World Tree MUSH

    Herta Station. It's already in recovery mode in the wake of the assault by the Antimatter Legion and their planet killer Doomsday Beast. The research staff, security officers and other residents are still abuzz with the news that the station was saved by a strange grey-haired girl, a few people from the Astral Express, and some out-versers. A few research sectors are more interested in the latter than others, but that's not why people are here.

    WELT: Is aboard the Express, the tall man in glasses sitting in the parlor car and waiting for those who may or may not visit.

    HIMEKO: Is stood on the platform outside of the train, helping to direct repairs to the train and platform in the wake of the battle.

    HERTA and ASTA are in the Main Control Hub, the owner of the station having her attention dragged here by the recent events... and getting jabbed by Himeko.

    STELLE and PARTY are in the infirmary, as the young woman is still being observed in the wake of the Stellaron activation.

    The Station itself isn't entirely safe, there are weird crystaline formations in some areas, and remnants of the Antimatter Legion are still patrolling some of the corridors. ARLAN is working on building up the security forces again.

    Sooooo space trains.
    That's pretty cool.
    Rebecca has returned to Herta Station with some things on her mind.
    This is why WELT finds himself joined aboard the Astral Express, as Rebecca plops into a seat opposite the cane-wielding man, setting her huge mechanical hands on her knees. She doesn't have a HUGE duffel bag of guns with her this time. Just a smaller duffel bag with marginally less guns in it. You know. Her lighter, every-day-carry bag.
    "Okay choom, I've got questions, and you've probably got answers, so spit and spare me no deets, capiche?"

    The shy and stammering represenatative of Black Steel PMC is also here. Ears twitch nervously, and she isn't sure where she should go, so she latches on and follows the person whom she is most comfortable with.

    Which is why Rebecca finds a catgirl that is barely taller than her trailing behind, nibbling on her fingertip and twitching ears some more. Someone with lots of guns is clearly where she belongs, and she gives Welt a nervous smile.

    Talia's seen some space trains before, but they weren't SPACE TRAINS, you know? THe Mirialan only just got here, followed by her boxy droid companion as ND wheels around on her two struts, buzzing away. "I think that's Rebecca." She muses quietly, ND buzzing an affirmative. "I didn't think you had an opinion on her." Talia replies to the droid.

    In any case, the Jedi begins to look around the station until she notices the redhead in the white dress. "Ah, hello there! You look like you're somewhat in charge, is there something going on? I could be of assistance, my droid and I are experienced in repairs." Talia says, bowing her head. "I'm Talia Kyras, Jedi Knight. And this is Endee-Seventy-Seven, my personal droid."

    Endee buzzes and beeps something that causes the Jedi's smile to twitch briefly as she shoots the droid a 'Be nice!' look.

    Nort, the master of stealth.

    You see, part of the art of stealth is the art of distraction. If you want to not be noticed, you make sure people are looking elsewhere. Nort has mastered this, for despite being a whopping two meters tall(and a little extra due to the armor) and plodding around in a full suit of powered armor that is clearly battered and war-torn but still in good condition, he has made certain that few people will look at him as he strolls toward Himeko.

    This is because the massive 1-ton cyborg wolverine that is padding along beside him is much more interesting to most.

    Nort is kind of rude though, not even taking off his helmet, but he glares at the droid as he comes up behind Talia, deciding to let her talk for now before he brings his own expertise to the table. Not that people here are likely to need his specialty in zoology.

    There is a chicken here.

    Bi De is not going to any specific person yet, but he is near where Talia and Nort speak to Himeko. This is probably because he's right now just observing all the goings-on, the repairs and so on, to get a feel for how dire the situation is. He watches thoughfully, one wing tucking forward to stroke his wattles in deep consideration, like an old man stroking his beard.

    WELT: Rebecca has no trouble getting aboard the train, but she does encounter a small, rabbit-like creature in a conductor's uniform who gives her the stink-eye when she scuffs her shoes on his recently mopped floor. Welt himself smiles lightly, "I am certain I do have answers for you, young lady, however I require questions to provide those answers to." he returns, adjusting his glasses and leaning forward on the table. "Ah, also, say hello to Pom-Pom, he's our conductor here aboard the Express. It's only polite, after all." Jessica also gets much the same 'glower huff' as Rebecca from the rabbit-like Pom-Pom, and Welt seems to sense the discomfiture of the catgirl. "Don't worry, young lady. We don't bite."

    HIMEKO: As the Mirialan shows up, repair teams make room for the docking ship. The STC grants permission after a few moments, warning about hazards aboard the station from the recent attack. Himeko herself looks up from a clipboard, resting one hand on her carry case as she looks the Jedi and droid up and down. "Ah. I'm not exactly 'in charge' here, dear... but my name is Himeko. I'm the Navigator for the Astral Express. I'm just offering my expertise to the Herta station in return for their aid in repairing the damage to the Express. You could offer the repair teams a hand?" the red head does look intrigued and asks though. "A Jedi Knight? Could you explain what that means?" As Nort and Scar walk up, Himeko's eyes flick first to Scar, then to Nort. Her soft smile never leaving her face as she waits for the pair to speak.

    Noone really notices a chicken walking around... outside of a small dog in a security section vest, with a badge attached to the chest that has its picture on it. A security pass with the name: Peppy. This puppy trots up toward Bi De, giving a firm YAP YAP, as if demanding to see his identification.

    "Ah, absolutely!" Talia replies. Her ship was hard to miss considering it's in the hangar right now. She mostly came to replenish fuel and foodstuffs, among other things. But that can be handled later. Talia's inner do-gooder commands she help with the staff. "To put it short, I'm something of a traveling seer, do-gooder, and the like. It seems like the Jedi Order's reputation isn't much here, unfortunately." A shrug, and she goes to grab her tools. "And one of those things I help with are technical issues! My droid's built for technical solutions as well." Endee bleeps an affirmative as she wheels after her mistress. They'll be making themselves useful, unless Himeko wants to know more about Jedi stuff.

    Rebecca has a hanger-on. The smart-aleck, neon-haired, solo peers are Jessica for a moment before shrugging and settling in.
    And there's Pom-Pom.
    Rebecca stares. For just a moment. She flat out stares at the rabbit-like creature. It's strangely cute, but she's sweating for some reason.
    Rebecca just doesn't handle animals well, especially after her encounter with Bi De.
    Birds are horrible carriers of deadly diseases, after all.
    The solo puts on a forced smile at first.
    "... Hello, Pom-Pom." She says through gritted teeth, before she takes a breath and moves on.
    "Right so. That death-laser from the planet killer guy thing. That looked like the kind of thing no one should have survived. Little Miss Baseball Bat not only tanked it, but it looked like something super fucky was going on until you bonked her with your cane." She says before pausing.
    "Explain, pleazekaythanx."

    Finally Nort speaks up. "Just wandering through. Despite the appearance, I'm not a mechanic, I'm a zoologist. But I have some military training and I can't help noticing you obviously had a problem here." He gestures about the place. "Scar and I were just naturally curious. Though if you had any animals who were injured, we can take a look at them. We do have a veterinary license."

    Sure, it hasn't been renewed in several centuries, but he doubts Himeko or anyone here would know that.

    Oh. Oh dear. Rebecca seems to be... not so great at requesting information. This, oddly, lets Jessica relax some, and the catgirl steps forward to speak. "Ah, I think what she's saying is, it was very confusing. I wasn't there, but it sounds like something unusual happened. Um... I represent Black Steel, a private Military Contractor. This isn't really our service area, but I admit I am a little worried by what she just said."

    HIMEKO: The redhead ponders that for a moment. "Sounds like a Harmony Strider... but, not quite. Facinating." she muses softly. "So, Miss Kyras, what exactly are you capable of? I'm afraid this is all very new to me. Many worlds are serviced by the Star Rail and the Express, built by Akivili the Trailblaze... but you are from outside of our galaxy, our universe even."

    As Nort speaks up, Himeko's attention locks onto him. "Oh, you might want to go speak to Miss Asta in the Main Control Hub. She's in charge of the station and restoration efforts outside of repairs to the docking platform." she offers. "Just head back up the platform, and take the elevator all the way down to the bottom."

    WELT: Rebecca offers a greeting to Pom-Pom. The little conoductor puffs out his cheeks, then nods, before turning to look at Jessica in much the same way as Rebecca before... don't ignore bnuuy.
    Welt, meanwhile ahs, and nods. "That 'Super Fucky' thing as you put it, was the activation of a Stellaron. These things are, seeds, dispersed by the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook. They normally seek to corrupt people around it and bring down civilisations... however this one is, contained, inside of that young lady's body, in such a way that it is impossible to remove without killing her, and causing it to go rampant once again." he taps his fingers on the tabletop. "She is stable for now... Himeko and I have had a lot of practice in sealing these dangerous artifacts over our time aboard the Express. What she does now though... that's up to her."

    "Well, in that case..." Talia produces a hydrospanner before balancing it on her fingertip. She slowly pulls her finger away from the tool as it levitates in front of Himeko. "For starters, but it's more complex than that. We can sense emotions, feel the world around us, among other things." She seems to be doing some tricks with the spanner, spinning it around before she grabs it again. "In any case, what exactly seems to be the issue with the Star Rail itself? It looks like it's sustained some damage recently."

    Gently, Rebecca nudges Jessica with her elbow and makes a subtle (VERY BLATANT) motion at Pom-Pom. "Don't ignore the rabbit, choomba." She whispers.
    Rabbits are carriers of deadly diseases, after all.
    Gotta keep an eye on those critters, man.
    But that said... Rebecca is perfectly good at gathering information! It looks like Welt understands what she's after here.
    "So you're saying she's got a civilization destroying thingy in her?"
    Pause.
    "Wow that sucks." She says succinctly.
    "How'd she get one of those in her, anyway?"

    "Oof!" Jessica squeaks! She nods, smiling at Pom-Pom but explaining, "Sorry, I just want to chase them..." Well, her ears ARE twitching a lot, but she looks sheepish at the admission and tries to focus on something else. Namely the... conversation.

    "Oh, that's terrible. I have friends that are in situations like that, sort of." Not world-ending levels, but having something of great power inside you is kind of a thing. "I hope she's all right."

    "Hmmm..." Nort nods, then gestures, taking one long look at Peppy before he gives a casual gesture of thanks. "I will go look for them, then." Seems pretty simple! The wolverine rumbles, turning about and trudging in the indicated direction.

    Oddly, Nort doesn't seem too surprised by Talia's display. Maybe he's been out in the Tree too long? Then again that armor basically makes him look like a Mandalorian or something.

    Well he came here out of curiosity, but now Bi De has gotten stuck! He... bows to Peppy. "Greetings," the deep voice says, calmly. "Ah, Pe Pi. I know a lovely sow with that name. The Great Master even writes it as yours is. How fares your home? It appears to have undergone a great upheaval." He waits expectantly for a response, assuming perhaps the dog can like, talk or something.

    I mean, he can.

    HIMEKO: Blink... blinkblink. "The Star Rail? We travel in the Express to rechart and reopen the Star Rail... I don't know of any damage to it, so if you know something I don't, please let me know." she looks visibly shaken at the question.

    WELT: Rebecca's question makes Welt sigh softly. "We don't know, this is an entirely novel problem. Normally, when a person takes a Stellaron into themselves, they're completely consumed by it and are destroyed entirely, along with a good portion of the world surrounding them... but this one is completely stable... even before when it was going critical... it was surprisingly easy to seal back inside. It also seems that the young lady herself won't be much help in that regard either, she has no memory before waking up to March 7th and Dan Heng finding her in the Curio vaults."

    Pom-Pom blinks at Jessica saying she wants to chase him. He looks insensed! "Pom-Pom is not for chasing! HMMPH!" he says, before turning and tottering off... producing a mop and bucket from... where'd he even get those from?! Welt looks to Jessica with a smile. "She'll be fine. Whether she stays on Herta Station or takes other options available to her. I'm sure she'll be perfectly alright."

    ASTA: Meanwhile, in the Main Control Hub, Asta is coordinating restoration efforts from the main dias in the center of the area, directly in front of the elevator as it opens out. Nort and Scar would find security officers eying them both warily. They don't seem to be Antimatter Legion, so they don't interrupt, though another security officer moves a little move toward the auburn-haired head researcher, his scarred face belying his veteren status. "Halt! State your business with the Lead Researcher." he challenges.

    Peppy tilts his head as the chicken... talks. This has never happened before. The Wubbaboos talk but they're floating cat-ghosts... they're fun to chase, aww now he wants to go find one to chase... oh, wait, talked to.
    Peppy yaps once in response, giving a headtilt to the other side, then drumming his forepaws. It seems his can't speak, but is offering some kind of response.

    Endee nudges Talia's leg. "Oh. OH! I misspoke, forgive me. I meant the express itself. I'm sorry, I'm a bit new to all of this." She might be favoring the leg Endee didn't strike now. "Who built it exactly, and how long has it been on this mission?"

    "Ix-nay on asing-chay." Rebecca whispers to Jessica. "Rabbits arry-cay iseases-dayyyy." The solo hisses before returning her attention to Welt.
    "So she doesn't remember anything about it huh. Sounds kinda traumatic I guess?" She considers. "What's a Curio vault?"

    Jessica looks relieved, "Oh, that's good, thank you!" Looks like she has no problem being sociable with the bunny when talking, she just needs to suppress her instincts a bit! Her ears swivel toward Rebecca's question though, as she gets another question of her own.

    "And why were people fighting?"

    "Ahh, an Enlightened who has yet to learn how to communicate. No matter, it can take a long time, especially if you have no need to do so." Bi De is magnanimous in this, quite willing to chat with Peppy instead of anyone else, even if it is possibly a dead end. "Are there any that need assistance of some kind? I'm afraid I am not a Healer, but perhaps I can aid in other ways."

    Nort holds his hands up, and Scar comes to a dead stop. "Easy. I'm a wandering zoologist, with some military background. You can call me Nort, formerly under... well, DARPA, if you're familiar. A long time ago. Worked in tandem with the space agency where I'm from."

    Enough about him though. Nort doesn't like to talk, period, let alone talk about himself. "I was just passing through and wondered what had gone on here. Looks like a bit of trouble. I offered my assistance to any injured animals you may have, or I suppose military advice. I'd prefer giving the former, I get enough of armies back home."

    Also he would totally try to have the pets take over.

    HIMEKO: Ah, that makes more sense. "Right... right, I should have realized. The Express? It belonged to Akivili the Trailblaze, it's been around for far long than I've been the Navigator. The exact length is impossible to discern though, all the records in the Express' archives have been lost due to damage and time erosion. It's part of why we're travelling along the Rail again, to restore those records, and maybe find out what happened to Akivili." she explains.

    WELT: Pom-Pom speaks up without looking over. "I can hear you, you know. And pig latin is the worst way of masking your words." Welt himself chuckles softly "Go easy on them Pom-Pom, they're from other places than those we can reach aboard the Express." he says, as if he's got first-hand experience of such himself. "As for your question, a Curio Vault is a Vault for storing Curios. These are unique and fantastical objects, concepts and even creatures. Herta likes to collect things, you see. This station was originally built as a warehouse to keep all the things she found in her research... only after young Asta was assigned as the custodian did this become a center for research and advancement... Herta is a bit, fickle, in her attentions." Jessica's question earns a quirked brow. "The Antimatter Legion are adherants of Nanook. They seek to destroy everything in the universe. I don't know why they arrived just as we did, nor why it was such a coincidence that young Stelle showed up at the same time."

    ASTA: Arlan frowns a bit, then looks over to Asta who's already turned around and approached. "We don't have many animals aboard the station, space concerns amongst other things... There's Peppy... where is Peppy? Arlan you didn't let him wander off again did you?" she says, losing focus and shifting onto something else, before Arlan brings her back to the present. "I'll look for him, Lady Asta. Don't worry." To Nort he returns, "I could use some assistance with our security patrols. The Stellaron Burst caused some Fragmentum corrosion and that allows monsters to bypass our outer defense perimeter."

    Peppy, meanwhile, patterpats a bit, turning in three quick circles, then turns to scamper off... it's almost like he's saying 'follow me'. He's heading for the back area of the platform, where some strange black, glass-like growth can be seen, with some golden filaments growing out of it.

    Nort chimes in, "If you mean the little dog, he's off near the navigator, talking to the rooster wearing a vest." Helpful Nort is helpful! He did see that on his way by, but for some reason didn't comment. Talking animals are just way too common where he's from!

    But as for the rest, he nods, "All right, we do have a bit of knowledge on how that might shake out. I can recommend likely places to make choke points and patrol routes, but I'm going to take a guess you don't have a surplus of manpower."

    Far be it for Bi De to ignore the helpful pup! He fluffs feathers and bobs his head in a nod, taking after Peppy at a good pace yet somehow managing to look dignified despite it. Such a weird chicken, huh? "Ah, so there is something. Hmm, what an odd growth. I hope this isn't some sort of demonic corruption..."

    Talia nods slowly. "Must be quite the task, catching up for lost time. How long would you say you've been navigator then?" She wonders aloud.

    Jessica giggles at Pom-Pom, but then has her own opinion! "Sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence! I mean... I'm sure most people DON'T want people to destroy everything, so just about anyone who showed up would try to stop it, right?" This makes sense to her anyway!

    ASTA: The Lead Researcher seems relieved. "If he's up there, he'll be fine, the Express crew are good fighters." Arlan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lets, go to the Security HQ... I'll show you our resources and the areas we need to protect... it's lucky the Eruption was quelled so quickly... the Fragmentum could have taken over the entire station if not." he leads the pair of Nort and Scar away.

    HIMEKO: The young woman looks wistful. "I found the Express when I was much younger... I can't even tell you how much time has passed, really." She replies. "It's been an incredible journey so far, and that journey is far from over." She offers a beatific smile at the jedi. "We, the Nameless, travel the Star Rail in search of ourselves."

    WELT: The man looks wistfully at Jessica's earnestness. "You remind me of someone I knew a very long time ago. She saw the best in people too. I hope you never lose that." he says. This man is much more than he appears to be, it seems.

    Peppy leads Bi De to a section that's corrupted with Fragmentum corrosion. He yapyap bark growls at the crystal, then makes a show of shying away from it, cowering a bit to indicate it's very dangerous. Fight against it, but be careful.

    Talia nods slowly. Someone's quite long lived it seems. "Interesting. If you're the navigator, who's the driver of this express?" She asks Himeko.

    "Eehehe..." Jessica looks embarrassed her ears folding back, then up again. "Well... in case something else comes up and you need extra manpower, here, you can have my contact info." She looks a little sheepish. "I um... this is a little far afield for us, so it'll probably just be me or me and one or two others, but every little bit helps! We are mercenaries, but our rates are pretty reasonable for people who um... are trying to keep the world from being destroyed."

    Special discounted rates for those not insane!

    "I see," Bi De clucks, coming to a stop some distance from the dark growth. "Hmm. Well, let us see if there is something I can do." Lunar Qi is supposedly purifying, though if this 'corruption' is the same as demonic corruption in his world, he's not sure! It's worth a try. The rooster probes with his senses for a moment before springing into action!

    Of course this isn't a kung fu battle, so fancy moves aren't necessary. It's purely a matter of focusing his energy and trying to purify it. Mostly by leaping up, doing a spin in the air, and doing a spinning 'kick' downward, body wreathed in sparkling silver lunar power. The goal, of course, is to strike at whatever central 'mass' is causing the growth.

    HIMEKO: "Ah, that would be Pom-Pom, our Conductor. He's the only one who can control the Warp Drive. I set the destination, but without Pom-Pom, the Express doesn't move." replies the young looking woman readily.
    WELT: The man opens his surprisingly normal looking smartphone, noting down the information dutifully. "A Discount for the righteous hmm? Not many mercenaries think that way. I must say I'm impressed." he remarks. "Best you go now, I think Pom-Pom gets a bit, antsy when guests stay a bit too long."

    Peppy watches the talking chicken curiously. He'd heard some of the scientists talking about how powerful Pathstriders were... could this be one as well? He's not sure, he's just a dog after all.

    The Lunar Qi washes over the Fragmentum corrosion, but there seems to be nothing there for it to purify... it's almost like reality itself has been corrupted, twisted and changed, linked to some kind of otherspace. The qi does disrupt this connection slightly. It's possible if enough was focussed the connection could be severed, but it's already restabilizing.

    "I see! Who else is part of the crew then?" Talia asks.

    Bi De hmms, ruffling feathers, then strokes his wattles. "This will need a formation. It isn't demonic in nature, but it is unnatural... someone more adept at such things than I would have a better chance at this. I am experienced enough that I know what my limits are, and this is not something that can be cleansed by force alone. I am sorry."

    Himeko smiles. "There's me, of course. Pom-Pom, then Welt, March 7th and Dan Heng at the moment. I've spoken to Welt and we're going to offer Stelle a place amongst us too."

    Peppy looks crestfallen, but trots up to headbutt Bi De lightly. As if saying 'You tried, at least'.