On the way out of the Dark Horse, Tasha and Tia run into Gabriel and Katie coming in. "There you both are," Gabriel says. "Tia, can you get the Tadpole back into the lower cargo bay? We've received a message from Mr. Invention."
"Here we are!" Tasha looks to Tia, surprised she's being asked to relocate the Tadpole, having been unaware of this special new task set. She then looks back to Gabriel and asks, "Anything you need from me?"
"We're going to Caltrop to see Mrs. Teatime and we've been asked to bring the Tadpole in for a checkup by an Eeee named Darksight," Gabriel says. "And I'm not letting Kaa have all the fun, so I want to take off before he finds out," he adds with a big grin.
Tasha grins at that. "Sounds good to me. Tia wanted to do some work on me later as well, but otherwise I don't have any plans. We'll just have to do our training on board ship. I might ask the mercs to help me train as well. I need to refine my sword-fighting, spear fighting, and other skills."
"It's not long of a flight," Gabriel points out. "I'd hoped to get our business done and be back for dinner."
"I can train you some," Katie offers.
"Okay, then I'll focus on seducing Darksight to our cause." Tasha then gives Katie a thumbs-up. "That should be good for a while. I may need to find an actual master at some point, I seem to fight with a sword a lot for someone with access to railguns."
"Hard to hide a railgun in your pocket though," Katie says. "I'll teach how to make it through a bar brawl."
"I don't fight enough in dining establishments anymore, this is a good point." Tasha walks over to join the two Karnors, then looks to Tia. "See you later, then, Tia?"
"I've called the Tadpole," Tia says. "I'll go meet her in the bay," she adds, stepping back into the elevator to head down. "I'll be preparing for your choir practice and other things until you return."
Tasha salutes. "I'll be ready. And Tia? We'll work things out, we'll find a way. You'll see."
The alien woman nods to Tasha as the doors close.
"Choir practice?" Katie asks. "Captain Frane would be proud."
And so Tasha looks to the two beside her. "I suspect he would, though I feel like this choir practice is far more on the magical side of things and the team-building. It will be team-building, namely Team Tasha, because I saw Tia sing and I have an idea of what she intends."
"I'm going to prep for takeoff," Gabriel says. "The Niss can supposedly open the sky-gate now."
"That's good. Looks like someone hit the books. Oh, and Tia spoke to the Maelstrom through Tatha-hem, it turns out the ship has 'permission' to pass through the Maelstrom, which is why it, unlikely any known ship, can pass through undisturbed. She learned a few other things, but those fall in to 'scary trivia', so ask at your peril. We found the way to do this by investigating Thoth's room and finding his research, which we intend to work on." Tasha starts walking towards the Bridge as she talks. "Also Tia and I will be Tia-ming Up."
"Should I be worried?" Katie asks Tasha. "She's human-looking most of the time, but I guess you've broadened your tastes after the orgy."
"Not that kind of teaming up. Also like half the people there were me, but I see your point about Sharon. More of a source-of-power style of teaming up. I held a meeting with Gwyndrael, the Dragon Priestess, Samael and the sword to discuss uses of the spore and sources of power and their consequences. Out of the rather long list of options and their consequences, the best source for multiple reasons is Tia. Following that, the sword. Lets just hope I don't need to go so far as to use the sword, but, well, you know how things go some time. As for Tia, we needed to work some things out first, which we did. Mostly." Tasha wags her tail.
"Well, she seems mostly open about her reasons for doing things at least," Katie says as they reach the bridge, where she takes her usual spot at the communications station. Gabriel takes the pilot seat of course.
And so Tasha takes her spot at navigation, this time by vaulting over the seat and then lowering herself down via slow-descend hover. She punches through the startup menu and leaves the system in its nav-ready state, currently showing somewhat confused local topographical information. "Ready here."
"The Tadpole is secure," Tia sends to Tasha. "Do not lose her in a bar bet or anything."
"Tia reports Tadpole secure and that I'm not to lose her in a bar bet or something. Which I won't, I would win." This is all said with a very straight face and a faux-air of mild affront. Tasha even lifts her nose a little.
"Up we go, beyond the sky!" Gabriel says, and brings the Dark Horse up out of the lake. "We really need a startup poem for this ship, like Bellerophon has."
"'Out of the lake, up to the sky, in to the portal, I hope we don't die.'" Tasha shuts down certain navigation sensors to avoid the navigation system going haywire from the spatial transition, opting for sensors that don't care about petty things like dimensional transition and a complete lack of stars. She readies to receive the navigation date from the other side's base transponders.
"That's a bit too specific, isn't it?" Katie asks. The projected view of the outside momentarily goes white, as if passing through a cloud, and then it's the black of space and the dark gray of the asteroid crater below.
"No one hired me for my rhyming capability," Tasha complains. She pauses to watch over the transition, confirms arrival, then begins enabling sensors for local and interplanetary space transition. "We've arrived.. No problems. Checking vicinity." And then she's peering at scanners to ensure no one is out there waiting. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Titanians showed up eventually, though. They get antsy when I disappear."
"Mrs. Teatime is probably spying for them," Gabriel suggests. The traffic scan is clear, so he pulls the ship away from the asteroid until Tasha has a course for Caltrop calculated that doesn't look too suspicious.
"All set, off we go. Clear for Caltrop." Tasha finishes up her navigation work, then leans back, hands behind her head. "It's kind of weird being out in space again."
"We've got artificial gravity and inertia, so how can you tell?" Katie points out. "Flight path is registered with Caltrop Traffic Control, we're set for our usual dock."
"It's not the same as planet gravity," Gabriel claims.
"Isn't the valley also technically artificial gravity though?" Katie asks, looking to Tasha.
"The sense of the world is different. The crystal ice-clear of space isn't the same as the warmth and slightly off life of the pocket plane, nor the familiar but off lands of the Dragon Lands," Tasha explains. "And, well, gravity is a bit off, too. I'm part bird. I notice slight weight changes."
"I think the valley is.. I guess quasideiageniture? It depends if you think acts of godlike entities is artificial. It's an act of will." Tasha's brow knit at the question. "It's a hard question."
"Well, it's as real as your siblings then," Katie says. "So best to just think of it as real for simplicity."
"I actually prefer flying to air," Gabriel says. "You can get a sense of speed that way. Especially launching under rocket power."
"Oh, I've moved on past 'real' and 'not real'. There's so much more beyond that once you've traveled a awhile. And there might not be a lot of difference between them. It's all relative and based on a lot of factors. I like to say reality is that which resists my will. So real for us, Whisper's dream and a part of herself. But Whisper and her reality are one and the same." Tasha then gives Gabriel a thumbs up back over her shoulder. "I miss the feeling or wind and air, even rain, snow, and storms. Space is like a frozen landscape, crystal clear, cold, unforgiving. Like it's all asleep, not a lot of life. Unlike a winter landscape, it also lacks air. The void's a weird place to be, all of them."
"Snow would be nice to see," Katie says. "Abaddon is cold enough, but dry. And no invisible insanity monsters like out here."
"I should teach Whisper about weather and seasons. Hey Gabriel, what do you think of Whisper?" Katie and Gabriel might notice Tasha's ears canting back to listen.
"Cute kid," Gabriel says as he brings them up to 0.5C, to make the trip shorter. "Really needs more than just the shift she wears though. Makes her look too waifish."
"A red hood and cloak maaaaybe?" Katie teases.
"Do you want to take care of her? I know you've been wanting kids around, and Whisper seems like a good place to start. I also don't mind if you father-figure Sasha, he could really use more friends," Tasha says, all while pretending to study the display. "And I agree. That castle is also really depressing, and I worry she spends too much time around Samael."
"I don't know how to raise an elf," Gabriel admits. "I would definitely start with sturdier clothes. I'm flexible on the issue of footwear though. She seems to already know a lot, so I'm not sure what further education she would need."
"A father figure other than Samael would be good," Katie agrees. "Does she have a mother figure? Surely not Kai?"
"Eeeh, it's probably Kai right now. Kai and Sam as role models is not a.. good.. balance." Tasha's ears flick. "I think.. I might.. be up to.. the mothering role. Maybe. Like you said, she already knows a lot. She just needs guidance, and not to sink in to the state she was before. I think bredth of experience and exposure to the benefits of positivity and the brighter side of things would be good, too. She craves excitement and experience."
"Does Yue have kids?" Katie suddenly asks. "I'd hate to think the only one of us with experience as a mother is Tia."
"I don't know, but she doesn't seem like the kids-type. She seems like a career person. I don't think being a Terragens agent is very conductive to having a kid you take care of." But Tasha shakes her head. "Not sure though, we can ask. I might nudge Sharon a bit and see if she's interested, too."
"Sharon might be a nurturer," Gabriel agrees. "Tia may be the best for an immortal elf though. At least she can discipline her if needed. And Kai may have a maternal side we don't know about."
"Sasha would make a good parent," Katie suggests. "Once he gets past his insecurity. We should look for a girlfriend for him while we're at Caltrop."
"This sounds like a group effort. It takes a massive amount of people to raise a immortal magic-elf!" Tasha sounds relieved for some reason. A second later she's nodding her head. "I agree, he's my solid-foundations side. If I'm fire, Vasha is wind, and Sharon is water, Sasha is earth. He can't date Sharon though. That has consequences."
As the get closer to the main approach lanes, Tasha's board indicates a large ship near Caltrop: the Bakumaru. Which is probably why Darksight is around.
"The Bakumaru is in port, which makes sense if Darksight is here. They'll want to check up on the Tadpole, too." Tasha brings up an image of the ship for the others to get a better look at. "Maybe I'll go talk to the ship."
"Does Sharon even want to date?" Katie asks. "Maybe the Tadpole has better advice, you never know!"
"I really don't know! I think she's still figuring herself out. Maybe we should leave her be and let her work it out." Then Tasha laughs. "Maybe it does! I'd have had better advice if my mother was an ancient space craft."
"You could write to your mom for advice," Gabriel notes.
"I couuuld. But then, I know my mom." Tasha shakes herself out so much her neck ruff puffs out. "Tasha, why you no write more? You have kids yet? I take big wolf if you not hurry up and I leave Eyeshine! You have siblings now?? I no remember having extra kids! You not flirt with them too, you better teach them something good this time! Get Sasha girlfriend -- get girls boyfriend -- I need grand kids and you too slow."
Gabriel barks in laughter. "I should have recorded that. Think Vasha could do a better impression?" he asks.
"I'm saving the universe mom. "Yeah yeah universe big important but grand kids first. I had kids before you!" Uuugh." Tasha just shakes her head.
"Vasha could definitely do a better impression," Tasha agrees, nodding slowly.
"Desdemona would want to hug all of you though," Gabriel says. "Sinai Vartans can't help but adopt everyone."
"So I can blame Karnors for not having kids and not adopting people anymore, that's a good excuse, I'm more Karnor now." Tasha's tail wags and the tip, especially, waves at the two wolves. "And yes she'd hug us all. So is Bumper. Bumper is going to hug us all. Do you think she's confused why there's now four signals of me around now? I guess they haven't exited in to space yet, but that's going to raise a lot of big fuzzy eyebrows."
"They've been to Caltrop before to buy clothes," Gabriel reminds. "And wouldn't it still just be one signal?"
"You know, I'm not sure. Maybe just one, since we all have the same soul. It means I can sneak up on Bumper now!" Tasha's chortling can be very arch.
"Surprising a Titanian when you aren't a Titanian could be dangerous, magical force-field or not," Gabriel cautions.
"That's part of the fun, I am surprised you wouldn't already assume that!" Tasha rubs her hands together. "She'd be disappointed in me if I chickened out."
"I'd rather not introduce Titanians to other dimensions," Gabriel says, a bit more serious. "Some of our people are dangerous artifacts they might decide to confiscate."
"That's very true. If it got bad, I'd find their god and have him remind them they're going a bit too far or something. I'd work it out. For the most part they seem okay with me handling things my way, and I do plan to bring them in before and after the Daltoona mission," Tasha says.
"Right, they have some issue with Daltoona don't they?" Gabriel says. "Artifact smuggling."
"Wait, Sifran artifacts?" Katie asks. "Or just First Ones?"
"Artifact smuggling they still haven't figured out. Solving that for them will go a long way to show how useful and on their side we are. They might even help us take advantage of it. I'm sure they'd even help us raid the station, but that's a bit too much -- at least it is right now." Tasha sits up and looks back to Katie. "From what I understand any and all artifacts. They seem to be using some sort of direct transfer system, skipping intervening space."
"Like Thoth does?" Katie asks. "It's just that Sifran stuff can mess with Tia's abilities, so you'd better be careful if you're going to depend on her power."
"Thaaat's true. I should make sure I have a variety of abilities and power sources when I head in, in case one or more are compromised. The sword, for example, can let me fight on and on at the cost of needing life to feed itself -- and me. Like a vampire. But that would require a lot of bodies, so I'm hoping to avoid that. Maybe Thoth's research and our collection of artifacts can provide other answers." Tasha rubs her chin. "It's clear one solution likely won't work."
"You need to be able to protect Hakeber," Gabriel says. "What sort of abilities are you getting from Tia then?"
"Tia's abilities are considerable, but not entirely well known. Even Kai says she's the strongest being present, on par with the angel we encountered in the wastes. She's something like a prototype Waymaker. I know she channels something called Wrath, and that she was the attendant to a god of Justice. It seemed when she escaped, some of the power present was transfered to her. She's not comfortable with exercising it, nor with the consequences, so I proposed we both use it. I told her why I needed it." Tasha turns around in her chair, leaning on the backrest. "So I'm not sure. I've never seen her utilize her full power, but supposedly it's immense. I assume she needs to adjust me to handle it."
"Adjust you?" Gabriel asks, sounding a bit worried. "In what way? Presumably some way that won't show up on security scanners?"
"I don't mind if you can sing better," Katie says.
"Well, Tia utilizes a lot of power. You see how easily she shifts forms. If I try to do that as I am, it could just rip me to pieces." Tasha lays her ears back, though. "I'm sure it will be fine. We ultimately all want the same thing. And come to think of it, I haven't done any singing since I was reborn."
"Well, other than that weird noise you make instead of howling," Katie says.
"You mean my roar bark? I can now make things explode by doing it!" Tasha inhales, channels her Red, then..
RRRRROAWRK.
The sound wave is followed by a clap of fire. Nothing dangerous (though it is very loud), but the shotgun like blast -- and the pressure wave -- could be quite alarming if she were to set it on stun, or for that matter, kill.
"Augh! Don't do that!" Katie complains, her hackles up. Gabriel laughs.
"Maybe you're a baritone when you sing," Gabriel suggests.
Tasha also laughs -- she cackle-laughs -- making for another sound Gabriel hasn't heard in quite a while. He does, unfortunately, get a tongue stuck out at him for the remark. "I'm sure I'm perfectly normal singing. Of course, out of all of me, it's just Vasha and me for the deeper tones."
"Sasha has a deeper voice than you," Katie says. "You're a lot more girly-sounding since you were put back together."
"Sometimes I forget about that," Tasha complains, dropping her head on her hands which rest on the back of the chair. "It just feels like Sasha should be higher than me."
"Because he's cute and friendly looking?" Gabriel teases.
"Are you saying I'm not cute and friendly looking?" Tasha's tail goes up, cat like. "How can I be girlier and not cute and friendly? Katie gorgeuous and kind of scary, but that's different!""
"He's more approachable, because he looks.. ordinary," Katie explains. "He's just a regular Karnor, as Karnors look out here nowadays. We're all wolves, and you're a succubus!" She does wink at the 'succubus' remark though.
"Aaaggh, I am not!" And so Katie gets barked at a few more times, though without the pyrotechnics.
"Try not to break anything or eachother until after we're docked," Gabriel says, as he guides Dark Horse into her usual dock, in her Khattan Yacht disguise.
"Oh fine." Tasha spins around in her chair and slides in to place, readying her console to shift to standby and confirming mooring and the airlocks have been established.
"Letting Mr. I know we've arrived," Katie says from her station.
"Shutting things down, notifying Tia." Tasha sends the mental heads up, then she begins moving her chair back to its standby locked position. "Baaack to 'normal' life."
"Tending bar or whipping dinosaurs?" Katie asks with a smirk as she closes things down. "Let's find out what the Big Bad Wolf wants, and then you can get in touch with that Confederate space-ship trainer."
"Look out Gabriel, Mr. Innervation is stealing your nickname," Tasha says as she climbs out of her chair. After straightening her clothes, she frowns down at them. "I'm going to go change, then I'll meet you at the dock. And the former, I guess." And then she's heading off.
The Dark Horse offices haven't changed, except for there being a new receptionist. The Pan doesn't say anything when they enter. He just presses the button that opens the doors into the hallway and nods to them. At the very back is Mr. Inventions office, which also opens as they approach. Inside, the werewolf is at his desk, and on the couch are Mrs. Teatime and a young Khatta woman (with some family resemblance to Mrs. Teatime). "Glad you could get here on short notice," Mr. Invention says, standing up to shake everyone's hand.
Tasha joins Gabriel and Katie wearing a slightly shorter than knee-length shirt, a top and hoodie that show off her mid drift, long socks, booties, and stripped gloves. She's also wearing a pair of fashion glasses (that probably have displays built in) and even did her hair in a feathered look. It makes her look younger, or perhaps more accurate, as young as she looks. "Hi again, Mr. I.," she shakes the hand without hesitation.
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce Mressa," Mr. Invention says, turning to the younger Khatta. "Mressa, this Gabriel Ackers, Katherine Vesuvius and Tasha Argentine, a few of the founders of Dark Horse Enterprises."
The Khatta stands and bows forward a bit. "It is my pleasure to meet you all," she says in what can only be called a purr.
"Hi there!" Tasha extends a hand in greeting, and she even makes a point to wag her tail, weird snake-rope that it is.
The feline shakes, but it's clearly not a familiar gesture for her. She then asks, "May I see your eyes?"
"Yes but please put them back when you're done," Tasha answers with a completely straight face. She then leans in and grins. Her tail is still wagging.
"They really do have gold in them," Mressa says, and smiles.
"It's one of my favorite colors." Tasha then leans back, folding her hands behind her back in a little more show of a formal posture. "That, and red."
"Mressa is one of my granddaughters," Mrs. Teatime says. "She has a legitimate pedigree in one of the smaller trade houses."
"I was beginning to wonder how we were going to deal with that part when it came up," Katie admits.
"That will be quite handy, the 'special mezzode on assignment' approach only seems to go so far, and carries so much authority. We're not exactly leadership creatures." Tasha shrugs melodramatically. "I can't see why."
"It's been working because we haven't been operating in any Khattan controlled ports," Mr. Invention says. "There will still be some bureaucracy to deal with, but if everyone is on board we can bring in Mressa as Tasha's.. mistress."
"We aren't allowed to use 'patron', since mezzodes aren't clients," Mressa says a bit apologetically.
"Mistress!" Tasha's ears go right up. She looks about to say something else, then seems to correct herself and asks, "Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Then she blinks again. "Wait, that kind of mistress?"
"It just means that you were made to be my companion," Mressa says. "Officially, anyway. That's what mezzodes tend to be, either companions from childhood or pets."
"Well, that's fine. You seem nice, and it should help me understand the role better. I'd mostly been faking it, using peoples' assumptions to guide my behavior. Though I have to say.. " Tasha tilts her head to the side, ducks her head, and bats her eyelashes. She covers her mouth with a hand daintily. "What an interesting design you picked, my lady." More eye batting. Her tail kinks in to a heart.
"It would have been my parents doing the designing," Mressa says with a chuckle. "It can also be a competitive thing," she adds. "The very wealthy have strange ways of competing with one another."
"I will endeavor to be a high placing trophy person," Tasha promises. She puts her hand over her heart, then bows slightly. She then straightens and asks, "Do I require.. training?" Even more eye lash batting and shy tilting of head.
"Oh my, I don't know," Mressa admits. "I figured we'd just need be like sisters," she says, and looks to the others to be certain.
"There'll be a Karnor woman too," Gabriel explains. "They need to stick together."
"Like a bodyguard or tutor?" Mressa asks.
"Well, I am very used to treating new people like a sister." And then Tasha walks over and grabs Mressa's arm, hugging on to it a moment. "This will be so much fun! Heehee-" She blinks. "Karnor woman? Not Katie?"
"Hakeber," Gabriel says. "She needs to make it to the target intact."
"And come out still intact afterwards," Katie adds.
"Oh yes, Hake will need to also answer all my academic questions, too," Tasha contributes.
"So she's a teacher?" Mressa asks.
"Researcher, studier, eating of pizza. Don't leave your food out next to her or it will vanish," Tasha explains. She lets go of Mressa and then steps back, but still close by, arms behind her back again like she's resisting being more clingy. Her tail calms down too, it's just casually wagging, now.
"Mressa doesn't know the full mission yet," Mr. Invention explains. "Since we weren't certain you'd take to her, but you seem to approve."
"What? I get along with most everyone, wait until you see my collection of people. I have so many." And so Tasha beams.
"So you'll be taking her back to base with you?" Mrs. Teatime asks.
Tasha turns and looks to Gabriel at this question, ears focusing on him.
"If she can handle it, then she can handle the mission too," Gabriel says. "Are you a good swimmer, Mressa?"
"Swimmer?" the Khatta asks, her expression a bit blank. "You mean in water?"
"Actual water," Tasha confirms. "Or, maybe not. I'm not really sure. You'll see. Mind the Phins."
"That too," Gabriel says. "You're about to be tossed into the deep end of the pool, I'm afraid. But if you're here then you've had your I's dotted and T's crossed by Mr. I and Mrs. T already, so you should be alright."
"I also have the latest intel from our person on location, and a few more things that Mrs. Teatime has uncovered," Mr. Invention says.
"I look forward to seeing my mistress's hidden strengths," Tasha chimes in, hand over heart. She then shifts to focus her attention on Mr. Invention, and now he's got her full focus.
Mr. Invention activates the display wall, where pictures of well dressed Khattas and industrial-looking facilities spread out. "We know where the stator factories are located, and photos of the Khomens that deign to appear in public."
"I'll look over everything with Dr. Sen," Katie promises. "Then we should have a list of things for Miss Batty to look into."
"Did you find out anything more on the strange Vartan pairs that operate as part of the receiving and transport side," Tasha inquires. "Or the receiving side at all? Certain parties may contribute to our technological support if we can uncover proof of how that operation works. And, it would help keep us in their good graces."
"Nothing yet on that part of the Khomen business," Mr. Invention says. "We're still putting out feelers, but we'll need something exotic to use as bait. We've secured some extra funding to help out with it all, as well."
"We're working on our end as well. We were able to gather a number of interesting items the aforementioned group might enjoy, and therefore, trade for exciting items. Especially if they believe they'll profit more by doing so," Tasha explains. "And these things are very hard to come by indeed."
"We haven't been able to find anything about 'Per Wynlass', the supposed contact for the artifact smuggling operation," Mr. Invention says. "But we have some external inquiries that have yet to bear fruit, so that could change at any point."
"I'm afraid I don't have much more to go on then that, and I will repeat that information was given to me by a House Khomen spy I later decapitated," Tasha explains with the bored business-like tone of someone reiterating an old report. "We didn't exactly get along."
"The contact's identity was almost certainly fake," Mr. Invention notes. "But there has to be someone behind it."
"And that is beyond me, so I'll just let you move on then." Tasha steps over and has a seat, then pats the seat beside herself for her new Khattan partner to join her.
"Espionage!" Mressa says with glee as she takes the seat.
"We've had more success with the travel arrangements and identities for the advance team," Mr. Invention says. "All arriving at different times by different routes."
Tasha wags her tail at the excitement over espionage; maybe they will get along. She'll have to grill Mressa later for all her interests, hobbies, House activities, House businesses, and her real reasons for joining this whole affair. She can guess, but it will be more fun to ask. "Will Mressa and I also be arriving separately? It seems prudent to leave our ship in reserve, in case it's needed for extraction or.. other purposes?"
"You will be arriving together of course, but that hasn't been worked out yet," Mr. Invention explains. "In part because we want to make sure the advance team is securely in place and has started their own investigations. The full team will be trickling in over time."
"I know our role is ultimately getting to the target with everyone intact and ready, but will we have secondary goals? Will I need to train or study for my role, and how will we conceal the very obviously not Khattan nor Mezzode-ly Hakeber? Exerting too much influence over her would draw Human and other Galactic attention, wouldn't it?" Tasha glances to Mressa in case she knows.
"Karnor are not uncommon in Khattan industrial facilities," Mressa says. "As are Vartans, Celestials and the others. Khattans are only present in supervisory roles."
"Apparently there are a lot of modern processes that require an organic brain's perception," Mr. Invention says.
"So there on a work order," Tasha concludes. "Well, Hakeber has her skills, so I'm sure some kind of connection can be made. I'm a little worried about how well we're known by House Khomen, which I've yet to hear any indication of. Have you?" Tasha looks between between their old and new spy masters.
"They are not patrons of xenoarchaeology," Mr. Invention says. "Only in the money involved in the artifact trade. Our footprint has been almost solely in scholarly circles thus far."
"My mother would be so proud." Tasha beams. "And people say I'm loud. Well, look at me now. So, we're mostly off the scanners and Hakeber can be there on a work order. What about me? Will I need to train, practice, anything like that? Should Mressa and I spend time together around the local establishment to give truth to the lie?"
"It wouldn't hurt," Mr. Invention says. "Katherine is already handling some of your training, isn't she?"
"Getting started," Katie claims.
"Mostly on the physical side of things, martial arts, fitness, and the like. I don't think Katie knows a whole lot about the life of a House Mezzode?" But Tasha looks to Katherine for confirmation.
"No, I have no idea what it's like to be an expensive 'companion'," Katie admits. "That seems like Kai's area of expertise."
"Liza is a competent personal assistant," Gabriel points out. "She may be a better choice."
"Or Mressa's. Kai will try and get me in more trouble than is probably necessary, and more importantly, Kai isn't a local and doesn't know anything about Khattan customs," Tasha points out. "I think I'll just work with Mressa, since I need to know her better anyway. I assume her house is also supporting this endeavor, so maybe the wider House's included staff can contribute."
"Welllll.." Mressa says. "Technically, nobody knows about this."
"Not the specifics, that is," Mrs. Teatime corrects.
"Ooo," goes Tasha, who turns and raises both brow and ear to regard Mressa anew. "Going rogue, are--" She pauses at the correction, her ears flick, then she continues with, "Going solo are we? I'm going to grill you for your secret reasons later, you know! I'd grill my sisters, so it's even effective practice!"
"Grandma said she needed me for something, and nobody asks questions about that sort of request," Mressa claims.
"So a sinister grandma request. I know the type. Maybe my sinister 'grandma' will pop up around here, too." Tasha tilts her head. She jokes, but given she vanished from reality yet again and now may show up as four separate beacons -- or even the same beacon in four places -- she wouldn't put it past Bumper to jump her. "So your house, Mrs. Teatime?"
"Oh no, I don't belong one dear," Mrs. Teatime claims. "My children, however, have married well."
"Well, I was just trying to be sneaky and learn more about the mysterious Mrs. Teatime. I'm surrounded by spies, you know?" Tasha looks to Mressa and taps her head, explaining, "Like Karnors, their behavior gets in to my brain and stays there."
"Mressa is from House Ssasstraval," Mrs. Teatime offers. "A lesser House, known for boutique biospheres."
"Not exactly spot on to our need, but I assume every House has their secrets, secret projects, and spy masters. Otherwise they'd be gone," Tasha considers.
"I'm studying flower design," Mressa claims.
Tasha looks to Mrs. Teatime and cocks a brow as if to say 'is this really going to be okay?'
The little old lady just smiles and nods to Tasha.
Tasha blinks, then looks to Mressa. "Flower arrangement, huh." She supposes she'll just have to find out.
"No, flower design," Mressa says. "For estate defense gardens and colonial barricades."
"That's a lot more impressive and on point," Tasha says with a slow nod and a sudden desire to know what aggressive, deadly flowers are like. She pictures those terrible Willows Kai showed her, and then hopes they're not the same at all.
"Mezzodes are another one of their product lines," Mrs. Teatime says.
Tasha's ears flick in the way of someone who is very likely picturing deadly flower people. She then asks, "Deadly flower people?"
"What? No, I work in flowers," Mressa says. "The First Ones supposedly had sapient vegetative lifeforms though."
"So can decorative bushes actually be used as spies?" Katie asks.
"You don't say," Tasha says with her best -- and probably excessive -- air of innocence. "Well, I'm mollified. Not that I expected anyone Mrs. teatime chose to be a bad fit, but I'm nosy." She sniffs a little.
"People are generally suspicious of topiary," Mressa tells Katie.
"I'm definitely more suspicious of plants than I was a year ago," Tasha notes, nodding a little. After the tree-ship and those unsettling Willows, she hasn't look at vegitation quite the same way.
"Speaking of suspicion," Mr. Invention says, "you still have your meeting with Darksight."
"That I do. I'll get to that after we're done here, or at least once here is done with me. I am aware I am not the most conductive to planning." Tasha leans back, resting her hands on her lap. "So I'll be here until I'm no longer needed."
"Well, all that's really left is to get Mressa's luggage moved to Dark Horse," Mr. Invention says. "Katie has the data for Shojo and his men. If there's no new business?"
"Tasha, do you want to go over your arrangement with Tia?" Gabriel asks Tasha.
"And the Adventuring Party that's camping out with us," Katie adds.
"Moving things is, alas, no longer my specialty." Tasha perks her ears when Gabriel speaks to her, then nods slowly. "Yeees. Or did you mean here, with everyone and not with Tia herself?"
"Mr. Invention would need to know what you can tell him in order to account for it," Katie explains. "He accounts for everything."
"Alllright, well, the caveat here is that I don't exactly know what this power entails. I only know Tia wields a power roughly equivalent to an angel -- and I don't mean the felines with wings from the Silent Ones glass art. I mean a higher dimensional being in the service to a deity. That makes her the single most powerful being in our roster, but as she's loathe to use it and generally detests violence, and as violence is kind of my forte, we have come to an agreement where I may wield some of that power, myself. This will entail some sort of modification because -- and I am mildly offended here -- my cute and attractive self cannot channel higher dimensional energy without, presumably, exploding." Tasha makes an explosion gesture with her hands, an exact copy of Kai's own from their earlier discussion about sharing power with Tia. "Because of my particular, uh, specialty these days, that power is likely to take the form of flame -- in all senses of the concept, but primarily destructive. Combined, I should be able to mount a credible threat to a wide spectrum of beings and, at the extreme, the entire artificial world both directly and psionically."
Mr. Invention steeples his fingers and uses them to hide his nose. "Does this also imply that she would be able to act through you?" he asks. "To open a portal, for example?"
"Quite possibly. I know she's worked with Kai, who is not as strong as she is, and they're somewhat different in their design and purpose," Tasha answers, spreading her hands. "But it seems more likely to be 'yes' than 'no'."
"This sort of thing only makes sense because of the need to balance out the power of cosmic monsters with our own version of the same," Mr. Invention says. "Kai may not be as powerful, but so far she has no compunctions about using her abilities for her own ends. And now there is another player on the field? What is this Adventuring Party that Katherine mentions?"
"I'm uncertain if I should feel complimented or not by being inferred to being part of the mortal cosmic monster party. I suppose I am leaning ever more towards the magical and ineffible these days." Tasha then turns to look at Katherine and mouth 'adventuring party'?
"The scaly ones," Katie prompts.
"Ohhh. You have to be specific these days." Tasha thinks about it for a moment, then she holds her hand out, sucks in a deep breath, and then breathes fire on her own hand.
The swirling flames look rather dangerous, and seem to engulf her hand. Mressa can feel the heat quite readily. This lasts a moment as Tasha seems to concentrate, then the flame contorts, shrinks, and writhes in to the outline of a winged beast. The flame dragon, appropriately, breathes fire, or perhaps itself. "Dragons. We have two dragons. I also ate a dragon heart, so maybe I count too? Probably not."
"Three dragons," Katie corrects. "One is a wizard, another a priestess.. and the third just looks really sexy."
"And their attendants," Gabriel adds. "About a dozen of those. And Kai made another person, a new version of the god of the land."
"Yes, three. What am I thinking? I guess the priestess is very quiet and, well, I'm distracted by the sexy one." Tasha shrugs her shoulders. "The god of the land is Whisper. Because she's very much like a child, I'm hesitant to involve her too much."
"Mmmm," is Mr. Invention's reaction.
"Ominous," is Tasha's reaction to Mr. Invention's reaction.
"What?" Mressa asks, the little display of magic shocking her into realization that they aren't talking in code.
"I expect dossiers on all of them," the werewolf notes, looking at Katie. "Of course sir," she replies. "This trip out was a bit hasty or I would have finished them for you."
Tasha looks over and pats Mressa's knee consolingly. "So, magic is real. Which isn't explaining very much, but the actual answer is lengthy, multifaceted, and not something I totally understand, either. I, for example, have efficacy in fire and flame, and the concepts related, but my.. My power reserve, well, it isn't very large. I possess other forms of magic as well, but those I borrow."
"But mostly you set things on fire?" the girl asks, wide eyed and bristle-whiskered.
"I can also just make them explode with raw destructive force and pressure. My personal favorite right now is roar-barking at something and blowing it to pieces, as if I were a flame shooting shotgun-cannon!" Tasha wags her tail until she notices Mressa is more alarmed than impressed, or so she assumes. "I suppose the driving people mad with cosmic horror powers aren't very comforting either, are they?"
"I have a magic sword?" Tasha tries.
"It can turn me in a to a life-sucking vampire," the red woman then concludes. She turns to Mr. Invention and makes a writing-on-a-note-pad gesture. "I'm beginning to think I might be a little ominous to have around."
"Only when people realize how much you can drink," Mr. Invention says. "I'll want a full run down of abilities after whatever modifications Galatea will be making to you."
"Yes sir!" Tasha echoes Katie, and even salutes. "I'll do what I can to write things up; I also need to know for my own use and understanding. And I appreciate your confident, but I must warn you, I can now possibly drink an infinite amount of alcohol if I'm using enough of my personal energies."
"I imagine a lot of those come from the alien device in your head, which doesn't work properly on Caltrop," the man says. "So please don't exhaust yourself."
"Somewhat to even my surprise, my capabilities with fire are mine alone. Tia's powers may be restricted, that is very true. I don't believe my psionic powers are, but they're not something I like to use unless I absolutely must. And carrying around the sword would probably stand out a little," Tasha explains.
"Swords are pretty common," Mressa says, although in a bit of a daze.
"Well maybe I'll carry it around, but it does tend to want me to kill things. And I have enough voices in my head as it is. Three of which now want me to kill things. No, wait, four? Does madness count? It's hard to keep track." Tasha frowns at this conundrum. "Well, whatever. Maybe I will."
"Please endeavor to reduce the number of voices urging you to kill people," Mr. Invention requests.
"Sword stays home, then. I'm stuck with the fire-one, and Kai only does it some times, and mostly to amuse herself." Tasha nods, that's that, then. "And I will note I have resisted the voices. I may need to burn things now and then, or do.. other things to keep my relations with my fire spirit, er, warm." Her muzzle twitches in to a grin.
"A spirit?" Mressa asks. "A ghost?"
"An elemental spirit. I collect them, apparently. This one is a flame spirit, it's part of the deal that came with eating a dragon's heart. It represents the essence I was unable to consume and make part of me, and much of the knowledge and wisdom, so a bit like a tutor. A tutor that wants me to set things on fire and.. do.. other.. things." Tasha supposes it's not unlike Katherine on many levels, a fact that amuses her greatly.
"Oh but ghosts exist too," Tasha adds, in afterthought. "Also complicated."
"What sort of other things?" Mressa asks, with feline curiosity.
"Uhhh," goes Tasha, who suddenly looks very interested in her chair.
"Does it have to do with the other dragons?" Katie asks.
"It has a lot to do with other dragons," Tasha confirms, nodding and running a finger along the material or her chair seat.
"Well, not of concern to the non-dragons then," Gabriel says.
"Yes, though maybe exciting for Katherine. We'll see." Tasha's tail wags for some reason and she doesn't look up, but Gabriel knows her well enough to know when she's up to something -- and those somethings tend to be one of three things. "Well enough about me, is there anything else?"
"I'll want to know if these dragons intend to assist in the upcoming mission," Mr. Invention says.
"I can ask, but I don't know. I'm not even sure they can exist in this universe. We'll have to test that. What I'll do is go around and ask questions to fill out these answers -- capabilities, powers, intents -- and then hand that to Katherine for processing," Tasha relates. "Then you can tell me if you need me to do anything or direct anyone."
"That will be a good start," Mr. Invention says. "Kai is the remaining variable. I am certain that she isn't likely to let you go 'unprotected' and that there is nothing we can do to stop her, so we must try to fit her into the mix without causing a problem."
"We can be sure she'll want to have some fun, too, but not enough to jeopardize anything. We should also ensure that should contact with the target go in a direction we don't expect we can evacuate, and have plans if that too fails." Tasha holds up a hand. "We have two directives that may not resolve cleanly. I'll do all I can, of course."
"We can't afford to destroy Daltoona," Mrs. Teatime says. "It has a substantial population."
"I know. That worries me. There will be multiple actors present who have that power or may obtain it, including me, and Hake and I are influenced. It is my hope the other influences I'm under will help me prevent the worst if that should happen. We'll also have a lot of experts on hand should an unexpected crisis happen," Tasha notes.
"With fortune on our side, this will be resolved without public notice," Mr. Invention says. "I'm including the Titanians as part of the public in this case."
Tasha nods to this. "They may be interested in the information regarding how Khomen has avoided detection so long -- they will be even more impressed if we shut that down for them. As long as they are aware of one of those two things, they will probably stand by. We may even see a reward for the effort if we chose to pursue that. Otherwise, I agree including them in the mission could go badly, and fast. Many of them don't care the world is heavily populated. If they suddenly do decide to intervene, I can contact some people and try to get them to back off."
"Better they not feel threatened enough for that to happen," Mr. Invention says. "We have absolutely no control over them, and only influence with one clan."
"If it comes down to it, I will confront them myself and try to get them to back down. I have something of an honorary status, and every ship is aware of me. So they might be convinced a Titanian is already dealing with the problem." But Tasha shrugs. "If not, I'll think of something else."
"Well, I think that's about all we can deal with right now," Mr. Invention says. "Unless there are any more surprises you've forgotten to mention?"
"Oh, probably. Even I forget what I can do sometimes. Let me think." Tasha lays an arm across her lap and the other in it's hand, resting her head on the upraised palm. She taps her chin. "Magic sword, firey powers, psionic madness, dragon friends, body work -- you already know about the rest of me --, and I think you know I have some other tricks related to the 'device in my head'. I can also see Shadow-beings and demons and such, some magical elements. My tail's pretty nifty." And so she nods. "I think that's everything for now. I can't promise it will be everything by the time we leave."
"Just be sure to keep me apprised as things develop," Mr. Invention says. "Now, I'm ready for lunch, and Tasha as to meet with the Confederate pilot."
"Can-do. I may grab something to eat on the way over, I haven't tried all of Caltrop's food yet." And so Tasha rises, stretches, and spreads her wings. "Back to negotiation and friends-making, my other great contribution."