Carolina pulled her chocobo to a stop, turning and looking at Dezil and his group of Magitek. "Well, any bright ideas on how to get us out of here, since you're supposedly here to help?" She muttered softly towards 'Cloak'.

OOC: Let me ask you this way... If there were no anti-magic shields, how much of a chance would Dante stand?

OOC: No shields? Dante would probably mop the floor with them by summoning up a wave of lightning to short circiut/ blow up the Magiteks. And before you perform some uber trick and knock out only the shields, they are part of the engines, so you would have to destroy the rest of the magitek getting there.

OOC: Hey, I didn't say anything!

That said, the lightning method is disturbingly similar to what I'd do to Magiteks...

OOC: Was planning on just cutting one in half, using bent weapon (Or if what Cloak got was a knife) jump onto the cockpit to cockpit of Magitek and kill pilots themselves (Cloak is obviously faster then the armors). After killing, could make armor shot missle at other armors. Of course, then he got to Dezil, random plot event that prevents him from dieing...

OOC: Don't know how you got involved, but what do you think a big, complicated, tough hunk of metal would hate? Lightning could get it hot enough to fuse the joints, melt vital and small circutry, and probably overload the engine if it was zapped long enough. That's generally why in the FF games robots always are weak against lightning.

EDIT OOC: Since I'm just as intereseted in seeing the plot advance as the rest of you, use lasers, unless Deamon want's to be known as 'shrapnel face' for detonating higly explosive missiles at point blank range...

Ripel looked around, taking into account the state of dress they were in. He himself was in N'Revat uniform, but everyone else (Except for Carolina) was not. Seeing their proximity to the castle, it did look suspiscious.

Still, quick thinking as he was, Ripel had a plan. "Ahem," he started, having Boco step forwart, "I am Ripel of the Royal guard, and this," he continued, motioned to the white mage, "Is Carolina, a friend of mine and a white mage in service of our country."

"I was questioning these folks here if they knew anything. You may continue on, I can handle things here."

I hope this works.

Dezil glared at the uppity guard and said, "Hmph, a fine job your lot was doing protecting the king, and now your questioning people on the street? I want all of you to head back to the castle or your homes, and keep the streets clear until all the generals can convene a council and figure out what happened and how to elect a new king. The Magitek guards are keeping the peace so this doesn't all spiral out of control now."

Ripel smiled to himself as he saluted Dezil. "Yessir! I shall escort these people home and then return to the castle."

Turning to the others he said, "Follow me. I'll lead you all to the residential area."

Waving the others to come, he headed down one of the roads. Violence isn't always the way to solve every problem one comes upon.

Dezil nodded, then ordered his troopers to continue to march to the palace. Now that they were on the main road, they should make it there in no time, the the Magitek was surprisingly fast when it reached full run.

With a grunt, Cloak walked along with Ripel. "I could have dealt with them easily." Cloak was mad that he didn't get any action.

"Yes, but we're not really wanting to direct a lot of attention to us." Carolina had her chocobo follow after Ripel. "The less attention we have, the better chances we all get out of here alive."

The airship cruised almost silently through the air, the hum of its engines swallowed up by the gale-force winds swirling around it.

Helmsman, are we at the designated location yet?

The pilot froze again. Hearing the voice of anyone in your head was disconcerting, to say the least, to speak nothing of Grandmaster Bandon himself.

He tapped the intercom and answered in a voice as trembly as the rest of him.

"Y...yes, my lord. We are within a mile of the spot you indicated."

Excellent. Have the scryers continue to pinpoint his exact location. I want him found. Gunnery teams, prepare a full broadside from the starboard Tek laser batteries. Inner Council, assemble in the central chamber. The hunt will reach its climax soon.

Bandon shifted his focus to abovedecks and smiled. This would be a good day.