---

Seeing Itxaro arrive, Kareet’s eagerness could no longer be contained. The need to rely on just a few, scattered words to try to communicate was nearly over. She tilted her head towards Gar’Tan. “Tell her who you are, what you can do. And I suppose introduce all of us, properly this time.”

As Gar’Tan had been formally unshackled by his handlers, he already started forming the connection the moment Itxaro came into view. The invisible tendrils of his magic lashed to her mind and set roots as deeply as they could, tethering her thoughts to his own. Yet, in all of it, there was no sensation for Itxaro. There was not even the mildest feeling of the intrusion; everything would simply seem normal, apart from the few moments where he silently stared her down while he made the connection.

What followed did not come in words. Gar’Tan could not understand her language any more than the others could. However, he did not need them. He could read the meanings of her thoughts and memories directly, and through the tether, impart the meanings he wanted her to understand onto the surface of her mind. Her mind would put words to those meanings all on its own.

She was correct. This lizard is a S’tor, and his name is Gar’Tan. He is a Thought mage from the city of Lenkik. She might have been joking to herself, but her instincts were right. He would indeed read her mind. Alongside these thoughts, he started to chuckle aloud. The others Itxaro had already met. Kareet of Arcaeda, Seeker of the Order of Sages. She is particularly excited to finally be able to communicate properly. The other is Nellara, Castigator of the city of Lenkik. Itxaro could speak her response or simply think it, Gar’Tan would understand all the same.

At least the sunset was pretty. And to think she took the Stavanger job because she wanted a calm job where she could sleep in her own bed every night. But Fate decided to be a sore bitch and leave her to wonder about how Cortés' crew must've reacted when he burned their ships after landing in America. For her part, Vigdis could say she would have shot Cortés as soon as she saw him with a box of matches and sailed back to Spain at the earliest opportunity. She was torn from her musings by a call from Chief Zhao.
"Vigdis, they want you in the shuttle bay."
"Why? The gate can wait, if at all repairable." She replied, picking herself up.
"It's not the gate. To be honest the guy isn't making much sense."
"If something's wrong, open a maintenance ticket, that's what the system is for. All this manual reporting is just making a mess of things." She complained as she crossed the hull. Better not be some intern complaining that she didn’t do something exactly according to textbooks. Peering down over the edge of the hangar roof, she was about to give a piece of her mind to whoever was in there when the sight left her stunned.

First it was birdfolk, centaurs, an ent… and now a dragonborn. That would explain why she was summoned directly by radio. She had to wonder if some K-A fiction featured something that looked like them.

"Ibarra? What's all this? Tell them to come back during office hours." She joked, leaning over the edge to see the Cuban engineer. “I'll be right there.” Returning inside the ship Vigdis stopped by the storage room along the way to grab a handheld flashlight before joining the hangar party. It was one of the old but immortal models with a tubular body that contained a coil and a permanent magnet to charge it by shaking. The lizardman - a translator of sorts, she assumed - was massive up close. If that was a scholar, what the hell did their soldiers look like?
“Hello.” She waved to the ‘known faces’ before introducing herself to Gar’Tan in the same way they’d done so during the first meeting before demonstrating the flashlight’s function and handing it to him, as he was the only one who hadn’t gotten a welcoming gift yet.

And speaking of centaurs, someone was missing. "Silbermine?" She asked, looking at Nellara. Even if the two groups of locals didn't like each other and even if Silbermine had hostile intent, cutting him out of communicating would only make things more difficult and piss him off.

---

As soon as a new Human came into view, Gar’Tan’s gaze settled upon her. His magic anchored into her mind so he could hear her thoughts. He was capable of listening to multiple minds at once, though trying to filter between multiple minds thinking over one another could be difficult. If he missed something, he had to reach into their memory to determine what they said.

Looking upon the S’tor, the knowledge he had given to Itxaro would also begin to come to Vigdis as well. He is a S’tor named Gar’Tan, a Thought mage from the city of Lenkik, along with Kareet of Arcaeda and Castigator Nellara. He finds this gift he has been given to be curious. It creates light without flame. Does it use Lightning magic?

J'eon raised an eyebrow at the newcomers arrival.

"So, we will know the thoughts of the Sky People," he said, laying out his trading blanket. "But they can't get their informed consent. How will the Sky People react to having their thoughts invaded?"

There was also, J'eon mused as he laid out the various tools and blades, the question of understanding those thoughts that were being read. This was the first time they made contact with the Sky People, how would someone used to their own people react to what secrets laid within the minds of these travelers?

---

"Of course, Captain," Jack nodded, exiting the storeroom, turning towards the bridge, switching circuits. "Ezra, where are these birds? Wotan, can you see these birds?"

With any luck, they might have a recording. He wondered if the system that caught his recordings was running?

He spared the airlock towards the hanger a glance as he walked by. It would make for suitable quarters for their unexpected guests. And now they were getting over their shock, it was the perfect time to start finding out what they could do.

The telescopic ramp had its advantages, to be sure. Not as much room to impress visitors, but it was defensible.

“They’ve just landed at the first Alien camp. Looks like they’re talking. Standby…” Ezra mumbled, staring through his rifle scope. Without blinking, he clicked the uplink button which could stream the sight’s viewport onto Mallory’s command interface.

The mercenary had been outside for nearly three straight days now without complaint. He’d made a sheltered foxhole under a charred bush but it wasn’t particularly warm in the evenings. At least no rain had fallen yet. Ezra didn’t even know if it could rain on this planet.

“They’re approaching the shuttle bay. One of them looks different, like giant lizard in robe. We need people at the barricade, its not going to hold this big boy.”

Ezra was used to holding fire by now. The creatures fortunately had not made any sudden moves thus far. Nevertheless, his rifle sight bored into the back of Gar’Tan’s head.

After a little while, he saw Itxaro emerge, and then Vigdis.

“What is happening down there?” Ezra asked over comms.

@13org @EliteCommander

Kolvar Stilmyst

Kolvar did not feel well hearing Silbermine had made camp close to the crash site. But with the arrival of the thought mage, there could be a peaceful resolution. But even that seemed impossible. “Is there any way we can convince or persuade Silbermine to back down from continuing to annex the ship?” He nervously rubbed his chin with his clawed hand. The information about these people being from another planet was quite astounding.

Kolvar followed the others toward the Jotunheim entrance, listening to their conversation intensely. Waiting for the right moment to speak up. For the most part, he wanted to gather as much information as he could about these “Humans.” He made sure to be very careful in case Gar’Tan wanted to invade his mind. Having his identity found out was the last thing he wanted. “My name is Kerchek, I am a healer of sorts. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He finally spoke up when it was the right time to do so. Kolvar bowed his head in a respective manner, something he was taught when meeting new people.

“If allowed I would like to offer my services to any injured crewmembers you may have.” A suggestion that could gain him more trust from the “Humans.”

Itxaro had never had her mind read before, but she expected... More, somehow.

There was no sensation of another consciousness probing her mind, simply an intrusive thought that came to Itxaro in her own internal monologue. Hell, it was even in Spanish. But the subtlety also scared her. She had no way of knowing how deep he was delving into her memory, no idea what he was doing to her, and ultimately, Itxaro had no means of defense against him. She realized she was totally at this S'tor's mercy, so it was best to play along. Itxaro really hoped he wasn't reading into her political predictions of a few hours ago, otherwise things might turn south very quickly. She shifted her weight from one foot to another uneasily.

Gar'Tan went through the introductions of all the aliens present; she'd known their names before, but not the titles each carried. Seeker of the Order of Sages. Castigator for the Order of Magisters. Itxaro didn't know exactly what they meant, but they certainly sounded lofty. Even though she wasn't speaking directly to them, the engineer felt like she knew them better now. A barrier had been broken.

"I'm Dr. Itxaro Ibarra. It's so nice to finally speak with you all," Itxaro began excitedly in Spanish. "I'm sorry about our first meeting. We were a little afraid, and we've been through a lot to get here. Plus, you're all, ehm... Much larger than us."

Mercifully, Vigdis arrived, giving Itxaro some measure of reassurance. Her mind was still buzzing frantically, halfway between panic and exhilaration, but she managed to blurt out a few words to the engineer, switching to English. "Vigdis, this is our new friend Gar'Tan. He can read minds. He's reading my mind right now, and probably yours." A shiver ran through her body. "We're going to speak out loud, and he's going to, ehhh, translate for us?" Itxaro looked to Gar'Tan for confirmation.

A voice came over her comms. Ezra. Itxaro wanted to scream a litany of obscenities at him, but she managed an overly sweet, "We're fine Ezra, just speaking with a new arrival. They're very polite." She'd been fiddling with a loose cigarette in her pocket, and now she was grinding it into powder.

Gar'Tan communicated a message from Kerchek, offering medical assistance. Itxaro wondered just how helpful an alien would be during surgery on human organs, but then she recalled that many, if not all, of these natives had some form of magic. So there was that. "Thank you, Kerchek, for your generous offer. I'll speak to our ship's doctor to see what you can do to help." It was a textbook example of kicking the can down the road, but she thought it was an oratory masterstroke for someone teetering on the edge of hyperventilating.

"I guess we'd better get on the same wavelength. Right, Vigdis?" She turned to her fellow engineer and gave a slight smile, her mouth tight.

With that, Itxaro launched into a bit of a nervous tirade.

"I don't know how much got through with my little light show before, so I'll just run through it again," she started, blowing a strand of white hair from her face. "We're called humans. We come from a planet we call Earth. We're the only sentient species on our planet, and for a long time we thought we were the only ones anywhere. Guess you guys don't have that question, right?" She laughed nervously. "Anyways, so yeah, um, then these aliens showed up, they're called the Yenge. They taught us how to fly to different planets that are very far away. I was pretty close to figuring that out anyways though."

Itxaro paused and took a breath. She was rambling, and had to catch herself. Speaking to a lecture hall of 20-something university students didn't set her nerves off, but there was something just slightly unnerving about her current crowd. She let Gar'Tan translate, then continued. That the S'tor's translations might be flawed didn't even enter the equation for her.

"We built this ship to leave our planet and explore. We call it the Jotunheim. I don't know what that means either. Problem is, we were attacked by other humans who wanted the ship, those puntas fucked us up good, and then we crashed here. On Kanth-Aremek. Now, we're just trying to get home." The words all spilled out in one quick stream, and Itxaro inhaled deeply. She paused, thinking of what to say next. What she wanted to know differed greatly from the rest of the crew, and she knew it, so Itxaro tried to ask something pertinent. She still wanted to know if there was a socialist utopia somewhere on Kanth-Aremek, but figured it could wait for another time.

"So! Now we want to ask you some things. Mind if I take notes?" Itxaro produced her datapad, ready to type any answers that Gar'Tan sent through the ether into her brain. Her anxiety was now being edged out by curiosity, and she felt her body relaxing ever so slightly. "First order of business is... And Vigdis, feel free to chime in, Silbermine and his friends. What's the deal there? I'm guessing you don't trust them, and you think we shouldn't either. It seems like everything is resolved though, right? Also, how far is this city, Lenkik, and who runs it? I'd like to see it, I think."

She directed her questions to the group, but was particularly interested in Shirik and Nellara's response, who had both seemed ready to come to blows with the Glenn. J'eon, too, had been standoffish during the encounter. She thought the second question was innocent enough, but hoped it would provide them with some pertinent political background.

"Oh, and Shirik, don't think just because Gar'Tan is here that you're off the hook. I still want to learn your language," Itxaro said something approaching a real smile this time, not the strained rictus from before.

"What the...?!" Jack growled, taking in the view from the bridge screens of Itxaro & Vigdis speaking to more of the locals. What were they doing?!?

He grabbed the microphone and switched on the external speakers.

"Itxaro and Vigdis," he said, a note of anger still present in his calm voice, "Return to the inside of the ship. Now!"

He then flipped to the internal All-Hands circuit. "Security detail to the hanger airlock, on the double!"

Anger flashed across Itxaro’s face when another communication came in, this time from Mallory, and she felt a familiar temper flare in her belly. So excited to show their force. As if that will help. She wasn’t eager for another standoff.

“One second, sorry,” Itxaro said apologetically, almost sweetly to Gar’Tan and the others before stepping away, as if that would sever the mind link they shared. “Mallory, listen,” Itxaro began into her comm link, “We are all playing nice here, but it is a very precarious situation. If you come out here waving your fucking guns around, it will not end well. Meet us out here if you want, but for our sake, leave the goddamn goon squad behind.” Itxaro looked pleadingly to Vigdis, hoping the engineer would back her up on this, but she had a feeling she’d have to stand alone here. To turn away now that they’d just established communications, and instead put guns on them, would be the diplomatic equivalent of a middle finger. She idly wondered where the commander was. At least she knows not bringing a gun to the negotiating table. I think. Why isn’t she out here?

Itxaro turned back to the alien visitors, her skin visibly flushed. “Sorry, sorry. Everyone is very excited to meet you. Where were we?”

---

It went without saying that Kareet was hanging on every word that Gar’Tan conveyed to them. He was not permitted to use Thought magic on anyone but the locals at the moment, so he simply spoke their responses aloud for them. He did not have the exact words the Humans spoke, but their meaning was preserved. Quite well, in fact. He was reading her intentions directly, so even idioms and the like would be understood by him as their intended meaning. The only things he could not translate directly would be concepts too foreign to him to understand.

Nearly every word that Gar’Tan spoke, Kareet copied down into her notes. Some of what Itxaro said they had already guessed, but it was good to have confirmation. It was still hard to wrap her head around the fact that these Humans came from an entirely different world, but it was hard to deny at this point. Apparently, the Humans were the only intelligent beings on their own world, which already sent plenty more questions racing through Kareet’s mind. She wondered if that meant it was a much more peaceful place overall? Clearly it was not completely peaceful if the reason they were here was because they were attacked by other Humans.

With the palpable excitement Kareet was showing, it was hardly a surprise when she jumped on the chance to answer Itxaro. “Silbermine is a noble from Mythadia. I know you are likely not aware, but your ship has crashed right on the border of two major nations: Mythadia and the Ascendancy. I wouldn’t say anything has been solved. I would wager that he has sent for more forces and is biding his time. It is what I would do, in his situation. This is one reason we needed a Thought mage. We need to be able to communicate with you, and we don’t have the time to wait. You need to be able to speak to them and tell them you do not intend to be claimed or conquered. Luckily, your opinions on this may actually matter to them. Something about their gods. Your people might be able to keep this from escalating.”

Suddenly knowing things she had no way of knowing was a weird feeling. “Are you… doing that?” She asked Gar’Tan out loud, visibly confused. Confusion would give way to apprehension once Ixtaro confirmed her fears. “Alright, you.” She pointed at Gar'Tan, "Out." Pointing at her head and then a shooing motion, "Otherwise gun." She pointed at the S'Tor again, sticking to the simple way of communicating via known words. Not the best way to convey her grievance, but in the moment that was the best she could think of. Gar’Tan would be able to feel that she didn’t actually mean to harm him or anyone else and her weapon remained untouched on her back, she was just surprised and frightened. Not as much frightened of him or his abilities as of what he could find in her mind. Engineers, doctors and commanders knew too much about the ship, the crew or both to be allowed to have their minds read willy-nilly. Maybe that wasn't how that worked, maybe he was more like an empath, reading emotions and intentions rather than thoughts and memories, but could they risk it? Of course not. Might as well hand them the keys otherwise.

“Let's wait for a middle man who doesn't have critical information in their head and let’s put the brakes on the sharing.” She advised Ixaro. Of course she had no clue how or if Gar'Tan could be prevented from reading them. Tinfoil hat? Lead? Crystals from some New Age loon? Best not explain Jotunheim either, the less talk there is about deities and mythology, the better. Way too many conflicts over theological differences in human history for that to be a good idea.

But even if Gar’Tan stopped poking around her head, he should still be able to understand what she was saying by reading someone who understood her, right? “We’ve actually been able to travel between and even settle the worlds around our star for a long time - for example, Ixtaro is from Earth, whereas I was born on a different world - but we’ve only recently gained the ability to travel to more distant ones. As you’ve no doubt figured out for yourselves, the Jotunheim was damaged by the attack and subsequent crash. It will take time to repair it so we can return home, and we might need help in securing food and materials to do so. That is, those materials that you know of and assuming we can eat your food safely. Neither of us are in position to promise anything, but with our commander’s blessing, we could trade some of our knowledge for the necessary supplies.” She said before Mallory interjected, making her sigh.

“Oh, now he starts organizing things, instead of having people out here on a regular rotation and a civvie on standby to translate through. Fucking officers will be the death of us yet.” The former enlisted woman growled. Screw it, she promised Zeynap she wouldn’t defy her again, Mallory didn’t come up in that conversation. Having told the locals of the good, it was time for the bad, even if what she was going to say fell far outside the realm of any authority she had on the ship. “However, due to a lesson learned in our history, we will not share any knowledge that would give any given group a significant advantage without scholars from other nations present. Either all sides profit, or none do. On that note, and especially given the border dispute, I think Silbermine should be present and have a chance to speak for himself. Herself? Itself?” Vigdis could only think of one sure way to tell and she was not going there. “And if he intends to bring an army to take what doesn’t belong to them by force, it would be polite of us to explain what awaits any who try.”

Eva left the brainwork to the people who didn't have an urge to open fire on the aliens the moment they made any sudden movements. Instead, she kept herself busy with the more menial tasks around the ship, moving goods, using her bots and EVA Javelin for their intended purposes to scout the immediate area nearby. Yes, Eva liked to keep herself busy, and if not busy, then sleeping.

Now however, was not a time she was doing either. She sat cross legged on the floor, tools scattered around her as the dog shaped ERU watched closely from it's position under her watchful eye. Nothing particularly dangerous had happened, yet regular maintenance was important, especially now of all times. A soft buzz in the back of her mind, her name repeated at least once. She stood slowly after finishing with the ERU, watching it test it's front legs timidly before rising back to all fours and falling in line behind her.

Eva stood at a distance from the barricade, watching humans and locals mingle from a distance for a moment before finally deciding to move back to her corner of the bay, slip inside her Javelin and move closer with her doglike bot in tow, just in case.

She was, as always, tapped into comms she likely shouldn't have been, and as always, was willing to butt in. "I second Itxaro, no matter how advanced we are in comparison to them we have no method of escape, no way of telling how numerous their groups truly are, and limited supplies. Even if we were here to fight them, we aren't in any position to do so. Trust me, I get it, but an itchy trigger finger will only get everyone here killed, and the locals here have the edge in both supplies and numbers especially in the long run. Keep our offensive tools close to our chest, and try not to waste the whole surprise on looking big and scary when we don't need to."

Eva stopped shy of the barrier, knowing she would draw attention. Moving slowly past the barrier she bowed deeply to the group of locals before rising to the suit's full height again. "Itxaro, you got anything off the top of your head for me other than standing around and looking big?"

“Mallory, listen,” Itxaro began into her comm link, “We are all playing nice here, but it is a very precarious situation. If you come out here waving your fucking guns around, it will not end well. Meet us out here if you want, but for our sake, leave the goddamn goon squad behind.”

"Itxaro," Mallory scowls as he switches to his headset, waving some red-faced crewman that had just ran into the bridge to stand by. "While it's great that the local chapter meeting of the Itxaro Fan Club has come to see you, nobody remembered to put it on the ███████ calendar!"

There was an expression from the Navy, 'you have the devil to pay'. He'd asked a Navy commander about that once at a conference, and was told that the 'devil' was the longest seam along either side of a wooden ship's keel, and to help keep the water mostly out of the ship, they would 'pay' or stuff the seams with lengths of tarred fiber called 'oakum'. Since the devil was the longest seam, it was cold and miserable work, spent mostly bent over while standing in cold, knee-deep sea water. And right now he wanted to put the both of them on the nastiest job on the ship. Like manually checking the waste piping for every toilet, sink, and shower for leaks. Daily.

"I am very ███████ aware just how precarious our situation is, here," he adds. "And before we have these ███████ fan club meetings, I want to make sure everyone is on the same ███████ page so we don't inadvertently wind up very ███████ dead or carnival attractions in ███████ cages for the rest of our hopefully short, miserable, ███████ lives!"

He knew he had a reputation in the ships he was in as being pious, and the other clueless officers and enlisted took great pleasure in trying to shock him. But when the service outfitted him with the recording system in his head, they had stressed to maintain decorum at all time, as his recordings could be used as evidence in a court-martial. Or in his case, a divorce. And profanity, they had drilled into him, did not reflect the service standards of professionalism. It was hard enough to be sent to study some painting in the ship's library while his superiors held meetings they didn't want to get back to headquarters. But if they never got back to Earth, there would be nobody to review the recordings making note of how many times he said ████ and trying to bleep it away, then have some sadistic upperclassman in the academy torture cadets with remembering that ███████████.

Captains set policy. Executive officers executed that policy and ensured the health, safety, and welfare of the crew. And ████ Itxaro and Vigdis if they didn't understand that.

"Bridge," he ordered. "Now."

His cold, hard eyes flicked towards the now pale crewman standing in the doorway.

"What?"
"Ah, not that important," they smiled wanly. "Ah, I... uh, think I'm needed elsewhere."
"Then get there."

Mallory watched as they fled the bridge, then turned back to the displays. He'd hate to ask Ezra to shoot any of the locals if they tried to stop the two crewmen from returning inside, as that would make their situation worse, most assuredly. But his job was to ensure the safety of the crew.

Through the interior cameras in the shuttle bay, Wodan observed this meeting at its entrance. He could hear what was being said, but it was still difficult for even him to process what was transpiring. Itxaro and Vigdis were speaking in English, and a bit of Spanish, while the natives were still speaking their native tongue. Yet, everything about their words suggested that they were somehow understanding what the natives were saying, and vice versa. Wodan double-checked his audio equipment, but there was no fault he could detect. He had no information on how either side could have learned the other’s language so quickly.

For Gar’Tan, the arrival of the large machine was unnerving, but his companions were not panicking, so he kept an appropriately calm demeanor. Besides which, peering inside revealed the presence of another mind: a Human mind, at that. It was not a machine, but must have been armor of some sort.

Yet, as Gar’Tan opened his mind to those around him, he could not stop feeling another presence. More eyes on him, more minds aware of him. He followed the feeling, and ended up gazing straight up into one of the cameras looking down on them.

<Huginn: The reptilian appears to be observing the security camera.>
<I do not have any data to suggest that it would know of its significance.>

<Muninn:Maybe it just observed some glare from the lens?>

I am observing you.

---

With Gar'Tan's assistance, after being allowed to use his powers by the Inquisitors, Nellara hoped to be able to explain the humans exactly what was going on. Fortunately, it didn't take much until Ixtaro appeared from inside the ship. Before Nellara could say anything to Ixtaro, Kareet, who was clearly very excited for finally being able to communicate with the humans, asked Gar'Tan to explain her what he was capable of doing.

"Please Gar'Tan, and thank you." Nellara said, nodding her head as she agreed with Kareet's words. Silently, Nellara couldn't help but admire Kareet's deep curiosity and love for knowledge, which prevailed despite the tense situation they were facing.

Not wanting to overwhelm the humans with information, she patiently waited as Gar'Tan connected his mind with Ixtaro and explained the situation, waiting for the humans to get a bit more comfortable before she started to talk.

Other than Ixtaro, Vigdis was the next known human to soon arrive to receive them. Nellara offered a small nod as a greeting to her.

When Vigdis asked about Silbermine, Nellara didn't try to hide her dissatisfaction and irritation as she shook her head negatively, before raising her hand and asking Vigdis to wait for a moment.

Jeon's worry was indeed a valid one, unfortunately, just as he said, there was no means to communicate consent to them with just the few words they knew...

"We will hope they will understand us and forgive us for our intrusion... Explaining 'consent' and asking for it with only a few, simple words and gestures seem to be next to impossible, no matter how much I think about it..." Nellara replied to J'eon with a deep sigh.

When Kerchak asked if there was a way for them to convince Silbermine to back down, Nellara silently shook her head, before she turned to him with a grim expression.

"Seeing the point this situation has reached, avoiding a war against Mythadia seems very unlikely... Unless the king of Mythadia recognizes Silbermine's crimes against the Ascendancy and makes an active effort to repair the relationship between the nations... Which is honestly, very unlikely." Nellara replied. Kerchak would be able to clearly discern in her voice that despite her position as someone who held a good deal of military power and authority on the Ascendancy, she was also not happy with the outcome.

The moment she began hearing Ixtaro's words, clearly understanding them thanks to Gar'Tan's help, Nellara could barely contain her excitement. They were effectively, the first people in Kanth-Aremek that were able to communicate with the humans. For a moment, Nellara could understand how a scholar such as Kareet was feeling right now.

While Nellara and the others already understood some parts of Ixtaro's explanation, she still listened to her quietly, paying close attention as she explained more clearly about themselves, about the ship their built and their origin.

"Pardon me for the delay in replying. I merely wished to not overwhelm you with information for the first few seconds after Gar'Tan began the connection." Nellara finally replied to Vigdis, giving a step forward as she greeted Vigdis and Ixtaro with a respectful nod.

"Before addressing the current issues, I would like to ask your forgiveness for the intrusion. A thought mage was the only means we had to communicate properly. I hope you understand our choice to act and forgive us, seeing the tense situation we are in." Nellara said with a sigh as she gave a small bow as a reply to Ixtaro, after it began clear that there was some discomfort with the situation by the side of humans.

"Regardless, I wish to assure you that Gar'Tan will not pry on your memories or do anything to steal any secrets you might have. Especially since the Inquisitors and the Thought Mages belong to a neutral party and are not directly associated with the Ascendancy or any kingdom." Nellara continued.

"Without more delays, allow me to address your questions and explain the current situation." Nellara continued, giving a moment to both Ixtaro and Vigdis, especially since the latter didn't seem to be particularly comfortable with Gar'Tan's intrusion on her mind... Which was honestly quite understandable, as Nellara had already went through such process a few times before, while she was training to be a Castigator.

"Kareet's explanation is pretty spot on. Silbermine claims that your ship is a temple that was offered to them by their gods and wishes to claim it, according to their own word. After knowing you are the owners of such ship, he wishes to call his engineers to dismantle the ship and take you with them 'under their protection'... Fancy words for taking your technology and yourselves as hostages. All because apparently, they think your fortress-ship rightfully belongs to them, a gift from their gods. Especially after they saw the emblem on the side of Jotunheim." Nellara continued, expanding upon Kareet's explanation.

"Not only Silbermine invaded Ascendancy territory, clearly ignoring the natural borders between mountains and the marshlands, but he also established a military camp and wishes to annex this region as his own. The fact that he also called for an army is already enough of an offense and disrespect to the Ascendancy to justify a declaration of war." she continued explaining, being sure to give both Vigdis and Ixtaro a few moments between her words, allowing her to fully absorb and understand what she was saying.

"The city of Lenkik is governed by the Ascendancy and the Order of Magisters. I am a Castigator, someone who was dispatched to Lenkik by the capital, Arcadea and the order of Magisters itself to help maintain order and deal with any threats to Lenkik." Nellara said, briefly explaining her position and the influence she had on Lenkik, hopefully as a way to show the humans that not only she was someone very powerful, but that she had the means to help and intercede for them, such any issues arise.

"In order to avoid any unnecessary confrontation with Silbermine and his forces, our hope was to communicate with you, so you can clearly tell them that you are not 'envoys' of their god, nor you are willing to surrender your ship and your technology to them." Nellara continued.

"I have already ordered for an army to be dispatched in order to deal with Silbermine and his knights as a response for their invasion of Ascendancy lands. As the one responsible for giving the orders to this army and as a direct envoy of the Order of Magisters from Arcadea, you have my word we will not approach your ship without your strict consent and permission, so I ask you to not worry. Our goal is only to repel Silbermine out of Ascendancy lands and protect the humans, so your rights as sentient beings will not be violated." Nellara said, her words suggesting that slavery wasn't exactly 'uncommon' in Kanth-Aremek.

"I am well aware of how bad this situation might look on your side, but I ask you to believe me when I say our intentions are good." Nellara said, before she took a long glance towards Kerchak, Kareet and her soldiers, before she gave a firm nod, reassuring them that she knew what she was doing.

"Should it help to reassure our peaceful and diplomatic intentions, I am willing to offer myself as an... Ambassador for the Ascendancy for a diplomatic exchange with the humans." Nellara said as she turned towards Kareet and very clearly handed the small pouches she kept inside her armor with both the steel spheres and the refined iron sand, which were the closest thing she had to her actual 'weapons' to the humans.

Even for them, the meaning before Nellara's actions and her words were clear. She was basically offering herself to be their hostage for the time being. An easy way to assure them that the Ascendancy wouldn't anything to harm them. It was a gamble. A dangerous one, but she hoped it would be enough to assure the humans of her peaceful intentions.

Though the Captain was otherwise occupied, Wodan had been keeping her appraised of the developing situation in the shuttle bay. There were still no shortage of mysteries, but what was readily apparent was that no one could afford to simply sit aside at the moment. She arrived at the bridge without a word of warning. She appeared tired, most certainly, and perhaps irritable by her expression. However, she gave no complaint. Indeed, there was little emotion in her words, so it was hard to say exactly how she felt. But, her orders for Mallory were clear: head down to the shuttle bay himself and see what was happening with the locals while she took over on the bridge.

Jack blinked, his face wooden. He never expected the captain to undercut his position like this. He came to attention, snapping his heels together.

"As you command," he said, saluting, the old familiar routines coming back to him. "You have the deck and the conn, I stand relieved."

Of course, saluting was not something the Captain's people did. Jack dropped the salute, then spun around with military precision to face the bridge hatch. Opening it, he stepped through and closed it behind him waiting to hear the click of the hatch securing itself. Pain briefly flashed across his face before it firmed.

It was the Fox and Aries Base all over again.

His first step faltered a bit, then he steadied as he headed towards the midships airlock.

The security force, such as it was, was waiting for him by the shuttle hatch. "Captain's orders," he said, his lips thin. If they hadn't heard now, they would soon. He'd been reduced to an errand boy. How many of them would try to gang up on him this time, he wondered?

"Stand by. If we have a situation, rescue Itxaro and Vigdis, that's an order."

Who knows if they would obey it, but Itxaro and Vigdis were necessary for the crew's survival. This wasn't Earth, who knows what sort of messy local situation was going on out there, with them dropped right in the middle?

Slipping into the airlock, he grabbed one of the respirator masks and checked the filters, then slipped it on, adjusting the straps. Holding his hands over the intakes, he sucked in air and felt the mask clamp down on his face, properly sealed. He then checked his pistol, confirming it was loaded with the safety on before slipping it back into its holster.

Cycling the airlock, he stepped into the hanger and looked around it. The hanger was the second-largest compartment on the ship, it would definitely do to temporarily house the civilians. He might even get his cabin back, but the bunk would probably wind up in here.

He made his way to the forward bulkhead until he found the gap the other two must have used to slip outside, and gingerly made his way through to the outside.

The sunlight was so bright, he blinked for a few moments waiting for his eyes to adjust, then saw Itxaro and Vigdis standing further down on the hull with more locals.

What was wrong with these two? Were they so enamored about being on an alien planet with several forms of intelligent life that they forgot how dangerous it was? The risks they were taking not notifying anyone that they were out here, exposed except for Ezra's rifle and drones? What if that Silbermine character decided to take one of them hostage? He didn't have to imagine what sort of damage those antlers would inflict on frail human bodies.

And Itxaro, he could be sure, would relish him coming out here, defying his authority, oblivious to the danger she was putting them all in.

"Itxaro, Vigdis," he called out, his voice flat and slightly muffled by the mask but coming in clear through the headset. He wasn't happy. "What's going on, here?"

---

"Are these terms clear?" a man asked sitting opposite a small table of Iris as he slid a packet of papers across to her.
"Not like you are giving me much a choice." she replied looking over the pages detailing the mission and voyage path of an exploration shuttle.
The man looked up slightly at Iris. "You will be closely monitored and are to follow instructions given from any superior command. I know you are used to running your own show, but you are not in charge of this one."
"Yes, yes." Iris said waving her hand dismissively at the man. "Necessary evils, and all that. What I don't see is where this helps me." There was a moment of silence between them as Iris flipped through the pages detailing the plans for a ship named Jotunheim, and her responsibilities as the lead Biologist. "I guess we are done here then." Iris broke the silence as she picked up a pen and began signing the pages. "Are you familiar with the story of Prometheus?" she asked as she continued reading and signing.
"The titan of Greek mythology?" the man replied not entirely sure of where Iris was going with the question.
"Yes, he was a god that stole the gift of fire to man, along with the knowledge of metal working. This jump started their development and speed up their advancements into science." she paused a moment looking over the papers in front of here one last time. "He was punished for this, damned to an eternity of suffering." Iris slid the papers back to the man across the table.
"Lets not forget," The retorted as he swept up the papers. "That Prometheus was also a devilish trickster and spurred a war between the gods and the titans, and the titans did not win that war" He stood up and left began to leave the room.

- - - ___ - - - ___ - - -

Iris felt cold, very cold, as well as a host of many other things that were not pleasant. There was a hissing sound and then suddenly a rush of air that jolted her awake.

"Doctor Lambert" A voice called out to her.

"Iris, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Iris knew this voice, but it sounded muffled and far away. Iris raised hand up in front of her eyes as she squinted through the bright lights of the Medical Room.
"Richard," she said flatly. "Bring me some water, and a-" Before she could finish there was a sharp pain in her arm as something was tugged loose. An IV maybe? she thought as she reached for the source of the pain.
"We already have a hydration drip going, doctor, and here." she said laying a small towel in her lap with a protein pack. "Your vitals are good, and your Cryo-sleep shows no sign of being tampered. You're lucky." Richard said as Iris slowly came around to being fully functional.
"what do you mean lucky?"
"There was… complications before launch, and well… lets just take it one step at a time alright." Richard said hesitantly. Iris could see that he was shaken up a bit, and from the state of the medical room she could put together a bit of what was going on.
"Richard, I am not a child. I am 47 years old and want to know why we are in such disarray."
"Well, there was a fight before launch… and um, the FTL drive didn't quite work as planned." He stammered a bit trying to find the words to explain things.
"Richard, are we lost?"
Richard laughed nervously "You could put it that way… We are on a planet… but we are not entirely sure where."
Iris sighed heavily and laid back on the bed. This is great, stranded on an unknown planet, who knows how far from anyone.
"I would rest for a bit, before going about. Your disorientation will last for an hour or two." With that Richard left to go tend to other things.
"I know you aren't telling me everything, but I will find out in my own time I guess."
Richard paused a moment "Your things for getting around the ship are on the side table. I will let the captain know you are up." With the Richard left.

After some time of sitting and watching what looked like a small mobilization force pass by Medical, curiosity started to over come Iris on what exactly was going on. Slowly she made it to her feet, got a few things that Richard left on the side table, and made her to the door. taking a little to get her bearings Iris made her way to her room where she would find some more suitable attire. Walking down the hall there were a couple ceiling panels taken down, and an engineer working on a wall console looking a bit frustrated. Getting into her room Iris changed into her regular attire before grabbing her tablet and ear-piece and heading to the lab to check on things there. Best to see how things are in the lab if the ship has suffered some kind of damage

Itxaro was, simply put, out of her comfort zone.

The engineer was more accustomed to brokering a late term paper submission with a stressed-out student, not political negotiations between two alien nations teetering on the brink of war. Certain types of stress she could handle, too. Nuclear reactor on the brink of overloading and pumping out lethal levels of radiation? Particle accelerator threatening to create a miniature black hole that will collapse the entire ship? Easy, no sweat. But she was accustomed to a single problem, an engineering problem, not seven different issues all pulling at her in different directions.

Itxaro was distressed, but the game of telepathic telephone commenced, and she jumped in feet first. Itxaro took frantic notes on her datapad for later use, typing as fast as she could in shorthand to keep up with each speaker. Jesus. If I ever get back to the lecture hall, I’ll slow down for those poor kids. This ain’t easy.

---

@EliteCommander

Kareet kicked things off; Itxaro thought he seemed the most eager to communicate with the humans, and the engineer sensed a kindred spirit here. Apparently, things were decidedly not through with Silbermine. In fact, they were centered right on the border between two nations, and there was a dispute over who could lay claim to the Jotunheim. Divine right versus territorial boundaries. Both factions were now gearing up for war as they spoke. Itxaro let out a deep sigh and cursed when this was relayed, but she quickly recovered her composure.

She’d been enamored with Silbermine when he first arrived, like something out of the Bayeux tapestry with his stunning retinue and elaborate armor. He’d even tossed her a trinket, like some knight giving her his favor after a victorious joust. But as Itxaro had tried to sleep, tossing and turning, her Marxist worldview slowly began to fill in the details. This was not an Arthurian legend. On Earth, the royalty had exploited peasants, waged pointless wars, and lined their pockets at the expense of the commoner with the useful excuse of divine right. She trusted that things would not be so different on this new planet. The aliens now outside of the Jotunheim didn't possess the same regal bearing. They were a mixed bag; bureaucrats, scholars, artisans, soldiers, and… Whatever Shirik was. But probably not ruling class.

“Thank you, Kareet,” Itxaro replied, nodding to the Tekeri. “I promise we’re not gods, but I’ll do everything I can to prevent war. That’s the last thing we want. Will Silbermine trust Gar’Tan to translate for us? Or will he use his own? I’d, eh, rather not do that.” She wasn’t used to Gar’Tan’s mind magic, or whatever it was, but he hadn’t scrambled her brains yet, and Itxaro didn’t relish the idea of yet another total stranger delving into her mind. Better the devil you know.

---

@Starlance

Vigdis spoke up, overcoming the initial shock of a foreign presence in her head. A process that involved subtly threatening Gar’Tan with her gun. Nope! She doesn’t mean that! She’s just kidding! I think! Itxaro thought loudly, if such a thing is possible, hoping Gar’Tan would pick up on the message. But maybe leave any new arrivals alone for now, until I explain, uh, this.

On paper, Itxaro liked Vigdis’ proposal of a middleman. But who? Almost everyone on the ship either had mission-critical information, or was a stowaway scared out of their minds. Maybe Eva? That’d be a sight. That, and they were already working through two layers of translation, from human thoughts to alien. Adding in yet another barrier seemed like a time-consuming process, time they might not have. That, and Itxaro was growing almost protective of the aliens. She had the most contact with them by far, and the engineer didn't entirely trust the other crew with the delicate process. Not that she herself was some great diplomat. Still, Itxaro was willing to play ball. “If you’ve got any candidates in mind, I’m all ears Vigdis. But I’m gonna keep at it. What’re they gonna do, build an FTL drive?” Itxaro replied with a shrug. She wondered if they could build an FTL drive just from her knowledge, but even then, the engineer didn't know enough about the other aspects of shipbuilding and metallurgy to get them very far. She also wasn’t entirely onboard with Vigdis’ approach, seeking neutrality, but she kept silent on the matter. Itxaro was just glad her fellow engineer was by her side, differing views or not.

---

@TinyKiwi

Eva’s voice cut through the comms, and the engineer noticed the hulking Javelin behind her in the shuttle bay. Itxaro felt the hair raise on her neck. And now I’m really in the crossfire. Mierda. Eva's statement didn't exactly reassure Itxaro, but it was nice to know the Javelin wouldn’t be opening fire on the aliens unless provoked, and Itxaro didn’t foresee this group making any moves. Ezra, on the other hand, she wasn’t so trusting. Itxaro quickly switched from the local comms channel to a direct line with Javelin pilot. “Hey Eva, that thing’s bullet-proof, right? If the X.O. and his buddies or Ezra start shooting, it would be so fuckin’ cool if you put yourself between the gunfire and our new friends, save their assess. No pressure though.” Then, Itxaro switched back to the general channel and replied, for all to hear, “ Just keep an eye on our new friends here and look tough I guess. Vigdis might have some, ehm, diplomatic work for you if you’re up for that." Itxaro glanced sideways to Vigdis, who would overhear the little exchange, and shrugged. If Eva told anyone about Itxaro’s little request, the engineer would probably receive the space equivalent of keelhauling, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

---

@Expendable

Then, Mallory’s familiar voice.

Itxaro had just been finding her groove, her “work fugue” as she called it, where her occasionally volatile emotions dulled and her focus sharpened. That all came crumbling down quite rapidly. Itxaro laughed in disbelief and ran a hand through her hair. Part of it was that Mallory had been right; she relished the interactions with the natives, and had shirked her duties for a secret meeting with Shirik. But also, the X.O. used her first name. That really set her off.

“That’s Dr. Ibarra to you. Fucking Yankee,” Itxaro replied bitterly. She had a tirade of curses, insults, and threats lined up, but she had just enough self-control left to rip off her comm link and jam it into her pocket. Come down here. Oh God, please come down here. I’ll shove your head so far up your ass, Mallory, you just might see shit clearly.

If Gar’Tan was tuning in, he’d be getting an interesting show.

---

@13org @EliteCommander @Expendable

Itxaro didn’t have much time to cool off before her thoughts were bombarded with more translations, this time from Nellara.

“It’s fine. We’re fine. We’re allll cool over here,” Itxaro said, though it wasn’t clear if she was responding to Nellara’s apology for the thought mages or just reassuring herself. It didn’t take a thought mage to determine she was in fact not fine, her body quaking with anger as she aggressively typed out notes on her datapad.

“Vigdis, you gotta keep that guy away from me. I just might kill him,” Itxaro said, clenching her jaw.

Thankfully, Gar’Tan’s translations, though unnerving, had a calming effect on Itxaro. Maybe the thought mage sensed her agitation and was altering her mood somehow, but Itxaro had a feeling this wasn’t it. Perhaps just hearing a calm, neutral voice in her head that belonged to her, but didn't, broke up her raging mind and helped her relax. It made Itxaro feel as if she, too, was calm. At least, enough to realize what a huge mistake she’d made in blowing up on the XO.

Itxaro shook her head, deciding to save the embarrassment for later, but not before one quick self-flagellation. They don’t see you as Dr. Ibarra, FTL specialist anymore. You’re the spicy, angry Latina now.

She managed to come back to the moment at hand. According to Nellara, Silbermine didn’t just want to learn from them, he wanted to claim them, seeing them as some sort of gift from the gods. Take apart the Jotunheim and haul them back as trophies. There goes neutrality. At least, if she’s not lying. Either way, she made a mental note to scrub that stupid logo off the Jo’s hull, maybe rip it off her uniform while she was at it. Itxaro wondered if Gar’Tan was truly neutral, and figured it was worth giving it a shot.

“Gar’Tan, is Nellara telling the truth about all this?” She asked bluntly. “You don’t have to answer if it’s against your code, or honor, or whatever, but for the love of God, don’t tell Nellara I asked.”

Nellara’s description of the situation they were in painted an incredibly bleak picture. Two armies on the march, annexation of the territory, and war against the Ascendancy, whatever that was. Doesn’t sound like a royal house. At least, on Earth it doesn’t. She assumed that the Ascendancy was some sort of governing body, a joint power structure with the Order of Magisters, of Nellara was a member, that ruled over Arcadea. Pretty complex for what Itxaro had assumed was a medieval society. More like Renaissance Italy than medieval England, all these orders and guilds. It was a good sign, though, or so she thought.

She was at a loss for words when it came to Nellara. Another apology felt trite, so she held back the impulse. Then, the Tekeri offered herself up as an ambassador. “Ok. Ok ok,” Itxaro said as she paced. “So we’re about to be in the middle of a war, which we caused. Good. Nellara, I’m already in deep shit with my higher-ups for even talking to you right now, so let’s put you coming on the Jotunheim on the back burner for now until they give me the thumbs up. Would love to have you all on board and show you around though,” Itxaro added with a wan smile. She thought for a moment, idly scrolling through her notes.

“Is there any way we can avoid conflict here? I don’t know anything about this Silbermine. Would a show of force work deter him? Offering tribute maybe? We’ve got more pens, I think. I can’t speak for my commanding officer, but we’re not just gonna let them take the Jo apart." Itxaro looked to J'eon, the only Glen in the group. Probably racist, or species-ist to ask, but it doesn't hurt to try I guess.

"J'eon, what do you think? Are you familiar with Silbermine, or anything about their religion? Why are we, eh, a sign from the gods? We need to know what's going on if we're gonna get out of this mess." She hoped she didn't offend the Glen, doubly so given his massive stature, but Itxaro figured she needed all the viewpoints and information she could get.

Itxaro paused. “If it comes to it… Is everyone on this planet... Uh, magical?” So far, she’d seen most of the natives perform some extraordinary feat that defied traditional logic. If they were going to fight, it would be good to know if they were against a planet of fire-spouting wizards.

---

@Expendable @EliteCommander

Itxaro heard Mallory speaking again. Didn’t I take that damn thing off? Then she turned around and saw him. The stars shone above her with the mad clarity of altitude, free from light pollution, and Itxaro stood there for a split second. Planning her next move. The engineer noticed the gun slung on Mallory's hip, and from the way her loose jumpsuit snapped in the wind, knew she hadn’t thrown on one of her own.

“Welcome to the Ibarra fan club, XO,” she said with a sweeping gesture. “Sorry about earlier. Some ensign told me to get to the shuttle bay, and I did. Shit’s popping off out here, you know how it goes.” She pulled up her datapad and sent the scrambled notes she’d been taking to his device. “Here’s the official meeting minutes. According to our friend Nellara here, we landed on a disputed border, Silbermine wants to strip the Jotunheim for parts and take us prisoner, and two armies are on the way looking for a fight, right now. Communication is pretty useful, huh?” Itxaro forgot the notes were written in Spanish. "Ehh, run'em through Wodan, they'll figure it out. Probably good they're up to speed, too."

She was still fuming, but not quite ready to punch her commanding officer. If not for my sake, then at least for the natives. Itxaro tried to hide her anger in the half-joking, jovial banter. She couldn’t resist that last jab though. If we turtled up on the bridge, we’d wake up in the middle of a warzone.

As if she’d forgotten a minor detail, Itxaro added, “Oh, and this one here is Gar’Tan. He can read minds. But don’t worry, he’s non-partisan." Then, she figured she'd throw him a bone, give him some authority back. "Vigdis says we need an ambassador for the human race; any suggestions? They've already got theirs and want to come aboard. Don't worry, I pushed it off. I vote Eva. Are we voting?” She turned to Gar’Tan and spoke directly to him to ensure the S'tor got the message, using the near-incomprehensible pidgin of Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish common on the streets of Havana. “Don’t read this one yet; he might actually shoot you.”

@Regime Goon @13org

Kolvar Stilmyst

Kolvar was intensely listening to their conversation. His eyes lit up when the humans were talking about their ship and how they were from a place called “Earth.” Kolvar moved a little closer toward the humans wanting to ask them some questions. “And how do you move your ship without any sails? What is your planet like? Is it much like our own? Is it barren and that is the reason you left?” Kolvar was curious why they had left their planet. He wanted to answer her questions, but Nellara and the others knew more about what was happening with Silbermine.

He looked saddened that a possible battle seems to be imminent. He was not sure how good he would be in battle than the others, but he would do his best to protect the group, especially the humans. He needed them alive so he could learn more about them. So protecting them was his top priority. “Again I can help in the conflict by healing any wounded comrades. I can also use my life magic in a combative capacity.” His skills as a life mage would make him irreplaceable.

“Do any of your people have any working weapons that could be used to defend yourself?” He asked the humans.
His thought process assumes they could defend themselves easily. He thought about suggesting if they do go to war disguising himself as one of Sibermine’s soldiers, infiltrating his camp and slitting his throat. But that would only cause more trouble for not only himself but for the humans. Shaking his head disregarding that particular plan. Perhaps this conflict could be resolved peacefully, or so he hoped.