Eternal Rubicon - IC

[Zagrin]

Takeshi Wakahisa
Location - Ark Royal, Hangar
Takeshi grinned as he heard the alarm starting to go off and the announcement that the White Dagger had successfully escaped the Persephone space station. Good, this was exactly what he had hoped would happen though wasn't surprised at all that it had. After all, if they weren't able to escape after all the leeway they'd been given then they wouldn't be worth fighting in the first place.

"Well then, duty calls and all that. Cya later then, Anja."

With that Takeshi gave a small wave before heading off towards the locker room to get suited up.

Takeshi Wakahisa
Location - Coinvolto, Cockpit

As Takeshi sat down in the pilot's seat he breathed in deeply before exhaling. Yes, this was right, it was good to finally be back in his own Rubicon rather than somebody else's. If there was anywhere that Takeshi felt safe, it was here, in his machine.

"It looks like we're getting another chance to fight those fake Rubicons, Coinvolto. Last time ended up being a disappointment, but this time...this time let's show them what a true Rubicon is capable of, eh?"

With that Takeshi began typing on the console, starting up the machine and preparing for its launch.

As Coinvolto was picking up its equipment, Takeshi noticed that someone else was already launching. It seems that Clarissa woman was also eager for this battle, though what her role was in the overall strategy he couldn't quite recall. In fact, he wasn't actually too sure what his captain wanted him to do either as he'd been more concerned with the conversation he was having.

"Ah well, not like it matters as long as we win, right?"

With that said, he maneuvered Coinvolto towards the launch catapult. Checking that the launch restraints had locked onto Coinvolto, Takeshi went through the last steps of the launch procedure.

"Takeshi Wakahisa. Coinvolto. Launching!"

[Bloble]

Katyusha VolkovnikaLocation - Helianthus, Cockpit

After only a moment's rest, she was back in the cockpit.

Normally that would be fine, but this time, Katyusha had a feeling things wouldn't go smoothly. She'd never fought another Rubicon before except in simulations. The data on the enemy units wasn't encouraging, either. Still, she would pull through. Katyusha may not have done battle against a Rubicon... but the others had.

She opened communication channels with the Valkyries launching alongside her. They'd gone up against overwhelming odds before, and they'd do so again with her on their side.

"Katyusha Volkovnika. Helianthus. Launching."

[Vritra]

Yamada Taro
Ark Royal Hanger

“It’s time…”

Clenching my teeth as the alarm blares in time to the announcement I put the data pad I’ve been studying down and rise. Anxiety and fear coil within my guts but I refuse to succumb and move with determined strides towards my Rubicon. Whispering my prayers for fortune and everyone making it back alive I maintain deep and steady breaths, its past time for doubts and hesitations I must believe in the Mandragora and in myself …as hard as that can be sometimes.

And so with one final deep bow to the engineering crew I say my apologies to the engineers who have had to spend these frantic minutes to make up for my mistakes before shouting out my resolution, to emerge victorious and to not let their efforts go to waste.

Those stares were certainly embarrassing …maybe I’m really weird. Fighting back a blush and fidgeting in my seat I watch the hangers lights fade as the cockpit doors close, no running away now, yes nothing to do but advance and seek the world we dreamed of, the world we are fighting for. Brief musing on how the cockpit of the Mandragora can feel both comforting and familiar and alien simultaneously are cut short as I brace myself for the lurching and ensuing sudden acceleration of the ships catapult.

“Yamada Taro, Mandragora LAUNCHING!”

Ahahaha I’m scared, I’m really scared…

No doubts, no hesitations just breathe and everything is going to okay Yamada, the Mandragora isn’t so weak to fall here and your training hasn’t been useless. Ha, I’m not cut out for this kinda thing at all, a small self-depreciating laugh as I dwell on just how I managed to find myself piloting a superweapon on a battlefield in the stars. I should be on the farm if only I could still go back, to the hard but enjoyable work, to dads encouragements and to moms cooking. If only that was an option yet sadly it isn’t those days have disappeared into dust and that’s exactly why I’m here. Manuvering my suit into formation I try and I muster one last try at gathering the courage I’ll need in a few minutes.

“Ba- …Ba, Ba, Ba, Babababa ahaha god this is sad” Stumbling over the syllables in my nervous I can’t help but curse my self before I take one last controlled breath and shout out that phrase that’s has yet to stop being alien despite all the effort I’ve put into this whose thing. “Ban-ZAI!”

There we go finally something that could almost pass for respectable, only took me to many tries than I’d like to count.

…

Wait… The comms weren’t on right? Oooooooh I really hope they weren’t and that nobody was paying any attention to me, I mean nobody would right? little old plain forgettable screw up his first battle me?

I can wish right…