2023-03-09: Phsteak Hunting
- Log: 2023-03-09 Phsteak Hunting
- Cast: Ujico Issa, Trevor Teach
- Where: Shoal Zone
- Date: March 09, 2023
- Summary: Trevor chases the promise of a payday and at least one (1) steak. Ujico has a counteroffer.
FPT: The party led by Trevor Teach has begun a Flashpoint! Now beginning Phoenix Hunting.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: SKL |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Close Quarters |
| BONUS STATS: PIL, MOB, and ARM |
+-------------------------< TITLE: Turn Every Stone >--------------------------+
- "STOP RUNNING!" Barks a freelancer, firing his beam rifle. -
- -
- Close in the distance, azure flame cloaks a golden Gundam in glimmering -
- radiance. The Phenex darts through the shoal zone at breakneck speed. -
- Asteroids and rifle fire alike seem little more than a distraction to her. -
- -
- "How could a pilot survive this?" Wonders a bounty hunter as the Phenex -
- redoubles her speed, cleanly dodging electrified nets sent toward her. -
- "That blue light is in front of its thrusters! The hell IS that?!" -
- -
- Racing deeper into the shoal zone, the Phenex seems intent on losing her -
- pursuers with the aid of the dangerous terrain. A few of Luio & Co.'s -
- hired hands pull back, unwilling to risk it. Those hunters more dedicated -
- to their task will find a difficult field before them: space junk and -
- asteroids alike float aimlessly. Perhaps it would be best to focus on -
- piloting until the area opens up. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Ujico Issa has posed.
It's gotten really bad.
Ever since Luio & Co. put out the bounty on Rita - on her Phenex - it seems like more and more pilots have come out of the woodwork to try and capture them. It's not like Rita needs her help, Ujico knows, but...
Well, it's not like she knows another way to really be a good friend to Rita. And Ujico doesn't like the idea of clipping a bird's wings, especially not for money.
What does Michelle Luio want with her, anyway...
Ujico can't figure it out. But she can interfere, and she can feel like she's making a difference by sending some of the Phenex Hunters packing. It's not just the Phenex herself or debris that they'll have to be careful of, should any of them venture further into the shoal zone; a black beast of a Gundam, all spikes and claws, lies in wait to lash out and disappear once the damage is done.
Maybe the others will call her soft for avoiding lethal blows, but Ujico thinks it would be nice if there were more soft people in the world.
FPT: Ujico Issa has acted with Skill and Mobility.
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
Wherever there is a profit to be made out in the cold void of space, you can probably find a Vulture or two. Not just the metaphorical sense of the word-- though there are absolutely some scavengers hanging out in the wings just waiting for some poor schmuck to end up getting spaced so they can swoop in and gather up all the goodies they drop. No, there's also at least a couple of literal Vestan Vultures As In The Pirates present and accounted for.
This one in particular has been in and out of the Earth Sphere quite a bit more frequently than his fellows as of late, but Trevor Teach has never been one to lay down roots anywhere for too long. The pull of Earth's gravity may draw him close to the planet from time to time, but always the void calls him home to spread his wings. And so it is again today.
In the name of profit, he has elected to take up a particular mercenary contract. Here in the shoal zone near Lagrange 4, it's said that a Phoenix flies free and fast, dancing across the horizon like a rare comet traipses through the solar wind. Someone is paying big money for even a hint of the thing's location, and that's far too lucrative of a deal for any self-respecting salvager-slash-pirate to turn down.
So, here he is. The Isadore's emerald and ivory colors glint in the raw sunlight as it sails towards the Shoal Zone, a handful of sundry mercenaries following along in roughshod formation. Of course, there may be... others coming along as well. For his part, the youngish pirate sings a catchy Zentran shanty, much to the displeasure of some of his wingmates. "What do you do with a Minmay LP~ What do you do with a Minmay LP~ What do you do with a Minmay LP erlaigh in the mornin'~?"
(It's a rhetorical question, obviously you hoard it like some kind of fat dragon hoards a pile of gold and wait for someone to pay a high enough price for it. Duh.)
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: SKL |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Close Quarters |
| BONUS STATS: PIL, MOB, and ARM |
+-------------------------< TITLE: Turn Every Stone >--------------------------+
- "STOP RUNNING!" Barks a freelancer, firing his beam rifle. -
- -
- Close in the distance, azure flame cloaks a golden Gundam in glimmering -
- radiance. The Phenex darts through the shoal zone at breakneck speed. -
- Asteroids and rifle fire alike seem little more than a distraction to her. -
- -
- "How could a pilot survive this?" Wonders a bounty hunter as the Phenex -
- redoubles her speed, cleanly dodging electrified nets sent toward her. -
- "That blue light is in front of its thrusters! The hell IS that?!" -
- -
- Racing deeper into the shoal zone, the Phenex seems intent on losing her -
- pursuers with the aid of the dangerous terrain. A few of Luio & Co.'s -
- hired hands pull back, unwilling to risk it. Those hunters more dedicated -
- to their task will find a difficult field before them: space junk and -
- asteroids alike float aimlessly. Perhaps it would be best to focus on -
- piloting until the area opens up. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 10 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Trevor Teach |
| STATS: SKL/MOB Charges Used: 0 Failure |
| PILOT: Ujico Issa |
| STATS: SKL/MOB Charges Used: 0 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 1 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
FPT: Trevor Teach's party has drawn a new Challenge!
FPT: Drawing Card 2 for Round 2.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: MOB |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Breakthrough |
| BONUS STATS: WSP, TAR, and SGT |
+---------------------------< TITLE: Heavy Clouds >----------------------------+
- "Attention, Phenex hunt units. Do you copy? We need to take away her hiding -
- places. On my signal, scatter, then regroup and destroy anything she could -
- use to hide behind." -
- -
- The voice of the benefactor of this mission comes through the radio on a -
- private line. There's no room for argument -- before any could even be -
- raised, she speaks again. -
- %R "If you do not comply, we cannot guarantee your safety. 10. 9. 8..."%R%R -
- Either unwarned or uncaring, the Phenex soars in a great arc, darting from -
- an asteroid to a destroyed Zeon ship. -
- -
- "...3. 2. 1." -
- -
- Magenta light bursts from the direction of the Luio & Co. ship. The -
- brilliance is tremendous, blinding in its strength. The beam itself is -
- absolutely massive. If any mobile suits were caught in the blast, they'd -
- take significant damage. A clean path is cut through the shoal zone, -
- nearly striking the Phenex itself. -
- %R Spinning out in her haste to stop before flying into the beam, the -
- Phenex's blue fire is extinguished. Still at last, she appears dazed.%R%R -
- "Now! Take away her options! Destroy the debris field!" -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
"Sneak it right outta the cap'n's quarters~ sneak it right outta the cap'n's quarters~ sneak it right outta the cap'n's quarters~"
"Fuck's sake Teach, do you ever shut u--" *FREEM* Random Bounty Hunter C's communication screen abruptly vanishes in a blizzard of static as a beam lances straight through his ancient Zakrello's thruster stack. A litany of curses spews through space as his escape pod drifts slowly through the void. Someone will probably pick them up.
Probably.
"Everyone's a critic," Trevor sniffs, the remaining scavenger crew breaking formation like a bunch of scared, sinking rats. The Isadore sails forward, chasing doggedly after the Phenex, when suddenly--
A beam races by him too! This one from his own employer's ship's cannons! "Tch--" The Isadore pivots, dipping into a tight evasive roll as the near-pink beam scythes through the vacuum and only misses the Phenex because the mystery mobile suit darts out of the way just in time. It hangs there as if stunned, and Trevor considers briefly just... just going at it and grabbing it for himself. But! Instructions are instructions, employers are employers, and mystery mobile suits are not to be casually fucked with. So instead the Isadore complies, a snub-nosed beam weapon falling into its own hands. Flashes of light cleave into the debris, scattering them into so many motes of dust!
...One at a time. Because the dust kind of sucks to shoot through.
He would be using the actual tool he has on hand specifically made for asteroid mining, but Luio & Co. aren't reimbursing his ammunition, so they can suck it and deal with what they've paid for.
FPT: Trevor Teach has acted with Mobility and W-Space.
<Pose Tracker> Ujico Issa has posed.
In the dark and relative quiet of the cockpit, Ujico grips the secondary controls out of habit. She's not watching the monitors with her eyes, although they're open and she can't really stop seeing. It's all background luminescence, the visual equivalent of a conversation coming from the next room. Palisade's cameras are her eyes, and its sensor arrays are her ears. The horns threaded into her skull, poking up from her pink hair, are the link to her beloved machine body.
She never feels as 'real' anywhere else as she does here.
Palisade's beam claws cut the thrusters from a Luio & Co. branded unit, and then the head from another, and then there is another set of colors and logos and shapes. Mercenaries maybe?
It doesn't matter, does it? In the end, they're all hunters. Palisade holds a palm out, a shot of pink energy taking out a mercenary's thruster stack from the beam cannon hidden there.
That green and white unit, though... it's different. Maybe--
It comes up on the monitors a half-second behind her internal feed. A building energy signature from outside the shoal zone - and the way everybody else suddenly scatters. Her thrusters flare, green GN particles spewing into the void as Ujico floors it, camouflage be damned!!
FPT: Ujico Issa has acted with Mobility and Sight.
FPT: Trevor Teach's Black Box CPU Ability assists!
FPT: Ujico Issa's Hi-Jinx Ability assists!
FPT: Round Complete!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: MOB |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Breakthrough |
| BONUS STATS: WSP, TAR, and SGT |
+---------------------------< TITLE: Heavy Clouds >----------------------------+
- "Attention, Phenex hunt units. Do you copy? We need to take away her hiding -
- places. On my signal, scatter, then regroup and destroy anything she could -
- use to hide behind." -
- -
- The voice of the benefactor of this mission comes through the radio on a -
- private line. There's no room for argument -- before any could even be -
- raised, she speaks again. -
- %R "If you do not comply, we cannot guarantee your safety. 10. 9. 8..."%R%R -
- Either unwarned or uncaring, the Phenex soars in a great arc, darting from -
- an asteroid to a destroyed Zeon ship. -
- -
- "...3. 2. 1." -
- -
- Magenta light bursts from the direction of the Luio & Co. ship. The -
- brilliance is tremendous, blinding in its strength. The beam itself is -
- absolutely massive. If any mobile suits were caught in the blast, they'd -
- take significant damage. A clean path is cut through the shoal zone, -
- nearly striking the Phenex itself. -
- %R Spinning out in her haste to stop before flying into the beam, the -
- Phenex's blue fire is extinguished. Still at last, she appears dazed.%R%R -
- "Now! Take away her options! Destroy the debris field!" -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 10 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Trevor Teach |
| STATS: MOB/WSP Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Ujico Issa |
| STATS: MOB/SGT Charges Used: 0 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 2 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
FPT: +flash/draw to start a new round!
FPT: Trevor Teach's party has drawn a new Challenge!
FPT: Drawing Card 3 for Round 3.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: PIL |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Coordinate |
| BONUS STATS: INT, SKL, and RX |
+---------------------------< TITLE: I Keep Hiding >---------------------------+
- With the debris field cleared, a new high-speed object appears. -
- -
- Screaming through space at Gs that no regular human should be able to -
- tolerate, the Narrative A-Packs surges forth on its boosters. The -
- battlefield scatters as the newcomer arrives, freelancers making way for -
- the latest addition to the board lest their suits be caught in its wake of -
- another Hi Mega blast. Jona Basta quickly capitalizes on the opening his -
- initial salvo has created, sending out barrages of missiles and beam rifle -
- fire that eradicate the smaller pieces of cover around the immediate area. -
- -
- Discarding his large boosters, Jona turns his attention solely to the -
- Phenex. "Rita! I know you can hear me! Stand down and come with me. I need -
- to make things right, and I won't let Michele sell either of us, ever -
- again!" No response. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Ensign Basta slams -
- on his pedals, the A-Packs accelerating as it leads the Phenex Hunt.%R -
- Azure flame rekindled, the Phenex makes a move toward what seems to be a -
- segment of a destroyed colony. A ragged hole is torn into one side, -
- promising shelter to the besieged Gundam. -
- -
- One leg creeps out of that hole, though -- another, another -- eight of -
- them, carrying the scorpionid wanzer, Da Xukong 0. Its piercing tail can -
- inject plasma, out here in space, and there's an axe at its side... but -
- those weapons aren't what its pilot intends to use against Rita. -
- -
- "Rita," is the /conflicted/ voice from that wanzer, belonging to the -
- ill-famed Yuliana Kafim. With greater, louder anger, she shouts: -
- "RITAAA--!!" As she screams, a draconic crest on the wanzer's headparts -
- clicks upwards, rising up -- and as that crest lifts, so too does a -
- sickening sense of absolute /silence./ Those with higher Awakening will -
- feel the way their empathic abilities /fail,/ in an ever-widening sphere -
- of influence around Da Xukong, extending far beyond the grasp of her -
- wanzer's hands. Her warning is clear: the Phenex cannot hide here. -
- -
- The wanzer leaps out of the hole in the colony to try and catch her, -
- anyway -- but it lands heavily on some ancient, crumbling tower, instead. -
- In frustration, the Injector styled as a tail lashes out, and /this/ at -
- least is a problem for anyone... even if they're as psychic as a rock. But -
- so long as Da Xukong's crest is risen, the Phenex is not -- perhaps -
- /cannot/ -- coming this way. -
- -
- Abruptly halting, the Phenex darts directly away from Yuliana. The -
- terrifying pilot has the right idea -- prevent the Gundam from escaping -
- deeper into the debris field by splitting up and herding her into the -
- cleared section of the shoal zone. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
There's nothing worse than bees in the brain. How does anyone know what that even feels like? It's simple: Whenever a certain Yuliana rears her horrible void-monster head and flexes her awful muscles, is when anyone with even a scrap of Newtypism gets a sudden jolt of brain bees. Trevor is not paying particularly much attention to doing anything but chasing the Phenex-- and moreover doesn't even recognize Yuliana, or her robot, or her anything. But he can definitely feel the bees.
It's
Not a pleasant sensation
"Khhh--" Trevor winces, his teeth gnashing. He grips his helmet with one hand, squeezing his eyepatched brow tight. "Damnit... What the hell is that? Izzy, I can't hear you--"
He grits his teeth, grabbing his control levers tight. The Isadore's visor flickers in the dark, before settling on a solid, angry red. Its thrusters flare, sending the machine in a wide arc around the outside of the 'trap.' Beam shots scream through the void, coring several pieces of debris and transforming them into a field of razor sharp shrapnel. Each shot adds more junk to the pile, slowly tightening the noose around the stunned Phenex. But more importantly, the Isadore's trajectory sees it being carried steadily away from that awful, terrible, no-good wanzer.
Dimly, Trevor realizes he's being followed by something that he does not recognize in the slightest. He's never encountered a GN drive before. But right now, there are too many bees in his brain for him to do much about it.
FPT: Trevor Teach spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round!
FPT: Trevor Teach has acted with Piloting and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Ujico Issa has posed.
Barely. She barely made it. That's a shipkiller cannon... which means it's possibly a specialized mobile suit like Tieria's Virtue, or more likely a battleship. Ujico doesn't have the time (or the inclination) to go about finding out right now, because another Gundam comes barreling into the battlefield. It's not one she knows-- no, she does. It's that 'Jona Basta' guy. From Sri Lanka, and Yuliana's Institute!
Is he here to--
She waits to hear a response from Rita. He's her friend, right? She doesn't understand all of it. She isn't sure she wants to. It's something old and painful between them. But Rita doesn't answer - at least, not with words. Ujico makes a quiet noise in the back of her throat and keys up the wideband broadcast with its voice modulator. "Stop chasing her," she relays across a short band. Anybody can hear it. "Aren't you her friend? Don't you care why she's not stopping?"
But Yuliana is Rita's friend too. Which is doubly confusing. Because Yuliana is here too, and the chill that runs up and down Ujico's spine is a real and physical thing, and Yuliana does not usually make Ujico feel afraid. It's... concerning. Ah, no! The word for it is 'disconcerting', or maybe 'bewildering'. "Yu... Hey! Stop that!"
The Palisade's voice modulator can only hide the pitch of Ujico's voice. It doesn't do a damn thing for the sudden spike of alarm!
Rita banks away from Yuliana as well, and Ujico glances between the Wanzer and the green mobile suit before choosing the less scary option. Also she doesn't want to fight Yuliana for other, less scary options such as 'Yuliana is also her friend'.
The GN Drive flares as Ujico barrels down on the Isadore, a beam saber emerging from the same place in Palisade's palm. "Go away!"
FPT: Ujico Issa has acted with Piloting and Reactor.
FPT: Round Complete!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: PIL |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Coordinate |
| BONUS STATS: INT, SKL, and RX |
+---------------------------< TITLE: I Keep Hiding >---------------------------+
- With the debris field cleared, a new high-speed object appears. -
- -
- Screaming through space at Gs that no regular human should be able to -
- tolerate, the Narrative A-Packs surges forth on its boosters. The -
- battlefield scatters as the newcomer arrives, freelancers making way for -
- the latest addition to the board lest their suits be caught in its wake of -
- another Hi Mega blast. Jona Basta quickly capitalizes on the opening his -
- initial salvo has created, sending out barrages of missiles and beam rifle -
- fire that eradicate the smaller pieces of cover around the immediate area. -
- -
- Discarding his large boosters, Jona turns his attention solely to the -
- Phenex. "Rita! I know you can hear me! Stand down and come with me. I need -
- to make things right, and I won't let Michele sell either of us, ever -
- again!" No response. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Ensign Basta slams -
- on his pedals, the A-Packs accelerating as it leads the Phenex Hunt.%R -
- Azure flame rekindled, the Phenex makes a move toward what seems to be a -
- segment of a destroyed colony. A ragged hole is torn into one side, -
- promising shelter to the besieged Gundam. -
- -
- One leg creeps out of that hole, though -- another, another -- eight of -
- them, carrying the scorpionid wanzer, Da Xukong 0. Its piercing tail can -
- inject plasma, out here in space, and there's an axe at its side... but -
- those weapons aren't what its pilot intends to use against Rita. -
- -
- "Rita," is the /conflicted/ voice from that wanzer, belonging to the -
- ill-famed Yuliana Kafim. With greater, louder anger, she shouts: -
- "RITAAA--!!" As she screams, a draconic crest on the wanzer's headparts -
- clicks upwards, rising up -- and as that crest lifts, so too does a -
- sickening sense of absolute /silence./ Those with higher Awakening will -
- feel the way their empathic abilities /fail,/ in an ever-widening sphere -
- of influence around Da Xukong, extending far beyond the grasp of her -
- wanzer's hands. Her warning is clear: the Phenex cannot hide here. -
- -
- The wanzer leaps out of the hole in the colony to try and catch her, -
- anyway -- but it lands heavily on some ancient, crumbling tower, instead. -
- In frustration, the Injector styled as a tail lashes out, and /this/ at -
- least is a problem for anyone... even if they're as psychic as a rock. But -
- so long as Da Xukong's crest is risen, the Phenex is not -- perhaps -
- /cannot/ -- coming this way. -
- -
- Abruptly halting, the Phenex darts directly away from Yuliana. The -
- terrifying pilot has the right idea -- prevent the Gundam from escaping -
- deeper into the debris field by splitting up and herding her into the -
- cleared section of the shoal zone. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 20 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Trevor Teach |
| STATS: PIL/RX Charges Used: 1 Success |
| PILOT: Ujico Issa |
| STATS: PIL/RX Charges Used: 0 Failure |
+-----------------------------< Round 3 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
FPT: +flash/draw to start a new round!
FPT: Trevor Teach's party has drawn a new Challenge!
FPT: Drawing Card 4 for Round 4.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: RX |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Endurance |
| BONUS STATS: HP and ARM |
+------------------------------< TITLE: Regrets >------------------------------+
- Back aboard the Luio & Co. vessel, Michele Luio and her ever-faithful -
- companion monitor the Narrative's progress. "The pilot's condition, -
- physical and mental, are unstable. He can only maintain the chase for -
- another 200 seconds." -
- %R Michele grits her teeth against a memory of a small blonde girl running -
- from her. "You won't get away. Narrative, use the high mega cannon! You're -
- going to lose her!" -
- -
- "Not yet! I can't get a clear shot! " Cutting the comms to Michele, Jona -
- grits his teeth. Why are you always like this, RIta? Why?! The A-Packs -
- speeds along the outside of the destroyed colony wall as Yuliana makes her -
- appearance. Of course you had to call her, Michele. No time for grudges. -
- Large beam sabers erupt from the tip of the A-Packs' armament as they -
- carve into the colony tube, the fiery tips chasing after the RX-0 unit -
- like gleaming shark fins.%R%R As the Phenex prepares to flee the exterior -
- of the superstructure's cover, Jona fires a barrage of missiles towards -
- the entrance, forcing his quarry to halt for a precious few seconds, lest -
- it jet directly into massed munitions fire. -
- -
- Now! -
- %R Extending forwards, the A-Packs unveils its Psycho Capture, twin -
- tri-tipped emitters sliding down their housings and emitting twin jamming -
- fields. The Phenex is quickly encased in a cage of prismatic light, the -
- disruption anathema to its nature. Even so, with a mighty effort, the RX-0 -
- sibling breaks free of its bonds and shatters the left unit with a wave of -
- Psycho Energy. Ignoring Michele's continued commands to use the High Mega, -
- Jona instead fires a cable from his left arm, hooking onto the Phenex only -
- to be dragged along. -
- -
- Accelerating again, the Phenex barely seems to notice how she drags the -
- Narrative Gundam behind her. All that matters now is keeping up with the -
- pair -- it's too dangerous to try and attack with Jona in the line of fire. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
Brain Bees are not a condition that can be underestimated. It isn't until Trevor is well out of Yuliana's range that the sensation finally fades and the Isadore's visor flickers back to its usual blue. And by that point, that odd pursuer had caught up with him. As the Palisade bears down on him, the Isadore twists like a cat, a beam saber igniting in its grip-- no, not a beam saber...
A beam CUTLASS!?
Minovsky field crackles against Minovsky field as the two weapons clash. "Khh. What's it to you whether I stay or go? This is my job, lady! If I leave early, I don't get paid. You really getting in the way of a guy and his next meal?" Trevor leans into his controls. Isadore responds, kicking solidly off of the Palisade's chassis and rocketing away, just as--
Just as Jona Basta does a dumb thing and decides to try and lasso a Phoenix.
"Damnit, he's going to get himself killed!" Trevor spits, throwing his thrusters' throttle wide open. The Isadore screams through space, chasing after the two Gundams at... An appreciable fraction of their speed. It's only by some miracle that he's able to keep up at all.
The Phoenix really is something else, isn't it...?
<Pose Tracker> Ujico Issa has posed.
Why? Why is everyone chasing Rita? Not just Luio & Co. - she doesn't care about them. But Jona claimed to be Rita's friend. Rita is Yuliana's friend, and Yuliana is Rita's. Doesn't anybody understand even the simplest thing about her? Doesn't anybody understand that the harder you cling to something, the faster it turns to dust in your hands?
Her eyes are hot--
But it doesn't interfere with her vision. Ujico has a great view of the green and white mobile suit as it suddenly twists towards her, bringing a funny-shaped beam saber to bear against her. Palisade's blocky, shielded arms don't have the best leverage for parrying with their own beam sabers, but her own spacial awareness should be enough--
It's not enough!! That guy just used her own Gundam as a springboard!! If she weren't actually impressed she might even have been a little offended... but Ujico is, as always, really super impressed.
The GN Drive flares to life again as Palisade gives chase, matching Isadore's speed as they rocket after the Phenex and her unwilling(?) passenger. "...If you're hungry there's a Food Not Bombs chapter in most major PLANT cities and some on Earth," she volunteers, because Ujico has never, ever known what to say or when not to say it.
But Jona is going to get killed if his machine shakes apart at these speeds, and the green machine is only just managing to keep up. ...This pilot can probably do it, though, if he can just get close enough. "Cut the rope!" is the only warning Trevor will get before Palisade grabs Isadore underneath its armpits. "TRANS AM!"
And then everything becomes movement as the Palisade opens up, emerald light flaring, pushing forward to speeds the rival the Phenex's...!
Just so ujico Issa, who is feeling so cool because she got to yell Trans Am just like Lockon and the others, flings the Isadore forward after Rita and Jona.
FPT: Ujico Issa has acted with Reactor and Hit Points.
FPT: Ujico Issa has acted with Reactor and Hit Points.
FPT: Trevor Teach's Black Box CPU Ability assists!
FPT: Ujico Issa's Plenty of Grit and Oppositional Defiance Disorder Abilities assist!
FPT: Round Complete!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: RX |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Endurance |
| BONUS STATS: HP and ARM |
+------------------------------< TITLE: Regrets >------------------------------+
- Back aboard the Luio & Co. vessel, Michele Luio and her ever-faithful -
- companion monitor the Narrative's progress. "The pilot's condition, -
- physical and mental, are unstable. He can only maintain the chase for -
- another 200 seconds." -
- %R Michele grits her teeth against a memory of a small blonde girl running -
- from her. "You won't get away. Narrative, use the high mega cannon! You're -
- going to lose her!" -
- -
- "Not yet! I can't get a clear shot! " Cutting the comms to Michele, Jona -
- grits his teeth. Why are you always like this, RIta? Why?! The A-Packs -
- speeds along the outside of the destroyed colony wall as Yuliana makes her -
- appearance. Of course you had to call her, Michele. No time for grudges. -
- Large beam sabers erupt from the tip of the A-Packs' armament as they -
- carve into the colony tube, the fiery tips chasing after the RX-0 unit -
- like gleaming shark fins.%R%R As the Phenex prepares to flee the exterior -
- of the superstructure's cover, Jona fires a barrage of missiles towards -
- the entrance, forcing his quarry to halt for a precious few seconds, lest -
- it jet directly into massed munitions fire. -
- -
- Now! -
- %R Extending forwards, the A-Packs unveils its Psycho Capture, twin -
- tri-tipped emitters sliding down their housings and emitting twin jamming -
- fields. The Phenex is quickly encased in a cage of prismatic light, the -
- disruption anathema to its nature. Even so, with a mighty effort, the RX-0 -
- sibling breaks free of its bonds and shatters the left unit with a wave of -
- Psycho Energy. Ignoring Michele's continued commands to use the High Mega, -
- Jona instead fires a cable from his left arm, hooking onto the Phenex only -
- to be dragged along. -
- -
- Accelerating again, the Phenex barely seems to notice how she drags the -
- Narrative Gundam behind her. All that matters now is keeping up with the -
- pair -- it's too dangerous to try and attack with Jona in the line of fire. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 20 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Trevor Teach |
| STATS: RX/HP Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Ujico Issa |
| STATS: RX/HP Charges Used: 1 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 4 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
FPT: +flash/draw to start a new round!
FPT: Trevor Teach's party has drawn a new Challenge!
FPT: Drawing Card 5 for Round 5.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: INT |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Long Range |
| BONUS STATS: TAR, SGT, and WSP |
+--------------------< TITLE: No One is Bringing You Down >--------------------+
- Still soaring, the Phenex exudes light. Spreading in all directions, it -
- feels like sunlight brushing against your very soul. Those who have hearts -
- open even the slightest amount will hear the voice of a young teenaged -
- girl. -
- %R Hey... I want to know. Do you believe in heaven? -
- -
- Radiance races through space, making its way across the entirety of the -
- destroyed shoal zone, touching the Luio & Co. ship. -
- -
- I don't know about heaven, but I do know this. I'm absolutely sure that -
- souls are real. -
- -
- The Phenex races onward, across the open space carved by so many attacks. -
- Azure flame holds her, safe and warm, in the vastness of the stars. -
- -
- This life isn't all there is. Again and again we're reborn.%R -
- "Fire the High Mega cannon NOW, Jona!" -
- -
- Gritting his teeth in frustration, Ensign Basta cuts the cable with a beam -
- saber, freeing himself from the Phenex as he simultaneously charges a High -
- Mega blast. Vibrant pink mega particles gather around the cannon, before -
- unleashing themselves as a furious magenta blaze towards Rita. Even this -
- wouldn't be enough to stop her, would it? Only time would tell, as -
- megawatts of Minovsky particles threaten to crash into the Phenex with -
- overwhelming force. -
- -
- When I'm reborn again, I hope... I get to be a bird! And you, Jona? -
- -
- Once more, the high mega cannon has stunned the Phenex into stillness. To -
- stop her, your sponsors would have you launch as many attacks as possible. -
- A great reward will be given to the one who shoots the Phenex down. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 4 >-------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
"Food Not Bombs?!" Trevor gawps like someone just insulted his mother. "While I can appreciate the flavor of nutripaste, I do have my sights on a somewhat more luxurious lifestyle, thank you very much! This is my ticket for <STEAK>! Like, at least <ONE STEAK>!" Trevor might not know how much steak costs. It's hard to blame him, he did kind of grow up in a tiny asteroid out in the middle of nowhere. You try finding cows big enough to produce steaks out there.
More importantly: Jona is about to get himself killed, and the Isadore is just not quite fast enough to pull off saving him. But then-- something hooks itself under its arms. The optic visor flickers as if blinking in confusion, before--
TRANS-AM
"Hwaaghgh!!?" Trevor squawks, flailing in his seat as Isadore is abruptly pushed to at LEAST three times its theoretical maximum instantaneous acceleration. It shoots through space on wings of PURE TRANSFERED MOMENTUM, arcing directly for the Phenex and its pursuer.
And as it approaches
Time...
...Slows...
...Down...
The cutlass scythes out, cleaving through the cable binding the Phenex to the Narrative. Jona abruptly decelerates, the Narrative charging its High Mega Cannon as--
A voice echoes in Trevor's mind.
An... unfamiliar voice.
"...Heaven...?" His eye arches in confusion. "...Hh. That's too big for a guy like me. Whether I'm bound for Heaven or Hell, where I go after I die, that's all too big. The here and now..."
An order goes out. Fire upon the Phoenix. Something in Trevor's heart wants to say no, but--
What kind of pirate would he be, if he didn't try to steal an idol of gold...?
The Isadore rockets forward after the High Mega Cannon, its crush claw hinging open. "If I can take out its thrusters, then...!"
Then, what?
What does his client want with this mobile suit and its haunting ghost? Jona... is the man in the Narrative-- and he's pursuing it for a reason, isn't he?
So, to give him a chance, Trevor is going to have to clip this Phoenix's wings...!
(At least, unless a certain somebody stops him...)
FPT: Trevor Teach spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round!
<Pose Tracker> Ujico Issa has posed.
Ujico can't really blame Greeny for wanting to eat a steak. Steak is pretty good.
Not good enough to let him clip the Phenex's wings, though. That's a sin that not even an entire cake would absolve.
She throws the Isadore, still speeding after the three of them as Isadore stretches an arm out, beam cutlass flashing against the darkness of space! There's a 'ping' that's imagined more than actually heard as the cable is severed neatly and elegantly!
There's a voice that echoes, and it's Rita's. Is this...?
Ujico doesn't know if there's a heaven. Books talk about it sometimes, but it's theoretical. It's not here, or now. And Ujico is here and she is now, and that's why she wants to make this world something that hurts less to exist in. For her own sake, and for people like Rita too.
"If I come back," Ujico murmurs to herself and to Rita, there in the comforting darkness inside of her shell as stars stream past outside, "Maybe it'd be fun to get to be a human."
Trans Am doesn't stop Palisade from charging up the shoulder-mounted beam cannons, although it's slower than Ujico would like. "Listen," she transmits to Isadore's pilot, "If I buy you a steak will you stop chasing Rita?"
It's a serious offer! One that's followed up by a Huge Mega Screw-You Laser blast.
FPT: Ujico Issa has acted with Intuition and Sight.
FPT: Trevor Teach's Read the Winds applies!
FPT: Ujico Issa's Attrition applies!
FPT: Ujico Issa's Beam Battle Blockade Ability assists!
FPT: Round Complete!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: INT |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: Long Range |
| BONUS STATS: TAR, SGT, and WSP |
+--------------------< TITLE: No One is Bringing You Down >--------------------+
- Still soaring, the Phenex exudes light. Spreading in all directions, it -
- feels like sunlight brushing against your very soul. Those who have hearts -
- open even the slightest amount will hear the voice of a young teenaged -
- girl. -
- %R Hey... I want to know. Do you believe in heaven? -
- -
- Radiance races through space, making its way across the entirety of the -
- destroyed shoal zone, touching the Luio & Co. ship. -
- -
- I don't know about heaven, but I do know this. I'm absolutely sure that -
- souls are real. -
- -
- The Phenex races onward, across the open space carved by so many attacks. -
- Azure flame holds her, safe and warm, in the vastness of the stars. -
- -
- This life isn't all there is. Again and again we're reborn.%R -
- "Fire the High Mega cannon NOW, Jona!" -
- -
- Gritting his teeth in frustration, Ensign Basta cuts the cable with a beam -
- saber, freeing himself from the Phenex as he simultaneously charges a High -
- Mega blast. Vibrant pink mega particles gather around the cannon, before -
- unleashing themselves as a furious magenta blaze towards Rita. Even this -
- wouldn't be enough to stop her, would it? Only time would tell, as -
- megawatts of Minovsky particles threaten to crash into the Phenex with -
- overwhelming force. -
- -
- When I'm reborn again, I hope... I get to be a bird! And you, Jona? -
- -
- Once more, the high mega cannon has stunned the Phenex into stillness. To -
- stop her, your sponsors would have you launch as many attacks as possible. -
- A great reward will be given to the one who shoots the Phenex down. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 4 >-------------------------------+
+-------------------------------< TENSION: 20 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Trevor Teach |
| STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 1 Success |
| PILOT: Ujico Issa |
| STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 1 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 5 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+
+-------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Strong success >-------------------+
| MANDATORY STAT: |
| TERRAIN: Space |
| ATTRIBUTES: nothing |
| BONUS STATS: PIL, TAR, SKL, INT, RX, SGT, HP, WSP, ARM, and MOB |
+---------------------------< TITLE: Great Success >---------------------------+
- The Phenex raises her wing-like shields, crossing them between herself and -
- the blast of the many attacks sent her way. She's successful, in part -- -
- the attacks don't obliterate the Gundam. But her armor is cracked and -
- broken, golden 'feathers' falling in chunks down around her. -
- %R If a mobile suit could look tired, the Phenex would. Her shoulders droop -
- in exhaustion. Azure flame flickers around her, guttering out, and she -
- comes to an absolute stop. Hovering in the center of the cleared shoal -
- zone, the Phenex seems unable to retreat -- for the moment.%R -
- With a slight gesture, she lifts her wing-like shields from their place on -
- her shoulders. Allowing them to float just behind her, the Phenex looks -
- between her pursuers. Though backed into a corner, she's not giving up yet. -
+------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: - >-------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed.
>If I buy you a steak will you stop chasing Rita?
"Uhhhh I mean, if you're offering, buuuuut--" Snip. Crash! The Isadore smashes right into the Phenex's crossed wings! Its beam-dragon fires shortly thereafter, spitting a wide-angle blast directly into the mysterious mobile suit's defenses, causing it to reel back and sag as if stunned.
"--Sorry, missy," Trevor drawls, the Isadore's visor glowing in time with his words, "A guy like me lives and dies on his word and reputation. Iff'n I turn back at the very last like this and double cross an employer for someone else, that basically means I'll never get another job again. One steak now, for every steak I'll ever have? It's not a great deal 't all. I'm a bit too greedy to live a one-steak life, I'm afraid."
"But hey, if you want to try and stop me, be my guest. That's just life, too! Gwahahaha!"
Beat.
"So, what, you some kind of living mobile suit or something? Something 'not human?'" Did he overhear?! (The Isadore is equipped with what's basically a Super Robot Police Band Scanner, so it's not... out of the question...?)
<Pose Tracker> Ujico Issa has posed.
The brilliant glow of GN particles finally flickers out. Palisade can only do so much. Ujico can only do so much. Her inertia remains steady, but that won't be enough to keep up with the Phenex's ever-increasing speed--
Except that speed is no longer increasing. Rita, too, seems tired. Ujico's eyebrows furrow underneath her helmet as she watches drips of golden fire fall away from the Phenex, cracks in the Gundam's armor and strain in all her connections showing. As always, Ujico worries. Worry, worry, worry.
Her claws come out again, cherry-pink as Ujico and Palisade prepare to defend Rita. Even if Rita doesn't need it, and even if she can't hear Ujico.
"Huh?" He heard her?! ...She hopes she hasn't been mumbling anything embarrassing under her breath. Ujico worked so hard to stop doing that. "...No. Just an alien. But I guess I understand reputations. And being a guest."
FPT: The Flashpoint has ended.