Mars Planning Meeting

Robless went back with Zyria, D'garar, and Kassandra to the meeting room. Archelaus was still reconciling with Tam, and was left to finish up in the other room. Robless pulled out a folder that Drugari had received from the shuttle.

"These are my remaining assets. Some of my more undercover projects will be revealed to all of you; I trust it won't be used against me. The Mars mission is of utmost importance, with Tam's life and mind at stake. Each and every one of you are valuable team members, so we will all be going. This will be the crucial planning stage of this mission, and it is very important that we have everyone focused and giving everything they've got. Keep it like a well-oiled machine, all parts functioning together, and we'll pull through this. I won't be authorizing any large-scale fleet ops in the sector; it would be a bit too much and might scare off what we're looking for. Let's get this started now."

-Zyria looks at each and every one of them. Robless, Caz (who I'm assuming is still an orb of light). D'garar, Kassndra. It seems all they had to do was, well, go. One thought nags her mind, though.- "So, we're trusting that Tam will be safe? Just, drop her off somewhere? And, Caz, you're still an orb, would you be okay coming in that state, or can you change back?" -Zyria's head swirls with the strange ideas, Caz being an orb of light, and the thought of just leaving Tam while the parasite could resurface at any moment.-

Tam and Archelaus enter the room, their faces grave. Tam tears her gaze across everyone, then speaks. "I am leaving. You all must focus on finding the cure, and I will only be a burden. I have a plan for where to go, and I will be very safe there. It won't be hard for you to find me. Is there anything else before I go?" Then Caz catches her eye, and her gaze softens a little. She walks over to him, putting her hand out to him, and he drifts into her palm. She smiles, and then in a blinding flash of light she draws from the well of power in her chest and pours energy into Caz's small body. When the light dissipates, Caz is back in human form, kneeling in front of Tam. He looks up at her, gratitude plain on his face.
"Thank you, Tam. Thank you..."
"Caz, don't thank me. Thank you. You will keep my friends safe, just as you have. It just won't have to be from me, this time." She turned back to everyone else, "Now, any last things?"

"Right. I'm sorry it had to come to this, but I think we can all agree that your decision is only for the best. I wish we could take you, but sadly, I don't think it's such a great idea. There's no more I can say for you, Tam." Robless sighed. Nothing more he could do for Tam, except to carry out this mission. "Remember, I still owe you my life at this point. Thanks for everything." He gestured to Drugari.

"I think he has something to say to you." The words rang out in his head. Certainly more than something. Drugari looked up. "It's been a long time, Aurora. I hope we see each other again. So long...sister." The hair, those eyes...the closest thing to family he ever had since his parents died.

[Gonna go ahead and do kind of a final version of the history of their family.]

Tam stared at the man, completely still, confusion on her face. And then reality hit her, as hard and sudden as a slap to the face.

"C... Cass..? Cass, is it... is..." Her eyes searched his face, analyzing every little detail, every little similarity. But it was the eyes that hit home. "Cass... it... it's been so long... big brother."

It had been... almost a millennia since she had seen her brother. Scenes from those long past years played through her mind over and over, scenes that filled Tam's heart with happiness and then ones that filled her soul with pain. Those eyes... I've always admired those eyes. Cassus Drugari was something special, something different. His mother and biological father were both humanoid, but technically he was two different people. His father had left his mother before he even knew that she was pregnant with him, and then when he was to term there were complications. He wouldn't have survived. But his mother's close friend, a Kazesqui named Eris-Dru, had been going through the Taz'a ("light-bringing"), or a ritual to create a new Kazesqui, and it also had complications. Neither child would have survived, but somehow the two merged, combining into one, in order to survive. Though his body was humanoid, the Kazesqui showed through in his eyes. That was Cassus Drugari.

After that, Eris-Dru and Cassus' mother raised him together. Dru became the only father Cassus ever knew. Tradgedy struck, however, just after Dru went through the Taz'a again. Eris-Tam was brought into being as Cassus' little sister, but shortly afterwards Dru's Neiede died. He was struck with grief, but he still had Cassus' mother, Cassus, and Tam so he managed best he could.

But tradgedy had not yet run its course. Cassus' mother was murdered in the family's home by an old enemy, and left Tam and Cass without a mother and then, without a father. Dru collapsed inside after her death, and he slowly crumbled apart. On the day that he finally broke, he attacked Tam, his own daughter, when she was only nine years old. He beat her, and when Cassus heard the commotion he grabbed his father's rifle from its case and killed his own father to protect his sister. He was only twelve.

She recovered quickly, but then when Cassus and Tam tried to survive on their own, Tam realized that she was only a burden to Cassus. He was at least competent enough to hold his own, but it was a strain on him to care for her as well as himself. As much as he tried to hide it, Tam could see. So she ran. The only thing she left behind was a note to her brother, telling him that she loved him and to take care of himself because she knew he could.

She went to live with an uncle, Eris-Rhu, and she never saw her brother again...

Until today. Almost a millennia later.

"Cass..." Her face breaks into an almost wary smile, "Hell, Cass... I didn't know if you were alive. I... what happened after I... after..." she trailed off uncertainly.

(Jaw drop, explosions, sense of awesomeness. OK, that was well-written and now it makes more sense than when I attempted to piece it together. Absolutely awesome. Now I have to think of a response...)

Cass...Nobody had called him that for over a thousand years. "Tam...It--I...It wasn't your fault. I'm just glad to see you again."

Drugari could barely make the words form in his mouth. It had been such a long time...He knew that Eris-Tam was certainly his sister but up until this point the realization hadn't really connected.

"A century and a half...it's really been that long? I should have...should have gone looking for you." Some regret seeped into his voice, knowing that he wouldn't see her until the journey was complete. "I wish I could spend more time with you. The last nine hundred years... God, it must seem like I'd forgotten all about you! Don't worry, I'll make up for it, little sister..." His voice also began to falter and trail off.

Vivid memories of the terrible years caused by the Thel-ghan'che infestation flashed through Cassus' mind. He couldn't imagine such a thing would hurt his little sister. He would have to save her now.

"Goodbye, I guess. I hope we see each other again..." Hope was hard to find in the darkness, but it was the most he could wish for. Hope to see each other again... Those words rang out in his head.

Tam looks down for a moment, nodding a little, and then she hesitantly approaches her brother, and wraps her arms around him. "I've missed you. I didn't want to go... but I knew you would make it. I knew you would be okay..." She just hugs him for a long moment, and then lets go and steps back. She smiles weakly, a crooked half-smile, and looks to each of them, saying a silent goodbye to each of her friends, whether new or old. And then she is gone. Just like that. Tam disappears without leaving a single hint that she had ever been there, except for the last image of her where she was, echoed through the minds of each person, each of her friends. I'll see you all again soon...

"Farewell, Tam. We'll be seeing you again...soon enough." Robless said his last goodbyes to the already missing Kazesqui. "I'm sorry that we couldn't keep Tam with us, but I assume she is right about the Thel-ghan'che. It might endanger all of our lives, including Tam's, if the parasite broke out on this mission. It is becoming too powerful, and I fear we must act fast if we want to stop the Thel-ghan'che in its tracks."

"So, here we are. The planning stage of our mission. If nobody has any objections, I will offer up my resources first." None of the others seemed to mind and none spoke up. "We may want to keep this operation low-key. The disruption caused by seeing all of the rulers in one location may prove to be an obstacle if we stayed in the open for too long. As you all know, the stealth technology of the NSI is top-notch, and Drugari's cloaked frigate should suffice for all of us."

"Next up, I present to you the new NSI survival rover. Capable of withstanding nearly any atmospheric condition, it is also well-armored and gives off zero detectable traces if modified to suit our needs. As of now, this is just about all that I offer, besides basic resources and stealth gear that we might need. The Stalker revolution has come all too suddenly, but most of our researchers came true to me. The NSI is good at staying hidden; I wouldn't worry about them. I'm sure that D'garar and Archelaus have much to offer; their forces are superior than the already-strained NSI troops."

Archelaus stood stunned on the cold metal floor, not quite receiving the full impact of what had happened. He had gained, he had lost, he had given...
He had died inside, and then lived again.
He watched Aurora go, knowing the dangers that she would face on her journey, and in her seclusion. He knew how much pain she would go through, so that she didn't hurt him, or Robless, or any of the people she trusted enough to save her life and her defend the future of her people.
He swore... "Why can't life be perfect!?" his mind screamed, "Why do I have to go through this again!? Why do I have to watch as the only thing, worth ANYTHING, slips out of my life...." he thought the last part softly, "For the third time?"

Archelaus shivered. "Because life is hard, life is unjust, life is fair, and life has to be dueled to the death." Archelaus laughed at the old Alteriia saying... "To the death? Why fight? Life always wins in the end..."

So he would be strong, not for himself, for he wanted nothing but to sink to the floor again, and give up on the world, but for her. Aurora. Even the name was magic to his ears...

Nevertheless, Archelaus knew what he had to do. He responded to the 6th fleet, which had previously attempted to establish communication with Lord Conver's vessel, and called it to meet with them in orbit around Mars...

*Communications Node Established
* Up-linking Data Transfer Modules
* Up-link complete. Data Transfer is ready to begin.

"Arcani? We have work to do." Archelaus spoke, every bit te hardened warrior, the deep physic and mystic, the staunch leader and wary commander that he had been for close to a thousand years.
Arcani looked slightly surprised to hear how soft, yet sharp Archelaus' voices was, and shifted his head slightly to the left. He could see the tear streaks down Archelaus' face, but his voice was as calm as the Pheros. (Or, "The Twisting Vale")
Despite his surpized, the Admiral of the famed 6th fleet responded without missing a beat.

"Yes Arch-Druid, we do indeed..."

"I also am going to request a special requisition of stealth materials, and others, for... a good friend of mind." Archelaus' voice faltered, barely perceptibly, on the word "friend".

Drugari was dazed. Tam's hug took him by surprise (he hadn't been given one for a long time), and her quick disappearance was just as surprising, despite the final-sounding goodbyes. He was still slightly out of it, objects coming in and out of focus, hazy apparitions in his head. By the time he snapped back into it, Robless' voice faded in.

"When the 6th fleet delivers those supplies, we need to be ready to go. Grab any essentials, including weapons and ammo for any tight spots, and await the final briefing that we will start when they arrive. Anytime now, they'll be here. Archelaus, ETA?"

Archelaus didn't respond for a moment.
Aurora has dissapeared, just as quickly as she had come back to him. Of course, he could sense her as she ran down the corridor to her vessel,
But...

She was gone.
Again.

He looked up.
"Cassius. We meet again." Archelaus looked slightly fazed by his presence, but also slightly amused... There was a story hiding behind his jade eyes.

"The fleet should arrive in aproxmentally a quarter hour, if they left immediately from when communications were established. You should be able to locate them on your long range sensors, if their cloaks are disingaged of course..."

Prepare anyone you wish to take on a boarding party to be ready to leave in the next ten minutes. I have... things.... that must be done. Excuse my momentary absence."

"Before you go..." Archelaus paused and turned around to face the speaker. Drugari spoke again. "It's Cassus, my friend. Been too long?" A joking smirk lit up his face. He waved Archelaus away and turned, securing his helmet and pulling out his sniper rifle. "Let's do this."

Robless nodded and had already settled in to his commander's armor suit that Cassus had just brought in recently. The tinted visor on his helmet glowed orange and sparked to life, getting life signs, running diagnostic checks, and performing the all-important weapon calibrations. He was armed to the teeth and checked through each of his weapons. The short-blade was in good condition, sharp, and held its charge. Next was the HR-21 rifle, the barrel well-magnetized and its electronic sights lit up and showing ready lights. The commander lingered on the glowing nano-sword, but was interrupted by a loud voice on the speaker announcing the detection of the 6th fleet and an incoming shuttle that would dock in a couple of minutes. "Come on everyone, grab your weapons and gear and haul out of the middle of nowhere."

Caz shakes his head a little dazedly, glancing at Zyria, now fully restored to human form. His eyes are bright as he mentally prepares himself for the mission they are about to embark on, and inside he feels... almost a little giddy. It's an odd feeling, really. He takes Zyria's hand briefly, "You should get ready." As he speaks, light black combat armor forms around him, with emerald green visor and accents. From within the visor his eyes show through a bright, glowing blue, very striking. He smiles, and releases her hand, turning and issuing orders silently via his implant to Eris-Tam's remaining forces. Fortify Eniswui. It's isolated, and the local dictatorship is run by Laya-Mer, the last of the Kazesqui besides Tam and I. She will help you, I'm sure. Tell her of the situation. They have a large population and a standard class starport, so you should be able to reach it safely. We won't be needing your assistance at the moment, the Agorian Warchief and NSI will be able to handle that. We're in good hands.

-With everyone preparing for the mission, Zyria decides to take the time to check on her dimension. Establishing a link with the command center on Pluto, she's surprised that her lieutenant, not her Second in Command, responds.-
"Princess! We hadn't heard from you, and many of us began to worry...."
"I'm fine, Lieutenant. Where's Boggs?"
"H-he.....he's not here, at the moment, Princess."
-Immediately, Zyria can hear the lie, but the worry stops her from pressing. Focus on the present mission, on Tam, you can't do anything right now.-
"...Fine. Anyway, I'm all right. I'm going to Mars to help an ally, and I need some supplies. I'm setting up a beacon, can you send me some survival tools, research equipment, and a few weapons?"
"Right away, Princess!" -The Lieutenant disconnects, and Zyria pulls out a small rod, attaching it to the floor. A few moments later, research supplies, survival equipment, and a few knives appear around the rod. Laying on top of it all, a suit, a dark midnight black. Smiling, she re-establishes the connection with her lieutenant. She shows him the suit.-
"How did you know....?"
-He smiles, a sad, grief-stricken smile.- "Boggs left a note."
-Once again, Zyra tries to ignore it. She smiles at the lieutenant.- "Boggs always knows. Thank you, Lieutenant." -Zyria disconnects.-
-Zyria leaves, and a moment later, returns, wearing the suit. The suit is a one piece, with slight padding along the joints, elbows, knees, etc. With the press of a button, a transparent, flexible helmet would form around Zyria's head if needed. As Zyria enters, the suit shimmers, changing from a dark purple, to blue-green, to a turquoise, with the padding remaining dark black. Picking up her supplies, she adds them to her old tools, fully prepared.-

"Archelaus!" Robless' voice came through his helmet as he rushed out to meet the Alteriian leader. Archelaus didn't notice him. "Archelaus!"

The intercom crackled and the ship's AI informed its that a couple of shuttles were awaiting docking permission. Archelaus paused and noticed the figure calling out to him. Robless caught his breath. "Archelaus, I'm going to go prep Drugari's stealth shuttle. I don't want to risk anyone knowing of this mission, as much as I trust your people. I'm afraid that there are probably too many hostile groups that could spoil this if they found out. Retrieve your equipment and the supplies from your shuttles. Set the 6th fleet on a search pattern, the NSI just informed me that one of our "unstable" victims got out and attacked the 5th dimension. Sorry, but there's nothing we can do for the people in the 5th, but I think our mission will be compromised if we do not leave immediately."

Without waiting for a direct response, Robless moved back to the others as quickly as he could and indicated that they needed to move to the stealth shuttle Drugari had brought with him. It was based on the MS-2 shuttle but modified to be one of the most undetectable ships in the world. On the outside it was sleek and hi-tech, with doors mounted on either side towards the front. 12 harnessed seats lined the interior towards the rear, with a lone cockpit seat placed up in front of the doors.

Instead of leading the group through the emergency airlock that the shuttle was docked to, Robless paused. He couldn't risk being spotted by the Alteriian 6th fleet. "Hold here, we'll wait for Archelaus to clear the 6th fleet out of here." Some of them gave him worried expressions. "I trust them completely, but the fleet is big and our enemies are at large. They're bound to find out eventually. The less people we have, though, the more time we'll have. Go ahead and mentally prepare yourselves for what's to come. Tam's counting on us here."

Archealus winked at Cassus, almost laughing despite his sudden loss. "Indeed my old friend, indeed..."

He walked, slowly, as the Alteriia sometimes do, toward the room he had originally woke up in.
One step. Two. Three steps, four steps... five...
He remembered the day when He took Aurora to the Kenjii mountian, and he was chased by a wild Faxani. (Sort of like a large wolf, with avian features) Aurora had been teasing him about his colossal bad luck skiing down the mountain, when all of a sudden, to top it off a giant furrry/feathered beast chases him across half the mountain side. Eventually he had calmed it using the Rolxan, but he had first had to give it his lunch in order to placate it. Archelaus smiled, briefly.
Six steps.. seven...
He recalled the day that he met Aurora... She had been shedding orange and yellow tears indistinguishable from the suns on the horizon, as she held a small Alteriia child, protecting her from certain death. She had dived off of her near-by platform, vaulted a wall, glided across a small divide, and jumped off the side of a near-by tree to land, with one hand hanging on the the side, and one side holding the child, on the edge of a large cliff. and all the while Aurora had a fear of heights, as he later learned. He remembered the smile on her face, when she pulled the child to safety.
Eight... Nine... Ten steps...
Archelaus remembered the month that they spent together hunting down the wily renegade, Captain Major Farrows. Archelaus and Aurora had spent four days tracking down a lead on him, that had lead to the location of a secret abandoned warehouse, on the edge of a minor planetary system. After ambushing traps and automated guards, they had found nothing but four walls. In a fit of desperation, Aurora had slammed a ball of energy into a wall... she had just so improbably hit a hidden switch, and the information they found there lead to Farrow's arrest.
Eleven steps, twelve...

Archealus turned around, to see Lord Robless talking to him...
As he listened intently, he showed little emotion, except a slight stiffening at the news of the 5th dimension's fate. As Robless continued however, Archelaus felt the presence of other Rolxan's searching the ship for him. The landing crews had arrived, and suddenly Archelaus understood Robless's intent.
Archelaus gently interrupted his... friend...
"Ah yes... I understand. I can assure you that every member of the 6th fleet is completely trustworthy. Such is the way of things when you can feel another's feelings. I can however, understand your reasonings. I would agree. A smaller mission would be more suitable then moving in a broad, bulky fleet, even one as sleek as the 6th.
After discussing the situation with the Admiral,
I will tell them to clear out in a search pattern as you have suggested. Guilty hands, wet with innocent blood do not escape the wrath of the Alteriia...!" Archleaus spoke the last sentence firmly.

"Everything I will need, I will have brought to the shuttle, although we may not have room for my personal battle armor... I understand however, that your stealth shuttle is indeed capable of transporting and Alteriia?"
Let us leave in... hopefully... four minutes. I will be ready.
We will succeed.
Aurora is...
We..." Archleaus trailed off, as the words misty as an early morning fog evaporated into the world around him, as his mind delved in some deep, re-awoken memory from long ago.

"We will save her. There is no other option. I thank you, Robless, for your help."

"It's the least I can do to repay her. Let us leave here."

Exactly four minutes later, Robless stood behind Drugari in the cockpit. The others were settled in their seats, all combat-ready. Several of the seats were taken up by Archelaus' personal armor, which they somehow managed to get through the door. Robless was forced to stand due to the space constraints caused by it, but as a commander, he was used to walking up to the pilot's cabin and gazing upon the vast void of space.

In the distance, the last of the Alteriian 6th fleet blinked out of the 12th dimension, on the hunt for...what was his name...Verax, if the killer was indeed the suspected "unstable" individual. Almost nobody in the NSI had met him in person, and the few unlucky ones that had met him were found brutally killed or they went insane.

Cassus released the docking clamp and pulled his stealth shuttle away from the airlock. The massive Warship 666 seemed like an imposing cliff on the relatively small ship. He pressed another button on the holo-console and the engines flared to life, boosting them to a safe warp range from the ship. "Warping in 3...2...1..."

And then they were gone. Warship 666 left alone with its skeleton maintenance crew, seemingly stranded in a vacuum, left behind after all the commotion. The sleeping giant returned dormant, waiting to awake for the next time it was needed. "Farewell, 666..."

Locking all threads on Warship 666 now. We're going to Mars. Check the 4th Dimension RP section for the Mars thread. This is going to be big, guys.