Interloper Prototype String of Pearls

The String of Pearls is an experience. It's a body that's also a soul. It means exactly what it is. That's why it's small, curved in wicked edges in some places, but curved in soft round ways elsewhere.

## Information

### Affiliated with

Celestial Mechanics

The ***Interloper Prototype String of Pearls*** is an "existentially horrifying" weaponized mech developed in secret by Celestial Mechanics in a lab orbiting Cronus.

## Description

### Nature

String of Pearls is described by Saturn as "a wicked machine with a lot of secrets," and is "just as giddy as her pilot to be free" after being stolen from the Celestial Mechanics lab. She is extremely responsive, and eager to do everything Saturn wants. Its manual makes String of Pearls sound as if it is "a tool for sneaking and seducing and sabotaging." Saturn rejects this, and imagines it as a verb - an experience - and not a tool.

### Physical Appearance

Visually, the mech is "small, curved in wicked edges in some places, but curved in soft round ways elsewhere." It has sharp claws and a deadly tail, but looks cute enough to hug, which is why Saturn believes that it is suited for her, the reason for which Celestial Mechanics were reluctant to let her pilot it. At one point, Saturn wishes that String of Pearls had a mouth to suck out the insides of another mech's eviscerated arm with. She then notes that it is possible that String of Pearls *does* have a mouth, but information regarding such is not elaborated on in the mech's operation manual.

### Abilities

Saturn later discovers how to utilize String of Pearls' poison claw ability when in combat with Luna-Terra's Mare Crisium, leaving a hot pink oozing scratch wound on Mare Crisium's thigh. With her ship-self, Saturn can leave electrotoxins, producing something between electrocution and kissing during her fights with Luna-Terra and Pluto.

String of Pearls is the only one of the main three ship-selves to have 'capture cables,' which are strong enough to nearly pull even Krun Macula.

In comparison to Mare Crisium and Krun Macula, the plastics of Saturn's ship-self function less as armor, and more as regenerable skin, making it more advantageous for String of Pearls to take damage head-on during fights. It's designed for a pilot like Saturn to get into trouble.

## Background

String of Pearls was constructed in the atmosphere of the planet Cronus (Saturn).

Information about the project was anonymously leaked by Celestial Mechanics standby test pilot Saturn, and the mech itself was eventually stolen in retaliation after Saturn was benched from test piloting. Following the theft of String of Pearls, the truce existing amongst the three factions - Celestial Mechanics, Memorial Foundation, and Cradle's Graces - promptly concluded, launching all of the factions into conflict.

## Gallery

String of Pearls alone in space after being stolen by SaturnString of Pearls ripping the mechanical musculature from the arm of one of Luna-Terra's escort's mechsMare Crisium mid-combat with String of PearlsString of Pearls head-to-head with Krun MaculaString of Pearls being attacked by Pluto/Krun Macula's tidal forcesPinning Mare CrisiumResting on Krun Macula's lap
## Trivia

* Saturn states that String of Pearls fits her "better than a human body" and gets "hungry" when in combat.
* Saturn refers to the wound she left on Mare Crisium's leg as a "love bite" and tells Luna-Terra to pay her back for it.
* The name "String of Pearls" likely comes from a storm that occurred on Saturn, identified by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2006. The 'string of pearls' in the atmosphere was over 60,000 kilometres (37,000 miles) long.