[Exalted - Side Thread] Blazing Ice Breaking Corona

[Hyoseph]

Celestial Mountain

(Time Frame: Shortly after his return from Chaos as detailed in Sargasso thread, but clearly before they leave for their new destination)

,,

It hadn't taken long for the Intelligences of this realm to conclude that they really didn't know what to do with the Infernal in their midst. Whether it was the time he spent in their mediocre-at-best forging halls or in the libraries of their sorcerous academies, his presence was both a blessing and a curse. After all, his knowledge of the occult was unheard of in a being of his age. His command and understanding of ancient an forgotten technologies and sciences was beyond even that of their sages. At the same time, he was not subtle about his origins. Such deception and subterfuge was the purview of the Shadow of All Things. Janos was a Malefactor, he was the embodiment of the Endless Desert, that which bordered on all things. Similarly, these beings had known what he was when he arrived. What was the point of hiding it? (Un?)Fortunately, not everyone else shared his enthusiasm. To more than a few, despite his boundless knowledge and technical expertise, he was still the Enemy at worst, a turncoat at best.

,,

It was not long after he accepted the task of working with the crew of the Voidswimmer that he decided that it was necessary to smooth relations as best as he could. It was not a difficult choice where to start, either. Copper Palm Zed was a Terrestrial Exalt and thus open to being swayed at his leisure. Dan was Captain and as such when it came to matters of the Voidswimmer or the Marshals, would be approached in due time. The Alchemical and the Sidereal were their own separate issues. He imagined Dyna would be won over through his command of technology and engineering, and the Sidereal would be won over when the Captain was. That left Kestrel. Scout Commander of the Voidswimmer and Chosen of the Sun. Between the lot of them, he had no doubt that there were more than a few misconceptions about what he was that would lead to difficulty in the future if not resolved.

,,

His own training completed, he set out to locate one of the other officers.

[Janos Tem]

Should have posted as Janos, but whatever

[SalmonMax]

The first few people Janos had contacted weren't sure where she could be found. A little more digging revealed that she'd left the manse several times...or maybe just one long time...it was hard to keep track of whether or not she was there unless she was actually using the facilities. His inquiries led him up the chain of command though to people she was obligated to keep at least minimally aware of her comings and goings, and he discerned that she was currently in one of the several training facilities, drilling herself in the performance of her arts.

,,

Dyna was there, watching her hurl the golden hued orichalcum chakram she had repeatedly at a distant target. The flows of essence that kept it aloft were clear to his eyes, as were other, nastier weaves that looked like they'd make the serrations along the outer edge...shaped to resemble the teeth of a gear...considerably sharper and more dangerous. Kestrel's aura was flared, though not at full anima, and hung around her in a dim violet haze that rivulets of light sometimes peeked though like bolts of lightning, or sunlight breaking through fast moving stormclouds.

,,

They both saw him at about the same time, and Kestrel said something to Dyna too quietly to hear. The metal woman nodded, and retreated far enough away to give some privacy.

,,

Kestrel, sweating but otherwise in good humor, wearing a vest and a pair of tight, knee length shorts both of an off-white color, put her hands on her hips as Janos came over.

,,

"Yeah?" she asked, inviting him with her usual overflowing verbiage to state his purpose in seeking him out.

[Janos Tem]

Janos's manner was respectful but not deferential. His own garb, appropriately brown, red, and gold, was far less utilitarian than the Night Caste's. He noted the general direction her training was going and inwardly approved of it. The Night Caste and the Chosen of Adorjan both were known to be legendary assassins and athletes. It was good to see one of the Sun's Chosen moving in such a direction. Knowledge, acceptance, and vigorous pursuit of one's proper role in existence was something to be expected from the mortals. The Celestial Exalted were exempt from such predestination but he could still appreciate the idea of focusing on improving natural talent rather than attempting to shape the round peg into a square one.

,,

"Kestrel, I wish to speak to you about the coming missions. It occurs to me that while our first outing was relatively short and simple, this next one promises to be anything but. In the interest of full disclosure I would like resolve any issues that we have left. As one Celestial Exalt to another, I would like to believe that we are on the same page, or at least on similar enough pages that age old prejudices don't get in the way of our functioning as a unit."

[SalmonMax]

"Mmm...okay, a few things," Kestrel replied. She held up a finger.

,,

"One, you are not a 'celestial' exalt. You got your essence 'thing' from something very different than me, or anyone else on this ship. Don't try to lump us all together."

,,

Another finger went up.

,,

"Two, I've seen your version of teamwork. It consisted of the rest of us doing our jobs, and you running off without orders like a madman. The rest of us brought back what we were there in the first place for, and you brought back a big ship full of slaving, demon-worshipping pirates."

,,

Kestrel golf-clapped.

,,

"So we're not on the same page, Janos. We're not even in the same book. I'm not even sure we're using the same printing material. You want to resolve issues? Alright, I'll lay them out for you. I don't like you. I don't trust you. I think you're a plaything for something that would like very much to enslave or kill everything that's important to me...which is basically ME. Now I'll follow orders...which is more than you can say...so if Dan says dance with you, you will have a dance partner. But you'd better keep your feet to yourself, because I will have a knife at the small of your back. Just in case."

,,

"Anything else you want to resolve, since we're on a roll?"

[Janos Tem]

Her response was not unexpected. It was much the same response as he would expect from any others who was brought up in a society with rather, shall we say, biased leanings.

,,

"I see. I am pleased then. It would seem that the majority of our problems stem from the same source. Misinformation. Allow me to correct a few things. In the order in which they were brought up."

,,

Janos stepped over to one of the benches that lined the wall and prepared to sit down.

"First, yes. I am a Celestial Exalt. Regardless of what your instructors tell you. My Essence remembers the Solar Dynasties, by extension I do as well, I have a Lunar Mate, and I personally was sought out by the Exaltation due to a penchant and capacity for heroic deeds and actions. We may have different colors and themes to our abilities but on a fundamental level, I have more in common with a Zenith Caste than anything else"

,,

Janos sat down, maintaining a perfect posture but at the same time giving the impression that he was considerably more relaxed than she was. Admittedly, that was not terribly difficult but still.

,,

"As far as the vessel I brought back and the acquisition of it, you are welcome. As a result of my actions, the group of you were more than capable of handling yourself with your Captain's information, being a rather standard salvaging operation. My efforts added to the fleet, took a very dangerous threat to our situation out of the equation, diverted the attentions of an Imperial Battlecruiser while the Voidswimmer and her cargo withdrew from the system, and was done so with the full knowledge of Captain Hawkins. He understood the scenario, the resources at hand, who, and what he was dealing with at the time. That he chose to keep you out of the loop is between the two of you

,,

"Not liking me, not trusting me, these are the result of the problems that I at least am seeking to resolve, they are not the problems themselves. As for me being a plaything for something else, I do not know how learned you are on the topic of femtotechnology or the interactions of Exaltations and their carriers, but I can summarize with the statement that I am no more a plaything of the source of my Exaltation than you are a plaything of yours. It is impossible to become Exalted and become enslaved at the same time, it requires a secondary effect. I believe you are confusing me with Akuma such as Gorol, or the Blood Queen. They were puppets and slaves. I, like you, am something else entirely."

[SalmonMax]

When Janos seated himself in the middle of a conversation, the thief's expression darkened.

,,

"Get up off the floor before I kick your jaw in," Kestrel snarled. "We're talking here, not having a tea party!"

,,

"Now, I don't care how old your exaltation is, or who it used to sleep with. You are NOTHING like me, Janos. It didn't seek you out because you have 'penchant and capacity' for heroism. It sought you out because you're the sort of person who would find it easy to believe that's what you have. And frankly, for all I know, I am a 'pawn' of some higher power. Don't think it hasn't kept me up nights. But you? You're a self-deluded twit if you think nothing you're doing is serving the ends of a stellar intelligence."

,,

She stepped closer, now well and truly angry.

,,

"See, the difference is motive. The Celestial exaltations were made by the ones who beat the stellar intelligences. They're now protecting the status quo. But you...your exaltation was made by a creature looking for a loophole in an otherwise airtight agreement. That's you, Janos. A cheat. A wiggle. And what's the motive? What do they want? They want all of this..." she waved her hand around, indicating the ship...the whole galaxy, "...to fall under their absolute dominion, or to go away. A point I made before that you did me the courtesy not to refute since we both know it's true."

,,

"What that means is that your exaltation sought you out for one of two reasons. You were either willing to support that goal, or you were too thick to realize you were being manipulated to serve it. Either way, you're a time bomb. Now why the Marshals think they can use you for this, I don't know. If I had my way, we'd have left you on someone else's doorstep. But I don't have my way, and since I need the Marshals for at least a little longer, I'm playing their game. Even if I don't like my fellow players."

,,

She folded her arms under her breasts and stared hard at Janos. She was making no effort to disguise her emotions.

,,

"I'm also pretty sure Dan didn't order you to go to the enemy ship and recruit a gang of bloodthirsty Lintha pirates. I'd ask you if you knew what they were like, but honestly? I don't care. That you did it means you're either narcoleptically ignorant, or howling insane. I'm going with the latter, since whatever your other failings are, ignorance doesn't seem like one of them."

,,

"I'll bottom-line this for you, Janos. You're not going to win me over. The best, the absolute best, you can hope for is a working relationship full of tension and mistrust which I terminate the instant I have the option to. You're going to go 'boom,' and I don't want to be anywhere within a parsec of you when it happens."

[Janos Tem]

Janos did not move from his chosen location. He did rather enjoy watching the stereotypically cool-headed Night Caste vent frustration at him. It never ceased to amaze the depth of some peoples' ignorance.

,,

"Now Kestrel, there is no cause for threats. There is no reason that we cannot be comfortable while talking. If you would prefer to stand, that is your choice. I choose not to. To the points, both of our Exaltations were made by a party that neither one of us can comprehend. Your friend Dyna would be the one to consult in that regard but that is not the point. If you would like, ask around here. We are at the Celestial Mountain, the closest thing to Heaven that exists inside this galaxy. This is one of the few places where your questions can be answered by the beings that first asked them and gave them answers. I can even make introductions to the Intelligences in charge of such things if you would like. It would be no trouble at all.

,,

'I do not refute your claims made about the Malfean Intelligences because there is nothing to refute. They were placed in a position to oversee the functions of all of Space, and then that position was taken from them by force. Justifiably, perhaps, but it was taken, and it was by force. I can imagine a cause for bitterness there. What I can refute, however, is your claim to motive. Do you know what my motivations are? Have you bothered to ask? Of course not. You simply assume that because my aura is a different color than yours that I am therefore predestined to overthrow the current divine structure and rule over it as a God King."

,,

Janos shook his head at the idea, a slight chuckle allowed.

,,

"If anyone is likely to come to that end, it is either yourself or the Captain. The Mandate falls to the Solar Exalted to rule over All Things. That is not opinion, that is fact. I do not have a claim to that anymore any more than a Lunar does. The Yozis did that to me when they changed my Essence from gold to green. Though between us, I am glad they did. I wouldn't know where to start. Possibly with an education system, but I digress. I am indeed a time bomb, Kestrel of the Night Caste. Thing is, so are you. So is the Captain, so is every single individual that carries a Solar Exaltation of any sort inside of them. We are growing powerful. You know it, I know it, Captain Hawkins knows it, and you can bet your last cent that Sidereal Marshal knows it. Whether you are with the Marshals or not, all eyes are on us. It's the down side of being a force of cosmic change. They want to know what we are going to do. Like you said, it's motive."

[SalmonMax]

Her eyes narrowed.

,,

"Yes. And like I said...our motive is to protect the status quo. The universe we built and now live in."

,,

"I don't have to know the specifics, or the intricate details, to know that's NOT what the intelligences want. And I don't have to know any of that to know that you're a smug, condescending prick. You have this thing that says, 'because I have the freedom and power to choose to be an irritating skinsore on the epidermis of the universe, I shall do that.' You don't care about the consequences. Case in point...you sit down in the middle of a discussion. It's rude. It pisses me off. You DO have a choice, yes. You can choose to be an ass and stay sitting, or you can show some respect and stand up and apologize. What gets me is that you seem to think you're here to mollify me, or improve my attitude towards you...but then in spite of that, when you see you're pissing me off, you still don't change what you're doing. Even though you can SEE it's only making your life harder."

,,

"That's what I mean when I say you're being manipulated. You think you want something...to placate me...but the reality is, when you examine your actions, you want something else entirely. Maybe even you aren't really aware of it, but it's painfully obvious to me."

,,

She dusts her hands off.

,,

"So now I have a choice. I can wallow in masochism by staying and continuing this, with a man who hasn't even got the courtesy to stay at eye level...or I can go take a shower, change clothes, and find something that would actually be fun, or educational, or redeeming in any way."

,,

"Oh, what to do, what to do..."

[Janos Tem]

"I see your point"

,,

Janos stood, a warm (relative to his 'dance partner' anyway) smile on his face, his hands clasped in front of him.

,,

"I do apologize, I did not mean to offend. I have to admit that I did notice the offense shortly after I sat down, though I was in the middle of someone threatening to kick my head off. Not the most respectful gesture itself but I am willing to take responsibility for my mistake.

,,

Do you accept my apology?"

[SalmonMax]

"Yeah, but you're the one wanting to make friends," Kestrel reminds him. "Me? I just wanted to kick you."

,,

"Tell you what, Janos. If you're really sorry, then change. I'll accept that. You want to convince me? Show me. Words are wind."

[Janos Tem]

"I believe you underestimate the power off the wind, Kestrel, but I see your point."

,,

Janos's expression darkened, his own mein becoming significantly less friendly.

,,

"You wish for me to change my Essence. Change my abilities. Change my very nature. Believe me when I say that I am actually working towards something very much along those lines. I intend to take back what the Yozi's stole from me. That is my goal. I intend to prevent the servants of the Yozi's, the Tomb Stars, the Shrieking Hordes, I work to keep these things at bay so the miserable wretches that make up most of the galaxy's population doesn't have to worry about some unknowable, insane abomination ruling their lives or snuffing out their species. That is my goal. You want to be convinced we're on the same team, I signed my name on the dotted fucking line, Night Caste, what have you done? I am on record in both Heaven and Hell as the opposition, one of those who keep Oblivion, the Shrieking Hordes, and even worse things at bay. That is what I do, that is what I have done, and that is what I will continue to do long after the events of Sunder Seven are forgotten. This is who I am, Night Caste."

,,

"If you want to call my motivation into question based on what type of cosmic battery I am fueled by even while seeing the commitments I have made and the actions I have taken, I question your sanity. As far as personal conduct goes, Night Caste, I must insist that you look in the mirror before you start throwing stones. I have been nothing but courteous to you. I come to you to resolve any issues between us. I extend the olive branch, as they say, and what do you do? You threaten violence upon my person and then make jokes about it. You hurl insult and derision after insult and derision and then expect me to change to become your friend.

,,

"With all respect due to you as a Chosen of the Sun, I did not come here to be your friend. Your manner, your lack of dignity, your insubordination to your Captain, all the little stunts you pull and think you're clever for, you could not possibly pay me enough to be your friend. I came here to ensure that for the good of the mission, being my mission, the Captain's mission, the crew's mission, and at least in theory, your mission, we were marching to the same drum. Once that was established I was going to see what sort of aid I could lend you. My previous incarnation was a Solar Craftsman of unfathomable skill and I was going to put that skill to work to improve your capabilities. No tricks, no clauses, simple craftsmanship."

,,

Janos drew upon an image projector, pulling up a picture of a masterfully constructed Orichalcum Daiklave, etched with the markings of the Star Marshals and simply perfect in its quality.

,,

"I made this offer to your Captain and he asked me to make him a simple Daiklave. All the wonders of the worlds available and he asked for a Daiklave. And so he received one. No tricks, no gimmicks, nothing. You may have any artisan you like inspect it."

,,

Janos dismissed the image.

,,

"You, on the other hand, have been discourteous and rude in every encounter we've had. As it stands, you have stated that you will be the knife at the small of my back. I'll be damned to Oblivion if I'm going to give you a better one. You can make due with these toys."

,,

Janos turned away from the Night Caste and made his way towards the exit.

[SalmonMax]

Kestrel's eyebrows lift a little during the tirade, but she lets him have his say. As Janos stalks out, she smiles a little and nods.

,,

"Better."

,,

She went in to shower.

[Heaven's Reach ST]

Exquisite Dynamic Synergy

,,

Dyna joined Kestrel as she moved to the shower and smiled slightly, then shook her head. "The Sidereals, always going for the subtle play.. " At the glance from Kestrel she chuckled openly. "Do you think it's an accident that Janos is paired in the same group with you? The Battles Caste is willing to extend him a considerable degree of influence and even apparent trust, no doubt thinking better to have him for us then against us. However, I find it interesting that he's positioned one of the night caste, the universe's greatest thieves and assassins where she can move against him if proves a bad idea, something to think about."

,,

She then shrugged and turned her attention other matters, namely Kestrel herself. "Care for some company for your shower?" Her tone and voice having shifted to something more sensual

[SalmonMax]

"Why Exquisite Dynamic Synergy," Kestrel said in a mock-scandalized tone, "I would almost think you are making improper advances on my person." She walked over to the metal woman at a casual pace, with a catlike gleam in her eyes. "Surely you realize this is a public facility? Anyone could come in, at any time."

,,

She backed Dyna up against the white-tile wall and leaned closer.

,,

"Are you okay with whoever that might be hearing your helpless screams of passion?"

,,

Without waiting for an answer, she leaned forward to kiss Dyna's cheek, nip her jaw gently, the side of her neck. Dyna obligingly began shifting the consistency of her 'flesh' to more humanlike elasticity, but Kestrel said, "No. Stay metal."

,,

"I am always metal, regardless of..." she began to say, but Kestrel shook her head and shushed her.

,,

"Stay metal."

,,

She loved the smooth, unyielding surface of Dyna's body when in her 'natural' state. Oh, there'd be time for yielding later, but for now... Clashing with Janos had stirred her. Anger translated easily into other forms of arousal.

,,

Abruptly Kestrel stepped back, stopping her mute explorations of Dyna's statuesque form.

,,

The engineer opened her eyes and stared at her, a little unsure. Was something wrong?

,,

Kestrel broke into a grin and motioned with her head towards the showers, then turned and headed in, already pulling at her clothes.

,,

...

,,

It therefore took a bit longer than she'd thought at first before it was time to see the Captain...but it was time well spent. The tension of her previous encounter all washed away, Kestrel emerged from the locker rooms in her sleeveless black tunic and trousers, with Dyna holding her arm demurely. If anyone had come in at an inopportune moment, they hadn't stayed around to give them a high-five once the noise stopped.

,,

"So I need to run some errands," Kes said to the gleaming burnished metal woman on her arm, "but I'll swing by later. We can settle in, watch some vids...have a nice low-stress night." She gently disengaged from Dyna and trotted ahead a few step, then turned to walk backwards facing her. "Sound good?"