Into the Breach

Wardroom 

Tucked beneath and around the ship's spinal corridor, the wardroom serves both as workroom and general quarters for the ship's crew. Port and starboard rise the sleeping facilities, a set of double bunks running the length of the space. Each bunk has a set of built in cabinets and lockers for storing personal effects. The middle of the room is ample, sized to fit and brief the entire crew if necesssary. A central conference table dominates the space, its long dimension running from fore to aft. Spartan steel chairs ring the table, designed for utility instead of comfort. The forward wall has a large display screen, above which are ranked a battery of supplementary monitors. Aft is a compact galley, along with a cluster of smaller tables for eating and general conversation.

A series of shielded sconces provide flexible lighting, allowing sections of the room to be darkened, letting some crew sleep while others continue their work. A gangway leads up to the ship's main corridor, while forward a paneled door leads to the Captain's private stateroom.

Next to the stateroom entrance there is a slightly off color piece of metal bulkhead which appears to have been riveted onto the existing ship's bulkhead. It is inscribed with the names "Bernard Hitchcock" "Colin Marshall" and "David Ransom Porter". The last appears twice, the first occurance appears to have been etched out before being re-inscribed at the end of the list.

The ship's engineer sits quietly on the wardroom stairs. In his lap he holds what looks to be an alarm clock. he is studously probing at it with a screwdriver, taking it apart piece by piece by piece.

Marlan steps out of the Captain's Quarters, a datapadd hanging from her belt. She is dressed in long purple uniform pants and a short sleeve purple uniform shirt labeled with the words ATHENA. A datapadd hangs from her utility belt and a cable snakes up into her right ear from the inside of her uniform. She scans the wardroom for an instant, her attention pausing as she reaches Sixmoon.

Sixmoon steps in from the main corridor, nodding to the captain as he smiles faintly. He's hugging at least five PDAs to his chest, perhaps more, as well as a cylindrical scroll of blueprint paper and some plastic flimsy sheets imprinted with diagrams and charts. "Good evening, Captain Ranix. I trust the funds are, um, adequate?" He shifts to keep hold of his belongings.

Renkek Kashaan looks up and smiles noticing Marlan and the gentleman and clears his area enough to prepare to stand should it be needed and he looks to the crewmembers present briefly.

Jordan shifts from her position on her bunk, and looks over at the speaker, glancing curiously from him to Marlan and back.

Marlan crosses the room, chuckling a bit, "They are more then adequate, da. My team is ready to proceed, da. If you've taken care of all the matters you needed to address...we can even depart immediately."

Voliarin stops as he hears Sixmoon speak. He doesn't turn, though the aura he has glows a darker green color that's a bit more intense than what he had.

Sixmoon frowns, shaking his head. One of the PDAs pops loose. He reaches with the fingers of his left hand to try to catch that PDA, but this causes an imbalance. The blueprint cylinder spins away. The PDAs scatter on the floor. The flimsies waft slowly downward, fluttering like translucent, flat, plastic butterflies. He frowns down at the random scattering of electronics, paper and plastic. He twists his mouth. And then he looks back at Marlan. "What were you saying?"

Marlan's gaze drops, taking a step back as the PDAs tumble to the floor. She sighs a bit and squats down to help the man pick up the fallen objects, "We're ready to proceed, Professor. We're just waiting for your go ahead."

Jordan rests her chin in her hands, watching quietly from her vantage point, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Tryklynn stands then quickly, dumping the pieces of his half disasembled clock into the pockets of his bulky jacket. His nose twitches, and he covers it with a paw to prevent a sneeze from sending the flimsies scattering even farther into toe room. "Powwwmmmrr upppssshimmmpzzz ddcczzz?" He asks from beneath his paws.

Sixmoon drops to a knee, then starts picking up the PDAs. "Yes, of course." He hugs the PDAs close, then grabs the flimsies. Once that's done, he gets the cylinder and then slowly gets back to his feet, carefully balancing the objects in his clutches. "I still need to speak with Doctor Solomon about that issue, but I see no reason why that can't be dealt with during the voyage. I..." His attention is drawn to one of the flimsies poking up in front of his face. "Interesting."

Voliarin turns around finally, then looks down at the PDAs and other objects, then back up again. The aura remains stable at the darker green as he just watches.

Renkek Kashaan watches as well saying or doing nothing at the incident and looks to the others briefly. He decides to tidy the datapadds and books on his bunk for now waiting for any orders and the like.

Marlan stands as Professor Sixmoon does, "Go ahead rockrat.." she responds idly and then focuses on Solomon again, "Professor." she calls out, obviouselly trying to direct his attention back towards her, "You're saying you're ready to proceed with the mission, da. And you understand Mr. Solomon may be kept confined to this area of the ship if he comes with us."

Jordan kicks her feet up in the air as she lies on her stomach, watchful eyes tracking Marlan and Sixmoon intently.

"The pattern delineation when the flexsheet is reversed is simply remar..." Sixmoon's eyes suddenly shift back to Marlan as she regains his attention. "Yes, of course. Understandable. We, um, yes, we can go. Of course. Thank you." He smiles sheepishly, takes a step toward the bunks. The PDAs then spring free again, falling along with the flimsies and the cylinder in a whooshing, wickering, thudding rain on the deckplates. The professor points at two of the PDAs. "That's amazing! Virtually the same orientation as the last time! Rather remote odds for that, I'd say." He then kneels to examine the flimsy sheets. "New arrangement for these, though. Interesting."

Marlan shakes her head as she watches the padds fall. She makes no attempt to assist him this time, instead she shifts her gaze to the crew, "Time to get to work folks. Alpha shift on the bridge." she turns to renkek, "You been through nav training yet?" she asks.

Voliarin watches Sixmoon a bit more intently. He shakes his head slightly, but refrains from comment.

Jordan raises both her eyebrows and mutters something as the pda's go slipping onto the deck again. She releases the datacord, and sits up, already starting to slide off her bunk as Marlan speaks.

Kastaprulyi slips down the gangway from the main corridor, floating a few feet above it. Behind it trails a bit of cool air and a faint aura of curiosity surrounds the little Centauran. Kas pauses near the conference table with a suggestion of greeting for those nearby.

Renkek Kashaan hmms "not other than the one you had, and well there wa more I was at after that."

"So you have." Marlan responds. "Atleast preliminary. Well that's good, da. This should be an easy voyage. Go relieve the current helmsmen, tell them to stay on the bridge." she turns to Sixmoon, "Have you uploaded the coordinates of the area you want searched to our computers? You indicated to me you'd narrowed down the search area."

Tryklynn lets his tail snake out across the deck, to nimbly snare one of the fallen datapads. "If weezz are goingzz to the bridge, allzz of uzzz, maybe can help cariezz, yezyezyez? that way, we can leave ..." he offers the datpad to the doctor if he still wishes to carry it still. "Without firthrerzzz random patterningzz?"

"We should start, I think, on the edge of the Tomin Nebula," the professor replies to the captain as he continues to study the random arrangement of his belongings on the floor. He points at the blueprint cylinder. "I think it's 42 degrees further clockwise than it was the first time I dropped it." His head tilts. "Could be significant."

Jordan slips quietly across the wardroom, and disappears down the corridor.

Renkek Kashaan nods and smiles "Aye Captain." he prepares to leave and soon does so. Unless someone stops him.

Voliarin moves toward the corridor as well. He then says to Sixmoon, "You want me to hold onto a couple of those things for you? So, you know, they don't fall out again." He kneels and goes to collect a couple objects in his hands.

Marlan sighs, "Very good idea Rock Rat." she bends over to pick up the cylinder, "Go power the engines, da." she instructs once again, turning to head for the door before Sixmoon can object.

Renkek Kashaan heads out

Sixmoon waves a hand at Voliarin, brow knitting. "Don't touch them! I'm studying."

Kastaprulyi circles closer to Marlan, on the side of her nearest Sixmoon, and inquires, "Do you know what can I do now?"

Marlan is already walking towards the door, blue cylinder in hand, "Recruit, you're on the bridge. Take communications." she instructs as she passes Kas up, heading through the door.

"Teknoz!!!" Trylynn exclaims as he scuttles up the stairs. With both paws he scrambles pushes the hatch open and slips into the corridor. "And itzz not even farzz awayzzz."

Voliarin stands at the request, "Well, okay, but I'm sure we can spare something other than the floor for you if you wanted." The Vollistan doesn't make any more issue of this though.

"It's fine here," the professor says, scratching his chin as he studies the pattern of the scattered objects. "Thank you."

There is a dull grumbling as the ship's primary systems slowly power up.

As Sixmoon makes that insistance, Voliarin smiles, "Okay, I'm sure you'll tell us if you find anything so good luck." Sixmoon is studying some fallen objects on the floor, Voliarin standing nearby. Then he goes to the main corridor once more.

There is a loud roar as the ship's stardrive comes online.

The air starts circulating and a gentle hum can be heard as life support is activated.

Sixmoon nods slowly, then picks up the PDAs and the flimsy sheets. He walks over to the conference table and sets down the items. He reclaims one of the PDAs and a single flimsy plastic sheet with black and blue markings on it, then starts walking toward the corridor.

Bridge 

Compact and smoothly efficient, the bridge of the Athena is crafted in a double tier of concentric workstations. One enters low, rising up a tall ship's ladder into the center of the primary station well. On this level the three main consoles are nooked, their monitors stacked in rigid rows beneath the polycomposite viewscreen panels, a chaos of rainbow telltales reflecting off each brightly polished surface. The portside workstation monitors the ship's engineering functions, mirrored on the starboard side by the ship's armscomp console. Forward, central, is the sharp "u" of the navigator's station. Behind, on the upper tier, overlooking the whole of the bridge is the captain's command station.

Cool white light illuminates the space, from recessed fixtures hidden against the ship's structural framing. The flooring is set with modular metal panels, providing access to the avionics, computer and other flight systems concealed below. A narrow gangway leads aft and down to the ship's main corridor.

Tryklynn spins around, whiskers waggling back an forth. "Ship readyzz to departzz, Doczz."

Sixmoon wanders onto the bridge, looking rather absently around. He has unburdened himself for the most part, now only carrying a single PDA and a flimsy plastic sheet with blue and black markings imprinted on it.

Renkek Kashaan considers and nods "setting course to Tomin Nebula around 1000000 900000 1000000 or there abouts, since that's the planet."

Voliarin walks onto the bridge, the aura turns to a lighter green as he looks about, but he remains quiet and moves so he tries to be out of the way.

Kastaprulyi slips over to the communications console and floats near it without touching anything yet.

Marlan turns towards the communicaions console, "Kastaprulyi, get us clearance and an open lane to depart. Let us know when we've got it."

Jordan glances over at Ren, and gives a small despairing head shake of amusement. "Or there abouts," she mutters to herself, watching as the rest of the crew take their posts.

Nodding, Tryklynn rubs his muzzle. "Thirty tonzzz out of fiftyzzz, thatzz three big jumpzz, yezyezyez."

Marlan turns to Jordan, "Keep your eyes open, remember we're searching for anything out of the ordinary or not on the charts, da." she turns to Trklynn with a frown, "I thoguht i'd put in for the ship to be refueled...how long would it take for it to be refueled at this this point?" she asks.

Volidana comes onto the bridge surrounded by a faint blue aura. She instinctively takes a stride toward the communications console but halts with a small smile as sees the little centauran stationed there

Tryklynn considers for a bit. "Five, ten minutezzz." The lotorian look back to Marlan. "but zzztupidzzz dockworkerzzz don't take heyaktizzz creditzzz."

Jordan nods at Marlan. "I intend to," she replies.

Kastaprulyi seems to take a few more moments to examine the console before activating the communications link. "I'm on the Athena," Kas annouces into the comm, still using its usual child voice. "We'd like a path for leaving the surface soon."

"Tell them to charge it to our accounts, da." Marlan instructs, "We should have a line of credit with them."

Kastaprulyi says, "I'm on the Athena. We'd like a path for leaving the surface soon."

Kastaprulyi speaks into its commlink.

Voliarin watches the bridge activity. He looks about interested, seeing people at their posts.

"Is that okay?" Kas asks aloud, while suggesting an inquisitive note to Volidana.

"Accountzzz yezyezyez ... on creditzz juzzt a way for Faginzz to but your furrzz." but from his chait he bounces, to clatter out of the ship.

Sixmoon walks over to one of the vacant auxiliary stations and settles into it, spreading the flimsy sheets across the display boards and gripping the PDA as he settles into the chair.

Marlan shifts her attention to Volidana as she hears Kas's comm call, "Dana...help him out, da. Make sure he identifies Sivad traffic control as his target and identifies where we're headed, da." She tilts her gaze to Sixmoon, "It'll be just a moment while we secure clearance Professor."

"No need to rush," the professor replies from his station, flipping through screens on his PDA display. "Palisade has waited for several millennia. A little longer won't hurt things."

Volidana nods to Marlan "are we headed for the Nexus?" she asks

Marlan turns to Volidana, an eyebrow rising at the question, "Tomin Nebula. We've been chartered to search for Palliside, da." she replies as if Volidana should of already known this.

"Is this good?" Kas inquires, shifting to the side a bit for Volidana. "I'm on the UKT Athena. We'd like a path for leaving from the Enaj spaceport to orbit and then go to the edge of the Tomin Nebula."

Tryklynn padpadpads in, clambering up into his chair. "Tankzz are fullzz, Athenazz izzz goezzz!"

Marlan rotates her chair towards the hatch as it opens and Tryklynn enters and ndos, "Excellent, da." she rotates back around, attention shifting to Ren, "You feeling comfortable there at nav?" she questions.

Volidana nods once to Marlan and again to Kas "That works", she says blue aura flickering "I don't know if the fact that a Kamir planet is in our own universe makes it better or worse"

Jordan's posture shifts, becoming more attentive, as it starts to look like they'll be moving soon.

Kastaprulyi speaks into its commlink.

Renkek Kashaan smiles "As comfortable as someone new to it can feel I guess." he smiles

Marlan grins a bit, "You'll do fine Mr. Kashaan." she tilts her attention to Kas, "How's it going?" she asks somewhat idly, gaze flicking over towards Sixmoon as she waits for an answer.

Sixmoon taps something into his PDA, bringing up a new display screen. He then leans over the flimsy sheet to study the arrangement of blue and black markings.

Kastaprulyi sets the response from the control station to play for the rest of the bridge. Kas considers a moment and observes hopefully, "If it's nearby and nobody noticed it yet, then maybe it isn't making anything dangerous that it didn't already have."

Kastaprulyi speaks into its commlink.

Renkek Kashaan nods "Thanks Captain." He looks over the console and gets even more familiar with the controls and readouts there and all that jazz. While thinking how fine he /really/ is... or well not, as he's concentrating on the task at hand and tasks to come.

"Doczzz, we re to thizzz Tomin Korazz boundzz ..." Tryklynn runs a diagnostic on the ship's secondary systems, fine uning the ship's back ups. "Do we wantzz zzhieldzzz and weaponzz poweredzz up?"

"Negative." is Marlans reply to Tryklynn, "We keep our eyes open and bring them up if we have to....we're more likely to run out of fuel then run into trouble, da."

Marlan turns to Ren and smiles, settling back in the chair, "You heard the man, da. Take us out of here."

Sixmoon glances up briefly from his study of the PDA display to watch the procedure of launching the Athena, and then he resumes his focus on the work on his PDA screen.

>> Outside the Ship: Powering up and vectoring upwards, the UKT Athena departs Sivad.

>> Outside the Ship: Sivad Local Space 

Freighters of virtually all shapes and sizes move about in this busy section of Ikeopo's mid system, picking up or delivering cargo at the jewel of the Sivadian Empire's monarchy: Sivad. Orbital spaceflight enforcement is handled by Royal Naval Service patrol vessels, although craft from the planetside SHIELD police agency can occasionally be seen making the run from Sivad to the nearby prison moon of Morrigan.

A needle-nosed courier vessel fires its braking thrusters and begins descent through Sivad's atmosphere.

Renkek Kashaan nods and does so "aye captain."

>> Outside the Ship: Changing vectors, the UKT Athena breaks orbit and leaves Sivad space.

>> Outside the Ship: Mid System 

The heart of the Ikeopo System, much of the intrasystem traffic is concentrated here around the brown, green and blue tropical paradise of Sivad, the polydenum-rich prison moon Morrigan, the gas giant Enotskcalb with its rings of crimson and gold, and the small uninhabitable planetoid of Suloea. A bulky freighter arrives from the jump point approach, closing to orbital range with Sivad.

Jordan now pays attention, looking over her console, and reading the scans rapidly.

>> Outside the Ship: Approach Jumpoint 

The stars are a scattering of diamonds upon a field of black velvet, their dance a far off glittering from this lonely corner of space. One star shines brighter, a saffron gem dominating its scattered companions. Ikepo, a bright solitary sun claiming this place as her home. The jumppoint breaks into normal space high above the ecliptic, the system below laying out in perfect order. The inner system is bound by the orbits of three planets and a small asteroid belt, broken bits of rock closest to Ikepo. Midsystem is ruled by the blue globe of Sivad herself, accompanied by a single moon. A little further out a deep red gas giant slowly circles the bright yellow star. Beyond are four more deep blue gas giants, their paths marking the far borders of this system.

This far out, the only dependable company is the system navigation bouy, steadfastly broadcasting basic system and approach information. Nearby, the sleek gray sillouette of a Royal Naval Service patrol frigate powers up her drives in a flare of hot crimson, diving across the system. In a moment, the other ship is gone, abandoning the jump point to its perennial loneliness.

The forward view becomes a wash of shimmering silver as the spindrive field wraps about the ship, allowing it to hyperaccelerate outbounds ...

>> Outside the Ship: The shimmering field of the UKT Athena's spindrive wraps around the starship, as it suddenly accelerates outbound in streak of deep ultramarine, on a trajectory to Tomin Kora ...

Outside the Ship: Interstellar Transit Space 

The shimmering spindrive field glitters like a sphere of polished crystal surrounding the starship. Across it surface a brilliant view of the realspace streaks past, the curved reflections of passing stars dopplering from bright red to deepest blue. Every now and then a white sunburst glares through the field, surrounded by lens flare circles o light, fading across the spectrum.

Renkek Kashaan smiles "1 hour 4 minutes till we arrive captain."

Tryklynn leans back in his chair, straightening his whiskers with his paw.

Kastaprulyi slips back from the console a bit. "Will we study more about Palisade now?" Kas inquires curiously.

Volidana inclines her head toward sixmoon "what exactly is supposed to be on the lost world, again?" a soft orange flicker accompanying her question

Jordan leans back in her chair, apparently interested in hearing this answer as well.

Marlan nods to Ren then shifts her gaze to Sixmoon, hand pausing over the console readout as the question is asked.

"There is not much to study, really," the professor says from his seat at the auxiliary station. He sets down the PDA and picks up the flimsy sheet, flapping the plastic briefly before gazing at the diagram printed on it. "Records of the planet are rather scarce. I have done research on Odari, which some sources suggest was a sister world to Palisade during an ancient age, but I found nothing directly connecting the two planets. Much may have been known about Palisade in the past, but after the great cataclysm, it seems much of that information became diminished in a sort of diaspora of data. Some say it no longer exists at all. Some say it is hidden from view, as Val Shohob was until its reapparance a few years ago. And some say it is nothing but a fairy tale."

"The great ..." Tryklynn looks back, obviously confused by this new word. "Cat-a-clysmzzz? Did the Meowzzz do something badzzz? Whatzz izz a clyzzzmmzz?""

Jordan grins, looking over at Tryk. "It's just one word, Tryk. Cataclysm-- and it has nothing to do with cats," she adds. "It means a disaster."

"Dizzzazzterzz?" Tryklynn then looks back to Jordan, beady eyes sharps. "Dizzzzazzterzz. You are zzure it hazzz nothingzz to do with Meowzz?"

Renkek Kashaan nods and smiles and listens to Tryklynn and chuckles "She's right it doesn't." he smiles briefly. He looks back to the console keeping his eyes on things there.

Jordan chuckles. "Well, maybe they're more prone to them than some others," she notes laughter in her voice.

Marlan looks to Tryklynn, a grin tugging at the edges of her lips, "it doesn't rockrat...other then the fact that it tends to follow in their wake, da."

Volidana ponders "A tale with a cautionary lesson often with a happy ending. Dealings with kamir often leave one wiser and we can only pray to whatever gods you choose about the second part"

"Myabezzz itzz zhouldzz, maybe itzz zzhouldzz, yezyezyez." Tryklynn's snout bobs, once and then again, glancing back to make sure all is running smooth upon his boards.

Marlan tilts her gaze towards Ren and then Jordan, "The two of you...you're from Waldheim. How much do you know about the Kamir?"

Jordan shakes her head. "I don't. I've been trying to catch whatever information I can find about them," she replies. "All I know is apparently they're some big scary bad guys," she adds with a shrug.

Renkek Kashaan shakes "I didn't know that much even." he chuckles " Think I had heard it on board or somewhere before in recent times, but that's all."

Marlan shifts her gaze to Volidana followed by Tryklynn adn the Professor, "Anyone want to fill them in?"

Kastaprulyi suggests encouragement to Volidana. "I'd like hearing your story about them too."

Voliarin shakes his head a little, "You guys know more about them than I do, I only know of their attacks on Volir and faith."

The professor clears his throat, then sets down the flimsy sheet, glancing toward the Waldheimers from his station. "The Kamir were an expansive, highly advanced civilization that spanned multiple universes some ten million years ago. They created an artificial intelligence called the Il'Ri'Kamm Hive Mind, which achieved sentience and revolted against its masters and the allies of the Kamir. Some of the Kamir dispersed into this universe, settling the worlds of Palisade, Vollista and Val Shohob - and, eventually, some of those dwelling on Val Shohob settled on Antimone."

"What to zzayzz about Kamirrzz? They builtzz the univerzzez, yezyezyez. Then got into a fightzz and lozztedzz? Nazzty though. Made Hekaytizz Warriorzz, the Gate Ringzzz ... but of them no littlez." Tryklynn straightns his whiskers with one paw. "More conzzerned with keepingzz headzz on zzhoulderzzz withou zzlave collarzz. Though they alzzo made nizze toyzz."

Jordan frowns. "So, the Vollistans, Timonae, and Mystics-- they're really all from the same place?" she asks slowly, before cocking her head at Tryk. "So, if they're all big and bad, how come they got their butts beat?"

Renkek Kashaan listens briefly and smiles still trying to wrap his mind around the multi universe concept and shrugs about as he listens further.

"They made the Il'Ri'Kamm Hive Mind in their own image, and that creation grew to be as powerful as its creators," Sixmoon replies. "Over the millennia, they struggled with each other. It was only in the past few years that the conflict reached a conclusion as Kamir and Ri'Kammi eradicated each other on Nocturn. Balance restored, you see. But their artifacts remain."

Tryklynn looks to Jordan, his head tilting, one ear up the other ear flat. "Cubzzz."

Marlan turns to Jordan, sitting up now, "We're not talking neighborhood bullys now, da. And the Hivers...they were no weaklings themselves." she says, seconding Sixmoons words. She looks towards Sixmoon,"Some of those artifacts have in the past few years appearaed in various places in our universe have they not?"

Sixmoon nods. "Majordomo Grim almost got his hands on some very important Kamir artifacts, which would have enabled him to become even more powerful than the Kamir." He smiles faintly. "Luckily, he was thwarted." He picks up his PDA. "No telling what else is drifting around out there and in the multiverse. You know, I almost took the offer of Eye Mordecai to travel with the Mystics on their voyage to the multiverse. The opportunities for research in the ancient stomping grounds of the Kamir would be too rich to miss, really. And I may still embark on that journey. But I've been obsessed with Palisade for a much longer time, and I'd like to resolve the mystery here before trying to solve any elsewhere."

"What'd they do to Volir, to that faith?" Kas adds thoughtfully, wandering around to the other side of the Vollistan.

Jordan wrinkles her forehead, and then shakes her head. "Wait, so what were the Kamir doing for all that time, while their cubs," she grins at Tryk, "were busy figuring out how to take them on?" She pauses. "And who's Grim again?"

Volidana sighs and looks at the professor "I only wish I could settle for that version and may be it is the right one. After all they're gone and here I still stand right. The kamir have an annoying penchant for trying to play god so the story on the other side of the nexus. The story goes that we are not descendants as you would think of them but creations Similar to the hive mind but nowhere near as powerful. The vollistans, the mystics and thir brethren, the timonae, the volhanna. i've heard vague reference to a race called the B'hri

Marlan sounds mildly annoyed as she replies, "The Kamir HAD a penchant for alot of things, da. Including showing up in the least expected ofplaces." she shakes her head, "And i think you forgot the Voidborn, da."

"Volhanna?" Jordan asks, cocking her head. "Voidborn?" she echoes, looking from Dana to Marlan.

At that Tryklynn just shrugs his shoulders up and down. "Do not knowzzz, yezyezyez ... am teknozz, not hizztekzz. The problemzz, jordanzzz ..." the lotorian rustles his fur. "In their worldzz, yo zzpent more time tryingzz not to letzz their creazztionzz kill you then thinkzzz why and howzzz. Luckily they tended notzz to pay too clozzze attenzzionz, yzyezyez."

"And all the creations ended up different, and if they are as malevolent as everyone says, they should have a purpose, why were they created?" Voliarin says, his aura moving into a red color now. "And now we can't even agree on the reasons of creation. If you can answer for so many creations from one source, what about the others?" the voice is calm, but serious.

Marlan turns her attention to Voliarin, brow raising, "Your questioning whether the Kamir and Hiver are malevolent?"

"Well, what *were* they paying attention to?" Jordan asks, running a hand back through her hair and pushing it away from her face. She seems determined to ignore this whole creation business for the moment.

Renkek Kashaan listens quietly and mentally absorbs whatever is said with interest however.

Volidana nods "You're right I had forgotten the voidborn, I wonder what in Volir's name they were for" Her own aura takes on a red cast and her voice almost a child's singsong "Volhanna to serve, Vollistan to worship" Her eyes tear up

"Of course they seem malevolent." Voliarin answers, the aura standing at the red tone. "I am questioning what everyone else claims to know about them." he pauses a moment. "You do not stand there claiming to know the secrets of human creation, yet you openly theorize on the creation of others. Not only that, the theories contradict each other." Then to Volidana, "Yet if they were omnipotent they would succeed. The stories I hear say they have so much power... yet the weaker Volir was able to protect. Why is that?"

Marlan's brow furrows at Dana, "Dana, check the jellys work on comms, da." she orders almost as soon as her aura changes colors. She then shifts her gaze to Ren for a moment, "ETA?"

Renkek Kashaan says, "6 minutes till we arrive."

Jordan looks entirely nonplussed by these responses. "I have no idea what you people are talking about," she mutters.

"It is a topic of some controversy, yes," the Qua professor agrees. "But regardless of creation myths, there is no doubt that the Kamir were powerful. If not omnipotent, I would certainly say they were extrapotent. Just witness what Majordomo Grim could accomplish while he was in power on Tomin Kora. Imagine that power amplified, spanning the galaxy, if he had succeeded in entering the Tower of the Hand."

Kastaprulyi shifts away from the emotion, drifting closer to the console.

Tryklynn 's head tilts as he listens to Volidana. "Bahhpaashhaaii.. You met herzzz too, thenzzz?" There a snort from a gray snout, as the lotorian turns to Sixmoon and Voliarin. "You shouldzzz go to Comorrozz and lizzten to the Toyzz zzingzz, yezyezyez."

With a shattering of silver starbursts, the spindrive field collapses, returning the ship to normal space.

>> Outside the Ship: Approach Jump Point  >> Outside the Ship:

A massive expanse of gas and dust boils violet and blue against the superchilled black vacuum of space, illuminated from within by three stars: One white dwarf to the galactic northeast, a yellow giant to the galactic east and a red giant to the galactic southeast.

A freighter drops out of hyperspace nearby, fires its attitude thrusters and thrusts toward the nebula.

>> Outside the Ship: A streak of crimson strikes across the darkness like a fiery lightning bolt, ending in a scattering of silver starbursts, leaving only the UKT Athena in its wake.

Marlan snorts, "Chaos.." she shakes her head, "Jordan....the Kamir, their myths...their history, its closely tied in with the history of several species...inculding the Vollistan." a pause an explanation, "The mystics for example...in their culture there were seers...individuals with.." a hesitation, "Visions. Visions about the future....when the Kamir were destroyed those visions stopped. Its believed that the visions may of been comin from them...a string of control after so many years." she shakes her head slightl, "But with the Kamir and the visions gone...mystic culture lost something pretty important to its core, da. I think...that perhaps the same may of happened to Vollistan..." she nods her head towards Rin and Dana, "Though I defer to them on that, da." "On this ship..you'll probably get alot of opinions, da. Don't know if there's a greater concentration of folks whove had dealings with the Kamir AND Hivers anywhere else. Unfortunately....it means most of us are probably biased in our view of them..." she motions towards Sixmoon, "Far more biased then the professor here."

Jordan listens to Marlan, and then turns back to her console almost gratefully and starts monitoring outside the ship again.

Renkek Kashaan smiles "Looks as though we've arrived Captain." he smiles "at least to the destination that was in the computer.

"I do not need to listen to such things to know the truth." Voliarin answers to the Lotorian. "They are merely tools of their war on Volir himself." then he quiets down, the aura not leaving however.

Sixmoon nods slowly. "Captain Ranix and the circle of individuals she has known in recent years are certainly the most experienced with these aliens that I could hope to work with. It is one of the reasons I selected this vessel for the charter." The professor stands after the ship drops into normalspace on the edge of the violet and blue Tomin Nebula. He smiles a little, the glow of the nebula reflecting off his dark skin. "The answer is within that roiling cloud of dust and light. Somewhere. I am confident we will find it."