Tasha has a line around her ankle, so she doesn't get stuck drifting in the center of the chamber. She's also had to remove anything ferrous or magnetic from her clothes, although her neural implants are luckily some other sort of metal. Captain Rushfighter seals the hatch they came in through, so it's just the two of them. The Titanian is stripped to his shorts, and the only other thing he has with him is his hammer.
In the same way, Tasha has stripped to her undersuit. She isn't sure what the undersuit is made of, but according to the Titanians, it isn't metallic.
"This is a nice room," she remarks as she floats like so much balloon on a string. "I bet your Silent Ones would like this; I never get tired of the ship!" She busies herself by looking around until the Captain has made ready, finding the glowing -- not to mention dangerous-looking -- items particularly engaging as visual examples of the ship's living, breathing systems.
"It good for alone time, nothing to break," Rushfighter says. He doesn't tether himself.. instead he uses his hammer to get around, thanks to it's odd properties. He ends up floating next to Tasha, if at a different angle. "Where did Pit God mark you?" he asks.
"Here," Tasha replies, lifting her left hand to run a talon down the suit tile gaps near the base of her neck on the same side as her hand. The suit segments split, revealing the fuzzy base of her neck -- and not much else visually. There's a subtle discoloration and disturbance to the fur pattern itself, but otherwise the mark appears covered up.
"Hold still," Rushfighter says, and the cold metal of his hammer is placed against the spot. A moment later he moves it back and forth, and in passes over the location. Tasha can feel a very slight tugging during the passes.
"Hrp," goes Tasha at the tug, suddenly knowing how iron must feel around a magnet. She then bites her lip to help keep silent, giving Rushfighter an 'sorry!' look.
"Feel something?" the Titanian asks. "Describe."
Tasha glances down at the spot, lifting her other hand to point at the point of tugging. "I felt a pull, like there's iron there and your Hammer is a magnet," she describes.
"Hmm," Rushfighter ponders and repeats the process at different points around Tasha's head. And while having a mass-changing hammer whizzing past is plenty distracting, she's still certain that there are not 'tugs' from the other places.
"Nothing," the young woman reports. She's about to add, "I think that's the only spot," when she remembers a particularly unpleasant event: The day that the overgrown Lifedome managed to clone her.
Or tried to, anyway.
"Try here," she suggests, pointing at her left breast where the Harrower aproximation emerged. "The rest of my torso, too."
The hammer moves about. At least it isn't used like a (almost always cold) stethoscope. There is some stirring beneath her breastbone, but not as strong as at her neck.
"I feel motion, but it's not as strong," Tasha notes, pointing again and this time at her breastbone. "When the Life Dome's Seed tried to clone me it tried to clone the Harrower, too, even my spirits. Something emerged from this point, but it didn't survive." She decides not to mention that her clone didn't survive either -- something she'd sooner not think about too hard.
"Ah, yah, that thing," the Titanian notes, and goes on to waves the hammer lower down, just in case. "Copy spirit, make body for it. Not real clone. More confused your spirit, more confused podling body is, eh?" he suggests.
"I'm a mess, what can I say?" The young woman shrugs helplessly and smiles, then cranes her neck to look down. "So, do you have any ideas yet?"
"Maybe mark is spreading, mebbe not," the Titanian says. "No seem to be anywhere in between two spots. May not be related." He taps the center of Tasha's chest with a thick finger, and says, "Pit God not the only Harrow-god you talk to."
"There was He-Who-Moves," the young woman recalls, turning her attention to her chest where she's being jabbed. "But I don't remember him marking me in any way -- not that he couldn't. He is, afterall, a Harrower that could move planets. I'm sure he could pull a fast one on me."
"When you wake Horse, feel anything from either place?" Rushfighter asks.
"I felt things: Old memories, impulses, feelings. No motion, however," answers the hybrid woman, who looks up to study the Titanian's face as she talks.
"Not know a lot about how dark-beings interact," Rushfighter admits. He then holds out the hammer, and says, "Hold onto hilt."
"Me neither. Does anyone, really? How do you understand something from another reality? I'm still amazed we can interact at all." Doing as she's told, Tasha slowly reaches out and grabs the hilt of the man's hammer, trying not to disturb her position by the movement. "Thanks for doing all this, by the way."
Rushfighter moves the hammer slightly, and seems more focused on Tasha's face than the hammer itself. Only once does Tasha feel a faint.. something. It isn't akin to any physical sensation she's ever had before.
This makes Tasha's face scrunch: Not because the feeling is unpleasant, no, but because the feeling lacks all catagory whatsoever. To the young woman, it's like discovering a new color -- another new vista the Harrowers showed her -- and as alien as it is new; A feeling without reference or meaning, but there none-the-less. As her brain scrambles to figure out what to do with the sensation, her ears flatten and muzzle twitches in its scrunched up look of bemusement.
"Ah, you feel that one," Rushfighter says, and grins. "Not surprised. That Dark Horse. You no feel the Mauler though, or any others."
"Is that bad?" Tasha asks, looking peering down at the Hammer-haft she's holding. "That was ... That was the Dark Horse's resonance?"
"Yah, that the.. uh.. resonance.. of you ship," Rushfighter says. "It very strong signal. Others too weak for you, or you just gots more affinity for Horse."
That causes Tasha to grin, now. "What can I say, I love my ship! I do suppose though, that being a gigantic Hammer helps make the signal that much clearer. No wonder the other Titanian Captains have taken notice, our movements must be very 'loud.'"
"Used to be navigation beacon, since it in one place all the time," Rushfighter says. "So yah, they notice quick."
"I hope I didn't ruin anyone's navigation. By the way, is helping me a ... A problem, for you? The Titanians clean up the remains of past civilizations and god-like beings, but what do you think about god-touched people like me? Are we 'siding with the enemy'? Is that why you don't want them to know?" Tasha asks, head tilting now. "Or should I not ask and just pay attention?" And then she grins as well, though the question is more to help the Captain be at ease than a serious one. The young hybrid knows that if it is a problem, then the Titanian man across from her is walking a dangerous line -- and all for her. She isn't about to make that sacrifice any harder than it is.
"Other Titanians not know about route to Primus system," Rushfighter says, and puts a finger to his lips in a hush gesture. "Spotties know, got old Gate sometimes working, sometimes not. One hyperspace channel open too now. No want other Titanians raid, we gots good thing going."
"Yahhhhhh," goes Tasha. Echoing Captain Rushfighter's earlier utternace. "A raid by multiple Titanian battleships would be a bad thing for us all. Somehow I doubt they'll be impressed by a few of us and our outdated technology." Her head shakes; She can already picture the resulting carnage. "I guess I have a lot to learn about how Titanians interact, too. But if they can detect the Horse, each other, and gods, does that mean they can detect me? Or do they need my 'resonance,' because my own signal is faint?"
"Oh, and that's interesting about the Gate and the channels. I'm going to bug you about that later, you know," the young woman adds a second later, in afterthought.
"I got your resonance, because we physically meet," Rushfighter says. "Not want you meet other Titanian captains. Not worry too much about invasion, either. Abaddon can fight off invasion. Sinai untouchable. Think Spotties pull all their ships out by now, otherwise why pay us take them to Abaddon? Unless they going to moon base."
"I can bug them, too. But I should stop distracting you: We're here to learn about my 'inner Hammer,' and for me to learn how to use it. I can save the other questions for another time." And with that Tasha sucks in a breath, readjusts her grip, and nods. "So this is Pilot-Cadet Tasha shutting up and learning. Sir!"
"Okay, good," Rushfighter says. "You no got inner hammer. Just link to you ship, I thinks. Good and bad. No get distracted. No take over Titanian ship. No can tell if other ships sneaking up on you. But, maybe Horse can learn."
"I'm kind of disappointed," Tasha admits, giving a apologetic shrug and smile. "The rest of that sounded useful, but I'll take what I can get. It's the 'Tasha Way.' Besides if I need a Hammer, I know where to find one." She then tilts her head and asks, "Bu the Horse can learn?"
"It a big hammer, so mebbe can sense resonance of others," Rushfighter reasons. "It clever, yeah? Teach it, then mebbe you know through it."
"So I'm back to animal training?" Tasha's eyebrows go up, head leaning back slightly. "That brings back memories. The thing is, I was a lot better at coercing and forcing than I was at training; It came talon-in-talon with my being a huge ass back then, and I don't mean what Layth used to say about my rear. I wasn't as kind as I should have been, but maybe this is my chance for redemption. I'll think about how to do it, unless you have ideas?"
"No good at training," Rushfighter says. "I keep crew out of trouble by giving them busy busy work."
"And mom's pretty scary too," Tasha agrees. Finally letting go, she shifts her hands to behind her head that she might lounge in weightlessness. "Is there anything else to learn, then? Teach Horse, learn how to use resonances, new access to Primus? I feel like I'm either missing something or forgetting it."
"Oh, what you not know already?" Rushfighter asks.
"Well, I don't know how the resonance actually works or feels. I know it exists, and that Hammer can sense it. I assume you use Hammersong to communicate through the resonance, if not with sound than with a channel, maybe analog? I don't know Hammersong either, so if that's the case even if I could sense and interact with the channel I wouldn't know the code. I'll also need to know how to talk to my Horse; Right now I only get vage emotions and sensations, I can't send anything -- or can I?" Tasha cocks her head to the side. "I never did try, but early contact suggested the Horse might not understand or I wasn't doing it right."
"So.. how you train other animals?" Rushfighter asks. "You gots to have a way of knowing what they mean, yeah?"
"With pteras I used visual cues, scent, sound, and a knowledge of what they liked, disliked, and what their behaviors are in different situations -- and then I acted accoedingly. Or that's what I'd like to say, but instead I sometimes did and other times I just got mad and cracked my whip a lot. I guess it came down to understanding or intimidation, and I don't want to scare my Horse. I was different back then. So, I'll need to learn the Horse's calls, what it likes and doesn't like, its posturing, if it eats anything, and so on. I'll also need to try and figure out how it communicates, and if there are new senses that I need to be aware of -- like Hammersense. Otherwise I might miss something," the young woman replies.
"It be sensitive to gravity, and mass," Rushfighter claims. "That what it made of, as far as we know. Not even sure how much of it in our dimension. Could just be a toe. Or maybe it in lots of places at once. Maybe old old rituals work on it?"
"They're a confusing lot, aren't they? I still remember colors that burn." The young woman shakes her head at the memory; A new color of which was the sensation of searing heat and other, less comprehensible, feelings that make her brain hurt just trying to sort them out.
So she doesn't.
"So, hokay, gravity and mass. Well I have both too, but I'm sure it's more complicated than waving my hands around to shift my gravity and mass in a detectable way. Or is it?" Tasha's scrunches her brow. "Gah, I don't know. I'll try. Lets see ... Lots of places at once, like He-Who-Moves? That I think I understand. Since it's from outside space and time, it can poke its head in just about anywhere. It may not even need to exist at one point, but can exist at several, co-located, because it isn't tied to linear time. Is it bad I'm starting to understand these things? But, um, yah it could be. Figuring out where is another matter -- it could possibly be anywhere or any time. The Tnuctipin worlds would be my guess though. And ... Rituals. You mean, um, like a hundrd years of psychic flensing? He-Who-Moves mentioned his ritual."
"That seem a long time," Rushfighter says. "Horse maybe simpler. Tnuctipin catch it or summon it. Maybe some way to talk to it through ship's hammer-metal itself. Or that part of how it held in place. It connected after all. Find out what hull can do, you find out if it let you talk to Horse better."
"That's a good idea. I should figure out if I can use my sense of its resonance to sense its moods and other things, too -- a lot like listening." Tasha reachs up and taps her muzzle, clearly thinking, then tilts the hand away as she asks, "Knowing moe about the rituals might be useful for more than just working with my Horse, especially if you think I'm going to meet more Harrowers, or even Ogdoad. It might give some insight in to their nature. He-Who-Moves said, 'there are the rules, and that is all there is.' So they follow rules, or at least the sentient ones do. That might be part of it. Maybe I should just ... Ask them?"
"Hah, never thought of asking," Rushfighter says, grinning. "Gods usually cryptic, yeah? Who know what rituals need though, to reach down into D-Space."
"It puzzles me why rituals work at all. Why does psychic flensing, candles, circles and whatever else is needed work? It seems so different from our massive machines, living ships, and other technology. Like it's working on a completely different ... set .... of ... rules ... Huh." The young woman frowns, half-curling in to a ball and tapping her muzzle, the equivilent of hunching over and thinking in freefall. "Mabe because it is. Harrower rules. They make deals. Maybe a ritual is like a deal, a deal written in Harrower-rules. Or, maybe like a signal? Or a contract. They are cryptic, but at least He-Who-Moves was as straightforward as I think he could be. He understood I wanted to help him, not use him, and he knew what I meant because he could read my mind. So I don't need to understand to talk, they will. And maybe he will listen to me, because I did help him. Then I'll ask him to teach me, and what the price of that would be. The question is ... " And here she looks up to Rushf
ighter. "How do I contact him in the first place? Can the Mauler do it?"
"No idea how to call Harrowers," Rushfighter admits. "Only cared about sending them home. It would be old old knowledge. Ancients knew, because dark-gods were around to teach them mebbe? Ogdoad maybe used Harrowers as servants. I bets it has to do with some relationship between mind and space, or psionics."
"Psionics are a good bet, psychic flensing sounded a lot like psionics. The problem is, I'm not a psychic, and the only one I know is a Terragen Agent. I also don't know how old the knowldge is. The Niss might know of the rituals, since the Niss may have been around during the time of the dark gods. If not, they may know someone or something that does. Well, someone has to know. The Old Ones on Encante either knew or re-used something they found," says Tasha.
"Always possible that they found the Harrower, left over from previous civilization," Rushfighter says. "That why we try to keep old stuff like that from being used by current ones."
"Well I'm glad you do it, because I'd hate to see what the Khattans would do with something like that. Still, that doesn't help very much. I can try all the other ways to talk to the Horse, but for the rest ... I don't know. Maybe the Sifras knew? But the Oracle is under a mountain of rubble and I'm not sure the Sifras wouldn't kill me on the spot if they detected me. They've lost control of a great deal though, so their records may be unguarded -- but the answer could be anywhere." Tasha raps on her noggin, trying to think of a way in to D-Space or an appropriate record. "There is one answer, but it's a long trek and I hate bothering him or risking his detection -- the fist Harrower I met."
"The Pit-God?" Rushfighter asks. "He captive too, yeah? Sifras power grows weak.. or it part of 6,000 year cycle. Primus not reachable ten years ago, not even by us."
"Yam God thinks it's returning though," the young woman notes. "We've noticed an increase of Forbidden Zones on Abaddon and the return of magic, as well as the appearance of Abaddon the Demon God who did try and kill me. Pit God was drawn to Sinai through a Forbidden Zone space-time warp, but didn't mention for what reason -- and I think maybe he was either a mistake or abandoned when they lost control. He may know, though. He's the Harrower most used to dealing with people like us that I know of. Maybe I can also help him get home, but I still owe him my first deal, so I still need t pay that."
"Ah, so they do make deals," Rushfighter says, and then taps Tasha's neck. "Signed in blood, sort of. Abaddon worried about invaders from space. Magic help them there. Galactics not only ones notice Primus accessible again. Plenty of species in galaxy."
"And beyond," Tasha agrees. "Abaddon hoped to sue me to exterminate everyone, then after I was done I'd have probably been put on standby to guard the worlds. It was scary -- really scary. I thought he was going to succeed, too."
Tasha sucks in a breath, head shaking before she exhales. "If you ever wonder why I keep trying to find an edge, that's why. I might be luckier than Kaa, but I don't like rely on luck. Um, anyway ... Enough Tasha worrying about gods that hate her, there's still gods I like to worry about. Pit God can eat spirits, though; I wish I could have done that when Abaddon showed up. Lets hope he's willing to share again and doesn't take the whole thing as a betrayal."
"Or you could try to talk to the Horse more," Rushfighter suggests. "It may be smarter than we think. Who knows? What else you no know about?"
"There's more I don't know than do know. Why was it made? Why was it found abandoned? What happened to the crew of genuises? Did it launch from a port or planet where it was made, and is that facility still accessible? What do all those etching-like marks mean? How does the Niss control it? How does a Dark creature create power? What is the housing made of? Why does the hangar have such a huge, oddly angled exit? What is the ship really capable of?" To this, Tasha shrugs in a 'I have no idea' sort of way. "Without the Niss we'd still be back in the Graveyard; I'm not even sure why the Horse started up in my presence. You'd think there'd be security or something, but it just came to life because I was there."
"Lots more energy in D-Space than our level of reality," Rushfighter says. "Horse can convert dark energy to something useful here. That its job - power-plant. Dunno if any Tnuctipin worlds even exist anymore.. their time was long ago, not from around here we thinks. Galactic core species, maybe, like Pak. Oh hey, you meet any plant people?"
"Other than ones that tried to have me join them? No, though I did see what we thought was a Pak corpse," Tasha answers, ears perking up. "Humanoid, looked built for fighting and intelligence. Beak. Strange joints. We also met beings we call Jotoki, which are composed of five worm-like segments that form a central sentient mass. We have a few on our ship, and think the Khattans sacked their world and were saving them as a 'discovered' Client-to-be. Why do you ask?"
The woman then pauses, head cocking the other way before she asks, "Unless you mean the Seeds, or Seed-like beings? Yam God is a plant-person. He said he draws his power from another universe, like Harrowers do. Thennenin final revenge."
"Ah, rumors," Rushfighter says. "Report of plant alien show up on Sinai, then take off. Not sure if intelligent plants be affected by whatever purge other civilized species."
"That's ominous. I hope they're not hostile, my last battle with the gods didn't go so well." Tasha shaks her head, then unfolds so that she can stretch. "Well, anything else we can help each other with? I feel like we're mostly going around in circles, even if we did make some progress. Dealing with the gods is always frusterating. I thought I'd go say 'hi' to your passengers."
"Hokay, no tell anyone on Abaddon I mention moon-base though," Rushfighter says. "It big hush-hush. We sell it off in chunks to Abaddon nations.. but it illegal for them to deal with us, yeah? So.. hush-hush. It not near you old crash site we take you to before."
"I'm not about to upset you or the Abaddonian nations, I like my allies and I want to keep them as such! The universe is vast; I'm beginning to see how vast. How big, along with what's in it! We have to stick together, and I need all the help I can get. Besides, I never minded that people dealt with Titanians. I like Titanians, at least some of them. I almost left the Karnor Elite and joined up with Blammo, did you know that?" Tasha smiles, her shoulders rolling in a shrug as her arms and wings fall from the stretch. "Besides, if they have the moon base they can handle tjeir own defense better, and that's good for them and us."
"Hokay, no want get in trouble," Rushfighter says. He grabs onto Tasha's tether and pulls himself back to the hatch, which he then cranks open (it looks rather heavy, so Tasha probably couldn't open it herself).
"Sealing me in in case I sprouted tentacles and tried to take over the ship?" Tash asks as she grabs her tether and follows the man on out. "And anyay, if you get in trouble I'll be there to back you up."
Back on the open deck of the Mauler, the Titanians are wrestling with a giant, multi-tentacled (or possibly headed) monster. It isn't clear if the thing is attacking, in the middle of being captured, or just playing around - Titanians play rough after all. Near one of the main masts, Gabriel doesn't seem all that concerned by it. And he isn't alone, as a tall Silent-One stands next to him. There's something very similar in their postures.
Another captain? Tasha wonders as she makes her way across the deck, edging around the tentacle-creature fight-play-capture-something to approach the two men -- or what she presumes is two men by the posture.
"I'm back," she announces a ways out, hoping to interupt any conversation she isn't meant to see before she gets close enough to see it. "Did you make a new friend, Gabriel?"
"Possibly," Gabriel says, as both men turn. The Silent-One is definitely in an 'at-ease' military posture, and seems more muscular than even Tomorrows-Hope did.. at least in uniform, which seems nondescript but still screams 'uniform' in style. "This is Lonevigil, from Goldsands - one of the Silent-Ones' worlds. He's a mecha pilot."
The pilot nods his head to Tasha, but doesn't seem very expressive otherwise.
"Oh! Well, in that case ... " Clearing her throat and waggling out her hand -- the fingered version of the same gesture -- Tasha signs even as she says, "I am Winged-Gift, Pilot-Cadet of the Joint Expeditionary Force and Pilot-Knight by the grace of Archon Strength-of-Stones. My Titan is the Melchior. I did not realize Titans were still being used by Galactic forces, but it makes me happy to see it is true." And then she inclines her head right back.
The cheetah signs back, "Why are you happy about it?"
"I like Titans?" Tasha replies, this one purely in sign as the question catches her off-guard. "My Titan and I accomplish wonderful things together. It is a beautiful partnership, and he is my shadow. I am glad to see the tradition continues in one form or another."
"Tradition," Lonevigil signs. "I am an official emissary to the Silent-Ones of Abaddon, possibly an ambassador. I respect tradition. Do the Silent-Ones of Abaddon allow women to pilot?"
"No, unfortunately. I was told that they don't have the body strength to do so, but I think that's probably a lie. The Expedition-nation also doesn't allow women to fight, but did so during the time of planetfall and before, and I think it is a new tradition that is not superior to the old," is Tasha's reply, her ears flicking as she checks her annoyance at the rather unpleasant aspect of Abaddonian society. "They should try it."
The cat's ears go back a bit. "Women should not fight. That is the duty of men," he signs. "Women can hold any civilian position, including planetary governor, but not be required to fight or perform labor requiring strength."
"I am half-Vartan and half-Karnor. We have both fought. Many Vartan mercenaries, soldiers, pirates and others have fought. The same is true for Karnor; Many fought in the army and died pioneering this world. I do not know if Silent One women are so weak, but I have not seen it. I know queen of the Silent Ones, a slave, and others, and they seem strong enough to me. I would not claim otherwise to their face ... Mask," retorts the considerably smaller woman.
"Karnors and Vartans are not so different between the sexes," Lonevigil notes. "Among the People, men are stronger. It is tradition that we fill the roles that require physical strength. Strength of mind or character does not make up lack of brawn. Leaders do not need to fight, but soldiers do."
"There are many weapons that do not require brawn. A gun does not require it; There are swords that do not require it. I have seen the sword-dancers of the Knight Templar fight, and they are a terror dressed in magneta -- and they are all thought to be Savanites -- Silent Ones. Brute force is not the only way to fight, even with a club in hand," continues Tasha , whose gestures have become more animated in the face of discussion.
"I sign of tradition, not reality," Lonevigil signs. "I've met your queen. Ideally, to my thinking, she should have married the High Archon, Star-With-Us. It would have closed certain vulnerabilities."
"Create a new tradition then. A million years ago there was no Star Empire and the First Ones lived where we now do; Change is an oldr tradition and a better teacher." Tasha pulls in a breath through her nostrels, then exhales and signs, "I understand your need for protection, and political and military security, so I will say nothing to that save that I support the Queen's decisions because I support the Queen. I do not know the High Archon, and cannot sign of him."
"I am not here to deal with the Queen.. that is left to my companion," Lonevigil says. "I am to observe the Silent-Ones of Abaddon and see what can be learned from them of sharing a world with limited resources with other sophonts."
"Sophons? Tash asks, head tilting. "I do not know that sign, I assume it means those not of the People. There is much to learn and much that is good, I think. I have been traveling through the Galactic worlds and it is sad to me to see how seperate the races are out here. Home is not perfect, but there is much to appreciate and much I did not appreciate until I saw how else it might be."
"It is a term that means sentient beings which qualify as civilized," Lonevigil signs. "Abaddon provides a unique opportunity that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. It is also not so different, I understand, from my own world of Goldsands."
"In type of world? Perhaps it is, but there are the Sifran constructs and daikaiju that may be new. I agree that Abaddon is a unique opportunity to learn; It was for me as well when I came to live there after leaving Sinai. If you can, I would suggested visit Sinai as well. Rephidim, in particular. You will find no other city on either world that sees so many mixed races mingling," notes the young woman, who has by now forgotten she should be speaking as well as signing.
"Perhaps when my primary duties are concluded," the man signs. "I will need to check on Longroad in any case, and he will be on Sinai."
"You are welcome to pass on my advice if it is useful to him," notes the hybrid woman. "I will be here for questions if you have them, when I am not with my mate or speaking to the crew."
"I would also like to see your mecha if it is present," Tasha concludes.
"I doubt he will leave Xenea, assuming he does not actually go native in the jungles," Lonevigil signs with a bit of an ear-waggle. "I did not bring a mecha. I understand there are plenty available on Abaddon."
"Perhaps you may borrow one. You will see mine as well, should we meet in the Pit of Himaar. I am stationed in the P H T O hall along with the other functionaries and VIPs, wehn I am on Abaddon. Gabriel will be there as well," offers Tasha, who also offers aother inclining of the head.
"I am sure I will be visiting the cooperative zone after meeting with the leaders in Star City," Lonevigil signs. "Assuming they do not burn me at the stake."
"And why would they do that?" Inquires the young woman, whose ears immediately go up.
The Silent-One's ears waggle, and he signs, "That is what happened to the last emissaries. They happened to be preaching the creed of Light-of-Star, the false messiah however, which may have played a part in their ultimate treatment."
Tasha slowly nods her head, pausing to think a moment before signing, "I hope they were not simply duped, it is a sad end for the misguided to be destroyed by their own kind. Light-of-Star, however, is another matter. I have met another of the Khattan agents and made sure he would not continue to be a burden on our world. It is the right choice, but I pity those he manipulated."
"The Abaddonians follow a very conservative sect," Lonevigil signs. "I am not a particularly devout person. But I can adapt."
"You will wish to speak to Archon Strength-of-Stones, he is considered an outlier in Silent One politics and he is my patron as well as the head of my order -- you will find him very knowledgable about the Pit of Himaar, Savanite culture, and many other things besides. I think you will get along -- you can sign to him that I sent you," suggess the honorary Silent One. "Should I also go and meet your associate?"
"He is reading," Lonevigil signs. "He dislikes moving through this ship. Or standing still in it. He is a good man, and a governor, but he is also a Naturist and prefers not to deal with technology."
"I do not suppose he deals in natures other than our own reality?" Inquires Tasha, whose ears re-perk and her head leans closer.
"He likes trees, a simple living," Lonevigil signs, looking a bit exasperated by the notion. "He sees Sinai as a sort of paradise because of the lack of machines."
"He will greatly live airships and magic, I can predict this, for alien gods speak to me and tell me riddles and jibberish," the young woman notes, then lifts her hands and wiggles them in a particularly spooky sort of manner. She then wiggles her own ears and signs, "He seems like a good man, but I will have your luck with him. I am fond of machines and have cybermetics. I have a ship. I have Gabriel, and his kind were made with them. I am a Titanian ally and have a hammer. It may be best I do not meet him after all. I am loud an unnatural."
"Thunder is also loud, but natural," Lonevigil says. The skirmish with the space-kraken seems to be over. At least, the creature is gone anyway. "Riddles and jibberish are best ignored, but if they persist you may wish to seek a medical solution."
"Perhaps I should have asked for the name Natural-Thunder," tasha considers in sign, then grins. "And you should not speak ill of the gods. They will burn you at the stake for it, your people. They are not the same gods, but you must not speak in generaltities about such things. As for me, I will listen. It is not the gods fault I do not understand; It is a difference in voice and understanding. And is that not what being an ambassador is about?"
"I've never been one before," Lonevigil signs. "I am observant though."
"Ambassador was one of my earlier roles, now I am more explorer than ambassador, but I still speak. I cannot say I am the best at it; I have much to learn. But, I have learned some things. Maybe they will help you." Tasha smiles, then glances over at Gabriel who has been standing there patiently since the conversation began in earnest. She blinks, then covers her muzzle and says, "Gabe, I forgot! I'm sorry. We were just talking about politics and the planets."
"Not giving away any secrets, I hope?" Gabriel asks with a grin.
"I am the soul of secrey and decorum!" Tasha insists, then she steps beside the Silent One and slings an arm around his waist, in a very buddy-buddy sort of manner. "I had to welcome our guest from the Star Empire, after all. I am sure he is a huge spy, or secret assassin, perhaps he is also a Khattan, but we should be friendly."
The soldier's tail puffs out a bit at the familiarity and commentary. "I am all Silent-One, I assure you. Otherwise my wife has much to explain regarding our son."
"Don't worry, if either of you are half-Khattan I will not hold it against you. And we Vartans love children. he can have dinner with us when we return to the Pit. I will invite the Archon, and of course he will decline because I am a very lowly honorary Silent One. Then he will invite us," Tsha explains, or perhaps, insists.
"You didn't drink all of that Vartan booze did you?" Gabriel asks Tasha, looking a bit suspicious.
"I would never. Old Age and Treachery would find me and make me pay for it. I migth as well stay on the ship. I am just in a good mood, it is good to make new friends and to talk about less ominous things. Relaxing things like politics and executions," answers Tasha. Her tail wags in a friendly, but possibly more suspicious, manner.
"Are you sure? I'd think your other gift for them would take up their attention," Gabriel notes with a wink.
"I have another gift?" Tasha asks, then she blinsk and widens her eyes. "Oh ... Oh! Well, maybe it will, but that's another ... crate full of trouble isn't it?"
"Should probably let them open it too," Gabriel suggests. Then he stretches a bit. "Two more days to enjoy the cruise, then back to the dust and paperwork. Are you planning a visit to Sinai this time?" he asks Tasha.
"I'm not sure. It feels irresponsible of me to keep running around when I probably should be doing something boring -- I mean responsible -- on Abaddon. Like attending classes," she notes, clearly trying very hard to sound psoitive about the experience. "I don't want to disappoint Captain Frane. I suppose there is something I could use on Sinai, but getting it is another matter entirely. I'm not sure Captain Rushfighter would like it, but it might be the key I need."
"I don't suppose it involves a resort villa in Olympia that comes with it's own sailboat?" Gabriel asks with a hopeful grin.
"You know, we could use some of your newfound money to buy things out there, then buy things in here. Like a real headquarters, or, a home. Even a sailboat! We don't have to rely on the PHTO forever. Personally, I'd like a top-level loft apartment," Tasha notes, brows raising and the young woman grinning widely. "Um, that aside, it'll probably involve heading in to Nordika. So cold, airship travel, storms, more of me talking in pidgin with terrible grammar. That sort of thing."
"Ah.. Taking Shojo again then?" Gabriel asks.
"No, Shojo needs to go to school, too. He and the others will need training in preperation for their departure, and if it's not me it has to be you! So, see? You get an excuse to get away from paperwork after all," replies Tasha, whose grin becomes a smile. "You might even be teaching Miss K. Nordika I might just be better off handling myself. Cheaper, and I'm a bit more Titanian-y."
"Well, clearly you won't be heading off immediately then," Gabriel says. He then looks way up, towards the top of the giant mast. "Care to check out the crow's nest with me in the meantime? The rocking of the boat should be pretty exaggerated up that high," he offers, and winks.
"We'd better do it secretly so we do not offend the Silent One's traditional sensibilities," notes the young woman, who steps over to Lonevigil, carefully pushes on him until he turns around, then nudges him down the deck to elsewhere. "See Gabriel? I am good with cultural sensitivity!"