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Tsugumi: Hey Mio… Did you make that outfit yourself?
Mio: Oh, you can tell?
Tsugumi: Of course. The way that the corset and the boots match, and the badge on your shoulder make it seem really fresh!
Mio: Ehehe.
Masaki: … why do women always talk about clothes so much?
Ryoto: There’s a lot of men who like clothes, too.
Masaki: Just like there are women who really like mechs. Like the lady who designed the Elementals.
Ryoto: You know her?
Masaki: Yup. Most likely, you’d get along with her. If we run into her, I’ll introduce you.
Ryoto: Hey, thanks.
Rio: Oh… How nice for you, Ryoto.
Ryoto: R-rio!
Rio: Here’s the Wing Binder mobility modification data[1]. See ya.
Ryoto: Wh-where are you off to?
Rio: I’m going to check up on Ing’s condition. Bye.
Ryoto: ….
Masaki: You’re not going to chase after her?
Ryoto: Yeah… When she’s like this, it’s best to give her a bit of space. In 80% of similar cases, at least…
Masaki: (Is he keeping data on this?) Anyway, The Wing Binder is that thing equipped on the R-blade in the other hangar, right?
Ryoto: Well, it’s the 3rd R-blade that Ryuusei tested. When equipped with the binder, which has a beam cannon, jacket armor, and tesla drive build in, it’s much better than the mass production model.
Masaki: Has it been deployed yet?
Ryoto: Not yet. We haven’t finished adjusting it…
Shiro: Masaki!
Masaki: What’s the matter?
Shiro: There’s a message from Tytti!
Masaki: Wh-what, really?
Kuro: Really! Hurry to the bridge!
Masaki: Got it!
Ryoto: Masaki, who is...?
Masaki: She’s the pilot of Goddess, another Elemental Lord like Cybuster!
*Bridgey time*
Masaki: Azuki, lemme sit there!
Azuki: Oh, right!
Masaki: Tytti! It’s me, Masaki! Can you hear me?
Tytti: Where have you been, Masaki?! We’ve been worried about you! I’m really mad this time!
Masaki: H-hey! Don’t talk like that around here! I returned, so it’s all good, right?!
Tytti: It’s not all good at all!! After all, you’re…
Presia: Yahoo! It’s big bro! How ya doing?
Masaki: Oh, Presia, you’re here too?
Presia: Sis picked me up! Staying at home would be boring.
Masaki: Th-then that means…
Tytti: Masaki, the Coral Canyon is close to your position. I’m sending the coordinates, so meet us there.
Masaki: Got it.
Eita: A beautiful big sister, and an adorable little sister… I’m so jealous!
Masaki: It’s not like we’re related by blood or anything.
Eita: That just makes me MORE jealous!
Masaki: …Captain, could we head to the Coral Canyon and meet with them?
Tetsuya I don’t mind, but isn’t it possible the Shutedonias forces would find us there?
Torres: It’s very possible. They do like to set up ambushes.
Masaki: That’s true. The canyon’s a good place for meeting in secret, and the enemy knows it too.
Tetsuya: We’ll put the pilots on high alert. The ship will remain on the defensive as we head towards the rendezvous point.
Chapter 6: Coral Canyon
Torres: Lady Tytti’s message indicated this area.
Masaki: They haven’t shown up yet…
*BRAAAAW BRAAAAW*
Eita: Unknown signatures from 2o’clock!
Tetsuya: It’s an ambush! Shields all front, VLSM, prepare to fire!
*Poof*
Torres: It’s the Shutedonias army!
Tetsuya: All units, deploy!
*Deploy, also oh no not this bitch again*
Riciel: Ohoho, it’s the Hagane, from the Steel Dragons. Send out those three.
*oh noes*
Masaki: Th-those units!
Ryoto: The SRX team?!
Rio: Why are they with the Shutedonias forces?!
Masaki: They probably didn’t know the situation, and teamed up with the Shutedonias forces!
Irm: Even if they had to fight us? That doesn’t seem weird to you?
Masaki: Y-you’re right.
Irm: Most likely, there’s something else going on here. Like a hostage.
Excellen: That’s very possible. After all, I don’t see the R-1 or ART-1.
Tetsuya: Azuki, try to contact them.
Azuki: Roger! Steel 2 to R-Gun! Respond, please!
*Silence*
Azuki: Captain, they aren’t responding!
Tetsuya: So they’re in a situation where they can’t communicate with us. I think Irm’s right.
Riciel: You guys get it right? If you contact them, or do anything suspicious, say goodbye to the hostage.
Aya: (Grr, what a fiend!)
Rai: …
Viletta (We’re counting on you, Aya…)
Aya: (T-link contact… Please!)
Mio: Hey, is there any other way of communicating with them? Like with lights or signals.
Irm: If they could have done that, they would have done so already.
Mio: Damn… so unless they have some kind of telepathy, we’re screwed.
Ryoto: That’s it!
Mio: Wha?
Irm: W-what are you yelling about all of a sudden?
Ryoto: If Captain Aya’s over there, we’ll be able to contact them!
Excellen: Right, the T-Link system!
Ryoto: Steel 2! Startup Captain Aya’s T-link radar, quickly! She might be sending a message on a T-Alpha pulse!
Tetsuya: Understood. You guys buy us some time, but don’t harm the SRX team! And don’t attack the Enemy’s main ship. There could be hostages onboard.
Riciel: Now… let’s see what they’ve got!
Chapter 6: Coral Canyon
Victory: Defeat all enemies except for the Sodium Class Mobile Fortress, the R-2 Powered, The R-3 Powered, and the R-Gun Powered.
Defeat: The Hagane is shot down, or any of the aforementioned units are shot down.
SR point: Do not let Aya, Rai, or Viletta take damage.
*Round 2*
Azuki: Captain, Lt. Ryoto was right! I’ve detected a message from the pulses on the T-Link Moderator!
Tetsuya: Can you decode it?
Azuki: Mai… Hostage… Enemy Ship!
Tetsuya: So Mai is on the enemy ship. Relay that to all units!
Azuki: Roger!
Eita: Captain, shouldn’t we find some way to tell Viletta we understood their message?
Tetsuya: Yes. Send out with a dummy frequency.
Eita: Roger!
Ibis: So now we understand the situation, but what should we do?
Irm: We can’t carelessly approach the mothership. If we were able to sneak into the ship, though…
Gold: Please leave it to me. When I was with the Shutedonias forces, I was on a few Sodium Class ships.
Masaki: Even if you knew where to go, they’d find you in a second, old man.
Shiro: What about us? We could probably sneak in with the High Familiars.
Masaki: You’d be hard to see, but if something happened… Wait a minute, if it’s them…
Mio: Did you think up a good idea?
Masaki: Yes. For now, let’s buy some more time.
Rai: (It looks like they noticed.)
Viletta: (But the real problems start here!)
*Riciel attacks Masaki*
Riciel: I’ll beat that eyesore of an Elemental Lord into the ground!
Masaki: You can’t even stand up to my Cybuster, let alone beat it!
*turn 4*
Azuki: Captain! There’s a message from Tytti!
Tetsuya: Send it here.
Tytti: I heard about the situation from Masaki. Leave the hostage to me.
Tetsuya: Are you sure?
Tytti: Yes, I should be able to do something. Please keep the enemy distracted.
Tetsuya: Roger. All cannons, fire! Aim around the mothership! Don’t hit it! Fire!
Riciel: What are you 3 doing?! If you don’t shoot down the Hagane, then the hostage will…! No, actually, maybe there’s a better way. Bring the hostage here!
Masaki: (I’m counting on you, Tytti!
Tytti: Hagane! I’m making my move!
*Shooooto*
Riciel: What?! Where did that shot come from?
Soldier: From the back! It’s broken open the back hatch!
*Lights flying*
Riciel: What was that?
Soldier: It looks like someone’s entered the ship from the breach!
Riciel: Don’t tell me… they’re going after the hostage?! How could they have known?! No, more importantly! Get that girl up here!
*inside*
Soldier: Wh-what are these things?
Freki: Please release the lady.
Mai: Th-the dog can talk?!
Soldier: Th-they’re after the hostage!
Geri: If you refuse to let her go…!
Soldier: Aaaaah!
Freki: That took less time than expected. I trust you are Mrs. Mai Kobayashi?
Mai: Y-yes.
Freki: I am Freki, and my associate is Geri. We are familiars.
Mai: You mean like Shiro and Kuro?
Freki: Our master is the pilot of the Elemental Lord Goddess. We have come to rescue you.
Mai: Th-thank you.
Freki: Now, we shall escort you outside.
Mai: No, please take me to the hangar on the other side. There’s an important machine there.
Geri: Understood. Then let’s go.
*outside*
Tytti: Good work, you two. What about the hostage? Was she able to escape?
Freki: We took her to a mech. She should be leaving shortly.
Ryoto: Is that Goddess?
Masaki: Yup, that’s the Elemental Lord of Water, Goddess.
*boom*
Riciel: What is it this time?!
Soldier: One of the captured enemy units is leaving the ship!
Riciel: S-stop it! Hurry!
Soldier: We won’t make it!
*Poof*
Rio: It’s the R-1!
Aya: Mai, is that you!?
Mai: Yes. And as you can see, I’ve gotten Ryu’s R-1 back.
Aya: How did you…
Mai: I was saved by 2 large dogs.
Tytti: Those aren’t dogs, my familiars are wolves.
Mai: Ah… s-sorry.
Tytti: Anyway, we’re just glad you’re safe.
Masaki: Yeah. Thanks, Tytti. And you too, Geri, Freki.
Viletta: We owe you thanks as well.
Tytti: Not at all… Now you should be able to freely counterattack.
Viletta; Oh yes. Aya, Rai, Mai. We’re going to pay them back.
Aya: Roger that, captain.
Rai: Riciel Grenor… Don’t think you’ll walk away from this.
Riciel: The plan’s failed, we can’t hold anything back! Send out all remaining units!
Soldier: Aye aye!
Masaki: Heh, that weak force won’t stop us!
Victory: Reduce the Sodium Class Mobile Fortress to below 8000 HP.
Defeat: The Hagane is shot down.
*And you blow it up*
Riciel: Wh-what is this?! Retreat!
*Run away, girlydude*
Eita: No more enemy readings in the area.
Tetsuya: Good. Stay on alert. Let’s get the SRX team home.
*inside*
Viletta: …Rai, Aya and myself all wound up in the same place, but Mai was separated from us. When we found her, she had already been captured by the Shutedonias forces… We were forced to work for them.
Tetsuya: We thought so.
Aya: But it’s a good thing you actually caught our message. I thought there was a one in eight chance you’d get it…
Rio: It was Ryoto who figured it out!
Ryoto: No, I only thought of it because of what Mio said…
Mio: Ehehe!
Rio: But the specifics of using the T-link moderator was all Ryoto. He’s the best!
Masaki: (Weird… she seemed in a really bad mood before the battle…)
Shiro: By the way, that was Mai in the R-1, right?
Masaki: Well, Ryuusei was in the ART-1 when he disappeared.
Rai: Why do you know that?
Masaki: I told Excellen already, but I was working with Kyosuke and Ryuusei.
Rai: What?
Masaki: Most likely, Ryuusei returned to the surface, or is somewhere in La Gias.
Aya: Is that true?! Is Ryu okay?
Masaki: Well… at the very least, it’s true he made it here fine.
Mai: So we may be able to meet him soon…
Aya: Thank goodness. We were really worried.
Excellen: Kyosuke’s in the same boat, but since coming here, we haven’t been able to find him.
Tytti: Lord Feil would probably know more concerning the surface dwellers.
Masaki: Oh, that’s right, I haven’t introduced you two yet. Tytti is originally from the surface, and pilots the Elemental Lord Goddess.
Tytti: I am Tytti Norbuck. Pleased to meet you.
Irm: Nice to meet you. My name is Irmgult Kazahara. If there’s anything about this ship you don’t understand, please come to me.
Tytti: Thank you very much.
Masaki: And this is my little sister, Presia.
Presia: I’m Presia Zenosakis. My brother always talks about you guys!
Excellen: She seems much more serious than Masa.
Rio: But she doesn’t look Japanese…
Masaki: When I first came to Langran, I was taken in by Presia’s father. So she’s my adoptive sister.
Presia: Nice to meet you all!
Irm: Of course, if there’s anything you don’t understand, come to me!
Presia: Got it!
Excellen: That’s Lt. Irm for you… His tastes don’t discriminate by age!
Presia: Tastes?
Irm: Excellen, don’t put it that way….
Masaki: Tytti, we’re headed to the capital, because we’re planning on getting the Queen out of there.
Tytti: I see… That sounds like a good plan. The defense at the capital is rather lax right now.
Masaki: Really?
Tytti: Yes, because Lord Feil is battling the Shutedonias forces at the Nagurt Plains.
Masaki: He is? That’s convenient. We should be able to get into the capital if we go through the weak points in the Ginas Mountains, to the west
Tytti: I’ll go with you. I want to help rescue the queen.
Masaki: Thanks for your help.
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[1] Literally Move Range Setting Modification Data.