driftfleet | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: EVERYBODY
Broadcast: Maybe
Action: Lone Breaker System
When: The fleet will be in this system from 3/10 to 4/14

Welcome to the Lone Breaker System. The planet consists of a single ghost town that replenishes its stock daily, and a desert that does not. There are quite a few points of interest, no consequences, and a mystery to be investigated!

→ More system info is here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'll bet he is.

[Amused.

...there is. But she's not sure it's a good thing to bring up in Katara's first week, so she hesitates slightly.]

If you ever meet the Atroma representatives, they're all honey and sweetness and you want to punch them in the face. But I think... they're terrified of the Atroma, too.

[...thanks to her experience in Luceti, Katara has a good idea of what that means.]

...so they're spokesmen, to put on a good face and deal with us, but not actually in a position of any power. Are they terrified for their lives or just for their jobs, do you think?

[Because that made a difference, and it told her a lot about the people who were really in charge.]

[...yeah, about that.]

Both.

[She's still hesitant. But if Katara has already spent years in one of these hellholds, she's got to be able to deal with this kind of news by now.]

There were two reps before the ones we have now. The Atroma killed them on a live feed for... not measuring up, I guess.

[Katara's eyes widen in horror. That was... even if they weren't actually killed, even if no one stayed dead here like they did in Luceti (which... she didn't know if it extended beyond the fleet, but just... trying to think of every possible ameliorating circumstance)... the brutality and pointless cruelty of a thing like that...

The implications for that were also horrible.]

That's... [and she turns slightly to the side, a tell that she is attempting to hold herself back, and her hands curl into fists as she ducks her head and stares straight into nothing.] ...was it quick?

[The actual details? She'll spare Katara those. But she'll never forget the screams and the sound of that drill applied. The nightmares of that have only recently been supplanted by others, though she's lucky they're only occasional.

...]

Could've been quicker.

[Just...this place is nastier than it might seem.]

[Her voice is low:] ...I see. [And she did, all too clearly. The callous indifference to human life was something to be expected by people who used others like this, but Katara had found the only way that was generally possible was with a very strict 'us' vs. 'them' mentality. That they would act so brutally toward one of their 'us'... that was telling.

So was the fact that they could murder, on a live feed, without consequences. How much power in this universe did Atroma have?

Her gaze was firm when she glanced at Nami, and then straight ahead.] I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.

[Nami's pretty sure it was just broadcast to the passengers. Making a point there, Atroma?

But that does remind her there is other stuff she can talk about.]

Has Sokka mentioned anything about the interceptors?

...no, not yet. It's probably in his notes somewhere, but I didn't want to spend time reading when there was a planet to explore. I've only started on them. [So she's gotten fairly deeply in, but not enough.

At least, she's choosing to believe that. Because he also might just have Not Wanted to Worry Her, and if that is the case, they are going to have Words. She appreciates that Nami is telling her this, even if it's hard, that the experiences she had in Luceti are being recognized for what they were without having to get into detail about them.] What are they?

Okay, well that's better news to share.

[It's also important, and better to discuss it down here when there's at least a small chance they're not being listened to.]

There's a group of ships out there that used to be part of this Fleet, a long while ago. They've tried a few times to help us out. Sokka can give you more of the little details, but... if that helps at all, there's already a group out there trying to break the Atroma's control.

If they're on the level. I hope they are. [But she's too much of a realist.]

[Oh well that -- certainly is better news, and Katara's eyes brighten before her brow furrows in thought.] Are they claiming they're people who escaped from the fleet or... losers from a previous 'show'?

[Because she knew what the winner supposedly received, but she hadn't been able to find any information on what happened to the losers.]

They're pretty cagey, but it's possible they're both. Some fleet members have probably had more dealings with them than I have. [She grins wryly.] A lot of the technological space talk still goes over my head.

[Pirate and all.]

We don't discuss them on open channels, ever. I mean, for all I know we're still being recorded here, but... just kind of limiting it.

[Katara absorbs that, but it seems... kind of... weird.] You mean the Atroma don't know about them?

[Because... how could they... not???]

Oh, no, they know. They've tried to wipe them out once before. What we hope they don't know is the extent of our communication with them-- as much as we can keep off the comms, we do.

[Katara nods.] I understand that. We had something kind of similar going on in Luceti... there was a whole communication system the Malnosso couldn't access.

[She reaches up a hand to touch the augment.] But with these things implanted in us, it seems like that would be a lot harder to put together here.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure the Atroma will access anything they want to regardless of what steps we take. And honestly, there's always the outside chance that the Interceptor fleet is a plant to, I don't know, drive up the entertainment value for their viewers.

[She makes a face.]

But on the off chance we're wrong on both counts, then it's worth trying.

[Despite the context of the conversation, Katara smiles. She can't help it. Nami's perspective is so Nami and she's missed her friend so. very. much.]

That seems like a good way of looking at it. [She shakes her head a little.] So... with everything being free here, did you manage to find a place with good sewing supplies? I want to cut up those outfits that they gave us and see if I can make something I'd actually use.

[There are clothing stores, Katara, just go there.

But she hates clothes shopping.

A Problem.]

[...Katara. You are so inefficient.]

You do know the clothing in the stores here just replaces itself overnight, right?

...yeah... That's a good point.

[She just doesn't like these alien clothes. So much leg showing, so much neck, so impractical for fighting...]

Edited 2018-04-07 18:28 (UTC)

How long did you know me in Luceti for, anyway?

[Danger Will Robinson]

Uh... [She hesitates, not because she senses danger, but because Katara is notoriously terrible paying any attention to how long she was in Luceti other than 'too long.'] ...three years? Maybe a little longer?

And in all that time, did I never take you shopping?

[You can't call yourself a friend and be a fashion disaster, Katara, it's just not right.]

[LOOK, she... just... knows what she likes and none of these stores have it D8.

...but anyway, Katara's starting to get danger signals. All the same, she can't help but be honest.] Once! Everything was free in Luceti, so... we got enough to fill my closet and I-- [never wore half of it] --kept them all until I grew a little bit and didn't fit in some of them.

[No one needs like... twenty pairs of clothes, Nami, it's ridiculous. Five was good (if ridiculously indulgent), though, because then you can do laundry less frequently!]

[Pfft. So much clothing is just a way to unwind, like she can play dress up on a regular basis.]

Well, the clothing styles out here are weird. Not as weird as some of the stuff I've seen out there [There was a whole planet who thought it was great to stick glowy pads on everything they wore Katara it was garish] but it can be altered and fitted as you need.

Here, c'mon. [She steps out into the street with her basket, and gives a sharp whistle.]

[Doubtful. Look.

Where are we going, Nami, and why are you whistling?]

Yeah, it's probably best to start with a few things like that. [She's still following you, though, despite the warning signs.]

It's a pity we're not on the forest planet from a couple years back - I think you'd have liked their style.

[Is that the sound of trampling feet in the distance--]

Gwaaaa!

[You might want to duck the giant yellow bird tearing down the street directly for us]