UoD 117 'Dustbowl', The Hog's Ass pub
The air in the famous, infamous, all around disliked and avoided by those with a better sense of things, Hog's Ass pub and grill (for those brave enough to try the food) was filled with tension, but it was hard to find on account of all the cigar smoke hanging in the air like grayish curtains some prick had decided to cover the ceiling with. So if you wanted to see it, you needed to wave your hand a bit, and squint. Most of the patrons were doing just this. In fact, many of the regulars had resorted as far as putting out their smokes to help with the issue. With the exception of a couple regulars who were asleep on the tables, everyone's eyes were on the big screen behind the bar.

Apparently, there had been another attempt on Ethereals. It was a failure. Nobody was surprised about that. It was one thing to protest against the big guys at the top of the UUC, and even threaten them, but it was something entirely different to try and raise your hand against them. Honestly, most people, at least the ones whose minds still existed within the same reality their bodies were standing in, would rather try to slap magma or dip a finger into a white dwarf star than go after the Ethereals, because there was stupid, and then there was suicide.

"Looks like another one is going to bite it!" A man somewhere in the back muttered. His words were met with a hissing shush like a bunch of snakes that were really into the movie and would gladly cover you in holes if you kept on distracting them from it. "I mean, what's the point of even watching. All this is going to do is.." There was a pause, a sharp yelp of pain, and the thud of a body, larger than human but smaller than a Argentinosaurus huinculensis hitting the ground.

"One of you better pick that up before you leave." The bartender, a large man with red suspenders and thick framed glasses mumbled. "I don't care who did it. Just don't leave him laying there to bleed all over my floor."

"I got him. I got him." A slurred voice mumbled from the back of the room. "No need to." More hiss of aggravation to hear the sentencing.

"You know." A red haired woman with green eyes said, after finishing the last of beer in her mug. "If you put in some money and fixed up the sound. There wouldn't be so many dead bodies every time the Ethereals did something."

"Pff." The bartender muttered. "Spend a bunch of money to fix it up just to have my ass hats of regulars burn the place down again? Likely chance."

"Meh." Abigail, the last of Luficers, or possibly only the loan Luficer in this plain of reality, held up her glass for a refill. "If you say so."

UUC Colony Ship: Broken Dawn, 28 Jumps from Alpha Earth (Two Days Prior to the Court Session)


By the time the alarms were raised, it was already too late. The bulkheads sealed those that remained free from the parasite only bought them moments of extra terror as the one voice of the Vanguard echoed from those who the colonists once called friends and family. All beckoned them to be joined with them in the everlasting song of the grave.

Security forces opened fire with their small arms weapons, and they did manage to stop a few of the humanoid monstrosities in their tracks, however, their sigh of relief was short lived as these creatures rose up once more and the beating drum of the voice continued. Throughout the ship the screams soon became silent, as if lights slowly being turned off one at a time.

That was when the Vanguard itself emerged from the hanger bay, around it was the mucus like membrane structures that began to cast its foul web of corruption throughout the rest of the ship. Those bodies that were unfit for combat or other forms were to be melted down in these webs to become nutrients for the soon to be breed Pure Forms.
Now, the final step was to take the bridge.

Two Tank Pure Forms torn the sealed bulkhead clean from its placement and stormed the bridge. Though it seems that they were not required any more force than that. On the floor, with a gun dropped by his side and brain matter scattered on the opposite wall, a man in a white uniform, clearly the captain, had clearly taken the easy way out. This angered the Vanguard, without his brain intact, only fragments of knowledge would be able to be extracted. What was in this new universe that the Vanguard must watch out for, where were the prime targets to spread the son of the grave?!

Nevertheless, today was a victory. A ship with 2000 souls now joined in the song. Soon it will spread to other systems.
As the Flood forms began to search the bridge, a small holographic female emerged from her A.I dock, clearly frightened or at least was programmed to act that way scanned the room. Then see looked back at a Flood form that hovered over her, almost as if it were smiling gleefully.

“Who… what are you?” she asked, her synthetic voice crackling.

“We are known as the Flood.” The Vanguard’s voice projected from the Flood form as it placed its deformed hand onto the A.I dock. As it did so, the A.I female fell to he knees and began to flash red. Giving out a scream of genuine pain. “And you will tell us all we need to know.”

Mami Tomoe stood in line inside of a building nearby. Around her were people of various stature and origins. She held in her hand a piece of paper, waiting patiently as the line moved forward. This paper was a now expired license to use magic in her native universe. She needed to renew it so that she could continue to hunt down Wraiths in order to sustain herself.

On a television screen hanging in the room showed the building next door- The Court of the Ethereals. The accused man stood before the council, as they laid out the charges against him. He apparently attempted to disrupt reality fields to allow "rebel forces" to use some magic. Based on the tone and connotation, it seemed to Mami that the man had failed.

However, the man- Vas'gard- began to accuse the council of unjustly ruling the populace, before attempting to use some sort of magic. He must've known that there would be no way that he could have succeeded. The Court must have more Reality Field Generators in its walls than any other building. Vas'gard's attempt had to be purely for show- either that, or he was a real idiot.

How tragic, Mami thought to herself. That people must still rebel against the council. Even if there were a true problem, a show of force would not solve anything. It would only serve to separate people into factions, initiate war and cause countless losses. No, violence is always a last resort.

"Ms. Tomoe?" A voice called. Mami snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the man that called her name. She nodded and stood, walking over to his desk. "May you please tell me why you're here, and show me your ID?"

The blonde girl produced two papers for the man- one was her identification, detailing her physical description, universe of origin and abilities. The other was her license to hunt in her native universe. "I need to renew this license," she explained, "So that i may continue to hunt creatures in my universe. They drop items I require to sustain myself."

"Hmm... yes, it says that here..." The man looked over both papers for a minute. "Alright, approved. Just fill out this form please, and i can issue you a new license."

Mami took the paper that the man offered him and filled in the few necessary lines in elegant Japanese writing. Once it was complete, the man placed a sticker on Mami's lisence and returned it to her, along with her ID. "Thank you." She said.

"Not a problem. Have a wonderful day." He gave Mami a smile as she left.

-

The sharp jagged spear-tip of the Executor lunges straight out of hyperspace as the enormous triangular Super Star Destroyer Dreadnought suddenly pops into view with a sudden halt. The majesty of this gigantic ship ultimately dwarfs the incoming Imperial-Class Star Destroyers that also just arrived from hyperspace traveling, four in total, as they escort the dreadnought in an orderly fashion, with two on each side of it. As part of this universe's faction, the Union of Despair, the navy of the supporting Galactic Empire is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, asset in their arsenal, and this is only counting for a simple Squadron, only a mere portion of the entire Imperial fleet. But this wasn't just any ordinary squadron of ships.

This is the infamous Death Squadron, the personal Imperial armada of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. This squadron is among the best of the Empire's Navy, which also houses the elite 501st legion, all lead by one of the most powerful force wielders of the era, second only to Vader's master, Emperor Sheev Palpatine. The fleet was just returning from a successful raid against the United Universal Council, having absolutely annihilated a planetary base simply by commencing an orbital bombardment from above. There was very little resistance from the space crew that was in orbit and any form of aggression was swiftly cutdown by the massive turbolasers from the capital ships. Not even a single tie fighter was even required to take off for that matter. Vader was most certainly pleased by the results and had released several probe droids into the neighboring planetary systems to scout out for other bases before leaving the sector.

The sith lord looks silently out from the Executor's bridge at empty space, save for the asteroid field lurking in the background. Despite his high position in the faction, he was rather displeased that he was forced to be working here rather than eliminating the pesky rebels from his own galaxy, but alas this isn't nearly as bad as he expected. It was just simply... all too easy for him as of now. He wants a challenge, a real threat to combat against instead of these filthy stragglers and fools of men. Vader then turns from the bridge and heads deeper into the ship in where he'll enter his meditation room to concentrate on the force. Perhaps a more significant threat will arrive soon...

Hopefully sooner than he realizes.

---

Such a toxic environment would usually deter the faintest of souls in stepping into a place of scum and villainy such as this. Yet as people were cleaning up the mess and getting back to their conversations, a certain "Hunter" class gunship silently lands near the back of the pub. The ship was colored a rusty yellow-orange hue, with multiple red stripes and symbols patched on her sides, a black underbelly, and has a neon-green cockpit window that completely hides the pilot. There aren't many ships like it out here in this sector of the galaxy, but it does tend to blend in with all the other bizarre-looking ships that were parked nearby. It was the perfect ship to lie low and patrol the more unstable environments of space.

As the people inside the pub began to clean up the mess spilt on the floor, the pilot of the vehicle makes its debut. Entering the building was a tall armored figure, completely covered in a suit of unknown metal that sports the same rusty color as its ship. The upper torso and head region is colored a deep hue of red, with lighter yellow tones forming her lower torso and her inner leg pieces, and sports a neon-green visor and stripes running down from the massive spherical shoulder pads down to the near tip of her torso piece. Most notably, its right arm has been completely replaced by a metallic-blue and grey arm cannon, a weapon that can be wielded on command and is active at all times. One would think that this is an elite soldier on a quest to rip someone here to pieces...

Thankfully for them, they were wrong.

Bounty Hunter Samus Aran was simply stopping by for a little R&R before heading on out back into space. The armored figure approaches the bar and sits near a more isolated spot towards the back. A young male bartender with brown hair and a robotic arm, not older than 25, approaches the hunter while cleaning a glass with a clean rag. He looks at the figure in relative interest before welcoming the figure.

"Welcome to the Hog's Ass Pub - what can I get for you this evening, sir?" the man asks in a polite tone as he finishes drying the glass in his hand.

The metallic helmet releases steam as it depressurizes the suit, allowing for the bounty hunter to take it off with ease. Much to the bartender's surprise, the face underneath the helmet was not a sir... but rather a mam. The man was dazzed by the surprising beauty that radiated from Samus' youthful caucasian skin, the smooth bright blonde hair that she shook around when tidying it, and the hypnotizing light-blue eyes that seemed to stare right into his soul and beyond. She was a beaut no doubt, and he couldn't help but stare for a few seconds before finally snapping back into reality.

"Uhh, mam." he replies while nodding his head rapidly and clears his throat before correcting himself, "Right... Excuse me. What can I get for you this evening, mam?"

Samus would think for a minute before moving her body slightly towards the counter.

"I'm feeling for a hard Silozian Bulb Tonic with a lemarian shot today." she replies with a smooth and ripened tongue as she sits back up in her seat.

"Excellent choice." the bartender nods as he turns to make the drink, "Give me one second then."

A few moments later the drink arrives in front of the parched Samus, fizzing delightly as it dances on the surface.

"Here ya go, mam." the young bartender answers before giving a nervous chuckle, "Enjoy the drink. And uh, pardon me for~"

But Samus only gives a hand up to stop him before muttering an audible "Pfft".

"No need to apologize." she replies nonchalantly as she takes a sip of the tonic, it's taste bursting through her mouth, "Nearly everyone mistakes me for a guy under the suit. No rookie mistake or anything. I'm used to it by now."

"Oh uh..." the bartender stammers briefly, "I see."

Nervously twiddling his mechanical thumb from underneath his sleeve, the bartender prepares to chat with the bounty hunter some more before being called upon by another customer. He hesitates slightly before nodding at Samus but then quickly walks away to attend the next person. Meanwhile the bounty hunter continues to sip the rich tonic in isolation from all the rest of the people in the pub.

Not like she minded it anyways...

The universe, at large, was a vast, scary, bewildering place were event the hardest souls were eventually broken down, crushed under a dictator's heels, or smothered by the burning end of a giant's fag. Thus, existence for many became nothing but a pain. This led a great deal of individuals to opt out of life altogether, mostly through the classical means such as weapons or poisons. Although, there were the occasional creative minds which did something better with their ends like blowing up in front of a dictator or dying in some comical fashion like the exclamation that symbolized the end of the joke that was their lives.

Of course, this also led to many who couldn't deal with the pain, but didn't want to end things too quickly. Why off yourself when the universe was probably going to do it sooner rather than later. For these people, who were in pain with existence, death was too much but existing in a state of complete awareness to their situation was also unacceptable, there was a third option, and that was lady alcohol or whatever version of awareness dampening substances one could use to numb the pain a little, for whatever type of life form they found themselves representing.

With this knowledge in mind it wasn't a surprise that many, Many, MANY a great number of individuals, of various shapes, sizes, sexes, and so forth and so on, visited the Hog's Ass. So great was the number of traffic, as well as the monetary reward that came with it, the owner continually rebuilt the place even when it was destroyed and his life was constantly literally, as well as metaphorically, threatened with violence.

With such a huge number of visitors, a person could go crazy trying to keep track of everyone who came and went. Sure, some tried it for some time, but stopped because of either boredom, acceptance of death that could come from a particularly mean individual who stepped through the doors, or because whatever substance they were taking to stop being so aware had finally kicked in and taken away the ability to understand not only understand fear, but life in general. Honestly, it wasn't a rare occurrence for one or two drunkards to forget how breath or work whatever passed for a heart and just stop being. One person, a few years ago, had completely stopped getting what it meant to be and disappeared altogether!

Abigail was drunk, but not drunk enough to forget how to live, or why to live, or what exactly it was she needed to avoid in order to make sure she kept on living, but she was also arrogant and had little interest in whoever it was that stepped through the doors. At first, everything was interesting, but after awhile she'd come to accept people of the multiverse were the same as people from her home planet, and that was more crushing than anything the physical world could throw at her. Finally, there was her observation haki which was the best defense against ill will if there ever was one. So she ignored the doors and focused on her Ale. She had no idea what kind of Ale it was, who made it, or how, but it was a lot better than anything they made back home, and considering she'd come from a long line of people who were always after the best, that was saying something.

That is, she ignored everyone until the stranger in the green visor showed up. There was something about the red and orange colors, reflecting off her mug that caught her attention. At first, Abigail thought it could be the armor as it was something she hadn't seen before, but after a second she realized that wasn't it. What it was, was the movements, the grace, the litheness. All of it brought to mind a woman, and an attractive one at that, who could bench press excessive amounts, but without tipping the point of going into the territory of appearance mostly associated with the less attractive sex. So out of the corner of her eye she watched the figure take a seat, and remove her helmet, dispelling any doubts the redhead was having about her prediction. Not only was she right about the gender, she was right about the appearance, at least if the face was anything to go by. though there was always the chance that the body beneath the armor was squared instead of hourglass-ish.

Abigail ordered another Ale before pushing her way through the misshapen crowd to find herself standing before the new comer's table, which standing at a little over five feet, meant the table hid the majority of her curvy form.
"Evening!" Abigail chirped, a bit louder than she had meant to. "How's it going tonight? Mind if I take seat?" The redhead didn't wait for the blonde woman in armor, drinking something strange and somewhat fruity smelling, to respond before putting two mugs of ale down and taking a seat. "So, how's it going?" She put her hands on the table, and leaned forwards. "So I'm assuming you're just passing by like most people who come here." Grining the redhead offered the armor woman her hand. "The name's Abigail, Abigail Luficer, but you can call me Abby or Red like everyone else does."

Samus' lavish beauty has gained her quite a reputation back in her home universe, especially towards the opposite sex. And it's not just coming from male humans either. In the bars she usually resides, she can often hear the cooing of men coming from a table or two catcalling her to come hither. Males of all different species seem to flock to her beauty, a weird concept if one thinks about it regarding some species at least. Of course, she paid no attention to their lustful cries for pleasure and attention as she would continue sipping from her drink. However, if a foolish drunkard dared to lay a single finger on her, said person was going to leave the bar with several broken bones at best. The bounty hunter was not interested in love, let alone having sex in general. While she often seems to display a sultry undertone when speaking, this is not to be intended as a voice to get somebody into bed. After all, she believes that it would distract her from her work as a bounty hunter. And don't get her started on raising a family, at least for now that is. Perhaps when she's older she may consider settling down...

But until that day, she'll remain single, much to the dismay of millions crying out in disappointed agony.

As she takes another sip of her drink, Samus suddenly hears a loud chirp coming her way. She turns to notice a red-haired woman walk up to her, perhaps a little less sober then she looks.

"Evening!" the woman greets as she approaches the bounty hunter "How's it going tonight? Mind if I take seat?"

The armored hunter was going to deny that approach, but alas her tongue was a little slow this hour as the woman simply proceeds to sit next to her, clunking two mugs of ale straight on the counter. Samus considered pointing her arm cannon for the figure to back off, but that may deem to aggressive in this particular instance. Plus she seemed to be at least sober enough not to cause trouble.... or so she hopes. The blonde then realizes how short the redhead was compared to her figure. At 6'3", (or 1.905 Meters), Samus towers over the slightly over 5 foot tall woman and can barely tell of her body structure as she sits down. Knowing she won't be able to escape without looking like a major asshole, the bounty hunter forces herself to stay put and converse with her.

"So, how's it going?" the redhead asks again as she leans forward to seemingly get herself more comfortable.

Samus sighs lightly as she swirls her drink gently to mix in the fruity flavor a bit more.

"Nothing much." she simply replies as she takes another sip of her drink, "Just had a busy day, that's all."

"So I'm assuming you're just passing by like most people who come here." the redhead then asks again.

The blonde merely shrugs.

"I guess you can call it that way." she responds with a subtle nod, "I think of it more as a little R&R transition, but yeah, I don't intend to be here for too long."

The redhead seems to grin as she gives out her hand.

"The name's Abigail, Abigail Luficer, but you can call me Abby or Red like everyone else does."

She would receive an armored glove, with a hint of chilled metal, as Samus shakes her hand after only a slight hesitation.

"Samus." the blonde replies deferentially, "Samus Aran. A pleasure to meet you, Abigail."

Once they stopped shaking hands, she would take another sip of her tonic, leaving the glass empty with only a few minor droplets left in the glass.

"WEll then it's a pleasure to meet you, Samus Aran."" Abigail didn't hesitate to take the older woman's hand. Honestly, it was tempting to hold on to it a bit longer than need be, but she fought the urge for the moment. The night was still young, and she was still getting a feel for the stranger. Besides, the name had a ring to it. She couldn't quiet place it at the moment, because even though the bell was ringing, she couldn't quiet track it down thanks to the alcoholic fog that made navigator through her inner workings a nightmare.

The redheaded pirate, turned space pirate, turned whatever it was she was now, in regards to the UoD,
tapped a finger against her chin as she thought. "Samus Aran? Samus Aran?" She laughed, again louder than she meant. "The names got some ring to it. Not sure if its because I've heard somewhere, or I'm just a fan of the face it's attached to."

She shrugged and leaned further on the table, not quiet close enough to be consider a space invader, but nearing the point where she'd cross over into strange lands. "Anyways, you mentioned a rough day, right? So I'm sure you could do with a few more drinks. Nothing gets to the point of R&R than being too tipsy to remember where you live, I always say, or will say from now on." Grinning the red head picked up one of the mugs she brought and placed it down in front of Samus. "Here you go, some grade A ale. The best I"ve tried."

Abigail raised her mug up in a toast and took a deep pull of her drink, draining half the mug. "Ah. Now that hits the spot" The smooth, soft tissue that was the skin on her face turned red. "So you mentioned not staying too long, right? I'll admit it'll be a shame to watch you go, but the universe isn't really is big as everyone makes it out to be so I'm not going to worry about that. What I'm more curious about is what it is a fine lass such as yourself, with the kind of equipment you've got on, does for a living?" She nudged her eyebrows at Samus. "Personally, I'm assuming you're into some kind of mercenary work."

Mami Tomoe had left the registration building, and almost immedietly got an alert on her cellphone from Homura- She was elected by her fellow Magical Girls to represent them to the Court of Ethereals, as Magical Girls were considered different enough to count as a unique race. The message read, "New bounty today. Abigail Lucifer. Very dangerous. Often seen at the Hog's Ass Pub. Known member of UoD."

Along with the message was an image of Abigail and a link to a website explaining further details. She was to be captured, not killed, and she's an adept swordsman. She also has unusual physical strength. Mami made note of all this and decided that the best course of action was, if a fight were to break out, to keep her distance until she managed to pin down Abigail. Mami replied to the message, "I'm on it."

She swiftly yet quietly made her way to the nearest Dimensional Dock. Upon obtaining her ticket she learned that this pub was a rather popular place, and many other people wished to go there as well, so transports to there and the surrounding areas were somewhat frequent. Mami would have to wait an hour, at most for a transport. It also made her many times less conspicuous, as there are many other people with her young physique also looking for transport there.

Mami simply sat in a chair nearby. To pass the time, she continued to review the page detailing Abigail, just in case she were to have a fight.

A meteor looked… wrong. Something about it as it flew through the void of space gave the unsettling feeling that something wasn’t right. Its trail held a green tinge to it and fragments of what looked like flesh torn from it. Its destination was as of yet… uncertain.

As soon as the armored bounty hunter finished her drink, she calmly places it right on the counter and lightly brushes it aside towards her helmet. Samus considers to ask the nearest bartender for another small shot once they happen to get over here, but she doesn't have a need to hurry them on. The drink she had was already refreshing enough as it is. She turns towards Abigail, who seems to be recalling the name somewhere.

"Samus Aran? Samus Aran?" She asked herself rapidly as to remember the name, until she issues a laugh that was a bit too loud in this circumstance, "The names got some ring to it. Not sure if its because I've heard somewhere, or I'm just a fan of the face it's attached to."

"You may have heard of me..." Samus answers vaguely as she catches the attention of the same young bartender and signals him for another shot before returning to the conversation, "But... it's not like what I do is that important anyways... or that I'm really popular anyways."

This redhead was already giving a few mixed signals to the bounty hunter, most of which are... concerning to put it politely. Especially when the woman began to lean even closer towards her, to the point where she's just touching the tip of her comfort zone. Maybe its the fact that she was drunk and that it was just Samus being a little uncomfortable with the situation. It has indeed been a long while since she had stopped at pubs in general, or just the fact that a random female stranger just decided to step right up and chat with her is something rather uncommon for her. Male strangers she's used to, especially when they are cooing her and saying derogatory things, and even girl strangers to a certain degree, but something didn't sit so comfortably here for some reason...

But then again, maybe Samus is just being paranoid towards a simple drunkard at this point. But regardless, she shouldn't say anything too much about herself.

The girl grins as she begins to rustle with her two giant mugs of alcohol. "Anyways, you mentioned a rough day, right? So I'm sure you could do with a few more drinks. Nothing gets to the point of R&R than being too tipsy to remember where you live, I always say, or will say from now on."

Once again, the bounty hunter begins to wave her free hand left-to-right denyingly.

"Oh, no thanks," Samus begins to respond politely, "I~"

But she proves to be late on her tongue again as a mug of ale is placed right in front of her.

"Here you go," Abigail sighs after planting it down, "Some grade A ale. The best I"ve tried."

Oh boy, what did she plant herself into now. Samus was never heavily invested into hard alcohol, like beer and liquor, and wasn't a heavy drinker by all means. Sure she does drink occasionally like she's doing now, but only lightly, and always orders something light within the realms of tonics and other fizzily beverages. In fact, she never got drunk in all of her life as she's careful not to let it influence her career. She looks at Abigail gulping down her mug before looking at her's. She slowly picks it up and looks at it carefully. Perhaps a light sip won't hurt. And indeed as she takes a sip, she can feel a familiar fruitiness lather her tastebuds, followed by a light bitterness from the beer. Not half bad, really. However, she avoids taking another sip as she places it back on the counter, just as Abby finishes her's, draining it half-way down.

"Ah. Now that hits the spot." she breathes.

The bounty hunter soon realizes that the redhead's cheeks were beginning to fluster red, signifying clearly that she was undergoing through an alcohol flush reaction (AFR). That wouldn't always mean she's actually getting drunk, as she knows that some people get this way even after taking a sip or finishing only a single glass of alcohol, but considering her attitude earlier looking a little on the tipsy side, clearly she's getting herself more drunk by the minute.

"So you mentioned not staying too long, right? Abby asks the blonde again to seemingly remind herself.

"Yeah." Samus nods while slightly fiddling with the large mug.

"I'll admit it'll be a shame to watch you go," the redhead continues, ""But the universe isn't really is big as everyone makes it out to be so I'm not going to worry about that. What I'm more curious about is what it is a fine lass such as yourself, with the kind of equipment you've got on, does for a living?" She then begins to nudge her eyebrows at the bounty hunter. "Personally, I'm assuming you're into some kind of mercenary work."

The blonde nods at her response.

"Bounty hunting, if you want to be more specific." she replies bluntly, calling by her previous occupation in her home universe.

She outright avoids mentioning the UUC at this point, especially when in a situation such as this. But it wasn't like she was completely lying at this point... after all, she does make herself open to certain clients outside of the UUC to earn an extra credit or two. Of course, this depends on the target however...

The bust red head closed her eyes and leaned back against her chair. "You're a bounty hunter huh?" She nods her head in thought. "That makes sense. I mean, the whole maybe, possibly, sort of, potentially, maybe hearing about you from somewhere before." She gave a quick hiccup. "I mean, we aren't exactly living in what many would consider a safe universe, now would we? Though," she opened her eyes and watched Samus through narrowed, focused slits.

"I'll admit it, all honestly and what not, I'm actually kind of surprised you're a bounty hunter." Another hiccup and quick sip of her ale. The cheeks flushed, but nowhere near as long as before. "I mean, the armor looks like its something for fighting, and judging by a fair lack of noticeable damage I say it's either top of the line and too hard to actually leave a scratch so i'm sure you're one hell of a capable fighter. It's just..." Abigail held up a finger and drained the last of her ale. She waved her hand to the one armed man, holding up her mug and grinning like a lunatic. "Where was I? Oh yes! It's just you seem a bit too formal to be a bounty hunter. Truth be told, I would've put you in more the military ranks since, if that makes sense? Most bounty hunters, they're louder and more obnoxious than I am. Way quicker to get drunk too. It's the military types, what with their codes and standards that are a bit harder to get to open up. Whoo! Thank you kindly." She purred as she took her new mug of male from the arm of the man with the robotic arm.

"Anyways, that's just me and personal experiences. Soldiers are stiff and bounty hunters tend to be quicker to party and boast, is what I'm saying." She put a hand down, flat on the table, with the tips of her longest fingers passing the half way point. "So, what kind of crooks and bounties do you go after? Catch anyone I might now" Abigail took a drink from her glass mug.

@Grnmachine

"Mami Tomoe?" came a question voice from in front of her. A man was suddenly standing there looking over his shoulder at the girl. He was dressed in an archaic kimono and he rested a long, unwieldy looking sword on his shoulder. It wasn't as though he'd arrived all of a sudden. As he turned to face her, a look of intrigue on his face, it was more like he had suddenly emerged from somewhere in the background of the universe. Sasaki Kojoro had never enjoyed the Presence Concealment skill he'd developed, and loathed using it for its true purposes of spying and assassination, but it was useful for getting around while equipped for battle without turning any heads. He would keep his weapon in spiritual form were it not for the oppressive buzzing he could feel in the walls, Reality Emitters holding him in far more solid of a state than he had grown used too, and faced with the choice of either carrying his sword in peace or being caught off guard when it was time for war he preferred the latter.

"How are you?" He said as he stepped forward to greet her. Mami had been his guide when he had first arrived to work as a dog of the UUC. Maybe other people would have scoffed at a girl her age being an agent of such a far reaching and powerful organization, but Sasaki had not even questioned it. His own master was only slightly older than her after all, and he had witnessed first hand the valor displayed by Jeanne d'Arc on top of all the stories Gilles had regaled him with after the whole of France had been dropped here. His finely honed instinct for battle had told him immediately when they met that Mami fell into that class. "It is...interesting to see you here. Nowhere this dock connects to is frequented by those as reputable as yourself. Tell me, are you setting out intending to do business?"

Union Station: 27 Jumps from Alpha Earth. Resides in the UUC/UoD DMZ.



Union Station, the diplomatic space station crafted from a planet that was destroyed by two universes colliding with each other was a testament as to why the UUC exists. The station sat directly in the centre of the Demilitarised Zone between both the UUC and UoD. It was here that the Ethereals had hoped to bridge the gap between the two factions. However, the UoD on the outside seemed to be a very crudely built ragtag government that allowed all those who wished to cause anarchy to join their ranks. However, deep at its core there was one, a single soul who wished to unify them under one banner simply to declare independence from the Ethereal Court and the UUC. Senator Mia Simms. While the UoD were at times ragtag and didn’t agree with other sub factions within, every single one listened to her, no matter how powerful, may that be the Galactic Empire or the Reapers of the Night; they all listened and took on her advice and unquestionable wisdom that she brought with her. Everyone, both UoD and UUC knew her name and the respect that was demanded from that name. – And today was the day the cease fire agreement was to be signed.

Main Concert Hall

The Hall was large, much larger than the Court of the Ethereals and less sterile. The walls held banners of all parties involved, the UUC, the UoD and the many subgroups that were aligned with themselves. The countless rows of seats were filled with every single race in existence, well those who could fit on chairs anyway. Monitors and film crews were dashed in random spacings and the lights were shooting down directly at the main stage in which a single table with two vacant chairs stood.
Suddenly the room fell silent.

“Esteemed citizens of the UUC and UoD.” A loud, colourful voice shouted through the PA system. “You are here today to witness history in the making, for decades two great factions have fought each other in the name of freedom and security. Both sides have committed shameless acts which they now regret, millions of lives needlessly lost. That stops today! May I now introduce you to the glue that holds the UoD together, the impeccable Senator Mia Simms!” And as the announcer finished his final syllable the hall roared with cheers and clapping. A light then shot down to the side of the stage where Senator Simms began to ascend the stairs, waving at all those who cheered and chanted her name. She moved elegantly towards the central microphone stand.

“Good people of the Shattered Universe.” Her voice spoke softly, almost like a petal, however there was an under-tide of raw power that she didn’t require to use. “This day has been a very long and hard struggle for everyone and is long overdue. The UoD must remember, we are not innocent victims in this. The intentions of the Ethereals is not a cynical one it was just one used with a heavy hand. So please welcome up here, the Ethereal Raz’ Zek.” She gestured to the opposite side of the stage where another beam of light fired down and there stood an Ethereal in ceremonial robes, almost floating above the ground he stood on and made his way next to the senator. Again, the was another round of applause.

“Thank you for those kind words Senator Simms.” Raz’ Zek said, his voice much more emotional than that of other Ethereals. “It is true. We at the Ethereal Court have taken a far too heavy-handed approach to the security of our great, combined universe. We were so focused on saving lives that we sacrificed the quality of those lives we saved. It is time that we reformed this.”

Raz’ Zek offered Mia a chair in which he then tucked her in as he took the seat next to her. In front of them was a large piece of paper, a rare thing to see. On it was the cease fire agreement. The senator lifted the pen from its ink well and was about to press it down onto the paper.

However, there was a large crashing sound that shook the entire station and the rough sound of ripping metal filled the hall. Smoke filled the air and main people had falling out of their seats. Smaller crashes soon followed. Then the screaming.

Horrifically deformed bodies began to lunge from the holes that were created, taking both the living and dead through them. Gunshots were heard followed by the sound of tearing limbs.

“Ah… the Song of the Grave grows louder.” A drudging voice echoed in the minds of those still alive. As more and more Flood filled the hall.

The Senator looked up from where she had fallen to the ground and saw in horror as a combat form leaped towards her. She closed her eyes expecting the worst. However, a large blue bolt of energy fired at it just before it could harm her, exploding into liquid biomatter. She looked up to see Raz’ Zek with his arm stretched out and blue energy trails floating around him. He looked down at her, offering his aid in aid.

“We must get you out of her, Senator… if you perish here, all that we have achieved will be decimated.” He said, pulling her to her feel.

“Look out!” She screamed as two more combat forms leaped from nowhere, however with a swift arm motion both were liquified. And then they began to run. Hold a blue barrier in his hand that encircled Mia – protecting her from the gunfire of those that had once protected them.

---

An Alpha-Level distress call was broadcasted to both the UUC and UoD that every channel would receiving. Immediate assistance was required.

"Sasaki?" Mami Tomoe asked, as the man appeared right in front of him. He appeared as if from nowhere, but this didn't surprise Mami too much. Sasaki had a skill to conceal himself when necessary. The girl stood from her seat and bowed to him in greeting, recalling some details about him.

Much like her, Sasaki required fuel in order to sustain himself. However Sasaki is much less picky- anything of magical power can be used. Mami remembered when he tried to give him Curses from Wraiths- They seemed to "fuel" him well enough, but the negative emotions that the curses draw from soul gems caused Sasaki to erupt with those same feelings. Before she could think further, he spoke.

"How are you?"

"I'm doing well." Replied Mami.

"It is...interesting to see you here. Nowhere this dock connects to is frequented by those as reputable as yourself. Tell me, are you setting out intending to do business?" Sasaki inqured.

"Yes, actually." Mami replied. "Its not something I should say out loud, let me send the details to your communications device." Mami pulled out her cell phone in order to send the details Homura gave her to Sasaki, but was interrupted when an Alpha-Level distress call came out- Immediate Assistance required at Union Station.

"What?" She said without thinking. "I'm afraid this mission will have to wait, we need to stop at Union Station immedietly." Mami then tried to get further details, but it was a simple message- assistance required. "What could be going on that causes an Alpha-Level alert?

'Don't give up on living'

was the words that kept repeating themselves over and over in her head. That along with the memories of her friends at S.O.N.G, the old man Genjuro, the love birds, Kirika and Shirabe, The idiot and Miku, and even the melodramatic Tsubasa. These memories are ultimately the ones that keep her going forward, that which keeps her from going 'back' to what she was. IT was one hell of a shock, she didn't want to believe it the first two days, thinking she was in a dream. But the pall of hunger reminding her that it's all real was a good enough aftershock to shake her out of her out of it. God knows what people were thinking as they saw her shamble around with glazed over eyes.

But Chris was a tough girl, she's gone through worse before... far worse. It's now three weeks since she found herself in this shit-hole of a place. She got over her initial shock and has somehow gotten herself both part time job as well as some very spartan housing. And most importantly, some information. The good news is, that her friends not existing and the world being not as she knows it is because the Gjallarhorn did throw her into another world or dimension or timeline or universe... This is good since that means there is a possibility of going back, or a possibility of her friends finding her and getting her out of this. The bad news is that she doesn't have any idea when the hell this is going to happen which means she's stuck here for the time being. More bit of news she's heard from the general conversation of people around her is that the world she's in is no stranger to these world jumping shenanigans. And that there is an entire system and organization that's in charge of it all the UUC

What she now has is a goal. She can't really act the damsel in distress, like really, she couldn't even if she tried. So instead of waiting for her friends to come find her, she's going to go off and try to return on her own, or make it easier for her friends to get her home. Though having a plan is completely different from executing it since this is a problem she can't simply blow up. And thus Chris having saved up every bit of cash she could was finally able to afford a ticket out of the backwater planet she found herself in, Destination... Alpha Earth...

"You're a bounty hunter huh?" Abigail nods silently, "That makes sense. I mean, the whole maybe, possibly, sort of, potentially, maybe hearing about you from somewhere before."

Samus simply shrugs at that statement. "Anything is possible." she states bluntly with a hint of wonder. The Universe may be intimidatingly large, but some sections are smaller than others. Some being even smaller than one may intentionally realize. For her, work spans across entire sectors of the galaxy, each light years across. If it weren't for the perfection of hyperdrives on her ship, it could take her months, years, or centuries at a time to get from one location to the next. There would also be other major changes if that wasn't the case, but regardless she's at least thankful for hyperdrives.

Abigail gives a quick hiccup. "I mean, we aren't exactly living in what many would consider a safe universe, now would we? ...Though," she opened her eyes and watched Samus through narrowed, focused slits, "I'll admit it, all honestly and what not, I'm actually kind of surprised you're a bounty hunter."

The blonde gave an audible "Hmm" as she eyes the redhead.

"What makes you say that?" she asks curiously as she places her metallic hand by her cheek.

Abby gave another hiccup and issued a quick sip of her ale. Her cheeks continued to flush bright red, however it didn't last for as long as before. She might be getting used to the alcohol measures after drinking more. It wouldn't be exactly surprising anyways. The redhead then answers the blonde's question. I" mean, the armor looks like its something for fighting, and judging by a fair lack of noticeable damage I say it's either top of the line and too hard to actually leave a scratch so i'm sure you're one hell of a capable fighter."

As Abigail continued drinking her ale, Samus gave a hefty chuckle at that rather amusing statement.

"Trust me..." she remarks while issuing several taps to her armor, "This armor and I, have been through a lot together. We've encountered various unique planets and environments, been under heavy fire, escaped with our lives, and encountered many strange and weird specimens on our missions. And this suit can do more than simply protect you... but that's a whole entire list on its own."

As the redhead drains the last of her ale, she waved her hand to the one armed man, holding up her mug and grinning like a lunatic. The bartender also had the extra tonic reserved for Samus in his hand as he gives it to the blonde while exchanging for red's mug. He looked a little worried towards the bounty hunter, almost as if he's warning her about something. Regardless, it was just for a moment, and Samus takes little mind of it. Even if this character is somehow dangerous, it's not like she can't handle it.

"Where was I?" Abigail wonders after trailing off before remembering, "Oh yes! It's just you seem a bit too formal to be a bounty hunter. Truth be told, I would've put you in more the military ranks since, if that makes sense? Most bounty hunters, they're louder and more obnoxious than I am. Way quicker to get drunk too. It's the military types, what with their codes and standards that are a bit harder to get to open up."

Samus thinks on that slightly before the man comes back with Abby's ale.

"Here ya go." he remarks to Abby with a nod.

"Whoo! Thank you kindly." She purrs as she took her new mug of male from the bartender's hand before he goes to assist another customer.

"Really?" she asks as she sips her tonic, "First time I've heard that."

She dares not to mention anything regarding her past, even if it's in her world. In the mean time, she reflects her time with the Chozo aliens she joined with after the devastating attack by the Space Pirate Ridley, in which she became in top physical condition. She then remembers her time with Federation Army, particularly with General Adam Malkovich on the Battleship VIXIV. She had good connections with the General, but ultimately felt like the environment wasn't simply suited to her. She officially left the VIXIV after the death of Adam's brother, Ian, whom Adam sacrificed to save 300 innocents on the Lusitania, a commercial space traveller. Since covering her tracks, very few people knew about who she was prior and little do many know the real identity behind her mask.

It was for the best of both parties.

"Anyways, that's just me and personal experiences." Abigail finishes, with Samus quickly coming back to reality S"oldiers are stiff and bounty hunters tend to be quicker to party and boast, is what I'm saying." She puts a hand down, flat on the table, with the tips of her longest fingers passing the half way point. "So, what kind of crooks and bounties do you go after? Catch anyone I might know?" she asks as she took a drink from her glass mug.

But before Samus had a chance to respond, she suddenly notices a red light flashing in her helmet, followed by an alarming beeping sound. It can only mean one thing as Samus waves her hand at Abigail.

"Just a second." she tells her politely as she stands up and faces her back towards the redhead as she raises her arm to reveal a hologram.

It was an Alpha-Level distress call directed by the UCC. A call to arms that a major threat was looming over the dark abyss of space. Looks like her relaxation time was cut short. Samus turns off the hologram transmission as she faces the redhead woman.

"I have to go." she says rapidly but with composure as she puts her helmet on, "Something big was just announced. And I certainly bet there's one hellova payday in this bounty."

Without another remark, Samus Aran briskly runs out of the bar and back into her ship. Duty has called for her once again.

"Duty Calls"

---

Several minutes would've passed since Samus' ship had left Hog's Ass, before another ship - no, several ships - began to descend on the Bar. These ships however, were nothing nearly as technologically advanced at Samus' ship. In fact, you may even call them as literal flying wooden airships that are somehow capable of flying in space instead of being on water or in atmospheric oxygenated-nitrogen air. Regardless, these weren't pirates about to ransack a simple bar like Hog's Ass.

This is an escort fleet of King Bowser's Airship Armada!

From the lead battleship, a giant monstrous turtle-like creature walks up to starboard as he faces the bar with an imposing presence.

"REDHEAD!" Bowser roars loudly, whom he's mentioning Abigail, "WHERE'S REDHEAD? IF ANYONE IN THE BAR IS A FEMALE REDHEAD, WHO'S FIRST NAME IS ABIGAIL AND LAST NAME BEING LUCIFE~ I MEAN LUFICER, GET YOUR ASS OUTSIDE NOW!"

One might even think he's trying to kidnap somebody in that tone of voice... but regardless if said character comes outside to wonder what's going on, the King Of Koopas only has this to say.

"The Union has received an Alpha-Level distress call! We're called to meet at the main HQ for debriefing on the situation at hand! So get your drunk-ass up here and let's go! NOW!!!"

@Grnmachine

"And so soon after that Lemner debacle." Sasaki finished her thought, pulling his own phone out of his kimono and fumbling to turn it on. He had never quite gotten used to modern technology. When he'd been summoned the Grail had given him approximate knowledge of the modern world so as to decrease the chance of culture shock and acclimatize him quickly for the battles to come, but there was a world of difference between knowing what an airplane was and how to fly it. He finally got it on and looked over the general alert flashing on the screen himself.

"You don't suppose someones decided to interfere with the truce?" he said, a slight smile barely playing across his lips. He'd been against the treaty from the start, for self-admittedly purely selfish reasons. It didn't suit his purposes for the UUC to have less enemies. A state of open war would be more convenient for him. No one cared who you cut down in war, provided that person was the enemy. He could subsist on the heavily regulated magic supplements provided by the UUC, but it was akin to keeping his head barely above water while floating in the deep dark ocean.

As the ship pulled in behind them he gauged himself internally, reached into his kimono, and pulled out a sparkling blue liquid in a glass bottle. Popping the cork he drained the whole thing and felt it seeping into his very being. A drop in the bucket, but it would let him fight. Not how he pleased, but all the same. He then turned on his heel and dashed through the crowd, weaving between the teeming masses like the wind through trees in a forest and leveled his sword between the expectant passengers and the ship. As the doors opened up he presented the phone to them, the emergency alert still baring on the screen, and announced in a clear voice, "As an peacekeeping agent of the UUC I hereby invoke my emergency authority. My comrade and I will be commandeering this transport, which will be proceeding to Union Station immediately in order to deal with an unknown threat." He lifted his sword and placed it back on his shoulder, allowing the arriving passengers off the transport and daring the expectant boarders to do so. "If battle is what you seek, however, than you are more than welcome to board anyway."

It was amazing how no one had taken him up on his offer, save one young drunkard that had to be dragged off the transport her friends, and soon the uncomfortable mutterings of the passengers joined with the the uncomfortable mutterings of those on the dock. People were already taking out their phones, to check the news or call loved ones or perhaps to complain to the dock master. One of them was the pilot, trying to slip out unnoticed with the others, but Sasaki grabbed him by the arm and shook his head slowly. "I can not fly this." he stated simply, tuning the young man around and pushing him back toward the door before turning back to Mami. "Shall we?" he said, gesturing to the open door and stepping inside.

Mami simply watched as Sasaki quickly took control over the situation. He managed to take control of the station rather quickly. Mami watched from her seat as nearly all of the passengers exited, and nobody boarded, save for a young drunk woman who had challenged Sasaki to battle. Mami approached her.

"Come now, this is hardly the time and place for a drunken brawl."

"Wuh? Ah'm not drunk!" She spouted immedietly.

"Regardless, i do believe it best if you were to exit. Please." Mami said, almost as if commanding her.

"Oh yea? You an' what army?" She dropped herself into a sloppy fighting stance.

Mami turned to see Sasaki dealing with the pilot. She sighed to herself. "I suppose it's only human nature sometimes, and not rational thought."

"'S that a insult?"

Mami didn't reply, instead she lassoed a single yellow ribbon around the woman's feet. She topped over rather easily. "I don't want to force you off of the transport. But i will if you won't cooperate."

"Tch..." The woman got up after Mami dismissed her ribbon, and made for the exit. "I'll 'member this!"

Mami watched the woman get off the transport as Sasaki turned to her. "Shall we?"

She nodded in response. "Yes, let's hope that whatever's going on here can be resolved quickly." Mami escorted the pilot back to the cockpit. "Union station, please." She told him.

"No! no! no! no! no! no! no! NO!"

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Chris was in internal rage after what just happened. The Captain spoke over the PA and said that they are diverting to a different station because of an emergency, and that they're sorry about the inconvenience. Chris didn't have enough cash for another ticket to Alpha Earth so she used a skill she has learned from the four years of slavery she's been through, not that it pleases her. She'd rather not put to use ANY skill she's learned during that time, though the ability to make one have no presence was incredibly useful for the situation she found herself in. She didn't heed the instructions to leave the transport when they landed on the station's space dock, instead she hid herself from anyone and stayed on the transport.

What was odd to her however is that the transport didn't take in any passengers from this stop. Though she didn't care much as it made hiding easier. She contemplated her options as the pilots pull out of the dock station back to deep space. She has a number of options that she's thought up of. She could stay hidden and hopefully the transport somehow ends up at the correct destination and get off there. She could hop off a planet (instead of a station) and find work there and earn enough for another ticket, or...

"Shit!"

Chris gritted her teeth as she slowly trudge towards the cockpit area while clutching her pendant. She was about to do something she knew she would regret later, like most of the things she's done in her life.
As she drew near the cockpit, she could vaguely hear the conversation between the pilots, good, they're distracted. A few steps more and she was upon the door, with a deep breath she steeled herself for what she was about to do.

"Killter ich-"

but she stops as she makes out one word from the pilot's conversation

"Evacuate"

Evacuate what? She didn't know, but listening in she figures out that the mentioned emergency is involved. At that moment, tears began to well up from her eyes. Not because she didn't get to her destination, not because she was about to commit a crime, not because an emergency is happening somewhere in the vastness of space... She wept as she realized how far she has fallen so quickly. She was so quick to resort to a criminal act just to get what she wanted, Her friends wouldn't forgive her... She wouldn't forgive herself... It frightened her how quickly she slipped back to those times...

"..Gulp~"

She swallowed, and forced her tears away. And she pushed knocked on the door. Immediately the conversation on the other side stopped.

A few seconds pass, then a monitor on the left of the door sprung to life with the image of a man with greying hair, under a cap, and neatly kept facial hair.

"Miss you shouldn't be on board right now..."

He said in a low but gentle voice. Chris remained silent for a moment. But as the man was about to speak again...

"I want to help!"

She spoke up with a determined look on her face... She's prepared to atone for something she almost did, even if she didn't continue with it...

"I'm sorry but-"

And true to form Chris's impulsiveness surfaces and she cuts off the man.

"With the evacuation... I want to help people!"

Both parties were silent for a few moments, before the man closed his eyes and sighs as the door hissed open. The old gentleman was on the left seat while a younger man in his late thirties with auburn hair sat on the left seat. Both beckoned her to get in the cockpit as a small chair with seatbelts folded out of the floor.

"The destination is Union Station, Seems like someone didn't want the peace talks to happen."

"Eh?"

Was Chris only verbal response, but she clenches her right fist. Her long time goal has been to stop wars, to stop the suffering it caused, And for a long time as well, she's been going about trying to reach that goal in the worst way possible. This situation has brought up some old wounds in Chris...

"A lot of people of all shapes and sizes are in the station, I know we can't possibly fit all of them in this transport but we'll do what we can to get them to safety..."

The man continued as he slowly increased speed on the old transport.

"...Don't Give up on Living"

Chris said in a small voice, which earned her a look from both pilots, but they didn't pry further...

Her planned visit to the UUC capital is now put on hold...