The Galactic War: Rogue Element ~The Beginning

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin steps into the main hangar area, trotting down the concourse to Ligtning-Strike's docking area.  He nods to Aetheas.  Were it not for the young aristh's sheer impulsivity, he would've considered taking him along as well.  He turns and nods to Eleric, who performs a tail-salute.  <I want this to be clean, Warrior.  You are to run a standard patrol perimeter around the Tyrennian.  This is a purely defensive operation.  You will not be accompanying us to the meeting site.  I will contact you if I need you there, but only if I need you...do I make myself clear?>

Eleric's jovial nod and reply makes Ossanlin chuckle a bit on the inside.  The Warrior took any excuse to fly and ran with it.  If he kept at it, he might actually best Norry some day...Ossanlin isn't sure he'd be able to out-fly the Warrior in a Tail Fighter himself anymore.  <Enorryma has command of the Tyrennian until my return.  Be sure to follow her orders.>

He turns and walks down the long concourse to the irregular docking hangar.  He notes that Claxter, Serid, and Keslin have already arrived.  No sign of Myitt yet though.  He trots up to the group and nods.

<Keslin, thank you for joining me.  As I'm sure you know, we've arrived at the first set of rendezvous coordinates you supplied to us.  Myitt suggested that you would like to meet with your people first, and alone.  This is likely the wisest course of action.  Your survivors do little good for anyone, themselves included, if they get the wrong impression and bolt.>  Ossanlin commands the ray-shields around a concealed craft to lift.  As they disengage, they reveal a Bug Fighter looking somewhat the worse for wear.

<I managed to procure this fighter some years back.  I assure you, it's fully functional, and I've had what remain of my flight-staff working on it and testing it to make sure you can use it safely.  I had thought it would be best for you and Myitt to meet your people in a ship they might be expecting.  There is also room for a third passenger in the Bug should you see fit to bring anyone else with you.  Claxter, Serid, and I will follow in the Mirage, but will remain well outside of sensor range until you contact me.  Does this plan meet with your approval?>

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Eleric looks up as Aetheas approaches his ship.  He smiles, but before he has a chance to say anything, Ossanlin is there.  He performs a tail salute before speaking.  <Captain.>

Ossanlin returns the tail salute before giving Eleric his instructions.  Normally he'd be a bit crestfallen at being assigned a patrol run, but any excuse to fly was a good one, especially after being cooped up for so long.  <Clear as Sky, Prince.>  He doesn't even feel miffed about accepting Ossanlin's authority.  He's just in a right fine mood.

He smiles again at Eleric.  Normally he'd open with some sort of passive-aggressive comment about the aristh's deformity, but he's feeling so good that he decides to be cordial.  <Aristh!  It's a fine day for flying!>  He finds himself wondering again if the slightly-younger Andalite will push more-heavily into Fighter combat...his poor tail would hinder nothing if he was embraced and conveyed by a streamlined, high-performing Tail Fighter.

[Chad32]

Claxter sneered when Aetheas mentioned her and her possible "insightfulness". <Terenia and I do not get along at all.> he said simply. Being within earshot of his Prince, who obviously didn't share his disdain for Terenia, and about to go on a sensitive mission regarding more rebels that may or may not like her, he decided to say nothing else.

He stood at attention while Ossanlin spoke, and gave a small smile of amusement at Eleric. He wondered if the Prince would allow him to fly the Mirage, but figured he'd wait for him to make that decision. He was glad they had a bug to use for this. Yeerk craft did have their occasional uses.

[Terenia]

Keslin gives the room a thorough once-over, noting Myitt's absence. He appears to be the only Yeerk, and Chris the only human.

<<Way to represent, man>> Chris offers helpfully. Keslin presses his lips together, repressing a sigh, and gives Ossanlin a small, businesslike nod. "The sight of a Bug Fighter will definitely be reassuring, as soon as they are sure it isn't Imperial in origin," he says. "I can head up the liaison mission. It may be best to allow Myitt to remain here and gather the other rebels."

His eyes rove over the Bug Fighter, the familiar curves of the ship comforting after so much Andalite technology. His trembling fingers itch with the urge to take over the controls, but he focuses on the task at hand, well aware of the fact that, for now at least, the Andalites will be taking cues from him.

"Alright," he says, rubbing his hands together, then shoving them into the pockets of his jeans to hide their shaking. "A few things. First of all, this rendezvous point was deemed the most important because it is the location that was given to our medical staff. If everyone is still there, and if everyone made it, that means our doctors will be brought on board. But it also means our patients will be brought on too, along with one or two others that were placed in that group. A comfortable space should be made ready for the patients. Presumably if they've lasted this long they're stable, eh?" He tries for a weak smile.

He lets out a slow breath, glancing around the room, considering. "I won't risk the safety of any other rebels, not while they're still recuperating. I'll go alone. If any of your warriors have a human morph and wish to join me, they may do so, but they must remain in morph until I've diffused the situation. Preferably someone who can man the weapons, just in case we run into unforeseen trouble."

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

<Hmm...>  Ossanlin furrows his brow in thought.  <I believe Claxter has a human morph.  I myself have one...a frolis of Tara and Mike.  I can't say that I personally have any more than cursory experience with Bug Fighter technology, though I must warn you that by "fully functional," I meant the engines and life-support systems.  The weapons system on this ship was given the lowest priority for repair.  It will likely not function to standard, or perhaps not at all.>  He pauses for a moment of thought before going on.  <I believe that of all of the Andalites currently under my command, Claxter and I are the only ones which possess human morphs, and can also use them.>  He gives Serid a cursory glance.

Ossanlin nods in response to Keslin's suggestions regarding Tara, and sighs to himself before reaching a decision.  <Very well, a change of plan is in order.  Claxter, you will accompany myself and Keslin aboard the Bug.  Serid, summon one of your most-trusted security staff to accompany you aboard the Mirage.>  He shakes his head ruefully.  <Enorryma would kill me if she knew what I was doing...>  He pauses in thought before speaking again.  <There is still the matter of clothing, I'm assuming that it would be disconcerting to your rebel friends to see a nude human in the co-pilot seat.  I suppose if one of us keeps out of sight, the need is less-pressing for that one.>

Ossanlin doesn't show his discomfort at the situation.  In a Bug Fighter, in a mostly-defenseless human morph, with a rebel he doesn't trust.  Perhaps it's a somewhat irresponsible risk, but it's time to follow his own advice and be the first to extend the branch of trust willingly.  Claxter's a decent marksman anyway...he'd be able to watch Ossanlin's own back, and it wasn't as if Ossanlin would be completely defenseless himself.  He runs a hand over one of his Shredders subconsciously.

[Chad32]

Claxter didn't feel too confident with this idea. The rebel they were with wasn't even Myitt, who Ossanlin trusted the most. <<I suppose if it comes to it, we would only need to stay safe long enough for Eleric's squad to come to our assistance.>> He said hopefully. He began to morph, readying himself to enter the bugfighter. He wondered if Ennoryma would be mad at him, having the role of bodyguard but not expressing how bad an idea this probably was.

[Terenia]

Chris' eyebrows raise. "Clothes," Keslin echoes, looking down at his own attire, which has definitely seen better days. "Yeah, clothes may be a problem. Even beyond your morphs, all of the humans here are wearing the same clothes they were captured in."

<<Dom is probably having a complete fit,>> Chris provides ruefully. Keslin doesn't let the smirk of amusement reach his face.

"Okay. Um. I can give one of you my shirt, at least," he says, gesturing to the dirty, torn button-down that he is wearing over a plain white t-shirt. "I bet Dom has more than one layer on too, I could get something from him." He eyes both Ossanlin and Claxter doubtfully. "Was the Bug Fighter thoroughly searched? Sometimes they keep extra Imperial uniforms on board."

He glances at the old fighter, frowning. "As far as weapons are concerned...they merely need to look functional. I don't intend on shooting anyone."

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin nods at Keslin as he begins to morph.  <Human nudity does not concern me personally, I only wish your people to refrain from being startled.  Under the circumstances, it seems a reasonable precaution.  They must understand that you are not under duress.  At least, not from myself or my crew.  To that end, clothing seems an appropriate precaution.>

He finishes his morph, standing nude in the docking bay.  His hair is straight and black, nearly reaching the bottom of his neck.  He stands 5'10" tall with a light frame of perhaps 140 lbs...150 at most, with minimal body-hair (mostly just a small trail near his navel leading down).  His shoulders are square, and the body is definitely masculine in appearance, but his facial features contain a strange mix of both Tara and Mike.  <The Bug Fighter has long since been emptied of all Imperial paraphernalia.  I'm quite certain there were no uniforms aboard.>

[Chad32]

Claxter finished his own brown haired, young adult Human form, flexing his muscles and getting used to it. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt and tight shorts. He wasn't sure if Ossanlin was really as confident as he sounded that this was a viable plan, or if his confidence stemmed from his belief in Claxter's abilities or the hope that the rebels wouldn't attack unless given a good reason to. He tried to keep his own uncertainties from showing, though his mouth did instinctively frown a bit, and his eyebrows drooped slightly. Body language he was unfamiliar with.

[Terenia]

Keslin clears his throat, trying to keep Chris' cheeks from reddening. While the Yeerk himself has no particular predisposition towards whether human nudity is appropriate or not, Chris was raised in a family that definitely frowned upon adult males frolicking about without garments.

<<Now I know Dom would be having a fit, if he knew what we were up to,>> Chris comments mildly, trying to hide his discomfort.

<<Perhaps it is best we do not enlighten him,>> Keslin responds dryly, shucking the plaid button-down and tossing it towards Ossanlin. <<He would spend the entire two hours attempting to convince them to partake in human vices.>>

<<Dude. Not something I want to think about when there's a naked man in front of me. Will you keep my eyes on his face? Or on Claxter? At least he managed to morph some clothes. For ****'s sake, man,>> Chris says, and he can feel the embarrassed heat rising in his cheeks despite Keslin's best attempts at neutrality.

"No, you are right, of course," Keslin says, carefully directing Chris' eyes at Ossanlin's face, trying not to think too much about the strange mixture of Mike and Tara that is present there. "My friends will be alarmed, to say the least, if I am flanked by a nude human. If we are able to make visual contact it would be best to keep Claxter in view, and you from, erh, the waist up." Chris is a few inches taller than Ossanlin's human morph, thankfully, and the shirt tails should provide at least some modest coverage, but it wouldn't take much imagination -- or movement -- to eliminate that.

<<Dear God, what have we been reduced to?>> Chris wonders rhetorically as Keslin averts his gaze and steps towards the Bug Fighter, examining it more closely.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin catches the garment out of the air and dons it.  There is a subtle, not terribly pleasant aroma coming off of the shirt.  Of course, these humans had been locked in cells for days.  While they may have availed themselves of the opportunity to clean up, there would not have been any way to clean the artificial coverings.  He notices some discomfort in Chris's expression as he dons the garment.  He's never understood the human obsession with covering their natural bodies.  Of course, in certain environments it would be necessary, but in this climate-controlled ship, there would be no need.

"The co-pilot's console would sufficiently camouflage my lower section, yes?"  He fastens a few of the shirt's...buttons...odd that they did not actually activate anything when pressed.  Or perhaps it was odd that the fasteners were called "buttons" in the first place.  He notes that his utility belt and sash have gone slack and fallen off of his body, pooled around his feet.  He bends down and detaches the swords and sash, handing them to Serid.  <Take care of these, Command Warrior.>  The belt he picks up and cinches just a tad tighter so that it holds around his human waste underneath the shirt, the weapons and War Prince insignia mostly-hidden.

He follows Keslin toward the ship and raises an eyebrow.  Human faces had so many emotive capabilities... "Does it meet with your approval?"  He forces himself not to play with the mouth sounds...he'd gotten beyond that.  Except he hadn't morphed a human in quite some time, and the novelty seems...well...nove l again.

[Shenmue654]

Joanne gets increasingly frustrated frustrated by the lack of people in the crew quarters. She was able to spot a few rebels, but was unable to get them to stop for even a moment. They were obviously headed over toward wherever Ossanlin had summoned most people. Joanne kicks the ground, growling. "Nuts. They've all gone ahead."

<What now?>

"Guess we try a few more rooms an' then head toward the Dome," muttered Joanne, dusting off one of her shoulders and shifting its weight. Joanne started off down the hallway, but then noticed something rather strange. A medic team was darting quickly past her, carrying an unconscious Andalite with them. Joanne glanced at the patient and her eyes widened in shock. It was the tough one, the one who was insanely loyal to War-Prince Ossanlin. She was out?!

<Interesting. I suppose the stress was too much for her. We should probably let the War-Prince know. There should be a wall-mounted ship communications device somewhere in these quarters.>

Joanne eventually located the device and spoke into it, hoping to high heaven the thing took speech as well as thought-speak. "Hey, guys? This is Joanne. Before you go off to that meetin' point, there's somethin' you should know. The scary girl Andalite, Euro-whatsherface? She's out, way out. We saw the meds takin' her."

[Aluminator (Kit)]

Aetheas watches as the mission crew makes ready to depart, hiding his envy well, he thinks, as Ossanlin and Claxter take on new forms. He elects to keep a close eye on Chris, taking in his actions and mannerisms. If he's to be expected to socialize with these rebels, it may be to his advantage to take cues from their leader.

He hears the communication intended for the Captain, the one made by one of the rebels. It's audio rather than thought-speech, so there's no chance of it being private. He frowns at the mention of an Andalite being 'out.' There aren't that many females on the ship, but he can't place a Euro-whatsherface. He looks towards Claxter... or the human that Claxter's become, at least... confused.

[Chad32]

<I am not familiar with a Euro-something, or what way out means. Hopefully the medical staff can handle things.> Claxter said. Keslin and Chris obviously wanted to have a talk with their own medical staff, and all the rebels were probably anxious to hear of any other survivors. <Aetheas, why don't you go to the med bay and see who exactly the staff is working on?>

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin uses the touch-panel near the door to command the bug to open.  While it could've been fitted with a thought-speech transceiver, there seemed little point.  The air wafting past the bare portions of his skin did feel a bit odd without fur, especially around the point where the legs connected with the trunk of the body.  Of course humans did have a large amount of nerve endings in that vicinity...even knowing the facts, he feels a strange sort of thrill from the eddies of atmosphere swirling around and against that area of his body.

He boards the ship and walks up to the co-pilot's console, beginning the Bug's start-up sequence.  He moves to sit in the small chair and hisses, immediately standing up again, only staying upright by grabbing the console in front of him.  The sudden influx of cold feelings against the human morph's bare skin had been...startling... and more than a little uncomfortable.  He sits again, more carefully, and grits his teeth until his body's ambient heat warms the chair.

"I begin to understand why you humans wear artificial 'clothing' at all times."  He glances over at Keslin.