Preparations for a Fierce Battle

[forcegalactic]

Who: Everyone
What: A meeting to discuss the plan of attack against Palitutu
When: July 13th
Where: Old Observatory
Warnings: Threadjacking and discussion is heavily encouraged

[Anyone approaching the Observatory can smell the meeting long before they enter the building. Mordecai and Ellena worked hard the past several days cooking dishes for the Heroes and any guests they brought, resulting in a tiring contests of who could cook the most.

Dishes from Mars. Dishes from Ellana's world. Pastries. Any snack the two of them could find the recipe for. If there were some people that were unsure whether to come to the meeting or not, free food is the strongest argument.

The largest meeting room is prepared with tables and chairs for everyone to sit down, with sofas lining the sides. When everyone settles down and grabs a plate, Mordecai steps onto an area at the end of the room devoid of tables and chairs.]

Alright, alright. We got food in our stomachs, so it's about time we get this started.

Now, we all know why we're here. Palitutu's comin' in less than a month, and we still need to come up with a plan of attack. Seein' how big this team grew, there's gonna be a wide differences in opinions. Last thing we need is all of us disagreein' on what to do at the last minute.

[Like a few days ago. That was a disaster.]

We have plenty of reason to believe that she's not gonna listen to anythin' we say and kill us at the start, so we'll need to prepare our openin' move. There's plenty of ways to fight a WEAPON, but we gotta work together to do it in an efficient manner.

So. Now that I got your attention, what ideas do you have to offer?

Comments

[her_rose_is_red]

Maybe we should ask them....

[It's quiet, almost murmured to herself.]

They should... get to choose. Right?

[forcegalactic]

Yeah, about that.

[He steps down and returns to the tables.]

I asked Cid about that earlier, but it turns out they're celebratin' the Festival of Light around that time. It's gonna take a lotta convincin' to get everyone to cancel a holiday and move out. Guess they trust us too much.

The calamity within the rift

[shinrasfinest]

It's only polite to pay attention to the person talking when they are bringing what they know to the larger table and so Sephiroth intently listened to star Jack had already put clearly in their correspondence before.. It hadn't been easy for him to put the idea to Terra, the one to him that opening the Rift could potentially hurt most of all if something happened to him directly as a result. For all his attempts at pushing the vision as a tool with which many had been manipulated, there would always be that seed of doubt sitting there, double-checking anything he might hear or even think for himself.

"Met her before?" Really, given all the various Avatars and other persons of note in Crystallis that Jack might mean Sephiroth had a hunch with regards to the girl it had to be. The one in that park they'd met before on another of their various journeys not-of Crystallis, surrounded by the four Heroes which had sacrificed themselves. Others might not know, though, and it was important that the hunch was verified too.

Jack seemed very sure of what it was that needed to be achieved, Sephiroth was almost jealous in that regard being as he'd been at a lost for a great while. It was an admirable trait, but it was a pity that the plan laid out then was far less kosher than he thought it needed to be. All of those options had massive if's and but's associated with them, by his reckoning at least.

"I don't suppose there is very much of a plan as how to go about any of that, should we get that far? Given that, as I'm to understand it, we are like ants to such a being.

And what of the potential for unleashing a horde of shattered souls onto this World?"

[shinrasfinest]

It does seem to be building up to a big battle again, whether it be here in Aqures or out on the Calm Plains has yet to be really discussed at length, or at least as far as I know.

Aside from the visions warning those seers among us that she will bring the WEAPON to destroy us all and Aqures, we've very little specifics to go on. For all we know there are forces still somewhere out in the world loyal to Garland and might well be coming along too.

It's not a positive situation. To still be missing facts like that.

[shinrasfinest]

[It really doesn't matter that he's heard all of this before and this is Kidd essentially presenting it to those who have come along to the meet up, every time that the perhaps not-so strange appearance of Artemicion is mentioned it always grants a double take. If Palitutu hadn't already confiscated a weapon with the whole purpose of turning it on them, then what -was- the initial intention? Preventing an Avatar from doing the same? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

But what -does- make a lot of sense-]

We found it more logical to confiscate than to destroy, in this instance. Not only does this enable for us to potentially learn more about the weapon we're to be facing down in a months time, through study, but -should the need be required- we should be able to utilize it ourselves. An ace in our hand that even Palitutu may well not expect.

[He took a breath, no more comfortable standing and talking about it really than Kidd had been. Having the obvious feeling sit that he was probably going to be flamed at, by someone. Sephiroth attempts to continue to quash the obvious objection-]

It's secure, and by no means accessible to any one Hero of Light alone who might think -of their own will or not- to take it for a joy ride.

[shinrasfinest]

[While Sheena is uncharacteristically quiet at this gathering, it might seem they've traded places quite noticeably this time, as Sephiroth has so far been quite vocal about a handful of issues. Who knows, perhaps the suggestion that he should be a part of some 'council' or something has given his ass the kick that its needed for a while?

Whatever the answer, he's certainly got something of his focus back. Not quite to the level of the heroic soldier who had organized the defense of Aqures before, but a hint of that flavor is certainly there again.

He's come away from one of the more central tables to grab one of the sandwiches on offer when Sephiroth spots Sheena. He finds it odd almost immediately that he hasn't heard a word out of her, not once. Along side the fact she's turning her crystal in her hands, own generates a flick of a concerned look as he nods his head to her. Not quite in passing, yet not really close enough to her so as to give the signal that she has to engage in conversation with him if she doesn't want to.]

Sheena-?

[shinrasfinest]

We tried to get Aqures evacuated last time, it didn't work. The citizens here tend to be quite the unmovable force.

[Sephiroth comments lowly, from nearby, delivering a careful sidelong glance to Barkeep. Simon has to be one of the newcomers, and it takes Sephiroth a lot of effort not to just stare at that hairdo. He blinks and turns his attention away across towards others at the earliest opportunity and clears his throat to continue.]

Besides, now, one might argue that we're running out of places to put people given the spread of crystallization.

Not to mention that a cycle reset seems to be one of the highest stakes on the outcome of this pending encounter.

[line_piece]

...Probably, yeah. Or it might just shut down.

[pole_position]

Where will the Esdham military be stationed during this, Sephiroth? They've pledged their support, haven't they?

[scriptrix]

Yeah, that's going to be the priority. Onion Knights and people who have been here the longest.

[scriptrix]

Yeah, it's definitely going to be a tough choice. Onion Knights for sure, but we can't overlook people with other skills. Do you think we can hack into the WEAPON and take it back from Palitutu?

[shinrasfinest]

Although Cid informed us all of Esdham's intent, I've as yet not received any orders with regards to it. That said, I've not been back since the-

[He pauses. It's still a little hard to come to terms with all that's happened in the last few weeks.]

-since the investigation ended.

I will say this though. Even though Esdham is no longer at war with Hera, between the personnel deployed between Mysidia, the Tower and security concerns in Esdham itself - resources are already stretched thin.

That they would pledge a sizable force to aid us next month concerns me where those other positions will be weakened, with regards to who or what might be waiting to take advantage.

[umslay]

If you did it last year, we can do it again. However, I'm only one Teensie, and we'll have to distract her while I get to work.

[He assumes that hacking mission had more members, but Ales was dead at the time.]

Or you could turn me invisible, but that raises the problem of how and who can defend me if I'm spotted.

open

[red_planet_blues]

[Sparks has been unusually quiet, leaned against a back wall with his arms folded. He still looks tired, though maybe not quite as exhausted, as when the murders were going on.

While he doesn't say much of anything, he is listening. After most folks get their pieces in, he finally steps forward. He slaps a hand down on a table and leans on it, leveling a look at everyone in the room.]

We're not involvin' citizens. If anyone of 'em comes forward and wants to help, if they got a combat Job and won't get themselves immediately killed, send 'em to the military headquarters and have 'em talk it over with them. Don't stop 'em. But don't encourage them either. We're here to protect 'em, not throw them in the line 'a fire. Let them have their festival. They need it.

We get as much of the military on our side at the site as possible. But some need to be left in Aqures Ixen to keep an eye on things. I'll have the force out in droves that day.

I only got six Jobs mastered. Soon 7. But that means I ain't Onion Knight material. What I do have is a Magitech robot, so you better believe I'm gonna be on the front lines for this.

[That's all he really has to say, and now he feels awkward without knowing how to end this. He looks at everyone, standing up straight, clearing his throat. After a beat, a thought strikes him.]

Should... Should I send someone out after Deadpool? I should, shouldn't I.

[just_want_normal_knees]

Um, excuse me!

[And there's Ruby, raising her hand, trying to get someone's attention.]

Um, I know we're all thinking of fighting Pali-whatsits, but um... shouldn't we also try to figure out how to stop the crystalling and all? Like, ah... I dunno, use the Melodies of Life thing on the Crystal Tree?

[Sheepish grin here]

I mean, I know it's probably this awesome attack and all, but maybe it was meant for the Tree?

[pole_position]

The Crystal Tree...?

[Pyrrha hasn't been out there, so she's not familiar with that location and why it's important.]

Why do you say that?

[just_want_normal_knees]

Didn't What's-her-name's notes say something about how it's connected to the souls or whatever? And someone said that Melodies of Life uses hero's souls, too?

Maybe I'm overthinking things here...

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji wasn't quite fully paying attention until the mention of Artemicion. He has to take a second to glare angrily before he re-focuses. Why was he trying to...help them? But this WEAPON, Esdham's got it now.

"Good call," Kaji starts as he stands up. "I wouldn't trust us with it, and Esdham's a good place to hide it from Palitulu. Except, she probably can't control more than one, can she?"

"Can anybody," Kaji looks at everyone, "explain what these things are, as simply as possible? A giant robot or a creature, or both? But pilotable by someone who isn't physically inside it?"

[murimurimuri]

[Simon gasps and covers his eyes, cowering slightly in the face of Sephiroth's perfect muscles and great hair intimidating presence.]

I... I don't totally understand the logistics, but I'm sure if they talked to me they'd lose their confidence very quickly!

Re: The calamity within the rift

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

"When we had that partial psychic transference event," Jack nods, he knows that he and Sephiroth have different terms for it, but it's how he understands it. "When we could see into each other's memories. That place that wasn't a memory, but...was. Like it was a shared memory between all of us. The girl that was there, we believe is the being of the Calamity." Jack didn't get her name.

"To prevent anything from following us out, we're going to need a way to close the Rift again, we can't maintain the portal the entire time we are inside. If anyone knows of a way to signal from inside the Rift? I had a piece of tech that probably could have done the job, but I need to find another way now."

Jack sighs deeply and leans on the nearest table. "In addition, I'm regaining from home an algorithm that should keep the Rift stable this time. It's a way to predict variations in the Rift's energy levels. Back at home, we used it to know when the Cardiff Rift was going to open or close. It should apply here."

"But how to deal with an interdimensional being? Well, some of us have a tendency to get those things' attention." Jack runs a hand over his face. "We cut this world off from other worlds, no more Heroes appear, the Calamity gets stopped in its tracks, doesn't devour this world or ours. But it also means that whatever thing it is that the Ancients were trying to prevent by starting this mess in the first place is still a problem? Was the First Crystal already damaged? Or did it get damaged when the Ancients started to try to use other worlds to regenerate this one?" Jack lets out another sigh as he goes to one of the tables, he's looking for the copies of Palitulu's reports. She was the one that gave them this info.

[scriptrix]

That's true... even if that is how she got it in the first place. She might be expecting us to try it. A distraction is definitely a good idea. But hopefully she'll be too busy fighting the others to notice.

[pole_position]

Palitutu's notes did...? I wonder how they're connected.

Re: open

[umslay]

Let him be. He needs something to occupy himself until the confrontation. What's the harm in forming a secret army?

[Ales like Deadpool when it comes to getting the job done (if it involves violence), but that's it.]

At least we'll know what he's up to.

[jadethenecromancer]

"They are both mechanical and biological, yes. The WEAPONs were created by the Ancients to subdue the first Heroes of Light, and then repurposed to fight the Calamity. That's why the Ultima WEAPON awakened at the same time the Calamity did. It must have reacted to the presence of its intended target."

Jade hadn't seen the WEAPON but he had heard it, just as the research center had begun to crystallize.

"I thought it wouldn't be able to act on its own after it was hacked, but..." He glanced at Kaji. "Did Ib mention whether Palitutu was controlling it remotely in her vision?"

[red_planet_blues]

I... yeah, maybe. Long as it keeps him getting into anythin' else.

Anyway, uh. Yeah. I think we can do this. Defeatin' Palitutu, I mean. Let's get her out of our hair so we can focus on stoppin' the Calamity.