[IC] Mystique- "A techno-magic world"-NMV

[LeeRoy]

Two days after the original work day ended Jessibelle's people had made spectacular progress, the massive skeleton had been fully covered in its protective hull. About 600 men and women were devoted to the main ship, however 300 workers were devoted to another smaller project. These 300 workers were divided into three groups:

Group A: Smaller faster ships, 140 workers were focused on this project. Creating ships the size of fighter jets for easy combat deployment.

These ships were being built at a rate of 11 per day, their simple and small design assisted greatly. Their engines were small rotating tetrahedronal objects connected to output receivers, it functioned in almost the same way as an internal combustion engine in terms of output. They're not very advanced in terms of technology, but they would prove to be efficient.

Group B: 120 workers focusing on a second large ship, only 100 feet from end to end. They had made good progress but otherwise it was nowhere close to being finished.

Only the skeleton was built.

Group C: The remaining 40 workers were sent out with tradable materials to purchase enormous food stocks, these food stocks will be important in later days.

Now, back to the main ship. Day in and day out Jessibelle had been working alongside her people to create this great ship, the front section had been fully encased in a protective hull and a secondary section had been constructed. Attached to the massive H shape was a large hexagonal prism that was as wide and long as the H in front. it was, however, half as tall as the H is long. Making it an enormous skeletal block of metal that could be seen from miles away. They had been working tirelessly on the front half, leaving the second portion almost completely bare.

Time to get back to the character here.

Jessibelle, about 9pm took a break from working and traveled into the supercity and paid a rather hefty sum to be televised to the people of the city. With a bit of rehearsal Jessibelle planned something rather dubious for the people of Mystique. The Empress presented herself on what was equivalent of television to these people and began to speak, she spoke of many things but most importantly was her offer of mutual peace, at the cost of substantial trading supplies. Jessibelle worded this in such a way as to not sound threatening, but also excluding the option of violent opposition to the concept. This trade agreement was as such: The Ahs Chini would provide schematics for terraforming machines to return their planet to its former state, away from the wasteland appearance. And in return the Ahs Chini would be allowed access to any number of tons of metal for construction.

This exchange was rather vital, as the Ahs Chini were running low on tradeable goods, and if an exchange of information for goods and services wasn't enough then it would result in catastrophic failure of the fortress. Leaving Jessibelle's people stranded on the planet. Jessibelle, of course, mentioned this in the most innocent and damsel-in-distress-ly way possible. A few hours later and the empress met with the head political leader of the super city and discussed the agreement, with a bit of bargaining and Mortimer 'accidentally' breaking the arm of a guard who tried to disarm him, a consensus was reached.

The Mystans agreed to the trade agreement and Jessibelle returned home with good news.

It's quite sad that the terraforming technology wouldn't work on this planet, how unfortunate that technology doesn't work without magic here.

[LeeRoy]

After her exchange agreement with the people of Mystique she returned to the set up of her enormous space ship, a smile across her face. A quick announcement to her people and she had exponentially increased the morale of her people 100%, there wasn't a single unhappy face in the crowd. She retired to her chambers for the night and told her people to do the same, that tomorrow was going to be a big day. And it was.

The night passed, the robots attacked, the guards kept them back. Did you know, waves of the same attack actually become boring once you figure out how to keep them at bay? Jessibelle did, and though she lost two men that one night she was quite content with the way things are now.

In the morning of the fourth day of construction she ordered them into the same group as they were before, except group C was sent to gather the material discussed in the trade agreement. They hauled back such substantial stores of material that the build rate of everything was moved up to at least twice the speed they were before. With new construction machines and plenty of volunteers from the super city they had completed the full hull the main ship and secondary large ship by the end of the day.

One week and three days later: (The following is ALL for one plot point that I'm working towards. These will not be used in any sort of realistic combat scenario. I repeat, this is NOT for combat. This is for adversity in the plot.)

Jessibelle's fleet was of substantial size now, the Mystans had sent out a huge number of workers to assist in her construction of the ships. At least a thousand men and women were now helping the thousand workers of the Ahs Chini. They now had 40 total larger ships, similarly sized to the 100 foot long ship. They had also managed to salvage the onboard computers from some of the war machines, turning them into ship-board processors to calculate shots more accurately. The smaller ships filled the larger classes, numbering well within the hundreds. (202 to be exact.)

Categorization, manning, and arms of ships by size:

• Jessibelle's Ahs Chini Flagship, The Silver Maiden: Manned by 451 Ahs Chini workers and warriors this ship single handedly has the largest crew. With a genuine onboard AI, built from the processors of the ancient war machines. 1,560 meters long, at its tallest it is 520 meters high, at its widest it is 750 meters.
  
  The ship itself has four engines, two normal engines similar to earthen construction. However the other two are magic engines, enormous in size and outpit. The combination of multiple outputs with several oversized thrusters will allow for entry and exit from atmosphere with ease. It also allows for FTL travel in calculated distances.
  
  The front of the ship has two enormous railguns, running up almost the enitre length of the ship itself. These are 4,000 sequence rail guns, each sequence boasts incredible strength. These twin rail guns accelerate metal so quickly that it liquifies before being fired. (Much like the reapers from mass effect, except there's two of them.)
  
  The ship is crafted from thickly plated steel, at its thickest point it is 2 feet deep. At its thinnest it is 9 inches deep.
  
  It is lined from front to back in smaller cannons that can fire in every direction. About half of the smaller ships are inside the docking bay of The Silver Maiden.



• Ahs Chini Assault Cruisers: Medium sized ships that are lightly plated, running on two magic engines each. They carry a number of the smallest ships in their docking bays. Five jet sized fighters per cruiser. They're 100 meters long and 40 meters tall.
  
  These are each manned by 18 men and women.
  
  They are heavily armed but not in the same way as the flagship, they have several magic based weapons mounted on the front and sides. They fire off blasts of blue energy that function in much the same way as artillery fire. These too are capable of matching FTL travel in the same way as the main ship, however recharge time is required for extensive distances.



• Ahs Chini Space Fighters: Small ships with mystical engines that propel them at well beyond the speed of sound in the vacuum of space. They have the same kinds of cannons as the cruisers, although downscaled they pack a sizeable punch. They are one man fighters, they are not heavily plated. They are about 10 meters wide and 2 meters tall.

With the construction of her fleet finished she ordered the construction of the terraforming device, due to the help of the Mystans she had reconsidered her rather brash decision. The machine was wholly redesigned to function within the atmosphere of the planet. The engine would, over the course of the next few hundred years, repair the planet to its natural state.

If nothing bad happens to it.

Like a deliberately placed faulty wire that just so happens to be exposed to the fuel core.

To Jessibelle. After the past two weeks of hard work she ordered everyone to the fort to rest up for the night, including the guards. The numerous ships were a sufficient wall to prevent the mechanical zombies from attacking them in the night. And the way she saw it, they all needed a good rest. They had all worked so hard for her, the poor things. Jessibelle gave a speech to them before they all slept, telling them how they did an amazing job. You know how disingenuous praise goes. But they retired for the night and morning was just a dream away.

[ImportantNobody]

Melon stumbled out of the wreckage of his ship while barely managing to maintain his footing on the soil, his once crisp, spotless suit and pale face were now almost pure black from soot and various other debris that still clung to his heaving form. He tried to wipe the grime out of his eyes but his gloves were just as dirty. He recoiled back in pain as the situation was made even worse and his eyes stung to warn him of this fact; he had foolishly brushed dirt directly into his eyeball in his state of confusion.

Without equipment he was all too delicate, as this little display of his revealed. Not that you couldn't tell from first glance by how dainty he looks.

At least he was alive, he thought with a smile, once his watering eyes had cleared them enough to allow him to witness the blaze still going on behind him, enveloping the last trace of his ticket out of here within the fire and smoke. Everything was smooth sailing one moment until the next everything had failed to work, causing him to drop out of the sky while he was observing the creation of a mysterious fleet going on below him. Could he risk going over there to ask for assistance? He was only around an hour jog away and even faster by air, so certainly reachable. Perhaps he was too trusting of mysterious warship builders, but then again everyone deserves a chance to be trusted and accepted, so who was he to judge if these people may or may not be dangerous?

Okay, the ships were heavily armed so they were clearly dangerous, but maybe not dangerous dangerous. At least not to him anyways. He didn't wish to camp out in the middle of nowhere at any rate, so it was either go to the fort or find out how to build shelter for himself and eat bugs or something...an easy choice.

Before he set out he checked his supplies, wiping off the soot on the cleanest patches of the ground he could find to give him a better view. He still had on his Invisible Pocket, although it only had his weaker technology. It appeared like his other one was toast within the ship, which was a shame considering how much it had cost his parents, them sparing no expense on his safety, and he hardly had gotten a chance to use it. His thoughts went out to his mother and father at this reminder. He wasn't going to die here. They had faith in him to survive and help restore peace to the galaxy, so that's what he was going to do, and then he'd pay them a visit alive and well once he had enough of this adventuring.

He pressed a button on his wrist to activate his invisible pocket, proving that it was still working when a flash of light sprung into existence in front of him, revealing a white pod with wings about the size of a large man curled up. He stepped on board, the pod dipping slightly in midair at his weight but then returning to it's original levitation height without difficulty. He was so glad that this vehicle, Marshmallow, had been on the surviving invisible pocket. It would make things 10 times faster, infinitely easier, and he also had a ton of good memories riding on it. Squatting down to help himself balance and then leaning forward, the vehicle sped off towards it's destination. Speeding...speeding...floating...plop!

He face planted off of the vehicle and onto the ground, hearing the dreaded sound of Marshmallow crashing behind him, narrowly avoiding rolling him over by a lucky bounce sending it flying overhead, clattering one last time in front of her before going still, it's glowing light underneath the wings faded. It vanished back into his invisible pocket and not a moment later the lights on it went dark. He pushed a few buttons, only to realize to his horror that it was no longer working.

"EH?!?!?!" He shouted to himself. How could all of his tech be breaking at once? And at a time like this? Could the fall have done damage? He inspected the device once more, closer this time, but didn't see any problems. He didn't know if to be relieved or frightened. No known problems meant no known solutions.

He got back onto his feet slowly, dusting himself off.

"Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts," he thought to himself, warding off the sense of dread. As he traveled the sun was setting faster then expected, him only around 80% of the way there by the time night would fall. Days on this planet sure didn't last long, and what would happen in the dark? He couldn't see as well and might have an accident, monsters or not.

And then the monsters did come. At first he thought he was seeing things due to being paranoid or tired, but as they go closer he most certainly saw mechanized being roaming around...heading his way. Out for blood. This quickened his pace substantially, thin legs moving faster then they ever had before. He had to make it to the fort! He only had to focus on that, not whatever was stalking him. He wasn't made out for sprinting but he still managed in his adrenaline filled state. The walls loomed closer and closer, and when he got within shouting range he began to give pleas for help out at the top of his lungs. They were almost on him, and with no weapons he was a goner if they caught up.

" Please, please open that door, whoever you are!!!" filled his head as he shouted, arms waving more and more wildly as time passed. Just a few more moments and he was done for.

[LeeRoy]

The four advance guards were awoken to the sound of banging on the outside door, fearing the worst they equipped themselves in full riot gear. Dutch raised a brow to the rest of the crew, they all shrugged at him. None of them really saw this as a genuine threat, but they were the only ones awake and they were obligated to check. Lest they make the mistake of being too unwary and getting someone killed. So they armed themselves with longswords and assault rifles, once they were fully dressed they charged the door.

Outside, however, was not just a zombified machine. No, there was a small man fearful for his own life. The strange man was screaming at the top of his lungs. With good reason they soon noticed, behind him was a small group of the metallic monstrosities. They were dead set on capturing him. Had the guards not shown up he would have died.

Magdeline pointed at the pack and raised her gun up to her eye, looking down the sights at their heads. "Fire!" She shouted, the other three followed suit and unleashed a hail of lead upon the machines. It took a good bit of fire and two clips per guard but the robots were all felled in respectable time.

After felling the robots Arnold walked over to them and kicked at them with his front legs, testing to see if they're dead. Which unsurprisingly, they were very much dead. While he was checking the metal corpses Dutch approached the newcomer and poked his finger into his chest. "You, give me your name."

[ImportantNobody]

Melon was terrified of spiders, especially large ones, but the appearance of these people to save the day was enough to bring him joy that easily overwhelmed any other emotion, at least for the time being. He owed them his life, so it would be impolite to act frightened by their appearance even if that unsettling feeling began to fill him as the excitement of the ordeal began to wear off.

"Spiders aren't bad. These people are not bad," he told himself in his mind repeatedly. "Phobias are silly. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Ah, I'm Melon," he replied to one of their demands, standing with his back straight in good posture despite how tired he was from all his running making it difficult to even stand. If they looked with any attention at all they could probably see his body quivering, not just from the leftover adrenaline but also because of his sore muscles and fear. The name he gave wasn't his true name, but a codename he had used on earth because he loved to eat melons. He now blurted it out instinctively rather then his real name, but it might as well be his real name now. It was much easier for people to pronounce then his bizarre, alien (at least to them) name.

He stood still, not knowing what else to do besides wait for a reply.

[LeeRoy]

Dutch sighed to himself, placing a hand on Melon's shoulder. "Boy, you could have died you know? If the guard room wasn't posted right next to this door, you would have died. And we wouldn't have found your corpse until the morning." With a quick tug he began forcing Melon inside. "Better hurry on in, we don't know whether they'll be drawn in by the sounds of gunfire." The arachnid pushed the alien inside the building, scuttling down the hallways with the stranger in tow. At the end of the main hallway was a rather small, but not tiny, holding room.

With a quick shove he pushed Melon into the room and handed him a plate full of food, varying fruits vegetables and meats. Small stuff but enough food to give him a full stomach. "Sorry about this, but until morning comes y'gotta stay in here. Alright?" Without waiting for a response he closed the door and placed a padlock on it.

After locking up Melon for the night the four guards made sure there were no more machines coming, there were none, so they returned to their beds for the night. Once morning came the door to Melon's room was unlocked and in stepped a tall and dark figure.

Mortimer.

He growled out a few words to the stranger. "I hear your name is Melon. What kind of name is that?"

[ImportantNobody]

Melon was glad for some shut eye and a place to freshen up back to his normal cleanly appearance. He was especially glad that he wasn't eaten by monsters. All in all things could have gone a lot worse for him after his technology had malfunctioned. He'd have to mention this to them and see if he could buy some spare parts or see if they had any idea what was going on. He had all of these questions in mind, but a tall guy stepping into his room forcefully asked his own question instead. Oh well, guess he'd have to comply. He wasn't the rebellious type, especially when he was surrounded by his phobias who could easily have him dead before he had time to blink. He got up onto his feet and approached him, still keeping a safe distance.

"Well you see, sir, Melon is my codename because that was the first thing that came to mind when asked what I was called by an Earthling. I love eating melons, you see, and I couldn't reveal my true name to them or else gather suspicion that I was an alien...i-i-it's not like I lied to you guys or anything! I consider melon like my true name now so I'm not hiding anything!" He waved his thin arms frantically in front of him as if to ward off incriminating accusations. "So yeah, please just call me Melon, if you don't mind."

[Tantalum]

Carmen regretted travelling by foot. Reaching this far through the outer city wastelands had called for a several-hour travel through sunrise, and the barren landscape and temperature did not make it any more enjoyable. But time was never a problem for an ageless being, and thus her safety was a more pressing concern; if her somewhat shady goals were to be carried out, her energy would best be saved for the return trip.
The young woman was uncannily flawless in appearance, with tanned skin and neck-length hair which hung in waves down to her neck. A beige longcoat trailed behind her in light winds, with loose matching trousers and a grey top beneath. Her height was modest, but certainly did not impact the confidence of her strides, and nor that of the two companions which loyally followed after her.

Neither of the pair seemed to mind the journey - nor much else for that matter, as they lifelessly tailed behind in servile silence. To the left of Carmen, a 7-foot-tall, monstrous humanoid creature edged onwards with an uneven gait, its slit eyes held emptily upon its master. At first glance, it bore resemblance to a shark, complete with leathery skin, fins running down its back, a matching tail, and exposed gills stretching over its large biceps. Five of the creature's six limbs terminated in sharp, bone-white points, and bone-like plates of identical colour coated the entirety of its underside. Its remaining limb, specifically its right arm, supported a bulbous 4-foot crab's claw attached to the joint - or rather appeared to be supported by it, given its huge weight and lack of bipedal feet. The inner of the claw was laced with living gums - withholding rows of serrated teeth, further complimenting its predatory appearance.
Her second companion was more focused on the trio's surroundings, hovering a few feet above and opposite the shark-like creature. It appeared to be a cross between a rabbit and a dragonfly, possessing the body of the former, yet the wings and abdomen of the latter. A pair of mandibles fitted grotesquely beneath its pink button nose; three small ocelli rested above it, and two reddish eyes were planted obliquely on either side. Its elongated, gangly legs hung down from where it floated, and a feint purple sheen glistened beneath its dusky fur.

"Three ships tracked... and all of them got totalled?" Carmen sighed upon reaching her destination, laying a hand upon the what remained of the recent crash site. Molten metal and charred dirt surroundings encircled a damaged, single-manned spaceship, an event which had occurred no more than half a day ago. Indeed, this was not the first misfortune she encountered since her arrival on Mystique; by their frequency, she suspected it was the planet's atmosphere that caused foreign crafts to malfunction. "But," she voiced cheerily to herself, "this one has led me somewhere interesting."
The young woman helped herself to climb atop the wreckage, a feat she performed effortlessly despite her small frame. A quick outer search was enough to confirm anyone inside there had since evacuated, which was somewhat a relief. But more importantly, it gave a clear, spectacular view of what laid ahead; something which could just make her journey worthwhile after all.

If she didn't know any better, it looked as if she had encountered a war fleet, and a particularly modern one at that. Their designs were distinctly different from those which frequented the city, suggesting they were not affiliated, but their proximity to the city determined they were not enemies either. It was a longer shot than she anticipated, but she was sure to have a better chance negotiating here than with official transport.
What she assumed to be the fleet's base was nearby, an eerie structure held firm by webbed walls and supports. She was hardly hiding atop the shipwreck; if the locals were hostile, they likely would have fired at her already, but not before her flying accompaniment spotted them first. Developed as a scouting creature, its eyesight and hearing were more developed than most other lifeforms, detecting the slightest of changes in its environment. So far, no actions had been shown that warranted its attention, letting Carmen assume she was free to approach.
And so she jumped down from the craft's cockpit, and the trio headed calmly towards the fort in search of an entrance. Judging by the size of the fleet, they were greatly outnumbered here, enough to make her dismiss the idea of a silent infiltration. Rather, she would aim to keep this a peaceful visit - at least, for precisely as long as her hosts were willing.

[LeeRoy]

Mortimer's face remained rather blank as Melon explained himself, it was as though he didn't think that Mortimer didn't understand the concept of titles. "Come on." He ushered the alien out of the room with a tilt of his head. "Follow me, the Lady will likely wish to see a visitor in her chambers." Without waiting for him to follow he went on ahead, a quick pace to set for Melon. "You will need to remember two things while speaking to Lady Jessibelle. Do not point out her appearance. Do not point out her lisp. You would not wish to insult your host." The demi-human spoke with a completely unnecessary intensity to his words.

They reached the door and Mortimer knocked on it lightly, from inside a calm little voice hissed out. "Who isss it~?" With a little sing-song about it.

The stoic soldier spoke up in response. "My lady it is Mortimer and the newcomer. "

The empress grinned and called out to Mortimer. "Come in, I wissh to sspeak with thiss Melon~" Without hesitation he shoved Melon into the room and closed the door quickly behind them. The guard quickly went on his way to check the main door, it was morning now and the night guard was settling in for the day. Mortimer didn't want to leave a gap in the guard so he went to personally oversee it.

In the the Lady's quarters, Jessibelle was laying across her bed, letting her upper half dangle over the edge a bit. She was only just waking up you see, and was in no mood to actually move. However cheerful she was, she wasn't going to be moved an inch. "Hello, Melon, nicce to finally ssee you." Though she hadn't moved this morning there was a plate full of fruits from around Mystique, they were all artificially grown of course but otherwise they tasted alrght. With one hand she pointed at the plate, the other hand covering her mouth in a yawn. "Would you like ssome fruit, sssweetie? I eat fruit exxclussively , it'ss part of a diet I've been trying." To be honest, this was just her covering up for the fact that she couldn't reach the bowl.

Back to Mortimer and the Advanced Guards.

The half human walked down the hallway into the main room, hearing the sounds of the night guards heading in for the day he smiled. Mortimer knocked on the advance guard's chamber, giving a quick order for them to help him oversee the day to night transition. They obviously compled and changed into their uniforms. They only had their sidearms but they were still armed and equipped. They marched outside and watched the last guards made their way inside. "Good uniformnity, but we have a 3 minute gap in our guard cycle."

Almost immediately he heard the sound of feet thumping against dirt, someone was still out here. Mortimer pointed in the direction of the sound, wordlessly directing them that there was possibly a hostiile nearby. Four of them in unison withdrew their weapons, the leader did not carry a side arm. He moved silently, as a cat in midnight he strafed around the structure. There were three of them, mutants like himself. Concerning, if they were on the same scale of strength as he was then the guards would be at risk. They knew what they were getting into, he could not concern himself with their well being.

From the front the advanced guards marched forward, raising their sidearms up and trailing their sights on the three newcomers. They spat out an order to them. "Lay down any weapons on your person and raise your hands into the air. You are on site for a soon to be launch zone." Behind the three newcomers there was Mortimer, maintaining his silence and calculating which of these three would be their leader. It seemed to be the most normal one in the center, Mortimer would target her if they made the mistake of making a threatening action.

[Tantalum]

Carmen was not at all wrong to expect a welcoming party, as she found herself ambushed before even reaching the fort's outer walls. An interesting quadruple they were, she thought, observing their spider-like appearances and sophisticated uniforms. Somewhat heeding the guard's words, her walk slowed to a very gradual halt, and her arms parted to her sides.
As the warning was made, she was quick to pick up on the implication of the fleet launching soon; this was good for Carmen, for it meant less chance of being an inconvenience to them. But with the worst case scenario considered, she was certainly not keen on being caught up within a skirmish or war, no matter how small- or large-scaled it could be. Still, it would be worth her time to enquire; considering how long she had been stuck here already, waiting for an alternative could stall her for many more months than she was willing.

Clearly protective of its master, the shark-faced companion remained ahead and to the left of Carmen, its four arms partially stretched in front of her. Her scout, however, swiftly ceased flight and swivelled around, assuming a prone stance on all fours. Even while crouching at ground level, the scrawny rabbit-like creature still measured up to Carmen's waist. Its elongated wings gently swept the floor, and its five blackened eyes stared emptily at the lone general, cautioning the man without a sound.

"Blessed souls..." Carmen began, wearing the lightest and most innocent smile she could muster. "It pleases me to see such an orderly people." her doctored voice was perfectly sleek and well-pronounced, with a sense of ethereal softness surely beyond human ability. Not once did she turn to glance at Mortimer herself, but it was clear she had spoken loud enough for him to hear.
"...But isn't this a little much?" she questioned rather abruptly, her head raised at the guard who addressed the order. Making no sudden movements, she unfastened her coat buckle and removed the garment, apparently having nothing to conceal.
"I bear no weapons, nor seek any harm," she clarified, while folding the garment over the shark creature's lower right arm. "I can sympathise with your concerns, but there are more polite ways to greet a lady than at gunpoint, no?"

[ImportantNobody]

"Ah, yes, good to see you too. I appreciate all of the assistance that you have given me," he replied formally with a bow.

Although he normally preferred to act silly and event pull a prank or two, Melon didn't dare refuse her. Things were too far out of his comfort zone to be doing such childish antics. He had an all too serious look on his face as he inched forward slowly. As he got within grabbing distance of the plate his eyes quickly scanned the available selection of fruit in front of him. Unfortunately there was no melon, but that would be kind of hard to just pick up and eat right here anyways. He decided on the peach, daintily picking it up with his right hand while taking a step back.

"Thank you, your majesty," he said with a bow. "I am indeed a little hungry."

He wondered if she wanted him to eat it now or later, but made no mention of it so he decided that he might as well just dig in. He took a big bite, juice dripping down his face, which he wiped off with his left sleeve. The peaches here were, while nothing to write home about, which had some of the best selection of fruit available, still perfectly edible. It probably tasted even better due to the hungry he was experiencing. Too bad all of his food rations were burnt to a crisp along with his ship.

"About my...peculiar situation," he brought up, breaking the silence. "For some reason it seems like all of my technology has been malfunctioning ever since I entered the planet's atmosphere. Do you, perhaps, know anything about this? I see that yours is doing just fine."

For a split second he wondered if this group was somehow disabling any outside technology. The thought hadn't entered his mind until he said this. Well, even if it was true, that didn't mean that this group was bad. It could just be a defensive measure that accidentally lead to his crash. He tried not to show any of this consideration on his face, keeping it blank while he waited for a reply. What she said should be able to clear things up...he hoped. He finished off the peach while he waited.

[LeeRoy]

"One can never be too careful in a situation such as this, and the Lady's safety is our chiefest of concerns." Mortimer knew she was speaking to him, the smallest one had spotted him. The similar smell of their bodies was no coincidence, something was strange about them. Jessibelle would want more information on them, not just one newcomer. But four in recent times.

"Raise your hands into the air and head towards the fortress. The Lady will need to speak to you, she will decide what happens next. Understand?" The four guards ahead kept their guns raised and circled around, forming a nice shape around the three newcomers.

Dutch and Magdeline crept in closely and pressed the barrels of their guns to their backs, the other three came in close and started ushering them inside.

Meanwhile, in the chamber of Lady Jessibelle.

The meek little alien bowed before her, that was nice of him. Expose one's weak spots to someone you feel threatened by, good to know that he's already intimidated. Jessibelle can toy with that information a bit. When he approached the bowl she pushed herself forward on the bed, moving her face a bit closer to his. A peach, pale with fuzzy skin. Not unlike a human's flesh, a personal favorite of hers.

"You're more than welcome, Melon. Now, about your quesstion." With a bit of effort she pulled herself upwards, making sure to keep her blanket wrapped around herself. No need to be offensive to your guest, though that was Mortimer's fault. "On this planet, ssome form of energy disabless ssupernatural and technologic ssourcess. All of my sstudies ssay that it sshouldn't be posssible.' She turned herself around, hoisting herself up to her full height. "And yet it happenss. Sso we discovered that thiss planet hass ressolved this isssue by mixxing the two, creating magic fueled technology. Leading to a sslew of sstrange questionss that can't be answered by the people here. Too ssimple folk."

Jessibelle turned herself around with a slow scuttle, entering into a remarkably tall closet and closing the door behind her. She spoke through the door to Melon in the other room. "I'll return momentarily." After about a minute or so she returns in a strange outfit. Something along the lines of a space suit. But cut off at the waist. It was the kind that wasn't made of several interlocking pieces, just one piece with a rubber stopper to seal it in space. She was, of course, going into space. "What do you think?"

Jessibelle presented herself to the meek little alien man, showed him the suit that she had designed for her. "I'm going to have to cut thiss discusssion short, I'm afraid. We may continue on the bridge, but I do have a launch to keep on sschedule."

[ImportantNobody]

"Sounds troublesome," Melon thought out loud while he waited on her. "I don't have any magic."

At least it seemed that these people were being helpful about this whole frightening ordeal, even if they were part of his fear. He'd have to continue relying on their support of he was to make it out of this mess, if what she told him was true. Either that or somehow get his hands on some other techno-magic vehicle, but that would be far too costly for his budget of...0 dollars in whatever this planet used for currency.

She came out soon enough in a spacesuit more goofy looking then his own, especially on the body of a spider. He almost laughed, but managed to contain himself for fear of what would happen to laugh at a spider queen.

"Oh, um, it looks...nice," he replied, turning his face away from her so she couldn't see his grin. He was about to ask her why she'd be wearing a space suit when she answered the question before it even left his lips.

"So soon?! Well, I don't mind. I feel naked without my technology working, so the sooner we can leave and get it back up and running the better," he replied. "Once again, I appreciate your help, although I have nothing of offer either as payment or to show my appreciation. Most of my belongings were burned in the crash, so unless you want the clothes on my back, I'm afraid there's not much else."

He showed her a smile for the first time, revealing that he was now at least comfortable enough to slip a little joke in. Perhaps it was because she looked far less imposing in that suit. It's like if a spider crawls onto your arm but you find it wearing a top hat and doing a tap dance; far more amusing then scary.

He turned to follow her wherever she would lead.

[Tantalum]

"Your lady...?" Carmen took clear note of their rather admirable loyalty, their justifications all addressed under the presumed single entity they served. It came to some surprise that they intended to take her straight to their leader - granting her the convenience of not having to negotiate her way up the ladder, nor explain her business to anyone besides those who mattered. Although she had yet to learn the sort of operation being carried here, she could safely say it was being run right.

"...Well, do as you must," she submitted, briefly rolling her eyes at the notion. "I don't hope to trouble your schedule any more than my presence here." She was still no more impressed by the hostility she was met with, but if a mere point-blank firearm was enough to bring them at ease, her discomfort could go unmentioned for now.
Her words were punctuated with a final, inaudible syllable, serving to command her minions in several pitches above human frequency. Simple telepathy would usually suffice, but her abilities of using such had proved unreliable in her time on this planet. Nonetheless, the scout and the coat-rack ceased their hostility in a beat - no longer appearing to even acknowledge the troops surrounding them. Contently following their cues, she allowed herself to be guided towards the fort's entrance, the two constructs following just as calmly.

[LeeRoy]

Jessibelle turned out of the room, knowing full well that the outfit looked silly. It wasn't designed for fashion, unfortunately, it was only designed in case of hull breach. The people insisted she wear the outfit for her safety, just to make them feel better. Though she's totally comfortable with having the extra protection. Outside of the room she lead Melon down the hallways, a good number of the Ahs Chini were loading their stuff up into boxes and hauling them out of the fortress. Up the hallways the pair walked, an entourage of people scurrying around her with bags and boxes and crates loaded and hauled away. Occasionally she would smile and wave to the folks, they would respond with nods waves and bows. It was rather regimental, an example of just how quickly these spider folk work.

As they made their way down these fabric halls Jessibelle spots Mortimer and the four head guards surrounding a trio of newcomers, as the hallway clears of civilians Jessibelle and Mortimer lock eyes for one moment. She shoots him a menacing glare for a scant moment and he returns a shrug, it's something that only the most perceptive eyes would have noticed. Together their faces return to their normal dispositions, and soon the pair meets up with the party of eight. Jessibelle turns around to face Melon. "Pardon me for a moment, it sseemss I have other guestss." Turning back around she dismisses the four advance guards. "Alright you four, it'll be fine. You four take a party of volunteerss out and haul the remainss of Melon'ss sship into The Ssilver Maiden. Tell the workerss to repair it onboard once we launch, the poor dear'ss unable to get off the planet without our help."

Turning her attention to the three newcomers as the four guards head off to do as she orders. Mortimer's guard lowers as Jessibelle begins to speak to Carmen. "I asssume the mosst human of the three of you iss the leader?" Extending her head downwards in a gesture of equality. "My name iss Jesssibelle, a kind greeting to you. I am the Lady of the Ahss Chini, and I am the highesst authority of thesse people. I apologize for what will be a russhed converssation, ass we are on a sschedule. I ssuposse thiss converssation may be carried on the bridge of the Ssilver Maiden. Mind following me? We can make introductionss on board."

Passing the trio of newcomers she signals to Mortimer to walk along side her, she begins speaking in French to him. The native language of Mortimer's home country. "Mortimer, nouss ne pouvonss pass faire facce à ce genre de reverss. Nouss connaisssonss peu ou rien d'euxx et nouss ssommess ssur le point de laissser à bord. Veillez à ssécurisser mon épée ssur le pont, j'ai peut-être besssoin il."

(English: Mortimer, we cannot cope with this kind of setback. We know little or nothing of them and we are about to leave on board. Be sure to secure my sword on the deck, I may need it.)

The guard nods at her request and tilts his head slightly towards the total of four newcomers, questioning her judgement silently. "Ne vouss inquiétez pas Mortimer, je ssuiss ssûr que je sserai bien. Il n'est pass comme si je suiss incapable de gérer moi-même, d'ailleurss, l'un d'eux esst un incompétent clair."

(English: Don't worry Mortimer, I'm sure I'll be fine. It's not as if I'm incapable of handling myself, besides, one of them is a clear incompetent. )

With that, Mortimer nodded and parted ways with Jessibelle, dashing off to the ship to ensure her sword was fastened underneath her personal console. Allowing her to have her weapon within reach, should this situation turn sour. "Ssorry for the ssecreccy, the sship iss of vital importancce to me, and I had to enssure everything wass prepared for the launch. Mortimer will handle the launch ssequencce, sso that ssituation iss ssettled." These words were spoken without her turning around, the empress was too busy marching out the front gates and to the loading bay of the ship. A long staircase came down from the side and Jessibelle paused. "Melon, your sship iss insside in the repair bay. We were going to usse that exxclussively to repair our broken sshipss, and ssincce yourss was damaged we put it there. Assk the people in the hallss, they will direct you to your chamberss." Turning her attention to the newcomers. "Follow me to the bridge, we'll prepare launch ssequenccess on board while we conversse, sshall we?"

[ImportantNobody]

"My ship was in pretty bad shape, but if you could get it operational again then it would be most appreciated," Melon replied with a smile. He could finally feel himself warming up to this person at least a little bit. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, as his motto was, worked out for him yet again, as it would appear.

"I have to repay you somehow," he said. "But for now I'll retire to my chambers as requested."

The spider woman was already focused on someone else, a newcomer not like most of the others around here. An off worlder, perhaps, the same as him. He was a tad curious about her but decided on doing as told as asking about his room. He was getting really tired due to jet lag, his home planet completely off from this time table on when he should be awake and when he should be asleep. He'd be able to adjust during their flight, he hoped.

"Excuse me, do you know where my room is?" He questioned, then followed the first one who answered him.

[Tantalum]

As anticipated from earlier, the Lady herself was greeted and revered by all manner of races which served under her. Even on eight legs she carried herself with the air and confidence of a queen, yet spoke as modestly as any other. Her present attire was not particularly telling of her status, but taking her other company's cues, Carmen was not about to mention that out loud. Through the sheer trust and honour displayed, it was clear that Jessibelle was nothing short of untouchable in this domain - which, if not an oversight, was possibly the reason why the guards saw no need to restrain their captives.
Talking of such, another person had appeared alongside and behind Jessibelle; assumedly another visitor, if she was to tell by his vastly-differing suit and posture. It was easy enough to put two and two together, quickly learning he had survived or been rescued from the earlier wreck she discovered.

"It appears I have arrived at a less-than-ideal time," she stated the obvious, her tone filled with blissful apology. No longer being held at gunpoint, she took the opportunity to approach a step forward, introducing herself in turn. "Still, I thank you for your....hospitality, at this busy hour. You may call me Carmen."
Since meeting Jessibelle, the two constructs had not shifted an inch, yet never appeared any less focused on the one standing between them.
"I am no leader," their leader corrected her, beaming as angelically as ever. "I merely hold their free will, so to speak. You may refer to us as one, if you prefer."

Soon enough the group found themselves back outdoors, Carmen following close after the empress as she led the way towards their impressive flagship. Per her orders, the fellow stranger had been pointed towards a dormitory, and the remains of his crash site had been transported almost entirely. For a faction this regimented to spare time to repair an outsider's ship, let alone grant him somewhere to stay in the meantime... there could not possibly have been a more fortunate place for him to land -- and the same went for Carmen herself, who may never have stumbled upon this fleet otherwise.

[LeeRoy]

Making her way into the main room of the flagship with her new visitors in tow she smiled and waved to everyone in the cockpit, smiling as she saw the small strap of her blade dangling underneath her console. That Mortimer was reliable. "Ass you can ssee, Misss Carmen, we're a rather advancced people. Taking everything about the sscienccess sserioussly and to heart, never turning our back on any branch." She turned and smiled at the chimeric being, the light scent of her and the two companions wafted over his nostrils. Appetizing aroma, but she couldn't break her diet. "Ass you may alsso obsserve, we help thosse in need of help. Can't advancce ccivilizzation by hating eachother."

Finished with her boasting she pointed to three chairs that sat a few feet away from her custom designed seating arrangements. With a body as large as hers, and as cumbersomely shaped, it is difficult for one to sit down the same way a human can. "Sso, tell me more about yourssself. I'm quite aware that the two besside you aren't intelligent, at leasst, not in the sssame way ass you or I." With her open palm she hinted towards the two creatures she had brought on board. "You tell your sstory, and I'll tell you ourss."

[Tantalum]

Carmen modestly followed inside, observing the expansive control room from the ship's entrance. She had few doubts of the flagship being equally as impressive on the inside, though she particularly noticed the immaculate, perhaps excessive attention paid to the ship's stability and failsafes. She had already sussed that Jessibelle could not be challenged here by any means, but now it was clear just how much her subordinates were devoted to keeping it that way.
Up ahead, the queen herself sounded just as proud of the craft as Carmen was privileged to be boarding it. Although, the ideals she spoke of were.. outlandish, to the point where she simply refrained from acknowledging it with anything more than a nod. She could certainly appreciate the kindness, but having lived through one too many corrupt civilisations in her time, her cautious scepticism could not be helped.

"I'm afraid I have little of a story to tell, Lady Jessibelle." the guest answered with doctored politeness, despite being surprised by the question asked to her. Still, she was not in a position to outright decline, so she opted to pick her words carefully.
"I first arrived a month ago, seeking distance from a particular contact of mine." she soon began, sighing somewhat irritably at the mention. "he has not followed me, so I figured it was time to move on... or so I would have liked."

Now wearing her beige coat again, Carmen helped herself to the middle chair which was offered to her. The rabbit-like construct merely sat beside her at her feet, and the shark-like one did not appear to move too far from the room's entrance.
"In my time here, I have acquired some... questionable luggage, so to say," Carmen continued. "As it stands, I cannot leave this planet the way I had arrived. What I can find in these wastelands have seemed to be my best chance right now; the two beings with me have made that possible," she gestured to the rather comatose being rested next to her, "But I expect you have already witnessed the fortunes most of them run into."

Carmen leaned in gently, and her voice perked quite suddenly on her final note. "...So. Having finally met someone with a sizeable ship intact, I must now ask for a very humble favour..."

[LeeRoy]

Listening to Carmen's short tale she opted to not give a short tale of her own, but rather listeing to the rest of the comment. And that's when a juicy little comment rang to her ears. A questionable package? Oh my, that's sure an entertaining thought. With a little push of a button a round wall lowered down over the console and seating arrangements for the two of them. Jessibelle had actually planned this seating arrangements, this was a private chamber for important conversations. "Ssorry about your companionss, dear, but this iss a private matter. Issn't it?"

When the question of a request fell upon her. "Of coursse, we've no qualmss with hauling any cargo of yourss. Tell my crew itss location and weight, we'll load it onboard." To be honest, Jessibelle was growing tired of her lordly act right now. Taking up her normal and rather casual tone in the now private room. To be honest, even for someone as clever as her, it is difficult to hold a fake accent for so long. "We really don't mind illegal trade here, we're not the leading governing body. Sso hauling illegal or questionable materiel issn't a problem."