2023-03-08: Snipe Hunt

• Cast: Faye Valentine, Lina Lombardi, Roux Louka, Christina MacKenzie
• Where: Side 4 Shoal Zone
• Date: U.C. 0097 03 08
• Summary: Fortune brings together a cluster of fast-flying ladies in pursuit of a legend. What drew them here? Can they survive the chaos of a shoal zone? And can they make that final shot?

---

+------------------------------< 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> Faye Valentine has posed.

        "Tch... Amateurs. Honestly, why do I even try? Even if I catch this thing, all these two bit crooks will end up making excuses about why they deserve a share... There's just no money in this business, I swear! Every time I go after a big score, a dozen other idiots have the same idea, and the small fries are spent in a day!"

        Which is, admittedly, more a reflection of Faye Valentine's spending habits. Still, Luio and Co's pockets are deep enough to be worth even this sort of high-profile clown show. And Sayla... Well, she hadn't said anything about the situation directly, but it seemed like she cared. Maybe if Faye helped put this one to bed.

        "These clowns... when a lady asks you to dance, there's a difference between leading and stomping on her toes. Well. Try and keep up."

        Actually matching the speed of the Phenex doesn't seem possible, especially for this little civilian craft. But what it /can/ do is twist and turn through the debris with a butterfly's grace, looping after the speeding bird in odd little patterns as Faye's eyes dart across the shrapnel - which is only worsening as these freelancers start trying to solve things with their guns. Typical. Still, with her eye on the prize, Faye grins a little grin and kicks on an open channel.

        "If you all want to stop tripping over your own feet, I can just send you my guidance data. It won't be cheap, but it's a small price to pay if you're the one who pulls the golden ticket, isn't that right?"

FPT: Faye Valentine has acted with Skill and Mobility.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         "RITA!" A green ReLion streaks through the shoal zone, dodging between the asteroids as it attempts to keep up with the golden suit. This was the first time she had seen it in the...flesh, so to say. Her friend was in...no, her friend WAS this mobile suit. This was Rita Bernal.

         Rita! It's me, Lina! Slow down!

         The ReLion's pilot tries to reach out through space mentally, stretching her still newfound abilities. Her concentration wavers as a blast of fire from one of the freelancers glances off her wing, causing her to shake off course. "Perch non guardi il tuo fottuto fuoco, eh?" The peanut gallery was in full force now, enticed by the generous bounty Michele had put on the Phenex.

         Lina didn't really care about the bounty. Not that she would mind that much money, but Michele was already paying her in information for this. And Rita was her friend anyway. She wanted to get her back.

         "Hey Valentine! Long time no fly, eh? Sure, be a doll and send it over."

FPT: Lina Lombardi has acted with Skill and Mobility.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

One of the bounty hunters who is being deterred by the shoal zone has a sudden huge object pass by! In eerie silence - except for the simulated sound its thrusters make in most cockpit software packages.

"Get out of the vector," Roux answers them.

Something resolves itself - a Waverider-format Mobile Suit. Ah, the Zeta-types! The Strike Zeta, carrying a strap-on fuel tank to make up for the lack of atmosphere to fuel its thermonuclear jet engines*, surges forwards. It does lower throttle. After all...

Even Roux can only react so fast.

Her eyes flick up and down as she adjusts the angle and speed of the Suit, subtly. "Are you flirting with me?" Roux asks Faye Valentine. "It's a rhetorical question, send it over. Do you want a split or are you just being daring?"

<Pose Tracker> Christina MacKenzie has posed.

        Though bulky, it was with precision that the armored suit flitted beneath an asteroid. Christina Mackenzie, agent of Celestial Being, scanned the Tristan's HUD once again. So many busy dots, all moving in the same direction. Not just moving, either; beam fire traced sharp lines through the darkness sporadically. Fools. Each pursuer acted on their own, firing as though it could do anything. Well, it could--at least two mobile suits narrowly avoided getting kneecapped by their own flock's rifle fire. But with such an excessive sum at stake...well, it was unlikely for cooler heads to predominate.

        For that matter, she wondered, what was she really doing here? Certainly, the reward itself would make her projects much easier. In wealth of zeroes alone, it had possessed enough to make her read the whole bulletin, but...was she here to capture the Phenex? Hardly. Chris had seen her aboard the Ptolemais, had heard her plea, and had witnessed her power and fury. A sheet of metal, probably the hull of a battleship, flashed by as the Tristan's thrusters responded to her touch. No, Chris had stood next to Rita, shoulder to--well, barely the Phenex's heel, but that made her no less a comrade. But... Well, there's enough idiots here, she may as well keep an eye on the whole mess. And, it had been a long while since Sri Lanka. To share this empty sea with the Phenex's glow might be its own reward.

        Confident calls filtered across the open channel. Chris's palms flexed against the sticks, thumb adjusting the throttle sensitivity, as she grinned to herself in the cockpit. "No sense in getting left behind, old friend. Let's show her what we can do!"

FPT: Christina MacKenzie has acted with Skill and Mobility.
FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Skill and Mobility.
FPT: Christina MacKenzie's Pursuit of Justice Ability assists!
FPT: Lina Lombardi's  Ability assists!
FPT: Round Complete!

+------------------------------< 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: 0 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Christina MacKenzie |
| STATS: SKL/MOB Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Lina Lombardi |
| STATS: SKL/MOB Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Roux Louka |
| STATS: SKL/MOB Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Faye Valentine |
| STATS: SKL/MOB Charges Used: 0 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 1 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+

FPT: +flash/draw to start a new round!
FPT: Christina MacKenzie'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> Christina MacKenzie has posed.

                The Tristan warns Chris of what, exactly, the 'on my signal' represented, flashing {"MP SPIKE!"} in red. <"She's not kidding, CLEAR OUT!"> she calls to the open channel. Hide and seek... well, it's been a while since she's played this game. "Rita, be careful..." she mutters, even as she shifts her control scheme to TTFC, painting everything stationary in front of her with deadly little crosses, so many they overlap, hashing most of the HUD. "What an awful waste of salvage..."

        The Tristan's thrust plumes blaze sideways, banking sharply away from the battleship denial zone. <"Tristan, Firing!"> INCOMs skitter out, spinning titanium silk behind as they spread and gleam, pivot and shine, erasing eight Xs from the hud with each realignment.

FPT: Christina MacKenzie has acted with Mobility and Targeting.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         At Michele's notice, the Lion darts off to the side, its pilot's glance following Rita as she flies into the approaching beam. She winces a bit and readies her railgun, firing at the pieces of debris and rock that surrounded her, taking specific care not to actually aim at the Phenex.

         "Rita, I'm sorry!"

FPT: Lina Lombardi has acted with Mobility and Sight.

<Pose Tracker> Faye Valentine has posed.

"That voice... Ah, yeah, Lombardi! Cute jacket, nice accent, buys expensive wine, complains anyway. At least someone here knows how to fly. Sure, let me hook you up."

        The other request, from the Zeta, is answered just as quickly. "Yeah, yeah. You know, ordinarily I might be, but I'm actually a little tied down these days. Anyway, since I'm such a nice gal, it's a flat fee. If you end up rich, though, you can do me the favor of buying the drinks afterwards, too~"

        Unfortunately, Luio's other headhunters don't seem to be nearly as patient. While Faye dashes off the data to a few more mercs (and collects the funds for a comfortable evening out, in the process,) the ship decides to fill the space with plasma.

        "Whoa, /whoa/! I swear, some people have no patience. Well, whatever. Just remember, I file missiles as a business expense, buddy."

        And just like that, the rear of the Red Tail plumes with smoke - making generous use of its rack of missiles to shatter the debris ahead.

FPT: Faye Valentine has acted with Mobility and Sight.
FPT: Faye Valentine spends 1 ID Charges!  They will apply this coming round!

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"Less than you'd think," Roux butts in to Christina's observation, before --

Something in the air.

Something they're saying...

"... Heh," Roux says, as the missile bays of the Strike Zeta open. "It sounds like you're 'friends of hers' too." The bays fire out the standoff rockets. Just a pair of them - and they ack the glory and precision of any kind of controlled munition - but with the ambient particle density not that bad, Roux can designate a target - get a snapshot - give it to the missile - all of it happens swiftly. The debris, after all, isn't likely to evade actively.

That giant girder is, though! A sudden rattle of 60mm vulcan shells breaks it apart, and other than some dinging, it does NOT serve as a giant impactor on the Strike Zeta. Bonus! Not dying in space!

"You've got it," Roux answers Faye. "You didn't bring any sort of fancy MS-disabling equipment with you, by any chance?"

FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Mobility and Targeting.
FPT: Roux Louka's More Jet Than A Luxury Pool 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: 5 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Christina MacKenzie |
| STATS: MOB/TAR Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Lina Lombardi |
| STATS: MOB/SGT Charges Used: 0 Failure |
| PILOT: Roux Louka |
| STATS: MOB/TAR Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Faye Valentine |
| STATS: MOB/SGT Charges Used: 1 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 2 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+

FPT: +flash/draw to start a new round!
FPT: Christina MacKenzie'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> Faye Valentine has posed.

"Your usual EW suite. That Gundam doesn't seem impressed, though. Thing moves like... Well, not like a person, either. There are Gundams that do that. More like a bird, or a ghost."

        Another one of Luio's boys makes his appearance, in a stark white Gundam - There's finally a clear path to the target, though it's jetting well ahead.

        And then there very much isn't. Faye groans, the Red Tail hanging in space for a moment as she forces it to dance around the new aggressor. "Ugh, what the hell is /that/. Creepy... Who'd want a mech that looks like a big, weird bug."

        Pouting a bit at shattered dreams of golden lottery tickets, Faye leans on the throttles, the Red Tail flaring brightly as it does its best to dance around the frustrated Yuliana Kafim.

        "C'mon, be nice! I'm /really/ looking forward to a big date and I wanted to buy her something nice! You don't mind if I'm the one to drag that Gundam home, do you? ...Maybe you do, swinging that axe around like that."

FPT: Faye Valentine has acted with Piloting and Reactor.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         "Minovsky's?!" Lina hadn't seen that Wanzer in a fool's age! What was she doing here...? After all that had supposedly happened...

         No matter! Valentine's got her distracted! She rushes past, catching up with the new Gundam that had entered the scene. "Geez, and here I thought the Gundam was supposed to be special! We got a regular bargain bin sale of the things here!" She punches her thrusters, giving everything she's got to keep up.

FPT: Lina Lombardi spends 1 ID Charges!  They will apply this coming round!
FPT: Lina Lombardi has acted with Piloting and Reactor.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"It's probably not using electronic methods," Roux answers Faye. She can't be sure. Roux smirks to herself at Faye's statement about the Gundams. She tilts her head downwards, eyes half lidding, before

SCREAM! Something's coming! No, some one. Roux's head turns to look towards the barrage pouring out from the Narrative as she tsks her tongue, but then Jona begins to speak. At this point Roux takes a moment to pump out the remaining fuel from the tank into the Strike Zeta's onboard storage. Replete, Roux leads the empty void of the container for now.

They pursue towards the sector of a colony cylinder large enough to be made out and then SLAM, like a rippling bubble of dark water, there she is. That strange field of non-effect washes outwards, and perhaps for the first time does Roux really ENCOUNTER it.

What changed? Did Yuliana change?

Or did Roux?

But this sudden emotional numbness is not quite as crippling to Roux Louka, as sensitive as she may be -- because in its aftermath, Roux grits her teeth, feels her neck muscles tighten, and --

"KAFIM!!!!!"

She gets mad.

"What the fuck are you doing?! Get out of here in negative sixteen seconds!! I don't want to deal with your shit right now!! You have a lot of" minovsky inteference because this is a family game "ing GALL to pop up like a blood-soaked jack in the box! Do you know what I had to do to try and get you out!? Do you have a single idea?! I'd have sympathy right now but instead I'm mad because I'm actually a huge" minovsky interference "and GO AWAY RIGHT THIS MOMENT!"

As she does this, Roux puts a hand on the throttle and OPENS IT UP. The fuel tank gets detached as Roux twists away, leaving the huge empty thin-walled canister on a loosely angled collision course for the Wanzer!!

FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Piloting and Skill.

<Pose Tracker> Christina MacKenzie has posed.

                "Even so, I could have made somethi--whoa!"

        What an entrance! The onrushing Gundam demands attention--both for its impressive battle presence and the fervor in its pilot's voice. It sounds personal...but not personal enough to cage a bird, apparently. No, far more significant to Rita appears to be the wanzer... wasn't something like that in the debriefing over Elisa's wife? The nullifier? ...But even without any expanded senses, Chris can hear, reverberate with the obsessive intent. Both Kafim and the Gundam seem particularly preoccupied...sheesh. Some people just need a good hobby. [No Self Awareness Club: +1]

        But then...the Phenex changes course. The /Phenex/. "Oh? Rita, do you actually..." Chris's only exposure to the bird had been as an ineffable notion of magic and fury; this was the first time she'd really seen anything halt the Phenex in her tracks. "Then, if I can get around to..." Chris shifted the Failnaught's thrusters all straight back, keying up the thrust intensity to yellow-mark. "Come on, let's go! Tristan, Full burn!"

FPT: Christina MacKenzie has acted with Piloting and Reactor.
FPT: Roux Louka's I'm falling in love with myself! applies!
FPT: Faye Valentine's Cosmic Dare applies!
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: 10 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Christina MacKenzie |
| STATS: PIL/RX Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Lina Lombardi |
| STATS: PIL/RX Charges Used: 1 Failure |
| PILOT: Roux Louka |
| STATS: PIL/SKL Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Faye Valentine |
| STATS: PIL/RX Charges Used: 0 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 3 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+

FPT: +flash/draw to start a new round!
FPT: Christina MacKenzie'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> Christina MacKenzie has posed.

        Even in the Tristan's pressurized cockpit, it's an intense high-G burn to cut wide and cut off one angle, while still keeping up with the raw speed of the Phenex. Chris's knuckles clench white, refusing to release the throttle killswitch, even as spots dance at the edge of her vision. Maybe...just maybe she overtuned the full burn limits a little.
                "Ri...ta, ...not fair!" the Old Maid manages to grunt, refusing to give in to things like "thrombotic risk" and "blacking out".

FPT: Christina MacKenzie has acted with Reactor and Armor.

<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         The Lion sputters as it struggles to catch up. For all her trash talk, Gundams were tough. She wouldn't be a pilot if she wasn't willing to take the highway to the danger zone, though! She pushes as far as she can, taking the engines to their limit!

         Rita...Rita...RITAAAAAAAA!

FPT: Lina Lombardi spends 1 ID Charges!  They will apply this coming round!
FPT: Lina Lombardi has acted with Reactor and Hit Points.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

Roux Louka, of course, was already opening up her throttle!! Heh heh heh!! What a cunning ROUX!!

It is, of course, something of a coincidence that this happened; and her acceleration is a steady and stable thing, settling in at approximately 2G, which hurts -- it feels like, let's say Iino because Judau's a little lighter, is laying atop of her and pressing inwards. An entire Roux's worth of weight is inside of her body, and she can feel her muscles tensing as she maintains overthrust.

Her eyes turn towards the fuel estimates. They're complex things, but the fuel canister was a good investment, even leaving aside its exciting opportunity to try to BONK YULIANA KAFIM: It means she is, uh, SOMEWHAT less crushed than many.

Or at least, isn't shocking herself.

"You guys - gotta get - custom suits," Roux pants out. "how is he even - handling this, twisting like that - he's gonna - rip a ligament open -"

FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Reactor and Hit Points.

<Pose Tracker> Faye Valentine has posed.

        "Oh, you have /got/ to be kidding me!"

She can't let this thing get away! Not in the least because of all the fuel and missiles she's been throwing away.

        Groaning, Faye responds to Jona's own desperate strategy in similar fashion - launching a long, spiked harpoon on a cable to sink into Jona's own claw. "Guess these weren't the worst id- whoa, whoa!?"

        Fun thing about physics - if you're attached to something that's accelerating... The Red Tail whips around a bit on the end of its own line, Faye suddenly needing to spend most of her efforts on not taking any especially nasty impacts.

FPT: Faye Valentine has acted with Reactor and Armor.
FPT: Faye Valentine spends 1 ID Charges!  They will apply this coming round!
FPT: Christina MacKenzie's Shortstop and Failnaught's Shell Abilities assist!
FPT: Lina Lombardi's  Ability assists!
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: 10 >--------------------------------+
| PILOT: Christina MacKenzie |
| STATS: RX/ARM Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Lina Lombardi |
| STATS: RX/HP Charges Used: 1 Success |
| PILOT: Roux Louka |
| STATS: RX/HP Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Faye Valentine |
| STATS: RX/ARM Charges Used: 1 Success |
+-----------------------------< Round 4 Results >------------------------------+
+---------------------------------< .SRTMOO. >---------------------------------+

FPT: +flash/draw to start a new round!
FPT: Christina MacKenzie'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> Lina Lombardi has posed.

         Lina readies her railgun, pointing it at Rita. Her aim wavers as her arms tremble at the controls. Can she...Can I...

         Rita wasn't a soldier. She hadn't been sent out to die like Lina had. If she fired, would she be any better than Treize Kushrenada?

         I don't know if this can be changed. But if he does this, I will guide the heroes of the living to try and stop him.

         Lina closes her eyes tight, holding back tears as she pulls the trigger.

FPT: Lina Lombardi has acted with Intuition and W-Space.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

Space isn't shrinking but they're getting closer. Closer... CLOSER... are they outside of the shoal zone now? Roux thinks. With high G acceleration - the kind they usually only do in passenger liners, and even then it's just a question of gentle steady velocity, and besides, they don't have any reason to run lines out to Mars right now, do they? -

No room to think about this. They're coming.

Striking.

Fighting. Aiming to shoot the Phenex down - to make the miracle...

What?

To catch it? To destroy it? To set it free?

She wants to be a bird, doesn't she?

"You should have the chance," says Roux as she activates *HER OWN* Hyper Mega Launcher - perhaps less formidable than the one the Narrative is wielding - and lets her eyes half-close.

"Roll with it," says Roux, but -- she stalls on her firing for just a second --

And then it streaks!

FPT: Roux Louka has acted with Intuition and Sight.

<Pose Tracker> Christina MacKenzie has posed.

        Chris is... mesmerized by the Phenomenon. She... she wonders if this is the world that Sayla and Leina see when...Well, Sayla had tried to explain it multiple times, but this seemed...beyond even that, maybe. She felt the light catch her, cradle her, slow her down. In material space she was still hurtling at breakneck speed--no, literally, if she decelerated too fast, even she would have to acknowledge her body's limitations. But the light seemed to beckon... seemed to reassure her. Her thumb felt lighter, and she flicked the triggerguard aside.

        This life isn't all there is. Again and again we're reborn.

        Maybe it was simply justification, rationalization. Maybe just the impulse of a soldier to fire a gun. But maybe there's some greater pattern to this...

                "Rita...even me?" Chris has no idea if the open channel caught the murmur... but as long as at least Rita--and the Tristan--can hear her ask...

                "Ful...crum." Her thumb squeezed down. The INCOMs leapt, danced together, an octagon before her, corsucating against the Phenex's own light.

        The instant passed, and Chris released the sticks. She'd slow down. The Tristan would bring her back to safe velocity. The Phenex grew distant.

FPT: Christina MacKenzie has acted with Intuition and Sight.

<Pose Tracker> Faye Valentine has posed.

        The Phenex calls, reaching out to human hearts.

Do you believe in heaven?

        Faye doesn't even notice the cable snapping, the way her own grip on the Phenex cuts loose, the Red Tail drifting in a strange arc as its line of motion suddenly changes. Her voice is gentle, a little dazed. "Do I...?" If there was, she'd have been allowed to go, right? After all, the doctors said she had to be asleep because there was no way she would have survived back then.

Again and again we're reborn.

        Who was she? The girl who used to live here? Before Sleeping Beauty?

        I wish I knew.

I hope... I get to be a bird!

        The Red Tail hovers, righting itself. A hawk, with grasping talons. Faye gives a frustrated little sigh. "What am I thinking about this for now, anyway? If I really wanna know... I've got the kind of future you have to buy in cold hard cash, little birdy. Sorry."

Gatling cannons lock on and start chugging away. The bills don't get any shorter...

FPT: Faye Valentine has acted with Intuition and Targeting.
FPT: Lina Lombardi's  Ability assists!
FPT: Roux Louka's I can't believe it! applies!
FPT: Roux Louka's  Ability assists!
FPT: Faye Valentine's Knock A Little Harder applies!
FPT: Faye Valentine's Pretty With A Pistol 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: Christina MacKenzie |
| STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 0 Failure |
| PILOT: Lina Lombardi |
| STATS: INT/WSP Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Roux Louka |
| STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 0 Success |
| PILOT: Faye Valentine |
| STATS: INT/TAR Charges Used: 0 Failure |
+-----------------------------< 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. >---------------------------------+