Heavens On Fire [Open]

[jesus_is_gundam]

Setsuna had stayed, and once again observed the training session of Starfighter Command, but declined to participate. While he had taken time to observe everyone's performance, and had his red Haro record the entire exercise, his attention had been mostly focused on Blade Squad. No surprise there, since they were mobile suit pilots. Like himself.

No. Not like me, he thought to himself.

He was on the bridge of the simulated Quarter right now, and had commandeered one of the various consoles. His Haro was connected to one of them, and was playing back part of Blade Squad's performance in the exercise.

As a team, they did fine, though something was missing in the way they operated. What that was, however, was something Setsuna couldn't quite put his finger on. Perhaps it was just this false environment they were in.

Still, something about this didn't sit right with him, so he reviewed the footage, and largely ignored the goings on around him. Maybe if he watched it long enough, he'd be able to figure out

((Free threading, mostly for Starfighter Command pilots, but everyone is welcome. See the ooc post here.))

Comments

[hellraiser02.livejournal.com]

"So you were payin' attention. Coulda fooled me."

Came the instantly-identifiable, sarcastic voice from behind Setsuna, arms crossed as he leaned against the simulated wall that appeared next to him by the Sensorium entrance.

"Feel like playing with the group yet?"

[a_mere_human]

"Duo Maxwell," Setsuna acknowledged, but otherwise, didn't say anything. He had no reason to. The fact that he wasn't out there with the others should have answered Duo's question already.

[hellraiser02.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, yeah, that's my name. And?" He cocked a smirk and pushed off the wall to approach Setsuna.

"Whaddaya see in that video, huh, Ace-Meister? Gotcher eye on the prize?"

[silverduelist]

Standing nearby with his arms crossed, Yzak made a grumbling sound under his breath after Duo spoke.

[jesushasagundam]

It was strange, thinking that they were all probably standing in a room the size of a gymnasium - within a stone's throw of each other at the absolute most - but it felt like they were so very distant thanks to the mechanics of the place.

Kira appeared on the bridge of the Quarter with much the same intention as Setsuna - to replay the exercise - but stopped when he saw the other pilot watching the footage himself.

"...why weren't you out there with us?"

[jesus_is_gundam]

Setsuna didn't bother looking away from the recordings.

"I had no reason to be," was his honest answer.

...

...was that what they were missing?

[silverduelist]

Nearby, one might get a sense that a certain silver-haired pilot was just a touch irritated.

[silverduelist]

Yzak was a bit less enthused at the scene before him. It still boggled his mind as to why Setsuna found it so important to watch rather than actually join them, as if the point of these exercises was somehow wrong.

Still, he kept his voice leveled.

"Are you going to make it a habit of just watching us, instead of actually joining in these exercises?"

[a_mere_human]

"No."

Take it how you want it, Yzak.

[cosmicprayer.livejournal.com]

Setsuna wasn't the only one watching.

It was nice to be able to watch a simulated battle instead of a real one. Although she was well aware they were simulating battles that would soon come in reality, Lacus was relieved that no real harm would come to anyone in this one. Too many times she had watched real battles play out with her heart in her throat, and though she never wanted to see it again, she knew what had to be done.

Of course, she couldn't help but notice what the other boy had with him, either.

"Oh! You have a Haro!"

[hellraiser02.livejournal.com]

Ohwha?

A girl. Another one, anyway, if he counted Tieria.

"Heya~ Haven't seen you around!" He crooned, friendly grin beaming at her as he strolled near. Haro- the robot things, right? So then, did that mean...?

"...You from a world with mobile suits too, huh?

[a_mere_human]

He knew that voice. He knew that voice.

"Feldt Gr--" He stopped, once he actually saw Lacus. Even his Haro had been confused, first flapping its ears excitedly at the sound of her voice, but stopping in a state of confusion when he turned to face her.

The hair was the wrong shade of pink, the face was a little different. The voice was a perfect match, but...

So alike, but obviously different. What the hell...?

[silverduelist]

"A few people seem to have those things," he noted, rubbing the back of his neck and thinking back to when he met Amuro. Of course, they were different from the ones he was used to Athrun making.

[jesushasagundam]

Even a dour-faced spoilsport like Setsuna couldn't dampen the smile on his face at the sight of that familiar pink hair. "Lacus... were you watching?"

JESUS WAR

[jesus_is_gundam]

In the abstract, this was a dumb idea. Which is why it made perfect sense to someone like Setsuna F. Seiei. As annoying as he found Kira, he had little desire to fight him, and even desire to kill him, which was the only reason he decided to have the fight in this place... this glorified toybox.

But, right now, he needed answers and the only place he could ever find the answers he was looking for was in the cockpit of his Gundam. He didn't know what was bugging him so much about Kira, perhaps it was that he couldn't understand the other pilot. They were so different, but somehow, he knew, that in the midst of a battle, he'd finally understand.

The simulation of the 00 Raiser was accurate, and felt so much like the real thing. Had he not known it was a simulation, he might have been fooled. But he could only find out in battle if this suit had the same soul as the real thing.

He briefly looked over at an empty spot to the right of his seat, the place where the flower Feldt gave him had sat. But like Feldt, the flower, the Ptolemy, and the other Meisters were gone. He'd have to do this on his own.

"Double-Oh Raiser. Setsuna F. Seiei. Launching!"

Time to beat some answers out of Kira.

Re: JESUS WAR

[jesushasagundam]

Setsuna wasn't the only one thinking this was a stupid idea. But if they were ever going to work together, they were going to have to understand one another - and if this was what it took to do that, then so be it. Besides, Kira thought, he held the kill switch that would discreetly turn the program's safeties back on... if they were needed. Before that, he was just hoping he'd be able to disable Setsuna's mobile suit like he'd done so many others.

The Strike Freedom's cockpit burst into life around him as he finished the final startup sequence, grasping the controls and waiting for the catapult to engage.

"Kira Yamato, Freedom - heading out!"

He gritted his teeth as the catapult flung him forward into the depths of (simulated) space, color hissing across the gray skin of the mobile suit as he engaged the phase shift armor. Kira pulled the Freedom into a quick spin to make sure it was as responsive as normal (and not to show off for the camera, not at all) before he turned to find his opponent against the black of space.

(MUSIC TO DUEL BY)

[cow-abunga.livejournal.com]

Cowabunga entered mid-fight, eyes focused on his omnicomm, as he looked over the blueprints that Lowe had given him. Occasionally making notes based on the ZAKU's performance in the training session, he finally looked up when the noise of Kira and Setsuna's battle finally registered.

"...the chak are those two doing?"

[hellraiser02.livejournal.com]

"Dick-wavin' fight,"

Duo answered easily, leaning back in his chair as he watched.

"Popcorn?" He offered back to the tauran.

POST TRANS-AM MODE

[hellraiser02.livejournal.com]

And then everyone lost their pants.

Again.


"OI!! Setsuna, you bastard! What the hell did you just do!?" Duo nearly screamed in panic, quickly trying to re-think his pants back on.

Seriously. Why was it always the pants!?

Re: POST TRANS-AM MODE

[silverduelist]

Nevermind the pants (though Yzak, being of sharp mind and quick thinking, probably re-thought a touch faster than Duo), there was something a lot more important to be focusing on here.

Yzak's eyes widened slightly when Setsuna's suit started those movements. Even he had a hard time keeping up with it. And that light ... it wasn't anything like the Wings or Light or Voiture Lumiere.

Kira certainly had his work cut out for him, he thought. Of course, Yzak was sure he could fare just as good (maybe even better; he had enough faith in his skills) against Setsuna, but Yzak wasn't exactly the one starting this duel for a change. And Yzak thought he'd never actually root for Kira ... but there was something about Setsuna that still made him uneasy. Perhaps if this ended in their favor, that would change.

BRAIN BROKEN HI

[whatwouldvedado.livejournal.com]

Tieria entered mid-battle, having been contacted by Setsuna about training session of Starfighter Command. He was not interested in working with these people - this was not part of Veda's plan and none of them were fit to be Gundam Meisters in his opinion. He had planned to watch the training session, scrutinizing every movement of the Gundam Meister and every movement of the ones who called themselves Gundam pilots... The dexterity of the 00 Gundam was impressive, but Tieria saw flaws in every move that Setsuna made. Of course, this was because he was still unfit to be a Gundam Meister, despite all of the things they had discussed since their arrival. He saw flaws in every move Kira Yamato made, too, and this was because he was, in Tieria's mind, also not fit to be a Gundam Meister.

The battle was impressive, though, and he couldn't deny that. It quickly escalated and left Tieria speechless. The 00 Gundam was capable of something Tieria had never seen before - Trans Am. As the particles spread, the effects were quickly felt.

The purple-haired Meister fell to his knees, his hands tightly clutching his head in pain, at the sudden onslaught of GN particles. "W-What is this?!"

AFTER THE FIGHT

[jesushasagundam]

Kira exhaled as the bridge of the Quarter faded into view around him, running a hand through sweat-dampened hair. Even if it had just been a simulation, it had been fairly taxing - even for a Coordinator.

Re: AFTER THE FIGHT

[a_mere_human]

It was hard to tell how Setsuna was feeling after the fight. But, then again, it was hard to tell anything about him, really.

He took off his helmet, and gave Kira a brief look. His eyes seemed to have a faint glow to them almost, but that quickly faded. Must've been a trick of the light, or something.

Re: AFTER THE FIGHT

[cosmicprayer.livejournal.com]

Lacus had not enjoyed watching that battle. Too many times, things were much too close. She didn't think Setsuna would have actually tried to kill Kira, but what if she was wrong?

In any case, she was relieved to see both of them come back mostly unharmed. She could tell it had taken a lot out of Kira, though, and so she rushed back to his side.

"Are you all right?"

[silverduelist]

Good job? No. Close call? No.

"Well that almost seemed like a complete waste of time."

There we go. After silently watching the entire ordeal from nearby, Yzak uncrossed his arms and stood up straight, making his way forward.