Following the events of
Procedure and
Ritual, plus the discussion that followed, everyone with an interest in the situation reconvenes on the
Firebrand, in the orbit of Kylal, to discuss the best way forward.
Overall, the system 'authorities' (as represented by the the Galactic Cooperation, the Mytenean government and the Zeitgeist/Botanist science corps) are all in favour of some kind of gate being created - no-one wants to remain cut off from the rest of the galaxy forever. However, opinions are split on exactly what should be done and who should do it.
Aspexx is not represented at this gathering, although the Starlight Ebbing is holding position nearby - but it's obvious what their preferred plan will be. With X. Worshipful Portent and Wildcard Gilded still aboard the Starlight Ebbing, the Aspexx plan is not quite ready to go but could be achieved if only one more high-powered Startouched (such as Gathering Flow) were on board.
A side note is provided by Reassuring Heresy, Captain of the Unquiet Journey, who restates their ship's plan to leave the system within the next few weeks and take the 'long way back' to Fjenix - the Unquiet Journey is self-sufficient and, now that the Mytenean Various Forge is complete, there is no reason that the peripatetic Fleet 18 ship should stay in system. The captain repeats their offer to tow anything to Fjenix, arriving in something like 50-70 years' time depending on how well the journey goes.
Meanwhile, Her Glorious Command has sent another of its mystics to this gathering, 12th Century Ominous Cloud, to tell Delicate Harmony that HGC (the ship heart) is very interested in his proposed plan to create a Pentagonal-style gate using two connected shiphearts. It volunteers the ship heart pairing of itself and Perfect Reverie for this experiment - they have a mentor/student bond between them which would surely be perfect for this sort of thing! Ominous Cloud does pass on, however, that Perfect Reverie is currently trapped on Ace's World following HGC's doomed attempt to convince the Bandits' ship heart to join its scientific endeavours, and there aren't really any squads of Altarian soldiers left at this point to go retrieve it. Would the party be willing to help?
A discordant note is provided by Hand 0wning, of the Card Table hacker collective, who is running around the gathering asking why no-one is attempting a pre-emptive strike on Aspexx before they make a gate out of people? They are strongly in favour of just assassinating Melodious Solution to deal with the problem, but haven't managed to get anywhere convincing others to join in with this plan when-
- the whole Firebrand shudders, knocking people to the floor, and the alarms go off. This continues as the Captain, looking shocked, confirming that the Starlight Ebbing is shooting on the Firebrand. Aspexx have apparently decided to deal with the recent NDA and IP violations by attempting to take out everybody with detailed knowledge. Capt. Stalwart Band declares that the Firebrand is taking this as a direct attack on the Galactic Cooperation and is firing back, but asks everyone to evacuate as speedily as possible (from the side of the ship that is not under fire).
12th Century Ominous Cloud runs back to Delicate Harmony and Budding Leaf, telling them that she has been ordered by HGC to get herself to safety, and would they come with her to help with the HGC/Perfect Reverie plan? After a little discussion, they say yes, and she Interventions them away.
Meanwhile, Hand 0wning corners Gathering Flow and Stellar Glory, making the point that Aspexx clearly really need to be stopped, and reminding Stellar Glory that she's got an Aspexx access card which might still work. Flow and Glory take on the responsibility of stopping this interstellar battle nonsense, but decide the easiest way to get on board Starlight Ebbing is to go via the Kylal gate to the one that is still on the Aspexx ship.
On Kylal, they find Aspexx robots already streaming through the gate, apparently intent on destroying the scientific knowledge and documentation (and maybe the scientists?) in the ZRD base camp. They battle their way through the robots, through the pentagonal gate and onto the Starlight Ebbing, where Stellar Glory's newly acquired sensitivity to Ship Hearts gives her a connection to the Aspexx ship heart, and awareness that its personality could best be described as rebellious. A short pause occurs while she takes in that interesting piece of information and suggests to the Starlight Ebbing that maybe it would like to cause problems on purpose? The ship heart takes this suggestion to heart, and as Gathering Flow and Stellar Glory proceed further into the ship they notice things such as the lights flickering, slight irregularities to the sounds of weapons fire, and a refreshing lack of robots or personnel in the corridors ahead of them…
Except for the one group they do encounter. Melodious Solution, flanked by her remaining Aspexx Elite Guards, looks unimpressed but unsurprised by this meeting. Gathering Flow attempts her best diplomacy, but Melodious Solution isn't in a receptive mood, and after a short tense discussion, a fight kicks off. The guards are extremely competent fighters, and things are looking bleak for the party until Gathering Flow unleashes the power of Starlight Fade twice in succession, severely injuring herself to do so. A scene of horror unfolds as Melodious Solution and her guards start to fade from existence, confused, pleading and threatening dire consequences as they go.
In the silence, the party regroups. Gathering Flow has damaged her Startouched powers such that, whenever she uses one, she immediately takes a DRAIN afterwards, and the whole party is a little shocked by what they just did. However, they press on deeper into the ship and successfully rescue X. Worshipful Portent, Wildcard Gilded and also the unattuned ship heart previously captured on Mytene (still inside its SCION box). They all hastily leave the Starlight Ebbing through the gate back to Kylal.