The Galactic War: Rogue Element ~The Beginning

[Myitt]

Myitt reluctantly drags herself out of bed, blinking tiredly in the semi-dark of the quarters she shares with Illim and Daniel. The tiny suspension bed was barely enough space for the two of them, but no worse than they had endured on the thin cots back home.

"When I left Tess, she was still in labor," Myitt croaks, rubbing the dust from her eyes. She yawns hugely, reaching for her jeans. "I thought for sure we'd never get to sleep." She notices Terenia for the first time, remembering hazily that her friend had been coaxed to spend the night with them. Of course, Terenia shouldn't be left alone; Myitt flushes, warmth creeping up her cheeks, as she realizes that Terenia has probably spent a sleepness night in the corner of their little room.


Niko lies awake in his quarters, fingers drumming his chest. He has been up half the night, his shirt sweaty from anxiety. Thinking of where Gene might be. Thinking about Yarin. Tess and her boys. Everyone they had lost, and everyone they had yet to account for. His eyes burn and his head swims as he tries to sit up.

"God," he sighs tiredly. "I hope Andalites know the meaning of coffee." He slowly, shakily climbs to his feet, wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing for some days now, and uses the recirculated water to wash his face and rinse his scuzzy-feeling teeth. He shuffles out into the main Dome, blinking at the beautiful, and alien, holographic sunrise.


Lanath tugs the sheets closer over Aya's shoulders, trying to will her body to rest. It only seems to be half working, however, and he squints her eyes open in the dark of their temporary quarters.

The Yeerk, of course, did not sleep; but he watches patiently as Aya's body rouses.

<<Are you awake, my friend?>> he asks unnecessarily, sensing the spark of groggy wakefulness. <<We must check on Tess and the others. I am eager to know how they are faring.>>

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin's ARC displays Varekil in his quarters.  Ossanlin nods to himself as he notices a somewhat beleaguered-looking Claxter trot partway through the Dome.  He notes Efaen making her way into the Dome as well...blessedly in Andalite form.  At least she wasn't demanding the use of their limited supply of human fodder.  He notes a human coming in to watch the sunrise as well...one of the males, and from what Ossanlin had gathered earlier, an engineer of sorts.  He'd probably be interested in getting his hands into the Tyrennian's technology.

Ossanlin contacts Varekil.  He's sorry to wake the medic up, but he needs the information.  <<Varekil, how is the human female who birthed last night?>>

Varekil blinks a couple of times and then answers in a tired-sounding, but firm voice.  <<When I left, she and the two children were alive and...well, from what I could determine, they all seemed well.  The female had stopped bleeding, and both of the young were breathing.  We fashioned a makeshift sleeping cube for them.  I tried to tell the mother that she could safely hold them, or extend the suspension field of the sleeping cube to cradle them in safe positions, but she seemed rather delirious at the time and seemed not to trust the technology.>>

Ossanlin nods.  <<Very well, Varekil.  Thank you, you did well.  I'll only wake you again if we experience a medical emergency, otherwise, take today to sleep and recuperate.>>

<<Thank you, sir.>>

Ossanlin breathes a sigh.  He'd worried about the birthing process.  Without knowledge of the human systems, and indeed without even a proper Andalite doctor, things could've gone very wrong.  He continues to run around the meadow as the sun rises over some of the holographic trees, the overhead sky brightening, but still tinted pink instead of it's natural orange.  He'd hoped that Enorryma might join him, but she's probably still sleeping, which is certainly more than understandable.

The Z-Space projections still put them a day out from the first rendezvous.  Hopefully the human female's young would remain hail and healthy.  A loss of life, even new life, would be damaging to everyone's morale.  He would greet the two new life-forms if the mother allowed it...one of the responsibilities and privileges of being a Captain, but not until the mother and young had had time to recuperate from the ordeal.  Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to interact with one of the humans he didn't know.

Ossanlin gallops near to Niko and slows, pacing up beside the human, also watching the continuing sunrise.  <Probably not what you're used to in a sunrise, but I assure you, it's twice as pretty on the Homeworld.>  A brisk morning breeze blows across his face and ruffles his fur, invigorating him.  <I've heard that the blue sky is pretty to watch in the mornings as well.>  He glances over at Niko, lowering a many'fingered hand to the human.  Something Myitt had taught him...grudgingly.  Many humans who met for the first time clasped hands.

He speaks as he holds out the hand to Niko.  <We haven't been properly introduced.  War-Prince Ossanlin-Rethin-Sephirel.  And you're...Niko...right?>  He eye-smiles as another light breeze brushes across his body, hand still outstretched in the human ritualistic greeting.

[Chad32]

Claxter made his way to the stream to get a good drink. He wondered if he should try to get some sleep, now that the noise had stopped, or if he should wade in and let the cool water help him fully wake up. His body seemed to make up its own mind after the feeding and drinking, as he slipped into relaxing sleep.

[Myitt]

Niko starts out of his sleepy daze as the Andalite War-Prince approaches. He remains wary at first, but his expression softens a little when Ossanlin extends a hand.

"Ossanlin, pleased to meet you finally. Niko Yorgiadis," he says, his voice as tired as his body feels, though he shakes Ossanlin's hand firmly. "It's beautiful, the sunrise. I haven't seen one in a very long time, alien or otherwise."

He smiles blandly, looking back out across the Dome as he withdraws his hand. "Kinda gives a man some hope."

[KitsuneMarie]

Tess awakens slowly, as if surfacing from a languidly-moving stream. She opens her dark eyes, staring at the ceiling, mind blank a moment, before she whimpers with residual pain, the events of the long, difficult evening coming back all at once. Immediately, she turns her head to check on Chris and the infants. Unable to see them from where she lies, she tries to sit up, but her body will not let her, ravaged and sore. "Chris... Kes," she whispers, throat dry from all of the yelling.


Illim opens his eyes at the sound of Tara's voice and reaches for her hand, squeezing it gently. "Yeah?" He looks tired, his eyes blinking slowly. His other hand fumbles for his pitiful glasses, now misshapen from their fiery escape from their prison. "Everyone... made it though, right?" he swallows.


Serid watches Niko, Claxter and Ossanlin emerge into the Dome. Clasping his hands lightly in front of himself, he ambles slowly towards the human and the War-Prince, his tail kept low to the ground.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin returns the handshake with firmness.  His arms don't share the same frail look as those of most Andalites.  <The feeling is mutual, Niko.>  He turns back to watching the sunrise, smiling.  <That's the general idea.  Andalites tend to be a tad claustrophobic as you probably knew.  Being able to run around in this well-rendered facsimile...it's good for morale.>  He turns his main eyes back to Niko.  <But I should say this is a time for hope.  Everyone on this ship has lost a great deal.  Loved ones, friends, families, homes...but we have such a grand opportunity to work together.  We can forge something new and individual...someth ing unique!>

<Humans, Andalites, Yeerks, Hork-Bajir...together.  No fighting, no hatred.  We can set an example, perhaps play a part in ending this ridiculous war.>  Ossanlin falls silent...he'd been thinking aloud again.  <Finding your friends comes first.>  He smiles again.  <Hope is important.>

He takes another deep breath of the freshened morning air.  <So Niko...what are your interests?  I seem to remember you being a technical-minded person.>

[Myitt]

Myitt shrugs, leaning in to kiss Illim chastely. "I don't know," she sighs. "I ****ing don't know. I hope so, I can't handle losing anyone else."

She glances over at Terenia. "Hey, dear. Did you sleep at all?" She winces, Terenia's lethargy and depression more than apparent.


Niko nods glumly, watching the alien sky as Ossanlin speaks about hope. "I, um. I studied engineering in college. A million years ago. On base I helped with tech repair and mechanical engineering, some basic design stuff. I'm more of a theory guy than a builder, though." That seems to sadden him somehow, and he looks down, clearing his throat of an annoying lump of tears.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin nods, falling silent.  He must have some background in astrophysics too, or at least in stellar cartography since he'd helped narrow down the first rendezvous point.  <I apologize if I've said something to upset you, I certainly didn't mean to cause pain.  If you would prefer, we may watch the sunrise in silence.  I would be interested to hear some of your theories at some point, though.  I have a working knowledge of basic and quantum physics, and I scored well in the Academy...but I'll admit, they're not my specialty.>

[Myitt]

"No, no, it's...it's okay, thanks, Ossanlin," Niko says quietly. "I'm not as good at the math as some of my Yeerk friends, but I've developed quite a few ideas over the years, with their help." He nods at the sunrise. "I'd be glad to help. If nothing else, I can bring what's left of the rebellion together, and we can theorize all we want."

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

<Well, Niko...I suppose you'll have to reform your Council and wait for their decision before undertaking anything, but if you should choose to help aboard the Tyrennian, you'll have many opportunities.  Most Andalites underestimate humans, but you won't find that with us.  I think our two races have much to learn from one another.>

The sky's intense pink color begins to mellow into the soft red-orange of the Homeworld's natural hue.  <We need open minds and fresh eyes.  Humans have an amazing capacity for advancement.  To go from animal-drawn land transport to space capability in under two centuries...it's remarkable.  Had the Yeerks not invaded your world, you might've reached feasible interplanetary travel within the decade.  At that rate, you ran the possibility of reaching Z-Space within the next century.  The Super-collider you built underground in the continent you call Europe is the archae-father of the very same technology we use to power our ships today in a very real way.  Over-sized, energy-dependent, and crude it may be...still, it would've paved the way.  At your rate of advancement, you might've reached matter-antimatter fusion within the century as well.  It's truly remarkable.>

Ossanlin shakes his head, still watching the sky.  <Sometimes I think our people have grown somewhat complacent...but even when we were advancing to our space-age...it took multiple centuries.  Think what humanity could invent with access to the information and technology we've already developed.  This ship...with Andalite, Yeerk, and human minds working together...we could technologically outstrip both the Empire and Sector Seven.>  He nods.  <We'll have to if we want to survive.>

He gently places a hand on Niko's shoulder, still watching the sky with his main eyes, trying to project a calming aura.  <Many of your people are uncomfortable here, and I understand their feelings.  But it means a lot to me to find an individual like you.  You feel a lot more relaxed and a lot less wary than many of your compatriots.  It gives me hope that this whole thing might just work.>  He eyesmiles and glances down at Niko with his main eyes, finally breaking his gaze from the sky above.  <Thank you for trusting me, even if it's only just a little.  It means a great deal to me.>

[Myitt]

"You broke us out of that hellhole," Niko says with a half-laugh, flinching only a little at Ossanlin's pat. "I think we have a lot to be grateful to you for. And yeah, we've put a lot of trust in your people. That's not easy for some of my friends, but we want to work together with you and your people."

He sighs. "I'm just as heartsick as my friends, but I think I can pick up the pieces a bit more quickly. I want to push forward with this effort, and if that means using math to kick the Empire's ass...or Sector Seven, whoever they are...then sure." He smiles mirthlessly, looking down at the blue-green grass. "Let's do it." He looks off toward the row of quarters. "Tess. Did she...is she alright? And the children?"

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin grunts as he realizes from the human's comment that he'd mentioned Sector Seven out loud, and shakes his head again.  <Sector Seven is...complicated.  If you want to know more, Myitt will be able to tell you, or I'll tell you myself once we retrieve your friends.>  He removes his hand from the human's shoulder.  He knows he shouldn't have mentioned Sector Seven aloud, but he feels better about it regardless.  For a moment, he'd dropped his guard.  Somehow this Niko seems to make Ossanlin feel more at ease himself.

<Tess...she is the one who birthed young this past night, right?  I contacted Varekil, our medic, first thing this morning.  He apparently retired to his quarters somewhere in the middle of the night.  His report stated that she and her young appeared to be healthy and stable for well over a standard hour of observation before he retired.  I'm certain they're tired from their ordeals, and it isn't my place to intrude.  One of the parents will invite me if they so desire, and I'll greet the young then.>  He pauses and glances in the direction of the quarters he'd temporarily given to Tess, Chris, and Keslin, before speaking again.  <If you so desire, their assigned quarters are in that direction.>  Ossanlin points straight at the appropriate door, though the hologram obscures the wall and doors from sight.  <I am not familiar with human protocol in this situation...so I do not now if they will be expecting visitors.>

Ossanlin leaves the sentence hanging, effectively giving Niko an escape from Ossanlin's company, should it be desired, without being dismissive.  Niko could go or stay as he wished, without worrying about causing offense.

[Myitt]

Niko's dark eyebrows raise. "They're back in their quarters, already?" he asks, following Ossanlin's indication. "Oh...I should see them, I owe it to them. Um. Thanks, Ossanlin. I hope we can talk again soon."

He smiles a little, hesitating in his step. "I think my Yeerk friend, Yarin, would have liked you. And he didn't much care for Andalites. He did, however, know when he'd met a good person."

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

<Indeed...Tess was too unstable to move, so the quarters were used for birthing.  To be absolutely honest, the sick-bay would've been only marginally better as we've not yet had time to adapt our machines and medications to human biology.>

He nods, smiling.  <I hope so as well, and thank you...that sounds like high praise.  I'm sorry he's not with us.  But he's still a part of you, so he lives on through your mind.>  He nods again and watches Niko's retreating form before trotting over to the simulated stream, dipping a hoof in to drink deeply.

[Chad32]

Claxter woke up again, noticing his legs had been soaking in water. <That's just great.> He said, getting out to allow them to start drying. He noticed Ossanlin was there, and figured he might as well speak instead of pretending he was invisible.

<Good morning Prince Ossanlin. You look rested. I didn't get much sleep, but I'm in no position to complain. I didn't pass two things through a hole that was too small for them. I am mildly curious about what Human infants look like, and I'm sure we'll get to see them some time today.>

He absentmindedly rubbed his sore arms.