths. He plots their location, watching them move, waiting...

“What are those?” The Chairman questions.

“First, I plan to finish what I started. Call it revenge, if you like, I don't think it's anything that grand, I simply don't want the Green Men to exist in this galaxy anymore. Once I do, my dead can rest in peace, and so will I. Perhaps it's more like making up for my own failures.” As the road turns towards the building, the approaching knights form a straight line, and the Emperor Swordfish crouches down. Its lance begins to spin, the huge drill humming ominously.

“There were things you couldn't have stopped.” The Chairman's voice is mildly worried, his tie whipping in the wind created by that drill.

“Of course, but it still has to be done. I'll end the race of Green Men with my own hands...and more importantly, issue an honorable discharge to Ensign Heinrich Merrow, effective immediately with you as my witness. He's to be drummed out of the UJCIDF, and to turn his mech over immediately.” There's a tremendous roar, and the Emperor Swordfish is suddenly just...gone.

[Continued]

>>1846695
>issue an honorable discharge to Ensign Heinrich Merrow
Roarke's going to have to fight him on Caesar's behalf I can see it now.

>>1846709
Well that will require him to get him out of Avalon. Also, didn't Fairchild say he was on a secret mission? Because I can see that ending badly for her.

>>1846695
Wonder if Merrow has any inclination of what his son is up to now? He only ever got the runaround from fairchild, and I'm not sure anyone else in the know has contacted him, either from uncertainty (stern didn't know for sure what was what until just a short time ago, and he's been busy to say the least. Maybe defected to pirates or maybe not is a world of difference from signing up with space satan [at least from the jovian view]), or just being intimidated by either Rudolph's legend ( or wrath). No one wants to be the bearer of bad news ahah.

>>1846715
And as the supreme military commander he can scrub that mission and order Caesar to get back asap. Hell, he'd probably be able to access the full records that show what really happened that day over the space factory.

>>1846726
And thats the beauty of it. It's a mission that never happened. The moment he finds that out, Fairchild's life is going to be even worse. Forget fighting Rudolph for Caesar, we may have to fight him to kill Fairchild.

>>1846726
Him finding out about Naomi is only going to make him madder.

>>1846726
"What do you mean he's not on auditorium? I don't care how far into the belt he is get him ba- wait did you say he's not in the solar system!? Who assigned him to an extra-solar front! What do you mean I should sit down for this next bit?"

File: 9162bc_6379817.jpg (94 KB, 640x753)

94 KB JPG

>>1846735
>"You did /what/ with a Veggie?"

>>1846733
>>1846735
>>1846736

Roakes gonna have to deal with a very angry papa merrow in short order. Expect him on auditorium soonish.

"YOU LET MY SON GO WHEEERE?!"

>>1846753
Roarke would just challenge him to a fight in their mechas while skweeing on the inside at getting to fight Merrow.

>>1846753
>"YOU LET MY SON GO WHEEERE?!"
"You expect me to keep track of the boy? Who do I look like his father?"

>>1846753
What about when he finds out why he went that far away

>>1846753
To be fair, he might not know that part. Merrow has only been seen by Stern. If he kept quiet, the number of people who would directly know would be higher up pirates.
In either case, the one who will face angry Papa Merrow first would be Fairchild. She did put him on the same team as a greenie, lost him and the Swordfish, and is the reason this went to hell. Roarke might be poked, but it'd be more due to him selling the swordfish.

>>1846771
You remember the part of Kill Bill where the Bride meets the Black chick?

>>1846759
If only we could keep the scrap of the Emperor Swordfish.

>>1846771
I'm hoping Caesar will eventually do a reverse vader to merrow senior. That'll be hilarious.

>>1846781
>"No, Rudolph. I AM you mother."
Hmmm.

File: original.gif (994 KB, 500x203)

994 KB GIF

>>1846781
>If only we could keep the scrap of the Emperor Swordfish.

>>1846776
> Merrow has only been seen by Stern.

Amos' squad knows too. Caesar even fought Biggs over it.

>>1846801
That is true. Good eye. They might keep quiet on it, but that does mean there is a bigger chance.

File: 3188709-3132471913-tumbl[1].jpg (46 KB, 500x375)

46 KB JPG

The Chairman pops his fingers into his ears just in time, the nurse hastily following suit, but it doesn't do nearly enough to stifle the din of six Knights being impaled nigh-simultaneously on a charge that bodily rips them into pieces, metal raining down in all directions. Their cores are mashed together, skewered like bits of meat and vegetable on a kebab skewer. The twisting motion of the drill grinds them together, pieces catching and interlocking so that when Merrow whips his lance free, the six Knights don't even fall over.

Its wings fan out, the nesting bodies beneath scattering like seeds, “Fly, Javelins!” Merrow's voice sounds bored. Explosions bracket the Emperor Swordfish from the adjacent streets as it strolls onward, lance in hand, the smaller beam spears projected by its drones dancing along the adjacent avenues, “There's something wrong with them.” He notes, “They aren't reacting to my attacks properly. It's as if they have no fear, but no sense of self-preservation, either. It's making them sloppy.” Another squad charges out from around an intersection, lances leveled and firing a volley of shells, but the Swordfish casually closes its front two wings over its body, surrounded by the flickering glow of a beam shield that screens the shots away. Three Javelin drones arc around behind them from either side, all three Knights abruptly skewered by a pair of spikes.

“...Perhaps you might want to leave one alive? Just to confirm what we know?” The Chairman suggests, picking up a pair of visual amplifiers to watch from a safe distance.

Merrow lets out a disgusted sigh, turning and deftly impaling a Knight trying to assail him between two buildings. “At least the civilians all ran away when they saw approaching mecha.” He grumbles.

“I mean it, take a few alive!” The Chairman insists.

“I heard you the first time.” Merrow gripes, another four drones emerging from beneath its wings, pinning down another Knight and dissecting it around its cockpit ball. While his drones secure a few prisoners, he sets to work with his lance, leaping into the air to charge downwards like a streaking comet on another mob of Knights, sweeping his lance across their rank to slice them in half. His movements are methodical, almost robotic, less like a man engaged in combat than a chef calmly chopping up carrots. Every few seconds, there's another explosion. “How did you know about this, anyway?” His voice is bored, as if he's just intent on some conversation to relieve the monotony as his jabbing drill erases Knight after Knight, using his wings like scoops to throw the burned-out husks aside to get to new foes.

“We received a tip.” The Chairman pulls a chair away from a desk and sits down, grinning as he watches. Already, half the Knights are down, and Merrow barely seems to be exerting himself.

[Continued]

File: c66bbe3094eb750b215698c2e(...).jpg (69 KB, 1024x640)

69 KB JPG

“From who? An Avalonian? These can't be their regular soldiers.” Merrow slices a Knight in half down the middle with the automated defensive beam sabers built into his mech's torso.

“No, the tip we received was from Auditorium. Someone with authority was involved, judging by the tone of the message.” The Chairman checks on the nurse, who looks at her screens and gives him a thumbs-up. Nothing to worry about so far, hopefully that will continue.

There's another series of explosions as the Emperor Swordfish finds another knot of Knights, deftly sidestepping a lance and impaling its wielder, like a champion jouster among pageboys, before wading into the melee. The Swordfish flares its wings wide, and boosts into the air, flying over the building and out of the Chairman's sight to take out the enemies approaching from the flank. “Roarke Starwind. I've heard of him. Why is he involved?” There's a short pause, “...Don't tell me Starwind has contacts among the Avalonian forces and you LET him into the SSL! If he's playing both sides, nothing good can come from indulging him!”

“Roarke Starwind is under control. A former senior intelligence official in her assessment of him reported a deep and abiding hatred for the Green Men as a result of trauma done to his mother during the War. Even if he has sympathy for individual Avalonians, he's not going to flip.”

“Which official?”

“Regina Hatsheput.”

“Mmm. Credible.”

“Oh, don't sound so disappointed. Besides, Avalon isn't really behind this attack, as I'm sure you already suspect.”

“When you referenced General Fairchild earlier, you weren't suggesting this would prove incompetence on her part, were you? Is she behind this?” Merrow's voice is suspicious.

“Of course.” The Chairman confirms.

“Damn it!” Merrow's voice becomes momentarily heated, “My SON is under her command, Luther! She could take him hostage if you make even the slightest mistake!”

“I think he's safe from General Fairchild at the moment.” Luther Luxol straightens his tie, and chooses his next words very, very carefully. A rampaging Rudolph Merrow would be much worse than forty Knights. After all, for all that he is a self-professed schemer and politician, Luther Luxol is also very close with both of his sons, and has communicated regularly with them during their stay on Auditorium.

Including the day when his youngest son regretfully confessed to having been defeated by the Butcher and failing to rescue one of his best friends.

[Continued]

File: colbert popcorn.gif (497 KB, 275x210)

497 KB GIF

>>1846865
>Lex is gonna tell him now

Hold on to your butts boys.

>>1846865
The true secret Boss is about to have bone to pick with Roarke

File: latest[1].png (348 KB, 640x480)

348 KB PNG

“Safe? I did an inquiry, you know. I went and asked where my son was stationed, and do you know what I was told? 'Sorry, sir, but Ensign Merrow is on a secret mission by order of General Fairchild.'” He's been removed from regular duties on her orders, he's being kept from the public eye for some reason...and therefore, somewhere I can't reach. Now that she can't countermand me, I can order him dismissed from service, but for that to happen YOU need to put a hold on whatever you're doing to curtail her until he's out of it.” Merrow's voice has a lot in common with his mech right now, bluntly lethal.

“That isn't possible.” Luther Luxol, however, is not an easy man to cow. “Fortunately, I mean it when I say he's safe from her.” He steels himself, this isn't going to be pleasant, “How many are left?”

“Five Knights...no, three now. There are still people in this building, so I can't just ram it. Answer my damned question.”

“Rudolph, it's for the best if you're not in that thing when I do.” Luther warns him.

Merrow's silence is incredibly ominous. It lingers. There are three more explosions, and then his voice, slow and deliberate, “Where is my son, Luther?”

“You've only just been promoted, there's material you need to be briefed on, secret projects, the details of key operations...”

“No more stalling. I'm on my way back, and we are going to have a talk. Whether I'm in my mech or out of it when we do depends on what you have to tell me meanwhile.” Merrow's voice is grim.

“Did you know Heinrich has a girlfriend?” Luther sighs, looking less worried than he feels.

“...What? My Heinrich? A girlfriend? Really?” Rudolph Merrow sounds rather unfairly disbelieving.

Luther sighs, “Yes. Really. She's good-looking, too, and...”

Rudolph interrupts him, “Is she a hologram?”

“What? No! A hologram? I don't understand.” Luther sputters, not understanding at all.

“You're sure? She's not a hologram that talks or...or sings and says affirming things?” Rudolph presses.

“Of course she's not!” Luther shakes his head, “Do those even exist?”

“Oh, the things you learn when your son spends so much time on the holonet...” Rudolph mutters darkly, “Are you sure she's REAL? I mean, a real girl and not a fictional character from a game or a show or something?”

[Continued]

>>1846902
Way to bust your son's balls, Rudolph

>>1846902
>Rudolph interrupts him, “Is she a hologram?”
>“What? No! A hologram? I don't understand.” Luther sputters, not understanding at all.
>“You're sure? She's not a hologram that talks or...or sings and says affirming things?” Rudolph presses.

Papa merrow pls

>>1846902
Jesus Christ, man. All it takes is one chick with weird taste. Shit, you managed to get a girl and you're a grade a dick. This fucking guy.

>>1846902
See, this is why your son freaks out when you send him emails. The gap between the two of them requires a planetary gate to close.

Still.

Wait till he finds out hes seducing a paladin.

>>1846902
>Is she a hologram?
>No
>A fictional character?
>Not really
>A super advanced robot?
>Close, but not quite.

>>1846930
>Is she a 'girl' like that Sam chick?
>She does not have a penis!
>Why are you saying that like a girl having a penis is a bad thing?

>>1846939
What implications are you making about Master's daughter anon?

>>1846943
A man can like girls AND traps. Ask Roarke.

>>1846948

Sam isn't a trap. She's a girl with extra equipment.

File: ep24_max_likes_milia[1].png (577 KB, 720x540)

577 KB PNG

Luther leans away from the comm and beckons to the nurse, “Contact the Praetorian Guard and order the Rainy Morning seized. I expect from the data we've been given that the controllers for those squads are there, relaying orders remotely.”

“Is she a real human being, Luther?” Merrow asks again.

“Yes! She's a real girl! A SOUL pilot, even!” Luther Luxol snaps, “Honestly, have a little faith in your own offspring! MY boys are out there, and you don't see me panicking like this!”

Merrow grunts in acknowledgment, “What's her name and why is she relevant? Does she know where he is? Where can I contact her?”

“Ensign Naomi Heim. Unfortunately, she's the reason for this so-called secret assignment. General Fairchild tried to sweep this under the rug, but I have my sources.” This is technically true, Luther Luxol's sources include his sons, Trevor and Garret. “Some years ago, two clones of the Green Men were discovered, and-”

“...And not terminated immediately? You absolute idiot.” Rudolph sounds shocked.

Luther slams his fist down on the desk, “Children, Rudolph! Innocent children! Practically babies! We watched them carefully, they were gifted but not superhuman! The Great Sidereal War is OVER! I wasn't going to let them be slaughtered! We let their foster parents continue to raise them and inducted them into the UJCIDF for close observation. During that time, the female, Naomi, came into contact with your son Heinrich and...”

“Luther, if you tell me right now that this is all one big joke and that he's actually run away with this girl of his to raise lizards on Qu'lir I will laugh and smile and forgive you, otherwise...” Rudolph growls like a wounded lynx.

“No. It would be fantastic if it was, but it wasn't. They became attached to each other, quite passionately, apparently, and his presence was deemed a stabilizing influence on her so Joseph Muragi allowed it to continue.”

“I'll tear off his other leg the next time I see him.” Rudolph promises, his usual icy calm completely shattered and the raging ocean beneath revealed, “My son was seduced by a Green Man clone right under your very noses and you did NOTHING.”

“No, you won't. We need him, and frankly, Heinrich Merrow was an adult whose father at the time was RETIRED and had no say in the love lives of individual pilots.” Luther rubs his temples, almost wishing Rudolph would just step on him and put him out of this awkward situation.

“So what happened with her, then? I expect it proved you right, that she absolutely isn't a danger to the galaxy AND MY SON!” Rudolph Merrow is too angry to even be sarcastic, “Why couldn't it be a normal girl!?”

“Maybe because his father loved a woman who could punch stone pillars in half! Maybe it's genetic!” Luther snaps.

There's silence momentarily, then a deep sigh, “That was low, Luther. Really low.”

[Continued]

>>1846958
>Maybe because his father loved a woman who could punch stone pillars in half! Maybe it's genetic
Maybe it's maybelline.

>>1846958
>So what happened with her, then? I expect it proved you right, that she absolutely isn't a danger to the galaxy
Great call there Rudolph.

File: 112.jpg (25 KB, 276x275)

25 KB JPG

>>1846958
>“Some years ago, two clones of the Green Men were discovered, and-”

Theres another one?

>>1846967
Yes Laura, and he's dating Luxol's other son.

>>1846967
Yeah, the older Luxol son is dating her. Nice girl if I recall. Clone of the father of Qu'lir.

>>1846967
Naomi's brother

>>1846970
>>1846971
>>1846972
I never made the connection. Im stupid.

>>1846958
OH SHIT THAT MAX.

oh shit.

>>1846977
This is a big quest with a lot of bits. Somethings just don't click until the reveal happens.

File: 1490996401979.jpg (63 KB, 358x400)

63 KB JPG

>>1847019
>He doesn't autistically remember all ever character introduced

>>1847024
Aside from names, I am good with the characters. The thing is, some stuff slips by because it didn't seem plausible.
Remember, Eustace fooled the lot of us when he sent Naomi to Avalon instead of keeping her on the ship. Having all the pieces to the puzzle mean nothing if you can't put it together right.

File: 1466322245337.gif (347 KB, 252x190)

347 KB GIF

Luther sighs too, “Yeah, I know it was. By all accounts, she was good to him and he was good to her. If they weren't, Joe would have stepped in and...”

Once more, Rudolph interrupts him, “He didn't step in for Blanchett when she fell for Starwind.”

Luther smacks his palm against his forehead repeatedly, “Because she ran off! Besides, everything turned out fine, they're married and Starwind is a reformed character!”

“Until the MOMENT he sees an opportunity to grab something he wants that you don't want him to have, and then it's all ancient Terran music and broken mecha and believe me Luther I will gloat and remind you incessantly that I told you so for the rest of our careers.” Rudolph grumbles, “Enough about Jovedamned Roarke Starwind, I feel like all I hear about nowadays is that carrot-haired reprobate. Tell me about my son.”

“I've seen the footage of him fighting the Green Skulls. You'd be impressed, honestly. He's a lot like you, and Joe's taught him a lot too.” Luther continues.

“I don't care. I'd be impressed if he'd learned an honest trade that didn't involve fighting, and did it well. Whether he became a plumber or a politician, I'd be proud of him, but there's no honor in being good at fighting. I did what I had to do because no one else could do what I could. In this day and age, there are plenty of aces, he didn't need to do this.”

“Sometimes, Rudolph, I worry about you.” Luther shakes his head, “Part of being a father is realizing that, sometimes, your children know what they need and you don't.”

“And sometimes they're completely wrong and end up in a situation so bad that you, Planetary Chairman Luther Luxol of Jupiter, are stalling to avoid telling me about it. Finish the damned story.”

“Alright, alright. This wasn't directly reported on, because aspects of the story were an embarrassment to the UJCIDF, but a little over three months ago an Avalonian straggler vessel at the asteroid 16-Psyche was intercepted by a UJCIDF cruiser. The two ships were engaged in a standoff, and the Jovian ship's captain had called for reinforcements, when the Iron Kestrels showed up in force sufficient to overwhelm both sides. Shortly after, our reinforcements arrived, complete with two SOUL squads, one of which included your son and Naomi Heim. Unfortunately, General Fairchild had placed the other squad, under Lieutenant McAllister, in charge.” Luther explains.

“Another Pekoe?” Rudolph sighs, “Am I going to have to pummel all of those scamps?”

[Continued]

>>1847029
>Orange Pekoe
>Scamps
I can't help but imagine Rudolph talking down to Joe like he does Ceaser now

>>1847036
He's the crotchity old WW2 war hero who is there to tell everyone how it's done. This might make the war that much tougher, honestly.

>>1847029
> Honest trade

> Plumber or Politician

The fuck Rudy.

File: ep30_max_the_cook[1].png (590 KB, 720x540)

590 KB PNG

“Quite possibly, but I'd prefer if you didn't. The odds were heavily weighted in the pirates' favor, but Lieutenant McAllister and then-Admiral Starwind worked out an arrangement to retake the facility, prioritizing the Avalonian forces as a target. Unfortunately, due to a foolish but ultimately innocent propaganda broadcast, the Avalonians got a look at Naomi Heim's face and recognized her as the clone of the Lady.” Luther winces in anticipation.

“The Lady of the Woods. My son's girlfriend is a clone of the Avalonian so-called goddess herself. Not just any Green Man, but THE last Green Man bringing war to the galaxy.” Rudolph's voice is deadpan, but with a faint, enraged tremble to it.

“I know, what were the odds?” Despite himself, the Planetary Chairman is beginning to perversely enjoy this banter, since the odds of him being stepped on are actually quite low. “Most parents are proud when their children follow their dreams, you know, and Caesar really is a superlative pilot.”

“A SUPERLATIVE PILOT WHO'S DIPPING HIS WICK IN GREEN MAN POISON! WHO KNOWS WHAT VILE APHRODESIACS SHE'S CONTROLLING HIM WITH!?” Rudolph snaps.

“Come on, she received frequent medical examinations and no anomalies were detected. If she started putting off abnormal pheromones, do you think we wouldn't know about it immediately? Anyway, she panicked, and...well, there had been one instance of her going berserk during training already, and at first it seemed like it was repeating itself, a momentary loss of control, something her squad leader was trained to deal with, only he was helping with the facility too. The remaining SOUL pilots attempted, apparently on Fairchild's orders, to apprehend her. Heinrich resisted.”

“That foolish boy. Scrap the honorable part, he'll receive a dishonorable discharge for that.” Rudolph snaps.

“In the process, Ensigns Young and Fleur had their SOUL mecha cut in half by Heinrich's S-Swordfish...”

“Which, by the way, he stole. He had no right to it.” Rudolph growls.

“Yes, yes, I know. Restrain yourself for just...a few minutes. Let me talk, damn it. According to Ensign Young, Heinrich called upon the Iron Kestrels to give sanctuary to himself and Naomi.”

“So they defected to the pirates? Good, then I can kick him out without so much paperwork, fly to Auditorium, get my son back and...deal with the girl.”

[Continued]

File: 1424289712868.png (419 KB, 1000x800)

419 KB PNG

>>1847053
Now comes the punchline

>>1847053
You still got one reveal left Merrow, and boy is it a doozy.

>>1847054
Nihao Nyan!

File: 46799[1].jpg (31 KB, 225x350)

31 KB JPG

“If only it was that easy. At least you're not threatening to kill her when she's a valuable SOUL asset, a good pilot, and on OUR side. The Avalonian commander was among those who saw her face, and after a brief religious experience, called for aid. Two Paladins ambushed the forces outside of the facility, one an ultra-heavy close combat type belonging to the apparent leader of the Avalonian forces in the Solar System, the other a long-range sniper type. The ultra-heavy proceeded to destroy several pirate aces' mecha, the S-Swordfish, and somehow managed to put the girl into a state where she attacked our own pilots before following him away. Starwind attempted to stop them personally, but his mech was damaged and he was unable to get there in time.” Luther pauses and waits for the outburst. Moments stretch by. “Well?”

“Well what?” Rudolph responds.

“Well, don't you have anything else to say?” Luther rubs his temples yet again as the Emperor Swordfish returns to through the cargo door, bending down a little to fit its horn underneath.

“No, you're old enough to realize how ridiculous it is to say she's on our side when she's under their control. You remember the War, Luther. You remember the spores. You remember good men being infected, and that when it happened they stopped being on our side and had to be put down. You remember that it was for their own good, and merciful or not, that's what has to be done for the Heim girl. If you don't like that, have me removed from my post.” Rudolph's voice is weary and disgusted.

Luther sighs, “I won't do that, Rudolph. We'll figure out what to do when we get the chance to take her back, nobody knows where she is now, the Avalonians left Auditorium by the time I had all the details from Regina. Former Sergeant Samantha Blanchett was in intel, but she refuses to discuss secrets of her husband's business no matter who asks her, and although she was one of Naomi's friends she swears she doesn't know where she is now. I'm inclined to believe her, Naomi Heim is valuable and if Blanchett knew then Starwind would know and would have taken her back already. It's his way.”

“So she's missing, and my son is with the Iron Kestrels...sorry, 'independent nation of Phaeton', where I can safely file his discharge papers for reasons of insubordination, go to Auditorium, grab him by the ear, and drag him back home. If Roarke Starwind doesn't like it I'll break his Black Ogre over the Emperor Swordfish's knee.

Luther shakes his head, “The moment you calm down you'll regret saying that, I know you know better than to underestimate anyone. We don't need this, Rudolph. We need the real you, the cool-headed, practical one.”

“You can have that once I've taken my son back.” Rudolph insists, “I'm going to Auditorium.”

[Continued]

>>1847053
Annd I realized what was bugging me. Rudolph really is the opposite of Fairchild. If she was a Slanneshi cultish, Rudolph is a Ultra Marine. Great for the jovians, but this is going to hurt us.. since I think he will likely raze enemy facilities and deny them(and in turn, us) resources.

>>1847061
Please tell me Luxol is going to tell him about how we beat Joe.

>>1847062
Realistically we're probably going to be used as a raiding corps considering how skilled we are at it and will likely be sent to harass key targets or take down aces and their ships. We should only really see him if he masses all his forces for a big battle or invasion of Avalon.

File: Interesting you say.jpg (25 KB, 640x400)

25 KB JPG

>>1847061

>>1847067
>Please tell me Luxol is going to tell him about how we beat Joe.

I have a feeling that he won't really care.

>>1847071
I feel like he'd care but it wouldn't intimidate him like most other pilots.

File: latest[1].png (284 KB, 500x375)

284 KB PNG

“He's not there.” Luther finally tells him point-blank. “I'm not happy about this and I didn't want to tell you, but...he's gone. Ran away from the Kestrels, apparently, and infiltrated the Avalonian delegation to get his woman back. My son and his squad tried to stop him, but when they took it far enough to actually ambush the shuttle he and one of the Paladins were on, well, Roarke Starwind's wives put a stop to it and after that there just wasn't another chance. Given the information we had about this attack, it's likely he's the one who tipped us off via the Kestrels, so the Avalonians trust him enough to let him communicate, apparently.”

The Emperor Swordfish's cockpit hatch opens, Rudolph Merrow rides down the liftwire, walks over to Luther with his fists clenched, “How long have you known this for?”

“Since this morning. A matter of hours.” Luther looks fearlessly up at his comrade, a man he admires as a onetime hero and considers a friend.

Rudolph exhales heavily, removes his helmet, and throws it across the room. He points to the nurse, “You trust her?”

“General Fairchild is suspected in the killing of her mother, aunt, and older brother. I do trust her.” Luther Luxol's voice is quite firm.

Rudolph slumps down into a chair, dropping his head into his hands, “Damn it, Luther...” His voice is unexpectedly raw, “At least you told me quickly.” He shakes his head slowly, “You understand what they're doing, right? It's all happening again.”

“Your son isn't Floyd, Rudolph.” Luther tells him, surprised by how scratchy his own voice is.

“Not yet, but you know what they are. What they do. People's personalities are like clay to them, they'll mold him and shape him into the form they like, and then send him back to...”

“Yeah. Believe me, Rudy, I was proud of my boy when he told me he tried. Trevor is a good man, but he's too wrapped up in trying to be a great warrior and a great politician all at once. Garret never had that kind of ambition, he put his all into his heart.”

“Heinrich just...he just...” Rudolph's voice breaks, “He's my son, Luther. I fought to keep him, I fought to keep him safe, and he just...ever since he was little, he was always so bright, but he never cared about anything, never wanted to do anything serious to make the galaxy better. He could have been Chairman someday. I tried, I tried so hard to tell him what kind of tragedy there is for people who throw themselves headlong into war, but...he never listened, just like I never listened to my parents.”

[Continued]

>>1847078
...Man I hope either Roarke or Joseph gets a chance to have a one-to-one chat with him. To tell him of what he heard when Ceasar spoke with Master and the Col.

>>1847081
Probably wouldn't change his opinion, hell Flyod probably said the same thing to him at some point.

>>1847078
>muh history repeats

>>1847082
Not even, considering what a worrywart parent he is. But it'll at least give him the faintest silver of hope.

File: main-qimg-a670503edfef27c(...).png (108 KB, 500x282)

108 KB PNG

“It's okay to cry, Rudy. Men cry, you know, even bitter old men like you and me.” Luther pats him on the back, “But he's full of heart, too. He's not Floyd, and I know one of the reasons you worry is that he's so much like you. I don't believe he's going to trade his soul for hers like Floyd wanted to with Ji, and you can't keep carrying around the guilt for not telling Floyd that Ji chose you before she died. It wasn't your fault, and everyone who knew the three of you knows it. Believe in him the way I believe in you. In the way Jupiter believes in you. I chose you because you're not just a hero, but because you're a good man, a reliable man, the man we need right now.”

“The Senate might disagree.” Rudolph comments drily, wiping his eyes, “And forget crying, I know what I have to do. There's only one direction to go if I want to see my son again. Forward. He's in as much danger if we win as if we lose, but if we overwhelm the greenies, maybe I'll get the chance to get him back.”

Luxol smiles, “That's the Rudolph Merrow we needed. The real one. The Senate, if you'll forgive me correcting you, are terrified that you'll root out which ones are crooked and useless and hold them up to the light. A lot of them, including both of the Consuls, have gotten rich off their investments in the mech-production companies and the more wasteful this war is the happier they are. The reason Consul Rhodes might as well be Roarke Starwind's personal cheerleader is because his Bucephalus-made Thoroughbred-MP Custom has been a breath of fresh air for their advertising. The Mustang line was launched because of the Black Ogre, explicitly so.” Luxol sits back, steepling his fingers.

“How good is he? You were awfully quick to tell me not to take him lightly.” Merrow raises one eyebrow.

Luther Luxol sighs, “He beat Joe. It came down to the wire but he beat him. His father was one of the Pekoes too, and according to the two who are still around to talk about it he's like the second coming of Belegor.”

Merrow raises both eyebrows, “That good? Impressive. Although the last thing we need is another Belegor.”

“This one has a soul, according to everything we've heard. His people love him, and revere him almost like a demigod. After all, he's been undefeated since his apparent ressurection, is unafraid of the military and exterminated the Green Skulls. The man juggles six wives and they all dote on him. Can you imagine doing that?” Luther shakes his head.

[Continued]

>>1847093
You know usually I hate when almost the whole universe jerks off the mc and how great he is, but god damn if Roarke hasn't earned his rep.

>>1847093
>and you can't keep carrying around the guilt for not telling Floyd that Ji chose you before she died

Ahahahahahahaha Floyd Beck just becomes more and more sad each time we hear about the real him

File: ep24_milia_challenges_max[1].png (296 KB, 500x375)

296 KB PNG

“I can't imagine being doted on at all.” Merrow chuckles humorlessly and leans back in his chair, “I'm going to avoid fighting him unless I have to. No matter who loses, it would be a detriment to the cause. If he's defeated in front of his people, rivals who might be less anti-Avalon and pro-SSL than he is might conspire to take power. If I lose, well, that's a blow to our propaganda, isn't it? I don't care which of us is better, so long as we're both good enough to get the job done, and besides...I'm not at my peak anymore. I could feel it out there, I was slow, and clumsy. Simulations just aren't the real thing, I need to get back into fighting shape and sharpen my mind if I ever want to be as good as I used to be. These Paladins are new, and from what I've seen, they don't fight like the Green Men. The Green Men at their core hated violence almost as much as they hated us, for them it was always about taking overwhelming power and just...squashing...what offended them. They had incredible skills, but no love of fighting, they'd get impatient. These Paladins come from an entire warrior caste of Avalon's culture, they're nothing alike. I'll need to be at my peak if I'm going to kill the remaining ones.” He stands off and dusts off his hands.

“Let's go tell those quivering mice that they can leave the bunker now. Whichever one was spying for Fairchild will communicate with her soon, trying to let her know her little setup for a coup failed. After that, it's just tying the nooses and our little domestic problems are dealt with.” Luther stands up to, “As for the war, have you already given any thought to the strategic situation?”

“We'll discuss that with the full SSL, including Starwind. Odds are good this new nation of his needs time to build up its forces fully, and we might want to see about feeding him a little so that he can maintain a defensive presence in his own territory and still be useful assisting the Extrasolar Division. I can think of a few uses, however, if you have footage of that recent tournament...” As Merrow rambles on, Luther finds himself smiling. It's not every day one witnesses the ressurection of a hero.

>>1847101

Honestly me too and I try to avoid it...but Roarke is legitimately a monster pilot with a fanatic following and a rock star reputation, so frequently I have to counterbalance it by focusing on the occasionally goofy music nerd with good luck and a good support network behind the legend

>>1847106
No monster can do it himself. Theres always a support apparatus behind to bring the vision to fruition.

>>1847106
Since it seems like we're done for the night I've been wonder, how was Gychan been for the past few days? How many boards now have a sticky or general purely for Roarke?

>>1847111

/me/ has a Starwind general with absolutely vicious waifu wars. "Karen shills" are a meme but probably exist.

>>1847111
All of them.

including /ck/

>>1847115
>How does Roarke eat his steak anons?
>Is Roarke a cake or pie man?
>Considering his choice of waifus is Roarke a fan of sausage?

>>1847114
What does /pol/ think of him?

>>1847116
>What does /pol/ think of him?

>brb gonna join the Phateon Iron Legion

>>1847116
/pol/ has probably reached levels of happening that had previously been thought impossible.

>>1847106
Which is good storytelling. Even heroes at the end of a journey are people.Still, Rudolph and Luther are certainly quite different than Fairchild and Cabot and sets some good contrast between them.
>>1847111
It probably has the site in turmoil. Tournament aside, the specs, the news, and the politics would cause different groups to intermingle.
>>1847114
Say, what do we have to work with in terms of upgrades and general tech? I've been testing and putting together some ideas, but the Muse took a break it seems when it comes to putting them down.

>>1847121
>Hey Roarke's having a tourney
>HE'S A FUCKING KING NOW
>Oh look he's having a wedding with six women
>HE JUST PUNCHED OUT A FUCKING MECHA
Its been a rough 3 days for the Gychan mods.

Bonus points for anyone who can FIND my list of the relevant GYchan boards since they're different from 4chan's and the only one I remember is Mecha and Pilots.

>>1847124
Space /k probably went apeshit when they saw him fist a harpy to death.
>>Ok, going to learn fisting now, bye Space AR

Three words. Dank Amos memes.

>>1847130
Tobia style basically, right?

>>1847130
Talks of Phaeton joining the SSL will likely cause a meme fusion with all thats happened. Then you add in rudolph for some vintage memes.

File: Amos A Wedge Hero of Jupiter.png (1.37 MB, 1280x720)

1.37 MB PNG

>>1847130

>>1847133

You can't even hold him losing to Clemmy against him because she's Clemmy and a mentor character to the Caesar/Amos generation of pilots.

>>1847124
/jo/ - Jockeys
/md/ - Mecha Design (I guess)
/his/ - His (I guess)
/cul/ - cults
/int/ - intelligence
/ev/ - current events
/ru/ - rules
/deb/ - debate
/me/ - socializing
You mentioned there were also some hobby boards and music boards.

>>1847130
Have they been making memes of Roarke fighting Amos?

>>1847134
A mentor character with a stealth buddy and the initiative. Also, 10 swords.

>>1847139

Yup, Starwind general is on /jo/, not /me/ (which has Kestrels General and frequent 'going to Phaeton to become a pirate' threads). There are frequent Black Ogre and Karen threads on /md/.

>>1847147
Has crazy was /ev/ during the last three days?

>>1847148
The mods had to shut down /GY/chan for 5 mins because the antivirus firewall thought they were under the biggest DDOS attack since the founding of the holonet.

>>1847044
Hey, Plumbing is an honest trade.

>>1847078
I wonder who the nurse is.

>>1847314
Might have been a family member of one of the bluegil vets that naomi killed. It's one of the few places where Fairchild explicitly said she had the family members of people involved eliminated.

>>1847139
I'd love to see the Avalonians reaction to trying to post on there

>>1847535
I would assume it's like a newfag coming from tumbler or Reddit. It does not end well..unless the board is compromised, but I figure after the war that may have been looked at.

>>1845985
All I want to know is where the OP image is from.

>>1847254
Do you know how many women plumber's fuck? Every time they go over to a house it's all "Muh sink's busted lemme suck yo dick" and no work gets done.

>>1847620
Or it's some druggy who complains about turtles and mushrooms.

So who else is getting ready for the storm?

>>1847772
I live in the north. I have friends in the south, but they have left.

>>1847774
South Florida myself.

>>1847796
Good luck. I hope you come out of this ok

>>1847803
Thanks, just know if I end up disappearing I'm probably dead.

>>1847806
If that happens I'll shred some veggies and burn them as your funeral offering

>>1847806
godspeed thunder

>>1847806
>not just seducing the hurricane to make it fuck off
You're slipping.

>>1847806
Just find some buddies out of the path of the hurricane and crash with them. If you can't hope you are not on the eastern side of Irma.

>>1847817
I'm outside Miami and staying with my ma to help her get ready for it.

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>1847815
Rolling for Thunder's seduction of a hurricane

>>1847796
Godspeed Thunder. I guess living northeast of Atlanta isn't so bad after all.

Rolled 9 + 16 (1d10 + 16)

>>1847821
Do better

>>1847825
He just waifud a force of nature

>>1847828
Resisting seduction would be an opposed roll, right? What bonus would a hurricane have to resist seduction?

>>1847830
Three times its category, maybe?

Rolled 5 + 18 (1d10 + 18)

>>1847847
So apparently Irma's going to break a record or something but hurricane categories stop at 5, so I'll just say it's a 6.

>>1847852
>>1847825
Beats it by one.

So what makes you think it won't be like when Clemmy first tried to kill Roarke. Our of love.

>>1847863
2 anon, work on your math skills.

>>1847864
Either case, stay safe, make sure you are prepared, and if you can, take pics of the madness.

>>1847893
Shits boarded up, got the hurricane shutters up, everything is in the house/garage nothing more we can really do. Just have to hope the power doesn't get fucked and if it does that it gets back up quickly.

does anyone know when the next run is?

>>1847905
No he forgot to tell us, but he'll show up sooner or later.

File: 1414822000201.png (136 KB, 560x651)

136 KB PNG

>>1847897
Good luck Thunder, seduce that storm!

>>1847897
Make sure to leave some non-perishable food and blankets wherever you plan on hiding in your house if the storm gets really bad.

Also watch out for lightning, if there will be any. Pence might be up to some weird shit.

>>1847915
If anything, it was all that statue destruction. They awakened the vengeful spirits of the south.

>>1847897
Godspeed Thunder.

>>1847897
Don't die thunder.

So... Next Wednesday, Mr. Wong?

>>1848329
probably earlier then that, unless he is in the California area too.

>>1847897
I'll actually miss hating you if you die, so don't do that. Stay safe.

>>1847897
We've already lost Brazilanon, the quest will never be the same if you're gone as well.

>>1848411
Your right, who else will jump off the handle at any moment when someone says something pleasant about the Avalonians?

>>1848498
They make objectively better waifus.

>>1848522
They did not make Sammy.

>>1848522
>Lori
>Rin
>Naomi
Vs
>Clemmy
>Rosita
>Sam
It isn't even a competition, Sol's boys even make better girls.

>>1848524
They could make her a real woman.

>>1848411
Did Brazilanon actually leave or just went back to being anonymous?

>>1848527
>>1848524

Whoops! Forgot Roarke already did that.

>>1848528
No word from him at all. Worst case is he got caught up in the escalating shit hole situation back home.

>>1848528
Don't know. I figure he's be pretty easy to spot if he was anonymous, though.

>>1848528
If he was still here I'm certain we could either pick him out or he would have said something.

>>1848527
>removing the best part.
What are you, gay?

>>1848545
>>1848542
telling you guys he got HUEed probably
or eaten by starving Venezuelans who broke into his house

>>1848555
It that....

Or the trap friend got him.

>>1848552
Her virginity?

>>1848557
>Brazil is being held in a rape dungeon by is trap friend
guess we need to hire some /k/ommandos to rescue his ass

>>1848555
>>1848557
Poor BR-chan
Probably got caught in between in psycho cops and the drug cartels that were waging war in between his home and his uni
Hopefully not though

>>1848574
I dunno, he might be around. His quirks have shown up before in the last few threads.

>>1847905

Today, probably a bit short.

>>1848703
Take what we can get.

Small problem. I wrote out everything for tonight and it was too short to bother with right now, so...I'm saving it. Game resumes WEDNESDAY.

>>1847147

Sidenote, Red Siren is a /jo/ favorite and Karen (because she posts porn despite being less well known) is a /md/ waifu.

>>1850308
>Karen posts porn
What?

>>1850308
Well, why not use the night for ideas and questions? Maybe some mech workshop as well?

>>1850324
Fujoshi BL doujinshi.

Try to keep up, Thunder. We're going at your pace as it is.

>>1850459
I thought he meant she posts her own porn with Roarke.

File: MS-452 Nice Rack.jpg (74 KB, 600x900)

74 KB JPG

>>1850459
>>1850465
Nah, it's totally Archen X Black Ogre doujins.

>>1850472
She would never put Rosita's mech over. She would probably write Black Ogre and trap Betta.

>>1850472
Please, with the Arm bits, the Kaiser can hand hold all his wives at once.

>>1850513
>She would probably write Black Ogre and trap Betta
I wonder what mech dicks look like.

>>1850520
They don't have tits though. Well Lori's might, I guess.

>>1850537
>I wonder what mech dicks look like

ever seen a pilebunker?

File: 1689023.png (161 KB, 500x522)

161 KB PNG

>>1850545
>Pilebunker
Painful.

>>1850545
But the Betta has two already!

File: InsertPenisJokeHere.jpg (57 KB, 650x913)

57 KB JPG

>>1850537
Obviously like pic related. Not called a cockpit for nothing!

Took another look at the advanced tech manual and missed something that might be good.
Maneuver pods. 4cp, 2 spaces. Can move 8 spaces a turn and has sensors. A lesser version of the Nightmare's vehicle pod.
The reason I bring this up is because it takes the same number of spaces as a Environmental Pod with only 2 more CP. With a few tweaks to some designs, or making a 150 design to accommodate minor changes and improvements, we could deal with a bunch of issues mechs in this setting have. Specifically, being sitting ducks whenever they get taken out.

>>1850791
And here we go. A simple up grade for our 140 machines.
Commander Type: +10 CP
Upgrade Enviropod to Maneuver Pod: 2 CP
Intermech Link x2: 8 CP link is to a weapon the squad shares.
It's a pretty simple one. Commander mech hits, the two squaddies fire and hit as well. No real point for those with beastly weapons, but it'd make even lesser weapons dangerous in a good commander's hands.

File: Anath_and_Pope_Joan_Conce(...).png (924 KB, 1298x920)

924 KB PNG

>>1850472
Saving for later use.

Incidentally, I'm thinking about making Anat in MZ. What's a good way to represent Nuclear attacks?

>>1851177
That's the Archen, Rosita's mech.

And when you say nuclear, do you mean nuclear missiles or some kind of nuclear sword?

>>1851190
I mean firing blasts of concentrated Nuclear Radiation.

>>1851201
That'd probably be a Beam Weapon then. With a negative range modifier depending on how the weapon works, I dunno what Anat is.

If the radiation just kills the pilot, you could give it Shock (Only) from melee weapons and projectile ammo. Though if you're actually going to use it for a game, you'll want to test what multiplier would be balanced for it. x2 is way too low for a ranged shock weapon, but x4 is seems pretty hefty for an entire gun. It could end up being really OP though, shock is crazy, so x4 might be appropriate.

>>1851225
Anat is a Persona from P5. It starts off as a motorcycle but turns into a transforming mech/motorcycle. Its niche in the game is Nuclear and Healing Skills and, with the right build, it will be the only JOAT party member.

Beam weapons are a great idea, but I think I might use the Special Effect Weapon rules to make it more versatile.

Is there any reasoning behind the "Sleeves" name for the Neo-Zeon faction in Unicorn? Cause it sounds more like a good mercenary band name than a Zeon thing.

>>1850308
Any chance you could just stick around and answer questions?

>>1851254
I didn't even know that was a thing until now. I guess I shouldn't have skipped over the Stupid Mekton Tricks.

What exactly would it do, though? A straight "pass this single roll or die" thing on every attack seems pretty shitty to me. I guess that would depend on personal preference and what group you were playing with though.

>>1851305
I was thinking some kinda ranged combo Shock and Energy attack that doesn't ablate armor.

File: Mekton Scale.jpg (1012 KB, 5000x1375)

1012 KB JPG

>>1851313
That seems thematic for a radiation gun to me.

Unrelated, but I never realized that Mekton's designs were so good. I especially like the heads the mechs on the top line have. They're all heavy as shit though.

>>1851331

>Giga Kaiser

...Now Im wonder what if we get something kind of external frame for KK to dock into. Ala Red Frame Power Loader or Hakubein Boxer.

>>1851348
I think we should implement Energy Shields before we even consider anything else.

>>1851268

Sure can!

>>1851546
Neat, I'm actually curious about the Green Men themselves.

How many were there and how many living people can claim to have killed one?

>>1851268
The cuff area on their mobile suits have fancy Zeon-style decor. Yeah it's a pretty stupid nickname

>>1851546
How does Roarke stack up against Merrow and Beck in their prime?

>>1851546
What do you think of my idea from here? >>1851081
Could probably make some other minor upgrades for the lot of our mechs that could be applied with relative ease. Also, what mechs gave you the most trouble when you made them?

>>1851552

Nobody is quite sure exactly how many there were, because of the clones, but the number was in the thousands at the very least. That is, however, tiny compared to the sheer number of humans there were, and is the reason why so much of the fighting was done by their followers and bio-drones.

As for how many living people can claim to have killed one? Certain retired soldiers, Skunk (as part of a team), the Orange Pekoe squad (including Belegor), Rudolph Merrow, various ship captains and scientists who participated in designing weapons for planetary bombardments and carrying those bombardments out, Hakim the Kinless and some senior Martian commanders, everyone who bombarded the Father of Qu'lir...it's not about "who else can claim to have killed one", frequently they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and nobody cared who had the killshot because all of their friends were now dead.

>>1851557

There are different factors, considering how early that was and how different their mecha were.

>>1851572

I'll think about it.

>>1851700
I meant more in just piloting skill not as much their machines. Like if you put them all in a common bluegill.

>>1851700
Any plans for upgrading the standard UJCIDF energy weapon?

>>1850592
She's a sneaky assassin, they *always* have one more weapon.

>>1851331
> They're all heavy as shit though.
It's all relative. This quest has got people thinking that anything above MV-3 (or if you're 'heavy' maaaybe MV-4) is borderline unusable, so people are inclined to min max when building and then slather weight efficiency on top. But looking at the Kaiser even a middle of the road medium frame with some basics was in the 50 ton range, and that was without any kind of noteworthy gear weighing it down further.

Because the game is all opposed rolls only the difference in MV matters, so there's no practical difference whether the mechs tend to range from 30-50 tons or 60-80 tons as long as they're all like that. Frames and armour add on weight quick, so the stuff in the core book was heavy like that too.

100+ tons is a lot, though you got to figure if you're doing that you might as well go big or go home, since there's no larger penalty past it.

>>1852241
>This quest has got people thinking that anything above MV-3 (or if you're 'heavy' maaaybe MV-4) is borderline unusable
Eh, I think that's mostly on Wong, though it's really nobody's "fault" per se. A lot of the mechs present at the beginning like the Harpie or Bluegill cost very little and didn't weigh much at all, and his designs usually weigh less than Mekton mechs that have a similar cost. I can't tell if that's because he tends towards lightweight weapons like missiles or EMWs or if it's because he rightfully doesn't use fuel rules though.

tl;dr Wong set the standard and some people just took it to an extreme.
It didn't seem to affect the tourney mechs much anyway, only two people spent more than 5 CP on weight efficiency.

>>1852241
>>1853286

Most Mediums were at -5ish and the S-Slayer was at -6. Hell, the Tarrasque was at -7 or so despite the Fatima Custom being lighter now.

Speaking of which, for those of you wondering why the Fatima Custom's stats aren't posted...they're about 90% done and have been for months. The problem is the supplementary gun system.

The big gun and shields are perfectly fine and completely finished. I know how fast it moves and what it weighs. However, its area attack...the one that used to be an all-around shot...is something I'm just not happy with no matter how I remake it. Any ideas would be welcome.

>>1853352
I was just talking about the weight. The D-Stalker in Zeta Plus weighs 68 tons at base for 246 CP, and the mechs you've made that cost ~240-250 CP either weigh less than 60 or have a lot of weight efficiency. The ones without weight efficiency /do/ only have a 1 MV difference, but your designs still weigh about 10 tons less. The Knight also weighs 1 ton less than the Typical Algol Mekton in the corebook despite having treads, and the example only having a beam sword and gun with no shield. It just seems like you're a lot better at minimizing weight than the Mekton designers. Or they didn't bother to worry about it for the examples.

That also reminds me that we haven't actually seen the stats for any of the new MP SOUL mechs though. Too bad the Tarrasque doesn't have an ASP.

>>1853352
Depends on how you want them done. You could use weapon mounts, have one gun face forward in a 180 range, the other facing the other way, and have them linked. That way, if you don't want to fire at those behind you, you can turn that link off. It's one of the nice things about the Tarrasque. It's so big that torso weapon mounts will give you plenty of spaces.
>>1853432
Part of it could also be a case of us simply using less weapons in general. You'll see some machines with 3 or 4 different things, plus some modifiers on top that can increase the price like mad. As with the Saddest Bug, they really do not build them efficiently.

>>1853466
Got a few other ideas as well.
1: Reduce the range to 1-2, give the gun burst. Staying close to a artillery mech is usually a bad idea, and it prevents you from friendly firing everyone in range.
2:Energy pool/variable beam. AOE form, burst form. Allows you to select.
3: Make it into a anti missile version or maybe anti personel. Perhaps both. If it is to shoot everything, then it will shoot everything.

>>1853352
The best idea I can come up with for the gun is it being retooled to have a smaller AOE but with added BV or Mega Beam so it can shred mechs closer to the squishy end of the spectrum.

Dunno what you'd do about it being able to fire behind the Tarrasque though.

>>1853432

You might be disappointed in the MPs. Remember when I said, really early on, that the original Thoroughbred MPs were basic Medium Weight frames with Medium Weight armor, Greatshields, and complete basic bitch melee/range options without much Space Efficiency?

These are similar to that. A Mustang Commando, for instance, is a Medium Weight Frame with Medium Weight armor, a stealth system, a rapid-fire beam gun, and a basic bitch beamsaber.

>>1853466
>>1853559

I could. Making it 180-degrees and increasing the damage was what I originally went with, I think it's 6K or so now, but I'll probably reduce the damage and make it capable of attacking people and missiles.

File: Generian Model MS-02.jpg (373 KB, 1920x1079)

373 KB JPG

>>1853704
Probably better than what I come up with. I'm especially bad with names.
https://pastebin.com/AxbYK0Qn
Unrelated, but is the proper spelling saber or sabre? Is there even a difference?

>>1853704
>A Mustang Commando, for instance, is a Medium Weight Frame with Medium Weight armor, a stealth system, a rapid-fire beam gun, and a basic bitch beamsaber.

That sounds like an expensive fucking mech. What's the Commando's role really?

>>1853725
I've only ever used sabre in the context of fencing. Everything else has been saber.

>>1853859

The most expensive of the SOUL MPs, by far. It's a bigger version of the Triple Black Stars' Betta MPs with standard weapons instead of customized ones. Its role is to serve as bodyguard units for Fairchild's mech and clean up with backstabs whatever her drones don't kill.

>>1853879
That raises several questions.

First: how much does a Commando cost?

Second: What's the name for the non-stealth version and how much does it cost?

Third: If you stripped out all the extra systems, could the Kestrels reverse engineer it from the original designs for the Kaiser?

The fourth question is actually unrelated but I'm drunk: I was thinking about writing an article called "The Six Queens of Phaeton" that would talk about the advantages each waifu brought to

>>1853912
Likely not that much. See that Generian? Increase the size by 1 and you probably have it. 7 CP to increase the body, 6 for the armor, 7 CP worth of thrust for the body. so 21 CP for the upgrade. That means it would be 145 and -5.

Stealth stuff we have had for a while. The Betta is the queen of stealth and that info went into the shinobi harpies.

Not sure how much it would cost, but I would assume a commando would be in the 220+ range. Stealth systems are expensive.

File: There's a storm(dragon) coming.gif (1.02 MB, 320x180)

1.02 MB GIF

>>1853879
Hey wong, without looking too far into the future, how do you think you'll guide jovian mecha in development? While currently transitioning to pumpkinseed IIs for a linemech and the current soul lines how do you think things will generally develop? Besides one offs and super ace mechs of course! I'm guessing alot of this will depend on the Avalonian reaction in the arms race, and they are transitioning doctrinally away from only paladins and knights (If I were an Avalonian it would torment me that while their initial line mech was more than a match for the Jovian one at the time there were zero specialist versions, and it's space performance, gah!). I also wonder about martian developments. Given the quest focus on mech combat (duh) is there trends in ship or small weapon combat/development we'll see too that haven't been touched on? I'm speculating heavily as well what pirate involvement will do to influence mech development for all sides. That and the sheer strategic flexibility of our captains (and their huge differences in styles and aces unhindered by enforced doctrine) will surely make a few people pay attention! Anyway to apologize for this long post have a primo gif!

>>1853912
>>1853879
Fuck, forgot to complete my post.

"The Six Queens of Phaeton" would be an article about how each of the waifus was responsible for how the nation of Phaeton survived beyond its infancy.

Sam is the Espionage Expert and is largely responsible for establishing various security protocols and the spy network.

Clemmy is the Combat Expert, largely responsible for the training of Phaeton's elite troops and leading incredibly difficult missions into enemy territory.

Rosita is the propaganda expert. Always knowing what to do to garner more support from Phaeton's population and an expert at spinning media releases in her favor.

Karen is the tech expert. Singlehand dly responsible for the massive advances in Mecha technology that Phaeton became known for during the Avalon War.

Fatima not only established ties with the Martians but brought a significant number of territories into Phaeton's fold. She was also particularly skilled in diplomacy and advised King Roarke in such matters.

Loriette was largely responsible for the actual statecraft that King Roarke employed. A veteran administrator and ruler, the former Countess helped the King handle his day to day governance of the state of Phaeton.

Is it what I've written accurate? I'd like to get some confrmation from you before I start writing.

I kinda want to see a bachelorette party omake featuring Roarke's Waifus, Jane Mappa, Kathrine Archibald, Akai Inazuma, Inari and Pharis Sune, Mako Nunez, and Mai Uaifu.

Basically a bonus female bash of sorts.

>>1853950

They are who they are, some of them have more clearly-defined roles like Fatima being Head Wife and Samantha being the one closest to Roarke's own pirates that isn't Karen and also the sneaky one, and Karen being a mechanic, and Clemmy and Fatima DO train troops...but none of them really have a defined purpose Rosita would pout if you called her a propaganda expert and just insist that she's a radiant red star in the sky or something.

It might be true later though when there's less bickering.

>>1854030

Don't forget Mrs. Rachel Flint, Captain Moses Flint's wife. Or Shukriya Ahmad. Or Regina Hatsheput. You're also missing Marciana Sparna, pilot of M-Sagister.

>>1854384
Hey Wong, I have a write-in idea. It's something that I couldn't articulate before. It's a follow up pre-gate intel message from Ceaser to Roarke.

"Hey man, it's Ceaser. Sorry I couldn't make the wedding, but I've been caught up in my GF's family struggles. I know I told you a thing or two about it before, but I just learned that it's worse than we thought. The Old Lady is dying, and there's nothing they can do to stop it. All the fancy med tech they can get their hand's on can only delay the inevitable. This has brought of the minefield of inheritance, and my girl is more or less the only plausible in inheritor of the various holdings. It gets even worse though. While the firm's upper staff has managed to keep it on the down low, the old bad hasn't been firing on all cylinders for a while, which put a lot of things into question, and a lot of them don't like the conclusions they've drawn. Then we add in the Major-Domo, the pink haired bitch, who clearly has an agenda of her own, and has WAY too much influence on her communications.

I'm going to be blunt. It's going to be absolutely hideous. The power struggle has already started, and Naomi has already become the ultimate prize. Considering how cut throat and high stakes it is, her "consent" is something easily brushed over. In one form or another, they all want her to fill in her mother's shoes. Some want her to actually lead, and others want to be the one pulling the strings. It's going to destroy her. And I can't let that happen.

Only a handful of them think of Naomi has her own person. Even Eusty tends to go along the lines of "needs of the many", but he's romantic enough to be nauseous about it. Pinky out right considers her a pawn. The crazy fanatic that just got introduced is too over the place to pin down. Naomi needs an advocate, and it looks like I'm the only real option. While my standing is currently rather shaky, I have Eusty's and Tabi's confidence, and the crazy bitch seems to have taking a shine to me as well. With any luck, I can throw a big enough monkey wrench into clusterfuck to make some real headway.

To borrow the Weeaboo phrase, "I will protect that smile." Even if I have to toss around some anti-matter. And I wouldn't be terribly surprised if that becomes literal."

>>1854384
Alas, they slipped through my mind.

BTW, any tips on cleaning puke out of a tub?

>>1854711
Use bleach

Don't forget Wong's running tonight

>>1863031
Thunderbird! You're alive!

>>1863743
Yeah same as usual

>>1863748
Good. I feared that with how Irma went, you succeeded in seducing Irma, had her flood, and then were taken away to parts unknown.