2534/A Victory Sour, Please

A Victory Sour, Please
Date of Scene:	14 May 2025
Location:	Crystal Millenium
Synopsis:	After 2532/Claws Tail Teeth Hands, our dragon-slaying heroes are distraught over having lost their reckless royals, and gather to form the beginnings of a plan for a quick rescue mission to a death planet where they won't have superpowers or shields against the death miasma of dark energy and did we mention it's in an erratic orbit out past Pluto and everything on it wants them dead?
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Haruka Tenoh, Rashmi Terios, Amanda Faust, Chrono Harlaown, Veronica Perenna, Laisa Samuiko, Usagi Tsukino, Catra
Tinyplot:	Black Moon Clan
Tinyplot2:	BMC: Dimension Future

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
When the gathered heroes trickle in from outside, King Endymion is walking into the entrance hall from the direction of the infirmary, expression grave and maybe a little pinched. Hotaru is with the young Nephrite. He's able to manage a smile for them, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

His daughter, his younger self, and Usagi are missing, missing. His daughter is missing again. And he knows she's not here-- again. But at least this time he knows she's with people who can take care of her, not alone.

"You all just slayed a dragon," he says firmly. "We don't have pizza for you, but I'm not sure if pizza is the in thing in 2025 anyway. The important thing is, you did an extremely impressive thing without anyone dying. And your Nephrite will be fine."

A beat. "I'm not sure how her healing works, so I don't know how long it will take."

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    "Pizza is most assuredly a 2025 thing." Neptune says, walking in slowly. Both her and Uranus are downcast.

    "Yeah, I slayed a dragon and lost two princesses and a prince so it kinda feels hollow. No Pizza until they're safe." Sailor Uranus says. "All I want to do is find out where they are and who I have to punch to bring them back."

    "While not all problems are punchable, I think this one might be. It's a matter of distance, though." Neptune says, looking down at her mirror. "I still can't see them, or anything, just darkness, when I look into the Deep Aqua Mirror."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi... tries very hard to smile at King Endymion's praise. It even makes it to her lips! Briefly. But the Devicer is very obviously distracted, eyes moving back and forth, her thoughts a panicked whirl around a slowly growing core of determined fury. "Yeah pizza's still a thing," she says. "And Hotaru-chan's a good healer. Not as powerful as you are, or were... But lots better than me."

As Neptune reports an inability to find them with the mirror, her eyes turn in the direction of the obelisk. "...I don't suppose, Your Majesty, that your seers ever got a good look inside that thing, when it first showed up?"

It is, after all, the nearest handy 'another castle.'

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy has forgotten she's still in the sailor senshi outfit... She sees the king walking and wonders if his projections can't just teleport, but

    Yes, they slayed a dragon. She smiles, although it's a nervous smile, given what else happened...

    And then she's distracted by a thought: "Is pizza ever not the in thing?! Wait... huh, I have no idea what foods are popular in the future, huh..."

    She looks a bit more solemnly at the outer senshi as they bring the discussion back to Problems.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had his arms crossed, eyes closed, leaning on the wall. He was... doing his own searches, his own processes, his own trying to examine things.

He didn't like any of this. A child running off in a war zone. He thought Chibiusa's mental stability was higher than that. He thought Luminous Titan would have maintained a better control of his ward, not allowed her to endanger herself like that. He'd hoped Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask could have kept a better hold of their child...

But none of that was voiced, because he couldn't do any of that, right now. All he could do, for the moment, was brood. So he was silent, thinking, considering, planning. Worst case scenario... Both silver millenium crystals were in the black moon clan's hands.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"You didn't lose them," King Endymion says ruefully, "they ran off." He sighs. "I'm afraid my surprise is in the negative. But-- Sailor Neptune. Is it possible you might be able to call your counterpart's mirror if you put yours away?"

At Rashmi's question, the ghost of a king closes his eyes. "Our seers died in the first impact. Most people did." He opens his eyes again. "Would you like to use a meeting room? It has chairs."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Sadly, pizza is not among the food Veronica has prepared for this journey. She gave priority to things that wouldn't have to be cooked, and to more long-lasting things. Not that food is on her mind a lot right now, since she has been making trips to the infirmary from Sarek and the other way around trying to make sure nothing was lacking.

The fact people are wounded are all she really knows however, since before that, she had been out of the palace fighting droids to keep them away.

She has been trying not to think too much about what the Moon family could be up to, and if they managed to reach Chibiusa in time and calm her, but right now, the signs of worry are clear on face and tail alike.

"How much can Neptune's mirror tell us?", she looks at the Sailor of the sea and the King both.

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Mou Fubuki wasn't at the fight itself.

    She was preparing for a prolonged siege, making sure that pure water was available, and also staying back to ensure that no one snuck into the castle to attack the civilians while the bulk of the mahoujin stayed on the front lines.

    A reasonable action to take, all things considered, but not one without some regret. She's still questioning herself, and wondering whether her time was really well spent on defenses that ended up never getting used. Then again, she should be happy about that, right?

    When she arrives in the meeting hall, she immediately reads the mood. She jogs up behind Veronica and listens in on the current topic, no small amount of worry on her face.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Upon spotting Chrono, Rashmi moves his way, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and squeezing for just a moment, tapping forehead to forehead -- which she can do now, they're almost eye to eye! -- and sighing. << She might have been small for a very long time, >> she messages to the Enforcer. << But she's still small, and if you heard what they were saying to her, how they were *taunting* her... I'm not surprised she ran off. I might have. >>

When Endymion reports on how the seers were among the first to die, she shuts her eyes and bows her head. "Sorry, Your Majesty... Just... It's the first place I assume they were taken. Especially given how much of their aim is to *hurt* all of you-- all of *us.*"

Keeping the opponent's goals in mind is important; it allows you to better guess at the steps they take to achieve them, and it is *no secret,* especially now, how much hatred and the desire for humiliation drives the Clan...

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. He had heard, he hadn't said anything. "In a worst case situation, in the event that Sailor Moon, Chibiusa, Tuxedo Mask and the crystal are all lost... is there anything that can be done for them, for this world?" he asked.

Just driving straight to the heart of the matter, working to the worst case, and then working up from there. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Though he suspected he was going to draw a bit of fire from that one.

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    "In that case I think there's going to be problems for more than one world." Neptune replies to Chrono, as she returns her own mirror to its pocket-dimensional space. And then reaches out as if grasping a different one, closing her eyes, letting her energy reach out for the Other Mirror, her hair flowing as though she's underwater.

    Meanwhile, Uranus chimes in. "Yeah, Tuxedo Mask is linked directly to our Earth, and Sailor Moon is one of our world's appointed Guardians, not to mention the trouble of the Bad Idea Clan gets ahold of one or even two Silver Crystals..." she notes.

    Slowly, a mirror begins to appear in Sailor Neptune's hands. But it's not like her current mirror, it has slightly more ornamentation, and MUCH more damaged - burn marks and scars on the back, and a fractured front glass. Neptune grimaces at this, and what it means.

    But she looks into it, and wills it to help her and her friends find the path forward. And it shows... Nemesis. The Dark Planet. The home of the Black Moon Clan. Unmistakable to those who have seen it or even heard about it.

    Sailor Uranus curses under her breath. But then she looks at the mirror. "I think... We can figure out where Nemesis is from the stars behind it, maybe?" She offers, in a moment of creativity. "Since we can see the things around it?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Among the group is a small black cat, ears hanging, downtrodden and worried. Luna had not been at the fight, of course. She'd been in the library when it started, and had run towards the fight, enough to encounter Diana - and oh, that was still something she was sorting out in her own mind - and then they'd been organizing those taking shelter.

She'd learned, far too late, that Usagi, Chibiusa, and Mamoru were gone.

Now, she thinks through everything she knows of their enemy, and cannot help but find it all woefully inadequate.

Still, at Chrono's question, she flinches, ears flat.

And then -

Luna sits, ears pricked, staring at the mirror manifested in Sailor Neptune's hands. The planet Nemesis is a dark, misshapen world, not entirely rounded, as planets typically were, and the atmosphere was dark with miasma. There were no visible seas or fluffy clouds, as the Earth contained at a glance from orbit.

"Yes," she says slowly, "Comparing what can be seen in the mirror, to star charts should allow us to find their location."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"It's all right, Rashmi-san," says the King, shaking his head. And then he looks at Chrono and seems to be choosing his words, before the Outers speak up.

Finally, "It's my job to have hope when all seems to be lost, Enforcer Harlaown. If it weren't, I would tell you that if it's the case, then we will continue to die slowly, and perhaps someday be reborn if the planet ever recovers."

And then. THe mirror.

The King literally flickers when it's confirmed that the missing people are on Nemesis.

"You've read on Death Phantom in the library, correct?" he asks, his voice low. "That's where we sent him when he wouldn't die."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy saw only the one vision of Nemesis from Calaveras's memory... She sucks in air through her teeth at this revelation.

    The King's words get a bit of a dour look. She knows what happens if she dies.

    She hates that the thought occurs to her that if it came to that, she could destroy her soul gem when it's low to avoid becoming a Witch.

    But it has not come to that yet.

    The idea of comparing the stars was brought up, but... "Can the mirror interface with a computer in the palace? Do you have star charts here? ...In our time, it's Pluto who was working on that stuff... I don't suppose your Pluto took up a similar interest?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Despite the worry, Veronica smiles and reaches for Mou Fubuki's hand when the snow angel comes up behind her, holding it warmly, and giving her a comforted look.

Even if her question goes unanswered, the blonde thief gets to see it in action and show a rather precise image of their enemies' lair.

A light shudder travels up Veronica's spine when Nemesis comes into focus on Neptune's mirror. It really lives up to its name. And it's... so desolate. For a second she is tempted to look away from the planet's gloomy aura, but she shakes her head in reproach.

So they really are on there, the moonlit girl frowns. At least they are alive still. But in what conditions? And for how long? "What are we going to do now? Do we have a way to stage a rescue?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...We could also ask Nephrite, when he's well enough to talk for very long," Rashmi pipes up, grimacing against the question but understanding that the stakes needed to be vocalized. "I absolutely cannot imagine that he wouldn't be able to tell where is it... if only because it'd be like an ink spot on his star charts."

But the fact that they're *on* Nemesis brings up deep, deep reservations, and Chrono can *feel* her heart begin to race. "We're going to get them back," she says, half to herself, half in answer to Veronica's question. "However we figure out how to do it, we're gonna get them back... And we're gonna make sure not one black stone stands upon another, here."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Mou smiles softly at Veronica as she takes her hand, though there's a bit of tenseness in her eyes. She's worried about the matter of having lost people, even if they're not really dead. Yet.

    When she sees the planet Nemesis in Neptune's mirror, the image is not... promising. She squeezes Sarek's hand, to reassure herself as much as her girlfriend.

    "I don't suppose you could figure out its trajectory, while you're at it? I can't imagine an unfindable mystery planet like that has a normal orbit."

    Laisa can't help but notice just how dead it is. Most planets in the solar system are barren of life and inhospitable, but that place seems somehow moreso. Yikes.

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    "Honestly, I trust Nephrite over the computer. Especially if we can get both of them to put their heads together on it - both Nephrites, I mean. No offense intended to your computer." Neptune says. For all she knows, the computer in CT can take offense.

    "Let's figure out the where and the how. And then we'll plan around that. It can't be something we blindly rush into." Sailor Uranus says, and her lack of rushing into it speaks to the severity of it all. "We should all sit down, figure out our best plan, and make sure we are all doing our best... I know there's a desire to rush in, believe me, but this is the sort of thing where the wrong plan - or even the right one - could get more people lost or worse..."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "Indeed. Do keep in mind... I'm only asking in the situation of worst case. Where all of that has transpired. I have seen miracles performed of... incredible power already and I am willing to bet all of you have as well. My comments aren't meant for us to lose hope, they are to allow us to prepare in the event OF such a terrible situation to ensure we're able to make such a miracle a reality," Chrono said firmly.

He'd long since given up on the notion of, well... any of them ever giving up. Even if it was impossible. And if all of them were lost... he knew they wouldn't stop until they were saved. But if they all needed TO be saved, he wanted to ensure that there was something to save them WITH and somewhere to save them TO.

"... As for star charts... if we can gather the charts here, our devices should be able to make the calculations. Nephrite would also likely be a good option, if his powers are tied to them."

"... But this brings up the next question. How did you send him there, and did you have a way to retrieve him, or was it a one way trip, your majesty?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"... we have star charts," the King reassures Amy, then shakes his head. "The mirror should be able to interface with the computer, but Sailor Pluto is at the Gates of Time, keeping guard. She's not happy about all the disruptions in the time stream, but..."

Shrug. "None of this is happy." Then he looks to Veronica, hands loose at his sides but messing with his gloves. "I don't know," he says, then nods to Mou Fubuki. "Nemesis has an unstable orbit, and--"

He looks to Rashmi, and one corner of his mouth quirks up a little. Yes, they will get them back. There's no other option.

There's a little smile for Uranus and Neptune, too. "My Nephrite," he says, and there's something about the way he says that that there aren't really words to describe, "doesn't have his memories or powers as of yet. That should be remedied soon."

Finally he looks at Chrono, and he looks... sheepish. "We flung a spaceship at it while we knew where it would be. One way trip. Exploded ship."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica squeezes back the hand Mou Fubuki has allowed her to grasp, and there is a brief glimpse of moonlight that Veronica sends up her beloved's arm, forming a silver heart with dancing snowflakes that only endures enough for Mou Fubuki to see it.

There is a talk of letting the Devices do the tracking, and Veronica thinks back to the Device Chibiusa held with her. Probably they are too far for any sort of signal to travel between the two, but maybe that will be useful once they are on the planet. "Besides the stars, could your Devices track Chibiusa's device?", she looks at Rashmi.

She scoffs a bit at Endymion's revelation. Express Death Phantom Delivery, yours with a bonus wrecked ship."Do you know how long it took for the ship to crash-land there? If we use one too, do you have one with camouflage, so Black Moon doesn't steal it once we get there?"

Catra has posed:
After the battle, Catra did not immediately return to the palace. Instead, she'd disappeared into the ruined city, flat refusing to answer any messages that may have been sent her way, telepathic or otherwise. Now she's back, slinking back into the castle, all with an air of 'I'm not actually here'.

She's still dressed like she was halfway through the battle, in a black jumpsuit and jacket with orange highlights, and a lot of brass. Her eyes are still glowing, though they aren't blazing as powerfully as they were before. Her sword is unsheathed, and the naked blade rested on her shoulder, while in her other hand she's carrying the Spirit Ember, still glowing from all the dragon breath she absorbed with it.

Which was extremely cool, by the way, and Catra plainly wants to brag about it -- that much is obvious -- but her post-battle elation is heavily dampened by the fact that Chibiusa is missing.

And she failed to do anything about it.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
When Veronica brings up Chibiusa's Device, Rashmi's head snaps up, eyes wide. "...That is a fantastic question, Veronica-chan. ...Gimme a moment."

Taking the time to get another squeeze from her Chrono, she turns her head away. "Nicomachea: Locate Luminous Titan, or his last known position."

It's difficult to imagine a world where Luminous Titan was separated from Chibiusa intact... But with the right tools and some time, there's very little a Device can't come back from.

She's about to say as much to the room, but catches sight of Catra, and a crooked smile tugs at her mouth. "Hey, Catra-chan... C'mon in, you're not telling yourself anything the rest of us aren't saying to *our*selves. And... Looks like you figured out the Spirit Ember?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown did not grow up in this world. Did not experience the things they had. Did not fight their battles. Did not know what challenges they had faced.

He kept his mouth shut.

He did, however, press his palm into his face with a resounding *oomph*. "I see. Did you launch it from space, from earth, or from somewhere else? Do you have any others, and did the others of the Black Moon Clan get there in their own ships, or did they have other ways of getting there?"

Honestly, contacting the TSAB was quickly sounding like one of the best options... but he seriously doubted they could send a ship anyway, even if he COULD contact them...

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Mou Fubuki notices the moonlight, silver heart and snowflakes and then covers her mouth while giving her girlfriend a coy look. The gesture is so cute, and reassuring in times like these. She considers how to return the favor without getting into an escalating magical flirt war. Unless such an exchange is wanted?

    As people discuss the logistics of going to Nemesis, Mou Fubuki frowns and considers. "Hey... is a space ship really the best way? Maybe we should ask how they're getting all these Droids here. Are they using one-way space ships too? Or is there a teleporter or a portal system involved? Maybe we can use some of their stuff."

    A slight chilling breeze of wind brushes past Veronica, likely unnoticeable to anyone who isn't standing right next to them.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"The details about the spaceship, its launch, its flight, and its crash are also all in the database. I believe Zoisite was researching it?" he glances toward Rashmi and Chrono, then to Veronica, Mou Fubuki. His gaze slips to Catra, and his eyebrows go up. "Are you expecting to fight in the palace itself, this minute, Catra-san?" he asks, pointedly looking at her naked blade. "If not, please sheathe your sword. It's a lovely blade, but..."

He gestures widely at the glittering insides of the public part of the immense structure. "Because you all were able to shut the doors, there is still peace in this place, and it's not yet the peace of the grave."

He's silent for Rashmi's firing up of the question for Nicomachea, and he closes his eyes when Rashmi gets her answer:

Luminous Titan was last active on Earth, in the city, about as far out as a little girl can fly in a panic and then run without collapsing.

Then the King looks to Mou Fubuki again, and Chrono, and he says, "The ships colonists use aren't one-way, and there are plenty of them. They aren't designed for system-wide flights, they're designed as sort of-- jump ships. They move in stages between planets by taking stable portals. There were no portals by Nemesis, but Death Phantom and the Black Moon Clan may have created one."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy looks at the couples here, getting a chance to be together before what might (but will hopefully not be) the end, and wishes she had been able to spend more time with Hannah. Why can't she have that...?

    She shakes her head, and looks over to Chrono. "Uhh, anyway, my understanding is the Black Moon Clan left in a ship because they were political dissidents... of course, they were allowed because why not?" She looks at the King. "Err, to be clear, I support that. That's not, like... This is on Death Phantom. if it wasn't them, it woulda been, I dunno, some researchers or something exploring kuiper belt objects."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The news about Luminous Titan is crushing, because of course it is, but it doesn't mean much they don't already worry about.

That is what Rashmi keeps telling herself, anyway, and tries to push past it. "Actually, Amy-chan... I helped reconstruct the timeline. That they were dissidents... It's kind of not the important part, the entire solar system has breakaway colonies. Now that we know Nemesis has an erratic orbit, I'm pretty sure what we were guessing was true; that it happened to be close enough to *this* shipload, that Death Phantom could reach out and influence the ship. Which then changed course to land on Nemesis, and some time, Dark Energy, and mental propaganda later... The Black Moon Clan."

Catra has posed:
Catra's eyes glance up to the sword on her shoulder. She shrugs, and the blade is flourished through the air in front of her to slide into the scabbard; one handed but perfect on the first try nonetheless.

"Yeah. Well, if I hadn't figured it out I'd be a pile of ash," she replies to Rashmi, and shrugs her shoulders dismissively. "So yeah, I figured it out. Turns out I can handle getting breathed on by a dragon."

The feline glances over her shoulder, towards the door and back the way she came, before looking back to the group. "I stayed outside for a bit longer because I was..." Because I was looking for Chibiusa. "Because I was practicing, I wanted to make sure I had control enough not to charcoalize someone by accident."

Catra glances down at herself, and purses her lips. "Why doesn't this outfit come with pockets," she grumbles, settling for resting her now free hand on her hip. Close enough. Just pretend there's a pocket. "So anyway. Lumoinous Titan? Nemesis? When are we going? ...If it's all dark energy up there I'm probably better suited than any of you."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Endymion briefly has a thin smile. "To be clear, everyone makes mistakes, including monarchs," he says to Amy and Rashmi. "Letting dissidents leave to make dome cities on moons and planets and asteroids isn't one, so thank you for your support. Unfortunately, hurling Death Phantom into the sun would have been a very big mistake, with what we know comes of hurling demons into the sun."

He straightens his shoulders a little more, standing so tall (but still not as tall as Kunzites), and he says after a second, "That said, it may be relevant that they were dissidents, because they espoused the same beliefs that Phantom did five hundred years ago." A beat. "While they were on Earth."

But Catra's sheathed her sword as asked, with no fighting about it, and the King looks pleased. "Ah, that was your first time using that power? It was incredibly impressive." Then he squints. "You use Dark Energy? Mmm. Be careful." No scolding, no threats. She's here because of Small Lady.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods at Rashmi, "Oh yeah that's what I was saying, it's Death Phantom that was the problem, not the people who ended up on Nemesis." And then she bursts out laughing for some reason when Catra complains about a lack of pockets.

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Mou Fubuki is starting to mentally weigh how much she could meaningfully contribute here. She is, frankly, exhausted and while both she and Veronica have been working hard behind the scenes they were working in different places.

    Also this is a figure things out moment and Laisa isn't really a figure things out girl. She's kindof impressed by the jump ship model the future has and it answers more than one question of hers, including ones she didn't know she had. "Huh... so. Really if we could fly a space ship through one of their portals we could get to Nemesis, but... do we have any idea what we'd find there?"

    Mou looks back at the fire-using cat and then down at her henshin. She places her hands in her parka's pockets and glances away. She's not gloating! Just... enjoying one of her advantages in life.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Everything we've seen of Nemesis suggests that this will be a dangerous venture," Luna says, quiet, but she's certainly not urging anyone off. It's her charges they're going to save, after all. "Given the Black Moon Clan's penchant for corruptive attacks, you should be prepared for that, as well. There's every likelihood that this will be a very dangerous mission, and I - I would have to urge you all exercise the greatest caution."

She's looking around the room, large red eyes full of concern.

"To put it as Usagi-chan would - I don't think any of you should try going loud once you've arrived."

There was a question about Droids, earlier, and she grimaces.

"My research into the Droids - and my study of them thus far - suggests that they are... originally based on human life forms. There's some sort of... magitech conversion process, which transformed the dead into what you see now. It's possible - perhaps even likely - that you will encounter... more, like these creatures on Nemesis, in addition to the enemies we know remain - Saphir, who can recreate those defeated, and that... Prince Demande."

Haruka Tenoh has posed:
    Sailor Neptune scowls at the Deep Aqua Mirror - well, the other Neptune's Mirror - and smacks it against her hand once. "Well, all it's telling us is Nemesis exists, and the people we're looking for are here. It doesn't want to give me anything else." She says, almost accusing the device.

    "Maybe it's because the Other Neptune is there too. Or just laser-focused on getting our people out." Sailor Uranus replies.

    "Oh, at least Chibi-usa is absolutely there. It's hard to explain but... for a mirror it's quite insistent. So however we're going to get there, I'm not getting anything out of it but that we need to find a way." she notes.

    "Yeah I have to agree with Luna, we get in, quietly try to get our people, and get the hell out." Uranus adds.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica's braid sways lightly in the breeze, slowly enough that it could be a result of the phantom thief moving her head. She has distinctly felt the chill on her skin, and a part of her is tempted to pull Mou Fubuki aside and ask if that was a way to give her a hug. But it's a thought vetoed by the worry of the situation.

At Catra's approach, there is a curious flicker and nod of her head while the feline takes her place between them. She remembers the 'Chibiusa incident' she was involved with back on Earth. Hopefully she is not blaming herself for the situation.

She hums approvingly at the notion of the jump ships. That's certainly a reassuring way to cut down travel time, even if doesn't yet answer how they are going to approach Nemesis without getting noticed.

When Mou Fubuki pulls away and enjoys the benefits of her parka, Veronica covertly sends a sprinkle of twinkling moonlight towards her head, almost as if she is wearing a tiara. Escalating magical flirting it is.

"How many purifiers do we have here?" she considers at bringing up the corruptive capabilities of Black Moon. She remembers fully well the cleansing rounds they have had to make when they fought with them on Earth. Nemesis? A hundred times more intense for sure.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Patting Chrono's hand, Rashmi steps back, turning to face Luna and absorb the information as best she possibly can. "Based on everything I've heard... There's no energy on Nemesis that *isn't* Dark in nature. So... whoever goes..."

...Okay *that's* a chilling thought. But say it. Say it, Rashmi. You *need* to say it out loud.

"...Whoever goes can't *use magic at all.* Which... yeah I'm definitely gonna say Catra needs to be on that team."

Catra has posed:
"Not as much as I used to," Catra replies to Endymion's observation about her dark energy use. "The Spirit Ember and Dark Energy don't seem like they want to work together. I don't think it means I can't use both, just... it's harder." And unless she finds a way to get back in Obsidian's good books, without doing something awful to someone she kinda lik-- cares abou-- vaguely wants not to die or anything, that seems unlikely.

"So wait, the robots are dead people? Does that mean--" Catra stops, and one ear twitches as she watches Mou Fubuki stuffing her hand in her pockets. What the hell? She has pockets? Well technically Catra has pockets on her jacket but they're awkward for putting her hands into, they're good for carrying the Spirit Ember (and her phone) but that's about it, they're at entirely the wrong height for pockets. Honestly, pockets are the one good thing about wearing her Rachel Miller disguise, she gets to wear jeans that have pockets, so she can stuff her hands in them and it just feels like a good way to be slack and a little bit slovenly and lazy about life, which entirely suits a proper feline just fine.

What were we talking about?

"Hey, Amy." She continues to settle for hand resting on hip. Honestly it's not like her Horde jumpsuit had pockets anyway so whatever. "Those grenades have been great. Next time though, you can skip the incendiaries... from now on I've got that covered."

Catra nods in Rashmi's direction, "Let me do the most dangerous stuff up there. Not because I want to show off or because I think I'm better than any of you. Just because I'm best suited and I'm... pretty sure I'm the only one here currently using dark energy."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"There's no portal near Nemesis linked to the system we constructed..." King Endymion says, "but you may be able to access Charon Castle from the Pluto portal, as long as there are Senshi going. Any one of you should be able to unlock the doors, and then use the monitor room to scan for objects out where there's less light pollution. You'd be looking for another portal." A beat. "And I'm-- sorry. I have to pay attention to something else, please call out if you need me."

He vanishes inconveniently.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy smiles at Catra. She's been happy to provide grenades, and nods.

    Don't go loud? "Eh-heh... yeah, some of our powers are certainly known for stealthiness..."

    Rashmi says there's no energy but darkness there. Amy blinks at her, and lifts her forearm vertically, soul gem facing Rashmi. "All my magic's in here. You guys' magic comes from outside? I thought it came from your linker core and device..."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Mou spares a glance at Veronia, and raises an eyebrow. She smiles as she reaches up to feel the tiara. While she can't really see what's happening clearly, she knows who's playing with her and why.

    Mou could push the issue. She knows she could. It would be nice to just spend some time along with Veronica. Maybe she will, after this.

    A flurry of snowflakes appears in front of Sarek for a moment, making an image like two girls waltzing together that lasts only briefly.

    To Amy, Mou shrugs. "I don't know. If there's no magic at all except darkness that could imply some kind of dampening field or something."

    She raises her hand at Veronica's question, saying, "I -can- purify. I could send a whole purifying blizzard down. I can't promise the snow wont just melt before doing anything though."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Your magic may come from within, but, there are circumstances... places... where that magic is no longer possible to reach. I've never been to Nemesis - it was unreachable, even in... the age of Silver Millennium, but - Raashmi-san's warning is something to be heeded. We may be fortunate, and you may have access to your magic, but preparing for the worst is the wiser call."

Even if some of these here certainly...are not known for their stealthy application of power.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Ambient mana matters," Rashmi points out. "Remember the Eclipse Zones? If regular magic is suppressed and Dark Energy is amplified, it'll mess up all our *internal* magic too. Our Linker Cores generate *and store* magic, including the ambient stuff we take in when we breathe."

Pausing, she nods to Luna, smiling her thanks at the cat for confirming her thoughts. "And Amy-chan... Remember the Dusk Zone. That was an entire dimension made of magic that *by itself* hated us, specifically, and corroded everything that wasn't in tune with it. That sounds a lot like a planet where the air and water are so saturated with Dark Energy that it can kill you if you don't let it in."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods solemnly. "Without magic, though... we're just mortals. What can we do to them? We'd be walking right into the place where they have all the cards. Heck, I'm just a rock using magic to puppet this body..." Amy has a mental image of arriving on nemesis and her body immediately collapsing, empty. ._.

    She nods to Rashmi and looks back at Luna. She wants something comforting, and her brain sees cat, but also, "Umm... is it weird to ask if I can pet you?"

Catra has posed:
"Even mroe reason to send me, then." Catra shrugs. "Before coming to Earth I didn't even have magic, and I beat one of Etheria's most powerful sorcerers without it just fine. I have to fall back on just using my claws and sword, I'll be just fine."

Catra glances towards Luna, and rolls her shoulders once again. "I think we've got it worked out that we're gonig and who's going, and why, if we've got anything more to discuss about Nemesis I think it's just gonna come down to what exactly we're going to do when we get there and how. Don't go loud? I mean, that's no problem, I'm a cat." And that it seems is enough to explain that.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Rather than answer Amy, Luna leaps onto the table and pads over to her seat, settling in her lap calmly. It's been a terrible day, and she would appreciate being petted, as much as Amy would appreciate the comfort of giving pets.

"I hadn't noticed," Luna says dryly, as Catra declares she's a cat, and then shakes her head. "I'm sorry, that was beneath me. I'm sure that you'll be exactly what this team needs, Catra-san - Rashmi-san would not have recommended you if you were not every bit as capable as you she attests."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Yeah. It sure has been a day.

    And the awkwardness of 'what is the protocol for /this/ talking cat' quickly fades as Luna pads right into Amy's lap, she's briefly surprised and then starts petting and it's just like it was with Veronica sometimes. Heck she even has the benefit of Veronica's feedback on just how best to pet and scritch! Amy smiles and focuses on the softness and the purring and tries not to think about the troubles ahead for a few minutes.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
An equally marveled and joyful glance is given at the dancing figures, and Veronica smirks as she nods towards Mou Fubuki. Sounds like a perfect idea to her.

Veronica remembers the Dusk Zone too. By the end she had gotten so weak that her prismatic walls were manifesting with cracks, hardly the most ideal state. Hopefully they can manage better.

"That makes two with me", the Princess of Sarek continues from her earlier question. Certainly not a very ideal scenario, when they just lost two of them at once.

"That's fine, that's fine, Luna", Veronica meows with a grin to Luna. "But at the very least, we should be relying more on our fists then", she adds in a more serious tone.