2023-11-18: Where in the World is Julia Ampere?
- Log: Where in the World is Julia Ampere?
- Cast: Julia Ampere, Milly Ashford, Yuliana Kafim, Elisa Kafim, Luanova Luckwright, Soma Peries, Sayla Mass, Leina Ashta, Seolla Schweizer, Teletha Testarossa
- Where: Continental Europe - Spain
- OOC - IC Date: U.C. 0097 11 18
- Summary: Julia Ampere and Milly Ashford undertake a grand scheme with the goal of stealing an entire power plant, and find themselves faced with opposition. In the process, the question is raised as to just what they're truly after.
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
The target had been chosen carefully. They needed a power plant that was easily accessible, but away from any major or sensitive areas. One that wouldn't be missed if it were to suddenly vanish. And so, they found one - a lovely little power plant on the coast of Spain. Perfect, actually, for their needs.
And so, the scheme was set. Plans were made, logistics organized. And... finally, the warning was sent out.
"Greetings! We have taken an interest in your plant, and have decided to steal it for our own. We apologize for the inconvenience, but please vacate the facility before the listed operation time. Never fear, it will be much happier in its new home~."
And finally, that day has come. It has mostly been evacuated, per their request... but some stubborn souls still had to be escorted out by the Electrocrawlers. And now...!
A robot looking very much like a top-hat wearing stage magician with long, concealing sleeves and wearing a mask with a single eye stands near a massive shipping container. The top has already been pulled open.
"Alright, darlings! Carefully now, carefully! It can take some rough handling, but a single tear would set our plans back significantly. Do handle it gently!" Julia Ampere, within the cockpit, bids her robotic minions. A team of Electrocrawlers equipped with helicopter rotors for flight(does that make them Electrofliers instead...?) descend, each one carefully grasping something within and, working as one, slowly starting lifting it out. Within the container is...
...A giant stage curtain? Is it... underneath the curtain?
...No, it would seem that the curtain itself is what she's after.
"We had a little trouble at the beginning, there, but things are going quite swimmingly now, aren't they? And we have yet to encounter even a spot of trouble." Julia asides brightly to her assistant. "Why, I'd say nothing could stop us at this juncture!"
...Tempting fate. She has to have done that deliberately.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
The pilot of Coup de Foudre -- radically smaller than Staticaster, a Wanzer with a KMF cockpit bolted on in a fairly common but always-slightly-baffling-to-see field modification -- gives her co-conspirator a quick nod. "We're making solid time on this," she reflects. "It could have been faster, but..."
... about the only way they could have saved any more time is making this a lot more lethal, and Milly doesn't really have the taste for that kind of thing. (Maybe if this was a military installation, she could justify it to herself.)
"You know," she reflects aloud, "You could just broadcast on all channels, if you're hoping someone tries to stop us." Evidently, Milly doesn't quite have the taste for tempting fate that Julia does... but it's clear from her tone that she's just ribbing her partner in crime rather than genuinely annoyed to hear her tempt fate.
Besides -- Milly actually does want stimulation, a little bit...
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
The power plant may have evacuated, but there, on the beach...
A broad beach umbrella, here in the middle of winter, and two reclining beach chairs all set up beside each other, with little portable tables to either side for fruity drinks. (One is alcoholic; one is not. Both have little umbrellas in them.)
And there's Yuliana, in a bikini with thick tumbling cloth to hide her neck, and a few layers of sarongs across her hips and legs. (One is tied up by her waist.) She has sunglasses perched over her endless green eyes, and a pair of binoculars which she lifts to observe...
"My, my," she remarks, handing the binoculars over to Elisa. "Look at them! What are they up to?" She's much brighter, getting out like this. It was a brilliant move to come take a date out here, in balmy Spain!
... it's still the middle of winter, but it's balmy compared to back home.
She picks up her portable radio, instead, to dial into the Coup de Foudre's communications. "You're doing great, sweetie!" She chimes in, cheerfully. "We're here to cheer you on! Go on and get 'em! Haha, as soon as they get here... don't worry, I'm sure it won't be long!" And of course she leaves the channel open long enough for Elisa to say something, if she'd like, before she puts it to one side again.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
The beach is lovely.
Elisa Kafim is on the beach chair next to Yuliana's, peering through the binoculars once they're handed to her and regarding up-close the sight of this interesting... curtain.
"Theft, it would appear." Elisa smiles, as she says it, and after another look, gives them back to Yuliana. Once she's done with the radio, of course. Before that...
Elisa herself is in a black and green bikini, her long purple hair left loose. And she is unconcerned by the temperature. ...Or the sun!
The sun is fine.
"Oh yes, good luck," Elisa says into the radio as well. "I'm sure you'll do quite well."
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
Preparation time is necessary to evacuate civilians. It's also ample time to invest in backup strategies, which is how the local authorities have ended up contracted with a PMC operating out of the Orbital Ring. Their so-called 'wunder-wanzer' has been waiting, concealed by jamming devices in an urban hangar some distance away from the coast.
Those jamming devices stop functioning soon after the first reports come in of hostile on site. It's surprisingly soon after that the Myrmecia is within visible range, hovering in the open low over a highway road leading to the power plant. Just a wanzer, barely larger than the Coup de Foudre, but which appears to have sacrificed function for form, with none of the mobile weapon's typical bulky armored design, and instead some sleek curves accentuated with hexagonal reflective scales. Not a single mounted weapon.
The voice that comes out from the unit on an open channel is an obvious machine synthesis. It's a cheap one that's common in pointless gag videos. "Private military contractor, this is Myrmecia responding. I guess I'm supposed to give you a chance to stand down before we kill each other. So this is technically that."
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
Lieutenant Soma Peries, super soldier number one of the former Super Human Institute Technical Research Center... Is not actually here on official business!
Soma had been skirting her way down the coast in her GN-X on the way back to an REA carrier that was in the Mediterranean Sea. This was after performing an investigation unrelated to any goings on here. However, she had been monitoring local activity along the way-because that's the kind of thing she does when she has nothing to do on a long flight-and had picked up the AEU chatter about a 'theft' of a power plant in Spain.
One might wonder how you would 'steal' a power plant... Soma certainly does. She can see one 'occupying' a power plant. But to steal suggests you're taking it somewhere else.
Unless they actually intend to carry the entire plant away...
Nah.
The Chobu Squad is technically an irregular unit, so it would not be out of the question for one of its members to assist in this case. And the local authorities seem to agree, granting Soma's request. She nudges her GN-X's course a little bit, making a beeline straight towards the power plant as the trail of fading crimson GN particles extends out behind her.
Soma brings her GN-X to a hover in the air, still some way from the plant. The four eyes in the machine's head dart around, before they pick up movement and settle on looking at... A giant stage curtain?
Soma pauses for a moment... She's not sure what's going on. So she switches over to a general frequency, <"This is Lieutenant Soma Peries with the REA. I am in the vicinity to provide assistance... Does anyone know what the situation is?">
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
The coastal region of Castellon is home to several cities, many people, and one very prime for theft reactor.
It is also home to Villa Mass. On a hill, a fair ways from town, Dr Mass stares at a letter.
Dear Customer,
Due to science criminal activity, you may experience an interruption to your power supply from 18 November 0097. Please prepare alternate arrangements in case of an extended outage.
We apologize for the difficulty.
It's as she stares at it that the lights cut. It takes a few seconds for the backup to take over. Sayla frowns, even as the lights return. But the surrounding networks, hospitals....
"...Damnit all." She walks out onto the balcony, reaches into the air- and snaps her fingers once.
"Come out! Shuffle Heart!"
----
A Heart trails across the sky, flying at full speed towards the Power Plant. The last of the machines created by the Shuffle Alliance for the Crest Holders in 0080. As she comes into the hot zone, the Heart shaped mobile Armor transforms as Sayla seat slides back and the process of the Mobile Trace Suit being applied. Even with the settings turned down... it still stings somewhat. She lets out a grunt of pain, and then... Breathes out, and stands to her full height, the machine with a superficial resemblance to the Master Gundam copying her movements.
"I'll ask you to leave that be, Energy Thief." There's no voice changer here, the voice of Sayla Mass, Charity Magnate and Daughter of Zeon zum Deikun echoes across the battlefield. Her head tracks to Coup de Foudre briefly as well, taking in boh units. "Stop now and you can walk. If you don't, then I'm afraid we'll have to do it for you."
She's giving them a chance- after all, most science criminals don't have the decency to give a warning.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
It had been a lovely weekday afternoon, wherein Leina's High School drama club was slowly putting together a production of 'Gryps!' a musical satire about the Titans and their inept campaign against the AEUG.
Right now they were reviewing audition sheets for the more minor roles on the casting as a few others crunched numbers on the budgeting. "Gerardo would make a pretty good Gates Capa... I think." Leina noted, upon reviewing it.
"Who?" The boy in question, who turned his head asked, confused. "Exactly." Leina beamed at him, with a teasing grin. Dramatically he clutched both of his hands over his heart, "You wound me. Don't you think Shari would prefer to see me in a more prominent role?" Leina smirked, "Nah I think this one will appeal to the Britannian in her."
It was perhaps the Cathedra Security waiting by the doors suddenly putting their hands to an earpiece that tipped Leina off that something was off, but moreso than that was one of the girls in the club putting on a stream of the warning. "Hey listening to this...!"
"Greetings! We have taken an interest in your plant, and have decided to steal it for our own. We apologize for the inconvenience, but please vacate the facility before the listed operation time. Never fear, it will be much happier in its new home~."
Leina tipped back her head as she heard the warning in Spanish, "Which plant?" She said, as she's getting up, "Please tell me some 'Phantom Thief' wannabe isn't stealing a Colony." She says as she watches over her shoulder. "What a Drama Queen."
She got an affectionate nudge for her efforts from a classmate, "Pot calling the kettle black, hm?"
-=-=-
"That's a real stretch, Ms. Ashta. You want us to approve peacekeeping deployment to - what, catch some Phantom Thief trying to steal a power plant on the Valencia coast?"
There is a nod over the teleconference, "An obviously well connected and funded one. If apprehended I suspect any names of their contacts or suppliers might serve us well for our... true mission."
The man on the other side furrowed his brow and countered, "... Something of a stretch, don't you think? We can't be everywhere."
"But I can be here." The man stares her down, and Leina eventually answers, "This plant services our area, if it went down it would create an unacceptable security risk for days, for myself and my security team." A single eyebrow arches as he asks, "More than the one created by your deployment?"
"Sure." The girl says more cheerfully, "After all, with it marked on everyone's calendar, do you really think I'm going to be the only one to respond?"
The man had to bite back the urge to say, 'More reason for you NOT to.' Before he sighed. "Youth." Hesitation, then, "We'll place you on loan to the AEU authorities for... crisis intervention, training."
-=-=-
The Beguir-Neuer had been in place for hours, what a way to spend a Saturday, but then again, she did ASK for this. It's only once she saw the last of the employees being escorted out by the crawlers from a distance did she suspect the time to go in was soon. It would have been time earlier had there been any real hostilities but... for now, she can be patient.
Her cockpit switched to Infrared, as she watched the blurs of color move, switching the comms over and putting out a directional mic to pick up any further chatter. It's when others appear, that the Beguir finally rids itself of its camouflage with a pop, losing it's appearance as a rather large boulder on the coastline.
The others are doing a fine job of ordering them to stand down, so the Cathedra unit, simply leaps onto the plant grounds, it's claws scraping the metallic floor as it pivots into a stop, answering the Lieutenant over the comms.
"<This is Dirae, on loan from the Dominicus Corps.> We've got a developing situation, Lieutenant. They've stated they're here to steal the plant, but it is almost certainly some kind of misdirection.>"
Look, Leina's watched a lot of anime about Phantom Thieves. Don't ask how much. Just don't.
"<Either way, until we figure out what they're up to, the simplest way to handle this is to apprehend them both.>"
The Myrmecia is here, Leina notes, but doesn't say anything immediately about it, at least yet, instead taking more notes about its presence.
And then, the Shuffle Heart appears, and Leina blinks. There is... a long and awkward pause. And then...
... the Beguir raises its shield arm, and performs a short back and forth wave beneath the massive shield, as if to say 'Hi Mom.'
And that's about the extent of her greeting, right now.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
It's been some time for Seolla - stewing in that confession she made to Tessa, that she didn't think she could believe in living a 'normal life'. Is that even something Seolla wished for, when she was held by the School?
All she really ever thought of was protecting those closest to her.
...to not hurting so much.
Avenging others, risking it all to stop injustices - what about any of that is so unappealing that Tessa and Sousuke have so much invested in pretending to be normal school students? It's still something Seolla can't answer. Nothing about 'schools' is all too appealing to her anymore. So she puts on her most familiar combat operations voice, and, deploying from the TDD-1 nearby, Seolla's ECS fizzles away a kilometer from the Coup de Foudre, autocannon trained firmly on the strage wanzer. <"Heart-1, this is Uruz-11. Our team's in the vicinity, ready to back you up. ...I'm a little on edge about just how many different agencies are here. That's one of those Celestial Being ripoffs from the REA, right? And...the Dominicus auditors. Not to mention...">
A line aimed specifically at the Myrmecia, Seolla not keeping her sights anywhere off of Milly. <"...Private military contractor to who, here? There's a lot suddenly on the table here, and I want to be sure we don't escalate this all into a really worse fight out of understanding. ...We're not here on behalf of the Federation or Cathedra, for what its worth. More...a nearby private interest this is directly disrupting.">
Formalities to allies out of the way! Seolla steps forward just a bit closer to the Coup de Foudre, putting on her firmest and most authoritative voice she can. "Jig's up! The world may be falling apart, but I'm not going to let people take bites out of it for totally selfish reasons! Disarm or I'm making you!"
...Of course, despite ostensibly attending a GUTS-aligned school, Seolla...hasn't ever participated in one of their outings! Right here and now, it's blessedly as simple as terrorist and counter-terrorist.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
"A power plant." The world was slowly collapsing, and someone wanted to steal a power plant.
"Yes." Mardukas had no choice but to be the obvious echo.
"A power plant that has a warning for it, set for today, when we were requested to be in the area."
"Yes."
"...The Mediterranean Sea Fleet has their hands full, don't they? Tell them that we'll be in their stead, and to treat us to a potluck afterwards. Battle stations."
"Aye, ma'am. Battle stations!"
---
"Sitrep."
"Two units." DANA was already displaying the camera feeds where possible; Tessa leaning forward on her Captain's Chair, eyes narrowing at the Top Hat-adorned robot, the shipping container already marked. Better to be safe than sorry.
"Copy that. Load tube one." And the Toy Box slowly clambered and clicked its internal gears, the top gracing just below the waterline. A few press of the buttons, a few areas marked as the area was pinged. "...Mother/daugher combo, two enemy units, REA-aligned, and another PMC..." That's the general outlook. Quiet the self. Set aside those feelings of seeing your friends in battle again, like always. Work for what you're yearning for.
A press of a button. Open comms, General Channel. <"This is the Toy Box from Mithril PMC, here to assist. We're facing a Premeditated and Forewarned Science Crime, Electrical-related. Be wary of any complications. Come back alive."> Off. Formalities carried off. Now, to kick it off...
There's no reason to hesitate. The time had come, the threats were being carried out. "Fire." Just a routine mission, whatever complications may come. A singular missile piercing through the blue sheet of water. Sky lighting up with the orange glow of exhaust, turning and careening towards the Coup de Foudre.
KTS: Teletha Testarossa targets Milly Ashford with Single Missile! KTS: Milly Ashford's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Milly Ashford blocks Teletha Testarossa's Single Missile, taking 2530 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
"Quite!" Julia agrees, on both accounts. It indeed could have been faster... but it's true that that would've come at a certain cost, and one she's not interested in paying. At her next comment, Julia chuckles.
"Well, I certainly could... but that would make me seem rather desperate, don't you think?" Julia considers, her tone light. "Though I suppose, perhaps, with the right taunt, and just the right laugh..."
She's obviously considering it - but just as she does, it seems as if she gets her wish.
"Quite the turn-out! How exciting." Julia enthuses back to Milly. Let's give them a warm welcome, shall we?"
With that, the stage magician Staticaster whirls to face the approaching units.
"My, my... I can't tell if you're unenthusiastic or simply new to dealing with people like us. Don't worry - we'll make sure you'll get quite the charge out of this." Julia replies to the Myrmecia.
A Heart trails through the sky. It's form... Julia raises an eyebrow. She's familiar with her history, of course. And the pilot...
"Why, is that the esteemed Doctor Mass? It's quite the honor, to receive you in person!" Julia greets, bowing with a flourish. "I appreciate the offer... but I'm going to have to decline. My assistant and I have worked quite hard on this, you know - it would be a shame to stop now!"
The Beguir-Neur lands, offering a wave to the Shuffle Heart. A greeting, but no words from the pilot... Julia looks on interest.
The Arm Slave that comes in next, though...
"Ah, now that is the sort of energy I'm looking for. You're a lively one!" Julia regards brightly. And then - missiles! The Staticaster leaps away from the Coup de Foudre. The Toy Box is here too, hm...?
"Now this is an intriguing development..." Julia remarks curiously. "It would seem they've volunteered themselves to you, dear!"
Julia laughs.
"I'll keep... these three busy." Julia notes to Milly. She touches the screen of Staticaster's console, marking three of the opposing units. "Do you think you'll be fine with the others?"
With that said, Staticaster steps forward.
"Well, it's a little while yet before the real show starts... but I'll do my best to keep you all entertained~!" Julia remarks aloud. That's the only warning they get, besides the brief warning of a surge of static electricity - before that same static starts to pull the Shuffle Heart closer! Staticaster extends both hands, then, sending out quick bolts of lightning toward Soma and Leina.
All the while, the Electrocrawler-fliers dutifully continue their work. There seems to be a brief moment of confusion as to which takes which side, but they manage to untangle themselves before long.
KTS: Julia Ampere targets Sayla Mass with Static Cling! KTS: Julia Ampere targets Leina Ashta with Zap! KTS: Julia Ampere targets Soma Peries with Zap! KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Julia Ampere anchors Sayla Mass, forcing her into close range. KTS: Sayla Mass fails to Evade Julia Ampere's Static Cling, taking 2400 damage! KTS: Julia Ampere has engaged Sayla Mass! KTS: Julia Ampere begins a Formation attack! KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Trust Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta blocks Julia Ampere's Zap, taking 1200 damage! <Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
The transmission gets Milly slightly surprised; when it's Yuliana and Elisa cheering her on, though, Milly can't help but smile. "Looks like they're coming," she says, lips curling up a bit. "Thanks for the encouragement!" It does feel nice to be cheered on.
She doesn't have too much time to bask in it, though. "Private military contractor?" Milly responds, her own voice also synthesized -- though hers is a much more expensive and less common synthesizer. She's got preferences. "At least do me the courtesy of 'master thief.'" A pause. "Apprentice thief? ... Apprentice master thief." Milly please --
The landspinners on Milly's Argiope deploy, and she starts moving toward the M9 and the slightly-larger wanzer. "I think I can manage," Milly says, with a nod. ... She's actually not as sure of that as she'd like to be, though.
Milly's approach is simple and direct; she brings out the enormous wanzer saber first, bringing it up in a defensive posture and pumping the brakes very briefly as the missile comes down; it hits in front of her, and the weapon bears the brunt of the explosion without costing her too much momentum. ... Those missiles are going to be a problem, she realizes -- she has no especially great answers for that type of attack...
... so for now, she just settles for harassing the sub with machine pistol fire as it hangs at the bare edge of the waterline. She reserves more focused assaults for those much closer; the heavy saber comes around to the side of the Argiope, as Milly aims to stay mobile with skate-by slashes to both other machines!
KTS: Milly Ashford targets Teletha Testarossa with Knightpolice Pistols Burst! KTS: Milly Ashford targets Seolla Schweizer with Keen Saber F Swing! KTS: Milly Ashford targets Luanova Luckwright with Keen Saber F Swing! KTS: Seolla Schweizer fails to parry Milly Ashford's Keen Saber F Swing, taking 4380 damage! KTS: Milly Ashford has engaged Seolla Schweizer! <Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Won't she, just?" Yuliana enthuses, to Elisa, once she's put the radio away. "She's taken so well to crime. Who knows what she'll be doing in a year...!"
She takes the binoculars back, and adjusts them, as she looks over the tableau. "Oh, look, Leyasha's come! And -- oh, my, look at that, I do say that's a Shuffle Heart. And -- ugh, it's that GN-X, again," she wrinkles her nose, finding Soma on the field. "I bet it's... yes, it's hers," she confirms, as she hears the public chatter coming through the radio. She's not speaking into her portable radio, though -- her catty comments are just for Elisa. "That Soma Peries. You know that wretched girl has a commander who actually cares for her? Who knew the Republic was capable!" Of course she's jealous.
Across the field, and... "Oh, and it's that awful Myrmecia thing, I really must figure that pilot out. You know she crushed me inside my wanzer? Terrible!" Looking aside, she finds: "Oh, and the Gernsback. Nice to see she's still out and about after all that, I suppose." She did fight alongside Seolla, not so long ago.
Not today, though. Today, she's stretched out on a beach chair on the beach, enjoying the show.
A missile flies overhead, and Yuliana turns her gaze to the water. "Hmh... I guess the Toybox is here, too," she grumbles, sourly. "My darling, can you put another umbrella up?" She's not talking about a literal umbrella, of course. The sun is fine, but she'd prefer to avoid getting hit by a stray missile. Elisa would be terribly upset!
She passes the binoculars back over -- so that she can clap for Julia. "Bravo!" She cheers, in the wake of Staticaster's electrifying performance. Her little flying Electrocrawlers are working so hard, too..!!
"Just listen to her!" Yuliana adds, beaming, as she gestures to their portable radio. "'Apprentice master thief'! I knew she had more potential than the place she grew! And she's already finding ways to deal with threats outside her range -- look at her, she's making things so difficult for the Toy Box to get closer, even though she doesn't have missiles to respond." Yuliana taps her finger to her lip, and wonders: "Hmm. I wonder if I should call her wanzer back in and pop some missiles on for her..."
KTS: Luanova Luckwright has activated the Rouse Spirit Command. KTS: Luanova Luckwright blocks Milly Ashford's Keen Saber F Swing, taking 1830 damage! KTS: Milly Ashford has engaged Luanova Luckwright! KTS: Teletha Testarossa fails to react to Milly Ashford's Knightpolice Pistols Burst, taking 3300 damage! <Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
"Ahhh, I look forward to seeing," Elisa says. "Your influence must be helpful."
Then, there's Leina, and the others. Elisa 'hmms' thoughtfully. Before of course, "Ugh. But, we decided only to watch..." So she won't interfere.
Still, "Inside your wanzer? That was her doing." Elisa narrows her eyes. But, all the same, "At least it's interesting, I suppose."
But Elisa pauses, at the request, and then inclines her head. "Certainly. I will protect you, my dear."
She does not applaud; she's busy, in the moment, instead lifting her hand, and--
A crackling green barrier appears on the beach. Stray fire will not be a problem, though if anyone is alarmed, it's not moving in the least. In fact, it 'disappears' a moment later--until it's tested, that is.
"Apprentice master thief," she reflects. "How very charming."
"...Hmmmm. Maybe, but I think she'll figure out a way."
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries fails to evade Julia Ampere's Zap, taking 3000 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
There's quite an eclectic group here... Most of whom Soma doesn't know personally, though she has certainly heard of a few and their organizations.
Isn't the Toybox the group that recently made off with an REA citizen and valued operative? No wait, focus. The mission at hand is the intruders in the plant.
Soma does get a brief summary from Leina of the Dominicus Corps. Soma is actually thankful to have her here... Someone she actually recognizes and can rely on. She replies, <"Understood. Attempting to apprehend.">
Soma's GN-X charges down through the air, closing the distance a little as she doesn't want to risk stray fire doing too much damage to the plant. As she does so, she actually replies to Julia this time, <"You think this is some kind of show? You're committing a serious crime and disrupting people's lives all for entertainment!?">
A bolet of electricity arcs itself through the air in her direction. Soma attempts to roll her machine out of the way, but it still manages to connect with the GN-X's left arm. The arm sparks for several moments, before the energy finally fades. Soma tests the limb and there appears to be some internal damage... But nothing she can't handle.
Soma brings her GN-X to a hover close to the ground, grabbing the GN Rifle from where it's attached on the back of her machine's waist. She then raises it, demanding, <"Surrender now. This is your only warning.">
The warning comes in a burst of crimson beams, not intended for a deadly hit, but instead trying to convince Julia that fighting back may not be a good idea.
KTS: Soma Peries targets Julia Ampere with GN-X Beam Rifle Warding Barrage!
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
As Soma transmits her understanding, Leina can't help but be... a touch worried, she's a rather straight forward person, and this opponent was very much not. "<Proceed with caution.>"
As the 'Stage Magician' responds, the pilot of the Beguir snorts over the comms, "<The energy you're looking for? If I'd known this was the level of puns you were bringing to the table, I'd have stayed home.>"
And indeed, as she starts the real show, the Staticaster moving in the attack, the Non-Kinetic Effectors of the Shield suddenly shimmer, as it is launched on a wire. Abruptly it changes trajectory, intercepting the shining lightning as it dissipates on the armor.
She has to rely on the insulation of the wiring, but despite it, she still feels a a spark of static on the controls from what reaches the cockpit anyway.
The Beguir is already moving, leaping on Jump Jets overhead, the shield retracting back even as it's wire is rewound. The rifle is aimed down, as several quick bursts of beamfire are sent towards the stage magician Staticaster.
"<Gonna have to insist you release Doctor Mass... now, or else she's going to make you watch her slides on consent in custody.>"
She's enjoying teasing her Mom a little too much, isn't she?
KTS: Leina Ashta targets Julia Ampere with Beguir Neuer Beam Rifle Focused Fire!
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
<"I'm on contract with Iberdeia Electrica Popular brokered through agreement with the Advanced European Union by way of Espana subdivisional government,"> the pilot of the Myrmecia rattles off from memory, trying to get the sentence over with as quickly as they can. <"My contract only covers the magic act here, and I'm not a bounty hunter or anything. You don't have to worry about me picking any new fights. Are we cool like that?">
The Myrmecia tilts its head to focus its large single 'eye' over what arriving units it can, but things move quickly, and it has no choice but to try to lock onto the Argiope, already incoming. The unarmed wanzer holds its hands up to catch the Argiope's saber, and the momentum sends it skidding backwards and its hexagonal scales clacking and rearranging, but there's a surprising amount of force it exerts pushing the saber back, without even flexing its arms. It lets go of its brace against the saber with one arm, and if Milly's peripheral vision is sharp enough, she can see Myrmecia curl its free hand into a fist, elbow bent. Then, without any further windup, a "one-inch" punch, driven under the braced saber to the center of the Argiope's mass.
It doesn't feel like it should. The destructive force transmitted by the punch is disproportionate to Myrmecia's size and the close quarters it had to bring the punch to bear. It's more like getting clotheslined by a truck, or in machine terms, taking five across the face from a Mobile Suit, not a flimsy, unarmed wanzer without proper armored mass.
KTS: Luanova Luckwright: Will Barrier Activates. KTS: Luanova Luckwright targets Milly Ashford with Strike! KTS: Milly Ashford's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Milly Ashford blocks Luanova Luckwright's Strike, taking 2400 damage! KTS: Luanova Luckwright has engaged Milly Ashford! KTS: Luanova Luckwright: Will Barrier Activates.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
When the Beguir-Neuer waves at her, Sayla pauses and... instinctly waves back, the unit mirroring her body. Dirae, hm?
"<...This Dominicus is friendly, Uruz-11. I can explain after.>" 'Dirae's undisguised voice probably explains things enough, though. Sayla had explained the terms of the deal to command, it obviously hadn't filtered through the ranks. "<The REA operating in AEU territory, and this PMC though...>" Cathedra will be montioring Leina's outgoing comms- and there's no room for a phone in a Mobile Trace Suit. A touch line is going to be their best chance-
"I see both our reputations precede us, Energy Thief." Julia Ampere had made a number of high profile heists like this. "So, dare I ask why here? I can forgive you shutting down my house for the day, but but I'm sure there's something grander at play here?" She gave them time to set up security, to evacuate workers... So what's the gameplan here?
But the staticaster reels in the Shuffle Heart close, and the slight jolt of electricity is transmitted through the Mobile Trace Suit, causing a slight gasp of pain from Sayla. "...Damnit, why did you all INSIST on that setting? And why make it impossible to deactivate?"
In close combat with the Staticaster now, however, Dirae's message comes over the comms and... The Shuffle Heart shakes it's head. Always with the slideshow. The problem with trace suits. "<She's right, you know. If you asked first, it might be fun. But it's rather rude to open with. I thought you were a gentlewoman thief.>"
Leina what have you encouraged here.
Soma, however... Yes, Sayla did in fact help 'kidnap' Gayatri D'Cruze recently. This is going to be awkward. "<Your assistance is appreciated, Lieutenant.>" Don't give her an excuse to operate even more extrajudicially. Right now, Sayla's pretty much a civilian in a mobile suit.
In close range, Sayla draws her hand back and drives forward with an open palm strike towards the Staticaster's chest. You'd have to have a deep well of knowledge to recognize the style of CQC favoured by Munzo's colonial defense forces, and Sayla is not an expert martial artist by any stretch... But it's the conditions for using a suit like this.
"...Well, at least you're passing down a trade." She comments, and Coup de Foudre's talk of being an apprentice master thief. "But could you steal something a touch less disruptive, perhaps? There's whole museums in Britannia that could give you a thrill and return things to their rightful owners."
It is, perhaps, becoming clear *why* Leina has seen so much crime anime. Oh dear.
(It's Casval's fault, really. The road from cowboy shows to heist movies is a slippery slope.)
(That and much of what Advanced Logistics does is a heist in reverse.)
KTS: Sayla Mass targets Julia Ampere with Open Palm Strike! KTS: Julia Ampere has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries rattles Julia Ampere, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Julia Ampere blocks Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Rifle Warding Barrage, taking 3450 damage! KTS: Julia Ampere blocks Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Beam Rifle Focused Fire, taking 1350 damage! KTS: Julia Ampere blocks Sayla Mass's Open Palm Strike, taking 1230 damage! KTS: Sayla Mass has engaged Julia Ampere!
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
Well, that's a dizzying confluence of interests right there, Seolla murmurs, but she gets the picture that Luanova's here because generally speaking the government of Spain does not like having its assets seized. <"...Alright, we have no reason to tick off local governments or their hires. The thieves are more prepared than we thought, even though they're practically begging us to have found them...Just call me Uruz-11 for now. If you're getting in close, I'll keep my fire to be more focused rather than suppressive. I'm used to concert with a close-range fighter, so I know what to do. Thank you for the assist.">
Genuinely earnest, strangely enough! A deep breath as Seolla tests the Argiope's agility with a brief flash of her knife against Milly's saber - only to find her own cut through quite cleanly, with a vicious hit to the right bicep. In ranges this oscillating between distant and close - the shotcannon thankfully suits Seolla just fine, slug after slug barrelling Milly's way, as Seolla broadcasts, <"What's with the whole phantom thief shtick anyway?! This is honestly why I can't stand some of these mad science labs, you go from horrifying to goofy every other week, and I damn near have no idea how to tell which is which! ...I've heard about the Energy Thief before, but why are you here? Loyalty, or just money?">
...Privately, to Sayla, Seolla sends a short, secure little ask: "...Is that Leina with Dominicus? ...Nnnn. I don't like the feeling that - maybe for now she'll be helping us, but how long is that going to last? I'm not sure I trust them totally..." That horrible feeling in Seolla's gut strengthens.
...to which her first instinct, is, of course, to chime in to Tessa's earpiece. "...Captain, I think I heard about this, that company Leina's been working with lately. The Benerit Group's been making a lot of moves these days, right? ...Nnn. It's that tension again. ...I guess that's just what happens when you reach for further, more important heights. ...I don't care if it might be short-sighted, I'm sticking with your side as long as I can. ...Come hell or high water, I'm here for you."
KTS: Seolla Schweizer targets Milly Ashford with Boxer 57mm Shotcannon Slug! KTS: Milly Ashford's Physical Wall L1 activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Milly Ashford blocks Seolla Schweizer's Boxer 57mm Shotcannon Slug, taking 3410 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Seolla Schweizer's Ace Attacker Ver. W activates, causing Insight L1! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Seolla Schweizer's Perfectionist activates, causing Nullify!
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
"Combat initiated." So reports one of the technicians on the bridge, starting up the combat log. Everything had to be catalogued, dissected, understood, reported and understood.
The rain of machine pistol fire cracks through the waterline, plinking at the metallic frame of the submarine. Dents and pocks ringing along the firing line, the Captain clicking her tongue as the damage is reported. Better. This has to be better. To stand against things akin to mere pistol fire...
Cathedra's own unit has things on lock...She opts to remain silent. What was rather concerning was the REA agent. Aiding and abetting on pulling people away from the REA for their own sakes...Somewhere out there, Gayatri's in a better life. That's what matters.
Lua's transmission is processed, DANA marking that unit with the appropriate affiliation. AEU, local government, sent out for protection of their own property. Fair.
Tessa barely moves at the sudden internal comm. "I know. We can't make any movements here, nor does she want us to. Just stay vigilant, and don't give more information than you're required to for battle. ...That includes your loyalty. The less they know, the better." A quick transmission back to Seolla.
...Sticking with her for as long as she can. Tessa can't bring up any reason why she'd deserve that level of trust. Why are they so trusting of her word?
There's no chance to play the underhanded gambits here, only to show and provide the necessary front-faced preparation and distraction. "Load tubes two through four. Chaff and electronic hampering."
"Aye, ma'am! Load tubes two through four with electronic warfare!" The dull thuds of missiles moving sounded throughout the submarine.
"Fire tube two."
"Fire!"
The blast of a missile piercing through the surface, careening...and turning with a jet to soar over the Coup de Foudre, sending out sparkling electronic chaff below.
KTS: Teletha Testarossa targets Seolla Schweizer and Luanova Luckwright with Insight L2. KTS: Teletha Testarossa shares insight with Luanova Luckwright, making her next attacks more accurate! KTS: Teletha Testarossa shares insight with Seolla Schweizer, making her next attacks more accurate!
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
Julia chuckles to herself. Apprentice master thief... it does feel good to hear her take the role so seriously.
"Then I'll leave them to you. Do take care - and have fun, of course!" Julia replies to Milly. She trusts she'll be alright - and for now, turns her attention to the fight.
...Though, as she does, she does finally notice that they have an audience. All the more reason to put on a good show, then! She does so love to entertain.
The GN-X charges!
"Why, I do!" Julia replies - and then, chuckles. "Your concern is touching. The disruption should be minimal... and in the meantime, they'll have quite the story to tell!"
The GN-X draws out a rifle and, following a warning, unleashes a burst of crimson beams! Once again there's a surge of static - this time, forming a barrier to intercept the attack. Still, several of them manage to get through. Julia regards the weapon with interest, but puts thoughts of it aside.
"Ah, you held back... I'm touched, and rather impressed by you! But I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. This has only just begun, and now I'm quite interested to see what you're capable of." Julia remarks. The static surges outward - but this time, rather than forming a barrier or trying to draw anything in, seeks to interfere with Soma's ability to evade!
Julia turns her attention to Leina next.
"Ah, my wordplay doesn't excite you?" Julia replies, and one can hear the smirk in her voice. "How enlightening. I'll do everything in my power to improve my material."
The Beguir sends a volley of beamfire her way, and the static barrier surges to life to protect her - and again, as the Shuffle Heart comes in with an Open Palm Thrust, Staticaster shaking from the impact. The three of them are quite dangerous...
But Julia wouldn't have it any other way.
"Ah, I'm honored." Julia replies, pleased, at Sayla's recognition. "Ah, you live near here? My apologies... but I'm afraid this location simply happened to be the most convenient for my scheme. And isn't the view simply beautiful?"
Leina scolds her, though, and Sayla follows up on it - and Julia chuckles.
"My, my~. I'll take that under consideration. But you're right, of course. That was rather gauche of me. I'll release you at once." Julia replies. The static hold reverses... quite severely, to push the Shuffle Heart away at high speeds! She points a hand at the Beguir again, launching another bolt in Leina's direction. At, first, it seems to miss, blasting the ground harmless... at least until the charge digs its way up, erupting from the earth right beneath her!
She considers, then, Sayla's question.
"That is certainly an intriguing proposition... but you see, I do have an aesthetic to adhere to. I am the Energy Thief, after all." Julia notes. "...Though. It sounds like you've given the idea some thought. I am open to collaboration~."
"What do you think of stealing art?" Julia asides toward Milly, briefly. "It would take a bit of spinning, mind you..."
KTS: Julia Ampere targets Soma Peries with Disrupting Static! KTS: Julia Ampere targets Sayla Mass with Static Fling! KTS: Julia Ampere targets Leina Ashta with Upward Lightning! KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Spirit Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Alert Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta charges into the attack! KTS: Leina Ashta partially guards Julia Ampere's Upward Lightning, taking 5400 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Julia Ampere's Immaculate Scheme activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Julia Ampere rattles Soma Peries, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Soma Peries fails to Evade Julia Ampere's Disrupting Static, taking 4200 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Julia Ampere's Immaculate Scheme activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass parries Julia Ampere's Static Fling, taking 1050 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Julia Ampere's Immaculate Scheme activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Julia Ampere repulses Sayla Mass, forcing her to disengage.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
That punch snakes under Milly's defenses, but she takes her machine into a backslide with the force rather than fight it; the landspinners give her a little extra 'give,' making the punch not quite as punishing as it could be. "Nnh... how'd you pull that one off?" Milly asks of the enemy pilot over comms, though she isn't really expecting an answer.
Seolla fires on Milly while asking her what her end in this is, and Milly, even as her machine's leg starts sparking from the impact of a shotcannon slug, does spare time to reply. "Maybe I just want something interesting to happen," Milly answers her... and while it's not completely honest, it's not wrong, either.
As the chaff from the TDD-1 detonates above Milly, she continues backpedaling, taking the time to respond to Julia. "I'll do my best, but I don't know how long this is going to hold up under this kind of fire," she admits.
All she really has to do is buy Julia and the Electrocrawlers time to work, though; she's not the essential part of this operation as far as direct combat assets go, and she knows it.
So instead, she focuses on what she can do. Swapping the heavy saber for an even heavier weapon -- a massive electric whip taken from a mobile suit and wired to Coup de Foudre's reactor -- Milly sets to work. She lashes out at both the Arm Slave and the Wanzer with it before skating out to the coast and whipping it in the general direction of the Tuatha de Danaan. She doesn't actually need to reach it -- just disgorge an enormous amount of electricity into the water and let conductivity take care of the rest.
KTS: [Spirit Defense] Luanova Luckwright's Irrepressible Spirit activates, and the spirit endures. KTS: Milly Ashford has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Luanova Luckwright KTS: Milly Ashford has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Teletha Testarossa KTS: Milly Ashford has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Seolla Schweizer KTS: Milly Ashford targets Seolla Schweizer with System Shock! KTS: Milly Ashford targets Luanova Luckwright with System Shock! KTS: Milly Ashford targets Teletha Testarossa with Weapon Wrap! KTS: Luanova Luckwright has activated the Strike Spirit Command. <Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
Soma IS rather serious and straight-laced. She's had to live in a world of military rules and warfare. With opponents in machines often far exceeding her own. Where a small lapse in focus can lead to one's death.
She doesn't know how to deal with theatrics! Though people being interested in what she is capable of is fairly par for the course. Comes with being a super soldier. Though it's strange for a foe to care about it.
<"... What... Does that have to do with anything?"> Isn't this person trying to steal the power plant?
Apparently Julia does know a thing or two about electricity though, as the static field reaches out. It engulfs the GN-X, causing uncontrollable discharges in its sytems that throw off Soma's controls a little.
Soma quickly floats around behind a building, taking cover as she tries to assess her unit's status. Rapid course alterations could be a problem... Fine. She'll switch tactics.
Soma stows her rifle once more, one of the GN-X's thigh armor plating sliding down to reveal the hilt of a beam saber. Soma pulls it free, then ignites the red blade.
The GN-X comes charging out from behind its cover, flying just a few meters off the ground towards the Staticaster. It swings its beam blade in a wide arc, Soma asking, <"Is that all you're here for? Energy? What for?"> There are lots of uses for energy. And plenty of easier ways of getting it. So why?
KTS: Soma Peries targets Julia Ampere with GN-X Beam Saber Closing The Gap! KTS: Luanova Luckwright's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage. KTS: Luanova Luckwright parries Milly Ashford's System Shock, taking 795 damage! KTS: Milly Ashford has engaged Luanova Luckwright! <Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Do you think so?" Yuliana smiles, when Elisa remarks on her helpful influence. "I do so try to encourage the girl. I see great things in her, you know!"
Yuliana points out the Wanderpanzer, and says: "Her!" She has no remorse for selling Lua out. "But don't destroy her here, zhenushka. Julia's working so hard to put on a show. It would be a shame to interrupt them." So she works with the AEU on loan, does she...
And Elisa protects her, with a crackling green barrier, and Yuliana claps for her as well. "Marvellous! You're so talented, Elya. I don't know where I'd be without you... so it's a good thing I don't even have to entertain the thought!" She's noticed Elisa's insistence, naturally.
Soma seems offended by the entertainment on offer, and Yuliana just laughs. "Easily offended, isn't she?" She asks, and not without spite.
She reaches over to grab her radio, and the internationally-wanted voice of Yuliana Kafim comes over comms on a general frequency: "Julia, dear, I just thought you'd like to know that the good Doctor's suit is most likely transmitting haptic sensations to the pilot. That is to say... she can feel the damage you're doing to her machine. It's a common kinesthetic feature in Mobile Trace Suits!"
A beat.
"You're doing great, Leina!" OH NO, NOT HER TOO. "Though I'm surprised to see you deployed here... well, do your best!"
She adds, supportively: "And you keep fighting on, Coup de Foudre! If you do your best, I'm sure something interesting will happen!"
A moment later, she turns off her receiver, and puts the portable system to one side again. With that, the voice of internationally-wanted criminal, Yuliana Kafim, thankfully fades from the radio.
With a sniff, she picks up her binoculars to focus on the Gernsback and the Coup de Foudre. "Honestly," she grouses to her wife, "isn't it a little insulting to say they come from a mad science lab? Julia's an engineer! It's completely different."
How interesting to learn that Sayla lives right here in Spain, though. Yuliana wonders if Leina lives with her mother. Questions for later...
For now, she asides, to Elisa: "Really, as if Leyasha doesn't realise she's gated her best material." And then she snickers, so evidently she's said something very funny.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
"I do!" Elisa answers pleasantly.
But then, the Wanderpanzer... Elisa narrows her eyes. "As you wish," she says. It would not be entirely trivial to call up a kaiju here in any case... and it rather would ruin Julia's show.
But Yuliana claps, and Elisa smiles. "Indeed. Always I will be with you."
Elisa laughs, musically, at Yuliana's spipte. However, she does notice that she helps. "Oh yes," Elisa agrees, and it may or may not be picked up by the radio when she answers. "She is doing well, isn't she?"
Then a firm nod. "Indeed. And she's hardly mad. She seems quite cheerful to me."
Was that a joke? It might have been a joke.
Yuliana's certainly was. Elisa laughs hard.
"Oh yes," she says. "Hm hm hm."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Iberdeia Electrica Popular. Leina decides to note that to run some checks on the mysterious pilot that way. NDA or not, the AEU Labor divisions are rather strict on getting certain details, at least.
She almost LOSES that name from her mind though when Sayla starts flirting with the Phantom Thief.
"<Oh my Godddd.>"
The tone carries several feelings, in the sense of 'This is on me' and 'Not sure if want' and 'You are so embarrassing'.
Yet the comment on heists of Britannian museums, earns a laser comm straight to her unit, "That's it, no more late night 'Collateral' reruns for you."
Leina you love that show.
(Leina isn't ENCOURAGING the Phantom Thief because of it.)
Seolla does ask a question privately of Sayla, and indeed it is a good one. It is private, so Leina cannot answer her. Why is she even with a group like this? Doesn't it feel extremely sudden?
Could Leina have already shared this information? Betrayed them this way?
There's a surreal sense of whiplash however when Yuliana shares information about the mobile trace system with their opponent, "<Yuliana!? Wait! Don't-!>"
Whereas, she's still sputtering over the idea of the opponent utilizing the idea of suit damage to torture the pilot when Yuliana praises her. "<It's->" Caught between two emotional states she finally trails off into, "<...I live here.>"
Julia's immediate shift to 'power' as her pun of choice causes about two seconds of dead air as Leina holds the comms down before she utters, "<Still leaves a Watt to be desired.>"
The bolt sent in Leina's direction, the girl does fall for it, in a sense, as her unit stops short. Indeed, that Newtype Flash bolts across her senses but she's already moved her unit into gear.
The jolt rips through the Beguir, frying systems, even as she forces it forward, clinching her teeth as muscles spasm.
The funnels need time to reboot and run a diagnostic, so she keeps the forward momentum going. Snapping off several shots with it's rifle, Julia learns that was never her intent in short order.
As the Beguir's foot suddenly kicks up jets firing for added momentum as the claws try to dig into the Staticaster and shred into its armor wholesale, with quick motions of its feet.
It gives more delicate systems time to reboot, but sometimes? Just brute forcing it is enough - and her ability to realize this is how people know for a fact that she's Judau's sister.
"If she somehow manages to recruit her into Advanced Logistics I'm just - going home."
Leina promises to herself as she listens to the negotiations.
KTS: Leina Ashta targets Julia Ampere with Beguir Neur Foot Unit Claw Shred! KTS: Seolla Schweizer fails to react to Milly Ashford's System Shock, taking 4170 damage! KTS: Milly Ashford has engaged Seolla Schweizer! KTS: Milly Ashford begins a Formation attack! KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Foresee Spirit Command. KTS: Milly Ashford rattles Teletha Testarossa, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Teletha Testarossa fails to Evade Milly Ashford's Weapon Wrap, taking 4392 damage! KTS: Milly Ashford has engaged Teletha Testarossa!
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Seolla's message gets a tightbeam back. "<I don't like it either. But it's the deal she and Mineva made to keep things from getting worse.>" There's a brief pause. "<And I'd rather be close if or when it goes bad. ...Thank you.>"
The beam scarf of the Shuffle Heart manifests from it's emitter, and Sayla brings it up to block the worst of the sudden blast- but it still knocks the Shuffle Heart back- and sends Sayla skidding across the ground of the cockpit with another grunt. "Much obliged," Sayla responds, dryly. "...I can't disagree on that, at least." She agrees. "But I'm afraid that it's not really a good stage. The acoustics aren't ideal."
Open to collaboration, hm? "...It's not really my field," She responds in a non-commital fashion. God she hopes that comment isn't going to the Britannian Press tonight. "Let's just call it a frustrated joke, shall we?"
"<There's no possible way of enforcing that.>" Sayla tightbeams back to Leina.
And then Yuliana openly broadcasts the trait of the Mobile Trace System, and Sayla frowns. What the hell is she playing at? She doesn't respond to Yuliana's comment- but it is noticed.
The beam scarf darts forward, driven by Psycommu controls- but rather than trying to strike with force, Sayla is simply trying to make contact. The reason becomes obvious pretty fast- it contains a virus to try and dampen the Staticaster's power output to weapons and mitigate the damage it can deal.
KTS: Sayla Mass targets Julia Ampere with Prevent! KTS: Julia Ampere has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Julia Ampere has activated the Focus Spirit Command. KTS: Julia Ampere has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass prevents Julia Ampere's maneuvers, reducing her Skill drastically. KTS: Julia Ampere fails to evade Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Saber Closing The Gap, taking 3120 damage! KTS: Soma Peries has engaged Julia Ampere! KTS: Julia Ampere retreats from the attack! KTS: Julia Ampere successfully avoids Leina Ashta's Beguir Neur Foot Unit Claw Shred <Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
<"Appreciate it, Uruz-11. I'm just kind of winging it out here.">
The edge of Lua's mouth curls into a smirk despite herself when she hears the communication from the Argiope's pilot. <"I thought you liked friends with magic tricks,"> she tells Milly through her synthesized voice. <"Doesn't it ruin the trick when you know how it's done?">
And one more voice, one that Lua does remember. Myrmecia stands back and its single eye swivels to focus on Seolla's Gernsback, as if they were two people conversing. <"That's the flower nutcase. Are all mobile weapons terrorists nutcases? Are they in a big club together or something?"> This, of course, is plenty of time for Milly to regroup and settle on her next tactic, bringing the enormous outsized whip down on her two smaller enemy units. Lua begins to feel the ghost of motion ahead of time. The Myrmecia turns around, just in time to slap the whip out of the air and off course from it, despite the whip cable rivalling the size of Myrmecia's hand. Coup de Foudre keeps moving, following the crack through against the Gernsback and then sweeping out to sea. Myrmecia, too, keeps moving, departing off to the side after swatting the whip. <"I'll just be a second,"> she tells Seolla, though she doesn't bother to switch to a secure transmission for it.
Myrmecia's path takes it hovering past the battle with the Staticaster, to where the massive storage container has been brought, with the great power plant sized curtain. <"Borrowing this."> The wanzer stands at the base of the enormous container and bends down.
Myrmecia does not take the curtain. It grips the bottom edge of the container as if preparing to drag it across the land. Instead, it flips the entire container over on its side (sending out heavy clouds of dust and debris), so that it can grab it by the open sides, and as it clenches its grasp around the container, it crunches and folds the container, flattening it into still enormous layers. Myrmecia lifts this slab of metal, several times its size and enveloping the ground beneath in shadow, and carries it back, its thrusters tearing space in its wake.
What follows between Myrmecia and Coup de Foudre can best be likened to an encounter between professional wrestlers, one holding a metal folding chair. The scale of the action, of course, differs slightly.
KTS: Luanova Luckwright targets Milly Ashford with Giant Impact! KTS: Milly Ashford blocks Luanova Luckwright's Giant Impact, taking 6600 damage! KTS: Luanova Luckwright has engaged Milly Ashford! <Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
<"...something interesting?"> Oh, that strikes a chord with Seolla right then and there. Not just that it's a repugnant reason for causing so much chaos - but that it's something Seolla understands, at least in part. Part of why she can't settle down is the monotony of it, after all - she's had a drink of freedom and would drink the whole world in her thirst.
There's a boiling in Seolla's voice as she starts to go off. <"How am I supposed to stand that...it's one thing to cause this much trouble for some half-boiled ideals, it's another to do it just for fun...gyaagh!"> The coursing electricity from Milly's whip singes and sears through Seolla's Gernsback, racing along her arms on occasion - it's not her first rodeo with electrocution, but it still sends her thrashing and grunting, hissing as she purges armor plates to dislodge herself from the entanglement.
<"...Honestly - honestly - it's not like I can blame you. From the sound of it, I can easily see how we'd be doing the same thing in life if different people picked us up. I bet to you, we're all trying way too hard to get in the way of some power plant that shouldn't matter in the long run - that you know better what to do with others...">
<"But like, since when has this whole continent needed more screwing around?! With what I remember growing up - it was always kind of a mess!!"> A pain sears through Seolla's head at even trying to remember. It's nothing firm, nothing solid, all hazy shapes and silhouettes, all reconstructed ideas of how it must've been.
Luanova's rather unusual recourse brings Seolla to try pincering Milly in between herself and the Myrmecia- hopping from hill to hill to lay down lighter suppressive fire - ensuring the Wanzer won't stray too far and make Lua's risk all for naught. When it gets close enough though - when Lua's on track at a matched distance - a practiced <"Eins, zwei, drei!"> follows matching impacts for maximum cleaving, quick-drawing her cutter and trying to carve the Coup de Foudre clean at the hips.
<"...Haah...Captain-! We're holding down the assistant - I can still move, so don't hesitate a harsher bombard! We can bring her in if we're persistent enough-!">
KTS: Seolla Schweizer has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Seolla Schweizer targets Milly Ashford with GRAW-2 Monomolecular Cutter Press! KTS: Milly Ashford fails to react to Seolla Schweizer's GRAW-2 Monomolecular Cutter Press, taking 4230 damage! KTS: Seolla Schweizer has engaged Milly Ashford! <Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
"Brace for impact." The warning is said moments before the electricty courses through the water, working as effectively as ever on a metal ship sailing through insanely conductive liquid. Sparks along the surface, digging into the dented metal, a few lightbulbs making their final, brightest sacrifice inside a hallway or two.
Unfortunately for Yuliana, the mere fact that an Internationally-Wanted Criminal's voice suddenly blasts through is enough for Mithril to take note. Fortunately for Yuliana, there are more pressing things at hand than pursuring a voice broadcast. There's only a glance and a nod towards the radio tech on duty, who now has the unfortunate job of having to send the conversation off...
Still, for her to know both sides of this. It's vaguely frustrating. Part of the job, but there's a unique sense of simmering antagonism of someone understanding the situation more. Something under the surface, pushed back down as she watches the twin battles. The slow push on the Coup de Foudre, an advantageous upswing.
"Keep an eye on the shipping container." Something easily relayed for one of DANA's processes, dedicating part of the panels to viewing that object. "Load up all tubes. General delayed munitions."
"Aye, ma'am! Load all tubes!"
A beat.
"Fire."
Leaning back in her chair as the missiles fired forth, hatches opening, dispersing their load, and shutting back. A small mutter of prayer as those munitions jet straight for the Phantom Thief's Assistant, aiming to collide against the ground, the mech, any purchase sought.
And after five seconds, explode.
KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Teletha Testarossa targets Milly Ashford with All Out Attack!
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
Julia 'hm's to herself at Milly's response, and then nods.
"They did bring quite a bit more firepower than I was expecting. If it becomes too much, there's no shame in retreat. Feel free to use the Emergency Measure, if it comes down to it - cutting the plan short is worth your safety." Julia replies.
Yuliana chimes in with a helpful bit of information!
"Ah! I thought I noticed an audience. I do hope you both are enjoying yourselves." Julia replies cheerily, then pauses. "My. Haptic feedback to the pilot...? ...I should be surprised, but that is the sort of thing those fight-happy Gundam Fighters would relish. Well then! If that's the case... I'll certainly keep it in mind."
The situation does change considerably if she's inflicting harm on another. Leina reacts with surprise... but, Julia sees no reason to clarify matters.
In the meantime, Soma! Julia chuckles at her befuddlement.
"Oh, it has everything to do with it." Julia replies. "Why, the most exciting part of the job is meeting new, interesting people!"
Her static discharge hits its mark - but the GN-X's pilot proves her adaptability by closing into melee range with a surprise attack. Staticaster turns to face it.
"Of course~." Julia confirms, of energy. "As for why, well... everyone has to have a hobby, you know?"
Leina, meanwhile, has a joke of her own - and Julia laughs in response.
"Hah! I like you." She replies, pleased. The Beguir is forced forward, and the static barrier sparks to life a few times to intercept the incoming rifle attacks...
...but this, it seems, was a feint.
Jets fire, sending a dangerous, clawed kick Staticaster's way. But despite its tall, lanky appearance, it's quite agile. It spins to the side as the claws come in, the static barrier activating at the last second. The claws are pushed away, prevented from finding purchase - but they still scrape and tear at the surface of the armor, damaging the suit's suit. Julia grimaces. Far too close a shave.
"It's true, they could be better." Julia admits to Sayla with a chuckle. "But we must be ready to act under any circumstances, hm? An actor who can perform only on an ideal stage will find themselves short of work!"
She nods, though, in understanding.
"Yes, of course. We shall leave it at that, then." She decides. She's not going to push it.
But the show - or rather, the fight, must go on! Julia retreats backwards a few steps, and winds up for an attack... but as she's about to launch it, Sayla's beam scarf wraps around an arm! Julia shakes it off - but that brief contact was enough. A warning erupts to life on Staticaster's console... and Julia smirks.
"Attacking my power output... you are a clever one." Julia notes. It's a turnabout she didn't expect, but that does make the fight more exciting. She retaliates - one gesture sends a bolt of lightning leaping toward the Shuffle Heart. And then, with a graceful, spinning leap, sends out another!
She whirls on the Beguir next, bringing her hands together. The coils hidden in the mobile suit's sleeves connect - and unleash a branching surge of electricity. It looks much like a tree, or perhaps a bouquet - and would be fascinating if it weren't so dangerous.
With that, she reaches up for her hat.
"Lest my tricks become dull... here's another! By all appearances, nothing, and yet...!" She removes the hat with a flourish, and spins it demonstratively, then reaches in... and pulls out an Electrocrawler! The mechanical, electricity-quadroped waggles its tendrils. "...A darling Electrocrawler, for you!"
And then, with a gentle toss, the Electrocrawler leaps for Soma's GN-X, looking to latch on and drain power from it!
KTS: Julia Ampere targets Sayla Mass with Twin Surge! KTS: Julia Ampere targets Leina Ashta with Brush Discharge! KTS: Julia Ampere targets Soma Peries with Electrocrawler Draining Grapple! KTS: Leina Ashta fails to react to Julia Ampere's Brush Discharge, taking 4650 damage! KTS: Soma Peries rushes into the attack! KTS: Julia Ampere rattles Soma Peries, making her next maneuvers more difficult. KTS: Soma Peries partially guards Julia Ampere's Electrocrawler Draining Grapple, taking 3534 damage! KTS: Julia Ampere has engaged Soma Peries! KTS: Julia Ampere begins a Formation attack! KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Trick Spirit Command. KTS: Milly Ashford fails to react to Teletha Testarossa's All Out Attack, taking 8840 damage! KTS: Milly Ashford has been defeated! KTS: Sayla Mass partially guards Julia Ampere's Twin Surge, taking 4800 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Julia Ampere's Immaculate Scheme activates, causing Designate L1! KTS: Julia Ampere completes the Formation attack! <Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
Yuliana cheering Milly on actually distracts Milly a bit; it gets her to backpedal rather than press in. She's still fairly green, when it comes down to it. She opens her mouth to say something -- but Yuliana and Elisa's signal disappears from the radio a moment later. ... Something to talk about later, perhaps.
"... You've got me there," Milly has to concede, at the comment on friends with magic tricks. And it ultimately doesn't really do her much good to know how these things are being accomplished, does it? Whether it's superior hydraulics or literal magic, her next move remains the same.
Unfortunately, her next move is to get dogpiled a bit. Luanova snags a heavy slab and immediately introduces Milly's wanzer to it; she goes staggering back, her machine losing its footing and starting to spin out.
Milly weighs, for a split second, letting Seolla in on more; it's actually a little frustrating to pretend she doesn't have an ideology, that this really is just for the sheer stimulation of it all, even if revealing the truth of the matter would be risky. ... but it's as Julia said -- her safety is the most important thing. The monomolecular cutter bites into the Argiope, and nearly bisects it at the hips; Milly can feel the deformation of the metal underneath her.
She gets several missile lock warnings, and decides it's about time to leave. "Looks like I'm cutting and running," she says, deciding to take 'there's no shame in retreat' to heart. She reaches down to her console --
-- and the cockpit of the Coup de Foudre goes flying all at once, punching out of its bolted-in position in the back of the wanzer. By the time the missiles touch down, Milly herself is quite safe -- which is good, because that's a lot of missiles.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yuliana has to laugh, reflecting on Leina's panic. "So untrusting," she titters, and picks her radio up again. "The Energy Thief's not a bad woman, you know -- hardly a mad scientist. Really, she's more of a cheerful engineer..." Just as Elisa described her!
She turns her radio off, and sets it back down.
But she sniffs, and exclaims, to her wife: "Flower nutcases! Elya, did you hear that?! She called us nutcases! The nerve! Is that how they see us?" She pouts, reaching a hand over to grasp Elisa's. "It's awful... all anyone ever sees is a terrorist." She will not, of course, try not terrorising everyone.
Evidently, though, this slander has put her in a mood -- particularly as Milly jettisons away. "I can't believe that awful Toy Box tried to blow her up so viciously!" She scowls, pertubed. "Ugh, and now they're going to ruin Julia's trick, too...!"
She lets Elisa's hands go, but just so she can fold her arms across her chest. "These people... honestly!"
... her mood really does shift on a dime.
<Pose Tracker> Soma Peries has posed.
So focused as she is on trying to comprehend Julia's reasoning here... And fighting off her attacks, Soma doesn't notice that they do indeed have an audience. Which is probably a good thing, because Soma would probably take the opportunity to drop the mission of stopping the Energy Thief and going after the even bigger target.
As it stands though, Soma just sorta... Stares at the Stacicaster on his display, <"... Hobby? ... What kind of crazy mind do you have to consider what you're doing a hobby?"> Soma doesn't pilot a mobile weapon as a means to pass the time... It's not even all that enjoyable. It doesn't make sense!
An Electrocrawler is thrown her way. Soma's tactic of closing in unfortunately does not help in this situation. The robotic crawler attaches itself to the GN-X and starts sapping energy from it.
Soma considers trying to remove the drone... But decides instead to focus on the source. She counters the power drain by cranking the output of her GN Drive up. It's going to burn through its particle counter faster... But it'll offset the drain long enough for Soma to accomplish the mission.
Hopefully.
Soma sweeps her beam saber out to the side, saying, <"If this is so unimportant to you, then why don't you just stop? Before something terrible happens."> Soma charges in, trying to pressure Julia into doing just that, by raising her blade to strike.
But it's a feint! The GN-X spinning around the Staticaster at the last moment, drawing its GN Rifle with its other hand and raising it to unload repeated blasts at its foe from close range.
KTS: Soma Peries has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Soma Peries targets Julia Ampere with GN-X Beam Rifle Point Blank Unload!
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"We'll see about that."
Leina tightbeams back to Sayla. Leina your mother is a communications expert, don't start this fight.
(When has she ever backed down from a fight with family?)
Indeed, Julia doesn't precisely, help her anxiety that the information was handed out to harm her Mother.
Still, she does seem to keep the gentlewoman thief act up, doesn't she, declaring she likes her? Even as the Staticaster agilely maneuvers away with little to show for her gambit but some scratches.
Part of her wonders where she learned to pilot like this.
"<A cheerful engineer.>" Leina repeats, even as Yuliana tries to dispel her distrust with only partial success, "<I don't get it, if this is just a hobby, then what do you need all that energy for? Just fencing it like any other stolen goods? Building with it?>"
That branching surge of electricity is sent out at her machine, and the pilot tries to hurriedly send her mobile suit behind some shipping crates, but it's too late.
The arc of electricity surges through the systems of the unit, testing its insulation to the limit.
The most she can do is twist the unit such that the shield takes it head on, but that only helps in a singular way. It spares the rear armor another big shock.
As alarms go off in the cockpit, she takes a moment to assess it all, then closes her eyes.
The funnels suddenly rise out of the rear armor, flying about the plant as they begin firing in sequence. There is a certain expectation there.
That the Staticaster will be able to evade the majority of them, but in the end, it's meant to buy time.
Time. Time enough for frazzled systems to reboot, again.
Time enough for her to take the limiter off the Beam Rifle, charging up a shot. Time enough for the Beguir to step out of cover, with the rifle muzzle burning bright.
It's certainly no Beam Magnum.
"It'll do."
The long stream of Minovsky hell scythes across the legs of the Staticaster, trying to get through that Static Barrier and melt at least one of them right off.
"<All this smoke and mirrors - with the magician's tricks and unserious declarations - I don't buy that there's no ideology at the bottom of this rabbit hole.>"
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Leina Ashta targets Julia Ampere with Beguir Neuer Beam Rifle Firing Squad!
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
It is immensely personally satisfying for Luanova Luckwright to break what is functionally a piece of landscape over a military mobile weapon.
Uruz-11 calls in a missile bombardment. Lua follows her first instinct: there is no such thing as a "precision airstrike," no matter how coordinated. Myrmecia falls back, regrettably too far to have a chance at catching the assistant's escape pod, and instead puts a hand on Seolla's Gernsback. Of course her compatriot isn't going to be aiming for them, but with the two units in contact, Myrmecia can lend its kinetic field, knocking away any stray debris or collateral shockwaves until the missile strike clears.
<"That's one down,"> she communicates to Uruz-11 and its titanic backup. She's not going to immediately go join the fray against the Energy Thief herself. Instead, Myrmecia navigates the battlefield towards the power plant itself, swatting electrocrawlers on the way to take up a hovering defensive position. With her new melee weapon, which she wields as a badge of pride.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Yuliana sniffs and exclaims. Elisa turns to her, and frowns. "I did hear that," she answers, turning up her nose at the very prospect. Obviously she's not going to stop terrorizing anytime soon either. Still.
"After you work so hard," Elisa says to her wife. "Hmph. So they are. No concept of a proper show."
"It's really enough to put off one's appetite."
Her mood does shift, but, "Come, my Yuliana. These people will never understand Julia's work, or our own. And discouraging such a promising young woman, too..."
She shakes her head, and starts to sit up from where she'd been reclining. "Come. Let us go where we are welcome."
The fight doesn't much concern her any longer.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"I'm afraid I'm not the one to talk to about that. I'm sure someone else here can talk better about staging." Dramatics are really more Leina's field than Sayla's. "Appreciated." Sayla responds quietly- she's on the outs with enough people right now.
"I've picked up some tricks of my own in my time." Sayla responds- and brings up her arms to block the electricity. It's not enough though, and the shocks jolt through the suit. She lets out another gasp of pain. It's not enough to put her down, but... It still stings like a bastard. She stumbles backward, the electricity arcing off the Shuffle Heart. But knowing what Yuliana told her... she definitely could have thrown out more than that, couldn't she? "<I'm alright.>" She quickly tightbeams to Leina.
Still, now is a bad time to mess about. Julia could hit her harder at any time. So Sayla raises her right hand, palm inwards, in front of her.
Nothing immediately happens. "...Really? That wasn't just for show..." Sayla shakes her head. "God *damnit* why were you all like this."
She stops and takes another run at it, raising her right hand again. "With this hand, I seize victory!" She shouts- not just says, but shouts. The hands segments open, revealing an array of beam emitters in a heart pattern on the palm. They glow pink, like the Beam Scarf. "Now take this! HEARTFUL FINGER!"
She bursts forward, palm outwards, to drive for the Staticaster's head- but if she hits at all that place will be hit with a burst energy, leaving a heart shaped scar on the metal of the Staticaster- or the surface nearest it.
It has a more than passing resemblance to the Shining Finger of Domon Kasshu, or the Darkness Finger of Master Asia, but much more reliant on the technology in the machine, rather than the skill of the fighter.
But even if the attack misses, Sayla still tries to make contact with the Staticaster with her other hand- just enough to make touch comms. "<If you move to go after your apprentice, I won't stop you.>"
KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Strike Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass has activated the Valor Spirit Command. KTS: Sayla Mass targets Julia Ampere with Heartful Finger! KTS: Julia Ampere fails to react to Soma Peries's GN-X Beam Rifle Point Blank Unload, taking 7410 damage! KTS: Soma Peries has engaged Julia Ampere! KTS: Julia Ampere fails to react to Leina Ashta's Beguir Neuer Beam Rifle Firing Squad, taking 7670 damage! KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Leina Ashta's Mass Effect activates, causing Control Bonus! KTS: Julia Ampere fails to react to Sayla Mass's Heartful Finger, taking 7540 damage! KTS: Julia Ampere has been defeated! KTS: Sayla Mass has engaged Julia Ampere!
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
The shipping container goes flying as Luanova 'borrows' it! The flying Electrocrawlers veer upward, almost out of panic. One of them loses their grasp on their part of the curtain - but quickly dips back down and regrabs it to avoid losing it. They start to fly into position, beginning to hover toward the power plant - but with Luanova beginning to run interference, the proposition becomes risky when they're already so occupied with their cargo - too risky.
Julia, meanwhile, shakes her head at Soma's response.
"Tsk, tsk... so judgmental! It's a perfectly fine hobby, you know. It's fulfilling and it's excellent exercise. Lighten up a little." Julia replies, then shakes her head. "...But you're mistaken if you think this is unimportant to me. I don't go through all this trouble for nothing~."
Of course, tricks will only get her so far.
Soma charges with. Staticaster dodges to the side, using the static field to divert the blade... and it might've worked, had that been the intent. But the GN-X spins at the last second, unleashing a volley of blasts! Staticaster staggers backward.
Leina raises a good question - what is this all for? Julia chuckles in response.
"That would be telling~. But rest assured, I make sure it gets put to good use." Julia says. ...Which may be no comfort at all, considering her tendencies. The Beguir is hit... but it's far from out. Funnels rise and Staticaster weaves its way through the shots... but they keep her busy enough that she can't focus on the Beguir until it's too late. Surprise registers on Julia's face and she leaps out of the way - but not fast enough to avoid it, as the beam sears across a hip, causing Staticaster to stumble.
Ideology... Julia laughs, with a small smile.
"Mm... Well. Sometimes, what you see is what you get. I wouldn't think too hard on it." Julia diverts.
Sayla's response gets a chuckle out of her - and then, a respectful nod.
"I'm quite impressed." She notes.
And Sayla... makes a loud declaration! Julia didn't think she was the type. Still... it is quite cool. This is the sort of thing she enjoy.
"My... how impressive! Come, then! Let's see it!" Julia replies with a wide grin, charging in! She tries to weave out of the way at the last second, but not quickly enough. Shuffle Heart's palm slams into Staticaster's mask - and the resulting explosion is enough to send it reeling backward. Its hat goes flying... though it still has enough capability to catch it before it goes too far.
Julia shuts her eyes and smiles. Milly's successfully retreated, so she can rest easy there, and with the power plant under guard, it's clear her plan will go no further.
"...I think I'll take you up on that offer." Julia replies quietly, in that brief moment that touch communications are maintained.
...There's no trace of that quietness there, though, as Staticaster leaps back dramatically. It stands up tall and proud, even battered and with its mask broken, that heart-shaped scar sending cracks all throughout it.
"Well now! You all have put up a most marvelous fight. You have my gratitude, for entertaining myself and my apprentice... But, I think it's time to draw this act to a close." Julia says. "Darlings! It's time for plan B~!"
Dutifully the Electrocrawlers retreat from the power plant, until they're just in front of Julia.
"You've all been magnificent. I look forward to our next encounter... But until then, farewell~!" Julia declares. Staticaster performs a low, sweeping bow... and then, the Electrocrawlers let the curtain fall, rolling out like at the end of any stage performance. And then they let go of it for good, taking the opportunity to fly away...
...and when the curtain is no longer blocking the view, there's no sign left of Staticaster at all.
Looks like there won't be any encores tonight, at least.