[MISSION: HYRYPIA] the moon drops one or two feathers into the field

[isorropia]

CHARACTERS: Everyone
WHERE: The Station
WHEN: DAY :055
SUMMARY: Two veteran hosts arrive on the Station and a mandatory meeting is called. It's time to prepare for a new mission.
WARNINGS: Just chill dudes having a chill time. (Will add warnings as necessary)


I. THE SHIP.
((closed to one thread with a maximum of two player characters; first come, first serve; please don't nab this if you want to play an AFTERMATH prompt and vice versa))

[Early in the day, one of the hangar's platforms rotates upward into place. On it sits a long, bird beak shaped ship. For a moment it has all the appearance of being held together with little more than hope and a prayer. Its nose panels are scorched from the punching in and out of atmosphere and its wings have a rugged, rudimentary sweep to them. Then the illusion melts away and the ship becomes fundamentally concrete, though no less strange as it twists into a shape more closely resembling some complex origami. From it comes two hosts, both in elaborately layered stiff edged garments that cloak them from neck to knee.]

Double time, darling.

[The pale alien flashes a broad grin at her comrade as she vaults from the cockpit to the hangar floor. Her partner, hood thrown back and his scarves unwound to reveal short, tawny fur and two sets of small horns, tosses two bags down after her then follows her down.

The ship seals itself after them like a fan folding closed.]

II. MENTAL LINK.

[There is a strange, unfamiliar voice in your mind. It comes without a greeting and without the polite request for attention, but rather like a voice over an intercom, curt and low:]

( Hosts will report to the briefing room in- ) [the measurement of time that filters into your mind is not quite numbers, untethered by the standards of one people, but the meaning of it is clear- approximately 15 minutes] ( You have received the mission info on your personal databank. Proceed to the location upon review. )

[There is no invitation to continued conversation, but there is the impression of a location, one which you are unfamiliar with. The space it occupies pressed into your mind like a seal into hot wax. You can find it. You know it.]

III. BRIEFING.
((thread jacking encouraged for this - speedier back and forths seem like the funnest way to accomplish a group meeting; tag order will be treated cavalierly at best in any group threads!))

[Not far from the hangar deck, the corridors curve and then abruptly dead end at a circular room with a series of tiered benches seemingly carved from the Station's structure. Is this where you meant to be? Well, the voice had seemed like it wasn’t optional.

At the center of the small briefing room sit two Hosts. The first, a tall narrow alien with long pointed ears and solid green eyes sits straight with military precision, facing forward and not moving except to breath. The second, a pale alien with fringe touched by gold and dark lip lacquer is sitting in a spindly chair and aggressively typing on her tablet. She's shed her elaborate outerwear for one of the Station's bodysuits. She doesn't look up for a long time.

Eventually once everyone is seated, Rhan folds her databank up into a cube, sets it on the pedestal beside her and strokes along its side to trigger a projection of glittering gossamer images into the dim room's center.]

Let's get down to business, shall we? Hopefully you've all done your homework, [She arches an eyebrow, flashing a quick grin] --so the nuts and bolts won't be shocking. But Siva'co and I wanted to go over a few particulars before we take you all on this charming little adventure. Namely this one:

[She taps the side of the cube with her finger with a click of her long fingernail. The briefing report sent to the hosts earlier scrolls rapidly to the line '--one of these major diplomatic factions is believed to have been infiltrated by 'Enemy' agents.'.]

Now we've worked rather hard for the last year in this universe and we both would be very unhappy for all that effort to go down the drain just because someone thinks they'd like to be a hero. Isn't that right, Siva'co? I don't know how much contact you've had with our good friends out there, but let's be clear about this: if the Enemy becomes aware of our presence on this planet, this mission will be aborted. They'll get whatever they want out of this universe and, most importantly, some of us will die while running with our tails between our legs.

[Rhan tips her head to her partner.]

How do you feel about getting killed by someone with ideals, Siva'co?

[There is a long pause before he answers- and it is difficult to read his face exactly, but he seems somewhat exasperated.] Whatever the source of the failure, to die for reason other than the success of the mission is not acceptable. All must fulfill their roles with focus and dedication in order to see victory. Foolishness will not be tolerated.

[Rhan looks back to the assembled Hosts, cheerful smile unflagging.]

Questions?

IV. AFTERMATH.
((each prompt limited to one thread, first come first serve; please don't pull one of these if you nabbed THE SHIP prompt and vice versa.))

SIVA'CO.
[Regardless of the fact that the meeting is complete, Siva’co does not immediately leave. Rather a) he waits, stiff backed and formal by the door as Host’s filter out, not particularly inviting conversation but not fleeing, either. When the last host has left the room, he is found b) in the Training Wing, working his way through a number of the exercise machines with a single-minded focus, breathing heavily through his noses, hooved feet silent on the treadmill and the foam mats.

RHAN.
[After the briefing sessions, someone quick on their feet might manage to catch Rhan a) in the corridor leading from the briefing room. But you'll have to be very quick as she clearly has things to do and is shortly swallowed up by the labyrinthine corridors of the Station's interior. Some time later, she appears b) in the library, making space to shelve a series of small leatherbound books. Rhan flips open each one to check the label on the first page as she takes them from the open bag at her feet. The bag itself appears to be stuffed with…. well, stuff in addition to the books.]

Comments

[deployed]

Me.

[ Sneaking into Mount Weather had been taxing enough that it has to count, though the way this mission is lining up is sparking a crushing sense of unease in his chest. ]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

Can I half raise my hand? [ There's a quirk of a half smile, because look, he can't be serious all the time, all right. ] I'm a soldier, but my specialization was infiltration and extraction. I can keep a cover.

[ Then he considers, flipping back through the people he knows. ]

Clint and Nyx, they're the best sneaky little shits I know. Damon's got a skill set that might help us keep our cover, assuming it works in this corner of the universe. Pidge's one of our tech experts, but it sounds like technology works differently out here than other places we've been.

[isorropia]

Well aren't you helpful. [You get a wink too, Sammy boy.] That makes five and a half of us, give or take, plus someone who might be able to make us all sorts of fun little work arounds. Now, who here likes to talk?

[Her hand is staying up. Obviously.]

[deployed]

Murphy.

[ spitefully drags Murphy into this mission. ]

And Lexa. Both of them can do it.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ A+ Bellamy, if this wasn't a mission debriefing, Sam would high five him. As it is, Sam raises his hand a little more, giving a one shouldered shrug and a grin. ]

Me.

[adamance]

Murphy isn't a suitable choice because he doesn't have any diplomatic talents. Sam and I are best suited to anything that involves talking.

[She refuses to work with Murphy, so this is her spiteful response.]

[isorropia]

Noted. So you and Sam here if we need people to talk prettily, Murphy if we need someone to talk like a person, me to talk at length, and our good friend here for all single syllable answers.

[She mimes jotting down a note on her thigh.]

Now, who has experience working with government officials? Do we have any princesses in the room?

[adamance]

I am the official of my people, but I doubt that I'm the only one. [Frankly, she doesn't know about the rank or standing of a number of what she considered to be the newcomers.

But she is the Commander, so—it would be a dark day if Lexa didn't readily claim that with ease.]

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka's sitting near the front, despite her silence, arms folded, good eye darting between people as they speak. She's been trying to put together an idea of what they're going to do, listening to people talk about what they're good at. She butts in without much respect for rank or politeness. ]

We're not really here to talk to people, are we?

[ She already heard their conversation earlier about "plan Z". Sounds fine to her. ]

I kinda like just going straight to Plan Z or whatever. Destroy it and they can't have it. Easy, right?

[wrackful]

[Murphy, who has thus far been sitting at the back looking really bored about everyone arguing, might have carried on saying nothing if Bellamy and Lexa hadn't already riled him.]

Yeah, nothing like some easy genocide.

[Dry as dust.]

Everyone's been over the blowing it up. Or do you just want us all stuck in here arguing for another couple of hours?

[shiro2hero]

We're not using that option unless it's absolutely necessary. We've been over that.

[Space Lion Jesus why are teenagers easier than this. And moving on:]

As far as capabilities go, personally, I've got more experience in combat. [Unfortunately.] I've got a little experience talking with a princess, but... that's about it. Done some recon. But I'll do what I have to.

[You know, short of blowing up the fucking planet, guys.]

[deployed]

[ Bellamy's entire reaction is disapproval, but it's contained to a single, dark frown at Asuka before his gaze moves to Murphy, then Shiro. ]

If we do the diplomacy parts of this right, maybe we won't need to fall back on anyone's combat experience.

[ What a hopeful statement. ]

[redheadcarrier]

Why?

[ Asuka snorts and leans back in her seat, arms cocked up with her hands behind her head. There's the smallest mental flinch when Bellamy shoots a frown in her direction,
but she buries it. ]

If we don't actually need any of it, the easiest way to make sure they don't get it is to destroy it. We're never coming back to this dirtball after we finish this mission, so who cares?

[ She blows out a breath in a long-suffering sigh and waves a hand. ]

Whatever. I'm a combat pilot and I've got a degree in theoretical physics. None of that is really good for talking to people.

[wrackful]

Neither's thinking killing them all is a great first move. [Murphy shrugs a shoulder.] If you're looking for pointers on what to work on.

[adamance]

[Clearly to Asuka:] Then we can all agree that it's a good thing that your talents don't lie in decision making in the meantime. While we can't shelve that decision entirely, we can't leap to it. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that there are those among us who wouldn't be able to live with that decision. [But she prefers to not overlook it entirely, lest things hit the wall, so to speak. That's why she emphasized the fact that no one is innocent. They can't act as if they are speaking to good people.]

The important part of our mission is recalling that this is one laden with politics. If you can't handle that, then you'll be given another position.

[shiro2hero]

Also. We might not be coming back, but there are people living there who don't have that choice.

[Enemy or no, they can't just assume everyone is working against them, right?]

[Anyway. Onward:] I'm with Bellamy. First option, diplomacy. If that fails... [Should he...? Well. Why the heck not?]

Like I said, I'm not half bad with [Good lord he's lifting metal fingers and waving them, slightly] hand-to-hand.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka makes a mock pistol with her fingers and makes a little 'pchoo' noise and points it in Murphy's direction with a nasty grin. Then she flinches as Lexa speaks up, bristling at all of the implications that are being dropped on her. ]

I don't do politics. [ Asuka sounds resentful, as if it's the mission's fault for not giving her a place to show off her talents. ]

What am I supposed to do? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs?

[wrackful]

Figure it out. [The mental impression that rolls off him is clearer: adapt.] They're not going to change the whole thing just because you think you're going to get bored.

[deployed]

[ The finger gun gets Bellamy's hackles up. The frown deepens, even with Shiro's attempt at levity to break the tension. He doesn't say anything, but the impression of disapproval remains. ]

Rhan seems to have a good idea of what skills we need to pull this off with minimal damage to the planet's population. We'll figure out a place where everyone fits.

[ With the last option taking the prize completely off the table rather than let it fall into their enemy's hands. But Bellamy doesn't even acknowledge that. Lexa's words are enough. ]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Weren't you the one who told him people were stupid for not adapting, Asuka? ]

Bellamy's right. You said you got a degree in theoretical physics? That's probably one more than a lot of people have, maybe you can make some sense of how their technomancy works and figure out their ships.

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka falls into silence, a shimmering sensation of resentment and frustration settling around her. But she's not giving any more lip, at least. Buried underneath it is the tiniest sliver of shame, but that's probably not going anywhere. ]

If physics work the same way in this universe, sure. I mean, it should, but I'm not really a mechanic or an engineer, anyway.

[ She sounds a bit more muted, at least. ]

[isorropia]

[If a teenager leaning heavily toward planetary destruction disturbs Rhan, it certainly doesn't show on her face. Instead she just smiles at Asuka, then twists around in her chair to Siva'co.] Lyr's going to love that one.

[--And then she turns back again.]

Who else is worried about how they're going to be useful on this job? Any specific concerns? Big problems you're anticipating? You brief us - you all know each other and yourselves much better than we know you.

[wille]

[ Asuka gets one (1) look from Misato. A stern and considering one, close to a glare but not quite, close to concerned but without the warmth. Then she looks away, back at Rhan, to raise her hand like the good girl in the classroom. ]

I'm good with government officials and juggling their different interests and getting what I need from them. [ She's literally the UN. ] But I'm no spy, like many of us, and it takes only one of us to blow our cover for this to go sideways. You'll need to teach us a thing or two.

[decommission]

[ He's still radiating irritation from the second round of Plan Z conversation. ]

I can draw and sculpt, if there's anyone in the other envoys vain enough to sit for reference portraiture.

[ Could separate individuals of interest from their larger retinues. ]

[unfavoured]

[ The Collector-- Collector, that is, is what draws most of her interest. She has spent hours in the library looking for anything at all, but she's come up on frustrated and empty handed so far.

Parker looks back and forth between the people talking, leaning an arm back against the chair. Her ankle sets on her knee, idly moving it up and down without much concern for the mission or raising a hand on any of those accounts.

Her eyes glaze over Asuka when she goes all in with the crazy genocide option, tilting her head, but not saying anything. She looks over to Steve, to the back of his head. She wonders what's gotten him in a mood, half distracted as the volunteering goes around which she seems as likely to take part on as she is inclined in diving into mindspeak. ]

It's a closed field, isn't it? [ She says, still looking at Steve, but not really addressing anyone in particular. ] The more people you have acting as spies, the more likely it is you're going to get caught. [ She shrugs, not overly concerned. ] If you're able to talk, you're better off than sneaking around.