The Galactic War: Rogue Element ~The Beginning

[Terenia]

Keslin worms his way through Chris' ear canal, the human's eyes blanking as the Yeerk connects to his brain.

<<My friend,>> Keslin breathes as soon as he is able. He immediately begins flipping through Chris' memories, eyes tracking.

<<Good to see you, buddy,>> Chris responds, laughing wearily.

<<Tess...she's safe.>> Even having heard her name in the report hadn't been quite enough to placate Keslin's nerves, but with the memories he is finally able to feel some sort of relief amid the endless grief.

His eyes snap into focus, Chris' hands trembling notably as he catches the tail end of Ossanlin's conversation with Myitt. "I would trust Myitt with my life," he says quietly, not offering any preamble or introduction, "but it would be cruel to put the weight of leadership upon her alone." He reaches a shaking hand over to her shoulder, drawing Myitt into a hug that echoes the one Chris gave her moments ago. "I am so glad that you are safe, Myitt. Tara." Unlike Chris, he pulls away from the hug quickly. "Now if you'll excuse me...I am sure there is much business to discuss, but I need to see Tess."


Efaen's eyes narrow at the accusation from Myitt. "Why the hell would I want to help them destroy you?" she asks before turning to Ossanlin.

"I don't know him," she says, gesturing towards the bridge where Claxter disappeared. "I don't know what his intentions are, or what sort of a relationship he had with me prior to the wipe. Maybe he is a good person, but I can't just trust every single person who says they knew me before. I'm not that much of a fool."

Dom makes a little choking noise in the back of his throat at the thought of Reyliss, and he grips the other man's hand, squeezing his eyes shut. "Niko, we have to find him," he whispers.

Aya, looking uneasy, glances down at the pool. "Call me when it is my turn," she says to no one in particular. Then she ducks out of the room and onto the bridge, walking past Terenia, still sitting and staring blankly, as she goes.

On the bridge, she looks around curiously at the Andalites and the Andalite technology. Her expression clearly shows her grief, but her eyes are bright with interest as well as tears. Cautiously, she sidles up to one of the control panels, running her fingers over the metal alloy. "What do these do?" she asks of any of the Andalites willing to answer.

[Chad32]

<I believe these controls monitor the ship's proximity to other objects.> Claxter said, looking at the Human with a stalk eye. She looked familiar to him. <Um...Aya? Is that your name? I'm Claxter, from the Space Bar. I don't suppose you remember me? I remember you being quite social towards me, despite that I was an Andalite. If that is who you are, it is good to see you again.>

She was obviously not in a great mood at the moment, but if he could get her to talk with him as freely as she did before, he may be able to find out some things.

[Myitt]

Myitt nods, emotion breaking through again at Keslin's words. She sniffles, quickly covering her nose.

"****," she breathes, echoing her human friend's earlier sentiments.

She turns on her heel, brushing her cheek with the back of her hand, and her gaze falls back upon Efaen.

A few choice replies surface in her mind, before she settles for something more polite. "I don't trust a memory wipe to be permanent," she amends, lip curling.


Niko nods, squeezing Dom's hand and patting him heartily on the back. "We will," he says, staring around the Andalite cabin, feeling suddenly very lost and uncomfortable, amidst strangers--Andalite strangers, no less. "We'll find him. If it's the last damn thing I do."

He notes Aya stalking past him, and turns toward the others as well, letting his hand slide out of Dom's.

[Shenmue654]

Joanne notes both Ossanlin and Myitt's statements to her and wanders toward the pool, standing in front of it. From what she's gathered of the system, Keshin should now be the Yeerk swimming around at the front. Joanne smiles down at him, but only haltingly. It was hard, being surrounded by people that she'd at one point or another she'd tried to kill. I mean come on. In the state the rebels were in, could they really all even get along?

At Ossanlin's request, Joanne turns to Myitt as she bends her hand down and carefully cups Keshin's squirming body in it. "Thanks t'you then, " she states with a nod as she puts Keshin next to her ear. Suppose we're all workin' together for hear on out."

Joanne then closes her eyes, leaning against a wall and waiting for Keshin to make his way inside. The initial pain still stung, but damn did it feel good in this room full of enemies to sense the arrival of her best friend.
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Keshin's primitive senses flood with the detection of being lifted into the air that seems crisp to him. He clicks ahead, revealing with relief the opening into an ear that must be his partner's. Keshin wriggles eagerly into it, perhaps eagerly enough to cause a bit more discomfort than usual. Joanne wouldn't care much, he hoped. It was time to see the light.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin watches Joanne retrieve Keshin, almost wincing.  Though he's not prejudiced against Yeerks, the vision of infestation still makes him uncomfortable.  He moves his main eyes to Daniel.  <Now you, Daniel.>  He barely knows the human, met in passing at the Bar some time ago, but he knows the human and his Yeerk Illim are mates to Myitt and Tara.

He returns his gaze to Efaen.  <You don't remember any reason to trust him...but you didn't even give him a chance, did you?  You rejected his attempts straight away out of hand because of his species.  You're just as specist as before, only the focus of your hatred has changed.>

[KitsuneMarie]

Daniel looks between Ossanlin and Efaen as they speak, his forehead creased in wrinkles, but he wastes no time in bending down once Joanne has cleared out, inviting Illim's familiar form back into his head. It is only a moment later that he straightens again, glazed eyes taking a few moments to focus as he raises his hand to wipe away the pool sludge. "E--Efaen..." he says, voice unsteady. He clears his throat but it doesn't seem to improve his wavering tone. "Let's talk later, alright?" he murmurs, then gives a small, twitchy smile quite unlike his usual broad one before heading after Myitt, his hand shakily reaching out for Tara's shoulder.


Tess has remained quiet, sitting up on her hovering cot. As soon as Chris had stepped to the tiny pool, she had been watching with great intensity.

"Keslin," she calls out to him just as he finishes uttering her own name. She extends both her arms and slides off the cot onto the floor, hurrying as quickly as she can to him. An unexpectedly strong wave of emotion overtakes her and she puts both arms around Chris and hugs him as tightly as she can with her swollen belly in the way. "Oh god, Keslin... I thought--" her voice catches, and she buries her wet eyes into his chest.

[Estelore]

Norry rose slowly out of the darkly contemplative trance which had overtaken her when Claxter mentioned the Rebels. Her main eyes were still on the consoles and Leskel, but she turned one stalk-eye apiece to Claxter and Aya, watching their exchange in silence. She noticed the glistening in Aya's eyes and remembered reading that surplus eye lubricant in humans is a sign of emotional distress or being overwhelmed.

The human is... mourning? Perhaps she has lost friends to the Empire; who among us has not? I am not the person who she will find a comfort; I am a stranger, an Andalite, and I would not know where to begin. Perhaps through Claxter I can communicate with her and learn more about these humans.

She addressed the control room in general, not letting her posture indicate a specific person when she asked, <I have heard several mentions of a Space Bar; where and what is it, exactly? I have only known Prince Ossanlin and this crew in the context of active duty, but I know several of you know each other from other times, or perhaps between tours of duty.>

[Chad32]

<The Galaxy's Edge Space Bar is a strange place that is connected to different universes, and times. I have encountered people from a time when the Andalite/Yeerk war was over. Both of them from different times where the Yeerks won or lost. I have seen people come from universes quite different from our own. One Human comes from a universe where the enemy is more dangerous than Yeerks. If the Yeerk species had come across Parker's Earth, they probably never would have tried infiltrating it. With his technology, Hork-Bajir would be defenseless, even when equipped with standard dracons, due to all his armor and weapons. There have been individuals wielding magic as well.>

<It is where I met Prince Ossanlin, rescued Efaen, and had other adventures. There's no telling what you'll find at the Space Bar, but the mute bartender takes any currency, and can deliver practically anything you want as far as drinks and food.>

[Estelore]

<Different universes, you say?> Her eyes widened, and she turned so that all four eyes were on Claxter's face, searching.

<Why has such a portal not been contained, if it exists? If other universes do exist, as our physics suggests, then it is statistically guaranteed that some of them will contain hazards more than capable of destroying life as we know it, or at least civilization. This sounds like a cruel trick of gods or Ellimists, something from a story to frighten children, but I can see on your face that you believe what you are saying.> A shudder ran through her.

<If such a place exists, it should not.>

[Chad32]

<Perhaps it should not, but I wouldn't know the first thing about closing it if it's possible. There was actually an Imperial that almost helped take over Earth because of information he found out at the bar. Probably the only person that could explain what that place is, and why it exists, is the bartender. I doubt he would be willing to help destroy or seal up the place.>

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

<Lanath is ready to be retrieved.>  Ossanlin calls out to the ship in general.  He glances at those crowded inside the small medbay before deactivating the restraining field that the human female was no longer using.  He moves his main eyes to Keslin and Chris.  <I'm sorry, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting.  I am War-Prince Ossanlin-Rethin-Sephirel...though I suppose the rank no longer matters as much as it used to.>  Ossanlin shakes his head ruefully before continuing.  <But it is a part of me...it always will be.  I assume that once we find the rest of your survivors that you will select a new leader...but I know Myitt, and I trust her.  For now I hope that you will be willing to accept her as leader pro tempore.  Truth be told, I would prefer your loyalty myself...but that is something I cannot ask you for.  You have no reason to trust me.  I can tell you as many times as I wish that my intentions are to see you all reunited with your remaining kin, but you have no reason to trust my word.  Besides which, I imagine most of you are...soured...on my race at the moment.>

<If you will all excuse me, once everyone has been reinfested, we will need to talk.  I would like to check on our progress with my helmsmen.>  Ossanlin nods before exiting the medbay, his manner and bearing radiating self-discipline and command as it generally does nearly all the time.  It's natural to him anymore.

He makes his way across the common to the flight-deck, stepping up into the smaller room.  He glances at the occupants, Leskel focused on piloting the ship, and Norry scrutinizing Claxter as if she'd seen a disembodied apparition.  He gives her a slightly questioning glance before turning his attention back on Leskel.  <How long?>



<If configuration holds, sir...we'll be back with the Tyrennian in approximately one hour and twenty minutes UGTS.>  Leskel speaks without diverting his attention from Z-Space.



<Good.  It'll be good to get home.>  He smiles, regarding Norry again.

[Terenia]

Aya looks up at the two Andalites, letting them finish speaking before she says anything.

"I remember you, Claxter," she says. "I don't forget people, especially not Andalites. My line of business meant I didn't have many opportunities to speak to them." She regards Norry with somewhat more curiosity than she does Claxter, her eyes taking in the Andalite female's physique with a critical eye.

"You're a girl," she observes. "That's interesting. I thought the Andalite military was pretty against female warriors. Of course, you aren't the first I've crossed paths with. It's rare, though."

It is then that Ossanlin's thought-speak interupts her, proclaiming Lanath ready for reinfestation. "I have to go," she says with a small, sad smile. "It'd be good to get to know you guys better, though. I guess...I guess we're all part of the same crew, for awhile at least, huh?"

She gives them a parting wave and turns to head back to the portable pool in the other room. As soon as she is there she dips her hand in and pulls out the remaining Yeerk, holding him up to her ear and waiting for him to enter her.


Efaen turns her gaze downward to the ground, but she does not respond to Ossanlin. He is gone before she has the chance to. Maybe he's right, she thinks cautiously, looking at the Yeerks and humans reuniting around her. But no Andalite has ever done me any favors. Except perhaps Tora.

When Illim addresses her she gives him a weak smile, relieved that at least someone is not treating her with mistrust, even if he does seem distracted by Myitt. That's to be expected, she reminds herself. Still, she cannot help but feel lonely as she finds her way to a back wall where she will be relatively out of the way as she stares at the ground and contemplates her options.


Keslin's trembling only increases with Tess' embrace, and he tightens Chris' strong arms around her. "Tess," he whispers desperately, fingers tangling in her hair. He hears Ossanlin, but does not respond, far too busy embracing the one person he and Chris care about more than anyone else.

When he pulls back to look at her his smile is shaky. "You--you're okay," he says, his voice trembling. He swallows, then squeezes Chris' eyes shut briefly. His extended stay in prison seems to have affected him more than his host. "I'm so glad...the...the children are alright too?" He has already seen, in Chris' memories, that they are, but he feels the need to have her confirm it as he places one palm on Tess' stomach, blue eyes searching her expression worriedly.


In the hallway, Terenia pushes herself to her feet as Aya passes, following her into the room with the pool. She walks straight up to Keshin and Joanne, ignoring everyone else. Her eyes are dry, but fresh tracks of moisture still cling to her cheeks and there is a hollow, helpless look to her expression.

"Keshin," she says, watching Joanne's blank gaze as the Yeerk reconnects. "Once you're in, I--I need you to do me a favor." She swallows, dropping her gaze.

[Chad32]

<I would not mind speaking with you again, Aya.> Claxter said. He remembered her Yeerk having a different name than Lanath. Perhaps her Yeerk and his host were missing, so they would just make do with what they could. An hour and twenty minutes seemed like a long time to be in the ship. It wasn't really cramped or anything, but he felt in the mood to take a nice walk in the dome.

<Prince Ossanlin, I was speaking with T.O. Enorryma earlier about continuing my training in flying towards learning to control larger ships. She has offered to help me with it, if you would not mind.>

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin glances at Claxter and nods.  <I can think of no-one better-suited to provide flight training.  Enorryma could fly an ionized iron box through a Class 5 electrical disturbance and dodge every discharge.>  He takes another glance down at the Z-Space display before turning around and heading back out to the Common.  He decides to wait for a few more minutes to give Aya time to retrieve Lanath.

[Myitt]

Myitt reaches up and touches Illim's hand on her shoulder, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, hell," she breathes quaveringly, pulling Illim and Daniel into a tight hug, holding him close. She closes her eyes. "You're hurt. What did they do to you?" She keeps her voice low, murmuring in his ear, before pulling back to watch Illim with wide eyes.

She glances over at Ossanlin with a terse nod as her friend leaves the room, but her attention is fixed on her partner and his well being.


Lanath is lifted through the dry air, so still in Aya's hand. He senses her ear and writhes his way inside the relatively unfamiliar cranium.

<<Aya,>> he breathes as soon as he makes contact with her mind. <<You aren't hurt? I...I told Zachary to leave when they ambushed us in the mass exodus. He's alive, if they didn't pursue his escape pod.>> His words tumble out in a rush, just as he lets Aya's memories flood his consciousness. He leaves her in control, only momentarily seizing her sense of sight to survey the med bay room.


Niko, tall and olive-skinned, paces closer to Norry and Claxter. He can't help but overhear their public--if quiet--thought-speech.
He stares at them both, still not used to their exceedingly alien forms, and not without a thrill of foreboding. Yarin had never been on the best of terms with Andalites, in his experience, with the exception of the base's Andalite nothlit.

"Excuse me," he murmurs halteringly in the alien trade tongue, brushing his stringy black hair out of his dark eyes. "I speak a little Galard, and I never mistake that phrase. You're discussing the Space Bar?" He swallows and looks over his shoulder at the others. "It may be that some of our friends will find their way there, if they are not holding at the nearest...ah..." He frowns, trying to think of the words for contingency and rendezvous. "The nearest meeting place." He clears his throat. "My name is Niko Yorgiadis. Niko. I...there is no Yeerk here, anymore." He taps the side of his head, shrugging and looking a bit lost.