03: Rebounding via Montage! The Light of a Brigadier's Nova Broadens Horizons!

[gurrenbrigbonded]

[1]

[After the crushing of the Bandits in Fuso alongside Resnick, Mad Caine, Casshern, Sendou, and a proud Fighter of the Jersey Club, Matthew's Nova has been...trashed.



The armor plating has been battered and dinged, everything dented from some rather harsh impacts with the ground, and the the legs were done gored by a Robotic Bull.

It's just barely repairable. But it is.

Matthew thus has none of the despair of a Mechwarrior suddenly Dispossessed. As he sits by his mangled mech, he activates a holo on his tablet, manipulating icons with a light pen, sipping some tea, and pouring over a design of his Nova that is...intriguingly enhanced.

With the Logo of the Gurren Brigade stenciled across it's nose.

Eavesdropping and advice?]

[2]

[Long term repair work and epic upgrading aside, Matthew's going to need a backup mech to sortie in for the immediate future.

Pouring over the various unused mechs in the hanger, Matthew is...flummoxed.

Help him out?]

[3]

[Test Drive Time!

Over a stretch of land and on the decks of the White Chalice, Matthew tries out some Mecha to see which fit his piloting style the best!

Keep him from crashing?]

[4]

[Matthew's time on the White Chalice has taught him that it is possible to achieve the Impossible, with the right tools and determination!

But what does this mean for him? How should this revaluation shape and influence his life's path?

Matthew, yearning for advice, goes to seek out Warleader Kamina and/or Simon the Digger, the two being the closest expert on impossibilities that he knows of!

He may run into others?]

Comments

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Underwater operations?" Matthew replies.

"That is ridiculous! Even if it made sense for mechanized robots to fight underwater, they would be more...fish shaped, quiaff?"

He pauses.

"Although that does explain the shark sigils–This Line of Conversation is Pointless! Mechwarrior Matthew, Juaggu, moving out!"

Matthew wrestles with the strange controls, and the Juaggu begins trotting forward on it's stubby little feet.

Matthew shivers a moment. Earth Sphere Mechs are a little creepy, the way they seem to have their own sense of balance. As if they can think and operate on their own.

"Hmmm...the land speed is adequate."

[whats_a_paladin]

A fish wouldn't be able to walk on land, would it? A Mobile Suit that can only move in water wouldn't be able to launch surprise attacks on bases or ground forces. So it's still bipedal.

[Raynor follows, Paragon slowly riding on its motorbike.]

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"...Aff. That makes sense." Matthew reluctantly allows.

He trots back and forth, raising and lowering the speed multiple times to get a sense of the Juaggu's inertia. The Juaggu's movement becomes more smooth on the way. The Elephant head pivots this way and that.

You hear a grunt over the comms. "It is almost like riding a horse, piloting these types of Mechs. Or at least I assume so."

He throttles down and brings it to a stop.

"Movement exercises complete. Now turning to weapons testing. Disengaging safeties."

He moves the rocket arms out of the way, straightens the head, and bares the chest cannons.

"Beam cannons...firing!"

Laser-like particle beams leap out from the chest and melting a clump of rocks, charring them bright red.

"Not bad!" Matthew exclaims.

[whats_a_paladin]

I've never ridden a horse, but I don't think it's very similar. Horses are living being and do what they want, Mobile Suits are machines and only respond to controls.

[Raynor watches the results of the beam fire.]

Juaggu might look like an elephant, but it's an artillery unit with strong guns and armor. A robot type you're well familiar with, I'm sure.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Aff. It is the model of 'robot' that is the rule to which mechs like yours prove the exception." Matthew replies.

He lifts up the Juaggu's rocket cannons, taking aim at the same clump of rock.

"Practice rounds are loaded...firing!"

Matthew expects the standard brief swarm of missiles, then a period of cooldown.

Instead, the rockets pour out in a swath of burst fire, peppering the rock column with puffs of smoke and minor blasts. Matthew holds down the button for a moment, marveling at the extended rapidfire capacity, then lets off to conserve his ammunition.

"I believe this mech shall uphold the honor of the Gurren Brigade." He says with satisfaction. "Still...further testing is required."

The Juaggu's monoeye shifts to look at Paragon.

"Care for a bout?" He asks.

[whats_a_paladin]

Depends on the criteria. Most front rank Mobile Suits are built for agility, not armor. It's a better defense against beams... Usually.

[Raynor draws Paragon's giant claymore from the robot's back.]

It'd be against he virtue of Valor to turn down a challenge without a good reason.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"There are mechs designed for lightweight dashing...The Firemoth in particular. " Matthew admits. "Stravag are they fragile, though."

Matthew pivots the Juaggu around to face Raynor in response to his acceptance of his challenge.

"Then well bargained and done...PARAGON RAYNOR JOZ!" Matthew yells.

He pauses. "let me turn down the particle beam settings first. Okay...DONE!"

He kicks the Juaggu up to full speed, and strafes to the side, letting off a chattering volley of training rockets.

[whats_a_paladin]

I'm sure you'll find out Paragon is much less fragile than that!

[Raynor pushes full throttle, circling around Matthew and driving behind some large rocks to serve as a barrier against the missiles. Speaking of rocks, he throws a not as large one at the Juaggu when he appears in sight again.]

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew raises the thick arms of his Juaggu up to his face. The rock bounces off, driving the Juaggu back a few steps.

He makes up for that lost ground...by charging at Paragon, particle cannons lighting up and firing!

[whats_a_paladin]

[Raynor is going to take these on his armor, because he's already moving from behind the rock, charging forward as well to slam Steed's front wheel into the Juaggu! No spikes though, because it's just a training fight.]

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew reflexes reaches for his jumpjets...

He has none! Derp!

He gets bowled over by the Steed's wheel!

[whats_a_paladin]

[Raynor turns around behind Matthew rapidly on his front wheel, and stops.]

Are you okay there?

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew rolls over, props his cannon hands into the earth, and pushes himself up.

"Erf!–There, I am better. Some old reflexes interfered with my piloting."

[whats_a_paladin]

I know that feel. Paragon is not like the Mobile Suits I used to pilot, even if the controls are the same.