Upon Vestia: Chapter Twenty-Nine

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Ivor was pretty thankful for Tala's quiet thoughts, if her unshielded thoughts were anything like her speaking voice, he'd have had a headache already.
He nodded slowly.

Ellie nodded. "I know there's that big, heroic mission you and the dragons have, but I kinda want you to stay here a while," she said. "Maybe they can do the heroics this time around."

~~
Asher nodded to Kay. "Yes, it's just for repairs. They won't have any reason to touch my firmware, and I'm sure we can keep someone on hand to make sure they don't plug me into a computer while they fix me." To Rigel he added, "Yes, acid damage is rather unpredictable, it's hard to know how well we'd be able to fix the acid damage on our own. A MegaBrain technician could probably repair me much more reliably."
Asher didn't like to think of his legs just randomly giving out at some point while he was trying to do something, that would be awful.

"Can we get Starr to send a bodyguard?" James asked. "I mean she did adopt Asher, so her people would totally want to protect him cause he's technically a prince, right?"

Shane sighed a little then shrugged, "I think Hytar and the transport ship have already left."

~~~
Rigel nodded, it made sense that Starr would want someone to go with them, if only for communication.

"Already? Man, that was quick," Ellie said. "Well I'm glad you're still here. Wait, how fast can you dragons fly though?"

"It depends." Shane said with a shrug "If we have a way to carry food with us, we can go fast, but going fast means using up energy, like running vs walking. I myself haven't built up the endurance to go fast for long, but some of the freed dragons were talking about flying in space as quickly as the spaceships can." He wasn't so sure that was true, or if they were joking with him, but it was what they had said. "Starr asked me not to go this time, since it's expected to be a five year mission. She sent some others that wanted to fight some more."

Kay nodded slowly [they can't go against the wishes of your legal owner right?] eugh, he hated that term, it felt so gross. [Sending a representative for her, if not Starr herself will give an added layer of authority.] He chewed his lip, thinking. Tala and Esk were decent security, but even they likely couldn't just shoot their way out of there if they had to. But, did he trust Esk and the others not to let Asher's secret slip? He looked nervous.

"Wow," Ellie said. That was some seriously impressive speed. "Wait, so that time when you were drunk, if you'd gotten out of the airlock we probably couldn't have reached you before you blew up the bad guys. Pretty crazy." She nodded. "Yay for Starr, she's nice."

~~
"Right," Asher said. "If they started going through an android's files after the owner told them not to, they would be in huge trouble with the Terran Empire." He frowned. "If we can get a signed note from her, stating that someone, maybe Rigel, is representing her interests during the visit, he should be able to tell them not to look at my code, and they'd listen. It might be wise to bring along someone with magical ability though, just in case we needed to make a hasty escape."

Kay nodded. A security detail would make him feel a lot better in general. Of course he was still going to fret,, but there wasn't much they could do about that.

Shane shrugged a little "Maybe, but I don't really have that speed yet." He replied then nodded "She is nice." He had to agree with that part.

~~~
Rigel nodded and shrugged a little. "Figure out who you want to go and we can figure out who's sleeping where. We have a lot of magic dragons now."

Kooshie wrote:Tala couldn't really use a drinking fountain without making a mess, so she used a big mug she'd left here instead. She drank briefly, then nodded to Luka. "It is pleasing to be here again. I had not thought I would ever miss a satare, but such was so."

(Bumping this up in case it got buried. :) )

~~
Ellie finished checking some plants. "I have a good idea Shane, even if you can't do speed."

~~
Asher looked uncertainly to Kay and James. He didn't want to leave on short notice, but he didn't want to wait either. Oh dear, he wasn't sure when the Silver Devil should leave.
"I'll talk to Starr and Mourn to see what they have to say," he said. "Rigel, you can arrange who among your crew you want to bring along, although you won't be able to bring James because he's needed here." He smiled softly. "We can keep the crew pretty small, the trip to Mars is short. And I don't need to sleep anywhere, since technically I don't sleep, so that's one room you don't need to worry about."

James sighed. "Man, I'm gonna miss out on my chance to take a selfie of me giving MegaBrainTech headquarters the finger."

"It's not like I would have let you do that anyway," Asher said dryly. "Maybe it's a good thing you're not going to Mars."

"Yet" Shane said with a smile. "What's your idea?" He asked curiously.

~~~
Rigel nodded then frowned a little. "I should talk to Dawn, we will need a medic. Unless you are coming Kay? You never know when someone will get hurt."

Luka frowned slightly at that remark, the nodded. "uh... thank you?" Yeah how did you take a backhanded compliment like that? "you're up late." She observed. Usually Tala was done with her jog by now.

---

Kay smiled weakly to James. [You'll have to settle with doing so from afar.] He shook his head at Rigel. He really didn't think he could detatch enough to not raise suspicions. [It's safer I remain here.] For so so many reasons. And that just sucked more.
Eugh.
He looked miserable.

"You could learn to be one of the big dragon species," Ellie said. "And then when we visit your new homeworld someday, you can fly around with me on your back and we can tour the place, only not at the speed of light cause I can't survive that speed." She nodded.

~~
"You are most welcome," Tala said grandly. She didn't seem to realize her words could be interpreted as anything other than a compliment. "Being with Hytar's crew was intriguing, but it is better to be near the Silver Devil crew again." She showed some teeth in a bovid smile. "I celebrated my return with much alcohol last night, it made me lazy this morn."

~~
Asher looked at Kay sadly, it stank to not have him come along, but there were a lot of good reasons for him to stay here. Kay wasn't known for his tolerance of people being rude to robots, which could pose huge problems if he came along, and of course he should stay here to help Armin if needed.
He nodded. "Getting Dawn to come along would be wise, one never knows when a medic will be needed." He frowned, "I suppose we should probably leave the day after at the latest, we don't want to delay this trip too long."

Luka tried not to laugh, tala had gotten so drunk she couldn't get up in the morning? that was a LOT of alchohol. She composed herself. "What... what's he like when Esk's not around?" She asked, curious. "He didn't blow the whole place up again did he?"

---

Kay considered his tablet thoughtfully, looking worried. He didn't know what else to say really.

"There was also a most pleasing minotaur cow," Tala added. "This city has all the things one needs for happiness."
She looked contemplative, "Hytar was pragmatic and sensible, he managed the mission well, and we did not blow up anything until all the slaves who could be rescued were rescued. I found Hytar satisfactory to work with."

A minotaur cow? Luka winced a little, ew. That was an image she didn't need or want.
"Well... good." She nodded at the part about Hytar. Getting him involved had kinda been her idea, it was reassuring to know he'd done a decent job of it.

Shane chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah, that would be fun." He agreed. "Starr can teach me some of the dragon forms she knows."

~~~
Rigel nodded "Sounds good to me. I'll see who we are getting as far as crew and security goes."

Tala waggled her ears. She wasn't the best at reading organic body language, but she could recognize Luka's distaste. "Better than a serpent, is it not?"
She nodded. "I have no doubt Hytar is devious and potentially dangerous, but he proved to be a fine choice for the task we set him."

~~
"Yesss," Ellie looked pleased. "You can be a dragon, and I can be a dragonrider." She frowned, "Wait, that sounds kinda creepy actually. I mean, you don't use your boyfriend like a horse."

~~
"Very good. I'll talk to Starr and Mourn," Asher said. "Anyone who wants to come along can. Vestia, can you ask Starr and Mourn to meet me somewhere?"

"Of course," Vestia said. She'd ask Starr and Mourn if they could meet with Asher in some rec room.

Shane had to laugh at that description. "Technically, I could be a horse, and besides that, you did ask permission first,"

~~~
Starr looked up then nodded, making sure her egg was settled in the incubator and a shield around her before heading for the rec room.

Ellie started giggling. "You'd make a cute horse. I'd feel kinda weird dating a horse though, maybe you should stick to dragon shapes." She smiled at him. Yeah, she'd missed Shane a lot.

Shane chuckled, glad she was enjoying their banter. He nodded "That sounds good to me."

"Good. Dragonriding on your new homeworld, but no horseriding." Ellie smiled at Shane, "Wanna go do something, maybe in the city or something?"

Kay looked tentative, did Asher want company? or was that being a bit too clingy? Eugh..
He looked at him questioningly, hoping for clarification.
[Do you think it's wise to suggest to Mourn that you alter your code again?] Yeah that freaked him out okay?

---

Luka covered her mouth. "oh no, not the snake." Eeeep. She shook her head. "I'm glad he's not... totally evil then."

Shane nodded and smiled again. "Sure, we are bound to find something fun to do here."

Asher smiled softly at Kay, yeah, he wanted Kay to come along if Kay wasn't too busy. Asher was kinda codependent and clingy, and not at all eager to leave Kay. "I don't think I'll ask Mourn to modify my code. My memories would still be in there after all, and they're just as dangerous, so we're better off just running away than submitting to any searches," he said.

James considered that, then nodded. "Yeah, messing with your Laws isn't worth it, probably."

~~
Tala snorted amusedly. She thought Luka's squeamishness was a little ridiculous. Then again, probably a lot of her tribe wouldn't be too happy with her interspecies encounters either, come to think of it.
"Yes, Esk may have exaggerated slightly, although his caution is wise." She looked curious, "What did you do while we were away?"

~~
Ellie grabbed Shane's arm again and started tugging him along. "I want to buy shirts with slogans on them, and maybe eat some human cuisine."

Rigel nodded, it made sense. "Alright."

~~~
Shane nodded and went with her eagerly. "Should we invite Matt, or just us two?" Was it a date?

Ellie considered that. Hmm, date vs friendship party, that was a tough choice. "Let's invite Matt. Later we can like, go out for dinner or something, like, going on a date." You could have friendship and dates on the same day! Whee.

Kay nodded, looking a little happier with that. [Let's see what Starr says.] He smiled weakly at Asher.

---

Luka blushed a little, averting her gaze. She wasn't good at lying. "Well uh... we tested the ship. Rigel made some modifications, he wanted to see how she was handling.." She realised Tala probably meant in general, not just last night. Oops? "Uh.. wow... not that much interesting actually. Some of these guys are still pretty down about the kids being so far away I think. Uh.. we got a load of new androids. Mourn bought some and then James and Sawna brought some more back." She shook her head. "So we have loads of androids on board now. I.. haven't really talked to them though." She shrugged. "Or the two Hytar told us to take care of. They seem to kinda.. keep to themselves." Well, Ivor did. She'd seen Silence around and been pretty terrified so yeah... She tried to think, hmm. Honestly she didn't really spend that much time with Vestia's crew, she probably should try to be more social huh? She couldn't quite remember what stuff had happened before Tala had left. The weeks had sort of blurred together while they were in space.