Terra - Ottawantreal

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A huge North American city, built in a mishmash of styles from many eras of architecture. the spaceport is bustling and filled with cruise ships, racing yachts, and transport craft. It's full of shops, clubs, gardens, and tourist attractions.

The weather is currently cool but sunny.

Tala's ears flicked forward, curious. "Who would give such glorious compliments in sarcasm?" She asked.

"Well lets say I was doing a mission and ended up covered in a local fauna defensive spray which has a horrible odor." The shard laughed, "I got pay back though, he ended up extremely drunk so we hung him up side down in the bay covered in pink glitter. Obviously got in trouble but sooo worth it." Nikita grinned, it was clear she enjoyed her time in the military.

"That is most excellent comedy!" Tala proclaimed. "You must have been of most awful stench, and he must have had most satisfactory color. Some medics on the ship I travel with encountered glitter once, they looked most pleasing with it upon them." She nodded.

"Indeed, his long hair was shedding glitter for months." Nikita smirked, "He never managed payback."

"That is what is called a not-empty victory," Tala decided.

(Back to the Hytar thread?)

(Yup)

"Indeed." She smiled, following back to the docking area

Fortunately some of the freed slaves could read, so they found the police station without too much difficulty. They stood outside the building, looking up at the emblem over the door, and debated among themselves whether this was really a good idea.

Finally the one who had suggested it in the first place braced herself, and pushed open the door, walking as bravely as she could up to the front desk.

Most of the others followed, although some waited outside, to scared to go in.

The bravest explained their situation to the guy behind the desk, who frowned and sent them to a back room, where they could talk to someone else. He even managed to talk the ones who wanted to stay outside into going along.

The captain who spoke to them was very kind and patient, he seemed like maybe he'd done this a few times before. He tried to look up whatever information any of the slaves had about their lives before being captured, got fingerprints, photos, and names noted down for anyone he couldn't find, and informed them all, when asked, that this guy who had rescued them and wanted them indebted to him had no authority over them.

He also said they should return the keys to the motel and ask that the motel refund Hytar.

The slaves asked where they could sleep then?

The captain said the state would provide accommodations.

But then they'd be indebted to the state, and have to work for them instead!

The captain sighed and said the state wasn't known for screwing over refugees. This was the Terran Empire! Hadn't they ever heard of how honorable and good the Terran Empire was? Nobody was enslaved here, there were fair wages and ethical treatment for everyone!

Some of the slaves nodded. A lot looked suspicious though.

The captain sighed. Looked like this was going to be a long day.

There were lots of bars around this city, ranging from the cheap and slightly sketchy, to the shiny and sophisticated, to the very hipster-ish with strange cocktails and retro decor. Eleven and Lope probably ended up in a cheapish one, since they were in the part of town where there were motels.

Maybe Nikita would end up at the same bar, it kind of depended on which way she went.

Nikita would chose a mid class bar, she wasn't in the mood of a possible bar fight again as she found a seat at the actual bar. She flipped through the menu, reading the Terran with no issue.

Ellie headed out into the spaceport from Vestia, looking around to see if she could spot Shane. Everything was so bright, and the air smelled so good! Terra was amaaaaazing.

Nikita would order her drink and nurse it as the TV went over the galactic news; she paused as it went over the Shardian Sector.

"As of now there is no report of the Light Shard King and Heir to the throne, all reports show that the location they were last seen within the palace was hit by a sucide bomber. As of now there is no report on their condition, the second son Viver is at the moment on Terra as the Shardian Ambassador as a replacement of the sole daughter and princess of the royal family. As of now there hasn't been any reports of where she is located."

Nikita froze as she listened, putting down her drink while the reporter rambled on.

Kooshie wrote:Ellie headed out into the spaceport from Vestia, looking around to see if she could spot Shane. Everything was so bright, and the air smelled so good! Terra was amaaaaazing.

Shane was with a group of people, the dragons in mostly Terran forms to fit in better. He didn't notice Ellie yet, as he explained something in a store window to the group.

Nikita would finish her drink and pay, a look of conflict on her face as she left the bar. She wanted to hope maybe her father and brother survived but her gut told her otherwise, she found a alley way and slide against the wall her head leaning against it as tears fell.

Ellie was still in the spaceport, so she didn't spot Shane. She did see Tala though, so she'd totally head over to Hytar's ships. "TALAAAAAA!"

The minotaur snorted in surprise as the little Terran charged her. "Ellie, greetings."

Ellie hugged the giant cow lady hard. "WHERE'S SHANE?"

Tala blinked. "He is off shopping or somesuch. He will return."

"NOT GOOD ENOUGH," Ellie shouted.

Tala snorted. "I will not help you find him. I have supervising to do here."

Shane led the group away from the window, pausing when they came across the prone Nikita and sending the group back to the ship under the pretense that it was time to switch out before he approached her alone. "Hey, you alright?"

Nikita looked up, surprised someone actually notice most humans didn't care about other races she had learn early on. She rubbed her face, in the proceas of crying the false crystals she wore to help hide her identity had came off and were in a ball fist, "Y-yeah." She croak into a lie.

Shane frowned at the lie and knelt down nearby, without getting too close. "Here" He held out a handkerchief to her. "If it's something I can help with..." He started then paused and tilted his head "Have I seen you before?"

She took the handkerchief to dab her eyes before her face paled a bit, "N-no, most likely not." Nikita lied, shit not good. It would be too fishy if she tried to run but she knew the tone of her voice probably wasn't that convincing, when things hit hard they hit *hard*.

"Hey, it's alright, I am not going to say anything." Shane said with a frown as he glanced around then back to her. "I'm not exactly 'me' here either."

Nikita sighed deeply, "You were with the group that Hytar crew was working with... the group on Tala's ship correct?" She asked

Shane nodded with a small frown before smiling "You were on the other ship?"

"Yeah, temporarily." She weakly smiled, "A test thing, I am highly doubtful Hytar has plans to keep me long term. He doesn't has a reason to and nor do I owe him anything."

Hytar smirked from the ramp of his ship as he walked down toward Tala and Ellie. Something about a tiny little terran hugging a minotaur amused him greatly. "I asssume thissss isss one of your other crew?"

Ariston hurried to keep up with his boss.

"This is Ellie! She is of Vestia's crew, a most excellent friend, if rather silly," Tala said grandly.

Ellie glared at the minotaur, looking grumpy, then looked at Hytar and Ariston. "You're Esk's dad?" she asked. The family resemblance was really obvious.

Hytar chuckled. "Unfortunately." He wasn't nearly as tall as Esk, his skin a more sallow color and his long hair brown, but he had the same eyes, or rather, eye, as Hytar only had one good one. The other was a clouded over mess. Esk also most definitely had his father's roman nose.
"You travel with an ecclectic crew I hear. Quite the asssortment of interesssting people."

"Oh yes, we're very interesting," Ellie agreed, staring at Hytar because he was kind of uncanny to look at. "It's kind of like a zoo, only not really because we're all sapient." She looked at Ariston, "Who are you?"

~~
Ethan headed out into the spaceport with Mourn. "All right, where are you planning on going?" He asked, because he hadn't asked earlier.

Ariston rose up to his full pathetic 4 feet and grinned, beady black eyes glinting like coal. "I am Ariston Hypatos Archimedes Phyrus, freeman, messanger, lorekeeper, valet..." he looked like he was going to continue but Hytar raised a hand to silence him.

"He isss my assssissstant." Hytar explained.

"I am a very good assistant." Ariston added boastfully.

"Yessss yesss" He looked to Ellie warningly "Don't get him sssstarted. Mephits collect titlessss, he'll happily lisssst every ssssingle one and we'll be here all night."

Ariston nodded. "Of course sir, I shall refrain."

"Thank you." Hytar sounded exasperated.