Endurance: The Next Chapter (IC)

Feffon barreled past Thray and Kydi and crashed unceremoniously into the wall. It was able to inflate himself at the last second to slow itself down and minimize damage, but it still crashed into the steel with sufficient force to cause a blackish-green bruise to accumulate on its left side. It moaned in pain and deflated to normal size as Somnos healed Pomona. It slowly floated to eye height with Thray and looked around at the other people in the room with a look of wild curiosity on its face. Feffon spoke very little of the common language of the people around him, and so only understood a few words of it. These invaders didn't seem mean, as they said they were peaceful. Peace was a word that Feffon had heard before. Its people had used it before when the Kyrenians had attacked. "Peace" they had said, but no peace was given, only war. Feffon's gut told it not to trust them, but at the same time its senses told it that they were peaceful. It was quite divided about the different arguments and wheeled around several times mid-air to hear everyone. Feffon finally decided to try the peaceful approach, like Adon had done when the Kyrenians came.

"Peace, please." Feffon said very brokenly. It had a distinctive slur, as if it were speaking with something in its mouth "I...I...am Feffon, Pophagon [this is what Polyphages call their own species]. I...want peace." Its speech was slow and its memory foggy from the cryochamber that it had only recently revived from. It stumbled through the words uncomfortably, simply repeating what Adon had said. Hopefully it would work and these people would be nice. The Invaders didn't look very tasty, and Feffon was now hurt, so it would be easier to kill. It was nervous, though, because it had said what Adon had said and now it remembered what had happened afterwards. The Invader had replied saying "no peace" and Adon was killed.

Strange thought it over before dropping from his perch, a few feet away from the hooded Invader. He then walked about ten feet away and leaned on the wall. He was satisfied with Kydi's answer. He seemed to be speaking the truth. Unfortunately, he also had to give Coin whatever he wished, but it was a small price to pay for not eternally slaving to some Invader noble... or worse.

He turned towards the center of the room, watching the fight unfold. Why can't we all work together..? Even the invaders were competant enough to work together. They conquered the galaxy because of this... why can't we?

Ketryn nodded in response to the Invaders. She was now really sure they were not hostile- even the metal-eating thing that kind of scared her wanted to be allies. With this she spoke up. Thank you for your service. Would you be so kind but to direct me to an electricity outlet? I really do need one." Ketryn trace her fingers across the glowing line on her forehead.

It was then that Ketryn went back to stare blankly at Senn, still challenging him to question her logic.

Somnus stood back up and cast a glance around the room. As he had predicted, more creatures had come into view. Some of them didn't seem friendly. He tensed, but only slightly. These people didn't trust him, but why should they? Not only was he a stranger, but he had come in with a pair of Invaders.

He looked at Thray. "Usually I would attempt to navigate the ship to a habitable planet, or use an escape pod if needed..." he frowned, "but this ship is too badly damaged. The life support may not even last that long." He gave the two Kyreniens a pleading look. They couldn't just leave these people here, they would die.

Nyx had been hiding, tucking her wings around her like an enormous, feathery shield and going as motionless as she could manage.
This was unusual for her, but under the circumstances, not unreasonable.
She had almost come out, several times, from behind the pod she had been kept in stasis in, but the other creatures scared her. She liked the plans they had made, but she was afraid of meeting more of the beings that had captured her, and she didn't want to risk it; especially since she couldn't remember what they looked like.
Instead, she hunkered down and listened to them arguing with each other, hoping that the noise wouldn't draw attention to them, or to her.
She was watching the newcomers, trying to figure out what their intentions were, when someone pointed out that they were helping.
She weighed the benefits of not starving, and the possible downside of being re-captured, and decided to risk it. She stood up from behind the chamber and came out, cautiously, scanning for weapons and escape routes as she did so.
"You're really not here to hurt us?" She asked, waiting for an answer.

Senn crossed his arms, groaning. "Pathetic" he mumbled to himself. They actually believe them he thought. He looked at the Invaders now and approached them personally. "How do I know for certain you're not lying in some twisted scheme? I'd assume you'd want us to let our guard down, since there's only three of you and there are so many of us. So, Kyrenians. Convince me." He said lurching forward, now face to face with the two. His eyes narrowed. He had begun to lower his expectation that they'd attack on sight, but he still distrusted them and expected them to trick them into getting into their ship where they'll then take them away to some distant place of torture, wherever that may be.

"Liar!" Senn proclaimed. "I heard gunfire! And don't you dare tell me I didn't! Look at my ears, do you see their size? They're extremely sensitive. I can hear someone whispering a hundred yards away. I know that one of you are armed, at the least. So who is it? Anyone going to confess? You can't fool me, I'm not as dim-witted and bashful as these other creatures." Senn looked at them with a quizzical faces. His red eyes narrowing. He wasn't easily convinced and he had a certain hatred for Kyrenians. And his thirst for them to end, as far as visible, could not be quenched. And the words of these creatures could not quell the fury in his heart.

Strange picked up the rod again and walked towards Senn, a little enraged. He pointed the edge of the rod towards Senn's neck, and then lowered it.

"You'd think that if they want us dead, they'd shoot us up with said gun right now, wouldn't you?" Strange said, a little enraged. "They-" He pointed towards the Invaders- "aren't dangerous. If they were, we'd have known this a long time ago. If you're as smart as you say you are, then... Wouldn't you agree? You may not like to forgive or forget, but you have to admit they're not lying."

Strange crossed his arms, looking directly at Senn. For some reason, something made him... different than usual. Maybe it was his new found hatred for Senn.

Ketryn sighed flatly. "They are telling the truth. If you are still unsure, listen to their heartbeats as they speak. It usually quickens when one lies. Lets just go, already. I need to find an electricity outlet." To prove a point, Ketryn pulled a wire from her wrist, also showing that she was a cyborg, in a way. "Let's go. You..." She pointed at the two Kyrenians. She didn't care if they had guns- she was made of metal, after all. "...you lead me out of here."

Pomona nodded along to what Ketryn was saying, hopping from one foot to another in an almost impatient fashion. She had begun to ignore Senn, letting is boring voice done on and on until it was just white noise in the back of her head. She wasn't particularly scared of guns, they wouldn't be able to do much damage against her. And while the sword looked intimidating, she doubted they would attack them. Pomona had promised to go quietly, regardless. Pomona looked over to Somnus, seeing him as the closest thing to an ally here. Maybe he knew the way out.

Senn clenched his fists, saying angrily, "how many times must I explain it? They're trying to get us all onto their ship so they can take us away an experiment on us, torture us! And the best way to convince us is to look like a good-willed rescue team, unarmed and peaceful. Wouldn't you agree? A smart race knows how to lie, and lie well. And an even smarter race knows how to see that." He hacked up some poison and spat it at the end of the rod, causing the metal to begin to soften into a black foam. His eyes narrowed.

"If you plan on fighting me, I'd suggest you get something than your little rod there" he said. He then looked at Katryn. "You know, there are races out there with different emotions and logics within their anatomy. They might not be bound to biological changes due to mood or actions, as you and I are."

Somnus had had enough.  He approached Senn, not quite angry, but done listening to him argue.  "Look, I met them only minutes before coming in this room," he said, "but they've made no move to harm me or anyone else, that I've seen."  He decided not to mention that they had killed a fellow Kyrenien.  While that could prove their opposition to their own race, Senn would probably take it to mean they were selfish and prepared to kill for their own good.

"What choice do you have?" he asked, "risk it now, and possibly live, or die here for certain?"  And, while Senn may not believe him, he decided to add one last point.  "I have not known them long, so my judgment could be wrong...  But that's why I'll be going with you.  You have little reason to trust me, either, but that is all anyone can ask."

Nyx had been arguing with herself, but at the strange being's final words, she started and ran after them.
They might be Invaders, but at least they hadn't tried to shoot her yet, and it was likely that they had food they'd give her, or valuables, somewhere on their ship, that they wouldn't mind her...*ahem*, borrowing.
"Wait for me!"

Senn's ears folded back, angrily. He hissed to himself. His bony shoulders tenses as he calculated things in his head. He thought things out and then looked at them. "Fine, I'll come with you. But the minute I get a chance to grab a ship or something of my own, I'm gone. I don't care what the lot of you say." Then Senn went up to Kydi, a bit annoyed. "And I'm obviously a mammal, not a reptile!" He groaned.

Somnus shrugged, which was mostly a subtle movement of his wings. "You may do whatever you want," he said, "however, I don't think trying to steal a ship would work very well, as said ship will probably be full of not-so-friendly Kyreniens." He began walking back towards the door, hoping Kydi and Thray would begin moving soon. One of his ears twitched, and he looked back at Senn, "you would also need to know how to fly a ship."

Senn rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I'm not an idiot. I know how to fly a ship. And I never said anything about stealing. Should I come across any old ship that is decent and not occupied, I will snatch it." He replied. He followed the Invaders a they walked back down the hall. "Fly a ship, pfft. You don't know half of it."

Pomona walked alongside Somnus, thinking him as a good enough person to walk alongside. If he willing did...some sort of wacky spell in her to keep from from shriveling up into nothing, then he must have some sliver of goodness in him. To be honest, most of these invaders seemed more friendly then the people she had been forced to stay with for several days. None of them attacked or threatened them with either violence or theft. Pomona glanced backwards at Senn for a moment before leaning down slightly, cupping her hand around her mouth and to Somnus to whisper in his ear. "That one might be dangerous unless you keep an eye on him, he just admitted that he wasn't above stealing." Pomona knew for a fact that Senn could hear her whispers, and would eavesdrop. But in the end that would just prove him to be a bit worse.

Senn took the flank of Ponoma and Somnus. He looked at them, at first with hostility, but then calmly. "Grow up like I did, and you'll learn that sometimes surviving means stealing things and doing wrong. But if I told you any more, you'd consider me a psychopath. Like everyone does, so I'll just leave it at that. But I'll say that a good person such as you claim yourself to be, doesn't gossip. Neither does a loyal one or an honorable one." He said walking forward a bit, his ears still locked on his surroundings.

Ketryn was following the group silently, eyes darting around from one lifeform to another. Finally she quickened her pace, catching up with Thray an Kydi before speaking up, trying to be quiet. "I suppose I should be the jest to say thank you for offering help," she stated plainly. "However, I am admittedly a bit weary of your race's actions, in truth, but that doesn't mean I want to kill you." She glanced back t Senn, hinting towards what she meant. "So how far to the nearest safe electricity outlet?"

Somnus smirked, "No," he said casually, "I don't know how to fly a ship." With that, he checked to make sure everyone was following, and set off down the hall after Thray and Kydi. He wanted to fly outside the ship. It was more natural to him, and he rather wanted to show off anyway. But he had promised to keep an eye on these former prisoners, and he would do so, even at his own risk.