In the wake of the previous events, the station has fallen under EarthGOV leadership once more, and now Darien Starr takes up position as leader for the time being. Ceres Connor, Elsiah Nialath, and Aielen come on board to get used to their new surroundings. Ceres joining the diplomatic staff, Elsiah in security, and Aielen as Arhn's newest aid. Cole the Pilot joins under Ambassador Shiva as well. The Vapaad settle in on the station, floating about creepily and showing a strange interest in Darien Starr.
New and old alike settle down under the new management, getting ready to start a new year on the mission to unite worlds in alliance with Earth.
The PAX Cruiser flies into Realion space, there they encounter it's new leader, Red. Red really enjoys the ladies, so much he's eager to get them together in a room to sample the finest foods from his world, especially their famous red fruits. While the girls entertain the King, the men look about the city and mingle. Red agrees to a standard trade agreement, while the men try to egg on Ambassador Keiran, who reacts as though amused by their actions. After a relatively quiet mission, the group returns to the station where Ariel retakes her place on the station, now as the Dragoon Ambassador, assisted by the youngest Dragoon, Zephyr.
The station waits to host a race between all sorts of prototype ships, a contest to see which ships will be taken up for contract this year. Cartel, EarthGOV, and special crafts made by Chad Winters and Angela Cran are up for showing. Chad flies his own craft and Darien flies one into the race as well. Chad's shuttle proves to be the best as he wins the race, leaving a damaged Darien shuttle and the Janus Craft made by Angela behind. The team celebrates and have a good time.
The PAX cruiser comes out in the Hi'os system. Everyone shows up fashionably late to the shuttle ride down. When they arrive for peace talks, they find that the Tsivrixsh are there as well, and already initiating talks. The group tries to warn the Hi'os about the dangers of joining the Empire, but Xevil weilds a new weapon in his arsenal, the truth. He intends to bring people under in a positive manner without trickery now. The Erus, previously under their heel of the Empire, continue to try to show the truth of the Tsiv's crimes. As the group fails in negotiations, they start to leave, and find an unmarked shuttle leaving them a package. Inside is a finger, recently severed, a warning, perhaps, Darien rushes them back home, knowing the owner.
An Erusian Martial Arts Master arrives on the PAX to teach Ry how to do the Kung Fu that he doesn't do so well. As they wait, Aelin and Ry poke at Elsiah, who stands there for security detail to help with the greet, and has some interest in learning as well. Katrina, Shiva and Ceres hang out in the rec room while Darien and Xanatos discuss rescuing Warren, revealing the owner of the mysterious finger. The Master orders the hangar closed off to outsiders to train the two Erusians. After that is done, he begins, while Katrina organizes a girl's night out for the female members of the crew, Chad naturally tries to come along. The rivalry between Zephyr and Chad begins, while many facts about the girls are learned, changing them forever. Ry survives his training. John McCormick shows up during the trip to the bar, and Ceres seems to fall for his charms.
On their way to another world, a Tsiv shuttle buzzes the team's, and they begin a race to get to the negotiations first. Darien remarks that the reason the Tsiv keep showing up must be because they've broken then information on their schedule out of Warren, which was the one Darien was following. They race, and wind up crashing into a metal reinforced tree. As the team works to get the shuttle down, Xevil lands and mocks them, and some members of the team, Elsiah, Ry and Aielen can't help but return the mocks. Xevil hints at a choice to kill Warren in return and leaves them to struggle. When they arrive at the meeting, late, Xevil seems to have won and walks off. However, the team, enraged and unable to help but share their feelings, works for them for once, the Speaker, quite impressed with their honesty and feelings, chooses to make an Alliance with the PAX.
Attempting to shake things up, Darien brings the team to Helios ahead of schedule for a meeting. The Heliosians are a species that love water, building cities out on the oceans. As they are approached, they are hailed by the Heliosians, who seem angry that they've showed up early, despite Darien having requested an earlier meeting and getting it okayed. It becomes clear that the Tsiv have beaten them here and are possibly threatening the Heliosians into pushing the PAX away. When they land, the combined efforts of all the diplomats are needed to even get a meeting, and on the way to it, they are attacked by Heliosian Assassins. Taking this as a failure of negotiations, the team fights their way out and to their shuttle and escapes. They head back to their cruiser and home to handle injuries sustained, it seems the Tsiv have decided to play dirty (or dirtier then usual).
While Darien recovers from his injuries, the Heliosians claim that the PAX attacked them, instead of reality, and that they committed and act of war. This begins to spread around the galaxy, and to make matters worse, Xevil contacts Arhn. He offers Warren's life in exchange for Rylon's eternal shame, Arhn refuses to give into this blackmail. Xevil makes another offer, that the PAX admit to being at fault and apologizing to the Heliosians, which they agree to accepting and ending all war efforts. This of course, would deface the PAX project galaxy wide and put them at a serious disadvantage. Arhn agrees to talk to the other ambassadors about the matter and the conversation ends. Arhn relays the conversation to Darien, who finds the entire thing odd, as Arhn did, and they come to one conclusion about the Warren part of the deal: Warren may have escaped Tsiv custody. They start to investigate both roads while the crew enjoys some antics with alchohol. Chad and Zephyr begin to talk more. The Janitor asks for some booze.
The crew relaxes a little on the way to Helios, having agreed to the talk and admission in order to secure peace. Everyone spends the quiet wasting time in their own ways, getting ready for possible humiliation in the morning.
Stardate: 10-583.3.16
After a tense landing the group sets foot back on Helios, and Ceres is chosen by the others to perform the apology. Attempting to ignore Xevil's jibes and attempts to illicit a reaction from her proves as useless as reacting, when he turns the action around as an insult on himself. Ceres merely calls him out on providing more accusations over the even when he was supposed to be mediating the proceedure. While this doesn not go over well, Xevil changes his stance to preaching about peace, instead of pushing more accusations. Ceres finally makes the sincere apology, despite the PAX not really being at fault and offers the hand of friendship, which the Heliosians accept.
Xevil holds out two cups for Ceres and the Speaker for the Heliosians to take in friendship, acting purposefully as though the cups are poisoned. Ceres says nothing, and takes the cup, drinking it all down. When she doesn't immediately die, people breathe a sigh of relief.
As they group leaves, Arhn, Aielen and Chad have some criticism over her proceedures, she however, explains once and only once that she merely did her job and then when back on the ship, leaves the group quietly for medical. While the group discusses what they need to do for future diplomatics sake, Katrina follows Ceres to medical, telling her what she did was brave, and revealing that Darien didn't want to do the job himself. Ceres comments that the team lacks any sort of comradeship and her disgust that so many people were happy not to take the job, but so very eager to comment on how it was done. Darien comments that even if Warren did escape, and they get him back tomorrow, the team may not have a chance at all of success if they proceed as they have.
John McCormick joins the team as he, Darien, Chad, Cole, Rylon and Cassandra go on a mission in secret while the rest of the staff stays behind. Fighting through guards and acting like a terrorist faction, using John as the head, they group storms a Tsivrixsh prison and fights their way to Warren, unhooking him from various machines of torture and restraint, they recover the man and blast their way, out of the prison, literally. The tools of the anarchist win the day and the group flees with their fallen commander.
The team returns Warren to command, when he awakens that is for now, he is comatose. The crew recovers and John McCormick flees the scene again.
Warren is up and about, and grumpier then ever. His awakening seems to catch everyone in mood. While he tries to get things in order and resume his command of the mission, people talk and interact. Xanatos and Chad gang up on Elsiah, telling her about a nonexistant demotion due to not going on missions, which she has been since she arrived. Elsiah fails to buy bluffs, especially when they start talking about reading personell files and can't seem to come up with a single fact about her past life. Cassandra breaks up the conversation by taking her entire team out on an excersize, trying to get discipline and command back into her crew. King Red stops over for a visit and takes Ceres out on a diplomatic mission, otherwise known as a date with a hot blonde. Warren goes to see Arhn and Aielin tries to stop him, accusing him of a plot to murder Arhn. Considering the man a retarded fool, he turns security measures on Aielin, disabling him. Warren, seemingly enraged, pulls out a knife and brings it down for Aielin's head.
At the last moment, Warren's arm twitches and forces the knife away from Aielin's head. Warren, acting stranger and stranger, starts to tie up Aielin. Security out on excerisize is called to deal with a Frigate that has lost power, and the deviate farther away from the PAX to go help. Arhn rushes to greet Warren, who grabs her, slowly seeming more and more insane as he holds onto her and starts speaking on honor and revenge. The security team uses some real teamwork and rescues the ships survivors, as they return back, they find out about the situation on the ship and Cassandra cuts off Warren's access. Warren uses his Master Key to enter security, but finds himself cockblocked. While Aielin screams at Arhn's door, the team makes their way back into the station and readies to take out Warren.
Cornering Warren, they are aboutt o take him out when the Parasite inside him speaks up, explaining that he has control of Warren's body, that this is all revenge from Xevil. The parasite turns it all around on them, aiming to kill, he warns them he will fire on the count of 3. Darien goes to shoot, but Chad, believing Warren is fighting it, causes him to miss. Rylon however, does not miss, shooting Warren in the head. Even dead, the parasite still has control and the fight continues, they use a sedative to take him out, and prepare to try and repair Warren's head to bring him back.
The group tries to deal with Warren, brian damaged somewhat fixed, nerve damage that will haunt him for years. The Parasite continues to try to goad people into killing him before he seizes, going comatose. A doctor, Peacemaker arrives to help out and repair Warren. Aielin attempts to kill Warren and is put in the brig. The doctor, with the help of Katrina's psionics, begins to work on Warren. After difficult surgery, Peacemaker removes it, however, it reforms itself and escapes, going after Ambassador Arhn. Rylon manages to stop it, and in the process of chasing it down, Aielin attempts to escape, his actions labelling him a traitor, the traitor attempts to flee and is crushed by Rylon and the Ancient Martial Arts Master. When captured, he admits to having fallen in love with Arhn, having taken action in response to her being threatened. Arhn refuses to take him back in and he is carted off back to the Ascendancy.
Warren is slowly recovering while the station begins to make it's way back to a state of sanity. Arhn becomes slightly reclusive while Ceres reboards to find the craziness that has gone on in her absence. Everyone bunkers down and starts to talk, rebuilding bonds nearly severed in the horrible moments before.
With Warren recovered, Rylon takes his leave, resigning his post as Arhn's honor guard. Darien finds he's still in command however. Chad attempts to prove his alpha male control of the hangar with Cole. Shiva and Ceres get into an argument which goes nowhere, Shiva failing at insulting Ceres, Ceres failing at a decent retort. Ceres walks off and Katrina walks after her to talk things out. Warren turns up to request his security clearance, as Arhn's new Honor Guard.
The team arrives in Slevinic space for another attempt at negotiations. A large event is planned for the night, and Darien's crew dresses up for the occasion. Arriving they join many others in mingling before the dinner, including a Tsivrixsh entourage and General Cran, with his daughter Serena. Serena has brought along another station veteran, Christopher Kane. The group mingles, pairing off and enjoying themselves. The Dragoons giving Serena the evil eye, and she acting guilty. People dance, in conversation, interaction, and quite literally. Ceres accepts an offer to dance with Xevil, and the two talk and banter, Xevil offering her a job with the Tsiv, playing off how others ridicule her for her work. Seraphna attempts to talk to Ariel due to Cran's influence for a short time, before Darien steals her away for a dance. The party ends with dancing all around.
The groups settle down for dinner, mingling and chatting. Chad and Cran get into a debate about the best path for peace. After a toast and a meal, the party is soon over, and everyone lets the Honored Guest take his leave after goodbyes, however, the Guest seems troubled as he goes. Serena says goobye to Zephyr and Ariel, confirming for all how large a gap the 'family' has with her. After Kane leads her away, Chad and Shiva have a talk of mutual gratification. The group returns to the shuttle and heads home again.
Warren trains in a training area, members of security joining in. While others gather in the rec room and Darien does some research on a suspicious shuttle near Tsiv space. Zephyr and Chad begin their epic prank war, mostly involving paints of various kinds. Ceres accompanies Darien to a bar to gather some information, a bar, as it turns out, that he personally owns. While Chad gets Zephyr to brand Xan's things with a pink duck, Darien and Ceres discuss the upcoming election, and the different views of Thompson and Cran. Thompson sides with the PAX, while Cran would opt for an alliance with the Tsivrixsh. Darien gets his information, they drink and head back.
Arhn is contacted by her government warning her about an assassination attempt on her life. Her lean towards humans has made many upset with her. Suspecting Aielin of returning, Warren scouts the security sent to protect her for him and does not find him. Suspecting then that any one of the agents might be a plant, a game of cat and mouse begins as everyone waits for a bullet to fly. Aielin gets aboard somehow, and takes out a Janitor, going into the deepest and craftiest of covers, Janitorial Staff. Aielin sneaks his way along, however Warren sniffs him out and goes to arrest him, however, a Erusian Guard shocks Warren down and goes for Aielin himself. Aielin escapes and the guard pins the attack on Aielin. Chaos breaks out with Aielin and the guards gunning for everyone, the team winds up having to try and take Aielin down, realizing late that his target wasn't Arhn at all, but the guards who were going to kill her instead.
Stardate: 10-583.6.6
Warren and Arhn look over a bed ridden Aielin, it's come to light that he only wanted to save Arhn after he learned of the plot to end her life. Warren asks Arhn what she will do now, she opts to think about it some while Aielin is out.
Before heading out on a mission, Darien Starr sits in his office, going over some data he's found. He runs a check on a recently used security number, the owner of which, is General Vennie Cartwright.
Stardate: 10-583.6.13
Outside the Gar'i'tx system, the cruiser is about to come out of hyperspace as everyone prepares for another diplomatic mission. A Tsivrixsh cruiser is there to meet them, aiming weapons on them and demanding they turn back. Darien, calling the bluff, takes his team out on a shuttle and down to the planet, the Tsiv vessel never fires a shot. Darien reveals that the mission was set up by someone using Venerator's ID and that he's actually following a lead by playing along. As they get out and greet the aliens, they see shots from the atmosphere, the cruiser fires on something, but not their craft. Someone had the guts to steal a Tsiv shuttle and make their own way to the planet, Katrina instantly knows who.
The group are assigned rooms to stay in while they wait for the talks, awkwardly paired into couples, much to Ceres' amusement, she winds up in Darien's room. Just as they settle down, the second Tsiv shuttle lands and a shot takes it out, exploding, a figure escapes the scene. To live up to the stereotype, Skaad claims the PAX were agressors and completely responsible, no one really buys it. Warren has the shuttle that was fired at tracked, and soon the group finds themselves tracking it down. They get the final location and move out, towards the planet's moon.
Landing on the moon, the group follows signs of an exploded temple into an ancient temple. Navigating through traps, they work their way through, continuing to look for whoever stole the shuttle, whom they believe is the same person who set up the meeting. Just as they begin to get tired of metal discs, walls of flames and spiked pits, they run into John McComick. He flees with a smirk, forcing the group to chase him through the temple. They catch him in time to see the trouble. Xevil stands at the top of the temple, activating what turns out to be a ship they are standing in. The temple seems doomed to explode as the machine rises. Warren aims his gun for revenge when they get to him, but a blast from Rylon's shuttle into the roof knocks him over. Everyone flees to Darien's shuttle, but Rylon stays behind, prepared to finish his fight with Xevil. John as another nonaligned party offers to join him, but Ry excuses him.
John informs them that Xevil is here on a top secret mission to recover something, a tube of black substance which apparently holds great power. Rylon battles Xevil on the crumbling surface, taking out a sniper with a throwing knife even as the team debates stooping said sniper from killing him. As the fight rages, the battle shifts towards Xevil's favor when Rylon shows a moment of mercy. Elsiah comments on how that mercy may cost him, and Chad self righteously talks about honor, Elsiah casually recalls Chad's own act of treason, bringing further strain between them.
Rylon gathers all his power into a super attack, which Xevil seems to completely take without punishment. THat is, until Rylon kicks him, having moves all the energy of the blow into his leg at the last moment, making his punch a decoy. Xevil falls to his doom, and the team swoops down to recover Rylon.
Stardate: 10-583.6.17
Days have passed since the incident, which was never fully resolved. In the end, the Gar'i'tx ended up signing an alliance with neither side. However, since the incident at the moon of Gar'i'tx, the Tsivrixsh government has demanded Rylon Oskay be turned over to them for killing one of their soldiers. However, as Rylon is no longer a member of the PAX or of the Erusian government, no one can be pressured into giving him over. He quietly leaves the station, wishing no trouble on them. With Xevil's death being so fraglantly confirmed by the Empire, things are looking up for the PAX. Mysteries however, remain, such as what the black substance in the tube was, and who really sent the request for the diplomatic meeting in the name of Vennie Cartwright.
*summaries by Seraphna