Session Nine — Potato Moon: Part 2¶

Played: 2026-05-24

The flotilla arrives. Not as an event to be managed but as a homecoming that can't be stopped. In a single day, the crew welcomed a UEF courier, scanned it brazenly, watched Kyle face his past, received the first human-made Talent-reactive technology, practiced teleportation, witnessed a kinetic awakening, read in their last holdout, and ended the session in a group hug with family they haven't seen in two years.

This was the session where the crew stopped being a mission team and became a community.

What Happened¶

Morning: The Courier Arrives (Day 16)¶

First thing in the morning, the UEF courier lands on the surface of Phobos. It's too large to dock — the few who disembark suit up and walk across the surface to enter the station. Even parked, the ship looks fast.

A message: Commander Chen is required to report by 1500 hours. As if Kyle would wait one second longer than he had to.

Rin briefs the group on the situation: the Belt "flotilla" is inbound, and the Long Jeong — Cristina's ship — is burning fast enough to arrive today. Iyer makes the call: Leonidas needs to be on the ground of Mars as fast as possible. Absolutely before the Belters arrive. Victoria volunteers to assist Iyer with the day's logistics — there are too many moving parts for one person to manage.

They send the rest of the Book Club to Phobos: bring back Leonidas, take care of Chen, retrieve Kai's mail, and meet Rin's family.

Kai sends Rin a little space-suited Lunar Bunny floating among stars. Rin sends back the same bunny, hopping around Phobos, panicked.

The Brahe Crosses to Phobos¶

Azure pilots Kyle, Kai, and Rin over from the Sagan. All four get a good look at the courier — it even looks fast. Azure docks the Brahe. Rin and Chen rapidly disembark and head into the station, running into a waiting Kamaka.

Azure and Kai decide that a "sensor check" of the newly repaired shuttle is in order. They openly and actively scan the courier.

PING.

A rather flustered Sara contacts Kai to let him know he has mail. A rather large package.

Kyle's Debrief¶

Inside the station, Kamaka offers to walk Chen to his meeting room. She takes the long way to Conference Room 3C. She is in a foul mood — irritated that UEF brought a ship and then had a high-ranking officer walk onto her station uninvited. The officer waiting for Chen is a Lt Commander Yakov, listed as "Military Security" — which Kamaka finds a pathetic cover story for such an obvious member of Intelligence.

Azure connects a Group Call and asks Rin to let him know when Chen enters and exits the conference room.

Yaw "accidentally" crosses their path. He offers to walk Chen the rest of the way so he can "meet the Lt Cdr." In the process, Yaw makes something very clear: he's unimpressed by the choice to send a lower-ranking officer to debrief a higher-ranking officer. He suggests Chen remember that until this meeting is finished, he outranks Yakov.

With that, Yaw and Chen turn back along the path already walked — taking the shorter route this time. All of them, Talented and not, make sure no monitoring of any kind happens to Conference Room 3C or the people inside while Chen is in the room. They know it would work against their friend.

Rin feels Kyle's emotional state shift through her empathy: controlled/disciplined → irritated → irritated + offended → suddenly confident and determined → calm again. In the same timeframe, Yaw's mood goes from grudgingly supportive to impressively iron-willed commander, then an equally sudden shift that was clearly: "Aw, now you done fucked up, son." After which: support. Clearly and fully.

Rin finds herself wondering whose story is going to be better — Chen's or Yaw's.

Kai's Package¶

Kai retrieves a box about 1m × 0.5m × 0.5m from Sara, looking a bit dinged up after having been dropped on a vector instead of delivered properly. He carries it to the Brahe's workspace kinetically — setting it down rather harder than intended. Even without opening the box, he can feel a discordant hum from within. The hum does not seem to come from the power source, which is as "off" as it can be.

Within the Brahe's workspace, Kai opens his mail. Aerogels surround everything — whoever packed this was good at their job.

Layer 1: Breadboard computer components, circuit boards with crystalline components alongside conventional ones, and a data chip. As Kai unpacks the crystal, Azure "sees" a slight ripple within the Telepathic Current.

Layer 2: Spare parts for Layers 1 and 3.

Layer 3: Entirely within more aerogel — the capacitor prototype. Wrapped in multiple caution/danger labels. It has a reasonable charge within it; "powered down" is a relative term.

Layer 4: Another data chip.

Layer 5: Hardcopy diagrams bound in spiral, and a handwritten note from the tech Kai spoke with: "Chief, it was great chatting with you. I packed you a few more goodies. Let's talk again soon."

The First Human-Made Talent-Reactive Technology¶

Kai investigates the crystal components. They are not Tiamat in origin — that much is clear. They are also the source of the discordant hum. Azure finds it not unpleasant.

Intending to carefully touch the crystal with a manipulator tool and induce a tiny vibration, Kai instead makes a discovery: the entire piece is an integrated amplifier circuit, power control system, and ancillary tech incorporating the crystals. The structure within the crystals reacts at the quantum level. The circuit and power source are tuning the crystal.

Kai stops his vibration experiment and starts using the built-in tuner.

This is the very first instance of human-made Talent-reactive technology. The crystal reacts to both Kai's Talent and Azure's. Kai hooks his computer up to the device and uses the combination of the dial and his readouts to change the frequencies. The tones are recognizably musical — some more comfortable to Kai, others more comfortable to Azure.

Kai hypothesizes that it can be tuned to appeal to an individual. Azure adds a question: do the tones appeal on an individual basis or a Talent-type basis?

Excited, Kai tells Victoria. Her immediate response: "GIVE ME YOUR BRAIN SCANS!"

Together they have another revelation: they've felt nothing from Kamaka's prosthetic or its capacitor. No "nails on a chalkboard" sensation. Azure considers this the last piece of evidence he needs to declare her a hidden Talent. Does she know about Gestalt? They decide to ask her.

The ARC Connection¶

Kai goes through the extensive documentation — finding it delightfully thorough — and discovers familiar names from his theoretical physics studies. One listing: "combination of crystalline lattice and magnetic containment unit with layers of advanced ceramics to store the actual power." In the prototype feasibility section: the ceramic material was "extremely difficult to source, contact [email]@ARC."

After that, a contract agreement with a dead link.

Upon examining the ceramic layer, Kai's senses tell him it appears to be made from powdered Tiamat ceramics/crystals. This layer is clearly used for power storage.

Some Tiamat crystals store data. Other Tiamat crystals store power. What else could Kai learn about Tiamat technology, given time to study it?

Meanwhile: Iyer and Victoria¶

Captain Iyer and Victoria receive files sent ahead by the incoming lawyers. They are clear, thorough, and outline the framework of claims the incipient colony will pursue. They also include information about various investors and equipment coming with the flotilla waves.

Given the influx of people approaching, Victoria suggests to Noor that he immediately assess and set up bases at all potential colony sites.

To get Leonidas to Mars as fast as possible, Victoria comms Phobos Medical from the Sagan and authorizes Immediate Medical Leave and Transfer to a quieter location. Namely: Mars. Her stipulations: physically fine for light duty, she'll assign someone to enforce the limit, psychological care ongoing but not a limiting factor, and his Kinesis is strictly prohibited — no Talent use at all yet. Phobos Medical agrees. Azure drafts the expedited release document and has Arif fine-tune it.

Sara's Workload¶

Rin checks in with Sara, who is looking "slightly flapped" versus her usual unflappable self. At Sara's request, Rin gives suggestions on how to deal with incoming Belters and suggests Sara get someone to help with comms/flight control before they all arrive. Rin then has Sweetie compose and send her official recommendation as Security Head over the Mars project: Sara needs at least two assistants. Rin knows the formal recommendation will add weight and urgency to the hiring.

Yenni's Exit¶

Rin learns from Kamaka that Director Yenni requested immediate transfer off Phobos. She stops in to offer encouragement. Yenni is grateful but needs no help — she'll be staying aboard the Sagan by invitation of Captain Iyer. She wants nothing more to do with the hellhole she was sent to.

Teleportation Practice¶

Kai and Azure consider ways to test the capacitor's energy storage. They both immediately land on teleportation practice. Kai suggests a dramatic distance; Azure suggests across the shuttle. Kai agrees that Azure's suggestion is wiser.

They inform Victoria of their intent. Kai tunes the crystal to his frequency — Azure finds the tone jarring. Azure shares the memory of Kai's past teleportation with Kai, along with the hard data readings, so Kai can understand consciously what he did instinctively before.

Azure offers a Merge, but Kai decides against it — both have been working hard, and Azure still has more work to do. Kai knows he's a little Exhausted.

The procedure: roll Gestalt, then teleport. Azure makes sure the front shields are closed — no accidental witnessing.

Barely succeeding his roll, Kai teleports from the rear of the Tycho Brahe to the front.

Azure wipes the sensor data after saving it mentally. Later gives it to Victoria through physical contact. The experiment used 12% of the capacitor's remaining charge. Kai's senses tell him he was inefficient and will use less with practice.

Clarus notifies Victoria of the exciting new kinetic brain pattern, as well as one full nanosecond of missing data from Kai's neural monitor.

Victoria immediately asks them about their success in her very sassy way: "Hello, this is your friendly neighborhood Doctor inquiring to see if your Fuck Around has turned into a positive Find Out."

Leonidas's Transfer¶

Azure, Kai, and Rin return to Phobos, passing the outbound courier ship on the way. Leonidas and his staff are waiting, all packed for a sustained trip — and extra underwear. Clearly, he's been champing at the bit to get to Mars.

Rin and Kai check everything before and as it loads. Kamaka is there too, also checking. Azure tells her they need to talk later. She indicates they should just talk now — so Azure, Kai, and Kamaka converse telepathically while everyone works.

Kamaka's Revelation¶

Kamaka insists she isn't Talented. Azure sets that aside for the moment to tell her about the Tiamat — Mars, Deimos, all of it. She needs to know since they'll be leaving soon. She figured that out already.

Then they tell her about the prototype capacitor and the "noise" it makes for Talents. Amused, Kamaka indicates she's aware it can be really irritating to Talents — she's taken advantage of it, though she usually keeps it turned off. When asked about that, she explains a friend added a damper, since it was a potential problem.

Before they can get into more detail, several things happen simultaneously:

The Long Jeong lands, pulling Rin's attention away.
A poorly loaded, very heavy item slips loose and goes wild — nearly clocking someone's head.
Kai makes a lunge for it, physically and mentally — but he was facing away from it.
Kamaka was facing toward it. She had more warning.

Kamaka physically and kinetically catches it first.

She immediately starts ripping the person who loaded it a new asshole.

Not only did Kamaka have her kinetic awakening in this moment — Kai and Azure enjoyed congratulating her — but Azure was telepathically connected to her, so he observed the pattern of her Deep Mind shifting as it took on the shape of Kai's kinesis.

She didn't explode like most kinetics, because she was Linked with Kai and Azure.

Civil War Spark #10: It is possible to detect — and safely trigger — Latent Talent.

Chen's Debrief — The Aftermath¶

Chen exits the conference room. He comms the entire Book Club: "Free, not under arrest, and isn't going to be assassinated any time soon. Meet me in the shuttle bay; I want to go home."

Rin says nothing but thinks it's telling that he refers to the Sagan as "home."

The group piles into the Brahe and heads back to the Sagan. Chen is quiet on the way. Rin carefully sweeps for bugs once they arrive and settle into the conference room on the Sagan. She says that, given his and Yaw's emotional states, he must have one hell of a story.

Chen explains: the Lt Commander was uppity about Yaw being present. Yaw used his Observer status to slap the man down. Then Yakov tried to establish himself as Authority over Chen — despite Chen outranking him. Chen slapped him down for that. Yes, there were penetrating questions. Yaw and Chen both believe Intel fully intended to let Chen go while scaring the shit out of him on the way out the door.

Was Chen scared? Rin knows he was. A little. But she doesn't share that.

The Full Read-In¶

Now that it's safe, Chen is itching to know the secrets. Given his former job, he's figured some things out. Curious, Azure asks what dots he's connected.

Chen prefaces: he has yet to disclose all of his qualifications, so he doesn't think other Intel officers trained at his level would necessarily have figured out everything he did. But he knows:

There is some kind of existential threat.
They're stronger Talents than they were/are listed as.
Kai can tap into power sources.
They're putting together a completely different mission than the one they're supposed to be on.

Four for four. They applaud.

Chen then explains that he was raised in a "family type" research program — neurodivergent children adopted and raised in a way that dramatically increased their pattern recognition abilities. He sends them all a software patch for their Agents that adds advanced neuromonitoring software — all that lovely neurological data without the obvious neuromonitors.

Victoria receives a full, unedited medical background and the details of the research program. It was unethical enough that she daydreams of violence.

Honored once more by the trust Chen shows them, Azure gives him a full and complete read-in. Everything. Including all the Talent-related secrets. Now with TEN full ways to start a civil war.

Outwardly, Kyle receives all this with calm collectedness. Inwardly, the empaths know he is feeling Big Things and is grateful to be with them. Safe.

He states he's coming with them when they go on their mission. They're all glad to have him along.

"Welcome to the REAL Book Club."

Rin's Family¶

At another spot in the docking bay, the Long Jeong disembarks. Cristina, Sion, and Michael are relieved to be back in zero-G.

Sion shyly shows Rin and Kai his "surprise" — he's Kinetic.

While greeting and unloading, introducing everyone around, Rin's control of her projective empathy slips. She leaks her emotional state to the Book Club and her family members alike. It's been over two years. She's deeply proud of them, has missed them terribly, and loves them more than words can tell.

The session ends in a group hug — family and friends together. Kai, swept up in it, offers his Spectre ears to curious hands: "Yes, you can pet them, but only if you ask."

Discoveries¶

Human-made Talent-reactive technology exists — crystal-based amplifier circuits that react at the quantum level to Talent, tunable to individual or type frequencies.
ARC connection confirmed — the capacitor's ceramic power storage layer uses powdered Tiamat crystals, sourced through ARC.
Kamaka's prosthetic emits no Talent-detectable signature — unlike the prototype crystal. Possible engineering path toward Talent-invisible technology.
Latent Talent can be safely awakened through emotional safety + Link — Civil War Spark #10.
Chen's background: Neurodivergent research program producing enhanced pattern recognition. Unethical by Victoria's standards.
Stealth neuromonitoring: Chen's Agent patch provides full neural data without visible monitors.

The Running List¶

~~Six~~ ~~Eight~~ ~~Nine~~ TEN Things Talent-Wise That Could Start a Civil War (according to Azure):

Talents can grow.
Teleportation exists.
Gestalt.
Talents can Merge.
Precogs are real.
Telepaths can reach between planets.
Sufficiently strong psychometry can witness anything that happened in a space at any time.
Talent is not limited by lightspeed.
Cetaceans knew at least some of this.
It is possible to detect Latent Talent.

Quotes¶

Kai: typing message … Azure: telepathically "Ping."

Victoria: "GIVE ME YOUR BRAIN SCANS!"

Victoria: "Hello, this is your friendly neighborhood Doctor inquiring to see if your Fuck Around has turned into a positive Find Out."

Azure: "Welcome to the REAL Book Club!"

Kai: [to Rin's family, during the group hug, about his Spectre ears] "Yes, you can pet them, but only if you ask."

Character Status¶

Victoria: Running logistics with Iyer. Authorized Leonidas's transfer. Demanding brain scans of everyone within reach. The research accelerates.
Kai: First human-made Talent-reactive tech in hand. Successful teleportation with capacitor (12% charge, inefficient). ARC connection in the documentation. Engineering B7 doing the heavy lifting.
Rin: Security Head recommendations filed. Family arrived. Emotional control slipped — in the best way. Over two years of missing them, finally over.
Azure: Scanned the courier brazenly. Connected the Group Call. Read in Chen fully. Witnessed Kamaka's awakening telepathically. The intelligence hub holding everything together.
Kyle: Free. Not under arrest. Calling the Sagan "home." Four for four on pattern recognition. He's coming with them.
Kamaka: Kinetic awakening — safely, through the Link. Didn't explode. Now has questions about what she is.

Threads for Next Session¶

Who stays, who goes? — The Spice Road departs for the Belt. The crew must choose who boards and who remains at Mars. This is the players voting on genre.
Sion is Kinetic — Rin's family member has Talent. What does this mean for the Mispahk? For the flotilla? For Kai's mentoring arc?
Kamaka's awakening — She needs training. She needs answers. Does she go to the Belt or stay at Mars?
The capacitor arc — 12% for one teleport across a shuttle. Kai needs practice, efficiency, understanding. The documentation has ARC fingerprints.
The flotilla proper — The Long Jeong arrived first. The "vehicular mob" of 4-5 waves is still incoming. Lawyers, investors, families. Mars is about to change.
Leonidas on Mars — Transferred to the surface. His announcement is still pending. The archaeology begins in earnest.
Chen's neuromonitoring patch — Stealth neural data on everyone. Victoria's research just gained a massive new dataset.
Vance's logistics play — The Belters can't build on planets. Vance can. The partnership is about to become essential.
The ARC trail — Powdered Tiamat crystals in the capacitor. A dead contract link. The Belt holds answers.