Itxaro hopped aboard the Jotunheim to make herself something approaching presentable, shaking the sand out of her hair and boots, and throwing on a clean jumpsuit. She still looked a little wild as she returned to the makeshift commons area outside the ship. They’d dragged together a variety of crates and other detritus from the crash to create something approximating a long dining table. No five-star accommodations to be sure, but the view wasn’t too bad. 

As the mixed crowd of humans and aliens gathered to take a slab off the massive roasting fish, Itxaro noticed several other dishes appearing alongside. Simple fare, mostly forage from the surrounding region along with whatever rations the locals had brought with them on their trip. 

[i]A regular Thanksgiving feast. Hope this doesn’t have the same second act.[/i]

Itxaro caught a glance at Zey, who beckoned her over. Curious about their catch.

[color=fff200]“Thanks, but it about caught [i]me[/i],”[/color] Itxaro replied to Zey. [color=fff200]“If Shirik hadn’t been there, you’d probably be down an engineer. Or I’d be very wet, at least.[/color]” 

Itxaro turned towards the mountains and gestured with a knifehand that followed the path they’d taken. [color=fff200]“Shirik showed me a huge lake up there to the south. Past the foothills, there’s a valley where the water gathers; you can just barely see the other bank if you squint. Runoff from the mountains feeds it, cold as hell and crystal clear.”[/color] She turned back to Zey. [color=fff200]“Like nothing back on Earth. If we have any anglers aboard, they'll want to see it. Mallory seems the type.”[/color] Probably more detail than Zey wanted, Itxaro considered, but she’d been excited to share her discovery. A crack in the façade. 

Itxaro took her leave to join the festivities but looked back to the commander. [color=fff200]“The fish isn’t too bad, either. Hasn’t killed me yet, anyways, though not for lack of trying. I’ll save you some, commander.”[/color] A faint smile on her lips as she left. 
[hr]
For Itxaro, it’d been a good day so far. A day to shape the days upon. She’d taken her seat at the long table, feeling like a disciple at the last supper save for the strange company. Human crew and Ascendency strangers, all intermingled in this peculiar convergence. A mosaic of shapes and forms, clothes and faces. Tentative conversation at first made more difficult by the translators, each individual grasping out for connection across the expanse of unfamiliar worlds and experiences, but common ground was soon established. Family, food, home. Comforting human voices and laughs interspersed with crow-like croaking and cackles. 

The first real step in interspecies diplomacy in Itxaro’s eyes, a fleeting moment of communion and a fragile harmony amid the chaos. 

Then she saw a familiar equine silhouette in the distance.

[color=fff200]“Oh, goddamn it.”[/color]

As if in response to her expletive, many of the Ascendency citizens and soldiers stood up abruptly and took their leave together like the Red Death had just arrived at the abbey doors. [i]He’s going artifact hunting.[/i]

Though the feast was far from over, Itxaro stood up and sought out Zey. 

[color=fff200]“What’s the move?”[/color] she asked in a hushed tone, her mind racing with possibilities. [color=fff200]“I don’t have an inventory on hand, but there’s a lot in the shuttle bay we can’t let them find. We'd lose leverage [i]and[/i] gear. No way we could outpace them on foot, and they know the land. I guess we can either get the Ascendency's help, or work with Silbermine.”[/color]

Itxaro paused, returning to the first thought she'd had upon seeing the Glenn.

[color=fff200]“Think they'd let us ride them?”[/color]