MAIN STORY The Evrensel Conflict -- Act 1 Epilogue

[Wade Von Doom]

A SUMMARY OF EVENTS

Let's rewind.​

Quite a lot has happened since the taking of the AI station, now renamed 'Pathfinder.' There was a mission to grab supplies from the closest populated planet, which ended in a night of drunken hedonism nobody can fully remember. There was a robot that was secretly trying to build a bomb to destroy Pathfinder, thankfully stopped before any damage could be done, but in the process there was the disturbing revelation that the robots kidnapping people and causing all this multiverse shenanigans were melting people down into raw genetic material and using that to create thousands of embryos of various species. And of course, housed in the center of the station were the ruins of some ancient deity that controlled a dangerous black crystal that could manipulate time and space. The same kind black crystal that almost destroyed the Pathfinder when it was taken over.

And unfortunately, some stranger named 'Nux' then took it, but not before revealing the location of a missing 'Doctor' which was presumed dead. And while trying to find them in the city of Rome during the renaissance era of Italy, they became wanted fugitives, and the Vatican itself was attacked by an other worldly army. This was not even to mention the rescue attempt of this 'Commander Shepard' that became botched just minutes into that mission, and the journey through Mikirith to help stop a rampaging army of escaped prisoners ransacking towns with weapons not of their world.

This was all a lot. And confusing. And generally quite messy. Everyone on that station had no idea what to do next, and those taking up leadership roles hadn't communicated their plans to others. There was no actual command structure, and people were split on wanting to go home, or staying to uncover the truth behind what had caused all this chaos across galaxies. And with all groups back together on Pathfinder, such issues needed addressing. And that was what Alec was going to do. An alert was posted across all channels on Pathfinder, that there was to be a station wide broadcast to address the current situation, what information they had, and what the plans were going forward. The latter to be held in a 'Strategic Meeting of the Planning Committee'* (*name pending)

So it was when the time came to that broadcast, Alec had prepared his statements and bulletin points. The broadcast would be over radio and in person, as he was holding the event in the cargo bay area. Of course, he was still 'Alice.' He hadn't quite reversed his sex yet to be a man again, so many people were confused as to why a woman, dressed in his armor, was standing on top of a large set of metal containers and boxes when Alec was supposed to.

Such a fact was not lost on her, as once she stood up on the makeshift stage, anxiety quickly started overtaking her nerves. Still, she had to make a go of it, too late to back out now. "Ahem," she cleared her throat and stood up straight, as a large group of people formed in the bay to listen to what Alice had to say. Many of which, as I said, were confused by who this woman was. "Evening all," Alice began to say, the microphone on her omni-tool making a high pitched noise as she spoke into it too closely, "Oh, sorry. Uhh… I, uhh… am glad you could be here. I'm Alec… It's a, uh, long story of how I ended up… like this," she waved over her feminine body, "but that's not important right now. I'm here to explain to you all what's happened. Because a lot of you are confused. You may still not know how you ended up here, and why this happened to you. You may have heard rumors about what's been going on in the parts of the station we still don't have access to. And you may feel uncertain about others on board that don't match up with your own species." There had been a number of fights breaking out on the station over territory and supplies, and mistrust among humanoids and aliens.

"And I don't blame you for feeling all of that. Truth is, I've been feeling it a lot myself too. Anyone on this station saying they haven't isn't really being honest with themselves. We are in a place that has killed God knows how many. I will be truthful with you all about that," Alec admitted, "we found evidence that this station was kidnapping, and processing, thousands upon thousands of 'scattered' from across countless worlds for reasons we still aren't sure of. And those they didn't liquidate, they held in stasis or shot across the stars for even more reasons we can only speculate on. It's a lot to take in. That there exists a multiverse. That there exists alien life. That magic and technology this advance is possible when it may seem like a fantasy back in your world. That something so powerful can cause all of this chaos."

Alec pulled up his omni-tool to bring up an image of their enemy. "The being myself and several others believe to be orchestrating all of this is an AI. An Artificial Intelligence of unknown origin. We are not sure of who created it, what its primary functions and goals are, but we know beyond its incredible technological capabilities for creating the wormholes we have designated as 'Highways,' it commands a large scale military of various machines. We have already encountered several of its units and field commanders, of which we have documented in an intelligence report that is being passed around both physically and virtually as we speak." Alec placed up the holographic images of those units and commanders, like 'Passchendaele,' 'Osmin,' and the now nicknamed 'Pentaman.'
(Of which you can find more about, along with more relevant plot info here on our Official Codex)

"These beings, left unchecked, are doing untold damage to Billions of lives. Billions. Hundreds of billions of people even. From both our worlds, and more we haven't even found out about yet. All involved in this madness. And I know that's even more scary to think about, because how can you fix something that big in scale? How do you fix the fundamentals of reality when it's that broken? It's a big ask.. But it's one that I know I have to answer. Not just because of my military oath to my planet and people. But because we stand at the brink of a precipice. A head first plummet into the unknown that is terrifying. And left without resistance is surely to bring about a diabolical ruin to everything and everyone we love. And I will stand against it with all my might, whatever the cost. It doesn't matter what race you are, what religion you believe in, whether you come from a monarchy, democracy, dictatorship, or what your political beliefs are. We all now share one common goal, and that is to protect our homes from those who want to rip it apart into pieces and reform it in its own image. This journey will be long, it will be hard, it will be filled with challenges. But I will be there by your side as we take that head first plunge into that unknown. And I hope everyone else on this station will follow us down. Because we are all in this together. Or we fail."

With all of that said, Alec pulled away the holographic images. "I will be joined by others in reforming a command structure aboard this station and coming up with a solid objective going forward. If you wish to speak your mind and help, you are more than welcome to. Until we all convene again as a whole base, make this place your home away from home as best you can. We are here for the long haul. Thank you." With her speech finished, Alec dropped off the stage. He and the others who joined him for the planning committee would meet in the 'Command Deck.'

​

"So," Alec took a seat at the makeshift table she set up for herself, "I have two big issues to address first. Our primary goal is to find the AI, but 'how' is hard to say since we don't have any leads. And we need to know who is going to lead us all into the battles ahead. I am more than willing to let people speak their minds on both issues, but," Alec reached under the table to pull out a giant air horn, "I am connected to the speakers in this room. And I will use this. So let's be civil," she threatened.

"I suggest a Military Navy chain of command. I hold Leftenant rank, and I will honor that by following the command of those of higher ranking. I will also say, however, I know the most about the AI since I compiled the intelligence briefings, so I think I should, for the moment, be the main commander of the team until someone with more understanding of the situation, and with the proper ranking can take over… Which reminds me of another issue I think it's about time we settled for good," she added.

"We need a name. For all of us working to stop the AI. I was going to suggest 'The Alliance,' but I'm just stealing from my own world there, so what else do people wanna throw out there?"

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande clicks a button on his glasses, keeping his eyes forward but nevertheless studying the rest of the group at the table. He had given considerable thought to the organization and logistical structure of the new group already. Namely, the need to take advantage of the diverse skillsets of the group. He frowned internally at the Military Navy chain of command, but kept is displeasure off his face. Alec was popular, he needed to stay in their good graces. Nevertheless, the first suggestion for chain of command should be dispelled and swiftly moved on from.

Clasping his hands and leaning forward, "I have my own recommendations for how our command structure should work based off our diverse skill sets. A name, however, should be decided on as a first point of order. 'The Alliance' is too generic. If we are to do inter-universal business, we should take as recognizable of a name as possible. I would have to ruin a diplomatic relationship because our name is associated with an enemy of some sort. For this reason, I recommend the 'Amender Coalition'. Make sure you pronounce it that way, its French and adds to the distinction," he allows a prideful smile to creep onto his face before continuing, "We've taken to calling ourselves the scattered, I think our name should reflect that while keeping our distinct lineage."

He leans backwards to let someone else speak, not eager to overstay his welcome with the floor.

 

[Epiphany]

Ahsoka Tano

The Togruta Jedi turned up with the rest of the prospective leadership elements, her arms crossed and leaning against a wall rather than taking a seat. Her montrals bobbed once or twice during Alec's laying of ground rules and she had a generally approving look on her face.

She smirked slightly at Alande's recommendation before saying "I don't know who the French are but the Alliance sounds just fine to me."

"We do need a chain of command, though. And it can't be a purely military chain of command. For one thing, none of us volunteered to be here. We have a common cause but we don't have a common training or a civilian population we're accountable to. We also have civilians on this station and, in my experience, militaries don't handle civilians well."

"We might as well lay our credentials down on the table, while we're at it. Once we know who's who and what their experience is, we'll have a better idea of how to organize the resistance. The AI is operating across the broadest theater of war imaginable and we'll need to be strategic in our thinking and response as well."

The Jedi looked around the room and stepped up to the table. "My name is Ahsoka Tano. I held the rank of Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic and, at one time, was responsible for the lives of 9,000 men under my command during the Clone Wars. I was also Fulcrum for the Alliance to Restore the Republic. I orchestrated and coordinated the operations of thousands of spies and intelligence-gathering activities for some twenty years after the Clone Wars ended. I have some thoughts and recommendations on how we might organize this effort...but I'd like to hear from the others present."

She smiled. "For this first round, let's keep it simple."

"What are your names, ranks and experience, civilian, military or something else? And, to Alec's point, what's your preferred name for our common cause?"

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande forced a steady face in response to the insistence of using what was, frankly, a bad name i his eyes. This was going to lead to a diplomatic incident later. However, it wasn't worth picking a fight over. Ahsoka and him agreed on command structure. "My name is Dr. Alande Vera, Applied Scientist and Primary Investigator of the Applied Biotechnology, Nanotech, and other Cybernetic Systems project in the city I operated in. I had colleagues that I am now sadly separated from who I have learned a great deal about other scientific fields of study. We are part of an international clandestine organization whose responsibility is to protect the common person from those that sought to control and peddle false cures to them from the shadows. I have experience fighting and studying many manners of creatures that prey on humans. You will be hard pressed to find a more proficient scientific mind than myself though I don't doubt they exist."

He pauses to breathe in, ruminating over what he gave. He decides its adequate before continuing, "I suggest we split our organization into three different conventions according to our skills and talents. These conventions will split into branches depending on expertise, split into field agent and support departments. Certain branches will go under dual oversight of two conventions depending on the overlap, Members of each convention can volunteer or be assigned to missions as per the orders of convention leadership. Lastly, there will be an overall council comprised of branch and convention leaders for interdisciplinary interests." He retrieves a binder from a bag he brought into the room and opens it, passing out a booklet to everyone present.

Booklet Info

Military: Members of our organization that are primarily martially adept, who use tools along with their inherent physical talent in order to accomplish their goals. They will form the primary backbone of our offensive and defensive forces, charged with external security. This group has a branch known as Mystics who are members of our organization who use 'magic' in any form. They will be called upon to act as assistants to the Military when necessary. Thanks to the nature of magic they will most likely not need any form of significant funding.

Scientists: Members of our organization that are significantly educated in the sciences, be they sociology, economics biology, chemistry, psychics, physics, astronomy, etc. They will be in charge of research and development for the military and beaurocracy, working with both closely to attend to its needs. They will also be in charge of Academic organization. These duties will be split into different branches of this convention.

Bureaucracy: Experts in public policy, diplomacy, and internal security, as well as anything not covered in the other two categories. They will be any form of government we will find ourselves in need of, and will provide funding for the Military and Scientists.

The rest of the booklet contains a lot of words regarding by-laws, regulations, procedure. Whereas most people who read this would get lost in the sauce and jargon, those who are very familiar and adept with a bureaucracy would note that magic doesn't have any overlap in the bureaucracy or the sciences. Thus it locks them out of responsibilities of said departments. So called 'Magi-tech' is lumped in with magic. Funding is notably difficult to give to magical pursuits, the stated reasons being largely concerns of replicability, the greater need for research in scientific pursuits. There is definitely a bias in this structure, and a lot of work has been put into it.

 

[Camleen]

It was hard to ignore the mighty summon from the woman with an unusually deep and manly voice. It was broadcast to a vast range along this stupid space station or whatever it is. To say Weiss didn't like it here was to be something of an understatement. She had helped a small group of beings (not really people, were they?)

But the whole 'story' she was unaware of. For her, it just felt like some maniac kidnapped her and was putting her through some kind of trial. A trial she passed, thank you very much. The young woman had found a nice little space to herself upon one of the lower decks, well away from others. She thinks. It was cozy, at least. And had plenty of room for her to train. To think. To try and keep herself focused on the present.

So the time for the meeting had come, and she was a tad surprised how many had actually showed up. Some of them even seemed to want to take this seriously. She hopes she is right on that. The tables are arranged, and some begin to take seats. But Weiss doesn't. Instead she stands just behind where some of the chairs would be. Enough to keep her in the line of sight of most everyone, but allow for another to have the seat she would take.

The look upon her pale features emote how unconvinced she is about all of this. There are… a lot of people here. This is to be a committee… it has to be fair for all represented. And the more people involved, the harder that is. She has, after all, been a part of one committee or another since she was 6. She had been trained for this sort of thing. Well maybe not THIS sort of thing, persay. But the intention for her was to be the leader of her world's largest corporation.

Crystal blue eyes rest upon the oddly attractive Alec as she speaks. She stands with her weight one on foot, her arms crossed around her midsection. Her long white hair is tied back into a ponytail, her outfit shades of blues, from dark blue fading into the ice blue at the hem of her skirt. Alande is next to speak, and she listens intently. She genuinely wants this to be a working thing, this committee. So even when she doesn't agree she still listens. Committees have to be fair those represented. To Ahsoka she then looks, the warrior laying out her credentials. It's a long and impressive sounding list. When the Jedi falls silent, Weiss rolls her eyes and she looks away from the group. There is a pause, and she chooses that moment to now speak up, herself.

"Okay, simple. My name is Weiss. I'm a Huntress. I'm a warrior by trade." She doesn't mention that she is technically still in training. She also doesn't offer as much as perhaps they wanted. Weiss then motions to the table as she continues, and she takes a step forward. Now the annoyance in her voice is more evident. Not bitchy, but she obviously has an issue. "Thinking of a name for this…" her hands wiggle towards the table "whatever this is going to be… we do need a command structure first. So you're all right in that regard. But it's dumb to place people in roles of leadership based on what they say is their experience. How do we know any of it is legitimate? And how do we know what those ranks mean? We shouldn't focus on what we were or weren't before we were kidnapped by this maniac AI thing. That's stupid. Leadership needs to be relegated to those that show they are leaders here and now. Even if that isn't done today, we can come up with a way to figure all this out. A single lead… generals that answer to that leader… and then smaller squads that answer to the generals. That's how the military on Renmant works, and it's the best way to go." Her hands fall to her sides as she sighs and speaks once more "And I'm just being pragmatic here, so there's no need for any of you to give me an attitude on my opinion." No one… really said anything to her about her attitude?
"I'm the heiress to Renmant's most powerful corporation, the Schnee Dust Company" said with an edge of pride, chin tilting up a little. "So I know what I'm talking about."

 

[Apothecary Bruce]

Sonic had been one of the first people to arrive at the meeting, not wanting to miss a beat of the action. The poor hedgehog was still trying to sift through his memories, the jumbled personality he had been left with - but there was enough patience in him for a meeting, and enough interest in how this group was going to be formed. While many of his other selves might've left the decision making to others, he had been granted plenty of wisdom and leadership from his mixed lives, and he was going to put it to good use.

Batman had been next to show, one of the earlier gatherers. He had considered waiting in the shadows, in the corner of the room, ready to appear when he was needed, but there was a place for such tactics, and there was a place for directness. He felt the need to be forward with this group, or else they might not listen to him. He was one of the founders of the Justice League - he was comfortable around such an eclectic mix.

With an uncharacteristic swagger, ranger Jeremy Welles had entered the meeting as the bulk of people arrived, walking in a way which spoke to his confidence entering the room, coat flowing with his movement. Finally, there was something here he could understand, something he was used to. A discussion of tactics, of leadership and organization.

Gregon Ponad had begrudgingly left his clinic to attend whatever this 'Alec' human had planned. He was mostly interested to see the meddle of the man who would seek to order him about.

Omni-Man had only been defrosted for a day, pulled from the next bank of Scattered. It had been Batman who greeted him, and immediately there had been a shared recognition of the other's occupation. Omni-Man had seen a weak human hero, powerless, much like Darkwing except having another mix of phenotypes he could hardly care less about. Batman had met a person who hesitated just enough when he was asked if he was a hero or not, for the caped crusader to not trust him.
Funny then, that they saw each other again at this leadership meeting. Nolan had just barely arrived when Alec, or Alice, began her speech - opting to lean back against the wall, judging all around him, looking for weak points. At least most of them had eyes.

He imagined lifting Alice by her hair, plunging his hands into the back of her neck, and tearing the head off in front of her posse. Of course, he could chop it off with a single swing, but visceral displays cowed lesser beings well. If they could hear her screams distort as her vocal cords were pulled taut, before snapping one by one, it would be a sight they'd never forget.
That would be a particularly Viltrumite way of operating, but he had been instructed to perform his job subtly, and any warrior who barged into a fight, without knowing the capabilities of their opponents, was a fool bound to die - and that wasn't Nolan.

His depleted powers dominated his thoughts, but he knew that even as weakened as he was, his remaining strength would allow him to gore a human being in but a single punch. He relished the idea of cutting loose here, watching as these feeble 'heroes' put their meager efforts and party tricks against his invincible skin, to shield themselves from his unrelenting attacks.
Even the most advanced of their numbers were pathetic in the face of Viltrum's shining glory, its power, its right to rule through that power. The only reason he didn't exert that force now was because he was curious to see if this Alec, Alice (lesser species always wanted to sabotage themselves by denying their genetic purpose, it was the hallmark of a failed race) could come up with.

---

This committee was doomed, Nolan thought. Already, the rats squabbled over who should be denoted as the best, over what titles should be handed out, for free. They weren't ready for Viltrumite elections, though, so the man kept his mouth shut, though he did smirk for the entire length of the conversation.

Despite Weiss' efforts to discredit Ahsoka's plan, Sonic spoke next, a little off-put by her brashness. "Hey, princess - mind climbing down from that tower of yours? Sure, we don't exactly have video evidence of all our adventures, but we've got nothing else to do but be honest here. Why lie and play politics when all of reality is at stake here?
"My name's Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. Familial name. Anyway, I'm a knight of the Kingdom of Acorn, world and space traveler, I've got a bajillion friends that're royalty, and I've fought in more wars than I care to talk about.
"But biggest of all, I've seen what happens when we give one person too much power, good guy or not. I live my life free, or most of my lives anyway - and I've found people are the happiest when they get to make their own choices, and orders are kept to a minimum. I'm telling you all now, I'm only following orders from somebody I like and trust. That ain't a hard badge to earn, but I'm not following somebody because of what title they might have. I don't really care about what sort of structure we decide on, as long as it's fair and unrestrictive."


Jeremy laughed a little bit at the hedgehog's declaration. "We'll see about that," he said, before turning his attention to the rest of the group.

"My name's Jeremy Welles, I was a ranger for the New California Republic. I've fought my whole life in the name of democracy and fairness. I've seen my republic stray from the path, fall to corruption, and fail to serve the people the republic was made to protect. I want to see this place succeed, I'm here until I die or we win. But I won't serve a tyrant. I propose we elect a leader.
"This shouldn't be about who has the loudest voice in the room, whoever has the fanciest wordplay here. This should be about confidence and trust. We all have differing opinions, and not all of us will get our way - but I want to dissuade anyone coming here to throw down their spear and say they should be the de facto ruler of this place.
"Also, to Sonic's credit, we should have some checks and balances. I like Doctor Alande's proposal for structure. Maybe we should elect overseers for these different groups, have them cooperate under and with the overall commander.
"By the way, for a name, I like Alliance but it's a little too simple. Let's name ourselves after our unifying element, and our home. The Pathfinder Alliance."

 

[Wade Von Doom]

"Yeah, name ourselves after the French, they won a lot of wars," Alec muttered under her breath. Although he had a point, one which Ahsoka and Weiss seemed to agree with. Experience and skill set would work better for command, and with the booklet Alande passed out, (first off, how did he make these books? Second, could have saved paper by making it a PDF,) they could certainly make it work.

"Okay, well, I'm Alec. I'm Leftenant aboard the SSV Caporetto, served in Alliance Military for nine years now, and I'm enrolled in the N7 program. It's advance Military training to make the best soldiers for Mankind, and of the seven levels, I'm at N6. Planned to get my N7 training done in the next couple months... Before I came here, obviously," she told the group. "I think what Alande has in mind would definitely work if we agree to it. Three individual entities working under various commanders, all of which cooperate in a unified command. And those commanders can be selected by everyone in the base they believe to be the best leaders."

"Sonic, that Red Dead Power Ranger just laughed in your face, punch him in the balls!" A man with a mouthful of popcorn shouted from the back of the room. His legs were kicked up on another box, while he enjoyed the lovely lounge chair he found and brought into the room to watch the show.

Can you guess who it was?

"Wade," Alec began to say with annoyance in her voice, "please don't encourage any violence."

"C'mon, there's like fifteen people in here, and one of them literally was born to kill, you think things are gonna stay civil this long?" Deadpool asked back, pushing more popcorn into his mouth. With him were two others that looked absolutely bored out of their minds to be here, and were dragged here by Deadpool under the assumption there was an actual fistfight to break out. "Oh, say hi to some newbies I found! They looked bored, so I told them about the bets." Deadpool explained.

"What bets?" Alec asked.

"There's a pool going 'round about how long this'll last, what'll get done, and who fights who and who wins. My money's on Gregon, I think he'd take Omni-Man there no question."

 

[rissa]

The Grail Warden, Pip

A PART OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE @ everyone hehe


There was a lot that Pip didn't understand. Most of the ranks, military structure— hell, even some of the words spit out by the sunglasses-wearing-doctor-guy had her grasping at the edge of her subconscious, begging the Guardian Sphere's translation effect to kick into overtime. Not every world in her Universum worked the same and she had managed to get used to that once her assignments started rolling in... This though? Proportionally immense. Dumbfoundedly so.

Pip ignored the few containers stacked round the table; others could make better use of them. Instead, she perched atop a rose-gold disc she conjured to be solid, just a little taller than the height of a regular highbacked chair. She looked half-meditative, legs crossed one over the other, staring blankly (alternatively, deeply in thought) and waited for a break in conversation.

"Hard to name what we haven't yet defined," Pip added once there was an appropriate lull. "Buuuut if that's the consensus, why not the Pathfinder Society? Us, a community, intent on finding a path home."

Pip shrugged and lowered her disc slightly, so she was more or less at eye level with everyone in the room.

She turned to Alec first, "You should be an Advisor then, not a commander. If you have as much knowledge about this situation as you claim, then you shouldn't be leaving this ship, nor should you monopolize what you know like that. If you haven't already, start documenting everything you know. If you die without sharing, you aren't exactly helping the cause."

She turned to the others who had spoken thus far, sharing sentiments while also disagreeing with some as she double checked the booklet Alande had passed around. "Military, science, business... What about faith? Magic? The arts?"

"I'm neither heiress nor one of nobility; I grew up poor on Phantasya, though I was eventually blessed with her Wardenship. By the time I received the Guardian Sphere's grace at sixteen, I had led more than a hundred campaigns into the depths of my planets core. In betwixt-years I am twenty three and nearly graduated from Wolpurgiswora Academy and have undergone about sixty missions with other Magical Guardians on different worlds throughout my Universum."

She shrugged, kind of sheepishly, "I'm not really sure how to quantify a rank. I'm a Warden of Phantasya— meaning I possess a portion of her —in addition to my Magical Guardian skills and epithet."

Pip pointed to the small blue guy, her new favorite of the scattered, "While law and order are important, to the civilians and us, at our core, he has the truth of it— whether we want to admit it or not. Let's just... keep the people outside in mind as we continue. Please."

 

[Apothecary Bruce]

"Yeah, name ourselves after the French, they won a lot of wars," Alec muttered under her breath. Although he had a point, one which Ahsoka and Weiss seemed to agree with. Experience and skill set would work better for command, and with the booklet Alande passed out, (first off, how did he make these books? Second, could have saved paper by making it a PDF,) they could certainly make it work.

"Okay, well, I'm Alec. I'm Leftenant aboard the SSV Caporetto, served in Alliance Military for nine years now, and I'm enrolled in the N7 program. It's advance Military training to make the best soldiers for Mankind, and of the seven levels, I'm at N6. Planned to get my N7 training done in the next couple months... Before I came here, obviously," she told the group. "I think what Alande has in mind would definitely work if we agree to it. Three individual entities working under various commanders, all of which cooperate in a unified command. And those commanders can be selected by everyone in the base they believe to be the best leaders."

"Sonic, that Red Dead Power Ranger just laughed in your face, punch him in the balls!" A man with a mouthful of popcorn shouted from the back of the room. His legs were kicked up on another box, while he enjoyed the lovely lounge chair he found and brought into the room to watch the show.

Can you guess who it was?

"Wade," Alec began to say with annoyance in her voice, "please don't encourage any violence."

"C'mon, there's like fifteen people in here, and one of them literally was born to kill, you think things are gonna stay civil this long?" Deadpool asked back, pushing more popcorn into his mouth. With him were two others that looked absolutely bored out of their minds to be here, and were dragged here by Deadpool under the assumption there was an actual fistfight to break out. "Oh, say hi to some newbies I found! They looked bored, so I told them about the bets." Deadpool explained.

"What bets?" Alec asked.

"There's a pool going 'round about how long this'll last, what'll get done, and who fights who and who wins. My money's on Gregon, I think he'd take Omni-Man there no question."

"Hah! Please," Omni-Man replied, before looking to the large armored Space Marine. He wasn't quite confident if he could take him, not in his current state. With his normal power, he could rip apart hundreds of them before they could even draw a drop of blood, but what he could do normally was irrelevant. "Besides, the last thing this committee needs is more distractions. As I'm sure my doctor friend here would agree."
"Aye," the apothecary rumbled. "Ignore this whelp, for the sake of time if nothing else. His humor bleeds my patience."
Batman glared down the merc with a mouth, and Deadpool knew just how much experience Batsy had with jokesters like himself - and how likely it was the dark knight throw him out of the room if he kept trying to drown their efforts in cynicism.

The Grail Warden, Pip

A PART OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE @ everyone hehe


There was a lot that Pip didn't understand. Most of the ranks, military structure— hell, even some of the words spit out by the sunglasses-wearing-doctor-guy had her grasping at the edge of her subconscious, begging the Guardian Sphere's translation effect to kick into overtime. Not every world in her Universum worked the same and she had managed to get used to that once her assignments started rolling in... This though? Proportionally immense. Dumbfoundedly so.

Pip ignored the few containers stacked round the table; others could make better use of them. Instead, she perched atop a rose-gold disc she conjured to be solid, just a little taller than the height of a regular highbacked chair. She looked half-meditative, legs crossed one over the other, staring blankly (alternatively, deeply in thought) and waited for a break in conversation.

"Hard to name what we haven't yet defined," Pip added once there was an appropriate lull. "Buuuut if that's the consensus, why not the Pathfinder Society? Us, a community, intent on finding a path home."

Pip shrugged and lowered her disc slightly, so she was more or less at eye level with everyone in the room.

She turned to Alec first, "You should be an Advisor then, not a commander. If you have as much knowledge about this situation as you claim, then you shouldn't be leaving this ship, nor should you monopolize what you know like that. If you haven't already, start documenting everything you know. If you die without sharing, you aren't exactly helping the cause."

She turned to the others who had spoken thus far, sharing sentiments while also disagreeing with some as she double checked the booklet Alande had passed around. "Military, science, business... What about faith? Magic? The arts?"

"I'm neither heiress nor one of nobility; I grew up poor on Phantasya, though I was eventually blessed with her Wardenship. By the time I received the Guardian Sphere's grace at sixteen, I had led more than a hundred campaigns into the depths of my planets core. In betwixt-years I am twenty three and nearly graduated from Wolpurgiswora Academy and have undergone about sixty missions with other Magical Guardians on different worlds throughout my Universum."

She shrugged, kind of sheepishly, "I'm not really sure how to quantify a rank. I'm a Warden of Phantasya— meaning I possess a portion of her —in addition to my Magical Guardian skills and epithet."

Pip pointed to the small blue guy, her new favorite of the scattered, "While law and order are important, to the civilians and us, at our core, he has the truth of it— whether we want to admit it or not. Let's just... keep the people outside in mind as we continue. Please."

Sonic agreed with all of Pip's points, and gave her a smile and a thumbs up in turn. She was his new favorite of the group too now, funnily enough.

 

[ThePotatoGod]

Michinaga Azuma
Bullheaded Berserker

Interaction: @Wade Von Doom

"You told me the bet's for the fight club, Deadpool. You didn't say shit about there being some big shot meeting." Clicked the tongue of Michinaga Azuma, the stoic looking asian clad in some kind of black and blue uniform with a curious black buckle affixed to his waist. Sporting a tall build and wavy brown hair, the man had a resting glare to his face as he scanned the room filled with strange beings. He had only been awake for a few minutes, and already, the Rider was slightly confused. People being chosen to fight one another in a game show esque tournament is one thing, but being faced with a council of men and women discussing what sounds like genuine war against some rogue AI? This sounds bigger than the DGP and himself--and yet here he is, in uniform with no interference from the GM whatsoever. Is this some kind of sick special event?

Still, it might've been a good thing that Deadpool tricked him all the way here; there's bound to be info on what exactly took him away from the Finals and how to get back--if there's any. He took the moment to scan everyone in the room; a well balanced ratio of men and women, from the looks of it. A couple of alien looking creatures, not to mention the giant blue rat that just screams 'not human'. None of them really scream politician--aside from the pompous white girl(in a literal sense). From the looks of it, they're in the middle of organizing things.

He walked over to a nearby wall and leaned on it with crossed arms, intent on listening to their discussion on what's going to go down now that they've retaken this prison that held him.

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande did his best to keep his disgust at Pip naming the trifecta of superstitionism as realms that deserved any kind of special consideration. Its not so much he didn't care about Art, but the idea that it was even close to as important to the organization as the groups he outlined would be laughable if not insulting to his field of study. It was best to open this with the two points he actually agreed with Pip on, as painful as it was to admit. "The Pathfinder Society is an acceptable name, and Alec would do well to share what he learned. Intelligence is important, especially its retention. I would caution that some information should be shared between relatively few people, particularly those resistant to mental manipulation. As for the sects you mentioned, Faith is best not kept within the bounds of any institution. Such matters are usually best kept private. I did, however, provide plans for how to organize magical individuals within the booklet. If somebody's power is from a 'Divine' source then that is also provided. Arts are... not typically part of normal consideration."

Then, he leaned up suddenly. Pip actually had a point. Media. Propaganda. The keys to societal control. This was probably not what they had in mind but it was easy to imagine the importance of controlling the narrative of the war, as well as winning the favor of the masses. These assets had to be seized. He speaks up with a convincingly yet forced smile, "But thank you for bringing that up. I did not initially consider its importance for our cause, but thankfully the structure I made is very adaptable. In this case, art falls under the sciences and the bureaucracy. There's a lot of overlap there in the social sciences, the field of journalism, and general academia."

 

[SorryTM]

Don Quixote


@Wade Von Doom @ThePotatoGod @rissa @Valkan @Apothecary Bruce @Camleen @Epiphany
As important conversations discussing priorities that could affect the multiverse occurred, a young woman with short hair laughed it up alongside a masked man who donned black and red, consuming popcorn at an alarming rate. In comparison to her stoitc asian companion, she appeared to be having a blast.

"Nay, thou art quite certain of the quiet ones being thy first to snap, with thou own nonexistant money being pushed towards the princess of ice! She willest poke many a hole in thee foes!"

Dear lord, there was two of them... if there was a God, they had made a fatal error in enabling the Sinner to encounter the 4th-wall breaker. However, if didn't seem as if she was utterly content with staying on the sidelines...

"Ah, all thee hears the is prattling of useless words!" Standing up suddenly, she banged her weapon on the ground several times- providing a large enough noise to draw attention from everyone. "We require little but thou basis of an organization! Our priority should not reside within gaining paltry titles that matter naught, but to purse action against the evil robot! Our aspiration shall be to become... Heros of Justice!" Certainly an inspiring speech, one would rouse many hearts... of the naive. Those who clung to the ideal of black and white, who though the world could be fixed with mere defeat of the baddies- unaware the darkness that had to sunk into to defeat them. It would be easy to recognize that this young woman had a nearly delusional outlook on life. ​

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

Luer settled himself against the wall to one of the sides, listening to the conversations in this meeting that had been called. While he did not see himself as a leader by any means, he was hopeful he at least could offer something helpful. After all, how many of them have had direct contact with this AI? He was unsure, and he was unsure of what that information could offer. Hell, being indebted to the bastard likely would just make him more suspicious than anything.

But that was neither here nor there, at the moment. The arguments going on regarding the name of this group of theirs and trying to determine a leader was getting nowhere. He could care less what they name themselves. He also was in agreement that their ranks before all of this was useless information for everyone to know. What good was his former status at home against an enemy where none of it is even useful? Just that, it was not.

"My name is Luer Lastez. I find no reason to tell any of you what I used to be. It is neither of importance nor any of your businesses. It matters not in the long run, as I come from a world where things like this damned AI does not exist anyway, so it would be of no use. My name and the fact that I am an archer is all you need to know about me." Ryan and Xivestial already knew and that was enough. No one else needed to.

He took a breath now and shook his head. "Our name is something that should be the last of our priorities. I agree we need some form of leadership, people like me are followers— we have lived our lives taking orders and following them. Similarly, though, I agree that that leadership needs to be balanced. I sure as hell am not going to follow an order I find conflicts with my morals."

———

Ziv had settled in one of the seats, much like the others, simply listening and waiting for a moment to speak. Though he was also taking in the general atmosphere and feelings around the place, too. Alande and Batman were going to be problems, never mind the obvious malicious intent that Omni-man radiated. Too many people he had never seen before, on top of those that Deadpool kindly dragged along. That man was going to be a problem, too. Trying to keep the peace here was honestly the hardest battle in his opinion.

Having taken a moment while Deadpool stirred things up with irrelevant commentary, he thought about what to say, if anything. There was a lot happening and getting everyone on the same page was probably the best place to start. Thankfully, several people helped with that. "Right, let's agree to put naming this group on the back burner." He started. That was not as important, and frankly given the discussion going on would most likely be best saved for later anyway.

"Alande, structure in a group this large is a good idea, but be careful how we do it. Faith is important to people, even if they are of different beliefs, beliefs still matter- especially in times of war like this. I see no reason to discount a dedicated faith group." That said, he hummed for a moment. "Ah, the same can be said about the arts. A respite from the toll war can have is essential as well, and it isn't hard for some to find that in art mediums. Including them is definitely necessary."

He offered a smile of his own now. "I also think having one sole leader is a mistake. We are growing constantly, more and more people are being pulled into this mess. One person can't handle it alone without being seen as a tyrant or a dictator. Too many chances for a disagreement. We're all in this together, so it best we continue to work that way, preferably peacefully. My speedy blue friend has the right of it, freedom is important for most people… maybe discounting Luer, so it's worth giving everyone a chance to choose if they want to take part in things or not."

"Excuse me!?"

Ziv smiled at the archer, leaning back slightly, feeling like he forgot something amidst throwing his opinion out in the open. Oh, of course. "These are just my opinions, of course. But having said my peace, I nearly forgot. I am Xivestial, but you can call me Ziv if you prefer. I'm a wandering mercenary- been one for almost a decade. I have a sixth sense, some call it magic, I've heard others refer to it as some form of psychic power, but basically I know where anyone is, who they are if we've met, and a general idea of how they're feeling within a certain radius of myself. I'm best suited as a mediator and stealth person. While I can fight, I'm afraid I don't fully have the strength to stand up to some of the enemies we've seen thus far." There. He almost forgot his introduction.

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande was starting to get a little bit frustrated at this point. The meeting was already getting derailed slightly by hagglers, and people were insisting on entire conventions that to him really didn't need to exist. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had to disarm this burgeoning insistence on a 'unified magic group' and a 'unified faith group'. He opens his eyes and makes eye contact with Xivestial. "There are many reasons to rule out a unified faith group. I by no means believe that Faith does not matter to people. However, a unified group would be... problematic. Religions are hardly syncretic. Just to bring an example of my home universe, we had three religions evolve from the same first piece of text, the Old Testament. These faiths being Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.They then split into dozens of different sects each, many of which do not like each other and really don't like the other religions. There are of course many other religions back home unrelated to those three. It would be unthinkable to put each of them under the same broader organization. There would be too many disagreements of every kind, infighting, and general tension. It would be a far worse idea to put religions in different universes under the same organization. I believe the bureaucracy would be best suited for connecting people to their own religious groups, and there may well be a need for them to do that. However there is no need for a unified faith convention."

The smile becomes genuine, but far more directed at his own words than the situation. In his opinion, he gave a great argument that will hopefully nip that desire in the bud. He continues, "Although art is important to people, the logistics and business of art is already covered by the Bureaucracy and the science of art is already covered by the Scientists. Psychology, history, all of these have already been given purpose in the scientific convention. A unified art group would not have sufficient responsibilities when compared to the other conventions. There are also very few purely artistic branches that could be made. Art is usually made with a purpose, and apolitical pieces of art simply do not exist. One could make branches purely meant to entertain sure, but that needs to be funded and distributed which involves the bureaucracy. Compare this with Science, Military, and Bureaucracy which each have sizable portions of their own organization that would be solely responsible."

Alande reaches into his bag and pulls out a thermos, opening it and drinking from it. He was doing a lot of talking and had to preserve his voice. It was a very mild green tea. He glanced at Don Quixote. A vigorous person, thought not one with any appreciation for the finer points of logistics. She was probably an Anarchist, and would definitely be a superstitionist if the opportunity arose. Though justice was not something Anarchists typically spoke about. Maybe they could have a talk with her later. Most of her apparent issues could be fixed with the proper guidance of a Enlightened man. He put down the thermos and extended an olive branch, "If you would like to be a force of justice, I will need to speak to you later. I believe you'd take great interest in some of my work. I assure you that these activities are necessary for optimal use of our resources and would love to explain in detail later."

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

Ziv looked to Alande as he spoke, and rose a brow as he specifically made eye contact with him. He took in what the man was saying, which ultimately amounted to having a faith group being too risky. A fair point, and he understood just as well the conflicts of differing beliefs- it wasn't unheard of back home either. He had several counter arguments to make, though. Much as he was ready to make them, however, Alande had yet to finish. So he waited, and also took in what he was saying about the arts. This part he was less understanding about, and now he felt was a good time to bring it up.

"You make a fair argument, but I have my own grievances with your suggestion. The first being what I feel is the most obvious: there are simply too many different faith groups to let have their own place. Sure, I know the risks of religion born conflict as well as you do, my world has believers too, after all. But a few simple rules that necessitate the existence of a single convention should be more than enough. There should be no reason to argue another's belief when doing so would put at risk the only place one can see as relatively 'sacred', similarly would trying to convert anyone." He took this chance to shake his head. People can't be trusted, especially with religion, that much he was sure. However… "We are also in desperate times. I imagine most people would not care. Whether they pray to the same things or not, everyone is there for the same reason. War brings the worst of times and they have nothing else to turn to. A common cause can be enough to warrant cooperation even if the method isn't the same. A phrase that can be shared about anything."

Having offered his own thoughts on that particular matter, the more important thing about all of this needed to be said. "I disagree entirely though about the arts and feel like perhaps you are forgetting something important. We have civilians on board. It isn't just us here. What you're suggesting is purely based on those of us involved in fighting to stop this problem. Not only that, it comes off very much as though you expect no one to have any interest or time to devote to the arts. Destressing at a time like this is important for us and having a place to do that- a group to share that need with, shouldn't be discounted. For some the arts are the only way to destress."

"I myself would also like to add that magic is much like your science. So why not give those magic users and those that study magic their own place? They are no different, barring a field of study. It seems unfair to insist science matters more." Luer chimed in. As a magic user himself, and one who did not have a taste for science, he felt it unfair to neglect that they are equals in deserving a unit of their own. "I am certain I am not the only person here who uses magic and would sooner die than try using any of your science gear."

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande shakes his head at Ziv's argument, electing to ignore Luer. There's a lot of things he could mention to him, such as his bow working off of the scientific field of physics or the simple fact magic had nothing in common with science. However Luer's superstitionist mindset was not worth the time of day, "Desperate times are exactly the time people turn to fanaticism. Many of them are people who believe their way is the only way to salvation. They would absolutely try converting people, and telling them not to is going to as part of a convention is only going to cause problems. It's better we stay out of it and only provide assistance to get people into their religious groups. As for art, I said or implied no such thing. I espoused in great detail how the existing structure already deals with the artistic field adequately and I do think it is important. The claim I am only considering those fighting is simply untrue. The bureaucracy exists to provide governmental and economic functions. It was made with non-combatants specifically in mind. I also remind everyone that magic has a place in the organizational system I made already."

 

[Valkan]

"Not turning this into a dick measuring competition would be appreciated, leotard." Were the first words to come out of Agatha's mouth as she stopped leaning forward and holding her head somewhat hidden behind intertwined fingers. She was new to this whole multiverse chaos, but she had the gut feeling she would like to be there. And she was right, she was better off here taking part on this. While the chatty scientist and the merc talked each other off, she offered her own introduction to the more focused public in the room. "Chief Inspector Agatha Brandt, former Army Soldier. Probably those titles don't have a meaning to you, and running my mouth about my military exploits certainly won't magically grant me your trust, so I won't go into that. Instead, I'll just voice my opinion. I have to say I also disagree with laying leadership on a single individual. Hell, even one each from your various proposed departments might not do it. Power corrupts the mind. And plenty of us here barely know each other. Giving more leeway for those chosen few to see the rest as mere pawns. So while I don't fully agree with... Sonic's view, I do think power should be more distributed. A command chain like that is slower, yes, but it lends itself less for dehumanization of the lower ranks." She then realized not everyone in the room was human, so her wording was somewhat off "A manner of speech. I meant no one is being subjugated to unfair treatment."

L'Arathras silently sat there, his pale blue flame-for-a-head flickering as he listened with his arms crossed. Unmoving, one could mistake it for a statue in his armor. But this armor had a voice. One it decided not to use just yet. For he was merely a scholar who happened to know his way around battle. Tensions rose a tad bit for himself to offer his knowledge as an involuntary world traveler. The need for one might come in handy, but he'd rather see how the actual people who wanted to lead would behave.

Tokui stood by. Silently leaning against a wall much like the caped man in a mask a few meters to his side. He wasn't there to ask for a position of power, at least not the ones being suggested. "We should also consider an intelligence branch, if we go with what this paper says. Just blindly going around at the nearest source of possible resources, only to find it was a trap or something we came unprepared for is a mistake. We need people to infiltrate or scout areas before throwing our assets at them." Tokui paused and looked at Alande "Also, giving priority to your own branch of expertise while downplaying a noticeable component of our 'military' strength seems somewhat biased. All of our forces should be equally prepared."

As Alande and Ziv were discussing, a door slid open. It was Ryan, though he didn't look his usual self. He was well dressed and tidied up, but his eyes had dark circles under them and were bloodshot. A longer sheathed sword he was using as a support clicked as it made contact with the ground while he walked without making any other sound. He just came back from being MIA for a few days, but he was in the station by the time Alec made his announcement. He sure as hell wanted to see first hand who would try and lead this group, or the whole station, for that matter. Ryan quietly sat on a box with his legs crossed, leaning against the wall and resting his sword on his shoulder.

 

[Epiphany]

Ahsoka Tano

Ahsoka watched the conflicting opinions being thrown about, listened to the give and take, and then closed her eyes in silent meditation for a few moments. Not so much as to center herself but to situate herself amid so much passionate emotion. To get the feel and sense of these people's presence in the Force.

Finally, she opened her eyes and stepped forward to address the group once more. Her voice carried across the room, perhaps a Force trick or perhaps simply a conventional trick picked up by someone used to the need for yelling over the din of battle or argument.

"I hear many of you cautioning against unwise leadership," she said. "And I understand that. I was raised in the Jedi Order as a servant of the people. I've seen firsthand what poor leadership can result in, within the Order and within the civilian government we were accountable to. We should be careful. Because the task of governing thousands of people is not a small one. There's a reason governments have come and gone and why so many politicians make a career of it; because it's complex even when you know what you're doing."

"So I propose we stay on task and not spend any more time trying to determine who will lead, right now."

Ahsoka took a breath and let it out. "There's a place for faith and art and much more in civil governance. Civilians can work through those issues, along with any of you who see that as the best use of their time. That's not what this group is here to do today."

"We are here to win the war."

"The AI is vastly stronger than any of us individually. Its chief generals can outfight whole teams of us. Its mass-produced soldiers can invade whole timelines and universes. The AI has the advantage in capability and logistics and it has the initiative. If we are to have any hope in saving billions of lives, this group here today must focus solely on what it will take to organize and execute a plan to win the war."

Ahsoka held up Alande's booklet. "This is a good beginning. We do need an organized military. We need logistics for fielding and supporting that military. We also need good intelligence informing strategy for deploying that military."

"To that end, we do need a name." Ahsoka sighed and said "Without a name of our cause, our people will only fight and die for each other. And most of us don't really know each other, do we. A name gives us a common cause, even if it's on a temporary basis."

"Specific suggestions so far include:
1. The Alliance.
2. Amender Coalition.
3. The Pathfinder Alliance.
4. The Pathfinder Society."

"It should be easy enough for us to simply write down which we favor for our operational name. No further discussion is needed. Especially if we remember that this is a temporary name until a proper civilian government comes together and names things in the way such governments do."

 

[Amber Franklin]

Abigail Delano, Courier Six-Played by Amber Franklin

T-851/Thea-Character Sheet

"Your attire is modest and efficient. Arriving at the meeting prepared for combat could send the wrong message" Thea says to Abigail.

The two had met at the clothing fabricator, which was fortunate for Abby as she needed a course on how to work the thing. It could make almost anything, but she had just fabricated a dark green shirt, blue jeans, and combat boots. Thea herself had arrived naked, and made a simple black and grey jumpsuit.

"Oh this? Thanks. Armor is getting cleaned, and well, it's complicated." Abby explains, though Thea did not so much as pry with her eyes. The woman always had an impassive face. The pair step off an elevator and walk down the hall to the meeting area.

"Understood. Personal matters should be settled another time. Our collective needs organization." Thea nods and keeps her eyes forward.

Abby walks in behind Thea. She wants to stand next to Alec, but they have yet to work out some issues, and she gets the distinct impression Alec does not want her near right now. Which causes a pang in her heart, but Abby refrains from pushing the issue and stands at a wall with Thea, hands in her pockets. It is a lot to take in, but she manages to keep track of the debate and waits for a good point to put in her two caps on the conversation. Thea nudges her, gesturing out, inviting her to speak first in the lull of the debate.

"Howdy. Abigail Marie Delano." She says, raising her voice and stepping forward. "I can't pretend I'm some bigshot back home why I deserve a big chair here. Alls I can say is, I do my best work as boots on the ground and I will lead a team of other boots on the ground." Abby starts to explain her position.

"I have only been a lead caravan guard, but got a passion for courier work. No ranks among couriers, just goods and words need to be delivered with a personal touch. Now I am far from a genius, but all ya'll talking about dividing us into different parts for what we are good at sounds about right to me. Science and magic, I will be honest and say they seem the same to me, so why not have magicians and scientists working together? I learned the hard way, that listening to just yourself and people like you for too long, ain't good for you. And I know Ahsoka said we didnt really need to talk about it more, but I think something simple for a name: Pathfinder Force." Abby draws a P and F in the air, clapping the imaginary letters together.

Thea steps forward before any could reply to Abby. "I am Cyberdine Systems Series eight-five-one, model one-zero-one. Or as many know me, Thea." Her eyes scan all visible faces to gauge reactions as she continues to speak.

" I was originally designed as an infiltration and termination unit. My databanks contain detailed files on human anatomy, psychology, and the entirety of my worlds military history to meet my former primary function. The Doctor repaired me after an engagement damaged my systems; they upgraded me to become sentient, and choose a new primary function. I have chosen to assist this group in combating this artificial intelligence. Yes, the irony is not lost on me." Thea gets ahead of the contradiction she presents with her admission.

"I agree with Abigail. Simplicity in name and organization is the proper strategy for our eclectic group." Thea holds up three fingers. "I propose three overall branches. Combat, Medical, and Station staff. Each branch will have their own leader coordinating with each other. I have determined many of us have a range of skills; to accommodate that variance further, operating under one branch does not restrict anyone from contributing to others as needed or requested."

"Wow." Abby says quietly looking at Thea, around her. " Here I thought all this time you just had a lot of implants.You're another fancy robot?"

"Cybernetic organism." Thea corrects her but does not elaborate.

 

[The Wanderer]

Ed

The Ogryn had heard the transmission during his wanderings after he had been kicked out of the messhall for the day after demolishing the potatoes. And since he was a Bone'ead and that required him to attend meetings for orders and so on, Ed made a beeline for the room that had been listed. His mighty and large frame causing quite a ruckus when he ran, getting lost before he had followed Gregon when he nearly ran into him. Despite the space marine being smaller than Ed, the Ogryn looked upon Gregon as if he was witnessing a wonder. Then again, he was taught that every Adeptus Astartes was a little godling from the Emperor's Godlings, and thus was very important. And while Gregon's armor wasn't the color or type that he liked. He much preferred the red ones and the green ones as well. Sometimes the wolf icon having ones, but they were too loud when they drank.

To say nothing of Ed getting sick from their beer.

When everyone had gathered, Ed tried to speak up during the talking but once again he swiftly lost track of the conversation as people talked and he got confused so he stayed quiet until Thea and Abigail walked in and everyone went silent as the pair introduced themselves. Then he'd raise his arm as a student would to get everyone's attention. "My name is Ed. I's a Bone'ead of the Astra Mil-Mill...The Imperial Guard." He'd speak in that deep and somehow loud voice that had an accent akin to a Eastern European and a German mixed together.

"I can't say much on names, but something simple will do nice. Easier to say and easy to understand. Big words confuse people. Give wrong impression, lose support." He'd say before continuing on the concept of the structure of their group. "What the smart metal'un lady said, more leaders over areas so no bad'uns can smash one leader and we lose control. Unless it's the Emperor leading, he will be big boss cause he led his Imperium and he'll know what to do. But he's needed back home since he has a very important job. Dunno what but if the Emperor needs to focus on it, it must be very important." He trailed off as he sat down, still towering over the table. The poor chair creaking under his weight.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
David

The veteran mutant had kept quiet during the talks, he looked different after he had spent the past months in the pocket realm that Reegan made, making a home for the people who still dwelled there, plus the noise and bustle of the station often made him feel too enclosed and threatened to break the dam that was his patience and his own barely contained trauma. When the others gathered for social events or just to relax, he saw his old squad from Vietnam and he felt like he needed to speak and let out those inner thoughts and trauma in hopes of putting the skeletons in his closet to rest. But that was weakness and he had too much to give, and would drown in it.

So he spent months basically away from the group until Reegan sent him this way after hearing the intercom. He had grown a beard, his long hair reaching past his shoulders. His clothes torn and speckled with dried mud, his companion meanwhile looked nice and proper. The dog resting next to his owner, the gray eyes looking between everyone before he spotted Abigail and Waffle's tail wagged. The dog doing the 'sneak' doggy crawl to her before he nudged her leg. Looking up at her with a soft whine, wanting a pet.

Back with David who simply watched Waffle go to Abby, he would wait until the giant finished speaking in that simple way before he would speak too. "David Ludlow. Captain in the United States Army. A command structure for the branches of certain skillsets is a good idea." He'd nod towards Alande as he had looked through the booklet. "But those folks are going to need to be off the field. Too risky to let them get involved with ground work. Not because of lack in skill, but because the risk of capture and examples being made would jeopardize our operation is too high." He paused before continuing, taking a deep breath.

"Killing them would make martyrs and that isn't gonna be what they'll do. Our enemy isn't some guerilla group or a force not used to whatever tactics we'll be bringing, and they won't shy away from inhumane tactics. They'll do whatever they can to make us crumble; breaking the leaders, smear campaigns, broadcasted executions after they break the leader and showing off how broken they are, that it turns from an execution into a mercy killing. All to make us want to turn tail and run." He'd speak, experience from witnessing and doing such deeds himself.

"As for what Tokui said, it's a smart choice. But we'll need a counter-intel group. People who can sabotage this AI's information gathering or planting of false info. Cause I'll be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if our enemy has detailed dossiers on everyone in this room all across the station. If they have the means to travel the multiverse, then the prospect of them knowing us in and out will be high." The AI seemed too smart and too thorough to not have gathered information on everyone they take or transport.

@Amber Franklin @Wade Von Doom @Valkan @PolyesterH @Epiphany @LenxKaitoYaoi @SorryTM @Apothecary Bruce @ThePotatoGod