Kimberly walked around the padded floor and tried to clear her mind. She let out a deep breath and raised her hands dramatically. With one more deep breath she sent her herself flying across the gym floor in a series of back flips that ended with her on her feet.

Gymnastics had always helped Kimberly get to a better place back home. And it would surely work here as well. She repeated the act of back flips but this time added a spin before the last one. There was nothing like tumbling through the air. It was a rush, a full on thrill that nothing compared. Except for maybe the whole ranger thing.

As she again did her back flips, spins, and added kart-wheels and it almost felt like home. Like she was back in Ernie's juice bar practicing along with Jason, Trini, Zach, Billy and Tommy. But she knew she wasn't.

There was something wrong with Ren. It was becoming more and more clear to him. He didn't know just what it was, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized things just seemed...off. Like collapsing the week before. There was no reason he should have fallen or why his heart should have stopped. Sure, he'd had an intense training simulation not long before it, but he'd fought much harder than that back home, during the battle. He must have.

In one hand, he was clutching Eri's ring, desperately clinging to it though he knew she was gone...though something in his memory didn't seem to add up, and he couldn't figure out why he'd gone out during Shore Leave and bought a new chain for the ring if he knew everything was beyond hope.

In his other hand was an Advent Card deck. But it wasn't his Knight deck--the one he'd given to Phillip just after he'd collapsed, agreeing to take it easy until they could figure out what was wrong with him. This deck was golden, emblazoned with a phoenix.

It was the strongest deck in the Rider War, the greatest power of any Rider: Kamen Rider Odin.

And it was Ren's.

( Here in exposition-land... )
He'd learned from Trudy that it would be a wise idea to put his plans into motion (and complete them) as quickly as possible. Luckily, the initial designs and supply-gathering had already been completed. That just left him (and any volunteering assistants) to install the necessary rockets within the Zords. One night of continuous work had resulted in the completion of the Lion Thunderzord---under the paws, he'd found convenient places to install rockets. All he needed was a round of coffee, and he'd be able to get through one more.

Visitors would find him kneeling on a fairly long temporary high platform attached to the Unicorn Thunderzord, sporting a sleeveless mechanic's uniform and a coating of sweat and grease. One 'wing' of the zord had had its paneling removed, and his head was currently somewhere inside that mass of machinery running the new wiring through.

It might take a try or two for him to answer calls or come down the ladder. Sounds tend to echo when your head's in a giant unicorn.

Phillip pulled the HardBoiler to a halt, putting the kickstand in place as he stepped out into the quieter districts of the trade planet. Quiet meaning that it wasn't full of people selling at maximum volume, but a more respectful level since the roads were cluttered by an impenetrable wall of people selling what appeared to be holy knicknacks.

It was quite literally a lot like a scene you'd find in the Vatican, with people of all cultures wearing different robes, symbols and selling many for a cheap price. A few people sat in quiet reverence, signifying they were from some local or near-local order and Phillip paused to purchase one of the items.

The woman there, which appeared to be a nun, looked at him with silver eyes. "You have a good eye," she said as Phillip traced a finger over a filched cross placed against what appeared to be a sun. "That is the symbol of the Tallest."

"The Tallest?" inquired Phillip as he looked at it.

The old woman nodded. "The Tallest is the symbol of Life and Rebirth, the holiest of holy in our culture. He is dark haired and symbolized by green." She gave him a look that made Phillip feel like he was being searched to his core.

"Take it," said the woman. "Our order does not need the money, but a good symbol knows where it is meant for."

Phillip nodded respectfully, taking up the item and storing it into his book before bowing.

Walking away, he turned to thank her - but she was gone.

"... that was odd." he remarked to the air.

After meeting people on the Observation Deck and determining that no one, by virtue of no one she had spoken with ever having seen a Keyblade before, that Sora, Riku, and Mickey were still asleep, Kairi had decided to find her way around the ship itself. She didn't know how long it would take until their worlds were restored, so she had decided to make the best of the situation and make herself at home the best she could.

That meant knowing where everything was, as well as finding someone who could show her how to properly use a sword. True, she'd play-fought with Sora, Riku, and the others on occasion as children, but they far outranked her in terms of actual skill. Not to mention fighting skills had never seemed important to her until recently. They had been just for play. Why would she need to take bashing each other over the head with toy swords as seriously as Riku and Sora always did?

Then her world had been devoured the first time around and she'd been proven wrong. And now? Well, she'd find someone to show her eventually. For now, her goal was figuring out where everything was and what it did.

This was how she eventually wound up in hydroponics late in what passed for afternoon here. True to the post she'd seen on the communications system, there were all kinds of plants here, many she had never seen before and took her time to admire.

It was then she spotted another person [your character] a little further away and smiled warmly at them.

"It's nice down here, isn't it?"

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a tall man in green armor and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Ron, with his ever-present naked mole rat buddy on his shoulder, stood outside the sensoriums. Multiple turkeys, along with many other traditional Thanksgiving foods, were held inside, and now all that was needed for the cooking to begin was wait here for the rest of the Ranger team to show. He'd even managed to dig up color-coded aprons for all of them.

||Attention, Attention,|| Stacy's voice rang out suddenly throughout the ship. ||Will the following personnel please report to the Obs Deck:||

||Michael Blanc,||
||Kazami Shiro,|
||Andrew Davis,||
||Aibghalien Marsai,||
||Spiderman--616 universe,||
||Julian Keller,||
||Nanashi,||
||Katara,||
||Lash,||
||Wags-Tail-Alot,||
||Phillip,||
||and Vita.||

||Attention, Attention...|| The message repeats over and over, until all of the people she was calling reported to the Obs Deck.

Once they get there, they're greeted with an unusual sight. The mouth in the huge statue on the wall opens, revealing a screen. On it, the dossier for the mission flickers into display, understandable to every person there. Smaller copies of the dossier appear in holographic form in front of everyone.

The planet's stats, right next to a rotating picture of it, a dusty brown orb with orange clouds overhead:
( Read more... )

Unfortunately, Billy knew, there was no sufficiently large space on the ship for Stacy to allow a true test of the bright and colorful death mecha the Power Rangers knew as the Thunderzords. With some help from Lash he'd run repairs and diagnostics on each one, and he was reasonably sure that they would be in working order when the need to use them arose, but there was no way to get around this first test's artificial nature.

Zord usage wasn't particularly dangerous, but it might make a decent safety precaution. Billy took solace in that much as he morphed and prepared.

Once the Sensorium was his for the next hour or two, Billy set about the preparations. The scenery changed to a dusty California desert, much like the one that hid the Command Center on his world. In a wide circle around the meeting place, the six Thunderzords rose up in all their intimidating height. Behind the Tigerzord was Dustin's Lionzord, which would serve as a model during the lesson if the Wind Ranger was willing. Raised about two stories off the ground was a round desert platform for audience members, which would elevate and move to follow the battle's actions as needed.

Billy had a monstrous opponent in mind, one that he hoped would be a good preliminary challenge. Now it was his time to roll his helmet in his hands, stand, and wait, hoping that this lesson wouldn't end in disaster.

((The main part of the log is closed to the Rangers, but audience participation and mocking is encouraged! Billy deliberately left the door open so the other crew members could see what they can do and maybe offer advice.))

Woody had known that he was here for a reason, and he knew that reason wasn't the same as everyone else. The ship didn't even recognize him as a crew member. No, the ship registered that he belonged to someone, and he knew that someone had to be one of two people.

One of those two people was here now.

Woody peeked around the corner of a meatchair in the Obs Deck, to take a look at him, trying to figure out what to do. Yes, he'd gotten caught, and decided to give up on the biggest of the rules toys even had, in light of their situation, but...

This was different. This was Andy.

As much as Woody dearly cared about Bonnie, as much as he understood he'd been given away, Andy would always be... he would always just be...

You never forgot the first kid that loved you so much that you felt...real.

The little cowboy was afraid that Andy knowing his toys were alive would taint those happy memories, that Andy might be freaked out by him. There just...was a lot to be afraid of.

But maybe this was finally his chance to talk to him, to tell him all the things he'd wanted to say.

"You can do this. You can do this. All you have to do is walk out, and say hi. That's it. You just have to walk out and hope that he...doesn't run away screaming." Woody took his hat off and flapped it around in frustration. "This is gonna be a nightmare."

But even if it was, it was Andy. Woody took a moment to lift his boot, and stare at the scribbled letters there. He couldn't not try to do this.

Sighing, Woody put his foot down and put his hat back on his head, adjusted it, took a moment to steel himself, and walked out into Andy's line of sight. The moment it looked like Andy was looking his way, instinct kicked in and mixed with overwhelming nervousness and he flopped to the ground, lifeless.

Well that had gone exactly not as planned.

I will make you great.

I will make you powerful.

Steve woke up in a cold sweat, but it was only cold for a moment. Then his body filled with heat, pulsing and surging and roaring in his head. He exhaled a breath he couldn't remember holding, then gasped for more.

The walls of his room were closing in on him. The lights were flickering and the air grew thicker and thicker. He stumbled to his feet and headed towards the door, clutching a hand to his forehead.

You are lucky to bask in my presence. You are lucky to have survived. You will be the one to carry on my legacy.

His head pounded as he stumbled down the hall. The whole crew quarters hallway was getting smaller now, smaller and darker, hotter and hotter. He had to get out before she reached him. He could hear her getting louder until it sounded like she was echoing in his ear, that voice that sent chills down his spine and made him grit his teeth. "Shut up, you bitch... shut up!"

I will raise you above the level of the slime who populate this world. I will give you the purpose you were born to fulfill.

I will give you the privilege of serving me, Mister 267.

Her laughter rang out and he was trapped in that cell again, stumbling up against the cold brick wall. He yelled out in shock and slammed his fists against the door hard enough to sting. "No! NO! NOO!"

Of course, as soon as he'd likely woken anybody sleeping behind the door he was banging on, it all faded and he was left staring blankly down the crew quarter hallway.

[ooc: Whose door is it? I don't know, but whoever you are, you've been awoken by a sleepwalking delirious teenager. Whoops. So much for a good night's sleep...]