Event || The Empire Strikes Back

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Everyone participating in the event
Where: Aqures Ixen
When: July 27th to August 02nd
Summary: The battle for Aqures Ixen is about to begin! The Heroes of Light are going to do their best to defend Aqures Ixen, but will this be enough? Feel free to participate and reply to appropriate threads. New top-level threads will be posted regularly as the battle progresses.
Warning: N/A, will be updated.

July 27th || Mingle
July 28th || Bomb Defusing / Imperial Assault
July 29th || Mingle / Attack on the 13th District / Aerial Battles / Imperial Camp
July 30th || 14th District on Fire / The Hospital / Mognet Office Attacked
July 31st || The Fire Spreads / Betrayals
August 01st || The Second Wave / Ultima Weapon
August 02nd || Final

Comments

[grandsummon]

A wave of relief washed over her when the aeon had appeared. Despite her grave mistakes in the lab that day -- they still trusted her. And as the great thunder-infused soul loomed above her, she smiled gratefully as he disappeared.

But now wasn't the time to be emotional. As she snapped back in the reality, Rikku was just about finishing her flurry of attacks, and Yuna leapt backwards in the air, raising her staff in front of her defensively.

There was no one in Crystallis she felt better fighting alongside, able to communicate wordlessly with her cousin through brief looks, knowing the Al Bhed's style and mixing it with her own... for the first time since being captured, she finally felt confident in her own abilities again.

"Magic Field!" she cried, raising her free hand into the air, as the area around her sizzled and hummed with lightning and thunder, the magic lacing itself around her weapon. "I... I think it's weak to thunder! Just like the machina back home!"

She turned to face her cousin -- knowing the other girl's aversion to the element of choice. "I can imbue your weapon with it, but... only if you say so."

Clank, clank, whirrrrrr the machina buzzed, stopping ominously a short distance away -- and settling into a position as the exposed mechanisms started to turn and grind within.

[victorix]

Ever an open book, the astrophobe can't hide the flicker of terror from her expression at the offer of infusing her beloved weapons with the hated element. Still, there's not a moment's hesitation as she makes an offering gesture with the twin blades, giving her cousin a determined nod to emphasize the decision knowing the Spiran would have seen the earlier fear. Like taking the stage, battle was a different arena. Rikku could handle lightning with her alchemy - she would do this. The stakes were simply too high.

Biting the side of her lip at the sight of the enemy charging up, she's suddenly gone -- a slight haze left where the Al Bhed once stood. In a black explosion, completely 180 degrees above the scorpion, the red clan assassin re-appears. Hanging upsidown, crouching hands and knees to the ceiling in a mockery of physics, having combined smoke bomb with ceiling walk. Blade tips aimed for the mock insect's head, she then dead drops downwards - trusting Yuna to infuse her weapons in that time - hoping her attack will interrupt whatever the machina is gearing up for.

[grandsummon]

The nod was returned, a serious look on Yuna's face as she did so. She knew what it meant for Rikku to agree to something like this -- and for a brief moment the memory of her shouting at the lightning to 'be quiet!' along the thunder plains flashed in her mind. In a blur, as the Al Bhed disappeared, the summoner's expression softened again -- proud of how far her cousin had come... and was willing to go.

To say it was difficult to keep up with the Ninja's movements was an understatement, but positioning herself again to cast the spell, Yuna squinted trying to catch a flash of blonde and red -- catching her finally in the downward strike.

Magic Field soared from her fingertips again, catching the daggers just at the moment of impact with a great flash of light, and the boom of thunder that came with it.

[victorix]

A scream rips from the assassin's lips as the lightning erupts up her blades as if to consume her and the crash of thunder resounds through her chest, but her aim stays true.

Slamming into the creature's neck in a yellow flash, Rikku twists her legs, kicking in a corkscrew as she lands. Ripping through the components that hold the head to the shoulders with the added toque. Zaps resounding as the elemental enhancement works its charm. The scent of seared metal begins filling the air.

Rikku twists back, never once touching flesh to the machina - as long as her blades were touching it the creature would hold a charge. Instead she used them to propel herself off, touching to the ground, her breathing quick and eyes wide.

It seems she landed a critical hit, the machines head was slumped forwards, partially dislodged. Indeed if any essential programming components were there they would be out of the woods - which was what the young mechanic had aimed for.

Unfortunately, such was not the case. It rocked side to side, settling down lower to the ground as its tail began to build a glow at the tip - aiming straight for the room holding the crystal heroes as if the two before it were a mere nuisance.

[grandsummon]

Yuna is in the air again, taking leaps and bounds floating part-way in the air with her levitation skills. This way of moving, the speed in the air -- it reminded her of the way they had fought one another in the war of the gods. But reminiscing was on the backburner, and she skidded to the ground once she was back at Rikku's side.

"Are you all right?" she asked quickly, although she wouldn't be able to heal, she still had a supply of hi-potions on hand. With the machina scorpion moving into place again, her attention quickly went back to the threat.

"Oh no," the psychic whispered her eyes following the path that its aim was meant for. "We can't let fire on the crystallized wing!" She was up again, zipping towards the mechanical beast, her features sharp with intent, one eye trained on her foe as she circled around, "Hey, over here!" she called, trying to draw its attention, soaring through the air towards, then behind it.

[victorix]

Normally the Ninja cradles her daggers close in a defensive position, instead she holds them out away from her chest - as if something possessed. Which, for better or worse they are. Her face falls as she sees what little effect her hit had, despite the damage it's done. Offering an absent minded nod at the question - shaken but not harmed.

Seems her machina skills will do them no good with this one. At once terrified - and impressed by the construction of the Empire's technology. If not in the head, its critical programs are buried deep within the enforced and - at least as far as for the two of them is concerned, impenetrable metal exoskeleton. Yet, that would make communication difficult - so it must be rampaging on its own. Nothing was controlling this giant beast... The Empire's machina was very advanced. Single minded, and set free to kill - that's all a destroyer program really needed, she supposed.

The Al Bhed could hardly believe all the damage it had taken and yet, it was still going. Neither Rikku nor Yuna were heavy hitters, all they could really do was distract it until back up appeared. Good thing the previous teams had focused on the legs to slow it and throw its balance. A smart move, otherwise it would surely have reached the crystal wing by now.

Rikku and Yuna were really the last line. More bait to try and draw it away a few moments longer than take it down.

And just like that, Yuna was flitting about the enemy's sights like a fae. Giving a martyr the ability to literally fly into the face of danger...a terrible combination.

"Yunie no!" Her hand froze at her pouch. So far as the blonde could tell, it had cranked into place and would not re-adjust its aim. In her experience with Spiran tech, that's how it worked. She figured their best chance was to try to blow its balance off so the strike hit elsewhere. Only...Rikku could not chance a strong mix in the close confines of the hospital. She was just as likely to harm the people they were trying to protect. Yuna would be fully aware of this. The alchemist could at least try to use an item - though it was a long shot, she doubted an item alone would be strong enough. Maybe combined with an Aeon.., But she couldn't throw anything with her cousin flitting about like that!

Seeing Yuna was not taking heed and still trying to draw the weapon away she let out an anguished sound, starting to dash forwards to try and leap into the fray and push the girl away should she reach her in time. It was more than simply a matter of wanting to use an item, the psychic was bringing herself far too close to the blast zone, "It's dangerous there move!"

[grandsummon]

"If we can just get it to change where it's aiming -- !" she called, landing on the ground with her arms crossed, still holding her staff in front of her. There was a sudden blast of cold air as, "Shiva!" came down to offer a quick strike, retreating back from the glyph she was summoned from.

"Stay back!" she called, holding a hand out from the direction Rikku came. "I'll summon Ramuh again!" her thunder-based aeon, and one she didn't want to call too closely in her cousin's personal space again.

The icy strike was enough to get the scorpions attention, which still hummed with the energy it gathered for what Yuna was sure would be a great blast. Taking the time to turn, and plant itself from the ground again, now was her chance.

"Ramuh!" she hoisted her staff up high, "Judgement Bolt!"

The attack zig-zagged towards the Red Scorpion, buzzing and crackling as it hit -- but dissipated with the bright light of the machina's counter-attack, aimed straight for the Psychic.

[victorix]

Thank goodness, a wave of relief - trust Yuna to be on the same wavelength even without having been able to communicate with words what they needed to do.

Rikku freezes immediately, trusting the judgment call.

....Especially when she heard who was being called. This battle was trying to break her. Why was it always lightning?! At this point she was coiled up so tightly internally from the whole ordeal, the adrenaline running so deep, the faint zaps of static from her daggers making the hairs of her arms stand tall.

She did not even react to the mighty summon. Standing unmoved - doll like. It would all come out later, probably find her on the floor unable to breath in a horribly embarrassing and humiliating moment, as coping mechanisms took everything that the deeply engrained phobia really wanted the girl to do - and buried it. "Open later" - survival first.

She had been watching her cousin with apprehension. The flash of the scorpion's counter attack is so bright, it momentarily blinds the girl. Leaving her with nothing but the impression of shadows of what should be when her vision starts to return. It...It had gone straight for her!

No. NO!.

"Yunie!?"

Reaching a hand out blindly -- unsure if the shadows she sees before her are true or false images. Perhaps merely imprints left on her cornea before the blinding light. The scorpion takes advantage of her disorientation - its tail slashing like a whip, the sword-like edge cutting deep across her her back in the chaos.

There's a scream as she lurches forwards at the impact, yet she hardly pays it any heed. Stumbling forwards so it doesn't get another chance.

"Yunie!? Answer me! I can't see you!"

[grandsummon]

There was silence. A uncomfortable one, that lasted too long before the weight of a hand finally pressed down on Rikku's shoulder. "It's all right," the psychic sounded winded, though not hurt. "I'm right here..." the dust was still settling, and standing tall, Yuna had been able to avoid the blow thanks to the Vanish skill in her arsenal. It had perhaps cut things a little close for comfort but... she'd made it.

When the Scorpion took shake again it looked still, and quiet. Had they done it? Was that last attack finally enough to...

A click sounded once, then again, followed by a whrrrr of a motor booting back up, sputtering at first, then blasting on. Yuna sank to her knees, exhaling in frustration. They couldn't keep up with it at this rate. As she looked down at her hands, she knew that her mana was depleted... "Rikku? Can you see?" she had hoped it was a temporary injury at worst...

[victorix]

The thief froze in terror when she did not hear a response. Had...had it. At the reassuring touch and the sound of Yuna's voice, the tension rushes out of her body. Thank goodness. "You scared me! Don't do that again!"

The relief falls quickly back into a frown at that familiar sound, and as her cousin pulls her hand away from the shorter girl's shoulder she will find it wet with blood. Lucky really, considering she had been stumbling around blind - that it had not hit something vital. Her daggers drop to the ground with protesting zaps, useless now with her injuries. It's not as if - they were doing much good anyway.

"Yeah I can, but if it fires again close your eyes and look away it's like a flash grenade, but ten times worse."

She hunches down beside her cousin, gulping down a Hi potion she'd fished from her pouch - then using the same vial to start a Mix. Don't call her one to waste. There's a slight grimace on her features, she'd need a few more potions to heal fully, but one did the most essential job of stopping the bleeding. She's clearly having a harder time than usual getting the mix together, her hands shaking, losing precious moments - clearly more frustrated than in pain, the battle adrenaline numbing most of it. "Stupid bug! Hang in there Yunie, I have an idea." She couldn't use a large mix - but maybe the right one in the right location...

A poof of black smoke replaces the alchemist, and suddenly she appears falling downwards right above the looming tail. Not trusting herself to throw the mix with her injury, she plops in into the opening of the tail - like a coin into a slot machine. Her eyes clenched tight in the final moment.

Please don't burst and kill me and if you work I promise I'll try to hate you less.

In another Poof! she makes it out of there just in time, as the first strike of her Rolling Thunder Mix claps down violently straight into the creatures tail, arcing downwards.