S1-24
Surprise encounter

9:31 AM
03/27/2284

Planet Gysa
Dig Site facility

Music
Metroid Other M - Briefing

It's been a few months since the IMC had began mass producing the six new Titans. The Militia had managed to create these Titans for their own Pilots. The Galactic Federation hadn't returned yet, but they were still being expected. It had been two weeks since Blisk suddenly vanished from the IMC, but he left a card for this new faction of mercenary Pilots known as the 'Apex Predators'.

On planet Gysa, the location of the Dig Site facility that was once run by the Militia, something strange was going on.

Music
Titanfall - OST 52

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! THE MILITIA HAS A NEW TITAN! IT'S TEARING US APART!"

"This is Michael W Johnson, Eagle-Eye 9-1 is on the way." Michael dropped in, embarking in Jeeves for once and getting a good feel for the controls of an Atlas-class Titan. "OK, we need to figure out what exactly is going on."

"[You heard it yourself. It's a new Titan of Militia origin. Looks like they don't need to take Titans from us anymore, they can make their own.]" Jeeves replied.

"Let's just see what class of Titan it is."

With Vanessa and Sid in Follow-Mode, Michael made his way over to the IMC Pilots already on the ground, seeing a completely new Titan rip a Pilot out of an IMC Ogre-class Titan, crush him in its hand, then kick the Titan down.

Militia Pilot [Termination] IMC Ogre
Militia Pilot [Termination] IMC Pilot

Music
Metroid Other M - Searching The Exam Center / Any Objections?

"What the heck is that?"

"[I don't know. I'll see what I can figure out.]" Jeeves began an intensive scan of the new Titan, which held a strange version of the old XO-16 Chaingun, but with the left hand on the trigger.

Michael turned on the Titan speakers in order to get some answers. "What are you?"

"Why are you using a 1st Gen Titan?" A voice replied over the enemy Titan's speakers. It sounded as if the man was... chuckling. The Atlas, Ogre, and Stryder were considered the 1st Generation of Titans while the Ion, Scorch, Northstar, Ronin, Tone, and Legion were considered the 2nd Generation.

"I've only got the 1st Gen Titans on my neural link, but they're better than any regular Titan!"

"Sorry to break it to ya, but the Vanguard isn't a regular Titan."

"A Vanguard-class Titan? That's new."

"[Michael, there seems to be a unique system on the Vanguard-class Titan.]"

"A unique system? I'm not surprised. The 2nd Gen Titans are unique in their own ways."

Music
Titanfall 2 - BT-7274

"So, your Titan's Charlie-Zulu Nine-Two-Four-Seven?"

"Yeah, and yours is... Bravo-Tango Seven-Two-Seven-Four. Huh. Interesting. Name's Michael Johnson, Captain of Eagle-Eye 9-1. You?"

"Tai Lastimosa, a Captain of the SRS."

"Never heard of it."

"Special Recon Squadron. We're the best of the best."

"If the SRS is the best of the best, I think I would qualify, considering that I'm an IMC ace."

"You might... if the SRS wasn't Militia-only."

"I think we should start our own."

"Enough talk. Let's get this over with!" Lastimosa opened fire with the Vanguard-class Titan's primary weapon, the XO-16, pelting Jeeves's chassis with armor-piercing rounds.

Michael activated the Vortex Shield to catch the bullets, absorbing 23 rounds before sending them back.

The Militia Pilot had the Vortex Shield as well, catching the reflected bullets to send them right back at their original target. There was still some charge left in Jeeves's Vortex Shield, so Michael unloaded a Rocket Salvo payload into Lastimosa's Vortex Shield.

Michael had a plan. "[Activating Damage Core.]" Lastimosa released the Vortex Shield as Michael pulled his own back up, sending everything right back immediately, and with some extra damage getting through, thanks to Jeeves's Damage Core.

"Well, you're good, I'll give ya that." An Acolyte Pod unfolded on the Vanguard's back, with a missile launcher locking on.

"[Multi-Target Missile System!]" The Vortex Shield was offline and recharging, so Michael couldn't pull it up to catch the rockets. Sid deployed a Particle Wall in front of him, protecting the Pilot from the offensive ability. "[Thank you, Sid. Michael, I'm picking up very strange readings. Lastimosa's using a Core!]" Lastimosa quickly placed a new magazine into the XO-16 before unleashing a faster stream of electrified bullets, destroying the Particle Wall before Vanessa replaced it with her own.

The Vanguard's Core ended, and Michael blasted the enemy Titan with a fully charged Plasma Railgun shot into the right shoulder, nearly blowing off the arm. As Lastimosa looked at the staggering damage, Michael fired another charged shot, hitting the left knee, fracturing the armor plating and severely damaging the Titan's leg.

Music
Metroid Other M - Chasing The Survivor

Before Michael could charge another shot, a cloud of Electric Smoke hid Lastimosa's Titan from view. When the electrified vapor cleared, the Vanguard was gone.

"Michael, a Militia Drop Ship has entered Gysa's orbit. Marking your HUD." Spyglass reported.

Michael went to the coordinates, only to find that the Drop Ship was already leaving. He was too late to stop it.

"[Michael, over here! Look what I found!]" Michael headed over to where his Ogre-class Titan was, seeing the Vanguard-class Titan chassis propped lifelessly against the wall.

Before anything could be said, it began glowing white.

Music
Metroid Other M - A Daring Tactic

"[IT'S GOING NUCLEAR!]"

Sid and Vanessa cleared the blast radius.

"Hmm, this might be useful." The Pilot grabbed and ripped off the seemingly detachable box-like component that was the Vanguard-class Titan's optic and Datacore container before going into a full-on sprint, the empty chassis detonating behind him. Michael just barely escaped the blast, his Titan only taking some damage.

Music
Titanfall - OST 02

"[Michael, that burnt my back. You were cutting it dangerously close, you know that?]"

"Sorry, Jeeves. I'll see if I can get your hull plating replaced with a stronger alloy. The same goes for you two. This new Vanguard-class Titan single-handedly destroyed an entire IMC team, so we're gonna need all the advantages we can get."

11:27 AM
03/27/2284

Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
Technical development laboratories

Michael was examining the one part of the Militia Vanguard-class Titan he recovered, trying to figure out any way to use it, only to trigger the two ends of it to open and expand. There were containers within the optical device, like a SERE Kit. "Now that's clever. A SERE Kit within the optic of a Vanguard-class Titan. Hmm... Maybe I could make my own SERE Kit." The Pilot then proceeded to load an 'Icepick' Data-Knife and a spare Smart Pistol MK5 into the optic.

Well now. Michael Johnson has encountered Tai Lastimosa.

If the SRS wasn't Militia-only, Michael would be one of its best Pilots. The best of the best... of the best.

Well, I have a plan for that Vanguard optic.

See you next time.