World Tree MUSH

    Dan Heng takes a group down to the power router to install new parts. March remains on the bridge with Stelle while Talia fixes Perkins, with Timmy bringing replacement parts as needed. Clara joins the group repairing the power system. "This was accidentally damaged by a couple of the Vagrants... if Mister Svarog finds out, they'd get in really bad trouble." admits the white-haired girl as Dan works on installing the parts.

    "Are you sure it was accidental?" asks Stelle, frowning a bit. Seele joining in. "If you're too kind, Clara... people will take advantage of you."

    The girl looks at the ground, "I know you're all good people, you've done so much to help everyone... but I don't think Mister Svarog will listen to you, even if I take you to him."

    "Hey, kiddo. We're not Underworlders. Do we look like anyone else you've seen before?" asks Stelle, kneeling down to Clara's level, and holding her arms out to show off the clearly not local garb.

    Hah hahhhhhhhhh...
    Rebecca doesn't have to kneel to be on Clara's level...
    " 'Accidentally?' " She asks dubiosuly, making a face.
    Still, she flashes the girl a big grin. "You're a good kid, little choom, but Stelle's right, you can't let people walk all over you." She says while reaching into her Samurai jacket.
    Rebecca produces a BRIGHT PINK painted pistol. Which she offers to Clara.
    "Here, kid. Have your first gun, on me. It solves all kinds of problems."
    "Anyway, I'm sure we can convince him to at least try and think of alternative solutions. This whole 'stalemate in the underworld' deal can't go on forever."

    Bi De, who is nearby listening but not really chatting, clucks loudly and struts forward. "If you have seen talking chickens here, please let me know. My companions are pleasant enough, but it would be nice to meet another rooster who understands my... needs."

    There's no sunrise here. NO SUNRISE. Isn't that awful?

    Even Jessica seems to think that's a bad idea. She even says so! "Are you sure that's a good idea, Rebecca?" Her ears twitch a little and her tail sways nervously as she walks closer, watching the exchange with a disapproving frown.
    "It's dangerous down here, Rebecca. For a girl her size, a pink gun would be easy to spot! Don't you have something that will blend in with her outfit a little better?"

    Talia is currently in the midst of finishing up her repairs on the robot. It's a simple matter really, with Timmy fetching her parts, the droid will be fixed in no time at all. "You've been very brave, defending her the way you did." She says to the droid, patting Perkins on the head gently after she's done.

    It's just in time for her to see Rebecca handing a kriffing child a gun just like that. If not for the fact this place is the way it is, she would admonish the Edgerunner for this recklessness. Oh hell, who is she fooling?

    "I get the sentiment, Rebecca, but need I remind you she is a CHILD?"

    Clara looks at the gun. She looks at Becca, then back at the gun, before shaking her head. "Mister Svarog wouldn't let me keep it." she replies, then looks at the others around... Stelle's words get her thinking, "N-no, I don't think so. But I still don't see what..."

    Bronya gently interjects now, following Talia up. "When did Svarog start doing these Calculations of his?" she asks. Clara thinks for a moment. "About the same time the Underworld was sealed off, I think."

    "Well, there we go then! Circumstances have changed. There's a Silvermane Guard down here, and us. We're not even from this planet." remarks Stelle, with March wandering up, "Don't you sound excited all of a sudden?" she asks teasingly of the grey-haired Trailblazer.

    There is a pointed pause for a brief beat from Rebecca.
    "Ah yeah, you're right." She says to Jess and starts rummaging through her duffel bag of guns for a beat longer before she SIIIIIIIGHS heavily.
    "FINE I GUESS I won't look out for my little choomba." She huffs petulantly at Talia, but it's a moot point when Clara says she can't keep the weapon anyway.
    "Meh~."
    But then the topic of Svarog's calculations come up.
    "You know, technically we have the next head honcho of the overworld with us, now, too."
    You know. Bronya.

    Talia, spoilsport that she is, isn't crazy about the idea of having a child be handed a deadly weapon. Especially when it's a gun so garish. She shoots Jessica a look that says "Not helping." before the point is ultimately made fruitless.

    "Highly doubt Sarvog ever took us into account." She agrees with Stelle on that point. "We're the perfect wild card, something he can't account for just yet."

    "Hmm," Bi De murmurs, "I also doubt that the calculations accounted for literally everything. Something always seems to go wrong when a plan is put into motion with too much precision. My homeland was quite literally torn apart when this happened."

    "Like the chicken said!" Jessica agrees! "A perfect plan may work fine seven times, but number eight falls over not because the enemy changed their strategy, but just because the defenders trusted it would work just a liiiiiiiiiittle too much!" She nods firmly.

    "Seen it happen again and again."

    It's about now that Dan Heng finishes installing the parts, then rotates something. The machine emits a sharp crack, then begins to hum softly as it powers back on. "There is an old Xianzhou saying. 'The Best Laid Plan Rarely Survives Contact with Reality.' I believe it applies here. Svarog does not have access to all of the data possible and thus his calculations are inherantly flawed."

    Clara looks between all of the people speaking, frowning softly. "So those weren't just stories the grown-ups tell, about other planets... alright. I'll take you to see Mister Svarog now... A promise is a promise."

    The girl in the red coat then leads the group back to the large blast doors, fiddles with the control mechanism and causes the gates to swing open with barely any sound. "I think I understand now... Trying to change Mister Svarog's mind on my own would take forever, even if I kept trying until I was all grown up... I don't think I could do it... and all that time, people would still be getting sick, fighting and... dying; but you, all of you may be able to do it. So I need to be brave too." She pauses at the threshold. "Uh, please try not to upset Mister Svarog..."

    The imposing figure of Svarog stands in the center of a wide, vaguely circular arena courtyard. His balefully glowing red optic locked on the approaching child and the group of outsiders.

    "Don't worry," Jessica reassures. "I'll let other people do the talking. He's pretty scary anyway!" She nods, hanging back and letting the supposed talkers approach first. Conveniently, this lets her keep an eye on the much more impulsive Rebecca as well, juuuuust in case things don't go smoothly right away.

    "Don't worry, I'll keep a low profile and avoid engaging," she reassures.

    Talia meanwhile is going to have to be a front liner for this little engagement. She draws back on the training she took as a negotiator. Being a machine life form, this Savorg is going to be a little bit more difficult. She was more used to sapients.

    That baleful gaze shines on Talia briefly until she approaches, hands clasped. "Mister Sarvog, we understand you're the one in charge around here." She begins, clearing her throat, maintaining a stoic demeanor.

    Strutting up toward the staring red gaze, Bi De pauses, and then does his usual, incredibly elegant bow, wings spread wide as his tailfeathers lift and head lowers, but keeping his eyes up. "This Bi De greets you. We are not native to hear, and feel this will alter the conjectures you have been arriving at. We beg your forgiveness for this, and hope that it may in some way benefit the Underworld."

    Svarog scans the group, then turns his optic down to look at Clara as she walks up to him. "I see the energy supply system is back online. Thank you, Clara. Query: Why have you brought them?" he asks, looking back up at the group, then turning attention onto Talia and Bi De as they make themselves the 'front persons'. Clara steels herself. "Mister Svarog. They want to talk to you about going to the surface." she states, then steps aside for the others to speak.

    "Analyzing... Analysis result: Targets do not belong to Wildfire. Background: Unknown. Classification: Unknown. You have arrived at Clara's recommendation. I permit you the opportunity to speak." states the imposing robot. Bi De's assertion doesn't seem to make the thing react, but perhaps now is the time to lay out the whole story.

    Bi De straightens. "We are travellers from beyond the sky. We came here due to an irregularity, and found this world of ice most strange. Through no fault of our own we were forced to find refuge in the Underground, where we have attempted to help the locals, who have been kind to us. It is possible we may know something about the cause of all this, although I personally am not well-educated on such matters." He pauses. "With us we bring new abilities and powers, but power without knowing where it should be applied can do more harm than good."

    Whew, Talia's seen HK droids with better charm than this fellow. Cold hard logic is the best that they can ask for here. There won't be any appealing to emotion with him.

    "We've come to make a business proposition that would be very beneficial for the underworld. As offworlders, we have no emotional attachment to this place, giving us the ability to be used without any bias one way or another."

    Jessica does chime in, "At least, that's the hope." Mostly to affirm she's with the group, as if her ears and tail didn't make that obvious.

    Stelle steps forward to join the rooster and Mirialan. "We're here about the Stellaron." she adds to the point.

    Svarog reacts to that. "Searching database... Access denied. Discussing subject: "Stellaron" with unauthorized users: Prohibited. You are broaching a secret that lies at the heart of this world. A secret that should remain unknown to humanity." His stance shifts slightly, and the red of his optic blazes just a bit more intensely. "Reassessing targets... Threat index raised. I demand you reveal your true intentions."

    Stelle winces, then rallies. "We're here to bring this worlds conflicts and disasters to a close. To do that we need to find and seal the Stellaron."

    Svarog would be frowning, if he had a face. Instead his tone shifts. "Historical records state that humanity has already made multiple efforts to engage with the Stellaron. Without exception, these efforts have been motivated by greed - attempts to secure the artifact for selfish ends."

    His back plates flare out, puffing up the jacket he wears, until he tugs it off in a sweeping motion. "As instructed by the Architects: Any attempt to engage with the Stellaron will result in grave consequences. Reassessing..." He takes on a combat stance, and several smaller robots skitter into formation, Some ushering Clara off to the side so she's not in the crossfire. "Threat index: Critical. Engaging combat protocols."

    Talia's shoulders drop, and she sighs. "Darn. If you won't be civil about this..." Her lightsaber flashes to life with that distinctive snap-hiss, the 'KFFVOOM' that the weapon is known to make as it lights up the room with green. She adopts a fighting stance with both hands on the weapon. At the least, Clara will be safe from this with any hope. Sarvog couldn't be as craven as to hurt a kid, right?

    Oh no. Well, Bi De is weakened but still has some fight in him! Also, he has a trump card! He knows the magic words to spur on the fight! Chirping and then letting out a short warbling cry, he dashes to the side. Then he cries out the summoning mantra he has learned!

    "Jessica. You may engage just a little!"

    Blink. Wait, after all that, just mentioning the Stelleron in passing causes this dumb robot to go berserk? "What kind of bad programming does this thing have?" she pouts, sulking back a little and huffing even as Svarog powers up.

    Then Bi De says the magic words.

    "Huh? You want me to engage a little? Um... okay..." The sharpshooter meekly fusses with her jacket, before withdrawing her originium pistol and snapping it up, and incidentally clearing the way for a little angry cussing cyborg to join in as well! "If you insist."