Imminent Dawn: Callisto

[MRDRHAWK]

Scylla really didn’t know what to make of the vibes during the meeting, given everyone was on edge somehow. And not just the normal amount for the current situation, but over what had apparently gone down at the others’ prior meeting with AHI. Scylla didn’t exactly have a lot of input — and certainly none that wouldn’t get her in trouble with the captain — so she just sat and paid attention, hoping that at the very least, she could be prepared for whenever they did head out.

Only, now she needed to figure out what to do for a break in Remansburg. Dammit, the curse of introversion strikes again.

[scorri]

Iskra huddled in her chair, coat hood covering the fact that her hair was still wet after the too long shower that she had taken, though someone observant might notice a few wet strands hanging out. The shower had been long, too long, with too much time spent trying to scrub away the fact that she had killed someone today. She didn't have a face or a name, she had no way of knowing who they were, but it hadn't mattered. They had still been a real person who until only a short while ago had been alive. She couldn't talk to the other pilots about this, couldn't admit that she couldn't handle the one job that she had here, and so had broken down in the shower instead, as the panic and the anxiety won out. What even am I doing here? Stupid powers, stupid brain, I don't belong here.

She finally managed to shove those feelings away for a moment at least, trying her best to focus on what she was being told. There were terrorists in high places here on Callisto and they had threatened the Dawn members. She glanced over at Louise, glad that she and the others had made it back safe. Her friend had made it back. Made it back and seemed almost... happy? Iskra frowned slightly, realizing that the turbulence of emotions that had been present since they met was... not gone, but calmed. Something about everything that had happened today seemed to have had a positive influence on her. At least someone is doing well. They were facing terrorists with a newtype and an alien, and who knew what else. They're going to expect... more of me. I'll need to be better. Ugh. I don't think I can be better, everything is just so overwhelming. I can't even control my powers, how can I... She shrunk further back into her seat, gathering her coat up tightly around herself, doing her best to not start panicking again. Everything was happening all at once and she just wasn't ready for it.

[Xinnidy]

"Oh?" Bonner didn't expect the android to have further detailed information about the facility, but that was a good start. "HEX-sized High Performance Boosters, huh? That's good to know. Thank you, Hannah." Seemed like a lovely place for researchers, and perhaps some extraneous projects. "Hmm..." I wonder what else will be disclosed to us. Depending on things, I don't imagine the facility will be eager to share, even if we play for the same team. The less people that know...

Most people seemed pretty solidly stuck on their thoughts for now, as Bonner gave a quick glance around the room. Surely a lot on their minds --for those that were there, from the shock, and from those that weren't, from the heavy news--. "Well, Captain," He paused, turning to Sia with a charismatic, soft smile. "It seems like we've only got a few avenues for progress, what say you?"

Edited February 28 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

This was a sneaking mission of the utmost priority. Getting into the hangar was surprisingly easy... the hard part would be getting into a HEX without being immediately spotted. She snuck around some of the weapons and ammunitions crates, keeping low, watching the engineers... There was one machine that they didn't have eyes on for a good twenty seconds in their movements. That would have to do. They all seemed very busy, anyway... There had been that recent battle, so maybe things were still getting restocked or setup. It didn't matter much to her.

"Alright... Let's get in there." Sneaking around the hangar and then slinking up to the floor controls for the HEX, she popped open the cockpit and then immediately hid behind the console as the wire to ride in came down... Just have to wait for that gap... Almost there... And go~ Up she went, scrambling into the pilot seat, leaving it open. The engineers would assume the pilot had come by to run their own checks, surely~ "Now, let's see what they've got in these new generation models~"

[Ursali]

Daeran had pulled himself out of bed as the meeting was called, still stewing on the messages that Tam- Tokiwa had managed to somehow get to him via RoundTable. He been silent the whole meeting, his arms crossed as he sat straight up in his chair. It seemed like they had finally gotten the information that had been sent to Hannah organized, indicating that the next target was a CEN facility on loan from AHI. Aside from that, he was too caught up in his own thoughts to pay much attention to the meeting. Now would be the time to reveal what he'd received via message over RoundTable, all the pilots, the Captain and XO, were present. Yet he still held his tongue, unsure if he should speak the information so unrestrained; it was something that could color the entirety of their mission on Callisto if handled improperly. He needed to speak to the Captain in private, if at all, regarding this information to see what she made of it.

He wasn't even the only staying silent, Marcus, Scylla, Iskra, Kazue, and Leon all were silent as well. Leon and Kazue he understood given what had happened at AHI... Maybe the rest of them had picked up on the seriousness of the meeting, or maybe they just didn't have much to say. If it helped him get through this meeting silently, then he was all for it. His head was too muddled by everything to make a meaningful contribution.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Hannah's confirmation brought a faint frown to Sia's face; it all but confirmed that they were likely going to be the timing for the attack. It was going to be risky effectively flying right into an enemy's attack, but Sia wasn't about to let Toki have her way with things. If she was going to try and frighten them, then all they could do was show her that they meant business. Which meant, first and foremost, figuring out exactly what her game was. The silence from the rest of the room was telling enough, but the lieutenant commander was already on top of things, "Yes, you're right Lieutenant Commander, there are few avenues before us, and I believe it's best that we use them. All of you are dismissed for the time being, but please return to the ship by evening; I doubt that Miss Shezsacosh will go back on her word, but I'm not going to chance it. If anything happens, notify me, or the XO immediately." Sia's glance stopped on Leon for a moment, before drifting over to Louise, "By the morning, I believe we'll have our movements planned out, so take this time to clear your heads, and prepare for the road ahead. We know now that this mission likely isn't going to be as simple as we hoped. So be on your way, and take care. If you're heading into Remensburg, please make sure that someone knows where you've gone." That brought her gaze back to Leon, he'd promised that he wouldn't put himself in unnecessary danger, but he was certainly the type that needed to be reminded that they were being watched. 

Then Sia's eyes drifted over Daeran for a moment, taking note of how... distant the man seemed. Not surprising, he had just been propositioned into joining Toki on her mission to torch the moon. But more importantly was that Daeran knew who the woman was. An old friend, or flame, perhaps? The possibilities were numerous given his station, so Sia couldn't quite narrow it down, not without asking him. However, the man seemed more lost than usual, it was odd, and Sia shook her head. Probably best to wait until later... I don't expect there's any reason for me to rush this now, not unless Tokiwa is content to throw the board into disarray immediately... 

"Hannah, if you would transfer all of what was sent to my terminal, I'll look over it when I return to the ship... I'll have a lot of work to do when I return..." 

[Nanami Touko]

Louise hadn't expected Sia to look right at her, feeling her smile grow and letting a small wave return the captain's look. It wasn't the most proper, but she had said they were all dismissed...

"[Acknowledged, Captain. Transferri‐‐ Transfer complete. Please review it at your leisure. If by your wording you mean to say you are leaving the ship, it would be best if you took--]"

"Iiiiii can handle that, Hannah." Louise spoke up, already heading over towards the Captain. "The robot was about to make a good point. We should all be traveling in pairs, at minimum, if we're leaving the ship... If Sheszacosh is so deeply buried in AHI's security, it wouldn't do to have one of us assaulted, or worse, taken, and then written off by yer, yes?" It wasn't a terrible excuse to try and spend some more time with the Captain. "I'm confident I can keep the both of us safe, if you don't mind me accompanying you." She'd have to take a moment to get changed, but that wouldn't take long. "And we do need to speak with either Iskra or Esther at some point... Get an idea of how exactly these abilities function, as to get a leg up on our funny fox."

Kazue got up and left immediately, walking out of the meeting room with nothing but determination on her face. She was headed for the gym, and needed several hours spent hitting the punching bag. Her fists ached. She wouldn't be able to get answers, not yet, so she at least needed to hit her feelings away for a while...

---

Vivien stepped into the hangar, medical mask on, sweater over her regular clothes, but she wasn't drowning in layers this time... She was definitely panicking, that was for sure, but... I wanna be more normal. Normal means, leaving the room... So I need to leave the room every now and then! Alrenne, would be happy to see me trying. So... so I gotta try... Luck would have it that the pilots weren't out and about yet, which was a bit of a relief. The engineers were all moving about the floor, checking on machines... "It's like a movie..."

Across the hangar, someone let out a loud sigh. "How long are they gonna be in that meeting... mrahhhh..." Azame was leaning against her mech, idly flicking at the brim of her sun hat, tail dragging across the floor behind her. "I need to talk to the Captain... But I can't just intrude mid meeting, even if I'm a pilot here now... Just had to get back during talks, didn't I. Hahhhh... At least Fumie is out of my hair~ Good. Bitch. Good riddance... I guess I'll just have to think up what to do after I get to seeeee the Captain. Hahh..." She idly tugged at the tied crop top that was struggling to contain her, making some small adjustments, then doing the same to her jorts. "Gonna hafta look into some new clothes, too. Is the estrogen getting to them again? They can't possibly keep growing..."

Edited March 9 by Nanami Touko

[TheRoon]

The glance Sia made got Leon to look back with a serious expression, and when she did it a second time all the red head could do was smile awkwardly. "Roger that, captain. I'll make sure I watch my back, and I'll make sure whoever joins me does the same." Louise had already volunteered to be Sia's partner as she went out, Leon put aside his rivalry for a moment despite wanting to rise to the occasion as well. He wanted to focus on getting educated first. Kazue had been the first to leave once the meeting concluded, seemed like she had a lot on her mind. I'll be sure to find her soon. He stood up and walked toward the door. Who am I taking though, that's the question... 

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Sia had been about to answer Hannah's response, but Louise beat her, and Hannah, to the punch, offering herself as the escort. She was certainly on the short list of the people to ask, given recent conversations. "You're certainly correct. Leaving the ship should be done in pairs now that we know that we're being watched in some capacity... I certainly wouldn't object to your company, Lieutenant Park." She still did have to use the woman's name and rank; Sia didn't want any ideas spreading so soon. "Though, let's be clear, unless I'm having difficulty breathing, I'll be quite capable of handling myself. Though, you know that by now." Sia watched as Kazue vanished from the room, nary a word, and disappeared out the door. Leon was soon after. There was going to be so much to do on her return, questions she needed to ask, and answers she needed to find. 

Sia waved Louise on, "We can continue our conversation as we walk, I should pop by the hangar, and see how things are going in there. There was mention before I left about the woman who had arrived in the older HEX model, her machine is still present on the Dawn, and there was something I wanted to ask before we headed away..." 

[Nanami Touko]

"It would be my pleasure, Captain. And don't worry. I trust you'll be protecting me as much as I'll be looking out for you. I've seen you handle a rifle. You don't need me to do much~" Louise happily followed along with the Captain, giving the rest of the crew a small wave as they left. "Yes, that woman piloting the Gen one HEX model... Ensign Nishimiya, I believe she said her name was? I wasn't aware she was still present, seeing that she reported herself as a member of the embassy, but... Maybe she had something else to report?" Louise shrugged and folded her arms as they walked, thinking things over about the city. "What did you have in mind, by the way? I'm aware you're still in work mode, so I've no plans to try and side track us while we're out... but where are you heading first, at least? I'm not sure there's much we'll be able to ascertain from Remansburg itself. I feel that Toki has her claws in about every corner of the capital, given her confidence... I'd be shocked if she was unaware of any of the goings on."

[Ether]

"And 'ere we are, Selu. Remansburg, th'biggest city on Callisto. Can't really say Oi know too much about what they've got goin' on the other rocks, but asoide from the 'abitat colonies, this is as 'igh loife 'round these parts. Nothin' loike the mega metropolis stuff they've got in the flicks from the mudball, but 'ey, good food and booze, good shoppin', and plenty a' entertainment no matter what'cher poison is. None too shabby, if Oi do say so." Catrin announced with a flourish, spreading her arms out wide and giving a spin in place as she hopped off the shuttle, extending her arm out to Selumine to help her down as the augmented soldier came to a stop from her spin, ears giving a twitch as her tail wagged absentmindedly. There was more of a story to tell in regards to this city, but Selu had no need to see the parts of it that she had been more accustomed to in her youth... no place for a lady, that was for certain. What kind of date would it be to drag her to the slums rather than soak in the glitz and glamour?

"Now Oi said Oi'd show you 'round love, but give me a little direction, ya? What sorta 'ijinks are y'lookin ta get into with little ol' me, nya?" Catrin followed up, teasing the Martian with an overly exaggerated feline paw gesture, barely able to finish the ridiculous pose without breaking into a giggle.

"Seriously though, iffin you've got anythin' that catches your Oi, tell me. Oi can give you a tour, but a more personaloized one is more fun, aye? The bigwigs from AHI wanted to bring over all a' them creature comforts when they built up this place, so we ain't really lackin' for anythin'. Desoigned from the ground up to be a lavish playground for them to Lord over the lot of us from." Catrin concluded, looking to Selumine expectantly. What she said would determine which direction the pair would dash off to first of as many as they could fit into the day trip.

 

Edited March 10 by Ether

[GoldsbroTSG]

Travelling in pairs... Markus nodded as people started to break away from the meeting room. He had to be careful going out if people were watching them. Giving a sigh and pressing his fingers to his nose, the blonde considered things, leaning back in his chair. He was looking forward to going out into town. Especially with Miz. But if there's people watching them, would that be safe?

Sitting back forward, Markus pulled out his phone. When he went into Round Table to contact Miz, he thought for a moment.

[Hey.]

He got the first message through. Now... he had to figure out an idea. Markus shook his head. 

[We just got released. Wanna go hang out in town for a little bit? I just gotta change.]

Markus hit enter and put his phone away and stood up. He would just have to be vigilant, both because it wouldn't be fun to just sit in the ship all day, but also to not worry Miz too much. Now for things to just go smooth. He made his way out of the meeting room, and made off for his room.

[mcd900]

The assorted crew in the room seemed rather eager to take him up on Alrenne's suggestion - most of them, at least, the Captain joining their number. "Yes, Lieutenant Park and the Captain have the right of it; wander about if you like, but if you're heading into the city - do not go alone. Captain, as it seems you'll be heading into the city, I'll remain on the ship in the event that something comes up. I'll contact you by comm if it becomes necessary."

The Captain, Louise, Leon, Kazue, and Markus all seemed to be rather willing to get out of the meeting as quickly as possible, leaving Esther, Iskra, Scylla, Daeran, and Bonner in the room with him; and Hannah, he supposed, though as his eyes swept the room to check on their moods he was rather unconcerned with the android, admittedly.

A rather pensive lot we've got here, by comparison... well, I suppose that's about half the pilots. Two polar groups, it seems.

Of them, he had very little doubt as to why Daeran was lost in thought, and both of Esther and Scylla had had a somewhat rough go of things in the battle just earlier that same day. His fellow Lieutenant Commander - well, he could chalk that up to an air of maturity about the man, Alrenne supposed...

Iskra, though... well, she appears to be trying to make herself as small as possible, and rather succeeding, actually... hmm, doesn't seem to be much that's happened recently weighing her down. She performed quite well, actually, by all accounts...

It occurred to him, then, that he might be approaching it from rather the wrong angle - that in fact fundamentally that was the problem, and he grimaced to himself. No doubt that if that were actually it - he'd be rather poor comfort. It was one thing to stand on the bridge...

He strode casually over to Bonner, still at his desk, leaning towards him and speaking quietly for his ears only. "Commander Bonner. This is, of course, in no way an order; but could I ask that you spare a moment today to check in on some of our pilots? Lt. Dusan, in particular; I feel that you might have some, ah... perspective that I comparatively lack, as to their wellbeing."

---

Cia wiped a bit of sweat from her brow. After a couple of hours in dock, the engineering personnel had managed to get everything just about back in working order, but just minutes ago the word had come down for anticipated combat the next day. So here they were, making sure the fixes were holding and refitting all the equipment requeests the pilots had put through with the foresight of battle on the horizon. Damn. Pilot crew gets to go out and have fun in the one place that resembles fun between here and Jupiter, and we're stuck in here. Not to mention that they got these things in this shape...

She sighed heavily, shooting a quick look over into the corner of the hanger at the now-pilotless spacefighter. "This thing's just taking up room now..." Almost enjoyed working on that while it lasted... it was like a nice break between all the HEXes. The generators on these new models are a nightmare... 

Glancing around, she noticed one of the HEX-3s active. She squinted at the ID number spray-painted on the shoulder. Huh... Daeran's machine? Guess he's a meticulous kinda guy...?

Her attention was quickly taken by the new sweater-clad figure on the hangar deck; definitely a new face, at least to her. A civilian, probably. She'd known there were a bunch around on the Dawn, politician's family and all that; in truth she'd been surprised to make it this long without some of them getting curious and wanting to peek at HEXes, though some of that surprise was probably biased by her own interest. She gave a quick wave. "Hey there! Haven't seen you around here before. Don't mind you hanging around out over by the entrance here, but if you wanna get a closer look at the tech I gotta escort you around. Sorry, rules'n all that."

---

---

---

JULY 10TH, 2174
16:34
Bar "Elegy", Remansburg

"...thing was huge, I'm telling you. Like a, a, giant, flying, steel brick. I thought it was, eh, one o'those supply ships out from the Jupiter colonies. But it- it just kept getting bigger, I mean, I saw the whole thing from my office window--" The man went on and on, his speech finding itself with a touch of lilt, though hardly slurring his words; he was one of a countless number of city employees finding themselves at a Remansburg bar after work, perhaps a pleasant quarter sloshed. His suit jacket hung over the back of his bar seat; a businessman, this one was - not unusual, though perhaps making up quite the same majority of the population here, being as Callisto was so heavily focused on its research and development efforts. His verbal deluge broke upon the pointedly blank expression of the bartender; her face was perhaps uncharacteristic for a slightly classier bar as Elegy tended to present. She spoke, interjecting, though not particularly intending to cut him off - he was hardly stopping anytime soon. "Yes, Mr. Brooks, I know. This is the... third time, now, I think you've mentioned it. Would you like another drink?"

Surprised he keeps coming back... maybe he likes getting to hear himself talk. Or maybe he just lives a block away...

"Ehh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, lemme have a, ehh... lessee... a Piano Man, Natalie. ...What was I sayin'?"

"Alright, just a moment then, please... and you were talking about work."

A few feet back from the bar counter, the rest of Elegy's booths stood surrounding short tables, the place about half full, a mix of regulars and newer faces. The bar counter stood out - wooden and carved - the rest of the furniture stood in contrast, a more modernist style, flat and rounded. Small fixtures dangled idly from the ceiling in the corners of the bar, lighting the room in a dim yellow, lending to the atmosphere; though in truth the bulbs were dimmed and their housings colored to achieve the effect, as opposed to using the incandescent bulbs of a century ago.

---

One booth was crowded with a group of four beginning to sit down, speaking quickly and quietly amongst themselves; it might have been difficult to ascertain what they were doing here if not for the company logos and project names proudly splashed across all of their clothing, marking all of them as working in one of Avyndor's many development departments. A clinking of glasses was audible to the adjacents booths, followed by the occasional whisper floating across the room.

"...ce work fixing that. I heard it was some stupid problem..."
"...configured voltage curve was..." "...oh, yeah, it kept reading the modulated pulse incorrectly..."
"...what, so it just works then? All that crap about 'designed to be unstable'..."
"Yeah, bullshit."
"...fighters have done it for over 70 years..."
"...not so loud, idiot..."
"Who cares, everyone in Remansburg works for the company, man."
"...doesn't matter anyway, it went on a truck to a warehouse and got yoinked..."
"...ESPECIALLY shut up about that, man, that's even less public..."

There was a long pause.

"...yeah, alright. Uh, so, the powerplant in that thing, though..."

Seems like the rebels have made quite a name for themselves, even out here. Senri sat alone at a table, taking in the ambient discussions and emotions of the place. He'd gotten something hard on the rocks, just a little burn for his body and some alcohol to keep his mind loose. He always felt that things flowed better with a little assistance. Still, they're being rather open about those kinds of things... You'd think security would be tighter. Then again, if it was, they wouldn't have taken those parts so easily, now would they~

With something of a satisfied smirk, he leaned back and took another sip. The rum was particularly strong here...

---

Things never really seemed to change. Whenever she went, she could always be sure that she would find the men and women of Avyndor, and learn a good amount about what their work was. It made it easy to figure out where the best places were to slip in, grab a few things, and then quickly disappear. They were the only game in town, so they were lax, easy for people to over when things went missing. Today was no different, except for the bar being a little higher quality than the ones she usually frequented, so she'd chosen a more appropriate song, slowly, but still carried that sultry tone that made her performances pop. 

Her ice blue hair glided across the stage, a gentle spin ending with her back to whoever would have been watching, and then a slow sway of her hips, head looking over her shoulder with her fan covering the smirk on her lips. Nothing particularly new, but as her friend had always said, When you perform, you have one job: Sell your performance to whoever's watching. Make your performances a part of who you are, and then convey them to whoever's watching. A good performance can sway hearts, and for someone like us? That means the world. 

There were a couple people that she was keeping her eyes on, the idiots at the booth not too far from the stage, yammering on about... something, she wasn't quite close enough to hear. Then, the man who was sitting alone at the table. He'd walked in not too long ago, and just seemed to be... listening. Didn't look like AHI either. Wonder if he's from that ship that landed... Something about CEN? Crazy that they'd decide to show up...

Marianne paused with her hands on her hips, highlighting the strength of her figure, and then quickly transitioned into a pirouette, ending with a flourish, and a finger at her lips. The clapping was sparse; most everyone else was into their conversations, but that was fine, so long as she could find people to... borrow information from, it was all worth it in the end.

Edited March 10 by mcd900

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Amy was practically blowing through the repairs on her plate; the little break that she had with Tristan before returning to work had done wonders. So much so that the bubbly engineer was beaming the whole way through, despite the fact that they were informed that they were going to be remaining on the ship to handle repairs. Amy didn't quite care, for the first time in years she'd found someone who walked the line that she was so eager to find, and was gorgeous to boot, and was perfectly willing to express their enjoyment of her personality and figure. She'd fully expected that this would be like any other sortie; there were always wonderfully cute guys, but they were either exhausting to be around, incredibly one-note, or were just interested in the fact that she was almost always the bustiest woman on any given ship. There was also the fact of them tending to be hyper wary of her given how quickly the Boston fiasco spread, and even if that had never been proven, such a thing never had to be proven for it to be burned into the conscience of her peers. Tristan was everything she could have hoped for, and it was showing. 

So much so that she ran out of work to be doing; the others were working at a more reasonable pace, so Amy wandered around looking for something to do, and found the woman with the worker mech from before, except she was dressed for a day on the down. Amy chuckled a little as she wondered about her clothes shrinking, or maybe something growing--Amy was no stranger to the latter. 

"Hiya, hiya! Did you find the Captain, or are you still waiting on her? Gosh, I feel like they should be over and done with by now... Also, that's a pretty nice ensemble, are you heading out with the pilots? They got released, so they'll be heading out and--" Amy held her hand up, "Sorry, get carried away a little sometimes... what was your name again, miss?" 

---

Sia nodded, "That certainly sounds right. She mentioned that she was searching for Ambassador Shiva, and I wanted some clarification on that. Given that... he's the man that we're supposed to be rendezvousing with." The man was the premier spokesperson for the people of Callisto, and was certainly the man they were going to need to see if they were going to get things under control peacefully. If that's even possible anymore... We'll have to content with Toki and whatever her machinations are. 

Sia then bobbed back and forth as Louise asked her what she had in mind, "Admittedly... I hadn't thought about it much. What first came to mind was simply wandering the streets of Remensburg to get a feel for the location, the atmosphere, and everything." Sia started toying with her earrings again, "I think the first part of Tokiwa's shenanigans would probably be explained by just taking in Remensburg, it's the center of this moon, for better or worse, which means there are certainly things to be learned here... Beyond that, I admit, I hadn't really thought about it. Perhaps clothing, or their mall..."

By the time Sia had gotten her thoughts out, they'd made it all the way down to the hangar, "Now then, where is our... Ah! There." Sia pointed towards the now casually dressed woman, who appeared to have taken up conversation with one of the engineers. "Pardon the interruption, Ensign. Do you have a moment?"   

[Xinnidy]

"Hm... oh, certainly, leave it to me, XO." Seems there was a bit of a concern over Iskra's behavior... and Bonner could understand why, every day, she was growing further into a wallflower. Could be many reasons, some Bonner could navigate, but anything more Newtype-related could be tricky... still, if anyone in the crew could do it, it'd be him.

---

---

Bonner had followed through on Alrenne's request, taking his free time in stride as he remained onboard, on his way to another pilot's chambers. He rang the bell. "Hello there, Lieutenant Dusan? Are you free?" Hopefully she was still in a manageable headspace to accept company.

---

"Ugh..." Esther had a mind to explore the city, but first was a self-made promise. She was going to look into some more medical assistance after that pathetic outburst against Vivien. She couldn't let something like that ruin her day, especially when there were those still trying to get to her like Markus.

She awkwardly walked into the medical office, fit in her antisocial, casual gothy setup. "Hello? Can I make a psych appointment here...?" She entered the lounge a little nervously, looking towards the balcony.

Edited March 13 by Xinnidy

[TheRoon]

Once the meeting concluded Leon took a moment to change into a more casual outfit, he did not want to get caught out in the streets in that uniform of all things. Truth be told he wasn't used to it anyway, despite it being just his size. He was better off in a casual jacket and collared shirt. The mercenary took his time getting to the hanger, and once he got there he spotted the captain addressing quite a good looking lady. He decided to step over and wave to the group. "Don't mind me, keep the conversation going." He eyed Sia a little and hoped he wouldn't run into Toki or any of her squad while they were out, he knew he was going to have a hard time keeping low as it is.

[Nanami Touko]

So this, was Remansburg... Selu took Catrin's hand off the shuttle, stepping down and taking a long look around. Plenty of cars and other transports driving by, people walking down lanes; a surprising amount, to her. It was almost like the cities she'd read about, learning about Earth... "Amazing..." It took her breath away a bit. There wasn't anything like this on Mars. Sure, people had their hobbies, but there weren't... cities. Centers for entertainment. Just cold metal walls and artificial light... She slowly smiled, both from her amazement and Catrin's antics.

"First... I've always wanted to buy clothes. I mean... I have clothes. But it's all standard issue, or military issue, or pilot issue... Nothing... Civilian. Properly civilian, anyway... Fancy and dresses and maybe a nice sun hat... That's what it's called, right?" Her cheeks tinged red slightly, realizing how much of a shut in she sounded like. "And... it'd be nice to model stuff you pick out for me. Just, don't be surprised if the workers at the store assume I'm your little sister or something..." It was going to be a problem, it always was, but she'd brought her ID and was ready to face it whenever it got brought up.

---

Miz stared at her communicator... She was beside herself. Was she safe to leave the ship? Wouldn't people recognize her? But... she really wanted to. Spending time, just casual time, with Markus... "... Grow a spine, Sam. You finally meet a nice, sweet guy. You get away from that life. You get the chance to experience something you never have before... Get up. Get up!" 

[Yes!]

She hopped off the bed and shoved herself into her bathroom. She'd brought exactly one bag of things with her when she'd made her escape... If there was one merit to working for DeVa, it was the lessons they'd drilled into her. Exercise, singing, posing... Makeup. She popped out the eyeliner, the mascara, a light purple lipstick. If she was going on a date, she was going to shine...

---

I'm fine. This is fine. I'll be fine... I'll... Why are you... No. No no no, don't walk over to me, please just ignore me...! "... ... ... H-Hh... Hi." Vivien shrunk into her sweater, failing to make eye contact with Cia, shivering a little. "I... I just, I... J-just... Was... Just was, looking. At the... Machines. That's all... I don't... I'm okay. Right here... I don't need to, go any further. Yeah. S-Sorry... Should I leave...?" Her mind wanted to, but she was fighting it as best as she could. I can do this I can do this I can do this I can do this...

---

Despite the idle banter of the AHI folks, the atmosphere was good, the drinks were nice... The dancer was an odd touch, but she wasn't hard on the eyes and seemed to know it. Senri tilted his glass towards her as she looked out, setting it down and joining the quiet clapping as her movements finished. Suppose it wouldn't hurt to... Get to know some of the locals better. For information, of course. Nothing else. Maybe she'll wander on over... poker face, Senri. You already get read by one beautiful woman. Let's not make it two

---

"... Oh. Hey, cutie~" Azame smiled and began to play with a bit of her hair as Amy walked over, shaking her head. "Captain's still missing, but it's not that bad. Azame Nishimiya. I'm this hunk of junk's pilot." She tapped on her Gen one HEX and chuckled a little. "He's never let me down so I keep him taken care of-- thanks to you wonderful folks~ As for going into town, I'd love to, but... Ah!"

---

Louise nodded. "Taking in the city is certainly a good way to learn what we need to, to deal with things going forward... I must say though, that does sound an awful lot like heading into the city just to have some fun... I suppose, as they say, when in Rome." Louise let out a playful sigh and smiled. "I'll make sure to change into something more civilian before we leave, then... And, it looks like your ensign has encountered the engineering team before you could find her~" Louise gave them both a quick salute.

"Ah! Captain! I've been waiting for you~ Pardon me, miss." Azame hopped to attention, things shaking as they would, saluting the captain and smiling wide. "Ensign Azame Nishimiya reporting for permanent duty, ma'am! The embassy has had me and a nurse transferred to the Dawn. She should be up in the medical bay getting acquainted with your staff... That's all I had to report, eheh... I'm happy to be a part of the crew... Speaking of, hello crew~" Azame whistled at Leon as he began to walk past, waving him over. 

"If we're free to enter the city right now, Captain... It'd be best we go out in pairs, yes? Given the conflicts and everything... How about it, handsome? Mind tagging along with me?"

Louise blinked, covering a smile and a scoff with her hand. "Yes, pairs would be best..." She'd planned on stopping Leon to speak with him for a moment, but it didn't look like she'd get her chance to with everything going on.

---

"... Oh. Hey there... You one of the pilots?" Someone with pointed ears, long ginger hair, and freckles down to her shoulders poked her head into the room, addressing Esther with a smile. "I'm Fumie... Fumie Manami. I've been assigned to the Dawn just today; I'm a nurse... Suppose you wouldn't mind coming in for a checkup~?" There was a certain playful tone in her voice, one perhaps not professional enough for the atmosphere. 

"Do we have a guest-- oh, so we do. Hello, Esther." Cheryl had heard the talking and poked her head in. "What's she here for, Manami?"

"Esther," she winked at the girl before turning to Cheryl, came in here asking for a psych appointment. Which would be your domain, I believe... I'll get back to learning where everything is with Rosa. You have fun talking to her. Bye, Esther~" She turned and walked back into the room she'd come out of. "Rosa, where were we on introductions to your setup?"

Cheryl raised a bit of an eyebrow at the sudden interaction between the two, but shrugged and stepped out into the lounge. "I'm Doctor Cheryl Hart, Esther. I've been primed on all of the pilots, so don't be too shocked I already know your name... So, if you'd like to come into my office, we can have that meeting right now. If not, you let me know when best it would work for you, alright?" Her voice was calm and gentle, her eyes meeting Esther's, a soft smile sitting on her face. "Comfort is paramount when it comes to these sorts of things, after all."

Edited March 13 by Nanami Touko

[Mercenary on the Winds]

"Yeah, the captain's a busy lady, and especially so today from the sounds of it..." She didn't get the specifics, but rumors were abound that something had happened in their AHI meetings. Amelia wouldn't have minded getting a chance to go and peruse the premises--things were going to be different up here, and that meant new design philosophies. Amy had been about to return the light tease, when the woman of the hour arrived, and sporting a rather relaxed outfit. "Hiya, Captain! Good to see you down here." Amy looked down, noticed that she'd had her jumpsuit zipped down to her stomach, revealing her everything underneath, "Oops!" She quickly zipped mostly up, and then chuckled nervously, "Aha, sorry, it gets real warm down here, and when you're on duty, and all of that..." Fortunately, someone else entered the conversation to give her time for her brain to catch up with her words. A cute red head, and it seemed like Azame agreed with her, and was onto him immediately. 

Sia masked the embarrassment on her face, by focusing on the ensign, "So she has." Sia returned the woman's salute, "At ease, I'm not exactly in my uniform anyway, and permanent duty?" Sia blinked for a moment, "I imagine that must have just come over my console... Either way there was something I wanted to ask you." The engineer that Azame was speaking with, Sia remembered her name as Amelia, one of Cia's requested acquisitions. The woman was beaming, almost radiantly bubbly, until she realized that she'd left her jumpsuit open. For a moment, Sia was unsure if the suit was going to zip up at all, but then Leon walked up, sporting his own casual outfit, and from the looks of things, Azame approved. She smiled faintly at Azame's clear interest before continuing, "It was about what you mentioned earlier with Ambassador Shiva... have you found him? Or is he still missing at this point in time? That is a... point of concern." Sia was hoping that this wasn't also going to get added to their rapidly growing plate of things to handle. 

---

There were a couple that were seriously paying attention. The nearest one appeared drunk enough that he wasn't even masking the fact that he'd hardly followed her dance, and was just glued to her ass. He'd be absolutely of no help, and definitely not anyone fun to talk to. The others were more cursory glances, focused more on their conversations. Marianne wanted to find her way in there, see if there were some... parts or items that she could procure, and pass on to the more upstanding men and women who could actually use them. 

That left her with the man all the way at the back. He was paying attention, and was close enough to the group in question, and was pretty cute while also still having some drinks in him. Probably the best place to start... Doesn't look like the contact is here anyway... if I assume that it's gonna be the red head again. Marianne gave the man a wink, and sauntered her way over, past the man in the front, eliciting a groan from him as she stopped in front of Senri's table, "Some people really do make it easy to ignore them, huh? Are you waiting for someone, or could I sit and chat for a little bit? I've been around, so I recognize a lot of the regulars here, and you aren't one of them... Are you just new to the bar, or did you just arrive?" All the while, Marianne kept her ears perked for the men at the booth nearest to them. It did sound like they were complaining about one of her more recent endeavors, but well, that just meant they shouldn't be so poorly defended.

Edited March 13 by Mercenary on the Winds

[scorri]

Sen wandered through the halls of the ship, thumbing through a list of parts one last time as she made her way to the bridge. She had planned on just setting out on her own to get what she needed for this project, but the announcement about not leaving the ship without a partner had left her thinking. She could have easily asked one of the other engineers to come with her, but they were all busy with their own projects. Or at least she assumed so, she hadn't actually bothered to check once she had come up with an alternate idea. The doors to the bridge slid open in front of her and she strolled through, eyes darting about. There. Her target was still here thankfully, engrossed at her station, such that she didn't seem to notice Sen walking up behind her. "No no, this won't do at all~ You're here, staring at a screen while I have to go find all the parts for your new gun?" She reached down and grabbed Gean's hand and gave it a tug, a grin on her face. "I think not~ You're coming with me and helping me find everything. Maybe even buying me a drink if I have to go into too many shops. Come on now."

---

Iskra sat on her bed, huddled in a pile of jacket and blankets, staring blankly at an empty TV screen. She'd intended on picking something to watch, maybe even inviting Miz or Louise over, but they were probably both busy. Besides, she wasn't exactly fit for company. Their emotions would have left her drowning again, especially combined with everything from the fight. She shuddered, slowly moving to pick up the remote when there was a chime, and a voice calling out. Who... Lieutenant Commander? I... I think that's him. What's he... It didn't matter why he was at her door, if it really was him, she had no choice but to answer. She slowly untangled herself from the pile, though the jacket stayed with her, and made her way over to the door. Sliding it open, she stared up at him, doing her best to appear normal. His emotions didn't seem to indicate any trouble, he seemed generally happy, but she couldn't help but worry. "A-ah, Lieutenant Commander. U-uhm, yes, I'm free. Did you need something? Sir?"

[TheRoon]

The mercenary held back some surprise at being checked out by the pretty lady; though it was nice for a change. "What, you wanna hang with a bad boy like me?" He stepped over and gave a small smile. "Name's Leon Silvavolke, ex-merc gone straight." Very straight. "I was actually lookin' for a partner for the day, so sure. I'll take you up on that offer." Though he held himself back a little, Sia was literally next to her after all. Speaking of Sia, the captain moved onto some serious business about Ambassador Shiva's whereabouts, or rather the lack of information on just that. Leon shifted his expression to a somewhat serious one. "She's been looking for the Ambassador?"

[Ether]

"Ooh if you're lettin' me pick stuff out for you to model, they won't think you're my little sister for very long, love. Although iffin' you're lookin' for stuff on the fancier end, perhaps not... well, if there's ever any doubt..." Catrin teased, pulling Selu in close and stealing a kiss from the smaller woman, holding her in for a few moments before releasing. Within moments of finishing her impromptu PDA, Catrin gave Selumine's hand a squeeze, beginning to lead her in the direction of the nearby mall. Clothes shopping could be a good time to be certain, and while Selu seemed to want to model Catrin's selections, Catrin was curious was Selu herself would choose.

"A' course, Oi don't really know too much about your style just from the issued stuff. Oi'll grab things Oi think would look good on you, obviously... but Oi'm more interested in seein' what sorta threads you see yourself in, aye?"

[Xinnidy]

"Eh...? Yes, I'm one of the pilots. Uh, nice to meet you." The nurse had an exotic appearance --not too uncommon these days, but enough to distract as the brain processed they were real. "Mm, that's right, I came here for a psych appointment." She barely processed Fumie's flirt as it was, assuming it to merely be an information of her field  as a nurse. "Thanks, ah--Bye." And there she went, leaving Esther with Cheryl, whom she walked  towards.

"Good to meet you, doc. I'm, uh, still figuring this out as a first time." She walked towards the psych, noticing the drastic difference in professionalism. It was nice to see the doctor was trying her best to calm Esther's nerves. "Mm, thank you. I had a bad day yesterday, so I thought about the program they offered to pilots... never been to a normal psych checkup, though."

---

"Just checking up --if you don't mind." Bonner figured there was no point not being forward, he just had to avoid being overwhelming. "Being a pilot is a lot of pressure as it is, so I figured a little sorting tallk could help. With earlier being our first live combat, I figured I should at least offer." And a pause, to not be overwhelming. "But don't hesitate to say no if it is not a good time."

 

Edited March 17 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

Cheryl smiled. "Of course. If you'd like to discuss things, then..." She stepped over towards a door on the other side of the med bay's lounge area, slipping a key into it and unlocking it. A subdued in color room, walls wooden, brown, muted tones, nothing vibrant or extravagant, but not devoid of color completely, just calming, as calming as she tried to be, was visible through the doorway. Her desk, along with a larger couch, presumably for patients, and a small chair, could be seen past her form. Cheryl gently adjusted her turtleneck and brushed an idle strand of hair out of her face. "I'm aware of your situation, to a degree, but I'm not here for that. Just here to talk, and we'll see what comes from that. You can tell me exactly as much as you'd like, and if you're willing, I'll see if I can provide you a solution, or advice to resolve a situation... If you're interested, please follow after me."

She stepped into her office and moved around to take a seat at the desk, slowly fetching out a pen and a journal to write in, adjusting her glasses some. Rosa will have to see her first if she needs an adjustment on her medication, but I can get a feel for that before I send her to the good doctor.

---

"Ahhh... Haha. Yes, the ambassador..." Azame turned off her flirting and sheepishly moved back towards the Captain. "Right, well... No. That's about all I can say... Because that's all I could find. I was in the area of that combat, searching for him, but I couldn't turn up a single clue. It's... Quite mysterious. He just, up and vanished one day, as far as I'm aware. Maybe the Commander at the Embassy can be of more help to you? He'd know more than me by default, anyway... Just an Ensign with an old robot. I only got assigned to detail on it because we've so few pilots here... Ahah." It was a bit embarrassing to admit how small the CEN's presence was on Callisto, but there was no changing facts.

"I hope that helps a little, at least. And don't worry about your hot shot here," Azame said, returning to her motions and taking Leon's hand. "Silvavolke, yeah? Callsign 'Ignited'? I saw your moves out there, hot shot~ I took the time to get acquainted with everyone's names and callsigns... so let's get along, shall we~?"She began to drag Leon off to one of the transport vehicles, a surprising strength to her grip, along with the squish of something pressing into his arm as she walked. "You lot take care~"

Louise couldn't help the chuckle that left her as the Ensign attempted to practically drag Leon off. She walked after them for a moment, waving down Azame, "wait a moment, Ensign." She took a deep breath and held a hand out for Leon to shake, staring him in the eyes. "I'm sorry. For everything I've said to you. If you can't forgive me, I won't hold it against you... but I felt you were due an apology, and I'd rather it be in front of an audience. I want you to know I'm serious, and not afraid to admit my mistakes in front of others..." She wasn't sure if Sia would ask about this, or how others would react, but it was important for her to move forward.

"Uh... Should I...?" Azame blinked and her ears twitched some, taking a small step away from Leon for the moment.

---

"L-Look, I don't have any doubts, but... A, Are you really gonna, I mean, while we're shopping-- Ahh-- Mhn!" Selu flushed a bright red as Catrin showed her exactly how much she wasn't going to take anyone's guff on how Selu looked, leaving her stuttering and stammering for a moment. "Y-You can't just, ahhh, c-come on, give me... Give me some warning, geez." She huffed and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "Ahhhh... hhh... Clothes that I'd like for myself... I'd, like some dresses. Some really nice and flowing dresses. Maybe not, showing any leg, but... Just something nice. Something fitting... I've been stuck in standard issue clothing and pilot suits for so many years, I'm, not even sure what would look good on me... So... Please choose some nice things?" She smiled somewhat sheepishly and took Catrin's hand, trying to pull her along... It wasn't very effective, she was much weaker than the cat eared woman. "Let's get going?"

---

Ohhhh boy, I guess that glass tip was just enough... Senri steeled himself as she walked over... An air of curiosity confident surrounded her, but... Concern? Nervousness... After a performance like that? Curious. Let's take this calmly, then... "I'm a resident on Callisto. New to this area, that's true... Hopefully I can pass the bar for your standards." He couldn't help himself. "Not exactly waiting for someone, so much as taking in the scenery, the people... It's a terrible hobby of mine, I just, like to soak in the ambience and the surrounding conversations. Perhaps, someone could call it spying, but... Now that I have someone to focus on, you can be sure my attention won't be pulled elsewhere~"

He smirked and leaned forward a bit. "Senri. Senri Takahashi. I must say, your dancing was quite impressive for a place with such a small audience. Tells me that you dance for the sake of it; take real pride in your craft. That, is a lovely feature in anyone, if I may be so bold. And... If I may be bolder, since you've asked me a few questions... Might I have this charming lady's name? Perhaps what you're up to, around here. Maybe you can point me towards a good time. Or we can have one together, hm?" He took another sip of the rum. "They say Remansburg has all the delights one could want back on Earth. Must be some interesting things to do around here, besides get drunk and watch an artist at work..."

Edited March 14 by Nanami Touko

[Ether]

"Nyahaha... Selu, love, iffin' you wanna be with lil' ol' me, you're going to 'ave to learn to accept these things. Next time ya doubt yerself Oi'm grabbin' yer arse." Catrin teased further, sticking her tongue out at Selumine and swaying her hips, daring the smaller woman to retaliate as they began to walk in the direction of the mall with Catrin quickly taking the lead. Selu really was adorable when she got riled up and flustered, it made it difficult to avoid trying to tease her relentlessly. Not that it wasn't worth it, the reaction she had gotten from Selu leaving Catrin's ears twitching and tail swaying as they walked, smile beaming.

"Dresses catch yer fancy, aye? Oi can't say Oi know too much about what's in fashion for dresses, but Oi'm sure we can foind somethin' that looks good on ya, Selu. But loike Oi said, don't just rely on me, aye? Even iffin ya don't know roight now what would look good, sometoimes you just see it on the rack and it clicks. Don't be afraid to grab stuff that catches your oi while Oi'm browsin, aye?"

[Mercenary on the Winds]

It seemed as if Amelia's time in the conversation was over and done with, and by now, there was probably some work she could be doing. Amelia saluted Sia, "Well, I have work to get back to. Nice to see all of you, and good luck with her 'hot-shot'." Azame seemed like she's be a good friend to spend time with, they seemed to flow in a similar way. She'd already begun trying to work her magic, or perhaps she was just friendly like that. Always a possibility even if it was pretty obvious which one it was. Amelia wandered off with pep in her step, the quicker she got done with things here, the quicker she could see what Tristan was up to~

Sia frowned as Azame confirmed some of her worries, "Well, perhaps that will have to be a place that I visit later on... It is rather odd that he has just vanished, especially at this moment in time." Rather convenient timing too... I can't rule out that he's been taken somewhere... but there are too many potential options for this. Ugh... "In the meantime, Ensign, welcome aboard. I expect you'll have a lot to do here, but you'll have support, and from the looks of it, you won't have much difficulty getting acquianted." Sia then looked at Leon, faintly smiling. "I think this works out quite perfectly actually. Everyone should be traveling in pairs if they're leaving the ship."

Then, Sia found herself stunned, in the way that she hadn't expected, or known to expect what followed, with Louise suddenly apologizing to Leon about... something. It was left wonderfully vague, clearly so that only the two of them would know. Sia's eyes bounced back and forth between Louise, and Leon, she'd clearly missed something, but couldn't be sure of what it was. She'd defended him earlier, but now she was also apologizing? I guess today is going to be a day of how many questions am I going to have to ask how many different people by the time it's nightfall... It seemed it was serious enough that Louise was prepared for Leon not to forgive her, so it was best to do as Louise had indirectly requested, and watch over what happened here. 

---

Marianne giggled at the man's turn of phrase, "With so many people that kind of pun would have been rehearsed, you can always tell, but with you? That seemed second nature. You'd probably not be surprised at how poorly some of these engineering types think to flirt." Marianne pointed over her shoulder, at the guy sitting at the front, now staring over at them, "Or don't make an attempt at all, and are just trying to undress a person with their eyes. Bet you he couldn't tell me what my hair color was, but he could probably give you a detailed drawing of my hips." She looked over her shoulder and then stuck out her tongue. 

"Any-way. Senri Takahashi, I'll be sure to keep that one in mind, and I get it, I do it a lot too. There's so much going on around here in Remensburg that just sitting down, and taking in the atmosphere let's you learn a lot. The best places to go perform, when not to, best sort of deals, that sort of stuff, and more." She winked, "It helps a dancer like me know where to strut my stuff for best effect~ Been doing it almost all my life, so I do take a lot of pride in it; helps the folks stay afloat. AHI isn't gonna do it for us, well, not directly anyway. Drinks, and a dazzling dancer such as myself makes it really easy for some of the engineers to... offer assistance so to speak~" The engineers were always going to be set so long as they worked at AHI, and could live in the major areas--parting with their money was never really going to be a problem for them. 

Marianne then giggled, "I can certainly point you towards a good time, the mall is always nice, got tons to do, a lot of the 'earth-style' amenities in there, little expensive though, but not really a problem if you're tied up with AHI. But unless it would be something quick, I'm actually the one waiting on people, although, they should have been here by now. A little rare for them to be behind schedule, but hey, stranger things have happened, like that giant ship that's pulled into port. Thing is huuuuuuuuuuge, it's apparently a CEN battleship, and one of the newest ones too. Can't imagine what it's up here for..." Since it's not up here to deal with AHI and their bullshit from the looks of it... more than enough information to have that entire operation shut down, but that would be in a just world, and we live on Callisto instead...

Edited March 14 by Mercenary on the Winds