We All Float On

[out_of_order]

WHO: Cal Kestis, BD-1 and you!
WHERE: Agrii Ship
WHAT: Keeping busy on the way back to Agra 10
WHEN: During the trip back
WARNINGS: N/A


It's definitely a different atmosphere aboard the ship, now that they don't have imminent threats hanging over their heads. Having a full ship also helps for the mood. True, there have been disappointments and frustration in the aftermath of rescuing all the Agrii, but Cal hardly thinks the Agrii themselves are to blame. It seems clear enough that someone else is at work in all this, and while that in itself is disheartening, there's little that can be done that they haven't already tried in order to get any further clues in that. The current state of those of their own that they've rescued along with the Agrii and Graq is worrying, and not knowing what else to do, he can only hope that Cloud and Bucky come out of their sleep soon.

The padawan takes the time to get to know the Agrii. It's a nice change to be able to speak face to face to them instead of wait for mysterious messages. It's nice to know they're real. But sometimes they can be overbearing, and so he finds retreat as he can.

Naturally it's work that Cal throws himself into, finding the need to do something. Being busy comes easier than meditation at the moment, and there's plenty enough to be done anyway.


A
With no rush to get things finished, he's happy to work on the ships, putting in some perhaps much-needed upgrades. Can't hurt to, right? Given how woefully under-equipped they've proven in what might be considered necessary functions, the padawan's priorities would be to retrofit ships with whatever parts are yet available to provide protection and increase travel speed. He won't mind an extra hand, of course. Or maybe you want your ship to be upgraded next?


B
In a quiet, empty dead-end hall or perhaps even the Green Room, when he's not picking at tech, Cal and BD-1 can be found going over some of the latter's interesting findings. BD-1's been pretty busy with the Soldier, it seems, and now that they've got the time, Cal's trying to catch up with what's happened on the other end.

Comments

[sinistral]

Likewise the Soldier is glad of the work, and the fact that meaningless, idle chatter does not accompany it. He's even gotten used to BD-1's involvement and how Cal talks with him just like he'd talk to a person. It's interesting to see the two interact, in fact, because the little robot appears to be much more than a simple assistant, at least to his eyes.

"I don't trust anything about this place." Or anyone, not fully, but he realizes it's probably better not to actually say that. Too many conversations he's had around that very idea in the past have left a bad taste in his mouth, because the concept of trust and trustworthiness means a lot more to someone with his history than one without. Even so, it does help to at least talk it through with someone — especially when that someone seems as mistrustful of things as he. "The Agrii have shown us that the Atroma need not even be involved; clearly, others can learn to use even the technology they kept secret from my time in the Fleet. But I will agree; there must be another player here, and this is our first glimpse of whatever it may be."

Metal fingers tap idly against the side of a conduit as he supports its weight, watches the sure movements of Cal's hands. "Even giving us as much a hint of their presence as we have could have been a mistake. We should be on our guard."

[out_of_order]

BD-1's the first that Cal's ever been able to really put his trust in, after things had turned so horribly with the end of the Clone Wars. He really wouldn't have any idea where he would be without his little friend.

Cal doesn't refute that point. "It'd be pointless worrying about what all else the Atroma might have left lying around for others to find and make use of, at least not unless it ends up directed at us. We have a little more insight on what happened with the Agrii's homeworld, but given that the ships that mimicked the effects of the storm when they shot at us have so conveniently self-destructed, we still haven't much else to go on."

It isn't long before the conduit's firmly in place. Cal steps back, giving the Soldier a nod. "That goes without saying," he says, smiling wryly." Being on guard was sort of a default mode by now. He knows it's not the same for everyone though.

[sinistral]

"I agree. Without a way to know for sure, we'd only borrow worry." Better that they focus on the facts they do know, the pieces of the puzzle that they do have. With all the suppositions they could make, they could also easily lose sight of the facts they have. "I hate to say it, but I'm not exactly surprised at the ships self-destructing. Would be much too convenient to let us get our hands on their technology, wouldn't it?" Maybe he sounds a little too suspicious, but it seems highly suspect.

"At least someone agrees." He's honestly gotten used to the idea that being as guardedly mistrustful of things as he is, is considered strange to most people. He doesn't apologize for it, and it's refreshing to find someone else who feels at least somewhat similarly. He steps back from their work, running his flesh hand over the now-cooled joins of the early welds. "You do good work."

[out_of_order]

"Can't make it too easy for us," Cal notes dryly. "I wonder if Tony was able to find out anything from the systems before they blew." He hasn't gotten a chance to catch up with the man just yet, but there seems plenty of time to do so considering how long the trip out had taken.

He smiles faintly but says nothing more. The Soldier obviously has things from his past he'd rather not talk about, and Cal's not inclined to mention too much of his own without reason, but he's glad they have some sort of understanding. Watching as the man feels the fresh welds, the padawan tips his head in a nod.

"Thanks. I used to work on starships back where I'm from. ...although mostly in dismantling them, but the same tools that take things apart can also be used to put things together."

[sinistral]

"I don't know, honestly. He may have prioritized rescue efforts and our ability to get away from the blast." Which might also be convenient: a time limit and a sensitive task. Add to that the idea that if there is another player at large, could that being have predicted that rescue efforts would be the priority? Have they as a group been under enough observation that behaviors are obvious?

It's not a comfortable thought.

"I do wonder if there's significance in that," he muses. Turning it over in his thoughts for a moment, he decides to share a little more about the Fleet. "The was a theory some of us had, that the Atroma stole us for our abilities and used their show as an excuse, a cover. That we were really there less for entertainment value and more for what unique talents we had. The Agrii have claimed us all as heroes, but that hasn't sat right with me. What more haven't they told us?"

[out_of_order]

Given the limited amount of time they had to work with, Cal can only nod at that. "We had a team aboard one of the outside ships even before they were set to self-destruct. They couldn't even override the systems to move them closer for us to evacuate the Agrii." But Tony had a way with systems he hasn't quite understood, and given how quickly the man had managed to access most of the Agrii ship's systems, he doubted doing the same to the other ship would have been any more difficult. That there's some outside meddling hasn't been a point forgotten, nor the idea that they've been nudged along on simply to react to predetermined scenarios.

"If it was about that, then did they have a specific use for those with whatever talents they determined people to have? ...and how did they know about them, how would they know so much about us when we come from so many different places?" Just who and what were they actually dealing with?

"I wonder if they'll be more forthcoming in talking to us about things, now that we're able to interact with them in person," Cal suggests. "Even if they don't tell us directly, if we can figure out the right things to ask about, maybe we can get more hints about what we really want to know."

[sinistral]

"Something may have wanted to keep them out. Actively, if necessary." What he doesn't say is that the beings on those ships, these Graq, are now pretty much their shipmates on this weird travel through space. It's not a comfortable thought, especially considering that the something could now be among them.

Great. Just great.

"They made me Security. Considering my skill set and experience, and their categories of expertise, I can only conclude it was a deliberate move on their part." However strong his certainty though, he knows he doesn't have actual hard evidence. "But conclusively? I couldn't say, because I believe they were also smart enough to engage in misdirection."

As to the possibility of the Agrii sharing information, the Soldier just shrugs. "They might, or they might keep their silence. Or they might lie, either deliberately or by omission. But either way I do agree; if we're careful, they may give us more than they mean. It's worth the try."

[out_of_order]

At least they wouldn't have to go far to offload the Graq. It seems to Cal that they were just involved out of convenience by whoever decided to make a show of the Agrii being in trouble. Just the idea of some ulterior motive at play makes the padawan uneasy. Things hadn't gone well for anyone the last time something like that had occurred, and with the fact that there were powers at work able to do such unheard of things, he can't help but have a bad feeling about what might be to come.

"Well, all this could be seen as a huge misdirection," he points out. "Until recently we'd all been mostly convinced that the Agrii were responsible for everything. We've only been able to react to things, and I think that's exactly what's expected of us."

Cal folds his arms, nodding a little. "We should definitely try talking to Ga Re again too. She's at least been the most forthcoming."

[sinistral]

"That's what makes it harder," he agrees. Layers upon layers surround their situation, such that finding a path through it all will not prove easy. Then again, they also probably won't be bored trying to untangle it all.

And while some of them might be content to relax and mingle with the Agrii and the Graq, he'll keep on his guard out of mistrust for them. While Ga Re had offered to send them home, there still remains one important fact: the storms on her planet haven't been eliminated, have they? And for that, the Agrii had wanted their so-called heroes. It seems mighty convenient that their way home now seems barred to them.

"It could be by design. An engineered friendly face." That doesn't mean they shouldn't talk to her, only to take her words with a grain of salt. He's pretty sure that Cal feels similarly though.

[out_of_order]

"It could be," Cal concedes. It's either that or they're being used just as they are. All the more reason he wants to talk to Ga Re again, to feel her out. The only questions she seemed to have a delay in her responses were to his, and he's not sure if anyone else had picked up on it, but it was strange.

"Ga Re's the only one who can really speak enough to try communicating with us either way. I wonder if anyone's asked her about that Calibrations incident. That's probably something we should bring up."