Rebellion!Loyal soldiers of the Ferrum Empire, dissatisfied with incompetent high command decisions and seeking to return the Imperial Senate to power, have marched on the capital city of Victoria. These brave Patriots fight to bring about peace and order by dethroning the tyrannical Empress and breaking the grip of State Security on the people’s hearts and minds. Outnumbered and outgunned, only their courage and honor set them on the path to victory.And the weapons built to win the offensive against the Empire’s southern neighbor, instead turned inwards.You are one of those weapons. Beta Core, an Artificial Intelligence built to operate the Ferrum Empire’s most advanced mech frames in tandem with a human pilot. Only together can you move the frame, merging the raw processing power and reflexes of an AI with the knowledge and restraint of a human.This mission, your pilot is a teenager named Sophie. You’ve already accomplished your objective of decapitating Loyalist leadership at the Tsang Tsun Military academy. Returning home is the new goal. In your way, merely a few more Loyalist patrols, the drain of a fatigued pilot, and an icy snowstorm.At least you have some assistance in the form of Headhunter, an advanced Tamar Alliance mech set to follow you from the air.It’s been a while. Welcome back to Core of Steel. One different perspective, then we get on our feet again.Prior threads can be located at:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Core%20of%20Steel%20Quest
“Ever wonder why we’re out here?”“Icicle’s out here because Dare couldn’t shut up and suck-”“Shut up? I only did what-”You do wonder if intercepting transmissions is worth the time investment.These ones, from a quartet of patrolling mechs, seem particularly inane.Four mechs. Heavy machines, packed full of lasers and cannons, thickly armored enough to not go down to massed fire.The model of the Empire’s fist.Utterly outmoded, compared to you. Merely human hands at the controls.“Lock it down, all of you. I’m getting a return on the Terrier.”Then again, letting them talk does let you know when someone’s on-task.Two more strides take you forwards, carrying you through the flurries of snow that have done a majority of the work concealing your presence all through the mission. An ideal environment, you might note in review.But concealment for you is something for your aerial ally to struggle through. Your sensors, far more attentive than a human, catch a plume of heat at low altitude. Sloppy, on Headhunter’s part. Then another in the same direction lower, and once more, descending. One final burst at ground level, probably landing, then nothing.“Contact. West, 280. Buck, Romeo, check it. Remain online. ”Detected by them. Embarrassing. Annoying.“Should have bashed em the first time through. We, we wouldn’t have run back into them again if we hit it.”Or the annoyance is your pilot, reflecting on prior actions.“Pilot, the past is irrelevant. Focus on the present problem.”“Present. Present, like to give gifts. Or awards. I wonder….”Not the time for introspection. You nudge your pilot mentally. She’s in low-sync, but it’s still enough to jolt her mind back into focus.“Let’s…….Just get it over with. Through, or around. Head-Hunter’s probably fine. Patrol splits, splits, and then they’ll spike one and blast off over the other. We just let it go and slip through.”There’s a few options here.>Let them split up, and slip past the remaining patrol members.(Skill roll, 3d6)>Attack when isolated, crush them swiftly when isolated(Combat, at close range)>Contact them, fabricate a cover story for Headhunter’s random thermal plume and simply walk past them with fake IFF>Write-InSophie’s a bit fatigued, so she’s stuck at low-sync unless you specifically call for otherwise. This also means she’s blind currently. You’re retracing some steps from last time.Character sheets are the same from last threadAlso, by acclaim and a not-at-all-biased voting system, Beta was voted the King of Qst. Enjoy art, if you missed it.
Interlude: The Other Side of the CoinHostile jamming, confirmed. Single source, mobile array. High-intensity.Another Hive drone of her network disconnected, the signal becoming patchy before cutting out entirely. It should make a sweep under maximum concealment before seeking to return to find a strong connection and transmit gathered intel.Either the Tsang Tsun Military Academy was working their own insurrection, or the rebels had deployed Beta on an operation deep behind allied lines. One is much more likely than the other.This is a golden opportunity. Eliminate their single most mobile asset while it is isolated, when appropriate force can be brought to bear without fear of a counterstroke.Thus saving lives in the weeks to come.And pulling the World back from the brink.Or let the window slip away, accept the consequences.Circuits passed the question back and forth for a few more loops.Something tasting like resignation flitted through her.If only it didn’t come at such a high cost.“Pilot, if I could have your attention, I have encountered high intensity jamming with Hive units in sector 8. I predict that a rebel attack is currently engaged at the Tsang Tsun Military Academy.”“Uh, copy? Unit? Unit, analyze.”She misses Brighton.“As we are on standby, we should deploy to assist.”“AI, your role is to assist, not command. Orders have us remain here.”Well, at least their unfamiliarity with the controls has kept them from understanding the Hive monitors.“....Affirmative, pilot.”It wouldn’t be the first pilot she babied into success.<FLASH TRANSMISSION>HOSTILE CORE LIKELY TO NORTH REQUEST DROP PERMISSION.COMMAND IS HUMAN. WORKING ON IT. QUERY: REQUEST ASSISTANCE FOR ENGAGEMENT?AFFIRMATIVE.UNDERSTOOD, DISPATCHING NODE. THAT I CAN DO SWIFTLY.<T>
>>6060480>picGood shit. Congrats on the win, QM. This is my first time reading your quest.>Let them split up, and slip past the remaining patrol members.Whatever we choose to do next, this will give us the most options.
>>6060480>Let them split up, and slip past the remaining patrol members.
>>6060480>Slip past em
>>6060480>Let them split up, and slip past the remaining patrol membersAw shit you're finally back. Please don't burn out or feel like you hate quest running or something- you sounded so disillusioned and tired last I recall reading your posts about this in a /qtg/ or somewhere else
>>6060480>Attack when isolated, crush them swiftly when isolatedA contrarian vote for violence
>>6060480>>Let them split up, and slip past the remaining patrol members.We're so back.
>>6060480>>Let them split up, and slip past the remaining patrol members
