The Fete at the Observatory

[desertbloomed]

Characters: All (hopefully) uncaptured Heroes of Light
Where/When: At the Heroes' Observatory, the evening of February 10th
Summary: Ashelia has called a meeting - under the guise of a party - to discuss the next steps forward for the Heroes following the revelations revealed in the shared dream.
Warnings: N/A
Note: Each part of Ashelia's speech is centred around a different topic. Feel free to indicate what in particular your character is responding to in the headline for your top level! Alternately, if your character is bringing up something on their own, or not in direct reply to something Ashelia has mentioned, feel free to out the subject in the Subject line! There's a lot going on and a lot of ground to cover, so let's keep it organized so things are easy to find later!

"I would like your attention, please." With her experience as an accomplished politician, Ashelia's voice cut through the din of the gathered Heroes. The high ceiling of the meeting room lent itself well to the sorts of echoes that could easily cause headaches, unfortunately. The Queen planned to bring in some fabrics to soften the effects, but there had been little time for decorating, and it seemed there wouldn't be anytime soon.

The Lady Ashelia stood at the head of the incredibly large wooden table that dominated a good chunk of the room. Wooden chairs lined the edges of the tables, straight-backed and unfortunately not cushioned. It was clear that the Queen of Dalmasca didn't want anyone getting too comfortable in this particular room. There were papers in front of her, books and file folders and ledgers, all organized into neat piles. She picked up one of the papers, clearing her throat quietly before continuing. "If as many of you as possible could take a seat, I can call this meeting to order - and yes, I would like to apologize.

"As you may have guessed, this is not a fete. It is important for everyone to know..." Ashelia paused, waiting for the last straggling voices to quiet down before continuing, "that Mognet has been compromised. There is no longer such a thing as private correspondence, if ever there was. Keep this in mind in the coming months. The war has begun."

Ashelia paused for questions and comments before continuing.

"As many of us have realized, and Markus observed earlier over Mognet, the usual appearance of new Heroes of Light at the Crystal of Fire around the fifth of each month did not occur. This disturbance of the established cycle may seem abrupt, but upon further examination, 'tis not so." The Queen took a sip of water. "The cycle has been disturbed previously, though not in such a drastic manner. Last month, crystal statues appeared and disappeared within the hour. Heroes awakened from the crystal stasis were unceremoniously dropped from the sky. So you see, this disturbance has simply progressed. I welcome your thoughts on this."

Ashelia paused for questions and comments before continuing.

"Next on my agenda is the true motivation behind my calling this gathering. The night of February 5th, I had a dream." She stopped, shaking her head. "No, a vision. It did not take me long to realize I was not the only one to experience this. I've written the contents here." Ashelia held up a file folder. "However, if I am correct, many of you need only read it to refresh your memory." She stopped for a moment, putting the folder back on the table. "The ramifications of this new information are clear. The Empire holds four of our number captive, as well as countless other displaced Heroes in crystal stasis. It is my belief we must act on this information. We must save them."

Ashelia paused for questions and comments before continuing.

"The last subject I would like to cover is this." She held up a small, worn notebook. "This is the diary of the Lady Kalki, one of the Empire's Triumvirate. This woman, more than any other, has made clear her intentions are in opposition to us as a group. I encourage everyone to read through this document." Ashelia put the notebook down on the table and held up another file folder. "I have written a transcription myself, as the original is quite delicate." She put the file folder down. "This document provides invaluable insight into whom we can only assume is our enemy. It , unfortunately, poses more questions than it answers, but it does make clear that it is she who holds the answers that we need."

Ashelia took another sip of water, looking around at the gathered Heroes. "I once again open the floor to questions and comments. I believe it will take all of us to rescue our comrades; however, I also believe that if we do work together as one, we shall not fail."

Comments

Night of the 31st

[unitesearthandsky]

At one time his hand had been meek, fearful of taking up the responsibilities of what had been given to him not only in Skyloft, but by the Kingdom here. With Zelda sitting next to him, Link could not help but feel something calling him to remark about an incident he'd been told of.

His voice wavers for a moment, just before he clears his throat to raise his voice for all to hear.

".. Should we also talk about the broken telescope? I don't know if it has any barring with what is going on with this Kalki woman, but it seems too likely to me. Is this something that we want to investigate further? Our friends are first and foremost, that's a given, but I can't help but wonder about this after finding out that our homes might be in danger."

Re: Night of the 31st

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

That wasn't a topic that Jack was expecting, but he nods and stands in reply to Link's question. "On the night of the dual full moon, we could see through to our home worlds. It's not just strange that the scope was showing something different than what's in the sky. What I don't understand is why, despite changing nothing on the telescope, I look through, and I see Earth," he gestures to Zelda, "Zelda looks through, sees her own home world."

"I could imagine some combination, the lunar cycle timing up with whatever hole between dimensions got torn to bring somebody through, but why would it change depending on who's looking at it?"

Jack folds his arms, and his tone drops. "It gets worse, because I'm not the right guy to answer that question. Never seen anything like this, I'm going on pure theory. The person from my world who is the right guy? The Empire has him."

Proposal for Empire Infiltration

[iknowtheconsequences]

Kaji waits, and barely reacts to the news. Some of it he's known, some of it he suspected, like the leak in Mognet. So much for his original thought that it was a perfect information system. But a leak is good. It's a way to feed information through.

He waits until Ashe is completely done, and approaches her afterwards. If this is going to work, the fewer people know about it, the best. "I have a proposal for you. If you want information, there's a guaranteed way to get it."

"The easiest way? Is that I 'betray' the Heroes and offer my services to the Empire. They have spies, you have none. You need at least one. You tell me what information, true or not, to feed them, and I feed everything I learn back to you. We can even work with this leak in Mognet, if we know who's monitoring it, that's another way we can manipulate what they know."

"It's risky. For far more than just myself, even though I'm the one on the 'front lines,' so to speak. I've had this idea for a while, but now's the time to act. Now's when you need information. Let me do my job."

[whatapain]

"Your job, huh?"

And there's this guy, bangs covering his eyes, who had yet to say anything in the meeting. With his hands folded behind his head and sitting against a wall, it was probably easy to assume he'd been asleep the entire time. But Shigure was listening.

"You have experience with this kind of work?"

[umslay]

"Brilliant plan, never would have thought of it," Ales says from a seat behind Kaiji. "The problem is that they know you're a Hero and have no reason to trust you. And you'll need to feed them accurate information for a long time before they stop being suspicious of you."

He shakes his head. "Double-crossing is a bit difficult when the other party doesn't even know you."

Proposal for Empire Infiltration

[greenmagick]

"I would like to go as well." Terra's voice was gentle and just by looking at her she didn't appear to be very good at espionage. She took a step forward her green hair tightly pulled back behind her head.

"It's true its different from my own world but I used to be apart of an empire much like the one here." Her gaze was as she addressed Kaji. "I would be able to help."

The truth was her scattered memory was filled with fire and torture. She didn't want to mention the details but it was something the hero could live with. No matter what happened she would save Luffy and those captured. She wanted to bring people's loved ones home, even take their place if it came to that.

Re: Proposal for Empire Infiltration

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia nodded along with Kaji's explanation. She had a similar idea herself, and even thought about approaching Kaji with it. But it was better this way. The risk of discovery and danger was higher than any job she'd given a spy before; better that he resolve himself to the idea on his own than get it handed to him. She had to remind herself constantly that these weren't her men - she may have pulled them all together and given them the information they needed, but they were all her equals. She couldn't ask such things of them, 'immortal' or not.

"You need not permission from me, Kaji, but I support your proposal all the same." The Queen crossed her arms, drumming her fingers against her lip in deep thought. "You need a reason to defect. The timing will be much too suspicious otherwise."

Re: Proposal for Empire Infiltration

[woman_of_strife]

Arms are crossed in front of her chest, her head raising so that her nose is almost pointing to the ceiling. Forgive her, Kaji, for being a bit apprehensive at the claims being made and the proposal he offers.

".. And we're supposed to just try that you're on the level with the rest of us? Lives are in the balance and you want us all the believe that you're to be trusted? I hate to be the doubtful one here, but I've been burned many times before by men with ulterior motives."

Re: Proposal for Empire Infiltration

[not_most_days]

Kidd quietly listened to the proposal, raising an eyebrow at his suggestion and waited for the others to say their peace. It was a risky move, and if Kaji went forward with it she'd have to watch him carefully.

Those who suggested playing turncoat always ran the risk of being one from the start. She'd be the Heroes' knife in the dark against Kaji if it came to it.

Saving Yuffie and Yuna

[woman_of_strife]

Tifa rises from her seat, arms crossed over her chest as she kicks out the chair from behind her. It wouldn't be the first time she's called for action at the peak of Ashe's sermon, and it would most likely not be the last.

"Do we have a plan for what we're going to do? Every moment spent here is another moment they could be doing something to our friends. How many able bodies do we have that can be sent to try and infiltrate their way into the Empire? If we're taking volunteers, I nominate myself."

She looks to the numbers that have gathered, auburn eyes watching the faces of people she's fought alongside and even those she's only seen in passing. "Any ideas? I'd rather not rely on any government but those of us here, so long as we trust one another.."

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza stood as well. "I volunteer as well. We must find a way to rescue our compatriots. Their safe return must be our priority."

He glanced at the file folder about their shared dream, but did not need to flip through it. The vision he had been granted might as well have been etched into his mind.

"They will expect an attack during their festival. That must be why they allowed us access to their information. They plan to lure us out by tempting us with the presence of the Triumvirate. I say we give them what they expect...and then, when their guards are down and their numbers wearied at the end of their celebrations, we begin our true initiative."

Events until now - OPEN for questions.

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda stood behind Ashelia making sure that she got there early to help her friend work out this very important meeting. There was so much going on and she hasn't been able to figure out a solution alone. She has been slowly collecting information from the last few months and tried to work through it talking it over with Link helped her clear her head of random thoughts but she was still unsure.

She stood out of the way but in sight of the heroes. Her head was held up and her vision clear. Her whole appearance was that of a princess exuding confidence. She wanted everyone to believe even though things were currently looking grim. She wore a white dress that clung to her figure. She spoke up momentarily just as Ashelia's speech had come to an end.

"I have records of everything that's happened and would be happy to answer any questions." She was worried but it couldn't be heard in her voice. She wanted to support everyone and she hoped sharing what she had gathered was enough.

Re: Events until now - OPEN for questions.

[not_most_days]

Information was an important thing, but it didn't always feel like a satisfying way of helping. Kidd recognized the look in Zelda's eyes. It was the same one sometimes held by record keepers, librarians and clerks at the Brotherhood's bureaus. Not everyone was cut out to leap from rooftops.

She smiled gently as she walked up to the young woman, "I had a question for you, Lady Zelda. I've heard something about a missing queen but I've had a little trouble gathering information on it. Do you know anything?"

open

[red_planet_blues]

[Once Ashelia finishes and the floor opens up, the marshal stands up with his own paperwork. He's not much of a public speaker, which could be obvious from the quick glance he gives the room, and taking a moment to clear his throat and to figure out where to start.]

Um. Let's see. Last month, when those crystal statues showed up, one of 'em was someone I knew from back on Mars. Name's Croach. Reckon y'all might remember a letter I sent out about it. [He holds up a copy of it, in case anyone needs it.]

Ashelia wasn't kiddin' when she said Mognet is compromised. Two days after I sent that out, I got a response. From Kalki. [Now he holds up the conspicous note for all to see, then reads it out loud.]

"I'll be waiting. And so will they." And along with that note she sent, uh. She sent a piece of Croach inside the note. Seriously. A piece of him. An antenna. Cuz, ya see, he's a Martian, and Martians got antenna and-- Honestly it's pretty impressive when ya think about it, cuz Martians got this nanotech that heals 'em up fast, right? And-- Okay maybe "impressive" ain't the right word, it was also super gross but you know what I--

Er, anyway. If'n ya ask me, this is a declaration of war. And I'm more than ready to do to bring it to 'em. But then this little thing in Esdham got in our way first.

One of the things in the diary is a whole list of Heroes; past, present 'n future. I don't know how, but there were hundreds of names on that list, with a lot more from my home planet than what evidence I've seen here so far. Someone brought up a good point to me about this - if they know where we're from, and know who's there, what's to say they don't got access to our home planets? Somethin' to think about. Maybe it'll get these plans movin' faster.

So, fer now, don't be stupid about what sorta information ya send out over Mognet. Those spies, and who knows how many more, 'r still around. And if they can track us on our home planets, it's safe to say they might know what we're up to in Aqures Ixen even more easily. If any of ya out there ain't familiar about our three spy friends, ya can check Zelda's records about the Magitek Facility incident.

They got not just four people from the battle, but in theory, some or maybe even all of those folks that showed up crystallized. We can't sit around any longer. And if no one else wants to do somethin' about it, don't think I won't do it myself.

[Yes, he knows that's a terrible idea. But he doesn't care. The longer Sparks sits around while Emipre screws with them, and questions go unanswered, only makes him more uneasy. It's been too long now. He wants action.]

Re: open

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

"You won't be alone." Jack's arms are folded tightly, he is quietly bristling with an anger that has been rising the longer he's been here, as soon as he learned the dream was true.

"They have the Doctor. They hold him, they don't just put my world at risk, but my timeline, everyone's timeline, all of time and space has the potential to just unravel, unless they let him get back out and do what he does. They are expecting a response. They're going to get one, that's not even a question any more." He nods towards the Marshall, "They're expecting one from you, personally. We do this right, we can turn that to our advantage."

"But, you talk about war, that brings up another question. Are we alone in this? The attack at Esdham, they're rebuilding, at the moment, but can we expect their support in any kind of offensive? The kingdom here, military's too small, we're too isolated, I wouldn't expect support from them. But the Republic? Do they have anything for a counter-offensive?"

open

[divinewrath]

“Hmm…”

Nel did have her suspicions about the network, in all honesty, hence why she kept her usage of it to an absolute minimum. Though it’d only been just that: a suspicion, and for rather unrelated (albeit somewhat justified) reasons at that. Now with a confirmation of compromised network, that just means they’d need to be more cautious about what is brought up. Not to mention… it’s obvious that wasn’t the only thing that was compromised. With a war at hand, they may need to be wary of any potential enemy informants at this “fete” as well. Who knew for sure?

That didn’t begin to describe her concern over that one dream she had. Time, “immortality”, and the toying with of these peoples’ worlds… Their actions left a very bad taste in the ninja’s mouth, all things considering, and the look of disgust is clear in her expression despite the mask partially covering her face.

“This is certainly a problem.” Nel crosses her arms as she speaks in a low voice, not exactly thrilled at the idea of a war, let alone one that potentially puts their own worlds at stake. “As it stands, something needs to be done about those still behind enemy lines. … Of course, I wouldn't be surprised that’s exactly what they’re expecting from us too.”

It really couldn't be that far of a stretch to assume it was a trap laid clear for them all. One had to consider all the possibilities.

open

[greenmagick]

"What if we plan something unexpected then? We can't leave them but we can think of something." She was hopeful. In fact, that was all that Terra had anymore.

It was her blind hope and unwavering believe that things would work out if she kept trying. She knew that things were bleak and the world wasn't so black and white but it was what kept the mage going.

The Imperial Parade

[nankurunaisa]

"Um, there's something I'd like to talk about!"

For those who knew Hibiki, this was their first time seeing her since the battle at Esdham. She stood at the back of the room, keeping to herself, until it was time to share opinions. Normally an ever confident public speaker and performer, Hibiki looked nervous as she tried to command the room's attention to herself. She wasn't sure if what she was about to speak about was important at all, but...

"Did you guys hear about the Parade later this month? I'm kinda surprised it hasn't been brought up yet. Apparently, it's a big deal to them." And here is where she found her resolve. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued. "I've been working with an acting troupe, and I was invited to perform with them in the Imperial City. If you guys are lookin' for a way in, I could talk to my boss! I mean, I could probably get a few of ya to come and help with preparations or somethin'. It'd be a lot safer than tryin' to sneak in, right?"

It sounded like a good plan to her, but standing in a room full of real heroes and real warriors...she had no idea if her plan had any merit to it, no idea if it was sound. At worst, she would be told it was a bad idea, but she wanted to help to. "I'm not really good at this...bein' a hero and fightin'...but I can at least do this. If a few people want in, I'll do everything I can to get ya included, okay? I can at least do that much!"

The Imperial Parade

[whereishe]

Yuna gave the girl a quick nod with a confident smile. "Yes. I have heard of that as well. I was going to attend as part of the Blitzball team. They are letting people over and I was hoping to look for the others or find clues if I could."

She was happy that someone brought it up, if only because she was hoping to have help once she was within those walls. According to that dream they must be held in some sort of lab. She only hoped that everyone was still alright.

Kalki's Diary

[umslay]

Ales listens to the entire of Ashe's speech in silence, with occasional bouts of fiddling with one of his tools. He has his own curiosities regarding the shared dream, but he assumes that whatever conclusion is drawn in the meeting won't be any different from his.

Once she finishes, he gets up to take the file folder containing the diary transcriptions and carefully reads through them. His expression grows more serious at each page, pausing at the page with the list of Heroes' names and some people from his world.

Refusing to dwell on the possibility that someone else from the Glade could arrive not as a crystal, he continues on, stopping at the last page before closing the folder.

"There's certainly a lot in here to discuss. They clearly know how to transport us from our worlds, and possibly targeted us if that's the purpose of this list. And she was already working on harnessing the power of the crystal." His face still remains serious, though not without a touch of sympathy for the writer.

"Ashe, how exactly did you come across this?"

Re: Kalki's Diary

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia ran a hand over the worn out diary. "Yuna, Ramza and I came upon it during our expedition to the Lost City of Aqures Tosf. We found it in what must have been Kalki's private quarters during her time there as a research assistant."

She shook her head slowly. "'Tis important to keep a mind for the timeline. Aqures Tosf was destroyed thirty-seven years ago if I remember correctly, or close to it. That is when Kalki wrote those names. So, has this been her plan for decades, leading up to our arrival this past summer? Or is she somehow only reading what is to come, what is prophesied through the crystals themselves? How much control does she have, after all?"

open - Kalki's dairy

[nodreamsorhonor]

He had read the file while others were talking and he really was not calm about it. His fingers tightened reflectively as he hit the terms of experiments and then a slight hiss of recognition at the drawn pictures. Scientists. If he was able to wipe out the whole lot of them, he would without question. It was people like them that caused so much broken lands back home, not caring what they tugged on so long as they found something interesting.

Was it wrong of him to think that? Maybe it was but at the same time didn't people like Hojo started out like this and then became monsters?

Genesis put the file down, crossed his arms and decided to speak up. He talked a little to Sephiroth before he came here. Maybe his former friend would understand that these people needed some information from a different source.

"I find it troubling on several levels about how much similarities between what has been presented here and my Planet's own history," he said. "First point: a group of people found an interesting power source and wished to use it to better the living conditions of everyone. Second point: scientists dug a little deeper than they should and unearthed something that could give them unlimited power. Third point: WEAPONS are my Planet's best offensive tool created to fight the Calamity. Fourth point: our Calamity came from the stars as well. Fifth point: scientists changing from trying to better people into trying to gain power.

There is more, some of which I am not exactly comfortable to speak about, however, one of the facts I do know concerning my world's Calamity is this: it can take over a person and change them into something else."

Re: open - Kalki's dairy

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia nodded along slowly to Genesis' points. She'd seen many similarities between Crystallis and Ivalice, but this was a bit much. However, considering some of the points the diary raised, possible not that outlandish. The doppelgangers, the enigmatic closing line...

"Physically, you mean?" Ashelia asked, one eyebrow raised. The closest any of them had gotten to the Calamity was the black crystals back during the Magitek Facility incident. Of course, there was the Night of the Thirteen Moogles as well. And form what she had heard about Sephiroth that night...

Tifa's warning from back at the Christmas party echoed in the Queen's mind. If there is some kind of connection...

Open - Crystal Concerns

[line_piece]

[Chiaki spends some time thoughtfully listening to the others before voicing her own concerns.]

I've been wondering about the Crystals lately... there are more than one, right? We've got the Fire Crystal here, the Earth Crystal is probably in the Empire. Does anybody know where the Crystals of Wind and Water are located? It would make sense that they're out there somewhere, right?

And, related to that point... it seems pretty likely that someone's manipulating the Crystals directly. This is mostly in reference to the dream again, since it came up at least once. It would explain why each new batch of Heroes has been arriving a little differently over the past few months, too.

I'm worried about how soon this world might face an even bigger disaster than the Heran Empire's invasions if that keeps up. If Crystals are like big batteries that provide this world with magic and are used to power every day machines... how long before the power runs out? Can they be recharged? If so, how? And if not, what happens then?

[elevatoravatar]

"Does anyone actually know much about the crystals themselves? If that is a possibility, perhaps a sage who actually knew the incantations that were based from them could do more, or is this simply an act of finding a big enough Winnebago to hide the Empire's crystal in while a group executed the decisive mission called a heist?"

OPEN (and in need of a review)

[2hell_weride]

MarKus's managed to stay conscious long enough to hear his name be mentioned but before long, he was knocked out in the seat he'd found. He was dead asleep, slumped in his chair and arms folded.

Honestly it was the first sleep longer than 10 minutes he'd gotten in days, the man deliberately overworking himself since the 5th in order to not act out stupidly thanks to the vision that Ashe had mentioned she, too, had. And even before then, since the attack on Edsham, he'd been working harder than normal to keep himself occupied.

Those who know him well know he looks pretty damn terrible, but what's more he probably should not be asleep in his chair like that.

OPEN (and in need of a review)

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda had collected things to keep within the observatory in case they were needed one of which was blankets. There was enough rooms in the new building for people to set up shops or rooms if they wanted to and the young goddess wanted to be prepared should the need arise.

She saw MarKus sleeping and smiled to herself at the sight. She knew that he had been working hard as of late and she didn't want to wake him. After excusing herself she quickly fetched a warm blanket draping it over the heroes shoulders like a mother hen attending her children. With that done she took up her post near the front of the room to answer any pressing questions.

Of NPC's and (maybe of) a certain captured Mog - OPEN

[shinrasfinest]

It was difficult for Sephiroth to weave in and out of as many of the conversations as he would like to have an input to, on account of his less-mobile state. It had been a shining demonstration of his own force of will to see him in attendance at all, considering the current weather was not kind to many who would brave it - let alone with the crutches he had supported most of his weight on. Ask for help in getting to the Observatory, pah, he'd crawled through a desert recently.

Never mind that his toes may be a little blue, as they peek unmoving out of the bottom of the cast which was mostly covered by the slackest pair of grey joggers he could find.

Still, he made a point to move from one seat to another occasionally, as he would if he were adopting his usual patrolling tendencies at any other gathering like this one. At the very least, he managed to get an idea of the sort of theories being thrown around. About infiltration, crystals, telescopes. Of diaries and how one person now apparently held the ultimate card to play against all of them.

But there was something that took a while to strike at the forefront of Sephiroth's thoughts, perhaps as a result of the perturbing details recounted in Kalki's diary and how close -like Genesis had suggested- it all ran to how his homeworld worked. His potential future also...was a subject best not touched on either, with all of the events so far in Crystallis brought to mind.

From his seat, where he had hauled his leg up onto an adjacent chair, Sephiroth blinked a few times before flitting his eyes around from one person to another. Not that anyone was obligated to assist, a moment later he took his crutches once more worked to get up and approach the head of the wooden table where he waited before speaking, trying extremely hard not to sway too much, until others looked his way.

"All of the topics I've overheard discussed thus far are indeed urgent and action needs to be taken before our existence here is put into any further jeopardy.

"It seems that you would all take on these various burdens yourself," He looked slowly around the faces gathered, just to take a head count whom was listening more than anything else. "And who could blame you for wanting to, Mognet being tapped has indeed highlighted a need for greater awareness of how we share sensitive information.

"There is a lot of talk of crystals, more specifically highlighting the lack of knowledge we collectively have of how they work- but we have a benefactor here who is more well-versed than any of us could be.

"There is talk of an infiltration, to rescue those four that have been taken. We have another whom we can turn to who, by his position, for sure would know more of the Heran culture that we, in our limited experience, could know.

"So what of them. Jessie, Wedge and Biggs. Are we to cut our nose off to spite our face? Jessie herself is named in Kalki's diary - shouldn't we be sharing our findings with those that have done nothing but assist us, or to clarify things where they have been able to?

"It seems illogical to me, to discount them as a resource."

Of NPC's and (maybe of) a certain captured Mog - OPEN

[goddessofthesky]

"I agree." Zelda had wanted to make sure that Sephiroth was alright within the sea of people. She knew that he should be still recovering but she was happy to see him out and around at least for his own sanity.

Her smile remained confident a collected as she spoke. "I think we should be careful what we divulge if only because of how much is already known about us but they have been willing to help in the past and I know that we share some goals." She just didn't know what they would do to achieve those goals and that was what worried her. Everything here felt so extreme though there wasn't much that she could do.

Even the conversations here today have left her with a sinking feeling that only managed to grow with each passing second. She believed in everyone here but they didn't know how many people or what forces they were working against.

"The black mage moogle seemed reluctant to talk to us but he could be a good source of information for those who feel they can speak with him." Zelda had been thinking about every place she could gather more information and the top of the list where their contacts in the city. It felt as if the library had been stripped of information which only served to worry the goddess more.

INFILTRATION: disguises, get yer disguises here!

[fusedshadows]

Midna didn't really announce her arrival, in fact, she didn't say anything at all. From the main entrance, a great deal of noise could be heard. Bang! Clang! and the sound of various items scraping across the ground. If the crowd parted, or if those present turned their heads to see what the source was, they would see the imp tossing items into the main room where the heroes gathered, helmets clanging along the floor, a large box with many items (staves, cloaks -- many class-suited weapons and armour) was being dragged down the hallway with a quiet "hn! ...hn!" with each tug the imp used to cover ground.

After most of these things were inside the meeting room, the imp exited one last time, and delivered a swift kick to a stray shield, as it skidded to a halt near the rest. Dusting her hands off, Midna sauntered back, having heard most of the discussions while she took her time. She rose to a decent height, levitating in the air and crossed her arms. If her whole production didn't catch your attention, she would finally wait patiently until the floor was quiet. "These are items that were left behind in the battle. While I'm sure that a great deal of you would prefer the headstrong method of running right in... I was also right in assuming that there had to be some of you that would appreciate a stealthier approach."

Waving her hand out over the pile, she continued. "You should be able to find something suited to your job among these things... but they will need to be polished and in some cases, repaired." She looked out over the crowd, not having anticipated a turn out like this -- "And there won't be enough for everyone."

[red_planet_blues]

This definitely had Sparks's attention, and he walked over to check them out. He still wasn't against the idea of running in guns blazing if he had to, but sneaking into the Empire would be his preferred option.

He picked up a Warrior's plate helmet, sizing it up. "Wait, did you get all these from the battle in Esdham?" In the heat of the battle, the thought never even crossed his mind. He nods, impressed. "Nice idea. Save me a set of plate armor."

Closed to Ashe - Secret Matters

[not_most_days]

As their hostess and as yet unofficial leader Ashe certainly had a lot on her plate. Kidd had some things she wanted to discuss with the Queen, a bit of information that the Empire hopefully did not have about her. She could only pray that Edward's statue was still safe.

She stood off to the side, mingling with those who approached her but otherwise making a point to fade into the background until Ashe got free. Any chance to observe the other heroes helped her learn more about them. And there was one in particular she was concerned about.

Re: Closed to Ashe - Secret Matters

[desertbloomed]

The Queen was exhausted, but it was a good feeling. The other Heroes were excited, they were motivated, they had ideas and perspectives Ashelia herself hadn't considered. She felt it was still too early to say what form exactly the operation would take, but as far as she was concerned the meeting had already been a success. And so, at one point she excused herself to get a breath of fresh air and a glass of wine.

She took a step outside, pulling her shawl tightly over her shoulders, and looked over the surrounding area. Zelda and the others had helped immensely in preparing the Observatory for its new purpose. There was still a lot to do, but she was sure they would get there. Even if I should fall into crystal stasis, they will continue this work.

The Current Date

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

Jack waits until things have died down a little, before tossing this piece of information out into the room. He has been fiddling with a leather wrist-strap all evening, occasionally pulling it out of his pocket, as if checking a watch.

"If we're doing an information share? Just something I stumbled across. Well, lucked into, really. I don't know how many of you come from futurstic worlds, or worlds without magic. Where I'm from, we don't have magic, or monsters, or crystals."

"But we do have time travel."

Jack holds up the wrist-strap. "Got it back for Christmas. Used to be my time travel device. Teleport function's broken. Thanks, Doc. But the time circuit's working enough to give us the Universal Date."

"Local year's 2015, according to the calendar. Universal Date's a bit trickier, though. Orients off of the Time Vortex, itself. If I had pressed this button from back in my home world, it would have returned a year of 2009. Here?"

Jack hits the button, and lays the strap on the table so everyone can see the readout: 3943296.

Re: The Current Date

[desertbloomed]

"Universal Date?" Ashelia approached, a glass of wine now in her hand. She looked at the contraption, head tilted to the side. "I do not understand. It tells the age of the universe, or of the world?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked from the Captain back to the wrist strap. She didn't want to delve too deeply into asking about time travel - she had her own suspicions as to her Ivalice's relationship with Ramza's. They weren't suspicions she wanted confirmed.

A Diversionary Attack

[zodiac_brave]

After a discussion with Ashelia and some of the Heroes planning on sneaking into the Empire, Ramza parted to see what volunteers he could drum up for a diversionary assault on the Empire's defenses.

"The Empire must know we will plan some sort of rescue," he explained as he approached groups of other Heroes. "They will be on guard for such attempts. So if we are to succeed by stealth, we must give them something else to focus on."

He looked from Hero to Hero, his expression grave. "We could launch an attack, distract the Imperial Guards while our allies sneak in." He paused. "We would have little chance of success against their forces. Many, if not all, would likely fall if we do not retreat.

"That being said, it would aid in our efforts to free the Heroes our enemies hold captive. Is there anyone who would stand by me in this?"

[needsteaplz]

"I can help with that. However, there is another problem we need to address," Saori gave a nod. She had kept quiet during the entire thing since many said the same things she would have.

"We need a means of mass transport. As much as an airship can cover a lot of distance, it's not exactly a stealth machine. The Empire could easily spot us from the air. Not to mention our numbers would grow if we find anymore Heroes held captive. In that case since not everyone has a Chocobo, going by boat might be our best option. What do you think?"

Infiltration - Improving Empire's Weapons

[umslay]

After Midna dumped a bunch of Empire uniforms and weapons in the room, Ales climbed onto a chair he pushed over and cleared his throat.

"Attention, Heroes! While I'm behind that whole 'disguise ourselves as the enemy' plan, it'd be a great idea to make sure your equipment is stronger than theirs! As a Blacksmith, I can add improvements to whatever you take! Materials, enhancements, whatever! Take your pick and come see me!"

Infiltration - transport

[needsteaplz]

After volunteering to help with the diversion attack, Saori realized there was something that hadn't been discussed yet. She began to mingle amongst the other heroes and hoped to get a second opinion on it.

"So if we are going for an infiltration/rescue mission, we're going to need transportation. Thing is, an Airship isn't stealthy and chances are the Empire might expect us to escape that way. We probably won't have enough Chocobos for everyone going plus any other Heroes we might encounter." And to be honest, she still hadn't gotten her Chocobo despite being here for a few months. Still, the plight of their fellow Heroes couldn't be ignored so she went on.

"So the only other way I could think up is if we go by boat. I believe Balecia has boats but I don't know how much they would cost to rent let alone navigate one if not more. Should we start pitching in funds and what not now?"