The HS Maldua

[thespaceopera]

[Well, it's finally happened. The Maldua has docked and now is your chance to deliver your gumball cargo--regardless of whether or not it's in perfect condition, it would seem.

Multiple ships can dock on the Maldua at once, as can individual shuttles. So whether you're helping, breaking things, or watching others do all the work--interaction can be between pretty much anyone, not just crews.

Here's the event post, for reference. Have fun!]

Comments

[birdsbirdsbirds]

PRIVATE TRANSMISSION TO TEK (but totally hackable for comms officers) ►

[he rarely sounds entirely genuinely serious about anything. he's too casual to sound negatively affected by the world around him. except for moments like this--where he speaks with mature, gravelike intent. remember that time the forest planet played songs that no one but they could have remembered? it's the same voice coming in over his personal communicator.]

Tek, come to the Maldua if you aren't already in-route. It's here. You need to see this.

[there's a pause where he tries to be patient, but he can't, so he says one more thing.]

Do you remember...? Back at the tower, there were those metal men. What were they called?


PUBLIC & IN-PERSON ►

[if anyone happens to be looking for Robin for any reason, he's around... he's standing off to the side of the docked Bloodsport, letting the Helpers do all of the work. there's a sort of tenseness about the way he's standing still and tracking their back-and-forth movement with just his eyes. he's clutching his communicator at his side, but he doesn't seem to be talking to anyone on it.]

[heresyandlace]

Stewards.

[and that's all. he's keeping the rest of his thoughts and reactions close to his chest, for now.]

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[which is not surprising, since Tek sounded like that the last time, too.]

That's it. [...] They look just like them. I can't be imagining it.

Action | OTA

[grandstanding]

[When the Heron docked with the Maldua, Erik didn't immediately venture out to see the ship. He stayed inside for a while, eyes shut, seeing what he could feel about it. Ultimately, it wasn't much. Maybe space is no good for these sorts of things.

So he heads into the hold to observe the action instead. His attention is fixed on what the Helpers are doing, scurrying around and unloading the crates from the ship. When one of them happens to come within a couple of feet of him, merely on its way to the next crate, it comes to an odd halt. Legs still in the middle of a step.

A moment later it just crumples to the ground with a clang. Erik, for his part, is staring at it with a bemused expression.]

That was odd.

[Really, all he'd done was freeze a couple of gears to see what would happen. That was practically nice.]

[beardstrokes]

[ Well. There's something you don't see every day. Obi-Wan was half-tempted to clap. It takes skill to dismantle a droid on sight.

Honestly, he's a little jealous. ]

Nicely done.

[grandstanding]

It looked a lot more impressive than it was.

[He nudges the fallen Helper with his boot. Some of the other robots are now hurrying over to try and ferry it off with them.]

I don't think these are very sturdy.

[experiencepoints]

[She's stopping to stare.]

... I was gonna use lightning, but that was more impressive.

[grandstanding]

It wasn't actually what I was trying to do.

[brainiest]

[ Hermione was quick to move away from the Vanquish and make her way forward to explore - why wouldn't she? It's her second real stop and this one is important, and she's holding herself with all the self-confidence and pride that she can manage. It's with some trepidation that she walks around, though, hand instinctively going to her belt where, before, a sword used to rest; now there's nothing, and she shakes her head for her silliness.

When she spots a familiar face she moves to greet him, only pausing when the robot in front of him literally crumples to the ground, the man himself looking a little perplexed by how it folded under itself. She pauses, considering, before she steps forward and tilts her head. ]

Were those your powers?

[complicatedliar]

[Loki's already been tormenting his own helper and dissected it a bit out of curiosity and boredom.]

Delicate things, aren't they. [Hm, he didn't see the human touch the machine. That makes him automatically at least a little interesting.]

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka pokes her small horned head out from behind Obi-Wan-- not that she'd been hiding, just lagging behind as she took in everything around them.]

Whoa! That was amazing! How did you do that?

[ action/ota ]

[precedented]

[ Leto did not like robots. The Butlerian Jihad was at the forefront at his mind whenever he watched the automatons at work. Thou shalt not suffer a thinking machine goes the old adage and he feels the stirrings of irritation watching the machines work. These can hardly be called thinking machines and yet . . .

A few of them approach him, trying to get onto the Golden. Leto offers his most terrifying glare and sends them scurrying. ]

well, you did say ota~

[complicatedliar]

[Considering their previous encounter, he probably ought to avoid Leto, to save himself from temptation if nothing else. On the other hand, that would be an admission he'd been spooked somehow, and he's never been one for that sort of self control.

He'll put in his appearance when he can come in from close, with a dryly amused observation of:]

Scaring the help, Leto?

ota

[complicatedliar]

[After discovering the more curious properties of the gumballs, Loki is certainly looking to investigate further. Knowledge is power, after all. As the Helpers go after the cargo, he picks one up to examine it more closely.

Hah. Powers down immediately. Interesting. He'll take his time going over the thing as minutely as he can with the magics at his disposal. He might even start taking it apart, a bit. Mechanical things have never been his primary interest, but who knows what might come in handy.

And he'll have a bit of fun scaring the robots away, though watching them scurry off loses its amusement quickly. It's really not the same when they don't scream.]

SS First Breath

[tallasaking]

[Tyrion was Absolutely Fine with getting these gumballs off of their damned ship. Yes, he opened the package, but then again he was a rather brilliant engineer. So the box looked pristine, virginal perhaps, and that thought amused the hell out of him.

He maneuvered the ship into docking bay, and then squinted at the small robots that were ... well. Coming out.]

Now that ... I didn't expect that.

Re: SS First Breath

[gifted_witch]

[Frankly she was relieved to be done with their mystery cargo. Sooner the better, no good could come of having whatever it was.

Yes she was happily oblivious to it having been opened.]

Let me help with that.

[Lily turned to hand one of the cart handles to ...a robot?]

Oh, you're right Tyrion. I don't think any of us could have expected that. What is it?

ota

[dirth]

[ Solas stands aside from most of the action, more than content to watch as people unload and prepare, placing things here and there and generally proving themselves to be either a nuisance or an aid, depending on their nature. It is interesting to him to see which ships have succeeded in their goals and which had failed and, perhaps, in the end, to see what the so called reward will be for their ventures.

He doesn't seem to have much interest in being social, sat alone with paper and charcoal in hand, but he can be easily convinced to join in conversation should he be approached. What becomes more than obvious is the fact that he is watching and learning, his eyes taking in everything he can from the new ship before he gets up, pushes himself away from his solitude and moves to the halls.

Sometimes it is down to the worst to do the exploration. ]

comes in like a wrecking ball

[ofkirkwall]

[ Not one to enjoy being cooped up for too long, the moment the ships dock she slips from her own to wander, to explore - to do something other than play with droids. It's funny to watch them skitter to clean up scorch marks against the ground but... well it's only funny for a while.

It's a combination of her own itchy feet and the clearly anti-social behavior that draws the champion towards him - well, that or she might have a fondness for bothering elves who clearly prefer isolation than company - reaching in time to see paper and charcoal stashed away. ]

What is this? Is he doing something other than draw? Sweet Maker I think I feel faint.

[ Hello Solas. ]

http://tinyurl.com/hb3kehr

[goodjob]

[Fiona is helping move the crates. Initially, she was content with directing a helper robot to move the crates from point A to point B, but she accidentally tripped one-- they just don't seem to react to or notice things-- and it broke. Since then, not trusting something incompetent to do work for her, she's been moving the crates herself. This is a tall order for someone who's barely a hundred pounds soaking wet, but Fiona's never been one to let that stop her.]

[She's having some trouble with a box of cargo that's not properly closed, and trying to elbow it shut before the contents spill out. She looks up to see some bald guy-- what is he doing, drawing? To her credit, her tone isn't nearly as sharp as it could be:] A little help, here?

ota

[touchofrogue]

[Rogue arrives with Clay in Official First Mate Capacity, there to watch his back as they deliver the Vanquish's untarnished cargo of gumballs.

Honestly, she'd have almost been ready to keep the darn things just to spite Atroma, but - captain's orders, and honestly they could use the credits to expand the ship. So she went along, watched his back, and tried to keep Clay from kidnapping a robot.

...they were kind of cute. In a robot sort of way. She wasn't really fond of robots, as a rule, between the Sentinals and the Malnosso's kidnapping machines... not so much. She'll be hanging

B. Alternatively, she can be found wandering carefully through the ship, not too far from Clay. So far it looks like... a ship. This place was so uniformly unhelpful.]

[geonomy]

[And Clay's been sticking by Rogue in return, just in case something happens. Not that he could really do anything in that sort of situation, and Rogue is a million times more awesome than he is when it comes to combat, but it's just his captain's instinct to look out for his crew. He'd happily unloaded the gumballs, just glad to be rid of them and that they're safe and sound, but now? He seems to be fawning over one of the robots that's come to take one of the crates.]

Rogue, look! [He tries to keep his distance, but aaaa, he wants to touch it so badly.] This is incredible! I know someone back home who'd give anything to get her hands on this!

[And... probably take it apart and abuse the hell out of it, but the passion is still there!!]

Blue Fish - Robot Capture

[alwayscomeback]

[As soon as Sokka saw the Helpers, he devised a PLAN. They had to have something to do with Atroma, of that much he was sure. Everything about these guys was smoke and mirrors, and he refused to believe the Maldua was a legit ship with their legit business. And so, you will find Sokka during various parts of Operation Robot:

A: Maybe you'll find him throwing a tarp around one and trying to disable it
B: Trying to convince you to help him push the damn thing back into the Blue Fish
or
C: Having the poor robot open in the cargo hold, taking it to little robot pieces, trying to find something, anything that can tell him about Atroma.

Someone stop him before he gets you all killed.]

C

[save_the_souls]

[Allen hadn't helped him get the robot, and he had been too busy completing the trade to notice Sokka and any accomplices bring the robot onto the shuttle. Which, when he did find out? There was a whole lot of shrieking in severe disapproval on Allen's part. Well, at least until Sokka threw a couple peanut butter sandwiches his direction. Never it be said that Allen can't be bought to overlook petty crimes with food. Plus you know, it's hard to screech when your mouth is full of peanut butter.]

[Still, there was the issue that this would probably cost them a lot of money. So Allen is sitting on a cargo bay box, pointedly not helping out as he chews through another sandwich. He may be eying the robot, trying to seize up if the robot's parts would be worth any money once Sokka's done with them]

Anything?

C

[dancingmd]

[Beverly took a different shuttle to the Maldua, wanting to go less out of concern for the cargo and more out of curosity about the other ship. What might they learn about it and perhaps Atroma? So while the others are busy delivering the gumballs, she's busy exploring every inch of the cargo hold with her tricorder, testing every door and access panel that she can. Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, everything is on lockdown and she doesn't discover much. Including the fact that her captain just kidnapped one of the polite robots earnestly focused on their tasks.

When she does eventually return to the Blue Fish, she goes to meet the others to see how - what the hell? Is that one of the helpers Sokka is taking apart?

Not on her watch. Her jaw tightens and she stalks across the cargo bay.]

Sokka. What exactly do you think you're doing?

[Now that's a cold tone Sokka has never heard from her. At least, not directed at him.]

a+b

[bolder]

[Like usual, Toph's somewhere nearby just watching the way she does, content to chime in when she feels like it. It's only when Sokka's holding the tarp around it like an old cartoon that she pipes up.]

You could have asked for help, you know.