World Tree MUSH

    United Process Control, with the past assistence of some upstanding corporate unaffiliated associates (slash mercenaries), had managed to get some amount of information on just why they've had a plague of missing transport ships of late. They're now actively on the lookout for her under at least two names, both Adrienne Salvador and Circe. Neither is all that useful for finding her; there's a number of Adrienne Salvadors in the system, but none of them are close to the right age, and as for Circe...

    Well. There's information about that name. And those myths about Circe even include a lot about missing ships! It's just all several thousand years out of date, and the ships are a bit less.. spaceworthy than the current problems.

    With trying to go out and look for Circe not being much in the way of a solution, the company has instead taken stock of what in particular has been on the ships that have been targets, after coming to the conclusions that the missing ships' systems have been compromised before ever leaving their home ports. Whether they're right or not, they're not really handing over the analysis that would let outsiders judge.. but given that the ONLY successful recovery has been at the hands of those sorts of non-normal forces, they're hiring on more to be the sharp point of the spear in the trap that has been set.

    Said trap is on one of the dingier spaceports that the company operates out of, an aging space station in a near-Mars orbit. It's low rent, and there's a heavy, heavy criminal element here, but United Process Control has a ship that's getting loaded up right now, workers carrying supplies in and preparing the ship to take off. A security force is planned for this one in transport, the same as most of them recently, but it still takes far more people to load and unload than to run the ship while it's going.

    Those who have been hired have been given instructions to watch for any forms of attack, cyber or physical.

    Samus Aran has opted for discretion.
    Rather than patrol about in the bulky armament of her Gravity Suit, the bounty hunter is dressed somewhat casually for a spacer; a dark pair of cargo pants, heavy boots, and a bomber jacket thrown over a light top.
    Of course under that bomber jacket is a standard Federation issue stunner pistol.
    And under the rest of her outfit is the sleek blue form-fitting bodysuit of the zero suit, so she can don her armor at any time if needed.
    But to the naked eye, the blonde is just another spacer around the port, sipping a warm drink from a disposable cup as she keeps an eye on the ship in question discretely from a short distance away.

    Jedi tend to bring about a lot of expectations, and Talia Kyras wasn't one to draw a crowd if she could afford it. She wasn't quite good enough to use the Force to mask her presence entirely, but it did its job. Besides, she didn't need to rely on it entirely. Dressed in a simple pilot's jumpsuit and a toolbelt, she played the role of spacer with Samus. Drinking caf, she used the Force to provide overwatch. Tucked in a pouch was her lightsaber hilt, and a blaster pistol sat in its holster at her hip. Talia had even gone to the effort of altering her hairstyle, going for a practical ponytail and a bandana.

    Justine, on hearing all this, had looked into joining up on the hire. She'd had to lie about her age, of course... but not about her experience. She did, in fact, have a decade or so of experience in 'dealing with pirates' in one for or another. The fact that this was because her parents were sometimes pirates was not mentioned. It's not like too many questions were asked anyway.
    She's not very big though, so probably looks adorable in that spacesuit(well, technically it's just the suit worn UNDER the pressure suit). It also hides, for the moment, her artificial arms, but it also means she couldn't bring her wings to this outing.
    Like the others, she isn't too far away, slurping up a cup ramen because such things are hard to get in her home world. Justine wastes no chance to enjoy the cuisine of other worlds. She also hasn't been around lately, so is pretty sure nobody will recognize her.

    Workers are going in and out, many of them in pressure suits of their own, but the ship is mostly loaded now and it's still been quiet so far, with no signs of anything nefarious thus far. Perhaps Circe had missed about this ship, or she'd caught on to the trap.

    ...Or perhaps she's shifted the target, because there's a chiming of the space station's alert system, followed by a generic robotic feminine voice alert. "Warning: Nano-biological contamination detected in dock 8. Detected in dock 9. Detected in Food Court Beta. Detected in restrooms four through eight."

    It goes on to repeat this warning for much of the station... but not, notably, the area where this ship is, nor the closest facilities.

    Not that that stops a general panic, as much of the crowd starts immediately trying to make their way to wherever their particular ship off of this station is! Some of the workers are rushing into the UPC ship, too, while others seem confident in the protection of their suits or maybe just more afraid, given that the ship was bait for a known bio-terrorist, of being ON that ship than out here.

    One moment Samus is sipping her drink and waiting.
    The next minute people are panicking and heading for the ships.
    The Hunter sighs.
    Either Circe has indeed changed her target or...
    It could be a calculated ploy and diversion to get to that ship the Circe really wants to get to.
    Samus doesn't don her armor just yet, but she veers away from the food court and starts heading towards the UPC ship that was set up as the trap in the first place.

    "That sounds unpleasant." Talia muses, as she steels herself mentally against the horde of panicked feelings from the rest of the crowd. Being a Jedi meant you could absorb emotions and such like a sponge, it was a double-edged sword to have sensory abilities like this.

    "Spring the trap." With a cheeky grin, Talia nods to Samus and tags along with the blonde.

    At times like this, well... Justine groans and rubs her temples. Being an empath is a pain when people panic like this, at least when she's unprepared to deal with it. Still, she'd better do something. Tossing her cup ramen aside, the young girl brushes a lock of hair from her eyes and looks over the crowd.
    Not that her eyes are doing the work. She's instead going to feel out for people NOT panicking, aside from the jedi and mercenary.

    "Nano-biological contamination detected in ventilation and life support systems." The robotic voice adds on, with an almost audible hiss to it now. "Potential lethality.. 99.9995 percent. Biological persons are recommended to use independent ship life support systems and begin evacuation. Contact with contamination may result in mutation, melting, death, and slash or death-like symptoms."

    There's even more panic going around at that for Justine and Talia to enjoy! Some of the workers are less concerned, including one of the ones just now getting onto the ship who seems more amused by the chaos than anything; this may be because of their suits, though. That particular worker, glancing up at the alert, will start messing with a console that others will know is meant to close up the ship when it's time to depart.

    Samus pauses.
    Something about that announcement seems... Off. It might be the hiss. Or precisely the symptoms listed, but the Hunter frowns.
    The last time she ran into one od Circe's plots something like that was up with another automated announcement system.
    Samus cannot sense people's emotions.
    She's blind to that worker's amusement, but she can pester them for another reason:
    "Is everyone aboard? I think we're missing a few."

    Justine narrows her eyes. Well... it COULD be because of the suits, but Justine is suspicious of most everyone. That's why she isn't coordinating much with the others. She makes her way toward the ship, hopping onto the entry ramp and wiping her hands off. "Guess I should get a helmet on, huh? Just in case." As if she was expected to be here, the girl starts rummaging around for something of the sort.
    Of course, she is still 'listening' to what's happening.

    "I'm starting to envy you and your power suit." Talia muses as she hears that announcement. She nods. "I think our friend Circe's up to something again." She says, before dodging off to go grab something. She'll return with a 'borrowed' hazard suit, good for EVA and contaminants, she hopes.

    "The plan if there's an attack against the station is to get the ship into Mars orbit proper." The worker will reply, irritation coming off of her now as she works with the console, the entry ramp starting and then stopping as others make their way onto the ship.

    The station's alarm system will drone on and one about increasingly more dire consequences for remaining - 'chance of explosive indigestion' might be overheard at one point - and a few locals who don't have a ship to evacuate to are now crowded around the ship, shouting. "Hey, you have to let us on board!" They've picked Samus to yell at, evidently deciding she looks the most like someone who could make this kind of decision.

    There are a number of extra suits available on board, so Justine and Talia both can come up with something fairly quickly. They make it a little harder to be identified since the visors are darkened to make faces impossible to see, so they'll look like just more dock workers for the company if they wear them.

    This is... So fake.
    "I think you can let those people on board." Samus says when the locals call out to be let aboard.
    "In fact I think the station isn't really compromised at all.
    Explosive indigestion? Really?
    Really?

    Talia will just put that on her bill for services. The suit is useful if nothing else!

    "I sense there's more to this than a mere outbreak. A smokescreen." She suggests.

    Justine has no problems with snagging a 'borrowed' suit, they're generally much nicer than the clunky ones in her world. She seals the helmet while everyone is clamoring, and... leaves Samus to deal with the locals yelling at her. She's just observing. Really!
    Okay maybe she's still feeling out for emotions, but that also means she's going to be walking right up toward the ramp controls. "Saying smokescreen on a space station might not be the best analogy. Diversion maybe?"

    The worker will sigh at that, the entry ramp shutting and shutting off the protests of the civilians outside who are evidently not as on the ball as Samus. She'll reach up, and with a twist, pull off the helmet, revealing - to Talia, at least, the only one to have actually met her - the red eyes and black hair of Circe.

    "Well. I guess we can either do this, or you all could just split the profits with me? I need some of the equipment they were silly enough to throw on here, and I promise I won't be using it for anything like as evil an end as they will be. I don't really want to have to actually release any biological agents here. There's a bunch of people who don't even work for that company, and I wouldn't want them to be hurt. There's a lot of valuable stuff I don't need involved, way more than anything they'd be paying you? And other than the bioform designer, I don't really NEED any of it." She'll offer, a hand flicking at one of her piggie earrings.

    Samus... Has no idea who she's looking at.
    But judging from what Circe is saying, she can pick up pretty quickly that this is who they're after.
    "That's funny. I thought this ship was put together as a trap to catch you in the first place." She considers, rolling her shoulder to show the inner lining of her bomber jacket and flash the stunner pistol at her side in a shoulder-holster.
    "There's also the option of you giving up peacefully." The Hunter notes.
    She can be hopeful.

    Looking between Circe and Samus, Justine is silent for a moment... but the earrings make her pause. "So are you like, doing this Circe-themed thing or are you an actual witch? Just curious, mom always said we were descended from Circe and all."
    Justine pauses a second. "Which would be cool and everything, but I never really believed her. I mean, it's not like myths ever mentioned Circe actually getting laid."

>> SUMMARY[Justine Lawson] >> Just making an observation, it's probably not important.

    "I don't even know why I bother, but we can't have you stealing things." Talia says with exasperation. She doesn't even know why she accepted this contract, but she doesn't like going back on ehr word. SHe draws her blaster, set to stun, when Samus flashes her own gun. "You really don't want to fight us."

    "They used the right bait; it's equipment I can't get elsewhere, really. All other options are at least this risky. And you realize that you're working for people who are literally going to kill me and dissect me if they ever capture me, right? I can't peacefully surrender; I might as well scramble my own cortex myself if I was going to do that." Circe will ask, more than slightly annoyed. "I've never killed anyone. Also, yes, I'm actually Circe, reborn into this mortal form. Sort of, I'm a little more complicated, but I'm pretty sure I had a kid or two with that asshole before he went crawling back to his wife, since you asked. My memories of the old days are still a little hazy in spots. You have a little trouble once or twice with relationships and suddenly people are accusing you of.." This trails off into incoherent grumbling, before she refocuses.

    The piggies earrings come off her ears, resting in her hand. "Look, none of us want to fight, and you don't seem like the sorts of people who want me murdered, which IS what you signed up for. Why not just work with me one more time? It's not like one of you didn't already commit piracy against them." Circe will add, giving a glance to Talia.

    Samus looks at Justine.
    She looks at Circe.
    Wow, shots fired, kid.
    Though she weathers through Circe's grumbling and decides to actually draw her stunner pistol now.
    "This doesn't have to get violent, no. Just walk away."
    That's the option Samus is offering. Walk away over being captured. It's pretty generous from her point of view.

    "You can always just find a different target." Talia suggests. "But I have a question if you'll indulge me; Why are they so intent on capturing you for study again? It's one thing to be wanted for crimes, but the dissection bit has me confused."

    Justine's face is rather obscured by the helmet now, but she's not moving to attack or defend Circe. "Huh, really?" A vague interest. "I guess I'm not really concerned here, if you're willing to pay more. I'm not so sure you can call yourself a Robin Hood or the like here, though. You are basically a terrorist, too, whether you've killed anyone or not." She... sits down and swings her legs. "How much does this thing mean to you? Enough to fight these two?"

    She looks at Talia, and adds playfully, "Pirate, huh? Kinda cool. Didn't figure you for the type. You'll have to tell me about it."

    Circe rolls her neck back, seeming to consider. "I don't think they've managed to get their hands on any of my supposed family? And trust me, we've got power beyond the normal, even if it's not what it was in the days of old. I'm playing gentle to make certain noone dies, you know. And I'm not going to pay if I don't take anything, obviously." Though the ship is already hosed up, since it's actually in port it should be repairable even with Circe's having had time with the computer. "But I guess I don't really have much of a choice. I'm willing to fight, but I can't see a way out from here without maybe killing the two of you since the escape would involve me taking this ship. Oh, well. You're not going to do anything stupid like try to have me captured once I leave? Because the explosive indigestion part for everyone on this station I can definitely make happen, you three included." Her hands will close around the earrings, looking a little regretful.

    Talia just makes a face. "She lied to us. Didn't exactly say who she was stealing FROM, or that she was stealing at all considering we'd been scavenging a seemingly lost ship."

    She does tilt her head. "I admit, I'm a little lost as to what this whole myth thing is about. You're saying you're descended from gods and the like?" Talia asks, skeptical. "Regardless, I can't have you going on a supply raid."

    "There's no need to give anyone explosive indigestion." Samus says.
    On the one hand she can't let Circe have what's on the ship.
    On the other hand she can't condone what Circe says would happen to her if she were captured. "Or kill anyone, really."

    Justine watches all this, and finally speaks up again. "I'm not too familiar with this realm, but it seems to have similar myths, and is just far in the future of mine," she states. "Circe was a witch who lived in ancient times, before people learned how to travel the stars. She's most famous for capturing the crew of a ship and turning them all into pigs. I uh, forget exactly why she did it but I think they did something to make her angry. Odysseus had a habit of doing that. Depending on the story, she was the child of a god herself."

    She cracks her helmet off and shakes her hair out. "I only tagged along to see what was going on, I don't really care who wins. If you want to walk without taking anything, I'll make sure they don't grab you on the way out." She gestures, and one of the suits nearby suddenly straightens up and takes a few steps forward. "I'm sure I could make things inconvenient enough for both of them that you could get away, but you'd owe me a favor if it came to that."

    "Samus." Talia says. "What do you think? Shall we go against a faceless corporation we've no real loyalty to?" She says, slowly stowing her pistol before she turns to Justine. "What about yo-I'm sorry. I don't think I caught your name before. I don't think you'll need to go so far as to fight us, either."

    "Justine," the girl supplies helpfully. "Just Justine for now, thanks. I'm skipping out on my own world while it's tied up in a big war."

    Circe will sigh, tilting her head again and looking over at the console, suddenly seeming a lot more depressed than she had at any point thus far. It's mostly at something Justine has said, which will be all the clearer in a moment.

    "I don't know what sorts of stories you were listening to, but yes, I'm a goddess too. Helios was the sperm donor. But my mortal half decided to find herself a goddess to work with, and so, here I am..." With that, she'll turn away, not even touching the computer but the ramp lowering back down nevertheless. The station has quieted considerably while they were having this discussion, in the sense that the people have all gotten out of the area; the computer is still rambling away about the threat that isn't really there. "We'll just call this one a draw. Feel free to reach out, if you actually will listen about what the 'faceless' companies in these parts do."

    "I'm not hurting for jobs." Samus replies to Talia.
    We can call this one a draw indeed.

    "Indeed. We'd better have a good cover story." Talia muses with a crooked smile to Circe. "Try not to hurt anybody in future endeavors, or we /will/ come after you in earnest. I don't enjoy this dance."

    Surprisingly, Justine speaks up again. "In my own world, I am something of a notorious... well, not pirate, but it would be believable if I had interfered with your capture. In fact I fully intended to." She smiles, "I rarely feel magnanimous like this, but feel free to use my presence as an excuse, I have no need for a good reputation. This is a one time offer, though."