The Alien Wars 6: Da Capo

Session 554

Session Start: Mon Apr 18 00:00:06 2022
Session Ident: #TAW-Session554
* Sara has joined #TAW-Session554
* DeathStar sets mode: +o Sara
* Xantop has joined #TAW-Session554
* Alicia has joined #TAW-Session554
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* DeathStar sets mode: +ooo Alicia ChadWinters` Seraphna
* DeathStar sets mode: +o Xantop
<DeathStar> 5
<DeathStar> 3
<DeathStar> 1
<DeathStar> -0-
<DeathStar> Date: 10-642.10.25
<DeathStar> Location: The Aquarius
<DeathStar> *The Aquarius floats in the Unknown Region, data coming in to be studied as before them is strange spatial readings in space unlike in their regions of space. It is still early morning according to the clocks and most of the crew is running on night shift, not having shifted over to the morning shift*
<DeathStar> *Ben sits at his station, eyeing what is running on the console, jotting notes on his terminal*
<DeathStar> *Mireille is slumped over one of the middle railings in the circular bridge, dangling her legs*
<Seraphna> **A cake on a string is lowered in front of her**
<DeathStar> *she peers up, then reaches up for it*
<Seraphna> **Cookie holding the pole**
<Sara> <Erica> Are you trying to make her fat?
<Seraphna> **Cookie looks innocent** I’m fishing for cuties.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> *holds coffee in her hands, ears flat, mumbling about stuff that makes no sense*
<DeathStar> *Mire grabs onto the cake*
* Jackieness has joined #TAW-Session554
<DeathStar> <Yuki> *sips the coffee* Is it a school day? .... do I need to teach Yurica stuff in class? *squints around*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Whoa, got a biter!
<DeathStar> *Sabrina dives out, wearing her uniform - having joined the Aquarius a few weeks back, and grabs the cake*
<DeathStar> <Sabrina> RAWR
<Alicia> * Celeste watches, having joined around the same time as Sabrina
<DeathStar> (I lied to Ali my apologies)
<Sara> <Erica> Are you getting enough sleep, Yu?
<Sara> <Erica> I know it's the night shift and all, but...
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Well, we need experienced crew on both shifts. *As she says that the morning shift begins to switch*
<DeathStar> <Ben> Well I got a lot of data for Airym
<DeathStar> *Ben nods*
<Seraphna> **Cookie yawns and moves over to help Pepper up** Time to let the morning people be wakeful.
<DeathStar> *right as he says that, there's a flash the Aquarius shakes, alarms going off*
<Seraphna> **Cookie peers around** I didn't do it!
<DeathStar> *Ben peers up and hits a button* All hands on deck top the bridge
<Sara> <Erica> Ah, for fuck's sake... if you didn't do it, Cookie, who did?
<Seraphna> Cookie> **puts Pepper back in her seatr and moves over to her console** I dunno!
<Jackieness> <Airym> *steps on to the bridge* "Status report."
<Seraphna> Cookie> Shaking! Alarms! Someone ate my spare cake!
<Sara> <Erica> You have done that to yourself.
<DeathStar> *The Aquarius suddenly goes still; but something feels wrong with the ship. And their minds. Mireille is gone, but no one remembers her being gone. Or ever being part of the ship. Infact, the Spirit Engine system is completely gone*
<DeathStar> *Just leaving normal systems and the Tiger Engine*
<DeathStar> <Ben> .... I am getting error systems all over like parts of the ship is wrong.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "I want a full status report."
<Sara> * Erica eyes Airym wearily
<Sara> <Erica> Stuff's fucked is all. Nothing new for this crew.
<Seraphna> Cookie> This is really weird.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Weirder than me weird.
<DeathStar> *Yuki squints* <Yuki> What do you mean pats of the ship is wrong? <Ben> The Tiger Engine is not working properly anymore
<DeathStar> <Ben> It is like it is missing parts to work
<Sara> <Erica> I think the diagnostic system must be wrong if it's reporting errors so broadly
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Are we still space-worthy?"
<DeathStar> <Ben> We can still fly just fine.
<DeathStar> <Ben> But we are not getting home
<Seraphna> Cookie> Yeah but without that we can't get back home without taking a masssive amount of vacation time.
<DeathStar> *Ben nods to Cookie*
<Sara> <Erica> Well, it was working before...
<DeathStar> <Yuki> How does the ship get so many errors so fast?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Taiga improved the engine and it was working fine
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Record all of the datalogs."
<Jackieness> Review
<Seraphna> Cookie> Maybe we can hook it back up somehow? Parts don't just vanish.
<DeathStar> <Sabrina> I'll go to engineering!
<DeathStar> *Sabrina rushes off*
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Also give me a sensor sweep of the surrounding area."
<DeathStar> *Ben studies the datalogs while Yuki looks at Erica* You know... I feel like something is missing
<Seraphna> **Cookie eats a brownie** It does. Like... I said, parts don't just vanish.
<Sara> <Erica> Yeah... though I felt that way most of my life, so...
<DeathStar> <Ben> Here. *He brings up the logs for Airym and Erica*
<Xantop> *Pepper walks onto the bridge with a yawn.
<Xantop> <Pepper> I was taking a nap, what's going on?
<Seraphna> Cookie> I didn't do it!
<Jackieness> <Airym> *looks at the logs for anything unusual*
<DeathStar> <Ben> It seems at this time, we began to get massive errors. *He notes the time* And then the systems began to report missing parts. But the thing is it doesn't state what the parts are. It's like the parts never existed
<Sara> <Erica> So the diagnostics system is wrong, it comes down to that
<Sara> <Erica> Feels like there's some gaps in the logs too...
<Xantop> <Pepper> Bug in the system to cause a complete meltdown?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Run a simulation and try to extrapolate what the missing parts are."
<Xantop> <Pepper> Maybe some sort of deadlock.
<DeathStar> <Ben> I will try. But if the system refuses to acknowledge their existence
<Seraphna> Cookie> It's like someone tried to change how the ship works and half assed the layout. But... you can't just do that can you? I mean it was working fine an hour ago right?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Thus the simulated extrapolation."
<DeathStar> *Sabrina rushes back in, panting*
<DeathStar> <Sabrin> Engineering is very empty now
<Xantop> <Pepper> Maybe the ship just THINKS those parts should be there bu-Wait wait?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Define empty."
<Sara> <Erica> I mean, wasn't it always?
<DeathStar> <Sabrina> I mean you got the one engine, but there seems to be a huge empty area.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Yeah, it was always like that
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Right?
<Sara> <Erica> Room to grow, the President and Chelsea's thoughts
<Seraphna> **Cookie eats more brownies** ...I mean, I think so but that seems weird.
<Sara> <Erica> It's more efficient than it used to be is all
<Jackieness> <Airym> "is there any physical evidence that something was removed? Unconnected or missing conduits, attachment poits, etc?"
<Seraphna> Cookie> Since when is empty space in an engine room efficient?
<DeathStar> <Sabrina> Hm, not. Just empty. Very empty. Right next to the other engine. The Tiger Engine
<Sara> <Erica> Because the engine used to be bigger and stuff, you know?
<Seraphna> Cookie> The one that suddenly stopped working.
<Xantop> <Pepper> ..... *Peppers considers something and then pulls up her datapad to go back through her data, her a cookie take pictures and act up all the time so she might have a picture of engineering somewhere in her pictures.*
<Sara> <Erica> But imagine being on a long trip in the middle of nowhere and needing space to put alien tech...
<Seraphna> Cookie> Isn't this a brand new rebuild?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Yes, the space would be more fficiently used for another purpose than leaving it empty."
<DeathStar> *Yuki ruffles her head; Pepper would see her pictures have been changed to exclude Mireille in them and the pictures of engineer have anything spirit tech ripped out*
<DeathStar> <Ben> Deus Ex Machina
<Sara> <Erica> Well, I'm no engineer, and we're quite far from the people who built it.
<Xantop> *But she would be none-the-wiser, right?*
<Sara> <Erica> All I can do is say it was built this way.
<DeathStar> *Yep, normal to her*
<Seraphna> **Cookie pauses a moment** ...Who did build the Tiger Engine?
<Xantop> <Pepper> I mean looking at these pictures, it's always been that way.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Mom did
<DeathStar> <Yuki>Why you want to talk to her?
<Sara> <Erica> I'm not even sure what's with you guys -- the diagnostic system is just confused. Why's it confusing all of you too?
<Seraphna> Cookie> Right... right. Yeah, maybe she can help us fix it?
<Sara> <Erica> It's like a broken check engine light on an old vehicle
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Wait, mom?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> ....*Yuki thinks hard*
<Seraphna> Cookie> If she built it she must know what's wrong with it.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Taiga... *she muses hard*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> I have...a mother called... Taiga...right?
<Seraphna> Cookie> Yeah.. umm... **goes cross eyed** I think so?
<Sara> <Erica> Yu, what's come over you?
<Seraphna> Cookie> ...Wait why can't I remember my own aunt's name?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> I can't bring my mother's face to mind. *she eyes her hand, then slowly slides it out of sight*
<Xantop> <Pepper> So here's my thinking, multiple systems use various aspects of the ship all the time, right? Normally it's built into the ship just HOW to route all of the different calls and power output and all that. If some sort of flaw caused two areas to hit something at the same time, they'd both be calling for resources not there.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Yu? What's going on?
<Xantop> <Pepper> It'd melt down from there if the right checks weren't put in place, that could be why the logs and errors went all nuts at once.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Do we have a sensor readout on surrounding space?"
<DeathStar> *Yuki lifts her hand up, a bit see-throughish* I think I got a problem?
<Xantop> * Pepper glances between Cookie and Yuki before looking at sensors.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Yeah that looks like a problem.
<Seraphna> Cookie> That or I put way too much Spice in this brownie.
<Sara> <Erica> That's... hasn't that happened before? It's not good.
<DeathStar> <Ben> .... Hm. Something more is going on here. *He grabs Yuki's hand and studies her*
<DeathStar> <Ben> Surrounding space is normal
<Seraphna> Cookie> Seriously, I can't remember your Mom right now. And I can feel you trying to.
<Xantop> <Pepper> Whoa holy shit, no way a system melt down could cause that.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Clearly. Something appears to be erasing Yuki. Perhaps that has occurred to other parts of the ship, thus the anomalies."
<Seraphna> Cookie> But why Yuki? What's missing...?
<Sara> <Erica> Well, if it has, it's tampered with all of us quite effectively as it is. Can we even trust our own judgment at that point?
<Xantop> <Pepper> AW FUCK, is this a time travel problem again?! If Her mom built our shit and something happened...our shit and yuki wouldn't exist?!
<DeathStar> <Ben> Well we might lose Yuki any moment. I'm not sure why we haven't yet.
<Sara> <Erica> I'm NOT okay with that.
<Seraphna> Cookie> ...Oh...
<Seraphna> Cookie> Yu? I think it's your reality energy holding you. If something changed reality you should be able to resist it?
<Xantop> <Pepper> Yeah, yeah do that! Resist that shit
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Bring our historcal data. Yuki, please try to correlate things with your memories, so that we might try to determine the point of variance."
<Sara> <Erica> In English, please?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Oh you think it's that. *she closes her eyes* ... *Closes her eyes* Right reality...... Give me a moment. *touches Erica with her good hand* ... .... You're right something happened to reality. In fact, we been losing more stuff as we speak
<Sara> * Erica looks at Yuki with a hard-to-read expression on her face
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Someone erased supernatural beings.
<Seraphna> Cookie> So what we lost was something supernatural?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> And that's stranded us. It seems we have supernatural tech I guess
<Sara> <Erica> You mean, had?
<Seraphna> Cookie> If your Mom is being erased that means we might lose the Tiger Engine too at any moment. Maybe that's why it's not working.
<Sara> <Erica> Look, that's not important, hold on Yuki.
<Sara> <Erica> Don't let it take you from me... I can't go through this again.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Yes. *weakly smiles* Uh, right I'm not going anywhere. Do you think we can get our stuff back?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Can we get a signal back to known space?"
<DeathStar> *Ben rolls his chair over* I'll try.
<Seraphna> Cookie> We'd have to undo this change somehow. Or somehow get out of this reality before it's completely overwritten?
<Sara> <Erica> Known space is going to be pretty far at this point unfortunately, but I'm going to be blunt with you here:
<Sara> <Erica> No Taiga, no President Tora
<Sara> <Erica> No President Tora, no Aquarius Project, no Aquarius
<Sara> <Erica> If it's like that, we're ALL fucked.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> You think the ship might go
<Seraphna> Cookie> ...We need to get the Tiger Engine online, pronto.
<Xantop> <Pepper> ....I'll go work on the engine.
<Sara> <Erica> Are you kidding? Mankind would be dead before they even colonized Kumen if Tora hadn't been there
<Xantop> *Pepper runs out for engineering.*
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Its a possibility that we must prepare for." *tilts ehr ehad* "Are there any planets in range?"
<DeathStar> *Ben holds up his comm, then holds it out to Airym and Erica* I think I got a signal. Who wants to take it?
<Seraphna> Cookie> It was built on the old Light Engine premise of skipping reality. There's a chance we might be able to get to safety before we're all screwed.
<Sara> <Erica> I don't mean to alarm you guys so much, but we must assume we are working on very limited time.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "I will take it."
<DeathStar> *Ben hands it over, while Yuki leans on Erica*
<Sara> * Erica squeezes her gently
<Jackieness> <Airym> *takes the comm* "This is the Aquarius. Can you read me?"
<Seraphna> Cookie> I'll be with Pepper. At least if the ship vanishes I can be her lifeboat. Ben... can you mech without a pilot?
<DeathStar> <Ben> Me? No, I just charm a dragoon girl
<DeathStar> *Ben smiles*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> ...
<DeathStar> <Erevis> Aquarius? Are you there?
<Sara> <Erica> Is that Erevis?
<Seraphna> Cookie> Nerts, well I can still pick you up since you'll survive vacuum. Yu you grab Erica and Airym if it comes to that. Make sure Airym transmits our coordinates.
<Seraphna> Cookie> We're here! Toodles! **she runs to engineering**
<DeathStar> <Erevis> Ah, Erica. Are you....okay? *she seems worried about Erica - probably due to her losing things*
<DeathStar> *the Taiga Engine seems to be refusing to work*
<Sara> <Erica> Things are not okay here.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "This is Aquarius. We are in distress."
<Sara> <Erica> I take it from your tone that you know what's going on?
<Seraphna> **Cookie looks it over, musing and trying to figure out what's missing in the connections**
<DeathStar> <Erevis on comm> I imagine. We have learned a few things on our end. Taiga managed to use her reality powers to drill her existence into our hands and the half-spirits are still alive, indicating spirits...exist, even if we do not remember them
<Xantop> <Pepper> I'm going through the checklist but it's like....well I guess with whatever we're missing it was pretty vital.
<DeathStar> *heads*
<Sara> <Erica> Something's up with our engine and Yuki is disappearing.
<DeathStar> <Erevis on comm> Ah, there has been some debates with our engineers on that matter.
<Sara> <Erica> As it stands it could take us years to get back, but that doesn't seem right because it didn't take us years to get here.
<Sara> <Erica> I think...
<Sara> * She looks at Airym, unsure
<DeathStar> <Erevis on comm> We believe you had "spirit technology" and a spirit to take you there. It is likely no longer in existence.
<Sara> <Erica> A... spirit...
<DeathStar> <Erevis on comm> Airym, what are the chances you ahd an engineered spirit?
<Seraphna> **Cookie muses** I think... if we lost an engine, maybe the power routing was shared with it?
<Sara> * Erica holds her head, while holding Yuki with her other arm
<Seraphna> Cookie> If we can get this thing hooked up independantly...
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Your statement is accurate."
<Jackieness> <Airym> "A missing 'sirit' and its technology would explain a great deal about our current status."
<Xantop> <Pepper> This is going to take a lot of work. We have to check our connections at every part of the ship or risk catastrophic failure.
<DeathStar> *Yuki rubs Erica's back* <Erevis on comm> Then until we defeat the person who erased the spirit, you are stranded, unless you can someone bring that spirit back. We will try to speed it up. However you can try to run the light engine tech without the spirit engines. Just becareful
<Seraphna> Cookie> Well we gotta do it fast. There's a chance the ship will disappear... oh if it starts looking see through run to me.
<DeathStar> *as Pepper and Cookie work, they do find a way to reboot the Taiga engine in standard mode - but it'll be less powerful*
<Seraphna> Cookie> This is better than nothing! At elast we can try and get to a planet before the ship vanishes.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> So, .... we might have a spirit on the ship? Or had?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Ben, find us a candidate planet out there."
<DeathStar> *Ben works and soon does so*
<Sara> <Erica> It sounds that way... stirs some sort of feeling of regret and missing, to be honest.
<Seraphna> **Cookie starts going through the boot sequence, checking the connections to be sure they don't blow up**
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Plot a course. If the ship disappeara, a safe planetfall will increase the chances of crew survival."
<Xantop> <Pepper> I think as long as we avoid decompression we'll be doing good.
<DeathStar> *Yuki nods* Alright. *she eyes more of her body missing* Lets see if we can find it. *She takes helps Erica up* Where do you think we should begin?
<Seraphna> Cookie> So the non-Dragoons, get space suits on.
<DeathStar> *Ben plots the course* Ready for the jump?
<Seraphna> Cookie> **checks it over** I think so?
<Seraphna> Cookie> Hold onto your butts. **grabs Pepper's**
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Engage."
<Sara> <Erica> That's a tough question... let's take a look at that empty space in engineering first I guess... maybe we can figure out where it all hooked up...
<Sara> <Erica> Here, Yu. You can hold on to my shoulder or something. Don't push yourself.
<Xantop> <Pepper> If we blow up, it's been real. *She smooches Cookie*
<DeathStar> *Bn pulls the lever and jumps them to the planet where they find a purpleish planet and begin to fly down, the landing gear coming down* <Ben> Hm, it seems that various systems are missing that made this easier. Hold on.
<DeathStar> *Yuki leans on as they head to engineering through all the shaking*
<Seraphna> Cookie> **uses TK to keep herself and Pepper from flying about**
<Xantop> <Pepper> We gotta do basic like...counter thrust for wind and what-not. I'll help as best I can.
<DeathStar> *A giant bird creature begins to bother them on the way down as they compensate, thinking the ship is food*
<DeathStar> *while Yuki and Erica arrive in the giant empty engineering hanger*
<DeathStar> <Ben> Captain, we are being eaten
<Seraphna> **Cookie reaches out with empathy and tries to convince them that it's bad food**
<DeathStar> *Cookie aggros it*
<DeathStar> *it now really chomps on the shields*I
<Sara> * Erica peers up at the ceilings in the empty engineering area
<Seraphna> **Cookie huffs and uses Scattermind on it**
<DeathStar> *Yuki peers around; it feels like something belongs in here*
<Jackieness> <Airym> "As long as the shields hold."
<DeathStar> *The creature retreats for now as they touch down*
<DeathStar> <Ben> We have landed.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Next time I'll try and make it think it's a giant bird eating cat.
<Sara> <Erica> There's definitely a feeling that something important is missing, huh, Yu... *she runs her hands along the walls, frowning*
<Jackieness> <Airym> "What is our current status?"
<Seraphna> Cookie> Okay, plus side is that now if the ship vanishes we don't die.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Even better news, interplanetary vacation until Erevis sends a rescue party.
<DeathStar> <Ben> Our status is ....hm. *He seems to be studying* The hull seems to be getting strange readings. We might be getting erased. Or not.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Please clarify the strange readings."
<DeathStar> *a hand grabs Erica and pulls her into the wall, making Yuki fall onto her rear*
<DeathStar> *Ben motions for Airym to look*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Or we landed on a ghost planet.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Wait if we lost supernatural stuff, no ghosts right?
<Sara> <Erica> What the f-- *is pulled*
<Seraphna> Cookie> There was that planet of energy beings I mind linked with that one time though. I'm pretty sure they weren't ghosts.
<DeathStar> *Cookie feels something running along her neck*
<Xantop> <Pepper> Ghosts seem....supernatural yeah.
<Seraphna> **Cookie blinks and peers around slowly**
<Jackieness> <Airym> *checks the sensor readings*
<Xantop> * Pepper checks to see what sort of atmosphere they have here.
<DeathStar> *it's a piece of string*
<DeathStar> *it seems very hard to breathe in, but they can*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Umm... wha... **she blinks and gently nabs at the string**
<DeathStar> *it seems ot be indiciating the hull is being erased, like the hull never existed, but then the readings are rejected a moment or two later by some other code*
<DeathStar> *A cake falls on her face*
<ChadWinters`> msn
<ChadWinters`> *Wrong thing*
<Seraphna> **Cookie squeaks**
<Seraphna> Cookie> GHOST CAKE!
<DeathStar> *As Cookie screams, the other hanger room begins to light up*
<DeathStar> <Ben> We are getting readings in the empty hanger
<Xantop> <Pepper> What the hell?
<Seraphna> Cookie> Wait... isn't this my cake?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Give me a visual of the hangar."
<Seraphna> Cookie> ...Ghosts are trying to take the baked goods.
<DeathStar> *Ben shows it and it shows the spirit-tech engines being there, in a state of flux. Yuki looking baffled*
<Xantop> <Pepper> But the ghosts are gone!
<DeathStar> *in the middle of the bridge, the spirit chamber appears*
<DeathStar> <Ben> It would appear something is happening.
<Seraphna> Cookie> I defy that reality! The evidence is clear.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Eitehr they have started to undo the changes to the timeline, or there is some strange element related to this world."
<Seraphna> Cookie> Magically appearing cakes. Evidence of ghost planet shenanigans.
<Xantop> <Pepper> Maybe they fixed it??? Definitely don't remember this chamber being here.
<DeathStar> *The Taiga engine powers up as the spirit-engine connects to it and Erica bounces out of the spirit chamber, partially nude as happens often to her and Mire appears*
<Seraphna> Cookie> See! They even kidnapped our captain and... aha, a ghost!
<Seraphna> **Cookie inspects Mire** A cute ghost;.
<Sara> <Erica> Bloody he-*coughs*
<DeathStar> <Ben> It would seem it is protecting the ship. I believe we can hold out until the others defeat whoever caused this.
<Sara> * Erica looks up at Mirei, from the floor
<DeathStar> *Mirei sits on top of Erica, coughing - right now she looks less spirit, probably relying on her technology based side*
<Seraphna> **Cookie pokes Mire** Mmm, take notes, ghosts are pokeable.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Transmit our location to the PAX just in case we require rescue."
<DeathStar> *Mirei makes a noise*
<Seraphna> Cookie> And make adorable noises.
<DeathStar> *Ben nods and does so as Yuki arrives and helps Erica up*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> You need to quit going into that chamber
<Seraphna> Cookie> Why is Erica naked?
<Xantop> <Pepper> The ghost stole her clothes.
<Sara> <Erica> "Quit going into"? ... *she rubs her temple* No, that does sound right...
<Seraphna> Cookie> It's not even your birthday yet Yuki.
<DeathStar> *Yuki deadpans as Mirei holds up the clothes - which look all shrunk*
<DeathStar> <Mirei> Here
<Seraphna> Cookie> Wait.. the cake! She must have intended to pop out of my cake.
<Xantop> <Pepper> How does Erica not have back problems?
<Seraphna> Cookie> I solved the mystery of the cute ghost.
<DeathStar> *Mirei slumps at being called a ghost*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Wait... no that theory doesn't factor in the cutie.
<Sara> <Erica> Why did they shrink?
<Seraphna> **Cookie leans down and gets nose to nose with Mire**
<Seraphna> Cookie> Can I keep you?
<DeathStar> <Mirei> ....um... ... *was about to answer Erica when she jerks at Cookie*
<DeathStar> *then runs and hides behind Erica*
<Xantop> <Pepper> Erevis told you all that this ship has spirit power? So we have a ship powered by a ghost??? Maybe they're fixing it so we got our ghost back.
<Sara> <Erica> I'm pretty sure she isn't a ghost, unless Yuki is also currently a ghost
<DeathStar> <Mirei> ....Oooooo. Computer, defense weapon 32
<Seraphna> Cookie> Cute... spirit... got it.
<DeathStar> *gas is released on Pepper and Cookie*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Umm... you know I don't breathe.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Right?
<DeathStar> <Mirei> Oh right
<Xantop> * Pepper urks and falls over coughing.
<Sara> <Erica> That's why she eats brownies instead of smoking
<Sara> * Erica says flatly
<Seraphna> Cookie> Oh right!
<DeathStar> <Yuki> ..... *facepalm*
<Seraphna> **Cookie gives Mire a brownie** Here.
<DeathStar> *Mirei takes it slowly*
<Sara> <Erica> Please do not hand my daughter drugs
<Sara> <Erica> I mean... the spirit... I mean... I don't know
<Seraphna> Cookie> Silly Erica, brownies aren't drugs.
<Sara> * She holds her head
<DeathStar> <Ben> I'm so looking forward to when Erevis calls us bck
<DeathStar> -TIME JUMP-
<DeathStar> Date: 10-642.11.30
<DeathStar> Location: Unknown Regions
<DeathStar> *The Aquarius has gotten further into the Unknown Regions while doing it's mission to learn more about it, studying a gas cloud*
<DeathStar> *The cloud apparently having strange energy properties*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> This can be in space? Huh
<DeathStar> *Sabrina looks paranoid these days after being erased*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Cookie's Log, 11-30. Days have gone by since the great Streaking of Erica, and now we encounter a magical space gas.
<Xantop> <Pepper> It's pretty weird, there's like an energy to it, it's kind of a vibe ya know?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Continue scans of the phenomenon."
<Seraphna> Cookie> The gas appears, totally tubular. A righteous high is expected tonight.
<DeathStar> *Ben gathers data* Should I try to gather a sample?
<Sara> <Erica> It is not in fact tube-shaped, Cookie. Your log is facetious.
<Seraphna> Cookie> It's vast, expansive, like the rack of our beloved captain.
<DeathStar> *Mire hangs over a rail, bored*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Mine
<DeathStar> *eyes Cookie*
<Seraphna> Cookie> I am simply making poetic metaphors Yu Yu.
<Xantop> <Pepper> I shapeshifted into Erica the other day, It's so impressive up close.
<Sara> <Erica> you what.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Nearly suffocated me. Except I don't need to breathe.
<Xantop> * Pepper is looking at the scans.
<Sara> <Erica> I'm sorry what
<Xantop> <Pepper> It wasn't for like really perverted thing, only mildly perverted things. I wanted to see what it was like, I couldn't handle it, I kept bumping into things.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Added adendum, having a shape shifter as a wife is super hot.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Get a sample if scans indicate that it cna be safely contained."
<DeathStar> *Ben brings the ship closerly, then an arm extends*
<Alicia> * Celeste watches, new to the ship
<Seraphna> Cookie> When did we get arms?
<DeathStar> *it begins to scoop up some of the substance in a container, the container bouncing with energy as it brings it back to the ship* <Ben> Part of the new ship design
<Seraphna> Cookie> And can they like, hold giant beam sabers, and if so, why haven't we done this before.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "They are useful for manipulating cargo pods and collecting samples."
<Seraphna> **Cookie air sabers** Vrooom!
<Alicia> <Celeste> "They probably can hold giant beam sabers, but... aren't there better ways to do that?"
<DeathStar> *As Ben backs them away, Mire lifts her head up* Vessels are approaching
<Xantop> <Pepper> This energy is really kinetic. We'll need to study it but it's pretty neat.
<Sara> <Erica> Giant... beam sabers? That sounds impractical
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Is Cookie high or not high enough?"
<Alicia> <Celeste> "I'm too new to really comment on that."
<Xantop> *Pepper scans the vessels approaching.
<DeathStar> *Ben makes sure to put the container in the cargo hold for later to study and brings the vessels on screen; it seems to be 12 smaller pirate like ships.* <Yuki> I guess with the fall of the Templars in this region and Thomas having to reconfigure them, pirates are taking advantage of it
<Xantop> <Pepper> Cookie's no fun when she's not high. So if she's being goofy you know she's good and baked.
<Sara> <Erica> Piracy, huh... there's a whole lot of 'em...
<DeathStar> *The scan shows they have a ton of weapons, some unknown, but low shields and hull*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Should we let them surrender first?
<Xantop> <Pepper> Uh, we could totally fuck these guys up.
<DeathStar> <Ben> do you want to do diplomacy, Erica, or you want to blow them to hell Airym?
<Seraphna> Cookie> Thena's gonna be jealous we fought space pirates without her.
<Sara> <Erica> They're pirates, I mean I kind-of understand where they're coming from, shit sucks when there's a power vacuum
<Xantop> <Pepper> Hold on. Elephant in the room. Who's the captain of this ship again? Erica or Airym?
<Sara> * Erica eyes Pepper
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Erica and Airym
<Seraphna> Cookie> But who is Rear Admiral?
<DeathStar> *Yuki looks up from her console*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Admiral? Erevis.
<Sara> <Erica> My take is that we should disable them and return their wares
<DeathStar> *she shrugs*
<Xantop> <Pepper> So when they give conflicting orders, which one do we follow?
<Sara> <Erica> Airym?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Raise shield. Signal them to rethink their actions as they are outgunned."
<Alicia> * Celeste quickly studies rankings.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Mmm, I bet they have good... herbs.
<Sara> <Erica> You really are of a one-track sort these days, aren't you?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Airym has all battle command, scientific and day to day operations. Erica has anything to do with Spirit Combat and diplomacy
<Xantop> <Pepper> Thanks Yuki~
<Seraphna> Cookie> Scouring the galaxy for the finest herbs and spices. I am a true pioneer.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Well, this is both diplomacy and battle command."
<Xantop> <Pepper> Shields up, weapons charged.
<DeathStar> <Yuiki> I suppose Erica does handle some day to day operations
<Jackieness> <Airym> "If they wish to speak, then it is your purvue, Erica."
<DeathStar> *The pirates seem to be quiet at first, and Pepper detects them scanning the Aquarius*
<DeathStar> *probably testing their power*
<Sara> <Erica> I think they're sizing us up
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Probably."
<Seraphna> **Thena starts texting Thena about space pirates**
<DeathStar> *Then they hail the group*
<Seraphna> **Cookie
<Sara> <Erica> On screen.
<Xantop> <Pepper> On screen. *She opens it up*
<Sara> <Erica> Space pirates: We are prepared to negotiate your peaceful surrender.
<Alicia> * Celeste waits quietly
<DeathStar> *A powerfully built humanoid alien with reddish skin that looks almost human otherwise smirks at the response; he speaks in some other language that is translated* Peaceful surrender? We are merely traders passing through. We thought you might would like to see our wares.
<DeathStar> *Ben looks up* I have an announcement
<DeathStar> *the lights of the Aquarius flicker*
<Sara> <Erica> Eh?
<Seraphna> Cookie> Oh my.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "That's not good."
<Jackieness> <Airym> "What is that announcement?"
<Xantop> *Pepper mutes the comm*
<DeathStar> <Ben> You know how there is a powerful transporter on the Aquarius to go back to the PAX in case you ever want to have a holiday or get supplies? Taiga made it with Taiga engine parts? It looks like someone is coming here now
<DeathStar> *the lights flicker again and energy drops a bit*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Oh... I may have texted Thena about the pirates.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "This is not a good time."
<DeathStar> *Yuki facepalms*
<Sara> <Erica> Keep our friends here on the line, I'll talk to them
<Xantop> <Pepper> We're muted, you want me to open it back up?
<Sara> <Erica> Yeah.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Can you cancel the transport?"
<Xantop> * Pepper unmutes it *
<DeathStar> <Ben> *Shakesh ead* We'd scatter her and kill her
<Seraphna> Cookie> That would be bad for whoever is transporting.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Who's coming over?"
<DeathStar> *Ben holds up 3 fingers, indicating 3 mins and she'll be here*
<Seraphna> Cookie> Thena Zhenmei.
<Sara> <Erica> *turning back to the screen* Listen, Captain -- I'm going to level with you here. We both know that's a lie you're telling me, although one you probably tell everyone. Since the Templars closed up shop, there's a lot of opportunity out here in space, a lot of unwatched hoards. But you gotta understand that no matter how bad your own lives were before, doing this is putting some
<Sara> more people into the same kind of lives. That stuff ain't free, someone pays the price.
<Sara> ((Sheesh, so long it got split))
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Ben, Cookie, with me." *steps off the bridge*
<Seraphna> **Cookie hops up and walks over**
<DeathStar> *Ben follows Airym*
<Jackieness> <Airym> *waits for the bridge doors to close sot hat Erica cna keep them talking* "Cookie, I need as much non-essential power to keep us looking at full strength as you cna redirect."
<Seraphna> Cookie> Oh that we can do.
<DeathStar> *The alien leans forward, his harsh language making him seem almost evil* Assuming I am not an honest trader, I cannot surrender to some unknown ship and give up my goods to you. You could be as much a thief as any; new forces are coming in and filling the vacuum the Templars have left and the new leader is said to be weak
<Seraphna> Cookie> Also remember if they start shooting, Yuki and I can always increase our fleet numbers.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> That I can do
<Seraphna> **Cookie moves to redirect some power form the unused areas**
<DeathStar> <*Ben
<DeathStar> *Ben moves to the portal
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Make it so." *turns* "Ben, for future note, we need to disable the long range teleporter from our side when we are in a combat stance."
<Xantop> *Pepper daydreams of a life of piracy as she squints and totally not trader.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Damn, the repairs were faast."
<Sara> <Erica> I hear you. That's fair. I've been a bit rude here. I am Captain Erica Hildegard of the starship Aquarius. We're from the PAX fleet. You can run our credentials, we're on the up-and-up and we historically have run a lot of diplomatic missions. And with the Templar gone we're largely on a mission of peace here.
<DeathStar> <Ben> It will be so
<Xantop> *Pepper perks up and transmits their credentials*
<Seraphna> **Cookie hums, temporarily shutting down the rec room and gravity in the unused sections, since the ship normally holds a ton more crew than they use lately**
<DeathStar> *Ben has his arms crossed as Thena pops out of the teleporter*
<Sara> <Erica> At the end of the day we all want our families to be happy, and I totally feel that. That's why people turn to crime too. I think we could probably work something out that benefits everyone, you get me? Ships and bodies are worth a lot in this trying time.
<Seraphna> **Thena is wearing a pirate cloak and pirate captain hat** Yarrr!
<DeathStar> *The pirate leans in* And what can this mighty PAX Fleet offer, Captain Erica Hildegard? *He seems interested* We know much of this region.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Your timing was inconvenient."
<Seraphna> Thena> Avast, First Mate Uncle Ben!
<DeathStar> <Ben> We might not even be fighting them
<DeathStar> <Ben> Our mission is to make diplomatic ties
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Erica is attempting to avoid combat."
<Sara> <Erica> Obviously with the power vacuum left by the Templars, there's a lot of people looking to raid and pillage right now, and people will be suffering from that. We can offer aid and philanthropy as well as more useful resources like information, but the pillaging and theft in the region needs to stop. In fact, it might be beneficial if pirate clans could be conscripted as privateers
<Sara> to facilitate legitimate trading and transport to help fill the gap -- the Templars being gone means a lot of people are suddenly wanting for things they previously had access to through interplanetary commerce.
<Seraphna> **Thena muses** I could invite them to be in my galactic pirate fleet?
<DeathStar> <Ben> The more we chart this region the better it will be. It is most likely the size of our own quadrant - if not bigger
<Seraphna> Thena> ...Intergalactic Fleet.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "That's a good solution."
<Seraphna> **Thena fixes her eyepatch with a kitty paw on it**
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Allow Erica this moment, Thena."
<Seraphna> **Cookie steps back in since the portal isn't draining the ship anymore and sits**
<Xantop> *Pepper gives Cookie a subtle thumbs up.*
<DeathStar> *The fleet captain* I cannot speak for the others, but we might be interested. It will depend on how well your side holds up their end of the bargain. I will need bargaining tools to offer to the others before I can speak on a position of strength
<DeathStar> <Captain> But I will stop... adding to my wares for now
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Mmm... that would be best, yes."
<Sara> <Erica> That's fair, and I will accept that as a show of good faith to let us move forward with negotiations -- I'm sure it will mean that a lot of you in that business will see better lives and positions in the long term if this all works out
<Sara> * She smiles
<Seraphna> **Thena takes out pamphlets that say "So, You want to be a Space Pirate" with Thena on the cover standing behind a PAX flag with a Pirate sign on it**
<Sara> <Erica> It'll benefit us as well since we can gain more of an understanding of these regions by working together with reasonable folks like yourself, Captain
<Seraphna> **Thena gives one to Pepper, sensing pirate dreams**
<Sara> <Erica> I'll put together some ideas and see what we can do to show our own good faith
<DeathStar> *Yuki watches Erica work while Mire seems more alert. The Captain does a strange chest salute to her* We look forward to working with the PAX Fleets, Captain Erica Hildegard
<DeathStar> *They send Erica some sort of code*
<Sara> * Erica returns the salute as best she can, albeit it probably causes jiggling
<Sara> <Erica> Thank you Captain, I'll be in touch promptly
<DeathStar> *The captain nods and the transmission ends; the 12 ships move off for now*
<Seraphna> Thena> They know the galactic pirate salute. Interesting.
<DeathStar> <Ben> Well it seems no attack will happen on us today.
<Sara> <Erica> I think that went well
<Seraphna> Thena> Can I still recruit them to my ever growing pirate fleet?
<Xantop> *<Pepper> Yeah you kicked ass Erica. That was great.
<Sara> <Erica> Thanks! *she grins*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> I think so; pirates can be tricky, but I think you really did win them over. *hug*
<Seraphna> Thena> Airym should scan that code before using it.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "I can do so."
<DeathStar> <Ben> If you try to recruit them you might send conflicting messages.
<Seraphna> Thena> Also have you ever considered life as a Space Pirate? **she hands Erica a pamphlet** You too could sail the Seven Galaxies with me.
<DeathStar> *Ben brings up the map of the Unknown Regions, with what they've managed to chart so far*
<Alicia> <Celeste> "... and you must be Thena..."
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Yes, that is Thena.
<Xantop> * Pepper stands up and shapeshifts into Thena while she does so.
<Xantop> <PepperThena> Winners don't do piracy!
<Seraphna> Thena> Gasp, Pepper has such good tastes in looks!
<DeathStar> *The code seems to be a sort of way to get in touch with them*
<Sara> * Erica deadpans at Thena
<Sara> * Erica had figured as much
<Seraphna> Thena> I am a DREAD Pirate. It's totally different.
<DeathStar> <Ben> Well, I guess we can send this to Erevis and she can work out the details
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Is it though?"
<Xantop> <PepperThena> You wouldn't download a ship.
<Seraphna> Thena> One day I will best the Space Ghost Pirate Captain LeDavey Jones Chuck.
<DeathStar> <Ben> Erevis might need Erica later to finalize things though
<Jackieness> <Airym> "It appears to be a simple communications code."
<Sara> <Erica> Diplomats exist for a reason, after all
<Seraphna> Thena> Make double sure! The old signal the pirates while disabling the ship is a classic! It's in my Pamphlet!
<DeathStar> <Yuki> ...Alright, make sure it's not a double cross Airym
<Seraphna> **Thena hands Airym a pamphlet** You too can be a Pirate.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Alright, maybe you're taking things at least a little seriously."
<Xantop> *Pepper forms back into herself*
<DeathStar> *Mire has put on a pirate hat and has a sword*
<Xantop> <Pepper> You know I was a pirate for a little while.
<DeathStar> <Mire> Really?
<Seraphna> Cookie> She watched this anime about a space pirate queen when we were kids and became obsessed.
<Seraphna> **Thena inspects Mire**
<Seraphna> Thena> Congrats! You're on my crew, Pirate Mire!
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Oooh, which one?"
<Xantop> <Pepper> Yeah for a few months, it was smelly on that ship so I went back to Kumen and tried to deal there.
<Jackieness> <Airym> "The code does not contain any hidden traps."
<DeathStar> <Yuki> *to Erica* Erica - she is turning Mire into a pirate
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Thena, please. We can't do piracy right now. Only privateering, which is like piracy but legitimate."
<Seraphna> Thena> Dread Pirates do Pirateering.
<Sara> <Erica> She just thinks it's cute, I think
<Seraphna> Thena> It's Princess Approved Pirating!
<Seraphna> Cookie> She's the princess that approved. **giggles**
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Plot a course to the next survey location."
<DeathStar> <Ben> Right, lets us go
<Seraphna> **Thena's pirate outfit does look a lot like Space Queen Emeralda's**
<DeathStar> -TIME JUMP-
<DeathStar> Date: 10-642.12.2
<DeathStar> Location: Unknown Regions - Major Planet
<DeathStar> *Mire holds up a massive cake to Erica* Happy Birthday?
<DeathStar> *the Aquarius floats outside a major planet with a massive city below, the scans indicating it's on the scale of something of Earth or more*
<DeathStar> *The planet's athority has given them permisison to land*
<Sara> <Erica> Is it? Man, I've really lost track, huh...
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Take us in."
<ChadWinters`> 6Id floats, studying the scans of the planet
<DeathStar> <Yuki> I'm not wearing anything under my clothes for your birthday
<Xantop> *Pepper pops a little confetti popper.
<DeathStar> *Ben turns, then eyes Id* Someone let a ball of danger through the teleporter
<Xantop> <Pepper> You normally wear stuff under your clothes?
<Seraphna> Cookie> I'm wearing clothes right?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Hm, true, the priestess' clothes usually you go naked
<DeathStar> *Yuki says straight faced*
<Xantop> <Pepper> My skin is my clothes.
<Sara> <Erica> I... what?
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Well that beats me
<DeathStar> *The planet shows signs of massive buildings made of unknown materials that seem alive*
<Sara> <Erica> Living buildings? That seems... creepy. But I try to keep an open mind.
<DeathStar> *that rise up at least 40 stories and cover the entire city where they are landing with connecting walkways between the buildings and flying vehicles that have wings*
<Xantop> <Pepper> This place is neat. It's like my skin clothes but the whole city.
<DeathStar> *there are boards showing various news and the boards shift to change to different topics, flickering as if blinking*
<Alicia> <Celeste> "This is going to take some getting used to."
<DeathStar> <Ben> I will remain behind on the ship. *Yuki steps off the ship as Mireille follows, looking around. The atmosphere is breatheable*
<DeathStar> <Ben on comms> After your tour, the leadership will meet you whenever you're ready. Just let me know
<Seraphna> Cookie> Let’s see what exotic herbs they sell here.
<DeathStar> *A tour guide is waiting for you - they seem to have wings, and look almost insectish, their eyes a bit bigger than normal, but otherwise they seem humanish*
<Seraphna> **Cookie muses and gently feels out thoughts, both from the people and the buildings**
<Xantop> * Pepper looks around in awe, smiling and waving to the guide as she steps out of the ship.
<DeathStar> *Their thoughts are a bit alien, and are not ordered in the same way human thought is. They seem to be sizing Cookie up in their thoughts*
<ChadWinters`> 6Id spins about, studying everything
<DeathStar> <Tour Guide> You wish to go to herbs? *They try the word out*
<Alicia> <Celeste> "I'm impressed, definitely."
<Seraphna> **Cookie nods** Whatever makes minds buzz.
<DeathStar> *Yuki pulls Erica close, pressing her chest against Erica's side*
<DeathStar> <Tour Guide> Come. *it taps the vehicle and it's wings spread open to reveal seats*
<Sara> * Erica glances in Yuki's direction slyly
<Seraphna> Cookie> Coooool~
<DeathStar> <Mire> *Gets inside and picks a window seat*
<Seraphna> **Cookie gets in**
<Jackieness> <Airym> *boards the vehicle*
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Well, we'd be bad explorers, as well as bad guests, if we didn't try to experience new things."
<Xantop> <Pepper> Love this. *She sits down*
<Sara> * Erica gets in of course
<Alicia> * Celeste sits down inside the vehicle.
<DeathStar> *The doors close and the vehicle shakes as if alive and flies across the city with a mind of it's own, the tour guide just telling it where to go. They soon arrive in a place with strange like foods and other stuff to eat; it doesn't smell that great,but the residents of the city buy them and seem to be put in a strange like zen state*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> ... our first stop and it's so Cookie can try alien pot
<ChadWinters`> 6It studies and scans the food being cooked
<Alicia> <Celeste> "I'll stick with just food."
<DeathStar> *it seems to be an almost insect like food that allows them to reach a higher state of mind; there is normal food for non-aliens and themselves*
<DeathStar> *normal aliens - meaning themselves*
<DeathStar> *Yuki grabs something she can eat and smiles*
<DeathStar> *Mire grabs weird stuff*
<Xantop> <Pepper> Ooo, look at this. Hold on. *She tries some of the zen state-inducing stuff to try.
<DeathStar> *Pepper sees the world in strange colors and reaches Zen*
<DeathStar> *The Half-World zen. She likes teleports away*
<DeathStar> *Kidding*
<DeathStar> *Half Life, ruine the joke*
<Alicia> * Celeste gets what the people here consider normal... hoping it's not too weird.
<ChadWinters`> <Id> Interesting.
<DeathStar> *The food for aliens like Celeste and Yuki is alright and goes down pretty okay*
<Sara> <Erica> It always is interesting meeting no cultures, despite how much culture shock it may entail at times
<DeathStar> <Tour Guide> Food good? Any other places would like to see before meeting leaders?
<Sara> new cultures*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> That is true.
<Seraphna> **Cookie tries some curiously**
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Their space ships are also different. I'm curious how they move through hyperspace
<Xantop> <Pepper> ...this is chill. I like this. Great stuff.
<DeathStar> *referring to the strange designs and insect like feel*
<Jackieness> <Airym> "They may use a different form of propulsion."
<ChadWinters`> <Id> Do you have any place of learning?
<DeathStar> *they soon arrive at school like place where it seems to be group like learning place, all the aliens being taught together and somehow learning as one8
<DeathStar> <Mireille> Fascinating
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Isn't it just?"
<Seraphna> Cookie> Hive mind maybe?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Unlikely as they would not need to take us to their leader."
<Xantop> <Pepper> Bet it's cool to just like...feel part of something bigger.
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Well lets go meet them then
<Alicia> <Celeste> "I'm looking forward to this."
<DeathStar> *their flying vehicle takes them up to the top levels, where the buildings seem to have eyes almost that watch them as they land on the upper levels, almost like cameras*
<Seraphna> **Cookie waves**
<ChadWinters`> <Id> You could always ask them.
<DeathStar> *the eye blinks*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Is that eye looking at your chest?
<Sara> <Erica> Airym's, I think
<DeathStar> *Mireille peers at her own chest*
<Alicia> <Celeste> "We shouldn't judge."
<DeathStar> <Mireille> How do I get things that big? *she points at Airym and Erica's chest*
<Jackieness> <Airym> *tilts her head to the side*
<DeathStar> *as they approach large doors*
<Xantop> <Pepper> Shapeshifting
<DeathStar> <Mireille> Oh
<Alicia> <Celeste> "A good diet can help, I hear."
<DeathStar> *she seems to seriously be taking notes*
<Seraphna> **Cookie grins** It’s overrated Mire. Be perky like us.
<DeathStar> *the tour guide opens the door and as they step in, they see humanoid insectoid aliens* <Insectoid Leader> Welcome, Captains of the Aquarius.
<DeathStar> *They make little noises in greeting, motioning at seats*
<Xantop> * Pepper glances to each of them and mimics the greeting she's seen so far, moving to sit.
<DeathStar> *Yuki takes a seat and Mireille sits down, holding her notebook*
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Greetings." *takes a seat*
<Seraphna> **Cookie takes a seat**
<DeathStar> <Insectoid Leader> What brings your vessel of the Suisen Empire to our humble little corner of the universe? *they ask, controlling a small little portion of the Unknown Region, controlling trade ships and some war ships, and having begun to expand post Templar rule*
<Sara> * Erica sits
<Sara> <Erica> It has been a mission of learning and diplomacy, as well as trying to make sure that the people of the many worlds out here have what they need despite the Templars' weakened influence
<DeathStar> <Insectoid Leader> Ah, knowledge is very important. You are from another portion of the universe? We would be happy to possibily enter an alliance with your people and share maps of this realm in return for maps of your realm.
<Sara> <Erica> I definitely believe sharing maps is beneficial, and we also value learning about other cultures -- knowledge is the most important component to understanding
<DeathStar> *Yuki folds her hands, watching them carefully*
<Sara> * Erica looks to Airym
<DeathStar> <Insectoid Leader> *it makes an almost nodding motion* You wish to learn more of our culture. We would be happy to share our culture and ways. There is many dangers still in our Regions. With the Dark beings gone, other dangers have begun to return. Your people - do they wish to enter into an alliance of war pact? Protection of each other?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "I defer to your lead in diplomatic matters."
<Sara> <Erica> I don't know about a war alliance, but we're willing to help keep the peace
<Alicia> * Celeste looks to Erica.
<DeathStar> *Yuki's ear twitches at the other dangers*
<Sara> <Erica> And these dangers sound like a threat to the peace
<ChadWinters`> <Id> And what would these other dangers comprise of?
<DeathStar> *Insectoid Leaders make clacking sounds at each other, the translation not picking it up* We understand. Then we will keep it merely a sharing of knowledge. *they turn to Id*
<DeathStar> <Insectoid Leader> There are beings that are said to have come from beneath this realm of thought to play and make their stamp on our world. They first crossed over in this place. And it is weakest
<Sara> * Erica muses on those words
<DeathStar> <Insectoid Leader> Perhaps what remains of Templars will have knowledge of what is to come.
<Xantop> *Pepper tilts her head and glances at the others.
<ChadWinters`> <Id> But we're held at bay by the Dark Ones? Interesting.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "This sounds like something we will have to look into."
<Seraphna> Cookie> Realm of thought huh?
<DeathStar> *The Insectoid Leader bring some papers over for the group to take to their leaders*
<Sara> <Erica> Thank you very much, we will provide information on our culture as well
<DeathStar> <Insectoid Leader> Maybe next time we can make a deeper alliance by marrying leaders and sealing alliance forever.
<Sara> <Erica> Perhaps. We will be sure to contact the Templar remnants as well, so I also appreciate that advice
<DeathStar> <Yuki> *rises and bows to the leaders*
<DeathStar> *Ben on comm* Captain Airym, should I chart a course to the Templar region? IT is not too too far from here
<Xantop> *Pepper rises and does a slight bow.
<Sara> * Erica rises and gives a small but lengthy bow of her head
<DeathStar> *Mireille jerks and mimics Erica*
<Jackieness> <Airym> *comm* "Proceed, but we should be on our guardas we traverse their space."
<Seraphna> Cookie> Hmmm, we should invite Thena along if we go there.
<ChadWinters`> <Id> Are there any specific areas are people we should be wary of?
<ChadWinters`> *are=or*
<DeathStar> *The Insectoid Leaders pause, then upload the map of the Unknown Regions* We will assume we will get a map in return, in name of friendship. Map will have areas we find to be of danger
<Sara> <Erica> We'll send ours over right away
<Sara> * Erica sends a message over to Ben about that
<DeathStar> *Ben pauses, then complies*
<DeathStar> *The Insectoids clack, then bow, having their winged ride prepared, stocked with the zen food since they liked it*
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Oh boy we get to be high
<Xantop> <Pepper> Honestly it's kinda better.
<Xantop> <Pepper> It's just like...everything is great.
<Seraphna> Cookie> Mmmm~
<DeathStar> <Mireille> Should I try some?
<ChadWinters`> <Id> It would be interesting to see how it affects one of your nature
<DeathStar> <Yuki> No
<DeathStar> <Yuki> Lets get back to the ship
<DeathStar> -TIME JUMP-
<DeathStar> Date: 10-642.12.6
<DeathStar> Location: Unknown Planet
<DeathStar> *As they near Templar Space, they come across another planet with a massive civilization that has reached space faring technology; according to the map, it was once part of Templar territory but it looks like now it's on it's own*
<DeathStar> *it seems to be using the technology to make it's own ships*
<DeathStar> <Ben> It seems the planets are indeed becoming independent of the Templars
<ChadWinters`> <Id> I imagine that the Templars are the only race in this region that are able to jump across like us.
<DeathStar> *He is studying the last race's culture as they fly along* <Mireille> Correct. Many of these race's have developed like our own, but with the Templar and the Dark Ones they were either "taken over" or "Destroyed" for centuries
<DeathStar> <Mireille> Now they are spreading out
<DeathStar> <Ben> Hm, it looks like it was a good thing you didn't enter a full alliance
<DeathStar> *Ben notes, finger pointing at Airym*
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Erica performed all negotiations."
<DeathStar> <Ben> Still, someone had to be married off. And that person would have been eaten
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Eaten?"
<DeathStar> <Ben> Usually a male would be married off to a female insectoid to make a child, then eaten afterward
<DeathStar> <Ben> But I suppose the opposite could happen
<Jackieness> <Airym> "We could select a Ridarium as our candidate."
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Would they go along with that?"
<DeathStar> *Ben look up as the scans finish for this world* Alright, lets jump forward. *The Aquarius jumps using the Taiga Engine while Yuki laughs; they soon exit and appear at the Templar Homeworld, where the Templar Fleet floats about*
<DeathStar> *the remaining fleet looks to be still pretty large in number, but nowhere near what it used to be*
<ChadWinters`> <Id> I also do not believe it would be wise to make such thing since the PAX consists of so many races. Some may not approve of alliances that could potentially bring them into another war
<DeathStar> <Yuki> I wonder why Thomas has had the Templar retreat so far back into their own territory when they still have ships
<Jackieness> <Airym> "We should find out."
<DeathStar> *Ben hails them and after a moment Cersei answers*
<DeathStar> <Cersei> .... why are you all here? .... *she studies Celeste on the bridge* Why are you there?
<ChadWinters`> <Id> Possible internal conflicts and they've oppressed so many worlds that the backlash could be...
<Seraphna> Cookie> Exploring!
<Alicia> <Celeste> "I have been assisting."
<DeathStar> <Cersei> ... I would send you all away, but our leader would be angry with me if I sent Celeste away. Come. Allow me to give you a location to land your ship.
<Alicia> <Celeste> "Plus, this is an important diplomatic duty."
<DeathStar> *Cersei raises her eyebrow at the important diplomatic duty, but says nothing more before the coordinates arrive at Airym's console*
<DeathStar> <Ben> Shall we go forward?
<Jackieness> <Airym> "Take us in."
<DeathStar> <Ben> Going in
<DeathStar> -TBC-
Session Close: Mon Apr 18 22:30:25 2022