Part 48: Mission 17 - Entrusted Hope - Part 2
: It’s time for the Operation to begin.
: Only the #00 deployed…
: Shinji…
: The EVA-01! Is Shinji manning it?
: …
: You alright, Shinji?: If there’s something I can do… then I’ll try my very best to pull it off.
: Well said, Shinji. And don’t worry: you’ve got us covering your back, front, right and left!
: Shinji… If anything you’ve my gratitude for just being willing to pilot the EVA. : Misato…: Now, as we said in the briefing, the #01 will man the rifle while the #00 will run defense.: Yes, ma’am…!: … Initiate Operation Yashima! Prepare to fire the positron rifle! : Initiate the countdown! All units stand clear of the firing range!: Bring it home, Shinji!
: No issues up to the stage four connections.: Final safety device, released!
: Cock the rifle!
: Auto-tracking target. Sight calibration complete. Positrons accelerating, will be at firing threshold in 0.2… 0.1….!: Shift to stage five. Activate the final connections!: Directing all energy into the ultra-high voltage discharge system! Positron acceleration is at max! Pulse is stable! Everything’s green!: Aim it good, Shinji! Don’t rush it! We’re all here with you!
: Our victory…
: And all of Japan’s electricity are now in your hands!
: We’re counting on you, Shinji!: (I don’t have anywhere as much resolve as Ayanami… I don’t even think I’m decent as a pilot for the EVA… I didn’t even know what was going on – I just got it to move…): (“Protect humanity”…? I can’t even wrap my head around something so major, so I don’t understand why I was chosen…): (… And, yet, everyone still has so much faith in someone like me… So I’ll give this another try… I want to live up to their trust…!): 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…: FIRE!
: He-He missed…?!
: But the targeting was right on the money…!
: High energy reading coming from the target!
: Watch out!: Shinji! Brace for impact!
: Shinji, are you OK?!: Haah… haah…: Status on the energy system?!: Still active! It’s already reloading!: And the rifle?: Also operational and cooling down. We don’t know if it can manage another shot, though…: Don’t worry about that – we’ll go for it anyway. : Shinji, do you hear me? You have to get the #01 back to its perch right away!: Haah… haah… kch…!: Shinji?!
: He can’t handle it…?
: I’m relieving the #01’s pilot of his duty, effective immediately. The #00’s pilot will man the rifle.
: Ikari…!: If he’s useless, then we’ve to cut him loose. 
: You…! Do you not care anything about Shinji?!: Please, sir! He could’ve ran from all this but he decided to pilot the EVA! He’s not giving up, so we should trust in him!
: Hrk… rrgh…: Have faith in your son, in the #01’s pilot! I know he’ll see this through!
: …: A-Again… just… one more…
: Ikari…: … Fine, I’ll allow it. Do as you wish.: Thank you very much! : Shinji, let’s try this again. All the energy in Japan, our hopes, the future of mankind, and all life on Earth… everything is in your hands. You can do it!: OK…!
: We’ve new Mimetic Beast signals entering the area! They’re MS-parasite types!: Are they gunning for the wounded #01?!: Hrm…!: Leave them to us, Ikari. Everyone here saw the extent of your resolve, so we won’t let any of them get a single claw on you!
: A sniper’s gotta trust the attackers to keep the enemy off his back.: Yeah! So you trust me— trust us, even!: Guys…: Troops, it’ll take another two minutes for the positron rifle to recharge! Keep the #01 safe from the Mimetic Beasts until then!
Mission Objective: Destroy all enemies, protect the EVA-01 for two turns.
Mission Failure: Any allied ship or the EVA-00 shot down, OR if any enemy attacks the EVA-01.
And here’s the problem: the new Mimetic Beasts are special in that they don’t have to follow the standard AI-guidelines of “attack whatever is close and has decent HP”. Rather, they’ll actively make a beeline for Shinji and you have, at best, by the second enemy turn before they reach him.
My original plan was to send a couple of folks to keep them busy while I downed Ramiel for the Skill Part, which promptly went south when I realized the AI didn’t play ball. As a result, I had to dump everything, bring our guys into the ships and RUSH them over because there are quite a bunch of them that you need to down in a turn and half (and they’ll prioritize moving over attacking).
I could have restarted the mission and kept the Quarter and Minerva in position to MAPW the crap out of them when they arrived, but I’d caught some demonic strain of the Spanish Flu at the time of the recording and couldn’t be arsed to do it.
Fast forward a turn of desperate scrambling and the Daiku Maryu pulls over with my western team in range to engage both flanks.
The Windams all either need to be downed by this turn or walled off because they WILL reach Shinji if they get a clear move on their second turn. As for the Daggers, it can go one of two ways: if the squad is within 7 squares of Shinji, you’ll need to kill both because even with the flying leader gone, the squaddie will be in range to artillery strike the kid; if it’s outside of that range, then just taking out the leader will ground the Dagger and it won’t be in range yet.
Keep that in mind when prioritizing which enemy to kill.
Forward!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICoN0KEKUzw
And here’s the DK for Iczer-4 Full Power. Slick!
: The target’s drill has reached ground zero! It’s right above HQ!: Ready the second shot! Hurry!: New firing solution has been entered! Any further adjustments and compensations will have to be done manually by the pilot!
: Detecting another high energy spike within the target!: No! We’re not ready—!!
: !https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yGS__WRNuk
: You did it!*The #00 powers down.*
: Oh, no…! Rei…!: Ayanami…!*Shinji gets off the #01 and after her.*
: Hrrgh… Aya…nami…
: Ayanami! Are you alright…?!
: Urk…: Oh, thank god… you’re alive…
: Don’t say… don’t say that you’ve nothing else…: And don’t say goodbye when you’re leaving on a mission. It’s too sad… Gck… aah…: Why are you crying?: … I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do at a time like this.: … Why don’t you try smiling?: !
: …: We’ve confirmation that Rei’s safe!
: Whew… That was a bit too much excitement even for my taste.: Recover both the #01 and #00, and bring the pilots along too.: Roger!
: As for the remaining Mimetic Beasts, all troops—
: They ran off…?!
: Say what? The things didn’t get all scared ‘cause of Shinji’s rifle, right?: They fled right after the Angel was destroyed… Thoughts, Ritsuko?
: We know far too little for me to give you a conclusive answer. Still, it’s possible that the Mimetic Beasts saw the Angel as a threat on an instinctual level?: …
: Our business here is done… Let’s leave!
: OK!
: Lou, wait!
: Lou…
: Why do you let nothing but that thirst for revenge lead you, Lou…?
: I was really worried we were screwed today, but we actually managed to pull it off.
: Hm. We all live to fight another day…: All thanks to Shinji and Rei’s hard work.: Every one of you did an amazing job today. Why don’t you return to base and get some rest?Here are all the convos we missed due to the AI’s sass:
: Ichitaka, all we’re doing is trying to buy time!: I know, I know! Now’s our turn to show how strong our barrier is! Come on, Rushbird!--
: Don’t run from this, Shinji… If you do, you’ll be running and regretting for the rest of your life…!--
: Hey, ya big marble! Come and get me!: Hold on, Hyouma! You’re going a bit too crazy with this!: Nah, he’s gotta make some noise or the thing ain’t caring! Let’s put all our chips on Hyouma and let him handle it!--
: Watch it, Kenichi! You’re in the thing’s shooting range!: I understand that, but the success of the operation hangs on the line! So I’m stepping forward, and I’m not letting a shred of fear hold me back!--
: Look at this crazy crystal, camping out right in the middle of our turf! Well, you’re not welcome here – piss off!--
: This thing is like a gun turret…!: Then I oughta close the distance and draw its attention over to me!--
: Will we kill you first, or will you make it to the Geofront first…?: This battle’s gonna come down to the wire…!--
: They just need a bit more time to get things set up for their Op!: ‘Til then, you’re gonna find me and the Gaiking all up in your crystal grill!--
: Will you be alright, Iczer-1?!: Don’t worry, Nagisa. This Angel changes its shape as it attacks.: I need only pay attention to its tells, and I’ll manage to react accordingly…!--
: Blah… Playing bait’s so boring.
: Still, this is pretty exciting, don’t you think?: Eeh… But, you know, the thing looks beatable, so no one would care if we gave it a shot, right?: I like the way you think. Let’s step out into the spotlight and run wild on this pebble!--
: Keep your distance from the Angel, Kouichi! You’re inside its firing range!: Shinji went and took this thing’s blast on the chin! What kinda man would I be if I hanged from a safe distance and plinked away at it?! No, what I gotta do is to draw its attention away from them!
: I hope Ayanami’s doing alright…quote:
: That was the first time I saw her smile…*Biff!*
: Wha—: Attaboy, Shinji!: Ichitaka?!: You slick sumbitch, you! That was damn good today!: Absolutely. You stood your ground and pulled through – you’re the MVP today!: N-not at all… I’m nothing compared to you guys…: Chill, man. Getting a pat on the back every now and then never hurt anyone, right?: Yup… You’ve really gotten strong, Shinji.: No need for modesty, Ikari. Today’s victory was only possible because you mustered your courage, so stand proud.: Um… Thank you… very much.
: You were also going to check up on Rei at the infirmary, right? Let’s get to it, then – the other MVP is waiting.: OK…!
By the operation center, Ritsuko ponders if Shinji’s turned a new leaf today. Misato doesn’t think people change that quickly, BUT she does think today marks a major point in his life. Perhaps, perhaps.
Misato inwardly tells Shinji to keep up the good work, but is interrupted when a call from Gendou summons her to his office. Whatever could he want? Misato already has so much to worry about…
The techs have taken a look on the EVAs and they both, especially the #00, took significant damage. It’ll take a few days to get it all repaired. Misato apologizes, but Fuyutsuki tells her not to: they were the ones who gave her the green light for today’s operation. “You needn’t take responsibility for this, Colonel Katsuragi,” Gendou adds.
Colonel? Indeed, she’s been promoted. Misato’s a bit surprised, but Gendou’s already moved on: he’s heard that she apparently told the #01’s pilot about Lilith. Fuyutsuki says they’ll inform the LOTUS leadership themselves about both it and NERV HQ’s true purpose as its defender. As for the squad proper, Gendou’ll leave it to her to tell us, but asks that that knowledge is kept limited to our group.
As Misato sets off, Fuyutsuki wonders if this is really fine. Gendou is sure: “The distortion is having major effects. It wouldn’t be any exaggeration to say that things are already going off the rails.”
Still, they’ll carry on with the Schedule as is… even if they’ve no idea what’ll happen.
: I understand. That child has awakened, and we’ve entered the summation phase, hm? (Kaworu.)
: That’s correct. The Dead Sea Scrolls Apocrypha has been fulfilled up to the Book of Law. The time of the covenant is close at hand.: (Is it…? I feel that things are a little bit off.): Still, it’s the Third again… You sure haven’t changed, huh…? Shinji Ikari…