Once the group was back out of the secret lab, Alister led the way forward, Qwark at his side. Twilight and Nefarious brought up the rear, already eagerly debating the possible specs of the mech suits they'd seen silhouetted, and possible improvements they could make once the actual suits were acquired. Once he realized that was the nature of the discussion, Alister ignored it. Qwark found this...confusing to say the least. "Are you sure we shouldn't be paying attention to what they're talking about?" he asked as he activated a Power Plunger.
"Can you honestly tell me you understand a word they're saying?" Alister responded as a spinning ring with equally spaced swingshot targets on it descended in response. The four latched on with their swingshots, the centrifugal force launching them to the next floating stone island.
Qwark listened for a bit as Vac-U'd a few critters. "...I think Twilight just said something about explosions..."
"Precisely," Alister confirmed. "All I need to know is that they will understand how the suits work and will make improvements. Knowing that, I don't need to concern myself with the technical details."
"And...if Nefarious tries to sabotage ours?" Qwark suggested, carefully making his way over unsteady terrain, managing to cross without causing it to collapse.
"It would be a violation of his agreement to work with us until we get rescued, and Twilight would see it as grounds not to go out with him," Alister explained. "Dating her is a higher priority to him right now than killing you, so we're safe from sabotage. If he's going to kill you here, he'll do it by shooting you in the face or back, not sabotaging a project he works on with Twilight."
Qwark paused, having to be pushed off the collapsing terrain by Twilight's magic. "...wow. That makes a lot of sense. How do you know so much about what makes people tick?"
"I was a General during the war against the Cragmites," Alister responded morosely. "Half of that job is knowing how to phrase unpleasant orders that send a good portion of your troops to inevitable deaths for the greater good in a way that they're enthusiastic about it. You learn a lot of psychology that way." Turning, he blasted a mine launcher before its floating mines could hurt an unsuspecting critter. "Can we change the subject?"
"Wonderful weather we're having here!" Qwark responded enthusiastically. "This planet would make a good vacation spot! You know, once mad scientists aren't tearing it apart and Twilight's finished putting it back together." Noticing Alister's surprised expression, Qwark grinned. "Yeah, she does that. Her first adventure - back when we were on opposite sides - she repaired a good half dozen planets and invented an anti-pollution mech that's still the Think Green standard of environmental protection."
"Oh yeah!" Nefarious called out. "I've actually got a few Sparklers built into my few still functioning planetary bases! Reconstituting the toxic byproducts of my experiments into usable resources has saved me billions of bolts!"
"Wait, built into the bases?" Twilight asked, her voice confused but her eyes alight with curiosity. "But they're designed to be free moving..."
"And now we have no idea what they're talking about again!" Qwark proclaimed happily, launching Alister across a wide gap so everyone could lock onto him with their swingshots.
"Unfortunately, I do," Alister groaned. "Any chance we could change the subject to something more pleasant? What's the 'Sparkler' Nefarious mentioned, anyway?"
"A free-roving environmental cleaner," Qwark explained as he pulled out a datapad. "I don't understand all the technical details, but..." He scanned through the data for a bit, shaping words with his mouth without speaking while absently shifting to climb up a metal wall using the Omniboots Twilight had made for him. "It uses a sample of clean, pristine water or atmosphere - whether physical or in data form - to clean the seas or skies, depending on if its an aquatic or aerial model, into the pristine, pollutant free state of the samples. It also...collects the pollutants to be...uh, what Nefarious said."
"Reconstituted into usable resources?" Alister clarified.
"Exactly!" Qwark agreed.
Alister thought about that as they blasted another attacking robot to bits. "No wonder she's so rich. She could name her price for something like that. Even Lombax worlds had pollution problems, and we'd have paid through the nose for it-"
"Actually, the initial model is sold at cost, and maintenance is at a reasonable annual subscription rate," Qwark explained. "And several developing worlds operating on a deficit have even had those costs waved. She insisted."
Alister stared at Qwark for a time. "New question. Why isn't she President of the Universe?"
"Presidential candidates have to be at least 25," Qwark responded. "She's only 18. Old enough to be a running mate, but not run on her own."
"And now I know how you won," Alister grumbled as he sucked up a few critters.
At that moment, another strange robot floated by, and gravity in the area suddenly shifted dramatically.
"This is new," Twilight mumbled as she tried to fly, her wings no longer providing appropriate lift due to the change in gravity. "And not entirely pleasant..." she grumbled as she landed on her back.
Nefarious quickly righted her. "Don't flap your wings," he advised. "Glide instead. In low gravity, it'll work better."
"Thanks for the advice," Twilight replied as the group leapt along.
Alister shook his head in frustration, not sure how he felt about what was going on with that pair.