Invisible AS

[prismphantom]

[She can't believe her eyes.  Coming back from the battle, used by Albhard and Elma...]

That's... that thing we found plans for!

That's right... AS-04 Soleares.  All the new features in it worked like a charm out there, and it held its own even without breaking out the Gesterben's Blade Railgun.

I didn't want to bother you about it after... what happened.  But when you're finally ready to go out in just anything.  This... it's Team Jelba's legacy, born from everyone's machines.  If it can help you... help your heart, so much the better.

Albhard, you didn't have to... we still don't even know the origin of this thing-



And we still don't know who originally had my Grungust.  But if you'd rather we keep this locked away somewhere, fortunately it has some active camo for just the occasion.



No, it's fine... it's... even more than that.  Albhard, Elma...



Gracias...

[And a short while later, Selena's just, looking up at the new machine.  There's quite the story behind it, to say the least.]

Comments

[jianai]

Hello, what's this?

[Time to poke around the Soleares. On the outside, that is.]

This is quite an advanced looking machine, isn't it.

[prismphantom]

Looks, can actually be deceiving. Guess that goes along with the theme of this machine. Just a mish-mash of Gespensts, Huckebeins, and whatever else the other Team Jelba members were using before... what happened.

It's an "Assault Scouter"... or at least that's what the designs we found labeled it as.

[jianai]

I wouldn't know. Designing or working with mobile suits and other humanoid robots is not something I ever did in any greater scope...

But, you say "found"? So it was already made by someone else?

[prismphantom]

Yes, and no. I guess. The designs for the machine were found by Team Jelba a while back during an operation, along with some certain pieces of technology. Salvaged from a wrecked transport, though there weren't any survivors. There was no record of a scheduled Federation transport going through that area at the time though, and in all this time we've never found anything linking the transport or what we salvaged to any faction.

The Captain shared the Soleares's design with a handful of our superiors, but it was kept on the down-low due to the potential it and the tech we recovered had for espionage. My Stealth Wing and the Captain's Prism Phantom were the two most notable pieces.

[jianai]

Ah, how mysterious! But that still means someone made the unit before you got to it. I wonder who - and if they will show up hoping to get it back.

We can't really blame them, can we? It's a powerful robot.

[prismphantom]

Yes, it's definitely stronger than the sum of its parts. And to be fair, the Stealth Boomerang's been getting a lot of spotlight since I started taking part in operations with the rest of you and nothing's happened.

I can't Albhard for deciding it was acceptable to finally take the plunge and assemble all of it.

[jianai]

I'm happy to hear that.

[Ren seems quieter for a moment.]

How are you holding up?

[prismphantom]

I'll... manage.

I still have a job to do and questions that need answers. I need to find out why the Captain collaborated with Ingram, along with what he thought the Earth could've benefited from our operation.

[jianai]

I don't know if it's appropriate... but if I were to tell you a story from my experience, would you listen?

[tiger_ken]

I can personally vouch for its power on the battlefield. If I wasn't so attached to the ScarleTiger and my team... I might ask for a trade.

[prismphantom]

I don't doubt what it can do. Believe me.

It got Albhard home safe, after all.

[tiger_ken]

...I suppose that's an important qualification these days...

You think you could handle stepping back in?

[prismphantom]

Selena can totally manage the Soleares! It'll just be like the Gesterben itself!



That's too optimistic, Elma. The Soleares has less room for carrying additional weaponry, and there's still new features to it.

But it's the legacy of Team Jelba. Of the Captain.

I won't go out in anything else.

[tiger_ken]

I meant more your fighting spirit than your actual capabilities... but I suppose neither should ever have been in doubt.

Do them all proud.

[prismphantom]

I intend to.

I'm going to see to it that every person under that woman is dead. That she knows the same pain she put Albhard and myself through... and so when she finally is killed she can greet them and Team Jelba on the other side and tell them all why it had to be that way.

[abugslife]

The Soleares, is it? I have witnessed it on the battlefield. It is a machine that should fit your fighting style well.

[prismphantom]

It helps that so much of it uses a Gespenst or Huckebein as a base. Done my fair share of piloting both... and Elma'll be there to help pick up the slack too.

[abugslife]

Not just that. It is a very stealthy, deceptive and agile machine. Soleares is twice the ninja Gesterben was. If Albhard was able to sneak right up to the enemy champion with it, imagine what you will be able to do.

[prismphantom]

I don't need to imagine, and what matters if it can do just one thing: kill that Balmarian woman.

[abugslife]

Is revenge what gives you the strength to go on now? Watch out with that. It might drive you forward, but it might also blind you. Do not let it overcome your senses.

[prismphantom]

Revenge isn't everything, but it's there. I know it may seem naive and selfish, considering what you had to do... but she's responsible for the death of the people who were closest to me. The Balmarians aren't liable to give up on Earth just because, and people like her need to be stopped.

And I'd rather not see tight-knit units go the way of the Glory Stars or Team Jelba.

[abugslife]

Oh, I am not saying to just let her go. She has to pay for her actions, and if we do not kill her, more people will share the fate of Team Jelba.

But desire for revenge is an emotion. Emotions that burn the brightest are the easiest to exploit. Do not let anyone exploit yours.

[broken_puppet]

AS-04 Solares is it? I haven't heard of that series before, is it a line tied into secret development with team Jelba?

[Lamia looks worried and surprisingly suspicious. For some reason her guard seems to be higher than usual.]

[prismphantom]

Something like that, I guess you could say. It certainly wouldn't exist if it weren't for Albhard and Elma.

[broken_puppet]

I was not aware that the two of them were so adept at mecha design and system incorporation. I know about the ECS system on arm slaves but your system is a much more complete technology that functions on a mech that was pieced together from other units. It almost sounds like it could have been some kind of advanced salvaged tech...

[Lamia fades off with a surprisingly intense questioning look in her eyes.]

The only way I could see such a complete system functioning is with the ASRS and Mirage systems running concurrently. The unit designation makes that seem more likely as well, but how did they get it?

[prismphantom]

Oh don't let Albhard and Elma hear you say that. They might think about getting into mech development after this.

But actually, the Soleares's cloaking tech is mostly just making as best use of some old tech, and tech that agree with itself as possible. The Captain's Prism Phantom system does help smooth everything over on that end though.

[broken_puppet]

I'd be interested in seeing a more detailed schematic for the unit. It's similar enough to the Angelg's systems that it could help with their development and perhaps with the overload associated with the extended use or by using the Mirage Sign.

And a part of me wants to see this for certain. I know the Ashsaber plans well enough to tell if they are the same development line like I fear they might be.