Iwaku World - Founding of the Luna Ashe: Diana's Coronation

As the Inquisitor had approached Diana, a cloaked figure had emerged from the densely packed crowd and walked toward the Contessa and her attendants. The person carried a tall wooden staff that rapped loudly against the ballroom floor with each long stride that was taken. Stopping a good distance away from Diana's retinue, as if to show that he intended no ill will, the figure paused for a moment, perhaps thinking of what to say. He then spoke, his voice muffled but still strangely clear behind the stark, forbidding mask that covered his face.



"Contessa, allow me to present myself as your humble servant. Your arrival in Iwaku is truly the beginning of a new age of peace and prosperity. I give praise to both you and your new Regent. May your beneficent rule bring Iwaku the order and stability it so desperately needs. For what it is worth, I assure you that you can count on the aid and support of Ramses Abraxas, or as I am better know, Ramses the Damned" With this, Ramses bowed from his waist, avoiding the mistake he had witnessed Zypher make earlier. To be fair, Diana probably deserved the defference of being bowed to on one or both knees, but if she did not wish to be presented with this sign of dedication and loyalty, far be it from him to defy her.

Returning to a full upright position, Ramses looked across the ballroom at Zypher. He had known him in the lost days of Moonwings' former glory, but he was unfortunately one of the few people from that time that he had encountered since coming to the realm of Iwaku. Although he had recognized him almost immediately, there was no denying he had changed grately since then. This regent of Iwaku was a far cry from the young knight he had once known. He seemed to have grown stronger, wiser, and more experienced in wielding responsibility. This Zypher was different.

But then again, so am I. So is everyone and everything else around us.

So far, Zypher was taking very well to his new post as regent. Admirably, he had stepped up to deal with the Inquisitor and his requests. Ramses considered that to be a good sign, but it was still a cause for concern. Surely more people would approach Diana as time went on, bringing before her their problems, grievances, and self-serving plans. Zypher might be able to protect her from the worst of it, but there was no doubt that Diana, as the savior of Iwaku, would bear the brunt of the populace's strife.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown...

Zypher would not be alone, however. Others would help to protect Diana and ease the burden of her rule. He himself would do all he could to prevent the new ruler of Iwaku from being threatened or becoming overwhelmed. Ramses knew very well the cost of allowing madness and chaos to take over, and what it would mean if control over Iwaku was lost.

We cannot let it fall apart. Not after so much has been lost. Whatever the cost, her reign must endure.
 
THE LEGACY, ABOVE DIANA'S CORONATION

The guard's listening to the speeches down below. His mate smells of booze already. The security camera looks like it hasn't worked in a while, and even if it did the damn thing has so many blind spots wasn't even worth the effort of putting it up in the first place.

Yeah, this shouldn't be a problem.

I've dropped the drunk guard before either of them even know what's happening, and have driven my fist into the second one's throat before he can do much more than turn to face me. He drops to the floor, throat crushed and consciousness fading rapidly, as I pull out a roll of duct tape I'd acquired on the way here.
“Sorry lads,” I mutter as I begin to tie the pair up and move them out the way, “But I can't have you raising the alarm when you wake up, can I?”

I move to the door in the side of the other Legacy and look down. Immediately, I regret this decision. I stand miles above the city, surveying the ruin brought upon it by the Elders. Voices from the coronation float up still, and I can see the masses formed outside the Castle to see our new Hero.

Honestly, I couldn't care less. I've seen heroes before, and they've all had one common trait.

They were all too good to be true.

Sighing, I turn away from the scene and push open the door, stepping into the so familiar yet alien halls of this other Legacy.

Ever had a painting when you were younger? One you cherished so, but lost because of some strange circumstances? Imagine coming across it again many years later, and it's Small, subtle things that meld together to scream at you that something is wrong. Very, very wrong.

That's more or less what I'm experiencing now.

I move through the hallways, not encountering anyone as of yet. I guess the majority of the crew are down at the coronation, and the ship is merely being run by a skeleton crew. Fine by me, makes my job of getting to the Bridge all the more easy--

Rounding the corner, I nearly walk straight into a bedraggled looking soldier holding a camera phone. My first reaction is to fall back several paces and draw on him. As is his. We stare at each other, our pistols levelled at one another like a scene from a Western.
“You work on this ship?” the soldier asks, and I recognise the markings on his uniform; an ISAF sergeant.
“No, I'm sightseeing,” I reply, nodding at the camera phone, “Like you, it seems.”
“Bullshit. You're one of Asmodeus' men, aren't you?”
“Last I heard, Asmodeus is dead, friend. Strapped to a Confluence Bomb to stop the Elders. So no, I'm not one of his men. Who the fuck are you working for, though?”
“He's... what?” The sergeant hesitates, his gun wavering, and that's all the time I need.

Before the soldier can react, I dart forward, moving past his gun and driving my elbow into his throat before hurling him to the floor. He looks up at me, bleary eyed. “Got... got some moves there, grandpa.”
“I'll take that as a compliment. Now who the fuck are you?” I snarl, my pistol pointed down at him.
“Sergeant Spears, ISAF. Me and two of my men just walked through hell and back, and now one of them's dying, so if you don't mind, I really need to get going.”
“What're you doing here?”
“Looking for evidence proving the ARC to be behind all this. But if Asmodeus is dead, then that makes no sense.”

I stare down at Sergeant Spears for a moment, weighing up his story. He has one of those faces, blunt and honest, that tells me I'm not being bullshat.
“Alright, fair enough.” I let him get to his feet and return his pistol. “You say one of your friends is dying?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Cos in that case it's your lucky fucking day, sergeant.” His right eyebrow rises.
“How so?”
“Because my name's Doctor Grant Page, and if you show me where your friend is, I'll drag his ass out of Death's clutches himself if I have to.”


Grant manages to get aboard the Legacy, but as he attempts to get to the Bridge comes across Sergeant Spears. The two have something of a stand-off, but Grant buys his story eventually. The pair move off to locate Spears' injured companion.
 
There was at first, a slight rumble, and a blip on long range radar, the blip grew larger and larger, and the slight rumble became a bellowing roar as a shape formed, looking to fly straight over the castle.

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To those that looked up, they were greeted with a sight not seen since the opening stages of the war.

The Barship, its fighters and bombers flying alongside it in formation, thundered overhead, its sheer proximity causing what felt like a minor earthquake.

The Barship passed after a few moments, and faded into the distance, getting lower and lower as it went, until it all but disappeared, somewhere over insanity.
 
McCarthy...

Karsikan's warning makes no sense to me whatsoever but I take heed regardless. I watch him leave on some cockamamie mission then turn to walk back to the staging area. Two more Starlifters are taking off. The place is barebones, only a handful of Strike Comanches remaining on overwatch. The one Starlifter remaining hasn't spun up. I make my way to one of the mechanics who's poring over schematics.

"What's the deal? Why isn't this bird turning?" I shout over the whine of a Crusader tank's turbine engine spinning up.

"We're having some problems..." he tells me. "For some reason we aren't building enough oil pressure. A Herky bird's on the way with some repair parts." The news isn't good but it's better than nothing.

"Alright, just do your best." I tell him, walking over to one of the tanks. The TC is busy fixing the fifty cal in place.

"Soldier, mind if I take over?" I shout at him. He does a double take then climbs out of the hatch, hand extended to me.

"By all means, sir." He says to me as he pulls me up onto the Crusader. He descends into the tank and climbs up into the Loaders cupola while I assume my position in the Commanders cupola.

"Sir, sir! We've got a possible volunteer!" I hear a Minigunner shouting to me as I pull a crewman's helmet on. Looking I see the soldier standing with a woman in strange gear.

I ought to be used to this by now but I'm not.

"What brings you here?" I ask her, leaning against the cupola. "You come for a new life or to fight?"

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(OOC)
-A Starlifter II is unable to build up enough oil pressure and is grounded. Carl addresses Kelia.
(/OOC)
 
Myrnodyn turned his canine head towards the newcomer, his serious eyes taking him in through the glasses that clung to his short snout. He took a brief glance at Drake and sighed, mumbling something under his breath that neither of the persons in front of him could quite catch. He folded his front paws over each other and sagged back into the chair he had been sitting in before he spoke to Yuri.

"You're in a place called Iwaku. I've studied the peculiarities of this place on and off since I arrived here from my own universe in what seems a very long time ago now. I could take DAYS informing you of what I've discovered, but I feel that it's better if I let you discover most things for yourself. What I will tell you is this: You've been pulled or have stepped out of your own universe into another, neighboring one. This Universe is called Iwaku, and it seems to connect to a near limitless amount of other universes. The most defining factor seems to be, oddly enough, that almost none of us are native on this world, though stay around long enough and you'll be woven into what some people religiously call "the cycle."

Myrnodyn unfolded his paws and leaned forward and up, getting his face closer to that of the mage. "That's another peculiarity of this world. It has had it share of divine beings, each more powerful as the next, but even THEY have been driven by what seems to be some sort of bigger plan, a bigger picture. You can feel free to disregard this last part, because I'm sure you understand very little of it. Even my own understanding of how this world works is very limited. Just be advised that you are no longer anywhere near home, and as things stand, it would by far be the easiest option to make your new home here, because most likely, you're not going anywhere."

At this point the puppy scientist turned back to Drake. "I assume that was enough, or is there something else you require from me? I hate to be curt with you, Drake, but these coordinates won't enter themselves, and I have a thousand and one things to do before we can depart on our journey for a better future." He smiled at these words and without further ado, turned around and returned to what he had been doing.

Summary: Myrn curtly explains what kind of situation Yuri finds himself in, without showing much of any interest in the man himself. He then returns to what he was doing.