Nothing Lasts Forever (IC)

[Gizmo]

"Rock? Ro-ock," Rock suggested diplomatically, stepping around to same side of the transmission and leaning his considerable bulk into view to wave briefly. It was a little tough to tell on his chunky, unyielding features but he seemed to be aiming for something between apologetic and reassuring. Twisting about in a manner than reminded those in the room that he didn't possess the framework of a skeleton in quite the same way as someone made of flesh and blood he gave Frankan a flatter look. "Rrrooock," he pointed out reproachfully and even if the specifics were lost on some of those listening the tone and his posture communicated that he wasn't angry, just disappointed.

 

"Ooooh...!" Nae-Dae tittered briefly before clamping two of her hands over her own mouth and looking pointedly away and trying to change the topic. "So, eh, aheh... Singularity's a bit of a rubbish name for a clone, yeh? Couldn't have called her Binary or somethin', like?"

[Fox]

Eclipse had moved to the very edge of the transmission once it started, leaning back on the first unoccupied chair she found - not always a comfortable prospect, tail and all, but the military's traditional desire to offer a standard that suited everyone made the chairs just adjustable enough to get them somewhere comfortable without being too extremely low or high.

 

And speaking of extremes.... She crossed her arms, keeping her expression as flat and unreadable as possible as she watched the transmission unfold. She barely kept that expression when Frankan made her opening, though, below the transmission's view, the end of her tail coiled against the floor a bit. It seemed a little too...perfunctory. Perfectly military, but not great for dealing with civilians, and a glowing example of why she'd hoped the Knight would do the talking. Not for the first time in her long and sordid career, the grey-skinned cyborg had some uncharitable thoughts about the negative impact becoming high-ranking military leadership had on one's personality....and not for the first time, she decided she might want to keep those thoughts to herself.

[Electra]

Wander had gone absolutely still during the replay of the video footage, her eyes flat, her expression closed. "Her name," she told Nae-dae coldly, "is Singularity, and she is not a clone. She's my sister." Wander let that hang in the air for a second. "She was kidnapped from her home along with her best friend some time ago, and we've been searching for her." Her attention focused in suddenly on the Grand Nauarchus, as her voice took on a dangerous edge. "Your footage showed what was obviously the very last moments of a longer fight. Was it one of your people who beat the hell out of her?" 

[Avenger Assembled]

"We believe that the being known as Aquaria was recruited by a radical interstellar terrorist organization known as the Spectrum Knights. I'm sure your sister was just an innocent victim of circumstance." Blunt manner or not, Frankan looked genuinely sympathetic as she spoke to the young Terran. "The Star Navy has recently hired this group of independent contractors to help track them down," she said, gesturing to Eclipse's crew, "along with the Star Knight Cavalier. We'll do everything we can to bring your sister home to you. The people of the Lor Republic...I, understand being separated from family." The Grand Nauarchus's cool demeanor cracked there, for just a moment. 

 

"The injures to your sister came when she was attacked by a member of the Spectrum Knights during a joint Star Knight-Praetorian operation against the Spectrum Knights. I'll let Star Knight Cavalier explain further," she said with a nod to Cavalier. 

[trollthumper]

"The Spectrum Knights have been conducting a series of raids across the galactic powers," said Cavalier. He was trying not to sound like a bad sci-fi cliche, especially when talking to someone back on Earth, but when you dealt with this kind of stuff, sometimes, you just had to accept how it came out. "We were following the trail of one of their assassins when we ended up at their base of operations. We believe you sister and Aquaria may have been targeted for recruitment - why, we don't know. The Spectrum Knights try to sell their recruits on the idea that they're the ones being ground under the bootheels of the galaxy, and the best way to respond is to set said boot on fire. Soon after we showed up, ships stolen from the fleet of the Star Knights launched an orbital bombardment of the planet. I was in orbit when the events with Star Knight Glart happened; I attempted to disable one of the craft, only to learn - the hard way - it was booby trapped."

 

He shook his head. "From what I saw, your sister was trying to get Aquaria clear of the chaos; Bie Yie, the bastard who organized a good chunk of this, noticed and tried to ensnare her. The snare caused a great deal of distress. When she got free, Glart tried to get her out of there; however, as I understand it, Aquaria tried to intervene, kicking Glart away - and onto an energy blade that Bie Yie had crafted for the offensive. We have him in custody as we speak..."

 

So, if you want to swing by and "talk" to him about all this, let me know. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Having heard most of this before Sitara choose to monitor the feed as it came in, she was still trying to pick up the new language of her home planet. It was strange how every now and then she’d heard a word that came from her own tongue. It was strange to hear the echoes of her world down through the aeon’s.

She was still interesting in what this Terran had to say there was a fire in her Sitara had seen many times before in great people. When she got a chance to go back home she’d had to see about paying her a visit.

[Fox]

Eclipse took a deep, quiet breath, mind plotting things out as she watched and listened.

 

First, they were asked to track down killers - terrorists, members of these 'Spectrum Knights', who'd taken down a Star Knight in cold blood and run to hide in neutral space.

 

Then they were just potential terrorists, misled and tricked into picking bad allies.

 

Then they were kidnapping victims, thrown into goodness knows what situation and told stars only know what lies.

 

And the more she turned that clip around in her head, the more holes it had. A kick into an energy blade was vicious, sure, but only if it was intentional and cold-blooded....

 

She didn't like it. "I'm guessing you've already talked to Bie Yie," she observed, speaking up for the first time since the transmission started. "Wouldn't mind a transcript of that. A full copy of the recording we've all been watching, too. As much as we've all enjoyed the highlights -" - and her tone made it clear that she would have enjoyed just about anything else - "- it sounds like there's a lot of context here that might have....tactical importance."

[Electra]

"You're going to go and find her?" Wander studied the assembled group, finally focusing in on Eclipse. "You and I have fought together. You know what I'm capable of. Singularity isn't as strong or skilled, but she's got speed and power, and she can fight. She's also suffering from severe post-traumatic stress from a previous kidnapping, and this is the sort of situation that will make her more unstable. If she thinks you're going to hurt her or Aquaria, or lock her up, she may well try and kill you or herself," Wander informed the captain flatly.

 

She scrubbed her face briefly with both hands and took a deep breath. "I don't want to come out there if it means you have to swing by Earth and pick me up, because it'll just slow you down. But if you can't rescue them, I'll get a team together and we will handle it." It wasn't quite a threat, more a dangerous promise. "When you make contact, let her know you're going to bring her to me. Tell her, hmm, tell her I said Charlie misses her and wants her to visit." 

[Avenger Assembled]

"Of course," said the Grand Nauarchus, firmly but politely reasserting control over the conversation. "We'll make sure your sister knows you're looking for her - and we'll bring her home to you soon." She signaled to Rye-07, and the tactical data Eclipse had requested as soon handed to her as an optical data solid with attached holo-abstract.

 

 Bie Yie's interrogation looked to have been a lengthy affair - the Spectrum Knight drill sergeant had had much to say about the Star Knights, the Praetorians, the Lor Republic, the Grue - and how all would be torn down and cast aside by the freedom brought by the Spectrum Knights. 

 

"We'll send the same data to Terra as well," Frankan promised Wander. "I'm sure you'll make something pertinent out of it," she reassured the Terran. "Bie Yie is a madman, determined to tear down the foundations of our very civilization. From what my staff tells me, you have plenty of experience dealing with creatures like that." 

[Gizmo]

"Rock," the singularly named titan contemplated aloud in an aside to his diminutive companion as it became increasingly clear that the situation hadn't been well represented by the initial briefing.

 

"Nah, you'll prob'bly end up punchin' somebody," Nae-Dae reasoned from previous experience alone. She'd ducked behind a bulky stone shoulder when Wander had turned her attention her way and had since been trying to surreptitiously resume a more casual position. "What d'you figure a 'Charlie' is? Some real bruiser, I bet, bloody Terrans."

[Fox]

"Probably," Captain Eclipse mused; she pushed herself off her chair, pulling her tail back under her cloak. "Looks like we've got a job to do. We'll try to get your sister back to you safe and sound, Wander - hopefully she makes that easy for us. Thanks for the help, and let us know if you've got anything else that we might need to know."

 

She snapped a salute - a proper one - to the Grand Nauarchus, looking a little less pleased and flippant than she had when she came in. "Ma'am, if we're done, we'd better get started - trail's cold enough as-is. You coming, Knight, or are you sticking with your own wings?"

[trollthumper]

"I can provide my own wings," said Cavalier. "Might be a good idea, in case we need external fire support. But if you want me inside so we can discuss operations through something other than a headset, I'll easily catch a ride." This was going to be a bit tricky. In addition to the sheer firepower the cl - Jessie - carried, it had been easier to view her as a culprit, if one who didn't quite know what the hell she had gotten into. Now he saw her as someone's sister, desperately lost, and with her own family back on Earth wondering what the hell was happening. He knew this was not necessarily some matter that cleared the slate - lots of the people he'd tangled with had loved ones, somewhere, and that didn't erase their sins. But... it did pick at his mind. In all the old parts he didn't want it to. 

 

"So. We heading out?"