The order to prepare for battle had been given so suddenly that Edwin had barely any time to react to it. Here he was, late having been doing other things that prevented him from launching right away, trying to get to the hangar. It was all because of some strangers leading the Children here while the Elyandra was still recovering from the last encounter. Where in the hell did these people come from? It was enough that they had the Nekans thrown into the fray with them, they didnâ€™t need any more weight on their shoulders. It was unfortunate Den and his friend had been tossed into this unwillingly, yes, but Edwin truly believed they were more trouble than they were worth some days. He kept the opinion to himself since he hasnâ€™t interacted with them much, but now he was grinding his teeth cursing whatever un-corrupt God was watching them for doing so.<br/><br/>But, he shouldnâ€™t take his anger out on them or anyone else for that matter. It wasnâ€™t right. He was just angry at everything. Sooner or later those damned Children would have come at them again and cause more chaos; he needed to save his energy for them. The whole reason he joined the Elyandraâ€™s crew was to help in ending this shit, tired of seeing people die. While he may be a bit rough on the outside, the truth was he was a softie. The thought of losing people, even if he didnâ€™t know them well, hurt him and damn it they have lost too much already. If the Elyandra was lostâ€¦ if the entire fleet was lostâ€¦ noâ€¦ he was not going to think about that right now. The Children were here and that was what he should be focused on. As long as his head was in the game, he would be fine.<br/><br/>When he got to the hangar, no time was wasted in getting ready. His mech hadnâ€™t been fully repaired since the last battle, but if he didnâ€™t get out there they would lose more people. He just couldnâ€™t have that.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Are you sure you want to be heading out in Phoenix?</span>Edwin heard Underdog chime in, taking him away from his thoughts. The two had an odd relationship, they rarely spoke and when they did it was often strange or brief. Underdog had to be completely reconstructed, like Phoenix, so traces of the â€˜old Underdogâ€™ still were noticeable. But, the AI has always pulled through for him; he had complete faith in it. The only thing was, instead of being something like a close friend, it acted, well as an AI. Heâ€™s been trying to work on that but so far no luck, and he wasnâ€™t sure if he would want to change Underdog either way. There was just something comforting about how blunt it was sometimes.<br/><br/>â€œYeah.â€ He replied curtly.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I suggest reconsidering-</span><br/><br/>â€œFuck that. I need to get out there and fight!â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">With Phoenixâ€™s current condition, I predict a seventy percent chance of survivalâ€¦ Weapons systems and shields, though output is only able to reach eighty five percent of maximum capacity at this time, are stable enough, however the wings are still damaged; Phoenix is handicapped and unable to move at full speed. Mobility is decreased by-</span><br/><br/>â€œI donâ€™t care.â€ Edwin cut the AI off once more, this time with a growl laced in his voice while he flexed his fingers a bit. â€œMoves fine enough for me.â€ The truth was that he knew the risks before Underdog had even spoken.  He knew he was being reckless. It was probably suicide going out there as is but they (the people who were already out there fighting) had their hands full and needed all the help they could get right now. â€œHow many times have we been over this? Iâ€™m aiding in fighting for the future for mankind here. If Phoenix falls apart, Iâ€™ll rebuild it again."<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">What if you lose your life?</span>Concern was rare for Underdog; it was a very dismissive AI, for the lack of a better word. Perhaps that was why Edwin began to feel a little uncomfortable. However, he refused to allow that to deter him.<br/><br/>â€œRight now, the Elyandra is in danger and I need to help protect it. If I die then so be it.â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I understand your determination, I simply wish you wouldnâ€™t be so reckless whenever the Children are around.</span>Underdog paused for a moment, which was a bit surprising to say the least. This was usually where it would give him some snarky remark or something. It was a little unusual but he didnâ€™t question it. Suddenly a display of Phoenix was shown in the HUD, pointing out all the weak points, power levels, and everything else Edwin needed to know.<span style="font-style: italic">Do what you must, I see no reason to hold you back.</span>Edwin could sense a sadistic edge in that seemingly nonchalant and perhaps sycophantic remark and couldnâ€™t help but smirk.<br/><br/>Closing his eyes, Edwin gave a nod and then a few minutes later he was launched into space. The ride into the endless sea of stars was a lot rougher than he would have liked. Dodging projectiles with limited maneuverability was hell, but somehow he managed.<br/><br/>Just like with every battle he gets tossed into, his hands were shaking from the amount of adrenaline moving through his being currently. Sweat formed on his brow and he became extremely focused on the current situation. He no longer considered himself a novice, even if didnâ€™t have nearly the experience some of the others had, and treated every battle like it was his last. Phoenixâ€™s sleek, black paint scheme enabled it to blend in some but these blood-thirsty Children of the Dying Son bastards were clever and extremely unpredictable, as he had found out the last time he had faced them. If he made one little slip up, he would be seen as an easy target and they would be all over him like white on rice. That was exactly why he was going to get them before they got him. It was survival of the fittest out here.<br/><br/>He wasted no time in turning the Children mechs into space dust. Even with limited mobility, Phoenix was very nimble. Coming into contact with a Children mech, however, he realized just how much of a struggle it was to keep up. The enemy pilot gave him a good run for his money. Once he had the fucker in his crosshairs, however, he didnâ€™t hesitate to let loose, managing to get in a few good hits that would cripple the mech severely, but was caught blindsided by another coming toward him. He barely managed to get out of the way in time, the shock from the attack pushing him away from his initial target. By the time he recovered, his target, which he was hoping was no longer mobile or he would probably be screwed, was nowhere in sight and he let out a foul curse before charging back into the chaos.<br/><br/>Edwin managed to dodge a few more attacks, one grazing Phoenix, throwing him off a little, and took out a few more Children mechs in the process. When he was given a moment of peace, he decided to check to see how things were going with both his mech. Moving his arms and leg a little, he gave a small sigh of approval when everything seemed to move smoothly.  Then his gaze fell to the Elyandra, and everyone else fighting out here to protect it. He also took notice of the unidentified vessel, working to help the Elyandra as well.<br/><br/>â€œUnderdog, what exactly is that ship?â€ He asked. It certainly was a curious thing. He has never seen a ship like that before; it didnâ€™t belong to the fleet, or have any markings on the hull indicating it belonged to the Children. â€œDonâ€™t tell meâ€¦ is that the ship that led the children here?â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Correct. The alien vessel is the one that was being pursued by the Children and ultimately thead the Children here, but shows signs of being friendly since itâ€™s aiding the Elyandra.</span>He was about to question it when Underdog spoke up again suddenly.<span style="font-style: italic">Edwin, the Children seem to be changing tactics and plan to ram the Elyandra. I donâ€™t know how if it will be able to survive the impact, even with the boost from the alien vessel.</span><br/><br/>â€œYou canâ€™t be seriousâ€¦â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I canâ€™t tell a lie.</span><br/><br/>Edwin frowned at the light joke, swearing under his breath. This was no time to be humorous, but that was Underdog for you. â€œWhy are you bringing this to my attention? What do you suggest we do?â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Unfortunately no answer can be provided at this time.</span><br/><br/>â€œSo, youâ€™re saying we canâ€™t do shit? We have to wait around and see what happens?â€<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">That would be the wisest action, yes.</span><br/><br/>â€œThen why bring it to my attention in the first palce?â€ Sighing heavily, Edwin rubbed his eyes. He couldnâ€™t believe the Children would actually stoop to doing something like this. Then again why should it surprise him? Holy people his ass. The Children were nothing but murderous demons that crawled out from the charred walls of Hell. And Edwin was certain he was not the only one with this sentiment. The only thing they wanted was to destroy everything in their pathâ€¦ No. He couldnâ€™t let his emotions get in the way right now. Sometimes he didnâ€™t understand Underdog. The AI would often bring things to his attention, but not have an answer right away, especially during battle. It got annoying sometimes and left him wondering what he could do but he supposed it was better than being left in the dark.<br/><br/>Just as he had predicted, Underdog said,<span style="font-style: italic">I wanted you to be aware of the situation.</span><br/><br/>He would have said something in response but was startled when a projectile from an enemy mech caught his attention. He had been sitting around too long. The impact was enough to send him flying back a few feet. He felt a little disoriented and there was pain in his arm. â€œDamage report!â€ He barked as the screen displayed the mech in full detail. He was seeing double for awhile, and the lights werenâ€™t helping the headache that formed. After seeing the damage he did feel a small pang of regret for coming out here; left arm was almost completely out of commission and shield energy was almost drained.<br/><br/>On the other hand, much to his relief, Phoenix still had a bit of juice left to hold back the enemy mechs. Growling lowly, and ignoring the ringing from his ears caused by the impact, he went after the mech that shot at him and fired off a few rounds of his own, satisfied with the sound of the enemy being pumped full of bullets.