Rebirth, Part One

[Jett]

In the midst of a star cluster in deep space, The Nascency lies, cloaking itself from detection of the impending government...

Jett's crystalline lashes fluttered open for the first time, and four nervous men in white lab coats looked down into his deep, almond-shaped eyes, like two pools of Lyrium.

"Rise," one man ordered. He was bearded lightly, salt and pepper with more salt than pepper and glasses with thin rims.

The words entered the hollowed areas of the constuct's head and wrapped around his mind. It meant nothing to him.

"Rise!" and did this man want this action of him? Jett was self-aware enough, though no longer the celestial body he once was...or was that even accurate? Of course not, where had he dreamed that up? He rose quite quickly and bumped his stone head on the low-hanging florescence, to which several of the men jumped to his care, though there was no need. Jett looked at them in the most curious mannor and they each seemed pleased with the fact that he had performed such a movement.

"Retrieve that parcel for me," the salt and pepper man stated. Who was he talking to? Jett turned to look at the counter to where he was pointing. The man wanted a box wrapped in parchment... Well, he could get it for him! Jett rose up on legs that were not used to moving, certainly not in this fashion. He resisted the urge to circle his way to the counter and lifted the box.

"Excellent, now bring it here..." the man continued, and Jett thought it was strange he said so. His needless repetition made him smile and several of the other men frowned.

Jett dropped the box in the man's hands and stood idylly still, watching these creatures. These humans, he was called.

"I think it's time for us to say 'Cheers', gentlemen! The universe's very first solar construct! We are going to be swimming in credits!"

The men knocked their glasses together and downed their alcohol. Jett watched them silently, picking up on their behaviors. Sure he knew enough about them, cound identitfy each action with a corresponding word in his brain, but seeing it like this, all lain out in front of him! Well, that was something entirely different all together.

"Come here, Golem!" Salt/pepper said.

Jett moved, eager to act. The men laughed, shook hands and hung up their coats before walking out. The lights in the room went dark one by one until finally there was nothing to see by at all. Jett took a step away from the table he had woken up and and out into the unknown darkness when suddenly all around him lit up with red and a tiny bot circled his head.

\ Movement detected! Movement detected! \

Jett froze, terrified of what he had triggered. The bot watched him, focusing his lens on him. Jett was too scared to move. He stayed in the same possition the entire night until the men returned for their coats and began to examine him all over again.

The acts continued in the same way for some time. They took turns asking for Jett to do things for them, and he played along with their games, delighted by each of their responses. They never asked him any questions so he never had to answer anything. He moved when instructed to and was otherwise quite still, for fear of causing the red again.

The men broke away again for lunch, but one hung behind, one who was "not hungry." This one had black hair and a soft face, but Jett could see the callouses on his hands. "It's just not right, them making you do all this."

Jett realized that for the first time, he was being addressed! He had to think for a moment what this meant to him and slowly he answered, "I--don't mind, really. They like for me to do things!"

The dark-haired man let the contents of whatever it was he had been drinking spill out his mouth and down his shirt. "You can talk!"

"I can," was Jett's only response.

"And you don't mind?"

"I do not."

"Then you can reason? You're alive? With a conscience and everything?" He seemed histerical! Jett was afraid he had done something wrong, but would answer honestly.

"I am very much self aware. I am curious, though, how did I get here?"

The man only looked at his and shook his head.

"Where was I...before?"

"They made you...we all did, myself included. There was a star in the place we needed to hide, and, well, we harvested it to take it's place and- and to make you."

"I am of a star?"

"You are a star..."

Realization was hitting the man. This meant nothing to Jett.

"I am Jett..." the construct said, feeling the need for introducions.

"You have a name?!"

"Of course, though I do not know how I know it...I seem to recall nothing else."

"Mjern," the man said, holding out his hand. Jett took it gently and shook it. "They aren't going to like this..."

Feeling a strong need to not cause any trouble, Jett offered, "Should I keep quiet then?"

The man seemed to think it over. "Perhaps so, for a little while anyway, until I can think of something to tell them..."

Jett nodded. Mjern stopped taking lunch brakes and instead speant them having the most amazing conversations with Jett. Slowly Jett's memories returned, memories that were more like feelings. A presance. A constant motion. An eruption of life, and the approaching fade. Mjern shared with him much culture and taught him about emotions.

"Friendship," Mjern said, nodding toward Jett.

"Friendship," Jett nodded back.

The next day Mjern stayed in the lab with Jett as he usually did, only after everyone else left, the salt and pepper haired man came back in.

"You've grown quite attached to this golem, haven't you Mjern?"

"Sir, we should not call him a golem. He is an Aberration. I have a theory I have been meaning to share with you, sir, and that is, I believe that stars might be alive!"

"Nonsense. This golem had no life until we gave it to him!"

Jett contemplated correcting him but then remembered his agreement with Mjern.

"I'm serious, Sir! I've been conducting studies, and I believe what I have found..."

"That's enough, Mjern! You want to see how much of an aberration he is? Golem, kill Mjern!"

"Sir!"

"I can't afford you to discover anything, even if it is true! He's worth too much like this! Golem, kill Mjern!"

Friendship... "No..."

"What?"

"No."

"Golem, kill Mjern!" the man reached into his lab coat.

"NO!"

The salt and pepper scientist pulled the trigger to his pistol, shuttling a bullet toward Mjern, which Jett quickly jumped in front of. The bullet barrelled deep into his rock skin, causing a small chunk in his chest to break off and crumple to the floor.

Jett retaliated, lifting a stone fist and shuttling it into the scientist's gut. He fell to the ground unconscious.

"You...you saved me!" Mjern exclaimed.

"Friendship," Jett nodded.

"Jett, do you know what you have just done?" Mjern asked, looking at the body of the scientist on the ground.

"Yes."

"The others..."

"I had to save you."

"And I will try to do the same for you," Mjern nodded. He walked up the a metal cabinet, the one upright next to the scientist's body, and gave it a few good shoves until it toppled over onto the man's lifeless body.

"We must never speak of this to anyone..."

Jett desired to stay silent.

"Promise me!" Mjern pleaded.

"I promise..." Jett whispered. He was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened. One thing was sure. Mjern was still alive, and that was what mattered. But so was Jett, but he could not say the same for the salt and pepper scientist.

[Nelle Kozera]

(This an open RP?)

[Jett]

Sure, it starts several months later. The scientists have reduced Jett to a deckhand against Mjern's please, as even though they lied to protect Jett the others still feel he is responsible for the death.

The energy used up by taking place of the star (what is keeping them cloaked) is almost used up and they are ready to be 'boarded' by a patrolling ship from some form of government.

I wonder Reaper, could this fit in somewhere with your concept?

[Nelle Kozera]

Research like think wouldn't be against any regulations inside Sins, the creation of life, or the accidental creation of life is not an uncommon practice, while the method is different for sure. The only that wouldn't fit would be that stars are alive, self awareness through just about any other means could go nearly unchecked for all i care.

I was thinking of using something from a much later version of the concept, Dubbed "New Era" for the moment, in this, anything is possible.

[Jett]

Oh, I was under the impression that you were going to roleplay.

[Nelle Kozera]

(I am)

Desolate Ascension, Ventral shuttle bay, outer ring of the Andromeda Galaxy

NE 219

The halls of the Desolate Ascension where quite, only the rush of air could be heard occasionally as someone entered one of the areas of the vessel that was not pressurized. For a ship that was three and a half kilometers long the vessel had many such spaces, and pressurizing each one of the corridors was inefficient. A grey wolf had need to use one of these spaces, this one was the forward shuttle bay and machine shop. One of captain’s contacts in this region of space had contacted him, though the wolf was not thrilled about meeting the jade queen in person, but he would do it because the captain asked him to. He had the feeling that the captain didn’t completely trust her, but that didn’t set her apart from the thousands of other people that they had left behind in know areas of space.
He had joined the crew only about fourteen months ago, at first it was uncomfortable. For a ship of her size, the Ascension had a very small crew, but a very tight one, bonds where tight between people. But they were all brought together for the same reason. They all needed to get away, over half the crew came from worlds that only the Ascension had visited, and would most likely be the only ship that would for the three centuries. The reason for this was that for him, they where over ninety million light years from his homeworld. The captain on the other hand, was very close to his home by comparison only a few million light years but he was still on the fringes of colonized space in which the captain came from.

The entire reason for this meeting was that the queen had some information on something that interest the captain a great deal. From the rumors that the floated around the ship from time to time was that the jade queen and the captain go far back, even before he set out over six years ago.

The red light slits that hung over the door changed to a green color, following this was the opening of the air lock that connected the internal areas of the ship to the shuttle bay. Inside the shuttle bay where the four drop shuttles that where part of the vessels landing squad, though only one or two of these shuttles where ever used in a drop. Aside from these was the machine shop, this area was sealed and always pressurized to prevent damage to the sensitive machines that resided in the shop.

Standing out from the four white shuttles was a small interstellar craft, one of the personal craft normally sold by Sky Dragon Innovations. The conglomerate was one of the most respected ship manufacturers, and expensive to boot. The red vessel had the black insignia of a dragon flying around an infinity sign, the trademark that the vessel was of SDI origin. The hatch that connected the innards of the tiny ship to the outside was beginning to open.

A rush of air is herd as the pressure in the bay is low than the pressure on the vessel. The queen was walking down the steps that led into the bay. The dragon that emerged from the vessel was wearing a white dress, a rare sight at this day and age. The white dress complemented the fact that dragon was covered in ivory scales. The white on white gave the impression that she was one following being those from what he heard this was not even remotely the case with this women. From what he could tell was the dragoness was twisted even by their standards. On his world she would have been considered insane and put in a medical ward.

“So, you are the welcoming crew? I expected the captain to be here himself…” Her voice was like that of fire wrapped in ice. “Yes Ma’am, I’m here to bring you to…” She cut him off, much to his annoyance. “You are to drop the ma’am thing now; I don’t need to feel any older than I already am…” He shrugged; “Follow me…” was all he said after that. The trip through the halls was quite, though she seemed to know where she was going, this was only the second time that she had been on the vessel sense he had joined though he was getting the idea that she had been here many times before. As she was walking beside him and not behind him, he thought that she might be able to lead herself around the vessel quite easily.

They came to a lift, it was nearly a half a kilometer straight up to where the captain had designated from where they currently where, and walking up that many stairs was not his idea of fun, or getting somewhere in a timely fashion. The captain had wanted to meet the jade queen in his office which was on the observation deck above the Combat Information Center of the ship. He felt the light jolt of movement when the lift started. He did look at the queen for every moment that he was in the lift, something about the female, combined with the wild rumors that floated made him uneasy as she was nearby. Much to his relief the ride was over shortly after it had begun, the door opened to show the stairway to the observation deck of the Desolate Ascension. If people where to view this section of the ship only they would have gotten the impression that this vessel was a luxury liner. The observation deck was filled with fluffy soft carpeting, large comfortable couches. One could sit up here for hours and watch the endless void of space, or see a planet with your own eyes through the large star diamond windows.

For the moment, one could only see blue and white, they had stopped above a world covered in 95% water, though the level of life was similar to that of the Precambrian era of earth…or so he was told by natives of this area of the galaxy. The queen took was the first one to ascend the stairs followed by the wolf.

“Ah Rava… I see you have brought the queen…” The wolf nodded “Yes captain…” Rava was the name given to him by his parents, his species was where spacefarers themselves but unlike humans, and many of the species from the captains area of space, they did not have last names. Instead, they took the name of their current home as their last name, with the name of their clan as a middle name. This made his full name, Rava Shel’va has Desolate Ascension. But the captain called him by Rava, and soon the entire crew followed suit, even the Pandora Construct which served as the vessel’s AI. “Is there anything else you need of me?”

“No, you’re free to go, the queen and I have much to discuss…” He said as the queen to a seat on the sofa across from the captain. As he was leaving he heard the queen address the captain by his first name, while the captain had told everyone that they could use his name if they wished, many of them still called him captain…

“Alright Artemis…” The queen said, as she took her seat across from the similarly monochrome dragon. Both of the dragons where ivory white in color, though the queen had a more regal look to her than the captain. The captain had been laying his sofa when they had come in, and she took a similarly relaxed position. “I have a task for you…along with some information…” She said this caught the other dragon’s attention. “I’m listening…”

Desolate Ascension, Combat Information Center

NE 219

Unlike military ships, the CIC of the Ascension was never really busy, or heavily manned, normally there where only three or four people that manned the bridge at any one time. Though one seat was reserved for one person, the pilot seat also served as the captain’s chair for the Ascension. The captain had the original chair removed from the bridge, of the three people that currently manned the bridge, Rava was one of them. He was keeping watch over the stellar maps that they had either downloaded from other species or made themselves in their years of travel across the Hydra supercluster. A small whoosh, followed by the clicking of claws on the floor of the CIC signaled that someone had entered the CIC. When he looked up, he saw that it was the captain. He nodded to the captain, “Hey, what did the Queen want…well have…?” He asked, getting a little nervous at the mention of the queen. Artemis smiled for a moment, “You’ll find out in a little while…” He said it caught the wolf’s eye that paws of the captain seemed a little bit off in color, though he couldn’t figure out what caused it, for the moment he dismissed it as the lighting of the CIC.

Artemis took his seat at the head of the CIC; facing large windows that over looked the large room. Each of the windows where ten millimeters thick made with pure star diamond, as the captain dimmed the lights of the CIC the room became bathed in blue. The ocean world that they where orbiting took up the majority of the view, white clouds could be made out in the skies above the oceans, had he been a boater or someone that loved the sea, he might have stayed here and enjoyed the endless seas. But the endlessness of space was his seas, the stars where his waters to explore, not the salty seas of an ocean world…

He activated the manual control of the vessel, which caused two control apparatus to appear in place of a computer read outs. As he activated them the view of the planet began to disappear sliding to the right of the windows. Anyone on board would have felt a slight movement as the Sheridan engines activated. The ship began to slowly accelerate out of the small system.

Rava was watching their position on the stellar map of the system, he was more interested in watching the queen leaving, and yet sense the captain had returned to the bridge, he hadn’t witnessed her ship leave. “Captain, the Manifest Destiny hasn’t left the bay yet, do you plan on bringing her to her destination?” He asked, more out of curiosity than wanted her off the ship. “Oh she is coming with us Rava…” As he spoke, she entered CIC looking towards Rava with a smile that made him shiver. “Speak of the Devil...” He said with a chuckle, she gave him and Rava a slightly confused look before moving to beside the captain. Rava couldn’t hear what they where conversing about though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

As they were free of the system a few hours later they made the jump to hyperspace, blue streams of energy now enveloped the hull of the vessel, Rava sighed he had no idea where they were going but he would follow, he trusted that the captain would try to keep them out of danger…

[Jett]

(Beautiful post. I am quite excited about this.)

"Have you ever looked into the heart of a star, Mjern?" Jett asked, taking a break from his relentless tasks.

"I wasn't aware one could perform such a-"

But Jett cut him off. "They speak to me, you know, the ones surrounding us. They tell me they are angry."

"Angry?" Mjern chuckled. He knew the truth. Stars were not alive...the possibility that they had souls inside them, that was there, but they were surely powerless to actually manipulate and conspire.

"Furious even. They tell me horrible things. Dreadful whispers about the galaxy. And one thing they chant over and over again."

"I didn't realize you were a seer, Jett..."

"I only pick up on their whispers. I don't always understand."

"How long has this been going on?" For the first time Mjern looked up genuinely interested.

Jett looked at him with his hollow, almond eyes. "I do not believe it would be in my best interest to tell you, but as we share in what you call friendship, I do believe I should warn you. They tell me you will die..."

"You are starting to scare me, Jett!" Mjern stood up, not sure if he wanted to know. "What do they whisper?"

"The same thing over and over."

"Yes, and what is it? Out with it already!"

"I do not wish to remain in this ship forever, Mjern!"

"Tell me now!" the scientist screamed out of frustration in the midst of the heated conversation.

"Your people might consider fleeing this star cluster. They chant one united message, echoing faster than light years from the midst of Zero Space, each star passing along the bleeding quote, 'The Queen is coming'."

Mjern froze. Could they possibly have been detected? Everyone on board knew what that meant... Execution!

"My brothers want me freed, Mjern..."

"The Queen would have you executed as a co-conspirator," the human pointed out.

"A possibility, should a ship-wide genocide by your captain's sentence." He looked down darkly, feeling as if he had just broken the bonds of his friendship. "Have I wronged you, Mjern?"

Mjern shook his head. "You have chores to do..." he left the bay and walked before breaking out into a run toward the bridge. They had to leave this star cluster, and fast!

- - -

Jett went down to the engine room. He watched the two rotating turbines, outdated gear-based technology which kept the outer left and right rotaries spinning, which kept the ship in immobile suspension. Such orbital engines cut down on the possibility of detection, though they did create a slight vacuum inward. No one else had noticed really, but Jett could see...all the stars in the cluster, they each were just a tiny bit closer.

"Forgive me my friend...and thank you for your sacrifice my brothers."

Jett closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He felt his surroundings and he wrapped his consciousness around the nearest celestial and just like that one of the stars simply...went...out...

It did not die, and saying that it dimmed would have been an understatement...it just simply stopped being. Jett's body lit up for a second before returning back to normal as he focused on another.

"You...will not! -Ugh- Will not use my family to hide from those who pursue you!" Jett's head pounded as one by one stars in the cluster went out, their ending words screaming in his head, "The Queen is Coming! The Queen is Coming!" The chant brought a smile to Jett's face, which quickly diminished when he thought of the possibility of losing Mjern...

- - -

The captain of the Nascency, another human in a white lab coat, looked out at the space before him from his post on the bridge.

"Computer, status report!" he barked.

The AI chirped, \...The Queen is Coming...\

"WHAT?!" Captain Montague's eyes lit up as every member of the crew on the bridge turned to look at him.

Just then Mjern gained access and ran up to him panting, "We have to get out of here!"

Montague nodded, but his sense picked up on something behind him. He turned to see the galaxy around him suddenly become a whole lot dimmer.

[Nelle Kozera]

Desolate Ascension, Combat Information Center
NE 219

For those that have never traveled in Hyperspace before, it was a beautiful sight. Blue streams of energy shunted into space from the vessel’s dual drive system. Each one cascading off the next far ahead of the vessel creating a celestial riptide which the Desolate Ascension appeared to ride it through the vast void of the celestial plane. The design of the vessel was akin to that of a Manta ray, its hull contrasted greatly with the blue cascade of hyperspace. Artemis was seated in the pilot’s seat, when crossing space at just over twenty three light years a minute, many prefer to pilot the vessel, and Artemis always wanted to pilot his vessel. It was not that he didn’t trust anyone else; it was just that he felt as if it was his ship and that he should be the one to fly it.

The lights of the CIC had been all but extinguished, all over head lights had been turned off; only the dim lights that hovered over the pilot controls, all others had their own lights the chief source of illumination in the CIC was the blue light that was flooding in from the over sized windows of the vessel. The light was short lived though as the ship fell out of hyperspace only fifteen hours sense it entered.

A sharp neutrino burst followed by a large vessel over three kilometers long existed hyperspace in and extremely high orbit around what appeared to be a dyeing star. “So Jade queen…” Rava spoke up, “Why are we here?” He asked, she only looked at him as if she was going to answer but instead she walked up to the Star Diamond window. “Ariel, superimpose a tactical scan over the area…” The screen lit up blue and red outlines, the forward windows doubled as screens if needed. “Here…” She was pointing to an area of space that seemed to be inside the failing star’s Corona. “There is a ship in here we are…” Rava cut her off, “Hold on, you want us to look for a ship inside a star, the radiation from the star alone is enough to blind our sensors to point we can’t even see them…” He was right, It was only with heavy filters where they able to see anything at all, from the outside no one could see into the CIC as it would seem darker than void of space itself.

“Normally that would be the case…” She said, “But we are not taking the Ascension into the star, Artemis wouldn’t allow it.” The white, but seemingly red dragon only nodded, “We are going to take the Manifest destiny into the star…” She said but she was cut off again by Rava, “Ok so why are we here than?” He asked, “The Aldine Republic has deemed this area just outside their regions of jurisdiction though they still enforce their influence in this area, now I was told, through my many sources that there is something of interest. Stellar constructs, we know of them, the wild theories that fly around the Cortex, some say it’s the holy grail of Stellar research, other say it’s a mad man's fantasy, other say that anyone that does it is insane, or is driven insane in the quest for such a thing.” She paused wondering it Rava would interrupt here again, he didn’t and so she continued, “Even if it is only the insane that dear to do such a thing, I have a confirmed report that one has been made…”

This caught the attention of the entire populace of the CIC, “So you want to capture the Construct…and what…liberate it? Steal it? Destroy it?” Rava asked, the Queen only smiled, “If I could get away with it I’d do all three but that’s inefficient, I plan to study it, than let it go on its way…” She said, “And besides, it’s a research vessel, if I wanted to destroy it, I’d have Artemis open up on the vessel with the main gun of the Ascension right now.” The Ascension itself was known far and wide as being a vessel of those of all tastes and backgrounds, and somehow connected intergalactic events. Though the sight of the vessel was either seen as a sign or good luck, or a bad omen, it depended on what the crew of the other vessel knew. Weather they saw the Ascension as the butcher of Garesh, or the Savoir Thermopile was a matter of personal opinion, for those that knew the Jade Queen, most people would eat their own gun before dealing with her.

Manifest Destiny, Shuttle bay of the Desolate Ascension
NE 219

Rava was one of the crew that the Captain had chosen to go with the queen on her little quest, one rumor that the captain was the queen current lover had been thrown around, this one Rava completely ignored, there was not a chance in hell that the Captain would touch such a women. “Something on your mind Rava?” Rava looked up at the queen that was sitting next to him, the pilot of the Manifest Destiny was such that one was setting below the captain’s seat. He didn’t know it was intentional or that it just was a design quirk.

“Manifest Destiny, you are clear to launch, happy hunting…” It was the voice of the captain, it had a way of calming him, he was not aware of what the captain and the Queen shared but it seemed that from the sound of his voice, the captain was confident that things would turn out alright. The small vessel pulled out of the Shuttle slowly as if it was being held back, Rava noticed that there was very little star light. But he assumed that the density of the light filters would block out anything but the most intense light sources. One thing that was know, the sight of the Manifest Destiny was something that many feared....

[Jett]

Captian Montague gripped his fist swore several times. "Where IS Jett?!"

Mjern responded instantly, "I left him in the lab," and then he question why he was so quick to give up his location.

"Sir! I have activity in the engine room! Unauthorized entry, and movement, but no plasma is being picked up by our scanners."

"That's our mark, but what's he doing in the engine room? GET DOWN THERE!"

- - -

Jett knew nothing of religion, he merely knew what other societies thought and taught, basing their entire being on ideas they could not prove. Since he was created he thought that was a wondrous thing, and he thought very well on those capable of so much faith.

Faith was what he needed now, but he had no one to turn to, and he though, 'how lonely...'

He pressed his stone cold hands against the gears that were turning above his head, their swift rotation picked him up instantly, and he had to jump to avoid being crushed. He needed to put a stop to the central rotary, and though his skin was not impenetrable, he could not think of something more readily accessible than his own flesh. It was a good thing he was ambidextrous, because he had to keep his balance with his left hand...his right would be the sacrifice...

If he could cause the rotaries to come to a stop, it would cause the ship to begin to fall out from the shroud it was hiding in.

It was now or never, he realized, as angry fists pounded against the door he had sealed shut. He gulped and plunged his arm down between the gears. It whipped him around as if he was a rag doll and instantly dislodged his right arm from the rest of his body and became lodged between the gears, bringing them to an abrupt halt.

The ship jerked.

Mjern whispered, "Jett, what have you done?"

...The Nascency dropped almost directly in front of the Manifest Destiny from out of its cloaking shroud.

The AI of Montague's ship seemed to be possessed by some unknown force, \ The Queen has arrived! \

[Nelle Kozera]

If Rava had not been strapped into his seat he would had jumped out of the way when the ship had appeared out of nowhere. The unknown vessel was a vessel class he had never seen before, and was sure it was quite an old classification. “Well boys and girls..” The queen said, he voice seemed almost happy for the moment, though there was still a slight bitter tone into her voice. “From the markings on the hull, her name is the Nascency” The queen said as she brought her craft to a halt, the motion was quick and hard, the reason was because the Manifest Destiny was not large enough to harbor a full scale inertia reduction system, as such most of the high speed turns and maneuvers where still felt in some manor by the crew unlike when one was aboard the Desolate Ascension.

“Are we going to try to talk them or are we just going to board?” An iguana from towards the back had spoken up. She like Rava, had only been part of the Ascension’s crew for a short time, even less than Rava had been. The queen smiled, “You haven’t been on a mission with me had you? Well most people don’t even want to speak with me outside your captain and a few other forgiving people.” She said, “So we are just going to board, we’ll deal with any unpleasant conversation aboard.” An omega level AI image appeared on the holo pad to the right of the Queen. It was Cecile, the Artificial intelligence that was the construct of the Desolate Ascension. “Ariel, I have data for you, the burst is incoming now…” Timed to the millisecond, a terabyte sized data burst was received by the Manifest Destiny it reviled docking ports and airlocks on the Nascency. “From this data…” Rava spoke up; I’d say the best place to force a dock would here…” He pointed to area just under other vessels dorsal section; from here we could gain control of the engine core, make them listen to us…” Ariel looked down at Rava as Rava was looking up at her, “and…Ariel?” He asked, “I have a name to, I have acquired the title of Jade Queen…” She looked annoyed, “Come on…”

Both ships jolted as the Manifest destiny forced a dock with the hull of the other ship. “Come on boy and girls, now the fun begins...” She said, she only carried two weapons, a sort nosed rail carbine, and a star diamond ark blade. The sword itself was nearly a meter long and laser sharpened to the monomolecular edge, it would make quick work of anything not made of military grade ship armor. Due to its lethality, it was held in electromagnetic suspension inside the scabbard as not to damage.

“Cecile…?” The queen said, the AI had also included a brute force lock braking program in the data burst it went to work on the air lock door, the light turned green about a moment after it started air from inside the ship rushed into the chamber.

[Jett]

The Nascency halted it's descent as the Manifest Destiny linked gravity pools with it and forced the small ship into lockdown.

The team of scientists stopped banging on the door to the engine room and looked around. Montague demanded of the AI, "I want a full report!"

\We are being boarded by the Manifest Destiny.\

Montague cursed and pulled out his laser pistol. He was not usually a violent man.

One of the scientists scowled at him, "Are times so desperate that you would assault the Jade Queen herself?"

"No one boards my ship without permission to dock!"

Another scientist retorted, "She probably just saved us from floating off into oblivion!" And he cursed being on such an outdated ship.

Only Mjern continued to try to get inside the engine room. "Jett, let me in!" He demanded as Montague and the others went up to the bridge. They would meet this new threat at a place of dimplomacy...they were all wanted men, each and every one of them, for living outside the limits of the reining government if not anything else, and perhaps a deal could be made.

"I am not a man of violence," the same scientist whispered to Montague.

"You never know what kind of man you are until you stair death in the face with your neck at the gallows," Montague insisted.

- - -

Jett fell from the top of the gears, sharp shards in place of where his arm once connected to his body at the base.

"Ouch," he said quite plainly, only because he knew humans said it when they were in pain, and although it was true enough that he felt no pain, it is amazing what a mind can convice itself of when placed under the right circumstances.

When he fell, Jett chipped a small chuck off his his opposite shoulder blade, unable to catch himself in time like he would have been able to should he have had his other arm.

He lifted himself up against the wall and lay there with his back propped up. It was not exhaustion he was feeling, but awe, really. He never slept, but he knew that if he did he would have been what they call 'tired' after going through this much, but the night was not over yet.

"Jett!" he heard Mjern calling for him still. "WHY did you do this? How could you?"

"I am sorry..." he whispered, but he knew Mjern could not hear him. A wave of guilt passed over him.

Mjern pounded his fists against the sealed door and finally collapsed against it. "I don't want to die!"

"You are going to!" Jett screamed, "The stars tell me you will not survive, and they weep for you!"

Mjern cursed Jett. The stars started to whisper a multitude of new information to Jett, his almond eyes growing wide. The Queen had arrived...but there was more to it.

[Nelle Kozera]

Nascency, Engineering Section
NE 219

Rava, the Iguana, Jason a German Sheppard, and the Jade Queen forced open a locked door, the group, with the exception of the queen had their guns drawn; Rava a Rail carbine similar model to that of the queens, Jason had a particle rifle and Shiva, the iguana carried a rail pistol. “I was expecting more people…” Shiva spoke up; this was the second corridor in which they had entered. “Well don’t worry; engine room is just up ahead according to the blue prints for this class of vessel.” The queen was the first to poke her head around the next corner, it then she saw that there was a man trying to get into the engine room. “Rava, we got a human over there…” The queen said with a smile, humans where rare in the extreme in this area of the Andromeda galaxy and she knew Rava found them a curiosity. “You handle him, the rest of us are heading to the bridge, get control of the engine room…” She said Rava nodded turning off the safeties on his rifle. “Once I’m done I’ll come up to meet you…” Rava said walking around the corner rifle pointed at the man.

----------------

The Jade queen and the two others that she had brought along made it the bridge of the vessel. They had not encountered any resistance thus far, “There all on the bridge…” The queen spoke up, “Damnit, natural choke point, could cut us down before we get a chance to say anything…” She frowned, “Ok Shiva go left take the entrance down this direction…” She sent directions to Shiva’s neural implants, “Jason take this route, down to the right, I’ll go down the middle…” She smiled, wondering if she was going to get shot, she licked his lip in anticipation. To her surprise the door was not locked, she stepped past the boundary onto the bridge for the first time she drew her sword from her scabbard. Moving from the covered corner, she raised her voice so they could hear. “This is the Jade queen, if you know what’s good for you, you’re not going shot, if not, well this can be…entertaining…” She said, she made a tap on the deck plate with her claws before coming out of cover, her sword was drawn but not placed in a threatening position.

---------------

Rava had crossed the distance between him and the human, “Hey! Hands against the wall!” Rava yelled, he didn’t know if the man was armed but was going to take chances, he didn’t want this to turn into a blood bath like Garesh had been.

[Jett]

Mjern looked at the male approaching him and stuttered, "Who- How did you get here?" He regained his composure and stood in defiance of the man. "You don't...you should leave us to our -sniff- work!"

- - -

Montague signaled for his four guards to lower their firearms. The scientists were each armed with only whatever they kept in their pockets. A knife here and there, but really, no one on board the ship was geared toward combat. They were focused more on stealth, but Jett had ruined that...

"Come on out, my 'Queen'," Montague spat, irreverent with his tone. "And we'll talk our way out of this conflict of interests."

- - -

Jett opened his eyes. Mjern was talking to someone else. "Mjern?" he asked, rising to his feet. No! He didn't want Mjern to die! The stars could have been wrong! They had to be! He fumbled with the hand he still had attached, but then fell, slipping on the oil that was dripping onto the slick floor from the motionless gears.

[Nelle Kozera]

“Alright then…” She said looking around, “This is a little disappointing.” She frowned, “Well, come in guys…” She said over her radio, the other two that she had brought with her came in through their respective doors, but their weapons had been lowered but no put away. “So boys, how long did you think that you could get away with this little discovery before the rest of the galaxies found out about it? I mean, had that Aldine frigate not came through this system awhile back you might have been safe for another what…four months? Secondly why do you think I am here, sure I have a reputation but do you really think I’m here for boys…?”

---

Rava looked over the man, well, this might be easier if you just open the door for me.” Rava said lowering his gun a bit, he could have shot his way through the door but that would have been inefficient and a waste of ammo and time. “So what do you say?”

[Jett]

Mjern thought of his friend, and what this man would do to him if he discovered him. There was no way he could just step aside and let them cart his friend away. "I- I can't. You can't take him... Here," Mjern reached into his coat pocket, to pull out his credentials, surely that would make the man understand, he was a man of science and his works were to be kept to himself, but of course it looked as if he was reaching for a firearm...

- - -

"Honestly, my 'Queen', we would have been fine for some time had we not been sabotaged by one of our own." Montague scoffed as he raised an eyebrow to the men making their way inside. He crossed his arms, "Of course you are not here for 'boys'," he laughed cockily. "You never are, are you?" Rumors of the Jade Queen being a lesbian had flourished throughout this part of the galaxy, seeing as she had never publicly remarried after...

"I'm guessing you picked up an extreme energy burst on your radar...a burst large enough to be picked up as new life. But then again new life is always recorded in the library isn't it? You are here, no doubt, for our star. A one of a kind, that one is."

Montague took out his firearm and aimed it at the queen. "He's my lifework. I won't have you claim him for your own. YOU did not do this. YOU will not take the credit." His hand was shaking. The firearm was wavering.

- - -

Jett's eyes turned jet black. The stars whispered secrets to him. His head was swirling with information, teaching him, allowing him to learn, and then, maybe... What was that? The secrets of time... There was something that happened a long, long time ago, when Black was Blue and Gold was White.

None of this made since to him, none but one thing. Fur... He could see the name clearly.

Jett stood. "Mjern?" he called out, reaching his hand out and grasping the empty air in front of him as he lay his back against the cool steel wall he could not feel.

[Nelle Kozera]

The queen smiled, “Well now, you think a silly little pistol is going to do anything?” walked up to him being only a few inches away from her chest. “Your all boys compared to me, and I have no ambition to steal you credit for your work, you’ll get credit for your…dedication to your work…I on the other hand have some other things in mind for the thing you created…” her muzzle was a few inches away from his face. Jason, and the female iguana lifted their guns. From this distance it was possible to see that queens eyes had been replaced at some point in her past as they where to perfect to be real. They had been implants from an event in her past. “So…here is the deal…” She said, “We are going to take him of your hands, and you’re not going to complain, you get full credit for your work and you get to avoid the government flack for having him on board…”

---

Rava didn’t hastate, he pulled the trigger his rifle had been aimed towards the man’s leg in order to not inflict a lethal wound, but the legs possessed some of the largest arteries in the human body…

[Nelle Kozera]

The queen smiled, “Well now, you think a silly little pistol is going to do anything?” walked up to him being only a few inches away from her chest. “Your all boys compared to me, and I have no ambition to steal you credit for your work, you’ll get credit for your…dedication to your work…I on the other hand have some other things in mind for the thing you created…” her muzzle was a few inches away from his face. Jason, and the female iguana lifted their guns. From this distance it was possible to see that queens eyes had been replaced at some point in her past as they where to perfect to be real. They had been implants from an event in her past. “So…here is the deal…” She said, “We are going to take him of your hands, and you’re not going to complain, you get full credit for your work and you get to avoid the government flack for having him on board…”

---

Rava didn’t hastate, he pulled the trigger his rifle had been aimed towards the man’s leg in order to not inflict a lethal wound, but the legs possessed some of the largest arteries in the human body…

[Jett]

Montague seemed to stop and think the situation over. The men at his sides held their firearms closely, shakily.

- - -

Mjern never made it to his inside pocket...
The bullet had been from such a powerful rifle that at its distance and momentum, it barreled clean through his leg and ricocheted off of the metal frame door. The bullet burrowed deep into Mjern's back and pierced his heart.

Mjern fell facedown on the floor.

The stars began to weep for him.

- - -

Jett opened his eyes. Suddenly he knew what had to be done. There was the control panel, yes, and inside it, there were wires. He seemed to understand. Of course the lights needed to go out as well! But...why? That he did not seem to grasp, but surely it would aid in his escape for the humans not to be able to see?

He punched in the code for access to the control panel. This felt...right! Yes, this was what THEY wanted him to do. He reached with his good hand into the box and felt his each of the wires. "Guide me..." and his hand did not tingle until it touched on the very wire he sought.

Using the strength of his stone body, he pulled the wire until it snapped in his hand and hung outside of the box sparking blue electricity. The surge was so powerful that it traveled up Jett's body and knocked him unconscious.

Jett's body lay dormant, illuminated by a constant blue electrical spark from the wire which hung close by his head.

Every light in the ship went out.

- - -

Montague opened his mouth to speak his answer.

Complete darkness...not even a star was there to light up the scene.

The guard to his right panicked for the startling change. His firearm went off, shuttling a bullet toward the iguana, which burrowed into her shoulder but otherwise left her unharmed.

That's when the guns started to go off. It would be a human bloodbath.

[Nelle Kozera]

Ariel pulled her sword and the others began firing there rifles into wear the crew had been. She slashed downwards at where Montague had been. She switched her eyes from visible light to Infrared the entire bridge lit up again.

--

"Oh shit..." Rava said looking down at the body, that was a one in a million bullet bounce and frankly while he was sad that the bullet killed the man, but if the guy hadn't been there that might have hit him in the head, and he hadn't wearing his helmet. The lights had gone out on the hallway he was unsure if just his hall way or the entire ship, he switched to internal oxygen once he replaced his helmet just to be sure. He then noticed that the door had cracked slightly allowing one to pry open the doors if one had the might to try. Rava put his fingers in the small cracks and began to pry them open...

[Jett]

(Lol. All my characters are dead and Jett is unconscious. Take it away, maestro ; D

[Nelle Kozera]

"All clear..." Came over the radio from the bridge. It was the queens voice, Rava radios up to her once he had the door open. "I have the package, though the human in front of the door has died..." He said to her. "Good, grab him and bring him back to the Manifest Destiny " She said as he cut the line. "Well..." he said looking down at Jett. He sighed, "Great..." He bent down and grabbed Jett's arm. "Well I get to go home…"

It took him less time than he thought it was going to as once he had gotten a hold of Jett the artificial grav systems on the ship had given out. Allowing him to easily pull Jett back to the Queen’s ship. When he got there the others had been waiting for him and helped him tie the construct down. It was once he got back to his seat did he see the Queen sigh as she engaged the engines of the craft. As she did that she gave the other vessel just enough push so it would fall into the dyeing star. The Manifest Destiny left at full burn.

----

A few hours later they Artemis and along with the queen and Rava where looking at Jett in the Cargo Bay of the Desolate Ascension “So this is him?”

[Jett]

Jett flickered open his almond eyes and looked at his surroundings... Finally, he was fre--- wait. He was not free at all. He was still tied down.

For a brief moment panic arched in his mind. Who were all these people? And then he saw her...and he knew that this was a protocol for safety. Yes, it had been her who had been painted in front of his mind's eye. He tried to lift his arm and was reminded that he only had one left. He wondered if he could break out of the restriction but thought it would be better not to find out.

He moved his lips careful to pronounce each syllable correctly. "The sudden flux of pressure brought me out of my...I am not sure what to call that state. Paralysis of the conscience...No. Something else." He shook his head. "I am Jett..."

He stared hard at the queen, his eyes taking in no one else. "And with your allowance, if I might, I name you Ariel."

[Nelle Kozera]

She sighed, her name was not common knowledge to most but she really was in the mood to bug him about him yet. "In front these two fine, anyone else you address me as the Jade Queen...are we understood..." She said, there was a great deal of force behind her words as if not abiding by her small rule would have near fatal repercussions. "And hello Jett, sorry for strapping you down but I was unsure how you would react to waking up here..." This time it was Artemis that spoke. The White male seemed to be a male version of the Queen, albeit more personable than she was. He had bent down till he was just a foot above Jett he seemed to be studying the construct with the practiced eye of an engineer. "Well your construction is elegant, if disappointing..." He said pointing to Jett's missing arm...

[Jett]

Jett forced himself not to look at the queen, feeling as if he had greatly displeased her for some reason.

Humans called that pride, something he did not understand at all, but some assumed that their existence lifted them up above others, partially by some act of success or another, and otherwise by some unspoken self-addressed egotism that comes with the spirit of human nature. Everyone was their own protagonist, and this fact amused Jett but hardly distracted him. Why should the human-like dragon be any different? They were all the same, really. They missed out on the fact that they were all one. They did not understand unity or equality, but he would do as this esper demanded of him just as his slavery inside the previous ship.

Out of one prison and into another one. True freedom, he was sure, was not to be found in this galaxy.

"You need not restrain me, I will comply, I swear it." There was ignorance and honesty in his voice.

"I regret that my construction is disappointing to you. I take it you have the ability to mend me back together. Such elegance should become opulence at the hand of elite scientists opposed to ones in hiding." Jett shrugged. He did not really understand the near contradiction.

[Nelle Kozera]

"I Honestly regret to inform you that i have not a clue wear to start on your repair..." He said, something that Artemis had that queen didn't was a fair judge of character. He could sense the honesty in his voice, "Well Jett, i'll give you think...if you stay away from the engines and central computer cores your free to travel the ship as you please. The areas that are off limits to you are marked, so you should be able to avoid them without much trouble..." Ariel sent a glare at Artemis, though he didn't even look at her. "This is my ship sister, i can make what ever rules i wish, if you want to cram him into a cage thats fine you do it on your ship, as long as he is here you can walk were he pleases..."

Rava had a look of shock on his face, he was completely blow away that the Captain and the Queen where siblings though he did his best to hide it for the moment. Artemis ran a claw along Jett mid section as if they where cutting some invisible bindings. And as it turned out his was, there had been a magnetically charged monofulfillment over Jett, it acted as a skin tight cage until it was cut. Now that it had, Jett could move again...

[Jett]

Jett moved his head sideways to give the Queen and Artemis both a once over. He noted the differences in each, and then noticed their similarities. He examined each of genetics which were obvious the the eye and then wondered about those he could not see, what made them who they were. Words meant nothing, but it was obvious that these two had been spawned from the same wyrm, but whether it was from the same wyvern as a father was not so obvious due to the extreme difference in temperaments.

"If I might be shown to a laboratory?" He cleared his throat, "I find cages to be most confining of both the body and mind. While on board The Nascency I was restricted at first and I do not wish to repeat the process. However, a chemist's lab I would find most comforting."

Jett doubted any of them cared what he wanted, after all, he did not have what they called citizenship. No credits to his name and no identification holo." He stood very close to the queen, rotating his arm for a moment and then nodding toward him, "If you know not where to start then perhaps with a sample, and...well, maybe I could find a way myself then, given the proper instruments."

Jett looked at each of these creatures. He had gotten accustomed to seeing humans. Humans were boring, but these anthros were each marvelous in their own typicality.

He then whispered. "Where is my friend? Mjern? Did he...make it?"