Bowels of the Dainty Mauler
This chamber if filled with dimly glowing spheres of strange fluids, lots of hoses and pipes and a generally muggy atmosphere. It smells of oil and ozone, and things gurgle and hiss in the dark. There's also a very old Titanian woman connected to a rather large life support system, which also covers most of her face and lower body. She's certain immobile.

Tasha finds herself alone this time with the Titanian matriarch - and possibly integrated part of the Dainty Mauler's Star Sea drive. The ozone levels in the chamber are fairly high at the moment, making Tasha's nose dry out and itch a bit.

And so Tasha ends up rubbing at her nose as she wanders through the technologiclaly eerie chamber, head tilting this way and that as she takes a renewed interest in the alien componnets and strange devices even as her ears flick in response to the unsettlingly organic noises. At the center is Old Ma, possibly the grumpiest Titanian she's ever met but no less sharp of wit. It all makes her muzzle wrinkle; she'd much rather be in their guest quarters lying on a pile of furs or sitting and talking with the Captain.

Yet she's here for a reason -- reasons -- and important ones at that. There's no putting it off, though she suspects Old Ma knew of her presence long before she ever enetered the room. "Old Ma?" She calls out, hearing her voice ecco back at her through the gurgles and hisses.

"Rustpuppy," Old Ma says, becoming slightly more animated so she stops looking like just another part of the machinery. "Didn't expect to hear you again. What brings you back to me?"

"Uhhh," goes Tasha as she mentally summerizes. The young woman stops several feet away from the old woman's throne, still scratching at her nose while she peers in the the murky goop of a nearby sphere. It isn't just the Old Ma intimidates her, it's also that the last time she reviewed her situation she narrowly avoided either being shot in the head or at least a violent fight. Deciding it'll all come out eventually anyway, she decides to go for the facts. If the ship turns on her too, she'd rather deal with it while she's more fresh and less itchy. Turning back to Ma, she answers, "Bumper sent me, she said I should talk to you to know what the 'next step' is. I, uh, I passed through the Gate. I spoke to Atum."

Tasha blinks at this but does bob her head. "Bigger than the Mauler. Glowy. That's him." The yooung woman then narrows her eyes, not just against the dryness and ozone but to really see Old Ma. Could she, too, have stepped beyond? "Did you meet him too, Ma?"

"Not directly, no.. only through Vulcan," Old Ma says. "You know how these things are, but Vulcan is very straightforward. Not clever enough to be cryptic, or else too smart to bother with it."

She hasn't been smited by the ship nor accusted of any stupidity yet, so Tasha decides she must be good. For now, anyway. She lowers herself to the ground and pulls her legs in, resting her head on her knees as she looks up at Old Ma. "I like Vulcan already," she admits, and she does. The hybrid's had entirely too much of cryptic and evasive godlike figures. "Horus is proud and grumpy, but you can tell he cares. I didn't get to speak to Mafdet, Neith or Ahriman." She glances around, then asks, "Is Vulcan here?"

"He is here in me, and the others, and the ship," Old Ma claims, but doesn't make it sound at all religious or spiritual. "He is in the Hammersong, mostly. But also in the Forge. That is where I met him, a long, long time ago. It's a hard pilgrimage, on a hard world."

Another scratch of the nose, then Tasha takes a deep breath. "Well," she begins, exhaling, " ... better tell me, because I'm probably going there. See, Ma, Atum gave me Horus's job." The young woman scrunches and unscrunches her muzzle, but it doesn't help much. "So, lots of volcanoes ..?"

"All volcanoes," Old Ma says. "The world is a forge, and it is called Forge. The source of Hammer metal. Though not really a world like you are familiar with. Or maybe you are, living on these worlds. But there are easier ways to talk to Vulcan. What did you ask Atum when you finally met him?"

Having just admitted to a great liking of straightforwardness, Tasha decides she may as well follow suit. Old Ma seems canny enough to see through any obfuscation she could think up and she finds the chance to do it again refreshing. And so Tasha counts off on her fingers, "I told Atum why I had come and brough the four Markers, which he took -- within the Markers are the embers of the Archons. We talked about the state of the universe and the dangers there and I offered to help. Horus was returned, and I was tasked with seeing Horus complete his mission which is the defeat of the Ogdoad. We also talked about the Waybuilders and the Way, who the Vril are, and where they come from. I uh ... " Here she hesitates, not because she feels the need to hide the information so much as it is embarassing.

"I asked for things in return. I mentor, I wanted to learn about them and the path they walk. Horus explained some of why to me later: You can keep going until you can't handle things anymore. So if I'm going to keep going, I guess I thought I'd better have a bigger guide. And also ... " Tasha bites her lip, rolling her shoulders, turning to glance off at the same peculiar sphere. She sees her reflection and it doesn't help. "A people. I asked for a people. For both of these, Atum told me to find Thoth."

"The Prodigal Son," Old Ma says. "He was to bring peace, by becoming mate to Neith. I don't think it panned out though, beyond getting a moon of Zion named after him. The Silent-Ones have never been at peace with Celestial Empire... or the Vartans. To the Silent-Ones, the Vartans have always been the enforcers of the Khattans. And Horus was responsible for more than the Ogdoad - although, he would probably argue that the Ogdoad and Ogdru-hem were not relics of the Ancients and First Ones, so not his responsibility. Horus was to deal with all of the old, dangerous entities. The Tool Gods."

"Well ... " Someone, somewhere, told Tasha to be careful what deals she made with gods -- that the gods can carry the world on their shoulders. She didn't, in fact, heed that advice. And so ... "I guess that's my job too then. Mostly the Ogdoad. Atum focused on them. We're, um, working on it." She pushes her taloned thumb to her nose, wondering if it might help at all. "I didn't know that about Thoth. Horus didn't tell me much about him, only that he didn't know where Thoth was. I think Horus resents me, but he's willing to work with me, and that's enough." Is it? "It's hard, but I can do it."

"He's being forced to work with you," Old Ma notes. "How would that make you feel? Assigned to someone of lower rank, to cajole you into the doing the work you refused to do on your own? Horus tried to turn Vulcan from his task as well, calling him a fool. The loss of Marduk and the Cill may have struck Horus a deep wound. Or frightened him. Even gods can be scared, you know. Unless they are Tool Gods. Have you been to the Titanic, Rustpuppy? As a Titanian on Sana.. Sinai.. you should have made pilgrimage."

Lower rank? When did I get a rank? It's bad enough she's a cadet with a small fleet, a god's duties, and god's leash. "I know it's bad for him, but what can I do?" Tasha pulls her hands away to hold them up, a shrug and a gesture of helplessness. "We don't know how much time is left, but everything I've found says it's not a lot. The Sifra are waking, the Ogdoad's Ogdru-hem have to move before that happens. The Galactics aren't as strong as the previous Galactics, and they couldn't beat the Sifra. The Archons crumbled when Marduk saw what we know. I don't like forcing Horus and I really don't like him resenting me, but I like what happens if we fail even less. And he should know, that means the end of all Vartans, too." She sucks in anotehr breath, leaning back and exhaling. "I won't be cowed by him. I made that decision before we met." Her head shakes, she bites her lip, then nods. "Yes, I went to the Titanic. I saw the space-flattening Tool God and met Lore."

"And you now possess a Tool God of your own," Old Ma says. "So, you will go after the Ogdru-hem then, I imagine? The Progenitors could not fully defeat the Sifras. Maybe nothing can. You know what the Cill uncovered."

"Tool God ... The Dark Horse you mean?" Tasha returns her hands to her knees, leaning in and rubbing her nose against the back side of her taloned hand before laying her head down again. "Horus is interested in the Horse but won't tell me why." Then, she nods. "I am going after the Ogdru-hem. It's the only way we know right now, so I'm going to do it. If I can find some way to save them without destroying them, I will, but if I can't it'll just be the Berserkers again. I'll do it."

"Dark Horse.. a fitting name," Old Ma says. "But it is a Hammer too. The God of Hammers, you might say, for it is the biggest Hammer of all.. since the Battle of the Corn God, anyway. One of your Ogdru-hem."

"I did always want a big hammer," Tasha admits, and realizes it may be the most Titanian thing she's ever said and that people are right about her. It makes her grin a little. "I knew about it being a Hammer. We're still learning how to use it, the Niss are figuring it out and Crazy Kaa is learning to pilot it. They should have learned a lot by the time I return -- and of course Grumpy Horus will have plans for it."

"He dinged my ship. He's Crazy Kaa now," the young woman insists, grinnign a little more.

"Two," the hybrid answers, holding two taloned fingers up. "Kaa and Moka. Moka doesn't have a nickname."

"You should ask them.. ask them if they hear the ship dreaming," Old Ma suggests. "I am curious."

"Like the Whale Dream?" Tasha inquires, ears perking. "They can ehar sounds we can't, so, you think they can hear the ship's resonance? Kaa said it feels like the ship is aware of him some times, and I can feel it too but I know the ship is alive. Kaa doesn't."

"If it hear the Hammersong, it may hear Vulcan too," Old Ma says. "The Whale Dream is like the Hammersong, only with different instruments."

"Hrrm," goes Tasha as she thinks about what it all means. The whales remind her of the Waybuilders, but that could just be a coincidence. It all could be, but experience has taught her to be suspicious of coincidences. She files it away mentally and then says, "I'll ask. So, what was this about Thoth being Neith's partner, was Neith against Horus and Ahriman? I thought Ahriman didn't get along with Horus either, and Neith was mediator. of course they have been around a long time." And then she realizes something and jerks. "I'm not going to ahve to marry anyone, am I? Gabriel would be upset."

"In my experience, it is best to marry as many people as you can," Old Ma claims. "It is the easiest way to ensure someone is available to babysit."

Tasha barks a laugh, then chokes once she realizes her wish for a people may well come to needing a lot of babysitters -- and a lot of marriages.

Blinking away the tears, she changes the subject quickly. "So, um, find Vulcan, talk about ship, deal with Ogdru-hem. Is there anything else, Ma?"

"Oh, you don't have to find Vulcan," Old Ma claims. "Just thought having a second opinion from a Progenitor other than Horus might make you feel better. Are you here to be taken back out-system again?"

"He sounds a lot better to talk to than Horus anyway. He might have interesting ideas or technology too. I'll do it. Besides, I want to see this crazy volcano planet. Do you have the co-ords?" Tasha reaches for her nose, scrunches up her muzzle, then with great effort puts her hand right back down. "Yeah, I'm done at home, so we're heading out. This time we're taking to Horse out for more than tests."

"Ship's a Hammer, Hammer's sing, song is Vulcan, Vulcan will lead us to him. Got it." Old Ma gets a thumbs up. "Anything else? I might not be back for a while, have to make sure-- Oh." Tasha reaches down, pulling out her datapad and turning it on. "Maybe only Vulcan knows this, but you've been around Ma and I've been thinkong about the Ogdoad. So they're invading us by gaining souls -- observers -- so tehy can exist here. Doesn't that mena the more they exist here, the more we can effect them? Until they get so much influence they can't be stopped? Do you think we can invade them back?"

"Ogdoad aren't doing anything, they're imprisoned on Erebus," Old Ma says. "Imprisoned before there could be a First Harvest, supposedly. So they've never gained anything, only spent what influence they had creating the Ogdru-hem and the Outsiders."

Tasha nods to this, tapping a nail on the screen. "I'm just thinking if they get free, maybe someone somewhere knows how to do the same thing to them they're doing to us. Outside reality they can't touch us and we probably can't touch them, but they created a bridge between us and them when they came here. That should mean we can do somethignt ot them through the bridge that will get them outside reality. Right?"

"What good would that do?" Old Ma asks. "You'd have to free them first, and unless you could destroy the bridge, what's stop them just coming back where we can't reach them? We're lucky.. I suppose.. that Erebus is in our galaxy. But there are a lot of galaxies in the universe that might have the proper conditions for them."

Tacha reaches to scratch her nose, pauses, then shakes her head and puts the hand down again. "Well, it's my job to figure this out along side Horus, isn't it? I'm just trying to think of other solutions if this one doesn't work. If we keep them from entering, maybe they can come back. But if we attack them where they coem from maybe they can never come back, because they'll be gone. Or different." She traces a ccircle on her datapd, encomapssing. "If we corrupt them or change them then maybe they'll be gone everywhere. It's like the Way -- it's connected to everywhere. They can do that too. But breaking Wells won't destroy the Way. Destroying the Way will, and then all the Wells won't matter. Or, uh, like me. The bridge goes both ways."

"Defeat the Ogdru-hem, you won't have to deal with the Ogdoad," Old Ma says. "Remember.. the Sifra could not destroy or banish them, only hold them."

"I'll put this ideain to my 'maybe' folder," Tasha insists, dropping her head and relocating things. "I'm still new at this, maybe I'll find something better. Better us that someone else, you know what they do." Notes put away, she looks up again. "I guess that's everything then. I'm going to go play with the kids, maybe walk around the ship or build something. Get a hot dog. Do you need anything, Ma?"

Tasha puts her datapad away, then stands, brushing herself off. "Unless you have a spirit and can supply your medical data I can only turn my sister and my friends in to children." She looks up, head cocking to the side. "And I can't bring back the dead. I'll let you know if I find anything, though."

Tasha gives in. She rubs her nose. "Oh." More rubbing. "A lot of things that were jokes before seem possible now. I hang around gods too much." She gives a little shrug. "No youth for Ma. Got it." And she makes a little show of pretending to add it to her lists.

Meeting the others at the train depot, Tasha notices a certain difference in the travelers. Katie, Mr. I and Miss Necessity look fresh and clean, while Aaron and Hakeber look like they've been on hot, dusty train for two days. "For a 'more advanced' world Abaddon can sure learn a few things about comfort from the Trans-Nordikan Railroad. No dining car, no cute stewards, and not unholy subsinaian demonic horrors. So uncomfortable and boring," Aaron complains.

"Welcome to my life, Aaron. You can go home if you want to." Despite her words, Tasha gives Aaron a good-natured pat on the head, then turns and gestures off in to the distance. "We're headed for the landing strip, but there's still some time to buy souvineers, coats, anything you might wnat from Sinai. A hot dog. You could buy me a hot dog, if you wanted!" She steps aside as the others exit, letting her hand fall around Aaron's shoulders. "And you got to travel with Katie and Mr. I and Miss N. You must really need my help, because that's interesting and cute for any one trip."

"They had a private car," Aaron points out. "We didn't want to make it obvious we were all together, so.."

"He didn't want to join us because of the smell of Mr. I's cooking," Katie claims.

"Aaron, Aaron, Aaron. This is where I teach you things." Tasha starts walking, which necessitates Aaron walk with her if he wishes to not be dragged along like so much stuffed animal. "ASee if you're around something interesting and forbidden you should just go there, but then be really charming about it all, be nice, be polite, be kind of clueless. Show interest. Most of the time that works! Titanians, secret meetings, gods. That's Tasha Lesson Number One."

"They were cooking rabbit," Hakeber points out. "I wouldn't want to go into anyplace that was cooking dog."

"I'm only half dog, that must be why I can go anywhere," Tasha insists, glancing back and grinning at Katie. "Did you know he used to have nightmares about me eating him?"

"You're not supposed to ask about ehat's in a hot dog. It's like one of the mind bending mysteries. " But then Tasha cocks her head to the side. "Of course, we'll be dealing with those a lot, so, yeah, go ahead and ask! I'm sure it'll be bad; we'll deal with it. Come along, off to danger and cramped living quarters!" Her tone is entirely too cheery.

"Eating him?" Katie says, and looks at Aaron. "I'm not sure you could take him.."

Gabriel finally shows up, riding on a steam-powered cart driven by another Karnor. "My nose and tail, it is Katie Kaboom!" the driving says, and takes off his hat. "On a real live secret mission, then?"

"That's a secret," Mr. I claims, and starts loading up Katie's travel gear. It's a lot less than one might expect for three people who are snazzy dressers.

"Uh oh. Should I order Aaron to attack, Katie?" Tasha inquires, pulling Aaron closer and pointing him towards the driver. "You have to destroy my enemies now, you know," she mock-whispers.

Katie claims the seat next to the driver, and smiles at him.. so that he won't ask any more questions, possibly. Katie's smiles can have numerous effects on people. Hakeber is reluctant to get on the wagon though. She's just got her Templar duffel bag with her.

Tasha's grin is wide. "We can fix that!" And then Aaron is let go and Tasha is merrily walking towards Katie's things, helping her to load.

Aaron whispers to Tasha, "Hake is afraid of Miss Necessity. Apparently the girl hissed at her when she was caught ogling Mr. I a bit too long. Which is why she ended up riding with me instead."

"You really should never get on their bad side. That's Tasha Lesson Number Two." Demonstrating her mastery over this particular lesson she hefts up a bag and, very carefully, places it beside the others in a neat and orderly fashion. "Hake will be fine though, she just needs to be more careful around dangerous people."

"Ummm.. aren't we all more dangerous than she is though?" Aaron asks. He adds his own bag to the pile, and climbs up before turning to gesture to Hakeber. "You can sit on my lap, Hakeber. I won't let you fall off the cart."

"Like I said, Hake needs to learn these lessons!" Tasha waits for everyone to climb aboard, feeling terribly gracious in doing so, then holds her hands out to Gabriel so he'll pick her up.

Gabriel hoists Tasha up, and set her into his Lap. Miss Necessity sits in Mr. I's lap. Only Katie gets to sit by herself. There's a cloud of steam, and the cart begins rolling its way back to the airfield. It' a bit noisy, so conversation isn't practical until they reach the Dainty Mauler - or as close as the driver dares to get to it. The airfield is a bit crowded, between the hulking battleship-turned-fishing-boat, Melchior and the shuttle.

"So, how do we get on it?" Aaron asks Tasha, gesturing around Hakeber to the Mauler.

"And there is my mighty Titan!" Tasha calls out when her machine comes in view; she can really be very loud. That, at least, hasn't changed since Aaron last saw her. "And the shuttle -- that's what the long thing on the ground is next to it Aaron." She listens, then points at the crowd of stands and people located near the base. "We go through the people to that loading ramp. We'll have to pass cooking meat, so ready your nose. Also remember everything they make and do should be approached with caution. I don't need caution, because I am an offical Titanian and you know how I work by now."

"Just tell me how many bags to carry then," the Lapi notes, leaping over the walls of the cart, then reaching to lift Liza and Hakeber out in turn.

The ancient Karnor is a bit more careful about 'leaping' from the cart, and actually uses the back gate. Then he pulls Tasha over the side, and slings her over his shoulder instead of lowering her to the ground. This gets a laugh out of Katie.

"I'm okay with this," Tasha admits from Gabriel's shoulder, he wings flapping in a reflexive effort to maintain balance. "This is what I pay him for! Uh ... " Not able to see much, let alone turn, she points where she thinks the Mauler must be. "That way!"

"I've heard of putting your best foot forward.." Aaron quips, but is soon laden with bags, since Liza and Hakeber don't seem inclined. Mr. I has no issue carrying the bulk of the gear Katie brought, but Katie also carries a travel case and Miss Necessity carries two more. People around the ship are beginning to notice the odd procession now. It's Bumper that puts a halt to things at the gangway. "Who all these?" she asks of Tasha's butt. "And that Katie Kaboom too! And more bunnies!"

"Rotate me around, I don't trust Bumper when I can't see her," Tasha tells Gabriel, patting his shoulder.

So Tasha is rotated to face Bumper. She's actually nearly at nose level with the Titanian, riding on Gabriel's shoulder.

This is a new position of power and Tasha is aware of it. She lifts herself up by pushing on Gabriel's back, so that now she's slightly taller -- relatively speaking. "'These' are my new personnel. The bunnies are Liza and Aaron. Liza's my personal assistant and Aaron's my maid. You know Katie -- everyone knows Katie! -- and the two people with her are Mr. Invention and Miss Necessity, her assistants. Hake-bear is the litle Karnor, she's my friend and helps with you-know-what research. Gabriel's Gabriel."

Liza adds something in a growly tongue that a Lapi shouldn't be making. She must speak Titanian after having worked in Titania for so long.

"This a lot more than usual, plus spaceship and Titan," Bumper argues. "I take little bunny girl in exchange, yah?"

"You take nothing, all mine." And then Tasha reaches over and tries to smack Bumper's nose.

"I'll bring you stuff later. Kitty secrets, souvineer from Vulcan. Got to get in to space to get anything, can't fish for fish on the ground," the hybrid woman argues from Gabriel's shoulder. "You know I'm good for it!"

"Here," Aaron says, handing something to Tasha. "I was in too much of a hurry to give this to Latania."

Tasha picks up the thing, then hands it over without looking at it. That way she can't regret not arguing for it and if things keep up as they are her neck might end up really sore. "How about bunny's gift?"

Bumper grabs the little canvas bag with flower patterns stitched into it, and sniffs it. For Tasha, the package smells very flowery. It must be soap. Soap for anyone but a Karnor.

This causes Tasha's nose to wrinkle, but at least she feels firmly convinced she made the right decision. It bodes well. "Smelly flower-bag good enough? Go on ship now?" She asks somewhat hurriedly.

"Hmm, Hokay, this smell nice," Bumper admits, and stuffs it into her cleavage. "You know drill: baggage go into conveyor. You use old cabin.. grab others nearby if you need."

"Hey I'm an official Titanian, I mde the pilgrimage and everything. I don't need to be reminded!" And so Tasha makes several useless mock-swats towards Bumper, half because she knows they won't hit her and thus Bumper won't hit her back. Probably.

Once down Tasha dusts herself off, making a show of it, then waves people to follow her. "Stuff in conveyor." The conveyor is pointed at. "People this way." She points ahead.

It isn't easy keeping everyone in line, if only because the route is both circuitous and confusing, especially when the floor goes perpendicular to where it was a moment ago. Liza, being the shortest, has the most trouble. Mr. I, being the tallest.. just looks like the universe's best-dressed Titanian. And the looks from some of the women they pass probably back up that impression, which means Miss Necessity is a bit grumpy by the time they reach their block of cabins. All of the luggage ended up in the one Tasha and Gabriel usually use, of course.

Tasha stares at the large pile of mismanaged stuff now occupying a good part of their quarters. "Well, crap," she complains. Head shaking she heads forward, rummaging through the bags to find Katherine's things because that's just what you do. "Find your stuff, don't break anything. Don't mess with interetsing looking levers, switches, buttons or knobs, no matter how interesting they are. You don't want to have to see the Titanian doctor. You may lose a hand -- or gain one."

"Do we just make up our own cabin assignments, or just hope any Titanians we've inadvertently displayed like to cuddle?" Aaron asks.. then looks to Liza, because Liza is the organized one. Liza shrugs.

"You're all clearly not Titanian enough," Tasha insists, turning to facethe group and placing her hands on her hips. "Just pick the one you like. When they ask, "Why you here?" say, "This my room now, Bumper said so." Or, I don't know, improvise. If you're really lost you can stay in here with us or group together for, uh, protection."

"There are only two bunks per cabin?" Katie asks. Since Mr. I and Miss Necessity will be sharing one.. that means Katie is stuck with one of the Lapis or Hakeber.

"You can stay with us, Katie!" Tasha steps back and spreads a hand to indicate their little kingdom. "We've left Abaddon! Nobody cares out here."

"Not a problem," Aaron declares. "I'll take Hakeber and Liza. That is.. I'll share with Hakeber and Liza."

"Think of it as being very courageous." As a show of support, Tasha takes the bag she had been fishing out and puts it farther in the room. "See? Aaron knows how to handle things."

"I have slept on so many hard floors in my youth that mattresses still sometimes hurt my back," Aaron claims.

Hakeber seems like she's going to protest, but gets a look at how narrow the bunks are - for Titanians. That still doesn't leave enough room for a Karnor and a Lapi to share (although two Lapis might fit on one, which she also isn't apparently keen on). "You can sleep under my bunk, Aaron," she finally offers.

"I'd planned to," the buck notes, picking up his and Hakeber's bags. "I almost got stepped on by a Rhian once. Last time I slept between anything."

"I'm going to have to really think about assigned cabins and interior spacing," the hybrid admits to no one in particular. She finishes stacking Katherin'es bag and then begins moving her and Gabriel's, which only amount to about half of the starlet's combined. "How long?" She pauses, head tilted. "Umm, two weeks from our perspective and maybe an hour outside, which is mostly takeoff and docking." She grabs two more bags, then stops again. "So you'll all be two weeks older than the universe when we return to it."

"I've had Mateh that makes me feel like that," Aaron says, and begins looking into the other nearby cabins. It takes time to find two more that aren't showing signs of habitation, since none of the hatches apparently have locks, beyond the difficulty of turning the dogging wheels. For that reason, having one really strong person per cabin makes sense.

"And that time will be spent.. fishing?" Katie asks... but looks thoughtful. Being able to disappear for a two week vacation and appearing as if you hadn't left at all might be appealing to a celebrity.

As they go Tasha provides suggestions like, "Hang a sign that says, "No entry, bitey bitey," or "Danger: Boring."" When the conversation turns to what they'll be doing, she stops and nods. "There may be an infinite amount of universes and there are also many alternate spaces and dimensions, the Star Sea is one of these. It just so happens to be full of giant edible space fish. Since we're outside of our home reality, time doesn't flow the same way, but there's still rules of time between them. Annnyway ... " She waggles a hand down the corridor. "You have two weeks to do whatever you want, so long a sthat doesn't upset the Titanians so much they throw us off teh ship, blow us up, blow themselves up or blow the ship up."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Aaron calls from the next cabin down. "Tasha survived so far!"

"It's like being on vacation with your brother-in-law," Gabriel says.. very quietly.

"Because I'm amazing!" Tasha returns to her cabin, walking over to the large pile of furs and, after turning around, dropping back on to them with a thump. She then holds her arms out towards Katie while telling Gabriel, "Aww, Aaron's harmless. Besides without him we'd never have met!"

Katie sits on the edge of Tasha's cot, but within grabbing range at least. "So, was it love at first sight when you saw Gabriel.. uh.. in a tube?" she asks.

"Ah, I love the guy, but his relationship with you can be a bit grating at times," Gabriel admits. "He can talk smack about you without getting smacked."

This causes Tasha to engage in a much slower, incremental, grab attempt as she leeeeeens over and tries to grab Katherine in a completely dodgable way, should she want to. "Actually, I fell for him after he was out of the tube. The first Karnor Elite I met was ... I think it was Remiel. He had to be revived first, to handle the process and provide medical support. I didn't meet Gabriel until I came back later. If I remember right, I was sitting on one of the empty beds while he was on another one. He tried to tell me I should go for Eli and Remy instead." She then turns to Gabriel and grins. "Well, I have known Aaron longer and I do owe him. We know each other's limits."

"I was depressed and.. she looked like Nora, which.. was a complicated relationship," Gabriel says.

"He really does," Taaha agrees. Katherine is finally grab only to be pulled down and over until she's comfortably resting on top of Tasha getting hugged. The younger woman layers her head on Katie's shoulder and pulls her wings in, so Katherine doesn't have to feel too embarassed. Once settled she adds, "They were all depressed, but I just knew when I saw Gabriel there was something. Actually, the first thing I thought when I started talking to him was how beneath him I was -- and not that way. I mean, I felt inferior. I felt like he was so high above me and I wasn't good enough, not even close."

"Maybe it was your Karnor half reacting to his pheromones," Katie suggests. "The Elite were chosen to be our Saints, effectively. Leading us into a better future. Not surprising they chose those with the most commanding presences." She does relax after a few minutes.

Once relaxed Katherine finds Tasha doesn't do anything other than hug her and try and make sure she's as comfortable as possible, content to simply lay there for the time being. "Maaaybe. It could be Nora, too. Gabriel knows that Nora somehow, someway, helped make me what I am. I had her memories crammed in my brain in a very dangerous emergency manuver so that I could reverse the intubation procedure and help the crew. I just think I liked him. I had lived my whole life on a ship, so it's natural I'd go for a captain, and Gabriel was the best captain I'd ever met. Maybe he even made me think of the father I never had. But, that was back then, and we've gotten over that sort of thing. Even if it's still true in soem way, it doesn't matter why."

"And I thought I had daddy issues," Katherine says. "And mine was a General. He ate Captains for breakfast. At least.. any Captains that tried to ask me out before I got my commission. I can see why you would fall for Gabriel with that background. Maybe even why you got attached to Lapis - I'm assuming they're big on family, right?"

"Some of them are. Maybe most. Actually, uh," Tasha leans her head away, eyes rolling up as she peers at the ceiling. "See I didn't really like Lapis. Uhm, honestly, I looked down on anyone who wasn't either big and strong or else rich and powerful -- and I knew which camp I belonged to. I was a shiphand and a dock worker and a pickpocket seeing a pirate woman and I was bitter. I ended up with Aaron because Aaron was escorting Calligenia and I thought Calligenia, was, uh ... You know. You especially know."

"Also your dad scares me," Tasha adds, head shaking. "I keep expecting him to pop up behind me some day and ask very uncomfortable questions."

"My brother usually announces that he likes a human girl before my father can meddle with me," Katie notes. "Which one was Calligenia again? The pretty girly one or the one who had be reminded not to kill people?"

"The latter, though she was still very pretty. Uh, I wasn't very smart back then, you know? I guess I never thoguht about being smart. The Elite showed me what I could be, and the journey showed me I could change." The young woman lowers her head back down, then gives Katie a kiss on the side of her muzzle before snuggling in to her. "So, it started with bunnies, They're sort of traditional now, if you can call this short tiem a tradition. You know, I used to not even like Karnor? We call them Jupani on Sinai. I resented them for rejecting me, I actually spent most of my life around Vartans."

"But all Vartans in mixed cultures were outcasts from Vartan culture or something, apparently," Gabriel adds. "Although that can't be accurate - the original outcasts had to have mated and had children in the 'outside' world after all. Vartans aren't like salmon, having to return to their birthplace to spawn... and I doubt either one of you gets that analogy."

Tasha turns to Katie and mock-whispers, "The TerraGen types keep making these analogies and I just nod and pretend like I understand. It's an important skill." She grins, then lays her head back down and turns back to Gabriel. "We're all spread out, it's true, Besides, like Kem said, the strange Vartans -- the ones with ambition, the ones with new ideas, outcasts -- end up leaving. I think enough of us must have left to establish families, and then the clans saw how much trade and other areas of work were opening up for Vartans and more Vartans left the clans. That's what's happening in the Aerie right now and it seems to happen out in Galactic space still. Of course Galactic space has the mercenary clans as well as the planetary clans. I guess that might have happened on Sinai too."

"Well, at least we haven't run into any 'official' Vartan clans out there yet," Gabriel says. "They're probably a lot scarier nowadays."

Tasha ducks her head, almost hiding behind Katie's. "I guess I'm still afraid of rejection, because I'm not sure what they'll think of me. Even Horus didn't seem to recognize me as one of 'his', but maybe he was offended I didn't think Vartans were 'good enough' and I'm also sort of, uh, directing him. I guess I made a bad impression." She shakes her head again. "I think I'm afraid I've abandoned Vartans. Maybe now Karnors for ... Something else."

"You haven't abandoned anyone, Tasha," Gabriel says, laying back on his cot. "You couldn't even keep Aaron from coming along. And.. I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up if we're about to launch.. no, before that! I want to make sure the shuttle and Melchior are properly loaded and secured. We've got a frozen woman in the shuttle after all."

"I feel like Yue would get crushed just top throw half the ship off her and tell me it was my fault because I did something dumb," Tasha admits. She glances at Gabriel, then wrigglers her closest hand free to reach out and take his hand. She then lays her head on Katie's shoulder and closes her eyes. "Oh, you don't know about Yue, do you? That's her name, Doctor Yue Sen. She's a TerraGens agent I brough back from Galactic space, she was with me when we stole the Book of Acending in to Light and she's been providing me support. Her features are exotic though -- she's Chinese breed -- so we've had to hide her."

"And you stole the Holy Book of the Kampfzengruppe?" Katie asks, disbelieving. "I think these coming two weeks will be best spent in catching me up on the secrets, so I know what is a secret and what isn't. I suppose the bunnies will need to be in on that too."

"That's a good idea. I need to plan some designs and arrange alloted space, so we can do that too. We should also consider where to go first, since we have a lot to do." After taking a deep breath and exhaling, the young woman admits, "I think I need a nap, too. You can stay with us, Katie, or look around the ship. Say hi to Captain Rushfighter, he's nice, or to Bumper -- she's not nice but she is clever. I'm beat after all the packingm the talking to Ma, the almost being shot. Wake us up before we leave?"