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The Frontier…
An area where the unknown and impossible mix. For some time, humanity has been exploring the vast uncharted territories while carrying out where some left off years before them. What new discoveries they found quickly turned into results that rewarded fame, fortune, opportunity, and sometimes a mix of both.
With these, and the growing issues in the original home called the Core Systems, the people migrated to these newly-discovered planets in the Frontier in search for solace and prosperity. For many, it seemed as though humanity has finally found something that would forever change their destiny for the better.
Alas, it was not to be…
War has been the concept that persisted throughout history. The Hundred Years' War, World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom - they are among the countless numbers of conflicts caused as a result of ambition and jealousy. Sometimes, idiocy played a role.
And now, the Frontier became the latest victim of fighting.
For the pursuit of their interests, and those of both their shareholders and consumers, an entity called the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation mobilized much of their forces in the Frontier to secure resources. Some of those continuing with their lives in the Frontier were met with forceful evictions from the corporation or, in some cases, death as they tried to protect their homes, whether thru peaceful means or not. And because of these incidents, the IMC were being viewed unfavorably within much of the Frontier.
For a while, the injustices continued. When it became clear that the megacorporation was not being thoughtful of the plight of the violated, enough was enough.
Thus, the Frontier Militia was born, and a civil war broke out within the Frontier.
For years, numerous planets suffered from destructive and damning battles between the two sides. Worse, those with fuel reserves were exploited by the IMC through fracking, which resulted in geological instability. People abandoned the affected planets, seeking to find refuge; however, some chose to not stand idly by and took up arms as an answer.
To some, simply taking a gun is not enough.
On the surface, machines called 'Titans' roamed the battlefield in search for targets. As with many inventions for society-building, it was weaponized to assist in the field. But a Titan has a partner to join hands for increased combat effectiveness; special people known as 'Pilots' man these now-converted death machines to take out enemies in areas where a Titan cannot fit with its chassis. Their increased combat skills, combined with excellence in the field of mobility and the assistance of the jump kit, made them just as dangerous.
These partnerships earned both fear, admiration and respect among the warring factions. It even aspired more people to become one and have their own Titan one day.
And so comes a story of one partnership that will help dictate the course of the war. However, joining it is a discovery that could rock the very foundation of the Frontier and commonly-accepted knowledge…
(New Florida)
According to intelligence, the planet was believed to be hosting an IMC black site under command of the Archaeological Research Division or ARES. This particular area was located on the site of a recently discovered ruins of ancient alien architecture, built within a gentle cliff face on a mountain. Other than that, not much information was available at the time of the acquisition.
In order to deal with the threat, a combined force consisting of the 9th and 10th Militia fleets were deployed to handle the likely threat.
Hovever, they must thread the line carefully; more than a year before the operation, the Militia sent the 9th Fleet to the planet of Typhon to deal with the then-unknown device called the Fold Weapon, designed to destroy Militia-aligned planets and force them into capitulation. Upon their arrival, the IMC led them into an ambush, decimating most of the Militia combatants. Despite all odds, the operation was a success, and the weapon was destroyed, alongside the planet.
The lessons learned meant that the Militia was better prepared for any unexpected changes in enemy defenses. By that point, they had managed to break through the planetary defenses and the outer edges of the atmosphere at the cost of two starships.
Aerospacecraft consisting of various fighters and dropships began to populate the now-turbulent skies as anti-air fire from the ground bursted into life in the IMC's attempt to fend off the Militia. The former proceeded to perform an aggressive game of cat-and-mouse while maneuvering through other ships and cannon fire. With an opening, the able pilots opened fire; some missed while others managed to get a confirmed kill.
The Militia Titans began to drop from their assigned ships once the phrase, "standby for Titanfall!", was given out. As well, drop pods for the lowly grunts and Spectre robots joined the fray. Nevertheless, many made their descent and proceeded to begin their advance through the facility while trying to survive.
On a Vanguard-class Titan with the codename 'FX-2047' emblazoned on the top, a young and promising Pilot began to lead the grunts under his care while opening fire with its PR-01 Plasma Railgun at a small turret that just started retaliating against them.
"Take cover!" The Pilot shouted with his lungs. The Titan activated its Vortex Shield to catch the incoming projectile, giving the grunts time to stay clear. The latter hugged towards the nearby rock formations and prayed that they can move again with less worry.
Sure enough, the Shield sent the projectiles back toward the IMC site and the Titan opened fire at the turret. The hot round punctured through the rotating turret structure. Then, the railgun was aimed at the second one at its left with similar results.
Seconds later, both turrets were offline.
"Good sharpshooting, Pilot." The Titan praised the pilot in a feminine voice.
"Sergeant García, the turrets are down. You may proceed." The Pilot cleared the leader of the grunts to move.
"Copy, sir. We're moving out." The sergeant responded.
The group moved out of their cover and continued their advance. Suddenly, a stray missile was approaching.
"Warning: missile approaching from 3 o'clock." FX warned.
The Pilot quickly turned right and saw the missile heading toward them. Quickly, they used the Vortex Shield again and caught it to make them chart a course for a flight to the base. They turned left towards their target and sent the missile away.
Again, the group continued their advance.
Radio chatter continued emitting various confirmations and frantic responses based on the situation. Everyone can hear it as the fight slowly drew closer to the base.
Then, out came the IMC's Titans of various chassis designs. The fight became harder for the Militia ground units.
Three of them, consisting of a Brute, Ion and Ronin, began to approach FX and her Pilot upon being noticed. Their weapons were aimed at the Militia foe before they opened fire.
FX activated her Vortex Shield in an attempt to limit the damage. She and her Pilot were in trouble.
"García, hold position. We're taking enemy fire." The Pilot ordered.
The Ronin approached FX and unsheathed its samurai-styled broadsword. Carefully, the Titan performed a Phase Shift for an apparent sneak attack from behind.
"Pilot, your six." FX gave him a heads-up.
They then dashed sideways to the right and sent the captured projectiles away to the sky. The Ronin reappeared but failed to perform the attack, so it decided to try slashing the duo nevertheless. The first slash was missed when FX jumped back, followed by the second.
However, the Militia Titan chose to charge directly towards the Ronin. As it began to do the third slash, FX grabbed hold of the Ronin's hands, effectively binding them and rendering it unable to do anything except use its legs for a struggle.
That weakness was exploited. FX kicked the right knee joint to make the Ronin collapse on its side.
"Sir, that Ion's gonna laze you!" García forewarned frantically.
The Pilot and FX summoned their strength to move the Ronin toward the Laser Shot's line-of-fire. A small struggle occured, but in the nick of time, the Ronin was moved and given the damaging hit of a laser to the left side. A hole was made through the cockpit.
In the end, the Titan loosened its grip on the broadsword. It appeared that the laser killed the Ronin's Pilot and some of the computer systems, effectively severing all control.
The Ronin fell down and its sword was looted by FX.
"Enemy Titan down." The Titan confirmed. "Move on to the other two Titans."
"Gotcha." The Pilot agreed.
Using the sword to try bypassing the Vortex Shield, the duo began charging toward the next two IMC Titans. The IMC pair began to open fire with their weapons. As a result, FX began to take some damage despite using the dense properties of the broadsword as a blocking technique.
They approached the Ion at a quick pace. The Ion and Brute backed away in response while the former evaded the first slash from the broadsword. They opened fire again, damaging FX more at the middle of her chassis.
"Warning: detecting hull damage." She declared.
"Grrgh!" The Pilot grinded his teeth.
Again, they tried to slash the Ion while under fire. They quickly closed in on the Ion and extended the blade's reach. It finally became successful as it pierced the cockpit, albeit it missed its Pilot by mere inches. This did not bring the Ion down.
So instead, FX swinged her right leg on the Ion's, making it fall.
In consideration, the duo chose to focus on the Brute that continued to open fire. They armed their railgun and aimed it at the target's weakspot: the cockpit. Quickly, the Brute reacted by engaging its thrusters for flight after reloading. The next trigger pull fired a fast-moving rocket at the Militia duo, but they dashed left before opening fire.
The projectile, although it missed the Pilot, ruptured its fuel tanks. This caused the Titan to explode upon the fuel's ignition, resulting in its burning fall to the ground.
By the time the Ion got back on its feet and took out the impaling broadsword, it was greeted by a charged railgun of FX. The trigger pull put it and its Pilot out of its misery with a direct hit. It then fell to the ground defeated.
"Well done, Pilot. Our combat effectiveness rating has increased." FX congratulated.
"Whew." The Pilot sighed. "That's close."
"There are still enemy Titans within the AO. I suggest that we be careful."
"I know. I'm just a bit tired from the fight." He assured.
"No time for rest, Pilot Gutierrez. We must move."
"You just sounded like my mom." Gutierrez somewhat sarcastically responded. "Anyway…" He began to radio García on the update. "Sergeant, all Titans down. Clear to move in."
"Thanks for taking care of them, sir. We owe you two one." He thanked the duo.
"No problem."
The group began to move once more.
XXXXXXX
At that point, the Militia made significant gains in the battle. Much of the IMC's defenses were in ruins, their air support weakend, and some of their experienced personnel were lost.
Some of the IMC Pilots disembarked to try impeding the Militia advance while on foot. Their formation and current position, however, left them little room for any risky maneuvers. Bravely, a last stand was underway: turrets were deployed and their remaining Titans were relocated to potential chokepoints, causing the Milita to sustain damage in tigher corridors of the complex.
"Contact, 800 meters!" A Militia soldier shouted before opening fire with his C.A.R. submachine gun. He returned to cover.
Near him, one soldier took a bullet to the chest while attempting to shoot. He fell to the ground dead.
"Dunn!" He shouted his fallen's name.
FX approached the soldiers position with her Vortex Shield up and running. It continued to collect more IMC ordnance before releasing them onto the targets.
"Move, move! Follow the Titan!" The soldier shouted an order to his surviving men. Carefully, they began to follow.
A Militia Hornet began its approach to the right of the complex for an attack run after a request for an airstrike was received. Its speed was lowered and so were its flaps for a more accurate and stable fire.
"Greyhound 3, moving to attack - danger close!" The pilot shouted on the radio to those who can hear him.
Gutierrez and FX backed away to allow the Hornet to do its job. As soon as the "Package away!" quote was shouted, two missiles were launched. It only took almost three seconds for them to hit their marks, effectively pushing the IMC defenders back. A screech echoed through the air as the craft made a fly-by over the Militia forces on the ground.
"Good effect on target, Greyhound." The Titan Pilot cofirmed the results.
"Roger. Be advised, I'm winchester at this time - bugging out." He began his flight back to the carrier. "Watch yourselves."
"Affirmative. We're moving in now."
The Milita breached the defenses and entered the inner perimeter. There was nothing left that stands in their way, except for a blast door in front of them. To make things challenging, it was built to withstand a lot of abuse from almost all sources.
"Pilot, our path has been blocked by a blast door. There should be a control interface nearby." FX suggested him to go on foot and open the door.
"Got it. I'll open the door." Gutierrez responded with affirmation. He got out of the Titan while carrying a V-47 Flatline assault rifle and began to proceed, but not before a Militia soldier called him.
"Sir, we'll remain here and keep the perimeter secure." He told Gutierrez.
"Roger that." He responded before beginning to move out.
"Be careful." It was one of the common well-wishes given to Pilots, despite their skills. And usually, the grunts were right to say it, especially since Gutierrez will be moving through hostile-controlled pathways to locate and hijack the door controls to allow his allies entry.
His weapon was set to arm, including his Hammond P2016 pistol. He approached a door on the left side of the path. Right beside it, a panel was already destroyed by the IMC in an effort to prevent further advances by the Militia.
Unfortunately, it will not last.
"FX, got a jammed door here." Gutierrez confirmed.
"Roger, stand back." FX armed her railgun and charged it. After a few seconds, the trigger was pulled and a hole just big enough for entry was made. "Be advised - multiple enemy contacts ahead."
"Copy." The Pilot grabbed hold of his fragmentation grenade and pulled the safety pin. Carefully, he calculated and prayed for any kills. "Frag out!"
The grenade was thrown through the hole with some high velocity. The scratching could barely be heard.
Then, an explosion came. Shouting of low intensity could be heard. The Pilot took no chances and entered the hole.
In front of him, blood began to form puddles from the t-intersection. Then, an IMC grunt popped out from the right intersection and attempted to open fire. The Pilot shot him with a hail of bullets through his exposed top section. He fell down as a confirmed kill.
Gutierrez quickly reloaded his weapon and cautiously took cover behind the inside corner. A little peek confirmed more defenders: three Stalker mechanized infantry armed with L-STAR direct energy weapons on their right hands. They opened fire, only to graze the surface of the corner the Pilot was hiding behind. He quickly returned to cover and armed a second grenade.
He threw it in a deflected angle - using the walls to create a curved flight path. The grenade landed directly on the Stalkers and exploded. Despite that, the Stalkers remained functional, and many Combat Pilots knew how tough they were built for the purpose of taking the latter down.
The Pilot waited with his Flatline ready. It took half a minute for the first Stalker to appear, after which it was opened fire upon through its volatile battery pack. The damage made it glow, and a hiss accompanied it.
It was a sign that the Stalker was about to blow up.
Gutierrez stood clear just far enough to see the Stalker blow up into thousands of pieces, a few of which being its limbs. The Pilot decided to wait and contact FX for any remaining forces in front of him.
"FX, any other forces in front of me?"
"Negative, you are in the clear." His Titan confirmed via scanning.
"Thanks. How's your sector?" He asked back.
"No significant changes in the situation on my end. You can continue."
"Rog."
Gutierrez proceeded to move out again.
XXXXXXX
For the most part of the journey, not a lot of IMC forces remained on sight and they were wiped out quite easily. It was just smooth sailing for Gutierrez.
He approached the door leading to the control room, which was apparenty closed shut. Remembering his training, he was not stupid to just breach inside and be shot at by any prepared IMC soldiers. He decided to go to the crate where early on, he found three bags of satchel charges. Each were placed in a line that follows the gaps between the doors.
Gutierrez quickly ran and took cover before detonating the charge. The loud noise felt deafening but it was normal for him like the other combatants. The pressure waves bent and finally broke open the door with brute force. As a precaution, a third frag grenade was thrown into the opening to clear out any hiding IMC grunts.
An explosion echoed through the halls. Strangely, not a single cry from an enemy soldier was heard. It baffled Gutierrez, though he decided to wait.
A radio transmission was picked up. "This is the Alexandria. we are picking up unknown energy signatures coming from the middle of the facility." The captain uttered with a worried expression; however, the transmission contained static due to the deph of the facility.
With the same expression, the Pilot began to respond. "This is First Lieutenant Gutierrez, are you sure about this, sir?"
"Affirmative. We have no information about this anomaly at this time. Proceed with caution, over."
"Affirmative, moving with caution."
Even his Titan began to pick up the strange signature.
"Pilot, I am picking up unknown energy signatures coming from behind the door. Be careful."
"Got it. You do the same." Her Pilot responded.
"Copy that, Pilot."
A fourth frag was being prepared for throwing. As he popped out of the corner to throw, the IMC soldiers guarding the room began to aim for him. A split second later, they opened fire; however, the Pilot retreated just in time.
The ordnance landed near the soldiers.
"Grenade!" One IMC grunt shouted in terror before his peers attempted to flee for safety.
A detonation rocked the room. The Pilot with his sidearm drawn closed in with caution, and his eyes were wide open for a wide visual scan. When he entered, one soldier popped out, but he was shot two times to the chest. The next met the same fate with one through the head. And another hiding behind the wall attempted to melee Gutierrez from behind with his knife, but his footsteps were immediately heard and his arms were blocked.
He was kicked, and Gutierrez, with no mercy, shot him through the stomach. Blood began to spill out.
"Control room clear, FX!" The Pilot confirmed before reloading. "Moving in to open the doors."
To his dismay, the panels were locked out on purpose by the now-deceased IMC grunts.
"Damn."
He reached out for his Data Knife. A common weapon for Pilots, it grants them the ability to hack a wide variety of electronics, provided that the blade was compatible with the connector slot. Fortunately, it was just enough for him to slide in the blade and its delicate built-in circuitry. A moment was spent breaking the panel's protocols.
It was a success. The door was about to open for FX and the Militia grunts.
A rude welcoming party, however, was waiting for them.
Halfway through the procedure, standing in front of them was a gunmetal-colored Ronin chassis and a detatchment of IMC foot units supporting it from behind. What is more unusual was a hollow device glowing in a whitish-blue aura of light: it was the apparent source of the energy signatures.
"Militia Titan spotted, moving in." The Ronin Pilot declared. "Otus 1-1, clear to engage the Militia infantry, over."
"Otus 1-1, roger that." The grunt commander responded. "Light 'em up!"
As the grunts opened fire, the Ronin dashed toward FX with its katana-like broadsword unsheathed. The Vanguard became defensive and so were the accompanying Militia grunts. A clash of swords was well underway.
"Pilot, I need your assistance. We are facing stiff enemy resistance." FX requested help.
"I'm on my way, buddy." Gutierrez started to rush to help.
The Militia forces slowly began to take a significant pounding from the IMC defenders, and the ominous device continued with what it was doing. FX gripped the sword's handle for dear life, even though one of her protocols meant sacrificing herself for the safety of her Pilot, while the Ronin continued to push her back with the brute force of its blade.
When the Pilot returned, he saw the ongoing fight as well as the device. He was startled by both of these sights.
"What the hell is that?" He was referring to the latter.
"Pilot, recommend that we take out all hostiles within the chamber. I'll hold off the Titan." FX recommended. Gutierrez complied in return.
As his buddy continued to hold her ground, the Pilot began to return fire by throwing a Gravity Star that he encountered early on at the nearest IMC position. Its pull began to draw three unfortunate grunts into its sphere of infuence.
After five seconds, the field was converted into explosive force. The grunts that were caught in the sphere of influence were thrown out towards the walls with brute force, but there was no time for the others to confirm their injuries or deaths.
The Pilot popped out of cover and opened fire with his assault rifle at the grunts. He quickly ducked afterwards.
Just as the Titan swordfight was approaching the four-minute mark, the Titans backed away from each other while thinking of any potential moves their opponent could use. Then they began to charge directly at each other. The latest clash resulted in a locking of blades.
"Why you bastard…!?" The Ronin Pilot cursed his opponent.
The Vangaurd lowered his sword and pushed him and his Titan back hard. They were laid on the ground but they got up again before FX was close to land another blow. A Phase Dash was performed to escape and they reemerged a few meter away from behind her.
Just before FX can fight back, the Ronin lined up its sword and sent an Arc Wave towards her. The energy streamed through her systems just enough for the IMC Titan to land a punch.
Gutierrez, after taking care of most of the enemy forces, saw his Titan in a losing position.
"FX!" He bawled.
Then, he saw a Charge Rifle laid near him. Carefully, he aimed at the back of the Ronin. Upon pressing the trigger, it was building up energy at a quick pace, unlike its original function to slowly build it up and deal more damage as a result of the procedure.
The moderate beam of energy hit the Ronin in the left main thruster. Fire began to break out as a result of the hit.
"Warning: enemy Pilot attacking." The OS alerted the Pilot.
He backed up his Titan with a dash and his targeting systems found Gutierrez attempting another shot. Then, FX began charging towards him. A crashing sound was made as the melee continued.
"Pilot, steal the Titan's battery. Let's finish this." FX encouraged.
Gutierrez began to run towards the Titans. Mantling through the sudden drop in altitude, he landed on the ground and made a run for it.
It was then he jumped toward his Titan and made another on the Ronin, ready to steal his opponent's battery that serves as a power source. The landing did not go unnoticed.
"Warning: enemy Pilot on hull." The Ronin OS confirmed.
The Pilot had an idea: he chose to send most of its power to the thrusters.
"How would you like this?!" He defiantly uttered.
He backed away for a moment and suddenly began to push FX with the thrusters now receiving more power to move the Ronin faster. The Militia Titan was being inched closer to the mysterious device. Gutierrez was jolted by the move as well.
"Pilot, I'm being pushed! Steal the battery!" She pleaded.
Feet by feet, FX was being pushed with little resistance and Gutierrez struggled to climb back to the battery as the impact left him hanging on to the back of the Ronin. The ever-intensifying surge of energy began to slowly engulf the Combatants until…
...the Ronin and its Pilot sacrificed themselves to send their opponents inside the device.
XXXXXXX
Under a starry sky, the gentle winds made the blades of grass swing to the rhythm. For many, this would serve as a place to socialize over at a campfire, to observe the stars or to just relax plainly with the rewarding sights and the relatively peaceful atmosphere.
A portal, however, does not fit with the equation.
Out of it came the two Titans, all damaged significantly, and Gutierrez who managed to return to the top of the Ronin to try stealing the battery. Specialized smoke came out from the IMC combatant, ready to charge it up to kill him and electrocute his Vanguard.
"Pilot, stay back!"
"I know!" Gutierrez stubbornly shouted back.
The battery was loose and the Pilot began to jump clear with it. Electrical energy, however, caught up to him and he was bombarded with it. His body was slowly being stunned.
"Aggggaaaaaaaaahhhh!" He groaned in pain before crash-landing just far enough to the safe zone. The battery detached from his hands and began to roll freely. "Oof!"
The Ronin, however, was robbed of its ability to fight once the power was drained to the point where the Titan will stay immobile.
"Warning: all systems inoperable… Warning: all systems inoperable…" The OS nonchalantly uttered just as red emergency lighting replaced the slightly more colorful ones emitting from the screens.
"Oh, fu-" As the Pilot was about to finish with his curse, FX pushed the Ronin back and sent it towards the ground. The impact jolted the Pilot's body from behind. "Aggggkkk!"
Suddenly, the cockpit was forcibly opened by the Militia Titan and she grabbed him with her left hand. She brought him closer for a close encounter.
All the IMC Pilot could do was either plead for mercy or, in a way the IMC does best, defiantly call her and the rest of the Militia "bloody scum," among other derogatory phrases and words. He pointed his eyes at the Titan's data core.
"Aggh...da-damn you… Militia bastards!" He picked the latter.
FX, in return, smashed him down directly towards the ground. Only silence came as the Pilot was killed by the brute force the Militia Titan exerted in performing the execution. His Titan's broadsword was looted.
The battle was concluded. The only thing left to do was cross the portal and rendezvous with the remaining Militia forces for extraction.
FX first approached Gutierrez to check on his condition. "Pilot, are you alright?"
"Mnnnnggh…" He moaned as he was about to stand up. "...The smoke got me…"
"Then, we must hurry back right now." FX grabbed her Pilot and placed him back on his cockpit.
The group began their return back to the other side. Although they were beaten up extensively, they were not enough to take them out entirely. The former's legs were still in good operating capability.
Alas...after making it, the portal suddenly disappeared. Their only path to escape was gone. No one heard an order on any bombardment on the site.
"Nooo...unnnggghh!" Gutierrez cried out before pain forced him to stop. FX stopped immediately after.
It was believed that a scuttling of the base was deliberately done by the surviving IMC soldiers in order to keep the secrets of the device hidden from the Militia.
XXXXXXX
The Militia forces witnessed the site being destroyed without an order to do so. Smoke began to billow out of the site just as the fighting was subsiding. Many of the Militia did not expect that to happen, and some quickly concluded that the IMC scuttled it on purpose.
One thing was missing: Gutierrez, alongside his Titan, did not send out any more radio transmissions. Some were worried about them after all they had been through.
"Ma'am... Gutierrez and FX-2047 are not sending out any further transmissions. Not even responses." An officer onboard the MCS New Alexandria informed the commander in-charge of the operation.
"What?" The commander felt shocked by the news. "Gutierrez never responded?"
"I'm afraid so, ma'am. I think we have to consider him and his Titan KIA."
Saddened, she chose to accept the loss and bow in mourning. For a while before the operation, she had high hopes for the young, talented Pilot.
"Miller Gutierrez, FX-2047, your sacrifices will not be in vain." She silently honored their actions.
XXXXXXX
The Titan felt a sense of failure in bringing herself and, more importantly, her Pilot home to safety and care.
"Pilot...I failed you." She apologized. "I have failed in upholding Protocol 3."
Gutierrez, in spite of the situation, dismissed the negatives. He gave out a slight smile and a compensating sigh before opening the viewport to reveal his young-looking face. "It's alright. At the very least... I'll get the chance to see the stars peacefully."
"Aren't you concerned?"
"Not much. I just hope that we could find a settlement soon."
"Understood. I, too, hope so...for your sake." The Titan affirmed.
Then, curiously, multiple unknown contacts were detected approaching their position. There were no signs of IMC or Militia ID codes, suggesting that animals or hopefully civilians are present.
"Pilot, I have detected multiple unknown contacts. Moving to investigate." FX informed before proceeding.
The Titan gradually went closer to the source of the contacts. Without making any sudden movements, she walked calmly in order to present herself as an easily negotiable player.
When she approached it, an odd sight was recorded.
In front of them, a group of horses clad in medieval-like barding covered much of their bodies to serve as protection against threats like arrows that could kill them. They even have insignias engraved below the necks of the animals.
But the most unusual of all were the riders themselves: most of them were young girls in their late teen years with a few older males present. All wear armor that are considered just as equally medieval as the ones for the horses. Aside from that and despite the darkness clouding everyone, their appearances were beautiful enough to be recognized, albeit barely for the time being.
The leader of the group was the stand-out. Unlike the others, the young girl wore a different set of armor, one which was a bit more revealing enough to slightly show her cleavage. Her red hair and matching eyes were diluted by the darkness, thought the group seemed to have little issues with these.
FX was surprised by these anomalies. To make things even stranger, their lances were unsheathed and threateningly pointing at her.
"Pilot, we are being threatened by knights on horseback."
"Wait… 'knights on horseback?'" The Pilot was confused about it at first since his head was lowered just before his Titan reported the sighting. He raised it and was genuinely both convinced and surprise. "Holy hell…!"
XXXXXXX
For the Imperial Princess Piña Co Lada's Order of the Rose, the sight of a beast was both surprising and unexpected.
What was once an exercise to test their abilities was grinded to a halt, and now a potential threat was standing in front of the group. Strangely, the beast did not make any defensive moves to try saving itself. The noises it continued to make were even more imposing, though they sounded like the beast was trying to communicate. So much so that the horses were jolted as a result.
Nevertheless, the Order had no other options but to draw their lances for a possible fight.
Then, the beast unexpectedly began to run away from the fight. This left the knights dumbfounded. The horses jolted again.
"Whoah!" A knight near the princess quickly calmed down her horse.
"After it!" The princess quickly ordered her order. "Don't let it get away."
The horses began to prance with haste, leaving hoofprints in its wake. The knights kept eyes on the beast as they slowly began to make gains. Again, there were no responses from it.
One knight, in her belief of strengthening her family's honor, began to push ahead from the pack and was the closest towards the beast. Her short silver hair continued to shake and swing as a testament to her speed. Piña was familiar with her ability since their training during their early years.
"Panache!" The princess cried out her knight's name.
"I'm going to try something!" She replied back.
The knight slowly closed in on the beast. She prepared her lance for contact via the spike in an attempt to hurt it.
Then, much to her surprise, the legs of the beast were metallic as if it was wearing armor.
"No way!"
As it this oddity was not enough, it began to move faster than the Order's horses and its legs caused an unexpected increase of dust, causing an irritation once the dust clouds engulfed the group. Panache and her horse were the first to feel the effect, forcing the former to slow down and shield her face.
The group slowed down altogether as they began to reel from the surprise move. All began to wonder about what the beast could do.
"That's not possible!" The silver-haired knight uttered.
Piña approached her. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, milady. Just got some dust on me." Panache briefly swept her armor with her arms and hands to remove most of the dirt.
XXXXXXX
The duo made some distance between them and the group. FX briefly turned back to see the latter stopped.
"What do you think, buddy?" Gutierrez asked.
"It appears that we have scared them to stop; nevertheless, keep moving." His Titan responded.
For a moment, they may have a chance to outlast them in terms of stamina since FX is a mechanical being that only needs batteries to keep herself running. And so, they took it...
...until two unknown contacts began approaching them. It looked like one of the knights decided to give chase.
But that was nothing compared to the next one: another contact was confirmed approaching their position at a fast speed. FX analyzed the properties until she stumbled upon one important detail: it was an IMC aerospacecraft.
"Pilot, I have detected an IMC contact approaching our position. Prepare for combat." FX informed.
"What?!" Gutierrez was caught off-guard. "IMC?"
Turning to the direction of the enemy's travel, FX confirmed that a Phantom fighter was spotted.
"That's no good. If the knights are caught in the crossfire, we're talking about humiliation."
"Casualties, Pilot." The Titan corrected. "Although, your concern for them is reasonable."
The duo began to grab hold of their plasma railgun, roughed up but still functional. There was one problem: they were down to their last magazine, and as well, they have only three missiles to make do with. They will need to make them count.
"Give me a lock on that thing, buddy." The Pilot requested.
"Affirmative."
XXXXXXX
Panache began to close in on the creature upon seeing it stop. An opportunity presented itself.
Suddenly, an orange glow came out from it and a moment later, a loud boom was emitted. The knight and her horse were startled, stopping them in their tracks again.
"What the hell?!" She uttered.
Even more shocking, an ominous sound was approaching their position. Seconds later, magical projectiles flew past the creature before it retaliated with its own. Explosions and the resulting smoke surrounded the walking beast.
A dark creature flew past the giant with an unusual roaring sound that eclipsed those made by the dragons of the land. Its exact appearance cannot be described in detail thanks to the dark.
As a precaution, she remained at her position.
XXXXXXX
The Phantom began to make one more pass before making a return trip to its base, wherever it was. This was the opportunity the Militia duo must do it right, or the situation would worsen in the long run.
Their railgun was down to its last projectile. Their missiles were down to one.
"Ready…"
Slowly, they kept their eyes on the bandit as it approached them. The Phanton opened fire one last time and FX dashed backwards to evade.
Then, the moment came.
The fully-charged projectile was released and began to zip through the air just as the Phantom began to break off. It struck the bottom of the fuselage, ripping it apart with a hole and causing a fire to break out.
Control was lost for the aircraft and the Phantom made a short roll before crash-landing. An explosion immediately followed. All it remained was a grave of twisted metal that began to burn for as long as the remaining flammable fuel and surrounding organic materials feed it.
"Enemy bandit down." FX confirmed the kill.
Gutierrez panted as he processed the situation. He then slowly normalized his breathing.
"That takes care of that." He muttered.
"However, we still have local contacts on our eight o'clock." The Titan reminded. The Pilot turned to see the knight and her horse standing idly.
Gutierrez began to think of options.
"What the hell should I do?"
XXXXXXX
The White Rose and her horse remained still as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes. The creature began to approach them. As it closed in, Panache raised her lance again in combat posture. Even the rest of the Order began to regroup with the third-in-command.
For a while, all she could do was stand-by for any sudden changes. Then, the creature stopped a dozen footsteps away.
Before calm began to return, it was scared away by the noises the creature made. The knight stood back and kept her weapon in place.
As if they were not enough, the creature's body began to open revealing the "innards" illuminated in unusual blue lighting. What came out of it was even more so: a young man dressed in unusual armor and his head covered in a different helmet. On the helmet, it displayed a symbol of a creature on the left and white writing on the right.
He slowly approached Panache. The knight was having trouble thinking on what to do with him and the creature.
"Who are you?" She demanded a response.
Then, the stranger fell to the ground.
"Ah!?" She jumped off her horse to rush for the stranger's aid. "Are you okay? C'mon, get up!"
He did not respond. He remained montionless.
"Panache!" Piña shouted as the rest of the Order arrived. They began to form a defensive barrier between the knight and the creature. The princess dismounted after seeing the man being apparently unconscious. "Who is he?"
"He came from that creature." Panache responded with an answer. "He needs help."
"He "came" from that creature?" The princess was startled by the observation.
"I don't know, Princess. They didn't do anything aggressive until now." It was all the White Rose could say.
Piña was now fed with more questions than answers.
The creature approached the knights without any apparent signs of hostilities. The latter continued to resist the attempt.
"Hold your line, everyone!" A knight with blonde hair encouraged.
"Wait!" The princess shouted with authority.
The rest turned their heads toward Piña and uttered a surprised "huh!" The latter, alongside Panache carrying the stranger, began to head for the creature to offer peace. The knights were being torn by the move.
The three stopped just a few feet away from the creature, athough Piña moved slightly further to be the one negotiating.
"If you can hear us, we have your friend. He's hurt." She told it. Panache, for her part, displayed the stranger to strengthen the case. "We'll bring him to the Imperial capital of Sadera for healing. I promise that we will not hurt you in return if you come with us."
For a moment, it did not respond. The knights remained tense throughout.
Then, a bow was made. To Piña, it seemed that it submitted to her proposal.
"Thank you." She gratefully replied before turning toward her Order. "My fellow Rose Order, it has agreed to submit to us. We are going to return the stranger as well to the capital."
'But Your Highness…!" The blonde knight began to protest.
"That's enough, Bozes!" Piña shot her down with a chide. The knight was forced to concede.
For the Order of the Rose, a new burden began to challenge her starting from caring the stranger to full health. The creature will play a role in the equation that will determine their fate.
XXXXXX
A/N: After further consideration, a remake will be done but it will keep the same basic premise of a stranded Pilot and Titan duo, growing IMC interests in the Special Region, and Titan varieties. Apologies.
And for those who are hating on EA thanks to Battlefront II, please don't blindly put Respawn in the same bind and spare a thought for them after giving us the gift of free updates. Thanks.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone.