Welcome to Gaia! ::

Takes place roughly an hour after the conclusion of [STORMBREAKER] At World’s End [ORP]

The invitation had been sent to all Vanguardians, and their presence was welcome regardless of where they had settled on Earth. Choosing a different path didn’t mean that their loyalty to Velencya was any lesser. He trusted that the Vanguard would find a solution, that’s what they were all here for.

He wanted them all to succeed, in their own way.

They’d been careful about returning to the Vanguardian household on the off chance that trouble wanted to follow.

Lyndin had been keenly aware of the Velencians who entered the realm of the Calamitous Hollow, and he felt great pride–and relief–that they had all returned.

They would not spend tonight grieving.

But, there was much left unsaid, and as was common with all large Vanguardian missions, he’d planned a post mortem. Things were different here on Earth, and some rituals had fallen to the wayside, but he thought this was as important as any other mission. Maybe more. He didn’t want to allow time for the questions or concerns to fester. There was a great deal to process, and even more to plan for.

While the lights were still out across the city, the Vanguardian household had the advantage of Velencian technology. Their generators had been harnessing sunlight and had plenty of energy to spare.

They’d had a few moments to clean up, to prepare themselves, to get comfortable.

Now, Lyndin was in the living room. His ComTech was running a scan, and he had a small array of devices that he’d carried with him and set up. This was not his living room, this was their living space, but he took up very little room and had nothing he couldn’t move down to the secondary house he inhabited in the Dark Kingdom. He didn’t sit down, but neither did he look like he needed to rest. He was good at keeping airs, and despite seeming a little tired, and perhaps favoring one hand, he gave no indication that he had sustained any injuries at all.

When it seemed as though all who would be in attendance had gathered, he moved away from his projects to address them.

“You all did very well tonight,” he said, and each word carried its own weight. He hadn’t had a chance to see them all in action, but he’d been with the majority of the Vanguardians for the duration of their encounter, and they had all acted admirably and with great respect to their situation.

“In part thanks to your earlier reports. I appreciate the diligence and focus that went into your investigations. Your strengths are really shining through. I’ll be reaching out to Velencya as soon as possible to ask for a status report and to pass along the details of tonight. If you’d like to pass along any messages yourself, please get them to me by the end of this weekend. And if you have any special requests, I’ll see if we can get a cargo shipment out. Or maybe we’ll be able to plan a trip back some time.”

He drew in a great breath and cupped his chin thoughtfully.

They were big plans, he wasn’t sure how much of it was practical and not just sentimental. But it had been a long time since they were home, and he had no doubt that tonight had been especially hard on them. So, he looked across the group. “We should talk about tonight first, and then start planning our next steps.”

Undoubtedly, he had more to say. But, the floor was open to everyone.

Commander Vyn
Action: Out of uniform. Damp from the bath. Hiding in the back. Miserable looking.

Vyn had taken up a spot as far back as he could feasibly get, like he hoped to disappear behind a few taller figures or melt into the wall half supporting his weight. A nagging voice in his head chided him for not putting on another uniform. Vyn felt out of place next to Aliez, clean but still a bit damp from the bath—and informally dressed. His wet, overgrown hair clung to his neck, soaking through the shoulders of his oversized sweater. The cotton shorts he’d rushed to put on barely showed beneath the hem.

He stood in socked feet, heels against the baseboard, backside against the wall, shoulders curled a little too far forward for his torso to be similarly aligned. Vyn pressed his palms flat against the wall—to ground himself, maybe, or to curtail any nervous fiddling.

Green eyes darted around the room when the Commodore began speaking. Vyn avoided faces, looking instead toward a window, or the ceiling, or a different wall, or a lamp, or one of the Commodore’s devices. The tears he’d struggled to keep in check on the battlefield still pricked at his eyes. Though Vyn blinked them away, he couldn’t soothe the red irritation left in their wake.

He should speak. He was a Commander. He had a responsibility to the Vanguard—to be present, to lead and collaborate, to set an example, but he had never felt less capable of doing so than he did now. Vyn could barely control the tumultuous churning of his thoughts; if he spoke, he wasn’t sure he would be able to exert the same level of control over his words. He might infect Aliez, already unsettled, with his negativity. He might embarrass himself with an emotional display. He might bring shame to his position with his hysterics. He might give voice to the doubts and heartache he could never quite shed, instead of the pride and optimism the Vanguard deserved.

So Vyn kept quiet. He chewed at the inside of his cheek. He bit at his lip. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to let the Commodore’s voice soothe him, and when Aliez asked a question Vyn didn’t let himself hope for anything.

Commander Naeria
Action: Arriving and watching the others.


Naeria had let the others use the showers, first, but she had freshened up as much as she could manage. She'd washed her face, tended to the lightning mark, which had mostly healed down with the Source Stone, downed nearly three bottles of water, and put on a fresh uniform.

As she came downstairs for the debrief, she carried the scales that she'd collected with her, in a small bag.

Everyone looked exhausted, but every tired face was an alive face.

Relief swirled in Naeria's mind, along with the anxieties and fears she always carried. Her discoveries on the field had her carried her through the end of her adrenaline rush, and she was curious to see what anyone else had found there.

The ideas felt so fresh after years of research that had been seeming to hit dead ends. They were so strong that it felt like they were buzzing in her head.

Still, she settled down on a couch. As usual, she would listen before she began to speak.

Corporal Caelyna
Action: Joining the others

They had achieved a great victory. Caelyna knew that. And this time, it had come with far less cost and far more cooperation.

There had been people who came to help. People she hadn't known--and even one hat she had, one that she still didn't trust. The arrogance of the woman that killed Cydfae rankled her. She'd trotted up to them, pleased with herself, and--

And she had been one woman, and she did not matter. What mattered was that they'd protected each other, and they'd all come home.

In the hour they'd had, she took time to get cleaned up and dressed down. Not her uniform, nothing particularly elaborate, just a comfortable flower-printed dress. And she'd gladly accepted Aliez's snacks and water--taking care of each other was important, and she was not so prideful as to deny that.

Back in her room, the scales she'd gathered on the field sat in a pretty little bag, waiting to be examined.

She'd have to make something, for everyone, but maybe in the morning. A nice breakfast to celebrate their continued survival.

The promise of a chance to communicate with Velencya made her smile, even if tiredly. She'd have to write a letter for her parents--undoubtedly they would want to hear form her. But for now, she was content to quietly bask in the presence of her fellows. After such a stressful engagement...it felt good to have them all back home.

Neryn's question made her perk up, curiously. That was a good question--and a relevant one. If there had been a fault in the prison, that would explain its escape, and would hopefully indicate that the new version was stronger. If they could be more assured that they had trapped it forever...that would bring her peace of mind, she was sure.

Commander Andreiya
Action: Standing against the back wall quietly

Andreiya had frantically scurried around the house as soon as they returned. He wasn’t thinking entirely clearly; he was on autopilot. He went to his room and checked on his hidden roommate, first.

Steve was, to his great relief, perfect fine. Healthy. Nibbling on a seed like he hadn’t just been witness to Earth’s would-be last moments.

Not one usually prone to physical displays of affection, Andreiya had apologetically invaded his friend’s space and gathered him into his hands so he could smush the fat hamster to his cheek.

Steve didn’t care, he continued nibbling.

They had a good arrangement.

Andreiya returned him to the massive hamster lair, exactly where he’d retrieved him, and then checked the camera in the greenhouse. It took him a moment to find Dylas, and even then he only saw his tail as he slithered behind a potted plant. But! He too was alive and okay!

Tonight, or maybe tomorrow, Andreiya would venture out to check on him, too.

For now, the Commodore was waiting downstairs. At first, Andreiya changed into his pajamas, as if on auto pilot, and then remembered he needed to go back down. So he put on his dirty uniform and then remembered that was wrong. It took him another minute to get a clean uniform, and by then he already felt late.

Andreiya wanted to sit down, but he looked to Vyn and Aliez who were standing against the wall and then he too found a spot there as well. He stood up straight, for now, but his willpower was fading fast. He was either going to have to lean against the wall or sit but he hadn’t made up his mind yet. Naeria was sitting! Maybe he could join her on the couch. Maybe someone else needed that seat more.

He’d accepted one of Aliez’s snacks, and he nibbled at the corner much like Steve was nibbling his snacks upstairs.

Commander Aliez
Action: Cautiously asking some questions about information available in the database.

Aliez understood, of course. The answers Lyndin had for them were everything he’d expected them to be. No wrong answers. Maybe no right answers, either. Would there ever be?

They’d talked about what they could possibly do with the Calamitous Hollow’s energy before. He, Vyn, and Andreiya had been present when General King Jet and General Aquamarine first showed up with news that the Earth was in danger. They’d provided the spike they had for analysis. And some of the energy they’d collected.

An energy so pure it was like that of a supernova’s.

And then the Astricite, and the Vancorium…

All of the information was available in the database, of course. But the ideas still swirled in his head.

“Sir,” Aliez spoke quietly, although he glanced over to Vyn and Andreiya since they’d been there as well. “How much of the prison was constructed by our people? Did we have a hand in any of its construction? Or did the Moon Kingdom take things from us, and not help us in return?”

Vancorium was one of Velenia’s major exports. The prison was shaped like a hexagon. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore. And he glanced at Vyn and Andreiya, because they’d had their own ideas for the energy.

Anxiously, Aliez twisted the bracelet with its broken crystal around his wrist again.

Velencya was dying. And so was the Commodore if they did nothing. And they had every opportunity now.

Cadet Rhysi
action:

"Acknowledged, sir." Rhysi stated, hands already at her comtech and acting on the order. Nodding from time to time, she was silently satisfied when the Commodore's conjecture as to the timeline was in line with her own. She was curious as to the methods of any scouts trying to track it. The Calamitous Hollow was far from the only being capable of extra dimensional travel. In their place, she'd start with locating and working with the one who assisted them. Her eyes dipped down to the now faded bracelet at her wrist and that of many others.

Velencya could be somewhat...narrow, when it came to deciding the value of an existence.

Which is why the Commodore's conflicting feelings, here and now on Earth, with everything that was both behind and before them had her frowning pensively. It was like her own prison, of acceptability and ethics she'd thought herself free of, suddenly appeared once more in front of her.

Rhysi had not liked limiting herself to her own utility, her expected work and restraint toward the good of all. Had decided to celebrate her own existence tonight, rather than her successes and contributions. Would she deny that right to another being? While Commander Aliez seemed to imply its use might be considered as payment for services and resource rendered, Rhysi instead found Commander Vyn's frustrated and rather impassioned plea more resonant in the moment.

Because the answer was yes, she would deny that right to another being. Neither this world nor theirs was inherently fair and equal. If any one of them had stood alone in front of the Calamitous Hollow, they would just be an unnoticed bit of energy before it. The reward for being the winner tonight was survival.

And it had lost.

"We've prioritized Velencya's needs." Why stop doing so now?

Naeria treated the topic as if it had taken great strength to muster her words, and so Lyndin was patient as she spoke. He understood, of course. He knew that she was not the only member of the Vanguard with such feelings.

He’d admitted as much years ago, and he had always held true to the belief that just because this goal was his, he did not expect them to follow in his footsteps. On the contrary, he had often encouraged them to seek other routes.

Returning Caedus’ starseed to the Cauldron had never been a task Lyndin looked forward to. It was deemed a necessity only because, in all these years, there had been no advancements in any other method of restoring their world to life, nor healing the damage that had been done to Caedus’ starseed.

“I know there are those among you who are not comfortable with my plan to pursue Caedus and return his starseed to the Cauldron. I have never expected any of you to follow me on that path. Perhaps it does not seem as much to you, but I care a great deal for Caedus.”

Briefly, he eyed the bracelet he still wore, and ran his thumb over the gemstone. “He has been through a great deal in his life. He has suffered in a capacity I don’t think most will ever understand. I regret the role I played, and the roles I didn’t. I have seen many strange miracles in my life. Strangely, quite a few on Earth. I have found myself hoping, over the years we’ve spent here, that the path I pursue will prove inferior to another. Nothing more would please me than to find a way to help Caedus, and Velencya, without asking another sacrifice of him. But,” he exhaled.

“We have not been so fortunate. Many of you are pursuing your own studies but we have yet to make progress or advances in any way that would allow me to prioritize differently. Even now, there is a great deal of speculation. If I was not certain that returning Caedus’ starseed to the Cauldron would yield the desired results, I would not pursue it. But, that does not mean I don’t still wish to find an alternative.”

Which was why he gave them free reign to support their own studies. As long as they were trying to help Velencya, or their people, in some way, he supported them. Even if he didn’t always understand the directions they were going in.

Naeria seemed so sure that she had more evidence than he did, but Lyndin had kept an open mind about the possibilities of the Calamitous Hollow from the moment he’d first found out about the threat. So, he continued, “When the Negaverse first came to us with questions about the Calamitous Hollow, we were able to get some reading. Aliez has a detailed report available on the database. I anticipate what information we might have been able to gather, if our ComTechs were functioning effectively, will be similar. I’ll ask for Velencya to send us what readings they can get, as well. Gathering the energy is only one step, though. We must still coordinate transportation, harvest, and processing. The energy we were able to examine from the samples brought from the Negaverse upon first contact was incredibly powerful.”

He glanced at Aliez, and Vyn, and Andreiya, who were there and ran tests on the objects recovered from the creature’s original prison. Or, whatever remains were left behind to warn them–and prepare them–for its coming.

His gaze lingered on Vyn with sympathy, and understanding. It wasn’t an easy task to navigate such strong emotions. Vyn cared deeply for many things, and he’d worked so hard. For the Vanguard. For Velencya. For Lyndin, too.

“I would rather sacrifice the Calamitous Hollow than Caedus,” he clarified. He’d have sacrificed himself if it would have guaranteed a better result for all of them. “It is a creature who, whether by want or necessity, can only survive through great destruction. I sympathize with its plight, but even if we could not make use of it, we could not unleash it on the universe. You are all making good points.” He nodded to Rhysi; he was factoring her words, as well. “I believe we would treat it more humanely than any of the humans might. I believe we would do more good than harm if we attempt to siphon and repurpose its energy.”

Against its will or not. Perhaps they could at least do something to appease its hunger, if not avert its destruction.

And then, finally, his attention settled on Aliez.

The shadow of a faint, apologetic smile briefly crossed his face before his expression slipped again into neutrality. “I would need to do further research before I could confirm or deny how much influence our technology had in the construction of its prison. I did not exchange this information with the Moon, nor did our Council barter with it. If this is Velencian technology,” and he did not sound as though he doubted it were, “It was taken, not given. The usage of our materials specifically when there were other options available, possibly more accessible, is suspicious. I will need to–”

He paused, and corrected, “We will need to do more research on the subject. I do not intend to keep any of this information from you. Everything will be compiled and uploaded for research so we can work on this as a collective unit. I am unhappy to know that our technology has fallen into another's hands without our permission, or that things were constructed without our consent, but I suppose it worked out for us in this case. I don’t know if those Leystones would have been as effective if they weren’t already synchronized to the energy generated within the field. I think that enhanced these, as well.”

He raised the bracelet just slightly, for emphasis. Many of the Vanguard were still wearing theirs, and he had noted that each of the primordial Source Stones had cracked in the effort.

But, they’d made it back alive, and that was the most important thing.