World Tree MUSH

    Okay! So, free reign of the city, stay away from the creepy alleyway with the guards. There's plenty of places to check out.

    MONUMENT: A large scupture at the center of the main plaza, a short woman in a Silvermane Guard Uniform with dark blue, nearly black hair is talking to a group of kids at the base of it.

    THE WORKSHOP, A place where 'occasional open air music shows' can be found. THE HOTEL: Or you can head straight to bed.

    Stelle, March and Dan, for their part, split up, March heading off to find places to get nice pictures. Dan slipping over toward the hotel, likely aiming to settle in and find solitude, while Stelle ambles up to the short woman with the kids. Some kind of instructor perhaps.

    "Is that... carved ice? Why isn't it melting in the warmth of the city?" Stelle muses to herself.

    Hmm, it's hard to figure out for a moment, but the kids are something that Jessica can at least relate to. So she ends up following Stelle, shuffling up behind with a small wave and a smile. "Oh, do you think there's something in the base that keeps it cold?" Picking up on Stelle's confusion.

    She rummages in her many pockets, and finds a small bag of sweets, smiling and offering it to... well, the woman, since offering kids candy as a strange cat-eared stranger may not be the smartest thing to do for the near-criminals.

>> SUMMARY[Jessica] >> Following Stelle to the woman and kids.

    The workshop does draw Talia's attention as she draws away from the group. She senses out with the Force, taking in the ambiance, listening to the music and absorbing the world around her like a sponge. Master Furiel always advised his padawans do as much, to let an unfamiliar world tell them about itself, and let the Force do the talking. Perhaps she'll sniff something out.

    It just so happens that Bi De prefers kids, since they often are entertained by him... and he isn't big on pictures(that's Yun's thing) nor does he want to go somewhere by himself given his unusual situation. So the rooster follows Stelle and Jessica in this case, strutting up after them and fluffing feathers. "Is this some sort of teaching exercise?"

    The woman at the monument doesn't look much older than the children she's talking to. She does note the new parts of her entourage and doesn't skip a beat. "The Everwinter Monument may look like ice, but it's actually made from extremely highly refined Geomarrow. The blue tint represents the quality of the refinement." She adjusts her glasses, offering a small smile to the Trailblazer and the Feline Mercenary and a quirked brow at the talking rooster. "Ah, my name is Pelageya Sergeyevna, I'm part of the Silvermane Guard's Administrative and Logistical division. I'm helping the local schools with a field assignment for their fourth grade class. Now," she clears her throat, "can anyone tell me what Geomarrow is, and where it comes from?"
    One of the children shoots their hand up into the air fast enough they jump off the ground a little bit. "It's the fuel source we used to heat our city and keep back the Eternal Freeze. It's mined by the people in the Underground, in exchange for supplies and food." They recite, as if speaking from a text book.
    "A very concise account, but it is a mineral found underneath of Belobog, and is sometimes called the Blood of Preservation. It's used in more than just our power systems, as it also enhances the Silvermane Guards weapons and armour to keep them warm when outside the city, and it can be refined to this point," she gestures to the monument, "and be used for decoration. Such uses are rather frivolous and aren't practiced anymore."

    The children all chime up. "Thank you Miss Pela!" and Stelle smirks to herself, echoing the children's tone.

    "You're quite welcome, but it would behoove the adults in our group to behave like one."

    Talia approaches the workshop. There's no outdoor performance right now, and it seems to be closed, or at least vacant at the moment. The Force seems to be directing the Mirialan towards a heater, propped up against the side of the building. It's broken, as while the orange core glows, it's distinctly colder here than elsewhere with these heaters.

    Approaching the heater, Talia pokes around at it, producing her tools. Maybe she can fix it, if it's not too advanced. Space heaters aren't that different regardless of branch of the tree, after all.

    "Oh..." Jessica breathes, looking over the sculpture. "So it's like Originium where I'm from! Except it doesn't explode as much or give you a lethal disease if you are around it too much." She claps her hands, "That's amazing!"

    Oof, may need to work on your tact there, Jess.

    The rooster gives a bow after the explanation, and Bi De folds his wings together. "Gratitude for the explanation. This Bi De understands little of the devices you use, but my Master would surely find such things fascinating."

    That's about when Rebecca approaches Stelle, Bi De, Jessica and THE KIDS.
    "Jesus FUC--.." She pauses at the sight of the children and swallows her words down HARD.
    "Jesus FLIPPIN' CRIPES." She grouses. "It's still COLD." Scowled as she makes her way to the group. Even in the warmer climate of the city she's still complaining.
    HOWEVER to rectify this? She has bought a NEW COAT.
    "This should help though."
    Not a whole lot because, haha, she's still not wearing pants like a fucking rebel.

    Rebecca's outburst earns a STERN LOOK from Pela. The fact she didn't have to correct the Solo earns a bit softer of a retort than would have happened otherwise. "That also goes for you, you're clearly old enough to know better." She gestures over toward the museum. Seems this leg of the trip is over.

    Stelle doesn't follow, instead turning to look at the others in a 'Well, what do we do now?' kind of way. The stoic young woman not speaking all that much.

    Talia is interrupted by a Distinctively-Dressed Woman. She's blonde, with electric blue tips that seem to glow, a streak of indigo and piercing blue-green eyes. She folds her arms. "You seem awfully interested in that broken heater."

    Talia's senses pick up on the new person, and she takes a moment to glance over her shoulder. "Just felt like something to fix." She says quietly as she continues to work on reconnecting the power cable. "Looks like the cable's broken, it might need a replacement."

    "What?! WHAAAAAAT?!" Rebecca, as usual, immediately turns belligerent when chastised. But her fight comes to an end when the lady and the children head to the museum.
    "... So what now?" She asks, pausing briefly.
    "... I guess I could like. Buy some snow boots or something?
    No, 'pants' still do not cross her mind.

    "Huh! Well, I wonder where this mineral comes from. Do you think we could find out? Maybe at a um... weaponsmith or something." Jessica suggests. "Do they even have firearms here? I wonder what they're like?" Now that she has a moment to think about it, she has a few ideas, but just a two-track mind.

    What's the other track? "I bet they have great snocones here!"

    "I would be curious to see where they train their soldiers," Bi De says. "And... where they grow their food. Perhaps the first would be easier, if we are to be looking at their weaponsmiths. Those are the ones who create the weapons, yes?" He flexes his talons, thoughtfully. "I wonder if they have any flying swords?"

    WORKSHOP. "Huh, good eye there. I was about to fix it up myself." replies the woman. She then seems to remember something. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Serval. I'm the owner of this workshop. If you've got any broken equipment, you can bring it to me, but I can't guarantee I'll be interested in fixing it."

    Stelle shrugs at Becca, then headtilts over at Jessica's musings. "I think they have guns built into those axes they use." she mentions idly. "I did see one with an actual gun at the fortess." she adds, then looks to Rebecca again. "Why not get something to cover your legs?" she suggests, then stretches out. "I think I'm going to head to bed though."

    "OH MAN that idea sounds NOVA." Rebecca suddenly crows to Jessica's way of thinking. "LET'S GO GUN SHOPPING AND THEN HAVE A SNOCONE."
    Rebecca, you see, is a simple beast. But nevertheless, she pauses. If only to blink absolutely owlishly at Stelle.
    "... Why would I want that...?" Only for her to pause at Bi De's musings.
    "... I want a gun that SHOOTS SWORDS how cool would that be?"

    "Talia Kyras. I'm from off-world, so to speak." The Jedi nods. "It's worth a shot, right? I've been dabbling into repair work myself, it's kept my ship working more than once. Stars know my friends could use a repairperson at some point."

    "I'm..." Jessica eyes Rebecca curiously. "I'm not sure that would be very useful! The aerodynamics alone would cut the range short, and um... oh." She seems to realize something and nods, "Yes, cool."

    Stelle's comment has her smiling. "Well if you want, I think I'll just look around a little more, that's fine! I want to see what the place is like when we're not under threat of being jailed!"

    "From... Off-world?" asks Serval, frowning in thought. "AH! I've figured it out. I heard a loudmouthed guard say a group of outsiders had met with Cocolia... you must be one of them, right?" she asks. "If you can fix that heater, I'll give you a bit of free advice... be careful around the Supreme Guardian." she adds with a bitter tint to her words. "I... I need to head inside and open shop... drop by again if you'd like to chat sometime."

    Stelle, true to her word, leaves the group behind to talk about gunswords and flying snocones or whatever. They can do what they wish until they're tired enough to head to the hotel.

    Sure enough, there's an alleyway not that far from the doors with guards stationed in front. They're turning people away, but one tries to run past, shouting about their only belongings are in there... the poor soul is caught, and unceremoniously tossed back out. "For your own good, citizen."

    NEXT MORNING: One of the hotel attendants comes to wake the group. A Silvermane Guard accompanying her. "Commander Bronya is waiting for you down below. Hury up and go see her. No Tricks." the guard says, his tone stern and you can almost feel the glare from behind the full-face helmet.

    March wonders aloud, "Are... are we in a lot of trouble?" as the Trio-Blazers head down the staircase. Waiting down there is Bronya, the grey-drill-haired woman from the fort... and she doesn't look happy, and Pela is accompanying her.

    "I am Bronya Rand, acting commander of the Silvermane Guards. In the name of the Amber Lord in the highest, and under order of the Supreme Guardian Cocolia Rand, I hereby arrest the suspected infiltrators under the charge of plotting ti incite rebellion."

    Talia is going to keep that in mind.

    And right as Talia's pondering breakfast the next morning, it appears Serval was right to warn her.

    "And your proof of these crimes?" is all Talia says as she wordlessly undoes her belt and surrenders her blaster and lightsaber. Go ahead, guards, take 'em.

    Take 'em from her.

    "You know it would be so preem." Rebecca comments to Jessica on the subject of a gun that shoots swords.
    ... THE NEXT MORNING:
    "Muh?" A bleary and sleepy Rebecca gets woken up and she's not too happy about it as she throws on her jacket and shambles downstairs to...
    "WAIT, YOU'RE FUCKING ARRESTING ME? ON WHAT CHARGES?"
    'Inciting rebellion.'
    In an instant there are a pair of pistols in her hands and she's waving them around pretty menacingly.
    "You REALLY wanna try and read me my fuckin' rights, punk?! BECAUSE I'LL SHOW YOU SOME REBELLION RIGHT FUCKING HERE!"

    Wince. Ears flatten out as Rebecca decides to be very loud, while Jessica is dealing with a snocone hangover. Which isn't really a thing, she just doesn't like the loud noise! "Um, how are we inciting rebellion? Is it bad to eat snocones here? Oh... we didn't know! It wasn't like, special snow or anything was it? I thought it was just shaved ice and flavoring!"

    Of course the snacks she ate are the first thing to come to mind, but she may still be a little bleary right now, but at least she isn't resisting!

    Out of respect for the fact that it might cause an avalanche or something, Bi De did not do his normal morning routine. A Qi-powered rooster crow is... likely not appreciated if you aren't expecting it, would it be? This has left him fidgeting and cranky though, but he still lifts his head with the annoyed yet respectful statement, "That is a preposterous charge, and I demand to see the one who laid it! It is an assault on my personal honor," he huffs, the feathers somehow looking frumpled.

Rebecca's outburst doesn't even seem to faze Bronya as she continues, "As agent of the supreme guardian, I herewith temporarily strip you of your freedom of action and speech. When you are tried by the adjudication panel, you will be given the opportunity to defend yourselves against the accusations. Resistance will prove futile. You must come with me."

    Dan Heng looks around. Becca's being a big loud distraction, drawing most of the Guards attention. Talia's obviously got a trick up her sleeve with willingly disarming herself. He asides to March and Stelle. "Clearly an orchestrated betrayal. You never have a plan, March."

    March huffs. "I'm improving! It's only every third planet this seems to happen, it takes time! I'm coming up with a plan right now... annnnd... Got it! The alley!"

    Dan then nods. "Good enough. Everyone, get ready."

    "Three of a kind."
    Stelle blinks at that. "We are an odd group..."
    March hushes her. "It's an old Nameless signal. Don't you play cards?"

    "Two pair."
    One of the guards notices. "Here, what are you mumbling about?"

    "ACE!"

    Stelle dips, summons her bat and with all the force of a full 270 degree spin, clocks the nearest guard hard enough his FAMILY feel it... Dan goes low and sweeps the legs out from under the guards on one side, freeing an opening to make a break for the alleyway.

    March's part comes as the gun-wielding Guards make to fire a volley... Their guns ice up, that strange teal and pink 'Ice' gumming up the mechanisms. "Have an ICE day!" she quips, before leaping through a Fragmentum portal with the others.

    Fucking hell, Rebecca.

    This was obviously a setup, and nothing about this smells right. A significant glance to her allies, and Talia focuses as one of the guards reaches to take her weapons.

    Well, not all of them anyways.

    Talia takes a breath before she reaches for the hairpin in her dark locks. It's hurled at the neck of one of the guards, nicking the jugular, before suddenly flinging back to Talia's grasp just as suddenly. Then she grabs her pistol, firing back at additional guards with the speed and precision of a Corellian-bred gunfighter with nothing to lose. She had to hand it to Bronya, she came with quite a few subordinates as backup.

    As fire is returned, Talia swiftly snaps her belt around her waist again, the buckle clicking together with magnets and a locking mechanism as she suddenly draws her lightsaber. The emerald blade flashes to life as gunfire is batted away before switching off with as much speed, and Talia dashes toward the portal, leaping through.

    Annnnd that must be the cue to book it.
    Off go Dan Heng, March, and Stelle and...
    Something rolls along the ground at Rebecca's feet, towards Bronya and the other guards.
    Why is the solo smiling?
    Because it's a flashbang grenade.
    And it goes off with a loud flash of light and a big BANG of noise that might help open up a distraction for others to escape.
    In an instant, Rebecca is booking it, sliding under a guard's legs to get past him-- and pistol-whipping him in the junk as she passes, for added injury to insult before she rolls to her feet.
    "SEE YA, LOSERS!" She crows as she goes breaking into a full tilt sprint.

>> SUMMARY[Rebecca] >> His kids will feel that.

    Jessica is not afriad of killing people, but she's also keen enough to know that just murdering everyone in sight is probably not the best way to make friends and influence people! The kitty whines at all the loud noises, but when everyone starts to make a break for it, she has her pistol out in a heartbeat, and is dashing after Rebecca. She fires a few shots behind her, "Ahhh! Why does this kind of thing always happen to meeee!"

    Cheer up, at least they aren't zombies, Jess.

    So she isn't shooting to kill, but running and gunning means she also isn't trying to trick shot her way out of everything. She blasts the ceiling, chunks falling and lights shattering, and that provides some cover... but a few of the assailants are unlucky enough to be bringing their own guns around, and those are a threat enough that one shoulder and one thigh explode in a shower of blood as she shoots 'to wound' with a pistol that really isn't designed as a simple deterrant.

    Well, if they're going to try to take Bi De prisoner, they'll find that the rooster, despite being polite and soft-spoken, does NOT like being 'cooped up' with no pun intended there. He isn't going to start a fight, but when the others suddenly burst out with violence and dashing, he isn't one to just sit there.

    A shimmering barrier of moonlight appears for an instant, attacks crackling against the brief-lived field of living Qi and giving the rooster enough of a head start to dash out to the side, after the others. Firearms blast and ice magics flow, leaving him largely to show his own athletics and acrobatics by a number of guardsmen getting their shoulders and heads shoved down by a large chicken bounding across their tops.

    In order to give a bit more coverage, he mirrors what Jessica does. "My apologies to those of you merely following instructions." The polite, deep voice calls that out moments before empowered talons slash across a wall, tearing a chunk out and doing a Qi-enforced kick to slam it out and into some pursuing men, before resuming his chase after the others.

    "IS IT ALWAYS THIS FRANTIC?" he calls out to Stelle.

    "It's my first day!" calls Stelle back in reply to Bi De.

    TheFragmentum is a twisted mockery of the city. Large black crystaline 'growths' emerge from various places. Some parts of the street and buildings are twisted in a way that doesn't change them visually, but makes them seem to be wrong on a fundamental level... there are monsters here, some clearly former Silvermane Guards, their armour frozen or burning, melded with their flesh. Shambling with weapons they can't release their grips upon.

    They're far off though, and for the moment, the group is safe.

    "Looks like they weren't brave enough to follow us. Freedom!" squeaks March, far too happy with herself. "Heh, slowpokes."

    "We got lucky, March." remarks Stelle, looking back at the entrance portal.

    "Well... you can get good at getting lucky!" replies March, unfazed by the dour Trailblazer.

    Dan is quick to point out. "We caught them by surprise, nothing more. They'll be in pursuit again soon enough."

    "Then, we should regroup and figure out a plan... first order of business, get out of this Fragmentum." remarks Stelle, speaking the most she's done for a while.

    Landing in a roll, Talia springs to her feet before surveying her surroundings. THis place is very much NOT the city she remembered just hours ago.

    "Not quite freedom, I'm afraid!" She says, dusting off her coat. "Stelle's right. We need to get moving, find somewhere to hide. The workshop last I visited was abandoned, it might be a decent spot if you don't mind a chill."

    Talia briefly glances at Rebecca's minimal choice of bottomwear and bare legs. "Though we may need blankets at the least."

    Powersliding through the portal, Rebecca comes to a halt and stows her guns, dusting her knees off as she stands herself up.
    "... Okay so I'm gonna need some explanation here. What the frag is fuckmentum?" She asks. Before she blinks.
    "I mean what the fuck is a fragmentum."