Iron Stars - Yulia and Eisheru Convo

3:17 PM

With the battle bus making its way in the opposite direction and the convoy now has the time to breath a moment before the next leg of the journey, Eisheru turns towards Yulia, who is now apparently sleeping at the wheel, "That is a fascinating trick. Driving with your eyes closed... Practice this often? Or? ..." Eisheru looks back out at the desert wastes while covering his eyes.

"Yeah, practice." Yulia says flatly. "My mom said you can be great at anything with practice. How about you? Is being nosey your hard-earned magnum opus in life, or is that just a natural talent?"

"Practice makes polish, as my mother would phrase it." Eisheru says with an equally flat tone for a wildly different reason. "A bit of both. Agent training improved an innate drive to connect with people." While they drive on, Eisheru keeps scanning the horizon. Occasionally a small arc of electricity branches out to connect harmlessly with the car, "Is your charm another one of your practiced traits? Or is that too a natural talent?"

For the briefest of moments, Yulia's hand jerks unnaturally and sticks two fingers out. She looks like she fights for control. "You little... shit..." she says under her breath. The hand grips the wheel tightly as if it were an anchor and downplays the movement. "Sorry, withdrawal symptoms. Agent training, huh? Tell me, was the spy life just like in the holovids? Gambling, flings, precious gems, heaps of cash in briefcases, and villains with dumb quirks?"

"I would be remiss in my duties if I did not make mention of the piles of narcotics in addition to the other items mentioned..." His monotone voice has not changed pitch even once during the conversation. "Although my personal favorite are the endearing side-kicks that provide comedic relief to tense situations." A few moments of silence pass by as more sand dunes are passed, "Have I done something to attract your ire, Ms Wyke?"

Yulia opens her eyes and stares forward in thought, choosing the right words. A long minute goes by before she seems about to say something, then pauses for thought again. It takes a few moments, but for once her attention seems to be in the here & now. "Personally? No. This fever dream is the first time meeting you in person, so it isn't that. I'm sure you're fine on a day-to-day basis. We exist in very different worlds. Yours is not above stepping on mine with great animosity regardless of circumstance. Whether you know it or not, it did. Or at least tried to. I know you're the real power behind Aiya. You're not responsible for every underling, but if you knew, you'd know you're within implication range of what happened. High-level stuff, a duty repaid with a cornering and a threat. I can't say any more. Too much rides on the line, Business Fish. It's been resolved for the most part, but not without great intervention I could have done without. I also just don't let slights go easily."

Yulia can see out ther corner of her eye that Eisheru is watching her intently. For him it is just run of the mill giving someone the attention they deserve when in polite conversation. On the outside it might appear that the Tidecaller Primus is drilling down deep into Yulia's soul. He lets her speak her peace without interruption. Taking in her words and giving them the time to be understood as fully as he can given the information diet that Yulia is feeding him, "While I cannot control my employees, I do take responsibility for them... It is likely that my extended absence has had a knock-on effect to my employees. " Eisheru stares out the window again. Red hair staying perfectly still despite the open-walled nature of the car. A few moments of silence pass as only the roar of the engines can be heard, "Probably should pass the torch at some point. I doubt my mission will ever truly allow me to return to my duties at Aiya." "Business Fish. Haha." The laugh is strange. Flat. Without variation, "One of Diedrich's favorites. Was he the one to help you resolve matters?"

"Stay out of it." Yulia snaps back without confirming or denying. "...Yes, I know. Curse you for not being involved, now curse you for trying to get involved. It's complicated. The window of opportunity passed. Shit happens and deals were made. Eventually it'll be made clear to you, I imagine, without our input." A thunk is heard on the roof. The sunroof squeaks open and Yulia scoots her seat backwards. Vera climbs in, nearly falling into her lap with a robotic oof. Yulia immediately opens up the drone's hull, an operation most people probably wouldn't pull off while driving a car off-road and in loose sand. "Board seven, the one with the spaghetti wires!" Vera says, her sensors focusing on Eisheru and one of her heavy lift kit manipulators waves in greeting. "I know, I know..." Yulia mutters. A tool is pulled out from her bag and small arc welds are made. She pulls out a... cranberry? Yulia makes a strange face at the odd thing to find in the atmosphere above the sandy dust. "I'm terribly sorry about Yuli, she's like this allll of the tiiiiime!" the drone says with feigned exaggeration. She puts her hand up as if relaying a secret, but it isn't very quiet. "Real stick-in-the-mud. You can buy her loyalty with alcohol. Totally different person! Ow-!" A particularly big spark is made. Yulia makes no comments. (edited)

"It seems we all lead complicated lives..." Eisheru is unphased by the snappy response. There is no change in his demeanor. Just more staring at Yulia as she speaks her piece. "Maybe it will. Perhaps I won't live long enough for it to matter, but I will leave the issue be nonetheless..." The thud of Vera landing hard on the roof of the scout car has Eisheru react with practiced defensive movements before his mind registers that it is Vera. Eisheru waves back as he watches on with dispassionate eyes the operation that Yulia is undertaking. He waves away the apology that the friendly robot makes, "No need to apologize, Ms Vera. I have a habit of sticking my fins where they maybe do not belong. I still hold that perhaps more frequent walks with time to sniff the grass may do wonders for her temperament." (edited)

Vera's sensors all flick and flutter as they stare back at Eisheru. It seems like she's taking many observations in rapid succession. Yulia's attention is getting drawn toward him as well, occasional side-glances that get scared off if Eisheru's eyes move. "Alright, fine, I'll ask." Yulia closes Vera's hull casing. "Are you part flounder? Becuase everything you've said and done is flatter than one of those. Your facial muscles barely move. What I'd call your eyelids are creepily still. What gives?"

Eisheru's gaze goes from Vera's optical sensors to Yulia's eyes back to Vera, "Does alcohol make her more polite? Or...?" Eisheru turns back to Yulia, "Quite the font of creative insults. No while Merlon's share the sea just like the Flounder that is not the cause for my outward... lack of emotional display." Eisheru looks back out the window to contemplate his words. To tell the truth or lie through his teeth. "Ingested nanite swarm designed to remove emotional attachments. It is called 'The Liberation' on Jahnavi." "If my memory serves me, you would have heard about or encountered those that traditionally have taken 'The Liberation'. The Red Sangha are feared warriors because of it." (edited)

"Yeah, not directly. I think I knew a few people who got on their bad side. Ivan was one. He got messed up bad, some kind of altercation. He kept calling them 'butchers' immediately after the EI's liberation of Creusa. Not something you'd call your allies without good reason." Yulia leans back in her seat, eyes locked with Eisheru's. "Although Creusa's freedom eventually got us off of that hellscape, the transition from Remnant rule to Cyrus' interesting takes was not great. You're zero-and-two on bringing up good memories."

"You inquired, I answered. I make no excuse for their operations on Creusa. That was before their time in the Confederation. They were faced with an impossible choice to either commit to the horrors of war or watch their world starve without the income their mercenary work provided. Their mercenary days are over and they do not need to rely on those Liberated to provide for their continued survival." As Yulia gets a better look into the eyes of Eisheru, she sees the wrinkled edges and hardened eyes. Scars long healed over mark his face, neck and other bits of exposed skin. "Let's make it zero-and-three. What is the story with that other one. The one with the mechanical arms." Eisheru turns to Vera "Not you Ms Vera." He turns back to Yulia, "The Human. She spoke of the 'Second Paragon' and the 'Prophetess'. One of Ognyena's Followers?" (edited)

Yulia's eyes narrow slightly. She attempts a soft deflection. "Yeah, something like that. Agent training again? They might want to re-evaluate their practices. What makes you think that'll bring up bad memories on my end? I barely know her." Yulia's full attention is on Eisheru's face - or maybe even past it, like she's trying to pierce her gaze through him to a spot on the other side. (She'll attempt to connect with those Liberation nanobots. Just to look - for now! Although connection to those might be above her abilities)

(She would detect the presence of the nanites within his entire body. She knows that they aren't individual synthetic presences but more akin to highly advanced software running a program. What the program is, its origins or its function are questions far beyond her capabilities to answer.) "Has anyone ever informed you that you have a face with subtitles?" Eisheru locks eyes with Yulia. The deep blue eyes of the Merlon are intense in their focus. "For someone you barely know you decidedly impaled her with your gaze for nearly three minutes. Maybe Agent Training would help you better control your facial expressions." "Why would you protect a no-name worshipper of Ognyena?" Eisheru asks rhetorically, "Business partner seems out of the question and I get the sense that you stay as far away from organized religion as if it were going to burn a hole in that bottle of yours..." "What name did Agent Finnegan use..." Eisheru says as though pondering his own question while still looking into Yulia's eyes. "Diedra... Dalia... Ah! Daira. Daira of Artema. Any relation to Khan Artema of Heras? Or is this further proof of needing to re-evaluate Agent Training?" (edited)

Yulia's focus returns to a more standard face-to-face conversation. "What the fuck do you want?" She asks in a poignant but measured tone, although it barely hides the defensiveness. "Of all people, why do you care about the Artemans? Looking for more angel investors or something? Probing for more bits to add to Kensh's adorable scrapbook of others' secrets? Or are you jealous that I berate other people and you really want to feel something between those nanobots again?"

"I care not for the Artemans or the machinations of polities and Aiya has no need for outside investors." Eisheru says in his unwaveringly serene tone of voice. "I care about Daira and her connection to the one she calls the 'Prophetess'. Shadow clings to her with a tight grip and I desire to find out why."

Yulia turns to face out the windshield again, blankly staring at Jake and Daira's car. "Give me a reason to care about your concerns and oblige you. Otherwise, go to hell. I'm working overtime trying to keep family issues from becoming polity ones. What she wields and who she salivates over in her spare time is none of my business. If this is for some psychic-academic discourse, then can it, nerd. Find another specimen that isn't at the crux of several complicated emotional ordeals among world leaders. Remember what I said earlier? Stay out of it. Again."

Eisheru is silent for a long moment as he watches Yulia. Thoughts come and he pushes the idea to prober her mind out of his head. She was stubborn and likely to make any attempts inordinately difficult, "She treads down a dangerous path and I do not want to bear witness to the fall of another." Eisheru turns to look out at the dunes, "Duty and love. Not the dribble that gets spewed out during commencement addresses or mantras for recruits. The deep seeded desire to ensure no harm comes to those that we cherish. Those that have earned our respect and devotion. The kind of burning fury that keeps you warm at night on the frozen battlefield. The unbreakable wall that prevents your mind from shattering at the horrors you have witnessed." "You see, Yulia. Each person is given the opportunity to bear responsibility for others. Some choose the responsibility best suited for their abilities and others have it forced upon them by happenstance." Eisheru closes his eyes. "No one person's duty is more or less important than another when it comes to preserving life. Each life is sacred especially in this dark era with trillions of souls lost just a short few years ago." "For me, I choose to fight the things that go 'bump' in the night. The madness that will swallow and entire world. The mind-bending darkness that will break even the most righteous of souls." Eisheru strokes his goatee and looks out once again. "It is because of this choice, that Daira of Artema causes me concern." "What she wields and who she salivates over will be her end." Eisheru turns to look at Yulia again. "And if you value the family that you fight so strongly for, then listen to me when I say that the end will not be swift. And it will not be painless." (edited)

Yulia's head cocks to the side. She's thinking about something, putting connections together. She looks back at Eisheru with a face of suspicion. "You saw her die in the final battle, Hero of the Iron Stars. So why does Hedwig 'Daitrij' Wilhelmova Sakharov keep coming up like she's actually walking among us? What are you keeping from me?" She pauses before another question. "...What did you keep from the council, from people like my brother, when you broke the news to the old Galatean council?"

"I saw her die yes. Turned to dust and ashes..." Eisheru's facial expression doesn't change at the accusation. Only giving a small wry smile as he says some familiar words, "I am at the crux of several complicated political ordeals among polity leaders. For your own safety, I must advise that you do not pursue this line of questioning further." "I have told you far more than I should, but I believe it to be necessary to gain your trust to hopefully save another soul. Will you or will you not answer my questions regarding Daira of Artema?" (edited)

Yulia puts her feet up on the dashboard suddenly and braces herself. Vera's side engines also engage as the car's brakes suddenly engage hard for a brief moment before returning to its cruising speed. Enough to jostle Eisheru but not harm, despite the lack of safety equipment in one of T. Urkey's sand cars. There are several Slavic swears in quick succession as her temper explodes. "NO! You will tell me everything! If something is going on that has an iota of a chance of dragging Vanya down into it, I better see it fucking coming. You can bet your ass that if something you can't control hits Cassandra's ears, she's going to make the Protectorate jump in fucking spite of you, the Paragons, Daira's wishes, Daitrij's legacy - everything! I am not going to comply in painting a target on our backs or become subservient to some geopolitical fuckery from any of you if I can help it. We've had enough of that for several lifetimes. You want cooperation, Agent-CEO? Lead by example."

(Going to use Impact Sump to avoid the jostling, 6/10 effort) Eisheru seems to be on a self-stabilizing gimble. The car moves around him and there is the faintest movement in his posture, but otherwise he maintains his position in the seat. Upright as ever, Eisheru is unphased by the attempt at intimidation. "Brother... Vanya? ..." Eisheru squints his eyes as he looks through the dirt, grime and disheveled appearance of Yulia before making the connection, "Ah! General Wyke... I can see the familial resemblance... Alas no, there is no target on anyone's back. This is not 'geopolitical fuckery'. This is one defender of family talking to another. Daira will be the cause of her own end. It will not at the tip of my harpoon. And I may be able to prevent it if I can know more about her, her dealings with the Prophetess and then speak with her." "I am cautioning you once again. Once this box is opened, the chaos it might sow cannot ever be put back." (edited)

Yulia sighs and puts her feet back down. It's not like she could do anything more against the powerful mage. She seems to be at her wit's end. "Have your nanobots made you blind to the fact others may respond irrationally? You have no idea what nearly happened between us and the Paragons over this whole ordeal. You say things won't be this way, other things won't be that way. You don't even know what's going on with your own company, under your own nose. This is beyond me despising you - how can I trust you with someone considered the ward of multiple people I care about with overly-noble delusions or royal familial pride? You haven't given me a single reason to even believe a word you've said." "I don't know if you mean Daira is opening a forbidden box or if you telling me some piece of information is an irrevocable truth. If the latter, that's a burden I'll have to bear. If the former, well..." Yulia leans back. "...it's a long drive, where we're going. If it's that bad, you'll crack." A short pause. "...If you need a bone thrown to you, then yes. It was Diedrich who solved the issue. We have an agreement. And EoL-backed one - and I hate the EoL. He trusts my word. Why can't you?"

"It is the latter of those two scenarios. At the time interpolity relations were... Strained. Keep that in mind as I share with you a memory... My memory of that day..."

6:27 PM

A shining image appears on the dashboard of the scout car. Upon it are five figures walking through a cathedral like space with smashed stone pews and a destroyed stained glass window. A thousand screaming voices herald the repair of the altar and the portal that would lead the group to deeper into the Still Lady's Sanctum. A rocket is fired into the portal from Hailey before they step through. Entering the portal, the group sees that the rocket has been disassembled and its components have been scattered across the ground. There is a long feasting table set aside, and The Still Lady sits at one side of it. There are exactly enough chairs around the table for the remainder of the group, and a banquet has been set aside. "Sit" she says, gesturing to the table with a hand. "We have something to discuss, before you all reach for your weapons" There is a discussion around the a banquet feasting table. Points are made by all sides and for the moment it seems like things are peaceful. "Each of you has something to gain- and these are not trivial somethings- by joining with me. What I showed you was a path for you, individually, but these visions are not Mutually exclusive as your friend with the space suit so nicely categorized it." The Stil Lady says The discussions continue and one thing becomes clear, Daitrij intends on taking the side of the Still Lady. Her position being that she will be able to provide the most good for all the Iron Stars if it is through the vehicle of the Still Lady. Linya Tychos also seems to be choosing a path that aligns with the Still Lady. The Still Lady reclines back into her chair. The pristine hand holding her wine goblet as she finishes listening to the discussion between herself and the 5 intrepid souls willing to stand againster her. . (edited)

6:28 PM

"You make fine points. I can offer knowledge, technology, and understanding of the deeper mysteries of the universe. I am not talking about helping you accomplish your political goals, as you have said, order looks the same, however it is. Imagine your society now, with more than just what it has produced. People will have homes with each room on a different planet, all connected as though in one place, the countries will all unite, of course, as they would be foolish not to, but sentient life will have the ability to be anywhere, anytime. There will be jump gates again, teleportation of vast masses of materials, and people, instantly, and all other manner of metaspace based advancements. We could have the civilization you would have had, if the scream never occurred. I am offering you a chance to press the button that says, Undo" Daitrij almost looks sadly at Venser. She leans over to him and whispers in his ear. "We didn't call each other friends for too long it seems. And that term might never be used again to describe us. Leave and don't come back, and I promise you, one day we will meet again and you will understand. You will finally see, see what I saw. See what I am seeing right now. Sacrifices must be made, but this is a once in a lifetime chance. It can not be wasted." A sad smile towards Venser changes to a neutral look as she looks over to Hailey and the Soul Cage. Linya turns as Hailey secures the soul cage, left hand clenching as she reaches for her holster slightly. A message pings on Hailey's HUD as Linya walks up to her placing herself between Hailey and the Lady, short short stature dwarfed by the mech. Her right arm glows with arcane energy as she looks between the Lady and Hailey. "Give me the Cage." .

6:28 PM

"An unfortunate choice, Linya..." Eisheru instinctively shunts a barrage of metadimensional static as she begins weaving magical energies together. Both Linya and Daitrij are once again left alone to their own thoughts as the Unity fades from their shared psyche THe room begins to shift around them, the room widens, stones materialize from nowhere, building something around all of you, like a structure. Daitrij and Linya are pulled close to The Still Lady, energies surrounding the two of them, and their battle gear. "My champions, you stand with me, and your bravery in doing what is right will be rewarded." The energies around Daitrij fade first, the spear-maiden now resembling an angel of battle, and chooser of the slain The energies surrounding Daitrij, transform her. The black leaves for a white. Angel wings form on her back. Piercing Twilight turns white and Daitrij's turquoise hair turns blonde. Looks change, fire doesn't as spear and body have small flames jumping all over them. She frowns towards the Still Lady "Really? A coin toss? Well so be it." She looks at Eisheru and Venser, ignoring Hailey for now. "You can surely still surrender. Go and live your lives. If you stay, I can't guarantee that you see your loved ones ever again. You make me do this." The Still Lady plants her boots into the sand of the arena, drawing a long one handed sword . The other hand remains empty. “I could have offered you all so much. I still can…” she says, sadly. She looks to Daitrij. “Let’s begin” .

6:28 PM

A battle ensues over the following minutes. Daitrij, Agent Tychos and The Still Lady on one side. Against them stands Eisheru, Venser Reach and Hailey Clements. The battle is fierce with both sides taking many wounds. At the heart of it is Daitrij fighting like the fallen angel she was in defense of the Still Lady. Daitrij focuses much of her attention on Hailey as the bearer of the Soul Cage while Eisheru primarily focuses on battling the Still Lady directly and containing the others with his Psychic prowess. The vision fades before the inevitable conclusion comes to pass. (edited)

6:33 PM

(Not keeping anything out, just trying to not copy an entire scene from the archive. Eisheru would be showing you Sanctum Confrontation from 4/25/21, 5:03:55 PM to 5/4/2021, 8:51:06 PM. Specifically leaving out the immediate aftermath of The Still Lady's death where Daitrij is executed.) (Casting Phantasmal Mimesis to display an illusory performance of the Sanctum Confrontation. It starts as the group opens the portal to the Still Lady and ends right at her death. The illusion will take place on the dashboard of the scout car. 5 of 6 Ele spells remain. The illusory seeming includes visual, audible, olfactory, and tactile elements) (edited)

Yulia and Vera were enraptured by the performance before them. The two share in the full experience, Vera processing everything she cannot experience first-hand through Yulia's organics. The two say nothing the entire time, save for Vera's optics whirring and clicking into place. When the show ends, Yulia is left staring at the spot where the illusion took place. She tries to form words, but the flesh fails. "It was all a lie, wasn't it?" Vera turns and asks Eisheru with seriousness. "Yuli is trying to make connections with existing evidence to see if the Paragons know this under some kind of reasonable confidence model. They don't know at all, do they? Only you, Venser, and Hailey know what really happened out there. You kept it a secret this whole t-" Vera quickly turns around and faces Yulia, who is holding her head with both hands and slouching in the driver's seat. She looks pale. Vera takes her silent observations and data collection before pawing at Yulia's face. "Come on, drunkard! It's just a system crash! A rare crash... that wasn't really expected. Buffer overflow, we'll get it fixed. You're fiiiiine." Yulia draws her tempest and climbs over the center console, pushing Vera aside and grabbing Eisheru by the collar. The gun trembles in Yulia's hand and makes no charge up sound. There is a flood of emotion in her eyes, but the gun with its safety still on is lowered until it drops in Eisheru's lap. Yulia falls backwards, her back hitting the driver's side door and adding another crack to the already-busted window. "Everyone... everyone loved her. You couldn't tell. Nobody would have believed you. Daitrij is a traitor. Dai's weird shadow fire... makes sense. Hey... what happened to Daitrij? Is she... actually dead? Dead dead?"

"Yes Ms. Vera. The baseline tensions between the Confederation and Protectorate paired with the adoration for the Herald it-..." Eisheru is suddenly yanked forward as with Yulia's outward display of shock at the sudden revelation. He stares her dead in the eyes, welcoming whatever future the next few moments would lead to. As the gun lowers into his own lap, Eisheru withdraws the harpoon point away from the mid-section of Yulia. "Everyone did love her. We had no choice but to proceed as we did. The Protectorate Herald conveniently became a traitor and was killed by Confederation and UNW agents? Without a shred of evidence beyond our shared experience? The alliance between our polities was in its infancy. At best it would have destroyed the strides we had made to collaborate. At worst it would have been war between the Protectorate and others. So she will be forever remembered as a hero and a martyr for the good of all in our region of space." "It is for this reason that I want to speak with Daira. She cannot follow in the footsteps of the Fallen Angel..." Eisheru's telekinesis pulls the tears from Yulia's eyes, "She is most assuredly deceased. Our minds were linked until the very end. However, strong forces in the living world can translate into powerful entities in the reality beyond. Daira could very well be talking to Daitrij and that concerns me a great deal."

"What do you want to know?" Yulia asks, deflated and far from the asshole from earlier. "She does claim to hear Daitrij. Her flames, black. I've seen them in person. She's wanted by the Paragons for heretical deviation, among the assaults and murders, but she's been a pawn in their hands. I'm with her in the real world. She wants to go somewhere. Phee-something..." "Phegeus," Vera corrects. "Phegeus is what she told that Paragon priestess. She also claims to have converted followers to what she sees in the Prophetess, although her own faith seems tenuous if challenged throughly enough."

"I want to know about her. What makes her tick, her motivations, desires, behaviors. Understanding her at a baseline will help me to break through whatever hold this shadow, whether it is Daitrij or not, has on her." "Is she a zealot? You say she has converted followers, do you know how many? What of her home life? Does she have a significant other?" The barrage of questions is intense. There is no waiting for Yulia to wallow in the knowledge of Daitrij's betrayal. There is only the drive and single-minded focus of a Liberated Merlon on the hunt.

"Not that I'm aware, I don't know the quantity, her home life lacked purpose, I don't think so-" The answers come out flat and methodical but she eventually cuts Eisheru off, the impatience returning. "Look, I don't keep tabs on Daira like that. I know you're looking for secondary sources here as asking Daira these questions will do more than raise an eyebrow, but we lived very separate lives and I haven't needed to get personally involved in her affairs until recently. Even what I know is only through others' perspectives, tainted by their own biases. All I can say is she's not going to murder people who disagree with her or say the dead herald's name with a shitty attitude. At least not now." Yulia rubs her eyes and sits back properly in the driver's seat. She takes her gun back and holsters it, trying her best to pretend that whole ordeal didn't just happen. "I can get you answers, though. I think. This isn't alright. It doesn't sound like it'd end alright."

"Find out what you can and report back as soon as you are able. Together we can help make it right and prevent another from becoming a Fallen Angel. If I felt that she was too far gone I would not have bothered with this conversation. Would not have risked the peace between our polities by sharing with you what no one else knows. What no one else can know." "I told you my responsibility is to prevent the darkness from swallowing the light. I have a sense for these matters and it is not too late. How her story ends... it is not yet written." (edited)

Yulia white-knuckles the steering wheel. She doesn't have much more to say on the matter; shadows, dead prophetesses, eaten gods, and existential crises were above her paygrade. "I'll do what I can. We'll do what we can," she says, referring to the other mechanical creature in the car that learned an eldritch truth. "Just promise me you'll do whatever you can to keep Daira alive. No shortcuts just to get it over with."

"You have my word, no shortcuts." Eisheru says as the canyon that they must pass through just crests the horizon. "It is a dangerous secret to have, I pray that you are responsible with it." He says referencing the eldritch truth.

"I can't make money off of that secret. Not that anyone would believe me anyways. It'd be a great way to seem crazier than Dai's ideals. Be on the lookout for internal Aiya memos. You'll be able to pick them out. They'll say what you need. However if you ever confront her, I want to be there."

"Get her to Thepolo. The risk of me leaving that world right now would be far too great."

An internal database pulls up Thepolo and its location among the stars. She sighs. "Now you're asking me to move mountains with my shovel. Better than bare-handed, I guess. You better know what you're doing, Business Fish. This is easily fucked up on my part even with best efforts, and if that happens, she slips through all of our hands forever." (edited)

"I don't think it will be hard to convince her. I'm going to invite her as well. If she is as attached to the Herald as I suspect, I imagine she will want to meet with the last person to see her alive."

Yulia's lips slant in thought but she nods. "Yeah. I think that should do it then. I can bring her. Just remember to ham it up when it comes to praising... Daitrij..." Yulia looks at Eisheru's never-changing emotionless expression. "...Speaking of moving mountains, do your best."