Magical Atoner Lyrical Alicia
Chapter Eighteen
'Devices' were a broad term used to describe technology developed to enhance existing magical or psychic abilities. Some used advanced technology, some were semi-magical, and some where totally magic based. Also what they could do varied greatly, based on how they were designed and the capabilities of the user.
Ironically, even the legendary Sailor Soldiers own transformation items could be considered a form of 'Devices.' Indeed, in times of great need the Sailors had even used the wands as direct power amplifiers. They didn't like being told that, admittedly...
"Trying to write a report for class?" Subaru asked curiously.
"Starting it, anyway," Alicia admitted.
They were at the 'Grand Library' of Crystal Tokyo on a sight seeing trip. The summer break was about half way through, and soon they would be accompanying the Yagami family on vacation. Alicia had been invited to their family trip, and had willingly accepted.
"Why don't devices get used much here?" Alicia had to ask.
Subaru shrugged slightly, "No need, mostly. After the wars and so on, our society no longer seems to have the... desire for that sort of power."
"Plus Hardsuits and super-beings to defend you," Alicia noted.
"Conceded," Subaru nodded. "And I really enjoy having Raging Heart," she added quickly. "No offence meant, Raging Heart."
The red gem around her neck noted, "It's fine, ma'am."
Alicia hid a smile, noting that Raging Heart actually sounded a bit wounded.
"So on Mid, are devices really common?" Subaru changed the subject a bit.
"Well, my experience is a bit out of date," Alicia cautioned, "but yes. You pretty much get a device as soon as you're old enough to use it."
"And you'd use it for flying or combat...?" Subaru had to ask.
"Not for combat, no," Alicia chuckled. "But they assisted with school work, served as a phone and in an emergency could protect you."
"So BASICALLY devices are just overpowered phones?" Subaru asked teasingly.
"Hey!" BOTH Raging Heart and Bardiche sounded offended by that.
"Ha." Alicia snickered softly.
Subaru sighed and decided it was probably a good idea to start her own summer homework.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Asgard and Valhalla were two worlds out past the League of Non-Aligned Worlds and nearer to Jurai, roughly. Both had little or no strategic value, other than possibly being useful as jumping off points for military ventures.
But now, shockingly, Asgard was under attack.
"All right! Hold the landing zone, then we move out!" Marika Kato called as she lead her pirates out from the run down space port.
"Aye, ma'am," the bulky cyborg Schnitzer declared, manning a gun turret the group had erected near where the Bentenmaru was sitting.
"All right, form up on me," Marika ordered her band of pirates. "The mission is to destroy the storehouse for the Belkan Devices, as well as the repair and maintanance facilities."
"Otherwise we can raid at will, yes?" Kane McDougal asked eagerly.
"Go get 'em!" Marika agreed cheerfully.
The group followed Marika into the city, blasters firing as the locals tried to attack with sword and other 'blade' designed devices. They got chopped up pretty badly, clearly not having considered fighting enemies at long range.
"I don't like taking anonymous jobs," Chiaki Kurihara complained, the black haired woman running alongside her lover.
"They paid in full, and in advance," Marika noted as the twenty-something woman shot a guy attacking with a chain-sword.
"Still!" Chiaki scowled.
"Besides, it's probably Jurai," Marika added confidently.
"Oh?" Chiaki drawled.
"They're probably tired of having an ambitious military power near their border," Marika noted.
(In fact they had been hired by Venus on Earth, but she had taken steps to keep that a secret. Paying the pirates to attack Asgard gave her plausable deniability. Plus, the pirates would 'owe' her for the profitable raid, and it was always nice to have pawns in your debt.)
"Maybe," Chiaki frowned. In her experience, jobs that looked too good to be true often WERE too good to be true...
They reached the central headquarters with minimal resistance. "Okay, did anyone bring explosives?" Marika askjed as she tapped the heavy doors.
"Here!" Misa Grandwood smiled, the pretty blonde walking up to them.
"Why does the medic have explosives?" Chiaki had to ask.
"Don't get hung up on details," Misa scolded her gently as she passed the modules to Marika.
With some help from Chiaki, they got the explosives planted. Everyone took cover as Marika called, "FIRE IN THE HOLE."
The explosion rattled the whole building, and as they peeked around the corner Misa noted, "We MAY have overdone that."
The armored doors were gone. As well, a good chunk of the surrounding wall was too, and the roof now looked awfully wobbly.
"Ooops," Marika sighed.
Chiaki rolled her eyes, "Ooops?"
"All right," Marika said, "destroy the devices, parts and equipment!"
There was a moment they were tempted to swipe the devices. The weapons would sell, no question. But they had taken the job. So the group opened fire with blasters, blowing up racks of devices, parts and all the rest. In moments it was all scrap.
"Mission accomplished," Marika nodded. Addressing the group she continued, "We have a hour or so to raid the city. Remember we need to be away from here after that... the Barbarossa can't delay the Asgard patrol ships too long."
"Aye!" the pirates cheered then scattered.
"Are we joining in the raid, or heading back to the ship?" Chiaki asked.
"Well, Coorie back at the Bentenmaru is hacking the planet's financial systems. Unless these warmongering idiots have bankrupted the planet, we should do all right," Marika told her. "Though if there's some trinket you want, we can go get it," she offered gallantly.
"My hero," Chiaki smiled. "Back to the ship... remember, we have to be ready to help the Barbarossa cripple the Asgard fleet too. It's part of the contract."
"As their 'fleet' is ships that would be declared scrap anywhere else, I'm not THAT worried," Marika shrugged.
"Don't get cocky," Chiaki scolded gently.
"Yes dear...," Marika replied.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Pirates?" Veronica Aston-Martin, the ambassador to Earth from Mid-child, blinked at her aide.
"Pirates. We've confirmed they launched a raid on Asgard, specifically targeting the Belkan Devices they acquired," Nene Scaglietti reported, the attractive blond standing in front of the desk.
(Nene, interestingly, was descended from THOSE Scagliettis, including her several great grandfather Jail. Her family had decided hiding it was pointless, so they went back to using the Scalietti name and dealing with the fallout. Took guts.)
"Obviously the raid wasn't random," Veronica noted. "Venus sent them?" she wondered.
"Probably," Nene shrugged, "but it could be a local rival. Or Jurai. Or even a survivor from when Asgard attacked Valhalla, looking for revenge."
Veronica gave her a look. "But the simplest answer is usually the right one," she pointed out.
"Agreed," Nene conceeded, "but we need to be aware of the possibilities."
Nene, in addition to being her personal aide, handled the intelligence duties at the consolate. It tended to make a already slightly devious woman even more twisty. On the other hand, she was very good at her job.
"Well, at least they solved the 'we're arming locals' issue for us," Veronica sighed.
Nene also sighed, "I was sort of hoping Venus would use her irregular forces. We don't have enough data on them, yet."
Veronica looked at her aide with amusement, "Well, beggars can't be choosers, as they say here." She looked thoughtful. "Should we send Venus a thank you gift?" she mused aloud.
Nene looked amused. "Your predecessor had a very good wine cellar put in. I could send her a good year," she offered.
"Do that," Veronica nodded firmly. Changing the subject she asked, "How's the surveilance on Alicia Testarossa going?"
"Not well," Nene admitted frankly. "She flies around alot making tailing difficult. Not have we been able to get assets into either the palace or the guards she trains with," she reported.
Veronica grunted in annoyance.
"We have, at least, gotten someone into their school." As Veronica looked curiously Nene shrugged, "My sister is attending..."
To be continued...
Notes: Random Bodacious Miniskirt Pirates crossover. I'm assuming Marika & co are based out of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.