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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Reader mode
Mr Zoat said:
Her head snaps back to the boom tube as she draws her-. Sword? Probably an Earth-sword with some sort of nonsensical ability.
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She knows Earthlings so well.

Mr Zoat said:
like he's in perfectly health.
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'perfect'

Mr Zoat said:
From the sounds of it-.
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'sound'

Mr Zoat said:
"You can't just… Refuse a gift from Darkseid! It's unthinkable!"
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Grayven is capable of a bit more thinking that most of your kind and like Euron Greyjoy, Darkseid's gifts are poison.

Mr Zoat said:
"Yes. I'll betray them both." She turns and grins at Darkstar Nguyen. "If this little sneak is the one who interrogates me. I like her attitude."
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She's already taken.
 
Chojin Patriarch said:
Honestly? Looks like he dared pretty easily, even if it cost him a whole Citizenry ship.
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The Citizenry is something that he's going to probably need to get rid off eventually.

They have their uses, but it's best to put down a mad dog even if it can help you in some ways.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Well, given that most of his gifts tend to be rather bad for the recipient, It's understandable.
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Bruno Manheim agrees.

Or he'd probably agree if there was anything left of him in that thing that used to be his body.
 
Grayven is probably making some assumptions about how Knockout will be treated by the OLC. Honestly, I could also see it as him 'explaining' it was a test of New Gods and orange lantern rings if Darkseid brings it up.
 
Okay, so now I'm actually confused what the Reach are there for. Is it Jade, the boom tube generator or a high ranking new god aide aka knockout?
 
Xenopsychology (part 4)
  • Threadmarks
    • 6 561 937.M41

    I remember watching a video on YouTube about the French Revolution many years ago. The various contributors were discussing how the Committee for Public Safety went madder and madder and more and more murderous, and how that tied into other revolutionary philosophies. And most of them sounded like that fact was why they were very sceptical about revolutionary philosophy, because they'd seen where it led.

    Except the Russian chap, who sounded like he thought it was great and completely appropriate to randomly murder people in order to maintain an atmosphere of fear that would make people reluctant to act against the revolutionary state.

    "VILE HERETIC!"

    My construct barrier wavers as… Some sort of energy field disrupting ammunition strikes it. Not actual Vindicare Temple shield-breaker rounds… I think. I'm too mobile to be a good target for temple assassins, so aside from one testicle-retraction-inducing encounter with a Callidus Assassin which I think was more an attack of opportunity I haven't been targetted. As far as I remember, shield breaker ammunition would break a shield whatever it was made of and these rounds clearly haven't.

    My construct boyz swarm the Storm Trooper position, taking several hits before-

    Waaaaaagh!

    -evaporating, while their brethren slam into their targets with… With 'smackers', and begin clubbing them into compliance.

    Some inquisitors are hard people in a hard line of work, confronting covert threats to the Estate Imperium. They're usually late to the party, fighting mutants, aliens, heretics and traitors in entrenched positions in the societies they inquisite in a desperate race to prevent some great catastrophe. Or they contain in their mind dangerous knowledge that is vital to a conflict but would corrupt a person of lesser devotion or will.

    The old quote 'Some may question your right to destroy ten billion people. Those who understand realise that you have no right to let them live!' isn't a dark joke or the ranting of some edgelord. I've seen Imperial loyalists burn a faithful world from orbit to destroy a reactivating Necron tomb buried underneath and I've seen what can happen when tombs like that reactivate and I agree that it was the correct course of action.

    And some Inquisitors are like this arsehole.

    I look at one of the holding cells, where the people were pushed inside until there was no space left at all, the bodies of the people closest to the bars… Partially pressed through. There's no one alive in there, but they… They could have lived for quite a while.

    No sign of mutation or genetic corruption on any of them. No Eye of Horus tattoos, or other signs of religious heresy. A couple have genetic traits associated with low level psykers, but nothing above Mu level. Even the Inquisitor's own records just say that 'the will of the ineffable Master of Mankind drew them to my attention' and other just non-justifications.

    This man didn't solve problems. He created them. And now I've got to deal with one.

    Gremlin clanks up the corridor as the last of the Storm Troopers are… Um, detained. What he's wearing… We managed to acquire a couple of oddboyz to see what happened when they were exposed to him, on the grounds that they would be less hassle to contain than regular boyz. The results have been… Interesting, and the relatively smooth power armour he's now wearing is a marked departure from the way ork mega armour usually looks. It looks like armour and not randomly attached bits of industrial machinery, for a start.

    "Looks like the boyz did good, Boss."

    A mental impulse from me and they begin dragging the recumbent guardsmen out to the waiting detainment units. Technically, this is a Tau Empire-loyal human world invading its Imperium-loyal human neighbour, and as a result of the sheer barbarity of the rulers to their subjects they're not having any trouble finding collaborators. Earth-caste engineers will go through their… Horrendously brutal factories later to see what modifications can be made in terms of health and safety improvements…

    They were literally cooking the foundry workers alive, for goodness sake.

    I nod absent-mindedly. I'm not looking forward to the next bit, but that's my job.

    "Boyz will be boyz."

    The most deeply fortified cell is just ahead of me. The Storm Troopers were actually using the outer fortifications for cover, and-.

    Ring charging. Capacitors at seventy six percent.

    And something warp-related started happening here the moment Kais killed that flipping Inquisitor, which probably means that the wards were tied to his own psychic powers. And the Storm Troopers were stationed here rather than manning the outer defences.

    Ring charging. Capacitors at seventy seven percent.

    Artefact or psyker? Don't know. It's interfering with my scans. Gremlin is only here because as an orkoid he's a lot more resistant to this sort of thing than tau or most humans.

    "Lotta sacrifices, boss. Didn't look loik that sorta Inquisitor."

    Ritual sacrifices are best for sorcery, but actually? Just killing a lot of people in the same place works. The veil draws thin, and the next thing you know…

    The ring defeats the lock on… Yes, it's a null chamber, as Gremlin readies his positron gun. Klaxon and warning lights as the heavy metal door slowly opens, my armour ready for any attack.

    Ring charging. Capacitors at seventy eight percent. Capacitors at seventy nine percent.

    Oh dear.

    Scarlet and purple light streams out, moving in waves and leaving an odd ripple texture on any surface it touches. We've got a full on veil-piercing here, and that's a bad sign. The hole itself is manageable; this isn't my first time closing one. This issue is that every vaguely psychic person is going to start hearing the voices, if they weren't already.

    A light stream touches my construct armour-

    Capacitors at eighty percent.

    -and gets absorbed as I push forward, Gremlin hanging back to cover me.

    "Is there anyone in there? Please, try to remain calm, we're here to rescue you."

    My boot hits a chain on the floor, links made from some psychically retardant material cut clean through and the remains of its purity seals melted on to the floor.

    "Try imagining a wall. On the other side of the wall is a raging ocean, but where you are is calm."

    Captured Imperial psykers haven't been entirely consistent in what they think they're allowed to share, but some just start muttering their mantras when their own powers start acting up.

    "If you can hear my voice, please respond!"

    The colours are fading slightly, and I can see the outline of the room. Looks like there's… Yes, an enhanced interrogation suite, Inquisition style. Clamps, chains, an excruciator, what's left of a scribe servitor… But they knew he didn't know anything! There wasn't anything he could tell them and they didn't believe otherwise. This was just… Horribly torture a man because that's the next step. And they don't even have the excuse that most Imperial organisations do about procedure being holy writ; the Inquisition is expressly empowered to go against that.

    They just didn't care to.

    Okay, I can't see anyone. They could be hiding themselves, but it's more likely that they're further into the warp.

    A step from the real. Alright, let's do this.

    "I'm coming for you! Please, come this way!"

    The world ripples as the real pulls away and-.

    A colossal arm of burning metal and slag punches through the materium and grabs onto me, pulling me into no-space before a vast daemonic face!

    "Ave, domine."

    And the real vanishes as I'm pulled deeper.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • What the hell is a black templar doing in the warp coming after Paul. Btw did you hear about Vashtorr and if so what are your plans for him. Among the demons he's one that can be dealt with relatively *safety* although that safety is in big red letters.
     
    Razorfloss said:
    What the hell is a black templar doing in the warp coming after Paul.
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    You think being in the Warp would stop them coming after him?

    Also, what Black Templar?
    Btw did you hear about Vashtorr and if so what are your plans for him. Among the demons he's one that can be dealt with relatively *safety* although that safety is in big red letters.
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    Hasn't heard of him.
     
    Mr Zoat said:
    You think being in the Warp would stop them coming after him?

    Also, what Black Templar?

    Hasn't heard of him.
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    He's essentially a demi-god of technology who really wants to become the 5th chaos god. Among chaos he's shockingly honest and keeps to his contacts. As long as you negotiate a good contract with him and that's the hard part but doable he is going to keep his word and won't try and fuck you over which is unlike chaos. Think lawful evil with a heavy emphasis on the lawful aspect. Still evil as shit but you can work with him unlike the other 4. He's essentially the arms dealer of chaos and the 4 gods leave him alone because if they piss him off they don't get access to his cool shit which is a bad idea when your rivals do.
     
    Razorfloss said:
    He's essentially a demi-god of technology who really wants to become the 5th chaos god. Among chaos he's shockingly honest and keeps to his contacts. As long as you negotiate a good contract with him and that's the hard part but doable he is going to keep his word and won't try and fuck you over which is unlike chaos. Think lawful evil with a heavy emphasis on the lawful aspect. Still evil as shit but you can work with him unlike the other 4. He's essentially the arms dealer of chaos and the 4 gods leave him alone because if they piss him off they don't get access to his cool shit which is a bad idea when your rivals do.
    Click to expand...
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    So he pulled a Constantine with the four chaos spawn except with weapons instead of his own soul. Cool.
     
    Mr Zoat said:
    6 561 937.M41

    I remember watching a video on YouTube about the French Revolution many years ago. The various contributors were discussing how the Committee for Public Safety went madder and madder and more and more murderous, and how that tied into other revolutionary philosophies. And most of them sounded like that fact was why they were very sceptical about revolutionary philosophy, because they'd seen where it led.

    Except the Russian chap, who sounded like he thought it was great and completely appropriate to randomly murder people in order to maintain an atmosphere of fear that would make people reluctant to act against the revolutionary state.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    And doesn't that say so much about each commentator's national character, eh? It's a solid reminder that the people who most often seek power are rarely the ones best suited to have power... And that's never truer than in Warhammer 40,000...

    "VILE HERETIC!"

    My construct barrier wavers as… Some sort of energy field disrupting ammunition strikes it. Not actual Vindicare Temple shield-breaker rounds… I think. I'm too mobile to be a good target for temple assassins, so aside from one testicle-retraction-inducing encounter with a Callidus Assassin which I think was more an attack of opportunity I haven't been targetted. As far as I remember, shield breaker ammunition would break a shield whatever it was made of and these rounds clearly haven't.
    Click to expand...
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    Most likely a regular sniper then. Probably an inquisitorial henchman with some flashy gear.

    My construct boyz swarm the Storm Trooper position, taking several hits before-

    Waaaaaagh!
    Click to expand...
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    ...I can honestly see a lot of similarities in the energy field. Orks want nothing more than a good scrap, after all.

    -evaporating, while their brethren slam into their targets with… With 'smackers', and begin clubbing them into compliance.
    Click to expand...
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    'Smackers', huh? P'Aul's insistence on less-lethal options I guess. There's not much that's non-lethal in an Ork's hands, after all... :p

    Some inquisitors are hard people in a hard line of work, confronting covert threats to the Estate Imperium. They're usually late to the party, fighting mutants, aliens, heretics and traitors in entrenched positions in the societies they inquisite in a desperate race to prevent some great catastrophe. Or they contain in their mind dangerous knowledge that it vital to a conflict but would corrupt a person of lesser devotion or will.
    Click to expand...
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    And others are just batshit insane from the start, but hide it well enough to gain some power.

    The old quote 'Some may question your right to destroy ten billion people. Those who understand realise that you have no right to let them live!' isn't a dark joke or the ranting of some edgelord. I've seen Imperial loyalists burn a faithful world from orbit to destroy a reactivating Necron tomb buried underneath and I've seen what can happen when tombs like that reactivate and I agree that it was the correct course of action.

    And some Inquisitors are like this arsehole.
    Click to expand...
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    And given how many human-ruled worlds there are... Ten billion lives is a fraction of a percent. A literal rounding error.

    I look at one of the holding cells, where the people were pushed inside until there was no space left at all, the bodies of the people closest to the bars… Partially pressed through. There's no one alive in there, but they… They could have lived for quite a while.
    Click to expand...
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    Ouch. Standing crushes are no joke, people. Remember that thing in Korea at Halloween, 2022? :( Yeah. And that's not even the most recent occurrence.

    No sign of mutation or genetic corruption on any of them. No Eye of Horus tattoos, or other signs of religious heresy. A couple have genetic traits associated with low level psykers, but nothing above Mu level. Even the Inquisitor's own records just say that 'the will of the ineffable Master of Mankind drew them to my attention' and other just non-justifications.

    This man didn't solve problems. He created them. And now I've got to deal with one.
    Click to expand...
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    Sadly, many Inquisitors end up having to run clean-up on other Inquisitors of their Ordos... It's a wonder they get time to focus on their real enemies.

    Gremlin clanks up the corridor as the last of the Storm Troopers are… Um, detained. What he's wearing… We managed to acquire a couple of oddboyz to see what happened when they were exposed to him, on the grounds that they would be less hassle to contain than regular boyz. The results have been… Interesting, and the relatively smooth power armour he's now wearing is a marked departure from the way ork mega armour usually looks. It looks like armour and not randomly attached bits of industrial machinery, for a start.

    "Looks like the boyz did good, Boss."
    Click to expand...
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    Ah, the joy of a race whose technological knowledge is largely instinctual outbursts within rare and less-than-sane individuals.

    A mental impulse from me and they begin dragging the recumbent guardsmen out to the waiting detainment units. Technically, this is a Tau Empire-loyal human world invading its Imperium-loyal human neighbour, and as a result of the shear barbarity of the rulers to their subjects they're not having any trouble finding collaborators. Earth-caste engineers will go through their… Horrendously brutal factories later to see what modifications can be made in terms of health and safety improvements…

    They were literally cooking the foundry workers alive, for goodness sake.
    Click to expand...
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    Honestly, not surprised. If you've spent any time on the Internet, you've probably heard the jokes about some countries' health and safety practices... Or lack of. Imagine that, escalated to ludicrous, almost parodic levels.

    I nod absent-mindedly. I'm not looking forward to the next bit, but that's my job.

    "Boyz will be boyz."
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    But having a Brain Boy to keep them in check is a bonus. Even if they are Construct Lanterns.

    The most deeply fortified cell is just ahead of me. The Storm Troopers were actually using the outer fortifications for cover, and-.

    Ring charging. Capacitors at seventy six percent.
    Click to expand...
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    I suspect the defences can be manned facing inwards or outwards, for ease of installation...

    And something warp-related started happening here the moment Kais killed that flipping Inquisitor, which probably means that the wards were tied to his own psychic powers. And the Storm Troopers were stationed here rather than manning the outer defences.

    Ring charging. Capacitors at seventy seven percent.
    Click to expand...
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    ...As in Shas'La T'Au Kais? :confused: Oh, shit... For reference, he's a Fire Warrior who proved so badass that he supposedly steam-rolled Astartes both Loyalist and Heretical, daemons and even beat down a Greater Demon of Tzeentch.

    Artefact or psyker? Don't know. It's interfering with my scans. Gremlin is only here because as an orkoid he's a lot more resistant to this sort of thing than tau or most humans.

    "Lotta sacrifices, boss. Didn't look loik that sorta Inquisitor."
    Click to expand...
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    There's a fine line between Radical Inquisitor and full Heretical... And it doesn't take much to cross it.

    Ritual sacrifices are best for sorcery, but actually? Just killing a lot of people in the same place works. The veil draws thin, and the next thing you know…

    The ring defeats the lock on… Yes, it's a null chamber, as Gremlin readies his positron gun. Klaxon and warning lights as the heavy metal door slowly opens, my armour ready for any attack.
    Click to expand...
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    In other words, this may not have been an intentional summoning. Daemons of Khorne especially are drawn to places of bloodletting...

    Ring charging. Capacitors at seventy eight percent. Capacitors at seventy nine percent.

    Oh dear.
    Click to expand...
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    Indeed. Since your ring is charging, that means a lot of Warpy stuff happened here.

    Scarlet and purple light streams out, moving in waves and leaving an odd ripple texture on any surface it touches. We've got a full on veil-piercing here, and that's a bad sign. The hole itself is manageable; this isn't my first time closing one. This issue is that every vaguely psychic person is going to start hearing the voices, if they weren't already.

    A light stream touches my construct armour-
    Click to expand...
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    And if they start hearing the voices, the voices might stick around after the rift is closed. That's bad, since it could be anything from a light touch of warpiness to a full-on possession.

    Capacitors at eighty percent.

    -and gets absorbed as I push forward, Gremlin hanging back to cover me.
    Click to expand...
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    ...Still, strip enough psychic energy from it, and it'll collapse.

    "Is there anyone in there? Please, try to remain calm, we're here to rescue you."

    My boot hits a chain on the floor, links made from some psychically retardant material cut clean through and the remains of its purity seals melted on to the floor.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Not Noctilith, I suppose. This takes place a few editions before that was a thing.

    "Try imagining a wall. On the other side of the wall is a raging ocean, but where you are is calm."

    Captured Imperial psykers haven't been entirely consistent in what they think they're allowed to share, but some just start muttering their mantras when their own powers start acting up.

    "If you can hear my voice, please respond!"
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    The drawback of the Tau working with things they can barely perceive, much less make sense of... A distinct shortage of suitable psychic shielding systems like Gellar fields.

    The colours are fading slightly, and I can see the outline of the room. Looks like there's… Yes, an enhanced interrogation suite, Inquisition style. Clamps, chains, an excruciator, what's left of a scribe servitor… But they knew he didn't know anything! There wasn't anything he could tell them and they didn't believe otherwise. This was just… Horribly torture a man because that's the next step. And they don't even have the excuse that most Imperial organisation do about procedure being holy writ; the Inquisition is expressly empowered to go against that.
    Click to expand...
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    I suspect they were so far gone, they did this for fun.

    They just didn't care to.

    Okay, I can't see anyone. They could be hiding themselves, but it's more likely that they're further into the warp.
    Click to expand...
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    At this point, where do you just decide 'acceptable losses' and write them off?

    A step from the real. Alright, let's do this.

    "I'm coming for you! Please, come this way!"
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Oooh. Best be careful what you say, some warp entities can take that as an invitation...

    The world ripples as the real pulls away and-.

    A colossal arm of burning metal and slag punches through the materium and grabs onto me, pulling me into no-space before a vast daemonic face!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Burning metal? Not an Eldar Avatar, I hope. More likely something Khornate...

    "Ave, dominus."

    And the real vanishes as I'm pulled deeper.
    Click to expand...
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    Gremlin: :confused: "Well, squig-shit..."

    This... Does not look good. Whatever this entity is, it appears to think P'Aul is an Imperial? Which may mean it's in for a nasty surprise. Let's hope this is more in the way of a polite chat rather than an attempted possession. At least we won't have to wait long to see how it rolls out.
     
    Razorfloss said:
    What the hell is a black templar doing in the warp coming after Paul.
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    I assume you mean Night Lord? "Ave Dominus Nox" is sort of their thing. Black Templars are a loyalist chapter of imperial fists. Or it could just be latin, as "Ave Dominus" just means "Hail Lord" in latin.
     
    Razorfloss said:
    He's essentially a demi-god of technology who really wants to become the 5th chaos god. Among chaos he's shockingly honest and keeps to his contacts. As long as you negotiate a good contract with him and that's the hard part but doable he is going to keep his word and won't try and fuck you over which is unlike chaos. Think lawful evil with a heavy emphasis on the lawful aspect. Still evil as shit but you can work with him unlike the other 4. He's essentially the arms dealer of chaos and the 4 gods leave him alone because if they piss him off they don't get access to his cool shit which is a bad idea when your rivals do.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    This issue is the evil part. Contacting him is still going to require ritual sacrifices, and he's going to want payment in souls.
    Hidden Variable said:
    I assume you mean Night Lord? "Ave Dominus Nox" is sort of their thing. Black Templars are a loyalist chapter of imperial fists. Or it could just be latin, as "Ave Dominus" just means "Hail Lord" in latin.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    It's more like 'Yes, Master' in this context.
     
    Mr Zoat said:
    A colossal arm of burning metal and slag punches through the materium and grabs onto me, pulling me into no-space before a vast daemonic face!

    "Ave, dominus."

    And the real vanishes as I'm pulled deeper.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    About time.

    This should have happened months ago.


    Mr Zoat said:
    My construct barrier wavers as… Some sort of energy field disrupting ammunition strikes it. Not actual Vindicare Temple shield-breaker rounds… I think. I'm too mobile to be a good target for temple assassins, so aside from one testicle-retraction-inducing encounter with a Callidus Assassin which I think was more an attack of opportunity I haven't been targetted. As far as I remember, shield breaker ammunition would break a shield whatever it was made of and these rounds clearly haven't.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    There's no such thing as being too mobile for the Temple.
     
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