( video ) uns: maxwell & jtk | thesa : ready up

[braidedwonder]

[ Video greetings from Jim Kirk and Duo Maxwell, who are both in what looks like one of the various tech rooms on Thesa Station. The only lights are emergency ones and glittering bits from the computers themselves. In the background, the blaring sound of an alarm siren is audible, though it's been muffled in here (possibly by someone disconnecting the speaker or shoving a sock over it, who knows).

Jim begins: ] As you're aware, the Natha left Thesa a few weeks ago, and the station has been in a state of low-power ever since. Stable, just running quieter. Today, though - [ he thumbs over his shoulder. ] Full-on emergency mode.

[ Here's where the braided pilot finally chips in, looking away from the screen he’s been typing and swiping away at in the background, throwing his braid over his shoulder with his typical candor, blue eyes finally turning to the camera to look at it instead of rudely staring off to the side to see what he could diagnose. ]

So, from what I can gather there’s nothin’ going on with the ship that would typically trigger emergency mode like this. Electricity is as stable as it’s gonna get, the shields are all up and there’s nothin’ within immediate range of the ship that the sensors show as a threat.. [ Duo pauses, clicks a few more buttons with a crease in his brow of concentration - ] .. so, yeah, there’s no obvious reason this is happening other than maybe the fact the Natha are gone for ..

[ A flick of a hand. ] .. Whatever they’re gone for.

But… [ There’s some weight to this, and that usually jovial or smirking face is dead serious as he looks back to the screen. ] .. all the training equipment is stuck in a conflict mode to teach people how to fight. Both physical combat as well as the flight modules for people who want to be that eager about it.

If anyone has any experience or clearances for the Natha’s mobile suits there’s training modules for that, and I’d be happy to offer to let you go against my mobile suit with the promise I’ll treat ya nice and gentle. [ Duo grins in that cocky way again, turning to Jim as if saying he’s done from here. ]

Following that, [ Jim says, exchanging a look with Duo, ] if anyone has spacecraft or advanced computer experience would like to come and be briefed on the situation, you're encouraged to do so, in case something happens to necessitate defending Thesa. [ The worry isn't just Thesa itself, of course, but the people asleep up here. ] I know most of us are focused on what's happening with the potential for a resurrected dragon, and this is horrible timing. Hopefully it'll remain a preventative measure up here.

Thanks.

[ Duo gives a little bit of a ‘saluting’ motion, though it’s clearly not military grade before turning back to his screens. ]

Looks like we’ll do best to be prepared on both fronts – everyone better be ready.

Comments

[fisherwife]

That's true. [She glances upwards towards the sky and where the station is.] But while we'll be alright there, the people left behind down here...

[She trails off uncertainly. It'd be a good thing to at least save themselves, but she'd feel terrible for all the innocents left behind here.] When bad things happen, it seems those that suffer the most are those people who should be the last ones involved.

[It's curious though that Duo's gone and gotten his own place--she supposes everyone needs their own space, of course, but Duo always seemed like such a people person.]

Duo-- [Mipha pauses, unsure of how to word her question] Are you lonely?

[willrevile]

By all means, come take a crack at it, [ he says encouragingly. ] You never know until you try. It'd be foolish of us all to scrap ideas before testing, right?

We've got so many potential resources here between everyone. I'm positive we can make whatever we need to work, work. It's just gonna take figuring it out.

[braidedwonder]

We can't possibly support all of them, Mipha. [ Was he tempering her expectations or just making sure that she knows? It's not entirely clear, but it seems like Duo wants to be very clear about that fact at least. After all, they couldn't be world saviors just yet.

Yet is what's highlighted in Duo's mind, though. At least for the moment.

But then she strikes him with asking if he's lonely, and Duo takes a moment to genuinely think on that. Is he lonely? He doesn't really think so. But then again he's so used to being alone, does he even really feel loneliness anymore? It seems foolish to ask but it's a very real question. ]

I'm used to being by myself, Mipha.. don't worry about me. [ A little smile. ] But I wouldn't complain if you came to visit sometime, you know.

[emblazes]

[They complete eachother when their v/specific canonmates are missing...into the void.]

Sounds like I won't have much of a choice. [A beat; he doesn't mean to sound loathe about it -- he did rise to the offer.] I'll pilot.

[motivation]

reasons like what? triggering bombs?

[devilcalling]

[ There's a clear note of interest and, perhaps, relief in her expression when he drops those four words. From one person to another, "I work in space," means a lot when you're stuck on a planet that hasn't achieved space travel and hooked up with spacefaring organizations. ]

Sounds like a logical conclusion to me. I hope it doesn't come to that, but I'd just as soon not have to fuss with the system if it does. I'm no stranger to space or security systems myself.

[fisherwife]

I know. [Mipha sighs softly, half in resignation, half in defeat. There's far too many people on the surface, and despite how many people the station can hold, it obviously couldn't sustain the entire planet.]

There's a difference between being alone and being lonely. [She points it out gently, but smiles back as he continues.] I will. I'd really like to see your mobile suit in more detail--It's really quite different from Ruta.

[braidedwonder]

This isn't the first time I've heard people talking about saving the natives but it's just.. not possible. [ As much as Duo isn't of the opinion that they have to save the natives, he knows other people are. Provided that they all make it back to the station, though?

Duo is fine with how things are now. At least for the moment. Collateral damage was never the goal, but it was what it was at this point. ]

if you keep busy you don't have time to be lonely.

After we sort all this out come on over. We can eat and you can look over Scythe as much as you want.

[braidedwonder]

You do if this ship can only take so much. Otherwise you play the game of whether you suffocate or starve first. [ Which is a much worse fate than he possibly even wants to think about. It's not nice - it's brutal, in fact, but in some ways it's fairly cut and dry for Duo.

He's set on surviving, whether that means stepping on people along the way or not.

Still, he snorts at Prompto's bit of optimism. ]

Wish I could think that way, Prompto. But a dragon's a dragon and any one I've ever seen is violent as hell. Granted, that was movies, so...

[ A shrug. Not a very good thing to base things off of shit like high fantasy films, he thinks. ]

How far can you really protect people on the ground from a dragon, though? At least for a duration longer than a few days, maybe? We don't have options other than scattering in to other areas but then you risk the logistical nightmare of not knowing the wildlife or the resources available in all those different scattered areas.

It ain't like Earth where we've got a general over view. Shit - we just found out about Khalo.

[braidedwonder]

Those, yeah. Also just so I know where the hell I'm gonna have to blow through a security crew to get the hell out of a place.

Just never faced down a dragon before, but if I have to drop my Gundam back to planet to tear that thing up I might as well.

[braidedwonder]

Dude, you offered to help. [ A snort. ]

I know they ain't a Deathscythe or whatever, but I'm not lending anyone my mobile suit. Last time I did that I spent too long putting him back together.

[ Thanks, Yuy. You douche. ]

Got a partner to tandem with if you don't have suit clearance?

[quintessent]

[In truth, her fear of failure comes more from the increasing awareness that her connection to quintessent energy has been cut off. The life-giving energy permeated so much of the universe as she knew it—it gave life to the planets, and even powered the ships they used—that she found the lack of its presence deeply unsettling. Either this part of the universe is void of the life-giving essence, or her connection has been severed. She is not sure which answer is worse.

But, she takes his words to heart, nodding, despite her video feed being turned off.]

You are right. I suppose there is no harm in trying.

[With renewed vigor,] I am helping with the evacuation efforts, but I will be there afterwards. It should only take a few dobashes—[Right, she’s among the humans now,]Minutes, I mean.

[fisherwife]

[She probably shouldn't agree with something like that--that being busy makes you forget loneliness--but she sort of does. When you can't think of anything else, who has time to focus on what you lack?

Her tone gros slightly teasing] Will you take me on a ride in it too?

[willrevile]

[ Jim suspects things like this - whether it's empathic or technopath or whatever it might manifest closest to - are going to end up without much traction, but he means it when he says it's best to try. At least they know, and at least she can start getting points of reference for trying again in the future, if and when circumstances change. ]

Minutes, gotcha, [ he says with a smile. ] What's your name? I'm Jim Kirk.

[willrevile]

[ The relief is mutual - there aren't enough people with technical know-how, he feels, but at the same time, it's probably rougher for them to adjust to the planet. Swings and roundabouts. ]

You'll definitely be able to parse it up here, then, [ he says confidently. ] We can't get into everything, but it's pretty straight forward. Jim Kirk, by the way, nice to meet you.

> Possibly going into action in the next tag or so? If you're down for that?

[quintessent]

Ah, I am Princess Allura.

[Her personal identification on the network is descriptive, if nothing else.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Jim Kirk. [The smile is evident in her voice,] And I am already acquainted with your compatriot, Duo.

[braidedwonder]

Of course you can. Won't let ya touch the controls, though.. [ The last thing he needed was Mipha accidentally setting off a weapon and that going sideways thanks to a playful ride in Deathscythe. That's the last thing Duo wanted or needed considering the fire power built in to the mobile suit to begin with.

Who knew what Mipha was used to anyway. ]

I've been kinda trying to keep him on the low but.. it seems like no one around here really cares unlike at home, so.. [ Shrug. ]

Guess that's just my own hang up.

[emblazes]

I don't want your mobile suit.

[Jeeze louise, and what's with assuming he'd wreck it? Aren't they basically supposed to get wrecked anyway. There is some hesitation following that query; technically he does not. Hypothetically?]

Yeah, don't worry about that part.

[fisherwife]

I can't fly him, even a little? [But she's joking; she doesn't expect Duo to let her actually touch anything. Likewise she doesn't think she'd let him touch anything on Ruta either, though that's less because of the difficulties and more because Ruta has a mind of its own and possibly wouldn't let him.]

Well, it's still best to be cautious. It's strange how easily the people seem to just accept what we bring to them, even if it's incredibly strange itself. But perhaps it's best to ust accept that it works in our favor.

totally down! c:

[willrevile]

You too, Princess. [ Maybe he should have said 'Captain!' ah well, there's time for chat later. If she prefers Allura, he's sure she'll tell him so. He laughs a little, ] That's good. Our makeshift team aren't all strangers.

[ Because this sure is a thing, man. ]

[braidedwonder]

Hell no. [ Duo's conviction is serious but he's laughing anyways, happy that she at least feels comfortable enough to press knowing that he's going to say no. He trusts Mipha, but maybe not enough to allow her time in his gundam like that.

Deathscythe as it stood had too much power behind it to just so flippantly allow someone new to fly it..

Even if Mipha was smart and level headed. ]

I think the Natha has more to do with that than the people being accepting.. [ What? Just being honest, here. ]

Either way it helps us, now. So I guess we shouldn't complain for too long. Lest things get taken away like favorite toys and all.

[braidedwonder]

You might after you see it. [ Duo laughs, not at all opposed to bragging about his stupid gundam now that he has it and knows that no one here is going to lose their damn mind about it.

Or at least no one has so far How true that would hold in the long term... well.

They'd see. ]

Don't give me any confidence, man, I might rely on you some. [ Sigh. Keith. C'mon buddy. ]

We're gonna need at least half qualified people to make it through this, so. Tryin' to gather as many as i can get my grubby hands on, basically.

:D

[quintessent]

[Though Allura rarely indicates a preference one way or another, most people switch to first name basis after a degree of familiarity is reached. Thus, being addressed as ‘Princess’ doesn’t earn any sort of reaction out of her, negative or positive.

It’s not long after she bids him farewell before there is signs of teleportation up to the ship. As a newer arrival, it hasn’t been so long since the last time she was on board, yet the atmosphere is entirely changed. Deserted is the first word that comes to mind. Dim emergency lights barely reach all parts of the halls, and the sounds around her are just the quiet hum of the ship’s most necessary systems.

And that alarm, of course

It’s tempting to stop by the stasis bay first, to check on her loved ones, but Allura has business to attend to, and heads directly for the tech rooms. If there is no one to intercept her on the way there, she will be content to enter the room quietly at first, observing whatever Kirk and/or Duo are busy with.]

[willrevile]

[ It's not quite a busy bustle up here with most people focusing their attention on prep for potential disaster on the planet, but those that are around are working tirelessly. Every screen and scanner is up in the defacto control room, and several of the alarm speakers have been manually disabled, just to save some headaches - but it still rings through the rest of the station periodically, echoing throughout long hallways. ]

Hey, [ Jim calls, looking up from a monitor he's trying to divine answers from. His gold uniform is long gone, mangled in his group's crash-land into the swamps some months ago, so he's dressed casually but effectively. Sometimes when he moves, a flash of a silver badge is visible beneath the sides of his jacket, pinned high on his chest. ] Are you checking in with piloting experience?

[quintessent]

Jim Kirk, [Allura nods a greeting, crossing over to stand near where he was having an impressive staring contest with a computer,] We spoke on the communicators, I am Allura.

[Just to be safe, since she wasn't using a video feed for herself. Her paladin armor—white with details of pink, and a futuristic helmet clipped to her hip—made her look far more at home in the steel halls of the station rather than the more primitive cities on the planet below them.]

I'm here to learn how to use the station's suits. But first— [Her eyes travel to the hall, where the unceasing alarms can still be heard,] I may be able to help make things a little more peaceful in here.