Fly me to the Moon

"EJ please play something to set the mood" Ridge called to the A.I. as the ship began to cruise after leaving Earth space. Selecting from a playlist off Ridge's personal data slate, a combination of pop rock he has always been a fan of.

"Four days before our arrival Sergeant, you can all safely move around the ship now" Vronica stepped away from the console with a violet glow coming from her eyes as she checked out the other holographic displays to ensure the ship was still was on an uninterrupted course that EJ would follow.

"I will remain tethered for the duration of the trip" Before she excused herself and left the bridge, much to the crew's curiosity, who also took the opportunity to make their periodic checks before they left for their own quarters.

Pierce gave them a nod:

"Understood. Let me know if you need anything." Leaving for his room. He arrived in his quarters only for the glimmering steel in one of his bags to catch his attention.

Thinking of his encounter with Captain General Khord, and his decision to entrust him with something so valuable, he quickly changed into his training gear before heading to the very same cargo bay. In place of the empty bay for the Exocraft, he set up the space and picked up the Millenium Treasures, which hummed with an ominous tone, vibrating through his being.

An hour later, Vronica returned to the bridge to make corrections to their path when flickering through a view of the ships cameras, shifting between each room, her eyes shone with a violet hue before heading out to look for the others.

Finding Rayce in his room answering a video call with a rowdy bunch, all beckoning him to return home as soon as possible for them to begin their celebrations while he basked in their veneration.

But with nothing of not catching her eye, she continued to press on to the common area, where she found Ridge repairing a visor that Thella was waiting on. From their exchange, Vronica asked what they were up to.

"When you adjust the visor, you can select the desired star map"

"You really didn't have to go so far. Really I gave it to you to tinker with because I thought it was broken. I wasn't expecting it to be working again"

"Well the challenge was worth it" He packed away his tool before being embraced by the thankful Thella.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything?" Vronica pondered after watching the reddening Thella who was still holding onto Ridge.

"Oh hi there. I was just fixing something for Thella, she had me look at"

"Hmm, how curious. Have you seen our sergeant?"

"Not sure but knowing him, he's probably training. Try finding a place he'd be busy in" Ridge mentioned still in her grasp.

"Thank you. I'll be off. And private, if you're going to fornicate, please keep it confined to your quarters."

"That's...we wouldn't...were crew mates that's all."

"Knowing her, she probably made a bio scan before entering" He wondered aloud.

"Increased heart rate, hormonal shifts and the immense amount of pheromones secreted by both of you whenever you enter each other's range..."

"Thank you Vronica, we'll report to the bridge soon. '' Thella pushed her out of the common area.

"I'm surprised even after all this time, she's still following after him" Thella let out a worn-out sigh.

"It's probably because she sees a little bit of herself in him. Our leader tends to act more mechanical than our own Pygmy" Ridge muses as he returns his attention to his next object for tinkering

Making her way through a corridor that led into the cargo bay, which echoed the weighty grunts of someone straining themselves.

Stepping down the stairs she came to a space near the crates secured around the floor of the bay area, she moved down before coming to a stop when she found several knives and other personal items sitting on a nearby crate. The same echo pulled her attention to the empty Exocraft spaces where she waited by the railing, hoping that she may capture a glimpse of her captain.

"Sergeant Gage, I hope I am not interrupting?" Her eyes shimmered for a moment when paused his training, composing himself in a meditative stance before walking up to her and helping himself to the water canister that was on the crate.

"V. Do you need something?"

'Heart rate is still normal. Hmm'

"The course seems to be faring well so I've been taking the time to check on everyone, ensuring that they are all in optimal condition for our arrival on Venus"

"That's good to hear. You should take the time to relax before we are needed" Putting his drink down and moving to get into position with the bo staff resting at his side.

"Yes sir. If...you don't mind, may I remain here with you? Everyone seems to be comfortable in their endeavors, I wouldn't want to impose upon them"

"I see." Taking a second to notice her curious expression.

"You many as long as my practice will not distract or disrupt any of your duties"

"Thank you, sir" Her smile beamed brightly as she pulled out her data slate and began to work through a rapid stream of data. Her gaze moved between her tasks and watching over his training with her Captain taking notice of her lingering stares , making an offer for her to join him as they sparred.

Pierce managed to keep up for a fair amount of time, but a Pygmy's form is built as close to perfection as one can so once his fatigue began to set in, even using the GAS wouldn't keep the victory in his grasp.

After several thousand millisecond calculations, Vronica managed to subdue him, leaving his training done, helping Pierce up, she provided him with a drink before offering the report of the trip so far.

He mulled over the reports and asked her how she and everyone was still doing on the trip. V relayed her thoughts but hesitated when it came to herself.

But Pierce prompted her to speak her mind, wanting to hear her thoughts while he dried himself with his towel.

Her eyes blinked with various hues for a while before she expressed that she finds everyone fascinating and is willing to continue working with them.

"I think they might feel the same way. Even Rayce, as obtuse as he may be."

"And you Sergeant Gage, how are you feeling?"

"How kind of you to ask, even with it being a strange question for someone such as myself" He mentioned as he cleaned up the space he was using.

"Your kind still have souls, their nature might differ but you still have one. My own Ghost might not dissuade a similar belief but my creators designed it with that very same similarity in mind, I do not understand why that may escape one such as yourself?"

"Your words are appreciated, V." He nods before walking up the stairs.

His indifferent expression and steely tone showed no signs of change, as it had been, with the thought of what she saw between Ridge and Thella, she wonders if the sergeant will be alright if she tried it with him.

In spite of her immense parallel processing capacities, her mind would tend to drift when thinking about the Sergeant, when returning to her thoughts she finds he is already gone on his way to shower.

Almost turning beet red and the sight of him unclad, she shook her head to clear her thoughts and returned to the bridge.

"It's just the same. His heart rate is still at 55 bpm. No variation detected upon my arrival. How strange for a human" She thinks while tending to the console.

As they were approaching Venusian space, they received a call from Captain-General Thalia.

"Good day, Cloud Jumpers. Your arrival is expected over Ishtar Terra. You will be permitted to dock in the Floating City of Sumer-Inanna where we will be expecting you and—and—"

"Thella, what's going on with our line of communication?" Pierce turned his attention to her.

"Sergeant, the data stream was cut...from...our side?" She paused as she realized the ship was no longer transmitting.

"Sergeant Gage of the Seventh Sword Company, Cloud Jumpers: Register—red—????"

"EJ?—" He questioned the A.I, seeking a response regarding the malfunctioning data stream when the ship was struck by something, forcing all its systems to shut down.

In the momentary darkness lit with the amber light of the strobing emergency lights, Pierce tried to call everyone as the darkened ship began descending out of its orbit. Entering a fierce dive into the planet's atmosphere, the lack of artificial gravity had the crew spiraling in mid-air, as they tried to steady themselves.

Despite the ship shaking violently, he managed to reach Thella and Ridge. And together they floated through the fast descending ship. Reaching the Reactor Room, they found Rayce who had been trying to reset the ship's connection to the ZH-SB Black Body Reactor.

Ridge pulled himself into the room, scaling the mounted hand-holds on the panels of the corridor came in to help guide his actions.

"I'll handle this. You guys should start up the systems the moment the power comes back on or we'll burn up on re-entry." They nod in agreement before they leave the room.

Pierce ordered Thella to man the console before he took off to look for Vronica.

Along the corridors, on his way to the private quarters, he finds her struggling to move with a lot of her systems seemingly suffering. Whatever struck the ship was affecting her with the impact knocking her the furthest from the bridge. He tried to talk to her which managed to restore some of her awareness as the ship's power came back online.

With some strain, he helped her to the bridge where they found the team scrambling as Thella tried to add new landing coordinates. Having missed the High City landing site, the only option left to them would be to land on the surface.

"Captain! I cannot be entirely sure where, but from what little telemetry data we are receiving, we're near the Northwards Continent. Our best bet is most likely a massive crustal plateau near Fortuna." Vronica tried to manage the flight path. With EJ still offline, Pierce ordered her to stabilize the flight path Thella inputted.

Rayce would operate the radar to keep the ship from heading straight into the mountain.

Ridge urged Pierce that they only have enough directed power for about two more minutes of flight before the engines gave out.

Pierce urged Ridge to push as hard as they could for the new landing site hoping to cut the trip in half. But the storms layered in the thick atmosphere battered and tossed the ship around as they tried to stay the course. Emerging at the least turbulent point of the trajectory, Ridge powered the sublight engines, the raw hum followed the ejected stream of blue light.

Though the thrust provided was enough to right the ship and pull it out of its freefall, they were not just flying fast but flying blind towards the surface. Without the brilliant display of the crackling arcs of vibrant lightning carving root-like formations through the sky, they discovered the impending dark that hung over the mountainous landscape covered in a dense coating of snow.

Rayce called out to the Captain.

"It's the damn ice, it's screwing with the radar. "

The approaching geologic face affirmed Rayce's panic. The crew looked out at the bridge's windowed vantage.

"It is an ice shelf" Pierce's eyes widened at the sight.

The ship hit the surface of Fortuna running against the jagged ground, shearing and tearing at the hull of the Enduring Hope before a sudden shock rocked the ship , throwing it onto its side, with metal scraping drawing out their panic ...shutting everything off and bleeding in the darkness from outside.

"Pierce! Come on Captain, I'm really going to need you to wake up right now." A trembling voice called into the darkness before the occasional glimmer coming from a flickering light led a stumbling Ridge to their Captain.

"..."

"Is someone there? Ridge?" Looking at his disturbing gaze that hovered over him.

"That ripped right through—Captain, are you okay? That wound…" Pierce tried to snap him to his senses as he continued stammering at his condition.

"That's not important right now. What I need you to do is use that multitool from Engineering, I've spotted the compartment holding some tools door the hall, right behind you. Each time the lights flickered I saw the room but it was out of reach. God, to think the ship has been torn apart so violently" Pierce winced as he paced his breathing.

Ridge moved swiftly through the twisted corridor with no hesitation or stumbling around the tool's use. The sparkling sight from the beam gave glimpses of the damage around them and wrecked structures.

It wouldn't take long before Pierce was freed, immediately ripping off his drenched uniform to staunch the wound, worrying Ridge who could only follow his wobbling through the debris...eventually pushing on after him and taking up an arm to help him on his way to what remained of the bridge.