The Galactic War: Rogue Element ~The Beginning

[Estelore]

<<Sir! Thank you for coming. I do not know how much you have been told yet; one of Tess' offspring died in the night. Currently the parents are concentrating on each other and on their remaining infant. I have not yet spoken to them of human funerary practices; when Varekil confirmed the death, I sent him to ask other humans for that information, so that we can begin determining possible suitable arrangements. I did not feel it tactful at this time to speak to the bereaved about such things, but they may be prepared for it now.>>

She watches the mourning humans with her stalk eyes, her main eyes still on the cradle as she fiddles with assorted settings.

<<It appears that our infant sleeping unit failed to detect the stopping of the single human heart; none of us thought to calibrate the cardiac monitor for anything but Andalite hearts. I have been making modifications to the sleeping unit, and now it should be able to monitor human vital signs and to maintain appropriate warmth for a human infant. Other than this... my first concern is that Tess needs to eat. She lost considerable blood last night, but her body needs to be able to create nourishment for the surviving infant. The supplements we obtained- do they have a high caloric content? If not, we will need to figure out something soon. I believe she will also need dietary iron supplemented; human blood is bright red, which suggests iron as the oxygen-carrier. Perhaps we should ask Varekil to do a chemical analysis of some of the blood Tess lost last night, to verify this.>>

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin remains silent for a moment before speaking up again.  <<I see...I am unsure of whether they would wish to be left to grieve, or would wish me to present my condolences.  I'm afraid this is one part of human culture I did not learn about.>>

[Shenmue654]

Keshin glances up at the Andalite he's following with a perplexed look. He has no idea why the young Andalite cares about how he's doing. Is he supposed to be honest? Tell the kid that he barely woke up this morning, felt sick to his stomach, that Joanne feels sick every morning? ....nah. On second thought---he could use a friend or two. This...young, blue alien is kind enough that Keshin can at the very least determine how he can help things along.

"I can't go very far with you," states Keshin, staring at the Andalite's front eyes dead on but looking almost guilty. "Your Captain has mandated that I don't stray far from my own quarters and the Dome, so I will eventually have to go back. But..."

Keshin states with a nod and a warmer expression. "Thank you, actually...for your concern as to how we have been getting on. Very few people are interested to know the condition of a person who is either the subject of ugly rumors or the person whom they've had terrible experiences with. Your own captain is among the latter group. I..."

Keshin shrugs, smiling. His posture seems looser. "...I've seen you in the Bar, but I never caught your name. You were always beside Ossanlin."

[Chad32]

<My name is Claxter. I am aware that you attempted to kill Prince Ossanlin, but I'd like to believe you're smart enough to know when not to cause problems. You are not very popular, but I think you have positive qualities.>

<You look a bit unwell. I'm not sure if we'd have anything a Human can take to help with that. It's going to be a day or so before we find other Humans, but maybe Varekil can help when he has a little time.>

[Shenmue654]

Keshin nods to Claxter's comment about Varekil. Do they really look that ill, even after pulling themselves together? Maybe they shouldn't wait until tomorrow to inject the serum.

"I'm...not sure that anyone can help with our situation, let alone an Andalite." says Keshin. "We have some kind of unique medical condition. It used to help us out, as you may have seen once, but it only gets worse. But..." Keshin bites his lip. "...better dead in Joanne than dead in any other way. That's what we promised."

<To the end.>

<To the end.>

"How did you come to work for the War-Prince anyway?" says Keshin, raising an eyebrow. "The way I remember it, the two of you just sort of fell in together. Was it made official?"

[Chad32]

<That's quite noble of you. I suppose that's why you took jobs in the first place?> Claxter didn't think most Yeerks would rather die with their host than move on to another.

<I met prince Ossanlin at the bar, after an...incident. I transferred to him to avoid some embarrassment. He's been good to me ever since, and I've tried to be better than I used to be.>

<It's sad to have so much death around. Tess' child, and other's impending deaths on top of those already fallen. Look, I know we don't usually do this, and I doubt I have the authority to do so, but we have the technology to give Joanne a new body. Ignoring the option wouldn't mean it doesn't exist.>

[Shenmue654]

Keshin nods. Claxter hit the nail right on the head. "We took jobs in order to pay for the experimental medication we needed to keep Joanne going. The thing is..." Keshin chuckles darkly. "...the medication wasn't even made to cure our condition. We use it to slow down or eliminate the side effects as they appear. As far as we know Joanne is the only living example---she should never have even made it this long. We're just now beginning to pay the price for our lack of concern."

Keshin thinks on what Claxter said, following the Andalite for as long as he can. When he hears Claxter's statement, his eyes widen. "Wait wait. You mean--- you mean a morph? So we'd become a clone of...of one of the rebels? That..."

Keshin takes in a deep breath. "....yes. Yes, that might work. It would save her life. If we gained permission from one of them, and from the War-Prince."

<Whoah whoah whoah. Just...ch....changi ng my whole freaking body?! What are you playing at, Kess?>

<It would work.>

<Yes I know it would ****in' work, but-->

<It would work.>

<Just...just shaddup. Give me time to think.>

[Chad32]

<It would likely be best if you acquired multiple people, and became a mix. That way no one has to worry about some twin of theirs running around. I just...enough people have died already. Joanne it is your decision of course, but if you have any desire to live, it may be your one chance. I will not go behind Prince Ossanlin's back on this, but if he is willing, you may become a nothlit. Also you may be required to take up a different career in life. Become something other than a bounty hunter.>

[Shenmue654]

"****, I only took this gig so I could keep on goin'," states Joanne, very nearly interrupting Keshin's train of thought. This was rather common behavior between them. They had grown so adept at loosening or regaining control of the mind that Keshin instinctively let go when Joanne wanted speech and vice versa. Oddly, Joanne's fingers were still curling and uncurling in Keshin's characteristic showing of nervous behavior. "Only thing that scares me 'bout all that is lookin' like someone else, bein' someone else. I don't know anythin' 'bout this fancy-shmancy morphin' **** you guys do. What if when I take some weird mix body, I don' act quite like me anymore?"

"But as to th' job...." Joanne rubs the back of her head. "Sorry, but I'm not good at much other than killin.' You can change my clothes and my name on a list, but I'm not gonna feel good behind a console if you know what I mean. I don' have to be a turelek, but I'm not gonna stand still. I'll leave it to the Prince." 

[Chad32]

<You won't feel any different, being another Human. You will still be you. I'm sure you could take a career as a soldier, but you would be fighting for a different cause. I'm sure your skill with a dracon, as well as anything else, will be valuable aboard the Tyrennian.>

[KitsuneMarie]

After walking away from Myitt and Terenia, Illim and Daniel make their way to Efaen, stopping a few paces behind her so as not to startle her. "Hey," he murmurs. "Get any sleep?"

[Terenia]

Efaen's shoulders stiffen slightly, but then she relaxes as she recognizes the voice as belonging to one of the few people she was on relatively decent terms with, when she left the rebellion.

"Illim," she says with a wary flicker of a smile. "No, not particularly. I have a lot on my mind. You?"

[Chad32]

Claxter noticed out of a stalk eye that Illim had approached Efaen. He wasn't sure what that controller's deal was. He had been coddling Terenia the whole time, but he also seemed to be friends with Efaen. Claxter didn't think it was possible to befriends with such different people, especially ones that were enemies. he watched them as he continued talking to Keshin and Joanne. Watching Joanne with his main eyes, Derrel and efaen with a stalk eye, and continuing to scan the dome with the other stalk eye.

[KitsuneMarie]

Illim nods, settling in beside her without asking for an invitation, though the smile he flashes begs askance in its own way. "Yeah, for sure. Well, it was good to sleep somewhere I knew I could actually see a familiar face or two when I woke up. Beats living in a windowless cell, even if the grass is blue," he pats the blades with something like affection. "But I can't say it was a comfortable night. Did you hear anything about how Tess fared?"

[Terenia]

Efaen raises her gaze to Illim briefly. "One of the children did not survive the night," she says, softening the news with the slightest of sympathetic smiles. "That is all I know. The medic here came by asking about human ceremonies for the dead. I'm afraid I was not able to be particularly helpful."

The topic of conversation makes a strange thought flicker across her mind. If she were to die, if Ossanlin's medic were unable to revive her in the attempt to deactivate the tracker in her body, would they have a ceremony for her? If so, would it be human or Andalite? Or would they deem it not worth the effort to remember someone as steeped in controversy as herself? The thought is a depressing one, and she drops her gaze back to the grass, sighing a little as she rolls a blade between her fingertips.