Logfile from Envoy. (OOC) Log start: d:\logs\fenris\2021-11-04_outandabout.html

Since there is still time before Gabriel planned to take the Dark Horse out for some navigation testing with the Tadpole, Tasha decides to check in on Kem the artist, to see if he recognizes her.

"A Vartan artist?" Lacci asks Tasha outside the gallery. Shojo is quiet as usual. He's likely more used to Vartans following many pursuits on Abaddon.

Tasha spreads her hands, then lets them fall to sway by her side. "I haven't seen him since, you know-" she runs a finger across her throat, "-and was curious how he's doing. His girlfriend doesn't like me, but it's kind of funny, right? I was wondering if he'd figure out who I am. Maybe he'd have some ideas, too."

"Ideas?" Lacci asks. The two haven't seemed any different since 'the night', but it's possible they hadn't even noticed the others at the time, since they spent most of the following day sequestered in their room.

Tasha is a bit disappointed, but she supposes it's natural. She was like that early on, too. "Image ideas, or ideas I haven't thought about. Anyway, he's never met you so you won't give me away immediately, and I thought you might enjoy meeting a fringe Vartan who isn't hostile."

Lacci makes a non-committal noise, and Shojo looks through the transparent walls into the gallery itself as the reach the door. It slides open, Lielani swims through the channels in the floor to get a look at them. "No troub-ble," the Phin warns.

"You two can be such downers sometimes," Tasha tells the two Vartans, then she gives the Phin a finger-wiggle wave. "HI, I heard there was an artist here, and well, I just had to come and look for myself."

There are plenty of paintings on display, usually with the Pendant Nebula as the background, and almost all portraits (many of Leilani). The Phin gives Tasha a long look. The door to the inner studio opens, and Kem emerges with his canvas and paint kit. He pauses at the sight of the two Vartans. Then he notices Tasha and asks, "Is that you, Tasha?"

"You win! It's me, or version two of me. I'm new and improved." Tasha steps inside and spreads her arms and wings. "Also shorter, which is not an improvement. And skinnier. I think I lost something, somewhere. Anyway, hi!"

"You look younger," Kem notes. "Did the Niss do this?"

"I feel younger, which is weird, because I am older. Or, well, not. It depends how you measure these things." Tasha walks right over to Kem and, of course, has to look up at him. More up, thanks to being slightly shorter. "Would you believe a giant space whale did this? I saved her child, then she saved me from being splattered all over the inside of said giant child. It was both my finest hour and not."

"What sort of colors were involved?" the artist asks. "And who are your.. friends?"

"Lots of idyllic paradise colors, and my blood, which is red. The enemy was a tornado of colors, or a fleshy ball the size of a sun with half of it missing. It's dead now, by the way. You're welcome. It's all gone, so no one can even find that there was a war. An ancient war. It's-" Tasha blinks and realize she's rambling, but is uncertain why, realizing a moment later she might actually be about to cry or something like it, so she changes the subject abruptly thank o an easy out, "-oh them? That's our ships' historian Lacci and our ships' cook and recently promoted mercenary leader Shojo. They're OK." She makes a face at Kem, a very they're okay face. Her ears flatten.

Kem goes right up to Shojo and studies his face in a birdlike manner. "A cook?" he asks. "Not a model?"

Lacci leans back, even though Kem isn't intruding on her personal space. Shojo doesn't really react, other than to say, "I'm not a model."

"I'd like to do a group portrait," Kem announces. "Only Tasha needs to be nude, but it would better if you all were."

"He could be, they both have the strangest lack of self-awareness sometimes." Tasha follows along and also leans in to inspect Shojo. She peers and frowns, then tries to touch the tip of his beak. "You need me nude. I hear that a lot these days, well, you know what? I don't mind. Maybe I'll try being more passive and submissive as a change of pace. Come on you two, get nude."

"In the studio, not out here in the gallery," Kem says, apparently dropping whatever location painting he had planned on before they showed up. He turns and heads back into the studio. Shojo starts to follow, so Lacci, still looking dazed about, follows along.

Tasha also follows, making over-sized marching steps not unlike Charon did. "Did you miss me Leilani?"

The dolphin blows a raspberry in reply. Terrans have a remarkable range of rude noises.

It isn't the first time Tasha has seen Shojo naked, but being in an actual building with lights and props is different from being in a huge garden (and being human to boot). Lacci is a bit more self conscious.

Tasha pretends to not notice the raspberry, but secretly decides it does kind of hurt. She never tried to steal away Kem, and she isn't sure why so many people seem hostile and defensive around her. Maybe she should ask. Not being shy nor terribly afraid of danger, she asks right now, even as she nods appreciatively to her inspection of Shojo and Lacci. "Leilani, why are you hostile and defensive around me?"

"You are trouble," the Phin claims. "Bad mojo."

"That is highly biased. I have in fact improved many people's lives through self-sacrifice, often mine. If I just so happen to cause some trouble or, for example, become associated with strange beings or dark energies, well, you try fighting cosmic forces with nothing but a saser and a body full of muscles. Neither hell nor heaven are easily swayed, much less deflected."

"Trouble," Leilani repeats. "Bad, bad mojo."

"Tasha, please come get into position," Kem calls.

"I am growing increasingly sad," Tasha declares to the universe. She walks over and just sits on on a chair, head on her hands, arms on her knees. She then has to get right back up and resumes the same position she had before. "I'm going to be sad in this painting."

"Take your clothes off and you will feel better," Kem claims.

"That's what the others tell me. They're usually right, but I resent -- a little -- having all my problems buried by being naked." Tasha begins stripping, having grown very accustomed now to being told to strip, usually by Gabriel, occasionally by Katie, and once by Hakeber. As she said, she's trying being more submissive, she finds it can be strangely exciting.

Once undressed she puts her clothes aside and out of the shot, then resume her position. he expression makes her look like a somewhat put upon or judgmental fairy creature, the kind you find in very old Terran paintings.

Kem is setting up the scene, with Shojo at the center in a heroic pose. "Do you want to be clinging to his leg, or swooning back in his arm?" Kem asks Tasha as he searches his props. "I know that sword is in here somewhere."

"Why, is Lacci going to stab me with it in her pose because I'm 'bad mojo'?" Tasha gets up and walks over to peer at Shojo and tell him, "You're very lucky, but not quite as lucky as you'd like to be. How about the leg, don't I drag you down?" Her larger-than-usual eyes squint.

"Alright, leg," Kem says, and sets up Lacci first so that she's pressed against Shojo's side with his arm around her hips.. well, his hand on her butt, really. The sword is held point down, and Tasha is set clinging to his leg behind it, also stretched out suggestively. "Now, Tasha, look at his junk longingly," Kem instructs while he adjusts the lighting and background.

"At least I have something to look at." Tasha does as she's told, and even manages the expression, since she's had a lot of experience doing it to Gabriel until he notices her doing it.

Shojo being Shojo, holding a pose like this isn't a problem for him. Nor any reactions from being clung to. Kem goes to work once everything is to his satisfaction (save for Vartans not having long flowing locks of hair that he could have blowing with a fan). It's almost relaxing, lounging for a bit while Kem paints. And no need for a mirror or glitter or shiny pants this time!

"See now you'll have a embarrassing portrait, too. Maybe I should ask Kem to paint me as bad mojo. Darkness, maybe some energies. A few broken planets. I'll out it behind my office desk." Tasha at least can lounge, which has quickly become a favorite past time now that crew and go-places duties have rapidly fallen by the wayside. She grew up lounging whenever she could, ship life being ship life, so now she just does it all the time.

"Don't let Lielani get to you," Kem says as he works. "She thinks she's psychic. Or a witch."

"Oh. She might be. She's right, I carry bad mojo with me." Deciding maybe honesty is due for once, Tasha lifts her upper hand and, from it, boils out a sword of yellow. It is bright, it glows, yet brilliant or illuminating it is not. It scratches at the mind, like the sun during a hangover, or a light flicking on in a residence that should have been long abandoned. "Also I think I'm part demon now. Like I said, sacrifices." She then gives Lielani a very pointed, here you go, almost challenging look. Well?

Tasha gets a 'Showoff' chirp and another raspberry.

This makes Tasha laugh, and so the sword goes away. "Okay, now I like you again. Incidentally I am an actual witch, at least in training. If you want to know more than guesswork, you know where to find us. I do tend to stab people with magic more than anything, but, well, I'm new." She then grins. "I also got to experience life as a Phin, at least briefly and not-exactly-the-same. I thought it'd give me perspective."

"Lielani doesn't need to learn how to curse people," Kem notes. "I'd never get any customers if she could."

"Don't stare too hard," Lacci mutters towards Tasha. Jealousy?

"She does seem the back water cursing witch type. Maybe I should buy her a witch hat," Tasha agrees. her tail wags, though it wags in a far more deliberate and muscled way than that of a Karnor. To Lacci, Tasha notes, "I've been seeing his junk since before you two met."

"What?" Lacci hisses. "When?"

"We've been traveling together for a while now you know. We had to bath, we went to parlors together, sometimes he'd hold me when I was sad. Like now. Except less suggestible." And so Tasha clings to Shojo harder.

"Oh.. like a brother and sister then," Lacci says, a bit forcefully.

"I guess that makes you my bratty little sister then," Tasha replies cheerfully. "But he is a very hugable big brother, even if he doesn't hang out with me anymore."

"I'm hanging out now," Shojo says, completely deadpan. It's hard to tell when he's joking or not.

Tasha chortles, which is both like and unlike her earlier cackled laughter. It's lighter and more child like, and more feminine, which possibly makes it more eerie. "And you tell me I can't take a joke."

"Nearly done," Kem says. "I will fill in the details later."

"Be honest, do you not want me to ask you to come see things anymore? I can leave you alone, let you do your jobs, not bother you except professionally," Tasha asks Laci and Shojo, turning to arch her brows.

"What are you talking about?" Lacci asks. "The whole point of joining was to see things."

"You always seem so reluctant and grudging when I ask you to come see things though," Tasha points out.

"Because I'm insecure and it's easier to be reluctant than admit to being afraid," Lacci admits.

"Oh." Tasha's tail wags. "That I understand. I cover up my fear and insecurities by either charging at them or talking a lot. Sometimes other ways, like putting people off guard. Or hitting them, but that was the old me."

"So how are you dealing with it now?" Lacci asks.

"I don't know. I keep trying the old standbys, but I don't know. I'm not who and what I was. I have to figure things out again, and I'm feeling off because of it," Tasha answers, shrugging a little. "I'm not sure I am dealing with it now, so much as figuring out how to deal with it."

"I'll watch and let you know next time it happens then," Lacci offers.

"Uhh, well, okay." Tasha gives Lacci a considering look, not sure if she's teasing her or serious. "And I'm still working out who to be. I've been letting Gabriel and Katie alpha-me more, to see how I like that. They seem a lot more alpha now, don't they?"

"I have no idea what that means," Lacci claims. "Is it a dominance thing?"

"I think so. Now that I've 'stepped down' and am cuter and more delicate looking, they've been more assertive. It might be because I have been less so, or at least seem so. Maybe they're trying to protect me? Or I seem like I need protection and direction. Maybe it's the eyes." Tasha blinks a few times for emphasis. "I'm not used to it, I was more, hm, aggressively beta before?"

"I suppose you haven't been as aggressive," Lacci agrees. "I can't imagine you approaching me now like you had when we first met."

"You mean sexually or when I met you after that berating by the Vartan man," Tasha inquires, head tilting. "And am I better less aggressive? I don't feel it's making anyone like or respect me more, maybe the opposite."

"You people to do recruiting for you now," Lacci says. "You don't have to do it personally.. and I mean when we first met after my argument."

"Oh that. Well, I was worried about you, and I thought you had potential. Maybe not the potential you showed to have, but then, you haven't been at this that long," Tasha explains, making a floppy hand gesture. "I suppose given my status and the amount of people between me and everyone else, I should focus more on internal affairs, magic, and other such things."

"Monster wrangling," Lacci suggests.

"You want me to capture and use monsters?" Tasha perks her ears.

"Wrangle the ones you already have," Lacci corrects. "Or deal with away from us."

"Oh that. Well half of them are on hiatus, the other half, well, I suppose I should dela with them more," Tasha agrees, nodding slowly. "And then there are the big ones to manage."

"Thoth is creepy," Lacci claims. "Sam is.. awkward, since the ritual. Liza is alright."

"Liza is her own little monster. I think she secretly longs to be a predator," Tasha agrees, grinning. "Not that I can tease her, I seem to be something like both now. Sam is very awkward. Thoth ... I wonder how Thoth will be, if we see him again."

"I don't know what's really going on there," Lacci says. "It seems like he could show up again if he needs to though."

"We have no idea, not even a little bit. It's driving Tia nuts, too, even if she doesn't act like it. I'll need to work with her more closely." Tasha takes a moment to stretch, then settles back down. "At least she's understandable. If you're the little sister, I guess Tia is the middle sister. She reminds me a little of Mariel, but just a little."

"I'm surprised she can remind you of anyone," Lacci says, and starts to collect her clothes now that Kem is done with the initial work. "Then again, she can probably imitate anyone if she wants."

"No matter how much she imitates anything, there's a core being there that has a personality, and that comes through. Just like with me, even if I'm different things, there's a commonality." Tasha also sits up, then goes for her clothing as well. "And of course she's learning things like I do, by doing them and bumbling through."

Lacci also begins to dress again, after doing some stretches. She's not used to holding a position for so long, even when supported by Shojo. "Everyone has three personalities," she claims. "Professional, public and private. All can be wildly different."

"I have been told I'm wildly different," Tasha confirms as she, too, dresses. Unlike Lacci she's more limber, more so even than her previous incarnation, which was fairly stiff compared to a baseline Karnor. "Well, I think I'll take your advice and focus more internally. It's something only I can do, after all."

"Did you bring any of your paintings to show me this time, Tasha?" Kem asks, still doing some cleanup on his preliminary image.

"Uhhh, no, but I do have some. Um, here." Tasha slides a finger across her arm, which lights up with her forearm computer interface. She taps through menus and then gestures towards a nearby wall, then hesitates. "Are these smart walls?"

"No, everything in the studio is strictly stupid," Kem claims. "Especially the lights. We are the smartest things in here."

Tasha shuts off her arm computer and lowers her arm. "Well, then I'll just have to tell you. I did a few of my adventuress, which you may or may not want to see, and that's about it. I've been mostly contending with internal restructuring and, well, ... " She gestures at herself and her new body. "I also think I'm trying to get pregnant?" her ears go askew.

"You think you're trying to get pregnant?" Kem asks, brows raised. "You should be certain about things like that."

"My life's very complicated and busy, alright? I don't even know what my children will be like, other than the fact I'm probably compatible with most males, maybe any males," Tasha explains, tucking her arms behind her back as she wanders around looking at things. "It's not easy to create a legacy, or a dynasty, or to be the progenitor of an entires species. I know, I've met progenitors of entire species, including Vartans and Phin. They all have regrets."

"That is why it is fun to make children," Kem notes. "Otherwise nobody would, if they knew what was in store for them. That's why cloning is frowned upon so much. Takes all the pain out of the process."

"Pain, well I guess I'm not new to pain." Tasha spins around and holds her hands out. "Then I guess I am having children. It should be easier now that I'm on the front line a little less. Mel's off who-knows-where now, too."

"Mel is the potential father then?" Kem asks as he starts cleaning his brushes. Lacci makes an amused squawk.

Tasha barks a laugh. "Well, he probably could be now, but no, it's Gabriel of course." She sucks in a breath then lets her arms sway. "Still, a lot to do before then."

"Well, if you aren't all flying off to another system in the next few days, I should have this piece finished by then," Kem says. Shojo just nods in reply after getting his boot on.

"Not too soon, but soon. I'm not sure when we'll be back after that." Tasha gives Kem a raised brow look, not sure because it's dangerous. "But we'll try and let you know before we go."

"If I don't see you before then, don't steal any planets," Kem says jokingly.

"I'll try very hard," Tasha insists, hand over her chest. "But, I can't promise anything. Not even that." Then she winks, and thumbs towards the exit. "Come on you two, you can get naked again in privacy later."

"I'm taking Shojo shopping," Lacci claims. Shojo remains expressionless, so it's difficult to tell what he thinks about that.

"You should, I hear he enjoys it. Look how excited he is." Tasha pats Shojo on the arm as they head out. Before she leaves she stops to give the Phin a mock magic fingers wiggling, as if she were casting magic.

Leilani clicks at Tasha rather than blowing a raspberry this time.

Tasha responds by sticking her tongue out, then dances out the door. "That Phin might kill me some day."

A signal to Tasha's com system lets her know that Gabriel is ready to take Dark Horse out for the Tadpole's hyperspace trials.

"Okay, I'm heading back to the ship to join Gabriel. Don't get in too much trouble you two." Tasha gives the two Vartans a wave, then splits off to head for the docks.

Gabriel really seems to be enjoying himself. Possibly because he's actually piloting on his own, since Kaa and Moka are still on shore leave. "I miss this, even if it's just going to edge of the system," he tells Tasha. Yue is manning the communication console this time. Other than the three of them, there are just the Lapis, Jotoki and Sam.

"I know how you feel, sometimes I miss the wind in my hair and the sense of motion. I used to do more on a ship than man a desk," Tasha returns, the red woman sitting at her navigation console even if navigation is so simple the computer can easily handle it. "That was the nice thing about having a Titan, the sense of being there."

"We can't install a crows nest on a spaceship," Gabriel notes. "But I agree in principle. It's not like flying something where you can feel the inertia."

"The best I can do is act like a sensor, and my range is very short, and only detects certain things. I have the feeling I'll be tucked away in one of the workshops from here on. Lacci had a good idea, that I should focus on the supernaturals and the outsider crew, and on that area in general, and leave the rest to others. So that's what I'll do." Tasha punches up the navigation route even though she doens't really need to, it's just nice for her to see where they're going and what's around, to watch the traffic.

The area around Caltrop is busy. Probably because of the Celestial freighter. There are countless little bases and stations scattered across the nebula, and all of them need supplies. Their course takes them out towards their own little base-in-the-making, far enough out for hyperspace entry to be safe. The plan is for Yue to actually pilot the Tadpole at first, mainly because it's easier to fit her and the two Lapi in together.

Tasha knows she may be smaller, but with her wings she might as well be a medium sized person. "Looking forward to piloting, Yue?"

"Well, I've spent time with the Tadpole before, in preparation," Yue says. "I think it will go alright, since she can handle most of it herself. It's more about making sure the Lapi do well. Not that they are claustrophobic. So.. yes and no about looking forward to it. I've never done anything like it before."

"Ah the new thing jitters, I feel those all the time. I won't give any advice since you know what you're doing, but I understand how you feel." Tasha settles back in her chair, arms behind her head. "Now I just need to figure out what I'm doing."

"Well, while they're doing the test runs, I was going to get you started learning to fly one of the shuttles," Gabriel says. "I've been assuming that Lacci is rated for the Vartan one, but I can teach you to pilot the Terran shuttle."

"I'd like that, I've been thinking 'shuttle pilot duty' might work well for me, especially if we can find a shuttle or other small vessel with a neural interface." Tasha looks over and gives Gabriel a thumbs up. "I can handle atmospherics, but space travel is another thing."

"The whole point of a shuttle is that you fly it manually," Gabriel says. "That's where the fun is!" They've cleared the immediate traffic zone, so Gabriel begins accelerating. "We'll be clear of the hyperspace singularity in about 40 minutes, Yue."

"Why do they have to call the 'singularity', that is way too ominous sounding," the human remarks.

"Well I know, but sometimes you need to manually fly using at hyper-aware reaction speeds and you don't really have time to calculate a hyperspace jump, target weapons, and do other things. Mel's systems would be even more useful in a shuttle or fighter than they would be elsewhere," Tasha explains, making her hand flat and shooting it up, like a plane taking off. "For all the things mortality can't handle."

"At least there's just one," Tasha quips, grinning.

"That's terrible," Yue says to Tasha. "You aren't a mom yet, so shouldn't be making jokes like that."

"This is a reaction drive shuttle, it can't do fancy stuff," Gabriel notes. "And it's as old as I am, so you need to be gentle with it."

"Like you, I need practice," Tasha says before laughing. Her laugh's a lot more musical these days, and higher. To Gabriel, she nods. "Well I haven't broken you so I think I know how to handle it."

"Just don't scratch it," Gabriel says. "We can take it to the asteroid base and see how things are coming along."

The Tadpole's dark coloration is hard to make out against the stars, but the flash when she enters hyperspace is easy to see. Tasha is at the science station when it happens, dutifully recording the energy output and other important data, even if she doesn't know what any of it signifies. "At least know when they show up again the system will recognize them," Gabriel explains. "We've got some time now before they finish circumnavigating the nebula. Ready for some shuttle time?"

"Ready and able Captain." Tasha salutes, sets her console to auto-mode and to notifier her if anything unusual happens, and then she hops off her seat, where upon she gives a salute. She then takes Gabriel's arm and heads off with him.

Inside the hangar, they entire the comparatively tiny shuttle. It's the first time Tasha has been in one of the command seats of it. At least she's not jumping out of it this time. Sam loiters outside, just there to watch. Gabriel has to make some adjustments to the seat auto-harness to accommodate Tasha's wings, but eventually she's strapped in. "It shouldn't be hard to figure out," he explains. "You've got the main throttle slider on your right joystick, which controls the main engines. The left throttle is for the RCS thrusters.."

"Don't hit the main thrusters until we're well clear, don't singe the ship, don't fly in to the ship, consider better seats later, remember mass, momentum, and the effects of zero G, G-Forces, and inertia. Keep it in the green. Fuel is limited, but unlikely to run out. ease her out slowly." Tasha recites it all like she's heard it a hundred times. "Did I miss anything?"

"If you get stuck on anything, just let go of the sticks," Gabriel advises, then closes the boarding door and primes the reactor and other systems. "Launching and landing from Dark Horse is tricky, since there's no actual door and you can't see through the permeable hull section," he explains. "Luckily the ship takes care of some of that for you. So to launch just goose the vertical RCS thrusters."

Tasha nods. "I got it. Okay, strap in, we're heading out in ten seconds. Nine," the count continues, the winged woman glancing back to ensure Gabriel in in fact strapped in regardless of the count down, and when the count hits zero it's eyes forward and RCS go, a gentle touch to send the shuttle up through the faux-hatchway.

Once outside of the ship, Gabriel goes over the thruster controls with Tasha until she's comfortable maneuvering away from Dark Horse. When it's time to use the main engines, things are more exciting. The little shuttle doesn't have inertial dampening, so acceleration is felt right in Tasha's center of mass. What may be lacking is the view. The only real point of reference is the Dark Horse itself, which is behind the shuttle. There isn't anything ahead to give a real sense of speed as the nebula is only dense over distance, and they're already in the fringes.

"I am again reminded of how vast space is," Tasha remarks. Her head scans this way and that, in a calm and repetitious pattern not unlike when she was droving for The Rake. Reactor and engine, view port, communications, navigation, system status, and back again. it's all very rote, even if what she's piloting is new. "It reminds me again how reliant we are on the Dark Horse."

"Now, for a little bit of a space combat primer," Gabriel says, grinning. "Cut the engine."

Tasha does so, the rumble of the engine ceasing and the push drops off. The ship is still moving, she knows, even if doesn't really feel or visually seem like it. "Annnd done."

Without the engines burning, weightlessness returns. "We'll just keep going like this forever, barring any significant mass getting in our way," Gabriel says. "Now, use the thrusters to spin us in.. well, any direction. A lot of space combat is strafing runs, which means the tactic is usually to burn straight towards the enemy."

"Wouldn't approaching at the enemy, but shifting slightly in random directions, be better?" Tasha engages thrust, flipping the vessel 90 degrees up, then she does it again so the vessel is now facing the horse, and then she keeps doing it to face random directs as the urge takes her, to better practice and feel the ship move. She has some experience with this through simulations, Bellerophon, and Titan training, but it has been a while.

"After you fire, you can adjust your vector," Gabriel says. "It's largely about trying to cover the locations you think they'll be. It's easier with guided munitions of course, but you can't easily detect bullets at these speeds. And if you built up enough velocity before the run, you're harder to detect before it's too late. This is also why Terrans are considered barbarians."

Tasha grins at that. "And here I thought I was the barbarian, even Shojo, Katie, and Hake used to think so, considering how less advanced my world is from theirs. Magic does not count in this case. So, sneak up on someone as fast as you can, lay in to them, and be gone before they recover. It sounds a lot like assassination in space, well, certain kinds."

"Targets are spread out a lot in space, and the technical term is 'hit-and-run' tactics," Gabriel says. "The Galactics aren't used to fighting foes with reaction drives that are undetectable when turned off. They prefer long range missiles. I think the Celestials countered this with their Tandu clients though, which do use solo close range combat methods."

"Including boarding I imagine." Tasha hasn't forgotten the Tandu cleansing ritual, nor their large, razor-sharp swords. She suspects The Star Empire likewise favors close combat when available, "I remember it's not really an arena where you have a lot of options most of the time, and that it's usually better handled by computers when the actual fighting starts."

"You'd think so," Gabriel says. "But Galactics can detect digital cognizance. We had comparatively simple computers, and did most of our fighting either manually or planned out well in advance. Sometimes we used shotguns."

"How do you detect digital cognizance? No one ever detected Mel, but then I never took him up against a Galactic. He does have a soul, so maybe that's it. Not a standard AI, or VI." Tasha frowns at the concept, she really should learn how such things are detected, as perhaps she can learn to disrupt them. "Galactics really heavily on computer automation, don't they? I was thinking of asking Sam if we could replicate Gabriel's Horn."

"It's just a matter of knowing how to take advantage of automated defenses," Gabriel explains. "Pretty sure the Vartans don't use them anymore after talking to Lacci a bit. Once something is exploited, it's hard for the Galactics to adapt since the systems are almost never ones they created themselves."

"That makes sense. If someone exploited the Horse, we'd have a hard time countering it. Aside from learning to pilot, I'm going to work more closely with Sam, Hake, Tia, and the other special ability members to address these problems and create new solutions. I have to keep busy, and I don't want to .... Just be someone's sidekick." Tasha twitches a little. Katie meant it as a joke, she thinks, but she's found that it's been eating at her. "Or just be around to have children, for that matter."

There's a ping from the passive sensors as they register an energy burst not far off. "That'll be the Tadpole," Gabriel says. "Think you can point us in the right direction and start us back towards the Horse?"

Tasha cuts thrust, flips the ship, then starts a slow ramp up to halt their momentum and begin a gradual increasing towards the direction of the Horse, which she confirms to be correct via the ship's on board navigation system. She punches in a intercept and potential docking notification to the other vessel's crew, letting them know they're coming home, and then accelerates a bit more. "There we go."

"Hopefully they'll be alright," Gabriel says. "Hyperspace can do weird things to your head if you aren't prepared for it."

Tasha grins a little. "Weird travel types will do that. We're OKed for intercept and dock." Not that she expected otherwise, of course. The Horse is as parked as a ship might be in open space that is constantly expanding, with rotating gravitational sources.

There are few more maneuvers before getting back down to thruster speeds, but the retro-rockets are enough to manage a slower deceleration. Then it's getting back into the hangar and landing - and here the automated assist systems make sure Tasha doesn't bump into anything. Then it's just going through the shuttle cooldown sequence, which isn't particularly complicated.

"Not too bad. I wonder how much I can really do with this, but not everything has to be far-reaching and potent, doens't it? We still need to get places, and we still need to fly." Tasha removes the straps holding her to the cockpit seat and stands, stretching and arching her back. "You would think, smaller as I am, I wouldn't get as sore from sitting a long time."

"These seats are for people wearing spacesuits," Gabriel notes, stretching as well while the boarding door opens outward.

"I still haven't quite managed to not need to breath yet, but I'm working on it." Tasha moves to join Gabriel in waiting for the doors, then shifts to lean against him, idly stroking his tail out with a hand because shirt as she is, it's about all she can reach. "I'm not mad at you. Still love me?"

"Enough to try and get you to change your mind about having kids," Gabriel claims, and swishes his tail. "We'll just to keep practicing until you're ready!"

Tasha glances at Gabriel, eyebrows up. "Is that for or against me having kids?"

"It can be two things!" Gabriel insists, skipping towards the starboard corridor before Tasha can grab him.

Tasha just throws her hands up in the air. She isn't sure what the people around her think, some times. Sometimes she wishes they'd just come up and tell how how they really feel, it's something she never had to deal with when it came to Vartans. Terragens can be so evasive. her head shakes as she follows after, and it reminds her of Nora.

Once in the main corridor, it's clear that the Tadpole's 'crew' are in the MedBay, getting post-flight checkups. Tasha gets a slight buzz when she catches up to Gabriel outside of it. It feels like she just downed a tankard of Vartan ale.

Tasha blinks for several seconds, then places her hand on the hatch frame and leans heavily on it. "I can't get motion sickness? Can I?" She asks herself out loud, but of course Gabriel is right next to her.

"I feel it too," Gabriel says. Just inside the MedBay, Yue is sitting on a stool looking hungover, while Aaron stands next to the exam table where Jonas is giving Liza a checkup. Yue does notice Gabriel and Tasha, and says, "My mind is leaking out."

"I didn't think you could project," Tasha remarks, pushing off and walking over to have a seat at the waiting area bench. "Did the trip not agree with you?"

"It's temporary," Jonas claims from where he's checking on Liza. "Hyperspace enhances certain psionic abilities. It's necessary, otherwise it wouldn't be possible to navigate there. Dr. Sen just needs to build up more resistance to it when piloting."

"It's the headache that keeps on giving," Yue moans.

"Well it's nice to not be the only one who gets her mind all over everyone," Tasha says with a laugh, followed immediately by a wince. She immediately stands right back up. "Well I think we've checked on them well enough, lets get an extremely rapid report and then extremely not be here. Rapidly.'

"Nothing to report yet on their post-flight health," Jonas non-reports.

"It was boring but comfortable," Aaron claims. Lapi like close, claustrophobic spaces though.

"I fell asleep," Liza notes from the exam bed.

Yue just moans.

"Then aside from Yue it sounds like a success, and with practice, a complete success," Tasha remarks. Ear left ear twitches for some reason. "We'll leave you all to recover then."

"We'll be on the bridge," Gabriel says, and tugs Tasha in that direction until they're beyond Yue's psychic drunkenness field.

"Poor Yue, and poor us," Tasha says as they clear the field. She immediately feels better, for one, and adds, "Too bad we can't weaponize that, it'd be very useful in certain situations. Just, not on us. I can do that to myself without help."

"They already have psi-casters that can do similar," Gabriel notes. "Used for crowd-control and keeping adults away while attracting teenagers." He beings activating the pilot and navigation systems once they reach the bridge. "Next stop.. asteroid base.. something. We should name these things. I'm tempted to use Knight's Folly but Jonas may not appreciate that."

"It does need a name, but I think I'll wait to see what our guest did to it before naming it. For example, if it's not there anymore, or has gained the ability to name itself, we don't have to worry about it." Tasha sits herself down in navigation out of habit, punching in the course to save Gabriel the effort. Out of the blue, she then asks, "Still think I'm me?"

"Who else would you be?" Gabriel asks, gesturing to the navigation chair while he gets into the pilot's one and extends forward over the Phin tanks.

Tasha takes her seat, but since she already entered the navigation, she simply lays back and puts her hands behind her head. "I wonder sometimes. I thought maybe I'm just smaller and cuter, but I feel different in other ways. I worry it will impact things, and I'm still figuring out who I am now and what I should do. Lacci had a good idea though, so I'm going to just focus on magic and our special members, and whatever else suits me. the rest is up to everyone else, and the Council. I do wonder if Katie sees it as weakness, however."

"I went through the same thing growing up," Gabriel claims. He brings up the course plot and pilots manually. It is not like the shuttle, however. Dark Horse just goes where directed and whatever velocity is desired.

"I think I'm growing up twice. I thought I'd begin to figure things out, now it's all different. I'm not sure if it's my body, my experiences, or both." Tasha does note Gabriel didn't say anything about Katherine, wondering if that means something, or if he's just avoiding the question.

"Once you start, you never stop," Gabriel claims. "And you can't go back, either. Katie is a military kid. Her expectations aren't the same as normal people's. She lives her life with set goals to be met in a specific order, I think."

"Do you understands how she sees me, then? Do you think she's thinking of trying to replace me in leadership, or supplant my role on the field?" Tasha's expression doesn't change much as she asks these things, she simply keeps staring out in to the stars, looking passive and, perhaps, even at a certain level of peace. It's a far cry from the her of two years ago, who would not have taken such questions calmly.

"I'm sure she thinks she's better suited to certain roles," Gabriel says. "But, she doesn't have experience in leading or tactics, to be honest. She was trained as an intelligence officer and that's all she was allowed to do. No fighting or leading.. just gathering intel under her guise as a celebrity and reporting it up the chain of command. I think it frustrates her."

"She's an alpha-type, maybe by subverting me to be her subordinate she hopes to rise higher. Since I'm clearly weakened in some ways, but still the 'leading wolf' when it comes to direct combat and confrontation, maybe she hopes to protect me and dominate me?" Tasha considers this for a long moment, then adds, "I'm thinking of letting her try, to see how it works for herb, and for me. She'll learn the same way i did, although I hope the lessons are much less harsh."

"Small things to start," Gabriel suggests. "Planning decisions where data analysis is key. I'd let her take the lead on guiding the intelligence gathering ops for Shojo's troops. They aren't experienced in that, and Katie is."

"We can suggest that next Council meeting, then. And while I may be weaker, I am also a lot stronger than I was, maybe than I ever have been, and my personal resources are considerable. Katie needs to see that my acting cute and harmless, or gentle, isn't all there is to me. Mel and I defeated an entire army by ourselves, and much more besides. But maybe what you said is the key: Katie works in intelligence and played the role of an influencing agent, appearances and deception are her forte, but maybe also her blindspot. Most people think I'm a bit strange and harmless. Most people are wrong. Even now. Bumper saw right through me, though. Katie needs to see it too, if she wants to supplant me. And by then maybe I'll be stronger still." Tasha says it all without rancor, anger, or even a tinge of being impressed with herself, even pride. They're just facts, calmly stated. "I think special resources are the key for me now. No one else can really manage them. Or use them."

"It's all magic to me," Gabriel says. "We'll see how scary it gets in a few minutes. We're on final approach to the asteroid."

"I admit I'm curious to see what she can do. My teacher's secret weapon, the card up her leaves. lets see what she does on her own." Tasha punches up the imaging system, just in case she needs it, and settles back in for the big reveal.

The asteroid looks unchanged at the surface, and Gabriel circles it closely and slowly. "If the Astraea is nearby we should have seen it," Gabriel says. "I know how close we need to be to detect it, so it's not in orbit or station-keeping. Nothing showing up in the craters."

"Maybe she stole it and is off in another universe having a laugh," Tasha says, still laid back, still almost monotone. "Lets see if my brainio gets a signal." In her mind the menu pops up, and she reaches out to Kai. "Weeee're heeeerreee."

It takes a moment, but then Tasha gets a reply of: "Come inside. Find me."

Tasha begins to rise. "Hide and seek it is. Dock us, I need to find her. The last time I did this I needed to wear a space suit, so maybe I'll go get one."

"I'm coming too," Gabriel says, bring the Horse around to the hover over the small mining station. "And spacesuits for sure, we'll have to run a tether to the base."

"I really need a better space suit, something more dainty for my more dainty. Also, armored. Heavily." Tasha exits the Bridge, and is soon geared and ready to go, waiting at the airlock.

"Dainty and armored, hmm," Gabriel says. "I suggest a Belter skinsuit like Yue has." He sings the tether arm out of the airlock and takes the end. "Off we go," he says, before leaping out through the permeable bulkhead.

"I kind of liked my old suit, maybe something red, black, white, with gold trim and some plating. I took my last one off and see where that got me." Tasha plunks down her helmet, then follows after Gabriel.

It's less than a hundred meters to the old base airlock, where Gabriel secures the tether. Once Tasha joins him he manually cranks open the outer door. "Doesn't seem to be power," he radios.

"Maybe she thought we were powerless and wanted to stress the fact, or maybe it's powered by Lacci in a wheel?" The thought makes Tasha smile a little; the old hits never die. "Do you think there'll be a surprise party?"

Once they're through the airlock, Gabriel says, "No heat or pressure in here either, so if there's going to be a surprise party it must be deeper inside. But at least nobody would suspect this base of being active."

"I would be very amused if she's in the center and told us she just didn't have any ideas or something to the effect," Tasha admits. She does look around as she hovers along, wings out, looking like an angel who decided to borrow a space suit. Her stiff winged flight through the powerless corridors seems wrong for its lack of any real motion or propulsion. Eerie.

The asteroids miniscule gravity has pulled any debris to the floor long ago, and the cramped base seems completely abandoned. Anything of use has been removed, leaving large gaps here and there. There isn't any sign of Kai in the small base though. "I suppose we'll need to check the mine bore," Gabriel says.

"She better have not stolen our mining bore, what if we needed to mine or bore something? We'd have to have to listen to Lacci lecture to bore tunnels." Gabriel can hear Tasha's musical not-quite-cackling as they may their way deeper.

"Hah!" Gabriel laughs. "I'm sure the mining equipment is long gone, but it's a lot harder to steal a hole," he notes as they get down into the bowels of the station. The power system is gone as well. The only reason they were able to get the hyperwave communication array was that it was too big and far away from the station for easy removal. It takes a bit of doing, but the eventually find the access to the borehole.

"After everything I've experienced I'd full believe you could steal a hole, without any innuendo to be clear. I've spoken to oblivion, and seen magic. Nothing seems impossible anymore. Local limits are very quaint." After reaching the bore, Tasha frowns in to the darkness. "You would think with all my various powers I could light a hole, but no, it's suit light time." And her suit light flicks on. "Well, at least whatever she did is well hidden. Even we can't find it."

The inside of the bore picks up the light and scatters it around. The inner walls are covered in glittery amethyst crystal. Which certainly shouldn't form inside an asteroid!

"Looks like the inside of a geode," Gabriel comments.

"Um, I think ... " Tasha bites her lip for a moment, peering at a crystal formation. "I think this is about my comment it should look like a geode. I made a remark, that it should be like a geode. It's like a geode now. I think my mind got everywhere again."

"Was Kai in the room when you made the comment, or did she read your mind?" Gabriel asks calmly. "Either way, it's probably meant as an invitation."

"I'm keeping some of these either way," Tasha notes, and she heads onward. " think she was there. I was talking to Tia, and this is a little secret but Kai loves teasing Tia. I'm not sure why, but she does."

"Sibling rivalry?" Gabriel suggests, as they float down the center of the mineshaft. "Turning on my rangefinder," he notes.

"I thought so too, it seemed too familial to be impersonal. It's like how I tease Nora or Lacci. So, it must be positive and character building." Tasha hovers after Gabriel, a silent specter that, were she not the explorer, could have easily passed as a unsettling space ghost.

Floating turns to drifting.. and one the crystals on one part of the wall begin to thin until the stone is showing, and that path draws them downward with increasing gravity.

"I feel gravity. Something dense is here, and it's not me, or my cooking." Tasha lets the gravity pull on her, resisting it just enough to pull away if she needs to, and close enough to Gabriel to grab him if that becomes necessary. "Whatever it is, it's not something we left here."

"And the asteroid isn't spinning enough to cause it," Gabriel notes. He makes sure they both land on their feet at least, although walking is bouncy until the force increases to what they're used to on a planet. "Down the rabbit hole we go. Watch out for the Mad Hatter."

"You have to tell me that of all people? I am down the Rabbit Hole. This is my Rabbit Hole." Tasha gestures randomly to the vacuum, rock, and universe around here. "How do you think I got here? And I still can't seduce a rabbit."

"You didn't follow a white one either," Gabriel notes. Now that they're walking, the tunnel feels more like a cave. There's light ahead as well that isn't coming from their lamps.

"Dragons hang out in caves. But those aren't real so we're probably safe." Gabriel can hear Tasha's heavy, probably mock, sigh over his intercom.

The walls spread out, the cave opens up. The exit a bit up the slope of a bowl valley. There's forest with a dirt road, and lake beyond that takes up most of the valley floor. The left side of the lake has what looks like a small ruined castle on its shore, while on the right is what appears to be a walled airfield with a similar aesthetic to their ancient shuttle, all white and black with a curved control tower. Behind is a cluster of similar buildings. The Astraea sits within. The sky is blue with fluffy clouds, with the sun either rising towards noon or setting towards sunset. Their suits read standard air pressure with a breathable mix, and warm temperature.

"We could just turn around," Gabriel notes.

"No way that castle is mine," Tasha declares, then she walks in what can only be described as a very deliberate stride full of arm movements and purpose, all straight towards the strange new land. "Also aren't we explorers? We should explore. Lets explore. I'm exploring now!"

"Yes," Gabriel says, taking of his helmet. His attention seems torn between the castle and the airfield. "This is all crazy, you know. That airbase is familiar. The castle isn't. The lake is nice though. I didn't bring a sidearm, by the way."

Tasha also removes her helmet, hair flowing free. She shakes it in the wind and tucks her helmet under her arm. "Oh I know it's crazy, but I was in fairyland just a few weeks ago. It's all of you who don't really know, how crazy it all really is. Come along now! And if danger comes, well, we'll worry about that then."

The road leads through the forest, which does remind Tasha a bit of the fae wild. There are odd sounds from within it, and usual movements out of the corner of one's eye. But nothing happens as the get through it, and the walls of the airbase are ahead of them. Tasha notices gun turrets mounted on it. Between it and the lake are two crystal structures that look a bit like curved horns rising up to almost meet at the tips. They're rather large.

"Some kind of energy generation device? Maybe controlling all of this? I also appreciate how the guns aren't shooting at us. I think I can deflect bullets, but still, it would be very unwelcoming." Tasha gestures off towards the crystalline structures, the clearly out of place item in this very out of place land. "That they're not hidden or disguised or otherwise fitting the landscape means they can't, wren't, or aren't part of the landscape's intention."

"And the Martian firebase is entirely natural," Gabriel offers. "The main gate will be facing that archway, if I remember the layout correctly."

"The base fits a kind of theme. It was modeled for us. A military base to make you and Katie comfortable, a castle, perhaps for me, or maybe the big crystal thing is for me. A lake for the Phins, and us all. Greenery, and a blue sky. It looks like a dream Nora has, that I sometimes have, too. Something about the places far from your cities where things are quieter." Tasha gestures for Gabriel to keep going, and she walks with him towards where the main gate presumably lies.

The gate is open, revealing the interior of the base. The Astraea takes up a good chunk of it, not quite touching the ground. There is another vehicle next to it, much larger than the shuttle. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am," Gabriel says. "That's the transport ship I trained on." It's also armed with turrets and is sizably bulky, but also has atmospheric wings.

"She knew even that? I guess she enjoys teasing all of us," Tasha admits as she pauses to run a hand through her hair. "I do remember her create readingmy brain at once point, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised she could read me while I was piloting her. But, I never knew about that transport, so she must have read us all at some point. Poor Tia is just going to have more questions after this."

"This is all from the data Dr. Zerachiel provided the Niss," Gabriel notes. "In case we needed to construct it when we reached the Primus system."

"You provided the Niss instructions to build a base on Primus?" Tasha glances at Gabriel, quizzical. "I didn't hear about this."

"It was all part of the same dataset," Gabriel says. "That's how the Niss was able to create the interior for Dark Horse." He goes up to the dropship and raps on the side to make sure it is real. "So, even if the rest of this world wasn't created to order, this was."

"How exciting to think she can take that basic data and create the real thing. Now I want to see what else is here," the red woman notes. She takes Gabriel's word for it that the shuttle is the real thing, as she would't be able to say either way, and doesn't see why it would't be anyway. "And there are extra buildings here, too. I suspect there are dorms, or living quarters of some kind, and there may be actual life in the woods."

"If she created life I will be properly terrified," Gabriel claims. "Right now I'm just in rationalized denial because this was my favorite ship. A real workhorse." He turns to point to the big structure behind the airbase. "Command and control complex. The structures up against the valley wall will be residential units."

"Well, this will help a lot. Housing, command, recreation in many forms, and a quiet pasture. I wonder if the sun ever rises or truly sets? Sundown always was my favorite part of day, you know that?" Tasha turns around slowly, head shaking again. "Well, we should report in before we explore more. We don't know where Kai is, but I suspect the crystal towers, the castle, or the keep. Once we report we can visit each in turn, and look at the rest along the way, like the residential." She sucks in a breath, swings her arms, and nods. "I am pleased to tell you the ineffable and overwhelming recreational power doesn't even bother me anymore. That's nice. I like it. I could try and search for her with my ansible, but that would be cheating, and she can probably block it anyway. Lets ready that report, then we're off."