Two Years Later*
"It's coming! Run!" screams a bandit dressed in a desert camouflage patterned vest as he leaps out of the back of the jeep with a mounted LMG on its back. The driver and occupant followed him out of the jeep in their panic.
All around them, their comrades looked on in defeat when their last vehicle was destroyed by an explosive shell. The last vestige of their morale collapsed and the bandits ran off, throwing their weapons off to lighten the load to flee as fast as possible, all while a voice was heard overhead.
"I repeat, you are all trespassing on NEST Inc. property. Disperse at once or face consequences. This will be your final warning." a black AC speaks in an automated and almost robotic voice as it flies overhead, observing the fleeing bandits. His targeting system locks onto them but his orders were to only disperse any human threats and let them go if they fled, and so he did.
After circling the settlement in his AC, making sure the last bandits had dispersed, he was glad to see the half-constructed wall was undamaged barring a few bullet holes. With his last rounds done, he lands in the landing pad set up by NEST Inc. engineers for their forward operating base.
As he lands and begins powering down from combat mode and entering the standard mode, with technicians swarming his AC to prep it for maintenance, he is approached by a Construction Muscle Tracer.
"Is that it?" the foreman asks, surprised through his crackling comms, the recent desert storm that the bandits used to sneak this close still interfering with their comms a bit, "Those bandits have been pestering us forever before you all showed up. Still hard to believe they gave up."
"Enemy generic weaponry…eliminated…More than half of hostiles…eliminated…" Raven responds through his own personal comms, speaking in a raspy voice as he noisily inhales and exhales through his breathing apparatus. Even with his unlocked Aura and reparative surgery, he was still having trouble speaking with his own voice, finding the prospect unfamiliar, "Damage…minimal?"
"Yes sir." the foreman nods gesturing to the Construction-class MTs who begin resuming their work, wielding ginormous tools to patch the minimal damage to the walls and lunge concrete and rebar in large quantities to unfinished sections of the walls, "I can't believe, it we're almost done. How long ago did you arrive again? A month? If we didn't have these MTs, we'd need years."
"Dust mines?" Raven rasps and the foreman chuckles.
"I called them before you arrived. Looks like the Security MTs were worth every penny. And that's not the best news! With your scanning equipment, we found probably 20% more Dust nodes than our best estimates!" the foreman says, sounding excited, "Don't worry, our deal still stands. 35% of what we mine goes to NEST Inc. We wouldn't be able to do all this without you guys anyways, and 65% is more than enough to keep us sustained."
Raven nods his AC's head with respect, glad their word was being kept. They could have kept it hidden, even if they would've found it immediately, but they decided to be honest and share their findings. Much better than any corporations he's met in either Rubicon or Atlas.
"We Vacuoans keep our word." the foreman says, tapping his MT's jackhammer fist against its chest proudly, "And to think people called me crazy for agreeing to test your products."
"Looking forward…to a continued partnership." Raven held up his AC's arm as the MT shook it carefully and slowly, "Keep up the good work…and NEST Inc. will do the same."
Before the foreman could respond, a NEST Inc. technician approaches Raven on foot with a Scroll tablet in his hands,
"Sir! Sir!" she calls out and waves, "Long-range scanners picked up a flock of Nevermores changing routes to here. We think the bandits might've accidentally drawn their attention to us."
"Nevermores…You know a few months ago I'd be terrified out of my mind waiting for a Huntsman. But now with these equipment I just feel annoyed about them." the foreman chuckles at his change in attitude before turning to Raven, "You want me to reroute some of the Security MTs from the mine to deal with them?"
Raven declines and turns his AC's head to look at the technicians managing his AC, "Negative…ground crew, prepare for another sortie…Assemble Anti-Air Equipment…I need the exercise…Test prototype equipment as well…"
The technicians nodded at this and waved over vehicles and cranes to the improvised hangar, detaching weapons and components off his AC and slapping on twin shoulder-mounted missile racks, a minigun on his right arm and a laser blade on his left.
Then on his back were two devices mounted, before they unfurl to reveal wing-like mechanisms with six thrusters on each side, combined with the main boosters on his waist and across his arms and legs.
Cables unhook from his AC as the thrusters hum with energy, building up as his circuitry began glowing a purple color, Gravity Dust modules lightening the load before he was launched upwards faster than the eye could keep up with, once the technicians had run to cover of course. The exhaust made it look like the AC sprouted wings of blue energy for a moment.
"He never rests, does he?" the foreman mutters to no one in particular before returning to his work, "Like a damn bird of prey."
"-stocks of NEST Inc rising-"
"-devices known as Muscle Tracers designed by NEST Incorporated, with multiple test runs showing the validity of-"
"NEST Inc developed engines having the record of the highest energy output with least amount of Dust required thanks to revolutionary-!"
"Could we be seeing a new power to rival the Schnee Dust Company?"
Ayre smiles proudly as she processes all this news, operating on her personal computer in her office at NEST Inc. Atlas headquarters. Two years of non-stop work has rewarded them with steadily increasing profits and a growing positive reputation from selling pricy but affordable MTs that served in developing many growing settlements across the fringes of society and the frontier.
Farming MTs plowed the farmlands of Mistral resulting in nearly quadruple their output. Mining MTs drilled deeper than ever before, their hard exterior protecting miners from the dangers of digging too deep. Construction MTs turned wooden fences that surrounded minor settlements into towering concrete walls that surrounded growing towns. All while Security MTs wield weapons no human without Aura could carry, fending off bandits and Grimm alike with minimum resources required, and without having to wait and hope for Huntsmen to respond to calls.
All this resulted in Lien flooding the pockets of NEST Inc. Their increased capital means the ability to spend on rarer materials, machinery and equipment to start the mass production of ACs. That was one thing the SDC has above them as of now, with the introduction of the Sentinel models of ACs being the latest news in Atlas.
Compared to NEST Inc. who so far were able to field dozens of prototypes, the SDC already has a full company worth of ACs on par with the Steel Blizzard model that Raven fought years ago.
With the production of Sentinels came the SDC sponsoring both active Huntsmen and those who were forced into retirement from injuries sustained on the field, for their program. This resulted in the lowest amount of Grimm in the entire continent of Solitas in the past ten years. This means it was harder for the newly promoted Lieutenant General James Ironwood to convince his superiors otherwise.
While they may be currently satisfied with the Military MTs manufactured by NEST Inc, a design she thanked the PCA for inspiring, it wouldn't be long before they start negotiating with the SDC for contracts producing Sentinels for the military and she'll be damned if she lets Jacque Schnee earn one more Lien from the suffering of Raven and her during their captivity.
But thankfully for the recent Dust mines Raven has secured in Vacuo, they should have enough capital to begin the manufacturing of entire platoons of combat-ready models for Lieutenant General Ironwood's Vanguard Program within the end of next month, which in his words it was to be an elite force of special operatives augmented with AC technology. She can only hope that the eventual results of his Vanguard will sway the upper echelon of the Atlas Armed Forces into signing a contract with NEST Inc. instead of the SDC.
She lets out a sigh with her mechanical lungs, finding the sensation somehow pleasing despite the stress. Being able to breathe fresh air… certainly was different from feeling Raven breathing processed air through an apparatus. She was grateful for Doctor Pietro's assistance in creating this prototype.
She had heard of his research when searching the internet of Remnant through their CCTS network and approached him anonymously willing to help fund and supply both materials and scientific assistance with the development of his project, with her only wish being for a body for her own use in return.
The biggest hurdle was finding a way to upload herself into the body, with there being difficulty connecting with the mostly Dust-based technology leading to some minor lag, even in times connection was smooth enough it still felt no different than her piloting an AC to fight alongside Raven during their battle with ALLMIND and Iguazu.
But that was able to be overcome thanks to Raven sacrificing a portion of his Aura to smooth the connection, making her connection with the Dust circuitry near seamless and allowing her to experience the closest she can get to being a human. Being able to feel her surroundings, hear sounds that don't come through speakers and processors, and so many more. It was liberating in a way, no longer confined to an AC.
The things she owed that man…
Her daydreaming was then interrupted when her intercom flared to life,
"Uhm, ma'am?" her assistant calls, sounding confused and worried, "There's someone here to see you but they're not on the list. They're waiting in the lobby and want to speak with you…It's representatives from the White Fang."
Ayre hums before using her connection to the systems of NEST to link with the security cameras and see the footage with her own mechanical eyes, looking curiously at the guests standing in the lobby of NEST's headquarters.
True enough, three men were standing patiently, with two of them wearing maskless uniforms of the White Fang and the one in the middle of the group was a large Faunus with a thick purple coat.
"Shall I call security?" her assistant asks concerned and Ayre thinks for a second, but with her processing power, it was far longer.
"No, my schedule isn't that full today." Ayre stands up and exits her office, "I believe I can spare the time to entertain our guests."
Ghira waits patiently with his guards in the lobby of the building. It was a simplistic and utilitarian design with neutral colors and warm ambient lighting, appearing to be focused on efficiency rather than grand aesthetics, like the lobby of the SDC headquarters he's visited once before when he was younger, in attempts to talk things with Jacques Schnee. It was decorated with fountains, paintings, and large overbearing statues to show their superiority and riches.
Back then he barely made it through the entrance before being thrown out. It was different this time, and he had been allowed to stay despite the worried looks on the receptionist's face as they made a call with their Scroll likely to the CEO's assistant who would then contact the CEO herself.
The fact he wasn't kicked out yet was a good sign as he surveyed the room while waiting. There didn't seem to be a lot of staff present except for the few receptionists and armed security guards eying him warily, while his bodyguards did the same.
"Gentlemen, welcome." a surprisingly young woman with flowing white hair and red highlights wearing a white suit jacket over a black collared shirt and white tie around her neck, "I am Ayre, the CEO of NEST Incorporated."
She offered a hand unflinchingly towards Ghira who accepted it and shook, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Ayre. My name is Ghira Belladonna, the High Leader of the White Fang. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And you as well, High Leader Belladonna." Ayre says politely, "I've heard the White Fang are centered around Mistral, it must be awfully dangerous for the High Leader himself to travel to Atlas."
"Risky, yes. Considering the enemies I've made in the SDC." Ghira admits finding it surprising how casual she was treating this. You'd have expected a CEO to be more cautious about meeting, let alone shaking hands with the leader of an infamous group such as the White Fang, "But well worth the risk for a chance to speak with you. All I ask is a moment of your time, Miss Ayre."
Ayre looks at him with an almost childish curiosity in her red eyes before gesturing for him to follow her, "Of course. You came all this way to Atlas at considerable personal risk, it would be rude not to hear you out. If your guards would stay behind…?"
"Absolutely not!" one of the White Fang bodyguards, a bear Faunus, snarls at her, "We've vowed to protect our High Leader at all costs, human. If you think we'll leave him alone with humans for even a second, think again."
"Of course, I have no doubt of your loyalty to your leader. However forgive me for being suspicious of guards wielding a sharpened ceramic knife concealed on their person." Ayre says with an ever-present smile on her face as Ghira's eyes widen in surprise to see his guards reacting with surprise and shock, confirming the woman's words.
He turns to face them furiously, "I thought I told you, no weapons?"
"H-high Leader, we were told by Sienna Khan that-!" the other bodyguard, a walrus Faunus with tusks coming from his mouth, tried to protest but Ghira wasn't having it.
"Is she your High Leader? Did you vow to obey her or me?" Ghira asks rhetorically in a hushed tone, "And I recall ordering you to leave your weapons behind."
He turns back to Ayre quickly, "Please, you have to understand, I-"
"I do, High Leader Belladonna." Ayre nods, "They were simply being cautious in a kingdom unfriendly to them. Nevertheless, I wish for them to stay behind, not for my own safety, but so the two of us can converse one-on-one, where the two of us can be honest with one another. I will not bring any security guards with me as well."
Ghira thinks for a moment about this, looking right into Ayre's red pupils. There was nothing in her eyes that told him she meant him any harm, still offering a kind smile despite finding out his men brought concealed weapons through her security and standing within arms reach of them. And here she was offering him a private chat with no security forces of her own. Either brave and hopeful at best, or naive at worst.
"...I'll accept your generous offer." he agreed despite the protest of his men, "You two will stay here until I return, then we shall have words."
"Thank you for accepting, High Leader Belladonna." Ayre nods her head, "If you would follow me, we can speak in my office."
"A marvelous machine," Ghira says admiringly at the sight of an Armored Core in flight over the horizon, launched from an airfield visible from the top floor of the building.
"It is, isn't it?" Ayre says proudly as she watches the successful flight, "One of our prototype ACs being developed. Soon to be mass produced once sufficient resources have been secured."
"Meant to compete with the SDC Sentinels?" Ghira asks and she smiles,
"In certain ways. Theoretically, what makes an Armored Core a superior war machine is its capability to be modified to fit any scenario and the pilot's preferences. A similar concept to the ones Huntsmen use in regards to their custom weapons." Ayre explains as Ghiro nods in understanding,
"Compared to the SDC's mass-produced copies." he says, "It's actually about these ACs and Sentinels I come to see you about."
"Ah, forgive me, but I am unable to directly sell any NEST Inc. products to the White Fang, let alone ACs that aren't cleared for mass production yet." Ayre says sounding somewhat apologetic as she flicks through her Scroll tablet, "But I can arrange for our Settlement Development Program to expand to Menagerie as soon as trade routes are secured, to improve their quality of life with MTs and allow for expansion towards the more dangerous and Grimm-filled terrain on Menagerie's East. If you can reach out to Menagerie's Council of Elders I'm sure we can iron out the details, I'm sure they will be concerned about possible exploitation but I will-."
Ghira looks surprised at the offer but raises his hands, "Your offer is greatly appreciated but that is talk for another time, I have technically no say in what goes on about governing Menagerie. What I'm here to talk about is something else, honestly."
He pulls out his Scroll and places it on her desk, displaying a hologram of a facility built into the side of a mountain.
"This is Mount Shroudchill, located in Mistral. One of the Dust mines run by the SDC." Ghira explains, "It also houses possibly the highest number of 'indentured servants' of all the SDC mines, nearly 300 Faunus laboring away to pay off impossible debts. It is protected by several automated defenses with a human skeleton crew managing security and other aspects of running the mine. These include a large number of AK-130s and spider mechs, as well as laser turrets located on the walls. While they're meant to keep out Grimm, they also do a good job of keeping my brethren in. And to make things worse, a Sentinel has been deployed for security measures."
"...I think I can understand what you're asking of me." Ayre says neutrally in realization, "You wish for me to sell you Military MTs to assist you in your attack."
"No." Ghira says, surprising her, "I want to hire your head of security, the mercenary known as Raven, to eliminate the defenses and disable the Sentinel. Once you do so, my men can overwhelm the human security forces with no loss of life on either side. At least that's what I hope for."
"It sounds to me like you don't even wish for this assault," Ayre notes and Ghira lets out an exhausted sigh.
"You'd be right. I tried my best but everyday voices in the White Fang are clamoring for more and more violent methods in achieving Faunus rights." Ghira says, "I'm losing my power in the White Fang, and I'm outvoted on this. They are all preparing for a raid and I can't stop them. If I tried they'd just go rogue, which has sadly been happening more and more these years. The best I can do is make nobody on both sides get killed. And I don't expect you to do this for free."
He pulls out a thumb drive and plugs it into his own Scroll, displaying blueprints and schematics via holograms.
"I've been holding onto this for years since I got it." Ghira explains, "The original set of blueprints for the Sentinels manufactured by the SDC. The White Fang lacks the facilities to construct such machinery, and learning their weaknesses can only take us so far. If you agree to assist us I will send a copy of the blueprints for you to use as you please."
Whatever he was expecting, what Ayre did next was unexpected. She simply smiles at him amused,
"It would be tempting, High Leader Belladonna…if we didn't possess those blueprints already." she says as Ghira's face drops in shock as she taps into her terminal it displays the exact copies of the blueprints, "Where do you think those blueprints originated from?"
"I don't understand…" Ghira mutters confused as Ayre smiles bitterly,
"Three years ago Raven and I were captured by the SDC in one of their facilities. We were held captive for over a year, during those times our designs were stolen from us and patented under the SDC.'' She explains, "We only escaped two years ago during a raid on an SDC facility by the White Fang working with an infamous Mistralian pirate. I trust that sounds familiar."
"...It does. So your head of security, Raven, was the mysterious 'Fleet Killer' I've heard so much about. I had no idea about this, the SDC covered up so many details." Ghira says in realization, "You have to understand, those that operated then were rogues. They did so without my command, permission or approval."
"I do." Ayre nods looking sympathetic, "But I still cannot offer Raven's services. He is busy on NEST Inc. business in Vacuo securing vital resources."
"I see…" Ghira says defeated as he takes back his Scroll from the desk, "I apologize for wasting both our time, and for failing to reign in my men years ago. Good day, Miss Ayre."
"One moment, if you would." Ayre asks, stopping him as he is about to leave, "I would like for you to answer a question if you don't mind?"
"Ask it." Ghira shrugs with his hand hovering over the doorknob,
"Despite the many injustices committed against the Faunus, despite your allies arguing for more extreme methods that may prove more effective, why do you insist on your pacifism?" she asks with genuine curiosity, "I've read a number of your writings actually, and despite all you've seen you cling onto hope of cooperation between Faunus and Humans as equals. Why?"
Ghira sighs as if he's heard that question many times, "I founded and set up the White Fang after the Faunus Rights Revolution. Three years of violent guerilla warfare from the deserts of Vacuo to the forests of Mistral, I've seen the worst that both sides would do in the name of victory. I've also seen one constant in the war. No matter what, the Grimm will keep killing us."
He says as he takes a breath, remembering the days when he was a young soldier fighting for Faunus rights on the frontlines,
"It was during the closing days of the Faunus Rights Revolution, I wasn't at the battle of Fort Castle, but I was with my comrades fighting to destabilize the supply chain to prevent reinforcement and supplies from relieving the fort. I still don't know how maybe one of our scouts messed up, but we missed a small horde of Grimm, Yellow-category if we're going by Atlas Armed Forces standards, and midway through our ambush we were attacked by dozens and dozens of Beowolves, tearing through our ranks with ease." he says, hands shaking at the memory, "And then for a moment, both human and Faunus fought together against them, enemies moments ago now fighting back to back like lifelong allies. The horde would have crushed either one of us if it caught us alone, but together we prevailed. It was a brutal battle but we won against the Grimm."
A smile forms only to quickly fade, "And then the fighting resumed. We all stared at each other for a few seconds, before someone fired a shot and we continued fighting like nothing ever happened. By the time it was over less than a quarter of the Faunus I fought alongside survived…"
"Fighting those that were once allies…" Ayre looks down as she remembers a certain event while in the Depths of Watchpoint Alpha when Raven and her came across an old ally driven to insanity by loss,
"Damn it…Damn you…!" cried out G6 Red before his AC finally gave way, "G13…The curse…of the Redguns…"
"It must have been disheartening," she mutters, snapping back to reality.
"It was. But it also made me realize something, the fight between Humanity and Faunus is just ridiculous. The Grimm don't care what parts you have or don't have, all they want is to kill us. We were just wasting lives in a struggle that would only end in misery for either side when we all could be fighting together against Grimm." Ghira continues, "It's why I founded the White Fang, so we can achieve true peace between Faunus and Humanity. If we stand apart and kill each other, all we'll do is do the Grimms' jobs for them. But if we stand together, we can accomplish what neither of us can do alone."
"...You believe in the shared potential between two different races. I know what that's like." Ayre says with a soft yet sad smile, "You are an honorable man, Ghira Belladonna."
Ghira sighs, "It's not something my followers care for nowadays. They're all clamoring for fights and I can't stop them. The best I can do is make sure as little bloodshed occurs while it happens. But I see I can't even do that… Good day, Ayre."
"Please wait." she stops him, "I only said I will not be able to hire Raven out for this mission…But I can send another mercenary."
"Another?" Ghira asks, confused and hopeful.
"The closest thing Raven has to an equal." Ayre nods, "They will arrive armed with one of our advanced prototype ACs, and disable security forces including the hostile Sentinel. Will that suffice?"
"I'm not sure we can afford that." Ghira mutters, "Considering that thumb drive was all I could think of-"
Ayre holds out a hand to stop him, "There's no need for payment. I'm no stranger to knowing what it's like to be exploited by greedy corporations. My family and I suffered from them once, and it was only the actions of a certain mercenary that saved us. Consider this one to be on the house."
"...Words cannot describe how grateful I am." Ghira mutters in awe as he extends a hand for her to shake, "One day I'll repay you for this, I swear."
"You're welcome, High Leader Belladonna." Ayre shakes his hand back before handing him a Scroll, "We'll use this to remain in contact and coordinate a rendezvous with the mercenary during the day of the assault. Her skills may not be equal to Raven's, but I like to think she's close enough."
"Where is this mercenary then?" Sienna Khan asks as they hid in the bushes on a hill overlooking the mining facility, illuminated by pale moonlight, just outside of the range of the wall-mounted laser turrets. In the past years, the SDC updated their hardware, with those lasers now capable of firing twice their range while retaining enough power to kill a Goliath in two shots or wipe out a pack of smaller Grimm. If any of them get close they'll be picked out in seconds and wiped off the face of Remnant faster than they could react.
"She'll be here," Ghira affirms as he watches. He had agreed to their raid on several conditions, one of them was that he would be there personally to ensure no one performs any unnecessary bloodshed, "Once she takes down the defenses and the CCT relay tower, we'll just have to take care of the human guards in the main building and mines, freeing our brethren."
One of his men scoffed, "We should be doing this ourselves. Not leaving it in the hands of some human corporate mercenary. What about our pride?"
"I'd rather have wounded pride than report to your families that their sons or daughters won't be coming home forever." he scowls back silencing them, "You have your orders. We wait for the opening the mercenary will provide. Understood?"
Before they could respond, they heard the faint roar of an engine, looked up to see a red blip in the sky as Ghira's Scroll flared to life,
"Are you reading me, High Leader Ghira?" came a modulated female voice, "I am the mercenary assigned to this mission by order of NEST Inc., callsign; Echo. A pleasure to meet you."
"Same to you, Echo." Ghira greets, "We're waiting nearby for you to do your part. Once again I thank you for agreeing to this job."
"It is no problem, High Leader." Echo says as she closes into a range of the mining facility's defenses, "Activating Combat Mode. Let's get to work."
"Our radar's picking something up? What the hell am I looking at?" a confused SDC technician asks through his comms, as Ayre listens through after taking a second to patch into their communication systems.
"Probably just a flock of Nevermores." grumbles another annoyed technician.
"I'm not sure, it's moving too fast and I'm picking up exhaust. Some kind of vehicle?" the first technician mutters before speaking through an open channel she picks up, "Attention unidentified vehicle! You are approaching SDC property, go any further and we will open fire. This is your only warning, please comply. I repeat, if you go any further we will shoot you down."
As he says this, the barrel of the turrets glow with blue energy as ECHO, her customized and personal AC prototype, picks up a total of six target locks from enemies. Nevertheless, she only increases the thrust, blasting forward at full speed as her Combustion Dust-based engine propels her faster.
But before they could open fire, white armor plating folding back to reveal ports in her AC's chest, firing a cluster of two dozen micro missiles that covered her entire route towards their walls with ECM smoke bombs, a design she took inspiration from Xylem's fog.
"What the-?! I lost the lock, we're being jammed!" the first technician cries out in a panic before scuffling is heard,
"Move over, I'm switching to manual controls! Whoever this idiot is, they picked the wrong mine to attack!" the second technician boasted before the turrets aimed in her direction and tried firing.
They were well-aimed but she was too fast for them, dodging and weaving the shots while covered by ECM smoke. Then when she reaches engagement range, six drones pop up from the emplacement on her back, hovering in the air as they primed their weaponry before firing beams of red lasers onto the turrets, turning each of them to slag in seconds before hovering behind her back and giving the appearance of red wings with their exhaust.
"Wh-what?! We just lost all the turrets!" the first technician screams in a panic, "Get a call out now!"
But before they could, Ayre aims ECHO's main armaments and charges her laser rifle, before firing a beam of lasers that cuts the CCT relay tower on their main building's roof in half. Once that was done she dashes through the facility, searching for her next target as Knights deployed on patrol tried firing on her with their rifles.
"CCT relay tower down?!" the first technician sounds on the verge of breaking down in panic, "How the hell are we gonna get back up now?!"
"G-get a hold of yourself!" the second one says despite sounding terrified, "We can still do this! Activate the Spider Drones! And get the rest of the Knights online!"
"H-how many, sir?"
"ALL OF THEM MORON!" cried the second technician followed by the sound of something being thrown, "And where the hell is S-20?! Get him on Scroll now!"
"He's still on his 'hunting expedition'!" the first technician shouts exasperated and fearful.
Ayre gives a slightly amused smile upon hearing their panic. This was something akin to what Raven heard all the time, only this time she was in the pilot seat and fortunately for her, there were few if any human targets for her. Simply drones.
She locks on to the Knight storage area, giving it a quick scan to confirm no humans are occupying the building as several patrolling Knights fire upon her, most of them deflecting off her thick armor.
Not wanting to leave much for Ghira's soldiers to take out, she commands the drones on her "wings", turning them all into flying swords of lasers and slicing entire squads with each swing, turning them into slag before she turns them back into gun mode to fire rapid bolts of lasers at the Knights storage area.
"Total Knights are down by 60%!"
"I have eyes! But whatever that is, it won't have the same luck with the Spider Drones!"
As they say this, Ayre picks up half a dozen hostile signatures leaping through the rooftops of nearby buildings before aiming their cannons at her, firing barrages of Ice Dust cannon shots. The wiring and circuitry of her drones then switched colors to a cyan blue, before projecting Hard Light Dust shielding as they spun, deflecting the barrage while leaping into the air with her thrusters.
Once in the air with a full view of all of them, the color of her drones switched again to yellow this time before launching themselves between the Spider Drones, weaving through the hail of Ice Dust shots before detonating into large pulses of electrical energy thanks to the Lightning Dust.
So far the drones seem to be handling the rapid change of Dust. Practical test results of the latest NEST Inc. product, Multi-Dust Action modules appear to be successful. She hums to herself as the drones switch back to Fire Dust, firing flaming beams that cut through the stunned Spider Drones like a hot knife through butter.
"They…they all got wiped out…" the second technician mutters.
Before he could say anything else, another joined the channel just as ECHO's sensor array picked up another hostile signature.
Enemy AC detected? It must be the Sentinel sent for the base's security, she thinks to herself as it lands on the roof of the main building. Compared to the Steel Blizzard, this one was much leaner and slimmer while sharing the same color scheme, with compact but powerful thrusters on its back and twin laser handguns in his hands.
"Well, well, look at the mess you made." a cocky voice came from the Sentinel as Ayre stares at it, "And who might you be? That doesn't look like any mech I've ever seen… Who sent you? Not Atlas, they don't have the balls to mess with us. Besides, no Military or Security MT moves like that or has any firepower like that. But the only company with the tech is…NEST Inc., huh?"
Ayre remains silent. She was of course prepared for future accusations from the SDC towards NEST Inc. for this attack, seeing as they're one of the few with capabilities to produce an AC. But she has ensured no one will trace this attack back to NEST Inc., ECHO doesn't exist on NEST Inc. databanks after all, meaning they won't have any proof. And if Ghira does his part correctly, a virus will be inserted into the databank of the mining facility and erase all photographic evidence of such a mech attack. The only record left was the camera on board the Sentinel in front of her, soon to be dealt with.
"You do not have to do this. Eject from your Sentinel now and I promise no harm will come to you." Ayre speaks through the comms on an open channel for him to listen through, hoping he will see reason and avoid conflict.
The Sentinel pilot chuckles, "He, he, well when you put it like that…Nah!"
He quickly points his laser pistols and fires rapid beams of blue energy at her while she doesn't seem to react. But before they could strike her, the drones ejected from her back once more and projected Hard Light Dust to form a prism in front of her, deflecting the lasers safely away.
"Heh, probably shouldn't expect that to work," he grumbles as he starts leaping with reverse-jointed legs, moving at surprisingly high speeds by combining with his thrusters. Much faster than Steel Blizzard, she'll give the SDC that. It appears they weren't idle when developing their Sentinel brand of ACs.
He continues firing as he circles Ayre, who simply commands the drones to continue deflecting the lasers with ease, eventually overheating his laser handguns. Throwing them aside in frustration, he instead springs out two mantis-like blades mounted on his forearms that crackle with a blue laser field before charging at her, while firing a barrage of missiles from his shoulder mounts. They launch vertically before descending on her from above while he charges in front of her.
Ayre commands all but two of the drones to intercept the missiles, which attach themselves to her left arm instead and create a two-pronged blade of blue Hard Light Dust, activating her thrusters to meet the Sentinel on his charge.
He swings with both his blades, hoping to decapitate ECHO but she slides beneath his blades and slices at his side with her two-pronged laser blades, only to be surprised as they deflect off his personal Hard Light Dust shielding.
The pilot still grunts from the impact as he swings around trying to catch her off guard, "Come on, is that all you got? I was expecting a challenge after those drones you wrecked!"
She weaves back as he continues his barrage of slices and cuts with his blades, Ayre calmly analyzing the drone. The shielding was stronger than predicted when she used Steel Blizzard as a base. And from the way it moved this Sentinel, the Juliet-7 Model VI if she was correct, was twice as fast as Steel Blizzard.
"Come on! Stop dodging! And hit! Ba-!" He gets interrupted when Ayre does just that, the blades switching off as the drones mounted on her arms turn from cyan Hard Light to purple Gravity Dust, creating a field to pull him in at the same time she throws the punch, smashing right into the core where the cockpit was located, rippling the shield.
"Gah! I got you now!" he roars as he swipes his blades at her, only for it to get blocked by a blade constructed by Hard Light Dust. Her drones finished the missiles and now returned to assist her.
What followed was Ayre kicking the Sentinel away as her drones cut into him in a flurry of slash and strikes, each drone spinning like tops as they flew across the Sentinel before the shield shatters at last and panic sets in for him.
"W-wait! Wait! Wait! Waaaait!" he cries out in fear as her drones cut apart the Sentinel's arms, legs and head leaving only the core left that falls into the ground uselessly. Inside he was frantically pulling at the emergency ejection only to receive a bright red warning message spelling out the words ERROR in his HUD.
The drones then returned to her back as she stepped forward, the drones mounted on her arm creating a long thin needle of hard light as she approached.
"Wait! I give! I can't fight anymore damn it!" he cries as inside he struggles with the belts holding him into the seat, "Brothers damn it! Have mercy! You're gonna kill someone who can't fight back?!"
She raises her arm with the needle and stabs downward as he shields his face with his hands, "AAAAARGH!"
He pants before slowly opening his eyes, realizing he was still alive, realizing the blade had punched through the hull and pierced the area above his head. The pilot only watches in silence as Ayre withdraws the blade, satisfied once the black box containing the combat log is destroyed, and then walks away.
"...Thank you?" he mutters confused not knowing what else to say or do besides lie there uselessly until SDC reinforcements come by.
Ayre remains silent as she saves the data into her combat log. This was the second time either she or Raven engaged with an SDC Sentinel and while the hardware may have been updated, the quality of pilots may have fallen. Steel Blizzard may have had a lower-quality AC than this one, but there was no doubt his willpower and skill far exceeded this.
"ECHO to Ghira, all forces outside of the main building are eliminated. Moving to secure the mines." Ayre informs through their channel,
"Excellent, we'll move in at once." Ghira says thankful, "You don't need to do that though, we're more than capable of doing so ourselves."
"Our contract states I was to assist you and I will," Ayre says before flying into the direction of the mines. She also had a secondary reason for doing so. She wanted to see the conditions for herself, the words of Steel Blizzard's pilot still ringing in her mind despite the years passed.
"And what he saw horrified him, the way they were treated, and how all of them were Faunus. Not a single human in sight. All malnourished, sick, beaten and branded."
She shakes her head to clear her thoughts as she parts the AC outside the entrance drilled into the side of the mountain, taking a few seconds to eject from her AC which began autonomously operating to guard the entrance while she enters dressed in a white armored flight suit with a tinted helmet worn on her head.
Her HUD picks up armed guards hiding at the entrance ready for ambush but with a flick of her hand, the pack she wore on her back released an array of floating guns, each comparable to a heavy pistol. A modified design of the weapon blueprints Doctor Pietro had sent them along with the designs of her body.
They each shot electric bolts at her ambushers as she walked pass them towards a lift leading deep into the mines, pressing the button at the lowest level before descending. She waits patiently before the lift slows to a halt and the doors open, what she saw horrifying her.
Faunus lying on the floor huddled together wearing tattered clothes and on thin blankets, if they were lucky, all looking thin as sticks, and with the biometrics her HUD was reading she was shocked that most were even alive.
Then there were some still working on the mines, slamming their pickaxes again and again on the rocky walls while watched by AK-130s. Without hesitation, her guns were pointed at them, and Ice Dust rounds were fired to freeze them in place to avoid accidental ricochets or cave-ins from more explosive rounds.
The enslaved Faunus look at her in shock as she makes sure the area is secured before moving to the closest Faunus,
"Wh- who are you?" a deer Faunus looks at Ayre, shocked and confused as one of Ayre's guns turns into a blowtorch and swiftly cuts the chains that bind her legs.
"The White Fang is securing the facility above." Ayre informs quickly as she moves to free another, "Hurry and call them here."
The deer Faunus nods and Ayre turns the rest of her weapons into blowtorches to free as many as quickly as she can, each of them rubbing their now free legs in shock and growing hope before running to the lifts.
"H-hey! You have to come to check him out!" one of the Faunus 'indentured servants waves her over and she hurries to see a redheaded bull Faunus, no older than twelve, lying unconscious with a dirty bandage around his left eye, "The kid got into a fight with the overseer today, got his eye burnt for all his troubles…Poor kid, losing his mother on the same day. As if that wasn't enough."
The amount of pain and disgust Ayre felt was almost beyond her ability to describe as she scanned the unconscious boy, his vitals weak and fading with a high fever that was off the charts. She immediately cuts him free before turning to the remaining Faunus,
"I have to get this boy medical assistance quickly." she informs, "Grab your mining tools, they should be sufficient to break you out. You are all safe now. They can't hurt you anymore."
Ayre quickly runs to the lift, already full of Faunus as she feels a small hand tug at her flight uniform.
"Mom…?" he mutters softly, his remaining eye-opening slightly for Ayre to see blue irises looking at her in a daze.
"No. I'm sorry." Ayre looks back sadly as she feels a pain in where her heart would be, "Rest, I'm going to get you to safety now. No one will hurt you again."