What's Junk? (The Mech Touch)

[lost star]

Piloting a Ghoul was very hard. Skirmishers in general were actually pretty hard truthfully, but Ghouls were a step above due to their non-standard nature. Most melee skirmishers had knives or blades, with the knowledge that you'd stick them into the vulnerable spots. Very simple and intuitive. The claws on a Ghoul were meant to rip and tear. The arms made it so that you had to re-do your muscle memory as well due to their length. Really, every part of the mech was non-standard. It was why the mech worked so well when in close range. The slightly off nature of everything made them unpleasant to fight and difficult to predict. Coupled with a design and appearance made to disturb and you got a mech that terrorized its opponents while fighting them.

This wasn't getting into the other factors. The 'eating' functionality was difficult to adapt to as a pilot and unpleasant to witness. The repair process was likewise more than a little unpleasant in many respects. Bolt had committed to a theme and stuck to it to point of what many considered insanity. The mech-line was niche for multiple reasons.

Of course Lilly hadn't cared about all of that. She'd loved the mech through all its iterations and she'd trained the newly named 'Back Scratchers' to the best of her considerable ability and then some with that love. Ghoul had been her first real mech, and she knew all the little tricks. She's made damned sure that every single one of them could pilot the mech with what she considered proper skill before unleashing them.

It has to be said, what an expert considers proper skill and what was actually proper skill were rather different. When the Ghouls were let loose, the general assumption was that they'd destroy a few groups and sow some terror. The mech design was optimal for picking at the edges and waiting for opportune moments. The top notch endurance meant that it could be extremely patient and carefully worm it's way into odd areas to strike from while also maintaining operations with no support.

The Back Scratchers did none of that. They simply feasted upon their victims. The descended upon groups and devoured them wholesale. Some patrols were destroyed before they could even get a word out. They'd be found with their insides ripped out and the pilots so traumatized they couldn't speak. They became notorious within days. By the end of the week of their shakedown, they'd conclusively proven that the formation of their unit was well done.

They were in fact so good that Lilly decided their next foray would be with her helping. The decision was half because she wanted to have fun and half to stretch her legs. Kriff hadn't seen fit to try to dissuade her. Dowry did already have a bit of a reputation. Seeing her on the field with 'sister' mechs would certainly do things. Also morale was important too. Lilly having fun meant she was in a better mood for later.

And she did have fun. The resulting massacre drove away every single independent mech from the mountain. You could go days in any direction before there was even a hint of people. It was so absolutely effective that they ran out of people to fight and had to return earlier than planned. Some of the people had outright surrendered and begged to be thrown at the sandmen before she'd even approached. The tales of 'that insane monster' became ghost stories, and the allied mercenaries actually called up the mountain to ask what the hell was going on.

Kriff actually had to forbid the Back Scratchers from deploying without orders after that. Oh he would still be unleashing them when it was needed, but they actually wanted some of the unwanted guests to stick around the area. Monitoring their movements let him evaluate their organization and plans. If they were several days away he had to rely on other means.

That wasn't to say there were many plans yet. For all the worry about the wave of incoming invaders, the reality was most of them were simply desperate people. Some had simply landed because there was no other option. There was conflict all over the world at the moment. Some people were fighting because they need fuel, others because of food, and some were landing and then leaving as soon as they could.

As a whole, the local Rats were actually quite used to this sort of behavior. The scale was up there, but there were mech graveyards in the planet for a reason. Adding more steel to the pile was just sort of par for the course. If anything they were used to a higher caliber of people. A lot of the bandits / refugees / invaders weren't even checking for natives. They'd land, another person would land, the two groups would fight, and the Rats would rob them both blind. (Let it not be said they were unwelcome hosts.)

Not everything was good for the natives. There were massacres and enslavement and the like happening. It was just again something they had bitter experience with. If anything Olympus and the people on it was a very large net benefit for the planet. They were a focus for all the really greedy groups to look at. A big, glorious target that drew the eye and triggered the lust for rewards.

Bolt and his family got a lot of experience fighting over the coming days and weeks. Some large battles, some small battles. It might have been police work in another planet, one with a functioning government. Here it was dissuading criminals with more metal and machine than sense. Some people even tried to land outside the fog and hike into the place on foot rather than in mechs. The smarter ones used the railway. The dumber ones tried to just get through the mist. Most of them never made it, and those that got to the doors were caged up and practically thrown somewhere else. There was a time and place for mercy. This was not that time.

For a time, it seemed as if this would be the sum total of the problem. Scattered groups and infighting causing the majority of the issues. Then the warlords started to come in. The ambitious organizers and remnants of broken shield nations.

These weren't people that a few raids from Lilly and The Back Scratchers could break alone. They were large groups of a hundred to a thousand mechs, all gathered together around the mountain. It was the first real coordinated push, complete with artillery, flying mechs, and more. Both dangerous, and fully possible of breaking the defenders.

Lilly was first on the line, tasked to break up the largest group. The group of military deserters with full combined arms. She did so alone, with Morning Star. The others were sent to other areas. Lilly was expected to handle a single front with minimal support. The goal was not to win. It was to keep the enemy tied up while the others were defeated with more focused attacks.

Kriff really hadn't wanted to do it, but the mech had been designed to handle a scenario just like this.

 

[Simonbob]

Top of the line monster mechs, it's really their trademark.

In a public kind of way, anyway.


It's funny, really. Their 'psionics' is really the biggest, most important thing about them. Nothing else comes close. But, outside a few Masters and the like, everybody sees only the terror tactics, and monster mechs, and thinks that's their cause.

 

[foo-jin]

Their 'psionics' is really the biggest, most important thing about them. Nothing else comes close.

Click to shrink...

Ehh, I'd say that cheap, rugged, and atypical combat style are also pretty central to Bolt's style.

 

[Negation]

What upgrades did Morning Star get for weapons again?

 

[Luker number 5]

Kriff is about to learn just what Morning Star can do in a target rich environment.

 

[lost star]

What upgrades did Morning Star get for weapons again?

Click to shrink...

Lightning. All the lightning.

 

[Canadian Leprechaun]

What upgrades did Morning Star get for weapons again?

Click to shrink...

Lightning. All the lightning.

Click to shrink...

I think I got this and Mech Otaku scrambled in my mind somewhere. Coulda sworn it was the flying daggers being able to shoot lasers.

 

[lost star]

Lilly stood alone on the field. The mist was not present for once. All that remained was dried and cracked ground, dust, and the remains of mechs they had not bothered to remove. It was a potent visual scene, which was the point.

She wasn't so prideful to think she could win against a small army. She was good, and Morning Star was built for this, but experts could get worn down. They could run out of fuel. They could get tired and make mistakes. Even the step above, Saints, Aces, they could eventually falter over time. Only God Pilots could be said to be infinite, and even they had to bow to the whims of reality and numbers eventually.

Yet there was a path of victory here anyway. It was one of morale. Of the mind. Lilly had to convince the enemy that she was an impossible summit to cross. That needed visibility. It also needed theatrics. The woman wasn't really thinking those exact words, but she'd been trying to be better at verbalizing in an effort to improve herself. When you could define what instinct told you, you could improve it.

One problem with the visibility was that the enemy knew where she was almost immediately. They also couldn't really avoid her. This entire battle was a simple mass rush of forces from multiple angles. The enemies were attacking in that way in an attempt to overwhelm them with numbers and prevent infighting. Moving to another area would cause a clash with their nominal allies and do the work for the defenders.

This group of enemies began by trying to land shells on her position. It was both boring and so standard it could have come out of a textbook. The truest and most base form of artillery sent explosives towards the enemy. Made in mech form, they were the 'standard' heavy artillery mech. Every army had something like them, and they usually had a good dozen of some sort of very generic types that they used when they wanted firepower in a specific area. They were 'cheap' for a heavy, painfully boring, but also very hard to mess up. They used big guns to fire big explosions in a pre-plotted area and were really just cannons with legs usually.

Lilly wondered a bit if they were trying to confirm if she was an expert or not by starting with them. All it was accomplishing was forcing her to move just a bit. Explosives like this in this day and age were used to siege, to disrupt formations, or to kill pinned forces. They were not used against experts. It would take a direct hit to really damage her and she could track and plot the shells midair before they landed. Only extensive firepower would have been a threat. This was just a bit akin to playing dodgeball against someone with a bum arm.

It took almost five minutes before the next phase started. It wasn't a surprise despite the enemy attempting to be subtle. Lilly had been alerted far before they came into range of her sensors. The mists were off, but the rest of the traps and such had been retained. She knew exactly when the enemy had sent in more mechs. It was almost sound as a tactic. Tire her with artillery, then bring in ranged, and then bring her down as she approached.

"Is this standard against experts?" Lilly asked out loud.

"Standard is bring in another expert. Even elites against experts just die a bit slower. Ya gotta be willing to throw people into a fucking grinder if you want to take an expert down without one." Kriff answered.

Lilly raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you busy with the other fronts?"

"They're moving into position and don't need direct management. You're the one I'm worried about." Kriff noted. "I have a direct line on you. The other enemy groups will likely commit once they've confirmed your there and are bogged down. You got a rep. What Pup can do is still unknown."

"Ah, delay then?" The expert asked back.

"No, rush in when you have an opening and bleed them as long as you can. Pull back when you're about half and start to delay then, if they're smart they'll try to commit then. I'll throw the Back Scratchers at them at that point. It will be the best time to gut them." The general ordered. "Please don't be risky. I read what the mech is designed for, I haven't actually fucking seen it and can't judge what's good or not."

Lilly couldn't help but laugh before she turned off the coms and focused. The definition between her and her mech blurred as she synched with the spirit, and then she charged forward. The sudden movement had a visible effect on the men approaching. They flinched as one and backpedaled while firing wildly in her general direction.

Dodging was barely even necessary. These were soldiers, but soldiers that had deserted and traveled with minimal support. They lacked practice and discipline. The sheer volume of fire did hit her a bit, but that was what the Pride system was for. The wings absorbed the damage with barely any trouble, and then Lilly was close enough for Greed to latch onto them.

Electricity leached out of them and into her. Morning Star's power reserves were topped off quickly, and then the blades lashed out. Dead, dead, dead. Mechs fell to the ground before she even got into melee. She took a moment to rip off parts before dancing back as her position was shelled. Lightning arched around her as the systems began to rev up. Around her several pilots died from friendly fire and Lilly shook her head at the pointless action.

It didn't even cover the approaching enemies, because the sensors around the area had long since picked them up. She was technically surrounded now, but under no threat. They were all in Greed and every second was giving her more strength.

"I assume that was a feint with really expendable pilots?" Lilly mused as dozens of skirmishers started to come in from the sides.

Morning Star's largest problem in combat if you squinted was her weapon systems. Every mech had what was best described as a set of spheres around them they were a threat in. Morning Star's daggers and lightning could only go so far before they lost penetration power. This wasn't really a new issue. Every mech had an ideal engagement range. Swordsmen mechs still worked in a time where guns and snipers existed. There were ways to deal with range and speed. A good pilot trained against all sorts of foes and had tactics of dealing with everything.

Admittedly Lilly didn't want nor need to use them at the moment. She just focused on making more daggers with Gluttony while the approaching skirmishers attempted to shoot her from just outside her range. It probably would have been annoying had she been in any other mech. Here she could extend Greed just enough that their frantic attempts to kite her were actually hurting them more than her and Pride could regenerate enough that their machine guns weren't particularly threatening.

Hilariously, it took a few minutes for them to realize this. It only became apparent when a few of them started to slow down from a lack of power. At which point Lilly was able to just leisurely move forward and cut them down.

Of course that was when the snipers tried taking their shots, but again, this wasn't particularly dangerous. Sure a direct hit would hurt, but normal people's intent was easy to feel. Lilly was almost feeling bad for the enemies at the moment. Almost. This was the expected result of throwing normal people at an expert.

"We doing good on time?" The expert asked.

"Need at least ten before I can provide more support than the Scratchers and artillery shots." Kriff shot back with tension in his voice. "Status?"

"Still on full. It feels like they're trying to wear me down without committing." Lilly said as she dodged another shot and watched as the remaining enemies skittered back outside the range she'd currently displayed.

"You've been at combat enough that most normal people would start making small mistakes." The general informed her. "Experts can usually last twice as long if they're careful and ration their willpower. Less if they're fighting experts."

"So I should assume, oh. Here it comes already." The woman stared at the sensors as a mass started to move in. "That's the commitment finally."

"Which is what we need and where you're actually in danger." The man reminded her.

Lilly laughed. Right here and now? This was more of a feast than a danger. Several hundred coordinated mechs were approaching. She could see shields in the leading ones. They hadn't even equipped weapons on them and half the men felt as if they were being forced into it. The rest had rifles and shotguns and more. No precision weapons, just wide area weapons that she couldn't dodge.

She couldn't help it. She flared her wings and put everything into her mech. Electricity ran up and down her body and the halo flared with lighting. Greed enveloped them all and drank up all the power and the extra daggers she had rose up into the air.

In seconds half the enemy mechs close to her were inoperational. The other half was frantically trying to destroy her. Lilly had barely even registered how she'd done it. Lighting and empowered resonance had fried most of them as she'd approached. It was a slight miscalculation on her end truthfully. With less enemies around she could pull in less power and had less cover. Not that this hindered her much, it just complicated things more.

Yet for every body that fell, more took their place. Lilly's world became a wash of metal and battle as she tried her best to take her pound of metal. She was fairly sure that without her spirit she would have been making mistakes. She would have been getting tired. She was certainly taking damage. This many attackers were impossible to dodge. They fortunately hadn't been informed about the Envy system though, so the damage was less than it could have been. The flamers and energy weapons that were the most obvious counter to her mobility were just less effective.

It was still adding up. Even if she felt like a goddess of lightning and had fried what had to be a hundred mechs she was still slowly losing durability. Lilly disengaged after an indeterminate amount of time on instinct more than anything else. The clock told her how long she'd been fighting, but she really couldn't register it at the moment. Power was still at full, willpower was, maybe about half. Damage was... ok?

"Getting a bit pushed." Lilly said into the coms, feeling almost like she'd had a glass of wine. She pulled back from her mech and realized she was drenched with sweat and needed a drink. The damage reports made more sense then, and she was mostly dinged all over. Nothing critical. "Sorry, got caught up. Can't say if I'm at fifty but prob should start being more cautious."

"That's fine venerable Lilly." Kriff's voice was calm. "Can you pull back?"

"Not with the skirmishers there." The woman said after a moment of evaluation, dodging around as best she could and downing some water with quick gulps. It refreshed and cleared her head. "Looks like they think they've got me on the ropes."

"Scratchers engaging. The Maidens are too. Avoid the designated areas." The general said.

What happened next was more battle naturally. It was just less frantic on her end. When the Maidens started raining down lasers the enemy became far less committed to attacking her and more committed on surviving. It went double when they started being hit from behind. Her personally trained helpers were not gentle in tearing out parts.

Lilly did have to admit that in any other mech she would have likely been very close to death with the stunt she'd just pulled. She'd thrown herself right into the middle of an army and had been able to walk out without critical damage. That was both spectacular and a very potent demonstration of what Morning Star could do. It was also not likely going to happen again. This sort of thing created a reputation.

Which was fine, because that was a weapon in itself.

 

[Simonbob]

Lily and Bolt.

Power Couple.




No, that about sums it up, I think.