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 Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2025 2:05 pm
Backdated to 7 March 2025, Friday evening
Lightning arched across the sky, thunder muffled somewhere within purple-grey clouds. Her skin always prickled when she saw lightning storms, attributing it to some age old instinct and simple factual awareness living in the skies could bring. Solarians dealing with lightning damage after storms on the islands were common enough, but to hear that a ship was struck, or worse, a glider? Rarer, as their technology improved, but it still happened...
Solaris stuck to the ground more lately, distrusting of the rooftops or anything that brought her closer to the lightning strikes. She'd seen reports in the Database about odd effects after someone was hit with the lightning, and she was tempted to test it herself…
But then she thought of old, old memories of falling through Solarian skies, the winds lost to her, storms raging, and she couldn't stop falling--
Her eyes closed briefly, head rolling somewhat to try and release the tension forming through her neck and shoulders. Her feet were on the ground. She wasn't tumbling from a great height--the damage on Earth with it's gravity would be worse, she was sure. She forced her mind away from that gruesome train and mental images that were trying to form.
Storms were dangerous enough on their own merit. These storms were… beyond that. "Storms that consume worlds…" Her words were a soft murmur, trying to think back to some more of the old stories she'd once laughed and rolled her eyes to. Warnings for naughty children. Something nearly everyone had some personal rendition of, seemingly, in Gradcael.
She missed when stories were just silly stories.
Or at least, when she could pretend that's all things were.
The park was quiet, but this section was rockier, more densely packed with trees. Not quite the hiking trails outside the city, but she knew a portion of this part of the park slid up a hill, one that offered a great spot to stargaze that seemed a bit less impacted by the light pollution of the city. More off the main paved paths, it was a good area to relax and consider--even if she was still wary about being on higher ground…
Her steps were quiet as she meandered her way along what were more akin to deer paths than actual trails, mindful of how branches would try to snag at her skirts and the frail cloth that hung from her sleeves.
She felt a pull, and it had nothing to do with anything on Earth. That much she could tell. That her world was calling out to her, in its own way was… disturbing, and yet. It was… a hopeful sensation, to her. That her world was getting stronger enough that it could do this.
At least so far from others, she figured, she could take a trip back…
Solaris stilled as she registered another figure up ahead on the hill, and as her eyes flicked up to the sky beyond them… those uneasy instincts were back. Lightning lazily lit up the clouds above them, and while no strikes were heading down towards the Earth, she couldn't help but eye them skeptically as she began to make her way further up the hill, stepping heavier to help announce herself to whomever it was.
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2025 7:18 pm
At the top of the hill, and seemingly unbothered by the storm, Commodore Lyndin had set up six thin, ten foot tall spires. They were constructed with a dark metal, and at the top of each he’d fixed a small, white stone. He stood a few feet away from them and was scrolling through what looked to be a very advanced tablet. Several rows of numbers were rolling on the screen and he watched them diligently. His back was to Solaris as she approached but before she got too close he said, “You may join me. If you’re worried about the storm, it’s safe here.” Lyndin had no energy signature, nor did he have some unique ability to sense the energy signatures of others. He was just particularly aware of his environment and her approach had not been so silent that he hadn’t noticed her getting closer. For a few seconds longer, his attention was fixed on the screen. Lightning flashed in the distance, but as the sky lit up, so too did a new string of numbers. He didn’t seem to be making any effort to conceal his screen to her, but it was impossible to actually read the information he was gathering. Finally, he half turned to face her. Though surprise did not really reach his eyes, curiosity did. “A Solarian?”
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2025 5:31 pm
Oh. Oh he was tall.
Solaris was on the shorter side in some groups, she knew that. Looking up wasn't terribly uncommon or unexpected for her. But to tip her head up this much was very new and she was rather awed by that.
The invitation, and assurance, was surprising, but a bemused smile flickered on her face nonetheless as she began to close the distance. From her angle, she could only see the slight movement of data on his screen, the reflection of lights altering across his skin and uniform as the screen displayed whatever its contents was to him.
The spires held her attention, though, frowning as she took in their design and placement. Dark metal, something almost decorative (though likely not) at the top... she took a few steps off to the side, trying to get a better view of the placement, before it clicked and her eyes narrowed in curiosity. "You don't happen to know what's going on, do you? And don't happen to be replicating a certain prison, hm?"
She wasn't sure who he was--she could guess he was one of the Velencians, given Realta's description of them, but the way she described Caedus... didn't quite match this. She'd mentioned Caedus could be difficult to find, hidden away. This man was out in the open, not hiding in the slightest.
The somewhat question made her jerk to a stop in her observations, though, turning to face him with wide eyes as her wings flexed uneasily. "...Sailor Solaris, so... yes," she said slowly, as if giving the name of the source of her power was proof enough of her homeworld. But, she winced as she considered it... really wasn't these days. Ouch. "Sorry. Now and then, I find myself still speaking like old likelihoods are still common occurrence. Yes, I am a Solarian. How... how did you know that?" Her mind whirled. It'd been... a thousand years, give or take, since her people had been able to come and go from their homeworld. Yes, it was entirely possible Solarians off-world at the time were able to find refuge elsewhere, and could have encountered other peoples that way...
She crushed the tiny bubble of hope that maybe, somewhere out there, another Solarian could still be around, a descendent of those who weren't trapped--no. Kyrie couldn't allow herself the mere notion. The reality crashing down always hurt too damn much.
"You're... one of the Velencians, is that correct?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2025 2:30 pm
“I am,” Lyndin answered easily, and offered a hand to shake. “I am unfamiliar with Solarian customs so I hope this is acceptable. I have become accustomed to it on Earth.” He was unused to seeing Senshi from other worlds, so naturally he held her in a curious regard. In a better time, he might have liked to converse of other things. In the immediate present, he had much more at stake. “Commodore Lyndin, it’s nice to meet you. Your wings,” he nodded. “And your brooch. Perhaps it was a lucky guess. I haven’t been to Solaris in a very long time but I have a very good memory.” Maybe she was only speaking of pleasantries because she was trying to work up to a deeper conversation but Lyndin did not mind a blunt approach to the more important topics. “I am not replicating a prison, though. If that puts you at ease. I’m running an experiment. But it is related to the storms, if that is to be your next question. I’d rather not see Earth devoured so I am here to do my part. You?”
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2025 12:41 pm
A corner of her mouth quirked up, bemused at the use of one of the local forms of greetings, but easily took his hand in a brief, shake. "It does the job," was what she attempted to not let be too cheeky of a response, but she was finding it hard to not grin or laugh at the situation.
Earth customs being a sort of... common ground, neutral territory in terms of interacting with other intergalactic races was just... amusing to her.
Releasing his hand, she stepped back a bit, brows lifting as he clarified his identification--Commodore? It was... a military designation, wasn't it? It rang a distant, tiny bell, but she couldn't place it, likely a random bite of information from Earth. Just as quickly, though, her brows dipped as she took in the rest of what he was saying. Yes, the wings and brooch were fair identifiers on her part but...
He'd... been to Solaris? The only ones she knew of who could claim that were either reborn as humans now, or other senshi locked away from time one way or another. He was neither of these, far as she could tell. Her gaze quickly flicked up and down, and while she knew she was s**t at guessing other races' ages... "....you're over a thousand years old? Only ones I've met thus far with that are other senshi like myself who've been--" Trapped. Isolated. Watched their worlds die around them. Surviving on scraps and magic and who the ******** knows what. She closed her mouth to trap the bumbling phrases that all wanted out, instead smiling and giving a slight shrug. "A lot's happened in that time.
"And more's happening now," she sighed, refocusing herself on the important conversational bits. She wanted to ask if the longevity was something innate to his people, or if something else had also kept him going far beyond their typical lifespans. She wanted to ask about when he'd been to Solaris--she couldn't recall seeing him before, and he didn't remark that she seemed familiar in turn... She took a breath to reel in the energy that zinged about inside her head, the excitement and the curiosity that while she'd rather indulge in, she knew at least this wasn't the time.
"I've seen enough of worlds dying," was her somber answer instead when she let the breath out, stepping slightly closer to the pillars he'd placed. Lifting a hand, she pulled the spike from subspace, holding it by the hilt with the orb up as she compared it to his creations. "I was hoping you were trying to replicate the prison--we know the last one failed, but not how or why, and ideally one would think if we could answer those, we could prevent another from failing."
She spoke plainly with little interest in hedging how much the Commodore did and didn't know--he knew about the storms, he knew about the threat. The similarity of his creations to the spike made her wonder if he'd already known about that, too.
"I've seen reports of some senshi getting hit by the lightning and it causing havoc with their magic, and leaving behind a 'snake marking' that one said vanished after around two hours. Don't suppose you have any interesting abnormalities about the storm to share?" She lowered the spike to let it more rest at her side, turning to him with a light smile. Sharing information was easy in her book--the more people working on all of this, the better, and a mystery factoid to one could be a key inspiration for another, for all they knew. There was a problem on their hands, and her only focus right now was (mostly) on how to fix it and stop the thing from devouring the Earth.
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2025 5:40 pm
“I suppose that depends on how you describe ‘interesting abnormalities’,” he said, and offered a dry smile, “But I will share what I know, regardless. The last prison failed because they had inferior components. They even recorded the damaged spike in their murals, so I can only assume they were aware of it. I suspect they were short on time and trapped it with what they had on hand.” He glanced at the spike she held. “I have seen one other. May I examine yours? I have a theory that these have not been used. I believe the ones that have been recovered were crafted after the creature was imprisoned. I suspect these were meant to be a backup, should the original prison fail. The murals on the wall would have been a guide for how to use them, but I think some important information is still missing. That, and the rest of the spikes. I know there should be six total but I’ve only seen two.” Gesturing to his experiment, Lyndin continued, “It’s an inferior replica, I’m only testing the possibility of a self-sustaining prison. I believe the last one failed as, over time, the energy deteriorated what made it a good conductor. But, maybe I’m grasping at straws. The old prison won’t work without all six pieces and I don’t know how many have been recovered. I don’t think there’s enough time to forge any new ones, and if there were, the materials we’d need are phenomenally rare. I don’t think time is on our side.”
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2025 7:45 pm
Solaris moved closer, offering the spike towards the Commodore in silent permission. He had tech that she didn't, after all, but her mind was already whirling over his thought process. "It would make sense to create more that were of better quality, if they knew the originals weren't ideal--but why not replace them before the prison failed? Unless they lost the chance, anyway." A grim train of thought, but considering how Chaos had cut off so many worlds and peoples so quickly... perhaps this was another instance of impact from that? Or the failure had happened so quickly, they hadn't realized they were out of time before it was too late.
"Do you mind telling me who showed you the other one? I know another Eternal senshi has one, from what I've seen of info posted in our database. Murikabushi? Was he the one you spoke to?" Those were the only two she knew about--part of her hoped perhaps he wasn't speaking of the other senshi and perhaps knew something else... but she wasn't going to hold her breath.
Her gaze shifted to the experiment, interest piqued by self-sustaining prison. "How's that been going? Given some of the damage we saw at the place, deterioration makes sense to me. Do you have any leads on how we might be able to improve the spikes or... whatever they do, to increase the ability to sustain the uh... well, in one mural it was a sort of cage of lightning."
Solaris knew sciences like this weren't her strong suite, but she hoped she was making at least enough sense to someone who did seem to know a good bit more than her... As it was, her wings flexed and feathers puffed slightly as her annoyance bubbled. He wasn't the only one grasping at straws. "...I've been trying to avoid dealing with the Negaverse again, but I'm starting to think that won't help anything. I should at least try to speak to those who also were pulled into that place, see if they found anything else when we all got separated." They needed to compare information--she knew that, logically. Different avenues needed to convene eventually to discuss what they'd found, see if it sparked anything new, or just to keep the other sides updated properly to continue to efficiently work...
But her skin crawled at the idea of speaking with them again.
"Not even sure we could forge new ones--not sure the minerals used to make the metal or the orb, but the Mauvians tried to do some scans... one told me they'd found small traces of something comparable to human blood. I have no idea how important that component is, but for all I know it could be the key."
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2025 3:25 pm
His eyes narrowed only just slightly when she mentioned blood but while she was here he was keen to exchange information, not emotion. “No, I doubt you would be able to acquire the specific materials used to forge these.” While she spoke, he had accepted the spike. He extracted his ComTech and let it run a scan while he examined it carefully, looking for any imperfections or markers. “I’m not surprised the Mauvians did not have the components in their database. You would not find them anywhere in this galaxy.” His ComTech flashed so he observed the screen and reported, “This is the same as the one I examined. The Negaverse brought it to me, though I could not tell you who is in possession of it now.” Lyndin was still scrutinizing the spike, but his attention had shifted to the orb at the end. “I believe it was out of necessity that they did not attempt a replacement while the prison was being actively used.” Without looking at his experiment, he nodded to it as if it could demonstrate for him. With his ComTech in hand, as it ran another scan he pressed a few buttons and electricity suddenly arced between each of the six poles before him. “If you break the perimeter, the barrier goes down.” He nudged the nearest pole next to him with the toe of his boot, pushing it out of alignment. The energy immediately flickered, and while there was a second where the five poles were connected, they too lost the current. When he nudged it back into place, so too did the chain of energy return. “To replace one spike would mean there was a moment where it could escape. I suspect they decided the risk was not worth the effort. Perhaps they thought the barrier would hold for long enough that it would weaken itself before they needed to replace anything. I suppose, given the circumstances, the Silver Millennium failed before they could do so. It would have been wise to let the creature wear itself out before attempting to engage with it, so it was probably just bad timing. I am assuming it has escaped completely now. In terms of ‘improving’ the spikes…” He shook his head and finally handed it back. “I wouldn’t want to tinker with any of these unless I had to, and even then I couldn’t do anything without knowing how many we have to work with. If there are fewer than the intended six, it’s possible that they could still create a barrier, but it would be much weaker than the last. Worse than having a damaged spike is not having one at all. I can’t even guarantee it would hold the creature for long. If that’s the only option, of course it’s worth a try. If we only have three? I don’t know if that will hold it at all.”
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Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2025 2:42 pm
Was that a tick, or something more? Solaris kept her gaze moving, but noting his expressions when she could. She could be pleasant, of course, happy to cooperate, but he was still an unknown to her. Trying to get a feel for the unspoken parts of conversations was an art in and of itself, something she knew of... but knew she relied a great deal on familiarity to accomplish anything.
"Do you have the information the Mauvians don't? I'd appreciate if I could bring something back to them about this. Have you ever heard of technology forged with metal and blood before? That's a new one to me. I wouldn't think the organic material would survive most forging processes."
She was trying to tread carefully, unsure what topic might be too guarded in this scenario. He'd said in this galaxy, though, and she was unable to hide how her eyes widened, an old bit of excitement and awe and perhaps a bit of a childish dream of adventure peaking through the years of reality checks and grime of decay. What child didn't have dreams of seeing far off corners of the cosmos, if they were able to view the skies and knew of space travel? Stories of pirates, far flung adventures and explorations, untold mysteries… they'd been some of her favorites when she was little.
As Lyndin explained the issue of trying to replace the spikes in a functioning cage, she frowned, eyeing the experiment as she considered that. "Any idea what a feasible minimum might be?" While she was relieved to hear about three in existence, that only accounted for half the spikes. "Worst case scenario, anyway. But never a bad idea to make plans for the worst." Ideally, they'd just find the rest, or figure out a way to make them… something. But she wasn't naive enough to think positive vibes alone were going to solve this problem.
The nagging in her senses, the pull to space, made her scowl a bit as she took back the spike, sending it back to subspace. Her gaze moved to the poles again, and… well. It didn't hurt to offer, right?
"Would you be interested in seeing if you get different readings off of Earth?" Solaris looked back to him and offered a wry smile. "I've been feeling a… pull, I guess, back to my world. Last time I was there the other day, there was a storm. Not sure if it being out of the Sol System would affect much, but worth a look anyway?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2025 4:46 pm
“I always plan for the worst,” Lyndin said easily, and he probably wasn’t exaggerating. He looked at his project and seemed to weigh the options. He didn’t want to leave it here unattended, not while he was in the middle of collecting data, but… There was probably never going to be a good time for anything. “I would be interested in trying to get some readings from elsewhere. It would help confirm my theory, at least.” He couldn’t complain about having more data. “If you wouldn’t mind company, I’d be glad to get some readings from elsewhere. I don’t think I can calculating a feasible minimum at present, but data like that might help.” There was much to be speculated on but Lyndin would take every scrap of information he could get and try to work it into something productive. “Perhaps we can talk more about what information I have that your Mauvains don’t then. Though, I may not be able to give you much useful information. I won’t make you wait to know what I do. Would it disappoint you to say that I’ve heard of organic materials being used as components without much trouble? There are,” he paused, “perhaps were, species out there with such high iron content in their blood that you might have forged something out of that alone. It isn’t impossible, but the usage of anything of the sort for an item like this is perplexing. I suppose there may be logical reasons. I just haven’t been able to decipher them yet. But I assure you, I am interested to know what, and who, went into their construction.” And why.
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2025 9:26 pm
Solaris couldn't help but smile that he accepted the offer, unexpected at least. Part of her did feel... odd, bringing people to her world. It wasn't the splendor it once was, it wasn't the vibrant, beautiful world. But... given time, it could be again. It will be, again.
She just needed to try and help get rid of this more immediate problem, first...
"Sounds fair enough to me, as it is I'm curious what sort of readings you'll get from out of the Sol System and how they might compare." It was so strange to her how all over the storms were... if Earth was the thing's target, why were they everywhere else, too? The potential answers to that weren't very cheery, though.
There was a slight pause on her side as she considered what the Commodore said, head tilting a little. Was she disappointed to hear of organic materials being used like such before? "It... greatly depends on the context, I believe," she said slowly, weighing her words before they finally left her tongue. "If species had high iron content in their blood to construct and forge with, I can see how that would be greatly beneficial to them as a culture, but also as a trade partner... but my opinion would differ greatly if the blood was taken willingly by the individuals, or not. If given willingly, if the artisans utilized their own blood in their crafts, I don't have a problem with it, no, provided they were safe in doing so... but if it was unwillingly..." Her voice trailed off, feeling she didn't need to go into further specifics. No, the context of how resources were gained, not just how they were used and the benefits of them, mattered greatly in her mind. Whatever her personal feelings might be on subjects, it was the ethics and safety that more concerned her in her baseline opinions. Anything else was... well. Also context-specific, but...
"I don't know if anything is sensitive enough to examine the samples in the spikes, though, to try and determine their source? Ah, well... we'll have plenty of conversation points at least," she chuckled, pulling her phone from subspace now and tapping to where she'd be able to hit the Home app.
Holding out her hand to the Commodore, the smile turned... apologetic. "Ah, sorry, contact is necessary to transport additional people. And... I'm... afraid Solaris likely doesn't look quite the way you remember it, currently. But I'd love to hear about your time there, if ever possible. It's not often I get the chance to hear experiences from people who weren't... senshi, knights..." Her hand with her phone waved somewhat vaguely in gesture to the general group of people she did more hear accounts from, if anyone. But someone who wasn't any of those? She was especially intrigued.
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2025 6:09 pm
Solaris was curious about the readings he’d get from out of the Sol System–and so was he, though his expression did little to clarify his feelings on the matter. He seemed professional, always reserved, but he had no qualms over any sort of contact. He took the hand she offered. “I understand. And I appreciate the offer all the same. My memory is still clear. Regardless of what Solaris looks like now, I will not forget what it was. Perhaps it will be nice to reminisce of better times.” …And, hopefully they’d find whatever they needed to make sure they were able to return both of their worlds. And save Earth along the way.
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2025 12:57 pm
She could allow herself a moment of genuine delight, given all that was going on. Yes, she feel a level of apprehension at her own suggestion and showing what her world had become. But that notion, to reminisce of better times was... sweet. Bittersweet, but sweet.
Her thumb hit the Home app, and energy and magic swirled and condensed around them, overtaking their bodies and pulling them, moving yet unmoving, through space. Solaris could feel a distant sensation of movement beyond her, anyway, as if the light that blinded her and made her keep her eyes shut was some thin film she could puncture through and see space beyond flashing by at beyond light speed...
Land settled again under her boots, a lower gravity pulling her down and winds billowing around her. Solaris knew her location immediately was on her world, but her brows furrowed before she even opened her eyes. The air was thinner here, the winds stronger, colder. She couldn't hear the ocean that nearly surrounded the island she'd been coming to and from for the past year or so.
Her eyes opened to a wide, rocky grey-red and grey-blue terrain that stretched out for miles, covered in stone ruins that once denoted houses, farms, and over them and around them businesses, agricultural centers, fungal farms, hangars, an aetherport... skeletal remains of hardy trees with dense roots that even in death were too strong for the winds to rip from the soil and rock they coiled around.
A Solarian city. Old. Older than most, certainly older than any on the lower lands, though certainly not as sprawling as them. It dug into the rock, layers built down as well as out and up over untold centuries to counteract the delicate balance of limited space and gravity and limited resources.
The air shimmered with mists, the warm gold and peach-hued late afternoon light of the sun breaking through a division in the clouds off in the distance just above the horizon line created by additional layers of lower clouds. Droplets of waters condensed into glimmering, amorphous floating puddles that hovered in place where rocks, trees, or buildings helped to keep the winds from pushing the water onward, before finally the collection grew too heavy and fell to the ground, moving into long cut and marked paths that fed into small rivers or ponds.
Solaris was in shock, nearly stumbling as she released the Commodore she'd nearly forgotten about in that moment, staring in disbelief at where they'd landed. She could... barely recall the last time she'd been on one of the floating islands. The ability to travel between the upper and lower lands had been destroyed with the wildness and uncertainty of the storms, centuries ago. Never mind disruptions in the winds, the gravity, causing some to fall to the lands below...
Purple light split the sky, thunder rumbling dense above their heads as the lightning struck a cluster of crystals, and Solaris yelped, dragged back to the present from her far-flung memories and disbelief--why here? why now? why didn't anything send me here before?--
Far above the natural Solarian clouds, dark grey-purple rolled and boiled, streaked with lightning that continuously stretched out to strike a collection of similar targets, over and over as time went on. Some of the rocks, small hills, small mountains, were split open by the lightning, if she was to judge by the burnt ground around exposed points. Blue-white crystals gleamed within the ore and rock beneath, glowing brightly as energy flickered and stayed trapped within their structures. More lightning struck, and Solaris could only watch in mute amazement as some strikes seemed to drain the energy from the crystal veins, while others seemed to add energy into them...
"...those crystals are known to collect energy from the air around them over time. We've used them as renewable energy sources... batteries, I guess you could call them, for... I don't know, since Solarians first discovered they existed?" Ancient, ancient history. The very first settlements of Solarians, before they even could have been called a people and forming cultures.
"But lightning splitting open the ground to get to them is... new, from what I've ever seen."
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 6:43 am
Lyndin’s face was unreadable during the travel; the methods of Senshi were far different from the technology they had harnessed, and each experience always felt like something new. He adjusted to the winds and gravity of Solaris quickly, and if he found any of it uncomfortable or distasteful, he hid it well. When Solaris startled, he instinctively placed a hand on her shoulder, as if to reassure her. “Those crystals sound similar to our Source Stones,” he mused, eyes lingering on them. The lightning danced around one sample, writhing as if brought to life by the slightest contact. He watched as the bolt seemed to flicker, only to burst to life again. He already had his ComTech angled at it and seemed to be scanning the data. “I am particularly interested in energy collection. Velencya requires a great deal of it to function. Do you use them for anything at present? Or is it too dangerous to try and harvest under these conditions?”
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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2025 5:41 pm
Why? Why did it bring her here now? Why not ever before now?
She wanted to scream, could feel the voice boiling in her throat, a desire to scream down the storms till her vocal cords gave out. Why now? It was a cruel joke, and every fiber of her being wanted to rip the source apart with her bare hands. How dare you!
The hand on her shoulder gave her an anchor to the present, though she didn't have a proper outlet for the rage that coiled in her throat like a serpent all its own. But the Commodore was here on her invitation, they were working against the same threat. He deserved none of the vitriol that she wanted to hiss and spit to whatever ******** magic was behind this. Her fists clenched, nails digging into the fabric along her palms to dull the sensation slightly.
She barely noticed as a small golden wisp swept up along the crystals, before it seemed to startle at the electricity and flew to where it could hover over her unoccupied shoulder. The energetic hum in her ear from its presence was... welcomed, though. The little thing really was insistent on accompanying her, huh?
Solaris forced some slow breaths through her system. She could go try to find some youma later or something to punch. Or something.
"Are you able to tell if the crystals are of a similar composition to your Source Stones?" Not that she was sure what those were, but it was a focus that wasn't on why the <********> were they up in the upper lands. She licked her lips absently as she considered his words, though. "To... to function? Would you be willing to elaborate on that?" His wording was strange, and she pulled her gaze away from the middle distance to blink up at him. Ah... but in terms of collecting the crystals and their use..?
Reaching into subspace was more than second nature now, and she brought out the small bit of Solarian tech she usually kept on her--a flashlight. She twisted the two distinct parts, pulling off the lens and filter that grew or shrank to allow or diminish how much light would emit from the crystal within. The very blue-white crystal that sat neatly within a slender series of prongs to keep it in place, but allow for replacements to be put in or removed as needed. "Batteries, mostly. I use some for a weak.... I guess you could call it a generator? Just enough to activate lights in a room or two in a bunker while I needed it. But the crystals had been sitting around for so long, they couldn't absorb any other energy from around them... these ones though, are..."
Her gaze moved back to the energetic forms, the lights crackling and warping within the crystal lattices. "Those look almost... supercharged. There's a few places on the planet where natural storms had been common enough to energize massive crystal clusters like these are. This just seems... more, somehow."
The wisp hummed, and Solaris tilted her head slightly to it like she might tap her cheek to it, though was unable to. How to harvest them...
"Just need something that can break them out of the ore and rock around them, and some sort of material on your hands to not get hit with excess energy. The crystals can get extremely hot, and if they're broken from the cluster when active like this, it'll cause some of the energy to erupt out. I think people used to use non-conductive materials if they wanted to harvest from active clusters..?"
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