Assassin Drones: The original saga
Silent Invasion Arc. De Arimasu!
By Alex Young
The aforementioned warehouse somewhere in the Juban area, 3:00 am. May 22, 2002
The boiler explosion that rocked the Kuno estate back in Nerima had propelled Happosai all the way into the Juban area. In fact, Happosai had already begun stashing young girls' underwear in a place just under the ceiling of the same warehouse that he crash landed in to unannounced. "What a haul! What a haul!" Happosai cried jumping for joy at this latest panty raid, blissfully unaware that Tzu Lin had already sent in 10-15 soldiers after our aged lecher.
These soldiers belong to the "Blood scorpion" group that Rip Rat had mentioned in his discussion earlier in the night. This was because he had recently pilfered her most prized bra whom she claims is a piece of fine art from an underground bank vault. Even Tzu Lin was there in her 2003 custom range rover all to make sure that her men get the job done quickly.
All of a sudden, Happosai noticed an evil energy sparking up with three little red dots for eyes in a triangle formation glowing in red. With that, Happosai stopped to take a look around before hopping up to the support railing above. This was where, as he could see in the corner in front of him, he has his spot where he had just stuffed his previous plunder in.
A dark, keronian figure with a silver shuriken graphic in its left eyelet could be seen mulling over the collection of purloined women's lingerie with a vicious looking claw for a finger. "Just who the hell do you think you are to get at my undies the way you did!?" Happosai sneered at the mysterious navy blue on pale purple keronian as he turned to face him, with that same energy sparking, with those same three red eyelets glowing, along with one on the center of his forehead.
The frog alien was wearing a metal assassin mask and had robotic arms. He had ear flaps much like any other keronian, but attached to his head. "And who are you to pass judgement? Coming from the man who stole these Pekoponian undergarments in the first place!" The keronian sneered back as he approached Happosai ever so slowly. "How dare you toy with the grandmaster of anything goes martial arts!" Happosai growled in a defiant stance. "Ha! Even that should be labeled 'child's play' in comparison to my assassin magic!" The keronian snarled back raising its left claws.
"If you must know, then my name is Captain Jirara you senile old man. Now, HAVE AT YOU!" Jirara screeched as he leapt in Happosai's direction. "THAT'S HAPPOSAI TO YOU, YOU NO GOOD CROOK!" He screeched back as he twirled his smoking pipe into battle position. Jirara extended his claws, but Happosai grabbed him with his pipe and tossed the assassin X1 keronian into the air, but Jirara recovered and bounded after Happosai again.
The two masters clashed claw to pipe bounding all over the warehouse. Jirara's claw began to glow red as he positioned to swing it outward. "Assassin magic: slash bomb!" Jirara cried as he swung his arm to form a slash mark that came at Happosai. Happosai dodged it and the slash mark left a scar in the support structure, all the while Jirara had another assassin magic trick up his cold, biomechanical sleeve; "Assassin magic: spider web trap!" Jirara growled as a spider web of red laser string at Happosai, who fashioned his pipe into a battle aura blowtorch, and cut the web to pieces.
The two continued to clash, with Radon staring down from his sniper scope targeting Happosai. "Hold still, you..." Radon spat under his breath as he pulled the trigger upon seeing just the right moment to do so. Happosai was quick to deflect the bullet with his pipe thanks to his sharpened battle aura senses. "Now!" One of the soldiers cried as the squad converged in and around the aerial battle in warehouse. "Don't just sit there, THERE'S RADON NOW!" Rip Rat screeched as he and his rat pack also converged toward the battle, with Blowtorch and a black hornet like creature by the name of Slimeinator on standby.
Xiu Wong's commandos traded gunfire with their Blood scorpion counterparts and vice versa. All with with Uzis and AK-47s for the former, and MP5s and M4 carbines for the latter. "Looks like Xiu Wong's baby rat pack have come out of the woodwork prematurely." Jirara commented. "Come, Happosai. Let us set aside our differences for the moment, to put an end to Rip Rat's pointless charade." The Assassin X1 keronian proposed. "Fine, but don't think I'll forget your thievery, mister whatchamacallit." Happosai responded begrudgingly as the two rivals synced up for a collaborative technique.
"Assassin super magic collaboration: Happo phoenix blade!" The two screeched as a fiery, bird like apparition formed in front of them. The phoenix looked more like a humongous pterosaur with vicious fangs, jagged jaws, and razor sharp wings. The phoenix blade took flight and dove right into Rip Rat's soldiers, tearing half the warehouse down in the process. However, this would be when Nightslayer's battle birds would take notice, and thereby join the fray.
"Looks like more baby rats have joined Rip Rat in his pathetic act." Jirara growled as he steered the phoenix blade in the evil battle birds' direction. Slime-inator deployed detaching itself from its base that transforms into a slime hive, and took off unleashing a barrage of neon green, gooey, sticky slime on our rivals turned temporary allies. In an instant, the phoenix blade cut the slime to pieces dissolving it in the process.
"Get the killdozer." Tzu Lin exhorted by cellphone back on the ground. Lo and behold, a hulking yellow tank with a dozer blade propelled by screws emerged from a sizable back alley to tear down the entrance to the warehouse and provide suppressive fire, hence the name "killdozer." "BLOWTOOOOORRCH!" Rip Rat screeched calling for Blowtorch to deal with the killdozer as he torched the warehouse inside and out. The commandos and the soldiers escaped the warehouse as it burned down to the ground, taking the fight outside.
"There it is, boys." A cocky Nightslayer smirked as he and his battle birds advanced on the phoenix blade. "Shall we perform..." "Our ultimate technique?" Splitfire requested. "Yes yes, kill kill!" Slaughter-Skito spat out. "Good! Buzz-cut! Itchy! Get ready, cuz we're fighting fire with fire!" Nightslayer ordered as Slaughter-Skito shot his flamethrower at Nightslayer and Splitfire as they linked up, creating a fire shield around them in propulsion.
The blow-back caused the flames to envelop Slaughter-Skito as well, thereby propelling him as well as the other two evil battle birds after having separated just underneath the phoenix blade. Nightslayer, Splitfire, and Slaughter-Skito flew into the phoenix blade's chest and back with Nightslayer and Splitfire from the bottom, and Slaughter-Skito from the top respectively.
"This shit ain't over yet!" Nightslayer hissed as the three evil battle birds regrouped and split up to form a claw that struck the phoenix blade from the dorsal area. The evil battle birds linked up upon regrouping again. "The final blow!" Nightslayer snarled as all three began to rotate at once. "ABSOLUTE FLAMING DRAGON TRIPLE TWISTER FORMATION!" They all screeched in unison as the projectile advanced on the near depleted phoenix blade.
"This is where I depart!" Jirara cried as he evacuated the phoenix blade. "Hey, come back here you, you, YOU, YOU DIRTY TRAITOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrr..." Happosai screamed as he was propelled by the explosion resulting in the dragon triple twister ripping into the phoenix blade, thereby destroying it. Back on the ground a few minutes later would find Jirara to be relatively intact, however.
"Here's the underwear you requested." He affirmed as he handed Tzu Lin her prized underwear. "Well done, Jirara. This work of art shall now return to the vault, this time much more heavily guarded." Tzu Lin affirmed as she and her men retreated knowing that she has what she came for. With that, Jirara disappeared hopping along the rooftops. A warrior cat by the name of Deathbane had just watched the battle unfold. "He's here, then." He hissed as he and two others; Starclaw and Rashburn took up hot pursuit of Jirara.
A restaurant in the Juban area, 1:00 pm
Serena and friends were discussing with each other about the best moments they had as sailor scouts when Happosai burst forth in the midde of the table and nabbed all their underwear, just like the pervert he is. "Hahahahaaaa, thanks for the undies!" "Stop! Thief!" Serana cried as they gave chase after Happosai "That pervert! I can't simply stand by and let him do whatever he wants." Jirara growled tripping the lecher up with his laser, and then vanishing out of thin air.
"That traitor! I'll show him." Happosai sneered as he stopped to try to kill Jirara. "Moon crystal power!" "Mercury crystal power!" "Mars crystal power!" "Jupiter crystal power!" "Venus crystal power!" All five called out as they transformed into sailor scouts. "How dare you get at our underwear! In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!" Sailor moon declared as she took up her battle stance.
"We'll see about that! HAPPO SUMMONING; RELEASE!" {I'll deal with you later, mister whatchamacallit!} Happosai shot back as he summoned what was this time a Greek fire minotaur! The minotaur's power was further enchanced by the sheer perversity that Happosai had on him, which could easily be mistaken for a youma's distinct energy signature. The minotaur slammed his fist into the ground when Jirara slashed the bag from Happosai with incredible speed, returning the underwear to the sailor scouts.
"WHY YOU, I'LL KILL YOU YOU SLIPPERY, DOUBLE CROSSING, BACK STABBING, TWO TIMING SNAKE!" Happosai screeched as he set his minotaur after the sailor scouts leaving himself free to pursue Jirara. "Sorry, Happosai, but you're simply not worth my time today." Jirara sneered as he disappeared in front of Happosai. However, the aged lecher has proven himself not one to give up on his prey so easily, as his unrelenting pursuit of the X1 keronian leader could attest.
Deathbane and company, too were in hot pursuit of Captain Jirara when they crossed paths with Happosai. Streakfur was the quickest of the five warrior cats to deliver a few scratches to Happosai's head. "MMRRRRRROOOOWR!" Starclaw snarled in agony as she was flipped over by Happosai in retaliation with his smoking pipe. "Who are you amateurs to get between me and my revenge?" Happosai demanded as the five warrior cats gathered in front of him.
"We, Deathbane, Starclaw, Rashburn, Streakfur, and Ripjaw, also known as the fighting five furies of the Reaperclan, are also after your quarry, and we will not allow anyone to interfere, ESPECIALLY NOT SOME OLD FART LIKE YOU!" Deathbane screeched as his group of five charged at Happosai, only to get knocked down with his clay pipe, one by one.
"You call yourselves the fighting five furies, huh? Well, you're all five hundred years too early to be a match for the grandmaster of anything goes marital arts! Amateurs." Happosai spat in contempt as his entire body began to glow in the same dangerous lavender aura that Ranma was enveloped in when he dealt Kuno an ass-whooping a couple months back.
He stormed off in search of Jirara, only to get pursued and eventually sidetracked by Deathbane and company. "You will not get away with making a mockery of us!" Deathbane growled vengefully as they shifted their priorities from Jirara to Happosai. The result; this would be one wild goose chase that would go on until the cows come home.
Gial's moon camp, 8:00 am. Memorial day, 2002
Gial had just set up some energy detection antennae a few days ago, and had placed the Gerald Bull supergun's base today as he patiently awaits its barrel. This came within days after Aoryuzen had picked up another energy spike, this time set to last for about 15 days straight. The reason why Gial had set up the antennae under Moaghen's orders was to detect and intercept the energy spikes so that they could be greatly nullified to more acceptable levels
However, that most recent energy spike was directed at Happosai a la Kululu, seeing as how he learned to tap in to the vast wealth of energy not only through Nabiki, but through displays of incredible power. This was all in an attempt to sabotage the assassin drone invasion. This serves to prove that just because the energy can only be accessed by humans, doesn't make it so that it can only be controlled by humans. A satisfied "Kuuuukukukuuu!" could be heard resonating throughout the facility, for who knows what the assassin drones are in for upon landfall?
On the way home from a shopping trip, 3:00 pm. June 3, 2002
Ranma and Akane were hobbling their way home after a scuffle with some martial arts shoppers. "Damn! Martial arts shopping doesn't let up. Well the important thing is, we're glad that Kasumi taught us a thing or two about Martial arts shopping. I mean, My fiancees even went as far as lacing their food with love potions. Good thing you were there to make me down some hot sauce to nullify them all." Ranma ranted citing that Kodachi, Ukyo, and Shampoo would resort to such extremes as to secure his affections.
"Got everything on the list?" Akane queried. "Yup, wait till they see how I survived on my first run at martial arts shopping." Ranma boasted carrying all the shopping bags in a show of strength. "Hey, Ryoga! Long time, no see!" Akane piped up upon encountering Ryoga, who for some reason was hiding in a bush somewhere. Ryoga exploded in surprise, and fainted from the sheer embarrassment of seeing his love appear right in front of his eyes.
"Hehehe, you love Akane, don'tcha?" Ranma teased silently before Ryoga rushed up and grabbed him by the throat. "DON'T ADVERTISE IT!" Ryoga screeched fuming at Ranma and still very embarrassed about Akane. Ranma simply whacked Ryoga upside the head to incapacitate him. "You know, Ranma. You're just lucky that I'm not in the mood to kill you, right now." He sneered before eventually getting up to walk away.
"Are you sure that you should be teasing Ryoga like that?" Akane pondered out of concern for Ranma's life. "Eeh, don't worry about it. I've seen and heard much worse coming from little schoolkids than the likes of him." Ranma replied taking it all in his stride. Midway in their homeward bound journey, Jirara could be seen shadowing Ranma for some reason. So soon as the frog alien disappeared, Ranma felt a chill down his spine, and motioned to take a look behind him.
However, as soon as Ranma turned his back, Jirara launched an attack, only for Ranma to have successfully landed a kick on him. With all that, Jirara recovered, and disappeared once more. "The fuck was that all about?" Ranma spat out confused about this most sudden advance. After a while, Ranma shrugged it off, and rejoined Akane on their way home. As soon as Ranma got home, he was greeted by a barrage of shadowy frog aliens.
He dodged and hit each and every one of them with all the accuracy of a sniper rifle. After that latest skirmish, they disappeared, thus leaving Ranma with more questions than answers. Ranma was still very much puzzled about it all, even as he stepped inside the Tendo family home. {Why is it that I'm getting attacked by shadows every which way, even up alluva sudden?} Ranma pondered as he lowered the groceries onto the kitchen floor.
"I see you've had a run in with my comrades." A very peculiar voice remarked to Ranma as he strode on into the living room to find Jirara sipping up some tea served up by Kasumi; that same frog that he was attacked by on his way home today. Moreover, she was doing this of her own free will. "Not to worry, that's just our way of saying 'hello' to any worthy opponent or prospective member of my unit." Jirara reassured.
"In any case, you can just call me 'Jirara,' for me and my Keron assassin unit X1 are going to take up residence near the Tendo dojo." He decreed to Ranma. "Okaaaay, ahem. I'm Ranma, by the way." Ranma returned still as of yet untrusting of Jirara's actions. "You could say that I'm not even human. In fact, I had just arrived here on Pekopon a few months back. The rest of my unit followed suit some two months later." He elucidated.
"Why, I don't believe it. A frog alien taking up residence among us? Isn't that the strangest thing, Saotome." Soun brought up. "An assassin on top of that, Tendo! Maybe the boy can learn something valuable from him." Genma replied citing Jirara's apparent skill as an assassin. "Indeed, I was thinking of teaching Ranma a thing or two about assassin magic, myself." Jirara proposed with Ranma rising to the challenge.
"Hmph, bring it on, frog." Ranma huffed coolly. "It's settled, then. Come tomorrow, I will begin to shape you into the finest practitioner of assassin magic in all of Pekopon." He declared upon which Ranma went straight into his usual warm up sessions, though usual won't exactly be what it used to be before Jirara's surprising arrival on the Tendo residence.
Ranma's room, 6:30 am. The very next day
Ranma had just gotten down to reading his manga when some apparently angry growling, buzzing, snarling noises resonated throughout the entirety of the room. It was at that moment that Ranma took up his guard stance. All of a sudden, a huge, cannon ball like object came flying into Ranma from behind. Ranma turned around rapidly and knocked the object flying out the window and into the stratosphere. "GWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" It emitted as it flew.
"What in the? That ain't Ryoga I just knocked into the sky! Was it?" Ranma pondered. "Hmph, your reflexes really were nothing to sneeze at, I'm rather impressed." Jirara mused as he stepped foot into Ranma's room. "This can only mean that you're well and truly ready to begin your training in the storied art of assassin magic. Come, Ranma, and I'll demonstrate for you how we often utilize it, as per the initiation ritual you are about to undergo." The frog alien ordered as Ranma motioned to follow him.
"hum, sounds good to me." The young martial artist thought aloud citing the sheer multitude of situations in which he could potentially use it. As soon as Ranma stepped outside, the entire X1 platoon encircled him. "Should you defeat all six of us without so much as a scratch, you're in." Their leader explained as his platoon formed a red hexagon around Ranma. "Assassin super magic team effort: initiation laser show!" The platoon called out in unison.
"Prepare yourself Ranma, because HERE WE COME!" Jirara cried as he and his platoon bounded in every which way but up with their lasers dancing and flashing in a myriad of colors before Ranma's eyes. Ranma took up battle position as he leapt into the air to halt the first wave of attacks with his fists and kicks. This wasn't the end of it, though as the frogs just got up again and again after getting knocked down repeatedly.
Finally, after what was some 3 minutes of non stop action, Ranma emerged unscathed. "Well done, you're in!" Tarara congratulated. "Hn, never thought that a Pekoponian would survive all of that for a minute." Dasasa remarked impressed by Ranma's unsurprising martial arts skill. "Jirara was right, you really are an oddball among weaklings." Zanana, a female tadpole assassin, noted.
"Wow, welcome to the club, then." Girara remarked in a coy a tone as ever. "Guess we really ought to show this one the ropes of X1, after all." Horara, another tadpole, the brains of the group, suggested as he adjusted his goggles. "That settles it then, I hereby declare Ranma Saotome to be the newest member of Keronian assassin unit X1!" Jirara proclaimed with claws high in the air. However, Happosai had been observing the whole battle unfolding at a distance. "Ranma! You traitorous little scumbag, you!" Happosai scowled as he dug his fingernails into a lamp post and his cataract laden eyes vengefully leered at Ranma and Jirara.
Fuyuki's room, 11:40 pm
Fuyuki laid flat on his back on his bed staring at the ceiling in a restless stupor. He can owe it to the fact that something very interesting is bound to happen, tonight, and he's one of two who should partake in it. This event would happen to all young lovers once on a yearly basis. Tonight, Fuyuki had been chosen by the hand of fate upon his thirteenth birthday a few days back.
The boy felt a tug of compulsion in his heart; a compulsion to step up to the plate, and get dressed for the occasion. He and Momoka would play a leading role in a ritual love pageant that had been going on since time immemorial; a rite of passage as old as humanity itself. One thing was for sure, he and his rich girlfriend would have to go to their special destination all alone in the darkness, with the only thing to guide them on their journey being their own love for each other.
"This is it, then." He mused to himself. He buttoned up his black dress shirt, tucked it in to his white dress pants, bucked a white belt, tied a pair of white dress shoes, and tied his white tie. A few minutes later would reveal him to emerge from the front door in his classic black dress shirt, white tie and white dress pants. That alone was a testament to how Fuyuki rose up to the challenge, had the guts, and got the glory to go the distance, all in the name of love!
Legend has it that those who make the kiss on that night are meant to stay with each other, and both parties are therefore driven to get as many issues between their families resolved as possible. In short, the lovers will have the power to have their way bestowed upon them when it comes to getting married, even if it means having to go out of the way to prove it.
It was at the moment when Fuyuki began his walk on the road that a question crossed his mind; what was it about the shirt and tie that made him want to repeatedly wear them when going out with Momoka? The answer was that he wanted to look very professional for her, and a shirt and tie was inherently designed perform this basic task rather flawlessly. Moreover, no matter what would happen, Fuyuki would personally make sure to make this one night kiss very special for the both of them.
In fact, Fuyuki can clearly recall wearing his white tie and white dress pants out on his dates with Momoka for the better part of a week or two prior to this moment. Just outside the park, Fuyuki had noticed that there was a cute little black piglet with a yellow on black camo bandana around its neck. It was P-chan, and Fuyuki began to hoist the piglet on its bandana when it suddenly wriggled itself free. Fuyuki dropped the bandana out of surprise, and the piglet ran off taking the bandana with it.
"What was that all about?" The teen queried in confusion as he continued down the path indicated by the light. Fuyuki stopped by the fountain to look up into the night sky. He could see Momoka walking right up beside him in her starlit night sky themed kimono. The obi and the rest of her accessories were made to look flush with her kimono.
When Fuyuki glanced at the night sky once more, he found it to be as though the stars themselves were dancing, and all the little night time critters singing to his anticipated midnight kiss. "It's like a dream, except it's very real. Don't you think so, baby?" The still shirt and tie clad Fuyuki pondered rather passionately. "It's so beautiful out, Fuyuki. Its the most beautiful night for a kiss of passion." Momoka replied as they attained the near height of their passion upon standing up and embracing each other.
Both could feel the resonant cries of several other young lovers from around the world awaiting this very kiss. With this, they closed their eyes, and their lips began to close the gap. When Momoka and Fuyuki finally kissed at midnight, the height of their passion was forever sealed, their future together set in stone. In short, they will remain together in mind and soul for the rest of their lives, maybe even after death. While it is true that love is something that must be nurtured over the course of time, this love was bolstered by a simple act of kindness at an early age in Yotaka elementary school.
Flashback; Yotaka elementary, 8:00 am. Fuyuki's first day of elementary school, 1997
He was only in the first grade when his family moved in from a neighboring prefecture just south of Inner Tokyo, and Fuyuki was already making fast friends with some of the local students in attendance. He wore a lavender polo shirt and some cargo shorts. Another thing to note was that his bad behavior had been on a significant decline ever since his Shichi-Go-San day of 1994. Sure he was a little naughty here and there, but he's been a good boy, through and through.
However, that was not to say that it didn't peak up every now and again, it did. Needless to say, Fuyuki and company moved into Inner Tokyo in spite of the very infrequent naughty spike. As Fuyuki began to mature over the years, so too did his older sister; Natsumi. In fact, she was well past her penchant for screaming and crying by the time her younger brother had graduated kindergarten.
As Fuyuki and his lover to be, Momoka crossed paths for the first time, Fuyuki tripped over on his newly tied sneakers, and collapsed on to her 8 year old form, toppling her as well. Fuyuki and Momoka could not help but stare into each other's eyes for a while. "Sorry about that, I am a little clumsy." Fuyuki confessed to her. Momoka smiled, indicating forgiveness, but Fuyuki wished to take his apology one step further, and give her a piggy back ride to coincidentally, his assigned class room.
This was primarily because Fuyuki thought that Momoka was too cute to just leave sitting on the floor. All the other school children couldn't help but look in wide eyed wonder at this sight of two as of yet complete strangers walking towards class; the boy giving the girl a piggy back ride, all out of a mere kindness in his heart. As they entered class, the two began to introduce themselves. "I'm Fuyuki." "I'm Momoka." The former and latter greeted respectively, for little did the two know that they'd be consistently dating each other 5 years from that very moment in Yotaka elementary school.
Present day; Aboard the Rapier, 12:30 am. June 5, 2002
"Yo, Kouza! Ya might wanna check this out!" Moaghen hissed with a very cynical glare to back it up. "Hmm, yes, yes, of course. Da! I tink I know that what is transpiring right now may be a sort of young love ritual that the folks of Genesis Prime might have been yammering about back when we were last stationed on it, Mugi." Kuosinne replied in her trademark silky smooth tone. "Eh, Sacre Bleu, that pervert Gaedool must be enjoying this." Naozi bemoaned citing the burrowing scorpion's history of lechery.
"AAAAAH SHADDAAAP!" Kuroga, a four legged velociraptor with the body of an entelodont and the front claws of a panther growled kicking Gaedool into a stack of supply crates, knocking them all down on the yelping pervert scorpion in the process. "This ain't no time for perversity, a'ight? So what's the scoop?" Kuroga piped up in curiosity. "Shit, man, way to teach him a lesson." Moaghen complemented, which was quite rare coming from an assassin drone as cynical as himself.
"Aside from all that, the Earth's magnetic field had formed into a heart shape not too long ago over what is known as 'Japan,' as per the love ritual that looks to be programmed into the planet itself. In short, the commander may as well be right about the Earth being so special, after all." Kuosinne remarked. {Hm, must be one tough customer when it comes to girls, particularly with human girls. Guess that's why Aoryuzen let the guy on board.} Kuroga mused after having seen Gaedool dragging himself out of the mess of crates.
"Hnnn, ah shall get down zere and collect some more comprehensive samples of Earth." "No, only Gial through Aoryuzen can give the okay to begin the launch sequence." Moaghen interceded sternly to Naozi. "Moaghen's right, y'know. It would be kinda bloody stupid to be on the wrong side of the commander's zwei'ander blade, innit?" Trokyushe, a giant, four eyed vinegaroon with an attitude problem barked through the loudspeakers defending his superior's authority.
With that, Naozi kept very silent and retracted his plans in defeat until the moment when Aoryuzen gives the go ahead for launch. In the mean time, the rest of the Assassin drones would go about their daily business helping their larvae assemble and ship the individual components out to the waiting Gial.