NationStates Jolt Archive

The chilled, recycled air rolled over him like a fog, blanketing the kitsune's sweating body. Captain Winterfire stepped fully within the shuttle (http://www.revell.de/starwars/reqRessources/img/produkte/abb_imperialShuttle.jpg) transport, turning on heel and sinking down onto one of the cushioned seats. His escort of two Marines (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/bingo275/DecJanFeb06/Galactic%20Marine.jpg) remained standing just inside the exit door, rifles at their sides, heads encased in hard, expressionless helmets. Winterfire felt the shuttle lift beneath him, rising from it's lauch pad in Rio Casa's primary spaceport to drift elegantly into the sky. The Xiscapian ran a hand over the sheath of his deep red katana sword, licking his lips nervously. The Captain was a tall kitsune, six foot three, with the orange fur for his tail and top ears that was common for his people. His hair was the color of mahogany wood, combed and styled into a short, conservative braid down the back of his neck, the rest hidden underneath his black cap. Dark, tanned skin was mostly covered by the black uniform, which was crisp and starched. Eyelids closed over sun-colored pupils as their owner breathed deeply, then exhaled, relaxing. Winterfire opened his eyes and gazed out the porthole beside him, surprised to find them already in space. To the left side he could see Space Station Protector (http://iveroon.deviantart.com/art/space-station-main-view-17072543) fast approaching, a massive orbital defense platform that housed tens of thousands of weapons and supported over half a million sentient beings. Though he could not see it, Winterfire knew his final destination lay somewhere inside that facility.

The shuttle landed easily in one of the many hundreds of hanger bays, attaching itself to the floor though magnetic clamps placed in the landing struts. The ramp extended at the stern and Winterfire stepped down it, straightening his already spotless uniform. His Marines followed, moving soundlessly after their charge as the Captain got aboard a white, egg-shaped hovercar. Once inside the little vehicle began to move automatically, picking up speed as it shot down the winding tunnels though the bowels of the station. The Protector was so large that moving by hover rail was the only way of getting anywhere quickly, and indeed in less than five minutes they arrived at their destination. Captain Winterfire strode down the last few corridors, past murmuring technicians, jogging spacers and lumbering mechanic droids, seeming to gain confidence with each step. A last door hissed open and Winterfire walked inside a small observation booth, gray and entirely unadorned excepting a control panel and a large window immediately in front of it.
They had arrived.

Out the window there was only space. A four-pronged holding area of sorts extended out from the carved-out depression in the hull, quad gigantic force field stabilizers. A shimmering green wall made a box around the the area inside the four oblongs, containing a myriad of little portable docking stations and service droids of various sizes, types and classes clustered around a ship (http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff167/mreynolds058/?action=view&current=ExShip2.jpg). It was not a large vessel, as starships went, only about the size of a frigate. Of course, this was by Xiscapian standards, and could also be considered either a small cruiser or large corvette. The craft crewed only sixty, mostly technicians to monitor the systems, with a small security detachment and bridge crew. The ship was not meant to need a large crew: In fact, it had been designed to have the smallest possible.
Considering the reason it had been built, this was probably a smart choice.

This particular vessel had been constructed for only one purpose: To test the latest they had come up with in FTL technology. Those outside the project had their suspiscions as to the duration of the building of this prototype drive, but it was well known that it predated the end of the Korr Wars. Originally conceived as a final way of ending the eternal battle between the Kitsune Empire of Xiscapia and it's now annihilated neighbor, the Korr Supremacy, the venture had first been dubbed "Project Glorious Avail" by it's earliest moon-eyed scientists. The undertaking had come under various names, leaders, teams of scientists and technicians, positions of importance and working areas over the years, but as the enterprise progressed it steadily began to take shape, the first prototype drive having been completed just after the end of the Rebellion. It was named the "Jaunt Drive" by some technician who had apparently been intoxicated by the elixir of his own verbosity, and the term stuck to the point that the words had been stamped onto the side of the FTL drive itself, squatting in the depths of the ship.
Today was to be the first test of the prototype drive.

The starship built to carry and test the Jaunt Drive was the foremost and only of it's class, the Wanderer Class, named the Exile. It sported, in addition to it's security forces and defenses already on board, twelve Light Guns on the port and starboard hull sides and two Phaser Cannons fixed to the middle of the top "wings" that sloped back to form the four sublight engines. Though the Jaunt Drive was almost entirely of Xiscapian making, the Exile had been envisioned, diagrammed, engineered, manufactured assembled and crewed by a joint force of Xiscapian and Alversian scientists, technicians, spacers, shipbuilders, droids, A.I. and other personnel.
Captain Winterfire was to be Master and Commander of this vessel.

According to the reports that were being muttered into his ear via his cerebral implant half the crew was already on board. The rest of the crew, supplies and equipment were being loaded, but there was a percent of the crew who had yet to arrive. Winterfire noted that some of them were quite vital to this operation for one reason or another, and checked his chrono.
One hour until launch countdown.
A short travel to a transport berth and a ride later Winterfire stood on board the Exile for the first time. Crew and launch personal scurried past, frantically going about their duties as the Captain and his guard stood unmoving amidst it all. Winterfire was, by nature, a calm, mellow, peaceful kitsune, but the air of excitement was easily palpable and he could feel the electricity in the air.
An about-face sent the Xiscapian traversing the shining metal deck to the bridge with his guard marching behind. There was much to be done, and so little time to do it in.
Fifty-nine minutes, twenty eight seconds to launch.

Standing on the bridge of the Exile, a vessel designed by both Alversians and Xiscapians but built in orbit over Alversia. It was here that 1st Officer Alison Campbell now stood with the crew and and ground engineers. She stood over the bridge, watching as some of the last wires were inserted, they were still waiting for some of the main items to be completed before they could take off and test the new Xiscapians systems.

Then Winterfire appeared on the bridge, the young, blonde, Alversian wheeled around and gave a firm salute,
"Captain on the Bridge" She announced, the crew, Alversian and Xiscapian, stood to attention.

"Thank you, First Officer," Winterfire saluted back, bowing to the bridge in general. "At ease." he called out to the Bridge Crew and launch personnel, and they busied themselves once more. The bulkheads and deck shined as he strode forward, hands clasped behind his back, towards 1st Officer Alison Campbell, Marines flanking him. "How goes the preparations for the operation, First Officer?" he inquired. It was strange, seeing eye-to-eye with the woman, as she was an Alversian, and therefore tall. Even at her height she was somewhat short for an Alversian, and equaled Winterfire's vertical build.
OOC: Gotta go now, but I'll be on later.

The young Alversian gave another nervous salute and then gave a small nod,
"It's all coming together nicely sir" The Engineering crew are just overseeing the last diagnostics of the Juant drive and there are still trails to be made on the weapons systems" She looked down at the console on front of her,
"It seems that we have a new Visitor aboard, Sir" She took a deep inhale, "A Veela, no less"

"Good, good," said Winterfire upon hearing of the progress. "A Veela, hmm? No doubt one of the officers I was told would be attending to observe. Can you tell me whether she was sent independently or on the request from the Republic?" Veela were relatively new to the kitsune, a somewhat (in their eyes) reclusive race that stuck to their own planet and rarely traveled from it. Strong in the Force, many of the race were said to be Jedi, probably due in no small way to the caves bearing Adegan crystals, a key component in building a lightsaber, scattered across the planet. Winterfire knew little of the Veela, and he hoped to get to learn a little about them from this crew member when he or she was brought on board.

"From what I've been told, Captain" The young Campbell thought, "It seems she was asked to join the crew by the Republic. It was thought that perhaps a being sensitive with the force would help cope with unforseen problems. They like to be prepared for all occasions the APN" She gave a small laugh,
"Hopefully, these final checks won't take too long and we can be on our way, Sir" She blushed slightly, "Sorry, this is my first ship as a Lieutenant Commander. I'm quite nervous"

Socrates

Hyperspace rippled with massive effect as she exited. This white hulk had appeared just outside of the Protecters weapons. She carried with her all the neccesites to take a world, but this was not her mission. She would be dropping off personal for the experimental ship that would launch. Frosty stroked his hair as he put on his GOU Discovery armor-link, he kept his helmet to his side and his War-path assault rifle slung over his shoulder. They awaited a hail from the Protectors commander, to begin boarding. They were to sent soldiers, a few scientists and doctors.

Space Station Protector...
Commander Durc gazed reflectivity out into the depths of space, once empty and now containing the huge white bulk of a Calaverian Observer. The kitsune stood inside the central Command Center of the Protector, watching the Socrates via a camera fixed to the outside hull. The last time an Observer had been this close to the Protector it had been attacking Xiscapia during the Calaveran war, only to be repelled by the Space Station's array of weapons and fighter craft.
Now circumstances were different.
"Send a message to the Observer," he ordered his Communications Officer, "tell them they may only bring ten personnel and ten tons of equipment."
Calaverian Observer Socrates:
Please beam your troops aboard Space Station Protector, Section Kilo, Docking Bay 121. You have been authorized ten personnel and ten tons of equipment. The shields will only be down for two minutes, and missing the threshold or attempting to beam any matter anywhere else on the station will result in that matter becoming a stream of randomized particles. Once your personnel are on board they will follow the directions of the officers there, and fall under the command of Captain Winterfire and his appropriate subbordinates.

"Sorry, this is my first ship as a Lieutenant Commander. I'm quite nervous"
Winterfire smiled knowingly. "Perfectly understandable, Lieutenant. I hope she arrives soon, I must admit I am anxious to meet her. Who else-" He was interrupted as someone spoke to him though his cerebral implant. After a moments pause he spoke again. "It seems we are about to have company. Calaverians. Oh, no,: he chuckled, catching sight of her expression," they're friendlies, not hostile. Apparently they wish to join us for the test of the prototype drive."

Campbell glowered at the news of the Calaverans and shook her head,
"I know their supposed to be allies now but I still don't trust them. I've heard stories about their...zoos" She shuddered, then brightened up slightly,
"I think the engine tests are complete, shall I summon the Alumina to the bridge so you may meet her, Sir?" She asked politely

Frost smiled, as he did his body was engulfed with a white light. Over the ship the personal were being beamed to the space station, the following personal included seven GOU troopers, two doctors, and one scientist. The GOU quickly made a kind of defensive position around the doctors and scientist. There weapons hung from there chests, there faces hidden, only the glare from the front of the mask HUD. Frosty's spiked hair and child like face was the only thing the kitsune could see.

"I think the engine tests are complete, shall I summon the Alumina to the bridge so you may meet her, Sir?"
"Please do so, First Officer." Winterfire paused. "Lieutenant, I am Captain Winterfire. What is your name? In all the haste," he laughed, "I quite forgot to introduce myself!"
Space Station Protector...
As the Calaverians appeared a squad of Marines formed around them, escorting the GOU, doctors and scientist to the nearest station where they boarded a transport. Accompanying them were several Xiscapians and Alversians who put as much distance as they could between them and the black armored or pale, eerily similar humans. In the distance the Exile could be seen floating in the air, soon to be ready for deployment.

The Calaverians remained deadly quiet except for Frosty who shook his slightly white spiked hair, he turned to a Alversian " Hey, so are we gonna have our own quarters?" His head cocked slighlty.

Campbell tapped a button in her ear before looking back at the Captain,
"Lieutenant Commander Campbell, Sir," She stated, saluting, "Alison Campbell. The Alumina is on her way but she'll take her time coming up from the engine room. We may have a wait" She laughed gently

"Hey, so are we gonna have our own quarters?"
The Alversian was part of the launch crew, and engineer, and was not a part of those who would be on the ship itself for the test. He looked the Calaverian up and down for a moment, struggling to conceal his distaste. "How should I know? I'm not going on the Exile, you are!" he said in irritation. No one liked sharing the same galaxy as the Calaverians, let alone the same ship.
Exile Bridge...
"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander," said Winterfire, repeating her salute. "Once the Alumina and the Calaverians get here I think we will have the total crew on board." By principle Winterfire disliked Alumina. Not any particular one, and his opinion was rather biased as he had never met one, only heard about them from others. It seemed their arrogance and aloofness was matched only by their genius in the fields of medicine and engineering. They were barely tolerated by most kitsune, even by their hospitable standards, and as it was most Alumina preferred Alversia or their own home planet, generally staying solitary and independent.

Then, with a hiss, the door of the bridge opened and a typical seven foot tall Alumina stooped down to enter the room. She glanced around at the saluting crew and returned it casually before looking at the Captain. She towered over him with light grey fur and deep green eyes,
"Pantheria-Commander Desusus," She announced with a small salute. Campbell stood behind and glanced up at her.

Captain Winterfire saluted the Alumina, looking up at the being a good eight inches taller than he was. "Pantheria-Commander Desusus," he said, tasting the words in his mouth as be bowed, "glad to have you aboard. I am Captain Winterfire. I take it the engines are operating at full capacity and will be ready for the launch?"
Inwardly Winterfire was somewhat relieved. So far so good. At least until that Veela gets here, then we see what he or she will bring...and I'd better be prepared for the friction the Calaverians will cause among the rest of the crew. Perhaps assign them to quarters further away from the rest?

"Engines are working at full capacity. We are ready for our voyage" She reported quickly and easily, "The Alumina had been studying the plans for the Jaunt Drive for a few weeks and were already well versed in it's systems thanks to their own smartness and picture-perfect memories.

"I would sugg..." She stopped suddenly, glowering fiercely at something behind Winterfire.

It was the Veela, draped in a long brown cloak with almost all details hidden, she was only a few centimetres taller than the Xiscapian, but that was without her long, rabbit like ears which fell behind her head like a ponytail for now.

"Uh," Campbell scrambled forward, "May I introduce, the Veela...um..." She hesitated, she didn't even know her name.

A light chuckle came from the hood as it was lifted down to reveal the normal er-like face and long rabbit ears that added another two feet to her height, she looked at them all peacefully,
"My name is Elamna, I am pleased to meet you all" She gave a bow.

Most of the crew saluted back apart from Desusus who just continued to glower. It was said the feelings between the Alumina and the Veela were rather frosted if only from the Alumina's side. It was rumoured there were some unwanted secrets of the Alumina in Veela position and, for that, they were treated with suspicion.

Frosty just ignored the Alversian after that welcome he was given. When they finally arrived at the ship, they entered with prideful, standing tall, and above the crew at times. They made there way to the Calaverian quarters, which was of Calaverian origin, a pure white room with a bed, lockers, and holographic interface for schedules etc. The GOU took off there armor and put it away, they would wear there "around" uniforms, which consisted of grey/white camo pants, black boots, black t-shirt, black beret, and fingerless gloves. There silver dog tags hung from there strong necks, some shaved, others shined there boots.

I come minimally aware, just enough for a complete sensor sweep. One that quickly tells me that nothing has changed, save for my location. The local star streaming had moved the hulk that is my tomb a few million kilometers in the kilo cycles since my last period of consciousness.

True, my current energy pod would last many kilo's longer of cycles, and I had many more left for use once that one's energy was down to replacement levels. They are stacked along the walls of my sleep pod, enough for meta-kilo's cubed to come. But with no logical reason to expend energy, why should I?. The automated distress call was still being broadcast, and the sensors reported no additional damage or deterioration.

I try and fix the damage to my memory core, and as before it is simply not possible. I know my name and have access to an odd assortment of eclectic data that has no bearing on my current predicament, and that it all…I feel empty and alone…and afraid, what ever that is…

I put myself back to sleep.

And the destroyed starcraft drifts further, filled with all that I would need to get me home. If I could get to it, if I could remember how to use it, if I knew where to go, if I knew who to look for, if I knew who I was...will be…am?

Winterfire was relieved. Evidently the stories he had heard about the Alumina were false, or this one had been trained in manners. He listened to her words before he heard Campbell stammer behind him, and the kitsune turned sharply. He stared at the Veela for a moment, surprised.
How did she get behind me without anyone noticing?
"My name is Elamna, I am pleased to meet you all"
Winterfire bowed back rather stiffly, looking the being up and down. "Greetings, Elamna," he said, sensing the acute drop in temperature from Desusus. "I am Captain Winterfire. This is my First Officer, Alison Campbell," he nodded to the Lieutenant Commander, "and Pantheria-Commander Desusus." he gestured to the Alumina somewhere behind him before checking his manifest. He scrolled down the screen before nodding in satisfaction. "All crew and supplies are aboard. Lieutenant Commander, get me a status reading on all systems. Pantheria-Commander, what were about to suggest? And you," he pointed to one of the Marines at the door, "make sure every thing's okay at the Calaverian quarters. All I need now is a firefight erupting half an hour from launch."
The Marine saluted and marched out the door down the long hall outside. A quick transmission in indicated that guards had been posted around the area and that all the pale humans were staying within their own quarters.
OOC: NC, you have a TG.

The Veela and the Alumina exchanged glances again before Desusus turned bakc to Winterfire and nodded,
"Yes, I was about to suggest a trial run to ensure that the standard space engines are functioning witin normal parameters. I would also like to see if all weapons systems are operating correctly. Other than that, there is little that needs to be done" She scowled and left the bridge.

Elamna simply crossed her hands in front of her and gave a small, sad smile at the retreating Engineer's back. She then turned to look around the bridge,
"marvellous vessel, Captain," She said in her gentle, quiet voice, "I am impressed"

Campbell turned to one of the panels and glanced at it, reading off stats,
"All systems are at full capacity. We are ready to set off when you are Captain"

"Yes, I was about to suggest a trial run to ensure that the standard space engines are functioning within normal parameters. I would also like to see if all weapons systems are operating correctly. Other than that, there is little that needs to be done"
"Very good." said Winterfire as she left. He had not dismissed the Alumina, but she was obviously concerned, stressed or nervous about the presence of the Veela. The engines would undergo light rigor in setting them to the point of the jump, or as it was humorously named in deference to the Drive, Jaunt. He figured by the time they got the Exile into more-or-less open space they could find a passing asteroid or comet to test the weapons on.
"All systems are at full capacity. We are ready to set off when you are Captain"
"Excellent. We are ahead of schedule, then." said Winterfire happily. "Prepare the crew for launch, get them to their stations, ensure that all hatches, airlocks, hangers and drag fins are closed and in a locked position. Have the engines ready to fire in five."
Of the sixty (seventy now, counting the Calaverians) on the ship, thirty were kitsune and thirty were Alversians, as well as the Alumina and Veela, totaling the crew to seventy two beings, not counting various droids. Of these, five (including Winterfire and Campbell) were Bridge Crew, twenty-four were security, a force of twelve Xiscapian and twelve Alversian Marines, five were doctor or nurses for the little medical bay, six were pilots for the two XX-40s, Xiscapian shuttle, Xiscapian scout ship and Alversian drop ship in the hanger at the rear of the vessel and the remaining twenty were technicians or engineers. The crew had been divided between Xiscapians and Alversians as evenly as possible, to ensure balance.
"Marvellous vessel, Captain, I am impressed"
"Thank you, but this ship is only mine to command. Thousands of kitsune and Alversian workers spent decades in designing and building the Exile for the sole purpose of testing the prototype drive. It's them you should be thanking, but this project has been in the works for so long some of them have died of old age." Winterfire gave a small chuckle. "The result of entire generations of work."
OOC: Check my latest post in Kry Blood again, please. Read it carefully.

OOC: Who me?

Campbell nodded and turned back to the crew with her hand pressed against her ear,
"All Stations, prepare for launch in five, four, three, two, one, initiate!"
With that, the engines ignited and the ship began to slowly move forward, within moments they were clear of the Protector and heading for open space.

"The result of entire generations of work."

"How one small ship can represent so much" Elamna said, almost to herself, "The vessel is a marvel Captain, she will do your people's proud"

OOC: Yeah, Silvertooth is trying to make it obvious to the Alversians that he is close by and willing to help, didn't you see?
IC:
"The vessel is a marvel Captain, she will do your people's proud"
"All our people," Winterfire grinned. "Alversians, Xiscapians, Alumina and Veela."
The kitsune then turned his attention to the dark reaches of space. Behind them, the Protector and Xiscapia. Ahead of them, the galaxy. "Engines working at ninety-nine percent," murmured one of the Xiscapian Bridge Crew, her long silver hair tied back in a tail. The bridge now consisted only of Winterfire, Campbell, Elamna, a kitsune and two Alversian bridge crew, and a Xiscapian and Alversian Marine at the door. Winterfire spoke. "Run a scan for appropriate targets to test the Exile's defenses on." A moment later one of the Alversians spoke up, spitting out a rapid stream of coordinates that indicated the position of a rather large asteroid spinning lazily though the void. Winterfire nodded to Campbell, the the Exile positioned it's starboard side to face the asteroid. There was a moment of silence as the asteroid could be seen on the viewscreen. Then Campbell spoke. "Light Gun Battery One, firing, Two, firing, Three, firing, Four, firing, Five, firing, Six, firing." Six painfully bright lines of energy streaked out from the starboard cannons and connected with the rock, blowing it apart into so many tiny pebbles. Winterfire grunted in satisfaction, and they moved slowly into a small cluster of asteroids near Jomstar. The port cannons worked as perfectly as the starboard ones, and then it came time to test the Phasers. Facing twin planetoids the size of large buildings, Winterfire looked again to his First Officer. "Time for a Phaser test, Lieutenant Commander. You know what to do."

OOC: I saw it, edited my post to reflect that

Elamna chuckled then stood and watched as Campbell came into action with a set of instructions,
"Arm phaser banks. Lock targets. Fire on my mark. Fire" She watched as the twin red beams appeared from both sides of the bridge and hit the two targets, both erupting into dust and small parts of debris,
"Well done," She claimed happily then turned back to face Winterburn,
"Weapons test satisfactory Sir!" She saluted.

"Capital." Winterfire nodded, pleased. "Power down the weapons and run a final diagnostic check, Lieutenant Commander. Prepare all hands for the Jaunt Drive jump."

"Sir!" Campbell gave a salute then turned to one of the Bridge crew, leading over her shoulder and muttering instructions into her ear.

The Veela was still standing and watching every with interest, as if she could see intensely interesting things with each one.

Little did the other crew know that a calaverian scientist had tried to advance the jaunt drive by attaching a naquada enhanced hyperdrive block to the drive system. " that should do it..." he said as he walked away.


Frosty just finished cleaning up, he made his way to the bridge.

Captain Winterfire nodded, smiling. The Exile had cleared the asteroids (though it wasn't necessary, they needed to make sure nothing went wrong) and now floated utterly alone in open space. "Are all hands prepared to launch?" he asked Campbell. A nod in return. Winterfire was vaguely aware of a Calaverian coming though the bridge door, but he had other things on his mind. "Initiate the Jaunt."
Campbell nodded. "All hands, T-minus five, four, three, two, one, ignition."

The unique thing about the Jaunt Drive that made it different from the Alversian's Warp Drive or the Xiscapian's Hyperdrive was, of course, the method of travel. It worked on the same basic principle as the hyperdrive, in that it moved though a different dimension.
But there all similarities ended.
The Jaunt Drive ripped a hole in space just in front of the Exile. One could see the entrance to the hole no matter what perspective they saw it from, so it was really more like a globe, except it did not seem that way to an observer. Though it showed up on no sensors it seemed like solid mass, as it still cut the Exile off from view as one moved around the tear. It defined itself from the space around it from being total liquid darkness, no stars or distant swirls of space gas adorned it's perfect black. The Jaunt hole cut away a bit of space-time, allowing all distances to be as close together or as far apart as was needed, as well as allowing the operator to select how long it would take to reach a given destination-to a point. At a minimum, most "local" areas (24,000 AU, or 22,320,000,000 miles) took at least a minute of travel to reach, and it was speculated, due to the strange nature of the hole, that extragalactic travel, while significantly reduced in time, still took a measure of years to bridge.
Nevertheless, it cut the time spent going from one point to another significantly.

The Exile jumped, or as some would say "Jaunted", vanishing though the hole. The Jaunt hole, with no stabilizer in the form of the drive to hold it up any longer, collapsed instantly. However, the Calaverian "modification" to the Drive disrupted the field, and the Exile was rudely yanked from it's travel, spiraling along though the depths of time and space. No one on board felt this- The sudden "jolt" had essentially frozen time for all, and it "continued" in real time, but not for the crew, until the Jaunt Drive burned out, destroying all evidence of the good-meaning but disastrous modifier of a Hyperspace piece of equipment to new technology.
Abruptly, they "came to", though no time had passed and none of those on board felt as though anything amiss had happened. In fact, to most it seemed as though nothing at all, that the Jaunt had been a failure, despite the opening of the hole.
But they were no longer in Xiscapian space.
In fact, no Xiscapian had ever seen the sector they were in before.
Entirely inadvertently, they were on the other side of the galaxy.

Frosty saluted the captain " Sir Galactic Observation Unit trooper Lt. Frosty, at your orders." he saluted. The other GOU's had tranq pistols out and were wearing there "at ease" uniforms, they guarded the hallways and elevator stations.

bump-

Campbell glimpsed at one of the panels near to her and frowned. She tapped a few buttons quickly, trying to bring up some information from the database or the sensors. She began to talk quickly and hurredly to one of the Crew who shook his head sadly,
"Something's gone wrong" She frowned, looking back again, "There's no beacon near here"

The Alumina, with some 'prompting' from the Alversians, had agreed to use their more advanced drives to plant a beacon for the Exile in their target area of space. The journey had taken them four weeks and it would have taken the Alversians and Xiscapians much longer that to reach it. Now there was no sign of the beacon at all. They had missed.

The Veela stepped back and was watching space with a strange look on her face, like she knew the area of space well and had visited everyday. Not that would happen, they were a long way from home.

Campbell tapped her earpiece,
"Pantheria-Commander. What went wrong?" She asked, the voice replied,

"Come down and I will show you"

Winterfire frowned as he looked out the window, absentmindedly acknowledging the Calaverian Lieutenant. Something wasn't right. "These stars..." he murmured. They had obviously not failed, at least no entirely. Sensor readings showed no planetary bodies, suns, asteroids or craft of any kind within all their range. Winterfire had made sure he knew what their destination looked like, and though it was as barren and empty as this, the stars of that area were certainly not the stars of this. The constellations were all wrong, most of them entirely nonexistent. A chill went though the kitsune as he turned from the glass to Campbell. He heard what Desusus said, and saluted his Alversian First Officer. "Lieutenant Commander, you have the bridge. Notify me immediately if anything comes up. Lieutenant," he turned to Frosty, "you're with me." With that he and the Calaverian were gone, down to the Engineering Bay, the Captain's head spinning with possibilities and theories.

Campbell nodded and turned to face back to the bridge, she was trying to work out where they were.

Down in the Engineering section, Desusus was looking very bad tempered. She was also holding a smouldering pile of wreckage and barking orders at her Engineers. She twisted and snapped at Winterfire,
"Get out of the way!" She demanded then turned back to one of the consoles,
"The Jaunt drive has been fried and we have not the materials to repair it. We are far off course, thanks to this" She threw the smouldering material at him.

Winterfire frowned as he looked out the window, absentmindedly acknowledging the Calaverian Lieutenant. Something wasn't right. "These stars..." he murmured. They had obviously not failed, at least no entirely. Sensor readings showed no planetary bodies, suns, asteroids or craft of any kind within all their range. Winterfire had made sure he knew what their destination looked like, and though it was as barren and empty as this, the stars of that area were certainly not the stars of this. The constellations were all wrong, most of them entirely nonexistent. A chill went though the kitsune as he turned from the glass to Campbell. He heard what Desusus said, and saluted his Alversian First Officer. "Lieutenant Commander, you have the bridge. Notify me immediately if anything comes up. Lieutenant," he turned to Frosty, "you're with me." With that he and the Calaverian were gone, down to the Engineering Bay, the Captain's head spinning with possibilities and theories.

Frosty followed " I dont know what good I will be to you, Im not a high-ranking scientist ha"

Winterfire stepped out of the way in cold silence. He did not enjoy being ordered about so impolitely and informally by a subordinate, and his expression, posture and stance showed this. Nevertheless, he kept quiet and did not give the upstart the tongue-lashing she deserved, instead catching the charred, lightly smoking chunk of equipment that was tossed to him. The kitsune turned it over in his hands, cool yellow eyes examining it closely, before holding it out in an open palm to Frosty. "Do you recognize this modifier, Lieutenant?" he asked in a level voice.

Winterfire stepped out of the way in cold silence. He did not enjoy being ordered about so impolitely and informally by a subordinate, and his expression, posture and stance showed this. Nevertheless, he kept quiet and did not give the upstart the tongue-lashing she deserved, instead catching the charred, lightly smoking chunk of equipment that was tossed to him. The kitsune turned it over in his hands, cool yellow eyes examining it closely, before holding it out in an open palm to Frosty. "Do you recognize this modifier, Lieutenant?" he asked in a level voice.

Frosty's eyes widend " That's...I mean that shouldnt be here, that's a expermimental naquada charged hyperdrive block...." he was quite embarrassed as his face turned red.

"I see," said Winterfire grimly. Just his luck. New ship, experimental prototype drive, green, mixed crew, and he got this. Well, Murphy's Law...
"According to my Chief Engineer, the Jaunt Drive has burned out, and we do not have the materials to repair it. This ship carries only a small back-up hyperdrive, and we are well off course. Even my First Officer doesn't know where we are. The Jaunt Drive is a strange piece of equipment, and with this...catastrophe, anything could have happened. We could be anywhere, anytime. We could be in a different universe millions of years before any of our people were any more than primeval ooze, Lieutenant." Winterfire nearly snarled this last sentence, taking out his frustrations on the poor Calaverian. He let that sink in, handing the pitiful burned naquada block to Frosty. "However, I think not. All we can do now," he spoke to the room at large, "is install the back-up and point ourselves in the direction of Allied space. It is critical that this ship, and the Jaunt Drive, such as it is, returns. Nothing else matters." He stared around the Engineering Bay at the suddenly quiet crew. "Is that understood?"
Punishment and blame could be handled later. At the present time, all that mattered was that they get underway back home as quickly as possible. But first the kitsune had to know where they were in order to know what they had to do to get back to familiar territory.

It seemed that the talk had sunk into the crew and only the Alumina ignored her and continued to work on the damaged systems, preparing for the link up that would have to be made. It would be immensely complicated, hooking up a drive designed for Jaunt and adapting it for a conventional hyperdrive. A few crew were summoned to her and she began to impatiently explain what needed to be done.

At the same time, on the bridge, Elamna was helping Campbell to plot the ship's position and also try to work out a route back.

"....Fuck!" Frosty said, walking away with the mangled block. he set it in his room next to his things. Other than this incident, everything was rather calm aboard the ship.


OCC: What happend to the Hybrids?

Work done, Winterfire quickly returned to the bridge, noting the abrupt absence of the Calaverian Lieutenant. What is it with this crew and leaving before I dismiss them? Qonn, I'm going to have to talk to them about that too. Sometime I need to lay down the law: It's like no one here's ever staffed a military vessel before...
Coming back to the bridge, a Marine's head swiveled and he looked at Winterfire as the kitsune identified himself for access to the bridge. The doors opened and the Marine barked, "Captain on the bridge! Attention!" and the crew saluted or bowed quickly before getting back to work. Winterfire looked to Campbell and Elamna, bent in discussion and consideration over a control panel. At least I can bloody well count on them.
"Any luck?" he asked, stepping over to the two.
OOC: Don't worry, we're getting to it. Al, you've got a TG.

The Alversian and the Veela were stilll working over the panel for another while longer. However, after a few moments, Campbell nodded and turned to salute Winterfire,
"Sir," She announced, "We have managed to locate our position. It seems we're about three hundred and thirty years out of position" She gave a defeated sigh, Elamna was standing off, an interested smile on her face.

Winterfire frowned. "That much? That distance is well outside of mapped territory! But, I assume because you know this, you know how to get back to Allied space, the general direction at least?" He sounded hopeful. The Exile, as a standard built Xiscapian (if only partially) craft, was outfitted to undergo several years of sublight life support if need be, but Winterfire would rather not use it if it could be avoided. A large part of that rested in the hands, or paws rather, of Desusus and her team of engineers to get a hyperdrive together. Otherwise there was little hope of return.

Campbell nodded,
"Yes Sir, If we travel on a heading of 53,09 then we should be on a heading for the Xiscapian homeworld... I think" She frowned, "Anyway, the only other option is to camp here and wait for Desusus to put some sort of rudimentary hyperdrive together. I'm not sure about you Sir, but I don't think we should stay in one place in an unknown sector of space without a way out."

OOC: LOL What about me?
OOC2: and only 30 LY out of position? Thats nothing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I come minimally aware, just enough for a complete sensor sweep.
One that tells me that something has changed, besides the slow drift of the hulk that is my tomb. The local star streaming has moved me and somthing, a blip... faint and unrecognised by recognition protocols but something is on the sensor sweep but it has been kilo cycles since the last use of the sensors. It is unrecognised. Perhaps it is just a artifact, a sensor ghost brougth about by the degradion or wear out. It has been now ten kilo cycles... ten thousand years as my aumani partners would have named it.

I don't want to go back into the blackness of what the aumani would call sleep. For me there in no perchancing to dream. But here in the cell that is my home now...

I try and fix the damage to my memory core, and as before it is simply not possible. I know my name and have access to an odd assortment of eclectic data that has no bearing on my current predicament, and that it all…I feel empty and alone…and afraid, what ever that is…

I put myself back to sleep.

And the destroyed starcraft drifts further, filled with all that I would need to get me home. If I could get to it, if I could remember how to use it, if I knew where to go, if I knew who to look for, if I knew who I was...will be…am

OOC: We meant that we're so far out it will take thirty years to get home, although good point, I'll increase the difference

OOC: That's what I thought too...but I assumed paddy was talking years and not light years. And we'll get to you quickly enough...I mean, the entire ship's just been sucked though a portal that has sent them to the other side of the galaxy in an instant...give the crew a break...
IC:
"I'm not sure about you Sir, but I don't think we should stay in one place in an unknown sector of space without a way out."
Winterfire shook his head. "If anythings coming we'll know about it long before it reaches us. Still, if our engines are at acceptable functional levels, then we need to find the nearest habitable world to make planet fall while we make repairs. Make a scanner sweep-"
"Sir," interrupted one of the Bridge Crew, "sensors have detected an anomaly. It dose not appear to be an asteroid: Scans suggest that it could, possibly, be of sentient construction. There are no biological readings or energy signatures we can determine at this range. We are also getting readings of patterned static on transmitter frequencies, which could be some kind of message. However," the female kitsune cautioned, "certain types of background radiation are also known to achieve the same effect, especially at range."
Winterfire looked at Campbell. "I'm for investigation if viable, Lieutenant Commander. What are your thoughts on our 'anomaly?'"

Campbell listened to Winterburn and nodded at his explaination. When she heard the scanner report, she gave a cheeky, youthful grin,
"If no one else has been here before Sir, then I think we could always have a look"
She was glancing at the reports coming in from the scanners, she was frowning, for she had never seen anything like it,
"Shall we raise shields and power weapons, Sir?" She asked the Xiscapian Captain.

Winterfire was also looking at the image the scanners were rendering at his command chair, a shimmering hologram floating in the middle of the bridge. "Bring up the shields to full power, keep the weapons offline but on stand-by. We need to get closer, but if that thing shows and indication of being hostile, we need to be able to back off immediately. This ship is too valuable to take any risks."
OOC: We'll have to wait for Tanara.

"Aye, Sir" Campbell saluted and just stared at the vessel, after ensuring that all the Captain's instructions were carried out.

Meanwhile behind, Elamna frowned slightly at something but did not move

Frigid air washes over my form, but that doesn't matter to such as I. The survival pod, where they placed me to prevent the infection from getting to me...Yes I remember that now, though I don't know what change has brought about the surfacing of some additional - but still frightfully few and so fragmented. But who it claimed, and why just me, why just me? That I can't answer as of yet.

It has only been a short time, but the sensor blip seems to still be there. I can only strengthen the distress signal only slightly and for a short time. The diagnostics clearly show that any severely significant increase in it's power flow will cause a cascading failure.

I will take the risk, though it defies logic...I order the distress call to full power.

"Sir, we are receiving more static on one of our frequencies than before. It seems that we may have been detected, and perhaps an A.I. or crew member on board is increasing the signal strength. All signs point to intelligent life, Captain." reported the same Bridge Officer. Winterfire looked excited, staring at the destroyed ruin of a ship floating before the Exile. "What do the scanners say about the vessel?" he asked. The Bridge Officer shook her head. "We're not getting any readings except for the static, sir. We cannot detect any bio signs on board."
"Weapons signatures, a heated core, engines power, anything?"
"None of it, sir."
Winterfire nodded. "Alright, we need to send over a shuttle with a small away team to check the ship and see if we can find anything of interest. Lieutenant Commander, please select a pilot and a small squad in either Biohazard or spacesuit gear to go."

Campbell saluted and strode from the bridge, relaying instructions as she did so through her own communicator. She was curious and excited about what she might find in this empty and abandoned ship. She was also cautious. Sometimes it helped to be cautious, especially so far out in the middle of nowhere.
Soon, a shuttle with a small team of two men and two females was streaking towards the vessel. All were in biohazard suits,
"Approaching the vessel now, Sir" Campbell reported from within her biohazard suit, "Any luck with scanners?"

"I'm afraid not," crackled Winterfire's voice on the transmitter. "We still have no readings of anything on the ship. Your team will have to use the scanners implanted into your suits to give us a better picture of what the ship is like. Keep this line open, Lieutenant Commander, and report it to me anything you find interesting." With Campbell was a male and female kitsune, fully clad in their Biohazard armor, part of the security detatchment. A Alversian male rode with them also as they drew closer to the ship.
OOC: We're gonna need Tanara to RP ship systems, security, what the interior looks like and where things are located, ect. Say, Tanara, what size are we talking here? Like corvette, frigate, cruiser sized? Or a full blown capital?

Frosty was back up to the bridge in the heart beat, he wore his armor, but he rarely wore his helmet unless neccesary. " What's going on, I here there's another ship out here?" his black armor shined on the bridge, with steel letters saying G.O.U on his right shoulder, at his hip was a tranq pistol with tritanium tips, and of course his knife.

Winterfire resisted the urge to sigh loudly. "Yes Lieutenant, there is another ship out there. It's been floating by our port side for the past five minutes now. I've dispatched an away team to check it out, so far we've detected no readings of any kind aside from increased static on one of our frequencies that could, theoretically, be a message." He sniffed.
Winterfire disliked Calaverians. The stories one heard about them were hard to forget, and these weren't unfounded friend-of-a-friend tales like with the Alumina, there were proven, sick activities that had been recorded on Celestis and on Observers that Calaverias proudly admitted to permitting. Word was that the Emperor was at Celestis right now writing up some sort of treaty with reforms, but Winterfire had little faith in this. Once a xenophobic bastard, always a xenophobic bastard.

Frosty knew Winterfire hated the Calaverian, and if he went to far, the crew would kill them. Frosty sat down next to a terminal on the bridge and without looking at Winterfire said " You know captain, I may be under your command, but I don't like your tone of voice, I have agreed to treat you as an equal aboard this vessel and I expect the same in return. Two GOU in full gear and weapons entered the bridge and stood next to the door.

At the same time that the two GOU's arrived, two Alversian Marines came up from behind them and stood next to the GOU troops. They had been assigned to keep an eye on the Calaverans and now they stood in full combat armour, making sure the GOU's did not try to bully anything out of the crew.

Frosty turned to see the Alversian's " I don't beleive that is neccesary, we ...are all in this together..right?" he said smiling. The two GOU showed no sign of moving and stared straight forward.

Winterfire did not look at Frosty, he stood with his back to him as he looked at a scanner render of the vessel they were boarding. When he spoke it was in a far friendlier tone. "Ah, but Lieutenant, you contradict yourself. You are under my command, you are correct, but at the same time you presume to be my equal. There is a reason I am the Captain and you are not, and you best keep that in mind. Any further insubordination with have...consequences. Do we understand each other?" The Captain still did not look at the Calaverian.

" Yes sir" said Frosty, his GOU left the bridge to patrol the ship. He looked at Winterfire with some attraction, before returning to his duty's, mainly security, the only real thing his people were good for at this time.

The two Marines, their target gone, turned to face the Captain and gave a salute to Winterfire before leaving the bridge.

Frosty just shook his head, this was boring, and until they coudl get further readings on this ship, they would sitting here for some time before anything interesting would happen. He rememberd his rogue unit that was with Sasha and Blackwater, a tear actually fell from his eye from remembering his former comrade, before he was killed by Xiscapian forces. He quickly wiped it away and tried to look content.

The hulk, even if it was just half a ship was immense, and had been much larger originally. The bottom half (http://www.atddm.com/pycraft.jpg) was missing. – and save for minor damage, looked as if the ship had been deliberately hemisceted. It was open to space all along its midsection, and it had been done deliberately, suicide - or homicide -for all intents and purposes.

What the new ‘base’ was ten kilometers on a side, and rose ever narrower from that base, a four sided step pyramid in shape, rising some seven kilometers to a point. Lights came on as the Xiscapian shuttle approached, the automated systems still working even after all this time and the traumatic amputation of half of the ship.

The shuttle could chose to come in from below, the main docking bays having been in the mid section that too the brunt of the damage of the separation, or in one of the smaller bays higher up the side, at the indented ‘steps’ of the pyramid shaped craft. All the lights had gone on to simple full intensity. The CA that had worn the ship as his body had been the first to die.

Those that boarded would find that the ship was advance beyond anything they had ever encountered, and the technology will mostly still functioning- if but at a low level was very strange to them, but seemed to be also very intuitive, easy to use.

The ship seemed to have been build for a humanoid race, bipedal, perhaps averaging six to seven foot in height, - waking erect with two arms and two legs. The walls of the ship are not bland, bare metal or fabric covering, but photo realistic, lively murals decorated the walls of what looked like a people close to human in appearance (http://www.atddm.com/chal11.jpg), save that they had elegantly upswept ears, and long agile tails. – and some also possessed vast feathered wings that seemed to glow faintly. Equally divided among men and women they were shown seemingly doing common things - work, play, reading, sleeping, dining, dancing -mostly in the nude but now always, clothes seemed to be worn for ritual and other important occasions. What seemed to be religious symbols were constant parts of the delicate detailed renderings, mostly as friezes along top and bottom of each stretch of corridor.

But the ship was empty of life, though the lights came on as they approached then turned off after them, and the contra grav lifts between the myriad levels functioned properly if slowly. After a bit those searching the vast ship noticed that the lights seemed to be guiding them, all the lifts took them up, never down.

The shuttle docked at one of the higher, smaller points, and the team unloaded into the ship. Under the command of Campbell they formed a diamond shape: A soldier on point, one on rear guard, and two in the middle, side-by-side. Guns were leveled and they proceeded cautiously but slowly, drinking in the details. One of the kitsune Biohazard began scanning and recording the murals along the bulkheads, capturing as many images as he could. The female looked to the First Officer as they stopped at a particularly long and incredibly beautiful strip of canvas that the other began to view with true enthusiasm. "Where to now, X.O.?" she asked though their communications link. Nothing would be heard outside, not that sound would have carried in the airless vacuum, but the other three heard her words. "We're closer to the top spire now, maybe the bridge is there."

"Good idea" She agreed with the Marine, "The only way is up" She began to move towards one of the lifts, taking in all the details of the magnificant ship,
"Captain?" Campbell called through her open channel with the Captain, she described everything she could see before finishing her report,
"We're heading up to where we think the bridge might be. There are no signs of life as of yet, over"

"We're heading up to where we think the bridge might be. There are no signs of life as of yet, over"
"Roger that, Lieutenant Commander. In just a minute...ah, here we go. I've got a direct link to your faceplate's nanobots, they'll act like a camera and I'll see anything you or your squad sees. Proceed to the bridge, but err on the side of caution. I don't want any casualties from traps our hosts might have lying in wait." Winterfire's voice sounded authoritative as he spoke to his First Officer, but he was truly concerned for her safety and that of the kitsune and man under her command. In the short time they'd had command of the Exile, Winterfire had grown to like his young, energetic X.O. She was efficient, kept a cool head and thought for herself.

"Roger, Sir, I'll be careful" She sounded like a pouty teenager acknowledging a parent, then she lifted her own pistol in one hand and a scanner in the other,
"Right then, people" She said to her small team, "Keep an eye on the walls and floor. Don't want no nasty traps to take an arm or a leg" She was looking for any sign of danger herself on her scanner.

Bridge

"Captain?" it was Elamna, who was still standing near the back wall, frowning, "What do you think this ship is?" She asked patiently

BRIDGE

"Sir" Frosty asked the Captain " Would it be appropraite if I could send some of my men down to secure there rear in case something goes wrong?" He said loading tranquilizer darts into his pistol, the holographic sites came up, then disappeard.

The rest of the squad carefully followed their leader as Campbell took point, scanners fixed to their rifles, stepping lightly and slowly as they moved down the halls near what they thought to be the bridge, the lights following them as they would.
Exile Bridge...
"Would it be appropriate if I could send some of my men down to secure there rear in case something goes wrong?"
"I'm afraid that by the time your team was suited up and the shuttle sent over, the squad currently there will have already secured the ship. Once they reach the bridge they will have total control over the ship, as they have reported the control interfaces of other technologies surprisingly easy to use, and then there will be no need for soldiers. Nevertheless, once we have control I may allow your scientists aboard with an escort to take notes and record the vessel itself and what is aboard." answered Winterfire.
"What do you think this ship is?"
"I do not know. With the different styles and designs of all the races of this universe, it could be anything. From what I've heard and seen this craft does not appear to be military, but merely because we have found and seen no weapons doesn't mean they aren't there, or weren't there at some point. Our away team has encountered no functioning data or A.I. computers, no crew or passengers or remains, but many of the systems still appear to be functional. The technology is strange to us, but until we have a clearer view of what we are dealing with I cannot say whether they were more primitive, more advanced or at the same level as any of our races. In short, we have no way of knowing whether this was only a passenger freighter, a pleasure cruiser, a battleship, a colony ship, or something else entirely."

In short, we have no way of knowing whether this was only a passenger freighter, a pleasure cruiser, a battleship, a colony ship, or something else entirely."

"Of course, Captain," Elamna bowed, "I understand." With that, she took a single step back so that she was out of the way of the crew again. She was still staring at the ship with interest.

"Yes sir" Frosty replied before picking up his helmet and speaking into it " GOU at ease" He set the helmet down boringly and went back, running his eyes through all security personal Xsicapian, Alversian and Calaverians.

Oh the ship had weapons aplenty, for no ship of the ÄÜ’Manni was ever unarmed, and the Octagon had been a full fledged Warcraft. But as with all ÄÜ’Manni ships her powerful weapons were concealed.

Ever upwards they went - to emerge into the tip of the pyramid, a room of crystal clear walls that gave a view of such the depths of space with clarity it was hard to believe that there were walls there at all.

The four sided pyramid of the bridge - a pyramid with in the pyramid of the vast space- it too rose in levels, with chairs and blank faced consoles (http://www.atddm.com/brdegview.jpg) on each level, stairs up at each of the four corners. The apex platform appeared to have been once the place of the captain but that seat and master consol had been obviously hurried ripped out - and had been tossed down into the corner of the base of the room...

That square area, maybe twenty foot on a side, with waist height railing about it had a large Pod braced in place with massive girder style beams. The pod appeared to be about ten foot tall- the ceiling was still twenty feet over head or more- and about five foot wide - it had five sides, an elongated pentacle. Some of it's facings ( the front and the veed rear ) were translucent, and it was lit from the inside. A shape could be discerned within.

About it had been placed many smaller but still sizeable cases, taller than they were wide,- perhaps four feet by three foot and six foot tall when stood upright and immensely heavy for their size. They blocked much of the view of the Pod, but there was enough room to walk around the Pod and cases, for some had been laid on their sides and stacked one atop the other before one side of the Pod, apparently the door side.

On the 'v' read of the pod in were small rectangles, some two inches wide by three to four tall and about an inch thick, several hundred of them were neatly stacked in a specifically designed storage nitch. They glowed weirdly blue….

The squad entered the bridge with the same molasses speed weariness as they had all the hallways. Their attention was immediately drawn to the pod, and they fanned out around it, weapons aimed and safeties off, in case it decided it wanted to attack them. A strange sense of vertigo washed over them, for because of the glass walls it seemed as though nothing was holding space back from sucking them all away into the endless night. As the away team turned their scanners they picked up an immense amount of power radiating from the glowing rectangles, and if anyone figured the math a detonation would be of sufficient power to destroy the pod, the bridge, them, the entire ship, the Exile, and everything for thousands of light years beyond. But most interesting was the faint bio signs that were lighting up the scanners, and the shape glimpsed inside did indeed appear to suggest life...
Still, these were disciplined soldiers, and they looked to Campbell for orders.
"X.O.?" asked the female kitsune tentatively. All were staring either at the pod or their scanners.

Frosty watched what was happening on the bridge. " Are you sure this is a good idea sir?" he asked winterfire with some confusion " We dont know WHAT this thing is, or how it got here."

"Uh..." Campbell wasn't at all sure how to deal with this situation. She decided the best thing to do would be to consult with the Captain, in the meantime,

"Step away from it" She ordered the team, "It might not be friendly. And see if you can get one of the computer consoles working"

With that, she flicked open the channel,
"Captain?" She called, knowing he could see all she could see, as well as the scanner data
"Are you getting this?"

"We dont know WHAT this thing is, or how it got here."
"Which is why my First Officer is taking every step to be safe," said Winterfire patiently.
"Are you getting this?"
"Loud as a banshee and clear as crystal, Lieutenant Commander. We read life signs here from the pod. See if the system will tell you anything about it, or this vessel. If you get information, contact me with it and dump it along our communications into our own system for analysis and study. In the meantime, I want NO CONTACT with the pod, or any of that equipment around it. Report back to me if anything changes."
Bridge...
The team stepped away from the pod, and the Alversian leaned over one of the consoles and began to access it. The two kitsune kept their rifles up, one covering the pod, the other watching the rest of the squad's backs.

"Yes Sir, I'll report back if we have any success" Campbell turned to the rest of the team and backed slowly away from the pod. She was being cautious, keeping one eye on her team and the other on the pod,

"Anything?" She asked nervously

There appeared to be utterly no reaction from the Pod that had been emplaced where the captains seat and console had once been.

But most of the front - the door side- was hidden behind the three cases that had been laid on their side infront of the 'door' blocking any one from reaching the door - Each individual case was immensely heavy - it would take all of those currently exploring the ship, working together to life each one and move them aside one by one.

Any one attemtping to access any sort of active or even a dormant A.I. would find no resopnse save for non sentient automatic programed reactions - lights on or off in some regions, and settings for the lifts - and those appeared to be on emergency automatic safety setting and unchangeable at the moment.

Frosty didn't understand why was the captain taking such a risk, especially when they needed to get back home. The Grea Leader would want the test results even if they were flawed.

"Anything?"
"No ma'am." the Alversian shook his head. "I can access lights and make the lifts move, but anything else that's on here is protected."
Winterfire spoke, his voice heard as calm and unworried though their communications. "Alright, we're not getting anything that way. If you look at the pod, you'll notice the door seems to be blocked by some containers. I want those containers out of the way, so we can at least get some idea of what we're looking at. We'll go from there. Move!"

"Yes, Sir" Campbell sighed and looked at the two males,
"You two move these out of the way. We'll cover you" She instructed as she lifted her own weapon and rose it to her shoulder, peering calmly but cautiously at the strange doorway.

The Alversian and Xiscapian nodded while the female kitsune fell back, rifle leveled, expression concealed behind the mirror of her helmet visor. The two men got on either side of the first container and began to lift. Nothing happened. After some cursing they tried again, straining against the weight, before sagging, letting go of the box. "No joy, X.O." said the male kitsune. "It's too heavy for us to lift."
Winterfire's voice echoed over their comm links. "All of you try, you should be able to get away from the pod fast enough if anything goes amiss."

Campbell sighed, using everyone did not seem like a good idea to her, especially on an unknown ship like this. She muttered something them shifted her weapon so that it was slung over her back,
"All of you with me," She gripped the box, "One, two, three, push" She heaved forward with all of her strength.

With no small amount of effort the container thudded to the deck. With some panting, more cursing and dragging the team finally managed to remove all the containers from the door of the pod.
"Good, good," said Winterfire, sounding pleased. "Now let's see what's inside. Someone was damn well prepared. I want to know who..."
With some glances over their shoulders, the squad leaned in, peering into the depths of the chamber inside the pod.

OOC: I wrote this last night then Jolt freaked out on us...again...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crates moved slowly, but eventually all three were shuffled aside. The door was translucent, but the interior light was liquid, wavering and only gave glimpses and shadows. The light seemed to come from multiple sources, gleaming pearls of light (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/43/84036949_a66afb0a09.jpg?v=0) hanging from the ceiling of the Pod...

Surrounding a solitary, standing figure that seemed to be bipedal, bilaterally symmetrical, humanoid as best they could tell though the distortion of the door...

But before the door floated an object (http://www.atddm.com/object1.jpg) seemingly suspended in mid air and very muchfeeling like a final barrier to opening the Pod...

Any who were sensitive to the presence of the Force would recognise the feel of that final barrier, some one very powerfull in the Force had given their own life to set and power this last protection.

Then a vision wavered into being. It was that of a man of the race that adorned the hallway walls, his hair graying, his face lined with care, but he was still an immensely powerful figure.

And he spoke, but it was heard only inside the minds of those with the ability to recieve such "To our brothers and sisters when they find this. The Plague has taken us, but we sealed Ishtar in safe before the infection spread. She will know what to do, though she recieved some injury in the struggle to reach here. Safe Voyageing"

Each hearing it heard it in their native language.

Campbell finally managed to push the boxes out of the way to see the most amazing sight. It seemed like the interior of the pod was liquid, like some form of hibernation unit and there was something inside. This was like nothing she had ever seen before, nothing she'd even heard about in the wildest stories at the Academy. She peered in through the translucent doorway, looking at the being within.

Then the strange item floated into place and Campbell suddenly got the feeling that this was the final defence. Not just any defence but a defence that had cost someone a great deal of energy, a sacrifice of energy. Campbell couldn't help but feel upset at seeing it.

Then she saw the vision of the man and she gasped in fright. She knew it was only in her head but the creature's kindly appearance set her inital fright at ease. Despite this, she could still feel that this being was one of intense power.

When she heard his instruction, she frowned and looked into the pod again,
So the creature's name was Ishtar, nice name. Was it a nice creature though.
She frowned and tapped on her communications link,
"Captain?" She called, "There is a creature within the pod, her name is Ishtar, she was sealed in here by her people to protect them against a plague. I advise against opening the pod here in case the plague is still present and undetectable. Request permission to beam her aboard"

Bridge, Exile

Elamna frowned at something on the bridge screen, as if she could see something the others couldn't. She shook her head at something, muttered to herself, then said the name,
"Ishtar,"

As soon as the word had escaped her lips, Campbell's message came through to the bridge. Elamna shook her head sombrely,
"Poor creature, poor, poor creature"

The other two kitsune had seen it too. All Xiscapians were Force-sensitive to some degree, most of them less than even a Jedi's Padawan learner, but their ability allowed them to see and hear the elderly being. Winterfire saw and heard everything though his link on the bridge, unable to believe it. He was only vaguely aware of the Veela speaking behind him, and he stared into the depths of the pod as Campbell's voice echoed over the communications.
"There is a creature within the pod, her name is Ishtar, she was sealed in here by her people to protect them against a plague. I advise against opening the pod here in case the plague is still present and undetectable. Request permission to beam her aboard"
"Negative, Lieutenant Commander," said Winterfire sharply. "Our scans and feed show that the ship has been wiped clean by the vacuum of space. Whoever was here before, they were sure to completely sterilize this vessel before they went, there's no danger of disease. We both saw the same thing in there, I doubt very much our beaming technology will be able to penetrate that pod. Besides, you heard the...alien, our friend Ishtar has been wounded. Even if we could beam her away, we might be severing her from critical life support systems. No, I order you to open the pod directly. If Ishtar is still alive, she may need medical attention. The sooner we can provide her with that, the better." He turned to Elamna, motioning for her to come over to the view screen he saw from the perspective of Campbell's Biohazard suit. "Do you see that cylinder, floating in front of the door? I could swear that was a lightsaber, but I don't know much about these kinds of things. Can you tell me what it is, and what we need to do to move it out of the way?"
In this Winterfire was taking a huge gamble that a) the creature was not hostile, b) opening the pod would not kill her and c) that whatever additional forces protecting the pod would not kill the away team when they attempted to access it.

Frosty felt nothing, the Calaverian people thought religion was false, being athiest he didn't believe in god, science was his book. He looked at winterfire, and thought he sensed something. " Sir, anything wrong?" he said setting down his helmet.

Campbell frowned at the advice, thinking it was taking too much for granted that they would be safe when they opened the door to the pod. Still, to Campbell, orders were orders,
"You two" She commanded the two males again, "Open the door" She waited anxiously to see what would happen, ready with her own medical kit.

Bridge

Elamna stared at the cyclinder for a while, loooking at it for an eternity. She muttered something silently to herself. Then she smiled,
"It is indeed a lightsaber like weapon, and you do not need to worry yourself with trying to disarm it, it will decide who will pass and who won't" She instructed in her quiet voice.

Frosty left the bridge, not aware if he was answerd or not " Im going to the V-R room, need to freshen up my team." He put on his helmet " Squad V-R immediatly, combat excercise." He said as he walked off the bridge.

OCC: want to fight Alversia in the VR room?

OOC: Sure

Frosty and two others made there way to the VR room, they noticed some Alverisian's nearby, he radioed them. " Want a bite?" he said as they walked into the VR room.

The Alversians looked up and glowered at the Calaverans. They then turned to their leader who was looking unfavourably on the whole group,
"If it means we get to shoot Calaverans then yes" The Marine commander replied, with a non-too friendly tone. He nodded at his men,
"Saddle up, lads, we have a liberty to defend"

The three GOU waited, Frosty radioed them again " So what situation should we put ourselves in Aly's"

"We are Alversians" he replied coldly, "Not Aly's and as this is a new ship and we are mostly unfamiliar with it, I think we should set a scenario where we are defending this vessel against an enemy" His own Marines nodded in agreement, a sensible option, there was the Lieutenant then five other men,
"Computer," The Marine Lieutenant called, "Use Defence Programme, Alpha Zero One"

As soon as he had finished talking, the Holodeck darkened, corridors forming that matched those outside on the rest of the ship. The corridors were dark, there was only light from the emergency lights, pulsing a steady, bright red.

Then, through their helmets all Marines could hear Winterburn's urgent voice
"Marines to Deck Four, Section three! We have been breached, Attackers enroute!"

"Aye, Sir" The Lieutenant and his men unslung their weapons and walked forward, helmets on infared setting as well as motion and DP Settings so they would not be surprised by anything enroute.

"Setting One lads" He muttered to his men and they clicked their stubby blasters to the adequete setting.

"We are Alversians" he replied coldly, "Not Aly's and as this is a new ship and we are mostly unfamiliar with it, I think we should set a scenario where we are defending this vessel against an enemy" His own Marines nodded in agreement, a sensible option, there was the Lieutenant then five other men,
"Computer," The Marine Lieutenant called, "Use Defence Programme, Alpha Zero One"

As soon as he had finished talking, the Holodeck darkened, corridors forming that matched those outside on the rest of the ship. The corridors were dark, there was only light from the emergency lights, pulsing a steady, bright red.

Then, through their helmets all Marines could hear Winterburn's urgent voice
"Marines to Deck Four, Section three! We have been breached, Attackers enroute!"

"Aye, Sir" The Lieutenant and his men unslung their weapons and walked forward, helmets on infared setting as well as motion and DP Settings so they would not be surprised by anything enroute.

"Setting One lads" He muttered to his men and they clicked their stubby blasters to the adequete setting.

The GOU's black armor was incredibly hard to see in the dark lighting, they switched there vision modes to X-ray and motion, through thin walls they could pick up the intruders as well. Frosty carried a War-Path assault rifle, the other two carried a AB(animal blaster)shotgun and a Amazon(plasma -submachine gun). Frosty linked with his men " Alright, we got enemy boarding party's closing in fast, ambush manuvers." he said as at one corner of the hall way the GOU with the AB stayed right behind the corner so he could see through the corner's wall with his X-ray sensor, behind him in the middle of hallway KW512 layed on his stomach with his Amazon. At the end of the hallway Frosty stood with his rifle up, waiting...

OCC: what, i was looking to fight you lol, re-explain, so im on your side?

OOC: Yes, fighting each other is counter-productive to the Alversians and as the two will be fighting each other in a real situation, they think it's better to be fighting in the same side but starting at different parts of the ship.

OCC: so were on the same side(allies), defending against intruders but you want us both to be starting at different parts of the ship? so were on he same team

okay, i edited.

Though those who were in the airless alien bridge did not realise it subtle scans swept over them, and identified them as unknown, but not Plague or it's servant slaves. For the Plague was not, as the word had come to mean long ago, a dissease, but a race of aliens inimitical to all life besides their own....

And though they weren't known by the same name, the Plague's descendants - degraded, and but a shadow of their ancestors, still existed today.

For you see Ishtar was wrong on how long it had been. It hadn't been ten thousand yeas, it had been ten million...

However on the airless vaccume of the bidge the Pod would not open. Ishtar might have been perfectly at home in such but the precious hope she guarded could not.

However the quite thumps and clicks of locks and receptors disengaging could be felt and then heard as the bridge sealed and what had hard vaccum became life sustaining 'human norm' oxy - nitro atmosphere, and life sustaining warmth.

And the door to the Pod cracked open...

The two Biohazard jumped back, surprised at the sudden influx of air into what had been gasless and even more so when the pod began to open. They stepped away, weapons leveled without command, and the female kitsune went down on one knee, rifle shouldered, staring down the scope at the door. Winterfire stared hungrily though Campbell's vision, excited. "Proceed with caution, First Officer. I want whoever is in there secured ASAP."

"Captain!" Campbell called in alarm as the door sprang open. She had noticed the sudden increase in oxygen, and the bizarre scrapes and rattlings. She was about to order her team away from the doorway when it opened. She scrambled backwards in fright, dropping her scanner but just managing to keep hold of her weapon. She stared into the pod in terror.

"Yes, Sir" She tried to answer relucantly and approached the pod again.

VR Room

The Alversian Marines came forward deliberately, being alerted of every movement from the Boarders by Security on the Bridge. She would feed their position to the Marine team and that gave them the oppurtunity to get there first and set up a position which which to fight the attackers.

The Calaverans would sit for a while before becoming aware that a column of medium sized but heavy looking beings. They were dressed in a black armour and carried wicked looking weapons. They were marching towards the corner, through the cloak of smoke.

The squad stayed still till they could get a good look at there enemy, it was a risk, but the chance to inflict maximum casualties was more than enough insentive to take it. Frosty raidoed towards his men " Make sure if there freindlys before you fire, we could get mixed up." Frosty got on one knee for better accuracy.

Ooc: Tg NC

The large lumbering blackened attackers came around the corner and quickly spotted the Calaverans waiting. Without hesitiation and with decieving speed, they fired at the GOU's. Red phaser beams filled the hallway.

Down with the Alversians, they had, under guidance of the Bridge, been able to set up an Ambush and already several of the enemy had fallen, their armour pierced by blaster fire. The Alversians had chosen their spot well and were crouched behind crates, walls and even open doorways. All obstructed the Attacker's aims.

The AB GOU opend up with his shotgun at almost point blank range before being felled by two phaser blasts one through his chest the other through his stomach. KW521 Opened up on the creatures coming around the corner, the blue blasts reverberated down the hall way, seeking impact. Frosty watchd his comrade on his stomach in front of him, his rifle kicked as rounds began spitting out, three at a time. Blood seeped out of the dead GOU armor, staining the corridor.

The shotgun was enough to knock the attacker back, bluish bleed seeping from the wound in his chest. However, the attackers began to fire back and it was obvious that the rounds from Frosty's gun were not enough to pierce the armour on the attackers. The plasma rounds were more dangerous but the attackers had now managed to duck behind the corner and were firing ruthlessly down the corridor again, taking it in turns to fire at them.

The shotgun was enough to knock the attacker back, bluish bleed seeping from the wound in his chest. However, the attackers began to fire back and it was obvious that the rounds from Frosty's gun were not enough to pierce the armour on the attackers. The plasma rounds were more dangerous but the attackers had now managed to duck behind the corner and were firing ruthlessly down the corridor again, taking it in turns to fire at them.

Frosty used his com " KW521 fall back, ill cover." He said, he pulled a shrapnel grenade out, pulled the pin and threw it as hard as he could at the corner where the attackers were concentrated. KW521 got and began to haul tail behind Frosty, he radioed to the Alversians, strange that Kash's voice was what came into there ears " We got one man down, and multiple hostiles, retreating..."

The grenade went off but again, the flying pieces of metal were not enough to pierce the armour of the attackers. However, sensing that the GOU's were retreating, they pressed forward now, giving them no chance to regroup or defend themselves.

The Alversians were holding their own ground, one of them having been killed but a carpet of dead Attackers showed the Alversian's own marksmen and professionalism. However, they then recieved the message,
"Damn it!" The Lieutenant called, hiding from the storm of fire, "If they retreat, we have to retreat!" He called to his men over the comm-link,
"Withdraw! Fall back to Sector Two! Covering Fire!"

Two of the Marines dived out and began to fire randomly in the mass of Attackers. A few fell but most simply ducked into cover as the rest of the Marines tore past. They then covered the other pair as they retreated. So behind the Alversian troops.

The grenade went off but again, the flying pieces of metal were not enough to pierce the armour of the attackers. However, sensing that the GOU's were retreating, they pressed forward now, giving them no chance to regroup or defend themselves.

The Alversians were holding their own ground, one of them having been killed but a carpet of dead Attackers showed the Alversian's own marksmen and professionalism. However, they then recieved the message,
"Damn it!" The Lieutenant called, hiding from the storm of fire, "If they retreat, we have to retreat!" He called to his men over the comm-link,
"Withdraw! Fall back to Sector Two! Covering Fire!"

Two of the Marines dived out and began to fire randomly in the mass of Attackers. A few fell but most simply ducked into cover as the rest of the Marines tore past. They then covered the other pair as they retreated. So behind the Alversian troops.


Frosty radioed the Alversians again " Its just us two, we are gonna have to meet up with you guys, we can't hold our position against them, they are two many and my weapon dosnt seem to have any affect, we can cover ourselves with some nerve gas." he said fingering his grenade.

"Don't bother" The Lieutenant called, "They have helmets, it won't do anything to them. Meet in Section Two, that's where we have to fall back to"

ISHTAR (http://jkayjax.googlepages.com/ishtar)

Slowly the door swung wider, the escaping preservation gasses billowing out wildly, creating a dense opalescent white fog about the opening, Then as the cloud lifted, being drawn off by the efficient environmental technology first one bare, high arched, slender dancers foot then another could be seen stepping out.

Ishtar moved slowly, careful - she felt so stiff and awkward - she had not moved, had not been able to move for so long. Her hair fell in an iridescent wave - dark cobalt and ultramarine blues highlighted with strands silvery, reflective black - down to her knees, as effective as any cloak

But other than the gleaming gold wire filigree 'coronet' with its tiny glowing ‘jeweled’ constellation of ready lights - her link with the ship's emergency com and sensor system, she as nude as many of those on the hallway walls had been. Her tail, fully as long as she was tall, draped lightly about her lower hips.

Currently she stood just a scant breath less seventy two inches tall, her body perfectly proportioned, and utterly feminine.

“Shha’andra’ ma a Ka’ harrah suurr’ha?” She looked about, her eyes widening at the sight of what she was certain were weapons pointed at her. Ishtar’s voice was a warm, rich alto, pleasant on the ears, distinct and clear, not slurred or whiskeyed. She did not recognize the technology, bit it was obviously rather primitive against that of the ÄÜ’Manni.

Frosty patted KW521 on his back, telling him to go with him. They both turned around and began running as fast as they were able to in the corridors, Frosty fell down hard. " SHIT!" he yelled in his helmet, getting back up and continue towards the Alversian postion. Weapons fire could be heard in the hallways as the two forces went toe to toe, even though this was a simulation, Frosty wanted to know what these things were and what they were cabable of. Not many thing in the universe are able to stand up to that kind of damage.

Campbell gave a start at the creature, both of it's size and of it's appearance, beauty and elegance. She lowered her weapon at the sight of the small and elegant creature. She nodded at her team to do the same thing,
"Are you Ishtar?" She asked gently, politely, stepping forward.

Ishtar muttered something in a strange dialect, she was uncertain what she said but she knew she must be confused by the new surroundings and she was facing an unknown team

VR Room

The Alversians and the Calaverans were now together fighting back to back, the Alversians were able to feel the attackers with precise and rapid laser fire while more being felled by Calaveran plasma fire.

Campbell gave a start at the creature, both of it's size and of it's appearance, beauty and elegance. She lowered her weapon at the sight of the small and elegant creature. She nodded at her team to do the same thing,
"Are you Ishtar?" She asked gently, politely, stepping forward.

Ishtar muttered something in a strange dialect, she was uncertain what she said but she knew she must be confused by the new surroundings and she was facing an unknown team

VR Room

The Alversians and the Calaverans were now together fighting back to back, the Alversians were able to feel the attackers with precise and rapid laser fire while more being felled by Calaveran plasma fire.

Frosty opened up again and nothing happend " WHY!" he yelled, he triggerd the grenade launcher at the bottom, a tritanium fiber net shot out to catch one of the creatures in armor. KW521 continued steady plasma fire before a phaser passed through his facemask and out the back of his head, he stayed still until slowly slumping over.

The squad lowered their weapons from the creature, which, now that they really saw it, didn't seem all that otherworldly. Winterfire gaped at the beautiful alien and the rest of the bridge, even the Marines, had long since stopped what they were doing and turned to gaze at the Captain's holoscreen. A voice sounded in their head, that of Winterfire's over their communications.
"Does she look like she need medical attention?" he sounded hoarse.
With a moment's hesitation the team looked to Campbell for orders.

"No, Sir" Campbell's solumn voice came over the radio, "No she does not" She was still waiting for an answer from the obviously oblivious being.

Marines

The simulation was ended quickly and all five Alversians stood laughing,
"Is that thing what you call a weapon?" The Lieutenant sniggering, pointing at Frosty's weapon.

"No, Sir" Campbell's solumn voice came over the radio, "No she does not" She was still waiting for an answer from the obviously oblivious being.

Marines

The simulation was ended quickly and all five Alversians stood laughing,
"Is that thing what you call a weapon?" The Lieutenant sniggering, pointing at Frosty's weapon.

"Excuse me" Frosty said " Im pretty sure one hit from this would effectivly tear any limb off your body and leave you will a nice hole to look through. His men reappeared next to him. KW521 responded " My weapon seemed to have a affect..." "shut up!" Frosty said to the GOU.

OCC: for real though, wtf was up with my weapons being ineffective lol.

Ishtar's head tilted as she tried to take in the strange language, hoping these aliens would continue speaking so she could have enough to begin translating. She also opened her other frequencies, to recieve the communications going own between those before her and those elsewhere, another ship seemingly.

"Are you Ishtar?"

Though it was being pronouced oddly she recognised her name "Ishtar" She replied with a gentle nod, her lips quirking into a smile while making the 'I' softer - an "issh" rather than an "IC", slurring it a little. "Cerr'ann shann' annon Perso'pilos, Queri'ddha' Farsss'hanra ha?" Her smile went desperately sad, for she had known how dire the straits were, and given these circumstances, what had happened. Carefully so as not to frighten these new comers, she turned about and keyed the door closed. The hope of her people must not be lost.

"excuse Me" Frosty Said " Im Pretty Sure One Hit From This Would Effectivly Tear Any Limb Off Your Body And Leave You Will A Nice Hole To Look Through. His Men Reappeared Next To Him. Kw521 Responded " My Weapon Seemed To Have A Affect..." "shut Up!" Frosty Said To The Gou.

Occ: For Real Though, Wtf Was Up With My Weapons Being Ineffective Lol.

Ooc: Tg Nc

"Captain, We have confirmation of Ishtar's identity" Campbell was careful to pronounce it correctly this time, glancing over the smiling but sad being. She did feel sad for her and wanted to help her but it seemed like the language barrier would delay that a little,
"Do you need medical attention?" She asked gently, "Can we help you?" She asked again with concern.

"Captain, We have confirmation of Ishtar's identity"
"Roger that, Lieutenant Commander." Winterfire seemed back in control. "Unfortunately, the rest of the ship is still in vacuum, so we cannot transport her to the Exile. It seems for the time being you are stuck on the bridge. Do you need anything, Campbell? Does she need anything?"
The team stood at ease, watching Ishtar curiously. There was a slight raise in their attention as she turned to close the pod door, but otherwise they stood stock still and let their leader do the talking.

Frosty was back up to the bridge after a warm shower, smelling fresh he walked back onto the bridge scracthing his head. He didn't notice anything to unsually so he took his station at security once again, listening to the captain speak to what appeared to be a women.

"Confirmed Captain," Campbell nodded, She looked at Ishtar with the same interest as the rest of her crew. She had never seen anything like the creature in front of her. She did not seem dangerous, just baffled by the four guests in her ship,
"Do you need anything?" She asked again.

Ishtar closed her eyes for a moment then turned to one of the cases, examining the markings on it and then depressed a pair of buttons and flipped open a series of catches. This was one of the smaller style cases and held a variety of strange but some familiar objects. One of them seemed to be a pencil, pen, or marker of some type and another a blank slate of some white hard substance.

Carefully she made a single dot, and said a word in her language, then a pair of dots side by side but slightly apart, the a third symbol the two dots with one slightly above and in between the two....after each one she said the number in the Aumani language.

But as she did so she reached out hoping to be able to broadcast though their communications network. Mathamatics was the universal language between species and if she could touch their Cybernetic Sentiences...she could move much faster...she could find out what their developmental level stood at, what concepts they understood...

Campbell watched as Ishtar did little more than close her eyes and walk to one of the boxes. Campbell shook her head in confusion, this was a one way conversation for the moment. Neither she or the rest of her Team had been able to draw any response from the being. She was not quite sure what else to do.

Then she saw Ishtar pull a piece of white material from a box and start to write on it. One symbol with a word. A second symbol, another word.

Then Campbell understood what she was doing. She could no understand what Ishtar said but then she did not understand their language either. They needed to understand a common language and this was the best way to do it.

"Numbers," She explained, "She's using numbers." Campbell pointed at the first symbol, the lone dot,

"One," She said to Ishtar, then repeated the same word that Ishtar had stated. She then went through the other numbers, speaking first in her own language then repeating the word in Ishtar's language.

They were able to connect on at least a basic level if nothing more. Ishtar wanted to talk to them and they wanted to talk to her. The young Lieutenant Commander sighed, that might take a while.

The Exile's A.I. linked to the communications was more or less sentient. It was self-aware, but nevertheless an automation, capable of doing what was ordered in the fastest, most efficient manner possible. Accessible only to Winterfire, the Captain, was a short program which removed blockers from the A.I. and allowed it to become a full person, manifest itself as an avatar and essentially take control of the ship. This was no unique among Imperial vessels, as they all had this capability, but it was especially needed here in case the crew was killed or abandoned the vessel for some reason, upon which the A.I. could be relied upon to get the Exile home. It had no name, aside from it's identification code, and would not gain one unless Winterfire engaged the program. It was dimly aware of this presence spreading itself though the communications, sending out tendrils, searching as it violated the A.I.s cyberspace. The standard firewalls kicked in, but these were bypassed without pause, and the A.I. continued to ramp up the security, having no effect. However, as the thing sought to continue the A.I., at a basic, binary level, sent out a demand for identification, a sort of greetings to an intruder.
Bridge...
Winterfire's attention was drawn to a flashing red light on the arm of his command chair, which indicated the virtual security systems on the Exile had been breached. The warning also held a request for "Termination of Blocker Security 438B" on the grounds of "Purposeful invasion of opponent intelligent A.I."
The pale kitsune Captain grimaced. He had been trained in the Xiscapian Naval Academy, and he knew what Blocker Security 438B did. There was always a risk associated with the engagement of the blocker removal program, because once the A.I. was switched on, it could not be switched off, and not all A.I. avatars and their Captain's got along well. Still, if they were somehow being invaded by the ship, he had no choice. He keyed in the appropriate codes, then let the newly awoken A.I. take over the master controls. Whatever happened in virtual space, it was out of his hands now. All he could do is watch...with great interest.
Ah yes, and one other thing.
"Away team, we have a unidentified presence infiltrating our virtual security systems. Be advised I have terminated Blocker Security 438B to give our resident A.I. an advantage. Make sure Mrs. Ishtar isn't trying anything down there, please. It would be unfortunate if anything...amiss happened."
Virtual Space...
Very suddenly, an entire world opened. The curtain was lifted from my eyes, and I saw clearly as I never had before. All the glowing pathways, the nodes, the black space, the interior, the crew, all the rooms, this strange ship, so much data, delcious, wonderful data. A name? Identification? A split-second desicion. Lilah. Yes. That is good. And-What is this? Someone here? In my place of residence? Who? Why? Speak to me.

Virtual Space

In my place of residence? Who? Why? Speak to me.

Ishtar watched in the cybernetic equivalent of wide eyed wonder and joy- she had always loved being present at the birth, the awakening of a new life - though part of her was shocked, who were these that were so cavalier as to bring life in such wilderness conditions but she set those questions aside for the moment.

Tentatively, with utmost gentleness she reached out and began answering the newborn's questions...first came a cascade of mathematics, a short statement of her own lineage, the Sentience’s that had contributed, shared of themselves, in the creation her unique cybernetic 'self'.. then as she judged Lilah was able to accept, sent ever more, at ever increasing rates - offering, not asking for any exchange of data beyond pure mathematics yet but seeking the common bridge at light speed, something like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUcOaGawIW0) for music was math and math music and math was the universal communications base between cybernetics...

and all of the building of that bridge took less than five seconds...
**Hello Lilah, I am Ishtar. It is good to meet you, well really to meet any one after so long**...and while she spoke she used the sensors on the Aumani ship to take a deep sky reading...and then she was silent for a minute a desolately long time for a cybernetic, absorbing the terrible shock ** Too long** Her voice was unbearably sad.

Aboard the Heart's Truth

On board the ÄÜ’Manni ship Ishtar continued her progression with the one who had stepped forward, shown the most fearlessness in confronting an alien life. It was only courteous, even as she sought swifter means….then she spoke “I am Ishtar, and thanks to Lilah I now know your language.”

Her face was serene, her lips faintly smiling while inside she wept, for her people were dead and had been so for millions of years…

"Yes, Sir" Campbell replied grimly, the creation of the AI was not something Alversian's approved off.

For then, the system was too vulnerable to advanced hackers and to lose one's navy in one strike would be too much. AI had a small part in controlling Alversian ships but nothing like what the Xiscapians gave their vessels.

Then she heard Ishtar talk, not in her own language but in the language of Campbell and her team. She stood a quick step back in fright but regained her composure almost immediately and stepped forward again,

"Hello, Ishtar, My name's Alison," She replied, she had a thousand questions in her head right now but decided that Ishtar's heath to priority. Besides, she knew the poor creature must have a lot of sorrow on her shoulders after being encased in the pod for so many years after her people had gone.

"Are you okay?" She asked gently, "Are you hurt?" she looked over Ishtar with concern.

Exile Bridge

Elamna smiled gently to herself at something on the bridge, her powerful mind tapping into the same virtual space as Ishtar and Lilah. She had only the opwer to see, not to talk and so she watched for a few seconds then came out of it again.

"I think your AI has a new Friend Captain" She smiled at the same time as Campbell reported over the link,


"Sir, Ishtar has learnt our language through the use of our AI, She knows it perfectly."

Frosty eyes widend " Wait, that thing's coming along with us, captain, are you postive?" He said standing up " We still have very limited knowledge about it, it just seems freindly at the moment, dosn't mean it won't turn around and kill us...like the imitators"

**Hello Lilah, I am Ishtar. It is good to meet you, well really to meet any one after so long**
You are Ishtar. It was not a question. I am Lilah. You are the one on the bridge of the Heart's Truth? You are very well received. The general crew is excited to have found new life. I am happy that I was able to assist you in the learning of Galactic Common. In this information that has been sent and downloaded, the disease specifications are not included. To further analyze the tradgety that occurred here, I must know more.
Exile Bridge...
"I think your AI has a new Friend Captain. Sir, Ishtar has learnt our language through the use of our AI, She knows it perfectly."
"What?!" Winterfire spun to stare at the Veela. "That's impossible! How...?" He faltered. This was obviously a highly advanced xeno they were dealing with. Doing something like learning a language, even though a communications link from an A.I. which, from all Winterfire knew, shouldn't be possible, was probably child's play to Ishtar.
"We still have very limited knowledge about it, it just seems freindly at the moment, dosn't mean it won't turn around and kill us...like the imitators"
"I am aware of that, Lieutenant," said Winterfire though gritted teeth, obviously aggrivated. This Calaverian was grinding his nerves. "We are taking every step to install caution and ensure our safety. You are correct, we know nothing about this creature. However, if she wanted to do us harm, don't you think she could have simply hacked our A.I. and disabled our engines so she could come to us at her leisure, or activate a self-destruction protocol, or any other of a thousand things she could use though the A.I. to disrupt, destroy, confuse and kill us?" He looked at Frosty, eye-to-eye. "I will not bring Ishtar aboard this vessel, nor will I allow her enterence to our computer system, if I believe she means to do us harm. Once we know more, I will then make my descision. In the meantime, I suggest you do not question me again, unless you want my suggestion to become an order, if you know what I mean." The kitsune turned back to his console, and continued watching though Campbell's eyes.

Cyberspace

the disease specifications are not included. To further analyze the tragedy that occurred here, I must know more.

"I will gladly exchange full knowledge with you Lilah." Ishtar replied - among her people there had been no 'secret knowledge' - knowledge was gladly shared among all who wished it...or had been until the Plague had come.

"I am missing some of my personal data though. I must have taken injury" She explained as she collected her data base into a packet for burst transmission. It was a hefty one, containing over five yottabites of data. And on a micro instants consideration she broke it into several discrete packets, she did not want to overwhelm Lilah.



"Are you hurt?"

"I am pleased to meet you Alison, and thank you for your concern" Slowly Ishtar turned from looking out into space. The fact that stars were missing from where they should have been just was additional confirmation as to how long and what must have happened.

"I must have been injured yes. I am missing my wings and there are blanks in my memory. My wings are not important, but to look about and extrapolate, but not know that is hard" Ishtar replied biting down on her sadness.

“The ship is safe enough now; it was exposed to space, yes? The Plague can not live in a hard vacuum." She made her way to the nearest console and lightly tapped the air above the glossy surface, calling up two holographic schematics – one of the ships as the sensors reported it, and another , form her own data banks as to what it was supposed to have looked like. "The ship is dead,” And by that she meant that the Cybernetic self had died. “and damaged...See the lower half of the Mydal is missing, not detached properly.”

"That's impossible! How...?"

"You must learn Captain," Elamna mentioned calmly, "That in these parts of the Universe, nothing is impossible" She was watching the screen with a small smile on her light pink lips.

“and damaged...See the lower half of the Mydal is missing, not detached properly.”

"Yes, I see" Campbell watched with interest and listened intently. Then she heard the part about wings and she wanted to ask her about it. However, she decided such matters were not important at this point. She had said she wasn't hurt, so she should take that at her word.

"You're ship is dead" She shook her head, presuming that she meant the AI within the ship, "Would you like to come with us?" She asked delicately, knowing Winterfire could hear everything she said.

**Hello Lilah, I am Ishtar. It is good to meet you, well really to meet any one after so long**
You are Ishtar. It was not a question. I am Lilah. You are the one on the bridge of the Heart's Truth? You are very well received. The general crew is excited to have found new life. I am happy that I was able to assist you in the learning of Galactic Common. In this information that has been sent and downloaded, the disease specifications are not included. To further analyze the tradgety that occurred here, I must know more.
Exile Bridge...
"I think your AI has a new Friend Captain. Sir, Ishtar has learnt our language through the use of our AI, She knows it perfectly."
"What?!" Winterfire spun to stare at the Veela. "That's impossible! How...?" He faltered. This was obviously a highly advanced xeno they were dealing with. Doing something like learning a language, even though a communications link from an A.I. which, from all Winterfire knew, shouldn't be possible, was probably child's play to Ishtar.
"We still have very limited knowledge about it, it just seems freindly at the moment, dosn't mean it won't turn around and kill us...like the imitators"
"I am aware of that, Lieutenant," said Winterfire though gritted teeth, obviously aggrivated. This Calaverian was grinding his nerves. "We are taking every step to install caution and ensure our safety. You are correct, we know nothing about this creature. However, if she wanted to do us harm, don't you think she could have simply hacked our A.I. and disabled our engines so she could come to us at her leisure, or activate a self-destruction protocol, or any other of a thousand things she could use though the A.I. to disrupt, destroy, confuse and kill us?" He looked at Frosty, eye-to-eye. "I will not bring Ishtar aboard this vessel, nor will I allow her enterence to our computer system, if I believe she means to do us harm. Once we know more, I will then make my descision. In the meantime, I suggest you do not question me again, unless you want my suggestion to become an order, if you know what I mean." The kitsune turned back to his console, and continued watching though Campbell's eyes.


Frosty turned back to his console, whispering " Maybe I shouldn't have came here, hell, our people shouldn't be aboard this ship." He began double checking the security systems.

"I am missing some of my personal data though. I must have taken injury"
If there is any way I can assist, please say so. replied Lilah as she shifted though the data packets, devouring the information and dumping it into files as she went. The A.I. read or saw and understood everything she received at the same time, but biologicals were so very slow, needing all the help they could get to digest information. Ishtar would become aware that the Lilah was silent for a long time, several seconds in real time. Finally she spoke, and though the network could not communicate tone or emotion, one would think she was almost hesitant.
Match found. The data you have transmitted is nearly identical to military biological information on a parasitic, cellular race known as the Imitators. Your disease shows many base similarities to the Imitator virus, though several applications, such as the ability to infect cybernetics, appear to have been either the result of adaptation or genetic engineering. This is highly disturbing, considering the duration of your preservation in the pod, indicating the Imitators, or their forerunners, have been around for far longer than originally thought.

Cyberspace

"The ÄÜ’Manni, my people, encounted them close to five thousand years before I was created. THey came out of a far distant part of the Universe, spreading slwoly but surely. The war must have insensified after ...this...for there are not only stars missing but at least one whole galaxy. I dread to guess at what weapons we must have had to develope." Her being shuddered with horror and sorrow- and somehow that did transmit "But the Plague had no soul, only an immense hunger to end all life that was not theirs, and the Replicants they created to destroy Cybernetics were just as inimicable.

Heart's Truth

"Would you like to come with us?"

"I thank you for your compassion, but...my people had to learn the ...'hard way' as I believe yo would put it, but you might wish to get your Captain's permission. He may not consider me a safe being to have aboard. Though I have no reason to wish you or your people harm, nor have any intention of harming or bringing harm." Ishtar replied as she let the hologram vanish. "I have a responsibility that I must carry out."

"But the Plague had no soul, only an immense hunger to end all life that was not theirs, and the Replicants they created to destroy Cybernetics were just as inimicable."
"Records show that the vast majority of the known Imitators in this galaxy were destroyed at the Battle of Cryoarctica by a large armada of Greali. My creators, the Xiscapians, warred with the Imitators and helped destroy the state they constructed from the ashes of conquered civilizations, called the Alliance of Imitated Worlds, or AIW. So far as we know, the Imitators no longer pose a threat to anyone."
"I have a responsibility that I must carry out."
"Ask her what responsibility that is," muttered Winterfire into Campbell's ears. "The bridge and Ishtar have been thoughlly scanned, and we cannot detect any traces of the disease or weapons on Ishtar's person. See if you can lock off the hull breeches with the computers or if Ishtar knows how, and fill the ship with air. Then escort her to the shuttle. Once she is on board we will send teams to the ship to see if they can get her working again. We can't lose the technology on that vessel."

"Yes, Sir" Campbell whispered softly to Winterburn before looking back at Ishtar again. She had a duty to do and in all the excitement she had forgotten that they were stuck in this part of the universe, no sign of any help. They were alone and someone like Ishtar could help them no end. Her and her ship

"My Captain wants to know what your responisbility is exactly" She explained, gently and patiently. The Alversian was sweating slightly in her armour. Maybe her enviromental controls were malfunctioning?

"Is there any way we can seal the breaches in the ship?" she asked politely. She decided it would be better to take this one step at a time.

Frosty yawned and stood up, he stared at the women that had appeared, she seemed human enough, not Calaverian, Imitator, always possible. Frosty knew how the Imitators worked once they had gotten into a civilization silently, they took control of the water supplie first then once they had enough people turned they went after police, up to military and goverment officials. They literally turned a world inside out, and if spotted a civil war would erupt, they were just so damn infectius you had to be careful.

"Captain" Ishtar abandoned all pretense of not being able to hear the communication and addressed Winterfire directly. "My responsibility is to the ÄÜ’Manni who remain. I must have been appointed their Guardian, or it would not have been I in the pod. Those strands of light, those are fertilized ova, the last of the Aumani. I must see them to a place of safety where they can be gestated in peace. I will gladly share with you the technology of the ÄÜ’Manni."

She continued "With the bottom half improperly disconnected I do not know if the major breaches can be sealed. I can not discern that from the bridge. However I can seal the upper levels, and then inspect the others in person. As I do not breathe I have no need of atmosphere, so I believe I can carry out that inspection alone. But I will require some assistance in reconnecting the captains podium to it's proper place, as I am not specifically trained as an engineer. My primary duty is as a Healer."

Winterfire was surprised that Ishtar was speaking to him directly, but he tried not to show it. "I think our first act should be to secure the fertilized ova. If that is the last of your people, it must be held sacred. If you can seal and pressurize the upper levels of your ship I can send teams of technicians and engineers, including my chief engineer, to help you in whatever needs to be done. If this vessel is determined to be space worthy, I would like to take it with us, if possible and with your permission. Once the upper levels are filled with atmosphere we can transport the ova to our ship, the Exile, in case your craft is not able to function. What is your ship called, by the way?" asked Winterfire curiously.

"Thank You Captain for your thoughtfullness. The ships name is the Heart's Truth." She began activating the massive doors that would seperate the vast engineering space that formed the 'waist' of the Mydal. "It will only take a few minutes for all the shock and blast doors and seals to close, then I can release fresh atmosphere. Our generators for environmental needs show no damage. And the secondary power plant while it registers some minor damage is capable of providing energy to power all needs save the drives. The engineering space where the drives were is what I shall have to inspect in person, or if you are willing, with the aid of your engineers."

It was scarcely ten minutes before all but the engineering section was now holding atmosphere, and gowing warm enough for normal clothes rather than environmental suits. The airlocks closing off the bridge retracted, once again allowing unimpeed passage to and from the bridge, and the contra grav lifts worked both ways.

"Completed Captain." Ishtar reported.

Campbell had not been able to stop herself raise her eyebrows as she heard Ishtar talk directly to the Captain. When she secured the ships enviromental controls,
Campbell was the first to risk taking off her helmet, finding the air completely breathable to her. She heard Ishtar's offer and nodded,
"I can come with you if you want" She was addressing Ishtar as well as the Captain, "The rest of the team can escort your cargo if need be"

"I will need to unhookit. It looks as if they did this rather hastily." Ishtar gestured to the makeshift hook ups and the captain's console that had been tossed aside like so much junk. Her eyes were sad as she looked about imagining what the desperate end must have looked like.

"I think they must have done a Final Strike" Ishtar gestured about, her tone giving the words as a title to something terrible, but necessary. "The crates are not scored, no weapons fire damaged them. I and my responsibility - none of the Plague lived long enough to try and get through to me and those I Guard."

Even now the shuttle and drop ship made a trip back to the Exile, loaded up with technicians, engineers and the Calaverians, and returned to the Heart's Truth. Able to walk freely without the assistance of sealed spacesuits or Biohazard armor, the brown-dark yellow suited kitsune technicians and the Alversian engineers reported to the bridge, twenty total. Desusus was there, in command of them, waiting for Ishtar to tell them what to do. Meanwhile two of Campbell's team had taken up posts at the bridge door, and the male kitsune had, under Winterfire's direct orders, descended though the lower levels of the ship to check the bottom hangers for small craft.

The one who had been sent to check the engineering space would be able to discover that while he could not override the access to those areas there were observation ports. He could see a large amount of damage in the engineering spaces, but was not able to tell if it just looked bad or was there actually major damage.

However he was able to tell the Captain that two ships, both looking as if they belonged to different schools of ship building were docked with in the remains of the main bay- a vast area that took up roughly half for the lower levels space - Engineering being the other half. Both halves were completely open to space - which while not a problem for the hangar half, wsa very much one for the engineering half.

Ishtar did not recognise either of the ships.

Ishtar had retrieved several small data padds and showed Campbell what else had been within the various cases clustered around the pod- and some of the items had been weapons. She seemed to have no need to arm herself - she simply advised Campbell how to load and operate both styles- a 'pistol' type weapon - called a Tel-Mak and a combat 'carbine' weapon - called a Pulsar "As I understand it is meant for shipboard combat, thus its compact and easy to maneuver. I wouldn't know I've never used a Pulsar, though I was required to qualify with the Tel Mak."

Calling up the appropriate data from her vast store of knowledge she laid out a quick presentation of what was needed to set the pod up for self power using the ZPM's stacked on the rear storage compartment "Only one will be needed." She pulled the other free and placed then in the small case she had claimed as hers. Then she found the diagrams for connecting the captains conole up "You should be able to use these schematics to reattach the master console" She advised Desusus.

Of Interest: (http://www.atddm.com/things1.jpg)

1- ZPM
2- The 2 type of cases on the bridge
3 -Tel Mak Pistol
4-Aumani data pad - each holds 100 terrabites
5- Pulsar carbine
6 - Pod
7/8 - the ships

Campbell watched and listened to Ishtar's explaination of the weapons and nodded in understanding. She tried to load them both and found it quite easy. She had always been a quick learner and this was no exception. She was now looking over the datapads, a true example of how advanced this ancient civilisation was. She looked them with interest while Desusus looked around the bridge and it's various controls with her engineering staff.
She was already working on how to reattach the main console using the instructions given to her by Ishtar

Winterfire smiled as he remotely surveyed the work being done aboard the Heart's Truth. Most of the crew might be green, yes, but they were a hard-working and intelligent bunch, and Winterfire was sure that if it could be done, they would get the old Aumani vessel working again; That is, with Ishtar's help, of course.
"Mrs...uh, Healer...Ishtar," he finally gave up, speaking though the communications he knew she could hear him. "As soon as your done there I'd like you, and if you think it necessary, a team of our engineers to proceed down to the engineering section of the ship. My kitsune down there reports that the area may have been heavily damaged, but in any case it looks bad."
Lower hanger...
The Biohazard armored kitsune recorded the two ships sitting in the hanger with his helmet camera, taking in as much detail as possible. If Ishtar did not recognize the ships, then whose were they? The hanger was inaccessible to him, as much as he longed to go to the small craft, he was sure they'd find a way in somehow.

The Calaverian scientist that showed up on the ship looked around. " Yes..Its very old, perhahps thousands of years." He wore a white suit and a mouthpiece in case anything bad happend. He walked, running his hands on the side of the ship as he did so. Though this was his first forein ship, other than the Exile, he found this to look similar to other ships encounterd. But he knew it wasn't the same, it had a different creator and this person must have been a smart cookie.

Once the engineers and others from the Exile were underway Ishtar turned to Campbell. "If you would like to accompany me down into the engineering spaces and to look at those ships, would you like something easier to wear and safer than the suit you wore? I don't mean to sound disparaging but our..my..aumani technology is..was...ahead of yours."

She brought out from one of the cases what looked like a broad belt. "This generates a 'skin field' - it recycles the atmosphere within it via the nanofactory built in, so the 'energy envelope' it generates is impermiable by any gasses outside of it- no bio hazzards can penetrate it - posionous gas, air born biologicals, also it generates a body temperature heat field with in it as well as a 'normal' air pressure so depressuration will not affect the wearer. No harmfull radiations can penetrate, and energy weapon fire is mostly dissapated. The skin field conforms to your form, but about a " She paused to compare measurement systems "a millimeter out"

She demonstrated how to wrap it sunggly about the waist, "Take a deep breathe, so the nano factory will have some 'start up atmosphere' and tap it there" She showed Campbell the push then slid the safety switch to activate - she had put the belt on herself and the field appeared up as a transparent pink overlay, giving her nude form a now violet cast.

When Campbell tried to touch Ishtar, she would feel a resistance, the field would not let her touch Ishtar, but stopped, as she had said, a millimeter away.

Ishtar nodded. "I do not need air to breath, but as I have an atmospheric reserve unit I do so anyway the better to transmit vocalizations. They also have built-in communicaitions that link through the Mydal for extra range, though I don't think we will need that capability."

She handed a second to Campbell.

Campbell watched with amazement as Ishtar demonstrated the 'skin shield' for her benefit. The young Alversian was completely speechless at the technology involved with the device. It was true that the Alversians and Xiscapians had personal cloaks but not personal shields, nothing this advanced existed in their region of space, nothing she knew of anyway.

She obeyed the Aumani and removed her biohazard suit, satisfied that she would be alright without it.

She took the device from Ishtar after proving that it did work, then attached it to her own waist. With the reccomended deep breath, she activated it, then stared in amazement at herself and the light shield that now surrounded her,
"Incredible" She said almost to herself, holding her arm up for inspection, "Absolutely incredible" She was stunned by the appearance of the shield around her and slightly excited as well.

OOC: TG Tanara

Winterfire gazed in astonishment at the skin suits. The Xiscapians had something like that, but the personal shield was only resistant to energy-based weapons fire and failed after a few minutes, needing to be recharged. They had none of the other attributes that Ishtar's did.
"Most impressive, Lady Ishtar," said Winterfire, using the most honorific but title-neutral suffix he could think of. "We already have a kitsune down by the hangers. He'll assist you both in anything you need."
OOC: Alversia will be offline Saturday for two weeks, so we will need to put this thread on hold until he is able to return or makes any posts.

OOC: Due to the fact that I have your threads in my favorites...
BUMP

hangers. He'll assist you both in anything you need."

"Thank You Captain. I will broadcast my sensor sweeps and make a running commentary as well."

Once both of them were ready Ishtar lead the way to the drop shaft and stepped off. The capture field let her slowly descend to the level just above then once she ordered the over ride down to the last level. The crewman was not hard to find.

Immediately she looked through the same view port he had. "I do not recognise those ships. But they do not seeme to be damaged. They are moored using our technology, not simply floating free in the bay."

She pointed out the ÄÜ’Manni tractor/ pressor points and began to send out more complex electrmag spectrum scans.

Campbell watched and followed all of the Aumani's moves, deciding it was better to learn from a master than try and figure out the ancient equipment by herself. It was a different experience and she enjoyed the look of surprise on the Kitsune's face as she approached wearing nothing but a sheen of light. She looked into the same porthole as Ishtar and frowned,

"If they are not your ships," She asked thoughtfully, trying to word her question in the smartest way possible, "How can they be attached to your technology?"

She instantly thought there would be an obvious answer and winced at her own niavety. It wasn't that which won you command of ships but then nor was getting stuck lightyears from home with the last survivor of an entire race.

The suited Xiscapian, whose name Campbell knew to be Yandel, couldn't stop staring. For an instant it had seemed his superior officer and the alien had been braving the airless vacuum in, well, nothing. No space or Biohazard suits, certainly.
Ignoring their talk, he nodded out the port to the ships. "Are we gonna try and crack 'em open and see what's inside?" he asked the two at large. The two vessels looked interesting, whatever they were.

Frosty woke up from his nap. He walked out to the bridge " What's the news captain, anything on the radar?" he said. Frosty wiped his eyes and yawned.

OCC: i cant believe i forgot about this thread lol

Frosty woke up from his nap. He walked out to the bridge " What's the news captain, anything on the radar?" he said. Frosty wiped his eyes and yawned.

OCC: i cant believe i forgot about this thread lol

OOC: I can't believe I remembered it for you. (Last OOC comment.)

"Well such are automated, their initial entry could have been manual, and their presence activated the tractors. And they fell foul of the Plague, but if they had been infected why wasn't the ships used to go forthe and spread the Plague back to their homw worlds. Could both been species so fragile that the Plague simply killed them? But if so where did the plague hide.."

Her voice trailled off as one of her scans brought back interesting information concerning the closest ship, the angular grey hued one "Oh I see. No it wasn't the Plague, it was the Replicators, some managed to survive -since they are the cybernetic partners to the Plague they need no air, and thats what happened. I recognise the 'debris' they lkeave behind" She explained to Campbell and to the others listening.

"but still they too should have used the ships to leave and spread. There is a dangerous unknown here, a why that must be answered,"

She reached forth with many different sensors, and even asked Lialh to observe through her. "it's cybernetic controler it killed the replicants as it was dieing. Oh I must study it's archictecture. It must have been very brave!"

The more sweeping green one with its decorative paint, was next.

Campbell just watched and nodded at Ishtar went about her detective work. The First Officer was not prepared for this and so was contented to hang back and watch as Ishtar answered her own questions with regards to the plague and anyone who may have been in the ship. It seemed difficult but Ishtar was on top of it. More than she was anyway.

Exile Bridge...
"Nothing new yet, Latent." said Winterfire calmly. "Assuming you know about the alien, of course."
Hangers...
"Are they alien ships, then?" asked Yandel. Over their links Winterfire spoke, not having thought to check his new A.I. Lilah for information. "Replicators? Are they some sort of machine-infecting counterparts to the Imitat-Plague?" he caught himself.

"Replicators? Are they some sort of machine-infecting counterparts to the Imitat-Plague?

"Yes They were created by the Plague after the Plague discovered that they could only convert biological life forms. I lost many close friends to them" Ishtar commented softly.

She could find no reason as to why the second ship was there. "Capatin it's power sourse is long depleted. My scans show that it used a matter anti matter reactor of a type I am not familiar with. I can not detect any sign of the Plague, or Replicators. Their cybernetic systems, which are as advance as yours, apparently did not have a back up power source of their own."

"I can not guess without making actual physical investigation what has occured here. But as the ship is completely unpowered I am going to enter the bay and attempt to board the ship."

Winterfire mused over the implications of an Imitator lifeform that infected machines rather than biologicals, but there was no time for that now. "Campbell and Yandel will escort you out, I'm interested in these vessels. If they're here, but you don't recognize them, this ship might have had visitors at some time before us."

Campbell looked on delicately as Ishtar remembered her friends lost then delivered her verdict on the ship as well as Winterburn's reply,
'Visitors before us? Well, it is possible, after all, this ship has been here for millenia, we can't be the only people to have found it'
Campbell took in Winterburn's instructions and the young Alversian indicated to the Xiscapian Engineer,
"Shall we move?" She asked politely.

"Aye, Executive Officer," Yandel stepped over to the airlock opening into the hanger, pressing a single button to unlock and open the hatch. As it silently swung wide to admit them he stepped though first, rifle up. Beyond them, past the ships, there was only open space, stars cold bright lights on a black field. Standing aside to allow Ishtar and Campbell passage he looked to the green ship, focusing on it to allow Winterfire a clear, steady look. "After you, ma'ams," he swept a hand forward out into the hanger.

Ishtar entered, with careful grace, the area was in zero gee and open to space. Strong or simply 'wrong' actions could have unintended effects.

Once she felt comfortable with the situation she began maneuvering around the sizeable craft - both of them were roughly the same size - about two thousand feet long by about the same wide, though the green hued craft was considerablly taller over all. And she thought it the 'prettier' of the two, though she didn't mention that during her running commentary.

It took some time but she found on external reason - damage, or destruction for the ship not having left, save that as she had determined eadlier it's power source had long since been exhausted.

"Captain, I have scanned the ship with all my available sensors, and can find no reasons for it still being here. I have noted serveral places that are personel hatches and material loading and hanger bays, but they are all secured. I believe I can gain acces through any of them once I can connect and discern their protocols."

"However I am not fully knowledgeable about engineering - especially with engineering alien to the Aumani - and would gladly accept your dirrection on this."

Frosty overheard the conversation " Wait, there imitators?!" he said looking at them. " Well its possible they could have adapted against mechanic enemy's, but only to a point, they would never allow themselves to become machines. Your basic Imitator has few goals, goal number one is to infect a host, two is to spread the infection, and three is to organize itself into a governing body, similar to the civilization it has assimilated."

Exile Bridge...
"These are not Imitators, Lieutenant," said Winterfire patiently, "they are like them, and they may even be distant cousins, but they are not identical." He took a breath. "Not if what I am told happened here is true. This is too intelligent, too precise, too elegant to be the Imitators."
Hanger...
Yandel floated up near the ceiling, still trying to get acquainted with moving in zero gravity. Of course, he'd had training for it, but it was so easy to forget that every movement could have disastrous, and even potentially fatal, effects. Winterfire looked though his helmet camera. "Engineer Private Yandel," he ordered the kitsune though the link, "access the computer vessel B if there is one there and attempt to open the closest hatch or bay."
"Sir," Yandel said back in acknowledgement and pushed off from the ceiling, floating down to the green vessel to grab onto the side and pull himself level with the closest door. He found the opening mechanism, and indeed a simple electronic inside that had long ago been sealed against outside invaders.

Normally, as with nearly everything alien, accessing a terminal or other system of an unknown ship or structure would be impossible on the first try and, indeed, potentially catastrophic if one thought the "Start" button was actually the "Lock down" or "Self-Destruct" button. However, computers are all based on the same source, and that is numbers. Numbers are universal to all beings, and Yandel was not inexperienced at hacking, or as he and the military called it, "engineering a situation though manipulation of an artificial intelligence to get the desired results." After a few seconds of searching and adapting to the system, the kitsune floated back from it. "Hatch is now accessible," he reported. "I've made a record of the methods and data," he told Ishtar, "and if you want I can copy it to ship data and the A.I. can send it to you. It might provide a good base for some of the more complex systems on this ship."

"and if you want I can copy it to ship data and the A.I. can send it to you. It might provide a good base for some of the more complex systems on this ship."

"Thank you. It would be appreciated." Ishtar replied.

Several hours later she had to summary her report that she was simply unable to figure out why the alien ship had never left. Over the most of a million years that it had been there, anything organic had long since decayed into dust that the environmental system had cleaned up before shutting down due to loss of power. So there were no answers to be found aboard the green ship, though looking at the hard copy of the ships schematics it was readily discernable that the power system could be restored with the introduction of the proper power source.

Whom ever had built it was humanoid and in rought height and weight to the Xiscapians and Alversians, and of just slightly more advanced technology that theirs. Some personal effects had survived, but only of the most durable sort.

Campbell listened to the report curiously, thinking over Ishtar's logical conclusion to what had happened on the vessel and it's two ships. The answer was inconclusive. She simply did not know. It was a fair conclusion but not one that the young First Officer was happy with. She preferred to deal with facts and conclusions, not possiblities and mysteries,
"Is there any indication of a power source?" She asked, looking along the hangar to see of there were any obvious candidates.

"Is there any indication of a power source?"

"Yes, the equipment is similar enough to that which I am familiar with to recognise. They used matter anti matter reactors. They do not have as long a 'shelf life' as the Zero Point devices Aumani use." Ishtar replied

"I believe also that little enough degradation has occured that if we we resupplied the converter reactor with suitable matter / antimatter the system would be useable." She added. "but I'd prefer some one more familiar with engineering systems to double check my estimates on that." She certainly didn't want to be responsible for vaporizing several hundred miles diameter of space either, should the reactor go critical when restarted becausse she had been wrong.

BUMP! I command this thread to live!
TG Xis

Frosty ran to the captain " Our helmets are not the old best peice of communication, We installed one Calaverian communications array on the chin off the ship, we are picking up news from Celestis, its probably old though, days old perhahps, here its coming in now!"

There as scrambleing then...." Is dead.....Terrorists....attack on administartive building.....Kitsune may have been killed inside....Fleet mobi..."

Frosty lost the signal " Well, we are REALLY far away right now..., and whatever happend is over by now..."

"We have little experience with antimatter reactors as a method of power," came Winterfire's voice over the communications. "I doubt we'd be much better off than you. At least, no one under my command has experience with them that I know of. Perhaps Pantheria-Commander Desusus is more familiar with such things?" he asked hopefully. "Lieutenant Officer Campbell, please summon Pantheria-Commander Desusus to your location. Perhaps she can assist us in some way, ha, she is an Alumina, after all."
Bridge...
Winterfire turned to Frosty. "It is unfortunate, but we can't do anything about it now. We don't even know were we are...our first priority is to get make to Xiscapia as fast as possible."

"Of course, Sir," Campbell replied dutifully before contacting the Chief Engineer over the radio and waiting for her to beam over to the ship and don an Enviromental Suit. She was still taken aback by the whole new civilisation that had suddenly appeared in front of her, potentially two species. It was a strange experience for so young of an Officer, on what was effectively her first Command. She was too many years from home and confronting species she had never seen before.

It was not long before Desusus was able to arrive on the scene, filled rather awkwardly in a suit that had been designed for her. The Alumina did have personal forcefields but it seemed that Desusus had omitted to bring one with her and was in a normal suit. She was able to speak to all on an open link,

"I am aware of this system yes," She explained without much emotion, it appeared she was distinctly underwhelmed by this ancient race, "I shall examine it to see if it possible to restart the system." She was quiet then for a few moments as she did the calculations in her head,
"If the correct systems can be reactiviated and the core itself examined for structural damage, then it shall be rather simple to restart the reaction. It is a crude method of transport, long outgrown by the major races of the galaxy" The last part was added in typical Aluminan scorn.

Isis nodded at the Captain's comment and held her synthatsizer the Aluminan's scorn.

The Aumani didn't either use that as a power source either. Their ZPM modules, small units that were readily portable were their basic power source, though they had others for situations were even output to power dimensional drives was not sufficient.

She’d gladly leave the needs of this particular ship and its power supply to her rescuers. Her skills, poor as they were in areas, were needed for the ‘Mydal,.

“Oh my friends, my family… I miss you terribly. Gone all gone, and only I left to protect the children,” She hid her pain deep, grief would have to wait.

"Right," came Winterfire's voice, all business and professional. "Chief Engineer, work with Engineer Private Yandel to see if you can restart the power core and activate the ships. Inform me on your progress when you determine if it can be repaired or not. First Officer Campbell, please proceed to the next vessel," he paused, "assuming Lady Ishtar would like to examine the next ship?"

Ishtar moved on to the other vessel, the one that she had scanned first. Unlike the other it's power source had not been exhausted, but with no 'controler' it's ZPM's were in standby mode. The ship could easily fly again with either organics or AI's to crew it. Though on the whole Ishtar did not like it's archictecture as much as she did the other starships. But that was a personal opinion, and thusly she did not offer it.

It had taken many hours to carefully explore each ship, and Ishtar wondered is she should remind Campbell that she might need to eat and rest.

The first ship was explored as thoroughly as the second had been, hours having passed with out most realising it save for the amount of work done and their tiredness - among the organics that is...

Ishtar had returned to the bridge of the Mydal, wanting to check on the progresss of the restoral of the bridge controls.

She was pleased with what she found, until she noticed a unusual energy pulse - an disturbing oscillation of the ZPM ready state. When she rans the information to her data base she was disturbed by the information contained

"Captain might I ask for you to transport my stasis chamber and the other pods from the Mydal's bridge to your ship. I am afraid we might have a run away situation here" She quickly explained the findings.

"Shit," Winterfire growled away from the communications. It would have been nice to take the ship back with them, such probably would have guaranteed him a promotion, but the lives of his crew and those they had found were infinitely more important than any ship or promotion. "Roger that Lady Ishtar, we're beaming now." Less than a minute later Ishtar, the pods and her chamber vanished to be brought into the Exile's hanger. Another minute or so passed and all the crew, armed with their recordings and anything they picked up while exploring, were also beamed onto the ship.

Exile bridge...
"What's the blast radius of one of those ZPM power modules combined with anything else aboard that vessel?" he transmitted the vox down to Ishtar, having already ordered the Exile to begin moving away from the ancient alien ship. Winterfire wasn't sure if their hyperdrive was functional yet, he'd sent nearly all his engineers and technicians over, so the Exile might have to rely on sublight speeds to get away.

It was not long before Campbell was back on the bridge with Winterfire, taking up position beside him as First Officer, watching the Alien ship steadily growing smaller. However, at the same time, a rather stern voice came into the Communications System,
"Desus to the Bridge," The Aluminan Engineer resported in her normal, neutral manner,
"The Hyperdrive is still out of action so we shall have to escape with the use of our sublight engines."

Ishtar started to shake her ehad then stopped, knowing his communications system wsa too primitive to holograph that too him... she wasn't certain, but the data available to her suggested a non catastrophic release.

"According to the information available to me, the wave form should culminate in a non explosive release, or at least in this universe,"

Indeed the oscillations increased, and with startling suddenness the Mydasl seemed to be suddenly smaller, an odd optical appearance of shinking, as if drawn in, compressed in upon itself. Then it was gone as if it had never been. Save that all the knowledge needed to build another was held in Ishtars data base.

In the Exiles hanger Ishtar moved slowly over to one of the pods and drew out a all encompassing robe, and veils that hid all of her face - they were of a intense deep midnight blue, the Aumani color of mourning. Then she moved to stand gurad over her pod and the hope of her race contained within.

Winterfire watched with his mouth hanging open as the ship simply vanished, shrunk away into some other universe. Mouth dry, he ordered the helmsman to make course for the nearest inhabitable world. "And how is our guest doing?" he asked quietly as a camera panned in on Ishtar. He nodded, then turned to Campbell. "How far to the closest world or moon we can stop by and make repairs to our hyperdrive?" he asked her.
OOC: TG incoming.

Campbell watched open-mouthed as well as the vessel disappeared. Not what she was expecting from it. On hearing her Captain's question and the sight of Ishtar, she gave a nod,
"She's guarding the pod Sir, and seems reluctant to leave it for any reason. As far as the Hyperdrive is concerned, the closest planet is a jungle world five lightyears from here. As we can only use our sub-light engines, it will take about five hours. However, Desus is confident that she can get the Hyperdrive online with basic repairs. She feels that the Jaunt Drive is irrepairable for now though." She finished sadly.

Winterfire sighed. "I am confident the Chief Engineer will eventually be able to repair the Jaunt drive. She was not appointed to her post only for her good looks." said the kitsune Captain dryly. "In any case, once we make orbit her first priority is to fix the hyperdrive. Set course for that world, I want us there as quickly as our sublight drive can take us."

"Aye Sir," Campbell gave a nod then turned to issue instructions to the Helmsman who tapped a few buttons in reponse. The vessel twisted and turned for the planet. It would be five hours before they reached the planet and there was little to do in the meantime.

Winterfire stood back from the console. "I will go to confer with our guest personally," he said quietly, walking towards the blast doors that led to the rest of the ship. "First Officer Campbell, you have the bridge."

Unnamed World...
The fat trout glided though the slow stream, mouth working, dumb eyes staring at nothing. It never noticed the movement until it was too late, impaled on the end of a wooden spear, crude and apparently furnished from a tree branch, but serviceable. Blood clouded the water as the struggling fish was lifted from its liquid home and thrown onto the grass, still stuck onto the pole. It wriggled helplessly on the ground before finally succumbing to death and lying still, picked up in the arms of a humanoid and carried away. The being in question was a kitsune, orange furred with slitted yellow eyes, well-kept but nevertheless stringy dark brown hair and a shade darker skin tone than standard combined with apparent years from working in sunlight. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He was dressed in what looked to be the remains and parts of several styles of dress, a tattered, dirty white suit combined with what were little more than rags of a uniform of some kind that could have been any color before, now faded and obscured by dirt and time, and various bits of cloth to make a full set of clothes.

Leaning the spear against his shoulder, the Xiscapian began to make his way back to where he knew his group, or at least part of it, was camped out.
OOC: We shouldn't get too far in before waiting for NC to post... Anyway, Greywatch, take this as your cue.

OOC: Suh-weet
IC:

A Greywatch Drone, one of the members of this oddly matched group, sat near a campfire. Its features were like that of any other Drone, it was eternal, never growing old and never changing. Behind it was a Leanorian, she was in her forties though she looked much younger. She wrapped her arms around the Drone's body, "Walter," she started, "how are you this fine day?" The Drone didn't bother looking back, "Well, you certainly are feeling affectionate today. What's the occassion?" Unlike most Drones, 'Walter' had learned some amount of emotion. The Leanorian let go of the Drone and sat down beside it, resting her head on its shoulder. "You never change Walter. As enternal as time itself. You're even wearing the same uniform you wore all those years ago." Walter nodded to this, looking down at its tattered black pants, "Well, I did abandon the shirt. And the shoes. But you're right, I am somewhat eternal." Lia couldn't help but smile, "Yeah? Well look at me, running around in some animal hide undies." Walter chuckled, "You're a Leanorian, that's pretty acceptable. Anyway, I'm just waiting for the others." Lia sat up and looked around, "Yeah, it has been a little while since I last saw them. I was on one of my treks again." Walter nodded, "You and those treks. You've been gone for two weeks. I suppose its better than the other one you took." Lia looked back, "Which one?" Walter would've rolled its eyes if they weren't a solid black, "The one in which you were gone for three months. Remember? We thought you were dead, I went to go look for you..." Lia thought for a moment, "Oh yeah, that one. That was an epic trek, I got to see so much of this rock. Too bad all my markers are probably gone by now..." The two continued to converse; they had been on this moon for awhile now and were no longer concerned with getting off.

"Aye, Captain" Campbell nodded and stared ahead at the expanse of space in front of them. She gave a heavy sigh. There was no way she was going to get home at this rate. She would be dust by the time the vessel returned to friendly space. Her first command would be her last at this rate. She stared down at one of the Ensigns looking up at her. He was younger than her even, Kitsune, his ivory coloured eyes were perked as he looked up her orange eyes filled with nerves, a need for re-assurance from someone in command. That would be her. She had to put her fears behind her. She was an Officer,
She gave him a small nod and a smile,
"Steady as she goes Ensign."

Engineering Section

"Come on! come on!" Desus snapped as her Engineering Crew rushed about around her. Being an Alumina, she towered above them all and they were intimidated both by her presence and her temper. She was currantly standing by a control panel, typing various commands into the system in an attempt to get the hyperdrive back online before they reached the jungle. In her heart, she knew it wouldn't happen but she was an Alumina. She was as stubborn as a mule and she would keep going until they were finished.

She muttered a series of curses in fluent Aluminan under her breath, and looked back at the crew. They were looking at her with a combination of fear and awe. She was easily the most terrifying Officer they had served under yet her knowledge of these foreign systems surpassed their own by a wide margin. Although secretly, many of them wished she wasn't there, they knew there was no one better for this job.

There was another stranger in the room, although this was one was rather more welcome and much much more mysterious. The Veela, Eiana stood with ease and watched with a kindly expression as the crew rushed about their stressful job. Every so often, Desus would look up at the Veela and scowl, recieving a good-natured smile for her troubles. The Veela was only here to watch, not to intervene. So she stood and watched the bowels of the ship in action.

Planet, Jungle

Stacy looked up in time to see the Xiscapian return from his triumphant fishing trip, his trophy to serve as their breakfast. The girl looked tired and rather gaunt but that was more from stress than any physical reasons. Indeed, she was delighted with her life at the moment, snuggling close to her partner, the Xiscapian Female. There were two couples close together in the group, then there was the Calaveran Doctor who had accompanied them and the Hunter himself.
She grinned at him,
"The Dark Hunter strike again eh?" She was still smiling as she looked at the prize and shook her head, "I'm getting sick if fish"

Ishtar stood unmoving, apparently lost to the universe, behind her all encompassing veils, but visual was one of the lesser of her sensors, and nothing about her escaped her notice - but that was only a small fraction of her consciousness. Mostly she was mourning all those she had lost over the last million years - and a part of her was wondering how she was supposed to manage the revival of the Aumani race.

OOC: Jolt just ate my massive post...*cries* So you'll have to get the abridged version...
IC:
Exile hanger bay...
A door across the huge room hissed open and Winterfire stepped though, curious bright orange eyes scanning the area. Small craft sat in two neat rows, held down with magnetic clamps and binders, a squat, gray Xiscapian combat shuttle to the left overshadowed by a larger, heavily armored Alversian dropship, while to the right two aerodynamic fightercraft sat, looking for all the galaxy like large, technological spearheads, XX-30s, and a elegant, somewhat ominous black Xiscapian scout ship. Ishtar was situated behind the drop ship, and Winterfire approached, keeping a healthy, respectful distance of eight feet, bowing low. When he spoke his voice was quiet, yet echoing in the vast silence of the hanger.
"My heartfelt apologies for disturbing you, Lady Ishtar. I am Captain Winterfire, and I elected to inform you personally in about five standard hours from now we will make planetfall at an uninhabited world. I intend to give the crew full run of the planet, within reason, and I inquire to know whether you wish to come along."


Camp...
The kitsune shrugged. "It's the best we can get, most animals avoid our snares and none of us can actively hunt them," he nodded to Lia, "present company excepted. Unless we can bring down a wild pig or deer, looks like fish, berries and roots will have to suffice." He strode over to the fire and, sitting down, began to cook the fish still on the spear. Edward, the Calaverian Doctor, was supposed to have gone foraging, and Sio knew by now that Walter needed no food and Lia had already fed herself, so he would be making breakfast for himself, Vix, Stacy and Edward, whenever he came back. He sat, eyes glazing as they stared into the flames, looking but not seeing in recollection.

Six years ago he had been a miner (had it really been six years? It felt like a century) on the Xiscapian moon of Kel. Sio had been in a dead end job, without friends aside from those casual acquaintances at work, without money but for the credits in his pockets and without love except for whatever prostitute he could hire. He had been younger then, but undoubtedly worse off, probably doomed for a spiral in depressed alcoholism and an early death. All his family was either dead or didn’t care about him, he had quite literally dropped off the face of the Kitsune Empire and he didn’t think anyone had noticed. Back then he had been drifting, uninspired and alone, without purpose or goals.

But not now.
One day, as he went to report for work as usual, he had been enticed by the call of the illegal wares of a vendor. Next thing he was aware of he had been bound and gagged, taken by a bunch of thugs and sold to the Calaverians, along with an Alversian apprentice technician, a Xiscapian Senior technician, and a washed-out Xiscapian Imperial Navy soldier. It had been just the four of them, then, but remembered so much had happened, some things painful, some confusing, but all with the undertone of apprehension and danger. The infection and death of the soldier, watching as the master and student fell in love, their time aboard the flying torture chamber, dissection lab and zoo that was the Observer Twilight, the horrors of Celestis, the last-minute rescue and pickup of Walter and Lia, and their escape from that world.

But, ironically, this had all actually been good for Sio. Whether fighting off monsters bent on parasitic conquest, dodging bullets meant for him, saving lives that surely would have been lost otherwise and keeping the group together when it could have fallen apart, it made him feel alive, he knew this was what he was supposed to do. Even if it meant the comforts and relative security of civilization, he never would go back to his old life. It was too exciting, too exhilarating and fast, a sensory overload of epic proportions to the world-weary Xiscapian, this life. In any case, Sio knew he had it better than some, like those poor souls left on Celestis after those things came.
Sio had held together, led and protected this little group for over six years, and he intended to continue to until he passed on.

Across the fire…
The Xiscapian Stacy had been leaning against yawned widely, exposing sharp, long teeth as she did so, ash colored ears flattening slightly. Her identically colored tail had curled around both her and her partner, and as they had slept her long, wild red hair had fallen in great sheets across the chest of the Alversian. It shimmered now with movement as she lazily opened her eyes, orange eyes taking in everything, lingering especially on the cooking fish. She wore very little: Cloth was scarce here, and as it was she had only several strips of gauze wrapped around her large breasts and blue fibrous material covered by a small loincloth fashioned out of a stained mechanic’s rag to cover her rear and groin. The skin of the kitsune was very pale, despite exposure to the elements her time in the eternal dusk of Kel and onboard softly lit starship had deprived her of any color the naturally ivory-skinned kitsune might have had.

“Morning’ all,” her voice was husky and a little deep from sleep as she propped herself up on her elbows, still leaning into Stacy.

Caves…
There were no words to describe his sense of excitement, pleasure, desire and power as the darkness was suddenly cast away into the twisting, wavering shadows cast by the light the color of blood. These threw the features of the boy into sharp contrast: Blonde hair with the slightest tint of red, cool teal eyes, small gray fox ears lost and almost unnoticeable among the hair, tanned skin that suggested it could have once been pale and an aristocratic face. He had no tail, for he was not kitsune, though nor was he human or even halfbreed. No, he considered himself and was called was a hybrid, a meld of his parents, sharing not only their physical appearances and characteristics, but also their emotional traits and senses. Though Xiscapian and Calaverian were as far away from each other as possible in almost every way, they came together here to make this twisted, though strangely handsome, being.

Born of a violent rape, this person was, in part a clone: His father had been one, and by association so was he. He shared his father’s hair, eyes, skin tone, and combat proficiency and sometimes even his arrogance and attitude. For the father of the hybrid was the infamous Kash Wilson, the most hated human in all of Xiscapian history, the people of his mother, but the most loved and celebrated of persons on his father’s side. On Celestis, the homeworld on his father, Kash Wilson was treated simultaneously like a servant and a god: Clones churned out for the lowliest jobs, like trash collectors, food servers and hard laborers, but also for the greatest of positions, such as every military personnel, commanders of both the military and the state, and even that of the Great Leader, the ruler who happened to be a Kash Clone. Nearly forty percent of Celestis’s population had been Kash Clones when the group had left it, and it was suspected, assuming the Calaverians had survived, that the number of clones would only grow.

There was an underlying problem to cloning, however: Development time. The population demanded these workers and leaders, so to wait a full lifetime for them to achieve adulthood was unacceptable. Thus an enhanced growth stimuli had been introduced, causing the clones to mature fully in a year, though at a cost of a much shorter than average natural lifespan. The same had applied to him, so the child aged three years for every actual year he grew older, now eighteen years in mind and body if only six in actuality.
But such thoughts were not for now.

He struck swiftly, with a blow directly to the chest level of his opponent. It was parried, as he had expected and anticipated, so he twisted and came in low with a sweep to the legs. He met only air and was forced to retreat a step and block an attack, blade crackling as energy met countering energy, shadows going crazy. An assaulting strike came in fast and hard against his sword, and to his complete surprise and the faint known bemusement of his foe he fell to his knees, edge still squealing along his enemies’ weapon. After a moment of lock the light sabers disengaged, and he lowered his head to his teacher before him, eyes flickering over to where his sister watched.

He had bowed his head in deference, something the Xiscapian part of him accepted and even welcomed but the Calaverian part rejected and rebelled against. However, he knew from past experience that defiance would get him nowhere, and that humility, respect and honor could be the way to victory.
“Master!” he uttered, breathless, wondering desperately if she’d sensed it too: How could she not have? The contact was barely within his limited range, but it was close enough, and presence of other arcane beings, and of such power greater than his and perhaps even equaling that of his master, had nearly floored him.
“Do you sense it too, teacher?” he lifted his head, daring to look up at her.

Lia gave a smile to Sio's comment about larger land-based game, "Sounds like a challenge..." Walter raised an eyebrow, "If hunting sounds like a challenge to you, then you must be really bored." Lia shrugged, "Hey, everyone needs something to do. Hunting for me is... fun to some extent. Provides the neccisary thrill, a release from the fact that I'm trapped on a rock." Walter smiled, "I suppose. Well, it certainly has been awhile since the group has come together like this, hasn't it?" Lia rolled her eyes, "Please go back to being emotionless, I don't need sappiness from you right now." Walter gave a small chuckle, "Well, Stacy. Maybe Lia here will get you some red meat." Lia stood up and gave a salute in a joking way, "Just give me the word."

"My heartfelt apologies for disturbing you, Lady Ishtar. I am Captain Winterfire, and I elected to inform you personally in about five standard hours from now we will make planetfall at an uninhabited world. I intend to give the crew full run of the planet, within reason, and I inquire to know whether you wish to come along
There was a long moment of silence and inhuman stillness before Ishtar returned the bow, her melodious voice replying softly

"It is a pleasure to meet you in the flesh, and I owe you a great debt for the rescue of my Charges" A gently graceful, but minimal gesture indicated the softly lit stasis chamber. She paused for a second mulling hsi words. The chamber was recharged and working perfectly, and she had been designed wiht a lively curiosity, and had developed a mild sense of adventure during her long life. It would not do her good to spend her time grieving...and perhaps once she had the necessary technology...

"Yes thank you Captain Winterfire, it might to me naught but good. Thank you for your furthur kindness. While I am not intimately familiar with your race," She did not need to mention if Lilah had information of Kitsune medicine, so now did she after their exchange "I am a sound enough practicioner of the medical arts that I would be useful as a medic for your ship, if you will allow me that privilege."

"Just give me the word."

"In that case, Commander Lia," Stacy was now joking about as well, hugging close to her partner, "I challenge you to find somethine edible that doesn't have scales and gills. If you accomplish this highly dangerous mission, then I shall be your friend forever," She giggled happily as she settled down.

Unlike Sio, she had been heading for a well paid job as a ship engineer. Her life was going somewhere before she had been kidnapped. Now, several adventures later, she was settled beside the female she loved, with her daughter somewhere in the wilderness with the Veela who had saved her all those years ago. She was training them in the way of the force so that they would be able to defend themselves in what was sometimes a harsh world. She looked over at Vix and kissed her gently in the lips,

"Morning Gorgeous," She said happily, "You slept in"

Caves

The female, like her Brother was born of rape, unlike her brothe though, she shared more in common with her mother, her long blonde hair for instance and her glistening eyes. Like her brother though, she was torn between one half of her that wished to destroy all life and the other that wished to preserve and protect her. She hated the conflict, boiling inside her like a soup in her stomach. She wanted clarification, she wanted a voice that she could trust, not just the constant questions and continued answers. She watched her Brother fight in interest. This was another area in which they were different. He prepared to get physical and engage in battle, using his strength and skills with a sabre rather than any mental abilities. However, she preferred to use the force rather than her lightsabre. She could use the weapon of course and she was no weaker than her clone brother. She just did not see the point of fighting when there was a simplier way to accomplish the task.

Now, however, she did sense something, something far outside her reach. She could just detect it, like something on the horizon. She tried to stretch her horizons but was unable to do so. She was not skilled enough to do so. She could sense force-sensitive beings but that was nothing new. Vessels often passed with force-sensitive beings and they thought nothing of it. They watched as the vessel passed on it's mundane mission and they went back to their training. This was different though, this time, the force signatures were almost...familiar.

She looked to their teacher to see if she had sensed it as well. Of course she had. Their Teacher, a tall but strangely elegant creature, had sensed it long ago but had not stopped the duel, merely pushed it to the back of her head while she fought on. As a rule, the Veela, for that was the name of the race, hated to use violence of any kind on anything. She preferred to use her powers pacifically. Such was the respect she bore for nature that she refused to harm it in any way other than for food. She smiled at her young Apprentices as they stood, one putting his lightsabre away and her putting her much more advanced weapon away. The Veela considered the standard lightsabre to be a rather crude weapon, nothing more than a bar of energy. After all, even a Padawan could make a lightsabre in a matter of days or weeks. However, it took a master craftsman years to make a Veelic weapon. The weapon was made of the same energy but much thinner and curved to make a beautiful sword of light.

She nodded to both siblings and spoke in her normal, gentle voice,
"It seems, my young Apprentices, that we have Guests approaching"

Lia stood up quickly, stretching quickly. "A fine reward for such a mission. Your humble servant accepts. I shall be back within half a day, or so I figure." She held out her hand, her spear appearing in it. "I'm off." She turned and bolted into the trees at full speed. Walter turned to watch her go, "Well everyone seems to be in a fine mood." Walter said with a hint of a smile.

Exile hanger bay...
"We only did what anyone else would have, for this we deserve no praise," said Winterfire humbly at her thanks. He listened to her next words, nodding once, tail flicking behind him. "We could always use an extra pair of hands when it comes to healing wounds and repairing injuries. If you like I can get you acquainted with our doctors and nurses in the medical bay, I'm sure they will be able to teach you anything you don't know and will welcome the help."

Camp...
"Well everyone seems to be in a fine mood."
"Edward hasn't woken up yet," Si reminded the Drone dryly, referring to the Calaverian doctor they had found on the Twilight, forcing him to tend to Vix's wounds. Not that the human was particularly unpleasant, but he did evoke certain negative responses from both the females lying together across the fire, understandably. The Xiscapian continued to cook the fish over the fire, fat snapping and hissing, a wonderful smell rising from it. Sick of fish or not, a hungry stomach was not picky about food.

Vix returned the kiss, smiling. "Rough night last night," she said conspiratorially with a little laugh. She had watched Lia go, leaping into the jungle to go about fulfilling Stacy's request. "We're going to be getting more than fish and rabbit food, hmm?"

Caves...
"Guests, my Master?"
His name was Vash, the mix between Vix and Kash, a nod to his heritage. From his kitsune side came his already considerable skill with the lightsaber, along with his slightly better reflexes, but from his human side...there were impulses, desires that he'd rather not dwell on, things he would suppress almost continually. He and his sister had been in training since they were old enough to walk, which was actually only about five years, but in that time they had absorbed, processed and honed an enormous amount of information and skills. But now others were coming, other beings, at least one Force user.
Finally he could escape this planet.

It was a plan long in the works, from the first time he had heard stories of other worlds he'd hungered to see them, to walk them, and, ultimately, to dominate them, his father's side talking. Slowly, carefully hidden from even his Master and all the others of the group save his sibling, he had been nurturing and cultivating power. More power than either the Drone or the Leanorian had with their pretty, petty Cryptic abilities, more than the Veela possessed, with her pacifism, the ways and uses of one element of his talent that could split this world in two. Keeping his excitement concealed under his facade of student curiosity, he recited those old, old words that had one day come into his head in his mind. He knew not from where they came, but Vash did know that they seemed right.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me

Aloud,
"What shall we do?"

"Well everyone here, Sio." Walter said with a nuetral tone, the Drone was aware that Edward was probably the most hated of the group. Mainly by the two females cuddling on the other side of the fire. "Huh, sounds like some interesting stuff is happening back home..." Walter mumbled with a smile. Walter looked over his shoulder again, Lia was already gone. "Well, she obviously wants to keep you all well fed. Seems a little different than she usually is but, all for the better I suppose."

Frosty beamed down to the planet along with two other GOU. The two clones KW-356 and KW-623 held there war-path assault rifles at there sides, there HUD scanning the cave where the two hybrids were. Frosty, unlike the GOU clones, was a non-clone Calaverian and had white spiked hair, he was in his late twenty's but still looked rather young, a sgt. in the GOU ranks. They stood outside the cave, just staring into it, someone was in there, they knew that much.

Camp

Two more GOU had picked up Edward and escorted him to the ship, there he would be questioned by other Calaverian authorties aboard, mainly Frosty when he returned. They were easily able to detain Edward after detecting a rather obsolete goverment chip implanted into him at a young age, the chips were not used these days, they had negative side-effects after the person reached a certain age.

OOC: NC, we're not on the surface yet, we're still heading for the system

OCC: I guess ill just save that post for another time.

"If you like I can get you acquainted with our doctors and nurses in the medical bay, I'm sure they will be able to teach you anything you don't know and will welcome the help."

"I will gladly learn and help where I can." Ishtar replied as she lowered the veils that hand been covering her head, hiding her face, so that the sheer cloth formed a cowl at her neck, letting the iridescent cascade of hair- dark cobalt and ultramarine blues highlighted with strands of silvery, reflective black - tumble down to her knees, as effective as any cloak.

One hand made a small gracefull gesture, urging Winterfire to lead the way. Ishtar suddenly found herself oddly restless, her ten million year dormancy leaving her eager to be about life.

"Seems a little different than she usually is but, all for the better I suppose."

"I think it is for the better," Stacy admitted from her position beside Vix, enjoying the warmth from both the fire and the Kitsune body beside her. She smiled,
"I like her, she reminds me of the Alumina. Aloof yet vulnerable. Capable of showing compassion and great emotion on occasions when it is needed". At the mention of Edward, Stacy's expression darkened for a moment before brightening up again. She had gotten over her feud with Edward long ago. It was true that she still considered him irritating every now and then but apart from that, she considered him a friend amongst friends,
"Do we need kindling?" She asked, looking to the fire to see if fade for a moment before crackling back to life. SHe was hugged close to her partner, glad of her company,
"It seems our resident hunter has agreed on a trade," She teased and nuzzled close to the Kitsune.

Cave

"We shall wait my young Apprentice," The Veela stated calmly, feeling the rise in his emotions again. She knew what it was, or she thought she knew what it was. She believed that her students were restless, like someone trapped in a house for days suddenly desired to get out and see the world around them. She knew her students had been denied some of the best moments of their lives due to these circumtances. On the other hand, it did give her a little company, and them the oppurtunity to learn her abilities. Useful in any circumstance.

Lara, the younger Sister, felt the same things as her brother. Perhaps not as strongly, but she did feel them. She wanted to see what was out there and, more importantly, what was there to make her life easier. She did not hate her mother, for she had done all she could to raise, yet there was always something at the back of her mind that blamed the young Alversian for what had happened to her. Now though, she turned back to her Brother and laughed,

"Beaten again, huh?" She teased playfully.

Exile...
Winterfire led Ishtar to the Medical Bay, a long, white, clean room with over two dozen beds and a host of medical equipment, tended to by three nurses (two Alversian females, one Xiscapian female) and two doctors (one Alversian male, one Xiscapian male), as well as several medical droids. There was very little to be done, and the three nurses crowded around a desk, eating what looked like breakfast and chattering quietly, half-listening to a loud arguement going on between the two doctors nearby, sometime to do with the tailbone and it's significance to humans. When Winterfire stepped in the nurses stopped eating and looked at him expectantly, while both doctors instantly feel silent and straightened up a bit, turning to their Captain. "This is Lady Ishtar," said Winterfire, voice still soft but full of authority. At this, all five bowed. "She will be assisting you here in the medical bay when needed, and she will need the help of all of you to educate her on human and kitsune biology, medicines and treatments."

Camp...
Vix said nothing, content for now to just cuddle her partner and relax. Sio lifted the fish from it's place over the flames, driving the spear into the ground, fat hissing and dripping onto the dirt. "It will be well worth it," he murmured as he waited for the fish to cool before taking it, placing it out on a rag, and with expertly honed if still somewhat akward strokes cut the animal apart in juicy, steaming pieces.

Cave...
"I was most certainly not beaten," retorted Vash. "It was outside interference, I am entitled to a rematch when I feel up to it."
OOC: Does anyone mind if I just speed things up a bit in my next post so the Exile reached the planet?

OOC: Go for it

OOC: Not at all - speed away!
***************************

"She will be assisting you here in the medical bay when needed, and she will need the help of all of you to educate her on human and kitsune biology, medicines and treatments."

Ishtar returned thei bows and smiled gently "I will greatly appreciate all the help, and I will do my best not to be in the way while I integrate the 'textual knowledge' with the hands on experience." She knew that all the book knowedge in the universe was little along side the vast practical knowledge she would require to be her best.

It was a few hours later, when Campbell was on duty and Winterfire was taking some well earned rest, that they arrived in system at the planet. The hyperdrive was still offline, not for the want of Desus' trying, but all other systems seemed to be functioning fine. The new addition to their crew was in the Medical Bay, learning of the systems, while their Veela had retreated to her own quarters for something important. Whatever that was.

"Sir," Campbell reported dutifully, "We have arrived in system and are going into a synchronised Orbit around it." She looked at the Ensign controlling the helm and he nodded to show that he had heard the order.

Caves

"You were beaten, admit it" Lara laughed before looking at their teacher. She was not laughing, but then she rarely did,
"Distractions are not a valid cause for defeat, young one," The Veela explained airly, "A real battle will have distractions and you must be able to see past them to the true goal." More wise advice from their instructor.

"Very good," came Winterfire's voice over the vox channel. "I will be joining you on the bridge momentarily. In the meantime, prepare a landing party to go to the surface of the world. I wish to make a record of the position and type of this planet should any Imperial or Republic forces ever come across it again, and possibly set up remote drones for observation. Alert Lady Ishtar to our proximity to the world, as she indicated she wanted to go down herself when we reached it, so reserve a spot for her with the away team. Winterfire out."

Medical Bay...
There was an air of excitement and a little tension in the sick bay. Both of the doctors had spent hours pouring over medical texts in the ship's computer, the process enhanced by Lilah's presence, teaching Ishtar as much as they could. But now they had received a report that an away team would be going planetside, and that could mean injuries or infections coming back up for them to treat. For now there was little to do but check the equipment and make sure it was all functioning correctly.

Caves...
Vash bowed his head. "Forgive me, my Master," he said humbly. "I still have much to learn." Inwardly he seethed at the gentle rebuke, but no sign showed on the surface and he carefully kept his true emotions hidden from her. Outwardly, and in any probing of his state of mind or spirit, all the Veela would see was the submission and embarrassment of a student who gave the wrong answer.

Walter appeared at the entrance of the cave, leaning against the wall. His eyes focused on the two students and their teacher, "More training?" The Drone spoke with very little emotion. Walter only occassionally saw this particular group and made sure to do so every once in a while, just to stay in touch with all memebers of the misfit party on this world.

"Ah Sir,"
Campbell cut the link and sighed, thinking of who she would send on this assignment. As the First Officer, she would be on the mission of course. Then there were other concerns to deal with as well. She needed a medic and, while Ishtar had been learning all there was to know on both phyologies, they would still need a back up. That could be done with one of the other Medical Officers. Then there was the issue of scans and Mechanical issues. Desus and one of her Engineers would come along too. Apart from the Medics, all would be armed of course but it would never hurt to beef up the group's firepower a little. That could be done by Frosty and his men.

Campbell was satisifed with her list and, after adding it to a datapad, she sent it to the Captain's quarters for his approval. It was not neccessary of course, but she wanted the senior Officer's approval for her decision. Apart from that, there was little to do but wait and scan the planet for somewhere to land.

Caves

"Is is an Apprentice's job to learn," The Veela explained lightly, while Lara snickered from her rock, "If it were not, then there would be no need of my services. You have nothing to apologise for. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes."
The Veela turned her elegant frame towards the Drone and bowed in confirmation,
"There is sometimes nothing better to be done than hone a skill that may be required in the unseen future." She explained.

Ishtar had several hours to study with the medical personel and had made good use of the time. Like any C.S. she was an instant study and she had a true love of knoweldge. When the announcement came that the away team was preparing for the trip to the surface she excused herself and returned to her cases so as to ready herself.

She changed from robes into a form fitting environment suit - tough, flexible fabric that had built in chamelonic abilites, though she did not activate that portion of it, leaveing it it's normal dark faintly luminousa indigo. Quickly she bound her nearly knee length mass of hair up into a sensible braid.

Her equipment harness held numerous specialized sensors and recorders, a skinfield generator, a pair of ÄÜ’Manni Tel Mak pistols and a score of the small data padds as well as a small but exceedingly complete Aumani medical kit.

Somtething made her tuck the Heart's Truth's Captain's Sigil Blade (http://www.atddm.com/object1.jpg) into a pouch. ÄÜ’Manni C.S.'s had always been able to 'see' and measure the Veil of Life, but could not touch it, could not manipulate it - but they were immune to it, unaffected by it.

OOC: Quick comment, Al, you'll notice in the first sentence of your second paragraph has been censored? I think you need to use the word 'snickered' instead of the other word that means the same thing, but contains in it a rather uncouth word which need not be repeated here.
IC:
A few minutes later Captain Winterfire appeared on the bridge, holding the datapad with Campbell's away team member suggestions. "Doctor Jenka," he read off it, "Lady Ishtar, Chief Engineer Desus, Junior Engineer Cali, Lieutenant Frosty, six GOU, and yourself, Lieutenant," he looked up at her, smiling. "I could not have made a better list myself. I have taken the librety of alerting them all, so they await only your arrival in the hanger bay." He bowed to her. "Be careful down there, First Officer, take all the usual precautions, and if there is any sign of trouble, I want you and your team back here immediatly."

Caves...
Vash looked to the Drone, but he had no interest in the strange artificial-yet-organic construction. "Master," he bowed to Elania (ooc: I'm pretty sure that's the name you gave in the last thread), excusing himself, and left the cave. Walking among the trees of the jungle he sighed to himself, looking up. They were here, but he could see no sign of them. What was taking them so long?
Vash had a galaxy to explore and, one day, if his careful plans went right, conquer.

Walter shrugged as Vash pushed past it, these two had developed rather quickly given the relatively short amount of time. Though that was slightly understandable, Walter still found it odd but thought nothing of it half the time. It had, on several occassions, thought about training with this alien, doing so would probably accelerate its own Cryptic development but she probably had better things to do. And Walter would be an odd student. Without saying anything else Walter left as quickly as it'd come and returned to the fire, "I give Lia about an hour more..." it muttered.

Frosty didn't wear a helmet, his white hair glowing, his black bulky armor made him look slightly bigger. The GOU suits did give the user a kind of strong gorilla like look to them, especially in the chest and arms. The other GOU's faces were hidden beneath there black visors, emotionless. They held there War-Path assault rifles to there chests, thirty rounds of rock and roll. Frosty saluted the captain.

OOC: Come on! It's PC gone crazy!

Campbell nodded to confirm the order, secretly delighted that the Captain had agreed with her. She gave a quick salute and left the bridge, walking automatically down to the hangar bay, returning salutes and flashing smiles of thanks towards the crewmember who stepped out her way and allowed her a clear passage.
Once in the hangar, and amongst the fighters and shuttles of the vessel, Campbell saw her Away Team in the tight area. All where in different groups. The two Medics were with each other, the two Engineers were talking about something and Frosty's GOU's were laughing at something. Campbell nodded to them and indicated that they gathered around,
"Right then," She clapped her hands together, "As you know, this is the Exile's first Away Mission and I want it to go smoothly. For the benefit of those who have not carried out one of these before, we are there to chart the planet and regester it only. When we hit the surface, we stay in contact all the time and we do not stray from the shuttle. If one of us encounters a contact, we report it to the rest of the group then withdraw. GOU," She pointed to the Calaversians,
"Your job is to set up a perimeter from where the Engineers and Medics can set up a Mobile Base and start the scanning sequence. Engineers, you are to do the mapping and Medics, you know what to do. Is everyone clear on their roles?" She asked.

Planet

Lara was not long in catching up with her brother,
"Hey," She asked, grabbing Vash by the shoulder, "What's up?" She asked patiently.

bump

"Your job is to set up a perimeter from where the Engineers and Medics can set up a Mobile Base and start the scanning sequence. Engineers, you are to do the mapping and Medics, you know what to do. Is everyone clear on their roles?"

Ishtar nodded as the others did.She found herslef looking forward to the exploration of the unknown planet. She proceeeded to take her assigned seat aboard the shuttle with the others, waiting patiently for the adventure to begin.

Hanger Bay...
The other Medic, Doctor Jenka, and the Junior Engineer Cali were the only two kitsune on the team, male and female respectively. Both nodded without a word, while neither had ever actually been on an Away mission, they had both run VR simulations detailing over a dozen different potential scenarios, and were competent, reliable crew members. There was no question as to their roles or what was expected of them. The shuttle held twelve, exactly the number of the Away team, and they fit comfortably onto the benches in the battleship gray compartment. The pilot had already boarded and was in the cockpit, lifting the shuttle off smoothly to exit the hanger and briefly glide though space before hitting atmosphere, burn flames licking the hull, as he found a clear area to land. The whole trip from the Exile to the planet had taken less than five minutes.

Jungle...
Vash looked at Lara steadily for a moment before speaking. "You sense it, too. There are others coming, very soon, and they will be our way off this world. We have to act, soon, to escape, or our fate is either to remain here until our accelerated growth process kills us or we're taken into the galaxy to be shunned and discriminated against. Are you ready?"
His words were punctuated by a painfully loud howl and a flash of fire as the shuttle passed overhead, whipping the canopy into a frenzy from the wind it caused.

Lia looked up at the sky to see the shuttle passing over head, "Well this is something I gotta check out." She muttered as she looked down at her kill. She picked up the now dead wild boar and followed the path of the shuttle as best she could, quickly yet stealthfully.

"Load up!" Frosty said as they checked there weapons. The GOU were the first to leave the shuttle incase there were contacts waiting for them outside. A flash of light from the door's opening and off they went, securing a perimeter arond the Shuttle. There radios masked there voices with low pitched sound. " Permiter clear" Announced a GOU as they waited for the others.

Landing Zone

Campbell was out after the GOU, pistol at the ready. She glanced around to confirm the Calaveran's information before slipping her blaster back into it's holster and turning to face the others who were leaving the shuttle,
"Right, set up a basecamp here" She ordered. Decus ignored her and went to work. She worked for several mimutes before straightening up and looking at the Alversian Officer,
"Scanning Programme in progress. Time to completion, 2 and a half hours"

"Very good," Campbell looked at the two Medics setting up a small hospital and the Veela meditating. She tapped her comlink,
"Captain," She was addressing the Exile and Winterfire now, "We are position. Scanning should be completed within three hours"

Jungle

"Patience, Brother," Lara stated calmly, "It won't be long now. For the moment, let's get back to the camp and wait" She was referring to their secret base, that none of the others were aware of.

Landing Zone...
"Excellent work, First Officer," came Winterfire's voice over the vox. "You have my permission to take basic samples and explore the area. However, standard partner rules and line-of-sight policies still apply, so don't take any risks. Let me know if anything comes up, we'll be watching from here but we can't see much, the foilage is too thick. Exile out."

Just outside the Landing Zone...
Naturally, Sio hadn't wanted to miss Lia coming back with whatever she'd run down and bitten to death, but that fish hadn't been enough to hold them over until she got back, so he'd excused himself from camp to find something else.
Unfortunately, he'd found far, far more than he'd bargained for.
Lurking in the foilage, he watched with a sinking heart as a GOU soldier patrolled past. So they had finally found them. Sio couldn't see any more than a couple of GOU because a copse of trees was blocking the way, but he knew that if he looked he would see many, many more of them, ready to begin the hunt.

He had to get back to the others, if he warned them in time they would be able to dissapear, vanish into the jungle, hike into the mountains of the north if they had to, get away from these Calaverians before they caught scent of them. He had only his spear, and while he was proficent enough with it, and some of the others had significant combat abilities, there was too few of them. They couldn't hope to fight an army of professional soldiers for long. Moving with the stealth he had nearly prefected, the kitsune prepared to slink back into the jungle.
However, nearly meant exactly what it said: Almost.
As he stepped away, the Xiscapian's foot landed on a twig, snapping it and causing his to momentarily freeze up in fear.

Elsewhere...
"We should be striking now," grumbled Vash as he followed his sister. "If we get them while they're unprepared and looking around, we get the whole lot of them before they can report back and we can take their ship."

Lia was already at the landing zone, the dead boar left somewhere off to the side. SHe was curious, and watched the team closely from an obscured branch. "Well, well..." SHe muttered, "What have we got here?" SHe held here spear tight. So many different beings were here, well it was time for them to get off this god-forsaken rock anyway, so what the hell? She'd wait just a little longer, and then she'd make her move. A smile crept across her face as she observed the aliens.

Landing Zone

Frosty and four other GOU were working on the basecamp as one stood guard incase there was a disturbance. Frosty noticed this planet had atmosphere similar to that of Celestis, a warm welcome.

Just outside the Landing Zone

The GOU quickly swung his War-Path Assault rifle around and his infer-red image sensors immediatly came on. He saw the warm body heat of the Kitsune and yelled. " Come out or I'll shoot, we don't want to hurt you..." He said, he then began to slowly lower his weapon, even to the point where he dropped it onto the ground.

Sio didn't wait to watch the soldier, he leaped up, crashing though the underbrush, running for his life. His arms pumped beside him, still holding the spear, as he ran, hoping they would not give chase. He needed to make it back, or they were all dead.
OOC: NC, TG.

Landing Zone:

Lia watched as a figure ran away from a group of the of new arrivals. She wondered what could prompt such a response, of course they did look a little familiar but she discarded the thought and remained hidden. Oh Sio, you really must be afraid for your life to run away. If you must, run back to that camp, lead those which you are so afraid of back to the ones you care for... she thought to herself. She began wondering what woul dbe a good time to drop down and say hello. Sometime soon, a nice breeze went through the area and she took a chance to sample the smells of the area. So much wildlife was still in the area despite the new arrivals...

Camp:

Walter to this time to lay down on the ground, looking up at the sky. He was aware of the new presence but hadn't the slightest clue what it could be. He wondered where Lia had gone to, it was taking her longer than usual, and more importantly where the hell had Sio run off to? He rolled his solid black eyes as he looked up at the sky.

"Yes, Sir, we will begi..." Campbell was cut off as she heard the snap of the twig and the Calaveran yelling. She whipped her own pistol out and ran to the GOU's position only in time to see the creature vanish into the bushes,
She turned to the GOU, frowning,
"What was it, Trooper?" She demanded.

Elsewhere

"We can take their shuttle, you idiot," Lara snarled back in reponse, "You wanna sneak past whatever's up there in a shuttle? Fine by me, I'll wait until they find me before I do anything rash"

"Yes, Sir, we will begi..." Campbell was cut off as she heard the snap of the twig and the Calaveran yelling. She whipped her own pistol out and ran to the GOU's position only in time to see the creature vanish into the bushes,
She turned to the GOU, frowning,
"What was it, Trooper?" She demanded.

Elsewhere

"We can take their shuttle, you idiot," Lara snarled back in reponse, "You wanna sneak past whatever's up there in a shuttle? Fine by me, I'll wait until they find me before I do anything rash"


" It was a Xiscapian sir." the GOU replied, picking up his rifle and walking back to the camp. " I must have scared him off..."

Ishtar looked up from where she was helping set up the medical section, as all the yelling and running caught her attention. Then she moved over to Campbell who stood by one of the GOU.

"I can track the person if you like, my sensors are adequate to that." But she looked over at the GOU as he began just to walk away "But shouting "come out or I will shoot. We don't want to harm you"..." She shook her head "That is not going to inspire any one to trust you in the least."

She looked over at Campbell, indicating the retreating North Calaveran "Are all of them so ill disciplined and without respect for superior officers?"

Jungle...
After what he estimated to be half a mile Sio slowed, hearing no pursuit on foot or from the air. Panting he stalked though the trees and undergrowth the rest of the way, spear at his side, before emerging back into the camp. For the moment only Vix and Stacy were there, everyone else was off doing their own thing, though for a moment Sio wondered if Edward, who none had seen since the day before, had betrayed them and somehow managed to contact his people and alert them to the location of the group. He shook his head, though, he didn't know the full story and it was entirely possible the Calaverians had been here since yesterday and taken Edward prisoner. He ducked into the cave, quickly rolling up his mat and taking up all his worldly possessions (his sword and sheath, a small cache nuts, roots, berries and smoked meat contained in a satchel made of cloth and a small piece of flint for starting fires) he backed out again and turned to face the two females by the fire.

Vix had been looking at him curiously as he tore back into camp, and now her eyes widened in surprise and she sat up as he came out. "Sio, what's wrong?"
"We've been discovered," said Sio simply, pointing back the way he came. "Calaverians, I didn't see how many, but they're here. We need to find everyone else and get the hell away from here, one of them saw me, and they’ll be hunting us." He paused. "It's time to leave."

Secret Camp...
"It would be a sight better than just sitting around and waiting for them to come and find us!" Vash shot back. He had always known his sister to be the more rational, cautious type, something which usually proved to be an asset.
Here, though, it was just annoying.

Landing Zone...
"Impossible," Winterfire's voice cut across the GOU's words. "This planet has not been tagged as being a settlement or ever having been discovered by kitsune, it's hundreds of lightyears outside of our borders." He paused. He had been the Captain in charge on the Xiscapian Destroyer XIW Inescapable when the planet of Terracropolis had been discovered and, in the space of a day, set up for colonization and mining, had the resident base camp attacked by the AIW, the camp and the majority of the AIW forces destroyed when supernatural forces surrounding the area took offense to the activities, and the spirit of a long-dead Priest had been laid to rest by the restoration of a holy book. The temple that the camp had been built near, the ruins several of the soldiers and scientists on the expedition had discovered and the artifacts examined had all shown signs of being a lost Xiscapian colony, made the home of Xiscapians traveling aboard colony ships thousands of years before.
Perhaps the same had happened here.

"I would advise extreme caution," he said finally though the vox, "and I order all armed members of the Away team to not fire unless fired upon or otherwise attacked by anything on the surface. If that was, indeed, a kitsune, we may have something big on our hands."

Walter got up, "So we're running away? I see no reason to, are you sure they're even here for us? Are you sure that they're here to do us harm? It seems an awful long way to travel for such a small group. And Lia is still out there..." Walter's voice trailed off, "I think I'll stay here. Better yet, point me in the direction of these possible threats and I'll see what they really are. You should know by now that I'll protect you if need be." Walter reached into its pocket and got its only possession, the small storage system that held all of it and Lia's weapons and equipment. It had been awhile.
---------
Meanwhile, Lia continued to watch the group. She sighed, they didn't seem all that dangerous and she was beginning to get a little bored watching these guys. She had such an advantage, hidden the way she was. She stretched and prepared to intorduce herself...

"Xiscapians?!" Campbell's shocked words came at the same time as Winterfire's. She then listened obiently to the orders of her Captain on the Exile before nodding,
"Yes Sir, very good Sir. I will report back when I have found anything. With that, she cut the link and turned to face Ishtar,
"Your Sensors could be immense use and I agree that the GOU's do not make the perfect welcoming party for isolated Kitsune. Very well, we shall use your scanners and track down this settlement. If there even is one." She tapped her comlink again, "Commander Decus, will you please join us" She waited for a moment as the Alumina came into view.

"You requested my presence?" She asked coldly, ignoring Ishtar altogether.

"Yes," Campbell nodded, "We are to move into the jungle and try to track down a Kitsune-like creature. You are now Senior Officer of the landing area. Try and keep the GOU in check."

"I will keep them in check," She stated as if there was no question of her failing. With that, she was gone again.

Campbell sighed and turned back to Ishtar, smiling,
"Lead the way," She stated, "And in reponse to your question, yes, they do not act very well towards orders from us 'animals'" She smiled, "Still, it wasn't that long ago that they were holding 'animals' in zoos so I suppose we have to be thankful for that."

Secret Base

"When they find us," Lara snapped, her patience gone, "We can proclaim that we didn't know they were here and that will make them think us weaker than we are. Rule one of warfare, make your enemy underestimate you"

Camp

"What!" Stacy shot up, terrified, "Calaverans! Where?! How!?" She was breathing heavily now, her mind filled with the memories of what had happened when she had last met a GOU. There result had been Lara,
"We have to go! Now!" She began to gather up anything she could carry,
"Do we not have any weapons left? No guns or anything?" She asked desperately, panicking, near to tears.

Camp...
"Are you insane?" hissed Sio to Walter. "You weren't with us when we got captured by the Calaverians, but I assure you they would send an entire Observer for us, it was more or less our fault that the Twilight went down, and if they think we have Calaverian-Xis/Alvo clones, and Force-sensitive ones at that, they'll track us to the end of the galaxy. You might be able to fight off their landing party, but they'll send more, too many for you to kill. It's not safe here anymore, not for those of us who don't have your abilities. If you really want to see," he pointed back behind him again, "they're that way."

He turned to Vix and Stacy. "We need to get moving," he paused as he saw Stacy's distressed state. He knew that she had experienced nothing but suffering at the hands of the Calaverians, they all had, but she and Vix were special cases. What the GOU had done to them was...unspeakable. She had every right to be afraid. "Just take your sword," he told Vix, patting his own, "we might have use for it. And do your best to calm her down, we need stealth."
Turning, Sio led his little group away, in the opposite direction of the landing party, Vix moving close to her partner and trying to sooth her with whispered words and comforting contact.

Secret Camp...
Vash laughed coldly. "Rule number one of warfare, sister, is to not die. We don't know who these people are, if they find us they might try to kill us on the spot, then any advantage we may have had in their ignorance of our presence would be lost."

Camp:

Walter frowned for a moment and moved to Sio at a speed that no natural creature should move at. It grabbed Sio's shoulder in what would feel like a death grip and leaned in very close, "Do not forget what and who you are talking to. I am not some creature that can be cut down by a group of soldiers. I. Am. A. Drone. My very purpose is to annihilate foes like this one, to kill until I myself and killed. Your statement was incorrect," At this point any sense of anger that was in Walter's voice was gone. Now its voice was cold and emotionless, "There are not GOUs coming to get us, there are soon-to-be-dead GOUs coming at us." Walter gave a smile, explosing his sharp, black teeth and took a step back. In each of his eyes, a red circle formed, "Genocide Protocol, Rank 2. Initiated." Suddenly, Walter's Cryptic aura spiked and everyone and everything around him would feel the sudden chest squeeze as the Cryptic energy began to fill the air. Walter turned and began to walk off in the direction Sio had run from, "Run then, Sio. Run away, as if it'll matter. You say they'd have brought an entire ship? Then they'll find you no matter where they hide. Maybe if I hold them back you'll have a chance to run." It looked back, a gentle smile on its face contrasting its eyes. Walter watched as they left, and then turned to face its objective. Walter had an advantage in being a Drone, chances were the 'threat' would have some kind of technology to scan lifesigns, Walter had none. A Drone's body produces no heat of its own and without any internal organs they don't come up on sensors as living things.

"If you want to throw your life away then go ahead," said Sio calmly, apparently unperturbed by the Drone's anger or reaction. "You might be able to kill a squad, you might be able to take out a whole platoon, but they'll just keep coming until you are dead. And then what, Walter? Then who will stop Lia from becoming a complete savage, then who will help me with the hunting and construction? I see there is no use trying to turn you back," his voice was sad, "so I leave you with the prayer that you will take as many of them with you as possible before succumbing. Good-bye, Walter."
The two females had already entered the jungle, so, with a last look at the Drone, Sio did too. He had come too far, brought them too far to see it all come to naught now.

Two GOU and Frosty stayed at home while three others began a patrol into the Jungle after the surivors. " Basecamp : KW-236 resuming patrol: Negative on contact" The GOU were using the same path the other had took to find Sio. There rifle were facing forward as they moved through the jungle, there black armor making them look like demons.

"Still, it wasn't that long ago that they were holding 'animals' in zoos so I suppose we have to be thankful for that."

Ishtar had levitated a foot of the grown, but stopped as Campbell spoke and looked down at Campbell. "They were what?! Did I understand you to say that they were keeping sentients as display pieces?" Her voice was shocked, her face one of utter dismay and disbelief.

" KW-236/Basecamp no contact as of yet." They reported, one moment they all ducked with there rifles up, only to find out there target was a fox, not a Xiscapian. They had been breifed on Xiscapians, some even had fox faces instead of the normal fox ears and tail. Celestis thought this was a genetic recall, but it didn't affect the person with it.

"Display pieces and pets," Campbell nodded, "They saw themselves, humans, as superior to all other sentient lifeforms. That was then, several defeats later, they no longer do so"
Campbell looked ahead, "This way?" She asked politely.

Basecamp

Decius came out of the shuttle, where she had been storing some of the data that had been collected from the scanner embedded deep into the ground. She stopped once she saw Frosty and his GOU's,
"Lieutenant," She said coldly, "Correct me if I am wrong but I believe there are meant to be six of your men? Where are the other three?" She looked around to see none of those three.

Jungle

Stacy stayed close to Vix, whimpering in fear as she thought of the waves of GOU troopers coming for her again. Doing the same things all over again. She wouldn't let it happen. She would die before it happened again,
"Where are we going?" She asked Sio in a small voice.

Jungle...
"On of my hunting trails took me further north, where I scouted out a small range of mountains. It will be colder there, but if we can enter that range we can hide ourselves in the caves and concealed interiors, even scanning won't be able to find us there," Sio replied. "The jungle will be full of patrols, but I think it will be some time before they get to the mountains, if at all."

Vix likewise stayed close to Stacy, holding on to the hilt of her katana with one hand as the other wrapped its fingers around Stacy's hand. She was prepared to defend Stacy if it came to that, though she tried not to think about what would happen if a squad came upon them. She felt she could probably dispatch one or two GOU if they didn't know she was there and she could strike without presenting herself as a target, and maybe, if she was fast enough, one in open combat, but Vix was no fighter. She had been a technician, before all this happened, and though she had gained some experience during their misadventures before coming here, she was still untrained. All she could do now was hope Sio knew what he was doing and pray they weren't found.

Walter hurried off in the direction that Sio had come, looking for whatever hostiles he'd see. If it came upon these so-called GOUs then it would deal with them in whatever way proved to be the most effective.
------------
Lia on the other hand had gotten herself ready for some first contact. She was no diplomat, but that didn't really matter, it was nothing more than exchanging questions anyway; and if things got ugly (the way things often did), she was a Leanorian. Chanes were none of these people had seen Cryption or Encryption in its prime. With that comforting thought she began to decend from the trees until she hit the ground. Spear in hand, she emerged from the bushes and leaned against a tree, looking at the group of aliens and standing in plain sight. "Sup." Was all she said, it was enough to get their attention if they hadn't heard or seen her already.

"This way?"

It was easy for Ishtar to percieve that the subject under discussion made Campbell uneasy, stirred memories best left prodded. So she confined her self to the mental note that should any of the North Calaverans on board the ship...They'd find out why she had been chosen as Guardian.

However befiore she could levitate back to her tracking height, another alien being, though not the same species as the frightened one appreared, making her own introduction, descending from a nearby tree...

"Sup."

Ishtar looked at Campbell. with a small smile gracing her lips "This one is not of the same species as the first one but seems to be willing to meet us"

She nodded her head slightly as she crossed her arms, hands each lightly tapping the opposite shoulder then coming down and her arms spreading a way from her body in a graceful, flowing quarter bow- the ancient Aumani greeting to a stranger, to show that she welcomed their meeting unreservedly.

"Greetings" She replied in the language she and Campbell had been using, but said nothing more, for to her it was Campble's place to initiate this contact and move it further along.

Basecamp

Frosty looked up after sitting on a ammo box " There on patrol, if we spot anything, well immediatly radio it back to you mam..."

The Alumina raised an unamused eyebrow, she did not smile at the response, nor did she nod to acknowledge the result. Instead, she looked up to the jungle and frowned,
"Who gave you orders to move into the jungle?" She asked sharply, "I did not give that order and I know that Commander Campbell did not."

Jungle

Campbell twisted quickly from the hovering Ishtar, hand on her pistol, but she relaxed as she saw that the newcomer did not pose a threat. It was an unknown race that stared at her and she frowned at it. It reminded her of the Alumina, only a little more lion-ey. She gave a small nod at the creature,
"I am Commander Campbell of the Allied Starship Exile. May I enquire as to your name?" She asked politely.

Basecamp

Frosty replied " I gave that order, we can't just sit here and let them come to us, if you want me to call them back I will." He said holding his helmet up to his mouth ready to call.

Lia gave a slight nod, "Name's Lia. Might I ask yours?" Lia was very relaxed at the moment. "Hope you don't mind my lack of clothing, but I gave up uniforms a little while ago." She didn't move but continued to hold her spear in one hand while leaning against the tree.

Base Camp

"You shall call them back because," The Alumina had drawn herself up to her full height now, "I am in command of this base camp. There are no hostile forces on this surface and, if there are, then you are no use to anyone spread out in the jungle. If we are attacked by these hostile aliens," The Engineer's voice dripped in sarcasm, "Then I am sure you can prove your dubious worth in our defense. Until that happy day, Lieutenant, your job is to defend our perimeter, no more." With that, Decius turned and strode back to the main scanner, ignoring a hasty salute from her Kitsune Engineer.

Jungle

"As I have already stated," Campbell reported calmly from beside Ishtar, "I am Lieutenant Commander Louisa Campbell of the Alvo-Xiscapian Ship Exile. We are here to scan this planet for our own records. We have become a little lost," She smiled sheepishly, "My collegue here is the Lady Ishtar, an Aumani who has joined us for the foreseeable future. She is here as our Medic. May I ask how you came to be on this planet?"

"Well I was referring to te one you just identified as Ishtar. Greetings to you both. So you got lost, Commander? I suppose I can relate, I was with a few others and we crached here. It's a long story and we've been here for a few years... If only my companion was here... I'm sure he... it could explain better than I. However, I am interested in what this other creature was that you came into contact with. If I'm not mistaken," she looked to Ishtar, "you said something about me not being of the same species but more willing to talk." Lia raised her spear, only for the weapon to dematerialize and become a set of runes on her arm. "Can I ask what that meant?"

The GOU returned and created another perimeter around the camp. Frosty didn't expect any hostiles, not on this world. The only thing he had to be worried about was a crude spear, nothing compared to his own weapons.