Act 1: Choices
Act 2: Consequences
Phase 1: Effects
Phase 2.1: Ramifications
- Session 326: Political Cat and Mouse Hunt
- Session 327: Unsavory Rabbit, Hidden Cat, Insane Dragon
- Session 328: Lost Items
- Session 329: Showdown on the Nebulous World
- Session 330: A Lemon Candidate
- Session 331: Harey Problems
- Session 332: Vote for Me!
- Session 333: Alloy-ha to the Argos Colony
- Session 334: The Webs We Weave
- Session 335: Tangled Steel
- Session 336: Alpha and Omega Disassembled Part I
- Session 337: Alpha and Omega Disassembled Part II
- Session 338: Nothing Important Happened Today
- Session 339: Election Day
- Session 340: Election Night
Phase 2.2: Cold
Phase 3: Clashings
Phase 4: Crossings
-Phase 4: Dust in the Wind
Phase 5: Thrones
-Phase 5.1: Enemy Lines
-Phase 5.2: Game of Thrones
Phase 6: Strikers
-RS Arc 7: Holiday Wars
Phase 7: Corruption
-Phase 7.1: Leylines
-Phase 7.2: Dark Magik
-Phase 7.3: Angels
-Phase 7.4: Gods
Phase 8: Peace
Phase 9: Collapse
Mini Series: Heart of Terra
Session 326: Political Cat and Mouse Hunt
Holding a meeting of both groups, Cheryl reveals to everyone that she is starting her own, non-affiliated group which will work to resolve the problems she has uncovered. Having spent her three years reality hopping, she and her children have broken down the barrier to the realities and seen many things, the Illum taking over Alt, the fall of their allies in the Classic period. While those groups were helped and given hope, Cheryl has chosen direct intervention, and volunteers begin to stand.
On the PAX, Erevis meets Shretrav who gives her information on the two missing members of her family, Athena and Jennifer. Following the information on what happened to them, Shretrav identified the location they went to as a top secret Tsivrixsh zone, the exact area an impassible spacial anomoly. Assuming they were stopped before they could ever get close to it, the assumption is that someone took them into captivity, but none of the council members are confessing to the action of even alerting them, despite what Sammael said, identifying that it was a Council member who led them off.
Resolving to prepare their own expedition into the zone, even at the risk of war, Erevis begins putting together the resources she needs. While on an Asteroid near Sol, Cheryl introduces her team to one of their many basees, and volunteers get introduced formally to one another, and other members of the effort, such as Warren and Benjamin Carmichael step in as well. Their meeting is interrupted by a newscast from Tess Arakawa, Angela's competition in the upcoming EarthGov election. Tess claims that there is corruption within the government and accuses Angela of allowing it to happen. When questioned, she is vague, but one reply mentions some sort of Gitari sex cult, which sets off several people watching.
Angela, in the presidential building, learns that Tess is in her building with a team harvesting the public records. She moves down to greet them and even help them, when Tess stares at her accusingly, clutching a file on Angela herself. Angela is shocked, not aware of anything she's done wrong in the past, leading Tess to say things that make Angela question herself. She gets duplicates of the files that Tess' people took, and alerts Cheryl of the situation. Cheryl herself, grows worried that Tess may somehow know what she did in recreating Angela, a path that could lead to Angela learning about her horrific past life, which was thought to be erased.
Del, who originally volunteered to join Cheryl's group, discovers, or rather, realizes finally that such a choice drives X mad with anger, not wanting to lose him again so soon after getting him back. After speaking to Kitty, Del resolves to take back his descision and stay with his family. Taiga is becoming a point of concern, deeply resentful that she isn't allowed to join Cheryl's team, and redoubles her plans to recruit and start Club Zodiac, her team of younger heroes.
Session 327: Unsavory Rabbit, Hidden Cat, Insane Dragon
Cheryl begins to worry when she finds something in Angela's files. Angela meanwhile, seems distracted away from looking at her own files by her concerned wife. Cheryl attempts to get info out of Lemon, who is tight lipped about her time taking care of Tess. However, something does seem odd about Tess' background files as well. Peter calls a team to go watch over Angela as she makes a trip up to Luna Colony to look into the supposed Gitari based corruption, and Cheryl takes a group to Mega City to do her own research.
Meanwhile, the first day of the Monster World in the skies as begun and Erevis launches her mission with Ama, Sammael, Shretrav, Rin, Justice, Ninigi and Loki along with his engineers to maintain a cloaking device. The group Sun-Jumps with an advanced PAX shuttle into restricted Tsivrixsh space.
On the Lunar Colony, Angela, Mi'Na and Jonas Williams are met with Hale, Tabetha, John and Josephine, who accompany them through the rather Anime themed city towards the Gitari Healer's Temple. Here they are greeted by Kel'Jarr, who welcomes them to inspect and reveals he is already aware that the Gitari who joins Angela in the investigation is none other then Fey herself. They begin their inquiries.
And in Mega City, Cheryl and her small group look over the records room's files to see what they can find. Cheryl pinpoints the file information which may have spooked Tess, but keeps the info to herself as she has the group go over Tess' file. Angelos points out the inconsistency in her children, one far too old by at least a year to possibly have been born when the records claim, unless something happened to her while she was under Lemon's care. Even then, the child should still be younger, knowing Lemon is hiding something, they decide they will have to ask Tess herself what's up.
The subject of adoption brings up something else however, the physical files are odd because there is no electronic record of them, someone deleted information about a large number of Gitari adoptions from the records, all centered in Mega City and Tokyo. With this in mind, they track down where all the kids are going, needing to discover why. Informing Angela that the threat may not be directly in the hands of the Healers, and that it runs much deeper, they head off to investigate.
On Luna, getting the news, Fey and Angela agree to take a step back and reconcile what they know. As they leave the Temple, Angela is ambushed by a reporter, Angela assuring her that she was there to investigate the matters brought up by Tess Arakawa and so far, finding nothing. Angela does however promise she will keep looking into matters. Being asked about accusations of Tess Awakawa's homophobia causes Angela to laugh and state she doesn't believe it to be true at all.
In Tsivrixsh Space, Erevis and the others have a scare as a cruiser passes them by, seeming not to locate them. Passing by, they head for the supposedly impassible nebula. Nearly buying the farm, they are able to squeeze through and inside, they find a world. Touching down to make repairs and investigate, they continue their search, Sammael keeping up the hope that the interference around the planet is the only reason she can't feel out her wives. After Ama burns away some naughty man eating flowers, the group collects themselves to begin their search.
After holding a meeting to put their heads together about the situation, Angela decides to investigate the Mega City block where most of the adopted children seem to have been taken to. When they arrive, they watch the building and find Tess is already there and watching. Angela tries to offer to join forces in taking whatever is going on down, Tess however, insists she cannot work with someone who fabricates their history and doesn't even know what they are. These words chill Angela, though she doesn't know them to be anything more then a lie, and sends Megumi after Tess to try and reason with her.
Peter orders a sting on the building after the group observes a Senator on Angela's own side moving into the building. Tabetha reports his mind to seem muddled and focused on pleasure. Unable to tell if she's being betrayed or set up, Angela agrees that they need to expose a way in and to oust whatever is happening. She heads back, as do the others, John and Josephine taking first watch over the complex.
In Club Zodiac, Taiga oversees her 7 recruits, now totaling 8 of the 12 needed to fulfill their namesake. She tells them that in her travels, she learned of a secret and a power that could be brought out in each of them. She also mentions that she fears an enemy from the past will rise again soon, and it will be up to them to handle it, with the adults to busy. While this goes on, Cheryl sits Chii and Miyuki down, and informs Miyuki on exactly what she did a while back with Angela Bennet.
Session 328: Lost Items
On the unknown planet within the nebula, Erevis leads her group on a search. Following the Erusian life sign, the group encounters a field of angry flowers. When Amatsune attempts to burn a path to the complex for them, mushroom spore clouds burst in the party's faces, giving them a freaky psychadelic high. Managing to compose themselves, mostly, they make their way to the complex entrance, a bunker guarded by odd plant pods. Justice, who as it turns out is goddess like when high, gets through the defenses with the help of the others and presses a button which kills the plants for the others.
Heading down into the bunker, it occurs to Erevis that the system is not in any way near one of the Hyperspace lanes, meaning that the only way to arrive in the system other then Sun Jumping would be through a Light Jump, there was no way Athena and Jennifer could have arrived undetected. What is more curious, is that since no one could possibly arrive in this top secret area of space, the heavy guard arond the system is immensely suspicious. The possibility is that Athena and Jennifer never arrived in the system, and were intercepted before they ever arrived.
Going deeper, they find a file room which Loki bravely volunteers to search through rather then join the others in taking a rickety old lift down further. When they do arrive at the bottom of the lift, they find a single Erusian in a pod storage: Arhn Arhnya.
Meanwhile on Earth, Peter's hand is forced into operation when among the list of mixed government officials coming in and out of the Gitari building gains Angela's Vice President, Jack. Peter orders the team into the area and since Military Generals are among those compromised, is forced to call in a favor from the Suisen Empire. The Empire resolves to send in Gitari officers to help secure the location and the group moves in.
When Peter touches down on the roof, alarms go off, despite attempts to lock down security beforehand. Peter moves in while his ground team forces their way in at ground level. Clearing doors, Peter slowly marks off those who aren't Gitari present in the building while on the ground, John and Tabetha attempt to get the cooperation of the Supervisor while Josephine and Hale try to gain entry to a room with a human signal inside. After a Gitari suddenly cries out in pain inside, they use probable cause to force entry and find a Gitari with a broken wrist. He absently mentions a Kitsune took something from him before remembering his place.
Peter sends for a warrant to search the Gitari's place as he heads down, and at the bottom, joins his team, getting authorization, they find that the Gitari was concealing a hatch leading to the sewers, aiding someone in escaping the room. Rounding up the people inside, they discover several officials, a general, among others, adding them to the list of names, the group is flabberghasted when they arrive home to be given the Gitari's datapad by Taiga. Peter orders it's data recovered, and they wait for the information they need to uncover more compromised personell.
As all this was happening, Megumi befriends Tess Arakawa, and while they get to know one another, Mem volunteers to help Cheryl cover up the evidence about Angela's true reorigination. While Eluere erases the files and Mem works her thieving skills, Tess becomes convinced that poor Angela is nothing short of a diabolical mastermind with the power to alter people's memories with the connections needed to perfom amazing hacks. Inari becomes fixated with the butt of Isis, and Miyuki attempts to ward her off. Jack arrives back at the presidental building to find a very terse Madame President waiting for him in his chair.
Session 329: Showdown on the Nebulous World
Erevis and her group find that approaching the container holding Arhn is a bit dangerous, the pants fused to her are alive and very jealous of anyone who moves in on their woman. Sammael theorizes that they are psionically linked to Arhn and a little probing from Erevis confirms it. As Sam inspects a console and starts working with Justice to power it up and download its files, Erevis moves in to distract the plants.
The plan doesn't work well though, as while Erevis gives her all to distract the plants, the rest of the group seems to do their own things, attacking the plants instead of the tube holding Arhn. After five minutes of wasting Erevis' energies, Erevis collapses, severely damaged. The group flails, and as Shretrav is taken in by a pod, Amatsune leaps inside the largest of the plants and begins to burn it from within. The others rally when Sammael rushes in to help, Justice going to help Erevis.
Together, the group is able to pull out Arhn and cut her ties to the plants, as well as secure the remains of Shretrav, Sammael able to keep both barely alive as the planet begins to shake. Loki comes down with a giant mirror, his personal grooming one, he claims, and urges them all to escape. Sammael reminds them of the ship and the engineers, and Loki doesn't even hesitate to blow the ship and engineers up, abandoning them. The group flees through the mirror, and back to the PAX.
Hours later, Loki walks off indignantly after Rin punches him for what he did to his own people. He decides not to share any additional info, having passed on already the data on Arhn's creation. She was apparently made from both Arhn and Myria, genetically combined with plants to allow the Tsiv to grow experimental plants. The group resolves to watch what could be a living time bomb, and devices will be made to restrain Arhn's plant powers until they're sure of her self-control Erevis is brain damaged, but able to recover with rest and time.
Shretrav, severly injured, will have to have most of her body remade with Cybernetics, a dishonor to a Tsivrixsh. However, some suggestions come up on how to conceal her cyborg nature, and Yasha is asked to pick parts that Shretrav would most like to have restored by cloning, to help her cope with her new state.
Finally, analyzing the data that Sammael and Justice were able to recover, the group learns that the Dragoon signal that was supposed to be the reason for Athena and Jennifer to come investigate was of Guardian Origin. It was a Guardian Ship with Light Jump capabilities that also was used to intercept their ship and take them away, with another location to check out, one that seems to be the middle of nowhere with no hyperspace lanes to them, the group has to decide when they should leave.
Together, they decide to leave Erevis to rest and go out as soon as possible. Ao volunteers for the new mission, and the group is asked that if any do not feel able to work together or perform at their best, to stay behind, no telling what dangers could be in store for them.
Meanwhile on Earth, the group enjoys a relatively quiet night while Angela steps into Lemon's kitchen to speak to her. She asks her for advice on finding a new running mate, and Lemon's suggestion ultimately is to find someone who can pull in votes, a name that's strong. Going over names, Angela has an idea form, and asks Lemon to join her campaign, acting as Cheryl. Lemon is shocked and a bit upset, but promises to think about it. Angela takes her at her word and moves off for the evening. Peter also passes Lorelei into the Unit, giving her her official duties roster. Excited, Lorelei tells her mothers, ready to start her military career, both Peter and Cheryl seemingly of the same mind: Better in the unit then somewhere else.
In a hidden place, as Tess Arakawa muses over her preserved file on Angela, she questions how someone so nice can possibly be so wrong. A mysterious person pipes up, offering to tell Tess the truth about Angela. She leans in, eager for answers that no one but three people should have.
Session 330: A Lemon Candidate
Ao, Sammael, Tsukiyomi, Ethan, Kay, Ama, Thara, Iceheart, Loki and Justice set out on their new mission. Boarding a new shuttle with stealth tech they launch from the PAX and jump using a Light Engine.
On Earth, Cheryl is just about to go up to her new base when Angela shows up to speak with Lemon. The two shock Cheryl by revealing that Angela has asked to Lemon to run as Vice President with her and as Cheryl. Flabbergasted at the two, she retreats to Asteroid-C for her group's first meeting. Here she gives the group her mission, then excuses herself. The mission is to investigate a system that shouldn't be where it is, and the possibility of an Amber weapon producing facility.
Coming out of Light Jump, Ao's group find a planet that looks remarkably similar to Earth, however it looks off and it's moon too big to be Luna. The gods note a marked feeling of strength growing in them as they get closer, as the group lands on the planet's surface, something malfunctions on the shuttle and stealth capabilities are lost. They land and as Iceheart sets about repairing the group explores, finding buildings.
The buildings are at least 3 years old, strange against a much older looking landscape, and when Ama approaches them, they discover the buildings are enveloped in a time dilation field. Ama presses on to get inside and time slows down for her, as the group starts digging a whole to go under it and get closer to the power source creating the field.
Miyuki and Chii take Angelos, Zephyr, Megumi, Sarah, Aurica, and Denise into a system with a large gas giant. Beyond it, they find a world similar to Earth only very orange-ish in color. Moving in close, they detect Others as well as their targets on the surface. Choosing to stay on mission though, the group moves in on their original destination and lands. Disembarking, they find a mining operation where Illum soldiers are digging up orange rock, overseen by a commander with one of Cheryl's Tarot Cards.
The attempt to coordinate a strike to take out the enemy, Zephyr waiting to blast most of the Illum into a mine, Miyuki distracts half of the 13 guards on duty to a fire, where the rest attempt to take them out, one shot not enough to take out their powerful weapons, Angelos overdoes it on his own attack, injuring all seven but failing to kill one of them. By that point the commander is on alert and fleeing to his shuttle. However, Zephyr does manage the trap portion, severely reducing the enemies left. The group turns to attempt to disable the shuttle.
And back in Ao's group, the digging finally takes the group under the device. Coordinating with a slowed Ama, they are able to aim and take out the device with a super hyperspace blast from Ao. Climbing out of their hole, the group comes to find Athena and Jennifer sitting dressed as Ama's mother and father, with Ariel sitting off to one side, dressed as Su. Athena asks if they've come to pay mewbute to the mewgod.
Session 331: Harey Problems
With the mine entrances destroyed, the team attempts to manuver in and take out the Illum forces. However, the commander is about to get away on a shuttle. Miyuki dives onto the shuttle as it rises with two others and fights to get aboard while the rest end up coordinating fire from different positions, working to take out the enemy.
Miyuki fights with an Illum guard, when the two find themselves hanging out the ramp door and Miyu refuses to let go however, the Illum pulls them back into the ship and shuts the door. Damaging the Illum, the Illum ends up working with Miyuki to sabatoge the ship and bring it back down. Miyuki then leaps into the bridge to stop the Commander from using a Tarot card to escape, and the Illum surprises yet again in helping deal with the commander. Miyu shadowports herself and the Illum off the bridge just before the shuttle impacts the mines, taking it and everyone inside it out.
The group outside is thrown around, and recovering, they get back to the mine just shortly before they find Miyuki with her Illum chum. Angelos attempts to talk her out of handing over the card when they learn she's too weak to fight them, but Miyu solves the problem by dominating her and taking the card, the group head home with their prizes, the Illum's reality runs cut off, but two Illum shuttles free to roam the galaxy.
Meanwhile on another world, Ao's group faces down the three missing persons, after talking to them for a bit, the group learns of a ruins and Ariel, who thinks she is a creepy Su, takes them there. When they arrive they find an ancient medieval castle in ruins, it looks hundreds of years, and evidence that it was Princess Aya's castle. With the shocking news that this is the medieval dream realm that Zephyr once knew, Justice knocks out Ariel and the group returns back to check on Athena and Jennifer.
Who are attempting to insert some sort of black spider, powered by god power, into Sammael's neck. Sam is saved and when Kay tries to shoot Athena, Sammael puts her arm in the way, getting it torn up. The act of sacrifice seems to awaken something in Athena because she attempts to rip the bug in her own neck out. After a complicated moment in which Jennifer is taken down as well, the group carries the three to the shuttle as a swarm of the black spiderbots surges, trying to get them all.
A few near misses and the group escapes, just as the world is phasing into another reality. They head back home and on the way, surgically remove the one left in Jennifer, Justice having seen fit to remove the one in Ariel. Jennifer's is kept for study.
On Earth, the datapad Peter set to be analyzed turns up more names and a location, the Bunny Hop Hop Cafe. Peter sends a team out to investigate, taking extra careful measures this time around. Taiga and Gor sneaking the data on the mission and heading out to "visit" the cafe at the same time. Unable to stop the kids lest they blow their mission, Gor is free to infiltrate a computer system and collect evidence. The search leads the group to an apartment building, where on the penthouse floor is another sex operation.
Not only that, but the man running it is a Gitari Healer of high rank named Jin'Grel. Peter brings Fey in on this and when the group finally gets themselves set up for the bust, Fey moves in to excommunicate Jin and Cameron makes sure that it's the team that makes the arrest. Jin confesses easily and states his goal was to expose how weak and fidgety the humans of EarthGov really were. Fidgety indeed, as so many names are exposed, many seats on the Senate abandoned in both sides of the political race for the elections coming up.
On Asteroid C, Cheryl reviews the events as they have learned them and and gives people some R&R time. The new guest, Tsundere, is placed at a safe house with Darien to watch her. And as they wrap up the mission, Angela and Lemon (as Cheryl) can be seen being applauded as their new plan is announced, for 'Cheryl' to run as Angela's Vice President.
Session 332: Vote for Me!
In the Base, Peter gets a team ready to oversee the presidential debate after a thought from Lorelei. The group is sent to get ready, Lorelei being sent as her first field assignment and ship out while Lemon goes to meet up with Angela. The rest of the team enjoys a little big of downtime while they watch the coverage for the debate. Taiga, Si and Ouka oversee Ouka's training in being able to touch others without freaking out.
On the PAX, Athena is setting herself up in her new office, taking on Imperial Diplomatic Affairs and setting up the a team of people to work under her. The search for Thomas' replacement following his retirement seems to be the subject of discussion for Yasha to consider. Athena and her waifu Jen, who she is suggesting consider retirement from being a medical officer, head to the bar with their niece Mi'Sha and several others. A crowd gathers, getting ready to watch the presidental debate.
On Asteroid C, similar viewing is going on as Angelos steps out to go to the debate in person. The group closing up work for the day, while some work on a shuttle that can cross realities, Zephyr hiding her datapad while Megumi e-molests her.
At the debate, Tess shows possible signs of figuring out that 'General Cheryl' is in fact Lemon. However, it doesn't come up in the debate where they are asked their positions on taxes, which Angela is set on decreasing to fix the economy where Tess is more for cutting out as many services as they can find that EarthGov doesn't need to lower taxes. The team starts to spot a suspicious man messing with something under his jacket as the next question, about the situation with the colonies and their attempts to deny the mining of Ore comes up.
Angela takes a stance of wanting to provide compensation for the colonists, get new ships from teh Suisen Empire as reparations for what was lost in the war, and seek out new mining sites, while Tess takes a strong stance against any thought of rebellion and outlines a plan to make the colonies into states of EarthGov. While Angela starts her rebuttal, the team closes in on the man, Tab and Peter identifying what he has as a soap gun. Cass moves in on him, but he gets a shot off before he can be stopped, aiming at Tess.
Mi'Na dives to try and tackle Tess and Angela tries to shield her with her body, but they're too slow, Miyuki's snow attack on the bullet though slows it enough to merely bruise and break bones. They, with others on the stage, escort Tess to her car. While she agrees to get medical care, she seems set on continuing her debate with Angela at another time. Lemon and Angela remark that soon there might not be a reason to debate, as rebellion seems to be on the air and not something that will wait for the elections.
The man, taken into custody, screams that the colonies will be free, before Tabetha sets him to sleep. They take the man back to base for questioning. Cheryl mothers over Lorelei when they get back, shaken up even though she knows Miyuki was there with her. The group sets to look into the signs of rebellion, Peter having the first prisoner of what could be a civil war, if something isn't done.
Session 333: Alloy'ah to the Argos Colony
Earth's situation begins to deterioriate, with constant organized hunts into the government for corruption now, more and more scandals are popping up ad causing more waves. The colonies are on the edge of open rebellion and the loudest voices seem to be coming from Argos Colony. Meanwhile, the Suisen Empire sees trouble on the horizon as once scattered nuisance races have been gathering together to form the Coalition to oppose the Empire. The Tsivrixsh notably have gone quiet as the Coalition has approached them, even to their own Ambassador, Shretrav. The Coalition gathers in space oddly in the same loaction where in Alt, the Illiums came into the glaxy via a jump gate.
With the fleet in poor shape, it is aparent that the Argos Colony opposition is rooted in the overmining of the colony being done to rebuild it. Angela, seeking other means to restore the fleet, decides to head there to try and assure the public of her intentions, Peter organizes a military group to travel with her to Argos. Lorelri confirms the loudest opposition comes from there and it is also, to match, the closest colony to the Suisen opposing Coalition group. Peter sends for an all officers on deck, taking his best and things snowball when Taiga gets plans together to bring the entire Zodiac team, soon Angela's trip is also a field trip for the kids of the base, especially when Lemon takes the kids as part of her ruse playing as Cheryl.
Before they leave, Taiga teaches Jade her new ability to phase walls by accellerating her speed to near impossible degrees. The kids, and their parents, load up on a large shuttle and head to Argos.
On the PAX, candidates are lining up to join Athena's diplomatic team, while in medical, Cuddles wakes up Arhn. After a long and dramatic moment, Arhn awakens displaying traits of Arhn and Myria mixed. Warren sets himself up to care for her while she situates herself. A call comes in for Katrina to attend a hearing about the Gitari trafficking she did long before it was made legal, and Pio is set as a witness.
Back in EarthGov Space, Peter's shuttle exits hyperspace and the group is cleared to land. However, in the atmosphere, explosions start to rip into the shuttles shields. It is little Ouka who realizes what's going on first and Lemon stops the shuttle, as they discover they're surrounded by cloaked mines. Taiga and Jade come to the rescue by exiting the shuttle with Jade's phasing power and filling the air with frost, the frosting effect reveals the mines, an old Cartel style, old and black market issue.
The shuttle carefully clears the mines and the group lands, disembarking, they are greeted by the Leader of Argos, notably, having changed the name of her position already so that it is of an independant nation. Her name is Scarlett, and she seems taken by surprise at the shuttle damage, causing most to rule her out as having been behind it. They are also introduced to her right hand, a large man named Ironside and her secretary, Jenova Sephiroth.
After being shown to their rooms, the group settles in and begins to talk, only a nominal amount of listening devices found, no less than should be expected. Angela and Lemon discuss their plants and Angela seems to be leaning on the Colony's side more than ever after seeing the state of Argos. As they wind down and wait for dinner and talks, the kids group up and head out to explore, Ouka seeming to have broken and only able to speak some strange ancient language that no one understands.
Lore and Tabetha set up the team's emergency teleport while the kids wander. Some shadey figures watching the kids pass by after a bit, all creepy like. The leader a long haired woman with creepy scythe like legs, dark energy flowing. She orders something to follow them.
On Cheryl's Asteroid Base of Ultimate Coolness, Warren transfers Plant-Arhn onto the base, noting the lack of minds all around and very little plants, save Greg the Ficus. Cameron steps on base, having just cleared out on retirement from the Military, going over Tsunedere's files. Curali stumbles off a teleporter, looking wounded, she tells the group that some group with black suits that seemed alive attacked her and snatched Robert Steel. The group thinks this may be to force Eluere to do something for them. While Curali recovers in the medical bay, the group has to figure out who took Robert, where they took him, and ultimately, why they did it.
Session 334: The Webs We Weave
Exploring the hills up into the mountains of Argos, the Zodiac children encounter footsteps leading into a mining cavern, assuming the word or strangest that Lorelei and Pupumi must have beaten them there, which seems impossible, or children might be being used as slave labor.
Upon entering they keep following the footsteps, but all they find is a whole lot of rock and nothing, until it starts to collapses and they fall into a ravine. Upon waking matters take a turn for the worse in which the children become split in their decision to keep looking or find adults, but during the process they start dying one by one in what are obviously premeditated traps and voices telling them to murder.
Lorelei appears to the grief-stricken Si'Chi and Gor, as well as Ouka, in the form of an opening or tear in their reality, pulling them from the dead illusion that had led them to their graves over and over. The footsteps they followed to the cave? Their own on their way to their repeated deaths and murder.
Convinced now that Arcana are on Argos for some reason, Taiga and her gang employ Lorelei's vehicle to return to the base, but a scythe-legged figure insists they do not return safely, sabotaging the vehicle so that it nearly runs over Josephine, but then does collide into Peter's boarding room.
After some vague explaining, Taiga hears noise from Angela's staying room and her and some memebers of the Zodiac arrive to find Angela and Mi'Na being kidnapped by what appear to be superpowered youths led by a man in a mask, being taken through a ripple to an unknown location where Robert Steele can be seen. Too drained from their encounter with the deadly illusion, Taiga is thwarted their recovery and the EarthGov president and her protege are taken.
Meanwhile on one of the asteroid bases, Cheryl and Eluere's tireless work to track down her lover have led them to Argos as well, the subject of Peter's team and a lot of unanswered questions. She deems Miyuki worthy of leading a Reality Strikers' team in of her choosing save for the requirement of Eluere and Curali coming along, to find answers.
On PAX, the groups remaining behind in blissful ignorance celebrate Athena (and Ako)'s birthday, much to the chagrin of Athena who counts her candles. The promise of catnip muffins and a kiss from her wife stirs up happiness and the unexpected arrival of Izunami and Izunagi, the mama and papa of one Amaterasu and Inari.
Despite the celebrations, the joyous occasion is given a disturbed ripple as Megumi puts herself beyond Erevis' comfort zone in a tasteless display, and the two go their own ways, Megumi brooding on the observation decks and Erevis destroying her lovely painting studio. Comforting from Amaterasu is somewhat bittersweet as she proclaims not to understand the situation anymore, seemingly desperate to end the heartache the nebulous separation with Megumi is causing.
Ready to throw the books out, literally and figuratively, Erevis is summoned by Megumi to the very place that many years ago the two tussled on a frozen lake and came to the sanguine, albeit intially violent conclusion of the start of their relationship. There, the three meet on the ice, where Megumi is preparing herself to fight two goddesses, despite no hope of defeating them; yet Erevis and Amaterasu refuse to do so, only wishing to talk. Will it be resolved once and for all?
Session 335: Tangeled Steel
Taiga's mighty Zodiacs slip away from the battle and find an abandoned shuttle. However, in their way are two figures, a cloaked one and a spider one, the Zodiacs are forced to fight the two, while Kitty helps Si and Gor get to the shuttle and inside. Taking out the cloaked one's summoned earth monster on the way, the three get inside while Taiga, Ouka and Jade work to overcome the spider girl. After a quick fight, the team is aboard and flying up, with two defeated prisoners, discovering the enemy Arcana are little more than children around their ages. This proves Taiga's feelings that Peter's team would fail to be true, the heroes unlikely to be willing to fight kids.
Peter's team meanwhile divides forces, Hale and Em moving out in mech form, Peter and Vodka delayed in joining them when the enemy blow up the teleporter, hurting Lore. The team does their best to hold off the force of troopers, shuttles and tanks. The battle ends with the team fighting off in melee, managing to take down their opponents while suffering heavy injuries. Peter notes a figure escape via a shuttle, but has to choose between persuing him and getting Vodka back to the team in time to save X's life. He chooses his team. As the shuttle with the figure escapes, the remaining troops snap out of a form of mental control and are aghast to discover so many of them dead.
Cheryl sends out a team to Argos after following a lead on disturbances, and hearing that Peter's team has been forced into a battle. Miyuki leads the group out and as they head to Argos, they come into contact with a shuttle that seems flown by kids. Finding it is their own kids, the two groups meet up and the kids bring the others up to date. Opting to join the kids, the groups swap shuttles, most going with the kids to Argos' moon, looking for an entrance to the base, while the rest go down to assist Peter and his people.
Taiga's team, with thier lovely assistants, find the base and use a combination power of Jade and Kitten's abilities to phase the team inside the base. Making their way down some halls, they find a cell holding Mi'Na and 'Cheryl'-Lemon, and after busting some heads and breaking them out, they go after Angela. Angela in the meanwhile has been lead to a control room, where an abomination version of General Steel taunts her, showing a false news report of the battle below meant to start a rebellion. He tells Angela that her life is a lie, that her sister did something to her, but confused at that, she simply finds Steel to be raving. The team crashes the party and starts to fight, Lemon and Angela move in to stop the broadcast and Angela sends out one of her own, showing Steel for what he is and explaining what's really happening.
The combined Zodiac and Strikers groups take down the soldiers and Arcana guards, the team attempting to slam Steel into a portal that opens to cut him up and get his head to show the world proof. Angelos attemtpts to hold him in melee and loses an arm for his efforts, but the group manages to get his head before the portal closes. Peter's forces, guided by Miyuki and the remaining Strikers arrive with the leader of Argos and Jade shows the head of the traitor general for all to see as the Strikers sneak out of there.
Stardate: 10-607.10.5
Over the next few days, Angela, with Lemon's guidance, sets up a deal that makes Argos a state of EarthGov, while eight colonies have pulled out thanks to the false message, many more stayed seeing Angela's response and with hopes, inviting Argos in will bring the rest back. Angela begins plans to start making each colony a state of EarthGov and the group heads back home to celebrate Angela and Lisa's birthday parties, both having their birthdays on the same day. For some reason, this causes Zephyr to think deeply once at the party, and she begins to realize something, something that greatly disturbs her about Angela. The election is on the horizon and while things seem to be stabilizing, there are still some problems left to deal with. Angela attempts to ask Cheryl about the other thing Steel said, that he told Tess something about Angela, thinking it could explain her behavior. Cheryl tells Angela not to worry over what badguys say, putting her at ease.
Session 336: Alpha and Omega Disassembled Part I
With the situation deteriorating on Earth, things are looking grim as the Senate continues to stall in making Argos a colony, more and more colonies seperating from EarthGov in protest. On the PAX, the higher ups hold a meeting to discuss the growth of the GA. The leader is unknown, as are their intentions, however they have a motivating allowance in letting their members freely attack nonmembers. This is the opposite of what the Suisen allow, giving motivation for those who were holding out to join. As the remark on the rapid progress of the GA's formation, some conspiracy theories come forth, but what the group agrees on is a simple strategy, they need to affirm their relations with their allies and show strength to current members to encourage them to stay with the Empire.
In 1B, Jason decides to launch his campaign against Denny Crane, just before Katrina finishes her conference with Paladin. Paladin makes it clear that EarthGov wants to get ahold of Katrina as a scapegoat for the illegal Gitari adoptions, despite her not having done anything wrong, the trial is to determine whether the Suisen Empire should release one of their own to EarthGov over this. Just as they're about to step up to start the hearings, Jason's info goes live, it seems Katrina's case may have been snowballed.
On Asteroid C, Cheryl holds a meeting to send the group off on a mission to the Medieval Reality as a test run to try out the new Tarot Cards. The group gears up to go, very few staying behind, as Cheryl settles in to try and get some rest.
In Peter's Base, the Mizukaze yard, Lemon, Mi'Na and Angela sit working out a speech to tackle the next debate with while the Zodiac hold a meeting upstairs. Zephyr awakens from a nightmare and remembers everything about the old Angela. Angela is called to the Executive Building by the Inquiry Council and begins to leave with Lemon and Mi'Na as Zephyr comes down and tries to attack her, Megumi throwing her off. Angela is sent to safety, bewildered at her sister's attack as the base goes on high alert. Zephyr blasts her way out of Cheryl's area and outside, forming a Mech on her own and flying off. The group is left with no other choice but to head to the executive building, with an increased guard.
In the Medieval Reality, Miyuki's team explores the castle and after poking around, find an abandoned tavern. Poking around more they find a hatch leading to the basement which results in Angelos being attacked by vines when it's opened, and screaming manly screams as he's pulled in. Chii saves Aurica from a similar fate as the group douses the vines in fire to stop them, moving inward, and joining Angelos, they come upon two casters, who turn out to be Princess Aya and Medieval Denise. Aya doesn't seem too happy to see them, blaming them for her dead world.
Back in the Executive Building, the group moves in to discover Angela and Lemon are to be put on trial hearing. As they confront Angela about her false past, she doesn't have a clue what they are talking about, and the head of the investigation, Beth Tannan, presents them with Tess Arakawa's files. As they are read out, everyone begins to remember the terrible past of the Angela who went mad and was killed. Just as they finish, the facts laid out, Cheryl busts into the room demanding they stop too late to prevent the damage. Can she heal the wounds?
Session 337: Alpha and Omega Disassembled Part II
Aya leads the medieval group through a tunnel, showing what's left of her kingdom. Not much food, less water. Miyuki, Cameron, Warren, Angelos, Sarah, and Denise all try to help in their own ways. Miyuki starts forming snow in buckets that melts into water for them, while Aya explains that invaders wearing bug armor devistated her kingdom. Cameron helps deduce that the invaders are the Illium from the alternate universe. She also leads them to Witch Megumi, who has almost succumbed to death due to the lack of spiritual energy around. Soul, Denise's Angel inhabitant, helps to reinfuse her with spiritual energy. Even a little bit seemed to do wonders, so Soul emptied its reserves into her, leaving both Soul and Denise drained while Aya explains she still wants to put the team on trial for what has happened to her reality.
Meanwhile, on the PAX, Kat, Mem, and Pio meet with Paladin, Denny Crane, and an Earth lawyer about Kat's situation. While Crane seems to joke around quite a bit, the Earth lawyer wants Kat to come straight to Earth to end it quickly. Kat rejects the offer, wanting to fight it on the PAX for now.
Back at the Executive building, Cheryl is in the middle of interrupting Angela's own trial. She explains that Steel didn't know everything when he gave Tess the information. She explains why she kept the secret for so long. Over sixteen years ago, right after Cheryl had gotten her reality powers, she was looking over the new mansion. She managed to find a diary made by Angela, and started to reform Angela as a baby. This would cause history to not be changed at all. However, Chad and Xanatos catch her and shoot the baby Angela in the head, causing everyone to forget it ever happened, except Cheryl. This caused Cheryl to think that she would never get a second chance, not until over a year later at her party, when it was too late to make history agree with events.
This causes the board to want to contain Cheryl, saying that nobody should have that kind of power. However, Tess forgives Angela, no longer believing that Angela is in cahoots with Cheryl. Angela, meanwhile, does not want to seal Cheryl away, willing to even risk her presidency to stand for this. Cheryl explains why Zephyr snapped, saying that the new memories, the old memories, the brainwashing, and splitting Angela's soul in two likely caused her to have her current meltdown. Zephyr is arriving fast, however, so the team preps for a nonlethal battle.
Back on the Medieval planet, Aya is holding the team on trial. Cameron tries to explain that false information has been being sent, but his arguments fall on deaf ears. Aya claims that the planet is doomed to the Illium, and almost passes judgement when Miyuki loses her temper. She asks what good would proving the group guilty and punishing them would do. Soon after, Witch Megumi reappears, talking to Aya about the missing Medieval Erevis. Aya does not pass judgement on the group, and allows them to go back to their home dimension to bring back help. When they get back, it seems that they spent a few days in there, because the news is talking about building a containment unit for Cheryl, which the Executive Board proposed back at the meeting in order to make sure Cheryl cannot use her powers anymore.
On the PAX, however, Kat is in her own trial. It appears that Denny Crane has all but given up on her, sleeping and goofing off during her trial. When it is his turn to represent, however, he calls Thomas Aduxley Senior to the witness stand. After Thomas is a bit late getting there (give him some slack, he's getting old), he and Denny Crane exchange names... three times. FINALLY, Denny Crane gets to the point, asking Thomas if he's ever extridated red heads from the PAX. It turns out that legally, Kat cannot be extridated from the Empire because of a law Erevis made while drunk, stating that no red heads can be extridated at all. Kat is free to go... until the law is rewritten, that is.
The group at the Executive Building prepare for a battle against one of their own. While waiting for Zephyr to appear, there's a knock at the door, a pizza boy there to deliver a pizza. It turns out that the pizza boy is a deaged Zephyr in disguise, and when her cover is blown, she attacks using the very doors she's standing near. When it's clear she's outnumbered by quite a bit, she forms a crystal behemoth for her to ride in. The group concentrates fire on her leg, causing the real one to show.
Cheryl also gets Curali and Eleure to initaite an alpha protocol, linking up to her to help fight the crystal-encased Zephyr. Soon, Zephyr goes down, and Cheryl moves to deal with the brainwashing. However, Zephyr forms a gun, threatening to overload it, however Cheryl manages to fix Zephyr's brain before it blows, and she deforms it. The battle is over, and Zephyr is normal. Angela and Tess agree to meet at a later date to discuss things in private.
Things seem to be winding down, the aftermath being that Erevis doesn't visit Megumi in medical, and Cheryl giving her house to Miyuki. Cheryl, it seems, is going to go into hiding, to make sure that she isn't caught, because Darien is convinced if she's put into the containment unit, she'll never get out. While Cheryl is wondering who did it, one of the Inquisitors hands the memories of the original Angela Bennet to a mysterious figure, who has a clone of Omega Angela at the ready.
Session 338: Nothing Important Happened Today
The Annual Halloween Bash at Katrina McCormick's Bar went off with out a hitch; the masquerade was quite the hit with an extreme variety of costumes and those playing its parts, though it came to its shocking end when the prizes were awarded as Darien went as Powergirl, causing Miyuki to faint and foam at the mouth.
In all other regards it was a quiet evening with relatively low hijinks, with the minor consideration of the curiously dominant behavior displayed by Isis towards her wife Miyuki. Rumor is starting to fly that this sudden gravitation towards bold amorous passion and exhibitionism has been seen once before in the normally reserved famfrit; when she was last pregnant.
While the jury remains out on this the night turned with a literal tide as an altercation between two gods; Mizuhame of the Amaterasu Pantheon and Dek'serr of the Gitari Pantheon had a disagreement of sorts in which the sea goddess's temper flared in a grandiose way. Leaving in a huff, it left her husband, Kagu-Tsuchi, resigned to pay the damages and quickly bringing the party to an end.
Session 339: Election Day
Election day comes, Tess and Angela splitting up to go campaigning, Tess taking the colonies and Angela the core, trying to stir up the supporters they can for last minute votes. Tess takes her own group of protectors out and Angela heads out with Peter's unit. While they begin to campaign, the rest of Prime goes about their day.
On the PAX, Hi'Saa begins to have her baby, Cuddles assigning Jennifer to the likely all-day task of delivering it. After demanding pain killers, Hi'Shaa chills out and Jennifer works with her on delivery while Isis and Miyuki come to the conclusion that they are pregnant and deeply considering tying their tubes after these next two come popping out.
On Asteroid C, Cheryl is building a bot whose designs were given to her by Myria in the alternate reality. After learning that, Angelos goes to get some armor on and Cheryl keeps working, getting ready to activate the new bot while discussing with Mem her issues with Denise.
Angela's speeches are cut short when a report comes in that Tess has been taken captive by rebels, and on Pegasus Colony of all places. Peter determines they need a quick rescue and Angela is escorted off stage, getting in a few last questions promising to try and resolve it peacefully. Once in space, Peter arranges for faster, Suisen based transport and heads to pick it up.
Back on Asteroid C, Cheryl and the group determine they can't directly intervene on this crisis and the ladybot is activated and announces itself as a Computerized Humanoid Intelligence Program, or a CHIP unit. Angelos, amused, suggests they name it Airym after Myria and Eluere suggests Apple, giving it the full name Airym Apple. It begins to perform it's diagnostic.
Taiga and her Zodiacs, having snuck off base to check out the Cage being built for Cheryl, drive to the senate building and enter the sewers, down below, they battle R.O.U.S.'s and sewer crocs, but eventually fine the pipe leading to the Senate building's restricted area. Tiaga foxholes them in.
On the PAX, something goes wrong with Hi'Saa's birth and Jennifer calmly assesses, finding that the baby's cord is wrapped around it wrong, she begins surgery while having Ethan keep the child healthy.
Session 340: Election Night
The Nue house is expecting and today is the due date though things are a little different, first and foremost, unlike pregnancies past, Hi'saa will be only delivering one baby, which is exceedingly unusual for the normal gitari standard of three.
Mishaps abound prompt Miyuki to step in, using her foxhole technique to help deliver, while it gets tense, they are able to welcome the newest edition to their house hold; a little girl named Iku'saa, safely into the world.
While Hi'saa and the others rest, Taiga and her cadre continue their exploration through the lower levels of the hidden areas beneath the Senate Building. So far the rooms have been empty, outside security which they have dismantled. Upon coming to a bomb proof steel door, Mitsu attempts a fox hole to get inside, but a vacuum effect causes all the kids to be sucked inside the room. Inside they find symbols seem to be some sort of anti-field to stop teleporting, rippling and other methods of escape.
It becomes very clear to them that the room they are in is a prison, without a means for them to escape till Ako points out that the cell is designed to only hold in one occupant, and for all the charms and anti-fields and other bells and whistles it has it cannot be sustained if it were overwhelmed by multiple attacks by the group. Ako leads the charge, after asking for the group to believe in Kitty Power, forms a black hole the others joining in the attack.
Together they are able to damage the system governing ripples, foxholes and teleportation though Suzu and Mitsu leave illusion charms to keep the place appearing as if nothing is amiss before escaping themselves.
Meanwhile, Hale and his team board a new shuttle with light engine, heading for Pegasus along for the ride is Isara Graves and her pygmy potbelly pig, Hans who wins over John's heart and drives Peter to take more pills, as they attempt to sneak into Pegasus, Lorelei points out the closest access to the government building is entry point 34. But as they discuss the plan more it seems that their best option will come down to Angela's speaking abilities to take back Tess from the colony.
The terrorists holding Tess hostage stall and delay, aggravating the currently dire situation as they seek independence for all the colonies from Earth Gov, ratification by the senate before they will consider freeing Tess, any breach will cause Tess's demise. Leaving the group to resort to entering the colony via the waste disposal system.
Once inside, Hans, the ever industrious piggy chews on wires, disabling the cameras and security, and due to being slightly fried, lures any potential trouble away with the scent of bacon, apparently no one on the Pegasus colony is a vegan. Hale and Peter promote him to Lieutenant.
Once inside, its all Hale and the team, as the discover the leader of the terrorist cell is a man named Richard Simmons, though their trip up the glass elevator is not easy between tanks, broken glass and men with rocket launchers. Finally the group is close to the target, attempting to end the matter peacefully, Simmon not taking a chance begins to attack but is overwhelmed by the group and a falling Hans. Ending the matter and taking Tess, her daughter and their suspect into custody.
Back on the PAX the election is down to the final hour, Angela and Tess behind int the polls until some last minute votes secure their victory.