Rise of LOKI Session 8: The Curtain Falls

Characters:
Arthur - Alphonso

            - Fuegan: The Burning Lance

            - Rex
Kirato 
Hiro

Solo Mission

Halvorsen laid out the plan: Arthur was going to strike LOKI at the heart of his operations in the Congo, delivered by a repurposed dumb missile.  The prototype neural link helmet would allow Arthur to control all three AESIR, but less effectively than usual.  On the way in, he'd have to do his best to avoid LOKI's anti-missile defense systems.  Once landed, Arthur would destroy targets meant to elicit a response from LOKI.  Kicking the hornet's nest in this way should draw a large number of enemy AESIR; doing so would require LOKI to concentrate its presence in the area.

Meanwhile, Katerina would be monitoring network traffic for LOKI's "artificial brainwaves", and once they hit a high enough threshold, Arthur would hack into the communications network and shut it down, preventing LOKI from leaving.  Finally, he would trigger an EMP which would fry everything within several kilometers.

Arthur asked Halvorsen if it was safe to be disconnected by EMP, and was successfully assured that it was "probably safe".  He then brought up that he wasn't a hacker; that had been more Kirato's thing.  At that, Katerina piped up and explained that their AIs had taken on a resonance with the pilots and gained some of their experiences, so Fuegan would be almost as good under Arthur as under Kirato.  Not confident, Arthur put on the helmet anyway, and the missile launched.

Rise of LOKI Session 7: A Chance at Peace

Characters:

Arthur - Alphonso
Kirato - Fuegan: The Burning Lance
Hiro - Rex

The Battle of Zermatt

The first Cowboy's shut down as its reactor failed, and Arthur stepped away from the downed Cowboy and destroyed the northwest AA gun with his sword.  The second stabbed Kirato twice with its knife, not quite crippling his weapon arm, while the third shot Hiro with its pistol, but failed to penetrate his armour.  Kirato drew his knife and stabbed the second Cowboy in its arm, and also failed to cripple.  The Knight, its reactor slowly flaring out, stood guard near the north AA gun and waited.

The knife Cowboy landed an All-Out thrust to Kirato's reactor for 40 injury, sending him to the brink of shutdown, while the other Cowboy, seeing it was incapable of injuring Hiro, granted a Target Lock to the Gunner, which had just regained its feet.  Despite never having done so before, Kirato Concentrated for a moment and Went Even Further Beyond, entering a Perfect Drift with Fuegan.

A hail of lasers sizzled as they shot through the rain at Hiro, but they all missed him inside the smoke cloud; the Gunner's chest glowed ominously, but began to dull as it fired burst after burst of laser fire.  Hiro shot back at the Cowboy to deny the Gunner a Target Lock, wounding it with the first, aimed burst but missed the second ("I just shoot up into the air screaming 'Ahhhh'").  The knife Cowboy's movement stuttered to a stop as its reactor shut down.

Rise of LOKI Session 6: Security's Day Off

Characters:
Arthur - Alphonso
Kirato - Fuegan: The Burning Lance
Hiro - Rex

Paintball

Back at Valhalla Base, a couple members of the security team, Chad and Smith, found the pilots and cheerfully them that they'd found a crate of paintball guns, and the pilots were supposed to play paintball with them for "combat training".  More than anything, they just seemed happy to be able to do something, as they hadn't been doing anything since the AESIR went online.  Arthur pointed out that he would be at quite the disadvantage as he is in a wheelchair, but Chad replied that it was actually an advantage as he doesn't make as much noise, and the smooth motion makes aiming easier.

The pilots tried to convince the security team that they shouldn't be involved for a variety of reasons.  "What if the paintballs have expired?" "Nah, they haven't".  "Wait, we can't play in the cold, frozen paintballs could really hurt you." "Actually, that's a good idea, maybe we should play outside".  "Are the janitors bored too?  Maybe they could play!" "No, that wouldn't be fair, you're the only other guys with combat experience".

Kirato agreed, then Hiro joined in so it wouldn't be 3v1, and finally Arthur agreed as well (Arthur: "Sadistic and Self-Loathing means I guess I have to accept").  As Chad finished helping them put on ballistic vests ("No goggles?" "No, we don't have any" "Can we have our AESIR helmets?" "Oh, we can't risk getting paint on those"), Carmen walked into the room, paintball gun at her side, and told them that this should be fun; the pilots immediately regretted their decision.  Hiro psyched up the other two, then did his "secret hi-five" of deliberately missing the other person's hand.