Mercury was dreaming. She fought with her friends with all her strength but they were still loosing. There seemed to be no way to defeat this enemy. Then suddenly the world lost focus. She tried to fight but she didn't have the strength. She fell hard landing not at all gracefully.

Mercury's mind was clouded and her thoughts in no order. She fought to open her eyes. Everything was out of focus. Seems her contacts must have slipped or got lost in the fight on Earth. She blinked hopping that the world would come back into focus. It didn't, of all the times to be blind, now was not one of them. She struggled to sit up from her rather unladylike postion and found it harder than she expected, but she was able to.

The room was spinning and that didn't help her at all. She felt like she might be sick, but she kept hold on it for now. She kept blinking rapidly hoping that her contacts were just lost in the back of her eyes, but she doubted it. She shook her head slowly and raised a hand to her forehead. Her dream wasn't a dream is was memory. Sudden realization dawned on her. The others needed help. She tried to get to her feet which fell out from under her a few times. She heard Pluto. "Pluto?" She asked quizzically. "Do you know where we are?" She turned to the blur nearest her. She squinted and looked around. She thought she saw Jupiter and Mamoru but she wasn't sure. "Are any of the others here?" She asked hating that she couldn't see to tell herself. "My contacts got lost or something, so I can't see well." She blushed at her short coming and waited for the voices of her friends to respond to her questions.

Spoiler:

The group, larger than before, left the relative safety of the last room and once again walked into the ship's hallways. Makoto felt a little uneasy; they were technically escapees surrounded by any number of people that could capture or report them to this ship's authorities. Gochi, on the other hand, felt more at ease. If she thought of this whole ordeal as a mission, then there was no need to feel uneasy. Those sorts of feelings would jeopardize the mission and she was a seasoned soldier.

After a detour or two that functioned as a distraction, the group made it to the next room. Makoto's spirits lifted when she recognized the names on the containers. Soon, everyone would be safe and sound. But, until they were all found, she would not feel sound or safe.

Gochi of course, felt no such feelings toward any of the others in the group nor the people in the containers that would soon join their group. Each person added to the group, in her mind, was another chance to become noticed by the ship's authorities. She quickly read the label on each container, but none of them said her brother's name. Gochi cursed quietly, then backed away. Togarashii said that he was likely a 'favorite' of a high-ranking official on the ship, so she hadn't expected to see him in one of the containers, but... Never mind, she'd find him, with or without their help.

As the others were before her, Sailor Pluto was disoriented and weak. Makoto stepped forward and offered her a helping hand. "You'll feel better soon," she said quietly. She motioned to the woman Sailor Pluto had asked about. "That's Togarishii, she's helping us out." Then the brunette jerked a finger toward Gochi, "That's Gochi, she's also with us, for now." Gochi was standing at guard next to the entrance of the room.

Not long after Sailor Pluto was released, Sailor Mercury was also released from her container. Makoto turned toward her friend, smiled warmly, and offered another helping hand. "I'm glad to see you're alright, Sailor Mercury. Don't worry, you'll feel stronger in a few minutes." Makoto needed to be strong for the others, which was why she jumped at the opportunity to give them the information they wanted. "We're on the ship of the aliens that attacked us." With a wide grin, she pumped her fist, "but we're busting out of here!" She faltered a little when Sailor Mercury said she had lost her glasses and contacts. "Don't worry, Sailor Mercury, I'll help you out."

Finally moving forward they left the room after Togarishi had given some quick instructions of how Michiru should act in her current position. Michiru led Jupiter and Gochi in the hallways surrounded by people, most of them not paying attention to them but some of them asking something about her. But like expected Michiru had taken her role and position as a part of their mission and would go with the act as long as it was needed. If Togarishi would be elsewhere or parted from the group Michiru was the one who had to take the lead in tough situations. It was her part to get their group out of trouble if they were stopped and she was the one who could speak their group free if they were stopped. Neptune didn’t feel herself uneasy despite crowd of people who walked around them as they made their way towards the next container room, she had used to be surrounded by enemies especially when she and Haruka had attested Mugen Academy and had to get inside the security systems to get inside the Death Busters’ whereabouts.

After some short detours the group made it to the next room which went pitch dark as the doors behind them closed. Soon Mamoru had gotten to Togarishi and turned the lights on, revealing the room where two familiar senshi were locked inside the containers - Sailor Pluto and Sailor Mercury were the next ones who would soon join their group. Michiru was relieved that they had found more senshi who belonged to their group but her thoughts were unavoidably searching for one certain person who was still inside the container, close to them.

Fist released was Sailor Pluto and Michiru walked close to her container as Mamoru began to input the code to get the container open. As Pluto fell down released Michiru held her and softened her fall to the ground. She was soon standing up and Jupiter answered her question, introducing Togarishi and Gochi. “I’m glad we found you” Michiru said putting her hand on Pluto’s shoulder. Her next question made Michiru frown as she knew what had happened. She shook her head looking at Pluto as her reaction and look in her deep blue eyes told what had happened. “We were all taken here, Haruka, Hotaru and Usagi, as well” she said and the tone of her voice told that she wanted to find them all as quickly as just was possible. Her mind was echoing the same whisper again.

Michiru turned her head around to see Mercury who was still weak from her stay in the container. Jupiter’s cheery words made her eyes darken as she knew their mission would definitely be as easy as she assured to Mercury. Still a slight smile rose on her face as she saw her keeping care of Mercury, she knew she could rely on Jupiter taking care of her fellow Inners as Neptune could focus on her own companions. “Pluto, can you tell if the time is warping?” She turned her face back to Pluto, a serious look on her face. Neptune wanted to know how bad the situation was and she knew that if Pluto felt the time warping because of the current events, the situation would be very critical. And Neptune was still worried about Mamoru’s thoughts since he didn’t have time to tell what his concerns were and Neptune felt that something else than just the current situation was wrong.

Pluto and Mercury, returned. Memoru felt relieved, and leaned briefly on the flat metal control panel for support. Two, when he expected just one of their number to be returned to them. Through the denser material of Mercury’s holder he had not recognized the senshi, but with the label of “METIS” rather than “EARTH”, perhaps he hadn’t been attempting recognition. When Pluto called out to him he nodded, but let Jupiter field her questions; he was sure more would come later and hew would answer those as best he could. When Mercury awoke, confused and without contacts, Mamoru worried; he had been subconsciously counting on Mercury’s help in this. That she couldn’t clearly see the controls or computer couldn’t help them at all. But then… if he remembered correctly, Mercury was nearsighted; perhaps she could still see the screens and controls if she were close enough to them?

He was about to ask her when Michiru asked a quiet question about the flow of time. He had never considered that, either; he didn’t even know what to do with the implication – could the Tarans control time to speed up their journey through space? Was that how they moved so quickly? Or could they actually be bending space itself to get where they needed? He paused, considering.

In either case, if they were in any way shaping or controlling spacetime, once they left the Solar System and it’s Oort cloud they would be traveling very far in a very short amount of time. That didn’t bode well for their escape plans.

-----
Togarishi raised a brow as the blue-haired senshi fell from the tank and was immediately recognized by Hero’s group; her tank and records clearly read ‘METIS’, but she was clearly from this system. Where was the confusion? Why was she mislabeled?

She approached the wall terminal and logged back into the system, going into records to see what she could find about any transfers in this room.

Pluto still awaited any answer to her questions when another capsule opened. It was the one that was near the capsule that had held Pluto herself until very recently. But the plaque upon the capsule that read "Metis" had no meaning to her at all, and there were more pressing things that needed to be explained.

Like where Haruka and Hotaru had been taken. And what of their princess?

The idea that Usagi might be lying hurt and alone somewhere made Pluto's heart race. Her hands clenched into fists and opened again, unsure as to where to go when there was no Garnet Rod to hold within them.

It was when Makoto moved forward to the opened capsule that Pluto turned to look at the woman who had been captured within.

The sight of blue hair and equally blue eyes was surprising. Mercury looked disorientated, and her eyes searched but did not see. It was hard to believe that it was actually Sailor Mercury standing there. What had happened to the "Metis" person, then?

But that didn't matter so much. Having Sailor Mercury was a blessing and a relief. One more of their own was gathered with them, and there was safety in numbers.

Pluto listened as Makoto gave her a short explanation, glancing at the strangers in turn. There were so many more questions that needed to be answered, but Pluto did not voice them just yet. Makoto had said that these strangers were working with them now, but Pluto found it impossible to trust either of them. There was too much going on, and they were surrounded by unknown dangers and enemies. These strangers could simply be lying, waiting for their chance.

But Mamoru seemed to accept them, for now, and Pluto said nothing. It was not up to her to question her prince's decisions, however it did not stop her from keeping on eye on both women. If they decided to do harm, she would be ready.

Michiru's hand upon her shoulder caught Pluto off guard and she glanced at her friend. She looked strange but Pluto understood the reason without having to ask. "We were all taken here. Haruka, Hotaru and Usagi, as well," Michiru told her.

Pluto frowned, and took comfort in the presence of one member of her family. But the lack of the other two was a stark hole. She looked away from Michiru's dark blue eyes, guilt tearing at her chest.

When Michiru asked her about time warping, Pluto frowned, looking down at her hands. "I'm not sure," she said slowly, picking out her words carefully. Her head felt heavy, and there was a pain at her temples. Every move was sluggish and it was strange to need to take an extra moment to collect her thoughts. If she had her Garnet Rod, perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult. After so many years with that comforting presence, she felt naked without having her Garnet Rod in her hands.

"I can feel something, some kind of disrupt in time," Pluto continued. "But it is hard to figure out any of the details."

Her own words shook her as she came to realize that this situation was far more dire than she had thought possible.

Ami smiled at what she hoped was Makoto. "Thanks Mako, but I don't think I'm that bad off just don't ask me to read much unless I can get close to it." She squinted looking around. She felt so weak. Her world was still spinning a little. Her head was throbbing and her weak vision was thumping in time to the throbbing of her head. Oh man this was not good. She hoped that the headache went away after a while.

Ami's mouvements felt slow and uncoordinated. She knew she had to get with it soon or she could cause problems for them in the long run and she didn't want to be a hazard to them, at least her eyes weren't too bad off, but still she would need help. She hoped that didn't get them caught.

She head Michiru's voice asking about time warping. That was a good point. She had questions of her own. Where were they? Who was behind this and how could they get out of here? What had happened? Where were the others? How many had been found. She waited to voice her questions till after Pluto had spoken, then raising her voice to her concerns she asked after the others and what had happened.

Spoiler:

Obviously, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Pluto still felt very weak and disoriented from their extended stay in the capsules. "Don't worry, you'll feel better soon," she said to Sailor Mercury. "And we may find you a replacement pair. Who knows what is on this ship." Well, that might be too hopeful, Makoto thought.


While she did what she could for Ami, which wasn't too much, Michiru questioned Sailor Pluto. Makoto frowned when she heard the answer and realized that the Garnet Rod was gone. Someone must have taken it, because it did look very valuable and Makoto would not be too surprised if they had seen Sailor Pluto use it for an attack.

Makoto looked toward Togarishii, who was hunched over a control panel. "We probably can't stay here for long," she said.

Gochi crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. She really didn't care for reunions, unless they included her brother. Obviously, the majority of the group would want to find their companions first, rather than her brother. But, once they found all of their companions, then she would likely be left to fend for herself. Gochi doubted she could navigate the ship by herself without starting a ruckus. If she didn't know where her brother was and he was currently a 'pet' of a high official, then it might be too risky for her to go on a rampage. They had already subdued her once, after all.

No, she knew what her best option would be. Gochi avoided the group reunion and walked straight toward Mamoru. Although Togarishii was a member of the ship, Mamoru was obviously the one in control of the majority of the group. "Your group is too big." She stated, not bothering for pleasantries. "Split it up." She demanded. Her best bet to get to her brother was to control a small group. Their group was already too big. If they left this room together, they'd be found out and she'd lose all chance of finding Tobias.


"You said you'd help me find my brother," she hissed, lowering her voice, but not her anger. "I think now would be the best time."

Waiting for her fellow Outer Sailor Soldier to answer her question about the time warping Neptune’s mind went back to the moment when their group had entered the room and she had read the labels on the wall, clearly pointing out that the two soldiers came from planet Saturn and Metis.

The incorrect designation for Sailor Mercury left her thoughts disturbed since even from the short time Neptune had spent walking in the corridors of the space ship she could firmly state the Tarans were systematical and the vague explanation of the designation being wrong because of a mistake felt like being just an excuse for the real meaning that was not yet known by any member of their group. And every new name the Sailor Soldiers would see meant one new Sailor Soldier that was imprisoned by the Tarans, not even mentioning how much civilians the space ship could have and the faster the group could move forward the better for everyone.

Neptune saw the look in Pluto’s eyes but before she was able to say anything to give her support to the dark skinned soldier Pluto had turned her head, looking away from Neptune’s eyes and the blue eyed soldier placed her hand on her fellow Soldier’s shoulder to express her thoughts and to tell Pluto that none of them was guilty for anything that had happened. That was also one of the reasons why they had to continue their mission on the ship as fast as possible since once they would be together they could protect each other better. The dark blue eyed soldier knew how Pluto had used to carry the Garnet Rod with her and could imagine how she felt now that the Rod was gone since each one of the Outer Soldiers had used to have their Talismans with them as they had lived for so long guarding them in their previous life.

But what made Michiru frown more than earlier was the answer Pluto gave to her question. Just like she had been afraid of the situation was even more crucial than how it had seemed to be and the feeling that there was more than just the Tarans’ plan that was threating the peace of the Galaxy was growing in Neptune’s mind by every passing moment. Their group had been lucky thus far as they had already found many of their fellow Sailor Soldiers but what if their luck would end causing the search of their comrades to lengthen more?

Neptune’s attention was caught by Gochi who was now facing Mamoru and demanding him to split their group as she saw it being too big. Neptune had to partially agree with the Vegetan soldier since as the group was now the possibility for them to get caught was big and the risk would grow bigger by single every person they would find. The problem that would arise if they split the group now was that only Togarishi and Mamoru knew how to work with the control panels and Togarishi seemed to be in better terms with Mamoru than the others. Neptune hoped that Mamoru had already learnt everything needed about the Taran technology and could guide the other member of their group since eventually every piece of knowledge about the ship’s technology would be an advantage for the group, whether it was split up or not.

Then the formerly teal haired soldier heard Gochi mentioning something in a lowered voice so she couldn’t hear the exact words the soldier was hissing to Mamoru but just the look on her face was enough to tell that she had gotten enough of something. Neptune didn’t have trust for Gochi and she knew that she was someone who would abandon their group by any moment if she found the thing she was looking for, no matter what it was.

The foreboding news was met by a chilled silence that no one seemed willing to break. Pluto knew that everyone was dealing with their own thoughts and fears as to what her statement could mean for them all. It was impossible to know all of the ramifications at this moment.

Instead of letting herself become caught up in the worry of the situation, Pluto turned her attention back onto taking in the surroundings again. The more she understood about this place, about their enemies, the better. Unfortunately, there did not seem to be much information to be had in this room. Besides the fact that these enemies were obviously endowed with incredible technology, it didn't help Pluto at all.

She didn't know what they wanted, not in the long run, and she didn't know what they planned to do, or who was in charge. Not knowing any of these answers made her feel uncertain as to what the group should do next.

And that made her even more uncomfortable.

"Your group is too big." The brusque statement seemed to ring out in the otherwise silent room and Pluto turned to look at the other woman who added in the demand of, "Split it up."

Pluto frowned at her. She hadn't trusted Gochi before, and she wasn't about to now, even if her king seemed to allow this woman into their group for the time being. Anyone who was an outsider couldn't be trusted.

Sadly, Gochi did have a good point. Their group truly was too large to pass by unnoticed to even an unintelligent enemy, and it was obvious that their current enemy was not unintelligent in the slightest. They had to split up for the safety of them all. There was safety in being stealthy, and it was impossible to be stealthy with such a large amount of people.

But then, there was a safety in numbers as well, and Pluto didn't like the idea of being separated from the people she loved and trusted.

"Yes," Pluto agreed, though she frowned again as she said so, though she did not look away from the other woman. "We can't stay like this. We'll attract unwanted attention."

Pluto looked to Mamoru then. Protecting Mamoru was just as important as finding and protecting Usagi. "You should pick the groups, however I suggest that you do not pair yourself with this Gochi. She does not appear to have your true interests at heart."

Although not everyone approved of the reasons for Gochi's terse demands, it appeared that the others did approve of her demands. She was willing to sit back and let them decide how the group would split up. It wasn't like she had any sort of attachment to which bodies accompanied her. Some seemed more useful than others, though. No, she really didn't have any of their best interests at heart. She only had her brother's interests at heart. Gochi frowned slightly, knowing all too well that he would have altogether different sentiments. It was something to be taken into consideration, although she really had only thought far enough ahead to save her brother. The 'ditch everyone and run' plan was still being worked on.

Unfortunately, even though they were twins, Gochi and Tobias often did not agree.

Makoto frowned at the suggestion made by Gochi, but knew it was likely the best idea. They had just found their friends! And now to split up and run the risk of not finding each other again? But, they could just as easily lose everything if they stayed in a large group. And some of their loved ones were still unaccounted for. So far, everyone had been weakened, but okay. But what if someone was hurt? Makoto already felt uneasy before, but the unease was quickly turning into worry.

"Let's hurry. We've been here awhile already. Togarishii is able to buy us only so much time before they figure out their prisoners are beginning to escape. We need to find the others before that happens." They still had quite a few friends and family to find and they may not all be located closely together. Also, they would still have more work to do afterwards. They couldn't just leave without saving the other people on this ship. Usagi would hate it if they left people unprotected. It felt as if there might not be enough time...

She moved her eyes on Pluto, the dark blue seas meeting with the garnet eyes of the older Sailor Soldier and it was easy to tell that Pluto shared the same thoughts with Neptune; they must split up in smaller groups to avoid getting caught up by the workers of the ship or they would not get back. And if they were to stay in one group it would take twice longer to release their fellow Sailor Soldiers from the capsules the Tarans had imprisoned them into.

Neptune nodded in agreement with Pluto as she pointed out what most, if not all members of their group, were thinking about. Even if some members would not agree with them about splitting up the group it had to be done since they would have much bigger chances of getting deeper into the mazes of the space ship when they were to move discretely, not in one big group.

Neptune’s left hand found its way on her right wrist which she still felt her communicator being attached to. If it just worked properly like it had on Earth they would have a good way to keep in touch when they split up and they could warn each other of any possible threats. “I agree, we need to split up to be able to continue our task in here” Neptune said, walking closer to Pluto, showing clearly that she agreed with her fellow Outer Sailor Soldier.

She also felt that having Gochi in the same group with Mamoru was not a good idea to begin with, and as she seemed having no interest to help the Sailor Soldiers out more than what the situation required Neptune would rather keep her in a different group.

“Yes, we do not have too much time to spend here” Neptune noted after Jupiter had spoken. They would need to get disguises for Pluto and Mercury and continue their search fast before they would run out of time. “We need to get disguises for you two” Neptune spoke to both just released Sailor Soldiers and turned her head to speak to Gochi “Can some of us help to search for suitable clothes? Like Jupiter said, we need to hurry”.

After asking her question from the Taran woman Neptune turned her face to Pluto and lowering her voice down a bit so only she could hear her, Neptune told her about the communicators. “If there is a chance that our communicators work here and won’t cause any electric disturbance, we might be able to keep in touch with each other by using them.” she said, knowing that the chance was almost non-existent. But having a connection with the other group would be useful for them all.

ooc:

She found what she had been looking for, but only to the barest extent. Sailor Metis, whom the plaque suggested should have been in the tank, had indeed been there as of two weeks ago; however, they moved her out and moved this Earth senshi in quickly, just after the attack. She frowned; it wasn’t entirely unheard-of to swap batteries around based on their function; this room helped power navigation commands, so perhaps this senshi was better suited to it than “Metis” had been, but that the plaque hadn’t changed despite the laser carver having been in to create a “Saturn” plate was odd. They should have changed the engraving to keep it straight where each senshi had been from, thus which they could use against others in case of some unfortunate circumstances wherein a senshi escaped, or found their way onto their ship for revenge. It was also used as an exhibition piece when showing off to the rankers; like animals on display they liked to know where each originated.

Regardless, she thought, turning away from the monitor to look over the new members of this little party, her brows furrowing in concentration, she needed to sort these two into disguises and keep moving. Watching the blue-haired one squint had her biting at her lip, wondering which would be the bigger risk: a blind girl on a covert operation, or a quick trip into a medical bay for corrective lenses. The lenses were easy to obtain, once the machine scanned the eyes, but usually you had to see a medical officer to get through. But then… she cocked her head to the side, considering; could one of them pose as doctors?

Uncaring of the flow of conversation happening around her, interrupting whomever had been talking, she walked forward and posed a question to the two new members of the group, “Do either of you have any medical experience? Or would you be comfortable bluffing your way through technical medical talk?” She motioned for the packs Jupiter and Gochi had been carrying, currently oblivious to the decisions going on around her.



…..
Mamoru frowned at the authority in Gochi’s tone, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been considering that very idea from the beginning. He knew they had to split up; already they had to break into groups to make it down a hallway, but with the ship crowding the closer they got to the front, he thought they could disguise their size and intent for a while longer yet. He had many things to consider when choosing who would go with whom, chief amongst which were who could help Gochi without infuriating the soldier and tipping the entire ship off to their escape, and who would look least noticeable walking in groups. For that he needed Togarishii’s help. As the mechanic stepped forward and made a motion to be given the bag with the clothing and hair dye, he couldn’t help the sense of relief at the realization that, from this point forward, they shouldn’t have to worry too much about their lack of shoe polish. Ami’s hair wouldn’t require too much; Minako and Haruka could be disguised as members of the other race, perhaps? … well, maybe not Haruka, but then her short hair wouldn’t use too much of the resource. Rei and Hotaru wouldn’t need a disguise, and when they got to Usagi…

They wouldn’t have need of disguises any longer. Something told him that sneaking around this easily, moving into chambers unnoticed to release their friends, wouldn’t be the case when they found her. He just hoped she was alright. Surely he’d feel it if not, right?

Rather than take part in the conversation, or abrupt turn in conversation that Togarishii had created, he focused more on group configurations, and who could do what. Struck with an idea, before anyone else could say a word, he issued an instruction. “We’ll need Pluto as another mechanic; she’s good with computers.”

OOC:

Ami had regained her footing and she was able to stand on her own. After dropping her transformation, which took too much of her remaining energy, she suddenly felt out of place and alien. Ami had a feeling that she didn't know all of what was going on. She wanted to know why she and the others had been in those tubes. What purpose did it serve? There were other Senshi from other planets here too it seemed not just Earth. This gave Ami the feeling that something wasn't right in the water so to speak.

Even though her fuku had been wet her Jeans and tank top weren't. One of the good things about the transformation, she guessed, but she still felt out of place among her friends. Things wouldn't be getting any easier anytime soon.

She heard the conversations around her but couldn't really make out the others talking. She didn't care for the direction the conversation, it sounded like she was just the newest addition to a growing group. But if they were right they were to big to get around easily.

Then a voice she hadn't known spoke up, asking if anyone could bluff their way through medical talk. "I'm studying to be a Doctor." She volunteered. "I could make my way through the lingo well enough, I think." She said. hoping that it helped. She was a liability to the group not being able to see and she knew it. If she could get the lenses she needed to see then she could be of some use again.

Ami looked in the direction where Mamoru's voice last came from. "So what do I need to do?" She asked wanting to be gone from this place before they were caught and put back in those tubes again.

Spoiler:

Gochi frowned and sighed as the discussion on splitting the group took longer than necessary. Sailor Neptune countered Gochi's internal grumblings by asking if someone could find the necessary materials to disguise the newest members of the group. The teal-haired woman looked directly at the warrior, who did not look happy at being singled out. But, she shrugged the pack off her shoulders and briefly poked around through it for supplies.

Without a word, she placed a can of polish on the ground and kicked it toward Sailor Neptune's feet. Makoto gave Gochi a dirty look as the brunette picked up the kicked can of polish. She handed the portion of the supplies from her pack and the kicked offering by Gochi to Sailor Neptune. "I'll help," she said. For a moment, she paused and looked at Sailor Pluto and Ami, who had dropped her transformation. "Togarishii, does Sailor Pluto need the hair polish or just Ami? I have a mechanic's uniform in my pack."

Well, it looked like the uniform she had, so she guessed it was a mechanic's uniform. Togarishii was really the only one in their group who knew the staff rankings and uniforms on the ship.

"Good," the mechanic nodded, accepting the answer from the girl with the bright blue hair, and looked appreciatively at Gochi as the warrior kicked the polish towards the girls from Hero's system. That one would need to be covered. "Put her in medical blues," she instructed, already figuring out where the nearest medical bay would be and what kind of distraction would be needed to give them enough time to filch a pair of contact lenses for their pre-doctor friend; she'd need them.

In response to Makoto's question, Togarishii considered Sailor Pluto, looking at the slight sheen to her hair, but ultimately shrugged. "She'll be fine without it, her hair is dark enough. Remember to drop the transformation; we've got sensors."

She stood and moved towards the dark haired man that started this crazy rescue mission, and quietly asked, "They've got a point about splitting up; we're getting too big to hide easily. And I have to leave soon for my next appointment; if I'm not there they'll assume something's amiss."

"Not yet," Mamoru replied calculatingly, his voice low to be kept between them. "We'll need to train Pluto on the computers, but I can take care of that. We need to find one more, and you need to give them specific instructions." He paused, increasing his volume, "Michiru, can you tell where Uranus is? Is she close?" he asked, hoping her intuition and pure luck would help them set his plan in motion.

Togarishii quirked a brow, wondering exactly what she would have to tell them. Unless he meant about the rankers quarters. ...and then she'd have quite a lot to tell them. But if they weren't splitting immediately, she'd have to think carefully about their travelling groups. There were seven of them now. ... maybe pair up. She'd travel with the new mechanic; show her the ropes and get some preliminary explanations down. Her mouth twitched upwards, the Hero could travel with them, too. She'd like to hear more about this plan he's concocting. The doctor could travel with the ranker - same story, ranker is impatient, doctor's just trying to help. ... that might even be a good strategy to get the blind girl into an office, and if the ranker could be particularly volatile, it would clear the room of others. And then their maintenance/custodial workers would travel together again. That configuration should work out okay.

Pluto was going to speak up and say that she had once worked as a nurse, but Ami was the better choice as she was studying intently to become a doctor. Pluto was glad when Ami spoke up saying that she should be okay with posing as a doctor.

All of this talk about disguising theirselves and splitting up the group was easy enough to follow though it made her uneasy. This whole place was new and strange. Until she was able to figure out the ins and outs of this place, Pluto knew she would continue to feel that way.

Pluto didn't mind one way or another if she had to color her own hair. It was simply hair, after all. Though it would be quite difficult to color hers correctly since she had so much of it. But it seemed that her own hair passed the test.

When Togarishii reminded her to drop her transformation, Pluto did so with only a moment's hesitation. A part of her felt more comfortable in her senshi form, as it was the form she had grown most used to being over the years. But walking around as Sailor Pluto was a stupid hazard.

Pluto dropped the transformation and because Setsuna Meioh once more. Her body felt weaker without the added strength of being in her fuku, but Setsuna pushed those thoughts away. She had her princess and the rest of her family to find.

Mamoru was now asking Michiru if Uranus was close by. Setsuna honed in on the question as well. If anyone would be able to find Haruka, it would be Michiru. "Are you able to sense Hotaru as well?" Setsuna questioned quietly.

OOC:

Ami took the can of goop and started putting it on her hair. It was just hair after all and while she wasn't all that worried about it, she did wonder how long it might take to wash out. Sighing as she pulled the stuff through her hair hoping that it was covered. "So where are these medical blues I need to change into?" She asked. Looking around she took the offered clothes and walked to a dark corner to change her clothes. Pulling off her jeans and t-shirt she changed quickly. She hoped she had them on right. Stepping out of the shadows, she looked around. "Did I get them on right?" She asked hoping that their guide could confirm that she had gotten it right.

After that she would be ready for whatever she had to do next. They had to save their friends, and fast. She could feel the waters churning. Things were only going to get harder from here. Ami wondered if Michiru felt the same thing she did in the waters.

Spoiler:

The uniform in Makoto's pack had not been blue, but the uniform in Gochi's pack fit the description. The woman mutely handed the uniform to Ami, who went elsewhere to change. "I think you got it right." She offered, although both knew that Makoto really wouldn't know the standards any better than Ami would.

Afterwards, Makoto offered to touch up Ami's hair with the polish. The back would always be a little more difficult to reach without assistance and Gochi didn't seem likely to offer any help.

Togarishii confirmed that Sailor Pluto, now Setsuna, would not need any of the polish. Makoto guessed that Setsuna would likely receive a different uniform and a different rank. Togarishii appeared to agree with Gochi's demands to split the group, but had not yet offered any guidance. Both Gochi and Makoto stood nearby and waited for further instruction.

Makoto cleaned her hands of the polish and handed the can back to the saiyan. The other woman took it wordlessly and dropped it into her pack, which she then slung over her shoulder. Not bothering to feel slighted, Gochi wasn't worth the effort, Makoto also reached for her pack.

Michiru nodded in agreement to Mamoru’s words. Setsuna was very good with computers and now those skills would be more needed than ever if they were to get out of the ship with everyone without getting caught and imprisoned again. The room began fill with everyone’s voices as they planned what to do next and one of the first and major things to do was to get new contacts for Ami as the other water soldier was not able to see properly without them.

Eventually some of them had to sneak out and succeed coming back safely with new pair of contacts so they could move forward in their plan. When Togarishii turned for the newest Sailor soldiers and voiced out her question about either one of them possibly being able to bluff their way through medical talk, the plans started to proceed. Michiru gave a small smile to Ami when she offered herself up for the task. She was sure the younger soldier would pass the test and that way she’d get the contacts she needed.

Gochi’s idea of kicking the polish can instead of handing it received only a brief, slightly cold look in Michiru’s eyes as she didn’t bother to give the saiyan warrior’s irritation too much of her thoughts. Then Jupiter offered herself to help with dying their comrades’ hair and Michiru gave her a slight nod as a sign of agreement. She was pleased that only Ami needed to get her hair dyed with the polish as they would need it in the future after finding their other fellow soldiers. For a moment a thought of them not being able to find the others entered her mind, a thought that would be their biggest misfortune in the current situation. But she forced those vague thoughts away, they would find them all. How many battles and enemies had they faced until now? They would never give up, not as long as their souls still existed and their will to live for the sake of their world would storm inside them.

After the glowing energy of Pluto’s planetary powers had vanished and she stood inside the room in her civilian form Michiru walked closer to her and then placed her hand on her shoulder, giving her a look that told that she quite understood how her friend was feeling. “When the time comes, we need to find our Talismans. They’ll be a help when we must drop these disguises to fight” she thought in her mind.

Michiru turned her face toward Mamoru when his question pulled her from her thoughts and not many moments after, Setsuna continued the question. She had felt Uranus close by for a while ago and now she closed her eyes for a moment in order to focus on their two comrades. The first feeling that struck her was the voice of storming seas. Like before, her element was reacting to the lately events but now she left the feeling slightly aside to get her thoughts focused only on their fellow soldiers. She could feel many auras around them, most belonging to the ship’s workers and other habitants but two rather close ones she clearly recognized as Uranus and Saturn.

“Yes” she said and opened her eyes, thinking who of them was most relieved by her answer, the others or she herself. “They’re both pretty close to us but Uranus is nearer to our current location.” the teal haired soldier continued a serious expression on her face. A part of her wanted to leave the room immediately so the faster they would get forward in their plan, the faster the two soldiers would be freed. She hoped that their group would be able to leave the room now that Setsuna and Ami had both got their disguises and their plan had been roughly completed.

ooc:

It felt comforting to have Michiru close by, and Setsuna drew strength from her best friend and comrade. She watched as Ami went to the task of darkening her hair. Setsuna was glad she didn't have to do the same, if only because she had much longer and thicker hair than Ami, and the amount of time and polish they would have wasted to darken it properly wouldn't have been worth it.

Once Ami was sufficiently changed, Setsuna turned her attention back onto Michiru. It seemed as though the other woman was lost in her own world, seeking out the missing members of their little family.

It was frightening to think that perhaps Michiru would not be able to find Hotaru and Haruka at all. What if the auras that Michiru felt before suddenly went out, and she couldn't find them again?

Setsuna pushed those thoughts away, and waited, because it was all that she could do at the moment. Just to wait, and hope.

"Yes," Michiru said, as she opened her eyes. She then went on to explain that both Hotaru and Haruka were near them, and a sense of relief swept through Setsuna. She smiled at the words and let out a breath of air that she hadn't realized she was holding.

Now that they had a somewhat concrete destination, Setsuna spoke her next question. "What clothes will I need to put on in order to pass off the role I've been given?" She turned towards Mamoru and Togarishii. "We should get moving again soon, it wouldn't do to be caught with all of us here together."

Ami wasn't sure about separating just as they found each other, but it did seem like their group was getting too big, and they all couldn't go traipsing through an alien ship as one big group. Turning to Makoto, Ami scrunched her face. "So tell me how do I look, Mako?" She whispered. Her hair felt thick and greasy. She hated it. It felt like she hadn't showered in weeks. The feeling made her skin crawl.

"So where are we headed and who will we be traveling with?" Ami said giving a second voice to Setsuna's comment. It wouldn't good if they were caught together and with so many senshi out of their tubes.

Why were they in those tubes to begin with?
"Uh, this might not be the time, but why were we put in those tubes anyway?" She asked. It seemed odd to her that this race would go to the trouble of catching Senshi from other planets and then stick them in tubes.

"Mechanics uniform," Togarishii answered Pluto quickly, "Grey jumpsuit with a cap. Like mine and his," she nodded towards Mamoru, "Should be in Makoto's pack." While she was a little impressed with herself for remembering the tall senshi's name without really having to think about it, she quickly moved on to the "medic"'s question while the girl changed; they'd been here for too long, that was for certain. "The tubes act as a containment device, the liquid inside effectively paralyzing you and keeping you in a catatonic state while these instruments methodically drain the energy from your Sailor Crystals," she stated, then continued with a small shrug, "The effects should wear off within twenty-four hours; the inability of any senshi to use attacks or powers is a safety mechanism -slash- useful side-effect of the serum and procedure. It certainly came in handy when the first senshi escaped and we found she couldn't use her powers, even when provoked."

"So we must be careful," Mamoru redirected, looking at each available person in their team, his voice carrying so Setsuna, who was changing, could hear. "If we're in a bind it's just us as we are. Transforming would only betray our plan and endanger everyone involved, including the room filled with ordinary citizens back in the cargo hold. You've got your communicators, so we can contact each other if anyone gets into trouble. we won't be leaving anyone behind." He stated with finality, knowing that Usagi would never be able to live with herself if anyone was left.

"But we're not splitting up just yet," he finished. "We'll travel in groups, but to the same destination. We need Uranus. Michiru, you go with Togarishii," he smiled to the mechanic, an apology for ordering her around, "You're the compass, she's the map. Find where they're holding Haruka. Setsuna, you and I will follow behind them, swapping our positions periodically with Makoto, Gochi, and Ami. I know I'm nowhere near proficient with the technology on board, but I can show you the basics of what I know."

Togarishii, while still curious as to Hero's future plan, had to agree with his groupings. There were three battery stations relatively close, and if the Ranker could find the senshi Hero needed, she'd make sure the girl didn't run into any walls or mess halls on the way. But she did have one modification, "Gotcha, but Medical girl comes with me and the ranker. I'll point out the nearest med station and explain how they could get Blue-Eyes some contacts."

Mamoru nodded to the amendment; while he had thought Ami would be more comfortable with Makoto helping her out, he was sure Michiru would do the same. Once Pluto was dressed, they could leave.

Makoto heard her name called when Togarishii said the correct uniform was in the brunette's pack. "Hold on," she said, slinging the pack off her shoulder and looking inside of it. After a few moments, she handed the uniform to Setsuna with a smile. "Here you go, Setsuna." While Setsuna changed, Mamoru and Togarishii discussed the fine details of their plan with all those in the room.

Makoto frowned and sighed a little when she over-heard Mamoru discuss the preference not to transform or rely on their senshi powers. She could defend herself without the use of her powers, but this was the type of situation you didn't want to take any chances. However, if worse came to worse, she'd probably be the first to recover her full strength, because she was the first sailor senshi to be found. Well, Sailor Vegeta was found pretty early on, but she didn't sound too fond of her powers to begin with.

No, Gochi was not bothered by Mamoru's comment. She had decided many years ago to never rely on her powers as a sailor senshi. She was a saiyan and she did not need to rely on the magical power of a short skirt. If anything, her power as an oozaru was more than her power as Sailor Vegeta.

Makoto clutched her communicator with one hand while she peeked into her pocket to see if it was still functioning properly. Satisfied all was in order, she re-focused on the conversation at hand. Standing beside Ami, Makoto nodded in assent when the group assignments were decided. She subtly caught Gochi's eye, who reluctantly took a few steps closer to her assigned group.

Then, Togarishii announced a slight change: Ami would be with her. Makoto smiled comfortingly at Ami. Afterwards, she glanced at Gochi with a frown and sighed. Well... She guessed it could be worse.

Ami stood by quietly waiting for them to get moving. She wasn't totally sure where they were but the others seemed to have a handle on things, so till she was needed she would just keep to herself besides she didn't feel all that well for the moment. Maybe it was the way her vision blurred.

When she head that she would be traveling with their guide friend and Michiru to get her contacts, Ami felt down right bad. She was causing problems. She didn't voice this, but she could almost feel Makoto smile next to her. She smiled back and wished that she could have stayed in a group with her, but being with the 'Ranker' and the person that knew the ship they were on was probably for the best. She knew that even while Michiru's first priority would be to find Haruka and Hotaru, while Ami was impaired she would do what she could to keep the other water senshi out of trouble.

Spoiler:

Togarishii's answer to Ami's question about the tubes and the whole reason behind capturing the Sailor soldiers somewhat explained the Tarans' goal but Michiru would have wanted to hear more about it as it was still unclear why they needed their energy and how they found out about the Sailor Crystals' highly strong power levels in the beginning. They were using the Sailor soldiers just like objects and Michiru doubted if most of them even cared about their doings or were aware of what could happen because of their plan. Who knew how many Sailor soldiers the Tarans had captured already or how many they still planned to use as a source of energy?

Michiru agreed with Mamoru's statement, using their powers would be too risky and the benefits of transforming in the current situation were nonexistent. Their powers made them feel more secure when facing their enemies but this time they would rely only on their other strengths. But what worried her was that there were citizens in the ship  and they could not help them anyhow before releasing the other Sailor soldiers. The citizens would know nothing about the Tarans or their plans, nor where they were or what would happen to them, and that increased the chance of a chaos that could born if the people began to panic. The possible outcomes of a chaos inside the citizen group could vary greatly but it was sure that nothing good would come out of that and people would get harmed inevitably.

Luckily they did have their communicators left as those would truly come handy when their group split up and they had to keep contact with each other. She double-checked her communicator's condition and it seemed working just like before, for their luck. Michiru moved closer to Togarishii after Mamoru had voiced his opinion about the new groups that they would continue searching other Sailor soldiers. The truth was that the faster they would get out of the room to release the other soldiers from their prisons, the better for them all. 

When Mamoru mentioned the next step in their plan, including freeing Haruka, Michiru's serious expression deepened. "I'll look for her, she cannot be far" she said. A moment later Togarishii made a modification to the groupings by stating that Ami would be come with Michiru and her. According to what Togarishii had told about the ranks and their plan to get new contacts for the other water soldier, her grouping plan made sense as they would need to get the contacts fast. Michiru took few steps towards Ami, now standing between her and Togarishii and turned her face to look at their group's third member.

She noticed that Ami's expression changed noticeably when Togarishii declared the slight change in their plan and she felt that Ami would have preferred to stay in the same group with her friend, which was a natural reaction in this situation. "We'll get the contacts for you" she assured the other soldier by giving her a small smile. When Ami would get a new pair of contacts, it wouldn't take long for her to learn how the Tarans' machines worked. Michiru turned to Togarishii, ready to leave whenever Setsuna finished dressing. "What do need to know to get new contacts for her?" she asked their guide.

Listening to Togarishii's instructions, Setsuna moved to the mentioned pack and rummaged inside of it until she found the appropriate clothing. Clothing in hand, she looked around the room for a semi-hidden area in which she could change with some privacy.

There were not as many options as most women would have preferred but Setsuna wasn't too bothered. The situation and their circumstances did not allow a person to have too much embarrassment right now. They had already spent a lot of time in this room as it was.

Finding a somewhat hidden corner, Setsuna began to strip quickly, though she was still close enough so that she could listen to what was being said between everyone.

The explanation of everything that was going on, and the reason as to why they were taken in the first place, was not something that Setsuna had ever guessed. They were being used for energy? It wasn't a strange commodity when it came to their previous enemies. It had been the Dark Kingdom's first objective both in the past and the present. But the method in which the energy was begin extracted, and the precise people they were searching for was almost frightening.

Not to mention the fact that these new enemies had amazing technology. They would be a difficult force to be reckoned with.

When Mamoru mentioned that they would not leave anyone behind, Setsuna allowed herself a small smile despite the previous information. He sounded exactly like the beautiful princess that he so loved. To hear such strength in Mamoru's voice would give everyone else strength in turn. She was glad that she would be paired with Mamoru, even if not permanently during this entire journey. She wanted to make sure her future king was protected at all costs, though she knew he was capable of caring for himself.

As Michiru was asking about where to acquire contacts for Ami, Setsuna finished dressing herself in the garments and she walked back over to the rest of the group to join them. She didn't have an answer for Michiru, but instead she said, "We should get moving as soon as possible, now that we have a plan of action."

Although her physical emotions changed very little, Gochi felt a mixture of anxiety and pleasure knowing the group would soon split up and move onward. They had strayed from the primary goal for far too long. This group did appear to have combat experience, but nothing compared to a seasoned soldier. She would have left long ago to continue the search for her brother and the others. Gochi would reluctantly admit she had little knowledge about this ship and, therefore, had less of a commanding presence within the group.

She impatiently waited somewhere between her assigned group and the door leading to the exit.

Ami spoke up. "Since we all know what to do and who were going with let's get out of here before we get caught." She took a step towards Michiru. At least she would get to go with a fellow senshi of hers, that was a comfort. "So let's head out." She hated that she was more of a liability now and she needed contacts to see and be of use. That and she didn't like waiting around to get caught.

Ami along with the others headed out to the corridor and split into their assigned groups. She moved just a little closer to Michiru. She felt just a little better being closer to the other water senshi. "I'm sorry to be the reason that you have to put off finding Haruka." She said quietly to the other Senshi. It bothered her that because of her they had to put off finding the others only if just a moment. "Alright then let's get going." She said being sure to stay close to Togarishii and Michiru to be sure she didn't get lost.

OOC:

Admin Note: This RP has been tagged as 'inactive' and relocated to the Graveyard as it has not had a post in over a month. If you would like Sailor Saturn to bring this story back from the dead, please make a request here!


-  Sailor Uranus