Endurance: The Next Chapter (IC)

"Bullets will bounce off of my skull," Strange said to Senn, knocking his forehead with his right hand. "My exoskeleton is as strong as steel. However, I can see why you would think it's a bad idea..."

Without another word, Strange, with a running start, leaped onto a desk. He then jumped onto something higher nearby. From there, Strange grabbed onto something attached to the wall - it seemed to be an emergency light -  and swung onto the ledge above the door.

Strange looked down at Senn, with a satisfied look in his eyes. "Well, are you in, or not?"

Senn's claws extended to horrifying lengths. His ears bent back in a mischievous manner. His legs were powerful and needed only two jumps to get up to where Strange was. He latched on with his claws, looking the creature in the eye.

"Oh, I'm in. Sure. Lead the way thick-head."

Senn was aware of Strange's growing dislike of him. But he liked it. He didn't want to be seen as a friend or an ally, of anyone. He wanted to be isolated. But he'd have to hold that off for once they'd escaped.

Coin stood back for the moment of Senn and Strange talking. Senn didn't scare him, not even intimidate him. It was almost as if Coin was too oblivious to get scared. As they finished and progressed, he prepared to follow.

Pomona looked up as a voice addressed her. Of course she was sentient, maybe even more sentient then him. But before she was given a chance to respond things began to happen. Strange and Senn had begun to agrue again, not unlike an old married couple. Something about ambushes and pipe and whatever, they were talking a bit too quickly for Pomona to keep up with their odd plan. There was no way this was going to end in anything but their deaths, they both seemed too confident in their power. Pipes and claws can't beat guns. She watched Stranges display, thinking it was a bit too shiny for her. It would have been just as easy to scale the wall without exerting that much energy.

And now that he is up there, now what? Pomona sat down, crossing her legs, observing the strange creatures. Her goal was to get them to open the door, use them as a distraction, then get the hell out and find some water. There was no way she was going to dry up in a place like this.

Ketryn had remained still for who-knows-how-long. She just sat, watching everyone, probably not even noticed. Four days- that's how long she had remained this way. She needed to save energy. Her expressionless face stated blankly ahead, watching different beings converse. She remained still even after she heard the gunshots and the invaders. She was waiting for something, though she wasn't sure what. She wasn't scared, really- okay, maybe a bit. But not that much. She was just thinking logically. Panicking does nothing to help, so why do it? Not like she could show panic, anyways.

The faint blue light on Ketryn's forehead began to glow a bit brighter when she heard a couple of the beings speaking o ambush (Strange and Senn). She watche quietly, expressionless as ever. As they began to walk away, there was an inaudible sound of shuffling and moving around as Ketryn stood up wordlessly and began to follow. When she finally caught up, Ketryn spoke in a flat tone, trying to convince them, in a way.

"Going that way isn't the smartest idea. The beings you wish to ambush could have technology you find unreal, and you wish to ambush them because of hardened skin and growing claws? Think logically- if you are wrong with this, you die. Simple. You fight to leave but die instea. What a sad, pointless ending. Please, don't go out there, yet. Wait."

If Ketryn could show expression, her eyebrows would be furrowed with worry and voice full of concern. She couldn't, though, so one may wonder if she wa being serious.

Somnus seemed confused, but he relaxed.  He wouldn't be letting his guard down, but it seemed that if these two wanted to attack, they would have.  He bowed his head in greeting.  "I'm Somnus," he said, and then remembered Kydi's earlier question.  "I don't guard a planet," he added, "but instead have been freeing any prisoners I could.  With the fall of the...  Kyreniens...  I have also been picking off lone, damaged ships, such as this one."

He seemed confused, though.  "I haven't seen anyone aboard this ship yet, other than you..."  but if there was no one else there, then what set off the distress signal?

Strange stared daggers at Senn before looking down at the newcomer, Ketryn. "I know this," he said bluntly.

"I'm not going out there. Yet. I still, however, plan to carry on with the ambush. Perhaps you and Senn are right... perhaps this is foolish. However, I'm desperate. We all are. We want to leave and find our homes... at least the remains! At least I do! I want to carry on the memory of my race. The memory of my family. And that memory... is pretty violent, actually. Perhaps you don't understand. If I were thinking a little more rationally, I wouldn't, either."

With that, Strange ended his "speech." He had spoken of his intentions, and after thinking it over, really didn't care about what others thought of him. He was sure that the ambush would work, anyway.

Strange responded to Coin's question with nothing but a curt nod.

To be honest, Pomona decided to completely ignore Strange and his speech. It didn't seem to be of any interest to her, so why even listen to the weird creature rambling on. Instead Pomona made her way across the floor, pass all of the weird prisoners, to the one creature that seemed to be making any sense. As she walked she forced herself to speak to Strange, her voice a strange mix of high and low vocalizations. "Yeah, but by throwing yourself onto danger you would just be approaching your death even quicker." She straightened up a bit, grinning a sharp toothed smile. "Literally a loud ambush would be the worse thing to do, but go ahead." She continued to walk. "I'll let you make a lot of noise, then sneak out behind you to clean up after you."

Pomona glanced upwards towards Ketryn. "I like your way of thinking girly." She was certainly the less annoying being in the room. "But maybe the two of us should team up, let them go ahead and get themselves killed." She grinned, extending a vine wrapped hand to Ketryn.

Ketryn stared blankly back at Stange, wondering if he was thinking things through. Another being approached- one covered in plants and who was a female. She let out a dry sigh as Pomona said exactly what she was thinking. And just to add to the point, Ketryn spoke up.

"5,272." She said a simple number. Ketryn further explained the number. "That's how many Yarksonians died for my sake. If I were to die by foolishly risking escaping here, then those deaths would mean nothing, correct? I understand what you mean, but by running out there and risking death without knowing who you are facing, it is the equivalent of wishing death and ending your legacy with a foolish decision."

Ketryn then turned to Pomona when she offered that they team up. She kept her hand by her side as she spoke, "Perhaps later, when we know each others' goals and ideas more. Not now, however. I'm sorry."

Somnus considered, only for a moment, then said, "we will continue. If someone set off a distress signal, then they must need help." He seemed determined to do whatever he needed to, to at least find out what was going on here. After all, it was what he had been doing for the past few years, especially recently. He wasn't going to just abandon whoever was onboard.

Of course, with these Kyreniens around... For the moment, he did not intend to lead. That would entail turning his back on them, and while they had been friendly so far, he had no way, as of yet, to know if they would continue doing so if he was vulnerable.

Strange looked very unimpressed, but suddenly, he was deep in thought. Am I thinking straight? I don't know, I'm a pretty good sneaker... but knowing the Invaders, they must have some trick up their sleeve. She's right.

"Well then," Strange finally said, a little irritated, "what do you suggest? If you're right, then there's not a big chance of us sneaking by them." After thinking a few seconds, Strange dropped down from his perch, beckoning Coin and Senn to follow. "I can see that we should we should work together, and I'm not getting any more followers..."

If ketryn could frown, she would. She stared ahead as Strange spoke, deep in thought. What could they do? She was quiet a few moments before finally sitting down.

"We wait." She said simply. "Whoever it is might come here eventually. if violent, then we attack, since there is no other option. If not, they leave. And then we can leave."

"I have an idea" said Senn. "We surrender. They may capture us. If so, we get close enough to tackle them and snatch their guns from their hands. Then we gun them down. That is, if they don't just kill is on the spot. But that's a risk we'd have to take" he said scratching his head, but gently and with the very tips of his claws. He looked at these three expectantly. "Well?" He finally asked.

Ketryn looked at Senn blankly. "Would you let an enemy near your weapons, even captured? Besides, they would put restraint on you to prevent or at least lower your ability of an effective attack, correct?" Ketryn glanced at the exit.

"We should just wait. This group could be nonviolent, and if such is the case then we are fine. I they are violent, we fight when the time comes. If you do wish to attack, perhaps it would be best to learn each others abilities an names. If not, then you can keep silent if you wish. I really don't care- it's your decision."

Ketryn was lying. She did care. It was an illogical decision for everyone to want to fight but if they wished to then she couldn't stop them. Even so, Ketryn wanted to prevent any more death. He just wanted for everyone to survive.

"Nonviolent? Do you hear yourself? Have you even SEEN what they've done to this universe?" Senn asked, crossing his arms. "New proposal, let's observe them from hiding. We see any weaknesses they have. Perhaps they lack something or have something in possession we could take advantage of. We can modify our plan once we have this visual. What do you say?" He asked, sticking a claw in his mouth and sharpening it with his fangs. A bit of lavender venom substance dropped onto it. He rubbed it onto his claws to give it an extra lethality.

"How do we know who it is? Another note- there is technology tht can read heartbeats or life forms. They might already know we are here. If not, then if we near them then they would know we are near, correct?" Ketryn challengingly lifted up her chin, the only way she could even hint at challenging anyone. "My suggestion still stays. Do you really want to risk death basedon only a hunch? You have to think of all options and possibilities. The only option that fits everything bet is not going out there to see who is there."

Somnus began padding silently behind the two Kyreniens, following the beeping of Kydi's detector. He still had no idea if he could trust these two, but they were much friendlier than any others that he had met. Besides, they knew his sister. He had to find out what was going on, and most importantly, if she was alright.

He kept a close eye on the two in front of him as they walked down the hallway, but they didn't seem to be hostile. Soon, they had almost arrived, and he began slowing his pace. He could hear voices nearby.

"Shhh!" Senn said hushing Ketryn. His big bat ears were picking something up. They pricked up and he lurched his head in the direction of the sound, listening. He looked at the three beings. "They're getting closer. I can hear them. And likely, if we can hear them, they can hear us, even despite my sensitive hearing." He now spoke in a hushed tone. "Why don't we just hide, and see where it goes from there? They're bound to catch us eventually if what you say about their technology is true. But seating out of sight until we can predict their actions couldn't be a bad thing."

Ketryn heard the group approaching, as well, since her body enhanced her hearing. She stood up. "Agreed. Everyone, hide. If you don't, it your fault." She reached one strong arm above her and grabbed a hold of some railing, movin herself up and into the shadows. She kept one hand Over her glowing forehead and waited.

Senn jumped up with his powerful legs and latched onto the roof with his claws, carefully inserting them into the roof, but not so much as to puncture it if it were thin enough to let the atmosphere leave the room. Luckily it was thick enough for almost his entire claws to sink into. Because of his black skin, he was able to remain almost ibis inks among the dark roof. He closed his very luminous red eyes, awaiting this new group to arrive.

The eerie roar of metal grinding on metal could be heard from behind the wall. It echoed around the hallway ominously, its strangeness increased by the rough panting that reverberated with it. Every few moments a loud clunking noise came from the wall, followed by more grindings and more animalistic pants. The noise slowly grew until it seemed as if it were going to burst out of the wall itself. The clanging was now deafening, and the panting sounded just as if a hulking monster were barreling its way down the hall. There were two more clangs, these closer together, and the wall burst open, allowing the monstrous beast that had been making the noise to burst forth from the wall violently, a chunk of steel still in its mouth.

Well, monster was an overstatement. The creature was a portly fish about a foot and a half long, covered in tough olive green skin like that of a toad's. Its eyes seemed to bulge out of its head, exaggerating every movement it made, and its mouth was comically large and filled with rows of enormous silvery white teeth. A chunk of steel about the size of a catcher's mitt's fist was between the beast's teeth. It chewed on the steel several times, and it broke clean in half, the other half falling from the air where the fish hovered and landing on the ground. It steamed slightly, the acidic saliva of the fish having burned through it. The fish swallowed the other half of the steel chunk hole, and a second or two later burped vociferously. It turned side to side, looking for other creatures in the hallway. Seeing nothing, Feffon began to swim down the hall briskly, occasionally stopping and turning 360 degrees to see if it was being followed. The halls seemed deserted, meaning that the news was true: the Invaders must have left! Feffon was still cautious, though. It remembered all of the terrible things it had seen them do to people who escaped, and none of the punishments were things that if ever wanted done to its body. It plumped up a little more and floated higher, now seven feet off of the ground. With all hope, this would make it harder for the Invaders to see Feffon, allowing him to either swim past or attack. The steel it had laboriously chewed through to get to this particular hall had filled it up for now, but soon it would be hungry again, and there was nothing that tasted quite as good as meat. It tried to keep its breathing as quiet as possible, but its stark lack of a nose required it to breathe out of its mouth and pant like a dog. Occasionally a drop of greenish saliva fell from its gaping maw and hit the floor, conjuring a sinister sizzling sound.

Pomona had reminded quiet for quite some time, listening to the people in her room as well as whatever might be outside of it. She had heard voices coming from outside, but had dismissed them as a side effect of being extremely thirsty. But once Senn confirmed it, she had to grin, glad her hearing hadn't completely gone away yet. She pondered who these people approaching might be, maybe they were friendly, maybe they were hostile. Maybe they were arguing amongst themselves trying to find out if the people trapped in the room were friendly or hostile, arming themselves with pipes.

She continued grinning when Ketryn, the female, suggested they hide. Pomona quite enjoyed keeping to the shadows, especially when she was this dried up. She could only hope that the strangers approaching were friendly, and had water on them. Pomona slunk back into a corner, trailing petals behind her that floated down onto the floor, the pieces of moss clinging to her and forming a dark covering, from in the darkness of the room and shadow of the wall it was rather hard to see her and not mistake her for a stain on the wall.