Jess has spent three days in Sanctuary, hooked up to a hundred beeping machines with dozens of strange tubes.  The Exalts of Sanctuary- including Dr. Kelleigh Connolly- haven't been able to find evidence of an Abyssal plague, realizing that Jess's infirmities are certainly the case of physical trauma.  Nonetheless they requested she check in just to make sure she'd be alright.

Life in the Quarantine Ward is beyond boring.  It's enough to drive one insane.  Jess's admittance to the ward has apparently been kept hush-hush, as she's gotten no fan letters.  She's just been isolated, alone.

That is... until one of the 'orderlies' arrives.  The 'orderly' in the Quarantine Ward is a remote-controlled robot with a tablet for a face and a pair of manipulators.

"Excuse me, Miss Jess Maraud," She recognizes the man on the tablet, Nurse Kevin.  He's a big lunk of a nurse who's got a ham fist with the orderly-bot.  "You have a visitor- would you mind if Miss Kapoor visited?"

Nidhi Kapoor, Chosen of Oramus and Sacheverell, an Infernal that seems to float around the different political currents and stations aboard the Last Refuge like a spaced-out rubber duckie.

(Feel free to make a Hardiness roll to reduce the effects of your Wound by a step.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:31, Sat 05 Nov 2016.

(Roll 26 + 5 Skill = 31 before situational monitors)

Isolation is an odd situation for one that spends so much of their time focusing on the perceptions of others, but it also gives the Zenith time to think. With the current upheaval, politics was likely to play a larger and larger part of the struggle to come, and staying out wasn't really an option, especially if she was going to distance herself from Lucifer. It was perhaps unfortunate that doing so was necessary, but the incident had been her fault in the first place for failing to keep up her persona.

The room is, at least, certainly dramatic. With most of the equipment hooked into the ceiling, the many wires and IVs hang down to Jess' form, strapped securely to a standing bed. Her head encased in a strange, periodically beeping helmet, she feels vaguely like some sort of video game boss.

When the visitor is announced, it's welcome news. While applying her tactical mindset to what little she knows of the political structure governing Last Refuge is fascinating, Jess would probably enjoy nearly anyone stopping by at this stage. Of course, it's a very unexpected name.

"Not at all, Kevin. Send her in."

((Kelleigh Medicine roll:  28 + Medicine 10 + Specialty 5 (Exalts) + AB 10 + Quality Tools 5 = 58 vs 58, succeeds, Soothes to Minor, Recovery 40))

"Alright, sending her in."

The door opens and Nidhi Kapoor floats into Jess's room, her feet a few inches off the ground.  She gives Jess a dazzling smile, her eyes a solid white-blue light that shines of peace and understanding and unsoiled napkins.

"Jess Maraud!"  The Infernal's forehead burns like a blazing star, "It's wonderful to finally talk to you again so soon.  Your head started hurting last night and it made me sad, but not as much as your throat."

She settles down onto her feet by Jess's bedside.

"Your head swells less, yes?"

Nidhi Kapoor was, to understate things, a unique individual. Of particular interest to Jess was the Infernal's retention of a pre-Exaltation injury. Not the sort of thing you ask a person about unless you really got to know them, though, and she got the feeling very few people at all really knew such an eccentric individual. Curiosities aside, the Malefactor had been nothing besides a great addition to the team ever since her Second Breath, and Jess had found the few interactions they'd had pleasant.

The entire meaning behind her visitor's words is not immediately apparent, but she doesn't sense any mockery in it.

"In two senses, I suppose. Kalleigh does fine work, and I've had much time to think." Jess speaks out of habit, even knowing she merely needs to think at the other Exalt to be heard. "Thank you, also, it's nice to have a visitor."

Despite her recovery, the light remains a little disorienting. Of course, Jess had suffered enough hangovers to not be especially bothered, especially while not fighting to stay on her feet.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Mon 07 Nov 2016.

"Time to think is not necessarily a good thing."  Nidhi admonishes the room in general, "Too much time thinking leads the mind down strange avenues!  They should've had you doing simple things.  Folding proteins, writing little jingles, anything but staring at a white wall.  You stare too much at black walls already, and white walls aren't much better.  One must become empty but not for emptiness's sake alone."

Nidhi reaches out and takes Jess's hand in a much more human gesture than any other infernal Jess has known.

"Everyone's mind projects onto the blankness around them, but nothing reflects back.  I am a skewed mirror of minds, showing truth distorted by creativity.  You should project upon me!"

The woman's eyes fade a bit, showing normal human eyes for an instant.

"They heal the body, I am here for the soul, Jess Maraud."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:47, Mon 07 Nov 2016.

From behind her mask, Jess peers at the other woman. Showing weakness to Lucifer had gone... exceedingly bad, and this person was essentially a stranger. The smart thing to do was to disappear deeper into the facade, to hide her thoughts from this Infernal, and accept that whatever "damage" upon her was something she richly deserved. She just needed to tell Nidhi to leave. She was both in Sanctuary, and the higher ranking Exalt, so-

"I'm not sure it's necessary." she says, her mind beginning to race through the events that lead her here. "But I think I'm willing to try?"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:12, Tue 08 Nov 2016.

"There is magic and then there is magic.  If you're willing to try it can't be something that I do.  I'm a mirror.  I only show what's here," She taps Jess's hand.

"If you don't think it's necessary, nothing can help you, forever.  If you are content with how you are, why bother to reflect?  We look in a mirror to inspect our blemishes and our beauty because we are insecure about both.  If you are totally secure with yourself, then I am not necessary.  Are you secure with yourself?  Are you content?"

Of course not. Maybe there was a time when Jess had selfishly been happy to struggle forward, putting on a show for the crowd, she could no longer pretend her own inadequacy wasn't killing people. She'd disappointed Red, Lucifer, and even Kumiho most recently, but her trail of bodies spelled out a much longer history. She was by no means content, and she was ready to take more final steps to help protect the Last Refuge. Calm, rational steps, she was sure.

Still, far be it from her to dismiss the wisdom that could be gained from others. There were admittedly only so many perspectives one could find locked inside their own head.

"No, I wouldn't say I am content." Truth be told, I've never met any creature for which I have greater contempt than myself. "Do you just want me to talk? Or 'think' might be a better option? I've never been a hundred percent on how your power works."

Jess could feel herself responding to the other Exalt. Isolated as she had been, a human touch and human gesture provided a bit of warmth. It was only then that she realized she had started to feel cold at some point, actually.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:44, Wed 09 Nov 2016.

"Talk.  Hearing thoughts not spoken aloud is difficult.  It's a poor way of recompensing my hearing but so it is."  She smiles at Jess, "Go ahead and talk.  Let me listen."

"Alright." she says, the smart aspects of her self telling her to shut up, while the other, more tired parts have managed to stop listening to them. "I suppose I'll say that I'm not really sure what I'm doing here. Haven't been for a long time. Things just sort of struck home a few days ago, though. The great burning star of the morning saw a part of me I didn't want him to, and responded appropriately. Ended up doing a lot more more damage, I suppose, than any of those half ass Nanking firing squads. Bruises you get over, but doses of reality are a bitch."

She needed to careful of what she said. Talking was one thing, but there were subjects that could be lethal for her if approached incorrectly.

"The spat itself was ultimately minor, but it illustrates a problem. The people deserve a proper hero, not a false idol."

Nidhi listens carefully.  She purses her lips and squeezes Jess's hand.

"Whose reality?" She asks, "Yours?  His?  Mine?  Better question, what is a proper hero?" She looks down at Jess with those eerie solid blue-white lit eyes, "Am I a proper hero?  What about Michael Florentine?  The definition changes from person to person, people to people.  I hear demons speak in reverent terms of Oeguso, even when it's obvious to everyone else that she was a pawn of the Neverborn.  What is your definition?"

"The definition changes from person to person." Jess agrees "The quality of person does not. Whether they are born to wealth, or with every odd against them, they inevitably shine apart from the rest of the world. A hero's triumphs are epics, their failures tragedies. Where so many are ground into the expected shape, the hero is inevitably more." Her tone becomes excited, nearly manic in fact. "People like you, Lucifer, Lyla, Red, Brahe, and even Oeguso, you're all set apart from the world's story as something special. Someone like Michael Florentine perhaps even more so."

There's no bitterness here. Just utter certainty mixed with wonder.

"It doesn't end with Exalts, either. People like Chupacabra, and Axehead, for example. We're overflowing with heroes from our engine rooms to the unsung marksmen sitting in the gunnery chairs. To me, I think, maybe everyone on the Last Refuge is more."

She shifts uncomfortably in her bonds.

"It's not just power, either. Any worm can be given strength. The common denominator is the quality of parts making up the mind, the body, and most importantly, the soul. Heroes are born to be heroes. Or villains, I suppose, according to their nature."

Jess realizes how insulting that might sound. "Please don't misunderstand! I think the world of people like you, and I know it's not easy being what you are. Gods and kings suffer just the same as everyone else, and I know it doesn't simply happen without effort."

She calms herself down, noticing her heartbeat had climbed. The next words needed to be chosen carefully, and spoken evenly. "After all, even the Unconquered Sun had his failures. His moments of blindness, or carelessness."

Nidhi listens and squeezes Jess's hand once she's done, utterly unwilling to interrupt the older Exalt and to let her have her say.

"I think you have a problem there, Jess Maraud.  I'm a hero?  For going into an epileptic episode and screaming some numbers that happened to be the coordinates for an escape pod?  You realize there are gods that can take those numbers, fold them like paper, and make an origami crane?  The numbers could have been meaningless, but once meaning was attached, gained something more.  But it was nothing I did." She shakes her head, <b>"My triumph isn't an epic one.  You talk about the 'heroes of the engine rooms' or the Gunners, and none of them are shining apart from the rest of the world because they ARE the entire world at this point.  The percentage points have gotten a bit skewed."</b>

Nidhi sighs, "And what am I?  An Infernal?  The old labels have no hold on me, Jess Maraud, why do they have a hold on you?" She looks at Jess again, "And for all your varying definitions, your choice that quality somehow makes the man instead of luck or opportunity, let me ask- why don't you view yourself as one?"

"It's not my place to judge you either way, though I'll admit that your Exaltation may be the one I find most intriguing of the Exodites."

She pauses to consider her answer. Jess had some suspicions that couldn't be trusted to anyone on the ship, but she could perhaps express some of her frailties.

"It's all relative, in a sense. Take for example the massacre that occurred during the latest battle. Lot of reactions to it. Morningstar was angry, others cried, while still others acted to their natural tendencies, planning for how to do it better next time. But me... I've gotten tired." she says while once again playing the battle over in her head. "I've watched so many people die. Some of them were friends, others were enemies, while most were just strangers. It all hurt so much at first, all those natural human reactions, but over time it just began to make me feel... cold."

"I try to memorize all their names. Counting them over each night, wondering how many of them would still be alive if someone stronger than me had been Chosen. It makes me sick to my stomach that I've nearly lost the ability to properly mourn them. There are... pieces of myself that are missing, and I feel like that's starting to come to the surface. Lucifer rebuked me because he saw a little bit of what I really am."

Jess keeps her expression neutral. "And it's in the nature of a hero to abhor monsters."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:19, Sun 13 Nov 2016.

"If you want to speak of monsters you're speaking to the wrong person.  And you're pointing in the wrong direction.  Let me ask you first.  How long did it take for the cold to creep?" Nidhi asks, "Name me some of their names.  Tell me what air they breathed.  Explain to me their home towns.  Tell me about their friends."

The Infernal leans forward.

"There's a reason I ask you this.  I don't think that you actually do know more about them than their names.  This isn't a rebuke!  I look and listen to you and one word keeps crawling into my mind- isolation.  I don't see flowers here.  I didn't have to make an appointment.  The doctors spoke of you professionally."

She waves her hand- still gripping Jess's.

"You can't build a bridge to the sky without touching the ground!"

She begins to interrupt with a list of the dead, but sees the Infernal's point. "I suppose it was at the point that the numbers started to get hard to keep track of. But I'm not a general sitting far from the battlefield either, even if I don't know much more about them than their names. However, I should at least have the certain basic human reaction to seeing the bodies of the people I watched alive and smiling just hours before. The others nearly explode with emotion."

This was actually a line of thought too dangerous, perhaps, to travel down so early.

"You have a point, though. Knowing people intellectually doesn't, ah, mean your heart knows them. I really don't have many people I'd ultimately call myself close to. The magic to producing a certain image is separating the role from the actor, I suppose. When you feel the role, it becomes difficult to do it flawlessly. Ideas are known by the masses, not by individual people. They're not meant to be examined, specialized as they are towards a certain purpose."

She smiles in a slight way.

"If I were lonely, that would mean I pity myself. I admitted earlier that I am not content, but I did not mean that I am grieving for my own welfare. On the contrary, I am an insect that was granted unimaginable power. There is no creature so fortunate as myself in this world."

Her head cocks to the side,

"Of course, it does make sense that isolation might create a lack of empathy, whether it bothers me or not."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:56, Wed 16 Nov 2016.

"How is that a basic human reaction?  Don't you know history?"  She asks, "In times of war, that IS a common reaction.  Desensitization is often the first stage of post-traumatic stress disorder.  You've been fighting in the deadliest, most traumatic war in human history for ten years, Jess."

Nidhi crosses one leg over the other.

"Overthinking, overanalyzing separates the body from the mind- withers your intuition, makes you miss opportunities.  You are philosophizing too much and living too little."

She taps Jess's forehead.

"So stop philosophizing!  Go out.  Make friends.  Get laid.  Go on hiatus.  You called yourself a monster for not feeling emotion- it makes you sick!- but that is what happens when you sublimate your soul for something else.  We don't need more monsters here.  We need more people."

On one hand, Nidhi was missing information, but on the other, it wasn't information Jess had any interest in giving out. It was a good argument either way, and perhaps it was true that she'd sort of lost contact with... anyone. Heck, she hadn't been with anyone in the intimate sense since Ragnarok. There had been parties, sure, but even her debauchery had been mostly all about presenting a certain carefully calculated abandon. Maybe, just maybe, it was possible to repair whatever was wrong with her.

"I don't know if what you're talking about is precisely possible; I've spent a rather large part of my life learning how to make people safe. she says, letting the word carry a few meanings. I haven't had companions in a long time. Opening up in the past has also proved dangerous. Still, with things going the way they are, I think you're right. Of course, just talking to people can be a little hard. I'm not very difficult to recognize, and people always keep their distance."

"You're the Chosen of Sol Invictus.  In the end, what is possible is only defined by your mind."  She taps her own forehead, "As a Chosen of Oramus, possibility is undefined forever but only in my mind, trapped, unable to escape from itself.  Be thankful!"

Her smile fades a little.

"Jess, there's no shame in starting higher and working your way downward.  You have peers.  If you're worried about safety and death, I'd suggest starting with the younger Exodites."

The words made sense. It couldn't hurt to try and turn things around. Self-termination was ultimately wasteful unless it was entirely necessary. Maybe there really was a way to salvage herself. Heck, maybe the dark thoughts following her were just normal human things. Maybe most people had extended inner monologues preceding every statement. Certainly she couldn't be the only one who tended to overthink things.

"Alright. You've made a lot of good points. Opened a few routes I'd not really considered going back down. Maybe I really do need more than my own mirror."

There were a lot of things that could be done. Maybe she could even hang a poster in her room. Of course, the last time she'd tried that, she'd torn it off the wall after an hour. Baby steps.

"Good,"  She opens up a notepad- where did it come from?- and begins scribbling something down on it.  Then she opens up a little flip-pad inside and scribbles upon that!

She tears them out, then extends the two pieces of paper out to Jess.

"This is a prescription,"  She says, "Anti-depressants, for a start, and also homework. Also a firm injunction to avoid your fans or anything related to your music for a week."

Jess stares at the script. She'd always been afraid of such things growing up, having rarely seen pills of this sort used for their intended purpose. The real question was more practical, though.

"They make these things strong enough for Exalts? I would have thought the amount needed would be all over the place."

Avoiding her fans could be difficult. The disappearance after the battle would probably have raised a few red flags already, meaning people would be looking. Then again, the ship was a big place. There were always places to go.

Like all good doctors of any type, Nidhi's writing is an illegible scrawl.

"This is Sanctuary, my friend.  They make them extra-powerful.  Burning Feather no doubt has a hand in it."  She stands up, "If all else fails, I suppose you can disguise yourself!  It would be fun, but inadvisable- if you want to make friends, you cannot hide behind a mask."

"Masks and disguises are the easy part. Some you build yourself, others are crafted for you. My old face is around here somewhere, though. These might even make it easier to find." The script is hard to decipher. Cynical sort that Jess is, she still can't bring herself to care if the Infernal is trying to bamboozle her into taking some sort of mind control venom. Her options had been a lot more limited an hour ago, and even if she was to be manipulated, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being controlled meant being useful.

"Alright. It's a plan. Also, am I being discharged?"

"Your oldest face is still on you, otherwise I wouldn't have visited.  And no, you're not discharged.  I don't have that kind of authority!  What kind of place would this be if the patients could discharge each other?"

"Probably the sort of place they can write prescriptions, but point taken." She does her best to play it cool at the mention that the Infernal was also a patient. Come to think of it, they might also be looking into her deafness not healing post-Exaltation. She herself had gone in enough times to let them poke and prod at her own similar malady.

"Well, I'm not a doctor of Sanctuary, so they can't keep me from doing that."  She laughs like the tinkling of broken bells, "Rest well, Jess."

Nidhi leaves.

Jess is alone.

Once more in isolation, Jess tries to empty her head of thoughts, but once more, her mind stubbornly begins to race. If her fans hadn't torn the ship apart seeking to find her here, they could certainly survive alone without causing too much trouble. The only question was where to start. That, and how long she would be staying here. Things were simple in Sanctuary, but it would need to end. The outside world would call, and it would once more be her job to ride into the stars and burn her enemies to more permanent death with obnoxious laser lights. Maybe it was time to do away with that, abandon her gimmick and just be another fighter pilot... mmh, no, these were thoughts she could have later, once she tried this so-called treatment plan.

She's been given a pad to pass the time, and since her talk with the Infernal it's been blinking away with a a few notifications.

One of those is a message from Journeys.  Speak of the devil, he had a potential mission 'no rush, if you're feeling up for it', but Sanctuary would certainly pitch a fit.

There's also an email from Kyle Weston, the Last Refuge's pilot and a propaganda hobbyist.  He's apparently putting together a documentary in his spare time.

Last on her list is an email from Brahe, requesting a meeting at her earliest convenience.

A good number of options here, all with their pros and cons. Brahe of all people wanted to speak with her. Probably about the same thing Red Queen had been on about at the time of the incident. Truth be told, Jess was all for her "rival" getting a shiny new carrier to be elsewhere in, but she had the feeling she was supposed to be against it.

Queenie probably thought she could better pursue her divinity away from the ship, as some far away goddess. It was a valid plan, really, but not one that actually interested her. Jess had invested herself in being of the people, and such distance wouldn't be working towards not. Besides, as much as she enjoyed entertaining the idea of the competition, it would be better for the Infernal to move on to a better rival, like Lucifer.

The smartest option was probably the new mission, as the bit regarding the documentary would inevitably put her contrary to the treatment plan. Scooping that bullshit out for good of the masses was in her job description, but she needed to focus on healing. Of course, the mission in question would mean checking out early, annoying the Plague Doctors. While not a friendship, it was at least an association she'd managed to foster over time. Maybe if she was polite.

But then again, putting off Brahe was a dumb move. Probably best to at least speak to the man, even if it meant a little added stress and politics. She sends a message back to him, asking if it was the sort of conversation he'd need to have in person. She also sends out carefully worded feelers to her hosts, asking if they had a timetable for her release.

The emails come back:

"Jess,

I would prefer to speak in person.  However, I recognize that isn't always going to be possible- especially with your current injuries.  Secure email will suffice if that's your preference.

Regards,

Gideon"

Her Sanctuary minders also send her an email:

"Leaving is permissible at any time.  However we would prefer another 2-3 weeks of supervision, with the last (3rd) week representing time spent on a battery of tests to determine any lingering, delayed-action Abyssal responses."

Hmm... polite. To be expected, as Brahe was a political type, but still reassuring. Allies, or masters, were something she was going to need after she'd most likely burned her bridges with Lucifer. She actually had no idea what her standing with Lyra was at the moment, either. There was no reason to assume the other Solar hated her, but she hadn't realized her fellow Zenith had so despised her until that night, either, so...

"Gideon,

At the moment, the most ideal circumstance is secure email. Thank you for your understanding in the matter. What can I do for you?

- Jess"

Three weeks was indeed a while.

She sends a message back to Journeys.

"Hello Journeys.

Circumstances may keep me here a bit longer, but can you give me a basic idea of what I'd be up to? I realize there are more secure lines of communication than this, but even the basics should be fine."

And finally the guy putting together a documentary.

"Dear Mr. Weston,

While certainly interested in taking part of the project, there are a few matters which may demand my attention first, depending on what would be required of me. Please let me know how I'd be helping, and what sort of time table you're working on so that I can answer you more completely.

Yours Truly,

- Jess Maraud

A flurry of responses:

"[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]

Hey girl,

Not a problem!  That's what encrypts are for!

So we've been doing some forward scouting and we came across an interesting little tidbit- a radio signal coming from a nearby moon.

Catch;  it doesn't look Abyssal.  Juno is suggesting that this is an Abyssal trick.  I'd be more hopeful if I didn't know my cosmology.  Nevertheless we want to investigate.  So we're going to very publicly send some 'scientists'.

Going by Abyssal tactics, we can assume this is an ambush meant just to inflict some attrition and possibly to attempt to test some new tactics or equipment.  Which means we can't really afford to ignore it if that means we can get some forewarning.

Yours,

Journeys

[END ENCRYPTION]"

And then the next:

"Hello,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly Ms. Maraud!  I'm documenting the lives of the Pre-Exodites, including myself, and comparing what they say versus their various cults.  Some people have bigger cults than others, of course, and yours is one of the biggest.  So I'd just like a short snippet autobiography, maybe answer a few improvised questions during an interview.  Take as much time as you need, this is a very long project!

Also as an aside, if you could sign one of your posters for me, that'd be fantastic.

Thanks,

Kyle"

Brahe's takes a bit longer.

"[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
Jess,

As a direct result of the Raid, an Admiralty Board is being instated to handle tactics, strategy, and discipline within the Living fleet.  The Admiralty Board has mostly been chosen and will be instated shortly; the current list looks like Sunipa, Battles, an Ifrit named Aban, the Red Queen, Iorlak of the Jagganathika, and two others to be decided- one by the Senate and the other by the populace of the Last Refuge.

Unfortunately, I've heard about your altercation with Daniel after the Raid on the Buchenwald.  On top of that you witnessed his assault on my person in the hangar of the Enterprise.  Since this happened aboard a military ship while on a battlefield, this becomes a military tribunal in front of the new Admiralty Board.

I was wondering if you would like to press charges or if you would be willing to testify as a witness for the prosecution.

I would encourage the latter, but certainly not the former.  There's ample evidence for his aggression against you, no real blows were struck so it would only serve to confuse the issue.  More importantly I am in it to win it- he has a very low opinion of myself and my motivations, but my main goal is first and foremost to keep us alive, and he is vital to keeping us all alive.  We can't give him a reason to stop fighting or- even worse- take him out of the fight at all.

But we also can't let him treat us like punching bags whenever things don't go his way.

I would greatly appreciate your input, thoughts, and plans.

Yours,
Gideon
[END ENCRYPTION]

Well, this was a pickle. On one hand, Brahe was absolutely right. On the other, her serving as a witness on even what she was sure would amount to a slap on the wrists would surely annoy him. Then again, she was sure that bridge was long burned, and while Jess ultimately didn't blame Lucifer for his actions against her, he had made a public scene. People as perfect as him needed to be held to a higher standard. He'd gone off on her for using the wrong tone of voice, after all.

Speaking of which, her memories of the events prior had started to return more readily to her, and she cringed at her embarrassing conduct. Granted, she'd handled herself well until the fight, but she hadn't even noticed the brawl.

"[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
Gideon,

While I bear the Morningstar no ill will for his actions against my person, the public display of violence upon yours at such a delicate time was unacceptable. I myself, in my injured state immediately after the battle served the role of a fool, and for that I am willing to be help accountable, but the fight breaking out was concerning. Might I suggest that both I and him stand trial for dishonorable conduct after the battle? It could help soften Lucifer's response by denying him feelings of singular martyrdom, while still getting the point across. If you'd prefer to simply confront him with such a move personally, though, I'm not unwilling to serve as a prosecuting witness.

He also, as a result of the battle, may have been in an altered state of mind, which while no excuse, could impact the legal implications being levied at him. If you painted both of us as irresponsible, it would make the issue moot and still allow for a court martial.

Just a suggestion,

Jess"[END ENCRYPTION]

There was no need to immediately email Kyle back, but Journeys did need a response.

"[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
Journeys,

What sort of timetable are we looking at? They're requesting I stay for another three weeks of observation, and nothing good comes from making Plague Doctors nervous, but I'm more concerned with that than any actual remaining injuries. I can potentially be out of here a lot sooner without too much of an issue if that's going to be outside our window of opportunity.
[END ENCRYPTION]"

Her head really did still hurt, but nothing like it did before. A fight would be doable.

[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
"Jess,

Absolutely not.  I will not allow you to be put under a court martial for thoughtcrime!  Please understand- we have enough dead and broken by the system.  We do NOT need to add someone unnecessarily.  Also remember the history of my people- at some point, Jess, you need to realize that self-hatred and deprecation will only lead to heartbreak.  You need to realize your own power and turn what's broken into a flaming sword.

As far as Lucifer's altered state of mind, I'm sensitive to this and it's a reason why I'm attempting to reduce any issues that come of it.  But he still put us all in a difficult situation.  Think of it like the old drunk driving- if you're of an altered state of mind, you can still be held accountable for your actions!  Think about how people would react if they knew that all of us were one bad day- one Abyssal mind-charm- away from violence?

Glad to hear you'll serve as a witness.  You have my word that I will make sure his punishment- such as it is- makes everyone happy.  If Lucifer is the man he says he is, he will accept it with grace and conviction.

Yours,

Gideon"

Journeys must not be doing anything...

[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
"Jess,

Timetable's only a few days.  Three weeks?  Typical doctor bullshittery.  Listen, I'm not much of a doctor but sounds like you need a beer, some all-natural herbage, and a long trip on a luxury cruise liner towards certain death.  If they give you any shit send them my way, the hacks.

Namaste,
Journeys"

That was an interesting response, at least. She had legitimately expected him to go for it on the basis that it would make the Solar Exalted in general look bad, further legitimizing the move of more Infernal's into positions of power. Then again, the issue was probably just a lot more complex than that. Signs that Brahe had some principles beyond utilitarianism were also good, given that he was poised to gain significant influence very shortly.

[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
"Gideon,

I'll take that under advisement, and appreciate the advice, along with the sentiment. Regarding Lucifer's state of mind, I would argue that intoxicated driving as a crime usually operates under the assumption that the person in question became willingly inebriated, but I nonetheless see your point. As a secondary, ideally more reasonable suggestion, I would prefer to inform him of the charges in-person, along with my decision to act as a witness. He won't like it, but me telling him might soften the blow of a 'fellow Solar Exalt' seemingly acting against him. Perceived treachery is something I'd prefer to avoid if possible when dealing with the Morningstar, however damaged our association already is.

If he's already been informed, of course, then so be it. I've not been getting much news here.

Yours,

Jess"

Sending it off with a sigh, she considers Journey's response. The dismissal of the doctor's concerns was a bit juvenile, but if the timetable was a few days, she needed to be out of here, whatever threat to her safety there might be. Unless there was a truly frightening arsenal, she would be fine. And if there was, she would be either back here or dead.

She sends off a message to the doctors.

"After reviewing certain matters in need of my immediate attention, I must unfortunately end observation and request discharge within roughly 24 hours, barring anything especially worrying that might have been uncovered."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:08, Mon 05 Dec 2016.

[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
"Jess,

Perhaps you have a point there.  But law is law, and in my opinion eh was acting on feelings he's had for a long time, so I'm not exactly too sympathetic here.  I will also have to inform you that no, I'll be personally discussing this with Lucifer, and informing him of your decision to testify.  He won't see it as a stab in the back because he'll see you simply as a tool I'm wielding.  I'm sure he'd much prefer I tell him in person.

As far as I can tell he's doing work for the Last Refuge, and I will attempt to inform him once he has finished his important work but before he can relax too much.  There's not much worse than interrupting someone's rest.

Yours,

Gideon"

The doctors send her back a form letter- very long, full of a billion little cells to fill up, all amounting to the concept that it's not their fault if she leaves and drops dead to an Abyssal pestilence, thank you very much.

Jess dutifully fills out the form letter to the best of her ability. She really did want to stay, but there were things to do which were more important than her health. With that in mind, she makes a note to stop by the pharmacy on the way out for her anti-depressants.

[ENCRYPTED MESSAGE]
"Journeys,

I've told the doctors I'm going to need to be out of here in 24 hours. Currently just filling out the paperwork. Please have the luxury cruise liner towards certain death warmed up.

Jess"

The anti-depressants look like horse suppositories.  How's she supposed to take them, surgically implant them in her stomach?!  Makes sense, though, she must be getting bigger doses thanks to her physiology.

After leaving Sanctuary- which seems a bit busier than she remembered- she heads for the hangar so she can transfer over to the Fleet.  Journeys is waiting for her with a shuttle.

"Hey Jess, girl, how're you doing?" Journeys shakes her hand, "Feeling better now that you're up and out? Good, good. So, ready to fall for yet another Abyssal trick?"

Staring at the absurd capsules, Jess looks quickly side to side for witnesses, finds none, and slides the first one down with remarkable ease, daring the universe to judge her. She pointedly doesn't talk to anyone until she eventually arrives at the hangar.

"Headache." the Solar says with a grin and a the slightest touch of a sore throat. "My ears aren't coming through my skull, though, so I'm feeling just about ready to be foolish. Is this boots on the ground, or do I need to go see if Shofar is feeling better?"
This message was last edited by the player at 09:38, Tue 13 Dec 2016.

There are no witnesses as Jess does her best snake impression.

"Sorry to hear about the headache but we can fix that," He tells her, "And yeah, you're definitely gonna need Shofar for this one.  We've got a bunch of Dragon-Blooded stormtroopers to cover the possible ground insertion on the yacht, but we need someone to cover.  Hopefully someone who can do a lot of damage fast in case we have to deal with a frigate.  You up for that?"

"A Frigate? That's... nothing." she says, her tone less boastful, and more doubtful. "If they send a little fly like that, I'll light it up like Christmas in Underforge. If they send enough of an ambush to suppress me, that could limit things a bit, but so long as we have an exit plan, I won't need to worry abou the long term."

Jess scratches her throat as she waits for something to happen. "I'm probably just being paranoid, though. The answer's yes."

She sincerely hoped Shofar was doing alright. Poor little guy had taken as much of a beating as her during the last battle. Of course, in a way, it must be nice to take your blows, get repaired and be brought online just for the next fight. It was absolutely certain purpose and direction. Either way, Jess missed him.

"Well, exactly.  They're nothing, to you.  Everyone else needs a bit longer to take one out, in which time they've called a good dozen cruisers on us."  He tells her, "And I've got a few exit plans.  We're going in small and fast and that means I'm packing maximum power into a small package.  Think the Defiant, hey?"

Star Trek fan?  Well, he looks the part...

"Glad to hear you're in."  He throws an arm around her shoulder as he walks them towards the hangar, "We're honestly expecting an Abyssal, so if we run across one of the Big Three we'll just cut and run.  And you can survive against one of them long enough to run."

It was odd that she knew as much as she did about Star Trek, but you could only avoid it so much when you were around the Pandora Bay crowd as much as she had during the construction of both Shofar and her suit. The Defiant was a powerful offensive craft known for shaking apart when used to its greatest potential. Sounded good.

The casual physical contact gives Jess more comfort than he probably realizes. She really did need to get friends, but that was a matter for later.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Hmm... I really should actually watch Star Trek. The Defiant was... Deep Space Nine, right?"

"I think?  I've always liked Voyager more,"  He says- unaware of the irony, or of the fact that he should be skinned alive and dunked in boiling oil for the statement.  "But yeah, small powerful package.  We'll have room to attach the Shofar to the bottom of the yacht when we make the jump, so you'll be pretty much the only ship flying.  Is that a problem?  Will you need more backup?"

Jess shakes her head. "No. Either they'll be focusing their fire on me, or they'll be focusing it on the our transport. They won't bother going for anything smaller. Maybe if it was a longer battle, they'd try racking up casualties, but this is an in and out sort of deal. Offensively, I have enough firepower on my own."

Something occurs to her and she stops suddenly before pulling out her datapad.

"Hey, just a second." she says to Journeys.

To: Pacifica Spacewolf
Hey Pacifica,

Hope you're doing well. Wanted to visit, but I ended up being a bit isolated myself. I was kind of hoping we could meet up at some point, maybe in a few weeks. I'm sure both of us are pretty bored with hospital walls at this point. If you aren't already healed up, I should be able to at least show my face soonish.

- Jess

End Message

It takes Jess a little longer to track down Kumiho's contact information, as she seems to have been given a hire level account. She gives Journeys and apologetic look.

To: Kumiho

Hello,

I want to express my sincerest apologies for what happened the other night. I spoke callously, and there's no excuse for that. Lucifer rightly called me out on it, and I'm going to make sure I express the gratitude I do sincerely have for the people who give their lives to defend this place. People depend on their heroes to lead the way, and appearances are important.

I hope someday I can prove to you that I'm not that person,

- Jess Maraud

End Message

"Sorry. I had a few things to say, just in case."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:16, Sat 17 Dec 2016.

There's no reply from either of them- they likely have shit to do!

"Yeah, that's what I thought but I figured I'd ask.  Everything okay?" He asks, stepping back as she composes her mail so he doesn't spy.  "In and out, no problem!  Yep, that's what we do for reconnaissance but let me tell you, it's usually me locked into my little fighter for days at a time.  This is practically a pleasure cruise in comparison."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:57, Fri 30 Dec 2016.

She looks up, not surprised that they didn't immediately respond. It was more that she needed to make sure that was off her chest in case something happened.

"Everything's fine. Just doing my best to not leave any embers on bridges while I'm gone." Jess says as she continues towards the ship with her few personal effects. "And good to hear. After the Buchenwald, this should indeed be a pleasure cruise."

"Of course just saying this is dooming us both,"  He says, an arm still thrown companionably around her shoulder.

Eventually they make it to the hangar, where the yacht is waiting.  The yacht is about five times the size of the Shofar, making it smaller than most of the transports.  She can see it's got a single turret atop and brackets for mounting a ship below it.

"This is the Lothlorien.  It's fully armed and armored," He explains to her, "We're trying to roll out more of these as replacements for using our transports.  So far we've had mixed results."

"This thing can jump with Shofar on it?" she asks, curiously. "Really not hating the design. Small, but efficient. Who's work is it?"

The arm on her shoulder feels nice, so she doesn't say much. He was probably just being nice to her because he'd heard she'd gone a bit crazy and didn't want her jeopardizing the mission. He was a pretty smart guy, really.

Then again, this wasn't totally out of character for him.

"Yeah, just like the Odysseus-pattern jumpships.  But the Odysseus can carry a lot more than the Lothlorien can, but we make up for it with better weapons and armor."

He walks up to the entrance ramp, patting the side.

"Shun Xiao helped design the engine, but the rest was a collaboration between myself and Spiderweb.  It's a lot more cobbled together than it looks.  Remember what you were saying about the Defiant shaking apart?"

The name makes her feel a lot better about the journey. Ignoring everything else, the engine was going to be something Jess could trust.

"It should hold together well enough. I suppose this'll be a good test run in addition to everything else. What's our ETA to the target?"

"Two and a half days, fast warp.  The downside is that the Last Refuge will be moving without us to another vent point.  So that means we'll have to play catchup.  If our engines fail or a vent point closes, we may very well be lost in space forever.  But don't worry, the universe wants us to win."

"I can live with that. Or die with it, I guess." she says matter-of-factly. "Just in case, do you think you could bring along some copies of that Star Trek show? I've heard enough about it by this point that I might as well watch it. You can explain stuff to me."

The loss of Journeys would be a terrible thing, but it was his decision, not hers, and these sorts of risks weren't unusual. The biggest concern was a disabled engine stranding them, but then, it was Shun Xiao's work, placing any chance of a fuck up squarely on her own two shoulders.

And he was right, the universe wasn't going to let her die yet.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:47, Wed 04 Jan 2017.

"Sure, I've got a whole shitton of them on a hard drive." He lets his arm fall from her shoulders then heads up the ramp, "Time you meet the rest of the crew, such that they are.  They're not my normal crew, since Tomato's out of commission, but so it goes."

Jess looks away from Journeys as a cold weight settles into her gut alongside the pill. "I'm glad she's taking proper time to heal up. Lunar or not, she went through a lot for all of us that fight."

Even with the horrible injuries, she had thought the Exalt would have been out by now. She really did hope it was just her getting the right amount of bedrest. That would make her smarter than Jess, certainly.

"She is... alright, right? I haven't spoken with her since after the battle." A little guilt creeps into her voice along with the concern. She had only just now messaged Pacifica, having been rather self-focused in her thoughts the last few weeks.

"Yeah, she'll be fine.  She's tough stuff!"  They enter the ship, into the airlock.  There's another room past with six flight suits hanging up.  "Really the big things to worry about are the stranger stuff than the simple physical.  If she were bleeding from the nose or speaking in tongues about the black goat of the wilds, then I'd be a bit more worried.  We'll miss her during this run, no lie, but she'd have made us a bit slower and she doesn't have the powerful oomph we need to take out potential cruisers."

Jess grunts at that, knowing it made good tactical sense, however unfortunate it was. "I suppose we can always bring her a souvenir."

She peers carefully as they enter the ship, doing her best to take in every detail. If worst came to worst, it would do to know where the holes most likely were. It was, at least, bigger than her room had been.

"That's the spirit.  If they're really aliens, though, she'll never forgive us."

The rest of the yacht looks like something straight out of Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy or Star Trek or something that starts and ends with Stars.  A living room, complete with couches and a TV; an armory; a cockpit; several bunkrooms.  Really it resembles Command's apartment more than anything else, probably because this is Journeys we're talking about.

Ah, yes, and the whole damn thing smells like weed.

"We've got another floor, too, but that's gonna be a lot more technical," He explains to her.  "A hangar airlock for you to access the Shofar, and a comms/systems room for Clara to monitor transmissions.  Also there's the rotating turret right above us.  Then again, don't all turrets rotate?  Why is it called that?"

"Fixed turrets are a thing. I think tank destroyers had them? You had to turn the whole vehicle to line up the shot." she says absentmindedly. "When you've got a real big gun, it's not a terrible idea to get rid of as many big parts as you can, especially if it's supposed to take hits. Granted, not being able to aim at anything that isn't in front of you is kind of cra-" Jess cuts herself off. "Sorry, you know all that. Just thinking out loud."

The weed didn't really bother her. She'd never really touched the stuff, but her shows commonly smelled like it. If anything, the scent tended to relax her, because it meant the Ecstatics were sticking (mostly) to less crazy drugs that particular night. Skunk wasn't the best smell in the world, but it beat the copper scent of an out of control mosh any day.

"Aliens, though... can't wait to explain our planet ended the universe. Take that, Lovecraft."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:34, Wed 11 Jan 2017.

"Guess you call castle towers turrets too, so good point.  Military history isn't my forte, so chat away."   He yawns and walks over to the couch, "Others should be here soon so hurry up and wait!  And hey.  If my cosmology's right and if aliens do exist, they probably fucked things up juuuuuust as hard, so they can't blame us."

"You'll have to explain the cosmology to me. In terms of fixed turrets versus rotating ones, I was just thinking that it's been so long since so many targets have been willing to sit still and get shot. From the Bundy to the Buchenwald, the market for simple, straightforward firepower has grown. Not that I'd prefer anything but a rotating turret on a craft as isolated as ours, extra moving parts or no."

Jess had been making a greater effort to think like this lately. She wasn't all that mechanically minded, but measuring benefit against drawback was the most basic sort of strategy.

"How about we be cynical hopefuls and expect alien ghosts? Intriguing, but just as, if not more dangerous than a cruiser"

"Well, long story short, our subconscious creates the cosmos.  The spiritual side, I mean.  We know the Neverborn came from very, very far away; maybe there were aliens who were just so nihilistic they spawned them."  He shrugs, "Alien ghosts may very well be possible, you know?"

"Bad thoughts making bad realities, huh? I admit I have always been fascinated by the idea of the reverse. Course we're going to need a lot more people for that, I'm sure."

Jess considers her plans on the matter. Encouraging widespread fornication was easy enough, but the resources to support those people would be the real issue. There was definitely enough space to house many more people than currently occupied the Last Refuge, but mass construction in Underdeck just wasn't that feasible. And then there was the fact that anyone growing and living in such accommodations would inevitably end up being lower class...

She shakes the thoughts out of her head, deciding to try and take whatever relaxation she could get for the moment.

"Most people are.  The Universe is a real thing for a reason.  It's what made the Incarnae and the Gods in the first place!  Belief shapes reality.  So alien belief may have made their own sort of thing.  I'm also convinced it's the only way out of this reality.  White Arcing Lightning can talk all she wants about finding the last remaining wyld zone and jetting out of here, but I have the feeling that it's not going to be... big enough for us."

"Well. That's a pleasant thought. You have any particular plans for manifesting destiny?" she says, in a voice implying she wasn't actively working towards similar goals. It wasn't a secret that both her and Red Queen were actively attracting worshipers, but she somehow doubted the other woman was planning precisely the same sort of spectacle.

"Use Lucifer's gun?"  He jokes about the Manifest Destiny, "No idea.  My job is only to get us there, girl.  It's up to you braniacs and dreamers to figure a way from there.  That's more, what, Secrets or Endings?  Not me.  You get me on the other side of that portal and I can start figuring things out from there, but I'm a wanderer, not a lockpick."

"Lockpick or battering ram, either works, I suppose."

It was all well and good to say, but the logistics of mobilizing humanity's collective belief were the largest problem. If she was going to speak to anyone about it, it would likely be Red Queen and that... just wasn't likely to be productive. She worried sometimes that the woman bought into her own publicity, so all Jess could do is get closer to the Infernals in general and hope reason would win out over pride.

"Endings and Secrets might be good to talk to. Someone recently told me I needed to spend less time locked in my own noggin. And yeah, I suppose getting us there is already hard enough."

"Well, of course.  If I could at any rate.  Secrets doesn't have any idea," He shrugs, "Hey man, don't we all?  We're all too stuck in our own heads.  We need to get out and relax."

A buzzer starts going off in the living room.

"Ah, hey, speak of the devil.  Sounds like the rest of the crew's finally here.  Sorry, I thought they'd already be here."

He introduces the four others.  Two are a long-haired husband-and-wife team, Nick and Amy Indigo, an elderly couple that look like they should be running a granola farm.  "We're the engineers,"  Amy tells her, "Specializing in jury-rigging!"

"Pleased to meet you," Nick shakes her hand.

The next is the co-pilot, Olorunyomi Ejimadu, a statuesquely beautiful Nigerian woman with hands covered in gold circuitry that Jess isn't quite sure is painted on or not.  "Just call me Olo," She says with a brilliant white smile, "I'm honored to meet you."  She doesn't try to shake hands.

The last is a scarred hunk of muscle and twitching reflexes.  His left eye is a gaping hole, his right arm marked from fingertip past the elbow and beyond his sleeve with deep burn scars.  He grunts at Jess. "Marco Polo,"  He introduces himself, "Earth Dragon, at your service."

"Nick and Amy." Jess repeats. "It's good to meet the both of you." she says, returning the man's handshake with a smile. "And good to hear. Just long enough is as long as we need it."

Weirdly, her mind flashes back to the twins. Jess doesn't let it touch her expression.

She doesn't make a point to shake the hands of either the Earth Dragon or the co-pilot, but does keep her smile fixed, providing the slightest bow of the head to the former in order to show respect without breaking her friendly disposition.

"Well Olo, I'm glad to meet the pilot Journeys trusts to sit beside him in the cockpit."

Finally, the dragon. She looks at him, trying to place his face and name before speaking.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 09:01, Sun 29 Jan 2017.

Ah, the twins- early casualties.  It's been a long time since their fate crossed her mind.  At least it was quick.  Yet another thing she owes the Gardener of Screams.

"Happy to meet you too,"  Olo keeps up the smile, "Don't worry, I'm not as good as Journeys but I'm still pretty good."

Marco keeps staring at Jess.  Staaaaaaaaaaaare.  He coughs.  "... Of the Earth Dragon."  He corrects himself.  Staaaaaaaaare.  He coughs again, "Family name.  The Polos have served Journeys for centuries."

Jess grins. "An important distinction, I suppose. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Polo."

She was sure she was projecting, but minus Olo, this all seemed weirdly familiar. Even Journeys reminded her just a bit of an old manager from a long while ago.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 20:42, Tue 31 Jan 2017.

"Yeah, I guess.  Call me Mark.  It gets weird asking for a Mr. Polo when Olo's already running around."  He scratches his neck and turns back towards Journeys, "Hey, boss.  I'm going to be useful as tits on a bulkhead; alright if I catch some sleep?"

"Yeah, sure."  He looks back at Jess, "He's my bodyguard, which means he spends most of his time as useless as tits on a bulkhead.  I can't remember the last time he had to fight."

"The demon-mafia on the Transport Walletpincher.  Last week,"  Marco grumbles.

"Oh, well, they're not the Neverborn so they don't count."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:36, Tue 31 Jan 2017.

"Mark, if you don't mind me asking," she says as the man begins to head off. Are you familiar with the Flanahan family?

Okay, so, it was a long shot, and on some level a bit racist to assume all of the earth dragon knew each other, but...

"Flanahans?  Irish bastards?  Bare-handed boxers?"  Mark asks, "Yeah, they're a well-respected family.  Did you know any?"  He looks a lot more interested, "The old families have kind of fragmented after the Exodus.  A lot of them are still looking for scions of the old ones so they can try to put together a bloodline again.  Mine's pretty much all gone."

"A man named Patrick taught me everything I know about fighting. Good friend. Knocked me on my ass when I needed a reality check." Her expression brightens a bit more as she remembers the old days, but grows considerably more sober after a pause. "He uh, probably can't help you with the bloodline, though. Went out like a warrior during the Exodus."

Memories of that particularly horrible event start to flood her mind, and for a moment, she starts to feel the room darken a bit. A curious feeling in her stomach seems to fight it off, though, and she manages to maintain her conversational tone. "It's a shame. We need good men like that more than ever."

"A lot of them did."  Mark shakes his head, "Many that didn't need to.  Honor and glory should take second place to survival all the time."

"Which is why he's on my staff," Journeys nods at him.

"Yeah, that.  Still, anything you know about him would interest some of the other Earth dragon-blooded.  We're trying to create a register of sorts.  You never know when the blood might reassert itself and history helps us.  It keeps the Dragon-Blooded connected, and if you'll forgive the pun, grounded.  If you're up for it, I'll pick your brain later."

"I'd be honored to do what I can to preserve his memory." she says. It was a politician's answer. Revisiting those memories wouldn't be pleasant. A whole lot of the past was better forgotten. Still, he was a good man, and he'd stood by her during the Exodus, even after he'd gotten a peek into her real nature. He'd trusted her not to give in to it.

Jess turns back to Journeys. "So, anything in particular on the agenda, or... ?"

"Nope!  Sit back, relax, watch some TV, smoke some herb- Olo's going to get us on the way!"

The trip over is pretty uneventful.  For the most part, the ship is kept in good repair by Nick and Ami, Marco spends most of his time asleep, and Olo flies.  Journeys just jabbers, relaxes, and at some point cooks a delicious omelette.  He switches with Olo when they reach the second waypoint, in which time they've had plenty of time to relax and prepare.

"Alright, Jess.  Into your ship.  we're almost there,"  Journeys calls over the intercom, "We'll be seeing a dead little rock and probably not much else.  Be prepared for an ambush."

Jess nods and makes her way to Shofar. The journey had been pleasant, relaxing, and in good company. She'd made at least a little effort to make an actual connection with them, as well. Now it was back to the battlefield. One more funeral dirge for the dead.

"Rodger that. I'll be ready to launch when you give the word."

Squeezing into her ship is a bit harder than usual, and she's forced to go full skin-tight anime pilot just to do so.  Their yacht just isn't built for easy egress.

The Shofar hums when she enters it.  It's happy.  It's ready to go.

"Alright, we're jumping in..."

The yacht lurches as they jump.  She's gotten a lot more used to the Lothlorien's jerking, twisting jumps that turn her stomach inside-out.  Upon exit of the jump-point, she sees a dead little moon orbiting a gas giant circling a lone, guttering-red sun.  It doesn't look exactly promising.

"Sensors, Olo?"

"Nothing from the vicinity.  Same readings we got from before around the moon."

"Alright, Tempo, time for you to detach and go close."

"Tempo, huh?" she thinks to herself as she sends the remote request to disengage the clamps holding her ship to the large vessel.

"Shofar is floating free, and my eyes are peeled. Heading towards the target."

She accelerates carefully, ready to take evasive action if necessary. She keeps the light show off, not wanting to attract attention at this stage of the likely ambush. There would be time for music and flare once the killing started.

This was good. She was here in a new suit, a newly repaired friend, a new name, and only a semi-reasonable chance of losing people she'd decided recently that she liked. Things were looking up, which of course meant something was about to go horribly wrong.

Tempo does her best to stay relaxed as she watches her screen and checks the various sensors.

She's alone, for the first time since Journeys visited her in Sanctuary.  The screen shows nothing but dead rock, which is not reassuring.  The whole thing screams at her senses.  She's used to death, by now; it's an old, old enemy, and she's been steeped in it for longer than a decade.

Eventually she gets closer to the moonlet.  Her sensors start beeping- she's detecting an energy source on the side of the moon closest to the gas giant.

"Sensors have picked up the energy signature." she says, quickly. "Side of the moonlet facing the gas giant. Going in for a closer look. Weapons are ready for any 'surprises', though I'm still getting a weird feeling about this."

The music is once again about to play. The calming, familiar tempo of battle would sound, and once again, she would direct it, and orchestrate the violence into something that was, at the very least beautiful. The Morningstar didn't understand this sort of thing, for the simple reason that he was too central a part of the narrative. Everything was too real to him. Every loss too personal. He was too good a man to understand something like her.

She felt a little more at peace with that now.

To a man like him, each fight was a righteous battle in the name of greater ideals.

To Jess, war boiled down to two things.

Violence The targeting array is primed.

and Noise.

She rests her fingers on the triggers.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:55, Thu 16 Feb 2017.

She flies around the moonlet, her ship cutting silently through the Void.  She has to take the long way around the ecliptic thanks to the gravity well of the gas giant.

Around the other side, she sees scaffolding growing out of the moonlet like a black city.  Skyscrapers of black support a half-dozen Abyssal cruisers, each of them under varying stages of construction.  There are no fighters she recognizes either; instead there are a half-dozen larger ships, bigger than the Shofar but smaller than the Lothlorien or the Pilar.  If piloted by the Living, it'd fit 3-5 individuals in cramped quarters.

They don't seem to have noticed her.

This all seemed wrong. She wasn't horribly outmatched by her measurements, but if this was a trap she'd set, she'd absolutely have made sure those cruisers looked less operational than they were. Furthermore, with numbers like this, first strike was of a reduced value, especially given how tough Abyssal vessels tended to be.

Jess pulls back, sending a carefully directed message to Journeys. "Enemies sighted. Half dozen Abyssal craft of unknown capability, bigger than me, but smaller than the Pilar. Half a dozen cruisers in a a few different stages of construction. Strongly suspect we're meant to assume none of them can move yet. Backing off, not sure if we've been noticed yet."

"This was a low percentage situation.  Core suggested that it could be an accidental datasquirt, a change in Abyssal coding from a forward R&D facility that would be received differently.  Percentage chance of this being a trap is still pretty high."  The message bounces around the moon after a 30 second delay- no doubt encryption. "That is a target of high priority if it's legit, though.  Think you can swing in closer and give it a better look?"

It's looking a bit like less of a trap- the smaller ships continue their measured patrols, but she can see figures working on the edges of the cruiser, welding pieces in place with the occasional flare of necrotic energy.  At the same time, Tempo most assuredly is not a stealthy type, so if she gets in closer she may very well get sniffed out.

"If I go in, I've got less than a ten percent chance of not being seen. You picked the wrong rainbow elephant for a stealth mission..." She rechecks her instruments for a final time, trying her best to pierce any deceptions. "Of course, even the worst case of all those ships being online isn't necessarily going to kill me. I'll make the attempt at sneaking closer. If they see me, well, the music starts again."

The worst case would be plenty fucking terrible, actually, but it was true that running away was a bit easier than shooting them all apart. Tempo does her best to at least feel for the flow of the patrols, going for more precise timing than overt hiding.

She does her best, but keeps her fingers just as tightly on the triggers.

((Go ahead and make a Stealth roll.))

"Roger that.  We're ready for a quick run out.  Only use the radio now if you need to run.  Total silence- now."

((8, 7, 7, 7, 6, 2, 2 & 2
Stealth 37 - 10 = 27
3 2s into River))

The darkness of space is a poor audience, and she imagined even someone like Lyla would have issues making such a massive, thick armored thing disappear. Jess does her best to pilot Shofar into the gaps in the patrols. The maneuvering is reasonable, she supposes, given the circumstances, but unless the enemy is having a bad day, it was unlikely to be the miracle she needed.

((Detection:
9, 7, 7, 6, 4, 3, 1, 1 & 1
*Detect 31 + Awareness 15 = 46))

The gaps in the patrols exist, yes.  But if the Shofar is an elephant and the Benisuzume is a graceful bird, these new ships are lions.  One of them picks up on her almost immediately.  They all turn, converging on her position.

She still has a few moments.  She could still probably turn and run.

There was no reason to run here. If she died out here, it would be a nice quiet demise, and at worst, she'd be buying the other ship more time to escape. There was a lot of unknown to the odds of success, but even the worst case wasn't immediate death. It was time to start killing.

Tempo engages the enemy.

"Get this party started
on a saturday night

Everybody's waiting
for me to arrive"

As she starts pumping the music, she actually gets something back for once.  This is, for lack of a better word, unusual.

"UNIDENTIFIED VESSEL.  Lower your shields and power down your weapons!  This is by the will of the Grandmaster of the Immaculate Order!  If you do not yield you will be fired upon!"

And that's when her connection with the Lothlorien gets cut.

There were many situations she had imagined when flying out here. Many clever plots she might have to navigate, or enemies she might need to triumph over. This was... absolutely outside her expectation. Jess powers down her weapons and shields, an action made more obvious by how bright and shiny they normally were.

 A surprise attack would be a bad way to start this conflict, but if this was a bluff, it was an interesting one.

"Weapon systems are down. Shields made inactive."

"Name/Callsign, immediately."  The Immaculate ship contacts her, "You may refer to me as Pyreflame Leader.  Prepare to be towed to the Eyrie for inquisition and interrogation!"

The larger ships loom over her.  She can see they aren't designed like most Abyssal ships; they're a bit too personalized, covered with religious sigils and little personal touches.  The one called Pyreflame Leader pulls up alongside her.  There are three men sitting behind the transparent cockpit.

Another of the curious ships flanks her other side.  This one has a goddamn pinup model of what sure as hell looks like an Abyssal in BDSM clothing; the ship is called the DeathGoddess.  Some enterprising censor has drawn black bars over the naughty bits.

"Pyreflame leader, name's Kris Raid, callsign is Noise.

She wasn't sure if any good could come of getting dragged back to their command center, but she wanted to see how this was going to play out.

"DeathGoddess, I have to say that's one amazing customization.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:48, Tue 28 Mar 2017.

"Drew it myself," There's a dark chuckle on the other side of the line, "Thanks for the compliment."

"Alright Noise, stay nice and quiet." Pyreflame Leader orients itself above the Shofar, his ship looming over her own.  Little compartments open on the underside of the craft. From her vantage point she can see magnets and cables, which he then fires.  The Shofar shudders as there's a connection, and then the subtle surge of electricity as the electromagnets start to work.  "Noise, be advised that the Immaculate Order welcomes all converts to its cause.  You are doing the right thing by joining us here."

There are a lot of things that go through the Solar Exalt's head at that moment. She knows it's possible for her to break free, which had been her plan... but these ships weren't familiar. It was all the more obvious up close.

As she's reeled up, a hundred different branches of possible decisions fire off in her head regarding what to do, but it's somehow comforting as each path gradually disappears. She's waited so long for this moment to arrive that, oddly, she just hopes they get on with it. Really, it was a relief that it was happening this way. Had she remained much longer on board,
 Lucifer would have eventually unmasked her for the fraud she was, even if he had mistaken her shame for self-pity.

So, instead, she makes not a peep as she is pulled above. She sort of wants to hear what they had to say, to better understand people who so clearly weren't serving as slaves of the Neverborn, nor are as clearly broken as their Champions. Whatever awaits above, imprisonment, death, or worse... illumination, more heroes will rise. Real ones this time. Ones worthy to lead the Living to their salvation.

Jess only hoped Journeys would escape in time.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:35, Wed 12 Apr 2017.