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Post by NPC Controller on Aug 6, 2009 15:07:31 GMT 8
A floating fortress 50,000 feet in the air.
Buildings:
Control Tower
Armoury (15)
Barracks (5)
Hangars (10)
SAM missile installations (50)
Nuclear power generator (5)
Propella Refinery (1)
Anti-aircraft gun installations (100)
Runways (10)
Helipads (20)
Vehicle Factory (30)
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Post by NPC Controller on Aug 8, 2009 23:12:14 GMT 8
Mikoto guided the small crew with her to the armoury.
"Well, Yuki, I heard you wanted a hammer, eh?"
She walked over to one of the racks, pulled out a small pistol-like weapon and threw it to Yuki.
"This one here's a really good hammer. Best of them, I'd say. I suggest you don't try it out in here, though."
Mikoto gestured to the man sitting in the corner.
"This here is our armoury head, Master Gunnery Sergeant Avery Johnson. He's one of the toughest men in the army, and that's why he's in charge of taking care of the most well-armed building in the whole of New Technia."
Mikoto gave Yuki a slight grin, and walked out of the armoury.
"I'll be waiting. Once you're done, come outside."
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Post by schrodinger on Aug 9, 2009 2:42:48 GMT 8
Addressing the sergeant, Venser raised his earlier query whilst looking around at the vast array of weaponry stored around them.
"Would you happen to have any smaller firearms or nonlethal weapons here? I'm looking for something I can carry and use discreetly. Perhaps a revolver would be suitable, with a taser as a nonlethal alternative."
Oh, surely not. Electrocuting people because you can't bring yourself to kill them is just primitive. You of all people should know of far better alternatives -
Indeed. And yet it seems this world is out to thwart me at every turn. I consider it only prudent to cover all my bases.
You are aware that self-doubt is fundamentally flawed.
Yes. But then again, so am I. So is everyone.
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Post by NPC Controller on Aug 9, 2009 14:13:59 GMT 8
Master Gunnery Sergeant Avery Johnson
"You come to a place with the most destructive potential this side of the planet and you want a bloody peashooter?"
Johnson rolled his eyes. It had indeed been a request for him to provide whatever this group might ask for, but nonlethal weapons? Not his cup of tea.
"Ah well. Who gives a damn."
The Sergeant punched in a few commands on his laptop, and a smallish robot on wheels came back with a small pistol-like weapon in its tray.
Johnson picked it up, and fired it into a wall. A small lightning arc jumped between the gun and the concrete, creating a small black spot where it had hit.
He threw it to Venser.
"Lightning Arc MkIII. Fresh out the oven from the eggheads down at R&D. Settings go all the way from a nice backrub to really well done."
He threw a small box next.
"This thing runs on nuclear batteries. We would've charged it on Propella, but at the moment they're still trying to work on regulating the power on that model. It keeps giving lightning storms on all levels. The gun's display will flash when it needs a battery replacement - it should come once every 5000 discharges. Kickass son-of-a-bitch, but I'd take something that's more manly myself."
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Post by schrodinger on Aug 9, 2009 20:05:42 GMT 8
Venser caught the weapons as they were tossed to him, testing their heft in his hands.
"Well, discretion is the better part of valor. Should the need for extreme firepower arise, I trust that my associates will rise to the occasion. These should suffice for now. Thank you."
He turned to address Yuki, while stowing the gun and taser away in a pocket of his robe.
"I think I'll wait outside and take in the view. Let me know if you think we should stop by anywhere else."
Stepping out of the armoury, Venser walked to a balcony of sorts that provided him with a clear view of the skyline.
From up here, it feels like I'm apart from everything. Away from it all. The taste of machinery rather spoils it, though.
You're never away from everything. The last time you were alone, staring down from a height like this, there were -
Yes, and we both know how that turned out.
I do respect your decision. But don't lapse into angst again...or you know what to expect.
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Post by skiboydoggy on Aug 9, 2009 20:57:53 GMT 8
Yuki made the hammer he had just obtained do a triple backflip with a well aimed toss, and decided that it was a little light, but it would do. Although what exactly it did and how exactly it was a hammer, would have to wait until he was outside and could test it. After all, it was apparently a hammer but it looked more like a pistol, for some reason. Not that Yuki was doubting the fine staff of New Technia or whatever.
"Right then, Venser, you do what you want. I have a few more guns I think I could pick up." Yuki said as he waved Venser off, turning now to Sergeant Johnson.
"So, Sarge, I'm not exactly a sharpshooter, so I'll be spending most of my time running through enemy fire. What would you recommend if I said I wanted an armour that could take that kind of punishment?" Yuki asked as he tried to figure out what all the random gadgets that were lying around were supposed to be used for. He was not used to this level of technology, to say the least. He was adept at electronics, but this was centuries ahead of what he had around the house.
"Also, something for demolitions would be nice. For tanks and buildings. Planes too, I should think."
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Post by NPC Controller on Aug 9, 2009 21:10:40 GMT 8
Master Gunnery Sergeant Avery Johnson
"Well, if you need armour, nothing does the job better than MJOLNIR. But we don't have that here, because it's all made with super classified technology. Everyone knows about it, but no one knows how."
He typed in a few more commands, and another larger robot rolled out. In its compartment was a small circular device.
"It seems the Empire did provide us with a few nice shiny toys, though. Like Tinkerbell here."
Johnson pulled up the little ball, and pressed a button. Instantly, a bubble-like shield sprouted up around him.
"Nanotechnology sure works wonders. It's the same thing that led you to those guys down there, of course."
Johnson deactivated the shield and threw the ball over to Yuki.
"As for demolitions, nothing does it better than that hammer you have right now. Whatever you do, don't test it here. Once you get on the ground, though, give the trigger a pull. Just don't do it next to you. I guarantee, the results will fit you real good."
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Post by skiboydoggy on Aug 10, 2009 20:40:32 GMT 8
"MJOLNIR huh? I'll take note of that. For now, I'll make do with the nanobots." Yuki said as he grabbed the ball out of the air.
"If this is a demolitions weapon, then I guess I'll be needing an anti-personnel weapon too. Any chance of that Sarge?" He continued as he holstered his hammer with a flourish and stuffed his nanobot sphere into his pocket. "Like a sword or something, or maybe a less explosive hammer."
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Post by NPC Controller on Aug 10, 2009 21:06:36 GMT 8
Master Gunnery Sergeant Avery Johnson
"A close-range weapon, eh?"
Johnson's eyes glazed over for a while as his mind tracked back to the past.
Back when I was still playing with those Energy Swords...
He snapped back.
"Well, we didn't have any proper melee weapons at first - you know the thing with men and shiny things that make lots of fire - but our buddies at the Empire brought over the perfect thing."
He stood up, and walked over to a nearby rack, picking up a perfectly normal looking katana.
"EotRS XB-02 APACR. That's what the Empire people call it, anyway. Personally, 'Light Saber' fits it pretty well."
He gave a button switch on the hilt a little press. Instantly, the whole blade gave off a twang similar to an Em chord on the sixth string of a guitar, and it glowed a bright blue.
"WaveForce. Kinda like Vibranium, but it doesn't cost the whole damn Microsoft to make these, at least."
He powered it down, and tossed it over.
At that moment, Yuki's handphone sounded off. It was a message from Kamin.
[Hey, this is Kamin. I'm done with business over here. Where are you guys?]
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Post by schrodinger on Aug 10, 2009 21:26:21 GMT 8
Thusly assured that Yuki wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, Venser was content to watch the horizon, waiting for things to get started. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he noticed their liaison waiting nearby, and was something occurred to him.
Approaching her, he raised a hand in greeting (and to catch her attention) and asked:
"You're a Knight, aren't you? Would you happen to know anything about one of your contemporaries, the 66th Knight?"
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Post by skiboydoggy on Aug 10, 2009 21:36:06 GMT 8
"Heh. A WaveForce katana eh? I like it." Yuki grinned as he grabbed the sword and stuck it into a ring on his belt, letting it dangle freely until he got the motivation to buy a sheath for it.
"Well, I think that's all I need Sarge, thanks for the help. Anyway, I'm going to have to take a call now, so I'll see you when we're done with this mission."
Walking out of the room, Yuki flipped open his phone and read the message.
We're at Dragnea Base, heading towards the World Without Boundaries base soon. Any chance you could get here in time for the fight? Yuki typed in, sending his reply right back to Kamin.
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Post by NPC Controller on Aug 10, 2009 21:49:33 GMT 8
33rd Knight - Misaka Mikoto
Mikoto would have been glad to entertain Venser's question, but when she heard what it was, her face fell.
"The 66th Knight? I can only tell you as much as our intelligence can tell you. I've only heard about him through hearsay from the others, anyway."
Mikoto turned her face into the breeze, allowing her hair to flutter in the wind. Her arms were crossed over the railings that were suspended fifty thousand feet in the air.
"They say he rose extremely quickly through the ranks. Apparently, he's one of the only ones among the top 70 to not have any form of special powers - in other words, a completely normal human who just happens to be extremely gifted, and controls his craft like an extension of his own body."
She sighed, and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"That's not to say that fighter planes are weak, but in the Roundtable? No. They're almost nothing against Knights. Yet Cipher was able to move up so fast, to defeat so many at once."
She turned her eyes toward Venser.
"Apparently, before he came here, they had a Roundtable of their own. One where only the top fighter pilot aces competed for the coveted title of Ace of Aces. And he, they called him the Demon Lord of B7R. The undisputed champion."
At this moment, Mikoto shut her eyes.
"I can't tell you any more. They circumstances between Knights cannot actually be revealed to other contenders for the Overseer crown. This is something the Guardians have stated very clearly. Perhaps, as the 100th Knight, you may not know this yet, but higher level Knights are not supposed to aid lower level Knights. This situation is a war, not a Knight battle, and so it's completely legitimate."
Mikoto, at this moment, turned her eyes straight into the sky.
"That's not to say that it isn't regulated either. Right at this moment, in fact, there are three Guardians above us. This being a major war between two huge factions in the Roundtable, they cannot allow it to get out of hand."
She tilted her head back to the ground.
"Perhaps one day, 100th Knight, we might have to do battle, and you might defeat me. But until then, I cannot tell you anything."
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Post by schrodinger on Aug 11, 2009 0:16:58 GMT 8
"I see. That's regrettable, but thank you for your help."
It seems that being a Knight has its drawbacks.
"Out of curiosity's sake, if we were to encounter him in this endeavor, would it be legitimate for any one of us to defeat him and take his position? For that matter, could he possibly do the same to you? Hypothetically, of course."
Venser let his eyes stray from her face and gazed out at the nightscape around them. The distant lights beneath them mimicked those above - almost as if the stars in the sky were reflected onto the ground below.
"Or is this classified information, too? It doesn't seem like it should be."
As he spoke, he noticed a speck of light on the horizon, slowly growing larger.
I hope that's not a meteor or something. Getting hit by a heavenly body at this juncture would be disastrous.
Oh? You might not be so sure of that statement later.
...Do you know something I don't? Scratch that, stupid question.
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Post by NPC Controller on Aug 11, 2009 11:28:00 GMT 8
33rd Knight - Misaka Mikoto
"The problem with Knight battles is that they have a large set of rules governing them."
Mikoto sounded them off as she counted them off her fingers.
"The most important one you have to remember is that in a Knight battle, both sides must declare their intention to have such a competition. This is in fact an important ceremony that has been condensed over time, and remotely issues a summons for a hidden Guardian who officiates the event."
She put out one more finger.
"The Guardian will only intervene if the situation gets out of hand. You may remember the situation with the 90th team. That was intervention by the tenth Guardian."
Mikoto turned to look at Venser.
"In this case, the Knight list will therefore not be affected by any form of defeat, at the hands of any lower ranked than yourself, as there is no official declaration before the opening of hostilities."
She turned back out, looking at the slowly growing speck in the sky.
"Besides, if the fight is anything less than completely contained and between two parties, it is no longer an official Knight match. Oh, and if you don't watch yourself, I think she's going to crash into you."
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Post by Carillus on Aug 11, 2009 20:47:35 GMT 8
Kamin saw the lights flashing on the huge floating mass as she approached it. The cellphone had given her a very precise position - Bless New Technia technology - of Yuki's coordinates, and she was now finding her way toward it.
Dang, I can't see anything in this darkness. Besides, I've got to find a firm foothold to land on, or Kuroi's going to be in trouble-
She spotted a balcony somewhere outside the building Yuki was in, and made a dash for it.
It wasn't until she was ten metres away did she see the person standing on it.
Instantly, Kamin cut off her propulsion trails, and swung her wings forward with all her might.
Of course, it wasn't enough.
"Look out!" was about all she could suffice, and she closed her eyes for impact even as she dropped Kuroi on the deck.
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Post by schrodinger on Aug 11, 2009 21:23:15 GMT 8
Complex. I get the gist of the challenge system, though - it seems everything has to be properly declared and accepted before anything really happens. It eliminates the need for trust, and hence the possibility of deception, between opponents. A war can't be used as a pretext for gaining a decisive advantage over an adversary, then.
Apparently not all is fair in love and war.
That bothers me. If the entities regulating this conflict are indeed as omnipotent as I'm told, and see fit to dictate each challenger's circumstances, why then do they sit idly by as war is waged? Why not prevent the needless horror and waste that results before the thought even crosses anybody's mind?
You forget that omnipotence is not a human attribute. You forget that war is. From their point of view, wars such as the one you find yourself currently embroiled in may very well seem as insignificant as territorial disputes between ants.
Well, then, the gods must indeed be crazy.
I'm sure that there's many who'd agree with you on that. But before you go around rallying people to your cause, you might want to look behind you.
What?
Venser spun on his heels to face whatever Evermind was warning him about, and was greeted by the terrified visage of a young man, hurtling towards him through the air, barely a couple of metres away. There might have been something behind him, but Venser was too busy casting a spell to notice just then.
On such short notice, long-winded incantations took too long to resolve, forcing him to forsake the prolonged duration of his barrier in favor of immediate deployment. He traced a path through the air with his pointer finger, and a faintly shining track of runes coalesced as he dictated, forming a smooth, winding slide that the young man would be shunted off and pushed to safety by.
What, was that all? I think you're underestimating me again.
Look again.
He looked.
OSH-
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Post by skiboydoggy on Aug 11, 2009 21:30:03 GMT 8
Yuki was just walking towards the balcony to meet Venser when he saw Kamin about to crash into him, and almost laughed at the sight. That was why air traffic control existed after all, to stop things from crashing into each other randomly. Apparently they were not working properly here and now. Not that he minded much, it was a good opportunity to give the Point Defence Nanobots a spin.
"Yuki's-named-just-for-the-hell-of-it-Fast-Ball SPECIAL!" He called out randomly, as he flung the small sphere like a baseball, watching it unfurl in slow motion as it opened up like a net between Kamin and Venser, tough enough to stop an explosion without damage and in this case, flexible enough to cause no real harm to anything crashing into it.
At least, that was what he hoped it would be. He still needed to get the hang of controlling that thing.
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ivankira
Youkai
Wielder of Will
Posts: 137
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Post by ivankira on Aug 11, 2009 21:58:47 GMT 8
All of a sudden, he noticed a small balcony not far away, and then he realised, they were going to crash. At the same time, Kamin exclaimed and let go of him.
"WHOOAHHHH!!!!"
Kuroi Tsuki hollered. At the speed he was flying at, Kamin dropping his seemed more like a "toss"; even though it was very much little as compared to Kamin's own speed, and the impact he would face was much less, he was still a human. His lanky body would suffer quite some damage. He took a deep breath...
Come on! THINK!
"With wings to soar I had - for a minute,
To land with a crash, I'm forced to plead.
My will to land without having to bleed,
Shall conquer this force without a creed!"
He mumbled out loud, using his abs and back muscles, he forced his body to do a forward somersault as he was in the air. The emblems on his shoe glowed brightly, and from beneath his feet, a magic circle just about larger than the size of Kuroi's shoulder length appeared.
Straightening his body from the curled-up-ball-pose, he positioned his feet parallel to the the deck of the ship, his slowed down significantly, and still, with quite a bang, he toppled over and landed on his outstretched palms.
"Phew, that was quite some landing..."
He heaved for a breath, and then looked up at the balcony. He then asked loudly with a raised eyebrow.
"Is everyone alright?"
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Post by Carillus on Aug 11, 2009 22:13:07 GMT 8
Kamin had managed to slow herself down enough to a speed that would merely knock both her and Venser to the ground with no further injuries.
Luckily, Yuki had appeared just in the nick of time to prevent such a grievous incident from occurring.
The point-defence nanobots quickly formed a shield between the two of them that felt a lot like bubble wrap. Kamin bounced off, and landed lightly on her feet.
"Ah, Yuki. Thanks, that was THIS close to becoming a ridiculous situation-" - She looked at Venser out of the corner of her eyes - "-and yes, I think that everyone's fine, Kuroi."
Kamin did a double take.
"Oh, by the way, Venser, Yuki? This is Kuroi. He's a new entrant to the Roundtable - I happened to find him down by the port. I thought it might be nice to bring him along for a bit."
Then, she noticed the girl who was standing behind Venser in the darkness. She pointed.
"Uh, anyone care to give me an introduction...?"
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Post by skiboydoggy on Aug 11, 2009 22:32:24 GMT 8
"No problem," Yuki replied as he picked up his nanobot sphere, making a mental note to attach it to a wire for easy retraction, "I needed to test my nanobots anyway, and if I let it go any further we might become an ecchi manga instead of a fighting shonen."
"Anyway, that's the 33rd Knight, Misaka Mikoto. She could probably introduce herself better." Yuki continued as he stuffed the point-defence nanobots back into his pocket. "And good day to you, Kuroi. Now please excuse me, I think I need to make a call."
Pulling out the handphone that Kamin had given him, Yuki dialled for the operator, and had to do quite a bit of random talking before he convinced her that he had every right to be directed to the New Technia Headquarters.
"Hi, this is Yuki here. We had some party members who should have been just released from hospital. Is there any chance you could send them here by plane or teleport? Thank you very much."
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ivankira
Youkai
Wielder of Will
Posts: 137
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Post by ivankira on Aug 11, 2009 22:34:49 GMT 8
Kuroi Tsuki observed the architecture of the building and the deck he was standing on.
Hmm... If I jump to there... There... And then there... I'll be up there with the rest in no time!
"Yosh! Here i go!"
Kuroi dashed right for a small railing, jumped right on it and jumped up from it again.
"Up and above I shall reach,
for nothing can be higher than what I preach.
Let me grab hold onto that peach,
Hanging from the branches that screech!"
Once again, the emblem on his shoes glowed, and another magic circle appeared beneath his feet right as his deceleration of his jump due to gravity became zero. He tipped his toes, bent his knees, readied his hands.
*Fhoomsh!*
He soared up right to the railings of the balcony, and grabbed onto a spherical, concrete aesthetic-enhancing portion of it, which was obviously, pinkish in colour, explaining his choice of words in his incantation.
Hoisting himself up, he flipped himself over it and stood up straight.
Since its all about to begin, he didn't want to miss out anything.
"Booya~"
He said playfully from behind Kamin's wings.
MP left: 26 (from the 2 events that just happened)
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Post by schrodinger on Aug 11, 2009 23:54:19 GMT 8
Having braced himself for a nasty impact, Venser was fairly relieved when none was forthcoming, and opened his eyes to see some sort of barrier between him and Kamin.
Ah. I could have done something similiar if I hadn't already summoned the wall elsewhere.
He noticed the newcomer - name of Kuroi, apparently - in the midst of some mischief.
And he didn't so much as use it. Well, that'll teach me to be altrustic.
Dismissing the construct with a wave of his hand, he sighed, taking in a long draught of night air.
"Frankly, I don't see what's wrong with moments of sexually charged levity every now and then. They serve as an excellent counterpoint to the violence and blind fury that saturates the world. Case in point: this war.
Death and sex are the two base impulses driving the human race. To understand the nature of our condition is to accept this fact unflinchingly - why pretend that only one matters? A balance has to be achieved - "
He paused.
...You lost them.
"Never mind. It's alright. I wouldn't expect you to understand."
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ivankira
Youkai
Wielder of Will
Posts: 137
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Post by ivankira on Aug 12, 2009 1:00:28 GMT 8
Woah... This robed dude. He sounds very philosophical... Or rather, complicated? Meh, whatever... But still...
Thinking deeper into the robbed man's words, Kuroi Tsuki tried to break the silence.
Looking at the robed man, he said:
"Hmm, I suppose that you could say such things, is because it was a female about to crash head on to you? And so you could take the chance of... Err... *cough cough*. Anyway, I wonder if you would say the same thing if you were him instead (Kuroi Tsuki gave an obvious head movement, referring to Yuki)...? Or if, it was me who was about to crash into you..."
Kuroi Tsuki ended with a final question and a sheepish grin.
"Anyway, care to introduce yourselves?"
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Post by RaineScarlet on Aug 12, 2009 5:25:39 GMT 8
Sierra, in the vicinity of all the "chaos," had been drifting in and out of consciousness since arriving at the airborne base. The altitude made her drowsy--the mana tasted different.
There is water, but not from the sea. Rather, the clouds... The spirits sang to her in a different tune.
Thus, she was quite surprised when two newcomers arrived, nearly creating a Venser-pancake. Sierra wobbled over to the scene, nearly falling on her face, but grabbing a railing in time, and gave the scene a quick once-over. No one seemed to be hurt.
Good.
Kamin was there, brushing herself off, and another young man who was smiling mischievously beside her whom she did not recognize.
"Kamin... Welcome back." Sierra smiled serenely. "I am glad that you are unharmed." She then turned to the new member of the Round Table.
"Greetings, I am Sierra Nark. Pleased to make your acquaintance. If you are in need of any assistance, do not hesitate to ask."
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Post by Shirafune on Aug 12, 2009 21:34:41 GMT 8
Tsubasa bounded off the aircraft flippantly; landing right beside Sierra. She wasn't exactly used to what seemed like the epitome of an armoury.
Everything here seems to be pistol-like or so.
"Introductions first."
"Hello comrade, welcome to our communist gathering of sorts."
Since when did we become communist?
"A minute ago."
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