Posted by Gamemaster Conspiracy Theorist (Weaver of Webs) in Main Sim - Sunset on Risa

Posted by Lieutenant Orvos Legen (Chief Engineer) in Main Sim - Sunset on Risa

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Isabel Delaney (Security Officer) in Main Sim - Sunset on Risa
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)

“Well, that settles that, someone has to pull your ass out of the fire for once. Can’t have you do it all the time… I will set up a perimeter and keep in contact with the team, we will be fine.” Konral said as he began looking around the shuttle, wondering what he could find to aid them.

Stark hung his head feeling useless.

M’k’n’z’y and his entourage thundered past the man-mountain still carrying Laraan, along with Eddington and *Orvos they got into their shuttle and prepared to lift off. As the door was shutting a hail came through.

=/\= Orvos, it’s Aurora, we have to get to the Prophets Dias, we’re on our way =/\=

The sound of Orvos was abruptly cut off as the door of Excalibur’s shuttle closed tight and they lifted off heading across the compound towards their destination.
Junior Gamemaster Conspiracy Theorist

OOC: My turn to be confused, but I’m going to try and weave this smoothly. Where is the dias in relation to negotiation chambers?
IC:
Janna watched them leave and then looked at everyone else. She was a bit confused but also worried about getting caught in the growing tremors.
~Janna Kingston, ACNS

After looking over scans on the Cyrano, Orvos began issuing orders. “Izzy, Laraan, and Aurora, I’m going to get us as close to the Prophet’s chamber as possible. I have a strong feeling that these tremors will end when that Orb is put back together down there. Prepare to be beamed in.” He maneuvered the Cyrano to get the best possible closeness to the Prophet Chamber without risking the rest of the ship.

Laraan just nodded her agreement to Orvos. She yearned to go to Stark, but apparently her job was not done yet and for the time being, it seemed Aurora had need of her.

“Yes sir.” Izzy replied and transferred the reigns over to him. She then carefully rewrapped the pieces of the Orb for transport with her. She wanted to think she didn’t know why she took such care with the relic, but she did. She had been a devout Neo-Catholic much of her life. Respect for spiritual artifacts was ingrained in her very being.

He then went to the computer and input commands as he saw fit. Then moving to Delaney, he said, “Maintain an open channel. I’ll be monitoring your progress, so if anything crazy happens, I’ll be there. And keep them safe.”

She looked up from the bundle as she stood and found Orvos there, the seriousness in his eyes catching her and stopping her. “Yes sir. My priority is their safety and you and I are agreed there.” Orvos would know she meant that her life was less important than the other two if the planet became more unstable or if something should go awry on the mission. Her job was probably the most important thing to her and she would always do it to the best of her ability. She walked to the back transport pad to join the others.

He then turned back to the operating console. “Ready?”
-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

“Yes sir.” she replied when everyone was ready.
Delaney, Sec

Laraan gave another silent nod.
- Laraan, CNS

OOC I never really defined where the borehole containing the sunken chamber was in comparison to the site but in my mind, it was five minutes’ walk. https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/athena/posts/53291/
This is where it was first mentioned.
This may get a little messy as many threads turn up for the big finale here, come one come all :-) Ian

Ghubari paged Liam as she made her way to the transporter room.

Together, they beamed down to the place where everyone was heading. There was a thread of anxiety weaving its way through the captain as she anticipated this probably rather dramatic end to their impromptu mission. It was still instinct that had ordered her ship into the anomaly and a great deal of faith. Later she would need to reconcile some of that and weight any costs, but as seemed to be the norm in her life n Starfleet, the outcome was worth the small bits of pain. Or so she always hoped.

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

Once the whole situation had been explained to him, Liam joined the Captain on the surface. He had barely interacted with his doppelganger since they transported. As silence ensured, his mind flickered back to the information shared. The CO had mentioned some of the man’s abilities included radiation. His eyes shifted, observing the near look-alike, before righting them back to the front.

Aside from the small brief, he had little idea what to do from here. He wanted to break the uncomfortable silence but didn’t dare to. Instead, this time he looked to his CO. A silent question about his role in this all and to follow her lead.

–CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci

Stark Nightstalker CIO

The borehole was packed with people, delegates, and watchers who filled the space below and the stairs above. The rumbling of the planet had subsided in an almost reverent hush. A crowd this large should have been loud, boisterous but somehow throughout everyone waited with an expectation of something momentous. The fiery heat of the lava created flickers off the shining neutronium floor giving everyone’s faces a surreal aspect.

Aurora and *Liam” started moving towards the dais in the middle and the crowd parted to make way for all who had been called to fulfill destiny’s call.

Junior Gamemaster Conspiracy Theorist

OOC: Did all of us go down.
Luke

OOC: Not everyone, but R’han can be here for sure. Come join the finale. :)

Laraan went over to Ghubari as soon as she appeared and handed over the by now soundly asleep Meridyth to the Captain.

“Here, your newest crewmember.” she said with a smile.

Entirely unprepared for for the impromptu introduction, Koraia had a distinct look of surprise on her face as she found her arms cradling the tiny infant. The surprise turned into a smile and carefully with one hand, she drew a couple fingers across the child’s brow. “Welcome aboard little one. I guess this makes me great-aunt, now doesn’t it?” She didn’t dare look at anyone, but after a moment, her usual stoic expression returned and she gently handed Meridyth to her father. “Get home safely S’raal. We shouldn’t be too long behind you. And tell T’Pon I’ll stop by later.”

Then she walked over to Aurora, drawing in energy as she went. Maybe now, with this momentous task ahead, she would be able to get rid of the excess energy she had been carrying around ever since time-displaced Laraan had ceased to exist. Fixing an Orb for sure was no small feat and Laraan was a tad bit afraid whether she would be able to channel all the excess energy this would most likely create into safe outlets… as in not the assembling crew. It all depended on which kind of orb it was.

-Laraan

OOC: We’ll just briefly massage the timeline and assume that S’Raal leaves with the baby just after this? It’s a good little moment. :)

OOC :-) Thanks

IC:
Shifting her attention to the dias, Ghubari was nothing more than a witness. Perhaps a guardian of sorts too. “By all means, everyone, let’s get this done and go home,” she said, waiting expectantly for whatever moment was about to occur. In the back of her mind she wondered if she end up speaking with Sisko again as he suggested she may. These things were variable, as she well knew, but definitely she was feeling a little off-kilter during this mission. The mind-meld with Va’rek was still there as well, stirring up things she wasn’t sure she wanted or needed to revisit.

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

Once Isabel and the rest of the inhabitants of the Cyrano (sans Orvos) arrived on the planet’s surface, she quickly but carefully led the others to the chamber but stepped aside as Laraan stepped forward with the baby. Once S’Raal was gone with his newborn, she walked to the Captain. “I have the Orb shards Captain. Where should they go?” She didn’t know what was supposed to happen only that she was the one holding the physical object they so desired to fix.

Delaney, Sec

She should be up non the ship, where it was safe. Instead, Janna’s curiosity demanded that she make all the chaos worthwhile and at least bear witness to… whatever it was that was going to happen here.

Liam watched the proceedings, noting both the crowd and their new faces. This all felt strange and uncomfortable for him. He still didn’t know his purpose or course of action in this whole event, but he did agree with the CO on one thing. At the end of this, they all could go home and relax.

When his mirror image stepped forward, Liam held back. He figured they would tell him what to do when they needed him. Otherwise, he would be in the way.

–CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci

Upon the dais, Aurora waited for Liam to join her. Her face seemed distant like she was listening. Liam addressed his double and Isabel, “Come up here and join us” he said with a small secret smile.

Suddenly next to the dais, a transporter beam appeared leaving in its wake Iliana Ghemor, Mirror Emissary of the Prophets.

She began to walk to the dias, prompted by Liam’s smile and demeanor when Iliana appeared beside the dias. Her eyes narrowed and she quickened her pace.

Next to Ghubari suddenly there was a new presence as a dark-skinned bald man with a wide grin spoke quietly into her ear. “It’s showtime Captain, we need your help, the Pah-wraiths will try to stop this, they want the Mirror Orb out of the picture so they can destroy this galaxy and then cross over to finish the job in yours. To beat them it will take the combined energy of all here and you must lead them, you must unite them heart, soul, and mind.

With that, the presence dissipated and that’s when people began to notice that Iliana Ghemor’s eyes were glowing bright red…

Junior Gamemaster Conspiracy Theorist

OOC: For the hell of it, I’m just going to assume that Janna is here, probably with Kaylee too (if you want to be, James).
IC:
As people gathered, Janna hung back, observing each person keenly. When she had first joined the ship, Stark had told her a bit about to expect with Koraia and much of it had borne true, though they had interacted very little so far. But something about the woman’s current demeanour was… different, and she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was exactly.

~Janna Kingston, ACNS

Kaylee had made her way with the others and now stood by Janna’s side. She gently put a hand on the other woman’s arm, but didn’t say a word. There was much about what was happening here that she did not yet understand, but she could feel like this was a special moment, and something that for all their efforts, both she and Janna need pay witness to.

-Kaylee Baxter

Janna glanced at Kaylee briefly and gave a tiny nod.

Was he really here? Or was it all in her mind? Did it even matter? Ghubari felt intrinsically that this was all part of the plan and so she inhaled deeply. She didn’t even look at Sisko, she just focused on Ghemor and knew without a doubt that that was her foe. But first things first. She focused on the group and specifically the security officer next to her. “Isabel, put the orb pieces on the dias,” she said as she moved to put herself between Illiana and the dais. “Laraan, Aurora and both Liams, I want you to focus all your energy on the Orb and in your minds, imagine the pieces mending back together.”

Laraan followed Aurora and Liam to the dias, casting a confused side glance at Ghubari, who she thought knew that that was not how her channel worked. But then it was often hard for non Heleen to understand that.

“But there are forces here that want to stop us from succeeding. Ghubari looked to Va’rek. “I need your help one more time, Va’rek. Cast aside the doubt. We must protect the orb and everyone else. Can you help me?” she said with all to conviction and confidence she could muster. It was like she somehow knew that they would prevail and nothing could stop them.

Fl Captain Koraia, CO

Isabel gently placed the wrapped Orb shards onto the dias and gently began to unwrap them. She had no idea how they were going to fix the orb, but she didn’t want Iliana to have it.

Liam glanced at the CO as she explained their task. He turned back to the object. The Chief Science officer inhaled then exhaled, clearing his mind of all thoughts. His eyes closed while he began to picture his energy going from him into the orb’s pieces. Each one turning into a liquid then shift and melted back into a circular shape. The difficulty came when he had no idea how it originally looked so his best guess had to do.
–CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci

Laraan felt the energy flow and turned to Liam. “I don’t think that’s what you should do, as I doubt Ghubari wants you to sacrifice yourself for this. If you channel your own energy, you’ll die once it’s gone. Let Aurora try?” she suggested, quite sure the only other Heleen knew how to draw in energy from around her and channel it into matter manipulation.

Laraan’s words made Liam lose focus. All attempts to extend energy toward the orb stopped as his attention turned to the Counselor. Not even sure if this was working, he looked at her. Then what am I suppose to do? Stand here and become a living battery? The irritation rose, but he reined in the childish emotion.

“I hope she knows not to take too much. I rather the parasite’s primal instincts didn’t take over and I hurt someone.” A hint of venom toward what he had become edged into his words, strongest at the mention of the parasite. Liam doubted he would ever come to terms with the thing living within him.

–CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci

Laraan looked at Liam in mild confusion, but decided not to comment. This was not the time to explain how channeling worked.

Shadowed by the man-mountain Zac Kebron, Laraan stepped forward and stood before the dais with the others. The solemnity of the moment seemed to have robbed her of speech but as she looked upon Aurora and Laraan tears started to stream down her face.

Iliana Ghemor had not moved from where she had arrived but she seemed intent, motionless and yet full of activity. The encircling pool of lava started to spark and roil…

Junior Gamemaster Conspiracy Theorist

Laraan felt a tingling in her neck, turned her head and saw mirror her. Her light grey eyes went wide and she immediatelly had a million questions… like, why was she crying? She couldn’t leave Aurora and Liam now, but she waved the other Laraan to come over.

• Laraan

Delaney, Sec

Vander, CoS

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Aurora put her hands on the pieces of crystal and started to concentrate, beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. Immediately Iliana Ghemor started towards her eyes glowing and spectral flaming figures started to dive in and out of the lava.

Laraan focused soley on Aurora, both of her hands on Aurora’s arm and shoulder. The mount of energy Aurora was channeling into matter restructuring in order to mend the pieces was staggering. Laraan’s eyes widened. She was channeling faster and faster, drawing in more and more energy from around her as Aurora’s channel seemed to gobble it up like there was no tomorrow…

Could she be fast enough, sustain that for however long it took? She cast a quick sideways glance to the other Laraan. What was her channel in this universe? Same as hers? She could use another energy transformer channel…

A voice rang out in the minds of all those receptive to it, “To bridge the tides and span the space, we need the help of every race, through unity and peace is won, when our deepest and darkest is overcome”.

A voice audible to all boomed out in the pit.

“The conditions are met, the contest begins!”

Junior Gamemaster Conspiracy Theorist
OOC So you can roleplay this, note that energy from both universes is needed for Aurora to fix the crystal and that the Wraiths gain energy from fear and negative emotions and the Prophets through the opposite.

OOC: Have Stark and Konral gone to the Athena by this point? Or are they staying for the finale despite Stark’s injuries? I don’t want to cut people out accidentally as we trim the thread.
IC:
Janna didn’t fully know what was going on but it even she with zero psi abilities could feel the deep import of this moment. There was something happening with the captain as well that caught Kingston’s attention. For now she would just note it.

~Janna Kingston, ACNS

The words rang in Laraans ears. Did they mean she was supposed to actually draw energy from everyone who had assembled here? The thought of taking life energy out of others was still a horrid thought to her, and yet she had already done it, hadn’t she. The balance though between taking enough and taking too much was so hard to balance. She shook her head mutely and with desperation in her eyes, looking at the Orb fragments and Aurora’s effort. Was the energy enough?

• Laraan, CNS

The tension around them was palpable but Ghubari was resolute. “Continue as you are,” she said calmly thought clearly. Then she reached out a hand to Va’rek, pushing a tiny moment of uncertainty to the side. She knew what had to be done. the PahWraiths would not win here. They would protect the others so that this could finally be over. Then they could go home. Once more, Va’rek. Once more. She let her mind be open to him so that the meld could be easily resurrected. Even now she could feel its effects from earlier. they could harness the collective energy of their minds to form a shield, and if needed, take down their opponents. Whether this was actually okay with this was immaterial. It was what had to be done.

Fl. Captain Koraia, CO

He’d stood by silently, dreading. Yet he remained near Ghubari, reluctant not to finish what they’d started. Va’rek took her hand, and felt the growing connection once more. Like a door which hadn’t been closed and latched, but merely left slightly ajar. As the door in his mind drifted further open, he shuddered and tried to focus on his center. Once more… He echoed silently. Once more and then home A pang of surprise went through him when the thought of home didn’t mean Vulcan, but rather the Athena.

-Va’rek

Isabel, her job of delivery of the orb shards done, stepped between the group on the dais and the woman Iliana. She didn’t leave the dais for she felt she needed to be there, but she wouldn’t let Iliana disrupt the work being done either. The words roared out, the contest began. While Isabel was far from whole inside, she knew and felt completely herself doing her job. It was probably the only part of her that was completely confident.

She reached out and touched Laraan’s shoulder, lending in silent support, whatever Laraan needed. Iliana had not made a move again towards the dias, but Isabel watched her with the eyes of a hawk nonetheless. If she made a move, Isabel would protect the people she served.

Delaney, Sec

Meanwhile, aboard the Cyrano, Orvos had been monitoring everything. The crystal needed to fixed. And there were multiple adversaries present. Orvos could only do so much. He could beam the adversaries aboard the Cyrano. Or he could help with the shard. The shard was most important. Without that way back to their universe, the Athena was as good as dead in the water. Lives might be taken, but if something had to happen, that bridge needed to be made.

Orvos input commands for a remote control for the Cyrano, as he was confident the ship had one. (OOC: If it doesn’t, let me know, Ian.) As he waited for the control, Orvos spoke through the open comm with Delaney.

=/\=I’m coming down.=/\=

He then input commands to beam down to the dais.

Once there, Orvos moved close to Laraan, his Klingon disruptors still holstered. His hand hovered near his wrist device. “Laraan, if you need extra life energy, take mine. I have plenty.” To be fair, nobody knew how long an El Aurian typically could live for. But Orvos was no ordinary El Aurian. He had been in the Nexus, and his experience had made it a part of him. He had only hoped nobody would never know that. It was a secret he had to maintain.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

OOC: If anything is off with my post, let me know. Trying to catch up.
-Tony

OOC It’s all good Tony, Nexus energy, now that could be interesting…
Let’s say Stark and Konral show up here having been diverted from going back to the ship by realizing Laraan and Ghubari are here, It’s what they’d do under the circumstances I feel. :-) So feel free to snip at your next post.

IC
The combined presence of many beings came into play, sentient linear, Prophets, and Wraiths alike fought for control of the energy that spanned the universes and kept them distinct and separate. Creation and Destruction, all were possible in the maelstrom of energy that was focused in this place.

Liam clutched Liam’s shoulder as the wraiths came closer. ‘I can feel their energy,” he said with a vicious grin shouting it too everyone, “Let’s use it for our own purposes”.

Laraan formed a triangle with Laraan and Aurora multiplying the efforts to gain energy for the process.

The crystals began to align and Iliana Ghemor as the Wraiths conduit raised her hands in preparation to strike down Aurora and take her life…

Junior Gamemaster Conspiracy Theorist

Liam just remained silent at Laraan’s reaction. It didn’t surprise him, but he didn’t explain. How did he go about explaining something that he didn’t understand himself? Even Liam realized how foolish that was. He didn’t pour out his energy as instructed, but he didn’t resist it being taken. Not that he really thought he could.

When he felt the fingers tighten about his shoulder, his eyes snapped to the other Liam. Thoughts emptied from his head when his ears caught the destructive tone in the man’s voice. Every fiber within his body tensed and his eyes fixed on the man who mirrored his image.

“What craziness are you talking about?” Liam demanded, his voice steered away from a snarl.

–CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci