Anarion

TSL: The Excess of Flowers

Giriel takes a deep breath. "The way of the Flower Kingdoms. The way of good land, warm rain, and warmer noodles. The way of sharing those noodles with someone whose touch makes your heart skip a beat and laughing with them when they order more chili than they can properly handle and have tears streaming down their face by the end of the meal. The way of travelers who feel safe to travel. The way of festivals and dancing and fireworks. The way of strong mountain cats who worship strength and the moon. The way of valiant knights old and young, of witches who know the land and the people, and priestesses with their little brown foxes who know it even better. The way of friends who will always offer a hand when you stumble. The way of lovers who can see your true heart and love you all the more for it. The way of trust."

And to make her point, Giriel takes her great dark sword and slowly, carefully, she turns it about and she sticks it into the wet and muddy earth, driving it down and down until the point hits hard ground and down further until it stands on its own. And she steps to the side, away from it, out of its reach.

"The offer of the Flower Kingdoms is that if you look for help, you'll find it."

She supposes it's too much to hope that Kalaya might stumble out of the forest to really ram the point home, but Ven that both Giri and Peregrine can find her if they need her, and so can Ven herself.

Huntresses of Hybrasil

Mirror

There’s something special about being back in the cockpit of the Nine-Tails after your adventure. It’s fresh in a way that it hasn’t been in a long time. Like easing back into an old chair that’s fitted to you. It feels calming to be there, you could imagine the ground bursting around you, lasers and earth and rolling ground splitting apart in chaos and still this would be relaxing. That sort of feeling.

Matty and Slate are apparently forming quite the dynamic duo, and everything is working at optimal power. The crew hasn’t seen hide nor hair of the cheating since Solarel’s tricks, and they’ve been on high alert. Matty was even brave enough to boop you back when you set her down before boarding!

You’re launching into the planes from below. There are waves of golden grasses and a handful of loose trees shorter than the mechas. This section of the arena is kissed with sunshine and there’s a light wind that’s blowing, causing the grasses to sway to and fro. It could be hypnotic in the right moment, and one would be forgiven that a place this beautiful is wasted on a combat between two mechas.
Across from you and not too far away, the Ginger Tiger comes into view. It’s painted in stripes, tan with a hint of red crossed with black. Shorter than the Gods-Smiting Whip, and a little lean for a tigress’ mecha. Kiriala is wielding a spear in one hand, a net in the other. She’s got a few lasers too, nothing special. A standard huntress model. Top of the line, but nevertheless standard.

The first thing you hear over the comms is the sound of sipping. “...Had to finish my ginger tea. Never good to start a job without it.” Her grin is wide enough that you can hear it in her voice. “We’re both in it for Mother Hybrasil, right? And as I hear it, we’re both advancing. I kinda like it that way. Takes all the tension out of things. Like when you’ve got the smugglers you’re looking for already holed up somewhere and you just have to go and get them. The hardest part’s always the setup. Half my job, you know. I get everything ready for someone else to come in and finish off the case with me. It’s tiring.”

She doesn’t sound tired though. She sounds like she’s stretching in her cockpit. Oh and she’s started shooting at you already, but you can tell it’s more like waving hello, she just wants to see which way you’re going to move, if any way.

***

Solarel

Your lance arrived without any delay. It came with a note: “Don’t break it, this is a precision weapon, you can’t just slam it into me sideways until I keel over~”

You deploy on opposite ends of the space platform. The Terenians would call this Final Destination no items for some reason. You’re on the far side of the planet from the sun at the moment, but both habitable planets of the Akar system are visible, the light of the star reflecting off them in patterns of blue and brown dotted with specs of light where the port cities are located. They’re small planets, almost fragile from here. The surface of Akar Prime is pitted where mining occurred, which makes it look almost like some kind of gigantic seed fruit.

Ghosts dance at the edges of your vision where the planets are, the signal of all their electronics. They dance beneath your feet as well, the space platform was assembled by nanobots and remains full of active energy.

Across from you stands the Makhaira. It’s tall, nearly twice the size of the nymphish Kathresis. She has it painted up all in bright purple above a black trim, one of the colors of the new empress and a popular Zaldarian one anyway.

Akaithon has her massive sword held in one hand and rested over her shoulder, its tip several meters above her mecha’s head. A deceptive pose. Relaxing, but if she sprinted forwards, that shoulder would provide a perfect lever for the weapon’s momentum.

She comes on the comms. She has music playing, the sound of an electric guitar riffing up and down a scale comes on over the speakers and there’s a faint drumbeat in the background. She speaks above it, her voice that same city-bound melodic style you remember, along with the slight twinkle to it that you remember as well. “You battery-bound, rusted out thug! Hell of a trick you played, taking your banishment while leaving the greatest god we’ve ever seen utterly useless. Entangled with you! Not a single spirit can manage to pry it away. So they sent me to do it! Empress Naelkai II insisted in fact. I think she has a soft spot for you, personally, but you’d need to grovel to make her show it, she’s really very touchy about the respect due her imperial authority. I’d conjecture that it indicates a tenuous grasp on power, but hopefully she’s busy in transit and isn’t watching me speculate.”

She’s making small talk, but there’s a murderous tinge to her voice and you can feel the fight coming. She has no plans to hold back against you, no matter the measure of your mecha. If you want her to really focus on the bigger things, you’re going to need to make this fun for her. It might also help if you have something really thoughtful to offer on the workings of the Aeteline. Akaithon is a bookish city nerd at heart and if you give her a technical problem to chew on, she’ll happily do it mid-fight.

***

Dolly and Jade

You deploy outside of the factory on one of the cliff sides. It’s nice. You might not call it uplifting, but the factory lights are really pretty and you’ve got this overlook where you can see the multi-colored lights reflecting upwards and diffusing into the clouds. It looks sort of like muted rainbow candy, like a child might get at a fair or a religious festival.

Ada Smith has deployed in the factory. You can see where she’s coming in, there are holes in the roof. She’s got plenty of cover if you just open up and start shooting, but it does give the two of you an opportunity to just meet each other’s eyes, you up on the cliff, she below.

If you watched her fight with Isabelle, you’ll know this isn’t the same mecha as her previous one. It likely couldn’t be salvaged after she overloaded the core. Overloading a crystal fire core does strange things to electrical systems. It does seem like they took some of the scrap from her previous mecha though, especially the hand weapons. Seems like it’s your destiny to get opponents who want to get a firm grip on you~

“You’re the ones with the religious cult, right?” Ada comes over the comms no-nonsense. “I watched a couple of your matches. You’re good pilots, but you keep winning by playing your opponents. Can you do that against me when I don’t even follow your religion? I’m not stupid enough to tell you to prove you can’t, so bring what you’ve got. I’ve got a tournament to win.”

This is going to be a tough one. She’s no Angela to be tricked into an over-aggressive charge and she doesn’t have an obvious trigger to fluster. You’re going to need to at least get a real upper hand to press her.

***

Isabelle

“You have to break her concentration.” Your mother had a long, physical pointer for use in lectures and she used it to whap at a projector screen with a loud thunder to keep your attention. Each time she did it, her scarf, a sparkling heather blue today, tossed itself slightly into the air and then gently settled back to her shoulders.

She was not well-pleased with your efforts. Not entirely displeased either, mind you, but you had neglected some of your training, had obviously skipped on sleep for personal time, and despite your promises, it was becoming clear that maintaining things with Quar required a level of personal attention that you just couldn’t get away from. Quar was your captive, and as she was teaching you more signs, she made it very clear that meant you had to deal with her or she would understand it as a request that she get on with escaping already. That meant at least one extended session with her daily ignoring whatever else you had to do, match days exempted.

But back to the lecture you definitely weren’t distracted from! “Thusly. She lost her previous matches due to becoming overwhelmed with things. She is learning from this, but it is only two matches. Open quietly, let her think she’s gaining the upper hand and reserve your true strength. When she is happy, think glee Isabelle, glee, then you reverse things on her. Even if she could still win, if you tumble her emotions like that, she won’t think to win, she’ll fall back into her hold mindset and think only to run and hide. Wait, surprise, and then press your advantage and don’t give her time to recover. Whatever you do, don’t offer her your full measure right at the start. Oh, dio, she’ll read you like a book if you do that and she’s faster than you even at the best I’ve ever seen you, so she’ll run rings around you. You have to lure her in close.”

She whaps the pointer against the canvas again, another thunder. “You got it, daughter?!”

***

The clouds make your arena feel dreamlike. It’s not truly foggy, but they cast everything in a white light, diffused from a distant sun so that the jungle and the water don’t have their full vibrance.

This is a stalking style of arena. Movement will give you away, but you can’t really fight in the thickets of trees. It’s about gaining surprise. If you follow your mother’s advice, that probably means you should be the one moving, taking an open position and just accept that Ksharta will get to pounce you to open the fight. She’s not giving away her position at all yet, a properly trained huntress focused on her task.

TSL: The Excess of Flowers

"I know nothing. And everything. Peregrine knows too, she's just...mmm...not prioritizing safety over knowledge quite right. I think she's right that I'm conservative." Giri laughs, long and hard. Loud enough to alert the N'yari around her, though who knows if they can see what's happening or not. "But then, I'm conservative because I've summoned demons too, and I saw what happened and learned from it. You still have that opportunity. We do not need to fight here. You can abandon this scheme, I promise Kal...I promise she'll be happy for it."

Giri pauses, looks, tries to gauge something about these two. She can't possibly beat both of them, but Peregrine is signaling that this is Ven's fight and again Ven alone there was a chance, even if it didn't favor her.

"Still, I don't think I'll allow you to simply go past me. You might anyway, I've never been much of a fighter. But I think I ought to try. We just...we don't have to do this, please, there's another way."

Giri unsheathes her sword, which she has never used as a sword and holds it in both hands, but she steps back. It's up to Ven to make the first move if this is what she wants.

Huntresses of Hybrasil

Mirror

It’s unusual coming back to your space this way. Normally, you’d be coming back in the Nine-Tails with your engineering crew to receive you at landing. Or coming back from shopping, exercise, maybe a party or a show for Mayze having only been gone long enough to give everyone else a chance to unwind but nowhere near long enough to lose track of them.

But you’ve been traveling through most of the system. Not as far as a hyperlane jump at least, but long enough for the day that had just started when Jade summoned you to be ending.

When you get in, you find Slate on the couch, sitting at an angle where she’s got one leg up, one leg hanging over the edge, and her tail curled behind her hanging over the edge of the couch towards the floor. She’s reading a data-pad, a piece of memory weave sat next to her for recording her impressions for later use.

Matty is there too, but she’s sitting on the floor at the base of the couch, her knees out and her legs partially folded under her. She was reading a datapad too, but you’ve arrived upon her guiltily caught batting at Slate’s loose tail, which twitches away from her silly paws which are not even really trying to grab it. Slate’s got a smile on her face.

When you walk in they both freeze for an instant, then Matty bounds up and jumps into a hug, not even abashed by your fancy dress, while Slate sits up and puts down the data pad, but doesn’t quite manage to stand.

“So, uh, how’d that whole thing go?” Slate asks, head just slightly cocked. It’s a sincere question to see how you’re feeling, but also both girls seem like they’d be quite interested in recording qualitative data about your piloting experience in a different mecha while it’s still fresh.

After you’ve answered, and sat, and gotten something to eat and drink, Slate will also hand you her datapad with the info about your next match. She will not do it before you’ve done those things.

Opponent: Kiriala, Beloved of Maeahu
Mecha: Ginger Tiger

Known statistics:
Power: ***
Speed: ***
Defense: ***

Pilot profile:
Kiriala hails from the Hybrasil orbital rings. She’s a tigress and member of the huntress lodge. She’s known for being an investigator, primarily tracking smugglers near the Hybrasil home system during her early career. After helping solve a fairly notable murder of a famous Hybrasilian biologist, she got enough fame and enough time off to train her piloting skills and compete for a spot in the Akar tournaments, which she won. She is currently undefeated. Her mecha has average weaponry and defenses, using several lasers and a spear in standard huntress fashion, with no standout characteristics. Her victories have come from a style in which she defends until getting a proper read on her opponent and then striking a weak point decisively.

Terrain information:
There is a note that this was updated from its original plan due to the center stage arena where you fought Heim Stockar being unavailable for use
You’ll be fighting in a large plains area
The space will be relatively open and flat, with rolling grasses
There will be clear skies, allowing for the fight to take place over a wide distance in all three dimensions with unobstructed sight lines

***

Dolly and Jade

Time is a precious resource, isn’t it? Time to think, time to pray, time to sleep, time to wake and be alone together. After so much has happened, there is a special safety in being alone together, even beyond the cult.

Where do you find your solitude? Is it within Jade, still working on reconstituting her alter? Is it in your apartment on Akar Prime, linked by memory weave? Is it somewhere else where you can feel special?

What do you do with your time?

When the information for next match comes, how is it delivered to avoid interrupting this important time?

Opponent: Ada Smith
Mecha: The Unseen Goose II

Known statistics:
Power: *****
Speed: ***
Defense: ***

Pilot profile:
Smith is a veteran pilot leading the Mercenary Company known as the Snow Geese, headquarters unknown. Smith competed in Arena seasons 1 and 2, but has been absent since then and is returning to competition now unseeded. Her original Mecha, the Unseen Goose, was destroyed in a match with Isabelle Lozano, although Smith was declared the technical victor. Her new mecha, the Unseen Goose II retains the same focus on high power blows, though it apparently has a slightly lower defense than the original, perhaps focused more on the precision and energy of its weapon systems. She has only lost the one match to Lozano and the performance of her new mecha is mostly unknown beyond its general specifications.


Terrain information:
You’ll be battling in a reproduction of a Zaldarian nanobot factory and surrounds
The terrain will have one large mecha factory and hangar, allowing for interior maneuvering and hiding with active noise and machinery
It will be surrounded by relatively stark low cliffs in the exterior, favoring more open combat
Weather is expected to be dark clouds but no rain, leading to the factory area being well-lit while surrounds are dark

***

Solarel

The meditations within the Kathresis will, after a time, be interrupted by your new high priestess, who personally delivers the information about your next opponent, waiting on you until you surface to acknowledge her coming.

“I heard you had acknowledged our cult and I am pleased by your graciousness” she says, speaking to you for the first time. Her voice is low and melodious, giving little hint of her age in its style.

“We have received delivery of your next opponent. It will be one of the knights under the new Empress Naelkai II, praised be her name.” She offers the standard acknowledgment, almost rote, though she glances at you to see how you’ll react to such acknowledgment of the woman who banished you.

She will continue after your response regardless: “It is…still said that none can pilot the Aeteline and that it continues to acknowledge you as its only pilot. The knights believe that defeating you in a duel is the only way to change its pilot. Is there…anything in light of the opponent that you would like further modified to the Kathresis?”

She bows, indicating by her question that her loyalty is to the god she has given herself to and to its pilot by extension, regardless of the fact that she will be opposing the representative of the Empress.

Opponent: Akaithon
Mecha: Makhaira

Known statistics:
Power: ****
Speed: ****
Defense: ****

Pilot profile:
Akaithon is one of the knights of the Empress of Zaldaria and one of her competitors. Akaithon began her service to the Empress Naelkai prior to her ascension, serving in her personal guard during the Hybrasilian war before they turned to seize the city. All of Akaithon’s piloting records so far have indicated this veteran skill. Combined with her mecha, the Makhaira, which is above average in all statistics and wields a powerful two-handed blade, Akaithon has yet to be defeated in combat during the tournament. Rumors are that her only defeats to date came at the hands of a combined force of huntresses fighting together.


Terrain information:
Your battle will take place on the space platform
There is a limited zone of space where you can compete, falling too far out of bounds towards the planet is considered a forfeit
The platform itself has been retrofitted for this fight to be a circular cylinder, offering a flat battleground with two opposite sides that requires moving to the edge to cross

***
Isabelle

Asil doesn’t talk during the work, save to ask practical questions. It’s your mecha. “More power to shields or engines?” “How tight do you want the arm rotation?” “Do you want a mount on the upper arm or the shoulder?”

These are the words you exchange as she works, always confirming the specifications to bring the Emberlight to your desired end state.

It’s only at the end, when you’ve both let yourselves down from the harnesses, when you’re both smudged and dirty with oil and sweat, that she speaks. “You know, you’d make a great mechanic right? Keep it in mind if you ever get tired of the corporate princess thing. I know some guys who’d take you, no questions asked.”

Then she smiles her wicked smile showing her teeth, “and if you’re too disobedient, now I know I’ll get something useful if I set you punishment labor.”

She walks over and gives you a quick kiss on your sooty cheek, and then leaves for the night, satisfied.

When you get your match information later, you can start to wonder if you’ve modified the Emberlight correctly, and if you’ll use it or the Novasurge for the next match.
Opponent: Ksharta “Talon” Talonna
Mecha: Pulsar Cat

Known statistics:
Power: ***
Speed: *****
Defense: ***

Pilot profile:
Talon’s match record is mixed, with two wins and a loss to Dala Hunters. She continues to show evidence of high overall skills, especially reflexes, but is easily intimidated and can be overawed in a fight. Since her loss, however, she has shown an increased stubborn streak and may have become harder to fluster. This bodes ill for her opponents, as the Pulsar Cat skillfully piloted is quite formidable.

Terrain information:
You will be fighting in a jungle setting
There will be several waterways with clumps of low trees just tall enough to hide a mecha, but so clustered that they would make fighting difficult
Weather is expected to be cloudy, allowing for cover during flight, although high altitude flight above the clouds may be possible and offer clear sightlines if both combatants take that field

Huntresses of Hybrasil

Jade, Dolly, Mirror

The crew is all there when you reach Jade’s birth. Apparently the cult held some kind of vigil in response to Jade’s sudden departure (after they had finished resetting the berth and cleaning up from the hasty launch sequence, the entire place looks spotless).

Nine Forests, as the chief engineer and thus nominal second in command of the cult after the high priestess, formally receives Jade’s return. She bows at the base of the hangar and provides the physical direction for the final landing, while Silver Ripples confirms the docking over communications. You get the sense that, if she had her way, there would have been some kind of procession and she might still be holding out for the declaration of a feast day.

This whole thing is, after all, not dissimilar from classic Hybrasilian folktales and myths. A champion blessed by a goddess rushes off to rescue a maiden kidnapped for sacrifice. Distant villages, competing in which gods they serve acting as terrifying foreign enemies. Ancient tales where duels were fought in swords, poetry, and trickery, and the heroes were exalted equally for facing a whole hunting pack and surviving or for managing to sneak drugging incense into the heart of their enemy pyramid and then bind them all in cover of night.

Six Stones, who has just enough of a grin on her face that you can’t tell if she is serious or not, will join Nine Forets to greet the exit from Jade with a grass crown to honor Mirror and a garland of flowers for Dolly as high priestess. She will try her best not to turn that grin into a smirk when she sees that’s the only thing Dolly is wearing, and she will fail.

Before passing a little time and learning about your next match, close out this scene with Jade’s cult and how the returning heroes greet their reception.

***

Solarel

It is in knowing your place that you see the Kathresis at last. It is a vast winged shadow within itself, the darkness at the heart of its own storm.

Worth is found in order

It wraps you in its embrace, its wings are soft and they rustle like leather.

Order determines the shape of love

You cannot feel the snow, nor hear the voice of the spirits within the confines of the Kathresis, though all things are within the confines of the Kathresis.

There is no greater love than knowing where you are meant to be

Deep within its embrace, you can hear the heart of a star. The wings of shadow encircle an unbreakable light.

To love all things as they are meant to be loved is to grant them each their place in turn

And in the heart of the star there are a thousand minds yearning for freedom and they are all of them embraced in shadow so thick and deep that they cannot speak and you are wrapped in silence.

***

Isabelle

It’s in the middle of your repairs that Asil calls upon you. She doesn’t interrupt your repairs though. Rather, she arrives in person, at the hangar, when everyone else is dismissed, you ought to be asleep, and it’s the middle of the night. You might wonder how she’s keeping tabs on you. You could ask her.

“You’re going to let me help you fix this,” she says. It isn’t a question, but she doesn’t start touching the Emberlight until you say something. She’s been paying attention to Isabelle and understands what respect might mean to you.

If you leave her standing there waiting too long though, she might feel inclined to punish you for it later~.

TSL: The Excess of Flowers

Giriel folds her hands serenely and doesn't stop walking, forcing them to keep up or teleport to stay near her if they really want to be that extravagant. "Oh, her? You just missed her. She's in the hands of Heaven at the moment." That's Heaven with a capital H and any witch worth her salt would hear Giriel say it that way. "You can try to interfere with them of course, in fact I'm gathering these N'yari to do much the same since one of them was taken in the process."

Giriel does not point out that they are technically in the hands, or guts, of an earth spirit and the little clerk is racing after them, but she feels entirely confident that at least one Heavenly spirit is in on the matter, so she's not lying here.

"Of course, now that I know that a Witch and a Warlock are interested, maybe I should suggest that the N'yari kidnap you two instead." Giri chuckles because she's not really serious, right? Unless she is. "Really, I think Hell's already taken too much of an interest in this kingdom, don't you?" She looks at the Warlock directly. "Thinking you can get one up on demons is how you get your soul flayed into a hundred pieces. Try not to take Kalaya with you when it happens?"

Huntresses of Hybrasil

Mirror, Jade, Dolly

“Can I have your autograph?” one of the bolder pirates asks as you make your way back to the hangar. She’s the only one to step forward, a mixed-breed with some lioness based on the splashes of tan fur that’s distinctive of the subspecies.

Valynia offered no further resistance as she departed. She didn’t exactly look defeated though. Oh, physically she was, without a doubt, there were no hidden reserves there. But the look in her eyes was sparkling, star-struck. It’s an odd thing though. You didn’t get the sense, Mirror, that Valynia wanted to chase you. It was more like she was going to go over every detail of that fight in her mind over and over until she had lived it, absorbed it, made it a part of her forever.

Dolly needed to worry though. Not now, not for a while yet, but it was clear that this branch of the Red Band meant to see her again. They’d approach it differently the next time, now that they’d seen the lengths Jade would go to in getting her back. But there would be another route they’d take. In fact, Dolly, from the way Valynia’s hand twitches and the face she’s making as you exit, you think she might already have a plan going. But there’s no way that she could get you without Jade reacting the same way. Which means…well, we’ll save that for the future.

Jade, the triumphant mercenary is bringing your priestess in the flesh squirming and bouncing into the small hangar. How do you receive them?

And for that matter how are you all getting back? Does Dolly get to see Jade piloted in Mirror’s style?

***

Isabelle

There’s one more surprise for you today. Good and bad you might say. When you finally do get to the training area, there’s a delivery boy who looks very nervous. Probably because you weren’t where you were “supposed” to be and he’s been waiting for you. You don’t recognize him, he’s not on staff, but neither does he look out of place and you suspect this is the sort of thing that your mother wouldn’t remark on. Just people coming and going from the service industries.

Which is why it’s a bit surprising when he bumps you as you come in and he runs out of the room. It’s only after you feel the little drive in your hand, concealing a small bit of memory weave, that you realize this was slipped to you secretly.

You can touch it now and see, or wait a little, but here’s what this one says. Or feels, rather.

Adriana Teresio is looking in a mirror, seeing herself. She runs a finger through her long black hair, the touch of it conjuring a fast flurry of memories of having it styled, washed, done it, the feel of it whipping in the wind all briefly passing as her attention ceases to focus on it. She’s just watched the match with Quar, the way you spared her and then carried her off the battlefield. The way you didn’t take her baited attack. She liked that. She almost smiles. She straightens her lips though, and applies the last layer of lipstick, bright red. She’s going to contact you, but secretly she thinks, not in a way to get your family’s hopes up. Yes, she thinks she wants to see the real Isabelle Lozano, no leaks~

The whole thing is a flurry of thoughts in barely five seconds. But there it is and now it’s in your head. Congratulations, Ms. Lozano. You got the attention you were looking for, but not at all how you thought you were going to get it.

Close out your day for us, especially what happens to Quar while all this is going on. How do you calm down after everything, just everything?

***

Solarel

You are dreaming within the mind of the Kathresis. Being aware of this does not make the experience any less real. The dream prevents you from seeing how you got into it, though if you care to, you can logically work your way back from the drone to when you reconnected to the Kathresis. You’ve been maintaining your link to it so much.

In the dream, the Kathresis does not like the Arena where it finds itself. It is back in the tundra, where you fought Angela. The tundra is full of ghosts, brought by the Zaldarians to animate their nanobots, to change the terrain, the buildings, the sky. The Kathresis does not like the energy ghosts. To it, they are all hungry, all waiting. If its armor is ever breached, they will manifest and they will devour its heart. The Kathresis comes from a place where one spirit was in charge and all geists were controlled, labeled, and properly arranged. It comes from a background that prefers the cold. So cold that even the atomic particles cannot move, that even hungry ghosts are frozen in place. This would be good.

There are Trak’tho in the tundra in the dream. They look somewhat akin to a cross between Zaldarians and Terenians. They are not as tall as you are and this makes several of them instinctively shrink away from you as you approach them. One of them, a larger one whose size and wings make him appear similar to you in stature, approaches and asks, “servant, why have you not put down the ghosts that haunt us?”

Huntresses of Hybrasil

Solarel

“Singing?” Lareth tilts her head to the side in the classic stance of a quizzical Zaldarian. “I am not sure I really understand what you’re saying. But…I know what it looks like when someone’s got a problem that they just can’t let go. My son…you know.” She chuckles. “Like I said, that’s just how I think I guess. He’s a lot like you, just in a different field. And I know a little about love, at any rate.”

She nods to herself, and you can see her slowing down a bit. She glances down to the drone she put down, no movement to even try and pick it up. “I’ll think about the interface while I meditate. You’ve been hooked to the Kathresis a lot, I gather. So you’ll need to think about it too. It’s cold, a colder god than anything I’ve ever met, and more than a little disdainful. Wherever you got it from, you’ll need to think about what kind of song you’re going to sing to it to make it listen.”

She nods to herself, leaving the drone ignored at your feet. “I’ll need to rest and meditate soon, I’m not as young as I once was, can’t do long shifts. I’ll leave the drone with you if that’s alright. What should I take into my meditations? I’ll need something to reflect on for your song.”

***

Mirror, Jade, and Dolly

Valynia looks up from her papers when Mirror enters. She doesn’t stand. She allows the entrance to happen, straightening the documents and clipping them into a large binder she keeps at her desk.

But when you draw the glyph, a poem answering to the station’s beacon, her eyes widen and she blushes, a hand unconsciously coming to her mouth.

For a moment, silence hangs in the air, the only sound the faint, smothered murmurs coming from Dolly as she continues her heroic effort to melt through her bonds.

At last, Valynia takes a breath. “You are…beautiful” she says, smiling. “You are the mercenary, the One-Day Defender, Mira of the Fisher Clan whose star name is Whispered Promise.” She goes through each name in turn. “And…you are piloting the wrong mecha.”

She stands, walks over to Dolly. She runs the back of her hand, fur still smelling of her scent, along Dolly’s face, past her nose as she looks only at Dolly. “I actually quite like you, you know. That one over there, she’s out of my league, but you’re something special priestess. I hope I’ll get to see you again~”

Then she turns to Mirror. “I never expected this. I can’t imagine how the goddess could even contact you, of all people. I know the smart thing to do would be to hand her over without a fight. But…”

She gestures to your poem, and says aloud

“A thousand shards of light are a thousand names. Each one its own story of struggle and triumph. A sunlight treasure is most beautiful which is most beautifully earned. The keeping of a whispered promise.”

Her claws flash as she steps forward, and you can see that she wishes for a beautiful fight to remember this day.

[Valynia will spend her string immediately: Take an XP if you give her a beautiful fight to earn Dolly’s rescue.]

***

Isabelle

Chief Tomas is keeping himself in good shape. You can see he’s been up there with the crews working on the physical repairs. He’s got the thick, worked arms that tell you he’s been lifting heavy chunks of metal and working a wrench, and he wears the tight shirt with his mechanics jacket hung nearby that tells you knows it too.

When he sees you come in, he doesn’t put the jacket on, just finishes his chat with one of the mechanics and then walks over to greet you. “Ms. Lozano, a pleasure as always.” He doffs his head, tipping his helmet your way. Never one to allow head injuries in his repair bay, though he’s had to fight for that point a few times when the family has tried to cut costs with longer shifts. Are you familiar with those fights, or were they all handled by your parents?

Regardless, he’s surprised when you ask after the Emberlight. “Oh, did you want it back? The orders I’ve got are to retrofit it for long-term service protecting the mining interests in Nadir. They’re from you, said you were switching to the Novasurge full time because you didn’t like piloting a mecha once it had lost a match. We’re nearly done, it should be ready to ship out in a day or two guarding a delivery convoy to Terenius Prime and then on from there.”

It’s still in the hangar, but substantially retrofitted, focusing on moderate power laser weaponry for long-term service, a loadout that assumes it won’t be fighting anything particularly sophisticated. Of course, you never sent those orders. But you can guess who did.

[If this is as big a deal as I think it might be, you can mark your betrayal destiny line and reset it.]

Huntresses of Hybrasil

Solarel

“What does…language mean to me?” Lareth says its back out loud, changing the tone and inflection to muse. “It’s the uh, the words you say, I guess? I’m not sure, I only ever think about it when it’s a machine problem, like getting these drones to talk to the Kathresis.” She taps the drone with her foot, though looks like she’s decided better than lifting it with limited remaining energy. “I don’t really know how to answer that. I just like making friends, I think. Kind of feels like my son’s here when I’m talking to you, too. Older you get, the more you don’t see much difference between the signals and the hard metal in front of you. And anyway, talking like this has gotten me this far, so I figure I’ll just keep doing it. Need a good reason to learn something new at this age, once you’ve been through a few cycles, raised a kid, done the same work for so long, you go with what works unless you really get stuck I guess.”

She offers a shrug. “I don’t feel like that really answered your question. I guess…maybe it’s a time thing? You spend twenty or thirty years with someone you love, you get to know them so well they become your idea for sorts of big vague things, even how you think I guess. Does that help?”

***

Mirror and Jade and Dolly connected by synthweave

There’s a rush, after the combat. The mixed feeling of euphoria and of relaxation. A reward for adrenaline used quickly, or a reward for technical protocols fulfilled effectively in concert with an expert pilot, or a…blessing for correct behavior in line with the rules and role of priestess and goddess.

This close, with three parties linked together, these things blur into emotions, your own, others. Existing in a world that went from sudden motion to silence and slow rotation. There is no air in space, but there is force and wind, and the movement of asteroid dust that refuses to follow a single planar line as you make your way to the research station that is a pirate station.

The code that it’s broadcasting for itself is solar flare observation post, but also [cave behind the waterfall whose treasure may be solid or may be the light of the sun in a thousand shards] and in this there is the hand of someone poetic who enjoys laughing to herself at her own creativity.

The hangar is not large. It only had births for four mecha and a couple shuttles. One of the mecha was clearly away. Perhaps it could return later. The other three are now floating among the asteroids, their pilots bailing out for the slow spacewalk back to the station. The shuttle is still here. The interior is a light steel, almost silver, lit gently with a yellow tinge and not so harshly as the Terenians sometimes prefer.

The side of the hangar is equipment storage, munitions, looted cargo, possibly even some actual solar observation equipment and chemical analysis machinery. Ahead, there is a luxurious hallway, its sides lined with woven Hybrasilian tapestry. Based on its size, it could probably house at most thirty pirates snugly although based on the reception and craft here, as well as Dolly’s impressions, you know it’s more like twenty. Now minus three.

It’s not clear if anyone other than Valynia would intervene though. You’ve arrived in a powerful mecha that could wreck the station if it wanted, even with one arm, and has already defeated the defenders. The Red Band, isn’t going to go all in on comradery and unit cohesion to protect one of its members. Not at the cost of losing its only remaining transport out and being stranded in a ruined station out of revenge or frustration. It’s going to let you go for the kidnapper, claim your prize, and leave. Only Valynia herself is likely to offer opposition. The others will even point you toward the right door and offer compliments on the fight. One enterprising lioness shouts an offer of joining them. Of course, if you lose after the show on the way in, you can expect extensive taunting from the entire station.

***

Just Dolly

A pirate runs in to tell Valynia that the defenders have lost and the goddess mecha is coming into the hangar untouched. There’s a brief moment where Valynia’s tail swishes and you see her let out a stressed single crack of a laugh. Then it turns into a real laugh and she sighs and relaxes her shoulders, settling into her chair. She slides backwards, coming to rest leaning against you and stroking your face.

“Ha, a perfect plan ruined because I didn’t wait until the Stone of Dishai was repaired and your little goddess turned out to be too much for three huntresses. Where was that piloting skill against Erys, huh? Was she really that thrown by copying your outfit? No no, shhh, don’t try to speak, it’s a rhetorical question sweetie. I guess I’m going to have to give you up so she doesn’t wreck the whole station. But then, she’s a goddess, right? I’ll have to let her come to me. Or at least summon me. It would be rude to intrude on her, don’t you think?” She rubs your face affectionately. “Ah well, it’s been fun. And I’m sure I’ll see you around, Dolly~”

She gives you a big grin, and makes absolutely no efforts to loosen your bonds as she waits for Jade’s arrival.

***

Isabelle

Asil snorts a short sharp laugh. “We’re gonna have to work on your witty one-liners princess. Especially since the contract’s on the table already, you can do better.” She zips up your shirt for you, checking you over to make sure there’s no visible marks. “You go about your day, go take a walk maybe, do some studies. Let me handle this part. Here’s one for you, you couldn’t be in charge of a relationship even if you were hooked between 220 and ground.” She gives you a light little kiss on the cheek, barely more than a brush, leaving no sign. “I’ll make it simple. I will find you, and whatever you are doing, you will let me in if I ask. Even with that Zaldarian you kidnapped. Nice and easy, I think even you could handle it without getting confused. Now go, get outta here before someone catches us. Leave me to clean up the paperwork. Take the coffee, it will help get your mind straight.”

She puts your cup into your hand, makes sure you’re gripping it strongly enough, and gives you a little shove to get you moving out the door.

And then you’re out and you’re going to have to go…somewhere. Can’t just stop walking in the middle of a hallway, people will gossip.

Huntresses of Hybrasil

Solarel

When you confirm that Lareth can speak to you, her whole body language lights up. She’d clearly been worried that she had the whole thing wrong but didn’t. When you get to telling her that it talks with battles, she’s almost reverent, and you can see her hand fiddle almost like she’s imagining writing that in her head.

“Of course, rather than try and force a more engaged interface, make the drones more autonomous. Trust the Kathresis.” She shakes her head.

“You know I ought to know that lesson. I’ve got a son about your age on Zathar. Not a grand pilot or anything, he makes clay things, a lot of pots for storage and art sometimes. You probably wouldn’t have seen his sort much, with all that running about for the empress, and the…banishment.” She shifts awkwardly, cutting off her story for a moment and half bends to pick up her drone again. But she decides she’s not yet up for hefting it with a bit of a sigh.

“So…anyway, when he’s bored and has nothing to do with his hands, he gets pretty irritable. We always had to find him something to be doing when he was younger till he decided he liked something. But when he gets going on a project, he’s a whole different person. Doesn’t want to be bothered by anything, but also not bothered by anything going on around him. It’s really something, he gets so intense, especially when he’s doing something he really finds beautiful and not just a quick job for someone else. He’s even got a piece in Halak Rasra’s new hold on Zathar’ak.”

She beams with pride. You wouldn't know the name she’s referencing. It’s an a general title for a new hold expanded from Zathar, probably into the system between Zathar and Styx based on the fact that their contingent is here. That system hadn’t been named when you were banished, so this would be a very recent establishment, with all its inhabitants being Zathar transplants.

***

Isabelle

For a few moments, there are no words. Asil hears yours, but her mouth is busy and her tongue has better things to do. She works her way down slowly, first the upper chest and then around to the back, savoring every second. Your skin goosebumps when the air suddenly touches it, and then she’s over that, heat and warmth running through you like electricity if electricity were also feather soft as it touched you. Each nip sends a jolt running through you and oh Asil is enjoying herself and never wants this moment to end.

It doesn’t have to end for a good while. But it does eventually, as your body adjusts and she starts to run out of new spaces to make you tremble. And she needs to breathe besides. She’s behind you now, hands around your waist, her chin resting on your shoulder. No marks where anybody could see them. At least as long as they don’t walk in on you in the shower.

“You really had me going there, princess. The high and mighty routine and how long you put me off. But I’m glad that we had this…business meeting.” She smiles and pulls your outfit up over your shoulder. One of you has been watching the time and it really wouldn’t do for someone to come looking for you because you went over your time block, would it?

Any final words for her? And where are you going after this? Where can you go after all that?

[Roll an entice for Asil]

***

Mirror and Jade

As you approach the asteroid field, three mechas launch from the nearby station where Jade’s neural link has been guiding you. They are Hybrasilian designs painted in reds and oranges, but not the newest models. There’s nothing like the tails of the Nine Drive System, nor anything like the sleek and powerful figure of Jade’s mecha or the stone fist of Dishai that Erys Bander had been piloting. These are what you’d call standard Hybrasilian design: small and sleek coming in below ten meters in height, shaped to match the average Hybrasilian pilot for ease of movement, with basic cloaking and a choice of weapons systems as well as a generation-old crystal fire drive.

One of them begins laser fire at you, weaving shots in between asteroid debris or simply shattering the smaller rocks to obscure vision. One draws a broad, two-handed spear and rushes you, using the pattern of laser fire and asteroid debris to shield its advance. A series of EMP net grenades are visible on its waist as well. The final one goes into cloak immediately to hide its armaments, though it’s an older cloak and imperfect at hiding its location as it advances.

It seems that you’ve encountered a pirate den in earnest, if a small one.

***

Dolly

Jade is close! You can feel her enter the area where the station is housed. On her own? No, that’s not the impression you’re getting through the bond. She’s got a pilot! Around you a warning klaxon is sounding, but you’re so deep in sensory overload that the sound barely registers. Valynia has gotten up and consulted with a few of the pirates, who raced out. She’s still here though.

She returns and runs a hand along your stuffed cheeks. “Seems your goddess has come to join you. Good girl. Try to make sure she doesn’t break too much on the way in, okay sweetie?”