It's the smell that rouses Tasha, which prevents her from drooling on Gabriel's neck at least. Bacon, sausage, steak.. or the Abaddonian equivalents thereof, at least. Also fresh baked bread, some sort of butter and other mixed odors. Sitting up reveals the source: a large serving cart covered in breakfast dishes. There's enough light to notice that her 'suit' has been cleaned, pressed, folded and placed on a chair. Even the boots have had the dust polished off. "I don't know how your husband takes his 'coffee', miss," Liza says apologetically as she pours a cup for Tasha.
"You know, neither do I?" Tasha replies, followed by a cavernous yawn. She stretches her arms above her head, her wings soon to follow as she aborbs the sunlight and feels more refreshed than she has since she started her trip back to Sinai.
After a second or two to awaken more fully, Tasha drops her arms and pulls in her wings and looks down. "Wow, you really outdid yourself Liza. I'm surprised to see you, too," she notes as she picks up a slice of bacon, pausing long enough to pop it in her mouth and swallow before adding, " ... didn't I give you the day off? Don't tell me I slept for two days!"
"I don't know what to do with myself, and thought it would help to make a good impression on your husband," the Lapi maid explains, as Gabriel starts to stir. "The cafeteria was very generous when I asked for a larger meal. I barely had to guilt them at all."
"They like us there. We tell stories. It helps that my big wolf is the alpha-sort," Tasha notes with a grin, reaching over to pat Gabriel's shoulder. "And it looks like he's waking up, too." She picks up a slice of bacon and -- very carefully -- holds it infrontof his muzzle. "He wakes up better with bacon."
Like a magic wand, the bacon levitates Gabriel up and out of the bed. At least he's wearing shorts, since he hasn't noticed Liza yet as he reflexively pours himself some coffee, the bacon sticking out the side of his mouth. "M'r'ning," he mutters groggily.
"Morning 'husband.' Before you get too frisky, you should know we have a guest," explains Gabriel's mate, who is dwarfed by him when he's actually sitting up. She does scoot-scoot back in to him, though, laying her head against his chest as she tells Liza, "Captain Gabriel T. Akkers is the head of the Joint Expedtionary Force, our organization. His proper title in public is 'Captain.' He sits on the PHTO -- the Pit of Himaar Treaty Organization -- council and works with the four nations to turn our discoveries in to benefits for civiliazation, he also manages and directs the JEF as a whole. He's also technically my head-boss, but we've been together long before the JEF was established."
"Don't mind me sir, if you want to get frisky," Liza explains. "I've worked in hotels, after all."
The bacon nearly drops from Gabriel's mouth, but he puts an arm around Tasha in reflex. "What? Oh! Yes.. you.. Liza. How did you get all this food?" he finally asks, as if that question will derail whatever else the rabbit was talking about.
"She apparently charmed the staff," Tasha leans back and gives Gabriel a kiss on his muzzle, opposite the bacon side to avoid a spontaneous tug-of-war, then turns to Liza again. "She also managed to get in our room. Did I leave my key with you last night? I was so tured I can barely remember anything."
"I simply let them know that I was Miss Tasha's new maid, and that if I didn't get enough meat to sate both of your appetites you might be forced to nibble on me instead," Liza relates. "There were some nervous chuckles, but it worked. I would have gotten eggs too but I don't know how you take them."
The Lapi pulls out an oddly shaped key from her apron. "Oh, I just used my skeleton key. These rooms still use the original locks from Sinai."
"Um, hmm." Goes Tasha, whose ears wilt suddenly at the explaination. "We ... Um, you and I should have a long talk later about history." She then peers at the ley and shakes her head. "Budget cutbacks are one thing, but using the old locks? I thought they improved them somehow! Half of the VIPs in the pit can ... Fah. Oh well! Bacon." And then she resumes eating.
"Don't worry miss," Liza assures. "I have very good hearing. I knew you were both asleep, and didn't want to wake you up just to collect your outfit for laundering."
Tasha pauses in her eating, even wiping her muzzle first before remarking, "I haven't forgotten about Lapi hearing. I spent a month or two around a Lapi man, and I've been to Amazonia. Plus, I wasn't as refined as I am now -- the wrong whispered remark in Amazonia made me glad I have wings." She gives a wink, then wiggles back a bit more to recline against Gabriel as she eats. "So do you want to hear about my fantastic adventure, Gabe? Or would you prefer the horrors for after breakfast?"
"I can listen and eat at the same time," Gabriel claims, perking up some after his first few sips of coffee. "And as a soldier it is unlikely anything you say will put me off my food. Also, I'm curious about the crown you brought back."
"It's a nice crown, isn't it?" Tasha leans over the side of the bed and fetches her duffle bag from the floor, then reaches in and pulls out a velvet-lined sack with paper to seperate the objects. The paper has largely become a wad, given she unceremonously pulled items out before bed without much thought as to putting them back. Tiara removed, she puts it right on her head and resumes lounging.
"Would you believe me if I said I found a dragon's horde? Which makes me the dragon, at least until I gave most of it to Clan Stormrider. You remember the dragon, the one with the key?" Tasha asks.
"I remember you coming back with the key after claiming to have talked to the ghost of a dragon," Gabriel says. Behind Tasha, Liza quietly goes about cleaning up the casual mess from the duffel bag. "And if you keep stretching like that things could get embarrassing in here. I still have flashbacks of being naked in those tubs while bunnies poked at me.."
"We were all traumatized by Amazonia. It's okay," Tasha comfirts her Gabriel, reaching over to pat his arm and grinning fiendishly. "Try not to scandalize my maid too much, if you do want to do something." Not helping things any, she reaches back over again and pulls out a smaller sub-pouch and, after undoing the cords, lets gabriel peer inside. "I kept some for myself," she repeats, jangling the bag. Gems, a number of them! And coins, they look old. "I decided that maybe I should start enjoying a little more comfort. What do you think?"
"Well.. what happened to the rest of the treasure?" Gabriel asks, one eyebrow raised and a sausage at the end of his fork. "So far it looks like you've purchased new clothes and hired a professional maid. Not exactly frivolous investments."
"Well, I also bought first-class train rides and spent several days in the best hotel Titania has to offer, which is where I met Miss Liza. And let me tell you Captain Akkers, that was comfortable. Soft bed, warm fire, piano, conversation, brandy, all while it was snowing outside. I never knew how much I appreciated luxury until I thought to try it myself. It's one thing to enjoy Katie's life, but it's another to try and live it yourself. Anyway, it was wonderful. Although ... " And here she peers back down in to the bag again. "I'm not sure what to do with the rest of this. Do you have any idea how much it's all worth? I only had a fraction of it assessed to avoid letting on I was traveling with what might be a fortune."
Gabriel eyes the coins and gems. "I.. have no idea. I've always known currency to be.. detached.. from value, if that makes any sense? Those are artifacts, on the one hand, which could be where their actual value lies. They may be Pre-Expedition.. First-Ones coins. I know gold is ultra-rare on Sinai, so it may be of alien origin. The value they have on Abaddon is probably different than on Sinai though - Sinai has more super-rich collectors of things. I think you need to try and get them identified first. I know nothing about gems.. real gems, from a mine. I grew up with manufactured ones."
"I remember your building made of sapphires," Tasha remarks, looking up at Gabriel -- or rather under his muzzle which gets a kiss. "I also picked a small green-stone animal, I thought Mariel would like it. I'm not sure what animal it is, or what it's made of, but I was going to bring it back and leave it beside Mariel's ... um ... bed, while she um, recovers." The young woman then leans over a bit to peek in her duffle and add, "There's a few other pieces, too. Other than that the core objective of the mission was a bust, like the Abaddonians say. I didn't get what I came for, but I did learn a lot from our, um, shadowy friend living with the Clan. A lot, the kind of thing where ... Well, you know what I mean. You've seen me. Um, what else? Oh, I did reach the center of the Titanic. It is what we think it is, and it's probably the oldest one."
"The oldest one?" Gabriel asks. "It's using warp-metal then? Did you find out where it comes from? I checked during our recent vacation, and it didn't look like anyone was making it yet."
"It has the 'warp-metal,' but I don't know where it comes from. There's an old legend that states it was a gift from Vulcan, the Forge God and Progenitors of the Titanians. Other than that I don't know. However, it does, um, for lack of a better word resonate with disturbances in gravity and possibly dark matter. In the Titanic I found several god-machines, one of which smoothes space. The man who saved me from having it smooth me said it tugs at the soul. It tugs at mine, or maybe tugs more, because I've ... " Here Tasha pauses, glancing at Liza for a long moment and then asking, "Liza, are you sure about all of this? Really sure? Following me means following me in to the unknown. I might have understated how far that really goes, as I was distracted by my vacation and I didn't want to scare you. But, maybe you should be scared. Gabriel? Have anything to add?"
"She hasn't gotten anyone killed yet," Gabriel tells the doe. "Or driven insane. Well.. not very insane. She hogs that for herself."
"I worked for a Chaos Mage for a year," Liza replies. "Until she exploded one morning while eating her cereal. Sometimes she talked to the furniture. Occasionally it talked back. I still jump when things explode though."
"It helps me talk to the insane things," Tasha chips in, smiling a little -- although there's something off in her smile. The more the Lapi sees of it, the more the air of haunted anxiety is apparent.
Tasha listens, then nods slowly. The hanted smile gives way to a more genuine one before she explains, "Alright. Well, last question then: This is in some way a one-way trip. You're in or out; I can't have people wanting to go home and I need to be able to rely on those who come with me. Most everyone with us has some idea of the risks and made a concious choice to stare in to the dark, and those that didn't -- like me -- learned to live with it. Even enjoy it, uh, usally. So you get the nicer way: In or out, Miss Liza? If you say no, I'll pay your way back home and that it. If you say yes then you get to hear the big picture."
"I'm a maid, Miss Tasha," Liza explains. "That makes my life very simple. I don't have to deal with Big Things, just the ironing and cleaning up. I do like to travel though, especially after dealing with so many people from so many distant places. My father was a personal assistant, and he went to war with his employer, even though he didn't fight. I'm touched that you worry about me, but I'm a big girl and someone has to look after you."
"A lot of someones really. I'm a walking and flying disaster. "I'm a disaster so you don't have to be," that's, um, it's called a slogan isn't it Gabriel?" Tasha looks up for confirmation. "That could be my 'slogan.'" He gets another kiss, then she turns back to fully focus on Liza. "Hokay then, you are officially in, and that also makes you part of the crew. What I was going to tell Gabriel is that it may resonate with me, my soul if the Titanian was correct, because I've touched gods. Made deals with them. Dark gods, literally dark. Maybe also figuratively? Big words today, Gabriel." And one more kiss. "Anyway, the metal reacts to that resonance. It's also what Lore -- the Titanian -- called my 'gravitic siganture.' It may be what The Source meant by 'blood' when I asked it about the link, their 'blood' is gravity. I share their blood, I share their gravity. I also learned about the War in Heaven, the begining of life in our universe as The Source remembers it. Ready for that?"
"Most cultures have some sort of War in Heaven story.. is this the original one?" Gabriel asks, then squeezes Tasha's arm. "I think all of your gravity is concentrated in your.. uh.. well, parts that have a certain pull on me anyway!"
"Did I menton my Gabriel is a gentleman? He's especially gentle in the morning and before bed," Tasha tells Liza, shaking her head but grinning widely. "Anyway, this may be the original War in Heaven story, which means it is also quite possibly the true origin story. I fits with everything I've learned, which means I now have a very good idea of the basic timeline of life in our universe, and also what existed and exists outside of it, beyond time and space as we know of it. Here it is: To the great ons in the Dark, what we call D-Space which exisst beyond the Maesltrom, our universe and those like it are islands of light. These fascinate the Ogdoad, the creators, and the and their servants -- the Lloigor -- are drawn close, and those that touched this island created life. The Old Ones, the first life, and the Nephilim who are uplifted creatures of the Maelstrom created to help that task. Oldest of the Old Ones and first of life and also servants were the Xilfirm, the Sifras. The Sifras rebelled against their creators and cast them out, imprisoning their servants. They made war against the other Old Ones, scowering life from the universe until they were victorious."
"And time passed, and a new generation came to be. How I don't know, maybe the Sifras created them, or the Ogdoad's life seeds and surviving Nephilim may have been responsible. But in time the Sifras noticed them, and they made war, and again the universe was empty. The cycle might have happened again, but then Outsiders came."
"The gods, the Progenitors. They fought with the Sifra and won, or at least reached a stalemate where neither side could attack or control much of what remained. Free of Sifran interferene, the Progenitors -- who are also refered to as exiles -- took what non-sentient life remained and ulifted it, making new sentient races. They seemed to wish to repopulate the universe and create a new civilization, and so they continued. Humans, Vartans, Titanians, Naga, Silent Ones, and many otehrs are said to have been made this way. Some of those who were amde are gone now, and some of Progenitors are as well. How and why are different stories, but we do know that ultimately the Progenitors vanished leaving behind Markers for whatever mysterious reason they chose. perhaps, even as an accident. And now we're in the third cycle. The Old Ones, The First Ones, and now us. That is the state of our universe."
Tasha sucks in a deep breath, then exhales. "And there you go. What may be the true story of how we came to be. The lapi were made by the Humans, though, and the current Galactic powers have made a few as well, such as Karnors. They can be considered a subset of the third generation."
"Interesting.. but do you know anything about those players?" Gabriel asks. "Are the 'imprisoned' gods the ones the Titanians seem fixated on?"
"The Titanians, the Vartans, and the XXX were said to be tasked by the Proegnitors to 'clean up' the universe; Their goal was to remove threats to their children and the society they wished to build. These threats include everything from old technologies the younger sentients wouldn't be able to handle to angels trapped within our universe and either direct threats or else something like technology, wish-givers that could destablize the universe. The Vartans were to be the soldiers, attacking direct threats and sensing threats beyond the obvious. This is said to be why Vartans are spritual, and sense spirits and the like. The Titanians were the builders and disassemblers, tough enough to unmake anything that remained. The XXX no longer exist, but were the brains, the commanders. They looked to far, and were destroyed," Tasha explains, needing another deep breath afterward.
"Wait, let me correct: The Cill were explorers. Extreely intelligent, and highly advanced. It was said this lead to their destruction somehow, so either something they found or something they made. Marduk was or is their Progenitor," The young woman corrects after she's had a moment to catch her breath.
"So, those Cill.. found something big, I imagine," Gabriel suggests, gesturing with a waffle. "It also shows how dangerous ancient sites can be. Some of them must be deliberate traps. Given the predatory nature of some of the old civilizations, that would make sense."
"You lay out a carcass to lure the hunter into the trap," Liza agrees. "That is what Lapi would do. Well, most Lapi."
Tasha nods her head to this. "It's also why I'm glad the Titanians are on our, or at least my, side. They are helped by us to find things, and we need them if we find anything we can't handle. That they always know where I am helps us a lot, even if we have to worry about offending them. Not all of them -- or most of them -- know what we're really doing. Captain Rushfighter is clearly anxious; I don't think he expected us to get the Dark Horse moving and I know he realizes what we're doing has far-reaching implications. He's keeping an eye on us, so we're 'using each other to our own ends' as Mel puts it," the young woman elaborates. "I think our ex-Khattan spy also mentioned, or maybe it was Rushfighter, that there may be those in our universe in cotact with the Ogdoad. House Khomen, for one. Rushfighter also thinks I may run in to them sooner or later."
Tasha turns and nods to Liza as well, face shifting in to a grim frown. "The previous owners of my ship were all hunters. There's also the possiblity of destroying yourself through a lack of understanding -- something I have a lot of experience with already! Some of the technologies involved can't be comprehended easily, or even at all without outside knowledge. How can you understand a universe that uses different rules than yours? Different materials? You can't, unless that gap is bridged. And what you don't know, well ... " Here the young woman lifts a hand, gesturing at the ruined side of her face.
"Criminal enterprises tend to gain the attention of larger criminals, if they're successful," Gabriel notes. "Given the Dark Horse's lack of legitimate strategic value.. that makes you something of a Privateer - a government sanctioned pirate. Just instead of raiding the enemy you're doing sneakier things.."
"Great, now I'm going to have to listen to Blackwings tell me how 'you just like me,' and 'become big pirate after all ha ha,' and 'I teach you everything eh.' Never tell my mother I'm a pirate, either," laments the hybrid woman, who tries to console herself with a quick bite of bacon and a long drawn out sip of coffee. She smacks her lips afterward and leans back against Gabriel. "I guss the question is, who sanctions me now? It's a big universe, and we need allies. But I also don't want to take sides; I may have to though. Terra's the obvious choice, and we can't exactly trust the Khattans -- at least not some of their Houses. I'm not sure what to think of the Celestials, the Confederates, the Silent Ones and the independents though, although I do know that I don't like the Celestial's history with Clients. I also have to think about what being a 'Privateer' means for me here."
"Well, here... you aren't one," Gabriel notes. "Only when you're on the Dark Horse really. Of course I'm biased towards working with the Terragens. But the Confederates and Vartans are interesting possibilities, and we know that the Silent-Ones will deal with the Titanians in order to achieve things clandestinely."
"I'm glad I can still hide that side of our -- lets say my -- operations. It'd be hard, if I started running into political resistance here at home. Not having a home port would really strain all parts of the effort, and not just for me." Tasha half-rolls, shiftingto lay her head on Gabriel's leg as she stares at her empty plate longingly. "As for out there, I think those are good options. We can start with the Terragens, I'll ask Yue about setting up more formal arangements. Then we can approach each group in turn and see what they think. At the very least we'll probably have the Terragens; I don't think I can run the ship and have Terragen resistance! Most of the crew are Terragen species."
"Or unregistered alien species," Gabriel reminds. "You still need to keep the Jotoki safe."
"That too. And I still have to infilitrate the Kampfengruppe and Varta. When did I go from explorer to secret agent and privateer?" Tasha shakes her head against Gabriel's leg, then adds, "I'll need you to write some letters, Gabe. I might not have the time what with the raid coming. I want you to contact Hakeber, Shojo, Katie, and whoever else we want coming along when we -- I? -- depart. If you have any ideas, go ahead and write them too. We need them schedualed for some time after the raid is complete -- if I don't return in time you'll have the handle things."
"I haven't heard anything from Dr. Sen or the others in the Book Club, as I'm calling that particular operation," Gabriel says. "I know that Rapatia is still in town though. And you should probably try to get in touch with Mr. Vasterlion before looking into our more secretive counterpart, the Planetary Defense Cooperative. We need to deal with them before placing that relay at a libration point."
"Make a note of that Liza, it looks like we're going to be visiting a few people today." Tasha pushes herself up to a sitting position, then turns and reaches for Gabriel's undershirt which she slips on as a nightshirt. "I'm going to clean up and get ready. Rapatia first, then Mr. Vasterlion and finally the Cooperative. I'm sure they'll appreciate if I have a few people to introduce me. The old military-types might not take me seriously otherwise. Liza? Lets go get ready." And with that she pushes off and rises.
It's still morning by the time Tasha and her assistant make it to Rapatia's office. "How can you look so fresh this early in day?" the Vartan woman complains at the sight of Tasha's crisp uniform-like suit. "Gots in last night.. shouldn't have gotten any sleep at all, eh?" The Colonel also has a mighty cup of coffee on her desk, big enough for a Titanian. "And which bunny is that? It the stabby kind?" she asks of Liza.
"This is Liza, my maid. Although, she's increasingly becoming Liza, my personal assistant. You can thank her for my not being a wreck this moring, because I wasn't going to look this good on my own." Tasha stands before Rapatia's desk, having walked in and closed the door only moments ago. "She'll be coming with me, so you can trust her with what you tell me. I'm here about the, uh, Book Club and how our book order is going and also about the Planetary Defense Cooperative. I hear they need a ship?"
"They need lots of things," the Vartan notes. "Always expensive things. As for Book Club.. also getting expensive. Raehab big on bribes. 'Bribe big enough and they'll be too scared to turn on you,' he say. Maybe he has something though. Now you're back we can go find out."
"Whenever you're ready. I'll need to meet witha Cooperative representative though, as I need to clear something with them." Tasha glances around for a moment, then back at the door. "Should we head out now?"
"You gots to be introduced," Rapatia says. "That mean someone higher up than me. You in good with Archon Stony?"
"I think he forgave me for throwing him against the all and stealing his mask. If not, my ghost will haunt youif you flirt with my Gabriel." Tasha grins, then nods. "I think Stoney will ne fine. I can always bribe him with promising to raid a Savanite cultural stall in Rephidim the next time I'm back on Sinai."
"Him and his collection," Rapatia says, shaking her head before downing the rest of her coffee. It's always impressive to see a Vartan quaff something without spilling. "Right.. so you need to talk to supplier for PDC.. our own little Viceroy. I bet he still sleeping in!"
"He seems like the type," Tasha agrees, grinning a little more and suddenly wondering if it makes her look like her sister or not. "Talking to the suppliers is for ... book channels or one more step to reach the PDC?"
"Maybe both," Rapatia says, and points towards the ceiling. "Nice to have eye-in-sky to map out things for you if they owe you a favor. Villem provide most of the life-support stuff for their base. He'll have their wish-list."
"You can always count on Villem." Tasha nods, then spreads her hands from where she had folded them behind her back. "Raehab, the Archon, or Villem first?"
"Villem," Rapatia says. "He's got better stuff to drink."
"Now that I have a maid, I can agree to that," Tasha notes with a wink. She then turns and walks over to the door, opening it for her elder. "This will be fun, it's been a while since we got to do anything together."
"Yeah.. at least that didn't involve the fire brigade.." Rapatia agrees, and leads the way.
Things in the Confederate quarter have changed a lot since Tasha's last visit. There are fields of crops now, all fed from the new well. And instead of a big tent, Rapatia drives them to.. a dome. It /looks like some some sort of circular /spider/ at the top, with dozens of jointed legs coming down to form the ribs of the dome. A semi-transparent membrane stretches between them to form the skin. Some of the legs branch, form archways near the ground that serve as doors. It's big too.. if it could move, it would probably feed on the mega-vermites that once tried to eat Tasha.
Liza kept her ears down for most of the noisy, spine-rattling drive out on the steam car. And the sight of the spider-dome may alarm her as well, but the only outward sign is that her nose seems to be twitching faster. "Here we are," Rapatia says. "The Vasterdome!"
"That is one big ... spider-thing. It doesn't move, does it? It'd be a bio-Titan mobile city-tent," Tasha remarks of the giant insectoid construction. As then near the dome, she sits up and leans forward, getting a better view. "So this is the Vasterlion corporate headquarters then?"
"No, just their Pit base of operations," Rapatia says, heading into the structure. There's even more structure inside - more legs and membranes. Eeee move about, pushing carts covered in plants or operating bizarre bug-machines. Rapatia ignores it all and seems to be following a specific path: the door-legs have stripes on them, with different colors and patterns apparently giving directions. Eventually they get deeper into the dome and encounter.. a waiting room. The Vartan secretary looks up and says, "Welcome to Vasterlion Industries.." He gets cut off by Rapatia before he can go into the full spiel. "We're here to see Villy, is he up yet?"
Her head like a swivel, Tasha has spent most of the trip inside looking around. Her head cocks this way and than, keen Vartan eyes trying to take in everything at once and wondering what most of it does. Eventually realizing her new assistant is probably wondering the same thing, and almost certainly to a much higher degree, the young woman explains as Rapatia takes care of introductions and appointments, "What you see here -- this building and many of the bug-like machines isnde it -- is what we call biomechanical construction. The Confederacy and their corporations, who consist of Eeee, Kujaku, Aquilians and Vartans here on Abaddon and are a nation, they prefer biolotechnology. It's their primary construction method and area of expertise. Muchof it is alive, which is why you see so many food production areas outside. They're needed for food and biomass."
"His watch-beetle indicates so, but it flew in just a little while ago, so he may still be undertaking his morning ablutions," the secretary says with no trace of an accent. He can probably speak several languages. "I will send word of your arrival, Colonel, if you would like to wait in the lounge?"
"Yeah, sure," Rapatia says. "I know the way." She waves for Tasha and Liza to follow her, as she heads for another door - this one set into a more mundane stone wall.
In a lower voice Tasha continues, although she knows the Eeee can hear her she does it more out of respect for the Confederate burden than an attempt to conceal things. "The Confederacy suffered a major setback recently that's effected their entire infrastructure, so the new wells help them a lot. It's considered a sensitive topic, so be aware of that. I'm confident they'll recover eventually though." Pausing in her explaination when she's waved to, Tasha leads Liza and follows Rapatia to the lounge. "Rapatia is Colonel in the Confederacy and a PHTO council seat, under Senator Cornelius Watch-Your-Butt."
"Is.. is that his actual name, or does he just like to pinch?" Liza asks. Her species are well known for their very pinchable tails after all.
"The latter," Tasha insists, muzzle smirking away. "In fact it was Rapatia who warned me originally, when I first came to this world, right after the JEF was founded."
The room Rapatia brings them too is.. alien but familiar. There are high stone walls, hung with the trophy heads of various Abaddonian canal creatures. A large fireplace - although instead of fire there is something like a mass of very large fireflies, which still give off a bit of heat and wave about like slow flames - dominates the center, and there is a thick rug (quite ordinary) and stuffed chairs that look like they are actual creatures - or where at least, as they don't seem to be moving. There's also a bar, and a very erect-postured Eeee gentlemen in a dark suit. There seems to be a moment of eye-contact and professional recognition between him and Liza, but it's unlikely the man ever saw a live Lapi before. Rapatia flops back into one of the chair-beasts, and raises up her legs. An ottoman-bug-thing scurries over so she can rest her hooves on it.
Always one to try and follow local custom, Tasha shrugs and then walks over and does the same thing. She picks a giant vermite, the act of lounging on its stuffed carcas giving her a feeling of dominance and satisfaction over a species that nearly killed her, lessening her fear along with it. Feet up, she watches in amusement as a bug scurries underneath her hooves, placing them down on what she thinks is its head or torso.
"I've never really spent any time around Confederate architecture, now that I think of it," Tasha remarks, looking around slowly. "I've lived here for months now and defended the city, but there's still so much about it and this world I don't know."
"It an acquired taste," the Colonal claims. "This all mostly to impress people, of course."
"Of course," agrees Tasha, who leans back and gets comfortable all over again. It's not Gabriel, but she thinks she could enjoy reclining on species dominance. "Villem does enjoy impressing people. I know I was impresssed with his car, although we catually met on the battle-line during the Tesla affair."
Liza sets a very inanimate stool-sort-of-thing next to Tasha's 'chair' and sits down on it. The butler brings around a tray. Instead of finger foods, it has an assortment of cigars and cigarellos in a carousel, with a burning flame at the center. Tasha's Karnor nose can tell each one has a different flavoring added to it.
"Hah, yeah, I hear you really show off there, blow up canal," Rapatia notes. "Felt the aftershock."
"We blew up Tartarus too, if what I heard was correct. They're still trying to fix all their windows," Tasha notes with a laugh, head shaking. "Wel, it got the job done and it gaveour engineers something exciting to do. It nearlly got rid of me too! If I hadn't had the shock resistant oxywater deployed I'd have been in the hospital or worse. Lucky for me I ws fine, I would have missed my date with being in a different hospital for anotehr reason!"
Rapatia selects a cigar from the tray and lights up. "Probably too early for brandy," she notes, glancing at the butler. "I'll see what I can do, ma'am," the man replies.
And also not one not to partake of local comforts, Tasha picks up a cigarillo and lights it. She already knows what it will smell like, having a keen Karnor nose: Woodsmoke with a hint of scent leaves. She picked it as it reminds her of home, of campfires out in the wilderness back when The Rake crew would stop to hunt. She lights it, then slide it in her mouth. "I'll have some brandy too, but just a small glass, please," she then chimes in.
What the Eeee serves them is.. coffee. With a foamy head.. and clearly with some brandy mixed into it. There might even be cinnamon sprinkled on it. Even Liza accepts an offered cup.
"Thank you very much," Tasha bids the butler, offering him a smile around her cigarillo. "Having fun, Lisa?"
"It has been very educational so far, Miss Tasha," Liza says. "I imagine the Confederates produce a lot of silk and fiber-based textiles."
"Yah, big export," Rapatia confirms.
"Organic materials? Now that I think about it, you're probably right. Every nation has its specialities, and the Confederates are major producers of all things organic, including chemicals if I remember right. Speciality medicines, too. Rapatia is a fine exporter of blood and tissue." Turning to the older woman and dipping her cigarillo just enough, Tasha inclines her head to her elder and offers, "Thank you for that by the way. I don't think I ever thanked you personally. I wasn't doing so well back then, and my memory hasn't recovered completely."
"You remind me of one of my daughters," Rapatia says, then grins. "The clumsy one."
"Ah, guests!" booms the jovial voice of Viceroy Villem Vasterlion the Third. The Eeee is wearing a fluffy bathrobe, complete with large fluffy slippers. "My dear down-to-earth Colonel Rapatia," he says, looking like he's about to give Rapatia a hug but changing course instead to bow to Tasha. "And the ever-exotic Cadet Argentine." He looks to Liza, goes wider eyed than usual. "And I daresay.. one of the Ark Sapients?"
Interupted before she can reply, Tasha just sticks her tongue out around her cigarillo before turning her attention to the cheery Willem. "Ever more exotic by the day, I assure you," Tasha remarks to the Viceroy instead, turning to glance at Liza ashs e answers, "You dare right. Miss Liza is a Lapi, a Terran rabbit uplift if I remember right. She's now my ... " A split second pause, and then, " ... new personal assistant."
The Viceroy leans down and gets right in Liza's face, causing her lean back a bit. "Amazing, really! And yet probably not meant to fill any particular niche. That's very Terran you know. Generalization over specialization. Seeing one in the flesh is much more impressive than the one on the rabbit-food billboards in New Zion."
"What do you assist Tasha with, Miss Liza?" Villem asks.
"I assist her in being more personal," Liza squeaks.
"Gotta be some irony in there," Rapatia says, and sips her fortified coffee.
"That 'one' is a person, by the way, Willem. In case you forgot in your excitement," Tasha notes with a somewhat harder edge to her voice than she meant, but she carries on with it by gently but firmly reaching over to grasp the Viceroy's shoulder and ease him back.
"That's what's so impressive though!" Villem tells Tasha. "A person! You must appreciate how difficult that is to create. Our own flirtation with a telepathic super brain was.. a bit of a failure, in the end. But we never tried to make anything that counted as a person."
"Another Terran innovation?" Tasha asks, head cocking to the side as she pauses to inhale. An exhale of comforting, natural flavors later and she notes, "Then you may be excited to learn the Terrans have several new species, although the Karnor haven't faired so well."
"I'd say the Karnor fare very well," Villem says, taking an offered coffee and sitting on.. the coffee table, instead of a chair. "I wonder how they do on Sinai? I really shall have to visit and see all these new people! Well.. new to me. And there are places where everyone gathers and mixes and.. it must smell incredible!"
"It certainly smells like somthing," notes the Cadet, who is also well aware of the general lack of basic plumbing and the sheer amount of beasts of burden, having taken care of several during much of her young life. "But you should know I'm not talking about Sinai. I'm actually here to discuss the needs to the Planetary Defense Cooperative; I heard they need a spaceship?"
"Well, they want a spaceship," Villem notes. "Preferably a Confederate one. The active hyperspace corridor here is quite small, and there are maintenance considerations and such that make a living, self-repairing vessel more practical. They also want the means to close the corridor as needed."
Tasha's brows raise at the new information. "Rapatia was right, they do ask for expensive things. Well, as it happens, I have a spacecraft -- and no not the one you both know about. A new one, alien, invisible. I've got access to the whole of Galactic civilizations and contacts among the Titanians and probably the Terragens, the Terran Galactic Empire. What I need for my help is some assistance on a local project, and also I'd like 'in' on the Planetary Defense Cooperative."
"You haven't met any of them then, have you?" Villem asks. "They aren't military, whatever the name implies. They're all young scholars. They'll babble on about some obscure thing for hours. They really want a spaceship so they have an escape route, I imagine. Or a means of moving more then a tiny amount of cargo back and forth."
"I did assume they were military. The goal of the organization sounds like a defense-of-Primus inititive to help fend off interests by outside parties, such as House Khomen of the Khattan Trade Coalition," Tasha explains, head cocking the other way. She chews on her cigarillo a moment and then notes, "Escape route ... To or from? And if they're not defending, then what are they doing and how is it a group of scholars invested in obscure things have never thought to contact the JEF?"
"They're looking for ways to control access to the corridor," Villem notes. "Including just sticking something into the throat, like a ship. They may not even know about the JEF yet - they are a bit isolated and focused."
"Well, then how did they learn about the corridor and who is backing them? The Big Four governments I assume? Since it's a Silent Ones lead program, they must be reacting the the failed Khattan plot? Even we didn't know about the corridor until recently, and we don't know where it is. We als suspect there may be traffic through it and active or sleeping resources from current or future plots in the region," Tasha explains. having said her part for now, she has a nice long sip of coffee, really starting to see why Gabriel likes the stuff so much. It's like liquid energy.
"I imagine the Titanians got quite a bit of the technology working again before they sold us the base," Villem says. "I've been providing them mainly with recycling systems, since transit is only via miniature gateway of sorts, which has longer power cycle time than the big one that goes to the other worlds does."
"So it's some sort of local teleportation technology? That's interesting," Tasha notes, eyes widening and ears perking. "I really would like to know where the hyperspace corridor is, too. It's a problem having to rely on the Titanians to go back and forth and right now we lack a home out in the big black. Well, how about this: You can talk to them for me, and tell them what I need and what I can do. I'll also be talking to the Archon, to see if he can connect me. What I need is satelite imaging and some other 'eye in the sky' support, and possibly tools. It depends what they have. rapatia can help with the details."
"Rapatia?" Tasha prompts, turning to look to her senior and shifting to get a bit more comfortable for the coming review.
"Hmm? Details?" Rapatia asks, apparently having drifted off a bit. "Oh.. yeah.. she needs a thingy, Villy. You know.. a thingy.. to show the Galactic Confederates."
"Oh.. yes. Yes, of course," Villem says, nodding his head and looking serious. "The.. thingy. I'll get right on that, Rapatia."
"The ... thingy. Um, that." Tasha shoots Rapatia a look that's filled with the promise of future questions, then she looks back. "I need to meet with the Archon, so we can't stay too long. I'm sorry to make this brief, but I can't remain in the Pit that much longer."
"It'll take some time to prepare a suitably convincing bio-capsule," Villem says. "Do you have any Confederate contacts out there already, Tasha?"
"Captain S'tella of the Abraxus, but at the time she thought I was a Titanian child very interesting in Confederate technology. It probably won't make her any more excited to know that I was the one who suggested we board their ship," Tasha admits, scatching her nose and ducking her head in embarassment as she does. "But I know fo several Confederate vessels and I have access to a large outpost station, Station Caltrop. I've seen the Confederates make backroom deals there."
"Gods, I do sound like some sort of pirate, don't I?" Tasha then laments, sinking lower in to her chair.
"Or a businessman!" Villem says, and gestures to the lounge. "This is the sort of place the real deal making gets done. Boardrooms and offices are just for the lawyers to work out the details."
"Well that sounds somewhat more respectable. Fine, business pirate Tasha it is. Whatever lets me get things done," he young woman relents. She does seem to sulk a moment, slid back and frowning, but eventually she sits back up and takes a long draw off her cigarillo before speaking again. "Well, I think that's everything. I need to catch the Archon before he's consumed by another PHTO or Star Empire event."
"Tell him you have a Lapi," Rapatia suggests. "Or shiny stuff from Sinai. He probably drop everything to see that."
"He's very materialistic for priest," Tasha notes with laugh. With reluctance she then rises, drinking down the last of her cofee with one long swig, then rising. "It was nice to see you again, Villem. We should talk or have dinner some time when we're not dicussing business, piracy or invasions."
"Yes! Perhaps I can convince Vystalia do dance for us too!" Villem agrees, standing to clap Tasha on the shoulder.
Tasha reaches over and shakes Villem's hand. Foppish and scientific, she never would have imagined she'd be here shaking hands with someone like him. She's come a long way, and she realizes that making a concious choice to get things done whatever it takes while also admitting luxury and civilization in to her life has enacted a powerful transformation in her; Despite her inclussion in backroom deals, business politics and even piracy, she can't help but think the change is for the better.
Gabriel once asked that she never change, that she not stand where she's standing now, but it's working out -- she's growing up. More like Villem, more like Kathetine, like Gabriel and even Blackwings. A adventurer, explorer, spy and pirate, and there's so much more to do.