Galaxy's Edge Space Bar

[Myitt]

Gene shrugs. "Then shoot him, Haviss," he says quietly, emboldened by the alcohol. "By all means."

He eyes the Andalite cautiously. <<Is he...well?>> Kellim wonders.

[Shenmue654]

Mar watches as the venvolar disappears (Or perhaps...Venvolar as he called himself) and the talking reindeer suddenly appears. He finds himself less-than-surprised by this event: After all, this was the Bar he was in. Monsters from beyond the ken of mortals and angry Highest were par for the course. "Excuse me," states Mar to both the reindeer and the other patrons as he gets up and leaves through the saloon doors.

Mar finds Ike nearby his ship, shifting about an unusual foggy sphere. Was it some kind of Orb, or was it a ritual device? Mar furrows his brow--- It was a bit hard to tell, and unlike with the venvolar his memories did not suggest an answer. "I presume you have what you are looking for?" Mar says to Ike. He was beginning to wonder if this was a terrible idea....
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Gallant seems more bewildered by the appearance of the talking blue monster than the reindeer, although the fact that it could talk gave him pause. "If you're a familiar, your Master has no taste at all," muttered Gallant toward the reindeer.

Gallant blinked in confusion upon hearing the reactions of the other patrons. Gallant says in Haviss' general direction, "You know what this thing is? An...Andalite, I presume? Is he dangerous?"

[Chad32]

"Yes, these will do." Ike said. He brought the orbs to a clearing near the lake, where the water lapped gently against the shore, and the leaves rustled rhythmically. The orbs were placed in a square area, and he assumed a cross legged position on the ground. "Sit with me." He said. After Mar was in the square, he began chanting some unintelligible words. The fog began drifting out, making a pattern on the grass, like branches from a tree. It also rose like walls, making a dome of dark green mist, with branches all around.

His eyes closed, and he stopped chanting. When they opened, his entire eyes were dark green, and he spoke with a different voice. "My servant has called me to invite someone into the fold. To bring someone to The One." It said. "However, do you think I wouldn't know a fragment of a Highest when I saw one? Do you not know yourself that you already belong to another? Or do you truly seek refuge from he who created you?"   

[Shenmue654]

Mar's expression, upon sitting down in a cross-legged position, shifts as soon as the fog appears. He seems more tense, almost pensive. So, He was coming Himself. How preposterous. Why would the Highest come all this way? Mmmh, interesting.

Mar glances toward Ike when he changes expressions, using a poker face he'd developed over several years. "That's true," said Mar with a voice almost as even as his face, but with a bit of arrogance. "I am an incarnation, or at least a part, of a Highest from somewhere adjacent. What I want from this venture is to understand your....methods more than to seek an exit from <Zuhnto.>"

This last word is peculiar, and seems to be more of a description than a name. Mar clears his throat and asks his question. "How are you able to create thralls with personalities so similar to the base?"

[Chad32]

"My methods are simple. I create fragments of myself, and fuse them with mortals personally to ensure nothing goes wrong. With them, I change a mortal in such a way as to serve me without controlling every aspect of them, partly through giving them everything they will need in life."

"Another Highest can be a hard thing to control, though. There was one entity that I found destroying some of my creations. I tried absorbing him whole, after he made it clear that he didn't want to work together. I was forced to simply chase him out. He did not send out fragments of himself, though, preferring to send minions. If you wish to know us on a more personal level, I will answer all questions."

From the fog, he produced an amulet on a chain just like Ike's, and placed it in front of Mar. "My followers all remain themselves, to an extent. I simply remove some negative parts of them. Humans, for instance, are a violent race because they value their personal freedom too much. This drives them to even be suspicious of my motives, despite the fact that what I offer is so similar to one of their deities of choice. I wish for absolute knowledge, and the end to conflict, and offer all that I have to the unenlightened."

[Shenmue654]

Mar picks up the amulet, fingering it with his left hand. The gem atop this hand glows ever so slightly. "So, this is the kingmaker," Mar says with considerable fascination. "If you make your thralls by implanting yourself into other beings, in effect every thrall becomes an incarnate. With their old proclivities intact."

Mar then glances over Ike with suspicion, a sneer in his voice. ".....yes yes, but what's in it for you? If you exert such limited control in exchange for the end of their perilous freedom, you have little gained for much lost."

The economy of it was baffling. He dearly hoped this creature wasn't another one of those pathetic altruists.

[Chad32]

"I gain information, and all the power that a loyal species can give. All of the ingenuity of entire galaxies. It is a common idea for a mortal to want to rule over all that he sees. I see all, and of course I wish to rule all. I was once a nothing, and now I am everything. What I do now is more or less what I have been doing since I was not much more than this Ike person."

"Leaving mortals with a certain amount of autonomy lets them come up with ideas that I may not have thought of, and it's interesting to sit back and watch them live their lives once in a while. They're my pets. Not my automatons."

"Why worry about what I gain, though? I assure you that my end is covered. I never do anything I don't want to do, at least not for long. All you have to consider is what you might gain. All the better for you if you're getting the better share."

[Shenmue654]

"So you're like a child given a gun twice the size of your head and now you think you know how to fire it," states Mar, a grin crawling across his face. He toys with the medallion in his hands. "I have met Highest like you before. I acknowledge your legitimacy, but not your wisdom I'm afraid."

"Do you want to try this with me to see what would happen?" Mar states, glancing back at Ike again with a bored expression. "Honestly I haven't the slightest idea what would. It would give Me insight into how you're making your pets, for sure."

[Chad32]

"I suppose I could be considered young, compared to other Highest. I'm glad you respect me, at least a little. I certainly have enough power to make another Highest regret attacking me."

A smile forms on his face that's uncharacteristic for Ike. "I am interested to see what happens. This is new ground, and I love to try new things."

[Aluminator (Kit)]

Elriss mutters to Gallant simply, "They are the enemy."

She tenses as the Andalite approaches, but she seems at a loss for what to say in response to his She glances from Kellim to Haviss and back again before answering, "Andalite." The word comes out as much as a dry observation as it does an only-slightly-slurred address. She doesn't deign to address him by name, nor does she give her own, but hey, to her credit, she doesn't try to shoot him right off either.

"Um..." she begins professionally, "What is your reason for being in this sector?"


The reindeer looks around, taking in the dingy little bar. "Place could use a little work," he says. His eyes fix on the Andalite. "Whoa. Man, they musta been feeding him something crazy," he mutters. "Either that, or somebody slipped something extra special into that last batch of cookies."

He turns to Gallant with a laugh. "Familiar? Familiar nothing. Familiars wish they could fly like I do." He smiles self-mockingly, "Name's Vixen."

[Terenia]

Haviss scowls at Gene, but he is more taken aback by the Andalite's words than anything, and he does lower his weapon, not going so far as to holster it.

"This is...unusual," he breathes, no sure how to respond.


Zaretil lifts his upper body from the bow, his main eyes focusing on Elriss. <I am entirely uncertain, to be honest,> he says, sounding excited by this fact. <This is not the sector of space I was intending to arrive at, and my computers seem to be delightfully confused as to exactly what sector it is. Which is actually quite perfect. I do not want anyone locating me too quickly.> He grins with his main eyes. <And to what do I owe the honor of your presence. Those hosts, they are new are they not? I have never seen them before.>

[Shenmue654]

Mar stares at the amulet, a warped grin crossing his face. A novel experiment, this was. If his Highest self saved him from being absorbed, it meant the Highest cared enough about what he did for him to hold leverage against the Prince. If his Highest self allowed him to be absorbed, It would receive valuable data on a more advantageous thrall-making system. If the absorption attempt backfired, it would mean the system could not be used to turn an avatar. No matter what happened....it more than made up for his inability to convince the Yeerks to "play" with him.

"Then let's try it on dear old Mara, shall we?" said Mar to Ike, putting the amulet around his neck.
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"The-the enemy?" stated Gallant, catching his breath and composure. "Does your guild kill such creatures regularly?" He had to admit that given the obvious intelligence of the...the monster, he would be more interested in studying it than killing it. He had to wonder what the Andalite had wanted with a gun, as well.

The reindeer made vaguely more sense to Gallant than the "enemy" of Elriss, and he realized that fact alone made him snicker a bit. "My I do get myself in strange situations! Why would an animal be able to fly, Vixen? Have you been enchanted by your master?"

[Chad32]

The chain tightens around Mar's neck a bit, and glows as it draws energy from the dome. As the smoke enters Mar's body, he should feel an overwhelming sense of euphoria. A powerful sensation of pleasure will make just about anyone much more docile as the process completes. Inside his mind, a new entity sifts through his memories, and begins trying to remove chunks of them. By taking out and inserting memories, as the entity desires, a new thrall will literally not know anything but servitude of The One.

In truth, Ike never went to any heavenly place. It was just fake memories implanted in him, while he was in the state of euphoria. With he right memories, one could believe they spent much more time in this place than they really did. Reconstructed memories, as well as a spirit to ensure loyalty, was all it really took to make an obedient convert that would bring more to The One.

The attempted constructed memory should make Mar believe that he wanted freedom from his greater half, and The One saved him, and he would be able to do what he wanted without fear of being reabsorbed by the other Highest. He still had his memories of the bar, but before then, the spirit attempted to implant fear for the other Highest inside Mar. Exaggerating any worried Mar might have of being removed after he left the bar. The spirit within could enhance his abilities, especially if he got out from under the being that controlled the Bar. Loyalty to The One would bring physical happiness, while thoughts of deception or treason would bring pain, but no thrall was ever aware that it was the spirit within causing such things. It was just a fact of life for them.

The One knew that what he found would be a lot to take in. He wasn't yet sure if or how he might use it to gain power from or over the other Highest. Defeat over Crayak didn't mean that he could beat just anyone, and he knew that. After all of this was done, the necklace would loosen.

[Shenmue654]

The euphoria that came upon him was shocking. Overwhelming. Familiar like an old wound that had never stopped aching. It was impossible, impossible. Mar lifted slightly off the ground, as if he thought the feeling would send him through the clouds. His platinum white hair seemed to gain tinges of light gold. The Highest that Mar was momentarily attempted to exert control over the human, but then stepped down as if Its projection's freedom was not worth the loss.

The One's entrance into Mar's memories did not go precisely as planned, for the Highest and this human were far too linked. The creature had a few separate memories, tied to its brief life in this Bar, but the vast majority were as ephemeral and strange as the One's own. The One was able to implant its protocol easily, as if Mar wanted it,  but it was unsure of exactly which of Mar's memories it had changed.

Mar's feet touched the ground again....and tears were running down his cheeks. Something about him seemed very different---his posture was straighter. Mar wiped his face and smiled proudly, his arrogance completely unaffected yet very different. ".... yet I don't understand. Why would He take me back?"

[Chad32]

"Welcome to the fold." The One said. "Now that you are with Me, you and Ike can find more people to bring to Me. Also try to find out as much of this Bar as possible. If I was able to have free reign here, I could reach out to much more than I ever dreamed." He patted Mar's shoulders in friendship, then faded from Ike. The dome receded, and Ike was once again in control of his body. He knew what had happened, and was happy that he had done his God proud.

"I'm glad you joined us, brother."